bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Therapies and Treatment Responses for Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in Children: A Single-center Retrospective Study
Authors: Yu Lihua , Lin Danna , Wu Li , Huang Lulu , Lai Xiaorong , Zhang Yajie , Zi Juan , Zhang Jingxin , Liao Xu , Liang Lichan , Zhang Guanmei , Yang Liucheng , Yang Lihua
Published: January 2024

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a severe and life-threatening systemic inflammatory disorder. This retrospective study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different therapies and identify early treatment responses maybe for indicators to overall survival. The study involved 102 patients from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2022, using Cox regression to identify prognostic risk factors. Causal mediation analysis assessed the impact of various treatments on overall survival through the mediator of complete remission at 4 or 8 weeks. Achieving complete remission at 4 or 8 weeks suggests a favorable prognosis. However central nervous system involvement, high lactate dehydrogenase levels, and blood purification alone indicate poor prognosis (P < 0.05). HLH-94/04 protocol treatments had higher survival rates at 81.3% and 76.6%, compared to blood purification alone or combined with HLH-94/04 protocol treatments at 23.4% and 15.4%. Complete remission at 4 or 8 weeks resulted in higher survival rates of 90.7% and 92.3% respectively, compared to 2.9% and 3.4% for partial or no response. Compared to HLH-94 protocol treatment, blood purification alone has a 33.28% effect mediated by inducing complete remission at 4 weeks, which decreases to 26.56% at 8 weeks. Blood purification combined with HLH-94/04 protocol treatment with a higher mediation effect was 79.88% at 4 weeks compared to 51.95% at 8 weeks. HLH-94/04 protocol treatments led to complete remission and improved survival rates than Blood purification alone or combined with HLH-94/04 protocol treatment. Complete remission at 4 weeks may be a better mediator of overall survival than that at 8 weeks.
Bacteriological quality of raw meat and dairy products and antibiogram profile of bacterial pathogens in Jimma town, southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Hamza Muntaha , Lachisa Lata , Woyessa Delelegn
Published: January 2024

Background:Although consumers and venders have been benefiting from foods of animal origin, such foods are also perceived to be a major public health concern due to contamination, as they are ideal media for diverse microbes. Therefore, evaluation of bacteriological quality and safety of animal origin foods such as raw meat and dairy products and investigation of antibiogram profiles of selected pathogenic bacteria are important to ensure the safety of consumers.
Methods: A total of 120 food samples, 30 from raw meat, raw milk, cottage cheese, and cream cake, were collected from three local markets at the Agip, Kochi and Merkato sites in Jimma town from August 2020 to March 2021. The samples were transported to Jimma University Postgraduate Laboratory and analyzed following standard microbiological methods,including isolation, enumeration, and characterization of food pathogens.
Results:The highest mean microbial counts (colony forming units per gram or per milliliter) of aerobic mesophilic bacteria (7.37±0.68), aerobic spore-forming bacteria (5.91±0.56), staphylococci (5.59±0.74), Enterobacteriaceae (4.14±0.74) and coliforms (3.95±0.66) were recorded from raw meat. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.005) with regard to microbial counts in all food samples. In all the food samples, Staphylococcus spp. was dominant (34.74%), followed by Bacillus spp. (25.93%) and Enterobacteriaceae (13.51%). Among the pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus in raw meat (43.33%), Bacillus spp. (20%) in milk, and Escherichia coli spp. (16.67%) in meat samples were dominant. Moreover, Salmonella spp. and Pseudomonas spp. from raw milk were highly resistant to nalidixic acid. Overall, Pseudomonas spp. (28.57%) and Escherichia coli spp. (8.33%) were resistant to a maximum of five antibiotics.
Discussion and conclusions: Food contamination problems in the present study could be due to poor personal hygiene and cross-contamination from farm to table. From the current study, the raw meat and dairy products in Jimma town were poor in terms of both microbial quality and safety. Regular inspection foods and training to all involved with the food at any stage are necessary to minimize the observed microbiological safety and quality problems. Moreover, the antibiotic resistance patterns of the isolated pathogens alarm the need for regular surveillance and monitoring of foods that are of animal origins and processing to design appropriate strategies for minimizing the possible risks caused by such pathogens.
Characterizing the Alterations in the Phyllosphere Microbiome in Relation to Blister Blight Disease in Tea Plants
Authors: Liu Shuyuan , Guo Nini , Jin Jiayi , Zhang Qiqi , Yu Youben
Published: January 2024

