bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ketamine for Anesthetic Premedication in Children: Pearls, Pitfalls and Review of Clinical Utility
Authors: Haleem Shahla
Published: September 2022

Ketamine, since its difficult introduction into clinical practice nearly half a millennium ago, has now become widely utilized as an anesthetic agent, especially in adults. Its efficacy in procedural anesthesia and pain management, along with its safety, has been proven in several clinical studies. This book chapter reviews the clinical utility of ketamine when used in young individuals. Premedication is an essential component of anesthetic protocol for parents and children to overcome emotional or psychological distress. Preoperative anxiety, being associated with greater pain during postoperative recovery in children, calls for the effective use of premedicants. This chapter describes how the cognizance of perioperative pain and the use of ketamine in children has become especially popular over the past few decades. It also discusses how intramuscular ketamine as a premedicant in subanaesthetic doses has a special role in the management of highly uncooperative children. As a potent analgesic, ketamine has a complex mechanism of action, producing a state of sedation, immobility, analgesia, amnesia, and dissociation from the environment. Some institutions are using ketamine in infants over 7 months and toddlers as part of premedication protocols for preoperative sedation, prevention of response to separation and intravenous access, and postoperative pain control in infants. This chapter also discusses the pearls and pitfalls in using ketamine in these challenging populations.
Perspective on Gene Therapy for Glaucoma
Authors: Santana Dias Mariana , Guedes de Araujo Victor , Lani-Louzada Rafael , Linden Rafael , Toledo Ribas Vinicius , Petrs-Silva Hilda
Published: September 2022

Glaucoma is a chronic and multifactorial neurodegenerative disease marked by structural damage to the optic nerve with axonal loss, progressive retinal ganglion cell degeneration, and optic disc excavation. Both high intraocular pressure and aging are important risk factors, but not essential to the progression of glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Current treatments are based on controlling intraocular pressure, which is not always effective in avoiding the progression of visual loss. In this sense, novel therapeutic strategies to glaucoma should aim to promote the neuroprotection of both the cell soma of retinal ganglion cells and the axons of the optic nerve. Gene therapy is a new therapeutical approach to glaucoma with a great capacity to overcome neurodegeneration. It consists of the transfer of exogenous genetic material to target cells with a therapeutic purpose. Gene therapy strategies for glaucoma include both the neuroprotection aiming to prevent cell soma and axonal loss and the regeneration of optic nerve axons. In this chapter, we review the most promising current gene therapies for glaucoma that address the various aspects of glaucoma pathology. We also discuss the potential of combining neuroprotective and regenerative strategies to reach a synergic effect for the treatment of glaucoma.
Symptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Gashi Masar
Published: September 2022

This chapter is intended for cardiologists and all health care professionals involved in the evaluation, diagnosis, or management of patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). Risk factors, etiology, pathophysiological changes, symptoms due to severe AS, diagnosis, and natural history of severe symptomatic AS are discussed. The management of patients with aortic valve disease is constantly evolving by innovations in imaging and transcatheter and surgical implanted devices. Guidelines, research studies, and clinical trials are continually expanding related to severe symptomatic AS. The role of basic and advanced imaging techniques in the assessment and management of patients with severe symptomatic AS is discussed. Options to assess accurately for treating difficult scenarios associated with severe symptomatic AS disease, including medical and transcatheter, and surgical risks factors are discussed. A review of the management of potential complications along with results in clinical practice is summarized. This chapter is designed with case-based severe symptomatic AS and critical decision-making for this condition.
Smart City Serious Game Based on Features Selection
Authors: Kurniawan Fachrul , Mardi Susiki Nugroho Supeno , Hariadi Mochamad , Iskandar Isdaryanto , Dewi Basoeki Prita
Published: September 2022

In general, the smart city concept integrates ICT devices to collect various types of data related to urban life. The data will be used to manage and improve assets and operations in the city. In determining a smart city, there are eight key aspects (features) as a consideration. However, implementing eight smart city features will require many resources, including time, cost, and human resources. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a scenario and method of features and smart city parameters establishment in a serious game. This game consists of visualization, storyline, and gameplay as a learning platform to increase players’ understanding of the smart city concepts. The development was started by collecting feature data of each city. The collected data will be discovered for the relationship between its features using differential equations. Then, data processing results will be classified and used as a basis for serious games. This study’s product is an easy-to-use game that can simulate planning and constructing a smart city. This game is intended for the city government or the mayor as a critical role in city development. It will ease the user to understand the concept of the smart city based on the city characteristics. Furthermore, this serious game will provide feedback and recommendations on aspects that need to be improved in the city. It can be basic knowledge to make an actual decision and policies in smart city development.
Management of Co-Occurring SUD and Chronic Pain
Authors: Rudolf Gregory
Published: September 2022

