bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating the carbon footprint of post-flood urban road network restoration efforts: A case study in Carlisle
Authors: Zhong Weichen , Howard Guy , Neal Jeffrey
Published: May 2024

Climate change and urbanization are increasing the risk of flood disasters in vulnerable areas. Urban road infrastructure can be affected by floods, and subsequent restoration creates an additional carbon emission burden. These emissions are likely to compromise local decarbonization efforts, but there remains a lack of tools for quantifying the environmental impact of reconstruction projects after disasters. This study aims to develop an assessment framework to reveal the carbon footprint of post-flood road network restoration projects. An interdisciplinary model was developed, integrating knowledge in hydrology, civil engineering, and environmental science. This paper presents scenario simulations with the maximum flood depth (MFD) ranging from 0.1 m to 5.0 m and a case study in Carlisle, UK. Results show that floods with MFD over 0.5 m had significant impacts on pavements. The resilience to floods on low-volume roads was weaker, but the restoration emission intensity of main roads was significantly higher. From the perspective of an urban case, after a 70-hour flood event with an average MFD of 0.9 m, the total carbon footprint of road network restoration was 73.89 tCO2e, offsetting about 0.49% of local carbon reduction efforts for the month. Specifically, emissions from restoring low-volume roads accounted for 58.64%. Indirect carbon emissions from material production (approx. 66%) and delivery (approx. 30%) were much higher than direct emissions from onsite tasks (approx. 4%). Measures such as material improvement, delivery optimization, and construction material reuse can help mitigate the emission burden of restoration projects. A major uncertainty in the computation was ignoring the differences induced by the climatic context, but addressing this limitation would require support from pavement damage experts. This study provides quantitative tools for understanding infrastructure-related environmental impacts caused by flood disasters. The assessment framework proposed in this work is also expected to be applied to wider spatial-temporal scenarios to enrich decision-making references.
Topology Optimization of Thermal Initial Value Problems Exploiting Efficient Harmonic Analysis
Authors: Işıklar Göktuğ , Christiansen Rasmus Ellebæk , Sigmund Ole
Published: May 2024

Topology optimization can be employed to manipulate transient thermal behavior for heat transfer devices. As a gradient-based approach, transient topology optimization faces challenges with the CPU cost of the associated forward and backward time-stepping procedure. This study introduces a harmonic analysis-based substitute optimization method to alleviate these computational challenges. Using an analytical solution for a one-dimensional heat conduction problem, we derive a conversion coefficient linking harmonic excitation frequency to the desired transient time instance. Applying this harmonic formulation in the topology optimization of a two-dimensional transient heat conduction problem shows a remarkable speedup, around a factor of 20 per design iteration, with less than a 5% decrease (at most) in the figure of merit compared to the transient approach. Extending the study to include heat convection displays a stable region where the proposed harmonic substitute method sustains the same computational efficiency with less than a 10% difference for objective value comparison in the worst-case scenario.
Biology and Management of Tea Mosquito Bug, Helopeltis Antonii on Neem
Authors: Chaitanya B , Bheemanna M , Prabhuraj Aralimarad , Murthy M Shankara , Harischandra Naik R , Aswathanarayana D S
Published: May 2024

A study was conducted to evaluate the bio-efficacy of entomopathogens and synthetic insecticides for the management of tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis antonii on neem as well to study its biology and morphometrics. It was found that the life cycle of H. antonii, unfolds over 37 to 48 days when hosted on neem, encompassing an incubation period of 7.45 ± 1.19 days and a nymphal phase lasting 16.05 ± 1.28 days. The male members exhibit a longevity of 17.85 ± 1.63 days, while the females live slightly longer at 19.2 ± 1.88 days. Hatching percentages range from 62.5% to 86.67%, with adult emergence rates falling between 83.33% and 92.85%. Notably, the population skews towards males, maintaining a sex ratio of 1:1.22.In insecticide testsfor managing the tea mosquito bug on neem, lambda-cyhalothrin and thiamethoxam on neem show high efficacy, while Lecanicillium lecanii has the least impact.
Longitudinal monitoring of sewershed resistomes in socioeconomically diverse urban neighbourhoods
Authors: Parkins Michael , Lee Jangwoo , Xiang Kevin , Au Emily , Sarabi Shahrzad , Acosta Nicole , Bhatnagar Srijak , Doorn Jennifer Van , Bertazzon Stefania , Conly John , Rennert-May Elissa , Pitout Johann , Lee Bonita , Pang Xiaoli , O'Grady Christine , Frankowski Kevin , Hubert Casey
Published: May 2024