Background
Tea blister blight is a highly significant leaf disease of tea plants (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) that adversely affects global tea production. While the influence of commensal microbes on disease development has been observed, the overall impact of the phyllosphere microbiome and its response to pathogen invasion in tea leaves has largely not been explored. For this investigation, we utilized a blend of 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicon information to analyze the changes in the phyllosphere microbiome concerning different degrees of blister blight disease.
Results
The results showed that the fungal community on healthy leaves had greater alpha diversity than that on diseased leaves. However, there were no significant differences in the bacterial Sobs, Chao 1, or Shannon indices between healthy and diseased tea leaves. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) was employed to distinguish the microbial communities of tea plants with blister blight disease from those of healthy plants. Distinct operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified at different disease developmental stages using effect size analysis via linear discriminant analysis (LefSe). Moreover, redundancy analysis conducted at both the phylum and genus levels provided additional evidence of disparities in the bacterial and fungal compositions between healthy and diseased tea leaves. These findings suggested the occurrence of potential interactions between beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms within the phyllosphere region. To examine the main connecting nodes in the microbial interaction network, a co-occurrence analysis was performed. Certain nonpathogenic microorganisms, such as Pseudomonas, Aureionas, and Bulleromyces, could serve as key taxa within the network and hold promise as effective biological control agents against tea blister blight. Furthermore, the alterations in key biochemical constituents in tea leaves were examined, and the presence of abundant ECGs and select alkane components was shown to potentially contribute positively to the ability of tea plants to resist fungal infection.
Conclusions
We provide the dynamic characterization of in the phyllosphere microbiome of tea leaves responses to the development of tea blister blight disease. These results will help deepen the understanding of the relationship between the phyllosphere microbiome and tea plant health.
Toe grip strength training improves gait performance and prevents falls in patients after total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Mawarikado Yuya , Inagaki Yusuke , Fujii Tadashi , Kubo Takanari , Kido Akira , Tanaka Yasuhito
Published: January 2024

Falls after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are common in knee osteoarthritis patients due to advanced age and implant-induced sensory function changes. We reported the influence of toe grip strength (TGS) on falls in knee osteoarthritis patients. This study aimed to determine whether TGS training after TKA is related to the screening assessment and incidence of falls. Elderly patients undergoing unilateral TKA were divided into TGS training (T-group) and control groups (C-group). Six types of training were conducted on bilateral toes. The primary outcomes were changes (Δ) in TGS and Timed up and go test (TUG) time from preintervention to 12 weeks post-intervention. Secondary outcomes involved several factors, including the occurrence of falls. T-group had a shorter TUG and stronger bilateral TGS than C-group. ΔTUG time was significantly correlated with ΔTGS on the affected side. There were significantly fewer falls in T-group than in C-group between 3 and 12 months after TKA. TGS training was useful in improving walking ability and preventing falls in postoperative TKA patients. The advantage of TGS training is that it is an unoperated muscle function, so the intervention can be conducted safely without specialist supervision unless the toes are impaired.
Quantifying the Strain: A Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Perspective on Musculoskeletal Disorders in the United States Over Three Decades, 1990 - 2019
Authors: Al-Ajlouni Yazan A. , Ta’ani Omar Al , Zweig Sophia , Gabr Ahmed , Ugwu Godstime Nwatu , Ta’ani Zaid Al , Islam Mohammad
Published: January 2024

Background
Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders significantly contribute to global disability, especially in high-income countries. Yet, comprehensive studies on their epidemiological burden in the United States (US) are limited. Our study aims to fill this gap by characterizing the MSK disease burden in the US using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data from 1990–2019.
Methods
We conducted an ecological study using descriptive statistical analyses to examine age-standardized prevalence and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) rates of MSK disorders across different demographics and states. The study also assessed the impact of risk factors segmented by age and gender.
Results
From 1990 to 2019, the burden of MSK disorders in the US increased significantly. Low back pain was the most prevalent condition. Age-standardized prevalence and DALY rates increased by 6.7% and 17.6%, respectively. Gout and other MSK disorders saw the most significant rise in DALY rates. Women experienced higher rates than men, and there were notable geographic disparities, with the District of Columbia having the lowest and North Dakota and Iowa the highest DALY rates. Smoking, high BMI, and occupational risks emerged as primary risk factors.
Conclusion
Our study highlights the escalating burden of MSK disorders in the US, revealing significant geographic and gender disparities. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted health interventions, policy formulation, and public health initiatives focusing on lifestyle and workplace modifications. Region and gender-specific strategies are crucial in effectively managing MSK conditions, considering the influence of various risk factors.
Enhancing Financial Sentiment Analysis with a Hybrid Feature Selection Approach
Authors: Shams Reza , Khosravian Javad , Samimi Parnia
Published: January 2024

In contemporary times, as financial content proliferates across the internet and social networks, accurately predicting future trends has become an everyday necessity for providing optimal investment strategies. Sentiment Analysis (SA), a prominent subject in artificial intelligence, is pivotal in revealing people's emotions and opinions on specific matters. This paper aims to leverage text-mining algorithms to categorize a text-based financial dataset through sentiment analysis. Furthermore, a novel hybrid feature selection model is introduced to enhance the accuracy and performance when studying economic text. Initially, a widely recognized financial text dataset (FiQA) was chosen. After applying preprocessing techniques encompassing data cleansing and feature extraction, the feature pool is reduced by utilizing ANOVA, RFI, and CHI2 algorithms. Subsequently, the features are refined using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) approach. In the subsequent stages, the text is classified by the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Bidirectional LSTM (Bi-LSTM), K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN), Naïve Bayes, and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms, all of which yield notable performance outcomes. The results show that the ANOVA-PSO hybrid model for LSTM classification achieves an accuracy rate of 75%, superior to other Feature selection models.
Workplace Health Promotion ‘Best Buys’: a scoping review of workplace health initiatives in the United Kingdom
Authors: El-Osta Austen , Alaa Aos , Webber Iman , Schmidtke Kelly Ann , Kudrna Laura , Majeed Azeem
Published: January 2024

