ahmedabdelwahed/Medical_papers_title_and_abstract_NLP_dataset huggingface dataset:
Advantages of nitrogen fertilizer deep placement in greenhouse gas emissions and net ecosystem economic benefits from no-tillage paddy fields

Unreasonable application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers gives rise to agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, causing increases in carbon footprint (CF). To solve such problems, scholars have proposed the practice of N deep placement (DPN), which has been proven to be an effective approach to enhance N use efficiency and reduce N loss. However, the effect of DPN on CF and net ecosystem economic benefit (NEEB) from no-tillage (NT) rice fields remains largely unknown. In this work, a field experiment was conducted with a random complete block design to investigate the differences in soil CH4 and N2O emissions, agricultural GHG emissions, grain yield, CF, and NEEB from NT paddy fields between urea deep placement (UDP) and urea broadcasting (UBC) in central China. The CF for the entire rice production chain can be calculated as the ratio of total GHG emissions to grain yield using a life-cycle approach. The novelty of this study lies in the examination of the integrated effects of DPN on GHG emissions, grain yield, CF and NEEB from NT paddy fields. The agricultural GHG emissions varied from 1297.0 to 1420.8 kg CO2-eq ha(-1). Chemical fertilizers dominated the GHG emissions. UDP resulted in 96.8 kg CO2-eq ha(-1) more emissions than UBC due to more consumption of diesel by machinery operations. Compared with UBC, UDP significantly reduced soil CH4 emissions by 36-39% and N2O emissions by 29-31%. The mitigation of soil CH4 and N2O emissions under UDP decreased the total GHG emissions by 34% and CF by 46%. Soil CH4 emissions accounted for 83-88% of the total GHG emissions. The NEEB under UDP was 48% higher than that under UBC. In conclusion, DPN can increase grain yield, reduce CF, and enhance NEEB from NT rice fields, and may be an economic and cleaner approach for rice production. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Nexus between Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth: A Comparative Analysis on Groups of Countries

Our paper examines the potential effect of different types of entrepreneurship (in particular, early-stage entrepreneurship, opportunity-driven entrepreneurship, and necessity-driven entrepreneurship) on economic growth at a national level and aims to identify whether the contribution of entrepreneurship to economic growth differs according to the stage of economic development of a country. Our empirical analysis is based on the panel data, which covers 17 years (2002-2018) and 22 European countries, classified into two groups. The results suggest that all three types of entrepreneurship have a greater impact on economic growth for the entire sample of European countries, and some types of entrepreneurship are more important than others. We find that opportunity-driven entrepreneurship and early-stage entrepreneurship would be key factors in stimulating economic growth across the sample of European countries. Our estimations also show that opportunity-driven entrepreneurship would have a greater impact in transition countries, while necessity-driven entrepreneurship would have a stronger influence in the innovation-driven countries. The results of our research could be of interest to policymakers, as it can help in identifying and implementing the most appropriate measures to eliminate the obstacles in the macroeconomic environment that entrepreneurs face, and measures to support innovative entrepreneurial activities.
Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Zephyranthes phycelloides ( Amaryllidaceae, tribe Hippeastreae) from Atacama region of Chile

Sporadic rains in the Atacama Desert reveal a high biodiversity of plant species that only occur there. One of these rare species is the "Red añañuca" (Zephyranthes phycelloides), formerly known as Rhodophiala phycelloides. Many species of Zephyranthes in the Atacama Desert are dangerously threatened, due to massive extraction of bulbs and cutting of flowers. Therefore, studies of the biodiversity of these endemic species, which are essential for their conservation, should be conducted sooner rather than later. There are some chloroplast genomes available for Amaryllidaceae species, however there is no complete chloroplast genome available for any of the species of Zephyranthes subgenus Myostemma. The aim of the present work was to characterize and analyze the chloroplast of Z. phycelloides by NGS sequencing. The chloroplast genome of the Z. phycelloides consists of 158,107 bp, with typical quadripartite structures: a large single copy (LSC, 86,129 bp), a small single copy (SSC, 18,352 bp), and two inverted repeats (IR, 26,813 bp). One hundred thirty-seven genes were identified: 87 coding genes, 8 rRNA, 38 tRNA and 4 pseudogenes. The number of SSRs was 64 in Z. phycelloides and a total of 43 repeats were detected. The phylogenetic analysis of Z. phycelloides shows a distinct subclade with respect to Z. mesochloa. The average nucleotide variability (Pi) between Z. phycelloides and Z. mesochloa was of 0.02000, and seven loci with high variability were identified: psbA, trnSGCU-trnGUCC, trnDGUC-trnYGUA, trnLUAA-trnFGAA, rbcL, psbE-petL and ndhG-ndhI. The differences between the species are furthermore confirmed by the high amount of SNPs between these two species. Here, we report for the first time the complete cp genome of one species of the Zephyranthes subgenus Myostemma, which can be used for phylogenetic and population genomic studies.
Variable histopathology features of neuronal dyslamination in the cerebral neocortex adjacent to epilepsy-associated vascular malformations suggest complex pathogenesis of focal cortical dysplasia ILAE type IIIc

