bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consumer Informatics and COVID-19 Pandemics: Challenges and Opportunities for Research
Authors: Staccini Pascal , Lau Annie Y. S. ,   Section Editors for the IMIA Yearbook Section on Consumer Health Informatics
Published: September 2021

Objective: To summarise the state of the art during the year 2020 in consumer health informatics and education, with a special emphasis on “Managing Pandemics with Health Informatics - Successes and Challenges”.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of articles published in PubMed using a predefined set of queries, which identified 147 potential articles for review. These articles were screened according to topic relevance and 15 were selected for consideration of best paper candidates, which were then presented to a panel of international experts for full paper review and scoring. The top five papers were discussed in a consensus meeting. Three papers received the highest score from the expert panel, and these papers were selected to be representative papers on consumer informatics for managing pandemics in the year 2020.

Results: Bibliometrics analysis conducted on words found in abstracts of the candidate papers revealed 4 clusters of articles, where the clustering outcomes explained 77.04% of the dispersion. The first cluster composed of articles related to the use of mobile apps for video consultation and telehealth during the pandemic. The second revealed studies reporting the lived experience of healthcare workers and patients during COVID-19. The third focused on ways people used the internet to seek for health information during the pandemic and the dissemination of fake news. The last cluster composed of articles reporting the use of social listening methods (e.g., via tweet hashtags) to explore the spread of the virus around the world.

Conclusions: The pandemic outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) constitutes a grave risk to the global community and sparks a significant increase in public interest and media coverage, especially on social media. Consumers are facing a new set of challenges that were not considered before COVID-19, often finding themselves in a world that is constantly changing—blended with facts and fake information—and unable to decide what to do next. Despite most people understanding the good will behind public health policies, one must not forget it is individuals we are supporting and that their personal circumstances may affect how they perceive and comply with these policies. Consumers more than ever need help to make sense of the uncertainty and their situation and we need to help them navigate the best option in a world that is constantly evolving.
Predictions, Pivots, and a Pandemic: a Review of 2020's Top Translational Bioinformatics Publications
Authors: McGrath Scott P. , Benton Mary Lauren , Tavakoli Maryam , Tatonetti Nicholas P.
Published: September 2021

Objectives: Provide an overview of the emerging themes and notable papers which were published in 2020 in the field of Bioinformatics and Translational Informatics (BTI) for the International Medical Informatics Association Yearbook.

Methods: A team of 16 individuals scanned the literature from the past year. Using a scoring rubric, papers were evaluated on their novelty, importance, and objective quality. 1,224 Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms extracted from these papers were used to identify themes and research focuses. The authors then used the scoring results to select notable papers and trends presented in this manuscript.

Results: The search phase identified 263 potential papers and central themes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), machine learning, and bioinformatics were examined in greater detail.

Conclusions: When addressing a once in a centruy pandemic, scientists worldwide answered the call, with informaticians playing a critical role. Productivity and innovations reached new heights in both TBI and science, but significant research gaps remain.
Immunofluorescence in Robotic Colon and Rectal Surgery
Authors: Bobel Matthew C. , Altman Ariella , Gaertner Wolfgang B.
Published: September 2021

The indocyanine green fluorescence imaging system is a surgical tool with increasing applications in colon and rectal surgery that has received growing acceptance in various surgical disciplines as a potentially valid method to enhance surgical field visualization, improve lymph node retrieval, and decrease anastomotic leak. Small noncomparative prospective trials have shown that intraoperative fluorescence imaging is a safe and feasible method to assess anastomotic perfusion and that its use may impact anastomotic leak rates. However, larger prospective and randomized studies are required to validate its role and impact in colorectal surgery. The purpose of this article is to review the current status of the use of immunofluorescence in colon and rectal surgery, as well as new applications in robotic colon and rectal resections.
Robotic Reversal of Hartmann's Procedure
Authors: Bardakcioglu Ovunc
Published: September 2021

The Hartmann's procedure first described in 1920 is a gold standard for a variety of emergent procedures of the sigmoid colon. A standardized approach to a robotic reversal of a Hartmann's procedure is described to reestablish bowel continuity.
Significance of Detecting Minimal Residual Disease by Flow Cytometry and its Impact on Overall Survival and Prognosis of Pediatric B-Cell ALL Patient Experience from a Tertiary Care Centre in Eastern India
Authors: Mukherjee Kalyan K. , Banerjee Debasish , Das Anjan , Halder Subham , Mukherjee Dattatreya , Mondal Shyam S. , Roy Surya K. , Das Mili , Panda Chinmay K. , Chaudhuri Utpal
Published: September 2021

Introduction The improved prognosis of pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pBALL) is considered as a good progress of medical science in the field of oncology and hematology. Minimal residual disease (MRD) refers to presence of disease in molecular level is a newer practice with respect to the detection of complete remission by conventional pathologic analysis. Prognostic value of MRD in pediatric ALL (p-ALL) is well known.

Objectives This study was aimed to describe clinical outcomes and prognosis, that is, overall survival and relapse in the patients with pBALL with respect to minimal residual disease detection on day 15, day 29, and postconsolidations in a tertiary care center in eastern India.

