ahmedabdelwahed/Medical_papers_title_and_abstract_NLP_dataset huggingface dataset:
Decoding genome recombination and sex reversal

Over the past 440 years since the discovery of the medicinal value of swamp eels, much progress has been made in the study of their biology. The fish is emerging as an important model animal in sexual development, in addition to economic and pharmaceutical implications. Tracing genomic history that shapes speciation of the fish has led to discovery of the whole genome-wide chromosome fission/fusion events. Natural intersex differentiation is a compelling feature for sexual development research. Notably, identification of progenitors of germline stem cells that have bipotential to differentiate into either male or female germline stem cells provides new insight into sex reversal. Here, we review these advances that have propelled the field forwards and present unsolved issues that will guide future investigations to finally elucidate vertebrate sexual development using the new model.
Circular economy strategies for adaptive reuse of cultural heritage buildings to reduce environmental impacts

Circular economy strategies seek to reduce the total resources extracted from the environment and reduce the wastes that human activities generate in pursuit of human wellbeing. Circular Economy concepts are well suited to the building and construction sector in cities. For example, refurbishing and adaptively reusing underutilized or abandoned buildings can revitalize neighborhoods whilst achieving environmental benefits. Cultural heritage buildings hold a unique niche in the urban landscape. In addition to shelter, they embody the local cultural and historic characteristics that define communities. Therefore, extending their useful lifespan has multiple benefits that extend beyond the project itself to the surrounding area, contributing to economic and social development. To explore this complex issue, the research applies systematic literature review and synthesis methods. Decision makers lack knowledge of the environmental benefits of adaptive reuse of cultural heritage buildings and lack tools to implement these projects. A new comprehensive circular economy framework for the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage buildings to reduce environmental impacts intends to meet these needs. The framework integrates methods and techniques from the building and construction literature that aim to reduce lifecycle environmental impact of buildings with a circular product supply chain approach.
Reproducibility and flexibility of monoclonal antibody production with Nicotiana benthamiana

The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic of 2020-2021 underscores the need for manufacturing platforms that can rapidly produce monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies. As reported here, a platform based on Nicotiana benthamiana produced mAb therapeutics with high batch-to-batch reproducibility and flexibility, enabling production of 19 different mAbs of sufficient purity and safety for clinical application(s). With a single manufacturing run, impurities were effectively removed for a representative mAb product (the ZMapp component c4G7). Our results show for the first time the reproducibility of the platform for production of multiple batches of clinical-grade mAb, manufactured under current Good Manufacturing Practices, from Nicotiana benthamiana. The flexibility of the system was confirmed by the results of release testing of 19 different mAbs generated with the platform. The process from plant infection to product can be completed within 10 days. Therefore, with a constant supply of plants, response to the outbreak of an infectious disease could be initiated within a matter of weeks. Thus, these data demonstrated that this platform represents a reproducible, flexible system for rapid production of mAb therapeutics to support clinical development.
The application of ecological footprint and biocapacity for environmental carrying capacity assessment: A new approach for European cities

Contemporary socio-environmental problems such as the reduced availability of natural resources, the loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, pollution, an unprecedented population growth, the mass migration of people to cities, and urban sprawl may be associated with the consequences of an economic infinite growth paradigm on a finite planet. Despite international goals for improving the spatial and environmental management, current and future developments are continuously planned without the consideration of the biophysical limits to growth. This could be equated with the environmental carrying capacity (ECC), a concept and a tool for the sustainable development of human settlements. This research use the environmental indicators such as Ecological Footprint (EF) and biocapacity (BC) for ECC quantification. Despite EF and BC accounting is well-developed at the global, national and regional levels, there is still lack of local - urban standard for EF assessment. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to present the local approach for EF assessment and its potential to use for ECC assessment at local (i.e., city) level. The study compares the hybrid EF, which joined the bottom-up CF with the remaining EF's components from a top-down approach, with the standard top-down EF approach. In this study, the assessment focused mainly on household consumption which could be equated as main driver responsible for Ecological Footprint. Thus, the impact of household consumption was quantified according to four categories reflecting resources' use and waste generation as: Food, Housing, Mobility, Services and Goods. The analysis of ECC was conducted for the Polish city of Wroclaw in Central Eastern Europe for the year 2016. The results showed, that the city of Wroclaw exceeds its ECC. Both calculations were affected by data limitations, and likely represent overestimation of the EF. The proposed approach could be important for ECC assessment, quantification of the EF of human activities, and more sustainable spatial management of the city.
Consolidated bioprocessing of corn cob-derived hemicellulose: engineered industrialSaccharomyces cerevisiaeas efficient whole cell biocatalysts