Background
Workplace health promotion (WHP) initiatives are crucial for enhancing public health. In 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published the 'Best Buys' for noncommunicable diseases, but these do not encompass settings such as workplaces. This gap highlights the need for a comprehensive review of WHP initiatives to clarify best practices and feasible implementation strategies for WHP. The seven pillars of self-care offer a framework for creating new and more comprehensive WHP initiatives. Currently, however, the framework does not address workplace wellbeing in tandem with workplace inequalities.
Objective
We sought to compile and harmonise a list of ‘Best Buy’ recommendations for WHP contextualised within the seven pillars of self-care and the tackling inequalities pillar.
Methods
A pragmatic scoping review of WHP initiatives in the UK was also conducted. The initiatives were located using internet searches. Data from the initiatives were extracted and reviewed by independent researchers focusing on the relevance, evidential support, and applicability of the recommendations. The data were deductively organised using the seven pillars of self-care and the new pillar of inequality. Inductive coding was then used to highlight recurring patterns, novel ideas or unique perspectives around topics such as implementation within and across pillars. A red, amber, green (RAG) traffic light system was used to capture consensus agreements. The extracted recommendations were harmonised by refining and consolidating duplicate codes. The final list of recommendations was consolidated to arrive at a unique list of ‘WHP Best Buys’ that could be used to guide the creation of new initiatives.
Results
A total of 26 WHP initiatives from across the UK were initially identified, with 10 retained for in-depth analysis. These initiatives were characterised by a broad focus on workplace health, targeting various health concerns. The study synthesised 58 'Best Buy' recommendations for WHP. Key areas of focus included mental health, physical activity, healthy eating, risk avoidance, and tackling inequalities. Most of these strategies were practical and could be implemented with minimal to moderate resource investment, making them accessible in a wide range of workplaces.
Conclusion
This study provides a comprehensive list of actionable 'Best Buy' recommendations for WHP, offering valuable insights for organisations and policymakers. These recommendations are grounded in practical, cost-effective strategies suitable for diverse workplace contexts, emphasising the need for a holistic approach to employee health, considering individual wellbeing and organisational support structures.
Altered functional connectivity of thalamus subregions after sleep deprivation associated with impaired attention
Authors: Feng Sitong , Wu Ziyao , Zheng Sisi , Dong Linrui , Jia Hongxiao , Ning Yanzhe
Published: January 2024

Attentional function is significantly damaged by acute sleep deprivation (SD), which manifests with thalamic dysfunction and the abnormal functional connectivity (FC) of extensive brain networks. However, the FC between the thalamus subregions and cerebrum underlying attentional impairment after acute SD remains elusive. Here, we aimed to probe the relationship between the attentional function and the altered thalamocortical FC after acute SD. In this study, 25 healthy participants with regular sleep conducted attentional network test and received resting-state fMRI scan before and after 24 h of SD. Then, we analyzed the FC between the thalamus and cerebrum and relationships with attentional function in the enrolled subjects. Our results displayed that the participants showed the significantly lower alerting effect, higher executive effect, and a lower accuracy after acute SD. Compared to the RW state, we observed the decreased FCs between ‘somatosensory’ thalamic seed and left frontal pole, right frontal pole, left middle temporal gyrus (posterior division), and right middle temporal gyrus (posterior division). Furthermore, the reduced FC between the right middle temporal gyrus and ‘somatosensory’ thalamic seed was negatively associated with the change in orienting effect of the participants. Our findings reveal that the damaged thalamocortical FC after SD may contribute to the declined attention.
Advancing Women’s Empowerment through Data-Driven Systems: An Ontological Knowledge Model for Holistic Assessment
Authors: Padmavilochanan Aswathi , Rashed Tarek , G Gopakumar , Gressel Christie , Rao Bhavani R
Published: January 2024

Social systems that involve humans as interacting agents are complex due to the massively entangled interactions between the agents and the environment. Social engagement initiatives such as Women’s Empowerment (WE) exemplify a social system actively seeking sophisticated solutions for sharing information, acquiring knowledge, and conducting a comprehensive assessment of its impact on well-informed and effective decision-making. To facilitate this, we propose a Computational Social Science approach to assess WE. This involves integrating computational and data science methodologies into the AWESOME theoretical framework (Accelerating Women’s Empowerment through Systems Model. Despite the existence of valuable digital data, conducting a thorough evaluation of empowerment is challenging due to the variability and heterogene-ity in data source formats and types. To overcome this challenge, we propose a new ontology, AweOnto, tailored to the women’s empowerment domain and anchored in the AWESOME framework. AweOnto serves to bridge the diversity of data sources by establishing relationships between core domain concepts, functioning as an ontological knowledge model. The paper first presents how AweOnto is conceptually modeled based on the existing ontology development methodologies. Next, it discusses the model’s implementation using the protege tool owl format. The paper then demonstrates the usability of AweOnto for its application in information extraction in the form of domain-specific concept detection. The paper discusses the potential of applying ontology for exploring and extracting meta-information from unstructured texts through multi-labeled hierarchical annotations. The resulting annotations in the form of labels/tags are not intended to replace the available keywords but rather provide complimentary detailed information about the different aspects of WE.
An electromagnetic shape optimisation for perfectly electric conductors by the time-domain boundary integral equations
Authors: Takahashi Toru
Published: January 2024

