bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of polymer adsorption on cellulose nanofibril water binding capacity and aggregation
Authors: Ahola Susanna , Myllytie Petri , Österberg Monika , Teerinen Tuija , Laine Janne
Published: July 2023

Polymer adsorption on cellulose nanofibrils and the effect on nanofibril water binding capacity were studied using cellulose nanofibril films together with quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The experiments were performed in the immersed state, and special attention was paid to the effect of polymer properties on the water content and viscoelastic properties of the polymer/fibril layer. The dry mass of the adsorbed polymers was determined using SPR. The type of the adsorbed polymer strongly affected the water content and viscoelastic properties of the nanofibril film. The adsorption of a highly charged flocculating polymer, PDADMAC, caused dehydration of the film, which was also detected as nanofibril film stiffening. The adsorption of xyloglucan introduced a dispersing effect to the nanofibril film, which was detected as a loosening and softening of the nanofibril/polymer layer. A dispersing effect was also achieved with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), but CMC did not adsorb irreversibly on the nanofibril surfaces. In addition to the nanofibril film studies, the effect of polymer adsorption on cellulose nanofibril suspension aggregation was demonstrated using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Xyloglucan was shown to open the nanofibril aggregate structures and act as a dispersing agent, whereas the other polymers studied did not have as significant an effect on aggregation.
Ethanol production from a membrane purified hemicellulosic hydrolysate derived from sugar maple by Pichia stipitis NRRL Y-7124
Authors: Stoutenburg Rosanna M. , Perrotta Joseph A. , Amidon Thomas E. , Nakas James P.
Published: July 2023

In an effort to devise inexpensive and sustainable production of ethanol fuel, experiments were conducted to establish conditions for Pichia stipitis NRRL Y-7124 to ferment a membrane treated wood hydrolysate derived from sugar maple to produce ethanol. The degree of aeration required to effectively utilize xylose, produce ethanol, and minimize xylitol formation as well as the optimal hydrolysate concentration were the conditions examined. P. stipitis produced the highest concentrations of ethanol in shake flasks at 150 rpm (14.3 g/L in 71 h), and 50% hydrolysate maximized ethanol yield (12.4 g/L in 51.5 h). In the 50% hydrolysate cultures, P. stipitis produced ethanol at a rate of 0.24 g/L×h with a yield of 0.41 g ethanol/g wood-derived carbohydrate.
Alternative pulping process for producing dissolving pulp from jute
Authors: Jahan M. Sarwar , Rawsan Sabina , Chowdhury D. A. Nasima , Al-Maruf A.
Published: July 2023

Dissolving pulps are the raw materials of cellulose derivatives and of many other cellulosic products. Jute is a very good source of cellulose and worthy of consideration for the production of dissolving pulp. In this investigation jute fiber, jute cuttings, and jute caddis were used as raw materials to prepare dissolving pulp by a formic acid process. A very high bleached pulp yield (49 to 59%) was obtained in this process. The alpha-cellulose content was 93 to 98%, with a high pulp viscosity. Also a good brightness (81 to 87%) was achieved in totally chlorine free bleaching. Jute fiber showed the best and jute caddis showed lowest performance in producing dissolving pulp via the formic acid process. R18-R10 values were much lower than for conventional dissolving pulp.
Exoskeleton For Specially Abled
Authors: Anil Wani Vaibhav , Shahed Shaikh Mohd , S Shewale Yash , M Nair Sreelakshmi
Published: July 2023

This is a paper about a wearable exoskeleton that addresses the lack of assistive devices for people with walking difficulties. The research revolves around the major problem in which the inpatient suffer for their dependency on a caretaker for basic tasks such as toiletries and fetching water or food or even for basic cores for themselves. People with disabilities suffer from many social and mental pressures due to exclusion from society just for being different from normal human beings. Hence, the usage and purpose of robotic technology trims down this segregation and promote vocational incorporation.
Die "Reichskristallnacht" in Schleswig-Holstein
Authors: Schmidt-Elsaeßer Eberhard , Rothschild Walter , Goldberg Bettina , Paul Gerhard , Alberts Klaus , Liß-Walther Joachim , Beck Hermann , Bajohr Frank , Wildt Michael , Philipsen Bernd , Groschek Iris , Schmid Harald , Meyer Beate
Published: July 2023

