Fisher's Method Research Articles

Automatic recognition of effective and interference signals based on machine learning: A case study of acoustic emission and electromagnetic radiation

Integrated monitoring technology using acoustic emission (AE) and electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is a promising mean for monitoring coal and rock dynamic disasters. However, due to the complex underground environment, blasting, drilling and mechanical operations may generate interference signals that affect the accuracy of early warning. It is essential to study the automatic recognition of effective and interference signals for AE and EMR. For this reason, a field test of synchronous AE-EMR monitoring was conducted in a coal mine. Further, the time domain, frequency domain and fractal characteristics of effective and interference signals for AE and EMR were analyzed, and sensitive characteristics were obtained by the Relief algorithm. Based on this, automatic recognition models of effective and interference signals were established by Fisher's linear discriminant method, support vector machine and ensemble learning method, respectively. Field application showed that support vector machine performed higher recognition accuracy. The AE and EMR warning indicators were obtained based on the signal recognition model, and the results show that the indicators reflect the risk of rock burst more accurately and earlier than the original indicators before the removal of interference signals.

Clinical value of lymph node dissection of No. 14cd during pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients with pancreatic head carcinoma

Objectives: To evaluate the positive rate of left posterior lymph nodes of the superior mesenteric artery (14cd-LN) in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic head carcinoma,to analyze the impact of 14cd-LN dissection on lymph node staging and tumor TNM staging. Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 103 consecutive patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at Pancreatic Center,the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January to December 2022 were analyzed,retrospectively. There were 69 males and 34 females,with an age(M (IQR))of 63.0 (14.0) years (range:48.0 to 86.0 years). The χ2 test and Fisher's exact probability method was used for comparison of the count data between the groups,respectively. The rank sum test was used for comparison of the measurement data between groups. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyzes were used for the analysis of risk factors. Results: All 103 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy successfully using the left-sided uncinate process and the artery first approach. Pathological examination showed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in all cases. The location of the tumors was the pancreatic head in 40 cases,pancreatic head-uncinate in 45 cases,and pancreatic head-neck in 18 cases. Of the 103 patients,38 cases had moderately differentiated tumor and 65 cases had poorly differentiated tumor. The diameter of the lesions was 3.2 (0.8) cm (range:1.7 to 6.5 cm),the number of lymph nodes harvested was 25 (10) (range:11 to 53),and the number of positive lymph nodes was 1 (3) (range:0 to 40). The lymph node stage was stage N0 in 35 cases (34.0%),stage N1 in 43 cases (41.7%),and stage N2 in 25 cases (24.3%). TNM staging was stage ⅠA in 5 cases (4.9%),stage ⅠB in 19 cases (18.4%),stage ⅡA in 2 cases (1.9%),stage ⅡB in 38 cases (36.9%),stage Ⅲ in 38 cases (36.9%),and stage Ⅳ in 1 case (1.0%). In 103 patients with pancreatic head cancer,the overall positivity rate for 14cd-LN was 31.1% (32/103),and the positive rates for 14c-LN and 14d-LN were 21.4% (22/103) and 18.4% (19/103),respectively. 14cd-LN dissection increased the number of lymph nodes (P<0.01) and positive lymph nodes (P<0.01). As a result of the 14cd-LN dissection,the lymph node stage was changed in 6 patients,including 5 patients changed from N0 to N1 and 1 patient changed from N1 to N2. Similarly,the TNM stage was changed in 5 patients,including 2 patients changed from stage ⅠB to ⅡB,2 patients changed from stage ⅡA to ⅡB,and 1 patient changed from stage ⅡB to Ⅲ. Tumors located in the pancreatic head-uncinate (OR=3.43,95%CI:1.08 to 10.93,P=0.037) and the positivity of 7,8,9,12 LN (OR=5.45,95%CI:1.45 to 20.44,P=0.012) were independent risk factors for 14c-LN metastasis; while tumors with diameter >3 cm (OR=3.93,95%CI:1.08 to 14.33,P=0.038) and the positivity of 7,8,9,12 LN (OR=11.09,95%CI:2.69 to 45.80,P=0.001) were independent risk factors for 14d-LN metastasis. Conclusion: Due to its high positive rate in pancreatic head cancer,dissection of 14cd-LN during pancreaticoduodenectomy should be recommended,which can increase the number of lymph nodes harvested,provide a more accurate lymph node staging and TNM staging.

