bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Importance of Characters Education for Students in Teaching Learning Process
Authors: Muflihah Lilis , Lumenta Heryaty , Ulfawaty Ulfawaty
Published: September 2023

Salah satu upaya untuk meningkatkan mutu pendidikan di sekolah ialah dengan cara memperhatikan kualitas proses belajar mengajar. Berbagai konsep dan wawasan baru tentang proses belajar mengajar disekolah telah mengalami perkembangan seiring dengan pesatnya ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi. Pendidikan karakter adalah gerakan nasional mewujudkan sekolah yang membina generasi muda yang beretika, bertanggung jawab dan peduli dengan keteladanan dan pengajaran karakter yang baik melalui penekanan pada nilai-nilai universal yang kita semua miliki. Pendidikan karakter tidak hanya diajarkan di sekolah, tetapi juga perlu diajarkan lebih lanjut di rumah dan di lingkungan sosial. Karakter yang baik tidak terbentuk secara otomatis; itu dikembangkan dari waktu ke waktu melalui sebuah proses pengajaran, pembelajaran dan praktik yang berkelanjutan. Pembelajaran tentang karakter, sangat penting dalam masyarakat saat ini karena generasi muda kita menghadapi banyak peluang dan bahaya yang tidak diketahui oleh generasi sebelumnya. Akses yang lebih luas ke berbagai dunia akan membuat siswa menghadapi berbagai kompetisi dengan rekan-rekannya di berbagai dunia. Sebagai sumber daya manusia yang baik, bukan hanya kecerdasan otak yang diutamakan, tetapi juga membutuhkan karakter individu yang baik. Untuk itu diperlukan pendidikan karakter yang baik bagi siswa dalam kehidupannya. Makalah ini menggunakan metodologi kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif melalui kajian literatur.
EDUKASI PEMBERIAN ANTIBIOTIK SECARA TEPAT DI KELURAHAN PUSKESMAS GAMBESI KOTA TERNATE
Authors: The Fera , Hasan Marhaeni
Published: September 2023

Antibiotik adalah salah satu jenis obat yang kerap kali digunakan masyarakat dalam pengobatansendiri. Pemakaian yang tidak didasari pengetahuan dan dosis yang tepat dapat menimbulkan efek yangmembahayakan tubuh. Penyalahgunaan antibiotik dalam swamedikasi terjadi karena rendahnyapengetahuan dan pemahaman masyarakat terhadap bahaya penggunaan antibiotik dan pentingnyamenggunakan antibiotik dengan benar. Oleh karena itu, sangat diperlukan edukasi terhadap masyarakattentang penggunaan antibiotik secara bijak. Pelaksanaan edukasi penggunaan obat antibiotik secararasional atau tepat dilakukan di salah satu area pelayanan Puskesmas Gambesi yaitu KelurahanGambesi. Kegiatan ini diikuti oleh 60 orang yang terdiri dari masyarakat di area pelayanan puskesmasGambesi. Hasil kegiatan didapatkan peningkatan pengetahuan terhadap antibiotik pada masyaraktkelurahan Gambesi.
The Effect of Preoperative Three Dimensional Modeling and Simulation on Outcome of Intracranial Aneursym Surgery
Authors: Ozgıray Erkin , Husemoglu Bugra , Cınar Celal , Bolat Elif , Akınturk Nevhis , Bıceroglu Huseyin , Kızmazoglu Ceren
Published: September 2023

Objective : Three-dimensional (3D) printing in vascular surgery is trending and is useful for the visualisation of intracranial aneurysms for both surgeons and trainees. The 3D models give the surgeon time to practice before hand and plan the surgery accordingly. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of preoperative planning with 3D printing models of aneurysms in terms of surgical time and patient outcomes.Methods : Forty patients were prospectively enrolled in this study and divided into two groups : groups I and II. In group I, only the angiograms were studied before surgery. Solid 3D modelling was performed only for group II before the operation and was studied accordingly. All surgeries were performed by the same senior vascular neurosurgeon. Demographic data, surgical data, both preoperative and postoperative modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores, and Glasgow outcome scores (GOS) were evaluated.Results : The average time of surgery was shorter in group II, and the difference was statistically significant between the two groups (p<0.001). However, no major differences were found for the GOS, hospitalisation time, or mRS.Conclusion : This study is the first prospective study of the utility of 3D aneurysm models. We show that 3D models are useful in surgery preparation. In the near future, these models will be used widely to educate trainees and pre-plan surgical options for senior surgeons.
Psychopedagogy and the Fields of Action of Educational Psychologists
Authors: Castillo Bustos Marcelo Remigio , Núñez Naranjo Aracelly
Published: September 2023

