bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Olanzapine cost-effectiveness in vomiting and nausea from highly emetogenic chemotherapy in children and adolescents
Authors: Sra Manraj Singh , Ganguly Shuvadeep , Naik Ramavath Devendra , Sasi Archana , Sharma Priya , Giri Rupak Kumar , Abdul Rasheed Azgar , Bakhshi Sameer
Published: February 2023

Objectives

To assess the cost-effectiveness of addition of olanzapine to a prophylactic antiemetic regimen containing aprepitant, dexamethasone and ondansetron among children receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the UK and the USA.

Methods

Health states were estimated using individual patient-level outcome data from a randomised trial. The incremental cost–utility ratio (ICUR), incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and net monetary benefit (NMB) were calculated from the patient perspective for India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the UK and the USA. One-way sensitivity analysis was done by varying the cost of olanzapine, cost of hospitalisation and utility values by ±25%.

Results

The olanzapine arm had an increment of 0.0018 quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) over the control arm. The mean total expenditure in the olanzapine arm was greater by US$0.51, US$0.43, US$6.73, US$11.05 and US$12.35 in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the UK and the USA, respectively. The ICUR($/QALY) was US$282.60 in India, US$241.42 in Bangladesh, US$3755.93 in Indonesia, US$6161.83 in the UK and US$6887.41 in the USA. The NMB was US$9.86, US$10.12, US$14.08, US$44.74 and US$98.79 for India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the UK and the USA, respectively. The ICUR estimates of the base case and sensitivity analysis were below the willingness-to-pay threshold in all scenarios.

Conclusion

The addition of olanzapine as a fourth agent for antiemetic prophylaxis is cost-effective despite an increase in overall expenditure. Olanzapine should be uniformly considered for children receiving HEC.
Asymmetric growth of belowground and aboveground tree organs and their architectural relationships: a review
Authors: Wang Hongbing , Qin Jun , Hu Yonghong , Guo Chenbing
Published: February 2023

The issue of forest trees biologically designed to withstand wind and slope stresses for improving tree anchorage and stability has been of interest to many forest ecologists for over 200 years. Asymmetry in architecture and function is a typical effect of biomechanical design. This review tried to find the architectural connectivity between belowground and aboveground organs of a tree based on a summary of observations of the asymmetric growth of crown, trunk, and root system. The asymmetrical aboveground growth is influenced by a complex interaction of tree species, age, neighborhood competition, wind, lighting, slope, and elevation. The asymmetrical belowground development is dependent on tree species, age, trunk leaning, wind, soil, and slope. Uneven water conduction, nutrient allocation, hormone content, and photosynthesis rate can influence the relationship of architectural mechanisms between the belowground and aboveground organs. The contradictory observations on the directional deformations of the root system (buttresses) reveal the particular prominence of combined effects of multiple factors. Future research should focus on the comprehensive understanding of the belowground and aboveground architectural relationships of different tree species. Our review provides novel insights into the connotations of root–shoot balance in biomass distribution of the individual plant organs.
Forbidden Patterns for FO2 Alternation Over Finite and Infinite Words
Authors: Henriksson Viktor , Kufleitner Manfred
Published: February 2023

We consider two-variable first-order logic FO2 and its quantifier alternation hierarchies over both finite and infinite words. Our main results are forbidden patterns for deterministic automata (finite words) and for Carton-Michel automata (infinite words). In order to give concise patterns, we allow the use of subwords on paths in finite graphs. This concept is formalized as subword-patterns. For certain types of subword-patterns there exists a non-deterministic logspace algorithm to decide their presence or absence in a given automaton. In particular, this leads to NL algorithms for deciding the levels of the FO2 quantifier alternation hierarchies. This applies to both full and half levels, each over finite and infinite words. Moreover, we show that these problems are NL-hard and, hence, NL-complete.
Influence of second-order slip and multiple convective conditions on magnetized nanofluid flow over a permeable stretching cylinder
Authors: Maity Suprakash , Kundu Prabir Kumar
Published: February 2023

This paper investigates the second-order slip effect under multiple convective conditions. Nanofluid flow is taken over a permeable stretching cylinder. Suction and injection of nanofluid together with Brownian motion and thermophoresis is also incorporated in this research. Renovation of leading partial differential equations is done with the help of appropriate similarity transfiguration. Obtained nonlinear Ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are solved by Runge–Kutta 4th order (RK-4) method with shooting technique. MAPLE-2019 software is used to simulate the system with a degree of precision of [Formula: see text]. Several graphs and tables are included to showcase the findings in this investigation. Heat transfer allocation was changed by 17.52% for injection to suction of nanofluid in the system but mass transfer is changed by 9% approximately for the same situation. Skin friction co-efficient diminished in case of higher value of Reynolds number by 2.52% for suction of nanofluid and 2.68% for injection of nanofluid. Upshots of several parameters are compared under suction and injection.
Energy Transition and Environmental Sustainability in Iran: Pros and Cons Through SWOT Analysis Approach
Authors: Mostaghimi Nader , Rasoulinezhad Ehsan
Published: February 2023

