bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factores relacionados a síntomas de ansiedad y depresión en los cuidadores de adultos mayores en el servicio de visita domiciliaria del Hospital Militar Geriátrico durante la pandemia Covid-19
Authors:   , Cordova Urquizo Danny Patrick , Navides Espinoza Alejandro
Published: May 2023

Introducción: La ansiedad y depresión son enfermedades frecuentes en los cuidadores de adultos mayores debido a su carga laboral y a diversos factores sociodemográficos, esto sumado a la pandemia COVID-19, aumenta la frecuencia de las enfermedades mentales como ansiedad y depresión, por lo que es importante estudiar qué factores están asociados al desarrollo de estas enfermedades en esta población. Objetivo: El presente estudio tiene como objetivo determinar los factores asociados a la presencia de síntomas de depresión y ansiedad en los cuidadores de adultos mayores en el servicio de visita domiciliaria del Hospital Militar Geriátrico durante la pandemia COVID-19. Metodología: El estudio fue observacional analítico transversal y el muestreo fue no probabilístico por conveniencia. Los datos fueron recolectados mediante una encuesta y la presencia de los síntomas de ansiedad y depresión a través de las escalas de GAD-7 Y PHQ-9. Se obtuvo un tamaño muestral de 83 cuidadores de adultos mayores. Los datos recolectados se procesaron en el programa Microsoft Excel para el posterior análisis bivariado y multivariado, mediante el programa STATA v.16. Se realizó el cálculo de Razones de prevalencia (RP) mediante regresión, con intervalos de confianza del 95% y valores de p significativos (< 0.05). Resultados: La media de edad fue de 50 años y el sexo femenino fue el más predominante 83.53%, de los cuidadores 33(38.82%) presentaron síntomas de ansiedad y depresión de los cuales 90.91% fueron mujeres. En cuanto a los síntomas de ansiedad en el cuidador, las variables del cuidador asociadas fueron: número de servicios brindados por el cuidador, administración de dinero y horas de sueño del cuidador, en cuanto a las variables del adulto mayor estas fueron: portador de sonda nasogástrica (SNG), fragilidad severa, dismovilidad y dependencia funcional. Respecto a los síntomas de depresión en el cuidador, el único factor del propio cuidador fue el número de horas de sueño, mientras que los factores del adulto mayor fueron: ser portador de sonda nasogástrica y fragilidad severa con un (p<0,005).
Eficacia del uso de faja abdominal en la reducción del dolor posoperatorio de hernioplastía inguinal abierta
Authors:   , Echevarria Quispe Johssy Yelma , Carhuallanqui Ciocca Eros Ignacio
Published: May 2023

Objetivos. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar el efecto del uso de fajas abdominales sobre el dolor posoperatorio, la satisfacción del paciente y la limitación de la movilidad después de una hernioplastia inguinal abierta unilateral sin complicaciones. Metodología: Este estudio observacional prospectivo de cohortes se realizó en el Departamento de Cirugía General del Hospital Centro Médico Naval de Lima, Perú, entre agosto de 2021 y noviembre de 2022. Se incluyeron en este estudio los pacientes que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión y estaban programados para someterse a una hernioplastia inguinal unilateral sin complicaciones. . El estudio tuvo dos grupos: el grupo expuesto, que usó un faja abdominal, y el grupo de control, que no lo hizo. El dolor postoperatorio en el primer y séptimo día se evaluó mediante la escala analógica visual (EVA), y la satisfacción del paciente y las limitaciones de movilidad se evaluaron en el séptimo día postoperatorio. Resultados: Se encontró una diferencia estadísticamente significativa en la reducción del dolor posoperatorio en el grupo que utilizó faja abdominal en comparación con el grupo control, con una reducción media del dolor de 3,3±1,9 puntos en la EVA. Además, el grupo expuesto reportó mayor satisfacción con la cirugía que el grupo control. En cuanto a la limitación de la movilidad, solo se encontró una diferencia estadísticamente significativa en el caso de levantarse de una silla. Conclusiones. Este estudio demostró que el uso de una faja abdominal después de una hernioplastia inguinal abierta unilateral sin complicaciones disminuyó el dolor posoperatorio, mejoró la satisfacción del paciente y mejoró parcialmente la movilidad.
Gestión estratégica de costos y rentabilidad en empresas de transporte de carga por carretera, distrito de Ate (Lima - Perú) 2022
Authors:   , Ventocilla Cerrón Lian Andrea , Torres Toledo Pablo Antonio Alexander
Published: May 2023

