bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the roles and work of paramedics in primary care: a national cross-sectional survey
Authors: Eaton Georgette , Tierney Stephanie , Wong Geoff , Oke Jason , Williams Veronika , Mahtani Kamal Ram
Published: December 2022

Objectives

This research aimed to fill a current knowledge gap, namely the current scope of clinical role of paramedics in primary care, in relation to specific constructs such a level of education and clinical experience.

Setting

The survey was distributed to paramedics in primary care across the UK through the College of Paramedics.

Participants

A total of 341 surveys were returned (male=215). 90% of responses were from paramedics in England, 1.7% from paramedics in Northern Ireland, 4.6% from paramedics in Scotland and 2.9% from paramedics in Wales. This represents approximately 33% of the primary care paramedic workforce in England and Wales. Estimates for percentages in Northern Ireland and Scotland are unavailable due to the lack of workforce datasets capturing paramedics in primary care.

Results

Considerable variation was found in job titles, level of education and provision of clinical supervision of paramedics in primary care. Differing levels of practice were noted, despite guidance documents that attempt to standardise the role. Statistical analysis of quantitative data highlighted that relationships exist between paramedic clinical exposure in primary care, level of education, and ability of independently prescribe medicines and the extent to which clinical presentations are seen and examinations performed. However, free-text responses indicated that challenges in relation to access to further education and clinical supervision to support clinical development resulted in frustration for paramedics who work in this setting.

Conclusions

As well as offering an insight into the demographics of the primary care paramedic work force, there is indication of the clinical scope of role undertaken in this setting. Based on our findings, we recommend changes to education and support, governance and legislation to ensure paramedics employed in primary care can work to achieve the full extent of their professional capability.
Investigating the need and structure for a comprehensive eye care competency framework
Authors: Yu Mitasha , Keel Stuart , Mills Jody-Anne , Müller Andreas
Published: December 2022

Objective

The objective of this paper is to establish whether existing eye care competency frameworks (ECCF) are fit for purpose, and set out a comprehensive ECCF that better meets the needs of the eye care workforce and broader population.

Methods and analysis

We carried out a two-stage process. The first was to conduct a desk review of existing frameworks and models relevant to eye care competencies. The second was to conduct a broad stakeholder consultation of global eye care experts to affirm the gaps found in the first stage, and to inform the development of a comprehensive ECCF.

Results

We reviewed 52 competency frameworks, competency standards and models related to eye care (including 11 from the UK) and found that there were three types of gaps, such as: (1) narrow in focus on specific occupational groups; (2) limitations in the competencies expected from an eye care worker and (3) limitations in regional focus, such that they could not easily be applied in a global context.

Having affirmed these gaps during the stakeholder consultation stage, we developed a more comprehensive ECCF structure, which composed of six domains: practice, professionalism, learning and development, management and leadership, community and advocacy, and evidence. This broader structure seeks to address the gaps found in the desk review.

Conclusion

The review showed that there was a need to develop a comprehensive ECCF that can be easily contextualised, encapsulate the roles of the diverse eye care workforce, and be a tool for eye care workforce planning and development to meet the needs of a global population.
Reflections and intersections: disability, ‘ableism’ and metamodern leadership
Authors: Orkin Chloe
Published: December 2022

In this article the author, the eightieth President of the Medical Women’s Federation and a clinical academic, reflects on disability, gender, and leadership. She draws on lessons from her sixteen-year NHS career in HIV Medicine in East London, UK. She explores her experiences and challenges as a Consultant Physician who became invisibly disabled and reflects on how her chosen leadership style has evolved in parallel. Readers are encouraged to reflect on invisible disability, ‘ableism’ and how to navigate conversations with colleagues.
Maximally entangled proton and charged hadron multiplicity in Deep Inelastic Scattering
Authors: Hentschinski Martin , Kutak Krzysztof , Straka Robert
Published: December 2022

We study the proposal by Kharzeev–Levin to determine entanglement entropy in Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) from parton distribution functions (PDFs) and to relate the former to the entropy of final state hadrons. We find several uncertainties in the current comparison to data, in particular the overall normalization, the relation between charged versus total hadron multiplicity in the comparison to experimental results as well as different methods to determine the number of partons in Deep Inelastic Scattering. We further provide a comparison to data based on leading order HERA PDF as well as PDFs obtained from an unintegrated gluon distribution subject to next-to-leading order Balitsky–Fadin–Kuraev–Lipatov and Balitsky–Kovchegov evolution. Within uncertainties we find good agreement with H1 data. We provide also predictions for entropy at lower photon virtualities, where non-linear QCD dynamics is expected to become relevant.
Field and intensity correlations: the Siegert relation from stars to quantum emitters
Authors: Lassègues Pierre , Biscassi Mateus Antônio Fernandes , Morisse Martial , Cidrim André , Matthews Nolan , Labeyrie Guillaume , Rivet Jean-Pierre , Vakili Farrokh , Kaiser Robin , Guerin William , Bachelard Romain , Hugbart Mathilde
Published: December 2022

