bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between cerebral microbleeds and neurological outcomes in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation survivors
Authors: Xu Zhipeng , Kwapong William Robert , Fang Xing , Yu Yongwei , Xu Mi , Zhang Jingchen , Niu Jianhua , He Xujian , Hu Jia , Cao Le , Li Tong , Cai Hongliu , Yan Jueyue
Published: February 2024

Background Changes in blood coagulation factors are associated with neurological deficits in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) survivors. These blood coagulation factors have a diverse impact on the brain and are associated with cerebral microbleeds (CMBs). However, how CMBs mediate the association of blood coagulation factors with neurological deficits in ECMO survivors is not well understood. Here, we aimed to determine how CMBs mediate the association of blood coagulation factors with neurological deficits in ECMO survivors. Methods In this single-center study, blood coagulation profiles during ECMO support including activated clotting time (ACT), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), international normalized ratio (INR), D-Dimer, and fibrinogen levels were documented. Additionally, lowest hemoglobin levels, highest lactate levels, highest sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores within 14 days were recorded. After ECMO discontinuation, stable patients underwent cerebral imaging to assess cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) burden. 90 days post-ECMO, a neurological examination via a modified Rankin scale (mRS) was performed. Results There were 138 ECMO survivors mean age = 53.44 ± 8.96 years; 47.10% males; of the 138 patients, 78 (56.52%) underwent VA ECMO support while 60 (43.48%) underwent VV ECMO. CMB burden significantly correlated (P < 0.05) with most blood coagulation factors. In patients with VV ECMO support, CMB count significantly correlated with ACT (P = 0.003) and SOFA (P = 0.002); in patients with VA ECMO support, CMB count correlated with aPTT (P = 0.044) and PLT (P = 0.013). We showed that lactate had a direct effect on mRS after ECMO support (all P < 0.05). We also showed that the effect of ACT and SOFA on mRS scores was mediated by CMB burden (all P < 0.001). Conclusion CMB burden accounts for the effect of ACT and SOFA on neurological deficits in ECMO survivors.
Do we feel the same emotions in simulation as with a real patient ? A pilot study among dental students
Authors: STRUB Marion
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Simulation is an educational tool for dental students to develop their technical and non-technical skills. To optimize learning in simulation, students must be immersed in a high-fidelity environment and emotionally engaged, as is the case in clinical practice. The primary objective of this study was to assess emotions during simulation training and clinical practice. A commonly practiced procedure, dental extraction, was used as a guideline for this work. Materials and methodology: A self-administered questionnaire related to the emotions felt was completed by the dental students immediately after each dental extraction performed in clinic or simulation. The clinical case was a pediatric patient. Results: The emotions experienced in simulation were similar to those felt by a student during clinical practice. Students enjoyed caring for their patients but lost their composure more easily with difficult children. Students reported being more stressed and having difficulty communicating with younger patients. They acknowledged that their emotions could sometimes influence their care of the patient. Discussion: Emotions can influence clinical decision making. On the other hand, the role of emotions in learning must be considered by teachers so as not to discourage students. Teachers must balance exposure to emotionally charged situations with a method that is conducive to learning. Conclusion: Simulation helps train students in clinical practice and can include the same range of emotions.
Local ionic transport enables selective PGM-free bipolar membrane electrode assembly
Authors: Li Mengran
Published: February 2024

Bipolar membranes in electrochemical CO2 conversion cells enable different reaction environments in the CO2-reduction and oxygen-evolution compartments. Under ideal conditions, water-splitting in the bipolar membrane allows for platinum-group-metal-free anode materials and high CO2 utilizations. In practice, however, even minor unwanted ion crossover limits stability to short time periods. Here we report the vital role of managing ionic species to improve CO2 conversion efficiency while preventing acidification of the anodic compartment. Through transport modelling, we identify that an anion-exchange ionomer in the catalyst layer improves local bicarbonate availability and increasing the proton transference number in the bipolar membranes increases CO2 regeneration and limits K+ concentration in the cathode region. Through experiments, we show that a uniform local distribution of bicarbonate ions increases the accessibility of reverted CO2 to the catalyst surface, improving Faradaic efficiency and limiting current densities by twofold. Using these insights, we demonstrate a fully PGM-free bipolar membrane electrode assembly CO2 conversion system exhibiting < 1% CO2/cation crossover rates and 80–90% CO2-to-CO utilization efficiency over 150 h operation at 100 mA cm− 2 without anolyte replenishment.
Effect of Sowing Dates on Lettuce Yield, Grown in Open Field and Partial Shade
Authors: Ahmad Shahbaz , Khattak Abdul Mateen , Farooq Ahmad , Bibi Razia , Habib Waqas , Gul Ghani , Asghar Muhammad , Ahmed Manzoor
Published: February 2024

