bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment for regularity of the Navier-Stokes equations based on Banach and Sobolev functional spaces coupled to anisotropic viscosity for analysis of vorticity transport
Authors: Santos Rômulo Damasclin Chaves dos , Sales Jorge Henrique de Oliveira
Published: September 2023

The mathematical analysis employed in this study constitutes an essential foundation for a broader investigation into the regularity of the Navier-Stokes Equations. Within this context, this work represents a significant advance with the Smagorinsky model integrated into the LES methodology. Using the Banach and Sobolev functional spaces, we developed a new theorem that points out a path towards the creation of an anisotropic viscosity model, formulated in the present work. Initially, our effort focuses on providing a comprehensive mathematical analysis, with the aim of promoting a deeper understanding of the challenge inherent in the regularity of the Navier-Stokes equations.
Aproximação às estruturas geográficas: as formas de território como manifestações da Transferência Geográfica de Valor
Authors: Peña Juan Anderson Ruiz , Siqueira Antonio Marcos de Oliveira
Published: September 2023

O artigo se concentra em examinar a dimensão espacial do valor e a transferência geográfica do valor com base na teoria do valor de Marx. A categoria de transferência geográfica de valor é vista como uma unidade dialética que serve como mecanismo de apropriação do espaço geográfico. Essa apropriação se dá pela influência das estruturas geográficas nas ações sociais de uma determinada forma de território. O artigo defende que a transferência geográfica de valor é uma categoria que compreende a realidade concreta de um território como um todo. A forma território é formulado através da identificação de determinações históricas, ou seja, os fatores históricos moldam e determinam a transferência de valor dentro do espaço geográfico. Para subsidiar a análise, no artigo utilizamos a pesquisa bibliográfica fundamentada na teoria da dependência de Ruy Mauro Marini. Esta teoria oferece um quadro crítico para analisar os processos resultantes da produtividade desigual de vários tipos de territórios. Ao fazê-lo, destaca o papel central do território como categoria geográfica mistificada que permite aos capitais mais produtivos apropriar-se de todo o espaço geográfico. Em geral, o artigo busca explorar e analisar criticamente a relação entre valor, geografia e apropriação do espaço pelo capital, valendo-se da teoria do valor de Marx e da teoria da dependência de Marini.
LIVRO DIDÁTICO E A INDÚSTRIA CULTURAL
Authors: Cabral Gradir da Silva , Roberto Salvan Glauco
Published: September 2023

O presente artigo busca discutir sobre como a Indústria Cultural está presente na produção do livro didático e suas implicações para o processo educativo que ocorre no espaço escolar. Ao analisar a influência do capitalismo que tornou a arte mais uma de suas mercadorias, o filósofo Theodor Adorno discorre como a arte foi perdendo sua essência de expressão e manifestação do humano devido à presença do capital. Diante dessa perspectiva, e relacionando ao livro didático, que é base de ferramenta dos professores atualmente, analisa-se neste artigo o surgimento da indústria de livros didáticos, que busca promover, dentro da lógica capitalista, um mercado consumidor de livros. A compreensão crítica do livro didático dentro desse processo parece fundamental para sua utilização plena em sala de aula.
CAPOEIRA E EXTENSÃO NO INSTITUTO FEDERAL DE BRASÍLIA
Authors: Couto Torres Felipe do
Published: September 2023

No presente artigo, busca-se evidenciar os ganhos obtidos por dois projetos de extensão realizados no Instituto Federal de Brasília, por meio de relatos de experiências, desenvolvidas no ano de 2019. A extensão é um dos pilares que fazem dos IFs uma instituição educacional transformadora da realidade brasileira. Acredita-se que os projetos de extensão de capoeira relatados e analisados devam atender as classes sociais não privilegiadas, sobretudo nas próprias periferias, e não apenas as classes médias e altas. Afinal, a apropriação da capoeira pelas classes médias e altas tem sua importância social, entretanto, existe uma função social que os projetos de extensão das instituições de educação devem assumir perante as classes desprivilegiadas. O campo teórico em perspectiva perpassa por autores que debatem o conceito de extensão universitária no Brasil, ademais da realidade da extensão dentro dos Institutos Federais de Educação e a noção de cidadania que envolve o conceito em estudo.
MULHERES NA CAPOEIRA: AFIRMAÇÕES, CULTURAS, CORPOS
Authors: Muleka mwewa Christian , de Oliveira Acordi Leandro , Fernandez Vaz Alexandre , Lucinda Caldeira Ferreira Juliani
Published: September 2023

Neste artigo, a partir de entrevistas com mulheres praticantes do jogo de capoeira, da cidade de Florianópolis, analisamos as representações que elas fazem de si e de sua prática. O texto dialoga, para tanto, com estudos da cultura, do gênero e da filosofia. Os resultados demonstram certo percurso de afirmação em prática corporal predominantemente masculina e os caminhos de eleição da capoeira como um espaço de luta política.
Effectiveness of an Outdoor Education Program with Homeschool Students
Authors: Chen YuChun , McCreary Allie , Stenger-Ramsey Tammie
Published: September 2023

