bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Micro- and Macrocirculatory effects of norepinephrine on anaesthesia- induced hypotension
Authors: Kindermans Manuel , Joachim Jona , Manquat Elsa , Levé Charlotte , Hong Alex , Mateo Joachim , Mebazaa Alexandre , Gayat Etienne , Backer Daniel , Vallée Fabrice
Published: September 2022

Purpose: Intraoperative arterial hypotension (IOH) leads to increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Norepinephrine is often use to treat IOH. However, the question regarding the mode of administration in either a bolus or continuous infusion (CI) remains unanswered. The aim of the present study was to describe and compare the effects on macrocirculation and microcirculation of a bolus and a CI of norepinephrine to treat IOH.Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study with adult patients who underwent neurosurgery. Patients with invasive arterial blood pressure and cardiac output (CO) monitoring were screened for inclusion. All patients underwent microcirculation monitoring by video capillaroscopy, laser doppler, near-infrared spectroscopy technology, and tissue CO2. In case of IOH, the patient could receive either a bolus of 10 µg or a CI of 200 µg/h of norepinephrine.Results: Thirty-six patients were included, with 41 boluses and 33 CI.Bolus and CI induced an increase in mean arterial pressure of +30[20-45] and +23[12-34] %, respectively (P=0,07). For macrocirculatory parameters, CI was associated with a smaller decrease in CO and stroke volume (p<0.05).For microcirculatory parameters, a more favourable response was observed when CI was used. Perfusion index (-12 vs. +12%, p=0,008), microvascular flow index (-0,1 vs. + 0,3, p=0,03), total vessel density (-0,2 vs. +2,3 mm2/mm2, p=0,002), and perfusion vessel density (-0,36 vs. +1,44 mm2/mm2, p=0,01) showed opposite variations with bolus and CI, respectively.Conclusions: These results on macro- and microcirculation could reveal the need for the preferential use of a continuous infusion of norepinephrine rather than a bolus to treat anaesthesia-induced hypotension.Trial registration : (NOR-PHARM: 1-17-42 Clinical Trials: NCT03454204).
A study of the RLC, RC, and RL electric circuits associated with incomplete I-functions
Authors: Jangid Kamlesh , Nishant M , Samei Mohammad Esmael , Bhatter Sanjay , Purohit Sunil Dutt
Published: September 2022

The goal of this article is to figure out the electric circuit responses under an impressed voltage E0 f(w) associated with incomplete I-functions and incomplete Ī-functions. The analytical solutions for the RLC, RC and RL circuit are derived using the Laplace transform approach.(2010) Mathematics Subject Classifications: 33B20; 33E20; 26A33.
Determining Sex in Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos) Chicks
Authors: Peniche Gabriela , Shaw Darren J , Dures Simon G , Ciavaglia Sherryn , Thompson Des BA , Anderson Neil E , Meredith AL
Published: September 2022

Incorporating sex ratios of chicks into population viability studies increases knowledge of overall health of endangered populations. Currently a reliable non-invasive method to identify the sex of golden eagle chicks is not available, despite this, claims are commonly made based on morphology. Ten biometric measurements from 43 Scottish golden eagles aged 2-7½ weeks were assessed to see if sex could actually be determined using this non-invasive methodology. Sex was confirmed via molecular analysis of blood samples. Discrete and principal component analyses of the different biometrics could not correctly determine individual chick sex. Therefore, despite being more invasive, molecular sexing remains the recommended tool of choice for accurate sex identification of Scottish golden eagle chicks younger than 7½ weeks of age. This has important implications for golden eagle field studies where empirical morphological measurements are frequently and typically taken, but we have shown are not reliable in determining the sex of such young chicks.
Relative cerebral blood volume as response predictor in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma with anti-angiogenic therapy
Authors: Yerpes Michele Breda , Rodríguez-Hernández Luis A , Gómez-Figueroa Enrique , Mondragón-Soto Michel G , Arellano-Gomez Gerardo , Hernandez-Hernandez Alan , Martinez Pablo , Perez-González Victoria , Reyes-Moreno Ignacio , Alvaro-Heredia Juan A , Gutierrez-Acevez Guillermo , Peiro-Osuna Pamela , Cacho Bernardo , Villanueva-Castro Eliezer , Deitos Marcos V Sangrador , Alonso-Vanegas Mario , Guerrero-Juarez Vicente , Lopez-Martinez Manuel , Castro-Martínez Elvira , Alberto González-Aguilar
Published: September 2022

