ahmedabdelwahed/Medical_papers_title_and_abstract_NLP_dataset huggingface dataset:
Prenatal air pollution exposure and neonatal health

Air pollution has been shown to have adverse effects on many health outcomes including respiratory effects, cardiovascular effects, and mortality. However, evidence on the effects of prenatal exposure is still limited. We investigate the causal impact of prenatal exposure to air pollution on neonatal health in Italy in the 2000s. We exploit variation in rainfall shocks to instrument for non-random air pollution exposure. Our empirical setting combines detailed information on mother's residential location from birth certificates with PM10 concentrations from air pollution monitors. Ten additional units in the average PM10 level (approximately one standard deviation) would decrease birth weight by about 0.5% and gestational age by 0.16%; it would increase the prevalence of low birth weight by 22% and of preterm birth by 16%. The effects are stronger in magnitude for third trimester exposure and for less educated mothers. These findings suggest that the health impacts of air pollution on newborns are unequally distributed in the population.
Comparison of mucin-1 in human breast cancer and canine mammary gland tumor: a review study

Mucin-1 (MUC-1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein, which bears many similarities between dogs and humans. Since the existence of animal models is essential to understand the significant factors involved in breast cancer mechanisms, canine mammary tumors (CMTs) could be used as a spontaneously occurring tumor model for human studies. Accordingly, this review assessed the comparison of canine and human MUC-1 based on their diagnostic and therapeutic aspects and showed how comparative oncology approaches could provide insights into translating pre-clinical trials from human to veterinary oncology and vice versa which could benefit both humans and dogs.
Prehospital Pediatric Respiratory Distress and Airway Management Interventions: An NAEMSP Position Statement and Resource Document

Devices and techniques such as bag-valve-mask ventilation, endotracheal intubation, supraglottic airway devices, and noninvasive ventilation offer important tools for airway management in critically ill EMS patients. Over the past decade the tools, technology, and strategies used to assess and manage pediatric respiratory and airway emergencies have evolved, and evidence regarding their use continues to grow.NAEMSP recommends:Methods and tools used to properly size pediatric equipment for ages ranging from newborns to adolescents should be available to all EMS clinicians. All pediatric equipment should be routinely checked and clearly identifiable in EMS equipment supply bags and vehicles.EMS agencies should train and equip their clinicians with age-appropriate pulse oximetry and capnography equipment to aid in the assessment and management of pediatric respiratory distress and airway emergencies.EMS agencies should emphasize noninvasive positive pressure ventilation and effective bag-valve-mask ventilation strategies in children.Supraglottic airways can be used as primary or secondary airway management interventions for pediatric respiratory failure and cardiac arrest in the EMS setting.Pediatric endotracheal intubation has unclear benefit in the EMS setting. Advanced approaches to pediatric ETI including drug-assisted airway management, apneic oxygenation, and use of direct and video laryngoscopy require further research to more clearly define their risks and benefits prior to widespread implementation.If considering the use of pediatric endotracheal intubation, the EMS medical director must ensure the program provides pediatric-specific initial training and ongoing competency and quality management activities to ensure that EMS clinicians attain and maintain mastery of the intervention.Paramedic use of direct laryngoscopy paired with Magill forceps to facilitate foreign body removal in the pediatric patient should be maintained even when pediatric endotracheal intubation is not approved as a local clinical intervention.
Mid-trimester isolated bilateral rocker bottom feet leading to prenatal diagnosis of 7q11.23 microdeletion: Williams syndrome

Prenatal sonographic depiction of congenital vertical talus (rocker bottom feet), describing a prominent calcaneus and rounded convex appearance of the ventral aspect of the foot, has been reported with fetal Trisomies 18, 13, 9 HOXD10 mutations and recently 2q13 microdeletion. We present a 24 year old in whom mid-trimester sonographic finding of isolated bilateral rocker bottom feet led to diagnosis of 7q11.23 microdeletion-Williams syndrome. This association has not been reported previously. This case emphasizes the critical assessment of detail microarray upon prenatal sonographic notation of abnormal structural fetal features.
Techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment for electrochemical ammonia production using proton conducting membrane

Green ammonia production is facing increasing interest on a global scale as a hydrogen carrier for power generation as well as fertilizer for food production. The conventional Haber-Bosch method for ammonia synthesis is energy demanding, requires high purity hydrogen, and is based on fossil fuels. A preliminary techno-economic model for electrochemical ammonia synthesis at near ambient pressure using feed rates of 32 metric ton/day for hydrogen and 135 metric ton/day for nitrogen is presented in this study. Various pathways using different methods for nitrogen generation and hydrogen production were investigated to gain insight into added energy savings per metric ton of ammonia. Electrochemical synthesis using electrolysis for hydrogen and cryogenic nitrogen was found to be a potentially viable pathway for green ammonia. The profitability metrics including discounted cash flow rate of return, net present value and discounted payback period were estimated to be 8%, $40 MM, and 4-6 years respectively for this pathway. The cost of electricity, conversion rate, and conversion efficiency dominate the tonnage cost of ammonia and were used to assess the feasibility of the model. A life cycle assessment was also conducted to assess the environmental impact of a well to product ammonia process. (C) 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sustainable asphalt concrete containing high reclaimed asphalt pavements and recycling agents: Performance assessment, cost analysis, and environmental impact

