bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The proportion of thyroid cancer and other cancers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Authors: Kakamba John Bukasa , Bayauli Pascal , Bangolo Ayrton , Mbunga Branly , Iyese Francis , Nkodila Aliocha , Atoot Ali , Anand Gaurav , Chaudhary Maimona , Fernandes Pamela Q. , Mannam Hari PSS. , Polavarapu Adithya , Junnissa Mera , Azhar Abdullah , Alichetty Mohan N. , Singh Gauravdeep , Arana Georgemar V. , Singh Manbir , Rodriguez-Castro José D. , Atoot Adam , Weissman Simcha , M’buyamba Jean Rene
Published: August 2022

Background: Cancer diagnosis is increasing around the world and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The frequency of thyroid cancer has increased over the past three decades. There are very few studies on cancer epidemiology, and in particular on thyroid cancer in the DRC. This study aims to establish the most recent frequency and proportion of thyroid cancer in the DRC compared to other cancers.Methods: This is a retrospective and descriptive study of 6,106 consecutive cancer cases listed in the pathological registers of 4 laboratories in the city of Kinshasa. This study included all cancer cases recorded in the registers between 2005 and 2019. Results: From a sample of 6,106 patients, including all cancer types, 68.2% cases were female and 31.2% were male. Breast and cervical cancer were the most common types of cancer in women and, prostate and skin cancer were the most common types in men. Thyroid cancer was sixth in frequency in women and eleventh in men compared to all cancers. Papillary carcinoma was the most common of thyroid cancers. Rare cancers such as anaplastic and medullary thyroid carcinomas had a frequency of 7% and 2%, respectively.Conclusion: Newer diagnostic tools led to a surge in cancer diagnoses in the DRC. Thyroid cancer has more than doubled its frequency over the last several decades in the country. Trial registration: Our research protocol has obtained the approval of the national health ethics committee of the DRC, number 197/CNES/BN/PMMF/2020.
Sequent Depth Ratio of a Sill-Controlled B-jump on Sloping Beds
Authors: Hajibehzad Manoochehr Shokrian , Bejestan Mahmood Shafai
Published: August 2022

In this paper, the sequent depth ratio of a sill-controlled B-jump on sloping beds was investigated. Experiments were carried out to characterize the effect of the different design parameters such as the sill height, sill position relative to the jump toe, and chute slope on the sequent depth ratio under various up - and downstream hydraulic conditions. By applying the momentum conservation principle, a generalized relationship to estimate the sequent depth ratio was deduced. This analysis demonstrated that the sequent depth ratio depends on the upstream Froude number, the chute slope, the jump toe location on the chute, the sill height and its position, and the tail-water depth. Furthermore, the energy dissipation efficiency of a sill-controlled B-jump resulted greater than that for a free B-jump. Based on results of this investigation, the sill-controlled B-jump can be used as a novel alternative to the classical hydraulic jump to reduce cost where the length of the stilling basin must be shortened due to site restrictions and arrangement.
High precision, high throughput generation of droplets containing single cells
Authors: Zhou Jiande , Wei Amaury , Bertsch Arnaud , Renaud Philippe
Published: August 2022

The generation of single-cell biological assays has become a strategic need for fundamental and clinical studies. Droplet microfluidics being sensitive, high throughput, and low cost, has been widely adopted for single-cell assays. However, precise manipulation of single cells using droplet microfluidics is still limited by the intrinsic randomness during single cell encapsulation, known as the Poisson limitation. It results in ambiguous single-cell assays with considerable cell losses. Here we present a novel cell-triggered splitting (CTS) method for deterministic and passive single cell encapsulation into droplets. We demonstrated the high efficacy (negligible cell loss) and high specificity (high cell loading percentage) of this method. With a simple working principle, this passive and label-free method reaches an unprecedented throughput of more than 3k Hz for droplet sorting, corresponding to 22,000 cell-loaded droplets per minute with less than 3% false events (empty droplets or doublets), a 100-fold improvement compared to existing label-free active droplet sorting methods. This asynchronous method requires no flow tuning and provides a general solution to different application scenarios, from high throughput encapsulation to manipulation of small cell populations. This method also applies to the encapsulation of other deformable particles such as hydrogel beads. The novel versatile tool may impact applications in single-cell sequencing, cell-cell/cell-bead interaction, and rare cell isolation. This passive and deterministic single-cell encapsulation method provides a practical solution to overcome the long-existing difficulty associated with the Poisson limit.
Diets Supplemented with Probiotics Improve the Performance of Broilers Exposed to Heat Stress from 15 Days of Age
Authors: Ribeiro Jéssica C. das D. , Drumond Mariana M. , Mancha-Agresti Pamela , Guimarães João P. F. , Ferreira Daiane da C. , Martins Maria I. A. , Murata Pedro M. de M. , de Carvalho Andressa C. , Pereira Raquel T. , Júnior Valdir Ribeiro , Azevedo Vasco A. de C. , Naves Luciana de P.
Published: August 2022

