bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF HEALTH WORKERS TOWARDS COVID-19 VACCINATION IN ACEH, INDONESIA
Authors: Arisandi Riyan , Yanti Budi , Zakaria Iskandar
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Herd immunity through vaccination is one of the major strategies for overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still doubts about vaccines among health workers.
Aims: This study aims to assess the relationship between knowledge of the COVID-19 vaccine and the attitudes of health workers.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, which involves the distribution of a validated online questionnaire through Google Forms to health workers at Zainoel Abidin General Hospital Banda Aceh. The data consist of general characteristics, 13 questions regarding knowledge, and nine inquiries related to attitudes.
Results: There were 301 respondents, of which 87.4% were females and 48.8% were nurses. Only 27.9% of the health workers have a history of COVID-19 courses, 67.8% have good knowledge about the vaccine, and 70.8% with a positive attitude. There was a significant relationship between the knowledge of the vaccine and health workers' attitudes. Furthermore, gender, age, education level, and training history did not affect the knowledge of vaccination, while profession was the main influential factor.
Conclusion: This study shows that there is a relationship between knowledge of the COVID-19 vaccine and health workers' attitudes. However, stakeholders must always focus on strategies that can increase understanding and practice of disease prevention
Keywords: attitude, COVID-19 vaccine, knowledge, health workers
REDUCING HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT WAITING TIME USING LEAN SIX SIGMA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Authors: Waiman Elina , Achadi Anhari , Agustina Renita
Published: August 2023

Background: Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a beneficial data-driven tool for quality improvement. Literature regarding the use of LSS to reduce hospital outpatient waiting time is scarce despite numerous problems encountered in many countries.
Aims: This systematic review aims to evaluate the causes of long outpatient waiting time, demonstrate the effectiveness of LSS and the improvement strategies applied to reduce outpatient waiting time.
Methods: Literature search was performed on eight databases: Proquest, Wiley, Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, Oxford Journal, Sage Publication, Scopus, and Pubmed. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed English articles published from January 1, 2003, to May 25, 2021, and studies conducted in hospital settings.
Results: Nine relevant articles were included. Inefficient clinic processes, inappropriate scheduling, human resources problems, workplace factors, patient communication problems, and patient characteristics are root causes found for long outpatient waiting time. All studies revealed a reduction in outpatient waiting time (5.2% to 97%) after implementation of LSS. Process redesign, improvement in appointment scheduling, patient communication, and improvement in workplace design, were strategies used to reduce outpatient waiting time. These strategies increase the number of patients seen and hospital gross revenue, as well as patient satisfaction.
Conclusion: LSS is beneficial to reduce outpatient waiting time. Process redesign provide advantageous results.
Keywords: hospital, lean six sigma, outpatient waiting time, process redesign
FACTORS AFFECTING INDONESIAN PUBLIC HEALTH CENTERS' HEALTH WORKERS' INCOME ADEQUACY
Authors: Hasugian Armedy Ronny , Ilyas Jaslis , Hendrawan Harimat , Bachtiar Adang
Published: August 2023

Background: Dissatisfaction, additional work, and desired compensation are related to the needs and perceptions of civil servant health workers to increase their income. However, the probability and influencing factors regarding the income adequacy of civil servant health workers in Indonesia are still unknown.
Aims: to find out the factors related to the income adequacy of health workers.
Methods: This observational study with a cross-sectional design uses data from the Employment Research in the Health Sector (RISNAKES) 2017 in Public Health Centers in Indonesia. Probit analysis was conducted to assess the probability of income adequacy.
Results: A total of 963 respondents were analyzed. The study found that changes in each variable, including income, official residence facilities, training facilities/ seminars/ training, motivation, and job satisfaction of a unit, would increase the probability of income adequacy ranging from 2% - 81%, except for the age variable. By referring to high job satisfaction of > 75% and taking into account the probability of 80%, the presumed adequate income is no less than IDR 28,800,000.
Conclusion: The probability of the monthly income adequacy of civil servants in the health sector is influenced by job satisfaction, ability to save, official residence facilities, facilities to attend seminars, age, and income. Increasing and reformulating the amount of income must be done to optimize the performance and productivity of health workers.
Keywords: health workers, income adequacy, public health center, saving
Metaphorical Adjectives Describing Human in Javanese
Authors: Nuryantiningsih Farida , Suhandano Suhandano , Sulistyawati Sulistyawati
Published: August 2023

