bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
South African specific complexities in aligning graduate attributes to employability
Authors: Ramnund-Mansingh Aradhana , Reddy Nikita
Published: July 2021

South African higher education (HE) cannot be compared to any other country’s HE systems due to the unique political landscape and structural narrative that it has undergone. Subsequent to the reorganisation of HEIs in 2004, a number of complexities arose. These included accessibility to education across race and the alignment of the South African HEIs to global pedagogic benchmarks. With the changing political landscape, transformations within higher education, socio economic inequities and changes in the workplace, researchers failed to cognize the impact of these factors on graduate employability. Changing graduate attributes to align with a decolonised curriculum and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) workspaces were transiently underway when COVID-19 set a new narrative for the future of employability. This paper seeks to identify the impact of workplace changes and its direct influence on successful graduate employment and integration into the HE curriculum. The work environment has cursorily moved from 4IR to an advanced stage of the 4IR, where there is a full emphasis on digitisation, non-localised workspaces and is an ostensible playground for digital natives (Generation Z). This paper provides a systematic review of literature in the South African HE contexts that pertains to graduate attributes for employability within the workplace.  The adoption of malleable secondary data will allow for an understanding of the relationship between changing workplace environments and expectations from graduates. This correlation is directly linked to graduate attributes which students need to comply with from year one. The paper will provide context to changes which are required for the future success of graduates, and whether graduate attributes are adequate preparation for employability. A clinical model is recommended with an intervention to manage the risk factors of decolonisation of curriculum, the 4IR and multi-generational workplace and responses to COVID-19.
Islamic Education Thought of Sheikh Nawawi Al-Bantani: The Disaster in The Qur’an
Authors: Siregar Maragustam
Published: July 2021

Abstract: Nawawi is a true teacher in Islamic science and very prolific in writing Islamic science. The purposes of this study are (1) to find out the characteristics of the plague in Nawawi’s thinking; (2) to propose the solution to the Covid-19 outbreak from the perspective of Islamic education; (3) to figure out the Islamic education from this pandemic. This study employed qualitative research from an Islamic education philosophy perspective. The data collection was documentation. It also used content analysis, thematic, and inductive-deductive approaches. There are some findings in this research. First, the words calamity, Bala, and slander, the pandemic, is a test. It happened as a result of the power of God and the work of man. The purpose is for man to be closer to God, more meaningful to God’s presence, erode pride, etc. Second, it is not permissible to approach the place of plague. If it is at the epidemic site, then do not come out of it; the sick do not mix with the healthy, avoid harming themselves and others, and put the damage off rather than benefit. Third, the values of Islamic education are spiritual, intellectual, social, and skill. Abstrak: Nawawi adalah mahaguru sejati dalam keilmuan Islam dan sangat produktif menulis bidang keilmuan Islam. Tulisan ini menjawab (1) karakteristik wabah dalam pemikiran Nawawi; (2) solusi dari wabah Covid-19 dalam perspektif pendidikan Islam; (3) nilai-nilai pendidikan Islam yang diperoleh dari pandemi ini. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan filsafat pendidikan Islam. Pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini menggunakan dokumentasi. Penelitian ini menggunakan analisis isi, tematik, dan pola pikir induktif-deduktif. Hasil temuan dalam penelitian ini adalah pertama, merujuk kepada kata musibah, bala, dan fitnah, pandemi merupakan ujian. Hal itu terjadi sebagai akibat kuasa Allah dan ulah manusia. Tujuannya agar manusia lebih dekat kepada Allah, lebih bermakna kehadiran Tuhan, mengikis kesombongan, dan lain-lain. Kedua, tidak boleh mendekati tempat wabah dan jika berada di lokasi wabah, maka jangan keluar darinya, yang sakit jangan bercampur dengan yang sehat, menghindari mudarat terhadap diri sendiri dan orang lain, dan mendahulukan menutup kemudaratan daripada mengambil manfaat. Ketiga, nilai-nilai pendidikan Islam ialah nilai spiritual, intelektual, sosial, dan keterampilan.
Establishing a Moderate Religious Academics in Pesantren-Based Higher Education
Authors: Royani Ahmad
Published: July 2021