The poultry sector demands alternative additives to antibiotics that can be used as performance enhancers. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to evaluate the probiotics effects on performance, intestinal health and redox status of 720 broilers exposed to heat stress from 15 days of age. Eight dietary treatments were evaluated: basal diet (BD) without antibiotic and probiotic (T1); BD supplemented with antibiotic zinc bacitracin (T2), BD supplemented with commercial probiotic of Bacillus subtilis DSM 17299 (T3); BD supplemented with non-commercial probiotic of Lactococcus lactis NCDO 2118, Lactobacillus delbrueckii CNRZ 327, Escherichia coli CEC15 or Saccharomyces boulardii (T4 to T7), and BD simultaneously supplemented with the four non-commercial probiotics (T8). Feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion were determined in the period from 1 to 42 days of age. Carcass and cuts yield, abdominal fat deposition, cloacal temperature, weight and length of intestine, activity of myeloperoxidase and eosinophilic peroxidase enzymes in the jejunum, jejunal histomorphometry, relative gene expression in the jejunum (occludin, zonulin, interleukin-8, cholecystokinin, ghrelin and heat shock protein-70) and liver (heat shock protein-70), in addition to malondialdehyde level and superoxide dismutase activity in the intestine, liver and blood were measured in broilers at 42 days old. As a main results, broilers fed T1 diet exhibited lower weight gain (3.222 kg) and worse feed conversion (1.70 kg/kg). However, diets containing non-commercial probiotics resulted in up to 3.584 kg of weight gain and improved feed conversion by up to 10%, similar to that observed for broilers of the T2 and T3 groups.
Alginate Magnetic Graphene Oxide Biocomposite for Removal of Aromatic Amines from Aqueous Samples
Authors: Zeb Muhammad Amir , Shah Jasmin , Muhammad Rasul Jan
Published: August 2022

In the present work, alginate magnetic graphene oxide biocomposite was synthesized for the removal and extraction of aromatic amines (aniline, p-chloroaniline and p-nitroaniline) from water samples. The biocomposite were investigated for its physiochemical characteristics such as surface morphology, functional groups, phase determination and elemental composition. The results revealed that the functional groups of graphene oxide and alginate retained in biocomposite with magnetic properties. The biocomposite was applied to water samples for the removal and extraction of aniline, p-chloroaniline and p-nitroaniline through adsorption process. The adsorption process was studied under various experimental conditions like time, pH, concentration, dose and temperature and all the parameters were optimized. The maximum adsorption capacities at room temperature with an optimum pH = 4 for aniline = 18.39 mg/g, for CA = 17.13 mg/g and for NA = 15.24 mg/g. Kinetic and isotherms models showed that the experimental data is best fitted to pseudo second order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model. Thermodynamic study suggested that the adsorption process is exothermic and spontaneous. Ethanol was found to be the best eluent for the extraction of all the three analytes suggested by the extraction study. The maximum percent recoveries from spiked water samples were calculated for aniline = 98.82%, PCA = 96.65% and PNA = 93.55% which showed that alginate magnetic graphene oxide biocomposite could be useful and ecofriendly adsorbent for the removal of organic pollutants in water treatment processes.
Application of novel nanomaterials labeled molecular imprinting technique in the detection and adsorptive removal of fluoroquinolones
Authors: Hu Gaoshuang , Wu Tianqi , Gao Shan , Hao Jianxiong
Published: August 2022

Fluoroquinolones are a new class of synthetic antimicrobials, which have been widely used in clinical treatment. However, their irrational use can lead to allergic reactions, adverse reactions of the heart system and damage of the liver system. Due to the urgency of the safety risk of fluoroquinolones, it is of great significance to establish rapid, sensitive and accurate detection methods for fluoroquinolones. Molecularly imprinted polymers with specific structures synthesized by molecular imprinting technology are widely used for the detection of fluoroquinolones due to their high specificity, high sensitivity and stable performance. Besides, new functional nanomaterials with different morphology and size can provide rich sites for surface chemical reactions, thus greatly promoting the sensitivity and innovation of molecular imprinted polymer. This review summarizes the application status and development prospects of molecular imprinting technology based on novel nanomaterials labeling in the adsorption and detection of fluoroquinolones, in order to provide references for the future research on the adsorption and removal of fluoroquinolones, analysis and detection fluoroquinolones.
Plant Growth and Phosphate uptake of leafy vegetable - Methi and Palak as influenced by Phosphate Solubilizing Fungi
Authors: V Jyothi , S Akarsh , D Manjunatha , G Nandish , Basaiah Thippeswamy
Published: August 2022