A study on the “effect of sowing dates on lettuce yield, grown in the Open field and partial shade” was conducted at the Ornamental Nursery, Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, during 2020–2021. The randomized complete block design (RCBD) with a split-plot arrangement having two factors, replicated three times was used in the experiment. The lettuce (Lactuca sativaL.), variety ‘Large Speed’ was grown in two growing conditions (open field and partial shade) at different sowing and transplanting dates, and their effect was studied. The seeds of lettuce were sown on six different dates i.e., 24th December 2020, 8th January, 23rd January, 7th February, 22nd February, and 9th March 2021. The results showed that the growing conditions and sowing dates significantly affected the growth and yield of the lettuce crop. Regarding the growing conditions, the plants grown in the open field produced maximum chlorophyll content, number of leaves plant− 1, head diameter, head fresh weight, head dry weight, leaf Area, number of seeds plant− 1, seed yield, and root length plant− 1. On the other hand, maximum head height plant− 1, days to flowering, days to seed production, plant height, and better taste were recorded in partial shade. In terms of sowing dates, maximum chlorophyll content, number of leaves plant− 1, head height, head diameter, head fresh weight, head dry weight, leaf area, number of seeds plant1, seed yield, root length, taste, days to flowering, days to seed production and plant height were recorded for the plants of first sowing and transplanting date (24th Dec). These parameters decreased with delayed sowing and transplanting.
Energy and Economic Impact Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste to Energy in Bangladesh
Authors: Islam M. Mominul , Hasanuzzaman Md , Malek A. B.M. A. , Kalam M. A. , Trianni Andrea
Published: February 2024

Modern technology converts waste materials into energy through various processes, such as incineration and gasification. The government of Bangladesh (GoB) has targeted to generate 10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025. The plot of this study is the two parts of Dhaka city corporations, which are under tremendous pressure to manage its huge amount of solid waste. Proper regional management and waste to Energy (WtE) technology will benefit the city economically and environmentally. The study assessed a range of 15–35% overall system efficiency and 60–80% plant capacity with a moisture content of 50–60%. No process is seen to be economically viable under the current FiT. Therefore, a new FiT of $0.21 (BDT 17.85) per kWh for WtE technology is proposed for harnessing renewable energy from solid wastes in the context of Bangladesh, which can bring the environment of the established landfills at Matuail and Amin Bazar in two parts of Dhaka city corporation namely North and South. Four technologies are analyzed in this study; among them, the best economic performance is found in resource recovery canters with waste-to-energy technology. This waste management technique requires the lowest capital investment (CAPEX) and minimum operational expenses (OPEX) among the four alternatives studied. With the prevailing conditions of the wastes and a suggested FiT of $0.21 per kWh, the NPV is estimated to be USD 31.4 million, the IRR of the project stands at 18.16%, the B/C ratio is 1.32, and ROI is 32.28%.
A non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor based on NiCoSe2/rGO nanosheets for nanomolar range detection of Malathion
Authors: VP Akhin , Sriniva Ananda Kumar
Published: February 2024

Pesticide contamination in vegetables and fruits severely affects the quality of human life. This can be alleviated with a low cost and efficient sensor. Herein, we describe the synthesis of a NiCoSe2/rGO nano-composite sensor via hydrothermal method to detect Malathion. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform IR spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) did the material characteristics of nano-composite. The electrochemical activities of the nano-composite towards Malathion were investigated by Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Differential Pulse Voltametry (DPV) and Chrono-amperometry (CA). The NiCoSe2/rGO nano-composite excellentlydetects Malathion and thus exhibiting its, excellent conductivity, electron transport and high surface area. The developed NiCoSe2/rGO sensor has a nano-molar range Limit of Detection (LOD) of Malathion with wide linear range from 64nM to 600 nM. Furthermore, the stability and effect of interfering species studies revealed the fact that interfering species could not make any significant current response in chrono-amperometry.
Autoimmune-like Drug-induced Liver Injury Caused by Fenofibrate, Atorvastatin, and Ezetimibe: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Hu Kejie , Wang Yufang , He Yahong , Xiong Jiabin
Published: February 2024

In recent years, drug-induced liver injury (DILI) has become a significant concern due to its potential for severe liver damage. We present a case report of autoimmune-like DILI caused by the concomitant use of fenofibrate, atorvastatin, and ezetimibe. Glucocorticoid therapy has been proven to be effective. The patient was monitored for an additional 3 years, and no changes were observed. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive literature review on similar cases to enhance our understanding of this rare adverse drug reaction. lay summary This case highlights the importance of considering autoimmune-like DILI as a potential diagnosis in patients presenting with liver injury and positive autoantibodies. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the potential hepatotoxicity associated with fenofibrate, atorvastatin, and ezetimibe. Early recognition and prompt withdrawal of the offending medications, along with appropriate immunosuppressive therapy, can lead to favorable outcomes in patients with autoimmune-like DILI.
An Intelligent Approach for Multi Disease Specific Plant Corpora Creation And Plant Name Extraction From Biomedical Literatures
Authors: Balasubramanian M. P. , SenthamilSelvan P.
Published: February 2024

