bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eliminate all risks: A call to reexamine the link between canine scabies and rheumatic heart disease
Authors: Brookes Victoria J. , Henning Caitlin E. , Worthing Kate A. , Degeling Chris
Published: May 2024

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and acute rheumatic fever (ARF) disproportionately affect individuals in low-resource settings. ARF is attributed to an immune response to Group A Streptococcus (GAS) following GAS pharyngitis and potentially GAS impetigo in which infection can be initiated by scabies infestation. The burden of ARF and RHD in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia is among the highest globally. Following recent calls to include dog management programs in ARF and RHD prevention programs, we believe it is timely to assess the evidence for this, particularly since previous recommendations excluded resources to prevent zoonotic canine scabies. While phylogenetic analyses have suggested that the Sarcoptes mite is host specific, they have differed in interpretation of the strength of their findings regarding species cross-over and the need for canine scabies control to prevent human itch. Given that there is also indication from case reports that canine scabies leads to human itch, we propose that further investigation of the potential burden of zoonotic canine scabies and intervention trials of canine scabies prevention on the incidence of impetigo are warranted. Considering the devastating impacts of ARF and RHD, evidence is required to support policy to eliminate all risk factors.
Characterization of microsatellite markers in the coding regions of the Penaeus vannamei genome
Authors: Mangabeira-Silva Iasmim Santos , Soares Paulo Eduardo Toscano , Vieira da Silva Yago Tomaz , Rodrigues de Albuquerque Beatriz Helena Dantas , Câmera de Oliveira Maryana Thalyta Ferreira , Ferreira Larissa Alves Honorato , Bezerra de Souza Maria Fernanda , Vieira de Lucena Danyllo , Paiva Pereira Jessica Marina , Pinheiro e Silva Roseli Pimentel , Lanza Daniel Carlos Ferreira
Published: May 2024

In this study, an extensive analysis of microsatellite markers (Single Tandem Repeats—STRs) in Penaeus vannamei was conducted at an advanced level. The markers were thoroughly examined, characterized, and specific markers located within coding regions were identified. Out of a total of 306 STRs, 117 were classified as perfect markers based on their single repeat motif. Among these perfect markers, 62 were found to be associated with predicted coding genes (mRNA), which were involved in various functions such as binding, catalytic activity, ATP-dependent activity, transcription, structural and molecular regulation. To validate the accuracy of the findings, a sample of nine markers was subjected to in vitro testing, which confirmed the presence of polymorphisms within the population. These results suggest the existence of different protein isoforms within the population, indicating the potential of these markers for application in both population and phenotype-genotype association studies. This innovative approach opens up new possibilities for investigating the impact of genomic plasticity in populations of P. vannamei.
Identification of sorbitol esterification of glutamic acid by LC-MS/MS in a monoclonal antibody stability assessment
Authors: Yu Bin , Williams Shannon , Yang Zhengdong , Young Glen
Published: May 2024

The stability of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is vital for their therapeutic success. Sorbitol, a common mAb stabilizer used to prevent aggregation, was evaluated for any potential adverse effects on the chemical stability of mAb X. An LC-MS/MS based analysis focusing on the post-translational modifications (PTMs) of mAb X was conducted on samples that had undergone accelerated aging at 40°C. Along with PTMs that are known to affect mAbs’ structure function and stability (such as deamidation and oxidation), a novel mAb PTM was discovered, the esterification of glutamic acid by sorbitol. Incubation of mAb X with a 1:1 ratio of unlabeled sorbitol and isotopically labeled sorbitol (13C6) further corroborated that the modification was the consequence of the esterification of glutamic acid by sorbitol. Levels of esterification varied across glutamic acid residues and correlated with incubation time and sorbitol concentration. After 4 weeks of accelerated stability with isotopically labeled sorbitol, it was found that 16% of the total mAb possesses an esterified glutamic acid. No esterification was observed at aspartic acid sites despite the free carboxylic acid side chain. This study unveils a unique modification of mAbs, emphasizing its potential significance for formulation and drug development.
Poloxamer-188 as a wetting agent for microfluidic resistive pulse sensing measurements of extracellular vesicles
Authors: Shahsavari Mona , Nieuwland Rienk , van Leeuwen Ton G. , van der Pol Edwin
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Microfluidic resistive pulse sensing (MRPS) can determine the concentration and size distribution of extracellular vesicles (EVs) by measuring the electrical resistance of single EVs passing through a pore. To ensure that the sample flows through the pore, the sample needs to contain a wetting agent, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA). BSA leaves EVs intact but occasionally results in unstable MRPS measurements. Here, we aim to find a new wetting agent by evaluating Poloxamer-188 and Tween-20.

Methods

An EV test sample was prepared using an outdated erythrocyte blood bank concentrate. The EV test sample was diluted in Dulbecco’s phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS) or DPBS containing 0.10% BSA (w/v), 0.050% Poloxamer-188 (v/v) or 1.00% Tween-20 (v/v). The effect of the wetting agents on the concentration and size distribution of EVs was determined by flow cytometry. To evaluate the precision of sample volume determination with MRPS, the interquartile range (IQR) of the particles transit time through the pore was examined. To validate that DPBS containing Poloxamer-188 yields reliable MRPS measurements, the repeatability of MRPS in measuring blood plasma samples was examined.