The Siegert relation relates field and intensity temporal correlations. After a historical review of the Siegert relation and the Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect, we discuss the validity of this relation in two different domains. We first show that this relation can be used in astrophysics to determine the fundamental parameters of stars, and that it is especially important for the observation with stellar emission lines. Second, we check the validity of this relation for moving quantum scatterers illuminated by a strong driving field.
Modelling photoevaporation in planet forming discs
Authors: Ercolano Barbara , Picogna Giovanni
Published: December 2022

Planets are born from the gas and dust discs surrounding young stars. Energetic radiation from the central star can drive thermal outflows from the discs atmospheres, strongly affecting the evolution of the discs and the nascent planetary system. In this context, several numerical models of varying complexity have been developed to study the process of disc photoevaporation from their central stars. We describe the numerical techniques, the results and the predictivity of current models and identify observational tests to constrain them.
Spectral entropy provides separation between Alzheimer’s disease patients and controls: a study of fNIRS
Authors: Ferdinando H. , Moradi S. , Korhonen V. , Helakari H. , Kiviniemi V. , Myllylä T.
Published: December 2022

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is commonly used as a non-invasive tool to measure cerebral neurovascular dynamics. Its potential for diagnostics of various brain disorders has been already demonstrated in many recent studies, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). fNIRS studies are usually based on comparing hemoglobin measurements at baseline and during a specific task. At present, many proposed methods using fNIRS to diagnose AD involve certain tasks, which may be challenging for the elderly and patients with cognitive decline. Here, we propose a method to characterize AD patients and control in resting state, by applying spectral entropy (SE) analysis on oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin, HbO and HbR, respectively, and total hemoglobin (HbT) based on fNIRS signals measured from the left and right sides of the forehead. We applied SE to very low frequency (VLF) (0.008–0.1 Hz), respiratory (0.1–0.6 Hz), and cardiac (0.6–5 Hz) bands to find out which band delivered the optimum result. Next, a t test with 0.05 significant level was performed to compare SE values of AD patients and controls. Results from the VLF band looked promising as SE values from AD patients were always significantly higher than those from controls. In addition, this phenomenon was consistent for both sides of the forehead. However, significant differences in SE values in the respiratory band were found from the left hemisphere only, and in the cardiac band from the right hemisphere only. SE value from the VLF band supports a strong argument that it provides good predictability related to the development of AD. We demonstrated that SE of brain fNIRS signal can be an useful biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease pathology.
Ruler Wrapping
Authors: Gagie Travis , Saeidi Mozhgan , Sapucaia Allan
Published: December 2022

In 1985 Hopcroft, Joseph and Whitesides showed it is NP-complete to decide whether a carpenter’s ruler with segments of given positive lengths can be folded into an interval of at most a given length, such that the folded hinges alternate between 180 degrees clockwise and 180 degrees counter-clockwise. At the open-problem session of 33rd Canadian Conference on Computational Geometry (CCCG ’21), O’Rourke proposed a natural variation of this problem called ruler wrapping, in which all folded hinges must be folded the same way. In this paper we show O’Rourke’s variation has a linear-time solution.
RetU-Net: An Enhanced U-Net Architecture for Retinal Lesion Segmentation
Authors: Sundar Sumod , Sumathy S
Published: December 2022

Diabetic retinopathy is a predominant vision-threatening disease affecting working-aged people specifically. Timely diagnosis through early detection and prevention helps to reduce the risk of severe vision loss. Computer-aided diagnosis in retinal image analysis through Machine Learning techniques will help medical professionals perform their analysis better. Automated image processing through Convolutional Neural Networks has proven to be a promising technique, mainly in medical image segmentation. Convolutional Neural Network techniques like 3D CNN, Deep CNN and architectures like U-Net, V-Net, SegNet, and DeepMedic have outperformed medical image analysis results. However, the baseline CNN architectures struggle to retain high-quality information at the output and thus affect the performance. This work focuses on addressing the issue of translational variance and overfitting scenarios of U-Net architecture by experimenting with adaptable window sizes, pretrained weights and linear interpolation technique. A novel U-Net based architecture called RetU-Net that segments abnormal retinopathy lesion structures by retaining higher-level feature is proposed. The experiments are conducted using Indian Diabetic Retinopathy Image Dataset provided in “Diabetic Retinopathy: Segmentation and Grading Challenge” initially. The results have been compared with other state-of-art CNN architectures. Further evaluation is carried out on public datasets: STARE and DRIVE, and the performance is compared with U-Net based architectures used for retinal image segmentation. The proposed approach is efficient in terms of precision, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. It received accuracy scores of 0.9612, 0.9712 while experimenting with STARE and DRIVE datasets respectively.
Traffic Prediction and Signal Controlling Using Mode-search Optimization Based Deep Long Short Term Memory Classifier
Authors: Chauhan Shishir Singh , Kumar Dilip
Published: December 2022

Aim: The research aims at developing a traffic prediction and signal controlling model based on deep learning technique in order to provide congestion-free transportation in Intelligent Transport System (ITS).

