bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expression of Immune-Related and Inflammatory Markers and Their Prognostic Impact in Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: An Sanghyun , Kim Soo-Ki , Kwon Hye Youn , Kim Cheol Su , Bang Hui-Jae , Do Hyejin , Kim BoRa , Kim Kwangmin , Kim Youngwan
Published: July 2023

The tumor microenvironment of colorectal cancer (CRC) is heterogenous; thus, it is likely that multiple immune-related and inflammatory markers are simultaneously expressed in the tumor. The aim of this study was to identify immune-related and inflammatory markers expressed in freshly frozen CRC tissues and to investigate whether they are related to the clinicopathological features and prognosis of CRC. Seventy patients with CRC who underwent curative surgical resection between December 2014 and January 2017 were included in this study. Tissue samples were obtained from tumor and non-tumor areas in the patients’ colons. The concentrations of immune-related markers (APRIL/TNFSF13, BAFF, LAG-3, PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4) and inflammatory markers (CHIT, MMP-3, osteocalcin, pentraxin-3, sTNF-R1, and sTNF-R2) in the samples were measured using the Bio-plex Multiplex Immunoassay system. The concentrations of APRIL/TNFSF13, BAFF, and MMP-3 in the samples were significantly high; thus, we conducted analyses based on the cut-off values for these three markers. The high-APRIL/TNFSH13-expression group showed a significantly higher rate of metastatic lesions than the low-expression group, whereas the high-MMP-3-expression group had higher CEA levels, more lymph node metastases, and more advanced disease stages than the low-expression group. The five-year disease-free survival of the high-MMP-3-expression group was significantly shorter than that of the low-expression group (65.1% vs. 90.2%, p = 0.033). This study provides evidence that the APRIL/TNFSF13, BAFF, and MMP-3 pathway is overexpressed in CRC tissues and is associated with unfavorable clinicopathological features and poor prognosis in CRC patients. These markers could serve as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for CRC.
The Dual-Responsive Interaction of Particulated Hyaline Cartilage and Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) in the Repair of Cartilage Defects: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Anitua Eduardo , Prado Roberto , Guadilla Jorge , Alkhraisat Mohammad H. , Laiz Patricia , Padilla Sabino , García-Balletbó Montserrat , Cugat Ramón
Published: July 2023

The treatment of chondral and osteochondral defects is challenging. These types of lesions are painful and progress to osteoarthritis over time. Tissue engineering offers tools to address this unmet medical need. The use of an autologous cartilage construct consisting of hyaline cartilage chips embedded in plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) has been proposed as a therapeutic alternative. The purpose of this study was to dig into the potential mechanisms behind the in vitro remodelling process that might explain the clinical success of this technique and facilitate its optimisation. Chondrocyte viability and cellular behaviour over eight weeks of in vitro culture, type II collagen synthesis, the dual delivery of growth factors by hyaline cartilage and PRGF matrix, and the ultrastructure of the construct and its remodelling were characterised. The main finding of this research is that the cartilage fragments embedded in the three-dimensional PRGF scaffold contain viable chondrocytes that are able to migrate into the fibrin network, proliferate and synthesise extracellular matrix after the second week of in vitro culture. The characterization of this three-dimensional matrix is key to unravelling the molecular kinetics responsible for its efficacy.
Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocyte-like Cells: Induction Methods and Applications
Authors: Luo Qiulin , Wang Nan , Que Hanyun , Mai Erziya , Hu Yanting , Tan Rui , Gu Jian , Gong Puyang
Published: July 2023

The development of regenerative medicine provides new options for the treatment of end-stage liver diseases. Stem cells, such as bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), are effective tools for tissue repair in regenerative medicine. iPSCs are an appropriate source of hepatocytes for the treatment of liver disease due to their unlimited multiplication capacity, their coverage of the entire range of genetics required to simulate human disease, and their evasion of ethical implications. iPSCs have the ability to gradually produce hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) with homologous phenotypes and physiological functions. However, how to induce iPSCs to differentiate into HLCs efficiently and accurately is still a hot topic. This review describes the existing approaches for inducing the differentiation of iPSCs into HLCs, as well as some challenges faced, and summarizes various parameters for determining the quality and functionality of HLCs. Furthermore, the application of iPSCs for in vitro hepatoprotective drug screening and modeling of liver disease is discussed. In conclusion, iPSCs will be a dependable source of cells for stem-cell therapy to treat end-stage liver disease and are anticipated to facilitate individualized treatment for liver disease in the future.
Antigens from the Helminth Fasciola hepatica Exert Antiviral Effects against SARS-CoV-2 In Vitro
Authors: Serrat Judit , Francés-Gómez Clara , Becerro-Recio David , González-Miguel Javier , Geller Ron , Siles-Lucas Mar
Published: July 2023