Indian Medicinal plants play an important role in the treatment of various diseases disputedly most of the medicinal plants are available as an unstructured format in biomedical literatures. Since the growth of biomedical literature tripling every year despite there is no proper text mining tool to automatically extract the medicinal plants from the works of literature and to automatically create the disease-specific plant corpora. Our proposed algorithm utilizes four methods to automatically create the disease-specific plant corpus by extracting the plant names from the multi-disease biomedical literature automatically. The first method uses the multi-keyword indexing to create the multi-disease corpus by referring to the appropriate disease based biomedical articles and the second method uses the rule-based system based on python techniques to automatically extract the plant names and chemical compounds from the multi-disease based biomedical works of literature. The third method uses the fuzzy techniques to extract unique plants from multiple disease articles. The fourth method uses the Tf-Idf to rank the top- ranked plants extracted from the multiple diseases. Our proposed model is implemented for four diseases namely Cancer, Diabetes, Arthritis, and Fever. The proposed model is validated by using the human inputs and our model outperforms the state of art approach by scoring the Accuracy value of 95% average for Automatic disease corpus creation and Automatic plant extraction from biomedical works of literature abstracts and results.
MP-DGCNN for the Semantic Segmentation of Chinese Ancient Building Point Clouds
Authors: Dong Youqiang , Hou Miaole , Zhou Caochenyu , Ji Yuhang , Hao Wuchen
Published: February 2024

Point cloud semantic segmentation is a key step in the scan-to-HBIM process. In order to reduce the information in the process of DGCNN, this paper proposes a Mix Pooling Dynamic Graph Convolutional Neural Network (MP-DGCNN) for the segmentation of ancient architecture point clouds. The proposed MP-DGCNN differs from DGCNN mainly in two aspects: (1) to more comprehensively characterize the local topological structure of points, the edge features are redefined, and distance and neighboring points are added to the original edge features; (2) based on a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), an internal feature adjustment mechanism is established, and a learnable mix pooling operator is designed by fusing adaptive pooling, max pooling, average pooling, and aggregation pooling, to learn local graph features from the point cloud topology. To verify the proposed algorithm, experiments are conducted on the Qutan Temple point cloud dataset, and the results show that compared with PointNet, PointNet++, DGCNN, and LDGCNN, the MP-DGCNN segmentation network achieves the highest OA and mIOU, reaching 90.19% and 65.34%, respectively.
5,6-Dihydro-1H-pyridin-2-ones as potent inhibiters of HCV NS5B Polymerase: A Free Energy and Non-covalent Perspective
Authors: Pandey Anwesh
Published: February 2024

HCV (Hepatitis C virus) is responsible for various clinical conditions ranging from acute viral hepatitis to chronic liver diseases including liver cirrhosis eventually leading to liver cancer. The inhibition of HCV NS5B polymerase is a major step towards design of anti-HCV drugs. This study is devoted to three novel potential inhibitors of HCV NS5B polymerase using quantum chemical and molecular docking techniques. The energy gap between HOMO and LUMO suggest that the Mol-1 is more reactive than Mol-2 & Mol-3. Various electronic parameters of all the three molecules have been calculated and compared. Finally, the interaction & inhibition activities of these compounds with several target PDB IDs of NS5B polymerase enzyme with the help of molecular docking studies was explored. The result of docking studies suggest that these compounds can be modified for emerging and effective potent inhibitor of HCV NS5B polymerase and can be useful in the design of novel anti-HCV drugs with similar scaffolds.
Modelling impacts of a salt and sugar tax on intra-category food substitutions, BMI and environmental footprints
Authors: Colombo Patricia Eustachio , Green Rosemary , Espinosa Sarah Nájera , Scarpa Giulia , Saha Ria , Scheelbeek Pauline
Published: February 2024

Purpose
Taxes on unhealthy foods can help improve population health in the United Kingdom (UK), but the health effects of food substitutions resulting from these taxes are often unclear. We investigated the potential impacts of a salt and sugar tax on hypothetical intra-category food substitutions, cost, body-mass index (BMI), and environmental footprints.
Methods
Purchase panel data from Kantar (2017) were used to determine the most popular foods high in salt or sugar within eight ‘salt-intensive’/‘sugar-intensive’ food categories. Within food categories, the most popular lower salt (≤1.5g salt/100g product) and lower sugar (≤22.5g sugar/100g product) substitutes were also identified. Hypothetical swaps between high salt/sugar foods and lower salt/sugar substitutes were explored, focusing on changes to cost, caloric intake and BMI, and environmental impacts.
Results
The suggested intra-category substitutions were largely like-for-like and did not accrue an added overall cost to consumers. The substitutions reduced calorie intake by about 200kcal/day and lowered the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the UK from approximately 60-65% to about 40-45%. The proposed food substitutions led to a total reduction of -2.7Mt of greenhouse gases, ~ -500.000ha of land, -0.5km3 of blue water, -12km3 of scarcity weighted water, ~ -12.000t of phosphorus, and nearly -14.000t of sulphur dioxide over one year for the UK population due to reductions in calorie intake.
Conclusion
Food substitutions following a tax on salt and sugar could lead to significant benefits for health and the environment, without necessarily resulting in major changes to people’s expenditure on familiar salty and sugary snacks.
WITHDRAWN: Enhancement of Hearing Aid System using Optimized Wolf Based Variable Bandwidth Filter
Authors: Rawandale Ujjwala S. , Kolte Mahesh T
Published: February 2024

The full text of this preprint has been withdrawn, as it was submitted in error. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference. Questions should be directed to the corresponding author.
Hartmut Fähndrich, Jg. 1944
Authors: Drolshagen Ebba D.
Published: February 2024

