bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors of hospital ethical climate among hospital nurses in Korea: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Noh Yoon Goo , Kim Se Young
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The hospital ethical climate refers to the ethical work environment within a hospital, which may positively or negatively impact individual nurses, nursing organisations and patient care. Most of studies investigating the hospital ethical climate among Korean nurses have been published in Korean. However, papers addressing the hospital ethical climate in Korean were excluded from the systematic review. To enhance our comprehension of the hospital ethical climate, a systematic review specifically focusing on Korean nurses is imperative. Additionally, it is crucial to ascertain the factors associated with the hospital ethical climate and their respective effect sizes through meta-analyses.

Methods and analysis

The systematic search will be conducted for papers published in both Korean and English, encompassing the hospital ethics climate of Korean nurses from 10 database inception to May 2023. Two reviewers will independently review each article based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and any differences in opinion will be resolved through discussion and consensus. The study selection process will be reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram. Quality assessment will be conducted using the Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies provided by Joanna Briggs Institute. Effect size will be analysed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software V.2.0. The results of this study will identify factors related to the hospital ethical climate and the effect size of these factors among nurses in Korea.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required, as the data will be collected from existing literature. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022379812.
Trends in forgone medical care and unmet needs among Medicare beneficiaries with a history of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national, repeated cross-sectional study
Authors: Kim Jihye , Kim Yeunkyung , Li Yue
Published: January 2024

Objectives

To investigate trends in forgone medical care, basic needs disruption, financial and mental health disruption, engagement of preventive behaviours guidelines, and perceived severity of COVID-19 among community-living Medicare beneficiaries in the USA with and without a self-reported history of depression from Summer 2020 to Winter 2021.

Design/setting

A repeated cross-sectional study using a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries of three rounds of survey data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey COVID-19 Supplement Public Use Files: Summer 2020, Fall 2020 and Winter 2021.

Participants

A total of 28 480 community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries.

Main outcome measures

Forgone medical care, basic needs disruption, financial and mental health disruption, engagement of preventive behaviours guidelines, and perceived severity of COVID-19.

Results

In the study sample, 7629 (27%) had a history of depression. After adjusting for potential confounders, weighted multivariable logistic regression models showed that Medicare beneficiaries with a history of depression had higher odds of foregone medical care (OR: 1.29, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.42, p<0.001), of basic need disruption (OR: 1.49, 95% CI 1.33 to 1.67, p<0.001), and of financial and mental health disruption (OR: 1.75, 95% CI 1.60 to 1.91, p<0.001) during the COVID-19 pandemic when compared with those without a history of depression. No statistically significant differences were observed in engagement of essential preventive behaviours or perception of COVID-19 severity.

Conclusions

COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate existing barriers to healthcare access and financial and social needs, possibly leading to persistent unmet needs among Medicare beneficiaries with a history of depression beyond the pandemic.
Determining the feasibility of calculating pancreatic cancer risk scores for people with new-onset diabetes in primary care (DEFEND PRIME): study protocol
Authors: Claridge Hugh , Price Claire A , Ali Rofique , Cooke Elizabeth A , de Lusignan Simon , Harvey-Sullivan Adam , Hodges Catherine , Khalaf Natalia , O’Callaghan Dean , Stunt Ali , Thomas Spencer A , Thomson Joanna , Lemanska Agnieszka
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Worldwide, pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis. Early diagnosis may improve survival by enabling curative treatment. Statistical and machine learning diagnostic prediction models using risk factors such as patient demographics and blood tests are being developed for clinical use to improve early diagnosis. One example is the Enriching New-onset Diabetes for Pancreatic Cancer (ENDPAC) model, which employs patients’ age, blood glucose and weight changes to provide pancreatic cancer risk scores. These values are routinely collected in primary care in the UK. Primary care’s central role in cancer diagnosis makes it an ideal setting to implement ENDPAC but it has yet to be used in clinical settings. This study aims to determine the feasibility of applying ENDPAC to data held by UK primary care practices.

Methods and analysis

This will be a multicentre observational study with a cohort design, determining the feasibility of applying ENDPAC in UK primary care. We will develop software to search, extract and process anonymised data from 20 primary care providers’ electronic patient record management systems on participants aged 50+ years, with a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) test result of ≥48 mmol/mol (6.5%) and no previous abnormal HbA1c results. Software to calculate ENDPAC scores will be developed, and descriptive statistics used to summarise the cohort’s demographics and assess data quality. Findings will inform the development of a future UK clinical trial to test ENDPAC’s effectiveness for the early detection of pancreatic cancer.

Ethics and dissemination

This project has been reviewed by the University of Surrey University Ethics Committee and received a favourable ethical opinion (FHMS 22-23151 EGA). Study findings will be presented at scientific meetings and published in international peer-reviewed journals. Participating primary care practices, clinical leads and policy makers will be provided with summaries of the findings.
Flavonoid intake and risk of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Sandoval-Insausti Helena , Flores-Torres Mario H , Bjornevik Kjetil , Cortese Marianna , Hung Albert Y , Schwarzschild Michael , Yeh Tian-Shin , Ascherio Alberto
Published: January 2024

Background

Flavonoids have been proposed to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, results from epidemiological studies have been inconclusive.