This study investigates the pros and cons of the energy transition process as a part of environmental sustainability’s policy in Iran. To analyse the strategic transition towards clean energy in Iran and extract practical policies and operational solutions, the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) technique was applied. Based on the findings, Iran’s most significant strengths towards greening economy are low operational cost of clean energy and academic experts’ involvement in localisation and environmental protection. Non-renewable energy trade, high initial costs, and Iran’s economic and foreign policy instability are the major weaknesses. Moreover, the opportunities include diversifying the economy to increase income and reduce dependence on oil. Finally, a lack of institutional capacity and coordination with related industries were the biggest threats. Based on the internal and external matrix, Iran’s energy transition process towards clean (renewable) energies is strategically in ST (Strengths and Threats) situation. It means, this transition in Iran has strengths (i.e. low cost of clean energy) as well as threats (i.e. increased competition in the global energy market) due to the internal and external factors, which can take advantage of existing strengths and predict future threats to reduce the effect of threats on the movement towards clean energy.
An Automatic Recognition System for Digital Collections of Indonesian Traditional Houses Using Convolutional Neural Networks for Cultural Heritage Preservation
Authors: Handhayani Teny , Pawening Ageng Hadi , Hendryli Janson
Published: February 2023

Indonesia is one of the archipelago countries located in Asia and it has diverse cultures. In modern society, Indonesian traditional houses have become rare and need to be preserved. This research is conducted to build a digital collection and to develop an image-based automatic recognition system for Indonesian traditional houses. In this paper, the traditional house images are collected in several ways: on-site image captures, receiving images from volunteers, and collecting public images from Google. The dataset is limited to the collection of building shape images, excluding the interior design. The authors implement Convolutional Neural Networks (ConvNets) to build a model for an automatic recognition system. The experiments run some deep network models: VGG, DenseNet, Inception, Xception, MobileNetV2, NasNetMobile, and EfficientNet. The experiments involve 1526 images of 16 classes. EfficientNet-Lite0 outperforms other models and produces the average F1-score and accuracy of 90.1% and 91.8%, respectively. ConvNets also outperform conventional classifiers.
A Turning Point for Cyber Insurance
Authors: Woods Daniel W.
Published: February 2023

Technologists who understand and measure cyber risk can motivate policyholders to improve security.
A Preliminary Evaluation of Variability, Genetic Estimates, and Association among Phenotypic Traits of African Yam Bean Landraces from Ghana
Authors: Adjei Remember Roger , Donkor Esther Fobi , Santo Kwadwo Gyasi , Adarkwah Charles , Sarfo Boateng Amanda , Afreh Daniel Ntiamoah , Sallah Edward
Published: February 2023

A field experiment was conducted at the Research and Teaching Farm, School of Agriculture and Technology (SOAT), University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Dormaa Ahenkro Campus, Ghana, to determine the genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, and correlation among growth and yield traits of the African yam bean in Ghana. There were significant differences (

p
<
0.05

) for the traits studied, except for days to 50% emergence, petiole length, days to maturity, stem diameter, days to 50% flowering, pod weight, pod beak length, pod weight per plant, seed length, and seed width. The phenotypic coefficient of variation and genotypic coefficient of variation for the yield and yield components ranged from 9.43% to 18.92% and 3.25% to 15.93%, respectively, and from 9.35% to 20.08% and 2.15% to 23.28%, respectively, for the growth parameters. Heritability ranged from 34.54% to 91.81, and the GAM ranged from 2.77% to 45.96% for the growth parameters. The heritability and GAM for the yield parameters ranged from 11.85% to 73.56% and 1.94% to 27.64%, respectively. The correlation analysis revealed a positive and highly significant (

p
<
0.001

) relationship between petiole length and leaf length (r = 0.573), number of seeds per pod and number of leaves (r = 0.520), pod beak length and peduncle length (r = 0.560), pod weight per plant and pod weight per plot (r = 0.971), seed weight per plant and 100 seed weight (r = 0.967), grain yield and 100 seed weight (r = 0.999) and seed weight per plant (r = 0.970), 100 seed weight and pod per plant (r = 0.576). The study revealed diversity among the AYB landraces collected, which provides an opportunity for improvement of the African yam bean in Ghana. There is the need for the conservation of these landraces for further evaluations and the improvement of the promising landraces and traits through breeding programmes.
Effects of DNA Immunoadsorption Combined with Medication on Immune Function and Renal Function in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Bai Lijie , Sun Mingxia , Wu Guiying , Wang Jing , Wang Yong , Shi Jun , Zhang Liying
Published: February 2023

