bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protective Effect of Nigella Sativa on Taurocholate Induced Pancreatitis in Rats
Authors:   Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey., Kosekli Mehmet Ali , Ozmen Ozlem ,   Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey., Sahinduran Sima ,   Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey., Yilmaz Mustafa ,   Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Acute necrotizing pancreatitis with a high mortality rate and the search for treatment continues. We investigated the protective effect of Nigella Sativa (NS), with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, in experimental acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Materials and Methods: Thirty six male Wistar albino rats (weights 180-220 g) were randomised into four groups. Group 1 (Control): Rats were given standard mouse chow. No pro-drug or pancreatic intervention was performed. Group 2 (NS): In addition to their standard diet, rats were given 0.1 ml/100gr of NS orally for 3 days prior to the experiment. Group 3: Necrotizing pancreatitis was induced by retrograde administration of 3% Na-Taurocholate through the distal common bile duct of the rats on on experiment day. Group 4 (NS+ANP): Necrotizing pancreatitis was also formed in rats receiving 0.1ml/100 mg of NS for 3 days. Rats were given high-dose anesthesia 8 hours after the onset of pancreatitis. Immunohistochemical (TNF-a, MDA, MPO, Caspase), histological pancreatitis scoring and biochemical (LDH, Lipase, amylase) analyzes were performed from the blood and pancreatic tissue samples obtained. Results: There was no difference in histopathological, immunohistochemical and biochemical values between Group 1 and Group 2 (p>0.05). There were significiant differences between Group 4 and Group 3 in terms of histopathological, immunohistochemical and biochemical parameters (p<0.001). The pancreatitis findings of the Group 4 were found to be significantly milder than Group 3, which did not receive NS. Conclusion: NS pretreatment alleviates NaTaurocholate-induced experimental pancreatitis. NS firstly studied in experimental models of pancreatitis.
As possibilidades das metodologias ativas no ensino de Geografia
Authors: Leajanski Alison Diego
Published: January 2023

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar as possibilidades da utilização de metodologias ativas no ensino de Geografia, especificamente nos conteúdos relacionados a cartografia. A metodologia desta pesquisa baseou-se na aplicação de diferentes atividades com objetivo de desenvolver a alfabetização cartográfica dos estudantes. As atividades foram desenvolvidas no primeiro bimestre do ano de 2022 em uma turma de 6º ano do ensino fundamental. Os resultados mostraram-se concordantes com o objetivo proposto, pois os estudantes demonstraram protagonismo e maior interesse pelas aulas de Geografia no período e também desenvolveram a capacidade de trabalhar em equipe. Posteriormente, demonstraram em avaliações que atingiram a aprendizagem em relação aos conteúdos estudados. Portanto, a pesquisa apontou que tais práticas apresentam resultados positivos no ensino de Geografia, especificamente nos conteúdos relacionados a cartografia. A alfabetização cartográfica é importante, pois possibilita aos estudantes localizar-se e analisar o mundo em que vivem a partir das diferentes escalas e relações que ocorrem no espaço geográfico.
A Decision Support System for Including Equity in the Siting of Emergency Services
Authors: Newton Robert , Kumara Soundar , Ventura José A. , Griffin Paul M.
Published: January 2023

Background We propose a method to identify inequity in access to emergency services and present a model to address inequity by siting additional facilities, recommending both quantity and location to decision makers.
Methods We classify emergencies by the median income bracket of their ZIP code tabulation areas. We determine whether the proportion of emergency responses classified by income bracket are within the average response, defined by time or distance, and quantify overall equity using mean absolute deviation. To address inequity, we iterate a bounded maximal covering location problem over coverage distance and additional facilities to provide a set of possible solutions. We evaluate the mean absolute deviation of each solution and identify the trade-off of adding facilities and minimizing deviation.
Results We use 2019 data from the United States Internal Revenue Service and San Francisco Fire Department as an example case for our model. In this example, we find the distribution of emergency rooms leave the low income population of San Francisco significantly under-serviced and recommend to decision makers additional locations that reduce the average distance to an emergency room while minimizing mean absolute deviation—providing more equitable access to emergency rooms across income groups in San Francisco.
Conclusions We offer a model to site additional locations to address any inequity found by minimizing mean absolute deviation informed by locations recommended as maximal covering location problem solutions--to maximize the number of emergencies within the overall average distance. We use these solutions to recommend additional locations to decision makers, and provide an example solution that significantly increases the access to emergency rooms for low income ZIP code tabulation areas while reducing overall average distance to an emergency room and the mean absolute deviation.
Does Green Finance Policy Contribute to ESG Disclosure of Listed Companies? A Quasi-natural Experiment from China
Authors: Zhang Changjiang , Zhang Sihan , Zhang Yue , Yang Yuqi , Lan Kai
Published: January 2023

