bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrological Influences on Landslide Dynamics in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area: An SBAS-InSAR Study in Yunyang County, Chongqing
Authors: Cui jinhu , Tao Yuxiang , Kou Pinglang , Jin Zhao , Huang Yijian , Zhang Jinlai
Published: April 2024

Landslide hazards pose a significant threat to lives and infrastructure, especially in mountainous regions like the Three Gorges Reservoir area. While the mechanisms driving landslide initiation and progression in reservoir environments are not fully understood. This study aimed to leverage the capabilities of Sentinel-1 satellite imagery and the Small Baseline Subset Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SBAS-InSAR) technique to detect and monitor potential landslide deformations in Yunyang County, Chongqing, China. We utilized Sentinel-1 data acquired between January 1, 2020, and December 28, 2022, to generate deformation velocity maps. Twelve potential landslides were identified, primarily concentrated near residential areas and along the Yangtze River. Precipitation emerged as the primary driver of surface deformation and landslide initiation, with potential landslides in residential vicinities and along the river exhibiting significantly higher deformation rates during the wet season compared to the dry season. These sites are susceptible to slope failures and geological disasters upon reaching critical antecedent rainfall thresholds, highlighting the necessity for continuous monitoring. Other potential landslides maintained consistent deformation rates across seasons but experienced brief accelerations following heavy precipitation events. Notably, potential landslides adjacent to the Yangtze River experienced accelerated deformation during periods of significant river water level reductions, suggesting that the river's cyclical water level fluctuations influence slope stability. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of SBAS-InSAR in detecting millimetric deformations in incipient landslides, a crucial step in averting landslide disasters and ensuring public safety.
Performance study of indirect perforated dew-point evaporative coolers
Authors: Liu Xuliang , Jing Chengjun , Lyu Siqiang
Published: April 2024

The Maisotsenko cycle-based coolers have gained increasing attention in recent years due to their advantages of low energy consumption and environmental friendliness. The optimization of model structure and operating conditions is the primary approach for enhancing the cooling performance of dew-point evaporation systems. In this paper, a new mathematical model of the perforated dew-point evaporative cooler was developed to study the cooling performance. The key findings that emerged from this investigation were: (1) The impact of model size and inlet air parameters on the performance of both perforated and non-perforated dew-point evaporative cooling systems exhibited similar trends. (2) The performance of the dew-point evaporative cooler could be enhanced by employing the perforation method when the total air supply ratio was below 0.5, and optimal performance was achieved with a single-perforation design. (3) When the supply air ratio was 0.3, the outlet air temperature of the dry channel initially decreased and subsequently exhibited a gradual increase with an elevated supply air ratio at the outlet of the dry channel. Notably, when the supply air ratio ranged from 0.5 to 0.6 at the outlet of the dry channel, it resulted in the lowest recorded air temperature.
Deubiquitinase USP18 inhibits hepatic stellate cells activation and alleviates liver fibrosis via regulation of TAK1 activity
Authors: Zhang Yan , Gao Jing , Liu Yi , Zhong Li , He Song , Qiu Chan
Published: April 2024

Background & Aims:
Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the key process underlying liver fibrosis. Unveiling its molecular mechanism may provide an effective target for inhibiting liver fibrosis. Like other post-translational modifications, protein ubiquitination modification is a dynamic and reversible process. Deubiquitinases (DUBs) catalyze the removal of ubiquitin chains from substrate proteins, thereby inhibiting the biological processes regulated by ubiquitination modification signals. However, there are currently few studies revealing the role of deubiquitination in the activation of HSCs.
Methods & Results:
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) revealed significantly decreased USP18 expression in activated HSCs when compared to quiescent HSCs. In mouse primary HSCs, continuous activation of HSCs led to a gradual decrease in USP18 expression whilst restoration of USP18 expression significantly inhibited HSC activation. Injection of USP18 lentivirus into the portal vein of a CCl4-induced liver fibrosis mouse model confirmed that overexpression of USP18 can significantly reduce the degree of liver fibrosis. In terms of mechanism, we screened some targets of USP18 in mouse primary HSCs and found that USP18 could directly bind to TAK1. Furthermore, we demonstrated that USP18 can inhibit TAK1 activity by interfering with the K63 ubiquitination modification of TAK1.
Conclusions
Our study demonstrated that USP18 inhibited HSC activation and alleviated liver fibrosis in mice via modulation of TAK1 activity; this may prove to be an effective target for inhibiting liver fibrosis.
Discovery of A Novel Hemp Branching Mutant
Authors: Kim Juyoung , Kim Dong-Gun , Kim Jin-Baek , Ryu Jaihyuk , Kim Sang Hoon
Published: April 2024

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is a unique crop producing cannabinoids, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiols, but it is largely prohibited or strictly regulated in most countries because of the psychoactive effects of THC on humans. However, there has recently been increasing interest in cannabis because of clinical research suggesting it has therapeutic effects. Because of its physiological properties and limited accessibility, ensuring homozygosity in cannabis is challenging. Most cannabis plants that are currently sold are hybrids. The SupwerowomanS1 cultivar was used to develop a new cultivar, document genetic variation, and identify a novel hemp mutant following self-pollination during polyploid breeding. A mutant with fewer axillary stems than SuperwomanS1 and round floral organs with many sugar leaves (like rosette leaves) was identified. A quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated the expression levels of the main genes regulating axillary bud formation (SHOOT MERISTEMLESS, LATERAL SUPPRESSOR, REVOLUTA, WUSCHEL) were higher in the mutant than in SuperwomanS1. These findings may be relevant to hemp breeding and cultivation.
Seismic Behavior Assessment of Special Concentrically X-Braced Frame with Through Gusset Plate
Authors: Asghari Abazar , Hosseini Sohrab
Published: April 2024