Understanding factors associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) distribution across populations is a necessary step in planning optimal mitigation measures. While associations between AMR and socioeconomic-status (SES), including factors like income, employment, education, have been increasingly recognized in low- and middle-income settings, this interplay is less clear in high-income countries. We explored the relationship between SES and AMR in Calgary, Canada using spatially-resolved wastewater-based surveillance of resistomes detected by metagenomics across socio-economically diverse urban neighbourhoods. Conducting this comparison during the height of COVID-related international travel restrictions (Dec.2020-Oct.2021) allowed the hypotheses linking SES and AMR to be assessed with limited confounding. Wastewater metagenomes from eight diverse neighbourhoods exhibited highly similar resistomes, with no quantitative differences (p > 0.05), low Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, and no significant correlations with SES. By comparison, dissimilarity was observed between globally-sourced resistomes from 244 cities (p < 0.05), underscoring the homogeneity of resistomes in Calgary’s sub-populations. The analysis of globally-sourced resistomes alongside Calgary resistome further revealed lower AMR burden in Calgary relative to other cities around the world was particularly pronounced for some of the most clinically-relevant AMR genes (e.g., beta-lactamases, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin). This work showcases the effectiveness of inclusive and comprehensive wastewater-based surveillance for exploring the interplay between SES and AMR.
Clinical Trauma Severity of Indoor and Outdoor Injurious Falls Requiring Emergency Medical Service Response
Authors: Burford Kathryn G. , Itzkowitz Nicole G. , Crowe Remle P. , Wang Henry E. , Lo Alexander X. , Rundle Andrew G.
Published: May 2024

Background: Injurious falls represent a significant public health burden. Research and polices have primarily focused on falls occurring indoors despite evidence that outdoor falls account for 47-58% of all falls requiring some medical attention. This study compared the clinical trauma severity of indoor versus outdoor injurious falls requiring Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response.
Methods: Using the 2019 National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) dataset, we identified the location of patients injured from falls that required EMS response. We classified injury severity using 1) the Revised Trauma Score for Triage (T-RTS): ≤ 11 indicated the need for transport to a Trauma Center; 2) Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS): ≤8 and 9–12 indicated moderate and severe neurologic injury; and 3) patient clinical acuity by EMS: Dead, Critical, Emergent, Low.
Results: Of 1,854,909 encounters for patients with injurious falls, the vast majority occurred indoors (n=1,596,860) compared to outdoors (n=152,994). The proportions of patients with moderate or severe GCS scores, were comparable between those with indoor falls (3.0%) and with outdoor falls on streets or sidewalks (3.8%), T-RTS scores indicating need for transport to a Trauma Center (5.2% vs 5.9%) and EMS acuity rated as Emergent or Critical (27.7% vs 27.1%).Injurious falls were more severe among male patients compared to females: and males injured by falling on streets or sidewalks had higher percentages for moderate or severe GCS scores (4.8% vs 3.6%) and T-RTS scores indicating the need for transport to a Trauma Center (7.3% vs 6.5%) compared to indoor falls. Young and middle-aged patients whose injurious falls occurred on streets or sidewalks were more likely to have a T-RTS score indicating the need for Trauma Center care compared to indoor falls among this subgroup. Yet older patients injured by falling indoors were more likely to have a T-RTS score indicating the need for Trauma Center than older patients who fell on streets or sidewalks.
Conclusions: There was a similar proportion of patients with severe injurious falls that occurred indoors and on streets or sidewalks. These findings suggest the need to determine outdoor environmental risks for outdoor falls to support location-specific interventions.
Utilization of agrowaste for arsenic biosorption: enhancing efficacy and assessing the suitability of plant and animal growth in post-adsorbed solution
Authors: Ghosh Malaya , Dey Pubali , Mandal Abhijit , Giri Sarbani
Published: May 2024

Arsenic is known to have detrimental effects on living bodies when exposed to contaminated groundwater. Therefore, a cost-effective way to eliminate arsenic from aquatic sources is essential. Our study evaluated the efficacy of eight different types of easily accessible agricultural waste for arsenic removal. The safety assessment of the post-adsorbed solution in plant and animal test models such as Allium cepa and Daphnia magna was also evaluated. The results showed that the efficiency of the adsorbents depends on the type of agricultural waste utilized. In the case of citrus agrowastes, maximum adsorption (94–95%) was attained at lowest 15 min contact time indicating very rapid saturation of adsorption sites and for other adsorbents, with increase of contact time there was gradual increase in adsorption of arsenic. Allium cepa toxicity test showed that arsenic-exposure caused significant decrease in root length (2.80 ± 0.89 cm) and reduction in mitotic index (6.31 ± 1.79%) that can be reverted to normal after the roots were grown in post-adsorbed medium. Similarly, solutions treated with different agricultural wastes except citrus bioadsorbents showed significantly higher survival rates and litter sizes of Daphnia magna post biosorption. Agricultural waste with citric characteristics removed arsenic more effectively than other chosen agricultural wastes but the solution generated by adsorption with citric agrowaste does not support plant and animal growth. Among the other chosen adsorbents, rice husk has been found to be highly suitable for plant and animal growth by reducing the toxic effects of arsenic.
Evaluation of Drain Quality and Nutrient Loads Management Scenarios by Using QUAL2kw Model
Authors: Abyaz Seyedeh Razieh Shabestani , Samani Jamal Mohammadvali , Navabian Maryam
Published: May 2024