Objective. At present, glucocorticoids combined with cyclophosphamide are still used for the clinical treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, long-term practice has shown that drug treatment currently has the phenomena of long treatment duration, uncontrollable conditions in a short period of time, and unsatisfactory efficacy. DNA immunoadsorption therapy is a newly developed therapy. The combination of drugs and DNA immunoadsorption has been reported for the treatment of SLEN in clinics for a long time. In this study, we observed the effects of DNA immunoadsorption combined with drug therapy on immune function and renal function in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The results showed that the DNA immunosorbent assay combined with medication in the treatment of SLE could quickly and specifically remove pathogenic substances from patients, improve renal function, immune function, and complement levels in patients, and help to relieve disease activity.
Evaluating the Outcome of an Unnecessary Request for CT Scan in Be’sat Hospital of Hamadan
Authors: Khosravi Hossein , Hamidi Mohammad , Nikzad Safoora , Tapak Leili
Published: February 2023

Aim. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of unnecessary tests requested in Be’sat Hospital in Hamadan. Materials and Methods. This descriptive research was conducted in order to investigate the frequency of unnecessary requests for CT scan and radiography of patients referring to the imaging department of Be’sat Hospital in Hamadan in a 4- to 6-month period. Patient information, including gender, age, type of CT scan test, the reason for requesting the test, the expertise of the requesting physician, and the result of the radiologist’s report on each test, was extracted and collected. Results. A total of 1000 CT scans were evaluated. The mean age of these patients was about 36 years and most of them were men. The highest and lowest percentages of unnecessary cases were related to CT scans of the brain (42.3%) and facial bones (2.3%), respectively. The most and the least unnecessary CT scans based on the reason given for the request were related to multiple physical trauma (30.7%) and chronic kidney disease (1.5%), respectively. Conclusion. In all tests, over 74% of the reports were unnecessary and less than 26% were necessary. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce unnecessary requests to reduce the radiation dose of patients. Also, the knowledge of doctors should be increased in the field of appropriate evaluation of CT scan tests based on clinical guidelines.
Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in the Elderly, the Birjand Longitudinal Aging Study
Authors: Moshtagh Mozhgan , Moodi Mitra , Moezi Seyyed Ali , Sharifi Farshad , Khazdair Mohammad Reza
Published: February 2023

Cigarette smoking is a significant risk factor for chronic and atherosclerotic vascular disease that causes preventable considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study is aimed at comparing inflammation and the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in elderly subjects. The authors recruited the participants (1281 older adults) from the Birjand Longitudinal of Aging study. They measured oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers serum levels in the 101 cigarettes and 1180 nonsmokers. The mean age of smokers was 69.3 ± 7.95 years, and most were male. The most percentage of male cigarette smokers have lower body mass index (BMI) (≤19 kg/m2). Females have higher BMI categories than males (P ≤ 0.001). The percentage of diseases and defects was different between cigarette and non‐cigarette smoker adults (P ≤ 0.01 to P ≤ 0.001). The total white blood cells, neutrophils, and eosinophils were significantly higher in cigarettes compared to non‐cigarette smokers (P ≤ 0.001). Besides, cigarette consumers’ percentage of hemoglobin and hematocrit compared to other aged people was significantly different (P ≤ 0.001). However, biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidant levels were not significant differences between the two senior groups. Cigarette smoking in older adults was associated with increased inflammatory biomarkers and cells, but it did not find a significant difference in oxidative stress markers. Longitudinal prospective studies may help illuminate the mechanisms inducing oxidative stress and inflammation due to cigarette smoking in each gender.
A Greedy Optimized Intelligent Framework for Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease Using EEG Signal
Authors: Swarnalatha R.
Published: February 2023

Recent researchers have been drawn to the analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals in order to confirm the disease and severity range by viewing the EEG signal which has complicated the dataset. The conventional models such as machine learning, classifiers, and other mathematical models achieved the lowest classification score. The current study proposes to implement a novel deep feature with the best solution for EEG signal analysis and severity specification. A greedy sandpiper‐based recurrent neural system (SbRNS) model for predicting Alzheimer’s disease (AD) severity has been proposed. The filtered data are used as input for the feature analysis and the severity range is divided into three classes: low, medium, and high. The designed approach was then implemented in the matrix laboratory (MATLAB) system, and the effectiveness score was calculated using key metrics such as precision, recall, specificity, accuracy, and misclassification score. The validation results show that the proposed scheme achieved the best classification outcome.
Impact of Pretrained Deep Neural Networks for Tomato Leaf Disease Prediction
Authors: Bouni Mohamed , Hssina Badr , Douzi Khadija , Douzi Samira
Published: February 2023

The economic prosperity of a country is highly dependent on agriculture. The use of technology in agriculture has greatly contributed to the economic prosperity of industrialized countries and is crucial for the growth of emerging countries. One major challenge in agriculture is the detection and control of plant diseases, which can greatly affect food production and population well-being. Plant illnesses have a substantial effect on plant productivity and quality. The detection of various types of diseases in plants with bare eyes is time consuming and a difficult task with little precision. Mainly our primary concern is tomato crops. The economic demand for tomatoes has grown dramatically over time. The complicated task of controlling tomato infection requires ongoing care during the crop cycle and consumes a considerable amount of the total cost of production. To classify tomato diseases, we made the use of the pretrained deep neural networks and automation, which are crucial for this method. Digital image processing can be used to monitor plant disease. Deep learning has made remarkable improvements in digital image processing in recent years, surpassing the older techniques. This article identifies tomato leaf disease using a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) and transfer learning. The CNN’s backbone comprises AlexNet, ResNet, VGG-16, and DenseNet. The Adam and RmsProp optimization methods examine these networks’ relative performance, demonstrating that the DenseNet model with the RmsProp optimization approach achieves the most significant outcomes with the best accuracy of 99.9%.
A Multidimensional Data Utility Evaluation and Pricing Scheme in the Big Data Market
Authors: Chen Yuling , Bai Rui , Wu Yongtang , Li Tao , Zhou Hui
Published: February 2023