Need for the Research: Recent technical advancements in the ITS, industrialization, and urbanization increase traffic congestion, which leads to high fuel consumption and health issues. This signifies the need for a dynamic traffic management system to handle the traffic congestion issues that negatively affect the transportation service.

Methods: For promoting congestion-free transportation in the ITS, this research aims to devise a traffic prediction and control system based on deep learning techniques that effectively controls the traffic during peak hours. The proposed mode-search optimization effectively clusters the vehicles based on the necessity. In addition, the mode-search optimization tunes the optimal hyperparameters of the deep Long Short Term Memory classifier, which minimizes the training loss. Further, the traffic signal control system is developed through the mode-search-based deep LSTM classifier for predicting the path of the vehicles by analyzing the attributes, such as velocity, acceleration, jitter, and priority of the vehicles.

Result: The experimental results evaluate the efficacy of the traffic prediction model in terms of quadratic mean of acceleration (QMA), jitter, standard deviation of travel time (SDTT), and throughput, for which the values are found to be 37.43, 0.23, 8.75, and 100 respectively.

Achievements: The proposed method attains the performance improvement of 5% to 42% when compared with the conventional methods.
A State-of-the-Art Association Rule Mining Survey and its Rare Application, Challenges, Progress
Authors: Biswas Sudarsan , Saha Diganta , Pandit Rajat
Published: December 2022

In recent years, association rule mining is exploring its popularity in the rule mining research communities. In this paper, we present the taxonomy of association patterns analysis approaches in depth. The association patterns analysis is based on support constraints, interestingness, and patterns dimension from different levels of abstraction. An in-depth research statistical view is presented in each category of the association patterns analysis research. Among the identified association rule mining research categories, we have selected rare pattern mining for further exploration of our study. Analysis of rare patterns is very much helpful in determining the rare relationships between patterns. Also, we will identify novel rare data patterns analysis techniques to solve the various problems in real-life applications. The overall research impact in the association rule mining research domain can be found in this review article. It will focus on various research scopes and the future directions of rule mining as well as rare pattern mining research.
Introduction
Authors: Read Sarah , Frith Jordan
Published: December 2022

This article is the introduction to the second of two Communication and Design Quarterly special issues focused on conceptualizations of infrastructure. While there are more continuities than differences between the themes and methodologies of articles in the first and second issues, this second issue leans towards articles that have taken up infrastructure as it pertains to writing and rhetoric. This introduction frames the value of infrastructure as a metaphor for making visible how writing and rhetoric structure and enact much of our world, especially for writing pedagogy. In addition, this article concludes by introducing the six contributions in this issue.
Replication of Computational Results Report for “Automatic Reuse, Adaption, and Execution of Simulation Experiments via Provenance Patterns”
Authors: Di Sanzo Pierangelo
Published: December 2022

In this article, a reproducibility study is presented, with reference to the computational results reported in the article “Automatic Reuse, Adaption, and Execution of Simulation Experiments via Provenance Patterns,” by P. Wilsdorf, A. Wolpers, J. Hilton, F. Haack, and A. M. Uhrmacher. Based on the achieved results, the
Artifacts Available
badge is assigned.
A Deep Reinforcement Learning Framework with Formal Verification
Authors: Boudi Zakaryae , Wakrime Abderrahim Ait , Toub Mohamed , Haloua Mohamed
Published: December 2022

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data are reshaping organizations and businesses. Human Resources (HR) management and talent development make no exception, as they tend to involve more automation and growing quantities of data. Because this brings implications on workforce, career transparency, and equal opportunities, overseeing what fuels AI and analytical models, their quality standards, integrity, and correctness becomes an imperative for those aspiring to such systems. Based on an ontology transformation to B-machines, this article presents an approach to constructing a valid and error-free career agent with Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL). In short, the agent's policy is built on a framework we called Multi State-Actor (MuStAc) using a decentralized training approach. Its purpose is to predict both relevant and valid career steps to employees, based on their profiles and company pathways (observations). Observations can comprise various data elements such as the current occupation, past experiences, performance, skills, qualifications, and so on. The policy takes in all these observations and outputs the next recommended career step, in an environment set as the combination of an HR ontology and an Event-B model, which generates action spaces with respect to formal properties. The Event-B model and formal properties are derived using OWL to B transformation.
The October 2022 Issue
Authors: Uhlig Steve
Published: December 2022

Before we present the content of this issue, we want to make an announcement. We are delighted to introduce a new journal titled "Proceedings of the ACM on Networking" (PACMNET). PACMNET is among the last journals joining the recently launched Proceedings of the ACM (PACM) series. The goal of the PACM series is to showcase the highest quality research conducted in diverse areas of computer science as represented by the ACM Special Interest Groups (SIGs), SIGCOMM in our case.
Ada Looks Good, Now Program a Game Without Knowing Anything
Authors: Hild Stefan
Published: December 2022

In 2020 I started live streaming the development of a turn-based strategy game. At that time I had little idea about Ada, programming or game development (nothing has changed about that to this day). But by September 2020 it had taken the early form of a Civilization clone. After more than a year of development, it has become almost a real game with its own features. And now I'm going to talk a little bit about some experiences and weirdnesses with game development in Ada.
The Ada Numerics Model
Authors: Rosen Jean-Pierre
Published: December 2022

This paper describes the challenges of making portable calculations across different architectures, and how the Ada model addresses the issues.
Use (and Abuse) of Ada 2022 Features in Designing a JSON-Like Data Structure
Authors: Mosteo Alejandro R.
Published: December 2022

Ada 2022 introduces new features that enable more natural-looking initializations. On the one hand, it is now possible to use universal numbers and strings to initialize any private type; on the other hand, containers can be initialized directly without the explicit use of converting functions. Both features are enabled through new aspects that associate user-defined subprograms with the necessary initialization calls.