Results

Flow cytometry results show that the size distribution of EVs in Tween 20, in contrast to Poloxamer-188, differs from the control measurements (DPBS and DPBS containing BSA). MRPS results show that Poloxamer-188 improves the precision of sample volume determination compared to BSA and Tween-20, because the IQR of the transit time of EVs in the test sample is 11 μs, which is lower than 56 μs for BSA and 16 μs for Tween-20. Furthermore, the IQR of the transit time of particles in blood samples with Poloxamer-188 are 14, 16, and 14 μs, which confirms the reliability of MRPS measurements.

Conclusion

The solution of 0.050% Poloxamer-188 in DPBS does not lyse EVs and results in repeatable and unimpeded MRPS measurements.
The associations of IGF2, IGF2R and IGF2BP2 gene polymorphisms with gestational diabetes mellitus: A case-control study
Authors: Li Wei , She Lu , Zhang Muyu , Yang Mei , Zheng Wenpei , He Hua , Wang Ping , Dai Qiong , Gong Zhengtao
Published: May 2024

Objective

To investigate the associations of Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF2) gene, Insulin-like growth factor-II receptor (IGF2R) gene and Insulin-like growth factor-II binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Chinese population.

Methods

A total of 1703 pregnant women (835 GDM and 868 Non-GDM) were recruited in this case-control study. All participants underwent prenatal 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) examinations during 24–28 gestational weeks at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province from January 15, 2018 to March 31, 2019. Genotyping of candidate SNPs (IGF2 rs680, IGF2R rs416572, IGF2BP2 rs4402960, rs1470579, rs1374910, rs11705701, rs6777038, rs16860234, rs7651090) was performed on Sequenom MassARRAY platform. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the associations between candidate SNPs and risk of GDM. In addition, multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) method was applied to explore the effects of gene-gene interactions on GDM risk.

Results

There were significant distribution differences between GDM group and non-GDM group in age, pre-pregnancy BMI, education level and family history of diabetes (P < 0.05). After adjusted for age, pre-pregnancy BMI, education level and family history of diabetes, there were no significant associations of the candidate SNPs polymorphisms and GDM risk (P > 0.05). Furthermore, there were no gene-gene interactions on the GDM risk among the candidate SNPs (P > 0.05). However, the fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels of rs6777038 CT carriers were significantly lower than TT carriers (4.69±0.69 vs. 5.03±1.57 mmol/L, P < 0.01), and the OGTT-2h levels of rs6777038 CC and CT genotype carriers were significantly lower than TT genotype carriers (8.10±1.91 and 8.08±1.87 vs. 8.99±2.90 mmol/L, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

IGF2 rs680, IGF2R rs416572, IGF2BP2 rs4402960, rs1470579, rs11705701, rs6777038, rs16860234, rs7651090 polymorphisms were not significantly associated with GDM risk in Wuhan, China. Further lager multicenter researches are needed to confirm these results.
Upregulation of LHPP by saRNA inhibited hepatocellular cancer cell proliferation and xenograft tumor growth
Authors: Bi Chuan-Qian , Kang Tao , Qian Yu-Kang , Kang Moorim , Zeng Xu-Hui , Li Long-Cheng
Published: May 2024

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer worldwide and no pharmacological treatment is available that can achieve complete remission of HCC. Phospholysine phosphohistidine inorganic pyrophosphate phosphatase (LHPP) is a recently identified HCC tumor suppressor gene which plays an important role in the development of HCC and its inactivation and reactivation has been shown to result in respectively HCC tumorigenesis and suppression. Small activating RNAs (saRNAs) have been used to achieve targeted activation of therapeutic genes for the restoration of their encoded protein through the RNAa mechanism. Here we designed and validated saRNAs that could activate LHPP expression at both the mRNA and protein levels in HCC cells. Activation of LHPP by its saRNAs led to the suppression of HCC proliferation, migration and the inhibition of Akt phosphorylation. When combined with targeted anticancer drugs (e.g., regorafenib), LHPP saRNA exhibited synergistic effect in inhibiting in vitro HCC proliferation and in vivo antitumor growth in a xenograft HCC model. Findings from this study provides further evidence for a tumor suppressor role of LHPP and potential therapeutic value of restoring the expression of LHPP by saRNA for the treatment of HCC.
The effectiveness of interprofessional peer-led teaching and learning for therapeutic radiography students and Speech and Language Therapy students
Authors: Flood Terri , Duffy Orla
Published: May 2024

Background

Therapeutic Radiographers (RT) and Speech and Language Therapists (SLT) work closely together in caring for people with head and neck cancer and need a strong understanding of each others’ roles. Peer teaching has been shown to be one of the most effective methods of teaching; however, no studies to date, have involved RT and SLT students. This research aims to establish the effectiveness and perceptions of peer-led teaching between undergraduate RT and SLT students in Ulster University.