In der Reichspogromnacht vom 9. No­vember 1938 wurden 1.400 Synagogen und Beträume, Tausende Wohnun­gen und Geschäfte von Jüdinnen und Juden zerstört und geplündert; mehr mehr als 30.000 Männer in Konzentrationslager verschleppt, un­gefähr hundert wurden ermordet. Dieser vielfach als "Reichskristallnacht" bezeichnete Pogrom, die "Kata­strophe vor der Katastrophe" (Dan Diner), war der Startschuss für die Verdrängung der Juden aus der Wirtschaft und die Arisierung jüdi­schen Eigentums. Er stellte eine Brutalisierung im Umgang mit der jüdischen Bevölkerung dar und war zugleich ein Schritt in Richtung Schoah. Die 75-jährige Wiederkehr der Reichspogromnacht vom 9. auf den 10. No­vember 1938 war für das Landesarchiv Schleswig-Holstein Anlass, dieses Er­eignis im Kontext der jüdischen und der Landes- sowie der nationalsozialis­tischen Gewaltgeschichte erstmals in einer eigenen Ausstellung mit dem Schwerpunkt auf dem Norden Deutschlands zu präsentieren. Die Ausstellung entstand in enger Zusammenarbeit mit der Universität Flensburg und der Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Schleswig-Hol­stein. In Schleswig wurde sie von einer Vortragsreihe begleitet, deren Bei­träge, ergänzt durch weitere Aufsätze, in diesem Band dokumentiert sind. Abbildungen aus der Ausstellung illustrieren die Texte.
Practical aspects of teaching of neonatology to students of the medical and psychological faculty
Authors:   Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine, Pysariev A.O. , Marushko Yu.V. ,   Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: July 2023

Purpose - to devote the main peculiarities of teaching neonatology to students of the medical and psychological faculty (MPF). The main principles of distance learning are emphasized as problem-solving, interactivity and orientation on personal development. The advantages of problem-solving learning are declared; it helps students in the development of clinical thinking, of the ability to predict the occurrence of psychological problems, and develops optimal tactics in communication with parents and medical personnel. In teaching the neonatology cycle to MPF students, special emphasis is placed on certain pathological conditions in newborns, which require psychological support for families. The need to provide comprehensive medical and psychological assistance to mothers, the effectiveness of which is based on key professional competencies and in-depth clinical knowledge, is emphasized. A point is placed on the fact that in the process of training in neonatology, students of the MPF must understand their special role in preventing medical stress and medical trauma for both the child and the parents, since the environment of intensive neonatology contains numerous stress factors due to excessive sensory stimulation, such as light, sound and pain, which conflict with the requirements of the brain development of a newborn baby, especially in case of preterm birth. That is why it is important to providing complete information to the parents regarding the role of each member of the team of specialists in the organization of treatment and care of the child and the need to use developmental care that meets the needs of the early development of a premature child is also highlighted. The role of the future medical psychologist in providing support to parents with perinatal loss is also determined. This problem affects many families, most of whom are dealing with their loss often alone without adequate support and help. The problem of perinatal losses and recovery of mothers and families after them is the competence of medical psychologists. The underlined requirements for the teacher are the individual preparation of high-quality learning content, which may require additional time, but the involvement of the students themselves in the preparation of the necessary materials will even more increase the interactivity of the educational process. The possibilities of using the modern educational technologies are analyzed: these are «case technologies» in small groups, «business (role) games», an inverted classroom approach. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.
To the Evaluation of Trajectories of Transformations of Post-Soviet Political Systems
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Abramov Andrei , Alekseev Roman ,   State University of Education
Published: July 2023

Introduction. The article examines the formation and development of political systems in the former eleven republics of the USSR from the standpoint of the institutional transformations taking place there. The struggle for power between various elite groups and citizens’ identities and the dynamics of citizens’ identities were also the basis for comparison. The authors consider the parameters mentioned to make the comparison and typology of the modern post-Soviet states’ development more effective. Methods and Materials. The neoinstitutional, sociological, and political-cultural approaches were used in the research, as were the comparative-historical and comparative-typological methods, which made it possible to scrutinize the available facts and draw respective conclusions. Analysis. It was stated that starting in the 1980s, the transformation of the typical Soviet republics took place in two directions. The first included the formation of the electoral autocracies, institutional design, and social and cultural image, which were determined by the “nucleus” – the president-leader. Such political dynamics turned out to be characteristic of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Belarus. The formation of the “front-end democracies” was the second direction. These democracies are characterized by institutional, social, and identity fragmentation hiding behind the glass cases of democratic structures and practices borrowed from the West. Kirghizia, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, and Moldavia have moved in this direction. Results. The authors’ conclusion is that both the first and second directions do not ensure the stable development of new independent states in the foreseeable future. Authors’ contribution. A.V. Abramov formulated the concept of the article, developed the comparison parameters, and studied the post-Soviet elites’ and citizens’ struggle for power and their identity evolution. R.A. Alekseev analyzed the transformation of the political institutions in the post-Soviet political systems in the context of their constitutional reforms.
Oral Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes) Spore Powder Ameliorates Murine Colitis by Inhibiting Key Kinases Phosphorylation in MAPK Pathway
Authors: Zhao Yingying , Zhu Liangchen
Published: July 2023

