bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study on the Types of the Circular Economy
Authors: Rim Gwang-Nam , An Chol-Ju , Jang Hyon-Sik , Jong Chun-Sim
Published: October 2022

As an alternative for sustainable development, the circular economy is currently attracting great attention from many countries and regions, and is supported by various theories and practices. This paper aims to classify circular economy forms according to various markers. To this end, the authors explain the theoretical and practical background, and based on this, distinguish the circular economy form according to various signs. The research clarified that the types of circular economy can be classified according to the realization way and level, the realization target and method from the perspective of circular economy practice and theory implemented and discussed around the world. This classification is meaningful in that it systemizes the circular economy type realized by various circular economy-related theories and practices from a new angle scientifically and theoretically, and helps regions and countries to realize the circular economy form suitable for the actual situation.
A dyadic advance care planning intervention for older adults with early-stage dementia and their family caregivers in a community care setting: A feasibility trial
Authors: Yeung Cheryl Chi-Yan , Chan Helen Yue-Lai
Published: October 2022

Background
People with dementia gradually lose mental capacity as the disease progresses and require advance care planning (ACP) to express care preferences. However, no culturally appropriate ACP intervention has been developed to engage individuals with early-stage dementia and their family caregivers in the ACP process.
Methods
A multi-centre, quasi-experimental study was conducted to test the feasibility and acceptability of a theory-guided, dyadic ACP intervention, namely the ‘Have a Say’ programme. This three-session intervention was designed to engage person with dementia–family caregiver dyads in ACP. The feasibility of the trial design, intervention procedures, subject recruitment and retention, and study instruments were assessed. Four instruments were administered at baseline (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and at 1 month (T2) and 3 months post-intervention (T3). Acceptability of the intervention was determined by the satisfaction score and completion rate. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a sub-sample of completers and ACP facilitators for process evaluation.
Results
Subject recruitment from five elderly community centres yielded a recruitment rate of 60% and resulted in 36 client–caregiver dyads. The intervention was acceptable to the dyads, as indicated by the mean satisfaction score of 4.4 out of 5 and completion rate of 94.4%. The attrition rates at T1, T2, and T3 were 5.6%, 11.1%, and 19.4%, respectively. Participants responded to all study instruments except the ACP engagement survey by individuals with dementia. Qualitative interviews revealed that the strengths of the intervention were triadic involvement of and trusting relationships among the individuals with dementia, their family caregivers and ACP facilitators, and documentation of clients’ views and care preferences. Two implementation challenges related to the structured format of the intervention and discussion about medical issues were also identified.
Conclusions
This ACP intervention and trial design were feasible and acceptable to the dyads in the community care setting. Several refinements for the intervention were identified, including an additional nurse-led group-based session, flexibility to arrange dyadic sessions, and measuring of ACP engagement for both individuals with dementia and family caregivers. A definitive randomised controlled trial to test the refined intervention is warranted.
Trial registration
Retrospectively registered on 14/08/2020 at clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04513106).
Guidance of swallowing test in determining the route of feeding in the palliative care unit
Authors: Zengin Hilal , Evin Nimet , Ünlü Ceren Ersöz , Arıcı Sena , Yıldırım Vedat , Taşçı İlker
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Evaluation of dysphagia in palliative care patients is an important indicator of care. In this study, it was evaluated how the swallowing test in palliative care patients guides the course of feeding route. Materials-Methods: This single center, retrospective study evaluated palliative care patients who underwent bedside dysphagia evaluation. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with dysphagia who could continue oral feeding. Results: The study included 65 patients [Age, mean ± SD: 76.2 ± 12.2 years (37 to 94 years); males: 53.8%). Two (3.3%) patients were not suitable for oral/enteral feeding. Thirty-eight (58.5%) patients had dysphagia, whereas 27 (41.5%) patients were found to have no dysphagia. Following admission, the route of feeding was modified in 49.2% of the sample. The proportion of patients who returned to oral feeding was 29.2% (n = 19), whereas 13.8% (n = 9) and 6.2% (n = 6) of the sample received PEG and nasoenteral tube placement, respectively. Among 33 patients who were on tube-feeding on admission, 12 (36.4%) individuals returned to oral feeding during their palliative care unit stay. Seven (58.4%) of these subjects who regained oral feeding were on nasoenteral tube feeding and 5 (41.6%) were on PEG feeding on admission. Conclusions: The present study showed a high rate of dysphagia on admission to palliative care unıt. On the other hand, safe and adequate oral feeding could be re-initiated in almost one-third of the patients with dysphagia on admission.
Fish oil, Azadirachta indica and Curcuma longa improve feed efficiency and meat quality of the broiler chicken
Authors: Hossain Md Emran , Adhikary Kona , Akter Nasima , Bhowmik Priunka , Sultan Md. Nahid , Islam Shilpi , Das Goutam Buddha
Published: October 2022