Hartmut Fähndrich zählt zu den bedeutendsten Übersetzern aus dem Arabischen. Als Gymnasiast lernte er Bibel-Hebräisch und fühlte sich von dem "Anderssein der semitischen Sprachen" angezogen. Diese Faszination führte zum Studium der Semitistik und Islamwissenschaften, doch erst die politische Situation Ende der 1970er Jahre brachte ihn zum modernen Arabisch. Seine Laufbahn als Literatur-Übersetzer begann in den 80er Jahren. Seither hat er siebzig Romane und zahllose kürzere Texte übersetzt.
Meta Forkel, 1765–1853
Authors: Schreiber Michael
Published: February 2024

Sophie Margarethe ("Meta") Dorothea Liebeskind, als Mitarbeiterin in der "Übersetzungsfabrik" Georg Forsters besser bekannt unter dem Namen ihres ersten Mannes, Forkel, gehört mit über 20, zum Teil mehrbändigen übersetzten Werken zu den produktivsten Übersetzerinnen ihrer Zeit. Ihre beachtliche Leistung als Übersetzerin wird noch deutlicher, wenn man sich vor Augen hält, dass ihre Übersetzungen bis auf wenige Ausnahmen in dem vergleichsweise kurzen Zeitraum zwischen 1788 und 1799 entstanden sind.
Helmut Frielinghaus, 1931–2012
Authors: Höbel Susanne
Published: February 2024

Helmut Frielinghaus war Literaturvermittler und Übersetzer aus dem Spanischen und Englischen. Nach einigen Jahren als Buchhändler in Spanien kam er wieder nach Deutschland und arbeitete als Übersetzer, dann als Lektor, u.a. von Günter Grass, und Verlagsleiter. Während seiner Jahre im deutschen Buchgewerbe hat er viele Menschen inspiriert und den Übersetzernachwuchs gefördert.
Inhomogeneous phases and the Moat Regime in Nambu-Jona-Lasinio-Type models
Authors:   , Pannullo Laurin
Published: February 2024

This thesis investigates exotic phases within effective models for strongly interacting matter. The focus lies on the chiral inhomogeneous phase (IP) that is characterized by a spontaneous breaking of translational symmetry and the moat regime, which is a precursor phenomenon exhibiting a non-trivial mesonic dispersion relation. These phenomena are expected to occur at non-zero baryon densities, which is a parameter region that is mostly non-accessible to first-principle investigations of Quantum chromodynamics (QCD). As an alternative approach, we consider the Gross-Neveu (GN) and Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model within the mean-field approximation, which can be regarded as effective models for QCD. We focus on two aspects of the moat regime and the IP in these models. First, we investigate the influence of the employed regularization scheme in the (3+1)-dimensional NJL model, which is nonrenormalizable, i.e., the regulator cannot be removed. We find that the moat regime is a robust feature under change of regularization scheme, while the IP is sensitive to the specific choice of scheme. This suggests that the moat regime is a universal feature of the phase diagram of the NJL model, while the IP might only be an artifact of the employed regulator. Second, we study the influence of the number of spatial dimensions on the emergence of the IP. To this end, we investigate the GN model in noninteger spatial dimensions d. We find that the IP and the moat regime are present for d < 2, while they are absent for d > 2. This demonstrates the central role of the dimensionality of spacetime and illustrates the connection of previously obtained results in this model in integer number of spatial dimensions. Moreover, this suggests that the occurrence of these phenomena in three spatial dimensions is solely caused by the finite regulator. In summary, this thesis contributes to advancing our understanding of the phase structure of QCD, particularly regarding the existence and characteristics of inhomogeneous phases and the moat regime. Even though the investigations are performed within effective models, they provide valuable insight into the aspects that are crucial for the formation of an inhomogeneous chiral condensate in fermionic theories.
Influence of COVID-19 on Consumer Preference for Turfgrass Attributes in the Southern United States
Authors: Oghenerurie Precious , Chung Chanjin
Published: February 2024

This study estimates the influence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on consumer preferences for turfgrass attributes by analyzing data from two surveys conducted in Jan 2019 and Apr 2021. First, the study estimated a mixed logit model to account for individual heterogeneity in preferences. Subsequently, estimates of the willingness to pay (WTP) were compared between periods before and after the pandemic. To show the impact of consumers’ risk attitudes with respect to climate change on their preference for turfgrass attributes, we re-estimated the model according to the risk attitude groups (i.e., risk-seeking vs. risk-averse). Finally, to examine how consumers’ demographic characteristics and risk attitudes are related to their WTP for improved turfgrass attributes, we estimated a random-effect panel data model for each attribute. Our results showed that, overall, consumers’ WTP increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also found that the WTP of risk-averse consumers were mostly higher than those of risk-seeking consumers during both time periods. Furthermore, the increase in the WTP observed among the risk-averse group was greater than the increase of the WTP of the risk-seeking group. Our findings imply that the demand for drought-tolerant and stress-resistant turfgrasses would increase with possible future climate changes and infectious disease outbreaks.
Green investment in South Africa: A perception of overinvestment or underinvestment in energy and mining firms
Authors: Obagbuwa Oloyede , Munzhelele Freddy
Published: February 2024

