bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Speech Sounds In the Praat Program
Authors: Pareniuk Anastasiia Volodymyrivna 
Published: December 2021

The article identifies the possibility of using the Praat program for comprehensive and complete analysis of speech sounds. It also indicates the range of functions of the software package and the perspective of using the program for comparing sounds.
Praat is a program for speech analysis and synthesis written by Paul Boersma and David Veninko at the Department of Phonetics, University of Amsterdam.
Praat is a very flexible tool for speech analysis. It offers a wide range of standard and non-standard procedures. The functions of the program that were used in the work: spectrograms, pitch analysis, formant analysis, intensity analysis, jitter, shimmer, voice breaks. There are at least three ways to get sound in the program: sound recording, read sound from the disc, create sound from formulas. In this article, hhe first method was used and the vowel sounds "a" and "e", as well as consonants "n" and "p" were considered.
With the help of automated algorithms, a number of important data were quickly obtained, such as the average value of the formant on the selected interval, the maximum, minimum and average value of pitch, maximum, minimum and average intensity, the overall signal report(jitter, shimmer, voice breaks). Also, this programm can create high quality images that can be exported and inserted into scientific articles or personal research. Due to this fact, the images of not only spectrograms and waveforms, but also the images of formants and intensity was presented in the work.
Based on the obtained results, the selected sounds were compared. As a result, a conclusion was made about the feasibility and effectiveness of using the software package Praat in the analysis of speech sounds.
It was also noted the ease of use of this software package, as well as the importance of using the program in research in various fields of human activity.
Heat Waves and Emergency Department Visits Among the Homeless, San Diego, 2012–2019
Authors: Schwarz Lara , Castillo Edward M. , Chan Theodore C. , Brennan Jesse J. , Sbiroli Emily S. , Carrasco-Escobar Gabriel , Nguyen Andrew , Clemesha Rachel E. S. , Gershunov Alexander , Benmarhnia Tarik 
Published: December 2021