This work analyzes the essential aspects of Psychopedagogy as a scientific discipline and educational psychologists’ main fields of action. It is theoretical research developed with the hermeneutic method. The problem identification reveals excessive divergences in Psychopedagogy’s conceptions and other aspects. In the empirical phase, little difference is observed between Psychopedagogy and psycho-pedagogical practice; Psychopedagogy has been generally and loosely linked to formal education, to unique or specific educational needs, and learning problems in the school context. Regarding the fields of action of educational psychologists, the existing information is minimal. In the interpretative phase, the findings in the theoretical, methodological, and praxeological order reveal that Psychopedagogy has as its object of study the learning and development of the human being; it directs the psycho-pedagogical practice given from the principles of prevention, development, and social action. Hence, the fields of action of psychopedagogy are all those contexts in which human learning takes place, highlighting formal education and integral development; family and interpersonal relationships; health and body care; business, labor, and professional development; and the meaning of life and values, all of which is supported by the fact that human beings, as social beings by essence, learn, develop and transform throughout life.
Women Leaders: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome in Higher Education in Kazakhstan
Authors: Kanatova Raushan
Published: September 2023

While impostor syndrome has attracted considerable scholarly interest in the Global North, in the context of Kazakhstan, it was mainly discussed on popular social outlets. This paper explores whether female leaders in higher education in Kazakhstan have experienced impostor feelings and if so, how -if at all- they overcame it. To explore it, a narrative approach was used to interview ten female leaders working in universities of Kazakhstan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the participants’ experience. This first study on Imposter Syndrome in Kazakhstan shows that almost all women leaders face these problems. Based on their experience of impostor syndrome, the participants provided recommendations to help cope with it.
Exploring How Lecturers Have Designed Their Online Courses to Promote Active Engagement in Teaching and Learning Contexts
Authors: Ntlabathi Siyanda , Makhetha-Kosi Palesa , Mayaphi Noluthando
Published: September 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it mandatory for all university courses to be taught using online technologies. One of the major challenges experienced by Lecturers has been how to make students responsive and engaged in online environments as opposed to face-to-face classrooms. This study seeks to investigate how extended curriculum programme academics design their online extended curriculum courses such that they can promote active engagement in their online classrooms. The research design adopted for this study falls within the interpretative paradigm, embracing a qualitative research approach within a case study methodology. For data collection purposes, three courses and nine Lecturers, three from each faculty were selected for each of these faculties because of their engagement in online learning and hybrid learning initiatives, making nine courses. Two theoretical frameworks underpinned this study: the SAMR Model and the Technology integration matrix (TIM). The researchers argue that it is imperative that academic development supports and enhances the development and agency of academics in designing and creating active and engaging hybrid or online environments.
Health Risks for University Students From the Amazon Region in the New Normality
Authors: Paricahua-Peralta Jimmy Nelson , Estrada-Araoz Edwin Gustavo , Velasquez-Giersch Libertad , Valencia-Martínez Juan Carlos , Urbina-Puma Luis , Ulloa-Gallardo Nelly Jacqueline , Bautista-Quispe Judith Annie , Velazco-Reyes Benjamín , Palacios-Serna Lina Iris , Calsina-Ponce Wilber Cesar
Published: September 2023

The objective of the study was to identify and compare the health risk of university students in the Peruvian Amazon in the post pandemic new normal. The approach was quantitative, of the descriptive type of group comparison. The population consisted of 1320 students and the sample consisted of a total of 298 students who were administered the SF-36 Health Questionnaire (version 2). According to the results, the health status of university students is in the medium risk level, which could affect the quality of learning, the prevalence and affection of other possible diseases, as well as absenteeism. Likewise, through the Chi-square test, the statistical power and the effect size, it was possible to determine that the health status is similar in the groups of students conformed by gender and family dependence. However, it was evidenced that the evolution of health in the university students of the gender group is different (p<0.05; w=0.339; 1-β= 0.865).
Modern English Teaching Methods
Authors: Djumabaeva Jamila Sharipovna
Published: September 2023

This article analyzes the possibilities of using modern methods to teach a foreign language. The main classifications of methods are carried out, allowing the most effective help in teaching English. Language has been and will remain the key to the world of knowledge. Proficiency in multiple languages has been valued since ancient times. At each stage of the development of society, a certain language plays an essential role for all mankind. Knowledge of foreign languages opens new doors for a person to improve and expand his worldview. If earlier knowledge of the German language was required, today, English plays a prominent role. The ability to speak English competently is closely related to its teaching. The modern age requires a new approach, new methods of teaching foreign languages. The main goal of the current school is to awaken in the child's desire to learn, to acquire new knowledge and activities, while building the further direction of their own education. The students are tasked with independently studying, finding, and analyzing materials, while the main task of the teacher is the right direction. The teacher needs to logically and correctly build a lesson so that students are interested in learning English since the practice of the traditional method, forcing students to cram words and grammar in practice, did not give the desired result. The search for new teaching methods is associated with a lack of motivation among students to learn English. Very often, there is no positive motivation because when learning a foreign language, students encounter some difficulties and do not learn the material due to their psychological characteristics. Work experience shows that using various, modern, fresh sources and means provokes students' interest, increasing their motivation to study.
Introducing an Open-Source Software for the Enterprise Resource Planning in the Business Management Degree
Authors: Puig-Denia A. , Forés B. , Fernández-Yáñez J.M. , Boronat-Navarro M.
Published: September 2023

An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a program that integrates all the departments and functions of the entire organization in a single IT system [1]. Nowadays, it is possible to differentiate between two types of ERP systems: proprietary systems and open-source systems.

