bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of plant nutrient requirements and acquisition strategies following afforestation: A study on Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Liu Weichao , Liu Yingyi , Wu Shaojun , Liu Fuhe , Wen Yuhao , Wang Yuanzhuo , Xia Kaila , Zuli Piye , Xu Yadong , Ren Chengjie , Han Xinhui
Published: June 2022

Aims
Plant nutrient requirements (NRs) and acquisition strategies are critical to understand the net primary productivity and community stability in terrestrial ecosystems; however, the current knowledge on this subject is limited, especially in cases of afforestation.
Methods
We selected one farmland and four Robinia pseudoacacia (RP) forests (15-, 21-, 31-, and 46-years-old) to investigate the changes in plant NRs and evaluate the effectiveness of acquisition strategies (including nutrient resorption and soil nutrient formed by mineralization) after afforestation in the Loess Plateau. We analyzed the nutrients in plant organs, litter, and soil, along with the extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs), microbial biomass, and mineralization rate. In addition, the biomass of RP was determined using an allometric growth model.
Results
During afforestation, the nitrogen and phosphorus requirement of RP increased significantly, from 3.97 to 18.14 g·m− 2·year− 1 and 0.17 to 0.71 g·m− 2·year− 1, respectively. However, the contributions of nutrient resorption to the total NR were lower than 50% and decreased significantly with stand age. Additionally, partial correlation analysis indicated that soil EEAs were the factors directly affecting the mineralization process. PLS-PM revealed that afforestation promotes the microbial biomass by increasing soil nutrients, leading to the secretion of more extracellular enzymes, which ultimately results in an increase in the soil mineralization rate.
Conclusions
Our study highlights the importance of soil mineralization for plant NRs and clarify the effects of afforestation on soil mineralization processes. Our study contributes to a better understanding of plantation nutrient cycling and, thus, facilitates efficient forest management practices.
Increased expression of miR146a dysregulates TLR2 signaling in airway epithelial cells from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Reddy-Vari Hymavathi , Kim Yerin , Rajputh Charu , Sajjan Umadevi S
Published: June 2022

Toll-like receptors (TLR) play a pivotal role in stimulating innate immune responses of airway epithelial cells to bacterial and viral infections. Airway epithelial cells from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) show suboptimal responses to non-typeable H. influenzae (NTHi) and TLR2 ligands despite expressing TLR2 similar to normal airway epithelial cells, but the underlying mechanisms are not well-known. Here we demonstrate that compared to normal, mucociliary-differentiated COPD airway epithelial cell cultures show impaired expression of β-defensin (HBD2) when infected with NTHi or treated with TLR2 agonists. Apical secretions from TLR2 agonist-treated normal but not COPD airway epithelial cells efficiently kills NTHi. Knockdown of HBD2 significantly reduced NTHi killing by apical secretions of normal airway epithelial cells. Interestingly, compared to normal, COPD bronchial epithelial cell cultures showed a significant reduction in the expression of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK)-1, a downstream component of TLR2 signaling. Attenuated IRAK-1 levels were associated with increased expression of microRNA (miR)146a. Treatment with miR146a antagonist increased the expression of IRAK-1 and improved the expression of HBD2 in response to TLR2 agonists in COPD airway epithelial cells. Further, inhibition of miR146a also enhanced the killing of bacteria by apical secretions of FSL-1-stimulated COPD airway epithelial cells. Reduced expression of IRAK-1 was also observed in the bronchial epithelium of COPD patients. These results suggest that reduced levels of IRAK-1 due to increased expression of miR146a may contribute to dysregulation of TLR2 signaling and impaired expression of HBD2 in COPD airway epithelial cells.
Multivariate time series traffic anomaly detection with Prediction & AutoEncoder
Authors: Lee Junghyeon , Jeong Koosup , Kim Wooju
Published: June 2022

Recently, research on the detection of distributed Denial-of-Service(DDOS) abnormalities using network traffic data is actively underway. this is because malicious traffic continues to advance, causing great economic losses to oursociety. therefore, this study aims to build a more suitable model for use in thefield by detecting abnormalities distinct from normal and improving continuousabnormal detection accuracy based on multivariate traffic netflow data. the supervised learning method that directly utilizes data from the anomaly point of viewhas a fundamental limitation that it is difficult to respond to new types other thanpatterns as long as it is learned. Therefore, it was attempted to solve the problemthrough a semi-supervised learning method using only normal data. Therefore, wedesign a one class model structure that can improve classification performance fornormal and abnormal time points by applying a Multi-head Attention layer to theauto encoder layer. In addition, typical sequence-based anomaly detection modelshave recently become dominant, which can make it difficult to respond quickly toanomalies due to the normal points at the front of each sequence when appliedin the field. therefore, in order to supplement this, this study attempted to enable faster abnormal viewpoint detection by using a viewpoint prediction model through LSTM. In summary, we present a method to advance the performance ofthe model through an accurate and fast anomaly detection model by leveragingthe aforementioned reconstruction model and prediction model together.
Effect of Thoracoscopic-guided Paravertebral Block with Ropivacaine and Adjuvant Dexmedetomidine on the Early Postoperative Analgesia in Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy: A Randomized Blinded Controlled Study
Authors: Li Zhixiong , Lin Qingshui , Lin Liangqing , Wu Qinghua , Ke Pinhui , Chen Huan , Lin Chunlan , Yu Yaohua
Published: June 2022