This paper investigates green investments in energy and mining firms in South Africa to determine the efficiency level in terms of overinvestment and underinvestment. The general Richardson residual measurement model is employed, and an enhanced model is created by including variables that influence green investment, such as political connections and pollutant emissions. Data from 17 companies (5 energy and 12 mining) were used because of the significant effects of their operations on the environment over the period between 2015 and 2022. The study findings show that, in comparison to the estimated optimal investment level, South African energy and mining firms are not consistent regarding their investment level. It interplays between underinvestment and overinvestment. However, both firms demonstrated the tendency to green investment inefficiency due to underinvestment recorded in the latter years of the sample period. The study provides understanding as regards green investment levels of energy and mining firms and hence recommends adequate oversight and formulation of environmental policy by the government to ensure green investment efficiency in line with both national and international policies and regulations to facilitate a sustainable environment.
Synthesis and Analysis of Carvacrol-Derived Morita-Baylis-Hillman Adducts as Potential Anticancer Agents
Authors: Vasconcelos Aliny , Xavier Francisco , Castro Aleff , Lima Matheus , Terceiro Lucas , Silva Fábio , Vasconcellos Mario , Dantas Bruna , Barbosa Andrezza , Duarte Sâmia , Araújo Demetrius , Lima-Junior Claudio
Published: February 2024

This study investigates the potential of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts derived from carvacrol as anticancer agents. The synthesis process, involving the reaction of aromatic aldehydes with carvacrol acrylate as a Michael acceptor, resulted in stable adducts with impressive yields ranging from 60 to 92%, achieved within a maximum reaction time of 24 h. Through a screening process utilizing 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test, compound 6, identified as the acrylate/2-naphthyl adduct, emerged as the most active within the series among twelve compounds tested. Specifically, compound 6 exhibited a remarkably potent impact on neuroblastoma cell lines, particularly SH-SY5Y cells, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 8.7 µM after 72 h (42 times more potent than carvacrol, IC50 = 374.1 μM). The exploration of the selectivity index (SI) against normal cell lines demonstrated an outstanding SI of 4.28 compared to other compounds. Mechanistic studies on SH-SY5Y cells revealed a concentrationdependent apoptotic effect attributed to caspase 3/7 activation. In silico modeling showcased favorable pharmacokinetic properties for compound 6, including effective absorption after oral administration. Assessment of toxicity of compound 6 profile using brine shrimp and the Irwin test indicated low toxicity, highlighting its potential for future anticancer agent development.
Determination of the Effect of Poultry Ash Application on Agro Morphological and Quality Properties of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)
Authors: ÖZCAN Emre , ARSLAN Yusuf , İŞLER Berfin
Published: February 2024

This study was carried out in Bolu conditions in 2021 to see the effect of poultry ash, which has the potential to be a nutrient in terms of being rich in minerals and is also a soil conditioner, on the yield and quality characteristics of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). In the study, the conventional production method of 8 kg/da P + 20 kg/da N application was tried with six different ash amounts (0, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 kg/da poultry ash + 20 kg/da N). According to the values obtained from the study, the highest plant height (cm), the number of main stems (pieces), the specific gravity (g) 1500 kg/da ash application, the number of tubers per plant (pieces) from farmer conditions; average tuber weight (g), french fries oil rate (%), protein rate (%), big tuber rate (%) 2000 kg/da; chips oil rate (%), small tuber rate (%), dry matter rate (%) in the control plot where there was no application; Tuber yield per decare (kg/da), medium tuber ratio (%), marketable tuber ratio (%), were obtained from 1000 kg/da poultry ash application.
Impact of climate change on water resource potential and sediment yield of the Gibe III watershed, Omo-Gibe Basin, Ethiopia
Authors: Gebremichael Abiy , Kebede Asfaw , Woyessa Yali E.
Published: February 2024

The impact of climate change on the water resource potential of the Gibe III watershed, Omo-Gibe Basin, Ethiopia, was investigated using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and selected climate models of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) for future projection. Because the Omo-Gibe Basin in general and the Gibe III watershed in particular was the source of hydropower generation, more work toward updating knowledge of climate change impact on it is required so as to manage the sustained use of the water resource and prevent sedimentation of the reservoir. High-resolution (0.25° × 0.25°) datasets of some general circulation models (GCMs) such as GFDL-ESM2M, MPI-ESM-MR, CSIRO-MK3-6-0, NorESM1-M, and MIROC5 were downloaded for six stations. After calibrating and validating the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, the impact of climate change was simulated. Accordingly, the annual precipitation was expected to increase by 8.4 and 21.1% during 2050 and 2080, respectively; mean temperature was projected to increase by 1.85 and 2.8 °C in 2050 and 2080, respectively; the stream flow was expected to increase by 55.5 and 81% by 2050 and 2080, respectively, from the base period (1990–2017). The scenario of mean annual sediment yield would increase by 64.5 and 138% by 2050 and 2080, respectively. Therefore, actions toward reducing excess runoff production in the catchment and timely removal of sediment from the reservoir are required.
Are extreme floods on the Danube River becoming more frequent? A case study of Bratislava station
Authors: Leščešen Igor , Basarin Biljana , Pavić Dragoslav , Mudelsee Manfred , Pekarova Pavla , Mesaroš Minučer
Published: February 2024

