bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tobacco retailer density and smoking behaviour: how are exposure and outcome measures classified? A Systematic Review
Authors: Baker John , Lenz Katrin , Masood Mohd , Rahman Muhammad Aziz , Begg Stephen
Published: July 2023

Introduction: To date only a limited number of reviews have focused on how exposure and outcome measures are defined in the existing literature on associations between tobacco retailer density (‘density’) and smoking behaviour (‘smoking’). Therefore this systematic review classified and summarised how both density and smoking variables are operationalised in the existing literature, and provides several methodological recommendations for future density and smoking research. Methods: Two literature searches between March and April 2018 and April 2022 were conducted across 10 databases. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed and keyword database searches were undertaken. Studies were imported into Covidence. Cross-sectional studies that met the inclusion criteria were extracted and a quality assessment was undertaken. Studies were categorised according to the density measure used, and smoking was re-categorised using a modified classification tool. Results: Large heterogeneity was found in the operationalisation of both measures in the 47 studies included for analysis. Density was most commonly measured directly from geocoded locations using circular buffers at various distances (n = 14). After smoking was reclassified using a smoking classification tool, past-month smoking was the most common smoking type reported (n = 26). Conclusions: It is recommended that density is measured through length-distance and travel time using the street network and weighted (e.g. by the size of an area), or by using Kernel Density Estimates as these methods provide a more accurate measure of geographical to tobacco and e-cigarette retailer density. The consistent application of a smoking measures classification tool, such as the one developed for this systematic review, would enable better comparisons between studies. Future research should measure exposure and outcome measures in a way that makes them comparable with other studies. Implications This systematic review provides a strong case for improving data collection and analysis methodologies in studies assessing tobacco retailer density and smoking behaviour to ensure that both exposure and outcome measures are clearly defined and captured. As large heterogeneity was found in the operationalisation of both density and smoking behaviour measures in the studies included for analysis, there is a need for future studies to capture, measure and classify exposure measures accurately, and to define outcome measures in a manner that makes them comparable with other studies.
Monitoring and simulating landscape changes: How do long-term changes in land use and climate affect regional biophysical conditions in southern Malawi?
Authors: Nkolokosa C , Stothard Russell , Jones Chris , Stanton Michelle , Chirombo James , Tangena Julie-Anne Akiko
Published: July 2023

We set out to reveal the effects of long-term changes in land use and climate on the regional biophysical environment in southern Malawi. Object oriented supervised image classification was performed on Landsat 5 and 8 satellite images from 1990 to 2020 to identify and quantify past and present land use-land cover changes using a Support Vector Machine classifier. Subsequently, using 2000 and 2010 land use-land cover in an artificial neural network, land use-land cover for 2020 driven by elevation, slope, precipitation and temperature, population density, poverty, distance to major roads and distance to villages data was simulated. Between 1990-2020, area of land cover increased in built-up (209%), bare land (10%) and cropland (10%) and decreased in forest (30%), herbaceous (4%), shrubland (20%) and water area (20%). Overall, the findings reveal that southern Malawi is dominantly an agro-mosaic landscape shaped by the combined effects of urban and agricultural expansions and climate. The findings also suggest the need to enhance the machine learning algorithms to improve capacity for landscape modelling and ultimately, prevention, preparedness and response to environmental risks.
Using Ant Colony Optimization for Results Merging in Federated Search
Authors: Garba Adamu , Khalid Shah , Shah Habib , Ullah Irfan , Tairan Nasser Mansoor , Mumin Diyawu
Published: July 2023

Federated search routes the user's search query to multiple component collections and presents a merged results list in ranked order by comparing the relevance score of each returned result. However, the heterogeneity of the component collections makes it challenging for the central broker to compare these relevance scores while fusing the results in ranked order. To address this issue, most existing approaches merged the returned results by changing the document ranks to their ranking scores or downloading the documents and computing their relevance score at query time. However, these approaches are less efficient as the former suffer from limited efficiency of results merging due to negligible overlapping documents among the component collections, and the latter is resource intensive. This research addresses this problem by proposing a new method that extracts features of both the documents and component collections from the available information provided by the collections at querying time. Next, each document and its collection features are exploited together to establish the document relevance score. The ant colony optimization is then used for information foraging to create a merged results list. The empirical results on a real-world dataset demonstrate significant improvements by the proposed approach over baseline approaches.
The proper timing of Atoh1 expression is pivotal for hair cell subtype differentiation and the establishment of inner ear function
Authors: You Dan , Ni Wenli , Huang Yikang , Zhou Qin , Zhang Yanping , Jiang Tao , Chen Yan , Li Wenyan
Published: July 2023

Atoh1 overexpression is essential for hair cell (HC) regeneration in the sensory epithelium of mammalian auditory and vestibular organs. However, Atoh1 overexpression alone cannot induce fully mature and functional HCs in the mammalian inner ear. In the current study, we investigated the effect of Atoh1 constitutive overexpression in native HCs by manipulating Atoh1 expression at different developmental stages. We demonstrated that constitutive overexpression of Atoh1 in native vestibular HCs did not affect cell survival but did impair vestibular function by interfering with subtype differentiation of HCs and hair bundle development. In contrast, Atoh1 overexpression in cochlear HCs impeded their maturation, eventually leading to gradual HC loss and hearing dysfunction in the cochlea. Our study suggests that time-restricted Atoh1 expression is essential for the differentiation and survival of HCs in the inner ear, which is pivotal for both hearing and vestibular function re-establishment through Atoh1 overexpression-induced HC regeneration strategies.
Clinical predictors of stroke prognosis after endovascular therapy
Authors: Wang Yu-gang , Yuan Xingyun , Kang Yonggang , Yu Liping , Chen Wanhong , Fan Gang
Published: July 2023