Total 288 Ross-308 male broiler chicks were randomly distributed in a complete block design at 2×3 (Two different phytochemicals, i.e., Azadirachta indica, and Curcuma longa at three different levels, i.e., 0, 0.063, and 0.125% of the basal diet) factorial arrangement. Final live weight (FLW), average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency (FE), carcass characteristics, cardio-pulmonary morphometry, haemato-biochemical indices, gut morphology, ileal nutrient digestibility, tibia morphometry, meat quality and fatty acid profile were measured. Results indicated that, supplementation of Azadirachta indica leaf meal (AILM) decreased the FLW, ADFI, ADG, gizzard weight, right ventricular diameter and increased the FE, tibia calcium content, left ventricular weight and the ratio of right and left ventricle. The AILM substantially increased the malonaldehyde concentration in the Pectoralis major muscle of the broiler chicken at 7th and day 14th days. The Curcuma longa powder (CLP) decreased the FLW, ADFI and ADG without affecting the FE and increased the weight of right ventricle, left ventricle and tibia length. The AILM and CLP interacted to decrease the ADFI, total saturated fatty acid content and increase the FE, ω-6, ω-9, total unsaturated fatty acids, total poly-unsaturated fatty acids and the ratio of total unsaturated: saturated fatty acid in the breast muscle of the broiler chicken. It was concluded that Azadirachta indica and Curcuma longa in combination with fish oil improved the FE and meat quality of the broiler chicken at the expense of ADFI and ADG.
Leadership Models and Change Management: A Systematic Review
Authors: Agazu Biniam Getnet , Birbirsa Zerihun Ayenew , Werke Shimels Zewdie
Published: October 2022

The goal of the study was to thoroughly examine the organizational change management and leadership paradigms utilized in various industries. There are various leadership models that can be applied in various situations and change models that are used in various organizations, but there is no evidence of the effectiveness of these models when it comes to managing organizational change, and they aren't discussed as a group in a systematic way either. A research topic that has been highlighted by the studies is to present and examine the leadership models that are most frequently utilized in organizational change management. The past literature on empirical and theoretical topics is compiled via a systematic review. An analysis of the content that is qualitative and descriptive was planned. Scopus, Web of Science, Taylor & Francis, Google Scholar, Emerald, and PubMed search results were for research. The following leadership theories were examined: the Great-Man Theory, the Trait Theory, the Behavioural Theories, the Contingency Theories, the Situational Leadership Theory, the Path-Goal Theory, the Leader Participation Model, the Leader-Member Exchange Theory, the Transformational Theory, the Transactional Theory, the Authentic Leadership theory, the Ethical Leadership theory, and the Servant Leadership theory. Various change management models were also examined, including ADKAR, Kurt Lewin's Change Model the majority of researchers worked on separately examining leadership models and change management in various businesses, but they mostly focused on transformational leadership combined with change management strategies that are helpful in organizational transition. The findings of this study support the widespread use of transformational leadership styles in businesses that were undergoing change. Therefore, it is advised that rather than generalizing the theories, future scholars conduct study by filling up these gaps and concentrating on geographical areas where it is possible to apply leadership models to certain sectors.
Elevated cerebrospinal fluid sTREM2 is associated with postoperative cognitive dysfunction after thoracoabdominal aortic dissection surgery
Authors: Wang Kexin , Cao Xuezhao , Li Zhe , Liu Sidan , Zhou Yongjian , Guo Lili , Li Pengli
Published: October 2022

Purpose
Soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (sTREM2) concentration is increased in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in early symptomatic phase of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study investigated whether CSF sTREM2 has a relationship with postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in cardiac surgery patients.
Methods
A total of 82 patients undergoing thoracoabdominal aortic replacement were recruited in this study. Neuropsychological testing battery was conducted before and after surgery. POCD was defined as a Z-score > 1.96 on at least 2 different tests or Telephone Interviews for Cognitive Status-Modified (TICS-M) score < 27. The CSF and serum sTREM2, Aβ42, T-tau and P-tau were collected and measured by ELISA on day before surgery and postoperative day 3.
Results
Patients were classified into POCD (n = 34) and non-POCD (n = 48) groups according to Z-score. Compared to non-POCD group, the levels of CSF sTREM2 (p < 0.001) and serum sTREM2 (p = 0.001) were significantly higher in POCD group on postoperative day 3, the levels of Aβ42 (p = 0.005) and Aβ42/T-tau ratio (p = 0.036) were significantly lower in POCD group on postoperative day 3. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that higher value of postoperative CSF sTREM2 (odds ratio: 1.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.02–1.11, p = 0.009), age (OR: 1.15, 95%CI: 1.03–1.28, p = 0.014) and POD duration (OR: 2.47, 95%CI: 1.15–5.29, p = 0.02) were the influencing factors of POCD.
Conclusion
This study indicates that elevated CSF sTREM2 is associated with an increased risk of early POCD.
Applications of GIS and Remote Sensing in Groundwater potential zoning of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh
Authors: Penki Ramu , Basina Sai Santosh , Nyayapathi Priyanka
Published: October 2022