The compound ganoderma lucidum spore powder (GLSP) has emerged as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative regulator. In this study, we explored the roles of GLSP against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse colitis that can mimic human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). GLSP was administered by oral gavage at a dosage of 150 mg/kg/day to the acute colitis mice induced by DSS. The DSS-induced mouse weight loss, colonic shortening, diarrhea and bloody stool were observably alleviated after GLSP treatment. The lesion of macroscopic and microscopic signs of the disease was reduced significantly and DSS-induced gut barrier dysfunction was restored via increasing the level of claudin-1, ZO1, Occu, and ZO2 with GLSP. Meanwhile, the levels of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-18 in the colon were reduced in the GLSP-treated groups. In addition, phosphorylation of the MAPKs ERK1/2, p38, and AKT was suppressed after GLSP treatment. All these results demonstrated that GLSP owned a protective effect on DSS-induced colitis by inhibition of MAPK pathway, which provides a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of colitis.
Hybrid machine learning model for prediction of vertical deflection of composite bridges
Authors: Ha Hoang , Manh Le Van , Nguyen Dam Duc , Amiri Mahdis , Prakash Indra , Pham Binh Thai
Published: July 2023

A novel hybrid model, based on machine learning technique, for quick and accurate prediction of the vertical deflection of steel–concrete composite bridges was developed. The model is a combination of a bagging (B) ensemble and an instance-based k-nearest neighbours (IBk), hence called the B-IBk. In the models, five easily determined input parameters (cross-sectional shape, concrete beam length, age of the bridge, height of main girder and distance between main girders) are used to obtain the output parameter (maximum vertical deflection). To develop the models, direct measurement data from 83 steel–concrete composite bridges located at different places in Vietnam were collected and used as input and output parameters. Standard statistical evaluation indicators (mean absolute error, correlation coefficient (R) and root mean square error) were used to validate and compare the models’ performance. The results showed that the performance of the novel hybrid model (B-IBk) for predicting the maximum vertical deflection (Y) of steel–concrete composite bridges was very good (R = 0.908) and better than that of the single IBk model (R = 0.875) on the testing dataset. The developed novel model is thus a promising tool for accurate prediction of the Y of steel–concrete composite bridges.
décima y la música de velación en la tradición del huapango arribeño
Authors: Gutiérrez Rojas Daniel
Published: July 2023

En rancherías, pueblos y ciudades medianas de la región centro-norte de México se llevan a cabo eventos en los que se conjugan poesía, décima y música, para acompañar cierto tipo de actos religiosos. A estas actuaciones poético-musicales se les da el nombre de velaciones o camarines. El texto que presento tiene como objetivo dar un panorama del canto en décima, así como de la música que enmarca dichas presentaciones, por lo que me centraré en la descripción de sus contextos de ejecución, sus antecedentes históricos, su uso ritual como rogativa, así como en algunas de sus características formales.
The Waves and Cycles of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phase Synchronization Approach
Authors: Borrego-Salcido Carmen , Juarez-Del-Toro Raymundo , Fonseca-Zendejas Alejandro Steven
Published: July 2023

This study pretends to contribute to a better understanding of the COVID-19 dynamics through the non-parametric technique of phase synchronization by comparing the fifteen most affected countries by the number of positive cases plus China, where the firstoutbreak took place in December 2019. It was possible to state the number of cycles and waves for each one of the studied countries and to determine periods of synchronization between them. The results also showed the average duration of the cycles and some coincidences regarding Nason (2020); Bontempi (2021); Coccia (2021); Rusiñol, Zammit, Itarte, Forés, Martı́nez-Puchol, Girones, Borrego, Corominas, and Bofill-Mas (2021). This study is limited by the reliability of the number of positive cases reported by national governments and health authorities because of an insufficient number of tests and a great number of asymptomatic persons but presents a legit alternative to predict the evolution of the pandemic in a country due to the forward looking behavior of another one, therefore studies like this could be useful to implement contention measures and to prepare the health systems in advance.
An Extension of the Geometric Distribution with Properties and Applications
Authors: Chakraborty Subrata , Ong Seng Huat , Biswas Aniket
Published: July 2023

A new parameter is introduced to extend the geometric distribution using Azzalini's method. Several important structural properties of the proposed two-parameter extended geometric distribution are investigated. Characterizations including for the geometric distribution, in terms of the proposed model, are established. Maximum likelihood estimation, method of moment estimation and relative frequency based estimation of the parameters are discussed in detail. The likelihood ratio test regarding relevance of the additional parameter is presented. Bayesian estimation of the parameters using STAN is also discussed. The proposed model is compared with some recently introduced two-parameter count models by analyzing two real-life datasets. The findings clearly indicate superiority of the proposed model over the rest.
Theoretical Framework of Customer Relationship Management: An Overview
Authors: G.Kalaiarasi Dr.C.Mugunthan,
Published: July 2023

Customer Relationship Management is a strategy or philosophy which provides a vision for the company to deal with the customers. The aspire of a customer relationship management strategy is to maximize profitable relationships with customers by increasing the value of the relationship for both the seller and the customer of the most companies. For the success of any enterprise, customer relationship management is a fundamental requirement and it requires a holistic strategy and process to make it successful. This paper explores the conceptual framework of customer relationship management.
The Potential Role of Artificial Marsh on Coastal Protection in Long Island Sound
Authors: Ilia Amin
Published: July 2023

