bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CAFs targeted ultrasound-responsive nanodroplets loaded V9302 and GLULsiRNA to inhibit melanoma growth via glutamine metabolic reprogramming and tumor microenvironment remodeling
Authors: Ai Chen , Sun Xiao , Xiao Shan , Guo Lu , Shang Mengmeng , Shi Dandan , Meng Dong , Zhao Yading , Wang Xiaoxuan , Li Jie
Published: January 2023

Despite rapid advances in metabolic therapies over the past decade, their efficacy in melanoma has been modest, largely due to the interaction between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and cancer cells to promote cancer growth. Altering the tumor microenvironment(TME)is challenging and elusive. CAFs is critical for glutamine deprivation survival in melanoma. In this research, we assembled a CAFs-targeted, controlled-release nanodroplets for the combined delivery of the amino acid transporter ASCT2 (SLC1A5) inhibitor V9302 and GLULsiRNA (siGLUL). The application of ultrasound-targeted microbubble disruption (UTMD) allows for rapid release of V9302 and siGLUL, jointly breaking the glutamine metabolism interaction between CAFs and cancer cells on one hand, on the other hand, blocking activated CAFs and reducing the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) to facilitate drug penetration. In addition, ultrasound stimulation made siGLUL more accessible to tumor cells and CAFs, downregulating GLUL expression in both cell types. FH-V9302-siGLUL-NDs also serve as contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging agents for tumor-specific imaging. Our study developed and reported ultrasound-enhanced FH-NDs as nanocarriers for V9302 and siGLUL, demonstrating that FH-V9302-siGLUL-NDs have potential bright future applications for integrated diagnostic therapy.
Assessment of Pre-Operative Vitamin D Serum Levels in Thyroid Cancer Patients
Authors: Alsalem Abdulaziz A , Alnasser Abdulaziz A , Althanayan Thamer A , Alarifi Abdulaziz K , Alessa Mohammed A
Published: January 2023

Objective
To investigate the relationship between vitamin D levels and thyroid cancer (TC) incidence and the effect of pre-operative vitamin D supplementation.
Methods
This retrospective case-control study was conducted on patients who underwent thyroidectomy at King Abdulaziz Medical City from January 2016 to January 2022. Their pre-operative vitamin D serum levels and histopathology of resected thyroid nodule (TN) were evaluated. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was computed to determine the relationship between serum 25(OH) D level and TC.
Results
A total of 633 patients were included in the study, with 325 malignant TN cases and 308 benign TN cases as control. TC group had significantly higher serum 25(OH) D levels than the controls (51.12 nmol/L vs. 46.17 nmol/L, p-value = 0.037). However, there was no significant difference between the groups on serum 25(OH) D level, once categorised into deficient, inadequate, normal, or high. Patients on Vitamin D supplements had a lower incidence of TC (45.5%) than those not on Vitamin D supplements (57.5%), with a significant (p-value = 0.003). In multivariable regression models, patients who took Vitamin D supplements had a 37% lower risk of having TC than those who did not (OR = 0.634; 95% CI = 0.460–0.873).
Conclusion
There was no significant correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and TC. However, patients on Vitamin D supplements had a lower risk of developing TC than those who had not. Further prospective studies are necessary to clarify the function of this factor.
Android Malware Detection System Based on Ensemble Learning
Authors: AbuAlghanam Orieb , Alazzam Hadeel , Qatawneh Mohammad , Aladwan Omar , Alsharaiah Mohammad A. , Almaiah Mohammed Amin
Published: January 2023

The rapid advancement of smartphones, as well as their widespread use, has resulted in a significant increase in new security concerns. Malware’s covert techniques make signature-based anti-virus/anti-malware solutions difficult to detect. The features used in such solutions are extracted from static or dynamic analysis. In this paper, an Android malware detection system has been proposed. It consists of two main subsystems that work in parallel, one has been trained for benign labeled apps while the second one has been trained on malware labeled apps. Each subsystem is based on an ensemble approach that consists of OC-SVM, LOF, and modified isolation forest (M-iForest) classifiers. Each subsystem used three one-class classifiers to take the decision in each subsystem independently. Moreover, each subsystem used both features that are extracted from static and dynamic malware analysis. The evaluation has been conducted based on two An-droid malware benchmark datasets which are DREBIN and CICAndMal2017. The proposed system achieved the highest accuracy compared to other related techniques; The accuracy for the DREBIN dataset was 98.7%, and 95.67% F-Score, while the accuracy for CICAndMal2017 was 98.99% and F-Score of 96.82%.
Feasibility of a virtual reality intervention targeting distress and anxiety symptoms in patients with primary brain tumors: Interim analysis of a phase 2 clinical trial
Authors: King Amanda L. , Roche Kayla N. , Leeper Heather E. , Vera Elizabeth , Mendoza Tito , Mentges Kelly , Acquaye Alvina A. , Adegbesan Kendra , Boris Lisa , Burton Eric , Choi Anna , Grajkowska Ewa , Kunst Tricia , Levine Jason , Lollo Nicole , Miller Hope , Panzer Marissa , Penas-Prado Marta , Pillai Valentina , Polskin Lily , Reyes Jennifer , Sahebjam Solmaz , Stockdill Macy , Theeler Brett J. , Wu Jing , Gilbert Mark R. , Armstrong Terri S.
Published: January 2023

