bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto and Echinococcus multilocularis in a gray wolf (Canis lupus) in Turkey: further evidence for increased risk of alveolar echinococcosis in urban areas
Authors: Akyuz Muzaffer , Kirman Ridvan , Guven Esin , Balkaya Ibrahim , Avcioglu Hamza 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Objective
This study was aimed to confirm the infection and molecular identification of Echinococcus tapeworms in a gray wolf in an urban area of northeastern Turkey.
Methods
A dead gray wolf (Canis lupus) was found near Erzurum province and brought to the parasitology laboratory. Sedimentation and counting technique (SCT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis were conducted.
Results
The SCT implications indicated that the wolf had a substantial worm burden (62,720 and 49,280 parasites) due to a co-infection of E. granulosus s.l. and E. multilocularis. Genus/species-specific PCR was used to analyze DNA extracted from adult worms and confirmed as E. granulosus s.s. (G1) and E. multilocularis, utilizing COI and 12S rRNA gene sequence analysis, respectively.
Conclusion
This report presents the first co-detection of E. granulosus s.s. and E. multilocularis in a gray wolf found in an urban area from a highly endemic area for human echinococcosis in northeastern Turkey. The results emphasize that AE is not only a problem of rural areas, but also occurs in urban areas, which may pose a threat to public health. Therefore, surveillance in urban areas is crucial. The need to design new control strategies in domestic and wildlife perspective in the study area is also underlined.
A future scenario earthquake and ground motion hazards for Kathmandu, Nepal
Authors: Koketsu Kazuki , Miyake Hiroe , Okumura Koji , Suzuki Haruhiko 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
We constructed a new distribution of the rupture zones of great historical earthquakes along the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) by integrating the distribution in a previous study and the results of recent trench surveys. Additionally, recent Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations revealed that the boundary between the Indian and Eurasian plates is strongly coupled from the southern boundary of the MHT to a depth of approximately 10 km and there is almost no lateral change in the coupling. This implies that all regions along the MHT have similar rates of strain increase. Therefore, it is most probable that the rupture zone of the oldest previous event will rupture as a future scenario earthquake. In the new distribution, the 1255 earthquake is the oldest. However, large earthquakes have already occurred in 1934 and 2015 within its rupture zone. Thus, we adopted the area obtained by removing the 1934 and 2015 rupture zones from the western part of the 1255 rupture zone. As this area is close to Kathmandu, we assumed that it would be the rupture zone of a possible scenario earthquake for seismic hazards in Kathmandu. The relationship between the rupture zone size and seismic moment of the 2015 earthquake falls between the scaling formulas for crustal earthquakes and plate boundary earthquakes, but closer to the former formula. Therefore, we constructed a characterized source model based on the former formula. We simulated broadband ground motions in Kathmandu using this source model, our 3-D velocity structure model, and a hybrid method combining the finite difference method and the stochastic Green’s function method. We obtained the peak ground accelerations (PGAs) of simulated ground motions, and calculated the seismic intensities in the modified Mercalli scale from the PGAs as indexes of hazards for Kathmandu. Intensities IX were identified in the center of the Kathmandu Valley, and we mostly found intensities VIII and VII in the area surrounded by the sedimentary boundary and the southernmost part of the valley.
Orthodontic Maxillary Molar Movement-Induced Zygomatic Pillar Remodeling and its Consequences on Occlusal Characteristics and Stress Distribution
Authors: Li Size , Bao Han , Su Xiaojie , Xiong Liping , Yin Qianwen , Gu Deao , Miao Leiying , Liu Chao 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate zygomatic pillar changes during orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction, then analyze the effects of maxillary first molar movement on zygomatic pillar remodeling, and examine occlusal characteristics and stress distribution after reconstruction.
Methods: 25 premolar extraction patients were included. Zygomatic pillar measurement range was defined, and cross-sectional areas, surface landmark coordinates, and alveolar and cortical bone thickness and density changes were assessed using Mimics based on the CBCT taken before(T0)and after treatment(T1). Multiple linear regression was employed to explain correlations between zygomatic pillar changes and maxillary first molar 3D movement and rotation. Correlations between pillar remodeling and occlusal characteristics, as analyzed by Tteester, were calculated. Pre- and post-reconstruction 3D finite element models (FEA) were constructed and loaded with average occlusal force of two period , respectively.