Durante los últimos tiempos, el análisis de costos y la manera en que se relaciona con la rentabilidad ha ido cobrando mayor importancia, siendo un poco más delicada la problemática cuando se trata de empresas dentro del sector servicios. Para el presente estudio, se tuvo como objetivo determinar la relación entre la gestión estratégica de costos y la rentabilidad en empresas de transporte de carga por carretera ubicadas en el distrito de Ate (Lima - Perú) durante el 2022. El estudio se ciñó al enfoque cuantitativo, alcance correlacional y se utilizó el diseño no experimental transeccional correlacional-causal; los participantes fueron 40 responsables de este tipo de empresas (dos encargados por cada una de las 20 compañías consideradas), a los cuales se les aplicó un cuestionario de 23 ítems, y en cuya redacción se empleó la escala de Likert. Luego del procesamiento y análisis de la información, se evidenció la existencia de una asociación fuerte y significativa (p <0.05) entre las dos variables del estudio, debido a que se halló un coeficiente de correlación de Spearman de 0.843. En consecuencia, se afirma que la gestión estratégica de costos se relaciona directa, fuerte y significativamente con la rentabilidad en empresas de transporte de carga por carretera del distrito de Ate; eso permite aseverar que, a una mejor gestión estratégica de costos, mayor rentabilidad.
Design Verification Process for Subsea Oil and Gas Products
Authors: Arif Jawad , Rehman-Shaikh Muhammad Asim , Evangelou Simos A.
Published: May 2023

A crucial step in new product development is the design verification process (DVP), which assures that the conceptual design of new technology is successfully transformed into a prototype product. In this paper, a novel DVP for subsea electrical and electronic prototype products is introduced. The comprehensive DVP ensures that the prototype of the product is designed righteously, is well documented, and is verified according to international practices and standards such as The American Petroleum Institute (API), International Organization for Standardization, European Norm, and European Union specifications. Compliance testing [environmental stresses and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)] on the product is proposed to achieve Technology Readiness Level 2 (TRL2) of the first article of a printed circuit board (PCB). Concerning the quality of an electronic circuit board, it is recommended in this paper to follow the guidelines and specifications of the Institute of Printed Circuits to certify the robustness of the design. Finally, the proposed DVP is thoroughly exercised on the insulation monitoring PCB under the prescribed test methods as a case study. The experimental results show that the design is robust and the product is suitable for use in the intended subsea environment after further raising the technology maturity level of the product.
Data Mining Method in Seismology by Applying Cellular Automaton Equivalence of Ground Vibration Fluctuations Recorded Near the Epicenter of the 2011 Mw 9 East Japan Earthquake
Authors: Kikuchi Hiroyuki
Published: May 2023

We propose a data mining method to extract physical phenomena from the ground vibration velocity fluctuation (GVF) which is a daily observed weak signal and has no specific waveform. Our aim is to detect any traces of the return of ground motion to its normal state after earthquakes, and the evolution of ground motion towards earthquakes in the GVF. We focus on the GVF recorded near the epicenter of the magnitude 9 Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE). Although the GVF can be discussed in the framework of the master equation which represents the thermodynamics of a stochastically fluctuating non-equilibrium system, the relation between the thermodynamic parameters and seismology-related phenomena is hardly known. So, we introduce cellular automata (CA) to analogically interpret the physical phenomena of interest as thermodynamic parameters, and show the thermodynamic equivalence between GVF and CA. These CA-derived thermodynamic parameters are then expected to deliver physical phenomena similar to those of the target when evaluated on the GVF data. In the demonstrated example of data mining, the stress relaxation signal immediately after GEJE is discovered from the recorded GVF data by deriving the thermodynamic parameters representing the stress relaxation of CA and evaluating these thermodynamic parameters for the recorded GVF data. Furthermore, the elastic rigidity and viscosity of the underground structures are estimated from the stress relaxation signal. The novelty of this study lies in drawing attention to the GVF, and combining standard techniques of CA with GVF through the use of the master equation.
Level of health literacy of Leisure Time Monitors and its relationship with health variables
Authors: Portela-Pino Iago , Brea-Castro Millan , Portela-Pino Clara , Pino-Juste Margarita
Published: May 2023

Background: health literacy focused mainly on health care services and, to a very limited extent, on the ability to manage medical information. Low health literacy has been linked to decreased adherence to treatment, poor disease awareness, poor self-care management and poor treatment outcomes. The aim of this study is to acquire representative data on the health literacy of leisure time instructors.
Methods: A cross-sectional observational design was used with a purposive sample of leisure time monitors from the Autonomous Community of Galicia. The instrument consists of two parts. The first part asks about the variables related to self-perception of health status and the second part, the HL was measured using the HLS-EU-Q47 scale.
Results: Among the results, it stands out that, in spite of the youth of the leisure time educators, almost all of them report having had some health problem and only 3% have a high level of HL.
There are almost no differences between the health variables with respect to the level of HL. However, the tendency is that the lower the HA, the higher the number of visits and admissions and the lower the self-perception of health, although it is necessary to expand the sample of educators who regularly visit the health services.
Conclusión: The importance of accessing health information and understanding risk factors to identify the causes of a disease and make decisions is highlighted. The low level of HL of the monitors makes it difficult to implement and evaluate interventions in the non-formal educational environment. It will be important to determine lines of action for their training.
Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of 3-PRR Linear Parallel Manipulator for Chest Compression
Authors: G Yedukondalu , Sri A.
Published: May 2023