Abstract: Pesantren is an ideal partner for the government to jointly improve the quality of education as a basis for implementing social transformation. It provides qualified human resources with good morals emphasizing moderate religious values that reflect within the Islamic value of rahmatan lilalamin. This paper wants to see pesantren-based universities in giving birth to moderate religious academics. By taking the object of study Nurul Jadid university, which is a high miscarriage based pesantren. This research applied a descriptive study by using a qualitative approach. The research participants were Islamic scholars (kyai), lecturers, and students at the University of Nurul Jadid. Data were collected through interviews, observation, and documentation. This study showed that establishing the Islamic boarding school culture produced moderate religious academics at Nurul Jadid University. It was by implementing the supremacy of kyai’s preaching and teaching (dawuh kyai). It was constructed through artifacts, values, and assumptions emphasizing moderate religious aspects. Abstrak: Pesantren menjadi partner yang ideal bagi pemerintah untuk bersama-sama meningkatkan mutu pendidikan sebagai basis bagi pelaksanaan transformasi sosial melalui penyediaan sumber daya manusia yang mumpuni dan berakhlakul karimah yang menekankan nilai-nilai religius moderat yang mencerminkan nilai Islam rahmatan lilalamin. Tulisan ini ingin melihat perguruan tinggi berbasis pesantren dalam melahirkan akademisi religius moderat. Dengan mengambil objek kajian Universitas Nurul Jadid yang merupakan perguran tinggi berbasis pesantren. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan rancangan studi kasus. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan wawancara mendalam,observasi partisipatif dan studi dokumen. Data-data yang yang terkumpul kemudian dianalisis secara simultan, dengan teknik: pengumpulan data, kondensasi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian ini menemukan konstruksi budaya pesantren dalam melahirkan akademisi religius moderat di Univesitas Nurul Jadid dilakukan dengan kekuatan dawuh kyai yang di konstruksi melalui artifak, nilai, dan asumsi yang mengedepankan aspek religius moderat
Gender Equality in Islamic Religious Education
Authors: Karim Abdul , Rochmahwati Pryla
Published: July 2021

Abstract: This research is remarkable to conduct research dealing with its impact on the senior high school students’ achievement. The design of the research was a phenomenological qualitative approach. It was applied by using purposive sampling in Kudus Regency. The findings showed that (1) Islamic Religious Education placed men and women equally in the teaching and learning process. However, the difference in learning material is based on the essence of the source of Islamic law of Al-Quran and Hadith; (2) There are several learning models applied, directed free learning strategies which stimulate students for behaving and acting according to normative-rational and religious considerations and resulting in learning changes in thinking, behaving and acting according to individual ratio considerations; (3) The impact of the Islamic Religious Education learning model on understanding gender equality is that the presence of a normative-religious, normative-rational understanding, as well as a rational understanding of gender issues.   Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh kesetaraan gender terhadap prestasi belajar peserta didik di Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA). Penelitian ini mengambil lokasi di Kabupaten Kudus (berdasarkan purposive sampling) dengan menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif fenomenologis. Dari hasil analisis data penelitian ditemukan, pertama: Pembelajaran PAI dilaksanakan dengan tanpa membedakan gender peserta didik. Perbedaan materi pembelajaran didasarkan pada esensi sumber hukum Islam al-Quran dan Hadits. Kedua, terdapat beberapa model pembelajaran yang diterapkan, yaitu dengan menggunakan strategi pembelajaran bebas terarah yang merangsang siswa untuk berperilaku dan bertindak sesuai pertimbangan normatif-rasional dan religius sehingga mengakibatkan perubahan sikap peserta didik dalam berpikir, berperilaku dan bertindak sesuai dengan pertimbangan rasio individu. Ketiga, ada beberapa dampak model pembelajaran PAI terhadap pemahaman kesetaraan gender, di antaranya: model pertama, peserta didik memiliki pemahaman secara normatif-religius; model kedua, peserta didik memiliki pemahaman tentang gender secara normatif-rasional; dan model pembelajaran ketiga, peserta didik memiliki pemahaman permasalahan gender secara rasional.
Quality assessment and hydrochemistry of a coastal aquifer adjacent to a hypersaline lake: A case study of Western Asia
Authors: Bahramian Majid , Bahramian Mojtaba , Yetilmezsoy Kaan
Published: July 2021

The study is motivated by the quality degradation of groundwater with emphasis on salinity between 2012 and 2018 in an aquifer, namely Azarshahr aquifer, located in Western Asia (a case of north-west of Iran), adjacent to Lake Urmia. The groundwater of Azarshahr plain in the south-east, namely, the nutritional zone of the plain, has a low amount of salts (0.7–18.06 mg/L), but by moving to the north-west and west of the plain, which is the location of the outflow of water, the concentration of salts is significantly increased (35.42–87.5 mg/L). Ca–Cl has the cardinal influence on quality of water, making it different from the common type of fresh waters in Iran (Ca–HCO3). High concentrations of SO42−, Cl−, and Na+ detected in almost all the water samples, which indicates aquifer’s good quality for portable applications. Regarding agricultural applications, from 2012 to 2018, the percentage of samples in the good class of C2S1 has been reduced by 35%, which could also be a further indicator of increasing salinity in the aquifer. The spatial distribution of electrical conductivity (EC), cations, and anions tends to follow an increasing pattern toward western regions. Comparing the results of hydrochemical analysis of Lake Urmia with the corresponding results from the groundwater in Azarshahr plain, there is an acceptable correlation between the hydrochemical features of Lake Urmia with the saltwater of western parts of the Azarshahr plain. Hence, it is likely that another source of water salination in this plain, especially in western parts, is the influx from Urmia Lake. Due to the presence of clay mass of mountains between the Lake Urmia and Azarshahr plain as well as the lack of a hydraulic relationship, the probability of penetration of saline water from reinforced water reservoirs of Lake Urmia to the aquifer of Azarshahr plain is further strengthened.
Similarity measures of Pythagorean fuzzy soft sets and clustering analysis
Authors: M Athira T , John Sunil Jacob , Garg Harish
Published: July 2021

