bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility Status of Principal Malaria Vectors to Insecticides Commonly Used for Malaria Control in Africa: Meta-analysis and Systemic review
Authors: Minwuyelet Awoke , Yewhalaw Delenasaw , Sciarretta Andrea , Atenafu Getnet
Published: June 2023

Background: Malaria is a major public health problem in the African region. Nearly the last one century, various types of insecticides have been used to reduce malaria transmission and vector control. However, the effectiveness of insecticides decreases periodically. This study aimed to assess the susceptibility status of major malaria vectors to insecticides commonly used to control malaria in Africa.
Methods: We used the public database: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Pro-Quest to access relevant articles published between 2002 and 2021. Primary articles were searched using keywords such as "Susceptibility status", "insecticide resistance", "malaria vector", "Africa", and "Anopheles". The search was conducted from September 25th to October 15th, 2022. The review included primary articles published in English from 2002 to 2021 and articles with all the required information. Data were extracted from the included article texts, tables, figures, and supplementary files. The validity of all included articles was checked prior to inclusion by critical evaluation using standardized means. Finally, the results of the original article were presented in tables, graphs, and maps.
Results: Fifty related articles were retrieved and extracted from the 1742 accessed articles. Of these, most articles showed resistance of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato(sl) and An.funestus to organochlorines: DDT (4%), cyclodins: dieldrin (4%), pyrethroids:lambda-cyhalothrin (0.05%), cyfluthrin (0.15%), permethrin (0.75%), carbamate: deltamethrin (0.05%) and propoxur (0.1%), across Africa. These insecticides also showed knockdown resistance to malaria vectors prevalent in Africa. However, the resistance of these malaria vectors varied in different parts of the continent and in different countries. Between 2010 and 2015, Africa recorded the highest resistance to insecticides. In recent years, organophosphates have received considerable attention as candidate chemicals for residual spray in malaria control programs.
Conclusions: An. gambiae s.l. and An. funestus has been developed resistant to three classes of pesticides (pyrethroids, carbamates, and organochlorines). To prevent and manage malaria vectors in Africa, only organophosphate groups, particularly pirimiphos methyl 0.25% and a neonicotinoid like clothianidin, are advised. In addition, it is urgently necessary to scale up insecticide use, introduce new insecticides, and use additional biological control strategies.
Analysis of the Influencing Factors and Mortality of Early Initiation of Mechanical Circulatory Support in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiogenic Shock Running title:Influencing Factors of Early Initiation of MCS
Authors: Zhang Ning , Liu Wenxian
Published: June 2023

ObjectiveThis retrospective study analyzes the influencing factors of early initiation of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated with cardiogenic shock (AMICS), and compare the mortality rates of various types of mechanical circulatory and different initiation time.MethodsFrom January 2018 to January 2023, 380 AMICS patients hospitalized at Anzhen Hospital meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled in this retrospective study. Early initiation of MCS was defined as the commencement of mechanical circulatory support before emergency PCI. According to the time of starting MCS, the participants were divided into the pre-emergency PCI MCS implantation group (161 cases) and the post-emergency PCI MCS implantation group (219 cases), and their clinical characteristics and mortality rates were compared. According to the type of MCS, participants were also divided into the combined venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) treatment group (184 cases), the exclusively VA-ECMO treatment group (98 cases), and exclusively IABP treatment group (98 cases) in order to compare their mortality rates.ResultsMultivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the total number of white blood cells, arterial lactic acid level, and the use of vasoactive drugs ≥ 2 were the influencing factors for early initiation of mechanical circulatory support, the odds ratio (OR) was 1.071 (P=0.005), 95% CI (1.021, 1.124), 1.319 (P = 0.000), 95% CI (1.195, 1.457), 1.934 (P = 0.033), 95% CI (1.056, 3.541). The arterial lactate level predicts the area under the operating characteristic curve of subjects who start early mechanical circulation support 0.719 (P=0.000), 95% CI (0.667, 0.770), the maximum Youden index was 0.395, and the critical value was 5.05mmol/L. The early initiation of the mechanical circulatory support group had a low mortality rate (21.12%VS43.38%, P=0.000), while the combined VA-ECMO and IABP treatment group had the lowest mortality rate (24.46%VS38.78%VS46.94, P=0.000).ConclusionThe number of white blood cells, the level of arterial lactate, and the use of vasoactive drugs ≥ 2 are the influencing factors for the early initiation of mechanical circulatory support in AMICS patients. When the arterial lactic acid level is greater than 5.05mmol/L, mechanical circulatory support should be started as soon as possible. The mortality rate of patients with early mechanical circulatory support was low, and the mortality rate of combined VA-ECMO and IABP treatment was the lowest.
Pharmacovigilance study for SGLT 2 inhibitors- Safety review of real-world data & randomized clinical trials
Authors: Bhanushali Karan B , Asnani Heena K , Nair Ambica , Ganatra Sarju , Dani Sourbha S
Published: June 2023