Purpose: Cancer patients experience distress and anxiety when undergoing imaging studies to monitor disease status, yet these symptoms are not always appropriately identified or well-managed. This interim analysis of a phase 2 clinical trial explored feasibility and acceptability of a virtual reality relaxation (VR) intervention for primary brain tumor (PBT) patients at the time of clinical evaluation.
Methods: English speaking, adult PBT patients with previous reports of distress and upcoming neuroimaging were recruited between March of 2021 and March 2022. A brief VR session was done within 2 weeks prior to neuroimaging with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) collected before and immediately post-intervention. Self-directed VR use over the next 1 month was encouraged with additional PROs assessments at 1 and 4 weeks. Feasibility metrics included enrollment, eligibility, attrition, and device-related adverse effects with satisfaction measured with qualitative phone interviews.
Results: 55 patients were approached via email, 40 (73%) responded and 20 (50%) enrolled (9 declines, 11 screen fails). 65% of participants were ≤ 50 years, 50% were male, 90% were White/non-Hispanic, 85% had good KPS (≥ 90), and most were on active treatment. All patients completed the VR intervention, PROs questionnaires, weekly check-ins, and qualitative interview. Most (90%) reported frequent VR use and high satisfaction and only 7 mild AEs were recorded (headache, dizziness, nausea, neck pain).
Conclusion: This interim analysis confirmed feasibility and acceptability of a novel VR intervention to target psychological symptoms for PBT patients. Trial enrollment will continue to assess for intervention efficacy.
Trial Registration: NCT04301089 registered on 3/9/2020.
Rapamycin-regulated autophagy through mitochondrial function in lung carcinoma A549 cells
Authors: Liu Lantao , Peng Yan , Zhang Deqin , Niu Dongsheng
Published: January 2023

Lung cancer is the most leading cause of cancer-related death. Radio- and chemo- therapy resistance had associated with increased mitochondrial activity. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of mitochondrial DNA in human carcinoma A549 cells. Wild-type A549 and mitochondrial DNA-depleted A549 cells (A549 ρ0) was used to study the role of mitochondria in rapamycin induced autophagy. Mitochondrial superoxide production were detected and measured by florescence microscopy. Western blot was used to detect autophagy and cell death to study the role of mitochondria in rapamycin induced autophagy. We observed depletion of mitochondrial DNA decrease proliferation and wound healing ability in A549 ρ0 compared to wild-type A549 cells. Meanwhile, depletion of mtDNA raised inflammatory cytokine secretion in A549 ρ0 cells. Depletion of mtDNA reduced rapamycin induced autophagy in A549 cells. The rapamycin induced cell death in A549 ρ0 cells instead of autophagy in A549 cells. In conclusion, mitochondrial defects lead to increased lung inflammatory responses, reduced epithelial repair ability in A549 cells. These results revealed that A549 ρ0 cells are more resistant to rapamycin induced autophagy than wild-type A549 cells. Finally, rapamycin likely in part induced cell death in A549 ρ0 cells due to the depletion of mtDNA.
Optimizing Task Offloading and Resource Allocation in Edge-Cloud Networks: A DRL Approach
Authors: Ullah Ihsan , Lim Hyun-Kyo , Seok Yeong Jun , Han Youn-Hee
Published: January 2023

Edge-cloud computing is an emerging approach in which tasks are offloaded from mobile devices to edge or cloud servers. However, Task offloading may result in increased energy consumption and delays, and the decision to offload the task is dependent on various factors such as time-varying radio channels, available computation resources, and the location of devices. As edge-cloud computing is a dynamic and resource-constrained environment, making optimal offloading decisions is a challenging task. This paper aims to optimize offloading and resource allocation to minimize delay and meet computation and communication needs in edge-cloud computing. Theproblem of optimizing task offloading in the edge-cloud computing environment is a multi-objective problem, for which we employ deep reinforcement learning to find the optimal solution. To accomplish this, we formulate the problem as a Markov decision process and use a Double Deep Q-Network (DDQN) algorithm. Our DDQN-edge-cloud (DDQNEC) scheme dynamically makes offloading decisions by analyzing resource utilization, task constraints, and curret status of the edge-cloud network.. Simulation results demonstrate that DDQNEC outperforms heuristic approaches in terms of resource utilization, task offloading, and task rejection.
Covid-19 Vaccination in India: An Exploratory Analysis
Authors: Agarwal Sandip , Naha Maharnab
Published: January 2023