Pythagorean fuzzy set (PFS) is a broadening of intuitionistic fuzzy set that can represent the situations where the sum of membership and the non-membership values exceeds one. Adding parameterization to PFS we obtain a structure named as Pythagorean fuzzy soft set (PFSS). It has a higher capacity to deal with vagueness as it captures both the structures of a PFS and a soft set. Several practical situations demand the measure of similarity between two structures, whose sum of membership value and non-membership value exceeds one. There are no existing tools to measure the similarity between PFSS and this paper put forward similarity measures for PFSS. An axiomatic definition for similarity measure is proposed for PFSS and certain expressions for similarity measure are introduced. Further, some theorems which express the properties of similarity measures are proved. A comparative study between proposed expressions for similarity measure is carried out. Also, a clustering algorithm based on PFSS is introduced by utilizing the proposed similarity measure.
Fault diagnosis of rolling element bearing using ACYCBD based cross-correlation spectrum
Authors: Zhang Yongxiang , Zhu Danchen , Zhao Lei
Published: July 2021

Rolling element bearings are crucial components in all kinds of rotating machinery. Its fault detection is of great importance, as it ensure the performance of the whole machine. Periodic transient impulses caused by bearing defects are usually submerged in strong background noise which poses a challenge for effective fault feature extraction. To detect bearing faults reliably, a new fault feature extraction method is presented. First, the adaptive maximum second-order cyclostationary blind deconvolution (ACYCBD) is utilized to recover bearing fault related impulses, while the optimal filter length is chosen based on the harmonic significance index (HSI) which quantifies the diagnostic information contained in a deconvoluted signal. Second, cross-correlation is calculated between the teager energy operator (TEO) and the envelope of the deconvoluted signal to further eliminate the irrelevant noise. Finally, fast fourier transform (FFT) is employed to acquire the cross-correlation spectrum and the fault features can be extracted successfully. The performance of the proposed method is verified on both simulation signals and experimental signals acquired from a test rig. The superior abilities of noise reduction and fault detection are shown clearly when compared with some traditional method.
Evaluation of Water Chemistry in the Environs of Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Site, Jawaharnagar, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Authors: Reddy A G S , Rao P N , Kumar G Ravi , Babu G Raja , Prasad K Maruti
Published: July 2021

The impact of uncontrolled municipal solid waste disposal of 3800 tons per day on surface and groundwater in the downstream of Jawaharnagar dumping site was studied. The un-engineered solid waste dumping yard site spreading over an area of about 300 ha is located on topographic high (hillock), and falls in Madyala stream and Dammaiguda watersheds of Musi sub-basin. The area is underlain by granites of the Archaean age. Both surface and groundwater samples, collected covering hydrological cycles of 2011and 2012, were analyzed for major chemical constituents. During 2012, 15 samples of both seasons were tested for BOD, COD, and TOC. The mean values of some tested chemical constituents of surface water samples (15) were - EC 13066 m S/cm, TH 753, Na+ 813, K+ 530, HCO3− 978, Cl− 1304, and NO3− 262 (all in mg/l) which prove that the tanks and stream near dump yard were pools of leachate. The average values of contaminated groundwater samples among the four sampled sessions (17) indicate EC was above 5000 m S/cm, TH 1624, Cl− 1502, and SO42− 284 (all in mg/l) which were found much above the threshold values. Very few samples were found suitable for drinking purpose and most of the samples fall in Good class of WQI. Very high content of TOC, BOD, and COD in both surface and groundwater samples indicate the presence of organic pollutants sourced from domestic waste dumps. Wide temporal and spatial variability in the concentration of many ion species can be attributed to deviation in rainfall, topography, plume dynamics, and aquifer hydraulics. Low resistivity values (5 to 25 ohm.m) at a distance of 4 km from the dumping site and high infiltration rate (29 cm/hr) at Madyala stream, which were contaminant hotspots, indicate the mass flux was controlled by hydrological features. Scattered and limited distribution of contaminants can be accounted for heterogeneous nature of country rocks, retarded lateral and vertical flow of water which restricts the movement of contaminants to certain preferred pathways. The study supports the hypothesis of solid waste dumps were the epicenter of pollution which generates leachate and dissipate contaminants to the aquatic environment influenced by factors like soils, topography, and aquifer hydraulics and contaminant kinetics.
Extracellular matrix and cellular senescence in venous leg ulcers
Authors: Lim Debbie Xiu En , Richards Toby , Kanapathy Muholan , Sudhaharan Thankiah , Wright Graham Daniel , Phillips Anthony Ronald John , Becker David Laurence
Published: July 2021