Background and Aims
Endovascular therapy (EVT) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of large vascular occlusive stroke, but many factors are correlated with the outcome for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients after EVT[1]. There are so many factors such as baseline admitting NIHSS score, smoking, last known normal (LKN) time to puncture and so on impacted functional outcome of AIS[2]. This study aims to find the main factors that influence the poor prognosis of AIS patients after EVT by analyzing the clinical data of AIS patients.
Methods
We analyzed the clinical data of AIS patients in the First People’s Hospital of Xian Yang city in Sha’anXi province from June 2017 to August 2021 following treatment with EVT. The data included the patient blood pressure upon admission, blood glucose, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, and 90-day modified Rankin scale (mRs) score follow-up data, last known normal (LKN) time to puncture, LKN time to puncture was defined as the time from the patient's last normal time to the successful groin puncture (GP), calculated in minutes. A good outcome was defined as a 90-day mRs score of 0 to 3, and a poor outcome was defined as a 90-day mRs score of 4 to 6.
Results
A total of 144 patients were included in the study, baseline admitting NIHSS score, smoking, and LKN time to puncture, After NIHSS stratification, an NIHSS score of 6–12 was found to be relevant to the prognosis from the results of the univariate analysis. The baseline NIHSS were (odds ratio = 3.02; 95% confidence interval, 2.878–4.252; P < 0.001), LKN time to GP (odds ratio = 2.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.341–2.625; P < 0.01), and time stratification (6–12h) (odds ratio = 4.22; 95% confidence interval, 2.519–5.561; P < 0.001).The result showed higher baseline NIHSS, LKN time to puncture, and time were associated with poorer prognosis of stroke patients after EVT in a multivariate analysis.
Conclusions
Our study indicated that smoking, the baseline NIHSS score, and LKN time to puncture were the risk factors for a poor outcome of stroke patients following an EVT. Quitting smoking, shortening LKN time to puncture should improve the outcome of AIS after EVT.
Extreme and heterogeneous conditions of the desert wetland Chott Ech Chergui (Algeria) allow isolating halophilic, alkalophilic and thermophilic bacteria.
Authors: Zouggar Aicha Mehirou , Mirleau Pascal , Chenuil Anne , Denis Françoise , Caruso Aurore , Ayad Sidi Mohammed El Amine Abi , Lamara Sid Ahmed Chawki
Published: July 2023

Wetlands concentrate biodiversity, particularly in arid regions. Chott Ech Chergui (Algeria), one of the biggest wetlands of the north African desert, presents extreme temperatures and salinity conditions. We initiated a physico-chemical and microbiological survey at seven sites encompassing various conditions (salt lakes, freshwater lakes and hot springs), through a one-year monthly sampling campaign. Four sites under the influence of the spring showed little temporal physio-chemical variation. Three sites displayed higher variation and the aridity level, high from late spring until autumn, was a strong predictor of water chemistry. We evidenced extremophile bacteria. Among 320 bacterial isolates tested for thermo-, acido- and alcalino- tolerance, 39, affiliated to Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, were successfully maintained and underwent physiological, biochemical and molecular characterization. Thermotolerance was recorded up to 100°C for a water isolate affiliated to Geobacillus stearothermophilus. Halotolerance was recorded up to 30% NaCl (w:v) for soil isolates affiliated to Salinicola zeshunii, Chromohalobacter beijerinckii and Virgibacillus halodenitrificans. Acido- and alcalo- tolerance were recorded for a pH range from 5 to 11 for several soil and water isolates affiliated to Exiguobacterium, Bacillus, Salinicola and Chromohalobacter genus. Our results comfort the interest of studying extremophile diversity in wetlands of the highly arid Sahara region.
Analysis of the Clinical Efficacy of Visualization of Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy Combined with Annulus Fibrosus Suture in Lumbar Disc Herniation
Authors: Xi Jintao , Xie Wei , Li Xugui , Wu CongJun , Zhang TongHui , Lu Qilin
Published: July 2023

