bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Method for assessing unevenness of cellulose insulation layers aging of power transformers winding
Authors: Poliakov M. O. , Vasylevskyi V. V.
Published: September 2022

Introduction. Improving the methods of estimating the insulation aging of the oil-immersed power transformer windings is an urgent task for transformer condition monitoring systems. The scientific novelty of the work is to take into account the uneven distribution of temperature and humidity along the vertical axis of the winding in modeling the aging of insulation and to develop methods for determining the conditions under which the aging rate of insulation in the intermediate layer will exceed aging rate in the hottest layer. The purpose of the work is to evaluate the wear unevenness of cellulose insulation based on modeling the distribution of temperature and humidity along the vertical axis of the power transformer winding. Methods. The transformer winding is mentally divided into horizontal layers of equal height, the reduction of service life is calculated in parallel for all horizontal layers. Layer with the maximum degree of aging for the entire period of operation and storage of the transformer is recognized as determining the reduction in the service life of the insulation of the transformer as a whole. A model of the interaction of winding layers is developed, with determination of temperatures, humidity, relative rate of aging of each layer due to temperature and humidity as a function of traditional design parameters such as load, cooling temperature, heat capacity and thermal resistance of transformer. The index of exceeding the aging rate by the layered method in comparison with this rate for the hottest layer is offered. The method of genetic algorithms determines the conditions for obtaining the maximum value of this index. Results. A computer model has been developed to predict the aging of the cellulose insulation of transformer windings. According to the proposed method, a layer with significantly shorter insulation aging time (in the example, time reduced by 39.18 %) than for the upper layer was determined, which confirms the feasibility of layer-by-layer monitoring and modeling of insulation aging processes of power oil-immersed transformer windings.
Development and validation of enhanced fuzzy logic controller and boost converter topologies for a single phase grid system
Authors: Muthubalaji S. , Devadasu G. , Srinivasan S. , Soundiraraj N.
Published: September 2022

Introduction. Solar photovoltaic system is one of the most essential and demanding renewable energy source in the current days, due to the benefits of high efficiency, reduced cost, no pollution, and environment friendly characteristics. Here, the maximum power point tracking controller has been implemented for obtaining an extreme power from the photovoltaic array. For this purpose, there are different controller and converter strategies have been deployed in the conventional works. It includes perturb and observation, incremental conductance, fuzzy logic systems, and hill climbing, and these techniques intend to extract the high amount of power from the solar systems under different climatic conditions. Still, it limits with the issues like increased design complexity, high cost consumption, high harmonics, and increased time consumption. The goal of this work is to deploy an improved controlling and converter topologies to regulate the output voltage and power fed to the single phase grid systems. The novelty of the work aims to develop an enhanced fuzzy logic controller based maximum power point tracking mechanism with the boost DC-DC converter topology for a single phase grid tied photovoltaic systems. Practical value. Also, the higher order harmonics suppression and unbalanced current elimination are handled by the use of LCL filtering technique, which efficiently reduces the harmonics in the output of inverter voltage and current. Moreover, it helps to obtain the reduced total harmonics distortion value with improved accuracy and efficiency. Results. There are different performance indicators have been evaluated for validating the proposed enhanced fuzzy logic controller–maximum power point tracking controlling technique. Moreover, the obtained results are compared with some of the conventional controlling algorithms for proving the betterment of the proposed work.
Solar flat plate collector enhanced by two reflectors: optimum tilts of reflectors
Authors: Rachedi M. Y. , Bechki D. , Marif Y. , Bouguetaia H.
Published: September 2022

Introduction. In some solar concentrating system applications, in which the incoming sunlight is augmented by using commercial flat plate reflectors placed on different sides of the planar collector, it is very important to choose the optimum tilts of boosters (attached edge-to-edge on the top and bottom sides of the solar collector) for each month, to enhance their received solar irradiation over the year in the southern Algeria. The novelty of the proposed work consists of the development of a novel mathematical model in which the reference of the reflector’s tilt angles is the collector plane, and optimal tilts are optimized on the average day of each month. Purpose. This paper proposes a novel analytical model of two identical planer reflectors, placed on the top and bottom of a latitude tilted flat plate solar collector, for optimizing their optimal inclination angles during the daytime throughout the year in Ouargla city, southeast of Algeria. Methods. Optimal tilt angles of reflectors were obtained by searching for the optimum captured solar irradiation on the collector’s surface from each reflector in the representative day of each month of the year. After that, the obtained tilts were used for calculating incoming solar irradiation on the received area and comparing them to the solar collector without reflectors. Results. The findings of this paper showed that the reflector’s inclination angles were variable from one month to another in which the upper reflector’s tilts reached its maximum in June and minimum in December, contrarily for the lower reflector. Again, an increase of 28.05 % in the daily received solar irradiation on the collector surface with reflectors compared to the conventional one.
Design of Pitcher Shape Circularly Polarized Flexible Antenna for C-Band Applications
Authors: Agarwal Raghav , Saxena Anurag
Published: September 2022

