bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and verification of a nomogram for the prediction of coronary heart disease in the Chinese Guangxi Zhuang population
Authors: Meng Yumin , Chen Chengxia , Jiang Zhiyuan , Chen Kequan , Ouyang Jun , Wang Hui , Huang Jiangnan
Published: May 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the independent risk factors involved in coronary heart disease (CHD), and to develop and verify a fibrinogen-based nomogram to predict its risk in the Chinese Zhuang population in Guangxi Province. Methods: Patients who underwent coronary angiography at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2018 to November 2019 were included, and randomly divided into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 7:3. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, the nomogram for the prediction of CHD was constructed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves and decision curve analyses (DCA) were used to evaluate the discriminatory ability of the model, and its calibration and its use as a model. Results: Multivariate logistic regression showed that males (OR = 2.22, 95% CI (1.37-3.58); P = 0.001), smoking (OR = 1.71, 95% CI (1.11-2.62); P = 0.014), hypertension (OR = 9.79, 95% CI (5.67-16.86); P < 0.001), diabetes (OR=6.32, 95%CI (2.98-13.41)); P<0.001), fibrinogen (OR = 1.74, 95% CI (1.39-2.18); P < 0.001) and triglycerides (OR = 1.43, 95% CI (1.10-1.86); P = 0.007) were independent predictors of CHD. We then use these seven risk factors to construct and predict the nomogram. Our patients’ population was 480 with 205 patients randomly assigned to the training set and verification set respectively. The AUC of the nomogram in the training and validation sets were 0.837 and 0.889. The sensitivity and specificity in the validation set were 87.7% and 80.4%. However, the training set was 79.9% and 77.7%, respectively. These results indicate that the model predicts very well the presence of CHD. In addition, the calibration curve from the validation set shows a strong consistent performance from the nomogram model, and at the same time, DCA also showed excellent results from the nomogram. Conclusions: This study found that gender (men), age, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, fibrinogen, and triglycerides were all independent risk factors for CHD. Moreover, a novel method based on a fibrinogen nomogram was developed and validated to predict the risk of CHD in the Guangxi Zhuang population. These findings help medics to assess the risk of CHD, and can be easily used for its early diagnosis and improved screening in patients at high risk of CHD
The nutrient preferences of rice and wheat influence fluoranthene uptake
Authors: Xu Yuanzhou , Xiao Zhuoliang , Zhang Xinyue , Zhao Chenyu , Li Yunyun , Che Ting , Li Yajuan , Zang Xiayun , Jiang Shuyi , Li Huixin , Xu Li , Hu Feng
Published: May 2022

Applications of the key plant nutrient nitrogen (N) increase the uptake and accumulation of pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, it is unclear how a plant’s preference for a particular form of N in the soil affects its uptake and accumulation of PAHs. In this study, we investigated the physiological mechanisms involved in fluoranthene (Flu) uptake by rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and examined how these mechanisms are affected by different forms of N treatment under an equivalent N supply. Both N form and plant species affected plant Flu uptake. Rice accumulated more Flu than wheat under an equivalent N supply, while the transfer coefficient of Flu in wheat was higher than that in rice. Flu accumulation in rice and wheat was positively correlated with plant root morphology parameters, and the transfer coefficient was positively correlated with transpiration. Of the treatments examined, ammonium (NH4+-N)-treated rice and nitrate (NO3−-N)-treated wheat accumulated the most Flu at equivalent N supply. Flu accumulation was positively correlated with plant growth, total nitrogen N content, total protein content, and antioxidant enzyme activities. Based on a partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) analysis, total plant N was the main factor influencing Flu uptake by rice and wheat treated with different forms of N. Overall, ammonium-preferring rice and nitrate-preferring wheat had the highest nutrient content in their preferred N forms, which also promoted Flu uptake. Therefore, regulating the form of N applied to the soil could be a suitable strategy to improve the safety of agricultural products.
Hybrid Enhancement-Based Prototypical Networks for Few-Shot Relation Classification
Authors: Wang Lei , Qu Jianfeng , Xu Tianyu , Li Zhixu , Chen Wei , Xu Jiajie , Zhao Lei
Published: May 2022

Few-shot relation classification is to recognize the semantic relation between an entity pair with very few samples. Prototypical network has proven to be a simple yet effective few-shot learning method for relation extraction. However, under the condition of data scarcity, the relation prototypes we achieve are usually biased compared to the real ones computed from all samples within a relation class. To alleviate this issue, we propose hybrid enhancement-based prototypical networks. In particular, our model contains three main enhancement modules: 1) a query-guided prototype enhancement module using rich interactive information between the support instances and the query instance as guidance to obtain more accurate prototype representations; 2) a query enhancement module to diminish the distribution gap between the query set and the support set; 3) a support enhancement module adopting a pseudo-label strategy to expand the scale of available data. On basis of these modules, we further design a novel prototype attention fusion mechanism to fuse information and compute discriminative relation prototypes for classification. In this way, we hope to obtain unbiased representations closer to our expected prototypes by improving the available data scale and data utilization efficiency. Extensive experimental results on the widely-used FewRel dataset demonstrate the superiority of our proposed model.
Cardiac toxicity in patients with lung cancer receiving thoracic radiotherapy and immunotherapy
Authors: Son Christine , Moey Melissa Y.Y. , Walker Paul R. , Naqash Abdul R. , Peach M. Sean , Ju Andrew
Published: May 2022

