bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diversity enables the jump towards cooperation for the Traveler’s Dilemma
Authors: Ramirez Maria Alejandra , Smerlak Matteo , Traulsen Arne , Jost Juergen
Published: October 2022

Social dilemmas are situations in which collective welfare is at odds with individual gain. One widely studied example, due to the conflict it poses between human behaviour and game theoretic reasoning, is the Traveler’s Dilemma. The dilemma relies on the players’ incentive to undercut their opponent at the expense of losing a collective high payoff. Such individual incentive leads players to a systematic mutual undercutting until the lowest possible payoff is reached, which is the game’s unique Nash equilibrium. However, if players were satisfied with a high payoff -that is not necessarily higher than their opponent’s- they would both be better off individually and collectively. Here, we explain how it is possible to converge to this cooperative high payoff equilibrium. Our analysis focuses on decomposing the dilemma into a local and a global game. We show that players need to escape the local maximisation and jump to the global game, in order to reach the cooperative equilibrium. Using a dynamic approach, based on evolutionary game theory and learning theory models, we find that diversity, understood as the presence of suboptimal strategies, is the general mechanism that enables the jump towards cooperation.
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Complicated with Autoimmune disorders: Experience from a Single Tertiary Center
Authors: Xu Hao-jie , Wang Lu , Meng Xia , Li Rong-li , Fei Yun-yun , Yang Hua-xia , Zhou Jiaxin , Zhao Li-dan , Zhang Feng-chun , Zhang Xuan , Tang Fu-lin
Published: October 2022

Purpose
To investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) patients complicated with autoimmune disorders (AD).
Methods
Patients with PID who had been admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from April 1999 to July 2021 were all retrospectively reviewed. We further analyzed the clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) patients complicated with AD (CVID-AD), and further compared them with CVID patients without AD (CVID-nAD).
Results
A total of 241 PID patients were identified with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) accounting for the majority (99, 41.1%). AD was observed in 31.1% (n = 75) of all PID patients. Among 99 CVID patients, 25 (25.3%) were complicated with AD (CVID-AD), while 74 (74.7%) without AD (CVID-nAD). The Comparison between these two groups indicated that bronchiectasis, skin infection, splenomegaly and lymphadenectasis were more common in CVID-AD group than in CVID-nAD group (all p < 0.05). Intravenous immunoglobulin was adopted in 80.0% of CVID-AD patients and 74.3% CVID-nAD patients. Glucocorticoids and immunosuppressant were prescribed to 28.0% and 12.0% CVID-AD patients, respectively. The survival of the CVID-AD group was slightly poorer than that of the CVID-nAD group with the median estimated survival time being 42 months for CVID-AD group and 70 months for CVID-nAD group.
Conclusion
AD is a common complication in PID patients and can have various manifestations. CVID-AD patients had a slightly poorer prognosis than CVID-nAD patients but with no significant statistical difference.
Adsorption of ammonia on ZrO x modified graphene nanoribbon: a first-principles investigation
Authors: Ayesh Ahmad I. , Al-Muraikhi Maitha D.
Published: October 2022

Ammonia (NH3) is a main environmental pollutant related to global warming, and reduction of its emission is the subject of multiple international agreements and regulations. Accordingly, the development of highly precise detectors to monitor its content in the environment is essential to track and limit its emission. This work examines the influence of modifying of armchair-graphene nanoribbon (AGNR) by zirconium (Zr) and its oxides on its adsorption for NH3 gas. Density functional theory (DFT) computations are utilized to investigate the band structure, adsorption energy (𝐸𝑑), adsorption length (𝐷), charge transferred (Δ𝑄), and density of states (DOS) of pristine and modified structures with ZrOx (𝑥=0,1,𝑜𝑟 2). ZrOx is presented to AGNR nanostructure by two pathways: substitution of carbon atoms (doping), and introduction on top of the AGNR surface (decoration). The findings of the investigation illustrate great improvement of NH3 adsorption on AGNR due to its modification. Although the adsorption energy is enhanced in general upon modification, AGNR structures where ZrOx substitute carbon atoms exhibit greater adsorption energy as compared with the decoration scheme. The maximum energy of adsorption is for the AGNR structure doped with ZrO2, followed by that doped with Zr. As compared to the pristine structure, the adsorption energy for NH3 on AGNR doped with ZrO2 increases 22.2 times. Therefore, AGNR nanostructure doped with ZrOx can be considered for practical sensors for the applications of detection and control of ammonia emission.
In vitro and In Silico Screening of Antibacterial Compounds from Camellia sinensis Against Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli
Authors: Boudou Farouk , BELAKREDAR Amal
Published: October 2022

