bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coupled SWAT and SWT-CNN-LSTM model to improve watershed streamflow simulation
Authors: Ren chengqing , Chang Jianxia , Wang Xuebin , Niu Chen , Wang Liyuan , Zhang Junhao
Published: December 2024

Accurately simulating hydrological conditions is a significant challenge for hydrologists globally, particularly in capturing patterns of high and low streamflow due to the ongoing impacts of climate change and human activities on water resource availability. To address this challenge, this study proposes an innovative integrated approach that combines the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), Stationary Wavelet Transform (SWT), and interpretable machine learning models, specifically Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. The hydrological and meteorological features generated by SWAT were preprocessed using SWT and then used as inputs for the CNN-LSTM model. During the testing period, the SWAT-SWT-CNN-LSTM model achieved R² and NSE values of 0.90 and 0.88, respectively, outperforming other machine learning models (e.g., Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, LSTM) as well as the calibrated SWAT model. Additionally, it effectively reduced the underestimation of high streamflow and the overestimation of low streamflow, with deviations in both categories maintained within 1.3%. From a machine learning perspective, solar radiation and percolation volume are identified as key factors influencing local streamflow, while precipitation shows the highest sensitivity to streamflow variation. Even with a reduced sliding window length, the model's R² and NSE during the training and testing periods remained above 0.88 and 0.80, respectively, demonstrating exceptional stability. Furthermore, the SWAT-CNN-LSTM comparative experiment showed that SWT effectively mitigates the overfitting issue in machine learning. This study highlights that the organic integration of SWAT, SWT, CNN, and LSTM, along with the application of interpretable methods such as Individual Conditional Expectation (ICE), Partial Dependence Plots (PDP), and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP), not only enhances model performance significantly but also increases the credibility of machine learning results, paving a valuable new pathway for long-term streamflow simulations in watersheds.
Protein Language Model Supervised Scalable Approach for Diverse and Designable Protein Motif-Scaffolding with GPDL
Authors: Chen Haifeng , Zhang Bo , Liu kexin , Zheng Zhuoqi , Zhu Junjie , Li Zhengxin , Liu YUnfeiyang , Mu Junxi , Wei Ting
Published: December 2024

Proteins perform essential roles in numerous biological processes, largely driven by the three-dimensional structure of several key motif residues. Recently, a variety of energy-based and machine learning backbone generation methods have been developed to solve the motif-scaffolding task. However, it is still challenging to generate diverse and accurate scaffold structures around motifs for models either fine-tuned pre-trained multiple sequence alignment-based (MSA-based) structure prediction models or trained from scratch. Here, we introduced Generative Protein Design by Language model (GPDL) for effectively replacing traditional MSA-based pretraining. Using our scalable design strategy, GPDL successfully solved 22 out of 24 benchmark problems and outperformed other methods by generating 33.5% more unique designable clusters than RFdiffusion. This demonstrates that our approach can generate accurate and physically plausible structures across diverse protein design scenarios. GPDL also showed strong robustness in orphan proteins that have low sequence similarity with the training set. Our approach underscores the promise of protein language models in protein design and has the potential to accelerate the discovery of novel functional proteins for a wide range of biological and therapeutic applications.
Scalable Variational Learning for Noisy-OR Bayesian Networks with Normalizing Flows for Complex Cascading Disaster Systems
Authors: Li Xuechun , Xu Susu
Published: December 2024

Sudden-onset disasters such as earthquakes often induce multiple cascading hazards and impacts, causing human and economic losses. While recent advances in remote sensing technologies provide valuable data for rapid hazard assessment, current methods face two fundamental limitations. First, the inherent causal relationship and co-location of disaster-induced hazards and impacts makes the decoupling of individual hazard or impact particularly challenging. Second, and critically for disaster response, existing methods cannot adapt to new information during the critical response period - they provide only static initial estimates despite the continuous influx of ground truth data from field reconnaissance. This inability to update and refine assessments in real-time severely limits their practical utility for emergency response, where understanding of the disaster's impact typically evolves significantly over time. Herein, we present online-DisasterVINF, a framework that uniquely addresses both limitations. We leverage Noisy-OR Bayesian networks, which are particularly suited for modeling how multiple hazards independently contribute to the observed impacts, combined with normalizing flows to provide a more expressive alternative to simple log-linear relationships. The framework is also capable of improving its estimation by incorporating ground truth data as it becomes available through post-disaster reconnaissance. We develop a novel variational inference approach that jointly approximates posteriors by leveraging complex causal relationships and remote sensing techniques. We evaluate our framework on multiple seismic events from diverse countries around the globe. Our results demonstrate that online-DisasterVINF significantly enhances estimation accuracy compared to existing methods, while our analysis shows the online updating mechanism substantially improves model performance as ground truth becomes available, underlining its adaptability for real-time disaster response.
Examining the Effectiveness of an Educational and Assessment Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Simulator Using Extended Reality and Artificial Intelligence Technology in Red Crescent Rescuers
Authors: Arjmand  , Kolivand Pir Hossein , Namdar Peyman , RamezanianLangeroodi MARYAM
Published: December 2024

