bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in agriculture: Ergonomics risk assessment and its prevention among Indian farmers
Authors: Das Banibrata
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND: Indian farmers have musculoskeletal disorders as agriculture is a physically demanding occupation. OBJECTIVES: The main aim of this study is to identify ergonomic and psychosocial risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among different groups of farmers. The other objective is to investigate how MSDs affect farmers’ daily lives and interfere with their activities. METHODS: Farmers were evaluated for the repetitiveness of work and MSDs using the standard Nordic questionnaire, ergonomic assessment tool (REBA), and ART tool. RESULTS: Low back portions were the most affected body parts, followed by the knees (OR = 0.352; 95% CI = 0.280–0.598), shoulder (OR = 0.657; 95% CI = 0.405–1.066), neck (OR = 0.510; 95% CI = 0.350–0.743), ankle or foot (OR = 0.815; 95% CI = 0.556–1.196), and upper back region (OR = 0.681; 95% CI = 0.463–1.002). The REBA method found that most of the postures in farming are very dangerous. The ART tool showed that most of the activities are repetitive. Working long hours (90%) and monotony at work (87.5%) are the main psychosocial factors, followed by pressure to finish within a given timeframe (71.4%) and injuries related to MSDs. CONCLUSION: Farmers suffer from musculoskeletal disorders in various body parts (lower back, knee, neck, shoulder, and upper back) due to squatting, stooping, and other constrained working postures during agricultural activities. rolonged working hours, repetitive movements, and MMH are ergonomic risk factors forFurthermore, p MSDs.
Development of an ergonomics management model in the workplace: Introduction of the TUGA ergonomics management and analysis model (TEMA)
Authors: Rezvanizadeh Majid , Mohammad-Ghasemi Mostafa , Soltanzadeh Ahmad , Sadeghi-Yarandi Mohsen
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND: Conducting practical studies in ergonomics requires attention to all aspects of ergonomics with a comprehensive approach and focus on continuous improvement cycles. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and present an ergonomics management model in the workplace. METHODS: This study was performed using a three-stage Delphi study with 30 experts and a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process. According to the literature review and experts’ opinions, the general cycle of the ergonomics management system with eight steps was developed. New methods were formed in two of these eight steps: the 3rd step (developing an ergonomic evaluation method) and the 5th step (creating a cost-benefit evaluation method). RESULTS: The eight implementation steps of the TEMA were determined as follows: 1) Performing task analysis (TTA), 2) Ergonomic hazard identification, 3) Estimating the ergonomic index, 4) Determining control measures, 5) Evaluating cost-benefit parameter, 6) Implementing control measures, 7) Continuous monitoring, and 8) Evaluating the effectiveness of control measures. The Delphi study revealed that the number of deleted parameters includes one item (burnout), and the remaining parameters were 16 items. The mean CVI and CVR values were 0.92 and 0.80, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha values for each of the physical, environmental, and cognitive components and the entire model were 0.91, 0.87, 0.85, and 0.89, respectively. CONCLUSION: Using the mentioned management model can be a practical step towards properly evaluating the most critical dimensions of ergonomics in the workplace and optimal planning to implement control measures to establish a dynamic management system to reduce ergonomic risk factors in the workplace.
Employment intentions among rural order-oriented medical students in inner mongolia autonomous region, China
Authors: Qiao Tingting , Geater Alan F. , Du Huifeng , Li Ying , Duan Limin
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND: The program of the “Free Training of Chinese Rural Order-Oriented Medical Students” is a plan to train general practitioners who can work at rural medical institutions. However, many students have been unwilling to fulfill their commitments and actually work in their assigned locations. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide some explanation by exploring factors influencing the employment intentions of rural order-oriented medical students in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China to provide a basis for formulating relevant supporting policies to help increase the fulfillment rate of medical students. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study with a stratified cluster sampling method at four medical universities in Inner Mongolia using a survey questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors that were significantly associated with employment intentions. RESULTS: Approximately 67% of students were willing to work in rural areas, whereas 33% were not. Order-oriented medical students who were dissatisfied with, or indifferent to, training, were unclear about policy, were of Han ethnicity, or came from an urban area, had lower intentions to accept employment in rural areas. The training satisfaction in particular had the greatest predictive effect. CONCLUSION: The implementation of the program “Free Training of Chinese Rural Order-Oriented Medical Students” has been affected by the low actual employment intentions. This study may provide a useful basis on which medical educators and health policy makers can formulate relevant supporting policies and develop strategies to increase the number of order-oriented medical students who working in rural areas where they are most needed.
Applying a nomogram based on preoperative CT to predict early recurrence of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma after surgery
Authors: Yao Yao , Jia Chuanliang , Zhang Haicheng , Mou Yakui , Wang Cai , Han Xiao , Yu Pengyi , Mao Ning , Song Xicheng
Published: February 2023

