bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MASTERING TEST-TAKING READING SKILLS WITH CONTEXTUAL GUESSING: THE CASE OF UNIFIED ENTRANCE EXAM
Authors: Chaikovska Olha , Bodnar Alla , Spivachuk Valentyna
Published: December 2022

A high percentage of bachelor test-takers who failed the unified entrance examination test in 2021 demonstrated the lack of adequate reading strategies such as contextual guessing for improving exam performance. The study aims at evaluating the use of contextual guessing strategy during extra-curriculum EFL classes as a way to improve students’ unified entrance examination performance. The present study also examines the impact of word formation as a component of contextual guessing strategy and the effectiveness of contextual guessing with online vocabulary application in exam preparation. A quasi-experimental design was employed which involved 24 third-year students from different departments of Higher Educational Institution "Podillia State University" in 2020-2021. The quantitative research method was employed to assess the effectiveness of using contextual guessing to improve students’ test performance using the mean score formula. Additionally, we produced a test statistic based on the ranks (Mann–Whitney U-criterion). The results showed that the experimental group that was taught the strategy of guessing unknown words with the help of word-formation processes, and contextual clues, in particular, and applied the vocabulary platform for fixing and retaining guessed words had higher results than those who were taught unified entrance examination tests with the help of the grammar-translation method. Based on Mann–Whitney U-criterion we have statistically significant evidence to conclude that contextual guessing significantly affects EFL learners’ test performance in experimental and control groups. The guide on word formation was designed during the experiment.
THE ROLE OF ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES IN MAINTAINING FUTURE TEACHERS’ INTEREST IN RESEARCH
Authors: Zabolotna Oksana , Gut Natalia , Shcherban Iryna
Published: December 2022

The university curriculum plays a role in motivating students to take up research. This 2-year action research explored the curriculum in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and its influence on student further engagement in research work. The data were collected from University Master's students through two questionnaires given to them before and after studying the course. An explanatory framework for the course characteristics that affected students’ attitudes towards research focused upon the students’ profile (the students’ age, gender, major and language proficiency), career orientation and research orientation. The shift in students’ attitudes reinforced the complexity of factors that influenced their motivation to take up research after graduation. The authors draw a conclusion that future interventions to address issues with the Academic English course to raise the interest of University students should deal with restructuring the course in a way that the student should have more contact hours. The analysis of learning materials designed for the EAP course shows that most of them introduce students to theory- and research-informed perspectives and guide them in putting theory to use in real-world contexts which would be impossible in 30 contact hours as in the analysed case. Moreover, it should be linked to the students’ school practice and their small-scale research in real classroom settings.
Using Literacy Strategies to Support a Preservice Teacher Candidate in Becoming an Effective Teacher
Authors: Hutchison Laveria F.
Published: December 2022

This qualitative investigation used a case study approach to collect data to answer this question: Did a preservice teacher candidate enrolled in a content literacy course while seeking initial middle-level teacher certification find literacy strategies useful in the instruction of seventh-grade science students? This study reports findings collected from one preservice teacher candidate, along with course peers, seeking initial certification for middle-level instruction. Data collection included an interview, member checking, and observations. Over the fifteen-week period of instruction in an undergraduate content literacy course, data provided evidence that literacy strategies used by a preservice teacher candidate in the instruction of science for middle-level students provided effective acquisition of instructional content.
Hablar para habitar: herramientas orales para la historia, el análisis y el proyecto de la arquitectura
Authors: Cantero Vinuesa Antonio
Published: December 2022

ResumenEn la elaboración de una historia de arquitectura más inclusiva, utilizar la historia oral como metodología para acceder a experiencias silenciadas, compartir conocimientos olvidados y trascender el constructo dibujado o construido, resulta esclarecedor. En 1972, se publicó la versión en inglés, Lived-in Architecture, Le Corbusier’s Pessac Revisited, del libro del arquitecto Philippe Boudon, Pessac de Le Corbusier (1969). Su investigación se basaba en relatos orales de quienes vivían en el proyecto de viviendas de Le Corbusier en el barrio industrial de Pessac a las afueras de Burdeos (1926-1930), con el propósito de contrastar la historia conocida sobre la visión del arquitecto con la realidad vivida por sus habitantes. Utilizando este caso de estudio, el objetivo es realizar una interpretación de lo oral como herramienta transversal para la historia, el análisis y el proyecto de la arquitectura, y con ello mostrar el valor instrumental de las entrevistas con los habitantes como nexo entre los hábitats y quienes los habitan.AbstractIn developing a more inclusive architectural history, using oral history as a methodology for accessing silenced experiences, sharing forgotten knowledge, and transcending the drawn or built construct can be enlightening. In 1972, the English version, Lived-in Architecture, Le Corbusier's Pessac Revisited, of architect Philippe Boudon's book, Le Corbusier's Pessac (1969), was published. His research was based on oral accounts of those who lived in Le Corbusier's housing project in the industrial neighborhood of Pessac on the outskirts of Bordeaux (1926- 1930), to contrast the known history of the architect's vision with the reality lived by its inhabitants. Using this case study, the aim is to interpret the oral source as a transversal tool for the history, analysis, and design of architecture, and thus to show the instrumental value of interviews with the inhabitants as a link between the habitats and those who inhabit them.
The ‘capacity for action’ of architectural spaces: open system design strategies
Authors: Ribot Almudena
Published: December 2022

