bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbial Source Tracking: An Emerging Technology for Microbial Water Quality Assessment: A Review
Authors: Job, O.S.  , Bala, J.D.  , Abdulraham, A.A.  , Friday, N.N.  , Ibekie, S.A.  , Tsebam, C.J  , Abudullahi, D.
Published: August 2023

Microbial Source Tracking is a scientific approach that primarily aims to identify the sources of faecal contamination in water bodies. Microbial Source Tracking (MST) is a set of techniques employed to identify the origins of faecal contamination in water. The capacity to track faecal bacteria to their source is a crucial aspect of both public health and water quality management. The utilisation of information obtained from the method of MST would provide water quality managers with an enhanced comprehension of the origins of contamination, thus facilitating the implementation of remedial measures to impede transmission. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the gut-associated bacteria of the order Bacteroidales, specifically the Bacteroides genus, has a tendency to undergo co-evolution with the host, making it a highly viable option for MST applications. However, it is noteworthy that MST is also facilitating the scientific community with effective techniques for tracing faecal bacteria and pathogens in water sources. The methodologies utilised in MST are frequently categorised as either Library-Dependent Methods (LDMs) or Library-Independent Methods (LIMs). Microbial source tracking has been employed for diverse objectives, such as ensuring adherence to regulations, remediating pollution, and evaluating risk. The implementation of MST is expected to mitigate the prevalence of waterborne illnesses resulting from contamination. The implementation of MST has facilitated the ability to anticipate the probable origins of faecal contamination and the associated health hazards linked to compromised water systems. In addition to conventional faecal indicators, these methodologies are suggested as means to furnish supplementary insights into the origins of pollution, as well as the ecological and public health ramifications of animal-derived water contamination.
Case Report of Neonatal Echoviral Meningitis caused by Echovirus 30 at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano, Nigeria
Authors: Surayya Lawan Idris  , Nasir Tukur Dabo  , Abdulkadir M Magashi  , Zubaida Farouk Ladan  , Sakina Sani Buhari  , Amina Ibrahim
Published: August 2023

One of the most frequent causes of aseptic meningitis in infants, which is frequently lethal and has a high morbidity and mortality rate, is echovirus 30 (E30). This study reports the first case of neonatal meningitis caused by E30 at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH). The newborn was identified as having no fever, odd body movements, and respiratory distress. E30 was found in the neonate's cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using reverse transcription real-time PCR. Phototherapy, antibiotics, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) were used to treat the newborn. The study stresses how aseptic meningitis symptoms and indications are non-specific, therefore doctors must be aware of babies' clinical state when treating bacterial infections in neonates.
Isolation and Identification of Bacteria from Soil Contaminated With Textile Dye And Tannery Effluents In Sokoto Metropolis
Authors: Hauwa, H.  , S.A. Adamu  , Yakubu H.
Published: August 2023

Soil contamination by textile and tannery effluents is a great concern to the environment, Complex effluents having a number of dyes accumulate in the soil there by polluting the environments and loss of microbial species in the soil. Samples were collected and the physicochemical analyses was determined. The pH was basic with 8.0 and 10.1 from tannery and dyeing site respectively. The organic carbon was very low with 0.76% and 0.06%, Nitrogen (0.067% and 0,095%), phosphorus 0.8mg/kg, and 1.62mg/kg), calcium (1.35mol/kg in both the two samples. Magnesium recorded 0.30mol/kg and 1.65mol/kg, potassium 0.85 mol/kg1.65mol/kg , Sodium 3.13mol/kg and 30.0 mol/kg in tannery and dyeing site respectively. The sand, silt and clay recorded (78.8% and 90.6%)(7.3% and 5.3%), (13.9% and 4.1%). The heavy metal content of the soil sample were determined the concentration of chromium was 0.0258 and 0.0043 from tannery and dyeing site respectively, while Nickel was almost unavailable in the site with -1.0700 and -1.0756. Lead recorded a very low concentration with -0.9164 and -7803. Thirteen bacterial species were isolated and identified based on morphology and biochemical charachteristics from the samples, tannery soil with frequency occurrences of 23.07% for Bacillus laterosporus, 15.38% for Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megaterium while Bacillus firmus, Bacillus cereus, proteus vulgaris, proteus mirabilis and clostridium had 7.69% each. Fifteen species were isolated from the dyeing soil sample with Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with the highest frequency of occurrences with13.33% each. Burkholderia cepacia, P. florescense, Bacillus laterosporus,Bacillus amyloliquifeciens, Bacillus brevis and Proteus vulgaris had 6.66% each, all these were determine with the use of Microgen identification kit, molecular analysis was done on two bacterial isolates and were confirmed to be Alishwanella solinqauinati and Bacillus subtilis. These indicate that the species isolated can resist high amount of toxic chemicals and can withstand any harsh environment and hence their ability to serve as a potential biosorbents for bioremediation of the affected environments at a cheap cost.
Statistical Study of Bisection Method for Cubic Equations with Random Coefficients
Authors: Kumari Shikha , Chakraborty Soubhik
Published: August 2023