Materials and Methods Eight color flow cytometry was used to detect MRD in this study. This contained markers such as CD 19, CD 34, CD 10, CD58, CD 45, CD13, anti-TDT, CD33. Eight panels included were (1) CMPO-FITC/cCD79a-PE/cCd3ECD, (2) CD20-FITC/cCD10-PE/cCd-19ECD, (3) CD34-FITC/cCD117-PE/cCd45 ECD/CD2 PC 5, (4) CD15 FITC/CD33PE/CD45ECD, (5) CD14 FITC/CD13 PE/CD45ECD, (6) HLADR FITC/CD7 PE/CD45 ECD, (7) TdT FITC/CD45 ECD (IF CD34 NEG), and (8) CD58 FITC/CD 45 ECD (IF BOTH CD34 AND TdT NEG; were used to prepare the marker.

Results The study included 52 patients. In the 52 patients, 59.6% patients are alive with a p-value of 0.031. MRD was checked on every 15th and the 29th day and postconsolidation of the treatment where in day 15 (p = 0.023), it was 53.4% positive and 46.5% negative. On day 29 (p = 0.031), MRD was 22.5% positive and 77.5% negative, in post consolidation, it was positive in 20% and negative is 80%. MRD value below 0.01 is taken as negative and above is taken as positive. The overall survival (OS) is of 32.88 + 8.59 with a 6 to 36 months of duration. In In relapsed cases, no hemorrhagic relapse was found and two CNS relapse were found.

Conclusion It was a study of 52 patients of pBALL with a detection of MRD by FCM. MRD-negative patients had a good prognosis and comparatively lower rate of relapse than the one with positive MRD. Effort should be made to adhere to recommendation of MRD testing in clinical guidelines.
Epidemiology of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancers in a Tertiary Hospital in South India
Authors: Gupta Sahil , Palassery Rasmi , Devadas Santhosh K. , Maka Vinayak , Kilara Nalini
Published: September 2021

Introduction There has been an increase in the incidence of malignancies in young Indians, and there is no data reflecting the trend and profile of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancers.

Objectives This study was aimed to ascertain the epidemiology of AYA cancers in a tertiary care center in south India and the trend of AYA cancers during the past 9 years.

Materials and Methods All patients aged 15 to 39 years with the diagnosis of cancer who were registered and received treatment with M.S. Ramaiah Hospital during a 9-year period from January 2011 to December 2019 were included. Basic demographic information on age, gender was available along with address and contact information. Using cancer site and morphology codes, the cancers were grouped by the ICD-O coding system of AYA cancers and their clinical information on disease and treatment status were collected retrospectively and analyzed.

Results Of the total 946 registered AYA cancer patients, majority of AYA cancer were in age group of 35 to 39 years (39%) and females (58%). When analyzing the data and dividing the AYA population into early (15–24 years) and late (25–39 years), we found that whereas the majority of the patients had hematolymphoid malignancies (48%) in the early group (15–24 years), the late group (25–39 years) had more carcinomas (68%). The percentage distribution of AYA cancers among the study population, lymphoma and leukemia contribute 11% and 15%, respectively, to the patient load and still the carcinomas formed the bulk (58%) of the population. It is interesting to know that breast, genitourinary, and gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies constituted 17.75%, 14.16%, and 14.69% individually.

Conclusion AYA oncology consists of a heterogeneous population and the profile differs by geography, sex, and other factors. There has been limited improvement in the past decade but there is a lot more to be done. To assess the problem, we have to identify and characterize the problem and look at the epidemiology of this population. This will require multicenter and international studies with focus on improving outcomes as in pediatric inspired ALL protocols. The trials should be started at local levels to ensure maximum participation. We need to generate data on epidemiology and channel our resources properly to save this precious but so called lost tribe of oncology.
Improving the ice fuel quality of cryogenic targets for inertial confinement fusion
Authors: McConnon Aili
Published: September 2021

Numerical models and target design reveal using copper instead of aluminum can improve the ice fuel quality of cryogenic targets, a key factor in realizing ignition in inertial confinement fusion.
Turbulent flow characteristics over an abrupt step change in bed roughness
Authors: Rathore Vijit , Dey Subhasish , Penna Nadia , Gaudio Roberto
Published: September 2021

Turbulent flow characteristics over an abrupt step change in bed roughness from smooth to rough are studied measuring the flow field by a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system. The smooth and rough beds are referred to as the upstream and downstream beds, respectively. The velocity color maps and profiles show that an abrupt step change in bed roughness causes flow retardation in the downstream bed owing to the combined effects of roughness-induced and separated flows. The results of the Reynolds stresses reveal that the profiles in the downstream bed exhibit discriminable bulges, whose size increases with an increase in the streamwise distance. The stress color maps illustrate the creation of a roughness-induced layer that grows over the downstream bed as the streamwise distance increases. The bed shear stress evidences an overshooting behavior immediate downstream of the abrupt step change in bed roughness to reach its peak magnitude. The third-order correlations indicate that the effects of the abrupt step change in bed roughness produce an inrush of rapidly moving fluid streaks in the near-bed flow and arrival of slowly moving fluid streaks in the away-bed flow. Regarding the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget, the enhanced magnitudes of the TKE budget terms within the roughness-induced layer are prevalent. The TKE dissipation rate lags the production rate, and the negative TKE diffusion rate implies an addition in the TKE production. Bursting analysis endorses that the sweeps govern the near-bed flow on the downstream bed and the ejections prevail far from the bed.
Computational Investigation of Adsorptive Removal of Pb
Authors: Cox Claudia S. , Cossich Galicia Valeria , Lessio Martina
Published: September 2021