ResumenEste texto abarca la búsqueda de estrategias proyectuales eficaces para ampliar la 'capacidad de acción' de los espacios que proyectamos los arquitectos. Investiga cómo proyectar arquitectura para facilitar la capacidad performativa de los habitantes y usuarios, ampliando su acción y también su responsabilidad como coproductores de nuestras propuestas. Se trabaja en arquitecturas de Sistemas Abiertos más que en proyectos participativos, es decir, desde la invitación a la acción para apropiarse de los espacios en el tiempo y poder reprogramarlos y no tanto desde la implicación inicial de los usuarios como agentes en el proyecto. La exploración está destinada tanto a arquitectos proyectistas y profesores de diseño como a los propios usuarios, de modo que se facilite el conocimiento y aplicación de estos sistemas abiertos en los proyectos. Estas estrategias se discuten, heredando clasificaciones comparables realizadas por otros autores, y finalmente se organizan en tres grupos: redundancia, apropiación y tecnificación, que se ordenan según gradientes de complejidad constructiva o facilidad de uso. Se registran en un diagrama numerosos ejemplos de arquitectura para comprobar la efectividad de esta taxonomía. El diagrama es una categorización no jerarquizada en la que los asuntos y los casos de estudio tienen el mismo valor. Se trata simultáneamente de una taxonomía y un atlas de métodos y casos, un proceso al mismo tiempo deductivo e inductivo. Se prevé dejar este diagrama abierto para poder ser reprogramado en el futuro, acorde a las propias arquitecturas que se estudian.AbstractThis text aims to identify which design strategies are more effective in increasing the “capacity for action” of the spaces designed by architects. It researches how architectural design can foster the performative capacity of the inhabitants and users, widening their actions and responsibilities as co-producers of our proposals. The exploration is aimed both at practicing architects and design teachers as well as the actual users, making these open systems available to be used and harness the potential of working together. The strategies are discussed, taking on similar classifications from other authors, and lastly organized into three group types: redundancy, appropriation, and technification, further organized according to constructive complexity or ease of use. A large number of examples of built architecture are represented in a diagram to test the effectiveness of this taxonomy. The diagram is a non-hierarchical categorization where the matter and the case studies are given equal weighting; it is simultaneously a taxonomy and an atlas of methods and cases, a process at once deductive and inductive. The diagram will be left open to be reprogrammed in the future, much like the architectures studied.
Effects of Loop Detector Position on the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram
Authors: Lee Garyoung , Ding Zijian , Laval Jorge
Published: December 2022

Loop detectors are probably the widest-used technology for traffic state estimation. Previous research has shown that loop detector positions within the link significantly affect the estimation of the macroscopic fundamental diagram (MFD) of a given network. This paper examines the biases produced by the positioning of loop detectors on the MFD, using both analytical and simulation methods, as well as empirical data from UTD-19. We confirm earlier results that a uniform distribution of loop detector positions reduces the bias. For non-uniform distribution, we found that: (i) the subsets of the MFD by the loop detector position help estimate whether the loop detector MFD will have a bias; (ii) if the detectors in the network are positioned more downstream with a larger variation, the loop detector MFD is more likely to have a discrepancy in position subsets of the MFD; (iii) a lower ratio of link length to green signal time elevates the MFD bias as well. This research opens the possibility for the bias of MFD induced by the loop detector data to be corrected by only using itself.
The Importance of Water for Purification of Longer Carbon Nanotubes for Nanocomposite Applications
Authors: Mordkovich Vladimir Z. , Khaskov Maxim A. , Naumova Veronika A. , De Victor V. , Karaeva Aida R.
Published: December 2022

Ultralong carbon nanotubes (UCNTs) are highly demanded for nanocomposites applications because of their magnificent physical and chemical properties. UCNTs are synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) method and, before using as fillers in nanocomposites, should be purified from residual catalyst and non-CNT particles without significant destruction or scissoring of UCNTs. The role of water vapor for purification of UCNTs is investigated, the importance of water assistance in this process is confirmed. It was shown that wet air treatment of products of UCNTs CCVD synthesis under mild conditions can be used to decrease sufficiently residual catalyst content without significant carbon losses in comparison with the results obtained with dry air, while the residual iron content was shown to influence heavily on the subsequent oxidation of different forms of carbons, including UCNTs. The increasing of D/G ratio of Raman spectra after wet air treatment of products of UCNTs CCVD synthesis makes it possible to conclude that iron catalyst particles transform into iron oxides and hydroxides that caused inner structural strains and destruction of carbon shells improving removal of the catalyst particles by subsequent acid treatment. UCNTs purification with water assistance can be used to develop economically and ecologically friendly methods for obtaining fillers for nanocomposites of different applications.
The Analysis Of Parental Participation In Improving Children's Learning Motivation During The Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: EL-Taro Erra , Aryani Maria Lilis
Published: December 2022