Introduction:
The advancement of technology today has made it essential to train Red Crescent rescuers using innovative learning tools, such as Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an educational and assessment CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) simulator using modern technologies among Red Crescent rescuers.
Methodology:
This interventional cross-sectional study was conducted between 2023 and 2024 in Iran. The study population consisted of rescuers in Tehran. The simple random sampling method was used. Initially, a pre-test was administered to two groups of 15 participants: one received traditional training and the other received modern XR-based training. Following the training, both groups underwent tests in four stages, with each stage one week apart. The performance data during the resuscitation process were collected using various sensors, image processing cameras, virtual reality (VR) glasses, smart mannequins, robotic components, a central microcontroller processor, trackers, and other smart simulator equipment. The data were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively in accordance with the standards of the international OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination).
Findings:
The results showed that groups trained using simulators demonstrated a significant improvement in post-test scores compared to pre-test scores. In groups that had no prior CPR training, the simulator-based training increased the average scores by 9.54, which was significantly higher than the 3.55 increase observed in the traditional training method. The group trained with the simulator showed an average score increase of 10.64, which was much higher than the 3.89 increase in the traditional training method.
Conclusion
The use of XR simulators and AI led to a significant improvement in the practical skills of rescuers in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is recommended that this technology be widely implemented in educational programs. For those who have already undergone traditional training, complementary courses using simulators could further enhance their skills and knowledge.
Squidiff: Predicting cellular development and responses to perturbations using a diffusion model
Authors: Leong Kam , He Siyu , Zhu Yuefei , Tavakol Daniel , Ye Haotian , Lao Yeh-Hsing , Zhu Zixian , Xu Cong , Chauhan Shradha , Garty Guy , Tomer Raju , Vunjak-Novakovic Gordana , Zou James , Azizi Elham
Published: December 2024

Single-cell sequencing has revolutionized our understanding of cellular heterogeneity and responses to environmental stimuli. However, mapping transcriptomic changes across diverse cell types in response to various stimuli and elucidating underlying disease mechanisms remains challenging. Studies involv- ing physical stimuli, such as radiotherapy, or chemical stimuli, like drug testing, demand labor-intensive experimentation, often hindering the rapid advancement of mechanistic insight and drug discovery. To address this, we present Squidiff, a diffusion model-based generative framework designed to predict transcriptomic changes across diverse cell types in response to a wide range of environmental changes. We demonstrate Squidiff’s robustness across various scenarios, including cell differentiation, gene perturbation, and drug response prediction. Through continuous denoising and semantic feature integration, Squidiff effectively learns transient cell states and predicts high-resolution transcriptomic landscapes over time and conditions. Furthermore, we applied Squidiff to model the development of blood vessel organoids and cellular responses to neutron irradiation and growth factors. Our results demonstrate that Squidiff enables in silico screening of cell molecular landscapes, facilitating rapid hypothesis generation and providing valuable insights for precision medicine.
Assessment of Bacterial Contamination, Physical, and Chemical Characteristics of Table Eggs in Khartoum North
Authors: Hemeda Sahar , Gadallh Mogahid , Ibrahim Bashir , A.Ali Elrasheed
Published: December 2024

Background
Table eggs are an essential dietary component due to their high nutritional value; however, they are prone to bacterial contamination, particularly on eggshells, posing significant health risks. In Sudan, contamination risks are heightened by inadequate hygiene practices, poor storage conditions, and limited regulatory oversight. These factors compromise the safety and quality of eggs, which are widely distributed in local markets. This study aimed to evaluate bacterial contamination, assess physical characteristics, examine chemical properties (pH), and investigate associations among these factors in table eggs from Khartoum North.
Results
A total of 138 eggs were sampled, with bacterial analysis revealing significant contamination on eggshells. Staphylococcus spp., was the most prevalent contaminant (89.1%), followed by Corynebacterium spp., (23.9%), E. coli (19.5%), and Salmonella spp., (15.2%). No bacterial presence was detected in the albumen or yolk. Physical quality assessments classified 32.6% of eggs as grade AA, 34.8% as grade A, and 32.6% as grade B. Pearson correlation analysis identified weak associations between shell strength and Haugh unit (r = 0.133) and between egg weight and Haugh unit (r = -0.175). One-way ANOVA showed no significant differences in shell strength or shell thickness across grades. Chemical analysis indicated stable pH values across grades, with yolk pH ranging from 6.363 to 6.555 and albumen pH from 8.463 to 8.604.
Conclusions
Table eggs in Khartoum North exhibit significant bacterial contamination on eggshells, particularly Staphylococcus spp., while internal contents remain sterile. Physical characteristics and pH values showed minimal variation across grades. These findings highlight the need for improved hygiene practices and storage conditions to enhance the safety and quality of table eggs in Sudan.
Distinct solvation patterns of OH– versus H3O+ charge defects at
electrified gold/water interfaces govern their properties
Authors: Park Chanbum , Ghosh Soumya , Forbert Harald , Marx Dominik
Published: December 2024