Objective:The objective of this study is to compare the clinical effectiveness of visualization of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (VPELD) combined with annulus fibrosus suture technique and simple percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) technique in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation.
Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 106 cases of lumbar disc herniation treated with foraminoscopic technique at our hospital from January 2020 to February 2022. Among them, 33 cases were treated with VPELD combined with annulus fibrosus suture in group A, and 73 cases were treated with PELD in group B. The preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS), functional index (Oswestry disability index, ODI), healing of the annulus fibrosus, intervertebral space height, and postoperative recurrence were recorded and compared between the two groups.
Results:All patients underwent preoperative and postoperative MRI examinations, and the average follow-up period was 12±2 months. Both groups showed significant improvements in postoperative VAS and ODI scores compared to the preoperative scores (P < 0.05), with no statistically significant difference between the groups during the same period (P > 0.05). There was no significant decrease in intervertebral space between the two groups after surgery (P > 0.05). Group A showed significantly lower postoperative recurrence rate and better annulus fibrosus healing compared to group B (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:The VPELD combined with annulus fibrosus suture technique is a safe, feasible, and effective procedure for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. When the indications are strictly adhered to, this technique can effectively reduce the postoperative recurrence rate and reoperation rate. It offers satisfactory clinical efficacy and can be considered as an alternative treatment option for eligible patients.
The Impact of Urban Population on Housing Cost: The Case of Australia
Authors: Sim Nicholas , Leishman Chris , Liang Weidong
Published: July 2023

Rapid population expansions in urban areas have significant implications for housing costs, creating challenges for housing affordability. However, estimating the causal effect of population on housing costs is challenging due to various confounding issues, such as unobserved location-specific attributes, measurement error, and the potential bi-directional relationship between population and housing costs. To address them, we adopt a city-level analysis and introduce a novel instrumental variable (IV) that enables us to employ fixed effects IV estimation. Our findings indicate that housing costs tend to increase at a faster rate than population growth. As individuals and households with lower incomes tend to allocate a larger proportion of their earnings to housing expenses, an upward trajectory of housing costs may dramatically widen the inequality in income after housing expenditure.
Small intestinal mucosal abnormalities using video capsule endoscopy in Intestinal lymphangiectasia
Authors: Lin Lin , Liu Kuiliang , Liu Hong , Xin Jianfeng , Sun Yuguang , Xia Song , Shen Wenbin , Wu Jing
Published: July 2023

Objectives
To disclose the video capsule endoscopy (VCE) characteristics of small intestinal mucosal abnormalities in patients with intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL), and to investigate the relationship between clinical and VCE characteristics.
Methods
Consecutive patients with IL underwent the VCE were enrolled into the retrospective study. The cases were classified into white villi group and non-white villi group according to mucosal abnormalities detected by VCE. Clinical and endoscopic characteristics were investigated and analyzed.
Results
A total of 98 patients with IL with a median onset age of 26.3 ± 19.2 years were included. VCE disclosed the following small intestinal lesions: (i) white villi type (57/98, 58.2%), i.e.: white-tipped or granular villi, white nodular villi or plaques; (ii) non-white villi type (41/98, 41.8%), i.e.: diffused low and round villi; (iii) complications (46/98, 46.9%), i.e.: bleeding, ulcers, protruding or vesicular-shaped lesions, stenosis and lymphatic leakage. 58.2% (57) and 41.8% (41) of cases were classified into white villi and non-white villi group respectively. The percentage of chylothorax in white villi group was significantly lower than non-white villi group (12/57 vs. 19/41, p = 0.008). In VCE, there were no significant differences in involved segments and total detected rate of complications between white villi and non-white villi groups (p > 0.05), while the detected rate of lymphatic leakage in white villi group was significantly higher than non-white villi group (31.6% vs. 12.2%, p = 0.026).
Conclusions
Our study identified the entire small intestinal mucosal abnormalities of IL by VCE, especially in endoscopic complications. IL has specific VCE abnormalities in addition to classical endoscopic findings.
Cell death-related signature associated with prognosis and immune infiltration in glioma
Authors: Zhou Quanwei , Cao Tuo , Zhang Wenlong , Guo Youwei , Jiang Xingjun , Ren Caiping , Ke Yiquan
Published: July 2023

Background:
Accumulating evidence suggests that a wide variety of cell deaths are deeply involved in cancer immunity. However, their roles remain unexplored in glioma.
Methods:
Logistic regression with shrinkage regularization (LASSO) Cox was conducted to develop a scoring system based on the cell deaths patterns (cuproptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, apoptosis, necrosis) in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. A nomogram for overall survival was developed and validated, whose discrimination was evaluated by ROC and calibration curves, respectively. Cell-type identification was estimated by CIBERSORT and ssGSEA methods. Hub genes associated with the prognostic model were screened by machine learning. The expression pattern and clinical significance of MYD88 were investigated by immunohistochemistry (IHC).
Results:
Cell death score represents an independent prognostic factor of poor outcomes in glioma patients. A nomogram performed well in predicting outcomes by time-dependent ROC and calibration plots. In addition, the high-risk score has a significant relationship with high expression of immune checkpoints and dense infiltration of pro-tumor cells, including macrophage M2. Based on machine learning and differential expression analysis, MYD88 was a hub gene associated with a cell death-based prognostic model. Up-regulated MYD88 was associated with malignant phenotypes and undesirable prognosis by IHC. Furthermore, high-expression MYD88 was associated with poor clinical outcomes, and positively related to CD163, PD-L1, and Vimentin expression in the in-horse cohort.
Conclusions:
Cell death score provides a precise stratification and immune status for glioma. MYD88 was found to be an outstanding representative that might play an important role in glioma.
Growth Performance, Mucosal Immunity and Disease Resistance in Goldfish (Carassius auratus) Orally Administered with Escherichia coli Strain Nissle 1917
Authors: Nofouzi Katayoon , Sheikhzadeh Najmeh , Hamidian Gholamreza , Shahbazfar Amir Ali , Soltani Mehdi , Marandi Amin
Published: July 2023

