bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drought Characterization in Croatia Using E-OBS Gridded Data
Authors: Santos João Filipe , Tadic Lidija , Portela Maria Manuela , Espinosa Luis Angel , Brleković Tamara
Published: September 2023

Droughts are among the major natural hazards that are spreading to many parts of the world with huge multi-dimensional impacts. For Continental Croatia an extensive analysis of drought phenomenon is presented based on meteorological E-OBS gridded dataset (0.25° x 0.25°), within the period of 1950 to 2022. The drought events were characterized by the Standardized Precipita-tion Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) applied to different time-scales (6 and 12 months) in order to describe the subannual and annual variability of drought. The spatiotemporal patterns of drought are obtained through principal component analysis (PCA) and K-means clustering (KMC) applied to the SPEI field. An areal drought evolution analysis and the changes in the frequency of occur-rence of the periods under drought conditions were achieved by using a kernel occurrence rate es-timator (KORE). The Modified Mann-Kendall (MMK) test coupled with the Sen’s slope estimator test are applied to the SPEI series in order to quantify the drought trends throughout the country. According to drought events history and considering the different morphoclimatic characteristics of the study area the results showed that Croatia could be divided into three different and spatial-ly well-defined regions with specific temporal and spatial characteristics of droughts (Central North, Eastern and Southern regions). It is shown that there is a manifest increase in the percent-age of area affected by drought as well as in the yearly drought occurrences rates in both Central North and Eastern regions and an evident decrease in the Southern region for both 6 and 12 month SPEI time-scales. In the observation of the drought temporal characteristics, it was found that downward trends expressing increasing drought severities were strongly significant in North and Eastern regions while a few significant upward trends were seen in Southern region. From this study, it is possible to obtain a broader view of the historical behaviour of droughts in Croatia with results providing useful support for drought risk assessment and decision-making processes.
Unraveling Fetal Cells in Maternal Circulation - A Review of Current Insights and Uncharted Territories
Authors: Axen Cassondra , Mastej Victoria , Minshall Richard D. , Wary Kishore K.
Published: September 2023

Pregnancy entails bidirectional interactions between the developing fetus, the maternal tissues, and the organ systems. To this end, the phenomenon of migration of fetal cells (FCs) into the maternal circulation is poorly understood. Here, we review literature underlying the migration of FCs from the placenta to the maternal circulation, which is likely a dynamic process, including trophoblast invasion, placental angiogenesis, modulation of maternal immune responses, and enlargement of maternal organs. As placental neovascularization fosters direct connections between fetal and maternal circulatory systems, the trophoblast, a pivotal to placental development, adeptly deploys an array of invasive strategies to breach maternal tissue barriers, facilitating FC escapade into the maternal circulation. The intricate balance struck by the maternal immune system, which both acts as a guardian against potential foreign cell threats and orchestrates a niche conducive to FC survival and differentiation, is facilitated by finely tuned interactions among regulatory T cells, cytokines, and inhibitory receptors. FC presence in mothers’ circulation may be clinically relevant and unveil novel molecular participants like lncRNA, exosomes, and intricate signaling pathways that drive innovative clinical approaches for diagnostics and therapeutics. Ongoing research should reshape our knowledge of pregnancy and maternal-fetal health by improving our understanding of fetal-maternal interactions.
Analysis of the Forces Driving Public Hospitals’ Operating Costs using LMDI Decomposition: The Case of Japan
Authors: Kou Kiyotoshi , Dou Yi , Arai Ichiro
Published: September 2023

The sustainable management of public hospitals is usually threatened by long-period operating deficit, especially during the pandemic of COVID-19. This study aims at quantitatively decomposing the historical changes in the annual operating costs of public hospitals in Japan to identify the main driving forces responsible for a worsening imbalance between operating costs and income over the past two decades. A dataset of the annual operating costs of public hospitals in Japan is compiled, in which influencing factors are redefined to make the data amenable to the application of a decomposition method referred to as the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI). Using the LMDI method, the contribution of each influencing factor to the changes in public hospital operating costs was quantitatively determined. The results indicate an overall positive effect arising out of the national reform of public hospitals that aimed to reduce the operating costs of these institutions, but the rapid increase in the prices of medicines in recent years made a major contribution to the increasing operating costs. The pandemic reveals a damage on public hospitals’ financial balance but the city-wide lockdown offset part of the increased medical expense. Both long-term and short-term pricing policies are required for the sustainable management of public hospitals.
NBSTRN Tools to Advance Newborn Screening Research and Support Newborn Screening Stakeholders
Authors: Chan Kee , Hu Zhanzhi , Bush Lynn , Cope Heidi , Holm Ingrid A. , Kingsmore Stephen , Wilhelm Kevin , Scharfe Curt , Brower Amy
Published: September 2023