Covid-19 has hit many countries in the world, including Indonesia. This epidemic has affected many sectors of life, including the education sector. The government's rules regarding the Implementation of Learning from Home is one of their effort to reduce the spread of Covid-19. In this regard, teachers and parents have involvement in increasing the children's learning motivation. This research raised parental participation in providing learning motivation to students during Distance Learning. The method used in this research is the literature review and survey method. The researcher used several reference books and questionnaires with the type of scale being differential semantic that had the highest score is five and the lowest score is one. The result of this research is the participation of parents in providing learning motivation to students during distance learning consists of three aspects: facilities, time, and child psychology. The percentage of the role of parents in motivating children in the aspect of facilities is 94.78%; in time aspect is 97.68%, and in the psychology of children aspect is 94.78%. So, most parents in grades V and VI have tried to increase learning motivation in distance learning during a pandemic. 
The downstream impact of the first and second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Authors: Salhi Adil , Benabdelouahab Sara
Published: December 2022

Water conflicts arise from geostrategic factors that hide behind visible ones such as the construction of dams. In the case of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), it will have a significant impact on development in Ethiopia, but its filling has worried downstream countries about altering the flow of the Nile and associated ecosystems. In this study, several high spatiotemporal resolution remote sensing products were used on the basis of artificial intelligence in Google Earth Engine. The results show that the two first filling phases had no effect on the reservoirs of the dams in Sudan and Egypt, nor on the vegetation cover. On the contrary, significant reserves of water have been stored in response to unusual floods in the White Nile, and the recent trend of increasing vegetation cover has not been affected likely due to groundwater contributions and judicious anticipation, and the provision of resources for food security. In general, the parties must take long-term collaborative measures to ensure effective management and reduce waste, especially in the upcoming filling.
Use of Green Fluorescent Nano-sensors for the Determination of Furosemide in Biological Samples and Pharmaceutical Preparations
Authors: Zaid Mona H. Abo , El-Enany Nahed , Mostafa Aziza E. , Hadad Ghada M. , Belal Fathalla
Published: December 2022

A facile green microwave-assisted method was developed for the production of highly fluorescent nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) using sucrose and urea as starting materials. The fluorescent N-CQDs were utilized as nano-sensors for the spectrofluorimetric estimation of furosemide after subjecting to extensive spectroscopic characterization. The quantum yield of the obtained N-CQDs was found to be 0.57. After excitation of the produced N-CQDs at 216 nm, a strong emission band appeared at 376 nm. The fluorescence emission of N-CQDs was quantitatively quenched by adding increased concentrations of the drug. A linear relationship was obtained over the concentration range of 0.1–1.0 μg/mL. The developed method was successfully applied for the estimation of furosemide in its pharmaceutical preparations and biological samples. The mechanism of the quenching was studied and explained. Interference likely to be introduced from co-administered drugs was also studied.
Refractive Status and Amblyopia Risk Factors in Premature Infants with Different Gestational Age and Birth Weight
Authors: Cao Yiwen , Yang Liu
Published: December 2022

Objective: To explore amblyopia risk factors in premature infants vs. full term infants, low birth weight(LBW) vs. very low birth weight(VLBW) infants, and moderately/late preterm(PT) vs. very preterm(VPT) infants.
Methods: A total of 143 premature infants without retinopathy of prematurity were collected and then grouped according to body weight and gestational age. There were 130 full term infants in the control group. Infants about 1 year of age at risk for amblyopia were selected using Spot Vision Screener. Differences in amblyopia risk factors between full term infants and premature infants, between the LBW group and VLBW group, and between the PT group and VPT group were then analyzed.
Results: In terms of refractive status, diopter cylinder(DC) was higher in the premature infants than in full term infants; diopter sphere(DS) and spherical equivalent(SE) was higher in the VPT group than in the PT group. The prevalence of esotropia was higher in premature infants than in full term infants, and in the VPT group than in the PT group. As shown by the analysis, amblyopia risk factors were found in 10.5% premature infants vs. 3.9% full term infants, 4.7% LBW infants vs. 19.0% VLBW infants, and 5.1% PT infants vs. 16.9% VPT infants. All observed differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: Based on the screening results, the incidence rate of amblyopia risk factors was higher in premature infants than in full term infants, and it was highest in both VPT infants and VLBW infants. The major risk factors were astigmatism and esotropia.
Knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions, and source of information among physiotherapy undergraduates in Sri Lanka; an observational study
Authors: Rubasinghe Sahan , Priyadarshani Kokila , Wijesundara Pramodha , Ramyamala Singappulige , Lakmal Krishantha , Bandara Anuradhi , Dasanayaka Renuka
Published: December 2022

