bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Necessary Feminisation of the Hegelian Dialectic
Authors: Maciejewska Małgorzata Anna
Published: August 2022

By claiming that self-consciousness exists only as recognized, Hegel undermined the paradigm of the autonomous subject. But since in western culture autonomy is paired with masculinity, it follows that what Hegel proposes is in fact a feminisation of our notion of subjectivity. His misogyny, however, prevents him from noticing this, and in his description of the ethical state he reinstates the masculine, self-subsistent subjectivity as the model of the citizen and excludes women from the public sphere, which leads to inconsistencies in his theoretical project. I argue that this is the result of denying women recognition so that men could have the love and care guaranteed in order to uphold their illusion of autonomy, which jeopardizes the idea of the ethical state. In this way, both Hegelian insights and his blind spots provide us with tools for the analysis of contemporary democracies struggling with the inheritance of liberal contract theories and capitalist (ir)rationality.
The Body of the Other: Hegel on the Relational Structure of Corporeality
Authors: Pieroni Silvia
Published: August 2022

What role does the body play in the subject’s formation and in interpersonal exchanges? Does the body merely perform an instrumental function, or can it claim to be a subject of freedom? Thinking of the body within the framework of intersubjectivity requires reassessing the bulk of the philosophical Western tradition. Form the ﬁrst-person’s perspective endorsed by this tradition, the exteriority of the body has been reduced to a weakness of human nature. Starting from Hegel’s account of the soul-body relation, as presented in the Anthropology, as well as some interpretations of “Lordship and Bondage” on the role of the body in self-doubling (Butler, Malabou, McDowell, Stekeler-Weithofer), I argue that embodiment is a process of (inter)subjectivation. Thematizing the predicative structure of corporeality, Hegel turns the constitutive exteriority of the human body into a potentiality of openness. Hence, Hegel’s dialectic of immediacy and mediation leads to thinking of the body’s universality in opposition to a monadic conception of subjectivity.
Prospects for construction of the Northern Latitudinal Railway
Authors:   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT), Samuylov Valeriy M. , Tkacheva Tatyana N. ,   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT), Leushin Vasily A. ,   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT), Rakitina Kamilla A. ,   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT), Grebenchikova Vlada A. ,   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT)
Published: August 2022

The article considers the prospects for construction of the Northern Latitudinal railway, which will reduce the length of routes to the European part of Russia, accelerate the movement of goods, optimize the loading of the Russian Railways railway network and connect the largest settlements of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area with infrastructure. The construction of the Northern Latitudinal Railway will become a powerful incentive for development of natural gas liquefaction enterprises, strengthen the country’s position in the Arctic, and accelerate the development of the Northern Sea Route.
Regarding the life cycle of a freight railcar wheelset
Authors:   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT), Smolyaninov Alexander V. , Karmatsky Vitaly F. ,   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT), Volkov Denis V. ,   Ural state university of railway transport (USURT)
Published: August 2022

The article notes that the main share of the costs for maintaining a fleet of freight cars falls on their current, depot and overhaul repairs. The cost of car repairing is significantly affected by the increase in prices for wheels, new and overhauled wheelsets. The paper explores ways to reduce these costs by increasing the life cycle of the wheelset and extending its service life. The proposals of a number of authors are analyzed to increase the hardness on the surface of the rolling wheel, to reduce the wear of the wheel crest, to make changes to the repair documentation, to introduce new IT services into the car repair production. Issues of the use of blockchain technology for management of the life cycle of wheelsets are considered. Proposals are given for participation of the university scientific community in solving the identified problematic issues.
Relationship between the condyle morphology and clinical findings in terms of gender, age, and remaining teeth on cone beam computed tomography images
Authors: Daneshmehr Shiva , Razi Tahmineh , Razi Sedigheh
Published: August 2022

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between clinical findings and some factors such as age, gender, and remaining teeth on the anatomy of the temporomandibular joint in order to diagnose normal variations from abnormal cases. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of 144 patients referring to Tabriz Dental School for various reasons were selected and evaluated. The different aspects of the clinical parameters and the morphology of the condyle were evaluated on coronal, axial, and sagittal views. The CBCT prepared using the axial cross-sections had been 0.5 mm in thickness. The sagittal cross-sections had been evaluated perpendicular to the lengthy axis of the condyle at a thickness of 1 mm and the coronal cross-sections had been evaluated parallel to the lengthy axis of the condyle at a thickness of 1 mm. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistical methods and t-test, chi-squared test, using SPSS 20. The significance level of the study was p < 0.05. Results: There was a significant relationship between the condyle morphology, number of the teeth, and mastication side (p = 0.040). There were significant relationships between the condyle morphology, age between 20-40, and occlusion class I on the all the three views (coronal, axial, sagittal) (p = 0.04), (p = 0.006), (p = 0.006). Also, significant relationships were found in the condyle morphology and location of pain according to age, the number of remaining teeth, and gender. (p = 0.046) (p = 0.027) (p = 0.035). Conclusion: There are significant relationships between the clinical symptoms and condyle morphology based on age, gender, and the number of remaining teeth. The clinical finding that has the most significant relationship between the condyle morphology, remaining teeth (9-16 teeth), all of the age range (20-80 year), and gender was mastication side.
Investigation of Interleukin-38 in patients with primary Sjögren’s Syndrome
Authors: GÜLTUNA Selcan , CAN Sevinc , AYDİN Fevzi Nuri
Published: August 2022

