bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of development trends and structure of «green» investments in the world
Authors: Rozdobudko Mykola
Published: June 2023

The analysis of development trends and the structure of «green» investments of the countries of the world is a relevant topic in the modern world, since the «green» economy and sustainable development are among the main priorities of many states. In the scientific work, the main trends in the development of «green» investments in the world as a whole and separately in selected countries were analyzed, the regularities and peculiarities of their structure were revealed. The main focus of the research is on countries with a high level of development, dense population, as well as economies that are actively developing and that have serious problems with energy supply. Among such countries, we can highlight the USA, China, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain, Canada, Italy, Spain, Australia, Brazil and others. It was determined that the dynamics of «green» investments in the world for the period 2011–2021 shows significant growth. In 2012, the total amount of «green» investment in the world was 254 billion USD, and in 2021 it will reach 2.5 trillion USD. The lion's share of «green» investments in the world is directed to the field of renewable energy, the second place is occupied by the production of electric cars, the third is energy efficiency, and the fourth is the protection of water resources. The priority directions of «green» investments are highlighted, in particular, renewable energy sources, energy-efficient technologies, environmentally friendly production, etc. Based on the results of the research, the main laws and trends of the development of «green» investments in different countries of the world were determined, as well as the peculiarities of their structure were revealed. Factors affecting the development of the green economy and «green» investments in the countries of the world, such as financial incentives, state regulation, technological progress, and increased public awareness of environmental issues, are also analyzed. The growing dynamics of the implementation of nature-based solutions at the global level was noted. The results of the research can be useful for developing strategies for the development of the «green» economy and «green» investments in different countries of the world, as well as for determining priorities in the development of environmentally friendly technologies and productions.
Quality of Life and Related Factors Among Final Year Nursing Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Thuyen Nguyen Thi Duy , Sen Hoang Thi Ngoc
Published: June 2023

Background: COVID-19 has significantly influenced to the healthcare educational programs. Final year nursing students did not except, even maybe became the vulnerable respondents in the pandemic. Therefore, their quality of life has considerably reduced.
Objectives: To describe the physical quality of life and explore the relationships between demographic information, fear of COVID-19, and physical quality of life among final year nursing students.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of 113 final year nursing students at Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy, Vietnam, from March to April 2022. All participants completed a questionnaire which consisted of 3 parts including the demographic information, fear of COVID-19, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman rank correlation.
Results: The physical quality of life of participants was at medium level (mean [SD], 87.86 [9.14]). There were statistically significant relationships between gender and fear of COVID-19 to quality of life (P < .05), whereas age, living with, and monthly income were not correlated with quality of life (P > .05).
Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, final year nursing students had medium quality of life. Physical domain and fear of COVID-19 should be improved to increase quality of life.
هل حان الوقت لتطوير وظائف الاتصال الحكومي؟
Authors: رضوان أحمد فاروق
Published: June 2023

كان مـن نتائـج احتضـان الجهـات الحكوميـة للتحـولات التكنولوجيـة الرقميـة فـي الإعلام والاتصـال بـروز ممارسـات اتصاليـة مسـتندة تمامًـا للنظــام الرقمــي والشــبكي فــي الاتصــال الحكومــي، وأضحت تقاليــد العمــل الإعلامــي فــي البيئــة الحكوميــة تســتمد نجاحهــا أكثــر فأكثــر مــن قدرتهــا علــى توظيــف الأدوات والنظــم الرقميــة فـي صناعـة المحتـوى والتواصـل والتقييـم وإدارة العمليـة الاتصاليـة بكاملهـا فـي إطـار منظومـة إلكترونيــة وذكيــة للخدمــات الحكوميــة، وكان مــن الطبيعــي أن يلفــت هــذا التحــول أنظــار الباحثيــن فـي الاتصـال والعلاقـات العامـة حـول العالـم بحيـث أضحـت المظاهـر الرقميـة والشـبكية للاتصـال الحكومـي تشـكل بعـدًا فكريًـا ونظريًـا لا يسـتهان بـه فـي دارسـة ممارسـات الاتصـال الحكومـي.
“Cultural” and “Geo-Cultural” Identity: A Critical Analysis of Kymlicka’s Multiculturalism in the Context of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Farjana , Khan Md Habeeb Faruk
Published: June 2023

In Bangladesh, a large number of minorities or indigenous people live in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) who prefer to introduce themselves as “Pahari” to create a distinguished identity from mainstream. Even in most cases, the Bangali population residing in CHT acknowledge their identity in the similar way. This distinctiveness is not solely cultural what Kymlicka assumes, rather it is ‘geo-cultural’. This paper focuses on the collective role of cultural and geo-cultural identity to define the complete ‘self’ of the marginalized population by analyzing and critiquing Will Kymlicka’s thoughts on multiculturalism. A randomly selected sample of indigenous and Bangali residents of CHT participated in this ethnographic study where data was collected through observations and face to face interviews. Qualitative data analysis procedure was followed to analyze and ultimately, thematize the collected data. The findings of this research very evidently demonstrated the acceptance of cultural varieties in today’s globalized multicultural world. Besides, it justified the importance of cultural and territorial rights of the minors which would eventually construct a complete identity for them. Hence, a perspective of cultural tolerance and promoting geo-cultural rights can advocate multiculturalism strongly boosting the true identity of a marginalized cultural group.