SARS-CoV-2, the causal agent of COVID-19, is a new coronavirus that has rapidly spread worldwide and significantly impacted human health by causing a severe acute respiratory syndrome boosted by a pulmonary hyperinflammatory response. Previous data from our lab showed that the newly excysted juveniles of the helminth parasite Fasciola hepatica (FhNEJ) modulate molecular routes within host cells related to vesicle-mediated transport and components of the innate immune response, which could potentially be relevant during viral infections. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine whether FhNEJ-derived molecules influence SARS-CoV-2 infection efficiency in Vero cells. Pre-treatment of Vero cells with a tegument-enriched antigenic extract of FhNEJ (FhNEJ-TEG) significantly reduced infection by both vesicular stomatitis virus particles pseudotyped with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein (VSV-S2) and live SARS-CoV-2. Pre-treatment of the virus itself with FhNEJ-TEG prior to infection also resulted in reduced infection efficiency similar to that obtained by remdesivir pre-treatment. Remarkably, treatment of Vero cells with FhNEJ-TEG after VSV-S2 entry also resulted in reduced infection efficiency, suggesting that FhNEJ-TEG may also affect post-entry steps of the VSV replication cycle. Altogether, our results could potentially encourage the production of FhNEJ-derived molecules in a safe, synthetic format for their application as therapeutic agents against SARS-CoV-2 and other related respiratory viruses.
Gut Microbiota, Metabolome, and Body Composition Signatures of Response to Therapy in Patients with Advanced Melanoma
Authors: Vandoni Giulia , D'Amico Federica , Fabbrini Marco , Mariani Luigi , Sieri Sabina , Casirati Amanda , Di Guardo Lorenza , Del Vecchio Michele , Anichini Andrea , Mortarini Roberta , Sgambelluri Francesco , Celano Giuseppe , Serale Nadia , De Angelis Maria , Brigidi Patrizia , Gavazzi Cecilia , Turroni Silvia
Published: July 2023

Despite the recent breakthroughs in targeted and immunotherapy for melanoma, the overall survival rate remains low. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the gut microbiota and other modifiable patient factors (e.g., diet and body composition), though their role in influencing therapeutic responses has yet to be defined. Here, we characterized a cohort of 31 patients with unresectable IIIC-IV-stage cutaneous melanoma prior to initiation of targeted or first-line immunotherapy via the following methods: (i) fecal microbiome and metabolome via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, respectively, and (ii) anthropometry, body composition, nutritional status, physical activity, biochemical parameters, and immunoprofiling. According to our data, patients subsequently classified as responders were obese (i.e., with high body mass index and high levels of total, visceral, subcutaneous, and intramuscular adipose tissue), non-sarcopenic, and enriched in certain fecal taxa (e.g., Phascolarctobacterium) and metabolites (e.g., anethole), which were potentially endowed with immunostimulatory and oncoprotective activities. On the other hand, non-response was associated with increased proportions of Streptococcus, Actinomyces, Veillonella, Dorea, Fusobacterium, higher neutrophil levels (and a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), and higher fecal levels of butyric acid and its esters, which also correlated with decreased survival. This exploratory study provides an integrated list of potential early prognostic biomarkers that could improve the clinical management of patients with advanced melanoma, in particular by guiding the design of adjuvant therapeutic strategies to improve treatment response and support long-term health improvement.
The Longitudinal Interplay between Sleep, Anthropometric Indices, Eating Behaviors, and Nutritional Aspects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Grimaldi Martina , Bacaro Valeria , Natale Vincenzo , Tonetti Lorenzo , Crocetti Elisabetta
Published: July 2023

Sleep is fundamental for adolescents’ healthy development but undergoes dramatic changes in quantity and quality due to the conflict between biological and social rhythms. Insufficient sleep has been associated with worse physical health status and irregular eating behaviors in adolescents. This review aims to systematically synthesize the longitudinal associations between adolescents’ sleep dimensions (i.e., duration, timing, quality, and insomnia symptoms) and physical health indicators (i.e., anthropometric indices, fat percentage, and risk of obesity), eating behaviors, and nutritional aspects (i.e., type of diet related to the intake of specific foods and nutrients, amount and timing of food consumption, energy expenditure). A total of 28 longitudinal studies were included. The meta-analytic results showed that longer sleep duration, better sleep quality, and lower insomnia symptoms were associated with lower BMI and fat percentage and that shorter sleep duration (<7 h) and lower sleep quality were associated with a higher risk of obesity. Conversely, anthropometric indices were not related to sleep over time. Limited literature examined the bidirectional association between adolescents’ sleep and their eating behaviors and nutritional aspects. Such knowledge sheds new light on the role of sleep for adolescents’ health, highlighting the need to examine further the interplay between these variables.
Design and Evaluation of Hydrophobic Ion Paired Insulin Loaded Self Micro-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System for Oral Delivery
Authors: Mudassir Jahanzeb , Raza Afsheen , Khan Mahtab Ahmad , Hameed Huma , Shazly Gamal A. , Irfan Ali , Rana Sadia Jafar , Abbas Khizar , Arshad Muhammad Sohail , Muhammad Sajjad , Bin Jardan Yousef A.
Published: July 2023