The present study is focused on improving the growth and phosphate uptake of leafy vegetables by supplying phosphate bioinoculants. For the study of plant growth and phosphate uptake in leafy vegetables, a total of 41 PSF were isolated, from the 50 rhizosphere soil samples through a serial dilution method using Pikovskaya’s medium. Among them, 6 PSF were selected with maximum solubilization index (3.08 to 3.86) and further evaluated their phosphate solubilization ability under laboratory and field conditions. The selected 6 PSF showed good results in decreased pH (4.0 to 3.1 from initial pH of 6.89), titrable acidity (30.16g/L to 38.08g/L), and concentration of phosphate in culture broth was (60µg to 25µg). With these results, the PSF bio inoculants were prepared and treated with selected seeds of methi and palak under field trials. Among the selected six PSF, PSF 39 (Penicillium oxalicum) showed maximum plant growth and yield in methi, the parameters including plant height and number of leaves (7.8cm, 15 leaves at 15 days after sowing and 10.1cm, 21 leaves at harvest), root length (5.5cm), biomass (2.11g of fresh weight and 1.01g of dry weight) and yield of leafy vegetable (2.01g). The maximum plant phosphorus uptake was recorded in plants (0.393%) and maximum P (Kg/ha) available in the rhizosphere soil was recorded (346.96Kg/ha). PSF 38 (Aspergillus japonicus) showed maximum plant growth and yield in palak, the parameters including plant height and number of leaves (15.7cm, 8 leaves at 15 days after sowing and 30.6cm, 11 leaves at harvest), root length (10.9cm), biomass (11.23g of fresh weight and 3.82g of dry weight) and yield of leafy vegetable (10.32g). The maximum plant phosphorus uptake was recorded in plants (0.369%) and maximum P (Kg/ha) available in the rhizosphere soil was recorded (346.29 Kg/ha).
Hemorrhage Segmentation in Mobile-Phone Retinal Images Using Multi-Region Contrast Enhancement and Iterative Nick Thresholding Region Growing
Authors: Chandhakanond Patsaphon , Aimmanee Pakinee
Published: August 2022

Hemorrhages segmentation in retinal images is challenging because the sizes and shapes vary for each hemorrhage, the intensity is close to the blood vessels and macula, and the intensity within each hemorrhage is often non-uniform for the large ones. Hemorrhage segmentation in mobile-phone retinal images is even more challenging because mobile-phone retinal images usually have poorer contrast, more places of shadows, and uneven illumination compared to those obtained from the table-top ophthalmoscope. In this work, the proposed KMMRC-INRG method enhances the performance of the segmentation of the hemorrhages with the nonuniform intensity in poor lighting conditions on mobile-phone images. It improves the uneven illumination of mobile-phone retinal images using a proposed method, K-Mean Multi-Region Contrast Enhancement (KMMRC). It also enhances the segmentation of the boundary of the hemorrhage blobs using a novel Iterative Nick Thresholding Region Growing (INRG) method before applying an SVM classifier based on hue, saturation, and brightness features. We find this approach can achieve as high as 80.18%, 91.26%, and 85.36% for recall, precision, and F1-measure, respectively. The F1-measure score improves up to 19.02% compared to a state-of-the-art method DT-HSVE tested on the same full dataset and as much as 58.88% when considering only images with large-size hemorrhages.
Chloroquine exerts antiepileptic and neuroprotective effects through the P62-Keap1-Nrf2-GPX4-ferroptosis pathway in pentatetrazone-induced epileptic rat model
Authors: Li Jianmin , Zhang Zhao , Wu Shuhua , Guo Chong , Peng Jiangtao , Hu Zhongbo , Wang Zi , Ning Rui
Published: August 2022

Background: Epilepsy is one of the most common brain disease. Increasing studies have revealed that ferroptosis plays a significant role in the development of epilepsy. Choloroquine(CQ) can release P62 by inhibiting the fusion of autophagosomes with lysomes in the process of autophagy. Our study aimed at investigating the antiepileptic and neuroprotective benefits of CQ via the P62-Keap1-Nrf2-GPX4-ferroptosis pathway in epilepic rats and illustrating the possible connection between autophagy and ferroptosis preliminarily.Methods: 45 male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, pentylenetetrazol(PTZ; 35mg/kg), CQ(40mg/kg)+PTZ groups, all the rats were injected 15 times every other day in a total of 29 days. The EEG changes and behavioral manifestations(epileptic score, latency, and number of seizures in 30 minutes) were recorded. Patch clamp technique was applied to evaluating the excitability of hippocampal neurons. Nissl staining was utilized to observe the neurons in hippocampus. Spectrophotometry was used to evaluate the expression levels in hippocampus of Fe2+, glutathione(GSH) and malondialdehyde(MDA). The expression of P62, LC3, Keap1, Nrf2, GPX4 and PTGS2 was determined by Immunohistochemistry and Western-blot.Results: CQ intervention reduced the level and number of seizures, as well as the latency of seizures, in the PTZ-induced epileptic model. Furthermore, as compared to the PTZ group, CQ reduced the excitability of hippocampus neurons according to patch clamp technique. And the number of pathological neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region decreased based on nissl staining. CQ therapy also prevented MDA and iron accumulation while increasing the expression of GSH, according to spectrophotometry..The expression of P62, LC3, Nrf2, GPX4 increased significantly and the level of Keap1 and PTGS2 decreased significantly based on immunohistochemistry and western-blot.Conclusion: CQ could reduce neuronal ferroptosis and seizures via the P62-Keap1-Nrf2-GPX4-ferroptosis pathway, and we preliminary investigated the possible link between autophagy and ferroptosis.
A novel application of acrylic resin UV-Curing methodology for Radioactive surface Decontamination
Authors: Kaushal Simran , Oommen Sibi , Bhushan Shivanand
Published: August 2022