Background: Thoracoscopic-guided paravertebral block (PVB) has been increasingly popular as one component in multimodal analgesia. However, the optimal perioperative analgesic strategy for early postoperative analgesia following video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy (VATS LOBECTOMY) remains an open issue.Methods: A total of 106 patients who were scheduled for elective VATS LOBECTOMY were randomly assigned into two groups in a 1:1 ratio. All patients were given general anesthesia. The control group: patients received patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) after surgery; PVB group: patients received thoracoscopic-guided thoracic 4-5 and 7-8 paravertebral blocks at the end of the surgery combined with PCIA after surgery. The primary endpoint was opioid consumption within 48 h after surgery. Secondary endpoints included the early postoperative pain scores assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at rest and during exercising during 48h, duration of first-time usage of PCIA pump, times of analgesic pump pressing, postoperative quality of recovery (QoR) scores, incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications, delirium, nausea and vomiting (PONV).Results: In comparison with control group, sufentanil consumption was significantly lower for patients with thoracoscopic-guided PVB (p<0.001) with longer duration of first time PCIA usage (p<0.001), less times of analgesic pump pressing (p=0.034) and less rescue analgetic consumption (p=0.006). VAS scores at rest and during exercising were significantly lower in PVB group at all time points within the first 48 h after surgery. PVB group was also associated with significantly higher total QoR-40 scores during 48h after surgery. Significantly lower incidence of analgesia related adverse events including nausea and vomiting occurred in PVB group. However, there were no significant difference of major pulmonary complications between two groups.Conclusions: Thoracoscopic-guided PVB were effective and safe for early postoperative analgesia after video-assisted VATS LOBECTOMY. In addition, it could reduce the incidence of complications associated with analgesia, which might be recommended as an optimal analgesic strategy after VATS LOBECTOMY.Trial registration: The study was retrospectively registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200060675).
MAG - Cold Wire welding process with gas protection on the slave torch
Authors: Santos Deborah , Miranda Caio César , Megale Gustavo de Pádua , de Abreu Leonel Dimas , Júnior Pedro Américo Almeida Magalhães
Published: June 2022

This article explores the technical characteristics of welding processes and analyzes the structure of the welded joint (base metal, heat-affected zone, and weld metal) in terms of structure, mechanical properties, and penetration profile, using samples welded by the flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) and cold wire gas (CWG) processes. The evaluation of the system (welded joint) is based on the best weldability from tensile tests, analysis of the bead penetration profile, deposition rate, and heat added to the process. Welded joint performance comparisons are made using ABNT 1020 carbon steel with E-71T1 and E-70S6 wires, respectively. The specimens were welded in a flat position and chamfered, using different gas mixtures in both the FCAW and CWG processes. As a result, no discontinuity was observed in the welded joints, and the values of the mechanical properties tested did not indicate material embrittlement. Therefore, the values presented in the penetration profile and deposition rate were higher for the CWG process. The heat input in the welded joint was also lower for the CWG process, demonstrating a better performance for the process.
Impact of Telehealth in HIV Ambulatory Clinic during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Nagarakanti Sandhya , Bishburg Eliahu , Ehlers Kristen
Published: June 2022

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has changed HIV outpatient care. Patients (pts) were transitioned from in-person (IN-P) visits to telehealth (TELE) encounters. We sought to evaluate the impact of TELE on HIV infected pts during the pandemic period (COV) and compare it to the pre-pandemic (pre-COV) care.MethodsA retrospective study in an outpatient HIV clinic. Two periods were defined: Pre-COV 3/16/2019 - 3/15/2020 and COV 3/16/2020- 3/15/2021. Data was collected on demographics, lab values and physician encounters. ResultsA total of 1136 pts were seen over 2 years, mean age 51.6 years. During pre-COV, 530 pts were seen IN-P and 606 pts had encounters during COV, of them 50.2% had exclusive TELE visits. The percentage of pts with CD4 > 200/µL and those with undetectable HIV VL at first and last encounter were compared between the two study periods. During pre-COV, there was no difference in the percent pts with CD4 > 200/µL (B90.5% vs. 94.3%, p=.87) or HIV VL (88.5% vs. 90.3%, p=0.41) but during COV there was significant difference in CD4 (90.3% vs. 94.2%, p=0.03) and HIV VL (87% vs. 93%, p=0.002). More new pts were seen and less changes to ART regimens were done during COV (8.6%vs 7 p=0.26) and (19% to 29%, p=0 .32) respectively.ConclusionsIn our clinic, transitioning to TELE resulted in larger number of encounters and more new pts entered care; CD4 and HIV viral load improvements were seen. TELE is an effective platform for HIV out patient care.
Evaluation of the Association between Blood Pressure and Birth Weight: A Cross-Sectional Study on 600 Outpatient Children
Authors: Ghandi Yazdan , Shabestari Ali Arjmand , Dorreh Fatemeh , YousefiChaijan Parsa , Rezaei Taraneh
Published: June 2022

