bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Music of the Machine: A Ying, International Constructivism, and Sonic Modernity in Chinese Revolutionary Literature
Authors: KINDLER Benjamin
Published: July 2022

This essay seeks to recover the attempts of the left-wing activists around the 1920s Sun Society ( Taiyang she) to articulate a vision of proletarian modernity based on the aesthetic potential of the machine. They did so as a result of a series of theoretical encounters with the ideas of Soviet constructivists that were largely mediated by the Japanese literary theorist Kurahara Korehito and the project of “new realism” ( xin xieshizhuyi). The essay demonstrates that “new realism” functioned as a cipher for Soviet constructivism as it moved across the proletarian literary movements of Japan and China. In response to these theoretical possibilities, Chinese writers, critics, and filmmakers sought to inscribe the aesthetic possibilities of the machine in their cultural practice, a project in which A Ying assumed a leading role. They did so with a particular investment in the sonic dimensions of machine production, consisting of the sounds of the modern factory and its proletarian subjects. Their attempts to find a cultural form adequate to machine production are explored with reference to the prose work of Yang Cunren and the canonical film New Woman ( Xin nüxing). By attending to these legacies, this essay demonstrates a series of ignored theoretical encounters across different sites of left-wing cultural production and draws our attention to the powerful appeal of a cultural language of proletarian modernity at a crucial historical moment.
The Myth of Shangri-La and Its Counter-discourses: (Anti-)Utopian Representations of China’s Southwest Frontier in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: JIN Hao
Published: July 2022

In the early twenty-first century, the southwest frontier, especially the Sino-Tibetan borderlands, has been imagined as a particular utopian space, or “Shangri-La,” in China’s popular culture, but there are also literary works and films that debunk this conception. This paper is a study of these different discourses. I argue that the utopian and anti-utopian representations of China’s Southwest in these works are socially and intellectually significant. The myth of Shangri-La promises a fantasized utopian solution to social problems and a miraculous cure for personal afflictions. In contrast, Ge Fei’s End of Spring in Jiangnan ( Chun jin Jiangnan, 2011) and Ning Ken’s Sky·Tibet ( Tian·Zang, 2010) debunk the myth of Shangri-La as a utopian solution and cure. In this way, these two novels retain their critical stance toward China’s history and reality. Meanwhile, some anti-Shangri-La works can be more ambivalent: Zhu Wen’s South of the Clouds ( Yun de nanfang, 2004) and Han Han’s The Continent ( Houhui wuqi, 2014) appear to challenge the utopian construction to form their social criticism in the beginning, only to compromise this criticism in the end as they affirm the existence of utopia either in the rural Southwest or in urban China. All these utopian and anti-utopian elements make the southwest frontier a site of contestation and contradiction.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Opioid Epidemic: A Statewide Analysis
Authors: Fos Peter J. , Honoré Peggy A. , Kellum Katrina P.
Published: July 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on the opioid epidemic, which has been increasing over the past decade. The increase in opioid-involved deaths have coincided with fentanyl use, and a combination of drugs. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic opioid-involved deaths have increased greater than 30% in the U.S. The COVID-19 mandates, including stay-at-home orders, has had a detrimental impact on opioid and drug abuse, and association mortality.This paper describes a statewide study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and opioid and drug-involved deaths. Data was acquired from the Louisiana Department of Health for 2018, 2019, and 2020. The percent increase statewide in opioid-involved deaths was 115.9% from 2018 through 2020. When the data is stratified by race, non-Hispanic Blacks had a 163.6% increase in opioid-involved deaths, which was 15% higher than in non-Hispanic Whites. The increase in opioid-involved deaths was similar in males and females. Statewide drug-involved deaths increased 59%, with a 107.5% increase in non-Hispanic Blacks compared to 44.4% in non-Hispanic Whites. Again, the increase in males and females was the same. The trends seen statewide was seen among the study parishes, with a few exceptions.The study has observed the magnitude of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the opioid epidemic in Louisiana. These results were seen across the U.S. It is important to not lose sight or emphasis of the opioid epidemic, which has been increasing over the last decade.
Empirical Evidence on the Impact of Infectious Diseases on Health-Outcome in Nigeria
Authors: Onyechege Declan Chibueze , Nor Norashidah Mohamed , Wan Ngah Wan Azman Saini Bin , Ahmad Mohd Naseem Bin Niaz
Published: July 2022

Purpose: This research is an empirical investigation on the rate in which infectious diseases have impacted on health outcome in Nigeria. Over the years, infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and others have been rampaging the health outcome of the people mostly those in Africa and in Nigeria to be precise. Many people have lost their precious life because of these infectious diseases and many are still in anticipation of losing their lives too. Efforts by the Nigeria government to curtail the prevalence of infectious diseases seems abortive. This paper is to find out the level in which infectious diseases have been affecting health outcome of the people in Nigeria and proffer a solution to the menace.

Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper is an empirical research. The methodology used is the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model which helps to find out the rate of impacts and effects of infectious diseases on health outcome in Nigeria. Being an empirical study, secondary annual data (1985 – 2018) were used and their sources are reliable.

Findings: The result from the findings shows that infectious diseases have negative impacts on health outcome in Nigeria over the years of study. However, HIV/AIDS was significant at 10% over those years, while Tuberculosis showed no significance impact on health outcome.