Our study is designed to explore the patterns in covid vaccination coverage in India at the district level. We use data from the first six months of covid vaccination drive in India that we combine with several other administrative data to create a unique data set that facilitates heterogeneity analysis across different
vaccination phases and districts. We find evidence of past reported infection rates positively correlated with higher first dose covid vaccination outcomes. Higher Deaths as a proportion of district population is associated with lower vaccination uptake but as a percentage of reported infection was positively correlated with first dose covid vaccination. Districts that on average had higher population burden per health centre also had lower covid vaccination rates. Vaccination rates were lower in rural areas relative to urban areas whereas the association with literacy rate was positive. A higher vaccination rate among the population with higher blood pressure and hypertension (one of the co-morbidities with covid infection) was observed while vaccination rates were lower among pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. Districts with higher percentage of children with complete immunisation were associated with higher covid vaccination rates
whereas low vaccination rates were observed in districts that reported relatively higher percentage of wasted children.
Evaluating the Role of Polyelectrolyte in Effluent Treatment Process at Water Treatment Plants for Balancing Water resources (Case Study: Water Treatment Plants of Tehran)
Authors: Aqibtbakhir Hadi , Tabrizi Mahdi Sarai , Babazadeh Hossein , Moghadam Hamid Kardan
Published: January 2023

With the use of technology at water treatment plants (WTPs), it is possible to reduce the uncertainty between the supply and demand of drinking water. In this study, we propose a method for reducing effluent production at water treatment plants using effluent treatment. The effluent resulting from water treatment plants is treated with polyelectrolyte's, and a considerable amount of effluent is reused after sedimentation has taken place. As a result of changing the effluent treatment process at water treatment plants, as well as a shortage of groundwater, the aquifer balance and replacement approach was analyzed. Additionally, a hybrid ANN-WOA model was used to demonstrate that effluent treatment changes at WPTs have positive effects on groundwater resources. Therefore, three input variables were defined as groundwater resources level, aquifer recharge, and aquifer discharge in the hybrid model. In ten years, they were simulated. The model considered the water savings gained by changing the treatment process, and groundwater level changes were based on the desirability index. As a result of considering water thrift, the groundwater level increased by 23% on average. The multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach was employed due to the importance of increased effluent in water treatment plants. The results of the study found that the priority was to allocate water to industries, followed by a green space in the immediate vicinity of the plant. As a result of the study, novel technologies in effluent treatment at water treatment plants could effectively reduce the exploitation of groundwater resources and the aquifer balance. Water thrift was analyzed with respect to the aquifer balance and replacement approach as a result of altered effluent treatment processes at water treatment plants and a shortage of groundwater. Moreover, the effluent treatment change at water treatment plants was made to have positive effects on groundwater resources using a hybrid ANN-WOA model. Hence, in the hybrid model, groundwater resources level, aquifer recharge, and aquifer discharge were defined as input variables. The model considered the water savings gained by changing the treatment process, and groundwater level changes were based on the desirability index. According to the results, the groundwater level increased by 23% on average when the water thrift was taken into account. On average, groundwater levels increased by 23% when water thrift was considered. This figure can be effective in the groundwater balance. Moreover, the multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach was employed due to the importance of increased effluent in water treatment plants. Additionally, the results showed that new technologies for effluent treatment at water treatment plants could reduce the exploitation of groundwater resources and maintain aquifer balance.
Safe Disposal of Unused Medicine among Health Professions Students at Makerere University: Knowledge, Practices and Barrier
Authors: Nakiganda Rachel , Katende Fredrick , Natukunda Ferguson , Asio Gloria Joy , Ojinga William , Bakesiga Allan , Namuwaya Claire , Nakyagaba Lourita , Kiyimba Blaise
Published: January 2023

Background: Environmental contamination with antimicrobial agents is one of the leading drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide. However, scarce data exists concerning the factors fueling unsafe disposal of medicines globally. This study aimed to assess for the knowledge, practices, and barriers concerning safe disposal of unwanted medicines among health professions students (HPS) at Makerere University, Uganda.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online assessment tool sent through WhatsApp groups and E-mail addresses of undergraduate HPS at the College of Health Sciences Makerere University, Uganda between 1stFebruary and 16thMarch 2022.Good knowledge was defined as a score of 80% of the knowledge domain questions on a standardized questionnaire.
Results: We enrolled 205 participants, 135 (65.9%) were male, with a median age of 23 (range: 19 -43) years. Overall, 157 (76%) participants had good Knowledge. The mean knowledge score was 63%. About half (n=102, 49.8%) of the participants had unused medicines kept at their respective residential places, mainly antibiotics (27%, x/102) and analgesics (21%, x/102). The most common method of medicine disposal was dumping into household garbage (n=103, 50.2%). Only 37 (18%) of participants had ever used the take-back method of medicine disposal. The most reported barriers for safe disposal were inadequate knowledge and insufficient advice from the dispensers concerning safe disposal practices. Year of study was the only factor significantly associated with knowledge about safe disposal of medicines, (adjusted Odds Ratio: 9.7, 95%CI 2.3 - 40.5, p= 0.002), with participants in higher academic years having more knowledge than those in lower years.
Conclusion: Despite a good knowledge level among the participants, the practice of safe disposal of unused medicines remains suboptimal in this population. Strategies aimed at enhancing safe disposal practices such as giving proper instructions to medicine buyers by dispensers regarding disposal practices are recommended to abate the growing burden of AMR.
The effects of casino proximity and time on poverty levels in New York City
Authors: O'Gilvie Paulette J.
Published: January 2023

