bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Ant's Biodiversity in human land use habitats using the SDR software
Authors: Farajollahzade Sepideh , Ramezani Leila , Mohammadi Shima
Published: December 2022

Ants are a major part of the ecosystem as they assist in the decomposition process and improve soil quality. They are a great component of animal biomass and act as ecosystem engineers. We assessed the species richness and biodiversity of these arthropods in the habitats with varying degrees of human impact in Shiraz, Fars Province, southern Iran. To this end, 6 habitats (a farm, a dry land and a natural garden in the countryside, and three old gardens (Be’sat, Janat, Babakoohi) in the city) were chosen and sampled bimonthly during 2015–2106. A total of 6270 ant workers belonging to 30 species, 12 genera, and 3 subfamilies were recorded. The most specious subfamily was Formiciniae (16 Specious) followed by Myrmicinae (12 Species), and Dolichoderinae (2 Species). All biodiversity indices (Shannon wiener, Simpson and Margalof) showed a greater diversity in both natural garden and urban landscape: Be’sat and Janat garden, with the lowest amount of human effects, respectively as well as Babakoohi and the lowest in the agricultural and dry land, which had the most effect of human disturbance. Although a significant difference was observed with the habitats (F, 4.255, P = 0.004) and the months (F, 4.327, P = 0.002) of sampling, there was not a significant difference between Babakoohi, natural garden, Janat and Be’sat gardens ((P > 0.05)) nor between field and dry land (P > 0.05), and those two habitats had fewer species compared with the natural garden and city landscape. The highest Jaccard similarity index (0.773) was seen between Janat garden in the city landscape and Babakoohi and then with both Janat and Be’sat gardens (0.731); however, the lowest (0.48) was seen between dry land and Be’sat garden. The result showed that the species composition in the city landscape including different gardens is more similar than the farm and dry land. The Jaccard similarity index between dry land and farm was 0.58 which indicated the low similarity of the ant species in those regions.
The effectiveness of optimal exercise-based strategy for elderly patients with hip fracture: A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis
Authors: Pan Rong-jia , Gui Si-jie , He Yu-Lian , Nian Fang , Ni Xiao-Yan , Zhou Yan-hui , Wang Man-yi , Wu Jing-jing , Zeng Gu-qing , Liang Jing-hong , Peng Dan
Published: December 2022

Exercise intervention (EI) is a promising and economical way for elderly patients with hip fracture, but it is unclear which type of exercise is optimal. To assess the effectiveness of different EIs and identify the optimal EI of improving the prognosis for elderly patients with hip fracture. We searched Medline (via PubMed), Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, CNKI, Wan Fang, VIP and CBM from their earliest records to June 2022. The included randomized controlled trials (RCT) included at least one type of exercise for patients with hip fracture. The methodological quality of these trials was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool, Stata 14.0 software was used for NMA. The primary outcome was hip function, and the secondary outcomes were activity of daily living (ADL), walking capacity and balance ability of the patients. This study included 46 RCTs involving 3,286 patients. Based on the recovery of patients' hip function, resistance exercise (RE) ([MD]: -11.07, [Crl]: -15.07 to -7.08) showed significant benefits over the control group (CG). RE ([MD]: -8.86, [Crl]: -15.01 to -2.71) ([MD]: -9.09, [Crl]: -14.20 to -3.98) showed significant benefits over the weight-bearing exercise and aerobic exercise. In addition, RE (surface under cumulative ranking curve values [SUCRA]: 94.8%) and balance exercise (BE) ([SUCRA]: 81.1%) were most likely to be the optimal exercise methods for hip function recovery. BE may be the most effective exercise in improving ADL([SUCRA]: 98.4%) and balance ability([SUCRA]: 88.4%). These results suggest that RE and BE might be the best approach to improve prognosis for elderly patients with hip fracture. More well-designed and high-quality RCTs are needed to verify the conclusions drawn from this study.
Groundwater contamination source identification based on Sobol Sequences-based Sparrow Search Algorithm with a BiLSTM surrogate model
Authors: Ge Yuanbo , Lu Wenxi , Pan Zidong
Published: December 2022

In the traditional linked simulation-optimization method, solving the optimization model requires massive invoking of the groundwater numerical simulation model, which causes a huge computational load. In the present study, a surrogate model of the origin simulation model was developed using a Bidirectional Long and Short-term Memory neural network method (BiLSTM). Compared with the surrogate models built by shallow learning methods (BP neural network) and traditional LSTM methods, the surrogate model built by BiLSTM has higher accuracy and better generalization performance while reducing the computational load. The BiLSTM surrogate model was linked to the optimization model and solved using the Sparrow Search Algorithm based on Sobol sequences (SSAS). SSAS enhances the diversity of the initial population of sparrows by introducing Sobol sequences and introduces nonlinear inertia weights to control the search range and search efficiency. Compared with SSA, SSAS has stronger global search ability and faster search efficiency. And SSAS identifies the contamination source location and release intensity stably and reliably. This study also applied the Cholesky decomposition method to establish a Gaussian field for hydraulic conductivity to evaluate the feasibility of the simulation-optimization method.
Secular trend analysis of antibiotic utilisation in some hospitals in western China from 2010 to 2020
Authors: Wu Zhigui , Li Yuan , Li Rong , Sun Xuemei , Chen Tao , Yu Yongqi , Shi Yue , Luo Hongli
Published: December 2022