In this work, the possibility of using these new features is explored to define a container type that allows initializations using heterogeneous types, as is usual in textual formats for structured data such as JSON, TOML and YAML, and still without the need to resort to explicit conversion calls or "crutch" functions like the often-seen trick of overloading the "+" operator. Although this has proven ultimately avoidable, there is still the need to use qualifications in certain circumstances.
Galvanic vestibular stimulation-induced activation of C1 neurons in medulla oblongata protects against acute lung injury
Authors: Abe Chikara , Katayama Chikako , Ohbayashi Kento , Horii Kazuhiro , Ogawa Bakushi , Fujimoto Chisato , Iwasaki Yusaku , Nin Fumiaki , Morita Hironobu
Published: December 2022

Autonomic nerves, including the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, control the immune system along with their physiological functions. On the peripheral side, the interaction between the splenic sympathetic nerves and immune cells is important for the anti-inflammatory effects. However, the central mechanism underlying these anti-inflammatory effects remains unclear. C1 neurons respond to stressors and subsequently determine the outflow of the autonomic nervous system. We have previously shown that C1 neurons protect against acute kidney injury and found a signaling connection between peripheral vestibular organs and C1 neurons. Thus, we hypothesized that hypergravity load or galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) might protect against acute lung injury. We showed that C1 neurons are histologically and functionally activated by stimulating the peripheral vestibular organs. Protection against acute lung injury that was induced by a 2 G load disappeared due to vestibular lesions or the deletion of C1 neurons. This GVS-induced protective effect was also eliminated by the deletion of the C1 neurons. Furthermore, GVS increased splenic sympathetic nerve activity in conscious mice, and splenic sympathetic denervation abolished the GVS-induced protection against acute lung injury. Therefore, the activated pathway between C1 neurons and splenic sympathetic nerves is indispensable for GVS-induced protection against acute lung injury.
Evolution of the glomerulus in a marine environment and its implications for renal function in terrestrial vertebrates
Authors: Evans Roger G.
Published: December 2022

Nearly a century ago, Homer Smith proposed that the glomerulus evolved to meet the challenge of excretion of water in freshwater vertebrates. This hypothesis has been repeatedly restated in the nephrology and renal physiology literature, even though we now know that vertebrates evolved and diversified in marine (saltwater) environments. A more likely explanation is that the vertebrate glomerulus evolved from the meta-nephridium of marine invertebrates, with the driving force for ultrafiltration being facilitated by the apposition of the filtration barrier to the vasculature (in vertebrates) rather than the coelom (in invertebrates) and the development of a true heart and the more complex vertebrate vascular system. In turn, glomerular filtration aided individual regulation of divalent ions like magnesium, calcium, and sulfate compatible with the function of cardiac and skeletal muscle required for mobile predators. The metabolic cost, imposed by reabsorption of the small amounts of sodium required to drive secretion of these over-abundant divalent ions, was small. This innovation, developed in a salt-water environment, provided a preadaptation for life in freshwater, in which the glomerulus was co-opted to facilitate water excretion, albeit with the additional metabolic demand imposed by the need to reabsorb the majority of filtered sodium. The evolution of the glomerulus in saltwater also provided preadaptation for terrestrial life, where the imperative is conservation of both water and electrolytes. The historical contingencies of this scenario may explain why the mammalian kidney is so metabolically inefficient, with ∼80% of oxygen consumption being used to drive reabsorption of filtered sodium.
Echocardiography phenotyping in murine genetic reference population of BXD strains reveals significant QTLs associated with cardiac function and morphology
Authors: Orgil Buyan-Ochir , Xu Fuyi , Munkhsaikhan Undral , Alberson Neely R. , Bajpai Akhilesh Kumar , Johnson Jason N. , Sun Yao , Towbin Jeffrey A. , Lu Lu , Purevjav Enkhsaikhan
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to establish a cardiac phenotype-genotype correlation in murine genetic reference population of BXD RI strains by phenotyping the echocardiography, blood pressure, and cardiomyocyte diameter traits and associating each collected phenotype with genetic background. Our study identified several QTLs and candidate genes that have significant association with cardiac hypertrophy, ventricular dilation, and function including systolic hyperfunction and dysfunction.
A Travel Demand Response Model in MaaS Based on Spatiotemporal Preference Clustering
Authors: Xu Songyuan , Liang Yuqi , Zuo Jing
Published: December 2022