High prevalence of non-healing chronic wounds contributes to a huge health burden across the world. Early treatment interventions for non-healing wounds are vital. It was previously shown that accumulation of 15% or more senescent cells in a chronic wound edge is an indicator that the wound is unlikely to heal. However, determining the presence of senescent cells would require invasive procedures such as tissue biopsies to be taken. In this study, we found a strong correlation between decreased collagen area and presence of senescent cells in human chronic wounds i.e venous leg ulcer (VLU), diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) and pressure ulcer (PRU). We also reported that the lowest collagen levels were found in VLU patients less than 60 years of age, with a persistent wound of > 24 months. Elevated levels of senescent cells were also found in VLU of males. Second harmonic imaging of collagen at the edge of chronic wounds with a handheld multiphoton device could be used to predict the number of senescent cells, indicating if the wound is on a healing trajectory or not. Our data support the use of collagen imaging in cutaneous wound assessment for a faster and non-invasive method to predict cellular senescence and determining wound trajectory.
Optimal Transmit Antenna Selection using Hybrid Algorithm for Massive MIMO Technology
Authors: Singh Charanjeet , Raja P.C.Kishore
Published: July 2021

“Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (M-MIMO) systems specifically refers to a practical technique for sending and receiving more than one data signal simultaneously over the same radio channel by exploiting multipath propagation”. It depends on several antennas for transferring varied data streams simultaneously. With the increase in count of antennas, the energy or power utilization also gets increased. Thus, it becomes necessary to select optimal transmit antennas that exist as the great challenge in M-MIMO systems. This work introduces a new “Hybrid Sea Lion-Whale Algorithm (HS-WA)” for selecting the optimal transmit antenna by considering the multi-objectives, which increases both capacity and efficiency. The adopted scheme is the combination of both “Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) and Sea Lion Optimization Algorithm (SLnO)” that optimizes the antenna’s count and moreover, it finds out “which antenna to be selected”. At last, the supremacy of presented model is confirmed over existing models in terms EE and capacity analysis.
Cognitive Capacity Genome-wide Polygenic Scores Identify Individuals Resilient to Cognitive Decline in Aging
Authors: Joo Yoonjung , Cha Jiook , Freese Jeremy , Hayes M Geoffrey
Published: July 2021

The genetic underpinnings of cognitive resilience in aging remains unknown. Predicting an individual’s rate of cognitive decline—or cognitive resilience—using genetics will allow personalized intervention for cognitive enhancement and optimal selection of target samples in clinical trials. Here, using genome-wide polygenic scores(GPS) of cognitive capacity as the genomic indicators for variations of human intelligence, we examined the genetic liability of cognitive abilities in the behavioral/cognitive phenome to understand individual phenotypic differences over time. We analyzed the 18-year records of the cross-sectional and longitudinal sociogenomic data of 8,511 European-ancestry adults from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), especially focusing on the cognitive assessments that were repeatedly administered to the participants at their average ages of 64.5 and 71.5. Our linear mixed-effects model identified a significant interaction effect between age and cognitive capacity GPS, which indicates that a higher cognitive capacity GPS significantly correlates with a slower cognitive decline in the domain of immediate memory recall (p-value = 1.79E-03, β = 1.86E-01). Also, the phenome-wide analysis identified several significant associations of cognitive capacity GPSs on the cognitive and behavioral phenome, such as Similarities task (p-value = 3.59E-74, β = 1.36, 95% CI=(1.22, 1.51)), Number Series task(p-value = 2.55E-78, β = 0.94, 95% CI=(0.85, 1.04)), IQ scores(p-value = 7.74E-179, β = 1.42, 95% CI=(1.32, 1.51)), high school class rank (p-value = 3.07E-101, β = 1.86, 95% CI=(1.69, 2.02), Openness from the BIG 5 personality factor(p-value = 2.19E-14, β = 0.57, 95% CI=(0.42, 0.71)), and social participation of reading books (p-value = 2.03E-21, β = 0.50, 95% CI=(0.40, 0.60)), attending cultural events, such as concerts, plays or museums (p-value = 2.06E-23, β = 0.60, 95% CI=(0.49, 0.72)), and watching TV (p-value = 4.16E-18, β=-0.48, 95% CI=(-0.59, -0.37)). As the first phenome-wide analysis of cognitive and behavioral phenotypes, this study presents the novel genetic protective effects of cognitive ability on the decline of memory recall in an aging population.
Gut microbiome modulates cytokine release syndrome and therapeutic response to CAR-T therapy in hematologic malignancies
Authors: Huang He , Hu Yongxian , Li Jingjing , Ni Fang , Yang Zhongli , Gui Xiaohua , Bao Zhiwei , Zhao Houli , Wei Guoqing , Wang Yiyun , Zhang Mingming , Hong Ruimin , Wang Linqin , Wu Wenjun , Mohty Mohamad , Nagler Arnon , Chang Alex , Brink Marcel van den , Li Ming D.
Published: July 2021