Aim: Interleukin-38 has been involved as an inflammatory mediator in rheumatic diseases. However, little is known about the role of IL-38 in the development of primary Sjögren’s syndrome. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of IL-38 in primary Sjögren’s syndrome and its clinical relevance.

Material and Method:Between 2019 and 2020, 40 patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome and 39 healthy participants were included in the study. The serum IL-38 level was measured by ELISA in all participants. The serum levels of IL-38 were compared with clinical and laboratory features.

Results:The serum IL-38 levels between the patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome and the controls were similar (58.0 pg/ml, min-max: 0-641.0 vs. 55.0 ng/ml, min-max: 0-338.0; p=0.511). No significant correlations were found between serum IL-38 level and SSDAI (r=-0.104, p=0.523). IL-38 level was mildly negatively correlated with RF (r=-0.364, p=0.021) and positively correlated with CRP (r=0.321, p= 0.044).

Conclusion:The correlation of IL-38 with CRP and RF should be considered because it might be important clues for contribution to the disease process. IL-38 might be relevant to the heterogeneous nature of PSS and the future role of IL-38 might be a biomarker for specific clinical manifestations of pSS.
Nadir Hastalıklarda WES Analizi ile Saptanan Genetik Varyantlar
Authors: GORUKMEZ Ozlem
Published: August 2022

Next-generation sequencing tests have become a part of the diagnostic process in most fields of medicine. Especially with whole-exome sequencing (WES) studies, the rate of diagnosis has increased in rare hereditary diseases. In this study, we aimed to present the results together with the clinical findings of 65 cases whose diseases are suspected to be of genetic origin. Between 2016 and 2019, patients who underwent WES testing in Bursa Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital Medical Genetics Unit were retrospectively screened and included in the study with their analysis results and clinical findings. In 27 of the 65 cases (41.5 %) included in the study, 30 significant variants were found in relation to their clinical findings. Twenty of these variants (66.7 %) have not been previously reported in literature. Rare diseases encountered in patients within a wide age range, from the fetus to 66 years of age, are presented along with their clinical findings and WES results. Thus, this study contributes to the mutation spectrum of hereditary diseases.
ℋ∞ leader-following consensus of multi-agent systems with channel fading under switching topologies: a semi-Markov kernel approach
Authors: Yang Haoyue , Zhao Hao , Wang Zhuping , Zhou Xuemei
Published: August 2022

This paper focuses on the leader-following consensus problem of discrete-time multi-agent systems subject to channel fading under switching topologies. First, a topology switching-based channel fading model is established to describe the information fading of the communication channel among agents, which also considers the channel fading from leader to follower and from follower to follower. It is more general than models in the existing literature that only consider follower-to-follower fading. For discrete multi-agent systems, the existing literature usually adopts time series or Markov process to characterize topology switching while ignoring the more general semi-Markov process. Based on the advantages and properties of semi-Markov processes, discrete semi-Markov jump processes are adopted to model network topology switching. Then, the semi-Markov kernel approach for handling discrete semi-Markov jumping systems is exploited and some novel sufficient conditions to ensure the leader-following mean square consensus of closed-loop systems are derived. Furthermore, the distributed consensus protocol is proposed by means of the stochastic Lyapunov stability theory so that the underlying systems can achieve ℋ∞ consensus performance index. In addition, the proposed method is extended to the scenario where the semi-Markov kernel of semi-Markov switching topologies is not completely accessible. Finally, a simulation example is given to verify the results proposed in this paper. Compared with the existing literature, the method in this paper is more effective and general.
Performance analysis for wireless-powered IoT networks with hybrid non-orthogonal multiple access
Authors: Qi Huiwen , Peng Yingsheng , Zhang Han
Published: August 2022

