bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Food retail environments, extreme weather, and their overlap: Exploratory analysis and recommendations for U.S. food policy
Authors: Scharadin Benjamin , Zanocco Chad , Chistolini Jacqueline
Published: November 2023

Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change, yet many of their impacts on human populations are not well understood. We examine the relationship between prior extreme weather events and food environment characteristics. To do so, we conduct a U.S. county-level analysis that assesses the association between extreme weather events and two common food retail environment dimensions. Overall, we find a relationship between higher levels of historic extreme weather exposure and lower food availability and accessibility. In addition, we find heterogeneity in association across the distribution of the number of extreme weather events and event type. Specifically, we find that more localized extreme weather events are more associated with a reduction of access and availability than broad geographic events. Our findings suggest that as extreme weather events amplify in intensity and increase in frequency, new approaches for mitigating less acute and longer-term impacts are needed to address how extreme weather may interact with and reinforce existing disparities in food environment factors. Furthermore, our research argues that integrated approaches to improving vulnerable food retail environments will become an important component of extreme weather planning and should be a consideration in both disaster- and food-related policy.
Generation of porcine PK-15 cells lacking the Ifnar1 or Stat2 gene to optimize the efficiency of viral isolation
Authors: Shofa Maya , Saito Akatsuki
Published: November 2023

Because pigs are intermediate or amplifying hosts for several zoonotic viruses, the pig-derived PK-15 cell line is an indispensable tool for studying viral pathogenicity and developing treatments, vaccines, and preventive measures to mitigate the risk of disease outbreaks. However, we must consider the possibility of contamination by type I interferons (IFNs), such as IFNα and IFNβ, or IFN-inducing substances, such as virus-derived double-stranded RNA or bacterial lipopolysaccharides, in clinical samples, leading to lower rates of viral isolation. In this study, we aimed to generate a PK-15 cell line that can be used to isolate viruses from clinical samples carrying a risk of contamination by IFN-inducing substances. To this end, we depleted the IFN alpha and beta receptor subunit 1 (Ifnar1) gene or signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (Stat2) gene in PK-15 cells using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 method. Treatment of PK-15 cells lacking Ifnar1 or Stat2 with IFNβ or poly (I:C) resulted in no inhibitory effects on viral infection by a lentiviral vector, influenza virus, and Akabane virus. These results demonstrate that PK-15 cells lacking Ifnar1 or Stat2 could represent a valuable and promising tool for viral isolation, vaccine production, and virological investigations.
Eurasian back-migration into Northeast Africa was a complex and multifaceted process
Authors: Hammarén Rickard , Goldstein Steven T. , Schlebusch Carina M.
Published: November 2023

Recent studies have identified Northeast Africa as an important area for human movements during the Holocene. Eurasian populations have moved back into Northeastern Africa and contributed to the genetic composition of its people. By gathering the largest reference dataset to date of Northeast, North, and East African as well as Middle Eastern populations, we give new depth to our knowledge of Northeast African demographic history. By employing local ancestry methods, we isolated the Non-African parts of modern-day Northeast African genomes and identified the best putative source populations. Egyptians and Sudanese Copts bore most similarities to Levantine populations whilst other populations in the region generally had predominantly genetic contributions from the Arabian peninsula rather than Levantine populations for their Non-African genetic component. We also date admixture events and investigated which factors influenced the date of admixture and find that major linguistic families were associated with the date of Eurasian admixture. Taken as a whole we detect complex patterns of admixture and diverse origins of Eurasian admixture in Northeast African populations of today.
Molecular prevalence and phylogeny of Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma ovis and Theileria ovis in goats and sheep enrolled from a hill station in Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Arif Muhammad , Saeed Suleman , Bashir Ahsan , Farooq Muhammad , Nasreen Nasreen , Khan Adil , Asif Muhammad , Khalil Muhammad Asif , Ijaz Maryam , Muqaddas Hira , Mehmood Naunain , Iqbal Furhan , Chen Chien-Chin
Published: November 2023

Anaplasma marginale (A. marginale), Anaplasma ovis (A. ovis) and Theileria ovis (T. ovis) are among the most commonly reported intracellular tick borne pathogens that infect ruminants across the globe causing huge economic losses. This study aims to report the prevalence and phylogenetic evaluation of these three pathogens infecting sheep and goats (n = 333) that were enrolled from Fort Munro region in Pakistan by using msp1b, msp4 and 18S rRNA genes for A. marginale, A. ovis and T. ovis respectively. Results revealed almost similar infection rates in sheep and goats with an overall prevalence of 11% for A. marginale, 28% for A. ovis and 3% for T. ovis. Concurrent infection was also recorded, however, the number of animals infected with two pathogens (n = 24; 7.2%) was higher than infection with three pathogens (n = 2; 0.6%). Risk factor analysis revealed that sheep reared in small herds had higher A. marginale (P = 0.03) and A. ovis (P = 0.04) infection rates compared to those from large herds. In addition, it was observed that bucks (P ≤ 0.05) and tick-free goats (P ≤ 0.05) exhibited higher A. ovis infection rates than nannies. Phylogenetic analysis of all three pathogens showed that Pakistani isolates were clustered together and were closely related to previously deposited Pakistani isolates as well as with those that were reported from worldwide countries. In conclusion, we are reporting that Pakistani sheep and goats have A. marginale, A. ovis and T. ovis mediated infections and control measures should be taken against them to improve the productivity of the livestock sector.
Telerehabilitation use and experiences in occupational and physical therapy through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Nguyen Golda , King Katelyn , Stirling Leia
Published: November 2023

