bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KINEMATIC PARAMETERS OF THE OIL FLOW IN A VORTEX CHAMBER PUMP
Authors: Rogovyi Andrii , Lukianets Serhiy
Published: October 2023

The difficult operating conditions of oil pumps require high levels of reliability, durability and efficiency from hydraulic machines. The gas dissolved in oil leads to the appearance of regions with variable density in the pumps flow parts and to a breakdown in performance. The use of jet pumps is limited due to low efficiency. Therefore, the operation of new vortex chamber pumps for oil production and transportation is quite promising due to the increase in pumping efficiency indicators using the advantages of centrifugal and jet technology in these pumps. On the other hand, to date, no studies have been carried out on the behavior of vortex chamber pumps when pumping oil. In this paper, based on the numerical calculation of the oil flow in a vortex chamber pump, the kinematic parameters of the flow are obtained with and without the dissolved gas in the oil. The calculation was made on the basis of solving the Reynolds equations, continuity and Rayleigh-Plesset equations in the Ansys CFX software package. For the first time for the vortex chamber pump when pumping oil, the distributions of the oil velocity and dissolved gas, the distributions of volumetric and mass concentrations, and the graphs of velocity distributions in various horizontal planes of the vortex chamber were obtained, which makes it possible to take into account the kinematic flow parameters in the vortex chamber for further optimal design. For the first time, on the basis of numerical calculations, the possibility of using vortex chamber pumps for pumping oil has been confirmed. At the same time, the efficiency is approximately 15%, which is almost twice the efficiency of direct-flow jet pumps used for this purpose. The choice of the model, according to which the calculation is carried out by numerical methods, has a significant impact on the accuracy of calculating the integral characteristics of the vortex chamber pump operation.
Sistem Ekonomi Liberal pada Masa Kolonial di Pedesaan
Authors: Tri Sela Andani  , Saputra Muhammad Ridho , Yustina Sri Ekwandari
Published: October 2023

Abstract

In 1870 was a final stage of forced cultivation. An important law was passed that year, namely the agrarian lawa, wich was to regulate private entrepreneurs in acquiring land. And also issued sugar law that regulates the transfer of sugar companies into the hands of the private sevctor. With the end of this forced cultivation, then the implementation in Indonesia of a liberal colonial politics or liberal economy. The liberal economic system is an economic system wich in its implementation gives freedom to its people so that they can carry out economic activities or can run a business and will get as much profit as possible. This liberal economic system also highly upholds ownership rights to an individual and in market competition. With the liberation of economic life from all interventions to promote government and eliminate coercive elements of economic life the economic development of the Duts East Indies. This liberal era led to deeper economic penetration into the life of Indonesia society, especially in Java. The Javanese indigeneous people began to lease land to private Dutch parties.

Keywords: Liberal economy, colonial period, forced cultivation rural in Java.

 

Abstrak

Pada tahun 1870 merupakan sebuah tahapan akhir dari adanya tanam paksa. Undang-undang penting disahkan pada tahun itu, yaitu undang-undang agrarian, yaitu untuk mengatur para pengusaha swasta untuk mendapatkan tanah. Dan juga dikeluarkannya hukum gula yang mengatur pengalihan perusahaan gula ketangan para swasta. dengan aberakhirnya tanam paksa ini, kemudian diterapkannya di Indonesia sebuah politik kolonial liberal atau ekonomi liberal. Sistem ekonomi liberal merupakan sebuah sistem ekonomi yang dimana dalam pelaksanaanya memberikan sebuah kebebasan terhadap masyarakatnya agar dapat melakukan aktivitas ekonomi atay dapat menjalankan usaha dan akan mendapatkan keuntungan yang sebanyak-banyaknya. Sistem ekonomi liberal ini juga sangat menjunjung tinggi hak kepemilikan pada suatu individu dan dalam persainagn pasar. Dengan adanya pembebasan kehidupan ekonomi dari segala intervensi untuk mempromosikan pemerintah dan menghilangkan unsur-unsur koersif kehidupan ekonomi perkembangan ekonomi Hindia-Belanda. Pada era liberal ini menyebabkan penetrasi ekonomi yang lebih dalam kedalam kehidupan pada masyarakat Indonesia, khususnya di Jawa. Para masyarakat penduduk pribumu Jawa mereka mulai menyewakan tanah kepada pihak swasta Belanda.

Kata kunci: Ekonomi liberal, masa kolonial, tanam paksa, pedesaan di Jawa
Cumhuriyetin 100. Yılında Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri’nin Dış Politikada Artan Etkisi
Authors: TUTAK Eda
Published: October 2023