Despite several novel and innovative approaches, clinical translation of oral insulin delivery into commercially viable treatment is still challenging due to its poor absorption and rapid degradation in GIT. Thus, an insulin-SDS hydrophobic ion pair loaded self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) was formulated to exploit the hypoglycemic effects of orally delivered insulin. Insulin was initially hydrophobically ion paired with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) to enhance its lipophilicity. The successful complexation of Insulin-SDS was confirmed by FTIR and surface morphology was evaluated using SEM. Stability of insulin after its release from HIP complex was evaluated using SDS PAGE. Subsequently, Ins-SDS loaded SMEDDS was optimized using two factorial designs. In vitro stability of insulin entrapped in optimized SMEDDS against proteolytic degradation was also assessed. Further, antidiabetic activity of optimized Ins-SDS loaded SMEDDS was evaluated in diabetic rats. Insulin complexed with SDS at 6:1 (SDS/insulin) molar ratio with almost five-fold increased lipophilicity. The SMEDDS was optimized at 10% Labraphil M2125 CS, 70% Cremophore EL, and 20% Transcutol HP with better proteolytic stability and oral antidiabetic activity. An Ins-SDS loaded SMEDDS was successfully optimized. Compared with insulin and Ins-SDS complex, the optimized SMEDDS displayed considerable resistance to GI enzymes. Thus, the SMEDDS showed potential for effective delivery of macromolecular drugs with improved oral bioavailability.
Approximate Evaluation of the Resolution in Near Field Remote Sensing
Authors: Sekehravani Ehsan Akbari , Leone Giovanni
Published: July 2023

In linear inverse scattering, the performance of the imaging system is sometimes evaluated in terms of its resolution, i.e., its capability to reconstruct a point-like scatterer. However, there is still a lack of analytical studies on the achievable resolution. To address this, we consider the point spread function (PSF) evaluation of the scattered near field for the single frequency and multi-view/multi-static case in homogeneous medium. Instead of numerically computing the PSF, we propose and discuss an approximate closed form under series expansions according to the angular ranges of both source and receiver location. In order to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approximation, we consider two cases including both full and limited view angles for the incident field and observation ranges. In addition, we provide a localization application to show the usefulness of the theoretical discussion. Numerical results confirmed the analytical investigations.
Experiences with the RTM Method in Local Quasi-Geoid Modeling
Authors: Lin Miao , Yang Meng , Zhu Jianjun
Published: July 2023

In local quasi-geoid modeling, the residual terrain modeling (RTM) method is often used to remove short-wavelength gravity field signals from the measured gravity on the ground in order to obtain a regularized and smooth gravity field that is suited for field interpolation and modeling. Accurate computation of RTM corrections plays a crucial role in computing an accurate local quasi-geoid, and it requires a set of fine-tuned parameters, including the combination of DEMs with different resolutions for suitably representing the real topography, the choice of integration radius for properly defining the extent of the computation zone, and the determination of reference topography to properly describe the RTM-reduced Earth’s surface. To our knowledge, this has not been systematically documented, despite its obvious importance. This study aims to systematically investigate the impact of these factors on RTM correction computation and, consequently, on local quasi-geoid modeling to provide practical guidelines for real-world applications. The tesseroid-based gravity forward modeling technique is employed to investigate the following issues existing in the practical use of the RTM method: ① Can the combination of a high-resolution DEM and a DEM with a lower resolution replace the single use of the high-resolution DEM for RTM correction computation while maintaining accuracy and improving efficiency? If it does, how do I properly choose the resolution of this coarse DEM as well as the integration radius r1 for the inner zone and r2 for the outer zone? ② How large would the differences between the RTM corrections computed by three types of reference topographies, which are obtained from the direct averaging (DA) approach, the moving averaging (MA) approach, and the spherical harmonic (SH) approach, be, and how large would their impact on quasi-geoid modeling be? To obtain objective findings, two research regions were selected for this investigation. One is the Colorado test area (USA) with rugged terrain, and the other is the Auvergne test area (France) with moderate terrain. The main numerical findings are: (1) the combination of the 3” resolution DEM (inner zone) and the 30″ resolution DEM (outer zone) is sufficient for accurate and efficient RTM correction computation; (2) if the resolution of the reference topography is 5′ or slightly lower, all three types of reference topographies are able to obtain local quasi-geoid models at a similar accuracy level, while the values of r1 and r2 are preferred to be at least 20 km and 111 km, respectively; (3) if the reference topography has a resolution of 30′ or lower, the MA or SH reference topography is recommended, especially for the latter one, and the values of r1 and r2 are suggested to be at least 20 km and 222 km, respectively. The above numerical findings can be taken as a reference for local quasi-geoid determination in areas with different topographic regimes than the two selected test areas.
Human Activity Prediction Based on Forecasted IMU Activity Signals by Sequence-to-Sequence Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Jaramillo Ismael Espinoza , Chola Channabasava , Jeong Jin-Gyun , Oh Ji-Heon , Jung Hwanseok , Lee Jin-Hyuk , Lee Won Hee , Kim Tae-Seong
Published: July 2023

