bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weathering rates of Ca and Mg related to granitic and gabbro mineralogy in boreal forest soils and the effect of mechanical soil disturbance on weathering release
Authors:   Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Natural resources, Latokartanonkaari 9, FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland, Lindroos Antti-Jussi , Ilvesniemi Hannu
Published: April 2023

This study’s aim was to calculate the weathering rates of Ca and Mg for five boreal forest soils in southern Finland on granitic and gabbro containing bedrock. The effect of mineralogy on the total concentrations of Ca and Mg in soil and weathering rates was evaluated. The aim was also to estimate the effect of mechanical soil disturbance related to ploughing on the weathering in the gabbro area. The total concentrations of SiO2, CaO, MgO, and Zr were determined by XRF, and weathering rates of Ca and Mg were determined based on the changes in the CaO, MgO, and Zr concentrations. The weathering rates of Ca+Mg varied 5–38 mmolc m–2 year–1 in the E+B/BC horizons among the plots. Soil disturbance related to ploughing increased the weathering of Ca and Mg largely in the disturbed part of the topmost mineral soil as indicated by the decreasing concentrations of Ca and Mg after mechanical soil disturbance. The weathering input of Ca in the undisturbed soil did not fully replace the Ca output in final whole-tree cutting. The weathering input of Mg in the undisturbed soil was sufficient to replace the lost Mg in stemwood harvesting but not on all the plots the lost Mg in whole-tree harvesting. Weathering rates were higher in the gabbro than the granitic areas.
Entangled Genders: Unraveling Transformative Justice in the Early Childhood Classroom
Authors: Brody Dylan
Published: April 2023

In contemporary discourses on transformative justice in education for gender diverse and trans youth, birth to three classrooms are often left out of the conversation. Yet mechanisms of carcerality, such as classism, racism, ableism, heteronormativity, cisnormativity, and xenophobia arise as children construct meaning through their primary method of exploration and learning: play. This article looks more deeply at the complexity of dismantling gendered violence in early childhood spaces, incorporating a liberatory praxis rooted in the work of Black queer feminism, queer theory, and early childhood scholarship. The following is a true story about my experience as a white, closeted, nonbinary trans teacher navigating transphobia with a white two-year-old student exploring gender in the classroom. The aim is not to provide scripted answers but rather to provide critical space to contemplate how we can assist in the healing process as we cultivate safer spaces for ourselves, our colleagues, our students, and their families.
The Most Common Characteristics of Fragile Video Watermarking
Authors: Hassan Yasmin A. , Rahmah Abdul Monem S.
Published: April 2023

The progress of network and multimedia technologies has been phenomenal during the previous two decades. Unauthorized users will be able to copy, retransmit, modify reproduction, and upload the contents more easily as a result of this innovation. Malicious attackers are quite concerned about the development and widespread use of digital video. Digital watermarking technology gives solutions to the aforementioned problems. Watermarking methods can alleviate these issues by embedding a secret watermark in the original host data, allowing the genuine user or file owner to identify any manipulation. In this study, lots of papers have been analyzed and studied carefully, in the period 2011–2022. The historical basis of the subject should not be forgotten so studying old research will give a clear idea of the topic. To aid future researchers in this subject, we give a review of fragile watermarking approaches and some related papers presented in recent years. This paper presents a comparison of many relevant works in this field based on some of the outcomes and improvements gained in these studies, which focuses on the common characteristics that increase the effect of watermarking techniques such as invisibility, tamper detection, recovery, and security
Deep Forest Based Internet of Medical Things System for Diagnosis of Heart Disease
Authors: Askar Shavan K.
Published: April 2023

Due to advancement in internet of medical things, the conventional health-care systems are transformed into smart health-care systems. The medical emergence services can be significantly enhanced by integration of IoMT and data analytic techniques. These technologies also examine the unexplored area of medical services that are still unseen and provide opportunity for investigation. Moreover, the concept of smart cities is not achievable without providing a smart connected healthcare scheme. Hence, the main purpose of this research is to come up with a smart healthcare system based on IoMT, Cloud and Fog computing and intelligent data analytic technique. The major objective of the proposed healthcare system is to develop a diagnostic model capable for earlier treatment of heart disease. The suggested scheme consists of distinct phases such as data acquisition, feature extraction, FogBus based edge/fog computing environment, classification, and evaluation. In data acquisition, different IoMT such as wearables and sensors devices are considered to acquire the data related to heart disease and the various features related to signal and data are extracted. Further, the deep forest technique is integrated into the proposed system for classification task and effective diagnosis capabilities of heart issues. The performance of the suggested scheme is evaluated through set of well-defined parameters. Comparison with other healthcare model was conducted for the purpose of performance evaluation. It is concluded that the proposed model has a superiority over other all other models in different aspects namely, the sensitivity measure, accuracy measure, and specificity.
MODELING THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR TO THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT OF KENYA USING TIME SERIES ANALYSIS
Authors: Wanyonyi Maurice
Published: April 2023

