bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How are left-sided rib fractures associated with splenectomy in cases of splenic injury? A multicentre cohort study from urban India.
Authors: Banker Amay , Wärnberg Martin Gerdin , Gadgil Anita , Sarang Bhakti , Prajapati Ramlal , Soni Kapildev , Khajanchi Monty
Published: April 2022

Background
Any fracture to the rib cage, particularly the left sided ribs, implies a high impact trauma and higher predisposition to splenic injury. Our hypothesis is that injuries causing fractures to the left sided ribs may indicate a high-grade splenic injury which may require splenectomy. This would help the surgeon working in rural and limited resource settings, to plan splenectomy in hemodynamically stable patients with an undetermined grade of splenic injury. With this hypothesis in mind, we aimed to determine how fractures to the left sided ribs, in cases of splenic injury, are associated with splenectomy.
Methods
We performed a subgroup analysis of patients with splenic injury from a prospective trauma registry study named ‘Towards Improved Trauma Care Outcomes’ in India. Categorical variables were analyzed using the chi square test and a binary logistic regression was developed to assess the significance of continuous variables.
Results
During the study period, a total of 16047 patients were included. Of these, 267 patients suffered from splenic injury and 70 patients required splenectomy. Fractures of the left sided ribs was not associated with splenectomy. Injury severity score (ISS), a lower systolic blood pressure and oxygen saturation at arrival, requirement of blood transfusions within 24 hours of admission and a higher grade of splenic injury (grade 4 and grade 5) were associated with splenectomy.
Conclusion
In contradiction to our initial hypothesis, we found that left sided rib fractures were not significantly associated with splenectomy. Grade of splenic injury was an important determinant of splenectomy.
Contemporary aetiology of Heart Failure in a Teaching Hospital in Ghana: a prospective study
Authors: Agyekum Francis , Ankomaba Folson Aba , Asare Bernard Yeboah-Asiamah , Doku Alfred , Kpodonu John , Okine Rafiq , Fokuoh Forster , Akamah Joseph Atiah
Published: April 2022

Background
Heart failure (Heart Failure) is recognized as a global public health disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. It is suggested that the main underlying causes of HF in developing countries differ from those identified in well-resourced countries. This study therefore presents the cardiovascular risk factors and the causes of HF among admitted patients in a teaching Hospital in Ghana.
Method
The study prospectively recruited 140 consecutive patients admitted for heart failure at the Medical department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital from March to October, 2014. The study evaluated the cardiovascular risk factors and the aetiologies of heart failure, and compared the risk factors and aetiologies with patient’s age and gender.
Results
The mean age of the study participants was 51.3 ± 16.8 years. The commonest cardiovascular risk factors observed were hypertension (46.5%), history of previous HF (40.7%), excessive alcohol use (38.6%), and family history of heart disease (29.3%); predominantly hypertension (68.3%). The major causes of HF were hypertensive heart disease (30.7%), dilated cardiomyopathy (29.3%), ischaemic heart disease (13.6%) and valvular heart disease (12.9%). HF caused by hypertensive heart disease (88.4% vs 11.6%; p = 0.015), dilated cardiomyopathy (58.5% vs 41.5%; p = 0.004) and ischaemic heart disease (100.0% vs 0.0%; p = 0.004) were high in patients aged 40 years and above compared to those below 40 years.
Conclusion
The major causes of heart failure in adults admitted to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital were hypertensive heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, ischaemic heart disease and valvular heart disease significantly high among patients aged 40 years and above. The main cardiovascular risk factors identified among the heart failure patients were hypertension, excessive alcohol use, family history of heart disease and personal history of previous heart failure diagnosis.
Refractory/relapse thrombocytopenia in a patient with Evans’ syndrome successfully treated with zanubrutinib
Authors: Li Menguan , Liu Liu , Ding Bingjie , Xia Ao , Han Yu , Song Xuewen , Song Yongping , Wei Xudong , Zhou Hu
Published: April 2022

Methods
We report a case of a 15-year-old Chinese girl with Evans’ syndrome who presented with refractory/relapse thrombocytopenia successfully treated with zanubrutinib. There is no published cases of treating refractory/relapse thrombocytopenia with zanubrutinib, a second-generation selective covalent Inhibitor of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase, in Evans’ syndrome.
Results
Despite the initial treatment with Dexamethasone, Recombinant human thrombopoietin, Thrombopoietin receptor agonist (Eltrombopag /Avatrobopa), immunoglobulin, Rituximab, immunosuppressants (Cyclosporine/Azathioprine /Sirolimus) and Splenectomy, our patient relapsed and finally applied zanubrutinib which resulted in successful remission. ES case treated on zanubrutinib without adverse effects. The patient had dramatic and long-lasting recovery that started following the drug. Clinical trials to assess the role of zanubrutinib in ES treatment are warranted.
Discussion
We conclude by reviewing the cases of refractory/relapse Evans’ syndrome and review the application of BTK Inhibitors for the treatment of autoimmune diseases in medical practice. Ours is the first published case of using covalent Inhibitor of BTK in refractory/relapse Evans’ syndrome and contributes to the literature on the successful use of zanubrutinib in clinical practice.
Conclusion
The zanubrutinib may be a feasible therapeutic option for patients with Evans’ syndrome who do not respond well to traditional therapies.
IL-17A–responsive neutrophils expressing CD49d and VEGFR1 promote synovium lesions by enhancing the migratory and invasion behavior of synovial fibroblasts at the early stage of rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Li Yanhong , Luo Yubin , Chen Tao , Cao Luyang , Yang Hang , Zhang Qiuping , Zhao Yi , Liu Yi , Muñoz Luis E.
Published: April 2022