BackgroundDespite the declining global prevalence of preterm birth, it accounts for a certain proportion of births in developing countries. Those born earlier, are prone to have lower birth weight (BW), smaller kidneys, lower glomerular filtration rate, higher blood pressure (BP) and overall poorer future cardio-metabolic health outcomes. MethodsThe current cross-sectional study was conducted on relatively healthy individuals aged 3-18 years with no PMH of any specific diseases, and not in toxic or ill condition. Recruitment was in 2 phases for the participants with high BP at the first visit (regarding a 2-week follow-up BP assessment) and in 1 phase for the normotensive participants.ResultsAmong the total 600 participants, the prevalence of elevated BP, grade 1 hypertension (HTN), and grade 2 HTN was 5.2, 5.5, and 2.3%, respectively. The prevalence of children with very low birth weight, low birth weight, and high birth weight was 1.7, 8.7, and 4.5%, respectively. Chi-square analysis showed no statistically significant association between BW and BP (P-value=0.774). There was a statistically significant association between BP and height, weight, and heart rate (HR) (P-value<0.05). ConclusionsThere is no statistically significant interaction between BP and BW. The association illustrated by previous studies may be caused by other underlying factors including weight or by methodological limitations including nor follow-up BP assessment, neither excluding ill, toxic, and hospitalized children. There is a direct relationship between BP and HR, weight, and height. However, the relationship between BP and the two latter is inverted for BP above grade 2 HTN.Trial RegistrationDesign of the current study was approved by the ethics committee of the Research Institute for Arak University of Medical Sciences. Ethics Code: IR.ARAKMU.REC.1400.271
Adsorption of Malachite Green Industrial Dye using Nanocellulose/Chitosan/ N, N-methylenebisacrylamide Based Nanocomposite Adsorbent
Authors: Goswami Rekha , Mishra Abhilasha , Prasad Brijesh , Bhatt Neha
Published: June 2022

Present study deals with the fabrication of nanocomposite adsorbent using nanocellulose extracted from lignocellulosic biomass (sugarcane bagasse) and appraise its removal efficiency for the malachite green (MG) dye. Chemically treated obtained cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) (5.0 g), Chitosan (0.5 g) and N, N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) (0.04 g) were applied as filler, binder and cross linker respectively for the synthesis of adsorbents nanocomposite. The nanocomposite was characterized for morphology, structure, presence and bonding of functional groups and Contact angle, Particle Size Analysis, wettability and its mechanical properties. Adsorption studies were done to evaluate dye adsorption capacity of nanocomposite adsorbent for different initial dye concentration. The results depicted the maximum dye removal rate in first 30 min and reached to equilibrium in 90 min. Other experimental conditions taken under considerations were adsorbent dosage (0.1 – 0.7 g), pH dependency (4.0 to 9.0) and initial dye concentration (20, 40 and 60 mg/L). Highest removal rate was observed with 5.0 % CNCs dosage after optimization. The experimental data showed the best fitted correlation with Freundlich isotherm (R2 = 0.99) and follow pseudo 2nd order reaction (R2 = 0.93) by enabling chemisorption adsorption phenomenon. The regeneration capacity of the nanocomposite was also analyzed it was found that about 90% of the dye was removed from the pre-adsorbed nanocomposite material. Taking the advantage of the developed nanocomposite it can be applied for removal of effluents specially from the paper, textile and leather industry and can be a cost-effective possible solution.
Measuring cancer burden in prostatic needle core biopsies: Simplified assessments outperform complex measurements in assessing outcome: evidence to assist pathologist efficiency and minimise datasets.
Authors: Berney Daniel , Finnegan Kier , Fine Samson , Varma Murali , Cuzick Jack , Beltran Luis
Published: June 2022

981 men with clinically localized prostate cancer diagnosed and managed conservatively were centrally reviewed by two uropathologists. Follow up was through cancer registries up until 2012. Deaths were divided into those from PC and those from other causes according to WHO criteria. For every case, the number of positive cores (NPC), the Maximum Cancer Length in a core (MCL), the total CL (TCL) and the percentage of positive cores (%+cores) was calculated and univariate and multivariate analysis using PSA, T-stage and Gleason score/Grade group were performed. In addition, the presence of stromal gaps (SG) was recorded and where present, length was assessed both including and excluding the SG. Univariate models were run on the patients where SG made a difference to the MCL.All variables of extent showed a significant association with prostate cancer death in the univariate models. In multivariate models, incorporating PSA, T-stage and Gleason score/Grade group, only %+cores was a significant predictor of outcome with a 10% increase in %+cores resulting in a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.07 (LRT p > Χ2 = 0.01). There were 120 patients where SG made a difference to the MCL and a total of 20 events in this group. Including SG, on univariate analysis the median MCL was 10 mm and HR was 1.16 (p=0.007), not including SG the median MCL was 6 mm and HR was 1.23 (p=6.3x10-4). Inclusion or exclusion of SG made no significant difference to TCL as a predictor of outcome.Cancer extent is a strong predictor of prostate cancer death but only %+cores adds to the multivariate model. Expressed as a fraction of NPC/total number of cores, this the simplest method of CE assessment which we favour over more complicated methods in non-targeted PB.
Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of Research on the Links between the Microbiome-Gut-Brain axis and Depression
Authors: Ma Yue , Xu Peng , Luo Yi , Sun jifei , GUO chunlei , fang jl
Published: June 2022