The manufacturing sector is considered a pivotal contributor to the growth of the economy around the globe. Kenya relies on the manufacturing sector to generate revenue and ultimately enhance the growth of the economy. Despite the key purpose played by these sectors in the economy, inflation rate has diversely affected their performance. The purpose of the study was to develop the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average time series model to forecast the inflation rate in Kenya. The analysis utilized secondary data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the model was fitted to the data using R. The ARIMA  with the information criterion of 576.24 was identified as the best model. Based on the forecasting, it was established that there will be a slight shift in the inflation in the coming years. Therefore, the government should use wage and price control to fight inflation but put in place policies to prevent recession and job loss in the country. The government should also employ contractionary monetary policy to fight inflation by reducing the money supply in the economy through decreases bond prices and increased interest rates.  Implementation of these recommendations might assist in reducing the rate of inflation in the country.
IMPLEMENTATION OF STOCHASTIC MODEL FOR RISK ASSESSMENT ON INDONESIAN STOCK EXCHANGE
Authors: Maruddani Di Asih I , Trimono Trimono , Mas'ad Mas'ad
Published: April 2023

Currently, financial assets become an alternative choice for investors in Indonesia to get maximum profits. The Indonesia Stock Exchange is the official capital market in Indonesia which is a place for trading financial assets. Stocks are listed as the most preferred financial asset by investors. In reality, stock investment is not a risk-free investment. The main risk that investors should face is the loss risk. This kind of risk can occur at any time. From that problem, this study aims to do risk assessment on the Indonesian stock market. The evaluation will be started with stock price index prediction using the Stochastic model (Geometric Brownian Motion Model and Jump Diffusion). Then, the result from that processes will be used to get loss risk prediction through the Adjusted Expected Shortfall model. By using the historical price of JKSE index from 01/08/21 to 31/08/22, Jump Diffusion is the best model to predict the JKSE index with MAPE value is 1.08%. Then, at the 95% confidence level and 1-day holding period, the expected loss risk using Adjusted Expected Shortfall model on 09/01/2022 is -0.02978.
MANAGING HEART RELATED DISEASE RISKS IN BPJS KESEHATAN USING COLLECTIVE RISK MODELS
Authors: Yogesswara Gede Ary Prabha , Qoyyimi Danang Teguh , Abdurakhman Abdurakhman
Published: April 2023

BPJS Kesehatan is a legal entity established to administer the health service program using the insurance system. Heart related diseases is a disease with the largest coverage cost in Indonesia. It can be calculated by using the collective risk model as an approximation of the aggregate loss model. This model is a compound distribution from claim frequency and claim severity, where claim frequency be the primary distributions. The Poisson distribution can be used to the distribution of the heart disease claim frequency. Whereas, the distribution of the heart disease claim severity has a lognormal distribution. The model obtained can explain the aggregate loss of heart disease claims properly.
Skeletal muscle single fiber force production declines early in juvenile male mice with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Momb Brent A. , Patino Edwin , Akchurin Oleh M. , Miller Mark S.
Published: April 2023

Children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) frequently exhibit delayed physical development and reduced physical performance, presumably due to skeletal muscle dysfunction. However, the cellular and molecular basis of skeletal muscle impairment in juvenile CKD remains poorly understood. Cellular (single fiber) and molecular (myosin‐actin interactions and myofilament properties) function was examined ex vivo in slow (soleus) and fast (extensor digitorum longus) contracting muscles of juvenile male (6 weeks old) CKD and control mice. CKD was induced by 0.2% adenine diet for 3 weeks starting at 3 weeks of age. Specific tension (maximal isometric force divided by cross‐sectional area) was reduced in larger myosin heavy chain (MHC) I and IIA fibers and in all IIB fibers in juvenile male mice with CKD due to fewer strongly bound myosin‐actin cross‐bridges. Fiber cross‐sectional area in juvenile CKD mice was unchanged in MHC I and IIB fibers and increased in MHC IIA fibers, compared to controls. CKD slowed cross‐bridge kinetics (slower rate of myosin force production and longer myosin attachment time, ton) in MHC IIA fibers, and accelerated kinetics (shorter ton) in MHC IIB fibers, which may indicate fiber type dependent shifts in contractile velocity in juvenile CKD. Overall, our findings show that single fiber myopathy is an early event during juvenile CKD, manifesting prior to the development of cellular atrophy as reduced force generation due to fewer strongly bound myosin heads. These results warrant clinical translation and call for early interventions to preserve physical function in children with CKD.
Lesen (Plural) – Ein Bericht aus dem Jahr 2040
Authors: Schaab Rupert
Published: April 2023

Als Bericht aus einer wissenschaftlichen Bibliothek des Jahres 2040 werden Entwicklungslinien dargestellt, welche sich aus dem Einsatz von Tracking-Technologien und künstlicher Intelligenz auf das Lesen und Schreiben von Texten ergeben. Dies betrifft neben Lehre, Forschung und Hochschulwesen auch die Weiterentwicklung der Bibliotheksangebote und die Rolle gedruckter Bücher. Zugleich wird die Vielfalt von Lesepraktiken deutlich, welche „Lesen (Plural)“ zu einem zentralen Aufgabenfeld der Bibliotheken macht.
Recommendation for the design of stability studies on clinical specimens
Authors: Gomez-Rioja Rubén , Von Meyer Alexander , Cornes Michael , Costelloe Sean , Vermeersch Pieter , Simundic Ana-Maria , Nybo Mads , Baird Geoffrey Stuart , Kristensen Gunn B.B. , Cadamuro Janne
Published: April 2023

Objectives

Knowledge of the stability of analytes in clinical specimens is a prerequisite for proper transport and preservation of samples to avoid laboratory errors. The new version of ISO 15189:2022 and the European directive 2017/746 increase the requirements on this topic for manufacturers and laboratories. Within the project to generate a stability database of European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) Working Group Preanalytical Phase (WG-PRE), the need to standardise and improve the quality of published stability studies has been detected, being a manifest deficit the absence of international guidelines for the performance of stability studies on clinical specimens.