Based on institutional theory, legitimacy theory and signaling theory, this article uses the difference-in-differences (DID) model to investigate the influence of the Guidance on Building a Green Financial System jointly issued by the People’s Bank of China (PBC) and six other ministries on ESG disclosure of A-share listed companies in the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) from 2014 to 2018. The results suggest that the publication of the Guidance positively contributes to the ESG disclosure quality (ESGdq) of listed companies. Further analysis shows that the positive effect of the Guidance on ESGdq is greater for listed companies in heavily polluting industries, state-owned and in regions with higher levels of economic development. Conclusions obtained through our research enrich the economic consequences of green finance policy, provide practical implications for enhancing corporate ESG disclosure, integrating ESG concepts into corporate strategies and governance systems.
Vulnerability and social determinants of health among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Myanmar post-military coup
Authors: Khai Tual Sawn
Published: January 2023

Across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated particular challenges for internally displaced persons (IDPs). In Myanmar, over 1.4 million people are internally displaced due to the escalation of armed conflict post the military coup in February 2021. However, the plight and the well-being of IDPs in Myanmar under this military regime and the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic have not garnered much attention locally, regionally, or globally. The current study examines how the military coup has exacerbated the health and well-being of the IDPs in Myanmar more vulnerable and increasing the risk of disease and COVID-19 infection. The study was conducted using Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) referrals, and purposive sampling. A total of 17 IDPs participated in the depth interview. The finding reveals that the IDPs are experiencing anxiety and fear every day which adversely affected their mental health due to the intensification of the armed conflict and attacks on civilian places including the IDP shelters. It has increased their risk of contracting COVID-19, malaria, and dengue fever during precarious living environments. Additionally, the military's restriction of all humanitarian aid, including basic health care, medicine, and food has negatively affected their health and well-being due to food shortages and insufficient access to healthcare. The findings indicated that a major human health disaster and a humanitarian catastrophe can be prevented only if the international community takes immediate action to end the military brutality against its citizens and extends humanitarian assistance, including vaccines to all IDPs.
Impact of Working Capital Management on Profitability of Private Commercial Banks in Ethiopia
Authors: Addisu Belay Mengstie , Ijara Tafa Mosisa , Ijara Toleshi Mosisa
Published: January 2023

Working capital management is an important financial management decision for the profitability of commercial banks. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of working capital management on commercial banks' profitability. The study used secondary data from audited financial statements of five private commercial banks in Ethiopia covering the period from 2011 to 2020. The banks were selected on a convenience basis. The financial information from the banks was analysed to determine the impact of the current ratio, bank size, a current asset to total asset ratio, loans and advances to total asset ratio, and current liabilities to total assets Ratios on profitability. The researchers applied descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The data were analysed using the Stata data processing package. An econometric model is applied to examine the impact of working capital management on the profitability of commercial banks. A random effect model was employed and the result revealed that bank size and loans and advances to total assets were found to have a significant impact on banks' profitability. The current ratio, a current asset to total asset ratio, and current liabilities to total assets Ratios were found insignificant to influence banks' profitability. Since the profitability of the banks depends on working capital management, rigorous attention should be given to those factors that influence the profitability of commercial banks.
Performance Assessments of Gate Engineered Dopingless Schottky Tunnel MOSFET in presence of Interfacial Trap Charges
Authors: SOM ARNAB , Jana Sanjay
Published: January 2023

The most notable accumulation of trap charges occurs on the oxide/semiconductor interface of MOS devices and it degrades the device's performance and reliability. In this literature, we proposed a gate-engineered Schottky tunneling MOSFET(GE-ST-MOSFET) for ON state performance improvement, and a detailed analysis of the effects of interface trap charges (ITCs) on the DC characteristics and analog/RF performance metrics have been analyzed. In this device, the electrostatically doping-based dopant segregation layer (DSL) is introduced at the source side in the channel end by the Tunneling Gate (TG). A comparative study between the proposed GE-ST-MOSFET and conventional Schottky tunneling MOSFET(ST-MOSFET) has been carried out in presence of interface trap charges at the HfO2/Si interface. A significant improvement in ION and ION/IOFF ratio has been achieved 563× and 1472× respectively in the GE-ST-MOSFET in comparison with the ST-MOSFET. To analyze the linearity behavior, higher order transconductance parameters are also studied considering the effect of ITCs. Furthermore, the circuit level performances of both devices are analyzed using the Verilog-A based models. The effect of OFF current variation on switching performance has been investigated. It has been found that the average switching delay and Power Delay Product (PDP) have improved by 97% and 81% respectively in comparison to the conventional device-based inverter. The GE-ST-MOSFET-based circuit also shows better immunity to interface trap charges. In addition, the implementation of the electrostatically doping concept for the proposed device could make fabrication very simple.
Energy Economy Analysis on the Vehicle Driving Decision: Eco-driving Behavior Assessment of Vehicle
Authors: zhou shijie , jiang lai , liu hailing , hu zhipeng , ma jun
Published: January 2023