Background Consolidated bioprocessing, which combines saccharolytic and fermentative abilities in a single microorganism, is receiving increased attention to decrease environmental and economic costs in lignocellulosic biorefineries. Nevertheless, the economic viability of lignocellulosic ethanol is also dependent of an efficient utilization of the hemicellulosic fraction, which contains xylose as a major component in concentrations that can reach up to 40% of the total biomass in hardwoods and agricultural residues. This major bottleneck is mainly due to the necessity of chemical/enzymatic treatments to hydrolyze hemicellulose into fermentable sugars and to the fact that xylose is not readily consumed bySaccharomyces cerevisiae-the most used organism for large-scale ethanol production. In this work, industrialS. cerevisiaestrains, presenting robust traits such as thermotolerance and improved resistance to inhibitors, were evaluated as hosts for the cell-surface display of hemicellulolytic enzymes and optimized xylose assimilation, aiming at the development of whole-cell biocatalysts for consolidated bioprocessing of corn cob-derived hemicellulose. Results These modifications allowed the direct production of ethanol from non-detoxified hemicellulosic liquor obtained by hydrothermal pretreatment of corn cob, reaching an ethanol titer of 11.1 g/L corresponding to a yield of 0.328 g/g of potential xylose and glucose, without the need for external hydrolytic catalysts. Also, consolidated bioprocessing of pretreated corn cob was found to be more efficient for hemicellulosic ethanol production than simultaneous saccharification and fermentation with addition of commercial hemicellulases. Conclusions These results show the potential of industrialS. cerevisiaestrains for the design of whole-cell biocatalysts and paves the way for the development of more efficient consolidated bioprocesses for lignocellulosic biomass valorization, further decreasing environmental and economic costs.
Genomic sequencing of a pregnancy associated symptomatic meningioma of the diaphragma sellae: a case report

Pregnancy-associated meningiomas have unique considerations and features regarding their pathophysiology, location, genetic profile, and neurosurgical management. These tumours have been reported to undergo rapid growth during gestation and regression post-partum, implicating a role for female sex hormones in tumour physiology. In addition, these tumours occur at a higher incidence in the skull base compared to sporadic meningiomas in the general population, often impinging neurovascular structures and requiring emergent resection. While the genomics of sporadic meningiomas have been described, there are no reports characterizing the genetic features of those associated with pregnancy. Here we describe a patient diagnosed with a diphragma sellae meningioma early in the third trimester after presenting with rapidly deteriorating vision. At 32 weeks gestation the baby was delivered by caesarean section and the tumour subsequently removed. Genomic profiling of the tumour sample revealed variants of unknown significant (VUS) in six genes, none of which were in canonical meningioma drivers. We describe our surgical approach and discuss the relevant pathology and genomics, as well as medical and surgical management considerations of meningiomas in pregnancy.
A photoelicitation exploration on formally homeless people experience with Universal Credit: System error and 'the government don't care'

This article explores the impact of Universal Credit (UC) on a group of formerly homeless people who were forcibly made to experience a system of full of errors and government that, in their view, did not care. The experience of a marginalised and vulnerable group with complex needs allows one to consider the impacts of welfare reforms on vulnerable people. The research was conducted with formerly homeless contacted via organisations that support people who experienced homelessness in Brighton, Southeast of the UK. Five people (32 years and older) participated. Qualitative data were obtained in photo-elicitation interviews and were thematically analysed. Findings were that they faced a system of error as well as experiencing a sense the government did not care about their situation. The participants expressed their views on how the UC process made them 'struggle' and caused them to have to 'use food banks', and argued that the staff did not know the policy. The system is singled out as the cause of UC claimants' destitution. For the participants, policymakers' negligence, contempt, and detachment were not hard to understand. The article provides implications for practice and research.
Effects of technological innovation on energy efficiency in China: Evidence from dynamic panel of 284 cities

Technological innovation and energy efficiency are important indicators used to measure the success of the sustainable development strategy in China. This paper aims to explore the total factor energy efficiency (TFEE) at the city level in China and to evaluate the impact of technological innovation on TFEE. Therefore, a two-stage analysis was conducted for the period from 2001 to 2013. The first stage includes an estimation of TFEE scores using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology and Malmquist-Luenberger index, while the second stage includes an exploration of the impact of technological innovation on the TFEE scores obtained in the first stage using a system Generalised Method of Moment (GMM) regression analysis. Based on the results of the Malmquist-DEA, the TFEE of cities in China shows an upward trend overall, but obvious differences in the TFEE are observed among the four regions, with the highest TFEE observed in the eastern region, the second highest TFEE in the central region, a lower TFEE in the northeastern region and the lowest TFEE in the western region. The system GMM regression results reveal a significant positive impact of technological innovation on TFEE at the national level. According to the regional characteristics, the technological innovation in the eastern, western and northeastern regions is particularly important for improving TFEE, but technological innovation in the central region has inhibited the improvement of the TFEE. A logical response to these findings would be to develop different policies for different regions. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
An assessment of environmental sustainability corridor: The role of economic expansion and research and development in EU countries

