bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quality of maternal and newborn health care at private hospitals in Iraq: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Tappis Hannah , Lak Rebaz , Alhilfi Riyadh , Zangana Aso Hameed , Wadi Falah , Hipgrave David , Ibrahim Shaimaa 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Background: Approximately 25% of facility births take place in private health facilities. Recent national studies of maternal and newborn health (MNH) service availability and quality have focused solely on the status of public sector facilities, leaving a striking gap in information on the quality of maternal and newborn care services.
Methods: A rapid cross-sectional assessment was conducted in November 2022 to assess the quality of MNH services at private hospitals in Iraq. Multi-stage sampling was used to select 15% of the country’s 164 private hospitals. Assessment tools included a facility assessment checklist, a structured health worker interview tool, and a structured client exit interview tool. Data collection was conducted using KoboToolbox software on Android tablets, and analysis conducted using SPSS v28.
Results: All hospitals visited provided MNH services and had skilled personnel present or on-call 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Most births (88%) documented between January and June 2022 were cesarean sections. Findings indicate that nearly all hospitals have the human resources, equipment, medicines and supplies necessary for quality antenatal, intrapartum and early essential newborn care, and many are also equipped with special units and resources needed to care for small and sick babies. However, while resources are in place for basic and advanced care, there are gaps in knowledge and practice of high-impact interventions that require few or no resources to perform, including skin-to-skin thermal care and support for early initiation of breastfeeding. Person-centered maternity care scores suggest that private hospitals offer a positive experience of care for all clients, however there is room for improvement in provider-client communication.
Conclusions: This assessment highlights the need for deeper dives into factors that underly decisions about how and where to give birth, and both understanding and practice of early essential newborn care and pre-discharge examinations and counseling at private healthcare facilities in Iraq. Engaging private health facility staff in efforts to monitor and improve the quality of maternal and newborn care, with a focus on early essential newborn care and provider-client communication for all clients, will ensure that women and newborns benefit from the best care possible with available resources.
Prediction of normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) after radiation therapy using imaging and molecular biomarkers and multivariate modeling
Authors: Alirezaei Zahra , Amouheidari Alireza , Iraji Sajjad , Hasanpour Masoud , Hejazi‬ ‪Seyed Hossein , Davanian Fariba , Nami Mohammad Torabi , Rastaghi Sedigheh , Shokrani Parvaneh , Tsien Christina I , Nazemzadeh Mohammad-Reza 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to design a predictive radiobiological model of normal brain tissue in low-grade glioma following radiotherapy based on imaging and molecular biomarkers.
Methods
Fifteen patients with primary brain tumors prospectively participated in this study and underwent radiation therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were obtained from the patients, including T1 and T2 weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and a generalized equivalent dose (gEUD) was calculated. The radiobiological model of the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) was performed using the variables gEUD; axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) of the corpus callosum; and serum protein S100B by univariate and multivariate logistic regression.
Results
Changes in AD, RD, and S100B from baseline up to the six months after treatment had an increasing trend and were significant in some time points (P-Value < 0.05). The model resulting from RD changes in the six months after treatment was significantly more predictable of necrosis than other univariate models. The bivariate model combining RD changes in Gy40 dose-volume and gEUD, as well as the trivariate model obtained using gEUD, RD and S100B, had a higher predictive value among multivariate models at the sixth month of the treatment.
Conclusion
Changes in RD diffusion indices and in serum protein S100B value were used in the early delayed stage as reliable biomarkers for predicting late-delayed damage (necrosis) caused by radiation in the corpus callosum. Current findings could pave the way for intervention therapies to delay the severity of damage to white matter structures, minimize cognitive impairment, and improve the quality of life of patients with low-grade glioma.
Enhancement of CO2 adsorption on activated carbons produced from avocado seeds by combined solvothermal carbonization and thermal KOH activation
Authors: Siemak Joanna , Michalkiewicz Beata 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
A new strategy for ultramicroporous activated carbons production from avocado seeds was developed. Combined solvothermal carbonization and thermal KOH activation was conducted. Solvothermal carbonizations were performed in a stainless-steel autoclave lined with Teflon at the temperature of 180oC for 12 hours in three different liquids (water, methanol, isopropyl alcohol). Chars were activated by KOH. The carbonization combined with activation took place in the oven at 850 oC for one hour. All the samples were very good CO2 sorbents. The highest CO2 adsorption at a pressure of 1 bar was achieved for activated carbon produced using isopropanol. The best carbon dioxide adsorption was equal to 6.47 mmol/g at 0oC and 4.35 mmol/g at 20 oC.