Analysis of spontaneous nystagmus and the frequency characteristics of affected semicircular canals in patients with vestibular neuritis

Objective: To investigate the spontaneous nystagmus (SN) and the frequency characteristics of affected semicircular canals in patients with vestibular neuritis (VN). Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 61 patients with VN admitted to the Department of Neurology of Shanxi Bethune Hospital from June 2020 to October 2021, 39 were male and 22 were female, with a mean age of (46±13) years old and male to female ratio of 1.77∶1. According to SN characteristics, 61 patients were divided into non-nystagmus group(nSN), horizontal nystagmus group(hSN) and horizontal-torsional nystagmus group (htSN). Clinical data were collected, and SN, unilateral weakness (UW), directional preponderance (DP), and video head impulse test (vHIT) gain were used as observation indicators. Statistical analysis by SPSS23.0 software. Normal distributed quantitative data (age, semicircular canal gain, SN intensity) were expressed by x¯±s, non-normal distributed quantitative data (disease course, UW, DP) were expressed by M(Q1,Q3), qualitative data were expressed by rate and composition ratio, difference analysis by one-way ANOVA, rank sum test, Chi-square test or Fisher's exact probability method, considered by P value<0.05. Results: (1)The disease course of nSN, hSN and htSN was 7.0 (4.0, 12.5), 6.0 (3.5, 11.5), and 3.0 (2.0, 6.5) days respectively, and there were statistical differences (χ2=7.31,P=0.026).(2)The horizontal nystagmus intensity of htSN was (16.8±8.6)°/s, which was significantly higher than that of (9.8±4.7)°/s in hSN (t=3.71, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the positive rate of UW between the three groups (P=0.690), and there was a significant difference in the positive rate of DP in the three groups (χ2=12.23, P=0.002). The horizontal nystagmor intensity in the htSN was positively correlated with the vertical nystagmus intensity (r=0.59, P=0.001).(3)The gain of the affected horizontal canal of the three groups was statistically different (F=8.28, P=0.001), and the gain of the horizontal canal of hSN and htSN was significantly lower than that of nSN (t=2.74, P=0.008; t=4.05, P<0.001); The gain of the affected anterior canal in the three groups was statistically different (F=5.32, P=0.008). The gain of the anterior canal in both nSN and hSN was significantly higher than that in htSN (t=3.09, P=0.003; t=2.15, P=0.036). The horizontal canal gain of htSN is positively correlated with the anterior canal gain (r=0.74, P<0.001).(4)The affected semicircular canals in the two groups with no-vertical-component nystagmus (nSN and hSN) and the htSN were counted. The composition ratio of the affected semicircular canals in the two groups was different (χ2=8.34, P=0.015). Conclusion: The occurrence of SN in patients with VN is related to many factors, such as the disease course, low and high frequencies, and the severity of the condition in the affected semicircular canal.

Efficacy of polyetheretherketone rod hybrid surgery in preventing proximal junctional failure after adult spinal deformity surgery

Objective: To investigate the clinical outcome and preventive effect of polyetheretherketone(PEEK) rod hybrid surgery on proximal junction failure(PJF) after long-segment fusion of adult spinal deformity. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze patients with degenerative scoliosis/kyphosis who underwent long-segment decompression and fusion surgery at Department of Orthopedics, Peking University First Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021. A total of 75 patients were included in the study, including 14 males and 61 females, aged (67.2±6.8)years (range:55 to 84 years). According to the operation method chosen by the patients, the patients were divided into PEEK rod hybrid group (20 cases) and traditional titanium rod group (55 cases). The general information of the patients was collected, and the coronal and sagittal parameters of the spine were measured before operation, at 1 month after operation, and at the last follow-up. The clinical effect of surgery was judged by the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI). Whether proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) and PJF occurred during the follow-up and the time of occurrence were recorded. Comparisons between groups were performed using independent sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, χ2 test and Fisher's exact probability method. The data before and after surgery in the same group were compared using the paired sample t test and the Wilcoxon test. Results: There were no significant differences in age, gender, body mass index, bone mineral density, distal instrumented vertebrae, surgical segments, osteotomy method, operation time, and intraoperative bleeding between the two groups (all P>0.05). The follow-up time of the PEEK rod group was shorter(M(IQR)16.5(4.8) vs. 25.0(12.0),Z=-4.230,t<0.01). There were no significant differences in coronal, sagittal parameters, VAS, and ODI between the two groups before operation (all P>0.05). Postoperative coronal Cobb angle, pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, sacral slope, lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, sagittal vertical axis (SVA), VAS, and ODI were significantly improved in both groups(all P<0.05). At the last follow-up, the SVA of the PEEK rod hybrid group was(3.74±2.40)cm, which was significantly lower than that of the titanium rod group (6.28±4.06)cm (t'=-3.318, P=0.002). At the last follow-up, the ODI of the PEEK rod hybrid group was 30.7±6.1, significantly better than the titanium rod group 39.3±17.2. PJK occurred in 2 patients (10.0%) in the PEEK rod hybrid group, and no PJF phenomenon was observed. In the titanium rod group, 18 patients (32.7%) developed PJK, and 11 patients (20.0%) developed PJF. There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of PJF between the PEEK rod hybrid group and the titanium rod group (P=0.031). Conclusions: PEEK rod hybrid surgery can achieve good clinical results in the treatment of adult spinal deformities. Compared with traditional titanium rod surgery, it can significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative PJF and improve the clinical function of patients.

