bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling the effect of rail sub-slope on the wear
Authors:   Russian University of Transport (RUT-MIIT), Kurtikov R. M. , Sidorova E. A. ,   JSC «VNIIZHT»
Published: September 2021

The relevance of the issue of modeling the effect of rail sub-slope on the wear intensity is due to the need to find technological solutions to reduce the wear rate in the contact of wheels and rails. The aim of the work is to find the relationship between the sub-slope of rails and the wear intensity. The research is based on experimental data obtained from the results of full-scale measurements of the sub-slope carried out in 2019-2020 on the Moscow Railway. In this article, it was proposed to divide the measurement sites into two types according to the sub-slope parameter. The authors proposed two types of functions describing two different types of rail sub-slope deviations registered on the rail track. The influence of deviations of the sub-slope described by the first and second types of the obtained functions on indicators of the force interaction of the track and rolling stock and wear in the contact zone of the wheels with the rails was evaluated using the Universal Mechanism software package. As a result of calculations, the values of lateral and frame forces, as well as indicators of wear - slip and maximum pressure at the point of contact of the wheels with the rails are obtained. The adequacy of the obtained values of the wear intensity in the contact zone of the wheels with the rails was estimated by the authors on the basis of comparison of the calculated data with the experimental data of the wear intensity obtained on the sections of the Moscow Railway. A change in the sub-slope along the length of the section can cause an increase in the intensity of wear in the contact area of the wheels with the rails, especially if there are significant deviations from the average value of the sub-slope.
The evolution of quarry vehicles
Authors:   Perspektiva-M LLC, Tarasov P. I. , Khazin M. L. ,   Ural State Mining University, Golubev O. V. ,   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT)
Published: September 2021

The article considers the possibility of using quarry technology in the construction of a roadbed. Stable roadbed is the basis of a railway track, for its construction rocky, clay soils or sedimentary massifs are usually used. During the construction of the roadbed, heavy vehicles and special equipment (ice rinks, excavators, bulldozers, etc.) are used. Mining and road construction works, despite their diversity, consist of repeated identical operations: digging of the earth (mountain) mass, its loading and transportation, unloading into the dump or laying. For the production of these works, the same type of equipment is used: excavators, bulldozers, scrapers, graders and dump trucks. Most of the newly discovered explored deposits are located in the northern territories of Russia, so there is a high probability of launching intensive construction of railways and roads. The construction of transport high-ways is the most material-intensive area for the use of non-metallic materials and is associated with the movement of significant volumes of earth mass. In addition, the cost of performing earthworks is quite significant, so the correct choice of the method and means of mechanization of these works is a necessary condition for their successful implementation. For the construction of transport corridors under conditions of low-load soils and off-road conditions of the Arctic and northern territories of Russia, it is proposed to develop new types of vehicles based on BelAZ heavy duty quarry vehicles, which allow building embankments for roads and railways up to 10 m high (and in exceptional cases even more). When building transport highways and, if possible, preserving the environment, it is of great importance to reduce the cost of transporting earthen mass by reducing the consumption of fuel and lubricants, which account for 15-25 % of the total cost of operating powerful off-road vehicles.
Improving the system of road safety indicators in the analysis of the quality of motor vehicle transportation
Authors:   Moscow Automobile and Road State Technical University (MADI), Mayboroda O. V. , Sarymsakov B. A. ,   Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I. Razzakov
Published: September 2021

The article presents the results of the development of an integral indicator of road safety - the road safety coefficient. The value of the road safety coefficient shows how many times, at the same levels of motorization, the risk of death of a resident in road traffic (social risk) decreased/increased in comparison with the average social risk that existed in the world in the 40s of the last century, when there were no special programs on improving road safety. The use of the road safety coefficient allows you to compare the level of road safety in countries and regions with different populations and different levels of motorization. It is shown that social risk is a complex indicator, the value of which depends on the indicators of road safety at a lower level - the probability of participation of a resident in road traffic, which is equal to the value of motorization, the probability of death of a road user (transport risk), the probability of a road accident (active road safety), the intensity of road accidents (reliability of driving) and the average annual mileage of the car, the probability of death in a road accident (passive and post-accident safety). An equation is obtained that relates the value of social risk to the values of lower-level road safety indicators. The analysis of the level of road safety in Kyrgyzstan is carried out. It is shown how the condition of the traffic flow affects its average speed and the probability of road accidents. The influence of traffic flow density on its average speed and intensity of road accidents is considered. To assess the impact of the condition of a traffic flow on its average speed and road safety, the concept of the conventional density of a traffic flow is used. It is revealed that in the road conditions of Kyrgyzstan there is a critical conventional density, when exceeding it the transport risk, the probability of a road accident and the probability of death in a road accident begin to decrease rapidly with a further increase in the conventional density. The low efficiency of detection of exceeding a permitted speed when measuring the maximum speed of cars at certain points is shown. It is proposed to use the measurement of average speed on certain road sections as a means of reducing the number of drivers exceeding the speed limit.
Influence of smooth and step-by-step regulation of excitation attenuation of traction electric motors of electric locomotives on the speed of movement of electric rolling stock
Authors:   Irkutsk State Transport University (ISTU), Volchek T. V.
Published: September 2021

