bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical Promotion of CO2 Hydrogenation Using Rh Catalysts Supported on O2- Conducting Solid Electrolyte
Authors: Kokkinou Nikoleta , Xydas Fotis , Brosda Susanne , Kyriakou Georgios , Katsaounis Alexandros
Published: June 2023

Electrochemical Promotion was used to modify the activity and selectivity of a Rh catalyst-electrode in the CO2 hydrogenation reaction. The experiments were carried out in a temperature range of 350-430οC at ambient pressure and at different CO2 to H2 gas feeding ratios (1:2 to 4:1). The only reaction products observed were CO and CH4, both under open and closed-circuit conditions. The CH4 formation rate was found to increase with both positive and negative potential or current application. The CO formation rate followed the opposite trend. The selectivity to CH4 increased under high values of hydrogen partial pressure and decreased at high pressures of CO2. The results demonstrate how Electrochemical Promotion can be used to finely tune activity and selectivity for a reaction of high technical and environmental importance.
OPTIMAL DESIGN BY MASS FOR TRANSMISSION OF TRACKED LOAD-CARRIER/PRIME MOVER MT-LB: MATHEMATICAL MODEL, ALGORITHM, NUMERICAL EXPERIMENT
Authors: Klochkov Illia , Ustynenko Oleksandr , Bondarenko Oleksiy , Sierykov Volodymyr , Andrienko Sergij
Published: June 2023

Solving the problem of optimizing for transmission of light multipurpose tracked load-carrier/prime mover MT-LB is a perspective area of research because it improves the mass characteristics of the machine, to ensure the load capacity and durability of transmission at upgrading. Mathematical model of transmission optimization by mass was constructed, namely: optimization objective function of transmission by weight was built, which is quite correct transmission models, it takes into account the geometry, dimensions, weight and strength properties of the main parts and aggregates; variables planning are defined, which selected as basic geometric parameters of gearings (modules and number of teeth); a system of constraints on the variables planning was constructed, a technique for dynamically changing the constraints on the teeth number for gearbox was proposed. A sequence of constraint checking is proposed, which will reduce the amount and time of calculations to find the best solution. The solution is based on sensing the parameter space, where points of the LPτ-sequence are used as test points in a single multidimensional cube. Also, the applied methodology and detailed algorithm for optimal design of the transmission has been developed. They take into account the constructive, technical and technological features. They also allow to reduce the error of the calculations due to the error-control of the calculations of gear ratios and the equality of the axes distance for gearbox and additional reducer meshing's. A number of numerical experiments were carried out for the base engine and the other 4 engines.
The analysis of the results makes it possible to conclude that a significant reduction in the weight and dimensions of the transmission has been achieved compared to the basic one at loads corresponding to typical driving modes.
Keywords: optimal design, multipurpose load-carrier/prime mover MT-LB, transmission, mathematical model, objective function, variables planning, algorithm
ANALYSIS OF NONLINEAR RIGIDITY CHARACTERISTICS OF AIR BLOWER COMPRESSOR ELASTIC SUPPORTS
Authors: Tkachuk Mykola M. , Grabovskiy Andrey , Tkachuk Mykola А. , Shut Oleksandr , Lipeiko Andrii , Ovcharov Egor , Cymbal Ganna , Veiler Volodymyr , Klochkov Illia , Kyslytsia Denys
Published: June 2023

Vibrations of rotor systems are largely determined by elastic characteristics of supports. In the general case, the dependence of displacements on force for such supports is nonlinear. This applies to bearing supports of various types. In addition to bearings, elastic elements are also used in supports of rotor systems. They are designed to change the overall stiffness of the supports. The paper analyzes the radial stiffness of flexible ring dampers used in rotor supports. For this, two main approaches are proposed. The first is a conventional simulation of this problem of contact mechanics using the finite element method. The second is an analytical method that can be used as an alternative to expensive numerical calculations. This method is based on the principle of minimum additional energy. A special closed-form variational formulation is developed using the Euler-Bernoulli beam approximation for an elastic ring and a simplified model of normal contact on the ring flanges. It was shown that the surface tolerances of parts have a significant effect on the radial response of a flexible ring, which can become nonlinear. Tight fit of the ring on both sides makes it much stiffer, and non-tight fit leads to free movement of the rotor and much weaker damping of its movement. Both methods gave results that are consistent for the considered cases. By varying their design parameters, it is possible to adjust the rotor systems from critical modes of operation.
Keywords: rotor system, elastic support, rigidity, finite element analysis, stress-strain state, contact interaction, principle of minimum additional energy
Improving engagement in large undergraduate statistics tutorial classes
Authors: Haddley Alena
Published: June 2023

We investigate whether introducing the mobile polling system Poll Everywhere had a positive impact on student engagement in large tutorial classes of a second year undergraduate statistics module. In particular, a short quiz facilitated by Poll Everywhere was introduced at the beginning of the tutorial in order to promote active participation. Students’ perceptions of the Poll Everywhere quiz on their tutorial engagement and learning are also explored. We conclude that the Poll Everywhere quiz seemed to have improved student engagement in tutorials and that students believed that it made tutorials engaging and was useful for their learning.
The Study of Carbonyls Emissions and Ozone Removal on Green Recycled Building Materials
Authors: Cheng Yu-Hsiang , Lin Chi-Chi , Ke Kai-Jyun
Published: June 2023