In order to profit from the advantages of open-source systems and overcome the drawbacks of free software, lecturers of the subject Introduction to Firms Information Systems at Universitat Jaume introduced Odoo software in the practical sessions of the course.

Using active methodologies, lecturers involve students in the design and implementation of an Odoo ERP for the management of a real business. In order to know the previous background, engagement, motivation, and overall satisfaction with this educational innovation, we carried out an online survey of students.

The results of this survey will be presented and suggest future avenues for carrying out actions that contribute to the knowledge of the management of these ERP management systems. In addition, the main implications for business management education will be presented.
Intolerance of Uncertainty Levels in Families of Children with Special Needs During Covid-19 Process
Authors: Nuri Cahit , Gökşin Gülseren Berfin
Published: September 2023

The objective of this study was to investigate the levels of intolerance of uncertainty among families of children with special needs during the Covid-19 pandemic, with respect to various factors. The study utilized a relational survey model and included 250 families of children with special needs who participated in the research during the Fall academic year of 2020-2021. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic's unavoidable circumstances, data were collected electronically via Google Forms. To gather the data, a "Demographic Information Form" and an "Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale" were administered. The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS 26.0 software. The results indicated that families of children with special needs had a higher level of intolerance of uncertainty, as indicated by the scale's overall scores and the prospective anxiety sub-dimension(p>0.05). The study further revealed that the families' income level and whether one of their relatives had Covid-19 significantly impacted their intolerance of uncertainty levels(p>0.05). However, there were no significant differences based on the families' age, gender, marital status, Covid-19 status, loss of a loved one due to Covid-19, chronic illness, or job loss during the pandemic(p>0.05).Based on studies examining the intolerance of families of children with special needs to uncertainty, efforts can be made to provide psychological support to families of children with special needs.Seminars can be organized for families of children with special needs by institution managers or special education teachers.
Assessment
of water quality of the Bhima River for drinking purpose by water quality index
Authors: Chinamalli Rajshekar , Vijaykumar Katepaga
Published: September 2023

The objective of this study is to determine various water characteristics of the Bhima River and its suitability for drinking, followed by a water quality index evaluation. For continuous monitoring, samples were taken at eight locations between October 2020 and September 2021. The physicochemical parameters, such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), total alkalinity (TA), total hardness (TH), chloride (Cl-), sulphate (SO42-), phosphate (PO43-), and nitrate (NO3-) were measured. The measured values of these parameters were compared with Indian standards. Due to anthropogenic activities, values of parameters EC, TH, and TA at all the stations exceeded their BIS limits (The Bureau of Indian Standards). It was found that the river's total water quality index ranged from 45.23 to 75.43, indicating that the water quality varies from good to very poor. Correlation reveals that EC and TDS show remarkable similarities and a strong correlation was existed between total hardness and total alkalinity indicating anthropogenic activities. Therefore, it is important to assess physiochemical concentration of the river water before using it for drinking.
Water-food-energy-health
Authors: Sabol Goran , Kalambura Sanja , Kiš Darko
Published: September 2023

Water, food, and energy are considered necessary segments to achieve the sustainable development goals. Urbanization, population growth, international trade, economic development and climate change will significantly increase the need for these three segments, which is why it is necessary to focus on equal access to water, food and energy, while adhering to the principles of the circular economy. Water is used along the entire agri-food chain, while the generated energy is needed for the production, transport and distribution of food, as well as for the extraction, pumping, lifting, collection, transport, and treatment of water. Urbanization, industrial development, and the general population of citizens also require gradually more water, as well as land for food production and expansion, which entails the need for more and more energy resources. This results in environmental degradation and impairment of environmental sustainability, which leads to the scarcity of resources and impairment of the health of living organisms. Given the importance of the topic related to the knowledge of biowaste and its management, a survey was conducted to gain insight into whether the general population of citizens is aware that by throwing food, other resources represented in the "water-energy" chain also get wasted, which leads to the disturbance of ecological stability. As expected, the results showed that our society needs further education to be able to manage waste in a sustainable way.
Relationship between Predicate-Argument Structure and Emotionality in Text
Authors: Troiano Enrica , Klinger Roman , Padó Sebastian
Published: September 2023

Emotions, which are responses to salient events, can be realized in text implicitly, for instance with mere references to facts (e.g., “That was the beginning of a long war”). Interpreting affective meanings thus relies on the readers’ background knowledge, but that is hardly modeled in computational emotion analysis. Much work in the field is focused on the word level and treats individual lexical units as the fundamental emotion cues in written communication. We shift our attention to word relations. We leverage Frame Semantics, a prominent theory for the description of predicate-argument structures, which matches the study of emotions: frames build on a “semantics of understanding” whose assumptions rely precisely on people’s world knowledge. Our overarching question is whether and to what extent the events that are represented by frames possess an emotion meaning. To carry out a large corpus-based correspondence analysis, we automatically annotate texts with emotions as well as with FrameNet frames and roles, and we analyze the correlations between them. Our main finding is that substantial groups of frames have an emotional import. With an extensive qualitative analysis, we show that they capture several properties of emotions that are purported by theories from psychology. These observations boost insights on the two strands of research that we bring together: emotion analysis can profit from the event-based perspective of frame semantics; in return, frame semantics gains a better grip of its position vis-a`-vis emotions, an integral part of word meanings.
Empirical Configuration Study of a Common Document Clustering Pipeline
Authors: Eklund Anton , Forsman Mona , Drewes Frank
Published: September 2023