ter reaching the maximum voltage at the 4th control zone of the rectifier-inverter converter of an AC electric locomotive, a further increase in speed is achieved by connecting the field attenuation system (FA) of traction electric motors (TEM). All domestic electric locomotives use the FA TEM system of the inductively active type with step switching. However, it has drawbacks, one of them is that step switching causes speed losses and slows down the acceleration of electric rolling stock (ERS). By 2025, the goal is to increase the speed of freight trains, which will increase freight turnover on the railway network [1]. One solution is to improve the ERS. In this regard, it is proposed to improve the standard FA TEM system of an electric locomotive by using IGBT transistors, which allow smooth regulation of the excitation current. In the article, using the graphical method of the RM, a curve of the train speed is constructed, which proves that the smooth control of the electric locomotive FA TEM allows you to quickly reach the maximum permissible speed of the electric locomotive on the section and to move at a higher speed in the ascent than with step-by-step regulation. The simulation of the 3ES5K series electric locomotive in the «Cortes» software complex on the Winter - Irkutsk-Sortirovochny section was also carried out, which proved that with the smooth regulation of the FA TEM, the technical speed of the ERS increases by at least 2,5 km/h.
Development of the safety frame of a conventional car type for winter drift competitions (pre-project studies)
Authors:   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT), Chernikov Maxim V. , Nevolin Dmitry G. ,   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT), Kiseleva Natalia N. ,   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT)
Published: September 2021

The article presents the results of pre-design studies necessary for the further design of the safety frame for a conventional car type to prepare for winter drift competitions. The collection and analysis of data for the development of the frame was carried out, the main provisions of the official competition regulations of the Russian Automobile Federation for participants of drift competitions were considered.
Design and production of the safety frame for a conventional car type for winter drift competitions (design and technological part)
Authors:   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT), Chernikov Maxim V. , Nevolin Dmitry G. ,   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT), Kiseleva Natalia N. ,   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT)
Published: September 2021

The article presents the development and technological part of design and production of the safety frame for a conventional car type for winter drift competitions. A three-dimensional model of the safety frame was developed, and simulations of the frame behaviour in different situations were carried out.
The division of child care during the coronavirus crisis in Germany: How did short-time work affect fathers' engagement?
Authors: Naujoks Tabea , Kreyenfeld Michaela , Dummert Sandra
Published: September 2021

Objective: This paper examines how participation in the short-time work scheme affected the gendered division of child care during the COVID-19 crisis in Germany.

Background: Short-time work (Kurzarbeit) has been one of the main policies used to combat the economic and labour market repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic in Germany. We examine whether and, if so, how the growing prevalence of short-time work has affected care patterns.

Method: We use data from the IAB-HOPP, a longitudinal study monitored by the German Institute for Employment Research (IAB). The analytical sample includes couples with children aged 12 and younger. We employ multinomial logistic regressions in which the outcome variable is the change in the division of care work from a period before to a period during the coronavirus crisis (June to October 2020).

Results: We find that among men, receiving short-time work benefits resulted in more gender-equal care patterns. The positive effect of short-time work on the division of child care is moderated by the level of education. Fathers with low or medium education are more likely to increase their child care share when receiving short-time work benefits compared to fathers with high education. However, we also find that participating in the short-time work programme had no strong or significant effects on the gendered division of care among women.

Conclusion: The evidence from this study suggests that men’s working time is a major vehicle to change the gendered division of care in couple households.
Policies for knowledge generation in the catch-up process
Authors: Feitosa Paulo Henrique Assis
Published: September 2021

Public intervention to support knowledge generation is recognized as a fundamental strategy that enables the closing the gap between latecomers and forerunners economies. Evaluations and academic studies have been conducted on a wide variety of interventions and rapidly expanded what is known about these policies instruments. However, much of the evidence report conflicting results and can lead to misunderstandings about the potential of these interventions. This article offers a systematic review and a critical discussion of what the literature has to say about the effectiveness of these instruments. It is argued that learning about the effectiveness of interventions requires a capacity to seize and interpret its effects. Specifically, two critical factors are emphasized to understand the potential of these policies, which are their sequence of implementation and the context-dependence of interventions. Since none of these issues has been investigated in-depth, some aspects are discussed to guide future evaluations.
Bladder Stones Removal Surgery Using Cystotomy in a Mix Breed Cat: A Case Report
Authors: Antika Dona Dwi , Kartanegara Aulia Azka Suradi , Rickyawan Nofan
Published: September 2021