Human Activity Recognition (HAR) has gained significant attention due to its broad range of applications, such as healthcare, industrial work safety, activity assistance, and driver monitoring. Most prior HAR systems are based on recorded sensor data (i.e., past information) recognizing human activities. In fact, HAR works based on future sensor data to predict human activities are rare. Human Activity Prediction (HAP) can benefit in multiple applications, such as fall detection or exercise routines, to prevent injuries. This work presents a novel HAP system based on forecasted activity data of Inertial Measurement Units (IMU). Our HAP system consists of a deep learning forecaster of IMU activity signals and a deep learning classifier to recognize future activities. Our deep learning forecaster model is based on a Sequence-to-Sequence structure with attention and positional encoding layers. Then, a pre-trained deep learning Bi-LSTM classifier is used to classify future activities based on the forecasted IMU data. We have tested our HAP system for five daily activities with two tri-axial IMU sensors. The forecasted signals show an average correlation of 91.6% to the actual measured signals of the five activities. The proposed HAP system achieves an average accuracy of 97.96% in predicting future activities.
Embedded Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors for Monitoring Temperature and Thermo-Elastic Deformations in a Carbon Fiber Optical Bench
Authors: Fernández-Medina Ana , Frövel Malte , López Heredero Raquel , Belenguer Tomás , de la Torre Antonia , Moravec Carolina , San Julián Ricardo , Gonzalo Alejandro , Cebollero María , Álvarez-Herrero Alberto
Published: July 2023

A composite optical bench made up of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) skin and aluminum honeycomb has been developed for the Tunable Magnetograph instrument (TuMag) for the SUNRISE III mission within the NASA Long Duration Balloon Program. This optical bench has been designed to meet lightweight and low sensitivity to thermal gradient requirements, resulting in a low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE). In addition to the flight model, a breadboard model identical to the flight one has been manufactured, including embedded fiber Bragg temperature and strain sensors. The aim of this is to explore if the use of distributed fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) can provide valuable information for strain and temperature mapping of an optical instrument on board a space mission during its operation as well as its on-ground testing. Furthermore, surface-mounted strain FBG sensors and thermocouples have been installed in the optical bench for intercomparison purposes. This paper presents the results obtained from a thermal vacuum test consisting of three thermal cycles with stabilization steps at 100 °C, 60 °C, 20 °C and −20 °C. Experimental results provide information about how FBG embedded temperature sensors can provide a proper and quick response to the temperature changes of the optical bench and that embedded FBG strain sensors are able to measure micro-deformation induced in a close-to-zero CTE optical bench.
A Novel Approach to Pod Count Estimation Using a Depth Camera in Support of Soybean Breeding Applications
Authors: Mathew Jithin , Delavarpour Nadia , Miranda Carrie , Stenger John , Zhang Zhao , Aduteye Justice , Flores Paulo
Published: July 2023

Improving soybean (Glycine max L. (Merr.)) yield is crucial for strengthening national food security. Predicting soybean yield is essential to maximize the potential of crop varieties. Non-destructive methods are needed to estimate yield before crop maturity. Various approaches, including the pod-count method, have been used to predict soybean yield, but they often face issues with the crop background color. To address this challenge, we explored the application of a depth camera to real-time filtering of RGB images, aiming to enhance the performance of the pod-counting classification model. Additionally, this study aimed to compare object detection models (YOLOV7 and YOLOv7-E6E) and select the most suitable deep learning (DL) model for counting soybean pods. After identifying the best architecture, we conducted a comparative analysis of the model’s performance by training the DL model with and without background removal from images. Results demonstrated that removing the background using a depth camera improved YOLOv7’s pod detection performance by 10.2% precision, 16.4% recall, 13.8% mAP@50, and 17.7% mAP@0.5:0.95 score compared to when the background was present. Using a depth camera and the YOLOv7 algorithm for pod detection and counting yielded a mAP@0.5 of 93.4% and mAP@0.5:0.95 of 83.9%. These results indicated a significant improvement in the DL model’s performance when the background was segmented, and a reasonably larger dataset was used to train YOLOv7.
Sustainable Management of Railway Companies Amid Inflation and Reduced Government Subsidies: A System Dynamics Approach
Authors: Moradi Shohreh , Ahadi Hamid Reza , Sierpiński Grzegorz
Published: July 2023

Sustainable transport is a critical and complex issue that the world is currently facing. Managers of railway companies in particular face significant challenges in achieving self-sustainable management of their assets. This paper introduces a new causal loop and explores the interaction among company dimensions—including financial, social, and environmental aspects—in order to assess the financially sustainable management of Raja Corporation, one of the largest railway companies in Iran. Our main contribution is the proposed system dynamics (SD) model, which can aid in policy analysis for Raja, a company that operates multiple routes within the country. The presented model compares different strategies employed by Raja using economic, social, and environmental indicators to evaluate the financial sustainability of the company. Our findings demonstrate that government subsidies may boost the company’s revenue, but they also hinder the rate of profits. Additionally, we highlight the impact of inflation on the company’s financial sustainability, showing that higher ticket prices may have a considerable impact on profits. The proposed approach of using the SD model may help specialists evaluate the sustainability management of transport sector corporations and significantly enhance their performance. This study highlights the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to assess the financial sustainability of railway companies, considering the interdependencies among various dimensions of each company. The findings of this study may have implications for policymakers, managers, and researchers in the transport sector, especially those who are interested in sustainable management practices.
An Analytical Framework of the Factors Affecting Wildlife–Vehicle Collisions and Barriers to Movement
Authors: Su Haotong , Wang Yun , Yang Yangang , Tao Shuangcheng , Kong Yaping
Published: July 2023