This study examines metaphorical adjectives describing humans in Javanese. The metaphorical adjective is literally used to describe nouns other than humans but figuratively used to describe humans. This study aims to describe metaphorical adjectives used to characterize humans figuratively based on their meaning type. This study used a descriptive qualitative approach. The data in this study are adjectives used to describe humans in Javanese metaphorically. The data corpus is taken from written and oral sources. The written sources are taken from the Dictionary of Baoesastra Djawa written by Poerwadarminta dan Javanese Dictionary written by the Language Center Team of Yogyakarta and a Javanese short story from the anthology of Javanese literature short story 2007 Kidung Megatruh (22 short stories) and short story of Yogyakarta Javanese in 2000-2010 (87 short stories). Data analysis techniques are inductive, with identification and classification techniques following research objectives. Based on the result, 43 adjectives are used to describe humans with metaphorical meanings. The adjectives are divided into six types: adjectives of positive character marker, negative character marker, positive mental condition marker, negative mental condition marker, positive physical condition marker, and negative physical condition marker. The use of metaphorical adjectives explaining humans in Javanese shows that the creativity of Javanese linguists is good at utilizing existing lexicons to express ideas by distorting their meaning without creating a new lexicon.
Fatty Acid Profile and Squalene Content in Cucumber Seed Oil (Cucumis sativus)
Authors: Soetjipto Hartati , Febriyanti Teresa , Kristijanto Agus Ign.
Published: August 2023

Cucurbitaceae is known as a source of vegetable oil that can be used in the fields of food, medicine, and cosmetics. Several studies showed that vegetable oil from the Cucurbitaceae contains squalene.  Squalene is a high-economic value compound that was originally found in shark liver oil. This compound is proven to be very beneficial for health and cosmetics. The objectives of the study are to determine the fatty acid profile and squalene content of cucumber seed oil using the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) method. Starting with the preparation of cucumber seeds by drying the clean seed in an oven at 60 0C for 1 hour, then the seeds were extracted using 2 methods namely maceration and a continuous extraction method with a soxhlet extractor.  The yield of crude oil obtained by the soxhlet extractor is higher than maceration, which was 19.38 ± 0.94%, yellow colour, and distinct aroma,  2% water oil content; oil density of 0.96 g/mL; free fatty acid levels of 3.51%; an acid value of 4.97 mg NaOH/g oil; and peroxide value of 0.82 meq O2/g oil. The results of the GC-MS analysis showed that cucumber oil was composed of 3 main components namely palmitic acid, linoleic acid, and squalene.

Keywords: Cucumber seed oil, Cucumis sativus, fatty acids, squalene.
A Conceptual Graph-Based Method to Compute Information Content
Authors: Quintero Rolando , Torres-Ruiz Miguel , Saldaña-Pérez Magdalena , Guzmán Sanchéz-Mejorada Carlos , Mata-Rivera Felix
Published: August 2023

This research uses the computing of conceptual distance to measure information content in Wikipedia categories. The proposed metric, generality, relates information content to conceptual distance by determining the ratio of information a concept provides to others compared to the information it receives. The DIS-C algorithm calculates generality values for each concept, considering each relationship's conceptual distance and distance weight. The findings of this study were compared to current methods in the field and found to be comparable to results obtained using the WordNet corpus. This method offers a new approach to measuring information content applied to any relationship or topology in conceptualization.
Seasonal Changes of Sea Ice Thickness in the Eastern Arctic Ocean Evident from Remotely Sensed and In-Situ Observations in 2013–2015
Authors: Pnyushkov Andrey V.
Published: August 2023

The study focuses on conducting a quantitative comparison of sea ice thickness data obtained through satellite-based remote sensing and in-situ observations in the eastern Arctic Ocean from September 2013 to September 2015 as part of the Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System (NABOS) program. Upward-looking sonar observations from an oceanographic mooring at the northern slope of the Laptev Sea (78°25’N, 125°04’E) were used for comparing instrumental measurements of ice thickness with data from the remotely sensed CryoSat-2 and CryoSat2/SMOS datasets. The comparison results indicate a significant tendency for satellite products to overes-timate sea ice thickness by more than 40 cm, particularly for moderate and thick ice conditions. Caution is advised when using these satellite-based measurements. Sea ice ridging is identified as one of the possible factors contributing to the observed discrepancy. The continental slope of the Laptev Sea experienced a prevalence of ridged ice over level ice during the period from 2013 to 2015. In the spring season (March-May), ridged ice was observed approximately 60% of the time, while level ice was observed around 40% of the time. However, the most significant relative contribution of ridging to ice thickness was observed during the initial ice formation period (from October through December) when sea ice is thin (<1 m). During these months, the relative difference between the mean and modal ice thickness, which reflects the mean variation between the deformed and thermodynamically grown level sea ice, could be as high as 70%.
Gut-Restricted Chitosan Nanogel Formulations of Antibiotics and Adjuvants (Terpenoids, Flavonoids, etc.) and Their Potential for the Treatment of Infectious Diseases of the Gastrointestinal Tract (Caused by H. pylori and E. coli, etc.)
Authors: Zlotnikov Igor Dmitrievich , Kudryashova Elena V.
Published: August 2023