The technique of chest compressions in Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) plays a crucial role in saving the lives of individuals during emergency situations. It can be challenging for experienced individuals to achieve the correct compression position and depth during emergency situations. In this paper, a linear parallel manipulator is proposed along with its design for such applications. The kinematic analysis and Jacobian matrix are obtained using analytical methods. The workspace of the manipulator is determined by considering the physical restrictions of the mechanical joints using MSC ADAMS software. The control scheme is verified with the help of MSC ADAMS and MATLAB-Simulink. During CPR, the manipulator is capable of achieving the appropriate compression rate and optimum compression depth.
Erythroferrone and Hepcidin Levels in Children with Iron Deficiency Anemia
Authors: Dulkadir Ramazan , Turna Gamze , Güneş Ali
Published: May 2023

Purpose: In the study, it was aimed to determine the correlation between erythroferrone (ERFE) and hepcidin levels in patients with iron deficiency anemia and laboratory parametersused in diagnosing iron deficiency anemia, and to investigate whether the drugs that may lead to an increase in EFTE or will suppress hepcidin could be new treatmentmodalities in iron deficiency anemia.
Method: 26 cases who presented to the pediatrics clinic with a diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia and did not have a concomitant disease and 26 healthy children were included in the study. In the study conducted with a case-control design, normal hemoglobin and hematocrit lower limits according to age and gender and red cell indices based on normal age and gender determined by the World Health Organization were used for the diagnosis of anemia. In order to evaluate iron status, serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and ferritin levels were analyzed.
Serum hepcidin and erythroferrone levels in children diagnosed with iron deficiency before the start of the iron treatment and at the end of first month of their treatment and in the control group were measured with ELISA method.
Findings: Compared to the control group, hemoglobin (p < 0,001), MCV (p = 0,001), MCH (p < 0,001), MCHC (p < 0,001), iron (p < 0,001), ferritin (p < 0.001) and hepcidin (p = 0.001) levels in Group I were found to be significantly lower. Besides, RDW value was significantly higher in the iron deficiency group compared to the control group (p=0.001).
When Group I and Group II values were compared, significant increases were determined in erythrocyte count (p=0.034), hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV (p<0.001 for each), MCHC (p=0.002), iron (p<0.001), ferritin (p=0.015) and hepcidin levels (p<0.001). A significant decrease was found in iron binding capacity after the treatment (p=0.004).
In Group I, hepcidin levels had a significant and strong correlation with initial ferritin levels (r = 0.829, p < 0.001). When erythrocyte levels of Group I and Group II were compared, there was a decrease in the erythrocyte levels of Group II, but this decrease was not statistically significant. However, hepcidin levels displayed moderate or weak correlation with neutrophil count (r = -0.429, p = 0.037), eosinophil count (r = -0.447, p = 0.029) and iron level (r = 0.594, p = 0.002).
Conclusion: In the study, a strong and positive correlation was determined between ferritin and hepcidin levels in individuals with iron deficiency. This may suggest that hepcidin is largely regulated by iron deposit level. In addition, following the iron treatment, an increase was found in ferritin and hepcidin levels. In the study, no significant difference was found between theiron deficiency group and the control group in terms of erythroferrone levels.
GCI-GGIW-PMBM：An Intelligent Multiple Extended Target Tracking Scheme for Mobile Aquaculture Sensor Networks
Authors: Zhu Jianping , Lv Chunfeng , Peng Zhiguang
Published: May 2023

Poisson multi-Bernoulli Mixture (PMBM) filter, accompanying with its improvements, has been known as an available or practical point and extended multi-target tracking algorithm. This paper presents an improved PMBM scheme carried adaptive detection probability and random birth distributions, coupling with an associated distribution fused scheme for tracking extended multiple targets. Firstly, the augmented state of unknown and changing target detection probability is described by Gamma (GAM) distribution. Then, extended target states are described by Inverse Wishart (IW) distribution on account of the augmented state, besides dynamic states of multiple targets presented by Gaussian distribution. And then, an adaptive newborn distribution is adopted to describe the newborn targets appeared arbitrarily. Consequently, the detailed recursion and closed-form solutions of the proposed filter can be obtained through approximating the intensity of newborn and potential targets to Gamma Gaussian Inverse Wishart (GGIW) pattern. Furthermore, a novel distribution fused scheme Generalized Covariance Intersection (GCI), whose associated states and cardinality are fused by anchors abiding by the respective fused weights, is performed in such an extensive aquaculture tracking sensor system with limited computational and processing capacity. Availability and effectiveness of GCI-GGIW-PMBM filter can be verified by comprehensive simulations. Comparisons with other multiple extended target tracking filters also illustrate that tracking behaviors are improved to a great extent, especially energy efficiency is enhanced largely, and tracking accuracy is relatively improved.
A mixed meal tolerance test predicts onset of type 2 diabetes in Southwestern Indigenous adults.
Authors: Stinson Emma , Chang Douglas , Krakoff Jonathan , Mitchell Cassie
Published: May 2023

Background/Objective: To identify predictors of incident type 2 diabetes using a mixed meal tolerance test (MMTT).