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are used in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic lung cancer. ICIs can lead to severe immunogenic related cardiotoxicities. The cardiotoxic profile of these agents when combined with thoracic radiotherapy is not well-defined. Here, we assessed the risk of cardiotoxicity in ICI-treated lung cancer patients with or without cardiac radiation from thoracic radiotherapy. Methods Retrospective data was collected on Stage III-IV lung cancer patients who received ICIs between 2015 and 2018. All cardiotoxicities associated with ICI were assessed by cardiologists and medical oncologists in correlation with the timing of RT in relation to ICI and the mean RT heart dose. RT was delivered between cycles of immunotherapy for patients who received RT concurrently with ICI. Multivariate analysis on the rate of cardiac events/cardiotoxicity in relation to radiotherapy timing and heart dose was performed on multiple logistic regression including the Framingham risk score and steroid use prior to ICI therapy.ResultsOf 194 ICI-treated patients evaluated, 66 (34.02%) and 128 (65.98%) had Stage III and IV SCLC or NSCLC, respectively, the median age was 64 years (range, 36-88), and 42.47% were female. Within the total cohort, 55.2% (n=107/194) patients had received thoracic RT at a median dose of 60.4 Gy (range, 15-75). Cardiotoxicities such as non-ST elevated myocardial infarction and new onset supraventricular tachycardias were observed in 13 (12.2%) of those who had thoracic RT versus 9 (10.3%) who did not (p=0.87). There were 38 patients who received RT concurrently with ICI and did not develop any cardiotoxicity whereas cardiotoxicity was observed in 14.1% (n=22/156) of those who did not receive concurrent RT (univariate, p=0.030; multivariate, p=0.055). There were no significant differences in the mean heart RT dose, Framingham risk score, and steroid treatment between patients that received concurrent RT with ICI versus non-concurrent RT/ICI.ConclusionICI-related cardiotoxicities were not significantly associated with patients who received concurrent thoracic radiotherapy. Univariate analysis suggests a potential cardioprotective effect of thoracic RT with ICI’s, which may be due to modulation of the immune response through reduction of lymphocytes involved in autoimmune processes.
Laparoscopy in high-risk emergency general surgery reduces intensive care stay, length of stay and mortality
Authors: Wilson Iain , Rahman Saqib , Pucher Philip , Mercer Stuart
Published: May 2022

Purpose
Emergency general surgery patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery are at reduced risk of mortality and may require reduced length of critical care stay. This study investigated the effect of laparoscopy on high-risk patients’ post-operative care requirements.
Methods
Data were retrieved for all patients entered into the NELA database between 2013 and 2018. Only high-risk surgical patients (P-POSSUM predicted mortality risk of ≥ 5%) were included. Patients undergoing laparoscopic and open emergency general surgical procedures were compared using a propensity score weighting approach. Outcome measures included total length of critical care (level 3) stay, overall length of stay and inpatient mortality.
Results
66,517 high-risk patients received emergency major abdominal surgery. A laparoscopic procedure was attempted in 6998 (10.5%), of these the procedure was competed laparoscopically in 3492 (49.9%) and converted to open in 3506 (50.1%). Following inverse probability treatment weighting adjustment for patient disease and treatment characteristics, high-risk patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery had a shorter median ICU stay (1 day vs 2 days p < 0.001), overall hospital length of stay (11 days vs 14 days p < 0.001) and a lower inpatient mortality (16.0% vs 18.8%, p < 0.001). They were also less likely to have a prolonged ICU stay with an OR of 0.78 (95% CI 0.74–0.83, p < 0.001).
Conclusion
The results of this study suggest that in patients at high risk of post-operative mortality, laparoscopic emergency bowel surgery leads to a reduced length of critical care stay, overall length of stay and inpatient mortality compared to traditional laparotomy.
International Scientific Co-Publications in Europe
Authors: Leogrande Angelo , Costantiello Alberto , Laureti Lucio , Matarrese Marco Maria
Published: May 2022

The determinants of “International Scientific Co-Publications” in Europe are analyzed in the following article. Data from the European Innovation Scoreboard-EIS of the European Union for 36 countries in the period 2010-2019 were used. The data were analyzed using Panel Data with Fixed Effects, Panel Data with Random Effects, Pooled OLS, WLS, Dynamic Panel. The results show that the variable “International Scientific Co-Publication” is negatively associated with “Employment Share Manufacturing”, “Intellectual Assets”, “Turnover Share Large Enterprises”, “Linkages” and positively associated with “SMEs innovating in house”, “Trademark Applications”, “Human Resources”, “Public-private co-publications”, “Attractive Research Systems”, “Government procurement of advanced technology products”, “Turnover Share SMEs”. Then, a clustering analysis is realized with the algorithm k-Means. The Silhouette Coefficient and the Elbow Method are confronted to optimize the k-Means algorithm. The results show that the Elbow method is more efficient than the Silhouette coefficient in identifying the optimal number of clusters corresponding to k = 4 with the k-Means algorithm. A network analysis was then carried out using the “Manhattan Distance”. The analysis shows the presence of 9 network structures of which 5 are complex i.e., with a number of linkages greater than 3, and 4 are basic i.e. consist of a single link between two countries. Furthermore, we confront eight different machine learning algorithms to predict the future level of “International Scientific Co-Publications”. We found that the best algorithm in performing prediction with original data is the Tree Ensemble Regression. The predicted value of “International Scientific Co-Publication” is expected to growth by 0.61%.
Delayed vs early enteral feeding after repair of congenital recto-vestibular fistula
Authors: Kurdi Mazin , Mokhtar Ahmed , Elkholy Mahoud , El-wassia Heidi , Bamehriz Maha , Khirallah Mohammad
Published: May 2022