Deniz kuvvetleri, sadece savaş zamanında ulusal güvenliğin teşkil edilmesinde değil barış zamanında bayrak ve varlık gösterme, barışı destekleme, insani yardım ve arama-kurtarma harekâtlarının icrasıyla da ulusal çıkarların gerçekleştirilmesinde kritik rol oynamaktadır. Özellikle barış zamanında gerçekleştirdiği faaliyetler ile dış politik hedeflere hizmet eden deniz kuvvetleri, dış politikanın önemli bir parçasını oluşturmaktadır. Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri, küresel siyasette Türkiye’nin rekabet gücüne önemli ölçüde katkı sunan hem sert hem de yumuşak güç araçlarından biridir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Cumhuriyetin 100. yılında Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri’nin ne boyutta geliştiğini incelemek ve dış politikada etkili bir ulusal güç aracı olduğunu ortaya koymaktır. Bu çalışma, Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri’nin 1997’de yayınladığı ve özellikle 2000’li yılların başından itibaren hız kazanan “Açık Denizlere Doğru” stratejisi kapsamında gerçekleştirdiği modernizasyon faaliyetleri, uluslararası harekât, tatbikat ve uygulamalar ile ülke dış politikasında daha etkin rol oynadığını savunmaktadır. Küresel gelişmeler neticesinde denizlerin artan önemi, Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri’ni donanma gücünü geliştirmeye yöneltmiş bu kapsamda donanma altyapısını oluşturan araçların sayısından çok niteliği dikkate alınmıştır. Türk donanma gücü daha teknolojik, daha milli, daha yetenekli ve daha stratejik unsurlarla donatılmış, Cumhuriyetin 100. yılında daha modern bir Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri ortaya çıkmıştır.
Prediction of MicroRNAs Involved in Lignan and Cyanogenic Glycosides Biosynthesis of Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)
Authors: Harenčár Ľubomír , Ražná Katarína
Published: October 2023

MicroRNAs are short non-coding single-stranded molecules RNA with length 20–24 nucleotides that are of great importance to negative regulation of gene expression. In organisms, they participate in a wide spectrum of biological processes including differentiation, development, cell signalization, metabolism, reaction to biotic and abiotic stresses, reproduction, and many others. Lignans have a huge therapeutic potential thanks to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, estrogenic and antiestrogenic features. Major role of cyanogenic glycosides lies in a releasing of hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Together with lignans play various roles in plant defence processes. Next generation sequencing blazes a trail in new “omic” approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenetics even panomics while an individual field of study is bioinformatics that develops computational algorithms for processing of these valuable data. In addition, a simple and often free of charge access to big amount of data as well as to bioinformatic algorithms and computational systems enable a comparison of individual genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes or metabolomes and an identification of conserved biosynthetic pathways and regulating elements in many organisms at the same time. The main aim of this research was to predict microRNA families involved in metabolic pathway of flax lignans and cyanogenic glycosides (Linum usitatissimum L.). There have been identified 15 lignan and 10 cyanogenic glycosides regulating microRNA families occurred in the flax genome whereas 6 microRNA families are regulating both pathways.
m7G Methylation-Related Genes Impact Prognosis and Tumor Immune Microenvironment in bladder cancer
Authors: Shen Liliang , Chen Haotian , Zhang Zhijin , Tang Yuqi , Hu Wenhao , Wang Xuhui , Wang Kaiyun , Zhang Yi , Chen Yifan
Published: October 2023

Objective: N7-methylguanosine (m7G) is an important biological process of post-transcriptional modification. In recent years, the role of m7G in tumorigenesis and development has received more and more attention. However, the mechanism of m7G in bladder cancer and its impact on the immune microenvironment is still unclear.
Methods: M7G-related genes were screened out from TCGA database. Through the LASSO regression analysis, the m7G-score was constructed. A nomogram incorporating m7G-score and clinicopathological characteristics was also constructed. Then, we evaluated the effect of m7G-score on TME and the relevance of immune cells. We also divided the cohort into 2 m7G-related patterns using unsupervised clustering. And the effect of high and low m7G-score on the drug sensitivity of patients by the “pRRophetic” package.
Results: We established an 11-gene m7gscore based on training set and divided it into high and low-risk groups according to the median score. Further, m7Gscore also has good predictive ability in the test set and total cohort. A prognostic nomogram was constructed by combining m7gscore and clinicopathological features. The analysis of the TME showed that the high-risk group had more infiltrating immune cells and immune function, and were more sensitive to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. In addition, patients were divided into two patterns using unsupervised clustering and immune differences between the two groups were investigated.
Conclusion: This study also evaluated the role of the m7G-score in predicting patient prognosis, immune microenvironment landscape, and drug sensitivity, providing new insights into the treatment of bladder cancer from the level of post-transcriptional modifications.
Cheese wastewater treatment through combined Coagulation-Flocculation and Photo-Fenton-like advanced oxidation processes for reuse in irrigation: Effect of Operational Parameters and Phytotoxicity assessment
Authors: Belkodia Kaltoum , mersly Lekbira El , Edaala Mohammed-amine , Achtak Hafid , Tahiri Abdelaziz Alaoui , Briche Samir , RAFQAH salah
Published: October 2023

The present study aims to investigate the efficiency of a combined cheese wastewater treatment approach involving coagulation with ferric chloride coupled with a Photo-Fenton-like oxidation process for potential reuse in irrigation. Laboratory-scale tests were conducted, examining the influence of various operational parameters on the treatment process. Specifically, the effects of initial wastewater pH, coagulant dosage, decantation time for the coagulation process, and initial pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration, Fe3+ and H2O2 dosages for Photo-Fenton-like oxidation were studied. Coagulation was found effective at natural pH of 6 and showed a highest removal efficiency in terms of COD (50.6%), biological oxygen demand BOD5 (42.1%), turbidity (99.3%), and least sludge volume generation (11.8% v/v) for an optimum coagulant dose of 400 mg Fe3+ L–1 and 8 hours of decantation time. Thereafter, the sequential treatment of cheese wastewater based on coagulation as a pre-treatment process and then Photo-Fenton-like oxidation (Fe3+/H2O2/UVA-300W), enhanced the removal of COD, BOD5 and total organic carbon (TOC) to 91.2%, 91.4% and 97.5%, respectively using the optimized conditions (pH = 3; [Fe3+] = 5.0×10− 4 mol L− 1; [H2O2] = 0.2 mol L− 1 and 24 hours of irradiation time). Furthermore, the phytotoxicity of treated cheese wastewater was evaluated by seed germination and root elongation tests using lentil seeds as bioindicators. The experimental results showed that the combined process allowed a significant phytotoxicity reduction. The obtained outcome was encouraging and supports the possible use of the treated cheese wastewater as an additional water source for agricultural irrigation, helping to reduce the existing deficit and conserve water resources.
Identification of EGR4 as a prospective target for inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and a novel biomarker in colorectal cancer
Authors: Liu Li , Wang Bangting , Zhang Shijie , Wang Haiyang , Wang Min , Tao Yuwen , Ye Mujie , Fan Zhining , Wang Yan
Published: October 2023