Compared to their public-school peers, homeschool students are less physically active, perform worse in health-related physical fitness tests, and have poorer body composition status (Kabiri et al., 2017; Kabiri et al., 2020; Long et al., 2010; Tribby & Berrigan, 2021). The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of an outdoor education program (OEP) on homeschool adolescents’ physical fitness level and life skills. Homeschool students were recruited to participate in a nine-week OEP that included activities such as hiking and mountain biking and a pre- and post-test to assess physical fitness and life skills. Descriptive and inferential (e.g., paired-samples t-tests) statistics were used to analyze the resulting data. Findings reveal that male homeschool students self-report higher levels of life skills and that the OEP had a greater positive impact on males’ fitness outcomes. Recommendations for OEP practitioners include developing OEPs that increase the frequency and decrease the duration of physical activity time and emphasize skills such as emotional control. Recommendations for future research are to utilize large, diverse sample sizes and to consider at-home activities that may influence variables of interest.
Conservation status of Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris in the earth’s only mangrove tigerland: A review of efforts and challenges
Authors: Mallick Jayanta Kumar
Published: September 2023

Sundarban is the earth’s largest contiguous ‘mangrove forest’ (‘Bādābān’) designated as protected or conservation areas including biosphere reserve, tiger reserve, core area, critical tiger habitat, primitive (wilderness) zone, national park, wildlife sanctuaries, buffer area and reserved forests, covering 10,277 km2 forest area [4260 km2 (41.45%) in India and 6017 km2 (58.55%) in Bangladesh]. This natural biodiversity hotspot is the only mangrove tigerland and the ‘last stronghold’ of Panthera tigris tigris with a camera trap-based population estimate of 214 (100 in Indian Sundarbans and 114 in Bangladesh Sundarbans) supported by a creek (sign) survey. Globally, Sundarban is a prioritised class I tiger conservation landscape extending over 5304 km2 or 51.6% of total terrestrial and aquatic mangrove habitat in the region, which is facing emergent conservation challenges due to natural and anthropogenic threats. Several conservation actions have been executed to stabilise and increase the tiger population. There is cause for ‘cautious future optimism’ since the trend of historically high rates of mangrove clearing and degradation has slowed down and tiger population in the Sundarban mangroves has slightly increased and remains stable during the last three enumerations (2018–2022) in India (the results of the current camera-based census in Bangladesh counterpart are to be announced on 29 July 2024), which can be attributed to some positive improvements of tiger habitat management.
Scaling effects in the threaded pieces made of the spatially reinforced carbon-carbon composite materials
Authors: Lyubchenko M.A. , Magnitsky I.V. , Tashchilov S.V. , Zhang A.L.
Published: September 2023

The paper presents results of studying the impact of the strength and stiffness scaling effects in modern spatially reinforced carbon-carbon composite materials on bearing capacity of the products made from them. These materials are widely used in equipment operating under extreme conditions of simultaneous loading with force and temperature factors. When designing such products, it becomes necessary to understand the influence degree of the frame damaged during machining on observed properties of the material used, including dimensions, at which it is required to consider reduction in strength and stiffness, as well as the value, which could reduce the considered properties.
Optimization of the gas-liquid damper pin in the aircraft landing gear
Authors: Nikitin E.A. , Belkin A.E.
Published: September 2023

The gas-liquid damper is the main element in depreciation system of the aircraft landing gear. In this damper, the hydraulic resistance force to the rod motion depends on the working fluid flow rate through the plunger throttle hole, which area is regulated by a pin. If the passage hole area changes, the hydraulic resistance force also changes. Based on formulated criteria for the depreciation quality (energy intensity and dynamic coefficient), the problem of optimizing the pin profile was solved. To describe the damper operation, a mathematical model validated according to the landing gear testing results was used. Geometric parameters of the pin profile are described using the piecewise linear approximation or the cubic spline. To solve the problem of multicriteria optimization, the objective function was used covering a wide range of the aircraft landing weights. The solution was found using numerical integration of the damper mathematical model equations and the global optimization surrogate model. Analysis of the obtained results showed the possibility of reducing the load on the aircraft landing gear and the airframe structure.
Piezo-ceramic transducer introduction in the synthetic fabrics ultrasonic welding
Authors: Volkov S.S. , Nerovnyy V.M. , Kobernik N.V. , Mikayilova J.A.
Published: September 2023

The paper considers high-quality acoustic systems for ultrasonic welding of the synthetic fabrics. Materials, from which they are manufactured, are presented. Work was performed aimed at reducing acoustic power introduced into the welded products at ultrasonic welding of the synthetic fabrics. It was established that introduction of the small-sized piezo-ceramic transducers in welding the synthetic fabrics made it possible to increase efficiency and quality factors of the oscillatory system with low intrinsic losses. It is shown that to increase the ultrasonic welding productivity and reduce the acoustic power, it is necessary to design ultrasonic generators with the auto-tuning to a given oscillation amplitude. Technological opportunities are being considered of seam ultrasonic welding using the highly efficient piezo-ceramic transducers to estimate weldability of lavsan, nylon and polypropylene fabrics. Comparative productivity analysis was performed in ultrasonic welding of the synthetic fabrics using the piezo-ceramic and nickel transducers. Main parameters of modes in the ultrasonic welding of fabrics for the piezo-ceramic transducers were determined. It is shown that parameters of the mode in ultrasonic welding of the synthetic fabrics significantly affect the rate of reaching maximum temperatures in the welded joint zone and determine the heating intensity and, consequently, the welding productivity.
Pseudothrombocytopenia — problems and ways to solve diagnostic problems
Authors: Zenina M. N. , Nuzhdina M. A. , Chernysh N. Y. , Yudina V. A.
Published: September 2023

EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia is the laboratory phenomenon of a spurious low platelet count which appears in vitro while using EDTA as anticoagulant. The problem of EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia has significant relevance due to the widespread using of automated hematology analyzers which EDTA stabilized blood is most recommended for. The mechanism of this phenomenon is based on the production of the specificantibodies causing the platelet aggregation in the presence of EDTA. The aim of this study was to evaluate MgSO4 as an in vitro anticoagulant for platelet count, MPV and correction WBC. Early determination of the patients with EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia is an important diagnostic criterion necessary to exclude blood diseases and prevent errors in treatment.
The role of podoplanin in tumor-associated thrombosis
Authors: Savelyeva A. V. , Pishchulov K. A.
Published: September 2023

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is highly consequential for patients with cancer, it is the  second leading cause of death in these patients. The literature describes several mechanisms  leading to these complications. One of these is the interaction of podoplanin (PDPN), which  is the subject of this article, with its receptor on platelets CLEC-2 (C-type lectin-like type II  transmembrane receptor). This interaction leads to platelet activation and promotes hematogenous metastasis and thrombosis associated with cancer. Podoplanin is expressed in gliomas,  squamous cell carcinoma, osteosarcoma by cancer cells, and it is also normally expressed in  podocytes and lymphatic endothelial cells, but not in vascular endothelium. Thrombus inflammation initiates ectopic expression of podoplanin in vascular endothelial cells, which promotes thrombosis. It has been shown that podoplanin expression correlates with the incidence  of VTE, as well as with cancer metastasis. Violation of the PDPN-CLEC-2 interaction may  become a new direction in the development of drugs for the prevention of thrombosis for  patients with cancer.
Dependence of the severity of the course of COVID-19 on viral load in hospitalized patients
Authors: Golodyaeva M. V. , Labintсeva E. V.
Published: September 2023

Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 vary in different patients from asymptomatic to severe  multiple organ failure. The aim of this study was to analyze the severity of COVID-19 in  hospitalized patients depending on the initial viral load of SARS-CoV-2. Study included 156  patients 18 years old and more. In the RT-PCR test, viral load was assessed by amplification  cycle threshold Ct. The result was considered positive for Ct values < 40 and negative for  Ct ≥ 40. 3 groups of 52 people each with different trajectories of the course of the disease  were identified: 1 — mild, 2 — moderate, 3 — severe/fatal. The values of the median Ct  cycle threshold upon admission of patients in group 3 to the hospital were significantly lower,  indicating higher initial levels of viral RNA in patients with more severe disease. This pattern  persisted over a 28-day period, and it was in this 3 group that higher levels of viral RNA were  detected throughout the time compared to other disease trajectories. In conclusion, the effect  of the initial SARS-CoV-2 viral load and its dynamics during hospitalization on the severity  of COVID-19 is shown. This parameter can be a prognostic marker for assessing the clinical  condition of patients during treatment.
„Wycinają nerki na dyskotece” – legenda miejska. Refleksje na marginesie folklorystyki i antropologii medycznej
Authors: Latocha Sebastian
Published: September 2023

The goal of the study is to describe and interpret an urban legend of macabre
happening that reportedly has taken place in the “Protector Prestige Disco”
in Wola Krzysztoporska, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland. It was a mysterious
nephrectomy that today is being reported not only in a local discourse but also in
the Internet – a space of the development of contemporary folklore. The author
quote many strange stories narrated by dwellers of Wola Krzysztoporska. The
author contextualise the urban legend in folkloristic and medical antrhropology
Penerapan Metode Design Thinking Pada Perancangan UI/UX Sistem Informasi Penelitian Mahasiswa Berbasis Web
Authors: Firdonsyah Arizona , Arwananing Tyas Zahra , Ma'rifatun LM
Published: September 2023

Advances in technology provide opportunities to increase efficiency in various sectors, including the licensing process and the operations of government agencies. The Bantul District Health Office, as a health and research service provider, still relies on a semi-manual research licensing process. To overcome this, a structured research licensing information system is needed on a website basis. The stages of making a website start with UI/UX design. This study designed a UI/UX system using the Design Thinking method. The Empathize stage involves interviews and observations to understand the needs of users, especially the Head of the Health Office Program Subdivision. The Define phase identifies core requirements such as a list of user requirements, business process flowcharts, and the use of Figma for design and prototyping. The Ideate Stage involves brainstorming and wireframes, while the Prototype Stage produces the final design for testing. The Test phase involved Usability Testing, with fixes such as changing the message feature to notifications and adding the option to sign in with a Google account. The results showed that the prototype answered the problems of the Bantul District Health Office in designing the SIPENA UI/UX according to user needs.
Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Characteristics of Antibiotic Streptofungin
Authors: Klochko Vitalii , Todosiichuk Tetiana , Lin Wu , Kobzysta Oksana , Bobyr Vitaly
Published: September 2023

