bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solvothermal synthesis of rhombic shape GdF3:Tb3+ nanoparticles for biomedical applications
Authors: Kuchma E. A. , Polozhentsev O. E. , Pankin I. A. , Bulgakov A. N. , Rud P. A. , Soldatov A.  V.
Published: June 2023

Purpose of the study. In this work, we have investigated the mechanism of structure formation of GdF3:Tb3+(15 %) nanocrystals synthesized by solvothermal synthesis in the temperature range from RT to 200 °C with a step of 50 °C.

Materials and methods. Nanocrystals of GdF3:Tb3+(15 %) were synthesized by the solvothermal method using a high-pressure reactor (autoclave) designed for temperatures up to 250 °C. The structure, size and morphology were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the type of crystal lattice and the size of crystallites of nanoparticles were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), hydrodynamic size of nanoparticles, particle size distribution, ζ-potential, agglomeration of nanoparticles in colloidal solutions were determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS), the chemical composition of the nanocrystals surface was studied by Fourier-t ransform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR), the nanoparticles ability to absorb UV radiation was analyzed by UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL).

Results. With an increase in the temperature of the synthesis reaction, a structural change in the crystallites phase occurs from hexagonal to orthorhombic. At low temperatures, agglomerated particles consisting of hexagonal nanocrystals are formed, while at a temperature higher than the boiling point of the solvent, monodisperse rhombic- shaped nanoparticles with orthorhombic phase are formed. At mild temperatures, agglomerated particles with different morphology and with mixed hexagonal and orthorhombic phases are formed. Based on the analysis of X-ray spectrum, it was found that the size of GdF3:Tb3+(15 %) nanocrystals varies from 10 to 50 nm for different synthesis temperature conditions (T = RT, 50 °C, 100 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C). The hydrodynamic size of nanoparticles decreases with increasing synthesis temperature. All GdF3:Tb3+(15 %) nanocrystals obtained at different temperatures are transparent to visible light and absorb UV radiation. Absorption in the UV region increases with an increase in the size of particle crystallites. Upon X-ray irradiation of the colloidal GdF3:Tb3+(15 %) solution, X-ray excited optical luminescence spectra showed emission peaks at 490 nm, 543 nm, 585 nm and 620 nm.

Conclusion. The mechanism of structure formation of rhombic‑ shaped GdF3:Tb3+(15 %) nanocrystals has been investigated. These monodisperse rhombic- shaped nanoparticles can be used for X-ray induced photodynamic therapy (X-PDT) of superficial, solid and deep-seated tumors.
A meta-analysis of cholesteryl ester transfer protein(CETP) gene rs708272(G>A) polymorphism in association with cornoary heart disease risk
Authors:   Nanjing Medical University, Zhang Ruizhe , Xie Qingya
Published: June 2023

Review question / Objective: To seek the association of the CETP rs708272 polymorphism with CHD.To figure out if the carriers of allele rs708272-A reduce or increase the risk of CHD in comparison with carriers of allele rs708272-G under allele model, dominant model and recessive model. Condition being studied: The inclusion criteria of CHD:(1)the presence of stenosis≥50% in a minimum of one main segment of coronary arteries (the right coronary artery, left circumfex, or left anterior descending arteries) by coronary angiography.(2) symptoms representing angina pectoris, electrocardiographic changes, and elevations of cardiac enzymes based on the criteria of the World Health Organization. (3) a certifed record of coronary artery bypass graft or percutaneous coronary intervention were included in the study.The exclusion criteria of CHD :patients with congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and valvular disease.Controls:the same populations as the cases and specifed to be without CAD, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and peripheral atherosclerotic arterial disease.
Impacto del sistema intensivo de cultivar arroz (SICA) en el Ecuador
Authors: Valdiviezo Freire Eison Wilfrido , Celi Herán Roberto Evaristo , Vivas Vivas María Leticia
Published: June 2023

El presente estudio presenta una investigación bibliográfica de trabajos realizados por instituciones de enseñanza superior en el Ecuador sobre el Sistema Intensivo de Cultivar Arroz (SICA). A esta investigación se le añadió la experiencia de los autores siguiendo una secuencia por objetivos. SICA es una práctica de cultivo amigable con el medio ambiente que, a pesar de haber sido introducida en el 2004 y respaldada por varios trabajos de investigación, no ha sido muy difundida entre pequeños y medianos productores. Debido a las posibilidades que SICA ofrece para obtener altos rendimientos de grano, este estudio plantea las siguientes preguntas: ¿Qué se ha investigado en el país sobre el sistema SICA? y ¿Por qué no ha tenido un mayor impacto en su adopción por parte de los productores a pesar de haber sido introducida hace casi dos décadas? Se han realizado estudios comparativos del sistema SICA con el tradicional y se ha demostrado que se adapta muy bien en suelos de diversa textura, sobresaliendo cuando se cultivan en suelos francos. Sin embargo, falta investigación sobre frecuencias de riego intermitente, costos comparativos con el sistema tradicional y validación de tecnologías generadas localmente. Estas últimas pueden ser adaptadas a distintas condiciones agroecológicas (en invierno y verano) como también a dominios de recomendación de los productores arroceros.
Bioseguridad Hospitalaria
Authors: Serna Almeida Magdalena Estefanía , Benítez Castro Hendry Cruder , Pérez Viamontes Alexis Alcides , Rosero Plaza Nicolás Andrés
Published: June 2023