Understanding the solvation structures and charge migration mechanisms of OH– and H3O+ species at metal interfaces as a function of bias potential is imperative for developing more efficient electrochemical devices. In this paper, we report the detailed solvation structures of OH– and H3O+ at gold electrodes relevant to alkaline and acidic aqueous conditions using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at finite bias potentials. Our findings reveal that the adsorption propensities of OH– and H3O+ are strongly influenced by the oscillating net atomic charge of water normal to the electrified interface. This leads to preferentially adsorbed OH– in the first water layer extremely close to the gold surface even at zero bias, while H3O+ is expelled toward the second layer even under negative bias potentials. Due to the combined effects of the net atomic charge of water in the different solvation layers and local polarization effects of the gold surface, OH– exhibits peculiar hypercoordinated solvation structures in its resting and active state for charge migration very different from those known from OH– in bulk water. We find that gold atoms strongly interact with both OH– solvation complexes and effectively replace hydrogen-bond-donating water molecules, while H3O+ is not much affected compared to bulk. The active state of OH– is particularly distorted due to being anchored at two neighboring gold atoms that are far apart such that the free energy barrier for charge transfer gets strongly increased, thus lowering the corresponding rate.
Productivity and hours worked: A circular theoretical approach
Authors: Cette Gilbert , Drapala Simon , Lopez Jimmy
Published: December 2024

We propose a theoretical model of the relationship between productivity and working hours, assuming a circular relationship between these two variables. It appears that the direction and magnitude of the impact of productivity on working hours depend on the returns to scale of hours worked and on the elasticity of substitution between leisure and labor income. These findings significantly contribute to our understanding of work and leisure trade-offs and explain the contrasted results in the empirical literature.
Evaluation of Renal Toxicity Induced by Coartem® and Protective Effects of Salvia Rosmarinus L. Nanoemulsion in an Acute Kidney Injury Model
Authors: Paes Alberto Souza , Koga Rosemary de Carvalho Rocha , Almeida Hellen Karine Santos , de Azevedo Maria Eduarda Garcia , Dantas Henrick Vinícius Prado , Lopes Gisele Rocha , Teixeira Thiago Afonso Carvalho , Carvalho José Carlos Tavares
Published: December 2024

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe condition associated with high morbidity and mortality, often caused by ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. This study explored the potential of Salvia rosmarinus L. nanoemulsion (RoN) in mitigating renal damage in an ischemia-reperfusion-induced rat model, focusing on its combination with Coartem®. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into Negative Control, Water + Ischemia Control, Coartem®+Ischemia, S. rosmarinus L. nanoemulsion + Ischemia, and Coartem®+S.Rosmarinus L. nanoemulsion + Ischemia. The treatments were administered orally for 30 days, except for the Coartem® group, which was treated for seven days. Renal ischemia was induced for 20–25 minutes, followed by reperfusion. Subsequently, hematological, biochemical, and histopathological analyses were conducted. The S. rosmarinus L. nanoemulsion effectively preserved blood homeostasis in the treated groups, maintaining red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels. Additionally, it reduced protein, urea, potassium, and creatinine levels, indicating renal protection. Furthermore, decreased levels of NGAL in the nanoemulsion-treated groups suggested a protective effect against AKI. Histopathological analyses revealed reduced organ alterations in the nanoemulsion-treated groups. These findings indicate that the nanoemulsion may help preserve renal function and reduce the biochemical and histopathological changes associated with AKI, suggesting that RoN could be a promising therapeutic option for preventing IR-induced renal damage, even when combined with Coartem®.
End-to-End Delay Performance Analysis of the 5G-TSN Network Using Network Calculus
Authors: Zhang Xiaohuan , Lu Yiqin , Qin Jiancheng , Qian Kaili
Published: December 2024

The emerging Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) of the Fifth Generation Communication Network (5G) makes the integration of Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and 5G communication access possible. Unfortunately, there is a lack of a theoretical study for analyzing the end-to-end (E2E) delay upper bound of different characteristic traffic in the integrated 5G-TSN scenario. Furthermore, current scheduling solutions are not able to meet the scheduling demands of different hybrid traffic in the integrated 5G-TSN network. Therefore, in this paper, we deduce the probabilistic E2E delay bound of the 5G-TSN, considering its wired and wireless complex network structure, its different traffic characteristics and requirements, and the impact of the improved strict priority Deficit Round-Robin scheduling (SP-DRR) strategy. We employ Jake’s fading model for the 5G wireless channel service process analysis based on Meijer G-functions and obtain a tighter delay upper bound, compared with current works. The results show that the 5G wireless component is what limits the E2E delay of the 5G-TSN network. The wireless resource scheduling strategy is the key to the E2E service guarantee in the 5G-TSN scenarios. Moreover, related parameters such as weight, quantum, and the number of allocated resource blocks (RBs) should be appropriately allocated to improve E2E delay according to a match requirement of delay upper bound and reliability. It is expected that this theoretical study will provide resource allocation advice and guidelines for the following 5G-TSN delay optimization simulation experiments.
Best-subset instrumental variable selection method using mixed integer optimization with applications to health-related quality of life and education–wage analyses
Authors: Qasim Muhammad , Månsson Kristofer , Balakrishnan Narayanaswamy
Published: December 2024