Background
The pathways and mechanisms underlying the associations between the gut microbiome and the brain are collectively known as the microbiome-gut-brain axis (MGBA). Depression is a common and frequent psychological and psychiatric disease. The interactions comprising the MGBA may play a role in the pathogenesis of depression. Nevertheless, the general aspects of the links between the MGBA and depression have not been systematically investigated through bibliometric analysis.
Methods
Publications from 1994 to 2022, focusing on the links between the MGBA and depression, were downloaded from the Web of Science Core Collection. HistCite, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the Bibliometrix Package and were used for bibliometric analysis and visualization. The main analyses we performed included collaboration network analysis, co-citation analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and citation burst detection.
Results
A total of 829 publications related to the relationship between the MGBA and depression were identified. The number of such publications has been rapidly growing since 2014. The People's Republic of China, University College Cork, and John F. Cryan were the most influential country, institute, and scholar, respectively. BRAIN BEHAV IMMUN and NUTRIENTS were the most productive and co-cited journals. Five hot topics in research linking the MGBA with depression were depression, gut microbiota, gut-brain axis, microbiota, and anxiety. Five frontier topics in the field were cytokine, maternal separation, neuroinflammation, probiotics, and vagus. The most representative and symbolic reference with the highest co-citation number was an article by Bravo J. A. et al. (2011).
Conclusions
These results provide an instructive perspective for research on the relationship between the MGBA and depression, and a timely review and analysis of research hotspots and research trends, which will promote the development of this field. Future research will focus on understanding the underlying mechanism of action of the MGBA on depression, and on elucidating microbial-based interventions and treatment strategies for depression.
An improved teaching-learning-based optimization with multi-learning strategy and ranking-based selection for multitask optimization problems
Authors: Guo Wei , Zou Feng , Chen Debao
Published: June 2022

In recent years, evolutionary multitask optimization (EMTO) has gained enough attention in the research community. Multitask optimization (MTO) makes full use of the potential parallelism of population search-based efforts to achieve cross-domain optimization of multiple optimization problems and make knowledge migration between different optimization problems possible. Whether from the angle of convergence speed or quality, it shows better ability than single task optimization. However, we note that the current EMTO algorithm uses only a single crossover for knowledge transfer, which can’t reduce the impact of negative information in the process of knowledge transfer. There are some limitations in solving available tasks. This paper presents a new multitask teaching-learning-based optimization with multi-learning strategies and ranking-based selection strategy (MTTLBO-MR). In the teaching stage, there are three learning strategies for students to choose. In the learning stage, each student chooses the learning strategy from two strategies according to their own situation. Different from the greedy selection strategy of the original TLBO, the new offspring is selected on the basis of the rank based on the factorial rank and diversity rank of each individual. The test result states clearly that MTTLBO-MR updates knowledge through suitable learning strategies at different optimization stages and has outstanding performance on dealing with multitask optimization tasks.
Wideband Polarization-insensitive Metamaterial Microwave Absorber for S and C Band Application
Authors: Barde Chetan , Ranjan Prakash , Choubey Arvind , Sinha Rashmi , Das Debolina , Roy Komal
Published: June 2022

The designing and development of wideband polarization insensitive Metamaterial Microwave Absorber (MMA) is presented in this paper. The proposed unit cell consists of four trapezoidal which is connected to concentric square and cantered square via lumped resistors. The absorber is designed on FR-4 substrate with permittivity 4.3 and thickness 0.256 mm (λ/144). The wideband absorptivity with more than 90 % absorption is obtained from 2.21 GHz to 6.61 GHz having bandwidth of 4.40 GHz. Two distinct absorptivity peaks have been perceived in the range of interest having frequencies at 2.49 GHz and 5.68 GHz with maximum magnitude of 92.50% and 92.14%. The designed absorber is also found to be polarisation insensitive for both TE and TM polarised Electromagnetic (EM) wave up to oblique incidence of about 60°. These two peaks arise because of plasmonic resonance. The fabricated structure is measured inside the Anechoic Chamber, the simulated and measured results are almost similar to each. The proposed absorber structure finds applications for S (2-4 GHz) and C (4-8 GHz) band particularly in defence applications for wideband stealth applications and RCS reductions.
Hydrogen gas treatment improves postoperative delirium and cognitive dysfunction in elderly noncardiac patients
Authors: Lin Hua , Du Jian , Su Yanchao , Tian Zhigang , Yu Yonghao , Cui Yan , Xie Ke-liang
Published: June 2022