Magnetic and Magnetocaloric Properties of Nano- and Polycrystalline Bulk Manganites La0.7Ba(0.3−x)CaxMnO3 (x ≤ 0.25)

Here we report the synthesis and investigation of bulk and nano-sized La0.7Ba0.3−xCaxMnO3 (x = 0, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.25) compounds that are promising candidates for magnetic refrigeration applications. We compare the structural and magnetic properties of bulk and nano-scale polycrystalline La0.7Ba0.3−xCaxMnO3 for potential use in magnetic cooling systems. Solid-state reactions were implemented for bulk materials, while the sol–gel method was used for nano-sized particles. Structurally and morphologically, the samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Oxygen stoichiometry was investigated by iodometry. Bulk compounds exhibit oxygen deficiency, while nano-sized particles show excess oxygen. Critical magnetic behavior was revealed for all samples using the modified Arrott plot (MAP) method and confirmed by the Kouvel–Fisher (KF) method. The bulk polycrystalline compound behavior was better described by the tricritical field model, while the nanocrystalline samples were governed by the mean-field model. Resistivity in bulk material showed a peak at a temperature Tp1 attributed to grain boundary conditions and at Tp2 associated with a Curie temperature of Tc. Parent polycrystalline sample La0.7Ba0.3MnO3 has Tc at 340 K. Substitution of x = 0.15 of Ca brings Tc to 308 K, and x = 0.2 brings it to 279 K. Nanocrystalline samples exhibit a very wide effective temperature range in the magnetocaloric effect, up to 100 K. Bulk compounds exhibit a high and sharp peak in magnetic entropy change, up to 7 J/kgK at 4 T at Tc for x = 0.25. To compare the magnetocaloric performances of the studied compounds, both relative cooling power (RCP) and temperature-averaged entropy change (TEC) figures of merit were used. RCP is comparable for bulk polycrystalline and nano-sized samples of the same substitution level, while TEC shows a large difference between the two systems. The combination of bulk and nanocrystalline materials can contribute to the effectiveness and improvement of magnetocaloric materials.

Toxic Communication Zones and Emotive Markers in the Russian-Language Work Environment

The paper addresses the problems of toxic communications in the workplace and considers lexical and grammatical means of expressing emotions. The material for the study was former workers' comments and anonymous questionnaires completed by current employees of Russian enterprises. Based on empirical data processed under Fisher's angular transformation method, which enabled highly accurate comparison of small samples, three toxic communication zones in industry were identified: the zones of toxic bosses, toxic management, and toxic workers. The authors performed a Likert scale survey of executives, managers, and workers. The results of single-factor and two-factor analysis of variance helped us to establish the relation between toxic communication and so-called toxicity focuses, that is, standard topics which are constantly in the centre of destructive communications in the workplace. The paper determines lexical and grammatical means of expressing emotions which are emotive markers of toxic communication (affectives and connotatives). It shows that abusive words and phrases, zoolexics, vernacular and slang vocabulary, colloquial emotionally colored vocabulary, and phraseological units are equally relevant for all three zones of toxic communication zones. Quantitative analysis of the identified emotive markers in terms of their structural and morphological characteristics revealed the abundance of interjections, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs of degree and intensity.