In the present study, phytochemical profiling of Camellia sinensis methanolic extract was carried out using liquid chromatography (LC-UV) analysis. Then the antibacterial potential of this extract was evaluated in vitro against Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 using the conventional agar well diffusion method. While the compounds identified by LC-UV were tested for their potential DNA-gyrase inhibitory and drug-likeness properties using computer-aided methods. LC-UV analysis revealed the presence of four major compounds namely: Caffeic acid, (-)-Epicatechin, Syringic acid, and (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate. The extract showed powerful antibacterial activity at the concentration of 5000 µg/ml with an inhibitory zone of 25.38 ± 2.75 mm, and 22.78 ± 1.22 mm against B. cereus ATCC 11778, and E. coli ATCC 25922 respectively. (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate exhibited the best docking score (-8.1 kcal mol-1) outperforming the other phenolic compounds but also Clorobiocin and Novobiocin. According to their molecular parameters, all tested compounds revealed an important drug-likeness property by obeying Lipinski's rule of five and the Ghose filter. This analysis revealed that C. Sinensis has strong antibacterial activity due to its high phenolic component content, and it may be considered a promising option for natural plant sources of antibacterial drugs with high value.
The importance of international normalized ratio monitoring in patients with mechanical pulmonary valve prosthesis
Authors: Shojaeifard Maryam , Arbabi Mahta , Ghaffarinejad Zahra , Abadi Hossein Dehghani Mohammad , Erami Sajad , Dehghani Yeganeh , Esmaeili Anahita
Published: October 2022

Background
The most challenging risk of mechanical valves is thromboembolic events; therefore, life-long anticoagulation therapy is necessary. Anticoagulation therapy should be adjusted for each patient with serial INR monitoring.
Due to the small number of patients with a mechanical valve in the pulmonary position, we are facing a lack of information about the therapeutic range of the INR in these patients so we aimed to specify the INR range which valve malfunction happened and suggest practitioners keep INR above that level.
Methods
In this retrospective study, 71 patients who had previously undergone pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) and presented to ShahidRajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research center with a diagnosis of pulmonary valve malfunction between 2014 and 2021were included. Patients' INR and echocardiographic data at the time of the malfunction as well as three months before the malfunction diagnosis were gathered from the hospital's registry.
All data were analyzed using SPSS and Excel software.
Results
In this cross-sectional study, 71 patients with mechanical pulmonary valve malfunction were included. 49.3% were male, 50.7% were female, and the mean age of total patients was 33.23 (±8.279). Fifty-one patients had St.Jude Medical valve, 13 patients had CarboMedics valve, and seven patients had On-X valve. The mean INR of all patients three months before malfunction and at the time of malfunction was 2.29 (±0.753)and 2.20 (±0.704), respectively.
Conclusions
In this study, most of our patients had INR below the therapeutic range, both at the time of malfunction (81%) and three months prior to it (80%). These results mainly show patients' poor adherence to anticoagulant therapy. Preventive measures should be taken as soon as possible to decrease the possibility of clot formation and valve malfunction.
Can multi-elemental stoichiometry in the leaf-root-rhizosphere continuum explain woody and herbaceous species’ coexistence in subtropical plantations?
Authors: Yuan Ye , Wang Huimin , Dai Xiaoqin
Published: October 2022

Background and aims

The multi-elemental stoichiometry of plants provides important information for understanding species coexistence in ecosystems. However, whether or not the multi-elemental stoichiometry of the leaf-root-rhizosphere continuum can better explain the coexistence of woody and herbaceous species within a forest, and what are the linkages among leaf, root and rhizosphere stoichiometries are unclear.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the concentrations of 12 elements (C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Na, and Sr) and their ratios (C:N, N:P, K:P, K:Ca, P:Ca, K:Mg, Ca:Mg, C:Mg, Fe:Mn, Ca:Sr, Fe:Zn, Cu:Zn, K:Na, and Ca:Na) in leaves, roots and rhizospheres of six woody species and three herbaceous species coexisting in three subtropical plantations.

Results

The multi-elemental stoichiometry ratios of leaves and roots but not those of rhizospheres varied between coexisting woody and herbaceous species. Woody species had stronger absorption capacity for elements that were most deficient (Ca and P) in the subtropical soil. Most elemental ratios of leaves were closely associated with those of the roots, but only the foliar C:N, N:P, and K:P ratios were associated with those of the rhizospheres, and the Fe:Mn ratio of roots was intimately connected with that of the rhizospheres, highlighting divergent environmental constraints of different elements.

Conclusions

There is biogeochemical niche separation between woody and herbaceous species at a plant organ scale. Plant multi-elemental stoichiometries were constrained by plant nutrient absorption capacity and soil nutrient supply, which offer new insights into a better understanding of species coexistence in ecosystems.
Dual attention recommendation algorithm based on item attributes
Authors: Jia Zhaohong , Zhang Hu , Gao Wei , Qian Fulan , Chen Hai , Li Chunchun , Li Kai
Published: October 2022

Massive information often make users lose their focuses so that desired targets are missed. Recommendation system can efficiently provide interesting information for users in the case of "information overload". Most existing recommendation algorithms either only consider the user's overall evaluation on items, or only consider the overall attributes of items. However, the impact of individual attributes of users are often ignored. Hence, this paper proposes a Dual most Relevant Attention recommendation model based on item Attributes (DRAA), comprehensively considering user-item evaluations, individual item attributes and their mutual influence. Firstly, each user's overall preferences for items are built from user-item history interactions. Then, the local self-attention network is used to mine more fine-grained user preferences for individual attributes of items. Finally, a global attention network is applied to distinguish the degrees of importance between the two types of preferences. Extensive experiments on two public data sets demonstrate that our model outperforms the state-of-the-art deep models in terms of prediction accuracy and addressing the problems of cold start and data sparsity.
Stacked-CNN-BiLSTM-COVID: An Effective Stacked Ensemble Deep Learning Framework for Sentiment Analysis of Arabic COVID-19 Tweets
Authors: Abdelhady Naglaa , Soliman Taysir Hassan A. , Farghally Mohammed F.
Published: October 2022

