bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shearing-enhanced deep fluid circulation induces seismic anisotropy in the lower crust at slow-spreading oceanic ridges
Authors: Zhou Baojun , Liu Junlai , Yan Jiaxin , Hou Chunru , Chen Xiaoyu , Liu Chuanzhou , Wu Fuyuan
Published: March 2023

Although long-lived detachment faulting plays an important role in fluid circulation and in accommodating tectonic extension at slow-spreading oceanic ridges, it is still unclear how the fluid-enriched faults contribute to the observed seismic anisotropy in the lower crust. We investigated sheared and altered gabbros along the detachment fault zones from the Xigaze ophiolite in the southern Tibetan Plateau. Results demonstrate that the positive feedback between fluid circulation and shearing, linked by dissolution-precipitation creep of amphibole, resulted in fluid enrichment during strain localization along the fault zones. Based on this shearing-enhanced fluid circulation model, our calculations of the seismic properties show that amphiboles (de)formed by dissolution-precipitation creep along the fault zones largely contribute to the seismic anisotropy (P and S waves) and S-wave delay time in the lower crust at slow-spreading ridges, with the polarization directions of fast shear waves being subparallel to the ridges. The strength of resulting seismic anisotropy is largely a function of crustal thickness, fault zone attitude, and metasomatism intensity. This study provides a novel explanation for the origin of seismic anisotropy in the lower oceanic crust at slow-spreading ridges. The conclusion may also have implications for the origin of seismic anisotropy at fast-spreading ridges where there are high melt supplies.
Supplemental Material: Dolomite recrystallization revealed by Δ47/U-Pb thermochronometry in the Upper Jurassic Arab Formation, United Arab Emirates
Authors: Gasparrini Marta , Mangenot Xavier , al. et
Published: March 2023

Dolomite petrography and O-C-Sr isotope geochemistry (including Tables S1 and S2 and Figures S1A–S1C), Δ47 and U-Pb methods, additional Δ47/U-Pb data and discussion (including Figures S2 and S3), and U-Pb raw data (Table S3). 
Where are the missing people affected by tuberculosis? A programme review of patient-pathway and cascade of care to optimise tuberculosis case-finding, treatment and prevention in Cambodia
Authors: Teo Alvin Kuo Jing , Morishita Fukushi , Prem Kiesha , Eng Sothearith , An Yom , Huot Chan Yuda , Khun Kim Eam , Tieng Sivanna , Deng Serongkea , Tuot Sovannary , Yi Siyan
Published: March 2023

Background

Cambodia has achieved great success in tuberculosis (TB) control in the past decade. Nevertheless, people with TB are missed by the health systems at different stages of the care pathway. This programme review corroborated the care-seeking behaviours of people with TB and TB services availability and estimated the number of people completing each step of the TB disease and TB preventive treatment (TPT) care cascade.

Methods

Patient pathways and the care cascades for TB disease and TPT were constructed using data from the latest national TB prevalence survey, routine surveillance and programme, the global TB database and published studies. We also randomly selected TB survivors in the 2019 cohort to assess recurrence-free survival 1-year post-treatment. TPT care cascade was constructed for people living with HIV (PLHIV) and household contacts (children <5 years and all ages) of persons with bacteriologically-confirmed TB in 2019 and 2020.

Results

Nationally, 54% of those who exhibited TB symptoms sought initial care in the private sector. Overall, 93% and 58% of people with presumptive TB did not access a facility with TB diagnostic and treatment services, respectively, at the first point of care-seeking. Approximately 56% (95% CI 52% to 57%) of the 47 000 (95% CI 31 000 to 68 000) estimated TB cases in 2019 achieved recurrence-free survival. Among the estimated PLHIV in Cambodia, <30% completed TPT. Among children <5 years, 53% (95% CI 29% to 65%) (2019) and 67% (95% CI 36% to 80%) (2020) of those eligible for TPT completed the regimen successfully. In 2019 and 2020, 23% (95% CI 22% to 25%) and 54% (95% CI 50% to 58%) of the estimated household contacts (all ages) eligible for TPT completed the regimen successfully.

Conclusion

There are significant gaps in care-seeking, coverage and access to TB services and TPT in Cambodia. Action plans to improve TB response have been co-developed with local stakeholders to address the gaps throughout the care cascades.
The quality of antiretroviral medicines: an uncertain problem
Authors: Do Ngan Thi , Boupha Phonepasith , Newton Paul N , Caillet Céline
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Substandard and falsified (SF) antiretrovirals (ARVs) risk poor outcomes and drug resistance, potentially affecting millions of people in need of treatment and prevention. We assessed the available evidence on SF ARV and related medical devices to discuss their potential public health impact.

Methods

Searches were conducted in Embase, PubMed, Google, Google Scholar, Web of Science and websites with interest in ARV quality in English and French up to 30 November 2021. Publications reporting on the prevalence of SF ARV were assessed in a quantitative analysis using the Medicine Quality Assessment Reporting Guidelines (MEDQUARG).