Big data as a derivative of information technology facilitates the birth of data trading. The technology surrounding the business value of big data has come into focus. However, most of the current research focuses on improving the performance of big data analytics algorithms. Data pricing is still one of the main issues in data trading. Therefore, we aim to tackle the problem of evaluating the utility of data in the big data trading market and the problem of maximizing the profits of the various roles involved in data trading. To this end, we propose a Multidimensional Data Utility Evaluation (MDDUE) method through three data quality dimensions, namely, data size, availability, and completeness. Next, we propose a big data trading market model including data providers, service providers, and service users. An optimal data-pricing scheme based on a three-party Stackelberg game is proposed to maximize the participants’ profits. Finally, a machine learning model is used to verify the rationality and validity of the MDDUE. The results show that MDDUE can evaluate the utility of data more accurately than previous work. The existence and uniqueness of the Nash equilibrium are demonstrated through numerical experiments.
Identification of Usutu Virus Africa 3 Lineage in a Survey of Mosquitoes and Birds from Urban Areas of Western Spain
Authors: Bravo-Barriga Daniel , Ferraguti Martina , Magallanes Sergio , Aguilera-Sepúlveda Pilar , Llorente Francisco , Pérez-Ramírez Elisa , Vázquez Ana , Guerrero-Carvajal Fátima , Sánchez-Seco María Paz , Jiménez-Clavero Miguel Ángel , Mora-Rubio Carlos , Marzal Alfonso , Frontera Eva , de Lope Florentino
Published: February 2023

Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging zoonotic arbovirus that has caused an increasing number of animal and human cases in Europe in recent years. Understanding the vector species and avian hosts involved in the USUV enzootic cycle in an area of active circulation is vital to anticipate potential outbreaks. Mosquitoes were captured in 2020, while wild birds were sampled in both 2020 and 2021 in Extremadura, southwestern Spain. The presence of USUV in the mosquito vectors was assessed by a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay and confirmed by sequencing amplicons from two generic RT-PCR sets for flaviviruses. Sequences were analysed phylogenetically. Bird sera were screened for flavivirus antibodies with a blocking ELISA kit and subsequently tested for virus-specific antibodies with a micro-virus-neutralization test. Overall, 6,004 mosquitoes belonging to 13 species were captured, including some well-known flavivirus vectors (Culex pipiens, Cx. perexiguus, and Cx. univittatus). Of the 438 pools tested, USUV was detected in two pools of Cx. pipiens. Phylogenetic analysis using a fragment of the NS5 gene assigned the USUV detected the Africa 3 lineage. Out of 1,413 wild birds tested, USUV-specific antibodies were detected in 17 birds (1.2%, 10 males and 7 females) from eight species. The first detection of USUV Africa 3 lineage in mosquitoes from Spain, together with serologically positive resident wild birds in urban and rural areas, indicates active circulation and a possible risk of exposure for the human population, with necessity to establish specific surveillance plans.
Protective Effects of Dexmedetomidine Infusion on Genotoxic Potential of Isoflurane in Patients Undergoing Emergency Surgery
Authors: Aroosa Sadaf , Sattar Adeel , Javeed Aqeel , Usman Muhammad , Hafeez Mian Abdul , Ahmad Mehmood
Published: February 2023

Background. Isoflurane (ISO) has been extensively uses in general anesthesia and reported to cause deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage in prolonged surgical procedures. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is an adrenergic agonist and having antioxidant activity that may reduce the genotoxic potential (DNA damage) and oxidative stress induced by ISO in patients undergoing major neurosurgical procedures. Methods and Findings. Twenty-four patients of ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) classes I and II were randomly divided into two groups (n = 12). Group A patients received ISO, while group B patients received DEX infusion for maintenance of anesthesia. Venous blood samples were collected at different time intervals and used to evaluate the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA) and endogenous antioxidants superoxide dismutases (SOD) and catalases (CAT). A single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE)-comet assay was used to investigate the genotoxic potential of ISO. Conclusion. Increased level of antioxidants and decreased value of MDA and genetic damage index were seen in group B (

P
<
0.001

) in a time-dependent manner. Genetic damage was highest at point T2 (0.77 vs. 1.37), and continued to decrease till T3 (0.42 vs. 1.19), with respect to negative controls or baseline values following DEX infusion. Significantly, higher level of MDA was recorded in serum of group A (