Methods

Twenty SLT students and 14 RT students participated. Knowledge tests were taken online before the peer-led teaching session (T1), after the session (T2) and 3 months later (T3). Students’ perceptions of the experience were collected at the end of the session. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to analyse the impact of the intervention on knowledge scores. Qualitative content analysis was used for open text response data.

Results

RT students’ own professional knowledge score at T2 was statistically significantly higher than the score at T1; the score at T3 was not deemed to be statistically significantly higher. RT students’ SLT knowledge score at T2 and T3 was found to be statistically significantly higher than the score at T1. SLT students’ own professional knowledge score was not statistically significantly higher at T2 or T3 than T1. They did have a statistically significantly higher score at T2 on the RT test, but score at T3 was not deemed to be statistically significantly higher. The majority of students across both professions agreed or strongly agreed that the peer-led teaching experience had a positive impact on their learning.

Conclusion

This investigation highlights the benefits of an interprofessional peer-led teaching intervention for RT and SLT students and the findings add to the evidence of more objective study of knowledge gain as a result of interprofessional peer teaching.
Accountability for maternal and newborn health: Why measuring and monitoring broader social, political, and health system determinants matters
Authors: Requejo Jennifer , Moran Allisyn C. , Monet Jean-Pierre
Published: May 2024

This article offers four key lessons learned from a set of seven studies undertaken as part of the collection entitled, “Improving Maternal Health Measurement to Support Efforts toward Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality”. These papers were aimed at validating ten of the Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality initiative indicators that capture information on distal causes of maternal mortality. These ten indicators were selected through an inclusive consultative process, and the research designs adhere to global recommendations on conducting indicator validation studies. The findings of these papers are timely and relevant given growing recognition of the role of macro-level social, political, and economic factors in maternal and newborn survival. The four key lessons include: 1) Strengthen efforts to capture maternal and newborn health policies to enable global progress assessments while reducing multiple requests to countries for similar data; 2) Monitor indicator “bundles” to understand degree of policy implementation, inconsistencies between laws and practices, and responsiveness of policies to individual and community needs; 3) Promote regular monitoring of a holistic set of human resource metrics to understand how to effectively strengthen the maternal and newborn health workforce; and 4) Develop and disseminate clear guidance for countries on how to assess health system as well as broader social and political determinants of maternal and newborn health. These lessons are consistent with the Kirkland principles of focus, relevance, innovation, equity, global leadership, and country ownership. They stress the value of indicator sets to understand complex phenomenon related to maternal and newborn health, including small groupings of complementary indicators for measuring policy implementation and health workforce issues. They also stress the fundamental ethos that maternal and newborn health indicators should only be tracked if they can drive actions at global, regional, national, or sub-national levels that improve lives.
Can low-carbon cities pilot policy promote enterprise sustainable development? Quasi-experimental evidence from China
Authors: Zheng Bowen , Wu Xiaoyu , Huo Xiaotong , Wang Shuyang
Published: May 2024

With the predicament of sustainable improvement in traditional cities, the low-carbon city pilot policy (LCCPP), as a novel development mode, provides thinking for resolving the tensions of green development, resource conservation and environmental protection among firms. Using Chinese A-share listed companies panel data during 2007–2019, this study adopts the difference-in-differences model to explore the impact of LCCPP on firm green innovation. Based on theoretical analysis, LCCPP-driven environmental rules have the impact of encouraging business green innovation. The relationship between LCCPP and green innovation is strengthened by external media attention and organizational redundancy resources. The mechanism study shows that the incentive effect of LCCPP on firm green innovation is mainly due to the improvement of enterprises’ green total factor productivity and financial stability. In addition, the heterogeneity analysis shows that the LCCPP has significantly positive effects in promoting green innovation in high-carbon industries and state-owned enterprises. This research contributes to the understanding of city-level low-carbon policies as a driving force for corporate green innovation, offering practical implications for policymakers and businesses striving for sustainability.
Comparison between parameter-efficient techniques and full fine-tuning: A case study on multilingual news article classification
Authors: Razuvayevskaya Olesya , Wu Ben , Leite João A. , Heppell Freddy , Srba Ivan , Scarton Carolina , Bontcheva Kalina , Song Xingyi
Published: May 2024

Adapters and Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) are parameter-efficient fine-tuning techniques designed to make the training of language models more efficient. Previous results demonstrated that these methods can even improve performance on some classification tasks. This paper complements existing research by investigating how these techniques influence classification performance and computation costs compared to full fine-tuning. We focus specifically on multilingual text classification tasks (genre, framing, and persuasion techniques detection; with different input lengths, number of predicted classes and classification difficulty), some of which have limited training data. In addition, we conduct in-depth analyses of their efficacy across different training scenarios (training on the original multilingual data; on the translations into English; and on a subset of English-only data) and different languages. Our findings provide valuable insights into the applicability of parameter-efficient fine-tuning techniques, particularly for multilabel classification and non-parallel multilingual tasks which are aimed at analysing input texts of varying length.
Effects of a mindfulness-based program on the occupational balance and mental health of university students. Protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lillo-Navarro Carmen , Fernández-Pires Paula , Benavides Gil Gemma , Martínez-Zaragoza Fermín , Chaves Covadonga , Roca Pablo , Peral-Gómez Paula , González Valero María Elena , Mendialdua Canales Daniel , Poveda Alfaro José Luis , Goldin Philippe R. , Sánchez-Pérez Alicia
Published: May 2024

Objective

The aim is to examine whether the addition of Virtual Reality (VR) meditation training to a standard 8-week Mindfulness-Based Health Care Program (MBHC-VR) results in a significantly increased improvement in occupational, mental health, and psychological functioning versus MBHC-only in university students.