Urolithiasis is a common disease affecting the urinary tract, including the bladder. This disease characterized by the presence of stones in the urinary tract. Urolithiasis is caused by a build up of mineral crystals. A two-year-old female mixed breed cat with a body weight of 2 kg was brought to the Ontosenovet clinic, Malang City with complaints of anorexia, oligouria, stranguria, and hematuria. The results of physical examination found that the cat was lethargy, 6% dehydrated and at the time of urination the urine was hematuria. The supporting examination is carried out in the form of ultrasound examination (USG). The results of ultrasound examination showed a hyperechoic colored foreign object with an oval shape with smooth edges at the base of the bladder which was suspected to be calculi and resulted in acoustic shadowing at the bottom of the calculi. The cat is diagnosed with urolithiasis with the prognosis of fausta. The procedure is performed is a cystotomy to take calculi in the bladder. Postoperative therapy is marbofloxacin antibiotic injection therapy (SC) 2 mg/kg BW and dexamethasone anti-inflammatory injection therapy (SC) 0.2 ml/cat. Therapy was continued with the administration of the oral antibiotic amoxicillin 25 mg/kg BW, metronidazole antibiotic 15 mg/kg BW, and dexamethasone 0.5 mg/kg BW as an anti-inflammatory. The cat experienced changes after surgery and was given therapy for five days marked by smooth urination without hematuria and no pain at the time of urination.
Investigation of breaks of the «Sparking» type of brass‑plated wire for metal cord and high‑pressure hoses and the causes of their formation
Authors: Seregina E. S. , Ayupova T. N.
Published: September 2021

The article examines the breaks of thin brass‑plated wire for metal cord and high‑pressure hoses of the “sparking” type and the causes of their formation. The wire was manufactured in OJSC “BSW” – he Management Company of the Holding” BMC “ in the conditions of steel‑wire workshops. The appearance and microstructure of breaks of thin brassplated wire of the “sparking” type are investigated. As a result of the analysis of the appearance and microstructure of the breaks, it was assumed that surface defects are formed on the brass‑plated wire – billet during the welding connection in the jaws of the welding machine during annealing. To confi m this, experiments were carried out with the implementation of welded joints of brass – plated wire‑blanks in wet drawing areas, the appearance and microstructure of the obtained samples of welded joints were studied.

As a result of experiments and metallographic studies, the assumption was confirmed that local defects such as “cauterization from sparking” on the surface of the workpiece wire are formed during welding during the annealing operation, it was established that the cause is a violation of contact between the wire and the pressure jaws of the welding machine, wear of the pressure jaws. Photos of the defect, a description of its appearance and microstructure are given.

Based on the obtained studies, a number of measures were carried out aimed at eliminating the causes of this defect.
Establishing the true causes of defects to ensure the quality of continuously cast billets and hot‑rolled products at all stages of the process chain at OJSC “BSW – Management Company of the Holding “BMC”
Authors: Tereshchenko A. V. , Kovaleva I. A.
Published: September 2021

Establishing the true causes of defects is one of the main prerequisites for improving the quality of metal products. One of the undesirable phenomena in the production of continuously cast billets, hot‑rolled products is the oxidation of hot metal in the environment with the formation of scale on its surface. Defects, which are violations of the continuity of the metal and deviations from the normal specified macro‑and microstructure, signifi antly reduce the technological plasticity of the metal in the conditions of its processing and operational stability.

After hot rolling of a circle of 95 mm steel grade 30MpV4, surface defects were found in the finishing line. To study and establish the nature of surface defects from hot‑rolled blanks, as well as continuously cast blanks, samples were taken.

Analyzing metallographic studies of defects and the production technology of the studied steel grade 30MnB4, it was found that the defects were formed as a result of mechanical damage to the continuously cast billet in the area of the pulling‑correct unit. The reason for the formation of the defect is the ingress of scale on the guide rollers.
Application of statistical methods in the analysis of nonconformities of nonconforming products in the production process
Authors: Girilovich N. V. , Dovgopolaya G. V.
Published: September 2021

Quality is the degree to which the totality of an object’s inherent characteristics meets the requirements. The product quality control system is a set of interrelated objects and subjects of control, the types, methods and means used to assess the quality of products. An effective control system allows you to make a timely impact on the level of product quality, prevent possible inconsistencies, and ensure their prompt detection at the lowest cost. One of the progressive methods in modern management is the statistical method.

The article considers the program element for quality control in OJSC “BSW – Management Company of the Holding “BMC”. This program element is aimed at working with all types of nonconforming products of the enterprise, at finding the root cause and statistical analysis for these reasons.
Modern materials and technologies in the production of artificial casting
Authors: Tkachenko S. S. , Yemelyanov V. O. , Martynov K. V.
Published: September 2021

The publication highlights the production of artistic castings by investment casting using combined ceramic molds. The features of the application of a refractory coating, duplex curing of ceramic shells, cutting of molds, removal of the model composition, annealing of ceramic molds, pouring and separation of the gating‑feeding system under conditions of mass production are considered. Hydrolyzed ethyl silicate (ETS) and aqueous alkaline silica sol are used as a binder. The hydrolysis is carried out with an acidic catalyst. The strength of forms on an aqueous binder before calcination (bending strength σi) is from 1.5 to 2 MPa. The presented technology allows flexible coverage of the entire range of art products. Castings weighing from 5 to 10 kg can be produced in one batch, which significantly reduces the production cycle.
Fabrication and structural characterization of Fe‑Al‑based laminated composites
Authors: Rudnitski F. I. , Rafalski I. V. , Lushchik P. E. , Pokrovski A. I. , Petrenko V. V.
Published: September 2021