Objectives. To determine the effect of heat waves on emergency department (ED) visits for individuals experiencing homelessness and explore vulnerability factors. Methods. We used a unique highly detailed data set on sociodemographics of ED visits in San Diego, California, 2012 to 2019. We applied a time-stratified case–crossover design to study the association between various heat wave definitions and ED visits. We compared associations with a similar population not experiencing homelessness using coarsened exact matching. Results. Of the 24 688 individuals identified as experiencing homelessness who visited an ED, most were younger than 65 years (94%) and of non-Hispanic ethnicity (84%), and 14% indicated the need for a psychiatric consultation. Results indicated a positive association, with the strongest risk of ED visits during daytime (e.g., 99th percentile, 2 days) heat waves (odds ratio = 1.29; 95% confidence interval = 1.02, 1.64). Patients experiencing homelessness who were younger or elderly and who required a psychiatric consultation were particularly vulnerable to heat waves. Odds of ED visits were higher for individuals experiencing homelessness after matching to nonhomeless individuals based on age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Conclusions. It is important to prioritize individuals experiencing homelessness in heat action plans and consider vulnerability factors to reduce their burden. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(1):98–106. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306557 )
Printing spongy all-in-liquid materials
Authors: Bazazi Parisa , Stone Howard , Hejazi S. Hossein 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Printing structured networks of functionalized droplets in a liquid medium enables engineering collectives of living cells for functional purposes [1, 2], bacterial ecology [3], and promises enormous applications in processes ranging from energy storage [4, 5] to drug delivery [6, 7]and tissue engineering [8]. Current approaches are limited to drop-by-drop printing [1, 2] or face limitations in reproducing the sophisticated internal features of a structured material and its interactions with the surrounding media [6, 9–11]. Here, we report on a simple approach for creating stable liquid filaments of silica nanoparticle dispersions and use them as inks to print all-in-liquid materials that consist of a network of droplets. Silica nanoparticles stabilize liquid filaments at Weber numbers two orders of magnitude smaller than previously reported in liquid-liquid systems by rapidly producing a concentrated microemulsion zone at the oil-water interface. We experimentally demonstrate that the printed aqueous phase is emulsified in-situ; consequently, a 3D structure is achieved with flexible walls consisting of layered microemulsions. The tube-like printed features have a spongy texture resembling miniaturized versions of “tube sponges” found in the oceans. A scaling analysis based on the interplay between hydro-dynamics and emulsification kinetics reveals that liquid filaments are formed when emulsions are generated and remain at the interface during the printing period. We demonstrate the utilization of filaments of the nanoparticle dispersions for printing fluidic channels and propose to use them as lab-on-a-chip devices.
Continuum of Maternal and Newborn Health in Sierra Leone: a 2019 National Survey
Authors: Sserwanja Quraish , Mutisya Linet M. , Nuwabaine Lilian , Kamara Kassim , Mutebi Ronald K , Musaba Milton W. 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
IntroductionGlobally, Sierra Leone has some of the worst maternal and child health indicators. The situation is worsened by a dearth of evidence about the level of continuum of care, an evidence-based intervention aimed at reducing maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Hence this study aimed to fill this gap in evidence in the level of and factors associated with continuum of maternal and newborn care.MethodThe study employed data from the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic Health Survey (SLDHS). Analysis was restricted to women who had a live birth in the five years preceding the survey (n = 7,326). Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression were performed using SPSS software version 25.ResultsOnly 17.9% (95% CI: 17.4-19.1) of the women utilized complete continuum of care (CoC) for maternal and newborn health services in Sierra Leone. About 22% (95% CI: 21.3-23.1) utilized 8 or more antenatal care (ANC) contacts, 88% (95% CI: 87.9-89.4) had skilled birth attendance (SBA) while 90.7% (95% CI: 90.2-91.5) and 90.4% (95% CI: 89.9-91.2) of mothers and neonates utilized postnatal care (PNC) respectively. Having started ANC within first trimester (aOR 1.71, 95% CI: 1.46-2.00), belonging to the Southern region (aOR 1.85, 95% CI: 1.23-2.80), belonging to richer wealth quintile (aOR 1.76, 95% CI: 1.27-2.44), using internet (aOR 1.49, 95% CI: 1.12-1.98) and having no big problems seeking permission to access healthcare (aOR 1.34, 95% CI: 1.06-1.69) were significantly associated with utilization of CoC.ConclusionThe overall completion of continuum of maternal care is low, with ANC being the lowest utilized component of continuum of care. The study findings further call for urgent attention for maternal health stakeholders to develop and implement tailored interventions prioritizing women empowerment, access to affordable internet services, timely initiation of ANC contacts, women in developed regions such as the Western and those from poor households.
Integrated Control of Aedes Aegypti With Parasitic Nematodes, Biological Control Agents, Chemical Insecticides and Plant Essential Oil
Authors: Xiong Jinfeng , Zhang Hui , Li Caixia , Ma Rui , Ai Hui , Wang Guoxiu 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Aedes aegypti can transmit dengue fever, yellow fever, Chikungunya fever, Zika virus disease and vector density control is the most effective way to prevent these infectious diseases. However, the extensive use of chemical pesticides has caused a series of problems, such as environmental pollution, killing non-target organisms and so on. In this study, a parasitic nematode, Romanomermis wuchangensis was used in the larviciding evaluation of Ae. aegypti, while the activity of four chemical insecticides and biological control agents were tested. Besides, Mentha haplocalyx essential oil was isolated and its olfactory physiological function with OBP1 protein of Ae. aegypti antenna was measured by the prokaryotic expression and fluorescence competitive binding assay. Compared with the control group, R. wuchangensis indicated high efficiency and environmental friendliness in the control of Ae. aegypti. After the second instar larvae were parasitized, the mortality of two treatment groups exceeded 75%. Compared to control group, the quantitative real-time PCR analysis results demonstrated that SOD, POD and CAT genes had obvious high expression levels in the nematodes parasitic groups. The antioxidant enzyme test results also exhibited obvious difference of SOD, CAT and POD during the nematode parasitic period. Besides, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bti) and chemical insecticide experimental results also showed great insecticidal efficacy against mosquito larvae. Five chemical components including Menthol, Pinene, Limonene, Isopulegol and Pulegone were identified from M. haplocalyx and exhibited great binding ability with AaegOBP1 protein. Present results illustrated that the integrated application of these various mosquito vector control methods in the future has broad prospects.
The Difficulties the Caregivers of Cancer Patients Experience in the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: YAKAR Hatice KARABUGA , OGUZ Sıdıka , KARAKAS Ferda , TEKIN Hatice , ONER Nurullah , GURSOY Simay , ARSLAN Sennur , KELES Yagmur , BALKAN Yasemin 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Purpose