Green recycled building materials (GRBMs) have the potential to reduce carbon footprint but with insufficient emission information. The increasing application of GRBMs may affect human health due to potential primary and/or secondary emissions. This study center on the assessment of carbonyls emissions and ozone removal on Green Recycled Building Materials under ozone exposure circumstances. Tested materials include gypsum board (GB), waterproof gypsum board (WGB), fiber cement board (FCB), and calcium silicate board (CSB). Among all the observed carbonyls, methacrolein and formaldehyde were the only two that could be found on all four recycled building materials. All carbonyl compounds had relatively high emission factors at the beginning of the experiment and decreased to a relatively lower level one month later. Carbonyl emissions were about 33.3%、38.9%、42.0%, and 8.0% of their original values for WGB, FCB, CSB, and GB, respectively. The ozone removal efficiencies at the beginning and one month later were 63.26±6.11% and 61.59±5.46% on CSB, 55.74±4.94% and 47.16±7.97% on FCB, 54.59±6.50% and 34.93±6.77% on GB, and 53.63±8.40% and 23.49±6.63% on WGB, respectively. CSB seems to be a healthier recycled building material compared with WGB, GB, and FCB in terms of low carbonyls emissions and high ozone removal efficiency.
Learning Lie Groups Acting on the Manifolds Generated by Linear Differential Equations
Authors: GURCAN Ilker , USTUN Kadir , CILOGLU Pelin , CINBIS Ramazan
Published: June 2023

Symmetry group is an important construct to understand the behaviour of a pure mathematical or a physical system including system of differential equations. We develop a framework that could learn continuous group symmetries governed by a given set of linear differential equations. The key idea in the proposed method is to build the symmetry group G by learning relevant exp() map, which is a crucial object in the study of Lie groups. exp() for G is learned in an implicit manner in terms of the vector fields spanning the associated Lie algebra g. In our experiments, we validate integrity of these learned vector fields by showing their generalization to various solution domains other than the one in which the model is trained. We also demonstrate the construction of a foreknown canonical vector field associated with G, which should remain in the span of g, from learned ones. These learned symmetries reveal the knowledge regarding global solution for a given set of differential equations as discussed in the article. The framework presents an optimal way to transform one solution for that set of differential equations to its another solution as well. This work is also an important step towards learning continuous group symmetries in other topological spaces as well as finding solutions without solving differential equations each time a new set of initial/boundary conditions are specified.
Evaluation of selenium bioavailability in natural selenium-rich soil by gradient diffusion film technology and chemical extraction method: a case study in Yanqi Basin, Northwest China
Authors: Zhaoyong Zhang , Jieyi Guo , Pengwei Wang
Published: June 2023

Effective selenium is an important indicator for evaluating the supply capacity of selenium to plants in soil. The chemical extraction method and soil solution method have been applied to determine available selenium in soil, but it is not clear whether they can be applied to evaluate selenium bioavailability in natural selenium-rich soil. To explore the feasibility of using gradient diffusion film technology to evaluate the bioavailability of selenium in natural selenium-rich soil, the natural selenium-rich soil distributed in the Yanqi Basin of Xinjiang was taken as the research object, and the chemical extraction method, soil solution method, and DGT technology were employed to evaluate the bioavailability of selenium in the soil. The results showed that: ① The average content of CDGT measured by Fe-oxide DGT was 0.19 ± 0.083 µg/L, and the average content measured by Zr-oxide DGT was 0.25 ± 0.11 µg/L. The difference in available selenium content measured by the two types of DGT was not significant, however, because Zr-oxide DGT had specific adsorption characteristics for Se4+, Zr-oxide DGT could not effectively reflect the selenium content level in plants. For the determination of soil selenium bioavailability, Fe-oxide DGT was better than Zr-oxide DGT; ② The selenium content in plants Cplant-Se and the effective selenium content measured by the three methods were significantly positively correlated, but the correlation coefficient (r = 0.6805) of the effective selenium content measured by Cplant-Se and Fe-oxide DGT was greater than that measured by the other two methods; ③ The R-value (the ability of soil particles to supplement selenium to soil solution) and Kd value (the distribution coefficient between soil solid and liquid phases) calculated based on the DGT technology indicated that the soil selenium in the Hejing County research area had stronger mobility than that in the Heshuo County research area, however, the rate of the supplement of selenium ion to soil solution by soil solid phase was smaller than that of Heshuo County research area. In summary, the DGT method was superior to the chemical extraction and soil solution methods in terms of the evaluation of selenium bioavailability in natural selenium-rich soil, and had more advantages in testing the performance and reflecting the information of the soil dynamics process.
The impact of text message reminders on uptake of cryotherapy among women testing positive for HPV in western Kenya
Authors: Choi Yujung , Ibrahim Saduma , Park Lawrence P. , Bukusi Elizabeth A. , Huchko Megan J.
Published: June 2023