IUBAT Review—A Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, 6(1): 1-12
Impacts of Drought on the Market in the Northwest Region of Bangladesh: Availability, Diversity and Price
Authors: Islam Md Shafiqul , Shafiq Ummul Fatiha Binte
Published: June 2023

A Market based study was conducted in the high (Tanore Upazila) and low (Natore Upazila) drought prone areas over the period of twelve months with the aims to know the impacts of drought on the market. Drought inhibits production, the inflow of agricultural produces and food supply in high drought market areas. Availability, diversity, price and sources of plant species become more restricted by the severe drought. The high drought market area shows less availability of the produces with low diversity and high prices. These attributes arrest consumer’s behavior in food consumption patterns and restricted food supply in high drought market. Low drought market area shows normal production, regular inflows of agricultural produces. Mostly drought affects market in the Kharif-2 season.  More local varieties were found in the low drought market during Rabi season. Appropriate drought forecasting in advance and drought insurance can protect production loss and ensure market supply.
IUBAT Review—A Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, 6 (1): 47-60
Prevalence of different bacterial species in the uterine fluid of repeat breeder cows
Authors: Chowdhury Md Farhad Hossain , Hasan Mir Md Iqbal , Hasan Moinul , Rahman Md Siddiqur , Rahman Marzia , Juyena Nasrin Sultana
Published: June 2023

Among the diverse factors, bacterial infections in the reproductive tract potentially cause of repeat breeding in dairy cows. The present research was conducted to appraise the uterine organism in healthy fertile cows (HFC) and repeat breeder cows (RBC) and to establish a relationship with previous disease or disease conditions. A total of 43 uterine samples were collected from 10 healthy fertile and 33 RB cows for bacteriological study. Among RBC, 39.4% harbored bacterial isolates of E. coli (30.3%), Staphylococcus aureus (27.3%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (15.2%), and Bacillus spp. (18.2%). Total Viable Count (TVC) of RBC with isolates was higher (1.81 x 1010CFU/mL) than in normal fertile cows (1.3x1010 CFU/mL). No bacterial isolates were recovered from 60.6% RBCs and 80.0% healthy fertile cows. A single, mixed infection of two, three and four bacterial species was observed in the uterine discharge of 12.1%, 9.1%, 12.1% and 6.1% RBC, respectively. From animal demographic data of RBC, the sub-clinical mastitis, acute mastitis, endometritis, dystocia, retention of placenta, and abortion were 42.4%, 39.4%, 39.4%, 12.1%, 9.1%, and 6.1%, respectively. In contrast, the presence of dystocia, endometritis, subclinical mastitis, retention of placenta and abortion was recorded in 50%, 30%, 30.8%, 23.1%, and 15.4% of healthy cows, respectively. This result could help the veterinarian to design the proper antibacterial therapy based on bacteria isolates in RBCs.
J. Bangladesh Acad. Sci. 47(1); 33-42: June 2023
The growth and yield performances of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) as influenced by the use of cow dung and chemical fertilizers
Authors: Hasan Md Mahamudul , Sultana Saima , Jahan Mst Afrose
Published: June 2023

To investigate the effect of cow dung and chemical fertilizers on the growth and yield performances of mungbean (BARI Mung 6), an experiment was carried out in the research field of the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, during the kharif season of 2020. The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications comprising seven manure-fertilizer treatments. The results showed that the different levels of cow dung and fertilizers significantly influenced mungbean growth parameters and seed yield. The highest plant height (48.2 cm), number of leaves plant-1 (10.3), number of branches plant-1 (3.9), maximum number of pods plant-1 (19.3), seeds pod-1 (10.4), 1000-seed weight (43.4g), and the highest seed yield (1.42 t ha-1) were obtained from the application of 80% of the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) plus 20% cow dung. It is concluded that applying 20% cow dung (1.2 t ha-1) coupled with 80% of the recommended amount of fertilizers together produced superior results for the growth and yield of mungbean compared to applying fertilizer or cow dung alone.
J. Bangladesh Acad. Sci. 47(1); 61-68: June 2023
Commercial Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus production in net cages at the River Dakatia, Chandpur, Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Md Robiul Awal , Hosain Md Eilious , Tabassum Anika , Naser Md Niamul
Published: June 2023