P
<
0.001

) as compared to group B (1.60 ± 0.33 vs. 0.03 ± 0.001). Enzymatic activities of CAT and SOD were significantly higher in group B than group A (10.11 ± 2.18 vs. 5.71 ± 0.33), (1.04 ± 0.05 vs. 0.95 ± 0.01), respectively. It may play a contributing role in daily anesthesia practice and improve the toxic effects on patients as well as anesthesia personnel. Trial Registration. Ethical Committee of Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI), Lahore General Hospital approved the use of humans in this study vide human subject application number ANS-6466 dated February 04, 2019. Furthermore, as the clinical trials required registration from an appropriate registry approved by World Health Organization (WHO), this trail also retrospectively registered at Thai Clinical Trials Registry (an approved WHO registry for clinical trials registration) under reference ID TCTR20211230001 on December 30, 2021.
Enhancing the Neuroprotection Potential of Edaravone in Transient Global Ischemia Treatment with Glutathione- (GSH-) Conjugated Poly(methacrylic acid) Nanogel as a Promising Carrier for Targeted Brain Drug Delivery
Authors: Mozafari Faezeh , Rashidzadeh Hamid , Bijani Soroush , Zare-Molaei Faezeh , Islambulchilar Ziba , Danafar Hossein , Kalantari-Hesari Ali , Ramazani Ali , Hosseini Mir-Jamal
Published: February 2023

Ischemic stroke is the most common among various stroke types and the second leading cause of death, worldwide. Edaravone (EDV) is one of the cardinal antioxidants that is capable of scavenging reactive oxygen species, especially hydroxyl molecules, and has been already used for ischemic stroke treatment. However, poor water solubility, low stability, and bioavailability in aqueous media are major EDV drawbacks. Thus, to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, nanogel was exploited as a drug carrier of EDV. Furthermore, decorating the nanogel surface with glutathione as targeting ligands would potentiate the therapeutic efficacy. Nanovehicle characterization was assessed with various analytical techniques. Size (199 nm, hydrodynamic diameter) and zeta potential (-25 mV) of optimum formulation were assessed. The outcome demonstrated a diameter of around 100 nm, sphere shape, and homogenous morphology. Encapsulation efficiency and drug loading were determined to be 99.9% and 37.5%, respectively. In vitro drug release profile depicted a sustained release process. EDV and glutathione presence in one vehicle simultaneously made the possibility of antioxidant effects on the brain in specific doses, which resulted in elevated spatial memory and learning along with cognitive function in Wistar rats. In addition, significantly lower MDA and PCO and higher levels of neural GSH and antioxidant levels were observed, while histopathological improvement was approved. The developed nanogel can be a suited vehicle for drug delivery of EDV to the brain and improve ischemia-induced oxidative stress cell damage.
A Laminated Beam Model for the Effective Tensile and Bending Elastic Moduli of Nanowires
Authors: Yuan Quan , He Qian
Published: February 2023

Surface elasticity has a strong influence on the size-dependent mechanical properties of nanowires (NWs). In this work, a laminated beam model is used to predict the effective tensile and bending moduli of a NW. The surface layer is assumed to have a definite thickness and different elastic moduli from the bulk layer. The effective moduli of the NW are expressed as a function of surface thickness and surface constant. The theoretical predictions for stiffening and softening effects are in good agreement with experimental results. High surface elasticity increases the bending modulus more than the tensile modulus. Low surface elasticity decreases the bending modulus more than the tensile modulus. Surface thickness has a considerable influence on the effective modulus of NW and amplifies stiffening and softening effects.
Comparison of the Postoperative Analgesic Effects between Ultrasound-Guided Transmuscular Quadratus Lumborum Block and Thoracic Paravertebral Block in Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy Patients: A Randomized, Controlled, and Noninferiority Study
Authors: Wang Jin , Cui Xulei , Ren Liying , Li Xu , Zhang Yuelun , Xie Yi , Ji Zhigang , Huang Yuguang
Published: February 2023

Background. This prospective, randomized, double-blinded, noninferiority study aimed to compare the effects of analgesia and recovery between transmuscular quadratus lumborum block (TMQLB) and paravertebral block (PVB). Methods. Sixty-eight, American Society of Anesthesiologists level I–III patients, who underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were randomly allocated to either TMQLB or PVB group (independent variable) in a 1 : 1 ratio. The TMQLB and PVB groups received corresponding regional anesthesia preoperatively with 0.4 ml/kg of 0.5% ropivacaine and follow-up at postoperative 4, 12, 24, and 48 hours. The participants and outcome assessors were blinded to group allocation. We hypothesized that the primary outcome, postoperative 48-hour cumulative morphine consumption, in the TMQLB group was not more than 50% of that in the PVB group. Secondary outcomes including pain numerical rating scales (NRS) and postoperative recovery data were dependent variables. Results. Thirty patients in each group completed the study. The postoperative 48-hour cumulative morphine consumption was 10.60 ± 5.28 mg in the TMQLB group and 6.40 ± 3.40 mg in the PVB group. The ratio (TMQLB versus PVB) of postoperative 48-hour morphine consumption was 1.29 (95% CI: 1.13–1.48), indicating a noninferior analgesic effect of TMQLB to PVB. The sensory block range was wider in the TMQLB group than in the PVB group (difference 2 dermatomes, 95% CI 1 to 4 dermatomes,