Rapid advances in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of genetic disorders has increased the number of conditions that could be detected through universal newborn screening (NBS). However, addition of conditions to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) and implementation of nationwide screening has been a slow process taking several years to accomplish for individual conditions. Here we describe web-based tools and resources developed and implemented by the newborn screening translational research network (NBSTRN) to advance newborn screening research and support NBS stakeholders. NBSTRN’s tools include the Longitudinal Pediatric Data Resource (LPDR), the NBS Condition Resource (NBS-CR), the NBS Virtual Repository (NBS-VR), and the Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) Advantage. Research programs including the Inborn Errors of Metabolism Information System (IBEM-IS), BabySeq, EarlyCheck, and Family Narratives Use Cases have utilized NBSTRN’s tools, and in turn contributed research data to further expand and refine these this resource. Additionally, we discuss ongoing tool development to facilitate expansion of genetic disease screening in increasingly diverse populations. In conclusion, NBSTRN’s tools and resources provide a trusted platform to enable NBS stakeholders to advance NBS research and improve clinical care for patients and their families.
Anatomical Cross Sections and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Juvenile Atlantic Puffin Head (Aves, Alcidae, Fratercula arctica)
Authors: Fumero-Hernández Marcos , Encinoso Mario , Melian Ayose , Artiles Himar , Salman Doaa , Mohamad José Raduan Jaber
Published: September 2023

The Atlantic puffin is a medium-sized seabird with black and white plumage and orange feet. It is distributed mainly along the northern Atlantic Ocean and due, among other reasons, to human activities, it is in a threatened situation and classified as a vulnerable species according to the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In this study, we used a total of 20 carcasses of juvenile Atlantic puffins to perform anatomical cross sections and magnetic resonance images. Thus, an adequate description of the head was made, providing valuable information that could be helpful as a diagnostic tool for veterinary clinicians, who increasingly treat these birds in zoos, rehabilitation centers and even in the wild.
Biogenic Synthesis of Zinc Nanocomposites for Controlling Bacterial Pathogenesis and Photocatalytic Degradation of Toxic Water Wastes
Authors: Ali Sajid , Asghar Tanveer , Jan Muhammad Ishtiaq , Ali Tahir
Published: September 2023

It is important to develop new antibacterial drugs since the emergence of bacterial resistance to available antibiotics. Metal nanoparticles have the potential to combat antibiotic resistance and are effective antibacterial agents. Here, we demonstrate the biogenic production of zinc nanoparticles using Rhododendron arboreum stem bark. The biosynthesized ZnNPs were characterized through different analytical techniques such as UV-vis, FTIR, EDX, SEM, and XRD. Clinical isolates such as E. coli, S. aureus, and K. pneumonia were used to check the antibacterial efficacy of the biosynthesized zinc nanoparticles. The MIC and MBC values against K. pneumonia, S. aureu, and E. coli were found to be 34±0.21 and 11.71±0.47, 47±0.11 and 23.86±0.84 and 94±0.18 and 40.43±0.16 µg/mL, respectively. It dramatically decreased the integrity of the cell membrane and markedly increased the permeability of both inner and outer membranes. The green synthesized ZnNPs have good catalytic activity. It degraded 65% of methyl orange dye within 6h when the mixture was kept in direct sunlight, thus demonstrating good photodegradation potential and can be employed as a good photocatalyst. According to these results, biosynthesized zinc nanoparticles could be a potential therapy option for controlling bacterial pathogenesis and an effective photocatalyst for the elimination of hazardous water contaminants.
Early Castration in Horses Does Not Impact Osteoarticular Metabolism
Authors: Rouge Marion , Legendre Florence , Elkhatib Razan , Delalande Christelle , Cognié Juliette , Reigner Fabrice , Barrière Philippe , Deleuze Stefan , Hanoux Vincent , Galéra Philippe , Bouraïma-Lelong Hélène
Published: September 2023

Castration of stallions is traditionally performed after puberty around the age of 2 years old. No studies have focused on the effects of early castration on osteoarticular metabolism. Thus, we sought to compare early castration (3 days after birth) with traditional castration (18 months of age) in horses. Testosterone and estradiol levels were monitored from birth to 33 months in these two groups. We quantified the levels of biomarkers of cartilage and bone anabolism (CPII and N-MID) and catabolism (CTX-I and CTX-II), of osteoarthritis (HA and COMP) and inflammation (IL-6 and PGE2). We revealed a lack of parallelism between testosterone and estradiol syntheses after birth and during puberty in both groups. An extra-gonadal synthesis of steroids was observed around the 28 month-mark, regardless of the castration age. We found the expression of estrogen receptor (ESR1) in cartilage and bone, whereas androgen receptor (AR) expression appeared to be restricted to bone. Nevertheless, with regards to osteoarticular metabolism, steroid hormone deprivation resulting from early castration showed no discernable impact on the levels of biomarkers related to bone and cartilage metabolism, nor on those associated with OA and inflammation. Consequently, our research demonstrated that early castration does not disrupt bone and cartilage homeostasis.
Автоматическое построение блочно-структурированных расчeтных сеток для турбомашин в программном комплексе TurboR&D.Mesher
Authors: Загитов Ренат Азгарович , Zagitov Renat Azgarovich , Сальников С Д , Sal'nikov S D , Шуваев Николай Васильевич , Shuvaev Nikolay Vasil'evich
Published: September 2023