Composition, Abundance, and Diversity of the Soil Microbiome Associated with the Halophytic Plants Tamarix aphylla and Halopeplis perfoliata on Jeddah Seacoast, Saudi Arabia

The coast of the Red Sea in Jeddah City is home to a unique microbial community that has adapted to extreme environmental conditions. Therefore, it is essential to characterize the microbial community in this unique microbiome to predict how environmental changes will affect it. The aim of this study was to conduct metagenomic sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS rRNA genes for the taxonomic classification of the microbial community in soil samples associated with the halophytic plants Tamarix aphylla and Halopeplis perfoliata. Fifteen soil samples were collected in triplicate to enhance robustness and minimize sampling bias. Firstly, to identify novel microbial candidates, the gDNAs were isolated from the saline soil samples surrounding each plant, and then bacterial 16S (V3–V4) and fungal ITS1 regions were sequenced utilizing a high-throughput approach (next-generation sequencing; NGS) on an Illumina MiSeq platform. Quality assessment of the constructed amplicon libraries was conducted using Agilent Bioanalyzer and fluorometric quantification methods. The raw data were processed and analyzed using the Pipeline (Nova Lifetech, Singapore) for bioinformatics analysis. Based on the total number of readings, it was determined that the phylum Actinobacteriota was the most prevalent in the soil samples examined, followed by the phylum Proteobacteria. Based on ITS rRNA gene analysis, the alpha and beta fungal diversity in the studied soil samples revealed that the fungal population is structured into various groups according to the crust (c) and/or rhizosphere (r) plant parts. Fungal communities in the soil samples indicated that Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the two most abundant phyla based on the total amount of sequence reads. Secondly, heat-map analysis of the diversity indices showed that the bacterial alpha diversity, as measured by Shannon, Simpson, and InvSimpson, was associated with soil crust (Hc and Tc enclosing H. perfoliata and T. aphylla, respectively) and that the soil rhizosphere (Hr and Tr) was strongly correlated with bacterial beta diversity. Finally, fungal-associated Tc and Hc samples clustered together, according to observations made using the Fisher and Chao1 methods, and Hr and Tr samples clustered together according to Shannon, Simpson, and InvSimpson analyses. As a result of the soil investigation, potential agents that have been identified could lead to innovative agricultural, medical, and industrial applications.

An adaptive and robust method for multi-trait analysis of genome-wide association studies using summary statistics.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of genetic variants associated with human traits or diseases in the past decade. Nevertheless, much of the heritability of many traits is still unaccounted for. Commonly used single-trait analysis methods are conservative, while multi-trait methods improve statistical power by integrating association evidence across multiple traits. In contrast to individual-level data, GWAS summary statistics are usually publicly available, and thus methods using only summary statistics have greater usage. Although many methods have been developed for joint analysis of multiple traits using summary statistics, there are many issues, including inconsistent performance, computational inefficiency, and numerical problems when considering lots of traits. To address these challenges, we propose a multi-trait adaptive Fisher method for summary statistics (MTAFS), a computationally efficient method with robust power performance. We applied MTAFS to two sets of brain imaging derived phenotypes (IDPs) from the UK Biobank, including a set of 58 Volumetric IDPs and a set of 212 Area IDPs. Through annotation analysis, the underlying genes of the SNPs identified by MTAFS were found to exhibit higher expression and are significantly enriched in brain-related tissues. Together with results from a simulation study, MTAFS shows its advantage over existing multi-trait methods, with robust performance across a range of underlying settings. It controls type 1 error well and can efficiently handle a large number of traits.

ERYTHROCYTE RESISTANCE DURING BLOOD LOSS AND ITS CORRECTION WITH SYNTHETIC ANTIOXIDANT

Introduction. Among the factors that disrupt microcirculation in acute blood loss there are morphofunctional changes in erythrocytes associated with oxidative stress. This suggests that antioxidants, in particular, ethylmethylhydroxypyridine succinate (EMHPS), will be useful in the emergency treatment of acute blood loss, although they are not currently included in the standard of care.&#x0D; The purpose of this work is to study changes in the resistance of erythrocytes during experimental blood loss and its correction by EMHPS.&#x0D; Materials and methods. Experiments were conducted on 49 white male rats. Acute blood loss was designed by taking blood from the heart of rats in the amount of 25% of its circulating volume under ether anaesthesia. EMHPS (100 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 30 min before blood sampling. In 3, 24, 72 h and in 5 days, blood samples were taken from the heart under anaesthesia without causing death to the animals. Acid, osmotic and peroxide resistance of erythrocytes was studied in them. The resulting digital material was statistically processed using a one-way analysis of variance ANOVA or the non-parametric test, known as Fisher's exact method.&#x0D; Results. All three tests for erythrocyte resistance reveal changes in the state of these blood cells within 5 days after blood loss manifested by increased osmotic haemolysis, changes in time, maximum values and duration of acid haemolysis, and an increase in peroxide haemolysis. Following EMHPS administration, the osmotic haemolysis level lowered than that in the control pathology (24-72 h). Under the influence of EMHPS, time of the maximum development in acid haemolysis was prolonged (3 h and 5 days), and the duration of the reaction reduced to the normal value (3 h). After 24 hours of drug administration, it was observed that peroxide haemolysis decreased and remained at a reduced level over time.&#x0D; Conclusions: EMHPS administration during acute blood loss reduces peroxide haemolysis of erythrocytes, modifies acid haemolysis parameters, and reduces osmotic haemolysis of erythrocytes. These effects may be attributed to the drug ability to limit oxidative stress, enhance erythropoiesis, and alter the age spectrum of erythrocytes.

