bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A discrete choice experiment to elicit preferences for a chronic disease screening programme in Queensland, Australia: designing the choice sets for the final survey
Authors: Senanayake Sameera , Barnett Adrian , Brain David , Allen Michelle , Powell Elizabeth E , O’Beirne James , Valery Patricia , Hickman Ingrid J , Kularatna Sanjeewa
Published: December 2023

Background:
Chronic diseases are a significant health concern in Australia. Understanding community preferences for health screening services is vital for enhancing service delivery and patient satisfaction. We conducted a study to determine community preferences for health screening services for chronic diseases in Australia using a discrete choice experiment (DCE). This paper aims to present the development of the final DCE design using priors estimated from a pilot survey.
Methods:
A discrete choice experiment was conducted in Australia. An online survey was administered to a general Australian population over 18. The final attribute list of five attributes with three levels each was designed. A D-efficient design with 30 pair-wise choice tasks was developed using a fractional factorial design. A pre-test was conducted to assess comprehension and understanding of the online DCE survey. The pilot survey aimed to compute priors (i.e. coefficients) associated with attributes. A multinomial logit model was used to analyse the pilot DCE data, and the coefficients were used to improve the D-efficient design for the main survey.
Results:
The pilot survey included 30 choice tasks in three blocks, with 119 participants responding. The best DCE design was selected based on D-error, with a lower D-error indicating the most efficient design. The pilot survey results indicated a strong preference for highly accurate screening tests, with coefficients for 85% and 95% accuracy being positive. Coefficients estimated from the pilot survey were used as priors to design the DCE choice tasks for the main survey. The final DCE design showed a notable improvement in the attribute level overlap compared to the design used for the pilot survey.
Conclusions:
A rigorous approach was taken to develop a DCE survey that could effectively determine the preferences of the community for health screening services. The resulting DCE design consisted of 30 choice tasks presented in pairs and was deemed efficient enough to gather comprehensive information in the final survey that could inform policymaking.
Modeling of Methylene blue removal with Zinc oxide-coated activated carbon with Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Altıntıg Esra , Sarıcı Birsen , Bozdag Dilay , Ozcelik Tijen Over , Karakaş Mehtap , Altundag Huseyin
Published: December 2023

In the first stage of this study, activated carbon was obtained from agricultural waste hazelnut shells through chemical activation with H3PO4. Composite materials were obtained by coating the activated carbon with zinc oxide, whose BET surface area was calculated as 1278 m2/g. ZnO doped ZnO/AC composite was synthesized as an adsorbent for its possible application in the elimination of organic dyestuff MB and its removal efficiency was investigated. Morphological properties of ZnO/AC were characterized using analytical methods such as XRD, SEM, FT-IR. The adsorption system and its parameters were investigated and modeled using the response surface method of batch adsorption experiments. The experimental design consisted of three levels of pH (3, 6.5 and 10), initial MB concentration (50, 100 and 150 mg L− 1), dosage (0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 g 100 mL − 1), and contact time contact time (5, 50 and 95 min). The results from the RSM suggested that the MB removal efficiency was 98.7% under optimum conditions of the experimental factors. The R2 value, which expresses the significance of the model, was determined as 99.05%. Adsorption studies showed that the equilibrium data fit well with the Langmuir isotherm model compared to Freundlich. The maximum adsorption capacity was calculated as 270.70 mg g− 1.
Potential of hospital wastewater treatment using locally isolated Chlorella sp. LH2 from cocoon wastewater
Authors: Le Tu Thi Anh , Nguyen Truong
Published: December 2023

Chlorella sp. is able to grow and transform inorganic and organic contaminants in wastewater to create biomass. In the present study, Chlorella sp. LH2 isolated from cocoon wastewater was able to thrive in hospital wastewater, then remove nutrients and eliminate E. coli ATCC 8739. The results indicated that optimal cultivation conditions of Chlorella sp. LH2 in hospital wastewater were pH of 8, light:dark cycle of 16:8 at 30oC. The inhibitory effect of chlorination on algae growth was accompanied with the chlorine concentration. BOD5:COD ratio of 0.77 indicated biodegradability of hospital wastewater. The removal efficiency of COD, BOD5, total nitrogen and total phosphorous were 80.53%, 87.55%, 68.64% and 64.44% after 9 days, respectively. Elimination of E. coli ATCC 8739 after 7 days by Chlorella sp. LH2 was 88.92%. The results of this study suggest the nutrients and pathogens removal potential of Chlorella sp. LH2 in hospital wastewater for further practical applications.
The impact of alternative childcare policies on mothers’ employment in selected EU countries
Authors: Narazani Edlira , Agundez Ana , Christl Michael , Figari Francesco
Published: December 2023