This study examined the intensification of mono-sex Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticusaquaculturein riverine net cages installed at the River Dakatia, Roghunathpur, Chandpur. This study performed 120-day cage grow-out trials with densities of 50, 75, and 100 tilapia m-3 under three replications with an average initial weight of 28.92±8.37g per juvenile fish. The monthly water quality parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity and hardness, ammonia-N and Nitrite-N) in the cage installation water area of the River Dakatia were found to be suitable for tilapia cage culture. The monthly average weight gain was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in 50 tilapia m-3 stocking density than in the other two stocking densities tested. The mean final weight and specific growth rate were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in 50 tilapia m-3 stocking densitythan the other two stocking densities. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher survival (97.92%) was found in the 50 tilapia m-3 stocking density group and followed by 86.74% and 84.39% in the 75 and 100 tilapia m-3 stocking densities, respectively. Consequently, the monthly relative and specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in 50 tilapia m-3 stocking density fishes for the first, third, and fourth months. Gross production was comparable between 50 and 75 tilapia m-3 stocking densities but was significantly (p < 0.05) better than 100 m-3 stocking density. Net production was significantly (p < 0.05) higher at 50 tilapia m-3 stocking density group than those of 75 and 100 tilapia m-3 stocking densities. The best feed conversion ratio (1.60) was in the 50 tilapia m-3 stocking density group (p < 0.05) than those of 1.87 and 2.44 for the stocking of 75 and 100 tilapia m-3, respectively. Benefit-cost ratio and net profit were significantly (p < 0.05) better at 50 and 75 tilapia m-3 than at 100 tilapia m-3 stocking density. Therefore, considering maximum outputs, benefits, and performances, we recommend stocking density at 50 mono-sex tilapia m-3 for the best growth, cost-effective production, and highest-economic return from 120 days of grow-out net cages in the riverine culture system.
J. Bangladesh Acad. Sci. 47(1); 43-52: June 2023
Khả năng nhận diện cơ hội và động cơ của cá nhân tác động đến hành vi tham gia vào các hoạt động khởi tạo doanh nghiệp
Authors: Lê Ngọc Đoan Trang , Đặng Ngọc Sự
Published: June 2023

Nhân tố nhận diện cơ hội và động cơ đã trở thành một chủ đề quen thuộc trong lĩnh vực nghiên cứu khởi nghiệp, đặc biệt là nghiên cứu về ý định khởi sự doanh nghiệp. Tuy nhiên, việc nghiên cứu tác động của hai nhân tố này lên hành vi tham gia vào các hoạt động khởi tạo doanh nghiệp chưa được các tác giả đào sâu. Ngoài ra, tại Việt Nam chưa có nghiên cứu thực hiện ở khía cạnh hành vi tham gia vào các hoạt động khởi tạo doanh nghiệp. Bài báo này tiến hành xem xét các mức độ tác động của các nhân tố ở góc độ tổng hợp lên hành vi tham gia vào các hoạt động khởi tạo doanh nghiệp. Nghiên cứu tiến hành thu thập mẫu qua 2 giai đoạn: giai đoạn ý định (n =1.732) và giai đoạn hành vi tham gia vào các hoạt động khởi tạo doanh nghiệp (n = 597) ở giới trẻ. Dữ liệu sau khi thu thập xong được xử lý bằng phần mềm SPSS 20 và Amos 20 và kết quả đã chỉ ra rằng Khả năng nhận diện cơ hội và động cơ (Nhu cầu về thành tích, Nhu cầu độc lập, Để lại di sản cho gia đình và con cái) đều tác động đến ý định và hành vi tham gia vào các hoạt động khởi tạo doanh nghiệp. Tuy nhiên, Nhu cầu về tài chính chỉ tác động đến giai đoạn ý định. Nghiên cứu này góp phần làm sáng tỏ, củng cố vào lý thuyết trong lĩnh vực khởi sự doanh nghiệp ở Việt Nam và đưa ra các hàm ý quản trị, thúc đẩy tinh thần khởi sự doanh nghiệp.
Cinsel Özgürlüğe Karşı Suçlarda Rızanın Hukuki Niteliği
Authors: İBA Hasan
Published: June 2023

Rızaya dayalı olarak gerçekleştirildikleri için haksızlık teşkil etmeyen cinsel davranışlar bakımından rızanın hukuki niteliği tartışmalıdır. Bir görüşe göre rıza hukuka uygunluk nedeni iken diğer bir görüşe göre tipiklikle ilgilidir. İki görüş arasında rızanın geçerlilik koşulları, on sekiz yaşını tamamlamış akıl hastalarının cinsel haklarının sınırları, hukuka uygunluk nedenlerinde sübjektif unsur sorunu, suça iştirak ve hata konuları bakımından önemli farklılıklar vardır.

Bu çalışmada bahse konu tartışma üzerinde durulacaktır.
Unfathered Connections: Samuel Beckett and Djuna Barnes
Authors: Nugent Georgina
Published: June 2023