Introduction
Glioblastoma is one of the most common brain tumors in adult populations, usually carrying a poor prognosis. While several studies have researched the impact of anti-angiogenic therapies, especially anti VEFG treatments in glioblastoma, few have attempted to assess its progress using imaging studies.
Purpose
We attempted to analyze whether cerebral blood volume (rCBV) from dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced MRI (DSC-MRI) could predict a response in patients with glioblastoma undergoing Bevacizumab (BVZ) treatment.
Methods
We performed a retrospective study evaluating patients with recurrent glioblastoma receiving anti-angiogenic therapy with BVZ between 2012 and 2017 in our institution. Patients were scheduled for routine MRI at baseline and first month follow up visits. Studies were processed for DSC-MRI, cT1 and FLAIR images, from which relative cerebral blood volume measurements were obtained. We assessed patient response using the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) working group criteria and overall survival.
Results
40 patients were included in the study and were classified as Bevacizumab responders and non-responders. Average rCBV before treatment was 4.5 for both groups and average rCBV was 2.5 for responders and 5.4 for non-responders. ROC curve set a cutoff point of 3.7 for rCBV predictive of response to BVZ. Cox Multivariate analysis only showed rCBV as a predictive factor of OS.
Conclusion
A statistically significant difference was found in rCBV between patients who responded and those who did not respond to BVZ treatment. rCBV may be a low cost and effective marker to assess response to Bevacizumab treatment in GBM.
Generalized partially bent functions, generalized perfect arrays and cocyclic Butson matrices
Authors: Armario José Andrés , Egan Ronan , Flannery Dane
Published: September 2022

In a recent survey, Schmidt compiled equivalences between generalized bent functions, group invariant Butson Hadamard matrices, and abelian splitting relative difference sets.We establish a broader network of equivalencesby considering Butson matrices that are cocyclic rather than strictly group invariant.This result has several applications; for example,to the construction of Boolean functions whose expansions are generalized partially bent functions, including cases where no bent function can exist.Mathematics Subject Classification (2010) 15B34 · 05B20 · 94D05
Novel pruning and truncating of the mixture of vine copula clustering models
Authors: Alanazi Fadhah Amer
Published: September 2022

The mixture of the vine copula densities allows selecting the vine structure, the most appropriate type of parametric marginal distributions, and the pair-copulas individually for each cluster. Therefore, complex hidden dependence structures can be fully uncovered and captured by the mixture of vine copula models without restriction to the parametric shape of margins or dependency patterns. However, this flexibility comes with the cost of dramatic increases in the number of model parameters as the dimension increases. Pruning and truncating each cluster of the mixture model will dramatically reduce the number of model parameters. This paper, therefore, introduced the first pruning and truncating techniques for the model-based clustering algorithm using the vine copula model, providing a significant contribution to the state-of-the-art. We apply the proposed methods to a number of well-known data sets with different dimensions. The results show that the performance of the individual pruning and truncation for each model cluster is superior to an existing vine copula clustering model.
Does early lifetime overweight modify the association between adult BMI and the risk of knee arthroplasty, as measures of severe knee osteoarthritis? A prospective Danish cohort study
Authors: Tryggedsson Jeppe Schmidt , Ersbøll Annette Kjær , Bliddal Henning , Heitmann Berit Lilienthal
Published: September 2022

Background: Only few studies have explored whether BMI across life is associated with knee OA. The aim of this study was to examine if the risk of knee arthroplasty related to adult BMI is modified by early lifetime overweight.Methods: A total of 22 083 female nurses were followed from 1st of May 1999 until 10th of August 2015, date of knee arthroplasty or censoring (emigration, end of study or death). At baseline participants completed a questionnaire on different lifestyle-related factors. Knee arthroplasty events were identified through linkage to the Danish National Patient Register. The association was examined using Poisson regression of incidence rate of knee arthroplasty.Results: A direct association was found between BMI and rate of knee arthroplasty. The largest difference in the incidence rate of knee arthroplasty per unit increase in BMI was seen among women with no early lifetime overweight (IRR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.13; 1.17), while the smallest difference was seen among women with early lifetime overweight (IRR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06; 1.12).Conclusion: Early lifetime overweight seems to modify the association between BMI and knee arthroplasty, suggesting a lower incidence rate for obese women with early lifetime overweight than obese women without early lifetime overweight.
Identification of Different Dairy Products Using Raman Spectroscopy Combined with Fused Lasso Distributionally Robust Logistic Regression
Authors: Xu Xiang , Xiao Wentao , Cao Yiyun , Zhang Zhengyong
Published: September 2022

Raman spectroscopy has been more and more widely used in the quality detection of dairy products. Due to the characteristics of high dimension and small sample size, the rapid, intelligent and accurate identification method of Raman spectroscopy is becoming one of the hot issues for researchers. In order to improve the robustness and accuracy of logistic regression identification method, a new Raman spectroscopy identification method is proposed by combining distributionally robust optimization technique and fused lasso technique with logistic regression. Raman spectroscopy of two kinds of dairy products were collected respectively for anti-jamming identification testing to verify the effectiveness of the new method. Experimental results show that the proposed method is more robust and has higher recognition accuracy than the traditional logistic regression.
A semantic-driven tradespace framework to accelerate aircraft manufacturing system design
Authors: Zheng Xiaochen , Hu Xiaodu , Arista Rebeca , Lu Jinzhi , Sorvari Jyri , Lentes Joachim , Ubis Fernando , Dimitris
Published: September 2022