Nonlinear analysis of flexoelectric acoustic energy harvesters with Helmholtz resonator
Authors: Cao Zhi , Wang Kaifa , Wang Baolin 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
A Helmholtz resonator-type flexoelectric acoustic energy harvester (HR-FAEH) is proposed in this paper. It is realized by replacing the cavity bottom plate of Helmholtz resonator with a disk vibrator, which is a circular plate attached flexoelectric films on both sides. The environmental sound wave is amplified by the resonator in its cavity, and stimulates the vibration of the disk oscillator to generate electric energy. Due to the large sound pressureamplified by theHelmholtz resonator, the disk vibrator will suffer large deformation. If using the small deformation theory to predict the voltage could result in significant errors of up to 60 percent. To address this issue, the system is optimized by considering large deformation. The nonlinear electromechanical governing equations of the disk vibrator are derived by Hamiltonian principle, discretized by Galerkin method and solved by Incremental Harmonic Balance method (IHB). The present results are verified by the finite element simulation. Results show that adjusting the relation between the resonant frequencies of the Helmholtz resonator and the disk vibrator can increase voltage output by 36.5 percent compared to the linear model.
Activation of brown adipose tissue by a low-protein diet ameliorates hyperglycemia in a diabetic lipodystrophy mouse model
Authors: Munoz Marcos , Zamudio Alexa , McCann Maximilian , Gil Victoria , Xu Pingwen , Liew Chong Wee 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Long-term ad libitum dietary restrictions, such as low-protein diets (LPDs), improve metabolic health and extend the life span of mice and humans. However, most studies conducted thus far have focused on the preventive effects of LPDs on metabolic syndromes. To test the therapeutic potential of LPD, we treated a lipodystrophy mouse model IRFKO (adipose-specific insulin receptor knockout) in this study. We have previously shown that IRFKO mice have profound insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, and whitenng of interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT), closely mimicking the phenotypes in lipoatrophic diabetic patients. Here, we demonstrate that 14-day of LPD (5.1% kcal from protein) feeding is sufficient to reduce postprandial blood glucose, improve insulin resistance, and normalize glucose tolerance in the IRFKO mice. This profound metabolic improvement is associated with BAT activation and increase in whole body energy expenditure. To confirm, we showed that surgical denervation of BAT attenuated the beneficial metabolic effects of LPD feeding in IRFKO mice, including the ‘browning’ effects on BAT and the glucose-ameliorating results. However, BAT denervation failed to affect the body weight-lowering effects of LPD. Together, our results imply a therapeutic potential to use LPD for the treatment of lipoatrophic diabetes.
Back Pain and Radicular Pain After Lumbar Microdiscectomy
Authors: Koivunen Konsta , Pernaa Katri I. , Saltychev Mikhail 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Purpose: It is generally expected that lumbar microdiscectomy affects radicular leg pain, but not so much local back pain. The objectives were to evaluate if the trajectories of changes in pain severity follow similar patterns for back pain and radicular leg pain after lumbar microdiscectomy and to investigate the effect of some preoperative parameters on the patterns of these trajectories.
Methods: Register-based retrospective study of 353 patients undergoing microdiscectomy in lumbar spine. Linear mixed modelling was applied.
Results:
The average age was 46 years and 44% were women. In general, back and leg pain demonstrated similar developmental trajectories. Pain level steeply decrease during the first three months after the surgery. After three months, pain level was slightly worsening. No statistically significant effects of gender or age on pain trajectories were detected. Preoperative duration of pain was significantly associated with steeper pain worsening after one year. Milder pain before surgery predicted better outcome.
Conclusion: It seems that microsurgical discectomy may alleviate both back and radicular leg pain demonstrating similar developmental curves. Age or gender did not significantly affect the trajectories of pain severity after the surgery. Prolonged and more severe preoperative pain was significantly associated with worse pain after surgery through the entire two-year follow-up.
Synthesis of Fe3O4@SiO2@Pr-NH2@DAP as a magnetic recyclable nano-catalyst for efficient synthesis of pyranothiazolopyrimidines and 4H-pyrans under solvent-free condition
Authors: Maryam Danehchin , Ali Esmaeili Abbas 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
In this research, we description synthesis of a novel silica-coated nano-Fe3O4 particles, which were successfully modified by diaminopyrimidine, and its physicochemical properties were characterized using FT-IR, XRD, TEM, FE-SEM, EDX, EDX-mapping, and TGA. The catalytic activity of this novel nano-catalyst was evaluated by three-component reactions for the preparation of pyranothiazolopyrimidines and 4H-pyrans under solvent-free conditions. Recyclability of the catalyst up to six consecutive rounds, atom economy, high yield and purity of desired products, and easy work-up method are some of the exciting features of this system that make it more favorable from a green chemistry point of view.