Methods

These recommendations have been developed and summarised by consensus of the WG-PRE and are intended primarily to improve the quality of sample stability claims included in information for users provided by assay supplier companies, according to the requirements of the new European regulations and standards for accreditation.

Results

This document provides general recommendations for the performance of stability studies, oriented to the estimation of instability equations in the usual working conditions, allowing flexible adaptation of the maximum permissible error specifications to obtain stability limits adapted to the intended use.

Conclusions

We present this recommendation based on the opinions of the EFLM WG-PRE group for the standardisation and improvement of stability studies, with the intention to improve the quality of the studies and the transferability of their results to laboratories.
Comparison between cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for differential diagnosis of acute meningitis
Authors: de Almeida Sérgio Monteiro , Castoldi Juliane Rosa , Riechi Salomão Cury
Published: April 2023

Objectives

Given the difficulty in the differential diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis (BM) and viral meningitis (VM), we aimed to compare the ability of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, such as lactate, glucose, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), total white blood cell count, and predominance of neutrophils, as single tests to differentiate microbiologically defined acute BM and VM.

Methods

CSF samples were divided into three groups: BM (n=17), VM (n=14) (both with the etiological agent identified), and normal control groups (n=26).

Results

All the biomarkers studied were significantly higher in the BM group than in the VM or control groups (p>0.05). CSF lactate showed the best diagnostic clinical performance characteristics: sensitivity (94.12%), specificity (100%), positive and negative predictive value (100 and 97.56%, respectively), positive and negative likelihood ratio (38.59 and 0.06, respectively), accuracy (98.25%), and AUC (0.97). CSF CRP is excellent for screening BM and VM, as its best feature is its specificity (100%). CSF LDH is not recommended for screening or case-finding. LDH levels were higher in Gram-negative diplococcus than in Gram-positive diplococcus. Other biomarkers were not different between Gram-positive and negative bacteria. The highest level of agreement between the CSF biomarkers was between CSF lactate and CRP [kappa coefficient, 0.91 (0.79; 1.00)].

Conclusions

All markers showed significant differences between the studied groups and were increased in acute BM. CSF lactate is better than the other biomarkers studied for screening acute BM due to its high specificity.
A systematic study on design and development of optical communication image encryption techniques
Authors: Malsaria Anshika , Vyas Pankaj , Kaur Manjit
Published: April 2023

Optical encryption techniques in over the last 10 years have become more important in the area of optical information processing. Several applications, including online payments, medical or biometric image storage or transmission, private military applications, police identification techniques, online banking platforms, governmental services, identity (ID) cards, etc., are only a few examples. Require special and reliable security in the transmission and storage of images. Since digital picture information may be readily accessed by hackers via transmission over the Internet or other communication channels, the issue of photos with unlawful usage is becoming more and more severe. A more effective and secure means of communicating images may be offered via optical encryption. The encryption mechanism and keys are needed at the receiver side in order to decrypt the original optical data. Picture security becomes a highly important subject in communication science as a result of network growth and rising need for image transmission. There are several security issues with picture data, including forgery detection and illegal access. The most straightforward method of picture protection is to encrypt it as text. The traditional text encryption algorithms are inappropriate for picture encryption because of the high correlation present in image data. Over the last two decades, a number of optical approaches have been proposed for photo encryption, with the specific advantage of processing two-dimensional (2D) image data in parallel conduction mode. Therefore, we are doing an extensive investigation on optical image encryption in this work.
Using social media as a source of analysable material in phonetics and phonology – lenition in Spanish
Authors: Broś Karolina
Published: April 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that alternative methods of data collection are necessary to continue working in certain fields of linguistics. This is a challenge for (socio)phoneticians and phonologists who have to rely on good quality sound but cannot do fieldwork or gather recordings in a traditional manner. In this paper, I show that audio recordings made via social media can help alleviate this problem. To this end, I compared samples from five speakers of dialectal Spanish recorded in a laboratory setting and via a social media application (WhatsApp). The analysis of temporal and spectral characteristics of consonants in postvocalic position shows that recordings made via social media can be successfully used for at least some types of sociophonetic analysis. They also provide some additional advantages for researchers: ease of data collection, potentially large speech corpora, and access to authentic, naturalistic speech which is uninhibited by laboratory conditions or the presence of a researcher and a professional recording device.
AG1024, an IGF-1 receptor inhibitor, ameliorates renal injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy via the SOCS/JAK2/STAT pathway
Authors: Liu Jianhua , Zhang Yun , Liu Min , Shi Feng , Cheng Bo
Published: April 2023