During the design phase of an aircraft manufacturing system, different industrial scenarios need to be evaluated according to key performance indicators to achieve the optimal system performance. It is a highly complex process involving multidisciplinary stakeholders, various digital tools and protocols. To address the digital discontinuity challenge during this process, this paper proposes a tradespace framework based on semantic technology and Model-Based Systems Engineering. It aims at functionality integration of requirement management, architecture definition, manufacturing system design, solution verification and visualization. An application ontology is developed to integrate assembly system domain knowledge, industrial requirements and system architecture model information. The proposed framework is implemented in a case study to support the fuselage orbital joint process design, which is part of the aircraft Final Assembly Line. A toolchain is presented to support the implementation, which consists of a set of enabling software corresponding to the functional modules of the framework. Different manufacturing system architectures are first designed by industrial system engineers supported by the application ontology stored in a graph database. They are then analyzed through Discrete Event Simulations and 3D simulations. The simulation results are presented through a web-based portal to show the key performance values of each architecture. This study serves as a part of the proof-of-concept of the recently proposed Cognitive Digital Twin concept.
Structural characterization of former mining works in the North west Formations of Lake Kivu (case of Bishasha, DR Congo)
Authors: GLOIRE SADIKI BARATA
Published: September 2022

The formations of western Lake Kivu are typical of Mesoproterozoic that is dominated essentially by metasedimentary rocks with a minor part of metavolcanic rocks cutting by massive granit. The sector of Bishasha is constituted by quartzite, shale that aren’t spoilt in which once we exploited wolframite ore. That mineralisation is often presented like stockwerks.The regional tectonics which affected Bishasha sector led to brittle microstructures which attest to the extensive phase experienced by this terrain, confirmed even in the study of stress by WINTENSOR. The preferential direction of cleavage NNE-SSW would justify the existence of regional folding and even coincides with the orientation of the main stress NNE-SSW which corresponds to the first phase of deformation that affected the kibarian chain
Gravitational folding of surface tension regions originates bio quantum path duality that quantizes Newtonian rigid inertia into parameter trigonometric inversion topological bio-inertia
Authors: Lai Yi Yu
Published: September 2022

Universal interaction reference systems in nature can’t avoid elastic inversion(memory). Newton established the parameter quantity-driving rigid reference system with zero inversion. Bio-systems fall to another extremity that can only utilize inversion energy without rigidness. We define inversion energy as parameter-against-gravity- internal-fluctuation for this system, write down modifications of Newtonian Three Laws as, first law: (𝑑/𝑑𝑥)cosx =−𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥, (𝑑/𝑑𝑥)sinx = 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑥; second law: 𝐹⃗=𝑚∙𝑎⃗ + |𝑚𝑔⃗∫𝑡𝑔𝜃⋅𝑑𝜃 ⟩↿⇂; third law: Wavelength = (2/𝑛)L, frequency = n𝑓0 . The Schrödinger equation has only quantized energy but still hasn’t quantized time thus inducing quantum collapse. We then conjugate inversion energy with quantizing time which composes of event inversion superposition to establish entropy-control lifespan for bio-systems. Originating from the gravitational folding of surface tension regions, bio quantum path duality fluctuation scales as macrocosmic elastic quantum ranges from a codon to the spinal size drives life folding or evolution. The biological functions including consciousness revive from the bio quantum path duality that modulates by the three modified laws.
A FHIR® has been lit on gICS® – Facilitating the standardized exchange of informed consents in a large network of university medicine (NUM) in pandemic research
Authors: Bialke Martin , Geidel Lars , Hampf Christopher , Blumentritt Arne , Penndorf Peter , Schuldt Ronny , Moser Frank-Michael , Lang Stefan , Werner Patrick , Stäubert Sebastian , Hund Hauke , Albashiti Fady , Gührer Jürgen , Prokosch Hans-Ulrich , Bahls Thomas , Hoffmann Wolfgang
Published: September 2022

Background

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funds a network of university medicines (NUM) to support COVID-19 and pandemic research at national level. The “COVID-19 Data Exchange Platform” (CODEX) as part of NUM establishes a harmonised infrastructure that supports decentral but standardised provision as well as federated combination and research use of COVID-19 datasets. The broad consent (BC) of the Medical Informatics Initiative (MII) is agreed by all German federal states and forms the legal base for such data processing. All 34 participating university hospitals (NUM sites) work upon a harmonised infrastructural as well as legal basis for their data protection-compliant collection and transfer of their research dataset to the central CODEX platform.

Each NUM site ensures that the exchanged consent information conforms to the already-balloted HL7® FHIR® consent profiles and the interoperability concept of the MII Task Force “Consent Implementation” (TFCI).

The Independent Trusted Third-Party (TTP) of the University Medicine Greifswald successfully supports data protection-compliant data processing in various research projects since 2014 and provides the consent management solutions gICS®, which supports fully digital and paper-based consent management.

Results

A “TTP-FHIR Gateway” for the HL7® FHIR®-compliant exchange of consent information using gICS® throughout NUM-CODEX was implemented and provided to all NUM sites in June 2021 as a separate software component. The gateway relies on the gICS® application logic. All FHIR® functionalities comply with the already-balloted FHIR® consent profiles of the HL7® Working Group Consent Management.