EGR4 (Early Growth Response 4) is a member of the EGR family, involving in tumorigenesis. However, the function and action mechanism of EGR4 in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. To address this, we assessed the prognosis of CRC based on EGR4 using the Kaplan-Meier plotter tool and tissue microarray. The abundance of immunoinfiltration was evaluated through ssGSEA, TISIDB, and TIMER. In vitro experiments involving knockdown or overexpression of EGR4 were performed, and RNA-sequencing was conducted to explore potential mechanisms. Furthermore, we used oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil to validate the impact of EGR4 on chemo-resistance. Pan-cancer analysis and tissue microarray showed that EGR4 was highly expressed in CRC and significantly correlated with an unfavorable prognosis. Moreover, EGR4 expression was associated with immunoinfiltration and cancer-associated fibroblasts in the CRC microenvironment. Functional enrichment demonstrated that high-expressional EGR4 were involved in chromatin and nucleosome assembly. Additionally, EGR4 promoted the proliferation of CRC cells. Mechanistically, EGR4 upregulated TNFα to activate the NF-κB signaling pathway, and its knockdown reduced p65 nuclear translocation. Importantly, combining siEGR4 with oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil significantly inhibited CRC proliferation. Taken together, these findings provide new insights into the potential prognosis and therapeutic targets of EGR4 in colorectal cancer.
Study on the co-pyrolysis behavior of copper slag and biomass and the adsorption of Cr (VI)
Authors: Zhou Tianxing , Zhong Wanzhen , Shen Yujie , Yu Qiuyang , Luo Siyi , Zhang Weiwei , Ren DongDong
Published: October 2023

The co-pyrolysis behavior of PS(pine sawdust) biochar doped with CS(copper slag) and the adsorption performance of the prepared CS catalyzed composite adsorbent is studied.Thermogravimetric,SEM and BET is used to analyze the co-pyrolysis characteristics and the adsorption performance of PS and its mixed samples with different ratios of PS and CS. When the mixing ratio PS: CS = 3:1, the pyrolysis release characteristics were the highest, The most favorable for the pyrolysis reaction. The co-pyrolysis of CS and PS effectively improves the activation energy of the reaction process. The activation energy increased by co-pyrolysis shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with the increase of reaction order. When the reaction order n = 1, the activation energy increased by co-pyrolysis of PS and CS is the highest, at 13.311 kJ/mol. The H3PO4, KOH, and ZnCl2 was used to modify PS carbon improved its adsorption capacity. The results showes that the modified PS carbon has a larger specific surface area and providing more adsorption sites, effectively improving the adsorption effect. The adsorption capacity of PS carbon is inversely proportional to the concentration of Cr (VI) solution.Under the conditions of catalyzing PS at 1:1 based on CS, the concentration of Cr (VI) solution is 20mg, and the adsorption effect is best in an acidic environment with pH = 1. Realized the high value-added utilization of metallurgical solid waste and agricultural waste, namely the governance concept of "treating danger with waste".
A multi-level closing based segmentation framework for dermatoscopic images using ensemble deep network.
Authors: srivast varun , Gupta Shilpa , Singh Ritik , Gautam Vaibhav Kumar
Published: October 2023

The proposed framework is a hybrid model of extensive multi-level closing based hair removal pre-processing followed by training using an ensemble deep network. In this way, a highly optimised pedagogy for lesion segmentation in dermatoscopic images has been obtained. Two publicly available datasets are then used to analyse the performance of the framework. One is HAM10k dataset and another is ISIC dataset. The segmented images are compared with the mask given with the dataset and accordingly the value of Dice Coefficient, Jaccard Similarity index and other performance metrics are computed. The average values of Dice Coefficient and Jaccard value for both datasets are found to be 0.9555 and 0.8545 respectively. These values along with other performance metrics are compared with values of base models and state of the art techniques and was found to be better. The proposed framework achieved an average accuracy of 95.87% for both datasets which is better than all base models and even better than the proposed framework without pre-processing.
The Effect of Tool Geometry on Chip Formation and Chip Morphology of Lead-Free Brass Alloy CW511L
Authors: Müller Magdalena Susanne , Sørby Knut
Published: October 2023