To respond to travel demand in the MaaS system, improve transport efficiency, and optimize the framework of MaaS, we propose a travel demand response model based on a spatiotemporal preference clustering algorithm that considers the impact of travel preferences and features of the MaaS system to improve travel demand response and achieve full coverage of travel demands. Specifically, in the MaaS system, the time preference hierarchical clustering algorithm is optimized with travel preference as the perception factor and preference priority order as the iteration index. Then, we cluster the departure and arrival times of reservation demand points and iteratively analyze the discrete points to obtain the set of reservation demand points with convergent time dimensions under similar preferences. Then, the spatial preference DBSCAN clustering algorithm is improved with travel preference and preference priority order as the iteration indices, and spatial clustering of the time-dense points are updated by the silhouette coefficient to obtain reservation demand points with similar spatiotemporal preference and respond to the demands. Meanwhile, traffic resources are coordinated by the MaaS system and the flexible means of transport are deployed to spatiotemporal discrete points to achieve full coverage of travel demand. Simulation shows that when the neighborhood range is 0.5 km and the least number of reservation demand sites is 3, our spatiotemporal model achieves a response rate of reservation demand points at 95%, and a demand coverage rate of 100%, which is 15% and 6.7% higher than the hierarchical clustering model and the DBSCAN clustering model, respectively. The demand response rate is also improved compared to the spatiotemporal clustering model in the customized bus model. The model and algorithm have some applicability and can be applied to areas with fixed, semifixed and flexible route transport, thereby considerably improving the travel demand response efficiency and transport service quality.
Evaluation of Early Maturity Group of Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) for Agronomic Performance and Estimates of Genetic Parameters in Sudanian Zone of Burkina Faso
Authors: Thio Gilles Ibié , Ouédraogo Nofou , Drabo Inoussa , Essem Frank , Neya Fidèle Bawomon , Nikiema Fabrice Wendyam , Coulibaly Soumabéré , Sombié Pierre Alexandre Eric Djifaby , Boro Oumar , Hassane Abdoul-Kawiyou , Ouédraogo Abdoul-Aziz , Bama Hervé Bépio , Sawadogo Mahamadou , Sérémé Paco
Published: December 2022

Soybean is one of the promising food crops and feeds which contributes significantly to the development of agriculture in Burkina Faso. However, very few improved soybean varieties have been developed in the country. The introduction of new genotypes with high agronomic potential and adapted to the climatic conditions of the Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso will boost soybean production in the region. Twenty-four (24) newly introduced soybean genotypes were evaluated for their agromorphological and adaptation characteristics in the Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso. The variability parameters such as genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation, broad sense heritability, and expected genetic advance were estimated for 14 agromorphological characters. The experimental design used in this study was an alpha lattice with 3 replications. Planting was done following a spacing of 50 cm (inter-row) × 5 cm (within row). Analysis of variance revealed significant difference (

P
<
0.001

;

P
<
0.05

) for all characters studied except the nodule diameter, nodule score, and grain yield. The values of the phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) were higher than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all the characters indicating the influence of environmental factors. The highest GCV and PVC values were found in the number of nodules (70.07% and 77.26%), number of seeds per plant (41.34% and 44.18%), and number of pods per plant (29.27% and 33.50%), respectively. High estimates of heritability coupled with high genetic advance expressed as a percentage of mean were observed for 10 of the 14 traits, suggesting an important expected genetic gain allowing more success in selection.
Tanshinone IIA Improves Acute Gouty Arthritis in Rats through Regulating Neutrophil Activation and the NLRP3 Inflammasome
Authors: Xu Lianjie , Liu Xiao , Zhang Yurong , Jia Tao , Li Limei , Du Yan , Chen Wenhui , Zhang Shan
Published: December 2022

Objectives. To investigate the prevention and treatment effect of tanshinone IIA (TIIA) on acute gouty arthritis (AGA) and its mechanism. Methods. The anti-AGA effect of TIIA was observed in vivo and in vitro. Neutrophils were isolated from the abdominal cavity of mice, and the anti-AGA effect of TIIA was investigated in a rat model of MSU-induced AGA. The pathological changes of the ankle joint tissues were assessed by H&E. Cytokine and chemokine expression were determined by ELISA and RT-qPCR. The NLRP3 inflammasome pathway protein levels in the ankle joint tissues were evaluated via western blotting. Neutrophil migration was evaluated in air pouch and transwell assays. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analysis evaluate the release of myeloperoxidase (MPO), neutrophil elastase (NE), and citrullination of histone H3 (CitH3). Beclin-1 and LC3B expressions were determined using western blotting and immunofluorescence. Key Findings. Treatment with TIIA alleviated synovial hyperplasia and neutrophil infiltration, regulated cytokine and chemokine expressions, and inhibited NLRP3 activation in AGA rats, neutrophil migration, MPO, NE, and CitH3 expression, and LC3B and Beclin-1 protein expression. Conclusions. These results demonstrate that TIIA can effectively enhance AGA by focusing on the neutrophils and NLRP3 inflammasome, demonstrating that TIIA may act as a potential helpful agent for AGA.
The Quasisymmetric Mappings under the Quasihyperbolic Metric in Real Banach Spaces
Authors: Hu Caicai , Guo Liang
Published: December 2022