The classical best-subset selection method has been demonstrated to be nondeterministic polynomial-time hard and thus presents computational challenges. This problem can now be solved via advanced mixed integer optimization (MIO) algorithms for linear regression. We extend this methodology to linear instrumental variable (IV) regression and propose the best-subset instrumental variable (BSIV) method incorporating the MIO procedure. Classical IV estimation methods assume that IVs must not directly impact the outcome variable and should remain uncorrelated with nonmeasured variables. However, in practice, IVs are likely to be invalid, and existing methods can lead to a large bias relative to standard errors in certain situations. The proposed BSIV estimator is robust in estimating causal effects in the presence of unknown IV validity. We demonstrate that the BSIV using MIO algorithms outperforms two-stage least squares, Lasso-type IVs, and two-sample analysis (median and mode estimators) through Monte Carlo simulations in terms of bias and relative efficiency. We analyze two datasets involving the health-related quality of life index and proximity and the education–wage relationship to demonstrate the utility of the proposed method.
JEL Classification: C13; C26; C36.
A Study on the Synergistic Effects of Carbon Reduction and Economic Growth in Green Finance: Evidence from Green Finance Reform Pilot Zones
Authors: Zhuodong Liu , Weihao Kong , Yuchen Liu , Zeng Yaxi , Qi Ruihan
Published: December 2024

Market-based environmental policy represented by green finance is a powerful tool for exploring a new development model that is a win-win situation for both economic development and environmental protection, and is also a necessary way to achieve the dual-carbon goal. However, existing studies have paid less attention to the practical path of green finance synergies. Based on this, this study selects China's municipal panel data from 2010 to 2021, and adopts a multi-temporal double-difference model to analyse the impacts of the green finance reform pilot zone policy on the carbon intensity and economic development level, and to explore the path of the synergistic effect of the pilot zone policy, and further explore the impacts of the pilot zone policy on the differences between different regions. The results of the study show that the implementation of the pilot zone policy significantly reduces the carbon emission intensity of the pilot area and improves the economic development level of the area. In terms of the path of action, the pilot zone policy mainly achieves synergistic effects through optimising industrial structure, promoting green technological innovation and enhancing resource allocation efficiency. The policy effects are different for key environmental protection cities, resource-based cities, and cities in the east, centre and west. Therefore, in the future, we should deepen and expand the work of the pilot zone, continue to promote the optimisation of industrial structure, increase the strength of technological innovation policies, and formulate green financial policies with regional characteristics according to the regional environment and level of economic development, so as to empower the sustainable development of the economy.
A universidade e a comunidade sem fronteiras: relato de experiência de atividade realizada com adultos e idosos
Authors: RAVAGLIO Anna Victória Maurer , FERREIRA Natalia , KAPFENBERGER Julia Ciola , GARBELINI Maria Cecilia Da Lozzo , SANCHES Leide da Conceição
Published: December 2024

A extensão universitária cumpre um papel crucial na construção de pontes entre a academia e a sociedade, promovendo a troca entre o conhecimento científico e o popular, a inclusão social e o desenvolvimento humano. Objetivou-se relatar a experiência de intervenção com idosos institucionalizados e com adultos cuidadores, por meio de atividades lúdicas, de forma a contribuir com o resgate da autoestima, memória, comunicação e interação social. O estudo descritivo apresenta a vivência das autoras no âmbito do projeto de extensão Educar para Prevenir Saúde do Adulto e do Idoso. Pela realização das atividades, experienciou-se que houve avanço significativo na autoestima e na socialização dos/das participantes. O projeto é um exemplo concreto de como as iniciativas extensionistas podem promover mudanças positivas, tanto nos indivíduos atendidos quanto nos acadêmicos, promovendo a reflexão sobre os problemas sociais e contribuindo para a construção de uma sociedade mais inclusiva e solidária.
A REVIEW ON ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING, ENTREPRENEURIAL PASSION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL PERFORMANCE
Authors:   Student, Graduate School, Angeles University Foundation., Ru Qu , G. Valencia Manuelita ,   Professor, GraduateSchool, Angeles University Foundation.
Published: December 2024