A pre-configured consent template for the BC is provided to all NUM sites, thereby simplifying the technical BC rollout and the corresponding implementation of the TFCI interoperability concept at the NUM sites.

Conclusions

This article proves that a HL7® FHIR®-compliant and interoperable nationwide exchange of consent information could be built using of the consent management software gICS® and the provided TTP-FHIR Gateway. The initial functional scope of the solution covers the requirements identified in the NUM-CODEX setting. The semantic correctness of these functionalities was validated by project-partners from the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. The production rollout of the solution package to all NUM sites has started successfully.
Effect of Quartz in Clay on Grindability of Raw Mixes for Cement Production
Authors:   School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, Ku Ishak Ku Esyra Hani , Saiyid Hashim Syed Fuad ,   School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, Mohd Azizli Khairun Azizi ,   School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, Palaniandy Sam ,   Eirich Australia, Unit 4, 119 Gardens Drive, Willawong, QLD 4110, Australia, Hussin Hashim ,   School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Published: September 2022

High quartz content in clay substantially impacts the grinding of raw mix, quality of clinker and final cement produced. The presence of quartz requires very fine grinding and a long sintering time to react significantly, all of which are very expensive. This study assessed an extensive plant sample which involved a vertical roller mill to determine the correlation between quartz content in clay to the 90 μm residue, feed rate, clinker microstructure and mill power. The characterisation study performed on raw materials revealed three clay categories based on quartz content, namely low, normal and high quartz at (42.4%–48.8%), (57.1%–64.9%) and (81.5%–89.3%), respectively. The grinding test showed an increment of 90 μm residue for high-quartz clay. Meanwhile, high, medium and low feed rates generated the most coarse, coarse and fine products, respectively. Based on the distribution curve of mill products, high quartz content in clay significantly reduced the particles passing percentage. Coarser particles were observed to be present in mill products for the high-quartz category compared to the low-quartz clay and normal-quartz clay, signifying inadequate size reduction for the high-quartz clay in the vertical roller miller. The power consumption was higher (7.2 kWh/t–9.0 kWh/t) for grinding raw mixes that contained high-quartz clay than low-quartz clay. This study provided a significant relationship between grindability and the amount of quartz content in clay with the purpose of optimising the grinding process when dealing with high-quartz content in clay.
Compatibility of Concentrated NaOH as a Precipitation Agent in the Synthesis of Maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) Nanoparticles via Co-precipitation Method
Authors:   School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia, Ismail Hamisah ,   School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, Zainuddin Zalita ,   School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia, Mohamad Hasmaliza ,   School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, Abdul Hamid Muhammad Azmi ,   School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Published: September 2022

Maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles were synthesised using the coprecipitation method, with different concentrations (5 M, 10 M, 11 M, 12 M and 13.4 M) of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as the precipitation agent. The resulting powder was characterised using x-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). All characterisations were performed at room temperature. The XRD results showed that the γ-Fe2O3 powder was in a single phase for samples synthesised using 11 M, 12 M and 13.4 M NaOH and the crystallite size ranged between 5.74 nm–6.42 nm. TEM observations and analysis showed that the particles were in a cubo-spheroidal shape and the mean physical size of the nanoparticles was between 8.52 nm and 8.59 nm. Hysteresis loop indicated that γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles have superparamagnetic properties with an acceptable range of saturation magnetisation of 31.08 emu/g–48.88 emu/g and negligible coercivity value. MTT assay demonstrated that the γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles exhibited biocompatibility with V79-4 cells at different dosages (1000 μg/mL–50 μg/mL) for 48 h. The results suggested that maghemite can be a valuable low-cost biomagnetic material in biomedical applications.
Performance and Analysis of a Designed Magnetic Lens for Microscopic Applications
Authors:   Department of Physics, Collage of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq, H. Ahmed Emad , K. Hasan Adnan ,   Department of Physics, Collage of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
Published: September 2022

The magnetic lens (magnetic field lens) uses a magnetic field rather than an equipotential plane. This work presents a modelling of the design of a focused magnetic lens. Its main purpose is to reveal the possibility of this lens to eliminate aberrations and to determine the extent of its potential to be included in the design of electron microscopes and electron beam melting systems. This work was accomplished by using COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software. The magnetic lens was tested to determine the possibility of its inclusion in electron microscopes by changing the bore radius from 1 to 4 step by step. The proposed mathematical model was proven as an excellent tool in electron optics.
Hidden dualities in 1D quasiperiodic lattice models
Authors: Gonçalves Miguel , Amorim Bruno , Castro Eduardo , Ribeiro Pedro
Published: September 2022