The bisection method is an iterative approach used in numerical analysis to find solutions to nonlinear equations. The main purpose of this paper is to study how the parameters of a probability distribution characterizing the coefficients of a cubic polynomial can influence the convergence of the bisection method. The study covers discrete and continuous distributions, including discrete uniform, continuous uniform, and normal distributions. It was found that for both types of uniform distribution inputs, a second-degree polynomial equation can predict the average iteration for a given parameter r, where r indicates the distribution interval [−r, r]. Interestingly, the coefficients of the second-degree polynomial are nearly identical for discrete and continuous uniform distributions. For normal distribution input, the average iteration does not depend upon the standard deviation when the mean is fixed and the standard deviation is varying. But when the standard deviation is fixed and the mean is varying, the second-degree polynomial is still the best fit. This means the average iteration depends upon the mean of the normal distribution. Overall, our paper concludes that: I. For uniform distribution input, the average iteration does not depend on whether the distribution is discrete or continuous but rather depends on the range of the distribution which is its parameter. II. For non-uniform distribution input, the average iteration depends on the mean of the distribution (location parameter) but not on the standard deviation (scale parameter). Finally, a curtain is raised in the future direction of research in which we propose to combine the bisection method with the regula falsi and Newton-Raphson methods to increase the rate of convergence.
 
Received: 5 July 2023 | Revised: 9 August 2023 | Accepted: 11 August 2023
 
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to this work.
 
Data Availability Statement
Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.
Attention Enhanced Siamese Neural Network for Face Validation
Authors: Yu Hong Qing
Published: August 2023

Few-shot computer vision algorithms have enormous potential to produce promised results for innovative applications which only have a small volume of example data for training. Currently, the few-shot algorithm research focuses on applying transfer learning on deep neural networks that are pre-trained on big datasets. However, adapting the transformers requires highly cost computation resources. In addition, the overfitting or underfitting problems and low accuracy on large classes in the face validation domain are identified in our  research. Thus, this paper proposed an alternative enhancement solution by adding contrasted attention to the negative face pairs and positive pairs to the training process. Extra attention is created through clustering-based face pair creation algorithms. The evaluation results show that the proposed approach sufficiently addressed the problems without requiring high-cost resources.
 
Received: 26 April 2023 | Revised: 4 July 2023 | Accepted: 26 July 2023
 
Conflicts of Interest
Hong Qing Yu is an Associate Editor for Artificial Intelligence and Applications, and was not involved in the editorial review or the decision to publish this article. The author declares that he has no conflicts of interest to this work.
 
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in Kaggle: https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/olgabelitskaya/yale-face-database and https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/jessicali9530/lfw-dataset.
Social attention to the scientific publications on mHealth research during Covid-19 outbreak: An altmetric study
Authors: Basumatary Bwsrang , Gul Sumeer , Verma Manoj Kumar
Published: August 2023

Objective. This study aimed to assess the social attention received by the top 100 highly cited scientific publications focusing on mHealth (mobile health) research during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Design/Methodology/Approach. This study employed altmetric tools to assess the social attention received by mHealth research publications. The study collected bibliographical data of the top 100 highly cited articles published between 2019 and 2022 from the Scopus database. Altmetric data was collected from the Dimensions.ai database and analyzed using MS Excel, Tableau, and SPSS software.

Results/Discussion. The study found that mHealth research has received significant social attention from various social media, mass media and reference manager platforms. However, it needs to be dissemination and promotion to reach wider audiences. Twitter was the leading channel for disseminating research highlights on mHealth, and articles have a significant number of readers on the Mendeley platform. However, correlation analysis revealed a weak positive correlation between citation and AAS of mHealth research publications.

Conclusions. The study contributes to understanding the societal impact of mHealth research during the COVID-19 outbreak and emphasizes the role of Altmetric tools in assessing social attention in scientific publications. The study concludes by suggesting future research directions in the field.
The Scope of Sustainability in an Orientation-based Approach to Penetration of Foreign Markets
Authors: Babu B. Mariappa , Aithal P. S.
Published: August 2023

Purpose: The demand for and duration of international logistics are the main drivers of logistics sustainability. When a market entry strategy requires no or less necessity of logistics, then such an approach is hypothetically to leave less carbon footprint, which means such strategy has a higher degree of sustainability factor than the others. Whereas when the entry strategy requires a long duration of transportation in international logistics, then such an approach is to leave more carbon footprint, which means that such strategy is less inclined to sustainability factor. In other words, when the market is close to the place of production or the place where raw materials are available, then in such cases, the need for international logistics is less or, sometimes even nil. The purpose of the research is to find the degree of sustainability factors in different strategic business orientations of companies entering overseas markets and second to hierarchy them.
Methodology: An exploratory research design is used in the research study. Research methodology is based on secondary sources involving and analyzing existing data and literature to draw conclusions and support the research objectives. Secondary sources include books, journals, reports, websites, and other published materials by developing a search strategy that helped to identify relevant materials.
Results & Outcome: International Logistics plays a vital part role in market entry strategies based on orientation. Geocentric Orientation has a significant role in international logistics, while ethno and regio-centric orientations have no or least contribution. Market entry strategies such as ethno and regio centric leave a smaller carbon footprint as they require no or fewer international logistics, while geocentric orientation strategies leave a larger carbon footprint when compared with other penetration strategies – ethno and regio. Between, ethno and regio centric orientations, ethno has a higher degree of sustainability factor than regio.
Originality: A exploratory research to understand the role of international logistics in different market penetration strategies based on orientation and carbon footprint and sustainability factors thereof.
Type of the Paper: Exploratory research.
ÖĞRETMENLERİNE GÖRE SEÇMELİ KUR’AN-I KERİM DERSİNİN SORUNLARI
Authors: Korkmaz Mehmet , Kılıç Seçil
Published: August 2023