Materials and methods

A randomized controlled clinical trial with three arms (MBHC, MBHC-VR, Control Group), four assessment time points (pre-intervention, inter-session, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up), and mixed methodology will be proposed. University students (undergraduate, master, or doctoral) interested in participating and who meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria will be included over two years. Data will be collected from different ad hoc questionnaires, several standardized tests, and an Ecological Momentary Assessment. We will use R software to carry out descriptive analyses (univariate and bivariate), multilevel modeling, and structural equation models to respond to the proposed objective. The qualitative analysis will be carried out using the MAXQDA program and the technique of focus groups.

Discussion

It is expected that with the proposed intervention university students will learn to relate in a healthier way with their mental processes, so as to improve their occupational balance (OB) and their psychological well-being.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05929430.
The reporting quality and spin of randomized controlled trials of endometriosis pain: Methodological study based on CONSORT extension on abstracts
Authors: Shirafkan Hoda , Moher David , Mirabi Parvaneh
Published: May 2024

Objective

To assess the reporting quality of published RCT abstracts regarding patients with endometriosis pelvic pain and investigate the prevalence and characteristics of spin in these abstracts

Methods

PubMed and Scopus were searched for RCT abstracts addressing endometriosis pelvic pain published from January 1st, 2010 to December 1st, 2023.The reporting quality of RCT abstracts was assessed using the CONSORT statement for abstracts. Additionally, spin was evaluated in the results and conclusions section of the abstracts, defined as the misleading reporting of study findings to emphasize the perceived benefits of an intervention or to confound readers from statistically non-significant results. Assessing factors affecting the reporting quality and spin existence, linear and logistic regression was used, respectively.

Results

A total of 47 RCT abstracts were included. Out of 16 checklist items, only three items including objective, intervention and conclusions were sufficiently reported in the most abstracts (more than 95%), and none of the abstracts presented precise data as required by the CONSORT-A guidelines. In the reporting quality of material and method section, trial design, type of randomization, the generation of random allocation sequences, the allocation concealment and blinding were most items identified that were suboptimal. The total score for the quality varied between 5 and 15 (mean: 9.59, SD: 3.03, median: 9, IQR: 5). Word count (beta = 0.015, p-value = 0.005) and publishing in open-accessed journals (beta = 2.023, p-value = 0.023) were the significant factors that affecting the reporting quality. Evaluating spin within each included paper, we found that 18 (51.43%) papers had statistically non-significant results. From these studies, 12 (66.66%) had spin in both results and conclusion sections. Furthermore, the spin intensity increased during 2010–2023 and 38.29% of abstracts had spin in both results and conclusion sections.

Conclusion

Overall poor adherence to CONSORT-A was observed, with spin detected in several RCTs featuring non-significant primary endpoints in obstetrics and gynecology literature.
Social networking older adults with mild cognitive impairment: Systematic review protocol on their use of information and communication technology
Authors: Zhan Rongfang , Mpofu Elias , Prybutok Gayle , Ingman Stan
Published: May 2024

This systematic review will identify and synthesize the emerging evidence on older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) utilizing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to maintain, restore, or augment social networks. The systematic review will consider the evidence on contextual and personal factors of older adults with MCI and their ICT use for social connectedness. The evidence searches will be implemented in PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete, Medline, PubMed, and manual searches. We shall review articles that were published between January 2010 and October 2023 in English and on Information and Communication Technology utility in social networking among older adults with MCI. The process of article selection will be conducted through title screening, abstract screening; and full article screening, following the Population, Intervention, Control, Outcomes (PICO) criteria. Given that all the studies included in this review are publicly accessible and have already obtained ethical approval from their respective institutions, there is no obligation for us to seek additional ethical clearance for our systematic review. We plan to share the outcomes of the systematic review through online presentations and dissemination within the research community. The findings from this review will identify the extent of empirical evidence on older adults with MCI utilizing ICTs to maintain, restore or augment their social networks. This review will provide evidence for contextual and personal factors in older adults with MCI for the social networks with ICT use. This review will propose practical implications for the effective utilization of ICT by older adults with MCI.
Biases and limitations in observational studies of Long COVID prevalence and risk factors: A rapid systematic umbrella review
Authors: Hua Miao Jenny , Butera Gisela , Akinyemi Oluwaseun , Porterfield Deborah
Published: May 2024

Background

Observational studies form the foundation of Long COVID knowledge, however combining data from Long COVID observational studies has multiple methodological challenges. This umbrella review synthesizes estimates of Long COVID prevalence and risk factors as well as biases and limitations in the primary and review literatures.