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has emerged as a promising immunotherapeutic treatment for hematologic malignancies. By comparing the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome during different stages of CAR-T therapy, significant changes were detected, not only in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM; n = 43), but also in those with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL; n = 23) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL; n = 12). Analysis of treatment responses revealed significant temporal differences in diversity and abundance of Bifidobacterium, Prevotella, Sutterella, and Collinsella between MM patients in complete remission (n = 24) and those in partial remission (n = 11). Furthermore, we found that patients with severe cytokine release syndrome (CRS) exhibited higher abundance of Bifidobacterium, Leuconostoc, Stenotrophomonas, and Staphylococcus. This study has important implications for understanding the biological role of the microbiome in the CAR-T treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies (ChiCTR1800017404).
Nanobody-based CTLA4 inhibitors for immune checkpoint blockade therapy of canine cancer patients
Authors: Marable Jonathan , Ruiz Damien , Jaiswal Anil K. , Bhattacharya Ritankar , Pantazes Robert , Agarwal Payal , Surywanshi Amol S. , Bedi Deepa , Mishra Amarajit , Smith Bruce F. , Sandey Maninder
Published: July 2021

Background Cancer is the leading cause of death in the geriatric dog population. Currently, the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as anti-CTLA4 antibodies has markedly improved the prognosis of several cancers in their advanced stages. However, ICIs targeting CTLA4 blockade to treat canine cancer patients are yet to define. In this study, we sought to develop, characterize and assess whether chimeric heavy chain only antibodies (cHcAbs) against CTLA4 are viable therapeutic candidates for the treatment of canine cancers.Methods Anti-CTLA4 nanobodies (Nbs) were identified from a yeast nanobody (Nb) library using magnetic-assisted cell sorting (MACS) and flow cytometry. cHcAbs were engineered by genetically fusing the DNA sequences coding for anti-CTLA4 Nbs with the Fc domain of the subclass B of canine IgG. Recombinant cHcAbs were purified from ExpiCHO-S cells. Stable cell lines expressing canine CTLA4 and FcγRI were used to elucidate the binding ability and specificity of cHcAbs. PBMCs isolated from healthy dogs were used to evaluate the ability of cHcAbs to activate canine PBMCs.Results Novel Nbs were identified using the extracellular domain of canine CTLA4 protein to screen a fully synthetic yeast nanobody library. Purified Nbs bind specifically to natïve canine CTLA4. We report that chimeric HcAbs, which were engineered by fusing the anti-CTLA4 Nbs and Fc region of subclass B of canine IgG, were half the size of a conventional mAb and formed dimers. The chimeric HcAbs specifically binds both with canine CTLA4 and FcƳ receptors. As the binding of Nbs overlapped with the MYPPPY motif of canine CTLA4, these Nbs were expected to sterically disrupt the interaction of canine CTLA4 to B-7s. Like their human counterpart, canine CTLA4 was expressed on helper T cells and a small subset of cytotoxic T cells. Canine Tregs also constitutively expressed CTLA4, and stimulation with PMA/Ionomycin dramatically increased expression of CTLA4 on the cell surface. Stimulation of canine PBMCs in the presence of agonistic anti-CD3 Ab and cHcAb6 significantly increased the expression of IFN-γ as compared to the isotype control.Conclusions This study identifies a novel nanobody-based CTLA4 inhibitor for the treatment of canine cancer patients. Furthermore, this approach provides a critical proof-of-concept for developing nanobody-based humanized anti-CTLA4 therapy for advanced stages of cancers.
Scoliosis in Children: Impact of Goal Directed Therapies on Intra-operative and Postoperative Outcomes
Authors: Kumba Claudine
Published: July 2021

Background: Scoliosis is among interventions with high postoperative complication rates due to the characteristics of the surgery, where blood loss, transfusion and fluid requirements can be increased.A monocentric retrospective observational study was undertaken earlier to determine predictors of intraoperative and postoperative outcomes in surgical patients. In this initial cohort, there were patients who underwent scoliosis surgery, and a secondary analysis to describe outcomes in these patients was realized and is presented here.Objective: To describe intraoperative and postoperative outcomes in patients under 18 years old in scoliosis surgery included in the initial study and to propose improvement implementation measures.Methods: Secondary analysis of patients undergoing scoliosis surgery. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee.Results: There were 116 patients with a mean age of 147.5 ± 40.2 months. Twenty-eight patients (24.1%) presented intraoperative and/or postoperative complications. The most common intraoperative complication was hemorrhagic shock in 3 patients (2.6%). The most common postoperative organ failure was neurologic in seven patients (6%), respiratory in 3 patients (2.6%), cardio-circulatory in 2 patients (1.7%) and renal failure in one patient (0.9%).The most common postoperative infection was surgical wound sepsis in 8 patients (6.9%), urinary sepsis in three patients (2.6%), and abdominal sepsis and septicemia in two patients (1.7%).twelve patients (10.3%) had reoperations.Fifty-six patients (48.3%) had intraoperative transfusion.There was no in-hospital mortality.Conclusion: Integrating goal-directed therapies in this surgical setting could improve postoperative outcomes.
Removal of hydrogen sulfide gas using coal fly ash – blast furnace cement composite
Authors: Asaoka Satoshi , Saito Hiroyuki , Ichinari Tsuyoshi , Hayakawa Shinjiro , Oikawa Takahito
Published: July 2021