purpose: To study the effect of delayed vs early enteral feeding on the occurrence of perineal wound infection (PWI) after repair of congenital recto vestibular fistula.methods: Fifty-five infants with recto-vestibular fistula were included. They were managed by single stage anterior sagittal anorectoplasty (ASARP)at an age ≥ 3 months. Groups A and B included infants who started oral intake on the 6th and 2nd postoperative days respectively. Group A infants were kept on peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) during the fasting period. Results: Superficial wound infection occurred in three cases in group A while it developed in seven cases in group B. Deep perineal infection occurred in two and five cases in group A and group B respectively. The mean hospital stay was 8 days in group A vs 13 days in group B when PWI developed. Conclusion: Delayed enteral feeding with PPN keeps the perineal wound more dry and less contaminated with stool. This promoted proper and fast healing with lower incidence of PWI. Also, PPN compensates the catabolic effects of both surgical trauma and fasting during the postoperative period and ensures maintenance of normal levels of essential nutrients that allow for proper healing.
Role of Echocardiography in the Assessment of Cardiac Involvement in Takayasu Arteritis
Authors: Fu Jiarong , Liu Jinfeng , Li Xiaoming , Wu Shan , Yu Huimei , Zhang Chun
Published: May 2022

The aim of this study is to investigate echocardiographic features of patients with cardiac involvement and evaluate the value of echocardiography in Takayasu arteritis (TA). This retrospective study compared the clinical manifestations and echocardiographic parameters of 127 TA patients with and without cardiac involvement and further explored the relationship between pulmonary hypertension (PH) and echocardiographic parameters. Clinical, imaging and laboratory results of the TA patients were obtained from hospital files. In our study, 68 patients (53.54%) had cardiac involvement. Valvular abnormalities were found in 55 (80.88%) patients in the heart involvement group, coronary artery abnormalities in 10 (14.71%), myocardial abnormalities in 18 (26.47%) and heart failure in 10 patients (14.71%), respectively. Among TA patients with cardiac involvement, PH was detected in 11 patients (16.18%) with echocardiographic assessment. Compared to the control group, both the TA patients with cardiac involvement associated with and without PH presented with the significantly differences of echocardiographic parameters regarding LAD, IVST, LVPWT, LVEDD, LVESD, LVEF, LV mass, LV mass/BSA, MPAD and E peak (P < 0.05). Compared the echocardiographic parameters between the patients with and without PH of TA patients with cardiac involvement, the differences were of no statistical significance (P > 0.05). Cardiac involvement is not infrequent in TA patients and it should be carefully evaluated. Echocardiography plays a vital role in the assessment of cardiac involvement in TA which is helpful for diagnosis and management of TA.
HER2 expression in peritoneal dissemination of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma: a comparative study of immunohistochemical reactivity using four HER2 antibodies
Authors: Yeo Min-Kyung , Kim Sup , Yoo Heon Jong , Suh Kwang-Sun , Kim Kyung-Hee
Published: May 2022

Objective
Most high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSOCs) involving the peritoneum are highly aggressive. Epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is aberrantly activated and a therapeutic target in a variety of solid cancers. However, the role of HER2 in HGSOC is still controversial. The HER2 status of a tumor is based on cytoplasmic membrane staining of an intracellular domain (ICD)-specific HER2 antibody. In this study, we compared four anti-HER2 antibodies in an immunohistochemical study of HGSOC with peritoneal dissemination.
Methods
HER2 expression was assessed in peritoneal disseminated HGSOC specimens from 38 patients by immunohistochemistry using four different anti-HER2 antibodies [an ICD antibody (clone A0485), an extracellular domain (ECD) antibody (clone SP3), and two antibodies recognizing HER2 phosphorylated at tyrosine 877 or 1248 (pHER2Y877 and pHER2Y1248)]. HER2 gene amplification was accessed by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH).
Results
The antibodies showed HER2 positivity as follows: 31.6 % of cases (12/38) with A0485, 26.3 % (10/38) with SP3, 7.9 % (3/38) with pHER2Y877, and 21.1% (8/38) with pHER2Y1248. Fifteen of 38 (39.5 %) cases were positive with at least one of the four HER2 antibodies, and two cases tested positive with all four antibodies. Differences in the HER2 expression using the pHER2Y877 assay and the A0485 or SP3 assay were observed (p = 0.012 and p = 0.039, respectively). HER2 gene amplification was detected in 3/19 cases.
Conclusion
All four HER2 antibodies could be used for patient selection for anti-HER2 therapies. These findings raise the possibility of anti-HER2 therapeutic strategies for HGSOC with peritoneal dissemination.
In Silico Identification of Non-cross-reactive Epitopes for Monkeypox Cell Surface-Binding Protein
Authors: Gao Andrew , Gao Sarah
Published: May 2022