Originality/Value: This study approached infectious diseases and health outcome in Nigeria. It will help to foster good economic policies to curb the prevalence of infectious diseases and boast health outcome in Nigeria knowing that most of the efforts the government of Nigeria abducted previously seem abortive. The conclusion part of this study is a good policy implementation ideas and strategic plans to eradicate the menace.
Pembuatan Sarana Air Bersih Sumur Gali di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Palolo Kabupaten Sigi
Authors: Sasmita Hanum , Amsal Amsal , Novarianti Novarianti
Published: July 2022

Humans need water as a necessity for life, they must meet various requirements in quality, quantity, and continuity. Dug wells are clean water facilities that are widely used by the community, both in urban and rural areas because dug wells are relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture. The purpose of this activity was to procure pilot dug wells and increase public knowledge about dug wells that meet health requirements in the work area of ​​the Palolo Health Center, especially in Rahmat Village. The method used was a combination of lecture, discussion, and practice methods. The target was the community in Rahmat Village whose dug wells do not meet the requirements and conducted pilot construction of 1 dug well. The results of community service can be seen from the dug wells that have been made as pilots and the achievement of goals can be said to be good seen from the level of understanding and activeness of the participants in discussions and sharing information with other participants. The achievement of the material targets was good and seen from all the training materials delivered by the community service team. Suggestions, with the addition of one dug well unit, it is hoped that the community can maintain and maintain clean water facilities and increase public awareness of the importance of making dug wells that meet the requirements to improve health status.
 
ABSTRAK
Manusia membutuhkan air sebagai kebutuhan hidupnya harus memenuhi berbagai persyaratan, terutama kualitas, kuantitas dan kontinuitas. Sumur gali merupakan sarana air bersih yang banyak digunakan masyarakat, baik di perkotaan maupun di pedesaan karena sumur gali tergolong mudah dan murah pembuatannya. Tujuan pengadaan sumur gali percontohan serta bertambahnya pengetahuan masyarakat tentang sumur gali yang memenuhi persyaratan kesehatan di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Palolo khususnya di Desa Rahmat. Metode yang digunakan dalam kegiatan ini adalah penggabungan metode ceramah, diskusi dan praktik. Sasaran adalah masyarakat di Desa Rahmat yang sumur galinya belum memenuhi syarat dan melakukan pembuatan percontohan sumur gali sebanyak 1 buah.  Hasil dari pengabdian masyarakat dapat dilihat dari telah dibuatnya sumur gali sebagai percontohan dan ketercapaian tujuan dapat dikatakan baik dilihat dari tingkat pemahaman dan keaktifan para peserta dalam diskusi dan berbagi informasi dengan peserta lainnya. Ketercapaian target materi dapat dikatakan baik dilihat dari semua materi pelatihan yang disampaikan oleh tim pengabdian kepada masyarakat. Saran, dengan adanya penambahan satu unit sumur gali, diharapkan masyarakat dapat menjaga dan memelihara sarana air bersih sumur gali serta adanya peningkatan kesadaran masyarakat akan pentingnya pembuatan sumur gali yang memenuhi persyaratan sehingga dapat meningkatkan derajat kesehatan.
Penggunaan Pendekatan Emo-Demo dalam Edukasi Pencegahan Stunting pada Orang Tua Siswa Taman Kanak-kanak
Authors: Yustiyani Yustiyani , Nurmansyah Mochamad
Published: July 2022

Stunting is one of many health problems in Indonesia than needs to be addressed through intervention program such as nutrition sensitive program. The objective of this community service program was to improve parental knowledge on stunting prevention using emotional demonstration (emo-demo) approach. The program was held on January 20, 2022, at Legoso kindergarten, South Tangerang city. The program participants consisted of 16 kindergarten student parents. The program blended the lecture and game session using emo demo approach. The emo-demo module was developed based on a guideline by GAIN. The participants characteristics as well as knowledge before and after the program was measured using a set of pre and post-test questionnaire on Google Form. Most of participants were female (93,8%), aged 31-40 years old (75,0%) with diploma or bachelor’s degree (68,8%). Almost all participants have heard about stunting prior to joining this program (93,8%). The information of stunting was obtained from social media/internet (56,3%), television/radio (50,0%) and came from families (31,3%), friends (31,3%), public figures (31,3%) and health care professionals (25%). We found significant improvement of the average participant’s knowledge on stunting from 17,25 ± 5,59 points to 23,58 ± 6,79 points at the end of the program (p=0,02). Emo-demo is one of the methods could be used to educate public especially related to stunting issue.
 