Objectives
In order to rationalize the clinical application of antibiotics and effectively curb bacterial drug resistance, the Ministry of Health of China launched a special rectification activity for antibiotics in 2011. After more than 10 years of development, whether the policy has achieved results. Therefore, this article aims to study the situation and trend of clinical application of antibiotics in some hospitals in western China to investigate the implementation of this activity.
Design Retrospective study
Methods
This study collected and analyzed antibiotic data from nine hospitals in western China in 2010, 2015, and 2020, including the rate of antibiotic use in outpatients and inpatients, the cost of antibiotic use, the intensity of antibiotic use in inpatients, and antibiotic use during the type Ⅰ incisions of perioperative period.
Results
After 10 years of continuous improvement, the utilization rate of antibiotics in outpatients of these 9 hospitals continued to decline and was controlled below 20% by 2020, while the utilization rate in inpatients also significantly decreased, most of which were controlled within 60%. The use intensity of antibiotics decreased from an average of 79.95 DDD (defined daily doses) per 100 patient-days in 2010 to 37.96 DDD per 100 patient-days in 2020. Although the prophylactic use of antibiotics decreased significantly in type Ⅰ incisions, some hospitals still exceeded 30% and failed to meet the standard. However, the proportion of use within 30 min - 1 h before operation was significantly increased.
Conclusions
After the special rectification and sustained development of the clinical application of antibiotics, the use of antibiotics in some hospitals in western China is basically reasonable, and the relevant indicators tend to be stable, indicating that this activity is conducive to improving the level of rational clinical application of antibiotics.
Sharp bounds for multilinear fractional integral operators on Morrey type spaces: the endpoint cases
Authors: Zheng Suting , Wang Dinghuai , Hu Xi
Published: December 2022

In this paper, the Strichartz’s result of the exponential integrability of fractional integral operators is improved. Also, we establish the endpoint boundedness of the multilinear fractional integrals acting on the multi-Morrey spaces. The conclusions relax the restriction that pi ≠ 1 for all i = 1, · · · , m and extend some known results.
2020 Mathematical Subject Classification. 42B20, 42B35.
Circular RNA circTRRAP promotes malignant phenotypes of colorectal cancer by sponging miR-194-3p
Authors: Yu De-Ming , Wang Zhen-Jun , Chen Hong-Yu , Chen Zhi-Lei , Yang Lei , Li Xiang-Nan
Published: December 2022

To explore the mechanism of circTRRAP (hsa_circ_0081311) in regulating the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was conducted to detect the expression of circTRRAP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for circTRRAP was produced. In vitro and in vivo experiments of circTRRAP were conducted. Target miRNAs of circTRRAP were analyzed bymiRanda software. Analyses based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were conducted to screen the target miRNAs. Luciferase reporter assay was conducted to analyze the interaction between circTRRAP and hsa-miR-194-3p (miR-194-3p). In vitro reverse experiments were conducted to analyze the effect of circTRRAP/miR-194-3p axis on CRC.The results suggested that circTRRAP was up-regulated in CRC patients’ tissues and plasma, and associated with unfavorable clinicopathologic features. The area under curve (AUC) of 0.741 suggested that circTRRAP could serve as a potential biomarker for CRC. CircTRRAP promoted the malignant phenotypes of CRC in vitro and in vivo. CircTRRAP could bind to miR-194-3p, which was significantly down-regulated in CRC tissues and associated with overall survival according to TCGA database. CircTRRAP had no effect on the expression level of miR-194-3p, and miR-194-3p up-regulation had the similar tumor-suppressing effects as circTRRAP down-regulation. The tumor-promoting effect of circTRRAP up-regulation could be reversed by the up-regulation of miR-194-3p. Conclusively, circTRRAP was up-regulated in CRC, and associated with unfavorable clinicopathologic features. CircTRRAP could serve as a promising biomarker for CRC diagnosis. CircTRRAP promoted the progression of CRC by sponging miR-194-3p and could serve as a potential therapeutic target for CRC treatment.
Tuberculosis infection prevention and control in rural Papua New Guinea: An evaluation using the Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework
Authors: Marme Gigil , Kuzma Jerzy , Zimmerman Peta-Anne , Harris Neil , Rutherford Shannon
Published: December 2022