In the context of entrepreneurial learning, the process of improving entrepreneurs knowledge reserves and entrepreneurial capabilities can help entrepreneurial enterprises to make up for their shortcomings. According to Zhou and Li (2023), entrepreneurial learning can also establish competitive advantages, and develop core competitiveness to overcome challenges in entrepreneurship process as well as realizing the healthy development of the entrepreneurial enterprise with the enhancement of entrepreneurial performance. On the other hand, entrepreneurial passion is essential in entrepreneurial process that will lead to the success of entrepreneurial practice among entrepreneurs (Shan Biaoan et al., 2017). Further with entrepreneurial performance, this refers to meeting entrepreneurial results with the expected standards, and considered as one of the effective drivers of entrepreneurial firms to obtain financial resources and market performance (Rateb et al., 2020). This study delves into the relationship of entrepreneurial learning, entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial performance among selected small enterprises in Hebei, China . Specifically, this paper is a review of the significance of entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial learning, and entrepreneurial performance towards the success of the enterprises.
Differences in depression levels in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and stenting
Authors: Raskaliev R. A. , Kalyuta T. Yu. , Andriyanova E. A. , Fedonnikov A. S.
Published: December 2024

Introduction. Cardiovascular diseases define the pathological landscape of the 21st century. Personal characteristics of patients with cardiovascular diseases who have undergone stenting and bypass surgery are among the main factors in the success of their rehabilitation or, on the contrary, in determining the deterioration of their health. Regarding prevention of postoperative complications, taking into account the personal characteristics of patients is of primary importance. The study compared groups of patients (based on the level of depression) with various forms of cardiovascular diseases: acute coronary syndrome and chronic ischemic heart disease; types of surgical intervention – stenting or bypass surgery.

Aim. To describe and explain the differences in depression levels in patients with different forms of cardiovascular disease who have undergone stenting and bypass surgery.

Materials and methods. The study included 123 patients of both sexes (34–85 years old). The patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1 – 26/123 (21.1%) patients with HIHD who underwent bypass grafting; group 2 – 45/123 (36.6%) patients with HIHD who underwent stenting; group 3 – 52/123 (42.3%) patients with ACS who underwent stenting. The average age of the patients was 61 years ± 6 years. The severity of depression in patients was assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. ANOVA analysis of variance (p < 0,05) was used to compare the mean values of quantitative data.

Results. In Group 1, according to the Zung Depression Self-Rating Scale, the average depression score was 35.5 points; in Group 2, the average depression score was 39.3 points; in Group 3, the average depression score was 42.1 points. There was a statistically significant difference in the severity of the average depression scores between Groups 1 and 3 according to the Scheffe method (p < 0,05).

Conclusion. Patients with ACS who underwent stenting are characterized by a greater tendency to develop depressive disorder than patients with HIHD who underwent bypass. The obtained result indicates greater anxiety in patients with ACS, most probably, due to the unexpected manifestation of symptoms of the disease and an emergency decision to perform surgery.
The Pāla-Era Sūrya Sculptures at Cooch Behar Palace Museum: An Iconographic Analysis
Authors:   Research Scholar, Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University, Pal Tathagata Sagar
Published: December 2024

The worship of the sun in India can be traced back to the Neolithic period. The sun, as the source of light and heat on the earth, was revered as the creator of life, a powerful entity that must be appeased to gain bountiful production. In the Vedic pantheon, the sun occupied an important position and he was worshipped under various names like Sūrya, Savitṛ, Vivasvat, Pūṣan, and others. Bijoy Kumar Sarkar in his doctoral thesis, Sun Worship and Sun-Images in Early Bengal (2004), has opined that the sun-worship became popular in Eastern India due to the efforts of the ācāryas, the priests devoted to this deity. From the Gupta period, we come across the images of the sun. The prominence of Sūrya in the region continued unabated during the Pāla Kings too. The Pālas, despite being heralded as the patrons of Buddhism, harbored no animosity to the Brahmanical religion. A large number of sculptures of Sūrya, dating back to the Pāla period, bear testament to this fact. This paper would focus on the sculptures of Sūrya that have been preserved at the Cooch Behar Palace Museum and are dated as belonging to the Pāla period. These have mostly been retrieved from various police stations and customs offices of North Bengal. The paper will look at the epigraphs of the time to make an estimation of the prevalence of the solar cult. The Pāla art also marked the zenith of medieval Bengal artistry. The paper, therefore, would endeavor to explain the iconographic details of the sculptures and how they reflect the Pāla art form.
Research on water flow characteristics and stress around bridges during floods
Authors: Liu Yang
Published: December 2024

Due to the frequent threat of floods to structures and engineering construction in rivers, in order to study the impact characteristics of river hydrodynamics on structures under excessive flow during floods, this study takes Jiefang Bridge as an example and uses the fluid volume two-phase flow model (VOF) in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), combined with advanced geometric reconstruction techniques such as iso Advector method, to simulate the dynamic changes of gas-liquid interface in the river. On the premise of guaranteeing the independence of the grid, the high precision structure grid is used for numerical simulation. The results indicate that when a flood contacts a bridge, the force on the bridge rapidly increases and fluctuates, reaching a significant peak of over 6,000,000 N. Bridge piers have a significant hindering effect on floods, and their impact gradually expands over time. Vorticity and turbulence energy analysis indicate the presence of strong flow disturbances around the bridge pier. In addition, the characteristics of the contact surface between water flow and bridges also significantly affect the stress and flow characteristics of bridges. Especially at a 45° angle of attack, the force on the bridge decreases, but the wake velocity increases.
Opinions and considerations of obstetrics and gynecology specialists on cesarean section: A qualitative study in Sakarya province
Authors: Aşıcı Neşe , Köse Elif , Ekerbiçer Hasan Çetin
Published: December 2024

Aim: While the ideal cesarean section rate should be 10-15% among all births, the cesarean section rate is increasing at an uncontrollable rate both in the world and in Turkey. In this study, we aimed to determine the reasons and solution suggestions for cesarean section rates in Turkey, based on the opinions of Gynecologists and Obstetricians.