Telehealth has helped to increase access to rehabilitative services such as occupational and physical therapy. The early COVID-19 pandemic amplified the need for remote access to care, and the rapid implementation of telehealth systems provided a unique opportunity to learn from clinicians’ experiences adopting telehealth for telerehabilitation applications. To understand these experiences, a self-administered online survey was conducted to capture perspectives on ease of telerehabilitation use and adoption from occupational and physical therapists. The survey captured retrospective views on telerehabilitation use pre-pandemic as well as real-time perspectives on telerehabilitation during the early stages of the pandemic (July to August 2020). The survey gathered information on clinician demographics (N = 109), clinicians’ experiences with adopting or utilizing telerehabilitation systems, and their perceptions on remotely performing cognitive, emotional, and physical assessments via video-conferencing (a common mode of telehealth). Responses demonstrated a modest increase in telerehabilitation as a care setting (rate increase from 3.4% to 19.3%), and telerehabilitation was more generally tried during the early stages of the pandemic (41 clinicians explicitly reported telerehabilitation use). However, technology access and acceptance remained low, with 38 clinicians (35%) expressing concerns that technology was ineffective or impractical, unavailable, not covered by insurance, or not desired by their patients. Video-conferencing technology was perceived as generally ill-equipped to support clinicians in performing remote assessment tasks. Physical assessment tasks were considered particularly difficult, with 55% of clinicians rating their ability to perform these tasks in the range of moderately difficult to unable to perform. To address these difficulties and better augment clinical care, clinicians require more robust assessment methods that may combine video, mobile, and wearable technologies that would be accessible to a patient at home. When designing future telerehabilitation tools, information captured through these modes must be task-relevant, standardized, and understandable to a remote clinician.
Sleep, alcohol, and caffeine in financial traders
Authors: Song Frank , Walker Matthew P.
Published: November 2023

Alcohol and caffeine are two of the most commonly used substances for altering human consciousness. While their adverse effects on sleep have been separately examined in the laboratory and epidemiological levels, how they impact real-world night-to-night sleep, in isolation or together, remains unclear. This is especially true in occupations wherein the use of alcohol and caffeine is high (e.g., financial services sector). Using a six-week micro-longitudinal study, here we examined the real-world impact of alcohol, caffeine, and their combined consumption in a cohort of financial traders. We demonstrate that alcohol consumption significantly degrades the subjective quality of sleep (p < 0.001). Caffeine consumption led to a different phenotype of sleep impairment, resulting in a detrimental reduction in sleep quantity (p = 0.019), rather than a marked alteration in sleep quality. Contrary to our hypothesis, when consumed in combination, evening alcohol consumption interacted with ongoing caffeine consumption such that alcohol partially mitigated the impairments in sleep quantity associated with caffeine (p = 0.032). This finding suggests the sedating effects of alcohol and the psychoactive stimulant effects of caffeine obscure each other’s impact on sleep quantity and sleep quality, respectively–potentially explaining their interdependent use in this cohort (i.e., “self-medication” of evening sedation with alcohol to combat the prior daytime ingestion of caffeine and vice versa). More generally, these results contribute to a unique understanding of the singular and combinatory impacts of two of the most commonly used substances for augmenting human consciousness under free-living, real-world conditions, the performance-impairing (and thus economic-cost) consequences of which may be important to the business sector and the society.
Perceptual metrics for odorants: Learning from non-expert similarity feedback using machine learning
Authors: Kumari Priyadarshini , Besold Tarek , Spranger Michael
Published: November 2023

