bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Evaluation of Occlusal Bite Force Distribution by T-Scan in Orthodontic Patients with Different Occlusal Characteristics: A cross Sectional Observational Study”
Authors: Tayyem Huda Abu , Annamma Lovely , Desai Vijay B , Alam Mohammad Khursheed
Published: February 2023

Background
The aim of Orthodontic treatment apart from esthetic and functional corrections is uniform force distribution. Hence Occlusal analysis using a T scan gives scope for a precisely targeted treatment plan. The T-scan evaluation of occlusal force, time, and location of contacts from initial occlusal contact to maximum intercuspation enable the orthodontist to sequentially balance the occlusal forces on right and left side by specific treatment plan options.
Objective
The current study aimed to determine the force distribution by using T-Scan as well as the NET discrepancies of forces generated at a maximum intercuspation position in the first molar region between the left and right sides of the mouth.
Methods
This is a descriptive-correlational study that was carried out in Ras Al Khaimah College of Dental Sciences clinics and Ajman University clinics from January 2020 to September 2022 by using the convenience sampling technique.
Results
The present study consisted of 158 participants. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed that there is a statistically significant difference in percentage of force between the three types of malocclusions (I, II, and III) on the right molar side (B-16 and B-46) (p < 0.05). Moreover, the overall discrepancy showed a statistically significant difference in the three types of malocclusion classifications (p < 0.05). On the other hand, there was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of force between B-26 and B-36 (p > 0.05). Post hoc showed a statistically significant difference in percentage of force between Malocclusion Class I and Class III on the right molar with a mean difference of 4.11190 (p < 0.05). Similarly, there was a statistically significant difference in B-46 between Malocclusion Classes I and II, 4.01806 (p < 0.05). Additionally, post hoc showed a statistically significant difference between Malocclusion Class I and Class III with a mean difference of -4.79841 (p < 0.05) on the right molar.
Conclusion
The T-Scan is a useful tool for assessing occlusal discrepancies and can be helpful during treatment planning and follow-up, especially for orthognathic surgery patients. T-scan could be used in orthodontic therapy in a simple and efficient way. Also, it turned out to be a useful tool for diagnosing problems and gave us new information about how therapies work. In this study, T-Scan showed that it can measure occlusal forces in timing in an objective, accurate, and repeated manner. The current study found that T-Scan was better able to report the difference in the percentage of force on the right molar side than on the left side.
Nonlocalization of singular potentials in quantum dynamics
Authors: Shao Sihong , Su Lili
Published: February 2023

Nonlocal modeling has drawn more and more attention and becomes steadily more powerful in scientific computing. In this paper, we demonstrate the superiority of a first-principle nonlocal model — Wigner function — in treating singular potentials which are often used to model the interaction between point charges in quantum science. The nonlocal nature of the Wigner equation is fully exploited to convert the singular potential into the Wigner kernel with weak or even no singularity, and thus highly accurate numerical approximations are achievable, which are hardly designed when the singular potential is taken into account in the local Schrödinger equation. The Dirac delta function, the logarithmic, and the inverse power potentials are considered. Numerically converged Wigner functions under all these singular potentials are obtained with an operator splitting spectral method, and display many interesting quantum behaviors as well.
2020 Mathematics Subject Classification: 81S30; 45K05; 35Q40; 65M70; 35S05
Implementation of a Curriculum for Training Healthcare Leaders as Change Agents for Equity: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Holm Amanda L. , Gorosh Marla Rowe , Brady Megan , White-Perkins Denise
Published: February 2023

Background: Disparities in access to healthcare are a widespread problem globally and in the United States. Healthcare organization staff must be trained in how to identify potential inequities and given tools to help them foster organizational change to increase equitable access to healthcare for all. We developed the Healthcare Equity Scholars Program (HESP) to train and develop leaders to further integrate equity into organizational policies and practices.
Methods: Two cohorts of HESP participants completed 12-month seminar-style cycles of the program between 2014 and 2017. All participants completed a project aimed at addressing healthcare disparities in their work area. In 2019, we conducted qualitative interviews to capture participants’ perceptions about how their participation in the HESP affected their work life, career, and the organization.
Results: Qualitative analysis of interviews revealed that HESP had a strong impact on participants’ perceptions of their ability to tackle healthcare inequities and make change in their work areas. They cited awareness-raising, skill-building, and networking benefits of the program. Several participants described how their projects led to organizational change via additional quality improvement cycles, piloting of innovative programs, and process improvements, including development of task forces to address issues of equity. While participants described some obstacles to project implementation, they overwhelmingly responded that they were glad they participated in HESP and would recommend it to colleagues.
Conclusions: Educational initiatives such as HESP show promise as a means of empowering healthcare organization employees to implement projects that result in meaningful improvements in healthcare equity and outcomes. Developing leaders in this way will be vital to creating more agile teams capable of transforming healthcare and fostering equity.
Isolation, characterization, and evaluation of probiotic properties of Lactic Acid bacteria from different fermented yoghurt drinks available in Bangladesh
Authors: Akter Fatema , Jabin Tabassum , Yeasmin Sahida , Khan Md. Robin , Ahmed Zabed Bin , Razu Mamudul Hasan , Rabby Md. Raisul Islam , Karmaker Pranab , Khan Mala
Published: February 2023