Coastal areas are influenced by natural coastal hazards such as hurricanes, storm surges and tsunamis. For centuries coastal structures such as seawalls, detached breakwaters, groins, and revetments have been constructed to protect coastal properties. However, their effectiveness diminishes with time, and they are not adaptable to changing coastal conditions. Ecosystem-based approaches offer protection against erosion and the creation or restoration of coastal habitats. However, the protection properties and the sustainability provided by these systems are not well understood. Salt marshes have been known as one of the ecosystem-based protection systems. They protect coasts and lands by dissipating energy, stabilizing sediments and producing organic matter through blow ground production. Stems of plants dissipate waves propagating over salt marsh and plant roots stabilize soils and sediments. The dissipation rate varies with wave frequency; the low-frequency swell wave is dissipated less on the edge of the marsh than wind-sea waves. Salt and wetlands can also be used for reducing coastal flooding and storm surges, but a wetland is required to successfully attenuate storm surges. A salt marsh can be resilient to sea-level rise in certain conditions. Large sediment supply and gentle upland slope increase salt marsh resiliency to relative sea-level rise. Connecticut marshes, like other marshes in the world, are vulnerable to anthropogenic and climate change effects. However, an assessment of current sea level rise and average marsh accretion rates in Connecticut demonstrates sea level rise is not the main vulnerable factor for salt marshes loss. The study on the feasibility of developing an ecosystem based on two coastlines in Connecticut, Guilford and Stratford, shows that both coastlines, like other coastlines in Connecticut, have limited wave energy, which is a positive factor for marsh growth. The available data assessment represents that sediment supply is the most important parameter to guarantee the resilience and sustainability of a newly developed salt marsh system in Connecticut. In Stratford, conditions for establishing a new ecosystem seem to be better, as the fetch length is pretty small, and there is some sediment supply for the ecosystem. In Guilford, wave energy is limited, but it is more than in Stratford case. In addition, sediment availability is low and the coastline experienced a large erosion during Hurricane Sandy and has not recovered yet.
The Development and Validation of the “Hippocratic Hypertension Self-Care Scale”
Authors: Brokalaki Hero , Chatziefstratiou Anastasia A. , Fotos Nikolaos V. , Giakoumidakis Konstantinos , Chatzistamatiou Evaggelos
Published: July 2023

Background: The adoption of self-care behaviors among patients with arterial hypertension (AH) plays an important role in the management of their health condition. However, a lack of scales assessing self-care is observed. We aimed to develop and validate the Hippocratic hypertension self-care scale. Methods: From a pool of questions derived from a literature review, 18 items were included in the scale and reviewed by a committee of experts. Participants indicate the frequency at which they follow the self-behavior prescribed in each statement on a five-point Likert scale. Data were collected between April 2019 and December 2019. Re-sults: 202 consecutive adult patients with AH were enrolled in the study. The internal consistency of the scale was found to be 0.807, using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. An exploratory factor analysis identified two do-mains that accounted for 92.94% of the variance of the scale items; however, each sub-scale could not be used as an independent scale. Finally, the test- retest of the scale showed a significant strong correlation (r=0.0095, p<0.001). Conclusion: Our data indicate that the scale is a reliable and valid tool for assessing self-behaviors in patients with AH. Health professionals can use it in their clinical practice to improve the management of patients’ health condition.
Recent Advances in Nanotechnology Formulations to Treat Diseases of the Oral Cavity
Authors: Sindi Amal M.
Published: July 2023

Advances in nanotechnology have paved the way for more effective drug delivery using particulate and non-particulate nano-based formulations across a range of applications. In the oral cavity, local delivery using mucoadhesive formulations has advantages over conventional formulations for increasing local efficacy whilst reducing unwanted adverse effects. Nano-formulations provide the opportunity for new formulations with enhanced intraoral stability, local action, and improved patient acceptability.
Morley: Image Analysis and Evaluation of Statistically Significant Differences in Geometric Sizes of Crop Seedlings Responded to Biotic Stimulation
Authors: Emekeeva Daria D. , Kusainova Tomiris T. , Levitsky Lev I. , Kazakova Elizaveta M. , Ivanov Mark V. , Olkhovskaya Irina P. , Kuskov Mikhail L. , Zhigach Alexey N. , Glushchenko Nataliya N. , Bogoslovskaya Olga A. , Tarasova Irina A.
Published: July 2023