The current research aimed to shed light on the efficacy of Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) on goldfish growth, gut immunity, morphology, bacterial nutritional enzyme activity and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila infection. The fish that were fed with EcN at 106, 107 and 108 CFU/ g for eighty days showed an enhanced growth compared to those fed with basal diet. Also, fish gut innate immunity, in terms of lysozyme activity, immunoglobulin and total protein levels, was improved in the treatment fish with the best result being observed in fish fed EcN at 108 CFU/ g. In addition, an increase was noted in the up-regulation of immune-relevant genes, namely lysozyme, interleukin − 1ß, inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor ɑ of fish intestine. A marked surge in the number of proteolytic and heterotrophic bacteria was noted in the gut of fish nourished with the probiotic. Histological studies showed an improvement in the intestinal absorption surface area, intraepithelial lymphocyte count and goblet cell density. Significantly higher survival rate was also shown in fish fed EcN at 108 CFU/ g compared with the fish fed with the basal diet. These data exhibited the beneficial effect of EcN on goldfish growth, digestive enzymes, intestine heterotrophic bacteria and resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila. This study confirmed the favorable outcomes resulting from the administration of EcN at108 CFU/ g.
An Efficient Method for Blur Kernel Size Estimation in Blind Image Deblurring
Authors: Abdollahi Mitra , ahmadyfard Alireza
Published: July 2023

In blind image deblurring task, imperfect blur kernel estimation causes severe artifacts in deblurring results. One of the main reasons for the deblurring artifacts is an incorrect selection of the blur kernel size. In this paper, we propose a method for estimating the size of the blur kernel from the given blur image. In this method, we learn the Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) features for sharp images from the corresponding blurry images. For this purpose, we train SVR models using a set of sharp and blurry pair images. This process is performed in different image pyramid levels. In contrast to previous methods, we train a regression model to estimate directly the kernel size from HOG features, without making any assumption on the shape of kernel blur. As our experimental results show, this method better estimates the size of blur kernel from blurry images. This reduces the deblurring artifacts caused by incorrect estimating the kernel size.
Formation of clathrin-pits and ATP-independent cholesterol-dependent tubules initiates mechano-regulation on de-adhesion
Authors: Mandal Tithi , Biswas Arikta , Ghosh Tanmoy , Manikandan Sreekanth , Kundu Avijit , Banerjee Ayan , Mitra Dhrubaditya , Sinha Bidisha
Published: July 2023

Adherent cells ensure membrane homeostasis during de-adhesion by various mechanisms including endocytosis. Although mechano-chemical feedbacks involved in this process have been studied, the step-by-step build-up and resolution of the mechanical changes by endocytosis is not well understood. To investigate this, we studied the de-adhesion of HeLa cells using a combination of interference reflection microscopy, optical-trapping and fluorescence experiments. We found that de-adhesion enhanced membrane height fluctuations of the basal membrane in the presence of an intact cortex. A reduction in the tether-force was also noted at the apical side. However, membrane fluctuations reveal phases of an initial drop in effective tension followed by a saturation. The area fractions of early (Rab5-labelled) and recycling (Rab4-labelled) endosomes as well as transferrin-labelled pits close to the basal plasma membrane also transiently increased. On blocking dynamin-dependent scission of endocytic pits, the regulation of fluctuations was not blocked but proceeded uncontrolled. Interestingly, the regulation could not be suppressed by ATP or cholesterol depletion individually but was arrested on depleting both. The data strongly supports pit-formation to be central to the reduction in fluctuations whether in normal or ATP depleted condition. Furthermore, while in normal conditions the contribution of clathrin-mediated endocytosis is clear, under ATP-depleted conditions we propose that cholesterol-dependent pits spontaneously regulate tension.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucagon-like peptide-2 are potential regulators of lipid metabolism during human liver regeneration
Authors: Ammann Markus , Santol Jonas , Pereyra David , Kalchbrenner Tamara , Wuerger Tanja , Laengle Johannes , Smoot Rory L. , Hulla Wolfgang , Laengle Friedrich , Starlinger Patrick P.
Published: July 2023

Accumulating evidence suggests that metabolic demands of the regenerating liver are met via lipid metabolism and critical regulators of this process. As such, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) critically affect hepatic regeneration in rodent models. The present study aimed to evaluate potential alterations and dynamics of circulating GLP-1 and GLP-2 in patients undergoing liver resections, focusing on post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). GLP-1, GLP-2, Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and parameters of lipid metabolism were determined perioperatively in fasting plasma of 46 patients, who underwent liver resection. GLP-1 and GLP-2 demonstrated a rapid and consistently inverse time course during hepatic regeneration with a significant decrease of GLP-1 and increase of GLP-2 on POD1. Importantly, these postoperative dynamics were significantly more pronounced when PHLF occurred. Of note, the extent of resection or development of complications were not associated with these alterations. IL-6 mirrored the time course of GLP-2. Assessing the main degradation protein dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) no significant association with either GLP-1 or -2 could be found. Additionally, in PHLF distinct postoperative declines in plasma lipid parameters were present and correlated with GLP-2 dynamics. Our data suggest dynamic inverse regulation of GLP-1 and GLP-2 during liver regeneration, rather caused by an increase in expression/release than by changes in degradation capacity and might be associated with inflammatory responses. Their close association with circulating markers of lipid metabolism and insufficient hepatic regeneration after liver surgery suggest a critical involvement during these processes in humans.
Population Attributable Fraction of poor sleep quality and its association with dementia: a Brazilian population-based study.
Authors: Borelli Wyllians Vendramini , Noll Giovani , Tonon André C , Leotti Vanessa Bielenfeldt , Chaves Márcia Lorena Fagundes , Zimmer Eduardo , Castilhos Raphael Machado
Published: July 2023

