bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Repetitive freshwater diving: risk factors and prevalence of barotrauma
Authors:   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Germany, Jansen Stefanie , Meyer Moritz Friedo ,   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Germany, Boor Manuela ,   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Germany, Volland Ruth ,   Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, University Children’s Hospital of Cologne, Germany, Pracht Eberhard Daniel ,   German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany, Klünter Heinz Dieter ,   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Germany, Hüttenbrink Karl-Bernd ,   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Germany, Beutner Dirk ,   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Germany,   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Göttingen, Germany, Grosheva Maria ,   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Germany
Published: October 2022

Objective: The aim was to investigate the influence of repetitive scuba diving in fresh water on the middle ear mucosa. The prevalence of middle ear barotrauma (MEB) and risk factors for MEB were evaluated. Study design: Prospective cohort study, Level of evidence 1b. Methods: During three days, 23 divers made 144 repetitive dives in a freshwater lake. Participants underwent otoscopic examinations and were questioned about ENT-related complaints in the morning before the first dive, in between the dives and after the last dive. Otoscopic findings were documented and classified according to the TEED scale (0 = normal eardrum to 4 = perforation), for the right and the left ear separately. Results: In total, 416 examinations were performed. ENT-related complaints during diving, mostly failed pressure equalization (74%), were reported after 10% of all dives. Most common pathology was MEB (TEED 1-3, 26%). Valsalva maneuver was possible during all exams. Significant increase of MEB (TEED>0) occurred with an increasing cumulative number of dives per day (P < .0001). Diving depth significantly influenced the MEB distribution (P = .035). MEB with higher TEED levels (2 and 3) was present only in the less experienced and intermediate divers. With increasing TEED level, more participants reported ENT-related problems (P < .0001). However, 74.4% of divers with MEB were still asymptomatic. Conclusion: During three days of diving, the MEB prevalence increased with a cumulative number of dives per day. The major risk factors were diving depth and diving experience. Higher TEED level correlated with an increasing number of subjective ENT-related disorders during diving.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of ischemia-reperfusion injury following dialysis access-steal syndrome: case report
Authors:   Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Cheung Bonnie , Oreopoulos George ,   Divisions of Vascular Surgery and Vascular Interventional Radiology, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Evans Arthur W ,   Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,   Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Katznelson Rita ,   Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,   Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Published: October 2022

We report the case of a 49-year-old patient who presented with ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) of her right hand following a dialysis access-steal syndrome treated by arteriovenous fistula ligation. Subsequently, she was treated with three daily 90-minute hyperbaric oxygen treatments and had remarkable improvement in her symptoms of pain, numbness and swelling. The patient demonstrated regain of function at three-weeks post-treatment, with full recovery of function at six months post-treatment. The non-invasive and relatively safe nature of hyperbaric oxygen therapy supports its use as a potential treatment for IRI.
Large-scale siting of sand dams: a participatory approach and application in Angolan drylands
Authors: Piemontese Luigi , Limones Natalia , Castelli Giulio , Grazio Alice , Bresci Elena
Published: October 2022

Sand dams are simple and effective structures built across ephemeral
riverbeds in arid/semi-arid regions to harvest water within sand pores
and increase water availability and quality for rural communities. The
complex morphological, hydrological, social and economic conditions that
make sand dams a beneficial tool for water resilience are largely
influenced by the siting phase. Proper location of a sand dam can reduce
community’s travel time to water points, reduce water conflicts and
increase food security through expansion of irrigated agriculture. On
the other hand, a misplacement of sand dams can, at worst, increase
disparities in water access and increase local conflicts. To approach a
viable siting of sand dams, most projects are developed and delivered
with the community through a bottom-up approach. However, in case of
large-scale project, remote sensing and biophysical analysis are the
dominant approach, leaving the socio-economic component at the margins
of the siting strategy and eventually affecting the benefits to local
communities. In this paper, we propose a large-scale participatory
methodology to sand dams siting, which draws on mixed-methods connecting
the conventional top-down biophysical analysis with bottom-up
participatory research. We first describe the generic approach developed
for sand dams siting in Namibe, a semi-arid region of South-west of
Angola, then we draw on our case to propose a generic approach to
large-scale participatory siting beyond Namibe.
Fractional modelling and optimal control strategies for mutated COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Ma Weiyuan , Ma Nuri , Dai Changping , Chen YangQuan , Wang Xinwei
Published: October 2022