Defining perceptual similarity metrics for odorant comparisons is crucial to understanding the mechanism of olfactory perception. Current methods in olfaction rely on molecular physicochemical features or discrete verbal descriptors (floral, burnt, etc.) to approximate perceptual (dis)similarity between odorants. However, structural or verbal descriptors alone are limited in modeling complex nuances of odor perception. While structural features inadequately characterize odor perception, language-based discrete descriptors lack the granularity needed to model a continuous perception space. We introduce data-driven approaches to perceptual metrics learning (PMeL) based on two key insights: a) by combining physicochemical features with the user’s perceptual feedback, we can leverage both structural and perceptual attributes of odors to define dissimilarity, and b) instead of discrete labels, user’s perceptual feedback can be gathered as relative similarity comparisons, such as “Does molecule-A smell more like molecule-B, or molecule-C?” These triplet comparisons are easier even for non-experts users and offer a more effective representation of the continuous perception space. Experimental results on several defined tasks show the effectiveness of our approach in evaluating perceptual dissimilarity between odorants. Finally, we investigate how closely our model, trained on non-expert feedback, aligns with the expert’s similarity judgments. Our effort aims to reduce reliance on expert annotations.
Cryptic Zika virus infections unmasked from suspected malaria cases in Northeastern Nigeria
Authors: Baba Marycelin Mandu , Ahmed Abubakar , Jackson Samaila Yaga , Oderinde Bamidele Soji
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Although environmental and human behavioral factors in countries with Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks are also common in Nigeria, such an outbreak has not yet been reported probably due to misdiagnosis. The atypical symptoms of malaria and ZIKV infections at the initial phase could leverage their misdiagnosis. This study randomly recruited 496 malaria-suspected patients who visited selected health institutions in Adamawa, Bauchi, and Borno states for malaria tests. These patients’ sera were analyzed for ZIKV antibodies using ELISA and plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNT) at 90% endpoint. About 13.8% of Zika virus-neutralizing antibodies (nAb) did not cross-react with dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile viruses suggesting possible monotypic infections. However, 86% of the sera with ZIKV nAb also neutralized other related viruses at varied degrees: dengue viruses (60.7%), West Nile viruses (23.2%), yellow fever virus (7.1%) and 39.3% were co-infections with chikungunya viruses. Notably, the cross-reactions could also reflect co-infections as these viruses are also endemic in the country. The serum dilution that neutralized 90–100% ZIKV infectivity ranged from 1:8 to 1:128. Also, our findings suggest distinct protection against the ZIKV between different collection sites studied. As indicated by nAb, acute ZIKV infection was detected in 1.7% of IgM-positive patients while past infections occurred in 8.5% of IgM-negatives in the three states. In Borno State, 9.4% of IgG neutralized ZIKV denoting past infections while 13.5% were non-neutralizing IgM and IgG indicating other related virus infections. The age, gender, and occupation of the patients and ZIKV nAb were not significantly different. ZIKV nAb from samples collected within 1–7 days after the onset of symptoms was not significantly different from those of 7–10 days. A wider interval with the same techniques in this study may probably give better diagnostic outcomes. ZIKV nAb was significantly distinct among recipients and non-recipients of antibiotic/antimalaria treatments before seeking malaria tests. The inhibiting effect of these drugs on ZIKV infection progression may probably contribute to the absence of neurological disorders associated with the virus despite being endemic in the environment for several decades. Also, protection against ZIKV as marked by the nAb was different among the vaccinated and unvaccinated YF vaccine recipients. Thus, the YF vaccine may be a good alternative to the Zika vaccine in resource-constrained countries.

Conclusion

The cryptic ZIKV infections underscore the need for differential diagnosis of malaria-suspected febrile patients for arboviruses, especially the Zika virus. The absence of systemic surveillance for the virus is worrisome because of its association with neurological disorders in newborns. Co-infections with other arboviruses may impact adversely on the management of these diseases individually.
Characterization of polarization states of canine monocyte derived macrophages
Authors: Lyu Qingkang , Veldhuizen Edwin J. A. , Ludwig Irene S. , Rutten Victor P. M. G. , van Eden Willem , Sijts Alice J. A. M. , Broere Femke
Published: November 2023

Macrophages can reversibly polarize into multiple functional subsets depending on their micro-environment. Identification and understanding the functionality of these subsets is relevant for the study of immune‑related diseases. However, knowledge about canine macrophage polarization is still in its infancy. In this study, we polarized canine monocytes using GM-CSF/IFN- γ and LPS towards M1 macrophages or M-CSF and IL-4 towards M2 macrophages and compared them to undifferentiated monocytes (M0). Polarized M1 and M2 macrophages were thoroughly characterized for morphology, surface marker features, gene profiles and functional properties. Our results showed that canine M1-polarized macrophages obtained a characteristic large, roundish, or amoeboid shape, while M2-polarized macrophages were smaller and adopted an elongated spindle-like morphology. Phenotypically, all macrophage subsets expressed the pan-macrophage markers CD14 and CD11b. M1-polarized macrophages expressed increased levels of CD40, CD80 CD86 and MHC II, while a significant increase in the expression levels of CD206, CD209, and CD163 was observed in M2-polarized macrophages. RNAseq of the three macrophage subsets showed distinct gene expression profiles, which are closely associated with immune responsiveness, cell differentiation and phagocytosis. However, the complexity of the gene expression patterns makes it difficult to assign clear new polarization markers. Functionally, undifferentiated -monocytes, and M1- and M2- like subsets of canine macrophages can all phagocytose latex beads. M2-polarized macrophages exhibited the strongest phagocytic capacity compared to undifferentiated monocytes- and M1-polarized cells. Taken together, this study showed that canine M1 and M2-like macrophages have distinct features largely in parallel to those of well-studied species, such as human, mouse and pig. These findings enable future use of monocyte derived polarized macrophages particularly in studies of immune related diseases in dogs.
Statistical and clustering analysis of attributes of Bitcoin backbone nodes
Authors: Xu Dawei , Gao Jiaqi , Zhu Liehuang , Gao Feng , Zhao Jian
Published: November 2023