Background Mobile health (mHealth) has become an increasingly popular strategy to improve healthcare delivery and health outcomes. Communicating results and health education via text may facilitate program planning and promote better engagement in care for women undergoing human papillomavirus (HPV) screening. We sought to develop and evaluate an mHealth strategy with enhanced text messaging to improve follow-up throughout the cervical cancer screening cascade.Methods Women aged 25–65 participated in HPV testing in six community health campaigns (CHCs) in western Kenya. Women received their HPV results via text message, phone call, or home visit. Those who opted for text in the first four communities received “standard” texts. After completing the fourth CHC, we conducted two focus group discussions with women to develop an “enhanced” text strategy, including modifying the content, number, and timing of texts, for the subsequent two communities. We compared the overall receipt of results and follow-up for treatment evaluation among women in standard and enhanced text groups.Results Among 2,368 women who were screened in the first four communities, 566 (23.9%) received results via text, 1,170 (49.4%) via phone call, and 632 (26.7%) via home visit. In the communities where enhanced text notification was offered, 264 of the 935 screened women (28.2%) opted for text, 474 (51.2%) opted for phone call, and 192 (20.5%) for home visit. Among 555 women (16.8%) who tested HPV-positive, 257 (46.3%) accessed treatment, with no difference in treatment uptake between the standard text group (48/90, 53.3%) and the enhanced text group (22/41, 53.7%). More women in the enhanced text group had prior cervical cancer screening (25.8% vs. 18.4%; p < 0.05) and reported living with HIV (32.6% vs. 20.2%; p < 0.001) than those in the standard text group.Conclusions Modifying the content and number of texts as an enhanced text messaging strategy was not sufficient to increase follow-up in an HPV-based cervical cancer screening program in western Kenya. A one-size approach to mHealth delivery does not meet the needs of all women in this region. More comprehensive programs are needed to improve linkage to care to further reduce structural and logistical barriers to cervical cancer treatment.
Feasibility of DPYD Genotyping in Australian Cancer Patients
Authors: White Cassandra , Paul Christine , Liet Esther , Kalpage Dilshan , Mossman David , Ziolkowski Andrew , Ackland Stephen , Scott Rodney J.
Published: June 2023

Background. Fluoropyrimidine (FP) chemotherapies are widely prescribed for solid organ malignancies, including colorectal, gastrointestinal, breast and head and neck cancers. They are prescribed for over 10,000 Australian cancer patients per year. Between 10-40% of patients experience serious (grade 3-5) toxicities that can result in hospitalisation, intensive care admission and even death. Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is the critical enzyme involved in FP metabolism and accounts for a significant proportion of FP toxicities. Measuring DPD is difficult and alternate measures include DPYD (encoding DPD) genotyping to determine clinically significant variants. FP dosing for DPYD genotype carriers can be adjusted according to international guidelines to reduce FP toxicities and improve patient tolerance.
Methods. We determined the turnaround time (TAT) for genotyping 4 DPYD variants (c.1905+1G>A, c.1679T>G, c.2846A>T and c.1236G>A/Haplotype B3) in an Australian patient cohort, utilising a public health care service testing facility. We identified toxicities of DPYD variant carriers. Health care stakeholder perspectives were explored by survey, including perceived enablers and barriers to implementation and their solutions.
Results. 104 patients were recruited. One patient declined testing after enrolment. With one genotyping run per week, mean TAT was 7.2 days (range 1-30). Sixteen patients were found to have DPYD variants. G3-5 toxicity occurred in 10/16 variant carriers, including 2 ICU admissions and 1 death. Thirty surveys were received from stakeholders with common themes being the environment and resources being the fundamental barriers and motivation to improve patient care a predominant enabler of change.
Conclusions. DPYDgenotyping is a feasible pharmacogenomic (PGx) screening test within the public healthcare system for patients intending to receive FP chemotherapies. This TAT is comparable to international standards and allows adequate time for clinical decision-making and DPYD genotype-guided FP dose adjustment. Perceived barriers and enablers were predictable and will help to assist strategic support for larger scale implementation. Further information is required to determine population frequency and toxicities of variant carriers following dose adjustment in the Australian population.
Trial Registration: ACTRN12622000963729, retrospectively registered 07/07/2022
Parameters affecting the conversion ratio of lime to calcium carbonate in mineral carbonation reaction in clay-free sand and calcium efficiency
Authors: Karaca Zeki
Published: June 2023

Mineral carbonation based on lime (Ca(OH)2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) is a carbon sequestration and also a soil improvement method. This paper investigates the effects of varying Ca(OH)2 (1%, 5%, and 10%) and water ratios (6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, and 10%), and mineral carbonation duration (1 hr, 3 hrs, 5 hrs, and 7 hrs) on the conversion of lime to calcium carbonate in clay-free sand. Two different silicon sand samples which have different grain sizes were used in the experiments. Reacted lime ratio, used lime ratio, and unused Ca2+ ratio were calculated. The lime fixation point was determined as 1% by the total weight of the soil. The average carbonation ratio at the lime fixation point was found to be 84.10 ± 7.75%, which was the highest value. As the lime in the soil increased, the reacted lime and the use of lime decreased. The appropriate water ratio was determined as 6%. Fines supported the conversion of more lime to calcium carbonate. The conversion of lime to calcite was completed in the first few minutes (short-term), but the strength of the lime-treated soil improved over time. The progress of the mineral carbonation reaction in the solid was according to the Dome Principle (DPinC). The conversion of lime to CaCO3 ratio, reacted lime ratio, used lime ratio, and unused Ca2+ ratio was calculated for the first time.
The Impact of Climate Change on Al-Wala basin based on Geomatics, Hydrology and Climate Models
Authors: Rawashdeh Samih Bashir Al , Kloub Farah , Rawashdeh Ghayda Samih Al
Published: June 2023