ABSTRAK
Stunting masih menjadi permasalahan kesehatan di Indonesia yang membutuhkan penanganan, salah satunya melalui intervensi gizi sensitif. Tujuan kegiatan ini adalah untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan orang tua siswa dalam pencegahan stunting pada anak usia dini dengan menggunakan pendekatan emo-demo. Kegiatan penyuluhan dilaksanakan pada 20 Januari 2022 di TK di Legoso, Tangerang Selatan. Peserta penyuluhan terdiri atas 16 orang tua siswa. Penyuluhan dilakukan dengan metode ceramah dan permainan menggunakan pendekatan emo-demo. Pengembangan modul emo-demo merujuk pada pedoman pengembangan oleh Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). Karakteristik peserta dan pengetahuan sebelum dan sesudah mengikuti penyuluhan diukur menggunakan kuesioner pre dan post-test dengan media Google Form. Sebagian besar peserta adalah perempuan (93,8%), berusia 31-40 tahun (75,0%), dan memiliki pendidikan terakhir diploma/sarjana (68,8%). Hampir seluruh peserta pernah mendengar istilah stunting sebelum mendapatkan penyuluhan (93,8%). Informasi tentang stunting diperoleh dari sosial media/internet (56,3%), televisi/radio (50,0%) dan berasal dari keluarga (31,3%), teman (31,3%), tokoh masyarakat (31,3%) dan tenaga kesehatan (25%). Terdapat peningkatan rata-rata skor pengetahuan peserta yang signifikan dari 17,25 ± 5,59 menjadi 23,58 ± 6,79 setelah mendapatkan penyuluhan (p=0,02).   Emo-demo dapat menjadi salah satu metode yang efektif dalam pemberian edukasi bagi masyarakat khususnya terkait stunting.
Sepuluh Tahap Mewujudkan Kampung Mandiri Sampah
Authors: Jaya Pajar Hatma Indra , Prasetyo Agung
Published: July 2022

Most cities in Indonesia have trash problems. The local governments send the city's trash to the landfills. However, the longer the trash volume in the landfill is increasing, the fuller some landfills are going to be running out of space in a short time. Kampung Mandiri Sampah (The Independent Trash Village) is one of the city's solutions to reduce trash in the landfills. However, many people still have difficulties to create Kampung Mandiri Sampah. This paper aimed to provide a guideline regarding the stages of creating a Trash Independent Village with the trash donation method. To describe these stages, the Practicum Team of the Community Development Departement, Dakwah and Communication Faculty, UIN Sunan Kalijaga conducted an experiment to create a Trash Independent Village using participatory action research methods in Blimbingsari Hamlet, Caturtunggal Village, Depok Sub-district, Sleman District. It took six months. We conclude that there are ten stages that can be taken by the community to create a Trash Independent Village with the Trash Donation methods. The result of this program is to make household waste no longer disposed of in a landfill, but it is sorted and processed so that it provides economic benefits for the community. Kampung Mandiri Sampah sorts of waste from the house. The conclusion is that Kampung Mandiri Sampah is able to reduce the waste disposal volume in the landfill.
ABSTRAK
Hampir semua kota di Indonesia mempunyai masalah dengan sampah. Sampah kota dikirim ke Tempat Pembuangan Akhir (TPA). Namun semakin hari volume sampah di TPA semakin banyak sehingga beberapa TPA tidak lagi mampu menampung sampah. Kampung Mandiri Sampah merupakan salah satu solusi kota untuk mengurangi kecepatan penuhnya sampah di TPA. Namun banyak orang yang masih kesulitan untuk mewujudkan Kampung Mandiri Sampah. Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk memberikan guideline terkait tahapan mendirikan Kampung Mandiri Sampah dengan metode sedekah sampah. Metode yang digunakan adalah ceramah, focus group discussion, dan eksperimen dalam bentuk aksi bersama masyarakat Dusun Blimbingsari, Caturtunggal, Depok, Sleman. Kegiatan dilakukan oleh tim Praktikum Prodi Pengembangan Masyarakat, Fakultas Dakwah dan Komunikasi, UIN Sunan Kalijaga dengan memakan waktu enam bulan. Dari kegiatan tersebut disimpulkan terdapat sepuluh langkah yang dapat dilakukan oleh masyarakat untuk mewujudkan Kampung Mandiri Sampah metode sedekah sampah. Hasil program ini membuat sampah rumah tangga tidak lagi langsung di buang ke TPA, namun sampah dipilah dan diolah sehingga memberi manfaat ekonomi bagi masyarakat. Kampung Mandiri Sampah memilah sampah sejak dari rumah sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa adanya Kampung Mandiri Sampah mampu mengurangi volume pembuangan sampah ke TPA.
Pemanfaatan Konseling ASI Eksklusif Menggunakan Media Leaflet pada Calon Pengantin
Authors: Al Rahmad Agus Hendra , Hadi Abdul , Miko Ampera , Ahmad Apripin
Published: July 2022

The success of exclusive breastfeeding is largely determined by the knowledge of the mother and husband. It should be, the bride and groom need to be given education in the form of counseling about exclusive breastfeeding using leaflet media to support the 1000 HPK efforts and reduce the prevalence of stunting. The purpose of this activity is to provide exclusive breastfeeding counseling using leaflet media to prospective brides in Banda Aceh City. The service is carried out with a non-equivalent group pretest-posttest approach with the aim of being totaling 20 grooms and brides. This service was carried out in Banda Aceh City in 2019. Counseling is carried out by professional counselors using leaflet media. Knowledge before and after counseling was measured by interview. The evaluation was carried out statistically using the Dependent t-test. The results show that counseling for prospective brides can significantly increase knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding (p= 0.003) in Banda Aceh City, the knowledge increased from 26,3 to 33,1. In conclusion, exclusive breastfeeding counseling to prospective brides is very useful in increasing nutritional knowledge.
 