In this study, strong and extreme flood events were analysed on the basis of long-term daily runoff records of winter and summer floods in the Danube River between 1876 and 2020, using the peaks-over-threshold method. Based on the results, the following conclusions can be made: (1) There is a downward trend in strong winter floods, but it is not statistically significant. Additionally, there is an upward trend in summer floods, but this is not statistically significant. (2) There are statistically significant upward trends in extreme events for both the winter and summer seasons. The results have implications for flood protection and disaster management on the Danube River. Regulation of assets in flood-prone areas is essential for minimising economic damage. Public awareness of increasing extreme summer floods is vital for prevention. This study suggests that effective flood risk analysis requires (i) a local- to regional-scale approach to account for spatial variability and (ii) advanced statistical tools for robust detection of climate extremes and estimation of their occurrence rates.
Estimating peak flow of Farahzad River in Tehran under climate change and debris flow scenarios: A novel approach and its implications for urban flood hazard mapping
Authors: Masoumi Maryam , Sarang Amin , Ardestani Mojtaba , Niksokhan Mohammad Hossein
Published: February 2024

Urban river flooding is a serious threat to cities that have altered their river buffer zones due to urbanization and climate change. This study aims to estimate the peak flow of urban rivers by considering the effects of climate change and debris flow on flood hazard. A novel approach is proposed that integrates hydrological, sedimentological, and hydraulic method and models to account for the influence of sediment volume, woody debris, and culvert blockage on peak flow estimation and flow parameters. The approach is applied to the Farahzad River basin in Tehran, Iran, using future data downscaled from a global climate model under the RCP8.5 scenario for 50- and 100-year return periods. The results show a significant increase in the peak flood discharge by nearly 3.2 times, the flood zone by 10–20%, the flood velocity by 15–30%, and the inundation depth by 10–40% due to climate change and debris flow scenarios. The study demonstrates the importance of considering multiple factors in estimating the peak flow of urban rivers and provides a useful tool for urban flood risk management.
Membrane distillation of wastewater: comparison of model and real organics
Authors: Habib Rasikh , Phuong Do Mai , Asif Muhammad Bilal , Jiang Guangming , Sivakumar Muttucumaru
Published: February 2024

Fouling behaviour in membrane distillation (MD) processes plays a crucial role in determining their widespread acceptability. Most studies have primarily focused on model organic foulants, such as humic acid (HA) and sodium alginate (SA). This study investigates the fouling of a polytetrafluoroethylene membrane in a direct contact MD (DCMD) using model organics (i.e., HA and SA) and real wastewater. The results indicated that the flux decline (5–60%) was only observed during the initial phase of the operation with model organic foulants. In contrast, real wastewater caused a gradual decline in flux throughout the experiment in both the concentrate (40%) and continuous (90%) modes. The study also found significant differences in the fouling layer morphology, composition, and hydrophobicity between the model organic foulants and real wastewater. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy findings demonstrated that the fouling layer formed by real wastewater varied significantly from model organics, which primarily comprised of protein-like and polysaccharide-like functional groups. Finally, liquid chromatography–organic carbon detection revealed that the fouling layer of the MD membrane with real wastewater was composed of 40.7% hydrophobic and 59.3% hydrophilic organics. This study suggests that model organics may not accurately reflect real wastewater fouling.
Wstęp. Zdrowa rodzina w zdrowej Europie
Authors: Buller Leszek
Published: February 2024

Obecny numer kwartalnika „Studia nad Rodziną” poświęcony został zdrowej rodzinie. Większość artykułów jest pokłosiem wystąpień podczas międzynarodowej konferencji zatytułowanej „Zdrowa rodzina w zdrowej Europie”, która została zorganizowana przez Wydział Studiów nad Rodziną Uniwersytetu Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w Warszawie w 2021 r. we współpracy z Centrum Projektów Europejskich w Warszawie.
Zdrowa rodzina w zdrowych organizacjach
Authors: Lisiecki Marek
Published: February 2024

Wychodząc z założenia, że zdrowie – to stan pełnego fizycznego, umysłowego i społecznego dobrostanu, że jest to sprawność do prowadzenia produktywnego życia społecznego i ekonomicznego, a także wymiar duchowy oraz że na zdrowie wpływają takie czynniki, jak – uwarunkowania biologiczne, środowiskowe, opieka zdrowotna, można stwierdzić, że na stan zdrowia człowieka, jego rodziny ma wpływ stan „zdrowia” naszego otoczenia wewnętrznego i zewnętrznego – w tym „zdrowia” organizacji, z którymi jesteśmy bezpośrednio i pośrednio związani w codziennym życiu. Są to organizacje, w których bądź jesteśmy, jako pracownicy, wytwórcami konkretnych produktów (wyrobów, usług), bądź nabywcami tych produktów. Termin „zdrowie organizacji” pojawia się dość rzadko w literaturze przedmiotu. Częściej, szczególnie w kulturze polskiej, słyszymy o patologiach, nieprawidłowościach, dysfunkcjach – czyli o odchyleniach – ale od czego? Co jest wzorcem? Czy można skonstruować wzorzec uniwersalny? Konstruowanie sumarycznych wzorców i na ich postawie dokonywanie ocen zawsze będzie dyskusyjne. Sytuację komplikuje fakt, że nie ma na świecie dwóch jednakowych organizacji, otoczeń, w jakich te organizacje funkcjonują, nie ma też jednakowych zdarzeń. Wszystko to jest to siebie bardziej lub mniej podobne – ale nie tożsame. W niniejszym artykule zdrowie organizacji – w aspekcie zdrowia człowieka, rodziny – jest prezentowane w kontekście dorobku naukowego i praktycznego szkoły behawioralnej oraz szkoły projakościowej nauk o zarządzaniu i jakości.
Cell-penetrating Peptides as Keys to Endosomal Escape and Intracellular Trafficking in Nanomedicine Delivery
Authors: Soni Sakshi , Kori Shivam K. , Nema Priyanshu , Iyer Arun K. , Soni Vandana , Kashaw Sushil K.
Published: February 2024