Purpose:
Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT 2) inhibitors are a novel class of drugs that have emerged as promising therapeutic agents for Diabetes Mellitus, Heart failure as well as chronic kidney disease. Despite their effectiveness, concerns have been raised about the potential side effects of these drugs. To address these concerns, a pharmaco-vigilance study has been designed to evaluate and compare the adverse events reported in clinical trials with those reported in the real-world settings. The study aims to identify any discrepancies between the reported adverse events and assess the safety profile of SGLT2 inhibitors.
Methods:
We studied diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), euglycemic DKA, amputation, urinary tract infection (UTI), mycotic genital infection and hypotension associated with empagliflozin, dapagliflozin, canagliflozin and ertugliflozin in RCTs and pharmacovigilance databases. WHO’s VigiBase, FAERS, EMA’s EudraVigilance and DAEN were thoroughly studied to obtain spontaneously reported real-world adverse events.
Results:
12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for different SGLT2 inhibitors that enrolled 78,802 patients in total were studied for the adverse effects profiles of each drug. Out of the 12 trials included in the current study, UTI was the most reported adverse event in the SGLT2 group, followed by amputation.
Out of all the adverse events that were registered in the spontaneous reporting systems, 69,664 were reported for empagliflozin, 51,172 for dapagliflozin, 59,261 for canagliflozin and 1,315 for ertugliflozin. DKA was the most reported adverse event overall. Proportions of composite adverse events were 25.1% in VigiBase, 28.6% in FAERS, 39.1% with EudraVigilance and 55.1% with DAEN. Most of the adverse events were reported by the health care provider.
Conclusion:
Our study provides comparison of the real world reported adverse events to adverse events reported in the clinical trials studying the efficacy of SGLT 2 inhibitors.
The transcription factor NRF1 (NFE2L1) activates aggrephagy by inducingp62 and GABARAPL1 after proteasome inhibition to maintain proteostasis
Authors: Hatanaka Atsushi , Nakada Sota , Matsumoto Gen , Satoh Katsuya , Aketa Iori , Watanabe Akira , Hirakawa Tomoaki , Tsujita Tadayuki , Waku Tsuyoshi , Kobayashi Akira
Published: June 2023

The ubiquitin‒proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy are the two primary cellular pathways of misfolded or damaged protein degradation that maintain cellular proteostasis. When the proteasome is dysfunctional, cells compensate for impaired protein clearance by activating aggrephagy, a type of selective autophagy, to eliminate ubiquitinated protein aggregates; however, the molecular mechanisms by which impaired proteasome function activates aggrephagy remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that activation of aggrephagy is transcriptionally induced by the transcription factor NRF1 (NFE2L1) in response to proteasome dysfunction. Although NRF1 has been previously shown to induce the expression of proteasome genes after proteasome inhibition (i.e., the proteasome bounce-back response), our genome-wide transcriptome analyses identified autophagy-related p62/SQSTM1 and GABARAPL1 as genes directly targeted by NRF1. Intriguingly, NRF1 was also found to be indispensable for the formation of p62-positive puncta and their colocalization with ULK1 and TBK1, which play roles in p62 activation via phosphorylation. Consistently, NRF1 knockdown substantially reduced the phosphorylation rate of Ser403 in p62. Finally, NRF1 selectively upregulated the expression of GABARAPL1, an ATG8 family gene, to induce the clearance of ubiquitinated proteins. Our findings highlight the discovery of an activation mechanism underlying NRF1-mediated aggrephagy through gene regulation when proteasome activity is impaired.
Elite GA-based Feature Selection of LSTM for Earthquake Prediction
Authors: Ye Zhiwei , Lan Wuyang , Zhou Wen , He Qiyi , Hong Liang , Xu Xinguo , Gao Yunxuan
Published: June 2023

Earthquake magnitude prediction is an extremely difficult task that has been studied by various machine learning researchers. However, the redundant features and time series properties hinder the development of prediction models. Elite Genetic Algorithm (EGA) has the advantages in searching optimal feature subsets, meanwhile, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is dedicated to processing time series and complex data. Therefore, we propose an EGA-based feature selection of LSTM model (EGA-LSTM) for time series earthquake prediction. First, the acoustic and electromagnetics data of the AETA system we developed are fused and preprocessed by EGA, aiming to find strong correlation indicators. Second, LSTM is introduced to execute magnitude prediction with the selected features. Specifically, the RMSE of LSTM and the ratio of selected features are chosen as fitness components of EGA. Finally, we test the proposed EGA-LSTM on the AETA data of Sichuan province, including the influence of data in different periods ($timePeriod$) and fitness function weights ($\omega_a$ and $\omega_F$) on the prediction results. Linear Regression (LR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Adaboost, Random Forest (RF), standard GA (SGA), steadyGA, and three Differential Evolution Algorithms (DEs) are adopted as our baselines. Experimental results demonstrate that all the methods can get the best performance when $timePeriod = 0:00-8:00$, $\omega_a=1$, and $\omega_F=0.8$. Moreover, our proposed approach is superior to state-of-the-art approaches on the evaluation indicators MAE, MSE, RMSE, and $R_2$. Non-parametric tests reveal that EGA-LSTM is significantly different from others and outperforms the standard LSTM.
Predictive Modeling of Menstrual Cycle Length: A Time Series Forecasting Approach
Authors: Rego Rosana
Published: June 2023