Eco-driving behavior has been recommended around the world because the transport is a key factor of energy use and pollution emissions. Therefore, based on the driving decision model, this paper introduces three aspects of the driving decisions (strategic decision, tactical decision and operation decision) to analyze the economy of vehicle energy. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to assign the weight of the internal evaluation indexes, so as to form a complete as-sessment for the driver's eco-driving behavior. The research result can not only quantitatively de-scribe the energy-saving effect of driver's decisions, but also put forward targeted driving sug-gestions to optimize drivers' ecological behaviors. This assessment model helps to clarify the po-tential of eco-driving on energy economy of transportation in a hierarchical way, and provides a valuable theoretical basis for the further promotion and application of eco-driving education.
Prevalence of occupational blood and body fluid exposure among clinical nurses in China: A nationwide cross-sectional survey
Authors: ZHANG Haixia , CHEN Meiling , WANG Lijuan , LIU Zhijuan , ZHANG Yanhua , LI Jing , ZHONG Pin , JIANG Rongmeng
Published: January 2023

Background: Nurses have a high prevalence of occupational blood and body fluid exposure (OBBE). However, the estimated OBBE prevalence among clinical nurses is rarely reported in mainland China.
Aim: To assess the current OBBE prevalence and impact factors among clinical nurses in mainland China.
Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted among clinical nurses in mainland China between February 2019 and February 2020. Demographic characteristics, prevalence of OBBE, reporting and treatment information were collected.
Results: A total of 21,106 clinical nurses from 364 hospitals completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of OBBE was 52.1%, and 65.3% as reported to their hospitals after an OBBE accident. The risk for OBBE was significantly higher in those who had longer daily work hours (p<0.001). Nurses working in infectious disease specialist hospitals were less likely to experience OBBE than those in general hospitals [OR (95% CI): 0.77 (0.72–0.82), p<0.001]. The lack of implementation of standard prevention at work [OR (95% CI): 1.76 (1.63–1.90), p<0.001] and the absence of annual training on occupational exposure knowledge [OR (95% CI): 1.26 (1.13–1.41), p<0.001] significantly increased the risk for OBBE. In the subgroup analysis, the reporting and treatment after OBBE was significantly better in tertiary hospitals than in secondary and primary hospitals (p<0.001).
Conclusions: The prevalence of occupational blood and body fluid exposure among nurses in mainland China was high. A detailed and complete reporting and treatment procedure of OBBE is required to be established and implemented in all hospitals.
Diagnostic accuracy of the faecal immunochemical test highest in the 40–49 age group
Authors: zhao kailong , wang shuyuan , yuan zhen , pang wenwen , yan suying , liu xinyu , wang wanting , yi ben , han qiurong , yao yao , liu yanfei , chu tianhao , feng zhiqiang , zhang qinghuai , zhang xipeng , zhang chunze
Published: January 2023

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers and is associated with high incidence and mortality rates around the world. It has brought tremendous losses to human health and wealth. Young adults are experiencing a rise in the incidence and mortality of colorectal carcinoma. Early detection and prevention of cancer are made possible through screening. At present, the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a noninvasive method that can be used for large-scale clinical screening of CRC status. Therefore, this study, based on colorectal cancer screening results in Tianjin from 2012 to 2020, was conducted to analyse the major differences in diagnostic performance parameters according to sex and age.
Methods: This study was based on 89652 colonoscopies performed in the Tianjin CRC screening program from 2012 to 2020. Of these, 39991 had complete FIT and colonoscopy results. The differences in FIT results were analysed by sex and age.
Results: According to this study, males were generally more likely to develop CRC than females, and the prevalence increased with age. FIT-negative males were more likely to have advanced colorectal neoplasms than females with positive results. The accuracy of detecting advanced colorectal cancer (AN )by FIT in each age group was 54.9%, 45.4%, 48.6%, and 49.5% in the 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and ≥70 age groups, respectively.
Conclusions: The accuracy of the FIT was the highest in the 40-49-year-old age group. Our research can provide guidance to formulate CRC screening strategies.
Hybrid Sand Cat Swarm Optimization Kernel Extreme Learning Machines for Android Ransomware Classification
Authors: Alazab Moutaz , Khurma Ruba Abu
Published: January 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
A Statistical Model for Predicting Tropical Cyclone Intensity in North Indian Ocean (NIO)
Authors: Sahoo Upendra Kumar , Ghosh Tirthankar
Published: January 2023