Document clustering is frequently used in applications of natural language processing, e.g. to classify news articles or creating topic models. In this paper, we study document clustering with the common clustering pipeline that includes vectorization with BERT or Doc2Vec, dimension reduction with PCA or UMAP, and clustering with K-Means or HDBSCAN. We discuss the inter- actions of the different components in the pipeline, parameter settings, and how to determine an appropriate number of dimensions. The results suggest that BERT embeddings combined with UMAP dimension reduction to no less than 15 dimensions provides a good basis for clustering, regardless of the specific clustering algorithm used. Moreover, while UMAP performed better than PCA in our experiments, tuning the UMAP settings showed little impact on the overall performance. Hence, we recommend configuring UMAP so as to optimize its time efficiency. According to our topic model evaluation, the combination of BERT and UMAP, also used in BERTopic, performs best. A topic model based on this pipeline typically benefits from a large number of clusters.
Prevention or Promotion? Predicting Author's Regulatory Focus
Authors: Velutharambath Aswathy , Sassenberg Kai , Klinger Roman
Published: September 2023

People differ fundamentally in what motivates them to pursue a goal and how they approach it. For instance, some people seek growth and show eagerness, whereas others prefer security and are vigilant. The concept of regulatory focus is employed in psychology, to explain and predict this goal-directed behavior of humans underpinned by two unique motivational systems – the promotion and the prevention system. Traditionally, text analysis methods using closed-vocabularies are employed to assess the distinctive linguistic patterns associated with the two systems. From an NLP perspective, automatically detecting the regulatory focus of individuals from text provides valuable insights into the behavioral inclinations of the author, finding its applications in areas like marketing or health communication. However, the concept never made an impactful debut in computational linguistics research. To bridge this gap we introduce the novel task of regulatory focus classification from text and present two complementary German datasets – (1) experimentally generated event descriptions and (2) manually annotated short social media texts used for evaluating the generalizability of models on real-world data. First, we conduct a correlation analysis to verify if the linguistic footprints of regulatory focus reported in psychology studies are observable and to what extent in our datasets. For automatic classification, we compare closed-vocabulary-based analyses with a state-of-the-art BERT-based text classification model and observe that the latter outperforms lexicon-based approaches on experimental data and is notably better on out-of-domain Twitter data.
Dampak Pandemi COVID-19 Terhadap Kemampuan Sosial dan Emosional Pada Anak Usia Sekolah
Authors: Rahmat Delli Yuliana , Dolifah Dewi , Prameswari Ayu
Published: September 2023

Corona virus disease (COVID-19) adalah suatu penyakit menular yang disebabkan olehvirus corona SARS-CoV-2. Dampak dari pandemi COVID-19 sangat luas, salah satuadalah pada anak sekolah yang diharuskan belajar dirumah, sehingga mempengaruhikemampuan sosial dan emosional anak, diantaranya anak menjadi kurang berinteraksi,sulit berkonsentrasi, sedih, stress, dan mudah marah. Tujuan penelitian ini untukmendapatkan informasi mengenai dampak pandemi COVID-19 terhadap kemampuansosial dan emosional anak usia sekolah. Penelitian menggunakan metode kualitatifdengan pendekatan case-study, dengan jumlah sampel 8 partisipan, yang seluruhnyatinggal di Kecamatan Tanjungsari Sumedang. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukandengan wawancara semi terstruktur digunakan untuk memperoleh data. Hasil penelitiandidapatkan tiga tema yaitu, anak kurang berinteraksi dengan teman seusianya; motivasibelajar menurun; serta anak menjadi malas dan terkadang marah. Sehingga dapatdisimpulkan bahwa pandemi COVID-19 berdampak negatif terhadap kemampuan sosialdan emosional, dimana anak menjadi kurang berinteraksi, motivasi menjadi menurun,malas, dan terkadang marah-marah. Saran dalam proses pembelajaran sebaiknya gurulebih kreatif dan inovatif dalam menggunakan media, sedangkan orangtua diharapkandapat mendampingi anak dalam belajar serta mampu mengontrol emosi dalam menghadapianak.
Pengaruh Terapi Murottal terhadap Tingkat Depresi pada Orang dengan HIV/AIDS di Balai Kesehatan Masyarakat Wilayah Semarang
Authors: Mochammad Saiqul Ulum  , Ahmad Ikhlasul Amal  , Indah Sri Wahyuningsih
Published: September 2023