Background
Emerging evidences indicate there are different subsets of neutrophils whose biological functions vary in different physiological or pathological status. However, the function of the neutrophil subsets in the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is rarely reported.
Methods
The presence of CD49d+VEGFR1+Ly6G+ neutrophil in blood, joint and bone marrow (BM) were determined in Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice. CD49d−VEGFR1−PMN, CD49d+VEGFR1−PMN and CD49d+VEGFR1+PMN were isolated. The effect of IL-17A on CD49d and VEGFR1 expression was investigated in vitro. WT and IL-17A−/− mice were immunized with bovine type II collagen. Disease activity was evaluated using clinical score and diameter of ankle. The level of MMP-3 and MMP-13 were detected by ELISA. The expression of CD49d+VEGFR1+PMN in RA patients and healthy individual (HC) were determined by flow cytometer.
Results
We identified a unique CD49d+VEGFR1+neutrophil subset and investigated them in the pathogenesis of RA. The proportion of this neutrophil subset changed dynamically during the arthritis development. In vivo and in vitro experiments indicated the increased CD49d+VEGFR1+neutrophil population was IL-17A-dependent. CD49d+VEGFR1+neutrophils, localized in the inflamed synovium of CIA mice, possessed pro-inflammatory features with elevated expressions of TNF-α, VEGF, IL-18, CXCL9, CCL3 and CCL4. CD49d+VEGFR1+neutrophils promote the migration and the invasion ability of fibroblast like-synoviocytes (FLS), accompanied with a significant elevation in MMP-3 and MMP-13 release.
Conclusion
We identified a unique neutrophil subset with high expression of CD49d and VEGFR1, which are induced by IL-17A in RA. This unique subset plays a critical role in synovium pathogenesis by activating FLS at the early stage of RA.
Safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Authors: Liu Qixin , Shen Liangfang , Wei Rui , He Yuxiang , Zhou Qin , Tan Xiao , Shen Lin , Huang Xinqiong
Published: April 2022

Purpose To explore the safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.Methods We conducted a retrospective study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with HBV infection who received immune checkpoint inhibitors at our medical centre from 1 February 2017, to 30 November 2021. The primary endpoint was treatment-related adverse events and the secondary endpoint was tumour response and survival outcome.Results Nineteen eligible patients were selected and all patients tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. Five patients received Sintilimab, four received Nivolumab, three received Camrelizumab, three received Toripalimab, three received Penpulimab and only one received Pembrolizumab. None of the patients in the study experienced HBV reactivation or treatment-related deaths. The adverse reactions were mild in general, primarily grade 1; only leukopenia, lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, neutrophilia, ALT increase and AST increase were grade 3. The objective response rate was 77.8% and the disease control rate was 88.9%. The median overall survival (OS) of all patients was 14.4 months and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10.4 months. The 1-year PFS and 1-year OS were 47.4% and 52.6%, respectively. Subgroup analysis revealed that immunotherapy as a first-line treatment improved patient OS.Conclusion Immunotherapy is safe and effective for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with HBV infection. Regular monitoring of HBV biomarkers and anti-viral prophylaxis should not exclude this particular population from receiving immunotherapy indications in clinical practice or clinical trials.
Influencing factors of humanistic care ability and its dimensions among mental health workers: an online cross-sectional study
Authors: Liu Xiaolin , Zhu Hongjin
Published: April 2022

Background: In psychiatric services, humanistic care ability significantly affects the quality of therapeutic relationship and thus affects therapeutic outcomes of patients. Mental health workers may face more obstacles in humanistic care during the COVID-19 pandemic, we aimed to explore the level of humanistic care ability among mental health workers and its potential influencing factors.Method(s) An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 262 mental health workers working in Chongqing, China, from December 2020 to January 2021. Data were collected by the Caring Ability Inventory (CAI), the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-24) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised, Short Scale for Chinese (EPQ-RSC). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of humanistic care ability.Results Mental health workers’ humanistic care ability was at a low level, with a score of 186.47 ± 21.34. Psychological capital was positively associated with humanistic care ability (β[95%CI] = 0.411 [0.464, 0.772], p<0.001) and its two dimensions (cognition: β[95%CI] = 0.514 [0.304, 0.465], p<0.001; patience: β[95%CI] = 0.478 [0.171, 0.283], p<0.001). Psychoticism was negatively associated with humanistic care ability (β[95%CI] = -0.277 [-5.179, -2.513], p<0.001) and its three dimensions (cognition: β[95%CI] = -0.124 [-1.567, -0.165], p<0.05; courage: β[95%CI] = -0.166 [-1.698, -0.316], p<0.01; patience: β[95%CI] = -0.185 [-1.330, -0.358], p<0.01). Extroversion was positively associated with humanistic care ability (β[95%CI] = 0.189 [0.686, 2.080], p<0.001) and its two dimensions (cognition: β[95%CI] = 0.188 [0.323, 1.051], p<0.001; courage: β[95%CI] = 0.268 [0.496, 1.230], p<0.001). Neuroticism was negatively associated with humanistic care ability (β[95%CI] = -0.130[-1.366, -0.193], p<0.01) and its one dimension (courage: β[95%CI] = -0.252 [-0.977, -0.352], p<0.001).Conclusion(s) Research has found that the humanistic care ability of mental health workers is at a low level, and psychological capital and personality traits are significant factors influencing the humanistic care ability and its sub-dimensions. Interventions to improve psychological capital of mental health workers or to promote the change of personality traits that they want are recommended, thereby promoting humanistic practice.
Development of User-Participating Spatial Information Service Based on Digital Map
Authors: YOOJOONGOCK
Published: April 2022