Lactobacillus spp. is the most commonly found probiotics strain in dairy products. In the present study, Lactobacillus spp. were isolated from four commercially available fermented yoghurt drinks, which were identified based on observing their morphological characteristics and through some biochemical tests such as, gram staining, MIU (Motility Indole Urease), catalase, citrate, TSI (Tripplr Sugar Iron), gas from glucose, milk coagulation activities, starch hydrolysis and bile esculin test.It was observed that isolated Lactobacillus spp. growth rate decreased with the increasing concentration of inhibitory substances like NaCl (2,4,8%) and phenol (0.1-0.8%). Additionally, good growth were observed in the presence of 2% NaCl and 0.1% phenol. The isolated Lactobacillus spp. did show good survival abilities in acidic (pH 2) and alkaline (pH 8) conditions, while their maximum growth was observed at pH 8.0. Isolated Lactobacilli were able to coagulate skim milk and produce gas from glucose.All of the isolates showed negative results in hemolytic activity, indicating that lactic acid bacteria are safe for use by humans. All isolates were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcusspp, Bacillus spp, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiellaspp, Pseudomonas spp, Serratia spp, Candida albicans, Trichodermaresseii, Aspergillus spp. The majority of the isolates showed significant antimicrobial effectiveness against the targeted pathogens.Their susceptibility to selected eight antibiotics was determined in terms of zone of inhibition (mm). In conclusion, most of the results from the present experiments showed that, there were very few variations in probiotics properties of the isolated Lactobacillus spp. from different fermented yoghurt drinks.
The Impact of Global Health Outreach Experiences on Medical Student Burnout
Authors: Kuehn Thomas , Crandall Cody , Schmidt Jefferson , Richards Zeke , Park Taylor , Szczepaniak Morgan , Zapata Isain , Wardle Mark
Published: February 2023

Background
Student burnout during medical education is a prevalent and critical problem. Burnout has reaching consequences, including negative health outcomes for students, financial loss for schools, and worsened patient care as students transition to practice. Global Health Outreach Experiences (GHOEs), known to enhance cultural awareness and clinical knowledge among medical students, are offered in most programs. Prior studies document that GHOEs benefit physicians suffering from burnout, with effects demonstrating improvement over 6 months. No study, to our knowledge, has assessed the influence GHOEs may have on medical student burnout with a comparable control group. This study examines whether participation in a GHOE, compared to a standard break from school, has a positive effect on burnout.
Methods
A case control study utilizing the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was conducted on medical students. 41 students participated in a one-week, spring break GHOE and 252 were randomly selected as non-participating students in a control group. Assessments were gathered 1 week prior, 1 week after, and 10 weeks after spring break.
Results
Response across the surveys in chronological order included 22,20,19 GHOE and 70,66,50 control participants. A significant reduction in personal burnout (PB) (P = 0.0161), studies related burnout (SRB) (P = 0.0056), and colleagues related burnout (CRB) (P = 0.0357) was found among GHOE attendees compared to control participants at 10-weeks after spring break. When modeled with potential confounders, CRB and SRB reductions remained significant.
Conclusion
GHOEs may be a potential tool for institutions to combat burnout rates in their students. The benefits of GHOEs appear to enhance over time.
Related factors on decreased activity of daily living in older patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Chen Xiaoyu , Hu Yingchun , Liu Wei , Wu Hongmei , Liu Guanjian , Wu Hongyan , Yang Ming , Cao Li , Hao Qiukui , Zhang Xiaoming , Zhou Jianan , Li Xiaofeng , Li Jing , Yan Yuhua , Zhu Hongxia , Ren Jiangwen
Published: February 2023

Background:
Older patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD) have significant decline of activity of daily living(ADL). This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with decreased ADL in older patients with CKD.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 1,2013 and June 30, 2014 in West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Kangfu Kidney Disease Hospital in Chengdu. All patients were older than 60 years with CKD. They received a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Contents of the survey include: a) general survey; b) laboratory parameters in the last 3 months; c)the comprehensive geriatric assessment indexes. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software, version 17.0.
Results:
A total of 542 patients were included in this study, of whom 332 were male and 210 female. The mean age was 76.1±8.9 years, with a median age of 76 years(60 ~ 101 years old). Univariate analysis showed that the difference of age, marital status, serum albumin, risk of malnutrition, malnutrition, cognitive function, depression score, comorbidity index, subjective support and the use of social support was statistically significant (P<0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that independent factors associated with the ADL impairment in the older patients with CKD included age [(70~79 years old OR=1.81,95% CI: 1.01-3.25), ≥ 80 years old OR=5.42,95% CI: 2.99-9.81)], marital status (OR=1.90,95 % CI: 1.15-3.15), depression (OR=1.33,95% CI: 1.22-1.44), risk of malnutrition (OR=2.81,95% CI: 1.70-4.65) and malnutrition (OR=5.13,95%CI:2.51-10.50).
Conclusion:
The factors associated with the decreased ADL in older patients with CKD include age, being widowed, depression, and poor nutritional status. So, to strengthen nutritional status, reduce loneliness, maintain good psychological condition can reduce the decline of ADL for older adults with CKD.
Do Ridesourcing Platforms Need Socio-Economic Inequality to Thrive?
Authors: de Ruijter Arjan , Cats Oded , Lint Hans van
Published: February 2023