Background. Streptomycetes were and remain a source of new antimicrobial compounds of various nature. A new wave of interest in such research is associated with the possibilities of applied genomics to reveal the hidden biosynthetic potential of streptomycetes, and therefore the discovery of new practically valuable antimicrobial products. The problem of antibiotic resistance of pathogens can be solved by creating compositions of active substances of different nature to overcome the protective mechanisms of pathogens.
Objective. The purpose of the work was to establish and evaluate the antimicrobial and cytotoxic characteristics of the new antibiotic streptofungin, synthesized by Streptomyces albus 2435 (CMIM-S-668) and its mutant strains 2435/М, UN44, 4S, US101, AE6, 105, 80/5.
Methods. To establish the characteristics of streptofungin, the antagonistic activity of selected S. albus producer strains was determined (by the radial streak method), the minimum inhibitory concentration of the antibiotic (by the serial dilution method), and cytotoxicity was determined by the MTT test with resazurin.
Results. The activity of the antibiotic streptofungin against Candida fungi (C. albicans, C. utilis) is shown. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of streptofungin were determined for C. albicans ATCC 10231 (10 μg/ml), B. subtilis ATCC 6633 (200 μg/ml) and P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 (500 μg/ml). According to the resazurin test, streptofungin does not show a cytotoxic effect in a wide range of concentrations from 2.5 to 500 μg/ml, and therefore can be considered potentially permissible for humans and animals in the studied concentrations.
Conclusions. The antagonistic activity of mutant strains of S. albus culture is due to the action of a complex of antimicrobial products that have a different antimicrobial spectrum and mechanism of action. The obtained results give reasons to consider streptofungin as a promising pharmaceutical substance with antifungal action, as well as to consider the possibility of its combination with the bacteriolytic enzyme complex of the same culture for the development of an antimicrobial agent with a wide spectrum of action.
Frequency Analysis of Russian Propaganda Telegram Channels
Authors: Kiforchuk Kyrylo
Published: September 2023

On 24 February 2022 Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In addition to large-scale military operations against Ukraine, many information attacks were organized. These attacks began before the invasion: for several months, Russia has been actively paving the way for the war by launching different types of information operations in cyberspace. As an example, Russian propaganda media were promoting the idea of “Russian world”, which calls into a question the existence of Ukraine as an independent state and justifies Russian military aggression. In this work, Russian propaganda Telegram channels were analyzed using term frequency analysis with bag-of-words technique. For this analysis, text data from Telegram propaganda channels was collected and processed. The obtained results revealed different patterns in Russian propaganda against Ukraine via Telegram channels.
PROCESSING OF INDICATOR DIAGRAM IN THE TASKS OF CONSTRUCTING DIGITAL PROFILES OF THE WORKING PROCESS OF SHIP ENGINES
Authors: Rybalchenko М.Ie. , Bilousov E.V. , Marchenko A.P. , Savchuk V.P. , Budko V.P.
Published: September 2023

During the operation of marine internal combustion engines, the procedure for indicating the working process in certain operating modes is widely used, followed by an analysis of indicator diagrams and a comparison of the results obtained with the reference ones obtained during engine factory tests. However, the general trend in the world fleet towards a decrease in the commercial speeds of ships, on the one hand, and the use of tight traffic schedules, on the other hand, have led to the fact that in most cases it is impossible to carry out indexing according to the procedures prescribed in the rules for the technical operation of engines. Thus, the ability of maintenance personnel to objectively assess the current technical condition of the engine is lost, and to determine the necessary list of preventive measures for maintenance and repair, which, of course, affects the efficiency of engines and the safety of navigation in general. One of the effective ways to solve this problem is the use of digital profiles of engine work processes, which characterize their work in the entire range of operating modes. With the help of a digital profile, it is possible to obtain a calculated reference indicator diagram, which can be used for comparison with the one obtained during the planned indication of the engine in any mode of its operation. As a basis for building digital profiles, it is appropriate to use the results of acceptance test bench tests of the engine by the manufacturer. However, taking into account the rather long service life of marine engines, test reports usually exist only in a raster format, which greatly complicates the processing of the indication results given in them, which, most often, was performed using mechanical indicators. To use this information to build digital profiles, the authors proposed a method for processing such indicator diagrams, described in previous articles. However, the efficiency of generating digital profiles significantly depends on the quality of the basic diagrams on which these profiles are built. This article is devoted to the processing of such diagrams.
PROFILING OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE PISTON
Authors: Bilohub O.V.
Published: September 2023