In 2022, the European Council raised the commonly known Barcelona target on childcare provisions established in2002 that, by 2010, a minimum of 33% of children below the age of three should receive early childhood educationand care with specific. The recent recommendation stipulates that by 2030 a minimum of 45% of children belowthe age of three should receive early childhood education and care. This paper analysis the labour supply effects ofhypothetical formal childcare provision targets (40%, 50%, 60% and 65% of children below the age of three) in aset of EU Member States based on the behavioural microsimulation model EUROLAB. Our findings indicate thatachieving these targets would result in an overall increase in the labor force participation of mothers, with variationsacross countries. We show that in countries like Hungary and Poland, where the current levels of formal childcareand female labor participation are low, the expected impact on labor supply incentives is likely to be substantial.Conversely, in countries like Portugal, which already exceed the existing childcare target of 33%, the changes in laborsupply incentives are moderate for the highest targets. These results indicate that a universal, one-size-fits-all targetsmay not be efficient in the EU, given significant variations across countries in terms of labor market participation andchildcare systems.
JEL-Code: J20, J22, J23, J13
Evolving profile of severe and critical COVID-19 according: Cases admitted to the University Hospital of Kinshasa (UHK) = the official name of the institution from March 24, 2020 to December 12, 2022
Authors: Sonzi Donatien Mangala , Risassi Jean-Robert Makulo , Ndona Madone Mandina , Mambimbi Marcel Mbula , Mashi Murielle Longokolo , Bepouka Ben , Ossam Odio , Kayembe Harry César , Kaswangala Béni Béni , Kapour Germain , Ngongo Nadine Mayasi , Lusunsi Christian Kisoka , Tuna Lukiana , Bompangue Didier , Situakibanza Hippolyte Nani-Tuma
Published: December 2023

Background:Severe and critical forms of COVID-19 require early conventional oxygen therapy.Objective:The aim of this study was to analyze the evolution of Severe and critical COVID-19 patients treated at the University Hospital of Kinshasa according to News score.Methods:This was a historical cohort study carried out at the COVID-19 Treatment Center (of the University Hospital of Kinshasa (UHK) from March 24, 2020 to December 12, 2022. The target population was all patients (1159) admitted to the intensive care unit of the COVID-19 Treatment Center of the UHK. All tests were two-tailed with 95% CI and considered significant when P-value was < 0.05.Results:Of a total of 1159 patients, severe and critical forms accounted for 84.2% (n=976), with the age category of patients over 60 years the most represented at 52.2% (n=605), with a mean age of 58.1±17.3 years. Severe and critical patients with at least one comorbidity 74.2% (n=724) were admitted to CTCO CUK and 84.6% (n=981) of these patients required respiratory support with conventional oxygen therapy. Factors predictive of lethality were the use of CPAP and mechanical ventilation with HRa (95% CI) of 0.001 and 0.002 respectively, age> 60 years and late referral to UHK.Conclusion: Ultimately, this study showed that severe COVID-19 patients require early and effective management.
Correlation of Physical Activity and Health-related Quality of Life Among the Saudi Arabian Population: Implications for Promoting Public Health
Authors: Kaliyaperumal Karunamoorthi , Almalki Manal , Adam Hamza , Mahran Hesham
Published: December 2023

PurposePhysical activity (PA) is the key indicator to measure the psycho-physical-mental-socio health of society. It is a protective factor for managing chronic medical conditions and non-communicable illnesses. Nevertheless, one in five adults is physically sedentary worldwide. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the existing physical activity pattern among the Saudi population to estimate the relation between physical activity and health-related quality of life.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 572 adults between January and June 2023. A pre-tested online questionnaire was circulated via social media platforms. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (version 24.0).Results76.1% of females and 22.9% of males participated. The walking (76%) was the major PA than other sports. Respondents reported that their comorbidities for cardiometabolic diseases lessen due to continual PA. Overall, 59.3% of the participants perceived that they felt better after engaging in PA. 35.8% and 33.6% of the respondents practice 15-30 min every day and 3-4 times a week, respectively. About 44.7% of them perceived a significant improvement in their physical and mental health after any kind of PA. A strong correlation was observed between PA and health-related quality of life (P – 0.0005).ConclusionPA ensures the overall psycho-physical-mental-socio health of society. However, a sizable faction of the population still suffers due to sedentary culture. It is a grave concern. Therefore, sport-specific mental health interventions must be implemented through novel health education and promotion strategies to educate and promote a sporty lifestyle among the Saudi population in the future.
Knowledge, Uptake and Therapeutic Effectiveness of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) among Pregnant Women Attending the Antenatal Clinic at Ayeduase Health Centre in Oforikrom Municipality in the Ashanti-Region, Ghana
Authors: Ansong Daniel , Otoo David Mensah , Mensah Vivian
Published: December 2023