Objective

To prospectively examine the association between the intake of flavonoids and their subclasses and the risk of PD and how pesticides may confound or modify that association.

Methods

The study population comprised 80 701 women (1984–2016) and 48 782 men (1986–2016) from two large US cohorts. Flavonoid intake was ascertained at baseline and every 4 years thereafter using a semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. We conducted multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models to estimate HRs and 95% CIs of PD according to quintiles of baseline and cumulative average intakes of flavonoids and subclasses. We repeated the analyses, adjusting for intakes of high-pesticide-residue fruits and vegetables (FVs) and stratifying by servings/day of high-pesticide-residue FV intake.

Results

We identified 676 incident PD cases in women and 714 in men after 30–32 years of follow-up. Higher total flavonoid intake at baseline was not associated with a lower PD risk, neither in men (HR comparing highest to lowest quintile: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.69 to 1.14) nor in women (HR comparing highest to lowest quintile: 1.27, 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.64). Similar results were observed for cumulative average intakes and flavonoid subclasses. Results remained similar after adjustment for and stratification by high-pesticide-residue FV and when analyses were restricted to younger PD cases.

Conclusion

These results do not support a protective effect of flavonoid intake on PD risk. Pesticide residues do not confound or modify the association.
Human leucocyte antigens and Japanese patients with polymyalgia rheumatica: the protective effect ofDRB1*09:01
Authors: Nogi Shinichi , Oka Shomi , Higuchi Takashi , Furukawa Hiroshi , Shimada Kota , Azuma Takanori , Sugiyama Takao , Hirano Fuminori , Okamoto Akira , Fujimori Misuzu , Horai Yoshiro , Ihata Atsushi , Hashimoto Atsushi , Komiya Akiko , Matsui Toshihiro , Fukui Naoshi , Katayama Masao , Migita Kiyoshi , Tohma Shigeto
Published: January 2024

Objective

The hallmarks of the chronic inflammatory disease polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) include pain, and morning stiffness in areas of the neck, shoulder and pelvic girdle. The human leucocyte antigen (HLA) gene was reported to be an important risk factor for PMR, but it has not been analysed precisely, especially in populations other than Europeans.

Methods

Genotyping ofDRB1andDQB1was performed in Japanese PMR patients (n=270) and controls (n=413). Associations between allele carrier and genotype frequencies were determined for PMR.

Results

DRB1*04:05was associated with a predisposition to PMR (p=0.0006,Pc=0.0193, OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.31 to 2.62).DRB1*09:01was associated with protection against PMR (p=1.46×10−5,Pc=0.0004, OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.61). A shared epitope (SE) associated with PMR (p=3.07×10−6, OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.88).DQB1*03:03(p=0.0010,Pc=0.0140, OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.77) was associated with protection against PMR andDQB1*04:01(p=0.0009,Pc=0.0140, OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.58) was associated with predisposition to PMR. A gene dosage effect was observed forDRB1*09:01andDQB1*03:03, but not forDRB1*04:05,SE orDQB1*04:01. Haplotype and logistic regression analyses suggested a protective effect forDRB1*09:01.

Conclusion

This study is the first to demonstrate predisposing associations ofDRB1*04:05,SE, andDQB1*04:01, and protective associations ofDRB1*09:01andDQB1*03:03with PMR in Japanese patients. Our data indicateHLAhas predisposing and protective effects on the pathogenesis of PMR.
Predictors of direct oral anticoagulant concentrations in the trauma population
Authors: Perkins Louis , Adams Laura , Lerner Dmitri , Santorelli Jarrett , Smith Alan M , Kobayashi Leslie
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) use is becoming more prevalent in patients presenting after trauma. We sought to identify the prevalence and predictors of subtherapeutic and therapeutic DOAC concentrations and hypothesized that increased anti-Xa levels would correlate with increased risk of bleeding and other poor outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of all trauma patients on apixaban or rivaroxaban admitted to a level 1 trauma center between January 2015 and July 2021 was performed. Patients were excluded if they did not have a DOAC-specific anti-Xa level at presentation. Therapeutic levels were defined as an anti-Xa of 50 ng/mL to 250 ng/mL for rivaroxaban and 75 ng/mL to 250 ng/mL for apixaban. Linear regression was used to identify correlations between study variables and anti-Xa level, and binomial logistic regression was used to test the association of anti-Xa level with outcomes.

Results

There were 364 trauma patients admitted during the study period who were documented to be on apixaban or rivaroxaban. Of these, 245 patients had anti-Xa levels measured at admission. The population was 53% woman, with median age of 78 years, and median Injury Severity Score of 5. In total, 39% of patients had therapeutic and 20% had supratherapeutic anti-Xa levels. Female sex, increased age, decreased height and weight, and lower estimated creatinine clearance were associated with higher anti-Xa levels at admission. There was no correlation between anti-Xa level and the need for transfusion or reversal agent administration, admission diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), progression of ICH, hospital length of stay, or mortality.

Conclusions

Anti-Xa levels in trauma patients on DOACs vary widely; female patients who are older, smaller, and have decreased kidney function present with higher DOAC-specific anti-Xa levels after trauma. We were unable to detect an association between anti-Xa levels and clinical outcomes.