Background: Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the 14 countries categorized as having a triple burden of tuberculosis (TB), multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB), and TB-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infections. TB infection prevention and control (TB-IPC) guidelines were introduced in 2011 by the National Health Department of PNG. This study assesses the implementation of this policy in a sample of district hospitals in two regions of PNG.
Methods: The implementation of TB-IPC policy was assessed using a survey method based on the World Health Organization (WHO) IPC assessment framework (IPCAF) to implement the WHO’s IPC core components. The study included facility assessment at ten district hospitals and validation observations of TB-IPC practices.
Results: Overall, implementation of IPC and TB-IPC guidelines was inadequate in participating facilities. Though 80% of facilities had an IPC program, many needed more clearly defined IPC objectives, budget allocation, and yearly work plans. In addition, they did not include senior facility managers in the IPC committee. Eighty percent (n=8 of 10) of hospitals had no IPC training and education; 90% had no IPC committee to support the IPC team; 70% had no surveillance protocols to monitor infections, and only 20% used multimodal strategies for IPC activities. Similarly, 70% of facilities had a TB-IPC program without a proper budget and did not include facility managers in the TB-IPC team; 80% indicated that patient flow poses a risk of TB transmission; 70% had poor ventilation systems; 90% had inadequate isolation rooms; and though 80% have personal protective equipment available, frequent shortages were reported.
Conclusions: The WHO-recommended TB-IPC policy is not effectively implemented in most of the participating district hospitals. Improvements in implementing and disseminating TB-IPC guidelines, monitoring TB-IPC practices, and systematic healthcare worker training are essential to improve TB-IPC guidelines’ operationalization in health settings to reduce TB's prevalence in PNG.
Text classification based on an improved graph neural network
Authors: Zhang Ruidong , Guo Zelin , Huan Hai
Published: December 2022

The purpose of text classification is to label the text with known labels. In recent years, the method based on graph neural network (GNN) has achieved good results. However, the existing methods based on GNN only regard the text as the set of co-occurring words, without considering the position information of each word in the statement. Meanwhile, this method mainly extracts node features, but neglects the use of edge features between nodes. To solve these problems, a new text classification method, graph convolutional network using positions and edges (PEGCN), is proposed. Position embedding is added in the word-embedding part so that the network can learn the relative position information between words. Meanwhile, the dimension of the adjacency matrix is increased to extract the multi-dimensional edge features. Through experiments on multiple text classification datasets, the proposed method is shown to be superior to the traditional text classification method, and has achieved a maximum improvement of more than 4%.
Examining Disparities in Cervical Cancer Screening with Pap Test by Types of Disability
Authors: Orji Amarachukwu F.
Published: December 2022

Purpose
Prior research has found that poor receipt of cervical cancer screening is more prevalent among women with disabilities. However, there is a research gap regarding receipt of cervical cancer screening by types of disability. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the receipt of cervical cancer screening through self-reported Pap testing among women by types of disability.
Methods
This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2016, 2018 and 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor and Surveillance System (BRFSS) to estimate the prevalence of Pap testing by disability type among women ages 21-65 years of age. Modified Poisson regression with robust error variance was conducted to examine difference in Pap testing among women by disability type. Disability was defined as having any difficulty with vision, hearing, cognitive, mobility, self-care, or independent living. Multivariate analyses adjusted for risk factors associated with cervical cancer screening.
Results
A total of 307,142 women from across the U.S. were sampled. Women with multiple disabilities (aRR=0.91; 95% CI, 0.89 - 0.94) and women with ambulatory disability (aRR=0.94; 95% CI, 0.91 - 0.97) reported being less likely to receive Pap test than women with no disability. In every disability group, older women were significantly less likely to receive Pap test than their counterparts without disabilities.
Conclusion
Ambulatory disability and multiple disabilities are associated with a lower likelihood of screening with Pap test, raising the increased need to eliminate disability-specific disparities in Pap testing.
Gingivitis diagnoses using 2017 classification versus pre-2017 criteria: a retrospective study using electronic dental record data
Authors: Patel Jay S. , Shin Daniel , Willis Lisa , Zai Ahad , Kumar Krishna , Thyvalikakath Thankam P.
Published: December 2022

The major significance of the 2017 gingivitis classification criteria is utilizing a simple, objective, and reliable clinical sign, bleeding on probing score (BOP%), to diagnose gingivitis. However, studies report variations in gingivitis diagnosis with the potential to under- or over-estimating disease incidents. This study determined the agreement between gingivitis diagnoses generated using the 2017 gingivitis criteria (BOP%) versus diagnoses made using BOP% and other gingival visual assessments. We conducted a retrospective study of 28,908 patients’ dental records (EDR) between January-2009 and December-2014, at the Indiana University School of Dentistry. We developed computational and NLP approaches to automatically diagnose gingivitis cases from BOP% using the 2017 classification and diagnoses recorded in clinical notes determined through BOP% and visual assessments. Subsequently, we determined the agreement between BOP%-generated diagnoses and clinician-recorded diagnoses. A thirty-four percent agreement was present between BOP%-generated diagnoses and clinician-recorded diagnoses for disease status (no gingivitis/gingivitis) and a 9% agreement for the disease extent (localized/generalized gingivitis). The automated programs and NLP performed excellently with 99.5% and 98% f-1 measures, respectively. Sixty-six percent of patients diagnosed with gingivitis were reclassified as having healthy gingiva based on the 2017 new diagnostic classification. The results indicate potential challenges with clinicians adopting the new diagnostic criterion as they transition to using the BOP% alone and not considering the visual signs of inflammation. Periodic training and calibration could facilitate clinicians’ and researchers’ adoption of the new diagnostic system. The informatics approaches developed could be utilized to automate diagnostic findings from EDR charting and clinical notes.
The molecular portrait of triple-negative breast cancer: the LAG3 gene single nucleotide polymorphism rs2365094 has no impact on the clinical picture
Authors: Boguszewska-Byczkiewicz Katarzyna , Wow Thomas , Szymańska Bożena , Kosny Michał , Kolacinska-Wow Agnieszka
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by a lack of estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptors. It is the one of most heterogeneous and highly-aggressive breast cancers, resulting in fast progression. In humans, the LAG3 gene is located on chromosome 12p13 and encodes an immune-regulatory molecule. LAG3 gene polymorphisms may influence the clinicopathological picture.
Aim: The aim of the study was to perform a molecular analysis of LAG3 gene polymorphisms
Method: The presence of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at rs2365094 was determined in 30 TNBC patients and 30 healthy controls using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and commercially-available TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays. SNP status was the compared with clinical outcome.
Result: The allelic alterations in LAG3 gene SNP in rs2365094 appear to have no influence on the clinicopathological picture among TNBC patients. The carriage rate for a single allele did not differ significantly between patients and controls.
Conclusion: No significant relationship was observed between rs2365094 SNP status and clinicopathological determinants. However, one aim of this work was to identify biomarkers that may serve as criteria for drug combination regimens. When used in combination with other genetic biomarkers, LAG3 gene SNP may be used for risk stratification of patients with TNBC.
Limit theorems of occupation times of high-dimensional normalized binary contact path processes
Authors: Xue Xiaofeng
Published: December 2022