A Pitcher shape circularly polarized flexible antenna for use in C-Band (4–8 GHz) applications is presented. According to IEEE Frequency spectrum, the C-Band has wavelength of 7.5–3.75 cm. The wearable antenna was shaped on leather texture (as substrate) and it is simple in design. The presented design includes a circle-shaped scorching patch with a defected ground. The microstrip linefeed procedure is utilized to energize the antenna. The impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna is observed to be very less i.e. 20.35%, between 6 and 7.36 GHz but the return loss at 6.704 GHz resonant frequency is quite impressive and measured as -30 dBi. The impact of the radio antenna boundaries is likewise dissected through a parametric report. To check the activity of the introduced plan, the antenna apparatus was manufactured and tried utilizing a vector network analyzer. Examination of the recreated and estimated results uncovered great understanding.
Associations of psychological capital, coping style and emotional intelligence with self-rated health status of college students in China during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Jing Xiangzhi , Meng Hongling , Li Yuping , Lu Lingeng , yao yongcheng
Published: September 2022

Background COVID-19 lockdown can lead to mental health problem, and the problem is heterogeneous across individuals. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between the self-reported health status, emotional coping style, emotional intelligence and positive psychological state of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.
Methods The questionnaires of Self-rated Health Measurement Scale (SRHMS), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ）were used for online survey. The study included 367 undergraduates.
Results Undergraduate sex, sibling and birth of place were associated with either psychological capital scores, or/and emotional intelligence. Online time per day had significantly negative associations with self-rated health and psychological capital scores. Multivariate analysis showed that the interaction between emotional intelligence, psychological capital and coping styles was statistically significant (β = -0.112，p =0.045) in health status with psychological capital ranking the top (β = 0.428). Mediation analysis showed that psychological capital and coping style modified the effect of emotional intelligence on health status.
Conclusions: Psychological capital and coping style modified the effect of emotional intelligence on health status in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this pandemic emergency, a comprehensive intervention, such as positive coping styles with optimistic emotional perception and understanding as well as social support, is an important measure against the pandemic-induced mental health problem in college students in China.
Evaluation of the 5-HT2C receptor drugs RO 60-0175, WAY 161503 and mirtazepine in a preclinical model of comorbidity of cocaine addiction and depression
Authors: Jastrzębska Joanna , Frankowska Małgorzata , Smaga Irena , Hubalewska-Mazgaj Magdalena , Suder Agata , Pieniążek Renata , Przegaliński Edmund , Filip Małgorzata
Published: September 2022

Epidemiological data indicate a high rate of comorbidity of depression and cocaine use disorder (CUD). The role of 5-HT2C receptors in the mechanisms responsible for the coexistence of CUD and depression has not been investigated. Here, we combined bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (OBX), an animal model of depression, with intravenous cocaine self-administration and extinction/reinstatement in male rats to investigate two 5-HT2C receptor agonists (Ro 60–0175 (RO) and WAY 161503 (WAY)) and the 5-HT2C-receptor preferring antagonist mirtazapine (MIR; an antidepressant), with the goal of determining whether these drugs alter cocaine-induced reinforcement and seeking behaviors. Additionally, neurochemical analyses following cocaine self-administration and its abstinence period in the brain structures in OBX rats and SHAM-operated controls were performed. Acute administration of RO reduced, while WAY non-significantly attenuated cocaine reinforcement in OBX and SHAM rats. Moreover, RO or WAY protected against cocaine-seeking behavior after acute repeated drug administration during extinction training in OBX and SHAM rats. By contrast, acutely administered MIR did not alter cocaine reinforcement in both rat phenotypes, while acute (but not repeated) pretreatment reduced cocaine seeking in OBX and SHAM rats. In neurochemical analyses, cocaine reinforcement increased 5-HT2C receptor levels in the ventral hippocampus; this effect was enhanced by preexisting depression-like phenotype. The 10-daily cocaine abstinence from self-administration reduced 5-HT2C receptor expression in the dorsolateral striatum but coexistence of depression and CUD enhanced local receptor expression. The present study supports further development of pharmacological strategies with drugs targeting the 5-HT2C receptor for the treatment of comorbid depression and CUD.
GlPS1 overexpression accumulates coumarin secondary metabolites in transgenic Arabidopsis
Authors: Ren Hongwei , Yu Yanchong , Xu Yao , Zhang Xinfang , Tian Xuemei , Gao Ting
Published: September 2022