A proper forecast of the menstrual cycle is meaningful for women's health, as it allows individuals to take preventive actions to minimize cycle-associated discomforts. In addition, precise prediction can be useful for planning important events in a woman's life, such as family planning. In this work, we explored the use of machine learning techniques to predict regular and irregular menstrual cycles. We implemented some time series forecasting algorithm approaches, such as AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average, Huber Regression, Lasso Regression, Orthogonal Matching Pursuit, and Long Short-Term Memory Network. Moreover, we generated synthetic data to achieve our purposes. The results showed that it is possible to accurately predict the onset and duration of menstrual cycles using machine learning techniques.
Estimation of Aquifer Hydraulic Parameters Using Geo-electric Method in the Dukwi Wellfields, North-eastern Botswana
Authors: Lekone Omphile Sidney , Tafesse Nata T. , Ranganai Rubeni Tawanda , Laletsang Kebabonye , Masaka Tebogo L.
Published: June 2023

Aquifer hydraulic parameters were estimated using geo-electric methods in the Dukwi wellfields, northeastern Botswana. 16 vertical electrical sounding (VES) were recorded using the Schlumberger electrode configuration with maximum half current electrode spacing of 500 m. The data were inverted using the Interpex RESIXIPtm software. In-situ measurements of physico-chemical parameters were conducted in 19 groundwater samples. Pumping test data were also analyzed to determine aquifer hydraulic parameters. Statistical and linear regression models were used for the interpretation of the data. The main aquifer is the Mea Arkose formation, and its average estimated hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity is 31.60 m/day and 1442 m2/day, respectively. The mean transverse resistance and longitudinal conductance of the aquifer and the rock overlying the aquifer, respectively, is 1932 Ωm2 and 4.57 Ω-1. The R2 value for the geo-electrical and pumping test hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity values is 0.6871 and 0.8896, respectively. The estimated hydraulic conductivity has a positive and good correlation (R2 = 0.6606) with the resistivity and a strong correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.8948) is obtained between the transmissivity of the aquifer and the Transverse resistance. Based on the correlations, equations that relate the resistivity of the aquifer to the hydraulic parameters such as transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity were formulated. These equations enable the determination of the aquifer hydraulic parameters where there is a paucity of pumping test data. Furthermore, these equations can be used in other parts of the country, and elsewhere, that have similar geological sequences and hydrogeological setup.
Quantum Circuit Optimization of Arithmeticcircuits using ZX Calculus
Authors: Joshi Aravind , Kairali Akshara , Raju Renju , Athreya Adithya , Vishwakarma Sanjay , Ganguly Srinjoy , P Reena Monica
Published: June 2023

Quantum computing is an emerging technology in which quantum mechanicalproperties are suitably utilized to perform certain compute-intensive operationsfaster than classical computers. Quantum algorithms are designed as a combinationof quantum circuits that each require a large number of quantum gates,which is a challenge considering the limited number of qubit resources available inquantum computing systems. Our work proposes a technique to optimize quantumarithmetic algorithms by reducing the hardware resources and the numberof qubits based on ZX calculus. We have utilised ZX calculus rewrite rules forthe optimization of fault-tolerant quantum multiplier circuits where we are ableto achieve a significant reduction in the number of ancilla bits and T-gates ascompared to the originally required numbers to achieve fault-tolerance. Our workis the first step in the series of arithmetic circuit optimization using graphicalrewrite tools and it paves the way for advancing the optimization of various complexquantum circuits and establishing the potential for new applications of thesame
Effective Estimation of Trapping/Stability Regions and Bilateral Solutions’ Bounds for Some Multidimensional Nonlinear Systems with Time-Varying Coefficients
Authors: Pinsky Mark
Published: June 2023

Assessment of the stability/boundedness of solutions to nonlinear systems with variable coefficients brings long-standing and challenging problems which emerge in various application domains. These problems are naturally evolved into more arduous and largely open problems concerned with the estimation of the corresponding stability/boundedness regions. This paper develops a novel approach furnishing computationally tractable boundedness/stability criteria which underscores a methodology providing recursive estimation of the boundaries of the trapping/stability regions for a broad class of multidimensional and nonlinear systems with variable nonperiodic coefficients. Furthermore, our approach naturally conveys the bilateral bounds for the norms of solutions to the corresponding systems via the application of successive approximations which are introduced in this paper. The developed techniques are validated in inclusive simulations which endorse their applications to systems with large and complex nonlinear components and bounded in-norm time-varying disturbances.
An efficient network based on double constrained loss for fabric image retrieval
Authors: Gui Jiangsheng , Wu Dongwei
Published: June 2023