Image analysis is widely applied in plant science for phenotyping and monitoring botanic and agricultural species. Although a lot of software is available, tools integrating image analysis and statistical assessment of seedling growth in large groups of plants are limited or absent, and do not cover the needs of the researchers. In this study, we developed Morley, a free, open-source graphical user interface written in Python. Morley automates the following workflow: (1) group-wise analysis of a few thousand seedlings from multiple images; (2) recognition of seeds, shoots and roots in seedling images; (3) calculation of shoot and root lengths and surface areas, (4) evaluation of statistically significant differences between plant groups, (5) calculation of germination rates, (6) visualization and interpretation. Morley is designed for laboratory studies of biotic effects on seedling growth, when molecular mechanisms underlying morphometric changes are analyzed. Performance was tested using cultivars of T. aestivum, P. sativum on seedlings of up to 1 week old. Accuracy of the measured morphometric parameters was comparable with the ones obtained using ImageJ and manual measurements. Dose-dependent laboratory tests for germination affected by new bioactive compounds and fertilizers, assuming extraction of seedlings from a substrate and/or dissection are among the suggested applications.
Do Vaccines Increase or Decrease Susceptibility to Diseases Other Than Those They Protect Against?
Authors: Rubio-Casillas Alberto , Redwan Elrashdy M. , Uversky Vladimir N. , Raszek Mikolaj
Published: July 2023

Contrary to the long-held belief that the effects of vaccines are specific for the disease they were created; compelling evidence has demonstrated that vaccines can exert positive or deleterious non-specific effects (NSEs). In this review, we compiled research reports from the last 40 years, showing that live vaccines induce positive NSEs, whereas non-live vaccines induce several negative NSEs, including increased female mortality associated with enhanced susceptibility to other infectious diseases, especially in developing countries. These negative NSEs are determined by the vaccination sequence, the antigen concentration in vaccines, the type of vaccine used (live vs. non-live), and also by repeated vaccination. We do not recommend stopping using non-live vaccines, as they have demonstrated to protect against their target disease, so the suggestion is that their detrimental NSEs can be minimized simply by changing the current vaccination sequence. High IgG4 antibody levels generated in response to repeated inoculation with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines could be associated with a higher mortality rate from unrelated diseases and infections by suppressing the immune system. Since most COVID-19 vaccinated countries are reporting high percentages of excess mortality not directly attributable to deaths from such disease, the NSEs of mRNA vaccines on overall mortality should be studied in depth.
Synthesis of Fe-Cr-Al-Zr Surface Alloy with an Amorphous Transition Layer
Authors: Markov Alexey B. , Yakovlev Evgeniy V. , Solovyov Andrey V. , Slobodyan Mikhail S.
Published: July 2023

A two-layer Fe-Cr-Al-Zr surface alloy was synthesized on a zirconium substrate by magnetron sputtering and subsequent low-energy high-current electron-beam (LEHCEB) processing. Thicknesses of the top Fe69Cr20Al11 (at.%) relatively large-grained (~1 µm) and transition Fe-Zr Cr-Al amorphous layers were about 0.7 and 0.6 µm, respectively. In turn, the amorphous layer consisted of two Fe64–54Zr8–22Cr21–17Al8–7 and Fe40–16Zr42–78Cr12–4Al6–2 (at.%) sublayers, differing in both zirconium and iron concentrations in wide ranges, which were separated by another nanocrystalline interlayer. The Fe-Cr-Al-Zr surface alloy serve as a diffusion barrier, preventing interaction of the zirconium substrate with oxygen from an environment. It was thermally stable up to ≈1173 K.
ML-SocMedEmot: Machine Learning Event-based Social Media Emotion Detection Proactive Framework Addressing Mental Health: A Novel Twitter Dataset and Case Study of COVID-19
Authors: Ismail Leila , Shahin Nada , Materwala Huned , Hennebelle Alain , Frermann Lea
Published: July 2023

Global rapidly evolving events, e.g., COVID-19, are usually followed by countermeasures and policies. As a reaction, the public tends to express their emotions on social media platforms. Therefore, predicting emotional responses to events is critical to put a plan to avoid risky behaviors. This paper proposes a machine learning-based framework to detect public emotions based on social media posts in response to specific events. It presents a precise measurement of population-level emotions which can aid governance in monitoring public response and guide it to put in place strategies such as targeted monitoring of mental health, to react to a rise in negative emotions in response to lockdowns, or information campaigns, for instance in response to elevated rates of fear in response to vaccination programs. We evaluate our framework by extracting 15,455 tweets. We annotate and categorize the emotions into 11 categories based on Plutchik’s study of emotion and extract the features using a combination of Bag of Words and Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency. We filter 813 COVID-19 vaccine-related tweets and use them to demonstrate our framework’s effectiveness. Numerical evaluation of emotions prediction using Random Forest and Logistic Regression shows that our framework predicts emotions with an accuracy up to 95%.
Modern Hydrogen Technologies in the Face of Climate Change – Analysis of Strategy and Development in Polish Conditions
Authors: Włodarczyk Renata , Kaleja Paulina
Published: July 2023