Concentrically braced frames exhibit adequate stiffness against lateral loads. However, a critical issue with these frames lies in the connection between the brace and beam/column. The compressive and tensile forces in the braces induce significant shear at the end of the beam, leading to yielding of the beam and failure of the connection to the column. Additionally, in many cases, welds at the edge of the gusset plate to the beam experience premature failure due to stress concentration before brace yielding or buckling. In this study, it is proposed to replace the I-shaped beam with a double channel beam (2-UNP) and to allow the gusset plate to pass continuously through the beam. Consequently, in consecutive stories, there will be a continuous connection plate passing through. The research results demonstrate that in this configuration, the stress level in the beam web, connection of the beam to the column, and weld at the edge of the connection plate are significantly reduced. In frames with through gusset plates, as a portion of the brace force is transferred through the connection plate passing through the U-shaped beam, less force is absorbed by the weld, preventing premature brace yielding or buckling before weld failure. Furthermore, due to increased allowable drift in frames with through gusset plate, the ductility of the frame enhances compared to frames with a conventional gusset plate.
Meta-QTL analysis and candidate genes identification for lodging resistance in maize: Ⅰ. stalk related traits
Authors: Fang Haiyue , Qu Wenli , Zhang Chunxiao , Cui Haiyan , Zhou Xiaohui , Dong Jing , Liu Xueyan , Li Xiaohui , Jin Fengxue
Published: April 2024

Lodging seriously affects maize yield and quality, complicating mechanical harvest. Lodging can be caused by environmental and genetic factors. While many quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been identified from different types of genetic populations using different mapping methods, to identify the genetic mechanisms that affect maize stalk lodging resistance, few QTLs have been successfully used in maize breeding programs. Therefore, identifying QTLs that are stable and that can be introgressed into elite cultivars using marker-assisted selection has commercial and agricultural implications. Following a review of 31 published studies on stalk lodging resistance in maize we collected 546 QTLs. After synthesizing data from these studies, a meta-QTL analysis is performed using BiomercatorV4.2 to identify 70 MQTLs for maize lodging resistance, and six candidate genes in meta-QTL intervals base on orthologous analysis with rice lodging cloned genes. Specific expression patterns reveal these genes to be involved in stalk development. These candidate genes may be important for engineering lodging-resistance in maize.
Tailoring band gap and photocatalytic activity of ZnO via Cu doping for enhanced Congo Red degradation
Authors: Deshwal Tamanna , Kumar Pawan , Ahlawat Simran , Kumar Sanjeev , Kaur Harpreet , Kumar Ashish , Kumar Abhishek
Published: April 2024

This paper reports the improvement in the photocatalytic performance of ZnO by substituting Cu with a variable concentration. ZnO and Cu 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% doped ZnO nanoparticles have been synthesized by the sol-gel combustion method. Before measuring photocatalytic properties, we have confirmed the HCP structure and granular nanoparticle morphology of all samples with XRD and SEM analysis. Function groups have been ascertained by FTIR peak assignment. Small variations in structural parameters and ZnO stretching mode indicate substitution of Cu at the ZnO site of the ZnO nanostructure. The band gap engineering with variable Cu concentration successfully reduces the apparent band gap, which helps improve the photocatalytic This research shows that Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles are better at breaking down Congo red (CR) dye than pure ZnO nanoparticles. Remarkably, ZnO: Cu 2% (also used at a concentration of 120 mg/L) has an outstanding removal efficiency of 97.21%. This accomplishment highlights the substantial impact of pseudo-first-order kinetics, offering a precise and thorough explanation of the photodegradation process.
Association of fatty pancreas and subclinical atherosclerosis: A cross-sectional analysis
Authors: Liu Qingxie , Liu Xinyi , Wang Yaodong , Luo Weiwei , Dong Xiaowu , Zhu Qingtian , Yuan Chenchen , Lu Guotao , Xiao Weiming , Yu Xiaoping
Published: April 2024

Background:
To date, no correlation between fatty pancreas and carotid plaque has been reported. Therefore, this study used a large medical examination cohort from Yangzhou to investigate the association between fatty pancreas and subclinical atherosclerosis.
Methods:
Clinical data were collected between January 2018 and December 2021 from a population undergoing health check-ups at the Health Management Centre of the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University. Carotid vascular ultrasound findings were used to divide the participants into carotid plaque and non-carotid plaque groups on the basis of independent risk factors for carotid plaque.
Results:
A total of 6976 cases in the carotid plaque group and 17 069 cases in the non-carotid plaque group were included in this study. Logistic regression model analysis of carotid plaque showed that men (odds ratio [OR] = 1.479, P < 0.001), age (OR = 1.110, P < 0.001), body mass index (OR = 1.005, P < 0.001), history of smoking (OR = 1.446, P < 0.001), history of alcohol consumption (OR = 1.160, P < 0.001), hypertension (OR = 3.296, P < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (OR = 4.077, P < 0.001), fatty pancreas (OR = 1.490, P < 0.001), hypercholesterolaemia (OR = 1.175, P < 0.001), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol atheroma (OR = 1.174, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for carotid plaque. Subgroup analysis indicated that fatty pancreas was an independent risk factor for carotid plaque in participants without these complications compared with participants with a history of hypertension or diabetes.
Conclusion:
Fatty pancreas is an independent risk factor for carotid plaque and has a greater impact in individuals without a history of hypertension or diabetes than in those with.
Identification, evolutionary and expression analysis under high-salt stress of ACC synthase gene family in Glycine max (L.)
Authors: Zhang Xingzheng , Liu Xin , Yang Jing , Sun Yiwen , Huang Haojie , He Hongli , Piao Jingpei , Shen Jie , Qiao Xuqiang , Cheng Yunqing
Published: April 2024