This study proposes a shape optimisation framework for unsteady electromagnetic scattering problems on the basis of the time-domain boundary integral equation method, focusing on the perfectly electric conductors (PECs). The boundary-only formulation is ideal for treating a shape optimisation problem in exterior domains. However, the electromagnetic shape optimisation in concern has been unrealised with the boundary integral approach regardless of the fact that the boundary-type shape derivative has been known in the literature. The first contribution of the present study is to derive a novel expression of the shape derivative in terms of the surface current densities of the primary and adjoint problems, by considering that the surface current density is handled by usual integral equations methods. The second contribution is to clarify the integral representations and equations of the adjoint electromagnetic fields in terms of the reversal time. These theoretical achievements possess a high affinity with the standard spatial discretising approach (i.e. RWG basis) whenever the temporal basis is sufficiently smooth. The numerical experiments confirmed the reliability of the proposed shape optimisation methodology and indicated the capability to deal with scientific and engineering applications.
Coal falling trajectory and strength analysis of drum of shearer based on bidiectional coupling method
Authors: Zhang Meichen , Zhao Lijuan , Shi Baisheng
Published: January 2024

The cutting and crushing of coal and rock containing gangue is the result of the coupling effect of multiple factors. The geometric parameters of the working mechanism, the Kinematics parameters of the shearer, and the physical and mechanical properties of the coal and rock to be cut will all affect the cutting and crushing process of the shearer. In order to study the coal falling trajectory of spiral drum cutting coal and rock, obtain its optimal cutting parameters, and achieve efficient cutting of spiral drum, a coal falling trajectory and strength analysis of drum of shearer based on bidirectional coupling technology was proposed based on particle discrete element contact theory and virtual prototype technology. The DEM-MFBD (Discrete Element Method Multi Flexible Body Dynamics) two-way coupling technology was used to realize the cutting and interactive information of the spiral drum on the complex coal seam with gangue. Construct the cutting conditions of the spiral drum under different cutting depths, rotational speeds, and traction speeds. Monitoring the movement status of coal and rock particles under different working conditions. Compile the coal falling trajectory equations of coal and rock particles under different working conditions and draw the coal falling trajectory curve. The optimal coal loading rate was used as the measurement standard for the coal falling trajectory, and the optimal coal falling trajectory of the drum was obtained through full factor experiments. Extract the load of the drum and pick, analyze their stress and deformation, and perform fatigue life analysis on the pick with the highest stress. The results indicate that the maximum deformation occurs on the cutting teeth that are cutting hard gangue. The stress of the tooth seat is mainly concentrated at the root of the tooth seat, and its maximum equivalent stress is less than the yield limit value of the selected material. Therefore, the material selection and structural design of the drum are safe and reliable. By building a coal mining machine cutting coal and rock experimental platform, monitoring the working status of the designed spiral drum, it meets the usage requirements. Based on industrial experiments conducted underground, the measured average coal loading rate of the shearer drum was 46.31%, achieving stable operation and verifying that the designed drum of shearer has efficient cutting ability.
Body composition measures as a determinant of Alpelisib related toxicity
Authors: Shachar Eliya , Raphael Ari , Katz Uriel , Kessner Rivka , Shachar Shlomit Strulov
Published: January 2024

Background
Body composition has emerged as an important prognostic factor in patients treated with cancer. Severe depletion of skeletal muscle, sarcopenia, has been associated with poor performance status and worse oncological outcomes. We studied patients with metastatic breast cancer receiving alpelisib, to determine if sarcopenia and additional body composition measures accounting for muscle and adiposity are associated with toxicity.
Methods
A retrospective observational analysis was conducted, including 38 women with metastatic breast cancer and a PIK3CA mutation, treated with alpelisib as advanced line of therapy. Sarcopenia was determined by measuring skeletal muscle cross-sectional area at the third lumbar vertebra using computerized tomography. Various body composition metrics were assessed along with drug toxicity, dose reductions, treatment discontinuation, and hospitalizations.
Results
Sarcopenia was observed in half of the patients (n = 19, 50%), spanning normal weight, overweight, and obese individuals. Among the body composition measures, lower skeletal muscle density (SMD) was associated with an increased risk of treatment-related hyperglycaemia (P = 0.03). Additionally, lower visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was associated with alpelisib-induced rash (P = 0.04) and hospitalizations (P = 0.04). Notably, alpelisib treatment discontinuation was not impacted by alpelisib toxicity.
Conclusion
Body composition measures, specifically SMD and VAT may provide an opportunity to identify patients at higher risk for severe alpelisib related hyperglycemia, and cutaneous toxicity. These findings suggest the potential use of body composition assessment to predict toxicity, allowing for personalized therapeutic observation and intervention.
hinotori TM vs da Vinci®: propensity score-matched analysis of surgical outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy
Authors: Kohjimoto Yasuo , Yamashita Shimpei , Iwagami Sohei , Muraoka Satoshi , Wakamiya Takahito , Hara Isao
Published: January 2024