Methods and findings

A systematic literature search was conducted using multiple electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, LitCOVID) from Jan 1, 2019 until June 9, 2023. Eligible studies were systematic reviews including adult populations assessed for at least one Long COVID symptom four weeks or more after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall and subgroup prevalence and risk factors as well as risk of bias (ROB) assessments were extracted and descriptively analyzed. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023434323). Fourteen reviews of 5–196 primary studies were included: 8 reported on Long COVID prevalence, 5 on risk/protective factors, and 1 on both. Prevalence of at least 1 Long COVID symptom ranged from 21% (IQR: 8.9%-35%) to 74.5% (95% CI: 55.6%-78.0%). Risk factor reviews found significant associations between vaccination status, sex, acute COVID-19 severity, and comorbidities. Both prevalence and risk factor reviews frequently identified selection and ascertainment biases. Using the AMSTAR 2 criteria, the quality of included reviews, particularly the prevalence reviews, were concerning for the adequacy of ROB assessments and justifications for conducting meta-analysis.

Conclusion

A high level of heterogeneity render the interpretation of pooled prevalence estimates of Long COVID challenging, further hampered by the lack of robust critical appraisals in the included reviews. Risk factor reviews were of higher quality overall and suggested consistent associations between Long COVID risk and patient characteristics.
Efficacy and safety of tegoprazan in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease: A protocol for meta-analysis and systematic review
Authors: Zheng Hanxue , Yuan Shunqi , Liu Jianmin
Published: May 2024

Objective

The incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is increasing year by year, the clinical manifestations are complex and diverse, and the adverse effects of long-term use of proton pump inhibitors and gastrointestinal motility drugs have been of great concern in recent years. The effectiveness of tegoprazan in the treatment of GERD is still controversial. This protocol describes a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science will be searched from the database inception to 1 March 2023. All randomized controlled trials related to tegoprazan for GERD will be included. Extracted data will include publication details, basic information, demographic data, intervention details and patient outcomes. The primary outcome will be complete resolution of major symptoms, complete resolution of heartburn, proportion of heartburn-free days, chronic cough, hoarseness, and adverse events. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias. Article selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment will be performed in duplicate by two independent reviewers. If the meta-analysis is precluded, we will conduct a descriptive synthesis using a best-evidence synthesis approach.

Discussion

The results of this study will provide reliable evidence to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan in the treatment of GERD and help patients, physicians and clinical investigators choose the most appropriate treatment.
Is the digital economy empowering high-quality tourism development? A theoretical and empirical research from China
Authors: Yu Min , Ma Binbin , Liu Dan , Zhang Aixia
Published: May 2024

How digital economy (DE) empowers high-quality development of tourism (HQDT) has become a common concern among scholars. Given this, this study clarifies the theoretical connotation of DE enabling HQDT,and finds that: Micro, DE promotes efficiency improvements in tourism enterprises, with its economies of scale and Matthew effect reducing average costs, its economies of scope meeting diversified demand, and its long-tail effect improving supply-demand matching mechanism. Meso, DE can transform and upgrade tourism industry structure through industrial digitization and digital industrialization, and also form a new tourist industry form and value chain through cross-border integration. Macro, DE can stimulate innovation and flexibility of market players, increase new factor inputs in tourism, improve factor allocation efficiency, and advance macro regulation of the tourism market. Accordingly, the study conducts an empirical test based on panel data for 31 provinces in mainland China during 2011–2020. Results show that: ① DE positively influences HQDT, and the sub-dimensions all positively influence HQDT. ② DE has a heterogeneous impact on HQDT and shows spatial spillover effects. Finally, the study concludes with effective paths for DE promoting HQDT: "Promote digital infrastructure construction, accelerate tourism digital transformation, strengthen integration and innovation development, and overcome the challenges of tourism enterprises".
Does rising resources income, consumer prices, government outlay and globalization hinder Africa’s sustainable development?
Authors: Aladejare Samson Adeniyi , Musa Mohammed Auwal
Published: May 2024

This study examines the long-term effect of contemporary challenges such as growing resource income, rising consumer prices, inefficient public spending and globalization on Africa’s quest for sustainable development (SD). A robust measure of SD that integrates resource productivity is adopted. The study period spanned from 1991 to 2021, and data was sourced from 24 African countries. The empirical output for this study is derived using long-term methodologies, including feasible generalized least squares (FGLS), Driscoll-Kraay and panel dynamic ordinary least squares (PDOLS). The estimation of the long-term model is to capture the consequential effects of contemporary issues on SD. Evidence from the model reveals that increases in resources income, consumer prices, public outlay and globalization are deterrents to SD. The individual cross-sectional regression outputs also demonstrate similar effects. Given these contemporary challenges, the study proposes relevant policy measures to aid the attainment of SD.
What was, is and will be: A bibliometric analysis of European Green Deal (EGD)
Authors: Taneja Sanjay , Bansal Neha , Ozen Ercan
Published: May 2024