Bu araştırmanın amacı, öğretmenlerinin görüşleri doğrultusunda seçmeli Kur’an-ı Kerim dersinin sorunlarını tespit etmektir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda araştırmada, nitel araştırma desenlerinden durum çalışması deseni kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu, Kayseri ili, Kocasinan ve Melikgazi ilçelerinde bulunan bazı ortaokullarda 2020-2021 eğitim öğretim yılında Kur’an-ı Kerim dersine giren 15 DKAB öğretmeninden oluşmaktadır. Araştırma verileri, yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Toplanan verilerin, alt problemlerden yola çıkılarak oluşturulan temalar altında betimsel analizi yapılmış ve elde edilen bulgular literatür ışığında değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırmanın sonucunda görüşme yapılan öğretmenler tarafından Kur’an-ı Kerim dersinin; seçim süreci, öğretim programı (amaç, içerik, öğrenme-öğretme süreci, ölçme-değerlendirme süreci) ve ders öğretmeni boyutlarında çeşitli sorunlar dile getirilmiştir. Bu sorunlardan bazıları şunlardır: Dersin seçiminde öğrenci ve velilerinden ziyade okul yöneticileri etkili olmaktadır. Dersle amaçlananların gerçekleşmediği, içerikte yer verilen tecvit konularının öğretiminin öğrenci seviyesine uygun olmadığı, ders kitaplarının yeterli olmadığı ve öğrencilere yüksek not verilmesi yönünde bir algı bulunduğu öğretim programıyla bağlantılı sorunlar olarak öne çıkmıştır. Son olarak Kur’an-ı Kerim dersini yürütme noktasında DKAB öğretmenlerinin yeterliliği önemli bir sorun alanı olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu sonuçlardan hareketle Kur’an-ı Kerim dersinin öğretim programının güncellenmesi, dersin mevzuatına uygun olarak yürütülmesine özen gösterilmesi, öğretmen adaylarının eğitiminde Kur’an öğretimi yöntem ve teknikleri konusuna daha fazla yer verilmesi, dersin daha etkili ve verimli bir şekilde yürütülebilmesi için ders öğretmenlerine hizmet içi eğitimler verilmesi önerilmektedir.
İNGİLTERE SHEFFIELD BÖLGESİ DİJİTAL BECERİ EYLEM PLANI İNCELEMESİ VE TÜRKİYE İÇİN ÇIKARIMLAR
Authors: Aksoy Suat
Published: August 2023

Eurostat 2019 yılı raporuna göre Türkiye’deki 16-74 yaş arası nüfusun %64’lük kesimi dijital dünyadan yararlanmak, ona katılmak ve katkıda bulunmak için gerekli temel becerilere sahip değildir. Ayrıca Türkiye bu sonuçlarla 34 Avrupa ülkesi içinde 30.sırada yer almaktadır. Gelen dijitalleşme dalgasının ekonomiler üzerindeki etkisi düşünüldüğünde, en büyük ilk 20 ekonomi arasında (GSYH-2019’a göre) yer alan Türkiye’nin gelecekte rekabet gücünü kaybedebileceğine dair önemli bir sinyal olarak okunmalıdır. Bu çalışmada “Türkiye’de dijital becerilerin geliştirilmesine dönük neler yapılabilir?” ana sorunsalı İngiltere-Sheffield bölgesinde gerçekleştirilen dijital beceri eylem planı örneğinde tartışılmıştır. Böylece Türkiye’deki dijital beceri düzeyinin yükseltilebilmesi için uygulanabilir bir yol haritası oluşturmak hedeflenmiştir. Nitel araştırma tekniklerinin kullanıldığı araştırmanın sonucunda bireyler arasında dijital becerilerin geliştirilmesinde uygulanabilecek 12 maddeye yer verilmiştir. Bunlar arasında özellikle veriyi analiz edebilme, anlamlandırma ve buradan yeni iş modelleri çıkarabilme aşamaları gibi dijital rollerin hedef kitleye kazandırılması öne çıkmaktadır. Bu noktada, dijital beceri geliştirme programının dezavantajlı gruplar dahil her kesimden insanı içine alacak şekilde planlanması gerekmektedir. Ayrıca hedeflerin başarılı olabilmesinde tüm aktörlerin (üniversite, özel sektör ve kamusal birimler) süreci sahiplenmesinin ve katkı sunmasının önemi ortaya konulmuştur.
The Mediating Role of Occupational Commitment in the Effects of Work–Family Conflict on Intention to Leave
Authors: GÖRMEZOĞLU Zeynep , KOÇOĞLU SAZKAYA Merve
Published: August 2023