PURPOSE: To identify the value of a computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics model to predict probability of early recurrence (ER) in patients diagnosed with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) after surgery. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Pre-operative CT scans of 140 LSCC patients treated by surgery are reviewed and selected. These patients are randomly split into the training set (n = 97) and test set (n = 43). The regions of interest of each patient were delineated manually by two senior radiologists. Radiomics features are extracted from CT images acquired in non-enhanced, arterial, and venous phases. Variance threshold, one-way ANOVA, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm are used for feature selection. Then, radiomics models are built with five algorithms namely, k-nearest neighbor (KNN), logistic regression (LR), linear support vector machine (LSVM), radial basis function SVM (RSVM), and polynomial SVM (PSVM). Clinical factors are selected using univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Last, a radiomics nomogram incorporating the radiomics signature and clinical factors is built to predict ER and its efficiency is evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve. Decision curve analysis (DCA) is also used to evaluate clinical usefulness. RESULTS: Four features are remarkably associated with ER in patients with LSCC. Applying to test set, the area under the ROC curves (AUCs) of KNN, LR, LSVM, RSVM, and PSVM are 0.936, 0.855, 0.845, 0.829, and 0.794, respectively. The radiomics nomogram shows better discrimination (with AUC: 0.939, 95% CI: 0.867–0.989) than the best radiomics model and the clinical model. Predicted and actual ERs in the calibration curves are in good agreement. DCA shows that the radiomics nomogram is clinically useful. CONCLUSION: The radiomics nomogram, as a noninvasive prediction tool, exhibits favorable performance for ER prediction of LSCC patients after surgery.
Improving diagnostic performance of rib fractures for the night shift in radiology department using a computer-aided diagnosis system based on deep learning: A clinical retrospective study
Authors: Xiong Shan , Hu Hai , Liu Sibin , Huang Yuanyi , Cheng Jianmin , Wan Bing
Published: February 2023

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the application value of a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system based on deep learning (DL) of rib fractures for night shifts in radiology department.

METHODS:

Chest computed tomography (CT) images and structured reports were retrospectively selected from the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) for 2,332 blunt chest trauma patients. In all CT imaging examinations, two on-duty radiologists (radiologists I and II) completed reports using three different reading patterns namely, P1 = independent reading during the day shift; P2 = independent reading during the night shift; and P3 = reading with the aid of a CAD system as the concurrent reader during the night shift. The locations and types of rib fractures were documented for each reading. In this study, the reference standard for rib fractures was established by an expert group. Sensitivity and false positives per scan (FPS) were counted and compared among P1, P2, and P3.

RESULTS:

The reference standard verified 6,443 rib fractures in the 2,332 patients. The sensitivity of both radiologists decreased significantly in P2 compared to that in P1 (both p <  0.017). The sensitivities of both radiologists showed no statistical difference between P3 and P1 (both p >  0.017). Radiologist I’s FPS increased significantly in P2 compared to P1 ( p <  0.017). The FPS of radiologist I showed no statistically significant difference between P3 and P1 ( p >  0.017). The FPS of Radiologist II showed no statistical difference among all three reading patterns ( p >  0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:

DL-based CAD systems can be integrated into the workflow of radiology departments during the night shift to improve the diagnostic performance of CT rib fractures.
Research Peculiarities of Sebaceous Traces of Palms and Fingers Using the Projectina Docustat DS-210 device
Authors: Baghdasaryan Arsen
Published: February 2023

Сharacteristic features of technological research on palm and finger prints are de- fined and described in detail. Considerable attention has been paid to methodical approach development that enables forensic research to be carried out without harming integrity of the paper medium on which in- visible prints are left. The opinion that use of Projectina Docustat DS-210 and Regula 4305 devices (in the case of applying the principle of gradual combination) provides an opportunity to prepare at least preliminary conclusions regarding identification of belonging (non-belonging) of invisible fat traces to the same person. Attention is focused on the possible solution of forensic tasks (during the next stages of the investigation) regarding identification of the chemical composition of substances in fat traces, that makes pos- sible to determine whether the suspect was in contact with material evidence in the case (for example, with weapons, drugs etc.). The research purpose is to formulate certain preliminary conclusions before further conducting objective fingerprinting examination it- self, as well as to ensure the integrity of the source document by applying a methodical approach developed in ‘’National Bureau of Expertises’’ State Non-Profit Organization of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia that will help forensic expert to more accurately identify belonging (non-belonging) of invisible fat traces to the same person.
Antihypertensive Medications Adherence and Its Relationship to Blood Pressure Control Among Healthcare Workers in Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC): A Retrospective Analytic Study
Authors: Macalinao Divinilio , Marcos Joshua A. , Francisco Peter Julian
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND: Workers, including those in the healthcare industry, are exposed to occupational hazards that interfere with the health-disease process, negatively impacting their physical,[1] mental, and social health. [2] High blood pressure (HBP) is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality of people in full productive capacity.[3] It is possible to assume that hypertensive patients who work in hospitals are more aware of the causes and complications related to hypertension, as well as about ways of prevention and treatment. Despite this assumption, there is a scarcity of studies looking at the level of adherence of Filipino healthcare workers in taking their antihypertensive medication OBJECTIVE: The study assessed antihypertensive treatment adherence and associated factors in healthcare workers from Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center. METHODS: This is a retrospective analytic study design, consisting of 250 workers who self-reported as being hypertensive. Associations between sociodemographic, work, and health variables were assessed regarding adherence. The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 (MMAS-8) was chosen for the study. RESULTS: Sixty % of participants were classified as controlled hypertensive patients, with 60% taking ARBs and 55.20% taking CCBs; from these, 84.80% of workers adhered to medication treatment. Adherence to pharmacological treatment has no significant association with BP control (p >.05). "Missing medical appointments" presented a statistically significant association with non-adherence to treatment. There was a greater chance (OR=5.85; p=0.005) of professionals who missed medical appointments not adhering to treatment, compared to those who reported not missing them. CONCLUSIONS: The main factors for non-adherence to treatment by workers were the presence of antihypertensive treatment disruption and missing medical appointments. Since hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases are asymptomatic diseases that require continuous treatment, hypertensive patients have difficulties understanding the importance of adhering to treatment.
ПРЕЦЕДЕНТНИЙ ХАРАКТЕР КОНЕКТОРІВ У СУЧАСНІЙ НІМЕЦЬКІЙ МОВІ
Authors: КАРПІК Микола , ТРУЦУНЕНКО Ірина
Published: February 2023