ABSTRAK
Keberhasilan pemberian ASI secara eksklusif sangat ditentukan oleh pengetahuan ibu dan suami. Sudah seharusnya, calon pengantin perlu diberikan edukasi berupa konseling tentang ASI esklusif menggunakan media leaflet dalam mendukung upaya 1000 HPK serta menurunkan prevalensi stunting. Tujuan kegiatan ini adalah untuk memberikan konseling ASI eksklusif menggunakan media leaflet kepada calon pengantin di Kota Banda Aceh.  Pengabdian dilakukan pendekatan pretest posttest non equivalent group dengan sasaran  yang berjumlah 20 calon pengantin pria dan wanita. Pengabdian ini dilakukan di Kota Banda Aceh pada tahun 2019. Konseling dilaksanakan oleh Konselor professional menggunakan media leaflet. Pengetahuan sebelum dan setelah konseling diukur secara wawancara. Evaluasi dilakukan secara statistik menggunakan uji Dependent t-test. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa konseling pada calon pengantin dapat meningkatkan pengetahuan tentang ASI eksklusif secara signifikan (p= 0,003) di Kota Banda Aceh, pengetahuan meningkat dari 26,3 menjadi 33,1. Kesimpulan, konseling ASI eksklusif kepada calon pengantin sangat bermanfaat dalam meningkatkan pengetahuan gizi.
Standardization of the FAO/IAEA Flight Test for Quality Control of Sterile Mosquitoes
Authors: Maïga Hamidou , Lu Deng , Mamai Wadaka , Bimbilé Somda Nanwintoum Séverin , Wallner Thomas , Bakhoum Mame Thierno , Bueno Masso Odet , Martina Claudia , Kotla Simran Singh , Yamada Hanano , Salvador Herranz Gustavo , Argiles Herrero Rafael , Chong Chee Seng , Tan Cheong Huat , Bouyer Jeremy
Published: July 2022

Successful implementation of the sterile insect technique (SIT) against Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus relies on maintaining a consistent release of high-quality sterile males. Affordable, rapid, practical quality control tools based on the male’s flight ability (ability to escape from a flight device) may contribute to meeting this requirement. Therefore, this study aims to standardize the use of the original FAO/IAEA rapid quality control flight test device (FTD) (version 1.0), while improving handling conditions and reducing the device’s overall cost by assessing factors that could impact the subsequent flight ability of Aedes mosquitoes. The new FTD (version 1.1) is easier to use. The most important factors affecting escape rates were found to be tube color (or “shade”), the combined use of a lure and fan, mosquito species, and mosquito age and density (25; 50; 75; 100 males). Other factors measured but found to be less important were the duration of the test (30, 60, 90, 120 min), fan speed (normal 3000 rpm vs. high 6000 rpm), and mosquito strain origin. In addition, a cheaper version of the FTD (version 2.0) that holds eight individual tubes instead of 40 was designed and successfully validated against the new FTD (version 1.1). It was sensitive enough to distinguish between the effects of cold stress and high irradiation dose. Therefore, the eight-tube FTD may be used to assess Aedes’ flight ability. This study demonstrated that the new designs (versions 1.1 and 2.0) of the FTD could be used for standard routine quality assessments of Aedes mosquitoes required for an SIT and other male release-based programs.
Immobilization of Interfacial Activated Candida rugosa Lipase Onto Magnetic Chitosan Using Dialdehyde Cellulose as Cross-Linking Agent
Authors: Wang Shushu , Li Shan , Liu Runtang , Zhang Wei , Xu Huajin , Hu Yi
Published: July 2022

Candidarugosa lipase (CRL) was activated with surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulfate [SDS]) and covalently immobilized onto a nanocomposite (Fe3O4-CS-DAC) fabricated by combining magnetic nanoparticles Fe3O4 with chitosan (CS) using polysaccharide macromolecule dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) as the cross-linking agent. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction characterizations confirmed that the organic–inorganic nanocomposite support modified by DAC was successfully prepared. Enzymology experiments confirmed that high enzyme loading (60.9 mg/g) and 1.7 times specific enzyme activity could be obtained under the optimal immobilization conditions. The stability and reusability of immobilized CRL (Fe3O4-CS-DAC-SDS-CRL) were significantly improved simultaneously. Circular dichroism analysis revealed that the active conformation of immobilized CRL was maintained well. Results demonstrated that the inorganic–organic nanocomposite modified by carbohydrate polymer derivatives could be used as an ideal support for enzyme immobilization.
Preliminary Study of S100B and Sema3A Expression Patterns in Regenerating Muscle Implicates P75-Expressing Terminal Schwann Cells and Muscle Satellite Cells in Neuromuscular Junction Restoration
Authors: Daneshvar Nasibeh , Anderson Judy E.
Published: July 2022