Methods: Adult Indigenous Americans without diabetes (n=501) from a longitudinal cohort underwent at baseline a 4-hour MMTT, measures of body composition, an oral glucose tolerance test, an intravenous glucose tolerance test for acute insulin response (AIR), and a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp for insulin action (M). Plasma glucose responses from the MMTT were quantified by total and incremental area under the curve (AUC/iAUC).

Results: At follow-up (median time 9.6 [inter-quartile range: 5.6-13.5] years), 169 participants were diagnosed with diabetes. Unadjusted Cox proportional hazards models, glucose AUC180-min (HR: 1.98, 95% CI: 1.67, 2.34, p<0.0001), AUC240-min (HR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.62, 2.31, p<0.0001), and iAUC180-min (HR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.20, 1.71, p<0.0001) were associated with an increased risk of diabetes. After adjustment for covariates (age, sex, body fat percentage, M, AIR, Indigenous American heritage) in three subsequent models, AUC180-min (HR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.88, p=0.007) and AUC240-min (HR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.84, p<0.01) remained associated with increased risk of diabetes.

Conclusions: Glucose responses to a mixed meal predicted development of type 2 diabetes. This indicates that a mixed nutritional challenge provides important information on disease risk.
Outcrop analogue constraints on subsurface reservoir properties of the Puga geothermal field, NW Himalaya
Authors: Zimik Horthing V. , Thiele Samuel T. , Khanna Pankaj Khanna
Published: May 2023

There has been a large barrier in geothermal energy production in India due to the knowledge gap in understanding the subsurface uncertainties. In Puga, Ladakh, a significant amount of research has been done that estimates the availability of >5000 MWh of geothermal energy, but it remains untapped. It is largely due to a limited understanding of reservoir characteristics. In addition to the comprehensive review of literature, this study includes outcrop analogue studies to develop a better understanding of the subsurface geothermal system. Observing the geological settings, the lithologies and structures exposed in the cliffs adjacent to Puga valley are analogous to the subsurface, to depths of at least a few kilometres. A 3-D model of the outcrop is developed from aerial imagery collected using drone (quadcopter), that has been utilized to interpret fracture sets and foliation planes. Areas with intensely developed fabrics demonstrate the mechanical significance of these fabrics. The distinctive relationship between faults in the outcrop and the valley fill provides evidence for recent movement on the faults. Further, a variety of mineral fillings were observed in fractures across the outcrop which includes quartz±tourmaline veins, hydrothermal biotite, vuggy sub- and euhedral quartz, finegrained iron oxides and iron-rich travertine. Several exposures near the base of the cliffs show clear advanced argillic and sulfuric alteration. This study integrates digital outcrop mapping techniques along with constraints provided by the literature to derive a conceptual model of the Puga geothermal system. It provides an understanding of the structural architecture of the reservoir, which is an important parameter in developing the ‘Integrated reservoir model’.
Spatial temporal analysis of vehicle routing problem from online car-hailing trajectories
Authors: Yang Xue , Yu Jianhua , Kan Zihan , Zhou Lin , Guan Qingfen , Tang Luliang
Published: May 2023

A range of vehicle routing problems, from routing planning that vehicles will apply to the actual route that drivers selected in their environment, depend on many factors including travel length, traffic condition, or personalized experience, etc., raising a fundamental question: To what degree is planned route align with the actual route. Here we explore the spatial temporal differences between the planned route and actual route by studying the popular roads which are avoided by drivers (denoted as: PRAD) from car hailing trajectories. By matching the raw trajectories based on an improved HMM map-matching algorithm, we obtain the OD (origin-destination) matrix and their corresponding actual route that vehicles traveled, and planned route generated by A* routing algorithm. We used the Jaccard index to quantify the similarity between the actual route and the planned route of the same OD pair. The PRAD is detected and further analyzed from the aspects of traffic condition. By using car-hailing trajectories provided by DiDi company, we analyzed drivers' routing behavior in workday and weekend in Wuhan. The relation of PRAD with traffic condition in workday and weekend is discussed and results shown that about 65% PRAD are occurred with a serious traffic jam especially in workday.
A Lightweight Traffic Sign Recognition Model Based on Improved YOLOv5
Authors: Yang Jie , Sun Ting , Zhu Wenchao , Li Zonghao
Published: May 2023

Traffic sign detection and recognition is a key technology for achieving automatic vehicle driving and maintaining road safety. The paper proposes a lightweight recognition algorithm based on YOLOv5 to address the problems of large model size, complex computation, low detection accuracy and high computational cost of existing traffic sign recognition algorithms. The algorithm is based on YOLOv5, replacing the convolutional structure in the original YOLOv5 neck network with Ghost Module and C3Ghost Module, thus reducing the redundant features in the feature fusion process, lowering the computational cost and the number of parameters; improving the PAN structure of the network and introducing the hybrid attention mechanism module CBAM, which ignores the unimportant information and capturing key information in traffic signs; adding cross-layer connections to the feature pyramid network shortens the path of information transfer, fuses more features, and improves the network feature recognition accuracy. In addition, the EIoU_Loss function is used as the bounding box regression loss function to improve the localization accuracy of the algorithm. The performance of the improved algorithm is also verified on the Chinese traffic sign dataset. The experimental results show that the improved algorithm improves the detection accuracy by 1.2% over the existing YOLOv5 algorithm, mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5:0.95 by 1.5% and 3.4% respectively, and the overall number of parameters and computational cost of the model are reduced by 14.5% and 16%. The proposed algorithm has enhanced recognition capability for targets in multiple environments and can meet the requirements for real-time traffic sign recognition.
Advancing Prosthetic Arm Technology with Enhanced Aesthetics Integrating EMG Based Signals, 3D Printing and Tactile Sensors
Authors: Palthi Rusesh , Arug Lalith Sree Jayanth , Gugulothu Gopichand Naik , Singh Shashank Kumar , Pal Prashant , Bansod Saurabh , Kumar Yogesh
Published: May 2023