Recently, user-participating spatial information service is being developed with which users can directly enter, share, and utilize their interested information about any particular topic in the web map using a web or smart phone in their personal area. However, previous user-participating spatial information service dealt with only the location information expressed with points, not any spatial information expressed with polylines and polygons. Also, as they developed services based on the web map provided by GOOGLE, VWORLD, NAVER, and DAUM, it was not easy to utilize other spatial information that had existed before in connection. This means that previous user-participating spatial information service did have a limitation that it used spatial information limitedly regardless of the user’s demand. Therefore, this study aims to suggest the concept of user-participating spatial information service with which users can create, edit, or save spatial information they intend to generate newly and also spatial information in the forms of points, polylines, and polygons which the previous digital map implies based on the digital map and also realize the service prototype based on the web. This is expected to be used as related research for the developer intending to develop user-participating spatial information service to use spatial information more widely.
Peptide Isolated from Noni Seeds Confers Gastroprotective Effect by Improving Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Mice
Authors: Nogueira Francisca Cristiane , Costa Andréa Santos , Campos Dyély de Carvalho Oliveira , Silva Rodolpho Glauber Guedes , Franco Álvaro Xavier , Soares Pedro Marcos Gomes , Rocha Raquel de Oliveira , Damasceno Renan Oliveira Silva , de Alencar Nylane Maria Nunes , Souza Marcellus Henrique Loiola Ponte , de Oliveira Hermógenes David
Published: April 2022

Plant molecules are continuously investigated to prevent and treat inflammatory and ulcerative disorders associated with the gastrointestinal tract, such as gastritis, colitis, mucositis, and ulcer. However, most of the work published is devoted to investigating the therapeutic properties of secondary plant metabolites. This work investigated the gastroprotective activity of a lipid transfer protein isolated from Morinda citrifolia L., named McLTP1, when orally administered to mice, from the perspective of its use as a novel peptide-based drug for the prevention and treatment of ulcerative gastric lesions. Pretreatment with McLTP1 at different doses (4, 8, or 16 mg/kg) reduced ethanol-induced gastric lesions (p < 0.05) in 40%, 84%, and 88%, respectively. In ethanol-induced gastric lesions, it was demonstrated alterations in levels of GSH (↑100%; p < 0.05) and a reduction by 45% in the levels of MDA (p < 0.05) after McLTP1 administration (8 mg/kg). McLTP1 showed an anti-inflammatory effect through the modulation of the cytokines IL- 10 (↑33%) and TNF-α (↓54%) and was able to reduce MPO levels (↓95%) in the gastric tissue. Besides, the gastroprotective of McLTP1 also involves the production of nitric oxide. The present findings reveal that McLTP1 has a gastroprotective effect dependent, at least in part, on its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Granulosa cell mevalonate pathway abnormalities contribute to oocyte meiotic defects
Authors: Liu Chuanming , Zuo Wu , Yan Guijun , Wang Shanshan , Sun Simin , Li Shiyuan , Tang Xinyi , Li Yifan , Cai Changjun , Wang Haiquan , Liu Wenwen , Fang Junshun , Zhang Yang , Zhou Jidong , Zhen Xin , Feng Tianxiang , Hu Yali , Wang Zhenbo , Li Chaojun , Bian Qian , Sun Haixiang , Ding Lijun
Published: April 2022

The mechanisms of aging-related oocyte meiotic defects and low competence remain elusive. Hi-C and SMART-seq revealed aging-related decreases in chromosome condensation, particularly for genomic regions proximal to the centromeres in metaphase I aged oocytes. Further transcriptomic analysis of oocyte-surrounding granulosa cells (GCs) showed that oocyte meiotic maturation was accompanied by robust increases in mevalonate (MVA) pathway gene expression in GCs, which was largely downregulated in aged GCs. Suppression of MVA metabolism in GCs with statins resulted in marked meiotic defects in young cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). Conversely, supplementation with the MVA metabolite geranylgeraniol ameliorated meiotic defects in aged COCs. Meanwhile, geranylgeraniol also activated LHR/EGF signaling in aged GCs and then enhanced the meiosis-associated gene expression in oocytes. Generally, the MVA pathway in GCs is a critical regulator of meiotic maturation in oocytes.
Tiller estimation method using deep neural networks
Authors: Kinose Rikuya , Utsumi Yuzuko , Iwamura Masakazu , Kise Koichi
Published: April 2022