Стаття присвячена дослідженню конекторів у сучасній німецькій мові в аспекті прецедентності, до сфери якої належать інтелектуально-емоційні блоки, що є добре відомими реципієнтам та постійно використовуються ними у комунікації. Дослідження проведено на матеріалі німецькомовних текстів новин сайту tagesschau.de. Вибір матеріалу дослідження зумовлено актуальністю мови, якою користуються продуценти новин. Об’єктом дослідження є конектори як прецедентні одиниці мови, а предметом – функціональні особливості конекторів та механізми їх реалізації у сучасній німецькій мові. Дослідження виконано з використанням методу семантичного аналізу конекторів; методу концептуально-таксономічного аналізу для дослідження синтактично-позиціональної закріпленості конекторів у тексті; а також методу контекстуального аналізу. У статті проаналізовано підходи до визначення термінів «прецедентність» та «конектор». Авторами запропоновано класифікацію конекторів, які уживають журналісти під час створення текстів німецькомовних новинних повідомлень. У ході дослідження виявлено в аспекті частотності уживання таких конекторів як конектори на позначення додавання інформації, на позначення темпоральних зв’язків, хронологічні конектори, конектори порівняння фактів, аргументативні конектори, конектори протиставлення, конектори повторення думок, конектори акцентуалізації думок, уточнюючі конектори та узагальнюючі конектори. У ході дослідження встановлено, що з прагматичної точки зору конектори мають статус маркерів, які виступають операторами уваги реципієнтів. Конектори сигналізують про зміну комунікативної перспективи та є одиницями оцінних категорій синтаксису. Прецедентний характер конекторів у сучасній німецькій мові, зокрема у текстах новинних повідомлень, виявляється у їх функціях, позиції у реченні та у структурних частинах новинного повідомлення, а також у взаємодії з іншими мовними одиницями.
ПАТОМОРФОЛОГІЧНІ ЗМІНИ В ШЛУНКУ І ТОНКІЙ КИШЦІ КОТІВ ЗА ІНФЕКЦІЙНОГО ПЕРИТОНІТУ
Authors: Котляров Едуард Сергійович
Published: February 2023

Актуальність дослідження зумовлена тим, що патоморфологічні зміни при інфекційному перитоніті в котів вивчалися небагатьма авторами і описані недостатньо повно. У зв’язку з цим у даній роботі детально описано макроскопічні та мікроскопічні зміни в шлунку і тонкій кишці котів, що загинули від інфекційного перитоніту. Проведено патологоанатомічний розтин і гістологічні дослідження шлунка і тонкої кишки котів різного віку, що загинули від змішаної (26 тварин) і сухої (7 тварин) форм інфекційного перитоніту. Гістологічні зрізи зафарбовували гематоксиліном і еозином за загальноприйнятою методикою. З’ясовано, що крім типових для інфекційного перитоніту котів піогранульоматозних уражень і накопичення рідини в порожнинах тіла, в 57,1% котів із сухою формою і в 21,05% тварин зі змішаною формою хвороби виявляється жовтяниця, що свідчить про порушення у них обміну білірубіну. Мікроскопічні зміни в різних відділах шлунку і тонкої кишки подібні. У слизовій оболонці встановлено руйнування її верхніх частин (шлункових ямочок у шлунку та ворсинок у тонкій кишці). Гладкі м’язові клітини м’язової пластинки слизової оболонки перебувають в стані зернистої дистрофії. У підслизовій основі реєструються набряк, розширення кровоносних судин, потовщення і гомогенізація пучків колагенових волокон, а також фрагментація цих пучків внаслідок їх вогнищевого лізису. Найбільш виразними були мікроскопічні зміни у м’язовій і серозній оболонках шлунка і тонкої кишки. У м’язовій оболонці встановлено зернисту дистрофію й руйнування гладких м’язових клітин, інфільтрацію лімфоцитами та меншою кількістю моноцитів, периваскулярні набряки та зміни в стінках кровоносних судин, які включають руйнування клітин м’язового шару стінок частини артерій руйнування клітин ендотелію частини кровоносних капілярів. Серозна оболонка на багатьох ділянках тонкої кишки була не змінена. На окремих ділянках було встановлено руйнування мезотеліоцитів, а на багатьох – виразна метаплазія цих клітин: ці клітини перетворювались на клітини кубічної або стовпчастої форми. Цитоплазма змінених мезотеліоцитів ставала базофільною, а їх ядра набували овальної чи неправильної форми. На ділянках шлунка і тонкої кишки, де на її поверхні виявлялись фібринозно-некротичні накладання, мезотелій був не змінений, метаплазований, а місцями – зруйнований.
Marco metodológico para transitar hacia una vivienda ecotecnológica básica
Authors:   Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, Olaya Belén , Navia Sara ,   Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, Masera Omar ,   Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
Published: February 2023

