bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Typology of Iranian farmers' vulnerability to the COVID-19 outbreak
Authors: Moradhaseli Somayeh , Ataei Pouria , Karimi Hamid , Hajialiani Sara
Published: December 2022

Context

Presently, farmers are faced with a new crisis caused by the outbreak of COVID-19. On the one hand, they are vulnerable to such respiratory diseases due to the nature of their farming activity. On the other hand, they will definitely be influenced by the pandemic in different aspects no matter if they do not contract the infection. So, this research aimed to study the vulnerability of farmers to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

The present study was conducted using the quantitative approach and a descriptive-survey methodology. The statistical population was composed of farmers in Kermanshah province, Iran (N= 126,900). The sample (n= 382) was taken by the multistage stratified sampling technique with proportional allocation. The research instrument was a self-designed questionnaire whose face and content validity was confirmed by a panel of relevant experts and its reliability was supported in a pilot test.

Results

The main damages of the pandemic to the farmers were found to be the increased costs of production, permanent or seasonal unemployment, reduced access to crop sale markets, and reduced control over pests and diseases at farms. The results revealed that the means of environmental, agronomic-vocational, and economic vulnerability were greater than the scale mean. The results also illustrated significant differences in the means of economic, psychological-social, agronomic-vocational, and environmental dimensions of vulnerability. Among these dimensions, the variable of agronomic-vocational vulnerability had the highest mean, and the variable of psychological-social vulnerability had the lowest mean.

Conclusion

Farmers have been one of the groups most severely influenced and damaged by the pandemic in various aspects. In this regard, organizations and institutions in charge of different agriculture sections, especially the Office of Agricultural Extension and Education, must develop practical strategies to reduce the effect of the pandemic on the agricultural sector. Identifying the dimensions and parameters of farmers' vulnerability in the face of COVID-19 can provide new and appropriate solutions to relevant planners and policymakers.
Association between immunity and viral shedding duration in non-severe SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant-infected patients
Authors: He Shaojun , Fang Yanhong , Yang Jiong , Wang Wei
Published: December 2022

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory-related disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). More than 200 countries worldwide are affected by this disease. The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is the major epidemic variant worldwide and is characterized by higher infectivity. However, the immunity and risk factors for prolonged viral elimination in patients with non-severe SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infections are unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between immunity and duration of viral elimination in non-severe SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant-infected patients in Shanghai.

Methods

In total, 108 non-severe SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant-infected patients from Shanghai New International Expo Center Fangcang Shelter Hospital were recruited in this study. They were further allocated to the early elimination (EE) and prolonged elimination (PE) groups according to SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid positivity duration.

Results

Compared to patients with EE, those with PE had increased serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-5, IL-6, and IL-8; higher neutrophil count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR); lower lymphocyte, eosinophil, and red blood cell counts; and lower concentrations of hemoglobin and albumin (ALB). In lymphocyte subpopulation analysis, lower numbers of CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and NK cells and a higher CD4/CD8 ratio were observed in patients with PE. In addition, correlation analysis results revealed that cycle threshold values of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant ORF1ab and N were negatively correlated with IL-6 and IL-8 levels and positively correlated with eosinophil count in patients with COVID-19. Finally, multivariate regression analysis showed that ALB, CD4/CD8 ratio, NLR, and eosinophil count were predictors of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant elimination.

Conclusion

In this study, we identified that the ALB, CD4/CD8 ratio, NLR, and eosinophil count were risk factors for prolonged viral elimination in non-severe SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant-infected patients. These factors might be efficient indicators in the diagnosis, evaluation, and prognosis monitoring of the disease.
Symptom association between social anxiety disorder, appearance anxiety, and eating disorders among Chinese University students: A network analysis to conceptualize comorbidity
Authors: Jin Yu , Xu Shicun , Chen Chang , Wilson Amanda , Gao Desheng , Ji Yan , Sun Xi , Wang Yuanyuan
Published: December 2022

Background

Incidences of social anxiety disorder (SAD), appearance anxiety, and eating disorders (ED) show an increased prevalence among young people. However, symptoms' associations between these disorders have not been investigated in depth. Network analysis is an approach that can be used to explain the relationship(s) between symptoms of different psychological disorders. Using network analysis, this study aimed to explore the association and potential interacting mechanisms between SAD, appearance anxiety, and ED.

Methods

This study included 96,218 University students from Jilin Province, China. SAD, appearance anxiety and ED were assessed using the Social Anxiety Subscale of the Self-Consciousness Scale (SASS), the Appearance Anxiety Scale Brief Version (AASBV), and the Sick, Control, One, Fat, Food questionnaire (SCOFF), Chinese versions. Network analysis was employed to investigate the symptom associations, while the stability of the network model was analyzed using statistical measures.