Terminal Schwann cells (TSCs) help regulate the formation, maintenance, function, and repair of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) and axon guidance after muscle injury. Premature activation of muscle satellite cells (SCs), induced by isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) before injury, accelerates myogenic regeneration, disrupts NMJ remodeling and maturation, decreases Sema3A protein-induced neuro-repulsion, and is accompanied by time-dependent changes in S100B protein levels. Here, to study the effects of premature SC activation on TSCs and SCs, both expressing P75 nerve growth-factor receptor, in situ hybridization was used to identify transcripts of S100B and Sema3A, and the number, intensity, and diameter of expression sites were analyzed. The number of sites/fields expressing S100B and Sema3A increased with regeneration time (both p < 0.001). Expression-site intensity (S100B) and diameter (S100B and Sema3A) decreased during regeneration (p = 0.005; p < 0.05, p = 0.006, respectively). P75 protein colocalized with a subset of S100B and Sema3A expression sites. Principal component analyses of gene expression, protein levels, and histological variables (fiber diameter, vascular density) in control and ISDN-pretreated groups explained 83% and 64% of the dataset variance, respectively. A very strong loading coefficient for colocalization of P75 protein with S100B and Sema3A mRNAs (0.91) in control regenerating muscle dropped markedly during regeneration disrupted by premature SC activation (−0.10 in Factor 1 to 0.55 in Factor 3). These findings strongly implicate the triple-expression profile by TSCs and/or SCs as a strong correlate of the important synchrony of muscle and nerve regeneration after muscle tissue injury. The results have the potential to focus future research on the complex interplay of TSCs and SCs in neuromuscular tissue repair and help promote effective function after traumatic muscle injury.
Mouse Strain– and Charge-Dependent Vessel Permeability of Nanoparticles at the Lower Size Limit
Authors: Chen Haoran , Liu Yu-Cheng , Zhang Zhiming , Li Moxin , Du Lidong , Wu Pei-Chun , Chong Wai-How , Ren Fuzeng , Zheng Weiming , Liu Tzu-Ming
Published: July 2022

Remarkable advancement has been made in the application of nanoparticles (NPs) for cancer therapy. Although NPs have been favorably delivered into tumors by taking advantage of the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect, several physiological barriers present within tumors tend to restrict the diffusion of NPs. To overcome this, one of the strategies is to design NPs that can reach lower size limits to improve tumor penetration without being rapidly cleared out by the body. Several attempts have been made to achieve this, such as selecting appropriate nanocarriers and modifying surface properties. While many studies focus on the optimal design of NPs, the influence of mouse strains on the effectiveness of NPs remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to assess whether the vascular permeability of NPs near the lower size limit differs among mouse strains. We found that the vessel permeability of dextran NPs was size-dependent and dextran NPs with a size below 15 nm exhibited leakage from postcapillary venules in all strains. Most importantly, the leakage rate of 8-nm fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran was significantly higher in the BALB/c mouse strain than in other strains. This strain dependence was not observed in slightly positive TRITC-dextran with comparable sizes. Our results indicate that the influence on mouse strains needs to be taken into account for the evaluation of NPs near the lower size limit.
Hematogenous dissemination of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leptospira in a short-term murine model of infection
Authors: Surdel Matthew C. , Anderson Phillip N. , Hahn Beth L. , Coburn Jenifer
Published: July 2022

Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonosis caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. Because rodents are natural hosts of Leptospira, rodent models of pathogenesis have been limited, but are valuable to understand infection in reservoir animals even in the absence of disease. Mouse models of infection provide advantages due to genetic tractability, so developing murine models of Leptospira infection is crucial for further understanding the biology of this organism. Previously our laboratory developed a short-term murine model of Borrelia burgdorferi hematogenous dissemination to investigate the role of adhesion proteins on bacterial survival and dissemination within a host. Here we adapt this model to Leptospira. C3H/HeJ mice are anesthetized, inoculated intravenously, and then bacteria are allowed to circulate for up to twenty-four hours. Mice are euthanized, perfused with saline, and tissues are harvested for culture and DNA purification. Bacterial burdens are determined by quantitative PCR. Reproducible burdens of bacteria were found in tissues upon inoculation with pathogens and non-pathogens, demonstrating the utility of this model to probe different Leptospira species and strains. Pathogenic L. interrogans has a significantly higher burden in blood, liver, kidney, and bladder at one-hour post-inoculation when compared to non-pathogenic L. biflexa. Colonization of the kidney is essential to the life cycle of pathogenic Leptospira in nature. Measurable burdens of non-pathogenic L. biflexa were found in numerous organs and live leptospires were recovered from blood samples for at least three hours post-inoculation, contrary to the previous belief that non-pathogenic leptospires are rapidly cleared. This short-term murine model of Leptospira hematogenous dissemination will allow for the interrogation of virulence factors potentially important for tissue colonization and evasion of host defenses, and represents a novel animal model for investigating determinants of Leptospira infection.
Sea Surface Temperature and Salinity in Lombok Strait Reconstructed From Coral Sr/Ca and δ18O, 1962–2012
Authors: Genda Ai , Ikehara Minoru , Suzuki Atsushi , Arman Ali , Inoue Mayuri
Published: July 2022