The binary contact path process (BCPP) introduced in Griffeath (1983) describes the spread of an epidemic on a graph and is an auxiliary model in the study of improving upper bounds of the critical value of the contact process. In this paper, we are concerned with limit theorems of the occupation time of a normalized version of the BCPP (NBCPP) on a lattice. We first show that the law of large numbers of the occupation time process is driven by the identity function when the dimension of the lattice is at least $3$ and the infection rate of the model is sufficiently large conditioned on the initial state of the NBCPP being distributed with a particular invariant distribution. Then we show that the centred occupation time process of the NBCPP converges in finite dimensional distributions to a Brownian motion when the dimension of the lattice and the infection rate of the model are sufficiently large and the initial state of the NBCPP is distributed with the same invariant distribution as that in the law of large numbers.
Dynamic spiral updating whale optimization algorithm for solving optimal power flow problem
Authors: Wang Fengxian , Feng Shaozhi , Pan Youmei , Zhang Huanlong , Bi Senlin , Zhang Jiaxiang
Published: December 2022

In order to solve the problems of the traditional whale optimization algorithm, such as slow convergence speed, low optimization precision and easy to fall into the local optimal solution, an improved algorithm combining elite disturbance opposition-based learning and dynamic spiral updating (OWOA) was proposed. Firstly, the whale population is initialized by opposition-based learning strategies to ensure the diversity of the population, and then elite whales are multiple chaos disturbed to avoid falling into local optimal solution; Secondly, the algorithm uses a dynamic spiral updating strategy, and dynamically adjusts the spiral shape with the iteration times, thus improving the optimization accuracy of the algorithm. Finally, using 12 classic reference functions, CEC2014 test set and CEC2017 test set to evaluate the effectiveness of OWOA. In addition, optimum power flow(OPF) is employed for estimating the efficacy of the OWOA in practical applications. The experimental results show that:compared with other algorithms, the algorithm in this paper has higher convergence speed and accuracy in unimodal function, multi-peak function and multi-dimensional function, and which is more competitive in providing optimal solutions for optimization problems.
Morphology of the abdominal sternal stridulitrum and tibial plectrum in Pachycorinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae)
Authors: Paim Marcelo Reginato , Eger Joseph , Barcellos Aline , Grazia Jocélia
Published: December 2022

The presence of the stridulatory structures has been empirically used as a diagnostic character for Pachycorinae, but it is also present in Hoteinae and two genera of Odontotarsinae. The stridulitrum is present mostly on sternites V-VI in Scutelleridae, associated with a plectrum on the hind tibiae. These structures have been recently analyzed under scanning electron microscopy (SEM), however only nine of the twenty-seven Pachycorinae genera were examined, moreover, the tibial plectra were not examined. In this work, we investigated the stridulatory device of 26 genera of Pachycorinae. The morphology of these structures was examined and described under light stereomicroscope and SEM. We report two patterns of stridulitrum: (1) smooth carinae, found in 24 genera; (2) coarse carinae, composed of many small teeth similar in size, found in three genera. Two main patterns were found regarding the tibial plectra: (1) rounded tubercles that were conspicuous in three genera and inconspicuous in 23 genera; (2) flat tubercles found in two genera. Our results demonstrate that the stridulatory devices have taxonomic significance within Pachycorinae and should be considered in further studies.
Improved multi target tracking crossing paths in MIMO FMCW 8x16 radar system using a new hybrid AMC-JPDAF algorithm
Authors: Zarai Khaireddine , Abdallah Ibrahim Ben , Cherif Adnan
Published: December 2022