Social networks are popular for advertising, idea sharing, and opinion formation. Due to COVID-19, coronavirus information disseminated on social media affects people's lives directly. Individuals sometimes managed it well, but it often hampered daily activities. As a result, analyzing people's feelings is important. Sentiment analysis identifies opinions or sentiments from text. In this paper, we present an effective model that leverages the benefits of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) to categorize Arabic tweets using a stacked ensemble learning model. First, the tweets are represented as vectors using a word embedding model, then the text feature is extracted by CNN, and finally the context information of the text is acquired by BiLSTM. Aravec, FastText, and ArWordVec are employed separately to assess the impact of the word embedding on the our model. We also compare the proposed method to various deep learning models: CNN, LSTM, and BiLSTM. Experiments are performed on three different Arabic datasets related to COVID-19 and vaccines. Empirical findings show that the proposed model outperformed the other models' results by achieving F-measures of 76.76\%, 87.\%, and 80.5\% on the SenWave, AraCOVID19-SSD, and ArCovidVac datasets, respectively.
The influence of retardation of particle distributions in time on the kinetics of collisional relaxation of a magnetized plasma
Authors: EROFEEV Vasily I.
Published: October 2022

For a magnetized plasma, a reduction of the two-time formalism [V.~I.Erofeev, Journal of Plasma Physics 85, 905850104 (2019);V.~I. Erofeev, Contributions to Plasma Physics 62, e202100140 (2022)] to a highly informative scenario of redistribution of charged particles in momentum due to Coulomb collisions is reported. The consideration focuses on the standard case of an ideal classical ionized homogeneous plasma. It is found that the leading-order approximation of the scenario is consistent with the well-known generalizations of the Lenard--Balescu equation [A. Lenard, Ann. Phys. 10, 390--400 (1960); R. Balescu, Phys. Fluids 3, 52--63 (1960)] that take into account the leading magnetic field effect [N. Rostoker, Phys Fluids 3, 922-927 (1960); M.H.A. Hassan, C.J.H. Watson, Plasma Phys. 19, 237--247 (1977)]. A correction to the collision integral of this equation is developed that is due to time variations of plasma parameters.
Mirna-383-5p functions as an anti-oncogene in glioma through the Akt/mTOR signal pathway by targeting VEGFA
Authors: Liu Yan , Wang Zhen , Tang Zhi , Fu Yao , Wang Lei
Published: October 2022

Background
Previously, we screened a series of differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNA in glioma though bioinformatics analyses which included miRNA-383-5p and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA). This work aims to investigate the effects of miRNA-383-5p on the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of glioma cells, and the regulatory mechanism of miRNA-383-5p on the VEGFA/protein kinase B(Akt)/mechanistic target of rapamycin(mTOR) pathway.
Methods
Cells of U87 and U251 were collected. The expression of miRNA-383-5p was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Akt, mTOR VEGFA and its receptor VEGFR protein expression levels in glioma cells were detected with western blotting. The relationship between miRNA-383-5p and VEGFA was verified by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. CCK-8, Transwell and flow cytometry assays were used to detect cell proliferation, invasion and apoptosis, respectively.
Results
Our results indicated that overexpression of miRNA-383-5p inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and promoted apoptosis in glioma cell lines. VEGFA was identified as a target of miRNA-383-5p, and overexpression of miRNA-383-5p significantly suppressed the levels of VEGFA and Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Overexpression of VEGFA can reverse the inhibitory effect of miRNA-383-5p and reactivate the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
Conclution
Our results suggest that miRNA-383-5p inhibits the proliferation and migration of glioma cells by regulating the VEGFA/akt/mTOR pathway.
Infection with a male-killing Spiroplasma bacterium might drive morphological changes in female reproductive organs in a butterfly
Authors: Malmberg Jenny , Martin Simon H. , Gordon Ian J. , Sihvonen Pasi , Duplouy Anne
Published: October 2022

Sexual selection, and conflicts between sex or within sex, can induce morphological variations within species. This may challenge the identification and characterization of diagnostic morphological characters from reproductive organs that are of utmost importance for the morphology-based classification of faunal diversity, particularly on species level. In Lepidoptera, and in some other insects, females have evolved reproductive organs that can accommodate and/or digest nuptial gifts, or so called spermatophores, transferred from the males during copulation. The properties of the spermatophores principally depend on the male’s condition, which is defined by resources acquired and depleted across life stages. In these conditions, the size and/or shape of the female reproductive organs are likely to differ visually between females of different mating status, and with their mates’ condition. The widespread African monarch, Danaus chrysippus, can host an endosymbiotic bacterium, Spiroplasma that induces son-killing in this species. When prevalent, such symbionts distort their host population sex-ratio, which can increase the reproduction load on the few uninfected males, lead to a local excess of unmated females, and resource-depletion in males. Here, we characterized variation in the female genitalia across populations with different levels of Spiroplasma infection. First, virgin females have smaller organs, while mated females show expanded organs; and further, females from highly female-biased and male-killing Spiroplasma infected populations have a larger area of their corpus bursae covered with signa structures. These observations potentially suggest that females from populations that are male depleted may have evolved an efficient mechanical way to optimize the digestion of small nutritious spermatophores.
Load sharing assessment of osseoligamentous structures within a thoracic spine segment during surgical release
Authors: Polanco Michael , Bennett James , Tapp Austin , Audette Michel , Ringleb Stacie , Bawab Sebastian
Published: October 2022