ACC synthase (ACS) is an important rate-limiting enzyme in the plant endogenous ethylene biosynthesis process and has been associated with growth and development and response to abiotic stresses s, including salt stress, in plants. The roles of ACS genes in soybean involved in salt response remains poorly understood. The findings in this study provide a crucial foundation and potential functional genes for the investigation of salt stress in soybean. In this study, 20 ACS homologs with conserved Aminotransferase class I and II domain were screened from the soybean genome. Furthermore, an expression database and Real-time quantitative reverse transcription (qRT-PCR) were used to identify the gene expression patterns in specific tissues in response to high-salt stress. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the ACS homologs were distributed on 10 chromosomes and divided into 3 groups (Group I ~ III). 18 pairs of GmACS genes shared collinearity, and they originated from segmental replication after the second round whole genome duplication of soybean. The promoter regions of GmACS genes also contained several diverse elements related to plant hormones and stress response by cis-acting elements analysis. Gene expression analysis revealed that some genes exhibited tissue-specific expression patterns. Moreover, we identified candidate functional genes involved in response to high-salt stress in different tissues of young seedlings, including GmACS1 in root tissue. Our findings reveal novel candidate molecular components for subsequent studies on the molecular regulatory mechanisms of ACS in response to high salinity stress in soybean and functional components to facilitate further breeding of salinity-tolerant germplasm in soybean.
Adapting Triple-BigGAN for Image Detection Tasks: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Quaicoo Russell , Acheampong Richmond , Gyamenah Pius , Dodoo Albert Ankomah , Soli Michael Agbo Tettey , Appati Justice Kwame
Published: April 2024

Recent years have seen notable progress in generative modeling, leading to the emergence of the Triple-BigGAN model as an extension of the pioneering BigGAN model. This thesis scrutinizes the Triple-BigGAN model, investigating its role in augmenting image quality and its integration with a co-trained classifier. Through comprehensive experimentation and analysis, this research probes into the complexities encountered during experimentation and the insights gleaned from employing varied computational environments such as Google Colab, Kaggle Notebooks, and Google Vertex AI. Utilizing metrics like Fréchet Inception Distance (FID), Inception Score (IS), categorical cross-entropy loss, and accuracy, the dissertation evaluates the algorithm's efficacy in both image generation and classification tasks. It delineates the delicate balance among the generator, discriminator, and classifier elements within the model. This exploration of the Triple-BigGAN algorithm contributes to a deeper comprehension of advanced generative models, elucidating their potentials and challenges while laying the groundwork for further advancements at the nexus of generative and discriminative AI techniques.
Efficient Multi-Class Image-Based Rosemary Variety Verification and Classification Model Using Deep Learning:
Authors: Asresa Tsega
Published: April 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) has a subfield called computer vision that allows systems and computers to extract replacement data from digital photos and videos. It is used in many fields, including agriculture, health care, education, self-driving cars, and daily living. In Ethiopia, rosemary is a well-known aromatic and therapeutic plants. It is an evergreen herb that belongs to the shrub family and it is widely used specious in Ethiopia and it is classified in to three varieties such as WG rosemary I, WG rosemary II, WG rosemary III. Botanists, researchers, herbal industries, pharmacists and domain experts are facing challenges to classify appropriate varieties. And no research is conducted that identify and classify those varieties. However; there is lack of technologies’ that identify the varieties of rosemary in Ethiopia. The proposed study is employed supervised machine learning and multi class image classification. This study is conducted using convolutional neural network by employing softmax activation function as a last layers. Due to this reason we are going to implement the classification model of rosemary using multi class classification. In this study, the researchers trained five cutting-edge models: convolutional neural network, Inception V3 and Xception. Those models were chosen after a comprehensive review of the best-performing models. The 80/20 percentage split is used to evaluate the model, and classification metrics are used to compare models. The pre-trained Inception V3 model outperforms well, with training and validation accuracy of 98.8% and 97.7%, respectively.
Prevalence of Bacterial and fungal pathogens on

Currency notes in two selected sites in Osun State Nigeria
Authors: E.T Olaleye , T.Y Raheem
Published: April 2024