Adsorption using metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) such as UiO-66 has shown great promise in remediating water sources contaminated with toxic heavy metals such as Pb2+, but detailed information about the adsorption process remains limited. In this article, we gained mechanistic insights into Pb2+ adsorption using both functionalised and defective UiO-66 by performing density functional theory calculations using cluster models. Our benchmarked approach led to a computational model of solvated Pb2+ (a hemidirected Pb(H2O)62+ complex) fully consistent with experimental reports. The analysis of Pb2+ adsorption using functionalised UiO-66 determined that factors such as electrostatic attraction, chelation, and limited constraints on the Pb2+ coordination geometry lead to enhanced binding affinity. For these reasons, UiO-66-COO– was identified as the most promising functionalised MOF, consistent with experimental literature. We additionally explored a novel aspect of Pb2+ adsorption by UiO-66: the role of missing linker defects that often characterise this MOF. We found that the defects expected to form in an aqueous environment can act as excellent adsorption sites for Pb2+ and the preferred adsorption geometry is again determined by electrostatic attraction, chelation, and constraints on the Pb2+ coordination geometry. Overall, we conclude that functional groups and defect sites can both contribute to Pb2+ adsorption and our study provides crucial design principles for improving the UiO-66 MOF performance in toxic Pb2+ removal from water.
Beyond Window Dressing: Does Moving to a New Building Really Shape the Perception of, and Actual Safety on Forensic Inpatient Programs?
Authors: Bridekirk Jonathan , Ham Elke , Ball Laura C. , Konkolÿ Thege Barna
Published: September 2021

Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care expanded its facility in 2014 to include a new state-of-the-art forensic hospital building, called the Atrium. Prior to moving Waypoint’s forensic programs into the Atrium, the Therapeutic Climate Study (TCS) was launched in order to monitor changes in perceived and objective safety indicators among forensic staff and patients. The present study consisted of a 5-year cross-sectional sequential design, consisting of both survey and hospital administrative data. Across all years of data collection, inpatients ([Formula: see text] = 256) reported higher perceived safety when compared to staff ([Formula: see text] = 932). However, changes in perceived safety were not linear and only slightly improved for staff over time. Sociodemographic characteristics and perceived recovery measures predicted perceived safety for staff and inpatients, regardless of the move. Male staff reported higher perceived quality of patient-service provider relationships and lower perceived safety, whereas female staff reported higher perceived patient cohesion and higher perceived safety. Both staff and inpatients who perceived the hospital’s principles and practices as more recovery-oriented reported higher perceived safety. Inpatients who have been at the hospital longer reported lower perceived safety, regardless of the move. Hospital administrative data showed the number of incidents in a centralized emergency response system spiked right after the move but eventually tapered off, whereas the rates of violent incidents had increased and remained higher since moving to the new building. Results from this study suggest that staffs’ and inpatients’ sense of safety is determined by multiple factors, of which physical environment seems to play a less central role.
Identification of impulsive adolescents with a functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) based decision support system
Authors: Erdoğan Sinem Burcu , Yükselen Gülnaz , Yegül Mustafa Mert , Usanmaz Ruhi , Kıran Engin , Derman Orhan , Akın Ata
Published: September 2021

Background. The gold standard for diagnosing impulsivity relies on clinical interviews, behavioral questionnaires and rating scales which are highly subjective. Objective. The aim of this study was to develop a functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) based classification approach for correct identification of impulsive adolescents. Taking into account the multifaceted nature of impulsivity, we propose that combining informative features from clinical, behavioral and neurophysiological domains might better elucidate the neurobiological distinction underlying symptoms of impulsivity. Approach. Hemodynamic and behavioral information was collected from 38 impulsive adolescents and from 33 non-impulsive adolescents during a Stroop task with concurrent fNIRS recordings. Connectivity-based features were computed from the hemodynamic signals and a neural efficiency metric was computed by fusing the behavioral and connectivity-based features. We tested the efficacy of two commonly used supervised machine-learning methods, namely the support vector machines (SVM) and artificial neural networks (ANN) in discriminating impulsive adolescents from their non-impulsive peers when trained with multi-domain features. Wrapper method was adapted to identify the informative biomarkers in each domain. Classification accuracies of each algorithm were computed after 10 runs of a 10-fold cross-validation procedure, conducted for 7 different combinations of the 3-domain feature set. Main results. Both SVM and ANN achieved diagnostic accuracies above 90% when trained with Wrapper-selected clinical, behavioral and fNIRS derived features. SVM performed significantly higher than ANN in terms of the accuracy metric (92.2% and 90.16%, respectively, p = 0.005). Significance. Preliminary findings show the feasibility and applicability of both machine-learning based methods for correct identification of impulsive adolescents when trained with multi-domain data involving clinical interviews, fNIRS based biomarkers and neuropsychiatric test measures. The proposed automated classification approach holds promise for assisting the clinical practice of diagnosing impulsivity and other psychiatric disorders. Our results also pave the path for a computer-aided diagnosis perspective for rating the severity of impulsivity.
Modern hydrological and morphological state of the Agrakhan Bay and its adverse changes
Authors: Magritsky D V , Samokhin M A , Sokolov D I , Erina O N , Goncharov A V , Tereshina M A , Surkov V V , Moreido V M , Arkhipkin V S , Semenova A A
Published: September 2021

