bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aeroallergen Sensitization Status in South Korea From 2018 to 2021
Authors: Kim Intae , Minn Dohsik , Kim Suhyun , Kim Jin Kook , Cho Jae Hoon
Published: May 2022

Objectives. Studies on the aeroallergen sensitization status of South Koreans based on large-scale data are lacking.Methods. We analyzed data from 368,156 multiple allergosorbent tests collected by a domestic medical diagnosis company from 3,735 hospitals nationwide from 2018 to 2021. We additionally collected sex, age, and regional data. If the level of an aeroallergen was 0.35 IU/mL or more, the test result for that aeroallergen was defined as positive, and positive cases were defined as those where one aeroallergen was positive. The positive ratio (PR) for aeroallergens was calculated using positive cases.Results. In total, 347,996 cases were analyzed, excluding cases with missing data. The percentage of positive cases was 56.7%, which was highest in adolescents (74.1%) and lowest in the elderly (47.0%). All four types of mites had high PRs (0.382–0.655), and mold had low PRs (0.023–0.058). Among pollens, the PRs of grasses were generally high (more than 0.14), followed by weeds (approximately 0.10), and the PRs of woods was less than 0.1. For animals, cats and dogs had the highest PRs, at 0.231 and 0.183, respectively. The value for cockroaches was also high, at 0.211. The PRs of indoor aeroallergens, such as mites, molds, and animals, were high in adolescents, and those of pollen and cockroaches were high in the elderly. In Jeju, the PR of Japanese cedars was extremely high (0.222).Conclusion. Koreans were found to be sensitized to a wide variety of aeroallergens. There were significant differences in sensitization patterns according to age and region.
A new approach using artificial neural network and support vector machine models to predict the permeate flux of a rotating disk membrane
Authors: Ladeg Soufyane , Laidi Maamar , Moussaoui Mohamed , Moulai-Mostefa Nadji
Published: May 2022

The modeling of the permeate flux of a rotating disk membrane (RDM) filtration was investigated in this paper. Two computational intelligence techniques namely artificial neural networks (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) were employed to model the permeate flux based on seven input variables including time of filtration, concentration of the feed fluid, transmembrane pressure, rotating velocity, dynamic velocity of the feed fluid, pore diameter of the membrane and, density of the feed fluid. The best-fit model was selected through the trial-error method and the two statistical parameters including the coefficient of determination (R²) and the average absolute relative deviation (AARD) between experimental and predicted data. The results obtained showed that the optimized ANN model can predict the permeate flux with R² = 0.999 and AARD% = 2.245 versus the SVM model with R² = 0.996 and AARD% = 4.09. Furthermore, the ANN model showed a high ability to predict the permeate flux in comparison with the SVM approach. The applicability domain of the ANN model was conducted to identify the outliers of the database and, the sensibility analysis of inputs on the output was employed for the determination of the relevant input variables.
The effect of vitamin D on sexual function: A systematic review
Authors: Banaei Mojdeh , Ghasemi Vida , Roozbeh Nasibeh , Mohammadsouri Behzad , Darsareh Fatemeh , Mehrnoush Vahid , Shahri Leila Mohamad-Khani , Darooneh Tayebeh
Published: May 2022

Background and Aim: Sexual function is one of the important aspects of human health and quality of life that is affected by various factors. Recently, some evidence reported the relationship between hypovitaminosis and sexual dysfunction, and some studies show the effect of vitamin D supplementation on sexual function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin D on sexual function in both men and women. Methods: This systematic review study assessed all clinical trial articles found in search databases (Cochrane, PubMed / Medline, Embase via Ovid, ProQuest, Scopus, and WOS) without language restriction, until 24/01/2022. Article extraction was performed using the Endnote X8.2 software and duplicate titles were excluded. After screening the titles and abstracts, the two researchers independently conducted quality assessments of studies using the Cochran's risk of bias tool and RevMan 5.4 software. Then, the data were extracted by three authors independently using a researcher-made form. Results: This systematic review, included 8 final articles with a total sample size of 464 (including 217 women and 247 men). Four studies evaluated the effect of vitamin D on male sexual function and 4 studies evaluated the effect of vitamin D on female sexual function. Vitamin D supplementation has been shown in studies to improve both men’s and women’s sexual function. Conclusion: In general, the current study's findings show that vitamin D supplementation had a significant positive effect on both men and women's sexual function. More research in larger and more diverse populations, however, is required to establish the definitive causal relationship and the importance of measuring and prescribing vitamin D in the protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders.
Pelvic floor muscle strength, urinary incontinence and quality of life in women with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Afshari Poorandokht , Abedi Parvin , Majdinasab Nastaran , Tafakh Samaneh , Haghighizadeh Mohammadhossein
Published: May 2022