The examination of wastewater and effluents flowing into receiving water bodies is crucial for identifying pollutant sources and implementing scenarios to reduce them. In this study, QUAL2kw was used to identify, assess, and predict the pollutant load of a drainage canal located 6 kilometers away from Anzali Wetland. Initially, the model was calibrated and validated with data collected in 2017. The NRMSE of the values was mostly less than 20%, except for flow accounting for 37% during calibration. The model did well in simulating EC and ammonium levels, but there is room for improvement in predicting nitrate and inorganic P concentrations. Field visits and sampling were done during the rice growth period in April-June 2021. The model was simulated for a three-time series in 2021, simulation showed that the month of May was the most critical, as the levels of nitrates, ammonium, and phosphates were at their highest. Then scenarios were considered to reduce nutrient loads. Reducing the amount of fertilizer led to a 9–27% while applying water stress resulted in a 0.1-1% reduction in the discharge outflow from the drain and less than 1% reduction in the amount of ammonium and nitrate. It is concluded that reduction in fertilization is more efficient in reducing concentrations and pollutant loads at the exit point of the canal to water resources compared to applying water stress since urea fertilizer contains a high percentage of nitrogen and declining water application can enhance the soil’s nutrient retention ability but only to a small degree.
SCWIR: A rumor propagation model considering user waiting behavior
Authors: Wu Hai , Yan Xin , Wang Hongbin , Gao Shengxiang , Deng Zhongying
Published: May 2024

The rapid development of the Internet has brought convenience to people in accessing information, but it has also exacerbated the spread of rumors. Therefore, it becomes crucial to study the propagation patterns of rumors and devise corresponding suppression strategies. In the study of rumor propagation, the existing rumor propagation model studies have not fully considered the neutral wait-and-see population, nor have they taken into account the possibility of users waking up midway after believing in the rumor to wait and see for a second time. To address the above shortcomings, this paper established the SCWIR (Susceptible, Commented, Waited, Infected, Recovered) rumor propagation model, which introduced the Commenter (Commented, C) and the Waited (Waited, W) to better model users' positions of commenting and neutral waiting in rumor events. Based on the proposed model, this paper investigated the transformation process of five types of users, namely susceptible users, commenters, waiting users, spreaders, and recovery users, under the influence of government intervention, higher education coverage rate, and information timeliness; and conducted simulation experiments to verify the validity of the proposed model. The research results show that the model proposed in this paper can better reflect the possible behaviors of users such as commenting on rumors, neutral waiting, and spreading rumors during the rumor-spreading process. It achieves good performance in predicting the peak periods of rumor outbreaks, the peak value of outbreaks, the lifecycle of rumors, and the changing proportions of various members over time.
Effect of Al and AP particle sizes on the condensed combustion products characteristics of aluminized NEPE propellants
Authors: Tu Chengyin
Published: May 2024

Aluminum (Al) is usually added to solid propellants to improve the combustion performance, however the condensed combustion products (CCPs) especially the large agglomerates generated from aluminum combustion can reduce the specific impulse of the engine, and result in two-phase loss, residue accumulation and throat liner ablation. Al and AP, as important components of NEPE propellants, can affect the formation process of the CCPs of aluminized NEPE propellants. To clarify the effect of Al and AP particle sizes on the properties of the CCPs of aluminized NEPE propellants, a constant-pressure quench vessel was adopted to collect the combustion products of four different formulations of NEPE propellants. It was found that the condensed combustion products are mainly divided into aluminum agglomerates and oxide particles, the diameter of the aluminum agglomerates of these four different formulations of NEPE propellants at 7MPa was smaller than that in 3MPa, and the shells of the aluminum agglomerates were smoother and the spherical shape was more perfect. X-ray diffraction analysis of the CCPs of the four NEPE propellants under 3MPa revealed the presence of both Al and Al2O3. With the increase of the particle size of Al and AP, the oxidation degree of aluminum particles decreases. The particle size of the CCPs of the four different formulations of NEPE propellants under 1MPa and 3MPa was analyzed by using a laser particle size analyzer, it is found that the increase of AP particle size is helpful to reduce the size of condensate combustion products. Based on the classical pocket theory, establishing a new agglomeration size prediction model, which can be used to predict the agglomeration size on the burning surface. Compared with the empirical model, the new agglomeration size prediction model is in good agreement with the experimental results.
Mix Design of Sprayed Steel Fiber Recycled Concrete
Authors: Pan Xiangguang , Sun Jilin , Quan Xianzheng , Si Jiaxiao , Sun Sibo , Sun Xuran , Liu Chuanqi
Published: May 2024

Sprayed steel fiber recycled concrete (SSFRC) is a new type of green composite building material. This study examines the impact of water-cement ratio, recycled aggregate (RA) replacement rate, and steel fiber (SF) volume ratio on concrete properties such as slump, compressive strength, and bending strength. To accomplish this, 9 orthogonal experimental designs with 3 factors and 3 levels are utilized. The primary and secondary order of factors affecting the slump, compressive strength, and bending strength of fresh concrete are obtained by analyzing experimental data. To calculate the mix ratio, the mathematical model is obtained by controlling single factor variables and fitting relationships of relevant factor data based on the analysis results of the significance of orthogonal experiments. By investigating the replacement rates of 0%, 50%, and 100% RA, we examined the ideal sand content for SSFRC. The slump values of 24 mix ratio tests were analyzed, leading to the identification of the optimal outcomes associated with sand content percentages of 49%, 51%, and 53%. Finally, we obtained the calculation method for the mix ratio of SSFRC. Based on the example calculation and verification presented in this article, it can be concluded that the mix design method proposed for SSFRC is accurate, simple, convenient, and practical.
Intelligent Agents in Educational Institutions: AEdBOT– A Chatbot for Administrative Assistance using Deep Learning Hybrid Model Approach
Authors: Ali Muhammad Shahroze , Anwar Muhammad Waseem , Azam Farooque , Ashraf Muhammad Hashir
Published: May 2024