Introduction: It is important to increase the occupational commitment of nurses who experience work-family conflict to decrease their intention to leave.
Aim: This study’s aim was to demonstrate the role of occupational commitment in the effects of work–family conflict on the turnover intention of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method: This descriptive study was conducted with 390 nurses working in two different hospitals of a foundation university in Istanbul.
Results: The results of this study showed that there was an effect of work–family conflict on intention to leave (r2 = 0.19; p < 0.05) and occupational commitment (r2 = 0.01; p < 0.05). Another result of the research is that occupational commitment also affected the intention to leave (r2 = 0.24; p < 0.05). In addition, according to the results of the mediation analysis carried out to test the hypothesis of the research, there was a mediating effect of occupational commitment since the β coefficient of nurses' perceptions of work-family conflict in the first stage was 0.43, while it decreased to 0.40 in the third stage. This result showed that occupational commitment had a mediating role in the effects of work–family conflict on the intention to leave.
Conclusion: This study showed that occupational commitment had a mediating role in the effects of work–family conflict on the intention to leave. According to the research results, although nurses experience work–family conflict due to working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, their occupational commitment decreases their intention to leave.
Andrang auf Rente mit 63
Authors: Brust Martin
Published: August 2023

Der ehemalige Gesundheitsminister Jens Spahn (CDU) will die Rente mit 63 abschaffen, so ging es durch die Medien. Obwohl – oder weil? – diese ein großer Erfolg ist. Denn der Andrang ist groß. Gleichzeitig zeigen Statistiken: Wir arbeiten immer länger. Wie ist die Lage bei der Beschäftigung älterer Menschen, und was hat sie mit dem Fachkräftemangel zu tun?
Effect of boundary layer low-level jet on fog fast spatial propagation
Authors: Yan Shuqi , Wang Hongbin , Liu Xiaohui , Zu Fan , Liu Duanyang
Published: August 2023

Abstract. The spatiotemporal variation of fog reflects the complex interactions among fog, boundary layer ther-modynamics and synoptic systems. Previous studies revealed that fog can present fast spatial propagation feature and attribute it to boundary layer low-level jet (BLLJ), but the effect of BLLJ on fog propagation is not quantitatively understood. Here we analyze a large-scale fog event in Jiangsu, China from 20 to 21 January 2020. Satellite retrievals show that fog propagates from southeast coastal area to northwest inland with the speed of 9.6 m/s, which is three times larger than the ground wind speeds. The ground meteorologies are insufficient to explain the fog fast propagation, which is further investigated by WRF simulations. The fog fast propagation could be attributed to the BLLJ occurring between 50 and 500 m, because the wind speeds (10 m/s) and directions (southeast) of BLLJ core are consistent with fog propagation. Through sensitive experiments and process analysis, three possible mechanisms of BLLJ are revealed: 1) The abundant oceanic moisture is transported inland, increasing the humidity of boundary layer and promoting condensation; 2) The oceanic warm air is transported inland, enhancing the inversion layer and favouring moisture accumulation; 3) The moisture advection probably promotes upper-level fog formation, and later it subsides to ground by turbulent mixing of fog droplets. The fog propagation speed would decrease notably by 6.4 m/s (66 %) if the BLLJ-related moisture and warm advections are turned off.
Real-Time Pollen Identification using Holographic Imaging and Fluorescence Measurement
Authors: Erb Sophie , Graf Elias , Zeder Yanick , Lionetti Simone , Berne Alexis , Clot Bernard , Lieberherr Gian , Tummon Fiona , Wullschleger Pascal , Crouzy Benoît
Published: August 2023

Abstract. Over the past few years, a diverse range of automatic real-time instruments has been developed to respond to the needs of end users in terms of information about atmospheric bioaerosols. One of them, the SwisensPoleno Jupiter, is an airflow cytometer used for operational automatic bioaerosol monitoring. The instrument records holographic images and fluorescence information for single aerosol particles, which can be used for identification of several aerosol types, in particular different pollen taxa. To improve the pollen identification algorithm applied to the SwisensPoleno Jupiter and currently based only on the holography data, we explore the impact of merging fluorescence spectra measurements with holographic images. We demonstrate that combining information from these two sources results in a considerable improvement in the classification performance compared to using only a single source (balanced accuracy of 0.992 vs. 0.968 and 0.878). This increase in performance can be ascribed to the fact that often classes which are difficult to resolve using holography alone can be well identified using fluorescence and vice versa. We also present a detailed statistical analysis of the features of the pollen grains that are measured and provide a robust, physically-based insight into the algorithm’s identification process. The results are expected to have a direct impact on operational pollen identification models, particularly improving the recognition of taxa responsible for respiratory allergies.
Paleo±Dust: Quantifying uncertainty in paleo-dust deposition across archive types
Authors: Cosentino Nicolás Juan , Torre Gabriela , Lambert Fabrice , Albani Samuel , De Vleeschouwer François , Bory Aloys
Published: August 2023