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disabling autoimmune disease that mostly affects females. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of pelvic muscle strength with urinary problems and quality of life. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 87 women with MS were recruited. A demographic questionnaire, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), and Quality of Life Questionnaire (QOL-SF-36) were used to collect the data. The strengths of perineal muscle were measured using a perineometer. Data analyzed using Pearson correlation test, and multiple linear regression tests. Results: Pelvic muscle strength had a positive correlation with all domains of quality of life except for pain and role limitations due to emotional problems. Urinary incontinence had a reverse significant correlation with all domains of quality of life except for pain. A one-unit increase in the quality of physical life brought about a .15-unit increase in the strength of pelvic floor muscles (P =.035). A one-year increase in length of marriage or length of disease caused the strength of the pelvic floor muscles to decrease by.24 units and .509 units, respectively (P < .05). Conclusion: There is a relationship between pelvic muscle strength, urinary incontinence, and quality of life in female patients with multiple sclerosis. Length of marriage and length of MS disease were inversely related to the strength of the pelvic floor muscles. Health providers are recommended to educate MS patients about the importance of pelvic muscle strength.
A stress-induced cilium-to-PML-NB route drives senescence initiation
Authors: Hu Jinghua , Ma Xiaoyu , Zhang Yingyi , Zhang Yuanyuan , Zhang Xu , Huang Yan , He Kai , Chen Chuan , Hao Jielu , Zhao Debiao , LeBrasseur Nathan , Kirkland James , Chini Eduardo , Wei Qing , Ling Kun
Published: May 2022

Cellular senescence contributes to tissue homeostasis and age-related pathologies. However, how senescence is initiated in damaged cells remains vague. Here, we discover that irreparable stresses induce transient biogenesis of cilia, which are used by stressed cells to directly communicate with the promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs), the validated stress signaling hub, to initiate senescence responses. Mechanistically, a ciliary ARL13B-ARL3 GTPase cascade negatively regulates the association of transition fiber protein FBF1 and SUMO-conjugating enzyme UBC9. Irreparable stresses downregulate the ciliary ARLs to release UBC9, which SUMOylates FBF1 at the ciliary base. SUMOylated FBF1 then translocates to PML-NBs to promote PML-NB-dependent senescence initiation. Remarkably, Fbf1 suppression effectively subdues global senescence burden and prevents associated health-span decline in irradiation-treated mice. Collectively, our findings assign primary cilia a central role in inducing senescence program and identify them as promising targets to dampen senescence-associated detrimental damage in future senotherapy strategies.
Analysis of seismic damage of a highway bridge during the 2021 Ms 7.4 earthquake in Maduo County, China
Authors: Ding Wanpeng , Wu Zhijian , Zhan Beilei , Liu Jian
Published: May 2022

On May 22, 2021, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Maduo County (34.59°N, 98.34°E), Qinghai Province, China, with a focal depth of 17 km. The earthquake occurred near the northern boundary of the Bayan Har block. Two highway bridges, including the Yematan bridge, collapsed. Based on the analysis of the seismic damage characteristics of the Yematan bridge, a finite element model of a three-span simply supported girder bridge was established. Nonlinear analyses were performed using the bedrock wave at the bridge site during the earthquake and the seismic safety evaluation wave of the bridge as inputs to analyze the causes of seismic damage to the bridge. The results show that the large beam displacement owing to the velocity pulse and the low-frequency components of the ground motion are the main causes of the damage to the bridge.
Two-dimensional modeling of flooding in Fragoso River floodplain with tidal influence in Olinda city (Brazil)
Authors: Rodrigues Arivânia Bandeira , CABRAL JAIME
Published: May 2022

Population growth and consequent changes in land use associated with climate change have proved that traditional drainage methods are inefficient. As a result, the need for new techniques has emerged, such as flood simulations for risk and danger assessment using two-dimensional resolutions of flood wave propagation for flooding problems in urban areas. Thus, the present work sought to evaluate structural measures and their effects on floods in a case study in Olinda city in response to different rainfall events in Fragoso River Basin, Pernambuco State (Brazil). This region has a disordered urbanization process associated with a vulnerable drainage system. Several scenarios were evaluated to obtain the floodable areas and hazard indicator maps, with simulations before and after the construction of the Fragoso channel. PCSWMM and HEC-RAS software were used to perform hydrological and two-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling. For land use characterization, MapBiomas data were applied. Lidar technology project with laser terrain survey (the so-called Pernambuco Tridimensional - PE3D) was used for geomorphology data. Simulation results were satisfactory for a better understanding of the flooding area. Comparing simulations before and after Fragoso channel completion, a reduction in the total flooded area was obtained, but the flooding problems will persist. Results of this study can contribute to informing risk assessments and support decision-making regarding flooding in estuarine plains.
Hydrochemical indices as a proxy for assessing land-use impacts on water resources: A sustainable management perspective and case study of Can Tho City, Vietnam
Authors: Duc Nguyen Hong , Kumar Pankaj , Lan Pham Phuong , Kurniawan Tonni Agustiono , Khedher Khaled Mohamed , Kharrazi Ali , Saito Osamu , Avtar Ram
Published: May 2022