The facilities dealing with radiation technology face the brunt of Radioactive decontamination. A unique UV-Curing method is provided for decontamination of radioisotopes on the surfaces which has radiation dealing facilities. In this method acrylic UV-Curing resin was poured on a contaminated surface followed by exposure under the UV light of 365nm wavelength from a UV irradiation chamber. Upon UV irradiation, the UV-Curing resin interacted with the radioactively contaminated surface and after polymerization, the solidified resin was then stripped off, leaving behind a précised clean surface. The present study is the proof-of-concept of a novel application of acrylic resin UV-Curing methodology for Radioactive surface contamination removal to create a economical clean, effective and safe environment with minimal waste generation post processing ready for environment friendly incineration.
Investigation on Forced Vibration Characteristics of Nitinol Tracheal Stente
Authors: Bao Yudong , Qu Shengqian , Wei Wen , Li Xun
Published: August 2022

Background:Tracheal stents can be placed in a narrow position in the human trachea to ensure smooth breathing. And the stent will deform during service by the influence of the physiological environment or random excitations such as coughing.Methods:This paper divides the vibration into periodic and random vibrations according to the different pressures. And a coupling vibration model was established by analyzing the contact relationship between the stent and the trachea tissue. And this study discusses the influence of tracheal diameter, respiratory pressure and frequency on the stent vibration characteristics through Ansys simulation. In addition, the nonlinear equations were solved by the Matlab numerical analysis method, which could help to analyze the influence of cough intensity on the stability of the tracheal stent system.Results:The results showed that when tracheal stenosis occurred in the trachea's more significant grade, the trachea stent was more likely to fall off when treated with a tracheal stent. With the increase in respiratory frequency and pressure, the deformation of the tracheal stent is more considerable. Moreover, the frequency of normal cough hardly affects the stability of the stent system, while the excitation force and damping coefficient value greatly influence the system. When the excitation force of the cough exceeds the critical importance of 20N, the tracheal stent is prone to fall off. This study comprehensively obtained the forced vibration characteristics of the stent under service conditions, which could make up for the shortage of the vibration theory of the stent.Conclusion:The results can provide a theoretical basis for predicting the possibility of stent loss in clinical treatment.
Magnetite-Silver Core-Shell Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterizes and Optical Properties
Authors: Huyeh Majid Rashidi , Balouchzahi Saeideh , Afarani Mahdi Shafiee , Khajegi Parisa
Published: August 2022

Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Ag core-shell nanocomposite powders were synthesized via the co-precipitation method. Structure, microstructure, magnetic, and optical properties of Fe3O4/Ag and Fe3O4 were studied. XRD patterns and Uv-Vis spectra showed that nanostructure Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Ag particles were successfully synthesized. AFM and MFM mode micrographs of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Ag powders confirm the formation of Fe3O4 particles in the nano-scale range. Both Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Ag composite powders represented the superparamagnetic behavior due to the formation of nano-sized Fe3O4 particles. Furthermore, in-situ synthesis of Ag on the surface of magnetite nanoparticles increased the particle size, resulting in a decrease in the saturation magnetization. Moreover, based on the Maxwell-Garnet effective medium theory, a theoretical model was developed to determine the optical properties of suspended core-shell nanoparticles. A very good agreement may be found between the theoretical and experimental results. In addition, the local electric field in the particles, evaluated using the numerical Finite Element Method, showed that the electric field in the magnetite core may be amplified up to 20 times at the symmetrical SPR wavelength mode, depending on the silver shell thickness.
Factors predictive of functional outcomes in patients with fragility hip fracture
Authors: Kang Mun Jeong , Kim Bo Ryun , Lee Sang Yoon , Beom Jaewon , Choi Jun Hwan , Lim Jae-Young
Published: August 2022

Background: To determine the predictors of functional outcomes of patients with surgically treated for fragility hip fracture Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study performed in the three tertiary rehabilitation facilities. A total of 165 patients (43 males and 122 females; average age 81.1±6.8 years) who had undergone surgery for fragility hip fracture were followed up from immediately after surgery to 6 months postoperatively. The factors expected to be related to the functional outcomes at 6 months post-surgery were as follows: Baseline demographics, fracture site, operation type, fall characteristics including fall location and fall direction, comorbidities, initial functional status. Comorbidities referred to a summary of the following conditions: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dementia, cerebrovascular accident, and osteoporosis. Functional outcome measures were represented using the Koval’s grade, Functional Ambulatory Category (FAC), Berg balance scale (BBS), 4-meter walking speed test (4MWT), Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), EuroQol five-dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaire, Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) and Korean version of instrumental activities of daily living (K-IADL). For all tests, each patient was assessed immediately after transfer and at 6 months post-surgery. In addition, since it was a multicenter study, hospital factors were also included as independent variables. Results: Multivariable regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, hospital, fracture site, operation type, fall location, fall direction, initial variables of the functional outcomes and comorbidities were as follows. Old age led to significantly less favorable outcome on FAC and K-IADL at 6 months. Intertrochanteric fracture had a significantly positive impact on Koval at 6 months compared to femur neck and intertrochanteric fractures. Total hip replacement arthroplasty had a significantly positive impact on EQ-5D at 6 months compared to bipolar hemiarthroplasty (BPH) and reduction and internal fixation. BPH had a significantly positive outcome on FAC at 6 months compared to other operation types. Fall characteristics didn’t reveal any significant impact on functional outcomes. Patients with hypertension had a significantly negative outcome on EQ-5D and patients with diabetes mellitus had a significantly less favorable outcome on K-IADL. Among Initial functional assessments, initial 4MWT was an independent predictor of Koval, BBS, 4MWT, K-MMSE and K-MBI at 6 months. Initial K-MMSE was significantly associated with BBS, K-MMSE and K-MBI 6 months. Initial K-IADL was an independent predictor of Koval and 4MWT at 6 months and Initial K-MBI was an independent predictor of K-IADL at 6 months.Conclusion: This study confirmed that age, fracture site, operation type, comorbidities and initial function significantly influenced functional recovery at 6 months in patients with fragility hip fracture.
The Mixture Assessment or Allocation Factor: conceptual background, estimation algorithms and a case study example
Authors: Backhaus Thomas
Published: August 2022