European Green Deal (EGD) was introduced by the European Union in December 2019 with a pledge to transform the European Union into a carbon-neutral economy by the year 2050. This study intends to undertake a bibliometric evaluation of the existing literature on EGD. This research aims to precisely identify and evaluate the most influential sources, contributors and cited works in the EGD literature, as well as delineate primary research directions and geographical hotspots, thereby offering a comprehensive overview of the current state and trends within the field. An attempt has been made to identify the trends of the research on EGD, along with the top countries contributing to the literature on EGD. The emerging keywords in the EGD literature are traced to provide future research directions. A total of 846 research documents are obtained from the Scopus database, and the Visualization of Similarities (VOS) viewer software is used for data analysis. The results of the analysis reveal that sustainability, sustainable development, energy efficiency, energy policies, greenhouse emissions, climate change, biodiversity, circular economy and renewable energy emerge as prominent and interconnected areas of research within the academic discourse on the EGD.
Effect of energy policies on industrial development in sub-Saharan African countries
Authors: Diallo Souleymane , Ouoba Youmanli
Published: May 2024

Energy is a key factor in the production and industrialization process in developing countries. This article aims to analyse the effect of energy policies on industrial development across 25 sub-Saharan African countries from 1996 to 2020. For this purpose, a new industrial development indicator and the Driscoll–Kraay estimation method are used. Results reveal that the implementation of energy policies promotes industrial development. Indeed, public energy policies and, more specifically, public investments in energy capital have a positive impact on the growth rate of the industrial sector’s value added per capita. These results remain robust when using the generalized method of moments. In terms of policy implications, the results of this research suggest that the strengthening of existing public energy policies and the implementation of new policies with a focus on investments in energy capital accumulation are necessary to drive sustainable industrial sector development in sub-Saharan Africa.
O PROBLEMA DA (FALTA DE) MEMÓRIA EM NARRATIVAS GERADAS POR INTELIGÊNCIA ARTIFICIAL
Authors: Cardoso Fabio
Published: May 2024

A evolução das ferramentas de geração de texto por inteligência artificial abre a possibilidade do uso criativo da tecnologia para criação de roteiros audiovisuais. Modelos de linguagem como o ChatGPT são capazes de, com uma entrada do usuário, gerar conteúdo artístico complexo. Isso viabiliza o surgimento de uma nova modalidade de conteúdo audiovisual: a geração contínua de roteiros. No entanto, dificuldades técnicas inerente do modelo atual de criação desses softwares limitam a eficácia e abrangência dessa forma de criação. Este artigo busca investigar o problema mais significativo desta limitação, que é a falta de memória dos algoritmos de LLM.
Toxic Stereotypes: An Analysis of Selected Media Distortions Using Stuart Hall’s Model
Authors: Essien Essien Oku
Published: May 2024

Media plays a significant role in shaping societal perceptions and beliefs influencing the way individuals view themselves and others. Stuart Hall's communication model highlights the importance of media in constructing meaning, showing that representations in media and other cultural texts are not neutral or objective, but rather are shaped by dominant discourses and power structures. In the light of this perspective, this study aims to analyze viral and harmful stereotypes perpetuated by media representations, to examine the toxic impact of these stereotypes on individuals and society and to evaluate the role of media in shaping cultural perceptions within the framework of Hall's model. The research considers the stereotypes at Three Levels (3Ls); Toxic Masculinity (TM), Racial and Ethnic Stereotypes (RETs), as well as Gender and Sexual Stereotypes (GSSs). The Desk Research Method is employed to review existing studies and publications on such harmful media stereotypes that tend to align with Hall's postulations, towards extracting and framing these biases for critical discourses. This research is significant as it contributes to the existing body of knowledge on media effects and representation shedding light on the detrimental impact of harmful stereotypes on historical, cultural and sexual identities as perpetuated by the media. By uncovering the ills of media-driven stereotypes which mis-shapes societal attitudes and perceptions, this study aims to raise awareness on the need for critical media literacy among media consumers.
Substitution of One Meat-Based Meal With Vegetarian and Vegan Alternatives Generates Lower Ammonia and Alters Metabolites in Cirrhosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Badal Bryan D. , Fagan Andrew , Tate Victoria , Mousel Travis , Gallagher Mary Leslie , Puri Puneet , Davis Brian , Miller Jennifer , Sikaroodi Masoumeh , Gillevet Patrick , Gedgaudas Rolandas , Kupcinskas Juozas , Thacker Leroy , Bajaj Jasmohan S.
Published: May 2024

INTRODUCTION:

Diet can affect ammoniagenesis in cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy (HE), but the impact of dietary preferences on metabolomics in cirrhosis is unclear. As most Western populations follow meat-based diets, we aimed to determine the impact of substituting a single meat-based meal with an equal protein-containing vegan/vegetarian alternative on ammonia and metabolomics in outpatients with cirrhosis on a meat-based diet.

