bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DRUG EFFICACY IN THE TREATMENT FOR COVID-19 SEVERE FORMS, BASED ON ATTRIBUTE-BASED STATISTIC METHODS AND ANALYSIS OF DRUG INTERACTIONS
Authors: Zhukova O. V. , Kagramanyan I. N. , Khokhlov A. L.
Published: March 2021

Severe and critical forms of COVID-19 are beset by the development of “a cytokine storm”, which is characterized by an increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Therefore, one of the leading strategies for treating patients with severe forms of COVID-19 is the reduction of concentration of proinflammatory cytokines and leveling out their effect on the patient. Among the drugs aimed at reducing the concentration of proinflammatory cytokines, IL-6 inhibitors, IL-1 inhibitors, JAK inhibitors and systemic glucocorticosteroids have been found useful in COVID-19. All of these drugs are currently prescribed off-label.

The aimof the work is a comparative analysis of the data from the literature sources in the PubMed system, devoted to the clinical efficacy and safety of IL-6, IL-1, JAK inhibitors and systemic glucocorticosteroids in the treatment for severe forms of COVID-19.

Materials and methods. In the treatment for severe forms of COVID-19, materials for the comparative analysis were the data from the literature sources in the PubMed system, on the studies devoted to the use of the systemic glucocorticosteroid dexamethasone, IL-6 inhibitor tocilizumab, IL-1 inhibitor anakinra, and JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib. The analysis was performed by statistical evaluation of the drugs effect within the 28-day survival rate among the patients with severe COVID-19. Attributive statistics was used as a statistical tool. The safety of the drug use was assessed by analyzing potential drug interactions. The information about potential drug interactions, was obtained from a specialized website – Drugs.com. Knowmore. Besure (https://www.drugs.com/interaction/list/).

Results. As a result of the analysis, it has been established that tocilizumab has the highest efficacy rates. In this respect, it is followed by dexamethasone. The attributive efficacy rates and 95% confidence interval values for the both drugs were statistically significant. The indices of relative and population attributive kinds of efficacy, were also higher for tocilizumab, but a 95% confidence interval of these indices, get into the range of statistically insignificant values, requiring additional evidence of their efficacy. According to the data obtained, tocilizumab efficacy is higher than that of the other drugs compared: NNT (dexamethasone) – 32; NNT (tocilizumab) – 4, NNT (ruxolitinib) – 7; NNT (anakinra) – 35.

Conclusion. The choice of a drug should be based on the patient’s condition, comorbidities, and medications used in therapy to minimize the risk of undesirable drug interactions. Against the background of the lowest efficacy among the compared drugs, a high efficacy for the patients with concomitant hepatobiliary disorders and DIC syndrome, has been established for the inhibitor IL-1 anakinra, which makes it the drug of choice among the patients with these diseases and under these conditions in the development of “a cytokine storm”.
HEMORHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF THE 5-HT2A-ANTAGONIST OF THE 2-METHOXYPHENYL-IMIDAZOBENZIMIDAZOLE DERIVATIVE OF THE RU-31 COMPOUND AND CYPROHEPTADINE, IN COMPARISON WITH PENTHOXYPHYLLINE
Authors: Yakovlev D. S. , Naumenko L. V. , Sultanova K. T. , Spasov A. A.
Published: March 2021

Migraine and its comorbid conditions are pathogenetically associated with many factors, including hemorheological disorders. A class of drugs with a 5-HT2A antagonistic mechanism of action, is promising for the prevention and treatment of migraine attacks and concomitant pathologies.

The aim of the research is to study and compare a hemorheological activity of anti-migraine drugs, antagonists of 5-HT2A receptors of cyproheptadine, and a new drug that completed preclinical studies of the 1-(2-diethylaminoethyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,2-a]benzimidazole derivative of the RU- 31 compound.

Materials and methods. The study of the hemorheological activity of the RU-31 compound and cyproheptadine, was carried out using an experimental model of rabbit blood hyperthermia in vitro. Pentoxifylline was used as a reference drug. In the course of the work, the parameters of blood viscosity, aggregation and deformability of erythrocytes were recorded.

Results. It has been established that in the concentration of 1 μM, the RU-31 compounds reduce blood viscosity by 17% at high shear rates, which is comparable with pentoxifylline in the concentration of 100 μM on the activity level. In the concentration of 1 μM, cyproheptadine also causes a general tendency to reduce blood viscosity at high shear rates, being inferior in activity to the RU-31 compound and pentoxifylline. In the concentration of 1 μM, the RU-31 compound has a pronounced effect on the aggregation ability of erythrocytes in autologous plasma, reducing the aggregation rate by 70%, while the level of activity is not inferior to the drug compared to pentoxifylline in the concentration of 100 μM, and surpasses the drug cyproheptadine. For the RU-31 compound and cyproheptadine, no significant effect on the deformability of erythrocytes has been shown.

Conclusion. The capacity of cyproheptadine and the RU-31 compound to influence the rheological properties of blood by reducing blood viscosity and aggregation of erythrocytes has been revealed.
PROBLEMS OF RESPONSIBLE SELF-MEDICATION OF ALLERGY SYMPTOMS AND FARMACEUTICAL COUNSELING
Authors: Izrafilova V. A. , Egorova S. N. , Garifullina G. Kh. , Akhmetova T. A.
Published: March 2021

Cure of allergy symptoms reported by a patient with the help of non-prescription antiallergic drugs, is one of the important aspects of a responsible self-medication.