Though there has been a 44.4% decrease in the number of prescriptions written for opioid analgesics between the years 2011–2020 in the United States, drug overdose rates continue to climb sharply, reaching nearly 107,000 for a prior 12-months period as of early 2022, driven primarily by the use of illicit opioids. It is estimated that 80–90% of individuals with a substance use disorder (SUD) receive no treatment, and for those with opioid use disorder (OUD) who do find their way to treatment, less than half are offered potentially life-saving medication. Contemporaneously, chronic pain is one of the most common and most disabling health conditions, and frequently involves complex decision-making between the patient and the health care team regarding the treatment approach. Though prescribing trends have ebbed in recent years, opioids continue to be the most prescribed class of drug in the United States despite well-publicized associated harms. It is more critical than ever that stakeholders urgently work to facilitate and destigmatize evidence-based substance use disorder treatment, and promote safe, effective, and holistic care pathways for patients suffering from chronic pain.
Computational Approaches in Industrial Centrifugal Pumps
Authors: Ur Rehman Atiq , Ranjan Paul Akshoy , Jain Anuj , Bhattacharyya Suvanjan
Published: September 2022

The growing energy demand is expected to be met with increased oil and gas production. Hence, there is a need to design high-performance industrial centrifugal pumps. Recent improvements in CFD are considered as a valuable research tool to investigate the flow inside the pump and its influence on the performance of the centrifugal pump. The scope of the chapter is to emphasize the use of CFD and theoretical analysis for design and to show the prospect of improving the efficiency of a centrifugal pump. The chapter discusses the computational approaches to the CAD modeling and CFD simulation of the industrial centrifugal pumps, and the strategies and methodologies adopted. The chapter would be relevant and useful to both the pump designers, manufacturers, and industrial users.
Evolution of Attacks on Intelligent Surveillance Systems and Effective Detection Techniques
Authors: Nagothu Deeraj , Poredi Nihal , Chen Yu
Published: September 2022

Intelligent surveillance systems play an essential role in modern smart cities to enable situational awareness. As part of the critical infrastructure, surveillance systems are often targeted by attackers aiming to compromise the security and safety of smart cities. Manipulating the audio or video channels could create a false perception of captured events and bypass detection. This chapter presents an overview of the attack vectors designed to compromise intelligent surveillance systems and discusses existing detection techniques. With advanced machine learning (ML) models and computing resources, both attack vectors and detection techniques have evolved to use ML-based techniques more effectively, resulting in non-equilibrium dynamics. The current detection techniques vary from training a neural network to detect forgery artifacts to use the intrinsic and extrinsic environmental fingerprints for any manipulations. Therefore, studying the effectiveness of different detection techniques and their reliability against the defined attack vectors is a priority to secure the system and create a plan of action against potential threats.
A Consumer Behavior Perspective of Adopting Mobile Contact Tracing Apps in a Public Health Crisis: Lessons from ABTraceTogether for COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Farrelly Glen , Trabelsi Houda , Cocosila Mihail
Published: September 2022

Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic included m-Health innovations, such as contact tracing and exposure notification applications to track virus exposure. Such apps were released by over 45 international governments throughout 2020, becoming the first m-Health innovation with such widescale deployment. Most regions relied on voluntary adoption, and many failed to receive a critical mass of users. Some of these apps can track and share user’s locations, social contacts, and health information, which sparked concerns and misperceptions about the privacy and security of user data. It is important to understand consumer behavior and adoption challenges based on people’s perceptions of benefits, barriers, and risks. To investigate this, we sent an online questionnaire to over 600 participants with open-ended questions asking about their experience with one such app, ABTraceTogether. This chapter covers qualitative findings regarding device and application-level issues participants identified as barriers to their adoption and continued usage of the app, which are accessibility, battery life, downloading challenges, device memory, network connectivity and costs, operating system compatibility, performance issues, and usability. Insight on consumer behavior gained from this study can guide m-Health design and promotion to aid future health crises and personal wellbeing.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nano-Particle from Cyanobacteria and Effect on Microalgal Growth and Production of Exopolysaccharide (EPS)
Authors: Yadav Shailendra , Chandra Shilpa , Amardeep  , Kumar Avinash , Awasthi Mamta
Published: September 2022