METHODS:

Outpatients with cirrhosis with and without prior HE on a stable Western meat-based diet were randomized 1:1:1 into 3 groups. Patients were given a burger with 20 g protein of meat, vegan, or vegetarian. Blood for metabolomics via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and ammonia was drawn at baseline and hourly for 3 hours after meal while patients under observation. Stool microbiome characteristics, changes in ammonia, and metabolomics were compared between/within groups.

RESULTS:

Stool microbiome composition was similar at baseline. Serum ammonia increased from baseline in the meat group but not the vegetarian or vegan group. Metabolites of branched chain and acylcarnitines decreased in the meat group compared with the non-meat groups. Alterations in lipid profile (higher sphingomyelins and lower lysophospholipids) were noted in the meat group when compared with the vegan and vegetarian groups.

DISCUSSION:

Substitution of a single meat-based meal with a non-meat alternatives results in lower ammoniagenesis and altered serum metabolomics centered on branched-chain amino acids, acylcarnitines, lysophospholipids, and sphingomyelins in patients with cirrhosis regardless of HE or stool microbiome. Intermittent meat substitution with vegan or vegetarian alternatives could be helpful in reducing ammonia generation in cirrhosis.
EFFECT OF SEGMENT DISLOCATION ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF LINED TUNNELS IN A COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Wang Fengchi , Wang Yingong , Li Dong , Li Yanfeng
Published: May 2024

In complex environments, tunnels with a lined structure are more affected by the dislocation of a segment. This study uses finite element simulations to further investigate the relationship between environmental changes and segments in lined tunnels. Tunnels with and without a lining are simulated under varying strata resistance, buried depth, and water level conditions. The horizontal and vertical displacements and stress changes in the two tunnels are compared when segment dislocation occurs. The results show that the lateral displacement of the tunnel is relatively stable and less influenced by external loads. However, the longitudinal displacement change is the opposite, and it increases significantly when the displacement exceeds 10 mm. When the lined tunnel is subjected to a large external load and misalignment occurs, the performance of the tube sheet joint bolts deteriorates, resulting in a stress decrease. Furthermore, the lined tunnel exhibits an increased ability to resist deformation and does not exactly follow the law of small displacements from small misalignments. When a large misalignment occurs, the lined tunnel may be damaged by elliptical deformation along the 45° direction, and its internal forces would be much larger than those of the unlined tunnel.
Damage detection on cooling tower shell based on model textures
Authors: Zahradník David , Roučka Filip
Published: May 2024

Ensuring the structural integrity of cooling towers is paramount for safety and efficient operation. This paper presents a novel approach for detecting damage on cooling tower shells, utilising textures derived from laser scanning and close-range photogrammetry. The proposed method delves beyond the limitations of solely relying on colour information by harnessing the rich details embedded in various textures, including diffuse, normal, displacement, and occlusion. The study demonstrates the efficacy of this approach for identifying significant concrete damage. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) trained on diffuse textures successfully detects high damage instances with minimal misdetection. However, accurately pinpointing low damage, often manifesting as subtle cracks, and mimicking other patterns like air pores, ribbing, and colour variations, presents a formidable challenge. To tackle this challenge, the authors introduce a novel "composed raster layer" that merges information from multiple textures. This pre-processed layer amplifies the visual cues associated with low damage, facilitating its differentiation from similar patterns. While the current implementation employing multi-resolution segmentation and rule-based classification exhibits promising results, further optimization is acknowledged to refine the accuracy of low damage detection. The successful application of textures commonly used in rendering techniques underscores their remarkable potential for enhancing damage detection in civil engineering applications. While acknowledging limitations such as the analysis of a single cooling tower and the reliance on specific software for damage detection, the study proposes future research directions. This research holds significant implications for the field of civil engineering by offering a promising approach for automated and efficient damage detection on cooling tower shells.
FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF CURVILINEAR CONTINUOUS BEAM BRIDGE JACKING AND TRANSLATION CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Zheng Xilong , Li Wei , Li Wei , Zhang Honglei , Wang Qiong
Published: May 2024

This paper investigates the issue of beam misalignment in curved continuous beam bridges. Taking the D0 to D6 spans of the Gongbin Road viaduct as the basis, the main influencing factors causing misalignment in curved beam bridges are analyzed and the causes of transverse and longitudinal misalignment in curved beam bridges are calculated and analyzed using Midas/Civil finite element simulation software. The results indicate that the main influencing factor causing misalignment in the operation of curved continuous beam bridges is the system temperature, with the displacement caused by it being larger than the cumulative displacement caused by self-weight, construction phase, gradient load, vehicle load, and bearing settlement. During operation, the failure of expansion joints changes the boundary conditions of the beam, preventing the bridge from freely expanding and contracting longitudinally under temperature load. As a result, the transverse displacement increases to 2-3 times the normal working state of the expansion joint, leading to beam misalignment.
Analysis on the mechanics and deformation of side pile structure in metro station with the PBA method
Authors: Gao Jianguo , Zeng Zhaofa , Zhang Shuai , Zhang Huijian , Zhou Xuemin
Published: May 2024