In this study, mechanical performance, environmental impacts, and economic benefit criteria are considered so as to introduce sustainable asphalt mixtures containing a high content of reclaimed asphalt pavements. The low-temperature cracking, moisture susceptibility, fatigue cracking, and rutting resistance of asphalt concrete are the most common deficiencies of rejuvenated reclaimed asphalt mixtures. Therefore, to analyze the mechanical characteristics, different experimental tests including Marshall Stability, indirect tensile strength, tensile strength ratio, semi-circular bending (at low and intermediate temperatures) are applied, and their results are taken into consideration as determinate mechanical performances in optimizing the mixture. The percentage of landfill embedment, saving in energy consumption, and the amounts of harmful emissions are utilized to compare the environmental influences of eco-friendly and the virgin mixtures. Drawing the results of experimental tests and statistical analysis (i.e., ANOVA, and Tukey pairwise comparison), the mechanical characteristics of mixtures containing various content of reclaimed asphalt pavements (i.e., 30%, 60%, and 100%), waste engine oil, and supplementary binder modified with crumb-rubber simultaneously are better than or equal to that of the conventional mixture. The environmental analysis reveals that the refined mixture is by far valuable than the virgin mixture. The proposed asphalt concrete incorporating the 100% of reclaimed asphalt pavements significantly reduces the pollution generated by the production and preparation of materials to manufacture asphalt mixture. Moreover, the energy consumed to manufacture, the percentage of landfill embedment, and the rate of economic conservation considerably decrease in suggested asphalt concretes containing different content of reclaimed asphalt pavements in comparison with the virgin mixture. This environmental Protection of the examined asphalt concretes enhances as the content of reclaimed asphalt pavements increases. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Does Internet use reduce chemical fertilizer use? Evidence from rural households in China

Although numerous studies have explored various impacts of Internet use, few have investigated the linkage between Internet use and chemical fertilizer use in developing economies. This study examines the influences of Internet use and related promotion policy on chemical fertilizer use based on a nationwide dataset including China's 7766 rural households. The baseline regression results show that Internet use reduced chemical fertilizer use significantly. The mechanism analysis unveils the mediation role of human capital; Internet use increased farmers' human capital and then reduced chemical fertilizer use. In addition, the difference-in-difference method is employed to examine the effects of Internet promotion policy and the findings reveal that the promotion policy could help reduce farmers' use of chemical fertilizer. Finally, both propensity score matching-DID model and a two-stage instrumental variable model are used to address potential endogeneity issues associated with Internet use, and results indicate that the empirical results are robust. Our findings suggest that improving the availability of broadband access in a rural area, promoting Internet-related training and education, and more government's investment in rural ICTs infrastructure can contribute to the reduction of chemical fertilizer use.
Bats from the Pedra Branca Forest, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Pedra Branca Forest is located in a highly-urbanised region of the central portion of Rio de Janeiro City, comprises the largest urban forest on the continent and is isolated from other Atlantic Forest remnants. The local flora and fauna are protected by three conservation units (Pedra Branca State Park, Prainha Municipal Natural Park and Guaratiba State Biological Reserve) and one biological station (Fiocruz Atlantic Forest Biological Station-EFMA). Here, we provide an updated list of the bat fauna for the remnant. The results are based on samplings at EFMA and literature data from Pedra Branca State Park and Prainha Natural Park. The three sampling sites combined resulted in 31 species, 23 genera and four families. Phyllostomidae was the richest family with 24 species, followed by Vespertilionidae with five species (3%) and Molossidae and Noctilionidae with one species. The local bat fauna was predominantly composed of species with a broad geographic distribution.
Proposed mechanism for rare thrombotic events after use of some Covid-19 vaccines

Administration of AstraZeneca/Oxford and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Covid-19 vaccines which use an adenovirus vector for DNA delivery has been associated with very rare thromboembolic complications coupled with an immune response to platelet factor 4 protein. The cause of this has not yet been identified. It is known that binding of coagulation factor proteins to the surface of some adenoviruses can protect their function. Here I propose that the thromboembolic events are caused by impairment of coagulation factor X binding to the virus capsid. The unprotected capsid then stimulates an immune response leading to platelet activation, increased thrombogenicity and formation of an antibody complex with platelet factor 4. Impaired binding of factor X may be due to an undiagnosed mutation in affected individuals. Options to test this mechanism experimentally and potential remedial actions to resolve the hazard are described. This mechanism offers a remedial route to address concerns about the safety of these vaccines, which are otherwise well-positioned to deliver global Covid-19 immunity across diverse healthcare economies.
Characterization of end-of-life LED lamps for the recovery of precious metals and rare earth elements

LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamps have been replacing conventional light bulbs (fluorescent and incandescent) due to their lifetime, luminescence power, and energy saving, and thus, the generation of end-of-life LED lamps is increasing. Unpublished data on their composition, focusing in the precious metals and rare earth elements, is presented and is extremely important for future studies involving recycling processes. From samples comminuted in ring mills, loss-on-ignition as well as digestion in aqua regia and nitric acid were used. The results showed that LED lamps had 8 wt.% and 14 wt.% of inorganics, 34 wt.% and 36 wt.% of polymers, and 50 wt.% and 58 wt.% of metals when leached by aqua regia and nitric acid, respectively. Two traditional e-waste leaching agents were used for comparison purposes, and although aqua regia was reported as efficient for the leaching of precious metals, rare earth elements were only verified for leaching with nitric acid. Antimony, silver, aluminum, and copper presented statistically significant differences between the two leaching agents used. The characterization also allowed for identifying the presence of arsenic, which is considered a harmful substance to health. Compared to other types of lamps (fluorescent and incandescent), only LED lamps contain gold, which makes them economically attractive. In this sense, it was concluded that LED lamps must be recycled both from the environmental point of view, regarding the presence of arsenic and the increasing waste generation, and the economic point of view, due to the presence of critical metals and recovery potential.
Does trade matter for environmental degradation in developing countries? New evidence in the context of export product diversification

Global warming is a serious problem facing the world today. To minimize it, scholars are trying to find the reasons behind increasing CO2 emissions. This study examines the effects of overall export product diversification, extensive margin, and intensive margin on CO2 emissions as indicators of environmental degradation in 84 developing countries for the period of 1971-2014 in the context of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis using three estimators, namely, autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test, dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS). The empirical findings reveal that EKC hypothesis is valid. The overall empirical findings from various approaches show that overall diversification, extensive margin, and intensive margin have a positive and significant effect on CO2 emissions.
Transforming mutations in the development of pathogenic B cell clones and autoantibodies

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by serum autoantibodies, some of which are pathogenic, causing severe manifestations and organ injury. However, autoantibodies of the same antigenic reactivity are also present in the serum of asymptomatic people years before they develop any clinical signs of autoimmunity. Autoantibodies can arise during multiple stages of B cell development, and various genetic and environmental factors drive their production. However, what drives the development of pathogenic autoantibodies is poorly understood. Advances in single-cell technology have enabled the deep analysis of rare B cell clones producing pathogenic autoantibodies responsible for vasculitis in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome complicated by mixed cryoglobulinaemia. These findings demonstrated a cascade of genetic events involving stereotypic immunoglobulin V(D)J recombination and transforming somatic mutations in lymphoma genes and V(D)J regions that disrupted antibody quality control mechanisms and decreased autoantibody solubility. Most studies consider V(D)J mutations that enhance autoantibody affinity to drive pathology; however, V(D)J mutations that increase autoantibody propensity to form insoluble complexes could be a major contributor to autoantibody pathogenicity. Defining the molecular characteristics of pathogenic autoantibodies and failed tolerance checkpoints driving their formation will improve prognostication, enabling early treatment to prevent escalating organ damage and B cell malignancy.
Feline XRCC4 undergoes rapid Ku-dependent recruitment to DNA damage sites

Radiation and chemotherapy resistance remain some of the greatest challenges in human and veterinary cancer therapies. XRCC4, an essential molecule for nonhomologous end joining repair, is a promising target for radiosensitizers. Genetic variants and mutations of XRCC4 contribute to cancer susceptibility, and XRCC4 is also the causative gene of microcephalic primordial dwarfism (MPD) in humans. The development of clinically effective molecular-targeted drugs requires accurate understanding of the functions and regulatory mechanisms of XRCC4. In this study, we cloned and sequenced the cDNA of feline XRCC4. Comparative analysis indicated that sequences and post-translational modification sites that are predicted to be involved in regulating the localization of human XRCC4, including the nuclear localization signal, are mostly conserved in feline XRCC4. All examined target amino acids responsible for human MPD are completely conserved in feline XRCC4. Furthermore, we found that the localization of feline XRCC4 dynamically changes during the cell cycle. Soon after irradiation, feline XRCC4 accumulated at laser-induced DNA double-strand break (DSB) sites in both the interphase and mitotic phase, and this accumulation was dependent on the presence of Ku. Additionally, XRCC4 superfamily proteins XLF and PAXX accumulated at the DSB sites. Collectively, these findings suggest that mechanisms regulating the spatiotemporal localization of XRCC4 are crucial for XRCC4 function in humans and cats. Our findings contribute to elucidating the functions of XRCC4 and the role of abnormal XRCC4 in diseases, including cancers and MPD, and may help in developing XRCC4-targeted drugs, such as radiosensitizers, for humans and cats.
The Mechanism of Stem Cell Aging