Can Tho City is experiencing water stress driven by rapid global changes. This study assesses the spatiotemporal variation in surface water quality (SWQ) through a multivariate statistical approach to provide evidence-based scientific information supporting sustainable water resource management and to contribute to achieving the city’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). The complex SWQ dataset with 14 monthly-measured parameters at 73 sampling sites throughout the city were collected and analyzed. The obtained results indicated that average concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), total coliform (TC), turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), and phosphate (PO43−) exceeded the permissible national levels. Spatially, cluster analysis (CA) was divided the city’s river basin into three different zones (mixed urban-industrial, agricultural, and mixed urban-rural zones). The key sources of SWQ pollution in these three zones were individually identified by principal component/factor analysis (PCA/FA), which were mainly related to domestic wastewater, industrial effluents, farming runoff, soil erosion, upstream sediment flows, and severe droughts. Discriminant analysis (DA) also explored that COD, DO, turbidity, nitrate (NO3−), and PO43− were the key parameters discriminating SWQ in the city among seasons and land-use zones. The temporally-analyzed results from Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WAWQI) estimation revealed the deterioration of SWQ conditions, whereby, the total polluted monitoring sites of the city, increased from 29% in 2013 to 51% in 2019. The key drivers accused of this deterioration were the expansion in built-up and industrial land areas, farming runoff, and droughts.
Utilization of carbide slag in autoclaved aerated concrete preparation
Authors: Luo Kai , Peng Ke , Li Jun , Lu Zhongyuan , Jiang Jun
Published: May 2022

Lime is one of the main raw materials necessary for the production of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC). The preparation of lime through calcining limestone directly/indirectly emits large amount of CO2 due to the limestone decomposition and energy consumption. In this study, AAC was proposed by using modified carbide slag (MCS) instead of lime, which can effectively utilize solid wastes and reduce the CO2 emission. Results showed in the first two hours of hydration, the heat release rate of MCS was higher than that of lime, and the cumulative hydration heat of lime and MCS within 30 h is 206.1 J/g and 204.3 J/g, respectively. MCS can not only improve the fluidity of slurry, but also enhance the gas-foaming rate. Cumulative pore volume increased with the increase of MCS content in AAC. Tobermorite, quartz, katoite, anhydrite and calcite are the main minerals in AAC. With the increase of MCS content, the density and strength of AAC decrease and the thermal insulation performance increase. When the MCS content is 100%, the AAC density is 594 kg/m3, the compressive strength is 3.6 MPa and the thermal conductivity is 0.141 W·m− 1·K− 1, meets B06 A3.5 in Chinese standard GB 11968 − 2019.
Differentially Private Knowledge Transfer for Federated Learning
Authors: Qi Tao , Wu Fangzhao , Wu Chuhan , Huang Yongfeng , Xie Xing
Published: May 2022

Extracting useful knowledge from big data is important for machine learning. When data is privacy-sensitive and cannot be directly collected, federated learning is a promising option that extracts knowledge from decentralized data by learning and exchanging model parameters, rather than raw data. However, model parameters may encode not only non-private knowledge but also private information of local data, thereby transferring knowledge via model parameters is not privacy-secure. Here, we present a novel knowledge transfer method named PrivateKT, which uses actively selected small public data to transfer high-quality knowledge in federated learning with privacy guarantees. We verify PrivateKT on three different datasets, and results show that PrivateKT can maximally reduce 84% of the performance gap between centralized learning and existing federated learning methods under strict differential privacy restrictions. PrivateKT provides a potential direction to effective and privacy-preserving knowledge transfer in machine intelligent systems.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of Ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy and conventionally fractionated radiotherapy for intermediate-to-high-risk localized prostate cancer
Authors: He Jiaoxue , Wang Qingfeng , Hu Qiancheng , Li Changlin
Published: May 2022

Background: Radiotherapy is an effective curative treatment option for intermediate-to-high-risk localized prostate cancer. Given that no significant difference was observed in survival and toxicities, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy and conventionally fractionated radiotherapy for intermediate-to-high-risk localized prostate cancer from the Chinese payer perspective.Methods: We developed a Markov model with a 15-year time horizon to compare the cost and effectiveness of ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy with those of conventionally fractionated radiotherapy for localized intermediate-to-high-risk prostate cancer. Outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), and willingness-to-pay (WTP). Univariable and probability sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the Markov model.Results: Based on the results of our Markov model, the conventionally fractionated radiotherapy yielded 2.32 QALYs compared with 2.14 QALYs in the ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy in China. The cost of ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy was found to be decreased by about 14% folds ($4251.04) in comparison to that of conventionally fractionated radiotherapy. The ICER of conventionally fractionated radiotherapy vs the ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy was $23,616.89 per QALY in China. The most sensitive parameters were the ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy utility of failure-free survival (FFS) with grade two or worse urinary toxicity and discount rate per annum. The cost effectiveness acceptability curve showed that conventionally fractionated radiotherapy had a 57.7% probability of being cost-effective at the Chinese WTP threshold.Conclusion: The ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy was not a cost-effective strategy compared with conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in patients with localized intermediate-to-high-risk prostate cancer from the perspective of the Chinese payers. However, steep reductions in the grade two or worse urinary toxicity of the ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy could alter the results.
Soil quality decay rate and plant traits in green manure following monocropping farming systems at tropical conditions
Authors: Nascimento Gislaine dos Santos , Souza Tancredo , Silva Lucas Jónatan Rodrigues da , Laurindo Lídia Klestadt , Barros Izabelle Cristine , Santos Djail , Freitas Helena , de Sousa José Paulo
Published: May 2022