Results

We included 205 publications on SF ARV and 11 on SF medical devices. Nineteen prevalence surveys of SF ARV, published between 2003 and 2021, were included, with no surveys relevant to SF medical devices. The prevalence survey sample size ranged from 3 to 2630 samples (median (Q1–Q3): 16.0 (10.5–44.5); 3 (15.8%) used random outlet sampling methods. Of the 3713 samples included in the prevalence surveys, 1.4% (n=51) failed at least one test. Efavirenz, nevirapine and lamivudine-nevirapine-stavudine combination were the most surveyed ARV with failure frequencies of 3.6% (7/193), 2.6% (5/192) and 2.8% (5/177), respectively. The median (Q1%–Q3%) concordance with the MEDQUARG criteria was 42.3% (34.6%–55.8%).

Conclusion

These results suggest that there are few data in the public domain of the quality of ARV in supply chains; the proportion of SF ARV is relatively low in comparison to other classes of essential medicines. Even a low proportion of the ARV supply chain being poor quality could make a large difference in the HIV/AIDS international landscape. The 95-95-95 target for 2026 and other international targets could be greatly hampered if even 1% of the millions of people taking ARV (for both prevention and prophylaxis) receive medicines that do not meet quality standards. More surveillance of SF ARV is needed to ensure issues are detected.
Appraisal of the causal effect of plasma caffeine on adiposity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease: two sample mendelian randomisation study
Authors: Larsson Susanna C , Woolf Benjamin , Gill Dipender
Published: March 2023

Objective

To investigate the potential causal effects of long term plasma caffeine concentrations on adiposity, type 2 diabetes, and major cardiovascular diseases.

Design

Two sample mendelian randomisation study.

Setting

Genome-wide association study summary data for associations of two single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with plasma caffeine at the genome-wide significance threshold (rs2472297 near theCYP1A2gene and rs4410790 near theAHRgene) and their association with the outcomes.

Participants

Primarily individuals of European ancestry participating in cohorts contributing to genome-wide association study consortia.

Main outcome measures

Outcomes studied were body mass index, whole body fat mass, whole body fat-free mass, type 2 diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and stroke.

Results

Higher genetically predicted plasma caffeine concentrations were associated with lower body mass index (beta −0.08 standard deviation (SD) (95% confidence interval −0.10 to −0.06), where 1 SD equals about 4.8 kg/m2in body mass index, for every standard deviation increase in plasma caffeine) and whole body fat mass (beta −0.06 SD (−0.08 to −0.04), 1 SD equals about 9.5 kg; P<0.001) but not fat-free mass (beta −0.01 SD (−0.02 to −0.00), 1 SD equals about 11.5 kg; P=0.17). Higher genetically predicted plasma caffeine concentrations were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in two consortia (FinnGen and DIAMANTE), with a combined odds ratio of 0.81 ((95% confidence interval 0.74 to 0.89); P<0.001). Approximately half (43%; 95% confidence interval 30% to 61%) of the effect of caffeine on type 2 diabetes was estimated to be mediated through body mass index reduction. No strong associations were reported between genetically predicted plasma caffeine concentrations and a risk of any of the studied cardiovascular diseases.

Conclusions

Higher plasma caffeine concentrations might reduce adiposity and risk of type 2 diabetes. Further clinical study is warranted to investigate the translational potential of these findings towards reducing the burden of metabolic disease.
Preoperative refraction, age and optical zone as predictors of optical and visual quality after advanced surface ablation in patients with high myopia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhou Jiaqi , Xu Ye , Li Meiyan , Knorz Michael C , Zhou Xingtao
Published: March 2023

Objective

To investigate the factors associated with optical and visual quality of advanced surface ablation in high myopia.

Design

A cross-sectional study of high myopic eyes treated with laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK)/epipolis laser in situ keratomileusis (Epi-LASIK).

Setting6

Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai.

Methods

One hundred and thirty-eight high myopic eyes (138 patients) (myopia −6 D or more) were examined more than 12 months after LASEK or Epi-LASIK with advanced surface ablation on the MEL 80 excimer laser (Zeiss AG, Jena, Germany). Refraction, higher order aberrations (HOAs) and contrast sensitivity before and after surgery were evaluated. Factors including preoperative refraction, age, gender, central corneal thickness, pupil size, optical diameter, ablation depth and flap creation method were analysed for association with postoperative high-order aberration, contrast and glare sensitivities, and different analytic diameters.

Results

HOAs increased significantly postoperatively (p<0.05), with the most significant change found in Z(spherical aberration). At a 5 mm analysis diameter, increased coma was associated with age; increased spherical aberration difference was associated with age, optical zone diameter and method of epithelial flap creation. At a 3 mm analysis diameter, none of the factors contributed to changes in HOAs. Higher preoperative refractive error was associated with decreased contrast and glare sensitivity at each spatial frequency.

Conclusion

A larger optical zone diameter design is recommended to achieve better visual quality in advanced surface ablation for high myopia correction. Age and preoperative refraction may help predict postoperative visual quality.
Factors associated with the continuum of care for maternal, newborn and child health in The Gambia: a cross-sectional study using Demographic and Health Survey 2013
Authors: Oh Jiyoung , Moon Juyoung , Choi Jae Wook , Kim Kyunghee
Published: March 2023

Objectives

To identify factors associated with the continuum of maternal, newborn and child health care in The Gambia.

Design

A secondary statistical analysis using Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2013.

Setting

The Gambia.

Participants

1308 married women (or with a partner) whose most recent children were aged 12–23 months at the time of the survey.