Background:
The physiotherapists are one of the first contact health care professionals’ and physiotherapy undergraduates should have sufficient knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions, and hand hygiene even during their training period. Hence the purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions, and source of information among physiotherapy undergraduates in Sri Lanka.
Methods:
Descriptive cross sectional Google based survey study was conducted with the participation of 294 of physiotherapy undergraduates in University of Peradeniya (n=103), University of Colombo (n=103), and Kotalawala Defense University (n=88). Self-constructed data sheets for socio-demographic and source of information and Infection Control Standardized Questionnaire consisted with 3 domains; knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions and hand hygiene was used for data collection.
Results:
76.50% (n=225) participants have achieved adequate level of total knowledge and have average knowledge 67.14±16.831, 84.41±14.679 and 66.41±15.408 on the nosocomial infections, standard precautions and hand hygiene respectively. 28.31% (n=83) have equally mentioned, formal teaching at faculty and informal sources as the most important source of knowledge. There was no significant impact of the university and the duration of clinical exposure on knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions, hand hygiene and total knowledge. The study year have a significant impact and the final year undergraduates have higher knowledge compare with other study years. Female group has significant impact on total knowledge.
Conclusion:
Knowledge of nosocomial infections and infection control measures are satisfactory among the physiotherapy undergraduates in Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, for further development of formal sources of information on nosocomial infections are recommended.
Identification of Biomarkers in Affected Hair Follicles from Chronic Discoid LupusErythematosus by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis
Authors: Chen Qitao , Tao Qiuwei , Li Yuqian , Shao Guanghui , Zhu Jing , Zhu Qilin , Li Zhongming , Du Xufeng
Published: December 2022

Chronic discoidal lupus erythematosus (CDLE) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by localized, round, red, patchy skin lesions, which often occur on the head. Inflammatory cells often show an infiltration pattern targeting hair follicles, leading to alopecia. Our study aims to analyze the characteristics of gene expression data from hair follicle samples by bioinformatics methods, and the representative genes will be validated in data from skin samples with the same disease. The gene expression profile GSE119207 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database as an experimental set, including microarray gene expression data of 4 healthy human hair follicles and 7 lesional and non-lesional hair follicles with CDLE. Gene profile GSE81071 included 13 healthy scalp samples and 47 scalp samples from CDLE lesions as the validation set. The experimental set was analyzed by differential gene expression analysis and WGCNA, respectively, and the intersection was taken to screen the key genes. The key genes were analyzed by GO and KEGG analysis to determine the related biological processes and pathways. The protein-protein interaction network of key genes was established by string and visualized by Cytoscape, and hub genes were obtained by cytoHubba. The acquired hub genes were used as ROC curve in the validation set to verify the consistency, and the related mirnas predicted by the hub genes were obtained by miRNet (version 2.0). Finally, cibersort was used to explore the infiltration pattern of immune cells in the hair follicles of CDLE. Through this process, we found that type I interferon response-related genes activated by the RIG-1 and IL-17 signaling pathways were significantly up-regulated, and the involved hub genes were also consistently upregulated in skin tissues. This process may involve the involvement of follicular helper T cells (Tfhs).
Longitudinal in vivo metabolic labeling reveals tissue-specific mitochondrial proteome turnover rates and effects of parkin deficiency
Authors: Stauch K. L. , Totusek S. , Trease A. J. , Estrella L. D. , Emanuel K. , Fangmeier A. , Fox H. S.
Published: December 2022

Our study utilizes a longitudinal isotopic metabolic labeling approach in vivo in combination with organelle fraction proteomics to address the role of parkin in mitochondrial protein turnover in mice. The use of metabolic labeling provides a method to quantitatively determine the global changes in protein half-lives whilst simultaneously assessing protein expression. Studying two diverse mitochondrial populations, we demonstrated the median half-life of brain striatal synaptic mitochondrial proteins is significantly greater than that of hepatic mitochondrial proteins (25.7 vs. 3.5 days). Furthermore, loss of parkin resulted in an overall, albeit modest, increase in both mitochondrial protein abundance and half-life. Pathway and functional analysis of our proteomics data identified both known and novel pathways affected by loss of parkin that are consistent with its role in both mitochondrial quality control and neurodegeneration. Our study therefore adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting dependence on parkin is low for basal mitophagy in vivo and provides a foundation for the investigation of novel parkin targets.
Determining Optimal Solar Power Plant (SPP) Sites by Technical and Environmental Analysis: The Case of Safranbolu-Türkiye
Authors: Arca Deniz , Citiroglu Hulya Keskin , Yalçınkaya Nermin Merve
Published: December 2022