As the COVID-19 continues to mutate, the number of infected people is
increasing dramatically, and the vaccine is not enough to fight the
mutated strain. In this paper, a SEIR-type fractional model with
reinfection and vaccine inefficacy is proposed, which can successfully
capture the mutated COVID-19 pandemic. The existence, uniqueness,
boundedness and nonnegativeness of the fractional model are derived.
Based on the basic reproduction number R 0 , locally stability and
globally stability are analyzed. The sensitivity analysis evaluate the
influence of each parameter on the R 0 and rank key epidemiological
parameters. Finally, the necessary conditions for implementing
fractional optimal control are obtained by Pontryagin’s Maximum
Principle, and the corresponding optimal solutions are derived for
mitigation COVID-19 transmission. The numerical results show that humans
will coexist with COVID-19 for a long time under the current control
strategy. Furthermore, it is particularly important to develop new
vaccines with higher protection rates.
gestão escolar e a materialização da política de Educação Especial nos Estados Unidos na voz de uma diretora de escola
Authors: Santos Flávio Lopes dos , Brahim Cybele Barbosa , Pantaleão Edson
Published: October 2022

O presente artigo tem como objetivo destacar aspectos da materialização da política de Educação Especial nos Estados Unidos e as relações de interdependência dos profissionais de educação. Utilizamos a entrevista como recurso metodológico para a produção dos dados, com uma diretora de escola de ensino fundamental II no Estado de Massachusetts (MA). Este texto se constitui parte dos resultados de uma pesquisa de doutorado que utiliza como metodologia o estudo comparado, com foco nos Estados Unidos e Brasil. A entrevista, realizada em fevereiro de 2021, seguiu um roteiro de 12 perguntas semiestruturadas que abordaram assuntos relacionados à Educação Especial. Os resultados indicam a importância da gestão escolar observada na relação entre a gestão e as diversas partes que formam a modalidade como o coordenador de Educação Especial, professores especialistas, serviços fornecidos aos estudantes da Educação Especial e especialmente o poder de decisão dos pais.
Gestão e avaliação escolar
Authors: Oliveira Marcos Diego de , Santos Cruz José Anderson
Published: October 2022

O objetivo do estudo é apresentar os principais desafios que os gestores escolares encontram na sua trajetória profissional. As pesquisas sobre o tema da Gestão e Avaliação institucional aumentaram e se concentraram na análise do líder como pessoa e em funções e tarefas de liderança. A justificativa e relevância para este estudo estão na ação de influenciar que a gestão escolar tem tido historicamente relacionada com o papel e as funções de sua equipe na unidade educacional que atua. Quais são as estruturas e estratégias de capacitação e qualificação de gestores, para que eles possam superar os constantes desafios no âmbito da gestão utilizando a avaliação institucional como ferramenta de melhor eficácia na gestão escolar? O artigo é uma revisão sistemática. Este estudo procurou demonstrar que a liderança exercida pelos gestores é fundamental e pode ter um impacto positivo nos resultados de aprendizagem de educandos, tendo em vista os desafios encontrados na gestão.
The indication for aseptic revision TKA does not influence 1-year outcomes: an analysis of 178 full TKA revisions from a prospective institutional registry
Authors: Winther Siri B , Snorroeggen Gøril Lund , Klaksvik Jomar , Foss Olav A , Egeberg Tarjei , Wik Tina Strømdal , Husby Otto S
Published: October 2022

Background and purpose: Outcomes following revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may depend on the indication for revision surgery. We compared pain, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and patient satisfaction among different indications for an aseptic TKA revision.Patients and methods: This was a retrospective study of prospective data from an institutional registry of 178 primary TKAs revised between 2012 and 2020. Patients were grouped by the main reason for their revision: loosening, malposition, instability, or stiffness. Pain during mobilization and at rest (NRS 0–10), physical function (KOOS-PS and KSS), and quality of life (EQ-5D) were surveyed preoperatively and at 2 months and 1 year postoperatively. Patient satisfaction was evaluated through questions related to knee function and their willingness to undergo the same surgery again at 1-year follow-up.Results: Pain and PROMs improved in all groups and did not differ statistically significantly between the 4 groups at 1-year follow-up, but equivalence for pain was not confirmed between groups. Overall, pain during mobilization improved by 2.4 (95% CI 1.9–3.0) at 1-year follow-up, which was both clinically and statistically significant. Improvements were seen within 2 months of surgery, with no further improvements seen 1 year postoperatively. Approximately 2/3 of patients reported that their knee function had improved and would undergo the same surgery again, at 1-year follow-up.Conclusion: Statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements in pain and PROMs were seen in all 4 revision groups 1 year after revision TKA. These results may assist clinicians and patients during preoperative counselling.
Closing Post-orthodontic Spaces Between Anterior Teeth Using Sequential 3D-printed Direct Composite Injection Guides
Authors: Zhang Y , Zhang J , Fan L , Yu H
Published: October 2022

Restorative treatment of anterior teeth is sometimes required to improve esthetic and functional occlusal outcomes of orthodontic therapy. This case report presents a direct, noninvasive approach to close post-orthodontic gaps in anterior teeth using a 3D-printed composite resin injection guide with a full digital workflow. The composite injection technique using 3D-printed guides is a full digital workflow that can transfer the design precisely, save chair time, and simplify the direct composite restoration procedure.
Visualization of cathode spot control using laser irradiation and oxide addition in wire arc additive manufacturing of titanium alloys
Authors: Lee Tae Hyun , Kim Cheolhee , Oh Je Hoon , Kam Dong Hyuck
Published: October 2022