Coral geochemical tracers have been used in studies of the paleoclimatology and paleoceanography of the tropics and subtropics. We measured Sr/Ca and oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) in a coral sample collected from the southern part of Lombok Strait, a significant outlet of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) to the Indian Ocean, to reconstruct the historical record of sea surface temperature (SST) and seawater δ18O. Seawater δ18O can be used to approximate sea surface salinity (SSS) because it reflects the balance of evaporation and precipitation. The resulting time series reconstructed SST and SSS, covering the period 1962–2012, shows no clear trend of global warming, although the record includes a large cooling event (~4°C) during 1996–1997. Although neither SST nor SSS shows a systematic relationship with El Niño–Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), weak but significant correlations are found partly. In addition, the coral data show signals of major IOD and El Niño events in 1994 and 1997, respectively, although climatic trends recorded in the coral are not consistent with those found along the Java-Sumatra coast. To evaluate other influences on the ITF in Lombok Strait, we compared our coral record with coral records from sites in the Java Sea, the southern part of Makassar Strait, and Ombai Strait. During the northwest monsoon (December–January–February), variations in SST and SSS at Lombok Strait site are similar to those at the Java Sea and southern Makassar sites for the period 1962–1995, which suggests that low-salinity water from the Java Sea is carried at least to the southern part of Makassar Strait where it suppresses the ITF upstream from Lombok Strait. However, the SST and SSS records differ at the three sites during the southeast monsoon (June–July–August), indicating that surface conditions in Lombok Strait vary separately from those in the Java Sea. In the longer term, although global warming has been widely identified in the Indonesian Seas, the coral record shows no clear warming trend in the southern part of Lombok Strait, where fluctuations in the ITF may be modulating the distribution of heat in the surface waters of the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean.
The Association Between Exposure to Acrylamide and Mortalities of Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Among People With Hyperglycemia
Authors: Wu Huanyu , Sun Xinyi , Jiang Hongyan , Hu Cong , Xu Jiaxu , Sun Changhao , Wei Wei , Han Tianshu , Jiang Wenbo
Published: July 2022

Background

Acrylamide is a common environmental volatile organic compound that humans are frequently exposed to in their daily lives. However, whether exposure to acrylamide is associated with long-term survival in patients with hyperglycemia remains largely unknown.

Methods and Results

A total of 3,601 hyperglycemic people were recruited in this study, including 1,247 people with diabetes and 2,354 people with pre-diabetes, who enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey (2003–2004, 2005–2006, and 2013–2014). The acrylamide exposure was measured by the serum hemoglobin adduct of acrylamide (HbAA) and glycidamide (HbGA), and the ratio of HbAA and HbGA (HbAA/HbGA) was calculated, which were all categorized into quintiles. The National Death Index was used to identify the participants' death information until 2015. Cox proportional hazards (CPHs) regression models were performed to examine the survival relationship between these biomarkers and mortality. During the 28,652 person-year follow-up, 268 deaths due to the cardiovascular disease (CVD) were documented. After adjustment for multiple confounders, compared with participants in the lowest quintile of HbAA/HbGA, the participants in the highest quintile were more likely to die due to CVD (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.09–2.39) and all-cause (HR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.25–2.01). Moreover, subgroup analysis showed that the highest quintile of HbAA/HbGA in the people with diabetes or pre-diabetes was related to mortalities risk of CVD (HRdiabetes = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.11–3.31; HRpre−diabetes = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.01–3.14) and all-cause mortality (HRdiabetes = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.27–2.58; HRpre−diabetes = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.14–2.20). Additionally, no significant association between the levels of HbAA or HbGA and CVD mortality was observed among people with diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Conclusion

Higher levels of HbAA/HbGA are associated with greater mortalities of CVD and all-cause among hyperglycemic people.
How do Geohazards Affect Household Consumption: Evidence From China
Authors: Zhao Luman , Zhu Boyi
Published: July 2022

Geohazards trigger well-documented adverse effects on human health and economic development. However, previous studies mostly focused on the impact of one specific geohazard on consumption and discussed the impact mechanism from a limited perspective. In this paper, we focus on the consequences of generalized geohazards on household consumption in China and investigate the mechanisms of the impact of geohazards on consumption from three perspectives by using the China Household Finance Survey 2017 microdata and National Bureau of Statistics provincial-level data. The study finds that, firstly, household consumption is significantly higher in areas with more geohazards and the effect is found to be long-term. This finding passes a series of robust tests. Secondly, heterogeneity analysis reveals that the consumption structure of families is changed by geohazards. Moreover, the frequency of geohazards affects the consumption of households at different income-level to different degrees. Thirdly, among three possible impact mechanisms, the main mechanism of the impact of geohazards on household consumption is through the increasing of individuals’ impatience.
Identification and Characterization of Two Novel Compounds: Heterozygous Variants of Lipoprotein Lipase in Two Pedigrees With Type I Hyperlipoproteinemia
Authors: Wang Shuping , Cheng Yiping , Shi Yingzhou , Zhao Wanyi , Gao Ling , Fang Li , Jin Xiaolong , Han Xiaoyan , Sun Qiuying , Li Guimei , Zhao Jiajun , Xu Chao
Published: July 2022

Background

Type I hyperlipoproteinemia, characterized by severe hypertriglyceridemia, is caused mainly by loss-of-function mutation of the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene. To date, more than 200 mutations in the LPL gene have been reported, while only a limited number of mutations have been evaluated for pathogenesis.

Objective

This study aims to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying lipoprotein lipase deficiency in two pedigrees with type 1 hyperlipoproteinemia.