Currency notes happens to be the most handled substance in the world as it is prove of value. Humans unavoidably come into contact with cash in their daily business activities, on the other hand microbes have shown to survive on paper currency notes for up to 3 days. This implies a pathogen in contact with currency notes can remain viable and cause infection in another person in contact with that same currency note within 72 hrs. However, the rate of exposure to pathogens via paper and polymer currencies has not been fully explored. Hence, this study was designed to reveal the prevalence of bacterial and fungal pathogens resulting from handling paper and polymer currency notes using a local and urban settlement in Nigeria as a case study. All Nigerian currencies recovered from these communities were sampled using an 8 x 7 factorial model. Fifty-six (56) samples were obtained from each communities. Results from this study showed that 67.9% of currency notes were contaminated with bacteria including; Klebisella spp., Staphylococcus spp, Pseudomonas spp., Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabillis, while there were 39.3% fungal contamination (Apergillius and Candida spp). Furthermore, the paper currency notes (1000, 500, 200, 100) were mostly contaminated than the polymer notes (50, 20, 10, 5). These observed pathogenic contaminations were seen to be location dependent. The currencies from the rural community were more contaminated (76.8% bacteria, 53.6% fungal contamination) compared with those obtained from the urban settlement (58.9% bacteria, 26.8% fungal contamination). In addition, it was observed that the 100 naira notes are more contaminated compared with other denominations. In conclusion, this study revealed that one of the major route of pathogens exposure is via cash handling, and the rate of exposure in rural areas is higher than in the urban settlements. It also revealed that exposure via paper currencies is higher than polymer notes.
Exploring Substance Use Patterns Among Homeless High School Adolescents in Georgia: A Youth Risk Behavior Survey Analysis
Authors: Agboli Victor Ifechukwude
Published: April 2024

Background:
Adolescent substance use is a significant public health concern, with homeless high school students being particularly vulnerable. However, the relationship between homelessness and substance use among this population remains understudied.
Methods:
This study used data from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to investigate substance use behaviors among high school students in Georgia. Substance use prevalence, and the association between homelessness and substance use were analyzed using weighted chi-square tests with Rao-Scott correction.
Results:
Among 604 surveyed high school students, 4.9% were homeless adolescents who exhibited notably higher substance use rates than housed peers. Homelessness showed moderate associations with current electronic vapor product use (Phi=0.1274), lifetime methamphetamine use (Phi=0.1155), and cigarettes (Phi=0.1204). Homeless adolescents reported significantly higher rates of current electronic vapor product use (36.9% vs. 15.2%), current cigarette smoking (10.4% vs. 2.0%), lifetime methamphetamine use (13.1% vs. 3.1%), and lifetime ecstasy use (11.0% vs. 3.8%). While not statistically significant, trends indicated elevated rates among homeless adolescents for cigar smoking, smokeless tobacco, lifetime prescription pain medication, and lifetime cocaine use.
Conclusion:
Our findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive support services and targeted interventions to address substance use disparities among homeless adolescents. Long-term research is crucial to clarify the relationship between homelessness and substance use and mitigate adverse health outcomes.
The optical properties and direct radiative forcing potential of atmospheric aerosols in Northeastern Greenland
Authors: Thomas Daniel Charles , Beddows David , Pernov Jakob Boyd , Massling Andreas , Nøjgaard Jakob Klenø , Harrison Roy M. , Dall'Osto Manuel , Močnik Griša , Skov Henrik
Published: April 2024

The radiative forcing effect of aerosols is an element of climate change that presently carries large uncertainties, especially in the Arctic region. It is particularly important to investigate this due to the severity of observed warming in the Arctic, which is over twice the global rate. This study aims to assess the direct radiative forcing potential of aerosols using measurements of particle number size distribution, optical properties and meteorological data, all of which are common and accessible measurements for Arctic sites. It introduces a measure of the Potential Direct Radiative Forcing (PDRF) which describes the interaction between aerosols and sunlight throughout the year, and is expressed as the irradiance of light scattered or absorbed by aerosols per unit path length that the sunlight travels. PDRF values are calculated for eight different aerosol types, differentiated using k-means clustering of the particle number size distribution spectra observed at Villum Research Station in North Greenland. It also accounts for the intensity of incoming solar radiation, which exhibits extreme seasonality in the Arctic. PDRF was found to peak in the late spring for both the scattering and absorption processes when the Arctic haze is still present in the atmosphere and the daily solar irradiance begins to sharply increase. Interestingly, PDRF was also found to be relatively high in summer, especially from scattering, owing to the intense sunlight. Mean yearly relative contributions to PDRF for scattering from the Biogenic, Anthropogenic, Mixed and Background cluster groups were found to be 20%, 38%, 31% and 11%, respectively. For absorption, the Biogenic, Anthropogenic, Mixed and Background groups contribute 16%, 56%, 19% and 9%, respectively. These results indicate that biogenic aerosols may have a considerable direct radiative impact, which may increase as Arctic sea ice melt results in increased emissions of marine aerosol precursors.
Die Anwendung des kartellrechtlichen Diskriminierungsverbots auf marktbeherrschende Intermediäre
Authors: Kowol Emiel
Published: April 2024

Nach deutschem und europäischem Wettbewerbsrecht ist marktbeherrschenden Unternehmen eine ungerechtfertigte Diskriminierung ihrer Geschäftspartner versagt, § 19 Abs. 1, 2 Nr. 1 GWB. Dieses kartellrechtliche Diskriminierungsverbot bietet mit seiner auf die Marktoffenheit gerichteten Zielsetzung einen konzeptionellen Anknupfungspunkt fur die wettbewerblichen Gefahren konzentrationsgeneigter mehrseitiger Markte mit marktbeherrschenden Intermediaren, insbesondere in der Digitalokonomie. Der Zugang zu Vermittlungsleistungen kann hier von sachgerechten, angemessenen und diskriminierungsfrei gehandhabten Kriterien abhängig gemacht werden. Sind die Vermittler zudem vertikal integriert, kann aus § 19 Abs. 2 Nr. 1 GWB auch ein Selbstbevorzugungsverbot abgeleitet werden. Trotz neuer Instrumente behält das klassische kartellrechtliche Diskriminierungsverbot auch in solchen Fällen Bedeutung.
PREVENTION OF OVARIAN, FALLOPIAN TUBE, AND PERITONEAL SEROUS CANCERS (LITERATURE REVIEW)
Authors: Sumtsov Dmytro
Published: April 2024