Cyanobacterial exopolysaccharides (EPS) are heteropolysaccharides with significant biological importance in various industries. Investigating nanoparticles is gaining interest due to their great potential in improving cyanobacterial growth and co-products accumulation. Nevertheless, green synthesis of nanoparticles offers an alternative, eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to available chemical methods of nanoparticle synthesis. Thus, this study illustrates a novel approach to green synthesizing Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) from marine cyanobacterium Phormidium tenue and investigates their effect on the enhancement of biomass and exopolysaccharide accumulation in the same cyanobacterium by incorporating previously synthesized AgNPs. Firstly, the AgNPs were synthesized from P. teneue by adding 1 mM silver sulfate into the culture medium, and the obtained AgNPs were characterized by using UV-VIS spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, and FTIR. In order to increase the biomass yield and EPS accumulation, P. tenue culture was subjected to different concentrations of AgNPs. Under different concentrations of AgNPs, the biomass yield and exopolysaccharides increased compared to the control condition on the 28th and 35th day of incubation, respectively. The characterization of the obtained EPS was studied by using FTIR which showed a specific absorbance of OH, weak aliphatic C-H stretching, sulfur-containing functional groups, and carboxylic acids, revealing the characteristic feature of EPS.
Prevention of Anastomotic Leak in Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy: The Role of Anastomotic Technique and Adjuvant Surgical Strategies
Authors: Kotidis Efstathios , Anestiadou Elissavet
Published: September 2022

Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy is followed by a considerable anastomotic leakage rate, which is a potentially fatal complication, followed by increased morbidity and mortality. The emergence of minimally invasive surgery led to a wide variety of anastomotic techniques, three of which are mainly preferred. Hand-sewn anastomoses can be performed in an end-to-end or end-to-side manner, while stapled end-to-end or end-to-side anastomoses are conducted either as circular-stapled anastomoses using a transorally inserted anvil (Orvil™) or as hand-sewn purse-string stapled anastomoses. In addition, side-to-side esophagogastrostomy with a linear stapler is presented as a promising technique. Hybrid techniques are also reported. No consensus has been achieved upon optimal technique and the decision relies on surgeon preference and skills, cost, and length of the available conduit. Furthermore, numerous techniques have been proposed to prevent anastomotic leakage (AL), including appropriate submucosa apposition, omentoplasty of the anastomosis, wide gastric and duodenal mobilization, sufficient esophageal hiatus enlargement, gentle conduit manipulation, reinforcement of staple line, intraoperative fluorescence angiography, as well as preoperative ligation of the left gastric artery. This chapter aims to provide a critical appraisal of the various anastomotic techniques and the tips and tricks described for reducing the anastomotic leak rate during minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy.
Laparoscopic Approach in the Case of Biliary Obstruction: Choledocholithiasis
Authors: Sotirov Dobromir
Published: September 2022

Obstruction of the biliary tree may be caused by a number of benign and malignant conditions. The most common cause of biliary tree obstruction is due to stones, a condition known as choledocholithiasis. This is a potentially life-threatening condition, requiring urgent diagnosis and treatment. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is currently the most common intervention carried out in the treatment of obstructive jaundice. Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration, first performed about 30 years ago, has an important place in the management of choledocholithiasis. The laparoscopic approach is considered a safe and effective method for the removal of common bile duct stones, comparable to the results of ERCP.
Structural, Electronic, and Optical Properties of Mono- and Co-Doped Graphene with Ti and Ru
Authors: Phuthu Lutendo , Eric Maluta Nnditshedzeni , Regina Maphanga Rapela
Published: September 2022

Due to its properties, graphene is considered a revolutionary material for the future, and as a two-dimensional material it has received a lot of research attention over the last two decades. For graphene to be used in different technologies such as solar cells, much more work needs to be done to understand its properties and engineer its properties by combining it with other materials such as semiconductors. This research work reports computational investigation of the electronic and optical properties of Ti and Ru mono-doped and co-doped graphene. Geometry optimizations for the electronic and optical properties were performed by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. Various supercells of graphene were modeled and optimized, and their properties were calculated. The results show that different graphene supercells have different electronic and optical properties. The energy bandgap of pure graphene is zero, and after doping with Ti and Ru it increases to 0.550 eV, and 0.786 eV, respectively. The co-doped graphene bandgap is 0.272 eV. The calculated optical properties showed that doping graphene with Ti and Ru shifts the absorption from the visible to the near-infrared region, and these results open possibilities of using doped graphene as a semiconductor material.
An Overview of the Synergy of Electrochemistry and Nanotechnology for Advancements in Sensing Applications
Authors: Bais Rajni
Published: September 2022

Electrochemical sensors have been widely employed in diverse domains of electrochemical analysis, biosensing, drug administration, healthcare, agriculture, and so on because of their special potential features that are closely related to their high selectivity, sensitivity and cycling stability. Various electrochemical techniques employed to transduct biological or chemical signal to electrical signal are voltammetry, conductometry, potentiometry and amperometry. Due to the high demand of global market and human interest in having a device to check the concentration of species in different samples that is simple and fast, researchers have been engaged in a fierce competition to design and build new sensors and biosensors in recent years. The performance of the sensors can be considerably improved by modifying the electrode surfaces using diverse nanomaterials. Further, electrochemical biosensors are promising diagnostic tools that can find biomarkers in bodily fluids including sweat, urine, blood or excrement. Nanoparticles have found propitious role in biosensors, because they aid in functions like immobilisation of molecules, catalysis in electrosynthesis, facilitation of electron transfer between electrodes and biomolecules and labelling of biomolecules. The advance in the research amalgamating electrochemistry and nanotechnology for electro (bio) sensing applications is the beginning of a promising future for mankind and global market.
Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Rhizosphere of Argania spinosa in Morocco
Authors: Sellal Zineb , Ouazzani Touhami Amina , Dahmani Jamila , Maazouzi Soukaina , Mouden Najoua , Chliyeh Mohamed , Selmaoui Karima , Benkirane Rachid , El Modafar Cherkaoui , Douira Allal
Published: September 2022