The study was based, firstly, on the diverse data collected during field work in 2018 – 2020 in the eastern part of the Terek River delta and long-term hydrological monitoring data on the Roshydromet gauges. Secondly, on a profound comparative analysis of multi-temporal cartographic materials and multiple satellite images, laboratory analysis of water and sediment samples and other research groups’ field data. The performed analysis resulted in unprecedented complex and profound assessment of the contemporary hydrological, morphological and ecological state of the former Agrakhan Bay of the Caspian Sea. The drivers, dependencies and parameters of hydrological and morphological degradation were described; a multi-layer large-scale GIS was created to design multiple illustrations. The performed assessment allowed for development of measures for partial restoration of the hydrological and ecological potential of the former Agrakhan Bay.
Simulation of non-stationary two-phase mass transfer in a large reservoir
Authors: Rakhuba A V , Shmakova M V
Published: September 2021

The Kuibyshev Reservoir was formed on the Volga River and is the largest in Eurasia. The length of the reservoir along the Volga is 510 km with its maximum depth of 41 m and average depth of 8 m; the area of water mirror is 6,450 km2. Conditions of runoff formation in catchment area, as well as seasonal and daily regulation are the reasons for unsteady regime of the reservoir. Specificity of flow control in the Kuibyshev Reservoir predetermines water masses motion, flow speed pattern, as well as degree of water saturation with suspended sediments and, therefore, reservoir bed siltation intensity. The lowest flow velocity in the reservoir is observed in summer-autumn period of year; at this time, the reservoir bottom is reshaped least actively. During spring filling, flow velocity in the reservoir is at maximum, hence, favourable conditions to transfer small and large fractions of suspended sediments are created. Most of them enter the reservoir during its spring time filling, although sometimes, sediments maximum was observed earlier, before reaching the peak of flood wave in the reservoir. Flow pattern unsteadiness leads to increase or decrease in flow transfer capacity and, hence, changes in bottom levels. Complex configuration of banks, large depth gradients and basin morphology’s particulars pre-determine instability of sedimentation processes in water area. 3D hydrodynamic model of the reservoir (A. Rakhuba) forms the basis for calculating bottom level motions of the Kuibyshev reservoir. This model is supplemented with analytical formula for sediment consumption (M. Shmakova) and hydraulic ratios to calculate erosion and sediments accumulation (M. Shmakova). Four ice-free months runoff simulation of the Kuibyshev reservoir includes the following main water content phases: low water period and periods of snow flood and rain floods. The study of spatial and temporal patterns of bottom reshaping has shown that greatest intensity of such reshaping occurs during the period of large level gradients, i.e. high water. Flood swelling is featured by intensive bottom erosion. When flood recesses, transfer capacity decreases that leads to sedimentation. The greatest motions in bottom reshaping occurs in the places of channel contraction, which is explained by sharp changes in channel capacity.
Scenarios calculations of outburst flood and debris flows
Authors: Kurovskaia VA , Chernomorets SS , Vinogradova TA , Krylenko IN , Ghulomaidarov AG , Raimbekov YKh
Published: September 2021

The modelling results of outburst floods and debris flows, which can possibly occur in the Daraisit River Valley, are presented in this paper. The modelling was carried out according to 2 scenarios: the outburst of Lake Sist, the formation of a debris flow on a large tributary of the Daraisist River. The FLO-2D hydrodynamic model and the modernized transport-shear mudflow model developed by Yu.B. Vinogradov were applied in this study. The evaluation of the outburst flood discharge was carried out on the basis of a bathymetric survey. A digital elevation model (DEM) ALOS PALSAR with a resolution of 12.5 m was used as relief data for the valley, and survey data from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was applied for the debris flow fan. As a result, maps of the spatial distribution of velocities and depths for the rivers Daraisist and Pyanj were obtained. The most vulnerable areas within the Sist village were also identified.
River streamflow changes in the catchment of the Vilyuy reservoir, Eastern Siberia
Authors: Lebedeva L , Gustafsson D
Published: September 2021