Описана методика автоматического построения блочно-структурированных расчeтных сеток для межлопаточных каналов турбомашин, реализованная в программном
комплексе TurboR&D.Mesher. При построении расчeтной сетки в качестве основного используется вариационный метод. Оптимизация координат узлов расчeтной
сетки происходит при помощи линейной комбинации функционалов плотности
энергии отображения и размеров ячеек. С целью ускорения процесса построения
расчeтной сетки используется многосеточный подход. Предложен алгоритм построения блочной топологии в межлопаточном канале, одновременно учитывающий
несколько сечений по высоте лопатки. Для построения блочной топологии осесимметричных эффектов используется метод с определением срединной оси расчeтной
области. Приведены основные возможности программы, представленные результаты показывают высокое качество сеток, полученных в автоматическом режиме.
A Virtual Reality application for the exploration of a modern shipwreck: the case study of the Christoforos wreck
Authors: Collina Matteo , Lagudi Antonio , Bruno Fabio , Cosentino Vincenzo , Peluso Raffaele , Ktistis Anastasios , Manglis Angelos
Published: September 2023

The paper presents the development of a Virtual Reality (VR) application to perform dives in the Christoforos Shipwreck. The huge wreck lies in the Panormos Bay of Skopelos island (Greece) at a depth of 45 meters. Based on a well-known methodology designed for ancient shipwrecks, the 3D reconstruction of the underwater site has been carried out by adjusting the workflow to survey modern shipwrecks. In particular, the methodology, based on photogrammetry, is capable to provide a highly detailed 3D reconstruction of the shipwreck in a few dives, considering issues like working depth, elevations, and thin elements modelling. Moreover, the paper describes the optimization of the 3D model and the software to be executed in low-performance Head Mounted Display (HMD) devices.
The resulting VR application, realized for touristic purposes, recreates the exact ambient conditions inside and outside the water simulating the flora and fauna of the place, the coastline, allowing users to live a recreational and educational experience by virtual diving in the underwater site.
Performance evaluation of a commercial protective coating through field-exposure tests on three stone substrates
Authors: Bergomi Andrea , Comite Valeria , Fermo Paola , Ricca Michela , Borelli Mattia , Belfiore Cristina Maria , Randazzo Luciana , Ruffolo Silvestro Antonio , La Russa Maura Francesco
Published: September 2023

In the last decades, there have been several studies on Cultural Heritage regarding the performance of protective and consolidating coatings for the prevention of decay. A coating must have several characteristics such as efficiency, breathability, and must be durable and reversible. In this research work, the performance of a commercial protective product (Fosbuild FBLE 200) was evaluated. This coating is composed of a TiO2 nanopowder dispersed in an aqueous solution of an acrylic polymer. The product, which exhibits depolluting, antimicrobial, water-repellent and self-cleaning properties, has been applied on three different lithotypes: Carrara marble, Noto stone, and Comiso stone. Field-exposure tests were carried out in two different outdoor environments (Catania and Palermo) in order to assess its suitability. Promising results were obtained for the Carrara marble after one year of exposure; however, a decrease in effectiveness was observed at the end of the second year.
Characterization, traceability, and uncertainty estimation of reference solar panel module measurements using pulsed solar simulators and reference solar cells
Authors: Karmalawi Abdallah
Published: September 2023

This paper presents the design, characterization, and traceability of reference solar panel modules for determining the performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules at standard test conditions (STC). The research introduces an advanced experimental system based on a class AAA pulsed solar simulator to measure the radiometric, electrical performances, and efficiency of PV modules. I-V/P characteristics of three PV modules at different STCs and the associated uncertainty budget of the system were estimated. I-V characteristic and associated parameters including Isc, Voc, Pmax, FF, and efficiency were measured. The radiometric and electrical traceability were discussed, and the relative expanded combined uncertainties were concluded to be 1.62 % (Isc), 0.42 % (Voc), 2.05 % (Pmax), and 2.5% (η), with a coverage factor k = 2. Reference solar panel modules were also used on-site to test the performance of large PV panels, and the results are reported.
A solar PV model parameters estimation based on an improved manta foraging algorithm with dynamic fitness distance balance
Authors: El Marghichi Mouncef , Dangoury Soufiane , Amlila Mohammed Amine
Published: September 2023

Accurately simulating and operating photovoltaic (PV) modules or solar cells requires determining specific model parameters based on experimental data. Extracting these parameters is crucial for analyzing system performance under various conditions such as temperature and sunlight variations. However, modeling solar photovoltaic systems is inherently nonlinear, which calls for an efficient algorithm. In this study, we employ the MRFO-dFDB (Manta Ray Foraging Optimization with dynamic Fitness Distance Balance) algorithm, which utilizes fitness distance balance to balance the exploration and exploitation of the search area when assessing parameters in solar PV models. By applying MRFO-dFDB to extract parameters from the STP6-120/36 and Photowatt-PWP201 solar modules, we observe exceptional predictive performance for both single diode (SDM) and double diode (DDM) models. MRFO-dFDB exhibits superior performance compared to state-of-the-art methods. It achieves lower Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE) values, specifically < 15.3 mA for the STP6-120/36 module and <2.4 mA for the Photowatt-PWP201 module. Additionally, it demonstrates lower maximum errors of 39.02 mA and 5.33 mA, as well as lower power errors of 155.42 mW and 14.122 mW, for the STP6-120/36 and Photowatt-PWP201 solar modules, respectively. Furthermore, it exhibits excellent performance with faster computation speed (< 30.1 seconds in all tests), further emphasizing its superiority.
Ericáceas con frutos comestibles en Colombia
Authors: García Castro Néstor Julio , Gil Archila Elizabeth , Bonilla Anyhye
Published: September 2023

