bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
State capacity for economic sustainability in the external shocks framework Автор
Authors:   T. F. Gorbachev Kuzbass State Technical University, Radionova Elena A. ,   National Research Tomsk State University, Frolova Elena A. ,   Tomsk State University
Published: July 2023

The aim of the study is to compare the COVID-19 consequences in countries with different state capacity indexes. The hypothesis is that the global crises are inversely related to state capacity. This article is based on the authors’ approach to assessing state capacity. The main idea is to evaluate the complex index for four domains – “Trust”, “Life Satisfaction”, “Competitive Order”, “Democracy”. Each domain consists of indicators that characterize the effectiveness of the governing in one of the key areas – ideology, social sphere, national economy, politics. Indicators for COVID-19 were retrieved from World Bank–2020: GDP per capita growth, industrial production growth, service growth, exports, imports, inflation and unemployment dynamics. Average and low state capacity countries show decreases in most of the indicators: GDP per capita growth rate, production growth rate, the growth rate of exports and imports. There are some country-specific features that influence the final result, but, in general, a high state capacity increases the chances of smoothing the recession. The North European countries – Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden – are the most resilient to negative shocks. The dynamics of unemployment in COVID-19 turned out to be practically insensitive to state capacity, which may be due to the support tools in the labor market and the short-term effects (most lockdowns did not exceed a few months). Nevertheless, in most countries, there is a general trend of increase in unemployment, regardless of the total state capacity index. Inflation turned out to be relatively more pronounced in countries with a low level of state capacity (from 0.5% to 1.5%), while, in countries with an average and high indicator, inflation mainly decreased during the COVID-19 restrictions. In general, the results of the study confirm the idea about a non-linear relation between state capacity and economic performance. The biggest GDP per capita decline (more than 10%) is typical for average state capacity countries (45–55 points), while countries with a high state capacity (from 70 points and more) demonstrate more significant success in overcoming the negative consequences of the pandemic, comparable with the results of countries with a low level of this indicator (less than 40 points). The results of the study confirms the scientific and practical potential of the authors’ approach to assessing state capacity for predicting the socio-economic consequences of global crises and analyzing the effectiveness of resilience governing.
Digital ecosystem of structural shifts in economics
Authors:   National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Gasanov Magerram A. , Potiagailov Sergey V. ,   National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Volkova Anna L. ,   National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
Published: July 2023

The study examines the prerequisites for the transition to digital ecosystems. The article indicates their boundaries, structure and main elements; a scheme of interaction between actors, platforms and a mechanism for turning data into knowledge in the interaction. The authors propose an ecosystem principle of structural shift in the economy, substantiate the strengthening of technological determinism in the genesis of new innovative structures in the economy, and determine factors and conditions for ensuring the competitive advantages of digital ecosystems in achieving a technological leadership.
Study of the readiness of the region’s population to accept cryptocurrencies as a means of payment
Authors:   Baikal State University, Zhigas Margarita G. , Kuzmina Svetlana N. ,   Baikal State University
Published: July 2023

The article presents a study that considers the readiness of the representatives of the population, among the inhabitants of the Siberian Federal District, to accept and use cryptocurrencies. The authors formulate the main directions of the cryptocurrency market’s development, which are associated with their influence on the system of monetary relations and their acceptance by the mass population. Cryptocurrency is considered as a financial market tool that changes the traditional way of people’s life, their worldviews and values. The authors reveal the features of economic and psychological reasons that influence people’s perception and understanding of financial transformations. The aim of this article is to determine the trends in the development of the cryptocurrency market that are associated with its influence on the system of monetary relations and their acceptance by the mass population. A study of the ongoing changes will allow a much deeper analysis and assessment of the nature of the ongoing changes and innovative processes. The research hypothesis was that the monetary system of relations should be improved through the development of cryptocurrencies as a new payment instrument that meets the requirements of modern society’s development and the functioning of a decentralized financial system. In the course of the study, methods of comparative analysis, generalizations, and systematic approaches were used. The informational and empirical base of the study was data obtained during the survey of respondents over 18 years old, living in the cities of the Siberian Federal District of the Russian Federation. The authors explored the nature of innovative processes from the point of view of the mass consumer; identified and analyzed the main trends of the modern world, with which the people of the region associate the emergence and spread of cryptocurrencies, their advantages and disadvantages; assessed the prospects for the use of cryptocurrencies, as well as the possibility of their recognition as a means of payment, from the point of view of representatives of the region’s population. As a result of the study, the authors conclude that, at present, the functions of regulatory and governing state bodies should be directed towards expanding the virtual space, building a decentralized financial system of relations and developing regulatory norms for financial market participants. The development of the economy is impossible without the cryptocurrency market, which is its integral part and is dictated by the time and the needs of society.
Second-tier cities of creative reindustrialization: Search for insights
Authors:   National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Antonova Irina S. ,   Tomsk State University, Pchelintsev Evgeny A. ,   Tomsk State University, Maleeva Ekaterina A. ,   Rostelecom
Published: July 2023