Level of evidence

III—Prognostic and Epidemiological.
Access to evidence-based care: a systematic review of trauma and surgical literature costs across resource settings
Authors: Wojick Megan , Conner Hannah , Farley Ashley , Huaman Eduardo , Luyo Marianne , Thomas-Pate Sam , LaGrone Lacey
Published: January 2024

Background

Evidence-based medicine has become the foundation for surgeons around the world to provide the most effective surgical care. However, the article processing charges (APCs) and subscription fees for surgical journals may be a barrier, particularly for those in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Objectives

The objective of this study was to define the current options for producers and consumers of surgical literature, inclusive of trauma, across resource settings.

Data sources

The Web of Science Core Collection database.

Study appraisal and synthesis methods

A complete list of journals publishing surgical content between 2019 and 2020 was compiled. The most frequently indexed journals were reviewed using the individual journal websites to extract the type of access (ie, open, closed, hybrid), impact factors, publication languages, APCs, subscription pricing, and any discounts listed.

Results

The literature search revealed 4759 unique journals. The 500 most frequently indexed were reviewed. The mean APC for a fully open access surgical journal was US$1574 and for a hybrid surgical journal was US$3338. The average costs for a 1-year subscription in a hybrid surgical journal were US$434 and US$1878 for an individual and institution, respectively. When considering purchasing power parity, APCs and subscription costs ranged from 2 to 15 times more expensive in LMICs when compared with those in the USA.

Limitations

Primary search term was in English only, and only peer-reviewed journal articles were reviewed.

Conclusions or implications of key findings

Although initiatives exist to support peer-reviewed journals in LMICs, there is an exorbitant cost for authors in these countries, as well as those in high-income countries that are not affiliated with a large institution, to either publish in, or access, a majority of surgical journals. Efforts to lower the overall cost of publishing must be made to provide greater access to medical literature.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD4202140227.

Level of evidence

Level IV.
Maximum mass of an anisotropic compact object admitting the modified Chaplygin equation of state in Buchdahl-I metric
Authors: Bhattacharjee D. , Chattopadhyay P. K.
Published: January 2024

In this article, a new class of exact solutions for anisotropic compact objects is presented. Admitting the modified Chaplygin equation of state $$p=H\rho -\frac{K}{\rho ^{n}}$$

p
=
H
ρ
-

K

ρ
n

, where H, K and n are constants with $$0<n\le 1$$

0
<
n
≤
1

, and employing the Buchdahl-I metric within the framework of the general relativity stellar model is obtained. Recent observations on pulsars and GW events reveal that the observed maximum mass of compact stars detected so far is approximately $$2.59^{+0.08}_{-0.09}~M_{\odot }$$

2
.

59

-
0.09

+
0.08

M
⊙

. Since massive stars cannot be supported by a soft equation of state, a constraint of the equation of state must hold. The choice of a suitable equation of state for the interior matter of compact objects may predict useful information compatible with recent observations. TOV equations have been solved using the modified Chaplygin equation of state to find the maximum mass in this model. In particular, the theory can achieve $$3.72~M_{\odot }$$

3.72

M
⊙

, when $$H=1.0$$

H
=
1.0

, $$K=10^{-7}$$

K
=

10

-
7

and $$n=1$$

n
=
1

. The model is suitable for describing the mass of pulsars PSR J2215+5135 and PSR J0952-0607 and the mass $$2.59^{+0.08}_{-0.09}~M_{\odot }$$

2
.

59

-
0.09

+
0.08

M
⊙

of the companion star in the GW 190814 event. The $$3.72~M_{\odot }$$

3.72

M
⊙

is hardly achievable theoretically in general relativity considering fast rotation effects too. To check the physical viability of this model, we have opted for the stability analysis and energy conditions. We have found that our model satisfies all the necessary criteria to be a physically realistic model.
3-Path Decompositions of the Line Graph of the Complete Bipartite Graph
Authors: Gao Limin , Yang Weihua
Published: January 2024

The line graph is a very popular research object in graph theory, in complex networks and also in social networks recently. Let [Formula: see text] be the line graph of the complete bipartite graph [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] be a path of length [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of [Formula: see text]-decompositions of [Formula: see text].
How Justice Is Our Energy Future? Assessing the Impact of Green Finance on Energy Justice in China
Authors: Yang Senmiao , Wang Jianda , Dong Kangyin , Taghizadeh-Hesary Farhad
Published: January 2024

Ensuring energy justice is crucial for achieving social stability and realizing low-carbon development. Accordingly, we estimate the effect of green finance (GF) on energy justice in China and further explore its influencing mechanisms using the system-generalized method of moments (SYS-GMM). For this purpose, we first assess the levels of energy justice across 30 Chinese provinces. The main results show the following: (1) China’s energy justice index generally shows an upward trend during the observation period. (2) GF can directly promote China’s energy justice, mainly by increasing procedural justice, recognition justice, and restorative justice. (3) GF also indirectly increases energy justice by promoting environmental regulation and green total factor productivity (GTFP). (4) The effect of GF on energy justice is heterogeneous and asymmetric. Specifically, it is more pronounced in southern China, regions with low GF indexes, and regions with high energy justice indexes. This study’s findings enrich the existing literature and provide policy implications for China’s realization of energy justice.
Geology, geochemistry, mineralization and fluid inclusion characteristics of the SW of Hormuz Island banded iron formations, southern Iran
Authors: Fakhri-Doodoui Atefeh , Alipour-Asll Masood
Published: January 2024