This essay explores Beckett’s engagement with Djuna Barnes, starting with their epistolary exchanges in the 1970s and working back to his reading of her work in the 1930s in order to position Barnes as yet another modernist woman writer who, along with Gertrude Stein, facilitated Beckett’s transition away from Joyce in the 1930s. It explores their shared connection with James Joyce before developing on two key comparative critical readings of their aesthetics by Tyrus Miller and Daniela Caselli in order to situate Barnes as a valid aesthetic counterpoint to Joyce, a development on the ‘Nominalism’ versus ‘Realism’ dyad Beckett establishes between Gertrude Stein and Joyce in the 1937 Kaun letter. Borrowing from Barnes’s own late reflection on Nightwood, this article builds on extant criticism of Beckett and Barnes to situate Barnes’s ‘histrionic’ and ‘verballistic’ writings within the constellation of women authors whose work facilitated the development of Beckett’s ‘literature of the non-word’, and an important progression on from the (Steinian) ‘nominalistic irony’ Beckett identifies in the 1937 Kaun letter as a ‘necessary’ step towards his desired aesthetics. The essay argues that Barnes’s work represents a significant point of contact within this transitional period in Beckett’s aesthetic development, and that his identification of Barnes’s work as ‘verballistic’ in 1938, specifically the ‘shattered’ surfaces visible therein, provided Beckett with a glimpse of ‘that which lurks behind, be it something or nothing’ so central to his post-1937 aesthetics.
‘I do, I undo, I redo’: Louise Bourgeois and Samuel Beckett
Authors: Bates Julie
Published: June 2023

Louise Bourgeois and Samuel Beckett were both from comfortably bourgeois families; both had a strained relationship with one parent and undertook psychoanalytic treatment while grieving the deaths of their fathers; both were academically successful and placed great emphasis on studying; both were marked by the First and Second World Wars; both experienced the disorientations and liberations of exile and working between languages; and finally, after a period of relative neglect, both achieved celebrity and critical acclaim later in life.  

Drawing on Bourgeois’s notebooks and diaries in her New York archive, in which Beckett makes fleeting appearances, this article presents a comparative reading of Bourgeois and Beckett, and identifies a significant number of affinities in their creative preoccupations and strategies, points of confluence that call into question assumptions by their respective critics that their creative practice is exceptional. A comparative reading with a female artist has the additional benefit of situating Beckett outside the masculinist heritage in which he has been inscribed, and brings into focus the gender bias that has been evident in both sets of scholarship.

At once modernist and contemporary due to their longevity and the variety of their prolific output (over seventy years for Bourgeois and sixty for Beckett), Bourgeois and Beckett have both been successfully canonised: vital points of reference for artists and writers today, exhibitions and productions of their work also draw huge crowds. Their respective critics have hailed the work of Bourgeois and Beckett as remarkable and distinctive, setting them apart from their fellow artists and writers. They share a creative strategy, however: both dedicated themselves to a narrow range of themes and pursued these through the adoption of a diverse range of media, play with scale, and an unceasing experimentation with form.
Seeing Barbara Bray: Marek Kędzierski on Barbara Bray – Barbara Bray on Samuel Beckett
Authors: Kędzierski Marek
Published: June 2023

Seeing Barbara Bray was written as a sketch for a portrait of Barbara Bray, who met Samuel Beckett shortly after he sent the text of All That Fall to BBC's Third Programme. As script editor and producer, she consulted with the author on his first radio drama and collaborated on subsequent works broadcast by the BBC. From the early 1960s, Bray, based in Paris, worked mainly as a literary translator. Over time a strong bond between them developed and an intimate relationship ensued. Erudite and with a gift for rendering complex issues in the least complicated way, Bray provided Beckett with much more than translating advice, encouraging him in his writing, editing his texts, and acting as his “sounding board”.

Very modest and discrete, she kept a low profile until her death in 2010. It was only with the publication of the two last volumes of The Letters of Samuel Beckett (2014, 2016 respectively), that her role in his life and writing became apparent to the general readership.

In his personal account, Marek Kedzierski focuses principally on Beckett's letters to Bray, her comments on them, and on her unfinished memoir from which he quotes several passages. Drawing from conversations with her recorded by him in 2003-2009, his essay ends with Bray's personal confession revealing to us her deep pain and her refusal to be “the invisible woman” in Samuel Beckett's life.
On dual-energy X-ray absorbtiometry use in patients with metabolic syndrome and associated fatty liver disease
Authors: Venidiktova D. Yu. , Borsukov A. V.
Published: June 2023

Objective. To demonstrate the possibilities of using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the ‘Whole-Body’ mode in the algorithm for diagnosing and monitoring metabolically associated fatty liver disease in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Material and methods. All patients were examined according to a single diagnostic algorithm, consisting of a physical examination with anthropometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the ‘Whole-Body’ mode and quantitative ultrasound steatometry. In addition to the main study group (n = 118), two control groups were recruited: the ﬁrst with an increased body mass index, but without signs of metabolically associated fatty liver disease (n = 101), the second with a normal body mass index, without signs of liver damage (n = 84).

Results. In a larger number of patients with conﬁrmed metabolically associated fatty liver disease, according to clinical, laboratory and instrumental data, a predominance of visceral adipose tissue over subcutaneous adipose tissue was observed (compared to patients without conﬁrmed metabolically associated fatty liver disease). At the same time, the percentage of fat in patients of the main study group and control group No. 1 is within the normal range of age intervals. Quantitative ultrasound steatometry data have a high correlation with data describing the components of the metabolic syndrome according to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the ‘Whole-Body’ mode with a direct relationship.