Helicobacter pylori, a gram-negative bacteria usually found in stomach and first part of small intestine, is known to cause infections and ulcers and may have association with cancer. Normally, the treatment options include combinations of antibiotics with proton pump inhibitors and antiinflammatory drugs. However, all of them have high systemic exposure, and hence, unfavourable side effects, whereas their exposure in stomach mucus, the predominant location of the bacteria, is very limited. We have attempted to develop a predominantly gut-restricted formulations of antibiotic + adjuvant combinations as a basis for potentially more safe and efficacious treatment of gastrointestinal tract infections. We have considered E. coli (as a model of H. pylori) and Lactobacilli to study the antibacterial activity of nanogel with combined drugs (classical antibiotics and individual components of essential oils). It has been shown that levofloxacin (LF) in combination with zephirol demonstrates synergy effect against E. coli (cell viability has decreased by about 50%) and weakens the effect against Lactobacilli. A number of other combinations of antibiotic + adjuvant is also shown to be effective. Using FTIR and UV spectroscopy, it has been proved that chitosan nanogels with the drug are well adsorbed on the mucosal model, thereby increasing the bioavailability of drugs. Using ABTS assay, the antioxidant properties of flavonoids and other drugs are shown, which is potentially necessary to minimize the harmful effects of toxins and radicals produced by pathogens. Thus, chitosan nanogels loaded with a combination of drugs can be considered as a new strategy for the treatment of infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and applicable to difficult-to-treat bacteria.
Assessment of Machine Learning Algorithms in Predicting Air Entrainment Rates in a Confined Plunging Liquid Jet Reactor
Authors: Alazmi Asmaa , Al-Anzi Bader S.
Published: August 2023

: The effects of the main parameters on the air entrainment rate, Qa, were investigated experimentally in a confined plunging liquid jet reactor CPLJR. Various downcomer diameters (Dc), jet lengths (Lj), liquid volumetric flow rates (Qj), nozzle diameters (dn), and jet velocity (Vj) were used to measure air entrainment, Qa. The non-linear relationship between the air entrainment ratio and confined plunging jet reactor parameters suggests that applying unconventional regression algorithms to predict the air entrainment ratio is appropriate. This study applied machine learning algorithms to the confined plunging jet reactor parameters to predict Qa. The obtained results showed that K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN) gave the best prediction abilities, R2 = 0.900, RMSE = 0.069, and MAE = 0.052. The sensitivity analysis was applied to determine the most effective predictor. The liquid volumetric flow rate (Qj) and jet velocity (Vj) were the most influential among all the input variables. Our findings support using machine learning algorithms to accurately forecast the CPLJR system’s experimental results.
Intelligent and adaptive system for welding process automation
Authors: Aldalur Eider , Suarez Alfredo , Curiel David , Veiga Fernando , Villanueva Pedro
Published: August 2023

The automation of welding processes requires the use of automated systems and equipment, in many cases industrial robotic systems, to carry out welding processes that previously required human intervention. Automation in the industry offers numerous advantages, such as increased efficiency and productivity, cost reduction, improved product quality, increased flexibility and safety, and greater adaptability of companies to market changes. The field of welding automation is currently undergoing a period of profound changes due to a combination of technological, regulatory, and economic factors worldwide. Nowadays, the most relevant aspect of the welding industry is to meet customer requirements by satisfying their needs. To achieve this, the automation of the welding process through sensors and control algorithms ensures the quality of the parts and prevents errors such as porosity, unfused areas, deformations, excessive heat, etc. This paper proposes an intelligent and adaptive system based on the measurement of welding joints using laser scanning and the subsequent analysis of the obtained point cloud to adapt the welding trajectories.
Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Azo Compounds
Authors: Zhao Meng-Yun , Tang Yue-Feng , Han Guo-Zhi
Published: August 2023

Aromatic azo compounds have -N=N- double bonds as well as larger π electron conjugation system, which endows aromatic azo compounds with wide applications in the fields of functional materials. The properties of aromatic azo compounds are closely related to the substituents on their aromatic rings. However, traditional synthesis methods, such as the coupling of diazo salts, have a great limitation on the structural design of aromatic azo compounds. Therefore, many scientists have devoted their efforts to developing new synthetic methods. Moreover, recent advances in the synthesis of aromatic azo compounds led to the improvement of design and preparation of light-response materials at molecular level. This review summarizes the important synthetic progress of aromatic azo compounds in recent years, with an emphasis on the pioneering contribution of functional nanomaterials in the field.
Effect of Soil Drought Stress on Selected Biochemical Parameters and Yield of Oat × Maize Addition (OMA) Lines
Authors: Warzecha Tomasz , Bocianowski Jan , Warchoł Marzena , Bathelt Roman , Sutkowska Agnieszka , Skrzypek Edyta
Published: August 2023

The growth of plant and process of yield formation in crops are moderated by surrounding conditions as well as interaction of genetic background of plants and environment. In the last two decades significant changes in climate can be observed generating unfavorable and harmful impact on plant development. Drought stress can be considered as one of the most dangerous environmental factor influencing plant life cycle and decreasing production of biomass and finally the yield. Plants can react to water deficit in a wide degree what is dependent on the species, the genetic variability within the species, the phase of the plant ontogenesis, the intensity of stress, and other potential stress factors. In plants there can be observed hybrids between distinct taxa which exhibit certain traits adopted to tolerate stress conditions better than parental plants. Oat × maize addition (OMA) plants are good example of fertile hybrids with retained maize chromosomes as addition to complete oat genome. Hybrids generated via wide crossing can exhibit morphological, physiological and biochemical variations implemented by the occurrence of extra chromosomes of maize, as well as interaction of maize and oat chromatin. The molecular analysis indicated 12.5% OMA lines among all tested descendants of wide oat-maize crossing. On the fourteenth day of the drought, a significant effect of stress on the content of soluble sugars and phenolic compounds was observed, soil drought significantly reduced plant biomass above ground and several yield components. Less water lost revealed by results of the excised leaf water loss test was correlated with high yield of OMA lines. Phenolic compounds content might be used as biochemical indicator of plant drought tolerance since there were significant correlation with high kernel yields of plants subjected to drought stress.
Effect of the Polymer Composition on the Optical Properties of a New Aggregation-Induced Emission Fluorophore: A Combined Experimental and Computational Approach
Authors: Picchi Alberto , Wang Qinfan , Ventura Francesco , Micheletti Cosimo , Heijkoop Jesse , Picchioni Francesco , Ciofini Ilaria , Adamo Carlo , Pucci Andrea
Published: August 2023