The aim of the study is to assess river streamflow changes in the catchment area of the Vilyuy reservoir in the upstream area of the Vilyuy River, tributary of the Lena River. We analysed 2,556 time series with duration of 30, 35, 40 and 45 years sampled from the dataset of monthly discharges for eight hydrological gauges with data availability periods from 40 to 50 years. The result of a statistical trend test depends on the time series length and the coverage. The May and June river streamflow practically does not change. Most of the statistically significant positive trends were found in April, September and November. Among the eight gauges, the largest fractions of positive trends were found for the Akhtaranda River and the Vilyuy River, the northern tributaries of the Vilyuy Reservoir. Negative trends prevail on the Chona River that flows from the south and has discontinuous permafrost in the basin.
Assessment of irrecoverable retention of liquid atmospheric precipitation by meadow grass stands of the Middle Urals
Authors: Ye Klimenko D , Ostakhova A L
Published: September 2021

The process of retaining precipitation by grass vegetation is important in the processes of moisture circulation in forest landscapes. At the same time, there is an erroneous opinion that grasses are not able to retain a significant amount of rain moisture, which further forms the river flow. For this reason, the question remains poorly understood. In turn, grass stands are able to retain rainfall on their leaves in whole or in part. It depends on the duration and intensity of the rain. The leaves of grass stands have a specific morphology and are arranged more vertically than the leaves of woody plants; therefore, moisture on the leaves of grasses is held in film and drip forms (in woody plants-only in drip). When droplets roll down the stem, water is trapped in bowl-shaped recesses or funnels of grass leaves. The article discusses the relationship of precipitation and vegetation. The authors conducted field experiments on the retention of rainfall by grasses that grow in the landscapes of the Middle Urals. The experiments consisted of artificial sprinkling of grass samples and their subsequent weighing (weight experiments). In the course of the experiments, the connections were developed for the retention capacity of rain deposited on the leaves of species of grass vegetation with the leaf surface area of grass stands and their green mass. The magnitude of the loss of rainfall on grass stands is comparable with the magnitude of the rainfall of individual rains. According to the results of the experiment, it was found that under the forest canopy, the interception of precipitation is 0.1–0.2 mm, in the clearings – 1–2 mm, in the clearings – 2–4 mm. The results can be used to assess the actual rainfall to the surface of the soil and to calculate the change in the discharge of water from rain floods on rivers as a result of forest successions.
The influence of water masses to local climate of the Toktogul reservoir
Authors: Akmatov R T , Alamanov S K , Pochechun V A
Published: September 2021

The article is devoted to the analysis of the impact of the Toktogul Reservoir on the local climate in the context of global climate change. There is a global warming trend. In this regard, since the process of global warming is taking place on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, one of the most important scientific and practical issues is the assessment of the impact of the reservoirs built in Kyrgyzstan on the climate. The study found the Toktogul Reservoir has the effect of increasing air temperature. In the Ketmen-Tyube valley, the increase in air temperature depends on the volume of water in the Toktogul Reservoir. So, in the years of low water in the reservoir (1-6.5 billion m3), the average annual air temperature was 10.4°C, and in average water years (6.6-14 billion m3) 11.1 ° C and increased to 11.3°C in high-water years (14.1-19.5 billion m3).
Water management load on water resources of the Volga reservoirs
Authors: Shaporenko S I
Published: September 2021

Monitoring and assessment of anthropogenic load on water bodies is a permanent task of environmental protection. A complex parameter of water management load is suggested. It is calculated using the official water management statistics, and represented as a ratio of the utilization factor of river water runoff to the contribution of effluent treated to standard quality to the total amount that was required to be treated. Changes in the water runoff, water withdrawal and wastewater discharge in the sites of the Volga hydroelectric power stations by the periods from 1993 to 2018 were analysed. It is shown that the Ivankovo, Cheboksary and Gorky reservoirs experience maximum load on water resources. The first is due to the low river discharge and a high share of the withdrawal into the Moscow canal. Both others are due to poor wastewater treatment.
Temperature and humidity regime of the Volga basin in the period 1976-2019
Authors: Perevedentsev Y P , Shantalinsky K M , Sherstyukov B G , Mirsaeva N A , Aukhadeev T R , Parubova E M , Myagkov M A
Published: September 2021

The features of the distribution of air temperature and atmospheric precipitation on the territory of the Volga basin in the periods 1976-2019 and 2001-2019 are given. A positive trend in air temperature at the stations of the region in the period 1976-2019 both in the central months of the seasons, and throughout the year as a whole was revealed. A decrease in January air temperature was noted in the period 2001-2019. In general, an increase in atmospheric precipitation in the period under consideration is observed.
Changes in the annual and intra-annual river runoff of the Votkinsk reservoir’s catchment
Authors: Kalinin V G , Gyrdymov D A , Mekhanoshina E V
Published: September 2021

The assessment of the long-term variability of the rivers water content in the catchment area of the Votkinsk Reservoir for gauge stations (g/s) with the longest observation series (1939–2018) has been carried out. During the period under review, almost all g/s showed the presence of a statistically significant positive linear trend. The difference-integral curves revealed a violation of the stationarity of long-term observation series, and an analysis of the intra-annual distribution of monthly and seasonal runoff in% of the annual for two periods was carried out: 1956–1976 and 1977–2018. For the period 1977–2018 a decrease in the share of spring runoff (by an average of 7%), as well as an increase in the share of summer-autumn runoff and winter runoff by 18.4 and 24%, respectively, were found for almost all rivers in the study area.
Content of heavy metals in bed loads of gully systems within the limits of the Saratov city in summer season
Authors: Sheshnev A S , Majeed D S
Published: September 2021