Abstract. Mineral dust aerosol concentrations in the atmosphere varied greatly on glacial-interglacial timescales. The greatest changes in global dust activity occurred in response to changes in orbital parameters that affect dust emission intensity through glacial activity, and dust lifetime in the atmosphere through changes in the global hydrological cycle. Long-term changes in surface dust deposition rate are registered in geological archives such as loess, peats, lakes, marine sediments, and ice. Data provided by these archives is crucial for guiding simulations of dust, and for better understanding the natural global dust cycle. However, the methods employed to derive paleo-dust deposition rates differ markedly between archives and are subject to different sources of uncertainty. Here, we present Paleo±Dust, an updated compilation of bulk and <10-µm paleo-dust deposition rate with quantitative 1-σ uncertainties that are inter-comparable among archive types. Paleo±Dust incorporates a total of 284 pre-industrial Holocene (pi-HOL) and 208 Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) dust flux constraints from studies published until December 2022, including for the first time peat records. We also recalculate previously published dust fluxes to exclude data from the last deglaciation and thus obtain more representative constraints for the last pre-industrial interglacial and glacial end-member climate states. Based on Paleo±Dust, the global LGM:pi-HOL ratio of <10-µm dust deposition rate is 3.1 ± 0.8 (1σ). We expect Paleo±Dust to be of use for future paleoclimate dust studies and simulations using Earth system models of high to intermediate complexity.
Shape still matters: rockfall interactions with trees and deadwood in a mountain forest uncover a new facet of rock shape dependency
Authors: Ringenbach Adrian , Bebi Peter , Bartelt Perry , Rigling Andreas , Christen Marc , Bühler Yves , Stoffel Andreas , Caviezel Andrin
Published: August 2023

Abstract. Mountain forests have a substantial protective function in preventing natural hazards, in part due to the presence of dead wood on the forest floor. Rates of deadwood accumulation have increased within the Alps and are predicted to rise further, due to natural disturbances. In particular, higher windthrow event frequencies are expected, primarily due to large-scale even-aged forest stands in many alpine regions combined with climate change. We quantified the rockfall protection effect of mountain forests with and without deadwood, in unprecedented detail, in experiments using two rock shapes with important hazard potential and masses of 200–3200 kg. Based on a multi-camera setup, pre- and post-experimentally retrieved high-resolution lidar data, and rock data measured in situ, we precisely reconstructed 63 trajectories. The principal parameters of interest describing the rockfall kinematics were retrieved for each trajectory. A total of 164 tree impacts and 55 deadwood impacts were observed, and the currently applied energy absorption curves – partially only derived theoretically – could consequently be corroborated or even expanded to a greater absorption performance of certain species than hitherto assumed. Standing trees, in general, and deadwood, in particular, were found to strongly impede the notorious lateral spreading of platy rocks. Platy rocks featured a shorter mean runout distance than their compact counterparts of similar weight, even in the absence of deadwood. These results indicate that the higher hazard potential of platy rocks compared with more compact rocks, previously postulated for open-field terrain, applies less to forested areas. Last, reproducing the experimental setting showcases how complex forest states can be treated within rockfall simulations. Overall, the results of this study highlight the importance of incorporating horizontal forest structures accurately in simulations in order to obtain realistic deposition patterns.
Uncertainty in water transit time estimation with StorAge Selection functions and tracer data interpolation
Authors: Borriero Arianna , Kumar Rohini , Nguyen Tam V. , Fleckenstein Jan H. , Lutz Stefanie R.
Published: August 2023

Abstract. Transit time distributions (TTDs) of streamflow are useful descriptors for understanding flow and solute transport in catchments. Catchment-scale TTDs can be modeled using tracer data (e.g. oxygen isotopes, such as δ18O) in inflow and outflows by employing StorAge Selection (SAS) functions.
However, tracer data are often sparse in space and time, so they need to be interpolated to increase their spatiotemporal resolution. Moreover, SAS functions can be parameterized with different forms, but there is no general agreement on which one should be used. Both of these aspects induce uncertainty in the simulated TTDs, and the individual uncertainty sources as well as their combined effect have not been fully investigated.
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the TTD uncertainty resulting from 12 model setups obtained by combining different interpolation schemes for δ18O in precipitation and distinct SAS functions.
For each model setup, we found behavioral solutions with satisfactory model performance for in-stream δ18O (KGE > 0.55, where KGE refers to the Kling–Gupta efficiency). Differences in KGE values were statistically significant, thereby showing the relevance of the chosen setup for simulating TTDs.
We found a large uncertainty in the simulated TTDs, represented by a large range of variability in the 95 % confidence interval of the median transit time, varying at the most by between 259 and 1009 d across all tested setups. Uncertainty in TTDs was mainly associated with the temporal interpolation of δ18O in precipitation, the choice between time-variant and time-invariant SAS functions, flow conditions, and the use of nonspatially interpolated δ18O in precipitation.
We discuss the implications of these results for the SAS framework, uncertainty characterization in TTD-based models, and the influence of the uncertainty for water quality and quantity studies.
The Variability of CryoSat-2 derived Sea Ice Thickness introduced by modelled vs. empirical snow thickness, sea ice density and water density
Authors: Sievers Imke , Skourup Henriette , Rasmussen Till A. S.
Published: August 2023

