bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Profile of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: An experience from a tertiary care center in India
Authors: Musunuri Balaji , Shetty Shiran , Bhat Ganesh , Udupa Karthik , Pai Ananth 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Background
The prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing worldwide and it is now the third most common cause of cancer-related death. HCC is becoming a major health burden with steadily increasing incidence globally.

Methods
This is an observational study over a 3-year period in a tertiary care center in India. Three hundred and thirty-nine patients diagnosed to have HCC were included in this study. Patients’ clinical, etiological, radiological and cytohistological data and therapy offered were recorded and analyzed.

Results
Cirrhosis of the liver was seen in 73.2% of the patients. 16.8% of patients were asymptomatic at the time of presentation. Ascites (57.2%) and jaundice (22.4%) were the most common signs of hepatic decompensation. The most common etiology of HCC was cryptogenic/non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in 51% of the patients, while hepatitis B and C were seen in 17.4% and 5.8% of the patients, respectively. Advanced and end-stage disease with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages C and D were seen in 62.4% of patients. 56.6% had Albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score of 2, while 62.8% had Okuda stage II disease. High alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels (>400 ng/mL) were seen in 48.9% of patients. Macrovascular invasion and metastases were seen in 45.9% and 22.2% of the patients, respectively. 17.6% of patients had evidence of tumor thrombus. 14.5% of biopsy specimens showed associated steatosis/steatohepatitis along with confirmation of HCC. Only 26.6% of the cirrhotic HCC patients were diagnosed during surveillance.

Conclusions
HCC due to unknown cause/NAFLD appears to be overtaking hepatitis B as the commonest cause for HCC. Despite the advances in diagnostic methods and surveillance, most cases of HCC tend to be diagnosed at advanced stages.
An evaluation of the hydrogeology potential of Nsukka, Southern Nigeria, using geographic information system
Authors: Onwe Mkpuma Rock , Abraham Ema Michael , Ambrose Ngwu Tochukwu , Osike Osibe Kingsley 
Published: February 2022

AbstractGroundwater potential has been adjudged a panacea to residential development and livelihood improvement. Negligence to its spatio-heterogeneity over an area of concern leads to mismatches, i.e. land use misappropriation. Pumping test data from 26 boreholes were used to produce both static water level and hydraulic head with static water level range of 221.6 m in Ede-oballa to 66.6 m in Obimo, while hydraulic head varies from 182.1 to 322.04 m in Okpuje and Opi, respectively. Elevation values range from 251 m in Okpuje to 536 m in Ede-Oballa. Using ArcGIS the thematic maps of static water level, hydraulic head and elevation were interpolated and simulated to generate groundwater potential distribution. The resultant groundwater potential indices were delineated and its capability evaluated. Result indicates that these have control or influence on groundwater potential. The map models produced in this study provide better understanding towards proper management and utilization of groundwater resources in the Nsukka region.
Risk analysis methods of water supply systems: comprehensive review from source to tap
Authors: Kombo Mpindou Gilver Odilon Mendel , Escuder Bueno Ignacio , Chordà Ramón Estela 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAround 30–40 years ago, principles and methods were developed to conceptualise, assess and manage risk. These principles and methods are still, to a large extent, the foundation of the field. Over the past decade, many tools have been developed for risk analysis of water systems. Many advances have been made, both in the theoretical platform and in practical models and procedures. Various risk analysis approaches have been used to identify potential hazards, calculate the probability of accidents and assess the severity of consequences. The objective of this paper is to review these developments, focusing on the fundamental ideas and thinking behind them, considering their application at strategic, programmatic and operational levels of decision-making, in order to improve the understanding of stakeholders (researchers, regulators, etc.). To achieve this objective, scientific papers on risk analysis associated with water treatment systems were identified and reviewed, with particular focus on risk assessment methods (qualitative, semi-qualitative or quantitative, deterministic or probabilistic, etc.), tools (ETA, FTA, FMEA/FMECA, QMRA, HRA, Markov, etc.), applicability of these tools and results of case studies. A total of 141 references were selected on the basis of title sorting from databases as ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science or SpringerLink, and a total of 68 articles were selected for full-text analysis. Main conclusions of this review and analysis efforts are as follows: (1) the scientific foundation of risk assessment and risk management is still an open issue; (2) principles, theories and base methods applicable to water supply systems are in continuous development, existing tools are suitable, and a growing number of applications are available and of great interest; and (3) risk analysis methodologies are in their journey to gain the necessary broad technical, community and political acceptance in the water treatment sector, and some gaps and opportunities have been included in the discussion.
Therapeutic effects of dexamethasone-loaded hyaluronan nanogels in the experimental cholestasis
Authors: Di Matteo Sabina , Di Meo Chiara , Carpino Guido , Zoratto Nicole , Cardinale Vincenzo , Nevi Lorenzo , Overi Diletta , Costantini Daniele , Pinto Claudio , Montanari Elita , Marzioni Marco , Maroni Luca , Benedetti Antonio , Viola Marco , Coviello Tommasina , Matricardi Pietro , Gaudio Eugenio , Alvaro Domenico 
Published: February 2022