La mejora habitacional de viviendas con precariedad puede hacerse, por un lado, a través de la autoconstrucción, lo cual puede provocar un aumento de los impactos negativos de la vivienda al entorno, salud o bienestar de sus habitantes si se hace sin los conocimientos o el apoyo técnico necesario. Por otro, con la implementación de proyectos a través de ONG o sectores gubernamentales, que no siempre se alinean a la realidad del contexto o a las necesidades y prioridades de las familias usuarias y sus comunidades. Ante esto, se define un marco metodológico que integre las necesidades de los distintos actores relacionados con las viviendas, evalúe su situación y permita tomar una serie de decisiones sobre las estrategias a implementar para avanzar hacia la sostenibilidad de las viviendas precarias de forma colaborativa. Se crea el Marco Metodológico para transitar hacia una Vivienda Ecotecnológica Básica (Marco vive) con cuatro fases y 10 pasos que ordenan el diagnóstico, evaluación, diseño e implementación, con un monitoreo y un proceso iterativo que permitirá el seguimiento y evolución de las viviendas. Este marco permite abordar la complejidad del hábitat a través de herramientas participativas y trabajo transdisciplinario.
English Writing Errors, Challenges, and Strategies in Modular Learning: A Multiple-Case Study
Authors: Aradillos Deciree , Alcoba Reinalyn Jane , Dy Jessa , Monceda Connie Marie , Montañez Ma. Cristilina A. , Ramos Ariel
Published: February 2023

Writing especially using the English language, is a very important skill that an individual should acquire as it is very beneficial in different aspects of life. Many understand its significance in schools, workplaces and the social world in general. However, it is notable that the English writing proficiency of Filipino learners continuously deteriorates even before the pandemic up until the present. Therefore, it is important to explore the common English writing errors committed along with the challenges experienced as schools shifted to modular settings in learning writing as a compromising strategy to continue learning, as well as the possible strategies adopted by the learners in this context. Using a Multiple-Case study design, the researchers unveiled the writing errors of Grade 7 learners from three public High Schools in Cebu, Philippines. Findings revealed that the students have common writing errors in terms of punctuation, spelling, and capitalization. It is also discovered that the perceived challenges of the students include a lack of guidance from teachers or adults, understanding difficulty, text construction difficulty, and physical distractions. The students’ perceived strategies include writing exercises like note-taking, reading materials, checking and validating, and asking for guidance from peers. It was concluded that the modular setting, as a compromising academic response to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, also demands proper and appropriate strategies to compensate for the required learning competencies for English writing.
Persepsi tentang Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Perilaku Kepatuhan pada Klien Hipertensi
Authors: Wibrata Dwi Ananto , Fadilah Nikmatul , Wijayanti Dyah , Kholifah Siti Nur
Published: February 2023

Abstrak
Perawatan hipertensi memerlukan jangka waktu yang panjang. Faktor perilaku kepatuhan klien merupakan komponen penting dalam keberlanjutan perawatan. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mengidentifikasi persepsi tentang faktor yang mempengaruhi perilaku kepatuhan klien hipertensi. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan studi fenomenologi. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan wawancara dan observasi. Jumlah partisipan 20 penderita hipertensi di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Krembangan Selatan Surabaya. Keabsahan data menggunakan triangulasi sumber data. Hasil penelitian menemukan empat tema yaitu kepercayaan diri, penerimaan diri, dukungan keluarga, ketersediaan informasi. Kesimpulan penelitian ini adalah kemampuan mengambil keputusan pada klien, penerimaan klien hipertensi terhadap penyakitnya, dukungan dari keluarga dan tersedianya informasi yang sangat memadai mempengaruhi kepatuhan perawatan klien hipertensi. Keluarga perlu memberikan kapasitas pada klien untuk mengambil keputusan dan menfasilitasi kebutuhannya. Keluarga juga sebagai sumber informasi perlu meningkatkan pemahaman tentang perawatan hipertensi.
Kata kunci: persepsi, perilaku merawat diri, hipertensi
 