Methods: Qualitative research method and phenomenological approach were used as the research design in this study. Participants were selected by convenience sampling method among Gynecology and Obstetrics specialists who resided in Sakarya/Turkey, worked as a
interviews between 01.02.2020 and 01.09.2020 and thematic content analysis was performed.

Results: As a result of in-depth interviews, 51 categories, 12 sub-themes from the categories and three themes from the sub-themes were created from the coded data. The three themes that emerged were: Causes of high cesarean rate, solutions for the increase in cesarean delivery rate, possible outcomes of cesarean delivery.

Conclusions: Since the factors affecting the cesarean section rate are multifaceted and interrelated, this versatility and correlation should be taken into account when taking measures to reduce the rates. We need to focus especially on cesarean births performed without medical indication, which has a large share in the increase in cesarean section rates.
Clinical characteristics, outcomes, and prognostic factors of patients with systemic rheumatic diseases in medical intensive care unit: A retrospective single center study
Authors: Demirci Yıldırım Tuba , Yıldırım Süleyman , Kıraklı Cenk
Published: December 2024

Aim: Systemic rheumatic diseases are a group of diseases that can affect several organs and occasionally need intensive care unit (ICU) admission due to the severity of diseases or complications. In this study, we aimed to investigate clinical features and factors associated with mortality in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases who were followed up in the medical ICU

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a medical ICU, between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022. Patients who were 18 years older and with known or newly diagnosed systemic rheumatic diseases who were followed up in the ICU for more than 48 hours were included in the study. The cause of admission, clinical characteristics, and factors associated with mortality were evaluated.

Results: A total of 76 patients were included in the final analysis; the mean age was 60,8±15.0 years and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (39%) was the most common systemic rheumatic disease. Acute respiratory failure (64%) was the most common reason for ICU admission, followed by septic shock (16%). A total of 41 (54%) patients died during their ICU stay. Non-survivor patients were older (mean age, 66.1 vs. 54.8 years, p=0.005) and had a higher APACHE-2 score than survivors (median, 24 vs. 14, p
The state of knowledge of nurses and factors influencing it regarding vegetarian/vegan diet
Authors: Kabuk Ayşe , Türkoğlu İlayda , İnangil Demet , Yurttaş Afife , Şendir Merdiye , Duman Demet
Published: December 2024

Aim: This descriptive and cross-sectional study aims to investigate the knowledge of nurses and the factors influencing it regarding the vegetarian/vegan diet.

Methods: This study was conducted at a university hospital with the participation of 213 nurses. Data were collected using the “Sociodemographic Data Form,” “Vegetarian/Vegan Diet Knowledge Test,” and “Vegetarian/Vegan Diet Opinion Form”. Data were analyzed by number, percentage, Pearson Correlation, One-Way Analysis of Variance, and Independent Sample T-Test.

Results: The mean age of the nurses was 31.21±7.56 years, 86.4% of which were women, 53.5% were single, and 70.4% had bachelor’s degrees. The nurses’ knowledge test score was 8.68±3.81 on average (min=0, max=16). Only 27.2% of the nurses correctly answered the following item: “People on a vegetarian/vegan diet could get all the essential amino acids with their diets”. The nurses who are married or have completed postgraduate education achieved higher knowledge test scores (p
The OGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism and its association with DNA damage and DNA repair in papillary thyroid cancer
Authors: Akkaya Engin Çağlayan , Yavuzer Hakan , Teksöz Serkan , Soylu Selen , Mete Meltem , Yavuzer Serap , Tuz Ali Ata , Güven Mehmet , Dincer Yıldız
Published: December 2024

Aim: Hydrogen peroxide, locally produced during thyroid hormone synthesis, leads to oxidative stress in the thyroid gland. Defective repair of oxidative DNA lesions contributes to tumor development. This study aimed to understand the importance of DNA damage and repair on thyroid cancer development through the impact of the DNA repair gene OGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism that has clinical significance in untreated patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

Methods: The study was performed with 70 patients with papillary thyroid cancer and 73 volunteers as control. In lymphocytes, endogenous DNA damage, H2O2-induced DNA damage, and DNA damage after repair were determined by comet assay. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was performed for OGG1 genotyping.