Spinal surgical procedures often require release of intervertebral discs and ligaments to optimally achieve postural correction on a patient-specific basis. In this paper, a T7-T8 Finite Element (FE) model is utilized to examine internal load sharing during resection steps performed in a Ponte osteotomy. The FE model was rotated bidirectionally along three anatomical planes using an externally applied moment. In each step, the Ranges of Motion (RoM), Instantaneous Centers of Rotation (ICR), and forces from ligaments, discs, facet, and costovertebral joints were calculated. The product of each component’s force and the distance between the ICR and their position were used to calculate percent load sharing at the maximum moment magnitude. Removal of the facet joints accounts for overall significant increases in load sharing to the intervertebral disc, with maximum values reported in extension by approximately 18 percent and axial rotation by 16 percent. This study highlights key spine components whose kinematic influence may be considered to achieve desired surgical outcomes.
Methods to account for heterogenous genetic variance in the analysis of stability of genotype performance across an environmental covariable
Authors: Waters Dominic Luke , Werf Julius H. van der , Robinson Hannah , Hickey Lee T. , Clark Sam A.
Published: October 2022

Stability to environmental variation in traits such as yield and grain quality is becoming increasingly important with climate change. The slope of regression in a reaction norm model, where the performance of a genotype is regressed over an environmental covariable, is often used as a measure of stability. This approach fails to account for the potential bias introduced by heterogeneity in the scale of genetic variance across environments, which is a form of genotype by environment interaction (G×E) known as scale-type G×E. These reaction norms are also limited to a linear function, which could be too restrictive for describing the interaction between genotypes and the environment. The aim of this paper was to demonstrate two methods which attempt to address these shortcomings in reaction norms and apply them to a multi-environment trial in Barley (Hordeum vulgare) that contains a large amount of scale-type G×E. Stability estimated from factor analytic models, which explicitly disentangle scale-type G×E, were used for comparison. The two methods substantially increased the correlation with stability measures estimated from the factor-analytic models, indicating that they removed variation in stability that originated from scale-type G×E. After accounting for scale-type GxE, breeding values for overall performance and stability were highly correlated between the linear reaction norms and factor analytic models. Analyses which use reaction norms to rank genotypes on stability should consider implementing the scale-corrections outlined in this study.
Promoting Data Harmonization to Evaluate Vaccine Hesitancy in LMICs: Approach and Applications
Authors: Rego Ryan , Zhukov Yuri , Reneau Kyrani , Pienta Amy , Rice Kristina , Brady Patrick , Siwo Geoffrey , Wachira Peninah Wanjiku , Abubakar Amina , Kollman Ken , Waljee Akbar K.
Published: October 2022

Background
Factors influencing the health of populations are interdisciplinary. However, datasets which measure health outcomes often lack disciplinary breath. Data on health outcomes can be combined with datasets on other factors, such as political violence or development. However, this is difficult, due to different levels of geographic support; differing dataset formats and structures; differences in sampling procedures and wording; and the stability of temporal trends. We present a computational package to combine spatially misaligned datasets to analyze multi-dimensional factors in health outcomes.
Methods
We used data from the World Bank’s High Frequency Phone Surveys (HFPS) from Kenya, Indonesia, and Malawi. These data were curated and combined with data on political violence, electoral competitiveness, and economic development. Using the Sub-National Geospatial Data Archive (SUNGEO) system, the combined data were then analyzed to determine 1) stability of vaccination preferences (in Indonesia) and 2) the association between the aforementioned factors on vaccination preferences using a stochastic process model (Markov Chain) with two states, being vaccine willing and vaccine hesitant (in all three countries).
Results
In Indonesia, vaccine-acceptance is more persistent than vaccine-hesitancy from round to round: the probability of staying acceptant was 0.97, whereas the probability of staying hesitant was 0.67. In Indonesia and Kenya, decreased political violence associated with decreased levels of vaccination hesitancy (-16 and -23 percentage points difference (ppd) respectively); though no significant association was seen in Malawi. Similarly, in Indonesia and Kenya (though not Malawi), increased electoral competitiveness was associated with decreased levels of vaccination hesitancy (-30 and -17ppd respectively). Increased economic development was also associated with decreased vaccination hesitancy in Indonesia and Kenya.
Conclusion
It is possible to combine spatially misaligned and incompatible datasets. As an exemplar, we found that vaccination hesitancy was aligned with political violence and electoral uncompetitiveness - compatible with past results that vaccination hesitancy was associated with government distrust. We recommend that either work in governmental institutions be strengthened through the promotion of non-violent, democratic elections; or that vaccination be separated from government.
‹Von der Medialisierung der Welt und der Mediatisierung des Diskurses›
Authors: Hug Theo , Leschke Rainer
Published: October 2022