AbstractA major function of the intrahepatic biliary epithelium is bicarbonate excretion in bile. Recent reports indicate that budesonide, a corticosteroid with high receptor affinity and hepatic first pass clearance, increases the efficacy of ursodeoxycholic acid, a choleretic agent, in primary biliary cholangitis patients. We have previously reported that bile ducts isolated from rats treated with dexamethasone or budesonide showed an enhanced activity of the Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) and Cl−/HCO3− exchanger protein 2 (AE2) . Increasing the delivery of steroids to the liver may result in three beneficial effects: increase in the choleresis, treatment of the autoimmune or inflammatory liver injury and reduction of steroids’ systemic harmful effects. In this study, the steroid dexamethasone was loaded into nanohydrogels (or nanogels, NHs), in order to investigate corticosteroid-induced increased activities of transport processes driving bicarbonate excretion in the biliary epithelium (NHE-1 isoform) and to evaluate the effects of dexamethasone-loaded NHs (NHs/dex) on liver injury induced by experimental cholestatis. Our results showed that NHs and NHs/dex do not reduce cell viability in vitro in human cholangiocyte cell lines. Primary and immortalized human cholangiocytes treated with NHs/dex show an increase in the functional marker expression of NHE1 cholangiocytes compared to control groups. A mouse model of cholangiopathy treated with NHs/dex shows a reduction in markers of hepatocellular injury compared to control groups (NHs, dex, or sham group). In conclusion, we believe that the NHs/dex formulation is a suitable candidate to be investigated in preclinical models of cholangiopathies.
Graphical abstract
Numerical analysis of thermoacoustically driven thermoacoustic refrigerator with a stack of parallel plates having corrugated surfaces
Authors: Bouramdane Zahra , Bah Abdellah , Alaoui Mohammed , Martaj Nadia 
Published: February 2022