The paper presents the results of experimental studies of the structural characteristics of layered composites based on the Fe‑Al system; obtained using various solid‑phase methods of material deformation (hydropercussion stamping; cross‑wedge rolling) and a liquid‑phase (metallurgical) method for producing multilayer composites.
Desafíos de la educación superior en el Perú durante la pandemia por la COVID-19
Authors: Vilela Alemán Patty , Sánchez Claderón Javier Eduardo , Chau Cecilia
Published: September 2021

El presente ensayo describe y reflexiona sobre la experiencia de la educación superior en el contexto de la emergencia sanitaria generada por la COVID-19 y declarada en el Perú a partir del 11 de marzo de 2020 hasta la actualidad. El cierre físico de las instalaciones de las universidades ha generado grandes retos para los estudiantes y docentes de todo el país. Los cambios, en su mayoría forzados y poco planificados, generaron incertidumbre y descontento en docentes y estudiantes. En este documento, los autores buscan aproximarse a esta experiencia para plantear aprendizajes y reflexiones en torno a esta coyuntura que, como humanidad, nos corresponde documentar para futuras generaciones.
“Agua para todo, pero no para todos”. Una experiencia educativa en el área de Ciencias Sociales en tiempos de pandemia.
Authors: Jara Gómez Katherine Geraldine
Published: September 2021

Se presenta una experiencia pedagógica que empleó las metodologías de Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos y Trabajo Colaborativo en el área de Ciencias Sociales para enfrentar las dificultades académicas y sociales que generó la nueva normalidad. Es así que, se promovió entre las y los estudiantes de quinto de secundaria de una institución privada de Lima Norte la planificación, elaboración y difusión de propaganda virtual, sobre el uso responsable del agua en el marco de la pandemia de Covid-19. A lo largo del proceso, y en la presentación del producto, las y los estudiantes desempeñaron un papel activo en la construcción de su aprendizaje, no solo despertaron su interés y conciencia ambiental, sino también movilizaron un conjunto de competencias y capacidades que les permitió desenvolverse en entornos virtuales, fortalecer los lazos de sociabilidad, indagar, cuestionar, reflexionar y aportar sus propuestas respecto a la problemática planteada.
The Contribution of the Spatial Hydrological Niche to Species Diversity in Rare Plant Communities of English Floodplain Meadows
Authors: Moneo Gonzalo García-Baquero , Gowing David , Wallace Hilary
Published: September 2021

The hydrological niche is one of the few below ground spatial environmental niches, which has been shown to structure English floodplain meadows and other European and African herbaceous ecosystems. However, both the relative contribution of hydrological heterogeneity to the structure of English floodplain meadows across spatial scales and the forms of the individual species’ responses to hydrological heterogeneity remain largely unknown. Here we use a survey database of 2440 evaluation units sampled in fifteen English floodplain meadows to dissect the spatial architecture of this metacommunity and describe the relationship between the abundance of individual species and hydrological heterogeneity. Of the tested species 65% responded to spatial hydrological heterogeneity, with both monotonic and hump-shaped responses. We found that between-site beta-diversity is much stronger than within-site beta-diversity, with between-site scale hydrological variation explaining twice as much variation in community structure as within-site scale. This leads to the conclusion that a conservation strategy of rare plant communities should include not only the preservation of the diversity of local hydrological regimes, but, specially, the inclusion in the conservation system of as many and environmentally varied local plant communities as possible.
Transferrin Receptor (TFRC): A Potential Biomarker for The Diagnosis and Prognosis of Sepsis
Authors: li lin fang , liu Yao , chen mu hu , hu ying chun
Published: September 2021

Objective

This study applies the data independent acquisition (DIA) technique combined with bioinformatics to identify differential proteins in sepsis patients and performed ELISA method to validate the candidate protein of clinical value, in an attempt to find new biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis.
Methods

Blood samples from sepsis patients (Sepsis group, n = 50) and healthy individuals (NC group, n = 10) were collected from Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University. Mass spectrometry analysis was designed for 22 sepsis samples (randomly selected) and 10 healthy controls by DIA method, and the obtained differential proteins were subjected to GO annotation, meta-analysis and survival analysis to identify the candidate biomarker protein. ELISA was applied to validate the protein expression in original cohorts. ROC curves based on ELISA data were plotted to discuss the diagnostic and prognostic performance of the candidate protein and several clinical indexes, including C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and lactate (Lac).
Results