Despite the importance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) within forest and agroecosystems, few data are available about how AMF communities are structured in the root zone of the argan tree. Some studies have characterized endomycorrhizal fungi population occurring in rhizosphere soils of argan trees grown in southwest of Morocco, numerous sites in this area harbored unexplored communities. The endomycorrhizae diversity of rhizosphere soils collected from 15 argan forest stands located in Lakhssas, Smimou, Ait Baha, Tamanar, Essaouira, Taroudant (Elkodya), Irherm, Guelmim, Imsouane, Anzi, Tiznit, Taghazoute, Ait Melloul, Bouizakarne, and Oulad Teima have revealed the presence of different AMF communities sharing some species but dissimilar AMF community compositions are noted according to sampling time and site. Additionally, the diverse AMF structures detected such as vesicles, arbuscules and hyphae reflect implicitly the germination of AMF propagules in the rhizospheric area of the Argan tree. The pre-evaluation of AMF in the soil through spores’ density can indicate AMF community dynamics, signaling either the adaptability of mycorrhizal symbionts to the local conditions or its decline. In total, 39 morphotypes of endomycorrhizal fungal spores were identified and described, representing seven genera: Glomus (15 species), Scutellospora (3 species), Entrophospora (4 species), Pacispora (2 species), Gigaspora (4 species), Acaulospora (10 species), and Ambispora (1 species). The genus Glomus has a wide occurrence and had the largest number of species. This chapter gives a great overview of the mycorrhizal status of argan trees in their natural habitats of the main Moroccan argan forests.
Logistic Regression: Risk Question for Disabled People
Authors: Tadeu Meira e Silva de Oliveira Paulo
Published: September 2022

All over the world, since ancient times, disabled people have always had worse health, education, economical participation, and higher poverty rate compared to non-disabled people. For disabled people to achieve better and more lasting prospects, these people must be empowered and seek to eliminate barriers that prevent them from participating and being included in the community, having access to quality education, finding decent work, and having their voices heard. In statistical terms, a useful alternative that can serve as support and monitoring of public policies in this area is to propose, for continuous use, the risk index called risk index for disabled people (long-term physical, hearing, intellectual, or sensory), which consists of evaluating which factors are associated with this risk, as well its intensity and direction of each of these factors, generating a final score that can be ordered or classified, according to non-disabled person probability became disabled person. In the Brazilian case, we propose the use of binary and ordinal logistic regression techniques to select the most significant factors using criteria such as AIC and BIC and calculate the risk probability for different disabilities (visual, hearing, physical, and intellectual) for the dataset. Sample composed of 20,800,804 respondents to the 2010 IBGE Census Complete Questionnaire.
Production from Unconventional Petroleum Reservoirs: Précis of Stimulation Techniques and Fluid Systems
Authors: Imo-Imo Israel Eshiet Kenneth
Published: September 2022

An overview of the different categories of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, and corresponding stimulation techniques appropriate for them is examined. Three main groups of unconventional oil and gas formations are appraised: heavy oil, oil shale and tight reservoirs. The scope of stimulation methods applicable to heavy oil reservoirs is limited. This kind of formation contains characteristic high-viscous hydrocarbons and are produced majorly by cold production and thermal stimulation. On the other hand, a wider range of stimulation methods are successfully used to produce tight and oil shales formations. For oil shales, these include drilling horizontal wells as substitutes to vertical wells, hydraulic fracturing, surfactant treatment, water imbibition, thermal treatment and acidisation; whilst for tight formations, these include hydraulic fracturing, surfactant treatment, water imbibition, acidisation and the application of electro-kinetics. Fracturing fluid systems are integral to the implementation of most stimulation operations and are evaluated herein under the following groups: water-based, oil-based, foam-based and acid-based. The most commonly used fracturing fluids are water based, albeit there are several instances where other types of fluids or combination of fluids are more suitable based on factors such as formation sensitivity, costs, wettability, rock solubility, surface tension, capillarity, viscosity, density, rheology and reactivity.
Pollution Potential of Natural Sulphurous Groundwater from the Use of Geosynthetics in Underground Works Near Mineral Water Abstractions for Medical Spas
Authors: M. Ferreira-Gomes Luís , Riscado dos Santos Francisco
Published: September 2022