In order to efficiently retrieve the same or similar fabric samples, a fabric image retrieval model based on deep hashing is proposed. The model is improved on the basis of MobileNetV1, and the performance of the model is improved by combining the h-swish activation function and attention mechanism module. The hashing method is used to solve the problem of low feature matching speed caused by high dimensional feature output. By combining the label information and similarity information of the images, a new loss function is constructed, which solves the problem of low model accuracy caused by the large feature difference between similar samples and the small feature difference between heterogeneous samples in fabric images. The experimental results on self-built fabric image dataset showed that the feature extraction time of the proposed algorithm was 0.25ms, and the MAP reached 93.2%, which can take into account the fabric retrieval speed and improve retrieval accuracy at the same time, and has certain application prospects.
Unlocking the power of Twitter communities for startups
Authors: Peixoto Ana Rita , de Almeida Ana , António Nuno , Batista Fernando , Ribeiro Ricardo , Cardoso Elsa
Published: June 2023

Social media platforms offer cost-effective digital marketing opportunities to monitor the market, create user communities, and spread positive opinions. They allow companies with fewer budgets, like startups, to achieve their goals and grow.In fact, studies found that startups with active engagement on those platforms have a higher chance of succeeding and receiving funding from venture capitalists.Our study is focused on exploring how startups utilize social media platforms to foster social communities. We also aim to characterize the individuals within these communities. The findings from this study underscore the importance of social media for startups.We used network analysis and visualization techniques to investigate the communities of Portuguese IT startups through their Twitter data. For that, a social digraph has been created, and its visualization shows that each startup created a community with a degree of overlap. The overlap of users between communities was characterized using user node-level measures. The results indicate that users in the Portuguese IT startup communities overlap and are of the following types: person, company, blog, venture capital/investor, IT Event, incubator/accelerator, startups, and university. Furthermore, startups follow users who post high volumes of tweets and have high popularity levels, while those who follow them have low activity and are unpopular. The attained results reveal the power of Twitter communities and offer essential insights for startups to consider when building their social media strategies. Lastly, this study proposes a methodological process for social media community analysis on platforms like Twitter.
Experimental study on mechanical damage characteristics of water-bearing tar-rich coal under microwave radiation
Authors: Yang Pan , Shan Pengfei , xu Huicong , Chen Jiageng , Li Zhiyong , Sun Haoqiang
Published: June 2023

As a recognized special resource, tar-rich coal can extract the country 's scarce oil and gas resources and generate semi-coke that can replace anthracite and coking coal. The tar-rich coal in northern Shaanxi is prominent, but due to the dense structure and high strength of tar-rich coal, it is easy to cause frequent dynamic disasters in coal mining. Therefore, the realization of pressure relief and disaster reduction has become the primary problem in mining tar-rich coal. There are many shortcomings in conventional pressure relief methods, so a new method of microwave weakening coal is proposed. Through different water saturation treatment of tar-rich coal samples, the longitudinal wave velocity degradation trend and surface crack expansion law of water-bearing coal after microwave irradiation were analyzed, and the strength softening characterization and energy evolution relationship under the combined action of microwave and water were studied. Fractal dimension and its internal correlation based on the equivalent side length-mass of coal sample fragments. The experimental results show that : (1) Under the same microwave radiation condition, with the increase of water saturation, the deterioration trend of physical and mechanical parameters such as longitudinal wave velocity and peak strength is obvious. (2) After microwave radiation, the uniaxial compression results show that the coal sample is damaged by load, there is still a high residual strength, the ratio of elastic energy to dissipation energy decreases, and the possibility of rockburst of coal sample decreases. The strength softening degree of coal specimen under the codegradation of microwave and water is the highest, followed by microwave and water. (3) The fractal dimension is inversely proportional to the moisture content and microwave radiation intensity, and the fractal dimension has a significant positive correlation with the peak intensity and longitudinal wave velocity. The mechanical damage law of water-bearing tar-rich coal under microwave action is revealed, which aims to solve the problem of weakening and reducing impact of hard coal on site to a certain extent, ensure the safety of working face and improve the mining efficiency of tar-rich coal. It provides basic theoretical support for microwave-assisted hydraulic fracturing technology and effective weakening measures for hard roof treatment.
Cooperative vs. Non-cooperative R&D under Uncertain Probability of Success*
Authors: Chatterjee Rittwik , Kabiraj Tarun
Published: June 2023

R&D decision of a firm involves various sources of incomplete information. The present paper introduces incomplete information about the success probability of R&D in a model of two firms interacting in R&D and production and discusses the choice between cooperative and non-cooperative research. We consider research joint venture as the form of R&D cooperation. While the choice depends on the constellation of parameters, the following results are derived, in general. First, the high type firm always has a larger incentive for both cooperative and non-cooperative R&D compared to the low type firm. Second, if the low type firm goes for non-cooperative research, then the high type firm must go for the same, and if the high type firm prefers cooperative research, the low type firm must also prefer cooperative R&D. However, if the high type firm prefers non-cooperative R&D, the low type firm may go for either form of research depending on the parameters. The paper derives conditions, in particular, for the case when the high type firm prefers non-cooperative research whereas the low type firm prefers cooperative research.
Temperature Rise Characteristics of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Considering Boiling Heat Transfer
Authors: He Liange , Feng Yuhang , Zhang Yan , Guo Dong , Qin Zhaoju
Published: June 2023