The dried root of Glehnia littoralis is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine mainly used to treat lung diseases and plays an important role in fighting coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia in China. This study focused on the key enzyme gene GlPS1 for furanocoumarin synthesis in G. littoralis. In the 35S:GlPS1 transgenic Arabidopsis study, the Arabidopsis thaliana-overexpressing GlPS1 gene was more salt-tolerant than Arabidopsis in the blank group. Metabolomics analysis showed 30 differential metabolites in Arabidopsis, which overexpressed the GlPS1 gene. Twelve coumarin compounds were significantly upregulated, and six of these coumarin compounds were not detected in the blank group. Among these differential coumarin metabolites, isopimpinellin and aesculetin have been annotated by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and isopimpinellin was not detected in the blank group. Through structural comparison, imperatorin was formed by dehydration and condensation of zanthotoxol and a molecule of isoprenol, and the difference between them was only one isoprene. Results showed that the GlPS1 gene positively regulated the synthesis of coumarin metabolites in A. thaliana and at the same time improved the salt tolerance of A. thaliana.
Alleviation of drought stress in soybean by applying of biostimulant based on amino acids and macro- and micronutrients
Authors: Repke Rodrigo Alberto , Silva Dayane Mércia Ribeiro , Santos Jania Claudia Camilo dos , Silva Marcelo de Almeida
Published: September 2022

Drought stress is one of the most predominant environmental factors hindering the soybean productivity. This study investigated the effects of an exogenous application of biostimulants, consisting of nitrogen, phosphorous, iron, copper, boron, manganese, zinc and amino acids, in the physiological, biochemical and productive responses of soybean cultivated under drought stress. Findings showed that applying 0.5 kg ha− 1 of the biostimulant improved soybean tolerance to drought. The biostimulant application maintained the leaf photosynthetic rate (A), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate (E), leaf temperature, water use efficiency (WUE) and carboxylation efficiency (CE), in addition to increasing the SPAD index. Moreover, the biostimulant heightened the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and maintained the activity of the nitrate reductase enzyme. Regarding osmoprotectant, the biostimulant application enhanced proline accumulation, which could improve the soybean’s osmotic adjustment under drought conditions. In addition, foliar application of the biostimulant maintained the biometric and production characteristics, stem diameters, number of branches, number of pods with 1, 2 and 3 grains, and significantly increased leaf area, number of primary stem nodes, dry matter mass in the aerial part and roots, ultimately increasing yield. Based on the aforementioned beneficial properties, the biostimulant based on macro- and micronutrients and amino acids, particularly in the dose 0.5 kg ha− 1, has proven to effectively relieve the adverse effects of drought stress in soybean.
Predicting Hospital Admission among High Acuity Triaged Patients Transported to the Emergency Department in Ontario, Canada: A Population-Based Cohort Study using Machine Learning
Authors: Strum Ryan P , Mowbray Fabrice I , Zargoush Manaf , Jones Aaron
Published: September 2022

Background
Paramedics are mandated to transport emergently triaged patients to the closest emergency department (ED). The closest ED may not be the optimal transport destination if further distanced ED’s can provide specialized care or are less crowded. Machine learning may support paramedic decision-making to transport a specific subgroup of emergently triaged patients that are unlikely to require hospital admission or emergency care to a more appropriate ED. We examined whether prehospital patient characteristics known to paramedics were predictive of hospital admission.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective cohort study using machine learning algorithms to analyze ED visits of the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System from Jan 1, 2018 to Dec 31, 2019 in Ontario, Canada. We included all adult (≥ 18 years) paramedic transports to the ED who had an emergent Canadian Triage Acuity Scale score (CTAS 2). Eight prehospital characteristic classes known to paramedics were used. We applied four machine learning algorithms that were trained and assessed using 10-fold cross-validation to predict the ED visit disposition of admission to hospital or discharged from ED. Predictive model performance was determined using the area under the receiving operating characteristic curve (AUC) with 95% confidence intervals and probabilistic accuracy using the Brier Scaled score. Variable importance scores were computed to determine the top 10 predictors of hospital admission. We also reported sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values to support performance interpretation.
Results
All machine learning algorithms performed similarly for the prediction of which ED patient visits would be admitted to hospital (AUC 0.77–0.78, Brier Scaled 0.22–0.24). The characteristics most predictive of admission included age 65 to 105 years, referral source from a residential care facility, presenting with a respiratory complaint, and receiving home care.
Conclusions
Machine learning algorithms performed well in predicting ED visit dispositions using a comprehensive list of prehospital patient characteristics. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to utilize machine learning to predict ED visit outcomes from patient characteristics known prior to paramedic transport. This study has potential to inform paramedic regulations regarding the distribution of emergently triaged patients.
GWAS and Genomic Prediction for Pre-harvest Sprouting Tolerance in Spring Wheat
Authors: Kumar Manoj , Kumar Sachin , Sandhu Karansher Singh , Kumar Neeraj , Saripalli Gautam , Prakash Ram , Nambardar Akash , Sharma Hemant , Gautam Tinku , Balyan Harindra Singh , Gupta Pushpendra Kumar
Published: September 2022