This review article discusses the challenges of delivering cargoes to the cytoplasm,
for example, proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids, and the mechanisms involved
in endosomal escape. Endocytosis, endosomal maturation, and exocytosis pose significant
barriers to effective cytoplasmic delivery. The article explores various endosomal
escape mechanisms, such as the proton sponge effect, osmotic lysis, membrane fusion,
pore formation, membrane destabilization/ disruption, and vesicle budding and collapse.
Additionally, it discusses the role of lysosomes, glycocalyx, and molecular crowding in
the cytoplasmic delivery process. Despite the recent advances in nonviral delivery systems,
there is still a need to improve cytoplasmic delivery. Strategies such as fusogenic
peptides, endosomolytic polymers, and cell-penetrating peptides have shown promise in
improving endosomal escape and cytoplasmic delivery. More research is needed to
refine these strategies and make them safer and more effective. In conclusion, the article
highlights the challenges associated with cytoplasmic delivery and the importance of understanding
the mechanisms involved in endosomal escape. A better understanding of these
processes could result in the creation of greater effectiveness and safe delivery systems
for various cargoes, including proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids.
Evolution and Trends of Aptamers in Cancer Research: A Bibliometric
Analysis of the Literature over the Last Decade
Authors: Jiang Song , Liu Mao-Sheng , Wang Ting , Zhang Kun-He
Published: February 2024

Objective:

Aptamers are increasingly applied in cancer research. Here, we
have performed the first bibliometric analysis to demonstrate the evolution of aptamers
in cancer research over the past decade and to reveal future trends.

background:

none

Method:

Original articles and reviews on aptamers in cancer research published from
2013 to 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database.
VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R software were used for bibliometric analysis of the literature
and visualization of the results.

objective:

Aptamers have been increasingly applied in cancer research with encouraging results. However, no bibliometric studies have been conducted in this field. In this study, we performed a bibliometric analysis to demonstrate the evolution of aptamers in cancer research over the past decade and to reveal potential trends.

Results:

A total of 1627 eligible publications were analyzed. Annual and cumulative
publications have been found to be steadily increased. China was the most productive
country (884 publications) and Hunan University was the most productive institution
(97 publications). The United States had the highest level of international collaboration
(betweenness centrality = 0.55). Wei-Hong Tan was the most productive author (68
publications) and Craig Tuerk was the most cited author (387 citations). Analytical
Chemistry and Biosensors and Bioelectronics were the most influential journals in this
field. Three major themes were identified: aptamer selection techniques, aptamer-targeted
drug delivery, and aptasensors for cancer detection. The research hotspots have shifted
from aptamer selection, targeted drug delivery, molecular imaging, and biomarker detection
to electrochemical aptasensors and therapeutic applications. The future may focus
on high specificity and affinity in aptamer selection, aptasensor fabrication, aptamer-
targeted drug delivery, and therapeutic aptamer development.

method:

Original articles and reviews on aptamers in cancer research published from 2013 to 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R software were used to perform a bibliometric analysis of the literature and generate knowledge maps.

Conclusion:

The field of aptamers in cancer research has been steadily developing over
the past decade, and future research may focus on aptamer application in cancer detection
and therapy and the improvement of aptamer selection.
A New Cell Model Overexpressing sTGFBR3 for Studying Alzheimer's Disease
In vitro
Authors: Chen Jiangxia , Zhou Lijun , Zhao Qingchun , Qi Zhentong
Published: February 2024

Background::

Recent studies have suggested that abnormal microglial hyperactivation has an important
role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). sTGFBR3 (a shed extracellular domain of the
transforming growth factor type III receptor) is a newly identified target of microglia polarization dysregulation,
whose overexpression can cause abnormal accumulation of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1),
promoting Aβ, tau, and neuroinflammatory pathology.

Objective::

The objective of this study is to develop and validate a new cell model overexpressing sTGFBR3
for studying AD in vitro.

Methods::

BV2 cells (a microglial cell derived from C57/BL6 murine) were used as a cell model. Cells were
then treated with different concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (0, 1, or 0.3 μg/mL) for 12, 24, or 48h
and then with or without sodium pervanadate (100 μM) for 30 min. Next, the effect surface optimization
method was used to determine optimal experimental conditions. Finally, the optimized model was used to assess
the effect of ZQX series compounds and vasicine on cell viability and protein expression. Expression of
TGFBR3 and TNF-α was assessed using Western blot. MTT assay was used to assess cell viability, and enzyme-
linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to evaluate extracellular TGF-β1 and sTGFBR3

Results::

LPS (0.3 μg/mL) treatment for 11 h at a cell density of 60% and pervanadate concentration (100 μM)
incubation for 30 min were the optimal experimental conditions for increasing membrane protein TGFBR3
overexpression, as well as extracellular sTGFBR3 and TGF-β1. Applying ZQX-5 and vasicine reversed this
process by reducing extracellular TGF-β1, promoting the phosphorylation of Smad2/3, a protein downstream
of TGF-β1, and inhibiting the release of the inflammatory factor TNF-α.