Insulin-like-growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is the ligand for insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), and the roles of IGF-1/IGF-1R in diabetic nephropathy (DN) are well-characterized previously. However, the biological functions of AG1024 (an IGF-1R inhibitor) in DN remain unknown. This study investigates the roles and related mechanisms of AG-1024 in DN. The experimental DN was established via intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin, and STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated with AG1024 (20 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks. The 24 h proteinuria, blood glucose level, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen were measured for biochemical analyses. The increase in 24 h proteinuria, blood glucose level, serum creatinine, and blood urea of DN rats were conspicuously abated by AG1024. After biochemical analyses, the renal tissue specimens were collected, and as revealed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and Masson staining, AG-1024 mitigated typical renal damage and interstitial fibrosis in DN rats. Then, the anti-inflammatory effect of AG-1024 was assessed by western blotting and ELISA. Mechanistically, AG-1024 upregulated SOCS1 and SOCS3 expression and decreased phosphorylated JAK2, STAT1, and STAT3, as shown by western blotting. Collectively, AG-1024 (an IGF-1R inhibitor) ameliorates renal injury in experimental DN by attenuating renal inflammation and fibrosis via the SOCS/JAK2/STAT pathway.
4-(2′-Phenylethynylphenyl)phenyl glycosides as glycosylation donors
Authors: Liu Wei , Wang Ziqiang , Gulzar Tayyab , Zhang Xiaodong , Ding Guoping , Xu Peng , Yu Biao
Published: April 2023

We have disclosed that 3,5-dimethyl-4-(2′-phenylethynylphenyl)phenyl (EPP) glycosides could be employed as glycosylation donors via an unprecedented activation mechanism. Here we report that the EPP glycosides without the 3,5-dimethyl groups, which were previously installed to prevent the plausible Friedel-Crafts-type side reactions, can also undergo glycosylation effectively. Employing such an EPP 2-azidoglucoside as donor, the construction of the challenging α-GlcN-(1→4)-GlcA linkage is realized, leading to a heparin trisaccharides precursor.
Bis-periazulene: remaining non-alternant isomer of pyrene
Authors: Konishi Akihito , Horii Koki , Hirose Michiyoshi , Yasuda Makoto
Published: April 2023

Bis-periazulene (cyclohepta[def]fluorene) is one of the seven possible non-alternant isomers of pyrene. Different from the other isomers, bis-periazulene had remained an uncharacterized hydrocarbon until 2022, since it was first reported in 1955. This paper documents our recent achievements in synthesizing and characterizing bis-periazulene derivatives. Its triaryl derivatives 5c‒e exhibited the superimposed electronic structures of peripheral, polarized, and open-shell π-conjugated systems. Furthermore, in contrast to previous theoretical predictions, bis-periazulene derivatives showed the singlet ground state.
Cellular and molecular effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields
Authors: Lai Henry , Levitt B. Blake
Published: April 2023

The way that living cells respond to non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF), including static/extremely-low frequency and radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, fits the pattern of ‘cellular stress response’ – a mechanism manifest at the cellular level intended to preserve the entire organism. It is a set pattern of cellular and molecular responses to environmental stressors, such as heat, ionizing radiation, oxidation, etc. It is triggered by cellular macromolecular damage (in proteins, lipids, and DNA) with the goal of repairing and returning cell functions to homeostasis. The pattern is independent of the type of stressor encountered. It involves cell cycle arrest, induction of specific molecular mechanisms for repair, damage removal, cell proliferation, and cell death if damage is too great. This response could be triggered by EMF-induced alternation in oxidative processes in cells. The concept that biological response to EMF is a ‘cellular stress response’ explains many observed effects of EMF, such as nonlinear dose- and time-dependency, increased and decreased risks of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, enhanced nerve regeneration, and bone healing. These responses could be either detrimental or beneficial to health, depending on the duration and intensity of the exposure, as well as specific aspects of the living organism being exposed. A corollary to electromagnetic hypersensitivity syndrome (EHS) could be an inappropriate response of the hippocampus/limbic system to EMF, involving glucocorticoids on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement: Exploring the Impact on E-Commerce
Authors: Gomez-Herrera Estrella , Duch-Brown Nestor , Latorre María C.
Published: April 2023

Recent technological changes have altered the way in which interactions take place between economic agents. One of the main advances is the possibility to broadly disseminate information at very low cost. E-commerce is a significant part of this change, becoming increasingly important within the EU. In this paper we analyze the impact of the recent trade agreement reached between EU and Mercosur countries on e-commerce flows. We take advantage of the political agreement announced on June 28, 2019 as a source for identification. We use data from SimilarWeb, a digital market intelligence company that provides information on worldwide Internet traffic. Our results show that the announcement of the Agreement has had a positive impact on Internet traffic between EU and Mercosur countries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical exercise to analyze the impact of this and other Agreements on e-commerce.
Strömungscharakterisierung im Arbeitsspalt beim magnetfeldüberlagerten elektrochemischen Abtragen
Authors: Luther Fabian , Schaarschmidt Ingo , Schubert Andreas , Richter Markus
Published: April 2023