Fluorophores with a tetraphenylethylene (TPE) core are attracting increasing interest because of their aggregation-induced emission (AIE) behaviour, which makes them particularly suitable when dispersed in thin-layer films. We propose the synthesis and use of a novel TPE fluorophore (hereafter called TPE-BPAN) decorated with two dimethylamino push groups and a 4-biphenylacetonitrile pull moiety. In tetrahydrofuran solutions, TPE-BPAN showed a broad absorption spectrum, and an intense emission is observed when a non-solvent as water is added in amounts of 70% and above. We selected and synthetized five different polymer matrices for TPE-BPAN with decreasing polarity: a) poly(methylmetacrylate) homopolymer (PMMA); b), c), and d) three copolymers of methyl methacrylate and cyclohexyl methacrylate at different compositions (P(MMA-co-CHMA) 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 mol%); e) poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate) homopolymer (PCHMA). The presence of a less polar comonomer as cyclohexyl methacrylate appeared to enhance the emission behaviour of TPE-BPAN, which displayed the highest quantum yield (QY) in P(MMA-co-CHMA) 75:25 in all the range of concentration studied from 0.4 wt.% to 2.0 wt.%. Further reduction in polarity lowered QY to the values of PMMA films; also, lower adhesion to the glass and a marked fragility of the films were observed. Referring to the P(MMA-co-CHMA) 75:25 films, QY values decreased from over 40% at 0.4 wt.% to about 30% at 2.0 wt.%, which is still helpful for energy harvesting applications such as luminescent solar concentrators (LSC). LSC performances were not significantly affected by the matrix's lower polarity and resulted in around one-third of the state-of-the-art due to the lower QY of TPE-BPAN. The theoretical investigation on density functional theory (DFT) clarified the origin of the observed AIE and the role played by the environment in modulating the photophysical behaviour.
A Blockchain Based Framework for Remote Sensing Data Management
Authors: Zou Quan , Yu Wenyang , Bao Ziwei
Published: August 2023

A large amount of raw data collected by satellites is processed by the production chain to obtain a large amount of product data, of which the secure exchange and storage is of interest to researchers in the field of remote sensing information science. Authentic, secure data is a critical foundation for data analysis and decision-making. And traditional centralized cloud computing systems are vulnerable to attacks, and once the central server is successfully attacked, all data will be lost. Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is an innovative computer technology that can ensure information security, traceability and tamper-proof, and can be applied to the field of remote sensing. Although there are many advantages to using DLT in remote sensing applications, there are some obstacles and limitations to its application. Remote sensing data has the characteristics of large data volume, spatiotemporal nature, global and so on, and it is difficult to store and interconnect remote sensing data in the blockchain. To address these issues, this paper proposes a trustworthy and decentralized system using blockchain. The novelty of this paper is to propose a multi-level blockchain architecture in which the system collects remote sensing data and stores it in the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) network, after generating the IPFS hash, the network rehashes the value again and uploads it on the Ethereum chain for public query. Distributed data storage improves data security, supports the secure exchange of information, and improves the efficiency of data management.
Identification and Fine Mapping of Osdsm3, a Drought-Sensitive Gene in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Deng Chenwei , Zhang Yingxin , Wang Beifang , Wang Hong , Xue Pao , Cao Yongrun , Sun Lianping , Cheng Shihua , Cao Liyong , Chen Daibo
Published: August 2023