The populational impact of sleep quality and the risk of dementia is unclear. We analyzed the Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) of sleep parameters in a large-scale Brazilian cohort (ELSI-Brazil). A subset of the ELSI-Brazil with complete responses to sleep quality was selected. This is a large representative sample of the Brazilian elderly population with an extensive assessment of sociodemographic and health risk variables. Prevalence was estimated according to the complex sample design, and its PAF was measured using a meta-analytic relative risk. A total of 6024 (out of 9412) individuals had complete responses. The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 24.9% (95%CI 23–26%), and the PAF of poor sleep quality including 10 modifiable risk factors of dementia was 52% in Brazil. Sleep parameters varied considerably according to age ranges, race, and gender. Poor sleep quality appears to be an important populational risk factor for dementia in Brazil. Targeted interventions may provide an important impact in preventing dementia in low- and middle-income countries.
Intimate Partner Violence and Prenatal Oral Health Experiences
Authors: Testa Alexander , Lee Jacqueline , Jackson Dylan B. , Mungia Rahma , Ganson Kyle T. , Nagata Jason M.
Published: July 2023

Background:
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue, and when experienced during pregnancy, IPV poses substantial harms for maternal health. Still, limited research has examined how IPV may influence prenatal oral health and dental care utilization. This study aims to investigate the relationship between IPV during pregnancy and women’s oral health experiences.
Data:
Data are from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System from 2016 through 2019 (N = 85,289). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between physical IPV during pregnancy and various oral health experiences.
Findings:
Women who experienced prenatal physical IPV reported worse oral health experiences during pregnancy, including being more likely to report not knowing it was important to care for their teeth, not talking about dental health with a provider, needing to see a dentist for a problem, going to see a dentist for a problem, as well as having more unmet dental care needs.
Conclusions:
Together, these findings indicate that women who experience physical IPV during pregnancy have lower knowledge of prenatal oral health care, more oral health problems, and greater unmet dental care needs. Given the risk associated with IPV and oral health problems for maternal and infant health, the study findings point to greater attention toward the oral health needs of IPV-exposed pregnant women.
Determination of leachate leakage around a valley type landfill and its pollution and risk on groundwater
Authors: Xie Qing , Lu Yulong , Cao Chuanghua , Li Chenyang , Ren Bozhi , Liu Yang
Published: July 2023

Landfill leachate has great pollution risk to groundwater, which is of practical significance to study the characteristics of leachate leakage and surrounding groundwater pollution and its harm to human health. Taking a typical valley-type landfill in South China as the research object, this paper ascertained the leakage area based on geophysical methods and groundwater sampling. A total of 21 parameters such as pH, total hardness (TH), total mineralization (TM), permanganate index (CODMn), ammonium (NH3-N), nitrites (NO3-N), nitrates (NO2-N), sulphates (SO4−), chloride (Cl−), fluorides (F−), volatile phenols, cyanide, and heavy metals (HMs) in groundwater and some indicators in leachate were tested, and the water quality and health risks were evaluated by using the Nemerow pollution index (NPI) method and BCRA (Rish-based Corrective Action) model. The results indicate that the leakage areas are existing in the middle of the landfill site, the middle and the south of the anti-seepage dam with a depth about 15-22m and main pollutants of CODMn and NH3-N. The main pollutants of pH, NH3-N, Fe and Mn were ranged from 5.80 to 6.70, 0.06 to 0.74 mg/L, 0.002–2.763 mg/L, and 0.003–1.181 mg/L, their rates exceed the class Ⅲ standard at 28.57%, 28.57%, 4.29% and 14.29%, respectively. The Nemerow pollution index showed that the groundwaters at ZK01 and ZK04 were seriously polluted. Groundwater quality was affected by leachate and natural geological background. The total non-carcinogenic risk of groundwater was ranked as LS102 < LS101 < ZK02 < ZK01 < ZK03 < ZK05 < ZK04, with Cl− and Mn as the main non-carcinogenic pollutants in the landfill. This rank reveals the rule that the closer to the waste body, the higher the risk.
The effect of N-arachidonoylethanolamide administration on energy and fat metabolism of early lactating dairy cows
Authors: Schwerdtfeger Jessica , Sauerwein Helga , Albrecht Elke , Mazzuoli-Weber Gemma , Soosten Dirk , Dänicke Sven , Kuhla Björn
Published: July 2023