Aims
Soil quality index shed light on soil health and its capacity to sustain high primary production. It also can assist decision-making in farming systems by integrating this valuable product into soil management planning. However, the currently existing models are based on rather local data, and thus, there is a lack of predictive tools to monitor soil quality.
Methods
We characterized soil chemical properties, and plant biomass production during 6 years in field conditions at a tropical soil.
Results
Our findings suggest that: 1) a consecutive green manure practice without any input of fertilizers after 6 years reduced soil quality in tropical savanna climate conditions; and 2) there are three groups of green manure considering soil quality reduction, G1 (low soil quality reduction) that comprises C. ochroleuca and N. wightii, G2 (medium soil quality reduction) that comprises B. decumbens, P. glaucum, and C. juncea, and G3 (high soil quality reduction) that comprises M. pruriens, C. ensiformis, C. spectabilis, D. lablab, and S. aterrimum.
Conclusions
This study highlights the importance to consider predictive models as a tool to be used in soil management. Our study also provides a deeper view about the use of green manure, and the importance to avoid the use of green manure with traits that decrease soil quality.
Empirical Evidence from OECD and BRICS Countries on the Impact of Investor Behavior on Renewable Energy Deployment
Authors: Ata Nurcan Kilinc , Dolmatov Ilya A.
Published: May 2022

The importance of employing Renewable Energy (RE) sources has recently expanded significantly, particularly in light of growing worries about climate change issues and rising fossil-fuel prices constituting a substantial threat to the country's economies. However, there has been very little examination of RE deployment from the perspective of investors to date. For this reason, determining the most successful investor behavior in the deployment of RE is critical. In terms of the establishment of a conceptual framework, the current paper provides a systematic and quantitative measure to compare the implications of variables in OECD and BRICS countries. This study employs a variety of panel regression procedures such as panel unit test, fixed and random effects model, generalized method of moments (GMM), and robustness check to investigate the determinants of RE investment in OECD and BRICS nations through a panel data study from 2000 to 2020. Economic growth, RE policy, and R&D spending all have a statistically significant and positive association with RE capacity, according to the GMM data. RE investment, on the other hand, is inversely related to energy, electricity use, and carbon emissions (CO2). Strong regulatory (policy, R&D) perception is significant in RE investment.
Groundwater Depletion in California’s Central Valley Accelerates During Megadrought
Authors: Liu Pang-Wei , Famiglietti James , Purdy Adam , Kim Kyra , McEvoy Averly , Reager John , Bindlish Rajat , Wiese David , David Cedric , Rodell Matthew
Published: May 2022

Groundwater provides nearly half of irrigation water supply, and it enables resilience during drought, but in many regions of the world, it remains poorly, if at all managed. In heavily agricultural regions like California’s Central Valley, where groundwater management is being slowly implemented over a 27-year period that began in 2015, groundwater provides two-thirds or more of irrigation water during drought, which has led to falling water tables, drying wells, subsiding land, and its long-term disappearance. Here we use nearly two decades of observations from NASA’s GRACE satellite missions and show that the rate of groundwater depletion in the Central Valley has been accelerating since 2003 (1.89 km3/yr, 1961–2021; 2.41 km3/yr, 2003–2021; 8.57 km3/yr, 2019–2021), a period of megadrought in southwestern North America. Results suggest the need for expedited implementation of groundwater management in the Central Valley to ensure its availability during the increasingly intense droughts of the future.
The use of participatory disease surveillance, tuberculin test and polymerase chain reaction to determine the presence and prevalence of avian tuberculosis in layers within Gwagwalada and Kuje Area Councils, Abuja, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kwaghe Ayi Vandi , Bello Muhammed , Balogun Muhammad Shakir , Audu Benshak John , Kabir Junaidu
Published: May 2022