This is a qualitative study using interpretive phenomenological analysis to determine the difficulties experienced by caregivers of cancer patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Methods

Fourteen cancer patients were interviewed between 20 December 2020 and 20 January 2021 using maximum diversity sampling. The data were collected using semi-structured interview forms, one-on-one interviews, and online interview technique.
Results

The experiences of caregivers of cancer patients regarding the Covid 19 pandemic were presented under four themes, namely emotional problems, economic problems, neglect of health, and behavioural responses associated with Covid 19”.
Conclusions

It was found that caregivers of cancer patients were emotionally affected, faced economic difficulties, neglected their own health, and developed behavioural responses to the risk of Covid-19 during the pandemic.
Fear of Prognosis? How Anxiety, Coping, and Expected Burden Impact the Decision to Have Cytogenetic Assessment in Uveal Melanoma Patients
Authors: Gollrad Johannes , Korpusik Nevenka , Rabsahl Christopher , Boehmer Dirk , Besserer Angela , Grittner Ulrike , Boeker Alexander , Ulrich Keilholz , Joussen Antonia , Budach Volker , Goerling Ute 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
BackgroundCytogenetic testing (CGT) in uveal melanoma patients reveals prognostic information about the individual risk of developing distant metastasis with dismal prognosis. There is currently no medical intervention strategy with proven effect on the prognosis, rendering the result of the cytogenetic testing purely informative. We explored patients’ socio-demographic backgrounds, psychological preconditions, coping strategies, external influences, and concerns about “knowing their fate” to study their possible interactions with decision-making for CGT.MethodsUveal melanoma patients were asked to complete questionnaires on their interest in undergoing CGT for prognostication and the factors influencing their decision. Data were collected on socio-demographics, baseline anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), coping strategies (Brief Cope), and assumed future concerns regarding the CGT result. Data were analyzed by using multiple ordinal logistic regression and exploring estimated marginal effects.ResultsQuestionnaires were returned by 121 of 131 (92.4%) patients. Fifty-two patients (43%) had no interest in CGT, 34 (28.1%) were undecided, and 35 (28.9%) were interested. We observed no significant differences regarding age, sex, partnership, education, occupation, baseline anxiety, or depression. Decision-making favoring CGT was influenced by the treating physicians, internet resources, and level of baseline anxiety. Patients were likely to reject CGT when they worried that “knowing the result will have an unintended influence” on their life.ConclusionDecision-making about CGT for prognostication in uveal melanoma is burdensome to many patients and in general not guided by medical advice regarding further treatment and screening procedures. The psychological impact of the decision is therefore unique and requires careful support by psycho-oncologists considering the patient’s fears and expectations.
miR-138-5p Inhibits Vascular Mimicry by Targeting the HIF-1α/VEGFA Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Liu Hongwei , Hu Xiujin , Tan Weihe , Zhou Peng , Liu Yanmei , Chen Chen , Yang Meng , Zhou Meifang , Xuan Shuxia , Cheng Bing , Yin Weiguo , Lin Jinduan 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Tumor vascular mimicry (VM) is the process of new blood vessels formed by tumor cells rather than endothelial cells. An increasing number of researches have revealed that VM process is associated with cancer progression and metastasis. miR-138-5p has been reported to act as a tumor suppressor in many cancers. However, the role and underlying mechanism of miR-138-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) VM remain unclear. In this study, VM density was detected by CD31/periodic acid-Schiff double staining in HCC clinical specimens. We found that miR-138-5p expression correlated strongly negatively with microvessel density. Additionally, miR-138-5p mimic or inhibitor decreased or increased, respectively, tube formation capacity in HepG2 and Hep3B cells. Consistent with this, miR-138-5p repressed vessel density in vivo. Moreover, miR-138-5p targeted hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and regulated expression of HIF-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), which are established classical markers of angiogenesis. Consistent with these findings, the HIF-1α inhibitor CAY10585 effectively blocked HCC cell VM and VEGFA expression. In conclusion, miR-138-5p inhibits HepG2 and Hep3B cell VM by blocking the HIF-1α/VEGFA pathway. Therefore, miR-138-5p may serve as a useful therapeutic target for miRNA-based HCC therapy.
Anorexia as a Risk Factor of Mortality in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer Receiving Home-Base Palliative Care
Authors: Cui Jiaxin , Tan Lanhui , Fang Pei , An Zifen , Du Jiayi , Yu Liping 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Purpose