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in the regulation of fat and energy metabolism, but knowledge about its influence in early lactation of cows is scarce. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of N-arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA), an endocannabinoid with orexigenic characteristics, on plasma endocannabinoid concentrations, feed intake, energy balance, lipomobilisation, and hepatic lipid metabolism of early-lactating dairy cows. The experiment involved 10 pairs of Holstein half-sibling cows (end of 2nd -3rd pregnancy). Half-sibs of each pair were randomly assigned to either AEA (n = 10) or control (CON) group (n = 10). The AEA group received repeated intraperitoneal injections of 3 µg/kg body weight AEA and the CON group 0.9% NaCl. In week 1 to 3 postpartum, AEA administration had no effect on dry matter intake, body weight, or lipomobilisation, but affected plasma triglyceride concentration and mRNA abundances of genes related to hepatic triglyceride synthesis. In week 4 postpartum, the AEA group showed reduced feed intake and whole-body carbohydrate oxidation, but increased whole-body fat oxidation and hepatic lipid accumulation, likely as a result of a counter-regulatory leptin increase. In conclusion, the present study shows a tissue-specific AEA insensitivity and may point to a leptin-controlled regulation of the ECS in early-lactation.
Breaking 1.7V open circuit voltage in large area transparent perovskite solar cells using bulk and interfaces passivation.
Authors: Matteocci Fabio , Girolamo Diego Di , Vidon Guillame , Barichello Jessica , Giacomo Francesco Di , Jafarzadeh Farshad , Paci Barbara , Generosi Amanda , Kim Minjin , Castriotta Luigi Angelo , Frégnaux Mathieu , Guillemoles Jean-François , Schulz Philip , Ory Daniel , Cacovich Stefania , Carlo Aldo Di
Published: July 2023

Efficient semi-transparent solar cells can trigger the adoption of building integrated photovoltaics. Halide perovskites are particularly suitable in this respect owing to their tunable bandgap. Main drawbacks in the development of transparent perovskite solar cells are the high Voc deficit and the difficulties in depositing thin films over large area substrates, given the low solubility of bromide and chloride precursors. In this work, we develop a 2D and passivation strategies for the high band-gap Br perovskite able to reduce charge recombination and consequently improving the open-circuit voltage. We demonstrate 1cm2 perovskite solar cells with Voc up to 1.73 V (1.83 eV QFLS) and a PCE of 8.2%. The AVT exceeds 70% by means of a bifacial light management and a record light utilization efficiency of 5.72 is achieved, setting a new standard for transparent photovoltaics. Moreover, we show the high ceiling of our technology towards IoT application due to a bifaciality factor of 87% along with 17% PCE under indoor lighting. Finally, the up-scaling has been demonstrated fabricating 20cm2-active area modules with PCE of 7.3% and Voc per cell up to 1.65V.
A Machine Learning Approach to Predict the S&P 500 Absolute Percent Change
Authors: Somarriba F. , Norouzzadeh P. , Anwar Z. , Snir E. , Rahmani Bahareh
Published: July 2023

Models of the stock market often focus on predicting the direction of the stock market either up or down. Instead of following that approach, this paper created a model for daily absolute percent change of the S&P 500. An accurate model of this metric would greatly increase profitability of option trading strategies such as straddles and iron condors. In this publication, novel features were created based on historical data and fed to machine learning algorithms such as Decision Trees, Rule Based Classifiers, K-mean Clusters, and Kernels. Based on our findings, Decision Trees and Kernels showed an accuracy of 80% when predicting Absolute Percent change, while Rule Based Classifiers had an accuracy of 88% and a 38% coverage of the data.
Optimising Resource Consumption and Reducing Power Usage in datacentres: A Mathematical VM Replacement Model and Efficient Algorithm
Authors: Rabieyan Reza , Yahyapour Ramin
Published: July 2023

This study addresses the issue of power consumption in virtualized cloud datacentres by proposing a VM replacement model and an efficient algorithm. The model incorporates multi-objective functions, aiming to optimise VM selection based on weight and minimise resource utilisation disparities across hosts. Constraints are included to maintain balanced CPU, memory, and network bandwidth usage. The proposed algorithm offers a fast solution with minimal VM replacements. Experimental results in a simulation environment demonstrate significant reductions in power consumption compared to alternative models. The proposed model and algorithm are successfully implemented and operated within a real-world cloud infrastructure, emphasising their practicality.
Characterization and Regulation of Salt Upregulated Cyclophilin from a Halotolerant Strain of Penicillium oxalicum
Authors: Singh Mangaljeet , Singh Harpreet , Kaur Kirandeep , . Shubhankar , Singh Supreet , Kaur Amarjeet , Singh Prabhjeet
Published: July 2023