Background Malaria is a life-threatening disease, and in pregnancy, it has been recognized to pose a substantial threat to mothers, fetuses and neonates and accounted for 15% of all maternal deaths globally in 2015. MiP poses a significant threat, and globally, it is associated with approximately 10,000 maternal deaths each year. In sub-Saharan Africa, it is projected that approximately 25 million pregnant women in this region are at risk of contracting P. falciparum malaria infection annually. In Ghana, the overall prevalence of MiP was 20.4% among pregnant women in the middle belt of Ghana. MiP causes maternal anaemia, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, preterm delivery and low birth weight; however, it is preventable and curable. Despite the implementation of the IPTp-SP policy in Ghana, coverage remains low. This study assessed the knowledge, uptake and therapeutic effectiveness of IPTp-SP among pregnant women visiting the antenatal clinic at the Ayeduase Health Centre.
Methodology The study employed an analytical cross-sectional design, and a total of 187 pregnant women attending ANC at the Ayeduase Health Centre were surveyed. The collected data were exported into the Stata Corp 17 version for data analysis. Descriptive statistics were performed, and logistic regression was used to test associations between the dependent and independent variables. A p value less than 0.05 was considered significant at a 95% confidence level.
Results All pregnant women (100%) had ever heard of IPTp-SP, and 94.7% knew of its benefit in pregnancy. Notably, health providers were the major source of information for approximately 94% of pregnant women, and a higher level of knowledge on IPTp-SP was found among 92.0% of pregnant women. The prevalence of anaemia and MiP was found to be low (4.8% and 9.7%, respectively). Optimal uptake (≥ 3 doses) of IPTp-SP was high among (61.3%) pregnant women. Therapeutic effectiveness was high among (86.6%) pregnant women. Having 3-4 live births (AOR=4.4 95% Cl: [1.98-9.56], p<0.001), first ANC initiation in the 2nd trimester and 3rd trimester of their current pregnancy (AOR=0.4 95% Cl: [0.21-0.89], 0.022), IPTp-SP intake in their 3rd trimester (AOR =0.1 95% Cl: [0.03-0.37], <0.001) and therapeutic effectiveness (AOR=3.4 95% Cl: [1.08-11. ], p=0.037). were significantly associated with ≥3 doses of IPTp-SP.
Conclusion The initiation of ANC and the uptake of optimal doses of IPTp-SP are crucial elements in ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Educating pregnant women on these aspects is imperative for enhancing their overall well-being and ensuring positive outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth.
A Novel Method for Estimating Time of Concentration in Ungauged Catchments
Authors: Fathi Abazar , Zolghadr Masih
Published: December 2023

Time of Concentration (TC) is one of the most frequently used time parameters in many hydrological studies. A good estimation of TC value results in a more precise design of expensive hydraulic structures, as well as a better estimation of flood discharge. There are the three available approaches to determine TC: physical, empirical, and graphical methods. Among these, graphical method is a widely accepted and popular among researchers for estimating TC. It is also considered as benchmark in TC studies. However, this method faces problems due to the lack of recorded data in many catchments. In this study, two-dimensional (2D) hydraulic simulation is studied and suggested as a novel technique for calculation of TC. The required input for 2D simulation can be obtained by using free satellite data. Some empirical formulas were also considered for calculating TC as well. The graphical method was used as a benchmark to evaluate the outputs of hydraulic simulation, and empirical formulas. To do this, four different watersheds were considered, with 28 rainfall-runoff events. In hydraulic simulation, TC was calculated as the time taken by a water parcel to travel from the upstream (headwater) to the downstream (outlet) of a watershed. The TC values obtained from the hydraulic simulation, and empirical formulas were compared with graphical method. It was observed that the maximum difference between the graphical method and the 2D simulation was less than 10% in all watersheds. Therefore, hydraulic simulation is a reliable method for calculating TC, especially in ungauged catchments where graphical method is not applicable.
Effect of oral administration of Microcin Y on growth performance, intestinal barrier function and gut microbiota of chicks challenged with Salmonella Pullorum
Authors: Li Wenjing , Zeng Zhiwei , Zhou Di , Wang Guyao , Wang Zepeng , Li Yu , Han Yu , Qin Miaomiao , Luo Changqi , Feng Saixiang , Cao Weisheng
Published: December 2023

The lasso peptide microcin Y (MccY) effectively inhibits various serotypes of Salmonella in vitro, but the antibacterial effect against S. Pullorum in poultry is still unclear. This study was the first to evaluate the therapeutic activity of MccY in specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicks infected with S. Pullorum. The chicks were randomized into four groups: (I) negative control group (NC), (II) S. Pullorum-challenged group (SP, 5 × 108 CFU/bird), (III) MccY-treated group (MccY, 20 mg/kg), and (Ⅳ) enrofloxacin-treated group (ENR, 50 mg/L). The results indicated that oral administration of MccY increased body weight and average daily gain (P < 0.05), reduced fecal and cecal S. Pullorum burden (P < 0.05), enhanced the thymus and bursa of Fabricius index and decreased the spleen and liver index (P < 0.05). Moreover, MccY increased the jejunal villus height, lowered the jejunal and ileal crypt depth (P < 0.05), and upregulated the expression of IL-4, IL-10, ZO-1, CLDN-1 in the jejunum and ileum, as well as CLDN-1 in the jejunum (P < 0.05). MccY increased the α-diversity (Simpson index) and the relative richness of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and probiotic flora (Faecalibacterium, etc.), while decreasing (P < 0.05) the relative richness of Proteobacteria and pathogenic flora (Salmonella and Klebsiella, etc.). In conclusion, oral administration of MccY promoted growth performance, reduced S. Pullorum colonization in the gut, improved anti-inflammatory and intestinal barrier function, and restored the balance of the gut microbiota, providing an antibiotic replacement for effective prevention and control of S. Pullorum.
Childhood heart disease and parental emotional wellbeing: a predictive model to explain the perception of quality of life in children and adolescents
Authors: Capitello Teresa Grimaldi , Correale Cinzia , Amodeo Giulia , Balsamo Michela , Carlucci Leonardo , Fiorilli Caterina
Published: December 2023