Abstract
Treatment of hypertension requires a long period of time. The client's compliance behaviour factor is an important component in the continuity of care. The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of factors that influence the compliance behavior of hypertension clients. This study used a qualitative approach with a phenomenological study. The number of participants is 20 people with hypertension in the working area of the Krembangan Selatan Health Center. Data collection techniques used interviews and observations. The validity of the data used triangulation of data sources. The results found 4 themes, namely self-confidence, self-acceptance, family support, availability of information. The conclusion of this research is the ability to make decisions on the client, the client's acceptance of hypertension for their disease, support from the family and the availability of adequate information affect the adherence to care for hypertensive clients. Families need to give the client the capacity to make decisions and facilitate their needs. Families as well as sources of information need to increase understanding of hypertension treatment.
Keywords: perception, self-care behavior, hypertension
Uncertainty of Disease Process with Self Empowerment in Hypertension Patients
Authors: Kustin Kustin , Budiman M. Elyas Arif , Silvanasari Irwina Angelia , Putri Adinda Oktavia
Published: February 2023

Abstrak
Ketidakpastian proses penyakit hipertensi menyebabkan stres karena ketidakpastian di sekitar penyakit, proses penyakit, pengobatan dan efek samping. Ketidakpastian ini disebabkan karena self empowerment yang buruk. Strategi self empowerment dikembangkan pada penyakit hipertensi untuk meningkatkan kontrol mereka terhadap penyakitnya dan meningkatkan kesehatan mental yang lebih baik dan sejahtera. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui hubungan ketidakpastian proses penyakit dengan self empowerment pada pasien hipertensi di Klinik Silo Sehat Kabupaten Jember. Metode penelitian ini adalah cross-sectional dengan jumlah sampel dalam penelitian ini adalah 58 pasien penderita hipertensi diambil dengan teknik simple random sampling. Alat ukur yang digunakan pada variabel self empowertment menggunakan self empowerment questionnaire dan variabel ketidakpastian menggunakan kuesioner Uncertainty in Illness questionnaire dengan analisis data menggunakan contingency coefficient. Hasil analisis dengan uji contingency coefficient pada α=0,05 didapat  p-value 0,00 < α (0,05) sehingga dapat diambil kesimpulan bahwa terdapat hubungan ketidakpastian proses penyakit dengan self empowerment pada pasien hipertensi. Self empowerment dapat menurunkan ketidakpastian (uncertainty) dan dapat meningkatkan adaptasi psikososial sehingga sangat perlu bagi klien hipertensi dalam menangani potensi stressor dan ketidakpastian proses penyakit hipertensi.
Kata kunci: hipertensi, ketidakpastian, self empowerment
 
Abstract
The uncertainty of the hypertension disease process causes stress because of the uncertainty surrounding the disease, the disease process, treatment, and side effects. The uncertainty was caused by bad self empowerment. The self-empowerment strategies for hypertension patients were developed in order to improve disease control and promote better mental health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between uncertainty of the disease process and self empowerment in hypertension patients at Silo Sehat Clinic, Jember. This research method was cross-sectional with the number of samples in this study were 58 patients with hypertension taken by simple random sampling technique. The measuring instrument used for the self empowerment variable is the self empowerment questionnaire and the uncertainty variable is the MUIS/Mishel Uncertainty in illness questionnaire. In this study, data analysis was performed using the contingency coefficient. The results of the analysis using the contingency coefficient test 0.05 obtained p-value (0.00 (0.05), indicating that there is a relationship between disease process uncertainty and self empowerment in hypertension  patients. With sufficient self empowerment, the information about the disease obtained from health workers was quite good and helped clients in dealing with potential stressors and increasing self empowerment.
Keywords: hypertension, uncertainty, self empowerment
Evaluating the Cyclic Behavior of the Sloped Extended End-plate Beam-to-column Connections
Authors: Miryahyavi Mirreza , Khani Reza , Hosseinzadeh Yousef
Published: February 2023

In the Northridge and Kobe earthquakes, brittle failure of the welded beam-to-column connections was observed in steel structures. So, bolted connections were considered as an alternative to these kinds of connections. Extended end-plate beam-to-column con-nection is one of the most commonly used connections in steel structure. In this article, the behavior of the sloped extended end-plate beam-to-column connections is studied. Finite element method was used to investigate the behavior of the connection by ABAQUS software. The main aim of the study was to investigate the cyclic behavior of the four beam-to-column connections with beam angles of 0, 10, 15, and 20 degrees with respect to horizon. Also, the behavior of the mentioned connections was compared with extended end-plate connections with perpendicular angle. Results showed that the ductility and moment-resisting capacity of the sloped extended end-plate beam-to-column connections decrease by increasing beam angle, but rotational and moment-resisting capacities of the models satisfy the limitation of the design codes such as 0.04 drift limit for bearing capacity before failure.
The Effect of Layer Thickness and Orientation of the Workpiece on the Micro- and Macrogeometric Properties and the Machining Time of the Part during 3D Printing
Authors: Kónya Gábor , Ficzere Péter
Published: February 2023

3D printing technologies have developed significantly over the last 30 years, with a major impact on all segments of today's industry. With the introduction of additive manufacturing, product development time can be greatly reduced and printing functional parts directly is also a viable option. Another advantage of additive manufacturing is that it allows greater design freedom than traditional manufacturing technologies. This makes it possible to print products with complex geometries and even different material qualities. In this paper, the authors investigated the effects of printing time, the layer thickness and the orientation on the surface roughness and cylindricity of the printed parts. The aim is to find the combination of layer thickness and part orientation which causes the best results in terms of surface roughness and cylindricity as a function of printing time.
Thomas Hardy and the Gothic: Restructuring the Gothic Prison in Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) and Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891)
Authors: Nikravesh Negeen N.
Published: February 2023