We find that quasiperiodicity-induced transitions between extended
and localized phases in generic 1D systems are associated with hidden
dualities that generalize the well-known duality of the Aubry-André
model. These spectral and eigenstate dualities are locally defined
near the transition and can, in many cases, be explicitly constructed
by considering relatively small commensurate approximants. The construction
relies on auxiliary 2D Fermi surfaces obtained as functions of the
phase-twisting boundary conditions and of the phase-shifting real-space
structure. We show that, around the critical point of the limiting
quasiperiodic system, the auxiliary Fermi surface of a high-enough-order
approximant converges to a universal form. This allows us to devise
a highly-accurate method to obtain mobility edges and duality transformations
for generic 1D quasiperiodic systems through their commensurate approximants.
To illustrate the power of this approach, we consider several previously
studied systems, including generalized Aubry-André models and coupled
Moiré chains. Our findings bring a new perspective to examine quasiperiodicity-induced
extended-to-localized transitions in 1D, provide a working criterion
for the appearance of mobility edges, and an explicit way to understand
the properties of eigenstates close to and at the transition.
The effect of performance manipulation on fund flows under different market conditions in South Africa
Authors: Apau Richard , Jeke Leward , Moores-Pitt Peter , Muzindutsi Paul-Francois
Published: September 2022

Corrections to the article made on October 17, 2022The previous list of authors Richard Apau, Leward Jeke was changed to Richard Apau, Leward Jeke, Peter Moores-Pitt, Paul-Francois Muzindutsi, October 17, 2022. Explanation in the documents: Authors contributions, Authors explanations.This study analyzes the effect of performance manipulation on mutual fund flows under different market conditions to provide explanations to the increased flow of investors’ funds to persistently underperforming active mutual fund managers in South Africa. The study employs a system GMM technique to analyze panel data of 52 South African actively managed equity mutual funds for the 2006–2019 period. From the analysis, it is found that past fund flows and fund size constitute a set of fund-level factors with predictive influences on fund flows, while market risk exerts systemic effect on the flow of investors’ assets to fund managers. The results show that market conditions do not impact the relationship between mutual fund flows and performance manipulation, which implies that manipulation strategies implemented by fund managers do not engender increased funds’ flow from asset owners. This study thus concludes that other non-performance factors drive convexity in the relationship between fund flows and performance in South Africa.
Health risk assessment of fluoride exposure due to groundwater consumption in Romania
Authors: Dobrinas Simona , Soceanu Alina , Manea Natalia , Sirbu Anca , Dumitrescu Corina Ionela , Popescu Viorica , Birghila Semaghiul , Matei Nicoleta , Popovici Ionela Carazeanu
Published: September 2022

Fluoride has both beneficial and detrimental effects on human health. Concentrations of fluoride less than 1.0 mg/L in ingested water are beneficial for the rate of tooth decay, especially in children. The aims of the paper are as follows: (i) to monitor fluoride concentrations in drinking water samples (well water and tap water from the rural district of Valea Râmnicului, Romania); (ii) to study and select the optimal buffer solution and the optimal volume used in the analyses and (iii) to validate the potentiometric method for determining fluoride ions with a selective ion electrode. The values of fluoride ion concentrations in the groundwater samples and in tap water varied from 0.01 to 0.138 mg/L. The values for the hazard quotient for the studied samples varied from 0.01 to 0.13.
Study on sustainable development and construction of karst mountain city based on the concept of a sponge city
Authors: Li Yue , Geng Huacai
Published: September 2022

In recent years, there has been rapid urbanization development in China. The rapid expansion of cities and the increase in the proportion of the area of impervious surfaces have caused urban flooding problems. The karst area in Southwest China is characterized by a sensitive ecosystem, poor self recovery ability and typical karst development. The problems of a fragile and imbalanced water ecology are particularly prominent in karst areas, making it necessary to explore the applicability of the concept of sponge cities in such environments. This study reviews the technical ideas, methods and concepts of sponge cities in China and abroad in recent years. Guiyang, a typical karst mountain city in China, was taken as an example in this study. This was because Guiyang has special hydrogeological characteristics as well as the current urbanization development processes that are affecting the water resources and the environment in the region. It is believed that the construction of mountain sponge cities in karst areas should be mainly through source reduction, process control and end management, combined with intelligent construction methods. Focus should be on strengthening the prevention and control of soil erosion in key areas and risk areas and on properly handling the relationship between urban construction and water resources and ecological environment protection.
Contribuições científicas da área da Vida e Meio Ambiente para a RevUergs (2015-2022)
Authors: De Castro Biane , De Lara Daniela Mueller , Lemos Dellins Mestreti
Published: September 2022

Desde a sua criação em 2015 (Resolução Consun Nº 012/2015 revogada e substituída pela Resolução Conepe Nº 027/2021), a Revista Eletrônica Científica da Uergs (RevUergs) tem como objetivo o estímulo ao debate e à reflexão na indissociabilidade do ensino, pesquisa e extensão, fortalecendo as ciências, as letras e as artes por meio do intercâmbio de ideias, práticas e resultados. A Revista Eletrônica Científica da UERGS tem caráter interdisciplinar e / ou multidisciplinar, com publicações nas áreas de humanas e artes, exatas e engenharias e vida e meio ambiente, de forma a contribuir para o desenvolvimento da ciência e da extensão no Brasil e no exterior.