Esta guía de Bioseguridad Hospitalaria se desarrolla en el período académico abril – septiembre 2020 como material docente para los alumnos del curso de Bioseguridad del Cuarto semestre de la carrera de tecnología en Enfermería del Instituto Superior Tecnológico José Chiriboga Grijalva, con unidad de formación de tipo integración curricular, para ser utilizado en el aprendizaje teórico y práctico. La Bioseguridad Hospitalaria es una disciplina de enorme trascendencia en las profesiones sanitarias dada la importancia que hoy día tiene. Utiliza los principios de bioseguridad, en la correcta aplicación de las técnicas de descontaminación, limpieza, desinfección, esterilización y adecuada eliminación de los residuos hospitalarios según normas.
Investigación Operativa
Authors: Rodríguez Yar Edison Robinson , Lara Ascuntar César Augusto , Zambrano Chávez Washington Xavier , Rosero Plaza Nicolás Andrés
Published: June 2023

La asignatura de Investigación Operativa se encuentra ubicada en el cuarto período académico de la carrera de Tecnología Superior en Administración; en el sexto período académico de la carrera de Tecnología Superior en Administración de Empresas y; en el quinto período académico de la carrera de Tecnología Superior en Informática. Esta asignatura en todas las carreras pertenece a la Unidad de organización curricular profesional. Al término de la asignatura, el estudiante debe: Utilizar modelos matemáticos, estadística y algoritmos para maximizar los beneficios o minimizar el uso de recursos empresariales, para aportar al proceso de toma de decisiones, objetivo que se verá reflejado en el cumplimiento de los resultados de aprendizaje planteados para cada unidad de estudio; así: deberá describir las variables que intervienen en el modelo matemático para la solución de problemas; Utilizar la programación lineal para la solución de problemas de maximización de utilidades y minimización en el uso de recursos empresariales; emplear el modelo de redes para descubrir la ruta crítica en la administración de proyectos y, como resultado de aprendizaje actitudinal, Acepta la necesidad de optimizar los recursos empresariales para generar empresas eficientes. El logro de estos resultados de aprendizaje, permite que la Investigación de Operaciones como ciencia tenga importancia de su estudio ya que, hoy en día y desde hace algunas décadas ha sido una herramienta de máxima efectividad que ayuda en diversas áreas, pero especialmente en la Administración de organizaciones en la aplicación del método científico a problemas reales, relacionados con problemas organizacionales, con el objetivo de producir soluciones que ayuden a dos cosas: maximizar las ganancias, utilidades y la satisfacción de nuestros clientes y/o minimizar costos, distancias y tiempos como recursos de la empresa. En este contexto, la asignatura en su unidad uno prevé el estudio de los conocimientos teóricos básicos que van desde los conceptos hasta el proceso general que utiliza la IO en la construcción y solución de modelos matemáticos. La unidad dos engloba el estudio de la programación lineal en el uso de los métodos algebraico y gráfico para la solución de problemas de maximización de utilidades y minimización en el uso de recursos empresariales. La unidad tres engloba el estudio del método simplex para la solución de problemas de maximización de utilidades y minimización en el uso de recursos empresariales y, finalmente, la unidad cuatro, engloba el uso de redes PERT en la determinación de la ruta crítica para la administración de proyectos empresariales.
Actualizaciones De Urgencias Cardiológicas – Tomo 1
Authors: Lapo Calderon Claudia Alejandra
Published: June 2023

Actualizaciones De Urgencias Cardiológicas – Tomo 1
Libro de Autoría “Aportes de Estudios Centrados en el Medio Ambiente y La Ecología” Vol. 1 Núm. 3
Authors: ortega Rolando
Published: June 2023

Libro de Autoría “Aportes de Estudios Centrados en el Medio Ambiente y La Ecología” Vol. 1 Núm. 3
Monoclonal antibodies treatment for Alzheimer’s dementia – a literature review
Authors:   “Prof. Dr. A. Obregia” Psychiatric Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, Horosan Lavinia , Nistor Diana-Elena ,   “Prof. Dr. A. Obregia” Psychiatric Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, Zaharia Stefan ,   “Prof. Dr. A. Obregia” Psychiatric Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
Published: June 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the leading causes of death and disability among older people globally, is the most common form of dementia. The accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain leads to synaptic and neuronal loss, causing cognitive impairment and functional decline. Current treatment options, such as cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists, provide partial symptomatic relief but do not alter disease progression. Monoclonal antibodies targeting amyloid-β (Aβ) have emerged as potential disease-modifying therapies by promoting the clearance of Aβ plaques. This paper reviews recent scientific literature and ongoing clinical trials related to monoclonal antibody treatments for AD. Aducanumab, Bapineuzumab, Gantenerumab, Lecanemab, and Solanezumab are among the most discussed monoclonal antibodies. Aducanumab, which has received accelerated approval from the FDA, demonstrates efficacy in reducing Aβ plaques but has generated controversy due to differing opinions among regulatory agencies. Adverse reactions, particularly amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), are associated with monoclonal antibody treatment. However, more extensive trials are required to establish their long-term safety and efficacy. Overall, monoclonal antibodies represent a potential breakthrough in AD treatment, although their use outside the US remains uncertain. Ongoing research and clinical trials are essential for further understanding and validating the efficacy and safety of these novel therapies.
Multiple sclerosis and its psychiatric symptomatology – a case report
Authors:   “Prof. Dr. A. Obregia” Psychiatric Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, Horosan Lavinia , Nistor Diana-Elena ,   “Prof. Dr. A. Obregia” Psychiatric Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, Teacoe Ioana ,   “Prof. Dr. A. Obregia” Psychiatric Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
Published: June 2023