The Hormuz Island banded iron formations (HIBIFs) are situated at the Zagros Folded Zone in southern Iran. The BIFs occur intercalated with the Neoproterozoic Hormuz series, an evaporite and siliciclastic succession with pyroclastic rocks, and were deposited on the continental rift margin of the Arabian plate. The HIBIFs are banded rocks consisting of the alternation of dark Fe-rich and reddish-brown Si-rich layers, and belong to oxide facies iron formations. The post-Archean Australian shale normalized rare earth elements and yttrium patterns of HIBIFs have the characteristics of both hydrothermal solutions and seawater. The sharp positive Eu anomaly (2.10–6.90) may be inherited from high-temperature hydrothermal solutions, while slightly negative Ce anomalies (0.57–0.82) are inherited from seawater. The homogenization temperature and salinity of primary fluid inclusions range from 180.7 to 474.3°C and from 2.24 to 12.85 wt% NaCl, respectively, which suggests that intermediate- to high-temperature hydrothermal fluids and seawater contributed to the formation of the HIBIFs. The Eu/Sm and Sm/Yb ratios in BIFs are between the values of hydrothermal fluids and seawater. In summary, all geological and geochemical data suggest that the HIBIFs are a post-great oxidation event iron formation pulse at the end of the Ediacaran period. However, this is actually not similar to Neoproterozoic syn-glacial iron formations. Instead, this is a new occurrence of iron formation in an overlooked/understudied time period when either global or local conditions were conducive to iron deposition. The iron deposition on Hormuz Island does not appear to be triggered by fluctuating atmospheric oxygen or sea-level variations, but instead may be related to syn-basinal volcanism in the active continental rift margin environment in anoxic submarine condition.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Geochemical processes related to mined, milled, or natural metal deposits collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/geochemical-processes-related-to-mined-milled-or-natural-metal-deposits
The Cara Cura intrusive complex, Neuquén Basin, Argentina: a field analogue of a whole igneous petroleum system
Authors: Palma J. Octavio , Rabbel Ole , Spacapan Juan B. , Ruiz Remigio , Galland Olivier
Published: January 2024

This contribution presents a detailed geological study of a well-exposed igneous petroleum system at Sierra de Cara Cura, Neuquén Basin, Argentina, which consists of sills, dykes, laccoliths and hybrid intrusion morphologies. The size of the exposed intrusive complex (19 km in north–south direction) is similar to those of sill-clusters hosting producing oil fields of the nearby Río Grande Valley. Most sills (>80%) are preferentially emplaced in the organic-rich rocks such as Vaca Muerta and Agrio Formations. Sills are extensively fractured and represent potentially good fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs. We document several fracturing mechanisms that can lead to heterogeneous fracture distribution. Laccoliths represent very different igneous reservoirs with a typical zonation: the core of the laccoliths are massive and poorly fractured, whereas the rims consist of a breccia formed during laccolith emplacement. The Vaca Muerta and Agrio Formations are thermally altered by the cooling of the sills. The deep parts of the outcropping laccoliths likely altered thermally the shale formations they were emplaced in. Hydrogen Index (HI) and Transformation Ratio (TR) of the organic matter are the best parameters to determine the thickness of the thermal aureole. The Sierra de Cara Cura appears as a world-class field analogue of igneous petroleum systems.
The Concept of Class Invariant in Object-oriented Programming
Authors: Meyer Bertrand , Arkadova Alisa , Kogtenkov Alexander
Published: January 2024

Class invariants—consistency constraints preserved by every operation on objects of a given type—are fundamental to building, understanding, and verifying object-oriented programs. For verification, however, they raise difficulties, which have not yet received a generally accepted solution. The present work introduces a proof rule meant to address these issues and allow verification tools to benefit from invariants.

It clarifies the notion of invariant and identifies the three associated problems: callbacks, furtive access, and reference leak. As an example, the 2016 Ethereum DAO bug, in which $50 million was stolen, resulted from a callback invalidating an invariant.

The discussion starts with a simplified model of computation and an associated proof rule, demonstrating its soundness. It then removes one by one the three simplifying assumptions, each removal raising one of the three issues and leading to a corresponding adaptation to the proof rule. The final version of the rule can tackle tricky examples, including “challenge problems” listed in the literature.
PolyARBerNN: A Neural Network Guided Solver and Optimizer for Bounded Polynomial Inequalities
Authors: Fatnassi Wael , Shoukry Yasser
Published: January 2024