Solar energy is among the sustainable and renewable energy sources that have become an important and inevitable part of our lives today. It is of great importance to consider economic, environmental and social factors in determining the installation locations of solar power plants (SPP). In this study, it is aimed to determine suitable areas where SPP can be established in Safranbolu district by using the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP), which is one of the Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods together with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in order to enable the decision makers to express their preferences in approximate or adaptable ways. The criteria addressed in the technical analysis process were also determined by supporting the basic principles of impact assessment systems. Within the scope of the environmental analysis, the relevant national and international legal framework was also examined and the legal constraints were identified. Thus, in the process of determining the optimal areas for SPP, it has been tried to produce sustainable solutions that are expected to have minimal impact on the integrity of the natural system. According to the results obtained, there are very suitable areas for SPP installation in the central and western parts of Safranbolu district, and there are also areas suitable for SPP installation in the northern and southern parts of the district. It was also observed that these areas do not conflict with the basic principles of impact assessment systems.
A case of herpes simplex virus induced peripheral neuropathy and encephalitis with positive GM3 and CASPR2 antibody
Authors: Lu Hongji , Liao Yingdi , Zhang Changlin , Wen Wanxing , Du Yaming , Zhao Ming , Wang Lixing
Published: December 2022

Background: We reported on a case involving an older patient with HSV-1 encephalitis who simultaneously experienced the onset of peripheral nerve symptoms associated with the presence of anti-GM3 immunoglobulin G (IgG).
Case presentation: A 77-year-old male was admitted to hospital with high fever, weakness of both lower limbs, and an unstable gait. A CSF test revealed a strikingly increased protein level (1,002 mg/L) and MRI revealed hyper-signal lesions in the right temporal lobe, right hippocampus, right insula, and right cingulate gyrus. The CSF was positive for HSV PCR (HSV-1,17870). In addition, the serum samples were positive for CASPR2 antibodies (1/10) and anti-GM3 immunoglobulin G (IgG) (+). The patient was diagnosed with HSV-1-induced peripheral nerve symptoms that were associated with encephalitis and the presence of anti-GM3 IgG and anti-CASPR2 antibodies. The patient had received included intravenous immunoglobulin, intravenous acyclovir, and corticosteroids therapy. At the one-year follow-up examination, he had regained the necessary skills associated with daily life.
Conclusions: Herpes simplex virus infection often induces encephalitis, and reaction to the virus may trigger an autoimmune response. Early diagnosis and treatment can avoid the progression of the disease to include autoimmune encephalitis.
Goal-directed fluid therapy in renal failure patients undergoing parathyroidectomy: a randomized, single-center, controlled trial
Authors: Yang Quanyong , Bu Tegeleqi , Yu Kaili , Ma Ying , Wang Lifang , Zhang Xiaobei , Yin Yiqing
Published: December 2022

Purpose: Parathyroidectomy, recommended when secondary hyperparathyroidism develops in renal failure patients on long-term renal dialysis, has high cardiovascular risks due to chronic fluid depletion. Stroke volume variation (SVV) is suitable for real-time liquid therapy titration under general anesthesia. We aimed to evaluate the Goal-directed fluid therapy by SVV for parathyroidectomy in renal failure patients.
Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled trial enrolled renal failure patients (N = 121) scheduled for parathyroidectomy under general anesthesia. The Goal-directed fluid therapy (GDT) group monitor was infused with saline until SVV was under 10%; the controls received standard restricted fluid therapy (SRT). Vasoactive agents were also available to maintain systolic blood pressure (SBP)≥90mmHg, mean blood pressure (MAP)≥65mmHg, or cardiac index 2.5–4.5 (L/min/m2). Data were presented as mean or median. The primary outcome was the perioperative hemodynamic changes. The secondary outcomes were blood gas analysis, fluid supplementation, vasoactive drug dosage, operation time, dialysis parameters, postoperative complications, postoperative lactate levels, and total days of hospitalization.
Results: Compared with SRT, GDT-Group patients needed more fluid, and their ephedrine use was reduced; they achieved stable blood flow changes during the perioperative period, who had lower serum lactic acid (cLAC) levels and postoperative complications.
Conclusion: This is the first study to propose that goal-directed fluid therapy by SVV in renal failure patients undergoing short-term surgery under general anesthesia could correct volume depletion, optimize tissue perfusion, and reduce blood pressure fluctuations and postoperative complications, with no long-term adverse effects.
Trial registration: Research Ethics Committee of Clinical Research Ethics Committee of China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China (2018-125-K91-1). The study protocol was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Register Network (ChiCTR1800019009, 21/10/2018).
Design and techno-economic analysis of impact of renewable energy on grid-connected power systems: Kakuri community, Nigeria as a case study.
Authors: Badmus Emmanuel Oluwatobi , Odekunle Oluwamurewa Precious , Omole Samuel Olamide
Published: December 2022