Influencing factors of small intestinal ischemia in elderly patients with incarcerated hernia

Objective: To investigate the factors influencing small intestinal ischemia in elderly patients with incarcerated hernia. Methods: The clinical data of 105 elderly patients admitted for surgical procedures of incarcerated hernia at Department of General Surgery, Huadong Hospital between January 2014 and December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 60 males and 45 females, aged (86.1±4.3) years (range: 80 to 96 years). They were divided into normal group (n=55) and ischemic group (n=50) according to intraoperative intestinal canal condition. The t test, χ2 test and Fisher's exact probability method were used for the univariate analysis of the factors that influence intestinal ischemia in patients, and Logistic regression was used for multifactorial analysis. Results: In all patients, 18 patients (17.1%) had irreversible intestinal ischemia with bowel resection. Six patients died within 30 days, 3 cases from severe abdominal infection, 2 cases from postoperative exacerbation of underlying cardiac disease, and 1 case from respiratory failure due to severe pulmonary infection. The results of the univariate analysis showed that there were differences in gender, history of intussusception, duration of previous hernia, white blood cell count, neutrophil percentage, C-reactive protein, type of incarcerated hernia, and preoperative intestinal obstruction between the two groups (all P<0.05). The Logistic regression results showed that the short time to the previous hernia (OR=0.892, 95%CI 0.872 to 0.962, P=0.003), high C-reactive protein (OR=1.022, 95%CI 1.007 to 1.037, P=0.003), non-indirect incarcerated hernia (OR=10.571, 95%CI 3.711 to 30.114, P<0.01) and preoperative intestinal obstruction (OR=6.438, 95%CI 1.762 to 23.522, P=0.005) were independent risk factors for the development of intestinal ischemia in elderly patients with incarcerated hernia. Conclusions: The short duration of the previous hernia, the high values of C-reactive proteins, the non-indirect incarcerated hernia, and the preoperative bowel obstruction are influencing factors for bowel ischemia in elderly patients with incarcerated hernia. A timely operation is necessary to reduce the incidence of intestinal necrosis and improve the prognosis.

Critical behavior in the itinerant ferromagnet SmMn2Ge2

Transition metal and rare earth intermetallics have been a fertile playground for research of various quantum states. We report detailed magnetic studies on SmMn2Ge2, an anisotropic itinerant magnet with multiple magnetic phases. The critical behavior of the ferromagnetic phase transition is investigated by employing the modified Arrott plot with the Kouvel–Fisher method. The critical temperature T C is determined to be around 342.7 K with critical exponents of β = 0.417 and γ = 1.122, and the interaction function is found to be J(r) ∼ r −4.68, suggesting the coexistence of long-range and short-range magnetic interactions. Our results contribute to the understanding of complex magnetism in SmMn2Ge2, which may provide fundamental guidance in future spintronic applications.

Valoration of the Synthetic Antioxidant Tris-(Diterbutyl-Phenol)-Phosphite (Irgafos P-168) from Industrial Wastewater and Application in Polypropylene Matrices to Minimize Its Thermal Degradation.

Industrial wastewater from petrochemical processes is an essential source of the synthetic phenolic phosphite antioxidant (Irgafos P-168), which negatively affects the environment. For the determination and analysis of Irgafos P-168, DSC, HPLC-MS, and FTIR methodologies were used. Solid phase extraction (SPE) proved to be the best technique for extracting Irgafos from wastewater. HPLC-MS and SPE determined the repeatability, reproducibility, and linearity of the method and the SPE of the standards and samples. The relative standard deviations, errors, and correlation coefficients for the repeatability and reproducibility of the calibration curves were less than 4.4% and 4.2% and greater than 0.99955, respectively. The analysis of variance (ANOVA), using the Fisher method with confidence in 95% of the data, did not reveal significant differences between the mentioned parameters. The removal of the antioxidant from the wastewater by SPE showed recovery percentages higher than 91.03%, and the chemical characterization of this antioxidant by FTIR spectroscopy, DSC, TGA, and MS showed it to be structurally the same as the Irgafos P-168 molecule. The recovered Irgafos was added to the polypropylene matrix, significantly improving its oxidation times. An OIT analysis, performed using DSC, showed that the recovered Irgafos-blended polypropylene (PP) demonstrated oxidative degradation at 8 min. With the addition of the Irgafos, the oxidation time was 13 min. This increases the polypropylene's useful life and minimizes the environmental impact of the wastewater.