Constraints solvers play a significant role in the analysis, synthesis, and formal verification of complex cyber-physical systems. In this article, we study the problem of designing a scalable constraints solver for an important class of constraints named polynomial constraint inequalities (also known as nonlinear real arithmetic theory). In this article, we introduce a solver named PolyARBerNN that uses convex polynomials as abstractions for highly nonlinears polynomials. Such abstractions were previously shown to be powerful to prune the search space and restrict the usage of sound and complete solvers to small search spaces. Compared with the previous efforts on using convex abstractions, PolyARBerNN provides three main contributions namely (i) a neural network guided abstraction refinement procedure that helps selecting the right abstraction out of a set of pre-defined abstractions, (ii) a Bernstein polynomial-based search space pruning mechanism that can be used to compute tight estimates of the polynomial maximum and minimum values which can be used as an additional abstraction of the polynomials, and (iii) an optimizer that transforms polynomial objective functions into polynomial constraints (on the gradient of the objective function) whose solutions are guaranteed to be close to the global optima. These enhancements together allowed the PolyARBerNN solver to solve complex instances and scales more favorably compared to the state-of-the-art nonlinear real arithmetic solvers while maintaining the soundness and completeness of the resulting solver. In particular, our test benches show that PolyARBerNN achieved 100X speedup compared with Z3 8.9, Yices 2.6, and PVS (a solver that uses Bernstein expansion to solve multivariate polynomial constraints) on a variety of standard test benches. Finally, we implemented an optimizer called PolyAROpt that uses PolyARBerNN to solve constrained polynomial optimization problems. Numerical results show that PolyAROpt is able to solve high-dimensional and high order polynomial optimization problems with higher speed compared to the built-in optimizer in the Z3 8.9 solver.
Body mass index in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review
Authors: Li Yinghui , Liu Yumei , Du Chuanning , Wang Jun
Published: January 2024

The meta-analysis demonstrates a significantly lower body mass index in patients with PD, but no gender differences, when compared with their respective healthy individuals.
On the contrast response function of adapted neural populations
Authors: Tring Elaine , Dipoppa Mario , Ringach Dario L.
Published: January 2024

The magnitude of neural responses in sensory cortex depends on the intensity of a stimulus and its probability of being observed within the environment. The authors show that, in primary visual cortex, the vector magnitude of the population response is described by a separable power law that factors the intensity of a stimulus and its probability.
Psycho-Oncological Counselling for Mental Health in South Australians with Cancer
Authors: Blunt Jason , Trigg Joshua
Published: January 2024

This study aimed to understand clients’ perceptions of psycho-oncological counselling service effectiveness according to psychosocial outcomes and meeting client support needs and expectations. Clients were recruited opt-in during regular service provision (n = 28). Psychological distress, anxiety, and depression symptoms were assessed prior to and on completion of psycho-oncological counselling sessions. Clients provided a qualitative report on their expectations, experiences, and perceived outcomes of the counselling. Pre–post univariate tests and thematic analysis were used. Clients completed sessions, reporting reduced anxiety, depression, distress, and global mental health symptomology. Client experiences identified four themes on expectations: having none, needing help dealing with feelings and emotions, seeking specific coping strategies, and seeking a better understanding of their experience. Expectations were satisfied for most respondents, regardless of their prior expectations or reason for counselling. Benefits of accessing counselling included reduced symptomology, receipt of beneficial knowledge and skills, and an increased ability to manage their everyday lives.
Gut‐Brain Axis Impact on Canine Anxiety Disorders: New Challenges for Behavioral Veterinary Medicine
Authors: Sacoor Carina , Marugg John D. , Lima Nuno R. , Empadinhas Nuno , Montezinho Liliana
Published: January 2024

Anxiety disorders in dogs are ever‐growing and represent an important concern in the veterinary behavior field. These disorders are often disregarded in veterinary clinical practice, negatively impacting the animal’s and owner’s quality of life. Moreover, these anxiety disorders can potentially result in the abandonment or euthanasia of dogs. Growing evidence shows that the gut microbiota is a central player in the gut‐brain axis. A variety of microorganisms inhabit the intestines of dogs, which are essential in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. These microbes can impact mental health through several mechanisms, including metabolic, neural, endocrine, and immune‐mediated pathways. The disruption of a balanced composition of resident commensal communities, or dysbiosis, is implicated in several pathological conditions, including mental disorders such as anxiety. Studies carried out in rodent models and humans demonstrate that the intestinal microbiota can influence mental health through these mechanisms, including anxiety disorders. Furthermore, novel therapeutic strategies using prebiotics and probiotics have been shown to ameliorate anxiety‐related symptoms. However, regarding the canine veterinary behavior field, there is still a lack of insightful research on this topic. In this review, we explore the few but relevant studies performed on canine anxiety disorders. We agree that innovative bacterial therapeutical approaches for canine anxiety disorders will become a promising field of investigation and certainly pave the way for new approaches to these behavioral conditions.
Evaluation of Absolute Neutrophil Count in the Perioperative Setting of Sarcoma Resection
Authors: Vijayakumar Gayathri , Steffer Emma M. , Buac Neil P. , Colman Matthew W. , Gitelis Steven , Blank Alan T.
Published: January 2024