Background
The number of people living with congenital heart disease (CHD) in 2017 was estimated to be 12 million, which was 19% higher than that in 1990. However, their death rate declined by 35%, emphasizing the importance of monitoring their quality of life due to its impact on several patient outcomes. The main objective of this study is to analyze how parents’ psychosocial factors contribute to children’s and adolescents' perceptions of their QoL, focusing on their medical condition. More specifically, we explore how parental psychological dimensions, such as anxiety and depression, are related to patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
Methods
We recruited 447 children aged 5 to 18 years with a CHD diagnosis and their parents (319 mothers and 229 fathers) from January to December 2018. Patients were referred to the Cardiology Department of “Bambino Gesù” Children’s Hospital and participated in multidisciplinary standardized follow-up. Children and adolescents were submitted to a comprehensive evaluation by different physicians, including pediatric cardiologists, surgeons, and psychologists, at preset time frames. A series of standardized questionnaires were administered during psychological assessment.
Results
The main findings show a negative correlation between mothers’ anxiety and three patients' HRQoL subscales (Treatment II, Treatment anxiety, and Communication). Similarly, mothers’ depression correlates negatively with other patients’ HRQoL subscales (heart problems, symptoms, perceived physical appearance, cognitive problems, and communication). Fathers' anxiety and depression show negative correlations with only the subscale of Treatment II. More generally, the perceived quality of life of children and adolescents with CHD is influenced by their medical conditions as well as the parents’ psychological dimensions.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that the caregivers of pediatric patients with CHD are more exposed to psychological problems of anxiety and depression, which affect the perceived quality of life of their children. Longitudinal research with a healthy control group is recommended to further consolidate this evidence.
A Microbial Cell Factory Combining an Artificial Metathase with a Fatty Acid Decarboxylase for New-to-Nature Synthesis of Cycloalkenes
Authors: Ward Thomas , Zou Zhi , Wu Shuke , Gerngross Daniel , Lozhkin Boris , Chen Dongping , Tachibana Ryo
Published: December 2023

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) are powerful tools for catalyzing new-to-nature reactions. ArMs offer great potential to complement natural enzymes in concurrent cascade reactions. For in cellulo applications, however, the abundance of thiols in the cytosol of aerobic organisms limits the use of ArMs that rely on precious metal cofactors. To overcome this limitation, compartmentalization of ArMs either in the periplasm or on the surface of Escherichia coli has shown promise. We report herein on our efforts to combine a surface-displayed artificial metathase with UndB, an inner membrane decarboxylase. The resulting concurrent cascade converts medium-chain dicarboxylates to cyclic alkenes. To optimize the cascade, we evolved both enzymes independently and fine-tuned their relative expression levels. Compared to the wild-type whole-cell enzyme cascade, the engineered strain was improved by > 75-fold for the conversion of sebacic acid to cyclohexene. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first example of a whole-cell enzyme cascade that combines a natural enzyme with an ArM.
Active P-Y Curves for Rigid Walls Supporting Granular Soil
Authors: Elchiti Imad , Saad George , Najjar Shadi
Published: December 2023

In the performance-based design of structures with basement floors, there is interest in quantifying the relationship between the lateral earth pressure and the wall displacement using p-y curves. This paper focuses on studying the development of active earth pressure behind rigid walls in the context of p-y curves. The study aims at characterizing the components of the p-y relationship and proposing a rigorous non-linear “at-rest to active” p-y model. To achieve this objective, walls with different heights retaining granular soils of different relative densities were modeled in PLAXIS 2D. Results indicate that active p-y curves are non-linear and are affected by the height of the wall, soil density, embedment depth, and the soil-wall interface friction angle. More importantly, results show that the p-y relationship for a frictional wall is a function of (1) the p-y relationship of an equivalent non-frictional wall and (2) the reduction in shear stress with displacement at the soil/wall interface due to friction. Results are used to derive a simplified hyperbolic p-y model for non-frictional walls and a bilinear model for the development of frictional shear stresses at the soil-wall interface. Validation experiments indicated that these simple models could provide realistic estimates of the p-y response of walls without the need for finite element analyses.
Research on the prediction method of SO3 in the emission flue gas of thermal power plant based on machine learning
Authors: Jiang Weiting , Wang Kai , Ge Tiancheng , Zhao Lei , Pan Weiguo
Published: December 2023

To reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, many thermal power plants have adopted Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) denitrification technology. However, during the SCR process, Due to the denitrification reaction process will produce a certain amount of ammonia escape, the actual production operation, denitrification flue gas in part of the SO2 in the role of the catalyst is converted to SO3, and difficult to monitor.This paper proposes a migratory learning model based on the VGG16 network to predict the concentration of sulfur trioxide (SO3) in the flue gas of power plants. The model was validated using flue gas data collected from experimental power plants and compared with classical machine learning models. The results show that the migratory learning model outperforms the comparison models, providing a reference for using machine learning techniques to predict air pollution from power plant emissions.
Evaluating the environmental impacts of pretreatment and nanoparticles in solid-state anaerobic digestion using life cycle assessment
Authors: Ajayi-Banji Ademola , Pourhashem Ghasideh , Rahman Shafiqur , Feng Iris (Xiaoyu)
Published: December 2023