Background: A tiller is a branch on a grass plant, and the number of tillers is one of the most important determinants of yield. Traditionally, the tiller number is usually counted by hand, and so an automated approach is necessary for high-throughput phenotyping. Conventional methods use heuristic features to estimate the tiller number. Based on the successful application of DNNs in the field of computer vision, the use of DNN-based features instead of heuristic features is expected to improve the estimation accuracy. However, as DNNs generally require large volumes of data for training, it is difficult to apply them to estimation problems for which large training datasets are unavailable. In this paper, we use two strategies to overcome the problem of insufficient training data: the use of a pretrained DNN model and the use of pretext tasks for learning the feature representation. We extract features using the resulting DNNs and estimate the tiller numbers through a regression technique.
Results: We conducted experiments using a dataset of Setaria viridis. Experiments show that the proposed methods using a pretrained model and specific pretext tasks achieve better performance than the conventional method. The best mean absolute error between the hand-labeled and estimated tiller numbers by the proposed method is 0.57.
Conclusions: We realized applying DNN methods to tiller number estimation methods by using pretext tasks. The proposed method outperformed the conventional approach.
Diversity of indoor wood decaying fungi in Poland
Authors: Andres Bogusław Adam , Krajewski Krzysztof J. , Betlej Izabela
Published: April 2022

This paper presents the results of research on the diversity of wood-rot fungi found in buildings and outdoor wooden engineering structures in Poland. A total of 47 species and genera of wood-rot fungi from Basidiomycota (19 brown rot fungi, 28 white rot fungi) and 1 genus from Ascomycota (1 fungus which does not cause wood decay) was found in damaged buildings. The greatest number of wood-rot fungi was reported on outdoor wooden engineering structures (33 species), followed by unoccupied residential buildings (30 species). The lowest diversity was found in occupied residential buildings (20 species). A total of 34 species and genera of fungi were found in all examined structures, out of which 17 species caused brown rot, 16 caused white rot, and 1 did not cause wood decay.
Overweight Effects on Metabolic Rate, Chronic Diseases, Time Perception, Aging, and Lifespan: a Systematic Review
Authors: Oshakbayev Kuat , Bedelbayeva Gulnara , Gazaliyeva Meruyert , Zhankalova Zulfiya , Dukenbayeva Bibazhar , Tordai Attila
Published: April 2022

Background: The hypothesis that metabolic rate is inversely correlated with lifespan has long been debating. Another area of controversy is the relationship between metabolic rate (MR) and time-flow perception (TFP), and aging. Aim: to study the impact of overweight and food intake on MR, TFP, chronic disease, aging, lifespan; difficulty in weight loss.Methods. Design: a systematic review. Settings: Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Kopernio, PubMed, Mendeley were searched for articles published from January 1979 until February 2022. The study bases on a viewpoint supported by a systematic literature review of 3612 articles published worldwide.Results: In total, 107 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. From them, 22 articles were excluded with reasons. Overweight and overeating accelerate MR, leading to hyper-metabolic mode of the body. MR and lifespan are inversely correlated. TFP depends on MR; accelerated MR leads to deceleration of TFP. Every person has an individual ability to gain weight up to 'maximum bodyweight', which indicates the individual potential energy to weight gain. Overweight excessively consumes the body ‘vital energy’, devours body potential energy. Weightloss creates ‘body power to weight gain’ that increases physical/mental activity, recovers from disease, or weight regain. The body should less calorie intake due to decrease in MR by age. Very-low-calorie diets should use for weight loss.Conclusions: Our findings support that overweight and overeating increase MR, which delays time-flow perception, accelerates aging, limits lifespan. Metabolic intoxication should be managed during weight loss.
Novel ideas for the comprehensive evaluation of varus knee osteoarthritis: radiological measurements of the morphology of the lateral knee joint
Authors: Ma Wenru , Wang Fengkun , Sun Shengnan , Ding Lei , Wang Lu , Yu Tengbo , Zhang Yi
Published: April 2022