The article presents the results of the analysis of the chemical composition of bed loads (layer of 0–1 cm) entering through streams in gullies from the limits of the Saratov city to the Volgograd Reservoir. The content of six heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn) having the property of accumulation and high toxicity were analysed. The most polluted sediments are found in gully systems, the drainage basins of which are located in industrial zones. The results demonstrate that in the absence of surface runoff treatment systems contaminated waters as well as soils enter water bodies from urbanized areas.
Migration and transformation routes of pharmaceutical substances in the aquatic environment
Authors: Kozlova M A , Shchegolkova N M
Published: September 2021

The paper considers the ways of migration and transformation of pharmaceutical substances in the aquatic environment. It is shown that the main source of pollution is insufficiently treated domestic wastewater. The occurrence of pharmaceutical substances is characterized by spatial and temporal variability. Some correlations in the distribution of certain groups of pharmaceuticals in water, sediments and suspensions are presented.
Contribution of microparticles to the transport of pollution by rivers and groundwaters in a large city
Authors: Yasinskii S V , Venitsianov E V , Kashutina E A , Sidorova M V , Ershova A A , Makeeva I N
Published: September 2021

Most components of the composition of natural waters exist in several phases – in the water mass, in suspensions, colloids, on Fe and Mn hydroxides, in detritus. They are often characterized by different toxicity. The smaller the particle of the suspension, the higher is its sorption capacity. Priority pollutants and their content in urban water bodies of Nizhny Novgorod in the summer-autumn low water period of 2020 were identified: organic substances, petroleum products, ammonium, surfactants, iron and manganese. More than half of their total transport is carried out by suspensions. In the estuaries of rivers with particles in the range of 0.22-2 microns, up to 70% of iron is carried by suspensions, up to 45% of manganese and about half of petroleum products and surfactants. Studied water objects (rivers, springs and water tunnels) are also polluted with synthetic microfibers of anthropogenic origin.
Water quality assessment of the Perm city’ small rivers
Authors: Kitaev A B
Published: September 2021

The environmental monitoring since 2009 in various water regime phases has been conducted by the Department of Ecology and Environmental Management for the water quality assessment of the Perm city’ small rivers. Such assessment of the water quality in the urban area of Mulyanka, Danilikha, Yegoshikha and Iva rivers catchments are presented in this study. The analysis is given for the background and mouth sections. The data of river’s water chemical composition was used for periods 2009-2010 and 2015-2018. A comparative analysis of water quality in terms of pollution indices is given.
Natural background and transformation of water quality in the Moskva River
Authors: Erina O , Tereshina M , Shinkareva G , Sokolov D , Lychagin M
Published: September 2021

Longitudinal transformation of several hydrochemical parameters in the Moskva River was reviewed based on the data of extensive monitoring studies conducted in 2019-2020. Changes of the chemical composition and their seasonal variation were quantified in relation to the only remaining natural part of the river above the Mozhaysk Reservoir. We found that the overall variability of element concentrations in the part of the Moskva River not affected by anthropogenic pressure is much lower than the magnitude of changes caused by urban influence. The effect of residential and industrial development in the watershed is comparable to, or sometimes much lower than the impact of polluted wastewater discharged by Lyubertsy and Kurianovo treatment plants. Point-source pollution therefore plays the key part in the transformation of the natural water quality in the Moskva River.
Problems and trends in water resources use in the Russian-Kazakhstan transboundary region
Authors: Padalko Yu A
Published: September 2021

This article considers the trends in use of water resources of transboundary rivers in the adjacent regions of Russia and Kazakhstan. The problems of transboundary water use in the river basins of the Ural and the Irtysh in the Russian-Kazakh region as well as the influence of economic activity in China are outlined. Among the regions under study, we identified those areas of the three countries whose water economy depends on the transboundary rivers of neighbouring regions or significantly regulates the hydrological regime of these rivers. To study and calculate water use trends, data on the water use from 2010 to 2019 was used. The structural specifics of water use are shown and the ratio of water consumption to available renewable water resources for the regions of Russia, Kazakhstan and the Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region of China is determined. General trends and differences in water use in the water sectors of the transboundary river basins of the Ural and Irtysh have been identified.
To the question of water resistance of the Talas Valley
Authors: Moldoshev K O , Akmatov R T , Choduraev T M
Published: September 2021