This article contributes to the development of the concept of second-tier cities. In this study, it is proposed to identify second-tier cities based on the performance indicator of creative industries. To do this, the DEA indicator of creative industries is calculated for the full list of cities in Kemerovo, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Tomsk Oblasts, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, and Altai Krai, and its clustering is carried out using the t-SNE machine learning method (t-distribution stochastic neighbor embedding). The results of the study show a cluster of cities close to administrative centers (unambiguous leaders in key socio-economic indicators) that can take on the role of the core of second-tier cities: Nizhny Tagil, Magnitogorsk, Miass, Novokuznetsk, Biysk, Surgut, Kogalym, Nizhnevartovsk. The analysis of the dynamics of the resulting cluster makes it possible to identify a feature in the development of creative industries in Novokuznetsk, Nizhnevartovsk and Surgut. Comparing the results obtained with the distribution of cities according to the Zipf model (by population, aggregated revenue, fixed assets and wages), the authors conclude that it is possible to allocate second-tier cities based on the performance indicators of creative industries. Thus, this study contributes to the confirmation of the thesis about the importance of the factor of development of creative industries in the conditions of new industrialization.
Syndicated lending: Development trends in the Russian Federation
Authors:   Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Chekanov Petr E.
Published: July 2023

This article discusses the development of syndicated lending in Russia. The aim of the study is to identify key trends in the Russian syndicated lending market. The research methodology is based on the use of universal general scientific methods – analysis, comparison, generalization, etc. The author also uses a graphical way of presenting information. To achieve the aim of the study, the following objectives are successively reached in the article: (1) the main elements and features of this credit instrument are considered; (2) the way of development of the Russian syndicated lending market is studied, the stages of its formation and the characteristics for each of them are presented; (3) the current state of the syndicated lending market in the Russian Federation is studied, and its current trends, formed under the influence of the factors of the current economic situation, the aggravated geopolitical situation and large-scale sanctions restrictions, are identified. The high economic efficiency of syndicated lending in the field of supporting the development of key sectors of the economy and promoting economic growth in general is noted. This is the potential of syndicated lending for the national economy. However, the study of the development trajectory of this credit instrument in the Russian Federation shows a high exposure of the syndicated lending market to the influence of global economic, financial and political factors. The aggravation of the geopolitical situation in 2022 led to significant structural changes in the Russian financial market. In particular, the syndicated lending market of the Russian Federation turned out to be localized. At the same time, despite the ongoing sanctions, today experts believe that the potential of this credit instrument in our country has not yet been disclosed, and they see opportunities for the growth of syndicated lending in Russia, including in the ruble segment. However, for the further development of the Russian market of syndicated lending, especially in the current local format, it is necessary to create appropriate conditions. Among the most important factors for its successful development are the improvement of Russian legal support, the development of national standards for the implementation of transactions, the development of the functionality of market participants based on the dissemination of experience accumulated to date, and the introduction of best practices in the field of syndicated lending. Efforts on the part of the Bank of Russia and professional associations of credit institutions are of great importance for solving these problems. Only in this context the syndicated lending market of the Russian Federation will be able to become one of the key elements of the effective development of the domestic economy.
Some Inferences for Educational Programs from Primary School Children's Family Drawings and Verbal Metaphors
Authors: FERAH ÖZCAN Aysel
Published: July 2023

This study, which was conducted to make inferences for educational programs by determining the family speeches and drawings of primary school students, was designed employing the understanding of the basic qualitative research. The study included 126 primary school students. The family verbal metaphors and family drawing (draw-narrate) techniques were used to gather research data. The data was analyzed using techniques for content and document analysis. It was observed that the primary school students' family linguistic metaphors could be categorized into six themes: nuclear family, extended family, fight, cooperation, enjoyable action done together, and love. The first graders produced more metaphors for the theme of enjoyable action together and fourth graders produced more metaphors for the theme of love. Following an analysis of the family drawings, it was found that the drawings revealed details about the development, emotions, sorts of families, and interactions between family members. It was also observed that children mostly drew family structures consisting of parents and children. The said family drawings contain more information than verbal metaphors. Only six of the 126 metaphors produced are negative. It was determined that the family discussions and family drawings both accurately expressed and reflected the positive values of the educational programs. Future studies should, as was advised, study both family drawings and potential family drawing-related issues.
Valoración de la igualdad de los partidos de balonmano masculino de Tokio 2020 según la relación tiempo de juego y resultado
Authors: González-Ramírez Andrés , Botejara Jorge , Botejara Rodrigo , Trejo-Silva Alejandro
Published: July 2023