Current approaches for the prospective regulatory assessment of chemicals do not account sufficiently for elevated mixture risks. The Mixture Assessment Factor (MAF, better labelled a Mixture Allocation Factor) has been suggested in the EU’s chemical strategy for sustainability as a pragmatic tool to account for potential mixture risks already during the risk and safety assessment of individual chemicals. The aim is to reduce the need for dedicated and data-demanding scenario-specific mixture risk assessments. Several approaches and algorithms for calculating a MAF have been suggested in the literature. This paper provides a comparative overview and argues that the so-called MAFexact is the most promising approach in the context of chemical registration and authorization under regulatory frameworks such as REACH. The MAFexact, which is a member of the larger MAFceiling class, is defined as the maximum fraction of the risk quotient of each chemical that is still acceptable to occur in a mixture, without the sum of risk quotients exceeding 1. This approach ensures a protection level that is similar to the protection level used in the current safety assessment of individual chemicals under REACH. Other MAF approaches either disproportionally impact low-risk substances, without leading to any appreciable risk reduction, or hamper risk communication because they lead to fluctuating residual risks after the MAF application. The paper also presents a case study comparing the different MAF approaches and finally discusses the MAF concept in the wider context of chemical regulation.
Transporting results in an observational epidemiology setting: purposes, methods, and applied example
Authors: Scelo Ghislaine , Zugna Daniela , Richiardi Lorenzo
Published: August 2022

In the medical domain, substantial effort has been put in generating internally valid estimates in experimental/observational studies, but limited effort has been made in testing generalizability, or external validity. Testing the external validity of scientific findings is nevertheless crucial for the application of knowledge across populations. In particular, transporting estimates obtained from observational studies requires the combination of methods for causal inference and methods to transport the effect estimates in order to minimize biases inherent to observational studies and to account for differences between the study and target populations. In this paper, the conceptual framework and assumptions behind transporting results from a population-based study population to a target population is described in an observational setting. An applied example to life-course epidemiology, where internally validity was constructed for illustrative purposes, is shown by using the targeted maximum likelihood estimator.
Prevalence of Social Phobia among Medical Students at Syrian Private University
Authors: Mohsen Norman , Ajloni Naeem , Latifeh Youssef
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also called social phobia, is an uncontrollable fear of social situations, which involve fear of observation or making contact with strangers. So, helping individuals with social anxiety, which is among the factors affecting mental health, can significantly influence a students’ mental health and prevent other problems. Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted using a convenience sampling method among medicine college students at the Syrian Private University (SPU). Using the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale Test (LSAS) students were tested for possible social anxiety disorders and divided into four subcategories. Chi- square test was applied to assess the relationship between social phobia and socio- demographic variables. (p < 0.05) was adopted as statistical significance. Results: A total of 492 medicine college students participated in this study, 52% were males, and 48% were females. Most of the students were at their final years of study. 65% studied at private schools, and 62.6% at unmerged schools. 62.6% were non-smokers and 66.7% were from good economic background. The prevalence of possible social phobia was 49.6%, of them 28.5% moderate social phobia, 14.6% marked social phobia, 4.1% severe social phobia, and 2.4% very severe social phobia. Socio- demographic factors and previous mental trauma were significantly associated with social phobia. Conclusion: Social phobia is prevalent among the sampled population, and different associated factors were identified. Current results could raise the awareness of faculty members and healthcare providers towards early detection and management of these cases.
Detection of Self-explosion Defect in electronic insulators based on modified YOLOX
Authors: Li Hong , Zhang PengPeng , Dou Mengshen , Xu Siyu
Published: August 2022

Self-explosion is a common defect of electronic insulators, which usually affects the safety of power transmission. Automatic inspection of insulators is time-saving and efficient. However, it is a detection problem on small object for detecting defects directly in aerial images, which has two parts, insulator positioning and defect detection. Since the insulator is long, the defect detection region obtained by positioning is long and narrow. Though YOLO network is an efficient model for defect dectection, it cannot achieve sufficient performance when the image is long and narrow. To solve this problem, YOLOX is modified by sliding window and CBAM in this paper. Firstly, a novel insulator dataset with long and narrow images was constructed. Secondly, a segmentation network based on sliding windows was utilized for dividing insulator image in the process of inference. Finally, CBAM is introduced into the YOLOX network to enhance defect features. Experiments demonstrate that the AP of the proposed method reaches 92.48\% and the reasoning speed reaches 28FPS.
Application of Ultrasonography to Neuro-COVID-19
Authors: Ruggiero Marco
Published: August 2022