P
=
0.004

). The intraoperative analgesic dose was higher in the TMQLB group than in the PVB group (difference 32 µg, 95% CI: 3–62 µg,

P
=
0.03

). The postoperative pain NRS at rest and on movement, incidences of side effects, anesthesia-related satisfaction, and quality of recovery scores were similar between the two groups (all

P
 
>
 
0.05

). Conclusions. The postoperative 48-hour analgesic effect of TMQLB was noninferior to that of PVB in laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. This trial is registered with NCT03975296
High-Intensity Interval Training Minimizes the Deleterious Effects of Arterial Hypertension on the Urinary Bladder of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Batista Victor Rogério Garcia , Correia Rafael Ribeiro , Fernandes Vítor S. , Veras Allice Santos Cruz , Tavares Maria Eduarda Almeida , Chaves-Neto Antonio Hernandes , Fiais Gabriela Alice , de Souza Francilene Lima Agostinho , Pacagnelli Francis Lopes , Suggett Cara Beth , Teixeira Giovana Rampazzo
Published: February 2023

Arterial hypertension promotes urological complications by modifying the functional capacity of the urinary bladder. On the other hand, physical exercise has been suggested as a nonpharmacological tool to improve blood pressure regulation. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can effectively increase peak oxygen consumption, body composition, physical fitness, and health-related characteristics of adults; however, its action on the urinary bladder is little discussed. In the present study, we verified the effect of HIIT on the modulation of the redox state, morphology, and inflammatory and apoptotic processes of the urinary bladder of hypertensive rats. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were divided into two groups: SHR sedentary and SHR submitted to HIIT. Arterial hypertension promoted an increase in the plasma redox state, modified the volume of the urinary bladder, and increased collagen deposition in detrusor muscle. It was also possible to identify, in the sedentary SHR group, an increase in inflammatory markers such as IL-6 and TNF-α in the urinary bladder, as well as a reduction in BAX expression. However, in the HIIT group, reduced blood pressure levels were observed, together with an improvement in morphology, such as a decrease in collagen deposition. HIIT also regulated the proinflammatory response, promoting increases in IL-10 and BAX expressions and in the number of plasma antioxidant enzymes. The present work highlights the intracellular pathways involved with the oxidative and inflammatory capacity of the urinary bladder and the potential effect of HIIT on the regulation of the urothelium and detrusor muscle of hypertensive rats.
Peripheral Inflammatory Markers in Subtypes and Core Features of Depression: A Systematized Review
Authors: Křenek Pavel , Hořínková Jana , Bartečků Elis
Published: February 2023

Introduction: The aim of this work was to summarize relationships between two subtypes of major depressive disorder (melancholic and atypical) and four core features of depression that reflect the domains identified consistently in previous studies of major depressive disorder endophenotypes (exaggerated reactivity to negative information, altered reward processing, cognitive control deficits, and somatic symptoms) on the one hand and selected peripheral inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein [CRP], cytokines, and adipokines) on the other. Methods: A systematized review was conducted. The database used for searching articles was PubMed (MEDLINE). Results: According to our search, most peripheral immunological markers associated with major depressive disorder are not specific to a single depressive symptom group. The most evident examples are CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α. The strongest evidence supports the connection of peripheral inflammatory markers with somatic symptoms; weaker evidence indicates a role of immune changes in altered reward processing. The least amount of evidence was found for the role of peripheral inflammatory markers in exaggerated reactivity to negative information and cognitive control deficits. Regarding the depression subtypes, a tendency for higher CRP and adipokines was observed in atypical depression; increased IL-6 was found in melancholic depression. Conclusion: Somatic symptoms of depression could be a manifestation of a specific immunological endophenotype of depressive disorder. Melancholic and atypical depression may be characterized by different profiles of immunological markers.
Indian species of Teloganodes Eaton 1882 (including subgenera Dudgeodes Sartori 2008 and Derlethina Sartori 2008) (Ephemeroptera, Teloganodidae)
Authors: KLUGE NIKITA , SRINIVASAN PANDIARAJAN , SIVARUBAN T. , BARATHY S. , ISACK RAJASEKARAN
Published: February 2023