Focal cortical dysplasia type IIIc (FCD-IIIc) is histopathologically defined by the International League Against Epilepsy's classification scheme as abnormal cortical organization adjacent to epilepsy-associated vascular malformations (VM). However, the incidence of FCD-IIIc, its pathogenesis, or association with the epileptogenic condition remains to be clarified. We reviewed a retrospective series of surgical brain specimens from 14 epilepsy patients with leptomeningeal angiomatosis of Sturge-Weber syndrome (LMA-SWS; n = 6), cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM; n = 7), and an arteriovenous malformation (AVM; n = 1) to assess the histopathological spectrum of FCD-IIIc patterns in VM. FCD-IIIc was observed in all cases of LMA-SWS and was designated as cortical pseudolaminar sclerosis (CPLS). CPLS showed a common pattern of horizontally organized layer abnormalities, including neuronal cell loss and astrogliosis, either manifesting predominantly in cortical layer (L) 3 extending variably to deeper areas with or without further extension to L2 and/or L4. Another pattern was more localized, targeting mainly L4 with extension to L3 and/or L5. Abnormal cortical layering characterized by a fusion of L2 and L3 or L4-L6 was also noted in two LMA-SWS cases and the AVM case. No horizontal or vertical lamination abnormalities were observed in the specimens adjacent to the CCM, despite the presence of vascular congestion and dilated parenchymal veins in all VM. These findings suggest that FCD-IIIc depends on the type of the VM and developmental timing. We further conclude that FCD-IIIc represents a secondary lesion acquired during pre- and/or perinatal development rather than following a pathomechanism independent of LMA-SWS. Further studies will be necessary to address the selective vulnerability of the developing cerebral neocortex in LMA-SWS, including genetic, encephaloclastic, hemodynamic, or metabolic events.
Optimal sizing and management strategy for PV household-prosumers with self-consumption/sufficiency enhancement and provision of frequency containment reserve

This study provides a methodology to assess the techno-economic performance of photovoltaic household-prosumers that jointly provide self-consumption/sufficiency enhancement (SCSE) and frequency containment reserve (FCR). It thus addresses the following issues: (i) battery aging; (ii) supercapacitors joined to batteries building hybrid storage systems; (iii) management strategies of SCSE and charge level in energy storage systems; (iv) an integrated system with a 1-ms simulation step and high-resolution inputs. The methodology was applied to one Spanish household-prosumer. The study compared three charge-level management strategies by using different technical and economic performance indicators and concluded that the deadband recovery was the best. Moreover, the best techno-economic indicators were achieved by broadening the storage capacity band of unrestricted operation for SCSE (30-90%). Regarding the prosumer sizing, the optimal converter-battery configuration was determined so as to minimize the total energy supply cost. Long-term performance confirmed that when FCR provision was added to the SCSE, profitability increased up to 14.01%, with a relatively low impact on battery aging. A sensitivity analysis guaranteed a cost reduction of 3.68% for the prosumer energy and of 16% for the storage system life cycle at the optimal hybrid storage sizing. This sizing involved a 1% supercapacitor hybridization and a time constant of 150 s for power splitting.
Modeling and economic evaluation of carbon capture and storage technologies integrated into synthetic natural gas and power-to-gas plants

The production of synthetic natural gas from coal and biomass gasification made it possible to obtain a product that can be used to replace easily the standard natural gas in the existing infrastructures. This paper follows and presents a study that was conducted on a synthetic natural gas plant integrated with carbon capture and storage technologies. The recent growth in the use of energy coming from renewable sources requires that balancing measures be taken for electricity grids, which, as can be easily imagined, is best accomplished by using multiple energy storage technologies. In particular, the power-to-gas technology allows renewable electrical energy to be transformed into methane via electrolysis and subsequent methanation. Moreover, the production of synthetic natural gas can be enhanced by using concentrated CO2 emitted by synthetic natural gas plants, coupling the coal gasification and methanation processes within the same plant. This paper compares and evaluates two distinct process configurations and their implementation with power-to-gas technology in Aspen Plus v.8. During the study, it was analyzed how the introduction of carbon capture and storage technologies affect the overall energy balance, as well as the individual performances of each configuration. The two cases proved to have similar efficiency; it was also observed that the integration of and carbon capture and storage technologies resulted in a negligible reduction in the efficiency of the system (approximately 1%). The integration of power-to-gas technologies led to a decrease in the efficiency of the system up to 30%. Based on the current emission allowances specified in the rules of the regulated market of CO2, it was also assessed how such technologies would be sustainable in terms of costs derived from the production of gas.. An analysis was in fact performed to estimate the costs associated with this type of plant and the results showed that the introduction of carbon capture and storage technologies in synthetic natural gas plants had a lower impact on the costs related to both the plant and the synthetic natural gas. In this respect, a sensitivity analysis of the most influent factors was performed as well. The results showed that, when it comes to the production of gas in in the power-to-gas process, the specific cost strongly depends on the price of electricity and the operating hours.
Female-induced selective modification of sperm protein SUMOylation-potential mechanistic insights into the non-random fertilization in humans