Suppose that E, E′ are Q‐regular Banach spaces, that G⊂E and G′⊂E′ are domains, and that f : G⟶G′ is a homeomorphism. The aim of this study is to prove that the quasisymmetric mapping under the quasihyperbolic metric is equivalent to the freely quasiconformal mapping under the condition E, E′ being Q‐regular Banach spaces. This result is a partial solution to an open problem raised by Väisälä.
Wave Breaking and Global Existence for the Generalized Periodic Camassa-Holm Equation with the Weak Dissipation
Authors: Zhang Ying , Peng Congming
Published: December 2022

In this paper, a family of the weakly dissipative periodic Camassa-Holm type equation cubic and quartic nonlinearities is considered. The precise blow-up scenarios of strong solutions and several conditions on the initial data to guarantee blow-up of the induced solutions are described in detail. Finally, we establish a sufficient condition for global solutions.
Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) to Estimate the Shear Wave Velocity for Engineering Characterization of Soils at Hawassa Town, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Ayele Alemayehu , Woldearegay Kifle , Meten Matebie
Published: December 2022

Site characterization is a prerequisite for the successful and economic design of engineering structures and earthworks by providing geological information for any proposed project. Until now, no detail study has been carried out on the site characterization and classification using shear wave velocity (Vs) up to the top 30 m depth in Hawassa town. For this study, multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) was used to determine the variation of Vs for a proper civil engineering design in the town. In addition, vertical electrical sounding (VES) and standard penetration test (SPT) were employed to characterize the near-surface materials. The Vs30 map was prepared for Hawassa town using the estimated Vs30 values which ranges from 248.9 m/s to 371.3 m/s while the SPT-N values were ranges from 5bpf to 50bpf. The correlation of Vs and SPT-N values has been done by considering both corrected and uncorrected SPT-N values. The VES result showed that groundwater is found at a shallow depth. The correlation of Vs and SPT-N value was validated using regression model. The 1D Vs profile and 2D cross-section showed low Vs at a shallow depth. The near-surface soils of the town are classified based on the Vs30 as site class C (stiff soil and soft rock) and D class (stiff soils) according to the NEHRP (Natural Earthquake hazards Reduction Program) and as subsoil classes B and C according to the Eurocode 8. The geotechnical tests also showed that the soils in the study area are silty sand, sand and silty sand with some gravel. The low Vs values observed at a shallow depth should be given much attention during foundation design for the stability of civil engineering structures.
Measurement of Excess Pore-Water Pressure in Frozen Soil at Subfreezing Temperatures Close to 0°C
Authors: Zhang Hu , Yang Suiqiao , Jin Huijun , Liu Mengxin
Published: December 2022

Response of pore-water pressure has crucial effect on the engineering geological performance of permafrost ground. However, there is a dearth of literature on the measurement of pore-water pressure in frozen soils due to challenges with regard to technical and operational method. To validate the generation of pore-water pressure and to reveal its variation property in frozen soils at subfreezing temperatures close to 0°C, a miniature pressure transducer was utilized to conduct a number of confined compression tests. Double-wall structure avoided damage to the transducer during frozen soil sampling. The transducer at sample bottom perceived a pressure fluctuation as varying air pressure imposed on sample surface, proving the connectivity among the pores in frozen soils with a hysteretic effect on pressure transmission. Pore-water pressure experienced a progressive increase followed by a slow dissipation under invariable load and temperature conditions when water drainage was permitted, while a monotonic increase in pressure was observed for an undrained sample. With decreasing temperature, a smaller peak and a more dilatory dissipation were displayed. When the sample was exposed to a stepwise warming process, a similar performance for the pressure was obtained with abrupt rise at the turning point of temperature.
Computational, Kinetics, and Corrosion Protection Aspects of Electrodeposited Poly(Salicylic Acid) Coatings as a Corrosion Inhibitor for Mild Steel
Authors: Abd El-Hafeez Ghada M. , El-Rabeie Mohamed M. , Anouar El Hassane , Moustapha Moustapha E. , Osman Amany M. A. , Farag Zeinab R.
Published: December 2022

Poly(salicylic acid) PSA has been electrochemically deposited onto a Pt electrode. The kinetics of the polymerization reaction has been studied. The polymer structure was confirmed and characterized using IR spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, and TGA analysis. The deposited PSA was then collected from the Pt surface and tested as a corrosion inhibitor for a mild steel electrode in an aqueous medium of 1 M sulfuric acid. The corrosion behavior was then evaluated using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Corrosion measurements showed that the inhibition efficiency of 20, 50, and 100 ppm of PSA was 33, 57, and 74%, respectively. The inhibition mechanism was proved using adsorption isotherms as well as quantum calculations. The inhibition of the corrosion process was due to the adsorption of PSA on the steel surface, which was found to comply with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm.
Level and Associated Factors of Literacy and Stigma of Suicide among Bangladeshi Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Assessment
Authors: Maruf Mohammad Muntasir , Shormi Farzana Rabin , Sajib Mohammad Waliul Hasnat , Acharjee Panchanan , Ara Hosnea , Roy Susmita , Ahmed Srijony , Arafat S. M. Yasir
Published: December 2022