Results: Zygomatic pillar cross-sectional area, landmark coordinates, bone thickness and alveolar bone density decreased. The mesial and lingual movement of the maxillary molars was strongly correlated with these changes, accounting for >40% variations. Occusal stress concentrated on weak areas after remodeling.
Conclusions: Orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction led to zygomatic pillar remodeling, making it more fragile and reducing the occusal force of the maxillary first molar and the entire dentition with stress concentrating on weak areas.
Clinical Relevance: No other study has focused on the effects of orthodontics on pillar structures.This research indicates that mesial movement of the maxillary first molar weakened zygomatic pillar, reduced occlusal function, and providing insights for insrting anchorage screws and facial aesthetics.
CAESAREAN DELIVERY ON MATERNAL REQUEST: the perspective of the postpartum women
Authors: Muhandule Célia J. L. Sitoe , Benetti Cristine M. S. , Fogulin Laura B. , Bento Silvana F. , Amaral Eliana , Muhandule Célia J. L. Sitoe 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Background Caesarean delivery on maternal request (CDMR) is an increasing delivery option among women. As such, we aimed to understand the reasons that led pregnant women to request a caesarean delivery.Methods A phenomenological study was conducted with semi-structured interviews, in a convenience sample, for women who had undergone a CDMR between March and June 2023, in a public reference university hospital in Campinas, Brazil. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis, supported by Nvivo®, and Reshape®.Results We interviewed eighteen women between 21 and 43 years of age. The reasons for C-section as their choice were: 1) fear of labour pain, 2) fear for safety due to maternal or fetal risks, 3) traumatic previous birth experiences of the patient, family or friends 4) sense of control, and 5) lack of knowledge about the risks and benefits of C-section.Conclusions The perception of C-section as the painless and safest way to give birth, the movement of giving voice and respecting the autonomy of pregnant women, as well as the national regulation, contribute to the increased rates of surgical abdominal delivery under request. Cultural change concerning childbirth and better counseling could support a more adequate informed decision-making about delivery mode.
Bio-inspired Soil Improvement using Silicatein-α Enzyme
Authors: Gao Kewei , Suleiman Muhannad T. , Brown Derick G. , Sadeghnejad Abdolhamid , Lin Hai 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Silicatein‑α enzyme, which is naturally found in sea sponges, was produced in the laboratory and applied in biomineralization to control the CaCO3 crystal morphology. In this study, silicatein-α enzyme was engineered and expressed in modified Escherichia coli bacteria and then extracted and purified for lab use. Syringe tests were conducted to characterize the morphology and the structure of the CaCO3 precipitates with the guide of silicatein-α enzyme in soils. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize the CaCO3 at the microscale. Spicule (needle-like structures) morphology of CaCO3 precipitates were observed from the syringe tests compared to the cubic morphology of the CaCO3 precipitates treated by Microbial Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) and Enzyme (urease enzyme) Induced Carbonate Precipitation (EICP). The optimized silicatein‑α enzyme treatment protocol including enzyme medium (0.1 M CaCl2, 0.1 M MgCl2, and active silicatein-α enzyme (concentration from 2×10-6 to 6×10-6 M)) and cementation medium, containing 0.2 M (NH4)2CO3 at pH=11 and saturated with CO2 gas, was determined based on the conditions tested in this study. Confined compression tests were also used to investigate the mechanical property of the bio-cemented soil using the silicatein‑α enzyme. The shear modulus of soil was improved after silicatein-α treatment through shear wave velocity measurement, and the silicatein-α enzyme-treated soil (pH value of the cementation medium of 11) was less compressible than the untreated soil but more compressible than MICP and EICP-treated soils. Overall, spicule morphology of CaCO3 precipitates can be created and the mechanical property of the soil can be improved using silicatein‑α enzyme treatment.