This literature review presents an analysis of the incidence and state of prevention of highly malignant tumors that are difficult to diagnose: serous ovarian cancer, primary fallopian tube cancer, and primary peritoneal cancer. In this group of patients, ovarian cancer amounts to 82.0%, fallopian tube cancer – 6.4%, and peritoneal cancer – 10.7%. The problem is very urgent, since, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), more than 225,000 new cases of ovarian cancer alone are registered annually in the world, and more than half of the patients die during the year. No more than 30% of the treated patients survive for up to 10 years. Such poor results are due to the lack of effective methods of prevention and the difficulties of diagnosing this group of diseases.
Methods. The author selected from the world literature more than 45 scientific works on the problems of incidence and prevention of ovarian cancer, primary fallopian tube cancer, and peritoneal cancer and carried out a detailed analysis of them.
Results and Discussion. At the beginning of the 21st century, after a number of morphological, immunohistochemical, and molecular genetic examinations, the global scientific community clearly proved that the root cause of serous ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancers is the pathology of the fallopian tube mucosa. Practical observations revealed that women who underwent salpingectomy or tubal sterilization had a much lower risk of serous pelvic cancers. As a result of these examinations and observations, clinical recommendations were made: in order to prevent ovarian cancer, women should be suggested opportunistic bilateral salpingectomy during their operations in the post-reproductive age. Sterilization should be done by removing the fallopian tubes, not by ligation, because of the lower efficiency of the latter. According to the reports of some authors, this method can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 90–98%. There is a lack of reports on the prevention of fallopian tube and peritoneal cancers in the periodical scientific literature, but we can assume that they will not be worse than those for ovarian cancer.
POTENTIAL RISKS OF SLEEP DISORDERS IN CHILDREN OF THE KHARKIV OBLAST DURING THE MILITARY CONFLICT: SURVEY RESULTS
Authors: Riga Olena , Onikiienko Oleksandr , Sych Diana , Tkachenko Olha , Tsymbal Valentyn , Sanina Iryna
Published: April 2024

Introduction. Problems of sleep disorders in children are not given much attention. Since the beginning of military activities on the territory of Ukraine, sleep quality has been affected by different factors.
Materials and Methods. We surveyed 232 healthy children aged 11–18 years who were residents of the Kharkiv Oblast and determined potential factors of sleep disorders depending on age, gender, and environmental factors using an original 20-question questionnaire in April 2023. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were used.
Results. We registered age-dependent sleep behaviour disorders, which increased with age. 99 (42.7 %) children were found to go to bed after 24:00, while 122 (52.6 %) children slept less than 7–8 hours a day. The use of gadgets before going to bed for more than 2 hours was characteristic of children older than 13 years, and 66 (28.4 %) children used them for more than 3 hours. 32 (13.7 %) children associated the use of gadgets with poor sleep, 50 (21.5 %) children – with headaches, 93 (40.0 %) children – with morning weakness, and 148 (63.7 %) children – with doing homework. Forcibly relocated children did not go to bed when they felt they wanted to sleep 1.6 times more often; they had a sleep duration of less than 7 hours 5 times more often and noted daytime fatigue 1.4 times more often. Staying in Kharkiv and the region during the hostilities led to sleep behaviour disorders, namely, the inability to fall asleep and wake up at the same time, 1.2 times more frequently.
Conclusions. A significant contribution to sleep behaviour disorder in children is made by the use of gadgets before going to bed and doing school homework, forced relocation and living in the Kharkiv Oblast during the military conflict.
Exogenous Cytokinin Induces Callus and Protocorm-Like-Bodies (PLBs) Formation in In Vitro Root Tips of Vanilla planifolia Andrews
Authors: Li Chin Chai  , Peter G. Alderson  , Chiew Foan Chin
Published: April 2024

Vanilla is a popular flavouring essence derived from the pods of vanilla orchid plants. Due to the high demand for vanilla flavour, high yielding vanilla plantlets are necessary for establishing vanilla plantations. Clonal micropropagation is a viable technique for the mass production of high yielding vanilla plantlets. This study reports an efficient regeneration protocol by using cytokinin as the sole plant growth regulator to regenerate plantlets from the root tips of a commercial vanilla orchid species, Vanilla planifolia. Most studies to date have reported using seeds and nodes as starting explants for in vitro micropropagation of vanilla orchids. So far, regeneration from roots has not been very successful. Previous studies favoured the use of auxins only or high auxin to cytokinin ratios to induce callus, and sole cytokinins were used for direct shoot regeneration. However, it was sporadically observed in plantlets regeneration of V. planifolia that multiple shoots were regenerated from the tips of intact aerial roots submerged in media. This study therefore investigated the regeneration of excised vanilla root tips through the application of most commonly used auxins (1-naphthaleneacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and cytokinins (6-benzylaminopurine and thidiazuron). High auxin presence is known to promote callusing in in vitro plants. However, in this study, auxin treatment inhibits callusing in root tips. While cytokinin treatments, even at low levels, has promoted high rate of callusing. These callus cells regenerate into PLB shoots when cytokinin levels are increased to 0.5 mg/mL BAP under light conditions. The findings of the study have the potential of providing large quantity of high yielding vanilla plantlets through clonal micropropagation.
Genetic Diversity of White-spotted Rabbitfish (Siganus canaliculatus) on Different Seagrass Habitats in Inner Ambon Bay, Indonesia Based on Mitochondrial CO1 Sequences
Authors: Husain Latuconsina  , Nurlisa A. Butet  , Ridwan Affandi  , M. Mukhlis Kamal  , Syamsul Bachry  , Agus Alim Hakim
Published: April 2024