This paper addresses the multi-target tracking problem in a multiple-input multiple-output radar system. Different tracking sensor measurements often encounter complex data as well correlation problems. Our goal is to solve this dilemma, which appears to be a new technical challenge; fix object-tracking scenarios while avoiding divergence. Once the cross-path phenomenon occurs, the target measurement assignment process in MIMO radar systems becomes more complicated. Therefore, this interference phenomenon can disturb the received signal and miss the state estimation process. To avoid all the mentioned problems, we have improved a new hybrid algorithm based on the particle filter; Adaptive Monte Carlo has been used in conjunction with the Joint Probabilistic Data Association Filter to substitute the classical extended KALMAN filter combined with JPDAF known as EKF-JPDAF. Experimental results of our MIMO-FMCW radar system with AMC-JPDAF converge to a more accurate state estimate while avoiding divergence. Using MATLAB software development framework, the designed system meets the goals originally set by AMC-JPDAF by referring to the experimental database obtained from the MIMO-FMCW 8x16 radar system.
Potential contribution of Sulla spinosissima (L.) and Sulla pallida (Desf.) as a forage crop for arid pastures rehabilitation
Authors:   Anass EL YEMLAHI1*,   Abdelhay ARAKRAK1,   Amin LAGLAOUI1,   Mohammed AYADI2,   Mohammed BAKKALI1
Published: December 2022

Mediterranean climate is reported to harbor a wide range of forage legume species. However, little information is available on the potential use of these forages as fodder. We, therefore, conducted a study to evaluate the chemical composition, mineral content, and in vitro dry and organic matter digestibility of two forage legume species from arid pastures located in the Northeast of Morocco: Sulla spinosissima subsp. capitata and Sulla pallida Desf. To our knowledge, this is the first report about the nutritive value of these two species. Our results showed a wide variation between selected Sulla species; the phenological stage had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on most evaluated chemical traits and digestibility parameters. Comparatively, Sulla spinosissima L. had higher organic matter digestibility (72.43%OM) at the vegetative stage in correlation with lower acid detergent fiber (ADF) (24.23%DM), lower condensed tannin, (CT) (0.27%DM), and higher crude protein (24.01%DM). Conversely, Sulla pallida Desf. plants with a considerable amount of ADF (40.34%DM) and CT (4.50 %DM) had lower organic matter digestibility (56.09%OM). Both species are mineral-rich and contain satisfactory mean (gram per Kilogram Dry Matter) levels of calcium: 23.25 in Sulla spinosissima L. and 13.75 in Sulla pallida Desf.; phosphorus 1.01 in Sulla spinosissima L. and 1.53 in Sulla pallida Desf. The results of the present study suggest the suitability of both Sulla species for domestication to enhance pasture productivity and to ensure animal nutrition of small ruminants in arid pastures of Mediterranean area.
Distribution order of prime and composite numbers
Authors: Berezowski Marek
Published: December 2022

This paper presents a simple analytical method for identifying prime numbers and determining composite numbers. It has been shown that the primes are ordered and all are placed on 96 half-lines. One linear equation and 8 numbers are enough for all calculations.
Commercial Bioinoculants Increase Root Length Colonization and Improve Petiole Nutrient Concentration of Field-grown Grapevines
Authors: Berdeja Mariam P. , Ye Qiuhong , Bauerle Taryn L. , Vanden Heuvel Justine E.
Published: December 2022

Agricultural bioinoculants containing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi represent a potential opportunity to reduce the dependence of grapevines (Vitis) on agrochemicals. This field study assessed the ability of four commercial bioinoculants to colonize grapevine roots and their effects on petiole nutrient concentration, berry composition, and root morphology of ‘Pinot noir’ (Vitis vinifera) grafted onto rootstock ‘Couderc 3309’ (Vitis riparia × Vitis rupestris) and ‘Riesling’ (V. vinifera) grafted onto ‘Couderc 3309’ and Selection Oppenheim four (Vitis berlandieri × V. riparia). Three bioinoculants increased root mycorrhizal colonization; however, regardless of the treatment, mycorrhizal fungal structures were enhanced. Grapevine petiole nutrient concentration was improved by bioinoculants. Root diameter, root length density, and specific root length increased with greater mycorrhizal root colonization. Using bioinoculants to reduce chemical fertilizers may be a good strategy to improve grapevine productivity and health in cool climates; however, the impact of mycorrhizal bioinoculants in the vineyard may differ among scion–rootstocks, edaphoclimatic conditions, and vineyard soil microbiomes.
The prognostic value of the cytological composition of the tear in the diagnosis of endometriosis
Authors: Huseva Y. A. , Zharikova O. L. , Vasilevskaya A. V.
Published: December 2022