Background: Postoperative delirium, a common complication after surgery in elderly individuals, is a state of acute brain dysfunction characterized by fluctuating mental status that affects millions of patients each year. We used prophylactic inhalation of hydrogen gas with elderly patients undergoing elective surgery to compare their occurrence of postoperative delirium with that of controls.Methods: A total of 184 patients were enrolled and randomized into a control group and a hydrogen inhalation group. All the patients were >= 65 years of age. The quality of sleep was assessed 1 day before surgery and 1, 3, and 7 days after surgery at 8 AM. The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) was used as a screening tool for delirium. The patients' postoperative state of consciousness was assessed using the CAM 1-7 days after surgery. If delirium was diagnosed, the time of onset and duration of delirium were recorded.Results: Postoperative delirium happened in 17 (24%) of 70 elderly noncardiac patients and in 10 (12%) of 83 patients after hydrogen inhalation. The incidence of delirium was decreased in the hydrogen group. No significance differences were found in length of stay in the hospital after surgery between the two groups. For additional outcomes, there was no significant difference in sleep quality between the two groups at 1, 3, and 7 days postoperatively, and the sleep quality gradually recovered over 7 days postoperatively. The numerical rating scale (NRS) pain scores were higher in the hydrogen group (4.08±1.77) than in the control group (3.54±1.77) on day 1 (P<0.05); however, the mean difference in NRS pain scores between the two groups was small (1 to 1.6). There was no significant difference on day 3 or 7. The postoperative C-reactive protein level was significantly lower in the hydrogen group than in the control group.Conclusions: This study suggests that hydrogen inhalation can prevent postoperative delirium in elderly noncardiac patients by reducing the inflammatory response.
Approximately Local Derivations on $\ell^{1}$-Munn algebras with applications to Semigroup Algebras
Authors: Essmaili Morteza , Vahdati Hatam , Alinejad Ahmad
Published: June 2022

At the present paper, we investigate bounded approximately local derivations of ℓ1-Munn algebra MI (A); where I is an arbitrary non-empty set and A is an approximately locally unital Banach algebra. Indeed, we show that if AB(A,A*) and BA(A,A*) are reflexive, then bounded approximately local derivations from MI (A) into any Banach MI (A)-bimodule X are derivations. Finally, we apply this result to study bounded approximately local derivations of the semigroup algebra ℓ1(S); where S is a uniformly locally finite inverse semigroup.
Genetic characteristics of platinum-sensitive ovarian clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Saito Ryosuke , Kuroda Takafumi , Yoshida Hiroshi , Sudo Kazuki , Saito Motoaki , Tanabe Hiroshi , Takano Hirokuni , Yamada Kyosuke , Kiyokawa Takako , Yonemori Kan , Kato Tomoyasu , Okamoto Aikou , Kohno Takashi
Published: June 2022

BackgroundMost ovarian clear cell carcinomas (OCCCs) are resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy, while a small subset shows a positive response. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical, pathological, and genetic characteristics of platinum-sensitive OCCCs.MethodsThe study included 53 patients with stage III–IV OCCC who had residual tumors after primary surgery and received platinum-based therapy between 2009 and 2018. A retrospective examination of platinum sensitivity was performed using the criterion of ≥6 months from the last day of first-line platinum therapy until recurrence/progression. Cases determined to be platinum-sensitive were subjected to immunohistochemical staining, genomic analyses using target sequencing (i.e., NCC Oncopanel) and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) (myChoice® HRD Plus) assays. ResultsOf the 53 stage III–IV OCCC cases, 11 (21%) were platinum-sensitive. These cases showed better progression-free and overall survival than platinum-resistant cases (hazard ratio = 0.16, P < 0.001). Among the seven sensitive cases whose tumor tissues were available for molecular profiling, five were pure OCCC based on pathological and genetic features, whereas the remaining two cases were re-diagnosed as HGSOC (high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma). The pure OCCCs lacked BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, consistent with the absence of the HRD phenotype, whereas two cases (40%) had ATM mutations. By contrast, the two HGSOC cases had BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations associated with the HRD phenotype. ConclusionsThe subset of platinum-sensitive OCCCs includes a majority with pure OCCC features that lack the HRD phenotype.
The difference in the surface coverage ratio by an adapted hand rubbing technique and the WHO technique; a randomized group comparison
Authors: Suzuki Yumi , Morino Motoko , Morita Ichizo , Ohiro Sumie
Published: June 2022

Background
The adapted 6-step without interlock (A6Sw/oI) hand rub technique, commonly practised in Japan, adds the “wrist” but omits the “interlock” step compared to the WHO 6-step technique (WHO6S). The first objective of this study was to assess the differences in the efficacy of the two techniques regarding surface coverage, considering hand size. The second objective was to analyse the coverage differences between hand sizes.
Methods
Participants were randomly assigned to either one of the WHO6S or the A6Sw/oI. The coverage ratios of the anatomically divided sections of the hands were evaluated by a digital device using artificial intelligence technology.
Results
The mean dorsum coverage by WHO6S and A6Sw/oI was 90.6% vs 88.4% (p < 0.01), and the ratio of the participants with insufficient coverage of the dorsum of the four fingers was 0.0%-7.4% vs 28.2–51.4% (p < 0.001). Dorsum coverage varied largely between hand size for both techniques, and significant differences were found between small and large hands.
Discussion and Conclusion
The WHO6S was superior to the locally adapted technique regarding hand surface coverage. Hand size should be considered when assessing coverage differences between procedures.
Flavokawain B inhibits the growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma through the suppression of UCK2 mediated downregulation of STAT3/Hif-1α/VEGF signalling pathway
Authors: Malami Ibrahim , Alhasan Alhasan Muhammad , Adamu Adamu Ahmed , Bello Muhammad Bashir , Muhammad Aliyu , Imam Mustapha Umar
Published: June 2022