Penicilliumspecies are an industrially important group of fungi. Cyclophilins are ubiquitous proteins and several members of this family exhibit peptidyl-prolylcis-transisomerase (PPIase) activity. We had earlier demonstrated that the salt-induced PPIase activity in a halotolerant strain ofP. oxalicumwas associated with enhanced expression of a cyclophilin gene,PoxCYP18. Cloning and characterization of PoxCYP18 revealed that its cDNA consists of 522 bp encoding a protein of 173 amino acid residues, with predicted molecular mass and pI values of 18.91 kDa and 8.87, respectively. The recombinant PoxCYP18 can catalyzecis-transisomerization of peptidyl-prolyl bond with a catalytic efficiency of 1.46 × 107M-1s-1and is inhibited specifically only by cyclosporin A, with an inhibition constant of 5.04 nM. PoxCYP18 consists of two cysteine residues at positions -45 and -170, and loses its activity under oxidizing conditions. Substitution of these residues alone or together by site-directed mutagenesis revealed that the PPIase activity of PoxCYP18 is regulated through a redox mechanism involving the formation of disulfide linkages. Heterologous expression of PoxCYP18 conferred enhanced tolerance to salt stress in transgenicE. colicells, implying that this protein imparts protection to cellular processes against salt-induced damage.
Combined Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis of Alginate Oligosaccharides Alleviating Salt Stress in the Rice Seedling Stage
Authors: Du You-Wei , Liu Ling , Feng Nai-Jie , Zheng Dian-Feng , Liu Mei-Ling , Zhou Hang , Deng Peng , Wang Ya-xing , Zhao Hui-Min
Published: July 2023

Background: Salt stress is one of the main limiting factors of rice production. Alginate oligosaccharides can enhance plant stress resistance. However, the molecular mechanism of the benefits of alginate oligosaccharides on rice salt tolerance remains unclear. Rice FL478 and IR29 were used to comprehensively analyze the effects of leaf spraying alginate oligosaccharides on the transcriptomes and metabolites of rice seedlings under salt stress.
Results: In this experiment, exogenous application of alginate oligosaccharides reduced the leaf membrane damage, increased the aboveground and below rice biomass, and improved rice salt tolerance. Comparative transcriptomic analyses showed that alginate oligosaccharides regulated the genes related to light-trapping proteins and RLCK receptor cytoplasmic kinases, including CBA, LHCB and Lhcp, in response to salt stress. In the metabolome profile study, among 22 and 50 different metabolites treated with alginate oligosaccharides + salt in FL478 and IR29, the abundance of metabolites with antioxidant activity, such as 6-Hydroxymelatonin, Wedelolactone and L-Histidine increased significantly. Combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed that dehydroascorbic acid in the glutathione and ascorbic acid cycles plays a vital role in salt tolerance mediated by alginate oligosaccharides.
Conclusion: Alginate oligosaccharides activate multiple pathways to cope with the adverse effects of salt stress. This study provides a molecular basis for alginate oligosaccharides alleviating salt stress damage in rice.
Influence of periodic pulse intake on the ventilation efficiency of positive pressure explosion-proof robot
Authors: Fang Ming , Chu Xufeng , Yu Liang , Fang Yu , Hou Liangliang , Cheng Xu , Wang Junlong
Published: July 2023

When the positive pressure explosion-proof robot is in ventilation, if the air is filled into the cavity with a constant pressure, a stable flow field will be formed in the cavity. There is a stagnation zone of airflow in the corner position, which will cause the accumulation of explosive gas. In order to solve this problem, the ventilation method of periodic pulse intake is adopted on the basis of the existing robot positive pressure explosion-proof structure. The variation of explosive gases concentration in the robot cavity with time under constant pressure and pulse pressure with different periods and amplitudes is compared. According to the simulation and experimental results, it is found that the pulse intake is beneficial to the ventilation of the corner position. The period and amplitude of the pulse intake has an effect on the ventilation efficiency, when the period is the same, the greater the amplitude of the pulse intake, the higher the ventilation efficiency; when the amplitude is the same, the smaller the period of the pulse intake, the higher the ventilation efficiency.
Study the association of NAT2 590G>A and UCP2 G(-866)A genetic variations with presbycusis risk
Authors: Karimnia Faezeh , Jazayeri Omid , Karimian Mohammad , Jorjani Eisa
Published: July 2023

Background
Presbycusis is a sensory disorder that is highly prevalent in older adults. Various genetic and non-genetic (environmental) factors are involved in the development of presbycusis. One of the main factors involved in the pathology of presbycusis is oxidative stress. NAT2 and UCP2 genes have an important function by detoxification of xenobiotics and controlling the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), respectively. Alterations in these genes cause the accumulation of ROS and ultimately cell damage in the inner ear, which itself can lead to hearing disorders including presbycusis.
Methods and Results
This study aimed to investigate the association of NAT2 590G > A (rs 1799930) and UCP2 G(-866)A (rs659366) with the risk of presbycusis in an Iranian population. In this case-control study, 120 healthy people and 120 patients with presbycusis were enrolled. Genotypes of mentioned polymorphisms were determined by using a PCR-RFLP protocol. According to data analysis, the AA genotype of the UCP2 gene (OR = 3.200, 95% CI = 0.1.216–8.416, p = 0.018), A allele, (OR = 1.679, 95% CI = 1.14–2.473, p = 0.008) and the dominant GA + AA/GG model (OR = 1.8421, 95% CI = 1.1009–3.0822, p = 0.02) were associated to the increased risk of presbycusis. Bioinformatics analysis of this polymorphism revealed that it changes one of the CpG islands in the promoter region and may consequently alter UCP2 gene expression.
Conclusions
There was no significant association between NAT2 590G > A polymorphism and presbycusis risk. Our findings highlight UCP2 G(-866)A polymorphism as a biomarker in the diagnosis of presbycusis disease.
Total phenol contents, total flavonoid contents, antioxidant activities of Methanol extracts of Amomum Subulatum, Lippia adoensis, Coriandram sartivum, and Ruta chalepensis sold from Jigjiga market, Ethiopia
Authors: Belew Aderaw Anteneh
Published: July 2023