The yield of green energy from solid-state anaerobic co-digestion (SSAD) has recently been enhanced by incorporating innovative pretreatment methods and nanoparticles. However, the environmental consequences of employing new processes have not been fully examined. In this study, the environmental impacts of three high-methane-yielding scenarios including SSAD of corn stover blended with dairy manure (DM) denoted as (SYM1), calcium hydroxide-pretreated corn stover (CpCS) blended with DM (SYM2), and the CpCS blended with DM and nanoparticles (SYM3) were assessed and compared the baselines of solid state and semi-solid-state anaerobic digestion using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The approach investigated the best management practices that would result in high methane yield and low environmental impact. Results of the life cycle assessment indicates the inclusion of calcium hydroxide and nanoparticle has minimal negative environmental impact. There was an environmental gain in GWP when corn stover was co-digestion with DM (SYM1) relative to DM mono-digestions (baselines) and the carbon footprint of SYM1 was less by more than 85% compared to SYM2 and SYM3. However, the large volume of untreated corn stover harnessed for SYM1 scenario resulted in over 75% fossil fuel depletion compared to the other scenarios. The surplus methane from the SYM3 (at least 2-fold of other scenarios and baselines) in conjunction with being the least with the environmental implication, makes the scenario the most attractive option for on-farm practice capable of harnessing the growing organic waste volume.
Complete resorption of the humerus in metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma: A case report and literature review
Authors: Huang Xiajie , Chen Yeping , Zeng Daofu , Liang Rongyuan , Liao Zhidong , Wei Guizheng , Hao Wenjun , Lu William , Chen Yan
Published: December 2023

Background Thyroid carcinoma is the commonest endocrinological malignancy. Bone metastasis of thyroid carcinoma is rare. Particularly, bone metastases leading to complete resorption of the humerus are extremely uncommon.
Case presentation We presented a case of a 67-year-old woman experiencing chronic pain at her right upper arm for five years. Clinical, radiological, and pathological evaluations have confirmed humeral metastasis from follicular thyroid carcinoma. Despite surgical treatment options like tumor removal or amputation, the patient pursued conservative managements such as herbal medicine, radioactive iodine (131I) therapy, and Levothyroxine Sodium (L-T4). However, the humeral destruction aggravated gradually, eventually leading to completely resorption of her right humerus. Currently the patient could not move her right shoulder while her forearm motion was almost normal. Thus, she could complete her daily living activities independently. She still opted for conservative managements such as radioactive iodine therapy and rejected any surgical treatment.
Conclusion This case underscores the complexities of diagnosing and managing bone metastasis in follicular thyroid carcinoma. A comprehensive review of relevant case reports further contributes to understanding this condition, emphasizing individualized and multidisciplinary approaches.. Our study provides critical insights into diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for bone metastasis from follicular thyroid carcinoma.
Analysis of robot specific operative time and surgical team anxiety level and its effect on alignment during robot assisted TKA
Authors: Londhe Sanjay Bhalchandra , Rudraraju Ravi Teja , Shah Ravi Vinod , DeSouza Clevio , Shetty Vijay , Khan Farheen Shehzad , Bajwa Supreet
Published: December 2023

Background:
Adapting to robotic assisted (RA) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is hindered by the surgeon's fear of extra time. The main purpose of this study was to determine the robot's operative time, and the secondary goals were to assess the surgical team's anxiety, implant location and size, and limb alignment.
Methods:
From February to April 2022, 40 participants participated in a prospective research. The study included primary Cuvis joint active RA-TKA patients for end-stage arthritis, but conventional TKA patients, conversion of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty to TKA, and patients with prior knee surgery were excluded. The active RA-TKA surgical time included surgeon-dependent and surgeon-independent/active robot time. The surgeon's anxiety was measured using the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI). The implant size/position and limb alignment were checked by post-operative weight-bearing lateral, anteroposterior, and full-length scanograms.
Results:
Operative time specifically related to active RA-TKA was higher in the first 10 cases as against 10–20, 20–30 and 30–40 cases which was observed to lower from cohort 2. Similar trend was observed for the surgical team’s anxiety levels which seem to lower from cohort 2 (case 10–20). Cumulative experience of active RA-TKA showed no effect on the precision of implant alignment/ size, limb alignment and complications.
Conclusion:
The study showed progressive improvement in the surgical anxiety scores and reduction in operating time indicating the proficiency gained by the surgical team. Further no learning curve was involved for achieving the implant positioning and sizing, limb alignment with absence of complications.
The impact of eucalyptus and pine plantations on the taxonomic and functional diversity of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in the southern region of Ecuador
Authors: Guachizaca-Macas Jessica , Sanmartín-Vivar Karen , Marín-Armijos Diego
Published: December 2023