A Machine Learning based approach to osteoporosis classification: correlational and comparative analysis between Osseus and DXA exams
Authors: Albuquerque Gabriela de A. , de Carvalho Dionísio D. A. , Cruz Agnaldo S. , Santos João Paulo Q. , Machado Guilherme M. , Gendriz Ignácio S. , Fernandes Felipe R. S. , Barbalho Ingridy M. P. , Santos Marquiony M. , Teixeira César A. D. , Henriques Jorge M. O. , Gil Paulo , Neto Adrião D. D. , Campos Antonio L. P. S. , Lima Josivan G. , Paiva Jailton C. , Morais Antonio H. F. , Lima Thaisa Santos , Valentim Ricardo A. M. 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by impairment of bone microarchitecture that causes high socioeconomic impacts in the world because of fractures and hospitalizations. Although dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard for diagnosing the disease, access to DXA in developing countries is still limited due to its high cost, being present only in specialized hospitals. In this paper, we analyze the performance of Osseus, a low-cost portable device based on electromagnetic waves that measures the attenuation of the signal that crosses the medial phalanx of a patient's middle finger and was developed for osteoporosis screening. The analysis is carried out by predicting changes in bone mineral density using Osseus measurements and additional common risk factors used as input features to a set of supervised classification models, while the results from DXA are taken as target (real) values during the training of the machine learning algorithms. The dataset consisted of 505 patients who underwent osteoporosis screening with both devices (DXA and Osseus), of whom 21.8% were healthy and 78.2% had low bone mineral density or osteoporosis. A cross-validation with k-fold = 5 was considered in model training, while 20% of the whole dataset was used for testing. The obtained performance of the best model (Random Forest) presented a sensitivity of 0.853, a specificity of 0.879, and an F1 of 0.859. Since the Random Forest (RF) algorithm allows some interpretability of its results (through the impurity check), we were able to identify the most important variables in the classification of osteoporosis. The results showed that the most important variables were age, body mass index, and the signal attenuation provided by Osseus. The RF model, when used together with Osseus measurements, is effective in screening patients and facilitates the early diagnosis of osteoporosis. The main advantages of such early screening are the reduction of costs associated with exams, surgeries, treatments, and hospitalizations, as well as improved quality of life for patients.
A chip-scale atomic beam clock
Authors: Martinez Gabriela , Li Chao , Staron Alexander , Kitching John , Raman Chandra , McGehee William 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Atomic beams are a longstanding technology for atom-based sensors and clocks with widespread use in commercial frequency standards. Here, we report the demonstration a chip-scale microwave atomic beam clock using coherent population trapping (CPT) interrogation in a passively pumped atomic beam device. The beam device consists of a hermetically sealed vacuum cell fabricated from an anodically bonded stack of glass and Si wafers. Atomic beams are created using a lithographically defined microcapillary array connected to a Rb reservoir1 and propagate in a 15 mm long drift cavity. We present a detailed characterization of the atomic beam performance (total Rb flux ≈ 7.7 × 1011 s-1 at 363 K device temperature) and of the vacuum environment in the device (pressure < 1 Pa), which is sustained using getter materials which pump residual gases and Rb vapor. A chip-scale beam clock is realized using Ramsey CPT spectroscopy of the 87Rb ground state hyperfine transition over a 10 mm Ramsey distance in the atomic beam device. The prototype atomic beam clock demonstrates a fractional frequency stability of ≈ 1.2 × 10-9/√τ for integration times τ from 1 s to 250 s, limited by detection noise. Optimized atomic beam clocks based on this approach may exceed the long-term stability of existing chip-scale clocks, and leading long-term systematics are predicted to limit the ultimate fractional frequency stability below 10-12.
Comparing aerosol exposure and prevention strategies during bystander, pre- hospital, and inpatient cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Authors: Hung Tzu-Yao , Wen Chung-Shiung , Yu Sheng-Han , Chen Yi-Chung , Chen Hsin-Ling , Chen Wei-Lun , Lin Chung-Lung , Hu Shih-Cheng , Lin Tee , Su Yung-Cheng , Wu Chih-Chieh 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Background To evaluate aerosol exposure risk and prevention strategies during bystander, pre-hospital, and inpatient cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Methods This study compared hands-only CPR, CPR with a surgical or N95 mask, and CPR with a non-rebreather mask at 15 L/min. 30:2 compression-ventilation ratio CPR was tested with face-mask ventilation (FMV), FMV with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter; supraglottic airway (SGA), SGA with a surgical mask, SGA with a HEPA filter, or SGA with both. Continuous CPR was tested with an endotracheal tube (ET), ET with a surgical mask, a HEPA filter, or both. Aerosol concentration at the head, trunk, and feet of the mannequin were measured to evaluate exposure to CPR personnel.