Conclusion. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the ‘Whole-Body’ mode can be used both for screening and for diagnosing the components of the metabolic syndrome due to high information content and minimal radiation exposure. Patients in whom visceral subcutaneous tissue predominates over subcutaneous adipose tissue are at greater risk of developing metabolically associated fatty liver disease. Quantitative ultrasound steatometry complements the picture of diffuse liver changes in patients with metabolic syndrome.
Mediator factorial model of social entrepreneurship in the covid-19 era
Authors: Lirios Cruz G. , Medina Jorge E. C. , Rodríguez Isabel C. R.
Published: June 2023

The optimization of resources as an entrepreneurship initiator has been observed as an emerging phenomenon in the pandemic, although its determinants have not been established. Design. This paper aims to establish the relationships between the determinants of resource optimization. An exploratory, cross-sectional, and correlational study was carried out with a sample of 186 students from a public university in central Mexico, considering their participation in the system of professional practices and social service. The perceived usefulness of the technology was found to be a determinant of the optimization of resources. Entrepreneurship in the health crisis depends on trust in technology. Entrepreneurship policies focused on microfinancing will move towards technology financing.
Optimal treatment of ceftazidime-avibactam and aztreonam-avibactam against bloodstream infections or lower respiratory tract infections caused by extensively drug-resistant or pan drug-resistant (XDR/PDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Kang Yixin , Xie Lu , Yang Jiyong , Cui Junchang
Published: June 2023

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) and aztreonam-avibactam (AZA) against bloodstream infections (BSIs) or lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) – caused by extensive drug-resistant or pan drug-resistant (XDR/PDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Method

The two-fold dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of CZA/AZA against XDR/PDR P. aeruginosa. Whole-genome sequencing was used to analyze the resistance determinants of each isolate. Monte Carlo simulations (MCSs) were used to evaluate the probability of target attainment (PTA) and the cumulative fraction of response (CFR) of each CZA/AZA dosing regimen via traditional infusion (TI)/optimized two-step-administration therapy (OTAT).

Results

We found that XDR/PDR P. aeruginosa may carry some rare MBLs (e.g.: IND-6, SLB-1, THIN-B). P. aeruginosa isolates producing IMP-45, VIM-1, or VIM-2 were inhibited by AZA at a concentration of 2 to 8 mg/L. All isolates producing IND-6 plus other serine β-lactamases were high-level resistant to CZA/AZA (MICs >64 mg/L). All simulated dosing regimens of CZA/AZA against BSIs-causing XDR/PDR P. aeruginosa achieved 100% PTA when the MIC was ≤32 mg/L.

Conclusion

AZA has been considered as an option for the treatment of infections caused by XDR/PDR P. aeruginosa producing IMP-45, VIM-1, or VIM-2. OTAT with sufficient pharmacodynamic exposure may be an optimal treatment option for XDR/PDR P. aeruginosa with a high-level MIC of CZA/AZA.
Sovereign genes: wildlife conservation, genetic preservation, and Indigenous data sovereignty
Authors: Robbins Paul , Hunt Hilary Habeck , Pelegri Francisco , Gilbert Jonathan
Published: June 2023

The application of conservation genetics to wildlife preservation efforts are ongoing and promising. These involve the mobilization of a toolkit that ranges from monitoring the genetic diversity of rare species to more ambitious experiments in repopulating species experiencing genetic bottlenecks. All such efforts are predicated upon the deliberate and thoughtful preservation of existing genetic diversity. The history of genetic collection and conservation, however, for medical and health applications, is one that has repeatedly fallen into colonial habits, violated Indigenous sovereignty, and sown distrust with Indigenous communities. Given the importance of Indigenous communities in the future of wildlife conservation, the future of conservation genetics is best assured through the honoring of Indigenous Data Sovereignty. This paper reviews the stakes of this question, reflects on the status of recent conservation genetics efforts relative to the question of Indigenous sovereignty, and lays out a preliminary set of principles for collaborative work on wildlife conservation employing genetic tools.
Dynamic changing smoking habits and cardiovascular events in patients newly diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, or dyslipidemia: a national cohort study
Authors: Song Shinjeong , Lee Hye Ah , Kim Yeji , Jeon Bo Kyung , Moon Chang Mo , Park Junbeom
Published: June 2023

Background and aims

This study aimed to examine the association between dynamic smoking habit change and cardiovascular risk in a population newly diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia.

Methods

This study included 49,320 individuals who had received health examinations provided by the Korea National Health Insurance Service. To determine the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and all-cause mortality based on dynamic smoking habit changes for 2 years, multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were utilized.

Results

During the follow-up, there were 1,004 (2.2%), 3,483 (7.6%), and 334 (0.7%) cases of myocardial infarction, stroke events, and cardiovascular death, respectively. The group with worsening smoking habits had an increased risk of cardiovascular events and death (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.26–1.40) compared to improved smoking habits. The robustness of the results determined by a series of sensitivity analyses further strengthened the main findings.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that worsening of smoking habits, even for a short period of time, may increase the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death in patients diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. For the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with underlying diseases, dynamic modification of smoking habits should be actively considered.
Healthcare provider experiences of deploying a continuous remote patient monitoring pilot program during the COVID-19 pandemic: a structured qualitative analysis
Authors: Pugmire Juliana , Wilkes Matt , Wolfberg Adam , Zahradka Nicole
Published: June 2023

Objective

To describe the healthcare provider (HCP) experience of launching a COVID-19 remote patient monitoring (CRPM) program during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with eight HCPs involved in deploying the CRPM pilot program in the Military Health System (MHS) from June to December 2020. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically using an inductive approach. We then deductively mapped themes from interviews to the updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).