Differential diagnosis of parotid gland tumors using apparent diffusion coefficient, texture features, and their combination.

Warthin's tumors (WT) and pleomorphic adenomas (PA) are the commonest parotid gland tumors; however, their differentiation remains difficult. This study aimed to investigate the utility of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, texture features, and their combination for the differential diagnosis of parotid gland tumors. Patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between April 2008 and March 2021 for parotid gland tumors were included and divided into two groups according to the tumor type: WT and PA. The tumor types were used as predictor variables, while the ADC value, texture features, and their combination were the outcome variables. Texture features were measured on short tau inversion recovery (STIR) images and selected using the Fisher's coefficient method and probability of error, and average correlation coefficients. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to analyze bivariate statistics. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess the ability of the ADC value, texture features, and their combination to distinguishing between the two tumor types. A total of 22 patients were included, 11 in each group. The ADC value, 10 texture features, and their combination were significantly different between the two groups (p < .001). Moreover, all three variables had high area under the curve values of 0.93-0.96. The ADC value, texture features, and their combination demonstrated good diagnostic ability to distinguish between WTs and PAs. This method may be used to aid the differential diagnosis of parotid gland tumors, thereby promoting timely and adequate treatment.

The divergent angle of cavitational devices influences melanoidin degradation. A new look through experimental and computational analysis

In the present work, the influence of the divergent section angle of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) devices on melanoidin degradation was investigated. The HC reactor was operated alone and in combination with an oxidant at four concentrations of H2O2: 0.9, 2.8, 4.7, 6.6 g L−1. Five Venturi devices (with divergent angles of 4°, 8°, 11°, 14°, and 90°) were made and analyzed at five operating pressures (150, 300, 440, 600, 760 kPa) for a period of 30 min. ANOVA and Fisher's LSD method were used to define the best angle and the best operating pressure for melanoidin degradation. The highest efficiency of melanoidin degradation (14.32 %) was obtained with an angle of 11° and a pressure of 600 kPa. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed to study the influence of the divergent angle on the flow parameters. They showed that at smaller angles (4° and 8°) there was an excess growth of cavities, increasing the chance of coalescence of cavities and reducing the intensity of collapse. On the other hand, at a very high angle (90°), the cavities collapsed before growing, releasing less energy at the time of implosion. The degradation efficiency increased to 60.84 % when 2.8 g L−1 of H2O2 was applied to the HC reactor, at pH 2.5. Higher concentrations of H2O2 reduced the degradation efficiency, indicating a “scavenging” effect in combined systems (HC + H2O2) due to the generation of unreactive radicals. The present study demonstrated that the combination of HC + H2O2 is a promising alternative for melanoidin degradation, with the divergent angle of the device being an important parameter of this treatment process.

Prevention of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases in the Elderly based on Smart Senior Care Healthy Monitoring

With the deepening of social aging and the high mortality rate of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in China, a smart senior care health monitoring model is adopted to monitor the health of the elderly in real-time, to achieve the effect of preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in the elderly. The study sample consisted of a key community monitoring population in Xintang Town, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou who participated in at least two annual medical examinations under the National Basic Public Health Service Program between January 2020 and July 2021. The study includes two sets of controlled trials, and statistical analysis is conducted using two independent samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U-test, Pearson chi-square test or Fisher's exact probability method, paired t-test, analysis of covariance, and multifactor linear regression model. A smart health-based monitoring approach for elderly individuals was connected with a decrease in systolic blood pressure (P=0.000). Smart senior care health monitoring aids in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in the elderly.