Groundwater supplies across the world are under tremendous strain due to overuse and noticeable climatic changes over time. The requirement to assess groundwater potential and aquifer productivity rises along with the global need for potable water for human consumption, agriculture, and industrial applications. Because they are quick and will give first-hand knowledge on the resource for future projects, geographic information system-based studies have recently become quite popular in groundwater exploration. With this in mind, the current work uses remote sensing and GIS techniques to select and define groundwater potential zones for the evaluation of groundwater availability in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, India.In the current work, an analytical hierarchical process approach (AHP) was combined with a geographic information system. For the purpose of defining the groundwater potential zone, a total of 12 thematic layers, including slope, rainfall, curvature, soil, drainage density, lineament density, topographic wetness index, land surface temperature, elevation, land use & land cover, lithology, and groundwater fluctuation, were taken into consideration. According to their qualities and water potential capacity as determined by the AHP technique, weights are allocated to each class in all thematic maps. To determine the groundwater potential zones, overlay analysis was performed after the creation of all the maps. The resulting groundwater potential zone map, which had a ground water potential index of 33, was divided into five classes which are ranging from very high to very low.
Mitigating DoS attack in MANETs considering node reputation with AI
Authors: Joardar Subrata , Sinhababu Nilanjan , Dey Soumyodeep , Choudhury Prasenjit
Published: October 2022

Mobile Adhoc Network (MANET) is a decentralized and dynamically adoptable network. It is infrastructure less and hence can be used where a fixed configuration is not possible or required. MANETs have various real-life applications and hence have gained the attention of research community. Security is an integral part of any computer network system and MANETs are no different. This paper focuses on solving DoS attacks in MANET and shows that a general classification model might fail to identify this kind of attacks as these models fail to differentiate between network errors and a real DoS attack. A reputation-based node classification scheme is proposed to improve identification of real DoS attacks versus any other cause that might not be an attack. Results showed that our proposed reputation-based approach when integrated with any classifier increases its accuracy by around 3.25%. Further, the combined model is able to block real DoS attacks and allow any other cause which is not an attack.
WITHDRAWN: Blockchain Technology with Deep Learning Adoptation for Various Applications: Vision and Future Opportunities
Authors: Afaq Yasir , Manocha Ankush
Published: October 2022

A recent study has successfully focused on Deep Learning and Blockchain technologies because of their tremendous potential for producing reliable decisions. The bulk of contemporary deep learning techniques implemented on centralized servers gives operational transparency, traceability, reliability, security, and reliable data provenance qualities. Deep Learning models are therefore susceptible to the single point of failure problem since they are trained using centralized data. The advantages of merging Blockchain with Deep Learning algorithms are examined in this paper. Additionally, current research is examined to determine the best strategy to combine these two technologies for the best outcome.
In vivo oral toxicity and antioxidant capacity of Nothofagus antartica (ñire) leaves
Authors: Hugo Ayelén Amelia , Serradell María de los Ángeles , Peri Pablo L. , Farina Sebastián , Gómez-Zavaglia Andrea
Published: October 2022

Nothofagus antartica (NA) is a native tree of the Patagonian Andes forests. Although its leaves have been ancestrally used in infusions for medical and food purposes, there are no deep insights on its toxicity. The aim of the paper was to assess the safety and antioxidant activity of infusions of NA leaves. The determination of acute and subacute oral toxicity was assessed using Swiss albino mice. A single limit dose (2000 mg/kg) was administered for acute toxicity assays, and a repeated dose (800 mg/kg), for subacute tests. For the measurement of antioxidant activity, the ABTS scavenging activity was determined. The effects of NA infusion were evaluated on the animal weight and on the functionality and histology of key organs (e.g., liver, kidney, intestine). The antioxidant activity of NA infusion was determined in vitro and also in feces and serum of treated animals. After the acute and subacute toxicity tests, no death or signs of toxicity were observed. In addition, no significant differences in biochemical parameters or tissue structure were registered between control and treated mice. On the other hand, the antioxidant activity of the NA infusion was greater than that observed for the standard of ascorbic acid. Moreover, the periodic administration of NA infusion could increase the internal antioxidant capacity in mice at intestinal level. Results support the safe of consuming NA leaves infusions by humans and suggest their contribution for modulating the oxidative stress at the gut level.
Electrically actuated continuous motion of a water droplet over a PDMS-coated surface
Authors: Upadhyay Supriya , Muralidhar K.
Published: October 2022