The temperature rise characteristics of PMSM (permanent magnet synchronous motor) during operation were studied under the condition of BHT (boiling heat transfer) in cooling water. The subcooling boiling heat transfer model, RPI (Rensselaer polytechnic institute), was used to calculate and improve the computational accuracy of simulation results. The experiments have shown that, when the motor was tested and simulated after preheating, the temperature rise characteristics were similar to test data because the boiling heat transfer phenomenon of the motor was taken into account, with an error of 1.7%, which was more accurate than the error of 7.5% without boiling. Therefore, from the results obtained from the experiments, the phenomenon of boiling heat transfer in cooling system has a significant effect on the temperature rise characteristic of the motor, which should be regarded as an important factor. Due to the influence of two-phase flow boiling heat transfer, the temperature rise of the motor in the plain areas is 4–5 ℃ higher than that in the high altitude areas, Consequently, if the motor is operated in high altitude areas, its temperature rise characteristic has better effect compared with plain area. Additionally, when BHT in cooling water is considered, the temperature of the motor drops as the rate of flow increases. In the meantime, the temperature difference between the minimum flow rate and the maximum flow rate is about 1 ℃, which means that the increase of rate of flow can enhance the boiling heat transfer effect.
Association between circulating alanine and cancer susceptibility using Mendelian randomization
Authors: Cai Qi , Liu Xiwen , Lin Lixuan , He Miao , Zhan Shuting , Liu Huiting , Huang Linchong , Liang Wenhua , He Jianxing
Published: June 2023

Background
Circulating alanine concentrations are associated with several cancers, but little is known about the causal direction of the associations. This study aims to explore whether there is a relationship between circulating alanine and ten common cancers.
Methods
We conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the causal effects of circulating alanine on ten common cancers. According to published genome-wide association studies (GWASs), we obtained 36 alanine-related single nucleotide polymorphisms used as instrumental variables. For exposure data, genetic association data of lung, breast, pancreatic, liver, colorectal, esophageal, stomach, thyroid, prostate and ovarian cancer from GWAS Consortia were used, including up to 1,213,351 participants of European origin and 196,187 participants of East Asian. The inverse variance weighting (IVW) method was used for MR analysis, and MR-Egger and the weighted median method further evaluated the pleiotropic effect.
Results
Specific to cancer GWAS, we found that circulating alanine was significantly associated with increased squamous cell lung cancer (odds ratio [OR]: 1.37, 95% CI = 1.00-1.87; P = 0.048), pancreatic cancer (OR 3.02, 95% CI = 1.35 to 6.76; P = 0.007), low grade serous ovarian cancer (OR 1.81, 95% CI = 1.01 to 3.25; P = 0.047). We have no evidence of a convincing causal effect of circulating alanine concentrations predicted by genetics on other cancer risks.
Conclusion
We observed the possible causal relationship between circulating alanine and lung squamous cell carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, low-grade serial ovarian cancer. Further research is needed to verify this causal relationship.
Mechanical properties and constitutive modeling of 6063-T5 aluminum alloy over a wide range of strain rates and temperatures
Authors: Wang Xin , Jiang Tao , Ji Chong , Zhao Changxiao , Wang Yuting , Gao Zhenru
Published: June 2023

In the present study, the stress-strain relationship of 6063-T5 aluminum alloy over wide ranges of temperatures and strain rates was investigated. Firstly, the quasi-static tensile tests and high temperature split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests were carried out for 6063-T5 aluminum alloy. In the tests, the experimental temperature ranged from room temperature to 350℃, and the dynamic strain rate was 500/s-6000/s. Secondly, the effects of temperature and strain rate on mechanical properties of materials were discussed. The results showed that 6063-T5 aluminum alloy had obvious temperature softening effect and strain rate hardening effect, but strain rate softening effect may also occur under certain temperature conditions. Thirdly, the fracture morphology of tensile specimen and the metallographic structure of dynamic compression specimen under different temperature and strain rates were analyzed. Finally, by improving the fitting method and constitutive model, the modified Johnson-Cook constitutive model for 6063-T5 aluminum alloy was obtained. Compared with the traditional one, the modified Johnson-Cook constitutive model can predict the mechanical behavior of 6063-T5 aluminum alloy more accurately under high temperature and dynamic conditions.
Effect of Different Fetal Spine Positions During Early Labour on Maternal Comfort and Birth Outcomes
Authors: Rahman Nafila Abdul , Zon Erinna Mohamad , Ismail Engku Husna Engku , Abdullah Nik Ahmad Nik , Mohammad Wan Mohd Zahiruddin Wan , Lah Nik Ahmad Zuky Nik
Published: June 2023