The aimof the study is to assess the peculiarities of consumers’ behavior as pharmacy visitors, when choosing non-prescription antiallergic drugs, and to identify potential problems of pharmaceutical counseling for allergy symptoms regarding the responsible self-medication.

Materials and methods. Sociological survey in the form of a questionnaire; graphoanalytical and comparative analyses.

Results. The profile of an over-the-counter antiallergic drugs buyer in the pharmacies of Kazan was assessed in the following way: it is a woman aged 18–44 of a middle level of income, having a family of 3–4 people, ready to spend from 101 to 500 rubles on the purchase of antiallergic drugs, buying anti-allergic drugs not for the first time. The main reasons to seek for treatment were skin rash, redness and itching, which had also been observed in the past. The allergic nature of the disease had already been confirmed by the doctor. For the average consumer of over-the-counter antiallergic drugs, the most important criteria for choosing a medicine were: efficiency, safety, the doctor’s recommendations and price. The medicines were purchased for the visitors themselves or their children. The customers were satisfied with the choice of non-prescription antiallergic medicines available in the pharmacy. The visitors generally trusted the pharmacists’ advice and recognized them as health professionals, but considered that the main goal was not only to provide a pharmaceutical care, but also to profit from the sale of the drugs. The following flaws of pharmaceutical counseling when dispensing non-prescription antiallergic drugs, were identified: an improper diagnosis by a pharmaceutical specialist, the lack of recommendations to consult a doctor, incomplete provision of information on the use, storage, and the possibility of interaction with other drugs and food.

Conclusion. Misdiagnosis and incomplete provision of information by pharmaceutical specialists on antiallergic the drugs that are approved for the over-the-counter dispensing, require the implementation of a pharmaceutical consultation algorithm for the visitors contacting a pharmacy with allergy symptoms.
Our histopathology results of 6 years in sinonasal masses
Authors: AKKOCA Özlem , TÜZÜNER Arzu , ERSÖZ Ceren , ÇELİK Hatice , KARADAŞ Hatice , ÖZDEMİR Coşkun
Published: March 2021

Purpose: In this study, it was aimed to compare patients with bilateral sinonasal mass and those who have unilateral sinonasal mass in terms of age, gender and histopathological diagnoses.

Material and Method: The histopathological results of 549 patients who underwent incisional / excisional biopsy or sinonasal surgery in our clinic between January 2012 and December 2017 were examined. All histopathological diagnoses were divided into 3 groups as benign, malign and non-neoplastic. Distribution rates of cases with unilateral involvement and cases with bilateral involvement were evaluated by age, gender and years.

Results: The average age of 549 patients was 40.12 ± 14.31.The most common histopathological diagnosis was nasal polyp (71%). It was observed that 10.6% of histopathological diagnoses were benign, 0.9% malign and 88.5% non-neoplastic. Right sided involvement was observed in 15.7% of the patients, left sided involvement was in 17.7%, and bilateral involvement was observed in 66.7% of the patients. The group which includes patients with non-neoplastic mass was found to have significantly more bilateral involvement than other groups (p = 0.001).

Conclusion: The most common histopathological diagnosis of sinonasal masses is nasal polyps. Nasal polyps are often bilateral but they can also be unilateral. Unilateral sinonasal masses can be malign, therefore differential diagnosis should be made by biopsy.
INFLAMMATORY HEMATOLOGICAL MARKERS IN PREDICTION OF CERVICAL INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA RECURRENCE IN NEGATIVE SURGICAL MARGINS
Authors: YORGANCI Ayçağ , GÜNDÜZ Özlem , KÖRPE Büşra , SEVEN Banu , YALÇIN Hakan Raşit , USTUN Yaprak
Published: March 2021

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia recurrence after conization surgery.
Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, patients who underwent conization due to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia were analyzed. Inclusion criteria were cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in the conization specimen with negative surgical margins and at least 12 months follow-up period at our clinical database. Demographic, clinical, pathological data, and preoperative complete blood count findings of the patients were extracted from medical files.
Results: There were a total of 105 patients divided into two groups: the recurrence group (n = 30) and the control group (n =85). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia pathology grades. There was statistically increased number of postconization endocervical positive results in the recurrence group. In the recurrence group, the mean of recurrence free survival was 10.5 months. There were no statistically significant differences in the preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and in other hematologic parameters between the groups. In logistic regression analysis, only endocervical curettage positivity was predictive in estimating recurrence (p=0.002, %95 CI 0.084-0.365).
Conclusion: Preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and other inflammatory markers were not predictive of recurrence after conization in women with negative surgical margins. Positive postconization endocervical curettage was the only prognostic factor associated with recurrence after excisional therapy.
Evolving an ethical framework for Covid-19 management in India
Authors: Basu Saurav , Sharma Nandini
Published: March 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused millions of cases and deaths worldwide and has caused a massive global economic contraction. Governments, policymakers, and medical professionals have been confronted with several complex bioethical dilemmas during these exceptional circumstances. In developing countries like India, having a large population base, inadequate preexisting public health infrastructure, and a multi-level government system with complex administrative mechanisms imposes enormous barriers and challenges in the effective and ethical management of the pandemic. Furthermore, endemic corruption, limited bureaucratic and organisational accountability, and weak oversight, especially among stakeholders in the vast private and non-government health and allied services sector, complicate the assessment of their adherence to ethical public health practices. All this constitutes a moral imperative for practitioners of medical ethics in India to develop a framework for ethical preparedness during a pandemic. Failure to do so runs the grave risk of moral and ethical chaos from ad-hoc decision making that is deprived of ethical guidance when confronted with an unprecedented public health crisis. In this narrative, we provide some of the building blocks for a comprehensive ethical framework for decision making and shaping public health responses to pandemic situations and associated challenges.
ATPase Inhibitor Factor-1 Disrupts Mitochondrial Ca2+ Handling and Promotes Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy through CaMKIIδ
Authors: Pavez-Giani Mario , Sanchez-Aguilera Pablo , Bomer Nils , Miyamoto Shigeki , Giraldo Paula , Oberdorf-Maass Silke , Nijholt Kirsten , Yurista Salva , Milting Hendrik , Heller Brown Joan , Van Der Meer Peter , Boer Rudolf A. de , Silljé Herman H.W. , Westenbrink B. Daan
Published: March 2021