The energy production market based on hydrogen technologies is to be an innovative solution that will allow the industry to achieve climate neutrality in the future in Poland and in the world. The paper presents the idea of using hydrogen as a modern energy carrier, and devices that, in cooperation with renewable energy sources, produce the so-called green hydrogen and the applicable legal acts that allow for the implementation of the new technology were analysed. Energy transformation is inevitable, and according to reports on good practices in European Union countries, hydrogen and the hydrogen value chain (production, transport and transmission, storage, use in transport and energy) have a wide potential. Thanks to joint projects and subsidies from the EU, initiatives supporting hydrogen technologies are created, such as: hydrogen clusters, hydrogen valleys, and EU and national strategic programs set the main goals. As noted in this article, Poland is one of the leaders in hydrogen production both in the world and in Europe. Domestic tycoons from the energy, refining and chemical industries are involved in the projects. Eight hydrogen valleys that have recently been created in Poland successfully implement the assumptions of the "Polish Hydrogen Strategy until 2030 with a perspective until 2040", "Energy Policy of Poland until 2040", which are in line with the assumptions of the most important legal acts of the EU , including: the European Union's energy and climate policy, the Green Deal, the Fit for 55 Package.
Is It Necessary to Adapt the Training According to the Menstrual Cycle? Influence of Contraception and Physical Fitness Variables
Authors: Recacha-Ponce Paula , Collado-Boira Eladio , Suarez-Alcazar Pilar , Montesinos-Ruiz Macarena , Hernando-Domingo Carlos
Published: July 2023

(1) Background: The influence of the menstrual cycle on physical fitness in athletes is controversial in the scientific literature. There is a marked fluctuation of sex hormones at three key points of the menstrual cycle, where estrogen and progesterone vary significantly. Hormonal contraception induces hormonal levels different from the natural menstrual cycle, requiring specific study in relation to physical fitness. (2) Method: Women aged 18 to 40 years with regular natural menstrual cycles and women using hormonal contraception were recruited, creating two study groups. All participants needed to be athletes classified as level II-III according to the classification by McKay et al (2021), based on training volume/physical activity metrics, among other variables. To assess their physical fitness, Cardiorespiratory Fitness (measured by VO2max), high-speed strength, hand grip strength, and flexibility were evaluated. Blood samples were taken to determine the menstrual cycle phase through analysis of sex hormone levels. Additionally, urine tests for ovulation detection were performed for the natural menstrual cycle group. Neurosensory stimulation tests were incorporated to measure sensory threshold and pain threshold in each phase. Body composition in each phase and its relationship with the other variables were also taken into account. (3) Results: Athletes in the natural cycling group showed differences in VO2max (mL·kg-1·min-1) (phase I =41.75 vs phase II =43,85 and (p=0.004) and phase I vs phase III=43,25 mL·kg-1·min-1 (p =0.043)), as well as in body weight (phase I = 63.23 vs. phase III = 62.48 kg; p=0.006), first pain threshold (phase I = 1.34 vs. phase II = 1.69 (p=0.027) and phase III = 1.59 mA (p=0.011)), and sensitive threshold (phase I = 0.64 vs. phase II = 0.76 mA (p=0.017)). The pain threshold was found to be an important covariate in relation to VO2max, explaining 31.9% of the variance in phase I (p=0.006). These findings were not observed between the two phases of contraceptive cycling. (4) Conclusion: The natural menstrual cycle will cause significant changes in the physical fitness of athletes. The use of hormonal contraception is not innocuous. Women with natural cycles show a decrease in cardiorespiratory fitness in phases II and III, which is a factor to be considered in relation to training level and workload.
Subtidal to intertidal deposits in a mixed clastic–carbonate epicontinental seaway, the Windy Hill Sandstone and Upper Sundance Formation (Oxfordian), Wyoming, U.S.A.
Authors: Wroblewski Anton F.-J. , Schueth Jon
Published: July 2023

Oxfordian deposits in northern Colorado and Wyoming, USA, preserve proximal, intertidal, clastic, coastal deposits and distal, offshore to nearshore, subtidal bioclastic facies that accumulated during a forced regression of the Jurassic epeiric sea. This contrasts with the common association between tidal deposits, carbonate facies, and rising sea level common to many depositional models of mixed clastic–carbonate systems. Ichnology, sedimentology, and architecture of these deposits were documented along a 460 km outcrop transect to test previous depositional interpretations and decipher the mechanisms driving the change from proximal, siliciclastic, intertidal flats to distal, bioclastic, subtidal macroforms. In southeastern Wyoming, the Windy Hill Sandstone (WH) is composed of very fine, SiO2-dominated, intertidal facies that truncate offshore to lower shoreface, storm-dominated deposits of the Redwater Shale Member (RS) of the Sundance Fm. Eolian and small fluvial systems delivered sand to the coastline after subaerial erosion reworked it from older, uplifted Jurassic strata onshore. The regional and time-transgressive J-5 unconformity separating the WH from the RS is readily identifiable using ichnological and sedimentological criteria. In the Wind River and Bighorn basins to the north, the Upper Sundance Fm (USF) is time-equivalent to the WH but is composed of glauconitic, silt-prone sandstone and meter- to decimeter-scale, bioclastic, cross-bedded sandstone bodies. The abundance of molluscan shell material and limited volume of siliciclastic sediment in the geographically widespread outcrops suggests that nearby, marine shoals were the source of the coarse-grained material. Bioclastic, cross-stratified sandstone bodies represent two architectural elements: 1) coarsening-upward bodies with seaward-dipping foresets arranged into complexes bounded by seaward-directed bounding surfaces interpreted to represent subtidal compound dunes and 2) landward- and laterally accreting tidal-inlet fills composed of meter-scale, landward-accreting bodies with some landward-directed current ripples. The presence of transgressive tidal inlets supports previous interpretations that the WH and USF record high-frequency transgressions superimposed on a tectonically driven forced regression.
Participant and group facilitator perspectives on a novel culturally tailored diabetes self- management program for African Americans
Authors: Tarfa Adati , Salihu Ejura , Xiong Phanary , Brewer Cierra , Maurer Martha , Liu Yao , Shiyanbola Olayinka
Published: July 2023