Introduction Avian tuberculosis (ATB) is a zoonotic chronic wasting disease of birds with serious economic implications to poultry farmers as well as to public health, particularly in immunocompromised patients. We therefore aimed to determine the presence, prevalence and specie (Mycobacterium avium) of ATB affecting layers in Abuja, Nigeria.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study. We adapted a checklist and conducted participatory disease surveillance (PDS) in 12 farms and a live bird market (LBM). We used systematic random sampling method to select 395 layers that were screened for ATB using avian PPD. Antemortem and postmortem were conducted on those birds that tested positive. Organs and tissues with lesions were obtained, DNA was extracted, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted for confirmation of Mycobacterium avium infection. Data was analyzed using PDS method of analysis (ranking and scoring) and descriptive statistics.ResultsThe study established the presence of ATB in commercial laying birds in Abuja. Using PDS, 3/13 (23.1%) locations identified the presence of ATB. Avian tuberculosis, the disease of interest, ranked eleventh. On biosecurity measures, 3/12 (25%) farms had strict movement restriction, 50% of the farms had other animals on the farm aside the layer and / broilers under intensive management, foot dips were absent in 25% of the farms, 25% had foot dips that were not in use, only a farm (8%) disinfected vehicles before entering. Only 12/23 (52.2%) farms agreed to the Tuberculin test with a 47.8% rejection rate. Out of the 12 farms sampled, 5 (41.7%) were positive for ATB. The overall prevalence of ATB was 2.8% (11/395). Layers 105 weeks old and above had the highest prevalence (4.8%) and cachexia (14.3%). Four out of the eleven (36.4%) layers that turned out positive were cachexic. All the layers that were positive for avian PPD turned out positive as M. avium using PCR analysis.Conclusion We have demonstrated the existence of ATB within Gwagwalada and Kuje local government areas (LGAs) which is a potential threat to the poultry industry and public health. The farm prevalence of 41.7% signifies the need for tuberculin test in all the layer and breeder farms in Abuja to confirm the status of ATB on farms and to curtail the spread of ATB. We have also revealed the lack of knowledge with regards to the availability and relevance of tuberculin test among poultry farmers and the need for sensitization of poultry farmers on ATB and improvement on their biosecurity measures on farms.
Induction of type II collagen expression in M2 macrophages derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells
Authors: Wang Fu-Hui , Hsieh Chia-Ying , Shen Ching-I , Chuang Chang-Han , Chung Yu-Hsuan , Kuo Chi-Chung , Lee Kuan-Der , Lin Chih-Lung , Su Hong-Lin
Published: May 2022

The human type II collagen (Col II), specifically expressed in chondrocytes, is a crucial component of the adult hyaline cartilage. We examine the potential of artificial induction of Col II in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) as a novel Col II provider. Human PBMNCs were purified and were treated with high doses of macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and examined the Col II expression at indicated days. Quantitative Col II expression was validated by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. The subpopulation of the cytokine-induced Col II-expression cells were examined by the maturation markers of macrophages by flow cytometry. Complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)- and collagen-induced arthritis in rodents were subjected for the anti-inflammatory assays of Col II-expressing cells. We demonstrate that monocytes in PBMNCs can be artificially induced to express both Col II proteins and M2 macrophage markers by high concentration of colony stimulating factors, especially M-CSF and GM-CSF. Combination with IL-4 provides a synergistic effect with M-CSF/GM-CSF to trigger Col II expression in M2 macrophages. These CD206 and Col II double expressing cells, named as modified macrophages, significantly attenuated the inflammatory progress of CFA-induced arthritis and collagen-induced arthritis in rodents. Here, we provide the first evidence that a population of modified macrophages could ectopically express Col II to control the progress of arthritis in animals.
Quality of life domains of most importance to nursing home residents: a case study in Shanghai city
Authors: Xia Qingtao , Wu Tianyan , Chen Zhen
Published: May 2022

Background: Since the new Chinese leader took office in 2013, an increasingly large number of nursing homes (NHs) in China have undergone culture change transformations intended to enhance the quality of life (QOL) of the elderly. However, current reform measures are primarily based on political and philosophical concepts. As a consequence, the pace of cultural change has been slow. Empirical evidence that identifies necessary improvements in elder care will quicken the transformation of NHs. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study that employed a fact-to-face survey. A total of 310 elder residents from three NHs undergoing cultural reform in Shanghai, China were included in this study. Elderly residents’ QOL in 11 domains was examined using the Quality of Life Scale for Nursing Home Elders. The domains included comfort, security, meaningful activities, relationships, function, food enjoyment, privacy, dignity, autonomy, individuality, and spiritual well-being. Hierarchical linear regression was used to identify the predictors of elder satisfaction. The collected data were analyzed using SPSSAU and Excel 2010 .Results: After setting cognitive and functional abilities as control variables, of the 11 QOL domains, relationships(β = 0.15, p <. 05), dignity(β = 0.38, p <. 01), and food enjoyment(β = 0.26, p < .05) remained positive predictors of overall satisfaction. Additionally, dignity(β = 0.35, p < .05) and autonomy(β = 0.30, p < .05) were significantly related to elder satisfaction with nursing services and epidemic control.Conclusions: Finally, the importance of dignity, food, relationships, and autonomy for elderly resident satisfaction was established. Among them, dignity had the most significant influence on residents satisfaction, which should be the primary focus of current measures to enhance the QOL of elder residents. Based on empirical results, this study provides effective theoretical supports and practical suggestions for NH cultural change.
Climate-Induced Agricultural Productivity Change and Child Nutritional Outcomes: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria Mulubrhan Amare Bedru Balana
Authors: Amare Mulubrhan , Balana Bedru
Published: May 2022