Em todos esses anos, a participação na área das ciências da vida e meio ambiente foi evidentemente comprovada através das diversas publicações realizadas. Estima-se que aproximadamente 66 % do total de artigos publicados foi relacionado às áreas das ciências agrárias e ambientais.

Tais publicações retratam a importância e a inserção de ações de pesquisa e extensão, incluindo a ciência e a tecnologia de modo interdisciplinar, desenvolvidas e fomentadas por diversas instituições (WU et al., 2019; MILANI et al., 2022; GONÇALVES; ROTH, 2022). Ainda, estas ações se destacam pela sua afinidade com os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS), conduzindo o debate e a prática da formação de lideranças interdisciplinares com diferentes atores sociais para o avanço da implementação dos ODS (AVELAR et al., 2019).

Destaca-se que o trabalho com maior download em todos os anos de existência da RevUergs foi o resumo expandido, dos autores Barbosa et al. (2017), publicado na edição especial do 3° Simpósio de Gestão Ambiental: Territórios Hídricos e Mercados Ambientais da UERGS, intitulado como “As abelhas e seu serviço ecossistêmico de polinização”. Ainda merecem destaque quanto aos acessos e downloads, os artigos “O declínio populacional das abelhas: causas, potenciais soluções e perspectivas futuras”, dos autores Beringer et al. (2019) e “Diversidade e potencial de utilização de plantas alimentícias não convencionais no Vale do Taquari, RS”, dos autores Biondo et al. (2018). Tais publicações retratam o reconhecimento pelos leitores acerca da relevância desses trabalhos multidisciplinares dentro da área da vida e meio ambiente.

Desejamos uma ótima leitura a todos!
Circulating Biomarkers in Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Uslu-Beşli Lebriz
Published: September 2022

Thyroid cancer is the most important endocrine cancer with increasing
incidence. While thyroid cancers, especially papillary thyroid cancers, are known to
exhibit generally a favorable outcome with excellent survival rates, some thyroid
cancers are more aggressive with a poor prognosis. Several different biomarkers have
been introduced for the diagnosis of disease, identification of tumor load, assessment of
therapy response, and the detection of recurrence during follow-up of the thyroid
cancer patients. This chapter gives a brief overview of the circulating biomarkers used
in thyroid cancer patients.
DNA Methylation Biomarkers in Cancer: Current Clinical Utility and Future Perspectives
Authors: Durmus Sinem , Gelisgen Remise , Uzun Hafize
Published: September 2022

Epigenetic alterations are related to inherited but reversible changes in
modifications that regulate gene activity beyond the DNA sequence. DNA methylation
is the best characterized epigenetic modification, controlling DNA stability, DNA
structure, transcription, and regulation, contributing to normal development and
differentiation. In this section, we first discuss the cellular functions of DNA
methylation and focus on how this fundamental biological process is impaired in
cancer. Changes in DNA methylation status in cancer have been heralded as promising
targets for the development of diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers due to
their noninvasive accessibility in bodily fluids (such as blood, urine, stool),
reversibility, stability, and frequency. The absence of markers for definitive diagnosis
of most types of cancer and, in some cases, DNA methylation biomarkers being more
specific and sensitive than commonly used protein biomarkers indicate a strong need
for continued research to expand DNA methylation markers. Although the information
on changes in DNA methylation status in cancer and research on its clinical relevance
is rapidly increasing, the number of DNA methylation biomarkers currently available
as commercial tests is very small. Here, we focus on the importance of DNA
methylation location and target genes likely to be developed in the future for the
development of biomarkers in addition to existing commercial tests. Following a
detailed study of possible target genes, we summarize the current clinical application
status of the most studied and validated DNA methylation biomarkers, including
SEPT9, SDC2, BMP3, NDRG4, SFRP2, TFPI2, VIM and MGMT.
Circulating Biomarkers in Predicting Pathological Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy for Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Jayasinghe Ravindri , Jayarajah Umesh , Seneviratne Sanjeewa
Published: September 2022

Circulating biomarkers show promise in the management of many cancers.
They have become the novel non-invasive approach to complement the current
strategies in colorectal cancer (CRC) management. Their ability in guiding diagnosis,
evaluating response to treatment, screening and prognosis is phenomenal, especially
when it comes to their minimally invasive nature. These “liquid biopsies,” which show
potential for replacing invasive surgical biopsies, provide useful information on the
primary and metastatic disease by providing an insight into cancer biology. Analysis of
blood and body fluids for circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), carcinoembryonic antigen
(CEA), circulating tumour cells (CTC), or circulating micro RNA (miRNA) shows
potential for improving CRC management. Recognizing a predictive model to assess
response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy would help in better patient selection. This
review was conducted with the aim of outlining the use of circulatory biomarkers in
current practice and their effectiveness in the management of patients having CRC with
a focus on response to neoadjuvant therapy.
Circulating Biomarkers in the Management of Breast Cancer
Authors: Jayasinghe Ravindri , Jayarajah Umesh , Seneviratne Sanjeewa
Published: September 2022