Hinweise auf die zunehmende Relevanz der Medien sind ubiquitär geworden. Das betrifft alltagsweltliche, wirtschaftliche und politische sowie technologische und wissenschaftliche Diskurszusammenhänge. Häufig wird dabei auf einschlägige medien- und kommunikationswissenschaftliche Analysen rekurriert, die ihrerseits mit unterschiedlichen Konzepten und Theorien operieren. Einerseits korrespondiert mit diesen Analysen ein breites Spektrum an Begriffen, Beschreibungsmodalitäten und Thematisierungsweisen. Andererseits figurieren mitunter auch einzelne Ausdrücke als Leitmetaphern, generische Begriffe oder Catchwords mit programmatischen oder paradigmatischen Ansprüchen. Medialisierung und Mediatisierung zählen zu diesen Ausdrücken, die in den letzten Jahren einen hohen Grad an Popularität und Portabilität erreicht haben und die häufig synonym verwendet werden. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden zunächst einige begriffspolitische Aspekte entsprechender medien- und kommunikationswissenschaftlicher Diskurszusammenhänge untersucht. In Abgrenzung von synonymen Verwendungsweisen wird für eine begriffliche Unterscheidung und konstruktive Koexistenz argumentiert, die sich sowohl für die theoretische als auch für die empirische Forschung als fruchtbringend erweisen kann.
Regional methods of anesthesia in labor pain relief: a systematic review
Authors: Makcharin O. A. , Lebedeva Elena A. , Kochubeinik N. V.
Published: October 2022

INTRODUCTION: Today epidural anesthesia is the “golden standard” of anesthesia. But what can we do if the application of an epidural catheter is contraindicated? The use of narcotic analgesics can hardly be deemed a worthy alternative. OBJECTIVE: To identify alternative regional methods of anesthesia in labour pain relief. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have performed a systematic review of literature in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guideline principles. The bibliographic search was conducted in January-March 2022. The search was performed in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, eLibrary.ru, Cochrane Library databases. The search keywords were: anesthesia of childbirth, pudendal block, paracervical block, paravertebral block, quadratic lumbar muscle (QLB) block, erector spinae plane block (ESPB). We found 122 works, and after removing 94 works for various reasons, 28 works were analyzed. RESULTS: We found 122 works, and after removing 94 works for various reasons, 28 works were analyzed. We identified six randomized controlled trials related to the subject matter, but the endpoints were heterogeneous preventing a statistical analysis; therefore, we performed a qualitative review of the literature. Works dedicated to paravertebral and paracervial blocks showed sufficient effectiveness of anesthesia for the second period of labor. Good results of anesthesia of the second period of labor were also described with the use of ESPB and bilateral QLB. Nevertheless, it is impossible to draw statistically significant conclusions on the use of ESPB and QLB due to the small sample. Articles devoted to the use of pudendal block in labour revealed its low effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: The described results show that paravertebral, ESPB and QLB blocks can be used as alternative regional methods of anesthesia in labour. However, further research is required to assess the effectiveness of their use in childbirth.
Thrombocytopenia in the ICU before and during the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19: a comparative retrospective cohort study
Authors: Bulanova E. L. , Rabotinsky S. E. , Degtyarev P. A. , Sinyavkin D. O. , Bulanov Andrey Yu.
Published: October 2022

INTRODUCTION: Thrombocytopenia is common in critically ill patients. Its development is associated with a high risk of bleeding and other complications, including adverse outcomes.
ОBJECTIVE: To analyze the incidence, severity, predictive significance of thrombocytopenia in critically ill patients before and during coronavirus infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The observational study included patients from intensive care units of a multidisciplinary hospital at different periods: before the COVID-19 and during the period when the hospital was operating as a СOVID hospital. Patients from all intensive care units, excluding the hematology unit, were analyzed. RESULTS: Non-infectious period. Among 314 patients, 91 cases of thrombocytopenia were identified, representing 29 %. Severe thrombocytopenia among them was noted in 35 % (n = 32). The main etiological causes: performing extracorporeal procedures, liver disease, ischemic stroke, acute coronary syndrome.
The infectious period. Thrombocytopenia occurred more frequently than in non-COVID patients (in 209 of 396 patients — 52.8 %) and was more uniform in severity. The most frequent cause of thrombocytopenia was a combination of sepsis, acute liver injury, performance of extracorporeal procedures and specific drug therapy of COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS: According to our data, thrombocytopenia in the intensive care units of a multidisciplinary hospital (non-infectious period) occurred in one-third of critically ill patients. COVID 19 infection demonstrated an increased incidence of thrombocytopenia in critical patients (in the presented study up to half of the patients). Severe thrombocytopenia is more common in patients of non-infectious period (35 % vs 20%). In patients with coronavirus infection, thrombocytopenia was more frequently associated with a bleeding clinic (6.2 % vs 2.2 %), with less prognostic value as a criterion for adverse outcome: the presence of thrombocytopenia increased the risk of death by 5.5 times (95 % CI 2.979–10.031) in noninfectious and by 1.54 times (95 % CI 1.3–1.82) in COVID-19 infection.
Validación de la Escala de Estilos de Crianza Steinberg en adolescentes peruanos
Authors: Castillo-Parra Henry , Zeladita-Huaman Jhon Alex , Cárdenas-Niño Lucila , Zegarra-Chapoñán Roberto , Cuba-Sancho Juana Matilde , Morán-Paredes Gladys Ivonne
Published: October 2022