Given that the European Union-28 countries proposed a target of 3% of the Gross Domestic Product on research and development (R&D) expenditure by 2020, the current study attempts to examine the role of R&D on environmental sustainability. In addition, the study further investigates the long-run and causal interaction between, renewable energy consumption, nonrenewable energy consumption, and economic growth in an ecological footprint-income function. Notably, the study incorporates research and development (R&D) expenditure to the model as an additional variable, and measures impact of each variable on ecological footprint. Empirical evidence is based on a balanced panel data between annual periods of 1997-2014 for selected EU-16 countries. The Pedroni, Johansen Multivariate and Kao tests all reveal a cointegration between ecological footprint, economic growth, research and development expenditure, renewable, and nonrenewable energy consumption. The Fully Modified and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares models (FMOLS and DOLS) both suggest a negative significant relationship between the countries' research and development expenditure and ecological footprint in the long-run. This implies that spending on R&D significantly impacts on environmental sustainability of the panel countries. Our study affirms that nonrenewable energy consumption and economic growth increase carbon emission flaring while renewable energy consumption declines ecological footprint. The panel causality analysis reveals a feedback mechanism between ecological footprint. R&D expenditure, renewable, and nonrenewable energy consumption. We further observed a one-way causality between ecological footprint and economic growth. The current further validates that the Environmental Kuznet Curve Hypothesis (EKC) holds for this panel of EU countries examined. Effective policy implications could be drawn toward modern and environmentally friendly energy sources, especially in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals via spending on R&D. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Global prevalence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training among the general public: a scoping review

A scoping review was conducted to identify, map, and analyze international evidence from studies investigating the prevalence of community cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. We searched major bibliographic databases and grey literature for original studies evaluating the prevalence of CPR training in the general population. Studies published from January 2000 to October 2020 were included without language or publication type restrictions. Seventy-three eligible papers reported a total of 61 population-based surveys conducted in 29 countries. More than three-fourths of the surveys were conducted in countries with high-income economies, and none in low-income countries. Over half of the surveys were at a subnational level. Globally, the proportion of laypeople trained in CPR varied greatly (median, 40%). For high-income countries, the median percentage was twice as high as that of upper middle-income countries (50% vs. 23%). The studies used heterogeneous survey methods and reporting patterns. Key methodological aspects were frequently not described. In summary, few studies have assessed CPR training prevalence among the general public. The rates of resuscitation training for the vast majority of countries remain unknown. High heterogeneity of studies precludes a reliable interpretation of the research. International Utstein-style consensus guidelines are needed to inform future research and reporting of public resuscitation training worldwide.
The impact of diet on wastewater treatment works phosphorus loading

Phosphorus (P) is a building block for life in which the human body requires 0.55 g of per day. In some cases, this requirement is exceeded by 2 g per day, with P additives contributing to half of this exceedance. The use of P has become prominent as demand for processed convenience foods has increased. P can cause significant eutrophication once discharged to the environment. As of October 2019, 55% of assessed rivers and 73% of assessed lakes in England failed the current water quality standards. A survey was conducted to calculate the average P consumption of individuals who identify as meat eaters, flexitarians, vegetarians and vegans based on stated eating habits and reported P levels in foods, revealing an estimated P consumption of 1715, 1664, 1244, 1125 mg P/day respectively. It was estimated that current diets contribute 45% of the P load to UK wastewater treatment works (WwTW). If the UK population were to all convert to veganism this would decrease by 54% reducing the load to WwTW by over 15,000 tonnes of P per year, or 9000 tonnes of P per year if there was a move towards a 50% vegetarian or vegan population. Finally, the population needs to be better informed on what is in their food and the associated environmental impacts.
Using different multivariate approaches to assess water quality of qanats in arid zones of Southern Central Mexico