Bitcoin is a decentralized digital cryptocurrency. Its network is a Peer-to-peer(P2P) network consisting of distributed nodes. Some of these nodes are always online and in this article are called Bitcoin backbone nodes. They have a significant impact on the stability and security of the Bitcoin network, so it is meaningful to analyze and discuss them. In this paper, we first continuously collect information about Bitcoin nodes from July 2021 through June 2022 (which is the longest duration of data collection to date). In total, we collect information on 127,613 Bitcoin nodes. At the same time, we conclude that the fluctuation of Bitcoin nodes is directly related to the fluctuation of onion network nodes. Further, we filtered 2694 Bitcoin backbone nodes based on our algorithm. By analyzing the backbone nodes’ attributes such as geographic distribution, client version, operator, node function, and abnormal port number, it is demonstrated that these nodes are centralized and play an important role in the Bitcoin network. Based on this, three unsupervised machine learning algorithms are selected to cluster multiple attributes of backbone nodes in a more scientific way. In this paper, the whole process from data collection to cluster analysis is completed and the best results are obtained by comparison. The experiments proved the existence of centralization of Bitcoin backbone nodes and obtained the number of nodes within each cluster. Finally, cluster nodes are de-anonymized based on the optimal results. Through our experiments, we obtain organizational information about the deployers of 103 nodes, linking the Bitcoin backbone nodes to the real world, thus accurately demonstrating the existence of Bitcoin centrality.
Nuclear genetic diversity of head lice sheds light on human dispersal around the world
Authors: Ascunce Marina S. , Toloza Ariel C. , González-Oliver Angélica , Reed David L.
Published: November 2023

The human louse, Pediculus humanus, is an obligate blood-sucking ectoparasite that has coevolved with humans for millennia. Given the intimate relationship between this parasite and the human host, the study of human lice has the potential to shed light on aspects of human evolution that are difficult to interpret using other biological evidence. In this study, we analyzed the genetic variation in 274 human lice from 25 geographic sites around the world by using nuclear microsatellite loci and female-inherited mitochondrial DNA sequences. Nuclear genetic diversity analysis revealed the presence of two distinct genetic clusters I and II, which are subdivided into subclusters: Ia-Ib and IIa-IIb, respectively. Among these samples, we observed the presence of the two most common louse mitochondrial haplogroups: A and B that were found in both nuclear Clusters I and II. Evidence of nuclear admixture was uncommon (12%) and was predominate in the New World potentially mirroring the history of colonization in the Americas. These findings were supported by novel DIYABC simulations that were built using both host and parasite data to define parameters and models suggesting that admixture between cI and cII was very recent. This pattern could also be the result of a reproductive barrier between these two nuclear genetic clusters. In addition to providing new evolutionary knowledge about this human parasite, our study could guide the development of new analyses in other host-parasite systems.
Association of early and current life factors with telomere length in preterm-born children
Authors: Kotecha Ella A. , Zhang Lei , Aboklaish Ali , Cousins Michael , Hart Kylie , Kotecha Sarah J. , Watkins W. John , Kotecha Sailesh
Published: November 2023

Background

Telomeres shorten after each cell division. Since preterm-born babies are delivered early and often suffer from inflammatory conditions such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), their telomere length may be altered.

Objectives

We assessed associations of early and current life factors with telomere length in saliva samples obtained from 7–12-year-old children born at ≤34 weeks’ gestation and term-born controls.

Study design

Relative telomere length was measured by qPCR on extracted DNA. Groups were compared using independent t-tests or ANOVA with post-hoc correction. Linear regression analysis was also used.

Results

534 children had satisfactory telomere data including 383 who were preterm-born (mean (SD) birthweight 1732g (558g), gestation 31.1 (2.6) weeks) and 151 term-born (3464g (510g); 39.8 (1.3) weeks). Telomere length was longer in children who had intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) at birth: mean (SD): 464.6 (166.3) vs. 418.6 (110.7) in the no-IUGR group; in females: 440.2 (130.1) vs. 405.7 (101.5) in males; and in the least deprived group (397.8 (95.0) vs. 437.6 (121.9) most vs least deprivation quintile). Differences were most notable in females with IUGR. However, telomere length was not different between the preterm and term groups; the BPD and no BPD groups nor was it related to lung function or cardiovascular measurements. In multivariable regression analyses, telomere length was associated with sex, IUGR and deprivation with the greatest difference observed in females with IUGR.

Conclusions

Telomere length was associated with sex, IUGR and deprivation, especially in females with IUGR, but not with prematurity, BPD, lung function or cardiovascular measurements.
Tuberculosis cohort analysis in Zimbabwe: The need to strengthen patient follow-up throughout the tuberculosis care cascade
Authors: Mando Tariro Christwish , Sandy Charles , Chadambuka Addmore , Gombe Notion Tafara , Juru Tsitsi Patience , Shambira Gerald , Umeokonkwo Chukwuma David , Tshimanga Mufuta
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Globally people with tuberculosis (TB) continue to be missed each year. They are either not diagnosed or not reported which indicates possible leakages in the TB care cascade. Zimbabwe is not spared with over 12000 missed cases in 2020. A preliminary review of TB treatment outcomes indicated patient leakages throughout the presumptive cascade and undesirable treatment outcomes in selected cities. Chegutu District had pre-diagnosis and pretreatment losses to follow-up while Mutare City among others had 22.0% of outcomes not evaluated in the second quarter of 2021, and death rates as high as 14% were recorded in Gweru District. The problem persists despite training on data analysis and use. The TB cohorts were analysed to determine the performance of the care cascade and the spatial distribution of treatment outcomes in Zimbabwe.