Enhancing prosthetic arm technology by integrating electromyography (EMG) signals, 3D printing, and tactile sensors to improve aesthetics, accuracy, and latency. The combination of these technologies has the potential to revolutionize prosthetic arm functionality by providing a more intuitive and responsive experience for users. The EMG-based signals enable high accuracy control over the prosthetic arm, allowing complex movements such as grasping and releasing objects. 3D printing technology allows for customized prosthetic arms that fit the user's unique physical characteristics with low latency, providing better comfort and functionality while allowing for aesthetically pleasing designs. Tactile sensors provide valuable feedback to the user with low latency, improving control and interaction with the surrounding environment. Our research shows that this system is effective in improving prosthetic arm functionality and appearance with high accuracy and low latency. The potential for further development and integration of these technologies to create more aesthetically pleasing prosthetic devices with improved accuracy and low latency is discussed. Integrating EMG-based signals, 3D printing, and tactile sensors with a focus on aesthetics, high accuracy, and low latency holds significant promise for advancing prosthetic arm technology. Future research should focus on enhancing these technologies for real-world applications.
Association of Dengue Case Load and Environmental Factors in Four Potentially Disease Risk Areas of Pakistan
Authors: Mufeeza Hafiza , AKRAM WASEEM , Munir Rizwan , Khan Hafiz Azhar Ali , Tayyib Muhammad , Lee Hee Il
Published: May 2023

Dengue is a crucial public health dilemma. Scarce water supply, population density, inadequate solid waste management, poor socio-economic level and climatic variations are recognized as key factors in Aedes breeding and later on in the transmission of Dengue Fever (DF). Dengue incidence (cases) is strongly associated with climatic tiers such as relative humidity, temperature and rainfall. Our findings on values of the bivariate correlation analysis have revealed positive correlation between rainfall and dengue incidences (r = 0.75**, r = 0.913**, r = 0.948**, r = 0.961** P < 0.01) as rainfall was the main cause of increase in number of cases in all districts. Moreover r = 0.613* P < 0.05, has depicted a moderate positive association between monthly average humidity and number of incidences, and r = 0.648* P < 0.05, suggested that there is a moderately positive relationship between monthly average temperature and number of incidences Moreover, high amount of monsoon rainfall 400.93mm in the year 2019 and post-monsoon seasons strongly contributed in the dengue virus outbreak.
Socioeconomic differences in nutrition in Italy before and during COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide cross-sectional study
Authors: Dolcini Jacopo , Ponzio Elisa , D’Errico Marcello Mario , Barbadoro Pamela
Published: May 2023

Background: Several socioeconomic conditions may influence subjects’ adherence to healthy eating habits. Food consumption may be influenced by external stress during crisis periods; however, the effects of these events on food habits are difficult to predict. Also, a pandemic crisis like the recent COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced dietary habits and food consumption. The objective of this study was to compare dietary habits in Italian people one year before the COVID-19 pandemic with those belonging to the year 2020 in a nationwide population sample.
Materials and methods: Information on dietary habits has been obtained from the multi-purpose survey on families “Aspects of daily life”, carried out in Italy by the Italian National Statistics Institute (ISTAT). We analyzed data coming from 2016 and 2020 editions of the survey (43000 subjects each year). We used population attributable factor (PAF) adjusted for age, defined as the proportional reduction in unhealthy diet that would occur if all participants had had a higher education, assuming higher educated individuals as more socially advantaged. Prevalence association for each dietary exposition has been calculated through logistic regression.
Results: both men and women show high prevalence of unhealthy dietary habits. Regarding men, excessive consumption of eggs, pork meat, and bovine meat is characterized by a PAF attributable to socioeconomic conditions to an extent greater than 30%. Women show the same trend. During COVID-19 pandemic men and women show unhealthy profiles of food consumption since men increased consumption of eggs, cooked fats, snacks, sweets, and reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables. Both sexes registered an increase in overweight and obese subjects in 2020.
Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study is the first in our country to use a validate yearly questionnaire to analyze dietary habits looking at single kind of different foods at nationwide level and to put in relationship these habits with COVID-19 pandemic. Our results show unbalanced dietary habits of Italian population. Socioeconomic differences influence food choices but in a complex way. Outside stressors like a crisis period as COVID-19 pandemic seem to have an important role in both men and women regarding assumption of so-called “junk food”.
Effects of temporal and spatial continuity of grasslands on butterfly communities
Authors: INOUE Taiki , KENTA Tanaka
Published: May 2023