The piston is one of the main resource-intensive and knowledge-intensive parts of the internal combustion engine. Its design significantly affects almost all indicators of the perfection of the power plant with internal combustion engines as a whole. A correctly designed profile is the main parameter that allows the engine to blow safely during the first starts. The development, production and use of pistons in the primary and secondary markets is impossible without appropriate scientific research that will increase the design and technological capabilities of all interested parties. Pistons for gasoline internal combustion engines of passenger cars will continue to dominate the markets, which is connected with the greening of transport as a whole. This emphasizes the importance of research on the improvement of positive-ignition internal combustion engine pistons. Rational profiling of the outer surface is an important task for improving the design of the piston. The diagram of the design creation technology, which was adopted by JSC "AVTRAMAT" (Kharkiv Plant "Porshen") as the standard of the enterprise, according to which pistons were created, which were then supplied to factories of the engine-building industry and for spare parts, is given. The profiles of the side surfaces of the pistons of automobile internal combustion engines, which were designed and implemented in production, were analyzed. The analysis was carried out for pistons with a diameter of 72 to 100 mm and a height of 45 to 73 mm. It is shown that the given profiles of the side surfaces in these pistons are geometrically similar both along and perpendicular to its axis. It is shown that the geometric shape of the profile can be described by polynomials of the 3rd and 4th degree, which allows for easy further use. This can be used when designing the profiles of future structures. Formulas and an algorithm are given, according to which it is possible to calculate the external profile of pistons of automobile reciprocating internal combustion engines according to 2 parameters - diameter and height.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE MATHEMATICAL DESCRIPTION OF THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF ALTERNATIVE MOTOR FUELS BASED ON THE MODIFIED THERMODYNAMIC THEORY OF DISTURBANCE. PART 2
Authors: Kondratenko O. M , Umerenkova K. R. , Lievtierov A. M. , Strokov O. P. , Koloskov V. Yu.
Published: September 2023

In the study, the purpose of which was to improve the mathematical apparatus based on the modified thermodynamic perturbation theory for describing the thermophysical characteristics of alternative motor fuels with a spherical configuration of interacting structural elements and an arbitrary aggregate state, the formal scheme of the modified perturbation theory was consistently constructed, the main characteristics of the model system were described, the parameters of the interaction potentials of the alternative fuel components were described, the thermophysical properties of the alternative fuel components were obtained by calculation, the thermodynamic properties of the alternative fuel components were calculated, the results of the calculation of the thermodynamic characteristics of the alternative fuel were analyzed and illustrated in the form of isotherm of phase equilibrium diagrams and data tables. The object of the study is the thermophysical characteristics of traditional, alternative and mixed motor fuels in a liquid or gaseous aggregate state. The subject of the study is a mathematical apparatus based on the modified thermodynamic perturbation theory for describing the thermophysical characteristics of motor fuels. The scientific novelty of the study results lies in the fact that a mathematical apparatus based on a modified perturbation theory has been improved for a comprehensive description of all thermophysical characteristics of motor fuels of any genesis, i.e. traditional, alternative and mixed, which are in both liquid and gaseous aggregate states in terms of reducing the calculation time and reducing the error of obtaining thermophysical characteristics in comparison with reference and experimental data. The practical significance of the research results is that the improved mathematical apparatus is marketable for providing accurate information to the composition of the initial data set in research on the production, storage, transportation, distribution, use of motor fuels of any genesis, which are in different states, as well as forecasting the course and results of processes of atmospheric pollution by gaseous products of complete and incomplete combustion of fuel components in combustion chambers of various types of heat engines.
IPOs AND EVALUATION OF THE BORSA ISTANBUL IPO INDEX
Authors: ARMAĞAN İlknur Ülkü
Published: September 2023

This study emphasizes the importance of capital markets and delves into the opportunities and risks that IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) offer for companies and investors. Capital markets provide an avenue for both domestic and foreign investors to make long-term investments, thereby contributing to economic growth. IPOs enable the broadening of capital distribution and the participation of small investors, ultimately supporting economic stability. However, opening new accounts solely for IPO participation may limit market transactions and hinder long-term investments. Financial markets in Turkey have rapidly developed, driven by structural regulations and efforts towards global integration. Nevertheless, financial crises and pandemic events have caused fluctuations in the market. IPOs play a crucial role in bringing companies into financial markets and converting funds into investments. Therefore, various projects have been initiated to increase the number of publicly traded companies and promote capital market development. In the analytical part of the study, the performance of the Borsa Istanbul IPO Index (XHARZ) is examined, and forecasting is conducted. Traditional ARIMA (p,d,q) models and artificial intelligence-based XGBoost models are used for predictions, followed by a comparison of their performance. The results of the analysis show that the machine learning based XGBoost Model provides the best forecasting performance.
scCircle-seq unveils the diversity and complexity of circular DNAs in single cells
Authors: Chen Jinxin Phaedo
Published: September 2023