Road mortalities caused by wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs) are the most obvious negative effect of roads on wildlife. Identifying the influencing factors and summarizing the spatial-temporal patterns of WVCs have been important research trends in recent decades. However, most studies have only considered a portion of the factors, and there remains a lack of a relatively complete framework, including the numerous factors of WVCs, as well as the underlying transmission mechanisms between factors. In this study, an analytical framework incorporating a wide range of previously discussed factors is constructed. The framework not only displays the possible direction of the influence of each factor on WVCs, but also summarizes some important potential explanations under some circumstances and reveals the main interactions between certain types of factors. From one perspective, the factors affecting WVCs can be divided into four categories: species characteristics, road and traffic characteristics, landscape and environmental characteristics, and driver-related factors and specific human activities. From another perspective, the factors affecting WVCs can be mainly categorized as those related to entering roads and those related to leaving roads safely. The study begins with a discussion of three important sub-frameworks: factors promoting road crossing, factors related to barriers to movement, and factors related to safe crossing. Finally, a suggestion is provided to promote the research on WVCs globally.
Demand Priority of Green Space from the Perspective of Carbon Emissions and Storage
Authors: Xu Lige , Fang Kailun , Huang Yu , Xu Shuangyu
Published: July 2023

During the process of rapid urban expansion, there has been a growing interest in understanding the spatial requirements of green spaces. However, limited research has evaluated green space demand specifically in terms of carbon storage and carbon emissions. This study introduces a novel methodological framework that aligns ecosystem service functions with both supply and demand, considering carbon storage and carbon emissions as crucial perspectives. The goal was to develop a comprehensive approach to assess the matching between the supply and demand of green spaces based on their carbon-related ecosystem services. The following research questions were developed to guide this study: (1) What are the spatial and temporal characteristics of carbon storage? (2) What are the spatiotemporal variations in carbon emissions on a city scale? (3) How does a city obtain the demand priority evaluation of green spaces in terms of carbon neutrality? Using Guangzhou as a case study, we employed the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and tradeoffs (InVEST) model to measure the spatial and temporal patterns of carbon storage. Remote sensing data were utilized, along with emission factors, to analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics of carbon emissions. The line of best fit method was employed to predict future carbon storage and carbon emissions, as well as population density and average land GDP. Based on these predictions, we prioritized the demand for green spaces. The results indicate the future demand priority order for green spaces in different districts. We suggest that this green space demand evaluation model can serve as a reference for future policy making and be applied to other cities worldwide.
A Sequential Cross-Sectional Analysis Producing Robust Weekly COVID-19 Rates for South East Asian Countries
Authors: Almohaimeed Amani , Einbeck Jochen
Published: July 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has expanded fast over the world, affecting millions of people and generating serious health, social, and economic consequences. All South East Asian countries have experienced the pandemic, with various degrees of intensity and response. As the pandemic progresses, it is important to track and analyse disease trends and patterns to guide public health policy and treatments. In this paper, we carry out a sequential cross-sectional study to produce reliable weekly COVID-19 death (out of cases) rates for South East Asian countries for the calendar years 2020, 2021, and 2022. The main objectives of this study are to characterise the trends and patterns of COVID-19 death rates in South East Asian countries through time, as well as compare COVID-19 rates among countries and regions in South East Asia. Our raw data are (daily) case and death counts acquired from “Our World in Data”, which, however, for some countries and time periods, suffer from sparsity (zero or small counts), and therefore require a modelling approach where information is adaptively borrowed from the overall dataset where required. Therefore, a sequential cross-sectional design will be utilised, that will involve examining the data week by week, across all countries. Methodologically, this is achieved through a two-stage random effect shrinkage approach, with estimation facilitated by nonparametric maximum likelihood.
Representation of Hydrological Components under a Changing Climate—A Case Study of the Uruguay River Basin Using the New Version of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool Model (SWAT+)
Authors: Barresi Armoa Osvaldo Luis , Sauvage Sabine , Houska Tobias , Bieger Katrin , Schürz Christoph , Sánchez Pérez José Miguel
Published: July 2023

SWAT+ is a revised version of the SWAT model that has the capability to route flow across landscape units in the catchment, which is expected to improve the spatial representation of processes in watersheds. We applied the SWAT+ model in the Uruguay River Basin, an international river basin in South America with a total surface area of 370,000 km2, in order to (1) assess the water balance components, (2) represent their spatial distribution, and (3) examine their changes over time. The catchment was divided into uplands and floodplains and a decision table rule was developed based on streamflow data. The SPOTPY Python library was linked to SWAT+ and used as a tool to perform sensitivity analyses and calibration. The model represented the fluctuations of discharge well, although there was a general tendency to underestimate peak flows. Blue (precipitation and runoff) and green (evapotranspiration and soil water content) hydrological components were spatially plotted. Overall, SWAT+ simulated a realistic spatial distribution of the water cycle components. A seasonal Mann–Kendall test suggests a positive increasing trend in the average temperature (p-value = 0.007; Sen’s slope = 0.09), the soil water content (p-value = 0.02; Sen’s slope = 1.29), and evapotranspiration (p-value: 0.03; Sen’s slope = 1.97), indicating that the ecosystem experienced a changing climate during the simulation period. The findings presented in this study are of significant value for the impacts of sustainable management and the evaluation of climate change on water resources in the Uruguay River Basin.
Additional Treatment of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Using Natural Materials in Small-Scale Domestic Wastewater Treatment Unit
Authors: Mažeikienė Aušra , Šarko Julita
Published: July 2023