Introducción: Existen numerosas escalas de estilos de crianza adaptadas para adolescentes peruanos. Además, algunos reportan un modelo estructural que no coincide con el modelo de la versión original. Objetivo: Evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de la escala de estilos de crianza de Steinberg en adolescentes peruanos. Método: La muestra integró 563 estudiantes. Se confirma un modelo de relaciones en tres dimensiones: compromiso, autonomía psicológica y control parental. Resultados: El análisis sugirió la eliminación de cinco ítems. La escala resultante muestra un buen ajuste: χ2=469,051, df=184, χ2/df=2,54, CFI=0,95, TLI=0,94, RMSEA=0,053, SRMR=0,063. Así mismo, da cuenta de una óptima consistencia interna determinada por el índice Omega McDonald. Conclusión: La estructura interna del cuestionario fue similar al cuestionario original y presentó adecuada confiabilidad y validez de constructo. Sin embargo, se requieren estudios adicionales con muestras de mayor rango de edad y diferentes subculturas peruanas para lograr su generalización.
Key factors influencing analytical solutions for predicting groundwater inflows in rock tunnels
Authors: Peng Hui , Frenelus Wadslin , Zhang Jingyu
Published: October 2022

Predicting groundwater inflow into tunnels is essential to ensure the safe accessibility and stability of underground excavations and to attenuate any associated risks. Such predictions have attracted much attention due to their tremendous importance and the challenge of determining them accurately. Over recent decades, based on diverse methods, researchers have developed many relevant analytical solutions. Considering these research efforts, this article identifies and describes the most critical key factors that strongly influence the accuracy of groundwater inflow predictions in rock tunnels. In addition, it presents a synthesis of the latest advances in analytical solutions developed for this purpose. These key factors are mainly time dependency of groundwater inflows, water-bearing structures, aquifer thickness, hydraulic head and groundwater drawdown, rock permeability and hydraulic conductivity, fracture aperture, and rainfall data. For instance, groundwater inflows into tunnels comprise two stages. However, the transition between the stages is not always rapid and, for tunnels located in faulted karst terrains and water-rich areas, groundwater inflows can exceed 1,000 L/min/m. Under high stress, rock permeability can increase up to three times near the inevitable excavation-damaged zones, and groundwater inflows into tunnels can be significantly affected. Despite the enormous amount of research already conducted, improvements in the accuracy of predicting groundwater inflows into rock tunnels are still needed and strongly suggested.
Evaluation of the Anterior Chamber Parameters by Pentacam after Toric Implantable Phakic Contact lens (IPCL) Implantation in Moderate to High Myopia with Astigmatism
Authors: Mahmoud Mohamed Salah El-Din , Abdel Hamid Mohamed , Esmail Mohamed Esmail Khalil , Abdel Halim Ahmed
Published: October 2022

Background:

The toric IPCL is posterior phakic intraocular lens used for correction of moderate to high myopia with astigmatism, but after the implantation, there were changes in the parameters of the anterior chamber (AC).

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to assess the parameters of the AC and lens vault after toric IPCL in patients with moderate to high myopia with astigmatism by Pentacam.

Patients and Methods:

In a prospective interventional case series, 30 eyes with moderate to high myopia with astigmatism were treated with toric IPCL implantation. Pentacam was done preoperatively, after 1 month, 3 months and 6 months of toric IPCL implantation for evaluation of the AC parameters as the angle of the anterior chamber (ACA), depth of the anterior chamber (ACD) and volume of the anterior chamber (ACV). Also, the lens vault and intraocular pressure (IOP) were evaluated.

Results:

The ACD was 3.3±0.1 mm preoperatively and changed to 2.5±0.1 mm after 1 month and remained stable at 3 and 6 months postoperatively (p-value =0.001). The ACV was 198.06±25.02 mm3 preoperatively and reduced to 131.5±20.7, 131.8±21.4 and 131.5±20.2 mm3 after 1 month, 3 months and 6 months, respectively(p-value =0.001). The ACA was 42.9±4.1 preoperatively and changed to 26.7±4.3, 26.4±4.2 and 26.7±4.9 after 1 month, 3 months and 6 months, respectively (p-value =0.001). The vault was 458±126.2 um after 1 month, 461±129.6 um after 3 months and 464.6±130.6 um after 6 months (p-value =0.005). The IOP was slightly high during the first month, then reduced to a level near the preoperative values during the second and third follow-up.