Se presenta una revisión acerca de las especies colombianas de Ericaceae con frutos comestibles, con énfasis en su forma de uso, su propagación y su cultivo. Se registraron 25 especies en diez géneros, cuya mayor diversidad se concentra en Cavendishia, Disterigma, Gaultheria y Vaccinium. La mayoría de las especies se distribuyen en zonas medias y altas de las cordilleras Oriental y Central. Si bien lo más frecuente es el consumo directo y esporádico de sus frutos, para siete especies se reporta su procesamiento en productos derivados y solo tres de ellas han tenido algún nivel de comercio. Aunque los estudios sobre propagación y cultivo se concentran en Vaccinium meridionale, se registran estudios básicos de propagación en Vaccinium floribundum, Macleania rupestris, Cavendishia bracteata, Disterigma alaternoides y Thibaudia floribunda. No obstante, la mayoría de los frutos de las ericáceas colombianas se cosechan primordialmente de poblaciones silvestres. En la actualidad, no se conocen estudios detallados del efecto de la cosecha en las poblaciones naturales ni se cuenta con planes de manejo para su aprovechamiento.
Conservación de bacterias por liofilización en la Colección de Microorganismos CM-EM-UDEA, Medellín, Colombia
Authors: Quintero Rodríguez Maria Paula , Montoya Arango Daniela , Restrepo Posada Deisy Cristina , González Gil Diana Marcela
Published: September 2023

Las colecciones microbianas preservan cepas ex situ con el propósito de mantener los microorganismos viables, puros y estables en el tiempo. Para esto se recomienda preservar idealmente por criopreservación y liofilización. Actualmente, la Colección de Microorganismos de la Escuela de Microbiología de la Universidad de Antioquia (CM-EM-UDEA) preserva bacterias únicamente por criopreservación y requiere estandarizar la liofilización para que posibilite la viabilidad de los microorganismos por un mayor tiempo, optimice el almacenamiento y facilite el transporte manteniendo estables sus características. El objetivo fue evaluar el proceso de liofilización en diferentes bacterias de la CM-EM-UDEA. Se seleccionaron seis bacterias, se estandarizaron los inóculos y se usaron diferentes lioprotectores, evaluando la eficiencia de liofilización mediante viabilidad, pureza y estabilidad de cada microorganismo antes y después de liofilizar. En la mayoría de microorganismos el lioprotector que presentó mejores resultados de viabilidad y características físicas del producto seco fue la sacarosa, sin embargo, la efectividad observada en los otros lioprotectores frente a microorganismos específicos los convierte en una alternativa de uso de acuerdo a su disponibilidad. Este estudio permitió estandarizar el proceso de liofilización manteniendo 100 % de pureza, viabilidad y estabilidad en altos porcentajes, en la mayoría de los microorganismos evaluados.
Peces de la subcuenca del río Catatumbo, cuenca del Lago de Maracaibo, Colombia y Venezuela
Authors: Ortega-Lara Armando , Lasso-Alcalá Oscar M. , Lasso Carlos A. , Andrade de Pasquier Glenys , Bogotá-Gregory Juan D.
Published: September 2023

Registros de literatura, complementados con la revisión de ejemplares de colección de referencia de peces del Instituto Humboldt - IAvH-P (Colombia), Estación Biológica de Rancho Grande - EBRG y Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Guanare - MCNG (Venezuela), muestran que 109 especies nativas de agua dulce y 14 de origen marino y estuarino habitan la subcuenca el río Catatumbo, constituyéndose en el sistema con mayor diversidad de especies de peces de la cuenca del Lago de Maracaibo. Estas especies pertenecen a 10 órdenes, 39 familias y 91 géneros. Los órdenes con mayor número de familias, géneros y especies fueron Siluriformes con 12 familias, 42 géneros y 60 especies, y Characiformes 11 familias, 24 géneros y 32 especies. Las familias con mayor riqueza fueron Loricariidae (16 géneros y 25 especies), Characidae (13 géneros y 18 especies) y Pimelodidae (6 géneros y 8 especies); presentando las restantes 37 familias entre una y cinco especies. De las 123 especies registradas, 69 fueron capturadas y catalogadas como resultados de los muestreos durante el presente estudio y 11 corresponden a nuevos registros para Colombia. Para el río Catatumbo se registraron 61 especies de las 68 consideradas endémicas para la cuenca del Lago de Maracaibo y se establecieron como especies pesqueras 40, de las cuales seis fueron marino-estuarinas y 34 dulceacuícolas. Se discute las variaciones del número de especies registradas en los diferentes listados y sus implicaciones en la riqueza de especies para la subcuenca del Catatumbo.
Multi Aspect Sentiment Analysis of Mutual Funds Investment App Bibit Using BERT Method
Authors: Serly Setyani
Published: September 2023