Drought poses a significant constraint on rice production, and in this study, we have discovered a novel drought-sensitive mutant, designated as dsm3, arising from the progenies of indica rice variety Zhonghui8015 treated with EMS. Under drought stress conditions, dsm3 exhibited characteristic withered leaf tips, accompanied by increased levels of MDA and H2O2, reduced Pn, and decreased activity of POD and SOD. Genetic analysis revealed that the withered leaf tip phenotype was governed by a single recessive gene, designated as Osdsm3.To begin with, Osdsm3 was initially mapped to the short arm of chromosome 1 through a cross involving dsm3 and 02428. Subsequently, utilizing a population of 2591 F2 individuals, we narrowed down the location of Osdsm3 to a 78Kb interval, encompassing 13 open reading frames (ORFs). Sequencing analysis unveiled a mutation (1275G→A) in the exon of the candidate gene (LOC_Os01g10680), leading to premature translation termination. Moreover, a quantitative RT-PCR assay demonstrated high expression of OsDSM3 in the panicle and sheath, with a significant upregulation of drought stress-related genes under drought conditions. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that Osdsm3 shares evolutionary homology with UNE1, an intracellular transport protein found in Arabidopsis thaliana. Subcellular studies further confirmed that OsDSM3 resides in the cytoplasm. In conclusion, the forthcoming cloning of Osdsm3 holds promise for delving deeper into the molecular mechanisms governing rice drought resistance.
Non-Covalent Interactions between dUTP C5-Substituents and DNA Polymerase Result in a Decrease in PCR Efficiency
Authors: Zasedateleva Olga A. , Surzhikov Sergey A. , Kuznetsova Viktoriya E. , Shershov Valeriy E. , Barsky Victor E. , Zasedatelev Alexander S. , Chudinov Alexander V.
Published: August 2023

The approach based on molecular modeling was developed to study dNTP derivatives characterized by new polymerase-specific properties. For this purpose, the relative efficiency of PCR amplification with modified dUTPs was studied using Taq, Tth, Pfu, Vent, Deep Vent, Vent (exo-), and Deep Vent (exo-) DNA polymerases. The efficiency of PCR amplification with modified dUTPs was compared with the results of molecular modeling using the known 3D structures of KlenTaq polymerase–DNA–dNTP complexes. The dUTPs were C5-modified with bulky functional groups (the Cy5 dye analogs) or lighter aromatic groups. Comparing the experimental data and the results of molecular modeling revealed the decrease of PCR efficiency in the presence of modified dUTPs with an increase in the number of non-covalent bonds between the substituents and the DNA polymerase (about 15% decrease per one extra non-covalent bond). Generalization of the revealed patterns to all the studied polymerases of the A and B families is discussed herein. The number of non-covalent bonds between the substituents and polymerase amino acid residues is proposed to be a potentially variable parameter for regulating enzyme activity.
First-Principles Investigation of Size Effects on Cohesive Energies of Transition-Metal Nanoparticles
Authors: Vig Amogh , Doan Ethan , Yang Kesong
Published: August 2023

The cohesive energy of transition metal nanoparticles is crucial to understanding their stability and fundamental properties, which are essential for developing new technologies and applications in fields such as catalysis, electronics, energy storage, and biomedical engineering. In this study, we systematically investigate the size-dependent cohesive energies of all the 3d, 4d, and 5d transition-metal nanoparticles using first-principles density functional theory calculations. Our results show that the cohesive energies of nanoparticles decrease with decreasing size due to the increased surface-to-volume ratio and quantum confinement effects. We also find that the size-dependent cohesive energy trends are different for different transition metals, with some metals exhibiting stronger size effects than others. Our findings provide insights into the fundamental properties of transition-metal nanoparticles and have potential implications for their applications in various fields such as catalysis, electronics, and biomedical engineering.
An Effective Approach for Stepping-Stone Intrusion Detection Resistant to Intruders’ Chaff-Perturbation via Packet Crossover
Authors: Wang Lixin , Yang Jianhua , Kim Jae , Wan Peng-Jun
Published: August 2023

Today’s intruders usually send attacking commands to a target system through several stepping-stone hosts, in order to reduce the chance of being detected. With stepping-stone intrusion (SSI), the intruder’s identity is hidden behind a long interactive chain of hosts and very hard to detect. An effective approach for SSI detection (SSID) is to estimate the length of the chain. This type of method is called network-based SSID. Most existing network-based SSID worked effectively only when intruders’ session manipulation was not present. These known SSID algorithms are either weak to resist intruders’ chaff-perturbation manipulation or having very limited capability in resisting attacker’s session manipulation. This paper develops a novel network-based SSID algorithm resistant to intruders’ chaff-perturbation by using packet crossover. Our proposed SSID algorithm is simple and easy to implement as the number of packet crossovers can be easily computed. We conduct rigorous technical proofs to verify the correctness of our proposed algorithm. The experimental results show that our proposed SSID algorithm works effectively and perfectly in resisting intruders’ chaff-perturbation up to 50% chaff rate.
Impact of Treatment with Ustekinumab in Severe Infections in a Patient with Uncontrolled Psoriasis and Late-Onset Combined Primary Immunodeficiency: Case Report
Authors: Prestes-Carneiro Luiz Euribel , Morgado de Abreu Marilda Aparecida Milanez , Roncada Eduardo Vinicius Mendes , Muchon Diego Garcia , Caliani Fernanda Miranda , Vasconcelos Dewton Moraes
Published: August 2023