Outcome measures

The main outcome was continuum of care for maternal, newborn and child health. The modified composite coverage index was calculated to express the completion level of continuum of care.

Results

The following factors were associated with the continuum of maternal, newborn and child health care: women’s autonomy in decision-making of her own healthcare (β=0.063, p=0.015), having higher educated husbands (β=0.138, p<0.001), listening to the radio at least once a week (β=0.078, p=0.006), having a child with birth order less than 5 (β=0.069, p=0.037), initiating the first antenatal care within 16 weeks of pregnancy (β=0.170, p<0.001), having been informed of signs of pregnancy complications (β=0.057, p=0.029), living in rural areas (β=−0.107, p=0.006) and having higher burden due to distance to health facility (β=−0.100, p<0.001), with an explanatory power of 15.5% (R2=0.155).

Conclusions

Efforts on future policies and programmes should focus on the concept of continuum of care considering the associated factors. In particular, more attention should be given to providing country-wide family planning and education to women, men and community members in The Gambia.
Is the time of calling helpful for differentiating transient ischaemic attack and stroke from mimics in primary care out-of-hours services? A cross-sectional study
Authors: Erkelens Daphne CA , Zwart Dorien L , van der Meer Gerben H , Wouters Loes TCM , De Groot Esther , Damoiseaux Roger AMJ , Hoes Arno W , Rutten Frans H
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Telephone triage of patients suspected of transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or stroke is challenging. Both TIA and stroke more likely occur during daytime, with a peak in the morning hours. Thus, the time of calling might be a helpful determinant during telephone triage. We assessed the time of calling in patients with stroke-like symptoms who called the out-of-hours services in primary care (OHS-PC), and evaluated whether the time of calling differed between patients with TIA or stroke compared with those with mimics.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Six OHS-PC locations in the Netherlands.

Participants

1269 telephone triage recordings of patients calling the OHS-PC because of stroke-like symptoms. We collected information on patient characteristics, symptoms, time of calling and urgency allocation. The final diagnosis related to each triage call was based on letters from the neurologist (retrieved from the patient’s general practitioner).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome measures were the time of calling hourly and 4 hourly, and the risk of TIA or stroke/hour. The secondary outcome measure was the risk ratio of TIA or stroke in the morning (08:00—12:00h) versus other hours.

Results

Mean age was 68.6 (SD±18.5) years, 56.9% were women and 50.0% had a TIA or stroke. The risk ratio of TIA or stroke among people calling with stroke-like symptoms between 08:00—12:00h versus other hours was 1.13 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.28, p=0.070). After correction for age and sex, the adjusted risk ratio was 0.94 (95% CI 0.80 to 1.10, p=0.434).

Conclusion

In patients who called the OHS-PC because of stroke-like symptoms, the time of calling did not differ between patients with TIA or stroke and patients with mimics.

Trial registration number

The Netherlands National Trial Registry (NTR7331).
Risk of infections and cardiovascular and venous thromboembolic events associated with JAK inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis: protocols of two systematic reviews and network meta-analyses
Authors: Alves Carlos , Penedones Ana , Mendes Diogo , Batel-Marques Francisco
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Janus kinases (JAK) inhibitors demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of adult patients with moderate-to-severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but have been associated with serious cardiovascular and serious events. Two systematic reviews and network meta-analyses will be carried aiming to compare the relative safety of the different JAK inhibitors with regard to the risk of (1) cardiovascular and thromboembolic events and (2) serious infections in patients with RA.

Methods and analysis

PUBMED, Embase, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials and ClinicalTrials.gov will be searched in order to identify randomised controlled trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of JAK inhibitors in patients with RA. The following events will be assessed: (1) any cardiovascular event; major adverse cardiovascular events and venous thromboembolism and (2) any infection; serious infections; herpes zoster infection and tuberculosis. Search terms will comprise RA and drugs names, including the thesaurus terms and the International Nonproprietary Names. The assessment of the methodological quality of the included studies will be performed through the RoB 2 tool: a revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomised trials. Network meta-analyses will be performed using STATA V.13.0. For each outcome, treatments will be ranked according to the probability of being the safest (best) alternative using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required as no primary data are collected. This systematic review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and at conference meetings.
Qualitative study of the roles of midwives in the provision of sexual and reproductive healthcare services in the Somaliland health system
Authors: Maregn Rahel Tesfa , Bourret Kirsty , Egal Jama Ali , Esse Amina , Mattison Cristina , Klingberg-Allvin Marie
Published: March 2023

Objectives

To explore midwives’ perspectives in providing sexual reproductive healthcare services in the Somaliland health system.

Methods

An exploratory qualitative design using focus group discussions (n=6) was used. The study was conducted in the capital of Somaliland, Hargeisa, at six maternal and child healthcare centres that provide sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) services. Qualified midwives (n=44) who had been working in the maternal and child health centres for a minimum of 1 year were recruited to participate, and only one did not participate due to illness.

Results

The results showed that Somaliland midwives face multiple challenges from a lack of formal arrangements, primarily written guidelines and policies, that explicitly define their role as healthcare professionals, which impact the quality of care they provide. They also reported feeling unsafe when practising according to their professional scope of practice due to challenging cultural norms, customary traditions and Somaliland’s legal system. Finally, the midwives called for support, including training, institutional protection and psychological support, to enhance their ability and fulfil their role in SRH services in Somaliland.