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease with motor, cognitive, and other neuropsychiatric manifestations. Cognitive symptoms include impairments in attention, information processing efficiency and speed, executive functions, and long-term memory. Cognitive impairments are independent of the duration of the disease and are very little associated with neurological manifestations. Most MS patients need psychiatric treatment, usually for a cognitive or an affective disorder. Therapeutic management includes treatment of acute exacerbations, symptomatic treatment, and disease-modifying treatment/biological therapies. This case presentation aims to emphasize the need for interdisciplinary collaboration between psychiatrists and neurologists when facing the psychiatric manifestations of MS. Our patient is a 52-years old man who presented to our clinic with suicidal ideation with plan and method, depressive mood, multiple delusions, affective inversion towards family members, severe anxiety, and irritability, symptoms that led to significantly diminished functionality. He also presents neurological symptoms with severe damage to the motor area. MS is a chronic, progressive disease with well-known neurological symptoms. However, the psychiatric manifestations are often overlooked. MS is thought to be an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath that protects nerve fibers, resulting in inflammation and damage, eventually leading to a loss of function. The psychiatric manifestations of MS can be just as debilitating as the physical symptoms and significantly reduce the quality of life. Therefore, an interdisciplinary approach between specialists in psychiatry and neurology is often needed to provide patients with the most appropriate medical care.
Post-surgical acute psychotic episode – case report
Authors:   “Prof. Dr. A. Obregia” Psychiatric Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, Horosan Lavinia , Saftencu Mihai ,   “Prof. Dr. A. Obregia” Psychiatric Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, Corban Mihai ,   “Prof. Dr. A. Obregia” Psychiatric Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
Published: June 2023

Brief psychotic disorders (BPD) are amid the most severe and burdening diagnostics, despite their low incidence. Among them, secondary somatic-associated BPD are real clinical challenges. Post-surgical and post-anesthetic psychotic episodes usually occur in a delirium context. A.A., a 70-years old patient without prior psychiatric history, diagnosed with laryngeal cancer three years ago, undergoes a major curative surgical procedure (total laryngectomy). Afterwards, the patient starts developing psychotic symptoms. His family requests a psychiatric evaluation, and the patient is urgently admitted to our ward. During hospitalization, in order to make a differential diagnosis, several clinical and paraclinical investigations are performed. After gathering all the data, we reach the BPD in post-surgical context diagnosis. Psychopharmacological treatment is initiated (Risperidone, Sertraline, Valproic acid) with favorable evolution. Diagnostic challenges associated with post-surgical or post-anesthetic BPD, especially in elderly patients, demand to investigate multifactorial etiology related to the initial disease, surgery, anesthesia, and possible onset of a neuropsychiatric disorder triggered by this context. In this situation, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary to offer adequate medical care and increase patients’ quality of life.
TPOT-MTR: A Multiple Target Regression Based on Genetic Algorithm of Automated Machine Learning Systems
Authors: Hanafi Majid  , Syahid Anuar  , Noor Hafizah Hassan
Published: June 2023

The concept that a cross correlation might improve prediction error underpins machine learning algorithms for multi-target regression (MTR). Numerous MTR approaches have been created in recent years, however there are still uncertainties concerning how their performances are impacted by dataset properties such as linearity, number of targets, and cross correlational complexity. In order to contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between dataset properties and MTR methods, authors proposed a new model of TPOT-MTR, which its result will be compared to previously generated 33 synthetic datasets with controlled characteristics and tested their performance against other two MTR methods, Random Forest and SVM. The results demonstrated that TPOT-MTR approaches could enhance performance even in datasets with non-linearly correlated targets, although the prediction improvement varies depending on the method and regressor combinations used.
Human Detection from Drone using You Only Look Once (YOLOv5) for Search and Rescue Operation
Authors: Fadhlan Hafizhelmi Kamaru Zaman  , Nooritawati Md Tahir  , Yusnani Mohd Yusoff  , Norashikin M. Thamrin  , Ahmad Hafizam Hasmi
Published: June 2023

Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that can be remotely operated to perform a variety of tasks. They have been used in search and rescue operations since the early 2000s and have proven to be invaluable tools for quickly locating missing persons in difficult terrain and environment. In certain cases, automated human detection on drone camera feed can help the responder to locate the victims more effectively. In this work, we propose the use of a deep learning method called You Only Look Once version 5, or YOLOv5. The YOLOv5 model is trained using data collected during a simulation of search and rescue operations, where mannequins were used to represent human victims. Video was acquired using DJI Matrice 300 drone with Zenmuse H20T camera which flew around an area with various terrains such as farms, ravines, and river of more than 15,000 m2, at a height of 40 meters. The drone used grid, circular and zigzag flying patterns, with three different levels of camera zooms, and the data was captured on different days and times. The total duration of the video collected at 1080p@30fps is 148 minutes 26 seconds. Five pretrained models of YOLOv5 with different complexities were trained and tested using this dataset. Results showed that pretrained yolov5l6 model delivered the best precision, recall and mAP50 rate at 0.668, 0.303 and 0.346 respectively. Besides, the experiment also showed that we can improve the overall performance by using images acquired at 6x zoom magnification level where precision, recall, and mAP50 rate are increased to 0.846, 0.543, and 0.591 respectively. yolov5l6 model also delivered an acceptable inference time of 43ms per 1920x1080 resolution image, thus it can run at a respectable 23fps.
Hybrid Multilayer Perceptron Network for Explosion Blast Prediction
Authors: Muhamad Hadzren Mat  , Prakash Nagappan  , Fakroul Ridzuan Hashim  , Khairol Amali Ahmad  , Mohd Sharil Saleh  , Khalid Isa  , Khaleel Ahmad
Published: June 2023

For decades, scientists have studied the blast wave profile produced by an explosive detonation. Based on a significant amount of experimental data, the blast wave propagation profile has been predicted under given parameters. However, most studies have only looked at the central point of initiation for spherical form explosives. The purpose of this research is to compare the prediction performance of blast peak overpressure based on type of explosive, shape of explosive and point of detonation. The blast profiles of Emulex and PE-4, as well as to develop a prediction model using a Hybrid Multilayer Perceptron (HMLP) network. This experiment, which began at a distance of 1.2 m from the ground, employed a total of 500 grams of military explosive and Emulex. At distances of 0.5 m, 1.0 m, 1.5 m, 2.0 m, 2.5 m, 3.0 m, 3.5 m and 4.0 m, the bomb was exploded. The Bayesian Regularization (BR) training algorithm is the best training algorithm for modelling Explosive Blast Prediction.
Comparison Method Q-Learning and SARSA for Simulation of Drone Controller using Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Mohamad Hafiz Abu Bakar  , Abu Ubaidah bin Shamsudin  , Ruzairi Abdul Rahim  , Zubair Adil Soomro  , Andi Adrianshah
Published: June 2023

Nowadays, the advancement of drones is also factored in the development of a world surrounded by technologies. One of the aspects emphasized here is the difficulty of controlling the drone, and the system developed is still under full control by the users as well. Reinforcement Learning is used to enable the system to operate automatically, thus drone will learn the next movement based on the interaction between the agent and the environment. Through this study, Q-Learning and State-Action-Reward-State-Action (SARSA) are used in this study and the comparison of results involving both the performance and effectiveness of the system based on the simulation of both methods can be seen through the analysis. A comparison of both Q-learning and State-Action-Reward-State-Action (SARSA) based systems in autonomous drone application was performed for evaluation in this study. According to this simulation process is shows that Q-Learning is a better performance and effective to train the system to achieve desire compared with SARSA algorithm for drone controller.
Product Pairing Selection for Promotion using Partitioning Method
Authors: Wan Nor Munirah Ariffin  , Raveena Subramaniam  , Erni Puspanantasari Putri  , Muhammad Shahar Jusoh  , Muhamad Hafiz Masran  , Muhammad Nur Khairul Hafizi Rohani  , Yussof Hussin  , Noormaizatul Akmar Ishak  , Emy Aizat Azimi  , Siti Sharina Mohd Shukri
Published: June 2023

Slow-moving product is harmful to the business. The slow-moving products take up space and tie up the company’s capital and leave the company with fewer funds to invest in its business. Several factors can cause this issue. There are several methods ranging from statistics to heuristic methods for a company to identify slow-moving inventory but all of them rely on data. In this paper, a partitioning technique from the graph network is proposed to partition the inventories or products into a few clusters. It can help the company to identify what group does the product belongs to and at the same time suggest to the company which product can be paired up or bundled up together to clear up aging and slow-moving products. The partition technique is proposed, and the algorithm is coded using the Visual C++ programming language. The simulation results show that the proposed method can partition the task graph onto smaller subgraphs. The subgraphs called cluster consists of the nodes or products with similar purchase volume (the strong connection between the two nodes). Implementing the partitioning technique could help the companies or managers select the appropriate product to be paired together when doing the promotion.
An Audit of Hypophosphatemia after Intravenous Iron Therapy
Authors: Shahani Madhumati , Thiagarajah Premini , Chakravorty Indranil
Published: June 2023

Background
Due to the gastrointestinal side-effects of oral iron supplementation in patients with iron deficiency anaemia, which impairs tolerance - many acute medical and haematology day units provide intravenous iron replacement therapy as day cases. Hypophosphatemia is a frequent side effect following intravenous iron administration, which can persist for weeks or months, is under-recognised in clinical practice and can lead to patients presenting with typical features to the emergency departments.
Aim
We designed an audit to measure the incidence of symptomatic hypophosphatemia after intravenous iron therapy to develop monitoring, prevention, and treatment strategy in a secondary care hospital setting.
Methods
We audited a convenience sample of consecutive patients who attended an acute day-care assessment unit for intravenous (IV) iron infusion (ferric carboxymaltose). All patients had serum phosphate levels checked after IV iron infusion at different intervals, from 1- 6 weeks. The cohort was divided into two groups based on the occurrence of hypophosphataemia - early (1-3 weeks) and late (>3-6 weeks).
Results
We included 35 patients referred from primary care, gastroenterology, gynaecology, and acute internal medicine. 19 (55%) developed hypophosphatemia after receiving a single IV iron infusion and almost 100% after more than one dose. Hypophosphatemia in some patients lasted up to 12 weeks.
Conclusion
Hypophosphatemia was frequent after a single dose and almost universal after multiple doses of IV Iron, which can persist for many weeks. Clinicians prescribing ferric carboxymaltose (Ferinject®) should be aware of hypophosphataemia, which could be mild, moderate, or severe and can last for months.
MONETARY POLICY, AUDIT QUALITY AND TAX AVOIDANCE: A CASE OF PAKISTAN
Authors: Shabbir Muhammad Khurram , Ahmad Ishtiaq , Máté Domicián
Published: June 2023