Background
This study aimed to determine the maternal preferred lateralization position at the latent phase and the effect of maternal lateralization-fetal spine concordance during the active phase of the first stage of labor on maternal comfort.
Methods
This prospective cohort study involved pregnant women, who attended to labor room at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II with singleton pregnancies in the first stage of labor at 37 weeks of gestation and beyond. They were recruited after fulfilling the criteria selection. Fetal occiput and spine position was confirmed by transabdominal ultrasound examination, and the maternal preference position at the latent phase of the first stage of labor was identified. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two maternal position groups: same lateralization with the fetal spine (n = 180) and opposite to the fetal spine (n = 180). The maternal mean comfort score was assessed during the first stage of labor. Secondary outcome measures (labor duration, pain relief, cardiotocography (CTG) reactivity, and fetal condition at birth) were recorded. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test (categorical variables), and t-test (numerical variables to evaluate differences while kappa statistics to show agreement between groups)
Results
The preferred maternal position at the latent phase of labor was associated with the same maternal lateralization-fetal spine concordance (p < 0.001). Higher means comfort score in the same lateral position of the mother and fetal spine during the active phase of the first stage of labor but the difference is not significant. A significant association between maternal position and fetal well-being based on cardiotocography (CTG) tracing with the same position having more cases of normal CTG tracing. Duration of labor, mode of delivery, the requirement of analgesia, and Apgar score were not associated with lateralization of the mother and fetal spine position during labor.
Conclusion
Parturients preferred lying in concordant with the fetal spine lateralization position at the latent phase of the first stage of labor and they were also more comfortable in that position during the active phase of labor with reassuring fetal well-being on CTG tracing.
Characterization of 3-dimensional almost contact metric structures
Authors: Gherici Beldjilali
Published: June 2023

The aim of this paper is two-fold. First, a new characterization of any three-dimensional almost contact metric structure is obtained. Second, the necessary and sufficient condition for these structures to be integrable is determined, and an equivalent condition is given in terms of ∇ξ. Illustrative examples are given.
Phytochemical screening and in vitro assessments of antioxidant and cytotoxic potentials of extracts from Aesculus hippocastanum L. green fruit mesocarps
Authors: AŞKIN ÇELİK Tülay , ASLANTÜRK Özlem Sultan
Published: June 2023

In this study, the in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of water and methanol extracts obtained from the green fruit mesocarp of Aesculus hippocastanum L. (Hippocastanaceae) were investigated. Phytochemical content of the methanol extract and the water extract were determined by qualitative methods; antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH free radical scavenging test, and total antioxidant capacity was determined by phosphomolybdate test. The effects of the extracts on proliferation and cell viability of BJ normal human foreskin fibroblasts were also evaluated by the WST-8 cell viability test.

Qualitative phytochemical screening results showed that the methanol extract contains phenols, tannins, flavonoids, and saponins, but no alkaloids and anthraquinones. On the other hand, phenols, flavonoids, anthraquinone, and saponins were found in the water extract, tannins and alkaloids could not be detected.

In addition, an increase in antioxidant activity was also observed with each increasing concentration of methanol and water extract. When the antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activity of methanol and water extracts were compared, it was determined that the methanol extract was more effective than that the water extract. The WST-8 trial results showed that both water and methanol extracts obtained from the green fruit mesocarp of A. hippocastanum did not have cytotoxic effects on BJ cells, on the contrary, treatment concentrations of 10, 20 and, 30 µgmL-1 increased cell proliferation significantly at the 24-hour work.
Ultrasonic assisted propolis extraction: characterization by ATR-FTIR and determination of its total antioxidant capacity and radical scavenging ability
Authors: ERDOĞAN Ümit
Published: June 2023

In the current study, ultrasonic assisted ethanolic extract of propolis was discussed in detail, including their total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity and radical scavenging capacity. For this purpose, we determined the total antioxidant capacity of propolis extract by CUPRAC and FRAP) assay. At the same time, the free radical scavenging capacity of propolis extracts was investigated via the DPPH• and CUPRAC- hydroxyl radical scavenging (HRS) methods. The chemical constituents of propolis extract were characterized by ATR-FTIR. The results revealed that propolis is rich in total phenolic components (189 mg GAE /g extract). According to the CUPRAC assay, the total antioxidant capacity of propolis extract was calculated to be 2.43 ± 0.07 mmol TE/g-propolis extract. FRAP value of propolis extract was determined as 1.11 mmol TE/g-propolis extract. DPPH• scavenging activity of propolis extract was calculated to be 0.71± 0.002 mmol TE / g - extract. On the other hand, according to the CUPRAC method, HRS capacity of propolis extract at different concentrations (5-10 μg/mL) was determined as 68.1% and 77.64 %, respectively. Research findings showed that propolis extract has a strong radical scavenging potential. The FTIR spectra of the functional groups originating from the phenolic compounds in the propolis extract were as expected.
Antibacterial compound of Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus Siamensis: screening, characterization, and evaluation
Authors: VASAIT Rajendrabhai , BHAMARE Shital , JAMDHADE Sayali , SAVKAR Yogita
Published: June 2023