This study examines the effect of climate-induced agricultural productivity change on child nutritional outcomes. We also examine heterogeneity in the effect of climate-induced agricultural productivity changes on child nutritional outcomes through market access and education. Using micro level multiple waves of farm household panel data from Nigeria , we first show that perception and high temperature (heat stress) reduces agricultural productivity. Secondly, using fixed effects instrumental variables (FE-IV) models, we show that climate-induced agricultural productivity change has a negative effect on child nutritional outcomes, measured by child height-for-age and weight-for-age. The results indicate that climate changes undermine the ability of smallholder farmers to increase agricultural productivity and improve nutritional outcomes. The main channel through which climate-induced agricultural productivity change affects child nutritional outcomes is by decreasing food production for own consumption. The results further show that households who have limited access to markets and lower educational level are more vulnerable climatic shocks. Thus, ex ante interventions and policies geared towards climate smart agriculture and ex-post measures are needed to cushion vulnerable households from falling into severe food insecurity and malnutrition. Such measures need to be complemented with strategies for improving farmers’ access to markets and capacity strengthening to enhance smallholders’ resilience to climatic shocks and improved nutritional outcomes.
Pulmonary Artery Anatomical Characterization: Relevance to Pulmonary Artery Pressure Sensors
Authors: Zafar Hamza , Neelam-Naganathan Dharshan , Middleton Jennifer T , Rogers Dominic , Swift Andrew J , Rothman Alexander , Binmahfooz Sarah K , Battersby Christian
Published: May 2022

In patients with heart failure, guideline-directed medical therapy improves outcomes and requires close patient monitoring. Pulmonary artery pressure monitors permit remote assessment of cardiopulmonary haemodynamics and facilitate early intervention that has been shown to decrease heart failure hospitalization. Pressure sensors implanted in the pulmonary vasculature are stabilized through passive or active interaction with the anatomy and communicate with an external reader to relay invasively measured pressure by radiofrequency. A body mass index (BMI) > 35 kg/m2 and chest circumference >165 cm prevent use due to poor communication. Pulmonary vasculature anatomy is variable between patients and the pulmonary artery size, angulation of vessels and depth of sensor location from the chest wall in heart failure patients who may be candidates for pressure sensors remains largely unexamined. This paper analyzes the size, angulation, and depth of the pulmonary artery at the position of implantation of two pulmonary artery pressure sensors: the CardioMEMS sensor typically implanted in the left pulmonary artery and the Cordella sensor implanted in the right pulmonary artery. Thirty-four computed tomography pulmonary angiograms from heart failure patients were selected for analysis. Distance from the bifurcation of the pulmonary artery to the implant site was shorter for the right pulmonary artery (4.55 ± 0.64 cm vs 7.4 ± 1.3 cm) and vessel diameter at the implant site was larger (17.15 ± 2.87 mm vs 11.83 ± 2.30 mm). Link distance (length of the communication path between sensor and reader) was shorter for the left pulmonary artery (9.40 ± 1.43 mm vs 12.54 ± 1.37 mm). Therefore, the detailed analysis of pulmonary arterial anatomy using computed tomography pulmonary angiograms may alter the choice of implant location to reduce the risk of sensor migration and improve readability by minimizing sensor to reader link distance.
In situ biodegradation studies of cellophane using indigenously developed bacterial consortia
Authors: Debbarma Prasenjit , Suyal Deep Chandra , Zaidi Mohammad Ghulam Haider , Yadav Amit , Shouche Yogesh , Goel Reeta
Published: May 2022

Cellophane, a bio-based fibrous film is considered sustainable, biodegradable and potential substitute for petrochemical based plastic films. However, addition of extra coating agents are making them recalcitrant in nature and therefore, their persistence after disposal is becoming a serious environmental concern. In this study, previously defined bacterial consortia viz. C-I, C-II and C-III were used to evaluate the efficacy under in situ conditions for the possible remediation of cellophane film waste. Comparative analyses of recovered biodegraded films have shown extensive damage on the surface of the films. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis revealed that the consortium C-II and C-III have significant effect on the spectral absorptions of the degraded cellophane films. The simultaneous thermogravimetric-derivative thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTG-DTA) of biodegraded samples treated with C-II and C-III also exhibited tremendous weight losses at 457°C (85.7% and 95.7%, respectively) as compared with respective control (85%). Furthermore, the progressive degradation of cellophane films was examined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), revealing the effect of bacterial mixed cultures on surface topography. Conclusively, present study signifies the cellophane degrading potential of previously tested bacterial consortia under natural conditions which will be a step forward to develop as an eco-friendly tool for plastic waste disposal.
Inhaled Prostacyclin Improves Oxygenation in Patients with COVID-19-induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome – a randomized controlled multicenter trial
Authors: Haeberle Helene A. , Calov Stefanie , Martus Peter , Higuita Lina Maria Serna , Koeppen Michael , Goll Almuth , Zarbock Alexander , Meersch Melanie , Weiss Raphael , Mehrländer Martin , Marx Gernot , Putensen Christian , Bakchoul Tamam , Magunia Harry , Nieswandt Bernhard , Mirakaj Valbona , Rosenberger Peter
Published: May 2022