Electrically actuated continuous motion of a water droplet over PDMS-coated single active electrode is analyzed from detailed modeling and experiments. In an experiment, continuous motion of the droplet is achieved when it is located over an active electrode with a horizontal ground wire placed just above in an open-EWOD configuration. Using a CCD camera, the instantaneous centroid position of the droplet is determined, and its velocity is inferred by numerical differentiation. The edge-detected image is also used to determine the advancing and receding contact angles of the moving drop relative to the substrate. Motion of 2, 6, and 10 µl water droplets for voltages in the range of 170–270 VDC is examined to investigate the effect of drop volume and voltage on drop deformation and velocity. Simulations have been carried out in a two-dimensional coordinate system using COMSOL© Multiphysics with full coupling between the electric field and hydrodynamics. The motion of the droplet is initiated by Young-Lippmann spreading at the three-phase contact line, followed by a nonuniform electric force field distributed between the active electrode and the ground wire localized at the droplet-air interface. The solver evaluates the Maxwell's stress tensor and introduces it as a volumetric electrostatic force in the Navier-Stokes equations. The fully coupled numerical solution shows a good match with experimentally determined drop movement over a silicone oil-coated PDMS layer for which contact line friction is absent. A contact angle model with friction leads to close agreement between simulations and drop motion over a bare PDMS layer. Over both surfaces, continuous motion of the water droplet is seen to be achieved in three stages, namely, initial spreading, acceleration, and attainment of constant speed. Numerical modeling that includes electric field-fluid flow coupling is shown to yield data in conformity with experiments.
Temperature-mediated climatic factors dominate intraspecific variation and ecological adaptation strategies for traits of Phragmites australis rather than soil properties
Authors: XU Zhichao , Liu Huamin , Wen Lu , Zhang Jinghui , Xin Xiaoyun , Hu Jinpeng , Kou Xin , Liu Dongwei , Zhuo Yi , Wang Lixin
Published: October 2022

Aims
Widespread species of Phragmites australis, has a high degree of intraspecific variation in functional traits during external climatic and environmental changes. However, the underlying mechanism of the environmental gradient changes at regional scale on intraspecific variation and adaptation strategies of species functional traits are still not well understood.
Methods
Morphological traits, nutrient contents, and stoichiometric ratios of P. australis in lakeshore wetlands of semi-arid and arid regions in the Inner Mongolia Plateau were investigated to reveal the variability of functional traits at different regional scales and the influencing factors and to reveal the ecological adaptation strategies of P. australis in different regions through plant economic spectrum.
Results
The functional traits of P. australis varied significantly within the species at different scales, and the variation has a significant latitude pattern. Climatic factors determine the intraspecific variation of the functional traits of P. australis, and the influence of soil properties is small. Plant economic spectrum theory is also applicable to the functional traits of various organs and whole plants of P. australis, and different ecological adaptation strategies are confirmed across arid and semi-arid regions.
Conclusions
Intraspecific variation of functional traits of P. australis originates from temperature-mediated climatic differences brought about by sampling geographic locations, rather than the soil properties of the sampling locations. The utilization and assimilation of resources of P. australis are conservative in arid regions, while in semi-arid regions it is an acquisition strategy.
A study of the temporal and spatial evolutionary characteristics of water ecological footprint based on the emergy-spatial autocorrelation method
Authors: Wang Huiliang , Shi Qi , Li Hui , Di Danyang , Li Zhuocheng , Jiang Mengmeng
Published: October 2022

To quantify and analyze the human demand for water resources and the available supply of water resource systems, this study combined emergy analysis and spatial autocorrelation analysis to establish a quantification and analysis system for water ecological footprint (WEF). First, the emergy theory of ecological economics and WEF were combined to propose an emergy quantification method for WEF and water ecological carrying capacity (WEC). Based on the spatial autocorrelation method, three-dimensional ecological footprint indicators (footprint size and depth) were introduced to analyze the spatial correlation and spatial aggregation of capital flow occupation and capital stock consumption in the water resource system. Using the Yellow River Basin (YRB) as the study area to verify the applicability of the WEF quantification and analysis system based on the emergy-spatial autocorrelation method, the following results were obtained. (1) From 2003 to 2018, the per capita WEF of the YRB generally showed a slow growth trend. The WEC was much lower than the WEF, and the water ecological deficit status remained unchanged. (2) Compared to the upper and lower reaches of the YRB, the middle reaches had a higher WEF, and the WEC of the YRB was generally high in the west and low in the east. (3) Except for Sichuan and Qinghai, the provinces (regions) in the YRB relied on water resource capital stock for social and economic development, and the sustainable development of the region was threatened. (4) Utilization of the water resources capital in the basin was generally unsustainable. It is necessary to take measures to promote rational allocation and efficient utilization of water resources for the coordinated development of society, the economy, and the environment in the YRB.
Chemical kinetic model of spCas9 on-target efficiency
Authors: Artyom Bannikov
Published: October 2022

The efficiency of guide RNAs has been studied from the earliest days of CRISPR/Cas9. With ability to evaluate gRNA efficiency in silico genome editing would become faster and cheaper. Machine learning has been widely applied in recent works to predict gRNA efficiency. At the same time, essentially no attempts were made to cast what we know about how Cas9 works in rigorous physical terms. In contrast to machine learning, a physical model can answer the question of what to do to improve the knowledge of the modeled process. This work presents a chemical kinetic model of Cas9 action. The predictive power of the model is on par with current machine learning models.
Video abstract: https://youtu.be/qG10zxP1zUM
Code demo: https://youtu.be/ltG5Rb7swXw
Efficacy of extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma using a portable handheld device for detecting hemothorax in a low resource setting; a multicenter longitudinal study
Authors: Kithinji Stephen Mbae , Lule Herman , Acan Moses , Kyomukama Lauben , Muhumuza Joshua , Kyamanywa Patrick
Published: October 2022