Smallpox, a disease caused by the Variola virus, was eradicated after global vaccination efforts. Recently, the monkeypox virus (MPV) has been spreading worldwide and is becoming a significant concern. The cell surface-binding protein E8L is found on MPV virion membranes and is essential for virion attachment to host cells, potentially making it an attractive vaccine target. In this study, E8L was investigated to assess its viability as a vaccine target and identify epitopes. BLAST analysis showed that the MPV Zaire-96-I-16 strain E8L amino acid sequence exhibits 38.2% percent identity with the human enzyme carbonic anhydrase III (CA3). Multiple sequence alignment and Expasy Translate were used to identify the corresponding E8L amino acid sequence of the May 2022 Massachusetts MPV case draft genome. The Massachusetts MPV E8L sequence was identical to the Zaire strain E8L sequence except for a single residue. Peptide Match software was used to identify pentapeptide subunits of E8L that are not found within the human proteome, thus addressing concerns about cross-reactivity with human proteins (such as CA3) and improving antigen specificity. Overall, 28 such pentapeptides were identified. The Immune Epitope Database was queried for experimentally-characterized epitopes/antigens containing these 28 pentapeptides, yielding 21 matching epitopes, demonstrating that some of these pentapeptides can evoke immune responses. This study identified human-foreign pentapeptides within E8L which could be explored to find viable epitopes for MPV vaccines. While existing vaccines confer protection against MPV, the risk of vaccine escape (as seen with SARS-CoV-2) suggests that additional vaccines should be investigated.
“RSSC-Lineage Multiplex PCR” assay detects and differentiates Ralstonia solanacearum, R. pseudosolanacearum, R. syzygii and the R3bv2 subgroup
Authors: Paudel Sujan , Dobhal Shefali , Lowe-Power Tiffany , Schlub Robert L. , Hu John , Allen Caitlyn , Alvarez Anne M. , Arif Mohammad
Published: May 2022

Bacterial wilt strains in the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC) pose serious threats to economically important crops worldwide. In 2014, Safni and co-workers proposed the reclassification of RSSC into three genomospecies: R. solanacearum (Rsol), R. pseudosolanacearum (Rpseu), and R. syzygii (Rsyz). The revision requires the proper identification of strains for diagnostic and epidemiological studies. In response, we developed an inexpensive and user-friendly “RSSC-Lineage Multiplex PCR” that effectively detects plant pathogenic Ralstonia strains in general and also distinguishes between Rpseu, Rsol, Rsyz, and the high-security Select Agent “race 3 biovar 2” subgroup of Rsol, also known as the phylotype IIB-1 potato brown rot pandemic lineage. Genomes were retrieved from the NCBI GenBank database and screened for unique gene regions using OrthoMCL and other comparative genomic approaches. Specific primers were designed for each genomospecies, Ralstonia in general and for “race 3 biovar 2”. AT-rich flaps were added at 5’ position of each primer to optimize the reaction thermodynamics. The specificity was tested in silico using the NCBI GenBank genome database and an in-house database. In vitro specificity and accuracy of the tool was validated with 110 representative Ralstonia strains and 24 strains from other genera. The assay is highly specific, generating neither false positives nor false negatives. Primer set detection limits ranged from 10- to 100-pg. The assay also detected and differentiated strains from naturally and artificially inoculated plant hosts. This tool is highly specific, reliable, and economical for culture characterization, diagnostics, surveys, quarantine decisions, and epidemiological studies.
Prevalence of antibiotic resistance among blood pathogens isolated from routine laboratory specimens at Livingstone Central Hospital in Zambia
Authors: Mwansa Thresa N. , Chanda Warren
Published: May 2022

Introduction. Bloodstream infections (BSI) are a major public health burden with high mortality, and when coupled with antimicrobial resistance, the healthcare costs increase. This study aimed to establish the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance patterns of pathogens isolated from blood cultures at Livingstone Central Hospital (LCH) from 2019 to 2021. Methods. A single-centre laboratory based retrospective study with information collected from electronic laboratory system generated reports on all isolated organisms at LCH microbiology laboratory for a period of 3 years. Results. A total of 765 specimens were processed from January 2019 to December 2021 and only 331 (43.3%) met the inclusion criteria. More specimens from female (61.3%) than males (38.7%), and from out-patient departments (65.9%) than in-patient departments (34.1%) specimens were processed. Amongst the bacteria isolates identified, Escherichia coli (27.2%) was the commonest isolate followed by Enterobacter agglomerans (22.7%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (13%), Klebsiella oxytoca (6.3%), Enterobacter aerogenes (5.4%), Enterobacter cloacae (5.4%), Citrobacter freundii (C4.8%), Serratia marcescens (3.6%), Proteus mirabilis (3.3%), and Staphylococcus aureus (2.7%). Antibiotic susceptibility testing identified the least potent antibiotic as ampicillin (92.9%) followed by co-trimoxazole (82.7%), nalidixic acid (68.3%), penicillin (66.7%), tetracycline (63.5%), and chloramphenicol (50.3%) whereas the most effective antibiotic was imipenem (84.6%) followed by norfloxacin (64.7%) and nitrofurantoin (61.2%). Resistance maybe affected by patient gender and location. Conclusion. Multidrug resistance strains causing BSI are increasing and imipenem is still effective but risk being over-used. This will impact healthcare costs and increase mortality rates at the hospital level.
Demonstrating the Interply of Machine learning and optimization methods for operational planning Decision
Authors: Achamu Gedefaye , Berhan Eshetie , Geremaw Sisay
Published: May 2022