To determine the prevalence of anorexia among advanced lung cancer patients at the beginning of receiving home-based palliative care and to examine the predictive role of anorexia in survival of patients with advanced lung cancer.
Methods

In this retrospective study, we analyzed data from 918 advanced lung cancer patients who had received home-based palliative care between March 2010 and March 2020. We used Kaplan-Meier survival curves to determine the factors associated with survival time and applied the Cox proportional hazards model to examine the effect of anorexia on survival.
Results

The study included 918 patients with a mean age of 63.5 years; and 72.2% of them were men. Factors associated with shortened survival included gender, place of residence, weight loss, anorexia, nausea and Karnofsky performance status (KPS). In a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, after adjusting for male gender, patient lives in city, and low KPS, we found that anorexia was an independent negative predictor of survival.
Conclusions

As an independent factor predicting the survival of patients with advanced lung cancer, anorexia should be taken seriously by medical staff. This predictive factor may serve as early risk identification indicator for healthcare workers who provide home-based palliative care, thereby providing personalized palliative care for advanced lung cancer patients.
Association Between Smoking and Postoperative Delirium in Surgical Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension: a Secondary Analysis of a Cohort Study
Authors: Zhou Sai , Shi Shuqing , Xie Chang , Chen Gong 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background: Previous studies have declared that smoking is a risk factor for postoperative delirium (POD), but others have inconsistent results. Up till now, the association between smoking and POD has not been verified. This study aims to investigate the relationship between smoking and POD in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) in the United States.Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study completed by Aalap C. et al. Patients with PHTN who underwent non-cardiac, non-obstetric surgery were enrolled in the original study. We further excluded the patients undergoing intracranial surgery and the patients with sepsis and perioperative stroke to avoid interference with POD assessment. The generalized linear model and generalized additive model were used to explore the relationship between smoking and POD.Results: After adjusting the potential confounders (age, gender, BMI, poor functional status, PHTN severity, some comorbidities such as hypertension, angina, coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, COPD, asthma, diabetes and renal failure, length of surgery, open surgical approach, intraabdominal surgery, intrathoracic surgery, vascular surgery, some medications such as anticoagulant, antiplatelet, steroids, statin, and atropine, some inhalational anesthesia agent such as isoflurane and sevoflurane), a positive relationship was found between smoking status and POD (OR=5.61, 95% CI: 1.14 to 27.51, P=0.0334). In addition, the curvilinear relationship between smoking burden (pack-years) and POD is close to a linear relationship.Conclusion: Smoking shows a positive correlation with POD in patients with PHTN. Surgical individuals need to prevent POD especially those with a heavy smoking burden.
Conservation Genomics Reveals Low Connectivity Among Populations of Threatened Roseate Terns in the Atlantic Basin
Authors: Byerly Paige , Chesser R. Terry , Fleischer Robert , McInerney Nancy , Przelomska Natalia , Leberg Paul 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
While the effects of barriers to dispersal such as population declines, habitat fragmentation, and geographic distance have been well-documented in terrestrial wildlife, factors impeding the dispersal of highly vagile taxa such as seabirds are less well understood. The roseate tern (Sterna dougallii) is a globally distributed seabird species, but populations tend to be both fragmented and small, and the species is declining across most of its range. Within the Atlantic Basin, past work has shown differentiation among roseate terns breeding on different continents, but these results were generated with a limited number of microsatellite markers. Relationships between breeding populations in the Northwestern Atlantic and the Caribbean have never been analyzed. We evaluated population structuring of roseate tern populations in North America and the Azores using both microsatellite markers and single-nucleotide polymorphisms generated through targeted sequencing of Ultra-conserved Elements. For both marker types, we found significant genetic differentiation among all 3 populations and evidence for moderate contemporary unidirectional gene flow from the Caribbean to the Azores, but not among other populations. Within the Caribbean metapopulation, we found high rates of unidirectional migration from the Virgin Islands to Florida, potentially indicative of movement from source population to sink or an artifact of dispersal among other unsampled populations in the Caribbean region. These observations have significance for species persistence in the Atlantic, as our results suggest that loss of genetic diversity within populations is unlikely to be buffered by inflow of new alleles from other breeding populations.
Prognostic prediction of preoperative nutritional status in low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms
Authors: Wang Bing , Ma Ruiqing , Shi Guanjun , Yang Zhenpeng , Tang Huazhen , Lu Shuai , Wang Yuying , Qu Jinxiu , Rao Benqiang , Xu Hongbin 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background