Results

The prevalence of ED among the total sample was 38% (95% CI: 38.1–38.8%), while this figure was 31.2% (95% CI: 30.7–31.6%) in males and 43.6% (95% CI: 43.2–44.0%) in females. Additionally, the total score of SAD was significantly higher in females (11.83 ± 5.37) than it in males (10.02 ± 5.46) (P < 0.001). While the total score of appearance anxiety was also different significantly in gender (39.21 ± 9.49 in females vs. 38 ± 9.42 in males) (P < 0.001). Results showed that ED was associated with all three aspects of appearance anxiety, including “appearance concern,” “appearance satisfaction,” and “wish for good looks.” Appearance anxiety and SAD were also associated; specifically, symptoms of “appearance satisfaction” were significantly associated with the symptoms “easily talk to strangers” and “appearance concern”, which was also significantly associated with “embarrassed”. Compared with males, females showed significantly stronger associations with appearance anxiety symptoms, while ED symptoms were associated with “troubled by being watched” and “appearance concern”.

Conclusion

Appearance anxiety was associated with both ED and SAD symptoms. ED may have a potential relationship with SAD, affecting appearance anxiety indirectly. Significant differences were found among males and females in symptom associations between appearance anxiety and SAD. This study therefore clarified that young people should have body-positive interventions and challenge the normative body image discourse, which may help alleviate symptoms of SAD and ED.
More exposure to medical injury news, better doctor-patient communication, but less doctors' professional identity: A moderated chain mediation model
Authors: Li Qiwei , Zhou Jie , Chen Lei
Published: December 2022

Objectives

In recent years, news of medical malignant injury events has become common in China. However, it is unclear how exposure to this news affects medical staff.

Methods

The present study collected data from a sample of 311 medical staff in China. It explored the effect of exposure to such news on medical staff's communication and willingness to let their children be doctors, which was an attitude that reflects their professional identity well. In addition, this study also examined the mediating roles of outgroup attribution and anxiety, and the moderating role of social support.

Results

The results showed that exposure to news of medical injury could positively and directly predict the quality of doctor-patient communication, but negatively and indirectly predict medical staff's willingness to let their children become doctors. These effects existed through the mediating role of anxiety and the chain mediating role of both outgroup attribution and anxiety. In addition, social support could mitigate the negative correlation between news exposure and outgroup attribution.

Conclusions

These results suggest that news of medical malignant injury events may incentivize medical staff to improve the quality of communication in the short term, but it is not conducive to medical staff's long-term mental health. That is, exposure to news of medical injury is likely to lead to a negative influence on their professional identity, although social support can alleviate this negative influence.
A nomogram of suicidal ideation among men who have sex with men in China: Based on the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicidal behavior
Authors: Xu Chen , Wang Zuxin , Liu Shangbin , Chen Hui , Chen Yingjie , Xia Danni , Chen Yufei , Xu Huifang , Hu Fan , Wang Ying , Cai Yong , Chen Jianyu
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are a high-risk group for suicide, with a much higher prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI) than the general population and male population. The aim of this study was to explore the risk factors influencing the development of SI and to develop and validate a nomogram among MSM.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 915 MSM from Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen and Kunming, China using the snowball sampling method. The integrated motivational-volitional (IMV) model of suicidal behavior was used as a theoretical framework to collect different potential influencing factors of SI including diathesis-environment-life events factors and psychosocial factors. The risk factors of SI were screened by logistic regression analysis, and a nomogram for predicting SI were developed. Model properties including discrimination, calibration and decision curves were evaluated to validate the prediction model.

Results

882 MSM were included in the statistical analysis, with a lifetime prevalence of SI of 34.4% (303/882). Logistic regression analysis showed that age group, sexual orientation disclosure, high-risk sexual behavior, entrapment, defeat and interpersonal needs were associated with SI. A nomogram was constructed based on the above six predictors. AUC values of ROC for prediction model were 0.761 (0.641–0.770) and 0.754 (0.565–0.822) in the training set (n = 662) and validation set (n = 220), respectively. And there was no statistical difference of the AUC values between the two sets (P > 0.05). The calibration plots of the prediction model in both sets fit well with the ideal model (P > 0.05). The decision curves demonstrated that the threshold probability of prediction model in training set was 1–85%, whereas in validation set was 1–63%.

Conclusions

The lifetime prevalence of SI among Chinese MSM is high. The nomogram can serve as a useful tool to predict the development of SI among MSM. Defeat, entrapment and interpersonal needs, as significant predictors of SI, can be measured to identify SI in advance. Early assessment of SI and the enhancement of psychosocial interventions are important to prevent suicide-related behaviors. Future studies could incorporate more variables of interest to refine the prediction model to better guide behavioral and psychological intervention strategies among MSM.
Using standardized patients to assess the quality of type 2 diabetes care among primary care providers and the health system: Evidence from rural areas of western China
Authors: Wu Yuju , Ye Ruixue , Sun Chang , Meng Sha , Cai Zhengjie , Li Linhua , Sylvia Sean , Zhou Huan , Pappas Lucy , Rozelle Scott
Published: December 2022

Background

Improving type 2 diabetes (T2D) care is key to managing and reducing disease burden due to the growing prevalence of diabetes worldwide, but research on this topic, specifically from rural areas, is limited. This study uses standardized patients (SPs) to assess T2D care quality among primary care providers to access the healthcare system in rural China.