Chatbots substantially improve administrative support for educational institu- tions facing immense pressure during admissions. Chatbots not only automate repetitive tasks, handle large volumes of inquiries, collecting data from inter- actions but also provide an additional way for students to access information. Existing chatbots are built on traditional Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches where the accuracy required for seamless real-time interactions is usually compro- mised. This article presents novel AEdBOT - an AI-based Educational ChatBOT system where a novel Deep Learning (DL)-based Hybrid model approach is proposed grounded on integrating informational retrieval and generative neural networks. Moreover, a novel Natural Language Processing (NLP) pipeline is developed on top of the open-source Rasa platform to aid with BERT (Bidi- rectional Encoder Representation Transformer) for dense feature extraction and DIET (Dual Intent and Entity Transformer) Classifier for intent classification and entity extraction from the natural language text. Furthermore, the customized dual fallback classifier algorithm is developed to provide the self-learning ability to
a chatbot on out-of-scope inputs and acts as a recommendation system. The effec- tiveness of the proposed chatbot is established through two real-life datasets from educational institutes. For the first dataset, AEdBOT achieved 94.7%, 96.0%, 96.0%, and 95.1% precision, accuracy, recall, and F1-Score, respectively at an average mean response time of 216.43ms per query and a user-friendliness score of 77.5 on the System Usability Scale (SUS). The second dataset is used from the literature for comparative analysis, and AEdBOT attained 76.2%, 83.7%, 77.7%, and 79.1% accuracy, precision, F1-Score, and recall, respectively. Experiment results reveal that AEdBOT significantly improves response accuracy and outperforms state-of-the-art educational chatbots.
Hippocampal microstructural changes following electroconvulsive therapy in severe depression
Authors: BERRE Alice LE , Attali David , Uszynski Ivy , Debacker Clément , Lui Maliesse , Charron Sylvain , Moyal Mylène , Ramon François , Henensal Adèle , Benzakoun Joseph , Poupon Cyril , Cachia Arnaud , Oppenheim Catherine , Plaze Marion
Published: May 2024

Introduction
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) induces an increase in hippocampal volume presumed to reflect neurogenesis in severely depressed patients. We hypothesized that Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) provides in vivo evidence of hippocampal neurogenesis following ECT.
Methods
This prospective longitudinal study included 43 depressed patients treated by ECT. Three sequential evaluations (V1: baseline, V2: at 2 weeks into ECT, V3: 14 days within completing ECT) included a 3T MR-scan with 3D T1-weighted and multi-shell diffusion (b = 200/1500/2500 s/mm2, 30/45/60 directions) sequences and clinical assessment with depression scales. Q-ball, Diffusion Tensor and NODDI models provided the following metrics: axial (AD), radial (RD) and mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA) and generalized FA (GFA), neurite density index (NDI), isotropic fraction (Fiso), neurite orientation and dispersion index (ODI). FreeSurfer was used to extract whole hippocampal and subfields volumes from T1-weighted images. A linear mixed-effect model assessed the changes over time in hippocampal volumes and mean diffusion metrics, and their relationship with clinical response was analyzed with ANOVA. Bonferroni corrections were applied.
Results
107 MRI were obtained at V1 (n = 43), V2 (n = 34) and V3 (n = 30) from 43 patients. Mean (± SD) interval between V1-V3 was 70 ± 25 days. Diffusion metrics in the hippocampus were: at V2, a decrease in left GFA, right AD, bilateral Fiso, and a bilateral ODI increase. Additionally, at V3, we observed a left MD decrease, bilateral AD decrease, right NDI increase, and bilateral ODI increase. Notably, NDI and Fiso changes were localized to the dentate gyrus but not to the hippocampal tail. ECT-responders showed a significant right hippocampus volume increase at 2 weeks into ECT.
Conclusion
After ECT, the observed increase in hippocampal volume is accompanied by bilateral changes in NODDI parameters, consistent with hippocampal neuroplasticity.
Analysis of Variations in Coverage of Primary Health Centre: a Comparative Study Based on Chamoli & Rudraprayag Districts
Authors: Kalita Neelkamal Alomayan , Vasishtha Guru
Published: May 2024