hinotori™ is a recently-developed surgical robot system. The present study aims to compare surgical outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) by the hinotori™ system compared with those of the longer-established da Vinci® system. This study includes 100 consecutive patients who underwent RARP by da Vinci® and 60 patients who underwent RARP by hinotori™. To minimize imbalances of patient demographics between the two groups, a 1:1 propensity score-matching was performed, and 43 patients each were assigned to both the da Vinci® and hinotori™ groups after matching. In the propensity score-matched cohort, there were no significant differences in patient demographics between the two groups. Regarding surgical outcomes, operative time and console time in the hinotori™ group were significantly longer than those in da Vinci® group. Meanwhile, there were no significant differences in other surgical outcomes between the two groups, such as estimated blood loss, intraoperative complications, major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or 4) or length of hospital stay after surgery. Pathological features including positive cancer margin were also similar between the groups. Moreover, there were no significant differences of urinary continence rates 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery between the da Vinci® and hinotori™ groups. Our results suggest that the hinotori™ surgical robot system could provide comparable surgical outcomes to that of the da Vinci® system for patients undergoing RARP.
Development and validation of an algorithm to estimate incidence and prevalence of breast cancer patients with distant metastasis in Northern Ireland: A population-based study
Authors: Hawkins Sinéad Teresa , Ashok Amisha , Kelly Jackie , Savage Gerard , Fitzpatrick Deirdre , Mitchell Helen , McBrien Ann , Bennett Damien
Published: January 2024

Introduction: The lack of systematic collection and reporting of breast cancer with distant metastasis (BCDM) means incidence and prevalence is largely unknown.
Methods: Patients with primary breast cancer (BC) (Stage I-III and “Stage not known”) and de novo patients (Stage IV at diagnosis) were identified from the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry and linked to hospital inpatient (PAS) and death records (GRO) over the period 1993 to 2020. An expert rules-based algorithm was developed to identify BCDM cases. This was validated using a dataset of 1,028 BC patients diagnosed in 2009 and followed up until 2017 for BCDM (184 BCDM cases). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) were calculated, and incident and prevalent cases reported.
Results: Validation demonstrated high sensitivity (95.1%), specificity (99.2%), PPV (96.2%) and NPV (98.9%).
Between 2009–2020 incident cases were stable, averaging 254 per year, while the prevalent population increased from 587 to 911 (55% increase), suggesting improved survivorship.
In 2020 the highest proportion of patients living with BCDM were existing cases from previous years (71.2%), with 66.6% having progressive BCDM and 33% de novo BCDM.
Conclusion: The novel algorithm accurately identified BCDM cases which will help planning, care and support for BCDM patients.
Polyetheretherketone Bioactivity Induced by Farringtonite: The Effect on Mineralization and Differentiation of Osteoblasts
Authors: Martínková Martina , Zárybnická Lucie , Viani Alberto , Killinger Michael , Mácová Petra , Sedláček Tomáš , Oralová Veronika , Klepárník Karel , Humpolíček Petr
Published: January 2024

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is considered as an excellent biomaterial for bone grafting and connective tissue replacement. The clinical potential is, however, limited by its bioinertness, poor osteoconduction, and weak antibacterial activity. These disadvantages can be overcome by introducing suitable additives to produce mineral-polymer composites or coatings. In this work, a PEEK-based bioactive composite has been obtained by blending the polymer with magnesium phosphate (Mg3(PO4)2) particles in amounts ranging from 1 to 10 wt.% using the hot press technique. The obtained composite exhibited improved mechanical and physical properties, above the lower limits set for bone engineering applications. The tested grafts were found to not induce cytotoxicity. The presence of magnesium phosphate induced the mineralization process with no adverse effects on the expression of the marker crucial for osteoblastic differentiation. The most promising resulted the grafts with embedding 1 wt.% of magnesium phosphate within the PEEK matrix. The improved bioactivity of grafts, together with suitable physical-chemical and mechanical properties, indicate this composite as a promising orthopedic implant material.
How were people affected by vaccination trials during COVID-19 pandemic?
Authors: Karina Oleinik
Published: January 2024