Conclusion

Midwives are essential to the provision of equitable SRH services to women and girls, yet are not fully supported by policies, laws or institutions, often living in fear of the consequences of their behaviours. Our research highlights the importance of understanding the context of Somaliland midwifery in order to better support the development of the midwifery workforce, stronger governance structures and midwifery leadership. Appropriately addressing these challenges faced by midwives can better sustain the profession and help to improve the quality of care provided to women and girls and ultimately enhance their reproductive health outcomes.
Methods for assessing guideline adherence for invasive procedures in the care of chronic coronary artery disease: a scoping review
Authors: Kentenich Hannah , Müller Dirk , Wein Bastian , Stock Stephanie , Seleznova Yana
Published: March 2023

Objectives

In the care of coronary artery disease (CAD), evidence questions the adequate application of guidelines for cardiovascular procedures, particularly coronary angiographies (CA) and myocardial revascularisation. This review aims to examine how care providers’ guideline adherence for CA and myocardial revascularisation in the care of chronic CAD was assessed in the literature.

Design

Scoping review.

Data sources

PubMed and EMBASE were searched through in June 2021 (rerun in September 2022).

Eligibility criteria

We included studies assessing care providers’ adherence to evidence-based guidelines for CA or myocardial revascularisation in the care of chronic CAD. Studies had to list the evaluation of guideline adherence as study objective, describe the evaluation methods used and report the underlying guidelines and recommendations.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two independent reviewers used standardised forms to extract study characteristics, methodological aspects such as data sources and variables, definitions of guideline adherence and quantification methods and the extent of guideline adherence. To elucidate the measurement of guideline adherence, the main steps were described.

Results

Twelve studies (311 869 participants) were included, which evaluated guideline adherence by (1) defining guideline adherence, (2) specifying the study population, (3) assigning (classes of) recommendations and (4) quantifying adherence. Thereby, primarily secondary data were used. Studies differed in their definitions of guideline adherence, where six studies each considered only recommendation class I/grade A/strong recommendations as adherent or additionally recommendation classes IIa/IIb. Furthermore, some of the studies reported a priori definitions and allocation rules for the assignment of recommendation classes. Guideline adherence results ranged from 10% for percutaneous coronary intervention with prior heart team discussion to 98% for coronary artery bypass grafting.

Conclusion

Due to remarkable inconsistencies in the assessment, a cautious interpretation of the guideline adherence results is required. Future efforts should endeavour to establish a consistent understanding of the concept of guideline adherence.
Acupuncture for Crohn’s disease: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Han Qiang , Liu Daming , Zhang Peng
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that seriously affects the quality of life. While conventional medicines are of limitations, acupuncture has been shown to be a promising therapy. While no systematic review related has been published, the present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for CD.

Methods and analysis

PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Chinese electronic databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang database, VIP, SinoMed and the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, will be searched from the establishment of the database until 31 December 2022. Randomised controlled trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of acupuncture/electroacupuncture on patients with CD, controlled by conventional therapies, were included. Outcomes include induction of clinical remission and response, maintenance of remission, and the incidence of adverse events. All articles will be screened and extracted by two reviewers independently. The risk of bias will be evaluated using the revised Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. A fixed effect model or a random effects model will be used based on the assessment of heterogeneity. A subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis will be carried out if necessary. Publication bias will be analysed, and the strength of the body of evidence for primary outcomes will be graded.

Ethics and dissemination

There is no necessity for this study to acquire ethical approval, and this review will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal or conference presentation.

Trial registration number

CRD42022356967.
Reporting quality of abstracts from randomised controlled trials published in leading critical care nursing journals: a methodological quality review
Authors: Villa Michele , Le Pera Massimo , Cassina Tiziano , Bottega Michela
Published: March 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the methodological quality of randomised controlled trial (RCT) abstracts in leading critical care nursing journals against the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials-Abstracts (CONSORT-A) checklist and to identify variables related with abstract reporting quality.

Design

Descriptive methodological quality review.

Data source

We searched the PubMed database and the websites of each included journal.

Eligibility criteria

We included RCT abstracts published between 2011 and 2021 in the first 11 Scopus-ranking (2021) critical care nursing journals that reported the results of RCTs in English that referred to the care of adult patients with acute/critical illness or their relatives and/or caregivers and conducted in ICUs.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two independent investigators extracted the data using a prespecified 17-item checklist directly derived from CONSORT-A. For the primary outcome, each item was evaluated whether it was adequately reported or not and descriptive statistics were reported. An overall score was calculated by summing the results of all items and multivariate linear regression was conducted to detect potential predictors.

Results

Seventy-eight RCT abstracts were included in this review. The items with the highest CONSORT-A adherence were authors, objective, conclusion, participants, interventions and outcome. The randomisation item had the lowest CONSORT-A adherence, followed by trial registration, funding source, harms or side effects, recruitment, blinding and outcome results. The average CONSORT-A score was 8.5±1.5 points (of the maximum 17.5 points). Multivariate analysis indicated that the categorised word score and publication date were positively associated with the overall CONSORT-A score, while the first author’s country being in Asia was negatively associated with the overall CONSORT-A score.