A tropical cyclone (TC) is a rapidly rotating atmospheric system which has a low-pressure center, namely an eye, strong winds and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produces heavy rain and causes severe destruction. Every year TC of the Northern Indian Ocean (NIO) basin affect South-eastern and South-western India significantly. Supper cyclone (1999), Mala (2006), Gonu (2007), Nargis (2008), Aila (2009), Giri (2010), Phailin (2013), Hudhud (2014), Fani (2019), Pabuk (2019), Amphan (2020), Yaas (2021) are the few such cyclones which affected the Indian coastal region at large extent. Therefore, reliable forecasts of these events are very essential. It is the intensity, maximum wind speed of a storm which causes damages to properties and lives. Therefore, along with track, intensity prediction of TCs should also be emphasized. In this study, a simple statistical model is proposed for predicting the intensity of cyclones over the Northern Indian Ocean basin with very few numbers of climatological predictors. The model parameters are estimated from the cyclone database that is developed over the NIO basin during the period 2001-2019. Minimum Sea level Pressure (MSLP), Sea Surface Temperature(SST), Initial Tropical Cyclone Intensity(ITCI) and Intensity Change During 12 hours(IC12) are selected as the predictors in the model. The model was fitted for dependent samples of 60 tropical cyclones and tested for independent samples of 15 tropical cyclones forecast up to 72 hours.The mean absolute errors (MAE) and root mean square errors (RMSE) of cyclones during 2001 to 2016 are less than 2 and 3 knots respectively for the forecast hour from 12h to 72h. When the model tested with the cyclones formed in the year 2017-2019, mean absolute error and root mean square error are found less than 7 knots and 9 knots for forecast hour from 12h to 72h. The results indicate suitability of the model for the operational use.
Multi-Modal and Adaptive Control of Human-Robot Interaction through Hierarchical Quadratic Programming
Authors: Tassi Francesco , Ajoudani Arash
Published: January 2023

This paper proposes a novel Hierarchical Quadratic Programming (HQP)-based framework that enables multi-tasking control under multiple Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) scenarios. The objective is to create a unique framework for various types of HRI control modalities, avoiding the necessity of switching between different controllers that are usually tailored to a specific task. To achieve this, we firstly propose a HQP-based hybrid Cartesian/joint space impedance control formulation. This is based on the system's dynamics and provides an adaptive compliance behaviour during HRI, while performing hierarchical motion control. This is validated through a series of experiments that show the accuracy of trajectory tracking and the variable compliance behaviour. We then consider the case in which the human needs to move the robot by acting directly onto it, by proposing a hybrid admittance/impedance hierarchical control, which is then validated through several experiments in which the human moves the robot in the workspace. Next, we formulate a HQP-based force controller for HRI applications in which a specific interaction force must be maintained and lastly, we extend this to simultaneous force and trajectory tracking for applications that need higher position accuracy. Further experiments are conducted, to validate the proposed framework, using a redundant mobile manipulator. Overall, we obtain a single multi-purpose HQP-based control framework, that can switch continuously between interaction modes, enclosing multiple behaviours adjusted online based on the type of interaction.
Adaptedness of Wick Product on Guichardet-Fock Space
Authors: Zhang Jihong , Sun Xiaochun
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we construct creation and annihilation operators on Guichardet-Fock spaces F and obtain a commuation relations and s−adapted characters about two operators. It is also shown that a Wick-type product can be defined on F and moreover ε (S) ∈ F forms a commutative algebra with the product. Finally, we proof the Wick-type product is also s−adapted operator.
Utilizing photonic band gap in triangular silicon carbide structures for efficient quantum nanophotonic hardware
Authors: Saha Pranta , Majety Sridhar , Radulaski Marina
Published: January 2023

Silicon carbide is among the leading quantum information material platforms due to the long spin coherence and single-photon emitting properties of its color center defects. Applications of silicon carbide in quantum networking, computing, and sensing rely on the efficient collection of color center emission into a single optical mode. Recent hardware development in this platform has focused on angle-etching processes that preserve emitter properties and produce triangularly shaped devices. However, little is known about the light propagation in this geometry. We explore the formation of photonic band gap in structures with a triangular cross-section, which can be used as a guiding principle in developing efficient quantum nanophotonic hardware in silicon carbide. Furthermore, we propose applications in three areas: the TE-pass filter, the TM-pass filter, and the highly reflective photonic crystal mirror, which can be utilized for efficient collection and propagating mode selection of light emission.
Psychological Distress among Medical Undergraduate Students in Pakistan Addicted to Online Multiplayer Games: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Aziz Arshad , Ayub Ayaz , Ullah Ihsan , Husain Jawad
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Online gaming addiction has alarmingly emerged as a behavioral problem that is associated with serious implications ranging from psychosomatic issues to suicidal and homicidal tendencies. Psychological distress is among the list of its adverse effects, which is entirely treatable. Reasons and psychological distress due to online gaming addiction can be tackled if considered from a public health aspect.
Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional approach was employed using a proportionate randomized sampling technique to recruit 317 participants from 6 sister institutes affiliated with Khyber Medical University (KMU), Peshawar over a period of 6 months from May 2021 to November 2021. Information pertaining to the objectives was collected using two pre-tested validated questionnaires; the Compulsive Internet Gaming Use Scale (CIUS) and Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT – 10). Analysis of the data was made with SPSS version 26.0 and presented as tables, graphs, and figures.
Results: This study found psychological distress from internet gaming disorder (IGD) in 7.6% of the study pool with a mean age of 21.08 ± 1.17 years with 68.1% males and 31.9% females. Among the study participants, 17.0% were married, 79.8% were financially dependent, 9.1% showed a history of substance abuse, and 63.4% kept outdoor hobbies. The mean duration of gaming among those screened positive with IGD was 54.58 ± 14.01 hours per week, the mean CIUS score was 28.42 ± 3.78, mean IGDT score was 2.18 ± 1.09. 18.0% of participants had online gaming addiction while 42.11% showed psychological distress from online gaming addiction. A strongly positive correlation was established between psychological distress and online gaming addiction (r = 0.955, p < 0.001).
Conclusions: This study concluded a strong positive association between psychological distress in undergraduate health sciences students and their online gaming addiction. Owing to these findings, relevant changes to the existing policy on the online gaming industry in Pakistan is recommended.
An Examination for the Intersection of Two Ruled Surfaces
Authors: Karaca Emel
Published: January 2023