DIA data showed that there were 142 differential proteins in the Sepsis group versus the NC group, comprising 36 down-regulated and 106 up-regulated. GO annotation revealed that the differential proteins were significantly enriched in the biological functions involved in immune response, response to stress, inflammatory response, and cell activation. The top 11 proteins with the greatest difference were found according to the p-values in DIA (FUCO2, MGAT1, OAF, AACT, TFRC, CCL14, EXTL2, KLKB1, TETN,CRP,SAA1). Meta-analysis identified significant differential expression of TFRC in the NC versus Sepsis and in the Survival versus Non-survival groups based on GEO database. Survival analysis revealed that the low expression of TFRC indicated a higher survival rate in sepsis patients. ELISA found TFRC concentration in collected clinical samples were significant differential in the NC versus Sepsis and in the Survival versus Nonsurvival groups (p < 0.05). ROC curves gave an AUC of 0.790 for TFRC in distinguishing the normal individuals and sepsis patients, showing good diagnostic performance. Besides, the AUC for TFRC in distinguishing the survivors and deaths was 0.744, indicating good prognostic performance, which was superior to PCT, CRP and Lac.
Conclusion

This study identified TFRC through DIA, bioinformatics and ELISA analyses, which showed differential expression in sepsis patients as well as good diagnostic and prognostic value. TFRC is expected to be a potential biomarker for sepsis.
Analysis of Risk Factors Associated with Acute Respiratory Infections among Under-Five Children in Uganda
Authors: Nshimiyimana Yassin , Zhou Yingchun
Published: September 2021

Background: Globally, 7.4 million young children are being killed from infectious and treatable diseases, and Saharan Africa accounts for 90% of deaths. In Uganda, Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) remain the leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality among under-five children. The study aims to identify and analyze contributing potential risk factors of childhood ARIs disease among under-five children in Uganda.Methods: A case-control study was conducted using data for 13,493 sampled under-five children retrieved from a recent 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. We compared two supervised tree-like structure machine learning algorithms and two logistic regression methods in terms of classification performances in predicting ARIs disease outcomes and analysing various child and parental socio-demographic, behavioural, and environmental characteristics.Results: The study results revealed that the ARIs prevalence among under-five children accounted 40.3% cases. The Logistic regression findings showed that the risk of developing childhood ARIs disease declined with increase in child's age where the risk of having ARIs was higher in children in one year of birth (AOR=1.27; p < 0:001) and lower in children aged four years old (AOR=0.69; p < 0:001) compared to the infants. Other factors such as the age of mother where children born from teen mothers (15-19 years) were high likely (AOR=1.28; p < 0:001) to have ARIs illness compared to those whose mothers were in the middle age groups, and children whose mothers breastfed showed a lower risk of ARIs disease (AOR=0.83; p < 0:001) compared to those who not breastfed. In the dry season, children were more likely to develop ARIs disease (AOR=1.34; p < 0:001) compared to the wet season, and factors such as the region of residences like central region, mother employment, and domestic cooking energy like wood were also potential risk factors of ARIs disease among under-five children in Uganda. In addition, three methods such as Decision Tree (Accuracy = 61.2%; AUC=0.610), Elastic Net Logistic Regression (Accuracy=61.7%; AUC=0.627), and Binary Logistic Regression (Accuracy=62.1%; AUC=0.638) showed approximately similar performances in predicting and classifying ARIs disease outcomes. However, the Random Forest (Accuracy=88.7%; AUC=0.951) showed superior difference in performance comparatively.Conclusion: Government and healthcare stakeholders need to make effective programs to improve public health policy against childhood infectious diseases by targeting the proper provision of maternal and child health-related education to household heads and mothers to adopt and prioritize breastfeeding practices, childcare, and ensure proper dwelling places for families and young children particularly in crowded regions and geographic places where ARIs prevalence is high.
Training Needs Assessment for Practicing Paediatric Critical Care Nurses in Malawi To Inform The Development of A Specialized Master’s Education Pathway: A Cohort Study
Authors: Renning Kelsey , de Water Brittney van , Brandstetter Shelley , Kasitomu Chisomo , Gowero Netsayi , Simbota Miriam , Majamanda Maureen
Published: September 2021

Background

Significant improvements in under-five mortality in Malawi have been demonstrated over the past thirty years; however, Malawian healthcare remains with gaps in availability and access to quality paediatric critical care nursing training and education. To improve expertise of paediatric critical care nurses in Malawi, Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN), Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), and Mercy James Center (MJC) entered a partnership with Seed Global Health, a US non-governmental organization. A needs assessment was conducted to understand the training needs of nurses currently working in paediatric critical care and in preparation for the development of a specialized Master’s in Child Health pathway in Paediatric Critical Care (PCC) Nursing at KCN.
Methods

The needs assessment was completed using a survey questionnaire formatted using an ABCDE (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, and Exposure) framework. The questionnaire had Likert scale and yes/no questions. Data was manually entered into excel and was analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results