Methods

Using multi-stage random sampling, health facilities, providers, and households were selected. SPs were used to evaluate providers' T2D care quality and a questionnaire survey was used to collect patient sorting behaviors from households. Logistic regression was used to explore factors correlated with T2D care quality. Provider referral and treatment rates were combined with patient sorting behaviors to assess the overall quality of T2D management by rural China's healthcare system.

Results

A total of 126 providers, 106 facilities, and 750 households were enrolled into this study. During SP interactions, 20% of rural providers followed the national guidelines for T2D consultation, 32.5% gave correct treatment, and 54.7% provided lifestyle suggestions. Multi-variable regression results showed that providers who had earned practicing certificates (β = 1.56, 95% CI: 0.44, 2.69) and saw more patients (β = 0.77, 95%: 0.25, 1.28) were more likely to use a higher number of recommended questions and perform better examinations, whereas providers who participated in online training were less likely to practice these behaviors (β = −1.03, 95%: −1.95, −0.11). The number of recommended questions and examination (NRQE) was the only significant correlated factor with correct treatment (marginal effect = 0.05, 95%: 0.01, 0.08). Throughout the rural healthcare system, 23.7% of T2D patients were treated correctly.

Conclusion

The quality of T2D care in rural western China, especially throughout the consultation and treatment process during a patient's first visit, is poor. Online training may not improve T2D care quality and low patient volume was likely to indicate poor care quality. Further research is needed to explore interventions for improving T2D care quality in rural China's healthcare system.
Perceived stress and readiness to undertake biodebridement in the group of nurses undertaking prevention and treatment of chronic wounds
Authors: Przybek Mita Joanna , Bazaliński Dariusz , Sztembis Rafał , Kuberka Izabela , Więch Paweł
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Stress as the body's response to adverse stimulus is recognized as one of the key problems in basic and clinical neurological studies. Stress is an indispensable component of modern nursing with its low doses being desirable, however, prolonged stress is detrimental to health increasing the risk of chronic disease i.e., hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, electrolyte disturbances, occupational burnout, depression, anxiety disorders. The implementation of certain techniques and therapeutic methods may have a stressful effect from the point of view of practice and the patient's condition.

Methods

The authors undertook the study to assess the intensity of the perceived stress in the group of nurses dealing with wound care in the perspective of implementing wound debridment using Lucilia sericata larvae. The study group consisted of 290 nurses specialized in chronic wounds undergoing training at the Postgraduate Training Center of Nurses and Midwives in Rzeszów, out of the entire group of 1.136 individuals participating in training courses organized in Poland in 2020–2021. The study used the diagnostic survey method, the research tool was a scientific research protocol consisting of tools (MDT perception questionnaire, perceived stress scale (PSS-10).

Results

Certain differences in the level of stress in the study sample were observed between age categories, but they were not statistically significant. The greatest differences between the levels of stress in the study sample were observed between people who completed treatment courses and those who did not complete these courses. The higher the stress level, the lower the willingness to undertake such therapy. The analysis of grouped data leads to interesting observations. There were statistically significant differences in the score in the MDT10 scale in the categories of people with different stress levels. The highest readiness to implement MDT was observed in the category of people with the lowest perceived level of stress.

Conclusions

The level of professional experience related to postgraduate education increases opportunities addressing new professional challenges. The level of perceived stress may influence decisions related to the use of biological therapy. The higher the level of stress, the lower the readiness to undertake MDT.
Effective Prediction and Important Counseling Experience for Perceived Helpfulness of Social Question and Answering-Based Online Counseling: An Explainable Machine Learning Model
Authors: Huang Yinghui , Liu Hui , Li Shen , Wang Weijun , Zhou Zongkui
Published: December 2022