This study aims to analyse the genetic diversity of Siganus canaliculatus in the Inner Ambon Bay (IAB) waters. DNA of S. canaliculatus specimens collected from IAB was extracted from tissues using a Tissue Genomic DNA Mini Kit, and partial CO1 genes were amplified using pair of universal primers. Genetic distances were determined by Kimura 2-parameter, and phylogenetic trees were constructed using the neighbour-joining method in MEGA 10.2.2 software. Arlequin software was used to analyse Fixation Index (Fst) and Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA). There are three SNPs of S. canaliculatus from IAB that distinguish GenBank sequence data from S. canaliculatus. In Tanjung Tiram population group, contained three specific 677 (A), 679 (G), 703 (T) sites and two 693 (G), 714 (A) sites for the Nania population. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity of each population range from 0.000 to 1,000 and 0.000 to 0.004. Intra- and inter-population genetic differentiation were 21.19% dan 78.81%, respectively. Intra- and inter-population genetic distances were in range of 0.40–1.13 and 0.00–0.37, respectively. The pattern and direction of tidal currents as a link or barrier to spatial distribution and connectivity of S. canaliculatus larvae between seagrass habitats, as well as the presence of different anthropogenic pressures in each seagrass habitat, are thought to influence the genetic characteristics (genetic diversity, genetic variation, genetic differentiation and genetic distance) of S. canaliculatus populations in IAB waters. The results of this study provide information about the urgency of habitat-based fisheries management to support sustainable utilisation.
Diversity, Encounter Rate and Detection of Non-Volant Nocturnal Mammals on Two Malaysian Islands
Authors: Priscillia Miard  , Foo Kai Xin  , Sapphire Hampshire  , Nik Fadzly Nik Rosely  , Henry Bernard  , Nadine Ruppert
Published: April 2024

Nocturnal mammals constitute a crucial component of tropical faunal diversity, but not much is known about the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on the habitat use and detectability of these species. We investigated which habitat and environmental variables impact the detectability of non-volant nocturnal arboreal mammals across varying habitat types at two tropical islands with different levels of anthropogenic development in Malaysia. We conducted night transect line and point count surveys following pre-existing paths in Penang Island and Langkawi Island between 2019 and 2020. We used a head torch with red filter and a thermal imaging device (FLIR) to enhance animal detection success. We calculated the encounter rates (individual km–1) for each species as a proxy for abundance. Overall, we detected 17 species, but did not find higher species diversity in intact forested environments compared to disturbed areas. Encounter rates of the most observed species were influenced by ‘time after sunset’ on the highly developed island of Penang, whereas on the rural island of Langkawi, detection was higher in sites with better canopy connectivity. Different species of non-volant nocturnal arboreal mammals use their respective habitats differently and thus, are differently impacted by varying levels of anthropogenic activities. Our results provided baseline data on the diversity, encounter rate, and detectability of these highly elusive species, which can also help to further improve methodologies for the detection of nocturnal wildlife.
Alleviation of Cadmium Stress in Rice Seedlings Inoculated with Enterobacter tabaci 4M9 (CCB-MBL 5004)
Authors: Saidu Abdullahi  , Hazzeman Haris  , Kamarul Zaman Zarkasi  , Amir Hamzah Ghazali
Published: April 2024

The growth of crop plants is greatly affected by the increased toxicity of metals. Luckily, certain beneficial bacteria can potentially reduce the effects of metal stress and promote the growth of the host plants. Many species of bacteria were reported as heavy metal tolerant and plant growth promoting, with very little or no report available concerning Enterobacter tabaci as heavy metal tolerant plant growth promoting. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of Cadmium (Cd) tolerant Enterobacter tabaci 4M9 (CCB-MBL 5004) to alleviate heavy metals stress and enhance the growth of rice seedlings grown under Cd stress conditions. Rice seedlings were grown in Yoshida medium supplemented with different concentrations of Cd and inoculated with 4M9. The results showed that the inoculum tested successfully reduced oxidative stress in the seedlings by reducing the electrolyte leakage (EL) and increasing catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the inoculated seedlings compared to the control counterparts. The results also revealed a significant increase in plant growth, biomass, and chlorophyll content of inoculated rice seedlings compared to the control. In general, the Cd tolerant E. tabaci 4M9 confers heavy metal alleviation and thereby improves the growth and survival of rice seedlings under Cd stress conditions. Therefore, the findings stated the potential of 4M9 for alleviating heavy metal stress and promoting the development of inoculated rice seedlings if accidentally grown under Cd-contaminated conditions.
Måleegenskaper ved den norske versjonen av Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, foreldrerapport (SDQ-P)
Authors: Kornør Hege , Heyerdahl Sonja
Published: April 2024