Methods

We conducted a systematic clinical and genetic analysis of two pedigrees with type 1 hyperlipoproteinemia. Postheparin plasma of all the members was used for the LPL activity analysis. In vitro studies were performed in HEK-293T cells that were transiently transfected with wild-type or variant LPL plasmids. Furthermore, the production and activity of LPL were analyzed in cell lysates or culture medium.

Results

Proband 1 developed acute pancreatitis in youth, and her serum triglycerides (TGs) continued to be at an ultrahigh level, despite the application of various lipid-lowering drugs. Proband 2 was diagnosed with type 1 hyperlipoproteinemia at 9 months of age, and his serum TG levels were mildly elevated with treatment. Two novel compound heterozygous variants of LPL (c.3G>C, p. M1? and c.835_836delCT, p. L279Vfs*3, c.188C>T, p. Ser63Phe and c.662T>C, p. Ile221Thr) were identified in the two probands. The postheparin LPL activity of probands 1 and 2 showed decreases of 72.22 ± 9.46% (p<0.01) and 54.60 ± 9.03% (p<0.01), respectively, compared with the control. In vitro studies showed a substantial reduction in the expression or enzyme activity of LPL in the LPL variants.

Conclusions

Two novel compound heterozygous variants of LPL induced defects in the expression and function of LPL and caused type I hyperlipoproteinemia. The functional characterization of these variants was in keeping with the postulated LPL mutant activity.
Reappraisal of a 2-cm Cutoff Size for the Management of Nonfunctional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Yang Zhen , Zhang Dongsheng , Shi Guangjun
Published: July 2022

Background

Expectant observation and aggressive surgery are both recommended for small nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-PanNETs). However, the optimal management of small NF-PanNETs remains disputable due to the heterogeneous clinical behavior.

Methods

Patients who were diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PanNENs) between 2000 and 2018 were identified from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database and reviewed retrospectively. Tumor aggressiveness was defined as poor differentiation, lymph node involvement, liver involvement, and advanced stage. The best cutoff of tumor size associated with tumor aggressiveness was determined through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify prognostic factors in patients with tumors of ≤2 cm.

Results

A total of 5,172 patients with PanNENs were enrolled, including 1,760 (34.0%) tumors ≤2 cm and 3,412 (66.0%) tumors >2 cm. A 2.5-cm cutoff size was found to be associated with a satisfactory ability in predicting tumor aggressiveness. On multivariate analysis, age, gender, ethnicity, tumor grade, tumor number, and stage were independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) in patients with tumors less than or equal to 2 cm in size. A total of 1,621 patients were diagnosed with NF-PanNETs according to the WHO classification, of whom 1,350 underwent surgery, 271 performed active observation. The OS was significantly better in the surgery group compared to the observation group regardless of propensity score analysis. Additionally, a total of 407 patients were selected based on the multivariate Cox regression analysis, of whom 46 underwent observation, 361 underwent surgery, and the OS was comparable.

Conclusion

Expectant observation may be a reasonable alternative to aggressive surgical resection in highly selected small NF-PanNET patients. Also, the decision to observe versus surgery should not only be based on tumor size alone but also take into account other important clinicopathological factors.
Hypertension and Obesity: Risk Factors for Thyroid Disease
Authors: Liu Feng , Zhang Xinyu
Published: July 2022

Thyroid disease instances have rapidly increased in the past few decades; however, the cause of the disease remains unclear. Understanding the pathogenesis of thyroid disease will potentially reduce morbidity and mortality rates. Currently, the identified risk factors from existing studies are controversial as they were determined through qualitative analysis and were not further confirmed by quantitative implementations. Association rule mining, as a subset of data mining techniques, is dedicated to revealing underlying correlations among multiple attributes from a complex heterogeneous dataset, making it suitable for thyroid disease pathogenesis identification. This study adopts two association rule mining algorithms (i.e., Apriori and FP-Growth Tree) to identify risk factors correlated with thyroid disease. Extensive experiments were conducted to reach impartial findings with respect to knowledge discovery through two independent digital health datasets. The findings confirmed that gender, hypertension, and obesity are positively related to thyroid disease development. The history of I131 treatment and Triiodothyronine level can be potential factors for evaluating subsequent thyroid disease.
An approximate dynamic programming method for unit-based small hydropower scheduling
Authors: Ji Yueyang , Wei Hua
Published: July 2022

Hydropower will become an important power source of China’s power grids oriented to carbon neutral. In order to fully exploit the potential of water resources and achieve low-carbon operation, this paper proposes an approximate dynamic programming (ADP) algorithm for the unit-based short-term small hydropower scheduling (STSHS) framework considering the hydro unit commitment, which can accurately capture the physical and operational characteristics of individual units. Both the non-convex and non-linearization characteristics of the original STSHS model are retained without any linearization to accurately describe the hydropower production function and head effect, especially the dependence between the net head and the water volume in the reservoir, thereby avoiding loss of the actual optimal solution due to the large error introduced by the linearization process. An approximate value function of the original problem is formulated via the searching table model and approximate policy value iteration process to address the “curse of dimensionally” in traditional dynamic programming, which provides an approximate optimal strategy for the STSHS by considering both algorithm accuracy and computational efficiency. The model is then tested with a real-world instance of a hydropower plant with three identical units to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A Systematic Literature Review on Performance Evaluation of Power System From the Perspective of Sustainability
Authors: Deng Deqiang , Li Chao , Zu Yafei , Liu Lana Yan Jun , Zhang Jiayang , Wen Subin
Published: July 2022