In wheat, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) combined with a study of genomic prediction (GP) was conducted for pre-harvest sprouting tolerance (PHST). For GWAS, a panel of 190 accessions was phenotyped for the three parameters of PHST (sprouting score, falling number and grain color) over two years and genotyped with 9,904 DArT-seq SNP markers. GWAS for main-effect quantitative trait nucleotides (M-QTNs) was performed using the following three models: CMLM, SUPER, and FarmCPU. A total of 171 M-QTNs (CMLM, 47; SUPER, 70; FarmCPU, 54) were detected, suggesting differences in efficiencies of the three models. As many as 15 epistatic QTNs (E-QTNs) involved in 20 first order epistatic interactions were also identified using PLINK v1.07. A total of 26 PHS-responsive genomic regions (each 5 Mbp in size) that spread over 16 chromosomes were demarcated, which overlapped the previously mapped QTLs, MTAs, cloned genes and the M-QTNs reported in the present study. As many as 20 definitive and stable QTNs were recommended for use in marker-assisted recurrent selection (MARS) for improvement of PHST. Candidate genes associated with different M-QTNs revealed key role of some QTNs in abscisic acid pathway involved in PHST. Genomic prediction accuracies (based on cross-validation approach) using three different models ranged from 0.41 to 055, which are comparable to the results of previous studies. In summary, the results of the present study improved our understanding of the genetic architecture of PHST in wheat and provided novel genomic resources for wheat breeding based on MARS and GP.
Student Survey After Ten Years of Continuous Blended Teaching of Echocardiocraphy
Authors: Parra Víctor M. , Fita Guillermina , Azqueta Manel , González Mauricio , Aranda Fernando , Maestre MaLuz , Silva Jorge , Hortal Javier , Morales Daniel , Bórquez Emiliano , Adasme Fabián , Real María Isabel , Mercadal Jordi , Zelada Pamela , Riobó Gonzalo , Galdames Katia , Domenech Raúl J.
Published: September 2022

Aims: The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of 10 years of blended learning in echocardiography.
Methods and results: A total of 140 of 210 medical doctors who graduated from our teaching program from 2011 to 2020 responded to the survey. Among them, 53,57% were anesthesiologists and 26,42% intensivists. More than 85% of respondents indicated that the online period met their expectations, and 70,2% that the hands on practice met the objectives. Posterior to the Diploma there was a significant increase in the frequency of use of echo compared to before the Diploma, both in transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, from 24,29% to 40,71% and from 13,57% to 27,86%, respectively. The echo was applied mainly in the perioperative period (56,7%) and in intensive care (32,3%), and only in 11% of cases it was used in emergency units. Additionally, 92,4% of respondents revealed that it was very useful in their subsequent professional practice and 92,47% that it helped them in the interpretation of echo reports.
Among the strengths they highlighted ‘the theoretical content, clinical cases, hands on activity and the teaching staff’. Among the weaknesses, 50% requested a practice period lasting more than one week.
Conclusion: The blended learning of echocardiography over a decade has been satisfactorily evaluated by the graduated specialists and has been related to a significant increase in its use in the perioperative period and in intensive care. The main challenges are to establish a longer period of practice and achieve greater scope in Emergency Medicine.
Analysis of Water Heat Flux and Drought based on Wetland Classification in the Yellow River Delta
Authors: Ning Jicai , Gao Zhiqiang , Wu Xiaoqing , Wang Qiuxian , Wang Yueqi , Wang De
Published: September 2022

Based on the wetlands classification map, the difference in water and heat flux was studied, as well as the drought conditions in different wetlands. The relationship between the retrieved land surface temperature (LST) and evapotranspiration (ET) was analyzed through two section profiles in different directions using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. It shows that LST values are relatively higher in built-up or core urban areas than in other areas, and the ET is relatively lower accordingly. The LST is relatively lower and the ET is relatively higher in areas mostly covered by wetlands of bush swamp, water body, saltern, and waterlogged lowland. On the whole, the ET values increase from inland to coastal areas, and the corresponding drought index decreases. When analyzed according to a certain wetland type, ET and the regional water index (RWSI) showed a close negative correlation. The coefficients of the regression equations presented by different land use types such as swamps, built areas, bush swamps, dry farmland, cultural ponds, and other wetland types have slight differences. Generally, the non-wetland areas (including dry farmland and built areas) still show a large RWSI value, though the ET is relatively small. On the contrary, the artificial wetland is subjected to lower drought risk as indicated by its lower RWSI in spite of the high ET level. The RWSI of some natural wetland areas is larger than that of artificial ones, which indicates that proper development and utilization can reduce the drought risk to a certain extent in natural wetlands.
How is ambulatory electrocardiogram predictive of stroke in atrial fibrillation patients?
Authors: Zhuo Xiuping , Huang meinv
Published: September 2022