With the rapid development of technology, an investor no longer needs to visit investment companies to make investments. Investors can conduct all investment transactions through their smartphone screens. Bibit is one investment application that can help investors invest in mutual funds. There are many reviews given by users every day, therefore, aspect-based sentiment analysis is needed to identify the aspects and sentiments of users from each review. BERT is one popular text classification method that currently has good performance. Therefore, aspect-based sentiment analysis will be carried out in this study using the BERT method with pre-trained IndoBERT on Bibit application reviews. From the multi-aspect sentiment analysis classification results, the service aspect had the highest average accuracy score of 0.92, the user satisfaction aspect had an average accuracy score of 0.87, and the system aspect had the lowest average accuracy score of 0.75. From the sentiment analysis results, the company can improve the system and service aspects of the Bibit application to provide better service & functionality.
A causal role for the parietal cortex in ambiguity computations in humans
Authors: Valdebenito-Oyarzo Gabriela ,   María Paz Martínez-Molina1, Soto-Icaza Patricia , Zamorano Francisco , Figueroa-Vargas Alejandra , Larraín-Valenzuela Josefina , Stecher Ximena , Salinas César , Valero-Cabré Antonie , Polania Rafael , Billeke Pablo , Bustin Julian
Published: September 2023

Humans often face the challenge of making decisions between ambiguous options. The level of
ambiguity in decision-making has been linked to activity in the parietal cortex, but its exact
computational role remains elusive. To test the hypothesis that the parietal cortex plays a causal role
in computing ambiguous probabilities, we conducted consecutive fMRI and TMS-EEG studies. We
found that participants assigned unknown probabilities to objective probabilities, elevating the
uncertainty of their decisions. Parietal cortex activity correlated with the objective degree of
ambiguity and with a process that underestimates the uncertainty during decision-making.
Conversely, the midcingulate cortex encodes prediction errors and increases its connectivity with the
parietal cortex during outcome processing. Disruption of the parietal activity increased the uncertainty
evaluation of the options, decreasing cingulate cortex oscillations during outcome evaluation and
lateral frontal oscillations related to value ambiguous probability. These results provide evidence for
a causal role of the parietal cortex in computing uncertainty during ambiguous decisions made by
humans.
A Co-created Self-care and Informal Support Intervention Targeting Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Northern Vietnam (VALID-II): A Protocol for a Two-arm Non-randomised Pilot Trial
Authors: Linde Ditte S , Le Hieu M , Vu Dung TK , Dang Ngoc-Anh T , Nguyen Ai T , Vu Tuc P , Nguyen Xuan-Bai , Nguyen Cuong D , Meyrowitsch Dan W , Søndergaard Jens , Vinter Christina A , Bygbjerg Ib C , Rasch Vibeke , Nguyen Thanh D , Gammeltoft Tine M , Nguyen Dang K
Published: September 2023

Background
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a transitory form of diabetes that presents during pregnancy with frequent adverse maternal and neonatal health consequences if left untreated. GDM is rapidly increasing in low- and middle-income countries such as Vietnam, and early sustainable interventions are important. The overall aim of this study – henceforth referred to as VALID-II – is to assess the feasibility of a co-created self-care and informal support intervention targeted pregnant women with GDM and the degree to which it can reduce maternal and neonatal health complications compared to standard care.
Methods
VALID-II is a two-site, two-arm, non-randomised pilot trial in Thai Binh Province in Northern Vietnam with a delayed start for the intervention group. In total, 2000 pregnant women will be screened for GDM with estimated 400 women screening positive according to World Health Organization - International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups diagnostic criteria. Firstly, 200 women, who screen positive for GDM, will be assigned to a control group that will receive standard care. Of the 200 women, 20 will take part in an in-depth ethnographic study along with their family members, and the intervention will be co-created with them. Secondly, once the intervention has been created, 200 women will be assigned to the intervention group that will receive the intervention plus standard care. Twenty women and their families from the intervention group will also take part in an ethnographic study. The primary outcomes are to evaluate how feasible the self-care intervention is (recruitment, retention, and acceptability) and the number of new-borns born large for gestational age. Secondary outcomes include other maternal and neonatal health outcomes, prevalence, and risk factors for GDM, self-care agency, self-care, and breast-feeding practices.
Discussion
This study will provide knowledge of the extent to which an informal/self-care and social support intervention can enhance maternal and child health outcomes among women with GDM in Northern Vietnam and the feasibility for a full-scale randomised trial. This may guide decision makers on how to optimise management of GDM in a low- and middle-income context.
Trial registration:
NCT05744856. Trial status: Recruiting.
Examining the coordination between common prosperity and ecological environment using coupling and spatial analyses: Evidence from the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle in China
Authors: Tang Yuee , Zhao Weiyi , Tang Hong , Jia Jia
Published: September 2023

The Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle(CEC) contributes significantly to China’s economic growth. Using coupling coordination degree models and spatial autocorrelation methods, this article examines the spatio-temporal characteristics of the coordination between common prosperity༈CP༉ and ecological environment (EE) of 16 cities in CEC from 2005 to 2020. According to our results, the overall degree of coupling coordination between CP and EEis not high and grows slowly. It has experienced three stages of coordination, namely primary, low, and moderate coordination, indicating that the coordinated relationship of CP and EEis improving as a whole. The CP of this region lags behind the EE, hindering the improvement of its degree of coupling coordination. The plain economic region of Chengdu presents the best coupling-coordinated development and has more significant differences compared to the other two regions. Moreover, the southeastern Sichuan area has the lowest degree of coupling coordination; the regional difference in coupling coordination degree between northeast and southeastern Sichuan is relatively small, and tends to narrow. A strong spatial correlation exists between coupling coordination development of CP and EE, which has the characteristic of ‘north high and south low’.
Cardiac systolic and diastolic function in relation to cardiovascular risk factor distribution: a comparison of strain-rate imaging in Russian and Norwegian populations
Authors: Kornev Mikhail , Caglayan Hatice Akay , Schirmer Henrik , Malyutina Sofia , Ryabikov Andrew , Kudryavtsev Alexander , Rösner Assami
Published: September 2023