A 35-year-old man with a late-onset combined immunodeficiency (LOCID) variant of common variable immunodeficiency, severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and Crohn's disease attended Regional Hospital of Presidente Prudente and HC-FMUSP, São Paulo, Brazil. Anti-IL-12/IL-23 (ustekinumab) monoclonal antibody was prescribed due to failure of other treatments (phototherapy, oral acitretin) for psoriasis and Psoriasis Area Severity Index <10. We evaluated the impact of ustekinumab, a potent immunosuppressor, on the risk of infectious diseases in this patient followed for 8 years. Four quarterly doses of ustekinumab 90 mg and human immunoglobulin replacement (10,000 mg at 28-day intervals) were administered. Immunophenotyping, culture of lymphocytes, genetic sequencing, and whole exome sequencing were performed to investigate the primary immunodeficiency. Normal lymphocyte proliferation, absence of pathogenic variants in the genes analyzed and no clinically significant variants were detected in the whole exome. The main infections included chronic sinusitis, tonsillitis, fungal and bacterial otitis, gastroenteritis, and community-acquired pneumonia. The patient was infected with COVID-19, dengue (twice), and influenza and was hospitalized three times for intravenous antibiotic therapy. Ustekinumab did not influence susceptibility to severe infections and significantly improved psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and Crohn's disease in a patient with LOCID.
Early Tibial Baseplate Fracture After Medial Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Torre Barrett B. , Pavano Colin , Connors John Patrick , Silver Jacob , Bellas Nicholas , Shekhman Mark , Solovyova Olga
Published: August 2023

Case:

Implant failure after unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a rare but well-described complication in the arthroplasty literature. However, there is a paucity of literature regarding rapid catastrophic failure of modern implant designs. This is a case report of 2 patients with early catastrophic failure of the tibial baseplate after UKA with a Stryker Restoris MultiCompartmental Knee System implant using Mako robotic assistance, both requiring revision to total knee arthroplasty.

Conclusion:

Improved awareness and understanding of early UKA tibial baseplate failure may help identify both patient and surgical risk factors that could help prevent further instances in the future.
Heterotopic Ossification Remodeling After Acetabular Surgery
Authors: Kent Suzanne E. , Ryan Scott P.
Published: August 2023

Case:

A 30-year-old woman presented with a transverse plus posterior wall acetabular fracture and underwent operative fixation through a Kocher-Langenbeck approach. Shared decision was made for no heterotopic ossification (HO) prophylaxis. The patient developed symptomatic HO and was scheduled for resection, which was delayed because of the pandemic. She returned with interval remodeling of HO and symptom resolution. No surgery was required.

Conclusion:

HO is a common complication after acetabular injury. Resection is the treatment of choice for symptomatic HO. We are not aware of other reports of spontaneous remodeling of symptomatic HO such that it no longer required surgery.
In Situ Stabilization of the Ulnar Nerve as an Alternative to Transposition in Traumatic Ulnar Nerve Instability
Authors: Voerman Samgar Frederik , Degreef Ilse
Published: August 2023

Case:

We present the case of a 25-year-old male sports climber treated with in situ ulnar nerve stabilization for ulnar nerve instability (UNI) by using 2 fascial flaps.

Conclusion:

Symptomatic UNI has traditionally been managed with subcutaneous or submuscular ulnar nerve transposition. Transposition is relatively invasive and when performed subcutaneously, embeds the ulnar nerve in an exposed location, which may render it prone to mechanical injury in physically active patients. In situ stabilization may be a less invasive alternative to transposition in select patients involved in sports such as rock climbing.
Superior Sternoclavicular Dislocation Treated with Costoclavicular Ligament Reconstruction Using Autograft
Authors: Mamarelis Georgios , Goldring Michael Andrew , Srikantharajah Delukshan , Tytherleigh-Strong Graham
Published: August 2023

Case:

We describe a case of a traumatic superior dislocation of the sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) due to an isolated rupture of the costoclavicular ligament (CCL). A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan demonstrated the CCL rupture with preservation of the anterior and posterior SCJ ligaments. This was successfully treated with an isolated hamstring tendon reconstruction of the CCL, resulting in a satisfactory outcome at 1 year after the procedure.

Conclusion:

Isolated CCL reconstruction with a hamstring tendon in a patient with a superior SCJ dislocation provided a satisfactory outcome.
The Prevention of Cult-Religious II Victimization
Authors:   Korean Association of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, Lee Bong-Han
Published: August 2023

Cult or Cultic religious organizations are showing the evils of ruling like God’s representative by putting authority rather than equality. This is the background of “crime laundering” such as sexual violence, property theft, spiritual abuse, exploitation of labor, and violence and It is the cause of anti-democratic religious activities including prohibition of love within the community and blocking the outside world. The reality is that victims of cult religious crimes do not recognize themselves as victims or even if they do, they take care of themselves and remain silent, calling the damages they have suffered their own fault. From the perspective of believers, there is no opportunity or qualification to judge whether that the cultic leader claims is truly God’s order, and even withdrawal from cult is not free for a variety of reasons. Among the issues related to the damage of cult crimes, the protection of religious II is particularly urgent. It is difficult to see only negatively that parents attract children who lack the ability to make decisions by discriminating things on their own. However, the issue of Religious II, which is unilaterally damaged by the vaporization of parents’ faith, is urgently needed by the state in terms of religious abuse, as can be seen through media reports. Religious II has a dual victim status as a victim of cult religion and a victim of parents who are believers at the same time. Even if religious II is separated from cult religion, it is not easy to reset the relationship between parents. This study examined several cases of damage due to cult religious group, and proposed enactment of anti-cult laws and corporate tax laws, revision of child welfare laws, standards for judging cult groups, religious literacy education, critical media monitoring and self-help groups support.
Pros and Cons of Deterrence Theory
Authors:   Korean Association of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, Min Heungki , Jeon Yong Jae
Published: August 2023