The Effect of Compressor Stage Impeller Gap Tolerances on the Performance of a Solarised Micro Gas Turbine
Authors: Fivaz Michael , Spuy Johan Van der , Eck Hano Van 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

The environmental benefits of concentrating solar power (CSP) combined with the high continuous output power of a micro gas turbine (MGT) offer a unique method for producing electricity as a solar-hybrid system. The two primary methods to improve the performance and efficiency of an MGT are to raise the temperature of the combustor inlet and to increase the pressure ratio of the compressor stage. The effect of improving the performance of a MGT by reducing the geometric tolerances of the compressor stage is applied to an MGT testbench intended for use in a solar-hybrid application. The MGT features a centrifugal compressor which is favoured over axial compressors because of its higher per stage pressure ratios being achieved. The existing compressor is initially simulated using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis to generate pressure ratio and efficiency performance charts. A second CFD simulation is performed on the compressor, whose geometric tolerances are reduced to a realistically achievable manufacturing tolerance with standard machinery of 0.3 mm. With this modification, the compressor's pressure ratio increases from 1.482 to 1.524 and its efficiency improves from 78.3–81.4%. The simulated output power on the MGT testbench increases from this modification by 18.2%, from 18.1 kW to 21.4 kW. This study not only illustrates an improvement in the performance of the MGT testbench, but it also enables further development in subsequent stages and, ultimately, promotes the use of solar-hybrid electricity generation.
Observed multi-decadal increase in the surface ocean's thermal inertia
Authors: Song Hajoon , Lee Chaehyeong , Choi Yeonju , Cho Ajin , Marshall John 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

The ocean surface layer plays a pivotal role in Earth's climate by absorbing excess heat from the atmosphere, thereby regulating global temperatures. Here we document an observed and very notable increase in the persistence of sea surface temperature around the global ocean over the past four decades. This prolonged memory is attributed to two key factors: a deepening of the surface mixed layer and a decrease in the damping rates due to processes such as vertical entrainment, mixing and damping to the atmosphere. Our findings have great relevance to the observed increase in the duration of marine heatwaves and associated heightened thermal threats to marine organisms. Our study also suggests that the ocean's ability to sequester heat is weakening, a trend that may accelerate as the 21st century proceeds.
Effect of the Postoperative Pain Management Model on the Psychological Status and Quality of Life of Patients in the Advanced Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Wang Lijuan , Zhang Qiang 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Objective: it was to explore the influence of the postoperative pain management mode on the psychological state, quality of life (QOL), and nursing satisfaction of late patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and improve the nursing effect of late patients in the ICU.
Methods: seventy patients who were admitted to the postoperative ICU for gastric cancer and received treatment in our hospital from March 2021 to May 2022 were selected. The patients were assigned into a research group and a control (Ctrl) group according to a random number table, with 70 cases in each group. The Ctrl group received routine nursing intervention, while research group received nursing intervention based on routine nursing intervention with postoperative pain management mode and received psychological care. Good communication was established with the patients, and the postoperative pain assessment was well conducted. The general information, state-trait anxiety (STAI) score, World Health Organization’s Quality of Life Instrument (WHO QOL-BREF) score, and care satisfaction were compared.
Results: the general information differed slightly, such as sex, age, and ward type, between groups, with comparability (P > 0.05). S-AI scores (13.15 ± 1.53 vs. 16.23 ± 1.24) and T-AI scores (14.73 ± 3.12 vs. 18.73 ± 3.16) in research group were inferior to those in Ctrl group (P < 0.05). The scores of patients in research group in the physiological field (78.9 ± 6.1 points vs. 72.3 ± 5.6 points), social relationship field (76.9 ± 4.5 points vs. 71.3 ± 4.8 points), psychological field (78.6 ± 6.2 points vs. 72.4 ± 5.3 points), environmental field (78.6 ± 6.7 points vs. 73.5 ± 6.4 points), and total QOL (79.5 ± 7.4 points vs. 71.6 ± 5.4 points) were higher than those in Ctrl group (P< 0.05). The total satisfaction rate with nursing care in research group (82.85%) was dramatically superior to that in Ctrl group (62.85%) (P< 0.05).