In this study, firstly, each natural lift curve of the main curve is corresponded to the ruled surface by exploitting E. Study mapping and the relation among the subset of the tangent bundle of unit 2-sphere, TM¯ and ruled surfaces in IR3. Secondly, the intersection of two ruled surfaces, which are obtained by using the relation given above, is examined for the condition of the zero-set of λ(u,v)=0. Then, all redundant and non-redundant solutions of the zero-set are investigated. Furthermore, the degenerate situations (u,v)=0, where the whole plane is degenerated by the zero-set,, are denoted. Finally, some examples are given to verify the results.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2010). 11B83; 11B37; 05A15.
Spatiotemporal Prediction of Light Pollution Using Remote Sensing Datasets on Conservation Areas
Authors: Riza Lala Septem , Putra Zulfikar Ali Yunara , Firdaus Muhammad Fajar Yusuf , Trihutama Fajar Zuliansyah , Izzuddin Ahmad , Utama Judhistira Aria , Samah Khyrina Airin Fariza Abu , Herdiwijaya Dhani , NQZ Rinto Anugraha , Mumpuni Emanuel Sungging
Published: January 2023

Artificial light at night is one significant threat to protected areas from urbanization (ALAN). As urbanization continues to grow in Indonesia, there is a need for forecasting future light pollution and ALAN for the protected areas in Indonesia. To fulfill this need, we are aimed to design a computational model and its implementation to forecast light pollution in nine protected areas in Indonesia via spatiotemporal modeling using linear models. In this study, in general, there are four steps to predict spatial-temporal light pollution, namely (i) data collection, (ii) data pre-processing, (iii) model and prediction of population, and (iv) model and prediction of light pollution. Two critical data must be provided: population data from the review area and light pollution data generated by the Earth Observations Group (EOG) at NOAA/NCEI. We are using nine conservation areas in Indonesia, namely the Kuningan Botanical Gardens, Bosscha Observatory, Timau Kupang National Observatory, Sermo Reservoir, Mount Batur Geopark, Sewu Mountains Geopark, Mount Rinjani Geopark, Lake Toba Geopark, and Belitong Geopark. The developed model involves a linear model to predict artificial light at night with spatial-temporal modeling. Through the fitting stage, the average RMSE in 2020, 2021, and 2021 was obtained, namely 0.079, 0.097, 0.071, respectively. Moreover, long-term predictions for the next 20 years have been conducted as well.
Analysis of factors influencing the quality of life and anxiety among quarantined individuals in different places during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Wang Ting , Xiao Yongkang , Min Yuan , Shu Shouhong , Deng Yinghu
Published: January 2023

Background
Since March 2022, Shanghai, China, has been affected by a severe outbreak of COVID-19, which has caused tens of thousands of people to become ill. To prevent and control this disease, Shanghai has implemented strict isolation measures, including arrangements for isolation of individuals in close contact, at isolation shelters in Tongling City, Anhui Province. Isolation may have significantly affected the quality of life and psychological status of such individuals. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of life and anxiety of people isolated in different shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyze the influencing factors.
Methods
This is a cross-sectional study. An online survey was conducted from April 20 to May 10, 2022. A total of 279 people in close contact with an isolation shelter in Tongling City, Anhui Province, participated in the survey. The quality of life was assessed using the Quality of Life Scale (SF-12), and anxiety status was assessed using the SAS. The study used descriptive analysis, t-tests, analysis of variance, and generalized linear regression analysis to test the factors influencing quality of life and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the correlation between the two.
Results
The survey results showed that isolation days and marital status affected psychological and physical aspects, respectively. Age above 40 years was an independent risk factor for PCS, education was a protective factor for psychological status, and low quality of life directly led to an increase in anxiety levels.
Conclusion
During the pandemic, with infected individuals in close contact were isolated at shelters in other places. Reduction in the quality of life can lead to an increase in the anxiety levels of the population. We should pay attention to the age and education levels of individuals in isolation and take response measures to improve the health status of the isolated population.
Bleeding after Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage in Patients with Coagulopathy: A Single Center Experience
Authors: Su Liya , Zhuang Bowen , Li Li , Lu Mingde , Kuang Ming , Xie Xiaohua , Xie Xiaoyan
Published: January 2023

