bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial analysis of the prevalence of abdominal obesity in middle-aged and older adult people in China: exploring the relationship with meteorological factors based on gender differences
Authors: Yin Chaohui , Yan Jinlong , Wang Junqi , Wang Tianyi , Li Hangyu , Wang Yuan , Wang Haifeng , Feng Shixing , Liang Yafeng
Published: July 2024

Background

In recent years, the incidence of abdominal obesity among the middle-aged and older adult population in China has significantly increased. However, the gender disparities in the spatial distribution of abdominal obesity incidence and its relationship with meteorological factors among this demographic in China remain unclear. This gap in knowledge highlights the need for further research to understand these dynamics and inform targeted public health strategies.

Methods

This study utilized data from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) to analyze the incidence of abdominal obesity among the middle-aged and older adult population in China. Additionally, meteorological data were collected from the National Meteorological Information Center. Using Moran’s I index and Getis-Ord Gi* statistical methods, the spatial distribution characteristics of abdominal obesity incidence were examined. The influence of various meteorological factors on the incidence of abdominal obesity in middle-aged and older adult males and females was investigated using the q statistic from the Geodetector method. Furthermore, Multi-Scale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) analysis was employed to explore the impact of meteorological factors on the spatial heterogeneity of abdominal obesity incidence from a gender perspective.

Results

The spatial distribution of abdominal obesity among middle-aged and older adult individuals in China exhibits a decreasing trend from northwest to southeast, with notable spatial autocorrelation. Hotspots are concentrated in North and Northeast China, while cold spots are observed in Southwest China. Gender differences have minimal impact on spatial clustering characteristics. Meteorological factors, including temperature, sunlight, precipitation, wind speed, humidity, and atmospheric pressure, influence incidence rates. Notably, temperature and sunlight exert a greater impact on females, while wind speed has a reduced effect. Interactions among various meteorological factors generally demonstrate bivariate enhancement without significant gender disparities. However, gender disparities are evident in the influence of specific meteorological variables such as annual maximum, average, and minimum temperatures, as well as sunlight duration and precipitation, on the spatial heterogeneity of abdominal obesity incidence.

Conclusion

Meteorological factors show a significant association with abdominal obesity prevalence in middle-aged and older adults, with temperature factors playing a prominent role. However, this relationship is influenced by gender differences and spatial heterogeneity. These findings suggest that effective public health policies should be not only gender-sensitive but also locally adapted.
Agri vs. food? Perceptions of local policymakers on agri-food policies from a multilevel approach
Authors: López-García Daniel , Cruz-Maceín Jose Luis , DiPaula Martina
Published: July 2024

In the EU, policies towards territorial development and the sustainability of agri-food systems are exemplified above all in Pillar II of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). However, policies for the promotion of sustainable food systems and networks are mainly driven by municipalities and large cities. In order to understand multi-level configurations of policies to promote Sustainable Food Systems (SFS), this paper strives to identify the challenges that municipal policymakers face in implementing sustainable agri-food policies, from a multi-level governance perspective. To this end, and through in-depth interviews and secondary documentation analysis, the policies implemented in 10 different municipalities of the Madrid Region (Spain) are studied and the challenges these municipalities are facing are analysed from a multi-scale and territorialised perspective. The following research objectives are addressed: (1) description of the type of policies implemented for the promotion of SFS and the narrative frameworks in which they are shaped; (2) identification of challenges of local policies to support SFS especially governance challenges; and (3) proposals for the promotion of sustainable food systems through a multi-level, territorialised governance perspective. The paper identifies three main axes of tension and discoordination—municipal Vs regional competences; agricultural vs. food policies; and rural vs. urban territories—that constrains the sustainability potential of multi-level agro food policies. Finally, we provide a comprehensive, sustainable scheme to assess local agri-food governance throughout a multi-level and multi-actor approach, setting interrelations between the different levels, actors and agencies involved to overcome the lock-ins identified.
Delayed Graft Function After Kidney Transplantation: The Role of Residual Diuresis and Waste Products, as Oxalic Acid and Its Precursors
Authors: Post Hospers Gideon , Visser Wesley J. , Verhoeven Jeroen G. H. P. , Laging Mirjam , Baart Sara J. , Mertens zur Borg Ingrid R. A. M. , Hesselink Dennis A. , de Mik-van Egmond Anneke M. E. , Betjes Michiel G. H. , van Agteren Madelon , Severs David , van de Wetering Jacqueline , Zietse Robert , Vos Michel J. , Kema Ido P. , Kho Marcia M. L. , Reinders Marlies E. J. , Roodnat Joke I.
Published: July 2024