Background : ATPase inhibitor factor-1 (IF1) preserves cellular ATP under conditions of respiratory collapse, yet the function of IF1 under normal respiring conditions is unresolved. We tested the hypothesis that IF1 promotes mitochondrial dysfunction and pathological cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in the context of heart failure (HF). Methods and results Cardiac expression of IF1 was increased in mice and in humans with HF, downstream of neurohumoral signaling pathways and in patterns that resembled the fetal-like gene program. Adenoviral expression of wild type IF1 in primary cardiomyocytes resulted in pathological hypertrophy and metabolic remodeling as evidenced by enhanced mitochondrial oxidative stress, reduced mitochondrial respiratory capacity, and the augmentation of extra-mitochondrial glycolysis. Similar perturbations were observed with an IF1 mutant incapable of binding to ATP-synthase (E55A mutation), indication that these effects occurred independent of binding to ATP synthase. Instead, IF1 promoted mitochondrial fragmentation and compromised mitochondrial Ca2+ handling, which resulted in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ overloading. The effects of IF1 on Ca2+ handling were associated with the cytosolic activation of CaMKII and inhibition of CaMKII or co-expression of catalytically dead CaMKIIδC was sufficient to prevent IF-1 induced pathological hypertrophy. Conclusions IF1 represents a novel member of the fetal-like gene program that contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction and pathological cardiac remodeling in HF. Furthermore, we present evidence for a novel, ATP-synthase independent, role for IF1 in mitochondrial Ca2+ handling and mitochondrial- to nuclear crosstalk involving CaMKII.
Silicene Quantum Capacitance Dependent Frequency Readout to a Label-free Detection of DNA Hybridization
Authors: Rahman Md. Sazzadur , Naima Rokaia Laizu , Shetu Khatuna Jannatun , Hossain Md. Mahabub , Kaiser M. Shamim , Hosen A. S. M. Sanwar , Sarker Abdul Latif , Ooi Kelvin
Published: March 2021

Two-dimensional silicon allotrodes– also called Sinicene– have recently experienced intensive scientific research interest due to their unique electrical, mechanical, and sensing characteristics. A novel silicene based nano-material has been enticed great amenities, partially because of its uniformity with graphene. Silicene is a highly sensitive for numerous sensors based on molecular sensing as pH sensor, gas sensor, ion sensor and biosensing are Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) nucleobase sensor, photonic sensor, cell-based biosensor, glucose sensor, and bioelectric nose sensor. Nowadays genetic research based on DNA hybridization, which is a vital tools for sensing material and it has various detection methods. Among of them, the detection method is frequency readout used to a label-free detection of DNA hybridization. In this paper we have compared the graphene and silicene quantum capacitance that has been proposed for a DNA hybridization detection method on wireless readout. These method shows, the strands of mismatched and complementary DNA have in different range of frequency to identify output efficiency. With respect to DNA concentration the output of silicene is almost sharply linear than graphene. In addition of field effect transistor, silicene opens a new opportunities due to its band gap whereas graphene indicates zero band gap. It can be stated that silicene is much more reliable as well as much stronger than multi-layered graphene.
Modulation of DNA Methylation Influences Cartilage Formation in Murine Chondrogenic Models
Authors: Vágó Judit , Kiss Katalin , Karanyicz Edina , Takács Roland , Matta Csaba , Rauch Tibor , Zakany Roza
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of DNA methylation in the regulation of in vitro and in vivo cartilage formation. Based on the data of an RNA chip-assay performed on chondrifying BMP2-overexpressing C3H10T1/2 cells, the relative expression of Tet1 (tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 1), Dnmt3a (DNA methyltransferase 3) and Ogt (O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase) genes was examined with RT-qPCR in mouse cell-line based and primary micromass cultures. RNA probes for in situ hybridization were used on frozen sections of 15-day-old mouse embryos. DNA methylation was inhibited with 5-azacytidine during culturing. We found very strong but gradually decreasing expression of Tet1 throughout the entire course of in vitro cartilage differentiation along with strong signals in the cartilaginous embryonic skeleton. Dnmt3a and Ogt expressions did not show significant changes with RT-qPCR and gave weak in situ hybridization signals. Inhibition of DNA methylation applied during early stages of differentiation reduced cartilage-specific gene expression and cartilage formation. In contrast, it had stimulatory effect when added to differentiated chondrocytes. Our results indicate that the DNA demethylation-inducing Tet1 is a significant epigenetic factor of chondrogenesis, and inhibition of DNA methylation exerts distinct effects in different phases of in vitro cartilage formation.
Making It Normal for ‘New’ Enrollments: Effect of Institutional and Pandemic Influence on Selecting an Engineering Institution Under the COVID-19 Pandemic Situation
Authors: Mahajan Prashant , Patil Vaishali
Published: March 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Indian engineering institutions (EIs) to bring their previous half-shut shades completely down. Fetching new admissions to EI campuses during the pandemic has become a ‘now or never’ situation for EIs. During crisis situations, institutions have struggled to return to the normal track. The pandemic has drastically changed students’ behavior and family preferences due to mental stress and the emotional life attached to it. Consequently, it becomes a prerequisite, and emergencies need to examine the choice characteristics influencing the selection of EI during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to critically examine institutional influence and pandemic influence due to COVID-19 that affects students’ choice about an engineering institution (EI) and consequently to explore relationships between institutional and pandemic influence. The findings of this quantitative research, conducted through a self-reported survey, have revealed that institutional and pandemic influence have governed EI choice under the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, pandemic influence is positively affected by institutional influence. The study demonstrated that EIs will have to reposition themselves to normalize pandemic influence by tuning institutional characteristics that regulate situational influence and new enrollments. It can be yardstick for policy makers to attract new enrollments under pandemic situations.
Selection of an Engineering Institution: Students’ Perceptions of Choice Characteristics and Suitability under the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mahajan Prashant , Patil Vaishali
Published: March 2021