Results

We identified the following main themes mapped to CFIR domains listed in parentheses: external and internal environments (outer and inner settings), processes around implementation (implementation process domain), the right people (individuals domain), and program characteristics (innovation domain). Participants believed that buy-in from leadership and HCPs was critical for successful program implementation. HCP participants showed qualities of clinical champions and believed in the CRPM program.

Conclusion

The MHS deployed a successful remote patient monitoring pilot program during the global COVID-19 pandemic. HCPs found the CRPM program and the technology enabling the program to be acceptable, feasible, and usable. HCP participants exhibited characteristics of clinical champions. Leadership engagement was the most often-cited key factor for successful program implementation.
Comparison of pretrained transformer-based models for influenza and COVID-19 detection using social media text data in Saskatchewan, Canada
Authors: Tian Yuan , Zhang Wenjing , Duan Lujie , McDonald Wade , Osgood Nathaniel
Published: June 2023

Background

The use of social media data provides an opportunity to complement traditional influenza and COVID-19 surveillance methods for the detection and control of outbreaks and informing public health interventions.

Objective

The first aim of this study is to investigate the degree to which Twitter users disclose health experiences related to influenza and COVID-19 that could be indicative of recent plausible influenza cases or symptomatic COVID-19 infections. Second, we seek to use the Twitter datasets to train and evaluate the classification performance of Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and variant language models in the context of influenza and COVID-19 infection detection.

Methods

We constructed two Twitter datasets using a keyword-based filtering approach on English-language tweets collected from December 2016 to December 2022 in Saskatchewan, Canada. The influenza-related dataset comprised tweets filtered with influenza-related keywords from December 13, 2016, to March 17, 2018, while the COVID-19 dataset comprised tweets filtered with COVID-19 symptom-related keywords from January 1, 2020, to June 22, 2021. The Twitter datasets were cleaned, and each tweet was annotated by at least two annotators as to whether it suggested recent plausible influenza cases or symptomatic COVID-19 cases. We then assessed the classification performance of pre-trained transformer-based language models, including BERT-base, BERT-large, RoBERTa-base, RoBERT-large, BERTweet-base, BERTweet-covid-base, BERTweet-large, and COVID-Twitter-BERT (CT-BERT) models, on each dataset. To address the notable class imbalance, we experimented with both oversampling and undersampling methods.

Results

The influenza dataset had 1129 out of 6444 (17.5%) tweets annotated as suggesting recent plausible influenza cases. The COVID-19 dataset had 924 out of 11939 (7.7%) tweets annotated as inferring recent plausible COVID-19 cases. When compared against other language models on the COVID-19 dataset, CT-BERT performed the best, supporting the highest scores for recall (94.8%), F1(94.4%), and accuracy (94.6%). For the influenza dataset, BERTweet models exhibited better performance. Our results also showed that applying data balancing techniques such as oversampling or undersampling method did not lead to improved model performance.

Conclusions

Utilizing domain-specific language models for monitoring users’ health experiences related to influenza and COVID-19 on social media shows improved classification performance and has the potential to supplement real-time disease surveillance.
Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Eocene sediments in the Baiyun sag of the Pearl River Mouth Basin
Authors: Ma Ming , Lei Chao , Rahman M. Julleh Jalalur
Published: June 2023

The Baiyun sag of the Pearl River Mouth Basin has become a focus for deepwater exploration with the highest hydrocarbon potential in northern South China Sea. The Eocene organic-rich mudstones are the main source rocks in the Baiyun sag, and the evolution of their depositional environment remains unclear. Based on the core and geochemical data, we investigated the depositional environments of the Eocene Wenchang and Enping sediments in the Baiyuan sag and revealed the sedimentary environment influences on the formation of the source rocks in the study area. The results indicate that the sediments of the Wenchang and Enping formations were deposited in dysoxic to oxic environments. Moreover, according to the concentrations of salinity-sensitive trace elements, and δ13C (-10.9‰ to -7.2‰, average -8.58‰) and δ18O (-18.4‰ to -14.5‰, average -17.1‰) values of carbonate cement in the sandstone samples, the Wenchang and Enping formations were in fresh water to brackish water conditions during their deposition, with increasing salinity from bottom to top, which suggests that the two formations were mainly deposited in lacustrine environment and the Enping formation experienced a relatively extensive lake transgression. The vertical variations of geochemical characteristics suggest that the Wenchang and Enping formations were deposited under a semi-arid/warm condition and all Eocene sediments experienced mild to moderate chemical weathering, relatively large detrital input and stable paleowater depth. Both primary productivity and preservation conditions played essential roles in controlling the enrichment of organic matters in the Baiyun sag, and the preservation conditions resulted from the restricted water setting. The present work provide a comprehensive analysis of depositional environments based on the abundance of high-resolution geochemical data. The results obtained reveal the dominated factors controlling organic matter enrichment in the Baiyun Sag of the Pearl River Mouth Basin. Those findings are not only significant for understanding the region’s paleogeography, but also provide guidance for future profitable oil and gas exploration in the northern South China Sea and other similar areas.
Efficacy and safety of subcutaneous semaglutide in adults with overweight or obese: a subgroup meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Zhang Rui , Hou Qin-chuan , Li Bing-hong , Deng Ling , Yang Yu-mei , Li Ting-xin , Yao Xiao-qin , Yang Liang-liang , Lin Xi-long , Liao Yi-qian , Wang Lin , Liu Yu-ping , Tan Jing , Wan Zheng-wei , Shuai Ping
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Semaglutide shows significant performance on weight reduction in several clinical trials. However, it is not clear what kind of administration frequency or dosage will achieve better effects. This study aims to explore the different therapeutic effect of semaglutide on weight control under the diverse administration circumstances.

