bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
VHR-BirdPose: Vision Transformer-Based HRNet for Bird Pose Estimation with Attention Mechanism
Authors: He Runang , Wang Xiaomin , Chen Huazhen , Liu Chang
Published: August 2023

Pose estimation plays a crucial role in recognizing and analyzing the postures, actions, and movements of humans and animals using computer vision and machine learning techniques. However, bird pose estimation encounters specific challenges, including bird diversity, posture variation, and the fine granularity of posture. To overcome these challenges, we propose VHR-BirdPose, a method that combines Vision Transformer (ViT) and Deep High-Resolution Network (HRNet) with an attention mechanism. VHR-BirdPose effectively extracts features using Vision Transformer’s self-attention mechanism, which captures global dependencies in the images and allows for better capturing of pose details and changes. The attention mechanism is employed to enhance the focus on bird keypoints, improving the accuracy of pose estimation. By combining HRNet with Vision Transformer, our model can extract multi-scale features while maintaining high-resolution details and incorporating richer semantic information through the attention mechanism. This integration of HRNet and Vision Transformer leverages the advantages of both models, resulting in accurate and robust bird pose estimation. We conducted extensive experiments on the Animal Kingdom dataset to evaluate the performance of VHR-BirdPose. The results demonstrate that our proposed method achieves state-of-the-art performance in bird pose estimation. VHR-BirdPose based on bird images is of great significance for the advancement of bird behaviors, ecological understanding, and the protection of bird populations.
Fracture Modeling of Shale Oil and Gas Reservoirs in Texas
Authors: Gao Shihui , Ali Syed M. Farouq , Soliman Mohamed Y.
Published: August 2023

Formation fracturing is the method of choice for developing shale oil and gas reservoirs that constitute a gigantic resource in the U.S.A. and many other countries but are characterized by a low permeability in the nano-Darcy range. The oil production of Texas has increased by about 5 million B/D in 15 years as a result of shale exploitation by massive multistage hydraulic fracturing. The mathematical modeling of this fracturing process is complex and can be approached in several ways. This paper first gives a concise description of the fracturing process as carried out in Texas. Included are the ranges of the key reservoir properties, as well as the injection fluid volumes and pressure, the composition of the injected fluid, proppant type, and volume, and other relevant data. Also included are the number of fracture stages, methods of zonal isolation, and diagnostic techniques used. An important variable considered is flowback, in particular, fluid retention and oil and gas production. High-salinity water production is discussed. Given the above variables, the currently used fracture simulators are briefly considered and compared, both the geomechanics-based and fracture-propagation-based. No single simulator can model the complete process. The directions currently being followed are briefly described. Also discussed is the simulation of the re-fracturing process and its range of success in increasing oil recovery from about the original ~5% to ~8%. Future processes such as plasma fracturing are mentioned, and their future applicability is discussed for further increasing oil recovery.
Research on Gravity Energy Saving Reconstruction Technology of Circulating Cooling Water in Mechanical Ventilation Cooling Tower of a Steel Plant
Authors: Tang Chuan , Zhang Chenghua , He Dan , Zhang Feng , Wei Yu , Yang Zhongqing , Yan Yunfei
Published: August 2023

There is a height drop in the rain area of the circulating cooling water in mechanical ventilation circulating cooling towers, resulting in the ineffective use of gravitational potential energy. High-level water collection is an effective way to reduce the energy consumption of the cooling tower. Based on this, aiming to solve the gravity energy waste problem of circulating water in the cooling tower of a steel plant, this paper innovatively puts forward the high-level water tank to utilize the energy-saving transformation technology of turbine power generation and pump power saving. Additionally, this paper explores the energy-saving effects of the two methods under different height drops. The results show that the maximum utilizable rain area height of the cooling tower is 5 m, while the annual electric energy output of turbine technology can reach 4.704 million kW·h. The high water collection technology can reduce pump power consumption and save up to 7.35 million kW·h per year of electric energy, maintaining a more significant energy-saving ability compared with the turbine power generation technology. In terms of performance, the design of a high-level water tank is to help eliminate rain areas and improve the heat exchange efficiency of water and gas, so that the water temperature of the outgoing tower is 0.13 °C lower than that of the conventional cooling tower. Meanwhile, the ventilation resistance in the rain area is weakened, the resistance coefficient can be reduced by about 40–50%, and the noise can be reduced by about 10 dB (A) under the action of the water collection device. According to the economic evaluation, the total cost of turbine power generation technology is 0.563 million dollars and the total cost of high-level water collection technology is 0.446 million dollars. The cost can be realized within two years, but the high-level water collection technology avoids additional pump maintenance costs and has better economy. This study provides a theoretical basis for the transformation and optimization design of mechanical ventilation cooling towers, and has important reference value.
Weight–Length Relationship and Condition Factor of Gibel Carp (Carassius auratus gibelio var. CAS V) at Different Growth Stages and Feed Formulations
Authors: Zhang Han , Xie Shouqi , Wang Sheng
Published: August 2023