This article explores Thomas Hardy’s engagement with the Gothic tradition, particularly in relation to the female monstrosity and imprisonment central to mid-Victorian Gothic realism. Focusing on Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891) and Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), I demonstrate that Hardy purges the Gothic from the domestic space and disperses it into the natural world, restructuring the Gothic prison that haunts the tradition. By moving the Gothic into a less socially fraught place – the sublimity of nature rather than the psyche of the woman – Hardy also reconfigures Gothic female monstrosity. No longer a reflection of the repressed desires and passions of rebellious female characters, the monstrous in Hardy’s Wessex is linked instead to raging fires and destructive storms, presenting the Gothic as ever-present and occurring in the ‘open air’ of nature. Hardy neutralises the formerly imprisoning domestic space and introduces a new Gothic force as a source of anxiety: the burden of time. The focus on time and temporality in Tess of the d’Urbervilles reveals an increasing ambivalence towards modernity in Hardy’s later novels, as the suffering of the heroine through physical confinement is moved to entrapment by the ‘burden of time’ in the rapidly changing Victorian fin de siècle. As a result, the Gothic that enters Wessex takes on both a spatial and temporal quality – manifested in the natural world but linked to haunted pasts and haunting futures. Through a series of shifts in Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the d’Urbervilles – of Gothic repression removed from the female psyche and Gothic imprisonment unlinked from the domestic space – Hardy establishes a further linkage between the Gothic and time in the latter novel. As a result of this displacement of original Gothic tropes, Hardy’s work can be read as both radically feminist and deeply critical of modernity.
Identification of Key Adaptation Practices adopted by Wheat Growing Farmers of Punjab, Pakistan: A Qualitative Approach
Authors: Rasool Faisal , Baig Irfan A. , Saboor Abdul , Mahmood Tariq
Published: February 2023

Climate change has now become a subject of concern for the whole world especially for developing countries. According to Global Climate Risk Index (GCRI) 2021, Pakistan lies at eight number amongst top ten countries of world which are facing severe impacts of climatic changes. Climate change has serious repercussions on the agriculture sector of Pakistan. Mitigation and Adaptation are considered to be options by climate change experts to counter negative impacts of climate change. By keeping above in view, the objective of this study was to identify adaptation practices adopted by farmers in Punjab, Pakistan. The Primary data was used and collected through qualitative data collection techniques i.e. In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Based on the research plan, five IDIs were conducted with experts related to agriculture sector and with farmers of study area. Further, five FGDs were conducted in five selected districts of the study area. Based upon discussions with experts and with local farmers, key adaptation practices adopted by majority of farmers were: Rice crop residues incorporation, Change in sowing time, sowing method for wheat crop (Broadcast, Ridge sowing), certified seed varieties of wheat, change of seed rate, deep ploughing using chisel plough, laser land levelling (LLL), application of potash, changing the number of irrigations, application of farm yard manure (FYM), drainage of water from field (pumps or other means) and use of weather forecasting. NVivo qualitative data analysis software was used to depict this qualitative discussion into two types of structures i.e., Word Tree and Word Cloud.
Combined Effect of 1-MCP with Honeybee Wax on Plum Quality during Cold Storage
Authors: Ali Mehboob , Hashmi Majid Suhail , Khan Nasir , Shurjeel Hafiz Khurram , Aziz Iftikhar , Ullah Irfan , Khan Muhammad Adnan , Khan Suliman , Iqbal Huzafa
Published: February 2023

Post-harvest treatment plays a significant role in extending the shelf life of fresh produce. This study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the efficacy of post-harvest 1-MCP and bee wax treatment on plum quality under cold storage condition (3±1oC, RH; 80-85%). Fruit were divided into 9 groups and subjected to different treatments i-e T0 (untreated) T1 (1-MCP 0.5µl/L), T2 (1-MCP 1µl/L), T3 (5% bee wax), T4 (10% bee wax), T5 (1-MCP 0.5µl/L+5% bee wax), T6 (1-MCP 0.5µl/L+10% bee wax), T7 (1-MCP 1µl/L+5% bee wax), and T8 (1-MCP 1µl/L+10% bee wax). Various physicochemical and sensory quality attributes were evaluated at 12 days intervals for 60 days. The results for the sample T8 revealed lowest decrease in ascorbic acid (10.15%), titratable acidity (15.05%), overall acceptability (34.52%) and lowest percent increase weight loss (2.71%), total soluble solid (18.40%), total sugar (19.49%), pH (11.63%).While T0 showed highest percent decrease in ascorbic acid (41.67%), titratable acidity (55.91%), overall acceptability (74.80%) and highest increase in percent weight loss (14.34%), total soluble solid (30.82%), total sugar (30.50%), pH (22.45%). Therefore, it could be concluded that T8 demonstrated good results for physicochemical and sensory characteristics during cold storage treatment. Furthermore, combination of 1-MCP and bee wax could be used to preserve the internal and external quality.
Frontiers in bacteriology: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Mylonakis Eleftherios
Published: February 2023