Delayed graft function (DGF) after kidney transplantation heralds a worse prognosis. In patients with hyperoxaluria, the incidence of DGF is high. Oxalic acid is a waste product that accumulates when kidney function decreases. We hypothesize that residual diuresis and accumulated waste products influence the DGF incidence. Patients transplanted between 2018–2022 participated in the prospective cohort study. Pre-transplant concentrations of oxalic acid and its precursors were determined. Data on residual diuresis and other recipient, donor or transplant related variables were collected. 496 patients were included, 154 were not on dialysis. Oxalic acid, and glyoxylic acid, were above upper normal concentrations in 98.8%, and 100% of patients. Residual diuresis was ≤150 mL/min in 24% of patients. DGF occurred in 157 patients. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant influence of dialysis type, recipient BMI, donor type, age, and serum creatinine on the DGF risk. Residual diuresis and glycolic acid concentration were inversely proportionally related to this risk, glyoxylic acid directly proportionally. Results in the dialysis population showed the same results, but glyoxylic acid lacked significance. In conclusion, low residual diuresis is associated with increased DGF incidence. Possibly accumulated waste products also play a role. Pre-emptive transplantation may decrease the incidence of DGF.
Research Progress Related to Sorghum Biological Nitrification Inhibitors
Authors: Qin Fangfang , Su Hao , Sun Lei , Li Yaying
Published: July 2024

To meet the growing population’s demand for food, humans have introduced large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers into agricultural systems, resulting in highly nitrified environments in most farmland soils. In highly nitrified environments, the application of nitrogen fertilizer easily leads to the formation of nitrate (NO3−) and subsequent leaching, resulting in very low utilization rates. Moreover, nitrogen loss can cause harm to both the environment and human health, making it necessary to inhibit the nitrification process. Nitrification inhibitors can suppress nitrification, and inhibitors derived biologically from plant roots are gaining attention due to their low cost and environmental friendliness. Sorghum, as a crop capable of growing in arid environments, holds economic value and also possesses the ability to secrete biological nitrification inhibitors. This article utilizes sorghum as a case study to review different types of BNIs (MHPP, sorgoleone, and sakuranetin), their mechanisms of inhibition, and influencing factors. This article summarizes the contributions of these inhibitors in reducing N2O emissions and increasing food production, while also providing insight into future research directions for sorghum’s biological nitrification inhibitors in terms of agricultural production efficiency. BNIs are expected to play an important role in improving agricultural production and reducing environmental pollution.
A 1D Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN) Temporal Filter for Atmospheric Variability: Reducing the Sensitivity of Filtering Accuracy to Missing Data Points
Authors: Yu Dan , Kong Hoiio , Leung Jeremy Cheuk-Hin , Chan Pak Wai , Fong Clarence , Wang Yuchen , Zhang Banglin
Published: July 2024