The interaction between casino proximity over a five-year duration in New York City urban communities examines poverty levels under the theoretical dimensions of exposure and adaption. Links between casino proximity and problem gambling or other gambling-related problems that could adversely impact individuals in disadvantaged communities were reported before the influx of urban casinos in major metro areas. This analysis uses Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS) from the American Community Survey (ACS) estimates. A two-way factorial ANOVA measured poverty level outcomes at high and low casino proximity in year one and year five after an urban casino had been opened. No significant interaction was found between casino proximity and year for poverty level outcomes. However, findings suggest closer distances to the casino despite the year reported association with higher poverty level outcome scores. This research expands the literature on urban casino proximity in the context of exposure and adaptation theory. Results give the broader community of legislators, community workers, scholars, and industry a better understanding of the phenomenon and any potential adverse consequences to host and neighboring communities so that policy, intervention, and treatment can be considered.
Hybrid Approach with Parallel Algorithm for Simulation of Natural Convection in Nanofluid filled inside Wavy Square Enclosure with Varying Undulations
Authors: Nishad Surabhi , Bhargava Rama
Published: January 2023

Purpose- The current paper is aimed to study the numerical simulation of natural convection in water based nanofluid containing Cu-nanoparticles filled inside a wavy square enclosure with varying undulations by implementing hybrid EFGM/FEM with parallel algorithm.
Design/methodology/approach- The flow is steady, laminar and incompressible with single phase model of nanofluid. The enclosure is wavy in nature with sinusoidal formulation having fixed amplitude (A=0.15) while the number of undulations is varied. A uniform magnetic field of strength B0 is applied at an inclination angle γ. The effect of various parameters; Rayleigh number (Ra), Hartmann number (Ha), number of undulations (n) and magnetic field inclination angle (γ) on rate of heat transfer has been analyzed. Hybrid EFGM/FEM approach is implemented.
Findings- Simulation is done for the average Nusselt number calculated at the cold wavy surface, streamlines and isotherms. In order to enhance the computational efficiency, hybrid EFGM/FEM approach with parallel algorithm is implemented. It is observed that the computational time for the hybrid EFGM/FEM is less as compared to that for the element free Galerkin technique. Moreover, on increasing the number of undulations upto 4, the rate of heat transfer increases through the cavity while the number of undulations above 4 results in decreased rate of heat transfer.
Originality/value- The implementation of meshfree methods has wide range of applications in phase transition problems, fracture mechanics, plate bending and moving phase boundaries etc. The parallelization of the hybrid scheme has improved the computational efficiency which is a significant novelty of the paper and is not found in the existing literature for such problems. Moreover, another novelty of the paper is the undulated geometry which has many applications in solar panels, electronic chips, generative heat exchangers etc. for controlling the heat transfer rate.
Interaction of exercise training with taurine attenuates infarct size and cardiac dysfunction via Akt-Foxo3a-Caspase-8 signaling pathway
Authors: Razzaghi Abolfazl , Choobineh Siroos , Gaeini Abbasali , Soori Rahman
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this research was to investigate the synergistic protective effect of exercise training and taurine on Akt-Foxo3a-Caspase-8 signaling related to infarct size and cardiac dysfunction. 25 Male Wistar rats with MI were divided into five groups sham (Sh), control-MI(C-MI), exercise training-MI(Exe-MI), taurine supplementation-MI(Supp-MI), exercise training + taurine-MI(Exe + Supp-MI). The taurine groups were given a 200 mg/kg/day dose of taurine by drinking water. Exercise training was conducted for 8 weeks (5d/wk), each session alternated 2 min with 25–30% VO2peak and 4 min with 55–60% VO2peak for 10 alternations. Then, the left ventricle tissue samples were taken from all groups. Exercise training and taurine activated Akt and decreased Foxo3a. Expression of the caspase-8 gene was increased in cardiac necrosis after MI, While, after 12 weeks of intervention decreased. Results exhibited that exercise training combined with taurine has a greater effect than either alone on activating the Akt-Foxo3a-caspase signaling pathway (P < 0.001). MI-induced myocardial injury leads to increase collagen deposition (P < 0.001) and infarct size and results in cardiac dysfunction via reduced stroke volume, ejection fraction, and fractional shortening (P < 0.001). Exercise training and taurine improved cardiac function parameters (SV, EF, FS) and infarct size (P < 0.001) after 8 weeks of intervention in rats with MI. Also, the interaction of exercise training and taurine has a greater effect than alone on these variables. Interaction of exercise training with taurine supplementation induces a general amelioration of the cardiac histopathological profiles and improves cardiac remodeling via activating Akt-Foxo3a-Caspase-8 signaling with protective effects against MI.
Sirtuin 5‐mediated deacetylation of TAZ at K54 promotes melanoma development and lung metastasis
Authors: Choi Hong Seok , Kim Garam , Bhattarai Poshan Yugal , Lim Sung-Chul , Lee Kwang Youl
Published: January 2023