Terapi murottal al-Qur’an merupakan salah satu terapi komplementer dengan metode memutarkan rekaman suara ayat suci al-Qur’an yang dilantunkan oleh seorang qori. Terapi murottal al-Qur’an ini digunakan untuk memberikan ketenangan sehingga berdampak positif bagi tubuh seseorang yang dapat menurunkan tingkat depresi pasien HIV/AIDS. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui apakah ada pengaruh terapi murottal al-Qur’an terhadap tingkat depresi pada orang dengan HIV/AIDS di Balai Kesehatan Masyarakat Wilayah Semarang. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan desain penelitian menggunakan Pre experiment dengan rancangan pre and post test without control dengan teknik purposive sampling. Responden terdiri dari 17 orang. Instrumen penelitian ini adalah Mp3 Player dan Earphone dengan intensitas 80-95 dB dan SOP Terapi Murottal al-Qur’an. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat perbedaan yang bermakna antara terapi murottal al-Qur’an terhadap tingkat depresi pada orang dengan HIV/AIDS sebelum dan sesudah pemberian terapi murottal al-Qur’an (p value 0,000; a=5%). Kesimpulan penelitian ini adalah terdapat pengaruh terapi murottal al-Qur’an terhadap tingkat depresi pada orang dengan HIV/AIDS
Prevention by the CXCR2 antagonist SCH527123 of the calcification of porcine heart valve cusps implanted subcutaneously in rats
Authors: Chabry Yuthiline , Dhayni Kawthar , Kamel Saïd , Caus Thierry , Bennis Youssef
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Calcification is a main cause of bioprosthetic heart valves failure. It may be promoted by the inflammation developed in the glutaraldehyde (GA)-fixed cusps of the bioprosthesis. We tested the hypothesis that antagonizing the C-X-C chemokines receptor 2 (CXCR2) may prevent the calcification of GA-fixed porcine aortic valves.

Materiel and methods

Four-week-old Sprague Dawley males were transplanted with 2 aortic valve cusps isolated from independent pigs and implanted into the dorsal wall. Four groups of 6 rats were compared: rats transplanted with GA-free or GA-fixed cusps and rats transplanted with GA-fixed cusps and treated with 1 mg/kg/day SCH5217123 (a CXCR2 antagonist) intraperitoneally (IP) or subcutaneously (SC) around the xenograft, for 14 days. Then, rats underwent blood count before xenografts have been explanted for histology and biochemistry analyses.

Results

A strong calcification of the xenografts was induced by GA pre-incubation. However, we observed a significant decrease in this effect in rats treated with SCH527123 IP or SC. Implantation of GA-fixed cusps was associated with a significant increase in the white blood cell count, an effect that was significantly prevented by SCH527123. In addition, the expression of the CD3, CD68 and CXCR2 markers was reduced in the GA-fixed cusps explanted from rats treated with SCH527123 as compared to those explanted from non-treated rats.

Conclusion

The calcification of GA-fixed porcine aortic valve cusps implanted subcutaneously in rats was significantly prevented by antagonizing CXCR2 with SCH527123. This effect may partly result from an inhibition of the GA-induced infiltration of T-cells and macrophages into the xenograft.
PM2.5 induced liver lipid metabolic disorders in C57BL/6J mice
Authors: Zhang Chenxiao , Ma Tengfei , Liu Chang , Ma Ding , Wang Jian , Liu Meng , Ran Jinjun , Wang Xueting , Deng Xiaobei
Published: September 2023

PM2.5 can cause adverse health effects via several pathways, such as inducing pulmonary and systemic inflammation, penetration into circulation, and activation of the autonomic nervous system. In particular, the impact of PM2.5 exposure on the liver, which plays an important role in metabolism and detoxification to maintain internal environment homeostasis, is getting more attention in recent years. In the present study, C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned and treated with PM2.5 suspension and PBS solution for 8 weeks. Then, hepatic tissue was prepared and identified by metabolomics analysis and transcriptomics analysis. PM2.5 exposure can cause extensive metabolic disturbances, particularly in lipid and amino acids metabolic dysregulation.128 differential expression metabolites (DEMs) and 502 differently expressed genes (DEGs) between the PM2.5 exposure group and control group were detected. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses showed that DEGs were significantly enriched in two disease pathways, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and three signaling pathways, which are TGF-beta signaling, AMPK signaling, and mTOR signaling. Besides, further detection of acylcarnitine levels revealed accumulation in liver tissue, which caused restricted lipid consumption. Furthermore, lipid droplet accumulation in the liver was confirmed by Oil Red O staining, suggesting hepatic steatosis. Moreover, the aberrant expression of three key transcription factors revealed the potential regulatory effects in lipid metabolic disorders, the peroxisomal proliferative agent-activated receptors (PPARs) including PPARα and PPARγ is inhibited, and the activated sterol regulator-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) is overexpressed. Our results provide a novel molecular and genetic basis for a better understanding of the mechanisms of PM2.5 exposure-induced hepatic metabolic diseases, especially in lipid metabolism.
Eco-environmental effect and driving factors of changing “production-living-ecological space” in northern Xinjiang, China
Authors: Wang Yin , Wang Yang , Xu Wenzhe , Sheng Ziyi , Zhu Zhen , Tang Haisheng
Published: September 2023