Background: Accessibility to the health center is poorly understood in most developing countries. Regardless of development, it is a challenge to provide healthcare services to the entire population. Access to health care in a given location is influenced by many factors, including the availability of health services in the area (supply), the number of people living in that location (demand), the population’s health status, the socio-economic and financial resources available to the population, people’s knowledge about health and the health care system, and geographical impedance between population and health services
Methodology: To measure the coverage of the Primary Health Centre (PHC), a catchment area model has been made by Voronoi map analysis and with the help of Euclidean buffer modeling used in both the hill districts of Uttarakhand i.e. Rudraprayag & Chamoli.
Results: Although Uttarakhand has achieved 85% of Institutional delivery, still it is very low according to the target set by National Population Policy 2000. It has been observed that there is an apparent disparity in the coverage of healthcare services. In a few pockets of the district, the population pressure on PHCs is as high as 50000 which is definitely due to the shortfall of PHCs in the district of Chamoli. The study identifies the rendered white zones of the district. It helps researchers and policymakers to develop infrastructure in terms of improving coverage of PHCs or identifying the optimal location as well as the population for setting up more PHCs.
Conclusions: Uttarakhand's healthcare coverage is low despite achieving 85% of institutional delivery. Population pressure on Public Health Centres (PHCs) is high in Chamoli, causing a shortage. Based on the terrain and elevation of the region, a dynamic population threshold for setting up PHCs, focusing mainly on accessibility should be adopted.
Improved SO-optimized SVM fault prediction for wind turbine pitch systems
Authors: Li Qiang , Li Ming , Fu Chao , Wang Jin
Published: May 2024

To address complex fault risk for wind turbine pitch systems working under the long-term operation and harsh environment, a fault prediction method based on Swarm Optimization (SO) algorithm and optimized Support Vector Machine (SVM) is proposed. Firstly, principal component analysis (PCA) is adopted to identify the core feature values from a datasets of wind turbine variable pitch systems containing operating data and feature extraction. Secondly, an Improved Swarm Optimization (ISO) algorithm is introduced to resolve sample imbalances and parameter selections in traditional SVM algorithms, which can improve the prediction accuracy and iteration speed. By utilizing Latin hypercube sampling, the algorithm searches for the optimal solution across all parameter spaces. It combines the frosting algorithm (RIME) with mirror imaging reverse learning to enhance adaptability to complex problems and improves the algorithm's convergence time by accelerating the iteration speed of the population. Lastly, the ISO-SVM algorithm is utilized to develop a fault prediction model for wind turbine pitch and performs excellently in fault prediction. The experimental results indicate the proposed method has achieved an increased prediction accuracy of 98.67% compared with other algorithms. Moreover, the proposed approach significantly improves the accuracy of fault prediction for the pitch system of wind turbines, addressing the primary issues in fault prediction for the pitch system of wind turbines.
Trends in inpatient orthopedic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: A nationwide data study
Authors: Nishizawa Mitsuhiro , Nagata Kosei , Adejuyigbe Babapelumi , Shinozaki Tomohiro , Yamada Koji
Published: May 2024

Background
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in substantial morbidity and mortality globally. The National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) covers 99.9% of health insurance claim receipts by general practitioners. The purpose of this study is to investigate the nationwide number of inpatient orthopedic surgeries in Japan during the effect of state of emergency (SoE) due to COVID-19.
Method
The NDB has been publicly available since 2014. We retrospectively reviewed the NDB from April 2019 to March 2022. We gathered the monthly number of all inpatient orthopedic surgeries. We also classified orthopedic surgeries into the following 11 categories by using K-codes, Japanese original surgery classification: fracture, arthroplasty, spine, arthroscopy, hardware removal, hand, infection/amputation, ligament/tendon, tumor, joint, and others. By using the average number from April to December 2019 as the reference period, we investigated the increase or decrease orthopedic surgeries during the pandemic period.
Results
The NDB showed that the average number of total inpatient orthopedic surgeries during the reference period was 115,343 per month. In May 2020, monthly inpatient orthopedic surgeries decreased by 29.6% to 81,169 surgeries, accounting for 70.3% of the reference period. The second SoE in 2021 saw no change, while the third and fourth SoEs showed slight decreases compared to the reference period. Hardware removal and tumor surgeries in May 2020 decreased to 45.3% and 45.5%, respectively, while fracture surgeries had relatively small decreases.
Conclusion
According to NDB, approximately 1.3 million orthopedic inpatient surgeries were performed or claimed in a year in Japan. In May 2020, the first SoE period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of inpatient orthopedic surgeries in Japan decreased by 30%. Meanwhile, the decrease was relatively small during the SoE periods in 2021.
Why aren’t we doing better? Are dentists and dental students prepared to support patients with lived experience of intimate partner violence and abuse?
Authors: Farmer Sarah , Ellis Janice , Alderson Hayley
Published: May 2024

Introduction
Intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) is a public health crisis with long term implications for an individual’s mental and physical health. IPVA can result in head and neck trauma, including oral injuries, placing dentists in a unique position to be able to identify at risk patients. It is therefore important to understand any barriers dentists may experience when supporting IPVA patients.
Aims
The aim of this study was to explore whether dentists and dental students are prepared to support patients with lived experience of IPVA.
Method
This study adopted a qualitative cross-sectional research design using focus groups and interviews. Data was collected using the principles of grounded theory and analysed using thematic analysis.
Results
Data was collected from 14 dentists and 22 dental students. Results showed that dentists and dental students did not feel confident or prepared identifying and responding to patients they suspected were experiencing IPVA. Barriers included a lack of practical knowledge and fear of ‘getting it wrong’ resulting in professional paralysis.
Conclusion
Improving current safeguarding educational frameworks at both undergraduate and postgraduate could be key to improving the confidence and practical knowledge of dental practitioners.
Risk Factors of Textbook Outcome in Laparoscopic Pancreatoduodenectomy: results from a prospective high-volume center study
Authors: Cai He , Lu Fei , Gao Pan , Zhang Man , Wang Xin , Li Yongbin , Meng Lingwei , Peng Bing , Cai Yunqiang
Published: May 2024