Background
To compare the rate of bleeding for ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage (PTBD) in patients with coagulopathy to that in patients with normal coagulation.
Methods
This retrospective study included a total of 837 patients who underwent PTBDs from January 2016 to December 2017. The latest coagulation parameters before PTBD were acquired in all patients. The incidence of PTBD-related bleeding was determined, and the association between bleeding and coagulopathy was evaluated. Coagulopathy referred to elevated INR (International Normalized Ratio, > 1.5) or thrombocytopenia (Platelet or PLT < 50×109/L). In this study, highest value of INR was 3.67 and lowest value of PLT was 31×109/L.
Results
Overall, 32of 837 patients (3.8%) experienced bleeding, 28 (3.3%) for mild bleeding and 4 (0.5%) for severe bleeding. Incidence of bleeding in patients with abnormal PLT and INR values wasn’t significantly different from those in patients with normal PLT (p = 0.769) and INR (p = 0.511). No bleeding was detected in patients with thrombocytopenia. Three cases of mild bleeding were observed in patients with INR > 1.5 (n = 60), no severe bleeding was detected. Impaired coagulopathy function was not found in patients with severe bleeding. Age (p = 0.152), gender (p = 0.094) and underlying diseases (p = 0.318) didn’t correlate significantly with the incidence or severity of PTBD-related bleeding.
Conclusions
In our study, patients with thrombocytopenia (30×109/L < PLT < 50×109/L) or increased INR (> 1.5) didn’t suffer from higher incidence of or more severe bleeding after PTBD.
Reusable Algorithmic Skeleton Framework for Clustering Algorithms in Wireless Sensor Network (SCW)
Authors: Taheri Hoda , Savadi Abdorreza , Abrishami Saeid
Published: January 2023

In Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), clustering is often used to improve communication and routing. Therefore, clustering approaches highly attract several researchers since performing clustering saves energy, and energy efficiency is a significant goal in WSN. To beneficially adopt WSN technology, efficient application development is necessary. Therefore, a user-friendly programming abstraction is required to simplify the programming chore without sacrificing efficiency. Using suitable higher-level programming abstraction, it is neither obligatory for a programmer to be an expert in most fields related to WSN nor to be distracted from the application logic by focusing on low-level system issues. To ease the development of new clustering algorithms, a prefabricated algorithmic skeleton, namely SCW, is presented which only requires two functions to be filled in, i.e., to be implemented. The rest of the work (e.g., synchronization, sensing the environment, data aggregation, nodes’ energy calculations, and routing) will be handled by the proposed framework. Hence, SCW has the capability of performing a level of optimization in the background without user interference. By considering software metrics such as Lines of Code (LoC), Halstead metrics, and McCabe complexity while employing the proposed framework, one can implement a WSN clustering algorithm with fewer source lines of code, less programming effort, and difficulty, less time to understand and implement when compared to a built-from-scratch implementation. Although this algorithmic skeleton framework is proposed for implementation, to show its efficiency in this paper, we use the simulation environment.
New iterations of the best proximity point with convergence rates
Authors: Haddadi Mohammad Reza
Published: January 2023

‎Let (A, B) be a nonempty pair of disjoint subsets of a Banach space X‎. ‎It is well-known that if (A, B) be a bounded‎, ‎closed and convex pair in a uniformly convex‎ ‎Banach space X, ‎then every cyclic contraction mapping has a unique best proximity point‎. ‎The main purpose of this paper is to study the convergence of best proximity points for cyclic contraction mappings in the setting‎ ‎of uniformly convex Banach spaces‎. ‎Hence‎, ‎we consider the Mann and Ishikawa iteration schemes‎ ‎and obtain many of strong convergence results of the best proximity point for the cyclic contraction mapping in the‎ ‎uniformly convex Banach spaces‎. ‎To this end‎, ‎we consider a numerical example is presented to support the main result and we compare‎ ‎the convergence behavior of iterations‎.
2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 90C48, 47H09, 46B20
Design and Implementation of an efficient Memristor-based Chaotic circuit
Authors: Kumari Usha , Yadav Rekha
Published: January 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Premenstrual Syndrome, Life Style & Behavioral Coping Mechanisms and Associated Factors Among Public High School Regular Female Students at Bahir Dar City, Northwest, Ethiopia
Authors: Zeleke Balew , Workineh Yinager , Melese Addisu , Semachew Ayele , W/giorgis Teshager , Yigizaw Molla
Published: January 2023