Abstract. To derive sea ice thickness (SIT) from CryoSat-2 freeboard (FB) estimates, assumptions about snow thickness, snow density, sea ice density and water density need to be made. These parameters are close to impossible to observe alongside FB, so many existing products use climatologies, or empirical values. A resent study proposed to use model parameters for snow thickness, sea ice density and water density instead. In this study, we are evaluating this values against in situ observations and the commonly used climatologies and empirical values. We show that the snow thickness and water density is in better agreement with observations, and that the sea ice density is overall too light. Analyzing the difference in SIT resulting from the model parameter vs. the empirical values, we find that the snow thickness leads to the largest differences with up to 30 cm, closely followed by the sea ice density with 20 cm. For the water density we find an up to 7.5 cm difference, which is small in comparison to the snow thickness and sea ice density, but not negligible, as most studies currently argue. We find that the origin of the assumption that water density is negligible in the FB to SIT conversion originates from a study investing the seasonal Arctic sea ice density variability, not taking into account the spacial variability. For CryoSat-2 based SIT products we recommend to either use a water density climatology, or an uncertainty value of 2.5 kgm-3 instead of the commonly used value of 0 to 0.5 kgm-3.
A Survey on Applications of Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems for Offshore Wind Farms
Authors: Sasse Robert , Hirst C. Alexander , Frew Eric , Argrow Brian
Published: August 2023

Abstract. Offshore wind farms are attractive energy sources due to the abundancy of wind resources close to population centers. Nevertheless, offshore locations present unique challenges for atmospheric observation and turbine inspection which are essential for wind farm design and maintenance. Small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) are well suited for solving many difficulties inherent to offshore sites. In the past decade, sUAS have risen as a versatile and cost-effective platform for a large variety of scientific and commercial operations relating to atmospheric observation and infrastructure inspection. Most sUAS fall into one of two classes: fixed-wing or rotorcraft. Fixed-wing aircraft offer high endurance and range at the cost of constrained maneuverability. Rotorcraft are agile and user-friendly platforms, but offer limited endurance. We present a survey on the challenges and opportunities of utilizing fixed-wing and rotorcraft sUAS for wind resource assessment, operational observation, and inspection of offshore wind farms.
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF BREWERY EFFLUENT ON THE GROWTH OF TWO MARINE MICROALGAE
Authors: Akhere M. A. , Ngbonyebi E. C.
Published: August 2023

A growing global trend is the use of microalgae for the treatment of industrial effluents due to their capacity to consume contaminants, sequester carbon, and provide biomass for high-value products. Thalassiosira sp. and Chaetoceros gracilis, two marine microalgae, are the subjects of this study, which seeks to ascertain the effect of brewery effluent on their growth. The test microalgae were grown in seven culture vessels which were in triplicates and different concentrations; control (without effluent), 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30% of brewery effluent. On a visible spectrophotometer, optical density at 750 nm was used to quantify growth responses, and several physicochemical variables were studied at the start and end using standard methods. Using Microsoft Excel 2010 and the social sciences statistical tool SPSS20, descriptive statistics, inferential (one way analysis of variance) ANOVA repeated measures, paired t-tests, and Tukey tests were performed. The findings revealed a significant difference in Thalassiosira sp. and Chaetoceros gracilis with growth response (p < 0.05). The growth of Thalassiosira sp. was stimulated by different concentrations of brewery effluent, Tukey test showed that 20, 25 and 30 % concentrations had higher mean differences, followed by 15 and 10% concentrations while, there was no mean difference between the control and 5% concentration. While the results for Thalassiosira sp. showed that, 25 and 30 % concentrations had higher mean differences, followed by 10, 15 and 20% concentrations.  There was no mean difference between the control and 5% concentration. The results of physicochemical variables indicated that only TOC and COD of brewery effluent fell at lower concentrations and stayed constant at higher concentraions, a decrease in temperature was seen across all concentrations. Thalassiosira sp. had more stimulatory effect than Chaetoceros gracilis making it a better option in the bioremediation of brewery wastewater when applied in higher concentrations.
Efficiency of two-stage extensive resection interventions in the surgical treatment of patients with disseminated echinococcosis of the liver
Authors: Krasnov A. O. , Krasnov K. A. , Peltz V. A. , Krasnov O. A. , Pavlenko V. V.
Published: August 2023

Introduction. Surgical operations are the main and effective option for treatment of hepatic echinococcosis. The problem of the choice of the type of surgical intervention in the advanced form of hepatic echinococcosis in the conditions of supposed deficiency of the organ functional reserves and development of post-resection hepatic insufficiency remains topical.

The aim of the study was to present and analyze the effectiveness of two-stage extensive resection interventions in patients with advanced liver echinococcosis.