Kurzfassung

Elektrochemisches Abtragen weist ein großes Potential auf, den steigenden Bauteilanforderungen hinsichtlich Komplexität und Effizienz und den damit verbundenen Herausforderungen an die genutzten Fertigungsverfahren gerecht zu werden. Aktuelle Forschungsarbeiten zeigen, dass die Überlagerung der Bearbeitungszone mit einem Magnetfeld einen positiven Einfluss auf den Abtragprozess haben kann und so bestehende Verfahrensgrenzen erweitert werden können. Um ein tieferes Verständnis über die zugrundeliegenden Wirkmechanismen hinter dieser bisher eher weniger betrachteten Einflussgröße zu erhalten, sollen die Auswirkungen der Magnetfeldüberlagerung auf die vorherrschenden Prozesse beim elektrochemischen Abtragen, auf verschiedenen Längenskalen untersucht werden. Dazu wurden in dieser Arbeit optische Untersuchungen mittels stereo Particle Image Velocimetry in einer auf die Millimeter-Größenordnung hochskalierten Analysezelle durchgeführt, um die resultierende Elektrolytströmung zu charakterisieren. Diese Zelle erlaubt in situ Messungen direkt im Arbeitsspalt zwischen Kathode (Werkzeug) und Anode (Werkstück) bei laufender Bearbeitung. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden dabei erste Untersuchungen mit parallel zueinander ausgerichteten planen Elektroden durchgeführt. Es wurde ein signifikanter Einfluss der elektromagnetischen Felder auf die auftretenden mittleren Strömungsgeschwindigkeiten und die zugrundeliegenden Geschwindigkeitsfelder nachgewiesen. Hierbei ist vor allem die Ausbildung einer starken Wirbelströmungsstruktur innerhalb des Arbeitsspaltes hervorzuheben. Diese Struktur kann im Wesentlichen auf die wirkende Lorentzkraft zurückgeführt werden. In anschließenden Arbeiten sind Folgemessungen mit Parametervariationen und verschiedenen Elektrodengeometrien auf unterschiedlichen Längenskalen geplant, um den Einfluss der einzelnen Prozessgrößen auf das elektrochemische Abtragen bestmöglich zu untersuchen. Diese experimentellen Ergebnisse werden dann zur Validierung zukünftiger magnetohydrodynamischer Simulationsmodelle verwendet. Diese sollen perspektivisch als Schnittstelle zwischen der Mikro- und Millimeter-Größenordnung dienen, da mit abnehmendem Arbeitsspalt die optische Zugänglichkeit zur experimentelle Strömungscharakterisierung zunehmend eingeschränkt wird.
The mitochondrial ATP synthase as an ATP consumer—a surprising therapeutic target
Authors: Valdebenito Gabriel E , Chacko Anitta R , Duchen Michael R
Published: April 2023

The mitochondrial F1Fo‐ATP synthase uses a rotary mechanism to synthesise ATP. This mechanism can, however, also operate in reverse, pumping protons at the expense of ATP, with significant potential implications for mitochondrial and age‐related diseases. In a recent study, Acin‐Perez et al (2023) use an elegant assay to screen compounds for the capacity to selectively inhibit ATP hydrolysis without affecting ATP synthesis. They show that (+)‐epicatechin is one such compound and has significant benefits for cell and tissue function in disease models. These findings signpost a novel therapeutic approach for mitochondrial disease.
TSH ≥30 mU/L may not be necessary for successful 131I remnant ablation in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer
Authors: Ju Nianting , Hou Liying , Song Hongjun , Qiu Zhongling , Wang Yang , Sun Zhenkui , Luo Quanyong , Shen Chentian
Published: April 2023

Purpose

To determine whether thyroid-stimulating hormone level ≥ 30 mU/L is necessary for radioiodine (131I) remnant ablation (RRA) in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), as well as its influencing factors and predictors.

Methods

A total of 487 DTC patients were retrospectively enrolled in this study. They were divided into two groups (TSH < 30 and ≥ 30 mU/L) and further divided into eight subgroups (0–<30, 30–<40, 40–<50, 50–<60, 60–<70, 70–<80, 80–<90, and 90–<100 mU/L). The simultaneous serum lipid level, successful rate of RRA and its influencing factors in different groups were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curves derived from pre-ablative thyroglobulin (pre-Tg) and pre-Tg/TSH ratio were compared for RRA success prediction performance.

Results

There was no statistical difference in success rates of RRA between the two groups (P = 0.247) and eight subgroups (P = 0.685). Levels of total cholesterol (P < 0.001), triglyceride (P = 0.006), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.024), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.001), apolipoprotein B (P < 0.001), and apolipoprotein E (P = 0.002) were significantly higher while apoA/apoB ratio (P = 0.024) was significantly lower at TSH ≥ 30 mU/L group. Pre-Tg level, gender, and N stage were influencing factors for RRA. The area under the curve of pre-Tg level and pre-Tg/TSH ratio was 0.7611 (P < 0.0001) and 0.7340 (P < 0.0001) for all enrolled patients and 0.7310 (P = 0.0145) and 0.6524 (P = 0.1068) for TSH < 30 mU/L, respectively.