Background:Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality rates are high in Russia and it is likely that this reflects a similar impact on the general cardiac health of the population. The current study seeks to compare standard echocardiography and strain-based measurements between Russian and Norwegian populations, while also exploring their links to hemodynamic and risk factors.
Methods: This study included echocardiographic measurements of 1,192 participants from Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk, Russia, and 917 from the Tromsø Study population, Norway. The sample included men and women aged 40–69 years. Normalcy, defined as the absence of hypertension or indicators of CVD, was observed in 840 individuals. We performed conventional echocardiography and analysed two-dimensional speckle-tracking longitudinal strains, including systolic, early-, and late-diastolic SR values. The study population was divided into four groups: normal, controlled hypertension, hypertensive blood pressure, and cardiac disease. Echocardiographic parameters were compared between the Russian and Norwegian populations,adjusted for age, sex, height, body mass index, blood pressure, heart rate (HR), atrial fibrillation, smoking, pulmonary hypertension, and serum values for total, LDL (low density lipoprotein), and HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol; triglycerides; creatinine; high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; and HbA1C.
Results: Russians showed a tendency towards lower longitudinal systolic functional parameters, which were most prominent in the normotensive group. However, these differences became insignificant after adjusting for parameters that influence pre- and after-loads. Russians also had a lower stroke volume, higher HR, higher left atrial volume, lower A, and higher E/A ratio, indicating a higher incidence of diastolic dysfunction in the Russian population that persisted after adjustments.
Conclusion: After adjusting for factors that influence cardiac function, there were no differences in systolic functional parameters betweenthe Norwegian and Russian populations. However, differences in diastolic parameters, which persisted after adjusting for conventionally influential factors, indicated unexplained underlying causes of diastolic dysfunction in the Russian population.
Differences in energy-saving benefits between the rich and poor: Data-driven method to study equity of mandatory energy efficiency policy in China
Authors: Chen Liu , Ran Lina , Wang Xia , Cai Weiguang , Li Zhaoji
Published: September 2023

The equity of mandatory building energy efficiency design standards (BEEDSs) has not received sufficient attention, for there is little study emphasizing the equity between the rich and the poor from the perspective of mandatory energy policies. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the heterogeneous effect of BEEDSs on the energy consumption of households with varying incomes based on household-level data (n = 1196) from China. The study indicates that the actual energy efficiency of the high-income group is 47%, whereas those of the middle- and low-income groups are 32% and 25% respectively, compared to groups in the absence of BEEDSs. Furthermore, the energy-saving benefits of the rich is approximately twice that of the poor. Also, the Lorenz curve is used to describe the inequality in the distribution of energy-saving benefits, showing that the inequality coefficient is 0.25. This study provides a strong reference for research by scholars and policy-making.
Association of ethylene oxide with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease among adult participants
Authors: Yan Shiwei , Zhen Shihan
Published: September 2023

Background: Growing evidence suggest that ethylene oxide (EO) may have deleterious effects on health conditions, but the relationship between EO and adulthood nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains vague. Our objective is to evaluate whether EO exposure would influence the risk of NAFLD in a nationally cross-sectional study.
Method: In this cross-sectional study, We analyzed 2709 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2018. Blood concentrations of EO were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.
Results: Hepatic steatosis index (HSI) were applied to define NAFLD. General linear and logistic regression models were adopted to investigate the relationship of Hemoglobin adducts of EO (HbEO) exposure with inflammation, HSI and NAFLD, respectively. Mediation analysis was adopted to further test the effect of inflammatory markers on the association between EO levels and NAFLD risk. General linear regression models showed that increased quartiles of HbEO were positively associated with hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) (β: 0.113, 95% CI: 0.068-0.157), WBC (white blood cell) (β: 0.458, 95% CI: 0.358-0.559), Neutrophil (β: 0.295, 95% CI: 0.228-0.362), Lymphocyte (β: 0.128, 95% CI: 0.069-0.187), and HSI (β: 0.122, 95% CI: 0.017-0.228), after adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, smoking status, drinking status, BMI, CVD, hypertension, diabetes, and TC. In logistic regression models, HbEO in the highest quartile was associated with the increased risk of NAFLD than those in the lowest quartile (OR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.43-3.48, P-trend = 0.01). In addition, The mediation analysis manifested that the inflammatory markers partially mediated the HbEO-NAFLD associations (hs-CRP: 6.5%, WBC: 8.7%, and Neutrophil: 9.6%).
Conclusions: The significant association between EO and NAFLD among US adults, and the underlying mechanisms were required to be identify in the future study.
Optical Coherence Tomography Findings in a Cohort of Caucasians With Retinitis Pigmentosa
Authors: Nebbioso Marcella , Mastrogiuseppe Elvia , Gnolfo Eleonora , Bonfiglio Vincenza , Artico Marco , Moramarco Antonietta , Mallone Fabiana , Taurone Samanta , Vestri Annarita , Lambiase Alessandro
Published: September 2023