Background: COVID-19 has impacted Indian engineering institutions (EIs) enormously. It has tightened its knot around EIs that forced their previous half-shut shades completely down to prevent the risk of spreading COVID-19. In such a situation, fetching new enrollments on EI campuses is a difficult and challenging task, as students’ behavior and family preferences have changed drastically due to mental stress and emotions attached to them. Historically, during crisis situations, institutions have struggled to return to the normal track. Consequently, it becomes a prerequisite to examine the choice characteristics influencing the selection of EI during the COVID-19 pandemic to make it ‘normal’ for ‘new’ enrollments. The purpose of this study is to critically examine choice characteristics that affect students’ choice for EI and consequently to explore relationships between institutions’ characteristics and the suitability of EI during the COVID-19 pandemic across students’ characteristics. Quantitative research, conducted through a self-reported survey composed of a closed-ended structured questionnaire, was purposefully incorporated into the students who recently were enrolled in EIs (batch years 2020-2021) belonging to the North Maharashtra region of India. Results:The findings of this study revealed dissimilarities across students’ characteristics regarding the suitability of EIs under pandemic conditions. Regression analysis revealed that EI characteristics such as proximity, image and reputation, quality education and curriculum delivery have significantly contributed to suitability under COVID-19. At the micro level, multiple relationships were noted between EI characteristics and the suitability of EI under the pandemic across students’ characteristics. Conclusion:Bringing ‘normality’ to ‘new’ enrollments totally depends on EI’s resilience in meeting the needs of diversity in the COVID-19 pandemic situation, which repositions themselves to govern student-centric strategies instituted for the overall suitability of EI under pandemic conditions. The study has successfully demonstrated how choice characteristics can be executed to regulate the ‘suitability’ of EI under the COVID-19 pandemic for the inclusion of diversity. It is useful for policy makers and academicians to reposition EIs that fetch diversity during the pandemic. This study is the first to provide insights into the performance of choice characteristics and their relationship with the suitability of EIs under a pandemic and can be a yardstick in administering new enrollments.
The Individual and the Organizational Model of Quantum Decision-Making and Learning (MQDM&L): An Introduction and the application of the Quadruple Loop Learning
Authors: Russ Meir
Published: March 2021

The new Post Accelerating Data and Knowledge Online Society, or ‘Padkos’ requires a new model of decision making. This introductory paper proposes a model where decision making and learning are a single symbiotic process, incorporating man and machine, as well as the AADD (ánthrōpos, apparatus, decider, doctrina) diamond model of individual and organizational decision-making and learning processes. The learning is incorporated by using a newly proposed quadruple loop learning model. This model allows for controlled changes of identity, the process of creating and the sense making of new mental models and assumption, and reflections. The model also incorporates the recently proposed model of quantum decision-making, where time collapse of the opted past and the anticipated future (explicitly including its time horizon) into the present play a key role in the process, leveraging decision-making and learning by human as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. The paper closes with conclusions.
A new Approach for Dynamic Stochastic Fractal Search with Fuzzy Logic for Parameter Adaptation
Authors: Lagunes Marylu , Castillo Oscar , Valdez Fevrier , Soria José , Melin Patricia
Published: March 2021