Background: The lateral anatomical and morphological characteristics of knees with varus knee osteoarthritis (OA) have not received sufficient attention. This study used several radiological parameters to describe the morphological characteristics of the lateral knee with OA to determine whether there are relationships between varus knee OA and parameters such as lateral plateau widening (LPW), proximal fibula curvature (PFC), and fibula height (FH).Methods: The study retrospectively analyzed 1072 subjects [376 males, 696 females; mean age 66.84±7.04 (range 46–83) years; mean body mass index (BMI) 26.98±3.22 kg/m²] who underwent standard radiography for diagnosing or evaluating symptomatic knee joint disease. The 163 Kellgren and Lawrence (K-L) grades 0 and I knees were categorized into the no-knee-OA group, and the 909 K-L grades II–IV knees were classified into the knee-OA group. The medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), joint line convergence angle (JLCA), and hip-knee-ankle angle (HKAA) were measured to investigate varus knee deformity. The LPW, PFC, and FH were measured. T-tests and chi-square tests were used to compare each index between the two groups. Binary logistic regression was performed to examine the correlation between indexes and knee OA occurrence. Principal component analysis was used to calculate the comprehensive principal component score of varus deformity, which was used to comprehensively evaluate the knee varus deformity degree by reducing the original data's dimension. Multiple logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to examine the correlations between the three parameters and K-L grades and the comprehensive principal component score of varus deformit.Results: LPW and PFC were significantly greater and FH was significantly smaller in the knee-OA group than in the no-knee-OA group. LPW, PFC, and FH were correlated with knee OA occurrence. One principal component, named the comprehensive principal component score of varus deformity, was extracted from the three indexes, and the total variance of the principal component interpretation was 76.60%. Multivariate logistics and linear regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age and BMI, LPW and PFC were positively correlated with K-L grading and varus deformity. FH was significantly and negatively associated with K-L grading and varus deformity (all P<0.05).Conclusions: Regular morphological changes take place in the lateral knee with varus OA, including lateral dislocation of the tibial plateau, proximal fibula bending, and upward movement of the fibular head. Changes in LPW, PFC, and FH could enable a more comprehensive assessment of varus knee OA occurrence, severity, and deformity.Level of Evidence: Retrospective Study Level III
Digital Marketing Communications in the Sports Nutrition Market
Authors: Shemchuk Maria , Shadrin Vladislav , Komarcheva Oxsana , Konovalova Olga
Published: April 2022

Healthy diet and lifestyle are especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, more and more people of all age groups are getting involved into various sports and healthy diets. These factors have boosted the development of the sports nutrition industry. The current situation requires detailed studies of consumer preferences and digital marketing communications. The present research objective was to identify the role of digital marketing communications in sports nutrition.

The study featured the consumer preferences in the market of sports nutrition and included an on-line survey of 500 residents of the Kuzbass Region engaged in various sports. The obtained results underwent statistical, economic, and graphic analyses.

Men aged 18–29 appeared to be the main consumers of sports nutrition in Kuzbass. Most of them (90%) relied on the competent advice from the seller or coach and purchased sports foods in specialized shops or online. The target audience of sports nutrition consumers is expanding, which requires new promotion means. Digital marketing tools proved extremely effective as they bring information to the target audience in a tailored manner via social nets or influential bloggers.

The article contains some recommendations for producers and sellers of sports foods based on the requirements of the main target consumers and their preferences regarding the place of purchase, content, communication channels, etc. The priority is shifting from traditional marketing communication channels to digital ones, i.e. contextual, targeted, and viral advertising, social media promotion, consultations with a shop assistant or a fitness club coach, direct online marketing, sponsorship of various sports events, joint online promotions with fitness club, etc.
Effect of Polysaccharide Compounds on the Stability of Oil-In-Water Emulsions during Storage
Authors: Frolova Yuliya , Sobolev Roman , Sarkisyan Varuzhan , Kochetkova Alla
Published: April 2022

Polysaccharides interact synergistically to form sedimentation-resistant emulsions. However, data on the effect of polysaccharide combinations on oxidative stability are scarce. Sedimentation and oxidative stability are equally important for fat emulsion products. In fact, emulsions owe their stability to various substances of polysaccharide nature. The research objective was to study the effect of polysaccharides and their combinations on the oxidative and sedimentation stability of direct emulsions during storage.

The study involved direct emulsions of sunflower oil, stabilized polysaccharides, and their combinations. The dispersed phase of sunflower oil was gradually added to the continuous phase of dissolved polysaccharides with intensive stirring. The emulsions were stored at 60°C for eight days. The sedimentation stability was assessed by analyzing sedimentation rate, fractal dimension, lacunarity, and droplet size. The oxidative stability was studied using standard methods for determining the peroxide value and conjugated dienes.

The emulsions had an average particle size from 6.78 ± 2.50 to 12.67 ± 6.53 µm. The samples based on xanthan gum and its combinations with other polysaccharides showed the highest sedimentation stability: exfoliated liquid proportion was 0–5.3%, highly esterified pectin being the only exception. The samples based on locust bean gum and its combination with low esterified pectin demonstrated the highest oxidative stability: peroxide value – 9.85 ± 0.45 mEq/kg. The lowest oxidative stability was found in the sample of locust bean gum with highly esterified pectin: peroxide value – 1.44 ± 0.85 mEq/kg. The combination of locust bean gum and xanthan gum provided satisfactory sedimentation (exfoliated liquid proportion – 2.2%) and oxidative (peroxide value – 11.8 ± 1.1 mEq/kg) stability of the emulsion. The experiment revealed weak correlation (r = – 0.096) between the sedimentary and oxidative stability parameters. Therefore, it was the nature of the polysaccharides themselves that affected these systems. The authors proposed such modes of action as metal chelating, free radical scavenging, and adding polysaccharide phenolic com-pounds.