Objectives. Literacy and stigma of suicide among doctors affect health-service delivery for persons with suicidal behavior. However, no attempt has been identified to assess those among physicians in Bangladesh. We aimed to determine the level and associated factors of suicide literacy and stigma toward suicide among physicians in Bangladesh. Methods. We collected data from 203 physicians in February 2022 by Google Forms. We used the Bangla literacy of suicide scale (LOSS-B) and the Bangla stigma of suicide scale (SOSS-B) to assess the literacy and stigma of suicide. The instrument also included questions for collecting sociodemographic variables and assessing suicidal behavior. Results. The mean age of the physicians was34.17±7.86(range 23–66) years, 109 (53.7%) were females, 150 (73.9%) were married, and 181 (89.2%) were Muslim. The mean LOSS-B score was5.9±1.96(range 1-10). Suicide literacy was higher in singles (p=0.013), doctors with a family history of suicide (p=0.018), a history of suicidal thought in lifetime (p≤0.001), and in the last year (p=0.03). Muslims (p=0.017) and city dwellers (p=0.021) had higher scores in the stigma subscale of SOSS-B whilst respondents with history of mental illness had a significantly lower level of stigma (p≤0.006). The stigma and isolation subscales were positively correlated indicating a higher value stigma creates higher isolation (p≤0.001). No relationship between suicide literacy and suicide stigma was identified among the physicians. Conclusions. Suicide literacy among the physicians of Bangladesh is low albeit higher than the level among the students. Appropriate programs should be designed to improve the status quo because physicians play fundamental roles as health-service providers as well as gatekeepers in suicide prevention.
Efficacy and Synergy with Cisplatin of an Adenovirus Vectored Therapeutic E1E2E6E7 Vaccine against HPV Genome–Positive C3 Cancers in Mice
Authors: Boilesen Ditte Rahbæk , Neckermann Patrick , Willert Torsten , Müller Mikkel Dons , Schrödel Silke , Pertl Cordula , Thirion Christian , Asbach Benedikt , Wagner Ralf , Holst Peter Johannes
Published: December 2022

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are the main cause of cervical and oropharyngeal cancers. As prophylactic vaccines have no curative effect, an efficient therapy would be highly desired. Most therapeutic vaccine candidates target only a small subset of HPV regulatory proteins, namely, E6 and E7, and are therefore restricted in the breadth of their immune response. However, research has suggested E1 and E2 as promising targets to fight HPV+ cancer. Here, we report the design of adenoviral vectors efficiently expressing HPV16 E1 and E2 in addition to transformation-deficient E6 and E7. Vaccination elicited vigorous CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses against all encoded HPV16 proteins in outbred mice and against E1 and E7 in C57BL/6 mice. Therapeutic vaccination of C3 tumor-bearing mice led to significantly reduced tumor growth and enhanced survival for both small and established tumors. Tumor biopsies revealed increased numbers of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells in treated mice. Cisplatin enhanced the effect of therapeutic vaccination, accompanied by enhanced infiltration of dendritic cells into the tumor. CD8+ T cells were identified as effector cells in T-cell depletion assays, seemingly under regulation by FoxP3+CD4+ regulatory T cells. Finally, therapeutic vaccination with Ad-Ii-E1E2E6E7 exhibited significantly enhanced survival compared with vaccination with two peptides each harboring a known E6/E7 epitope. We hypothesize that this difference could be due to the induction of additional T-cell responses against E1. These results support the use of this novel vaccine candidate targeting an extended set of antigens (Ad-Ii-E1E2E6E7), in combination with cisplatin, as an advanced strategy to combat HPV+ cancers.
Molecular Cytogenetic Characterization of C-Band-Positive Heterochromatin of the Greater Long-Tailed Hamster (Tscherskia triton, Cricetinae)
Authors: Kamimura Eikichi , Uno Yoshinobu , Yamada Kazuhiko , Nishida Chizuko , Matsuda Yoichi
Published: December 2022