It is a Frontiers tradition to herald the start of a new journal with an editorial that highlights the challenges and opportunities of the relevant field. For Frontiers in Bacteriology, the start of the journal coincides with a pivotal era for the field, with the slow-moving epidemic of antimicrobial resistance threatening medical progress.
Energy-based modelling of in-plane fragility curves for the 2D ultimate capacity of Italian masonry buildings
Authors: Perelli Francesca Linda , De Gregorio Daniela , Montanino Andrea , Olivieri Carlo , Maddaloni Giuseppe , Iannuzzo Antonino
Published: February 2023

The high seismic hazard of the Italian territory and the vulnerability of its historic masonry heritage require the development of fragility curves that must be increasingly reliable and robustly correlated to exposure. To date, national-scale seismic risk analyses mainly use empirical curves derived from the statistical analysis of damage induced by past events. These curves have shown good reliability, but they correlate only with a few typological-structural characteristics of the building, such as the number of floors, the vertical structure typology or the construction period. The present research paper aims to overcome this limitation with a hybrid approach that provides a better exposure characterisation. Specifically, the proposed strategy integrates the SAVE and Piecewise Rigid Displacement (PRD) methods. SAVE is an empirical approach based on the damage assessment due to past seismic events used to identify a seismic behaviour of a structure, while the PRD method is a numerical approach that solves the boundary value problem for normal, rigid, no-tension material. It can model different structural typologies, and as a result, it also provides the value of the horizontal static multiplier that drives the masonry construction to collapse. An extended numerical campaign is carried out considering a sample of 750 masonry buildings distributed throughout the Italian territory and extracted from the PLINIVS typological database. Looking at each construction, first, a PRD analysis is conducted to define its seismic capacity, paying special attention to modelling construction details. After that, the SAVE method is used to classify the construction in a specific seismic vulnerability class, i.e., from A to C, with decreasing vulnerability. All the buildings belonging to the same class are then collected, and three fragility curves representative of the collapse state (one for each vulnerability class) are derived and validated against empirical and analytical ones commonly adopted in the Literature. The integrated methodology shows a good agreement between simulations and observations, confirming the viability of the proposed hybrid methodology for the large-scale assessment of masonry buildings, providing an effective strategy to plan mitigation and rehabilitation interventions.
MicroRNA-21 mediated cross-talk between cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts in patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Pradhan Kabita , Niehues Paul , Neupane Balram , Maleck Carole , Sharif-Yakan Ahmad , Emrani Mahdi , Zink Matthias Daniel , Napp Andreas , Marx Nikolaus , Gramlich Michael
Published: February 2023

Background

Atrial fibrosis represents a major hallmark in disease progression of atrial fibrillation (AF). We have previously shown that circulating microRNA-21 (miR-21) correlates with the extent of left atrial fibrosis in patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF and can serve as a biomarker to predict ablation success. In this study, we aimed to validate the role of miR-21-5p as a biomarker in a large cohort of AF patients and to investigate its pathophysiological role in atrial remodeling.

Methods

For the validation cohort, we included 175 patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF. Bipolar voltage maps were obtained, circulating miR-21-5p was measured, and patients were followed-up for 12  months including ECG holter monitoring. AF was simulated by tachyarrhythmic pacing of cultured cardiomyocytes, the culture medium was transferred to fibroblast, and fibrosis pathways were analysed.

Results

73.3% of patients with no/minor LVAs, 51.4% of patients with moderate LVAs and only 18.2% of patients with extensive LVAs were in stable sinus rhythm (SR) 12  months after ablation (p < 0.01). Circulating miR-21-5p levels significantly correlated with the extent of LVAs and event-free survival. In-vitro tachyarrhythmic pacing of HL-1 cardiomyocytes resulted in an increased miR-21-5p expression. Transfer of the culture medium to fibroblasts induced fibrosis pathways and collagen production. The HDAC1 inhibitor mocetinostat was found to inhibit atrial fibrosis development.

Conclusion

We validated miR-21-5p as a biomarker that reflects the extent of left atrial fibrosis in AF patients. Furthermore, we found that miR-21-5p is released in-vitro from cardiomyocytes under tachyarrhythmic conditions and stimulates fibroblasts in a paracrine mode to induce collagen production.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of heart rate variability in COPD
Authors: Alqahtani Jaber S. , Aldhahir Abdulelah M. , Alghamdi Saeed M. , Al Ghamdi Shouq S. , AlDraiwiesh Ibrahim A. , Alsulayyim Abdullah S. , Alqahtani Abdullah S. , Alobaidi Nowaf Y. , Al Saikhan Lamia , AlRabeeah Saad M. , Alzahrani Eidan M. , Heubel Alessandro D. , Mendes Renata G. , Alqarni Abdullah A. , Alanazi Abdullah M. , Oyelade Tope
Published: February 2023

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with disruption in autonomic nervous control of the heart rhythm. We present here quantitative evidence of the reduction in HRV measures as well as the challenges to clinical application of HRV in COPD clinics.