Results: Endogenous DNA damage, H2O2-induced DNA damage, and DNA damage after repair were higher in patients with thyroid cancer than in the controls (P
Evaluation of family planning services: A district example in İstanbul
Authors: Değer Mehmet Sait , Halaç Şeyma , Atak Muhammed
Published: December 2024

Aim: The aim of family planning services is to provide individuals with the information and support they need to make informed, safe, and healthy reproductive decisions. Furthermore, it provides women with the option to space out their pregnancies and offers protection from unplanned pregnancies. It is thought that family planning services could play a role in protecting maternal and child health, as well as improving the overall health level of society. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the family planning services provided to applicants at the Maternal Child Health and Family Planning (MCHFP) Centre in a district of İstanbul between 2018 and 2020.

Methods: The study population comprised individuals who had applied to the Eyüpsultan MCHFP Centre between 2018 and 2020. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to retrospectively analyze the data of 1,444 individuals.

Results: The study group had an average age of 33.95 years, with 45.2% of participants having completed primary education or below. It may be of interest to note that among the women who applied, 46.2% were in the age group of 35 years and above. It is worth noting that a significant proportion of the women who applied, namely 75.9%, were seeking to use a family planning method for the first time. It would seem that the age groups 29-34 and 35-40 saw the highest number of applications. It is notable that a relatively high proportion of women (49.4%) had not used any family planning method in the previous three months, compared to those who had employed other methods. It would seem that the intrauterine device is the most preferred family planning method across all age groups and education levels (p
Bacterioma em útero de gatas domésticas (Felis catus)
Authors:   , Tomaz Klivio Loreno Raulino
Published: December 2024

O sequenciamento do gene 16S RNA ribossômico (16S rRNA) permitiu maior
abrangência nos estudos de comunidades bacterianas em sistemas orgânicos saudáveis,
como também em condições patológicas. Assim, tivemos dois objetivos neste estudo,
tais como: investigar o bacterioma em amostras de úteros felino saudável; e descrever a
comunidade bacteriana em um ambiente materno-fetal em quadro de falha reprodutiva
(FR). Para isso, foram coletados fragmentos uterinos de cinco gatas (não gestantes e
sadias) e fragmentos uterinos e de órgãos fetais oriundos de uma gata com morte fetal
no último terço de gestação. Após a extração de DNA de todas as amostras, foi
realizado reação para amplificação para sequenciamento genômico para regiões
variáveis V3 e V4 do gene 16S rRNA. As amostras das gatas sadias não amplificaram
para o gene 16S rRNA, porém foi descrito o bacterioma no quadro de FR. Foram
identificados 119 OTUs (OTU - Operational Taxonomic Unit) de 5 filos e 15 e 13
gêneros do útero e do pool de órgãos fetais, respectivamente. Foram detectados gêneros
ainda não descritos em FR de felinos. Deste modo, nos moldes deste estudo, nossos
resultados apoiam a hipótese de esterilidade bacteriana uterina ou de ultrabaixa
biomassa em condições de saúde, porém em casos de FR em gatas, demonstramos um
bacterioma no ambiente materno-fetal
Desempenho agronômico do algodoeiro naturalmente colorido à adubação nitrogenada no semiárido brasileiro
Authors:   , Tartaglia Francilene de Lima
Published: December 2024

O algodão naturalmente colorido possui apelo ambiental por dispensar o tingimento químico das fibras, o qual gera resíduos potencialmente poluidores. É cultivado no semiárido brasileiro com ausência de fertilização nitrogenada e irrigação, resultando em baixa produtividade de fibra. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a resposta de cultivares de algodão naturalmente colorido quando submetidos a diferentes doses de nitrogênio no solo, na região semiárida do Brasil. O experimento foi realizado em condição de campo, na Fazenda Experimental da Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, nos anos de 2016 e 2017. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso, com parcelas subdivididas e quatro repetições. Nas parcelas principais, casualizou-se cinco doses de nitrogênio (0, 50, 100, 150 e 200 kg ha-1) e nas subparcelas, quatro cultivares de algodão colorido (BRS Safira, BRS Rubi, BRS Topázio e BRS Verde). Maior produtividade de algodão naturalmente colorido foi obtida utilizando as doses econômicas de 140 kg ha-1 N para as cultivares Rubi e Verde, 150 kg ha-1 N para Topázio e 160 kg ha-1 N para a Safira. Maior produtividade foi alcançada com a cultivar Topázio e menor, com a cultivar Verde. São necessários, em média, R$ 4.320,80 para produção de um hectare de algodão colorido. Os itens que mais oneram o custo de produção, em ordem de importância, são mão de obra e fertilizantes. Maior rentabilidade pode ser obtida com as doses de 150; 170; 180 e 190 kg ha-1 de N para as cultivares Topázio, Rubi, Verde e Safira, respectivamente. Melhores resultados econômicos foram obtidos com a cultivar Topázio e menores com a Rubi. Maior renda bruta e renda líquida são obtidas com a comercialização do algodão colorido em fibra. O nitrogênio acumulado no algodoeiro colorido é direcionado, em ordem decrescente, para sementes (56,3%), folhas (29%), caule (10,6%) e fibras (3,8%). A eficiência agronômica e a eficiência de recuperação de N decrescem com aumento nas doses de N. A cultivar BRS Topázio é a mais responsiva à adubação nitrogenada, com maior produção de massa seca, maior acúmulo de N, maior eficiência no uso do N e maior índice de colheita. A cultivar Verde é a menos responsiva à adubação nitrogenada, com menor produção de massa seca, menor acúmulo de N e menor eficiência agronômica e agrofisiológica no uso do N
Períodos de interferência e alternativas para o controle de plantas daninhas na cultura do melão
Authors:   , Carvalho Donato Ribeiro de
Published: December 2024