Aim: In this paper, we study a wireless-powered Internet of Things (IoT) network, where a hybrid access point (HAP) charges IoT devices with wireless energy transfer technology (WET) and collects their data by wireless information transfer (WIT). Methods: To improve spectral efficiency, we propose a hybrid non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA)-based transmission scheme. On the one hand, NOMA technology is applied for WIT. On the other hand, when some devices transmit data, the HAP can simultaneously charge the other devices, namely concurrent WET and WIT, such that the other devices can harvest more energy to achieve a better rate with some rate loss of these devices due to interference. %During the transmission of some devices, the WET is simultaneously conducted, such that other devices can harvest more energy to achieve a better rate with a rate loss of these devices due to the interference. How to divide devices into the interference and non-interference groups, namely device grouping, and how to pair devices, e.g., device pairing, becomes critical issues in terms of the achieved network throughput and fairness. Results: We first formulate the network throughput maximization problem by optimizing the pairing and grouping policies. To simplify the analysis, we then investigate two specific hybrid NOMA-based transmission schemes. In the former, all devices are firstly paired based on the max-min criterion, where the "best" device is paired with the "worst" one, and then grouped in either ascending or descending order; this is referred to as the first-pairing-then-grouping (FPTG) scheme. In the latter, devices are first grouped and then paired; this is referred to as the first-grouping-then-pairing (FGTP) scheme. By applying the order statistics theory, we theoretically analyze the achieved network throughput and derive the corresponding pairing and grouping policies. Furthermore, we study the max-min fairness of the proposed hybrid NOMA-based scheme. Conclusion: Simulation results validate the significant improvement of the proposed hybrid NOMA-based scheme in terms of network throughput and fairness.
Presidential Management and Budgeting from War to Peace: Truman’s First Budget Director, Harold D. Smith, 1945–1946
Authors: Lee Mordecai
Published: August 2022

This article provides a glimpse into cutback management long before the term came into use. The end of World War II was a major transitional stage in public administration, including demobilization, abolishing wartime agencies, and cutting military spending. It also included the need for novel governmental structures to deal with new subjects emanating from the war, including how to govern atomic energy, how to administer science research, merging the military services, and a policymaking structure to implement the goal of full employment. As Truman’s budget director and de facto manager-in-chief of the executive branch, Harold D. Smith was at the crossroads of practically everything from April 1945 to June 1946. What did he do and how did it do it?
Robust Product Design: A Modern View of Quality Engineering in Manufacturing Systems
Authors: Parnianifard Amir
Published: August 2022

One of the main technological and economic challenges for an engineer is designing high-quality products in manufacturing processes. Most of these processes involve a large number of variables included the setting of controllable (design) and uncontrollable (noise) variables. Robust Design (RD) method uses a collection of mathematical and statistical tools to study a large number of variables in the process with a minimum value of computational cost. Robust design method tries to make high-quality products according to customers’ viewpoints with an acceptable profit margin. This paper aims to provide a brief up-to-date review of the latest development of RD method particularly applied in manufacturing systems. The basic concepts of the quality loss function, orthogonal array, and crossed array design are explained. According to robust design approach, two classifications are presented, first for different types of factors, and second for different types of data. This classification plays an important role in determining the number of necessity replications for experiments and choose the best method for analyzing data. In addition, the combination of RD method with some other optimization methods applied in designing and optimizing of processes are discussed.
Design and Implementation of a Time-Restricted Feeding Intervention in a Randomized, Controlled Feeding Study
Authors: White Karen , Wu Beiwen , Pilla Scott J. , Charleston Jeanne , Maw May Thu Thu , Appel Lawrence J. , Clark Jeanne M , Maruthur Nisa M
Published: August 2022

The efficacy of time-restricted feeding for weight loss has not been established as prior studies were limited by lack of controlled isocaloric designs. This study describes the design and implementation of a controlled feeding study evaluating time-restricted feeding. We designed a randomized, controlled, parallel-arm, feeding study comparing time restricted feeding (TRF) to a usual feeding pattern (UFP) for the primary outcome of weight change. Participants were aged 18-69 years with prediabetes and obesity. TRF consumed 80% of calories by 1300, and UFP consumed ≥50% of calories after 1700. Both arms consumed identical macro- and micro-nutrients, based on a healthy palatable diet. We calculated individual calorie requirements which were maintained throughout the intervention. We randomized 41 participants who all completed the study. The desired distribution of calories across feeding windows in both arms was achieved, as were weekly averages for macronutrients and micronutrients. All randomized participants completed the study. We actively monitored participants and adapted diets to facilitate adherence. We provide the first report, to our knowledge, on the design and implementation of a feeding study that isolated the effect of meal timing on weight, while maintaining constant caloric intake and identical diets during the study period.
Almost Global Pullback Attraction In Non-Autonomous Systems
Authors: Karabacak Özkan
Published: August 2022

This short report contains a result that characterizes almost global pullback attractor of discrete-time non-autonomous systems. Analogously to the multiple Lyapunov functions approach for switched systems, we show here that existence of multiple Lyapunov densities implies pullback convergence of almost all initial states to the origin for a discrete-time non-autonomous system.
Smartphone App Usage Patterns for Trip Planning Purposes and Their Stated Impacts in The City of Bhopal, India
Authors: Gupta Sanjay , Sinha Kushagra
Published: August 2022