Although tax avoidance and evasion concerns have long been recognised, tax compliance in emerging nations has received improved attention with the global and financial crises. This study examines the impacts of monetary policy and audit quality on tax avoidance of 295 public limited firms listed in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) between 2011 and 2020. Results of panel regression analyses show that the monetary policy interest rates affect the accounting tax avoidance and the Effective Tax Ratios (ETR) differently over time. In contrast, monetary policy is not substantial with the cash ETR, but the external audit fee negatively affects the tax avoidance indicators. These results provide an imperative consideration for practitioners and policymakers better to judge interest rates and their influence on tax behaviour to provide policy incentives for progressive taxation and sustainable development.
Disk or Companion: Characterizing Excess Infrared Flux in Seven White Dwarf Systems with Near-infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Owens Dylan , Xu 许 Siyi 偲艺 , Manjavacas Elena , Leggett S. K. , Casewell S. L. , Dennihy Erik , Dufour Patrick , Klein Beth L. , Yeh Sherry , Zuckerman B.
Published: June 2023

Excess infrared flux from white dwarf stars is likely to arise from a dusty debris disk or a cool companion. In this work, we present near-infrared spectroscopic observations with Keck/MOSFIRE, Gemini/GNIRS, and Gemini/Flamingos-2 of seven white dwarfs with infrared excesses identified in previous studies. We confirmed the presence of dust disks around four white dwarfs (Gaia J0611–6931, Gaia J0006+2858, Gaia J2100+2122, and WD 0145+234) as well as two new white dwarf–brown dwarf pairs (Gaia J0052+4505 and Gaia J0603+4518). In three of the dust disk systems, we detected for the first time near-infrared metal emissions (Mg i, Si I, and possibly Fe I) from a gaseous component of the disk. We developed a new Markov Chain Monte Carlo framework to constrain the geometric properties of each dust disk. In three systems, the dust disk and the gas disk appear to coincide spatially. For the two brown dwarf–white dwarf pairs, we identified broad molecular absorption features typically seen in L dwarfs. The origin of the infrared excess around Gaia J0723+6301 remains a mystery. Our study underlines how near-infrared spectroscopy can be used to determine sources of infrared excess around white dwarfs, which has now been detected photometrically in hundreds of systems.
Quantifying Uncertainties on the Tip of the Red Giant Branch Method
Authors: Madore Barry F. , Freedman Wendy L. , Owens Kayla A. , Jang In Sung
Published: June 2023

We present an extensive grid of numerical simulations quantifying the uncertainties in measurements of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB). These simulations incorporate a luminosity function composed of 2 mag of red giant branch (RGB) stars leading up to the tip, with asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars contributing exclusively to the luminosity function for at least a magnitude above the RGB tip. We quantify the sensitivity of the TRGB detection and measurement to three important error sources: (1) the sample size of stars near the tip, (2) the photometric measurement uncertainties at the tip, and (3) the degree of self-crowding of the RGB population. The self-crowding creates a population of supra-TRGB stars due to the blending of one or more RGB stars just below the tip. This last population is ultimately difficult, although still possible, to disentangle from true AGB stars. In the analysis given here, the precepts and general methodology as used in the Chicago-Carnegie Hubble Program (CCHP) have been followed. However, in the appendix, we introduce and test a set of new tip detection kernels, which internally incorporate self-consistent smoothing. These are generalizations of the two-step model used by the CCHP (smoothing followed by Sobel-filter tip detection), where the new kernels are based on successive binomial-coefficient approximations to the derivative-of-a-Gaussian edge-detector, as is commonly used in modern digital image processing.
The Hard-to-soft Transition of GX 339–4 as Seen by Insight–HXMT
Authors: Liu Honghui , Bambi Cosimo , Jiang Jiachen , García Javier A. , Ji Long , Kong Lingda , Ren Xiaoqin , Zhang Shu , Zhang Shuangnan
Published: June 2023

We present an analysis of the relativistic reflection spectra of GX 339–4 during the hard-to-soft transition of its 2021 outburst observed by Insight–HXMT. The strong relativistic reflection signatures in the data suggest a high black hole spin (a
* > 0.86) and an intermediate disk inclination angle (i ≈ 35°–43°) of the system. The transition is accompanied by an increasing temperature of the disk and a softening of the corona emission, while the inner disk radius remains stable. Assuming a lamppost geometry, the corona height is also found to stay close to the black hole across the state transition. If we include the Comptonization of the reflection spectrum, the scattering fraction parameter is found to decrease during the state transition. We also perform an analysis with a reflection model designed for hot accretion disks of stellar mass black holes where the surface of the innermost accretion disk is illuminated by emission from the corona and the thermal disk below. Our results support the scenario in which the state transition is associated with variations in the corona properties.
The Origin of Extremely Nonradial Solar Wind Outflows
Authors: Rout Diptiranjan , P. Janardhan , K. Fujiki , D. Chakrabarty , S. K. Bisoi
Published: June 2023