Methods

The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and the Clinical Trials.gov were searched from inception until 6 June, 2022 to include randomized controlled trials evaluating the Efficacy and safety of subcutaneous semaglutide in overweight or obese adults. Random effects or fixed effects model was conducted based on the heterogeneity among trials. Subgroup analysis was performed to identify the detailed effects under different intervention situations.

Results and discussion

Our study included 13 RCTs involving 5,838 participants with 3,794 ones in semaglutide group and 2,044 in placebo group. Semaglutide was associated with a significant reduction on weight loss related outcomes, including the absolute value of weight loss (WMD -8·97, 95% CI -10·73 to -7·21), percentage of weight loss (WMD -10·00, 95% CI -11·99 to -8·00), body mass index (WMD-3·19, 95% CI -4·02 to -2·37) and waist circumference (WMD -7·21,95% CI -8·87 to -5·56). Subgroup analyses illustrated participants with high weekly dosage, long-term treatment duration and severe baseline BMI (Class II obesity) had a more remarkably decreasing on the main outcomes of weight loss (P for interaction<0·05). Total adverse reactions occurred more frequently in the daily administration group than that in the weekly group (P for interaction =0·01). During the treatment, the incidence rate of hypoglycemia was higher in the group without lifestyle intervention compared with that with lifestyle intervention (P for interaction =0·04). Interpretation Subcutaneous semaglutide had significant benefits on weight loss with reasonable safety in overweight or obese adults. Moreover, additional benefits on cardiometabolic profiles were also seen. We recommended semaglutide treatment to be coupled with lifestyle interventions, and target dose of 2·0 mg or more subcutaneously once weekly. Clinicians can choose suitable treatment schemes based on diverse individual situations.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=337099, identifier PROSPERO (CRD42022337099).
Global biomarkers of oxidative stress and fractures: a matched case-control study
Authors: Yang Shuman , Feng Lijie , Lix Lisa M. , Leslie William D. , Guo Dingjie , Shi Xianbao , Yuan Baoming
Published: June 2023

Background

Evidence for a relationship between oxidative stress and osteoporotic fractures in humans is limited. Fluorescent oxidation products (FlOPs, excitation/emission wavelengths 320/420nm denoted FlOP_320; 360/420nm [FlOP_360]; and 400/475nm [FlOP_400]) are global biomarkers of oxidative stress, and reflect oxidative damage to proteins, phospholipids, and nucleic acids. We investigated the association between FlOPs and a recent osteoporotic fracture.

Methods

We conducted a case-control study in a Chinese population aged 50 years or older. A recent osteoporotic fracture in the cases was confirmed by x-ray. Cases were matched with community-based non-fracture controls (1:2 ratio) for age (± 4 years) and sex. In addition, we conducted a sensitivity unmatched case-control study which included all fracture cases and all eligible non-fracture controls prior to matching. Plasma FlOPs were measured with a fluorescent microplate reader. We used unconditional logistic regression to analyze the association between FlOPs (per 1-SD increase in logarithmic scale) and fracture; odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were reported.

Results

Forty-four cases and 88 matched controls (mean age: 68.2 years) were included. After covariate adjustment (i.e., body mass index, physical activity, and smoking), higher FlOP_360 (OR = 1.85; 95% CI = 1.03 – 3.34) and FlOP_400 (OR = 13.29; 95% CI = 3.48 – 50.69) levels, but not FlOP_320 (OR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.27 – 1.15), were associated with increased fracture risk. Subgroup analyses by fracture site and unmatched case-control study found comparable associations of FlOP_360 and FlOP_400 with hip and non-hip fractures.

Conclusions

Higher FlOP_360 and FlOP_400 levels were associated with increased risk of fracture, and this association was comparable for hip and non-hip fractures. Prospective studies are warranted to confirm this finding.
Hypoparathyroidism-related health care utilization and expenditure during the first postoperative year after total thyroidectomy for cancer: a comprehensive national cohort study
Authors: Benmiloud Fares , Le Bihan Christine , Rebaudet Stanislas , Marino Patricia , Bousquet Philippe-Jean , Bouée-Benhamiche Elsa
Published: June 2023

Objectives

Hypoparathyroidism is the most common complication of total thyroidectomy for cancer, and requires calcium and/or vitamin D supplementation for an unpredictable period of time. The additional cost associated with this complication has not hitherto been assessed. The aim of this study was to assess the economic burden of postoperative hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy for cancer in France.