Methods

Using data from district health information software version 2.3 (DHIS2.3), a secondary data analysis of 2020 drug-sensitive (DS) TB treatment cohorts was conducted. We calculated the percentage of pre-diagnosis, and pre-treatment loss to follow-up (LTFU). For TB treatment outcomes, ‘cured’ and ‘treatment completed’ were categorized as treatment success, while ‘death’, ‘loss to follow-up (LTFU), and ‘not evaluated’ were categorized as undesirable outcomes. Univariate analysis of the data was conducted where frequencies were calculated, and data was presented in graphs for the cascade, treatment success, and undesirable outcomes while tables were created for the description of study participants and data quality. QGIS was used to generate maps showing undesirable treatment outcomes.

Results

An analysis of national data found 107583 people were presumed to have TB based on symptomatic screening and or x-ray and 21.4% were LTFU before the specimen was investigated. Of the 84534 that got tested, 10.0% did not receive their results. The treatment initiation rate was 99.1%. Analysis of treatment outcomes done at the provincial level showed that Matabeleland South Province had the lowest treatment success rate of 77.3% and high death rates were recorded in Matabeleland South (30.0%), Masvingo (27.3%), and Matabeleland North (26.1%) provinces. Overall, there were high percentages of not-evaluated treatment outcomes.

Conclusion

Pre-diagnosis LTFU was high, and high death and loss to follow-up rates were prevalent in provinces with artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) activities. Unevaluated treatment outcomes were also prevalent and data quality remains a challenge within the national TB control program. We recommended strengthening patient follow-up at all levels within the TB care cascade, strengthening capacity-building for data analysis and use, further analysis to determine factors associated with undesirable outcomes and a study on why LTFU remains high.
Nano and chelated iron fertilization influences marketable yield, phytochemical properties, and antioxidant capacity of tomatoes
Authors: Rahman Arifur , Harker Thomas , Lewis Wayne , Islam Khandakar Rafiq
Published: November 2023

Iron (Fe) is one of the limiting micronutrients essential for crop productivity. The goal of our study was to evaluate the effects of different sources and rates of Fe fertilization on the marketable yield, physical and chemical properties, and phytochemical quality of fresh market tomatoes (Solanum Lycopersicum L., cv. Sunbrite). A factorial experiment under a drip-irrigated plasticulture system was conducted in a completely randomized design with two sources of Fe (nano vs. chelated) and four rates of application (0, 10, 20, and 40 mg/L) with four replications. Results indicated that relative chlorophyll concentration in the leaf (SPAD index) increased significantly (by 24 to 27%) with 10 and 20 mg/L of both nano- and chelated Fe fertilization compared to the control. Increasing Fe fertilization decreased the leaf SPAD readings. The total fruit yield of tomato was 1.6 to 1.8 times higher under the chelated- and nano Fe fertilization and the increase in yield was significantly higher under the chelated Fe fertilization, when compared to the control. In contrast, the tomato harvest index was highest under 10 and 20 mg/L of nano Fe than under other Fe treatments. While the chelated Fe fertilized tomatoes had significantly higher concentrations of vitamin C (34%), ß-carotene (6%), total carotene (25%), flavonoid (17%), and polyphenol (66%), the nano Fe, in contrast, increased ß-carotene, total carotene, and polyphenol concentrations by 25, 33, 51, and 7%, respectively, compared to the control. The 20 mg/L chelated Fe significantly increased the vitamin C, total carotene, flavonoid, polyphenol concentration, and antioxidant capacity more than any other Fe treatments. Based on the principal components analyses, vitamin C, lycopene, and anthocyanin were identified as the core indicators of the tomato nutrition quality index (NQIndex). The NQIndex ranged from 47 to 54, falling within the medium level of nutritional quality (40 to <70). In conclusion, the chelated Fe, when applied at 20 mg/L, was the most appropriate rate based on highly correlated connectivity for the phytochemicals syntheses associated with the improved tomato antioxidant capacity.
Impact of duck stocking density on growth performance, digestive enzymes, blood biochemistry, and antioxidant capacity of the Labeo rohita reared in an integrated ponds system
Authors: Anwer Iqra , Hafeez-ur-Rehman Muhammad , Abbas Farzana , Saeed Shagufta
Published: November 2023