The origin of nonradial solar wind flows and their effect on space weather are poorly understood. Here we present a detailed investigation of 12 nonradial solar wind events during solar cycles 23–24, covering the period 1995–2017. In all these events the azimuthal flow angles of the solar wind exceed 6° as measured at the L1 Lagrangian point of the Sun–Earth system, for periods of 24 hr. In addition, all the events were selected during periods when coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and/or corotating interaction regions (CIRs) were absent. For most of the events, the near-Earth solar wind density was <5 cm−3 for periods exceeding 24 hr, similar to the well-known “solar wind disappearance events” wherein near-Earth solar wind densities dropped by two orders of magnitude for periods exceeding 24 hr. The solar source regions determined for all the cases were found to be associated with active region–coronal hole (AR–CH) pairs located around the central meridian. Further, the dynamical evolution of the source regions, studied using both the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope and the Michelson Doppler Imager, showed a clear reduction in the CH area accompanied by the emergence of new magnetic flux regions. This dynamic evolution in the AR–CH source regions eventually disturbed the stable CH configurations, thereby giving rise to the extremely nonradial solar wind outflows. We discuss, based on our results, a possible causative mechanism for the origin of these highly nonradial flows that were not associated with either CMEs or CIRs.
Magnetar Central Engines in Gamma-Ray Bursts Follow the Universal Relation of Accreting Magnetic Stars
Authors: Dall’Osso Simone , Stratta Giulia , Perna Rosalba , De Cesare Giovanni , Stella Luigi
Published: June 2023

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), both long and short, are explosive events whose inner engine is generally expected to be a black hole or a highly magnetic neutron star (magnetar) accreting high-density matter. Recognizing the nature of GRB central engines, and in particular the formation of neutron stars (NSs), is of high astrophysical significance. A possible signature of NSs in GRBs is the presence of a plateau in the early X-ray afterglow. Here we carefully select a subset of long and short GRBs with a clear plateau, and look for an additional NS signature in their prompt emission, namely a transition between the accretion and propeller phases in analogy with accreting, magnetic compact objects in other astrophysical sources. We estimate from the prompt emission the minimum accretion luminosity below which the propeller mechanism sets in, and the NS magnetic field and spin period from the plateau. We demonstrate that these three quantities obey the same universal relation in GRBs as in other accreting compact objects switching from accretion to propeller. This relation provides also an estimate of the radiative efficiency of GRBs, which we find to be several times lower than radiatively efficient accretion in X-ray binaries and in agreement with theoretical expectations. These results provide additional support to the idea that at least some GRBs are powered by magnetars surrounded by an accretion disk.
Aerodynamic Roughness Height of Gravel-covered Plains in the Puna of Argentina
Authors: Zimbelman James R. , Spagnuolo Mauro G. , de Silva Shanaka L.
Published: June 2023

Plains covered by gravel-dominated desert pavement in the Puna of Argentina have an aerodynamic roughness height (or length) z
0 of ∼1 cm, likely representing a skimming flow regime above the closely spaced gravel particles. Aerodynamic roughness height locally may transition from that of skimming flow over the gravels to a z
0 that includes the effects of obstacles considerably larger than those of the gravel particles alone. Among large (>60 cm tall) megaripples, z
0 is elevated beyond that of the gravels alone to values of 2–4 cm. These results represent an analog for an improved understanding of the aerodynamics of gravel-dominated desert pavement and megaripples documented by multiple rovers on Mars.
Evaluation of real-time PCR and flow cytometry efficiency in rapid detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriales
Authors: Koçer İpek , Karsligil Tekin , Sağlam Mustafa , Arslanyürekli Uğur , Deveci İhsan , Şahin Emel
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Infections due to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriales, which have increased worldwide in recent years, cause concern. This study aimed to rapidly detect carbapenemase gene region by using flow cytometry in Enterobacteriales isolates and to evaluate its efficiency and susceptibility by comparing it with polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Methodology: In the study, 21 isolates obtained from the blood cultures of patients hospitalized in intensive care units and found to intermediate or resistant to at least one carbapenem in the automated system, and 14 isolates belonging to the carbapenem-susceptible Enterobacteriales family were included. Carbapenemase gene regions were investigated by PCR after their susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion method. Bacterial suspensions were treated with meropenem + specific carbapenemase inhibitors (EDTA or APBA) and Temocillin and stained with thiazole orange (TO) and propidium iodide (PI) to show dead/live cell differentiation. Dead/live cell percentages were calculated after reading on the flow cytometer device.
Results: In the ROC analysis of the flow cytometry method, the cut-off value, specificity, and susceptibility of PI staining rates for meropenem were found as 14.37%, 100%, and 65%, respectively. It was found that the flow cytometry method was well-compatible with PCR in the detection of the carbapenemase gene region.
Conclusions: Flow cytometry will continue to be a promising method for the detection of antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance due to its rapid analysis of many cells and its high compatibility with PCR results.
Hand hygiene beliefs and practices and glove use attitudes of health professionals working in the emergency department
Authors: Denat Yıldız , Cihan Erdogan Banu , Yilmaz Zeynep
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Hand washing and the use of gloves in accordance with the standards are among the most significant methods used in infection control.
Methodology: This study is an analytical cross-sectional study. The sample of the study consisted of 132 health personnel working in the emergency department of a public hospital.
Results: The mean of the hand hygiene belief scale was 85.50 ± 8.71, mean of the hand hygiene practice inventory was 67.70 ± 5.19. The participants’ mean general attitude towards the use of gloves was 43.71 ± 7.57, the mean of awareness about the use of gloves was 15.17 ± 3.88, the mean attitude towards the usefulness of glove use was 19.43 ± 1.47, and their attitude towards the necessity of using gloves was 12.63 ± 3.57. It was determined that glove usefulness score has a statistically significant and increasing effect on hand hygiene belief, while glove usefulness and glove awareness scores have statistically significant and increasing effects on hand hygiene practice.
Conclusions: This study determined that the hand hygiene beliefs and practices of the health personnel working in the emergency department are quite high, their attitudes towards the use of gloves are positive, the attitude towards the usefulness of glove use has a significant and increasing effect on hand hygiene belief, and glove usefulness and glove awareness attitudes have a significant and increasing effect on hand hygiene practice.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 antibody response after Moderna vaccine booster on healthcare providers
Authors: Fachrucha Fanny , Sutoyo Dianiati Kusumo , Nurwidya Fariz , Andarini Sita Laksmi , Susanto Agus Dwi , Isbaniah Fathiyah , Handayani Diah , Yunus Faisal , Soehardiman Dicky , Zaini Jamal , Saputri Silvana , Prasenohadi
Published: June 2023