Nuclear accumulation of YAP/TAZ promotes tumorigenesis in several cancers, including melanoma. Although the underlying mechanisms for the nuclear retention of YAP are known, those responsible for the retention of TAZ remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the role of a novel acetylation/deacetylation switch of TAZ that regulates its subcellular localization in lung metastasis of melanoma cells. CREB binding protein (CBP) mediated TAZ acetylation at K54 in response to stimulation with epidermal growth factor or transforming growth factor beta whereas sirtuin 5 (SIRT5) mediated its deacetylation. The acetylation of TAZ was tightly coupled with phosphorylation which, in turn, regulated its binding with the LATS2 kinase or TEAD transcription factor. We used antibodies against the K54 acetylation site and found that acetylation of TAZ promoted S89 phosphorylation via its enhanced interaction with LAST2 to promote cytosolic retention. However, SIRT5-mediated deacetylation enhanced the TAZ–TEAD interaction and promoted nuclear retention. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that SIRT5-mediated deacetylation of TAZ promoted its recruitment to the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) promoter, resulting in increased transcriptional activity. In a syngeneic mouse model, deacetylation of TAZ increased CTGF expression, promoting metastasis of melanoma cells into the lung tissue after injection of B16F10 melanocytes via tail vein. Our study revealed a novel mechanism of TAZ nuclear retention regulated by SIRT5-mediated K54 deacetylation and demonstrated the significance of TAZ deacetylation in CTGF expression and lung metastasis of melanoma cells. Our study highlights the potential implications of the SIRT5/TAZ axis for metastatic melanoma treatment.
Expression, purification, characterization, and cytotoxic evaluation of the ML1-STxB fusion protein in E. coli
Authors: Yousefy Mohammad Hasan , Afkhami Hamed , Salehi Saeedeh , Honari Hosein
Published: January 2023

One of the newest treatment options for cancer is the targeted delivery of the toxin substance to the cancer cells. These toxins should contain different moieties for finding and killing cancer cells. One of these toxins in Mistletoe ML1 protein is an inactive ribosomal protein and can be considered as an anticancer agent. Therefore, it seems that by fusion of ML1 protein with another protein called Shiga toxin B (STxB), which can bind to Gb3 (Globotriosyl Ceramide) receptor that is abundantly expressed on the cancer cells, a recombinant protein with selective permeability may be produced in cancer cells. In the current study, we aimed to produce and purify a fusion protein containing ML1 as a toxic moiety fused to STxB, targeting moiety, and assessing its cytotoxic activities.
What kind of foraging behavior do sheep have when confined in a small space? Report from a fenced pasture
Authors: Ying Tian , Hairihan  , Hai Yong , Purevtseren Myagmartseren , Hoshino Buho
Published: January 2023

Understanding the ingestive behavior and daily voluntary intake of grazing livestock is important for sustainable land use and management of pasturelands. Since the 1990s, Inner Mongolia has completely converted from the old nomadic grazing to settled grazing, and many small fences have been built around settled areas, where livestock are placed inside the fences and grazed. Currently, desertification of grasslands is progressing in a mosaic pattern around the fence. There have been few quantitative studies of individual sheep foraging behavior in confined spaces and changes in plant community composition associated with foraging. The study was conducted in Abag Banner (an administrative unit of China equivalent to a county), located in the northern part of the Xilingol Autonomous Region of Inner Mongolia, which borders Mongolia. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the impact of livestock ingestive behavior on pasture vegetation in the sedentary grazing area of Inner Mongolia and to provide basic data for the sustainable use of pastureland. Three sites were established in a sedentary grazing area, where tethering grazing experiments (hemp rope length of 6 m) were conducted. Quadrats of 1 × 1 m were established inside (four quadrats) and outside (five quadrats) each site for the vegetation survey, and plant species identification, plant height, vegetation cover, and soil hardness were evaluated. Livestock (sheep) instinctively selected and fed on high-palatability plants instantaneously after the start of the tethering grazing experiment. The increased grazing intensity over 5 days and the grazing of high-palatability plants decreased plant height and aboveground biomass; however, the botanical composition remained unchanged. The Shannon diversity index value reduced from 1.97 to 1.60 on day 4, and the vegetation cover decreased from approximately 80% to ˂10%. For aboveground biomass, only 15%–54% remained. Salsola collina Pall. and Caragana microphylla Pall. shrubs, which had low aboveground biomass from the start, were barely grazed, whereas Agropyron cristatum L.,with high palatability, was left with only 15% biomass. The soil hardness increased by 1.25 and 0.25 mm at sites A and B, respectively, and decreased by 0.63 mm at site C. This indicated that the soil was locally bare, and the topsoil was destroyed.
N Terminal Pro B Type Natriuretic Peptide as a marker of severity of heart failure in children with Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Chowdhury Ritabrata Roy , Kaur Satnam , Gera Rani
Published: January 2023

Background:

N Terminal Pro B Type Natriuretic Peptide (NT pro BNP) has been used as a tool for diagnosis, severity assessment and prognostication of congestive heart failure in adults, with specific cut off values for diagnosis and denoting points of intervention. However, there is scarcity of paediatric literature regarding role of NT pro BNP as a marker of heart failure severity and prognostication. So, this study was done to assess the utility of NT pro BNP as a marker of severity of heart failure in children with congenital heart diseases

Settings and Design:

Single centre, prospective observational study.