Semi-natural grasslands have high biodiversity, but they are declining worldwide, and desperately need to be prioritized for conservation. Recently, numerous papers have concluded that vegetation history may influence biodiversity. We targeted three vegetation types in ski-run grasslands in central Japan: "old grasslands" that have been in existence for 300 to several thousand years, "new grasslands" that have been deforested for 43 to 72 years, and forests adjacent to those ski-runs. We established transects at six to seven sites for each vegetation type and surveyed butterfly communities visually. Plant communities were also surveyed along the same transects. Species composition, numbers of species, and total abundance of butterflies did not vary with grassland age; however, the area of old grasslands within 100 m of transects affected species composition. Minois dryas (Nymphalidae) and Eurema mandarina (Pieridae) were identified as indicator species of large, old grasslands (>8000 m2 within 100 m), whereas no indicator species were detected at other sites. Abundances of Minois dryas, Brenthis daphne (Nymphalidae), and Curetis acuta (Lycaenidae) were greater where old grassland areas occurred within 100 m of observed sites. Sanguisorba officinalis (Rosaceae), the host plant of B. daphne, and Lespedeza bicolor, the main host plant of E. mandarina and C. acuta, was identified as an indicator of old grassland, explaining the dependence of these three butterfly species on old grasslands. Previous studies have also shown that M. sinensis, the main host plant of M. dryas, is an indicator for the entire grassland, suggesting that the butterfly's distribution was restricted to a narrower area than that of host plants. Our results suggest that large, old grasslands should have high conservation priority to maintain grassland butterfly diversity.
Effects of temporal grassland continuity on plant diversity and species composition in geographically diverse communities
Authors: INOUE Taiki , YAIDA Yuki A. , UEHARA Yuki , KATSUHARA Kouki R. , KAWAI Jun , SEKI Takeharu , TAKASHIMA Keiko , MIYAMOTO Nodoka , YAMAMOTO Yuka , SHIMONO Ayako , USHIMARU Atushi , KENTA Tanaka
Published: May 2023

Semi-natural grasslands, which support high biodiversity, are declining worldwide, underscoring an urgent need to identify high biodiversity grasslands that should be prioritised for conservation. We previously reported that grasslands with longer temporal continuity in a single region in Japan have higher plant diversity. To confirm the generality of this finding, we targeted three regions (40 to 90 km apart) in central Japan, including the previously-studied area. We first traced vegetation changes since the 1910s to the present in and around ski-run grasslands, and then examined the effects of vegetation history on plant communities. We surveyed plant communities using transects at five to eight sites in each of three vegetation types: "old grasslands", which are estimated to have persisted for 110 to several thousand years, "new grasslands", which were created by deforestation 45 to 89 years ago, and forests adjacent to those ski runs, in each region (total, 58 sites). The number of rare grassland species and native grassland species were highest in old grasslands. Species composition differed markedly between old and new grasslands, with the beta diversity as high as nearly half of that across all three regions. Numbers of indicator species were 21 and 4 for old and new grasslands, respectively, indicating that many plant species depend on old grasslands. Indicator species that were more frequent in old grassland were perennials, had purple flower color, and tended to have well-developed rhizomes. The strong effect of vegetation history across these three regions clearly verified the high conservation priority of grasslands with long temporal continuity.
Validation of a viable delirium detection test performed by nurses and physicians during routine patient care
Authors: Soboh Rashad , Gino-Moor Sharon , Jiris Nizar , Ginsberg Shira , Oliven Ron
Published: May 2023

Background
Delirium is a frequent mental impairment in geriatric patients hospitalized in acute care facilities. It carries a high risk of complications and is often the first symptom of acute illness. It is clearly important to identify the development of delirium at an early stage, and several short and effective diagnostic tests have been developed and validated for this purpose. Despite this, patients on hospital wards are seldom monitored for signs of emergent delirium, suggesting that compliance with guidelines would be improved by introducing a simpler and more user-friendly test.
Methods
We recently implemented a simple delirium assessment tool, called R&M, that can be introduced into the daily routine of ward staff without significantly adding to their workload. The nurses noted their impression of the patient's cognitive state in the electronic medical record, and during the morning round the ward physician administered a short attention test to any patients suspected of cognitive impairment. In this study, we compared R&M test against the widely used and well validated 4AT.
Results
R&M performed daily by the ward staff was found to be non-inferior to 4AT performed by an experienced rater. Compared to 4AT, R&M had a sensitivity of 93.9% and a specificity of 98.3%. An Altman-Bland plot indicated that both tests can be used interchangeably.
Conclusions
The R&M test is reliable, easy to administer, likely to boost compliance with guidelines, and is expected to raise awareness of delirium among the nurses and physicians directly involved in the diagnostic process.
Trial registration
NCT05836714, Apr. 28, 2013 (retrospectively registered).
Utility of pneumonia severity assessment tools for mortality prediction in healthcare-associated pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Noguchi Shingo , Katsurada Masahiro , Yatera Kazuhiro , Xu Dongjie , Nakagawa Natsuki , Fukuda Yosuke , Shindo Yuichiro , Senda Kazuyoshi , Tsukada Hiroki , Miki Makoto , Mukae Hiroshi
Published: May 2023