This study investigates the effects of Flavokawain B (FKB) on the growth and development of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. HepG2 cells were used in this study and a neutral red assay was performed to determine the anti-proliferation effects of FKB at varying concentrations. Cell scratch and exclusion zone assays were performed to assess the inhibitory effects of FKB on the cell migration and invasion and relative mRNA levels were quantified using the RT-qPCR. FKB inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells at an IC50 value of 28 µM, which conforms to its apoptosis-inducing effects. Cell migration and invasion were significantly inhibited at 7, 14 and 28 µM of FBK. UCK2 expression was significantly downregulated after FKB treatments. Inhibition of STAT3 expression subsequently induced the downregulation of VEGF and HIF-1α expressions. Our data suggest that FKB inhibits HepG2 proliferation and suppresses its metastasis abilities, thus providing a potential alternative and viable strategy against HCC.
Failed insertion of ureteral access sheath during flexible ureterorenoscopy: A randomized controlled trial comparing second session flexible ureterorenoscopy or same session mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy
Authors: Caglar Ufuk , Erbin Akif , Ucpinar Burak , Ayranci Ali , Sarilar Omer , Yanaral Fatih , Baykal Murat , Ozgor Faruk , Akbulut Fatih
Published: June 2022

We aimed to compare different treatment approaches in patients with failed ureteral access sheath placement during first flexible ureterorenoscopy (f-URS) session. Patients with kidney stones measuring 1-2 cm, presented to our urology clinic between April 2019 and April 2021, were included in the study for evaluation. Patients were randomized into two groups, in case of a failed ureteral access sheath placement during the first f-URS session. In group 1, ureteral JJ stent was placed for dilation and second session of f-URS was planned 4-6 weeks later. In group 2, mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mPNL) was performed in the same session. Pre-operative demographic data, operative and post-operative characteristics including complications and success rates were compared. Patients were assessed by Short-Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaires to compare overall life quality after each procedure. Twenty-four patients were included in each group. Pre-operative demographic data and stone characteristics of the patients in each group were comparable. Operation time, fluoroscopy time, and hospital stay were significantly higher in the mini-PNL group (p:0.001, p:0.001 and p:0.001, respectively). When SF-36 values were compared, physical function, pain, role limitation, and general health value scores were improved in both groups after treatment. The improvement in physical function and pain parameters was statistically significant in the mPNL group (p:0.026 and p:0.017).In patients with failed ureteral access sheath placement, placing a JJ stent for dilation and postponing f-URS for 4-6 weeks provides the advantages of low hospitalization time for each admission, shorter fluoroscopy and operation time. Performing mPNL in the same session, results in better improvements in SF-36 parameters such as pain and physical function compared to f-URS. The success and complication rates of the two procedures were comparable.
Influence Maximization using Community Detection aided with Adaptive β Coral Reefs Optimization
Authors: Ahmed Shameem , Maulik Ujjwal
Published: June 2022

The purpose of influence maximization in a cascade model is to extricate a group of hubs from underlying network that can maximize propagation. Greedy methods may be used to perform influence maximization. However, as it has ahigh computational cost, it becomes inefficient. Centrality-based heuristic methods can be considered as a replacement. But it gets trapped in local optima. To address these issues, a framework has been introduced which uses community detection, tries to find the most significant nodes from each community using closeness centrality. Then, it employs Coral Reefs Optimization to determine the best solutions, i.e., the most important nodes that maximize propagation. Adaptive β-Hill Climbing has been used. It acts as a local search to avoid getting caught in local optima. A few datasets were used to evaluate the proposed framework’ scalabilities. Moreover, the outcomes were compared to several state-of-the-art techniques based on 2-hop influence spread and Monte-Carlo simulations.
Prognostic significance of high-level PIM1 and is related to tumor microenvironment in Low-grade Glioma
Authors: Chen Fan , Huang Tao , Zhong Ying , Xie Xuan , Wang Liang
Published: June 2022