Conclusions

The 78 RCT abstracts showed poor overall adherence to CONSORT-A. The results indicate that the methodological reporting quality of RCT abstracts in critical care nursing journals requires improvement to facilitate assessment of the applicability and relevance of the results reported.
Efficacy and safety of low dose intravenous cangrelor in a consecutive cohort of patients undergoing neuroendovascular procedures
Authors: Cagnazzo Federico , Radu Răzvan Alexandru , Derraz Imad , Lefevre Pierre Henri , Dargazanli Cyril , Machi Paolo , Morganti Riccardo , Gascou Gregory , Fendeleur Julien , Rapido Francesca , Costalat Vincent
Published: March 2023

Background

Cangrelor is an intravenous P2Y12 inhibitor with rapid onset and fast offset of antiplatelet action. Dose adjusted cangrelor based on platelet function testing is suggested to be advantageous for use during neuroendovascular procedures. In this study, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of this strategy.

Methods

This retrospective study included consecutive patients who received low dose intravenous cangrelor (5 µg/kg; infusion 1 µg/kg/min) for ruptured (RIA) and unruptured (UIA) intracranial aneurysms, and acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Indications were acute stenting or intraluminal thrombus. Outcomes were assessed at 24 hours by brain CT and CT angiography. The primary efficacy outcome was the rate of stent occlusion or persistent intraluminal thrombus. The primary safety outcome was the rate of major hemorrhages.

Results

101 patients (56 men; median age (IQR) 59 (51–70) years) received low dose cangrelor for acute stenting (79/101 (78%)) and intraprocedural thrombus (22/101 (22%)). Overall, 5 (4.9%) patients experienced stent occlusion within 24 hours (RIA 3/28; AIS 2/52). There were no cases of failure among UIA patients. Stent mis-opening (fish mouthing or stenosis >50%) was significantly associated with stent occlusion (P<0.001). The overall rate of major hemorrhage was 2% (2/101), which occurred in AIS patients. Platelet reactivity unit (PRU) values were lower in those presenting with major hemorrhage (PRU 4 (SD 1.4) vs PRU 60 (SD 63); P=0.043). Mortality rate after cangrelor related hemorrhage was 1%.

Conclusions

Low dose cangrelor appears to be effective in preventing stent thrombosis and arterial patency with a low hemorrhagic risk.
Fermion realizations of generalized Kac–Moody and Virasoro algebras associated to the two-sphere and the two-torus
Authors: Campoamor-Stursberg Rutwig , Rausch de Traubenberg Michel
Published: March 2023

By using the notion of extension of Kac–Moody algebras for higher-dimensional compact manifolds recently introduced, we show that for the two-torus [Formula: see text] and the two-sphere [Formula: see text], these extensions, as well as extensions of the Virasoro algebra can be obtained naturally from the usual Kac–Moody and Virasoro algebras. Explicit fermionic realizations are proposed. In order to have well-defined generators, beyond the usual normal ordering prescription, we introduce a regulator and regularize infinite sums by means of Riemann [Formula: see text]-function.
Study of electronic, magneto-optical and transport properties of double perovskite Ca2XMnO6 (X = Ti, Cr) under uniaxial compressive strain by using a DFT method
Authors: Laghzaoui S. , Fakhim Lamrani A. , Ahl Laamara R. , Maskar E. , Laref Amel , Prasad Mattipally , Sivakumar J. , Rai D. P.
Published: March 2023

Under the effect of uniaxial compressive strain along [001]-direction, the electronic, magneto-optical, and electronic transport properties of double perovskite oxide were realized by substituting the Ti atom by Cr atom in Ca2TiMnO6 (CTMO). A first-principles method within the various approximations (PBEsol-GGA, GGA+U, YS-PBE0 and TB-mBJ) has been employed. The analysis of the electronic structure reveals that the compound Ca2CrMnO6 (CCMO) has a half-metallic (HM) ferromagnet (FM) nature which attributes to hybridization between Cr-3[Formula: see text], Mn-3[Formula: see text] and O-2[Formula: see text] states. CTMO exhibits an integer value of magnetic moment 3 [Formula: see text]. However, CCMO exhibits the half-metallicity (HM) under compressive strain from −2% to −5% with the total magnetic moment, a value of 5 [Formula: see text]. CCMO possesses a mediocre spin-down bandgap ([Formula: see text]2 eV) optimum for thermoelectricity and optoelectronics. The optical properties within GGA+U reveal that the CCMO can absorb light under all frequencies. We have calculated the Seebeck coefficient, and electrical and electronic thermal conductivities to determine the thermoelectric (TE) figure of merit (ZT), which is found to be approaching 1 at room temperature considering the spin-down electrons. This compound CCMO may be used for optoelectronic, solar cell, and TE applications due to its amazing properties.
ADAPTED HOMOTOPY PERTURBATION METHOD WITH SHEHU TRANSFORM FOR SOLVING CONFORMABLE FRACTIONAL NONLINEAR PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Authors: LIAQAT MUHAMMAD IMRAN , KHAN AZIZ , ALQUDAH MANAR A. , ABDELJAWAD THABET
Published: March 2023