Method

Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we search in June 2022 Medline and Embase databases for studies reporting HRV in COPD patients using relevant medical subject headings (MeSH) terms. The quality of included studies was assessed using the modified version of the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). Descriptive data were extracted, while standardized mean difference was computed for changes in HRV due to COPD. Leave-one-out sensitivity test was performed to assess exaggerated effect size and funnel plots to assess publication bias.

Results

The databases search yielded 512 studies, of which we included 27 that met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies (73%) had a low risk of bias and included a total of 839 COPD patients. Although there were high between-studies heterogeneity, HRV time and frequency domains were significantly reduced in COPD patients compared with controls. Sensitivity test showed no exaggerated effect sizes and the funnel plot showed general low publication bias.

Conclusion

COPD is associated with autonomic nervous dysfunction as measured by HRV. Both sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiac modulation were decreased, but there is still a predominance of sympathetic activity. There is high variability in the HRV measurement methodology, which affects clinical applicability.
NT-proBNP trajectory after transcatheter aortic valve replacement and its association with 5-year clinical outcomes
Authors: Zhou Yaoyao , Zhu Qifeng , Hu Po , Li Huajun , Lin Xinping , Liu Xianbao , Pu Zhaoxia , Wang Jian’an
Published: February 2023

Background

There are only limited reports on the trends of NT-proBNP after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in aortic stenosis (AS) and even fewer report on the prognostic value of the NT-proBNP trajectory following TAVR.

Objectives

This study aims to investigate short-term NT-proBNP trajectory following TAVR and explore its association with clinical outcomes in TAVR recipients.

Methods

Aortic stenosis patients undergoing TAVR were included if they had NT-proBNP levels recorded at baseline, prior to discharge, and within 30 days after TAVR. We used latent class trajectory models to identify NT-proBNP trajectories based on their trends over time.

Results

Three distinct NT-proBNP trajectories were identified from 798 TAVR recipients, which were named class 1 (N = 661), class 2 (N = 102), and class 3 (N = 35). Compared to those with trajectory class 1, patients with trajectory class 2 had a more than 2.3-fold risk of 5-year all-cause death and 3.4-fold risk of cardiac death, while patients with trajectory class 3 had a more than 6.6-fold risk of all-cause death and 8.8-fold risk of cardiac death. By contrast, the groups had no differences in 5-year hospitalization rates. In multivariable analyses, the risk of 5-year all-cause mortality was significantly higher in patients with trajectory class 2 (HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.03–3.52, P = 0.04) and class 3 (HR 5.70, 95% CI 2.45–13.23, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Our findings implied different short-term evolution of NT-proBNP levels in TAVR recipients and its prognostic value for AS patients following TAVR. NT-proBNP trajectory may have further prognostic value, in addition to its baseline level. This may aid clinicians with regards to patient selection and risk prediction in TAVR recipients.
Study on surface-wave tomography in Abaga volcanic area, Inner Mongolia
Authors: Hou Jie , Wu Qingju , Yu Daxin , Ye Qingdong , Zhang Ruiqing
Published: February 2023

In this paper, the 3-D S-wave velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle in the Abaga volcanic area of Inner Mongolia was inverted by using the surface-wave tomography method, with a resolution of 0.5°×0.5°. For the first time, the vertical continuous data recorded by 36 and 25 broadband mobile seismic stations in Abaga volcanic area from October 2012 to May 2015 (NM array) and October 2017 to October 2018 (AB array) were adopted together. The results showed that there was a significant high velocity anomaly structure in the upper mantle at 80–140 km depth in the Abaga volcanic area, and there was a significant low velocity anomaly structure above the high velocity anomaly, which reflected that lithospheric delamination may occurr in the Abaga volcanic area. The overlying NW-SE low-velocity anomaly extended northwest to the boundary of the study area, then to the South Gobi of the Mongolian Plateau; spread southeast to the crustal thinning area and the exposed position of the Abaga volcanic group on the surface. According to the analysis of previous research results, it speculated that this low velocity anomaly may reflect the upwelling asthenosphere, suggesting that the Abaga volcanic group and the South Gobi of the Mongolian Plateau were homologous in depth. Also there was a NEE-SWW low velocity anomaly in the depth range of 40–150 km in the east of Honggeertu volcano, which implied the upwelling of local mantle material formed by the lithospheric delamination in Songliao basin.
An online power system transient stability assessment method based on graph neural network and central moment discrepancy
Authors: Liu Zhao , Ding Zhenhuan , Huang Xiaoge , Zhang Pei
Published: February 2023

The increasing penetration of renewable energy introduces more uncertainties and creates more fluctuations in power systems. Conventional offline time-domain simulation-based stability assessment methods may no longer be able to face changing operating conditions. In this work, a graph neural network-based online transient stability assessment framework is proposed, which can interactively work with conventional methods to provide assessment results. The proposed framework consists of a feature preprocessing module, multiple physics-informed neural networks, and an online updating scheme with transfer learning and central moment discrepancy. The t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding is used to virtualize the effectiveness of the proposed framework. The IEEE 16-machine 68-bus system is used for case studies. The results show that the proposed method can achieve accurate online transient stability assessment under changing operating conditions of power systems.