Arc instability is one of the most critical problems in gas-metal-arc (GMA) based wire arc additive manufacturing of titanium (Ti) alloys. It can result in a poor bead surface, surface oxidation, and spattering. In particular, the relocation of the cathode spot area is the main cause of big spatters because of the high thermal energy of the molten droplet at the molten pool surface. In this study, two cathode spot control techniques were applied using auxiliary laser heating and prelaid oxides, and the behaviors of the cathode spots and arc were visualized using high-speed photography. When the laser beam was irradiated in front of the GMA, a cathode spot was formed at the laser irradiation position, and the cathode jet did not interfere with the arc plasma and droplet transfer from the GMA. However, when the distance between the GMA and the laser irradiation position increased by more than 8 mm, multiple cathode spots were established, and spattering increased. The prelaid Ti oxide particles increased the metal deposition efficiency by establishing multiple and dispersed cathode spots rather than a concentrated cathode spot by droplet impingement. It was found that the volumetric transfer efficiencies (excluding spattering) for the laser-assisted control and Ti oxide powder were up to 99.87% and 91.2%, respectively.
Influence of the free surface reconstruction on the spatial laser energy distribution in high power laser beam welding modeling
Authors: Meng Xiangmeng , Putra Stephen Nugraha , Bachmann Marcel , Artinov Antoni , Rethmeier Michael
Published: October 2022

An accurate and efficient description of the spatial distribution of laser energy is a crucial factor for the modeling of laser material processing, e.g., laser welding, laser cutting, or laser-based additive manufacturing. In this study, a 3D heat transfer and fluid flow model coupled with the volume-of-fluid algorithm for free surface tracking is developed for the simulation of molten pool dynamics in high-power laser beam welding. The underlying laser-material interactions, i.e., the multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption, are considered by a ray-tracing method. Two strategies of free surface reconstruction used in the ray-tracing method are investigated: a typical piecewise linear interface calculation (PLIC)-based method and a novel localized level-set method. The PLIC-based method is discrete, resulting in non-continuous free surface reconstruction. In the localized level-set method, a continuous free surface is reconstructed, and, thus, the exact reflection points can be determined. The calculated spatial laser energy distribution and the corresponding molten pool dynamics from the two methods are analyzed and compared. The obtained numerical results are evaluated with experimental measurements to assure the validity of the proposed model. It is found that distinct patterns of the beam multiple reflections are obtained with the different free surface reconstructions, which shows significant influence not only on the molten pool behaviors but also on the localized keyhole dynamics.
Designing of aluminium case lid of prismatic battery cell for laser powder bed fusion
Authors: Saariluoma Heikki , Piiroinen Aki , Immonen Eero , Piili Heidi , Salminen Antti
Published: October 2022

The present work provides an overview on an additive manufacturing (AM) design case of a novel battery cell lid structure (patent pending) for electrical vehicle applications. The benefits of AM have not yet been explored on metal case structures of prismatic battery cells. The method allows the manufacturing of complex hollow structures and integration of multiple functions in one part. The main challenge is to address thermal management in an optimal location in the battery cell. More efficient charging and discharging by maintaining the batteries at optimum operating conditions allows a longer battery lifetime. Recent research shows that elevating the charging temperature enables significantly shorter charging times. The aim of this study is to develop a lid structure to support higher peak current, faster charging, and reduced production steps and enable mass customization. The optimum performance simulated with computational fluid dynamics calculations is realized to determine the optimum design. The design case study is verified via laser powder bed fusion prototypes. This study shows that it is possible to produce integrated thermal management liquid channels to the battery lid. Significant improvement is achieved with localized battery cell temperature management. The novel design integrates six critical functionalities of the lid in one part. The design of the features is optimized to avoid support structures in AM and to maximize the number of parts in the printing chamber volume. The better thermal management extends the driving range of the vehicle and improves vehicle safety. Reducing the parts significantly simplifies cell production.
Investigation of cyclon operation modes with intermediate removal of deposed dust
Authors:   Lviv Polytechnic National University, Maіstruk Volodymyr , Dzіndzura Volodymyr ,   Lviv Polytechnic National University
Published: October 2022