This research work aimed to analyze the total phenolic, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant properties of four selected medicinal plantsAmomum subulatum,Lippia adoensis,Coriandrum sativum, andRuta chalepensis. The Folin-Ciocalteu method to measure total phenolic content, and the aluminum chloride colorimetric method to measure total flavonoid content, the DPPH(1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2’-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)), and FRAP radical scavenging assay was used to measure the antioxidant activity. Results showed thatLippia adoensis (50 ± 0.23 mgGAE/g) and (20.5 ± 1.2 mgQE/g)and Ruta chalepensis (45 ± 0.76 mgGAE/g) and(17.3 ± 0.9 mgQE/g)have the highest phenolic and flavonoid content. The highest radical scavenging effect was observed inLippia adoensisIC50 values 77.3 ± 2.8, 63.2 ± 2.3, and 15.8 ± 1.7 (µg/mL) DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP respectively. There is a positive correlation between total phenolic content, a flavonoid with antioxidant activity. Based on these results of the investigation, it could be concluded thatLippia adoensisis a rich source of phenolic compounds as natural antioxidants of high value.
A novel coagulation-related lncRNA predicts the prognosis and immune of clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Wu Wensong , Fan Chang , Jianghui Zhang , Shuai Tang , Zheng Lv , Chen Fangmin
Published: July 2023

Background Renal cell cancer is associated with the coagulation system. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression is closely associated with the development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The aim of this study was to build a novel lncRNA model to predict the prognosis and immunological state of ccRCC.Method The transcriptomic data and clinical data of ccRCC were retrieved from TCGA database, subsequently, the lasso regression and lambda spectra were used to filter prognostic lncRNAs. ROC curves and the C-index were used to confirm the predictive effectiveness of this model. We also explored the difference in immune infiltration, immune checkpoints, tumor mutation burden (TMB) and drug sensitivity between the high- and low-risk groups.Results We created an 8 lncRNA model for predicting the outcome of ccRCC. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age, tumor grade, and risk score are independent prognostic factors for ccRCC patients. ROC curve and C-index revealed the model had a good performance in predicting prognosis of ccRCC. GO and KEGG analysis showed that coagulation related genes were related to immune response. In addition, high risk group had greater TMB level and higher immune checkpoints expression. Sorafenib, Imatinib, Pazopanib, and etoposide had higher half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) in the high risk group whereas Sunitinib and Bosutinib had lower IC50.Conclusion This novel coagulation-related long noncoding RNAs model could predict the prognosis of patients with ccRCC, and coagulation-related lncRNA may be connected to the tumor microenvironment and gene mutation of ccRCC.
Home-based prehabilitation improves physical conditions measured by ergospirometry and 6MWT in colorectal cancer patients: a randomized controlled pilot study.
Authors: Triguero-Cánovas Daniel , López-Rodríguez-Arias Francisco , Gómez-Martínez Manuel , Sánchez-Guillén Luis , Peris-Castello Franc , Alcaide-Quiros Maria José , Morillas-Blasco Pedro , Arroyo Antonio , Ramírez Jose Manuel
Published: July 2023

Purpose/ Background
Prehabilitation aims to improve physical condition in the preoperative period and, therefore, decrease the loss of cardiopulmonary capacity postoperatively, with the aim of reducing complications and promoting an early recovery. This study aims to evaluate the impact of home-based prehabilitation on the physical condition of patients treated surgically for colorectal cancer.
Methods
A prospective and randomized clinical study was conducted in 60 patients during two periods, October 2018 - September 2020, in a single university hospital. Patients were randomized into two study groups (30 per group): prehabilitation vs standard care. Changes in physical condition, measured at diagnosis, the day before surgery, and at 6-8 weeks after surgery using Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) were evaluated.
Results
Prehabilitation reduce postoperative complications (17.4% vs 33.3%, p=0.22) and hospital stay (5.74 vs 6.67 days, p=0.30). 6MWT showed a significant improvement in prehabilitation group (+78.9 meters). Six weeks after surgery, prehabilitation showed a significant improvement in the 6MWT (+ 68.9 meters vs - 27.2 meters, p=0.01). Significant differences were also observed in the ergospirometry between the diagnosis and postoperative study (+ 0.79 METs vs - 0.84 METs, p=0.001). A strong correlation was observed between CPET and 6MWT (0.767 (p<0.001)).
Conclusion
Home prehabilitation achieved lower overall postoperative complications than standard care and reached significant improvements in 6MWT and CET. Strong correlation was observed between CET and 6MWT, which allows validation 6MWT as a valid and reliable measure of functional exercise capacity in colorectal patiens when other more specific and expensive tests are not available.
Registration number Registered in ClinicalTrials.gov in August 2018 with registration number NCT03618329. Initial results published in Supportive Care in Cancer:Effect of home‐based prehabilitation in an enhanced recovery after surgery program for patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery during the COVID‐19 pandemic. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-021-06343-1