Limited available market share data seems to suggest that ridesourcing platforms benefit from, even thrive on, socio-economic inequality. We suspect that this is associated with high levels of socio-economic inequality allowing for cheap labour as well as increasing the share of travellers with a considerably above-average willingness to pay for travel time savings and comfort. We test the relation between inequality and system performance by means of an agent-based simulation model representing within-day and day-to-day supply-demand interaction in the ridesourcing market. The model captures travellers' mode choice with a heterogeneous perception of relevant time components, as well as job seekers' participation choice with heterogeneous reservation wage. Our experiments cover scenarios for the entire spectrum ranging from perfect equality to extreme inequality. For several of such scenarios, we explore alternative platform pricing strategies. Our analysis shows a strong, positive relationship between socio-economic inequality and ridesourcing market share. This is the outcome of the combination of cheap labour and time-sensitive ridesourcing users, reinforced by network effects inherent to ridesourcing markets. We find that driver earnings are minimal in urban areas with large socio-economic inequality. In such contexts, drivers are likely to face a high platform commission, and yet, fierce competition for passengers.
A Hybrid Blended Stacking Disease Prediction System Based on Symptoms
Authors: Indupalli Manjula Rani , G Pradeepini
Published: February 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Risk factors for postoperative delirium in elderly patients after major orthopedic surgery: a prediction model
Authors: Zhu Shaoxiong , Ma Zihan , Ge Yeying , Yuan Liyong
Published: February 2023

Background: This study mainly aims to assess risk factors of postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients after major orthopedic surgery, and construct and validate a simple delirium-predicting model.
Methods: The plan was to collect 700 elderly patients admitted to Ningbo No. 6 Hospital for major orthopedic surgery in the analysis cohort. Associated risk factors were first screened by univariate analysis, and then the independent risk factors were screened by binary logistic regression analysis and assigned according to the magnitude of the odds ratio (OR), to establish a risk prediction score model. A cohort of 300 patients admitted to our hospital was included as a prediction cohort. The risk score prediction score model was constructed and validated by assignment according to OR values, i.e..
Results: We developed and verified a practical POD risk prediction score model for elderly patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery, which consists of six independent risk factors: age ≥73 years, cardiac disease, diabetes mellitus, sleep disorders, cortisol ≥411 nmol/L, and CRP ≥14 mg/L. The analysis cohort's results were accurately predicted by this model (AUROC=0.863; 78.4% sensitivity, 78.9% specificity,78.8%accuracy) whereas the prediction cohort's results were also high (AUROC=0.941; 95.2% sensitivity, 89.5% specificity, 90.5% accuracy).
Conclusion: The risk prediction model for postoperative delirium, constructed in this study, is highly applicable, and age ≥73 years, cardiac disease, diabetes mellitus, sleep disorders, cortisol ≥411 nmol/L, and CRP ≥14 mg/L are the main risk factors in elderly patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery.
Trial registration:Prospectively registered at the China Clinical Trial Registry, registration number: ChiCTR2200056234, date of registration:02/02/2022.
Postoperative growth and development assessment for infants with congenital intestinal atresia
Authors: Lin Sheng , Liu Mingkun , Fang Yifan , Wu Dianming
Published: February 2023

Purpose: This study intended to assess the postoperative growth and development of infants with congenital intestinal atresia (IA) and to explore growth-associated factors.
Methods: The data of 131 infants with congenital IA who were cured, discharged, and followed up in the outpatient clinic from May 2011 to August 2021 in the Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital were acquired. The data included prenatal color Doppler results, gestational week, gender, birth weight, IA type, atresia distal/proximal intestine diameter ratio, IA location, with or without ileocecal junction resection, remaining small intestine length, with or without meconium peritonitis, etc. According to the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards (2006), the growth and development of IA infants were assessed using age-specific height and weight. Stunting was defined as age-specific height and (or) weight 2 standard deviations (SD) below the median of the standard, and the cases were divided into normal and growth-retarded groups for comparison and analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0.
Results: There were 83 males and 48 females in the 131 IA infants. 4 cases had age-specific weight and height <-2 SD, 2 cases had age-specific weight <-2 SD, and 6 had age-specific height <-2 SD. Hence, the growth-retarded group (n=12) accounted for 9.2% of all cases, and the normal group (n=119) accounted for 90.8%. Further analysis of clinical data showed that infants in the growth-retarded group had smaller birth weights (P < 0.05). The two groups had significantly distinct atresia locations (P < 0.05), and infants with duodenal atresia and jejunal atresia within 30 cm of the ligament of Treitz had a significantly higher incidence of growth retardation than infants with jejunal atresia >30 cm beyond the ligament of Treitz (P < 0.016667). No significant difference was observed in other factors between the two groups.
Conclusion: Some infants were stunted after IA surgery, and birth weight and atresia location were the two factors affecting their growth and development. Moreover, long-term follow-up and prompt nutritional instructions are required for those infants.
Risk of myocardial infarction and stroke after female breast cancer: analysis on a cohort of 1.3 million women
Authors: Ricceri Fulvio , Favaro Enrica , Gilcrease Gregory Winston , Calabrese Sara Claudia , Ferracin Elisa , Cuonzo Daniela Di , Macciotta Alessandra , Catalano Alberto , Dansero Lucia , d’Errico Angelo , Franco Pierfrancesco , Numico Gianmauro , Gnavi Roberto , Costa Giuseppe , Pagano Eva , Sacerdote Carlotta
Published: February 2023