Goal. The problem can be solved in research by studying the effect of the ratio of the volume of gas passing through the dust unloading holes to the amount of gas passing through the tangential inlet to the hydraulic resistance and cleaning efficiency in the cyclone with intermediate removal of precipitated dust. Actualіty of the work is that the establishment of the optimal ratio between the flow of air sucked through the dust holes and the total air flow in the cyclone with intermediate removal of deposited dust will obtain the highest efficiency of this type of device while reducing hydraulic resistance. The method is that to determine the hydraulic resistance and cleaning efficiency using CFD - programs in the CAD - program was built a cyclone model with intermediate removal of deposited dust, the design of which is presented in [5] by the method according to [6]. Results. The optimal ratio between the flow of air sucked through the dust unloading holes and the total air flow in the cyclone with the intermediate removal of deposited dust for different connection schemes of the device. Scientific novelty. For the first time with the help of theoretical researches the optimum ratio between the expenses of the air sucked out through dust unloading openings and the general expenses of air in a cyclone with intermediate removal of the deposited dust is established. Practical significance. The use in a cyclone with intermediate removal of deposited dust, the optimal ratio between the flow of air sucked through the dust discharge holes and the total air flow allows to obtain higher efficiency of air purification from dust at lower energy costs.
Longitudinal Relationship between Children’s Emotion Dysregulation and Parent’s Negative Experience of the COVID-19 Lockdown in France
Authors:   Université Paris 8, BOUILLET Morgane , DANET Marie ,   Univ. Lille, ULR 4072 – PSITEC – Psychologie : Interactions, Temps, Emotions, Cognitions, F-59000 Lille, France
Published: October 2022

"Introduction: At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lockdown was implemented in France, leading to profound changes in families’ life. Studies showed emotional and behavioral difficulties in children and adults during this period. However, few research has focused on the longitudinal interactions between children’s emotion regulation and parental emotional experience of the lockdown. Aim: This study aimed to examine the longitudinal bidirectional relationships between children’s emotion regulation and parental emotional experience of the lockdown. Method: One hundred and twenty parents of children aged 5 to 12 answered two online questionnaires, at the start of the first lockdown (Time 1), and one month later (Time 2). Emotional dysregulation in children and parental emotional experience of the lockdown were assessed. Results: The results of the autoregressive cross-lagged analyses revealed that children’s emotion regulation at Time 1 predicted lockdown-related parental emotional experience at Time 2, whereas lockdown-related parental emotional experience at Time 1 didn’t predict children’s emotion regulation at Time 2. Conclusion: This study suggested that parents of children with greater emotion regulation difficulties have had a worse emotional experience of the lockdown, without affecting the emotional regulation of children. Clinical implications and protective factors are discussed."
Exploring preservice mathematics and social studies teachers’ internet addiction as connected with gender and grade point average
Authors:   University of Lagos (Nigeria), Awofala Adeneye O. A. , Akinoso Sabainah O. ,   University of Lagos (Nigeria), Adebayo Ayotunde ,   University of Lagos (Nigeria)
Published: October 2022

"No doubt the internet has become a globally recognized conduit for information trading and schmoozing. However, there is a rising case of internet addiction among young adults of which preservice mathematics and social studies teachers are implicated. This study investigated the correlation between preservice mathematics and social studies teachers’ internet addiction and their grade point average (GPA). Likewise, the study examined the influence of gender on internet addiction. A descriptive survey research design was implemented in the study with 300 preservice mathematics and social studies teachers and primary data collected with Internet Addiction Test (IAT, Cronbach alpha coefficient=0.92) were analysed using mean, standard deviation, independent samples t-test, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and simple linear regression analysis. The results showed that preservice mathematics and social studies teachers’ internet addiction had statistically significant negative relationship with their GPA. More so, internet addiction contributed significantly to the prediction of preservice mathematics and social studies teachers’ GPA. Gender contributed significantly to the prediction of preservice mathematics and social studies teachers’ internet addiction. In addition, there was a significant influence of gender on preservice mathematics and social studies teachers’ internet addiction with males showing higher internet addiction than their female counterparts. In line with the above findings, it was recommended that preservice mathematics and social studies teachers should lower their usage of internet and follow examples of good usage of internet technology to improve their scholastic achievement in the university. "
Romanian Question Answering Using Transformer Based Neural Networks
Authors:   Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania., Diaconu Bogdan-Alexandru , Lázár-Lőrincz Beáta ,   Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: beata.lorincz@ubbcluj.ro.
Published: October 2022

"Question answering is the task of predicting answers for questions based on a context paragraph. It has become especially important, as the large amounts of textual data available online requires not only gathering information but also the task of findings specific answers to specific questions. In this work, we present experiments evaluated on the XQuAD-ro question answering dataset that has been recently published based on the translation of the SQuAD dataset into Romanian. Our bestperforming model, Romanian fine-tuned BERT, achieves an F1 score of 0.80 and an EM score of 0.73. We show that fine-tuning the model with the addition of the Romanian translation slightly increases the evaluation metrics. Keywords and phrases: question answering, deep learning, Transformer, Romanian. "
Music Recommendations Based on User's Mood Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors:   Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: andrei.petrescu@stud.ubbcluj.ro., Petrescu Andrei
Published: October 2022