Conclusion:

The Pentacam was a useful tool for follow up of the AC parameters after toric IPCL implantation in patients with moderate to high myopia astigmatism.
Nanomaterials: Overview and Historical Perspectives
Authors: Guin M.
Published: October 2022

Much earlier than the start of the “nanoera”, people were using various nanosized materials but were not aware of nanotechnology. More than a thousand years BC, people used natural fabrics with much smaller size (1-20 nms). The British museum boasts about Licurg’s bowl showing different colours under different conditions, since it contains nanosize gold and silver. However, the nano word was not known. The concept of nanoscience came for the first time by the lecture of Prof. R. Feynman in 1959 at the session of the American Physical Society, saying that “there is plenty of room at the bottom”. The word Nanotechnology was introduced for the first time by N. Taniguchi in Tokyo in 1974. The idea of Feynman was developed by E. Drexler in 1986 through his book. Now nanoscience and nanotechnology have become one of the most important areas of science and technology dealing with materials of the size less than 100 nm in size. At the moment, there is no sector, where nanotechnology is not being used. Now it is said to be the era of nanoscience and technology.
Effect of Nanomaterials on the Properties of Binding Materials in the Construction Industry
Authors: Singh N.P.
Published: October 2022

The construction industry uses a lot of binding materials. One of the most important binders is cement and concrete. Most used cement in concrete is Portland cement (OPC). Its manufacture consumes lot of raw materials and energy and emits huge amounts of hazardous gases particularly CO2 into the atmosphere. Attempts are being made to overcome the above problems by using blended cements, geopolymer and LC3 cements. However, there are a number of limitations in using alternatives to OPC. In recent years researches are being carried out to use nanomaterials such as nano silica, nano titanium oxide, nano alumina, nano CaCO3, nano clay, nano carbons, etc. in cement and concrete to improve the properties. The basic objectives of using nanomaterials in binding materials are to increase mechanical properties and durability. Nanomaterials, if added in appropriate amounts, accelerate the hydration, increase mechanical properties and decrease the porosity. In addition to improving physical properties, nanomaterials particularly nano TiO2 acts as a cleaning agent. Nano embedded phase change materials perform better. Since it is a new field, little work has been done so far. In the present chapter the effect of different nanomaterials on the properties of OPC, concrete, geopolymer cement and LC3 cement have been discussed at length.
Nanoparticles Incorporated Soy Protein Isolate for Emerging Applications in Medical and Biomedical Sectors
Authors: Rani P.
Published: October 2022

Proteins are deemed as ideal material for nanoparticles preparation and incorporation. Soy protein isolate (SPI) is chosen as matrix for fabrication of bionanocomposite materials because of versatile functional groups offered by amino acids side chain responsible for inter and intramolecular interactions. Complexion of SPI with nanoparticle makes it feasible for drug delivery as it offers excellent loading capacity. Encapsulation of drugs inside protein matrix not only protects drug from harsh environment but also helps in targeted delivery. Various antibiotics such as gentamicin and ciprofloxacin can be incorporated into the SPI matrix for targeted controlled release and antibacterial effects.
Hybrid Nanomaterials: Historical Developments, Classification and Biomedical Applications
Authors: Ibedita J.
Published: October 2022

Hybrid nanomaterials (HNs) have exceptional physical and chemical properties and combine superior qualities of both inorganic and organic materials to exploit them to desirable chemistry through imposing multifunctionality in a single material. Strategies of synthesis of HNs involve the fabrication of components, either organic or inorganic, through the insertion of molecules or nano-objects or polymerization of precursors. The interconnected porous network of HNs also enables a range of applications. In this chapter, we have discussed historical development, strategies of synthesis, and, classification of HNs with emphasis on advancement for biomedical applications.
role of innovation in mediate the effect of market orientation and technology orientation on marketing performance
Authors: Putra Nyoman Rahina , Setiawan Putu Yudi
Published: October 2022

The purpose of this research is to provide practical and theoretical insights on how businesses adapt in the midst of the current pandemic by further developing their marketing performance through market orientation and technology orientation, as well as seeing the role of innovation in mediating it. This research is a quantitative study by taking a sample of 152 people, collected by distributing questionnaires containing open and closed statements and statements that have been tested for validity and reliability. The analysis technique used is the Structural Equation Model (SEM) using an analytical tool in the form of SmartPLS software. The results of this study indicate that market orientation and technology orientation have a positive and significant effect on marketing performance, and the role of innovation can partially mediate the relationship between market orientation and technology orientation on marketing performance. This research is expected to be empirical evidence for future research and be able to enrich the development of marketing management science, especially market orientation, technology orientation, innovation, and marketing performance.
Exploring the perceptions of EFL learners towards mobile-assisted vocabulary acquisition
Authors: Alharbi Bader
Published: October 2022

This research examined how high school students felt about using the Busuu app to learn new vocabulary. The study used a qualitative research approach to elicit in-depth opinions on the subject. In addition, it assessed the benefits and challenges experienced by the participants when using Busuu, a language learning application, to acquire English language vocabulary.  With 25 high school students from a public high school in the Saudi Arabian educational district of Ar Rass, a semi-structured interview (questions asked in Arabic) was conducted. The collected data were coded, conceptually examined, and documented. The findings indicated that students have a positive attitude about utilizing the Busuu a language learning mobile application to aid in their vocabulary acquisition. The majority of users had a positive view of Busuu when it came to expanding their vocabularies.  Additionally, it revealed that the Busuu helps students become more motivated, have fun, and expand their vocabulary. Finally, the study highlighted various technical or legal challenges that stop students from using mobile applications, which are summed up in the challenge of getting an internet connection or the prohibition of using mobile at school.
Processing plant proteins colloidal structures
Authors:   Aarhus University, Corredig Milena
Published: October 2022