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of ultrasonography in diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with particular reference to the symptoms that are frequently observed in Neuro-COVID-19, a term that indicates the plethora of short- and long-term neurologic and psychiatric manifestations caused by, or associated with the disease. In a significant percentage of cases, neuro-psychiatric symptoms persist after recovery and long-term sequelae have been reported. SARS-CoV-2 can infect the brain through different routes and the damage can be direct, that is due to the virus itself, or indirect, that is associated with abnormal immune responses, inflammation, and hypoxia. Methods: In this study, the brain was studied by transcranial ultrasonography. Analysis of brain specimens obtained from autopsy demonstrated the presence of the virus in a minority of cases and this leads to hypothesize that SARS-CoV-2 may hide in sanctuary sites in the central nervous system in analogy with what observed for HIV. The existence of sanctuary sites for SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to decrease the efficacy of antiviral therapies or vaccination and may even prevent complete eradication of SARS-CoV-2 from the infected organism. Results: Transcranial ultrasonography demonstrated significant movements of the brain associated with the respiratory cycle. In 2017, a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure was proposed with the goal of identifying and treating pathogens hiding in sanctuaries that elude diagnosis and therapy. This procedure is based on clinical evaluation, diagnostic ultrasonography, therapeutic ultrasounds, and laboratory analyses. Conclusions: Here, it is demonstrated that application of transcranial ultrasonography to Neuro-COVID-19 requires a specific adaptation that takes into account brain movements synchronous with breathing as well as the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 to ultrasounds.
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MALAT1 RS4102217-POLYMORPHIC VARIANT AND ISHEMIC ATHEROTHROMBOTIC STROKE DEVELOPMENT IN PEOPLE WITH INCREASED BODY MASS INDEX
Authors: Moiseіenko Karina A. , Harbuzova Victoriia Yu. , Obukhova Olha A.
Published: August 2022

Background. The recent discovery of a group of mediators known as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is the basis for research that will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in the long run. lncRNAs are expressed depending on conditions, and there is ample evidence of their involvement in a variety of biological processes. Indeed, lncRNA abnormalities are directly related to human diseases, including cardiovascular pathology and other diseases. LncRNA MALAT1 is one of the numerous factors causing functional changes in ischemic atherothrombotic stroke (IATS), in particular, it affects the functioning of endothelial cells and is involved in the implementation of inflammatory processes and regulation of autophagy. All those conditions play a role in the development of atherosclerosis, which underlies the pathogenesis of IATS. The effects of rs4102217-polimorphism of MALAT1 on IATS were poorly explored. This research aimed to find out, whether MALAT1 was associated with the susceptibility to IATS in patients with overweight.
Materials and Methods. A total of 200 ischemic atherothrombotic stroke patients and 234 controls without acute cardiovascular pathology were enrolled in this study. The rs4102217-polymorphisms in the promoter of MALAT1 were genotyped by using Real-Time PCR. Calculations were made using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (SPSS, version 17.0). A value of P ˂ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
Results. The SNP rs4102217 in the promoter of MALAT1 was associated with the risk of ischemic atherothrombotic stroke in people with increased body mass index (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) (Dominant model: adjusted OR = 1.66, 95% CI, 1,024–2,700, P = 0.040)
Conclusions. The results showed that c-carriers with elevated BMI were 1.66 times more likely to develop ischemic atherothrombotic stroke.
THE ROLE OF PULMONARY REHABILITATION IN RECOVERY AFTER COVID-19
Authors: Voitenko Valentyna V. , Shevets Valentyna P. , Brizhata Iryna A.
Published: August 2022

Introduction. The outbreak of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues to be one of the most serious problems of the mankind. Patients who develop pneumonia as a result of coronavirus infection require rehabilitation measures to restore the functional capacity of the body and to prevent the negative consequences of the disease. For patients with COVID‑19, rehabilitation should be aimed at alleviating symptoms (shortness of breath), improving psychological condition, physical form and quality of life. This can be achieved by improving the organization and methodology of pulmonary rehabilitation of patients with COVID-19.
Purpose is to justify the use of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COVID-19.
Materials and methods: analysis and systematization of data from modern scientific and methodological literature and Internet sources.
Results. The emergence and spread of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a major public health issue. Post-COVID syndrome has already become a massive phenomenon and part of our lives. Recovery from coronavirus infection is necessary for all, regardless of the severity of the disease. Physical therapy can be used at various stages of treatment for COVID-19 patients. However, the decision to use it, the nature, scope and purpose of the interventions should be based on clinical evidence, the safety of patients and staff. Pulmonary rehabilitation, the main component of which is physical exercise (aerobic and/or resistance training), can play a vital role in the recovery of patients, improving physical fitness, muscle strength and quality of life of those infected with severe acute respiratory coronavirus syndrome. Moreover, under quarantine conditions, it was important for many patients to have access to home-based rehabilitation, which was provided by tele-rehabilitation facilities using telecommunications technology.
Conclusions. Thus, pulmonary rehabilitation is an important part of recovery from COVID-19. The development of complications and the increase in the number of pulmonological patients who have suffered a severe or moderate coronary infection are updating the issues of adaptation of traditional rehabilitation programs to new conditions.
TAX BENEFITS AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF AN EXPORTING MINING COMPANY, A CASE STUDY IN PERU
Authors:   Academic Researcher of the Accounting Faculty of Universidad Cesar Vallejo., Janeth Urbina-Sheen Karin , Patricia Rodriguez-Mino Silvia ,   Academic Researcher of the Accounting Faculty of Universidad Cesar Vallejo., Alicia Calvanapon Alva Flor ,   Research Professors of Universidad Cesar Vallejo.
Published: August 2022