Aim: To discriminate the matches according to their equality level in match status and to analyze the offensive performance of winners and losers for the groups obtained. Method: From the official statistics of the competition, 4783 finishing actions were obtained in the 38 matches of the men's tournament. The clustering of time series was carried out with the “dynamic time warping” algorithm. Results: From the cluster analysis, four types of matches were considered: very balanced (n=8) 21%, balanced (n=12) 32%, poorly balanced (n=16) 42% and unbalanced (n=2) 5%. In the first two types, no significant differences were found in the effectiveness of the attack between winners and losers, contrary to what happened in poorly balanced matches (p<0.01). In poorly balanced matches, there were differences in the number of goals between winners and losers at the beginning of the match, 1'-5 '(p<0.01); while in balanced matches it was between minutes 41 'and 50' (p<0.05). Conclusions: It was found that few matches presented balanced results throughout the playing time and there were very few alternations on the scoreboard in the final moments.
La autoorganización del balonmano masculino y femenino a alto nivel
Authors: Da Silva Musa Vinicius , De Senzi Barreira Caio Petroni , Gonçalves Madeira Mayara , Pereira Morato Márcio , Pombo Menezes Rafael
Published: July 2023

The analysis of players and sports teams tries to reveal different performance nuances, and the understanding of the main attractors of the game is shown as a fundamental aspect for the structuring of training in team sports. This work aimed to analyze the handball’s self-organization and to compare male and female teams. Thirty-eight matches (19 of each gender) of the 2019 Handball World Championships were analyzed. T-test, ANOVA, and chi-square test were used to data analysis. No differences were found between genders and it was also revealed that there is a tendency of the attacks ending with a throw (> 55%, P < 001), followed by goal (> 34%, p < .001) for both genders. It was also noted the occurrence of defensive violations (> 25%, p < .001). The throws and goalkeepers’ saves are important in the handball games results, and that there is no difference between female and male handball games considering it self-organization.
Time-lapse killing assay (monolayer - IncuCyte) v2
Authors: R Kennedy Philippa
Published: July 2023

Fluorescent target cells are plated in a monolayer in a 96 well plate. Effector cells are added to that plate and time-lapse imaging in combination with fluorescent indicators of cell death reveal the dynamics of target cell death.
Assembly of a Diphenylalanine Peptide Nanotube by Molecular Dynamics Methods
Authors: Likhachev I.V. , Bystrov V.S. , Filippov S.V.
Published: July 2023

The paper develops an approach to modeling the processes of self-assembly of complex molecular nanostructures by molecular dynamics methods using a molecular dynamics manipulator. Previously, this approach was considered using the example of assembling a phenylalanine helical nanotube from a linear set of chains of phenylalanine (F) molecules of different chirality: left-handed L-F and right-handed D-F chirality L-FF and D-FF. The process of self-assembly of dipeptide chains into helical structures of nanotubes is an imitation of applying certain forces to the existing initial linear structure in order to obtain the final structure of the same chemical composition, but with a different helical geometry. The PUMA-CUDA molecular dynamics simulation software package was used as the main software. Using this tool, one can investigate the formation of helical structures from a linear sequence of any amino acids. A comparative analysis of the structures of nanotubes obtained by assembling by molecular dynamics methods and by their experimental self-assembly was performed using the method of visual differential analysis. It has been established that the obtained data correspond to the law of the sign change of chirality of molecular helical structures with the complication of their hierarchical level of organization.
Bark anatomy of Polylepis (Rosaceae): a loose stratified phellem instead of the lenticels?
Authors:   Department of Botany and Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, Oskolski Alexei A. ,   V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute RAS, Mthembu Alice ,   Department of Botany and Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, Shipunov Alexey B. ,   Kyoto University, University Museum, Kotina Ekaterina L. ,   V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute RAS,   Saint Petersburg State Forestry University
Published: July 2023

Bark structure of Polylepis incana (Sanguisorbeae, Rosaceae) is described and compared with that in related genera Cliffortia and Leucosidea. Tribe Sanguisorbeae shows an extraordinary diversity of bark abscission patterns. The outermost bark portions are peeling off along the non-conducting secondary phloem (Leucosidea, Cliffortia ruscifolia), or along the periderm (C. strobilifera). The protective function is performed by phellem (Leucosidea), or by sclerified secondary phloem (Cliffortia). In Polylepis, the separation layers occur in phellem and non-sclerified phloem, while a prominent protective layer is absent: its function is performed by multiple uniseriate layers of suberized phellem cells. Such pattern of peeling bark has not been reported yet elsewhere. Lenticels lack in Polylepis, but its phellem is similar in its structure (probably, also in some functions) to stratified filling lenticular tissue. Smooth surface of Polylepis bark is maintained by permanent abscission of thin layers representing an exterme case of the peeling type of bark architecture.
V. YERMOLENKO’S NOVEL “THE OCEAN CATCHER. THE STORY OF ODYSSEUS” AS A PHILOSOPHICAL SEQUEL TO THE HOMERIC EPIC
Authors:   Poltava V. G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University, LENSKA Svitlana
Published: July 2023