This research studied the technical, economic, and environmental analysis of system hybridisation of renewable energy systems connected to the conventional grid. The HOMER Pro software analysed the potential of using grid-connected energy systems. The location for the study is the Kakuri in Kaduna, Nigeria, which had an average load of 165.44kWh/day at a 20.46kWpeak. Hybridisation simulations were to showcase the availability of electricity supply and the impact on energy cost. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to understand the impact of the increase in the average yearly solar irradiance, depending on location and weather. The most optimised scenario was the PV/Converter/Grid system which supplied 25kW power, and which PV system supplied 52% of the annual electricity production, which stood at 45,721 kWh/yr. Cost analysis also indicated that the system had a Levelized cost of energy of ₦29.29/kWh and a Net Present Cost (NPC) of ₦28.9 million. 45% NPC made up the PV, while the grid and converter shared 42% and 13%, respectively. The hybrid model was also simulated via MATLAB/SIMULINK software to showcase, analyse and implement the system’s viability for practical scenario usage.
„Don’t look up”: trust and COVID-19 immunization choices.
Authors: Carrieri Vincenzo , Guthmuller Sophie , Wübker Ansgar
Published: December 2022

This article uses novel data collected on a weekly basis covering more than 35,000 individuals in EU to analyze the relationship between trust in various dimensions and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. We find that trust in science is negatively correlated, while trust in social media and the use of social media as the main source of information are positively associated with vaccine hesitancy. High trust in social media is found among adults aged 65+, financially distressed and unemployed individuals, and hesitancy is largely explained by conspiracy beliefs among them. Finally, we find that the temporary suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine in March 2021 significantly increased vaccine hesitancy and especially among people with low trust in science, living in rural areas, females, and financially distressed. Our findings suggest that trust is a key determinant of vaccine hesitancy and that pro-vaccine campaigns could be successfully targeted toward groups at high risk of hesitancy.
Effects of Film Mulching and Irrigation on Biomass of Leaves, Roots and Tubers and Soil Nutrient Characteristics of Cyperus esculentus L.
Authors: Ding Ya , Zhang Zhihao , Li Li , Zeng Fanjiang
Published: December 2022

Aims To study the effect of drip irrigation mulching and the most suitable irrigation system for Cyperus esculentus L., and to provide a reference for the construction of a cultivation model for water-saving and high yield management of Cyperus esculentus.
Methods To study the effects of irrigation and mulching control on the nutrients and biomass of Cyperus esculentus, a combination of field and indoor experiments analyzed the film mulching (FM) and no film mulching (NFM) treatments and different irrigation treatments, CK (control, the common local irrigation of 5316.45 m3·ha-2), T1 (3431.40 m3·ha-2) and T2 (4133.85 m3·ha-2), and the correlation between soil and plant nutrient content and biomass.
Results The result showed that contents of soil organ carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), and soil total phosphorus (STP) dropped layer by layer with soil depth increased, and film mulching reduced SOC, STN, and STP contents, and reaching maximum under the T2NFM treatment. T2NFM treatment significantly increased leaf total phosphorus (LTP) and root total nitrogen (RTN). The aboveground and underground biomass reached maximum under the T2FM treatment, followed by higher biomass under FM than the NFM treatment. According to correlation analysis that the biomass of Cyperus esculentus, soil and plant nutrient contents, and yield could be improved by changing the water and fertilizer supply.
Conclusion In conclusion, the region's soils are generally nitrogen-limited, therefore supplemental nitrogen fertilization is recommended for agricultural production. In addition, the irrigation of 4133.85 m3·ha-2 under the mulching condition not only improved yield but also saved water resources.
Intra-dialytic Blood Pressure Variability Is a Greater Predictor of Cardiovascular Events in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Liu Qixing , Wang Wei , Wu Xianglan , Lv Jiaxuan , Cai Shiming , Li Yuehong
Published: December 2022