The objective of the article was to determine the effect of tax benefits on the financial performance of an exporting mining company in Peru. A quantitative approach, applied and non-experimental design was considered. Documentary analysis and the record card were applied, studying the financial statements of the company during the aforementioned years. The results identify that the tax benefit of the exporting mining company is the balance in favor of the exporter, this was calculated to have the amounts corresponding to each year, it was also found that the company has a good level of financial performance and that in the years studied has compensated the tax benefits, but it has not been done completely leaving balances for the following years and consequently leaving taxes to be paid. It can be concluded that tax benefits, if well applied, favor positively the financial performance of any organization and that they should be duly taken advantage of, as compensation or refund.
PROOF OF THE ORIGINAL CRIMINAL ACT AS A CONDITION OF CONVICTION OF THE CRIMINAL ACT OF MONEY LAUNDERING (ANALYSIS OF VERDICT N0: 57/PID. SUS/2014/PN. SLR)
Authors:   Graduate Student of the Faculty of Law, University of Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta., Noeri Irsyad , Alfitra Dan ,   Doctor of Law Studies, Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta.
Published: August 2022

It is an injustice if a person who has actually received benefits from the Money Laundering Crimes but cannot be processed because the original criminal act cannot be proven, this is the reason the Constitutional Court rejected Akil Mochtars application to test Article 69 of Law Number 08 of 2010 concerning the Prevention and Eradication of Money Laundering Crimes. Is this reason enough to deprive a person of their freedom and property guaranteed in our Constitution of the 1945 Constitution, especially since there is an expert opinion that states Article 69 violates the principle of Due Proces of Law which is partly adopted in the Criminal Procedure Code because it is an embodiment of the concept of the State of Law (Rechtstaat) such as the principle of presumption of innocence, the principle of non-self-incrimination and the principle of legality. In the definition of an asset forfeiture mechanism, Article 69 is a civil forfeiture of assets processed through criminal justice. The recent development of the Money Laundering Act has been believed by law enforcement to be a stand-alone criminal act. Civil forfeiture who should have pursued his property according to the principle of follow the money turned into also chasing the culprit. So, there are cases where the original perpetrator of the crime was never proven but who helped it is going to jail even though they did not enjoy the money. In fact, there are also cases where the charges are purely violations of the Money Laundering Article without any original crime. In the midst of shifting paradigms from retributive justice to restorative justice, it seems that article 69 is increasingly looming as an anomaly in the concept of the State of Law that we have adopted in the 1945 Constitution.
CORRELATION OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN PTERYGOMAXILLARY NOTCHES AND THE COMBINED WIDTH OF MAXILLARY ANTERIOR TEETH IN DENTATE SUBJECTS - AN OBSERVATIONAL ANALYTICAL STUDY
Authors: S.R Shari , K. Harshakumar , Janardanan Kavitha , Francis Litty , Kanagaraj Sariga
Published: August 2022

Purpose: The objective of this study was to find the correlation of the distance between pterygomaxillary notches and the combined width of maxillary anterior teeth.Material &Methods:One hundred and twenty-six maxillary dentulous impressions were made (18-50 years old) using metallic stock tray and irreversible hydrocolloid impression material, then poured in dental stone. The distance between Pterygomaxillary notches and the mesiodistal width of six maxillary anterior teeth were measured by digital vernier calliper on a dental stone cast. The mean of the measurements was statistically analysed using Pearsons correlation co-efficient. Results: The mean distance between pterygomaxillary notches was 39.5 Â± 3.7mm and the mean of combined width of six maxillary anterior teeth was 45.5 Â± 2.A moderately significant correlation was found for the distance between pterygomaxillary notches and the combined width of maxillary anterior teeth (p<0.01, r=0.335).Only 11.2 percent of the samples showed a correlation between the combined width of maxillary anterior teeth and the distance between the pterygomaxillary notches. Conclusions: The relation between the combined width of maxillary anterior teeth and distance between the pterygomaxillary notches was significant (p<0.01). The distance between pterygomaxillary notches can influence the size of maxillary anterior teeth along with other factors.It was concluded that for every 1mm increase in the distance between the pterygomaxillary notches, there will be a 0.18mm increase in the dimension for the combined width of maxillary anterior teeth.Distance between pterygomaxillary notches is a reliable method for the selection of maxillary anterior teeth. Clinical Relevance To Interdisciplinary Dentistry: 1. This can be used for teeth selection in patients with nasal, eye defects where inter-alar/ inter-pupillary width is not reliable. 2. This correlation can be applied to any restorative procedures involving rehabilitation of maxillary anterior teeth.
JUSTIFICATION OF INHERITANCE DISTRIBUTION FOR WOMEN ACCORDING TO ISLAMIC INHERITANCE LAW
Authors:   Research Centre for Sharia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia., Yazid Ahmad Md
Published: August 2022