O cultivo de melão no semiárido brasileiro tem sido realizado empregando práticas que auxiliam no controle das plantas daninhas, como o uso de mulching, irrigação localizada e uso de mudas. Todavia, essas práticas não são suficientes para evitar a interferência das plantas daninhas que se estabelecem no orifício do transplantio das mudas, sendo necessário adotar medidas de controle da comunidade infestante. Nesta pesquisa, foram avaliados os períodos de interferência de plantas daninhas nos híbridos de melão: um do tipo “Amarelo” (Goldex), outro do tipo “Pele de Sapo” (Grand Prix), avaliando também a seletividade e eficácia de herbicidas aplicados na pré-emergência. A determinação da época de controle foi realizada durante os anos de 2016 e 2017, sendo os tratamentos arranjados em esquema de parcelas subdivididas, com as parcelas constituídas pelos tipos de melão (Amarelo e Pele de sapo) e as subparcelas da duração dos períodos de convivência ou controle das plantas daninhas. Para avaliar a seletividade e a eficácia de herbicidas, um experimento foi realizado em delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram as aplicações dos herbicidas Flumioxazine (35 g i.a. ha-1 ), Flumioxazine (25 g i.a. ha-1 ), Sulfrentrazone (250 g i.a. ha-1 ), Metribuzin (480 g i.a. ha-1 ), Oxyfluorfen (240 g i.a. ha-1), Oxyfluorfen+S-metolachlor (240 g i.a. ha-1+960 g i.a. ha-1 ), Clomazone (360 g i.a. ha-1 ) e Clomazone+Oxyfluorfen (360 g i.a. ha-1+240 g i.a. ha-1 ), em préemergência das plantas daninhas. A presença de plantas daninhas reduziu em 52% a produtividade dos híbridos de melão. O cultivo de melão favoreceu o estabelecimento de espécies trepadeiras, como a Merremia aegyptia. O controle de plantas daninhas deve ser iniciado entre a primeira e segunda semanas e a duração deverá ser de aproximadamente 42 dias, considerando a perda de produtividade de 5%. Os herbicidas metribuzin, ametryn e diuron causam a morte da cultura do melão. As aplicações de clomazone e da combinação clomazone + oxyfluorfen foram os tratamentos mais eficientes no controle das plantas daninhas presentes na área de estudo, com baixos efeitos fitotóxicos e menor variação de rendimento do melão
Análise dos atributos quali-quantitativos da água em microbacia perene do Semiárido brasileiro
Authors:   , Oliveira Júnior Raimundo Fernandes de
Published: December 2024

O monitoramento de atributos de qualidade de água de nascentes e de seus cursos d’água

em microbacias hidrográficas é fundamental para a compreensão da dinâmica entre o uso e

ocupação do solo e a demanda hídrica pelos usos múltiplos. Logo, analisar e diagnosticar a

variabilidade espaço-temporal desses atributos é um passo importante ao prognóstico dos recursos

hídricos e base para tomada de decisões na gestão integrada destes. A estatística multivariada tem

contribuído cada vez mais nas pesquisas de atributos qualitativos da água em microbacias

hidrográficas. Por isso, essa pesquisa objetivou avaliar a influência da ação antrópica na qualidade

e quantidade de água em nascente e riacho perene de uma microbacia hidrográfica no semiárido

brasileiro, utilizando-se da estatística multivariada para selecionar as características físicoquímicas e biologicas mais importantes na variabilidade da qualidade da água. A microbacia do

estudo pertence ao médio curso da bacia hidrográfica do rio Apodi-Mossoró, localizada no oeste

do estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Foi realizado um monitoramento espaço-temporal da qualidade

da água na microbacia do Riacho da Bica no período de 2016 a 2018, perfazendo 15 campanhas

de coletas, para o diagnóstico dos atributos de qualidade da água. Foi possível observar que ao

longo do Riacho da Bica, houve influências antrópicas e naturais na qualidade e quantidade da

água. A água da microbacia hidrográfica do Riacho da Bica foi classificada para fins de irrigação

como médio risco de salinidade e de sodicidade no período chuvoso, na estação seca foi de baixo

risco de salinidade e de alto risco de sodicidade. A aplicação da estatística multivariada, gerou

através da análise de componentes principais e fatorial, quatro componentes principais através dos

quais foi possível identificar os principais atributos que explicam a variabilidade da qualidade de

água na microbacia