Jordan is greatly affected by climate change, it suffers from fluctuation and decrease in the amounts of the annual precipitation. In this study, the impact of climate change on the Al-Wala basin was analyzed. This basin is located in the south of the capital of Jordan- Amman, over a long period of time, using different types of satellite images. A new approach of Google Earth Engine (GEE) and machine learning code are used to understand the responses of hydrological process to climate change in the study area. In addition, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to simulate the hydrological process up to year 2064. Moreover, the Meteorological Research Institute Earth System Model (MRI-ESM2-0) predicted a variation of the water surface area of the dam in the future years and an important fluctuation of the amount of annual rainfall quantity. The amounts of annual rainfall expected to increase and decrease wobbly for several years in the future. Overall the average annual runoff will increase by 10% compared to the baseline scenario. The minimum temperature also is expected to be higher than their rates throughout the year by 0.09o- 0.11o C; which will increase the evaporation rates with about 0.03%. The analysis of the sensitivity using the SWAT model identified 6 parameters out of 17. The regression coefficient (R2), Nash and Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), on monthly basis, were above 0.60 for both of them which indicates satisfactory model results.
Analysis of the focal characteristics of two strong earthquakes in Turkey: differences in earthquake characteristics rupture process and spatiotemporal evolution of the rupture
Authors: Carrera-Cevallos Amilcar Wilfrido
Published: June 2023

Two major earthquakes struck Turkey on February 6, 2023, which caused significant structural and human losses. This document analyzes the focal characteristics, rupture process, and spatiotemporal evolution of the earthquakes through tele seismic data and characterization of the events. The first earthquake occurred east of the Eastern Anatolia Fault Zone, while the second one took place on the Cardak Fault of the Eastern Anatolia Fault Zone. Through the rupture process, we can visualize the damage caused by the earthquakes as well as the energy release they both caused. However, only two aftershocks with a magnitude greater than 6 were recorded. Although the earthquakes were of similar magnitude, they had different focal damage.
Hyperspectral dimensionality reduction based on SAE-1DCNN feature selection approach
Authors: JIJÓN-PALMA Mario Ernesto , Amisse Caisse , Centeno Jorge Antonio
Published: June 2023

Hyperspectral remote sensing enables a detailed spectral description of the object’s surface, but it also introduces high redundancy because the narrow contiguous spectral bands are highly correlated. This has two consequences, the Hughes phenomenon and increased processing effort due to the amount of data. In the present study, it is introduced a model that integrates Stacked-Autoencoders and Convolutional Neural Networks to solve the spectral redundancy problem based on the feature selection approach. Feature selection has a great advantage over feature extraction in that it does not perform any transformation on the original data and avoids the loss of information in such a transformation. The proposed model used a convolutional stacked-autoencoder to learn to represent the input data into an optimized set of high-level features. Once the SAE is learned to represent the optimal features, the decoder part is replaced with regular layers of neurons for reduce redundancy. The advantage of the proposed model is that it allows the automatic selection and extraction of representative features from a dataset preserving the meaningful information of the original bands to improve the thematic classification of hyperspectral images. Several experiments were performed using two hyperspectral data sets (Indian Pines and Salinas) belonging to the AVIRIS (Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer) sensor to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The analysis of the results showed precision and effectiveness in the proposed model when compared with other feature selection approaches for dimensionality reduction. This model can therefore be used as an alternative for dimensionality reduction.
Label-free human-disease characterization through circulating cell free DNA analysis using Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Papadakis Vassilis M. , Cheimonidi Christina , Panagopoulou Maria , Karaglani Makrina , Apalaki Paraskevi , Katsara Klytaimnistra , Kenanakis George , Theodosiou Theodosis , Constnantinidis Theodoros C , Garinis George , Chatzaki Ekaterini
Published: June 2023

Circulating cell free DNA (ccfDNA) is a liquid biopsy biomaterial attracting significant attention for the implementation of precision medicine diagnostics. Deeper knowledge related to its structure and biology would enable the development of such applications. In this study, we employ Raman Spectroscopy to unravel the biomolecular profile of human ccfDNA in health and disease. We established reference Raman spectra of ccfDNA samples from healthy males and females, from different conditions including cancer and diabetes, extracting information about their chemical composition. Comparative observations showed a distinct spectral pattern in ccfDNA from breast cancer patients taking neoadjuvant therapy. Raman analysis of ccfDNA from healthy, prediabetic and diabetic males uncovered some differences in their biomolecular fingerprint. We also studied ccfDNA released from human benign and cancer cell lines and compared it to their respective gDNA, confirming mirroring its cellular origin. Overall, we explored for the first time Raman Spectroscopy in the study of ccfDNA and provide spectra of samples from different sources. Our findings introduce Raman Spectroscopy as a new approach to implementing liquid biopsy diagnostics worthing further elaboration.
Ten Years of Improved-Fallow Slash-and-Mulch Agroforestry in Brazilian Amazonia: Do Nitrogen-fixing Trees affect Nitrous Oxide and Methane Efflux?
Authors: Joslin Aaron Hoyt , Vasconcelo Steel S. , Kato Osvaldo R. , Oliveira Francisco de Assis , Morris Lawrence , Markewitz Daniel
Published: June 2023