Introduction. Limb salvage surgery (LSS) is the preferred surgical treatment for bone sarcomas. Preoperatively, many patients receive chemotherapy and may develop neutropenia. No study has evaluated the effect of a low preoperative absolute neutrophil count (ANC) on postoperative outcomes following LSS. Methods. This was a retrospective review of 114 patients who underwent LSS for bone sarcoma from 2010 to 2020. Preoperative lab values were analyzed by logistic regression to identify the risk of developing surgical complications within 30 days, surgical site infection (SSI), and reoperation. Results. Three (2.6%) patients experienced a surgical complication within 30 days. Twelve (10.53%) patients experienced postoperative SSI. Twenty-nine (25.4%) required reoperation. Preoperative ANC was not a significant predictor of surgical complications within 30 days, SSI, or reoperation. The only independent predictor of worse overall survival was the presence of a pathologic fracture at the time of surgery. Conclusion. This is the first study to evaluate preoperative ANC on postoperative outcomes following LSS. We report no significant differences in surgical complications within 30 days, SSI, or reoperation with low preoperative ANC. Future studies with larger cohorts of neutropenic patients are needed to evaluate these outcomes, as our cohort had very few neutropenic patients due to selection bias.
Cost Analysis of Vehicle‐Road Cooperative Intelligence Solutions for High‐Level Autonomous Driving: A Beijing Case Study
Authors: Zhu Guangyu , Zhao Fuquan , Song Haokun , Liu Zongwei
Published: January 2024

The development of the vehicle‐road cooperative intelligence can effectively resolve the current technical impediment and cost quandary associated with high‐level autonomous driving. Nevertheless, the intelligent infrastructure entails initial deployment costs and ongoing energy consumption and maintenance costs, necessitating a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of the costs of intelligent infrastructure and the corresponding changes in comprehensive costs. The cost evaluation model for the cooperative intelligent system is designed in this paper, considering the corresponding intelligent infrastructure layout scheme for different road types within the technical framework. The intelligent configuration and corresponding cost transfer from roadside to vehicle side under the synergy effect is also analyzed. Using Beijing as a case study, the results indicate that the deployment of intelligent infrastructure will effectively reduce acquisition and usage costs of high‐level intelligent vehicles and achieve a greater “reuse” effect by serving more intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs). Compared to the vehicle intelligence, collaborative intelligence will reduce cumulative total costs by more than ¥200 billion from 2023 to 2050, even with the inclusion of intelligent infrastructure’s costs.
Experiment Study on the Mechanical Behavior and Acoustic Emission Response of Thick and Hard Sandstone Roof in Xinjiang Mining Area
Authors: Qin Dongdong , Chang Zechao , Xia Ze
Published: January 2024

One of the primary threats to coal mine safety production is the sudden extensive fracturing and collapse of thick and hard roof strata. A range of uniaxial compression experiments with acoustic emission (AE) monitoring was performed for studying the mechanical properties and crack evolution of thick and hard roof sandstone specimens. AE temporal response analysis revealed that the damage process of thick and hard roof sandstone specimens exhibited distinct stages. Additionally, AE event localization indicated that microcracks within the thick and hard roof sandstone specimens propagated from the ends to the middle of the specimens during the loading process, eventually leading to severe failure. The b‐value analysis demonstrated that during the early loading stage, the scale of internal microcracks within the thick and hard roof sandstone specimens gradually decreased with the optimization of the load‐bearing structure. In the later loading stage, the scale of microcracks increased with the deterioration of the load‐bearing structure. Furthermore, RA–AF analysis revealed that the specimens experienced combined tensile–shear failure, primarily dominated by tensile failure throughout. The AE characteristics observed during the deformation of thick and hard sandstone can provide references for the monitoring of roof stability and early warning of potential disasters in thick and hard sandstone conditions.
In Vivo Antimalarial Activity of Cyperus rotundus and Its Combination with Dihydroartemisinin against Plasmodium berghei
Authors: Ounjaijean Sakaewan , Lektip Charupa , Somsak Voravuth
Published: January 2024

Background. The increase in the number of drug-resistant Plasmodium species continues to be a serious public health concern. Therefore, identification of the potential novel antimalarial drugs derived from therapeutic plants could help solve this issue. This study investigated whether Cyperus rotundus aqueous crude extract (CRE) and its combination with dihydroartemisinin (DHA) were effective against Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected mice. Methods. CRE was prepared from C. rotundus rhizomes and evaluated using acute and subacute toxicity tests on BALB/c mice. The antimalarial effectiveness of CRE was assessed at 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg in a 4-day suppressive test with curative and prophylactic testing and measurement of packed cell volume (PCV), body weight (BW), rectal temperature, and mean survival time (MST). Results. Following acute and subacute treatment, CRE caused no harmful effects or mortality in mice. When compared with that in the untreated control, infected mice administered with 400 mg/kg of CRE in a 4-day suppressive test exhibited the strongest antimalarial activity (55.30% inhibition) with prolonged MST. However, curative and prophylactic assays did not reveal CRE to have antimalarial activity. In comparison with that achieved with the single therapy, the combination of DHA and CRE at ED50/2 (1 and 200 mg/kg, respectively) produced considerable antimalarial activity at 90.08% inhibition with synergism (combination index = 0.21701). For the other parameters, CRE administration prevented malarial-induced changes in PCV, BW, and rectal temperature. Conclusions. CRE treatment significantly inhibited malaria in the 4-day suppressive test, and CRE combined with DHA had a synergistic antimalarial effect.
Renoprotective Effect of Pitavastatin against TAA-Induced Renal Injury: Involvement of the miR-93/PTEN/AKT/mTOR Pathway
Authors: Elbaset Marawan A. , Mohamed Bassim M. S. A. , Moustafa Passant E. , Esatbeyoglu Tuba , Afifi Sherif M. , Hessin Alyaa F. , Abdelrahman Sahar S. , Fayed Hany M.
Published: January 2024