The social question answering based online counseling (SQA-OC) is easy access for people seeking professional mental health information and service, has become the crucial pre-consultation and application stage toward online counseling. However, there is a lack of efforts to evaluate and explain the counselors' service quality in such an asynchronous online questioning and answering (QA) format efficiently. This study applied the notion of perceived helpfulness as a public's perception of counselors' service quality in SQA-OC, used computational linguistic and explainable machine learning (XML) methods suited for large-scale QA discourse analysis to build an predictive model, explored how various sources and types of linguistic cues [i.e., Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), topic consistency, linguistic style similarity, emotional similarity] contributed to the perceived helpfulness. Results show that linguistic cues from counselees, counselors, and synchrony between them are important predictors, the linguistic cues and XML can effectively predict and explain the perceived usefulness of SQA-OC, and support operational decision-making for counselors. Five helpful counseling experiences including linguistic styles of “talkative”, “empathy”, “thoughtful”, “concise with distance”, and “friendliness and confident” were identified in the SQA-OC. The paper proposed a method to evaluate the perceived helpfulness of SQA-OC service automatically, effectively, and explainable, shedding light on the understanding of the SQA-OC service outcome and the design of a better mechanism for SQA-OC systems.
Patient satisfaction with quality of care in public hospitals in Albania
Authors: Kalaja Rezarta , Krasniqi Marsida
Published: December 2022

Healthcare service quality and hospitalized patient satisfaction in Albania have never truly received the necessary attention. The aim of this study is the assessment of key elements of service quality and their relationship with patients' satisfaction with receiving healthcare at public health institutions in Albania. The study examines five key dimensions of quality such as responsiveness, reliability, assurance, tangibles, and staff empathy to assess properly the healthcare quality and patient satisfaction in Albania based on the SERVQUAL instrument, which measures the differences between patient's perceptions of service quality received, and their expectations in terms of these five dimensions. A total of 800 randomly selected patients were interviewed in the main cities of Albania in public hospitals. A respective literature review was also a necessity to determine not only the appropriate methodology to be applied, together with the right quality dimensions to use but also for a better understanding of the link between service quality and patient satisfaction. The determination of the main quality factors which contribute to patient satisfaction, as well as, their order of importance, is another key aspect of the study, which finalizes with appropriate recommendations that might help quality improvement in future. The analysis shows that overall patient satisfaction is affected in public hospitals by all dimensions of service quality. Therefore, patients' perspective is extremely important in assessing healthcare service quality and should be taken into consideration by healthcare managers and policymakers in Albania, whenever significant reforms will be undertaken to improve the quality of services in this sector.
The duration and body position during tongue-kissing among heterosexual men and women
Authors: Tran Julien , Fairley Christopher K. , Ong Jason J. , Bradshaw Catriona S. , Aung Ei T. , Maddaford Kate , Chen Marcus Y. , Hocking Jane S. , Chow Eric P. F.
Published: December 2022

Background

Emerging data suggest tongue-kissing may transmit gonorrhea. We aim to examine the duration or body position of heterosexual men and women during tongue-kissing (henceforth, known as kissing).

Methods

A cross-sectional survey among heterosexual men and women attending the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in Australia between May 2019 and March 2020 collected data on the duration and body position (i.e., on top of or lying down underneath) of their most recent kissing partner in the past 3 months. Univariable and multivariable linear regressions were performed to examine the association between gender and kissing duration.

Results

Of 2,866 individuals, 93.6% (n = 2,683) had at least one kissing partner in the past 3 months, which included 1,342 (50.1%) men and 1,341 (49.9%) women, and 87.2% (n = 2,339) had sex with their opposite-gender kissing partner. The adjusted mean duration of kissing with the most recent opposite-gender kissing partner did not differ between men and women (12.2 vs. 11.5 min, p = 0.170). More men were on top of their most recent opposite-gender kissing partner compared to women (87.9 vs. 82.9%, p < 0.001). Men reported a longer kissing duration than women when they were on top of the opposite-gender kissing partner (8.3 vs. 7.4 min, p = 0.006). More women had same-gender kissing partners than men (9.6 vs. 2.8%, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Men spending longer than women on top of their opposite-gender kissing partner suggests a potential alternative explanation for oropharyngeal gonorrhea being seen more commonly in women. Further research should investigate whether body positioning and duration of kissing influence the risk of gonorrhea transmission.
End-to-end Jordanian dialect speech-to-text self-supervised learning framework
Authors: Safieh Ali A. , Alhaol Ibrahim Abu , Ghnemat Rawan
Published: December 2022

Speech-to-text engines are extremely needed nowadays for different applications, representing an essential enabler in human–robot interaction. Still, some languages suffer from the lack of labeled speech data, especially in the Arabic dialects or any low-resource languages. The need for a self-supervised training process and self-training using noisy training is proven to be one of the up-and-coming feasible solutions. This article proposes an end-to-end, transformers-based model with a framework for low-resource languages. In addition, the framework incorporates customized audio-to-text processing algorithms to achieve a highly efficient Jordanian Arabic dialect speech-to-text system. The proposed framework enables ingesting data from many sources, making the ground truth from external sources possible by speeding up the manual annotation process. The framework allows the training process using noisy student training and self-supervised learning to utilize the unlabeled data in both pre- and post-training stages and incorporate multiple types of data augmentation. The proposed self-training approach outperforms the fine-tuned Wav2Vec model by 5% in terms of word error rate reduction. The outcome of this work provides the research community with a Jordanian-spoken data set along with an end-to-end approach to deal with low-resource languages. This is done by utilizing the power of the pretraining, post-training, and injecting noisy labeled and augmented data with minimal human intervention. It enables the development of new applications in the field of Arabic language speech-to-text area like the question-answering systems and intelligent control systems, and it will add human-like perception and hearing sensors to intelligent robots.
The role of machine learning in HIV risk prediction
Authors: Fieggen Joshua , Smith Eli , Arora Lovkesh , Segal Bradley
Published: December 2022