Metaheuristic algorithms are widely used as optimization methods, due to their global exploration and exploitation characteristics, which obtain better results than a simple heuristic. The Stochastic Fractal Search (SFS) is a novel method inspired by the process of stochastic growth in nature and the use of the fractal mathematical concept. Considering the chaotic-stochastic diffusion property, an improved Dynamic Stochastic Fractal Search (DSFS) optimization algorithm is presented. The DSFS algorithm was tested with benchmark functions, such as the multimodal, hybrid and composite functions, to evaluate the performance of the algorithm with dynamic parameter adaptation with type-1 and type-2 fuzzy inference models. The main contribution of the article is the utilization of fuzzy logic in the adaptation of the diffusion parameter in a dynamic fashion. This parameter is in charge of creating new fractal particles, and the diversity and iteration are the input information used in the fuzzy system to control the values of diffusion.
The Effect of Group Spiritual Care on Hope in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis referred to the MS Society of Zahedan, Iran
Authors: Rahnama Mozhgan , Rahdar Malihe , Afshari Mehdi
Published: March 2021

Background and Aim: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is known as an autoimmune disease and a chronic inflammatory condition, inducing a wide variety of mood affective disorders, including depression and feelings of hopelessness in many aspects of patients’ quality of life (QoL). In view of the positive side effects of spirituality and spiritual care on finding appropriate strategies for further adaptation, this study aimed to determine the impact of group spiritual care (GSC) on levels of hope in patients suffering from MS. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on a total number of 96 patients with MS, referring to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) in the city of Zahedan, Iran. Following sample selection via the convenience sampling technique, the patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomized into two groups, i.e., intervention and control. The data collection tools for this purpose included a demographic information form and the Adult Hope Scale (AHS, Snyder et al. 1991), completed by the subjects at the pre- and post-intervention stages. As well, the intervention group received five sessions of GSC during three weeks but the control group members only talked over daily issues along with their mental health problems. The data were also analyzed using the SPSS Statistics software (ver. 14). Results: The Kruskal-Wallis test results revealed that the GSC intervention could have a significant positive effect on raising hope in the patients with MS (p<0.001). Moreover, a significant growth was observed in the scores of hope dimensions including agency and pathway (p<0.001). Conclusion: GSC can effectively boost levels of hope in patients suffering from MS in all dimensions. Therefore, it is recommended to utilize this type of care in order to nurture hope in such individuals.
Growth and Yield of Three Boreal Tree Species
Authors: Kärenlampi Petri P.
Published: March 2021

Growth and yield of boreal tree species are discussed. A growth model is applied, along with verified yield models of sawlogs and veneer logs. Using the normal forest-principle, thinning schedules and rotation ages maximizing the estate-level capital return rate are clarified. Regeneration expenses are amortized at the end of any rotation. Consequently, capitalizations are greater and rotations longer than in recent studies. The capital return rate is a weak function of initial stem count but differs by tree species. The initial stem count strongly contributes to biomass stored in trees. The most promising way of increasing the capital return rate is the reduction of regeneration expenses. Thinnings are triggered by stand volumes of at least 200 m3/ha. The average commercial trunk volume of trees removed in thinnings always exceeds 200 liters. Risk aversion theory proposes short rotations and low stem count in seedling planting unless carbon storage compensation exists.
Delta Fractional Sturm--Liouville Problems: From Discrete to Continuous
Authors: Ozarslan Ramazan , Bas Erdal
Published: March 2021

In this study, we consider delta fractional Sturm--Liouville (DFSL) initial value problems in the sense of delta Caputo and delta Riemann-Liouville (R--L) operators. One of the properties of delta fractional difference operators which makes it different from nabla counterpart is to shift its domain. This feature makes it more complex than the nabla fractional operator. We obtain sum representation of solutions for DFSL initial value problems with the help of $\mathcal{Z}-$ transformation. Moreover, we get analytical solutions of homogeneous DFSL problem within Riemann-Liouville (R--L) and Caputo sense, discrete Sturm--Liouville (DSL) problem, continuous fractional Sturm--Liouville (FSL) problem in the sense of R--L and Caputo operators, and continuous Sturm--Liouville (SL) differential problem. From this point of view, we compare all the solutions with each other. Consequently, we show that all results for these four eigenvalue problems are compatible with each other and approach to each other while the orders tends to one, i.e. $\Delta^{\mu }\left( \Delta x\left( t-\mu \right) \right)\cong D_{0^{+}}^{\mu }\left( x^{\prime }\left( t\right) \right)\cong \Delta^2x(n-1) \cong x^{\prime \prime }\left( t\right) =\lambda x\left( t\right),\ \mu\rightarrow1 $ . We support our results comparatively by tables and simulations in detail.
Uji Lentur Balok Beton Bertulang Memadat Sendiri High Volume Fly Ash 60%
Authors: Rahardian Lutfi Dwi
Published: March 2021