The Talas Valley has the necessary water resource potential for the intensive development of agricultural sectors and the provision of domestic needs and the needs of industrial enterprises with water, subject to compliance with environmental requirements. According to the nature of the water balance in the territory under consideration, two hydrological areas are distinguished- the area of formation and the area of dispersion of runoff. The first is the mountainous part of the territory, where the arrival of moisture over its discharge prevails and where economic activity has not yet had a significant impact on the river flow. Here an important role in the formation of runoff is the connection. The area of dispersion is located in the valley areas where irrigation is intensively developed, in connection with which the natural regime of large rivers drastically changes. It was revealed that the main source of water pollution with suspended substances is flushing of fine-grained particles from the territory of the catchment area with atmospheric precipitation and irrigation water. The proportion of anthropogenic pollution by suspended substances does not exceed 0.05% of natural pollution.
Fish parasites and blood parameters as bioindicators of technogenic salination of freshwater ecosystems
Authors: Mikheev P B , Mikheeva O I , Sheina T A , Baklanov M A
Published: September 2021

Blood parameters and the composition of parasite fauna of fishes could indicate different processes in aquatic ecosystems. This study aims examine the parasite fauna composition and to analyse the haemotological parameters of the adult ruffe Gymnocephalus cernua in the Volim River (Perm Krai) with the high degree of water salinity under the technogenic impact from the mining of the potash-magnesium salts, as well as in the Gaiva River (the city of Perm) with natural water salinity. We found wide scope of parasite species and a high infection rate, as well as the development of leucopenia, erythropenia, and dramatic morphological changes in the erythrocyte cells of ruffe in Volim River. This can be caused by high degree of salinity with its adverse effect on fish’s immunity and a wide range of species-specific intermediate hosts of parasites. The results demonstrates an opportunity to apply the parasitological and haemotological markers for the bioindication of the rivers’ technogenic salination.
CADA: phenotype-driven gene prioritization based on a case-enriched knowledge graph
Authors: Peng Chengyao , Dieck Simon , Schmid Alexander , Ahmad Ashar , Knaus Alexej , Wenzel Maren , Mehnert Laura , Zirn Birgit , Haack Tobias , Ossowski Stephan , Wagner Matias , Brunet Theresa , Ehmke Nadja , Danyel Magdalena , Rosnev Stanislav , Kamphans Tom , Nadav Guy , Fleischer Nicole , Fröhlich Holger , Krawitz Peter
Published: September 2021

Many rare syndromes can be well described and delineated from other disorders by a combination of characteristic symptoms. These phenotypic features are best documented with terms of the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO), which are increasingly used in electronic health records (EHRs), too. Many algorithms that perform HPO-based gene prioritization have also been developed; however, the performance of many such tools suffers from an over-representation of atypical cases in the medical literature. This is certainly the case if the algorithm cannot handle features that occur with reduced frequency in a disorder. With Cada, we built a knowledge graph based on both case annotations and disorder annotations. Using network representation learning, we achieve gene prioritization by link prediction. Our results suggest that Cada exhibits superior performance particularly for patients that present with the pathognomonic findings of a disease. Additionally, information about the frequency of occurrence of a feature can readily be incorporated, when available. Crucial in the design of our approach is the use of the growing amount of phenotype–genotype information that diagnostic labs deposit in databases such as ClinVar. By this means, Cada is an ideal reference tool for differential diagnostics in rare disorders that can also be updated regularly.
An Innovative Approach to Deliver Student-Directed Livestream Simulations During a Pandemic
Authors: Crews Cynthia S. , Parker Elizabeth , Taylor Kelli
Published: September 2021

University and facility closures because of COVID-19 required nursing programs to develop innovative ways to ensure students met clinical hour requirements, standards, and expectations. One rural university utilized student-directed livestream virtual simulation sessions that included synchronous prebriefing, student-directed simulation activity, and immediate debriefing. Students were anonymously surveyed for feedback and evaluation of the activities. Students reported the sessions were helpful for learning and required use of prioritization, clinical judgment, and communication/collaboration skills. Other responses included communication issues, audiovisual issues, and low realism, which prompted future recommendations.
The Clinical Relevance of the Cervical Disc Prosthesis
Authors: Goedmakers Caroline M.W. , Bartels Ronald H.M.A. , Donk Roland D. , Arts Mark P. , van Zwet Erik W. , Vleggeert-Lankamp Carmen L.A.
Published: September 2021

Study Design.

Retrospective analysis was performed on data from 251 patients that were included in two randomized, double-blinded clinical trials comparing clinical results of anterior cervical discectomy and arthroplasty (ACDA) to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), and anterior cervical discectomy (ACD), for single-level disc herniation.

Objective.

This study aimed to investigate whether the ACDA procedure offers superior clinical results 2 years after surgery, to either ACDF or ACD without instrumentation, in the entire group of patients or in a particular subgroup of patients.

Summary of Background Data.

The cervical disc prosthesis was introduced to provide superior clinical outcomes after ACD.

Methods.

Neck Disability Index (NDI), and subscales of the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) and McGill pain score were collected at baseline, 1 year and 2 years after surgery. Reoperations and complications were also evaluated. A preliminary subgroup analysis was performed for age, disc height, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and sex.

Results.

The NDI decreased comparably in all treatment arms to circa 50% of the baseline value and marginal mean NDI differences varied from 0.4 to 1.1 on a 100 point NDI scale, with confidence intervals never exceeding the 20-point minimal clinical important difference (MCID). Secondary outcome parameters showed comparable results. Preliminary subgroup analysis could not demonstrate clinically relevant differences in NDI between treatments after 2 years.