Combinations of different polysaccharides increased the sedimentation and oxidative stability of direct emulsions. The research results can help food producers to develop new types of stable emulsion-based fat products.
Formalization of the Electricity Pricing Mechanism for Other Consumers of the Retail Market
Authors: Yaschenko Aleksandr
Published: April 2022

This article deals with a complex and rather unique problem of pricing in the wholesale and retail electricity and capacity markets. The interaction of the electric power industry with the economy resulted in a market conglomerate of planned economy and liberal distribution. The reformers tried to avoid monopoly, which allegedly hindered the market development. The entire post-reform practice proves that private investments are ineffective, prices and tariffs for electricity and capacity keep growing, and energy companies are registered as closed joint-stock companies, which decreases their investment attractiveness. Too many private infrastructure companies stand between the consumer and the electricity supplier. These companies deprive the counterparties of their right to determine the terms and price of the transaction, which contradicts the concept of the market economy. The entire market space of electricity supply is divided into the so-called price categories. Formally, the consumer chooses the price category, but this choice depends on numerous rules, restrictions, and conditions. The article introduces an electricity price calculation model that can be used to make up sales contracts and provides a more transparent understanding of the pricing mechanism.
Homeless Animals in Togliatti: Social Problem and Solutions
Authors: Cvetkova Irina
Published: April 2022

The problem of stray animals is caused by violation of safety standards and is an extremely relevant issue on the public agenda. In scientific publications, this issue is usually connected with post-materialistic values. It involves the humanist values and the principles of biocentrism, which apply ethical and legal norms to animals. The research objective was to study the issue of homeless animals as a social problem, as well as various solution methods. The research was based on Russian and foreign social studies that discuss the problem of homeless animals. The analysis shows that the problem of stray animals and ways to solve it are reflected in conflicts between moral and legal norms. The empirical part of the research included an Internet survey conducted in Togliatti in 2019 and the method of unstructured observation. Representatives of different gender and age groups proved to have different views on the problem and its solutions. The survey participants did not favor preventive measures and proposed to create long-term charity-funded shelters.
ADOPTION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ACCEPTANCE OF LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS DURING PANDEMIC COVID-19 IN INDONESIA
Authors: Chotijah Umi , Rosyid Harunur , Retrialisca Fitri , Ichsan Mochammad
Published: April 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in 2019, in wuhan, Hubei province, China has spread almost throughout the world, including Indonesia. The impact of the virus is that the government has issued public policies, which include social distancing, social isolation, and self-quarantine. Various sectors must implement the policy. Several companies in Indonesia have to enforce working from home for all their employees, including educational institutions in Indonesia, from the level of Playgroups, Early Childhood Education, Kindergartens, Elementary Schools, Junior High Schools, Public High Schools or Senior High Schools. Vocational High Schools and Universities also apply an online learning process from home. Information Technology provides solutions for the education system in Indonesia in these difficult times, so that the learning process can continue. In previous studies, an exploration of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model with social isolation variables, and corona fear moderating variables was carried out on the Behavioral Intentions of the Learning Management System and the Behavior of the Use of Learning Management Systems among General or Vocational High School students. Data analysis using Smart Partial Least Square (PLS) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings show a positive relationship of Performance Expectations (PE), Effort Expectations (EE), Social Influence (SI), and Social Isolation on LMS Behavioral Intentions and, also between LMS Behavioral Intentions and Use Behavior. In addition, the results of the moderation analysis show that the fear of Corona only moderates the relationship between Performance Expectations and Social Influences with LMS Behavioral Intentions. The findings imply the need to increase the behavioral intentions of LMS users among college students or students.
Health Workers Readiness for Implementation of a Mobile Pregnancy Monitoring System in Primary Health Care: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Hakiem Afrizal Sandra , Nashrul Hakiem  , Handayani Dini Oktarina Dwi , Mardhatillah Amy
Published: April 2022

Purpose: The study aims to describe factors related to the readiness of health workers with respect to implementation of a mobile Pregnancy Monitoring System in Primary Health Care (PHC) sites of the South Tangerang District in Banten Province, Indonesia using a socio-technical approach.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used among respondents who were involved during the antenatal care process. The participants (n=210) completed the questionnaire that measured information needs regarding the socio-technical aspect of readiness and factors affecting the readiness. The data was analysed using logistic regression analysis.

Result: The findings of this study showed that the majority of the health workers who were involved in the antenatal care process were ready to implement the mobile pregnancy monitoring system. Having social media (P= .013) and willingness (P= .007) to be involved in IT implementation are associated with IT readiness, while there is no significant association between demographic factors to the readiness of the health workers.

Conclusion: Since there is no connectivity between the demographic factors to readiness, thus the supportive factors such as having a social media and willingness are easier to resolve than inferring from the demographic factors.
Jakarta water supply provision strategy based on supply and demand analysis
Authors: Ardhianie N. , Daniel D. , Purwanto P. , Kismartini K.
Published: April 2022

Robust water service delivery systems require an understanding of resource dynamics as a basis for planning sustainable solutions for Jakarta, the capital with challenging water service provision performance. A significant gap needed to be closed with a service coverage of 64.06% and non-revenue for water at 45.06%. However, there is no detailed information on Jakarta's water supply and demand, which is essential to understand the resources situation. This study estimates Jakarta's total water supply and demand for 5 years. Furthermore, we analyze the natural and socio-economic factors shaping the current supply and demand using thematic analysis based on the DPSIR (Driver, Pressure, Status, Impact, and Response) framework. This paper contributes to two building blocks in the system strengthening approach to water and sanitation, i.e., (1) the sector policy strategy and (2) planning, monitoring, and review. Key drivers, pressures, status, impacts, and responses were critical to informing the system-wide understanding of the problem and suggesting evidence-informed explanations for a better water supply provision strategy in Jakarta.
Study on the transformation of surface water and groundwater in the water source area of Baima-Jili River Basin
Authors: Qi Zhiwei , Wang Ge , Zhang Bo
Published: April 2022