One hundred and fifty-three nurses at QECH and MJC responded to the survey. Most nurses were between the ages of 25 and 35 years (N = 98, 64%), female (N = 105, 69%), and held either a Bachelors (N = 72, 47%) or diploma (N = 70, 46%) in nursing. Nurses had high rates of confidence in certain skills: airway management (N = 120, 99%), breathing assessment & management (N = 153, 100%). However, nurses demonstrated little to no confidence in areas such as: mechanical ventilation (N = 68, 44%), ECG evaluation (N = 74, 48%), and arterial blood gas collection & interpretation (N = 49, 32%).
Conclusion

It is important to identify priority areas for training and skills development to address in the PCC master’s within the child health pathway at KCN. Ideally this partnership will produce practice-ready PCC nurses and will establish a recognized PCC nursing workforce in Malawi.
Addictive-Like Behaviors Increase The Risk of Suicide Behaviors in Chinese Middle School Students: A Latent Class Analysis
Authors: Guo Chunyu , Wang Xiaoqing , Xia Zhengmei , Cui Yingying , Hu Jie , Xue Yanni , Huang Xuexue , Wan Yuhui , Zhang Bao , Song Xianbing , Fang Jun , Zhang Shichen
Published: September 2021

Background

In adolescents, multiple addictive-like behaviors (ALBs) occur frequently together which are likely to be associated with suicide behaviors (SBs), increasing the risk of suicide. This study aimed to clarify the potential subgroups of ALBs in Chinese adolescents, and examine the associations between different patterns of ALBs and SBs.
Methods

A total of 22,628 middle school students were enrolled in this study. Self-reported ALBs and SBs were investigated by questionnaires. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed based on five ALBs [smoking, alcohol use (AU), diet pills use (DPU), screen time (ST), problematic mobile phone use (PMPU)]. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between the different patterns of ALBs and SBs.
Results

Four subgroups of ALBs were identified by LCA, including high-risk class (smoking/AU/DPU/PMPU/ST), moderate-risk class 1 (DPU/PMPU), moderate risk class 2 (smoking/AU/ST), and low-risk class. Compared with the low-risk class, all of the moderate-risk class 1, moderate-risk class 2 and high-risk class had higher risks of suicide ideation, suicide plan, and suicide attempt.
Conclusions

These findings suggested that the patterns of ALBs were related to SBs in Chinese adolescents. Accordingly, considerations of different classes of ALBs may be essential for developing effective preventive programs.
Scavenging of Organic Pollutant And Fuel Generation Through Cost-Effective And Abundantly Accessible Rust: An Economical Approach For Waste Management And Energy Generation
Authors: Khan Nisar , Khan Idrees , Gul Tamanna , Khan Ibrahim , Ali Shahid , Saeed Khalid
Published: September 2021

At present, wastes management and energy generation are the foremost concerns due to their direct relationship with the biological species and environment. Herein we report utilization of iron rust (inorganic pollutant) as photocatalyst for photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye (organic pollutant) under visible light (economic) and water oxidation (energy generation). Iron rust was collected from metallic pipes and calcined in the furnace at 700 °C for 3 h in order to remove moisture/volatile content. The uncalcined and calcined Rust are characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Thermogravematric analysis (TGA). The morphological study illustrated that the shape of uncalcinedand calcined iron rust is spongy, porous, and agglomerated. The XRD and DLS particle size is in a few hundred-nanometer range.The photodegradation (PD) investigation shows that calcined Rust is a potent photocatalyst for the PD of modeled MB and degraded about 94% in a very short time of 11 min. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurements revealed that calcined Rust is more active than uncalcined Rust under simulated 1-SUN illumination with respective photocurrent densities of ~0.40 and ~0.32 mA/cm2. These results demonstrate that cheaper and abundantly available Rust can be a useful candidate for environmental and energy applications.
Effects of Orthokeratology Lens On Axial Length Elongation in Myopia With Anisometropia Children
Authors: Chen Ziyang , Chen Kai-Ming , Shi Ying , Ye Zhao-Da , Chen Sheng , Ke Fa-Jie , Hu Jun , Hu Yan-Hong , Feng Chunyan
Published: September 2021