To describe the preoperative nutritional status of Low-grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasms (LAMNs) and identify prognostic factors for survival.
Methods

Medical records from 165 patients with LAMNs who attended the Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China between January 2017, and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Survival analysis was performed with the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and a Cox proportional hazards model.
Results

Among 165 patients, 59 (36%) were male and 106 (64%) were female. Patient’s median age was 58 years (range, 20 to 78 years). Univariate analysis indicated that gender, weight loss, prior surgical score (PSS), red blood cell, albumin, peritoneal cancer index (PCI), completeness of cytoreduction (CCR), and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) were related to prognosis. Multivariate analysis showed that PSS, CCR and HIPEC were independent predictors of prognosis.
Conclusions

The preoperative nutritional status of patients plays an important role in predicting prognosis. Patients can benefit from a complete cytoreductive surgery (CCRS) and HIPEC in an experienced institution for the first medical treatment.
Meaning in Life of Terminally Ill Parent with Young Children – A Quantitative Evaluation with SMiLE
Authors: Cuhls Henning , Ateş Gülay , Heuser Gregory , Radbruch Lukas , Hesse Michaela 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background Increasing the quality of life is one of the objectives of palliative care. Meaning in life has a significant influence on the perceived quality of life. We found no studies focusing on patients with young children.Methods Young parents diagnosed with life-limiting disease could participate and create an audiobook. Patients were assessed using Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluaton (SMiLE) pre and post intervention. The SMiLE is a validated instrument to assess meaning in life. Patients list their individual items that provide meaning in life. In a second step they are requested to rate their current level of satisfaction and in a last step they are asked to rank the importance of each item. Overall indices of weighting, satisfaction and importance are calculated. In addition, participants were interviewed twice over the course regarding expectations, concerns, motivation, and experiences.ResultsThe data were collected from February 2017 till September 2020. Fifty-four patients with ninety-six children at a mean age of seven years could be included. The involvement with the SMiLE made patients think about their resources. Most important items were in decreasing order family (100%), social relations (79.6%), leisure time (61.1%), nature/animals (38.9%), and home/garden (29.6%). Index of weighting (IOW) was 81.5, index of satisfaction (IOS) was 71.4, and a total SMiLE Index (IOWS) was 72.4. Parent felt limited by their illness in being a mother or father, as they wanted to be.ConclusionItems relevant for young parent showed differences to evaluations of cancer patients and palliative care patients. Most important item for meaning in life is the family numerated by all participants. The results indicate that evaluation of meaning in life is a coping strategy and helps young parent with young children.