The number of complaints regarding offensive odors from service industries, such as restaurants and garages, has recently increased. In this study, we aimed to develop an adsorbent for hydrogen sulfide gas derived from domestic wastewater and reveal the mechanisms of its removal. The adsorbent used for hydrogen sulfide gas removal was prepared by mixing coal fly ash and blast furnace cement with a mixing ratio of 87:13 by mass percentage. The optimum calcination temperature of the adsorbent was 700 °C to achieve a high removal performance for both dry and humid hydrogen sulfide gas. The X-ray absorption fine structure analysis revealed that hydrogen sulfide was removed on the adsorbent by oxidizing to sulfate. A pilot-scale experiment was conducted to evaluate the removal performance of hydrogen sulfide gas derived from domestic wastewater using the developed adsorbent. For a week, the average removal percentage of hydrogen sulfide gas derived from domestic wastewater remained at 99.1%. Therefore, the developed adsorbent for hydrogen sulfide gas is promising and cost-effective for promoting the recycling of coal fly ash.
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater is influenced by sampling time, concentration method, and target analyzed
Authors: Pino Nancy J. , Rodriguez Diana C. , Cano Laura Castrillón , Rodriguez Alejandra
Published: July 2021

The detection of SARS-CoV in wastewater has been proposed as a tool for monitoring COVID-19 at the community level. Although many reports have been published about detecting viral RNA in wastewater and its presence has been linked to infected people, appropriate analytical methodologies to use this approach have not yet been established. In this study, we compared ultrafiltration, polyethylene glycol precipitation, flocculation using AlCl3, and flocculation with skim milk for the recovery of SARS-CoV-2, using RNA from patients with positive diagnoses for COVID-19 and Pseudomonas phage φ6 as the control. We also evaluated the primers for detecting the E, RdRp, and N genes of the virus, as well as different storage times. Differences in the recovery efficiencies were evident with the different concentration methods, the best being ultrafiltration and precipitation with aluminum, which had recovery rates of 42.0% and 30.0%, respectively, when virus was present at high levels. Significant differences were found between the recoveries using wastewater and deionized water and between different storage times, with better recoveries for 6 and 12 h samplings. The E gene was the only one detected in all the samples analyzed. The results show that although this approach can provide important data for studying the pandemic, clear protocols are necessary for investigations to be comparable.

HIGHTLIGHTS

RNA of SARS-CoV-2 was used to evaluate the recovery of different methods in wastewater. The utility of phage φ6 of Pseudomonas as a control for evaluation of recovery methods of SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater was demonstrated. Differences due to the target selected for the detection of SARS were demonstrated. The results show that it is possible to detect SARS RNA in wastewater, however its epidemiological usefulness will depend on the correct validation of the technique used for detection.
Antibiotic resistance in a predominantly occurring Gram-negative bacterial community from treated sewage to assess the need for going beyond coliform standards
Authors: Shekhawat Sandeep Singh , Kulshreshtha Niha Mohan , Mishra Rinki , Arora Sudipti , Vivekanand Vivekanand , Gupta Akhilendra Bhushan
Published: July 2021

Antibiotic resistance surveillance is an objective of global action plan on antimicrobial resistance endorsed by the World Health Organization. The current study reports the identification of frequently occurring Gram-negative bacterial community (GNBC) previously isolated from municipal treated wastewater and their antibiotic resistance profiles. Further, the genes responsible for extended-spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL) activity were identified in ESBL-positive organisms. The isolates were characterized using biochemical assays and identification was confirmed by VITEK®2 automated system. Antibiotic susceptibility testing against seven different classes of antibiotics was also performed on the same system using AST-N280 cards. The most dominant isolates identified were Acinetobacter baumannii, Morganella morganii, Kluyvera intermedia, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Escherichia coli, Aeromonas hydrophila/caviae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii. The isolates were observed to be significantly resistant against the antibiotics amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefuroxime, cefuroxime axetil and colistin. Two of the isolates, E. cloacae sp. dissolvens and S. maltophilia, were found to be positive for ESBL activity encoded by blaCTX-M gene. The possible intrusion of hospital wastewater in domestic sewage is also discussed. This study may help assess the risk of wastewater reuse by detecting dominant bacteria as a step towards the development of new microbiological standards.
Water quality assessment and pollution source analysis of Yaojiang River Basin: a case study of inland rivers in Yuyao City, China
Authors: Ouyang Long-Ling , Shi Yun-Rong , Yang Jie-Qing , Mao Shu-Jie , Yuan Qi , Wang Yun-Long
Published: July 2021

To fully understand the water quality status of the Yuyao section in the Yaojiang River Basin, we utilized the single factor and comprehensive water quality identification index methods, as well as factor analysis in this study. The single factor water quality assessment results showed that the common parameters exceeding the standard in both the wet and dry seasons included dissolved oxygen and total nitrogen, which were inferior to the target water quality grade III by 1–6 grades. The comprehensive water quality order reaching the target grade III was Hutang River (87.5%), Changling River (50.0%), Yaojiang River (43.8%), and Linzhou River (37.5%). The comprehensive water quality in the dry season (90.0% standard-achieving rate) was better than that in the wet season (25.0% standard-achieving rate). These results suggested that the surface runoff might considerably impact water quality. The factor analysis results showed that the basin surveyed in 2018 was mainly polluted by urban sewage and agricultural sources, while the primary pollution source in 2019 was agricultural pollution. Integrated with comprehensive water quality assessment results, in this study, we demonstrated that the series of water treatment projects carried out in Yuyao City positively impacted municipal sewage treatment.
Water consumption practices in university campuses. The experience of the National Autonomous University of Mexico
Authors: Arriaga-Medina J. A. , Piedra-Miranda A. G.
Published: July 2021