This study investigated the effects of duck stocking density (SD) on growth performance, meat quality, hematology, serum metabolites, and antioxidant status of L. rohita reared in an integrated pond system. A total of 9000 fingerlings of L. rohita average weighing 150.5±1 grams were reared in nine ponds (n = 1000/pond) and randomly allotted one of three SDs under a completely randomized design. The stocking densities were 100 (SD-100), 150 (SD-150), and 200 (SD-200) ducks/pond and each group had three replicates. The final body weight, weight gain, and specific growth rates were greater (p<0.05) in SD-200 than in the rest of the treatments. The activities of proteases and amylase were also greater (p<0.05) for SD-200 than for the rest of the SD. However, hematological parameters like red blood cells, white blood cells, hematocrit, met hematocrit, and hemoglobin contents were not influenced (p>0.05) by SD in ponds. The serum total protein, albumin, globulin, creatinine, and glucose contents were also similar (p>0.05) across the ponds. However, blood urea nitrogen was higher (p<0.05) in SD-200 than in the rest of the SD. Moreover, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase activities were linearly decreased (p<0.05) with increasing SD across the ponds. The changes in catalases and superoxide dismutase were non-significant (p>0.05) among the groups. However, glutathione peroxidase was greater for SD-200 than for the rest of the SD. The carcass compositional characteristics such as dry matter, protein, fat, and ash contents were not changed (p>0.05) by varying SD. In conclusion, SD over 200 birds/pond improved growth performance, digestive enzyme functions, and oxidative capacity without any negative impact on the hematology and carcass composition of L. rohita.
Approaches to public sector accounting and reporting in Europe
Authors: Haustein Ellen , Lorson Peter C.
Published: November 2023

This chapter aims to provide both a context and a foundation for the book. Thereby it introduces important terms used throughout the book and differentiation of contents. By deriving a roadmap, it serves as a guidance through the different chapters and points out connections between chapters and the overall structure of the textbook.
After finishing this chapter, readers will know about the relevance of public sector accounting as a field of study, the current public sector accounting developments in the EU, the reasons for differences in public sector accounting between countries and the key terms used in public sector accounting.
Consolidation methods
Authors: Haustein Ellen , Lorson Peter C. , Anessi-Pessina Eugenio
Published: November 2023

This chapter aims to illustrate consolidated financial reporting (CFR) under IPSAS. Public sector combinations according to IPSAS are introduced. The process of CFR is explained by illustrating full consolidation comprising the four consolidation procedures. The relevant steps are illustrated by short case examples. The application of the equity method is also presented and exemplified. This IPSAS-focused chapter informs about when consolidated financial statements (CFS) must be prepared, which entities must be included and by which methods, how to set up the accounting records for consolidation, and what consolidation procedures must be applied. Chapter 12 complements Chapter 11 in a special regulated (IPSAS) setting.
Redes sociales y Educación Superior en la era COVID-19:
Authors: Faure-Carvallo Adrien , Nieto-Fernández Sergio , Villalba-Palacin Vicente , Gustems-Carnicer Josep
Published: November 2023

Introducción:
La pandemia de COVID-19 ha supuesto un incremento considerable del uso de redes sociales como herramienta educativa en la Educación Superior. En este estudio llevamos a cabo un análisis sistemático de la literatura científica publicada sobre este tema.

Metodología:
La base de datos escogida fue la Core Collection de la Web of Science. Se analizó una muestra de 36 artículos tras una criba según ciertos criterios establecidos de inclusión y exclusión. En el análisis se tuvieron en consideración las principales características bibliométricas de la producción científica, así como las categorías emergentes.

Resultados:
La mayoría de los estudios científicos analizados tiene una naturaleza empírica y sigue uno de estos tres patrones temáticos: el estado actual de las redes sociales en la Educación Superior; las implicaciones que conlleva la adopción de las redes sociales como herramienta educativa; y sus límites y propuestas de aplicación y/o mejora.

Conclusiones:
Son numerosos los beneficios que aporta el uso de redes sociales como herramienta educativa en la Educación Superior, pero es necesaria la complicidad del profesorado y una amplia comprensión de su funcionamiento por parte del alumnado.
Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and Complications of Cirrhosis Are Linked With Distinct Gut Microbial Bacteriophage and Eukaryotic Viral-Like Particle Signatures in Cirrhosis
Authors: Peña Rodríguez Marcela , Fagan Andrew , Sikaroodi Masoumeh , Gillevet Patrick M. , Bajaj Jasmohan S.
Published: November 2023

INTRODUCTION:

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) modulate the progression of cirrhosis to hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and can affect the bacterial microbiome. However, the impact of PPI on the virome in cirrhosis using viral-like particle (VLP) analysis is unclear.

METHODS:

We determined the VLP in the stool microbiome in patients with cirrhosis cross-sectionally (ascites, HE, and PPI use analyzed) who were followed up for 6-month hospitalizations and through 2 clinical trials of PPI withdrawal and initiation.