Use of indocyanine green fluorescence navigation in laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy

Objective: To examine the clinical value of fluorescence-guided indocyanine green (ICG) laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy in the treatment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: Data from patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma and who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy with ICG fluorescence navigation in the Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center of West China Hospital between September 2020 and May 2022 were retrospectively collected. There were 53 males and 19 females, with an age of (55.5±12.9)years(range:42.6 to 68.4 years). Among them, 13 of the cases underwent laparoscopic anatomical liver resection(LALR) guided by tans-arterial ICG,43 of the cases received LAIR guided by portal vein negative ICG, and 16 of the cases received LALR positive by portal vein. Comparison among the three groups was performed by one-way ANOVA; and the rank sum test was used for comparison between groups. The counting data was expressed as percentage,and the χ2 test or Fisher's exact probability method was used for comparison between groups. Results: (1) Postoperative pathology: Resection R0 was achieved in all operations. The maximum tumor diameter of the patients in the arterial staining group, the reverse staining group, and the positive staining group(M (IQR)) was 2.5 (2.4) cm, 3.0 (2.5) cm and 3.0(2.4) cm,respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in the maximum tumor diameter between the three groups (P=0.364). The minimum tumor margin was 1.1 (1.1) cm, 1.0 (1.0) cm, 1.1 (1.6) cm in the the arterial staining group, reverse staining group and the positive staining group, respectively. There was no significant difference in the margin among the three groups (P=0.878). (2) Operation conditions: the operation time of the arterial staining group, the negative staining group, and the positive portal staining group was (348±93)minutes,(277±112)minutes,and (295±116)minutes,respectively. There were no significant differences in operation time among the three groups (P=0.134). The intraoperative blood loss of the three groups was 80(150)ml,200(350)ml,and 100(150)ml,respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in intraoperative bleeding volume between the three groups(P=0.743). All cases were not transfused during the operation and were not converted to laparotomy. ALT in the arterial staining group was higher than in the negative staining group in the first two days after the operation ((559±398)IU/L307(257) IU/L, q=235.5,P=0.004;(611±389)IU/L(331±242) IU/L, q=265.2, P=0.002). There was only one case of a grade III complication (Clavien-Dindo grading system) postoperative complication in the negative and positive staining group of the portal vein, respectively. Tumor markers in all patients decreased to the normal range after 2 months of operation. Conclusion: Laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy guided by ICG fluorescence through arterial staining and portal vein staining is safe and feasible for primary hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.

Machine learning a surrogate model for transmission loss on a Pekeris waveguide

The connection between ocean environmental parameters and transmission loss (TL) can be modeled using sound propagation models. We can analyze and improve these models using information theoretic tools such as the Fisher information matrix (FIM) and methods for model reduction, where we identify parameters that can be removed from a model without sacrificing accuracy. Critical to these methods for model reduction is the ability to evaluate derivatives of the model predictions of TL with respect to model parameters. Calculating derivatives of TL models using finite difference methods with sufficient accuracy is challenging due to the complexity of sound fields in an ocean environment; instead, we train a surrogate machine learning model to which we can apply automatic differentiation (AD). We propose a general method for model reduction in which a ML model is used as a surrogate model for physical sound propagation ocean models, which is then used to find potential simplifications of the original model. We demonstrate this method using the Pekeris waveguide model of the ocean, which calculates underwater acoustic TL in an ocean environment due to seafloor characteristics. [Work supported by Office of Naval Research]

Knowledge And Attitude Towards Medication Safety: Study From Religion Based Hospital

The most prevalent patient safety incident in hospitals is medication errors. It is avoidable by a variety of safe treatment approaches known as medical safety. The topic of this research is the high rate of medical errors at 'X' Hospital Tuban in East Java, Indonesia, which accounted for 53.3% of all patient safety occurrences. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of health workers' knowledge and attitudes on drug safety implementation at 'X' Hospital Tuban. Pharmacists, pharmaceutical technical staff, nurses, and midwives participated in an analytical cross-sectional study with 74 samples. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, data was collected using an online survey. The survey was based on WHO's 5 Medication Safety Moments. To investigate effect identification, the Fisher's test method was applied. This survey received 87.8% response rate. The following characteristics were shared by the participants: 55.4% are nurses, 75.4% are between the ages of 26 and 36, 86.2% are female, and 36.9% work in an inpatient unit. The average score for medication safety knowledge, attitude, and implementation for each health worker was Good. The correlation coefficient (p = 0.000) between knowledge and drug safety implementation is 0.503. The correlation coefficient (p = 0.000) between attitude and drug safety implementation is 0.508. According to the findings of this study, drug safety knowledge, attitude, and implementation are all satisfactory. Medication safety knowledge and attitudes can aid in the implementation of medication safety. Suggestion for medical professionals, and 'X' Hospital Tuban is working on new pharmaceutical safety precautions.