According to the classification proposed in the previous publication by Kluge, the genus Teloganodes Eaton 1882 is divided into three subgenera distinguished only by tergalii number: the subgenus Teloganodes (with 5 pairs of tergalii on uromeres II–VI), the subgenus Dudgeodes Sartori in Sartori et al. 2008 (with 4 pairs of tergalii on uromeres II–V) and the subgenus Derlethina Sartori in Sartori et al. 2008 (with 3 pairs of tergalii on uromeres II–IV). All three subgenera are represented in Southern India. Based on the new material, additional descriptions are given to the following species: T. (Teloganodes) kodai Sartori in Sartori et al. 2008 (= Teloganodes barathyae Sivaruban et al. in Martynov et al. 2022, syn. n.); Teloganodes (Teloganodes) dentatus Navás 1932 (= T. sartorii Selvakumar et al. in Selvakumar et al. 2014, syn. n.); Teloganodes (Dudgeodes) palnius (Selvakumar et al. in Selvakumar et al. 2014) (= Dudgeodes bharathidasani Anbalagan et al. 2015, syn. n.; = Dudgeodes sartorii Srinivasan et al. 2021, syn. n.; = Dudgeodes molinerii Sivaruban et al. in Martynov et al. 2022, syn. n.); Teloganodes (Derlethina) tamiraparaniae (Selvakumar et al. in Selvakumar et al. 2014). A new species T. (Teloganodes) velutinus sp. n. is described from the Western Ghats based on larvae, female imagines reared from larvae and eggs.
The serum levels and significance of MCSF, CF XIV, and IL-20 in patients with urinary calculi
Authors: Ma Qiang , Hou Chuansheng , Cui Haoyu , Wang Xun , Chen Zhuo
Published: February 2023

Objective: To investigate the serum levels and significance of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MCSF), coupling factor XIV (CF XIV), and interleukin 20 (IL-20) in patients who have urinary calculi. Methods: 100 cases of patients with urinary calculi were collected
(the urinary calculi group). Another 100 healthy individuals were also enrolled to build the control group. The levels of MCSF, CF XIV, and IL-20 in serum of urinary calculi and control groups were compared. Patients with urinary calculi were divided into the calcium oxalate calculus, phosphate
calculus, and uric acid calculus groups according to types of the calculus. Changes in the serum levels of each marker in each group were compared. Results: The levels of MCSF and IL-20 in the urinary calculi group were significantly higher, while the level of CF XIV was remarkable
lower than those in control group (P <0.05). Among 45 samples of urinary calculi, calcium oxalate calculi accounted for 48.9% of all cases. The level of MCSF were significantly increased in calcium oxalate calculi (P <0.05), while the levels of CF XIV and IL-20 were significantly
increased in phosphate and uric acid calculi (P <0.05). Conclusions: The serum levels of MCSF, CF XIV, and IL-20 were significantly different between patients with urinary calculi and healthy subjects. The serum levels of these protein markers changed significantly in different
calculi samples. The composition of calculi may be preliminarily predicted by the levels of these markers.
Effects of Shengjiangsan, white silkworm and Periostracum cicadae on cytokines in Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis
Authors: Yu Si-Lin , Jia Xue-Hai , Yang Lu , Zhang Ke , Cheng Ping , Li Hong , Wang Jin-Hui
Published: February 2023

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP, also named IgA vasculitis) is a common childhood vascular disease, which is characterized by immunoglobulin A (IgA deposition) in small blood vessels; HSP causes kidney involvement to develop Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN). However,
the exact pathogenesis of HSPN is not fully understood, and it is still necessary to explorer new drugs for the treatment of HSPN. In this study, bovine serum albumin (BSA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and carbon tetrachloride (ClC4) were used to induce IgAN in rat, and the blood stasis
and heat syndrome model was established concurrently, and was combined to establish the HSPN model. The therapeutic effects of different doses of Shengjiangsan (5, 10, 20 g/kg), white silkworm (1, 2, 4 g/kg), and Periostracum cicadae (0.5, 1, 2 g/kg) on HSPN model rats were studied,
then 24 h urine was collected and blood from the abdominal aorta was taken to detect the protein changes in urine and blood. Immunofluorescence staining was used assess to IgA deposition in glomeruli. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β),
interleukin 6 (IL-6), and immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels were measured in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and periodic acid Schiff (PAS), immunohistochemical staining was performed to observe the histopathological changes in kidney tissues. In addition,
Western blotting was used to detect the changes in the expression levels of IgA, TNF-α, and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). In the results, Shengjiangsan, white silkworm, and Periostracum cicadae could significantly reduce the levels of urine protein, blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
and serum creatinine (CREA) in HSPN rats. Serum levels of IgA, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were significantly reduced in the treatment groups. The treatment group can effectively improve renal tissue inflammation and mesangial hyperplasia. The accumulation of IgA protein
in renal tissue was significantly reduced in the treatment group. The expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, TLR4, and IgA were significantly reduced and responded in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, levels of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) decreased
in kidney tissues in the treatment groups. In conclusion, Shengjiangsan, white silkworm, and Periostracum cicadae could improve HSPN in rats by reducing renal inflammation and fibrosis, and the therapeutic effects of white silkworm and Periostracum cicadae were slightly better
than Shengjiangsan.
India’s Development and Peacebuilding Assistance to the Conflict-Affected States: Case-study of Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Choedon Yeshi
Published: February 2023