AimTo investigate the effect of orthokeratology (OK) lens on axial length (AL) elongation in myopia with anisometropia children.MethodsThirty-seven unilateral myopia (group 1) and fifty-nine bilateral myopia with anisometropia children were involved in this 1-year retrospective study. And bilateral myopia with anisometropia children were divided into group 2A (diopter of the lower SER eye under − 2.00D) and group 2B(diopter of the lower SER eye is equal or greater than − 2.00D). The change in AL were observed.The datas were analysed using SPSS 21.0.Results(1) In group 1, the mean baseline AL of the H eyes and L eye were 24.70 ± 0.89 mm and 23.55 ± 0.69 mm, respectively. In group 2A, the mean baseline AL of the H eyes and L eyes were 24.61 ± 0.84 mm and 24.00 ± 0.70 mm respectively. In group 2B, the mean baseline AL of the H eyes and L eyes were 25.28 ± 0.72 mm and 24.70 ± 0.74 mm. After 1 year, the change in AL of the L eyes was faster than the H eyes in group 1 and group 2A (all P<0.001).While the AL of the H eyes and L eyes had the same increased rate in group 2B. (2) The effect of controlling AL elongation of H eyes is consistent in three groups (P = 0.559).The effect of controlling AL elongation of L eyes in group 2B was better than that in group 1 and group 2A (P < 0.001). And the difference between group 1 and group 2A has no statistical significance. (3) The AL difference in H eyes and L eyes decreased from baseline 1.16 ± 0.55mm to 0.88 ± 0.68mm after 1 year in group 1.And in group 2A, the AL difference in H eyes and L eyes decreased from baseline 0.61 ± 0.34mm to 0.48 ± 0.28mm. There was statistically significant difference (all P<0.001). In group 2B, the baseline AL difference in H eyes and L eyes has no significant difference from that after 1 year (P = 0.069).ConclusionsMonocular OK lens is effective on suppression AL growth of the myopic eyes and reduce anisometropia value in unilateral myopic children. Binocular OK lenses only reduce anisometropia with the diopter of the low eye under − 2.00D. Binocular OK lenses cannot reduce anisometropia with the diopter of the low eye equal or greater than − 2.00D. Whether OK lens can reduce refractive anisometropia value is related to the spherical equivalent refractive of low refractive eye in bilateral myopia with anisometropia children after 1-year follow-up.
Is Waist-To-Height Ratio The Best Predictive Indicator of Cardiovascular Disease Incidence in Hypertensive Adults? A Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Shu , Fu Xin , Du Zhi , Guo Xiaofan , Li Zhao , Sun Guozhe , Zhou Ying , Yang Hongmei , Yu Shasha , Zheng Liqiang , Sun Yingxian
Published: September 2021

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) brings high mortality and economic burden to patients, especially in rural areas. Simple, low-cost abdominal adiposity measures may help identify individuals with increased CVD risk. It is unclear that which obesity indice is the best to predict CVD in hypertensive people.
Methods

NCRCHS is a prospective cohort study in a general population in Northeast China. The study examined the cardiovascular health from 2013–2015, and follow-up captured the CVD incidence in 2018. Baseline waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body mass index (BMI),waist-to-hip(WHR)and waist circumference (WC) were calculated and analyzed in relation to the CVD incidence.
Results

A total of 4244 hypertensive adults without pre-existing CVD at baseline were included in this analysis (age 35–92 years; 2108 men). Over a median follow-up of 4.66 years, a total of 290 CVD cases (6.83%) were documented during the follow-up. Baseline WHtR showed a significant positive association with CVD incidence, even after adjusting for age, sex, diabetes, drinking, smoking, SBP, DBP, Triglyceride, HDL-C, LDL-C, and TC (Hazard Ratios per SD of WHtR ranging from 1.03 to 1.31, p = 0.017). Reclassification and discrimination analyses indicated WHtR addition could improve the conventional model for predicting adverse outcomes within 4 years. Moreover, WHtR predicted the CVD incidence better than other obesity indices (BMI, WC, WHR).
Conclusion

These findings support a positive association between WHtR and CVD incidence in CVD-free hypertensive adults. WHtR may be useful in predicting CVD incidence in hypertensive adults.
Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors for Anaemia Among Pregnant Women Attending Ante-Natal Clinic, Eswatini
Authors: Dodzo Rumbidzai , Ogunsakin Ropo Ebenezer , Ginindza Themba G.
Published: September 2021

Background: Anaemia is one of the most common nutritional deficiency diseases observed globally and it affects about a third of the world’s population. Anaemia in pregnant women is a worldwide public health concern that has severe consequences for both mothers and infants, including maternal death and foetal and infant mortality. In Low-income countries (LICs), 25% of indirect maternal mortality and 30% of neonatal deaths are due to anaemia in pregnancy. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of anaemia and assess associated factors among pregnant women attending ante-natal care (ANC) clinic in the Kingdom of Eswatini, which might help for screening, prevention and treatment of anaemia and ultimately prevent its adverse effects. Method: A total of 550 pregnant women between 15 and 49 years from three health facilities were randomly enrolled using a cross-sectional study design, from January to March 2021. Non-probability sampling approach was used to select the appropriate study unit. A face-toface interview was done using a structured questionnaire to collect data. Multiple logistic regression was performed to assess the factors associated with anaemia among the women.Results: The overall anaemia prevalence among pregnant women was 43.1% (95% CI: 38.947.3). The mild, moderate and severe cases of anaemia were 21.3% (95%CI: 17.9-24.9); 21.1% (95%CI: 17.8-24.7) and 0.7% (95%CI: 0.2-1.9), respectively. The prevalence of anaemia was high among women aged 20-24 (11.1%, 95%CI: 8.6-14.0) and 25-29years (11.1%, 95%CI: 8.6-14.0). Factors associated with anaemia included living in the urban area (OR=1.8, 95%CI: 1.19-2.72, p=0.005) and having anaemia 6 months before pregnancy (OR=4.64, 95%CI: 1.1518.71, p=0.031). Additionally, gestational age at first ANC also was positively associated with anaemia: 3rd trimester (OR=10.42, 95%CI: 4.27-25.4, p<0.001) and 2nd trimester (OR=1.62, 95%CI: 1.02-2.60, p=0.043) Conclusion: Anaemia remains prevalent among pregnant women in Eswatini. Thus, a comprehensive anaemia prevention program would be justified and could lower the country’s burden of anemia.
The Relationship Among Occupational Stress, Coping Styles, and Mental Health of Pediatric Nurses in China: A Combination Study with the Application of the Spearman Correlation and Structural Equation Modelling
Authors: Zhou Ya-Ting , Yin Hua-Ying , Guo Xiao-Li
Published: September 2021