This study was aimed at isolating potential antimicrobial compound (AMC) producing bacteria. AMC produced by a Bacillus species was evaluated further for its antimicrobial potential. Antimicrobial compound-producing bacteria were isolated from the soil of crop fields from the local region of Satana, Nashik (India), and tested against clinical isolates. Both isolates exhibited remarkable antibacterial potential against Gram-positive and Gram-negative clinical isolates. The AMCs of both SYS 1 and SYS 2 exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against Salmonella paratyphi B and Staphylococcus aureus. Both AMC-producing isolates were characterized and identified. Bacillus species SYS 1 and SYS 2 were identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SYS 1 and Bacillus siamensis SYS 2, respectively. The highest antimicrobial activity of AMC produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SYS 1 was exhibited against Salmonella paratyphi B (28 mm), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (26 mm). Bacillus siamensis SYS 2 AMC extracted by the solvent ethyl acetate exerted the highest antimicrobial activity against Salmonella paratyphi B (18 mm), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (16 mm). A partial characterization of the AMC was conducted and evaluated to contain amino acids and proteins. A higher total protein content of 17.9 μg/mL was estimated in the partially purified AMC of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SYS 1. A detailed evaluation of the structural characteristics of AMC could prove its importance in commercial applications.
From magnetic order to valence-change crossover in EuPd$_2$(Si$_{1-x}$Ge$_x$)$_2$ using He-gas pressure
Authors: Wolf Bernd , Spathelf Felix , Zimmermann Jan , Lundbeck Theresa , Peters Marius , Kliemt Kristin , Krellner Cornelius , Lang Michael
Published: June 2023

We present results of magnetic susceptibility and thermal expansion measurements performed on high-quality single crystals of EuPd_22(Si_{1-x}1−xGe_xx)_22 for 0 \leq x \leq≤x≤ 0.2 and temperatures 2 K \leq T \leq≤T≤ 300 K. Data were taken at ambient pressure and finite He-gas pressure pp\leq≤ 0.5 GPa. For x = 0x=0 and ambient pressure we observe a pronounced valence-change crossover centred around T'_VT′V\approx≈ 160 K with a non-magnetic ground state. This valence-change crossover is characterized by an extraordinarily strong pressure dependence of dT'_VT′V /dpp = (80 \pm 10)±10) K/GPa. We observe a shift of T'_VT′V to lower temperatures with increasing Ge-concentration, reaching T'_VT′V\approx≈ 90 K for x = 0.1x=0.1, while still showing a non-magnetic ground state. Remarkably, on further increasing xx to 0.2 we find a stable Eu^{(2+\delta)+}(2+δ)+ valence with long-range antiferromagnetic order below T_NTN = (47.5 \pm± 0.1) K, reflecting a close competition between two energy scales in this system. In fact, by the application of hydrostatic pressure as small as 0.1 GPa, the ground state of this system can be changed from long-range antiferromagnetic order for pp<< 0.1 GPa to an intermediate-valence state for pp\geq≥ 0.1 GPa.
Re-naturing cities through water-centric development: evaluating a canal restoration project in Narayanganj City, Bangladesh
Authors: Chowdhooree Imon , Aziz Tasfin
Published: June 2023

The concept of ‘re-naturing cities’ promotes nature-based solutions for sustainable urban design; one of those being water-centric development with networks of blue (water bodies) and green (vegetation areas) aims to generate urban areas that support economic growth, strengthen social cohesion, and restore degraded ecosystems. Projects get implemented for revitalizing urban water bodies with multifunctional areas. This context demands to study water-centric development projects for evaluating the success of ‘re-naturing cities’ in terms of achieving sustainable goals. This research analyzes a part of a canal restoration project of Narayanganj City, Bangladesh, for investigating the development process and understanding its effectiveness in achieving sustainable goals. The study employs multiple qualitative tools for capturing users' views (emic analysis) and researchers' views (etic analysis). The combined understanding identifies that the project focuses primarily on adding an aesthetically pleasing element to the urban fabric, overlooking multiple socioeconomic and ecological possibilities of living with water.
Assessing climate model accuracy and future climate change in Ghana's Savannah regions
Authors: Incoom Awo Boatemaa Manson , Adjei Kwaku Amaning , Odai Samuel Nii , Akpoti Komlavi , Siabi Ebenezer Kwadwo , Awotwi Alfred
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to compare the performance of six regional climate models (RCMs) in simulating observed and projecting future climate in the Savannah zone of Ghana, in order to find suitable methods to improve the accuracy of climate models in the region. The study found that the accuracy of both individual RCMs and their ensemble mean improved with bias correction, but the performance of individual RCMs was dependent on location. The projected change in annual precipitation indicated a general decline in rainfall with variations based on the RCM and location. Projections under representative concentration pathway (RCP) 8.5 were larger than those under RCP 4.5. The changes in mean temperature recorded were 1 °C for the 2020s for both RCPs, 1–4 °C for the 2050s under both RCPs, and 1– 4 °C under RCP 4.5, and from 2 to 8 °C for the 2080s. These findings will aid farmers and governments in the West African subregion in making informed decisions and planning cost-effective climate adaptation strategies to reduce the impact of climate change on the ecosystem. The study highlights the importance of accurate climate projections to reduce vulnerability to climate change and the need to improve climate models in projecting climate in the West African subregion.
2D and 3D electrochemical degradation (ECD) of raw cotton industry wastewater (CIWW) using stainless steel and aluminium electrodes
Authors: Siddappa Thanushree Mysuru , Shivaswamy Mahesh , Mahadevappa Mahadevaswamy
Published: June 2023

Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) batch electrochemical degradation (ECD) of raw cotton industry wastewater (CIWW) was adopted using stainless steel (SS) and aluminium (Al) electrodes. ECD as a treatment option was aimed at removing priority quality parameters, viz. chemical oxygen demand (COD), colour, chloride, nitrate, etc. COD removal of 85 and 80% were achieved by using 3D SS and 2D SS electrodes operated at 6 V (0.9 A) for a maximum electrolysis time (ET) of 30 min. Similarly, 76 and 70% COD removal were achieved for 3D Al and 2D Al electrodes, respectively. Simultaneous colour removal in the 2D ECD system using SS and Al electrodes was low by 12 and 11% compared to the 3D ECD system. Water quality parameters, viz. total dissolved solids, chloride, nitrate, phosphates, and sulphate were also removed by 3D (SS and Al) and 2D (SS and Al) electrodes. Higher pollutant removal efficiencies were observed at 30 min ET for 3D SS electrodes compared to 2D SS, 3D Al, and 2D Al. Post-ECD slurry showed good settling characteristics for SS electrodes generating dense and sturdy flocs giving a low sludge volume index values for 2D SS electrodes compared to other electrode options.
Optimizing water efficiency and energy productivity in choosing a cropping pattern
Authors: Ye Zhigang , Miao Ping , Li Ning , Wang Yong , Zhang Wenli , Yin Shan
Published: June 2023

In the current century, the sustainable production of agricultural products is one of the main challenges facing humanity. The amount of water consumption, energy, and net income as important components of the sustainability of agricultural systems is of special priority and importance. This study used linear and multi-objective programming models with the aim of maximizing five indicators of cost efficiency (CE), irrigation efficiency (IE), energy productivity (EP), energy efficiency (EE), and food efficiency (FE) to determine the cropping pattern of small-scale farms cultivated per hectare in the agricultural year. There are 160 questionnaires classified by random sampling method in agricultural sectors in Inner Mongolia, China. The results showed that determining the cropping pattern using multi-objective planning increases irrigation efficiency and energy efficiency compared with linear modeling. Considering the conditions of limited water resources in the region and the policies of the country in the agricultural sector, cropping patterns with the objective functions of maximization of IE and CE were proposed.
Obraz, który powstanie: fumistyczny ikonoklazm
Authors: Woynarowski Jakub
Published: June 2023

Artykuł poświęcony został obecności wątków ikonoklastycznych w XIX-wiecznej francuskiej kulturze wizualnej, koncentrując się przede wszystkim na przykładach grafiki narracyjnej z pogranicza komiksu i ilustracji prasowej (m.in. Charlesa Amédée de Noé i Gustave’a Doré) oraz na ich związkach z „fumizmem” – postawą dystansu do rzeczywistości, wyrażającą się w nieustannych żartach i mistyfikacjach, wymierzonych również w kształtujący się wówczas system sztuki. Artystyczna aktywność fumistów przypadała na lata 80. i 90. XIX w., znajdując swój pełny wyraz w działalności kabaretu Czarny Kot, klubu Hydropatów, a przede wszystkim w twórczości protodadaistycznego ruchu Sztuk Niezbornych ( Les Arts incohérents), aktywnego w latach 1882–1896 i antycypującego takie zjawiska artystyczne, jak ready-made, happening, czy sztuka abstrakcyjna. Akcentując rolę poczucia humoru w procesie formowania się XX- wiecznej awangardy, autor tekstu wskazuje także na wczesną twórczość Marcela Duchampa jako naturalny pomost między obszarem rysunkowej satyry i sztuki galeryjnej.
THE IMPACT OF CONSUMER DECISIONS IN PURCHASING FOODS BASED ON PRICE, PRODUCT DESIGN, LOCATION, AND STORE ATMOSPHERE
Authors:   Universitas Dr Soetomo Surabaya, Hendarto Totok , Ermaini Ermaini ,   Universitas Muhammadiyah Jambi, Fatmawati Endang ,   Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Ismanto Widodo ,   Universitas Riau Kepulauan, Wibowo Teguh Setiawan ,   STIE Mahardhika Surabaya, Tsai Chia Han ,   Global Master Tourism and Management, National Chiayi University
Published: June 2023

In the world of business competition, entrepreneurs are demanded to be able to respond and act quickly to face increasingly fierce business competition within the scope of one location. Entrepreneurs are expected to be able to compete healthily and competitively to create the most exciting innovations to maintain their loyalty. Each entrepreneur will make every effort to influence the buyer's decision by consumers so that they are interested in the products they market. This explanatory research uses primary data collected from respondents to be processed through SPSS, data and statistical application. In this study, the objects are the relationship between price, product design, location, store atmosphere, and consumer decisions. The subject of this research is a Culinary Cafe located in Malang City. The sampling technique used is purposive sampling, and the sample obtained is 100 respondents. The data analysis used is descriptive statistics, and multiple regression is used to test the hypothesis in this study. The results show that the variables of price, product design, and location significantly affect purchase decisions, while store atmosphere has no significant effect on purchase decisions. And from the simultaneous test results, the four independent variables together affect purchase decisions at Culinary Cafes in Malang City. Companies can use the implications of this research to make decisions to attract consumers to make purchases.