Despite advances in reducing HIV-related mortality, persistently high HIV incidence rates are undermining global efforts to end the epidemic by 2030. The UNAIDS Fast-track targets as well as other preventative strategies, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis, have been identified as priority areas to reduce the ongoing transmission threatening to undermine recent progress. Accurate and granular risk prediction is critical for these campaigns but is often lacking in regions where the burden is highest. Owing to their ability to capture complex interactions between data, machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms have proven effective at predicting the risk of HIV infection in both high resource and low resource settings. However, interpretability of these algorithms presents a challenge to the understanding and adoption of these algorithms. In this perspectives article, we provide an introduction to machine learning and discuss some of the important considerations when choosing the variables used in model development and when evaluating the performance of different machine learning algorithms, as well as the role emerging tools such as Shapely Additive Explanations may play in helping understand and decompose these models in the context of HIV. Finally, we discuss some of the potential public health and clinical use cases for such decomposed risk assessment models in directing testing and preventative interventions including pre-exposure prophylaxis, as well as highlight the potential integration synergies with algorithms that predict the risk of sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis.
Radial gradient of the solar rotation rate in the near-surface shear layer of the Sun
Authors: Komm Rudolf
Published: December 2022

We study the radial gradient of the solar rotation rate in the near-surface shear layer (NSSL) from about .950 R⊙ to the solar surface and its variation during Solar Cycles 23 and 24 with ring-diagram analysis applied to Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Dopplergrams. The average radial gradient is ∂ log  Ω/∂ log  r = − 1.0 ± .1 at .990 R⊙ in agreement with previous studies. The average radial gradient is ∂ log  Ω/∂ log  r = − .11 ± .01 at the base of the NSSL at .950R⊙, while it is steeper than −1 closer to the surface between .990R⊙ and .997R⊙. The average radial gradient is rather flat within ±40° latitude from about .970 R⊙ to the solar surface. The radial gradient of the solar rotation rate varies with the solar cycle. At locations of high magnetic activity, the radial gradient is more negative than average from about .970 R⊙ to .990 R⊙, while in quiet regions the radial gradient is less negative than average at these depths. Close to the surface at .997 R⊙, this relationship appears to be reversed. Prominent features of the solar-cycle variation of large-scale flows, such as poleward branches or precursor flows, are not obviously present. The variation of the radial gradient thus more likely indicates the presence or absence of magnetic flux above a certain threshold. The temporal variations derived from the different HMI and GONG data sets agree within one error bar at most depths and latitudes, while their amplitudes might be different.
Economic assessment for vegetable waste valorization through the biogas-biomethane chain in Italy with a circular economy approach
Authors: Bentivoglio Deborah , Chiaraluce Giulia , Finco Adele
Published: December 2022

The current geo-political framework and the environmental concern about pollution and global warming are leading Europe to rethink its energy production, moving forward to the incentivization the renewable energy market. In this scenario, the use of waste from the agri-food sector shows a huge potentiality to enhance the transition in line with the circular economy principles. Biogas production represents an environmental friendly strategy to successfully recover large amounts of waste and by-products to produce renewable energy. Furthermore, in light of the rising need of green biofuels, biogas can be converted into biomethane, allowing the implementation of a full circular model. The objective of this paper is to perform an economic assessment to evaluate whether the upgrading of an existing biogas plant, in which the diet includes also vegetable waste from a plant producing frozen vegetables, could be profitable considering different scenarios, to reach a sustainable circular model. The analysis will be conducted through the Discounted Cash Flow method, considering four main indexes: NPV, DPBT, IRR, and PI. The results highlight the unprofitability of the biogas-biomethane chain if the upgrading system is performed maintaining the same characteristics of the starting plant. On the other hand, if changes in the digester's diet occur, the investment becomes immediately profitable in the considered time-span. The circular economy model is not completely accomplished, as profitability can only be reached if silage maize is partially kept as feedstock. Moreover, the conversion of the plant is not economically feasible if an adequate subsidy is not provided. The economic assessment of the upgrading system for biogas to biomethane is an essential element to be provided to the agribusiness entrepreneurs, as they need all the relevant economic aspects to decide to invest and adopt this solution to establish an innovative circular business model in agriculture.
Food security under compound shocks: Can Lebanon produce its own Mediterranean food basket?
Authors: Daher Bassel , Bachour Roula , Yanni Sandra F. , Koo-Oshima Sasha , Mohtar Rabi H.
Published: December 2022