This research investigated if pitavastatin (Pita) might protect rats’ kidneys against thioacetamide (TAA). By altering the PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway, pitavastatin may boost kidney antioxidant capacity and minimize oxidative damage. Statins have several benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. The principal hypothesis of this study was that Pita can regulate the miR-93/PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathways, which is thought to be responsible for its renoprotective effects. The experiment divided male rats into four groups. Group 1 included untreated rats as the control. Group 2 included rats which received TAA (100 mg/kg intraperitoneally thrice a week for two weeks) to destroy their kidneys. Groups 3 and 4 included rats which received Pita orally at 0.4 and 0.8 mg/kg for 14 days after TAA injections. Renal injury increased BUN, creatinine, and MDA levels and decreased glutathione (GSH) levels. Pitavastatin prevented these alterations. TAA decreased PTEN and increased miR-93, Akt, p-Akt, mTOR, and Stat3 in the kidneys. Pitavastatin also regulated the associated culprit pathway, miR-93/PTEN/Akt/mTOR. In addition, TAA induced adverse effects on the kidney tissue, which were significantly ameliorated by pitavastatin treatment. The findings suggest that pitavastatin can attenuate renal injury, likely by regulating the miR-93/PTEN/Akt/mTOR pathway. This modulation of the pathway appears to contribute to the protective effects of pitavastatin against TAA-induced renal injury, adding to the growing evidence of the pleiotropic benefits of statins in renal health.
Catalytic Efficacy, Kinetic, and Thermodynamic Studies of Biodiesel Synthesis Using Musa AAA Plant Waste‐Based Renewable Catalyst
Authors: Basumatary Bidangshri , Atmanli Alpaslan , Azam Mohammad , Basumatary Siri Fung , Brahma Sujata , Das Bipul , Brahma Sanfaori , Rokhum Samuel Lalthazuala , Min Kim , Selvaraj Manickam , Basumatary Sanjay
Published: January 2024

The study focuses on the preparation of an inexpensive, ecocompatible, and effective catalyst from the Bharatmoni (Musa AAA) plant for biodiesel synthesis using Jatropha curcas oil. The burnt ashes obtained from the Bharatmoni fruit peel, stem, and rhizome were calcined at 550°C for 2 h and characterized by analytical techniques. Utilization of CBS‐550 catalyst achieved a higher yield of biodiesel (96.97%) within 12 min compared to CBP‐550 (96.89% in 16 min) and CBR‐550 (96.53% in 18 min) catalysts under optimum reaction parameters of 5 wt% of catalyst and 9 : 1 MTOMR at 65°C. This study described that catalyst having a higher concentration of potassium in its oxide and carbonate form has higher catalytic activity. The surface morphology of the prepared catalysts revealed mesoporous in nature. The kinetic and thermodynamic studies of the reactions catalyzed by the present catalysts follow the pseudo‐first‐order kinetic model exhibiting a nonspontaneous and endothermic process. The reaction catalyzed by the CBS‐550 catalyst revealed the lowest Ea of 44.36 kJ mol-1 and is known to be the superior catalyst among the derived catalysts of this study.
Effect of Elevated Temperature and Internal Pressure due to Severe Accidents on the Internal Pressure Capacity of Prestressed Concrete Containment Vessel
Authors: Lee Sangwoo , Cho Woo-Min , Son Hoyoung , Woo Han-Sang , Ju Bu-Seog , Chang Yoon-Suk
Published: January 2024

The integrity of containment buildings in nuclear power plants is crucial for preventing the release of radioactive materials during severe accidents. This study investigates the effect of the uncertainty in temperature‐dependent strength of concrete on the internal pressure capacity of prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV). To this end, a high‐fidelity finite element model is developed and the uncertainty in concrete material properties due to temperature variations is taken into account for a finite element analysis with internal pressure and temperature histories. In addition, two limit states of PCCV, such as onset of leakage and functional failure, are defined to investigate internal pressure capacity depending on the different damages to PCCV. The results provide insights into the behavior of PCCV under severe accident conditions and the impact of the uncertainty in the concrete material due to temperature on their performance, in terms of the leakage of PCCV. This research enhances the understanding of PCCV’s response to internal pressure and temperature and contributes to the safety assessment of nuclear power plants.
Research on Green Building Design Optimization Based on Building Information Modeling and Improved Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Liu Fengtao , Ouyang Ting , Huang Bingzhang , Zhao Jiehong
Published: January 2024