COVID 19 infection originated in Wuhan, China in 2019 and impacted human health significantly. The public health emergency took urgent efforts to develop resistant vaccine to combat COVID 19 pandemic. The emergency use approval has been granted to COVID 19 vaccines before the completion of conventional phases of clinical vaccine trials. Nevertheless, there are few of comprehensive reviews of safety reported from the vaccine trials. This research examined the mechanism of COVID 19 vaccine and its impact on life’s sustainability. Furthermore, the research aims to provide the consequences of the vaccine trials using trustworthy and reliable sources of information. I searched three major databases (Google Scholar, PubMed and Embase) for published studies and articles between December 2019 and 2021. The researches I have read contained information about the infection itself, the vaccine and the way it works. Furthermore, I have created a survey about the vaccination and 55 volunteers have answered the questions. The analysis of the survey was shown as diagrams and charts. The statistics showed that 50% experienced cough, 37,5% had fever, 64,3 had severe headache, 21,4% had weight loss and 26,8% had breathing difficulties. Furthermore, 55% volunteers felt as usual and did not notice any changes in their well-being, 25% felt the same as during the infection,20% felt better and some of the symptoms started disappearing through the time. Talking about the vaccines, the most acceptable vaccine is Sputnik (30,4%). Novavax is also common among the volunteers (30,2%). Pfizer vaccine was applied to 17,9% and Moderna to 13,6%. 7,9% of volunteers have gone through other types of vaccines. Satisfaction with the vaccine’s impact on volunteer’s well-being is the most essential part of the survey. 25% of volunteers were glad about the vaccine, 25% were satisfied, though they noticed some pitfalls. 25% were not happy about the vaccine outcomes. 19,4% were unsatisfied with the consequences of the vaccine. Finally, 5,6% of volunteers regret about going through vaccination and have negative outcomes. In conclusion, people are frightened of vaccine trials because it is believed to be something unique and dangerous as it is unknown and must be proved on people by trials. A few volunteers have enough courage to take part in various experiments and save the humanity from severe infection. The main conclusion of the research is the evidence that vaccine trials must be held due to their positive results, though not all of them are successful. From the ethical side, human trials are brutal and should not be held because it may impact human’s well-being negatively.
Metagenomic analysis reveals differential effects of sewage treatment on the microbiome and antibiotic resistome in Bengaluru, India
Authors: Nataraj Annamalai , Mondhe Divya , Srikanta Vishwananth , Ishtiaq Farah
Published: January 2024

Background
Climate change and health are closely linked to urban wastewater. In India, water security is a pressing issue. Water scarcity and decreased availability of agricultural water have led to a growing interest in using recycled irrigation water. Sewage treatment plants (STPs) provide environments that present great ecological opportunities, as well as niche availability for the transmission of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) among pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. Reusing treated wastewater for irrigation can provide both economic and environmental advantages, as wastewater is a valuable source of nutrients. However, there is limited monitoring of treated wastewater parameters and its impact on ecosystem health.
Methods
In this study, we conducted a metagenomic analysis of the microbial diversity and antibiotic resistomes of 26 STPs in the urban sewage network of Bengaluru, India. We examined the differential effect of sewage processing methods from the inlet to the outlet of STPs.
Results
The overall pattern of microbiome diversity showed no change with seasons, there were temporal differences and a significant reduction in ARGs. We screened of 478 ARGs and found 273 ARGs in wastewater, including clinically relevant genes such as CTX-M, qnr, sul-1, and NDM-1, which confer resistance to six major classes of antibiotics. The richness of ARGs was higher in sewage inlets compared to outlets, and there was significant variation in the clustering of ARGs among STPs, but not among sewage processing methods. We observed a downward shift in drug classes from inlet to outlet samples, except for aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, MLSB, and tetracycline. Inlet samples exhibited more complex and dense correlations between ARGs, and bacteria compared to outlet samples, indicating a higher diversity of ARGs in the sewage inflow.
Conclusions
Our findings serve as a baseline study that could aid in the quantification of genes from both culturable and nonculturable taxa. These findings will assist in the development of policies and strategies to address water quality issues such as the possible persistence of bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens associated with the use of recycled water. This is crucial for mitigating the impact of wastewater on the ecosystem health.
N-dimensional lattice integrable systems and their bi-Hamiltonian structure on the time scale using R-matrix approach
Authors: Fang Yong , Sang Xue , Yuen Manwai , Zhang Yong
Published: January 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Zur Konstituierung von amicitia in der mythischen Urvergangenheit Roms und zur Bedeutung der Erzählung als Gabe
Authors: Köstner Elena
Published: January 2024

Die vorliegende Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Konstituierung von amicitia im Mythos und fragt nach der Erzählung als Gabe im amikalen Gabentauschzyklus. Die Hinweise auf amicitia als eine der zentralen Bindungstypen des römischen Gemeinwesens sind über verschiedene Werke verstreut, lassen aber bereits die Wirkkraft erahnen, weil sie rückblickend in die Frühzeit hineingeschrieben wurden. In diesem Zusammenhang wird auch die Bedeutung der Erzählung als Gabe im Gabentauschzyklus untersucht, da diese die Transformation vom Fremden zum Anderen ermöglichen kann; erst auf diese Weise wird eine Grundlage für amicitia geschaffen. Darüber hinaus gelingt erst in der Urvergangenheit des Mythos’ die Perpetuierung von amicitia und dem sie konstituierenden amikalen Gabentausch.
IMPROVING FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF ISLAMIC BANK IN INDONESIA THROUGH ISLAMIC CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND EARNING MANAGEMENT
Authors: Munifatussaidah Asma , Nurrahmaningsih Fauziah
Published: January 2024

Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis pengaruh Islamic Corporate Governance dan Manajemen Laba terhadap Kinerja Keuangan Bank Syariah. Metode penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan data sekunder. Data penelitian diperoleh dari dua belas Bank Umum Syariah di Indonesia tahun 2018-2022, yang dipilih menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Kemudian, teknik analisis yang digunakan adalah regresi data panel. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa Islamic corporate governance dan manajemen laba berpengaruh signifikan terhadap Kinerja keuangan bank syariah. Temuan penelitian ini memberikan bukti bahwa variabel Islamic corporate governance dapat membantu bank syariah di Indonesia dalam meningkatkan kinerja keuangan dengan adanya manajemen laba yang terkendali dari pihak bank syariah. Selain itu, temuan ini akan berkontribusi terhadap literatur mengenai variabel penentu kinerja keuangan bank syariah.