The article investigates the philosophical space of V. Yermolenko’s novel “The Ocean Catcher”, created as a continuation (sequel) of the well-known ancient heroic epic “Odysseus”. The peculiarities of the transformation of mythological and figurative material in modern Ukrainian literature are examined. The purpose of the article is to clarify the originality of the content transformation of the Homeric epic, ways of deepening the ideological content of the novel, and ways of modernizing the mythological image of Odysseus. The realization of the set purpose involves addressing a number of tasks, including: 1) clarifying the functions of the mythological image of Odysseus and of the female characters in the contemporary novel; 2) outlining the philosophical issues addressed in the work; 3) identifying the peculiarities of transforming traditional artistic material in postmodern literature. The article is based on the comparative method, and the method of philological analysis of the text is also applied. The scientific novelty of the article lies in clarifying the genre of V. Yermolenko’s novel. It is widely believed among researchers and reviewers that “The Ocean Catcher” can be categorized as a travelogue, as it portrays a journey of atonement from the burnt Ithaca to the fallen Troy, paralleling the adventures of Odysseus in the Homeric epic. However, the article provides arguments in favor of defining the genre of the novel as a sequel. In conclusion, the article emphasizes that the Ukrainian writer’s novel begins almost where the Homeric epic ends, but V. Yermolenko significantly expands the semantic scope of the work. The writer also portrays a range of female characters (Penelope, Nausicaya, Calypso, Circe) with psychological authenticity. The romantic and erotic element of the novel is complemented by profound reflections on love, betrayal, happiness, forgiveness, atonement, and other moral and ethical categories. “The Ocean Catcher” is one of the few examples of a sequel genre in Ukrainian literature. The author transfers the ideological and thematic focus from the external plot to the inner world of the characters. The image of Odysseus is deheroized. Instead, the internal motivation of his behavior is deepened, and a profound reassessment of his actions takes place from a humanistic perspective.
VLADIMIR NABOKOV’S ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF “THE SONG OF IGOR’S CAMPAIGN” AS A PRECEDENT SITUATION IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Authors:   National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, RADZIIEVSKA Tetiana
Published: July 2023

The paper deals with the English translation of “The Song of Igor’s Campaign”, carried out by Vladimir Nabokov in the middle of the 20th century. The translation is considered in a linguocultural perspective as a precedent situation (a case) in intercultural communication. Such approach involves not only an analysis of the lexical and syntactical features of the translated medieval text, but also a study of the dynamics of translation activity, which advances in specific historical conditions, depends on certain factors that influence it, and corresponds to certain tasks. The purpose of the paper is to comprehensively analyze Nabokov’s translation of “The Song of Igor’s Campaign” as a dynamic, historically conditioned intellectual process. It aims to characterize its scientific and cultural context, explore the factors shaping the translation concept, and examine the peculiarities of the search for lexical and syntactical resources and the translator’s nominative solutions. The research methodology is based on descriptive and comparative linguistic methods. The author identifies the main factors of the academic and cultural context that influenced the creation of the translation: Nabokov’s pedagogical activity, the intensification of research on the “Song” after the publication of A. Mazon’s book (1940), Nabokov’s interest in translation and scientific work in his “American period”, acquaintance with historical and philological studies on the “Song” and their results. The influence of these factors on the formation of the final conception of translation is shown and the main results of Nabokov’s study of the poetics, the compositional structure of the medieval text and its lexical and syntactical features are characterized. Some of Nabokov’s nominative solutions, his innovative technique for reproducing relevant meanings (lexical, connotative, pragmatic) are discussed. It is concluded that in the process of working on translation, the necessary balance between the strategy of meaning and the strategy of form was achieved.
Machine Learning Algorithm for Early Detection and Analysis of Brain Tumors Using MRI Images
Authors: Terdale Jayprabha Vishal , Bhole Varsha , Bhor Harsh Namdev , Parati Namita , Zade Neha , Pande Sanjay P.
Published: July 2023

Among the human body's organs, the brain is the most delicate and specialized. It is proven that after the heart stops then also brain death occurs within 3 to 5 minutes of death or within 3 to 5 minutes of loss of oxygen supply. A brain tumor is a life-threatening disease that can be detected at any age from an infant to an old person. Though a lot of people did research in the detection and analysis of a tumor, but then also detecting tumors at the early phase is still a much more arduous field in the biomedical study. This paper focuses on the comparative study of various existing algorithms in this field. This paper addresses the challenges and some issues in MRI brain tumor detection which are also addressed in this research.
Relationship between vitamin D and magnesium
Authors: KALYON Semih
Published: July 2023

Purpose: Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that plays an essential role in healthy bone structure. Magnesium plays a role as a cofactor for enzymes in vitamin D synthesis and degradation. The study aims to determine whether there is also accompanying magnesium deficiency, in patients with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency.