Results Hands-only CPR with a surgical or N95 face mask coverings and ET tube ventilation CPR with filters showed the lowest aerosol exposure among all study groups, including CPR with NRM oxygenation, FMV, and SGA ventilation. NRM had a mask effect and reduced aerosol exposure at the head, trunk, and feet of the mannequin. FMV with filters during 30:2 CPR reduced aerosol exposure at the head and trunk, but increased at the feet of the mannequin. A tightly-sealed SGA when used with a HEPA filter, reduced aerosol exposure by 21.00%-63.14% compared with a loose-fitting one.
Conclusion Hands-only CPR with a proper fit surgical or N95 face mask coverings is as safe as ET tube ventilation CPR with filters, compared with CPR with NRM, FMV, and SGA. FMV or tight-sealed SGA ventilation with filters prolonged the duration to achieve estimated infective dose of SARS-CoV-2 2.4-2.5 times longer than hands-on CPR only. However, a loose-fitting SGA is not protective at all to chest compressor or health workers standing at the foot side of the victim, so should be used with caution even when using with HEPA filters.
Deep Learning Aided Web-Based Procedural Modelling of LOD2 City Models
Authors: Usta Ziya , Akın Alper Tunga , Cömert Çetin 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Use cases such as shadow or solar potential analysis require the use of the LOD2 building models (Level of Detail 2) and the generation of the LOD2 models requires the proper generation of the roof geometries. In general, obtaining roof type information and succeeding generations of the LOD2 models requires expensive aerial surveys and time-consuming construction processes. In this study, a methodology to generate LOD2 building models using only 2D building footprints and aerial imagery is explained to overcome these challenges. Using this methodology, condominiums could be generated as 3D if condominium unit plans are provided as well. The roof type information has been obtained from an aerial image that covers the entire study area using a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) model with an 89.9 % accuracy rate. Then, the roof geometries have been constructed procedurally by extending and implementing the Straight Skeleton (SS) algorithm for three main types of roofs: flat, gable and hipped. These constructed roof geometries have been combined with LOD1 block models generated by extruding the 2D footprints according to the height attribute. The proposed methodology has been developed as a web-based solution utilizing RESTful web services with modern web technologies. In summary, the main novelty of the study is based on two contributions: the extension of the SS algorithm for the construction of roof geometries and the web-based generation of LOD2 building models.
Longitudinal change in castration-resistant prostate cancer biomarker AST/ALT ratio reflects tumor progression
Authors: Mitsui Yozo , Yanabe Fumito , Hori Shunsuke , Uetani Masato , Aoki Hiroshi , Sakurabayashi Kei , Okawa Mizuho , Kobayashi Hideyuki , Nagao Koichi , Nakajima Koichi 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
We investigated whether aspartate transaminase (AST)-to-alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio and its change during the course of treatment in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients is associated with tumor condition and lethality. Clinical data from 130 CRPC patients were retrospectively evaluated. AST/ALT ratios at the time of prostate cancer (PC) diagnosis, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), CRPC diagnosis, and the final follow-up examination after CRPC treatment were calculated for each. The prognostic capabilities of the AST/ALT ratio for overall survival (OS) were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox hazard models. The median AST/ALT ratio at the PC diagnosis was 1.517 and the optimal value predicting lethality defined by the receiver operating curve was 1.467. The AST/ALT ratio decreased once during ADT and then elevated in a stepwise manner with cancer progression. The median AST/ALT ratio at the PC diagnosis in surviving patients was 1.423, which did not change longitudinally, whereas that of in deceased patient was significantly higher (1.620) and further elevated after CRPC diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier curves indicated significantly worse OS in patients with the AST/ALT ratio ≥ 1.467, which was confirmed by multivariate analysis. We identified the AST/ALT ratio as a prognostic biomarker for CRPC that changed longitudinally reflecting tumor progression.
Website Accessibility Evaluation of the Federal Government of Nepal
Authors: Dangol Pabitra 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Website accessibility concerns easy and all-time access to information from the website for all people. The constitution of Nepal provisioned equal access to information to all people as a fundamental right. The ICT policy and website directive of Nepal also target equal access to all government websites. This paper attempted to evaluate the websites of 25 high-level institutions of the federal government websites of the government of Nepal for website accessibility based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 guidelines provided by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and some provisions of Government website development and management directive, 2021. This research uses web-based online tools such as SortSite for WCAG 2.1 conformance test; WAVE to evaluate contrast error and Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) errors; W3C markup validation service for HTML validation; and W3C CSS validation service for CSS validation. The results were found unsatisfactory with only 4% of the websites of the federal government of Nepal being confirmed to the level "A" and "AAA"; only 24% of websites are contrast and ARIA error-free; only 4% of websites are passed in HTML and CSS validation. However, the websites are somehow satisfactory when evaluating them against the website directive, 2021. Therefore, the federal government should implement an integrated website management system in all institutions, which should conform to WCAG guidelines.