Northern Xinjiang is the center of gravity for Xinjiang's economic development, and "production-living-ecological space" (PLES) is of great significance to the optimization of regional territorial spatial structure. Taking northern Xinjiang as our study area, we analyze the spatial and temporal variations of the ecological and environmental effects of PLES evolution from 2000 to 2020. To do so, we apply the grid cell method, the ecological and environmental quality index, the global autocorrelation model, and the kernel density estimation. Additionally, we use a geographic detector model to reveal the drivers of spatial variation in ecological and environmental quality. Results show that from 2000 to 2020, PLES in the study area is mainly ecological accommodation land. However, there is an obvious trend showing a decrease in ecological accommodation land area and an increase in other land types. Production land and living land increased the most, among which agricultural land and industrial land were mainly converted from grassland ecological land and water ecological land, respectively. The quality of the ecological environment is basically stable during the study period, with an overall slight declining trend, which indicates the quality of ecological environment has decreased slightly. The spatial distribution of the eco-environmental effect shows a significant spatial autocorrelation pattern of "dense in the west and sparse in the east", along with a spatial clustering phenomenon. The main factor of spatial variation in ecological quality is elevation, and the interactions between the factors are mainly non-linearly and double-factor enhanced. The spatial differentiation of ecological environmental quality in the study area is the result of multiple factors. Exploring the ecological and environmental effects of PLES evolution and its driving factors can provide a scientific basis for the implementation of territorial spatial planning and ecological environmental protection in northern Xinjiang.
Determination and analysis of macro-featured parameters based on kilogram-level coal spontaneous combustion experiment
Authors: Xu Yanhui
Published: September 2023

The quantitative characterization of coal spontaneous combustion and the accurate determination of the dangerous degree are hot and difficult in the field of coal mine safety. In the paper, the experimental test analysis of Huangling No. 2 coal was carried out by a self-designed and built kilogram-level coal spontaneous combustion experimental device, and the macro featured parameters were obtained and analyzed, such as temperature field, index gas, weight, oxygen consumption rate and exothermic intensity, and spontaneous combustion limit parameters. The results show that the experimental spontaneous combustion period of Huangling No.2 coal is 34 days. When the coal temperature was below the critical temperature of 74.59 °C, the oxidation of coal samples was relatively slow, and the oxygen consumption and the production rate of gas products did not change much. After the coal temperature exceeded the critical temperature, the oxygen consumption rate and exothermic intensity increased faster and the oxidation accelerated. After reaching the dry cracking temperature of 104.93 °C, the oxidation degree accelerated sharply. CO starts to appear at the beginning of the experiment, and the increase of CO gas concentration during the heating process is exponential and can be used as an index gas. Under the temperature condition of 40 °C, the floating coal of 0.7 m needs 25.83% oxygen concentration, and the maximum air leakage intensity of the coal is negative, and no spontaneous combustion will occur. The test data and calculation results of the experiment are important for the prediction and forecast of natural fires and the determination of the risk of spontaneous combustion on site.
Marine bacteria harbor the sulfonamide resistance gene sul4 without mobile genetic elements
Authors: Shindoh Suzune , Kadoya Aya , Kanechi Reo , Watanabe Kozo , Suzuki Satoru
Published: September 2023

Marine bacteria are possible reservoirs of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) originating not only from clinical and terrestrial hot spots but also from the marine environment. We report here for the first time a higher rate of the sulfonamide-resistance gene sul4 in marine bacterial isolates compared with other sul genes. Among four sulfonamide-resistance genes (sul1, sul2, sul3, and sul4), sul4 was most abundant (45%) in 74 sulfonamide-resistant marine isolates by PCR screening. The order of abundance was sul4 (33 isolates) >sul2 (6 isolates) >sul3 (5 isolates) >sul1 (1 isolate). Whole-genome sequencing of 23 isolates of sul4-expressing α- and γ-proteobacteria and bacilli revealed that sul4 was not accompanied by known mobile genetic elements. This suggests that sul4 in these marine isolates is clonally transferred and not horizontally transferable. Folate metabolism genes formed a cluster with sul4, suggesting that the cluster area plays a role in folate metabolism, at which sul4 functions as a dihydropteroate synthase. Thus, sul4 might be expressed in marine species and function in folate synthesis, but it is not a transferable ARG.
Emergence of Marburg virus: a global perspective on fatal outbreaks and clinical challenges
Authors: Srivastava Shriyansh , Sharma Deepika , Kumar Sachin , Sharma Aditya , Rijal Rishikesh , Asija Ankush , Adhikari Suraj , Rustagi Sarvesh , Sah Sanjit , Al-qaim Zahraa Haleem , Bashyal Prashant , Mohanty Aroop , Barboza Joshuan J. , Rodriguez-Morales Alfonso J. , Sah Ranjit
Published: September 2023