"This paper proposes a method for music recommendations using emotions, using deep learning techniques. The method is composed of two modules. The emotion detection module, which utilizes a hybrid architecture involving a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and a Reccurent Neural Network using Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) Cells. We compared individual architectures of CNNs and LSTMs against our hybrid approach, outperforming them during experiments. We evaluated the modules on our own data set, created using Spotify’s API and containing 2028 songs from different genres and linguistic families, labeled with valence and arousal values. The model also outperforms other related approaches, however we did not evaluate them on the same data set. The predictions are used by the second module, for which we proposed a simple method of ordering the results based on the similarity to user’s input. Keywords and phrases: mood, emotion, valence, energy, convolutional neural network, recurrent neural networks, long-short term memory, hybrid, regression, classification. "
Thermoplastic starch as packaging material
Authors: Janssen Leon P.B.M. , Mościcki Leszek
Published: October 2022

Attempts to reduce net CO2 emission and to increase the use of sustainable materials pose great challenges at the interface of chemical engineering and agricultural engineering. One of the products involved is thermoplastic starch that can partly substitute synthetic plastics, amongst others in packaging. In a first step a semi product is produced by mixing starch and a polyol in a cooking-extrusion process. The material obtained can than be used in other polymer processes, like extrusion, film blowing and injection moulding. Films with thicknesses of 200 µm can be achieved if gelatinisation is good and moisture content constant. In injection moulding shape stability can be retained by a judicious combination of moisture content and process temperature. The final objects can reach a strength comparable to commercial packaging plastics, like polystyrene.

A problem that still exist is the sensitivity of the material to ambient moisture, both at short terms during production as at long times during usage. These problems increase with increasing surface to volume ratio of the final product like, for instance, films. Technologies where the material is coated or where the lubricant is immobilized have to be investigatedto expand the use. From economical point of view it can be expected that the costs of the extra extrusion step during manufacturing of the semi-product can easily be covered by the price difference between starch and synthetic packaging plastics, like polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene.
Automatyzacja odcinka technologicznego na bazie logiki rozmytej
Authors: Juszka Henryk , Tomasik Marcin
Published: October 2022

Na przykładzie procesu filtracji emulsji chłodząco-smarującej elementy robocze prasy tłoczącej opakowania (bodymakera), przedstawiono automatyzację tego procesu z zastosowaniem logiki rozmytej. Brak sterowania automatycznego tym odcinkiem technologicznym (przedmiot badań) uniemożliwiał jego integrację z linią produkującą opakowania dla produktów rolno-spożywczych. Zakres pracy obejmował opracowanie systemu sterowania na bazie logiki rozmytej. Dopasowanie parametrów i współczynników sterowania oraz reguł sterowania rozmytego pozwoliło osiągnąć pozytywne wyniki weryfikacji empirycznej. We wnioskach wskazano na korzyści, jakie osiągnięto dzięki zastosowaniu logiki rozmytej do modelowania i sterownia procesami technologicznymi.
Budownictwo inwentarskie w Polsce – stan i tendencje zmian
Authors: Lorencowicz Edmund , Włodarczyk Adam
Published: October 2022

W polskim rolnictwie użytkowanych jest 3,8 mln budynków inwentarskich o wartości 70 mld zł. Stopień zużycia wynosi 75%. Roczny poziom nakładów inwestycyjnych wzrósł w latach 2000–2006 z ok. 700 mln do 1300 mln zł. Przewidywany jest dalszy wzrost nakładów, jednak jego tempo w najbliższych 2–3 latach będzie niższe niż dotychczas.
Wpływ wstępnej obróbki promieniowaniem podczerwonym na wilgotność ziarna żyta w trakcie nawilżania
Authors: Andrejko Dariusz , Rydzak Leszek
Published: October 2022

W pracy zaprezentowano wyniki badań nad zmianami wilgotności ziarna żyta nieogrzanego i ogrzanego promieniami podczerwonymi w trakcie procesu nawilżania. Ziarno żyta wstępnie ogrzewano promieniami podczerwonymi, a potem nawilżano w różnej temperaturze. Po procesie nawilżania mierzono wilgotność ziaren. Na podstawie uzyskanych wyników stwierdzono, że ziarno wstępnie ogrzane promieniami podczerwonymi charakteryzowało się większą wilgotnością aniżeli ziarno niedogrzane. Do opisu zmian wilgotności ziarna żyta w trakcie nawilżania z powodzeniem może być wykorzystywanymodel Pelega.
Role of predictable biomarkers in early detection of cardiovascular events in Chronic Kidney Disease III and IV
Authors: Durgaprasad Bhamidipaty Kanaka , Malla Rama Rao , Lahari Bhamidipaty Durgananda , Vijayalakshmi Payala , Guntoory Indira , Kalyan Kolli Viswa
Published: October 2022

This comes about because of a lack of predicted biomarkers in the risk analysis of CVD events in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. The present study aimed to determine the clinical utility of independent, predictable biomarkers such as serum creatinine, estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR), high sensitive C-Reactive protein (hsCRP), fibrinogen and lipid profile as early predictors of CVD in CKD at stage III/IV.