The conventional wastewater treatment methods only remove up to 80% of total nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) from wastewater, so additional facilities are needed. This article describes a newly created other wastewater treatment unit (NCU) that increases the effectiveness of P and N removal of the small-scale biological wastewater treatment plant. This work aims to evaluate the capacity of simultaneous elimination from wastewater nitrogen (NH4-N, NO3-N) and phosphorus (PO4-P) by adsorption. NCU was filled with the sorbent material zeolite (clinoptilolite) and OCS (Fe, Mn, Ca oxides coated sand). After treatment in the main plant, wastewater flows through the NCU without using electric power. A compact system consisting of a main treatment plant and the NCU worked for 4 months, as the harmonized European Standard EN 12566-7 recommended. The NCU unit reduced PO4-P, NH4-N, and NO3-N concentrations in the effluent (74–98%, 52–99%, and 50–98%, respectively). In general, the small-scale system treated wastewater did not contain more than 1 mg/L phosphorus concentration and not more than 10 mg/L nitrogen concentration. This study demonstrates that treatment in NCU is an ecological and environmentally friendly method suitable for decentralized wastewater treatment.
Mesocosm Design and Implementation of Two Synchronized Case Study Experiments to Determine the Impacts of Salinization and Climate Change on the Structure and Functioning of Shallow Lakes
Authors: Özkan Korhan , Korkmaz Mustafa , Amorim Cihelio Alves , Yılmaz Gültekin , Koru Meltem , Can Yasemin , Pacheco Juan Pablo , Acar Vildan , Çolak Mehmet Arda , Yavuz Gül Canan , Cabrera-Lamanna Lucía , Arıkan Onat , Tanrıverdi Öykü , Ertuğrul Serhat , Arık İrem Gamze , Nesli Hande , Tunur İlker H. , Kuyumcu Burak , Akyürek Zuhal , Özen Can , Beklioğlu Meryem , Jeppesen Erik
Published: July 2023

Salinization of freshwater ecosystems is one of the major challenges imposed largely by climate change and excessive water abstraction for irrigated crop farming. Understanding how aquatic ecosystems respond to salinization is essential for mitigation and adaptation to the changing climate, especially in arid landscapes. Field observations provide invaluable data for this purpose, but they rarely include sufficient spatial and temporal domains; however, experimental approaches are the key to elucidating complex ecosystem responses to salinization. We established similar experimental mesocosm facilities in two different climate zones in Turkey, specifically designed to simulate the effects of salinization and climate change on shallow lake ecosystems. These facilities were used for two case-study experiments: (1) a salinity gradient experiment consisting of 16 salinity levels (range: 0–50 g/L); and (2) a heatwave experiment where two different temperature regimes (no heatwave and +6 °C for two weeks) were crossed with two salinity levels (4 and 40 g/L) with four replicates in each treatment. The experiments lasted 8 and 2 months, respectively, and the experimental mesocosms were monitored frequently. Both experiments demonstrated a significant role of salinization modulated by climate on the structure and function of lake ecosystems. Here, we present the design of the mesocosm facilities, show the basic results for both experiments and provide recommendations for the best practices for mesocosm experiments conducted under saline/hypersaline conditions.
A Decision Support System For Skill-Based Nurse Scheduling In An Intensive Care Unit
Authors: PARILDAR Orhan , AKYÜREK Çağdaş Erkan , AKAY Diyar
Published: July 2023

The main target of health institutions is to provide the health services needed by society at the desired quality with the lowest possible cost. Considering the total number of employees in health institutions, nurse assignment and scheduling have an essential role in increasing efficiency and improving service quality due to the one-to-one interaction of nurses with patients. This study proposes a nurse scheduling model based on nurses’ skill levels incorporated into a decision support system. The skill level of nurses is assessed using Analytic Hierarchy Process and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method based on eight criteria. The nurse scheduling problem is then modeled with 0-1 Goal Programming, considering the skill assessment as a constraint. The practicality of the proposed model is examined for the assignment and scheduling conditions of nurses at the 3rd level of surgical intensive care in a general hospital, and the valuable aspects of the proposed approach are discussed. When the proposed solution is compared with the current situation, it is realized that one nurse is saved without worsening the constraints.
Representações de estudantes ingressantes na ESEF/UFRGS sobre a formação inicial em Educação Física
Authors: Tavares Natacha da Silva , Wittizorecki Elisandro Schultz , Molina Neto Vicente
Published: July 2023