In this paper, the interplaying of machine learning and optimization problems considered as indispensable problem-solving methods. While solving the real-world problem for distinctive aim but with the possibility of interaction, their integration is not as such a long history. Concerning this interplaying, literature summarized from the perspective of challenges in decision making and supply chain. Problem related to determining and forecasting both sales and demand in inventory decision problem based on classical methods is due to the underlying of relying on observational and censored data, which however is believed insufficient and mostly limited to upstream decision making. Inventory problem literature found encouraging in this regard especially related to incorporating side information for consistent decision-making. Paying attention to such side information at the qualitative scale, as the central scheme, and the classical inventory problem considered to predict then optimization demonstration of operational decision-making. With aim of bringing categorical scaled problems amenable to prediction, optimization and even to integration, encoding methods from machine learning and regressor compared at baseline. Consequently, information other than censored data, also become part of decision making process in this work to make decision consistent in one hand and ease at operational level (downstream) on the other hand. Moreover, the approach outperforms the classical state of an art method in terms of operating performance metrics and the cost found is stable.
A mixed-methods study on the influence of quality of work life on commitment and performance
Authors: Inarda Analyn
Published: May 2022

Academic institutions are distinguished entities that perform pivotal functions to promote education and research. Faculty are involved in these aspects by contributing their best efforts to achieve goals. Thus, they are the most important organizational resources. The study aimed to investigate the quality of work life of state university faculty. Moreover, it intended to contribute new knowledge by identifying its influence on commitment and performance using Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods. There are studies on quality of work life (QWL) in higher academic institutions with different components. However, this will be the first in education using the thirteen (13) factors of QWL of the 21st century. There is a sample of two hundred fifteen (n = 215) respondents and twenty participants from the state university in the province of Rizal, Philippines. Numerical data were treated with mean and Pearson’s r, while thematization is used to analyze qualitative data. Rewards and recognition have been commendable (M = 4.37); however, sustainable safety and health programs are aspired (M = 3.38). People feel empowered, but the excessive number of teaching loads was noticed, and the incentivization of those with the additional designation. The study found influence of quality of work life on commitment (r = .583, p < .01). QWL is considered multi-faceted, and evidently, many elements do not directly influence performance, having a very weak positive correlation (r = .079, p < .01). These results are deemed significant to continuously improve the welfare of employees. Hence, commitment and performance will be intensified.
AcknowledgmentThe author is indebted to the President of the University of Rizal System, Philippines, and Vice President for Research, Development, Extension, and Production for the support given to publishing this paper.
Çevresel Büyük Risk Maden Atıksularının Kimyasal Çöktürme Yöntemi ile Arıtım Örneği
Authors: YILMAZ Alper Erdem , KOMESLI Okan , KOMESLİ Şenba , ÇALİK Savaş
Published: May 2022

Madencilik sektörü büyük hacimlerde su kullanmaktadır. Maden işleme aşamasında kullanılan suyun büyük bir kısmı atıksu haline gelmektedir. Maden atıksuları yüksek miktarda kirletici içermektedir. Maden atıksularının arıtılmadan alıcı ortamlara verilmesi sonucunda alıcı ortamda büyük kirlilik oluşmaktadır. Çevre kirliliğinin engellenmesi ve maden işleme tesislerinin sürdürülebilir olabilmesi için, maden atıksularının arıtılması çok önemlidir. Çalışmada Karadeniz Bölgesinde bulunan bir maden işleme tesisi atıksularından Al, Mn, Fe, Zn, Ba ve Sb gibi ağır metaller, Ca+2 ve Mg+2 katyonları ile SO4’ün kimyasal çöktürme (KÇ) yöntemi Ca(OH)2 kullanılarak arıtımı incelenmiştir. Karıştırma hızı ve çöktürücü miktarının giderim verimine etkileri incelenmiştir. Hızlı karıştırma hızı ve yavaş karıştırma hızı incelenmiş ve sırasıyla 100 rpm ve 15 rpm değerlerinin uygun olduğu görülmüştür. Bu değerlerde ağır metal konsantrasyonun yüksek giderim verimlerinde ortamdan uzaklaştırıldığı, Ca+2 ve Mg+2 iyonlarının gideriminin düşük seviyede kaldığı belirlenmiştir. Ca(OH)2 miktarındaki artış, yüksek giderim verimi olan ağır metaller için çok etki etmemekle birlikte, daha düşük giderim verimi olan ağır metallerde bir miktar artışa sebep olmuştur. Ca(OH)2 miktarındaki arıtış Mg ve sülfat iyonlarının giderim verimini artırırken, Ca iyonunun giderim verimini azaltmıştır. Sonuçlar, maden atık suyundan ağır metal giderimi için yaklaşık olarak %99.9 oranında başarı ile KÇ yönteminin uygun olduğunu gösterirken, sertlik giderimi yaklaşık %40 ve sülfat giderimi yaklaşık %32 oranında gerçekleştiği için KÇ sonrasında uygun bir ileri arıtım prosesinin kullanılması gerektiğini göstermiştir.
EU — China comprehensive investment agreement: Problems of conclusion and search for the balance of interests
Authors:   Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University), Isachenko Tatyana , Medvedkova Irina ,   National Research University Higher School of Economics, Krjuchkov Roman ,   National Research University Higher School of Economics
Published: May 2022