Agriculture, and associated land-clearing, account for approximately 25% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including trace gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Agroforestry systems (AFS) have been proposed to reduce GHG emissions of agricultural practices. Smallholding farmers of the global tropics often utilize slash-and-burn AFS to prepare land for planting, releasing CO2, CH4, and N2O during burning, and from soil during agricultural and secondary forest regrowth phases. Slash-and-mulch AFS eliminate losses of GHGs via burning by mulching the vegetation instead. This mulch layer contains greater stocks of organic material, rich in C and N, than after burning, making it a potential source of N2O and CH4 efflux from litter and soil during decomposition. Slash-and-mulch systems that incorporate N-fixers for improved fallows may further augment N2O fluxes. To examine rates of N2O and CH4 efflux from slash-and-mulch AFS, four treatments were applied in a two-way factorial design: with and without P+K fertilization, and with and without a nitrogen-fixing tree (I. edulis). The inclusion of N-fixing trees increased N content of fallow forests, and thus was hypothesized to increase N2O efflux. We hypothesized that CH4 efflux would increase due to increased soil moisture with mulching. Trace gas flux measurements were taken over two years; prior to mulching to end Rotation 1 in Year 9 and after mulching to begin Rotation 2. Increased rates of N2O efflux were detected in the presence of I. edulis during the year prior to, but not after, mulching. No differences were detected for CH4 efflux before or after mulching. Site conversion from secondary forest to Rotation 2 was accompanied by 130% increase in N2O efflux and 430% decrease in CH4 efflux. Despite the large increase in N2O efflux, the CO2e of this increase was an order of magnitude less than estimated releases of trace gases from burning.
Which is better at estimating severe liver fibrosis, hepatic reserve capacity scoring or splenic volumetry?
Authors: Mizuno Mariko , Tago Kenichiro , Okada Masahiro , Nakazawa Yujiro , Arakane Takayuki , Yoshikawa Hiroki , Abe Hayato , Higaki Tokio , Okamura Yukiyasu , Takayama Tadatoshi
Published: June 2023

We aimed to assess liver and splenic volumetry (LV and SV), extracellular-volume (ECV) on dual-layer-spectral-detector CT (DLCT) and scoring-systems identifying liver fibrosis (LF). In 45 patients with pathologically staged LF, ECV measured on CT value (HU-ECV), iodine-density (ID-ECV), atomic-number (Zeff-ECV), and electron-density (ED-ECV) were calculated by two-readers. LV or SV/body-surface-area (BSA), albumin-bilirubin-grade (ALBI), model-for-end-stage-liver-disease-score (MELD), aspartate-aminotransferase-platelet-ratio-index (APRI), and fibrosis-index-based-on-the-four-factors (FIB-4) were also recorded. ALBI was weakly associated with LF (p = 0.451), while MELD (p < 0.001), APRI (p = 0.010), and FIB-4 (p = 0.010) were significantly associated with LF. SV/BSA had a higher AUC than MELD, APRI, and FIB-4 for estimating > F4 (AUC = 0.815,95%-CI = 0.63–0.999), but MELD (AUC = 0.799,95%-CI = 0.634–0.965), APRI (AUC = 0.722,95%-CI = 0.561–0.883), and FIB-4 (AUC = 0.741,95%-CI = 0.582–0.899) had higher AUCs than SV/BSA. SV/BSA significantly contributed to differentiation between F0–3 and F4; the odds ratio (OR) was 1.304 (Reader1;R1) and 1.353 (Reader2;R2), whereas MELD significantly contributed to the differentiation between F0–2 and F3–4; the OR was 1.528 (R1) and 1.509 (R2). AUC for SV/BSA and MELD combined was 0.877 (95%-CI = 0.748–1.000). In conclusion, SV/BSA allows for higher estimation of liver-cirrhosis (≥ F4). MELD is more suitable for assessing severe LF (≥ F3-4). The combination of SV/BSA and MELD had a higher AUC than SV/BSA alone for liver-cirrhosis (≥ F4).
Physiochemical Assessment of Water from selected Urban and Rural Water Supply Schemes in Gilgit Baltistan Northern Pakistan
Authors: Shah Attaullah , Ali Manzoor , Ali Karamat , Tan Jeff , Ahmed Mushtaque
Published: June 2023

Quality Drinking water to the remote communities of Northern Pakistan is one of the major challenges. Many communities of the region are faced with water borne diseases due to poor quality of water. Physiochemical properties of water play an important role in the quality of water. WHO has recommended the standards for the quality of drinking water. In this research,154 water samples were collected from 50 sites across Gilgit Baltistan Pakistan, and their pH value, Total dissolved Solids (TDS), Salinity, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Hardness and Turbidity were determined. These values were compared with WHO Standards for drinking water. It has been observed that in some cases, the TDS, EC and Turbidity were found on higher side, making it unfit for drinking. In such cases, the open stream water (Nullah) has been mixed with the spring water to augment the water needs of increased population. This has deteriorated the quality of water as a result. It is recommended that proper water treatment initiatives may be undertaken in such areas and the existing capacity of water supply systems may be enhanced to meet the needs of people due to population increase.
Life Cycle Evaluation of Cold Forging Die Considering Lubrication Performance of Phosphate Film Coating
Authors: Seo Young Ho
Published: June 2023