With considerable growth in the Information & Communication Technologies, several smartphone-based mobility platforms have already sprung up and they have the potential of transforming the mobility ecosystem completely. However, mobility-based smartphone app usage pattern across various user groups in Indian cities is unknown, and this knowledge is vital for introducing new consolidated apps-based services. Therefore, using primary data from a survey carried out in Bhopal (India), this article analyses the usage pattern of smartphone apps for trip planning activities and travel outcomes across various user groups at the personal and household level. The research offers empirical indication of relationships between smartphone app usage for trip planning (like departure time, choosing a destination, choosing the mode, se-lecting route, communicating, and coordinating trips, and performing tasks online instead of visiting) and resulting travel outcomes including vehicle kilometers travelled (for purposes like work/education, shopping, and recreation), social gathering, new place visits and group trips. The chi-square test has been used to test and interpret several socioeconomic variables that could in-fluence this relationship, such as gender, age, income, etc. This study's findings provide important behavioral insights that may be useful in policy discussions.
Diverse CT Findings of Pulmonary Infection in Patients with Kidney Diseases under Immunosuppressive Therapy or on Maintenance Hemodialysis
Authors: Zhou Shuai , Liu XiaoMing , Hu PeiHua , Liu HuiNing , Wang Yong , Zhang LiHong , Wang Tao
Published: August 2022

Patients under immunosuppressive therapy for kidney diseases or on maintenance hemodialysis are more susceptible to infection than the general population since loss of renal function per se was an immunocompromised condition. Of relevance, CT imaging plays a crucial role in the detection and management of pulmonary infectious diseases. We hence presented diverse CT findings of pulmonary infections in the above said patients collected during our arduous work against a wide range of pathogens including klebsiella pneumoniae, staphylococcus aureus, candida parapsilosis, aspergillus, cryptococcus, mucor, pneumocystis carinii, cytomegalovirus, mycobacterium and nocardia. Notably, the pulmonary pathological changes were either primary pneumonia or secondary to the catheter-associated bloodstream infection. For a descriptive purpose, pulmonary manifestations of Wegener’s granuloma, lung cancer and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage/infection in vasculitis were also examined. As such, we retrospectively elaborated most likely CT features of each individual pathogen and briefly covered the differential diagnosis as well. Arguably, combination of pattern recognition with knowledge of the clinical setting could make a presumptive diagnosis and early treatment even more convenient. From the experience of first-line nephrologists, our work could make a substantial contribution to the expeditious and efficacious management of pulmonary infections in the pertinent patient population.
Siri 2.0 - Conversational Commerce of Social Bots and its Legal Implications
Authors: Gesmann-Nuissl Dagmar , Meyer Stefanie
Published: August 2022

The possibilities and reach of social networks are increasing, the designs are becoming more diverse, and the ideas more visionary. Most recently, the former company “Facebook” announced the creation of a metaverse. With these technical possibilities, however, the danger of fraudsters is also growing. Using social bots, consumers are increasingly influenced on such platforms and business transactions are brought about through communication, i.e. conversational commerce. Minors or the elderly are particularly susceptible. This technical development is accompanied by a legal one: it is permitted by the Digital Services Directive and the Sale of Goods Directive to demand the provision of data as consideration for the sale of digital products. This raises legal problems at the level of the law of obligations and data protection law, whose regulations are intended to protect the aforementioned groups of individuals. This protection becomes even more important the more manipulative consumers are influenced by communicative bots. We show that there is a lack of knowledge about what objective data value can have in business transactions. Sufficient transparency of an objective data value can maintain legal protection, especially of vulnerable groups, and ensure the purpose of the laws.
Certification of Almost Global Phase Synchronization of Coupled Oscillators
Authors: Kudeyt Mahmut , Kıvılcım Ayşegül , Köksal Ersöz Elif , Karabacak Özkan
Published: August 2022

Phase synchronization of weakly coupled limit cycle oscillators are related to the stability of the zero solution of the reduced-order dynamics of phase differences, represented by a systems of differential equations on a hypertorus. Using Rantzer's density function, a dual form of Lyapunov function, we propose a method to certify almost global stability of an equilibrium on a hypertorus. We show that the proposed method can certify robustness of phase synchronization of all-to-all and weakly coupled limit cycle oscillators with respect to disturbances in phases. The method leverages sum of squares polynomial optimization to construct the certification function.
Cloud-native Observability: The Many-faceted Benefits of Structured and Unified Logging - A Case Study
Authors: Kratzke Nane
Published: August 2022