Materials and Methods: Patients over the age of 18 who applied to the internal medicine outpatient clinic of our tertiary center for any reason between 01.10.2018 and 01.10.2020 were screened and patients whose serum glucose, ALT, creatinine, Vitamin D, and magnesium values were all present at the same time were selected. Pregnant and lactating women, patients with malignancy, chronic renal failure, hyperparathyroidism, or hypoparathyroidism, and patients under vitamin D or magnesium supplementation were excluded. Age, gender, and laboratory data of the included patients were recorded.

Results: A total of 5982 patients, 1197 male and 4785 female, were included in this study. The mean age of the cases was 42 years. There was no statistically significant relationship between Vitamin D values and magnesium or glucose levels However, there was a statistically significant relationship between serum vitamin D levels and age and serum creatinine and ALT levels. Both vitamin D and magnesium levels in women were found to be statistically significantly lower than in men.

Conclusion: Since there was no relationship between Vitamin D and magnesium levels, there is no need for a routine magnesium examination to be performed in patients with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency who are planned to take vitamin D therapy.
Comparison of preoperative examination findings and endoanal ultrasonography results with operation findings in perianal fistula disease
Authors: TÜMER Haluk , ERAY İsmail Cem
Published: July 2023

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to compare the preoperative examination findings, endoanal ultrasonography results, and operative findings in patients diagnosed with perianal fistula.

Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted between 2021 and 2022 on patients who underwent surgical treatment for perianal fistula. The patients were recorded and classified according to the Park classification by the surgeon performing the operation. Subsequently, a surgeon with 10 years of endoanal ultrasonography experience reclassified the patients and recorded the findings (Ultrasonographic Evaluation - USE). The surgery was performed by a different surgeon who was blind to the USE results and the final diagnosis was recorded (Evaluation Under Anesthesia - EAU). The preoperative examination findings, endoanal ultrasonography findings, and operative findings were compared postoperatively.

Results: The study included 60 patients, with 52 being male and 8 being female, and a mean age of 44.2 ± 12.6 years. The patients were classified as low transsphincteric (TSF), intersphincteric (ISF), and high TSF at ratios of 40%, 33.3%, and 26.7%, respectively (24, 20, and 16 patients, respectively). Endoanal ultrasonography found that 30%, 35%, and 21.7% of patients had low TSF, ISF, and high TSF, respectively (18, 21, and 13 patients, respectively), while postoperatively, 45%, 33%, and 21.7% of patients were classified as low TSF, ISF, and high TSF, respectively (27, 20, and 13 patients, respectively). The ISF rate in preoperative examination findings was significantly higher than in postoperative diagnoses, with intermediate coherence between the two diagnoses (κ: 0.462). The rates of low and high TSF were found to be significantly higher in ultrasonography findings than in postoperative diagnoses, with high coherence between the two (κ: 0.701).

Conclusion: Endoanal ultrasonography is important for mapping, especially for transsphincteric fistulas, in the surgical treatment of perianal fistulas.
Pituitary dysfunction of the patient with Fabry disease: an unusual presentation
Authors: AKKUŞ Gamze , PAYDAS Saime
Published: July 2023

Fabry is a multisystemic disease mainly affecting heart, kidney, central nervous system and endocrine system with intralysosomal glycolipid accumulation. Although thyroid and adrenal gland involvement has been demonstrated in limited studies, glycolipid accumulation in the pituitary could not be exhibited. A 66-year-old female patient diagnosed with Fabry Disease revealed a low level of pituitary hormone levels. Moreover, an empty sella was found in pituitary MRI. We argued that pituitary function seems impaired due to Fabry Disease, and endocrine workup should be periodically performed in patients with Fabry Disease
Evaluation of arterial stiffness in patients with generalized anxiety disorder
Authors: SIRLIER EMİR Burcu , YILDIZ Sevler , KAZĞAN KILIÇASLAN Aslı , UĞUR Kerim , KURT Osman
Published: July 2023

Purpose: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a psychiatric condition where both physical and mental symptoms are observed due to the activation of the sympathetic system. It is known that the disorder affects the cardiovascular system. The present study aimed to analyze arterial stiffness in GAD patients and compare the findings with healthy controls.

Materials and Methods: 40 patients diagnosed with GAD and 40 healthy individuals were included in the study. Carotid and femoral artery intima-medial thickness (IMT) and arterial thickness parameters were measured with Doppler ultrasonography.

Results: The femoral IMT of the patients was significantly low. Although the carotid IMT was higher in patients when compared to the controls, the difference was not statistically significant. A significant negative correlation was determined between fluoxetine equivalent dose and femoral IMT. There was a correlation between femoral IMT and fluoxetine equivalent dose.

Conclusion: Arterial stiffness should be investigated for its potential to indicate cardiovascular risk in GAD. Further comprehensive studies should be conducted to clarify whether atherosclerosis symptoms were associated with the nature of the GAD or prescription medicine.
DNA polymerase delta (POLD1 and POLD2) gene expression in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients and its relationship with prognosis
Authors: YÖNTEM Ahmet , BAYRAM İbrahim , SEZGİN Gülay , KÜPELİ Serhan , ÖZKAN Ayşe , TANYEL,İ Atila
Published: July 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the status of DNA polymerase delta (POLD1 and POLD2) gene expression at the time of diagnosis in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients, compared with the normal population, and its relationship with prognosis and other clinical findings.