In many species, mate choice continues after the mating via female- or egg-derived biochemical factors that induce selective changes in sperm pre-fertilization physiology and behaviour. Recent studies have indicated that gamete-mediated mate choice likely occurs also in humans, but the mechanistic basis of the process has remained virtually unexplored. Here, we investigated whether female-induced modifications in sperm protein SUMOylation (post-translational modification of the proteome) could serve as a novel mechanism for gamete-mediated mate choice in humans. We treated the sperm of ten males with the oocyte-surrounding bioactive liquid (follicular fluid) of five females and investigated motility, viability and global protein SUMOylation status of the sperm in all (n = 50) of these male-female combinations (full-factorial design). All the measured sperm traits were affected by male-female combinations, and sperm protein SUMOylation status was also negatively associated with sperm motility. Furthermore, our results indicate that female-induced sperm protein SUMOylation is selective, potentially allowing females to increase sperm motility in some males, whereas decreasing it in the others. Consequently, our findings suggest that follicular fluid may non-randomly modify the structure and function of sperm proteome and in this way facilitate gamete-mediated mate choice in humans and possibly many other species. However, due to the relatively low number of female subjects and their potential infertility problems, our results should be replicated with larger subset of fully fertile women.
Time-Lapse Embryo culture: A better understanding of embryo development and clinical application

Conventional embryo assessment is performed by removing embryos from incubators at least once a day. However, it is static and limited to specific time points, reducing the amount of information that could potentially be obtained. Fortunately, the time-lapse system is a powerful technology that enables to observe embryo development progression by image acquisition at recurrent time intervals, without interfering in the culture conditions. There are numerous studies that used time-lapse incubators, focusing on embryo kinetics, patient characteristics and clinical outcomes. This review aims to find agreements in the literature concerning embryo kinetics and patient characteristics: age, body mass index, smoking habit, polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis; as well as culture conditions that involved culture media and oxygen concentration. Furthermore, they showed differences according to ploidy status, direct/reverse cleavage, gender and the potential association between embryo collapse and clinical outcomes.
Quantifying and predicting the Water-Energy-Food-Economy-Society-Environment Nexus based on Bayesian networks - A case study of China

The main objective of sustainable development is to ensure the current and future demand can be satisfied. Food, energy and water is the primary human demand. However, China is facing security issues of water, energy and food due to several economic, social and environmental impacts such as economic progress, population growth and environmental change. For this reason, it is important to evaluate the relationship between food, energy and water with sustainability aspects. Using Bayesian network models, we propose a quantitative analysis framework based on the Water-Energy-Food-Economy-Society-Environment Nexus. Under this framework, the causality relations between water, energy, food and economy, society, environment were studied and quantified. Additionally, the demand for water, energy, food was predicted from a perspective of systematic interaction. Different from previous studies, our research is more comprehensive, involving six subsystems. More importantly, we do research from a systematic point of view. Thirdly, the causality in the nexus was quantified. As a result, we found that water withdrawal is directly affected by population growth and energy demand, indirectly by other nodes in the nexus; energy demand is directly affected by GDP and population growth in the nexus; population growth is the only direct cause of changes in food demand. Projections show that the demand for water, energy and food in China will remain at [600,620) billion cubic meters, a growth rate of [4%, 8%) and [0%, 5%) with an average probability of 0.6772, 0.6128 and 0.7055 respectively from 2020 to 2030. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Interdependencies of lithium mining and communities sustainability in Salar de Atacama, Chile

Demand for clean technologies has increased global lithium (Li) production. However, the potential impacts of lithium extraction, especially on frontline communities, have not been studied holistically. This research assesses the community sustainability in Salar de Atacama, Chile. We developed a coupled natural-social systems framework to analyze the interdependencies of the lithium extraction and its impacts. Using data from the Chilean census, company sustainability reports, remote sensing, and media archives, we investigate the temporal dynamics of water availability, labor influx, employment, social activism, and corporate social responsibility. Our study finds that between 2002 and 2017, the total water storage declined at a rate of 1.16 mm/year. Compared to other uses, water consumption from Li-mining was higher by two orders of magnitude. Mining played a crucial role in creating greater migration impacts, as indicated in a high migration effectiveness index of 85% and 90%, respectively. Labor influx increased 2.3 times, whereas the role of local labor in mining decreased from 52% to 18%. Local social activism increased both in intensity and scale. Our interdependency framework and analyses show that Li-mining and local communities are closely linked at both local and regional scale through the sharing of water resources, economic opportunities, and resource governance. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Myelination synchronizes cortical oscillations by consolidating parvalbumin-mediated phasic inhibition