Background: Atrial[1] fibrillation (AF) is a significant stroke risk factor. Further research is needed to clarify whether higher atrial fibrillation burden（AFB）link to the elevated risk of ischemic embolism，and how AF burden could combine with CHA2DS2-VASc score to improve anticoagulation strategy.
Objectives: To evaluate if the AF burden characterized using 24-hours ambulatory electrocardiogram monitoring is associated with the risk of ischemic stroke.
Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled 210 ambulatory electrocardiogram detected atrial fibrillation patients. The burden of atrial fibrillation was defined as the percentage of time in atrial fibrillation during the monitoring period，and the AF burden, CHA2DS2-VASc score were compared between patients with and without thromboembolic outcomes. Multivariate regressions were conducted to estimate the predictors of thromboembolic outcomes.
Results: Eighteen thromboembolic events occurred within a median follow-up of 11 months. Patients with ischemic stroke had higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores but not higher AF burden. After adjusting for age, hypertension, diabetes, anticoagulation, antithrombotic therapy, AF burden, AF with higher CHA2DS2-VASc score was associated with increased risk for ischemic stroke [hazard ratio (HR), 15.17). CHA2DS2-VASc score >4.5 was a predictor of significantly higher risk of future stroke (AUC 0.92).
Conclusions: In ambulatory electrocardiogram detected AF, AF burden doesn't significantly impact the subsequent risk of stroke. Whereas, CHA2DS2-VASc scoring is still a robust predictor of stroke risk. This may illustrate that once AF is detected from ambulatory electrocardiogram, underlying risk factors appear to be more predictive of subsequent stroke risk than atrial fibrillation burden.
Attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare workers: A cross-sectional study from Egypt
Authors: Tharwat Samar , Nassar Dalia Kamal , Nassar Mohammed Kamal , Saad Ahmed Mohammed , Hamdy Fatma
Published: September 2022

Background: Herd immunity is necessary to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. vaccination is the fastest and safest pandemic exit strategy. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are essential in providing vaccination information and recommendations to patients and the general population. The aim of this study was to assess intent to be vaccinated against COVID-19 among HCWs in Egypt and to determine the factors that may influence their decision to delay or refuse to receive the vaccine.Methods: A questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs who care for patients in several hospitals in Delta region, Egypt. The questionnaire included sociodemographic, clinical, and occupational data, intention to receive COVID-19 vaccine, beliefs and attitudes towards COVID-19 infection and vaccination in addition to status of COVID-19 vaccination.Results: The study included 455 HCWs with mean age of 36.55 years (SD=10.31) and 80% were females. The acceptance rate for the COVID-19 vaccine was 70.5%, while hesitancy and resistancy were both 17.6% and 11.9% respectively. About one third (33.4%) of the subjects had previously contracted COVID-19. Most participants believed that they had a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 (71.6 %). More than 64% believed they were at risk for vaccination side effects. Fear of infection, being at high risk of infection, and the desire to resume normal life were the main drivers for COVID-19 vaccination, while the major barriers to the COVID-19 vaccination were waiting for additional experience with these new vaccines and having doubts about the vaccines' efficacy. About 39% of the participants have received the COVID-19 vaccine.Conclusions: The acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs is very high. This crucial group needs to be the focus of educational initiatives and campaigns designed to increase public awareness of the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Advanced treatment of digested restaurant wastewater using a combination of anaerobic/oxic unit, Fenton, and a biological aerated filter in pilot-scale treatment
Authors: Yin Jiang , Jiang Jianhong , Tang Qingchang , Peng Xin
Published: September 2022

Biological treatment is the most economical and practical wastewater treatment method; however, for highly concentrated organic wastewater, such as digested restaurant wastewater, a single biological treatment method does not meet the discharge requirements. An anaerobic/oxic-Fenton-biological aerated filter (A/O-Fenton-BAF) system was employed to treat digested restaurant wastewater with a high concentration of organic compounds in a pilot-scale experiment. The degradation process and mechanism of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), NH4+-N, NO3−-N, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in each stage of the process were analyzed. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and fluorescence spectrum characteristics were also studied. The average removal rate of both COD and NH4+-N in the entire process was 98%. The removal rates of COD, TN, NH4+-N, and DON reached 78.5%, 66.0%, 95.3%, and 51% using the A/O unit. Although Fenton was ineffective in the removal of nitrogenous organic and inorganic substances, the fluorescence spectra and GC-MS showed that the nitrogen-containing organic compounds of macromolecules were transformed into small molecules after the Fenton reaction and could be removed by the BAF unit. The removal rate of DON was up to 24.3% in the Fenton + BAF process, which reduced the TN concentration in the effluent. The dominant species in all biological processes were nitrifying and organic matter-decomposing bacteria. This study provides key data for the design of a full-scale system for treating digested restaurant wastewater.
Deprivation, social mobility considerations and life satisfaction: A comparative study of 33 European countries
Authors: Drishti Elvisa , Zhllima Edvin , Gerdoçi Blendi
Published: September 2022