The Water Network of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Red del Agua UNAM) and the Program for the Management, Use, and Reuse of Water in UNAM (PUMAGUA) carried out a survey with the aim of knowing the water consumption practices of the university community in its campuses located in the Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico. A sample of 2,095 students, academics, administrative and support staff participated in this survey. The results show that 74% of the sample consume bottled water and that their average spending is between 0.50 and 1 dollar per day (11 to 20 Mexican pesos). The rates of bottled water consumption contrasts with the perception about water quality, since only 13% consider water quality distributed in the water fountains located within university campuses as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. The rates of bottled water consumption among university community are similar to the ones reported by studies in Mexico City and in Mexico as a whole, even though UNAM has a Water Observatory that allows people to know in real time water quantity and quality in university campuses.
Amberlite IRC-718 ion chelating resin extraction of hazardous metal Cr (VI) from aqueous solutions: equilibrium and theoretical modeling
Authors: Addala Abdelhamid , Boudiaf Moussa , Elektorowicz Maria , Bentouhami Embarek , Bengeurba Yacine
Published: July 2021

Under varied conditions, the IRC 718 ion-exchange resin is used to extract chromium (VI) ions from aqueous solutions. On chromium (VI) removal effectiveness, the effects of adsorption dosage, contact time, beginning metal concentration, and pH were examined. The batch ion exchange process reached equilibrium after around 90 minutes of interaction. With an initial chromium (VI) concentration of 0.5 mg/dm3, the pH-dependent ion-exchange mechanism revealed maximal removal in the pH 2.0–10 range. The adsorption mechanism occurs between Cr (VI) determined as the electron acceptor, and IRC 718 determined as the electron donor. The equilibrium ion-exchange potential and ion transfer quantities for Amberlite IRC 718 were calculated using the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The overall ion exchange capacity of the resin was determined to be 187.72 mg of chromium (VI)/g of resin at an ideal pH of 6.0.
Stress-deformed state of a three-layer structure taking into account the hypothesis of cubic displacement pattern over the thickness of a filler
Authors: Ustarkhanov O. M. , Muselemov Kh. M. , Gapparov Kh. M.
Published: July 2021

Objective.In most cases, when determining the stress-deformed state of three-layerstructures, it is assumed that bearing layers obey the Kirchhoff-Love hypothesis, while a filler obey theNeit (vanderNeit), or “broken line”, hypothesis. But in many cases, the results of our research showthat this is not always accurate.Methods.It is proposed to solve the three-dimensional problem of determining the stress-deformed state of a three-layer structure using cubic functions of the law of aggregate deformation distribution along the normal line, obtained on the basis of the law of deformation compatibility at “filler – bearing layer” boundaries and the construction of boundary conditions in joint zones.Results.Equilibrium equations of a three-layer beam obtained on the basis of thishypothesis are shown in Table 1. The given partial differential equations are of the 12th order and wetransformed them into homogeneous equations of the 1st order to simplify the solution. This solution isimplemented using the mathematical modelling software package Mаple 5.4.Conclusion.The work ofthe filler in the direction of OX axis has a certain value, which affects the overall stress state of thethree-layer structure (in existing hypotheses, it is zero).
Average error determination in the calculation of earthquake epicenter coordinates
Authors: Aslanov G. K. , Aslanov T. G.
Published: July 2021

Objective. The study is aimed at determining the dependence of the average error in calculating the epicenter coordinates of an earthquake on errors in measuring the velocities of seismic waves for various methods of seismic event localization. Error distribution investigation for the method for determining the earthquake hypocenter coordinates using the Cassinian oval. Methods. The problem was solved using statistical methods: methods of frequency and regression analyzes, means comparison method, and uniform search method. Results. A relationship between the accuracy of measuring the velocities of seismic waves when determining the coordinates of an earthquake epicenter were established for four different earthquake hypocenter coordinates calculation methods. A method for determining the earthquake hypocenter coordinates using the fourth-order figure of the Cassinian oval was proposed. The error distribution density of the Cassinian oval method was compared with the ones of other methods. Conclusion. The results obtained make it possible to choose one or another method for calculating the hypocenter coordinates depending on the specific area in which a seismic event occurred and the locations of seismic sensors.
Mathematical modelling of ultrasonic treatment of asphaltene deposits
Authors: Khuramshina R. A. , Sokolova V. V.
Published: July 2021