Lead as an alloying element in brass is legally restricted. Investigations to adapt to the properties of lead-free brass alloys in machining are necessary. The main problems in machining lead-free brass alloys are increased cutting forces and long snarled chips. This paper investigates the impact of the rake angle and different chip-breaking geometries on the chip breakability of the lead-free brass alloy CW511L (CuZn38As). Orthogonal cutting tests were conducted on a lathe. Cutting force measurements, chip analysis, and high-speed camera recordings were performed to analyze the cutting process. The camera recordings were used to analyze the chip formation process with tools with varying chip-breaking geometries. Chips were investigated in microscopic studies. An increased rake angle led to increased chip length but decreased cutting forces. A chip-breaking geometry with a restricted contact length could help to counteract the negative impact of a positive rake angle on the chip breakability with only a marginal effect on the cutting forces. It is crucial to choose a chip-breaking geometry following the cutting parameters. Out of the investigated tools, a tool with a chip breaker land width of 0.7 mm and a groove radius of 3.5 mm was the most beneficial regarding the chip breakability.
A novel two-stage deep learning model used to assist in diagnosing neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis and determining the need for surgical treatment
Authors: Qi Guoqiang , Ding Jian , Li Jing , Duan Mengyu , Liu Zhicong , Huang Shoujiang , Liu Taixiang , Liu Tianmei , Lai Dengming , Yu Gang
Published: October 2023

Background and Aims: Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a common life-threatening gastrointestinal disease in newborns. Abdominal X-rays (AXRs) is an important basis for diagnosing NEC and determining the need for surgical treatment. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) is extensively utilized in the clinical diagnosis of numerous diseases. Nevertheless, the efficacy of CAD for NEC has not been widely validated. Methods: We proposed for the first time a two-stage multimodal classification method for NEC based on AXRs data. The objective is to achieve early diagnosis of NEC and determine the optimal timing for surgical intervention. This method addresses the problem of insufficient labeled data through transfer learning and introduces coordinate attention to enhance the accuracy of target region localization and identification, thereby improving the capability of image feature extraction. Results: In total, the dataset was sourced from 2 children’s hospital consisted of 3,176 AXRs from 845 newborns diagnosed with NEC. Additionally, there were 1,825 AXRs from 470 newborns without NEC. The task for determining whether newborns has NEC achieved an accuracy of 97.49%, recall of 97.44%, precision of 83.09%, F1-score of 98.02% and AUC of 99.68%. Similarly, for the task of identifying if NEC patients require surgery, the accuracy, recall, precision, and F1-score were 78.96%, 81.50%, 80.30%, 80.89%, and 84.49% respectively. Our method performed better than the four commonly used baseline methods in the two-stage NEC diagnosis task. Conclusions: We have introduced a novel two-stage diagnostic model for NEC in newborns, which can rapidly and accurately identify NEC patients and determine if surgery is necessary.
Accuracy of a Zero-Heat-Flux Thermometer in cardiac surgery: a prospective, multicentre, observational study
Authors: Pedersen Carsten , Munch Peter , Kjaergaard Jesper , Grønlykke Lars , Bräuer Anselm
Published: October 2023

Accurate measurement of core temperature is of utmost importance during on-pump cardiac surgery, for detection of hypothermia before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), guidance of temperature management on CPB, active rewarming on CPB and guidance of warming therapy after CPB. Most temperature measurement methods are known to become inaccurate during rapid changes in core temperature and suffer from delayed detection of temperature changes. Zero-heat-flux temperature (ZHF) measurement from the lateral forehead may be an alternative, non-invasive method quantifying the core temperature. A prospective, observational, multicentre study was conducted in one hundred patients scheduled for on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Core temperatures were measured every minute by two Zero Heat Flux Thermometers (SpotOn™) and a bladder thermometer and a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) in the period after induction of anesthesia until CPB. Accuracy and precision of both methods were compared against core temperature measured in the pulmonary artery using the method of Bland and Altman. A high accuracy (around 0.1°C) and a very good precision (Limits of agreement (LoA) -0.6; 0.4°C) were found between zero-heat-flux thermometer and core temperature measured by PAC. Among the two ZHF thermometers the bias was negligible (-0.003°C) with narrow LoA of -0.42°C and 0.41°C. In contrast, bias between bladder temperature and PAC temperature was large (0.51°C) with corresponding LoA of -0.06°C and 1.1°C. ZHF thermometers are in contrast to bladder temperature a reliable core temperature monitor in cardiac surgery during the period after induction of anestesia until CPB. The zero-heat-flux method can provide clinicians reliably with continuous and non-invasive measurements of core temperature in normothermic and hypothermic temperature ranges. Text
A First-in-man Study of [18F] FEDAC: A novel PET Tracer for the 18-kDa Translocator Protein
Authors: Tamura Kentaro , Nishii Ryuichi , Tani Kotaro , Hashimoto Hiroki , Kawamura Kazunori , Zhang Ming-Rong , Maeda Takamasa , Yamazaki Kana , Higashi Tatsuya , Jinzaki Masahiro
Published: October 2023