Accurate prognostic tools for mortality in patients with healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) are needed to provide appropriate medical care. Tools like PSI, A-DROP, I-ROAD, and CURB-65, widely used for predicting mortality in community-acquired and hospital-acquired pneumonia cases, remain controversial. We identified articles evaluating either PSI, A-DROP, I-ROAD, or CURB-65 and the mortality outcome in patients with HCAP and calculated the pooled sensitivities, specificities, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratios, and the overall summary area under the curves (AUCs) for mortality prediction. Additionally, the differences in prognostic power among these four assessment tools were evaluated using the mean differences of AUCs. Using a cut-off value of moderate, sensitivity, specificity, PLR, and NLR were found to be 0.91-0.97, 0.15-0.53, 1.14-1.66, and 0.18-0.33. respectively. Upon using a cut-off value of severe, sensitivity, specificity, PLR, and NLR were 0.63-0.70, 0.53-0.66, 1.49-2.03, and 0.47-0.58, respectively. Overall AUCs were 0.70 (0.68-0.72), 0.71 (0.63-0.78), 0.68 (0.63-0.73), and 0.67 (0.63-0.71), respectively, for PSI, A-DROP, I-ROAD, and CURB-65 (p=0.63). In conclusions, these severity assessment tools do not have enough power to predict mortality in HCAP patients. Furthermore, there are no significant differences in predictive performance among these four severity assessment tools.
Trip purpose inference and spatio-temporal characterization based on anonymized trip data - an empirical study from dockless shared bicycle dataset in Xi'an, China
Authors: Wang Jianwei , Cui Mengyan , Yang Hao , Fu Sen , Liu Xuxu , Fu Xin
Published: May 2023

The development of IoT and big data technology has generated massive personal travel data. While most of the data is anonymized, it still provides more possibilities for analyzing individual travel behavior. It is worthwhile to keep exploring how to more accurately infer travel purposes based on trajectory data, smart card fare data, or shared bicycle data. In this paper, an improved research framework is proposed for travel purpose inference by applying the gravity model, Bayesian criterion and spatial clustering method. The gravity model and Bayesian rule are used to calculate the probability of users traveling to nearby POIs, and the clustering algorithm is used to identify the locations regularly visited by users. Through the identification of maximum probability POI and regular trips, different travel purposes represented by POI can be distinguished. The results showed that the identification of regular trips could verify and complement the recognition of trip purposes by POIs. Using Xi'an city of China as an example for the study, the results show that regular trips accounted for 32% of the week's trips. Of these regular trips, 30% of the trips are most likely togo to malls, restaurants, hospitals, or recreational areas. While these POIs often represent trip purposes such as shopping, eating, medical care, and entertainment, the purpose of these trips is more likely to be commuting due to the regularity of the trip. Ultimately, there are 10% of the trips reflect different trip purposes for the same POI. And there is a distance worth noting. 70% of the users have a parking error of fewer than 100 meters when going to the exact location. This distance can provide a reference for the study of bicycle commuting. Finally, we analyzed the different trip purposes' spatial and temporal distribution characteristics. The analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution can provide suggestions for the operation of bike-sharing enterprises and the management of regulators.
Vitamin C inactivates c-Jun N-terminal kinase to stabilize heart and neural crest derivatives expressed 1 in regulating placentation and pregnant maintenance
Authors: Ruan Hongfeng , Zhu Haibin , Luo Huan , Wu Xiaowei , Bao Hangyang , Ji Xing , Fan Xueying , Pan Yibin , Tang Chao , Wu Ximei
Published: May 2023

Vitamin C (VC) is an essential nutrient for anti-oxidation, metabolic reaction, and stem cell differentiation. However, the precise role of VC in placentation and pregnant maintenance remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that physiological concentration of VC stabilizes the Hand1, a bHLH transcription factor crucial for the development of trophoblast giant cell (TGC) lineage, to promote the differentiation of trophoblast stem cells into TGCs. The role of VC depends on the inactivation of JNK kinase, which directly phosphorylates Hand1 at Ser48 and thereby induces Hand1 proteasomal degradation, whereas loss-of-function mutation of Ser48 on Hand1 robustly decreases not only the basal but also VC-induced Hand1 stabilization. As a result, VC deficiency, lentiviral knockdown of JNK or overexpression of Hand1 mutants in trophectoderm significantly affects the differentiation of primary and secondary TGCs in E8.5 mouse placentas. VC deficiency causes a severe defect in the differentiation of diverse TGCs and the formation of vascular network of labyrinth in mature mouse placentas and thereby fails to maintain the pregnancy. Thus, these results uncover JNK inactivation and subsequent Hand1 stabilization as a hitherto uncharacterized mechanism controlling VC-mediated placentation and perhaps pregnant maintenance.
Adjuvant Lenvatinib in Combination with Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with High-Risk of Postoperative Recurrence (LANCE): A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Jinhong , Lu Lu , Zhang Xiaoyun , Xiang Bangde , Xu Xiao , Li Xiangcheng , Huang Zhiyong , Wen Tianfu , Luo Liuping , Huang Jing , Zhong Jian-Hong , Liu Zhikun , Li Changxian , Long Xin , Zhu Wenwei , Yang Xing , Wang Chaoqun , Jia Huliang , Zhang Jubo , Zeng Yongyi , Lu Caide , Qin Lun-Xiu
Published: May 2023