Purpose. To investigate the cell composition of the tear in healthy women and endometriosis patients in order to find the potential diagnostic criteria of endometriosis. Material and methods. Tear samples obtained from the lower fornix of the conjunctiva using a glass capillary tube were microscopically examined in 100 females aged 18 to 48: 60 healthy women, who made up the control group, and 40 patients with endometriosis. Results. The share of women with endometriosis who were found to have erythrocytes was 32.5 %, which was significantly higher as compared with the control group, where it was 25.0%. 69.2 % of women with endometriosis showed haemolacria in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, which significantly exceeded the percentage of women with erythrocytes in the tear (30.8 %) who had them in the luteal phase. Epitheliocytes were found in the tear of 97.5 % of patients with endometriosis, versus 75.0 % of healthy women. In all 100 % of such patients, these cells were found in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, compared with 74.3 % of healthy women who showed these cells in the same phase of the cycle. The share of women with endometriosis showing the ++ quantity of epitheliocytes in the tear was 56.4 %, which was significantly higher than the 20 % of the control group subject with the same level of epitheliocytes. It is to be noted that group accumulations of epitheliocytes were found in 15 % of endometriotic patients, which was significantly higher than in healthy women, of whom only 8.3 % had such accumulations. 90 % of endometriosis group cases revealed glandular cuboidal epithelial cells in the tear, which morphologically resembling endometrial cells. Conclusion. The revealed properties of the cytological composition of the tear of patients with endometriosis reflected particular links in its etiopathogenesis, which suggests that the study of tear parameters can help predict the incidence of the "endometrioid disease" and develop pathogenetically oriented treatment methods.
Prevalence of myopia and epidemiological factors contributing to its development
Authors: Aprelev A. E. , Cherkasov S. V. , Aprelev A. A. , Cherkasova P. S. , Serebryakova P. E.
Published: December 2022

Myopia, which is the most common disorder of refraction, in case of progression causes a variety of dangerous and severe complications, which can eventually lead to a significant decrease in the quality of life and disability in young and working age people. The growing trend of myopia prevalence is due to a significant increase in visual work and psychological stress, which, in their turn, are explained by rapid scientific and technological progress and extensive urbanization. The genetic, ethnic and age factors, as well as the presence of chronic diseases and general lifestyle, also play an important role in the onset of myopia.
A comparative qualitative assessment of the severity of diabetic retinopathy in patients with stages III, IV and V, requiring hemodialysis, of chronic renal insufficiency
Authors: Golovin A. S. , Belikova E. I.
Published: December 2022

Purpose. Comparative qualitative assessment of the severity of proliferative diabetic vitreoretinopathy (PDR) in patients with stages III, IV and V of chronic renal failure (CRF). Material and methods. 150 patients (64 % women; 36 % men, aged 38 to 79, mean age 61.3 ± 2.3 years) were examined. The patients were divided into three groups, each consisting of 50 subjects (100 eyes), according to the stages of CRF diagnosed in terms of glomerular filtration rate — CRF-3; CRF-4; and CRF-5, the latter requiring hemodialysis (НD). All groups were approximately equally distributed as to age and gender. A total of 11 qualitative indicators were assessed, including the condition of the fundus, the severity of diabetic macular edema, the degree of fibrovascular tissue neovascularization, the spread of traction retinal detachment to the periphery. All examinations were performed by one ophthalmic surgeon (A.S. Golovin) in order to increase the reliability of the qualitative assessment. The following scoring system was used: 1 point— no changes; 2 points — insignificant (weak) changes; 3 points — moderate severity of changes; 4 points — pronounced changes. Results. For all qualitative indicators, the severity of PDR in patients with HD was significantly higher than in patients with CRF-3 or CRF-4. The average severity of clinical manifestations of PDR for all criteria was 2.10 ± 0.27; 2.35 ± 0.30 and 3.21 ± 0.10 points (p < 0.05) for CRF-3; CRF-4 and CRF-5 (HD), respectively. Conclusion. The severity of retinal violations in patients with HD is 36.5–52.9 % higher compared with patients with CRF-4 and CRF-3. Considering the more severe nature of PDR and somatic status of HD patients, it seems expedient to develop an advanced vitrectomy technology for HD patients, its medical maintenance and anesthetic means.
Echographic criteria for the assessment of the optic nerve condition in intracranial hypertension
Authors: Neroev V. V. , Kiseleva T. N. , Eliseeva E. K. , Baeva A. V. , Lugovkina K. V.
Published: December 2022

Purpose: to develop objective acoustic criteria of the condition of the optic nerve and its sheaths for an early diagnosis of intracranial hypertension (IH). Material and methods. The research involved 24 patients (average age 35.8 ± 8.5 years) with suspected IH. The control group consisted of 48 healthy subjects (average age 28.5 ± 9.5 years). Ultrasound examination of the retrobulbar part of the optic nerve (ON) included the measurement of the ON thickness with sheaths (ONSD) and without sheaths (OND) and the calculation of the ratio K = ONSD/ OND. Echodensitometry was used to evaluate the echographic density of the parenchyma and the sheaths of the optic nerve. All patients were tested with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to analyse brain images. Results. The biometrical parameters of ON in healthy subjects were as follows: ONS 2.64 ± 0.21 mm and ONSD — 4.60 ± 0.34 mm. In patients with suspected IH the average parameters of the ON diameter were as follows: ONS — 2.57 ± 0.25 mm and ONSD — 5.81 ± 0.42 mm. A comparative assessment of the ON thickness with and without sheaths showed that in the control group the values of ONS did not exceed 3.5 mm and ONSD did not exceed 5.0 mm. In patients with IH, the values of ONSD were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The ratio coefficient (K)=ONSD/ONS in the group of healthy subjects ranged from 1.53 to 2.0 and averaged 1.75 ± 0.14. In patients with IH the values of K exceeded 2.0 (2,40 ± 0.18). The analysis of acoustic density data showed a significant variability in the parameters of the ON sheaths echodensitometry in IH patients as compared to the norm. Conclusion. The echography of the ON makes it possible to determine the acoustic and biometric parameters of the ON with high accuracy, to assess its structure and relationship with the surrounding tissues. The ratio coefficient (K) of ONSD/ONS makes it possible to determine IH in the early stages of the disease, even in the absence of objective clinical criteria.
Organizational models of ophthalmic observation of premature children in pediatric follow-up
Authors: Saidasheva E. I. , Plotnikova E. V. , Bilichenko S. V. , Shilina V. I.
Published: December 2022