Conclusion::

This new in vitro model may be a useful cell model for studying Alzheimer's disease in vitro
Zuogui Pill Promotes Neurite Outgrowth by Regulating OPN/ IGF-1R/PTEN and Downstream mTOR Signaling Pathway
Authors: Liu Yan , Wu Dan , Yan Xiaohui , Xu Xinyu , Zhu Jian , Li Changyin , Feng Qinghua , Li Li , Wu Minghua , Li Wenlei
Published: February 2024

Aim and Objective:

Zuogui pill (ZGP) is the traditional Chinese medicine for tonifying
kidney yin. Clinical and animal studies have shown that ZGP effectively enhances neurologic
impairment after ischemic stroke, which may be related to promoting neurite outgrowth.
This investigation aimed to prove the pro-neurite outgrowth impact of ZGP and define the underlying
molecular pathway in vitro.

Materials and Methods:

The major biochemical components in the ZGP were investigated using
UPLC-QTOF-MS. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) was employed to stimulate SH-SY5Y cells to
develop into mature neurons, followed by oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation damage
(OGD/R). Then the cells were supplemented with different concentrations of ZGP, and cell
viability was identified by CCK-8. The neurites' outgrowth abilities were detected by wound
healing test, while immunofluorescence staining of β-III-tubulin was used to label neurites and
measure their length. Western blot was employed to discover the changes in protein levels.

Results:

ZGP improved the cell viability of differentiated SH-SY5Y cells following OGD/R damage,
according to the CCK-8 assay. Concurrently, ZGP promoted neurite outgrowth and improved
neurite crossing and migration ability. Protein expression analysis showed that ZGP upregulated the
expression of GAP43, OPN, p-IGF-1R, mTOR, and p-S6 proteins but downregulated the expression
of PTEN protein. Blocking assay with IGF-1R specific inhibitor Linstinib suggested IGF-1R
mediated mTOR signaling pathway was involved in the pro-neurite outgrowth effect of ZGP.

Conclusion:

This work illustrated the molecular mechanism underpinning ZGP's action and offered
more proof of its ability to promote neurite outgrowth and regeneration following ischemic stroke.
Thiosemicarbazone-benzenesulfonamide Derivatives as Human Carbonic Anhydrases
Inhibitors: Synthesis, Characterization, and In silico Studies
Authors: Trawally Muhammed , Demir-Yazıcı Kübra , Angeli Andrea , Kaya Kerem , Akdemir Atilla , Supuran Claudiu T. , Güzel-Akdemir Özlen
Published: February 2024

Introduction:

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are widespread metalloenzymes with the core function of
catalyzing the interconversion of CO2 and HCO3-. Targeting these enzymes using selective inhibitors has
emerged as a promising approach for the development of novel therapeutic agents against multiple diseases.

Methods:

A series of novel thiosemicarbazones-containing derivatives were synthesized, characterized, and tested
for their inhibitory activity against pharmaceutically important human CA I (hCA I), II (hCA II), IX (hCA IX),
and XII (hCA XII) using the single tail approach.

Results:

The compounds generally inhibited the isoenzymes at low nanomolar concentrations, with compound 6b
having Ki values of 7.16, 0.31, 92.5, and 375 nM against hCA I, II, IX and XII, respectively. Compound 6e exhibited
Ki values of 27.6, 0.34, 872, and 94.5 nM against hCA I, II, IX and XII, respectively.

Conclusion:

To rationalize the inhibition data, molecular docking studies were conducted, providing insight into
the binding mechanisms, molecular interactions, and selectivity of the compounds towards the isoenzymes.
Space Docking Simulation Simulator Overview
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Wang Yibing
Published: February 2024

Background:

Docking mechanism ground simulation test technology has been a significant issue in the aerospace industry. Docking mechanisms must pass various conventional evaluation
tests as a class of electromechanical space products and other space products. Due to the unique nature of the working object environment in space engineering, it is very expensive to simultaneously
simulate the docking work under space conditions and conduct ground reproduction tests, so the test
technology of the docking mechanism must be thoroughly investigated.

Objective:

This paper reviews patents on aircraft ground docking and space environment simulation
systems to provide insights and references to scholars and researchers in spacecraft simulator manufacturing.

Methods:

The representative patents associated with each simulation equipment for space docking
simulators, including mechanical docking dynamics equipment, space-integrated environment simulation experimental equipment, and thermal vacuum experimental equipment, are described by analyzing the structural functions of these simulators and elaborating on their operating principles and
characteristics.

Results:

By describing various types of space simulators, the current direction of space docking simulators can be optimized, and their future development direction is summarized and analyzed.

Conclusion:

The comprehensive environmental reproduction of the space docking simulator facilitates the examination of actual problems and potential flaws in spacecraft and has a significant effect
on the advancement of the space field.