This study sheds light on the complex relationship between land use, biodiversity, and functional traits of dung beetles in Ecuador. The results indicate that the richness and abundance of dung beetles vary across land uses and regions, with forests generally having a positive impact and eucalyptus and pine plantations having a negative effect in certain areas. Specific indicators, such as Homocopris buckleyi for forest areas and Onthophagus curvicornis for eucalyptus plantations, have been identified. The study also found that functional diversity analysis, based on morphological traits, indicated that certain traits, such as biomass, pronotum width, head width, and elytra length, were significant contributors to differences in dung beetle communities across land uses and areas. This study highlights the potential conservation value of certain modified habitats and the importance of considering both taxonomic and functional diversity when assessing the impact of land use on the ecosystem services provided by dung beetles. It underscores the potential value of plantations as refuges for dung beetle communities and the importance of conducting long-term assessments to understand biodiversity changes over time.
Environmental Characterization of an Industrially Contaminated Area by Tetrachloroethylene Using the Resistive-Capacitive Method.
Authors: Barros Marina Fernandes Sanches , Elis Vagner Roberto , Dantas Letícia Rangel , Riyis Marcos Tanaka , Camargo Augusto Tolentino , Stangari Marcelo César , Ustra Andréa Teixeira
Published: December 2023

Investigation of soil and groundwater contamination is essential for assessing environmental risks and monitoring remediation processes. Geophysical methods effectively map and characterize subsurface properties without requiring direct excavations. These methods provide data on geological structure, lithological changes, groundwater level, contaminant identification, and remediation process monitoring. Being non-invasive, they offer an advantage over drilling operations by avoiding the need for soil excavation. This reduces the risk of contaminant migration during investigation activities. The study area in São Paulo corresponds to a former industrial galvanization site where contamination by chlorinated solvents, especially tetrachloroethylene, occurred. Remediation measures such as pumping and treatment, multiphase extraction, soil/waste removal, and chemical oxidation were implemented in the area. The contaminant and remediation processes alter the geophysical signatures of the environment, enabling the use of the electrical resistivity method. However, applying this method can be challenging in urban areas due to pavement and urban interferences. The resistive-capacitive method was employed, allowing continuous data acquisition over large areas without the need to insert electrodes into the soil. Additionally, traditional electrical profiling and induced polarization were used to gather data at greater depths. The integration of geophysical methods with soil sample descriptions in liners provided an analysis of subsurface characteristics and affected areas. Although challenges exist in applying it to urban areas due to pavement and interferences, the electrical resistivity method can contribute to the Conceptual Site Model by filling data gaps between wells and delineating the contaminant's influence area and the chemical oxidation remediation process.
FISH and GISH reveal genome composition of popular Narcissus cultivars and the ways to breed them
Authors: Sun Yanni , Zeng Jie , Liu Siyu , Zhou Shujun
Published: December 2023

There are thousands of Narcissus cultivars, however; their genome compositions are not so clear, except that their ploidy levels are extensively investigated. The present study analyzed eight popular cultivars using GISH or/and FISH. The present results clearly revealed their genome composition: ‘Bridal Crown’ was diploid (2n = 2x = 17 = 10 + 7 = AE) rather than aneuploid, ‘Jinzhanyintai’ was autotriploid (2n = 3x = 30 = 10 + 10 + 10 = AAA) rather than allotetraploid or hexaploid, ‘Tête-à-Tête’ was allotriploid (2n = 3x = 24 + B =10 + 7 + 7 + B = AEE), ‘Cultivar X’ was also allotriploid (2n = 3x = 24 = 10 + 7 + 7 = AEX), and ‘Dutch Master’, ‘Replete’ and ‘Queen's Day’ were all autotetraploid (2n = 4x = 28 = 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 = EEEE). Together with others reports, we concluded that ‘Tête-à-Tête’ was composed of one genome of N. tazetta, one genome of N. cyclamineus, and one genome of N. pseudonarcissus, and that ‘Pink Parasol’ was aneu-autotetraploid (2n = 4x + 2 = 30 = 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 2 = EEEE+ 2) rather allotetraploid (2n = 4x = 10 + 10 + 5 + 5 = CCDD). Based on the cultivars’ genome composition and origin, it is concluded that distant hybridization, sexual polyploidization and chromosome doubling play different roles in breeding modern Narcissus cultivars.
Analysis of the evolution characteristics of infrared energy of coal samples under composite disturbance of dynamic and static loads
Authors: Shan Peng-Fei , Shi Yi-Wei , Lai Xing-Ping , Li Wei , yang tong , Li Chen-Wei , Yang Pan
Published: December 2023

Coal deformation and damage are the fundamental causes of mining disasters. This paper proposes an intelligent sensing method of infrared thermal imaging applied to the qualitative analysis of deformation and damage of coal mass during loading. A thermal infrared imager and crack monitoring equipment were used to jointly monitor the average infrared radiation temperature (AIRT) and damage pattern of coal samples under complex disturbances during uniaxial loading. The time-frequency characteristics of infrared radiation during the coal sample destruction process were analyzed; and a Mask R-CNN crack recognition model was constructed to detect different crack shapes after the coal sample was destroyed. The results show that the uniaxial compressive strength of coal samples under static load is greater than the combined disturbance of dynamic and static loads, the degree of deformation and damage of the coal sample is more severe, and the cracks are more obvious; the uniaxial compressive strength of low-frequency dynamic and static loads is higher than that of high-frequency dynamic and static loads Disturbance; proposed a DST analysis method for coal samples and a new index of coal sample damage. The research results can provide reference indicators for early warning of coal and rock deformation and damage.
Synthesis of recovery patterns in microbial communities across environments
Authors: Jurburg Stephanie D. , Blowes Shane , Shade Ashley , Eisenhauer Nico , Chase Jonathan M.
Published: December 2023