Background
African Americans with type 2 diabetes experience disparities in their care and diabetes health-related outcomes. Diabetes self-management programs such as Healthy Living with Diabetes (HLWD) are important but do not account for the unique cultural experiences of African Americans. As well, a culturally tailored program focused on addressing sociocultural beliefs and providing race-congruent peer support, Peers LEAD (Peers Supporting Health Literacy, Self-Efficacy, Self-Advocacy, and Adherence) was implemented in two midwestern cities to improve medication adherence but does not include diabetes self-management topics included in HLWD. In attempt to fill the gaps from both HLWD and Peers LEAD, Peers EXCEL (Peers’ Experience in Communicating and Engaging in Healthy Living) was designed to integrate both programs.
Methods
Our study explored the perceptions of African American participants and facilitators of the separate HLWD and Peers LEAD programs, on the proposed new Peers EXCEL program using focus groups and interviews. Findings were analyzed by research assistants trained in qualitative research using deductive and inductive open coding approaches.
Results
Participants described the lack of cultural fit of the current HLWD program for African American communities and proposed strategies to enhance Peers EXCEL’s impact in African American communities. They shared the need to include topics such as the relationships between systemic racism and diabetes.
Conclusion
Participants’ feedback of Peers EXCEL reveals the importance of including various community member perspectives in the design of new diabetes self-management programs tailored for African Americans.
Antibiotic Prescription Pattern among Primary Healthcare General Practitioners in the South Batinah Governorate of Oman, 2019
Authors: Mujaini Sami M. Al , Almayahi Zayid K. , Abouammoh Noura A. , Amri Sumaiya Al
Published: July 2023

Background:
Misuse and overuse of antibiotics comprise leading causes of antimicrobial resistance. The study aims to assess the pattern of antibiotic prescription among primary healthcare general practitioners in the South Batinah Governorate of Oman.
Method:
A cross-sectional study of 600 antibiotic prescriptions issued in the South Batinah Governorate in 2019 was conducted to verify the triggering diagnoses and determine the appropriateness of the prescribed antibiotic. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between predictors and inappropriate use.
Results:
Respiratory infections accounted for 62% of antibiotic prescriptions, of which 92.2% were inappropriately prescribed. Extended-spectrum antibiotics were inappropriately prescribed in 33.3% of cystitis cases, while 14.3% of gastroenteritis received incorrect spectrum of antibiotics. Amoxicillin represented 46.2% of antibiotic prescriptions, of which 84.4% were unnecessarily prescribed. Lower inappropriate antibiotic prescribing rate was linked to patients ≥ 18 years (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: [0.26, 0.82]), those who underwent laboratory tests (OR = 0.22, 95% CI: [0.12, 0.39]), and consultations at health centers (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: [0.24, 0.79]). Arabic-speaking physicians were more likely to prescribe antibiotics inappropriately.
Conclusion
Inappropriate antibiotic prescription was frequently observed in mild respiratory infections and associated with specific patient and physician characteristics. The implementation of healthcare center antibiotic stewardship initiatives, would help to promote appropriate antibiotic prescriptions.
Quality and Quantity culture media effectively restored the number and vasculogenic function of mononuclear cells from chronic limb- threatening ischemia patients
Authors: Chruewkamlow Nuttapol , Sermsathanasawadi Nuttawut , Vorateera Kosit , Pruekprasert Kanin , Phutthakunphithak Phakawan , Prapassaro Tossapol , Hongku Kiattisak , Hahtapornsawan Suteekhanit , Puangpunngam Nattawut , Chinsakchai Khamin , Wongwanit Chumpol , Ruangsetakit Chanean
Published: July 2023