The greater long-tailed hamster (Tscherskia triton, Cricetinae) has a unique karyotype (2n = 28), containing 11 pairs of acrocentric chromosomes with large C-band-positive centromeric heterochromatin blocks. To understand the origin and evolutionary process of heterochromatin in this species, we isolated novel families of chromosome site-specific highly repetitive DNA sequences from TaqI-digested genomic DNA and then characterized them by chromosome in situ and filter hybridization. The TaqI-families of repetitive sequences were classified into 2 types by their genome organization and chromosomal distribution: the 110-bp repeated sequence organized in large tandem arrays (as satellite DNA), localized to centromeric C-positive heterochromatin of acrocentric autosomes (chromosomes 1–11) and submetacentric X chromosome, and the 405-bp repeated sequence that was composed of 30–32-bp internal repeats, distributed in the pericentromeric region on the short arms of X and Y chromosomes. The repetitive sequences did not cross-hybridize with genomic DNA of any genera of Cricetinae (Mesocricetus, Cricetulus, and Phodopus). These results suggest that the 110-bp and 405-bp repeats rapidly diverged in the lineage of T. triton, evolving in a concerted manner among autosomes and X chromosome and within X and Y chromosomes, respectively. The 110-bp centromeric repeat contained a 17-bp motif in which 9 bases are essential for binding with the centromere-associated protein CENP-B, suggesting the possibility that the 110-bp major satellite DNA carrying the 17-bp motif may have a role in the formation of specified structure and/or function of centromeres in T. triton.
Feasibility and Short-Term Effects of Low-Threshold Opioid Substitution Treatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hamburg, Germany
Authors: Vorberg Fabian , Reimer Jens , Verthein Uwe
Published: December 2022

Introduction: After rapidly opening up a low-threshold clinic to support heavily opioid-dependent persons at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020 in Hamburg (Germany), this non-interventional study evaluated the feasibility and short-term effects of opioid substitution treatment (OST). The low-threshold concept was customized for the pandemic situation and is the first of its kind in Germany. Methods: Patients who had already begun treatment were questioned in two assessments, at T1 shortly after beginning treatment and at T2 6 months later. The primary outcome criterion was their quality of life using the OSTQOL. Secondary criteria included retention rate, their mental and physical health (measured by the BSI-18 and the OTI Health Scale), social situation, drug use, COVID-19 status, and satisfaction with treatment. Results: Out of 84 patients included in the study, 51 participated in both assessments, resulting in a 6-month retention rate of 60.7%. 27.5% were females, and 72.5% were males. The feasibility question of the low-threshold OST clinic can clearly be answered positively. During the course of the study over 6 months, the situation mainly remained stable regarding quality of life, physical and mental health, and days of drug consumption. Patients significantly reduced the time they spent on the drug scene from 8.5 (SD = 7.56) to 6.1 (SD = 6.71) hours a day between the beginning of OST and T2 (p = 0.020). While 56.9% answered to be homeless at the beginning of OST, only 33.3% answered not to have found an accommodation by T2 (p = 0.012). The number of patients having contact to social workers increased from 51.0% to 74.5% (p = 0.004). Almost 2 fifths of the patients took part in PCR testing for COVID-19 (that only being done if they had symptoms), and none of the tests were positive. Discussion/Conclusions: Overall, the low-threshold OST clinic has been successfully implemented in order to help a vulnerable group of people navigate through a global pandemic and support the public health sector. Further conclusions on effects are limited by the short study period and the small number of patients, which calls for further research studies in a larger setting.
The Different Prognoses of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Previous Tenofovir versus Entecavir Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis B Virus: Analysis Based on 15 Propensity Score-Matched Studies
Authors: Hou Jiancun , Qiang Zhe , Li Yang , Zhang Yamin
Published: December 2022

Background: Currently, enough studies with aggregated study-level data have demonstrated that there was no clinically meaningful difference in the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between patients who received entecavir and patients who received tenofovir treatment for chronic hepatitis B virus (CHBV). However, many studies found many differences in prognosis of these HCC patients. This meta-analysis of high-quality propensity score-matched (PSM) studies was designed to provide robust estimates for comparative HCC prognosis between groups receiving tenofovir or entecavir. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from inception to July 10, 2022, for relevant studies that compare the different prognoses of HCC between tenofovir and entecavir treatment. The primary outcomes were the difference of overall death or liver transplantation between tenofovir and entecavir treatment. The secondary outcomes included risk factors of overall death or liver transplantation and different treatment responses between tenofovir and entecavir treatment for CHBV. All statistical analyses were performed using the standard statistical procedures provided in Review Manager 5.2. Results: A total of 15 PSM studies were identified, with 24,035 sample sizes in tenofovir group and 61,410 sample sizes in entecavir group, respectively. Pooled data indicated that, compared with entecavir, patients receiving tenofovir experienced significantly lower overall death or liver transplantation, with a pooled OR of 0.55 (95% CI: 0.45–0.68; p < 0.00001). Subgroup analysis by population also found similar results with pooled ORs of 0.52 (95% CI: 0.38–0.70; p < 0.0001) in entire cohort and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.50–0.77; p < 0.0001) in PSM cohort. Similarly, the subgroup analysis also found that HCC patients without cirrhosis receiving tenofovir experienced significantly lower overall death or liver transplantation than entecavir (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.49–0.66), but no significant result was found in HCC patients with cirrhosis. In addition, both univariate (OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.31–0.69) and multivariable analyses (OR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.82–0.91) also indicated significant reduction of overall death or liver transplantation in tenofovir group than entecavir group. Conclusion: Our analysis indicated that there was clinically meaningful difference in prognosis of HCC between patients who received entecavir and patients who received tenofovir. Patients who received tenofovir experienced much lower overall death or liver transplantation than patients who received entecavir. Tenofovir treatment may be one of independent favorable factors of prognosis for HCC patients with CHBV.