PIM1 has been shown to be associated with the development of multiple human cancers, but the biological mechanisms of PIM1 in glioma development, particularly the role of TME immune cell infiltration, remain unclear. We analyzed clinical information and gene expression data of all glioma samples and evaluated the relationship with overall survival by univariate and multivariate Cox regression. We also analyzed genes and downstream signaling pathways associated with PIM1 by gene set enrichment analysis. And we analyzed characterized oncogenic pathways, biological pathways, and TME immune cell infiltration in glioma samples with different PIM1 expressions, and validated it by in vitro experiments. The results of Cox regression analysis confirmed that overexpression of PIM1 was significantly associated with malignant progression and poorer survival of gliomas. Using PIM1 and other clinical features, we successfully constructed a nomogram to predict the prognosis of glioma, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis revealed the association between PIM1 overexpression with cell cycle, cAMP signaling pathway, et al. Meanwhile, overexpression of PIM1 was significantly associated with increased expression of many immune checkpoints and immune cell infiltration. In conclusion, our study confirmed that overexpression of PIM1 is a potential molecular marker of poor prognosis in glioma and that PIM1 plays an important role in TME immune cell infiltration. By identifying PIM1-regulated signaling pathways and immune checkpoints enhances our understanding of the TME immune cell infiltration characteristics of glioma and contributes to the development of immunotherapeutic strategies.
A Secure and Robust Trust-Based Task Allocation Model for Batch-of-Tasks (BoT) in Cloud Computing
Authors: Haidri Raza Abbas , Alam Mahfooz , Mahak - , Shahid Mohammad , Prakash Shiv
Published: June 2022

Security is emerging as an essential issue in the design of infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) cloud environment applications, which are broadly used in micro-system reliability, transaction processing system, e-commerce services, digital computers for government and medical electronics. Here, the security-driven allocation of Batch of Tasks (BoT) in cloud system is a challenging issue and has been reported as a well-known NP-complete problem. So, many models have been developed, however, existing trust-based models do not factor in security demand properly when making the decision and assigning the cloudlets/tasks. To design a trust-based task allocation model, evaluation and computation of security overhead are needed. The proposed model is negotiating the cipher suite between the task and computing resource in the form of security demand. Furthermore, this paper proposes Security Aware Efficient Static Task Allocation (SA-ESTA) and Security Prioritized Efficient Static Task Allocation (SP-ESTA) algorithms which integrate security demands and trust level into allocation for the IaaS Cloud environment. The proposed algorithms schedule a BoT, on virtual machines (VMs) in order to optimize the flowtime, security overhead, and system failure probability. To evaluate the performance of SA-ESTA and SP-ESTA, the experimental study based on random test-bed trace has been conducted and compared with four other existing baselines and three traditional algorithms on account of flowtime, security overhead and failure probability. Our meticulous performance simulation results clearly show that the proposed algorithms perform better than the peer algorithms under various test conditions.
APPROACHES TO INTENSIFICATION SMART GRIDS’ IMPLEMENTATION
Authors: Vakulenko I. , Kolosok S. , Suschenko A.
Published: June 2022

Smart energy is an evolutionary stage in developing the economy's energy sector. The existing energy infrastructure of many countries worldwide is based on outdated technologies and principles of energy generation. The availability of advanced technologies capable of producing and distributing energy more efficiently was to guarantee the rapid development of the industry. However, the experience of implementing energy projects and the difficulties with which the modernization of the energy sector is taking place show significant organizational and financial problems that hinder investment in the industry. This is true for both public and private investment in large-scale energy projects and relatively small investments in local projects, including household investments. Today, there is a clear need to develop approaches that will make the latest energy-efficient technologies, particularly electricity, which is associated with smart grids, available to a wide range of consumers. We are talking about creating financial mechanisms and business models that will turn investments into smart energy grids, regardless of their size, into projects with a short payback period and high profitability. Objective technical and technological factors hamper this, but at the same time, it is clear that the available opportunities for the commercialization and dissemination of new energy technologies are not used enough.
The article analyzes the current state of development of the energy sector and prospects for applying the latest highly efficient innovative energy technologies. The organizational and economic aspects of the spread of energy innovations belong to the field of smart energy, which is considered broader than usual in the scientific literature. Although the article does not offer clearly defined mechanisms for energy innovation transfer, the analytical work can be helpful for researchers in the field to develop their ideas to find ways to improve domestic and global energy in accordance with existing socio-economic and political challenges.
COMPETITIVENESS MANAGEMENT AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE CYCLE
Authors: Kotenko S.
Published: June 2022

The ever-changing environment, globalization and international competition create additional requirements for companies. Competitiveness at the organizational level is important for the creation and development of competitive advantages, proper use of resources and management of factors that affect the results of market activities. If a company wants to survive and be strong, gaining sustainable competitive advantage and higher productivity over competitors is crucial. Based on the above, we can define competitiveness as a dynamic structure that is influenced by several factors. Factors may or may not be controlled by the organization and reflect the complexity of both the internal and external environment. The task of companies is to identify specific factors and analyze their strategic management. In the context of this study, we can identify one of the key internal factors that directly affects all the processes that take place in the organization - this is the stage of the life cycle of the organization (OLC). Adapting the concept of biological sciences, researchers-researchers of organizational subjects proposed a life cycle of organizational development, starting from the stage of birth to death (liquidation). Economists have identified several different models in which the number of OLC stages varies from three to ten. Knowing the current situation or stage of development of the organization can help top managers to understand the relationship between the life cycle of the organization, competitive strategy and performance of the subject of analysis.
The article explores the concept of OLC, analyzes the authors' scientific approaches to the classification of OLC stages. Features of each of stages are considered. The characteristics of the five stages and original approaches to their definition are given. The relationship and dependence of the OLC stages and economic results of the organization are reflected. Indicators that are indicators of the current OLC stage are described. According to them, secondary data are proposed to be used in the calculation process. An example of possible actions to increase the level of competitiveness in relation to each OLC stage is given.
COMPETITIVENESS AS AN ELEMENT OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY
Authors: Rekunenko I. , Diakonova І. , Lavryk Y. , Pavlenko O. , Fedyna V.
Published: June 2022