Background
Breast Cancer (BC) is a leading public-health issue affecting women on a global scale, accounting for about 500,000 new cases every year in Europe. Thanks to the widespread implementation of screening programs and the improvement in therapies, women with BC live longer but they also are more likely to experience an increased risk of other diseases, including second primary cancer, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases. Reasons for this increased risk include genetics, shared risk factors, and adverse effects from BC treatment.
Methods
To analyse the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke in women with BC considering the potential side effects of treatments, we used data from the Piedmont Longitudinal Study, an administrative cohort based on the record-linkage among census data and several health-administrative databases to include than 4 million inhabitants of an Italian region.
Results
Among 1,342,333 women ranging from 30 to 75 years old 19,203 had a BC diagnosis in the follow-up period, of whom 206 experienced a subsequent MI and 203 a stroke. Women with BC showed an increased risk for MI (HR: 1.20; 95%CI: 1.05–1.38) and for stroke (HR: 1.58; 95%CI: 1.38–1.82). Chemotherapy seemed to be the major risk factor for MI in BC women, while no different risk by therapy was found for stroke.
Conclusion
The results of this study supported the hypothesis about the toxic effect of therapies, suggesting both clinicians to routinely and actively screen for these treatment-related toxicities in women with BC and researchers to prioritize personalized treatments in order to minimize potentially devastating side effects.
Vibration source analysis and structural optimization design of rotary table based on OTPA
Authors: XIE Miao , WANG He , LIU Zhixiang
Published: February 2023

Due to the influence of coal rock shape, hardness and working environment during the cutting process of the boom-type roadheader, the cutting head will produce irregular severe vibration. As a key force-bearing component, the dynamic reliability and life of the rotary table affect the cutting efficiency and cutting stability. In order to study the vibration characteristics of the rotary table, the spatial mechanical model of the rotary table of the roadheader is first established, and the variation law of the hinge point force between the cutting arm and the rotary table with the pitch angle and the horizontal angle is solved. The vibration data of cutting head, cantilever, lifting and rotating hydraulic cylinder under stable cutting condition are used as input and output signals. The transfer path analysis model of rotary table is established, and the synthetic vibration of rotary table is simulated. The vibration contribution and contribution degree of each excitation point to each hinge point of rotary table are analyzed. By building a cutting test bench, the vibration response of rotary table in cutting process is tested, and the correctness of the theoretical model is verified. The stress and strain characteristics of each point of the rotary table in the cutting process were simulated, and the service life of the rotary table was checked under symmetrical cyclic load. Finally, based on the response surface optimization analysis method, the multi-objective optimization design of the rotary table is carried out. After optimization, the maximum equivalent stress of the rotary table is reduced by 8.5%, and the maximum deformation is reduced by 6.7%. The optimization results improve the life of the rotary table and improve the high stress phenomenon at the hinge ear of the rotary table, which provides a theoretical reference for the design and manufacture of the roadheader rotary table.
The association between different physical activity levels and flexion-relaxation phenomenon in women: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Li Yangzheng , Pei Junjie , Li Changsheng , Wu Fangchao , Tao Yechao
Published: February 2023

Background
To investigate whether the flexion-relaxation phenomenon differs in women with different physical activity levels.
Methods
Seventy-two subjects were recruited for this study. The electromyographic activity of the erector spinae and multifidus muscles was recorded during a flexion task using a surface electromyographic device. The flexion-relaxation and extension-relaxation ratios were calculated. Participants were classified into different physical activity level groups based on their responses to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. A Welch analysis of variance was conducted to compare the flexion-relaxation ratio and extension-relaxation ratio between groups.
Results
A significant difference in the flexion-relaxation and extension-relaxation ratio was observed in both the erector spinae and multifidus muscles between different levels of physical activity.
Conclusions
In this study, we observed that female participants with high levels of physical activity showed a more pronounced flexion-relaxation phenomenon compared to those with moderate and low levels of physical activity. No significant difference was found between moderate and low physical activity levels. The findings of our study highlight the impact of physical activity on the mechanics of the spinal stabilising muscles.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Ukraine: Current Evidence
Authors: Grygorieva Nataliia , Solonenko Tatyana , Musiienko Anna , Bystrytska Maryna
Published: February 2023