In designing the multi-stage cold forging process, an important factor along with formability is the die life cycle. As the die life cycle is closely related to the integrity of the phosphate film coating on the surface of the material, this study presents a method for predicting the die life cycle considering damage to the phosphate film coating. First, the correlation between the phosphate treatment conditions (phosphate treatment solution concentration and temperature) and the film layer weight was discussed. Afterwards, the behavior of the friction coefficient according to the damage of the phosphate film was predicted through repeated frictional tests. The behavior of the coefficient of friction was mainly divided into three areas and correlated with the film weight. By applying these results to the automobile engine bolt forging process, a method for performing precise simulation considering the damage to the phosphate film was presented. In addition, a method for predicting the quantitative limit life of the die based on precise simulation results with high accuracy was presented.
Complaints from Obstetric Care - A Wake-up Call for Improving Women’s Birth Experiences – A cross sectional study
Authors: Walløe Sisse , Bogh Søren Bie , Birkeland Søren Fryd , Pedersen Lone Kjeld , Lykkebo Annemette Wildfang , Andersen Lise Lotte Torvin , Frederiksen-Møller Britta , Morsø Lars
Published: June 2023

Introduction Staff shortages and quality in obstetric care is a concern in most healthcare systems and a hot topic in the public debate that has centred on complaints about deficient care. However there has been a lack of empirical data to back the debate. The aim of this study was to analyse and describe complaints in obstetric care. Further, to compare the obstetric complaint pattern to complaints from women about other hospital services. Materials and Methods We used the Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool to code, analyse and extract contents of obstetric complaint cases in a region of Denmark between 2016 and 2021. We compared the obstetric complaint pattern to all other hospital complaint cases in the same period regarding female patients at a large University Hospital in a cross-sectional study. Results Complaints regarding obstetric care differed from women’s complaints regarding other healthcare services. Women from obstetric care raised more problems per complaint, and tended to complain more about relational issues indicated by odds for complaints about staff shortage four times higher in the obstetric care group. Women from obstetric care had a lower proportion of compensation claims. Conclusion Systematic complaint analysis acknowledged women’s experience in obstetric care and may point to areas that, potentially need further attention. Complaints from obstetric care show that women experience deficiencies related to relational problems like recognition and individualized support compared to complaints from women receiving other hospital healthcare services.
Myeloid differentiation factor-2/LY96, a new predictive biomarker of metastasis in prostate cancer: Clinical implications as a potential therapeutic target
Authors: Ferrari Marina , Wang Li , Hoeppner Luke , Hahm Eunsil , Yu Jindan , Kuzel Timothy , MANSINI ADRIAN
Published: June 2023

Relapsed prostate cancer (CaP), usually treated with androgen deprivation therapy, acquires resistance to develop into lethal metastatic castration-resistant CaP. The cause of resistance remains elusive, and the lack of biomarkers predictive of castration-resistance emergence is a stumbling block in managing the disease. We provide strong evidence that Myeloid differentiation factor-2 (MD2) plays a critical role in metastasis and CaP progression. Analysis of tumor genomic data and IHC of tumors showed a high frequency of MD2 amplification and association with poor overall survival in patients. The Decipher-genomic test validated the potential of MD2 in predicting metastasis. In vitro studies demonstrated that MD2 confers invasiveness by activating MAPK and NF-kB signaling pathways. Furthermore, we show that metastatic cells release MD2 (sMD2). We measured serum-sMD2 in patients and found that the level is correlated to disease extent. We determined the significance of MD2 as a therapeutic target and found that targeting MD2 significantly inhibited metastasis in a murine model. We conclude that MD2 predicts metastatic behavior and serum-MD2 is a non-invasive biomarker for tumor burden, whereas MD2 presence on prostate biopsy predicts adverse disease outcome. We suggest MD2-targeted therapies could be developed as potential treatments for aggressive metastatic disease.
Comprehensive pan‑cancer analysis of Potassium Voltage-Gated Channel Q4 (KCNQ4 ) gene expression in human malignant tumors
Authors: Zhao Qing , Zhang Yunxiang
Published: June 2023

Background: Malignant tumor is a serious threat to human health and has become the disease with the highest mortality in the world. A large number of studies have shown that KCNQ4 is responsible for nonsyndromic hearing loss, but less has been done on KCNQ4 in cancer, so we analyzed the expression of KCNQ4 gene in different tumor tissues and their different pathological stages, the prognosis, mutation, immune infiltration, immune checkpoint related genes and related pathways were observed. The role and function of KCNQ4 in cancer were revealed through systematic and comprehensive pan-cancer analysis.
Method: The bioinformatics were analyzed by mining databases available to the public and by using R software. Moreover, immunohistochemistry and molecular biology experiments were carried out to prove the cancer-inhibiting effect of KCNQ4 in pan-cancer.
Results: The results showed that KCNQ4 expression was lower than normal tissues in most tumors,and higher in a few tumors. The expression of KCNQ4 gene was closely related to the prognosis of patients with different types of tumors. The expression of KCNQ4 was significantly correlated with different pathological stages in papillary renal cell carcinoma, mixed renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, rectal adenocarcinoma, pancreatic carcinoma, ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma and bladder urothelial carcinoma. The mutation rate of KCNQ4 was the highest in patients with cutaneous melanoma.KCNQ4 is significantly associated with immune infiltration and immune checkpoint related genes in most tumors.KCNQ4,stemness analysis shows a positive correlation in most cancer species. KCNQ4 and related genes were significantly enriched in multiple pathways. Moreover, immunohistochemical and molecular biological experiments verified that KCNQ4 has less expression in breast cancer tissues and has anti-tumor effect in breast cancer.
Discussion: Our comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of KCNQ4 proved its potential signature role in cancer，Moreover，KCNQ4 could be used as an auxiliary prognostic marker or as a marker for immunotherapy in some tumor types.
What lies behind international differences in the Gender Pay Gap? An analysis of the European Union
Authors: Aláez‐Aller Ricardo , Fernandez-Sainz Ana , Longás‐García Juan Carlos , Ullibarri‐Arce Miren
Published: June 2023