This study aims to provide a comparative analysis between non-transition and transition countries, with focus on exploring the life satisfaction costs of deprivation aspects, i.e., material, subjective and relative deprivation. For the latter, we calculate the Gini index at the regional (city) level since the Gini index at the country level is unable to capture the influence of income inequality on life satisfaction for both sets of countries. A negative association between these measures and life satisfaction is suggestive of deprivation measures being quality-of-life important considerations in the EU and neighbouring candidate countries. The relative importance of such indicators is also of particular interest because it is driven by social mobility considerations. The study is based on a comparative analysis of data taken by nationally representative household database from the 2016 European Quality of Life Survey. We evaluate the hypotheses using a two-level linear mixed-effects model of individual responses collected in 33 European countries (28 EU countries plus Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey). Estimates are generated for the pooled sample and separately for the non-transition (West-EU) and transition post-communist (East-EU and non-EU) countries. The results suggest that there are significant life satisfaction costs attached to all the three aspects of deprivation. However, the relative importance of subjective deprivation, as a measure of income inequality at the city level, is significantly larger than material and subjective deprivation, even after we control for equivalised household income. This relationship is more pronounced for transition countries as compared to non-transition ones.
Site Remediation of Multiple Heavy Metals Contaminated Iron Tailings by Compound Bacterial Flora Combined with Peganum harmala
Authors: Wang Huan , Xue Lingui , Huo Yanli , Ma Yecheng , Li Jiahui
Published: September 2022

Many researchers have paid attention to solving the problem of multiple heavy metals pollution in the tailings area. However, the studies only stay at the laboratory level, which cannot completely demonstrate an efficient approach to remediate polluted environment due to iron tailings. This study aimed at investigating the effects and mechanisms of compound bacterial flora combined with peganum harmala to remediate the tailings area of Linze County, Zhangye City, Gansu Province due to the accumulation of numerous heavy metals such as Pb, Cd and Mn. The preliminary experiment was conducted in the laboratory to obtain data that should be compared with the tailings data. Compared with the control, after 84 days of restoration, parameters of the tailings soil inoculated with the compound bacterial flora were improved, pH was decreased from 7.74 to 7.18, the electrical conductivity was decreased by 21.15% ~70.49%, and activities of alkaline phosphatase, sucrase and urease were increased by 95.94%~99.64%、88.42%~98.43%、83.28%~86.95% respectively. The improvement of soil parameters was more evident in the treatment groups inoculated with compound bacterial flora and Peganum harmala. The results of high-throughput sequencing at different remediation stages showed that the structure of the soil microbial community changed after inoculation with compound bacterial flora, but the dominant species remained unchanged, only their relative abundance changed. At the phylum level, the dominant species in T (total tailings soil treatment groups) were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota, while the dominant species in 3:1 (H: add yellow cinnamon soil treatment groups) were more than Chloroflexi and Acidobacteriota. According to the analysis of Heatmap, the environmental factors such as pH, WHC, EC, Pb, Cd and Mn have evinced a significant impact on the bacterial community structure. This study provides a reference basis for the remediation approach to the soil polluted by different heavy metals.
Identification, Prevalence and Susceptibility Profile of Candida Isolates at the Pasteur Institute in Côte D'ivoire From 2017 to 2019
Authors: Ira Valerie Bonouman , M'Boh Reine , Roger Frédéric , Krasteva Donika , Koffi David , Noell Julie , Pottier Cyrille , Bellet Virginie , Drakulvoski Pascal , Menan Hervé , Touré Offianan André , Dosso Mireille , Ranque Stéphane , Bertout Sébastien
Published: September 2022

Aims: This study was conducted to determine the respective prevalence of Candida species and to study their sensitivity profile to antifungal agents to identify the emergence of resistance.Methods: This retrospective study was conducted from 2017 to 2019 at the Institute Pasteur of Côte d’Ivoire on patients with fungal disease. Various samples were analysed first by conventional methods. Then, the results were confirmed by MALDI-TOF-MS. Sensitivity tests were performed using the CLSI method and evaluated by the M59 benchmark.Results: In total, 227 Candida species were isolated from 1966 patients. Most of the samples were vaginal swabs (120/228). Using the conventional method, C. albicans was prevalent, being present in 52.6% of the samples. There were mixtures of 2 to 4 species in 36.8% of the samples that were not identified at the first identification. Confirmation by MALDI-TOF-MS showed a 35.18% prevalence of C. tropicalis. Thirteen species were identified, and 2 species complexes (C. albicans and C. parapsilosis) were highlighted in a final cohort of 315 Candida strains.Conclusion: This study highlights the difficulty of correct identification in developing countries. The transition from standard identification to molecular biology is essential and must be considered for improvement in public health.
Effect of different carbon sources on sulfate reduction and microbial community structure in bioelectrochemical systems
Authors: Pan Jing jing , Tan Luyu , Fan Qingqing , Cao Xiangyang , Huang Jun , Gu Yukang , Chen Tianming
Published: September 2022