The Marburg virus (MV), identified in 1967, has caused deadly outbreaks worldwide, the mortality rate of Marburg virus disease (MVD) varies depending on the outbreak and virus strain, but the average case fatality rate is around 50%. However, case fatality rates have varied from 24 to 88% in past outbreaks depending on virus strain and case management. Designated a priority pathogen by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), MV induces hemorrhagic fever, organ failure, and coagulation issues in both humans and non-human primates. This review presents an extensive exploration of MVD outbreak evolution, virus structure, and genome, as well as the sources and transmission routes of MV, including human-to-human spread and involvement of natural hosts such as the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) and other Chiroptera species. The disease progression involves early viral replication impacting immune cells like monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells, followed by damage to the spleen, liver, and secondary lymphoid organs. Subsequent spread occurs to hepatocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and epithelial cells. MV can evade host immune response by inhibiting interferon type I (IFN-1) synthesis. This comprehensive investigation aims to enhance understanding of pathophysiology, cellular tropism, and injury sites in the host, aiding insights into MVD causes. Clinical data and treatments are discussed, albeit current methods to halt MVD outbreaks remain elusive. By elucidating MV infection’s history and mechanisms, this review seeks to advance MV disease treatment, drug development, and vaccine creation. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers MV a high-concern filovirus causing severe and fatal hemorrhagic fever, with a death rate ranging from 24 to 88%. The virus often spreads through contact with infected individuals, originating from animals. Visitors to bat habitats like caves or mines face higher risk. We tailored this search strategy for four databases: Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed. we primarily utilized search terms such as “Marburg virus,” “Epidemiology,” “Vaccine,” “Outbreak,” and “Transmission.” To enhance comprehension of the virus and associated disease, this summary offers a comprehensive overview of MV outbreaks, pathophysiology, and management strategies. Continued research and learning hold promise for preventing and controlling future MVD outbreaks.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Specific biomarker mining and rapid detection of Burkholderia cepacia complex by recombinase polymerase amplification
Authors: Fan Yiling , Wang Shujuan , Song Minghui , Zhou Liangliang , Liu Chengzhi , Yang Yan , Yu Shuijing , Yang Meicheng
Published: September 2023

Objective

To mine specific proteins and their protein-coding genes as suitable molecular biomarkers for the Burkholderia cepacia Complex (BCC) bacteria detection based on mega analysis of microbial proteomic and genomic data comparisons and to develop a real-time recombinase polymerase amplification (rt-RPA) assay for rapid isothermal screening for pharmaceutical and personal care products.

Methods

We constructed an automatic screening framework based on Python to compare the microbial proteomes of 78 BCC strains and 263 non-BCC strains to identify BCC-specific protein sequences. In addition, the specific protein-coding gene and its core DNA sequence were validated in silico with a self-built genome database containing 158 thousand bacteria. The appropriate methodology for BCC detection using rt-RPA was evaluated by 58 strains in pure culture and 33 batches of artificially contaminated pharmaceutical and personal care products.

Results

We identified the protein SecY and its protein-coding gene secY through the automatic comparison framework. The virtual evaluation of the conserved region of the secY gene showed more than 99.8% specificity from the genome database, and it can distinguish all known BCC species from other bacteria by phylogenetic analysis. Furthermore, the detection limit of the rt-RPA assay targeting the secY gene was 5.6 × 102 CFU of BCC bacteria in pure culture or 1.2 pg of BCC bacteria genomic DNA within 30 min. It was validated to detect <1 CFU/portion of BCC bacteria from artificially contaminated samples after a pre-enrichment process. The relative trueness and sensitivity of the rt-RPA assay were 100% in practice compared to the reference methods.

Conclusion

The automatic comparison framework for molecular biomarker mining is straightforward, universal, applicable, and efficient. Based on recognizing the BCC-specific protein SecY and its gene, we successfully established the rt-RPA assay for rapid detection in pharmaceutical and personal care products.
Impact of an online guided physical activity training on cognition and gut-brain axis interactions in older adults: protocol of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Schrenk Simon J. , Brodoehl Stefan , Flor Stefano , Frahm Christiane , Gaser Christian , Hamdan Rami Abou , Herbsleb Marco , Kaleta Christoph , Kattlun Fabian , Müller Hans-Josef , Puta Christian , Radscheidt Monique , Ruiz-Rizzo Adriana L. , Saraei Tannaz , Scherag André , Steidten Thomas , Witte Otto W. , Finke Kathrin
Published: September 2023

Introduction

By 2050, the worldwide percentage of people 65 years and older is assumed to have doubled compared to current numbers. Therefore, finding ways of promoting healthy (cognitive) aging is crucial. Physical activity is considered an effective approach to counteract not only physical but also cognitive decline. However, the underlying mechanisms that drive the benefits of regular physical activity on cognitive function are not fully understood. This randomized controlled trial aims to analyze the effect of an eight-week standardized physical activity training program in older humans on cognitive, brain, and gut-barrier function as well as the relationship between the resulting changes.

Methods and analysis

One-hundred healthy participants aged 60 to 75 years will be recruited. First, participants will undergo an extensive baseline assessment consisting of neurocognitive tests, functional and structural brain imaging, physical fitness tests, and gut-microbiome profiling. Next, participants will be randomized into either a multi-component physical activity group (experimental condition) or a relaxation group (active control condition), with each training lasting 8 weeks and including an equal number and duration of exercises. The whole intervention will be online-based, i.e., participants will find their intervention schedule and all materials needed on the study website. After the intervention phase, participants will have their post-intervention assessment, which consists of the same measures and tests as the baseline assessment. The primary outcome of this study is the change in the cognitive parameter of visual processing speed from baseline to post-measurement, which will on average take place 10 weeks after the randomization. Secondary outcomes related to cognitive, brain, and microbiome data will be analyzed exploratory.