This paper sets out to estimate the GPG in EU countries based on a number of variables: the female participation rate, occupational segregation by gender, the proportion of people working in high-wage jobs and in education and health, plus the wage dispersion. The analysis covers 25 EU countries over 12 years from 2004 to 2015. The data are taken from three statistical surveys: the Labour Force Survey, the Structure of Earnings Survey and the EU-SILC. Three fixed-effect models and three random-effect models are estimated, based on an incomplete panel-dataset of 271 observations.
The key variables in explaining the GPG in the Southern Europe group are the female participation rate and the proportion of people working in high-wage jobs and in the Northern Europe group they are the female participation rate and the proportion of people working in education and health. By contrast, in the CEE country group the female participation rate is not significant and the most relevant explanatory variables are occupational segregation and the wage dispersion.
This paper finds evidence that comparisons between countries to determine GPGs have to take into account institutional and cultural factors, social roles and historical trends in national labour forces.
JEL: J21; J24; C23; C54
Systematically analysis of decompensated cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis to identify diagnostic and prognostic indexes
Authors: Du Tao , Li Qing-ping , Jiang Gui-xiang , Tan Hui-yuan , Wu Jiao-hua , Qin Shan-yu , Yu Bing , Jiang Hai-xing , Luo Wei
Published: June 2023

Background
Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a common complication in patients with cirrhosis, but the biomarkers for diagnosis have yet to be validated. This study aimed to identify reliable and easy-to-use biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of cirrhotic patients with complicated SBP.
Methods
Cirrhosis data were collected retrospectively; The clinical features and laboratory test indices were analyzed. The indices related to the SBP of cirrhosis were analyzed. Two machine learning methods (Xgboost and LASSO algorithms) and a logistic regression analysis were adopted to screen and validate the indexed risk associated with SBP risk, then a predictive model was built and validated using the area under curve (AUC) estimated. The indices related to the survival of cirrhotic patients were also analyzed.
Results
A total of 413 cirrhotic patients were included, of whom 329 were decompensated and 84 were compensated. 52 patients complicated SPB and they were all decompensated patients. Patients with SBP have a poorer Child-Pugh score (P < 0.05) and the proportion of cancers was higher in patients with SBP than in those without SBP (P < 0.05). Most laboratory test indices differed significantly between patients with and without SBP (P < 0.05). Xgboost, LASSO algorithms, and logistic regression analysis identified that albumin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and ferritin-to-neutrophil ratio (FNR) were independently associated with SBP in uncompensated cirrhotic patients, and that established by the three indices model showed a high predictive value. with the AUC being 0.808. In addition, high neutrophils, ALP and CAR were associated with the shorter survival time of patients with decompensated cirrhosis, and the combination of these indices showed a better prognostic value for cirrhotic patients.
Conclusions
The present study identified FNR as a new index in the diagnosis of SBP in uncompensated patients with cirrhosis. A model constructed from neutrophils, ALP and CAR showed high performance in predicting the prognosis of patients with uncompensated cirrhosis.
On the accuracy of infrared-converted drone cameras for use in vegetation and environmental monitoring
Authors: Louw Albertus S. , Xinyue Chen , Avtar Ram
Published: June 2023

Drones equipped with cameras sensitive to near-infrared wavelengths are increasingly being used in environmental assessment studies and in agriculture. These cameras can measure vegetation cover, extent of eutrophication in water bodies, and aspects of crops, such as growth vigour, biomass and potential yield. Infrared converted cameras that capture near-infrared wavelengths offer a low-cost alternative to multi-sensor multispectral cameras or drone-borne spectrometers. However, some studies point to lower accuracy in measurements by such infrared converted sensors. So, to what extent can infrared converted cameras be used to quantify vegetation condition? This study compared vegetation index measurements (NDVI) from an infrared converted camera to measurements by a multispectral camera and a handheld NDVI meter, captured over soybean and potato fields. It was observed that infrared converted camera derived NDVI was consistently lower over crop than multispectral and handheld based measurements. However, correlation between the sensor values were high (r = 0.95, r = 0.87 for respective survey days). This suggests that the infrared converted sensor is valuable for qualitative assessment of vegetation status across a farm. Based on the result of this study we however recommend caution when using infrared converted camera for quantitative applications like calculating fertiliser prescription rates from vegetation index maps. We discuss possible reasons for the lower vegetation index measurements observed, noting overestimation of reflectance in the red band, but underestimation in the near-infrared band, leading to low NDVI values.
Role of ACE, ACE2 gene variants and serum ACE/ACE2 ratio in COVID-19 severity
Authors: Moemen Samar , Fathy Mona , Hamed Dalia , Hussein Shadia , Ashour Wafaa , Ashoush Omar , Hegazy Mona , Abdelghani Ahmad , Abdelfatah Dalia , salawy Naglaa EL
Published: June 2023