Kata Kunci: Kinerja Keuangan, Islamic Corporate Governance, Manajemen Laba, Bank Syariah

 

Abstract: This study aims to analyze the effect of Islamic Corporate Governance and Earning Management variable toward the Financial Performance of Islamic Banks. The examination technique utilizes a quantitative methodology with optional information. The exploration information were acquired from 12 (twelve) Islamic Business Banks in Indonesia in 2018-2022 period, which were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Then, the analysis technique uses Pooled Least Square of regression analysis technique. The results of this study indicate that Islamic corporate governance and earnings management have a significant effect on the financial performance of Islamic banks. The findings of this study provide evidence that Islamic corporate governance variables can assist Islamic banks in Indonesia, improving financial performance with controlled earnings management on the part of Islamic banks. Furthermore, these discoveries will add to the writing with respect to the determinants of Islamic bank monetary execution.

Keywords: Financial Performance, Islamic Coporate Governance, Earning Management, Islamc bank.
THIRD PARTY FUNDS AND WORKING CAPITAL FINANCING AT ISLAMIC BANKS IN INDONESIA: ARDL-ECM APPROACH
Authors: Hakim Lukman , Riza Akmal
Published: January 2024

Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh dana pihak ketiga dan tingkat margin pembiayaan terhadap realisasi pembiayaan modal kerja yang disalurkan bank syariah pada sektor UMKM di Indonesia. Menggunakan data time series selama periode 2014.6-2018.9, model analisis yang digunakan adalah autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL). Penelitian mengungkapkan adanya hubungan kointegrasi jangka panjang antara realisasi pembiayaan dengan dana pihak ketiga dan tingkat margin pembiayaan. Dalam jangka panjang dan jangka pendek, dana pihak ketiga berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap pembiayaan modal kerja. Selanjutnya, tingkat margin berpengaruh negatif dan signifikan dalam jangka pendek, tetapi tidak berpengaruh dalam jangka panjang.

Kata kunci: Pembiayaan Modal Kerja, Dana Pihak Ketiga, tingkat Margin Pembiayaan, ARDL-ECM.

 

Abstract: This research aims to analyze the influence of third-party funds and the yield rate of financing on the realization of working capital financing distributed by Islamic banks to the MSMEs sector in Indonesia. Using time series data for the period 2014M6-2018M9, the analysis model used is autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL). The research pointed out that there is a long-term cointegration relationship between the realization of Islamic financing with third-party funds and the yield rate. In the long term and short term, third-party funds have a positive and significant effect on working capital financing. Furthermore, the yield rate has a negative and significant effect in the short term but has no effect in the long term.

Keywords: Working capital financing, Third-party funds, Yield rate of financing, ARDL-ECM.
Probabilistic deconstruction of a theory of gravity, part II: Curved space
Authors: Suh Sunok Josephine
Published: January 2024

We propose that the underlying context of holographic duality and the Ryu-Takayanagi formula is that the volume measure of spacetime is a probability measure constrained by quantum dynamics. We define quantum stochastic processes using joint quantum distributions which are realized in a quantum system as expectation values of products of projectors. In anti-de Sitter JT gravity, we show that Einstein’s equations arise from the evolution of probability under the quantum stochastic process induced by the boundary, with the area of compactified space in the gravitational theory identified as a probability density evolving under the quantum process. Extrapolating these and related results in flat JT gravity found in [SciPost Phys. 15, 174 (2023)], we conjecture that general relativity arises in the semi-classical limit of the evolution of probability with respect to quantum stochastic processes.
Information flow in non-unitary quantum cellular automata
Authors: Wagner Elisabeth , Nigmatullin Ramil , Gilchrist Alexei , Brennen Gavin
Published: January 2024

The information flow in a quantum system is a fundamental feature of its dynamics. An important class of dynamics are quantum cellular automata (QCA), systems with discrete updates invariant in time and space, for which an index theory has been proposed for the quantification of the net flow of quantum information across a boundary. While the index is rigid in the sense of begin invariant under finite-depth local circuits, it is not defined when the system is coupled to an environment, i.e.for non-unitary time evolution of open quantum systems. We propose a new measure of information flow for non-unitary QCA denoted the information current which is not rigid, but can be computed locally based on the matrix-product operator representation of the map.
YENİ MEDYA OLANAKLARIYLA DEĞİŞEN YAYINCILIK BİÇİMLERİ VE YOUTUBE’DA SPOR YAYINCILIĞI
Authors: KISAOĞLU Ömer
Published: January 2024