There are few researches on the interaction mechanism between the buckling load of the side pile top and the soil pressure behind pile (SPP) and the side pile structure. While the side pile structure is the key component of the lining structure of the metro with pile-beam-arch (PBA) method, which plays a very important role in the mechanical stability and deformation control of the lining system of station. Therefore, relying on the metro project about Guangzhou Metro Line 11, this paper investigates the influence law of mechanical characteristics and deformation of the side pile structure of the station with PBA method, taking into account the factors such as different buckling loads (including horizontal load of arch (HLA) and vertical load of arch (VLA)) and SPP, and puts forward corresponding construction suggestions. It is found that the lateral displacement and deformation of side pile structure are controlled by the HLA, and the optimal HLA is 1200kN. The influence of HLA on the bending moments about side pile are greater than that of the axial force. The VLA has more significant effect on vertical settlement of side pile, but little effect on lateral deformation about pile body. The SPP has significant impact on the stability of side pile structure, so it is recommended to take appropriate lining measures to ensure the stability of side pile structure when the SPP is too large.
Was steckt in Lernmanagementsystemen und welche Implikationen ergeben sich hieraus für eine digital mündige Gestaltung im Schulkontext?
Authors: Brandau Nina
Published: May 2024

Nina Brandau widmet sich in diesem Beitrag der Frage, welche Auswirkungen das Design von Lernmanagementsystemen auf deren Einführung und Gestaltung im spezifischen Schulkontext hat. Anhand des Moodle-basierten Lernmanagementsystems LMS.lernen.hamburg zeigt sie auf, welche Annahmen über Bildung sowie Schulpraxis bereits in das initiale Design des Systems eingeschrieben wurden. Basierend auf dieser Analyse setzt sich die Autorin mit der Frage auseinander, wie diese durch das System festgelegten Bildungsvorstellungen seine weitere Gestaltung in der Einzelschule bedingen. Daraus folgert sie wichtige Implikationen für eine digital mündige Auseinandersetzung mit dem Lernmanagementsystem im individuellen Schulkontext.
Was wird wie vermittelt?
Authors: Jornitz Sieglinde
Published: May 2024

Sieglinde Jornitz stellt in diesem Beitrag anhand der Lernplattform sofatutor dar, welche Art von Aufgaben und damit welche Art der Schüleraktivitäten sie im Kern bereitstellen bzw. evozieren. Der pädagogisch-didaktische Blick auf die Plattformen lenkt dabei die Aufmerksamkeit auf den inhaltlichen Aspekt, was mit den Plattformen vermittelt und was angeeignet werden kann. Zugleich wird so aufgezeigt, wie die Programmierung der Software enggeführt wird und zugleich in einen Widerspruch zu den Versprechen der Plattformanbieter steht. Der Artikel bietet zugleich einen Anleitung, wie sich systematisch mit Lernplattformen aus einem pädagogischen Blickwinkel befasst werden kann.
Upaya Meningkatkan Keterampilan Berbicara Siswa dengan Menggunakan Metode Show and Tell dalam Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris
Authors: Surini Surini
Published: May 2024

Tujuan – Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui efektivitas penggunaan metode show and tell dalam pembelajaran bahasa inggris pada ranah keterampilan berbicara siswa kelas XI MIA 3 di MAN 1 Yogyakarta.
Metode – Jenis Penelitian ini adalah penelitian tindakan kelas (PTK) yang menggunakan model penelitian Kemis dan Mc Taggart. Model Mc Taggart ini terdiri dari empat komponen yang berurutan yaitu perencanaan, tindakan, pengamatan dan refleksi, yang dalam pelaksanaan dan pengamatannya dilakukan secara bersamaan. Artinya pengamatan dilakukan pada saat proses pembelajaran. Subjek dalam penelitian ini adalah siswa-siswi kelas XI MIA 3, yang berjumlah 29 orang siswa. Analisis data akan dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode statistik deskriptif dan perbandingan antara hasil sebelum dan setelah penerapan metode Show and Tell dengan tolak ukur keberhasilan sebesar 80%.
Hasil – Berdasarkan hasil penelitian diperoleh hasil belajar siklus I menunjukkan bahwa siswa yang mendapat nilai di atas KKM sebanyak 3 siswa (10%), sedangkan siswa yang mendapat nilai di bawah KKM sebanyak 27 siswa (70%), dengan perolehan rata-rata 50,8 (di bawah KKM). Hasil evaluasi akhir siklus II menunjukkan bahwa siswa yang mendapat nilai di atas KKM sebanyak 26 siswa (86,7%), sedangkan siswa yang mendapat nilai di bawah KKM ada 4 siswa (13,3%), dengan rata-rata 86,2 (di atas KKM). Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa metode show and tell dapat digunakan untuk menunjang peningkatan hasil belajar siswa pada mata pelajaran bahasa inggris, khususnya keterampilan berbicara. Keaktifan siswa dan efektifitas pembelajaran dari pertemuan ke pertemuan selanjutnya semakin meningkat. Pada siklus I aktifitas siswa dan efektifitas pembelajaran mencapai 69%, sedang pada silkus 2 keaktifan siswa dan efektifitas belajar mencapai 90%.