Background
Data from numerous studies demonstrate the high frequency of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and insufficiency (VDI) in many countries worldwide that depend on age and sex, the seasons, country, and concomitant pathology. This research was aimed to study vitamin D status in the Ukrainian population during 2016–2022 years depending on age, sex, month, and year of the observation and compare the results with the data of previous Ukrainian epidemiologic studies.
Methods
In a single-center cohort study, we analyzed the serum level of a total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in 7,418 subjects aged 20–99 years. The analysis was performed depending on the age, sex, month, season, and year of the observation. Also, we compared the results with the data of previous Ukrainian studies. 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level was measured using the electrochemiluminescence method.
Results
The mean serum 25(OH)D level in the total group was 31.0 [22.3–41.1] ng/mL, the lowest level was in the age group 90–99 years old. No gender differences were found in 25(OH)D levels, except the one for the women aged 60–69 years old, who had higher vitamin D levels compared to male parameters. 41.6% of the subjects had an optimal (> 30–50 ng/mL) 25(OH)D level, 27.3% had VDI, and 19.5% had a VDD. The suboptimal and high serum concentration of 25(OH)D (> 50–100 ng/mL) had 11.4% of the subjects. Also, we established the increase of serum 25(OH)D level from 2016 to 2022 with the highest values in 2020–2022. Seasonal variations of 25(OH)D concentration found the highest index in autumn (33.0 [24.0-42.4] ng/mL) and the lowest one in the spring (28.5 [19.7–38.7] ng/mL) with the highest 25(OH)D level in September and the lowest one in March.
Conclusion
Our results confirmed a decrease in VDD, and VDI in 2020–2022 in the Ukrainian population compared to previous years (2016–2019) and previous Ukrainian studies with similar age and seasonal particularities. It may be the consequence of an improvement in public awareness of global vitamin D deficiency, its positive skeletal and extra-skeletal effects, as well as more intensive vitamin D supplementation due to COVID-19 pandemic in recent years.
Maternal and neonatal factors associated with cesarean delivery in a cohort of pregnancies complicated by prenatally diagnosed congenital heart disease
Authors: Masters Heather , Marcuccio Elisa , Jukic Alma , Cnota James , Tabbah Sammy , Divanovic Allison
Published: February 2023

Background: Pregnancies with prenatally diagnosed congenital heart disease (CHD) have increased cesarean delivery (CD) rates, with no outcome improvement.
Objective: We aim to examine indications for delivery, indications for CD and risk factors associated with CD.
Study Design: Retrospective cohort of 322 singleton pregnancies prenatally diagnosed with moderate to severe CHD. We compared maternal and fetal factors correlated with delivery route.
Results:CD rate was 46% (95%CI 40, 51%). Of all CD, 31.3% (95%CI 23.8, 38.7) were secondary to urgent fetal indications. However, 79.7% of inductions resulted in vaginal delivery (VD). Factors associated with CD include morbid obesity (RR 3.0, 95%CI 1.5, 6.1), diabetes (RR 3.9, 95%CI 2.0, 7.3) and severe pre-eclampsia (6.0, 95%CI 1.7, 21.4). Of the 10 most frequent CHD diagnoses, only hypoplastic-left-heart was associated with CD (OR 1.9, 95%CI 1.02, 3.4).
Conclusions: Although the CD rate is higher in fetal CHD, most indications for CD are maternal.
A biological invasion reduces rates of cannibalism by Japanese toad tadpoles
Authors: Crossland Michael R. , Shine Richard , Haramura Takashi
Published: February 2023

By imposing novel evolutionary pressures, biological invasions can favour rapid changes in intraspecific competitive mechanisms such as cannibalism. In their invasive range in Australia but not in their native range in South America, cane toads (Rhinella marina) exhibit high rates of cannibalism of embryos (eggs and hatchlings) by tadpoles. To explore the generality of such changes, we examined cannibalism in Japanese common toads (Bufo japonicus) on the islands of Honshu (native range) and Hokkaido (invasive range). Contrary to the Australian system, invasion has been accompanied by a reduction rather than increase in rates of cannibalism under standard laboratory conditions. That reduction in cannibalistic tendency by invasive-range toad tadpoles occurs despite an increase in the attractivity of invasive-range toad embryos as prey to other predatory amphibian larvae, including native-range conspecifics. Our data thus support the idea that biological invasions can generate rapid changes in rates of cannibalism, but also show that decreases as well as increases can occur. Future work could investigate the proximate cues and selective forces responsible for this rapid decrease in rates of cannibalism in invasive populations of Japanese common toads.
Tetris-inspired detector with neural network for radiation mapping
Authors: Okabe Ryotaro , Xue Shangjie , Yu Jiankai , Liu Tongtong , Forget Benoit , Jegelka Stefanie , Kohse Gordon , Lu Lin-Wen , Li Mingda
Published: February 2023