High Volume Fly Ash – Self Compacting Concrete (HVFA-SCC) merupakan solusi untuk mengurangi penggunaan semen, dan tuntutan beton yang dapat mengalir tanpa menggunakan alat pemadatan. Penelitian ini dimaksudkan untuk menganalisis lentur pada balok beton bertulang High Volume Fly Ash – Self Compacting Concrete (HVFA-SCC) dengan 60% fly ash yang akan dibandingkan dengan balok beton bertulang beton normal yang diuji pada umur 28 hari. Benda uji yang digunakan adalah balok beton bertulang dengan luas penampang 10 cm x 18,5 cm dengan panjang 155 cm. Pengujian kapasitas lentur menggunakan loading frame dengan 2 titik pembebanan dengan jarak antar beban sebesar 45 cm. Dari pengujian ini didapatkan grafik hubungan beban-lendutan serta perhitungan kapasitas lentur balok beton HVFA-SCC 60%. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian ini kapasitas lentur pada pengujian balok beton bertulang HVFA-SCC 60% memiliki nilai yang lebih besar dibandingkan dengan kapasitas lentur hasil pengujian beton normal.
Kajian Kuat Tarik Belah pada Beton Ringan Memadat Mandiri Menggunakan Agregat Kasar Pecahan Genteng dengan Variasi Kadar Viscocrete
Authors: Fathoni Ahmad Rijal Arif
Published: March 2021

ABSTRAK

Dewasa ini, dunia konstruksi khusunya beton mengalami banyak perkembangan, salah satu beton yang dikembangkan adalah beton ringan memadat mandiri (Light-weight Self Compacting Concrete). Beton ini merupakan beton yang terbuat dari agregast ringan yang mampu memadat mandiri tanpa bantuan alat penggetar (vibrator). Agregat ringan alami yaitu agregat yang diperoleh dari bahan-bahan alami seperti batu apung, skoria, atau tufa dan agregat buatan adalah agregat yang dibuat melalui proses pemanasan bahan-bahan, seperti tanah liat, abu terang, abu sabak, dan batu lempung. Untuk meningkatkan workability pada beton ringan ini maka digunakan penambahan admixture viscocrete sehingga diharapkan beton segar mudah mengalir dan melakukan pemadatan mandiri. Dalam penelitian ini mengamati kuat tarik belah akibat penambahan kadar viscocrete. Kadar viscocrete yang digunakan ialah 1,5% ; 1,75% ; 2% ; dan 2,25%. Benda uji yang digunakan untuk pengujian kuat tarik belah adalah silinder berukuran diameter 15 cm dan tinggi 30 cm.

 
Kata Kunci: agregat ringan, beton ringan memadat mandiri, kuat tarik belah, viscocrete, workabilitas
Uji Tarik Beton Memadat Sendiri High Volume Fly Ash 60%
Authors: Pratama Kevin Ferdinand
Published: March 2021

Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) merupakan salah satu inovasi konstruksi yang ada pada saat ini untuk mengatasi permasalahan pengecoran dan pemadatan. SCC mampu mengalir melalui tulangan yang kompleks dan memenuhi ruangan atau cetakan tanpa bantuan alat penggetar mekanik. Konsep SCC ini dipadukan dengan konsep High Volume Fly Ash, yaitu penggunaan fly ash dalam jumlah lebih besar dari 50 %. Fly ash merupakan partikel halus yang terbuat dari sisa-sisa pembakaran batu bara, yang dimanfaatkan untuk mengganti penggunaan semen pada pembuatan beton. Pada penelitian ini akan menganalisis kuat tarik langsung beton pada penggunaan fly ash dengan kadar 60% berdimensi 10 x 10 x 25 cm dengan coakan berbentuk segitiga di tengah bentang dengan dimensi alas 2 cm dan tinggi 1,5 cm. Hasil dari penelitian ini, disimpulkan bahwa beton HVFA – SCC kadar fly ash 60% memiliki nilai kuat tarik sebesar 2,429 MPa.

 

Kata kunci: High Volume Fly Ash – Self Compacting Concrete (HVFA -SCC), Kuat Tarik Langsung, Self-Compacting Concrete, Fly Ash
Uji Balok Beton Bertulang Memadat Sendiri High Volume Fly Ash 50% Dengan ρ = 0,17
Authors: Hartono Oktavian Farrozy
Published: March 2021

Abstrak

 

Penelitian ini akan mengkaji seberapa besar pengaruh reinforcment ratio terhadap kapasitas geser balok beton bertulang HVFA–SCC dengan kadar fly ash 50 %. Benda uji yang digunakan 2 jenis balok beton bertulang dengan ukuran 10 cm x 18,5 cm x 155 cm dengan reinforcement ratio sebesar 1,77 % dan 2,68 %. Pengujian kapasitas geser menggunakan alat loading frame dengan 2 titik dengan jarak antar beban sebesar 20 cm. Dari pengujian ini akan didapatkan grafik hubungan beban-lendutan serta selisih kapasitas geser balok beton HVFA-SCC 50% dengan ρ sebesar 0,177.  Berdasarkan hasil penelitian ini kapasitas geser pada pengujian balok HVFA beton bertulang HVFA-SCC 50% memiliki nilai sebesar 23,5 kN yang diuji pada umur 28 hari.

 

Kata Kunci : fly ash, hvfa-scc, kapasitas geser.
Recent Trends in Medicare Utilization and Reimbursement for Orthopaedic Procedures Performed at Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Authors: Lopez Cesar D. , Boddapati Venkat , Schweppe Eric A. , Levine William N. , Lehman Ronald A. , Lenke Lawrence G.
Published: March 2021

Background:

As part of a market-driven response to the increasing costs of hospital-based surgical care, an increasing volume of orthopaedic procedures are being performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The purpose of the present study was to identify recent trends in orthopaedic ASC procedure volume, utilization, and reimbursements in the Medicare system between 2012 and 2017.