The issue of justice in inheritance distribution in Islamic inheritance law is often questioned by certain quarters especially among rights advocates of gender equality who claim that there exists a discrimination between men and women which denies women social justice in the context of inheritance distribution as compared to men with a ratio of 2:1. In truth, the ultimate aim of Islamic inheritance law is to dignify justice in inheritance distribution at all levels and to eligible heirs without discrimination in terms of gender, age and physical body adequacy. Therefore, the objective of this article is to articulate and thus raise the concept of justice in inheritance distribution according to Islamic inheritance law which is often disputed and disregarded by some who hold the view that Islamic inheritance law implementation is a form of discrimination to women. To achieve this objective, this study employed a content and data analysis study which were obtained from document analysis and are explained and delivered descriptively. Results of this study found that the determined eligibility and proportion are appropriate with the role of each member of the family especially the men who have to bear various responsibilities financially and provision-wise. Besides, distribution principle with a ratio of 2:1 between men and women is non-binding from certain aspects. In fact, there are situations where the women allocation exceeds that of men.
EFFECTIVENESS OF AUTOLOGUS INJECTION PLATELET RICH PLASMA IN MANAGEMENT OF LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS AND TO MEASURE THE OUTCOMES IN A SHORT TERM FOLLOW UP
Authors: S. Sakharkar Nilesh , Tathe Pankaj , Atram Vikas , Arora Chandan
Published: August 2022

Introduction: An inflammatory disorder known as lateral epicondylitis develops where the common extensor tendon of the forearm originates over the lateral epicondyle. It is the most prevalent chronic, debilitating, and painful elbow condition. 1 to 3 percent of the overall population experiences symptoms. Aim And Objectives: to assess the results of a brief follow-up study after a single dose of autologous platelet-rich plasma injection for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis. Materials And Methods:This is a prospective study of about 25 patients includes 17 females and 8 males who were diagnosed as lateral epicondylitis. Platelet rich plasma group was injected with 3-4 ml platelet rich plasma, using a Â“pepperingÂ” technique in a clock wise manner to better cover the affected area of lateral epicondyle. Results: All the relevant data were analysed. The average Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores of pre injection, 4th week, 8th week and 12th week post injection Discussion: Currently, platelet rich plasma (PRP) is considered as the optimal biological component produced from autologous blood. In addition, platelet rich plasma has high antimicrobial potency and this property may prevent infections. Conclusion: Pain and decreased functional activities in lateral epicondylitis are significantly improved by a single autologous platelet-rich plasma injection.
Academic House Style and Acknowledgement Writing: the Case of Two Ghanaian Universities
Authors: Owusu Debrah Cecilia Agyeiwah Agyemang , Nyarko Ansah Alberta Dansoah
Published: August 2022

This descriptive study sought to examine the structural features of Thesis Acknowledgements (TA) from two disciplines in two Ghanaian Universities. Forty TAs were sampled from the fields of Chemistry and English.  Hyland’s (2004)   generic move structure was modified in analyzing the sampled TAs. The data was also examined on the basis of the two institutions’ academic style guides for conformity. The findings indicate that the structural features of TAs from the two fields differ.  It also revealed that out of the seven steps identified in the obligatory Elaborative Move, DoC writers generally use three steps, and DoE writers mostly use four steps. It is further revealed that while writers from the DoC mostly acknowledged contributors for their technical support, writers from DoE acknowledged their helpers for providing materials for the research. It was revealed that the data followed the institutional style guide.  The paper argues that though the contextual difference in the TAs from both fields is minimal, subtle variances and parallels still exist between the two fields. Therefore, it is suggested that these variations in linguistic forms that account for the discursive styles of the TAs should be further examined. Finally, additional analysis by corpus analytic tools applied to large data from the research context could complement this study.
Determination of Trace Elements in Rumex nepalensis, Inula discoidea, Tripleurospermum callosum, and Thymus migricus Plants Using ICP-MS Application
Authors: ARAS Abdülmelik
Published: August 2022

The form and distribution of trace elements in tissues and fluids of the body have become key details in life sciences and medicine, and they may be used to discover disease biomarkers. In the current study, concentrations of twelve elements in Rumex nepalensis, Inula Discoidea, Tripleurospermum callosum, and Thymus migricus plants samples were detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). All elements the range of correlation coefficient (R) obtained from 0.993 to 1. For R. nepalensis plant extract Zn (45.457 µg ml-1), Mn (41.357 µg ml-1), and Cu (13.628 µg ml-1); for I. Discoidea plant extract Zn (62.175 µg ml-1), Mn (53.288 µg ml-1), and Cr (16.904 µg ml-1); for T. callosum plant extract Mn (50. 594 µg ml-1), Cu (12.712 µg ml-1), and Cr (2.662 µg ml-1); for T. migricus plant extract Mn (53.893 µg ml-1), Zn (23.768
µg ml-1), and Cu (9.568 µg ml-1) were identified as the most intensive elements. These plants extracts
could be a novel source of mineral constituents in various industries and pharmaceutical industries.