Materials and methods. The paper presents the results of surgical treatment of 22 patients, 8 male (36.4%) and 14 female (63.6%) operated in the surgical department № 2 of Kuzbass Clinical Emergency Hospital named after M.A. Podgorbunskiy in Kemerovo. The criterion for inclusion in the study was to use of a two-stage extensive resection protocol.

Results. The surgical staging methods used in our study to prevent post-resection liver failure showed efficacy in the following parameters: CT volumetry (p < 0.05), residual concentration of indocyanine green at 15 minutes (p < 0.05), statistical predictive model value (p < 0.05) and allowed to prepare patients for resection extensive intervention with a sufficient level of safety. Specific postoperative complications after extensive resection were identified in nine patients (40.1 %) and non-specific complication in three patients (13.6 %). Specific complications are mainly represented by manifestations of PPN manifistations − six cases (66.7 %), including 5 cases (83.3%) with “A” category according to ISGLS, with “B” category − one case (16.7 %). There were no fatalities or relapses in any of the study groups. Discussion When analysing the literature, there is a tendency to search for effective and safe methods of stopping the blood flow of the liver portal system in order to achieve vicarious hypertrophy of the remnant. A common technique for obtaining vicarious hypertrophy of the future liver remnant is radiopaque endosurgical embolization of the portal blood flow. However, there are technical limitations to the availability of the procedure. Laparoscopic clipping of the right portal vein branch is an alternative surgical option.

Conclusion. Techniques to achieve vicarious hypertrophy of the liver remnant have proven effective and have prepared patients for extensive liver resections. Two-stage extensive resection interventions for advanced liver echinococcosis are effective and sufficiently safe when performed in specialised hepatology centres.
Identification of risk zones according to the rate of total mortality and lifestyle factors at the regional level
Authors: Bobkova E. V. , Efimova N. V.
Published: August 2023

Introduction. Population mortality depends on a complex of man-made, social, and natural behavioral factors. Clustering of territories within large constituent entities of the Russian Federation according to the value of population losses makes it possible to determine the most significant of the controllable factors.

The aim of the work was to identify the risk zones according to the level of total mortality rates of the population of municipalities of the Irkutsk region and the relationship of the index with lifestyle factors.

Materials and methods. The data on 42 objects, including municipalities and cities of the Irkutsk region, in the dynamics from 2011 to 2021 were analyzed using linear regression analysis. Cluster analysis was used to identify the risk territories: the hierarchical Wards method and k-means method. The relationships between the studied attributes were evaluated using Spearman rank correlation analysis.

Results. The mortality rate decreased in 2011−2019 and increased in 2020−2021, averaging 13.34 CI(13.22−14.81) ‰. Five clusters differing in mortality rate were identified: minimum in V − 11.7 CI(10.72−12.68)‰; maximum in IV − 18.5CI(17.91−19.09)‰. In these clusters the prevalence of drug addiction, tobacco smoking and alcoholism are statistically significantly different. Based on this classification, risk areas (with the highest proportion of the population above working age and a high prevalence of household intoxication) and “borderline areas” (clusters with an increased mortality rate) have been identified. Discussion In order to identify risk areas and priority factors, there remains a need to improve the information base, increasing the use of different statistical methods to identify the key factors influencing overall mortality at the regional level.

Conclusion. The mortality rate is associated not only with an ageing population, but also with the prevalence of habitual domestic intoxications and low physical activity of the adult population.
Retrospective analysis of cases of transient global amnesia admitted to the hospital
Authors: Ryabchenko A. Yu. , Dolgov A. M.
Published: August 2023

Introduction. Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a clinical syndrome, the main clinical manifestation of which is sudden development of anterograde and retrograde amnesia, lasting not more than 24 hours, without other general cerebral or focal neurological symptoms.

The aim of the work was to reveal the peculiarities of clinical manifestations and data of additional methods of examination of patients with TGA syndrome referred to the primary vascular department with suspected acute cerebral circulation disorder (ACCD).

Materials and methods. The study included 16 patients with transient global amnesia diagnosed according to the diagnostic criteria of Hodges and Warlow (1990). All patients underwent a detailed neurological and general medical examination. Electrocardiography, multispiral computer tomography of the head, echocardiography, ultrasound duplex scanning of the main arteries of the head and neck, laboratory examination (lipid spectrum) were performed. The Brief Mental Status Rating Scale was used to assess cognitive impairment.

Results. The majority of patients had elevated blood pressure (BP). The leading trigger factor of transient global amnesia was stress. The duration of amnesia ranged from 1.5 to 5 hours. There was a significant impairment of short-term memory. On the first and second days of hospitalization, 50% of patients had normal cognitive functions on a brief mental status assessment scale, but by the 5th−7th day only 12.5 % of patients had abnormalities. Ultrasound markers of atherosclerosis in the form of intima-media complex thickening and dyslipidemia were found in 6 patients. Signs of left ventricular hypertrophy were found in the majority of patients. Discussion TGA is a relatively rare condition and an understudied syndrome. Due to its suddenness of clinical manifestation, TGA requires differential diagnostics with acute cerebral circulatory disorders, epilepsy, acute hypertensive encephalopathy and psychogenic amnesia.