As Lebanon faces compound challenges, a looming food security crisis is rapidly approaching, much of which could be attributed to the lack of long-term planning for sustainability in its agricultural sector. The disconnect between decision-makers within the agricultural sector, and other interconnected sectors is exacerbated by the lack of integrative national platforms and methodologies for quantifying the trade-offs associated with possible interventions. This study aims to: (1) identify and quantify the critical interconnections between water, energy, nutrition, and food systems in Lebanon; (2) develop a framework to quantify the trade-offs associated with adopting interventions within current water, energy, and agriculture portfolios and practices; (3) evaluate producers' perceptions toward their willingness to implement proposed changes in crop production, renewable energy, and water reuse. Findings show that investing in locally producing Lebanon's needs of broad beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas, results in cost savings, increased nutritional value in the locally produced basket, and reduced reliance on foreign markets. In turn, this comes at additional water, energy, land and carbon footprints which needs to be accounted for. Given the uncertainty of future currency conversion rates, it becomes more critical to identify a strategic food basket that could be produced locally to reduce reliance on imports. Conclusions from this study can play a role in informing policymaking and planning in Lebanon, which could be adapted and replicated in other countries in the MENA Region.
Evaluation of blood pressure and NT-proBNP in pugs with and without clinical signs of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome
Authors: Mach Rebekka , Wiegel Pia Saskia , Bach Jan-Peter , Beyerbach Martin , Levicar Charanthorn , Nolte Ingo
Published: December 2022

Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) is a pathologic condition of the upper airways, frequently occurring in dogs of brachycephalic breeds including pugs. It has been suspected that BOAS may be associated with cardiovascular changes and an increased risk for hypertension. The cardiac biomarker NT-proBNP can help to differentiate cardiac from non-cardiac respiratory distress. A possible influence of BOAS on NT-proBNP values has not been investigated, however. The aim of the current study was to examine blood pressure and NT-proBNP levels in pugs with and without clinical signs of BOAS and compare them to values of mesocephalic dogs. For this purpose, NT-proBNP values of 42 pugs and six mesocephalic dogs and blood pressure measurements of 34 pugs and four mesocephalic dogs were explored in the present study. Pugs were examined for clinical signs of BOAS at rest and after a submaximal fitness test, and a functional BOAS grading was applied. Blood pressure (BP) was measured at the beginning and end of the study day and NT-proBNP values were obtained before and after exercise. Measured values of pugs with different degrees of clinical impairment due to BOAS were compared among each other as well as to the CG. In terms of systolic, mean, diastolic BP, and NT-pro BNP, there were no relevant differences between pugs and the CG and no obvious connection between the severity of BOAS symptoms and measured values. BP values of all groups were lower at the second measurement at the end of the study day. NT-proBNP measurements were higher after exercise. BP and NT-proBNP values in all groups were in agreement with commonly used reference ranges. In conclusion, the study adds evidence, that BP and NT-proBNP values did not differ between mesocephalic dogs and pugs with different levels of severity of BOAS but between the measurement times. Thus, in the present study, excitement and exercise seemed to have a greater influence on BP and NT-proBNP values than presence of BOAS symptoms or breed. Discovered values show that the commonly used reference ranges for BP and NT-proBNP are applicable in pugs. This indicates that NT-proBNP can be used to differentiate between cardiac and non-cardiac respiratory distress even in pugs with clinical symptoms of BOAS.
Removal of antibiotic resistance genes during livestock wastewater treatment processes: Review and prospects
Authors: Huang Feng , Hong Yanting , Mo Chunhao , Huang Peier , Liao Xindi , Yang Yiwen
Published: December 2022

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging pollutants that have received extensive attention. Many different types of ARGs exist in livestock wastewater. If not effectively treated, they can threaten animal production, public health and the ecological safety of the surrounding environment. To address the high risk of livestock wastewater contamination by ARGs, the effects of different wastewater treatment processes on ARGs and their influencing factors and mechanisms are reviewed herein. Additionally, the current problems associated with removal of ARGs are discussed, and future research is proposed.
Cultivation, cryopreservation and resuscitation of Theileria annulata transformed cells in serum-free media
Authors: Elati Khawla , Zweygarth Erich , Mhadhbi Moez , Darghouth Mohamed Aziz , Nijhof Ard M.
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Tropical theileriosis is a protozoan disease caused by Theileria annulata that affects cattle in Northern Africa, the Middle East and Asia where vector ticks of the genus Hyalomma occur. Various measures are applied to control the disease, including vaccination with attenuated T. annulata schizonts. Cultivation of T. annulata schizonts is mainly conducted in media containing Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS), which has some disadvantages such as costs, batch- to-batch variation and ethical concerns.