Materials and Methods: Seventy-three patients diagnosed with ALL between January 2008 and November 2015 and 29 healthy control subjects were included in the study. Gene expression profiling of peripheral blood samples was performed using Real-time PCR.

Results: The mean value of POLD1 gene expression was found to be significantly higher in ALL patients at the time of diagnosis than the control group (376.5± 685.8 and 17.9± 19.8, respectively), but there was no difference in POLD2 gene expression (511.5± 898.1 and 125.4± 132.7, respectively). POLD1 and POLD2 gene expressions were found to be low in patients with relapse and exitus, but the results were not statistically significant. Patients with low levels of POLD1 expression had lower survival rates in the 5th year than those with high levels of expression (54% and 68%, respectively), and similarly, patients with low levels of POLD2 expression had lower survival rates in the 5th year compared to those with high levels of expression (58% and 68%, respectively).

Conclusion: Lower POLD1 and POLD2 expressions at the time of diagnosis in ALL patients may adversely affects the prognosis.
Comparison of eGFR formulas (CKD-EPI and MDRD) in patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: ERİNÇ Osman , YEŞİLYURT Soner , NALCACİ Meliha
Published: July 2023

Purpose: Modification of Diet in Renal Disease’ (MDRD) and 'Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration’ (CKD-EPI) formulas are generally accepted and widely utilized tools to assess renal function. In this study, we aimed to investigate the power of the MDRD and CKD-EPI formulas, which are the two most used formulas in the measurement of eGFR in patients with multiple myeloma (MM).

Materials and Methods: A total of 40 patients, newly diagnosis with MM, were consecutively enrolled to the study and their records were analyzed in terms of demographic features and laboratory parameters of the patients, type of paraproteinemia and stage of disease. MDRD and CKD-EPI formulas were used to evaluate renal function.

Results: The difference found between basal and third-month estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) using MDRD (61±15.4 mL/min/1.73 m², third month 75±18.2 mL/min/1.73 m²) and CKD-EPI formulas (62±15.7 mL/min/1.73 m², third month 76±18.4 mL/min/1.73 m²) were significant. There was no significant difference between two formulas regarding basal and third month eGFR mean values. According to CKD staging, 12.5% of all subjects changed and 80% of them moved to better stage.

Conclusion: CKD-EPI tends to produce higher eGFR values with compared to MDRD, especially when they are used to evaluate mildly impaired renal function. Hence, prevalence of renal disease was determined lower when assessed with CKD-EPI. Therefore, we recommend that it is important to use the same eGFR estimation formula for a consistent outcomes analysis.
Comparison of gene expressions in individuals with G6PD Mediterranean mutation and hemolytic anemia
Authors: GÜNAŞTI Başak , TULİ Abdullah
Published: July 2023

Purpose: In our study, we aimed to clarify the relationship between Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme kinetics and mRNA expression levels of the G6PD gene in Gd-Med patients with and without hemolytic anemia.

Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 30 cases with Gd-Med mutation and 30 cases with enzyme activity levels in the reference range. G6PD activity was determined by the Beutler method. G6PD enzyme was partially purified with DE-52 anion exchange resin, and its kinetic parameters were studied. Gd-Med mutation was genotyped by MboII enzyme digest and sequence analysis. The expression level of the G6PD gene was calculated according to the 2-ΔΔCt formula.

Results: In our study, a significant difference was found between the KmNADP+ and KmG6P values of the cases with Gd-Med mutation and the control group. There was no significant difference between KmNADP+ and KmG6P values in Gd-Med mutated patients with and without hemolytic anemia. Gene expression results of 18 patients without hemolytic anemia were significantly higher than 12 patients with hemolytic anemia. In addition, there was a significant difference between these variables and the control group.

Conclusion: It might be a possible explanation that the substrate binding site of the enzyme in cases with Gd-Med mutation may have undergone post-transcriptional or post-translational modifications, and therefore gene expression might be changed. As a further study, the decrease in gene expressions of patients with hemolytic anemia with Gd-Med mutation can be clarified by evaluating the promoter side of the gene.
Pupillary response changes in Graves' disease
Authors: YILDIRIM BİÇER Gamze , ÖNDER Çağatay Emir , ZOR Kürşad Ramazan
Published: July 2023

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate pupillary contraction and dilatation response changes in Graves' disease.