Stem cells have self-renewal ability and multi-directional differentiation potential. They have tissue repair capabilities and are essential for maintaining the tissue homeostasis. The depletion of stem cells is closely related to the occurrence of body aging and aging-related diseases. Therefore, revealing the molecular mechanisms of stem cell aging will set new directions for the therapeutic application of stem cells, the study of aging mechanisms, and the prevention and treatment of aging-related diseases. This review comprehensively describes the molecular mechanisms related to stem cell aging and provides the basis for further investigations aimed at developing new anti-stem cell aging strategies and promoting the clinical application of stem cells.
Impact of urbanization, economic growth, and population size on residential carbon emissions in the SAARC countries

This study attempts to analyse the influence of urbanization, economic growth, and population size on residential carbon emissions in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member nations for the period 1994 to 2013. To do so, we employ an augmented STIRPAT model in an ecological analytic framework with a fixed effect regression model that incorporates Driscoll and Kraay standard errors. The results show that population size and per capita GDP are leading drivers of high carbon emissions in the SAARC countries. The empirical results show that a U-shaped relationship exists between urbanization and residential carbon emissions: residential carbon emissions initially decrease with an increase in urbanization, reach a turning point at 25.33% and then increase with urbanization. Thus, our findings suggest a need for stronger national policies to control the impact of urbanization and population growth on residential carbon emissions in the SAARC member countries. Graphic abstract
Responses of ecosystem services to natural and anthropogenic forcings: A spatial regression based assessment in the world's largest mangrove ecosystem

Most of the Earth's Ecosystem Services (ESs) have experienced a decreasing trend in the last few decades, primarily due to increasing human dominance in the natural environment. Identification and categorization of factors that affect the provision of ESs from global to local scales are challenging. This study makes an effort to identify the key driving factors and examine their effects on different ESs in the Sundarbans region, India. We carry out the analysis following five successive steps: (1) quantifying biophysical and economic values of ESs using three valuation approaches; (2) identifying six major driving forces on ESs; (3) categorizing principal data components with dimensionality reduction; (4) constructing multivariate regression models with variance partitioning; (5) implementing six spatial regression models to examine the causal effects of natural and anthropogenic forcings on ESs. Results show that climatic factors, biophysical factors, and environmental stressors significantly affect the ESs. Among the six driving factors, climate factors are highly associated with the ESs variation and explain the maximum model variances (R-2 = 0.75-0.81). Socioeconomic (R-2 = 0.44-0.66) and development R-2 = 27-0.44) factors have weak to moderate effects on the ESs. Furthermore, the joint effects of the driving factors are much higher than their individual effects. Among the six spatial regression models, Geographical Weighted Regression (GWR) performs the most accurately and explains the maximum model variances. The proposed hybrid valuation method aggregates biophysical and economic estimates of ESs and addresses methodological biases existing in the valuation process. The presented framework can be generalized and applied to other ecosystems at different scales. The outcome of this study could be a reference for decision-makers, planners, land administrators in formulating a suitable action plan and adopting relevant management practices to improve the overall socio-ecological status of the region. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Safety and Technological Characterization of Staphylococcus xylosus and Staphylococcus pseudoxylosus Isolates from Fermented Soybean Foods of Korea

We evaluated the antibiotic susceptibilities, hemolytic activities, and technological properties of 36 Staphylococcus xylosus strains and 49 S. pseudoxylosus strains predominantly isolated from fermented soybean foods from Korea. Most of the strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamycin, kanamycin, lincomycin, oxacillin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim. However, 23 strains exhibited potential phenotypic acquired resistance to erythromycin, lincomycin, and tetracycline. Based on breakpoint values for staphylococci from the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, >30% of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin and penicillin G, but the population distributions in minimum inhibitory concentration tests were clearly different from those expected for acquired resistance. None of the strains exhibited clear α- or β-hemolytic activity. S. xylosus and S. pseudoxylosus exhibited salt tolerance on agar medium containing 20% and 22% (w/v) NaCl, respectively. S. xylosus and S. pseudoxylosus strains possessed protease and lipase activities, which were affected by the NaCl concentration. Protease activity of S. pseudoxylosus was strain-specific, but lipase activity might be a characteristic of both species. This study confirms the potential of both species for use in high-salt soybean fermentation, but the safety and technological properties of strains must be determined to select suitable starter candidates.