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib in combination with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) as an adjuvant therapy in HCC patients with high-risk of postoperative recurrence.
Methods: This study was a prospective cohort study. Patients who met the eligible criteria were recruited between November 2018 to May 2021 from 8 hepatobiliary centers in China. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). The secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and safety. The treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were recorded throughout the entire study period.
Results: A total of 297 patients were enrolled, with 147 patients in the TACE + Lenvatinib (Len) group and 150 patients in the TACE group. The baseline characteristics were well balanced between the two groups. Patients in the TACE + Len group achieved significantly better DFS. The median DFS was 19.0 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 14.0-25.0] and 10.0 months [95% CI, 8.0-13.0] in the TACE + Len and TACE group, respectively (log-rank test p= 0.011). The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of disease recurrence for baseline prognostic variables between the two groups was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.50–0.91, p = 0.009). Lenvatinib treatment-related AEs of grade 3 or 4 occurred in 28.6% of the patients in TACE + Len group.
Conclusions: This study suggested that adjuvantTACE plus lenvatinib a promising approach for HCC patients with high-risk of postoperative recurrence, which could significantly reduce postoperative recurrence and prolong survival with a manageable safety profile.
Micro-manufacturing of Powder Bed Fused stainless steel: Micro-machining and Micro-electrical discharge machining
Authors: Abeni Andrea , Quarto Mariangela , Ginestra Paola Serena
Published: May 2023

Nowadays, additive manufacturing technologies are widely studied for tailoring the final characteristics of the produced parts. In particular, Powder Bed Fusion technologies are widely applied for manufacturing metal components, and they allow the production of near-net shape parts. However, due to the poor surface quality of as-built samples, the application of the micro-machining, in several cases is essential for obtaining the final requirements, both in terms of dimensional accuracy and surface finishing. Therefore, during Micro-Mechanical Machining and Micro-Electrical Discharge Machining operations, it is important to analyse the material removal behaviour of Powder Bed Fusion specimens in order to identify their machinability responses., In this paper, we present comparative research on micro-machining of 17-4 PH stainless steel samples produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion. Specifically, we performed Micro-Mechanical Machining and Micro-Electrical Discharge Machining operations, analysed the process performances, and compared the machining conditions. Additionally, we investigated the surface roughness and burrs extension as a function of geometry configuration and process parameters.
Effects of General Anesthesia Combined with Epidural Anesthesia and Analgesia on Postoperative Short-term Outcomes after Laparoscopic Gastrectomy in Elderly Patients with Gastric Cancer
Authors: Yu Junjian , Zheng Taohua , Dong Zhensheng , Yuan Antai , Liu Qi , Jia Zhuoyu , Cao Shougen
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND
Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) and patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) constitute two major advances in pain management after major abdominal surgery. However, the effect of PCIA or PCEA has not been particularly studied in elderly patients with gastric cancer.
AIM
To compare the effect of PCIA to that of PCEA on short-term outcomes in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrectomy.
METHODS
This single-center, retrospective study included 254 elderly patients (≥ 70 years) who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Patients received either general anesthesia combined with epidural anesthesia followed by PCEA (PCEA group, n = 123) or general anesthesia alone followed by PCIA (PCIA group, n = 131). The primary endpoint was pain intensity tested using a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3. Demographics, comorbidities, perioperative data, postoperative short-term outcomes, and analgesia-related side effects were also assessed.
RESULTS
The VAS scores at rest were lower in the PCEA group compared to the PCIA group on postoperative day 1, 2, and 3 (27.8 ± 13.9 vs 33.1 ± 15.0, P = 0.004; 25.2 ± 11.3 vs 30.1 ± 14.3, P = 0.002; 16.9 ± 7.1 vs 20.9 ± 9.5, P < 0.001; respectively). The postoperative hospital stay was shorter in the PCEA group than in the PCIV group (11 vs 12 days, P = 0.018). The times to postoperative first flatus, semifluid diet, full ambulation, and tracheal extubation after surgery in the PCEA group were significantly shorter than in the PCIA group. Overall morbidity, mortality, hospital readmission rate, and reoperation rate were not significantly different between the two groups. Regarding side-effects related to analgesia, there were no significant differences in terms of the rates of postoperative nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, or oxygen saturation < 90% between the two groups. However, PCEA was associated with a higher incidence of postoperative hypotension compared to PCIA (10.6% vs 3.8%, P = 0.036).
CONCLUSIONS
In elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic radical gastrectomy, epidural anesthesia and analgesia may convey superior pain relief, faster restoration of gastrointestinal motility, and shorter hospitalization.