Conclusion. The clinical features of TGA identified in the patients were a history of arterial hypertension, elevated BP during an episode of TGA. The leading provoking factor was stress. TGA episode occurred predominantly in the first half of the day. The majority of patients had complaints of headache on admission. Cognitive disorders detected in patients on the first and second days of the disease quickly regressed to normal. Left ventricular hypertrophy was detected in most patients.
Glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase as markers of brain dysfunction in adolescents with diabetic ketoacidosis
Authors: Bykov Yu. B.
Published: August 2023

Introduction. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the most prevalent and severe acute complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) in children and adolescents. Oxidative stress (OS) is viewed on the one hand as a possible pathophysiological element in the development of this complication, and on the other, as an important factor that triggers the development of cerebral insufficiency in patients with type 1 DM.

Aim: to study the content of antioxidant enzymes in adolescents with type 1 DM in the setting of DKA and determine the correlation between the concentration of glutathione peroxidase (GP) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and brain dysfunction after the manifestation of DKA.

Materials and methods. The study involved 52 adolescents (mean age − (16.7±1.25) years), of whom 26 were patients with type 1 DM complicated by DKA (study group; duration of disease − (6.5±0.46) years) and 26 were apparently healthy adolescents (control group). Cognitive functioning was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. Concentration of GP and SOD was assessed in serum samples by ELISA. Mann-Whitney test was used to assess differences between means, and Spearman’s coefficient was used to calculate correlations.

Results. Assessment using the MoCA tool showed a statistically significant cognitive decline in adolescents who had an episode of DKA (p = 0.0001). Another statistically significant finding in DKA was the lower mean levels of both GP (p = 0.0031) and SOD (p = 0.0173). Negative correlation was discovered between values obtained in the MoCA test and duration of disease and number of hospital admissions with DKA, and between GP levels and number of admissions with DKA, as reflected in patient history. Positive correlation was discovered between GP and SOD levels and values obtained in the MoCA test.

Discussion. Patients were found to have decreased antioxidant defense, along with brain dysfunction, after the manifestation of DKA. DKAassociated impairment of antioxidant defense is one of the pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning the development of cognitive dysfunction in adolescents with type 1 DM. Conclusion GP and SOD can be viewed as markers of DKA-associated brain dysfunction in patients with type 1 DM.
Perioperational management of elderly and senile patients based on a comprehensive geriatric assessment for endoprosthetics of large joint
Authors: Khisomov K. Kh. , Ondar V. S. , Khisomov H. K.
Published: August 2023

Introduction. Due to the changing age structure of the world’s population, an increase in the number of geriatric patients undergoing endoprosthetics of large joints is to be expected in the future. Age-related frailty and existing comorbidities pose problems for the entire treatment team.

The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of comprehensive geriatric management of elderly and senile patients before and after endoprosthetic of the hip and knee joints.

Materials and methods. An analysis of publications on the use of comprehensive in endoprosthetic of large joints in elderly and senile patients with osteoarthritis was performed. Searched in the electronic databases and libraries Web of Science, Conchrane library, PubMed, eLibrary using the search words: comprehensive geriatric assessment.

Results and discussion. There is an increasing incidence of large joints endoprosthetic in orthogeriatric patients with osteoarthritis. Anaesthesia and arthroplasty in this group of patients is an important issue, as well as ensuring immediate postoperative mobilization of the patient. An individualized patient preparation plan for surgical intervention and postoperative management, aimed at preventing the development of transient cognitive impairment and other complications associated with geriatric status, in particular falls, is a necessary organizational element of treatment.

Conclusion. A comprehensive geriatric assessment plays a crucial role in the perioperative introduction of geriatric patients for endoprosthetic of large joints. Timely identification of geriatric patients during the preoperative phase eliminates risk factors.
Financial Management Practices and the Performance of Listed Manufacturing Companies in Nigeria
Authors: O. Lodikero , K.A. Soyinka
Published: August 2023

The success of listed manufacturing companies is impacted by financial management practices. In this study, the return on equity of 40 listed manufacturing companies in Nigeria was compared to the effects of financial management practices. Finding out whether there is a significant correlation between financial management practices (via working capital practices, capital structure practices, and corporate governance practices) and the return on equity (ROE) of listed manufacturing companies in Nigeria is the specific goal of this study. The study adopted a correlational research design. In addition, the corporate annual reports and website for the periods 2017-2021 were utilized as the main sources of secondary data. In testing the research hypotheses and ascertaining the significant effect of the variables, the study utilized panel estimation technique methods of data analysis. The research found a strong correlation between working capital management, capital structure, corporate governance, and business performance as measured by return on equity (ROE). In order to improve the performance of Nigerian manufacturing companies, the study advised listed manufacturing companies in Nigeria to make sure that working capital practices, capital structure practices, and corporate governance practices are maintained in all aspects of the organizational decision. To stabilize and enhance return on equity, control factors should also be added to the analysis.