Methods. This is a case-control study that includes a sample size of 100 patients of cases and 100 patients of controls who were recruited from November 2020 to April 2021, from the Nephrology department of the Visakhapatnam tertiary care teaching hospital, and present with chronic kidney disease – stage III/IV. The subjects’ general conditions (age, gender, height, weight, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and smoking history); underlying diseases (coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus) were recorded. Fasting venous blood samples were collected under aseptic conditions from the study group after taking informed consent. The measurement of serum creatinine was performed by modification of kinetic Jaffe reaction. The Cockcroft-Gault equation was used to calculate eGFR in both cases and controls. CRP testing was done with a Cobas C311 analyzer, using immunoturbidimetric assay. The Fibroquant kit from Tulip was employed to measure fibrinogen levels in blood samples, and enzymatic methods were applied for lipid profile analysis.

Results. In this study, higher mean values of hsCRP (34.28 mg/dl), increased serum creatinine levels (2.876 mg/dl), reduced eGFR (28.37 mls/min), high levels of serum fibrinogen (291.6 mg/dl), and cholesterol (214.5 mg/dl), HDL (28.34 mg/dl), TG (162.1 mg/dl), VLDL (32.41 mg/dl) and LDL (153.77 mg/dl) were found to be independent predictors of assessment of CV events in patients with CKD stages III and IV as determined by Chi-square test.

Conclusion. A prompt and accurate assessment of cardiovascular risk in CKD patients would enable more aggressive and focused treatment of the individuals who are most in need of preventive interventions to decrease incident rates.
Peculiarities of the detection and course of the pediatric extrapulmonary tuberculosis taking into account drug resistance
Authors: Piskur Zoriana Ivanovna , Pylypiv Lesya , Shvets Olga , Sakhelashvili Manana , Kostyk Olga , Sakhelashvili-Bil Olga
Published: October 2022

Pediatric tuberculosis is a health problem of special significance because it is a marker for current transmission of tuberculosis in society. The research aimed at analyzing the peculiarities of detection and course of pediatric extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) taking into account the profile of drug resistance. A retrospective study of medical charts of children with EPTB (n = 47; 1st group) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) (n = 49; 2nd group) aged 0-15 for 2013-2020 has been conducted. 2 subgroups with EPTB were identified separately: resistant (EPRTB) (n = 23) and sensitive (EPSTB) (n = 24). Results and discussion. The frequency of EPTB was 9.8%. Tuberculosis of peripheral LN (40.5%), CNS (27.7%), bones and joints (23.4%) was significantly more often diagnosed, than other lesions. Almost half of children with EPTB had a miliary distribution. In 44.7% of children with EPTB contact with a patient with tuberculosis was not established. EPRTB was significantly more common among children under 1 and up to 3 years of age than EPSTB. The resistance to combination of HR (73.6%) was found more often than to HRES (10.5%), HRS, H and Z (5.3% each; p<0.01). In 73.9% of children with EPRTB was detected when seeking medical care, in 13.0% the time to diagnosing lasted 6 months. Among children with EPRTB, gradual course was more frequent and in 47.8% intoxication syndrome was dominating. 78.3% of children with EPRTB were not vaccinated. Conclusion. The above indicates the need to intensify preventive measures against tuberculosis among children, especially at risk groups, make monitoring of contacts and their treatment.
Testing sand and soil from selected playgrounds in Lublin for eggs of nematodes of the genus: Ascaris, Toxocara, Trichuris
Authors: Chodun-Wroblewska Wiktoria , Nieradko-Iwanicka Barbara , Iwanicki Janusz Andrzej
Published: October 2022

Children need to play outdoors. It is a natural tendency for young children to put everything in their mouths. Hygienic condition of playgrounds is important for maintaining their health. Companion animals (dogs and cats) as well as wild animals can transmit parasites that cause zoonoses in humans. Such infections often affects children playing in sandpits and playgrounds. Sand samples taken from specific locations (sandboxes, playgrounds) can be tested for the presence of parasite eggs specific to humans and animals (Ascaris, Toxocara, Trichuris). They cause ascariasis, toxocarosis, trichurosis. Invasive eggs of the parasites due to the very thick, multi-layered egg shells are very resistant to the influence of climatic factors and to chemicals present in the environment. The only way to get rid of parasite eggs from locations where they endanger human health is to remove the top layer of sand or soil or completely replace the sand. However, this is a laborious and costly procedure.

The aim of the project was to examine samples from selected playgrounds in Lublin (Polnad) in terms of the presence of Ascaris, Toxocara, and Trichuris eggs.