Extrachromosomal circular DNAs (ecDNAs) have emerged as important intra-cellular mobile genetic elements that affect gene copy number and exert in trans regulatory roles within the cell nucleus. Here, we describe scCircle-seq, a method for genomically profiling ecDNAs and unraveling their diversity and complexity in single cells. We implemented and validated scCircle-seq in normal and cancer cell lines, demonstrating that most ecDNAs largely vary between cells and are stochastically inherited during cell division, although their genomic landscape is cell type-specific and can be used to accurately cluster cells of the same origin. ecDNAs are preferentially produced from chromatin regions enriched in H3K9me3 histone mark and are induced during replication stress conditions. Concomitant sequencing of ecDNAs and RNA from the same cell uncovered the absence of correlation between ecDNA copy number and gene expression levels, except for few oncogenes, including MYC, contained within a large ecDNA in colorectal cancer cells. Finally, we applied scCircle-seq to one prostate cancer and two breast cancer specimens, revealing different ecDNA genomic landscapes and, in one triple negative breast cancer sample, the presence of two distinct tumor subclones harboring distinct ecDNA signatures. scCircle-seq is a scalable tool that can be used to dissect the complexity of ecDNAs across different cell and tissue types, and further expands the potential of ecDNAs for cancer diagnostics.
Social determinants of late initiation of prenatal care in Taiwan: A nationwide study
Authors: Lee Yi-Chan , Liang Fu-Wen , Chen Gin-Den , Lu Tsung-Hsueh , Chiang Tung-liang
Published: September 2023

Objective: Late initiation of prenatal care (LIPC; i.e., initiation of the first prenatal visit after the first trimester) is a major public health concern for pregnant mothers and fetuses. This study examined the social determinants of LIPC in Taiwan, where universal health coverage has been provided since 1995.
Methods: The study population comprised 185,855 babies born in 2017 to mothers who were Taiwanese nationals. Data from several databases, namely the Birth Registration Database, Birth Certificate Application Database, Low- and Middle-Low-Income Households Database, Persons with Disabilities Database, and National Health Insurance Research Database, were retrieved to link data on social determinants to medical claims. The gradient effect of each investigated social determinant was assessed using the Cochran–Armitage trend test in SAS 9.4.
Results: The overall incidence rate of LIPC in Taiwan was 8.6% in 2017. Notably, the disparities in the initiation of prenatal care were closely associated with social disadvantages. In particular, extraordinarily high LIPC rates were identified among teenagers (40.0%), mothers with drug addiction problems (31.9%), unmarried mothers (27.6%), mothers from low income (23.0%), mothers with a high school or lower level of education (23.0%), migrants (19.2%), and mothers with disabilities (18.9%). Several social determinants had significant adverse gradient effects on LIPC, namely employment (P < .0001), education (P < .0001), socioeconomic status (P < .0001), and urbanization (P < .0001). Logistic regression revealed higher odds of LIPC among the mothers in the poorest 20% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43–1.61), those with a parity of >3 (aOR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.89–2.09), unmarried mothers (aOR, 2.88; 95% CI, 2.73–3.04), mothers with drug addiction problems (aOR, 5.24; 95% CI, 4.78–5.75), mothers aged <19 years (aOR, 5.30; 95% CI, 4.84–5.81) or 20–24 years (aOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.67–1.89), and mothers with disabilities (aOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.41–1.92).
Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the social inequalities in the initiation of prenatal care in Taiwan, indicating that the maternal and child health-care system in Taiwan should be further improved.
Abbreviated Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index and Child Nutritional Status in Hawella District, Sidama Region, Ethiopia; a Community Based Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Fentahun Selam , Jisso Meskerem , Shiferaw Yemisrach , Eshetu Betelehem , Gebretsadik Achamyelesh
Published: September 2023

Background
Malnutrition remains to be one of the world’s most serious and least addressed socio-economic and health problems. In Ethiopia, agriculture is of the main occupation interlinked with human nutrition where woman make up a large percentage of the workforce.
Objective
To assess the relationship between abbreviated women’s empowerment in agriculture index (A-WEAI) and nutritional status of their children in Hawella district of Sidama region, Southern Ethiopia.
Methods
A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Hawella district. A total 338 mothers with their children aged 6–59 months were participated in the study. The data was collected using modified, pre-tested and structured questionnaires adapted from literatures and women’s empowerment in agriculture index module A-WEAI Version. Anthropometric measurement data of children was collected using precise digital scale and stature meter. Data entry was done through Epi Data version 3.1. Woman empowerment was measured based on A-WEAI. Anthros software was used to compute height-for-age and weight-for-height and < − 2 SD was taken as cut-off points for both stunting and wasting. A statistical package for social sciences version 23.0 software was for data analysis. The statistical significance was considered at p value < 0.05.
Results
The prevalence of stunted and wasted among children were 40.5% (95% CI: 34.9, 45.6) and 12.1% (95% CI: 8.9, 16), respectively. Based on the five domains of empowerment (5DE) indicators, nearly 57% of women were empowered. The age of the mother (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.07–6.25), marital status of mothers (AOR = 6.4, 95% CI: 2.01–2.71), place of birth (AOR = 4.5, 95% CI: 2.12–9.49), and maternal educational status (AOR = 2.8 95% CI: 1.29–6.23) were factors independently associated with wasted children. Whereas, factors such as family size (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.03–5.13), overall women empowerment (AOR = 2.3 95% CI: 1.03–5.13), access to and decision on credit (AOR = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.56–7.47), and control over use of income (AOR = 9.4, 95% CI: 3.92–22.35) were associated with stunting in children.
Conclusion
this study provides evidence that intervention is needed to prevent child malnutrition through enhancing women empowerment in agriculture.
A study on the Stability of Dangerous Rock Mass under Blasting Vibration Considering Size Effect
Authors: Chen Xinggen , Qu Xinyu , Li Hongtao , Wang Xiekang , Li Cheng , Lu Gongda , Yao Qiang
Published: September 2023