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess premenstrual syndrome, life style & behavioral coping mechanisms and associated factors among public high school regular female students at Bahir Dar city, Northwest, Ethiopia,2020
Result: Out of 422 study participants,408 respondents participated in the study making the response rate 96.7%. In the current study ,the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome was 41.2% (95% CI:36.3,45.8).
Family history of premenstrual syndrome (AOR:4.18,95% CI:[2.61,6.71]) and using hormonal contraceptives (AOR:10.30 CI:[4.39,24.17]) were positively associated factors with premenstrual syndrome.On the other hand , history of sexual intercourse (AOR:0.18,95% CI:[0.08,0.43]) was negatively associated with premenstrual syndrome.Visiting clinics 174 (42.6%), listening music 163 (40.0%) and taking shower 155(38.0%) were the most frequently practiced life style & behavioral coping mechanisms for premenstrual symptoms by the respondents.
The current study concluded that premenstrual syndrome was high among the study participants.Therfore,this study recommended that health care workers should work on awareness creation about premenstrual syndrome and life style & behavioral coping mechanisms and further large scale researches need to done.
Validation of the cooperative support checklist for young children with physical disabilities in inclusive settings
Authors:   Korean Journal Of Early Childhood Special Education, Nam Haein , Kim Gabi , Jeon Ye-eun , Yoo Inyoung , Nam Boram , Park Eunhye
Published: January 2023

Following the 2019 Revised Nuri Curriculum has been implemented, early childhood special education (ECSE) in inclusive settings must keep pace. In this study, we developed a checklist for Early Childhood Education (ECE) and ECSE teachers working together to support young children with physical disabilities in child-oriented, play-based curriculum. Based on previous research, a preliminary inventory was developed and content validity was examined with 8 professionals. The calculated Content Validity Index (CVI) means were .88~1.0. As a result, a total of 17 items were developed in three categories: pre-planning for cooperative support, play and daily routine participation support, and peer interaction support. This study has implications for developing a curriculum-based checklist for children with physical disabilities in inclusive settings. More research on support plans and practical use verification should be followed.
Dichotomy of the Personal and the Public in Virtual Communities
Authors: Sharkov F. I. , Kirillina N. V.
Published: January 2023

The paper is dedicated to the characteristics of online communities in the virtual space. The study is based on the review of manuscripts on social interactions within online and offline communities in social reading of this term, and represents the key characteristics, similarities and differences of interaction in such communities. The analysis of sources suggests that online and real (offline) communities are largely similar in their features, and that virtual communities as self-organizing networks of interactive interaction, like real social communities, are formed on the basis of the common interests and goals of their participants. Real and virtual communities are located in the same social space, virtual communities take on some characteristics of traditional ones, and vice versa. The possibility of supplementing or replacing spatial connections in real communities with virtual interaction forms the socalled convergent communities. Like virtual ones, they are characterized by a high emotional involvement of community members in the communication process, but at the same time, they lose some of the properties traditionally inherent in communities due to a single territory, history, culture, and have a high potential to form a modified, virtual environment of interaction.
Research of the dynamical properties of mechatronic prosthesis
Authors: Tamošiūnas Justas , Bučinskas Vytautas
Published: January 2023

The mechatronic ankle prosthesis plays a crucial role in the recreation of natural gait biomechanics by being able to actively control time-torque parameters in different sub-phases of the walking cycle. This paper presents a methodology for improving the design process of the individual characteristics of the object of interest. A series of tests were taken to derive a correlation between an actual structure and a developed mathematical model to determine the parameters of the object under investigation. The model provides a possibility to determine time-changing force-related properties to capture a full picture of the structure for which a particular design is being chosen. The method also acts as a tool to expand traditional design criteria to get the overall view of the structural dynamics of the mechanical system.
Online leakage detection system based on EWMA-enhanced Tukey method for water distribution systems
Authors: Wan Xi , Farmani Raziyeh , Keedwell Edward
Published: January 2023

Real-time leakage detection based on pressure and flow data has become increasingly essential for water distribution systems (WDSs). Recent data-driven leakage detection approaches have largely focused on burst detection characterised as sudden outflow or sudden pressure drops but did not mention the ability to detect gradual leakage events that do not have sudden change and could cause more water loss. This study proposes an online leakage detection system based on the exponential weighted moving average (EWMA)-enhanced Tukey method to help monitor gradual leakage events of WDSs. The proposed online system comprises three main parts: data pre-processing, the online detection sub-system, and the parameter updating sub-system. The proposed online system is based on lightweight and powerful statistical tools without complex model construction. The effectiveness of the proposed system is demonstrated on leakage datasets under various real-world scenarios, including gradual leakages and bursts. The results showed that the proposed EWMA-enhanced Tukey method could detect gradual leakage events quickly while generating low false alarms. The proposed method is computationally effective and able to deal with non-stationary behaviours automatically.
Analysis of the climate change impact on the spatiotemporal drought in the Gaza region of the southeastern Mediterranean
Authors: Eljamassi Alaeddinne , Al-Najjar Hassan , Abdel latif Mahmoud , Dweikat Ashraf , Aljamal Maher
Published: January 2023