The exploitation of groundwater in a riverside water source area is a complex process of conversion of surface water and groundwater. At present, the numerical model for simulating the exploitation of riverside water sources often generalizes rivers to the specified head boundary (CHD) or the river boundary (RIV). The CHD generalizes the river into an infinite supply of water, which is obviously unrealistic for seasonal rivers, and the RIV does not have the function of the river confluence. The above two methods directly affect the calculation accuracy of river water and groundwater conversion amount due to inherent loopholes, so the simulation of the riverside exploitation amount has some errors. This study uses the Streamflow-Routing (SFR) model to generalize the Baima-Jili River. By calculating the stream flow, the upstream, and downstream water levels of the rainy, normal, and dry seasons through the permeability parameter between river water and groundwater (parameters such as riverbed permeability coefficient, riverbed thickness, water depth, and cross-sectional shape), a coupling model of surface water and groundwater is established. In order to verify the accuracy of the SFR model simulation, the CHD and RIV conditions are used to generalize the river, and the simulation results of the three models are compared. The results show that the available groundwater exploitation simulated by the SFR model, the CHD, and the RIV boundary conditions are 27.798 × 106, 35.11 × 106, and 25.76 ×106 m3/a, respectively. The known available groundwater exploitation in the study area is 2,870 × 104 m3/a. Therefore, the SFR simulation results are more realistic, indicating that the SFR model is more suitable for coupling simulation of the surface water and groundwater interaction in riverside water sources of a seasonal river.
Derivation of flood hydrographs using SCS synthetic unit hydrograph technique for Housha catchment area
Authors: Shatnawi Amjed , Ibrahim Majed
Published: April 2022

SCS (Soil Conservation Service) synthetic unit hydrograph technique was used to estimate the storm runoff overflows entering the Housha tunnel. The flood hydrographs were derived under different storm event durations for the ungauged Husha Catchment area. Geomorphological and hydrological parameters of the watershed were extracted using GIS measurement tools. The data identified various parameters (time to peak, time of base, and peak flow) of the synthetic unit hydrograph. The peak discharge (Qp in m3 s−1 cm−1) of rainfall excess for different time durations (5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 120, 180, 360, and 720 minutes) was estimated. The results revealed that the peak discharge (Qp) decreased with the increase in time of rainfall excess. The maximum peak discharge (27.5 in m3 s−1 cm−1) was reached 84 minutes after the beginning of the rainfall storm for 5 minutes of rainfall excess whereas the minimum peak discharge (5.2 in m3 s−1 cm−1) was reached after 7 hours and 22 minutes for 12 hours of rainfall excess. Geographic information system (GIS) data-based SCS synthetic unit hydrograph model was verified by comparing the simulated runoff with the estimated runoff from measured rainfall data of the watershed.
Sequestration of crystal violet dye from wastewater using low-cost coconut husk as a potential adsorbent
Authors: Imran Muhammad Sajid , Javed Tariq , Areej Isham , Haider Muhammad Nouman
Published: April 2022

The current study explores the effectiveness of coconut husk for crystal violet dye sequestration employing a batch experimental setup. Characterization of adsorbent was carried out via FTIR, and SEM techniques and results confirmed the involvement of OMe, COC and hydroxyl functional groups in dye uptake, and the rough, porous nature of adsorbent and after adsorption dye molecules colonized these holes resulting in dye exclusion. Effects of various adsorption parameters such as pH, adsorbent dose, contact time, initial dye concentration, and temperature of solution were studied. Crystal violet adsorption on coconut husk was highly pH-dependent, with maximum removal occurring at basic pH. Maximum removal of dye, i.e., 81%, takes place at optimized conditions. Kinetic data was analyzed by pseudo-first, pseudo-second order and an intra-particle diffusion model. Results showed that the pseudo-second order kinetic model best described adsorption of crystal violet onto coconut husk. Langmuir, Freundlich, and D-R adsorption isotherms were also used to test their appropriateness to experimental data and the Freundlich isotherm fits best to data. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the current process was spontaneous, endothermic in nature with continuous decrease in entropy. Established practice is 79% applicable to tap water and in acidic medium nearly 80% of adsorbent was recovered, confirming the effectiveness and appropriateness of coconut husk for crystal violet dye exclusion from wastewater.
Afwijkingen in het neurale leesnetwerk bij kinderen met dyslexie voor en gedurende de leesontwikkeling
Authors: Vanderauwera Jolijn , Ghesquière Pol , Wouters Jan , Vandermosten Maaike
Published: April 2022