Qanats in the aquifer of the Tehuacán Valley (Mexico) represent an ancient way of using groundwater that is still practiced today. They are used mainly for agricultural irrigation. However, anthropogenic activities have jeopardized the use of these aquifers. We analyzed 24 qanats in the Tehuacán Valley to assess water quality. Based on 24 physicochemical variables, a water quality index (WQI) was constructed on a zero-to-100 scale, divided into five water quality classes. A decision-tree analysis was applied to identify the parameters with the highest influence on the WQI, considering the water quality classes as categorical responses and the values of physicochemical variables as drivers of these categories. We produced interpolation maps to identify trends. The relationship between the WQI and the normalized difference indices of vegetation and salinity (NDVI and NDSI, respectively) was analyzed using a ternary diagram. WQI scores showed that 12.5% of the qanats have very good quality; 25%, good quality; and the remaining (62.5%) range from moderate to unacceptable quality. The CHAID classification-tree method correctly explained 83.3% of the categories, with sulfates, alkalinity, conductivity, and nitrates as the main parameters that explain water quality. WQI was inversely related to NDVI and NDSI, showing seasonal differences. Interpolation maps suggest a better water quality in the northern zone of the aquifer.
Assessing alternative crop establishment methods with a sustainability lens in rice production systems of Eastern India

Sustainability of rice production systems is a prime concern for Asia to maintain food security and to support economic growth. This gain in productivity not only depends on agricultural inputs but also depends on social and environmental factors. To address these emerging issues, new resource- and capital-efficient and profitable technologies have been introduced. The conventional method of rice production (puddling and manual transplanting, PTR) is considered as highly input intensive. As an alternative, dry direct seeded rice (DSR) using seed drill has been promoted to save labor and production costs compared with PTR. Similarly, machine transplanted rice (MTR) has been also considered and promoted in many rice growing countries of South and East Asia. Economic, environmental, and social performances of DSR and MTR (alternative rice establishment technologies) were compared to the PTR using Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) defined 12 Performance Indicators (PIs) (version 1.0) as a gauge to measure their sustainability. For that, a household survey was conducted on 652 households in Odisha India during 2016. The gaps, i.e., the target to achieve better sustainability, were computed for most of the indicators from the difference between top 10th percentile and the population mean value of the indicator. The results indicated a yield gap of 1.35 t ha(-1) , a profit gap of $273 ha(-1), labor productivity gap of 21 kg day(-1), nitrogen (N) use efficiency gap of 22 kg grain kg(-1) N, phosphorus (P) use efficiency gap of 105 kg grain kg(-1) P, and water productivity gap of 0.00010 kg grain L-1 water in rice production systems in Odisha. Among the compared technologies, MTR results in the highest yield, profit, labor productivity, nitrogen-, phosphorus-use efficiency, and water productivity (at par), and is positive for children's welfare and the overall energy productivity, indicating better sustainability and has the potential to replace PTR. Direct seeded rice has the highest yield gap (1.57 t ha(-1); 38%) but has the lowest production cost (can reduce the cost of production by $130 ha(-1)), and the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential. SRP PIs are capable for assessing the sustainability of rice establishment technologies except for a few indicators, for example food safety and workers health and safety, which are more applicable to watershed and household level indicators, respectively. The SRP PIs provide scientific evidence and practical impetus for the selection and promotion of sustainable rice production technologies. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Circulating Cell-Free Mitochondrial DNA in Pregnancy

Circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA (ccf-mtDNA) released upon cell injury or death stimulates diverse pattern recognition receptors to activate innate immune responses and initiate systemic inflammation. In this review, we discuss the temporal changes of ccf-mtDNA during pregnancy and its potential contribution to adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnancy complications.
Complete mitochondrial genome of Manispentadactylapentadactyla (Mammalia: Pholidota), an endemic subspecies of Chinese pangolin: mitogenome characterisation and phylogenetic implications

The Chinese pangolin Manispentadactyla is critically endangered because of over-exploitation and illegal trafficking and includes three subspecies. However, the taxonomic status of the three subspecies of the Chinese pangolin has not been well resolved, which impedes regional conservation and illegal trade traces. In this study, the complete mitogenome sequence of M.p.pentadactyla, an endemic subspecies of the Chinese pangolin in Taiwan, was determined. The complete mitogenome of M.p.pentadactyla is 16,570 base pairs (bp) in length with 13 protein-coding genes (PCG), 23 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNAs and a 1164 bp control region. The overall base composition of the genome showed a slight A + T bias (59.9%), positive AT skew (0.1515) and negative GC skew (-0.3406), which is similar to that of other pangolins. All PCGs started with a typical ATN codon and all tRNAs were typical cloverleaf-shaped secondary structures, except for tRNA-Ser(GCU). Phylogenetic analysis indicated a monophyletic relationship for M.p.pentadactyla and M.p.aurita and was monophyletic for M.p.pentadactyla, but paraphyletic for M.p.aurita. The paraphyly of M.p.aurita resulted from an incomplete lineage sorting. This study enriched the mitogenome database of the Chinese pangolin and the molecular information obtained should be very useful for future research on mitogenome evolution and genetic diversification in M.pentadactyla.