Materials and Methods: The patient group consisted of 55 euthyroid Graves patients and the control group consisted of 55 healthy individuals. Data from the right eyes of all participants were used. Static (scotopic, mesopic, photopic) and dynamic pupillometry measurements were performed with automatic pupillometry. The mean pupil dilatation speed was calculated according to dynamic measurements. Static measurements, dynamic measurements and the mean pupil dilatation speed data were compared between the patient and control groups.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference between two groups in all static and dynamic values and the mean pupil dilatation speed. The mean scotopic pupil diameter was 5.41±0.776 mm in Graves’ group and 5.55±0.747 mm in the control group. The mean mesopic pupil diameter was 4.39±0.721 in Graves’ group and 4.17±0.640 mm in the control group. The mean photopic pupil diameter was 3.45 ±0,549 mm in Graves’ group and 3.29±0.679 mm in the control group. The mean dynamic pupil diameter 0th second was 3, 54±0.541 mm in Graves’ group and 3.48±0.708 mm in the control group. The mean speed of pupil dilatation at 18th second was 0.116±0.031 mm/sec in Graves’ group and 0.128±0.040 mm/sec in the control group. Age was found to be an independent factor on pupillary parameters.

Conclusion: The pupillary parameters of patients with euthyroid hormone levels were not affected. While pupillary responses appeared not to be affected in the case of euthyroidism, more studies including patients with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are needed.
Effect of cervical length on the induction of labor in postterm pregnancy
Authors: SOYSAL Cenk , IŞIKALAN Mehmet Murat
Published: July 2023

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effect of cervical length measured before induction of labor on the duration of labor and oxytocin dose administered for induction during labor in post-term pregnant women.

Materials and Methods: Eighty-seven post-term pregnant women were included in this prospective study. Cervical length was measured before the induction of labor with oxytocin. The relationship between cervical length and the time until delivery and total oxytocin dose parameters were examined. The effect of confounder factors was determined by logistic regression analysis.

Results: Sixty-five (74.71%) of the patients gave birth by normal vaginal delivery and 22 (25.29%) by cesarean section. It was found that parity, bishop score, cervical length and fetal weight variables predicted oxytocin dose by 67% (R-square = 0.675). Patients with a cervical length of >32mm measured before induction were more likely to have a cesarean section than those with a cervix shorter than 32 mm (OR:3.7). Parity had the greatest effect among these variables (β = -.40, p
Evaluation of food consumption and physical activity status in patients with schizophrenia
Authors: KARAGÖL Gülbin , SONGUR Emrah , RAKICIOĞLU Neslişah
Published: July 2023

Purpose: Unhealthy lifestyle factors make up a significant proportion of the factors that cause high morbidity and mortality risk. The life span of patients with schizophrenia is 10–20 years less than that of the general population due to lifestyle-related diseases. The aim of this study is to compare with healthy individuals the nutritional habits, nutritional status, and physical activity levels of schizophrenic patients. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 25–55-year-old 40 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders and 30 healthy controls matched for age and gender. Data on sociodemographic characteristics and nutritional habits, three-day food consumption and a 24-hour retrospective physical activity records were collected. Results: Dietary energy, protein, total fat, cholesterol, and fiber intakes were found to be lower only in female schizophrenia patients than in their healthy counterparts. Patients with schizophrenia presented with lower intakes of dietary thiamine, niacin, iron, and zinc compared to healthy controls. Patients with schizophrenia recorded lower physical activity levels compared to healthy controls (1.59±0.22 and 1.77±0.17 respectively ). Conclusion: Unhealthy diet and sedentary life observed in patients with schizophrenia can lead to the development of serious medical comorbidities and to an increase in the side effects of antipsychotic medications. Therefore, patients with schizophrenia should be encouraged to consume healthy diets and undertake more physical activities requires the multidisciplinary approach of specialized professionals.
Predictors of 30-day mortality in patients with an international normalized ratio of 4.5 - 10 due to warfarin-related overanticoagulation: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: İSLAM Mehmet Muzaffer
Published: July 2023

Purpose: Although it has been shown that vitamin K administration does not benefit patients with INR levels between 4.5 to 10, there are studies in the literature showing that some complications including the risk of bleeding in these patients increase significantly. For this reason, it is crucial to select high-risk patients who present with elevated INR to apply closer follow-up and monitoring. The primary objective of our study is to define the predictors for 30-day mortality of the patients with an INR between 4.5 to 10 due to warfarin-related overanticoagulation. The secondary objective of our study is to derive a regression model which can predict mortality in 30 days and to compare the performance of this model with the National Early Warning Score-2(NEWS-2).

Materials and Methods: We included patients older than 18 years old, admitted between the dates 01.01.2016 - 01.01.2022 who are using warfarin as medication and with an INR between 4.5 – 10 in our study. We excluded patients with trauma, major bleeding on admission or patients with missing data. For the regression model, backward-wald stepwise method was utilized. We used the Hosmer-Lemeshow test for the goodness of fit. For the overall performance of the model, we evaluated the Nagelkerke R Square, and the Reciever Operating Characteristics test. DeLong test was used to compare the area under the curves (AUC).