Purpose: to assess the organizational effectiveness of ophthalmic observation of premature infants in pediatric follow-up in St. Petersburg. Material and methods. We analyzed the reports submitted by city interdistrict ophthalmological facilities for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and the observation department for premature infants for the period from July 1, 2018 to July 1, 2021 available at the children's multidisciplinary hospital. Results. In St. Petersburg, 6 interdistrict ophthalmological facilities perform regular monitoring of ROP children and a daytime in-patient clinic offers interdisciplinary treatment and early rehabilitation of infants with perinatal pathology accompanying severe prematurity. The data on the frequency of ROP and other visual disorders in children born prematurely are presented. Conclusions. Interdistrict observation facilities are a modern form of regular ophthalmic follow-up of premature infants of risk groups or ROP infants who live in conditions of a large city. A promising observation model of children with combined perinatal pathology and severe prematurity is the setting of a department (daytime in-patient facility) in the children's multidisciplinary hospital. This allows assessing the general health of this critical group of population" and ensure a timely start of combined interdisciplinary treatment and medical rehabilitation.
Hydrogeochemistry, solute source identification, and health risk assessment of groundwater of cancer-prone region in India
Authors: Singh Kaptan , Singh Rajesh , Pandey Govind
Published: December 2022

The Bathinda district of Punjab, India has been reported with the highest per capita number of cancer patients. Groundwater is the major source of drinking and irrigation in the district. The hydrogeochemical analysis indicated Na-HCO3 and Na-SO4/Cl type water in the district, and rock-water interaction and irrigation return flow influenced the major cations. Only 10% of samples were in the very poor category for drinking purposes, which increased to 95% in the post-monsoon period due to elevated U, As, Ni, F and NO3 concentrations. Further, the average cumulative risk posed by the contaminants in the drinking water was >1 for almost all the samples indicating a higher risk of non-cancerous health issues. The average carcinogenic risk to males, females, and children due to ingestion of groundwater laden with As, Ni, Cr, and Pb was 1643 × 10−6, 1415 × 10−6, and 3066 × 10−6 during pre-monsoon and 2091 × 10−6, 1802 × 10−6, and 3904 × 10−6 during post-monsoon period respectively. The principal component analysis (PCA) indicated NO3 of anthropogenic origin and other contaminants of geogenic origin, and nitrate further influences the mobilization of U. Removal of U, As, Ni, F, and NO3 from the groundwater samples will help in changing the status of 100% and 85% of groundwater samples to the low-risk category for pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods respectively.
Variation of heat flux and its effect on the reproduction of four major Chinese carp
Authors: Guo Wenxian , Chen Wenxiong , He Ning , Wang Hongxiang
Published: December 2022

River heat flux (HF) regime has been significantly affected by anthropogenic activities and climate variation, and it is of great significance to deeply explore intrinsic driving mechanisms and ecological effects. This study uses the middle reaches of the Yangtze River as its research area and, by constructing the wavelet model and the IHA-RVA model, quantifies the evolution mechanism and internal law of ‘flow- water temperature (WT) – HF’ over the past four decades and investigates the effects of Three Gorges Dam on the ecological reproduction of ‘four major Chinese carp’. The results show that, (1) flow and WT have three change cycle scales; the overall hydrologic variations of flow and WT were 64% and 62%, respectively, close to high variation. (2) The overall HF shows a decreasing trend from 1983 to 2019, with significant changes in HF in spring and winter regulated by the Three Gorges Reservoir; the basin flow-WT-HF relationships exhibit a hysteretic pattern, with the maximum WT occurring one month after the peak HF and flow. (3) The ‘four major Chinese carp’ natural breeding season is closely related to the time when the WT reaches 18 °C; HF is a vital habitat factor that influences fish spawning and reproduction.
Microbial and phage communities as well as their interaction in PO saponification wastewater treatment systems
Authors: Fan Xiangyu , Ji Mengzhi , Sun Kaili , Li Qiang
Published: December 2022