Objective
Achieving textbook outcome (TO) means smooth recovery after operation without specified composite complications. This study aimed to assess TO in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) and find independent risk factors for achieving it.
Methods
We performed a retrospective data analysis from a randomized controlled trial in LPD conducted at West China Hospital (ChiCTR1900026653). Patients were classified into the TO and non-TO groups. Perioperative variables were compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression was used to find the risk factors.
Results
Overall, 200 consecutive patients undergoing LPD were included in this study. TO was achieved in 82.5% (n = 165). Female patients (OR: 2.628, 95% CI: 1.101–6.269; P = 0.029) or patients with a hard pancreatic texture (OR: 2.551, 95% CI: 1.054–6.172; P = 0.038) were associated with an increased probability of achieving TO.
Conclusions
TO can be achieved in more than 80% of patients in a high-volume LPD center. The independent risk factors associated with achieving TO included male and soft pancreatic texture.
Evaluation of Ankle Pump Combined with Compression Abdominal Belts on Orthostatic Hypotension in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: A Prospective Analysis
Authors: Zhang Yanyan , Guo Weihang , Ruan Zheng , Chang Hong
Published: May 2024

Purpose: To explore the impact of ankle pump exercises combined with automated compression abdominal belts on orthostatic hypotension in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Methods: A randomised controlled trial was conducted from November 2021 to March 2023 at the Department of Neurology, Capital Medical University Hospital. Ninety-two patients with Parkinson’s disease with orthostatic hypotension were divided into four groups: ankle pump exercise, abdominal belt, combined intervention (exercise + belt), and a control group, with 23 patients in each group. Interventions lasted for 10 days. The primary endpoint was the improvement of the orthostatic BP drop at 1/3/5 minutes after 10 days of intervention compared to baseline. Secondary endpoints included improvements in orthostatic intolerance symptoms as assessed by the Orthostatic Hypotension Symptom Assessment (OHSA), the Orthostatic Hypotension Daily Activities Scale (OHDAS), and the Orthostatic Grading Scale (OGS).
Results: Compared to the control group, the combined intervention group showed a significant improvement in systolic blood pressure after standing for 3 minutes (-12.1 mmHg, 95% CI: -20.8 to -3.5; P=0.03) and 5 minutes (-11.9 mmHg, 95% CI: -20.7 to -3.2; P=0.04). Significant enhancements in OHSA, OHDAS, and OGS scores were also observed in the combined intervention group.
Conclusion: Ankle pump exercise combined with automated compression abdominal belts can effectively reduce orthostatic hypotension and alleviate symptoms of orthostatic intolerance in patients with Parkinson’s disease, potentially enhancing their quality of life.
Analysis of the Carbon Emissions Trend in the Indian Manufacturing sector: A Decomposition and Decoupling Approach
Authors: Sharma Himja , Padhi Balakrushna
Published: May 2024

There is a growing emphasis on fostering green growth and lowering carbon emissions in order to achieve sustainable economic development. This study uses the Tapio decoupling model and analyzes the factors influencing changes in carbon emissions from manufacturing in India utilizing the Log Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) techniques. Furthermore, the nexus between carbon emission intensity, information and communication technology (ICT), total factor productivity (TFP), skill, and energy intensity has been analyzed using the system-GMM approach. It is based on the plant-level Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) datasets for the organised manufacturing sector of India from 2001-02 to 2019-20 for the major 21 Indian states/UT. The findings reflect the presence of weak decoupling in the manufacturing sector both at the aggregate level and in states. This indicates that both output and emissions are increasing however, output growth surpasses emission growth, which signifies an effort to transition towards more environmentally friendly production methods and enhanced energy efficiency. The output and population effect are found to be leading factors in carbon emissions, while energy intensity is found to be reducing the effect. Further, the system-GMM estimates show that ICT and energy intensity positively affect total factor productivity, while with an increase in carbon emission intensity, productivity declines. The study confirms the existence of an inverted N-shaped Kuznets curve in the sector. This present study will contribute to formulating energy and environmental strategies to reduce emissions and promote adopting cleaner energy sources. These efforts will facilitate the attainment of carbon neutrality and enhance energy efficiency within the sector.
JEL Classification: C33, P18, Q43
Propulsion Performance of the Full-Active Hydrofoil under Asymmetric Arc-Trajectory
Authors: Qi Zhanfeng , Xing Ziwen , Shang Zhiyuan , Chen Xuanyu , Liu Yan , Li Haolei , Qin Yufeng
Published: May 2024