Introduction: As an endeavor to control SARS-CoV-2 infection, the Moderna vaccine booster was given to healthcare workers to prevent reinfection and reduce the risk of complications from COVID-19. A heterologous booster vaccine is also thought to provide better protection against the current SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. However, research that evaluates the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine booster and the resulting SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentration is needed.
Objective: To evaluate the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after the Moderna vaccine booster and the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection before and after the Moderna vaccine booster.
Results: A total of 93 healthcare providers who received Moderna vaccine booster were included in the study. Examination of antibody concentration 3 months after the booster showed an average concentration of 10081.65 U/mL. There was an increase in antibody concentration before the booster and 3 months after, from a median of 1.7 U/mL to 9540 U/mL. Every subject showed a statistically significant increment of antibody concentration 3 months after the booster (p < 0.01). Thirty-seven (39.8%) subjects received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine and were confirmed to have COVID-19 with the Delta variant. After the booster, 26 (28%) subjects were infected with the Omicron Variant. Among the subjects who received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine and were confirmed with COVID-19, 36 (30.1%) had mild symptoms, and 1 (1.1%) was asymptomatic.
Conclusions: Heterologous Moderna vaccine booster effectively increases antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 variants and shows mild symptoms of COVID-19 infection.
Evaluation of two commercially available rapid stool antigen tests for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection
Authors: Metwally Mohamed Abd ElAziz , Alfeky Hala Mohamed , Alegaily Hatem Samir , Abbas Azza Hasan , El Shahat El Shahat Ahmed , Abd Elmonem Angham Mohamed , Gabal Hoda Mohamed Rabie
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most prevalent infections, which can cause chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers and even gastric cancer. Prompt diagnosis and subsequent eradication are essential. Many commercially available H. pylori stool antigen diagnostic kits are used. However, the diagnostic performance of these tests has not yet been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate two commercial rapid H. pylori Stool Antigen-Lateral Flow Immunochromatography Assay kits (HpSA-LFIA).
Methodology: A total of 88 adult patients with dyspeptic symptoms were included in the study. Full case history was obtained, and fresh stool samples were tested for HpSA by two different kits: RightSign® (BiotesT, Hangzhou, China) and OnSite® (CTK biotech, Poway, USA) and HpSA-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as a reference standard.
Results: Of the 88 patients, H. pylori infection was positive in 32 (36.4%), negative in 53 (60.2%), and indeterminate in 3 (3.4%) by ELISA. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were as follows: 96.6%, 66.1%, 62%, and 97.4%, respectively for RightSign® test and 96.9%, 50%, 52.5%, and 96.6%, respectively for OnSite® test.
Conclusions: HpSA-LFIA, RightSign® and OnSite®, are good negative tests, however they cannot be used as a sole test for diagnosis and needs other confirmatory tests in case of positive results.
Artemisinin-based combination therapy successfully treated two hyperparasitaemic Plasmodium falciparum cases
Authors: Mukhi Benudhar , Gupta Himanshu , Punnath Kishore , Anvikar Anupkumar R , Srivastava Bina , Ghosh Susanta Kumar
Published: June 2023