Purpose
N-benzyl-N-methyl-2 - [7, 8-dihydro-7 - (2 - [18F] fluoroethyl) -8-oxo-2-phenyl-9H-purin-9-yl] acetamide ([18F] FEDAC) is a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer that targets the translocator protein (TSPO; 18 kDa) in the mitochondrial outer membrane, which is known to be upregulated in various diseases such as malignant tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, and neuroinflammation. This study presents the first attempt to use [18F]-FEDAC PET/CT and evaluate its biodistribution as well as the systemic radiation exposure to the radiotracer in humans.
Materials and Methods
Seventeen whole-body [18F]-FEDAC PET/CT (injected dose, 209.1 ± 6.2 MBq) scans with a dynamic scan of the upper abdomen were performed in seven participants. Volumes of interest were assigned to each organ, and a time–activity curve was created to evaluate the biodistribution of the radiotracer. The effective dose was calculated using IDAC-Dose 2.1.
Results
Immediately after the intravenous injection, the radiotracer accumulated significantly in the liver and was subsequently excreted into the gastrointestinal tract through the biliary tract. It also showed high levels of accumulation in the kidneys, but showed minimal migration to the urinary bladder. Thus, the liver was the principal organ that eliminated [18F] FEDAC. Accumulation in the normal brain tissue was minimal. The effective dose estimated from biodistribution in humans was 19.47 ± 1.08 µSv/MBq, and was 3.60 ± 0.20 µSV for 185 MBq dose.
Conclusion
[18F]FEDAC PET/CT provided adequate image quality at an acceptable effective dose with no adverse effects. Therefore, [18F]FEDAC may be useful in human TSPO-PET imaging.
Quality of Emergency Obstetric Referral Practice and Associated Factors Among Mothers Referred to Public Heath Facility in Jimma Zone South West Ethiopia
Authors: Belina Sena , Legese Tilahun
Published: October 2023

Background: One of the important aspects of health care facilities is the referral system, especially in the case of obstetric emergencies. Implementation of a well-managed and functional referral system leads to good health care quality. The referral system is an important public health issue. Timely and appropriate emergency obstetric referral to a suitable health facility is an indicator of effective health systems. Even though quality referral is a subject of paramount importance for health care organizations, to the best of our knowledge there is no studies are done so far in Ethiopia.
Objectives: To assess quality of emergency obstetric referral practice and associated factor among mothers referred to public health facility in Jimma zone south west Ethiopia.
Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in three randomly selected public hospitals in Jimma zone. The data was collected from total of 396 participants with response rate of 98% from August 20, 2021 to October 20, 2021; through observation, interview and record review Data was entered into Epi-data Version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for further analysis.
Result: Quality of emergency obstetric referral practice was poor in 206(52%). Out of referred clients 77.3% sent with standard referral paper, 68.9 have been provided transportation and 60.6 % pre referral communication of health professionals, 39.1% was sent without escorting health professional, 59.8% have community-based health insurance. Concerning referral papers, the most recorded item was the name of referring health facility in 92.4%, date of referral was recorded in 76.3%. The structural part of referral practice was good in only 44.7% and patient satisfaction was good in 48.2% of referral.
Being illiterate husband decreases quality of emergency obstetric referral practice by 36% as compared to husband has higher educational level with P-value of 0.021(AOR=0.360, 95%CI= 0.127-1.021). Being primiparous decreases quality of emergency obstetric referral practice by 55.3% compared to being multiparous with P-value of 0.032 (AOR= 0.553 95%CI=0.321- 0.950). Ages between 25-34 increases quality of emergency obstetric referral practice by 40.9% compared to ages greater than 40 with p- value 0.021 (AOR =0.409 95%CI= 0.195-0.045).
Conclusion and recommendation: The quality of a referral practice of public health facility was poor. So, special attention should be given by government and other stake holdersto increase communication between health facilities, transport arrangement, and educational level of husbands.
Inequalities in the prevalence of Caesarean section and associated factors in rural and urban Nigeria: insights from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Adewuyi Emmanuel O , Akosile Wole , Olutuase Victory , Philip Aaron Akpu , Olaleru Rhoda , Adewuyi Mary I , Auta Asa , Khanal Vishnu
Published: October 2023

Introduction
When medically indicated, caesarean section (CS) can be a lifesaving intervention for mothers and their newborns. This study assesses the within-population CS prevalence and associated factors with an emphasis on inequalities between rural and urban areas in Nigeria.
Methods
We disaggregated the 2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey and performed analysis separately for the overall, rural, and urban residences in Nigeria. Data were summarised using frequency tabulations, and factors associated with CS were identified through multivariable binary logistic regression analysis.
Results
The prevalence of CS was 2.7% in Nigeria (overall), 5.2% in urban and 1.2% in rural areas. The North-West region had the lowest prevalence, with 0.7% overall, 1.5% in urban, and 0.4% in rural areas, respectively. Mothers with higher education demonstrated a greater CS prevalence of 14.0% overall, 15.3% in urban and 9.7% in rural residences. Frequent internet use increased the prevalence of CS in Nigeria (14.3%), urban (14.1%) and rural (10.1%) residences. Across all residences, rich wealth index, maternal age ≥35, 8+ antenatal contacts and lower birth order increased the odds of a CS. In rural Nigeria, husbands' education, spouses’ joint healthcare decisions, birth size, and unplanned pregnancy were associated with higher CS odds. In urban Nigeria, multiple births, Christianity, frequent internet use, and ease of healthcare permission were associated with greater CS odds.
Conclusion
CS utilisation remains low and varies across rural-urban, regional, and socioeconomic divides in Nigeria. Targeted interventions are imperative for uneducated and socioeconomically disadvantaged mothers across all regions and Muslim mothers in urban areas. Health insurance was not a significant predictor; hence, rather than merely subsidising costs, a holistic intervention that confronts social inequalities (between rural and urban residents), fosters high-quality education, promotes access to the Internet, guarantees equal opportunities, and empowers individuals and communities to improve their socio-economic well-being, is likely to yield more impactful and sustainable outcomes.
Intraoperative transcystic laparoscopic common bile duct stone clearance with SpyGlass™ Discover during emergency and elective cholecystectomy: a single-center case series
Authors: Fugazzola Paola , Bianchi Carlo Maria , Calabretto Francesca , Cicuttin Enrico , Mas Francesca Dal , Dominioni Tommaso , Maestri Marcello , Mauro Aurelio , Podestà Alice , Tomasoni Matteo , Brucchi Francesco , Viganò Jacopo , Ansaloni Luca , Anderloni Andrea , Cobianchi Lorenzo
Published: October 2023