This article is a deep analysis of the Agreement between such major partners as the European Union and China, which is fundamentally new for the current stage of international investment cooperation. The need in such arrangement is due to the stagnation of the world economy, the strengthening of protectionist tendencies, the crisis of the multilateral trading system and the strengthening of China’s position, which makes this market more and more attractive,but requires ensuring transparent investment rules and strengthening the regulatory component. The study is the first publication devoted to the analysis of the course and results of the negotiation process, the authors concluded that the ability to ensure the protection of their investors in the market of the partner’s country is the main factor in choosing a market for investment. The authors argue that the intensification of bilateral cooperation between the EU and China has become the most important argument for initiating negotiations on a new agreement and striving to achieve a balance of interests, which determines the appropriate course of negotiations. The aim of the article was to analyze the basic provisions of the investment agreement of the new format, on the basis of which the authors assessed the readiness of the PRC and the EU to provide expanded access to foreign players, as well as identify the main problems in terms of the current regulatory investment regimes and the possibility of achieving a balance of interests of the largest trading partners. The research methodology is based on a qualitative analysis of the content of individual articles and provisions, as well as a quantitative analysis using a general equilibrium model on the example of the automotive industry, as one of the largest and most complex sectors. The author’s assessment of the effect of the Agreement makes it possible to update the conclusions about the advisability of forming agreements of this format in order to achieve mutually beneficial access to each other’s markets, as well as for third countries. This experience can be used when signing investment agreements between other countries.
“Europe. Ecology — the Greens”: Strategy of national and European identity
Authors:   P. G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University, Kaninskaya Galina
Published: May 2022

This article analyzes reasons for the rise of the “green wave” in France at the national and European elections, as well as the electoral strategy of the party “Europe. Ecology — the Greens” during the presidency of E. Macron. The research purpose is to identify the relationship between national and European strategies in the development of this French party. This dichotomy already emerges from the peculiar spelling of the party’s name through a period and a hyphen between three words, which should indicate two constituent bases of the party that made an application for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in France in the spring of 2022. The author uses such methods such as general scientific logical methods, comparative analysis, and a systematic approach, but primarily relies on a traditional historical methodology that includes the historical-genetic method and criticism of sources. The author comes to the following conclusions. First, the French “greens” have much more firmly established their positions in the European Parliament, thanks to the initiatives of which many programs on environmental problems are being implemented on a European scale. Second, well-known French environmental activists often head various commissions in the European Parliament for the development and adoption of laws in the field of “green economy”. Third, the ambivalence of the “Europe. Ecology — the Greens” and fluctuations in its strategic course along the line of “center-left/extreme left” impede the development of a clear national strategy. Sympathy for the “greens” among the common people is hampered by their too left-liberal slogans about tolerance towards immigrants and issues of national security, as well as in such important societal issues as childbearing with the help of in vitro fertilization and surrogacy.
Russia — France relations under President Emmanuel Macron: Achievements and inconsistencies
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Chikhachev Aleksei
Published: May 2022

This article examines the state and prospects of Russia-France relations on the basis of preliminary results of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency. The author assumes that the dialogue between these two countries has traditionally been characterized by a certain duality, where close cooperation in various spheres did not exclude mutual contradictions. The analysis of the main examples from bilateral relations in 2017–2021 shows that this feature is still observed at present. On the one hand, cooperation between Moscow and Paris clearly has experienced a revival after the last years of François Hollande’s term, as expresses in constant meetings at the highest level and the restart of ministerial contacts. The French government demonstrates its readiness to discuss a wide range of topics, including European security, strategic stability, conflict resolution in Ukraine and the Middle East, and development of economic and cultural ties. On the other hand, under Macron the list of issues on which both countries hold different positions has continued to grow. Paris negatively perceives the spread of the Kremlin’s international influence; emphasizes the difference in basic values; disagrees with Moscow on priorities of further settlement of regional conflicts, Internet, and space governance; openly criticizes the Russian presence in Africa; and supports Western allies in several political affairs. This kind of duality will likely continue after the 2022 presidential elections in the Fifth Republic, because each of the potential winners, while trying to continue bilateral cooperation, will inevitably have to take into account obligations within the Euro-Atlantic community. At the same time, with the beginning of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine in February 2022, French diplomacy is expected to make focus on toughness rather than dialogue.
La Dimension Spirituelle de la Formation Existentielle
Authors: Galvani Pascal
Published: May 2022