Introduction
Chest trauma is one of the most important and commonest injuries that require timely diagnosis, accounting for 25-50% of trauma related deaths globally. Although CT scan is the gold standard for detection of haemothorax, it is only useful in stable patients, and remains unavailable in most hospitals in low income countries. Where available, it is very expensive. Sonography has been reported to have high accuracy and sensitivity in trauma diagnosis but is rarely used in trauma patients in low income settings in part due to lack of the sonography machines and lack of expertise among trauma care providers. Chest X-ray is the most available investigation for chest injuries in low income countries. However it is not often safe to wheel seriously injured, unstable trauma patients to X-ray rooms. This study aimed at determining the efficacy of extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (eFAST) in detection of haemothorax using thoracostomy findings as surrogate gold standard in a low resource setting.
Methods
This was an observational longitudinal study that enrolled 104 study participants with chest trauma. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. A questionnaire was administered and eFAST, chest X-ray and tube thoracotomy were done as indicated. Data were analysed using SPSS version 22. The sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, accuracy and area under the curve were determined using thoracostomy findings as the gold standard. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Research and Ethics Committee of Kampala International University Western Campus REC number KIU-2021-53.
Results
eFAST was found to be superior to chest X-ray with sensitivity of 96.1% versus 45.1% respectively. The accuracy was also higher for eFAST (96.4% versus 49.1%) but the specificity was the same at 100.0%. The area under the curve was higher for eFAST (0.980,P=0.001 versus 0.725, p=0.136). Combining eFAST and X-ray increased both sensitivity and accuracy.
Conclusion
This study revealed that eFAST was more sensitive at detecting haemothorax among chest trauma patients compared to chest X-ray. All patients presenting with chest trauma should have bedside eFAST for diagnosis of haemothorax.
Annotating Music Therapy, Chiropractic and Aquatic Exercise Using Electronic Health Record
Authors: Zhou Huixue , Silverman Greg , Niu Zhongran , Silverman Jenzi , Evans Roni , Austin Robin , Zhang Rui
Published: October 2022

Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) has gained increasing popularity in the past decades. While the evidence bases to support them are growing, there is still a gap in understanding their effects and potential adverse events using real-world data. The overall goal of this study is to represent information pertinent to both psychological and physical CIH approaches (specifically, using examples of music therapy, chiropractic and aquatic exercise in this study) in an EHR system. We also aim to evaluate the ability of existing natural language processing (NLP) systems to identify CIH approaches. A total of 300 notes were randomly selected and manually annotated. Annotations were made for status, symptom and frequency of each approach. This set of annotations was used as a gold standard to evaluate performance of NLP systems used in this study (specifically BioMedICUS, MetaMap and cTAKES) for extracting CIH concepts. Venn diagram was used to investigate the consistency of medical records searching by Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and CIH approaches keywords in SQL. Since CPT codes usually do not have specific mentions of CIH approaches, the Venn diagram had less overlap with those found in clinical notes for all three CIH therapies. The three NLP systems achieved 0.41 in average lenient match F1-score in all three CIH approaches, respectively. BioMedICUS achieved the best performance in aquatic exercise with an F1-score of 0.66. This study contributes to the overall representation of CIH in clinical note and lays a foundation for using EHR for clinical research for CIH approaches.
The leprosy reaction is associated with salivary anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis IgA antibodies
Authors: Falcão Michelle Miranda Lopes , Passos-Soares Johelle Santana , Machado Paulo Roberto Lima , Gomes-Filho Isaac Suzart , de Carvalho Lucas Pedreira , Campos Elisangela de Jesus , Calheira Mariana Costa , de Miranda Patrícia Mares , Santos Rebeca Pereira Bulhosa , Filho José Tadeu Raynal Rocha , de Farias Antonio Pedro Froes , Peixoto Taiana , Nascimento Roberto Meyer , Seymour Gregory Jonh , Trindade Soraya Castro
Published: October 2022

The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between salivary anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis IgA antibodies and the leprosy reaction. The levels of salivary anti - P. gingivalis IgA antibodies, together with salivary flow and pH were measured in individuals diagnosed with leprosy and associated with the development of the leprosy reaction. Saliva was collected from 202 individuals diagnosed with leprosy at a reference leprosy treatment center, 106 cases with leprosy reaction and 96 controls without leprosy reaction. Anti - P. gingivalis IgA was evaluated by indirect immunoenzyme assay. Non-conditional logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate the association between antibody levels and the leprosy reaction. There was a positive statistically significant association between the levels of anti - P. gingivalis IgA and the presence of the leprosy reaction, controlling for confounders: age, sex, level of education and alcoholic beverage consumption: ORajusted: 2.55; IC 95%: 1.34–4.87. Individuals with leprosy who had high production of salivary anti - P. gingivalis IgA had approximately twice as many chances of developing the leprosy reaction. The findings suggest a possible relationship between salivary anti - P. gingivalis IgA antibodies and the leprosy reaction.
Cross-Industry Statistical Law: Average Booking Curves Draw Exponential Functions
Authors: Shintani Masaru , Umeno Ken
Published: October 2022