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) have rapidly developed into a promising technology to treat sulfate-rich wastewater that lacks electron donors. However, little is known regarding the effect of different carbon sources on the microbial community structure bioelectrochemical systems. This study sought to investigate the effect of different carbon sources (NaHCO3, ethanol, and acetate were employed as sole carbon source respectively) on the performance of sulfate-reducing biocathodes. The sulfate reduction efficiency enhanced by the bioelectrochemical systems was 8.09%−11.57% higher than that of open-circuit reference experiments. Furthermore, the optimum carbon source was ethanol with a maximum sulfate reduction rate of 170 mg L−1 d−1 in the bioelectrochemical systems. The different carbon sources induced significant differences in sulfate reduction efficiency as demonstrated by the application of a micro-electrical field. The dominant sulfate-reducing bacteria that use NaHCO3 and acetate as carbon sources were Desulfobacter and Desulfobulbus, whereas those that use ethanol as carbon source were Desulfomicrobium and Desulfovibrio. Our results suggest that ethanol is a more suitable carbon source for sulfate reduction in bioelectrochemical systems.
Effect of HCV treatment with DAAs on serum Intestinal Fatty Acid Binding Protein (I-FABP) as a marker of intestinal permeability in HCV/ HIV co- infected patients
Authors: Abdel-Haleem Hanan , Khairy Marwa , Abdo Mahmoud , Cordie Ahmed , Elsharkawy Marwa , Alem Shereen Abdel , Elsharkawy Aisha , sehemy Lamiaa Al , Esmat Gamal
Published: September 2022

Background: HCV and HIV co-infected patients develop cirrhosis more rapidly than HCV mono-infection. Intestinal injury and microbial translocation are postulated mechanisms for rapid progression of cirrhosis. Aim: Study the effect of HCV treatment with DAAs on serum Intestinal Fatty Acid Binding Protein (I-FABP) as a marker of intestinal injury in HCV/ HIV co-infected patients and its relation to hepatic fibrosis. Comparing the level of I-FABP in HCV mono-infection and HCV/ HIV co-infection was a secondary aim.Methods: I–FABP levels were measured in 50 non-cirrhotic HCV/HIV co-infected patients pre and post HCV treatment (SVR 12) and in 25 chronic HCV patients as a control group. Hepatic fibrosis was assessed by FIB4 score, APRI score and transient Elastography. Results: HCV/ HIV co-infected patients had significantly higher levels of I-FABP compared to the HCV-mono-infected patients (P = 0.001). After HCV treatment in HCV/HIV co-infected patients, I-FABP level was significantly elevated (P <0.001) and was positively correlated to baseline FIB4 values and serum ALT level (r = 0.283, p value = 0.047) and (r= 0.340, P value = 0.016), respectively.Conclusion: HCV/HIV co-infection is associated with significantly higher intestinal injury and subsequent hepatic fibrosis than HCV mono-infection. HIV infection is associated with intestinal epithelial injury and microbial translocation and may play a role in the persistence of systemic inflammation after HCV eradication.
Medical Treatment for Earl Pregnancy Loss Following In Vitro Fertilization Compared to Spontaneous Pregnancies: a Retrospective Study
Authors: Gluck Ohad , Barber Elad , Feldstein Ohad , Tal Ori , Grinstein Ehud , Kerner Ram , Menasherof Mai , Saidian Michal , Weiner Eran , Sagiv Ron
Published: September 2022

Background: Misoprostol is a well-studied medical treatment for early pregnancy loss (EPL), with success rates ranging between 70-90%. However, treatment failure is associated with major patient discomfort, including the need for surgical intervention to evacuate the uterus. It was reported that medical treatment was especially successful among women who conceived after in vitro fertilization (IVF). We aimed to study if there is a difference in rates of medical treatment failures for EPL between pregnancies conceived by IVF and spontaneous pregnancies. This is a retrospective cohort study. Methods: All women who underwent medical treatment for EPL at our institute between 07/2015 and 12/2020 were included. The cohort was divided into two groups: IVF and spontaneous pregnancies.Treatment failure was defined as any surgical intervention, namely, dilation & curettage (D&C) and/or hysteroscopy, due to retained products of gestation. Baseline characteristics and failure rates were compared between the groups.Results: Overall, 775 patients were included, of which 195 (25.1%) ultimately required surgical intervention. There was no difference between the groups in the rate of treatment failure. However, among the IVF group, the rate of emergency D&C was lower (3.6% vs. 9.8%, p=0.001) compared to the spontaneous group. Conclusion: In cases of medical treatment for EPL, IVF pregnancies have lower chances to undergo emergency D&C, compared to spontaneous pregnancies. Overall, there are no differences in rates of treatment failure between IVF and spontaneous pregnancies.
Prediction of pre-hospital blood transfusion in trauma patients based on scoring systems
Authors: Plodr Michal , Berková Jana , Hyšpler Radomír , Truhlář Anatolij , Páral Jiří , Kočí Jaromír
Published: September 2022