Background
Disturbances alter the diversity and composition of microbial communities. Yet a generalized empirical assessment of microbiome responses to disturbance across different environments is needed to understand the factors driving microbiome recovery, and the role of the environment in driving these patterns.
Results
To this end we combined null models with bayesian generalized linear models to examine 86 time series of disturbed mammalian, aquatic, and soil microbiomes up to 50 days following disturbance. Overall, disturbances had the strongest effect on mammalian microbiomes, which lost taxa and later recovered their richness, but not their composition. In contrast, following disturbance, aquatic microbiomes tended away from their pre-disturbance composition over time. Surprisingly, across all environments, we found no evidence of increased compositional dispersion (i.e., variance) following disturbance, in contrast to the expectations of the Anna Karenina Principle.
Conclusions
This is the first study to systematically compare secondary successional dynamics across disturbed microbiomes, using a consistent temporal scale and modeling approach. Our findings show that the recovery of microbiomes is environment-specific, and help to reconcile existing, environment-specific research into a unified perspective.
Investigations on chemically synthesized pure and doped manganese dioxide nanoparticles for dye removal and photocatalytic applications
Authors: Chellappan Lingeswari , Thangaraj Balu , M Nagarajan , Gurusamy Vasuki
Published: December 2023

Pure and Mg2+, Ni2+, Cd2+ doped MnO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method. These samples were characterised by PXRD, SEM, EDX, FTIR, UV-Vis-NIR, PL, Antibacterial, Cyclic Voltammetry, dye degradation and Photocatalytic studies. From the powder XRD studies, the crystallite size of the particle was calculated using Scherer formula and found that the synthesized nanoparticles were in the range from 10 to 12 nm. The morphology of all the synthesized samples was viewed from SEM micrograph. The composition and purity of the samples were identified from EDX studies. In FTIR spectra metal-oxygen stretching and bending modes of vibrations were observed. From the absorption spectra of UV-Vis optical analysis values of absorption coefficient, extinction coefficient, refractive index, real and imaginary part of optical dielectric constant and optical conductivity were compared. The energy band gap obtained from tauc’s plot shows semiconducting nature of the pure and doped samples. Investigations on photoluminecsence spectrum reveals blue shift in wavelength for doped nanooxides compared to pure MnO2. Antimicrobial activity of synthesised samples against gram positive and gram negative bacteria was determined. The obtained results reveal very high bacterial resistance in Cd2+ doped MnO2 nanoparticles. The specific capacitance values were determined from Cyclic Voltammetry studies. Using the batch method of dye removing technique the percentage of malachite green dye removal was calculated. Also the photocatalytic efficiency of all the synthesized MnO2 samples in removing malachite green dye was studied by exposing to sunlight for different dosage and contact time.
SFRP1 Decreases Wnt-Mediated M2 Macrophage Marker Expression in Breast Tissue
Authors: Gregory Kelly , Mason Holly , Casaubon Jesse , Schnieder Sallie
Published: December 2023

The Wnt family of secreted proteins are involved in mammary gland development and tumorigenesis. It has recently been shown that Wnt ligands promote M2 macrophage polarization and so we sought to determine the effects of a Wnt signaling antagonist, Secreted Frizzled Related Protein 1 (SFRP1), on M2 marker expression. We measured a murine M2 marker (Arg1) in mice with a targeted deletion of Sfrp1 during different stages of mammary gland development including puberty, pregnancy, and lactation, as well as in response to obesity. Next, to determine whether Wnt signaling/antagonism affects human M2 markers (CD209 and CCL18), we treated a human patient derived explant (PDE) breast tissue sample with exogenous Wnt3a in the presence and absence of rSFRP1. Finally, we expanded our PDE study to 13 patients and performed bulk RNAseq analysis following the treatment described above. We found that in loss of Sfrp1 in the murine mammary gland increased Arg1 expression. Moreover, we showed that Wnt3a increases CD209 and CCL18 mRNA and protein expression in breast PDEs and that their expression is decreased in response to rSFRP1. Our RNAseq analysis unveiled novel genes that were affected by Wnt3a treatment and subsequently reversed when rSFRP1 was added. Validation of these data exhibited that chemokines involved in promoting macrophage polarization and cancer metastasis, including CCL11 and CCL26, were stimulated by Wnt3a signaling and their expression was abrogated by treatment with rSFRP1. Our data suggest that SFRP1 may be an important mediator that tempers Wnt signaling in the tumor microenvironment.
Patient-Derived Spheroid Culture Models Are Better Than Monolayer Models in Chondrosarcoma Research
Authors: Ma Ruichen , Heim Tanya , Schoedel Karen , Weiss Kurt R.
Published: December 2023