The booking curve time series in perishable asset industries, including hotels, has been studied as a means for daily forecasting in revenue management (RM). Such studies have developed many sophisticated forecasting algorithms for RM practitioners.
However, based on the opinion that timing is the key element in pricing, RM professionals have faced challenges in understanding people's booking window shift, which represents macroscopic changes in booking curves due to changing times, e.g., economy and technology. We investigate macroscopic aspects of booking curves with actual sales data across six properties in the hotel and car-rental industries for two years, considering the difference in the economic environment characterized before, middle, and after the COVID-19 epidemic. We explain a new cross-industry and cross-economic-environment universal statistical law: average booking curves draw exponential functions (the ABCDEF law). We provide a basis for the ABCDEF law from three perspectives; data confirmation, modeling in the statistical physics framework, and empirical justification for the causality of the model. The ABCDEF law provides a booking curve with its usefulness besides daily forecasting in RM; it is expected to offer informative statistics about people's booking patterns in the property and to support various industries' RM practitioners in deciding on sales strategies at an appropriate time.
Clinical-epidemiological characteristics and maternal-foetal outcomes in pregnant women hospitalised with COVID-19 in Venezuela: a retrospective study
Authors: Carrión-Nessi Fhabián S. , Castro Mercedes P. , Nobrega Diana C. Freitas-De , Moncada-Ortega Augusto , Omaña-Ávila Óscar D. , Mendoza-Millán Daniela L. , Marcano-Rojas María V. , Trejo Nayren J. , Virriel Isabella V. , Chavero Melynar , Camejo-Ávila Natasha A. , Rodriguez-Morales Alfonso J. , Forero-Peña David A.
Published: October 2022

Background
In low- and middle-income countries, pregnant women and newborns are more vulnerable to adverse outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, in Venezuela, there are no integrated data in a national surveillance system to identify the clinical-epidemiological characteristics and maternal-foetal outcomes of pregnant women hospitalised with COVID-19.
Methods
A retrospective study was conducted among Venezuelan pregnant women hospitalised with COVID-19 seen at the “Ruiz y Páez” University Hospital Complex and the San Cristobal Central Hospital between June 2020 and September 2021. Information was obtained from physical and digitised clinical records using a form to collect epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, treatment, obstetric and perinatal complications, and maternal-foetal outcomes data.
Results
A total of 80 pregnant women with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection were tested, 59 (73.8%) survived and 21 (26.2%) deceased. The median age was 29 [IQR —interquartile range— 10] years, the majority being in the third trimester of pregnancy (81.2%). Interestingly, four (5%) pregnant women were co-infected with malaria by Plasmodium vivax and three (3.8%) with syphilis. The most frequent symptoms were fever (75%), dry cough (68.8%), dyspnoea (55%), and headache (53.8%). The most frequent maternal complications were anaemia (51.5%) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (17.5%). The most frequent perinatal complications were preterm delivery (39.2%) and oligohydramnios (31.3%). A total of 29 (36.3%) perinatal deaths were documented, 21 stillbirth and eight abortions.
Conclusion
This is the first study to describe the clinical-epidemiological behaviour of COVID-19 in hospitalised Venezuelan pregnant women. Anaemia, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preterm birth, and perinatal death were the most frequent maternal-foetal complications in this population of pregnant women.
Parenteral nutrition in acute intestinal failure amongst the elderly was not associated with adverse clinical outcomes when compared to younger patients
Authors: Kang Garrett , Cheah Mark , Poh Bee , Tan Lee , Chong Janet , Goh Rachel , Lee Miaw , Cheang Lai , Tan Travis , Salazar Ennaliza
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Reported clinical outcomes for elderly patients with acute intestinal failure receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) in the acute hospital setting is limited. Our study aims to characterize the use of PN in the elderly and compare clinical outcomes against younger patients. Methods: A retrospective review of inpatients administered PN from 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2019 was performed. Demographics, indications for PN, biochemical results and clinical outcomes were compared. Patients were categorized into < 65 (younger) or ≥ 65 years old (elderly). Results: 235 patients were included. There were 103 patients in the elderly group with a mean age of 73.9 years (± 6.9 years) and 132 patients in the younger group with a mean age of 52.4 years (± 12.5 years). There was a significantly higher Charlson Comorbidity Index and comordities and lower Karnofsky score in the elderly group. Indications for PN were similar between both groups. There was more younger patients who required PN for ≥28 days. The elderly group received a significantly lower total calorie, dextrose and protein compared to the younger group (20.8 (7.8) vs 22.8 (6.3) kcal/kg/day ; 3.1 (1.4) vs 3.6 (1.4) g/kg/day ; 1.1 (0.4) vs 1.2 (0.3) g/kg/day ). Mean length of stay was significantly longer in the younger group than in the elderly group (59.8 (± 55.3 ) vs 35.9 (± 21.3) days). There was no significant difference in clinical outcomes: line sepsis, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, fluid overload, inpatient mortality and total mortality between the two groups. Conclusion: The usage of PN in elderly patients with acute intestinal failure was not associated with an increased rate of PN related complications nor worse clinical outcomes when compared with younger patients. and hence should not be denied when appropriate indications are present.
A rubric-based mathematical model for evaluation of direct PO attainment through CO attainment and CO-PO articulation matrix for OBE system
Authors: Datta Dilip
Published: October 2022