Çevrim içi medyanın gelişimi televizyon yayıncılığını değiştirmekte ve alternatif yayın olanaklarına imkân tanımaktadır. Bunun sonucunda geleneksel televizyon yayıncılığından farklılaşma yaşanmaktadır. Değişen yayıncılık koşullarının sonrasında spor medyası, amatör ve profesyonel içerik üreticilerinin yayın yapmasına izin veren YouTube üzerinde faaliyet göstermektedir. Çalışmada alternatif yayın imkânlarıyla birlikte yaşanan değişimleri belirlemek amaçlanmaktadır. Bu kapsamda çevrim içi imkânların getirdiği değişimlerin belirlenmesi amacıyla YouTube’daki spor yayıncılığı faaliyetleri incelenmiştir. Çevrim içi medya olanaklarının ardından içerik üreticilerinin yaşadıkları değişimleri belirleyebilmek önem kazanmıştır. Bu bağlamda YouTube’da spor içeriği üreten kanallardan temsilcilerle görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Amaçlı örneklem dâhilinde belirlenen katılımcılarla yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme tekniğiyle mülakatlar gerçekleştirilmiş ve içerik üreticileriyle direkt görüşülerek verilerin birinci elden toplanması sağlanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler deşifre edilmiş, betimsel analiz yöntemiyle temalara göre kategorilere ayrılmış ve çözümlenmiştir. Çözümlemenin sonucunda çevrim içi imkânların getirdiği değişimler dağıtım, içerik üretimi, izleyici, reklam olmak üzere dört ana kategoride gruplandırılmış ve ortaya konulmuştur. Araştırmanın sonuçları medyanın değişimini spor yayıncılığı örneklemi üzerinden göstermektedir.
Coupling Monte Carlo simulation with CRITIC-enhanced water quality assessment for the Weishui Reservoir
Authors: Ye Hui , Chen Libin , Zou Kaipeng , Wu Wenqi , Dan Ruming , Wang Yiran
Published: January 2024

Traditional methods for water quality assessment often overlook the uncertainty of water quality data during the sample collection process, leading to limitations in their application. Therefore, this study combines the comprehensive water quality index (CWQI) method and the improved CWQI method based on CRITIC with the Monte Carlo method to evaluate the water quality in the Weishui Reservoir watershed. The results indicate that (1) there is a noticeable difference in water quality between the Shaxiping and Dayanzui sampling points. The water quality at the Shaxiping sampling point is excellent, with a water quality classification of Class I. In contrast, the water quality at the Dayanzui sampling point is comparatively poorer, with an average water quality classification of Class III. (2) Sensitivity analysis shows that TN, NH4+-N, and TP are more sensitive than other indicators, suggesting that they are the primary factors influencing the evaluation results. (3) Compared to the traditional CWQI method, combining the CRITIC-based improved CWQI method with the Monte Carlo method is more scientifically rigorous. It considers the variety of evaluation indicators, allocates weights rationally, and provides evaluation results that align better with seasonal variations, resulting in higher discriminative power.
Review of the genus Gamasellodes Athias-Henriot (Mesostigmata: Ascidae) in Russia, with a description of a new species
Authors: Joharchi Omid , Makarova Olga L. , Khaustov Alexander A.
Published: January 2024

A new predatory mite species of the genus Gamasellodes Athias-Henriot, 1961 (Mesostigmata: Ascidae), G. brevisetus sp. n., is described and illustrated based on morphological characters of adults collected from meadow soils of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Western Siberia. The spermatodactyl of the male chelicera is unique among the representatives of this genus, being a thin-walled goffered tube possessing a broad opening. Female spermathecal apparatus is of a laelapid-type, with two unpaired successive chambers. In addition, an identification key to all known Russian species of the genus is presented, including G. rectiventris Lindquist, 1971, which was recorded from Russia for the first time.
Two new species and a new synonym of Eustigmaeus (Acari: Stigmaeidae) from Russia with COI barcode
Authors: Khaustov Alexander A. , Kravchenko Sergey V. , Kazakov Denis V.
Published: January 2024

Two new species, Eustigmaeus reticulatus sp. n. and E. pseudolacunus sp. n. (Acari: Stigmaeidae) are described based on females and males collected from different parts of Russia. A fragment of the COI barcoding gene was sequenced to facilitate DNA-based identification. Based on the study of the holotype of Eustigmaeus mineus Barilo, it is considered a junior synonym of Eustigmaeus collarti Cooreman. An updated key to the Eustigmaeus species of Russia is provided.
NEW DATA ON SPIDER MITES (PROSTIGMATA: TETRANYCHIDAE) FROM KYRGYZSTAN
Authors: Kamayev Ilya O.
Published: January 2024

This paper provides a brief review of investigations of the spider mite fauna of Kyrgyzstan. 5 species—Eotetranychus libocedri, Eo. tiliarum, Eo. thujae, Oligonychus karamatus and O. lagodechii—were recorded from Kyrgyzstan for the first time. In addition, the presence of O. piceae in the studied region has been confirmed. Thus, the tetranychids fauna of Kyrgyzstan consists of 58 species.