Geosynthetics are used in underground works, namely geotextiles for drainage and geomembranes for waterproofing. Because some groundwaters are aggressive to the materials they contact, as is the case of the sulphurous waters used in medical spas, the question arose as to whether those materials might be degraded and, in the process, contaminate the natural groundwaters. The appearance of unusual chemical elements in the waters of the medical spa is enough to be considered contaminated and therefore leads to the closure of those establishments. Once the question was raised, an experimental plan was developed to acquire some knowledge about the situation. Thus, in this chapter, after an introduction on the importance of the subject, and a brief survey on the state of the art, the geosynthetic materials studied are presented in detail, as well as the chemical composition of virgin groundwater involved in the process. The methodology implemented is presented, and the results are shown and discussed. Finally, the main conclusions on the evolution of the physical and mechanical parameters of the geosynthetics over time (8 months of study) are presented, with special focus on the chemical changes in groundwater quality when geosynthetic materials are used in contact with them.
Potential, Challenges, and Application for Wood–Plastic Composite Fabricated with Several Additives
Authors: Prem Khare Amit , Dwivedi Nidhi , Haq Shamsul
Published: September 2022

The expeditious transformation of the atmosphere and economy is pushing researchers from various fields to do more by using a lesser amount of resources. Especially, in the field of forest-based resources, such as the utilization of wood resources for different utility purposes in wood industries. It is meant to say that, the wood estate should be used as an efficient means or expedient. It is also the necessity of world atmosphere, according to the point of view ecosystem or global warming condition. Thus, we will need to sustainably use forest-based resources as major sources of wood materials and reuse the underutilized woods and waste wood in any form. Further, it will require the reuse of the underutilized wood material and present wood waste material in an environment with the assistance of the latest and newer growing technology. In general, for improving the performance of wood-based materials, additives may be used for performing different functions, such as lubricants, pigments, colorants, anti-microbial agents, antioxidants, UV stabilizers, fire retardants agents, coupling agents, or stabilizers, in the wood industry.
Diagnosis and Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Zohaib Siddiqi Anwer , Young Angela , Wadhwa Ankur
Published: September 2022

This chapter will review updates in the various imaging modalities used to diagnose acute ischemic stroke (AIS), how these are used to select patients for intervention, and the different interventions used for management of AIS. The backbone of the AIS diagnostic algorithm remains the computed tomography scan (CT) given its speed of use and sensitivity. CT-angiography (CTA) is crucial in diagnosing large-vessel occlusions (LVOs) and multiphase CTA and CT-perfusion (CTP) can demonstrate the number of collaterals in the area and remaining salvageable tissue. MRI can be used to select patients presenting in an unknown time window for thrombolysis. The primary goal of AIS management is to rescue the ischemic penumbra and the approach to treating AIS has gone from a time-based to tissue-based approach. While tPA is still the agent of choice for thrombolysis in patients with AIS, tenecteplase (TNK) may be just as effective and more efficient to use. Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has shown considerable efficacy for alleviating LVOs and using CTP, patients can be selected for hours after symptom-onset if viable tissue remains. It remains unclear if an “EVT-alone” strategy is superior to “tPA + EVT” strategy but this may be dependent on clot, patient, and geographical characteristics.
Correlations in Scattered Phase Singular Beams
Authors: Patnala Vanitha , Reddy Salla Gangi , Pratap Singh Ravindra
Published: September 2022

We discuss about the correlations present in the scattered phase singular beams and utilize them for obtaining the corresponding mode information. We experimentally generate the coherence vortices using the cross-correlation functions between the speckle patterns and validate them with the exact analytical expressions. We also explore their propagation characteristics by considering their geometry along with their divergence. We utilize the autocorrelation measurements of speckle patterns for obtaining the mode information. Further, we study the correlations present in scattered perfect optical vortices which lead to a new class of coherence functions, Bessel-Gauss coherence functions, and utilized for generating the non-diffracting random fields, i.e. propagation invariant fields. We utilized these correlation functions, which are order-dependent although the speckle patterns are order-independent, for encrypting the information which has higher advantage than normal random optical fields.
Third-Order Nonlinearity Measurement Techniques
Authors: Moses Samuel Elizabeth Allen
Published: September 2022

To measure the degenerate (single-frequency) optical nonlinearities, third-order nonlinearity measurement and their related techniques were employed. When a laser beam is induced on a nonlinear (NL) medium, a phase change is easily identified using third-order nonlinearity measurement techniques (Z-scan). When the sample material is scanned on Z-axis, the phase change is denoted by sign and magnitude, the refractive index which is directly related to the change in the index of refraction. The nonlinear absorption from the absorption coefficient is independent of the index of refraction which is a required parameter for calculating nonlinear refraction. Further, the change in transmission caused by nonlinear absorption of the subjected material is related to the change in absorption coefficient which is easily determined by the Z-scan technique. From Z-scan responses, real and imaginary parts of third-order nonlinear susceptibility (χ3) can be determined. The Z-scan technique is an interesting process that leads to optical power limiting and nonlinear optical propagation.
Perspective Chapter: Thermal Runaway in Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Lalinde Iñaki , Berrueta Alberto , José Valera Juan , Arza Joseba , Sanchis Pablo , Ursúa Alfredo
Published: September 2022