Conclusion

TSH ≥ 30 mU/L may not be necessary for the success of RRA. Patients with higher serum TSH levels prior to RRA will suffer from severer hyperlipidemia. Pre-Tg level could be used as a predictor for the success of RRA, especially when TSH < 30 mU/L.
Effects of pretreatment with saturated wet air and steaming on the high-frequency vacuum drying characteristics of wood
Authors: Chai Haojie , Xu Cong , Li Jie , Kong Fanxu , Cai Yingchun
Published: April 2023

The pretreatment of Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongholica Litv.) was conducted with saturated wet air (80 °C) and atmospheric saturated steam (100 °C) before high-frequency vacuum drying. Effects of the pretreatment on moisture content (MC), drying rate, drying crack, and drying shrinkage strain were investigated. The results showed that through pretreatment, the initial MC of the test material decreased by 2.6% to 6%, and the MC distribution was uniform. The maximum difference of the untreated wood MC distribution after drying was 2%, while that within the pretreated wood was less than 1%. The drying rate also increased, as the drying rates of the untreated and pretreated wood were 0.268%/h, 0.333%/h, and 0.398%/h, respectively. The drying shrinkage strain of the sample was reduced. The drying shrinkage strain of untreated wood was between 0.044 and 0.063, while the drying shrinkage strain of pretreatment wood was between 0.013 and 0.049. The crack of the test material was also reduced, and the drying quality was improved. The pretreatment reduced the high-frequency vacuum drying stress of wood and improved the drying speed and quality.
Influence of densification on mechanical properties of thermally pretreated spruce and poplar wood
Authors: Pelit Hüseyin , Yorulmaz Ramazan
Published: April 2023

The effects of mechanical densification on density, Brinell hardness, bending strength (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and compression strength (CS) of thermally pretreated spruce (Picea orientalis) and poplar (Populus nigra) wood samples were investigated. Thermal treatment was applied on the wood samples at four different temperatures (140 °C, 160 °C, 180 °C, and 200 °C) and two different durations (7 h and 9 h) under atmospheric pressure. Wood samples were then densified by compression at a temperature of 150 °C to two degrees (20% and 40%) of compression. The results indicated that the density, hardness, and MOR values of both compressed and non-compressed thermally pretreated spruce and poplar samples decreased with increasing treatment temperature and duration. At temperatures below 200 °C, the MOE was generally increased in thermally pretreated samples. However, the MOE was reduced in thermally pretreated samples at 200 °C compared to the untreated samples. Additionally, all thermal pretreatments increased CS values in compressed and non-compressed wood samples. The CS tended to decrease in thermally pretreated samples (especially 40% compressed) at 200 ºC. After the densification, all of the strength properties tested in thermally pretreated samples increased significantly depending on the increase in compression ratio.
Preparation and adsorption of CO2 and H2 by activated carbon hollow fibers from rubber wood (Hevea brasiliensis)
Authors: Ma Liyan , Li Jianing , Ma Xiaojun
Published: April 2023

A series of activated carbon hollow fibers doped with charcoal powder (WC-ACHFs) were prepared from wood waste with great potential for application in the gas adsorption of CO2 and H2. The hydrogen storage of WC-ACHF-1.0% increased approximately 10.5% more than that of activated carbon hollow fibers (ACHF), and the highest hydrogen uptake reached 4.51 wt% at 77 K and 100 bar. Regarding the CO2 adsorption, the highest adsorption amount reached 7.13 mmol g-1 and the mass content was 31.35 at 273 K, which was 49.8% higher than the sample without doping. In addition, the multiple heteroatoms (N, P) from wood waste liquefaction had a synergistic effect on the gas adsorption properties of WC-ACHFs. These results showed that a facile method was promising for the preparation of wood-derived activated carbon hollow fibers from forestry and agricultural residues in the application of gas adsorption.
Production of unitary moulded pulp products using Rapid-Köthen apparatus
Authors: Sikora Monika , Danielewicz Dariusz
Published: April 2023

This study shows that it is possible to manufacture moulded products from fibrous pulp at the laboratory scale using the Rapid-Köthen apparatus (found in almost every paper laboratory) and a special sieve form set. This process includes the design of elements of the mould forming sets by special software, production of these elements using a numerically controlled tool machine, the assembly of the sieve form, its installation in the Rapid-Köthen apparatus, and the forming and drying of the pulp product.
Non-destructive testing of thin birch (Betula pendula Roth.) veneers
Authors: Pramreiter Maximilian , Stadlmann Alexander , Linkeseder Florian , Keckes Jozef , Müller Ulrich
Published: April 2023

In technical applications of wood-based composites, the predictability of elasticity and strength is important. The aim of this study was to predict the static modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of thin (0.55 mm ± 0.05 mm) birch veneers. Based on the dynamic modulus of elasticity estimated via means of wave transmission time the observed dynamic modulus of elasticity was on average 14% lower than the corresponding static modulus of elasticity. This difference could be explained by a decreased measuring area during the tensile testing or by defects within the samples. The dynamic modulus of elasticity correlated well with the static modulus of elasticity (r = 0.821). Therefore, using wave transmission time to non-destructively predict the elasticity of veneers proves to be a promising tool. The dynamic modulus of elasticity showed a significant and positive correlation with the tensile strength (r = 0.665), but this correlation was weaker than with the static modulus of elasticity. Therefore, the wave transmission time or the static modulus of elasticity must be combined with additional strength-influencing properties, such as fiber angle or density, to allow for a highly accurate prediction of tensile strength.
Success factors of wood veneer as an overlay material for panel-based furniture manufacturing in Malaysia
Authors: Ratnasingam Jegatheswaran , Ioras Florin , Khoon Ark Chin , Ab Latib Hazirah
Published: April 2023