Unmanned vessels, essential for ocean observation, often utilize an active hydrofoil propulsion system. When a vessel moves in waves, the tilted swing arm causes the motion trajectory of the hydrofoil to be asymmetric. This study employs a turbulence model with a Reynolds number of 105, simulated using the finite volume method (FVM) and the Navier-Stokes equations. Numerical simulations are then used to analyze the effects of the swing arm amplitude, arm length, and asymmetry ratio on the propulsive performance of a full-active hydrofoil with an asymmetric arc-trajectory. This asymmetrical arc-trajectory has a significant impact on the propulsion performance of the hydrofoil, especially when the asymmetry ratio is large. When the asymmetry ratio is 0.66, the mean thrust coefficient of the hydrofoil decreases by 68.37%, compared to the symmetric case. We further point out that such decrease is achieved through changes in foil flapping velocities and foil-vortex interactions between unequal down-stroke and up-stroke phases. However, when the asymmetry ratio is small, the impact of the asymmetric arc-trajectory can be almost negligible. Additionally, we find that the propulsion performance of the hydrofoil increases with increasing swing arm amplitude and arm length. These findings not only provide insights toward the hydrodynamics characteristics of the hydrofoil in asymmetric arc-trajectory mode, but also offer a reference to the design of the high-performance flapping hydrofoil propulsion system.
Analysis of gait kinematic parameters of Chinese children based on human pose estimation algorithm
Authors: Lin Jincong , Li Yi , Wang Yongtao , Sha Jia , Xie Kunjie , Fan Zongzhi , Lei Wei , Yan Yabo
Published: May 2024

Background
The change and development of gait in children is of great importance to clinicians; however, reference data for the quantitative analysis of gait in Chinese children is lacking. This study aimed to describe the gait kinematics of Chinese children aged 3–12 years. In addition, we wanted to explore whether there are differences in the gait kinematics parameters in Chinese children of different age groups and establish a database of gait kinematics parameters of Chinese children with average development.
Methods
A total of 198 children with average development were included in the study and divided into three age groups: group A (3–5 years), group B (6–8 years), and group C (9–12 years). Two smartphone camera were used to record the sagittal and coronal planes of the participants while walking. At least three complete walking videos were recorded for each participant. The video was imported into a computer terminal. Gait evaluation software based on the human posture estimation algorithm was used to analyse the video, and the gait kinematic parameter data of the sagittal and coronal planes were extracted. Analysis of variance was used to determine whether there were differences in the data among the three groups.
Results
The comparison of walking posture among the three age groups showed that there were significant differences in the maximum flexion angle of hip joint, the maximum extension angle, the maximum flexion angle of knee joint and the minimum flexion value of knee joint in sagittal plane (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in knee joint swing amplitude and ankle joint swing amplitude in coronal direction (p < 0.05). the post hoc comparisons revealed that it was found that there were significant differences in the above-mentioned kinematic gait parameters between group A and group C (p < 0.05). In addition, the objective reference data of various kinematic parameters varying with age are established, and the confidence band and prediction band of each age are drawn.
Conclusions
Age is an important factor that affects kinematic gait parameters in children. With increasing age, the kinematic parameters of walking posture exhibited a certain trend of change. Therefore, establishing a standard gait database that varies with age is necessary. Through this method, children of each age have corresponding objective reference data, providing scientific quantitative data and clinical significance for clinicians and parents.
Suppression of the JAK/STAT Pathway Inhibits Neuroinflammation in the Line 61-PFF Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Hong Huixian , Wang Yong , Menard Marissa , Buckley Jessica , Zhou Lianna , Volpicelli-Daley Laura , Standaert David , Qin Hongwei , Benveniste Etty
Published: May 2024

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by neuroinflammation, progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, and accumulation of a-synuclein (a-Syn) into insoluble aggregates called Lewy pathology. The Line 61 a-Syn mouse is an established preclinical model of PD; Thy-1 is used to promote human a-Syn expression, and features of sporadic PD develop at 9-18 months of age. To accelerate the PD phenotypes, we injected sonicated human a-Syn preformed fibrils (PFFs) into the striatum, which produced phospho-Syn (p-a-Syn) inclusions in the substantia nigra pars compacta and significantly increased MHC Class II-positive immune cells. Additionally, there was enhanced infiltration and activation of innate and adaptive immune cells in the midbrain. We then used this new model, Line 61-PFF, to investigate the effect of inhibiting the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, which is critical for regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. After administration of the JAK1/2 inhibitor AZD1480, immunofluorescence staining showed a significant decrease in p-a-Syn inclusions and MHC Class II expression. Flow cytometry showed reduced infiltration of CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, CD19+ B-cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, and endogenous microglia into the midbrain. Importantly, single-cell RNA-Sequencing analysis of CD45+ cells from the midbrain identified 9 microglia clusters, 5 monocyte/macrophage (MM) clusters, and 5 T-cell (T) clusters, in which potentially pathogenic MM4 and T3 clusters were associated with neuroinflammatory responses in Line 61-PFF mice. AZD1480 treatment reduced cell numbers and cluster-specific expression of the antigen-presentation genes H2-Eb1, H2-Aa, H2-Ab1, and Cd74 in the MM4 cluster and proinflammatory genes such as Tnf, Il1b, C1qa, and C1qc in the T3 cluster. Together, these results indicate that inhibiting the JAK/STAT pathway suppresses the activation and infiltration of innate and adaptive cells, reducing neuroinflammation in the Line 61-PFF mouse model.
ZDDP Tribofilm Formation and Removal
Authors: Ueda Mao , Spikes Hugh
Published: May 2024