Background
Short-term and long-term blood pressure variability (BPV) in hemodialysis (HD) population are risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and all-cause mortality. There is no full consensus on the best BPV metric. We compared the prognostic role of intra-dialytic and visit-to-visit BPV metrics for CVD morbidity and all-cause mortality in HD patients.
Methods
A retrospective cohort of 120 patients on HD was followed up for 44 months. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and baseline characteristics were collected for 3 months. We calculated intra-dialytic and visit-to-visit BPV metrics, including standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), variability independent of the mean (VIM), average real variability (ARV) and residual. The primary outcomes were CVD events and all-cause mortality.
Results
In Cox regression analysis, both intra-dialytic and visit-to-visit BPV metrics were associated with increased CVD events (intra-dialytic CV: HR 1.70, 95% CI 1.28–2.27, p < 0.01; visit-to-visit CV: HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.12–2.16, p < 0.01). Intra-dialytic SD was associated with increased all-cause mortality (HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.01–2.04, P = 0.04). Overall, intra-dialytic BPV showed greater prognostic ability than visit-to-visit BPV for both CVD event (AUC of intra-dialytic BPV and visit-to-visit BPV metrics respectively: SD 0.686, 0.606; CV 0.672, 0.425; VIM 0.677, 0.581; ARV 0.684, 0.618; residual 0.652, 0.586) and all-cause mortality (SD 0.671, 0.608; CV 0.662, 0.575; VIM 0.669, 0.581; ARV 0.529, 0.588; residual 0.651, 0.602).
Conclusion
Compared to visit-to-visit BPV, intra-dialytic BPV is a greater predictor of CVD event and all-cause mortality in HD patients. No obvious priority was found among various BPV metrics.
Sarcopenia as a risk factor of progression-free survival in patients with metastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhou Meijun , Shen Xiangru , Fang Shuai , Wan Teng , Liu Pan , Li Peiling , Tan Haifeng , Fu Yong , Guo Weiming
Published: December 2022

Background
Metastasis of cancer causes more than 90% of cancer deaths and is severely damaging to human health. In recent years, several studies have linked sarcopenia to shorter survival in patients with metastatic cancer. Several predictive models exist to predict mortality in patients with metastatic cancer, but have reported limited accuracy.
Methods
We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for articles published on or before October 14, 2022. Pooled Hazard Ratio (HR) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random effects model. The primary outcome was an increased risk of death or tumor progression in patients with metastatic cancer. In addition, we performed subgroup analyses and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses to explore the main sources of heterogeneity and the stability of the results.
Results
Sixteen retrospective cohort studies with 1,675 patients were included in the 888 papers screened. The results showed that sarcopenia was associated with lower progression-free survival (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.19–2.03, I2 = 76.3%, P < 0.001). This result was further confirmed by trim-and-fill procedures and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis.
Conclusions
This study suggests that sarcopenia may be a risk factor for reduced progression-free survival in patients with metastatic cancer. Further studies are still needed to explain the reason for this high heterogeneity in outcome.
Trial Registration:
CRD42022325910
Using LCMS/ MS, new pomegranate molasses compounds were examined for their effects on anemia brought on by phenylhydrazine
Authors: Soliman Nabil Abbas Ahmed , Mansour Sherif Wajih , Ammar Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed , Hassan Noura Ahmed , Hamad Rehab , Ammar Mohamed
Published: December 2022

The ethanolic extract of pomegranate molasses was investigated for its impact on phenylhydrazine (PHZ)-induced anemia in male albino rats using LCMS/MS analysis to determine the phytoconstituents. When PHZ was administered,red cells (RBCs) decreased in count, hematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, and mean cell volume (MCV) were increased. Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and concentration, as well as reticulocyte count, leukocyte count, and platelet count were the same results. PHZ also caused hyperbilirubinemia, an increase in erythropoietin, iron, lactate dehydrogenase, and malondialdehyde levels, as well as a decrease in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). Additionally, PHZ caused the splenic histopathology to deteriorate. The administration of molasses prior to PHZ provided protection against RBCs abnormalities, increased RBCs count, hematocrit, and haemoglobin concentration, and decreased MCH, leukocyte count, platelets count, and reticulocyte count. Additionally, the administration of molasses prior to PHZ decreased the levels of bilirubin, erythropoietin, iron, lactate dehydrogenase, and malondialdehyde and increased the activity of G6PD and antioxidant enzymes. In comparison to administration of PHZ alone, the administration of molasses before PHZ led to a modrest improvement in splenic histopathology. Finally, the pomegranate molasses ethanolic extract exhibits good protection against blood poisoning and anemia caused by PHZ and may be a promising choice for treating anemia-related disorders with a natural origin.
Mining of Gene Modules and Identification of Key Genes for early diagnosis of gastric cancer
Authors: Xu Ling , Sun Feipeng , Zhang Yu , Liu Xudong , Liu Zhe , Ma Ying , Wang Lei , Xing Feng
Published: December 2022