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are becoming well established as a key component in the integration of renewable energies and in the development of electric vehicles. Nevertheless, they have a narrow safe operating area with regard to the voltage and temperature conditions at which these batteries can work. Outside this area, a series of chemical reactions take place that can lead to component degradation, reduced performance and even self-destruction. The phenomenon consisting of the sudden failure of an LIB, causing an abrupt temperature increase, is known as thermal runaway (TR) and is considered to be the most dangerous event that can occur in LIBs. Therefore, the safety of LIBs is one of the obstacles that this technology must overcome in order to continue to develop and become well established for uses in all types of applications. This chapter presents a detailed study of the general issues surrounding this phenomenon. The origin of the problem is identified, the causes are detailed as well as the phases prior to TR. An analysis is made of the most relevant factors influencing this phenomenon, and details are provided of detection, prevention and mitigation measures that could either prevent the TR or reduce the consequences.
Subjective Well-Being at the Workplace as a Social Action: Opportunities for Management and Self-Management
Authors: Zakharova Lyudmila , Saralieva Zaretkhan , Leonova Irina
Published: September 2022

Theoretical model of system determination of subjective well-being at work at the levels of society culture, organizational culture, personality, and psychophysiological level is presented. Subjective well-being at work is considered as a necessary condition for adult working man to experience happiness. The results of research of subjective well-being of personnel of Russian companies (N=425) are presented. It is shown that subjective well-being can be considered as a social action of interactive nature. The key role of organizational culture was revealed. The following indicators of subjective well-being are considered: conformity of individual values of organizational development with the vector of organizational culture, the level of organizational stress, self-assessment of fatigue and health. The role of subjective well-being in the conditions of organizational changes as an emotional regulator of personnel’s acceptance of innovations is shown. The effects of subjective well-being include personal involvement in work activities, age-related self-esteem, and personal activity in working with information. The analysis of characteristics of modern economy, which allow employees of companies to acquire meanings of acceptance of innovations in corporate training, is given. The managerial practices contributing to the construction of a culture of resilience are shown.
Perspective Chapter: The Significance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Social Work Leadership
Authors: S. Harris Marian
Published: September 2022

There tends to be consensus among leaders that the most significant resource of any social work organization is its staff. However, many social work organizations continuously pay little or no attention to staff diversity, equity, and inclusion. Leadership plays a crucial role in creating and sustaining a climate of diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations. Valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion entails a process but should also be the goal of all social work organizations. Recruiting, training, retaining, supervising, and managing an organization’s human resources are ongoing responsibilities primarily undertaken by social work leaders. This chapter will explore the role of leaders in creating and sustaining diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout all facets of a social work organization. A description of what it means to lead a social work organization with diversity, equity, and inclusion including qualities demonstrated by a leader in this type of organization will be provided. The significance of a metric-driven approach with clear benchmarks to measure diversity, equity, and inclusion will be explored.
Management of Bell’s Palsy with Phototherapy
Authors: Yan Joanne Cheng Lok , Hong Andrew Lung Tai , Yan Ng Shu
Published: September 2022

Bell’s palsy (BP) is a common condition; its incidence rate has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The standard treatment for facial nerve palsy includes corticosteroids alone or in combination with antiviral agents. However, the treatment is contraindicated in some patients, including hypertensive or diabetic patients. Also, the medication combination may result in inadequate recovery when complementary and alternative approaches are indicated. This chapter reviewed the literature on managing BP with different types of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapies. Fourteen papers were included. The results show that despite the different kinds of photo energy used, varying laser parameters, and the heterogeneity of patients, the outcome of PBM was similar among studies. Of interest is that acute and subacute BP respond more favorably to PBM than chronic cases. Hence, it is suggested to apply PMB as a complementary treatment in the early stage of the disease to enhance the recovery rate of BP patients. However, the risk of bias in these studies was relatively high. Therefore, further randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of PBM in treating BP.
Drug Targeting of Chromosomal Translocations in Fusion-Positive Sarcoma
Authors: H.S. Richter Günther
Published: September 2022