While ZDDP tribofilm formation has been widely studied, the mechanism of ZDDP tribofilm removal during rubbing is still unclear. The study employs a ball on disc tribometer to monitor ZDDP tribofilm development in rolling-sliding, mixed lubrication conditions. It is found that when ZDDP tribofilms are formed very rapidly, as is the case with short alkyl chain, secondary ZDDPs, a large proportion of the initially-formed tribofilm is suddenly lost during rubbing. By contrast, the tribofilms that form more slowly from primary ZDDPs and longer chain secondaries are not partially lost during rubbing. XPS analysis showed that rapidly-formed tribofilm before its partial removal has a very small Zn/O, and a high BO/NBO. This suggests that such tribofilm contains a significant proportion of ultraphosphate, which is likely to have a relatively weak structure due to lack of stabilising cations. This may result in the tribofilm being partially removed when it reaches a certain thickness. By comparison, the remaining tribofilm, and also tribofilms that form slowly, have high Zn/O and low BO/NBO. This suggests that they consist of short chain polyphosphates and are thus stronger and more durable. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Ameliorative Effects of Aqueous Extract of Colocasia esculenta Leaf Against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Prefrontal cortex damage in Mice
Authors: Siyanbade Jacob Adewale , Iteire Kingsley Afoke , Adelakun Sunday Aderemi , Adebisi Kayode Adedoyin , Leko Bankole Japhet , Oladele Tolulope Samuel , Ogunmiluyi Oluwafunmbi Ebenezer , Folorunso Kolade Pelumi , Afolabi Hezekiah Omotayo
Published: May 2024

Background
The prefrontal-cortex (PFC) occupies about one-third of the total area of the cerebral cortex and it plays crucial role in Cognition and memory. This study evaluated the ameliorative effects of aqueous extract of Colocasia esculenta leaf (AECEL) on lipopolysaccharide-induced Prefrontal-cortex damage.
Methods
42 Swiss male albino mice with weights ranging between 18 − 22g were randomized into six-groups. Group-A consisted of healthy-mice and LPS-induction in groups (B-F) was done by intraperitoneal injections of 0.5mg/kg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for seven days. Group-B received distilled-water; Group C- E was treated with AECEL at 400 mg/kg, 600 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg respectively, while Group F received 2.5 mg/kg of donepezil (DPZ) via oral-gavage for 28days.
Results
Significant increase in the brain oxidative-stress parameters was seen in the LPS-exposed groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05). However, compared with those in the LPS-only group, the levels of oxidative-stress parameters as well as Tumour-necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in the brain of AECEL-and DPZ-treated groups were significantly lower (p < 0.05). In the Y-maze test: the percentage-alternation (%ALTERN) significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the LPS-only group compared to that in the control-group, but there was a significant increase in the %ALTERN in the AECEL-treated groups compared to that in the LPS-only and LPS + DPZ treatment groups (p < 0.05). Bielschowsky staining revealed that the LPS-only group exhibited senile-plaques and neurofibrillary-tangles.
Conclusion
LPS caused damage to the PFC; AECEL significantly improved cognitive function, memory, and anxiety-like behaviours.
The Physical Literacy Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Han and Tibetan Children and Adolescents Aged 8-12 in China
Authors: Chen Leqin， , Yini Wu , Rong Li
Published: May 2024

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to explore the physical literacy characteristics and influencing factors of 8-12 year old children and adolescents from the Han and Tibetan ethnic groups in China, providing new ideas and perspectives for the construction of a physical literacy assessment system for different altitudes children and adolescents, and providing scientific reference for the formulation and implementation of relevant policies.
Methods A cluster sampling method was adopted in Lhasa City of Xizang Autonomous Region and Taiyuan City of Shanxi Province. 450 children and adolescents aged 8-12 years were selected from each area as the research subjects. The second edition of the Canadian Physical Literacy Assessment System is used to test the physical literacy level of Han and Tibetan children aged 8-12. Independent sample t-test and analysis of variance were used for difference testing, Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between different dimensions and physical literacy level, as well as the relationship between each dimension. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to explore the interaction effects.
Result 1) The total physical literacy score of Han and Tibetan children and adolescents aged 8-12 is only 53.82 ± 6.90, with primary and developmental levels accounting for 97.31%. The overall level of physical literacy is relatively low; The physical literacy scores of Tibetan and Han children and adolescents are similar, and there is no difference. However, in terms of Physical Competnce, Tibetan girls have a higher level of Physical Competnce than Han girls (p=0.030). In terms of daily behavior, Tibetan children and adolescents are significantly better than Han children and adolescents (p=0.010 for boys and p=0.002 for girls); In terms of knowledge and understanding, Han children and adolescents are significantly higher than Tibetan children and adolescents (p<. 001 for males and p<. 001 for females). 2) There are gender and age differences in the physical literacy level of children and adolescents aged 8-12 (p<0.001 * *); There is an interactive effect between gender and age on the level of physical literacy, but the effect value is relatively small. 3) There is a correlation between each dimension and the total score of physical literacy, with daily behavior having the highest correlation with the total score of physical literacy (r=0.662, p<0.001).
Conclusion: The overall physical literacy level of Han Tibetan children and adolescents aged 8-12 is not high, and there are regional, gender, and age differences. It is urgent to develop a scientific and effective evaluation system for the physical literacy of different altitudes adolescents as soon as possible, taking into account the educational background, physical and mental characteristics of adolescents, and the current physical activity situation in China.