The atmosphere exhibits variability across different time scales. Currently, in the field of atmospheric science, statistical filtering is one of the most widely used methods for extracting signals on certain time scales. However, signal extraction based on traditional statistical filters may be sensitive to missing data points, which are particularly common in meteorological data. To address this issue, this study applies a new type of temporal filters based on a one-dimensional convolution neural network (1D-CNN) and examines its performance on reducing such uncertainties. As an example, we investigate the advantages of a 1D-CNN bandpass filter in extracting quasi-biweekly-to-intraseasonal signals (10–60 days) from temperature data provided by the Hong Kong Observatory. The results show that the 1D-CNN achieves accuracies similar to a 121-point Lanczos filter. In addition, the 1D-CNN filter allows a maximum of 10 missing data points within the 60-point window length, while keeping its accuracy higher than 80% (R2 > 0.8). This indicates that the 1D-CNN model works well even when missing data points exist in the time series. This study highlights another potential for applying machine learning algorithms in atmospheric and climate research, which will be useful for future research involving incomplete time series and real-time filtering.
Implementing YOLO Convolutional Neural Network for Seed Size Detection
Authors: Pawłowski Jakub , Kołodziej Marcin , Majkowski Andrzej
Published: July 2024

The article presents research on the application of image processing techniques and convolutional neural networks (CNN) for the detection and measurement of seed sizes, specifically focusing on coffee and white bean seeds. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the potential of using CNNs to develop tools that automate seed recognition and measurement in images. A database was created, containing photographs of coffee and white bean seeds with precise annotations of their location and type. Image processing techniques and You Only Look Once v8 (YOLO) models were employed to analyze the seeds’ position, size, and type. A detailed comparison of the effectiveness and performance of the applied methods was conducted. The experiments demonstrated that the best-trained CNN model achieved a segmentation accuracy of 90.1% IoU, with an average seed size error of 0.58 mm. The conclusions indicate a significant potential for using image processing techniques and CNN models in automating seed analysis processes, which could lead to increased efficiency and accuracy in these processes.
On the Relative Φ-Growth of Hadamard Compositions of Dirichlet Series
Authors: Sheremeta Myroslav , Mulyava Oksana
Published: July 2024

For the Dirichlet series F(s)=∑n=1∞fnexp{sλn}, which is the Hadamard composition of the genus m of similar Dirichlet series Fj(s) with the same exponents, the growth with respect to the function G(s) given as the Dirichlet series is studied in terms of the Φ-type (the upper limit of MG−1(MF(σ))/Φ(σ) as σ↑A) and convergence Φ-class defined by the condition ∫σ0AΦ′(σ)MG−1(MF(σ))Φ2(σ)dσ<+∞, where MF(σ) is the maximum modulus of the function F at an imaginary line and A is the abscissa of the absolute convergence.
Atypical Sensory Processing in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Clinical Phenotypes in Preschool-Aged Children
Authors: Gigliotti Federica , Giovannone Federica , Belli Arianna , Sogos Carla
Published: July 2024

Background: Sensory processing issues are frequent in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), with very variable prevalence rates ranging from 20% to 95%. This study aimed to investigate sensory processing in preschool-aged children with NDDs, to clarify the epidemiology, and to identify associated or correlated clinical and psychometric variables. Methods: A total of 141 NDD children (age range 2–5 years old) were included and enrolled in two subgroups: 72 with ASD and 69 with other NDDs. A standardized neuropsychological evaluation was assessed (Griffiths III/WPPSI-III/Leiter-R, ADOS-2) and the parents completed the CBCL ½–5, the SPM-P, and the ADI-R. Results: Atypical sensory processing was reported in 39.7% of the total sample, more frequently in ASD (44.4%) than in other NDDs (34.8%). No statistically significant differences were found regarding gender and developmental level. A positive correlation was found between sensory processing abnormalities and behavioral problems (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Compared to other NDDs, ASDs more frequently have atypical sensory processing and appear to present a specific vulnerability in the processing of proprioceptive and vestibular inputs. Our results suggest that sensory processing difficulties should be considered regardless of developmental level and in children with behavioral problems.
Failure of Electron Beam Physical Vapor Deposited Thermal Barrier Coatings System under Cyclic Thermo-Mechanical Loading with a Thermal Gradient
Authors: Liu Liyu , Liu Delin , Cai Huangyue , Mu Rende , Yang Wenhui , He Limin
Published: July 2024