Background and study aim: The development of a new cholangioscope, the SpyGlass™ Discover (Boston Scientific), has allowed the laparoscopic trans-cystic common bile duct exploration and stone clearance. The possibility of simultaneous treatment of choledocholithiasis during early laparoscopic cholecystectomy offers the opportunity to enormously reduce the time between acute cholecystitis diagnosis and the execution of cholecystectomy with better outcomes for patients. Furthermore, an altered anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract is not an obstacle to this technique. The goal of the study was to determine whether this new procedure is feasible, safe, and effective.
Patients and Methods: The investigation employs a retrospective case series study including all consecutive patients with a diagnosis of common bile duct stones undergoing cholecystectomy and intraoperative laparoscopic common bile duct clearance using SpyGlass™ Discover at IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia (Italy). 18 patients were included from May 2022 to May 2023.
Results: A complete clearance of the common bile duct was obtained in 88.9% of patients. The mean postoperative length of stay was 3 days. No major complications occurred. After a median follow-up of 8 months, no recurrence of biliary events or readmissions occurred.
Conclusion: This procedure has proven to be feasible, safe, and effective.
Blood inflammatory markers and cytokines in patients with COVID-19 and bacterial coinfections
Authors: Bi Qingqing , Zhu Jie , Zheng Jinju , Xu Qingyun , Zhang Lei , Mu Xiaofeng
Published: October 2023

Background
Bacterial coinfection in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection is an important risk factor for death. This study investigated and analyzed whether there were differences in the levels of serum PCT and CRP and the expression of 12 cytokines, including IL-6, IL-10, IL-2, TNF, and other markers, in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection combined with bacterial infection compared with those without bacterial infection, aiming to provide references for early clinical diagnosis and empirical treatment.
Methods
A total of 121 inpatients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to Qingdao Central Hospital from December 7, 2022, to February 7, 2023, were included. Patients were divided into a bacteria-positive group (61 cases) and a bacteria-negative group (60 cases) according to whether they had bacterial infections. PCT, CRP, and 12 cytokines were compared between groups, and the composition of bacterial species in the positive group was statistically analyzed.
Results
There was no significant difference in the sex ratio or age between the two groups (P > 0.05). The serum levels of CRP (Z = 3.95, P < 0.001), PCT (Z = 3.20, P = 0.001), IL-1β (t = 2.90, P = 0.008), IL-2 (t = 3.83, P = 0.001), IL-12p70 (t = 3.28, P = 0.004), IL-17 (t = 2.22, P = 0.039) and TNF-α (t = 3.02, P = 0.007) between the two groups were significantly different. IL-17 increased more significantly than other markers, while IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, interferon-α, interferon-γ, IL-4 and IL-5 were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Among the 61 bacteria-positive patients, 27 patients were positive for one species, mainly Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, and Acinetobacter baumannii. Eleven patients were two species positive, and Acinetobacter baumannii combined with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was common. Fourteen patients were three species positive, and 6 patients were four species positive.
Conclusions
Serum PCT and CRP levels in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients with bacterial coinfection are higher than those in patients without bacterial infection. Cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-2, IL-12 p70, IL-17, and TNF-α may be involved in the progression of COVID-19 combined with bacterial infection. They can be used as potential markers to evaluate the disease condition and prognosis.
Correction method of servo feed trajectory in block divided EDM for diffusion shaped film cooling holes
Authors: Cui Yingjie , Tong Hao , Yao Yao , Zhang Yikang , Li Yong , Yao Ruimin
Published: October 2023

Diffusion shaped film cooling holes can improve cooling performance on turbine blades of aeroengines. The diffusion structures are difficult to machine due to the complicated shape, especially for the special materials such as single crystal superalloys. In our previous work, a novel process of block divided electrical discharge machining (EDM) based on a slender rod electrode was proposed to efficiently machine the diffuser structure of diffusion shaped film cooling holes. Although the rod electrode wear can be quickly repaired in the block divided EDM process, the shape accuracy of diffuser structures still needs to improvement. In this research, the novel process is firstly analyzed to find that the error of servo feed trajectory in 3D space is a key to the shape accuracy. Furthermore, a correction method of servo-feed tool trajectory is proposed by applying a correction velocity perpendicular to a target trajectory for correcting tool position. The specific implementation algorithm of the correction method is described in detail. The repeated experiments of diffusion structures verify the feasibility of the block divided EDM with trajectory correction method. The experimental results show that the proposed method and algorithm can effectively reduce the trajectory error by ~ 20 µm and the shape error of diffusion structure by ~ 10 µm. The typical film cooling holes with diffusion structures were machined successfully on Inconel 718 and nickel-based single crystal superalloys, based on the self-developed experimental setup by integrating the high speed EDM drilling on cylindrical-hole part and the block divided EDM with the trajectory correction method on diffusion-structure part.
Stretchable hybrid electronic network-based e-skin for proximity and multifunctional tactile sensing
Authors: Wen Xiaohong , Zhao Zengcai , Chen Yuchang , Shan Xinzhi , Zhao Xuefeng , Gao Xiumin , Zhuang Songlin
Published: October 2023