In the first part of this study, the Kelly repertory grid technique was used to determine the most preferred attributes of overlay materials used in wood-based panel furniture in Malaysia. This was followed by a questionnaire survey of 20 large wood-based panel furniture manufacturers to establish the trends in the use of overlay materials and the success factors of their utilization. The results showed that natural wood veneer was the most preferred overlay material, and the common local veneer species used included kembang semangkok, rubberwood, and bintangor. Meanwhile, the predominant imported veneer species were white oak, white ash, and walnut. The factor analysis showed that the properties of the overlay materials and market preferences were the driving factors for their successful utilization. The results clearly showed that natural wood veneer was preferred due to its wood-like, natural, and living attributes, and customers were prepared to pay a price premium for furniture with wood veneers compared to the other types of overlay materials.
Bleachability improvement of eucalypt mechanical pulps using hydrogen peroxide in ethanol-water media
Authors: Jiao Jian , Fang Guigan , Liang Fangmin , Deng Yongjun , Shen Kuizhong , Tian Qingwen , Han Shanming , Zhu Beiping
Published: April 2023

Alkaline darkening has a negative effect on chemimechanical pulps produced from various eucalypt chips. For instance, the pulp’s brightness has been found to drop rapidly when alkali addition exceeds its optimum amount. Therefore, to compare the effects of different media on brightness gain, eucalypt mechanical pulps were bleached using a typical peroxide bleaching sequence in a water medium and in an ethanol-water (E/W) medium. Various pulp brightness levels and changes of residue chemicals in the spent bleaching liquors were investigated. Compared to water medium, the net brightness gain notably increased when using the E/W medium at the same chemical dosages. The rate of pulp brightness loss caused by increasing alkali dosage dropped in the E/W medium. Analyses based on ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra of bleached pulps, as well as gel permeation chromatography and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry spectra of the residues in the spent bleaching liquors, indicated that the contributions to brightness improvement from ethanol-water media could be explained by the selective dissolution and removal of phenolic- or guaiacyl-structured lignin fragments that result in the formation of chromophoric groups under alkaline conditions.
Humidity’s effect on the dynamic-mechanical behavior of phenol-formaldehyde impregnated beech wood veneer
Authors: Munier Leo F. , Franke Tom , Herold Nadine , Pfriem Alexander
Published: April 2023

The dynamic-mechanical behavior of phenol-formaldehyde-impregnated beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) veneers was evaluated at various relative humidities. The aim was to identify the plasticizing effects of moisture on phenol-formaldehyde-impregnated veneers. Thin beech veneer samples were impregnated with a low and a medium molecular weight phenol-formaldehyde resin. The measurements were performed with a dynamic-mechanical thermal analysis equipped with a humidity generator. The storage modulus and the loss factor of the uncured phenol-formaldehyde-impregnated and the untreated control veneers were determined at a relative humidity of 15%, 60%, and 85% and a constant temperature of 25 °C. The untreated control veneers exhibited the smallest reduction of the normalized storage modulus. In contrast, the phenol-formaldehyde-impregnated samples exhibited a more intense relative reduction of the storage modulus with increasing relative humidity. This effect was more distinct for samples impregnated with low molecular weight phenol-formaldehyde than for those impregnated with medium molecular weight phenol-formaldehyde. In addition, higher solids contents in the resins led to even smaller normalized storage modulus. Consistently, the loss factor indicated a greater softening of the samples with an increasing humidity and higher solids content of the phenol-formaldehyde.
Theoretical and experimental research on moisture content and wood property indexes based on nondestructive testing
Authors: Cheng Liting , Dai Jian , Yang Zhiguo , Qian Wei , Wang Wei , Chang Lihong , Li Xin , Wang Ziyi
Published: April 2023

A set of reformulated theoretical formulas was developed to measure the relationships between moisture content (MC) and stress wave propagation velocity, dynamic modulus of elasticity ( “E” _”d” ), and modulus of stress-resistograph of the wood. The theory of wood science, elastic mechanics, wave science, and stress wave propagation were used as the theoretical basis. Using larch as the material, both stress wave and micro-drilling resistance technologies were used to study the timber property changes under different moisture contents. The results showed that when the MC of wood did not reach the fiber saturation point (FSP), the wood property decreased sharply with increased MC. However, the study also found that when the MC of wood was higher than the FSP, the wood property decreased with increased MC. In addition, the experimental results showed that the variation trend calculated by the new set of theoretical formulas was consistent with the numerical variation trend measured by the experiment, and the coupling effect of stress wave and micro-drilling resistance was high. This set of theoretical formulas can provide a reference for the research on nondestructive testing and performance evaluation of ancient building timber.
Research review on devices and methods for rapid measurement of paper ash
Authors: Hu Lianhua , Lu Xinyu , Ma Jin
Published: April 2023