Les recherches sur l’autoformation existentielle visent à comprendre comment nous nous formons tout au long de la vie (GALVANI, 2010). Poser la question de l’autoformation existentielle c’est questionner la dimension formatrice des différents moments d’apprentissage, de travail, de voyage, d’amours, de naissances et de morts, etc. C’est explorer les différentes temporalités depuis la maturation lente et quasi invisible des expériences immergées dans le quotidien; jusqu’aux transformations bouleversantes qui surgissent des expériences limites
preservação do acervo de uma biblioteca universitária na cidade de Salvador frente ao paradigma pós-custodial
Authors: Leal Débora Leitão
Published: May 2022

Esse artigo tem por objetivo analisar como foi realizada a conservação e preservação do acervo da biblioteca pertencente a uma Instituição de Ensino Superior, da Cidade de Salvador, sob a perspectiva do paradigma pós-custodial. A pesquisa desenvolveu-se a partir de um estudo de caso; quanto aos objetivos a pesquisa caracterizou-se como descritiva e quanto a sua abordagem ela é qualitativa. Para coleta de dados, utilizou-se a observação direta, como também se coletou o relato de funcionários da biblioteca, por meio de entrevista semiestruturada. Os resultados apontaram que a falta de preocupação, por parte dos gestores da IES e dos profissionais da informação envolvidos, com a conservação do acervo acarretou a perda de obras raras, sobretudo na área da contabilidade, e também de acervos pessoais de acadêmicos baianos, como também na perda informacional que esses suportes preservavam, pela falta de uma política de coleções coerente e pela falta de preparo dos profissionais que não estavam preparados para a transição equilibrada entre os paradigmas custodial e pós-custodial.
WITHDRAWN: From a Computational Perspective: Elucidating the Neurotherapeutic and Inhibitory Properties of LRRK2 Kinase Domain by a Benzothiazole-based Compound
Authors: Subair Temitayo I. , Soremekun Opeyemi S. , Olotu Fisayo A. , Soliman Mahmoud E. S.
Published: May 2022

Since the authors are not responding to the editor’s requests to fulfill the editorial requirement, therefore, the article has been
withdrawn the journal Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.

Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused.

The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php

BENTHAM SCIENCE DISCLAIMER:

It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously
submitted or published elsewhere. Furthermore, any data, illustration, structure or table that has been published elsewhere
must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting
the article for publication the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the
authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript the authors agree that the copyright
of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.
Virtual Screening of Novel Phytocompound(s) with Potential to Combat
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection
Authors: Khare Deepa , Aggarwal Anchal , Sharma Shilpa
Published: May 2022

Background:

Tuberculosis is a worldwide health concern, and there is an immediate need for
effective therapeutics to inhibit the infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The persistent state
of bacteria and the emergence of Multi-Drug Resistance are the two major reasons for the difficulty in
treating tuberculosis.

Objective:

The study aims to identify novel phytocompounds to effectively inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis
by targeting the Esx-1 protein, which plays a vital function in the secretion pathway of M. tuberculosis
to successfully disrupt the host cell and cause tuberculosis.

Method:

In the current study, ~500 novel phytocompounds were screened by docking against Esx-1
using AutoDock Vina 4.2 version. The visualization analysis for selected phytocompounds was performed
using Protein-Ligand Interaction Profiler. A comparative study with a well-known drug for tuberculosis,
Rifampicin, was also performed. Moreover, ADMET analysis was performed to check the druggability
and pharmacokinetic parameters of the selected compounds.

Result:

Based on the analysis, cadabicine, an alkaloid produced by Cadaba fruticose (Vizhuthi), Crataeva
nurvala (Varuna) plants, exhibits the best binding affinity of -7.8 Kcal/mol with the active site residues,
Leu 29 and Trp 43, of Esx-1, which are required for the stability of Esx-1 and virulence of M. tuberculosis
in the host cell. ADMET analysis showed that cadabicine exhibits better druggability and
pharmacokinetic parameters than other selected compounds.

Conclusion:

Cadabicine possesses an acceptable binding affinity with the active site of Esx-1 and exhibits
acceptable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties, which makes it a potential new drug candidate
for the treatment of tuberculosis.
Investigation of Carbon Nanotube Metal Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Synthesis
and its Applications
Authors: Ravi T. , Viswanathan K. , Ramachandran D. , Thirugnanasambandam A.
Published: May 2022

Background:

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) synthesized by CVD method at 950 ℃. CNT and metal ZnO nanocomposites material synthesized by ball mill procedure have been examined. Stability of nanocomposite material has been attained by cationic ion liquid (IL), 1-tetradecyl-3 methylimidazolium chloride, structural morphology material characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Furthermore, these materials were analyzed by Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to study for the percentage of elemental compositions. Current-Voltage (I-V) characterized by electrical properties are showing highly responsive of resistance variation and easy recoverable high sensitivity was the main feature of the CO2 gas sensing properties.