Background: Cloud-native software systems often have a much more decentralized structure and many independently deployable and (horizontally) scalable components, making it more complicated to create a shared and consolidated picture of the overall decentralized system state. Today, observability is often understood as a triad of collecting and processing metrics, distributed tracing data, and logging. The result is often a complex observability system composed of three stovepipes whose data is difficult to correlate. Objective: This study analyzes whether these three historically emerged observability stovepipes of logs, metrics and distributed traces could be handled more integrated and with a more straightforward instrumentation approach. Method: This study applied an action research methodology used mainly in industry-academia collaboration and common in software engineering. The research design utilized iterative action research cycles, including one long-term use case. Results: This study presents a unified logging library for Python and a unified logging architecture that uses the structured logging approach. The evaluation shows that several thousand events per minute are easily processable. Conclusion: The results indicate that a unification of the current observability triad is possible without the necessity to develop utterly new toolchains.
Gender and Olds’ Advice in Written Signs: A Pragmatic Study
Authors: Shukur Salah Hadi , Ali Shurooq Abboodi
Published: August 2022

Giving advice refers to an attempt by the speaker to express what the addressee should do in a particular situation or what is good for him/her. It is also a feature of making social relations and communications move smoothly and become stronger. The current study aims to investigate the strategies of the speech act of advice by old females and males for the younger generation in written signs. Comparison is made between old females and males regarding their pragmatic use of advice and the way they are manifested in expressing gender identity differences. The sample of the study consists of (30) written signs of advice divided equally between the two gender groups. Hinkel’s (1997) classification of the strategies for perceiving the speech act of advice is adopted to code the data of the current study. The results show that females’ advice-giving strategies are more varied than males although the two gender groups rely heavily on one basic strategy. Besides, age, as another social variable, appears to have a major role in shaping the strategy used by old people in giving advice and that gender identity is best reflected in lexical choices of emotional words, especially by females.
Recapping: effective pedagogy to ensure inclusivity and optimise learning and teaching experiences
Authors:   University of Greenwich, Chu Duyen , Nguyen Hien ,   London South Bank University
Published: August 2022

Recaps have long been used in the media industry, where they have been found to be effective in supporting viewers’ understanding and recall of information. More recently, recaps have been explored in educational settings. This study examines whether recapping can support inclusivity and help to optimise learning and teaching experiences in the context of a business school in a widening participation university. We applied a mixed-method approach to collect data from both students and instructors. We used questionnaires to capture quantitatively their perceptions about recapping and semi-structured interviews to explore their opinions in more depth. Our findings indicate that recapping is perceived as an effective pedagogical approach that can improve learning experience of students, teaching experience of teachers and ensure a more inclusive environment. The research makes both theoretical and methodological contributions to the literature.
Study on Simplified Dynamic Flexible Variable Structure PD Composite Control of Continuous Rotary Motor System Based on Friction Torque Compensation
Authors: wang xiaojing , Feng Yaming , Bai Bocheng
Published: August 2022

Aiming at the influence of uncertain nonlinear factors such as frictional interference on the control performance of the continuous rotary electro-hydraulic servo motor system, the motor system model and its friction torque model are established in this paper. Combined with controllers, genetic algorithm is used for parameter tuning, and a simplified dynamic flexible variable structure PD composite control strategy based on friction feedforward compensation is determined. The simulation and experimental results show that the simplified dynamic flexible variable structure PD composite controller can improve the performance of ultra-low speed and high frequency response of continuous rotary electro-hydraulic servo motor, which has better control accuracy.
Identification of potential biomarkers for colorectal cancer by bioinformatics analysis and analysis of associated survival by Kaplan-Meier curves
Authors: Li Chongyang , Gao Ying , Lu Chunlei , Guo Mingxiao
Published: August 2022

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. A large number of studies have been carried out to elucidate its pathogenesis, but the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of CRC remain unclear. Due to the poor clinical outcomes, it is indispensable to investigate novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of CRC.Objective: The aim of this study is to explore key genes as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of CRC for clinical utility.Methods: In order to identify and screen candidate genes in CRC carcinogenesis and disease progression, we downloaded microarray datasets GSE89076, GSE73360, GSE32323 from the GEO database, identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and performed functional enrichment analysis. A protein-protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed, and correlated module analysis was performed using STRING and Cytoscape. Results: 329 DEGs were identified, including 264 up-regulated genes and 65 down-regulated genes. DEGs' rich functions and pathways include the mitotic cell cycle, DNA damage and replication, chromosome correction, replication fork formation, protein recruitment, and meiosis-related processes. 47 Hub genes were identified, and biological process analysis showed that these genes were mainly enriched in the re-cell division, and during the cell cycle, survival analysis showed that CDK1, PCNA and CCNB1 might be involved in CRC carcinogenesis invasion and recurrence. Conclusion: The hub genes identified in this study contribute to our understanding of the molecular and pathogenic mechanisms of CRC carcinogenesis and progression and provide possible candidate targets for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.
Topical Nigella Sativa product: A new candidate for the management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Authors: Khodaie Seyed-Ali , Nikkhah Haniyeh , Namiranian Nasim , Abotorabi Marzie , Askari Maryam , Khalilzadeh Saeed Hosein , Aghda Amidoddin khatibi , kamalinejad mohammad
Published: August 2022

Background: Diabetic neuropathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes. The synthetic drugs available in the market have side effects and limitations for diabetic patients, the vast majority of whom are in the upper age group. In this regard, based on Persian medicinal sources, Nigella Sativa (N. sativa) has proved to have beneficial effects on nerve-originated pain and neurological disorders. In this study, the effect of N. sativa is investigated topically in patients with diabetic neuropathy, and the results are compared with gabapentin capsules.Method: This study was performed as a double-blind clinical trial on 120 neuropathic patients. The patients were divided into three groups. The first group received a topical N. sativa product as an ointment, the second group was given a topical placebo and the third received 300 mg gabapentin capsules. The blindness was done in first and second groups. The patients were evaluated for eight weeks using the Michigan Response Questionnaire.Results: The data were elicited from the patients' answers to a number of questions in the Michigan questionnaire. There were statistically significant differences between the group that received the topical N. sativa product and the other two groups in terms of legs and feet numbness (p-value = 0.00), burning pain in feet or legs (p-value = 0.00), muscle cramps in feet or legs (p-value = 0.00), prickling fleeing in feet or legs (p-value = 0.00), hurting of the skin when the bed covers touch it (p-value = .005), aggravated symptoms at night (p-value = 0.00) and hurting feelings in the legs when walking (p-value = .0327). However, the three studied groups were not statistically different in distinguishing hot water from cold water.Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the topical use of N. sativa, compared to the current drugs, has acceptable improving effects on diabetic neuropathic patients.
Successful Regression of Newly Formed Corneal Neovascularization by Subconjunctival Injection of Bevacizumab in Patients with Chemical Burns
Authors: Peng Wen-yan , Yin Xiao-fang , Zhou Tao , Zhou Binbing , Zhou Shi-you
Published: August 2022

Purpose: To investigate the effect and timing of subconjunctival bevacizumab injection on inhibiting corneal neovascularization (CNV) in patients after chemical burns.Methods: Patients with CNV secondary to chemical burns were involved. Two subconjunctival injections of bevacizumab (2.5 mg/0.1 mL per involved quadrant) with an interval of four weeks were administered, and followed up a year. The area occupied by neovascular vessels (NA), accumulative neovascular length (NL), mean neovascular diameter (ND), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and intraocular pressure (IOP) were evaluated. Results: Eleven patients with CNV were involved. Eight patients had a history of surgery (four had amniotic grafts, one had keratoplasty, and three had amniotic grafts and keratoplasty). Decreasing in NA, NL, and ND were statistically significant at each time point compared to the baseline (p < 0.01). CNV that developed within one month was considerably regressed, and vessels with fibrovascular membranes were found to be narrower and shorter than pretreatment. BCVA improved in five patients (from one to five lines), remained unchanged in five patients, and decreased in one patient compared to pretreatment.Conclusion: Subconjunctival bevacizumab injection has a particular potential for the regression of CNV, especially within one month in patients after chemical burns.
Determining the Most Effective Way of Intervention in Forest Fires With Fuzzy Logic Modeling: The Case of Antalya/turkey
Authors: Ermiş Temel , Karakoyun Mete Hakan , Awan Muhammad Wasim
Published: August 2022

Forest fires in various parts of the world cause irreversible environmental and economic losses due to the increase in global warming. Determining the risk levels of forest fires is very important in terms of minimizing the negative effects of this fire disaster. In this context, the aim of this study is to mathematically model forest fires from January 2020 to January 2021 in Antalya/Türkiye region with Fuzzy Logic approach. The model has been created with the climatic and topographic characteristics of the region and the Fuzzy Logic approach. The results obtained from the Fuzzy Logic approach have been compared with the real data and it has been shown that the results are 84% compatible in this model. As a result, with the risk assessments to be made thanks to this model, the most effective intervention will be made in a possible forest fire. What we mean by the most effective intervention here is to determine which vehicle group will be used according to the degree of risk of the fire. As a result of all these, a serious contribution will be made to overcome the struggle against a possible forest fire disaster and to ensure the sustainability of nature.MSC Classification: 90C26, 91B30, 91B06, 90C26
Factors influencing the flare of inflammatory markers after drainage of obstruction for patients with obstructive urosepsis
Authors: Huang Baoxing , Lu Guoliang , Tu Weichao , Shao Yuan , Wang Dawei , Xu Danfeng
Published: August 2022

Objective: To analyze risk factors associated with the flare of inflammatory markers after drainage of obstruction for patients with obstructive urosepsis(OUs) and evaluate the laboratory tests for early judgement of patients’ outcome.Methods We conducted a retrospective study including patients with OUs who received surgical decompression of obstruction in our center between February 2017and January 2022.All patients were categorized into two groups based on whether inflammatory markers flare or not after relief of obstruction. Analysis of patients’ characteristics, manner of decompression and laboratory tests were performed. Results A total of 81 patients were enrolled in this study and we identified 43 cases(53.9%) with serum leukocytes flare. The only risk factor for the flare of serum leukocytes in multivariate analyses was shock（OR=9.116,95%CI=3.028-27.438,P＜0.001）. The receiver operating characteristic curve of multivariate model showed an area of 0.796，95%CI 0.699-0.893,P＜0.001. Patients with shock were found to flare significantly more frequently when compared to those without shock for neutrophil (NEUT)（OR=6.324,95%CI=2.103-19.011,P＝0.001）and serum creatinine(Scr)（OR=2.714,95%CI=2.022-3.643,P＝0.009. Outcome analysis suggested that decreased Scr acted as a leading indicator for the early remission of sepsis（n=76，93.8%）.Conclusion The flare of leukocytes after drainage of obstruction may reflect the dysregulated migration of neutrophils caused by severe urosepsis rather than the results of decompressed procedure or exacerbated retrograde infection. Decreased serum creatinine may serve as an ideal predictor for the early detection of remission.
Role of Garbage Classification in Air Pollution Improvement of a Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Base
Authors: Gao Song , Ge Xiang , Li Yuewu , Yang Yong , Duan Yusen , Fu Qingyan , Zhang Shuwei , Yang Xuechun , Jiao Zheng
Published: August 2022

Assessing the impact of garbage classification on air pollution in rapidly developing economic regions is particularly necessary in light of the current policy trends. We evaluated the resulting changes in air pollution levels before and after garbage classification based on a three-year field observation using high-resolution online instruments in a municipal solid waste comprehensive disposal base. A new method is proposed to quantify the impact of major sources in a complex multi-source environment. We found that the concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient air decreased by 48% and 43% respectively after garbage classification, and their spike frequency was controlled at approximately 0.01. The average H2S and VOC concentrations were generally low during the daytime, but relatively high during the nighttime because of meteorology and photochemistry. The ozone formation potential of the base decreased by 56%. Alternatively, emissions from transportation and combustion sources increased, while landfill pollution decreased owing to changes in the method of waste disposal. This finding suggests that garbage classification is an effective means of improving the air quality. This new quantification method has a good potential in actual research scenarios.
Trimethylamine, a gut bacteria metabolite and air pollutant, increases blood pressure and markers of kidney damage including proteinuria and KIM-1 in rats.
Authors: Maksymiuk Klaudia , Szudzik Mateusz , Kopczyńska Marta Gawryś - , Onyszkiewicz Maksymilian , Samborowska Emilia , Mogilnicka Izabella , Ufnal Marcin
Published: August 2022

Background
trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) is a biomarker in cardiovascular and renal diseases. TMAO originates from the oxidation of trimethylamine (TMA), a product of gut microbiota and manufacturing industries-derived pollutant, by flavin monooxygenases (FMOs). The effect of chronic exposure to TMA on cardiovascular and renal systems is undetermined.
Methods
metabolic, hemodynamic, echocardiographic, biochemical and histopathological evaluations were performed in 12-week-old male SPRD rats receiving water (controls) or TMA (200 or 500 µM/day) in water for 18 weeks. TMA and TMAO levels, the expression of FMOs and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) genes were evaluated in various tissues.
Results
in comparison to controls, rats receiving TMA had significantly increased arterial blood pressure, urine protein to creatinine ratio, urine KIM-1 levels, and hypertrophy of the tunica media of arteries and arterioles. Mild degeneration of renal bodies with glomerulosclerosis was also observed. There was no significant difference between the three groups in body weight, water-electrolyte balance, echocardiographic parameters and RAS expression. TMA groups had marginally increased 24hr TMA urine excretion, whereas serum levels and 24hr TMAO urine excretion were increased up to 24-fold, and significantly increased TMAO levels in the liver, kidneys and heart. TMA groups had lower FMOs expression in the kidneys.
Conclusions
chronic exposure to TMA increases blood pressure and increases markers of kidney damage, including proteinuria and KIM-1. TMA is rapidly oxidized to TMAO in rats, which may limit the toxic effects of TMA.
Pre-pregnancy BMI and pregnancy anxiety in women with gestational diabetes mellitus: mediating effects of blood glucose and lipid levels1
Authors: Ouyang Hong , Wu Na
Published: August 2022

Background: Body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy and blood glucose and lipid levels during and before pregnancy are associated with anxiety among pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). No study has further explored the relationship between these factors. Our study is the first to explore the effects of blood glucose and lipids on the relationship between BMI and anxiety in pregnant women with GDM using mediation analysis.Methods: Pregnant women diagnosed with GDM after completing the oral glucose tolerance test during pregnancy were followed up from January 2019 to December 2021. Collecting basic information including age, education level, annual family income, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational age, history of abortion, family history of anxiety and diabetes, sleep status, and other information. Results: After adjusting for relevant influencing factors, Pre-pregnancy BMI, FBG, HbA1c, 2hPG, and TG were still significantly correlated with the pregnancy anxiety scores . The results of the mediating effect model suggested that pre-pregnancy BMI significantly influenced the pregnancy anxiety scores in women with GDM (P<0.001); FBG, 2hPG, HbA1c, and TG significantly mediated the effect of BMI on the pregnancy anxiety scores, respectively, and played a partial mediator role between BMI and the pregnancy anxiety scores of pregnant women with GDM.Conclusion: Pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with pregnancy anxiety among pregnant women with GDM. High BMI before pregnancy can lead to increased anxiety . Blood glucose and lipid levels during pregnancy play a part in the influence of BMI before pregnancy on anxiety .
The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota are related to radiation enteritis: A systematic review
Authors: Tian Xue , Zhang Zitong , Huang Xiaoxue , Wang Qiaoxuan , Chang Hui , Xiao Weiwei , Zeng Zhifan , Gao Yuanhong
Published: August 2022

Background: The intent of this article is to review the advances in pre-clinical or clinical research probing into the relationship between the gut microbiome and radiation enteritis. Methods: Combinations of keywords with Boolean operators were used to identify relevant documents retrieved from PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Results: A considerable number of studies have shown that the intestinal flora interacts with treatment related side effects. The diversity and composition of gut microbiota prior to radiotherapy are linked to treatment toxicity. Radiotherapy leads to changes in the diversity and abundance of intestinal flora and alters the intestinal flora microenvironment. Conclusions: Dysbiosis caused by radiation increases the bowel’s susceptibility to injury, promotes the occurrence and development of radiation enteritis, ultimately affecting the outcomes of cancer therapy. It requires further exploration and elaboration of the occurrence and progression mechanisms so as to fundamentally reduce the incidence and severity of radiation enteritis.
Practical Training in Clinical Ethics Consultation Using Immersive Role-play
Authors: Udagawa Makoto , Takimoto Yoshiyuki
Published: August 2022

Although the need for clinical ethics consultation (CEC) is widely recognized, Japan still lacks proper functioning of effective CECs. One of the reasons for this is the lack of a practical training system for CEC. Although seminars on clinical ethics have been held in Japan, unfortunately, none of them provide training in the ability to respond flexibly in clinical settings, which is essential for CEC. Furthermore, given the current situation in Japan, where even large hospitals receive only a few CEC requests per year, it is difficult to shadow learn CEC provided by experienced clinical ethics consultants on the site. Therefore, we developed “Immersive Role-play (IR)” to ensure practical training opportunities on CEC. The IR is the application of a new theater technique, immersive theater, to role-play learning, characterized by the high fidelity use of studios and actors and the dynamic realism of its scenario progression, which deepens the immersive experience. We designed the IR to enable learners to gain experiential learning of practical CEC points, such as (a) importance of narrative, (b) fragmentation of information, (c) variability of information, and (d) importance of communication through IR.We conducted a seminar on CEC, including IR, for healthcare professionals during 2016–2019. A questionnaire was administered to the attendees regarding the educational effectiveness of IR after the completion of all annual seminars. The responses were recorded anonymously, using a 4-point Likert scale to answer questions about their satisfaction with IR and their perception of learning effectiveness. They were also asked about the effectiveness of IR and areas for improvement.The questionnaire showed positive responses in all areas of usefulness, satisfaction, understanding, and interest. Furthermore, compared to conventional role-play learning, the overall response to IR was good. In particular, “realism,” “seriousness,” “understanding the importance of communication skills,” and “understanding the diversity of narratives” were rated very highly. Moreover, the free-text responses indicated that many learners learned about practical procedures; the IR “audience system” was also shown to be effective. These results indicate that IR is a practical program with sufficient educational effects.
Effective Kurdish Sign Language Detection and Classification Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Rawf Karwan Hama , Abdulrahman Ayub , Mohammed Aree
Published: August 2022

Sign Language Recognition (SLR) has an important role among the deaf-dump community since it is used as a medium of instruction to execute daily activities such as communication, teaching, learning, and social interactions. In this paper, a real-time model has been implemented for Kurdish sign recognition using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) algorithm. The main objective of this study is to recognize the Kurdish alphabetic. The model has been trained and predicted on the KuSL2022 dataset using different activation functions for a number of epochs. The dataset consists of 71,400 images for the 34 Kurdish sign languages and alphabets collected from two different datasets. The accuracy of the proposed method is evaluated on a dataset of real images collected from many users. The obtained results show that the proposed system's performance increased for both classification and prediction models, with an average train accuracy of 99.91 %. These results outperform previous studies on Kurdish sign language in term of accuracy detection and recognition.