Hyperparasitaemia is an important event in the cascade of Plasmodium falciparum severe malaria (SM), and may also lead to SM associated complications and death, if left untreated. Here, we report two hyperparasitaemic patients with no life-threatening complications. Malaria diagnosis was performed using thick and thin blood smears and immunochromatographic-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) purchased from three different manufacturers. Parasitaemia was calculated following the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Haematological and biochemical investigations were also performed. Weekly follow-up of blood smear examination, blood pressure and temperature were recorded up to day 63. The first patient had 42% parasitaemia (100% asexual parasites). The second patient had 9.5% parasitaemia, comprising 46% asexual and 54% sexual stages, with a 1:1 male to female ratio. On the day of admission, both had presented abnormal haematological and biochemical parameters compared to the reference values. Remarkably, both the patients recovered successfully with oral artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) and a single dose of primaquine on day 1. Weekly follow-up did not show any parasite suggesting successful treatment with ACT without any side effects. The presence of hypergametocytaemia may hinder malaria elimination efforts, if not treated immediately.
Pseudoresistance to permethrin in scabies
Authors: Veraldi Stefano , Schianchi Rossana , Silvio Martina , Aromolo Italo Francesco
Published: June 2023

Reports of permethrin resistance of Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis are emerging. We propose that this may be pseudoresistance. The resistance is due to inadequate counselling by physicians, incorrect treatment (insufficient quantity of permethrin; too short length of treatment), and poor adherence and compliance by patients. Other reasons include single application of permethrin, suggestion to apply the drug for 6-8 hours, failed application on subungual folds, irritant contact dermatitis, in particular on genitals, for which some patients stop the treatment, and unexplainable use of permethrin in post-scabies prurigo. Thus, we believe that several cases of resistance to permethrin are actually cases of pseudoresistance.
Description of the female of Atherimorpha latipennis Stuckenberg 1956 (Diptera, Rhagionidae): the first record of brachyptery in Rhagionidae
Authors: Midgley John , Muller Burgert
Published: June 2023

The Genus Atherimorpha White 1915 is a Gondwanan relic, occurring in South America, Southern Africa and Australia. Females are rarely collected and in more than half of the known species are not described. The female of Atherimorpha latipennis Stuckenberg 1956 was collected for the first time in 2021 and is described here, along with a redescription of the male. We describe the differences from the male, with the reduced wings and poorly defined scutellum the most noteworthy. The female of A. latipennis represents the first recorded case of brachyptery in the Rhagionidae. Possible drivers of brachyptery in Afrotropical Diptera are briefly discussed.
A survey of KdV-CDG equations via nonsingular fractional operators
Authors: Ullah Ihsan , Ullah Aman , Ahmad Shabir , Ahmad Hijaz , Nofal Taher A.
Published: June 2023

In this article, the Korteweg-de Vries-Caudrey-Dodd-Gibbon (KdV-CDG) equation is explored via a fractional operator. A nonlocal differential operator with a nonsingular kernel is used to study the KdV-CDG equation. Some theoretical features concerned with the existence and uniqueness of the solution, convergence, and Picard-stability of the solution by using the concepts of fixed point theory are discussed. Analytical solutions of the KdV-CDG equation by using the Laplace transformation (LT) associated with the Adomian decomposition method (ADM) are retrieved. The solutions are presented using 3D and surface graphics.
Preventing online disinformation propagation: Cost-effective dynamic budget allocation of refutation, media censorship, and social bot detection
Authors: Wang Yi , Zhong Shicheng , Wang Guo
Published: June 2023

Disinformation refers to false rumors deliberately fabricated for certain political or economic conspiracies. So far, how to prevent online disinformation propagation is still a severe challenge. Refutation, media censorship, and social bot detection are three popular approaches to stopping disinformation, which aim to clarify facts, intercept the spread of existing disinformation, and quarantine the source of disinformation, respectively. In this paper, we study the collaboration of the above three countermeasures in defending disinformation. Specifically, considering an online social network, we study the most cost-effective dynamic budget allocation (DBA) strategy for the three methods to minimize the proportion of disinformation-supportive accounts on the network with the lowest expenditure. For convenience, we refer to the search for the optimal DBA strategy as the DBA problem. Our contributions are as follows. First, we propose a disinformation propagation model to characterize the effects of different DBA strategies on curbing disinformation. On this basis, we establish a trade-off model for DBA strategies and reduce the DBA problem to an optimal control model. Second, we derive an optimality system for the optimal control model and develop a heuristic numerical algorithm called the DBA algorithm to solve the optimality system. With the DBA algorithm, we can find possible optimal DBA strategies. Third, through numerical experiments, we estimate key model parameters, examine the obtained DBA strategy, and verify the effectiveness of the DBA algorithm. Results show that the DBA algorithm is effective.
Stochastic homogenization on perforated domains III–General estimates for stationary ergodic random connected Lipschitz domains
Authors: Heida Martin
Published: June 2023

This is Part III of a series on the existence of uniformly bounded extension operators on randomly perforated domains in the context of homogenization theory. Recalling that randomly perforated domains are typically not John and hence extension is possible only from $ W^{1, p} $ to $ W^{1, r} $, $ r < p $, we will show that the existence of such extension operators can be guaranteed if the weighted expectations of four geometric characterizing parameters are bounded: The local Lipschitz constant $ M $, the local inverse Lipschitz radius $ \delta^{-1} $ resp. $ \rho^{-1} $, the mesoscopic Voronoi diameter $ {\mathfrak{d}} $ and the local connectivity radius $ {\mathscr{R}} $.