Beskrivelse: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) er et sett spørreskjema for utfylling av foreldre, lærere og barn ≥ 11 år. SDQ ble opprinnelig utgitt på engelsk av Robert Goodman i 1997. I 1999 kom de norske versjonene, basert på en oversettelse og tilbakeoversettelse ved Einar Heiervang og kolleger. Robert Goodman eier rettighetene til testen. Foreldreversjonen (SDQ-P) har 25 ledd fordelt på fem delskalaer. Det er et skjema som skal fylles ut av foreldre for å kartlegge psykiske helse, vennerelasjoner og prososial atferd hos barn i alderen 4-17 år. Det tar noen få minutter å fylle ut. Forskere, klinikere og pedagoger kan administrere og tolke SDQ-P. Litteratursøk: Våre systematiske søk etter dokumentasjon for måleegenskapene ved den norske versjonen av SDQ-P førte til 408 unike treff, hvorav 66 publikasjoner fra 34 studier ble inkludert. I alt 35 av publikasjonene rapporterte fra store befolkningsstudier i Akershus, Bergen, Trondheim, Bodø, Østfold, Romsdal, Oslo og andre deler av landet. Psykometri: De store befolkningsstudiene bidro med regionale normdata for barn og ungdom i alderen 4-19 år. I tre av studiene undersøkte forskerne faktorstrukturen til SDQ-P, og fire studier og to delstudier rapporterte verdier for diagnostisk nøyaktighet. Gruppesammenlikninger mellom selekterte utvalg og referansegrupper belyste også validiteten ved instrumentet, spesielt resultater for ulike diagnostiske grupper. Tre studier undersøkte også samsvaret mellom SDQ-P-skårer og skårer på andre, tilsvarende instrumenter. Vi fant mål på indre konsistens (Cronbachs alfa) i 21 av de inkluderte artiklene. Konklusjon: SDQ-P har regionale normdata, men nasjonale data mangler. Forventede gruppeforskjeller og konfirmatoriske faktoranalyser støtter opp under instrumentets begrepsvaliditet. Tre av skalaene hadde utilfredsstillende indre konsistens. Evnen til å fange opp barn med en psykiatrisk diagnose synes å være ganske god. Likevel er ikke den diagnostiske nøyaktighet så god at SDQ-P kan anbefales som universelt screening-instrument. Den norske versjonen av SDQ-P kan være egnet til å screene for psykiatriske diagnoser i selekterte utvalg med risiko for psykiske helseproblemer.
Måleegenskaper ved den norske versjonen av Multidimensional Anxiety scale for children (MASC)
Authors: Villabø Marianne , Neumer Simon-Peter
Published: April 2024

Beskrivelse: Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) er et spørreskjema som brukes for å kartlegge symptomer på angst hos barn og unge. I den amerikanske manualen er det normer for barn og unge i alderen 8–17 år. MASC ble utviklet av John March og kolleger i 1997 og Multi-Health Systems eier rettighetene til testen. Skjemaet har 39 ledd fordelt på fire delskalaer. I sin opprinnelige form ble skjemaet fylt ut av barnet selv. Nylig har det også kommet en foreldreversjon.
Litteratursøk: Det systematiske litteratursøket resulterte i 12 norske og 30 svenske eller danske treff. Fem norske og to svenske publikasjoner ble inkludert. Tre av de norske publikasjonene kom fra samme studie. De norske studiene var alle basert på deltagere i alderen 7–13 år, fra kliniske utvalg.
Psykometri: Norske normer finnes ikke, men amerikanske normer er tilgjengelige. For tenåringer finnes det også svenske normer. I en norsk studie fremkom det godt samsvar mellom relevante delskalaer og diagnoser satt av kliniker, noe som understøtter begrepsvaliditeten til instrumentet. Totalskåren skilte mellom barn med og uten en angstdiagnose og underskalaene for sosial angst og separasjonsangst/panikk var assosiert med bekreftet diagnose for sosial angstlidelse og separasjonsangstlidelse. Skalaene viste god til utmerket indre konsistens. Grad av samsvar mellom foreldre og barn var lav.
Konklusjon: Den norske oversettelsen av MASC har gode psykometriske egenskaper i tråd med det som er vist i internasjonale studier.
Måleegenskaper ved de norske versjonene av Ravens matriser (Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM)/Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM))
Authors: Helland-Riise Fredrik , Martinussen Monica
Published: April 2024

Beskrivelse: Ravens matriser består av flere varianter der Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) (5– 11 år) og Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) (8–65 år) kan anvendes for barn og unge. Testen ble utviklet av John C. Raven, og SPM ble først publisert i 1938, mens CPM-versjonen ble publisert i 1998. Testen er ment å måle non-verbal intelligens eller evne til abstrakt resonnering ved at barnet skal finne systemet bak hvordan ulike geometriske figurer er satt opp. Begge versjonene av Raven har oppgaver med økende vanskelighetsgrad organisert i ulike sett. Testen skåres ved at antallet riktige svar summeres opp til en totalskår. Dette kan konverteres til prosentiler basert på normtabellene i manualene. Testen administreres vanligvis uten tidsbegrensning for barn og unge, og det stilles krav om at de som skal anvende testen er sertifisert for å anvende evnetester eller er psykologer. Pearson Assessment har rettighetene til salg og distribusjon av testen i Skandinavia og internasjonalt (pearsonassessment.no).
Litteratursøk: Til sammen ble 15 norske og 24 svenske/danske artikler inkludert i oppsummeringen. Ingen av disse var rene psykometriske studier, men stort sett studier der Raven ble brukt for å måle intelligens enten som utkommevariabel, kontrollvariabel eller for å beskrive gruppen. Litt under halvparten av studiene var basert på kliniske grupper (for eksempel autisme, epilepsi eller døve), men de øvrige studiene var basert på skolebarn fra 5–16 (SPM) og 5–7 (CPM) år.
Psykometri: Ingen av studiene hadde gjennomført adekvate studier av testens reliabilitet og det er heller ikke gjennomført normstudier basert på norske eller svensk/danske utvalg. Resultatene fra studiene støtter begrepsvaliditeten til testen som et godt mål på abstrakt resonneringsevne ved generelt høye korrelasjoner med andre kognitive tester.
Konklusjon: Det er god dokumentasjon på testens begrepsvaliditet, men det mangler studier av testens reliabilitet basert på norske eller svenske/danske utvalg. Det er heller ikke normstudier fra Skandinavia, noe som er problematisk ved klinisk bruk av testen.
Måleegenskaper ved den norske versjonen av Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children – Parent version (MASC-P)
Authors: Rasmussen Lene-Mari Potulski , Ingul Jo Magne
Published: April 2024