Background
To assess the prevalence of spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) macular findings in patients affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and to compare choroidal and macular structural changes in eyes affected by retinal dystrophies with healthy controls. Observational, retrospective, and cross-sectional study. Three hundred seven patients with RP were consecutively enrolled and underwent clinical assessment. In particular, the SD-OCT images were used to ascertain the morphology of the posterior pole of patients with RP by evaluating the residual ellipsoid zone (EZ), volume and thickness of the outer nuclear layer (ONL), and subfoveal choroid thickness (SCT). At the same time, the pathological findings that reduce the vision of the patients under treatment were analyzed, such as cystoid macular edema (CME), lamellar macular hole (LMH), vitreomacular traction (VMT), epiretinal membranes (ERM), and the presence of full-thickness macular hole (FTMH).
Results
Four hundred thirty-six eyes of 218 patients with RP were studied. The mean age was 52.17 years (±17.25 SD). The mean of foveal central macular thickness (FCMT) was 270.91 µm (± 74.04 SD). The macular overall area was divided into four sections and for each section thickness and volume were noted. Considering all eyes, 103 had CME (23.62%), whose 37 (16.97% of all patients) were bilateral; 123 (28.21%) of the eyes had VMT and 36 (16.51% of all patients) of them were bilateral; ERM were found in 199 (45.75%) eyes and in 67 (30.73% of all patients) cases were bilateral. There were also found 12 (2.75%) cases of LMH, whose 3 (1.38% of all patients) cases were bilateral. Only 137 eyes (31.42%) didn’t have the alterations described above. SCT was significantly reduced compared to that of the group of control (193.03 µm ± 67.90 SD vs. 295 um ± 69.04 SD); while FCMT was higher (270.91 µm ± 74.04 SD vs. 221 um ± 37,25 SD).
Conclusions
The causes of the pathologies found are discussed after a careful evaluation of the most recent international scientific bibliography. The structural tests, in addition to the objective, subjective, and psychophysical ones, will be very useful for the monitoring and treatment of patients affected by a serious tapeto-retinal rare hereditary disease, currently the most widespread in the world.
First description of the microbial diversity in the Amarillo River (La Rioja, Argentina); a natural extreme environment where the whole microbial community paints the landscape yellow
Authors: Bernardelli Cecilia , Colman Deborah , Donati Edgardo , Urbieta María Sofía
Published: September 2023

Background. The Amarillo River is an acidic river located in the mining district of Famatina, La Rioja, Argentina, named after the vast yellow-ochreous iron precipitates deposited all through its course. Even though the area has been exploited for metals extraction, the waters of the river are naturally acidic due to environmental factors beyond mineralogy, where microbial species have a crucial role. Iron-oxidizing bacteria have been identified, however a comprehensive analysis of the entire microbial community in this extreme environment has not been conducted. In this work we explore, for the first time using high-throughput sequencing, the bacterial as well as the so long neglected fungal diversity in the Amarillo River and the Cueva de Pérez terraces, considered the prehistoric analogues of the current river basin. Furthermore, we attempt to untangle the ecological relations between bacteria and fungi using co-occurrence and network analysis. Fe(II)-enrichment cultures at different temperature and nutritional conditions, mimicking different environmental settings of the river, were also analysed to better understand the roles of prokaryotes and fungi in iron oxidation processes.Results. The findings highlight the presence of a diverse bacterial community in the river as well as the terraces, with a marked presence of uncultured Acidimicrobiia also found in other acidic environments and apparently part of a yet uncharacterised universal microbial acidic diversity. Acidophiles and iron-oxidising species, despite being in low abundances in the environmental samples, constitute the core of the microbial community, showing significant involvement in intraspecies interactions. Moreover, both environmental samples and enrichment cultures exhibit a wide diversity of fungi, highly connected with bacteria according to network analysis.Conclusions. Through the utilization of 16S-amplicon sequencing, Venn diagrams and co-occurrence networks, this work has shaded light into the intricate connections between bacterial and fungal communities of the Amarillo River. The occurrence of certain acidophiles within both the river and the ancient terraces indicates their enduring significance in the environment’s iron cycle as well as the flexibility of the system. These findings reinforce the importance of the microbial community as fundamental geological agents in the Amarillo River where their collaborative work in the precipitation of iron minerals paint the landscape yellow.
Orientia tsutsugamushi Ank5 directs ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of NLRC5 to inhibit major histocompatibility complex class I expression
Authors: Carlyon Jason , Adcox Haley , Hunt Jason , Rodino Kyle , Ottens Andrew
Published: September 2023

How intracellular bacteria subvert the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I pathway is poorly understood. Here, we show that the obligate intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi uses its effector protein, Ank5, to orchestrate proteasomal degradation of the MHC class I gene transactivator, NLRC5. Ank5 uses a tyrosine in its fourth ankyrin repeat to bind the NLRC5 N-terminus while its F-box directs host SCF complex ubiquitination of K1194 in the leucine-rich repeat region that dictates NLRC5 susceptibility to Orientia- and Ank5-mediated degradation. The ability of O. tsutsugamushi strains to degrade NLRC5 correlates with ank5 genomic carriage. Ectopically expressed Ank5 that can bind but not degrade NLRC5 protects the transactivator during Orientia infection. Thus, Ank5 is an immunoevasin that uses its bipartite architecture to rid host cells of NLRC5 and MHC class I molecules. This study offers insight into how intracellular pathogens can impair MHC class I expression to benefit their survival.
Effect of an educational intervention package on the medical students’ stigma towards psychiatric patients
Authors: Amirkafi Ali , Shariat Seyed Vahid , Rasoulian Maryam , Ghalichi Leila , Mohammadi Faezeh , Shalbafan Mohammadreza
Published: September 2023