Background: Quality and Quantity (QQ) culture media was shown a promising effect in enhancing the vasculogenesis of mononuclear cells (MNCs) of healthy volunteers and chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients. In this study, the MNCs from CLTI patients were further investigated based of their risk factors.
Methods: In this study, MNCs from chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients with coexisting diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), current smoker status, or chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3 or above were cultured in QQ culture media, and then investigated for angiogenesis-related phenotype and function. CLTI patients with DM, HT, current smoker status, or CKD were prospectively recruited. Forty-eight patients (mean age: 67.5±8.0 years) were included. DM, HT, current smoker status, and CKD was found in 34 (71.0%), 39 (81.0%), 27(56.3%), and 32 (66.7%) patients, respectively.
Results: In CLI patients with coexisting diseases, the percentages of CD34+, CD133+, CD34+ CD133+ progenitor cells; CD 206+ cells; colony forming cells; and, tube formation were significantly higher in the PBMNCs cultured in QQ media than in the PBMNCs cultured in standard culture media. However, the percentage of CD4+ CD25+ CD127+ cells was significantly lower in PBMNCs cultured in QQ culture media compared to the percentage in PBMNCs cultured in standard culture media.
Conclusions: Quality and Quantity (QQ)culture media was shown to effectively restore the number of vascular progenitor cells and the vasculogenic function of mononuclear cells from chronic limb-threatening ischemia patients with coexisting diabetes mellitus, hypertension, current smoker status, or chronic kidney disease stage 3 or above.
A Conditioned Joint-Modality Attention Fusion Approach for Multimodal Aspect-Level Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Yang Ying , Qian Xinyu , Tang Si , Zhao Qinna
Published: July 2023

Multimodal aspect-level sentiment analysis (MALSA) aims to predict the sentiment polarity of each given aspect in multimodal contexts. Previous studies usually developed deep neural networks to capture the impacts that a given aspect brings to text and images. However, the dynamic interaction between the intra-modality and inter-modality relations is seldom investigated before fusing the textual and visual representations. This paper presents a conditioned joint-modality attention fusion approach for the MALSA task, which can iteratively delivery useful information flow between and across textual and visual modalities under the guidance of aspect information for sentiment polarity prediction. The point is the dual conditioned-attention mechanism, which calculates intra-modality attention flows dynamically modulated by the other modality. Experiments are conducted on three public datasets including Twitter-2015, Twitter-2017 and Multi-ZOL. Results show that the proposed model outperforms the state-of-the-art models, and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Managing liability risk with student externs and volunteers
Authors: Ellis Linda
Published: July 2023

Providing practice and clinical experience and exposure for veterinary students and externs, and other students interested in a career in veterinary medicine, is a longstanding tradition in veterinary practice. This provides the much-needed oppor­tunities for those wanting to become veterinarians or those currently in veterinary school. There will always be risks work­ing with animals, including risks of a student or volunteer get­ting injured or making a mistake that leads to injury or loss of a patient. It is important to review best practices and insurance coverages before hosting students and volunteers to help pro­tect the practice and students and provide a safe and productive experience for all involved.
NAHMS 2021 Feedlot study
Authors: Fossler Charles
Published: July 2023

The National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) con­ducts national studies on the health and health management of U.S. domestic livestock populations. In the NAHMS Feedlot 2021 study, for feedlots that placed cattle not born and raised on the operation slightly over half of cattle placed (51.1%) came direct­ly from a cow-calf operation or a stocker or backgrounder oper­ation, while 41.2% came from a sale barn. Of the cattle placed in 2020, 85.1% were placed with the intention of meeting no specif­ic marketing claims, 0.5% of cattle were placed to meet certified organic claims, 8.4% were placed to meet no or limited antibi­otic use claims, and 10.2% were placed to meet no hormone use claims. About three-fourths (73.1%) of feedlots used antibiotics in any form in 2020. Of these feedlots: 22.4% gave injectable an­tibiotics to cattle as a group; 67.6% gave injectable antibiotics to sick cattle; 42.8% gave antibiotics in feed; and 4.5% gave antibi­otics in water. Most feedlots (85.1%) used a veterinarian in 2020. About two-thirds of feedlots (64.2%) felt that on January 1, 2017, they had all the resources necessary to manage the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rule change.
A new angle on the bovine foot
Authors: Goldsmith Timothy J.
Published: July 2023

Structural unsoundness of beef cattle is an important issue for producers and contributes to issues of lameness and injury that result in increased treatment, culling and death in the beef cow-calf segment. In recent years, utilization of structural scoring in the form of foot and leg phenotype scores as an evaluation tool for genetic evaluation to assess the structural conformation of beef cattle in many countries including the United States. The different breed organizations in the United States have devel­oped resources for breeders to assess and capture data related to foot and leg scores with utilization varying from within herd culling to expected progeny difference development and utiliza­tion within economic selection indexes. Awareness of structural scoring and associated resources by veterinarians as well as a baseline knowledge of utilization within genetic evaluations, management approaches and environmental risk factors that magnify structural unsoundness into lameness and injury events is an opportunity to provide valuable insight and direction to producers in the form of prevention and selection.