The failure mechanism of a thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) system is investigated using cyclic thermo-mechanical loading with a thermal gradient. Hollow circular cylindrical specimens are employed, consisting of a nickel-based single-crystal alloy DD6 coated with a NiCoCrAlYHf bond coat via arc-ion plating and a surface electron beam physical vapor deposited (EB-PVD) yttria-stabilized zirconia topcoat. The experimental setup allows for a surface temperature of 1130 °C and a substrate temperature of 1070 °C, while a tensile mechanical load of 200 MPa is employed to simulate the centrifugal stress in the middle of the high-pressure turbine blade. The comparison between TBCs with and without mechanical loading implies that the coupled thermo-mechanical load significantly promotes coating spallation since the superposition of mechanical strain enhances the local tensile stress at the peak region of the topcoat/thermally grown oxides (TGOs) interface. A subsequent interfacial morphology analysis demonstrates that the topcoat/TGO interface exhibited a degradation in the direction parallel to the mechanical loading axis. For all the specimens, TGO comprises a duplex structure, consisting of outer spinel and inner α-Al2O3.
Comment on Cárdenas-García, J.F. Info-Autopoiesis and the Limits of Artificial General Intelligence. Computers 2023, 12, 102
Authors: Damaševičius Robertas
Published: July 2024

In the article by Jaime F [...]
Midazolam Indications and Dosing in Palliative Medicine: Results from a Multinational Survey
Authors: Tranung Morten , Solheim Tora Skeidsvoll , Løhre Erik Torbjørn , Marsaa Kristoffer , Faksvåg Haugen Dagny , Laird Barry , Thronæs Morten , Due Larsen Michael
Published: July 2024

Despite sparse evidence and limited guidance on indications, use, and dosing, midazolam is widely used in palliative care. We aimed to describe and compare the use of midazolam in three different countries to improve clinical practice in palliative care. We performed an online survey among palliative care physicians in Norway, Denmark, and the United Kingdom (UK). The focus was indications, dosing, administration, and concomitant drugs. A web-based questionnaire was distributed to members of the respective national palliative medicine associations. The total response rate was 9.4%. Practices in the UK, Norway, and Denmark were overall similar regarding the indications of midazolam for anxiety, dyspnoea, and pain treatment in combination with opioids. However, physicians in the UK used a higher starting dose for anxiety, dyspnoea, and pain treatment compared to Norway and Denmark, as well as a higher maximum dose. Danish physicians preferred, to a higher degree, on-demand midazolam administration. Despite practice similarities in the UK, Norway, and Denmark, differences exist for midazolam dosing and administration in palliative medicine. We demonstrated a lack of consensus on how midazolam should be used in palliative care, setting the stage for future studies on the topic.
Correlates of Loneliness and Social Isolation among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Comprehensive Assessment from a National United States Sample
Authors: Pica Miguel G. , Grullon Jason R. , Wong Roger
Published: July 2024

This study examined the correlates of loneliness and social isolation among older adults in the United States (U.S.) during the COVID-19 outbreak. We analyzed data from the 2020 National Health and Aging Trends Study, a nationally representative sample of 3257 U.S. older adults aged 65 years and older. We analyzed and identified the sociodemographic, health, social support, and community correlates of loneliness, higher loneliness during versus before the COVID-19 outbreak, and social isolation using weighted multiple logistic regression models. About 35.2% of U.S. older adults reported loneliness during the COVID-19 outbreak, 21.9% reported higher loneliness compared to before the COVID-19 outbreak, and 32.8% were socially isolated during the outbreak. Correlates for increased odds of loneliness included female gender, higher education, physical activity, depression, anxiety, functional limitations, and virtual communication access (only for higher loneliness during COVID-19 outbreak). Correlates for increased odds of social isolation included higher age, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, higher number of household children, and metropolitan residence. Our findings provide insights into evidence-based approaches to address social disconnection among U.S. older adults. The wide range of sociodemographic, health, social support, and community correlates identified in this study warrants multifaceted interventions that traverse individual, community, and societal levels to address the loneliness and social isolation epidemic.
China’s Stock Market under COVID-19: From the Perspective of Behavioral Finance
Authors: Li Kaizheng , Jiang Xiaowen
Published: July 2024