Accurate recording of growth indicators for aquaculture species at different stages is essential for evaluating aquaculture production effectiveness and the rationality of feed formulations. Due to their convenience and non-invasiveness, weight, length, and condition factor are commonly used to assess the growth of aquaculture species. However, fish growth indicators, can vary significantly with age structure and feed components (nutrition), and relying on a single indicator may lead to misjudgments. In this study, we investigated the growth indicators of Gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio var. CAS V) at different growth stages (juvenile and adult) and different feed formulations. Meanwhile, the fish weight–length relationship (W=bLa) was used to assess the growth indicators. The results showed that the weight–length relationship of Gibel carp varied significantly with age and feed formulation. Additionally, the condition factor calculated depended on the weight–length relationship being more similar with weight and length change trend than the condition factor was measured. Weight analysis indicated that weight, length, depth, body width, and carcass ratio had higher weights when analyzing fish growth. Therefore, during aquaculture production, fish growth evaluating requires considering diverse indicators such as weight, length, body depth, body width, and carcass ratio, as well as the condition factor, to avoid misjudging the actual growth situation. Meanwhile, the use of the condition factor should consider the sufficient number of data and whether the assumptions (such as being in an isometric growth period) are met.
Knockdown of klotho Leads to Cell Movement Impairment during Zebrafish Gastrulation
Authors: Pan Heng-Chih , Lo Kang-Chieh , Wang Yun-Hsin , Huang Han-Ting , Cheng Shu-Chun , Sun Chiao-Yin , Chen Yau-Hung
Published: August 2023

(1) Background: Klotho is a multifunctional protein, but its biophysiological roles during fish early development are unclear. (2) Methods: We carried out anti-sense Klotho morpholino injection and whole-mount in situ hybridization experiments in this study. (3) Results: Our results showed that in the Klotho MO1-injected group, embryos displayed longitudinal shapes and swelling yolks compared to those of the un-injected groups. Their length/width ratio by 9 hpf for the uninfected group is 1 ± 0.1; but for 0.1 mM-, 0.2 mM-, and 0.5 mM-MO-injected are 1.1 ± 0.1, 1.2 ± 0.1, and 1.3 ± 0.1, respectively, suggesting that the klotho knockdown-induced length/width ratio changes are in a dose-dependent manner. Whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that several cell migration-related gene expressions, including goosecoid, floating head, bone morphogenetic protein 4, and even-skipped-liked 1 were affected in the Klotho MO-injected embryos. (4) Conclusions: We suggest that knockdown of klotho leads to cell movement impairment during zebrafish gastrulation.
Strategies to Formulate Value-Added Pastry Products from Composite Flours Based on Spelt Flour and Grape Pomace Powder
Authors: Poiana Mariana-Atena , Alexa Ersilia , Radulov Isidora , Raba Diana-Nicoleta , Cocan Ileana , Negrea Monica , Misca Corina Dana , Dragomir Christine , Dossa Sylvestre , Suster Gabriel
Published: August 2023

In recent years, sustainability has promoted new research to develop reformulation strategies for value-added food products by exploiting grape pomace. Grape pomace powder (GP) was used to substitute spelt flour (SF) at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% to obtain three types of fortified pastry products: biscuits and cakes involving a chemical leavening agent, and rolls leavened by yeast. Proximate composition, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) along with physical characteristics and sensory analysis of the enriched products were considered. The retention rate of the functional attributes of formulations in response to baking was also evaluated. Significant improvements in TPC, TFC and both antioxidant tests were achieved in the fortified products by the incremental incorporation of GP. With a substitution of 25% SF by GP, the following increases were recorded in biscuits, cakes and rolls over the control samples: 7.198-, 7.733- and 8.117-fold for TPC; 8.414-, 7.000- and 8.661-fold for TFC; 16.334-, 17.915- and 18.659-fold for FRAP and 16.384-, 17.908- and 18.775-fold for DPPH. The retention rates of TPC, TFC, FRAP and DPPH relative to the corresponding dough were 41–63%, 37–65%, 48–70% and 45–70%. The formulas leavened by yeast revealed higher functionality than those produced with a chemical raising agent. With the increase in GP, the elasticity and porosity gradually decreased for cakes and rolls, while the spread ratio of biscuits increased. Regarding sensory evaluation, all formulations with incorporated GP up to 10% were rated at an extremely pleasant acceptability level. The solutions derived from this study have great practical applicability for the development of new pastry formulations with improved functionality from GP valorisation.
Microencapsulation of Laurus nobilis L. Leaf Extract in Alginate-Based System via Electrostatic Extrusion
Authors: Dobroslavić Erika , Zorić Zoran , Dragović-Uzelac Verica , Elez Garofulić Ivona
Published: August 2023