Conclusion.

After combining data from two Randomized Controlled Trials it can be concluded that there is no clinical benefit for ACDA, when compared with ACDF or ACD 2 years after surgery. Preliminary subgroup analysis indicated outcomes were similar between treatment groups, and that no subgroup could be appointed that benefited more from either ACD, ACDF, or ACDA.

Level of Evidence: 1
Postoperative Glycemic Variability as a Predictor of Adverse Outcomes Following Lumbar Fusion
Authors: Canseco Jose A. , Chang Michael , Karamian Brian A. , Nicholson Kristen , Patel Parthik D. , Shenoy Kartik , Hartman Joe , Kurd Mark F. , Rihn Jeffrey A. , Anderson David Greg , Hilibrand Alan S. , Kepler Christopher K. , Vaccaro Alexander R. , Schroeder Gregory D.
Published: September 2021

Study Design.

A retrospective cross-sectional study.

Objective.

This study aims to evaluate the effect size of postoperative glycemic variability on surgical outcomes among patients who have undergone one- to three-level lumbar fusion.

Summary of Background Data.

While numerous patient characteristics have been associated with surgical outcomes after lumbar fusion, recent studies have described the measuring of postoperative glycemic variability as another promising marker.

Methods.

A total of 850 patients were stratified into tertiles (low, moderate, high) based on degree of postoperative glycemic variability defined by coefficient of variation (CV). Surgical site infections were determined via chart review based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition. Demographic factors, surgical characteristics, inpatient complications, readmissions, and reoperations were determined by chart review and telephone encounters.

Results.

Overall, a statistically significant difference in 90-day adverse outcomes was observed when stratified by postoperative glycemic variability. In particular, patients with high CV had a higher odds ratio (OR) of readmission (OR = 2.19 [1.17, 4.09]; P = 0.01), experiencing a surgical site infection (OR = 3.22 [1.39, 7.45]; P = 0.01), and undergoing reoperations (OR = 2.65 [1.34, 5.23]; P = 0.01) compared with patients with low CV. No significant association was seen between low and moderate CV groups. Higher CV patients were more likely to experience longer hospital stays (β: 1.03; P = 0.01). Among the three groups, high CV group experienced the highest proportion of complications.

Conclusion.

Our study establishes a significant relationship between postoperative glycemic variability and inpatient complications, length of stay, and 90-day adverse outcomes. While HbA1c has classically been used as the principal marker to assess blood glucose control, our results show CV to be a strong predictor of postoperative adverse outcomes. Future high-quality, prospective studies are necessary to explore the true effect of CV, as well as its practicality in clinical practice. Nevertheless, fluctuations in blood glucose levels during the inpatient stay should be limited to improve patient results.

Level of Evidence: 4
Clinical and Patient-reported Outcomes After Posterior Versus Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion—A Propensity Score-matched Cohort Study on 422 Patients with 2-year Follow-up
Authors: Ohrt-Nissen Søren , Carreon Leah Y. , Andresen Andreas K. , Andersen Mikkel Ø. , Udby Peter
Published: September 2021

Study Design.

This was a dual-center study over an eight-year period on patients undergoing single level fusion surgery with either posterior- (PLIF) or transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). We analyzed prospectively collected pre- and postoperative data from the national Danish surgical spine database (DaneSpine).

Objective.

The aim of this study was to compare clinical and patient-reported outcome (PRO) 2 years after TLIF or PLIF in patients with symptomatic lumbar mechanical disc degeneration.

Summary of Background Data.

PLIF and TLIF are well-described techniques for treating lumbar mechanical disc degeneration but whether the theoretical differences between the two techniques translate to different clinical outcomes is unknown.

Methods.

The primary outcome was Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score at 2-year follow-up. Secondary outcome measures were scores on the European Quality of Life–5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) and visual analog scale (VAS) and the rate of intraoperative complications. To minimize baseline differences between the groups, propensity-score matching was employed in a 1:1 fashion, balancing the groups on preoperative factors including age, sex, back and leg pain, ODI, EQ-5D, and previous spine surgery.

Result.

The matched cohort included 211 patients in each cohort. There was no significant difference between the groups in the mean score on the ODI at two years (PLIF: 33 ± 20 vs. TLIF: 35 ± 20, P = 0.328). We found no statistically significant differences in EQ-5D score (0.54 ± 0.35 vs. 0.51 ± 0.34, P = 0.327), VAS score for back pain (47 ± 32 vs. 48 ± 29, P = 0.570) or leg pain (42 ± 33 vs. 41 ± 32, P = 0.936) between the PLIF and TLIF groups, respectively, at 2-year follow-up. Dural tears occurred in 9.5% in the PLIF group and 1.9% in the TLIF group (P = 0.002) corresponding to a relative risk of 5.0 (95% CI 1.7–14.4).

Conclusion.

We found no significant difference in PRO at 2-year follow-up between PLIF and TLIF for the treatment of lumbar disc degeneration. PLIF is associated with a five times higher risk of dural tears.

Level of Evidence: 3