Multifunctional integrated flexible electronic skin (e-skin) is the essential medium for information exchange between humans and machines. Especially, the proximity/ pressure/ strain sensing has become a technological goal for various emerging wearable electronic devices, such as biomonitoring devices, smart electronics, augmented reality, and prosthetics. Herein, a stretchable hybrid electronic network-based e-skin is presented, fabricated by embedding 3D hollow MXene spheres/Ag NWs hybrid nanocomposite into PDMS, which can effectively avoid the electrode falling off due to stress concentration. This e-skin works in noncontact mode (proximity-negative capacitance) and contact mode (pressure-positive capacitance & strain-resistance) for multiplex detection of random external force stimuli without mutual interference. The macroscopic physical structure of stretchable electrodes and the microscopic hybrid three-dimensional conductive network jointly contribute to the good sensing performance of the device. This workprovides an effective and universalstrategy for the application of wearable intelligent electronic products that demand noncontact interaction and multimodal tactile perception.
A shedding analysis after AAV8 CNS injection revealed fragmented viral DNA without evidence of functional AAV particles in mice.
Authors: Mark Melanie , Krause Felix , Schmidtke Katja , Vasconcelos Mailton , Schmidt David , Cansiz Beyza , Theisen Franziska , Rybarski Max
Published: October 2023

Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are commonly used in the scientific field due to their diverse application range. However, AAV-shedding, the release of virions from the host organism, can impact the safety of AAV-based approaches. An increasing number of authorities require the characterization of vector shedding in clinical trials. Recently, shedding of transduced laboratory animals has also gained attention regarding the necessary disposal measures of their waste products. However, no explicit international regulations for AAV shedding-waste exist. Generating insights into shedding dynamics becomes increasingly relevant to help authorities develop adequate regulations. To date, knowledge of AAV vector shedding in mice is very limited. Moreover, confirmation of functional shed AAV particles in mice is missing. Therefore, we examined feces, urine, and saliva of mice after CNS injection with AAV2/8. It revealed the presence of viral DNA fragments via qPCR for up to 4 days after injection. To examine AAV functionality we performed PCR and could not detect full-length viral genomes in any collected sample. Furthermore, a functional infection assay did not reveal evidence of intact AAV particles. Our findings are supposed to contribute murine shedding data as a foundation to help establish still lacking adequate biosafety regulations in the context of AAV-shedding.
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of elderly COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU during Chinese Mainland’s Omicron Wave: A multicenter retrospective cohort study
Authors: CHEN Ziying , HUANG Linna , ZHANG Qi , WANG Yuqiong , FAN Guohui , HUANG Xu , LI Min , GU Sichao , ZHANG Yi , FENG Yingying , TIAN Ye , CUI Xiaoyang , CAI Ying , ZHAI Tianshu , ZHUO Xianxia , WU Xiaojing , CAO Bin , Zhan Qingyuan
Published: October 2023

Background: There is limited information on elderly patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant infections. We aimed to describe the characteristics and outcomes of elderly patients with Omicron variant infections admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) on the Chinese Mainland and to evaluate the risk factors associated with mortality in these patients.
Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study including elderly patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who were admitted to the ICU from November 1, 2022, to February 11, 2023, on the Chinese Mainland. The primary objective of the study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of elderly ICU patients with Omicron variant infections. The secondary objective was to evaluate the risk factors for mortality of these patients.
Results: We included 1605 patients aged 65 years or older diagnosed with severe or critical COVID-19 and admitted to ICUs in 59 hospitals across different areas of the Chinese Mainland. The median age was 78 years (IQR 72–84), with male patients accounting for 1164/1605 (72.5%), and 1459/1605 (90.9%) of patients having at least one comorbidity. The median APACHE II scores and SOFA scores were 16 (IQR 11–23) and 5 (IQR 3–8), respectively. Among these patients, 553 (34.5%) were recovery discharged, 557 (34.7%) died in the ICUs, and 495 (30.8%) discharged voluntarily during therapy and were later confirmed dead after discharge. Multivariable logistics analysis indicated that older age, coinfection, high levels of white blood cell count, blood urea nitrogen, D-Dimer, and lactate at admission were against for recovery discharged.
Conclusions: Elderly patients infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 and admitted to the ICU had a considerable mortality rate. Better understanding of risk factors for mortality may improve clinical management and more rational allocation of limited medical resources during a COVID-19 surge.
Students’ feedback about the course, “Physical Therapy of Orthopedic Diseases” with full- time online teaching during the last stage of the pandemic
Authors: Zhang Ruike , Huang Tao , Wen Yanping , Deng Jiehong , Mai Xueqiong , Wu Liyang , Guo Zhenfeng , Ji Shuangquan , Yilifate Anniwaer , Wu Yuan
Published: October 2023