Bay leaves (L. nobilis L.) are a rich source of polyphenols that hold great potential for application in functional food products in which where the main challenges are the polyphenols’ low stability and bioaccessibility, which can be overcome through different microencapsulation techniques, such as electrostatic extrusion, which hasn’t been applied for the encapsulation of bay leaf polyphenols (BLP) to date. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to evaluate the potential of this technique through monitoring the polyphenolic content, antioxidant activity, release kinetics, and bioaccessibility of the encapsulated BLP. The results showed that electrostatic extrusion was suitable for the encapsulation of BLP, where 1% alginate and 1.5% CaCl2 with 0.5% chitosan resulted in the highest encapsulation efficiency (92.76%) and antioxidant activity in vitro. The use of 1.5% or 2% alginate with 5% CaCl2 + 0.5% chitosan showed the most controlled release of polyphenols, while encapsulation generally increased the bioaccessibility of BLP. The results showed that electrostatic extrusion can be considered an efficient technique for the microencapsulation of BLP.
Tough, Stretchable, and Thermoresponsive Smart Hydrogels
Authors: Luo Yi , Pauer Werner , Luinstra Gerrit A.
Published: August 2023

Self-healing, thermoresponsive hydrogels with a triple network (TN) were obtained by copolymerizing N-isopropyl acryl amide (NiPAAm) with polyvinyl alkohol (PVA) functionalized with methacrylic acid and N,N′-methylene bis(acryl amide) crosslinker in the presence of low amounts (<1 wt.%) of tannic acid (TA). The final gels were obtained by crystalizing the PVA in a freeze-thaw procedure. XRD, DCS, and SEM imaging indicate that the crystallinity is lower and the size of the PVA crystals is smaller at higher TA concentrations. A gel with 0.5 wt.% TA has an elongation at a break of 880% at a tension of 1.39 MPa. It has the best self-healing efficiency of 81% after cutting and losing the chemical network. Step-sweep strain experiments show that the gel has thixotropic properties, which are related to the TA/PVA part of the triple network. The low amount of TA leaves the gel with good thermal responsiveness (equilibrium swelling ratio of 13.3). Swelling-deswelling loop tests show enhanced dimensional robustness of the hydrogel, with a substantial constancy after two cycles.
Igniting Pathways for Land-Based Healing: Possibilities for Institutional Accountability
Authors: Melendez Diana , Ballesteros Diana , Rasmussen Cameron , Jemal Alexis
Published: August 2023

U.S. based post-secondary educational institutions usually have violent origin stories that include land theft, genocide, and the participation in slavery. Schools of social work are no exception. In recent years, colleges and universities, including schools of social work, have started to confront their histories of and participation in racial-settler colonialism. The severance of land as kinship, and land theft, have been a significant part of the harms of racial-settler colonialism. Colleges and universities have benefited from land theft, primarily through land-grants. Still, institutional accountability has been minimal, including limited acknowledgment of harm and modest changes in curriculum and staff. This paper expands the terrain of institutional accountability in social work higher education to consider land-based healing initiatives as a critical remedy for the harms of racial settler colonialism. This paper provides a historical review and decolonial analysis of the connection between social work higher education and land-grant institutions. Building on social cartography literature, a mapping framework for decolonizing higher education is examined in relation to questions of institutional accountability by land-grant universities. This framework is offered in conjunction with contemporary examples of struggles for institutional accountability in and outside of higher education. The paper concludes with future recommendations for research related to institutional accountability and the implications of land-based healing as an approach.
Complete Genomic Sequence Analysis of a Sugarcane Streak Mosaic Virus Isolate from Yunnan Province of China
Authors: Su Xiao-Ling , Mai Zhong-Yue , Wei Kun-Jiang , Huang Yang-Jian , Shan Hong-Li , Cheng De-Jie
Published: August 2023

In recent years, the sugarcane streak mosaic virus (SCSMV) has been the primary pathogen of sugarcane mosaic disease in southern China. In this study, the complete genome of a sugarcane mosaic sample (named YN-21) from Kaiyuan City, Yunnan Province, was amplified and sequenced. By comparing the amino acid sequences of YN-21 and 15 other SCSMV isolates from the NCBI database, the protease recognition site of SCSMV was determined. YN-21 had the highest nucleotide and amino acid identities of 97.66% and 99.30%, respectively, in comparison with the SCSMV isolate (JF488066). The P1 had the highest variability of 83.38–99.72% in the amino acid sequence, and 6K2 was the most conserved, with 97.92–100% amino acid sequence identity. A phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide and amino acid sequences clustered the 16 SCSMV isolates into two groups. All the Chinese isolates were clustered into the same group, and YN-21 was closely related to the Yunnan and Hainan isolates in China. Recombination analysis showed no major recombination sites in YN-21. Selective pressure analysis showed that the dN/dS values of 11 proteins of SCSMV were less than 1, all of which were undergoing negative selection. These results can provide practical guidance for monitoring SCSMV epidemics and genetics.
Identification and Verification of Candidate miRNA Biomarkers with Application to Infection with Emiliania huxleyi Virus
Authors: Zhang Enquan , Zhang Shumiao , Li Guiling , Zhang Zhengxiao , Liu Jingwen
Published: August 2023