Methods:

Children (1month to 5 years), with congenital heart disease, admitted in the paediatric wards with varying severity of congestive heart failure (CHF) were enrolled. Heart failure severity grading was done according to Lair modification of Ross classification at the time of presentation to hospital and children were classified as having no / grade I CHF (Score: 0–2); mild/grade II CHF (score 3–6); moderate/grade III CHF (score 7–9) or severe/grade IV CHF (score: 10–12). Within 24 hours of admission, NT pro BNP levels were measured within 24 hours of admission.

Results:

80 children with congenital heart disease were enrolled in this study. As per modified Ross classification, 11 had grade I/No heart failure (13.7%), 32 children had grade II/mild heart failure (40%), 36 had grade III/moderate heart failure (45%) and only 1 had grade IV/severe heart failure (1.25%). The median NT pro BNP levels (IQR) in the above mentioned grades of heart failure were found to be 321.11 (211.1 – 411.78 pg/ml), 750.62 (474.62 – 995.2 pg/ml), 4159.61 (1440.59 – 11857 pg/ml) and 11320.34 pg/ml respectively. 7 children (8.75%) expired. Median NT pro BNP value in 7 children who died was significantly higher than those who survived [median (IQR): 11681.01pg/ml (10092.72-14754pg/ml) vs 839.4 pg/ml (456.67-3288.09 pg/ml), p value<0.001]. NT pro BNP level of 520.2pg/ml predicted grade II (mild heart failure) or more severe grades of heart failure with Sensitivity, Specificity Negative Predictive Value and Positive Predictive Value of 83%, 91% 57.1% and 98% respectively.

Conclusion:

NT pro BNP levels increase progressively with increasing severity of congestive heart failure and can be used as a marker of severity of heart failure in children with congenital heart disease presenting with CHF
History-Aware Selfish Node Detection on Mobile Ad-Hoc Network
Authors: Teklu Abraham , Biratu Getachew
Published: January 2023

MANET are a kind of flexible, infrastructure less, decentralized wireless network, and there is no any boundary that the nodes to manage during joining and leaving from and to the network. Due to their nature MANET is vulnerable to various kinds of attacks, and this paper discus on attacker node by awarding the previous history of each node on proactive protocol. Since there are a number of attackers in MANET, the proposed algorithm covers on packet drop attack. Attackers can be broadly classified in two categories: routing attacks and data forwarding attacks. We address the “Packet Drop Attack”, is a serious threat to operational mobile ad hoc networks. To handle the addressed attacker, we develop and adapt Algorithm for tracking the attacker .By using the proposed algorithm, it minimizes 3 % on end to end delay, increases throughput 2.005% and PDR increases 2.11%, by using Network Simulator 2 (ns-2).
Extreme Gradient Boosting: A Machine Learning Technique for Daily Global Solar Radiation Forecasting on Tilted Surfaces
Authors: Mbah O. M. , Madueke C. I. , Umunakwe R. , Agba M. N.
Published: January 2023

Enhancing solar irradiance and accurate forecasting is required for improved performance of photovoltaic and solar thermal systems. In this study, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model was developed using three input parameters (time, day number, and horizontal solar radiation) and was utilized to forecast daily global solar radiation on tilted surfaces. The proposed model was built using XGBRegressor with five generations, 100 n estimators, and a learning rate of 0.1. Three statistical metrics, such as the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE), were used to compare the model’s results to observed solar radiation data from the Nation Centre for Energy, Research and Development, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The results showed improved prediction accuracy and XGBoost capability to estimate daily global solar radiation on tilted surfaces. In the training section, the proposed model had a statistical performance of R2 = 0.9977, RMSE = 1.6988, and MAE = 1.081, and in the testing section, R2 = 0.9934, RMSE = 2.8558, and MAE = 2.033. XGBoost model demonstrated a better performance when compared with other models in the literature. As a result, the proposed model provides an effective approach for estimating solar radiation.
AN ANALYSIS OF CODE-SWITCHING USED BY TEACHERS IN TEACHING ENGLISH OF 8TH GRADE STUDENTS IN SMP NEGERI 1 YOGYAKARTA DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: Idana Luisa
Published: January 2023

The aim of this research was to analyze the use of code-switching by the teachers in teaching English to 8th-grade students in SMP Negeri 1 Yogyakarta during an online class in the Covid-19 pandemic. This research was conducted (1) to find the types of code-switching and (2) to identify the functions of code-switching used by the teacher in teaching English to 8th-grade students in SMP Negeri 1 Yogyakarta. This research was a descriptive qualitative research. The techniques of collecting the data were observation, video audio recording, and interview. After gathering the data, the research transcribed and classified the data into the types and functions of code-switching. The result of this research showed that there were three types of code-switching and three functions of code-switching used by the teachers in teaching 8th grade students of class D and G during the online class. Based on the analysis of the data, the dominant type used was inter-sentential switching while the function that was frequently used was repetitive function. Moreover, code-switching was preferred by teachers as an effective medium of teaching specifically in language classes. Code-switching was utilized as a language strategy that helps to facilitate conversation and keeping communication as an ongoing process in the online teaching language during the covid-19 pandemic condition.
SEMANTIC AND COMMUNICATIVE TRANSLATION IN CHRONICLE OF A BLOOD MERCHANT
Authors: Wang Aiqing
Published: January 2023