The traditional education system is mostly oriented to scoring good marks in examinations, thus lacking the acquiring of enough profession-oriented knowledge and skill. Hence, the world is now moving towards the outcome-based education system to make students to achieve desirable outcomes related to knowledge, skills, attitudes and behavior. The system at the lowest level requires the attainment of a set of Program Outcomes (POs) through the attainment of individual Course Outcomes (COs). Different accrediting agencies have set up their own broad guidelines on assessment and evaluation of the attainment of COs and POs, which are interpreted differently by different Institutes for framing various case-based CO-PO attainment models as per their own comfort. However, no general model for the same could be found in specialized literature. Accordingly, a rubric-based direct mathematical model of general form is proposed here for evaluating the attainment of COs and POs, which can be applied to any Program even for its assessment and improvement by the concerned Institute itself. The model is explained with sufficient illustrations for easy understanding. Also, the presented mathematical formulations will help in easy implementation of the model in a computer program.
Attenuation of impact waves in a nonlinear acoustic metamaterial beam
Authors: Hu Bing , Fang Xin , Cheng Li , Wen Jihong , Yu Dianlong
Published: October 2022

Wave propagation in nonlinear acoustic metamaterials (NAMs) has attracted broad attention. While showing the possibility of achieving low-frequency and broadband vibration suppression, most existing work focuses on harmonic waves. In this paper, we study the impact wave propagation and its mitigation in a nonlinear metamaterial beam. Thorough numerical analyses show that strongly nonlinear acoustic metamaterials can entail effective attenuation of impact waves in an infinite structure and the impact vibration in a finite structure with a much higher efficiency than what can be achieved in their linear counterparts. The attenuation properties, underlying mechanisms and the influence of key system parameters are clarified. Results show that the observed attenuation is dominated by the nonlinearity-induced self-broadening of the bandgaps whose bandwidths adaptively expand with the propagation distance/time, as a result of the amplitude-dependent nature of the band gaps in a NAM. In a finite NAM structure, significant attenuation of the impact vibration can be achieved, outperforming the corresponding linear cases. These findings shed lights on new physics relating to NAMs and might inspire their further study and application.
Genetic mapping and selection of table grape fruit quality characteristics in a segregating population and evaluation of marker transferability
Authors: Moreira Laise de Sousa , Tabb Amy , Karn Avi , Zou Cheng , DeLong Jeff , Burhans Alanna , Yang Hui-Ching , Zyl Sonet van , Prins Bernard , Sun Qi , Londo Jason , Clark Matt , Naegele Rachel
Published: October 2022

Grape production and fruit quality traits such as cluster size, berry shape, and timing of fruit development are key aspects in selecting cultivars for commercial production. Molecular markers for some, but not all, of these traits have been identified using bi-parental or association mapping populations. Previously identified markers were tested for transferability using a test panel of commercially available grape cultivars. Markers had little to no ability to differentiate grape phenotypes based on the expected characteristics, except the marker for seedlessness. Using a biparental inter-specific cross, forty-three QTL, both previously identified and new genomic regions, associated with berry shape, number, size, cluster weight, length, and time to flower, veraison and full color were detected. KASP markers designed on newly identified QTL were tested for transferability using the same panel. Transferability was low when use types were combined, but varied when use type were evaluated separately. Comparison of a 4Mb region at the end of chromosome 18 revealed structural differences among grape species and use types. Table grape cultivars had the highest similarity in structure for this region (> 75%) compared to other grape species and commodity types.
On the Tribo-dynamics of Lubricated Point Contacts – Modeling and Experiment
Authors: Li Sheng , Kolivand Ali , Shi Zhenghong , Anisetti Anusha
Published: October 2022