AbstractMost numerical research on thermoacoustic devices with a stack made of parallel plates has considered a rectangular form for the plate. However, a variety of plate shapes can improve the heat transfer and performance of the stack. In this paper, a 2D numerical model based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is used to examine the efficiency of thermoacoustic couples using a diversity of plate surfaces. For this investigation, flat plates and others profiles with corrugated surfaces (rounded and triangular surfaces) were tested to compare their performances and the effect of plate form on thermoacoustic systems. The efficiency of the thermoacoustic engine (TAE) is measured in terms of the generated acoustic pressure and the performance of the thermoacoustic refrigerator (TAR) is considered in terms of the temperature gradient along the refrigeration stack. The results showed that plates profile with irregular surfaces improves the generated acoustic pressure due to the increase of the stack porosity known as the blockage ratio (BR). The triangular shape performed better with a 10% gain than using a flat plate, followed by rounded ripples with a 5.2% increase in pressure amplitude compared to flat surfaces. Unlike in TAR, it was revealed that the stack made of flatform could produce a higher temperature difference (∆T) among the refrigeration stack extremities. By using rounded ripples, ∆T undergoes a reduction up to 52%, and 65% if using triangular ripples compared to flatform. From this investigation, it is observed that the stack with corrugated plates is the most suitable for TAE; however, the flat plates generate a higher temperature difference in TAR.
On the limited policy relevance of evolutionary explanations
Authors: Sunstein Cass R. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractEvolutionary explanations for behavioral findings are often both fascinating and plausible. But even so, they do not establish that people are acting rationally, that they are not making mistakes, or that their decisions are promoting their welfare. For example, present bias, optimistic overconfidence, and use of the availability heuristic can produce terrible mistakes and serious welfare losses, and this is so even if they have evolutionary foundations. There might well be evolutionary explanations for certain kinds of in-group favoritism, and also for certain male attitudes and actions toward women, and also for human mistreatment of and cruelty toward nonhuman animals. But those explanations would not justify anything at all. It is not clear that in Darwinia (a nation in which departures from perfect rationality have an evolutionary explanation), policymakers should behave very differently from Durkheimian policymakers (a nation in which departures from perfect rationality have a cultural explanation).
Dimensions of Ordinals: Set Theory, Homology Theory, and the First Omega Alephs
Authors: Bergfalk Jeffrey 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
We describe an organizing framework for the study of infinitary combinatorics. This framework is Čech cohomology. It describes ZFC principles distinguishing among the ordinals of the form
$\omega _n$
. More precisely, this framework correlates each
$\omega _n$
with an
$(n+1)$
-dimensional generalization of Todorcevic’s walks technique, and begins to account for that technique’s “unreasonable effectiveness” on
$\omega _1$
.We show in contrast that on higher cardinals
$\kappa $
, the existence of these principles is frequently independent of the ZFC axioms. Finally, we detail implications of these phenomena for the computation of strong homology groups and higher derived limits, deriving independence results in algebraic topology and homological algebra, respectively, in the process.Abstract prepared by Jeffrey Bergfalk.E-mail: jeffrey.bergfalk@univie.ac.at
New Directions in Duality Theory for Modal Logic
Authors: Carai Luca 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIn this work we present some new contributions towards two different directions in the study of modal logic. First we employ tense logics to provide a temporal interpretation of intuitionistic quantifiers as “always in the future” and “sometime in the past.” This is achieved by modifying the Gödel translation and resolves an asymmetry between the standard interpretation of intuitionistic quantifiers.Then we generalize the classic Gelfand–Naimark–Stone duality between compact Hausdorff spaces and uniformly complete bounded archimedean
$\ell $
-algebras to a duality encompassing compact Hausdorff spaces with continuous relations. This leads to the notion of modal operators on bounded archimedean
$\ell $
-algebras and in particular on rings of continuous real-valued functions on compact Hausdorff spaces. This new duality is also a generalization of the classic Jónsson-Tarski duality in modal logic.Abstract taken directly from the thesis.E-mail: lcarai@unisa.itURL: https://www.proquest.com/openview/5d284dbfb954383da9364149fa312b6f/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
On the Axiomatisability of the Dual of Compact Ordered Spaces
Authors: Abbadini Marco 
Published: February 2022

AbstractWe prove that the category of Nachbin’s compact ordered spaces and order-preserving continuous maps between them is dually equivalent to a variety of algebras, with operations of at most countable arity. Furthermore, we observe that the countable bound on the arity is the best possible: the category of compact ordered spaces is not dually equivalent to any variety of finitary algebras. Indeed, the following stronger results hold: the category of compact ordered spaces is not dually equivalent to (i) any finitely accessible category, (ii) any first-order definable class of structures, and (iii) any class of finitary algebras closed under products and subalgebras. An explicit equational axiomatisation of the dual of the category of compact ordered spaces is obtained; in fact, we provide a finite one, meaning that our description uses only finitely many function symbols and finitely many equational axioms. In preparation for the latter result, we establish a generalisation of a celebrated theorem by Mundici: our result—whose proof is independent of Mundici’s theorem—asserts that the category of unital commutative distributive lattice-ordered monoids is equivalent to the category of what we call MV-monoidal algebras.Abstract taken directly from the thesis.E-mail: marco.abbadini.uni@gmail.comURL: https://air.unimi.it/retrieve/handle/2434/812809/1698986/phd_unimi_R11882.pdf
Foresight of the Consequences of the Hazmat Release From an Oil Refinery on the Surrounding Urban Community Following an Earthquake: A Natech Scenario Analysis
Authors: Shafiei Moghaddam Parvin , Jahangiri Katayoun , Sohrabizadeh Sanaz , Hassani Nemat , Hoseini Moghaddam Mohammad , Tehrani Ghazaleh Monazami 
Published: February 2022