Background.
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) results in significant hypoxia, and ARDS is the central pathology of COVID-19. Inhaled prostacyclin has been proposed as a therapy for ARDS, but data regarding its role in this syndrome are unavailable. Therefore, we investigated whether inhaled prostacyclin would affect the oxygenation and survival of patients suffering from ARDS.
Methods.
We performed a prospective randomized controlled single-blind multicenter trial across Germany. The trial was conducted from March 2019 with final follow-up on 12th of August 2021. Patients with moderate to severe ARDS were included and randomized to receive either inhaled prostacyclin (3 times/day for 5 days) or sodium chloride. The primary outcome was the oxygenation index in the intervention and control groups on Day 5 of therapy. Secondary outcomes were mortality, secondary organ failure, disease severity and adverse events.
Results.
Of 707 patients approached 150 patients were randomized to receive inhaled prostacyclin (n = 73) or sodium chloride (n = 77). Data from 144 patients were analyzed. The baseline oxygenation index did not differ between groups. The primary analysis of the study was negative, and prostacyclin improved oxygenation by 20 mmHg more than NaCl (p = 0·17). Oxygenation was significantly improved in patients with ARDS who were COVID-19-positive (34 mmHg, p = 0·04). Mortality did not differ between groups. Secondary organ failure and adverse events were similar in the intervention and control groups.
Conclusions.
Although the primary result of our study was negative, our data suggest that inhaled prostacyclin might be a more beneficial treatment than standard care for patients with ARDS.
Trial registration:
The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Tübingen (899/2018AMG1) and the corresponding ethical review boards of all participating centers. The trial was also approved by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM, EudraCT No. 2016-003168-37) and registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03111212).
The effect of preoperative anxiety, hormone-induced ovarian stimulation, and prolonged face mask ventilation on gastric antrum size
Authors: Azem Karam , Orbach-Zinger Sharon , Heesen Philip , Finkelstein Arthur , Eidelman Leonid A , Shufaro Yoel , Arzola Cristian
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary aspiration is a potentially lethal perioperative complication related to gastric size and contents. Several perioperative factors are believed to increase gastric size, while others are less studied. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of anxiety, hormone-induced ovarian stimulation, and prolonged face mask ventilation (FMV) on gastric size via measuring antral cross-sectional area (CSA) using ultrasound.METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted in Rabin Medical Center, Israel. We recruited 49 female patients undergoing hormone-induced ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval for in-vitro fertilization. Preoperatively, they ranked anxiety level on a visual numeric anxiety score (VNS). In the operation room, pre-and postoperative gastric ultrasound examinations were performed. Anesthesia was induced intravenously, followed by FMV with a peak inspiratory pressure of 15 cm H2O.RESULTS: There was no substantial correlation between pre-operative VNS anxiety and antral CSA (p=0.697). Moreover, the number of follicles, blood estradiol, and progesterone levels did not correlate with antral CSA (p=0.590, p=0.104, and p=0.511, respectively). The median duration of FMV was 13 minutes [IQR 18 to 8.5] and did not correlate with the antral CSA delta (p=0.312).CONCLUSIONS: Neither preoperative anxiety nor extensive ovarian stimulation affects gastric size. Moreover, prolonged FMV with a peak inspiratory pressure of 15 cm H2O did not increase the gastric size by insufflation. These findings add to a growing body of literature on this topic. Furthermore, it provides new evidence that FMV is still safe even in a relatively short procedure.TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (Registration number, NCT04833530; Registration date, 06/04/2021).
Prevalence and Consumption Pattern of Kolanut Among Pregnant Women in Ibadan Metropolis
Authors: Atiba F.A. , Popoola O.A. , Odukogbe A.O. , Ihunwo A.O.
Published: May 2022

BackgroundKolanut is popular in Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African countries where it is widely consumed in various social contexts. While some studies have suggested that kolanut is consumed by pregnant women, there is a dearth of information on the prevalence, consumption pattern and reasons for kolanut consumption. MethodologyThis study investigated these gaps among pregnant women in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study involving 478 consenting pregnant women in all three trimesters and registered at health facilities in Ibadan was conducted. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, obstetric history and kolanut use during pregnancy. Association between kolanut use and respondent characteristics was investigated using Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. ResultsThe mean age of the women was 28.7 ±6.3 years, 50.8% had secondary level qualifications, 43.9% were semi-skilled workers. 38.7% were recruited in Primary Health Centres (PHCs), 18% from Secondary Health Centres, 22.6 from Tertiary Health Centres and 20.7 from Traditional Birth Assistants (TBA)/Faith Clinics. 162 (33.9%) of women reported kolanut in pregnancy and 140 (29.3%) in the index/current pregnancy. Frequency of use defined as high (every day), medium (thrice a week), low (≤ once a week) and quantity of use defined as high (≥1 nut at once), medium (half to <1 lobe) and low (quarter to < half lobe). 26.9% reported frequent use, while 12.3% used in high quantity. Significant associations were found between current kolanut use and Hausa respondents (p = 0.014), educational level; secondary (p = 0.032), tertiary (p = 0.006), TBA (p=0.005). Majority (93.7%) used kolanut to prevent spitting, nausea, and vomiting. ConclusionThis study has shown that kolanut use is common among pregnant women and it is consumed in large quantities. The results of this study justifyy research into consequences of kolanut use in pregnant women.
Synthetic two-species allodiploid and three-species allotetraploid Saccharomyces hybrids with euploid (complete) parental subgenomes
Authors: Antunovics Zsuzsa , Szabo Adrienn , Heistinger Lina , Mattanovich Diethard , Sipiczki Matthias
Published: May 2022