The rationale for India’s development and peacebuilding assistance and the mechanisms employed have changed over the period. India’s assistance is starkly different from the way the developed countries do peacebuilding. This difference is due to India’s different historical experiences, socio-economic conditions and lived experience. The conflict-affected states have appreciated India’s assistance due to the suitability and appropriateness of technical assistance, training and educational programs to their socio-economic context. India’s ways of development and peacebuilding assistance have similarities with the 2016 UN concept of ‘sustaining peace’, which has been formulated to liberate peacebuilding from the strict limitation to post-conflict contexts. However, both the western and non-western donors have a certain reservation about ‘sustaining peace’ concept, for different reasons. The way forward to implement the UN ‘sustaining peace’ is to facilitate both the western and non-western donors to learn lessons from each other’s experiences and view their varied approaches as complementary rather than contradictory.
Active tension control of the conical winding system based on the neural network control algorithm of radial-basis functions
Authors: Zhang Hua , Wang Jiangtao , Wu Jie , Bian Huoding , Wei Yikun
Published: February 2023

A conical winding formation and tension control system was proposed in the doubling operation based on the yarn guide mode of a single spindle in this study. Conical winding formation realized the radial unwinding of wound package. An overfeed mechanism was introduced to achieve closed-loop control of yarn tension. The overfeed wheel was driven by a brushless Direct Current motor. The tension control system combined a Proportion Integration Differentiation controller with a radial-basis-function neural network, whose purpose was to meet the control requirements of the brushless DC motor. This system consisted of three main steps: Firstly, the radial-basis-function neural network was used to identify the system online. Secondly, the gradient descent method was used to adjust the node weight, center vector, and baseband width. Finally, incremental PID parameters online were adjusted according to the identified Jacobian information. A mathematical model of a control system was established in Matrix Laboratory. An experimental platform was designed for doubling winder to compare the control effects of Radial-basis-function-PID with traditional PID. The simulation results showed that the RBF-PID had a smaller overshoot of yarn tension, shorter adjustment time, and smaller steady-state error compared with the traditional PID controller in doubling operation by simulating the mathematical model. Experimental results showed the RBF-PID controller had good performance and stability and could be applied to yarns with different average linear velocity, yarn counts and strands . The yarn tension fluctuation will not exceed ±3% of the target value when the experimental materials and the cone angles are unchanged.
Battered But Not Broken: A Composite of the Experiences of Black Librarians at Public, 2-Year Colleges – Dissertation of the Year
Authors: Oates Evangela Q.
Published: February 2023

Objective: Black librarians account for just 5.4% of academic librarians in the U.S. in a period in which enrollments for Black students steadily increases. While national programs aimed at recruitment exist, too little attention is focused on the environments and cultures that influence the attrition of racially minoritized groups. This study investigated the experiences of Black librarians at public, 2-year colleges in the U.S. to better understand how they navigate, cope, and succeed amongst the challenges of academic librarianship. The following question guided the study: what are the experiences of Black librarians at public, 2-year colleges? Methods: Using Critical Race Methodology’s composite counterstory (CCS) and through two, ninety-minute interviews with four narrators, the experiences of Black librarians were leveraged to construct and reconstruct the storied lives of Black librarians in community college libraries. Results: The findings show the hostile environments Black librarians encounter in their work as educators at community colleges. Across and within their stories, four themes were found: retaliation, derailment, gendered racism, and violence. The narrators reported their work is made difficult in these environments, often creating barriers to retention (profession), promotion (organization), professional acknowledgment, and success. Conclusions: Implications for practice and research suggest bold action to counter the cultures of white supremacy to include intersectional audits for the organization, changes in HR policies, training and practices, and an emphasis on cohort hiring from national organizations among other recommendations.
Getting Our Ontology Right: A Critique of Language and Culture in the Work of François Jullien
Authors: Matthews William
Published: February 2023

This article presents a cognitive anthropological critique of François Jullien’s approach to language and culture. Jullien approaches ‘culture’ as a coherent set of concepts across time and space, relying primarily on identifying Chinese (and Greek) thought with particular concepts expressed in language. This mischaracterizes human culture, which exists on the level of individual mental representations, and relies on a form of linguistic determinism which fails to stand in the face of psychological and anthropological evidence. This leads Jullien to claim an incredible degree of cultural (and ontological) divergence between the Chinese and Europeans. By accounting for the distribution and dynamism of mental representations, the degree to which thought is underdetermined by language, and above all the divergence of intuitive and reflective cognition on the individual level, we can arrive at an alternative, ontologically realistic account of cultural divergence.
Private military and security companies and human rights abuses: The impact of CEOs’ military background
Authors: Radziszewski Elizabeth
Published: February 2023

This study examines how military background of chief executive officers (CEOs) of private military and security companies (PMSCs) that intervened in Iraq from 2003 to 2019 affected the frequency with which companies committed human rights abuses. My findings show that PMSCs with CEOs who served in the military, for any regime type, are more likely to commit a high number of human rights abuses than companies led by CEOs without service experience. The risk is higher for PMSCs with CEOs who served in the Navy and lowest for CEOs with experience in the Air Force. The risk increases when ex-military CEOs lead private rather than publicly traded companies. The study contributes novel data on military service of CEOs for international PMSCs that were present in Iraq. The data reports on the type of governing system where CEOs served, their service branch, and whether they graduated from military academies/colleges.