The interactions of Emiliania huxleyi and its specific lytic virus (EhV) have a profound influence on marine biogeochemical carbon–sulfur cycles and play a prominent role in global climate change. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as promising candidates with extensive diagnostic potential due to their role in virus–host interactions. However, the application of miRNA signatures as diagnostic markers in marine viral infection has made limited progress. Based on our previous small-RNA sequencing data, one host miRNA biomarker that is upregulated in early infection and seven viral miRNA biomarkers that are upregulated in late infection were identified and verified using qRT-PCR and a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in pure culture, mixed culture, and natural seawater culture. The host ehx-miR20-5p was able to significantly differentiate infection groups from the control in the middle (24 h post-infection, hpi) and late infection (48 hpi) phases, while seven virus-derived miRNA biomarkers could diagnose the early and late stages of EhV infection. Functional enrichment analysis showed that these miRNAs participated in numerous essential metabolic pathways, including gene transcription and translation, cell division-related pathways, protein-degradation-related processes, and lipid metabolism. Additionally, a dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed the targeted relationship between a viral ehv-miR7-5p and the host dihydroceramide desaturase gene (hDCD). This finding suggests that the virus-derived miRNA has the ability to inhibit the host sphingolipid metabolism, which is a specific characteristic of EhV infection during the late stage. Our data revealed a cluster of potential miRNA biomarkers with significant regulatory functions that could be used to diagnose EhV infection, which has implications for assessing the infectious activity of EhV in a natural marine environment.
Genomic Instability of G-Quadruplex Sequences in Escherichia coli: Roles of DinG, RecG, and RecQ Helicases
Authors: Parekh Virali J. , Węgrzyn Grzegorz , Arluison Véronique , Sinden Richard R.
Published: August 2023

Guanine-rich DNA can fold into highly stable four-stranded DNA structures called G-quadruplexes (G4). Originally identified in sequences from telomeres and oncogene promoters, they can alter DNA metabolism. Indeed, G4-forming sequences represent obstacles for the DNA polymerase, with important consequences for cell life as they may lead to genomic instability. To understand their role in bacterial genomic instability, different G-quadruplex-forming repeats were cloned into an Escherichia coli genetic system that reports frameshifts and complete or partial deletions of the repeat when the G-tract comprises either the leading or lagging template strand during replication. These repeats formed stable G-quadruplexes in single-stranded DNA but not naturally supercoiled double-stranded DNA. Nevertheless, transcription promoted G-quadruplex formation in the resulting R-loop for (G3T)4 and (G3T)8 repeats. Depending on genetic background and sequence propensity for structure formation, mutation rates varied by five orders of magnitude. Furthermore, while in vitro approaches have shown that bacterial helicases can resolve G4, it is still unclear whether G4 unwinding is important in vivo. Here, we show that a mutation in recG decreased mutation rates, while deficiencies in the structure-specific helicases DinG and RecQ increased mutation rates. These results suggest that G-quadruplex formation promotes genetic instability in bacteria and that helicases play an important role in controlling this process in vivo.
Transcriptomic Profiling of Subcutaneous Backfat in Castrated and Intact Alentejano Pigs Finished Outdoors with Commercial and Fiber-Rich Diets
Authors: Garrido Nicolás , Albuquerque André , Charneca Rui , Costa Filipa , Marmelo Carla , Ramos Amélia , Martin Luísa , Martins José Manuel
Published: August 2023

In this work, we studied the backfat transcriptome of surgically castrated (C), intact (I) and intact fed an experimental diet (IE) outdoor-reared male Alentejano (AL) pigs. The experimental diet was a high-fiber diet with locally produced legumes and by-products associated with a boar taint reduction effect. At slaughter (~160 kg), backfat samples were collected for total RNA sequencing. Intact pigs presented leaner carcasses, more total collagen, and more unsaturated intramuscular fat content than C animals. A total of 2726 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, |log2 FC|> 0.58, q < 0.05) were identified between C and I with overexpressed genes related to muscular activity (MYH1, ACTA1) or collagen metabolism (COL1A1, COL1A2) in I pigs. Between C and IE, 1639 DEGs of genes involved in lipidic metabolism (LEP, ME1, FABP4, ELOVL6) were overexpressed in C. Finally, only 28 DEGs were determined between I and IE. Clustering results indicated a drastic influence of the testis in the transcriptome of subcutaneous fat of AL pigs, while the diet had a marginal effect. Diet can reduce stress by increasing satiety in animals, and could have induced an increase of skatole degradation due to the higher expression of the CYP2A19 gene in the IE group.
A Three-Way Interaction of Sex, PER2 rs56013859 Polymorphism, and Family Maltreatment in Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents
Authors: Torres Soler Catalina , Kanders Sofia H. , Rehn Mattias , Olofsdotter Susanne , Åslund Cecilia , Nilsson Kent W.
Published: August 2023

The prevalence of depressive symptoms in adolescents is 12–18% and is twice as frequent in females. Sleep problems and thoughts of death are depressive symptoms or co-occurrent phenomena. Family maltreatment is a risk factor for later depressive symptoms and the period circadian regulator (PER) has been studied in relation to neurotransmitters, adaptation to stress, and winter depression. The purpose of this work was to study the relation of the three-way interactions of sex, PER2 rs56013859, and family maltreatment in relation to core depressive symptoms, sleep complaints, and thoughts of death and suicide in self-reports from a cohort of Swedish adolescents in 2012, 2015, and 2018. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses with linear and logistic regressions were used to study the relationships to the three outcomes. The three-way interaction was related to core depressive symptoms at both baseline and six years later. In contrast, the model did not show any relation to the other dependent variables. At 13–15 years, a sex-related differential expression was observed: females with the minor allele C:C/C:T exposed to family maltreatment showed higher levels of core depressive symptoms. Six years later, the trend was inverted among carriers of minor alleles.
A Review of the Epigenetic Clock: Emerging Biomarkers for Asthma and Allergic Disease
Authors: Vasileva Denitsa , Greenwood Celia M. T. , Daley Denise
Published: August 2023