Conclusion: the adoption of a postoperative pain management model in postoperative nursing interventions for patients in advanced ICUs can alleviate anxiety and depression, improve patients’ QOL and nursing satisfaction, and have clinical promotion value.
Utility of quantitative analysis of 99mTc-GSA SPECT/CT in the evaluation of liver fibrosis: comparison with conventional assessment on planar images and its complementary diagnostic value with other liver function indices
Authors: Kozaki Yoichi , Ichikawa Yasutaka , Nakamura Satoshi , Kobayashi Tatsuhiro , Tomita Yoya , Nagata Motonori , Kuriyama Naohisa , Mizuno Shugo , Sakuma Hajime 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the potential value of quantitative Tc-99m-diethylenetriamine-penta-acetic acid-galactosyl human serum albumin (99mTc-GSA) SPECT in the assessment of liver fibrosis compared to a conventional index based on planar images (LHL15), and to assess its complementary value to other liver function indices such as fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index and indocyanine green (ICG) clearance test (ICG-R15, ICG-K).
Methods
Seventy-eight consecutive patients with suspected chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent 99mTc-GSA scintigraphy and other liver function tests including ICG test and FIB-4 index as the workup prior to hepatectomy were studied. 99mTc-GSA image data were acquired with a SPECT/CT scanner (Discovery NM/CT 670) equipped with low-energy high-resolution collimator. Immediately after intravenous injection of median dose of 185 MBq of 99mTc-GSA, dynamic imaging was performed for 20 min, followed by SPECT data acquisition for 6 min. LHL15, a conventional index, was measured from the planar images, and the liver uptake ration (LUR) was measured from the 99mTc-GSA SPECT images. From the liver resection specimens, the degree of liver fibrosis was graded according to the Ludwig scale (F0-4).
Results
Significant differences in LUR, LHL15, ICG-R15, ICG-K, platelet count and FIB-4 index were found between the F0-3 and F4 liver fibrosis patient groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that LUR and ICG-K were independent factors for identifying severe liver fibrosis (F4). Area under the curve of receiver operating curve analysis for the logistic regression model using LUR and ICG-K was 0.83. In the patient group with higher FIB-4 (≥ 3.16), the diagnostic performance of LUR for detecting severe liver fibrosis was significantly better than LHL15 (AUC: 0.83 vs. 0.75, P = 0.048). In the high FIB-4 index group, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for the identification of severe liver fibrosis were 88%, 85%, 88%, and 85%, respectively, when using the cutoff value of 41.2% for LUR.
Conclusions
LUR measured by quantitative analysis of 99mTc-GSA SPECT reflects the severity of liver fibrosis more accurately than the conventional index from planar imaging. In patients with high FIB-4 index, LUR is a useful indicator to identify severe liver fibrosis with high diagnostic accuracy.
Recovering the original simplicity: succinct and deterministic quantum algorithm for the welded tree problem
Authors: Li Guanzhong , Li Lvzhou , Luo Jingquan 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

This work revisits quantum algorithms for the well-known welded tree problem, proposing a very succinct quantum algorithm based on the simplest coined quantum walks. It simply iterates the naturally defined coined quantum walk operator for a predetermined time and finally measure, where the predetermined time can be efficiently computed on classical computers. Then, the algorithm returns the correct answer deterministically, and achieves exponential speedups over any classical algorithm. The significance of the results may be seen as follows. (i) Our algorithm is rather simple compared with the one in (Jeffery and Zur, STOC'2023), which not only breaks the stereotype that coined quantum walks can only achieve quadratic speedups over classical algorithms, but also demonstrates the power of the simplest quantum walk model. (ii) Our algorithm theoretically achieves certainty of success, which is not possible with existing methods. Thus, it becomes one of the few examples that exhibit exponential separation between deterministic (exact) quantum and randomized query complexities, which may also change people's perception that since quantum mechanics is inherently probabilistic, it is impossible to have a deterministic quantum algorithm with exponential speedups for the welded tree problem.