In recent years, radiation mapping has attracted widespread research attention and increased public concerns on environmental monitoring. In terms of both materials and their configurations, radiation detectors have been developed to locate the directions and positions of the radiation sources. In this process, algorithm is essential in converting detector signals to radiation source information. However, due to the complex mechanisms of radiation-matter interaction and the current limitation of data collection, high-performance, low-cost radiation mapping is still challenging. Here we present a computational framework using Tetris-inspired detector pixels and machine learning for radiation mapping. Using inter-pixel padding to increase the contrast between pixels and neural network to analyze the detector readings, a detector with as few as four pixels can achieve high-resolution directional mapping. By further imposing Maximum a Posteriori (MAP) with a moving detector, further radiation position localization is achieved. Non-square, Tetris-shaped detector can further improve performance beyond the conventional grid-shaped detector. Our framework offers a new avenue for high quality radiation mapping with least number of detector pixels possible, and is anticipated to be capable to deploy for real-world radiation detection with moderate validation.
Outcomes Following Surgical and Endovascular Treatment of Extracranial Vertebral Artery Aneurysms (VAA): A Systematic Evaluation of the Literature
Authors: Akinnusotu Oluwatoyin , Bhatti Atiq Ur Rehman , Ghaith Abdul Karim , Nieves Antonio Bon , Jarrah Ryan , Wahood Waseem , Bydon Mohamad , Bendok Bernard R.
Published: February 2023

Introduction:
Extracranial vertebral artery aneurysms are rare complications from trauma and multiple diseases. However, the difference between clinical and surgical profiles is not well understood.
Objective
To investigate the clinical and interventional outcomes following extracranial vertebral artery aneurysms (VAA) treatment through a systematic review of the literature to date.
Methods
An electronic database search for full-text English articles was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. The search yielded results on clinical and surgical outcomes for extracranial VAAs. These results included patient-specific risk factors, indications, and techniques.
Results
Our literature search yielded 561 articles, of which 36 studies were qualified to be included in the analysis. A total of 55 patients with multiple various extracranial VAA incidents were included. The mean age of subjects was 42 years (ranging from 13 to 76 years), and most patients were males (71%, n = 39). Blunt trauma was the most frequent risk factor for extracranial VAA formation (35%, n = 19). The majority of aneurysms (60%) were dissecting in nature. The most common form of treatment for extracranial VAAs was a flow diverter (24%, n = 13). Overall, five (9%) patients had long-term adverse neurological complications following intervention with 5% (n = 3) mortality, 2% (n = 1) resulting in unilateral vocal cord paralysis, and 2% (n = 1) resulting in a positive Romberg sign. The mortality rate is 15.7% in the surgical group, whereas the endovascular treatment did not result in any mortality.
Conclusion
The endovascular approach is a safe and effective treatment of extracranial VAAs due to its relatively low overall complication rate and lack of resulting mortality. This contrasts with the surgical approach, which results in a higher rate of complications, recurrence, and mortality outcomes. An understanding of the factors and clinical outcomes associated with the incidence of extracranial VAAs is essential for the future improvement of patient outcomes.
A one-stage model of abatement innovation in Cournot duopoly: emissions vs performance standards
Authors: Amir Rabah , Gama Adriana , Lahmandi_Ayed Rim , Werner Katerzyna
Published: February 2023

This paper evaluates the comparative performance of emission and performance standards in a one-stage game of abatement R&D and Cournot duopoly, in terms of R&D propensity, output and social welfare. For each standard, …rms simultaneously select R&D and output levels, given the standard’s exogenous constraint. A performance standard generates higher R&D investments and output, but lower pro…t, than the pollution-equivalent emissions standard. The same conclusion extends to social welfare only under high demand. We also conduct a similar comparison for each of the two instruments across the one-stage and the two-stage models. The two-stage model leads to higher levels of R&D and industry output for both standards. The same conclusion applies to the social welfare comparison for the emissions standard. However, for the performance standard , the same conclusion requires a damage parameter below a given threshhold. When the standards are chosen to maximize welfare, the performance comparison becomes highly parameter-dependent, except that social welfare is higher for the performance standard. Some policy implications are discussed.
JEL codes: Q55, Q57, L13.
Uncovering the Relationship between Statins and Muscle Problems in the ELSA-Brasil MSK Cohort
Authors: PEDROSO-CAMARGOS ALINE , Barreto Sandhi Maria , Telles Rosa Weiss , Machado Luciana A. C. , Diniz Maria de Fátima H. S. , Duncan Bruce Bartholow , Figueiredo Roberta Carvalho
Published: February 2023

Purpose.
To investigate the association between statins and muscle problems in a highly diverse sample of Brazilian civil servants.
Methods.
We conducted a cross-sectional data analysis at baseline of the ELSA-Brasil MSK cohort. Pain was identified through self-reported symptoms in large muscle groups (lower back and/or hips/thighs). Muscle strength was assessed using the five-times-sit-to-stand (FTSTS) and handgrip tests, with weakness defined as the lowest and highest quintiles of age− and sex−stratified handgrip strength and FTSTS performance time, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between statin use and muscle pain and weakness. Secondary analyses explored the impact of different types of statins and their duration of use on the response variables.
Results.
A total of 2,156 participants (mean age 55.6 ± SD 8.9, 52.8% women) were included. We found no significant association between statin use and muscle problems. Secondary exploratory analysis on different types of statins revealed an association between atorvastatin and muscle weakness, as measured by the five-times-sit-to-stand test (OR 1.94 IC95% 1.12–3.37), but not by the handgrip test (OR 0.75 IC95% 0.29–1.42). No evidence was found to support a link between the duration of statin treatment and muscle problems.
Conclusions.
This study challenges previous claims of an efficacy-effectiveness gap between experimental and observational literature on statins, offering important insights into the widespread prescription of statins in diverse populations. The findings indicate that statin use does not contribute to muscular problems.
Development and Identity Crises: Exploring the role of Aanganwadi Centres (AWCs) in tribal areas
Authors: Roy Sonal Mobar
Published: February 2023