Food systems need to be designed to better fit within planetary boundaries.  It is not only important to find more sustainable protein sources, but also to create fully circular, robust supply chains.  But this  is only the beginning: new formulations will need to fit common dietary expectations. The utilization of plant-based protein ingredients present significant challenges in relation to their nutritional and technological functionalities. Today these proteins do not measure up when used as ingredients in conventional processes.  Plant protein streams contain polydisperse colloids, and detailed studies of their behaviour during processing is only at their infancy.  To predict their structure-function,  their physical and chemical changes need to be followed at various length scales. Furthermore, for each food matrix, depending on the final product needs, it will be required to find the appropriate level of refinement and processing history, to reach the right balance between sustainability and processing/nutritional functionality. This is currently a significant knowledge gap. This talk will outline how processing dynamics at the molecular and supramolecular level, affect the interactions occurring with the various components in mixed matrices, and will aim to inspire researchers to find new processing and formulation approaches that will better fit plant-based ingredients utilization, and with this accelerate progress towards a shift to more sustainable diets.
How digital molecular simulations will drive the next generation of innovation in reformulation and sustainability of consumer-packaged goods
Authors:   Materials Science, Schrodinger, Sanders Jeffrey
Published: October 2022

Molecular modeling has historically been viewed as a research tool with little connection back to commercial products. Computational power, expertise, precise knowledge of chemical space, along with mismanaged expectations has limited the impact of molecular modeling in industrial settings until recently. With advances in physics-based simulation methods and machine learning, molecular simulation is quickly becoming routine alongside experimentation. In this talk, the utility of modeling to develop new products, rationalize product (mis)behavior, and understand how modeling can empower researchers to drive innovation will be highlighted. Case studies will be discussed that illustrate how modeling, when correctly applied, can provide novel insight into design and selection of surfactant based formulations and interactions with packaging.
The Palm oil crop in Ecuador and its extraction
Authors:   Extractora la Joya, Alzamora Sebastian
Published: October 2022

The purpose of this presentation is to take you through the process of the Palm oil crop, harvest, and industrialization to obtain Crude Palm Oil (CPO).Palm oil crops started in Ecuador in 1950 and since then it has brought jobs, wealth and development to our society. Now, 80% of farmers have less than 50 hectares counting to a total of 256 000 hectares. Oil Palm tree is a perennial crop that starts production approximately 24 months after it is planted in the soil. It is harvested every 8 days all year round and it is one of the most versatile products in the world. All components of the fruit have a use for the mill and the plantation.There are two main varieties of Oil Palm trees, which require different tasks: Elaeis Guinesis and High Oleic Palm Tree which is more resistant to diseases, such as Bud Root (PC), and with a higher oil yield per area.Many tasks are needed to maintain the Palm Oil crop, which results in an optimal percentage of oil extraction in the Palm Oil Mill. Some tasks include: Weed cut around the plantation, the €œcorona€ to maintain the area around the palm tree clean, pruning of the leaves, fertilization, pest control and harvest.After harvest, the Oil Palm tree fruit goes into the mill. The extraction of the palm oil is carried out by mechanical means where the fruit first goes trough a sterilizer to soften the tissue and stop the acidification process. The bunch is separated in the fruit threshing drum, and then transported to the digester and twin-screw press where the oil is extracted by pressure. This oil is separated from water and palm cake in the Tridecanter. The process results in two main products: Crude Palm Oil (CPO) and Palm Kernel nut which goes to the Kernel Mill to extract Palm Kernel Oil (PKO), palm kernel cakeEcuador is the 10th biggest Palm Oil producer in the world and now, 19% of total crop area, and growing, is RSPO certified and an important producer of Organic Palm Oil.
Latest developments in ice condensing in oil refining: the SAFE solution
Authors:   Desmet Ballestra  OFO, Schols Bart
Published: October 2022

The vacuum ice condensing technology (VIC) has been introduced in oil refining since early 90's and has since earned its place in today's modern refineries. Apart from economical savings, the technology also improves the environment as less effluent is produced and less odour is emitted. Ongoing developments have made VIC even more efficient in both capital as well as operational cost. VIC maintains low pressure (< 2mbara) in a deodoriser by freezing vapours on cooled tubes. VIC substantially reduces energy consumption by lowering overall steam consumption. Plant safety also has been improved as ammonia  leakage risk is close to zero and most critical hardware, refrigerant storage and chiller, are moved outside the main refinery building.In some areas, use of ammonia is still a concern despite all safety measures. Hence the need to replace ammonia with a safer refrigerant: C02 Today deodorisers can operate even below 1mbara which opens new perspectives for the mild refining of heat-sensitive oils and a more efficient removal of contaminants like pesticides, PAHC's, mineral oil and glycidyl esters. Examples of main technological innovations are given to demonstrate the potential of the new generation Sublimax SAFE system.