Yu Hua is a celebrated avant-garde, post-modernist writer in contemporary China, whose chefs-d’oeuvre are exemplified by To Live, Chronicle of a Blood Merchant and Brothers. The novel Chronicle of a Blood Merchant was composed in 1995 and rendered into English by Andrew F. Jones in 2003. In the English version, two translation approaches can be attested, viz. semantic translation and communicative translation, propounded by Peter Newmark. Similes, metaphors and sayings in Chronicle of a Blood Merchant are saliently translated in a literal and faithful manner, in accordance with semantic translation. Furthermore, the narrative abounds with political allusions that are rendered in line with semantic translation. In terms of communicative translation that tends to be free and idiomatic, it is embodied by linguistic culture, social culture and religious culture in the sense of Nida (1945). Nonetheless, there are instances of under-translation, which encapsulates the weakness of communicative translation.
OVERVIEW AND IDEAS FOR ORGANIZING AN ONLINE LANGUAGE CLASS
Authors: Donasari Renita , Tala Ossa Bodhi , Hamidah Nuriyatul
Published: January 2023

Online language class can be set in two ways whether it uses a synchronous or asynchronous system. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the teaching-learning process is conducted online. Therefore, this paper does not only provide some overviews of the teaching-learning process in online English language classes (starting from providing an overview of the choices of a class setting, the tools and the reasons for their use, the challenges in conducting online language classes, the most applicable tools to use in online language classes) but also presents ideas covering four language skills to set online language classes in the post-pandemic era lively. This study uses convergent mixed method where questionnaires, interviews, and field notes are collected at roughly the same time to provide a comprehensive analysis of the research problem. The findings show a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning as the most suitable and effective systems to conduct online language classes. The most challenging factors of online classes are adaptation in using an online learning platform and an unstable signal. WhatsApp and Google Classroom are the most used platform by the participants. In conclusion, combining both using synchronous and asynchronous learning is better to set creative audio-visual aid to deliver the lesson.
Comment on the article of R. Iu. Ovsiannikov and K. M. Lebedinskii “Correlation between changes in arterial blood oxygen partial pressure, oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide elimination by the lungs with changes in positive end expiratory pressure: a prospe
Authors: Yaroshetskiy Andrey I.
Published: January 2023

Comment on the article of R.Iu. Ovsiannikov and K.M. Lebedinskii “Correlation between changes in arterial blood oxygen partial pressure, oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide elimination by the lungs with changes in positive end expiratory pressure: a prospective observational study”
Efficacy of rotational thromboelastometry for diagnosis and correction of coagulopathy in massive postpartum hemorrhage: a cohort retrospective multi-center DiPTEM study
Authors: Ronenson Alexandr M. , Raspopin Yu. S. , Shifman E. M. , Kulikov A. V. , A. M. Ioscovich A. M. Ioscovich
Published: January 2023

INTRODUCTION: Continuous monitoring of the hemostasis system during postpartum hemorrhage is an essential aspect of intensive care. Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) provides rapid and differentiated detection of hemostasis system disorders. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of implementing the rotational thromboelastometry on the need for blood transfusion in massive postpartum hemorrhage in the practice of perinatal centers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort multicenter study was conducted in two perinatal centers. The BEFORE group included females with massive postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) (> 30 % of circulating blood volume (CBV) or > 2 L) within 2 years prior to ROTEM implementation in tertiary care hospitals; the AFTER group included females with massive postpartum hemorrhage within 2 years after ROTEM implementation. The primary endpoint of the study was a comparative evaluation of the frequency of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion for hemostasis correction in massive PPH before and after ROTEM implementation as an urgent method for coagulopathy diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 97 patients were included in the study: 48 in the BEFORE group and 49 in the AFTER group. A significant relative risk (RR) of reduced frequency of FFP transfusion RR = 0.53 (0.32, 0.85; p = 0.009) with NNT = 3.6 after implementation of ROTEM into clinical practice was found. The frequency of cryoprecipitate transfusion increased. Analysis of cases of PPH over 50 % of the CBV (PPH in the BEFORE and AFTER groups 68.2 ± 12.4 and 72.3 ± 35.9, respectively, p = 0.673) showed a twofold significant risk of reducing the number of parturient women requiring FFP transfusion: RR = 0.5 (0.25, 0.99); p = 0.049), with NNT = 2. CONCLUSION: Rapid information on the status of the hemostasis system can reduce unnecessary FFP transfusion. Introducing the ROTEM method into the clinical practice of obstetric hospitals will improve the outcomes of intensive care for one of the most challenging categories of patients — postpartum women with massive postpartum hemorrhage.
Comparison of preambles to constitutions around the world
Authors:   European Constitutional Law Association, JEONG Kuk Won
Published: January 2023