Methods

In this study, we conducted three experiments to evaluate the ability of (1) T. annulata strains grown in RPMI with 10% FBS (RPMI-FBS) to adapt and grow in serum-free media (i.e., HL-1, RPMI without FBS supplementation, ISF-1, and M199), (2) a T. annulata strain grown in ISF-1 and subsequently frozen in this medium to grow in ISF-1 again after long-term storage in liquid nitrogen, and (3) a T. annulata strain freshly isolated from infected bovine lymphocytes to growin ISF-1, also after cryopreservation. Cell numbers, schizont index, the viability and generation doubling time were calculated in all experiments.

Results and discussion

In the first experiment, the Hessiene and Beja cell lines from Tunisia previously cultivated in RPMI-FBS and adapted to serum-free media continued to grow significantly better in RPMI-FBS compared to the serum-freemedia. In the second experiment, a Tunisian cell line (Hessiene) cryopreserved in ISF-1 with 5%[v/v] dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) grewbetter after thawing in RPMI-FBS compared to ISF-1 with a highly significant difference in cell growth (p < 0.001), whereas the third experiment showed that the Ankara cell line had similar growth characteristics in both RPMI-FBS and ISF-1 before and after thawing, with a shorter generation doubling time in ISF-1 than in RPMI-FBS (p = 0.23). Our findings suggest that freshly isolated cells can be propagated, frozen and thawed in serum-free media such as ISF-1, but once cells are adapted to cultivation in the presence of FBS or resuscitated from frozen storage, propagation in serum-free media may not perform as well as cultivation in RPMI-FBS.
Interplay between swine enteric coronaviruses and host innate immune
Authors: Li Mingwei , Guo Longjun , Feng Li
Published: December 2022

Swine enteric coronavirus (SeCoV) causes acute diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and high mortality in neonatal piglets, causing severe losses worldwide. SeCoV includes the following four members: transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV), and swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV). Clinically, mixed infections with several SeCoVs, which are more common in global farms, cause widespread infections. It is worth noting that PDCoV has a broader host range, suggesting the risk of PDCoV transmission across species, posing a serious threat to public health and global security. Studies have begun to focus on investigating the interaction between SeCoV and its host. Here, we summarize the effects of viral proteins on apoptosis, autophagy, and innate immunity induced by SeCoV, providing a theoretical basis for an in-depth understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of coronavirus.
Rapid Review of COVID-19 Vaccination Access and Acceptance for Global Refugee, Asylum Seeker and Undocumented Migrant Populations
Authors: Nichol Ariadne A. , Parcharidi Zoi , Al-Delaimy Wael K. , Kondilis Elias
Published: December 2022

Objectives: Refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants globally have been disproportionally impacted by COVID-19. Vaccination has been a major tool to reduce disease impact, yet concerns exist regarding equitable allocation and uptake.

Methods: A rapid literature review was conducted based on PRISMA guidelines to determine COVID-19 vaccination acceptance rates and level of access for these population groups globally.

Results: Relatively high COVID-19 vaccine acceptance levels were commonly reported in these populations, although, trust in host governments was a frequently expressed concern, especially for undocumented migrants. Outreach efforts and access to comprehensive information from a trusted source and in appropriate language were found to be major determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. COVID-19 vaccination access and policies varied considerably across host countries despite urgings by international organizations to include migrants and refugees. While most governments endorsed inclusive policies, evidence of successful program implementation was frequently lacking, creating difficulty to better tailor and implement COVID-19 outreach programs.

Conclusion: This review identifies impactful improvements to be implemented to ensure equitable COVID-19 vaccinations and to reduce disease burden on refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants.
Green Bond Impact Report as an Essential Next Step in Market Development
Authors: Manasses Gergely , Paulik Éva , Tapaszti Attila
Published: December 2022

The measurement of the environmental impact of green bonds, its reliability and the publication of measurement results are crucial for the transparent functioning of the market and supporting investor decisions. However, this segment of the financial markets is still at an early stage of maturity, and the lack of adequate data and methodologies is a common problem that can only be solved by the development of single-market best practices and regulations. The essay reviews the trends, characteristics and current regulation of existing green bond impact reports and describes the challenges of evaluating impact reports, based on the literature and our own practical experience. In our view, the market has already moved past its “virtue-signalling PR” stage, but there is still a long way to go before impact data become as standardised as traditional financial data.
Impact of Energy Rating on House Prices and Lending Rates
Authors: Hajnal Gábor , Palicz Alexandr Maxim , Winkler Sándor
Published: December 2022