Abstract

Objective:
To analyze the consequences of the Natech scenario of H2S toxic gas release from an oil refinery near Tehran and its effects on surrounding residential areas following an earthquake.

Methods:
This research was an applied study. The Natech risk map and the end-point distance of gas release were determined using the Rapid-n software and the Worst-Case Scenario of RMP, respectively.

Results:
Regarding the high seismic vulnerability of the structures affected by the Natech risk, all residents of this area were simultaneously affected by earthquake and the toxic gas inhalation. In comparison to earthquake, response capacities were poor for Natech events, due to insufficient resources, limited accessibility, lack of planning, and unsafe evacuation places in exposed regions. Unlike earthquake, few studies have been conducted on Natech risk assessment and related consequences in Iran. Our study not only covered this gap but also revealed some dimensions of consequences of human, structural, and response capacities.

Conclusions:
It is recommended to have plans for implementing short-term such as identifying vulnerable industries and areas, public awareness and long-term such as land use planning measures to reduce Natech risk and resilience improvement.
In vitroassays for investigating the FLASH effect
Authors: Adrian Gabriel , Ruan Jia-Ling , Paillas Salomé , Cooper Christian R. , Petersson Kristoffer 
Published: February 2022

AbstractFLASH radiotherapy is a novel technique that has been shown in numerous preclinicalin vivostudies to have the potential to be the next important improvement in cancer treatment. However, the biological mechanisms responsible for the selective FLASH sparing effect of normal tissues are not yet known. An optimal translation of FLASH radiotherapy into the clinic would require a good understanding of the specific beam parameters that induces a FLASH effect, environmental conditions affecting the response, and the radiobiological mechanisms involved. Even though the FLASH effect has generally been considered as anin vivoeffect, studies finding these answers would be difficult and ethically challenging to carry out solely in animals. Hence, suitablein vitrostudies aimed towards finding these answers are needed. In this review, we describe and summarise severalin vitroassays that have been used or could be used to finally elucidate the mechanisms behind the FLASH effect.
Nonamenable simple -algebras with tracial approximation
Authors: Fu Xuanlong , Lin Huaxin 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
We construct two types of unital separable simple

$C^*$

-algebras:

$A_z^{C_1}$

and

$A_z^{C_2}$

, one exact but not amenable, the other nonexact. Both have the same Elliott invariant as the Jiang–Su algebra – namely,

$A_z^{C_i}$

has a unique tracial state,

$$ \begin{align*} \left(K_0\left(A_z^{C_i}\right), K_0\left(A_z^{C_i}\right)_+, \left[1_{A_z^{C_i}} \right]\right)=(\mathbb{Z}, \mathbb{Z}_+,1), \end{align*} $$

and

$K_{1}\left (A_z^{C_i}\right )=\{0\}$

(

$i=1,2$

). We show that

$A_z^{C_i}$

(

$i=1,2$

) is essentially tracially in the class of separable

${\mathscr Z}$

-stable

$C^*$

-algebras of nuclear dimension

$1$

.