The government of India has taken various measures to fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by designing the interventions in each sector that seeks attention. Education and Health are two prominent sectors in which various programs like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan and Poshan Abhiyaan have made some progress, respectively. The Aanganwadi Centres (AWCs) in India have, therefore emerged as a main source of providing education and centre for nutrition to the children in rural areas, especially to those populations that come from the marginalised sections of the society. In this paper, the author highlights the role of AWCs from Warangal, Telangana, focussing on their role in providing education and nutrition amongst tribal populations of Koyas, Chenchus and Lambadas. It is argued that the medium of instruction is mainly English and Telugu and alien to the concerned children. Another point to be noted is about food served under the aegis of Poshan Abhiyaan program. It is not found to be in accordance with the taste and preference of the tribal populations. Therefore, the author focuses on the point of identity crisis that occurs amidst children who come to the AWCs but are unable to align with the interventions provided. Hence, the author suggests that these interventions can be more successful and find positive receptivity amongst the said communities if tribal languages and food preferences are taken in accord.
Effect of tool–workpiece interface temperature control on the weld quality of a bobbin-tool friction-stir-welded aluminum alloy
Authors: Hu Yehui , Wang Yuhan , Zhao Sheng , Ji Yulei
Published: February 2023

Temperature control is an effective approach to ensure the weld quality produced by friction stir welding (FSW). In this study, the temperature of the tool–workpiece interface was controlled by a predictive PI (PPI) control method during bobbin-tool friction stir welding (BT-FSW). When the interface temperature was constant, the temperature of the heat affected zone (HAZ) was recorded at different welding speeds. The influence of interface temperature control on the thermal cycle of the HAZ was analyzed. The influence of interface temperature control on the material flow behavior was discussed using a theoretical model. The results of tensile tests showed ​that the tensile properties were not affected by changes in the tool rotational speed caused by controlling the interface temperature. In addition, regardless of the welding speed, there were optimal welding interface temperatures that caused a weld to have the highest tensile strength or elongation. The weld with the highest tensile strength broke in the HAZ, while the weld with the lowest tensile strength broke on the advancing side in the weld nugget zone because of the tunnel defects in this area. The high interface temperature was the primary cause of these kinds of defects. The results of tensile tests indicated that interface temperature control can effectively ensure the weld quality.
MalText: Finding Malicious Account in Social Network using Novel Regulizer in Dynamic CNN
Authors: Wanda Putra , Diqi Mohammad
Published: February 2023

Online Social Networks (OSN) are well-known platforms for exchanging various information. However, one of the most critical OSN obstacles is malicious accounts. The attacker harnesses malicious accounts in the infected system to spread false information, such as malware, viruses, and harmful URLs. Based on the significant achievement of the CNN model in various fields, we propose a dynamic CNN using a novel regulizer to handle malicious account classification with user comments as features. Using the proposed regulizer, we obtain higher scores with a testing accuracy of 0.9948 and a testing loss of 0.0984 using unseen comment features. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model can significantly improve the classifier's performance by producing high accuracy with minimal loss. Therefore, the proposed method can be a promising solution for analyzing large-scale user text datasets to classify malicious text in practical implementation.
Strengthen the Regulatory Policy of Subnational Debt in Mexico: A Comparison within Case Study approach
Authors: Smith Heidi Jane M. , Mares Gabriel Farfan
Published: February 2023

Do you need to have strong democracies (and rule of law) to create good fiscal policy? The academic literature highlights that fiscal rules are necessary but they become insufficient to manage subnational debt (Ter-Minassian 1997, Kornai, 1998, Alesina et al., 1999, Rodden 2004; Rodden 2006). There are several conditions of oversite which are also necessary to manage subnational debt before the fiscal rules can become effective. They consist of a combination of an independent banking system, institutional investors, various forms or types and ways to contract debt, a friendly regulatory environment, capital limits for banks, and bankruptcy laws for when things go array. These items outline the enabling environment necessary for capital markets and, in particular municipal bond markets, to succeed in developing countries. Additional conditions are debatable but are often helpful to include national independent auditing offices, congressional oversite, and autonomous debt management offices. This article uses a path dependency approach to explain how Mexico created its bond market as a case study for the necessary conditions to strengthen the regulatory policy of subnational debt.
Uniform rotundity in Orlicz function spaces equipped with s-norm
Authors: Guo Tianbao , Cui Yunan , Bi Hui
Published: February 2023

The criteria for rotundity and uniform rotundity of Orlicz function spaces equipped with s-norm are given. The obtained results unify, complete and widen the characterization of rotundity and uniform rotundity of Orlicz spaces.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2020) 39B82 . 44B20 . 46C05
Emu Oil and Zinc Monoglycerolate Influence the Course of Disease in a Rat Model of Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Mashtoub Suzanne , Howarth Gordon S
Published: February 2023