The real estate market is a key component of the green transition, and thus it is worth examining the pricing and financing costs of modern residential buildings in Hungary. In our study, we investigate a) whether a significant price premium can be identified for green properties based on new housing projects in Budapest, and b) whether banks finance residential buildings with more advanced energy technologies at lower interest rates. Based on our regression estimation, the green price premium is clearly evident in the Budapest new housing market: on average, homes with an energy rating of BB or better are 5.1 per cent more expensive than homes with an energy rating of CC. Based on our estimate of housing loan interest rates, no significant difference can be identified in the interest rates on loans granted to finance properties with a certificate higher than CC compared to loans granted for properties with CC certificate, i.e. banks do not yet factor energy aspects into the pricing of loans.
Carbon Intensity of Banks’ Loan Portfolio : A Good Basis for Comparison in Case of LowIncome Countries?
Authors: Szigel Gábor
Published: December 2022

In recent years, more and more credit institutions have been publishing the financed carbon footprint of their loan portfolio, enabling comparisons across institutions, for which investors and supervisors tend to use the carbon intensity of portfolios expressed as a proportion of the financed carbon footprint-to-total loan volumes. In this article, it is argued that such comparisons are unfair to low-income countries with low price levels, as they show the same activity as being more “carbonintensive” in a low-income country than in a high-income country. The magnitude of such distortions can be significant, amounting to as much as 3 to 7-fold just within the European Union itself. As differences resulting from price levels do not actually represent differences in the carbon intensity of individual countries’ real economy and are also not an “own choice” of these countries (but rather a consequence of the Balassa-Samuelson effect), it is argued that the comparison of carbon intensity of different banks’ loan portfolios should be conducted using purchasing power parity adjustments – if not necessarily for investors, at least in the practice of financial supervisory authorities.
Visual Assessment of Cluster Tendency with Variations of Distance Measures
Authors: Shkaberina Guzel , Rezova Natalia , Tovbis Elena , Kazakovtsev Lev
Published: December 2022

Finding the cluster structure is essential for analyzing self-organized networking structures, such as social networks. In such problems, a wide variety of distance measures can be used. Common clustering methods often require the number of clusters to be explicitly indicated before starting the process of clustering. A preliminary step to clustering is deciding, firstly, whether the data contain any clusters and, secondly, how many clusters the dataset contains. To highlight the internal structure of data, several methods for visual assessment of clustering tendency (VAT family of methods) have been developed. The vast majority of these methods use the Euclidean distance or cosine similarity measure. In our study, we modified the VAT and iVAT algorithms for visual assessment of the clustering tendency with a wide variety of distance measures. We compared the results of our algorithms obtained from both samples from repositories and data from applied problems.
Dynamical Analysis and Generalized Synchronization of a Novel Fractional-Order Hyperchaotic System with Hidden Attractor
Authors: Xin Li , Shi Xuerong , Xu Mingjie
Published: December 2022

In this paper, hidden dynamical behaviors in a novel fractional-order hyperchaotic system without an equilibrium point are investigated. It is found that the chaotic system exhibits various hidden behaviors for different parameters, such as the hyperchaotic attractor, the chaotic attractor and the limit cycle. The behaviors are demonstrated via phase portraits and time evolution curves. Moreover, generalized synchronization of the systems is discussed, which can be realized by designing suitable controllers. Numerical simulations are carried out to verify the effectiveness of this synchronization scheme. By analyzing the synchronization performance, it is inferred that the lower the derivative order is, the less time is required to reach synchronization.
Capacity Fading Rules of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Multiple Thermoelectric Aging Paths
Authors: Du Jiuyu , Wang Wenbo , Wei Zhixin , Hu Fangfang , Wu Xiaogang
Published: December 2022

The ambient temperature and charging rate are the two most important factors that influence the capacity deterioration of lithium-ion batteries. Differences in temperature for charge–discharge conditions significantly impact the battery capacity, particularly under high-stress conditions, such as ultrafast charging. The combined negative effects of the ambient temperature and a high charging rate on the capacity of a lithium-ion battery require further research. Here, multiple scenarios of different temperatures and charging rates were considered to examine their influence on battery capacity deterioration, focusing on the effect of high charging rates above 2 C. Three test temperatures and three charging rates were selected, and experiments were performed to evaluate the battery capacity over several charge–discharge cycles. A comparative analysis was performed on the capacity, impedance, and probability density function (PDF). The results showed that increasing the charging rate delayed the response of the phase change reaction to the voltage, which accelerated the corresponding capacity deterioration. At high charging rates, the main causes of capacity deterioration were the loss of active lithium in the battery and the loss of active material from the negative electrode. Most of the product from the side reaction between the lithium coating and electrolyte remained in the electrolyte and had no evident effect on impedance. Therefore, high charging rates significantly increase the temperature of the battery, and a high charging rate and temperature exert a coupled negative effect on the battery capacity. Thermal management strategies for lithium-ion batteries must comprehensively optimize the temperature and charging rate in real time.