This study was conducted to critically examine the effectiveness of deterrence theory. Deterrence theory, which assumes a criminal's rational thinking, argues that if the benefit of the crime exceeds the cost, crime will be a normal and rational choice for everyone. Accordingly, deterrence theory predicts that recidivism and first-time crimes are prevented only when punishment is set above the benefit of crime or social harm. However, an individual's perception of criminal damage or social harm is considered one of the sufficient conditions for fear of crime. The more positively one evaluates the level of physical and mental damage caused by crime, the greater the fear of crime. If the severity of punishment reflects the social harm of the crime, it was judged that the severity would stimulate the fear of crime. The tool to prevent actual crimes rather produces a wide range of crime victims. In order to verify the assumption of the researcher, multiple regression analysis was conducted using data collected from 815 adult men and women. As a result of the analysis, the certainty of punishment had a positive(+) effect on fear of crime, while the severity of punishment had a negative(-) effect on it, confirming the side effects of severity. Based on the results, this study proposed a check on the trend of severe punishment and a critical review of criminology theory.
Cardiovascular disease in Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency: an observational study assessing the role of neutrophil proteinase activity and the suitability of validated screening tools.
Authors: Sapey Elizabeth , Crowley Louise Elizabeth , Edgar R G , Griffiths D. , Samanta Sandip , Crisford Helena , Bolton Charlotte E , Hurst John R , Stockley Robert A
Published: August 2023

Background:Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) is a rare, inherited lung disease which shares features with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) but has a greater burden of proteinase related tissue damage. These proteinases are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the general population. It is unclear whether patients with AATD have a greater risk of CVD compared to usual COPD, how best to screen for this, and whether neutrophil proteinases are implicated in AATD-associated CVD. This study had three aims. To compare CVD risk in never-augmented AATD patients to non-AATD COPD and healthy controls (HC). To assess relationships between CVD risk and lung physiology. To determine if neutrophil proteinase activity was associated with CVD risk in AATD. Cardiovascular risk was assessed by QRISK2® score and aortic stiffness measurements using carotid-femoral (aortic) pulse wave velocity (aPWV). Medical history, computed tomography scans and post-bronchodilator lung function parameters were reviewed. Systemic proteinase 3 activity was measured. Patients were followed for 4 years, to assess CVD development.Results:228 patients with AATD, 50 with non-AATD COPD and 51 healthy controls were recruited. In all COPD and HC participants, QRISK2® and aPWV gave concordant results (with both measures either high or in the normal range). This was not the case in AATD. Once aPWV was adjusted for age and smoking history, aPWV was highest and QRISK2® lowest in AATD patients compared to the COPD or HC participants. Higher aPWV was associated with impairments in lung physiology, the presence of emphysema on CT scan and proteinase 3 activity following adjustment for age, smoking status and traditional CVD risk factors (using QRISK2® scores) in AATD. There were no such relationships with QRISK2® in AATD. AATD patients with confirmed CVD at four-year follow up had a higher aPWV but not QRISK2® at baseline assessment.Conclusion:aPWV measured CVD risk is elevated in AATD. This risk is not captured by QRISK2®. There is a relationship between aPWV, lung disease and proteinase-3 activity. Proteinase-driven breakdown of elastin fibres in large arteries and lungs is a putative mechanism and forms a potential therapeutic target for CVD in AATD.
Wireless Controlled Anti-Theft Automobiles
Authors: Ganesan Indumathi , T Dhabasvini , G Shangeetha
Published: August 2023

In Current society, Wireless communication plays a major role in many applications such as broadcasting information, personal communication, and vehicle maintenance. Vehicle security also plays a major role in wireless communication. The main issue affecting people in society is Vehicle theft. According to 2021 statistics, out of 1 lakh stolen vehicles, only 10% are ever found in India. The current systems access the vehicle using a key and a remote. There are several locations with CCTV cameras that are utilized to find stolen vehicles, but not in every place. Even after a theft, having control over the car and knowing where it helps speed up the recovery process. The proposed system is to access the vehicle using a recognized fingerprint and find the location of the vehicle using GPS and send the location to a mobile phone using GSM. It also controls the speed of the motor using GSM through normal messages. The system created can aid in the recovery of a stolen vehicle  because it is dependable, affordable, and user-friendly.
Multi-Objective Clustering Algorithm using Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) Operator for Heterogeneous WSN
Authors: Rajpoot Prince , Avtar Ram , Pandey Amit Kumar , Chandel Vishal Singh , Yadhuvanshi Ritika , Srivast Vikas
Published: August 2023