Background: As the outbreak of COVID-19 progresses, prognostic markers for identification of high-risk individuals are of urgent medical need. The Angiotensin system is implicated in the pathogenesis of COVID19 as ACE2 is the cellular receptor for SARS-COV-2 virus, and expression of the ACE2 gene could regulate the individual´s susceptibility to infection. In addition, the balance between ACE and ACE2 activity could play a role in the severity of COVID19.
Methods: 180 COVID-19 patients were divided into three groups (60 patients as mild, 60 patients as moderate and 60 patients as severe). Enzyme levels of ACE and ACE2 were measured by ELISA. ACE I/D (rs4646994) was assayed by PCR and ACE2 (rs2285666) gene variant was determined by Real-Time PCR.
Results: ACE/ACE2 ratio was significantly lower in mild group versus moderate to severe group (P <0.001). GG (wild) genotype and G allele of ACE2 were more frequent in mild group, AA (variant) genotype and A allele were more frequent in severe group (P value <0.001). In the multiple logistic regression, COVID-19 severity was associated with older age (>50y) (OR 10.4, 95% CI 3.8-28.4, P<0.001), Comorbidities (OR 8.2, 95% CI 1.6-42.1, P0.012) and higher ACE/ACE2 ratio (OR 8.3 95% CI 3.7-18.6 P<0.001) were independent significant predictors of severity. Haplotype analysis revealed Patients with D allele of ACE gene combined with A allele of ACE2 gene will have nearly double the risk of having severe COVID infection (OR=1.9, CI 1.1-3.5 P=0.024).
Conclusion: Old age (>50 years), presence of co‐morbidities and high ACE/ACE2 ratio are recognized as pivotal predictors for COVID-19 severity.
CSE1L is a negative regulator of the RB-DREAM pathway in p53 wild-type NSCLC and can be targeted using an HDAC1/2 inhibitor
Authors: Duan Lei , Maki Carl G.
Published: June 2023

p53 represses transcription by activating p21 expression and promoting formation of RB1-E2F1 and RBL1/RBL2-DREAM transcription repressor complexes. The DREAM complex is composed of DP1, RB-family proteins RBL1 or RBL2 (p107/p130), E2F4/5, and MuvB. We recently reported RBL2-DREAM contributes to improved therapy responses in p53 wild-type NSCLC cells and improved outcomes in NSCLC patients whose tumors express wild-type p53. In the current study we identified CSE1L as a novel inhibitor of the RBL2-DREAM pathway and target to activate RBL2-DREAM in NSCLC cells. CSE1L is an oncoprotein that promotes nuclear accumulation of histone deacetylases HDACs 1, 2, and 8 to repress gene transcription. Mocetinostat is a HDAC inhibitor in clinical trials with selectivity against HDACs 1 and 2. Knockdown of CSE1L in NSCLC cells or treatment with mocetinostat increased p21, activated RB1 and RBL2, repressed DREAM target genes, and induced toxicity in a manner that required wild-type p53. Lastly, we found high levels of CSE1L and specific DREAM-target genes are candidate markers to identify p53 wild-type NSCLCs most responsive to mocetinostat. Thus, we identified CSE1L as a critical negative regulator of the RB-DREAM pathway in p53 wild-type NSCLC that can be indirectly targeted with HDAC1/2 inhibitors (mocetinostat) in current clinical trials. High expression of CSE1L and DREAM target genes could serve as a biomarker to identify p53 wild-type NSCLCs most responsive to this HDAC1/2 inhibitor.
Comparison of mechanical performance of different geotextiles manufactured from natural fibers of Syagrus. coronata (Mart.) Becc, Thypha domingensis and Juncus sp subjected to natural biodegradation.
Authors: Holanda Francisco Sandro Rodrigues , Santos Luiz Diego Vidal , de Melo Jeangela Carla Rodrigues , Santos Leandro Silva , Pedrotti Alceu , Sussuchi Eliana Midori , Griza Sandro
Published: June 2023

The objective of this study was to evaluate the mechanical performance of geotextiles made from natural fibers of Syagrus coronata (Mart.) Becc., Thypha domingensis, and Juncus sp. The geotextiles were treated with waterproofing resin and exposed to biodegradation for 120 days to understand their stress and strain behavior. The geotextiles was treated with colorless wood waterproofing resin by Hydronorth® to make it less permeable, delay the degradation process, and consequently increase the material's resistance to climatic variables. Subsequently, the geotextiles was subjected to natural degradation on slopes covering an area of 10m². Samples of the exposed material to the degradation processes were collected every 30 days. The findings reveal that the examined fibers, following treatment with waterproofing resin, exhibit the capability for extended utilization in the field, with Thypha fiber outperforming the other tested fibers. These results hold significant potential for the incorporation of natural fibers in endeavours related to environmental conservation.