Purpose Chondrosarcoma (CSA) are mesenchymal tissue-derived bone tumors. CSA mainly occurs in older people. CSA has demonstrated resistance to chemotherapy and radiation; complete surgical removal with negative margins is the only treatment option. In the case of metastatic CSA, the chance of survival is meager. Since the conventional two-dimensional cell culture models failed to retain tumor characteristics, developing preclinical models mimicking the disease with the highest fidelity is paramount for personalized treatments. Methods In this study, we established spherical cultured cells as new models for CSA. First, we demonstrated that CSA cells could form spheroids when cultured in ultra-low attachment plates. Next, tissue samples from CSA patients were collected and processed into primary cells, which were subsequently cultured as primary spheroids. The growth rate of primary spheroids was monitored and the histology of mature spheroids were characterized. These primary spheroids were used in drug susceptibility studies where traditional doxorubicin therapy and our novel disulfiram-copper therapy were tested. Results Compared with conventional monolayer cultures, spheroids better recapitulated the features of the in vivo tumor in the aspect of the formation of extracellular matrix. In the drug susceptibility study, spheroids demonstrated high resistance to the classic therapies, suggesting that monolayer cultures may give false positive results. Therefore, using spheroids for drug research and development in the CSA field should provide more accurate results. Conclusion In summary, our study of primary CSA spheroids brought new insight into their chemoresistance and demonstrated its potential for personalized treatment of CSA in clinical medicine.
Influence of confining pressure on rock fracture propagation under particle impact
Authors: Wang Man , Li Xing , Niu Zehua , Guo Xinhui , Zhang Shuo , Liu Shuaitao , Liu Yong
Published: December 2023

Revealing the influence of confining pressure on the propagation and formation mechanism of rock cracks under particle impact is significant to deep rock excavation. In this study, we conducted laboratory testing and numerical simulations to analyze the stress and crack field evolution in rock under particle impact. The results demonstrate that after particles impact, a fracture zone and intergranular main crack propagation zone are formed in the rock. The shear stress and tensile stress caused by compressive stress are the main reasons for the formation of the fracture zone, while the formation of the intergranular main crack propagation zone is mainly due to tangential derived tensile stress. The confining pressure induces prestress between rock particles such that the derived tensile stress needs to overcome the initial compressive stress between the particles to form tensile fractures. And the increase in the confining pressure leads to increases in the proportion of shear cracks and friction effects between rock particles, resulting in an increase in energy consumption for the same number of cracks. From a macroscopic perspective, the confining pressure can effectively inhibit the generation of cracks.
“We’re gonna die!” Do Brazilian conservation units provide protection to the Amazonian chelonians?
Authors: Sousa Loyriane Moura , Correia Letícia Lima , Alexandre Rafaela Jemely Rodrigues , Pena Simone Almeida , Vieira Thiago Bernardi
Published: December 2023

The creation of conservation areas (CAs) is not always based on science; consequently, some aquatic species may not receive the same level of protection as terrestrial ones. The objective was to identify priority areas for the conservation of chelonians in the Brazilian Amazon basin and assess the contribution of CAs, distinguishing between Full Protection Areas, Sustainable Use Areas, and Indigenous Lands for group protection. The entire species modeling procedure was carried out using Species Distribution Models (SDMs). Data points were obtained from platforms such as SpeciesLink, GBIF, the Hydroatlas database, and WorldClim for bioclimatic variables adjusted for algorithms like Maximum Entropy, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Gaussian-Bayesian. Indigenous lands cover more than 50% of the distribution areas of chelonians species in the Brazilian Amazon. Protection areas with higher conservation importance (Full Protection Areas and Sustainable Use Areas) hold less than 15% of the combined species distribution. Researchers face significant challenges when making decisions with models, especially in conservation efforts involving diverse taxa that differ significantly from one another within a group of individuals.
¿Y ahora, quién podrá defendernos? The Inefficacy of Brazilian Conservation Areas in Safeguarding Bat Biodiversity
Authors: de Oliveira Bruna Nascimento , Alexandre Rafaela Jemely Rodrigues , Pena Simone Almeida , Correia Letícia Lima , Vieira Thiago Bernardi
Published: December 2023

There are several threats to bat biodiversity, including deforestation and habitat loss, mainly due to agriculture, farming and urbanization. These problems are aggravated by the lack of knowledge about biodiversity and its geographic distribution. Therefore, the objective of this work is to evaluate whether the current network of reserves in Brazil is adequate for the conservation of bat biodiversity and its ecosystem services. We used the occurrences of species present in digital databases, with 19 bioclimatic variables to build potential species distribution models. With the potential models we calculate the importance metrics, and overlap them with the current UC and TI in Brazil. We note that the UC and TI show that the areas located in the north of Brazil and in the southeastern coastal region are those that presented the highest values of importance for the conservation of the total biodiversity of bats. This same pattern was observed for the Frugivore, Total Insectivore and Non-Gleaner Insectivore guilds. For the measure of importance for each category in the IUCN of bats, we identified that the Southeast portion of Brazil represents high importance for conservation in the four threat levels present. For DD species, regions with a high degree of importance are concentrated throughout the northern and central regions of Brazil. For species classified as EM, the entire Brazilian region was classified as highly important for conservation and NT species have important areas in the coastal region of Brazil, extending inland across almost the entire Brazilian Cerrado. Our results highlight the ineffectiveness of areas designated for conservation in preserving terrestrial biodiversity, especially bats. They reinforce the need to plan conservation strategies based on conservation policies, reducing the probability of excluding species with restricted distribution or that occur in productive areas of high economic value.