The article analyzes the competitiveness, its assessment and impact on the choice of strategic management in the context of sustainable development. It is determined that a country's competitiveness is a set of characteristics inherent in the national economy that determine a country's ability to compete with other countries. It is proved that an important direction of sustainable development is the formation of a competitive economy, finding out the impact of its various factors on the social, economic and environmental components. The international competitiveness assessment, namely the global competitiveness index, is considered. Ukraine's place in the global competitiveness rating has been determined. The fluctuations of the rating position of Ukraine for the period 2013-2019 are analyzed. Factors that influenced the fluctuations of the rating position during this period have been identified. The importance of competitiveness for the country is determined and national competitiveness is discussed. The main indicators of competitiveness are given. The need to calculate the country's competitiveness growth index (GCI) and develop an economic development strategy has been revealed. It is proved that the level of competitiveness of the country affects its economic development. The dependence between indicators (factors) of influence on the index of growth of competitiveness of the country and size of the general index of competitiveness is constructed. This approach allows the application of elements of strategic management in the consideration of each component of the competitiveness index: basic conditions, efficiency enhancers and conditions of innovation. It is concluded that strategic decisions on the prospects of economic development of the country for 5-8 years are the basis for the formation of sustainable development. And this, in turn, determines the direction of strategic decisions, which are based on the analysis of competitiveness.
The Bayesian approach to analysis of financial operational risk
Authors: Levenchuk Liudmyla
Published: June 2022

The article provides a short overview of methods for constructing mathematical models in the form of Bayesian Networks for modeling operational risks under conditions of uncertainty. Let’s provide the sequence of actions necessary for creating a model in the form of the network, methods for computing a probabilistic output in BN, and give examples of using the tool to solve practical problems of operational financial risk estimation. The study results can be used by financial institutions as a tool for resolving specific practical issues of risk estimation.

The object of research: methods for constructing Bayesian Networks for modeling operational risk in financial institutions.

Investigated problem: modeling operational risk under conditions of uncertainty.

The main scientific results: overview of methods for constructing Bayesian Networks for modeling operational risk under conditions of uncertainty; the methodology in the form of sequence of actions necessary for creating the model in the form of the network; methods for computing a probabilistic output in BN; examples of applying such approaches to solve practical problems of operational financial risk estimation.

The area of practical use of the research results: The research results can be used in the following financial institutions: banking system, insurance and investment companies.

Innovative technological product: computer based decision support system, allowing for high quality modeling and estimation of operational risks.

Scope of the innovative technological product: the practice of usage the proposed models in financial organizations provides an evidence of their high efficiency in terms of formal description and estimation of operational risk
Dimenzije i aspekti roditeljskog ponašanja u obiteljima djece s poremećajem iz spektra autizma
Authors: Kardum Aleksandra , Lisak Šegota Natalija , Jurčević Lozančić Anka
Published: June 2022

Istraživanje daje uvid u glavne dimenzije i aspekte roditeljskog ponašanja roditelja djece s poremećajem iz spektra autizma (PSA) s obzirom na prisutnost/neprisutnost nepoželjnih ponašanja djece, temeljem samoprocjene. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od N=121 roditelja djece s PSA iz Dalmacije. Rezultati su ukazali na prisutnost restriktivne kontrole i kažnjavanja kada su prisutna nepoželjna ponašanja, dok roditelji čija djeca nemaju nepoželjna ponašanja pokazuju više autonomije za svoje dijete, imaju veće roditeljsko znanje i primjenjuju induktivno rezoniranje. U raspravi se ističe značaj osobnih karakteristika roditelja i partnerstva, kvalitete podrške te znanstveno utemeljenih intervencija i roditeljskog znanja za roditeljsko ponašanje. Predlažu se smjernice za učinkovite intervencije na nepoželjna ponašanja djeteta te poželjne odrednice roditeljskog ponašanja. Također, navode se ograničenja provedenog istraživanja i prijedlozi za buduća istraživanja.
GFAP и NSE – маркеры нейродегенеративных изменений в коре мозга и мозжечка человека в старческом возрасте
Authors:   Кафедра нормальной, топографической и клинической анатомии, оперативной хирургии, Баландин Анатолий , Баландин Владимир ,   Кафедра нормальной, топографической и клинической анатомии, оперативной хирургии, Железнов Лев ,   Кафедра анатомии, Кировский государственный медицинский университет, Баландина Ирина ,   Кафедра нормальной, топографической и клинической анатомии, оперативной хирургии
Published: June 2022

Работа основывается на результатах исследований аутопсийного материала коры мозга и мозжечка с использованием гистологического и иммуногистохимического методов.