Results: A total of 263 patients were examined in the statistical analysis. Mean arterial pressure, SpO2, pulse rate, and age were the independent predictors of 30-day mortality. The model have classified 81.4% of the patients correctly. The AUC of the regression model was 0.848 (0.799 to 0.898). The sensitivity of the model as a tool for mortality prediction was 94.1%, specificity 66.5%, and accuracy 71.9%. The AUC of the NEWS-2 score for 30-day mortality was calculated as 0.782 (95%CI = 0.715 to 0.849). The difference between the AUCs of our model and the NEWS-2 score was statistically significant.

Conclusion: Mean arterial pressure, SpO2, heart rate, and age were the independent predictors for the 30-day mortality of patients with an INR between 4.5 to 10 due to overanticoagulation because of warfarin medication. The regression model we derived showed good overall discrimination and performed significantly better than NEWS-2 score.
COVID-19 pandemic and burnout: factors associated with burnout levels among healthcare workers
Authors: ÇUKUROVA Nilgün , ÇAM RAY Perihan , BÖLÜKBAŞI Ayten , ÇELİK Gonca
Published: July 2023

Purpose: This study investigated the psychosocial and demographic factors influencing burnout levels among healthcare workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional and descriptive study was performed on a total of 418 healthcare workers from Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Balcalı Hospital in Turkey. While the participants were selected randomly, a personal information form consisting of 33 open- and close-ended questions, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, the Maslach Burnout Scale and the Beck Burnout were applied.

Results: They were 418 healthcare workers aged 19-63 (mean= 35.51±9.38), 284 of whom were 61.8% female, 132 (31.7%) of whom were male, and 2 (0.5%) of whom refused to specify their gender. The study found that emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores were significantly positively correlated with COVID-19 anxiety scores and Beck anxiety scores in healthcare workers, while personal accomplishment scores were significantly negatively correlated with these variables. The study also revealed that COVID-19 anxiety, Beck anxiety, being female, being young, being unmarried, having children, being diagnosed with COVID-19, having a chronic illness, and working more hours per week were all contributing factors to burnout.

Conclusion: Both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is very important to provide various forms of psychological support and make arrangements to address factors that can impact the burnout of healthcare professionals.
Methods for quantification and integration of human factors into probability of detection assessments
Authors: Bertovic M , Given J , Rentala V K , Wall M , Kanzler D , Lehleitner J , Heckel T , Tkachenko V
Published: July 2023

Human factors (HFs) are a frequently mentioned topic when talking about the reliability of non-destructive testing (NDT). However, probability of detection (POD), the commonly used measure of NDT reliability, only looks at the technical capability of an NDT system to detect a defect.
After several decades of research on the influence of HFs on NDT reliability, there is still no commonly accepted approach to rendering HFs visible in reliability assessment. This paper provides an overview of possible quantitative and qualitative methods for integrating HFs into the reliability
assessment. It is concluded that reliability assessment is best carried out using both quantifiable and non-quantifiable approaches to HFs.
Data processing for rail level dynamic inspection based on an adaptive Kalman filter
Authors: Xu Jingbo , Xu Xiaohong , Li Qiaowei
Published: July 2023

The inspection of the geometrical parameters of rail tracks is an important aspect in the daily maintenance and safe running of railways. The rail level (superelevation) is one of the important indicators susceptible to measurement noise. In this paper, the principle of the Kalman filter
is studied, an adaptive Kalman filter algorithm is designed for level (superelevation) dynamic inspection, the selection principle for the filtering parameters is discussed and the performance of the algorithm is verified through simulation tests and pushing experiments using a rail inspection
trolley. From analysis of the measurement data, it is concluded that the trolley speed is an important factor affecting level (superelevation) inspection and an improved algorithm including the trolley speed is proposed to further improve the filtering ability. The algorithm is easy to implement
and can be extended to dynamic rail inspection.
Aircraft skin inspections: towards a new model for dent evaluation
Authors: Lafiosca P , Fan I-S , Avdelidis N P
Published: July 2023

The aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry is gradually switching to 3D scanning for dent inspection. High-accuracy devices allow for quick and repeatable measurements, which translate into efficient reporting and more objective damage evaluations. However, the potential
of 3D scanners is far from being exploited. This is due to the traditional way in which the structural repair manual (SRM) deals with dents, that is, considering length, width and depth as the only relevant measures. Being equivalent to describing a dent similarly to a 'box', the current approach
discards any information about the actual shape. This leads to a high degree of ambiguity, with very different shapes (and corresponding fatigue life) being classified as the same, and nullifies the effort of acquiring such a great amount of information from high-accuracy 3D scanners. In this
paper, a seven-parameter model is proposed to describe the actual dent shape, thus enabling the exploitation of the high-fidelity data produced by 3D scanners. The compact set of values can then be compared against historical data and structural evaluations based on the same model. The proposed
approach has been evaluated in both simulations and point cloud data generated by 8tree's dentCHECK tool, suggesting an increased capability in the evaluation of damage, enabling more targeted interventions and, ultimately, saving costs.