Background Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with high incidence and mortality rates. Most patients with GC are not diagnosed until the advanced stage of cancer or during tumor screening, resulting in missing the best treatment time. Methods This study identified key modules and hub genes associated with GC by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). RNA sequencing profiles and clinical information data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Compared with normal samples, the “limma” package in R was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GC samples. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were conducted to detect the related pathways and functions of DEGs. Gene modules associated with clinical characteristics were identified with WGCNA in tumor and normal samples. Hub genes of key modules were identified using survival and expression analysis. Finally, one-way ANOVA was used to explore the relationship between hub gene expression in normal tissues and different pathological stages of GC. Results A total of 4892 DEGs were screened. These DEGs were primarily associated with extracellular matrix organization, DNA replication, cell cycle, and p53 signaling pathway. Based on WGCNA, six gene modules were obtained, of which two modules were significantly correlated with GC. Through survival and expression analysis, a total of 19 genes with good prognosis and significantly different expression in tumor tissues (compared with normal tissues) were identified. There were significant differences in the expression levels of hub genes in normal tissues and different pathological stages of GC, indicating that these genes have important diagnostic value for early GC. Conclusions In this study, the expression levels of 19 hub genes were significantly different in different GC pathological stages from normal samples, indicating that these hub genes can be used as auxiliary indicators in the diagnosis of early GC.
Automatically Human Action Recognition (HAR) with View Variation from Skeleton Means of Adaptive Transformer Network
Authors: Mehmood Faisal , Chen Enqing , Akbar Muhammad Azeem , Khan Arif Ali , Abbas Touqeer
Published: December 2022

Human Action Recognition (HAR) using skeletons has become increasingly appealing to a growing number of researchers in recent years. It is particularly challenging to recognize actions when they are captured from different angles because there are so many variations in their representations. This paper proposes an automatic strategy for determining virtual observation viewpoints that are based on learning and data-driven to solve the problem of view variation throughout an act. Our VA-CNN and VA-RNN networks, which use convolutional and recurrent neural networks with the Long Short-term Memory (LSTM), offer an alternative to the conventional method of reorienting skeletons according to a human-defined earlier benchmark. Using the unique view adaption module, each network first identifies the best observation perspectives and then transforms the skeletons for end-to-end detection with the main classification network based on those viewpoints. Using the skeletons of different perspectives, the suggested view adaptive models can provide significantly more consistent virtual viewpoints. By removing views, the models allow networks to learn action-specific properties more efficiently. Furthermore, we developed a two-stream scheme (referred to as VA-fusion) that integrates the performance of two networks to obtain an improved prediction. Random rotation of skeletal sequences is used to avoid overfitting during training and improve the reliability of view adaption models. An extensive experiment demonstrates that our proposed view-adaptive networks outperform existing solutions on five challenging benchmarks.
Parental role in paediatric cancer treatment decision making at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia: Mixed method study
Authors: Betemariem Daniel , Deribe Leul , Hailu Aklil , Adam Haileyesus , Lindström Nataliya Berbyuk
Published: December 2022

Background
Preferences for parent involvement in treatment decision-making vary between passive, collaborative, and active, depending on different factors. This study explores the parental role in pediatric cancer treatment decision-making (TDM) in Ethiopia and identifies the factors which determine this role.
Methods
The study combines a cross-sectional survey and a phenomenological interview study. In total 167 parents of children with cancer participated in the survey. Control Preference Scale for Pediatrics (CPS-P) and Krantz Health Opinion Survey (KHOS) were used to measure parentalTDMroles. In addition, 11 interviews with selected parents were conducted. Logistic regression and thematic analysis were used for quantitative and qualitative components.
Results
The Ethiopian parents preferred a passive role in TDM. Trust in health care providers and parental information preferences were statistically significant predictors of the passive parental role. Parental decision-making was associated with the quality of the parent-healthcare provider relationship, the child's clinical condition, parental beliefs towards TDM, and knowledge about cancer disease.
Conclusions
The study contributes insights into the parental role in TDM in Ethiopian pediatric oncology care, which has not been explored before. Parents’ preferences in TDM are essential for Ethiopian healthcare providers to consider in order to align expectations in communication and make patients' voices heard. The findings emphasize the importance of enhancing more active parental TDM by facilitating educational sessions for parents, developing guidelines for parental education, and providing information about cancer to people from different parts of the country.
Beyond Heroism: A Qualitative Study on the Lived Experiences of Nurses Caring for Patients with COVID-19 in Pakistan
Authors: Afzal Mahreen , Rashid Muhammad Abo ul Hassan , Fischer Florian
Published: December 2022

Background
Healthcare professionals around the globe suffered a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aims to explore the lived experiences of nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in Pakistan.
Methods
The study is qualitative in nature to explore the lived experiences caring for the patients with Covid-19 in Pakistan. This research was conducted in two government hospitals of Pakistan. Face to face in-depth interviews were conducted among 30 nurses who were selected for face-to-face in-depth interviews by using purposive sampling technique. Thematic analysis was applied to extract the themes out respondent’s answers.
Results
By using the thematic analysis, social response, impact on physical and mental health, and experience of handling COVID-19 patients were extracted as major themes.
Conclusions
The findings of this research are of immense importance to show the impact of COVID-19 on mental and physical health, along with social and personal consequences of nurses who provide care to COVID-19 patients.