Proxy-based Guidance Virtual Fixtures with Orientation Constraints
Authors: Hu Weitao , Pan Xinan , Wang Hongguang 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
In applications of physical human-robot interaction, robots pose a potential risk to human safety. A virtual fixture is used to ensure the safety of human operators by restricting the robot's behavior, which assists operators in moving the robot along a desired path. In this paper, we propose a novel and practical guidance virtual fixture based on a virtual proxy. By designing the dynamics of the proxy and connecting it to the robot using a viscoelastic linkage model, the robot's end-effector position can be constrained within pipeline and conical geometries. In addition, the end-effector orientation of the robot can also be constrained within a specific range to comply with ergonomics. The conducted experiment validated the effectiveness and convenience of the proposed control scheme in path tracking tasks by evaluating it involving several subjects and a Franka Emika Panda robot.
Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection and malfunction in adult patients: Incidence, risk factors, and long-term follow-up of single institution experience
Authors: Kim Minwoo , Choi June Ho , Park Jung Cheol , Ahn Jae Sung , Kwun Byung Duk , Park Wonhyoung 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery was developed to manage excessive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain’s ventricles and is considered a mainstream treatment. Despite the development of the shunt device system, various complications still occur. In this study, we reported 307 cases and a long-term follow-up of at least five years of adult patients who underwent VP shunt surgery and analyzed various factors that may affect revision surgery. A retrospective study was conducted at Asan Medical Center, Korea, a tertiary medical center. We reviewed 307 cases from January 2012 to December 2018. The patients’ neurological status, predisposing medical conditions, laboratory findings, and other operation-related factors were reviewed using electrical medical records. The normal function group comprised 272 cases (88.6%), and the overall incidence of revision group comprised 35 cases (11.4%). Of the 35 revision surgery cases, 30 (85.71%) were due to shunt malfunctions, such as obstruction, overdrainage, and valve-related errors while 5 (14.29%) were due to shunt infection. Patient demographics, mental status, and operation time did not influence revision as risk factors. Serum laboratory findings showed no statistical difference between the two groups. The white blood cell (WBC) count in the CSF profile differed significantly between the two groups. Various shunt systems, such as Hakim programmable valve (Codman, USA) used predominantly for its low revision rate, (Strata Adjustable valve (Medtronic, USA), proGAV (Aesculap, USA), and Accu-Flo (Codman, USA)) were used in our center.
Display of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Spike protein B-Cell Linear Epitope on Lactobacillus mucosae G01 S-layer Surface Induce a Robust Immunogenicity in Mice
Authors: Zhang Bin , Gou Hongchao , Shen Haiyan , Zhang Chunhong , Liu Zhicheng , Wuri Nile , Nie Jingjing , Qu Yunzhi , Zhang Jianfeng , Geri Letu 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

The Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) presents a substantial risk to the domestic pig industry, resulting in extensive and fatal viral diarrhea among piglets. Recognizing the mucosal stimulation triggered by PEDV and harnessing the regulatory impact of lactobacilli on intestinal function, we have developed a lactobacillus based vaccine that is carefully designed to elicit a strong mucosal immune response. Through bioinformatics analysis, we examined PEDV S proteins to identify B-cell linear epitopes that meet the criteria of being non-toxic, soluble, antigenic, and capable of neutralizing the virus. In this study, a genetically modified strain of Lactobacillus mucosae G01 (L.mucosae G01) was created by utilizing the S layer protein (SLP) as a scaffold for surface presentation. Chimeric immunodominant epitopes with neutralizing activity were incorporated at various sites on SLP. The successful expression of SLP chimeric immunodominant epitope 1 on the surface of L.mucosae G01 was confirmed through indirect immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy, revealing the formation of a transparent membrane. The findings demonstrate that the oral administration of L.mucosae G01, which expresses the SLP chimeric immunodominant gene epitope1, induces the production of secreted IgA in the intestine and feces of mice. Additionally, there is an elevation in IgG levels in the serum. Moreover, the levels of cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γ, and IL-17 are significantly increased compared to the negative control group. These results suggest that L.mucosae G01 has the ability to deliver exogenous antigens and elicit a specific mucosal immune response against PEDV. This investigation presents new possibilities for immunoprophylaxis against PEDV-induced diarrhea.