$A_z^{C_i}$

has stable rank one, strict comparison for positive elements and no

$2$

-quasitrace other than the unique tracial state. We also produce models of unital separable simple nonexact (exact but not nuclear)

$C^*$

-algebras which are essentially tracially in the class of simple separable nuclear

${\mathscr Z}$

-stable

$C^*$

-algebras, and the models exhaust all possible weakly unperforated Elliott invariants. We also discuss some basic properties of essential tracial approximation.
Roman Courage and Constitution in Hegel's Philosophy of Right
Authors: Hristov George 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThis article argues that the citizens of Hegel's state cannot maintain themselves as politically free because they are susceptible to mutual enslavement. I demonstrate this by focusing on the Roman republican background of Hegel's constitution, the potential trajectory of its dissolution and the accompanying means of its cyclical fortification through courage. Hegel, by integrating aspects of the Roman mixed constitution also adopts the idea of decadence within his conception of civil society. After locating the source of decadence in the contractual relations of peace and the bourgeois inability to overcome the fear of death, I go on to argue that war for Hegel provides a theatre where freedom may be regenerated through courage. However, I also show that modern wars do not provide sufficient means of perpetuating Hegel's constitution. To demonstrate this, I distinguish three forms of war: colonial, limited and total war, arguing that only the latter offers a solution to decay of political disposition and loss of freedom, but that—by being itself susceptible to decadence—it cannot salvage Hegel's state from dissolution and reduction to contractual relations.
Use of serial testing to interrupt a severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak on a hospital medical floor—Minnesota, October–December 2020
Authors: Prabhu Rajesh M. , Firestone Melanie J. , Bergman Kari L. , Beaudoin Amanda L. , Hale Tammy , Lorentz Alexandra J. , Garfin Jacob , Wang Xiong , Holzbauer Stacy M. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractObjective:Describe a severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) hospital outbreak and the role of serial testing of patients and healthcare personnel (HCP) in interrupting SARS-CoV-2 transmission.Design:Outbreak investigation.Setting:Medical floor of a tertiary-care center in Minnesota.Methods:Serial testing for SARS-CoV-2 and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of positive specimens from HCP and patients were used. An outbreak-associated case was defined as a positive SARS-CoV-2 molecular test in an HCP who worked on the floor prior to testing positive or in a patient who was hospitalized on the medical floor bewteen October 27 and December 1, 2020. WGS was used to determine potential routes of transmission.Results:The outbreak was detected after a patient hospitalized for 12 days tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Serial testing of patients and HCP was conducted in response. Overall, 247 HCP and 41 patients participated in serial SARS-CoV-2 testing; 52 HCP (21%) and 19 hospitalized patients (46%) tested positive. One additional HCP tested positive outside serial testing. The WGS of specimens from 27 (51%) HCP and 15 (79%) patients identified 3 distinct transmission clusters. WGS and epidemiologic evidence suggested intrafacility transmission. The proportions of asymptomatic and presymptomatic patients who tested positive (63%) and HCP who worked during their infectious period (75%) highlight the need for serial testing of asymptomatic patients and HCP during outbreaks.Conclusions:Coupled with preventive measures such as personal protective equipment use and physical distancing, serial testing of HCP and patients could help detect and prevent transmission within healthcare facilities during outbreaks and when nosocomial transmission is suspected.
Godzilla vs Pulgasari: Anti-Japanism and Anti-Communism as Dueling Antagonisms in South Korean Politics
Authors: Shaw Meredith 
Published: February 2022

AbstractSouth Korea's persistent enmity towards its erstwhile colonizer Japan has been a compelling topic of East Asian international relations scholarship for decades. This article argues that the historical evolution of South Korea's democracy offers a vital and overlooked piece of this puzzle. Given that it emerged from one of the most virulently anti-communist dictatorships of the Cold War period, in a society facing an ongoing threat from communist North Korea, any left-of-center opposition movement faced an uphill battle against severe anti-communism. In such circumstances, the only way for a leftist opposition party to survive was by pitting its stronger anti-Japan reputation against conservatives’ anti-communism. After South Korea's democracy stabilized, liberals tried and failed to overturn the anti-leftist institutions left over from the Cold War and then sought equilibrium through parallel rhetoric targeting pro-Japanese elements. Today, neither left nor right can afford to allow a final amicable settlement with its respective target of antagonism. Through analyses of domestic political rhetoric targeting alleged pro-Japanese or pro-communist elements, this paper demonstrates how these competing antagonisms achieved an uneasy equilibrium that undergirds South Korean political dynamics to this day.