Thirty five samples of sand and soil obtained from 7 playgrounds in Lublin were obtained in May 2022 and tested for the presence of Ascaris, Toxocara, and Trichuris eggs with flotation method. In none of the examined samples the parasite eggs were found. The tested playgrounds in Lublin are hygienic and safe from eggs of Ascaris, Toxocara, and Trichuris.
Case study of qualitative sorting of raw wood assortments in the conditions of a forestry enterprise in Slovakia
Authors: Gejdoš Miloš , Gergeľ Tomáš
Published: October 2022

Valuation of timber growing in commercial forests is a key issue for forest owners, forest enterprises, but also a starting point for long-term planning in the field of forest management. The subjective approach of the evaluator can, to a large extent, lead to inconsistencies in the area of wood qualitative evaluation. This paper aimed to perform an objective qualitative analysis on a selected set of 179 logs of hardwood raw-wood assortments in a selected Forest enterprise in Slovakia. Qualitative analysis, which was performed by the Technical Conditions used by Lesy SR, š.p. confirms the identical classification of raw-wood assortments, in comparison with the classification performed by the management of the forestry enterprise, in 65 logs (36.3% of logs). In 114 (63.7%) logs, the log assortment was classified in another quality class. Most of the logs, which were reclassified to lower quality classes, showed limiting qualitative features of multiple sweep (83 logs), resp. significant simple sweep over 8 cm/m (5 logs), soft rot over 20% of the end diameter area (10 logs), and decaved knots (19 logs). Our work confirmed that the qualitative evaluation of raw-wood assortments in forestry enterprises in Slovakia is not optimal and correct. The work should thus contribute to improving the setting of optimization processes in the timber production phase in forestry enterprises.
Technological employment of fire-fighting adapter to increase the efficiency of extinguishing forest fires
Authors: Hnilicová Michaela , Priatka Matej , Hnilica Richard , Messingerová Valéria
Published: October 2022

The paper presents the results of the solution defining the possible application of the adapter as a fire-fighting mobile device with a base machine of a forest wheeled skidder (LKT) in the fire protection of forests in the Slovak Republic. Following the challenging accessibility to fire-fighting machinery during any intervention in forestry operation, the main aim was formulated. It will be about basic technical parameters of the DATEFF fire-fighting adapter, resulting from operational measures and following specification of its tactical deployment in extinguishing forest fires. This fact also follows from based on statistically processed data on fire in state forests of the Slovak Republic in the last ten years. The greatest damage occurs mainly the forests at a slope gradient of 16%. Designed fire adapter is structurally designed mainly to these terrains. Regarding its design and technical parameters, the proposed DATEFF adapter can be employed tactically as fire-fighting mobile device. In the case of an unavailable water source without access to the forest transport network, the adapter can be used as a part of long-distance water transport or as a mobile device for emergency import of material. Another option is to use it as a water tank in inaccessible terrain with the possibility of refilling using a Bambi bag and a helicopter. This fire-fighting adapter DATEFF is designed for forest wheel tractors that reach 40% slope availability, are able to work on the stand area, overcome obstacles and are available in sufficient quantities in all Slovak forest owners.
Perceived climate change risks among other risks affecting private forest owners in a top-down decision-making process
Authors: Coşofreţ Cosmin , Bouriaud Laura
Published: October 2022

Forest management adaptation to climate change is a matter of forest type, disturbances regime, and forest owners’ behavior face the climate change issue. Knowing factors that determine people respond to climate change challenges is essential to explaining their perceptions of climate change adaptation. We have conducted astudy in North-Eastern Romania applying the Model of Private Proactive Adaptation to Climate Change. The aim was to identify private forest owners’ perceptions about climate change and forest management threats and constraints and to analyse what variables differentiate private forest owners’ adaptation behavior. The PFOs with higher education were aware of the forest regime regarding private management. They knew how to assess climate change risk, while those with secondary education were the only interest was obtaining wood. The PFOs’ risk experience played an important role in adaptation. The perceptions and beliefs of PFOs were strongly influenced by socio-economic status, and they believe in climate change effects on forests but not on theirs. Adaption has become less urgent because forest management problems blur climate change beliefs. Assuming that the Romanian PFOs’ perceptions and beliefs about climate change will follow the European trend, they will want to improve their knowledge about climate change impacts and adaptive measures. Therefore, aggregating the interested PFOs, creating suitable communication channels, and organizing trainings on forest management adaptation to climate change will be needed to prevent this need.
Cryptogenic organising pneumonia – a continuous challenge. Case report
Authors: Vastag Zsolt , Tudorache Emanuela , Hogea Stanca-Patricia , Garjoaba Andrada , Fira-Mladinescu Ovidiu
Published: October 2022