Clinical trial registration:https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00028022
Domain-general but not speech-specific auditory duration perception predicts pseudoword reading in adults
Authors: Batista Ana Rita , Catronas Dinis , Sousa José , Folia Vasiliki , Torres Nathercia Lima , Silva Susana
Published: September 2023

Associations between reading performance and duration perception have been found both for domain-general and speech-specific duration perception. However, research seems limited to children and, critically, the predictive value of the two duration perception modalities has not been compared so far. In the present study we compared the weight of domain-general (comparison of time intervals defined by beeps) vs. speech-specific duration perception (pre-attentive EEG responses to consonants with different durations) as statistical predictors of reading in a sample of 46 neurotypical adults (18–43 years old) with 13 years of schooling on average. Reading included word and pseudoword decoding, as well as reading comprehension. We ran one regression model with domain-general and speech-specific duration perception as predictors for each of the three reading skills. Pseudoword decoding was the only reading skill that was significantly predicted by duration perception, and this happened for domain-general duration perception only. A complementary analysis adding 26 typically developing and 24 dyslexic adults to the main sample (n = 96 in total) showed the same pattern of results in dyslexics, but not in added controls. Our findings strengthen the idea that duration perception is important to phonological encoding and its use in grapheme-to-phoneme conversion, given that only pseudoword decoding was predicted by the interval comparison task. The irrelevance of speech-specific duration perception tones down the possibility that accurately perceiving the length of speech sounds is crucial to skilled reading.
A personalized diet intervention improves depression symptoms and changes microbiota and metabolite profiles among community-dwelling older adults
Authors: Magzal Faiga , Turroni Silvia , Fabbrini Marco , Barone Monica , Vitman Schorr Adi , Ofran Ariella , Tamir Snait
Published: September 2023

Introduction

The impact of diet on mental well-being and gut microorganisms in humans is well recognized. However, research on the connections between food nutrients, gut microbiota, and mental health remains limited. To address this, the present study aimed to assess the effects of a personalized diet, based on individual needs and aligned with the Mediterranean diet principles, on depression symptoms, quality of life, nutritional intake, and gut microbiota changes among older adults living in the community.

Methods

The intervention involved regular visits from a registered dietitian, who provided tailored dietary recommendations. During the 6-month study, participants completed questionnaires to evaluate their depression levels, quality of life, and dietary habits. Additionally, they provided stool samples for analysis of gut microbiota and metabolites.

Results

The results demonstrated that the personalized dietary intervention reduced depression symptoms and improved the quality of life among older adults. Furthermore, significant changes in the intake of certain nutrients, such as folate, lutein, zeaxanthin, EPA, and DHA, were observed following the intervention. Moreover, the intervention was associated with increased diversity in the gut microbiome and reduced total short-chain fatty acids, the main metabolites produced by gut microorganisms. The study also revealed correlations between food nutrients, gut microbiota, and mental health parameters.

Discussion

In conclusion, this research highlights the potential advantages of personalized dietary interventions in managing depression and enhancing overall well-being among older populations. It also sheds light on the role of gut microbiota and its metabolites in these effects. The findings offer valuable insights into the significance of nutrition and gut health for mental well-being in older adults.
Timing of oomycete-specific fungicide application impacts the efficacy against fruit rot disease in arecanut
Authors: Balanagouda Patil , Shil Sandip , Sridhara Shankarappa , Pandian R. Thava Prakasa , Thube Shivaji Hausrao , Hegde Vinayaka , Sayed Shaban R. M. , Casini Rayan , Narayanaswamy Hanumappa
Published: September 2023

Fungicidal application has been the common and prime option to combat fruit rot disease (FRD) of arecanut (Areca catechu L.) under field conditions. However, the existence of virulent pathotypes, rapid spreading ability, and improper time of fungicide application has become a serious challenge. In the present investigation, we assessed the efficacy of oomycete-specific fungicides under two approaches: (i) three fixed timings of fungicidal applications, i.e., pre-, mid-, and post-monsoon periods (EXPT1), and (ii) predefined different fruit stages, i.e., button, marble, and premature stages (EXPT2). Fungicidal efficacy in managing FRD was determined from evaluations of FRD severity, FRD incidence, and cumulative fallen nut rate (CFNR) by employing generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). In EXPT1, all the tested fungicides reduced FRD disease levels by >65% when applied at pre- or mid-monsoon compared with untreated control, with statistical differences among fungicides and timings of application relative to infection. In EXPT2, the efficacy of fungicides was comparatively reduced when applied at predefined fruit/nut stages, with statistically non-significant differences among tested fungicides and fruit stages. A comprehensive analysis of both experiments recommends that the fungicidal application can be performed before the onset of monsoon for effective management of arecanut FRD. In conclusion, the timing of fungicidal application based on the monsoon period provides better control of FRD of arecanut than an application based on the developmental stages of fruit under field conditions.