Study on the secondary structure and hydration effect of human serum albumin under acidic pH and ethanol perturbation with IR/NIR spectroscopy

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most abundant protein in plasma and plays an essential physiological role in the human body. Ethanol precipitation is the most widely used way to obtain HSA, and pH and ethanol are crucial factors affecting the process. In this study, infrared (IR) spectroscopy and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics were used to investigate the changes in the secondary structure and hydration of HSA at acidic pH (5.6–3.2) and isoelectric pH when ethanol concentration was varied from 0% to 40% as a perturbation. IR spectroscopy combined with the two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) analysis for acid pH system proved that the secondary structure of HSA changed significantly when pH was around 4.5. What’s more, the IR spectroscopy and 2DCOS analysis showed different secondary structure forms under different ethanol concentrations at the isoelectric pH. For the hydration effect analysis, NIR spectroscopy combined with the McCabe–Fisher method and aquaphotomics showed that the free hydrogen-bonded water fluctuates dynamically, with ethanol at 0–20% enhancing the hydrogen-bonded water clusters, while weak hydrogen-bonded water clusters were formed when the ethanol concentration increased continuously from 20% to 30%. These measurements provide new insights into the structural changes and changes in the hydration behavior of HSA, revealing the dynamic process of protein purification, and providing a theoretical basis for the selection of HSA alcoholic precipitation process parameters, as well as for further studies of complex biological systems.

EFFECTIVENESS OF POSTURAL THERAPY IN INFANTS WITH FREQUENT INTESTINAL COLIC

Infantile colic is a general term used to describe excessive crying, abdominal pain, and discomfort in the first months of life, and it causes stress for parents and concern for clinicians. Colic in babies is common all over the world. The Rome criteria offer diagnostic criteria for functional gastrointestinal symptoms but do not discuss their treatment. Manipulative treatments are considered effective interventions to reduce the severity of symptoms.The aim of the study. To evaluate the effectiveness of postural therapy in infants with intestinal colic.Methods. The current prospective cohort study used data from a mother-child cohort. 37 "mother-child" pairs (age of babies from 2 weeks to 4 months) were under observation. Two observation groups were created by the method of simple randomization: Group I - 17 infants who received traditional therapy (preparations based on simethicone, prokinetics, enzymes, antispasmodics, in case of significant flatulence, a gas removal tube or microenema was used), Group II - 20 infants who received postural therapy.To reveal the statistical difference between indicators in groups distributed normally, the Student's t-criterion of reliability was used, the degree of significance - r. The probability of the difference between relative values was determined by the Fisher's angular transformation method (Рφ).The research design and all the methods used in this study were reviewed and approved by the bioethics commission of the Bukovinian State Medical University (protocol No. 8, dated 02/17/2023).The study was carried out as part of the research work «Early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of combined pathology of the gastrointestinal tract and thyroid gland in children» (state registration number 0116U002937, implementation period 02.2016-11.2022).Results of the study. In 81.1% of babies, colic started after the 2nd week of life, in 18.9% - after the 1st month of life. The average age of onset of symptoms was 1.1 ± 0.1 months. Initially, colic occurred less often (1-2 times a week) and lasted up to 15 minutes, with age, their frequency and duration increased. We identified the main risk factors for the development of colic in babies: younger age of parents (F = 0.529, p = 0.001), mother's smoking (F = 0.498, p = 0.01), hypodynamia of the mother during pregnancy (F = 0.511, p = 0 .02), positive history of the father regarding functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (F = 0.788, p= 0.004), positive history of the mother regarding functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (F = 0.489, p= 0.01), food allergy in the mother (Ф = 0.476, p = 0.02), food allergy in the father (F = 0.329, p = 0.05), early (up to 3 months) transfer of the child to mixed or artificial feeding (F = 0.324, p = 0.05), hypoxic-ischemic CNS damage (F = 0.467, p = 0.05), body weight at birth &lt;2900 g (F = 0.531, p = 0.01). The dynamics of symptoms in children of both observation groups was almost the same, with the exception of such signs of colic as flatulence and grunting, which disappeared faster by 2.7±0.6 days in children who were on postural therapy. The frequency of colic attacks also decreased. Positive dynamics of body weight gain were noted in infants of both groups.Conclusions.1. The average age of onset of intestinal colic symptoms in infants was 1.1 ± 0.1 months.2. The relationship between the age of the parents, the mother's smoking and the mother's hypodynamia during pregnancy, a positive history of the parents regarding functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, hypoxic-ischemic lesions of the central nervous system and a birth weight of less than 2900 g and intestinal colic in infants was established.3. The use of postural therapy in infants with intestinal colic is an effective method of their treatment, which is confirmed by the positive dynamics of symptoms, a decrease in the frequency and duration of colic attacks, a sufficient increase in body weight and does not require the cost of medication.