Cryptogenic organising pneumonia (COP) is an interstitial lung disease, with an unknown aetiology. Treatment is based on oral corticotherapy, starting with attack doses given for 2–6 weeks, followed by gradual tapering over a period of 3–6 months. Relapses are common, especially in the first year. A 51-year-old patient, former smoker, without exposure to noxious substances, presented to the hospital in January 2020 with fever, dry cough and malaise. On chest radiography, lesions suggestive of bronchopneumonia were revealed and antibiotic treatment was started. The patient did not respond to treatment and chest Computed tomography (CT) was performed, which detected pulmonary condensations, predominantly with a subpleural disposition, predominantly in the lower lobes, as well as pleural effusion and minimal pericarditis. Due to the unfavourable disease evolution despite treatment and according to other investigation results, COP diagnosis was raised and oral corticotherapy was prescribed, with a favourable response. The patient complained of reappearance of the initial symptoms at dose weaning and she was reassessed by CT in June 2020. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic raised the suspicion of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV2) infection, which was infirmed later. Corticotherapy was resumed, and at a check-up after 10 months, broncho-alveolar lavage was performed, with results within normal limits. The evolution of the patient was favourable. In conclusion, in the case of a pneumonia in which there is a discrepancy between the clinic, biologic and imagistic (possibly with a migratory pattern) and the response to treatment, COP must also be considered. Relapses are relatively common, and may occur both during corticotherapy dose reduction and after the end of treatment.
Diagnosis and management of cough-variant asthma
Authors: Wicaksono Muhammad Bimo Adi , Yunus Faisal
Published: October 2022

Cough is a natural defence mechanism of the lungs to prevent aspiration and to keep the airway clean. Cough, wheezing and shortness of breath are common symptoms of asthma. Cough-variant asthma is one of the phenotypes of asthma with the main symptom of cough without shortness of breath and wheezing. Cough-variant asthma is largely observed in patients with bronchial hyperresponsiveness who experience cough due to innocuous stimuli, and it is associated with a family history and seasonal allergy. In the present study, in patients with cough-variant asthma, no abnormalities were found during the lung function test, particularly forced expiratory flow in the first second (FEV1) or peak expiratory flow (PEF), although these values were lower than those in normal individuals. A bronchial provocation test using methacholine is needed to assess airway hyperresponsiveness, and depending on the outcome of the test, an assessment can be made as to the probability of the patient requiring a diagnosis of cough-variant asthma. Administration of inhalation therapy with bronchodilators and corticosteroids is the mainstay of management in patients with cough-variant asthma presenting with the symptom of persistent cough. Until now, there have been no specific guidelines for drug selection, dose and duration of inhaled corticosteroid use in cough-variant asthma. If symptoms do not resolve with inhaled corticosteroid monotherapy, consideration may be given to increase the inhalation dose or to add other drugs such as long-acting B2 agonists, slow-release theophylline or leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA).
Parental perception and ideas about the childhood asthma
Authors: Mohammed Hussein Jasim
Published: October 2022

Bronchial asthma is defined as a chronic inflammatory process of the airway that causes a simultaneous increase in airway hyperactivity that leads to recurrent attacks of noisy breathing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing, particularly at night or in the early morning. The survey aims to study parents’, ideas and perceptions about their children’s asthma. This study was conducted by direct interviewing of 150 parents of asthmatic children with a cross-sectional study on asthmatic children aged 1–14 years who were attending outpatient departments, hospital wards and private clinics from the 1 September 2019 to 1 July 2020 at Basrah city, Iraq. The questionnaire included a review of parents,’ beliefs on the aetiology, naming and trigger factors of their children’s asthma. Another part of the questions was regarding the usage of long-term asthma medications and phobia regarding their side effects. Findings from this study revealed that most parents could not identify asthma by its name because only 39 (26%) of them named the disease as asthma; 94 (62.7%) parents called the disease allergic bronchitis. The aetiology of childhood asthma was considered to be hereditary by most parents, i.e. 108 (72%), and the main trigger factor mentioned by parents for acute exacerbation of asthma was respiratory tract infections [115 (76.7%)]. Only 47% of the patients were using long-term asthma medications, with parents, concern on drug safety was specified by 48 (31.9%) of them as phobia regarding drug addiction [20 (13.3%)], phobia regarding palpitation by 13 (8.6%), and remaining 15 (10%) had phobia regarding growth failure effect from steroids. Most of the parents had misperceptions and inadequate information about the pathogenesis and the aetiology of childhood asthma. There were a significant number of parents who had a concern about childhood asthma drug safety.
Upper-airway foreign bodies: is a clinical approach enough for proceeding with invasive management? Evidence from a case
Authors: Coronado Juan Felipe , Barraza Osvaldo Camilo , Remolina Carlos , Rodríguez José
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Upper-airway foreign bodies are a common condition in the emergency room, which can lead to death among different-aged populations, and a fast clinical recognition and management have led to improvement in the outcomes.

Objective: To present a clinical case of a male patient with an upper-airway foreign body, which only required clinical evaluation before surgical management.

Clinical case: We report the case of an 8-year-old Hispanic boy, who presented to the emergency room with upper respiratory symptoms, including dry cough, dysphagia, and chest discomfort; after clinical evaluation, a diagnosis of an upper-airway foreign body was made; the patient was taken to the operating room, and a tracheal foreign body was removed using rigid bronchoscopy. The post-operative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged.

Discussion: The physiopathology, diagnosis, and management based on the presented case are discussed.

Conclusion: A good clinical history, along with a thorough physical examination and a high index of suspicion from the clinician, is enough for achieving a diagnosis, facilitating early management and reducing complications.