The energy consumption of the construction industry has been increasing year by year, posing a huge challenge to China’s dual carbon goals of peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality. The Chinese construction industry has huge potential for energy conservation and emission reduction, and the government has therefore put forward requirements for constructing green buildings and formulated strict evaluation standards. The carbon emissions of the construction industry involve various stages of the entire life cycle and are closely related to the green building design standards that meet the requirements. This article sets multiple objective functions based on the two dimensions of the carbon emissions of the entire life cycle of buildings and green building evaluation and uses the NSGA‐II algorithm in genetic algorithms to optimize ten indicators selected from the two objectives. Based on this, building information modeling (BIM) modeling was carried out for an office building project in Southwest China, and energy consumption analysis and evaluation were conducted based on the project’s multidisciplinary model. The dialectical relationship between the carbon emissions of the entire life cycle of buildings and the green building evaluation values was discovered, and the optimized parameter combination scheme corresponding to the Pareto solution set was obtained, providing a reference for using improved genetic algorithms and BIM technology to optimize green building design.
Ceiling of Barium Substitution for B‐Site Cation in Organometal Halide Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Hsiao Kai-Chi , Ho Ching-Mei , Lin Ting-Han , Chen Shih-Hsuan , Chang Yin-Hsuan , Liao Ying-Han , Chang Jia-Mao , Lin Tz-Feng , Huang Yu-Ching , Lee Kun-Mu , Wu Ming-Chung
Published: January 2024

Significant advancements have been made in the development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in recent years, resulting in increased efficiency rates. Nonetheless, the presence of lead within these cells has become a pressing concern. Our study investigates the correlation between tolerance of barium substitution and A‐site cation composition through systematic analysis of morphology, crystal structure, optical property, and carrier dynamics. The results show that a high barium substitution ratio of 15 mol.% can be achieved by inducing 60 mol.% of a large A‐site cation, formamidinium, into the methylammonium‐based perovskite. The induction of large A‐site cations in barium‐substituted perovskite overcomes the imbalance between hole and electron diffusion lengths, resulting in an electron and a hole diffusion length of 395 nm and 440 nm, respectively. The champion device for 15 mol.% barium‐substituted perovskite, FA0.6MA0.4Pb0.85Ba0.15I3-yCly, achieves a PCE of 11.13%, which is the highest record for 15 mol.% of lead reduction. This study provides insights into the limitations of lead substitution in perovskite solar cells and highlights the ceiling for barium substitution ratio in mixed cation perovskite.
Data from Role of WNT7B-induced Noncanonical Pathway in Advanced Prostate Cancer
Authors: Zheng Dali , Decker Keith F. , Zhou Tianhua , Chen Jianquan , Qi Zongtai , Jacobs Kathryn , Weilbaecher Katherine N. , Corey Eva , Long Fanxin , Jia Li
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Advanced prostate cancer is characterized by incurable castration-resistant progression and osteoblastic bone metastasis. While androgen deprivation therapy remains the primary treatment for advanced prostate cancer, resistance inevitably develops. Importantly, mounting evidence indicates that androgen receptor (AR) signaling continues to play a critical role in the growth of advanced prostate cancer despite androgen deprivation. While the mechanisms of aberrant AR activation in advanced prostate cancer have been extensively studied, the downstream AR target genes involved in the progression of castration resistance are largely unknown. Here, we identify WNT7B as a direct AR target gene highly expressed in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. Our results show that expression of WNT7B is necessary for the growth of prostate cancer cells and that this effect is enhanced under androgen-deprived conditions. Further analyses reveal that WNT7B promotes androgen-independent growth of CRPC cells likely through the activation of protein kinase C isozymes. Our results also show that prostate cancer-produced WNT7B induces osteoblast differentiation in vitro through a direct cell–cell interaction, and that WNT7B is upregulated in human prostate cancer xenografts that cause an osteoblastic reaction when grown in bone. Taken together, these results suggest that AR-regulated WNT7B signaling is critical for the growth of CRPC and development of the osteoblastic bone response characteristic of advanced prostate cancer. Mol Cancer Res; 11(5); 482–93. ©2013 AACR.
Data from EpCAM Modulates NF-κB Signaling and Interleukin-8 Expression in Breast Cancer
Authors: Sankpal Narendra V. , Fleming Timothy P. , Gillanders William E.
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a 40-kD type I transmembrane protein that is overexpressed in human epithelial cancers and is currently the target of molecular therapy based on its overexpression at the cell surface. Recently, we and others have shown a role for EpCAM in cell signaling and carcinogenesis, and EpCAM expression seems to promote breast cancer invasion. Interleukin-8 (IL-8/CXCL-8) is an inflammatory cytokine that has recently been shown to modulate breast cancer invasion and angiogenesis. In preliminary experiments, we identified a correlation between EpCAM and IL-8 expression in primary human breast cancers. Specific ablation of EpCAM in breast cancer cell lines results in decreased IL-8 expression, and IL-8 contributes to EpCAM-dependent breast cancer invasion. Specific ablation of EpCAM is also associated with decreased NF-κB transcription factor activity, decreased phosphorylation of the NF-κB family member RELA, and increased IκBα protein expression. EpCAM modulates IL-8 expression at baseline, and following IL-1β stimulation, which is known to be a potent inducer of NF-κB in breast cancer. In functional rescue experiments, specific ablation of RELA or forced expression of the NF-κB inhibitor protein IκBα prevented EpCAM-dependent rescue of IL-8 promoter activity. These studies show for the first time that EpCAM can modulate NF-κB transcription factor activity and IL-8 expression in breast cancer and confirm the role of EpCAM signaling in modulating breast cancer invasion. Further study is required to define the molecular mechanism(s) of EpCAM signaling in breast cancer and to direct the rational development of molecular therapies targeting EpCAM. Mol Cancer Res; 11(4); 418–26. ©2013 AACR.