O presente estudo tem como objetivos identificar e compreender as representações sobre a formação inicial em Educação Física de estudantes ingressantes na Escola de Educação Física (ESEF) da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). A pesquisa foi realizada na Escola de Educação Física da UFRGS nos primeiros semestres de implantação de um novo currículo para o curso de EF. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo descritivo. A coleta das informações foi feita através de entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas com sete estu­dantes - selecionados a partir da representatividade tipológica através dos seguintes critérios: serem oriundos de diferentes redes de ensino (públicas e privadas); alguns matriculados no turno da manhã e outros no turno da tarde; alguns do sexo masculino e outros do sexo feminino; diferentes idades cronológicas e diferentes expec­tativas de atuação profissional - do curso de EF da ESEF/UFRGS, ingressantes no primeiro semestre de 2012. A análise dos dados deu-se por meio da identificação de unidades de significado e da construção de categorias de análise. O estudo permitiu compreender que os estudantes entrevistados apresentam diferentes representações sobre a formação inicial em EF, que possivelmente estão relacionadas às suas experiências anteriores ao ingresso no curso e as suas perspectivas de atuação. Há indícios de que alguns estudantes mantêm suas representações fixadas a esses aspectos enquanto outros ao iniciarem as disciplinas do primeiro semestre se permitiram recons­truir algumas representações.
ASSESSMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SEROTONIN TRANSPORTER GENE (5-HTTVNTR & 5-HTTLPR) POLYMORPHISM IN PATIENTS WITH FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME
Authors: Parvez Sidrah , Fatima Ghizal , Mahdi Farzana , Hadi Najah R. , Fedacko Jan
Published: July 2023

The aim: To study the clinical and the genetic association of 5-HTTVNTR and the 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms in women with FMS.
Materials and methods: 105 FMS patients and 105 controls were enrolled in the study. Polymerase chain method was used to analyse the 5-HTTLPR & 5-HTTVNTR gene polymorphism. The psychopathology status of the 105 FMS patients and 105 healthy controls was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) questionnaires.
Results: In FMS patients and controls, the 10/10, 10/12, and 12/12 genotypes of the 5-HTTVNTR polymorphism were found in 3.8% and 2.9%, 20% and 15.2%, and 76.28% and 81.90%, respectively. Additionally, the L/L, S/L, and S/S genotypes of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism were found in 4.8% and 2.9%, 36.2% and 40%, 59% and 57.1%, in FMS patients and healthy controls, respectively. There were no significant differences in the frequency of genotypes between FMS patients and controls. There were no significant differences in the BDI and the SCL-90-R scores according to the serotonin transporter genotypes.
Conclusions: We found no significant difference between 5-HTT gene polymorphism (5-HTTVNTR and 5-HTTLPR) and the psychiatric test results (P>0.05) in FMS patients. Hence, we conclude that serotonin gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR & 5-HTTVNTR) is not associated with FMS in north Indian women. Our results suggests that the serotonin transporter polymorphism does not seem to be a susceptibility factor for FMS.
Spectroscopic Analysis of Ca-Carbonates from Utah Crystal Geyser to Support Carbonate Detection within our Solar System
Authors:   , Wolf Z. Uriah
Published: July 2023

This study investigated the Utah Crystal Geyser, a unique low-temperature, CO2-rich geyser relevant to Mars, icy moons, and asteroids. Samples from the site had a range of textural and color differences; however, they contained similar mineral assemblages dominated by carbonates (calcite and aragonite). The identification of calcite and aragonite is important as they can be biogenically produced and possess the ability to preserve biogenic fingerprints and entomb microbial fossils. This analysis confirmed that the most effective method for identifying and distinguishing calcite and aragonite is through a combination of several techniques. Specifically, reflectance spectroscopy was able to determine the presence of calcite-aragonite mixtures. However, it could not effectively differentiate between the two since the band positions and shapes change subtly with varying abundances of the two carbonates. Thus, it can only be stated that a mixture is present, and the degree to which transformation from aragonite to calcite has proceeded is poorly constrained. Raman spectroscopy was able to identify both calcite and aragonite and could differentiate between the two through diagnostic peaks in the low Raman-shift region of the spectrum. Scanning electron microscopy imaging provided sub-micrometer images of textures and sedimentary fabric, such as laminations, crystal structures, and entombed microbial fossils. X-ray diffractometry and X-ray fluorescence were used to determine and verify the mineralogy of the samples. The low-temperature origin of these carbonates is likely the factor responsible for the lack of homogeneity within the samples. Carbon dioxide degassing is likely the primary factor supporting the precipitation of aragonite at the geyser, despite the low temperature. The results have implications for carbonate detection and characterization on Mars and the recognition of low-temperature carbonate precipitates on a number of planetary bodies.
HUBUNGAN ANTARA KARAKTERISTIK INDIVIDU DENGAN KUALITAS HIDUP PASIEN GAGAL GINJAL DI RUANG HEMODIALISA RS BHAYANGKARA TK I RADEN SAID SUKANTO
Authors: Indriyati Titi , Golang Helena
Published: July 2023