Background

Pediatric nurses experience a wide rang of stressful events at work every day, which can trigger a lot of emotional responses. The objectives of this study were mainly to assess occupational stress, coping styles and mental health among pediatric nurses,and to explore the potential interrelationships of these factors.
Methods

A total of 381 pediatric nurses from Chongqing, China were recruited in this cross-sectional study. We performed this study based on a questionnaire survey that contained the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire and Symptom-Checklist 90(SCL-90).
Results

The prevalence of healthy risk stress(HRS) in pediatric nurses was 54.3%, and nurses with different genders and professional titles have different occupational stress level. The result of the positive screen rates of mental healthy problems, by descending order, they were: obsessive-compulsive symptoms (52.0%), depression (33.1%), hostility (32.8%), and so on. Wilcoxon signed rank tests analysis showed pediatric nurses had both significantly higher risk mental health problems compared to general population and national nurse population. And with the application of the Spearman correlation analysis and Structural Equation Modelling were revealed a significant relationship among occupational stress, coping style and mental health. The positive coping style had a negative direct predictive effect on occupational stress(β=-0.499,P < 0.01) and mental health(β=-0.115,P < 0.01), negative coping styles had positive predictive effect on occupational stress(β = 0.185,P < 0.01) and mental health(β = 0.205,P < 0.01). Occupational stress had significant impact on mental health(0.416,P < 0.01), and it was played a part of mediating effect between coping style and mental health.
Conclusion

A high prevalence of occupational stress and worse mental health among pediatric nurses, and occupational stress and coping styles were important predictors for their mental health. In order to improve their mental health level, more attention should be paid and modifications should be made to the occupational stress and coping style for this population.
Function Led Design of Aerogels: One-pot Self-assembly of 3D Macroscope Poly(vinyl alcohol) Aerogel for Mercury Species Removal in Aqueous Solution with Super-Fast Regeneration
Authors: Liu Jian , Bai Jing , Hei Yashuang , Liu Jingju , Ma Chong-Bo
Published: September 2021

Mercury pollutant, especially ionic mercury (Hg2+), has been ranked by the World Health Organization as one of the top ten chemicals that threatens the major public health. Absorption of Hg2+ on the solid phase is one of the effective ways for water remediation. In view of the disadvantages of most existing absorbents such as laborious preparation, secondary pollution, or time-consuming regeneration process, herein, we developed an aerogel absorbent based on poly(vinyl alcohol) and the auxiliary crosslinker of phytic acid, both of which can readily react through a self-assembly process in the hydrothermal condition. With good mechanical strength, tunable pore size and surface area, the aerogel is adequate in absorbing Hg2+ and organic mercury compound (MeHg+), and can be renewed in a super-fast process (~ 40 s). High removal rate of Hg2+ can be maintained even in presence of the competing ions (Mn2+, Cd2+, Cr2+, Cu2+ and Pb2+). The features of low-cost raw materials, straightforward synthesis, and the easy manipulation in remediation/regeneration process create a promising absorbent material to be used in the real scene.
Enhanced Spectrum Slicing--Wavelength Division Multiplexing Approach for Mitigating Atmospheric Attenuation in Optical Communication
Authors: Arora Dinesh , Saini Hardeep Singh , BHATIA Vinay , KAUR Jagdeep
Published: September 2021

Over the last decades, free-space optics (FSO) emerged as a prominent way of communication over radio frequency communication and microwave communication. Working of FSO in comparison with optical fiber cable (OFC) network is the same. The only difference between FSO & OFC is the transmission of an optical beam. The optical beam is transmitted through the free space in the case of FSO. Whereas the transmission of optical beam takes place using OFC core, i.e. glass fiber in the case of OFC. Fog, haze, rain, and clouds in the atmosphere directly affect FSO performance and the power of signal propagation. Further added, the wavelength of propagating beam is based on the size of fog particles which leads to atmospheric attenuation. To mitigate the impact of atmospheric attenuation on signals, the proposed study is based on a spectrum slicing (SS) - wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system with Pre and Post Amplification. The analysis of SS-WDM-Pre and SS-WDM-Post has been done over various values of attenuation. The comparison analysis proves that the SS-WDM-Post is more efficient than both SS-WDM-Pre and traditional SS-WDM in terms of Q-factor.