Objective:

Carbon nanotube and zinc oxide nanoparticle combined with different ratio and optimization of coating methods using for sensor applications.

Methods:

It is synthesized with chemical vapour deposition method and zinc nanoparticle developed by ball mill method. We have optimized spin coating and dip coating method on glass surface.

Results:

FTIR spectrum results are recommended that the existing hydroxyl group and C group CNT-ZnO nanoparticle covered by the surface active site of ZnO. The size and composition of the CNT-ZnO were confirmed by FESEM EDAX studies. The absorption and transmittance wavelength of CNT-ZnO nanoparticle were recorded by UV-Visible spectroscopy. The I-V property shows that the drain current and voltages are varied by gas implying the materials suitable for applications.

Conclusion:

This module can be used to monitor CO¬2 gas application instruments with help of software. In future, this module and techniques can be used to study stress sensor and piezoelectric applications
The Role, Significance, and Association of MicroRNA-10a/b in Physiology
of Cancer
Authors: Elgeshy Khaled M. , Abdel Wahab Abdel Hady A.
Published: May 2022

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate the translation of
mRNA and protein, mainly at the posttranscriptional level. Global expression profiling of miRNAs
has demonstrated a broad spectrum of aberrations that correlated with several diseases, and miRNA-
10a and miRNA-10b were the first examined miRNAs to be involved in abnormal activities upon
dysregulation, including many types of cancers and progressive diseases. It is expected that the
same miRNAs behave inconsistently within different types of cancer. This review aims to provide a
set of information about our updated understanding of miRNA-10a and miRNA-10b and their clinical
significance, molecular targets, current research gaps, and possible future applications of such
potent regulators.
Chitosan-Halloysite Nano-Composite for Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering
Authors: Pragna K.M.
Published: May 2022

Repair mechanism maintains the integrity and function of damaged tissues. However, natural repair slows down with age and diseases. Generation of synthetic materials for tissue renewal adopts technique from molecular biology as well as structural and molecular engineering. Nanomaterials possess superior strength that outdoes the relative characteristics of conventional materials. Nano scaffolds along with growth factors used in organ regeneration; hasten wound healing process. Recently, halloysites nanotubes are replacing Carbon Nanotubes, and doping with chitosan enhances biocompatibility and mechanical strength; also lowering cytotoxicity. Thus, exploring economical and superior performance Halloysite Nanotubes incorporated into chitosan is essential in cost effective biomedical applications and regeneration of tissues.
Recent Advances in Enzyme Immobilization in Nanomaterials
Authors: Hamza M.
Published: May 2022

This chapter described the advancements in the development of nanostructured supported material and enzyme immobilization techniques. The functionalized nanomaterials extremely affect the inherent mechanical properties and provide the highest biocompatibility and specific nano-environment surrounding the enzymes for improving enzymes stability, catalytic performance, and reaction’s activities. The enzyme immobilization on nanomaterials considerably enhances the robustness and durability of the enzyme for its frequent applications, which reduces the overall expenses of the bio-catalytic process. There are various types of nanomaterials i.e. metal nanoparticles, metal oxide, carbonaceous materials (carbon nanotubes, graphene, and activated carbon), that have been used for the immobilization of the enzyme. So that durability, catalytic activity, leaching of the enzyme, and mechanical steadiness are evaluated for their continual operation.
Application of Multi-Criteria Methods for Choosing the Direction of Digital Transformation of Industrial Enterprises
Authors:   Southwest State University, Kryzhanovskaya Olga A.
Published: May 2022

Relevance. Currently, digitalization has affected all aspects of life, all sectors of the economy. One of the priority areas for the development of the world economy and Russia in particular is the introduction and effective use of digital technologies in industry. Thus, the digital transformation of industrial enterprises is becoming an urgent area of scientific research. At the same time, insufficient attention has been paid to the selection of priority areas for the digital transformation of industrial enterprises based on multi-criteria methods, which led to the choice of the research topic. The purpose of the study is to use multi-criteria methods to select the direction of digital transformation of industrial enterprises. Objectives: to substantiate the relevance of the digital transformation of industrial enterprises, to identify priority areas (alternatives) for the digital transformation of industrial enterprises; apply multi-criteria methods to choose the direction of digital transformation of industrial enterprises; identify the priority area of digital transformation of industrial enterprises. Methodology. In the process of the study, general scientific methods of logical and statistical analysis, qualitative and quantitative analysis, as well as methods of multi-criteria choice, such as the Churchman-Ackoff method, Polygon of alternatives, "Pattern" were used. Results: identified priority areas (alternatives) of digital transformation of industrial enterprises; the methods of multi-criteria choice were applied in practice - the Churchman-Ackoff method, Polygon of alternatives, "Pattern"; As a result of practical testing of multicriteria methods, the priority direction of digital transformation of industrial enterprises was revealed. Conclusions: the practical application of multicriteria methods made it possible to identify the priority direction of the digital transformation of industrial enterprises, the consistent implementation of which will allow direct and indirect effects of digitalization of industrial enterprises.