Gagal ginjal merupakan salah satu masalah kesehatan yang cukup serius, penderita gagal ginjal kronik harus menjalani terapi hemodialisa seumur hidupnya dan akan berpengaruh terhadap kualitas hidupnya. Kualitas hidup adalah keadaandimana seseorang bisa melakukan aktivitas dalam kehidupan sehari-hari secara fisik, psikologis, sosial dan lingkungan.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara karakteristik individu dengan kualitas hidup pasien gagal ginjal. Jenis penelitian ini adalah kuantitatif dengan rancangan penelitian menggunakan survei analitik dengan desain cross sectional. Sampel diambil sebanyak 96 responden secara purposive sampling. Berdasarkan hasil uji chi square didapatkan bahwa usia berhubungan dengan kualitas hidup pasien gagal ginjal (p = 0,014). Jenis kelamin berhubungan dengan kualitas hidup pasien gagal ginjal (p = 0,024). Pekerjaan berhubungan dengan kualitas hidup pasien gagal ginjal (p = 0,027). Dan pendidikan tidak ada hubungan dengan kualitas hidup pasien gagal ginjal (p = 0,888). Jadi terdapat hubungan antara usia, jenis kelamin dan pekerjaan dengan kualitas hidup pasien gagal ginjal, sedangkan tidak terdapat hubungan antara pendidikan dengan kualitas hidup pasien gagal ginjal.
Características y prevalencia de las alteraciones del olfato y el gusto en pacientes con infección por COVID-19
Authors: Chemás-Vélez María Manuela , Núñez-Ordoñez Nicolás , Téllez Paula Andrea
Published: July 2023

Introducción: La identificación de los síntomas o sus combinaciones con un alto valor predictivo para la enfermedad, es una estrategia crucial para el control de las enfermedades transmisibles. Las alteraciones en el olfato y el gusto han surgido como síntomas de alta prevalencia y un confiable predictor temprano de la enfermedad. El objetivo de este estudio fue caracterizar la prevalencia de las alteraciones del gusto y del olfato en pacientes con antecedente de infección por SARS-CoV-2 en la población colombiana. Materiales y métodos: estudio descriptivo de cortetransversal. Se realizó una encuesta telefónica y electrónica a pacientes adultos con antecedente de infección por SARS-CoV-2 confirmado por PCR. Resultados: se incluyeron 182 pacientes en el estudio. El 59% manifestó alteraciones del olfato y 54% alteraciones del gusto. De estos, el 77% y 82%, respectivamente, presentaron mejoría de sus síntomas. El 14% de los participantes percibió las alteraciones del olfato antes del inicio de otros síntomas de COVID-19. El 9% reportó que la alteración del olfato fue el único síntoma de la infección. Para el gusto, 8% informó que fue el primer síntoma de COVID-19, mientras que el 6% reportó que fue el único síntoma. Conclusiones: las alteraciones del gusto y del olfato son síntomas de alta prevalencia en pacientes con infección por COVID-19 y en algunos casos pueden ser el síntoma de presentación de la infección o el único síntoma de la infección.
Study of the Ground Reaction Force Induced by Swaying or Bobbing People and its Dynamic Effect on Loaded Structures
Authors: Šána Vladimír , Plachý Tomáš , Polák Michal , Boháčová Magdaléna
Published: July 2023

The core of the submitted article is in the modeling of bobbing people for describing the action of qualified vandals, who try to achieve an excessive level of vibration by their periodic sway in the knees while they are not losing contact between the footbridge deck and their feet. The DLF models, which already exist, provide particular coefficients only for specific pacing frequencies. On the other hand, our study presents DLF coefficients as a continuous function for frequencies in the range of 1 Hz – 3 Hz. The newly presented DLF model is based on the measurement of 15 random people and compared with the experimental data. Each of these people was measured by a force plate in the frequency range of 1 Hz – 3 Hz. Since we know who exactly was present during the experiment, we also monitored the contact forces produced by these people at frequencies identical to some natural frequencies of the footbridge according to the experimental setup. These measured forces were used directly as the input into the calculation process and compared with the experiment too. Subsequent dynamic calculations of the forced vibration were carried out by Modal Decomposition Method. This method requires a mode shape as one of the inputs, these mode shapes were calculated by the Subspace Iteration Method using commercial software Dlubal RFEM 5.03. Numerical integration of the equations of motion (forced vibration analysis) was done by self-written MATLAB codes and routines. At the end of the article, we summarize the results of theoretical dynamic analysis obtained by theoretical modeling of these vandals. The main outcomes are in the determination of the continuous functions for DLFs and their phase angles based on the experimental results. These values are crucial e.g. for designers, who need to compute the response of a footbridge or a grandstand which could be excited by swaying or bobbing vandals or spectators. Obtained and evaluated continuous functions for DLFs were compared by literature where researchers presented some DLFs for discrete sets of frequencies, which produced a good level of accordance.
Study of the Telecommunication Networks Performance and Reliability Indicators
Authors: Chedia Nugzar , Chkhartishvili Marina
Published: July 2023

It is currently urgent to improve the technical characteristics and increase the efficiency of telecommunication networks because of the global problem of ensuring the reliable transmission, processing and protection of commercial information in telecommunication networks. The aim of this study is to assess the reliability indicators of telecommunication networks and analyse the level of their development. The aim was achieved through the methods that were used to assess the reliability of the entire network: the generalized method of analytical assessment of the telecommunication network reliability; connection-based metrics; scaling of telecommunication networks, and application of unified reliability indicators to routine control, operation and maintenance. As a result of the research, the indicators of telecommunication networks were studied with and without using connection-based metrics. As a result, the network metrics were also divided into distribution and generation/transmission reliability and telecommunication network metrics – into connection-, performance-, and condition-based metrics, which showed improvements in network performance and reliability. As a prospect for further research, studying and improving the telecommunication network reliability indicators is suggested.