DNA methylation (DNAm) is a dynamic, age-dependent epigenetic modification that can be used to study interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Environmental exposures during critical periods of growth and development may alter DNAm patterns, leading to increased susceptibility to diseases such as asthma and allergies. One method to study the role of DNAm is the epigenetic clock—an algorithm that uses DNAm levels at select age-informative Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine (CpG) dinucleotides to predict epigenetic age (EA). The difference between EA and calendar age (CA) is termed epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) and reveals information about the biological capacity of an individual. Associations between EAA and disease susceptibility have been demonstrated for a variety of age-related conditions and, more recently, phenotypes such as asthma and allergic diseases, which often begin in childhood and progress throughout the lifespan. In this review, we explore different epigenetic clocks and how they have been applied, particularly as related to childhood asthma. We delve into how in utero and early life exposures (e.g., smoking, air pollution, maternal BMI) result in methylation changes. Furthermore, we explore the potential for EAA to be used as a biomarker for asthma and allergic diseases and identify areas for further study.
‘Danger: Children at Play’: Uncanny Play in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary
Authors: Collier-Jarvis Krista
Published: August 2023

Representations of play abound in Stephen King’s 1983 novel Pet Sematary and its 1989 and 2019 subsequent film adaptations. However, play in Pet Sematary is not representative of the innocent actions designed to create functioning adults who meaningfully contribute to society. In the 1989 film, for example, “play” for a newly resurrected Gage is a version of hide-and-go-seek resulting in the death of neighbour Jud. Meanwhile, the 2019 adaptation sees a newly resurrected Ellie “playing” in her dirt-stained white funereal dress. These dirt stains become markers of lost innocence and transform her dance into an uncanny performance. Since Gage and Ellie are both somewhat monstrous child figures, their play, like their bodies, is transformed into something unsettling and ventures into the realm of the uncanny. However, play itself is also performed differently between the adaptations because the central child figure also changes. In the 1989 film, it is a male toddler, and in the 2019 film, it is a pre-pubescent female. Both adaptations focus on ideal, socially acceptable forms of play according to the time in which the film was made as well as how children diverge from these behaviours. Play is often rendered dangerous when not performed properly according to the paradigms of age and gender, resulting in what I call ‘uncanny play’. When children engage with ‘uncanny play’, the adults in the narrative are permitted to execute the children for the sake of preserving the memory of them as innocent beings, or what I call the ‘Save the Child’ discourse. Linda Hutcheon argues that ‘when we adapt […] we actualize or concretize ideas’, so that the socially acceptable play put forth in King’s novel becomes more realised and thus more at risk to transgression in each successive filmic adaptation.
Tourist Trap: Cuba as a Microcosm
Authors: Chanan Michael
Published: August 2023

Hans Magnus Enzensberger, who called tourism an industry “whose production is identical to its advertisement”, also wrote about the pitfalls of what he called the “tourism of the revolution” that flourished between the world wars in Soviet Russia. This essay combines both perspectives in a discussion of the experience of making a film about ecology in Cuba in 2019, Cuba: Living Between Hurricanes, which includes a section on the tourist industry. Informed by the perspectives of autoethnography and phenomenology, the author explores the cognitive dissonance of the filmmaker’s ambiguous relationship, as a professional tourist, to the contradictions of the tourist industry as refracted through the small coastal town of Caibarién on the north coast where Hurricane Irma made landfall in 2017.
Impact Evaluation of the Get Healthy in Pregnancy Program: Evidence of Effectiveness
Authors: McGill Bronwyn , Lees Dominic , Salisbury Justine , Reynolds Tahlia , Davidson Sandy , Dorney Edwina , Jeong Sarah Yeun-Sim , O’Hara Blythe J.
Published: August 2023

The efficacy of lifestyle interventions for reduced gestational weight gain (GWG) is established, but evidence of their effectiveness is limited. The Get Healthy in Pregnancy (GHiP) program is a telephone health coaching program supporting healthy GWG delivered state-wide in New South Wales, Australia. This evaluation explores the impact of GHiP on behavioural outcomes and GWG, analysing GHiP participant data (n = 3702 for 2018–2019). We conducted McNamar’s tests to explore within-individual change for behavioural outcomes and logistic regression to assess associations between demographic characteristics, participant engagement and behavioural and weight outcomes for women who completed the program. Participants who completed ten coaching calls made significant improvements (all p < 0.001) in more health-related behaviours (walking, vigorous physical activity, vegetable consumption, takeaway meals and sweetened drink consumption) than those who completed fewer calls. Among women with valid weight change data (n = 245), 31% gained weight below, 33% gained weight within, and 36% gained weight above GWG guidelines. Pre-pregnancy BMI was the only factor significantly associated with meeting GWG guidelines. Women with pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity had lower odds than those with a healthy weight of having GWG within the guidelines. The majority of these women did not gain weight above the guidelines. A higher proportion of women with pre-pregnancy obesity gained weight below the guidelines (33.8%) than above the guidelines (28.5%). GHiP has the potential to support all pregnant women, including those with pre-pregnancy obesity, to achieve a healthier pregnancy.
Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections in Critical Ill Patients during and before the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Hlinkova Sona , Moraucikova Eva , Lesnakova Anna , Strzelecka Agnieszka , Littva Vladimir
Published: August 2023