Parvalbumin-positive (PV+) γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneurons are critically involved in producing rapid network oscillations and cortical microcircuit computations, but the significance of PV+ axon myelination to the temporal features of inhibition remains elusive. Here, using toxic and genetic mouse models of demyelination and dysmyelination, respectively, we find that loss of compact myelin reduces PV+ interneuron presynaptic terminals and increases failures, and the weak phasic inhibition of pyramidal neurons abolishes optogenetically driven gamma oscillations in vivo. Strikingly, during behaviors of quiet wakefulness selectively theta rhythms are amplified and accompanied by highly synchronized interictal epileptic discharges. In support of a causal role of impaired PV-mediated inhibition, optogenetic activation of myelin-deficient PV+ interneurons attenuated the power of slow theta rhythms and limited interictal spike occurrence. Thus, myelination of PV axons is required to consolidate fast inhibition of pyramidal neurons and enable behavioral state-dependent modulation of local circuit synchronization.
Mental Health and Alcohol Use during and before the Early Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The early phases of the coronavirus 19 disease (COVID-19) pandemic were associated with changes in psychological well-being and alcohol use. However, it is unclear whether these changes are artifacts of psychological well-being and alcohol use prior to the pandemic across different sociodemographic groups. We received surveys from 247 adult residents of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (United States), with an oversampling of sexual- and gender-minority individuals. Responses included measures of psychological well-being, substance use, and sociodemographic characteristics. Unadjusted mean depression scores, anxiety scores, and number of drinking days increased for all age and income groups during COVID-19, while average number of drinks per drinking day and days intoxicated differentially increased or decreased by age and income groups. Using Bayesian seemingly unrelated regression, we assessed depression and anxiety symptoms and alcohol use during the early stages of the pandemic and one month before COVID-19 was first identified in Allegheny County concurrently. Those in the youngest (18-24) group drank on more days during (but not before) the pandemic than those in the 25-44 age group. Compared to cisgender women, gender-minority adults had higher depression scores during the early stages of the pandemic. Employed adults had lower anxiety scores during (but not before) the pandemic than adults who were unemployed. Those with past-year annual incomes above $80,000 had fewer drinks on average drinking occasions than those in the $40,000 or below group before (but not during) the pandemic. Patterns of psychological distress and alcohol use associated with the COVID-19 pandemic differ by subgroup compared to patterns prior to the pandemic. Interventions addressing worsening mental health outcomes and shifting alcohol use patterns must be sensitive to the needs of vulnerable groups, such as younger adults and those experiencing poverty or unemployment.
Groundwater quality for potable and irrigation uses and associated health risk in southern part of Gu'an County, North China Plain

The study area is a part of the North China Plain, where groundwater is heavily abstracted for drinking and irrigation purposes. Groundwater quality is adversely affected due to rapid economic development and urbanization. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to evaluate the suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes and to quantify the associated human health risks in the southern part of Gu'an County, North China Plain. The matter-element extension method based on entropy weight was used to evaluate the water quality for drinking, while sodium adsorption ratio, sodium percentage (%Na), residual sodium carbonate and magnesium hazard were used to evaluate the water quality for irrigation. Non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks via different exposure ways were evaluated for different age groups. The study found that the quality of both deep and shallow groundwater in this area was generally suitable for drinking. Deep water quality has better quality than the shallow water. However, 8.70% and 73.92% of water samples pose non-carcinogenic health risks on adults and children, respectively. Children and adults are also at cancer risk due to Cr6+ and As in drinking groundwater in this area. The main responsible parameters for non-carcinogenic risk are Cr6+, F- and Fe, and Cr6+ is also responsible for carcinogenic risk. These toxic elements are mainly from industries. Therefore, deterioration of groundwater quality can be prevented by strengthening the sewage management of various industries.
Environmental management and labor productivity: The moderating role of quality management

Abundant studies have been made around the impact of environmental management on economic performance in business, but there is still no consistent conclusion. This study focuses on labor productivity as a measure of economic performance. We argue that environmental management has a negative impact on the labor productivity of company in the special context of Chinese increasingly stringent environmental regulations, but this impact is moderated by quality management. Environmental management score and the years that companies have passed ISO 9001 are set as proxies for independent and moderating variable respectively. A sample including 229 Chinese listed companies is used to test the hypotheses by multiple regression analysis. Results show that environmental management has a negative impact on labor productivity, and quality management moderates the relationship.