Background
Pre-hospital blood transfusion (PHBT) is a safe and gradually expanding procedure applied in trauma patients. A proper decision to activate PHBT in presently limited diagnostic options at the site of incident poses a challenge for pre-hospital crews. The purpose of this study was to compare the selected scoring systems and to determine whether they can be used as a valid tool in identifying patients with PHBT requirement.
Methods
A retrospective single-center study was conducted between June 2018 and December 2020. Overall, 385 patients (aged [median; IQR]: 44; 24–60; 73% males) were included in this study. The values of six selected scoring systems were calculated in all patients. To determine accuracy of each score for the prediction of PHBT, the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was used and to measure of association, the odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals was count.
Results
Regarding the proper indication of PHBT, shock index (SI), reversed shock index (rSI) and pulse pressure (PP) revealed the highest value of AUC and sensitivity/specificity ratio (SI: AUC 0,88; 95% CI 0,82 − 0,93; rSI: AUC 0,88; 95% CI 0,82 − 0,94; PP: AUC 0,85 with 95% CI 0,79 − 0,91).
Conclusion
Shock index, reversed shock index and pulse pressure are suitable tools for predicting PHBT in trauma patients.
Velocity correlations of satellite pairs around massive galaxies
Authors: Gu Qing , Guo Qi , Cautun Marius , Pei Wenxiang , Wang Wenting , Gao Liang , Wang Jie
Published: September 2022

Many of the satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, Andromeda, and Centaurus A show evidence of coherent motions to a larger extent than most of the systems predicted by the standard cosmological model. These findings are for satellites of galactic-mass systems and it is an open question if correlations in satellite orbits are present in systems of different masses. Here, we report an analysis of the kinematics of satellite galaxies in massive galaxy groups. Different from the Milky Way analogues, we find an excess of diametrically opposed pairs of satellites that have line-of-sight velocity offsets from the central galaxy of the same sign. This corresponds to a 5.3 sigma (p-value=6.5d-8) detection of non-random satellite motions. Such excess is predicted by up-to-date cosmological simulations but the magnitude of the effect is considerably lower than in observations. The observational data is discrepant at the 3.8 sigma and 4.1 sigma level with the predictions of the Millennium and the Illustris TNG-300 cosmological simulations, potentially indicating that massive galaxy groups assembled later in the real Universe. The detection of velocity correlations of satellite galaxies and tension with theoretical predictions is robust against changes in sample selection. Using the largest sample to date, our findings demonstrate that the motions of satellite galaxies represent a challenge to the current cosmological model.
Topical Tacrolimus for High-risk Corneal Transplantation: A randomized, clinical trial
Authors: Shimazaki Jun , Tomida Daisuke , Yagi-Yaguchi Yukari , Satake Yoshiyuki , Yamaguchi Takefumi
Published: September 2022

Immunological rejection after high-risk penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) remains a major problem. We investigated the efficacy and safety of topical tacrolimus (TAC) in these patients. This randomised clinical trial performed at a tertiary referral hospital included eyes of patients with a history of PKP, graft rejection, atopic dermatitis, or deep corneal neovascularisation who underwent PKP. They were randomly assigned to receive 0.1% TAC (TAC group) or artificial tears (AT group) up to week 52 after surgery. Both groups received 0.1% betamethasone up to week 13 after surgery then they received 0.1% fluorometholone up to week 52. Immunological rejection during the observation period was the main outcome measure. Twelve eyes in the TAC group and 13 eyes in the AT group completed the study. TAC was well tolerated, with no serious adverse reactions in the TAC group. While no rejection episodes were noted in the TAC group, one eye in the AT group developed rejection. Graft clarity, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and corneal endothelial cell density were not significantly different between the two groups. Our results demonstrated good tolerability of topical 0.1% tacrolimus; however, we failed to demonstrate its efficacy in preventing immunological rejection in high-risk patients undergoing PKP.
Ocular Changes in Children With Familial Mediterranean Fever: The Effect of Subclinical Inflammation?
Authors: Sav Nadide Melike , Teberik Kuddusi
Published: September 2022

Purpose: Elevation of acute phase reactants during attack is an important indicator of acute inflammation in Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). However, the disease course also involves inflammation in remission period. Subclinical inflammation is a major etiological factor for organ involvement of the disease. The eye is one of the target organs in the course of FMF.Methods: The study included 51 patients with FMF in remission period for at least 3 months and 51 age-matched healthy individuals. Intraocular pressure, axial length, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, central macular thickness, and subfoveal choroidal thickness were assessed for patient and control groups using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Patients were grouped according to disease severity scores, and laboratory and ocular findings were compared.Results: Serum amyloid A, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen were higher and temporal inferior RNFL was thinner in the patient group than in the control group (p<0.05). Central macular, submacular choroidal, nasal and temporal thicknesses were lesser in the patient group than in the control group, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p>0.05). On the other hand, a positive correlation was found between proteinuria and axial length in the patient group. Conclusion: Subclinical inflammation is one of the factors responsible for important changes in the eye in FMF. Some changes that occur in the early period can become more prominent with a longer duration of the disease. Follow-up from childhood to adulthood would enable revealing the effects of subclinical inflammation in these patients.