Objective. The removal of asphaltene deposits at oil and gas facilities is one of the urgent and important problems and requires significant material and labor costs. It is possible to reduce costs by creating and implementing effective technical means, which requires an in-depth study of the processes of organic matter deposition at oil and gas facilities and their use as a secondary raw material. Methods. This paper discusses modern views on the state of the problem of asphaltene deposits in oil shipping and storage equipment and possible ways to solve it. The paper provides an overview of various ways to clean shipping and storage objects from asphaltene deposits: chemical (adding additives, solvents), thermal (heating by special devices or injection of superheated steam during exploitation), mechanical (using scrapers and pistons), and refers, among other things, to scientific works on the use of ultrasound to accelerate the removal of deposits. Results. The paper considers methods for removing deposits, as well as using the positive effect of the removed layer as a secondary energy source. A procedure for model calculation of the use of ultrasonic equipment to remove deposits has been developed. As a result, the deposit melting front velocity was determined depending on the duration of exposure. Conclusion. Taking into account the positive world experience, the level of development of the ultrasonic method for removing asphaltene deposits in the oil and gas industry and the use of asphaltene deposits as a secondary raw material, this area needs further development. The widespread implementation of equipment and, from the standpoint of rational use of natural resources, the use of deposits as a secondary raw material will increase cost efficiency and equipment efficiency, and reduce environmental impact.
Slow-burning instabilities of Dufort-Frankel finite differencing
Authors: Galloway David , Ivers David J
Published: July 2021

DuFort–Frankel averaging is a tactic to stabilize Richardson’s unstable three-level leapfrog timestepping scheme. By including the next time level in the right-hand-side evaluation, it is implicit, but it can be rearranged to give an explicit updating formula, thus apparently giving the best of both worlds. Textbooks prove unconditional stability for the heat equation, and extensive use on a variety of advection–diffusion equations has produced many useful results. Nonetheless, for some problems the scheme can fail in an interesting and surprising way, leading to instability at very long times. An analysis for a simple problem involving a pair of evolution equations that describe the spread of a rabies epidemic gives insight into how this occurs. An even simpler modified diffusion equation suffers from the same instability. Finally, the rabies problem is revisited and a stable method is found for a restricted range of parameter values, although no prescriptive recipe is known which selects this particular choice.
 
doi:10.1017/S1446181121000043
Precision Public Health Campaign: Delivering Persuasive Messages to Relevant Segments Through Targeted Advertisements on Social Media
Authors: An Jisun , Kwak Haewoon , Qureshi Hanya M , Weber Ingmar
Published: July 2021

Although established marketing techniques have been applied to design more effective health campaigns, more often than not, the same message is broadcasted to large populations, irrespective of unique characteristics. As individual digital device use has increased, so have individual digital footprints, creating potential opportunities for targeted digital health interventions. We propose a novel precision public health campaign framework to structure and standardize the process of designing and delivering tailored health messages to target particular population segments using social media–targeted advertising tools. Our framework consists of five stages: defining a campaign goal, priority audience, and evaluation metrics; splitting the target audience into smaller segments; tailoring the message for each segment and conducting a pilot test; running the health campaign formally; and evaluating the performance of the campaigns. We have demonstrated how the framework works through 2 case studies. The precision public health campaign framework has the potential to support higher population uptake and engagement rates by encouraging a more standardized, concise, efficient, and targeted approach to public health campaign development.
The Association of Delayed Care With Depression Among US Middle-Aged and Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Analysis
Authors: Luo Yan
Published: July 2021

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the depression level among US adults has significantly increased. Age disparity in depression during the pandemic has been reported in recent studies. Delay or avoidance of medical care is one of the collateral damages associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and it can lead to increased morbidity and mortality.

Objective

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression and delayed care among US middle-aged adults and older adults during the pandemic, as well as investigate the association of delayed care with depression among those 2 age groups.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used data from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) COVID-19 Project (Early, Version 1.0). Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were applied. US adults older than 46 years were included. Depression was measured by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form (CIDI-SF). Delayed care was measured by the following 4 items: delayed surgery, delayed seeing a doctor, delayed dental care, and other delayed care.

Results

A total of 3246 participants were identified. More than half of the participants were older than 65 years (n=1890, 58.2%), and 274 (8.8%) participants had depression during the pandemic. Delayed dental care was positively associated with depression among both middle-aged adults (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.04-4.03; P=.04) and older adults (OR 3.08, 95% CI 1.07-8.87; P=.04). Delayed surgery was positively associated with depression among older adults (OR 3.69, 95% CI 1.06-12.90; P=.04). Self-reported pain was positively related to depression among both age groups. Middle-aged adults who reported higher education levels (some college or above) or worse self-reported health had a higher likelihood of having depression. While perceived more loneliness was positively associated with depression among older adults, financial difficulty was positively associated with depression among middle-aged adults.

Conclusions

This study found that depression was prevalent among middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic. The study highlighted the collateral damage of the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying the association of delayed surgery and dental care with depression during the pandemic. Although surgery and dental care cannot be delivered by telehealth, telehealth services can still be provided to address patients’ concerns on delayed surgery and dental care. Moreover, the implementation of telemental health services is needed to address mental health symptoms among US middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic. Future research that uses more comprehensive measurements for delayed care is needed to decipher the path through which delayed care is associated with depression.