(1) Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rates of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), its etiology, and risk factors in critically ill patients, because Slovakia was one of the countries experiencing a high burden of COVID-19 infections, and hospitals faced greater challenges in preventing and managing CLABSI; (2) Methods: A retrospective analysis of CLABSI data from all patients admitted to adult respiratory intensive care units before and during COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. We followed the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control surveillance methodology for CLABSI. Data were analyzed using STATISTICA 13.1; (3) Results: We analyzed the data of 803 ICU patients hospitalized for 8385 bed days, with 7803 central line days. Forty-five CLABSI events were identified. The CLABSI rate significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic (2.81 versus 7.47 events per 1000 central line days, (p < 0.001). The most frequently identified pathogens causing CLABSI were Gram-negative organisms (60.20%). The risk factors found to increase the probability of developing CLABSI were length of stay (OR = 1.080; 95% Cl: 1.057–1.103; p < 0.001) and COVID-19 (OR = 5.485; 95% Cl: 32.706–11.116; p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increases in CLABSI in ICUs. These data underscore the need to increase efforts in providing surveillance of CLABSI and implementing infection prevention measures.
Sweet Potato Varietal Selection Using Combined Methods of Multi-Trait Index, Genetic Gain and Stability from Multi-Environmental Evaluations
Authors: Rosero Amparo , Burgos-Paz William , Araujo Hernando , Pastrana-Vargas Iván Javier , Martínez Remberto , Pérez Jose-Luis , Espitia Laura
Published: August 2023

Adaptation to several environmental conditions is a challenge for breeders for producing new varieties. Breeders select genotypes which show higher performance according to desired traits compared to the average of a large segregant population. In several crops, the selection index is mainly based on traits such as yield, quality, adequate plant architecture, etc. Therefore, multi-trait selection allows for the identification of genotypes that integrally exhibit a better profile and stability, in addition to the dissection of promising varieties based on their superiority in an evaluated population. In this paper, a multi-trait index included in an R tool named CropInd was used to estimate the agronomic performance of 19 sweet potato genotypes in multi-environmental evaluations (three cycles and eight locations). Here, the multi-trait index incorporated variables such as total and commercial fresh root yield, along with survival percentage, which were used in this study. Simultaneously, stability and genetic gain analysis were included to select superior sweet potato genotypes. Results showed that the CropInd script is a suitable and convenient tool for genotype selection based on multi-trait and multi-environmental data. Indexes for specific environment and general behavior (combining multi-environments) were the main output used for genotype selection. Multi-trait selection index, stability, and genetic gain analysis assisted the phenotypic selection performed by breeders. This study resulted in the selection of 0113-672COR as new variety for the Colombian Caribbean region due to its multi-trait performance and stability.
Health System Performance and Resilience in Times of Crisis: An Adapted Conceptual Framework
Authors: Poroes Camille , Seematter-Bagnoud Laurence , Wyss Kaspar , Peytremann-Bridevaux Isabelle
Published: August 2023

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the notion of health system (HS) performance has been discussed, and the notion of resilience has become increasingly important. Lacking a recognised framework that measures the performance of HSs throughout a crisis, i.e., one that explicitly includes time as a key aspect, we examined the literature about conceptual frameworks for measuring the performance and the resilience of HSs. This review highlighted a significant diversity among 18 distinct HS performance frameworks and 13 distinct HS resilience frameworks. On this basis, we developed a model that integrates the WHO’s widely recognised six building block framework in a novel approach derived from the European Observatory on HSs and Policies. The resulting framework adapts the building blocks to the different stages of a crisis, thereby allowing for a comprehensive assessment of an entire health system’s performance throughout the crisis’s duration, while also considering the key aspect of resilience. For a more pragmatic use of this framework in the future, indicators will be developed as a next step.
Plastics and Micro/Nano-Plastics (MNPs) in the Environment: Occurrence, Impact, and Toxicity
Authors: Dube Edith , Okuthe Grace Emily
Published: August 2023