Methods

Based on the French national cancer cohort, which extracts data from the French National Health Data System (SNDS), all adult patients who underwent a total thyroidectomy for cancer in France between 2011 and 2015 were identified, and their healthcare resource use during the first postoperative year was compared according to whether they were treated postoperatively with calcium and/or vitamin D or not. Univariate and multivariate cost analyses were performed with the non-parametric Wilcoxon test and generalized linear model (gamma distribution and log link), respectively.

Results

Among the 31,175 patients analyzed (75% female, median age: 52y), 13,247 (42%) started calcium and/or vitamin D supplementation within the first postoperative month, and 2,855 patients (9.1%) were still treated at 1 year. Over the first postoperative year, mean overall and specific health expenditures were significantly higher for treated patients than for untreated patients: €7,233 vs €6,934 per patient (p<0.0001) and €478.6 vs €332.7 per patient (p<0.0001), respectively. After adjusting for age, gender, Charlson Comorbidity index, ecological deprivation index, types of thyroid resection, lymph node dissection and complications, year and region, the incremental cost of overall health care utilization was €142 (p<0.004).

Conclusion

Our study found a significant additional cost in respect of health expenditures for patients who had hypoparathyroidism after thyroidectomy for cancer, over the first postoperative year. Five-year follow-up is planned to assess the impact of more severe long-term complications on costs.
Genetic insight into the putative causal proteins and druggable targets of osteoporosis: a large-scale proteome-wide mendelian randomization study
Authors: Wu Zhichong , Yang Kenneth Guangpu , Lam Tsz-Ping , Cheng Jack Chun Yiu , Zhu Zezhang , Lee Wayne Yuk-Wai
Published: June 2023

Background: Osteoporosis is a major causative factor of the global burden of disease and disability, characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) and high risks of fracture. We aimed to identify putative causal proteins and druggable targets of osteoporosis.

Methods: This study utilized the largest GWAS summary statistics on plasma proteins and estimated heel BMD (eBMD) to identify causal proteins of osteoporosis by mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Different GWAS datasets were used to validate the results. Multiple sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the robustness of primary MR findings. We have also performed an enrichment analysis for the identified causal proteins and evaluated their druggability.

Results: After Bonferroni correction, 67 proteins were identified to be causally associated with estimated BMD (eBMD) (p < 4 × 10−5). We further replicated 38 of the 67 proteins to be associated with total body BMD, lumbar spine BMD, femoral neck BMD as well as fractures, such as RSPO3, IDUA, SMOC2, and LRP4. The findings were supported by sensitivity analyses. Enrichment analysis identified multiple Gene Ontology items, including collagen-containing extracellular matrix (GO:0062023, p = 1.6 × 10−10), collagen binding (GO:0005518, p = 8.6 × 10−5), and extracellular matrix structural constituent (GO:0005201, p = 2.7 × 10−5).

Conclusion: The study identified novel putative causal proteins for osteoporosis which may serve as potential early screening biomarkers and druggable targets. Furthermore, the role of plasma proteins involved in collagen binding and extracellular matrix in the development of osteoporosis was highlighted. Further studies are warranted to validate our findings and investigate the underlying mechanism.
Desert particulate matter from Afghanistan increases airway obstruction in human distal lungs exposed to type 2 cytokine IL-13
Authors: Cervantes Diana , Schaunaman Niccolette , Downey Gregory P. , Chu Hong Wei , Day Brian J.
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Deployment related asthma-like symptoms including distal airway obstruction have been described in U.S. military personnel who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The mechanisms responsible for the development of distal airway obstruction in deployers exposed to desert particulate matter (PM) is not well understood. We sought to determine if respiratory exposure to PM from Afghanistan (PMa) increases human distal airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) with or without exposures to IL-13, a type 2 cytokine. We further tested whether mitochondrial dysfunction, such as ATP signaling and oxidative stress, may contribute to PMa- mediated AHR.

Methods

Precision-cut lung slices from donors without a history of lung disease, tobacco smoking, or vaping were pre-treated with IL-13 for 24 h. This was followed by exposure to PMa or PM from California (PMc, control for PMa) for up to 72 h. The role of hydrogen peroxide and ATP in AHR was assessed using the antioxidant enzyme catalase or an ATP receptor P2Y13 antagonist MRS2211. AHR in response to methacholine challenges as well as cytokine IL-8 production were measured.

Results

PMa alone, but not PMc alone, trended to increase AHR. Importantly, the combination of PMa and IL-13 significantly amplified AHR compared to control or PMc+IL-13. PMa alone and in combination with IL-13 increased IL-8 as compared to the control. PMa increased H2O2 and ATP. MRS211 and catalase reduced AHR in PCLS exposed to both PMa and IL-13.

Discussion

Our data suggests that PMa in a type 2 inflammation-high lung increased AHR in part through oxidative stress and ATP signaling.