The Chinese national standard for paper ash measurement cannot meet the requirements for accurate and rapid ash measurement in actual production and scientific research because of the long measuring time, tedious procedures, and large human error. This paper reviews some worldwide devices and methods for rapid measurement of paper ash, including ceramic fiber muffle furnace, microwave muffle furnace, the addition of ash adjuvant, dry samples method, direct combustion of paper samples, oxygen-enriched combustion method, chemical analysis method, and ray method, etc. The differences and relationships are identified among these devices and methods. By comparing the different ash measurement methods, the rapid ash analyzer based on X-ray technology has the obvious advantages of short measuring time and small error. Lastly, the present situation and the development potential of these devices and methods are discussed in this review.
Priming Bean Seedlings to Boost Natural Plant Defenses Against Common Bacterial Wilt: Salicylic Acid Responses to Chemical Primers (Part 1)
Authors: Ramsey Craig L. , Sandoval Vanessa M. , Freebury Paul C. , Newman Debra H. , Dooley Greg , Cseke Leland J. , Newman Steven E.
Published: April 2023

This greenhouse study evaluated the effects of two chemical inducers for priming kidney bean seedlings against a bacterial wilt disease. This study's central premise was that chlorine dioxide's oxidant properties would mimic the signaling properties of radical oxygen species, thereby initiating a cascade of molecular plant defenses, including the synthesis of salicylic acid (SA). This signaling agent then initiates a cascade of pre-defense activities to provide a more rapid and robust natural defense against pathogen attacks. This factorial study included two levels for a foliar chlorine dioxide treatment and two for a bacterial wilt inoculation treatment. The two plant response variables were free and conjugated salicylic acid levels sampled in leaf tissue over two collection dates. Half of the 96 plants were inoculated with a bacterial culture that causes common bean wilt disease. Leaf tissue was harvested 17 to 32 h and 960 h after the wilt inoculation to determine the temporal dynamics of SA due to chemical treatments. Also, PCR tests were used to verify wilt presence in the inoculated plants. Inoculation of the wilt disease did not affect free SA when leaf tissue was sampled from 17 to 32 h. after wilt inoculation. However, chlorine dioxide applied at 400 mg/l and sampled at 20 h after inoculation resulted in a 15-fold increase in free SA over the control. Also, chlorine dioxide applied at 400 mg/l with leaf tissue sampled at 26 h after inoculation resulted in a 33-fold increase in conjugate SA levels compared to the control plants.
Leaf tissue sampled at 960 h after the inoculation showed no free SA differences among the chemical treatments. However, the inoculated plant had a 15.9-fold increase in free SA compared to the non-inoculated plants. The priming effect on kidney bean seedlings using a single chlorine dioxide foliage application temporarily increased free and conjugate SA. The free and conjugate SA levels for the non-inoculated plants returned to baseline levels when sampled at 960 h. These results indicate that primed plants elevate SA up to several weeks with a slow decline back to baseline levels. Stem injection of the bacterial wilt bypassed the immunity mechanisms present in leaves, which significantly increased the wilt injury levels. Stem injection negated much of the foliar defenses, which overshadowed the priming effects of the chemical treatments on plant immunity and foliar defenses. The second leaf sampling on newly formed leaves reveals elevated SA levels in the inoculated plants but not in the non-inoculated plants.
Hard to Swallow: A Review of Interventions to Improve Swallowing Solid Medication
Authors: VandenBerg Caryn J. , Adams Alyssa , Bockrath Robyn , Kim SangHee , Rodriguez Giselle , Fawcett Andrea , Jhaveri Ravi
Published: April 2023

Solid oral medications are preferred over intravenous or liquid formulations; however, difficulty swallowing solid medication remains a common barrier to adherence. Previous reviews have demonstrated limited evidence on interventions to improve solid medication swallowing abilities. PubMed, Medline (OVID), CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched for interventions to improve the pediatric population’s ability to swallow solid medications. We included studies in English published after the latest review, from January 2014 through April 2022, with pediatric patients not having comorbid conditions affecting swallowing ability. The authors independently reviewed each study’s sampling strategy, study design, and the strength of outcome measures and assigned a numerical rating representing “poor,” “fair,” or “good” for each category. Individual ratings were averaged per category and a final quality rating score given based on the average of all 3 categories. Our search identified 581 unique records; 10 were included in the final review. Interventions varied and included behavioral therapies and novel products or medication formulations. Three received a “good” quality rating, 5 were “fair,” and 2 were “poor.” All studies showed their intervention(s) to be successful in improving a child’s ability to swallow solid oral medications. Despite the availability of several different effective interventions, pediatric providers do not routinely address patients’ difficulty with swallowing solid oral medications. Patients would benefit from implementation of a universal screening process followed by a guideline for appropriate patient-centered interventions; the opportunity exists to use this process as a national quality benchmark reflecting institutional commitment to high-value care.
Streptococcus mitis Tricuspid Valve Infective Endocarditis Accompanied by Haematological Management Challenges
Authors: Göbölös Laszlo , Manla Yosef , Bhatnagar Gopal , Aleinati Tareq
Published: April 2023

Streptococcal bloodstream infections resulting in right-sided endocarditis are uncommon. Streptococcus mitis can demonstrate slow-growing potential leading to delayed endocarditis presentation or culture-negative endocarditis. Endocarditis accompanied by skin lesions represents a severe disease course. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy complicating the disease require a well-tailored multidisciplinary approach.