Viruses or phages were considered affecting microbial community composition, metabolic process, and biogeochemical cycles. However, phage communities and their potential associations with microbial community are not well understood in the activated sludge (AS) of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, we explored the interactions between phages and microbial community by using propylene oxide (PO) saponification WWTPs as an example. Bacterial, eukaryal and archaeal communities were investigated and 34 phage contigs (>10 kb) were recovered from PO saponification WWTPs. At least 3 complete phage genomes were assembled. In all 34 phages, 21 of them have been predicted to their host. The association network analysis showed that abundant phages were associated with abundant microorganisms. This result conformed to Kill-the-Winner model. Notably, 45 auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) were identified from phage genomes (including small contig fragments). They influenced bacterial metabolism through facilitating phages replication and avoiding host death. Collectively, our results suggested that phage community affect microbial community and metabolic pathways by killing their hosts and AMGs transfer in AS of PO saponification WWTPs.
Medicinal Chemistry and Target Identification of Synthetic Clinical and
Advanced Preclinical Antimalarial Candidates (2000 - 2022)
Authors: Cheuka Peter Mubanga , Mambwe Dickson , Mayoka Godfrey
Published: December 2022

Background:

The downward trend in malaria cases and deaths is steadily reversed - 627,000 deaths in 2020 compared to 405,000 deaths in 2018. Drug resistance has compromised the effectiveness of currently available treatment options, with some reports documenting molecular markers of resistance to artemisinins in African countries in addition to the Greater Mekong subre-gion, which was initially associated with this kind of resistance. Therefore, the development of nov-el drugs is crucial to replenishing the antimalarial drug arsenal toward malaria eradication. In this review, we summarize the progress made in antimalarial drug discovery in the period 2000 - 2022, focusing on drug candidates which have made it to advanced preclinical trials (drugs tested in ro-dent species and at least one higher species such as dog or monkey) and beyond.

Method:

We searched Google Scholar and selected studies meeting these defined criteria. We highlight the medicinal chemistry optimization of these compounds; the preclinical/clinical evalua-tion and the mechanisms of action.

Results and Conclusion:

Although the pipeline seems promising, the prospect of having an antima-larial medicine that meets the current target product profiles (TPPs) towards the malaria eradication agenda is far from reality. Some of the key TPP attributes required include multistage activity, re-sistance-proof; ability to achieve a single dose cure and safety across a wide range of patient popu-lations. Clinical trials are ongoing for some promising molecules, inspiring optimism toward identi-fying better drugs that meet these defined TPPs. Until then, concerted research efforts should con-tinue to be mounted to populate the antimalarial drug discovery and development pipeline.
Phosphate Homeostasis and Disorders of Phosphate Metabolism
Authors: Perumal Nandhini Lakshmana , Padidela Raja
Published: December 2022

Phosphate is indispensable for human life and evolutionary changes over several millions of years have established tightly regulated mechanisms to ensure phosphate homeostasis. In this process, calcium and phosphate metabolism have come to be intricately linked together. Three hor-mones (PTH, FGF23 and Calcitriol) maintain the fine balance of calcium and phosphate metabo-lism through their actions at three sites (the gut, the kidneys and the skeleton). Disorders that disrupt this balance can have serious clinical consequences. Acute changes in serum phosphate levels can result in life threatening complications like respiratory failure and cardiac arrythmias. Chronic hy-pophosphataemia predominantly affects the musculoskeletal system and presents as impaired linear growth, rickets, osteomalacia and dental problems. Hyperphosphataemia is very common in the set-ting of chronic kidney disease and can be difficult to manage. A thorough understanding of calcium and phosphate homeostasis is essential to diagnose and treat conditions associated with hypo and hyperphosphataemia. In this review, we will discuss the calcium and phosphate metabolism, aetiol-ogies and management of hypo and hyperphosphataemia.
Shear Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Beams using GFRP
Authors: Liew Yu Xuan , Bakar Norliana , Lim Kar Sing , Doh Shu Ing , Jaya Ramadhansyah Putra , Chin Siew Choo
Published: December 2022

Background:

Glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) is often used as external strengthening material due to its unique benefits. However, the effectiveness of the strengthening configuration, which uses GFRP in different orientations, still has a lot of uncertainties.

Objective:

This research work aims to study the shear strengthening of reinforced concrete beams using GFRP.

Methods:

The mechanical properties of the GFRP were investigated, including tensile and flexural tests. Two layers of GFRP were bonded together using epoxy and a hardener of 2:1. The GFRP was then cut according to size for tensile and flexural tests. Five samples were prepared for tensile and flexural tests, respectively. In terms of beam strengthening, a total of four beams were considered for four-point bending tests, whereby two were used as control beams and the remaining two were for strengthening purposes. A 45º strengthening configuration was adopted for the shear strengthening.

Results:

Results showed that GFRP possessed the highest tensile stress, which was achieved in the range of 208.85 MPa – 319.22 MPa, while the highest flexural stress was achieved in the range of 506.16 MPa – 592.49 MPa. The results showed that shear strengthening at 45º with GFRP achieved an ultimate load of 136.38 kN, which was higher than the control beam's load of 133 kN. This indicates that GFRP managed to regain the beam capacity, which is 2.5% higher than the control beam.

Conclusion:

This proves that GFRP can be used as an alternative strengthening material other than carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP).