bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a two-dimensional HEC-RAS sediment model for the Chippewa River, Wisconsin, for software development and sediment trend analysis
Authors: Nelson Alex , Gibson Stanford A. , Sanchez Alex
Published: June 2022

This US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Regional Sediment Management technical note (RSM-TN) describes an RSM effort that converted a one-dimensional (1D) sediment transport model of the Chippewa River confluence with the Mississippi River into a two-dimensional (2D) model. This work leveraged recent sediment data collection and tested the new 2D sediment transport capabilities in the Hydrologic Engineering Center, River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) Version 6.0. In addition to the benefits of software testing, the resulting model developed through this effort can provide more accurate spatial and temporal information about sedimentation in the Mississippi River navigation channel and help inform future dredging strategies for the St. Paul District, USACE.
Factores de adherencia al tratamiento en pacientes con tuberculosis sensible del Centro Materno Infantil Juan Pablo II Villa El Salvador 2020
Authors:   , Simpe Lizana de Vilca Ana Maria , Huamanccari Carbajal Heraldin Irma
Published: June 2022

Objetivo: Caracterizar los factores de adherencia al tratamiento en pacientes con tuberculosis sensible del Centro Materno Infantil Juan Pablo II Villa El Salvador – 2020. Materiales y Métodos: El estudio es de enfoque cuantitativo, nivel descriptivo y de corte transversal, la muestra fue conformada por 50 pacientes del programa de tuberculosis. La recolección de datos se realizó mediante un cuestionario. Resultados: Se evidenció en el factor sociodemográfico que el 54% fueron varones, 82% son mayores o igual a 20 años y el 74% con educación; en el aspecto socioeconómico se observó que un 68% están desempleados, el 64% son de Lima y 66% perciben menos del salario básico. Según los factores psicosociales se obtuvo que el 94% no han consumido bebidas alcohólicas ni fumaron, 90% nunca consumió drogas y 84% sintieron apoyo familiar. En la dimensión de factores relacionados al tratamiento, el 86% indicaron que los malestares no son motivos para dejar la medicación. Finalmente, la dimensión institucional el 100% no tuvieron inconvenientes con los profesionales de la salud, la entrega de medicamentos y recibieron una atención satisfactoria. Conclusiones: Los factores de adherencia fueron: edad, educación, procedencia de Lima, nunca haber consumido sustancias psicoactivas, el apoyo familiar, además los factores institucionales mostraron positivamente en la adherencia fueron el ambiente, la entrega de medicación y el trato empático del personal de salud.
Social Media Literacy: Fake News Consumption and Perception of Covid-19 in Nigeria
Authors: Msughter Aondover Eric , Usman Bashiru , Ridwanullah Abdulhameed Olaitan
Published: June 2022

The emergence of social media in the late 90s as a result of the proliferation of the internet witnessed a new transformation of news production, dissemination, and consumption. The blogosphere has increasingly been popular and appealing to youths, who are so engrossed in the media that they spend much time navigating across various platforms. While social media eases the consumption of online news, it nurtures the spread of fake news leading to damning behaviour, particularly during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the mainstream media’s efforts to enlighten people on the safety measures against the disease, the spread of misinformation and disinformation about the pandemic spread through social media tends to undermine adherence to preventive measures advised by health experts. The implication is risky behaviour that can worsen, instead of flattening the curve on the Covid-19. This study, therefore, assesses the ability of youth to detect fake news on social media; the effects of the fake news on their perception of the disease, and; their behaviour toward Covid-19 protocols. An online survey has been conducted using a questionnaire distributed to 108 students of two polytechnics through Facebook and WhatsApp. Descriptive and inferential analyses were run and the result revealed that the students can’t identify fake news though they consume news on social media platforms. It also shows a significant relationship between the fake news consumption, their perception of the Covid-19 pandemic, and defiance of safety protocols.
Performance Assessment of Storm Water Drainage System by Stormwater Management Model
Authors: Emama Walabuma Oli , Edae Haile Dida , Fayisa Tolera Abdisa , Hirko Deme Betele
Published: June 2022

As urban population numbers increase, it is evident that urbanization areas continue to expand. This expansion of urban areas mainly changes the natural land surface to the artificial landscape. The urban landscape is partly impervious, and it will decrease infiltration and in reverse increase the volume of surface runoff which causes several destructions in the town. Thus, the study was to assess the performance of the stormwater drainage system of Ambo town. The data have been used for this study were both spatial and temporal data. Rainfall data for 1987 to 2018 years and digital elevation models, land use, and soil data were used. Additionally, canal dimensions and sub-catchment data were also used. For this study, SWMM for simulating rainfall-runoff, the water level in the junctions, and flow depth in the canal were used. ARC-GIS was used to obtain spatial information and delineate the catchment of the study area. Intensity duration frequency curves of Ambo were developed using Gumbel distribution methods to analyze peak runoff for different return periods. The total runoff from the whole catchment using the rational method is 60.32m 3 /s, whereas the stormwater management model (SWMM) is 60.87m 3 /s. The model performance was evaluated using performance measuring techniques including Nash Sutcliff Efficiency (NSE) and Coefficient of Determination (R2), and the values were RNS = 0.997 and R2 = 0.997 respectively for a ten-year return period which shows the model gives good results. From simulation results, 22% of junctions are insufficient to accommodate maximum flooding, and 21% of canals are surcharged. So, from the simulation results, most of the junction and canal dimensions are insufficient to drain the generated runoff from the sub-catchments. To alleviate these problems, clearing, on-time maintenance, redesign, and constructing the adequate canal are recommended for Ambo town.
Fluoride and Nitrate in groundwater: A comprehensive analysis of health risk and potability of groundwater of Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, India
Authors: Tanwer Naresh , Deswal Meena , Khyalia Pradeep , Laura Jitender Singh , Khosla Babita
Published: June 2022

Groundwater contamination is a major concern in front of the scientific community because it is directly related to human health, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Therefore, a comprehensive study was engaged to evaluate the water quality, potability, and human health risk assessment due to the consumption of fluoride and nitrate-contaminated water in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. In water quality, 16 parameters were analyzed as per the standard method of APHA(American Public health Association ), 2017, collected from 87 locations in the study region, and results found that the value of the number of quality parameters consisting of pH, EC, TDS, fluoride, chloride, nitrate, sulphate, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, and total alkalinity was observed higher than the recommended limit of BIS (Bureau of Indian standard), 2012 and WHO (World Health Organization), 2017. The fluoride in 11% and nitrate in 6% samples were observed to exceed the permissible limit of WHO. The results of risk assessment due to fluoride and nitrate revealed that Hazard Index values of 71% groundwater samples for males, 78% groundwater samples for females, and 75% groundwater samples for children were greater than 1, indicating the significant health hazard due to consumption of groundwater. The water quality index (WQI) found that 37% of groundwater samples belong to categories that cannot be used for drinking purposes. Principal component analysis (PCA) reduced the large number of variables affecting the overall quality and chemistry of groundwater and determined four major components which account for 69.50% variance in the data.
Nonlinear-Fourier-transform-based dynamic analyses on the multiple cavity solitons in Kerr microresonators
Authors: Pan Jianxing , Huang Tianye , Wu Zhichao , Wang Yutain , Xu Chaoyu , Zhang Jing , Zhao Luming
Published: June 2022

The Kerr microresonators have aroused widespread interests for their ultrahigh integration, compatible fabrication and ultralow energy consumption. Similar to the traditional mode-locked fiber lasers, the microresontors can sustain the generation of dissipative solitons called cavity solitons relying on the double balance of gain and loss as well as nonlinearity and dispersion. The state of multiple solitons is common in the microresonator with anomalous dispersion. In particular, an ideal state named as soliton crystals is obtained when the multiple solitons have a equidistant arrangement. And recent experiments have successfullly observed soliton crystals in the Kerr microresonators. To intuitively reveal the formation and evolution dynamics of the multiple solitons and get insight into the underlying physical mechanisms of soliton crystals, we applied the nonlinear Fourier transform to project these states into nonlinear discrete spectrum. The discrete spectra of single soliton with different modulated background waves have been displayed, which can help distinguish different optical components. Then, the nonlinear spectrum evolution of normal multiple solitons state shows the typical nonlinear states of the intracavity field. And the equidistant solitons have the effects of power enhancement, whose spectral intensity is several times that of a single soliton state. Comparing with the discrete spectrum of the equidistant solitons, the solitons inside the soliton crystals interact with each other by the modulated background. Our results suggest that the nonlinear Fourier transform is a powerful technique to characterize soliton dynamics in the Kerr microresonator, which provides a new perspective to understand the interactions of cavity solitons.
TREX1 p.A129fs and p.Y305C variants in a large multi-ethnic cohort of CADASIL-like unrelated patients
Authors: Foddis Marco , Blumenau Sonja , Holtgrewe Manuel , Paquette Kimberly , Westra Kaitlyn , Alonso Isabel , Macario Maria Carmo , Morgadinho Ana Sofia , Velon Ana Graça , Santo Gustavo , Santana Isabel , Mönkäre Saana , Kuuluvainen Liina , Schleutker Johanna , Pöyhönen Minna , Myllykangas Liisa , Pavlovic Aleksandra , Kostic Vladimir , Dobricic Valerija , Lohmann Ebba , Hanagasi Hasmet , Santos Mariana , Guven Gamze , Bilgic Basar , Bras Jose , Beule Dieter , Dirnagl Ulrich , Guerreiro Rita , Sassi Celeste
Published: June 2022

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) and retinal vasculopathy and cerebral leukodystrophy (RVCL) are very rare monogenic disorders and the most common forms of early-onset cerebral small vessel disease. These diseases share clinical and, to a different extent, neuroradiological and neuropathological features. Recently, a growing body of evidence reported significant contribution of TREX1 mutations in CADASIL and CADASIL-like patients. However, whether CADASIL and RVCL overlapping phenotype may be explained by shared genetic causative factors remains poorly understood. To investigate this intriguing hypothesis, we performed exome sequencing in a large multi-ethnic cohort of 180 early-onset independent familial and apparently sporadic CADASIL-like Caucasian patients from the USA, Portugal, Finland, Serbia and Turkey. None of the cases carried NOTCH3 causative mutations clustering in epidermal growth factor like repeat domains, mapping to exons 3 and 4 or consisting in the gain or loss of cysteine. We report 2 very rare and likely pathogenic TREX1 mutations: a loss of function mutation (p.Ala129fs) clustering in the catalytic domain, in an apparently sporadic 46-year-old patient from the USA and a missense mutation (p.Tyr305Cys) in the well conserved C-terminal region, in a 57-year-old patient with positive family history from Serbia. These mutations were not detected in a large cohort of elderly, neuropathologically assessed controls (https://www.alzforum.org/exomes/hex).In concert with recent findings, our study expands the clinical spectrum of diseases associated with TREX1 mutations, the genetic causative factors linked to CADASIL-like phenotypes and warrants further investigations in larger cohorts of stroke patients.
Efficacy and safety of dutasteride with tadalafil add-on therapy in Japanese men with lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia
Authors: Gotoh Daisuke , Torimoto Kazumasa , Morizawa Yosuke , Hori Shunta , Nakai Yasushi , Miyake Makito , Fujimoto Kiyohide
Published: June 2022

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of add-on therapy with the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor tadalafil in Japanese men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) treated with dutasteride.Results: The participants had a mean age of 68.9 ± 7.4 years and prostate volume of 37.1 ± 14.2 mL as measured using transabdominal sonography. The efficacy indicators, such as International Prostate Symptom Score, quality of life score, night-time urinary frequency, and night-time maximum voided volume, improved significantly at 4 weeks, and the effects lasted until 24 weeks. Overactive bladder symptom score and sexual health inventory for men significantly improved at 12 weeks, and the effects lasted until 24 weeks. However, maximum urine flow and residual urine volume showed no improvement at any point. Adverse events occurred in two cases. Taken together, add-on therapy with tadalafil was effective for patients with LUTS/BPH resistant to dutasteride monotherapy. In addition, this therapy was not associated with severe adverse events.
Dynamics of stimuli-based fractional-order memristor-coupled tabu learning two-neuron model and its engineering applications
Authors: ding dawei , chen xiaoyu , Yang Zongli , hu yongbing , wang mouyuan , niu yan
Published: June 2022

External stimulus has an impact on the functional behavior of the biological nervous system, and appropriate stimulus helps the organism to maintain neural function. Inspired by this, the effects of different external stimuli on the dynamic behaviors of neuron model are studied in this paper. Firstly, a fractional-order(FO) memristor-coupled tabu learning two-neuron model whose equilibrium points are symmetric about the origin and unstable is constructed. The dynamic behaviors of this neuron model under different stimuli is further discussed, which are no external stimulus, external forced current stimulus and electromagnetic radiation (EMR) respectively. The neuron model without external stimulus has periodic attractors, but applying external stimulus to one of the neurons can produce abundant two-scroll chaotic attractors and multistability. Especially, when the neuron model is stimulated by EMR, it can generate hyperchaotic attractors that have not been observed in the tabu learning neuron model before. Besides, the transient transition behaviors of the model under different stimuli are also studied. Then, a pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) is designed and its random performance is tested with NIST suite. Finally, it is applied to voice encryption, and the result shows that it has good encryption effect. Therefore, it can be said that the FO memristor-coupled tabu learning two-neuron model has superior randomness and is suitable for chaotic-based engineering applications.
Women’s acceptability of a self-collect HPV same-day screen-and-treat program in a high burden setting in the Pacific
Authors: Camara Hawa , Nosi Somu , Munnull Gloria , Badman Steven G. , Bolgna John , Kuk Joseph , Mola Glen , Guy Rebecca , Vallely Andrew J. , Kelly-Hanku Angela M.
Published: June 2022

Background: A field trial to evaluate a self-collect point-of-care HPV screen-and-treat (HPV S&T) program was implemented in two Well Women Clinics in Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea). Assessing the acceptability of a health intervention is a core element of evaluation. In this study, we examined women’s acceptability of both self-collection and HPV S&T intervention in Papua New Guinea. Methods: Sixty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who had undergone cervical screening in the same-day self-collected HPV screen-and-treat program in Madang and Western Highlands Provinces, Papua New Guinea. Data were thematically analysed using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) and managed using NVivo 12.5. Results: Self-collection was highly acceptable to women as it meant they could forgo what was deemed a culturally embarrassing cervical examination. The provision of same-day results, and treatment if indicated, was particularly valued by the women because it reduced the financial and temporal burden to return to the clinic for results. It also meant they did not need to wait anxiously for long periods of time for their results. Women also appreciated the support from, and expertise of, health care workers throughout the process and spoke of trust in the HPV-DNA testing technology. The majority of women were willing to pay for the service to ensure its sustainability and timely scale-up throughout Papua New Guinea to support access for women in harder to reach areas. Conclusion: This study reported very high levels of acceptability from a field trial of self-collection and HPV same-day screen-and-treat. The program was deemed culturally congruent and time efficient. As the cervical screening program is taken to scale across Papua New Guinea ensuring ongoing acceptability of the program will be needed. Further research will be required for additional insights into the program’s acceptability in Papua New Guinea and other high-burden settings. This innovative cervical screening modality could be the ‘solution’ needed to see wider and more immediate impact and improved outcomes for women in Papua New Guinea and other high-burden, low-resource settings.
SLC6A14 facilitates epithelial cell ferroptosis via the C/EBPβ-PAK6 axis in ulcerative colitis
Authors: Chen Yanjun , Yan Wenying , Chen Yuqi , Zhu Jinhan , Wang Jiayu , Jin Haiyan , Wu Hongya , Zhang Guangbo , Zhan Shenghua , Xi Qinhua , Shi Tongguo , Chen Weichang
Published: June 2022

Emerging evidence suggests that ferroptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the key regulator of this process remains uncertain. In this study, we aimed to explore the roles of solute carrier (SLC) family 6 member 14 (SLC6A14) in regulating ferroptosis in UC. The expression of SLC6A14 was significantly increased and positively associated with that of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) in tissue samples from patients with UC. Moreover, a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that SLC6A14 knockdown markedly suppressed ferroptosis. RNA sequencing revealed that SLC6A14 inhibited the expression of P21 (RAC1) activated kinase 6 (PAK6) and that PAK6 knockdown abolished the effects of SLC6A14 on RAS-selective lethal 3 (RSL3) -induced ferroptosis in Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and Western blot analysis demonstrated that SLC6A14 negatively regulated PAK6 expression in a CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPβ)-dependent manner. Collectively, these findings indicate that SLC6A14 facilitates ferroptosis in UC by promoting C/EBPβ expression and binding activity to inhibit PAK6 expression, suggesting that targeting SLC6A14-C/EBPβ-PAK6 axis-mediated ferroptosis may be a promising therapeutic alternative for UC.
Prevalence, Barriers and Facilitators Influencing Modern Contraceptive Use Among Postpartum Mothers at Ober and Barapwo Health Centre III, Lira City: a Cross Sectional Design
Authors: Isoke Robert , Kunihira Irene , Apili Felister
Published: June 2022

Background
Short Births to Pregnancy intervals have been associated with maternal mortality and morbidity as they increase the risk for pregnancy related complications. Modern contraceptive use during postpartum period has proved to be effective in reducing maternal morbidity and mortality through prolonging the birth to pregnancy interval and preventing unplanned and unwanted pregnancies. However little is known about the prevalence of use as well as the factors influencing the use of these modern contraceptives in Lira city, Northern Uganda.
Objective
To find out the prevalence, barriers and facilitators associated with utilization of modern contraceptive methods among postpartum women at Barapwo Health Centre III and Ober Health Centre III, Lira city, Northern Uganda.
Methods
A facility-based cross-sectional study design. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Analysis was done by both bivariable and multivariable logistics regression considering p-vale < 0.005 to be significant and a 95% confidence interval. The prevalence was determined quantitatively by ascertaining number of mother who were using modern contraception at the time of study while the factors influencing postpartum modern contraceptive use were obtained both using structured questions and open ended questions. The study included 391 postpartum women who were randomly selected and were receiving care at Ober and Barapwo Health Centre III.
Results
The prevalence of utilization of modern contraceptives among postpartum women was 49.4%. from multivariable logistics regression, partner acceptance, > 500000 average household income, resumption of menses, 7–12 weeks postpartum, 37–72 weeks postpartum, resumption of sex, ever used contraception, feeling it is okay, health education and counselling on family planning were 13.46, 2.36, 4.42, 2.22, 3.89, 2.82, 2.44, 31.53, 1.78 and 2.38 times respectively more likely to use modern contraception.
Conclusion and recommendation:
The modern contraceptive use among postpartum women attending Ober and Barapwo health center IIIs is high compared to the national contraceptive use. Therefore, interventions to sensitize the population about the use of these methods should be done to address barriers to uptake.
Identifying key players in a network of child exploitation websites using Principal Component Analysis
Authors: Movahedi F. , Frank R.
Published: June 2022

One of the main objectives of this study is to help prioritize targets for law enforcement by analyzing online websites hosting child exploitation material and finding key players within. Key players are defined as the websites which display a combination of high connectivity and a lot of hardcore material and would provide the most disruption in a network if they were to be removed. In this study, various strategies based on Principal Component Analysis are presented to identify those nodes that act as the key players in an online child exploitation network. For evaluating the results of these strategies, we consider the results of various attack strategies. The measures for evaluation are the density, clustering coefficient, average path length, diameter and the number of connected components in the resulted network. The results show that the strategies proposed are more successful at reducing all of the outcome measures than existing strategies.
TRIM22 suppresses zika virus replication by targeting NS1 and NS3 for proteasomal degradation
Authors: Zu Shulong , Li Chunfeng , Li Lili , Deng Yong-Qiang , Chen Xiang , Luo Dan , Ye Qing , Huang Yi-Jiao , Li Xiao-Feng , Zhang Rong-Rong , Sun Nina , Zhang Xianqi , Aliyari Saba R. , Nielsen-Saines Karin , Jung Jae U , Yang Heng , Qin Cheng-Feng , Cheng Genhong
Published: June 2022

Background: Recognition of viral invasion by innate antiviral immune system triggers activation of the Type I-interferon (IFN-I) and proinflammatory signaling pathways. Subsequently, IFN-I induction regulates expression of a group of genes known as IFN-I-stimulated genes (ISGs) to block viral infection. The Tripartite Ring Interaction Motif 22 (TRIM22) is an ISG with strong antiviral functions. Results: Here we have shown that the TRIM22 has been strongly upregulated both transcriptionally and translationally upon zika virus (ZIKV) infection. ZIKV infection is associated with a wide range of clinical manifestations in human from mild to severe symptoms including abnormal fetal brain development. We found that the antiviral function of TRIM22 plays a crucial role in counterattacking ZIKV infection. Overexpression of TRIM22 protein inhibited ZIKV growth whereas deletion of TRIM22 in host cells increased ZIKV infectivity. Mechanistically, TRIM22, as a functional E3 ubiquitin ligase, promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of ZIKV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) and nonstructural protein 3 (NS3). Further studies showed that the SPRY domain and Ring domain of TRIM22 played important roles in protein interaction and degradation, respectively. In addition, we found that TRIM22 also inhibited other flaviviruses infection including dengue virus (DENV) and yellow fever virus (YFV). Conclusion: Thus, TRIM22 is an ISG with critical role in host defense against flaviviruses through binding and degradation of the NS1 and NS3 proteins.
STEAP2, as an oncogene, enhanced the invasion ability of cervical caner cells and promoted EMT through PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway
Authors: Wang Mei , Li Na , Yang Chunrun , Wang Fei
Published: June 2022

Despite the established pivotal role of STEAP2 (six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 2) in the progression of prostate cancer, its prognostic value and functionality in cervical carcinoma have not been comprehensively analyzed. The STEAP2 expressions in healthy and cancerous cervical tissues, as well as in five varying cervical carcinoma cells (Ca Ski, HeLa, SiHa, C33A and HT-3) were checked by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The association of STEAP2 with the outcome was explored by the Kaplan-Meier method among the cervical carcinoma population. Through the in-vivo and in-vitro lentiviral transfection and cellular functionality assays, we examined how the STEAP2 elevation and decline influenced the biological properties of cervical carcinoma cells. Furthermore, the effects of STEAP2 knockdown or over-expression on the crucial EMT (epithelial–to–mesenchymal transition) hallmarks and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were also determined by real time RT-qPCR in conjunction with western-blot. As demonstrated the results, high STEAP2 level in cancerous cervical tissues was associated positively with the clinico-pathological traits of malignant cervical cancer and the poor prognosis of patients. Through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis deactivation, the STEAP2 knockdown could significantly inhibit cellular proliferation and invasion abilities, reduce the MMP-1 plus MMP-13 levels, and impede the EMT event. Meanwhile, STEAP2 over-expression had the opposite effects. All in all, STEAP2, as an oncogene, enhanced the invasion ability of cervical caner cells and promoted EMT through PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis, which thus probably acts as a therapeutic target for suppressing the cervical carcinoma cell invasion.
Development and Psychometric Testing of a Humanistic Caring Scale for Medical and Nursing Students
Authors: Ho Yun-Chi , Chu Shao-Yin , Chen Che-Han , Yeh Hsiu-Chen
Published: June 2022

Background
Medicine and nursing are not only empirical sciences but also a type of artistry with humanistic quality. Therefore, humanistic education of medical and nursing students in medical schools is internationally emphasized, with an aim to nurture students to expand their medical work beyond physical examination of patients to taking care of them at the psychological and social levels, and become “good doctors” with humanistic quality. The purpose of this study is to develop an appropriate assessment tool for measuring the humanistic caring competence of medical and nursing students and test its psychometric properties.
Methods
Questions were first designed based on focus group interviews and the Delphi method. After that, 38 questions were drafted using a Likert five-point scale. In the psychometric testing, the participants include medical students undergoing clinical training, nursing students who had started clinical practice before graduating from the school, and those participating in the two-year postgraduate training program for nurses. The obtained data were then analyzed with SPSS 22.0 and Mplus.
Results
In the pilot test, the sample included 155 medical and nursing students. After the exploratory factor analysis, 19 items and 4 factors were obtained, namely “self-awareness,” “patient-caring,” “being attentive to medical information,” and “social-environmental caring,” and the total explained variance is 74.03%. In the formal test, 331 medical students were included in the sample to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency of each subscale is between 0.74 to 0.88, while that of the whole scale is 0.93; the model fit indices, convergent and discriminant vadility are also up to the standard. This result confirms that the scale has a good psychometric properties in terms of the reliability and validity. In the comparison of background variables, students with different gender, ages, religious beliefs, medical service experiences, and volunteer service experiences have different performances in different dimensions of humanistic caring.
Conclusions
This scale demonstrates good to excellent model fit indices, reliability and validity and can be used as an assessment tool for measuring the effectiveness of humanistic education for medical and nursing students.
Application of miniature fiber near infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics in predicting antioxidant activity of Sagittaria sagittifolia L. polysaccharides
Authors: Feng Yuqin , Song Yating , Qiu Yujie , Duan Yuqing , Zhang Haihui
Published: June 2022

Oxidative stress associated with the imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and the antioxidant capacity. It is important to select and employ a stable and rapid method to assay antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to accurately predict the antioxidant activity of S. sagittaria. L polysaccharide (Sap) by miniature fiber near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics. The optimal extraction conditions of Sap through multi-mode divergent ultrasound assisted method were as follows: ultrasonic power 180 W, liquid-to-material ratio 40 mL/g, extraction time 16 min and extraction temperature 77 ℃, and the yield of Sap was 21.24%. The molecular weight of Sap was approximately 120.5 kDa, and its monosaccharide components predominantly consisted of Rha (15.7%), Ara (12.9%), Man (1.6%), Glc (36.4%), and Gal (33.4%). The application of NIR spectroscopy for determination of DPPH, ABTS and hydroxyl radical scavenging rate of Sap solution (0.125-1 mg/mL), and the coefficient of prediction (Rp) were 0.9568, 0.9667 and 0.9652, respectively. In developing model, five spectra preprocessing methods and three different linear regressions tools (i.e., partial least squares (PLS), interval Partial least Squares (iPLS), synergy interval partial least square (Si-PLS)) were optimized to improve the predictability and stability of the models. The overall results revealed the miniature fiber NIR spectroscopy with PLS and Si-PLS regression tools showed better predictive property, which has the potential to measure antioxidant activity in Sap.
Review of 1.75 million referrals over 34-months identifies the disruptive impact of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic on oral surgery care in England - a service evaluation.
Authors: Moore Richard , Pretty Iain , Douglas Gail , Mighell Alan
Published: June 2022

Aims:This study aimed to use the electronic Referral Management System (eRMS) oral surgery data across multiple sites in England to evaluate the service over a 34-month period in relation to:1. Pre and post pandemic referral rates in oral surgery2. Examining the data for signs of inequality in obtaining a referral for oral surgery.3. The impact on service provision for oral surgery in England.Methods:Oral surgery referral data was available from an eRMS for areas of England covered by this service for the 34-month period March 2019 to December 2021 (inclusive), which included 12 months of pre-pandemic data and the first 22-months of the pandemic. The data were from regions across England accounting for 62% of the population.Results:The total number of referrals received was 1,766,895 during this 34-month period, with pre-pandemic referral levels averaging at 25,498 per month with a reduction to 698 per month in April 2020. Referrals have risen to a peak of 217,646 for the month of November 2021. An average of 1.5% of referrals were rejected pre-pandemic, compared with 2.7% per month post pandemic.Discussion:Pre-pandemic referral numbers were predictably stable within a narrow range which have then increased dramatically post-pandemic. The variations in oral surgery referral patterns place significant strain on oral surgery services across England. This not only has consequences on patient experience but also the workforce and workforce development, to ensure that there is not a long-term destabilising impact.Conclusion:Analysis of 1.75 million referrals to oral surgery services in England have highlighted the ongoing impact of the pandemic and the need to actively minimise adverse impacts on patients, NHS services and the workforce.
Surgical Treatment of Chiari 1 Malformation: A ‘one fits all’ approach?
Authors: Khalaveh Farjad , Steiner Irene , Reinprecht Andrea , Czech Thomas , Kasprian Gregor , Rössler Karl , Dorfer Christian
Published: June 2022

OBJECTIVES
To assesses the postoperative outcome and the applicability of current Chiari 1 malformation (CM1) scores in a tailored surgical treatment approach in patients with CM1.
METHODS
This retrospective single center study analyzed 81 surgically treated patients between 2000 and 2020. Based on our institutional policy, four types of approaches were performed in that period based on a case by case decision: 1) Foramen magnum decompression (FMD) with dura splitting (FMDds), 2) FMD with duraplasty (FMDdp), 3) FMD with duraplasty and tonsillar manipulation (FMDao) and 4) tonsillar resection/reduction (TR). Patient characteristics, the Chicago Chiari Outcome Scale (CCOS), Chiari Severity Index (CSI), and the fourth ventricular roof angle (FVRA) were compared among the four groups to establish a treatment algorithm.
RESULTS
FMDds, FMDdp, FMDao and TR was performed in 11 (14%), 24 (30%), 21 (26%) and 25 (31%) patients, respectively. After a mean follow-up time of 6.6 years, 8/11 (73%), 19/24 (79%), 19/21 (90%) and 24/24 (100%) patients had a CCOS of 13–16 points after FMDds, FMDdp, FMDao and TR, respectively. Overall, 6/11 (55%), 4/17 (24%), 3/18 (17%) and 7/24 (29%) patients had a CSI grade 1 before FMDds, FMDdp, FMDao and TR. A weak negative and statistically not significant correlation between CCOS and CSI was observed (p = 0.07, n = 69). The preoperative FVRA was < 65° in 9/11 (82%), 13/15 (87%), 7/14 (50%) and 13/22 (59%) patients after FMDds, FMDdp, FMDao and TR, respectively. Despite the proportion of patients with a FVRA of < 65° decreasing with a more invasive surgical technique, differences between the surgical groups were statistically not significant (p = 0.45).
CONCLUSIONS
An individualized surgical approach in patients with CM1 is safe and effective. Currently available scores, such as the CSI and FVRA, may be used to determine the appropriate surgical approach for patients with CM1.
Calcaneous interlock-nail treatment for Calcaneous fracture: a multiple center retrospective study
Authors: Peng Ye , Wang Junsong , Feng Bo , Li Yunshou , Zhu Yunlong , Yuan Weiqing , Teng Lei , Zhu Chengming , Shi Bin , Zhang Lihai
Published: June 2022

Background
Minimally invasive treatments for calcaneous fractures have the same outcomes and fewer complications. However, they are technically demanding, and there are a lack reduction tools. To overcome these problems, a calcaneous interlock nail system was developed that can make reduction and fixation minimally invasive and effective. We retrospectively studied the calcaneous fracture variables intraoperatively and followed up to evaluate the outcomes of patients treated with the interlock nail system.
Methods
All patients in 7 institutions between January 2020 and May 2021 who had calcaneous fractures treated with interlock nails were retrospectively analyzed. The patient characteristics, including age, sex, injury mechanism, Sanders type classification, smoking status, and diabetes, were recorded. The interlock calcaneous nail and standard surgical technique were introduced. The intraoperative variables, including days waiting for surgery, surgery time, blood loss, incision length, and fluoroscopy time, were recorded. The outcomes of complications, AOFAS scores and VAS scores were recorded.
Results
Fifty-nine patients were involved in this study; 54 were male; 5 were female; and they had an average age of 47.5 ± 9.2 years (range 25–70). Two of these fractures were Sanders type I, 28 of these fractures were Sanders type II, 27 of these fractures were Sanders type III, and 2 of these were Sanders type IV. The surgery time was 131.9 ± 50.5 (30–240) minutes on average. The blood loss was 36.9 ± 41.1 (1-250). The average incision length was 3.5 ± 1.8 (1–8) cm; 57 were sinus tarsi incisions; and 2 were closed fixations without incisions. The average fluoroscopy time was 12.3 ± 3.6 (10–25) seconds during the surgery. The VAS score of patients on the day after surgery was 2.4 ± 0.7 (1–3). The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score in patients who had a follow-up of at 12 months was 93.3 ± 3.6(85–99). During the follow-up, all patients’ functional outcomes were good. One patient had a superficial infection. The rate of complications of the 59 patients was 1.7% (1/59).
Conclusions
The calcaneous interlock nail system can have satisfactory reduction and fixation in calcaneous fractures, even in Sanders type IV. The outcomes of follow-up showed good function. The interlock nail could be an alternative method for minimally invasive calcaneous fracture fixation.
Immobilized Cold-Active Enzymes onto Magnetic Chitosan Microparticles as a Highly Stable and Reusable Carrier for p-xylene Biodegradation in Soil
Authors: Miri Saba , Ravula Anupriya , Akhtarian Shiva , Brar Satinder Kaur , Martel Richard , Rouissi Tarek
Published: June 2022

Stability and reusability properties are the two most important factors that determine an enzyme's application in industry. To this end, cold-active crude enzymes from a psychrophile were immobilized on magnetic chitosan microparticles using glutaraldehyde as a linker. Immobilization was optimized based on four variables, such as magnetic particle, chitosan, glutaraldehyde, and enzyme concentrations. The immobilized enzymes were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The immobilized enzymes showed improved pH tolerance ranging from 4.0 to 9.0, better temperature stability ranging from 5 to 50, higher storage stability (∼70% activity after 30 days of storage), and more importantly, reusability (∼40% activity after 10 repetitive cycles of usage) compared to their free form. Also, the immobilization of enzymes increased the effectiveness of the enzymatic treatment of p-xylene (10,000 mg/kg) in soil. As a result of the superior catalytic properties of immobilized XMO and C1,2D, they offer great potential for in situ or ex situ bioremediation of pollutants in soil or water.
Comparative Analysis of Gut Microbiota and immune genes of wild and Captive Spodoptera frugiperda to reveal the response of the immune system to field environment in Jianghuai region, China
Authors: Zheng Renwen , Cheng Luoling , Peng Jun , Li Qianqian , Yang Fan , Yang Dehua , Xia Yuxian , Tang Qingfeng
Published: June 2022

Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), a fall armyworm, has quickly expanded across China, causing maize (Zea mays L.) crop output losses on the mainland. While, little is known about the gut immune responses to field environment, particularly along the autumn and winter migration routes in China's Jianghuai region. In this study, high-throughput sequencing and real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR) technology was used to analyze the differences of gut microbiota communities and immune genes between captive and wild fall armyworm populations. The findings revealed that the gut microbial community and diversity, wild populations had higher alpha diversity and the average weighted UniFrac distance of bacterial taxa was different. A wide variety of immune genes were more abundant in the wild populations. The data indicated that the gut microbiota and immune system of S. frugiperda was influenced not only by diets, but also by various surviving environments, which played an important role in environmental adaptation. These contrasts of gut microbiota and immune responses variations between wild and captive Fall armyworm are crucial for understanding the symbiotic relationship between microbes and immune genes and host, and call for more attention on the development of more effective and environmentally friendly pest management strategies.
Validation of reference genes for gene expression analysis in fruit development of Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb using quantitative real-time PCR
Authors: He Feng , Gui Liangxian , Zhang Yan , Zhu Bo , Zhang Xiaoping , Shen Min , Wan Fengying , Yang Lu , Xiao Jiaxin
Published: June 2022

Background: Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb. (VBT) is widely distributed in the mountainous areas in eastern and southern China. VBT leaves have great medical value and can be used to stain rice to produce “Wumifan”. Its fruits also contain rich nutrients. However, there has been limited attention to exploring the molecular content of VBT. Previously, we performed RNA-seq on three typical VBT fruits that were at various stages of ripening, although a reliable reference gene was lost in validation. Results: In this study, we selected ten candidate reference genes based on previous studies and transcriptomics analyses. Subsequently, these genes were evaluated using a combination of methods, including geNorm, NormFinder, and Bestkeeper, with a comprehensive ranking assessment. As a result, we found that the actin2, NADH, and ADK genes have high reliability for analysing the expression levels of genes involved in fruit development. Furthermore, the transcript levels of 15 DEGs from transcriptomic analysis were assessed using NADH as a reference gene, and RT-qPCR data were highly consistent with the transcriptomic data. Conclusions: These results provide a reliable reference gene for further studying gene expression, which will be beneficial for comprehensively exploring VBT.
Comercialização da Soja: Elementos para Entender a Importância do Preço e da Época do Ano na Decisão de Venda pelo Produtor Rural
Authors: Barbosa Erlei Jose Alessio , Garzão Marlussi de Oliveira , Costa Nilson Luiz , Cordeiro de Santana Antônio
Published: June 2022

O crescimento na oferta mundial de soja tem sido signiﬁcativo nas últimas décadas e a demanda tem aumentado na medida em que a população mundial cresce e se urbaniza e a renda aumenta. Em função disto e dos fatores que tornaram o Rio Grande do Sul em um grande produtor de soja, um amplo mercado para a commodity se institucionalizou. Neste mercado, associado à comercialização do grão, estão envolvidos principalmente os produtores rurais e os originadores, compostos por cooperativas agropecuárias, cerealistas e tradings. Por sua natureza, o mercado de soja em grãos oscila consideravelmente e os momentos de safra se constituem como períodos de pressão de oferta. Neste contexto, objetivou-se analisar o processo de identificação dos parâmetros que estimulam os produtores rurais a tomar a decisão sobre o momento considerado adequado para comercializar a sua safra. Foram utilizadas três amplas bases de dados primários, resultantes de uma pesquisa documental de três organizações que atuam a mais de 60 anos na Mesorregião Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul. A partir destas séries temporais, estimaram-se três equações econométricas a partir do Modelo de Regressão Linear Múltipla e utilização do Método dos Mínimos Quadrados Ordinários. Entre os resultados destaca-se o preço da soja influenciou na decisão de venda, por parte do sojicultor. Também, foi possível observar que existe um processo de sazonalidade e a maior parte da safra é comercializada entre os meses de março de junho, período em que os agricultores pagam suas obrigações financeiras, como empréstimos contraídos para o custeio agrícola.
GREKLERİN ÖTEKİSİ: İSKİTLER
Authors: BERK Mehmet Fatih
Published: June 2022

Tarih yazımında Greklerin kendine özgü bir yeri vardır. Hatta bir kısım tarihçi tarafından Grekler “tarihin mucidi”, Grek tarihçi Herodotos ise “tarihin babası” olarak tanımlanır. Grekler özellikle Pers-Yunan savaşlarından sonra kazanmış oldukları öz güvenle Grekçe konuşmayan toplumları “barbar” olarak tanımlayarak muhtemelen tarih yazımında ilk “ötekileştirme” hareketini başlatmışlardır. Türk tarihinin kadim toplumlarından İskitler ise MÖ 8. yüzyıl ile 4. yüzyıl arası tarih sahnesinde görülmüşlerdir. Grek tarih yazımının başladığı dönemde İskitler Greklerin komşusu durumundadır. Pers, Asur ve Çin kaynaklarına ilave olarak sözünü ettiğimiz bu yakınlıktan dolayı pek çok Grek yazar ve tarihçi İskit toplumu hakkında detaylı bilgi vermiştir. Çalışmamızda tarih yazımında “objektif” olamama durumundan hareketle “barbar ve öteki” kavramları bağlamında Grek tarih yazımı analiz edilmiş ve sonrasında Grek yazar ve tarihçilerin eserlerinde geçen “ötekileştirilmiş” İskitlerin portresi çizilmeye çalışılmıştır. Grek tarih yazımında İskitlerin de en az Persler kadar ötekileştirildiği görülmüştür.
Prospects for obtaining perovskite-like compounds with the Dion-Jacobson structure and the influence of precursors on their phase formation, structure, and properties
Authors: Khuan Chzhibin , Mitrofanova Anna Vladimirovna
Published: June 2022

Layered perovskites, including the Dion-Jacobson phases, are of interest to researchers due to a wide range of revealed properties. Among them there are compounds with high photocatalytic activity, ionic conductors, ferroelectrics, piezoelectrics, ferroelectrics and luminophores, as well as materials with unique magnetic properties. However, the properties of these materials largely depend on the method of synthesis and the precursors used, so the study of the possibility of obtaining layered perovskite-like compounds of various compositions remains relevant. The purpose of this work is to study various literature sources, to identify the possibility and methods for obtaining pure phases with the Dion-Jacobson structure, to consider the areas of application of these compounds, and to establish prospects for further research.
Textografia de uma comunidade de prática da Medicina Veterinária
Authors: Petry Radünz Amanda , Marcuzzo Patrícia
Published: June 2022

O processo de internacionalização das instituições de ensino superior (IES) inclui a realização de práticas acadêmicas em língua inglesa, considerada a lingua franca da ciência (HÜLMBAUER et al., 2008; SWALES, 2018, p. 242), para facilitar o diálogo entre IES de diversos países. O presente trabalho investiga um grupo de pesquisa da área da Medicina Veterinária de uma IES brasileira que publica a maior parte de suas pesquisas em língua inglesa. A pesquisa utiliza os pressupostos teórico-metodológicos da textografia (SWALES, 1998a, 1998b, 2018) para analisar, textual e contextualmente, as práticas de escrita acadêmica em língua inglesa do referido grupo, e pretende, em última instância, contribuir com os participantes nesse processo de escrita. Até o momento, um questionário-piloto foi respondido por 10 participantes, fornecendo um primeiro contato com o grupo de pesquisa e com suas práticas de escrita acadêmica em língua inglesa.