RESULTS:

In a cross-sectional study, PPI users had greater ascites prevalence and 6-month hospitalizations, but VLP α diversity was similar. Among phages, PPI users had lower Autographviridae and higher Streptococcus phages and Herelleviridae than nonusers, whereas opposite trends were seen in ascites and HE. Trends of eukaryotic viruses (higher Adenoviridae and lower Virgaviridae/Smacoviridae) were similar for PPI, HE, and ascites. Twenty-one percent were hospitalized, mostly due to HE. α Diversity was similar in the hospitalized/nonhospitalized/not groups. Higher Gokushovirinae and lower crAssphages were related to hospitalizations such as HE-related cross-sectional VLP changes. As part of the clinical trial, PPIs were added and withdrawn in 2 different decompensated groups over 14 days. No changes in α diversity were observed. Withdrawal reduced crAssphages, and initiation reduced Gokushovirinae and Bacteroides phages.

DISCUSSION:

In cirrhosis, PPI use has a gut microbial VLP phage signature that is different from that in HE and ascites, and VLP changes are linked with hospitalizations over 6 months, independent of clinical biomarkers. Eukaryotic viral patterns were consistent across PPI use, HE, and ascites, indicating a relationship with the progression of cirrhosis. PPIs alone showed modest VLP changes with withdrawal or initiation. Distinct phage and eukaryotic viral patterns are associated with the use of PPIs in cirrhosis.
Marxian Ecology, East and West
Authors: Foster John Bellamy
Published: November 2023

Following the work of Sinologist Joseph Needham, this talk by John Bellamy Foster illuminates the conceptual linkages between the ancient Greek and Chinese thought and modern dialectical materialism and ecological civilization. This interweaving of intellectual traditions, he writes, has created a "powerful organic ecological-materialist philosophy."
La Circulación internacional del cine clásico argentino: El caso de la Film Society of Southern California (1939)
Authors: Kelly Hopfenblatt Alejandro , Morales Ivan
Published: November 2023

En 1939, Donald Gledhill, presidente de la Southern California Film Society y secretario ejecutivo de la Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, se contactó con el Instituto Nacional de Cine argentino dando lugar al primer encuentro institucional entre el cine argentino y Hollywood. El contacto resultó en la proyección de dos films argentinos en el New Review Theater de Los Ángeles: Puerta cerrada (Luis Saslavsky, 1939) y Alas de mi patria (Carlos Borcosque, 1939). En el presente artículo proponemos reconstruir este olvidado episodio de la historia del cine (trans)nacional a partir de documentos institucionales y fuentes hemerográficas que hasta el momento no habían sido considerados en la historiografía del cine argentino y latinoamericano. Las cartas enviadas entre argentinos y norteamericanos nos permitirán analizar la actuación de los agentes internacionales que intervinieron en el proceso y los factores que determinaron la imagen que se quería brindar del cine nacional. Asimismo, estas dos proyecciones nos servirán de guía para plantear los ejes fundamentales que determinaron las posibilidades de circulación internacional del cine argentino clásico, sus puntos fuertes y debilidades y el impacto que este tipo de eventos tuvo sobre su posterior desarrollo comercial.
Patent pro Historickou sociologii
Authors: Šalanda Bohuslav
Published: November 2023

Editorial
Nazi Policy of Tourism in Central Europe
Authors: Jakubec Ivan
Published: November 2023

The primary focus of this paper is on the period of tourism from 1938/39 to 1945. The intention of this paper is to present and explain the reasons and consequences of the implementation of organizational changes, as well as the impacts of the integration of tourism into the staterun economy of Nazi Germany. In this context, we evaluated the specifics of the development of tourism areas of the former Czechoslovak state (the Sudetenland, the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Slovakia). It turned out that even during the war, tourism, despite all the restrictions (legislative, territorial, time, transport, etc.) did not disappear, except in areas where war operations were taking place, and its management became an integral part of the war economy. The explanation can be seen based on the studied materials in the multilayered nature of this part of the national economy and its broad social scope. The paper is based on the study of archival unpublished materials from Czech and foreign archives and literature. The basic method used is the historical-critical method supplemented by a comparative, direct and indirect approach with an effort to capture the overall changes in the field of tourism during the war.
Konec řádu na kraji světa. K historické sociologii islandských ság
Authors: Árnason Jóhann Páll
Published: November 2023

This article discusses the historical background to the medieval Icelandic sagas. It draws on the work of Icelandic historians, especially Gunnar Karlsson, to argue that the key factor was a distinctive political order established in Iceland before the conversion to Christianity. This was not a peasant democracy, as some idealizing interpretations have suggested; it was an oligarchy sui generis, with power (and a remnant of religious authority) vested in an elite of chieftains. However, there was no executive centre. This decentralized regime left its mark on the Christianizing process; the Icelanders accepted Christianity without monarchy, and for a long time without a fully empowered Church. Together with a pronounced cultural focus on narrativity, this political context explains the rise of a vernacular literature that was in many ways influenced by Christian sources, but retained a connection to pre-Christian traditions.
Význam korespondence při výzkumu fenoménu přátelství
Authors: Klement Martin
Published: November 2023