Circulating biomarkers have become a promising modality in the
management of many cancers. Similarly, in breast cancer, circulatory biomarkers are
useful, non-invasive methods in the diagnosis, prognostication, and evaluation of
response to treatment. Invasive surgical biopsies can be potentially replaced by “liquid
biopsy,” which involves analysing circulatory biomarkers that may reveal features of
primary and metastatic disease. Therefore, providing an insight into the cancer biology
can be utilised to monitor treatment response, treatment-induced adaptation and tumour
and disease progression through non-invasive means. The objective of this review is to
provide an overview of the current status of the circulating biomarkers highlighting
their promising impact on the management of patients with breast cancer.
Clinical Application of Biomarkers for Hematologic Malignancies
Authors: Yurttaş Nurgül Özgür , Eşkazan Ahmet Emre
Published: September 2022

Over the last decade, significant advancements have been made in the
molecular mechanisms, diagnostic methods, prognostication, and treatment options in
hematologic malignancies. As the treatment landscape continues to expand,
personalized treatment is much more important.

With the development of new technologies, more sensitive evaluation of residual
disease using flow cytometry and next generation sequencing is possible nowadays.
Although some conventional biomarkers preserve their significance, novel potential
biomarkers accurately detect the mutational landscape of different cancers, and also,
serve as prognostic and predictive biomarkers, which can be used in evaluating therapy
responses and relapses. It is likely that we will be able to offer a more targeted and
risk-adapted therapeutic approach to patients with hematologic malignancies guided by
these potential biomarkers. This chapter summarizes the biomarkers used (or proposed
to be used) in the diagnosis and/or monitoring of hematologic neoplasms.;
Biomarkers in Otorhinolaryngology
Authors: Yigider Ayse Pelin , Yigit Ozgur
Published: September 2022

Biomarkers of otorhinolaryngologic diseases with higher insult over a
person’s him/herself and overall health services are summarized in brief. In order to
define, diagnose, treat and monitor any disease markers are needed.
Otorhinolaryngology (ORL) is interested in special disease entities of the region
besides otorhinolaryngologic involvements of the systemic diseases and unique forms
of pathologies such as cholesteatoma, Meniere’s disease and otosclerosis. Neoplasia is
another heading to deal with. In the following chapter, one will find an overview of
molecules that have been used as a biomarker as well as the end points of the present
research on the issue relevant with ORL. Day by day, new molecules are being named
however, the pathways of action are rather the same. Readers will find the headings
related to the most common diseases of the field, informing them about where to look
for defining new strategies of understanding of each disease.
Biomarkers and their Clinical Applications in Pediatrics
Authors: Elgormus Yusuf
Published: September 2022

Biomarker studies are becoming increasingly interesting for many fields of
medicine. The use of biomarkers in medicine is involved in detecting diseases and
supporting diagnosis and treatment decisions. New research and new discoveries on the
molecular basis of the disease show that there may be a number of promising new
biomarkers for use in daily clinical practice. Clinical trials in children lag behind adult
research both in quality and quantity. The number of biomarkers validated to optimize
pediatric patient management is limited. In the pathogenesis of many diseases, it should
not be extrapolated to the pediatric clinical setting, taking into account that biomarkers
that are effective in adults are clearly different in children and that ontogeny directly
affects disease development and therapeutic response in children. The search for ideal
biomarkers or markers that can make an early and definitive diagnosis in neonatal
sepsis is still ongoing. The ideal biomarker for pediatric diseases should be costeffective,
noninvasive, applicable to pediatric specific diseases, and its results should
correspond to age-related physiological changes. Lactate, troponin and B-type
natriuretic peptide are valuable biomarkers in the evaluation and management of
critically ill children with cardiac disease. Tumor markers in children are biochemical
substances used in the clinical treatment of pediatric tumors and to detect the presence
of cancer (regression or progression). In this chapter, current and brief information
about biomarkers and their clinical applications used in the diagnosis and monitoring of
pediatric diseases is presented.;
Biomarkers in Obesity and Clinical Applications to Surgical Practice: From Pharmacogenomics to Surgigenomics
Authors: Taskin Halit Eren
Published: September 2022

Personalized medicine is an evolving field and helps in detecting putative
targets for pharmacological treatment modalities in obesity treatment. Obesity has
become a pandemic and major threat, increasing all causes of mortality and bringing a
heavy cost burden on health budgets. Although bariatric/metabolic surgery justified its
role as the most effective treatment regimen for obesity and related comorbidities in the
long-term, some patients require revisional operations, do not respond to this treatment
option, or experience a relapse of their co-morbidities. For this reason, detection of
possible non-responders and prediction of patients at high risk for developing
cardiovascular or metabolic adverse events in long-term follow-up is of utmost
importance. Therefore, the individualization of surgical treatment by the use of novel
biomarkers has come into prominence recently. Many biomarkers and gene loci had
been identified related to adiposity, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress. In this brief
chapter, the recent advances and clinical implications of these biomarkers will be
elaborated.
Application of Biomarkers in the Diagnostic Distinction of Bacterial and Viral Infections
Authors: Çakırlar Fatma Köksal
Published: September 2022