The southeast Mediterranean region of the Gaza Strip is showing traces of evolving drought patterns driven by the impacts of climate change. The analysis of rainfall data at eight meteorological stations for a period extending over 48 years from 1974 to 2021 shows obvious variations in the spatiotemporal distribution of the rainfall over the Gaza Strip. The total monthly rainfall trend analysis for the wet months indicates a decreasing trend during February, March, April, and November with a ratio ranging between −16 and −62% and an increasing trend of about 35 and 141% through October at each of the meteorological stations. However, January shows an increasing trend of about 1–27% at all meteorological stations except Nussirat where a decline of about −7% is recorded while December refers to an increasing trend of about 5–27% in the north area of Gaza and declining trend of −2 to −17% over the southern region of the Gaza Strip. The drought analysis using the SPI indicator refers to a significant development of drought during the years 1990, 1999, 2010, and 2014 in the Gaza Strip with a major incident of occurrence where specifically, the monthly drought in terms of SPI-1 is identified as moderate and mild by about 15–21 and 27–56%, respectively. The agricultural drought of SPI-3 is nominated by severe, moderate, and mild severity with an incident reaching 11%, 8–11%, and 21–52%, respectively. However, the hydrological droughts demonstrated by the 9-month SPI-9 and 12-month SPI-12 potentially occur in extreme, severe, moderate, and mild with a probability of incident defined by up to 4, 13, 15, and 28–40%, respectively, for SPI-9 and by up to 4, 6, 11 and 38% extreme, severe, moderate, and mild, respectively, in case of SPI-12.
Sustainable planning of multipurpose hydropower reservoirs with environmental impacts in a simulation–optimization framework
Authors: Hatamkhani Amir , Moridi Ali , Randhir Timothy O.
Published: January 2023

Hydropower projects involve enormous investments that require an efficient cost–benefit framework and optimization model for proper development. Dams and hydropower plants have many impacts on the environment. These environmental impacts are often not included in the economic calculations and planning of the projects, which leads to the loss of natural resources. The primary purpose of this research is to incorporate environmental impacts into optimization and decision-making. A comprehensive simulation–optimization model is developed to optimize hydropower decisions. The positive and negative values of environmental impacts are incorporated into an economic objective function under different scenarios, and optimal design was done for each scenario. The results show that considering environmental economics affects the multipurpose hydropower project's NPV and decision outcomes. Considering environmental impacts compared to not considering them has reduced NPV of the project by 13.9%. The results emphasize the importance of including these impacts to achieve sustainable development and management.
Evaluation of water safety plan implementation at provincial water utilities in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Viet-Anh , Tran Thi Hien Hoa , Nijhawan Anisha , Howard Guy , Nghia Ton Tuan
Published: January 2023

This study evaluated the experience of implementing water safety plans (WSPs) in Vietnam. WSPs were introduced in Vietnam by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Construction in 2006 and have been a mandatory requirement for municipal water supplies since 2012. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collected data on the perceived benefits and challenges of WSP implementation from 23 provincial water companies between August and November 2021. Potential public health benefits of improved water quality were a key motivation; 87% of the water utilities were also motivated by the risk of climate change and prepared response plans to climate-related extreme events as part of WSPs. A decrease in E. coli and an improvement in disinfectant residual in treated water were reported by 61 and 83% of the water supplies, respectively. Sixty-five percent of the water supplies also reported improved revenue and cost recovery. Key barriers to WSP implementation were a lack of WSP guidance suitable for the local context (87%) and insufficient funds for WSP implementation (43%). Our study highlights the need for improved support and capacity building along with locally suited guidance on WSP implementation and audit.
Perfusion Deficits in Different Mechanisms of Two Subtypes of Acute
Stroke with Diffusion MRI Confirmation
Authors: Hu Wenli , Zhu Cuiting , Qin Wei
Published: January 2023

Background:

Branch atheromatous disease (BAD) and lacunar infract (LI) are the different
mechanisms of subtypes of acute stroke. We aimed to investigate perfusion deficits and clinical
characteristics of the different mechanisms of two subtypes of acute stroke.

Materials and Methods:

Five hundred and ninety-nine CTP examinations were retrospectively reviewed
between January and December 2021 in patients with acute stroke symptoms with CTP
within 12 hours and MRI within 7 days of symptom onset. Based on diffusion MRI, the patients
were assigned to one of two subtypes: BAD and LI. Lesion volumes were measured on NCCT,
CTA, CBV, CBF, MTT, and TTP maps by region-of-interest analysis and were confirmed by follow-
up MRI.

Results:

One hundred thirty-three patients met the inclusion criteria (26.3% female). The BAD
group was present in 104 of 133 (78.2%), and the LI group 29 of 133 (21.8%). Based on CT perfusion,
42 of 78 (53.8%) BAD group and 5 of 18 (27.8%) LI group had perfusion deficits in the supratentorial
region. BAD had a higher proportion of abnormal perfusion than LI patients, with a
significant difference (P < 0.05). The sensitivity of CTP ranged from 21.4% (CBV) to 90.5% (TTP);
specificity ranged from 97.2% (TTP) to 100% (CBV, CBF, and MTT) in BAD patients.

Conclusion:

CTP has high specificity in identifying BAD. Compromised perfusion deficits are
more presented in BAD patients compared with LI. CT perfusion imaging may be useful for determining
the clinical significance of perfusion abnormalities in BAD occurrence.