Preamble to the Constitution refers to a sentence or provision placed before the text of the Constitution, which consists of a part of the Constitutions. Preamble to the Constitution declares the historical origin and the basic principle of constitution, and also declares its constitutional commitment. The purpose of Preamble to the Constitution is to identify the subject and the procedure of Constitutions as well as the motive, purpose and ideology of Constitution showing the identify of Constitutions, but it is not included in the text along with appendix, and is not essential element of written constituions. However, the written constitutions around the world have the preamble. This study targets total 16 countries that have Preamble to the Constitution including our country. What we want to obtain through the comparison of Constitutions is the accurate understanding of practical application of Constitutions, which are the target of comparison, and its ultimate goal is to secure the optimized constitutional normative power by specify the similarity or difference of preamble shown from individual and concrete application of each country. The comparison method of preamble to achieve this goal can be classified into formal aspect and practical aspect. Preamble to the Constitution is positioned in the front of text, so the actual benefit of comparison is not that big. Therefore, the core contents should be identified through practical aspect comparison. In this case, it is important which factor should be based. This study compares and analyzes the contents of preamble to the Constitution based on, first subjects and procedures, second, history and future, third, justice, fourth, diversity, fifth, freedom and equality, sixth, peace and solidarity, and seventh, the Declaration of Federal Constitutions. In our country, whenever there is discussion on constitutional amendment, it is argued that the May 18 Democratization Movement and the June 1987 Struggle should be included in the Preamble to the Constitution. As the level of people’s awareness on Preamble to the Constitution gets higher, for example, there is an attempt to include the things which is difficult to add to the text of Constitution such as respectful treatment to civilian army activity. The comparison of Constitutions largely serves as a useful material for raising the awareness of Constitutions, contributing to the international reunification of Constitutions, and revising Constitutions. This study on the preamble to the Constitution around the world is thought to function as the criteria that can judge the effectiveness whether May 18 Democratization Movement and the June 1987 Struggle, which are being argued that it should be included in the Preamble to the Constitution, has such a value.
Research on seismic absorption of high-speed railway segmental assembled round-end hollow pier with low yield point steel connection buckle
Authors: Li Hao , Xu Yuanqing , Zhang Hongjie , Qi Shiyun
Published: January 2023

The research aims to enhance the seismic safety of the segmental assembled round end hollow pier (SAREHP) of high-speed railway in high intensity seismic regions and ensure the repairability of the pier after earthquake. A low yield point steel connection buckle (LYPSCB), which is easy to be installed and to be replaced after earthquake damage, was proposed as a new seismic absorption measure for the pier, and the seismic absorption effect of the LYPSCB was deeply studied. Firstly, the nonlinear numerical model of the SAREHP with energy dissipation bar (SAREHP-EDB) was established according to the pseudo-static test results of the pier completed. Based on the numerical model of the SAREHP-EDB, the SAREHP with the LYPSCB (SAREHP-LYPSCB) was established and corrected. Subsequently, the influence of the LYPSCB on the hysteretic behavior of the SAREHP was studied, and the hysteretic behavior of the SAREHP-LYPSCB was comprehensively compared with a reference to the SAREHP-EDB. Furthermore, considering the far-field seismic wave and the near-field seismic wave with or without pulse, the seismic absorption effect of the LYPSCB was revealed through dynamic time history analysis method. The research results indicated that, by increasing the section contribution rate of the LYPSCB, the horizontal resistance, loading and unloading stiffness as well as energy dissipation capacity of the SAREHP-LYPSCB are significantly improved. However, the residual displacement of the pier is also indirectly increased. Therefore, it is suggested that the section contribution rate of the LYPSCB is controlled and designed in combination with the seismic target displacement and self-centering capacity demand of pier. The hysteretic behavior of the SAREHP-LYPSCB is better than that of the SAREHP-EDB, which indicated that the LYPSCB possesses better seismic absorption effect. Note that the seismic absorption effect of the LYPSCB is more obvious in resisting strong earthquake, in which the seismic absorption rate can reach 80 %. The near-field pulse seismic wave has the greatest impact on the seismic response of the SAREHP-LYPSCB compared with other types of seismic wave, which should be paid special attention.
Lay Participation in Modern Slavic States
Authors: Gavrilova Angelika
Published: January 2023

The article introduces a comparative legal analysis of modern Slavic states in the sphere of lay participation. The methodological basis included general methods of cognition, as well as comparative the legal method (micro-comparison, diachronic, synchronic), the problem-chronological method, and the formal-legal method. The comparison was based on two main models of lay participation. The Shöffen model presupposes a collegium of a professional judge and non-professional assessors. The jury are independent from the judge and resolve issues of the fact of guilt or innocence, thereby formulating an acquittal or accusatory verdict. The study determined the widespread refusal of lay participation in justice in civil proceedings and its preservation as part of criminal trials in a special category of major crimes. Most Slavic states maintained the pattern of a judge and people’s assessors, which was established in the XX century in the countries of people's democracy. The Russian Federation replaced the Schöffen court with the jury trial.
The Use of Game Animals
Authors: Kaledin Anatoly , Ostapchuk Artem , Boronetskaya Oksana , Vechtomova Elena , Prosekov Alexander , Filatov Anatoliy
Published: January 2023

The monograph discusses the uses of game animals in the historical pre-Soviet, Soviet, and post-Soviet periods. Is addresses some issues of ecological and population genetics, valuates hunting resources, and provides mathematical models for predicting hunting trends for major game animals.
The monograph is intended for students and academics of agricultural and biological universities and may be of interest to those engaged in forestry, agri-culture, and hunting.