Beskrivelse: Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children – parent version (MASC-P) kartlegger angstsymptomer hos barn og unge basert på foreldrerapporteringer. Originalutgaven ble utviklet i 1997 av John March og kollegaer. Arnulf Kolstad har oversatt instrumentet til norsk. MultiHealth Systems (MHS) er utgiver og de krever lisens for å benytte instrumentet. Selvespørreskjemaet består av 39 ledd, fordelt på fire delskalaer. En totalsum angir alvorlighetsgrad av angstsymptomer hos barnet. I tillegg gis en indikasjon på hvilken av de ulike dimensjonene av angst som barnet skårer høyest på gjennom skårer på de ulike delskalaene. Det tar 10 til 15 minutter å gjennomføre testen, og det oppfordres til at man har en viss kjennskap til bruk avtester (tilsvarende kvalifikasjonsnivå B hos den britiske psykologforeningen) for å administrere, skåre og tolke resultatene. Litteratursøk: Seks norske artikler ble inkluderte etter gjennomgang av litteratursøket. De inkluderte studiene rapporterte psykometriske data fra foreldre til kliniske og symptomatiske barn i alderen 7–13 år. Psykometri: Psykometriske data omfattet beregninger av indre konsistens og begrepsvaliditet. Begrepsvaliditet ble vurdert gjennom sammenligninger i skårer mellom kliniske og ikke-kliniske utvalg, og i hvilken grad MASC-P skårer predikerte angstdiagnoser. Gjennomsnittsverdier, median, gruppeforskjeller, samt samsvar mellom barn og foreldre ble også oppgitt i de inkluderte artiklene. Konklusjon: MASC-P demonstrerer adekvate psykometriske egenskaper i samsvar med internasjonale studier. Studiene viser god til utmerket indre konsistens for de ulike skalaene, og instrumentet er i stand til å skille mellom ulike grupper. Det foreligger ingen norske normeringsstudier og sensitivitet for endring vurderes som uavklart.
Måleegenskaper ved den norske lærerversjonen av Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)
Authors: Køhn Kristian , Halvorsen Marianne
Published: April 2024

Beskrivelse: Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function lærerversjon (BRIEF; Gioia et al., 2000) er et standardisert spørreskjema for elever i alderen 5–18 år. Det brukes som mål på reguleringsfunksjoner i skoleatferd. Internasjonale rettighetshavere er Psychological Assessment Resources Inc. Norsk utgave ble utgitt og opprinnelig oversatt til norsk første gang i 2004 (Sørensen & Hysing, 2014). Det foreligger norsk lærerskjema og skåringsark, mens selve manualen og utfyllende instruksjoner for skåring og tolkning er amerikanske. Spørreskjemaet består av 86 ledd fordelt på åtte delskalaer og indeksskalaene Atferdsregulering, Metakognisjon og totalskåren Generell eksekutiv funksjon. Fagpersoner som tolker BRIEF-skårer skal ha diagnostiseringskompetanse (psykolog/lege) og kompetanse i bruk av psykologiske tester. Litteratursøk: Systematisk litteratursøk ga 175 skandinaviske treff. Tre norske studier som inneholdt relevante psykometriske data i form av middelverdier, reliabilitet og validitet, oppfylte inklusjonskriteriene. Utvalgene var norske barn i barneskolealder, der deler av utvalgene var barn som hadde vært i kontakt med PPT og BUP. Psykometri: Det ble funnet noe støtte for at amerikanske originalnormer kan benyttes i Norge da middelverdier for norske fjerdeklassinger i hovedsak var sammenfallende med originalnormene. Norske studier understøttet i tillegg instrumentets reliabilitet, begrepsvaliditet, kriterievaliditet og endringssensitivitet. Konklusjon: Begrepsvaliditeten til BRIEF lærerversjon er støttet gjennom faktoranalyse. En finner forventede skåringsforskjeller mellom kliniske grupper og normalgrupper som underbygger begrepsvaliditeten. De ulike indeksskalaenes indre konsistens, interraterreliabilitet og endringssensitivitet er støttet og i tråd med funn for den originale versjonen av testen. BRIEF lærerversjon kan med forsiktighet benyttes med originale amerikanske normer i Norge. Det er en viss fare for undervurdering av barnets vansker på skalaene Fleksibilitet og Planlegging / organisering ved bruk av amerikanske normer.