Plastics, due to their varied properties, find use in different sectors such as agriculture, packaging, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and construction, to mention a few. Excessive use of plastics results in a lot of plastic waste buildup. Poorly managed plastic waste (as shown by heaps of plastic waste on dumpsites, in free spaces, along roads, and in marine systems) and the plastic in landfills, are just a fraction of the plastic waste in the environment. A complete picture should include the micro and nano-plastics (MNPs) in the hydrosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere, as the current extreme weather conditions (which are effects of climate change), wear and tear, and other factors promote MNP formation. MNPs pose a threat to the environment more than their pristine counterparts. This review highlights the entry and occurrence of primary and secondary MNPs in the soil, water and air, together with their aging. Furthermore, the uptake and internalization, by plants, animals, and humans are discussed, together with their toxicity effects. Finally, the future perspective and conclusion are given. The material utilized in this work was acquired from published articles and the internet using keywords such as plastic waste, degradation, microplastic, aging, internalization, and toxicity.
The Intersection of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the 2021 Heat Dome in Canadian Digital News Media: A Content Analysis
Authors: Tetzlaff Emily J. , Goulet Nicholas , Gorman Melissa , Richardson Gregory R. A. , Kenny Glen P.
Published: August 2023

During the 2021 Heat Dome, 619 people in British Columbia died due to the heat. This public health disaster was made worse by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Few studies have explored the intersection of heat with COVID-19, and none in Canada. Considering that climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme heat events, it is important to improve our understanding of intersecting public health crises. Thus, this study aimed to explore media-based public health communication in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 Heat Dome. A qualitative content analysis was conducted on a subset of media articles (n = 520) related to the COVID-19 pandemic which were identified through a previous media analysis on the 2021 Heat Dome (n = 2909). Many of the articles provided conflicting health messages that may have confused the public about which health protective actions to take. The articles also showed how the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated the health impacts of the 2021 Heat Dome, as pandemic-related public health measures may have deterred people away from protecting themselves from heat. This study, which provides novel insight into the prioritization of public health messaging when an extreme heat event occurs concurrently with a pandemic, supports the need for consistent heat health guidance.
Beckwith–Wiedemann Syndrome in Newborn of Mother with HELLP Syndrome/Preeclampsia: An Analysis of Literature and Case Report with Fetal Growth Restriction and Absence of CDKN1C Typical Pathogenic Genetic Variation
Authors: Staniczek Jakub , Manasar-Dyrbuś Maisa , Drosdzol-Cop Agnieszka , Stojko Rafał
Published: August 2023

Beckwith–Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS) is an imprinting disorder, which manifests by overgrowth and predisposition to embryonal tumors. The evidence on the relationship between maternal complications such as HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count) and preeclampsia and the development of BWS in offspring is scarce. A comprehensive clinical evaluation, with genetic testing focused on screening for mutations in the CDKN1C gene, which is commonly associated with BWS, was conducted in a newborn diagnosed with BWS born to a mother with a history of preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. The case study revealed typical clinical manifestations of BWS in the newborn, including hemihyperplasia, macroglossia, midfacial hypoplasia, omphalocele, and hypoglycemia. Surprisingly, the infant also exhibited fetal growth restriction, a finding less commonly observed in BWS cases. Genetic analysis, however, showed no mutations in the CDKN1C gene, which contrasts with the majority of BWS cases. This case report highlights the complex nature of BWS and its potential association with maternal complications such as preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. The atypical presence of fetal growth restriction in the newborn and the absence of CDKN1C gene mutations have not been reported to date in BWS.
Theoretical Study of Structure and Photophysics of Homologous Series of Bis(arylydene)cycloalkanones
Authors: Starostin Roman O. , Freidzon Alexandra Ya. , Gromov Sergey P.
Published: August 2023

Photophysical properties of a series of bis(arylydene)cycloalkanone dyes with various donor substituents are studied using quantum chemistry. Their capacity for luminescence and nonradiative relaxation through trans–cis isomerization is related to their structure, in particular, to the donor capacity of the substituents and the degree of conjugation due to the central cycloalkanone moiety. It is shown that cyclohexanone central moiety introduces distortions and disrupts the conjugation, thus leading to a nonmonotonic change in their properties. The increasing donor capacity of the substituents causes increase in the HOMO energy (rise in the oxidation potential) and decrease in the HOMO–LUMO gap, which results in the red shift of the absorption spectra. The ability of the excited dye to relax through fluorescence or through trans–cis isomerization is governed by the height of the barrier between the Franck–Condon and S1–S0 conical intersection regions on the potential energy surface of the lowest π-π* excited state. This barrier also correlates with the donor capacity of the substituents and the degree of conjugation between the central and donor moieties. The calculated fluorescence and trans–cis isomerization rates are in good agreement with the observed fluorescence quantum yields.
Drosophila melanogaster as a Translational Model System to Explore the Impact of Phytochemicals on Human Health
Authors: Lopez-Ortiz Carlos , Gracia-Rodriguez Celeste , Belcher Samantha , Flores-Iga Gerardo , Das Amartya , Nimmakayala Padma , Balagurusamy Nagamani , Reddy Umesh K.
Published: August 2023