Sarcomas are heterogeneous cancers of bone or soft tissue. They occur in children, adolescents, and young adults (AYAs). Herein, the subgroup of fusion-positive (FP) sarcomas is characterized by chromosomal rearrangements generating pathognomonic fusion transcripts and oncoproteins. In Ewing sarcoma (EwS), FP-rhabdomyosarcomas (FP-RMS) and synovial sarcomas (SyS), the most common and aggressive forms of sarcomas in childhood and adolescence, the oncogenic rearrangements involve transcription cofactors such as by FET-ETS, PAX3/7-FOXO1 or SS18-SSX fusion oncogenes in EwS, FP-RMS, or SyS, respectively causing widespread epigenetic rewiring and aberrant gene expression. Regardless of these translocations, few recurrent mutations are observed in these sarcomas that may contribute to disease; thus, it is of particular interest to consider the consequences of these translocations for tumor development. Results of current research examining the disease, analyzing, and classifying the role of associated rearrangements of chromatin, and investigating possibilities for tumor-specific intervention such as blocking the transcriptional activity of the fusion protein, or the processes caused by this activity are summarized here and some resulting therapeutic opportunities are presented.
Management of Periodontal Emergency during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Fidyawati Desy , Wicaksono Adrianus , Septnina Primasari Veronica , Amalia Suci
Published: September 2022

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus presents with nonspecific symptoms such as fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, weakness, headache, and diarrhea. The primary mode of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is through direct or indirect inoculation of the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth) with infectious respiratory droplets or fomites. Periodontal tissue can serve as a barrier to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in infected individuals. There are similarities between COVID-19 and periodontal disease, based on pro-inflammatory cytokines released by the body. A periodontal emergency arises when an acute condition involving the periodontium causes pain, forcing the patient to seek urgent care; therefore, most periodontal treatment can be considered as dangerous work compared to other dental procedures regarding the aspect of bioaerosol generation procedure. Transmission can occur through direct doctor-patient contact, as well as contamination from instruments or surfaces in the dentist’s practice room, and it is recommended to use PPE, to avoid aerosol splashes that occur during the work procedure, where aerosol granules and droplets can last 30 minutes after the treatment procedure is performed. The use of teledentistry is very important in periodontal care, in communication with patients regarding chief compliant, risk factor control, and oral hygiene instruction.
Current Antimalarial Treatments: Focus on Artemisia annua Dry Leaf
Authors: Goel Richa
Published: September 2022

Since a lot of drugs that were used for the treatment of malaria has shown resistance to the Plasmodium species. Even the ACT (Artemisia combination therapy) is not effective in certain cases. There is a need to look for some alternatives, which are effective in the clinical treatment of malaria and affordable for the general population. A therapy called Artemisia annua dry leaf antimalarial therapy (ALT) has been shown to be effective against artemisinin-resistant malarial infections and its treatment is resilient to resistance development in animal model systems. This proves to be an effective alternative to presently available antimalarials. This review defines the characteristics of different species of malaria-causing parasites, their vectors, endemicity, and features of the disease development, followed by properties of currently used (approved) antimalarials. The choices and methodologies of administration of antimalarials to adult, child, pregnant, and lactating women patients with acute and complicated malaria are described, followed by strategies to combat drug-resistant malaria, especially artemisinin resistance. A special emphasis on the origin, empirical basis, evidence on clinical efficacy, and cost aspects of ALT is given, along with the focus on the possibilities of repurposing ALT as a treatment for a variety of autoimmune, metabolic, and cancerous diseases.
Overview of Brain Metastasis and Treatment Modalities
Authors: Ayaaba Ayabilah Edwina , Yaw Nyantakyi Andrew , Daniels Joseph
Published: September 2022

Brain metastasis (BM) is the commonest form of intracranial malignancy, historically considered a single disease entity with a gloomy outcome, often resulting in a palliative approach to clinical management. Primary cancers that most frequently spread to the brain are lung, breast, and renal carcinomas as well as malignant melanomas. Global incidence of brain metastasis is on the rise but may still be underestimated. About 67% of patients with BM present with either generalized or focal symptoms and sometimes both. A thorough clinical workup and application of verified prognostic scores lead to optimal stratification and strongly influences therapeutic decisions and patients’ outcomes. Management is multidisciplinary and involves symptomatic treatment, use of best supportive care, radiotherapy, surgery as well as targeted therapy.
Positron Emission Tomography in the Neuroimaging of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Tan Zhiqiang , Ye Weijian , Xu Hao , Wang Lu
Published: September 2022

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disease characterized by persistent impairment, repetitive and stereotypical behaviors in social interaction, as well as restricted interests and activities. The etiology of ASD is not clear yet, which results in difficulties in clinical diagnosis and treatment, and also brings heavy burden to patients and society. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a frequently used molecular imaging technology in quantitative, dynamic and in vivo research for therapeutic efficacy evaluation, pathophysiological mechanism investigation, thereby promoting development of ASD therapeutic drugs. More and more imaging studies have been reported on ASD recently, and the physiological changes featured by PET have been disclosed. This chapter reviews the specific radioligands for PET imaging of critical biomarkers involved in ASD. Herein, we discuss cerebral blood perfusion, cerebral glucose metabolism, and neurotransmitter system (transporters, precursors and receptors), as well as some other novel targets, including arginine vasopressin receptor targets and neuroinflammation related targets. The status of application and future prospect of the PET technology in research of ASD were discussed. This chapter provides a detailed and comprehensive literature review on ASD PET probe development, thereby can help readers intuitively and conveniently understand the status quo of research on ASD PET, and develop new research directions in this field.
Vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) Proton Pump and Its Significance in Human Health
Authors: Tripathi Anuj , Misra Smita
Published: September 2022