Since antiquity, the phenomenon of friendship has attracted the attention of philosophers, theologians and, most recently, also of the representatives of many others scientific disciplines. At the beginning of this study, which interconnects the findings of sociology, philosophy and anthropology with the historiographical approaches, the problems going with the attempt to define the concept of “friendship” are presented in a systematic way. Afterward, the article deals with the question in which way a long-term correspondence can be used for the analysis of the relationship between two historical protagonists who have been considered as friends. The interpretation problems and the possible methodological approaches in researching the friendship of two correspondents are illustrated on the large complex of the letters between Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and Josef Svatopluk Machar. These letters come from 1893 to 1932 and are widely unknown for large public.
Problematika péče o děti mladší tří let v České republice
Authors: Kalitová Kristina
Published: November 2023

The article discusses theoretical and practical issues of child care for under three-yearold children. The article looks at the issue from three perspectives which affect injustices. Firstly, in terms of every day struggles for recognition, which should have been understood as full-fledged activity with appropriate social status. Secondly, in terms of redistribution of public resources and financial reward for caring for children under the age of three. Thirdly, in terms of political injustice, which will inevitably limit people’s capacity to engage in all kinds of civic and political activity. Following the Nancy Fraser’s thinking, article shows that is it necessary to understand recognition and redistribution unconditionally but in the unified horizon. The structures of injustice for children under the age of three are connected and only one of these approaches is not able to solve injustice. The article brings, with the helping hands of critical methods, new perspectives, and approaches to care issues that target breaking actions of national Czech Republic norms and remove rigid social and institutional systems and policies that structure inequality on this field.
Slovinské veřejné mínění o Jugoslávii v 80. letech 20. století a jeho reflexe v místním komunistickém vedení
Authors: Janíčko Michal
Published: November 2023

The paper examines evolution of the opinions of the Slovenian public regarding cohabitation in socialist Yugoslavia before its breakup. Data from regular Slovenian sociological surveys from 1970s and 1980s and the design of these surveys are analysed. A sudden increase of ethnic issues is observed in the questionnaire in 1987 which illustrates growth of importance of the topic even among those intellectuals who had focused on other political issues up to then. The results of the surveys show, at the same time, continually increasing ethnical sensibility and fading identification with Yugoslavia among the Slovenian public during the entire decade with an acceleration in 1987. Since the second half of that year, growing nationalism in Slovenia was extensively discussed also by the local communist elites. They, however, mostly gave in to the nationalist radicalisation and quickly absorbed it into their own attitudes.
In Memory of an Outstanding Philosopher and Historian, Seyed Javad Tabatabai
Authors: Alyasan Seyed Fazel
Published: November 2023

Obituary
10 Things I Get From You: The Benefits of Partnerships in the Pursuit of Improvement and Sustainability in Libraries
Authors: Petrak Ani
Published: November 2023

Globalization and growth in digitalization have led to a greater connectivity between individuals, groups, organizations, and libraries. This article will share ten practical outcomes from one librarian’s personal experience with partnerships. A clear example of these collaborative benefits may be seen in the Czech-German Library Next Door partnership, as well as the individual partnership between the Stadtbibliothek Chemnitz and Ústí Regional Library. Partnerships and collaborations allow all involved members to overcome their own shortcomings, strengthen others around them, and excel at their greatest strengths.
Zusammenarbeit mit Bibliotheken der Tschechischen Republik
Authors: Malz Angela
Published: November 2023

Die UB Chemnitz arbeitet seit längerer Zeit in verschiedenen Projekten mit tschechischen Bibliotheken zusammen. Als Leadpartner von zwei Projekten konnten viele Erfahrungen gesammelt werden. Besonders das Projekt „Lernraum – Bibliothekarische Informationsplattform“ brachte nachhaltige Ergebnisse. Welche Themen gemeinsam behandelt und welche Erkenntnisse aus der Zusammenarbeit gewonnen wurden, soll der Erfahrungsbericht zeigen.
A case report of diagnosis and dynamic monitoring of Listeria monocytogenes meningitis with NGS
Authors: Jiang Jiamei , Lv Meng , Yang Kaichao , Zhao Gang , Fu Yimu
Published: November 2023

Listeria monocytogenes (LM) infections of the central nervous system are deadly and have vague symptoms. Traditional cerebro spinal fluid culture has a low positive rate, and because antibiotic use is common following therapy, it is more challenging to assess the response from pathogen content. In this case, a 66-year-old man who had a fever, a headache, and vomit was admitted to the hospital. He had diabetes, decline in thyroid function, and a history of pituitary tumor removal surgery. His initial treatment with ribavirin, ceftriaxone antibiotic, and moxifloxacin did not go well. Using two etiological tests (culture and metagenomic next-generation sequencing [mNGS]), his cerebrospinal fluid tested positively for LM. Ampicillin-sulbactam and meropenem were used as treatments once LM meningitis was identified. After treatment, his cerebrospinal fluid was assessed once more. Culture: negative; targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS): positive and shows changes in the copy number of the LM. After 44 days of treatment, the patient finally stopped taking antibiotics, and the prognosis was good. Our study showed that mNGS and tNGS, as novel approaches for pathogen detection, are capable of identifying pathogens quickly, sensitively, and accurately, especially when there are few infections present (such as after antibiotic treatment). The two methods can be a powerful assistance for helping clinicians to choose the best course of action.