Fruits, vegetables, and spices are natural sources of bioactive phytochemicals, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, flavonoids, curcuminoids, terpenoids, and capsaicinoids, possessing multiple health benefits and relatively low toxicity. These compounds found in the diet play a central role in organism development and fitness. Given the complexity of the whole-body response to dietary changes, invertebrate model organisms can be valuable tools to examine the interplay between genes, signaling pathways, and metabolism. Drosophila melanogaster, an invertebrate model with its extensively studied genome, has more than 70% gene homology to humans and has been used as a model system in biological studies for a long time. The notable advantages of Drosophila as a model system, such as their low maintenance cost, high reproductive rate, short generation time and lifespan, and the high similarity of metabolic pathways between Drosophila and mammals, have encouraged the use of Drosophila in the context of screening and evaluating the impact of phytochemicals present in the diet. Here, we review the benefits of Drosophila as a model system for use in the study of phytochemical ingestion and describe the previously reported effects of phytochemical consumption in Drosophila.
The Detection of Yr Genes in Xinjiang Wheat Cultivars Using Different Molecular Markers
Authors: Zhang Minghao , Saimi Ainisai , Liu Qi , Ma Zeyu , Chen Jing
Published: August 2023

Wheat stripe rust is a fungal disease caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. Tritici (Pst). It significantly impacts wheat yields in Xinjiang, China. Breeding and promoting disease-resistant cultivars carrying disease-resistance genes remains the most cost-effective strategy with which to control the disease. In this study, 17 molecular markers were used to identify Yr5, Yr9, Yr10, Yr15, Yr17, Yr18, Yr26, Yr41, Yr44, and Yr50 in 82 wheat cultivars from Xinjiang. According to the differences in SNP loci, the KASP markers for Yr30, Yr52, Yr78, Yr80, and Yr81 were designed and detected in the same set of 82 wheat cultivars. The results showed that there was a diverse distribution of Yr genes across all wheat cultivars in Xinjiang, and the detection rates of Yr5, Yr15, Yr17, Yr26, Yr41, and Yr50 were the highest, ranging from 74.39% to 98.78%. In addition, Yr5 and Yr15 were prevalent in spring wheat cultivars, with detection rates of 100% and 97.56%, respectively. A substantial 85.37% of wheat cultivars carried at least six or more different combinations of Yr genes. The cultivar Xindong No.15 exhibited the remarkable presence of 11 targeted Yr genes. The pedigree analysis results showed that 33.33% of Xinjiang wheat cultivars shared similar parentage, potentially leading to a loss of resistance against Pst. The results clarified the Yr gene distribution of the Xinjiang wheat cultivars and screened out varieties with a high resistance against Pst.
Potential Association of Cytochrome P450 Copy Number Alteration in Tumour with Chemotherapy Resistance in Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients
Authors: Incze Evelyn , Mangó Katalin , Fekete Ferenc , Kiss Ádám Ferenc , Póti Ádám , Harkó Tünde , Moldvay Judit , Szüts Dávid , Monostory Katalin
Published: August 2023

Resistance to anticancer agents is a major obstacle to efficacious tumour therapy and responsible for high cancer-related mortality rates. Some resistance mechanisms are associated with pharmacokinetic variability in anticancer drug exposure due to genetic polymorphisms of drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, whereas variations in tumoural metabolism as a consequence of CYP copy number alterations are assumed to contribute to the selection of resistant cells. A high-throughput quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based method was developed for detection of CYP copy number alterations in tumours, and a scoring system improved the identification of inappropriate reference genes that underwent deletion/multiplication in tumours. The copy numbers of both the target (CYP2C8, CYP3A4) and the reference genes (ALB, B2M, BCKDHA, F5, CD36, MPO, TBP, RPPH1) established in primary lung adenocarcinoma by the qPCR-based method were congruent with those determined by next-generation sequencing (for 10 genes, slope = 0.9498, r2 = 0.72). In treatment naïve adenocarcinoma samples, the copy number multiplication of paclitaxel-metabolizing CYP2C8 and/or CYP3A4 was more prevalent in non-responder patients with progressive disease/exit than in responders with complete remission. The high-throughput qPCR-based method can become an alternative approach to next-generation sequencing in routine clinical practice, and identification of altered CYP copy numbers may provide a promising biomarker for therapy-resistant tumours.
Molecular Identification and Acid Stress Response of an Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Strain Isolated from Rio Tinto (Spain)
Authors: Ibáñez Ana , Barreiro Carlos , Diez-Galán Alba , Cobos Rebeca , Calvo-Peña Carla , Coque Juan José R.
Published: August 2023

Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans is of paramount importance in the development of biomining technologies. Being widely recognized as an extreme acidophile, extensive research has been dedicated to understanding its significant role in the extraction of several ores in recent years. However, there still exist significant molecular uncertainties surrounding this species. This study focuses on developing a taxonomic assignment method based on the sequencing of the 16S-5S rRNA cluster, along with a qPCR-based technology enabling precise growth determination. Additionally, an approach to understanding its response to acid stress is explored through RT-PCR and MALDI-TOF analysis. Our findings indicate that when subjected to pH levels below 1, the cell inhibits central (carbon fixation and metabolism) and energy (sulfur metabolism) metabolism, as well as chaperone synthesis, suggesting a potential cellular collapse. Nevertheless, the secretion of ammonia is enhanced to raise the environmental pH, while fatty acid synthesis is upregulated to reinforce the cell membrane.