The stability calculation of dangerous rock mass is the key for preventing and controlling dangerous rock mass collapse as a geological disaster. Indeed, it is of great practical significance to propose a scientific and relatively accurate stability computation for predicting the collapse of dangerous rock mass. Based on conventional limit equilibrium, this study proposes a new theory considering the size effect of dangerous rock mass under various blasting vibration loads to assess its stability. The approach considers dangerous rock mass shape, geometrical size, blasting vibration frequency, the initial phase of the blasting vibration wave in different directions. Based on the slice method, it establishes the stability analysis and calculation of dangerous rock mass, considering size effect under blasting vibration. The corresponding calculation program is compiled using MATLAB to carry out calculation examples. The results indicate that the calculated minimum stability coefficients of dangerous rock mass in this study are proximate to those calculated by conventional pseudo-static analysis. However, this study's calculations are slightly larger than those computed by pseudo-static analysis, with a relative difference between 5.1% and 8.2%. The method proposed in this study provides a reference for dynamic stability analysis and evaluation for dangerous rock mass.
Role of Next generation sequencing in diagnosis and management of critically ill children with suspected monogenic disorder
Authors: Puri Ratna Dua , Bhatia Sameer , Pal Swasti , Kulshrestha Samarth , Gupta Dhiren , Soni Arun , Saxena Renu , Bijarnia-Mahay Sunita , Verma Ishwar Chander
Published: September 2023

Next generation sequencing based diagnosis has emerged as a promising tool for evaluating critically ill neonates and children. However, there is little data on its utility in developing countries. We assessed its diagnostic rate and clinical impact on management of paediatric patients with a suspected genetic disorder requiring critical care. We analyzed 70 children with an illness requiring intensive care and obtained a precise molecular diagnosis in 32 of 70 probands (45.3 %) using diverse sequencing techniques such as clinical exome, whole exome, and whole genome. A significant change in clinical outcome was observed in 13 of 32 (40.6 %) diagnosed probands with a change in medication in 11 subjects and redirection to palliative care in two subjects. Additional benefits included specific dietary management (three cases), avoidance of a major procedure (one case) and better reproductive counselling. Dramatic therapeutic responses were observed in three cases with SCN1A, SCN2A and KCNQ2-related epileptic encephalopathy. A delayed turn-around for sequencing results was perceived as a major limiting factor in the study, as rapid and ultra-rapid sequencing was not available. Achieving a precise molecular diagnosis has great utility in managing critically ill patients with suspected genetic disorders in developing countries.
Fostering Fiscal Autonomy and Technological Innovation in China's Diverse Environmental Landscape
Authors: Ayoub Zeraibi
Published: September 2023

The Chinese government has made strides towards addressing environmental challenges; however, the country still faces a myriad of complex and interconnected environmental problems, such as air and water pollution, soil degradation, and climate change. This study investigates the impact of fiscal decentralization and technological development on environmental sustainability in China across its 30 provinces from 2004–2020. The findings reveal that fiscal decentralization and technological development are two crucial policy tools for promoting environmental sustainability and mitigating environmental risks. The study employs the DOLS, FMOLS, and PMG methods to examine the impact of fiscal decentralization and technological development on different environmental issues. The results indicate that the contribution of technological development varies depending on the pollutant type and its size cannot be universally applied. Technological developments directly contribute to environmental degradation by increasing the volume of COD discharge, NOX emissions, and SO2 emissions, which reflects the direct impact of technological developments on increasing industrial production. Moreover, the study shows that government expenditure decentralization contributes to increasing the volume of pollutants, revealing a competition from the bottom to the top among Chinese provinces. The EKC hypothesis test supports an inverted N-shaped EKC hypothesis, which confirms that China's economic development has come at the expense of the environment. Additionally, the D-H causation analysis reinforces this finding. The study recommends promoting environmental innovations that reduce emissions, building a strategy to support green economic growth, and establishing environmental regulations and standards to prevent competition between local governments for development at the expense of environmental sustainability in Chinese provinces.
Multicriteria evaluation of recommender systems using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process
Authors: Nedashkovskaya Nadezhda Ivanovna , Androsov Dmytro Vasyliovych
Published: September 2023

Offering relevant items and goods has always been a core issue for consumer-centric business. In recent years the digitalization process gave such entities a significant push towards implementing computer-aided systems for solving recommendations generation problems via applying statistical learning methods on large scale datasets of user-item interactions. Since then, there were developed a variety of algorithms for a recommender system design, based on neighborhood metrics, matrix factorization machines and deep neural networks, each of them having their application criteria and requirements on input data. The purpose of the following research is to investigate performance of graph neural networks recommender systems on two tasks – recommendation retrieval and next best offer prediction. As a result, the graph-based recommender system for solving both tasks, described above, was synthesized and benchmarked on open-source e-commerce dataset. From the conducted experiment it was gained evidence that proposed approach is feasible to solve recommendation retrieval tasks and outperform models, that are considered de-facto standard, i.e., factorization machines and recurrent neural netwoks.
Clinical phenotypes of comorbidities in end-stage knee osteoarthritis: a cluster analysis
Authors: liu ruiyu , Ma Jun , Zhang Kai , Ma Xilong , Wang Hao , Ma Chao , Zhang Yahui
Published: September 2023