Methods:

This cross-sectional, national study tracked annual Medicare claims and payments and aggregated data at the county level. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression models were used to evaluate trends in procedure volume, utilization rates, and reimbursement rates, and to identify demographic predictors of ASC utilization.

Results:

A total of 1,914,905 orthopaedic procedures were performed at ASCs in the Medicare population between 2012 and 2017, with an 8.8% increase in annual procedure volume and a 10.5% increase in average reimbursements per case. ASC orthopaedic procedure utilization, including utilization across all subspecialties, is strongly associated with metropolitan areas compared with rural areas. In addition, orthopaedic procedure utilization, including for sports and hand procedures, was found to be significantly higher in wealthier counties (measured by average household income) and in counties located in the South.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrated increasing orthopaedic ASC procedure volume in recent years, driven by increases in hand procedure volume. Medicare reimbursements per case have steadily risen and outpaced the rate of inflation over the study period. However, as orthopaedic practice overhead continues to increase, other Medicare expenditures such as hospital payments and operational and implant costs also must be evaluated. These findings may provide a source of information that can be used by orthopaedic surgeons, policy makers, investors, and other stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding the costs and benefits of the use of ASCs for orthopaedic procedures.
Total Hip Replacements in Patients with Rare Pathologic Conditions Affecting Bone
Authors: Sepehri Aresh , Sidhu Arashdeep , Masri Bassam A.
Published: March 2021

➤ As a result of the advances in surgical technique and implant design, total hip arthroplasty (THA) is increasingly offered for the management of osteoarthritis of the hip in patients with fragile or pathologic bone.

➤ Posttraumatic or congenital deformities associated with fragile or pathologic bone are frequently encountered and necessitate diligent preoperative planning.

➤ Surgeons should be prepared to evaluate and manage intraoperative iatrogenic fracture.

➤ While there is limited evidence to date, components made with computer-assisted design can be considered, given the unique and highly variable patient population.
A Generic Asset Model for Implementing Product Digital Twins in Smart Remanufacturing
Authors: Kerin Mairi , Pham Duc Truong , Huang Jun , Hadall Jeremy
Published: March 2021

A digital twin is a “live” virtual replica of a sensorised component, product, process, human, or system. It accurately copies the entity being modelled by capturing information in real time or near real time from the entity through embedded sensors and the Internet-of-Things. Many applications of digital twins in manufacturing industry have been investigated. This article focuses on the development of product digital twins to reduce the impact of quantity, quality, and demand uncertainties in remanufacturing. Starting from issues specific to remanufacturing, the article derives the functional requirements for a product digital twin for remanufacturing and proposes a UML model of a generic asset to be remanufactured. The model has been demonstrated in a case study which highlights the need to translate existing knowledge and data into an integrated system to realise a product digital twin, capable of supporting remanufacturing process planning.
Hematological indices and abnormalities among patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Kosti city of the White Nile State, Sudan: A comparative study
Authors: Elkhalifa Ahmed M. E. , Abdul-Ghani Rashad , Tamomh Abdelhakam G. , Eltaher Nur Eldin , Ali Nada Y. , Ali Moataz M. , Bazie Elsharif A. , KhirAlla Aboagla , DfaAlla Fatin , Alhasan Omnia A. M.
Published: March 2021

Background: Hematological abnormalities are common features in falciparum malaria but vary among different populations across countries. Therefore, we compared hematological indices and abnormalities between Plasmodium falciparum-infected patients and malaria-negative subjects in Kosti city of the White Nile State, Sudan. Methods: A comparative, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Medical Technology Laboratory Unit of Kosti Teaching Hospital from June to December 2018. A total of 392 participants (192 P. falciparum-infected patients and 200 malaria-negative subjects) were recruited in the study. Hematological indices of hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets were measured and their median values were statistically compared. Results: The majority of P. falciparum-infected patients (64.6%) showed a low-level parasitemia. The median values of Hb concentration, RBC count, mean corpuscular Hb and mean corpuscular Hb concentration were significantly lower in P. falciparum-infected patients, with anemia being significantly higher among infected patients than malaria-negative subjects (60.4% vs. 29.5%, respectively). The median total WBC count was non-significantly higher in P. falciparum-infected patients, with leucopenia being non-significantly different between both groups. The median platelet count was significantly lower in P. falciparum-infected patients, with thrombocytopenia being significantly higher among infected patients than malaria-negative subjects (72.4% vs. 5.0%, respectively).Conclusions: Most falciparum malaria infections among patients in Kosti city of the White Nile State – Sudan are of low-level parasitemia. Nevertheless, falciparum malaria is significantly associated with anemia and thrombocytopenia with lower median values of Hb, RBC count, MCH, MCHC and platelet count in P. falciparum-infected patients than malaria-negative subjects. In contrast, leucopenia is not useful to predict falciparum malaria. Further large-scale studies in community and healthcare settings and inclusion of patients with complicated or severe malaria and those with high parasite densities are recommended.
3S-IoT an Algorithm to make the Network Secure and Smart
Authors: pant maneesh , Singh Brijmohan , Gupta Dharam Vir
Published: March 2021

The growing and widespread presence of Internet of Things (IoT) has made the lives of all comfortable and handy, but poses various challenges, like efficiency, security, and high energy drain, threatening smart IoT-based applications. Small applications rely on Unicast communication. In a group-oriented communication, multicast is better as transmission takes place using fewer resources. Therefore, many IoT applications rely on multicast transmission. To handle sensitive applications, the multicast traffic requires an actuator control. Securing multicast traffic by itself is cumbersome, as it expects an efficient and flexible Group Key Establishment (GKE) protocol. The paper proposes a three-tier model that can control the IoT and control multicast communications. The first authentication is at network linking where we used a 256-bit keyless encryption technique. Machine learning-based chaotic map key generation authenticates the GKE. Finally, MD5 establishes the system key. 3S-IoT is smart to detect any tempering with the devices. It stores signatures of the connected devices. The algorithm reports any attempt to change or temper a device. 3S-IoT can thwart attacks such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), Man-in-the-Middle (MiTM), phishing, and more. We calculated energy consumed, bandwidth, and the time taken to check the robustness of the proposed model. The results establish that 3S-IoT can efficiently deal with the attacks. The paper compares 3S-IoT with Benchmark algorithms.
Royal jelly and propolis therapies reduce inflammation and stimulate healing of oral mucositis in rats
Authors: Severo Mara Luana Batista , Thieme Stéfanie , Silveira Felipe Martins , Tavares Raquel Padilha Martins , Gonzaga Amanda Katarinny Goes , Zucolotto Silvana Maria , Araújo Aurigena Antunes , Martins Marco Antonio Trevizani , Martins Manoela Domingues Martins Domingues , Silveira Ericka Janine Dantas
Published: March 2021

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the effects and mechanisms of action of royal jelly (RJ) and propolis in an animal model of oral mucositis (OM).Methods Seventy-two male Wistar rats were randomly allocated to four groups (n = 18): control (no treatment), PBMT (intraoral laser, 6 J/cm2), RJ, and propolis. On days 0 and 2, animals received injection of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The buccal mucosa was scratched (days 3 and 4) and the treatments were initiated on day 5. Six animals of each group were euthanized on days 8, 10, and 14. Phytochemical analysis (thin-layer chromatography-TLC), clinical, histopathological, immunohistochemical of pS6, pAKT and NF-κB and oxidative stress markers were also investigated.Results TLC revealed the presence of large amounts of sucrose (Rf 0.34) in RJ and flavonoids in propolis. On day 8, lower clinical OM scores (and day 10) and morphological were observed in the PBMT, RJ and propolis groups (p < 0.05). On day 8, immunoexpression of pS6, pAKT and NF-κB was increased when compared to control. On day 14, GSH antioxidant levels were increased in the propolis group compared to control (p < 0.05).Conclusions Our results showed that RJ and propolis, as well as PBMT, are effective in the treatment of OM. The RJ and propolis may explain their excellent wound healing activity and anti-inflammatory effects. Considering that not all patients who develop OM have access to PBMT, the present study demonstrated that topical application of RJ and propolis may be an important alternative for the treatment of OM.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with radical surgery for stage IB2/IIA2 cervical squamous cell carcinoma:A prospective, randomized controlled study of 35 patients
Authors: Huang Jing , Wu Xiuhong , Yu Ying , Liao Zhenrong , Chen Xiyun , Luo Deping , Shen Changmei , Wang Qi , Peng Tao , Pan Yiyun
Published: March 2021

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes for patients with stage IB2/IIA2 cervical squamous cell carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with radical surgery. Methods: A total of 68 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma were randomly divided into the experimental group (n = 35) and the control group (n = 33). The patients in the experimental group received paclitaxel plus cisplatin neoadjuvant chemotherapy for two cycles after the diagnosis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma and were rested for 2 weeks after chemotherapy, The control group underwent radical hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy combined with total pelvic lymph node dissection after the diagnosis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. The toxic and side effects of chemotherapy in the experimental group were observed. Also, the operation method, operation time, blood loss, grade of wound healing, complications, and postoperative pathology were noted in the two groups. Primary foci and pelvic lymph node recurrence and distant metastasis were observed, and 3-year and 5-year survival rates were calculated. Results. Only one patient in the experiment had grade Ⅲ bone marrow suppression; no other grade III and IV chemotherapy toxic reactions were observed. The operation was successfully completed in all patients. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, placement of ureteral catheter, bladder injury, ureteric injury, postoperative urinary tub, pelvic drainage tube indwelling time, anal exhaust time, postoperative complications, and metastatic ratio of lymph nodes were not significantly different between the two groups (P>0.05); The number of dissected lymph nodes, deep myometrial invasion, and vascular tumor emboli showed a significant difference in the experimental group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The 3-year disease-free survival (82.9% vs 81.9%), 5-year disease-free survival (71.4% vs 60.6%), 3-year overall survival (91.4% vs 87.8%), and 5-year overall survival (82.9% vs 75.6%) were not statistically significantly different between the experimental group and the control group (P > 0.05). Conclusions. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ⅠB2/ⅡA2 stage cervical squamous cell carcinoma showed low toxic side effects. Radical surgery after chemotherapy is safe and feasible. It plays a coordinating role in reducing the tumor infiltration depth of the deep muscle layer and the incidence of vascular tumor emboli, reducing the use of postoperative adjuvant therapy, and improving the quality of life of patients, but does not improve the 3-year/5-year survival rate.