Wireless Sensor Networks have become a vast field of study. In the past few years, it has been seen that the use of wireless sensor networks in various fields, such as health monitoring, landslide detection, agriculture field, etc., is increased. In such real-life applications, many sensor nodes are required for monitoring and collecting data from the environment, and these sensor nodes work autonomously. The network of complete sensor nodes that works on an application is termed WSN. In a WSN, clustering refers to dividing the sensor nodes into several groups called clusters. A cluster head is selected among all clusters, temporarily acting as the particular cluster's base station. This cluster head is chosen based on several factors, including the node's residual energy, distance from the base station, and distance from other sensor nodes. Mainly the cluster head is responsible for increasing the efficiency and scalability of the entire network. Utilizing the Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) operator, we have suggested an algorithm for cluster head selection that works better and uses less energy during data transmission. Simulation results showed that our suggested algorithm outperforms others and extends network lifetime by 5–12%.
Comparison of Median and Intermediate Approach in the Ultrasound-Guided Sacral Erector Spinae Plane Block: A Cadaveric and Radiologic Study
Authors: KELEŞ Bilge OLGUN , SALMAN Necati , YILMAZ Elvan TEKİR , BİRİNCİ Habip Resul , APAN Alparslan , İNCE Selami , ÖZYAŞAR Ali Faruk , UZ Aysun
Published: August 2023

Backgrounds:
Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has become very popular for post-operative and chronic pain management. ESPB applications sacral area procedures have been named 'sacral ESPB’. This study is aimed to conduct a cadaveric study to determine how local anesthesia was distributed at median and intermediate approaches of the sacral region ESPB procedures.
Materials and Methods:
Four cadavers were grouped into two groups; median and intermediate approaches. An ultrasound-guided ESPB was performed with a mixture of radiocontrast and dye. After the distribution of the solution was observed by computed tomography, cadavers were dissected in order to observe the dye spread in the groups.
Results:
CT Images of the median group demonstrated subcutaneous pooling of contrast agents between S1 and S5 horizontal planes. Contrast agent passing from the sacral foramina to the anterior of the sacrum via spinal nerves was also observed between S2-S5. In the intermediate group contrast distribution was observed along the bilateral erector spinae muscle between L2-S3 horizontal planes, and no anterior transition was detected.
Dissection findings in the median group, methylene blue spread was observed in the subcutaneous tissue area between the S1-S5 horizontal planes. There was no methylene blue solution spread under the superficial fascia or the muscle plane. In the intermediate group, the red-colored radiocontrast solution was detected between the L2-S3 intervertebral levels in the erector spinae muscle group.
Conclusion:
Radiocontrast dye was detected at superficial and erector spinae compartments respectively at median and intermediate cadaver groups both radiological and anatomically. The anterior transition of the radiocontrast was detected in only the median cadaver group.
Clinical Trial: Karadeniz Technical University Ethics Approval No: 2022/229, ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05716061
Performance Analysis of NOMA System with QoS-Guarantee Scheme
Authors: Bisen Shubham , Bhatia Vimal , Mishra Amit Kumar , Choi Kwonhue
Published: August 2023

With an objective of connecting everyone and everything in beyond 5th-generation and 6th-generation wireless communication systems, there is a need for scalability in the access network. Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is considered as one of the leading, prominent, and promising technology to provide a solution for massive connectivity with superior spectrum efficiency and user fairness. NOMA simultaneously serves multiple users in a single resource block, thereby resulting in unrestricted, however controlled inter-user interference. To detect users’ symbols, NOMA employs successive interference cancellation at the receiver. However, inter-user interference is unavoidable in NOMA and thus results in performance degradation. This work proposes a simple yet effective scheme for the downlink NOMA that guarantees users’ quality of service by minimizing inter-user interference. Closed-form expressions for outage probability under the assumption of imperfect channel state information (CSI) with hardware impairment (HI) are derived to facilitate the performance evaluation of the proposed scheme. Expression of outage probability for two users under the assumption of perfect CSI without HI is also presented. Monte Carlo simulations are used to validate the derived analytical expressions.
An Efficient Blockchain-based Access Control Framework for IoT-Healthcare System
Authors: RAJ ANU , Prakash Shiva
Published: August 2023

Nowadays, the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) framework in various healthcare industries has grown rapidly in the recent years. The IoT devices generates huge amount of data which are often sensitive, such as personal health information. It is mandatory to ensure that this data is protected from unauthorized access and use. However, the resource-constrained nature of these devices can make it difficult to implement robust security measures, such as encryption and authentication. Blockchain is a promising approach for the secure management of medical record in immutable way. This problem can be resolved with ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption, which allows granular access control. The local gateways that are directly interfaced to the Ethereum blockchain-based smart contract platform are utilised to create and implement a distributed and dependable user authentication and access control mechanism for smart based healthcare. In this paper, the use of a DBC-based CP-ABE approach offers a secure and decentralized solution for secure communication and data protection, and providing a more secure and trustworthy system. The proposed system is based on the idea of an Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC)-based CP-ABE method reduce complexity and provide data security in remote patient monitoring. On the other hand, blockchain-based smart contracts offer a dynamic, optimal, and self-adjusted access control in smart healthcare system. It lowers the overhead associated with conducting resource-intensive authentication procedures and blockchain communications at IoT devices. The result shows the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in terms of computation and processing time as well as its resistance to several security intrusions over existing schemes.