Background. Ulcerative colitis is characterized by colonic inflammation. Previously, Emu Oil protected the intestine against experimentally-induced inflammatory intestinal disorders. Zinc monoglycerolate (ZMG) polymer, formed by heating zinc oxide with glycerol, demonstrated anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties.
Objective. We aimed to determine whether ZMG, alone or in combination with Emu Oil, could reduce acute colitis severity in rats.
Methods. Male Sprague Dawley rats (n=8/group) were orally-administered either vehicle, ZMG, Emu Oil (EO) or ZMG combined with EO (ZMG/EO) daily. Rats were provided ad libitum access to drinking water (Groups 1-4) or dextran sulphate sodium (DSS; 2%w/v; Groups 5-8) throughout the trial (days 0-5) before euthanasia on day 6. Disease activity index, crypt depth, degranulated mast cells (DMCs) and myeloperoxidase activity were assessed. p<0.05 was considered significant.
Results. DSS increased disease severity (days 3-6) compared to normal controls (p<0.05). Importantly, in DSS-administered rats, ZMG reduced disease activity index (day 6) compared to controls and EO-treated rats (p<0.05). Following DSS consumption, distal colonic crypts lengthened (p<0.01), occurring to a greater extent with EO compared to ZMG and ZMG/EO (p<0.001). DSS increased colonic DMCs compared to normal controls (p<0.001); an effect decreased only by EO (p<0.05). Colonic myeloperoxidase activity increased following DSS consumption (p<0.05); notably, ZMG, EO and ZMG/EO treatments decreased myeloperoxidase activity compared to DSS controls (p<0.001). EO, ZMG and ZMG/EO did not impact any parameter in normal animals.
Conclusions. Emu Oil and ZMG independently decreased selected indicators of colitic disease severity in rats; however, the combination did not reveal any additional benefit.
Dynamics of capillary effects in spin conversion of water isomers
Authors: Kernbach Serge , Pershin Sergey
Published: February 2023

This work explores the dynamics of capillary effects in pure H2O excited by hydrodynamic cavitation, which has been reported to introduce a non-equilibrium state of para- and ortho- isomers of water. Differential measurements are conducted with 0.3mm and 0.5mm capillary tubes and precision digital vernier height gauges. Water samples are degassed at -0.09 MPa, their temperature is equalized. Since the non-equilibrium state of isomers is expected to exist in ice-like building blocks near the water interfaces, the immersion depth of capillary tubes was set to 10mm, 2mm and about 0.1mm below the surface. The measurement results show the difference in surface tension of 6.7%-11.3% with a maximum value of about 15.7% between control and experimental samples. These effects in near-surface layers are observed within 30-60 minutes after the excitation. Experimental samples taken from the surface demonstrate movement about 2 times longer than control ones; their values are largest in the whole series of experiments. Micro-manipulation tool recorded an interesting effect of stopping the liquid in capillary tubes, observed mostly in experimental samples, where the meniscus and surface tension oscillated at 0.05-0.1mm level. The described approach has two main applications. First, the measurement system can be used as the fast and cost effective detector of spin-based phenomena that affect viscosity and surface tension. Second, since the capillary effects plays an important role in aquaporin channels and plant water transportation system, these techniques can be applied in phytosensing, in particular, in sap flow measurements, and in a hydroponic production.
Relevance of genetic and active ingredient content differences in Leonurus japonicus Houtt from different origins
Authors: Han Ying , Wen Jiawei , Chen Chao , Zhang Tingting , Feng Wanqing , Zhao Ziwei , He Yang
Published: February 2023

Leonurus japonicus Houtt. (Labiatae), a perennial herb, is used to treat cardiovascular, uterine, and gynecological diseases. In the present study, a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the ITS + psbA-trnH + rbcL + rpoB concatenation sequence, and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was performed based on high-performance liquid chromatography. The phylogenetic tree and PLS-DA were combined to correlate genetic and chemical differences among L. japonicus derived from different origins. The results showed that the concatenation sequence could distinguish among L. japonicus from different origins. Moreover, chemical analysis revealed intergroup differences, but the results were not of sufficiently high quality as that of molecular phylogeny. Furthermore, the results of combined chemical and phylogenetic analyses suggested that differences in metabolites are influenced by not only genetic differences but also environmental factors. These results provide valuable information for the artificial cultivation of L. japonicus and new ideas for improving its quality.
Front profile in time backward for the bistable reaction-diffusion equation on metric graphs
Authors: Morita Yoshihisa
Published: February 2023

In the bistable reaction-diffusion equation on a half-line there exists an entire solution exhibiting the front propagation from the infinity of the line.We glue an arbitrary number of half-lines at a single point (junction) to build a metric graph and examine the front propagation on given half-lines (upstream branches). The aim of the article is to show the existence of an entire solution which converges to the profile of the traveling wave with an arbitrarily assigned phase-shift in each upstream branch as t → −∞. The proof is carried out by constructing an appropriate pair of sub-and super-solutions.
AMS 2020 Subject Classification: 35B08, 35B40, 35K57.