Objectives Comorbidities, as components of these heterogeneous features, often coexist with knee osteoarthritis, and are particularly prevalent in end-stage knee osteoarthritis. Here, we attempted to identify the different clinical phenotypes of comorbidities in patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis by cluster analysis.
Methods A total of 421 inpatients diagnosed with end-stage knee osteoarthritis who underwent inpatient surgery were included in this cross-sectional study. 23 demographic, comorbidity, inflammatory immune and evaluation scale variables were collected. Systematic clustering after factor analysis and separate two-step cluster analysis were performed for individual comorbidity variables and all variables, respectively, to objectively identify the different clinical phenotypes of the study patients.
Results Four clusters were finally identified. Cluster 1 had the largest proportion of obese patients (93.8%) and hypertension was common (71.2%). Almost all patients in cluster 2 were depressed (95.8%) and anxiety disorders (94.7%). Cluster 3 combined patients with isolated end-stage knee osteoarthritis and a few comorbidities. Cluster 4 had the highest proportion of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (58.8%).
Conclusions Patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis may be classified into four different clinical phenotypes: "isolated end-stage knee osteoarthritis"; "obesity + hypertension"; "depression + anxiety"; and "rheumatoid arthritis", which may help guide individualized patient care and treatment strategies.
Experience of the first adult-focussed undiagnosed disease program in Australia (AHA-UDP): Solving rare and puzzling genetic disorders is ageless.
Authors: Wallis Mathew , Bodek Simon , Munro Jacob , Rafehi Haloom , Bennett Mark F , Ye Zimeng , Schneider Amy , Gardiner Fiona , Valente Giulia , Murdoch Emma , Uebergang Eloise , Hunter Jacquie , Stutterd Chloe , Huq Aamira , Salmon Lucinda , Scheffer Ingrid , Eratne Dhamidhu , Meyn Stephen , Fong Chun Y , John Tom , Mullen Saul , White Susan M , Brown Natasha J , McGillivray George , Chen Jesse , Richmond Chris , Hughes Andrew , Krzesinski Emma , Fennell Andrew , Chambers Brian , Santoreneos Renee , LeFevre Anna , Hildebrand Michael S , Bahlo Melanie , Christodoulou John , Delatycki Martin , Berkovic Samuel
Published: September 2023

Background
Significant recent efforts have facilitated increased access to clinical genetics assessment and genomic sequencing for children with rare diseases in many centres, but there remains a service gap for adults. The Austin Health Adult Undiagnosed Disease Program (AHA-UDP) was designed to complement existing UDP programs that focus on paediatric rare diseases and address an area of unmet diagnostic need for adults with undiagnosed rare conditions in Victoria, Australia. It was conducted at a large Victorian hospital to demonstrate the benefits of bringing genomic techniques currently used predominantly in a research setting into hospital clinical practice, and identify the benefits of enrolling adults with undiagnosed rare diseases into a UDP program. The main objectives were to identify the causal mutation for a variety of diseases of individuals and families enrolled, and to discover novel disease genes.
Methods
Unsolved patients in whom standard genomic diagnostic techniques such as targeted gene panel, exome-wide next generation sequencing (NGS), and/or chromosomal microarray, had already been performed were recruited. Genome sequencing (GS) and enhanced genomic analysis from the research setting were applied to aid novel gene discovery.
Results
In total, 16/50 (32%) families/cases were solved. One or more candidate variants of uncertain significance (VUS) were detected in 18/50 (36%) families. No candidate variants were identified in 16/50 (32%) families. Two novel disease genes (TOP3B, PRKACB) and two novel genotype-phenotype correlations (NARS, and KMT2C genes) were identified. Three out of eight patients with suspected mosaic tuberous sclerosis complex had their diagnosis confirmed which provided reproductive options for two patients. The utility of confirming diagnoses for patients with mosaic conditions (using high read depth sequencing and ddPCR) was not specifically envisaged at the onset of the project, but the flexibility to offer recruitment and analyses on an as-needed basis proved to be a strength of the AHA-UDP.
Conclusion
AHA-UDP demonstrates the utility of a UDP approach applying genome sequencing approaches in diagnosing adults with rare diseases who have had uninformative conventional genetic analysis, informing clinical management, recurrence risk, and recommendations for relatives.
CVRmap - A Complete Cerebrovascular Reactivity Mapping Post-Porcessing BIDS Toolbox
Authors: Rovai Antonin , Lolli Valentina , Trotta Nicola , Goldman Serge , De Tiège Xavier
Published: September 2023

Cerebrovascular Reactivity (CVR) refers to the ability of cerebral blood vessels to dilate or constrict under the effect of vasoactive substances and can be estimated using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Computation of CVR maps is relevant in various brain diseases and requires specialized data processing. We introduce CVRmap, an opensource software that automates the computation of CVR map. The toolbox complies with the Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS) standards.