There is considerable literature on solutions to the gas-dynamic equation (GDE) and Fokker–Planck equation (FPE), where the fractional derivative is expressed in terms of the Caputo fractional derivative. There is hardly any work on analytical and numerical GDE and FPE solutions involving conformable fractional derivative (CFD). For the reasons stated above, we are required to solve the GDE and FPE in the form of CFD. The main goal of this research is to offer a novel combined method by employing the conformable Shehu transform (CST) and the homotopy perturbation method (HPM) for extracting analytical and numerical solutions of the time-fractional conformable GDE and FPE. The proposed method is called the conformable Shehu homotopy perturbation method (CSHPM). To evaluate its efficiency and consistency, relative and absolute errors among the approximate and exact solutions to three nonlinear problems of GDE and FPE are considered numerically and graphically. Moreover, fifth-term approximate and exact solutions are also compared by 2D and 3D graphs. This method has the benefit of not requiring any minor or major physical parameter assumptions in the problem. As a result, it may be used to solve both weakly and strongly nonlinear problems, overcoming some of the inherent constraints of classic perturbation approaches. Second, while addressing nonlinear problems, the CSHPM does not require Adomian polynomials. Therefore, to solve nonlinear GDE and FPE, just a few computations are necessary. As a consequence, it outperforms homotopy analysis and Adomian decomposition approaches significantly. It does not require discretization or linearization, unlike traditional numerical methods. The convergence and error analysis of the series solutions are also presented.
Novel Single-Ion Conducting Gel Polymer Electrolyte with Honeycomb-Like Morphology Prepared Using Brush Copolymer for Lithium-Ion Battery Application
Authors: Ghahramani Maral , Javanbakht Mehran , Jamalpour Seifollah , Hamidi Susan
Published: March 2023

In this work, a facile and accurate method is reported for the delocalization of negative charge on fluorinated polymers to obtain high-performance single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes (SICPs) based on brush copolymers with simultaneous high ionic conductivity and tLi+. The poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSSA) single ion-conducting moieties were grafted-from C–F linkages to the fluorinated polymer’s backbone via the atom transfer radical polymerization method. The chemical structure characterization of the synthesized brush copolymers via 1H-NMR and thermal gravimetric analyses (TGA) confirmed 25% grafting of PSSA to the poly(vinylidene fluoride) backbone. In continue, the pristine and single-ion fluorinated polymer membranes with bi-continuous honeycomb-like morphology structures were prepared via the vapor-induced phase inversion (VIPS) method. After immersing in a liquid electrolyte, the prepared SICP demonstrated promising ionic conductivity (σ), t

Li+
, and electrochemical stability of 1.9 × 10−3 Scm−1, 0.82, and 5.2 V (vs Li+/Li), respectively. The assembled Li/SICP/LiMn2O4 half-cells revealed an improved discharge capacity of 168 mA hg−1 at 0.1C. The charge-discharge studies revealed that the ohmic-resistance and polarization resistance of fluorinated polymer electrolytes could be decreased by the effect of PSSA-grafted moieties. The results of this work confirmed the promising capability of these new SICPs for high-safety LIBs.
Efficient Blocked Fractional Factorial Designs for Stated Choice Experiments of Size Two and Four
Authors: Amoah Emmanuel , Dioggban Jakperik , Michael Jackson Adjabui
Published: March 2023

Stated choice experiments are increasingly becoming popular due to their ability to optimize information gain with limited resources. Many designs have been developed for the selection of various attributes and their levels to form choice sets. One such design is blocked fractional factorial design (BFFD). Stated choice experiments for symmetric attributes of 4 choice sets of sizes 2 and 4 and 8 choice sets of sizes 2 and 4 were developed using BFFDs. Generators for the stated choice set of sizes 2 and 4 with resolution three, four, and five were developed. The alias structures and confounding effects for the designs were derived, as well as their clear effects if any for estimation. The A‐efficiency was used to compute the efficiencies of the proposed designs since it has better statistical properties. The computed efficiencies for the proposed designs reveal that 4 choice sets of size 4 designs are more efficient. Finally, a practical application of the proposed method was carried out for four choice sets of size 4 using design with attributes and levels of service quality in public transport.
Magnetic Particle Imaging in Vascular Imaging, Immunotherapy, Cell Tracking, and Noninvasive Diagnosis
Authors: Chandrasekharan Prashant , Kuo Renesmee , Fung K. L. Barry , Saayujya Chinmoy , Bryan Jacob , Yousuf Mariam , Fellows Benjamin , Colson Caylin , Huynh Quincy , Doyle Owen , Hartley Allison , Yousuf Khadija , Goodwill Patrick , Conolly Steven
Published: March 2023

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a new tracer-based imaging modality that is useful in diagnosing various pathophysiology related to the vascular system and for sensitive tracking of cytotherapies. MPI uses nonradioactive and easily assimilated nanometer-sized iron oxide particles as tracers. MPI images the nonlinear Langevin behavior of the iron oxide particles and has allowed for the sensitive detection of iron oxide-labeled therapeutic cells in the body. This review will provide an overview of MPI technology, the tracer, and its use in vascular imaging and cytotherapies using molecular targets.
Agromorphological Characterization of Maize Hybrids and Estimation of Genetic Parameters in Mid-Hills of Far-West Nepal
Authors: Rawal Sara , Thapa Sandesh , Singh Ramesh Bahadur , Tripathi Mahendra Prasad
Published: March 2023

The experiment was laid out in alpha-lattice design with two replicates of each genotype which comprised twenty-three heat-tolerant maize hybrids received from CIMMYT-Mexico and three check varieties. These treatment genotypes were evaluated at the Agronomy farm, Gokuleshwor College, Baitadi, Nepal, during the spring season of 2021. ZH191065 and ZH191158 were found to be the tallest (307.2 cm) and the shortest (227.6 cm) genotypes, respectively. High heritability (>60%) with high genetic advances in most traits, ensures the predominance difference of the genetic components observed among accessions. The presence of differences among genotypes showed that selection is possible by evaluating the days of 50% anthesis, days of 50% silking, anthesis-silking interval, number of ears per plant, number of grains per row, number of rows per cob, cob length, cob diameter, and grain yield; most of these evaluated morphological traits were found highly correlated with grain yield of varieties, suggesting that indirect selection achieves improvement for high yield. Based on yield ranks, ZH 19782, ZH 19961, and DKC 9108 could be promoted as potential higher-yielding heat-tolerant maize hybrids for Nepal.
The Role of RYR2 in Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Boehm Bernhard M. , Gaa Jochen , Hoppmann Petra , Martens Eimo , Westphal Dominik S.
Published: March 2023

Background. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia in elderly patients and is associated with increased risk of mortality. The pathogenesis of AF is complex and based on multiple genetic and environmental factors. Genome-wide association studies identified several loci in AF patients, indicating the complex genetic architecture of this disease. In rare cases, familial forms of AF have been described. Today, pathogenic variants in at least 11 different genes are associated with monogenic AF. Case presentation. The 37-year-old male patient presented to our emergency department with AF. At the age of 35, he had already been diagnosed with paroxysmal AF. Additionally, his 34-year-old brother had also been diagnosed with AF as well as nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Moreover, the patient’s father was diagnosed with AF in his twenties. Transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac MRI revealed a reduced systolic left ventricular ejection without any signs of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Genetic testing identified the heterozygous missense variants c.3371C > T, p.(Pro1124Leu) in RYR2 (NM_001035.3) and c.2524C > A, p.(Pro842Thr) in HCN4 (NM_005477.3) in the patient’s and his brother’s DNA. Discussion. This case of familial AF helps to strengthen the role of RYR2 as a disease gene in the context of AF. Although the variant in RYR2 needs to be classified formally as variant of unknown significance, we regard it as probably disease-causing due to the previously published data. As RYR2 has already been identified as a possible target for prevention and therapy of AF, the knowledge of variants in RYR2 might become even more crucial for individual molecular therapies in the future.
The Use of D-Optimal Mixture Design in Optimizing Formulation of a Nutraceutical Hard Candy
Authors: Souiy Zoubeida , Amri Zahra , Sharif Hussameddin , Souiy Aicha , Cheraief Imed , Hamden Khaled , Hammami Mouhamed
Published: March 2023

The aim of this study was to optimize the formulation of hard candy with antiviral herbal extracts and flowered with Citrus limon peel essential oils. To substitute water fraction, the D-optimal mixture design was used. The optimized mixture fractions of the best hard candy formulation contain Curcuma longa extract (10%), Artemisia herba-alba Asso extract (3.33%), Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (1.66%), and Zingiber officinale extract (1.66%) and flowered by 20 μL/100 gram of Citrus limon essential oils. The effect of the addition had been investigated on the sensory, physicochemical, and phytochemical of the hard candy according to the optimal formulation. The main component of Citrus limon essential oil is limonene (52.47%), which has a pleasant lemon fragrance. The mixture of herbal extract added increased the total phenols, the flavonoid, and the ash content of the formulated hard candy (

10.90
±
0.50

 mg GAE/g,

0.054
±
0.02

 mg CE/g, and

0.018
±
0.009

, respectively). The measurement of the DPPH free radical activity reveals a good antioxidant activity (26.4%). Furthermore, the sensory analysis has shown a good appreciation. Thus, formulated hard candy is a sensorially and therapeutically interesting product.
The Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers for the IgG Subclass in Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis
Authors: Li Zhao-Guo , Li Bai-Cun , Li Zhi-Wei , Hu Hui-Yuan , Ma Xia , Cao Hong , Yu Zhi-Hua , Dai Hua-Ping , Wang Jing , Wang Chen
Published: March 2023

Evidence suggests that exposure to coal dust increases immunoglobulin concentration. However, there is a paucity of data reporting immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass in coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP). Therefore, this study intended to evaluate potential diagnostic biomarkers for the disease. CWP patients, dust-exposed workers without pneumoconiosis (DEW), and matched healthy controls (HCs) presented to the General Hospital of Datong Coal Mining Group and Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment Hospital of Datong Coal Mining Group between May 2019 and September 2019 were recruited. The serum immunoglobulin concentration was determined by the multiplex immunoassay technique. Totally, 104 CWP patients, 109 DEWs, and 74 HCs were enrolled. Serum levels of IgG1, IgG2, IgM, and IgA were elevated in CWPs compared with those in DEWs and HCs (

P
<
0.05

). The order of diagnostic accuracy between CWPs and DEWs depicted by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was IgG2, IgM, IgG1, IgG3, and IgA. Significantly higher IgG1/IgG3 and IgG2/IgG3 ratios were observed in the CWP group than in DEW and HC groups. Based on the IgG2/IgG3 ratio, the area under the ROC curve between CWP and DEW was 0.785 (95% CI 0.723-0.838), with a sensitivity of 73.1% and a specificity of 73.4%. Our findings suggest that IgG1, IgG2, IgM, and IgA are higher in the CWPs than DEWs and HCs. The IgG2/IgG3 ratio provides a viable alternative for the diagnosis of CWP.
Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Is Associated with Acute Kidney Injury after Abdominal Trauma Based on the Generalized Propensity Score Approach: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Xi Fengchan , Li Jiang , He Yuanchen , Sun Chuanrui , Wang Xiling , Yu Wenkui
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) after trauma. However, the associations between different adipose tissue depots and AKI remain unknown. Our study aimed to quantify the effect of abdominal adiposity on AKI in trauma patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of abdominal trauma patients who were admitted to our hospital from January 2010 to March 2020. Abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were measured at the level of the third lumbar vertebra using computed tomography. Causal modeling based on the generalized propensity score was used to quantify the effects of body mass index (BMI), VAT, and SAT on AKI. Results: Among 324 abdominal trauma patients, 67 (20.68%) patients developed AKI. Patients with AKI had higher BMI (22.46 kg/m2 vs. 22.04 kg/m2, p = 0.014), higher SAT areas (89.06 cm2 vs. 83.39 cm2, p = 0.151), and higher VAT areas (140.02 cm2 vs. 91.48 cm2, p = 0.001) than those without AKI. By using causal modeling, we found that the risk of developing AKI increased by 8.3% (p = 0.001) and 4.8% (p = 0.022) with one unit increase in BMI (per 1 kg/m2) and ten units increase in SAT (per 10 cm2), respectively. However, VAT did not show a significant association with AKI (p = 0.327). Conclusion: SAT, but not VAT, increased the risk of AKI among abdominal trauma patients. Measurement of SAT might help identify patients at higher risk of AKI.
Nutritional evaluation of spent and uninoculated mushroom substrate of Pleurotus ostreatus grown on cassava peels and sawdust
Authors: Okere Samuel Echezonachi , Ojiako Frank , Ikechi-Nwogu Chinyerum Gloria , Ojiaku Chinwendu Augustina , Ezechike Nkechi Udochukwu
Published: March 2023

This study aims to evaluate the role of edible fungi in the biodegradation of mushroom substrate by comparing the mineral and proximate composition of a pasteurized substrate before inoculation (BI) with the spent mushroom substrate (SMS) of Pleurotus ostreatus cultivated on cassava peels and sawdust. The experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State Nigeria. The treatment for this investigation comprised different levels of wheat bran namely: T1 (C/N 17:0 in the control), T2 (C/N ratio 17:1), and T3 (C/N ratio 17:3). 2% lime was added to the substrate to stabilize the pH. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) which was replicated three times. The mineral and proximate compositions were determined using standard procedures. The data generated were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) at (p = 0.05). The result obtained from this investigation reviewed that the mineral composition before substrate inoculation was significantly higher than those obtained from the SMS which were in the range: of Na (0.10-0.17 mg/kg), Mg (0.25-0.40 mg/kg), Ash (1.56-2.65%), Ca (0.62-1.40 mg/kg), K (0.25-0.42 mg/kg), and P (0.11-0.44 mg/kg) while the proximate composition is in the range: dry matter (81.6-93.3%), N (0.18-0.31%), crude protein (CP) (1.13-1.94%), crude fiber (2.84-4.82%). This result revealed that significant quantities of the nutrients unlocked by Pleurotus ostreatus were assimilated into the mushroom fruit bodies. Therefore, Pleurotus ostreatus could be used to enrich cassava peels and sawdust substrates which can further be utilized in the formulation of livestock feeds. However, further studies are recommended especially in evaluating more nutritional indices of the substrate.
Andisol and microcrystalline cellulose from Typha angustifolia for auramine O adsorption
Authors: Pranoto Pranoto , Suryanti Venty , Adawiyah Robi'atul
Published: March 2023

Andisol has a large surface area, is mesoporous, and contains the active groups' silanol (Si-OH) and aluminol (Al-OH). Besides andisol, cellulose is a good adsorbent, because microcrystalline cellulose has an active hydroxyl group (OH). The number of active adsorbent groups can be enhanced by chemically modifying the surface area (increment), or adding other materials. These modifications included alkaline modified-andisol with the addition of NaOH to increase pore size, cellulose hydrolysis with HCl to increase surface area, and andisol modification with the inclusion of other materials, mainly cellulose, to increase surface area. After the adsorption process is complete, the adsorption capacity of andisol-microcrystalline cellulose (AMS) to auramine O (AO) is known. As an adsorbent for AO, the surface area of BET andisol is 25.92 m2/g and the pore diameter is 14.40 nm, while the surface area of microcrystalline cellulose and AMS adsorbent are 26.60 m2/g and 18.60 m2/g, respectively. The maximum AO adsorption conditions by AMS were at pH 7, optimum at a contact time of 5 minutes, and maximum at a concentration of 40 mg/L with an adsorbent ratio of 1:1. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm more closely followed the pseudo second-order and Langmuir isotherm with an adsorption capacity of 5.24 mg/g.