Sustainability is a comprehensive concept that integrates at least three dimensions of environment, economy and society. The power system is the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions, adversely impacting environmental sustainability. It also generates necessary energy supplies, which promote economic and social sustainable development. Based on the sustainability nature of power system, this study puts forward an improved methodology, namely “Planning-Searching-Screening-Reporting-Reflecting” (PSSRR Cycle) to review the literature systematically on power system performance evaluation from a sustainability perspective over the past 20 years, with the aim of describing the current state of the whole performance evaluation system including the evaluation framework, evaluation indicators and evaluation methods, and providing research suggestions for future research. This study finds in the current literature that the Triple Bottom Line theory is the most commonly used theoretical evaluation framework; environmental and economic sustainability indicators are more emphasized; the DEA and MCDM methods are the more common evaluation methods. This study presents some future research notes, including improving the Sustainable Balanced Scorecard as a sustainable performance evaluation framework, emphasizing more social sustainability indicators, and using a combination of existing evaluation methods to make performance evaluation more efficient and accurate.
Effect of Conservation Agriculture on Aphid Biocontrol by Generalist (Carabid Beetle) and Specialist (Parasitoids Wasp) Natural Enemy Communities in Winter Wheat
Authors: Sacco–Martret de Préville Ambre , Ortiz-Martinez Sebastian , Plantegenest Manuel , Canard Elsa
Published: July 2022

Adoption of practices that reduce the risk of pest outbreaks is one of the pillars of agroecology and is largely based on biological control. Multiple infield and landscape parameters affect biocontrol, but the effects of conservation soil management on biological control have been poorly investigated over crop season. By comparing winter wheat fields within the same landscape but with different soil management, the direct and indirect effects of soil management (conservation and conventional systems) on natural enemies’ communities and their biological control on aphids was studied from the tillering stage to the harvest. In addition to aphid infestation, two families of the main natural enemies’ guilds were monitored, as well as their associated services: aphid parasitoid, a specialist and flying natural enemy, with parasitism service, and carabid beetles, a generalist and ground-dwelling predator, with aphidophagy service. Soil conservation system hosted more abundant and diverse carabid beetles’ assemblages, and received higher aphidophagy service in June than conventional system. However, neither parasitoid abundance, nor parasitism rates, were affected by soil management. Aphid infestation and its associated damage did not depend on soil management either. Our results suggest that ground-dwelling natural enemies are more impacted by soil management than foliage-dwelling natural enemies, which is partly reflected in aphid biocontrol. In agricultural systems with reduced soil perturbation, direct mortality on ground-dwelling communities due to tillage may be lower than in a conventional system, but habitat heterogeneity is also greater, increasing the number of ecological niches for natural enemies. Both factors are supposed to favor an early presence of natural enemies and a tendency toward a precocious aphidophagy service is indeed observed in conservation system.
Spatiotemporal Evolution of Landscape Patterns and Their Driving Forces Under Optimal Granularity and the Extent at the County and the Environmental Functional Regional Scales
Authors: Nie Wenbin , Yang Fan , Xu Bin , Bao Zhiyi , Shi Yan , Liu Bintao , Wu Renwu , Lin Wei
Published: July 2022

Research on the evolution and driving forces of landscape patterns can provide important support for ecological governance decision-making. However, the heterogeneity of landscape patterns at the microscale (grain size and extent) and the enforceability of the zoning scale at the macroscale deserve more attention. The optimal grain size (30 ×30 m) and the extent (500 m) for landscape pattern research were obtained by analyzing the fluctuation of landscape metrics and semivariogram models in this study. The research area was divided into environmental functional regions (EFRs), which were defined according to the main ecological functions and protection objectives of each region. The analysis results of land use and land cover changes (LUCCs) showed that land use transfer in the past 20 years occurred mainly between woodland and cultivated land at the county scale, but this was not always the case in EFRs. The results of the landscape pattern analysis showed that landscape fragmentation, aggregation, and heterogeneity increased at the county scale during 1999–2020. Moreover, except within agricultural environmental protection areas (AEP) and living environment guaranteed areas (LEG), the degree and the speed of landscape damage decreased by 2020, and the turning point occurred in 2006–2013. The analysis results of geographical detectors showed that the digital elevation mode (DEM) and GDP were the main driving factors in most regions. At the county scale, the average explanatory power of the selected factors increased by 13.27% and 16.16% in 2006–2013 and 2013–2020, respectively. Furthermore, the study area was divided into three categories according to the intensity of human disturbance. The areas with high human disturbance need to focus on increasing land-use intensification and strengthening the development in low-slope hill regions. The areas of moderate human disturbance need to focus on improving the connectivity of ecological patches and optimizing industrial structures. Attention should be given to the monitoring of natural drivers and policy support for ecological governance in low human disturbance areas. The methods and findings in this study can provide a reference for decision-makers to formulate land-use policies, especially for integration into relevant urban planning, such as the spatial planning of national land that is being widely implemented in China.