Background
As the pandemic entered its final stages at the end of 2022, students worldwide have developed the ability to adapt to online teaching. Teachers and students also quickly adapted to changes in teaching approaches (online, offline, or mixed) during this period. However, numerous studies continue to demonstrate the need for rigorous planning to meet the challenges in designing hands-on practical training. Therefore, the primary goal of this research was to examine student satisfaction and feedback towards online professional physical therapy course instruction in the post-pandemic period.
Methods
From October 2022 to January 2023, 61 physical therapy students from Guangzhou Medical University studied Physical Therapy of Orthopedic Diseases through a full online teaching program, which covers musculoskeletal system diseases of the cervical spine and upper limbs with an emphasis on clinical practice. A self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate student satisfaction with course content and behaviour changes before and after online teaching. The interviews were used to further explore student feedback and suggestions on the theoretical and practical aspects of online teaching.
Results
The questionnaire results showed no statistical difference between the total scores before and after online courses, but the overall trend in students’ attitude was negative. After online courses, the suitability of the curriculum settings and satisfaction with teaching strategies dropped significantly, both of which were also the most unsatisfactory aspects.Surprisingly, the majority of students believed that the teachers still maintain a passion for online teaching, and a statistical difference between the scores before the online teaching sessions was found. The interview results showed that students mostly reflected the issue of a lack of practical online operating settings and offline hands-on practice interaction feedback. Students agreed that online feedback and self-discipline are critical for academic performance.
Conclusion
According to research, when compared with traditional face-to-face teaching, online teaching has a negative impact on this course, particularly in terms of practical training for which online teaching is not ideal. This study further illustrates that not all online teaching is suitable for the development of skills training.
New fungal primers reveal the diversity of Mucoromycotinian arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their response to nitrogen application
Authors: Seeliger Mirjam , Hilton Sally , Muscatt George , Walker Chris , Bass David , Albornoz Felipe , Standish Rachel J. , Gray Neil D. , Mercy Louis , Rempelos Leonidos , Schneider Carolin , Ryan Megan H. , Bilsborrow Paul E. , Bending Gary D.
Published: October 2023

Background
Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) are the most widespread terrestrial symbiosis and are both a key determinant of plant health and a major contributor to ecosystem processes through their role in biogeochemical cycling. Until recently, it was assumed that the fungi which form AM comprise the subphylum Glomeromycotina (G-AMF), and our understanding of the diversity and ecosystem roles of AM is based almost exclusively on this group. However recent evidence shows that fungi which form the distinctive 'fine root endophyte’ (FRE) AM morphotype are members of the subphylum Mucoromycotina (M-AMF), so that AM symbioses are actually formed by two distinct groups of fungi.
Results
We investigated the influence of nitrogen (N) addition and wheat genotype on the assembly of AM communities under field conditions. Visual assessment of roots showed co-occurrence of G-AMF and M-AMF, providing an opportunity to compare the responses of these two groups. Existing ‘AM’ 18S rRNA primers which co-amplify G-AMF and M-AMF were modified to reduce bias against Mucoromycotina, and compared against a new ‘FRE’ primer set which selectively amplifies Mucoromycotina. Using the AM-primers, no significant effect of either N-addition or wheat genotype on G-AMF or M-AMF diversity or community composition was detected. In contrast, using the FRE-primers, N-addition was shown to reduce M-AMF diversity and altered community composition. The ASV which responded to N-addition were closely related, demonstrating a clear phylogenetic signal which was identified only by the new FRE-primers. The most abundant Mucoromycotina sequences we detected belonged to the same Endogonales clades as dominant sequences associated with FRE morphology in Australia, indicating that closely related M-AMF may be globally distributed.
Conclusions
The results demonstrate the need to consider both G-AMF and M-AMF when investigating AM communities, and highlight the importance of primer choice when investigating AMF community dynamics.
A Maximal Overlap Discrete Wavelet Packet Transform Coupled with an LSTM Deep Learning Model for Improving Multilevel Groundwater Level Forecasts
Authors: Roy Dilip Kumar , Hashem Ahmed A. , Reba Michele L. , Leslie Deborah L. , Nowlin John
Published: October 2023

Developing precise groundwater level (GWL) forecast models is essential for the optimal usage of limited groundwater resources and sustainable planning and management of water resources. In this study, an improved forecasting accuracy for up to three weeks ahead of GWLs in Bangladesh was achieved by a coupled Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network-based deep learning algorithm and a Maximal Overlap Discrete Wavelet Packet Transform (MODWPT) data preprocessing. The coupled LSTM-MODWPT model performance was compared with the LSTM model. For both standalone LSTM and LSTM-MODWPT models, the Random Forest feature selection approach was employed to select the ideal inputs from the candidate GWL lags. In the LSTM-MODWPT model, input GWL time series were decomposed using MODWPT. The ‘Fejér-Korovkin’ mother wavelet with a filter length of 18 was used to obtain a collection of scaling coefficients and wavelets for every single input time series. Model performance was assessed using five performance indices: Root Mean Squared Error; Scatter Index; Maximum Absolute Error; Median Absolute Deviation; and a-20 index. The LSTM-MODWPT model outperformed standalone LSTM models for all time horizons in GWL forecasting. The percentage improvements in the forecasting accuracies were 36.28%, 32.97%, and 30.77%, respectively, for one-, two-, and three-weeks ahead forecasts at the observation well GT3330001. Accordingly, the coupled LSTM-MODWPT model could potentially be used to enhance multiscale GWL forecasts. This research demonstrates that the coupled LSTM-MODWPT model could generate more precise GWL forecasts at the Bangladesh study site, with potential applications in other geographic locations globally.