Background
Stigma towards psychiatric patients, negatively affects their adherence to treatment, prolongs the course of disease, and reduces rehabilitation success. The attitudes of health care providers have a substantial effect on the treatment seeking and the outcome of psychiatric patients.
Aims
To investigate the effect of a stigma reduction package on improving the attitude of medical students towards patients with psychiatric disorders.
Methods
We included medical students at the Iran Psychiatric Hospital in the study and divided them into two intervention and control groups using cluster randomization method. In addition to regular psychiatric training, the intervention group was trained with a package that included watching a film, stigma awareness workshop, and direct contact with psychiatric patients; each followed by group discussions. The outcome measures were assessed three times; before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention, using the Social Distance Item (SDI), Perceived Dangerousness of Mental Patients Item (PDMPS), and the short form of Opening Minds Scale for Health Care (OMS-HC).
Results
Ninety-three participants participated in the study; the intervention group included 51 (54.8%) and the control group included 42 students (45.2%). According to the scores of all three questionnaires, the stigma score reduced throughout the study (P value < 0.001). Throughout the follow-up period, the intervention group had a significantly lower score according to OMS-HC (P value = 0.032) and PDMPS questionnaires (P value = 0.002); however for the SDI this difference was not significant (P-value = 0.343).
Conclusion
The intervention package has a positive effect on students’ attitudes towards psychiatric patients. Adding stigma specific interventions to the routine psychiatric rotations’ curricula can reduce their stigma more fundamentally.
Retrospective study about clinical severity and epidemiological analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant lineage-infected patients in Hohhot, China
Authors: Wang Yanhai , Yu Guohui , Shi Jingru , Zhang Xiaqing , Huo Jianxin , Li Meng , Chen Jiaxi , Yu Liyuan , Li Yan , Han Zhiliang , Zhang Jianwen , Ren Xuna , Wang Yujie , Yuntana Wu
Published: September 2023

Background: Fear of a global public health issue and fresh infection wave in the persistent COVID-19 pandemic have been enflamed by the appearance of the novel variant Omicron BF.7 lineage. Recently, it has been seeing the novel Omicron subtype BF.7 lineage has sprawled exponentially in Hohhot. More than anything, risk stratification is significant to ascertain patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 who the most need in-hospital or in-home management. The study intends to understand the clinical severity and epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant BF.7. lineage via gathering and analyzing the cases with Omicron subvariant in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.
Methods: Based upon this, we linked variant Omicron BF.7 individual-level information including sex, age, symptom, underlying conditions and vaccination record. Further, we divided the cases into various groups and assessed the severity of patients according to the symptoms of patients with SARS-CoV-2. Clinical indicators and data might help to predict disadvantage outcomes and progression among Omicron BF.7 patients.
Results: In this study, in patients with severe symptoms, some indicators from real world data such as white blood cells, AST, ALT and CRE in patients with Omicron BF.7 in severe symptoms were significantly higher than mild and asymptom symptoms, while some indicators were significantly lower.
Conclusions: Above results suggested that the indicators were associated with ponderance of clinical symptoms. Our survey emphasized the value of timely investigations of clinical data obtained by systemic study to acquire detailed information.
Association of Monocyte to High-Density Lipoprotein Ratio with FRS and as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Risk in Individuals with Psoriasis
Authors: Gu Xueqin , Shen Hongmei , Jiang Jiafeng , Ge Jinfang
Published: September 2023

Background
Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol Ratio (MHR) has been found to be a new inflammatory biomarker related to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The current retrospective study focused on exploring the relationship between MHR and Framingham risk score (FRS) and the prognostic significance of this relationship in mid to high risk CVDs in individuals with psoriasis vulgaris.
Methods
In the present study, 128 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 120 normal controls were involved. In addition, neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHR), MHR, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) values of the two groups were retrospectively evaluated. Correlations between MHR and FRS were analyzed.
Results
NHR, MHR, and NLR values of the patients in psoriasis group with moderate to severe cardiovascular risk noticeably increased relative to the controls (p = 0.018, p = 0.002, p༜0.001, respectively). Furthermore, FRS was positively correlated to MHR, NHR, and NLR among the patients with psoriasis (p = 0.002, p = 0.017, and p < 0.001, respectively). Logistic regression identified age, sex, and MHR as the influencing factors for FRS (p < 0.05). On the basis of the ROC curve, the greatest Youden’s index (0.316) could be obtained at MHR of 0.24, with the relevant sensitivity, specificity, and area under ROC curve of 0.729, 0.413, and 0.662 (95% CI of 0.565, 0.758), respectively.
Conclusions
MHR was related to FRS, which could be adopted for predicting medium to high risk of CVDs in patients suffering from psoriasis.