Infectious diseases, which pose a great threat worldwide, have a significant
impact on public health and the world economy. It contributes to increased healthcare
costs, unnecessary drug-related side effects, and increased antimicrobial resistance. It is
not always easy to distinguish the etiological differentiation of diseases that can
develop with bacteria and viruses. Therefore, one of the biggest challenges in medicine
is how to correctly distinguish between the different causes of these infections and how
to manage the patient. Because bacterial and viral infections often present similar
symptoms. The real decision is whether the infection is caused by bacteria or viruses
and whether to treat the patient with antibiotics. There are many different
methodological approaches to diagnosing infections. Biomarkers have been used in the
diagnosis of diseases and other conditions for many years. Biomarkers are molecules
found in blood and body fluids in measurable amounts, which can evaluate biological
and pathological processes. These key indicators can provide vital information in
determining disease prognosis, predicting response to treatments, adverse events and
drug interactions, and identifying key risks. An effective biomarker is extremely
important for the early diagnosis of various diseases. The explosion of interest in
biomarker research is driving the development of new predictive, diagnostic, and
prognostic products in modern medical practice. The purpose of this review is to
demonstrate the use and diagnostic potential of current and investigational biomarkers
in the distinction between bacterial and viral infections.
Antibacterial Polyacrylamide and Dextran-Graft-Polyacrylamide Hydrogels for the Treatment of Open Wounds
Authors: Virych Pavlo , Nadtoka Oksana , Kutsevol Nataliya , Krysa Bohdan , Krysa Vasyl
Published: September 2022

Background. Open wound treatment requires a use of bandage material to prevent the development of pathogenic microflora and to provide the necessary conditions for tissue regeneration.

The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of polyacrylamide (PAA) and dextran-graft-polyacrylamide (D-PAA) hydrogels loaded with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), antibiotics, and photosensitizers for the treatment of bacterial infection of open wounds.

Materials and Methods. PAA and D-PAA hydrogels with AgNPs, methylene blue (0.001%) without (MB) and with red light irradiation (660 nm) (MB+L), chlorhexidine (0.05%) and cefuroxime (0.1%) were used. There were tested in vitro and in vivo (a rat model) antibacterial activities against wild-type Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains obtained from the wound. Clinical investigations were performed in patients with chronic venous ulcers of the lower extremities with no response to traditional treatments.

Results. S. aureus, E. coli, and K. pneumoniae strains were sensitive to PAA and D-PAA hydrogels with AgNPs, chlorhexidine, and cefuroxime. Antibiotic-resistant E. coli was not inhibited by the hydrogels with cefuroxime. This strain was less sensitive to chlorhexidine and MB+L. There were no differences between unloaded PAA and D-PAA hydrogels; the antibacterial properties of the dressing were determined by an antibacterial component loaded into the hydrogel. The use of unloaded D-PAA hydrogels in vivo helped reduce the size of the wound by 28.6% and 42.8% three and five days after wound modeling, respectively. Similar results were obtained for D-PAA hydrogels loaded with cefuroxime, chlorhexidine, and MB+L. D-PAA hydrogel with AgNPs reduced wound size by 50% and 62.5% three and five days after wound induction, respectively, demonstrated greater antibacterial activity and was selected for clinical investigations. In a patient, 14 days after bandage application, the fibrin membrane disappeared, the ulcers were covered with pink granulations, marginal epithelialization appeared.

Conclusions. PAA and D-PAA hydrogels can be loaded with the antibacterial compounds of various types. The type of polymer does not affect the antibacterial properties of the final hydrogels. The hydrogels with chlorhexidine and MB+L can be potentially used to treat bacterial contamination of wounds and ulcers. Nevertheless, their disadvantage is the inability to absorb or precipitate tissue breakdown products that interfere with normal regeneration and inflammation. D-PAA/AgNPs are the best option for treating ulcers due to the ability to control the properties of the hydrogels and nanoparticles, as well as multiple mechanisms of antibacterial action.
Hyperostosis Frontalis Interna and Temporalis Interna: A Rare Case Report
Authors: Ravishankar Mathada Vamadevaiah , Srikantaiah Vidya Chikkarahalli , Pushpa Nagavalli Basavanna , Patel Sapna
Published: September 2022

Hyperostosis is a slow-growing benign bone tumour often seen in the bones of the cranial vault, more commonly found in elderly females. It is an incidental finding noted during radiological examination. The clinical manifestation of such tumour depends on its location inside the cranial cavity: the proximity to the paranasal sinuses, brain tissue, nerves, or blood vessels, etc. Its clinical findings may range from mild obstruction of the paranasal sinuses or blood vessels to severe compression of the surrounding cranial nerves. Here a rare case of hyperostosis of the frontal and temporal bones found during a routine cadaveric dissection in the Department of Anatomy is presented. Causes of the formation of such unusually enlarged bone masses inside the cranial cavity and their clinical presentation are discussed.