This study proposes a modeling methodology for the description of tribo-dynamic behavior of generic point contacts, considering surface defect/failure type of excitation. A twin-disk contact setup is developed to experimentally determine the acceleration induced by lab-controlled groove surface feature present on one of the mating surfaces. The periodic passage of this artificial surface defect through lubricated contact zone leads to contact force fluctuation, and consequently normal direction dynamic relative displacement and relative velocity of the contact bodies. These dynamic responses impact the lubrication film thickness and flow, altering the tribological performance that governs the contact force. Implementing this interaction loop between dynamics and tribology, the computational simulations are shown to be able to yield fairly accurate predictions in comparison to the measured acceleration signals.
Left coronary sinus of Valsalva aneurysm dissecting into interventricular septum: a case report
Authors: Zhang Lei , Ji Donghui , Li Xiaoyun
Published: October 2022

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is extremely rare. The ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is frequently associated with other congenital defects. If the aneurysm ruptures, it causes acute symptoms of dyspnea. We describe a case of a sinus Valsalva aneurysm originating from the left coronary sinus that ruptured into the interventricular septum, diagnosed with echocardiography and cardiac computed tomography, confirmed by operational findings.
Mangement of hypogammaglobulinemia in pediatric patients with refractory lupus nephritis: Focus on belimumab
Authors: Cui jieyuan , Li chunzhen , Yuan xiaoying , Han Peitong , Zhang Dongfeng , Zhang Lei
Published: October 2022

Background: Although the use of belimumab in children with lupus nephritis has increased over the past few years, there are limited data on the safety of belimumab in such patients with hypogammaglobulinemia. There are few reports of an association between hypogammaglobulinemia and infection in LN patients receiving belimumab treatment.
Methods: We reviewed 27 patients with lupus nephritis and nephrotic-range proteinuria admitted to Hebei Children's Hospital from January 2019 to June 2022. In all 27 patients, 12 received intravenous (IV) belimumab (at a dose of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight) plus standard systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) therapy (SoC) (belimumab group), and the other 15 received SoC (glucocorticoids plus cyclophosphamide or mycophenolate mofetil) (control group). Estimated SLEDAI-score, total amount of urine protein in 24 hours, the serum level of IgG, IgM, IgA and C3, total B lymphocyte count (BLC) , total white lymphocyte count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) level were measured 5 times (at week 0, 4, 12, 24 and 52, respectively) in two groups.
Results: Hypogammaglobulinemia was observed in 22/27 (81.5%) participants prior to initiatial treatment of LN patients with nephrotic range proteinuria. Participants developed hypogammaglobulinemia by week 4, 5 patients in the belimumab group and 1 patient in control group received 1-2 IVIG treatments at weeks 16-26 due to severe or recurrent infections. The incidence of infection was significantly higher in patients in the belimumab group than in the control group, and the IVIG serum level was significantly lower than the control group. However, infection rates and serum IgG levels were not significantly different between the two groups at weeks 24 and 52. We also found that CRP level of patients in the belimumab group was significantly lower than in the control group at week 4 and week 24 respectively (P<0.05), and ESR level of patients in the belimumab group was also significantly lower than in the control group at week 12 (P<0.05). At week 52, WBC of patients in the belimumab group was significantly higher than in the control group(P<0.05).
Conclusions: Hypogammaglobulinemia is a complication of refractory LN，obtaining IgG level before initiating belimumab in pediatric patients with refractory lupus nephritis，and close monitoring of hypogammaglobulinemia after belimumab use in pediatric patients. Immunoglobulin replacement therapy should be initiated as soon as possible if patients develop recurrent infections.
Experimental study on longitudinal-torsional ultrasonic vibration drilling of carbon fiber reinforced plastics/titanium alloy stacks
Authors: Zhou Zhiyuan , Yong Feng , Xu Weiwei , Zhou Haojie , Qin Yuyan , Jia Xiaolin
Published: October 2022

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP)/Titanium alloy (Ti) stacks are being extensively applied in the aerospace industry for excellent mechanical properties. However, their poor machinability poses great challenges to the aircraft manufacturing industry. In this study, longitudinal-torsional ultrasonic vibration drilling (LT-UVD) is innovatively introduced to improve the quality of CFRP/Ti drilling. First, the separation mode of LT-UVD was analyzed by kinematic equation. Then, an experimental platform was built based on LT-UVD vibration actuator to carry out CFRP/Ti drilling experiments. The thrust force, interface temperature, hole wall quality, hole defects, Ti chip morphologies and tool wear in conventional drilling (CD), Longitudinal ultrasonic vibration drilling (L-UVD), and LT-UVD were compared in the experiment. The experimental results show that compared with CD and L-UVD, the thrust force of CFRP in LT-UVD decreases by 20.36%-40.55% and 2.04%-14.61%, and the thrust force of Ti decreases by 19.08%-24.83% and 1.95%-9.34%. At the same time, a relatively low maximum interface temperature is achieved in LT-UVD. In addition, the hole size accuracy, surface roughness for hole inner surface, and delamination factor are improved in LT-UVD. Due to the existence of torsional vibration in LT-UVD, the cavity and fiber pull-out defects, chip breaking performance, and tool wear of CFRP are improved. Finally, it is observed by high-speed camera that the damage forms of the interface area are different when drilling CFRP/Ti stacks with different drilling sequence.