Combination of the genomes of Saccharomyces species has great potential for the construction of new industrial strains as well as for the study of the process of speciation. However, these species are reproductively isolated by a double sterility barrier. The first barrier is mainly due to the failure of the chromosomes to pair in allodiploid meiosis. The second barrier ensures that the hybrid remains sterile even after genome duplication, an event that can restore fertility in plant interspecies hybrids. The latter is attributable to the autodiploidisation of the allotetraploid meiosis that results in sterile allodiploid spores (return to the first barrier). Occasionally, mating-competent alloaneuploid spores arise by malsegregation of MAT-carrying chromosomes. These can mate with cells of a third species resulting in aneuploid zygotes having at least one incomplete subgenome. Here we report on the construction of euploid three-species hybrids by making use of “rare mating” between a sterile S. kudriavzevii x S. uvarum allodiploid hybrid and S. cerevisiae. The hybrids have allotetraploid 2nScnSk nSu genomes consisting of complete sets of parental chromosomes. This is the first report on the production of euploid three-species Saccharomyces hybrids by natural mating, without genetic manipulation. The hybrids provide possibilities for studying the interactions of three allospecific genomes and their orthologous genes present in the same cell.
Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimized XGBoost Ensemble Algorithm for Online Credit Scoring
Authors: Museba Tinofirei
Published: May 2022

Determining the credit worthiness of an individual for a loan approval is a challenging task for most financial institutions. To assess the credibility of an individual, a credit score model is often used and it encompasses factors such payment consistency of customers and their behaviors and their previous behaviors. Due to its easy interpretation and outstanding prediction performance for both static and time-varying, evolving domains, machine learning has gained a lot of reputation over statistical approaches. For this reason, machine learning has gained much attention in the automation of the design of effective and efficient credit scoring techniques over the years. Credit scoring task is also an ephemeral scenario as most of the variables are likely to drift overtime, making the use of stream mining suitable for detecting and adapting to changes in the underlying data distribution. Given a problem in such time-varying and evolving environment, credit scoring models that were once robust may become suboptimal if the behavior of customers change over time as their earnings get eroded by changes in interest rates, natural disasters and increases in pay as you earn, rendering the current credit score model outdated. In credit scoring, many of the variables tend to drift over time resulting in an ephemeral scenario that requires online machine learning algorithms tailored for learning in time-varying and evolving environments where the target concept changes. Since machine learning algorithms can learn incrementally, they are able to detect learn changes that occur in the data. In this paper, we propose an online Decision Trees based eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) credit scoring model that is based on a heterogeneous adaptive particle swarm optimization where behaviors change at each iteration by randomly selecting new behaviors from the behavior pool. The prediction performance of our approach is evaluated first as a batch learning algorithm and secondly as a data steam learning algorithm using a variety of validation schemes for traditional batch learning and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Population Stability index metrics. Each behavior consists of a pair containing a position update and a velocity update. Decision Trees can easily sift through credit data characterized by a high dimensional curse and a complex correlation. The behavior of our proposed approach is evaluated for both static and dynamic domains since customer variables tend to drift over time. Empirical experiments conducted showed that our proposed approach performs comparatively well in both static and dynamic environments on four datasets.
Plasmon Resonances of Graphene-Assisted Core-Bishell Nanoparticles
Authors: Fares Hesham , Ahmed Moustafa , Moustafa Samar
Published: May 2022

We study the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) in graphene-assisted core-bishell nanoparticles which consists of a graphene layer (outer shell) wrapped around a metal shell and either a dielectric or metal core. Small nanoparticles with a size much smaller than the wavelength of incident light are assumed, and the quasi-static approximation is applied to develop analytic equations to describe the absorption, scattering, extinction efficiencies in the core-bishell nanoparticles. The proposed nanostructures exhibit two LSPRs; one is in the visible range and corresponds to a plasmon mode of the core-inner shell composite while the second lies in the near infrared and is induced by the graphene plasmons excited at the outer shell. Interestingly, the latter LSPR of graphene has an ultra-narrow bandwidth and can be tuned in the NIR by altering the physical parameters of graphene, such as the Fermi energy and the number of graphene layers. Therefore, the LSPR peak of graphene is promising for medical applications. In addition, the LSPR of graphene can be tuned to the visible range near the position of the first LSPR, resulting in two narrow linewidth peaks. These resonance peaks could be beneficial for high-sensitive LSPR-based sensors.