Hoewel de meeste kinderen vlot leren lezen, is dit niet voor iedereen het geval. Sommige kinderen ontwikkelen dyslexie, gekenmerkt door ernstige en hardnekkige problemen bij het leren lezen die in de meeste gevallen persisteren door de tijd, tot op het niveau van gevorderde lezers. Het is bekend dat de groep van personen met dyslexie atypische afwijkingen vertoont in de hersenen ten opzichte van typische lezers. Het is echter nog niet bekend of deze verschillen het gevolg zijn van de belemmerde leesontwikkeling, of er juist aan de basis van liggen. Met het oog op vroege en geïndividualiseerde interventie, is het belangrijk om inzicht te verwerven in de oorzakelijke factoren van dyslexie. Daarom werden in het afgelopen decennium een aantal longitudinale studies uitgevoerd die startten voor aanvang van de leesontwikkeling en de leesontwikkeling volgden aan de hand van gedragsmetingen en metingen van neurale kenmerken van het leesnetwerk. Deze studies werden steeds uitgevoerd bij een groep van kinderen die een verhoogd risico op dyslexie vertoonden, bijvoorbeeld vanwege een familiale voorgeschiedenis van dyslexie, of van een cognitief risicoprofiel. In dit artikel gaan we verder in op de resultaten van deze studies; meer specifiek op de structurele neurale verbindingen van het leesnetwerk en op recente inzichten met betrekking tot de structurele plasticiteit van deze wittestofbanen als gevolg van specifieke leesinterventies. Deze studies bieden inzicht in de manier waarop interventies een impact kunnen hebben op de neurale leesprocessen en dit zowel voor beginnende als gevorderde lezers.
Interaction Empowerment in Mobile Health: Concepts, Challenges, and Perspectives (Preprint)
Authors: Hamberger Marietta , Ikonomi Nensi , Schwab Julian D , Werle Silke D , Fürstberger Axel , Kestler Angelika MR , Holderried Martin , Kaisers Udo X , Steger Florian , Kestler Hans A
Published: April 2022

UNSTRUCTURED

In its most trending interpretation, empowerment in health care is implemented as a patient-centered approach. In the same sense, many mobile health (mHealth) apps are being developed with a primary focus on the individual user. The integration of mHealth apps into the health care system has the potential to counteract existing challenges, including incomplete or nonstandardized medical data and lack of communication, especially in the intersectional context (eg, patients, medical forces). However, concerns about data security and privacy, regional differences in regulations, lack of accessibility, and nontransparent apps hinder the successful integration of mHealth into the health care system. One approach to address this is to rethink the interpretation of empowerment. On that basis, we here examine existing approaches of individual empowerment and subsequently analyze a different view of empowerment in digital health, namely interaction empowerment. Such a change of perspective could positively influence intersectoral communication and facilitate secure data and knowledge sharing. We discuss this novel viewpoint on empowerment, focusing on more efficient integration and development of mHealth approaches. A renewed interpretation of empowerment could thus buffer current limitations of individual empowerment while also advancing digitization of the health system.
Modeling The Health Effects of Adding Bicycle & Pedestrian Paths At The Census Tract-Level (Preprint)
Authors: Gore Ross , Lynch Christopher J. , Jordan Craig A. , Collins Andrew , Robinson Robert Michael , Fuller Gabrielle , Ames Pearson , Keerthi Prateek , Kandukuri Yash
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

Adding additional bicycle and pedestrian paths (BPPs) to an area should lead to improved health outcomes of residents over time. However, quantitatively determining which areas stand to benefit more from BPPs, how many miles of BPPs are needed, and the health outcomes that may be most improved remain open questions.

OBJECTIVE

Our work provides and evaluates a methodology that offers actionable insight for city-level planners, public health officials, and decision makers tasked with the question: “To what extent will adding specified BPP milage to a census tract improve residents’ health outcomes over time?”

METHODS

We conduct factor analysis on data from the American Community Survey (ACS), CDC 500 Cities Project, Strava and BPP location and usage data from two different cities (Norfolk, VA and San Francisco, CA). We construct two city-specific factor models and use an algorithm to predict the expected mean improvement that a specified amount of BPP miles contributes to identified health outcomes.

RESULTS

We show that given an amount of additional BPP miles in 2012 and a specific census tract, our models forecast 2017 health outcome improvements more accurately than two alternative approaches for both Norfolk, VA and San Francisco, CA. Furthermore, for each city we show that the additional accuracy is a statistically significant improvement (P < .005 in every case) compared to the alternate approaches. For 2017, in Norfolk, VA (n=29 census tracts) our approach estimates, on average, the: (a) % of individuals with high blood pressure in the census tract within 1.40%, (b) % of individuals with diabetes in the census tract within 1.63%, and (c) % of individuals who suffer more than two weeks worth of poor physical health days in the census tract within 1.82%. For San Francisco (n=59 census tracts), in 2017 our approach estimates, on average, the: (a) % on individuals who suffer a stroke in the census tract within 1.79%, and (b) rate of % of individuals with diabetes in the census tract within 1.27%. The data and source code from our methodology, evaluation and research artifacts are provided.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose and evaluate a methodology to enable decision-makers to: (1) weigh the extent to which two BPPs of equal cost proposed in different census tracts improve residents’ health outcomes, (2) identify areas where BPPs are unlikely to be effective interventions and other strategies should be employed and (3) quantify the minimum amount of additional bicycle path miles needed to maximize health outcome improvements. Our methodology shows statistically significant improvements, compared to alternative approaches, in historical accuracy for two large cities, in different geographic areas and with different demographics.