Vacuolar H + -ATPases (V-ATPase), is an ATP-dependent proton transporter that transports protons across intracellular and cellular plasma membranes. V-ATPase is a multi-protein complex, which functions as an ATP-driven proton pump and is involved in maintaining pH homeostasis. The V-ATPase is a housekeeping proton pump and is highly conserved during evolution. The proton-pumping activity of V-ATPases allows acidification of intracellular compartments and influences a diverse range of cellular and biological processes. Thus, V-ATPase aberrant overexpression, mis-localization, and mutations in the genes for subunits are associated with several human diseases. This chapter focuses on a detailed view of V-type ATPase, and how V-ATPase contributes to human health and disease.
Salvage Esophagectomy in Advanced Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Luis Braga de Aquino José , Aparecida Leandro-Merhi Vânia
Published: September 2022

Even through the esophageal cancer has innumerable treatment options, its prognosis is still unsettled. Because esophagectomy is rarely curative, others therapies, such as chemoradiation emerging in advanced disease followed or not surgery. The salvage esophagectomy is an alternative for those patients with recurrent disease. Thus in this chapter the intend is show the results of the salvage esophagectomy in patients with esophageal cancer who had previously undergone chemoradiation and discussion about the morbidity of this surgical tecnic. Too, its show the our experience in 72 patients with unresectabeled esophageal carcinoma were treated with chemorradiation followed by salvage esophagectomy by trans-toracic approach. Patients was evaluated with regard pos-operative complications and disease free survival. The major complications was deiscence at the level of the of the anastomosis esophagogastric cervical, presents in 16 patients (22,2%) and pulmonar infection in 23 patients (31,9%). In 53 patients that were available for a five years follow-up, was a rate of 43,3% (23 patients) of disease free survival. Thus with the results its conclude that the salvage esophagectomy seems to be valuable in cases without any other therapeutic options.
Data Quality Measurement Based on Domain-Specific Information
Authors: Chernov Yury
Published: September 2022

Over the past decades, the topic of data quality became extremely important in various application fields. Originally developed for data warehouses, it received a strong push with the big data concept and artificial intelligence systems. In the presented chapter, we are looking at traditional data quality dimensions, which mainly have a more technical nature. However, we concentrate mostly on the idea of defining a single data quality determinant, which does not substitute the dimensions but allows us to look at the data quality from the point of view of users and particular applications. We consider this approach, which is known as a fit-to-use indicator, in two domains. The first one is the test data for complicated multi-component software systems on the example of a stock exchange. The second domain is scientific research on the example of validation of handwriting psychology. We demonstrate how the fit-to-use determinant of data quality can be defined and formalized and what benefit to the improvement of data quality it can give.
In Vitro Seed Germination and Seedling Development of Two Avocado Varieties
Authors: Aimé Cesaire Elekou Essoh , Perea-Arango Irene , María Suarez-Rodriguez Luis , López-Gómez Rodolfo
Published: September 2022

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a tree native to central and eastern Mexico. A basal angiosperm of the Lauraceae family, it produces an oil-rich fruit that is appreciated worldwide for its nutritional value. Mexico is the world’s leading avocado producer. Production is based mainly on the use of rootstocks of Persea americana var. drymifolia, a “Mexican native”. The agronomic characteristics of the rootstock are key to avocado production. This work reports a germination method to obtain seedlings in vitro from two avocado varieties, P. americana var. drymifolia and West Indian P. americana var. americana. With this system, germination success rates of 100% were obtained in a maximum of five days, with homogeneous seedling development. This system could provide rootstock that improves the characteristics of agronomic programs and the selection of genetic material for avocado production.
Arrhythmia Management in Pediatric Patients with Ventricular Assist Devices
Authors: Guerrier Karine , Sami Chaouki Ahmad
Published: September 2022

Ventricular assist device therapy has emerged as an important approach in the management of advanced heart failure. Atrial and ventricular arrhythmias are commonly encountered in patients with heart failure. Patients requiring ventricular assist devices are at an increased risk of arrhythmia, which may cause symptoms and significant complications. There is recent focus on the prevalence and impact of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias in patients with durable ventricular assist devices. Ventricular arrhythmias in particular have been associated with significant symptoms and worse clinical outcomes. The goal of this chapter is to outline approaches to arrhythmia management in pediatric patients with ventricular assist devices.