As a colossal developing economy, irrational, and inefficient trades broadly exist in China’s stock market and are intensified by the once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic. This atypical but prominent event enhances systemic risk and requires a more effective analysis tool that adapts to the investors’ sentiment and behavior. Based on the behavioral asset pricing model, this paper verifies the existence of noise traders in China’s stock market, measures the intensity of the noise with the NTR indicator, and examines the market noise with IANM. Furthermore, the mechanism of how COVID-19 influences the market noise through investors’ behaviors is analyzed with the event study method. The findings show that, based on 92 Chinese companies, the market noise significantly exists, and the noise is associated with psychological biases including over-confidence, herding effects and regret aversion. These biases are affected to varying degrees by COVID-19-related events, leading to notable implications for market stability and investor behavior during crises. Our study provides critical insights for policymakers and investors on managing market risks and understanding behavioral impacts during unprecedented events.
Do Not Worry That Generative AI May Compromise Human Creativity or Intelligence in the Future: It Already Has
Authors: Sternberg Robert J.
Published: July 2024

Technology alters both perceptions of human intelligence and creativity and the actual processes of intelligence and creativity. Skills that were once important for human intelligence, for example, computational ones, no longer hold anywhere near the same importance they did before the age of computers. The advantage of computers is that they may lead us to focus on what we believe to be more important things than what they have replaced. In the case of penmanship, spelling, or arithmetic computation, such an argument could bear fruit. But in the case of human creativity, the loss of creative skills and attitudes may be a long-term loss to humanity. Generative AI is replicative. It can recombine and re-sort ideas, but it is not clear that it will generate the kinds of paradigm-breaking ideas the world needs right now to solve the serious problems that confront it, such as global climate change, pollution, violence, increasing income disparities, and creeping autocracy.
Impacts of Local Government Perceptions of Disaster Risks on Land Resilience Planning Implementation
Authors: Kim Soyoung , Andrew Simon A. , Ramirez de la Cruz Edgar , Kim Woo-Je , Feiock Richard Clark
Published: July 2024

Local government managers play a critical role in sustainability and climate adaptation planning, and in relation to land-use policy, but little is known about how managers’ hazard risk concerns influence the implementation of resilience policy or how this relationship may vary across different landscapes and types of hazards. Linking managers’ disaster concerns to their planning choices is particularly relevant to resilience planning for adaptation to climate change, since greenhouse gas emissions are global but the harms produced by climate change are local. Moreover, climate adaptation planning encompasses risks from multiple hazards. For a sample of cities in the state of Florida, USA, we report the findings of empirical analysis of the relationships between local government managers’ hazard-specific climate-related disaster concerns and their resilience-planning priorities for four types of hazards: river flooding, sea-level rise, storm surge and hurricane/tornado winds. Drawing on data from a survey of local disaster managers and policy data on the implementation of adaptation-planning actions, the link between managers’ concerns and plan implementation is identified and compared across communities and across types of hazards. The pooled logit regression results reveal that the differences observed among these hazards persist even after controlling for objective risks and relevant community characteristics. We discuss the nature of the differences across four hazards and explore the implications of the findings for the literature on land use and climate adaptation and for the education of local government managers.
Short-Term Comparison of Switching to Brolucizumab or Faricimab from Aflibercept in Neovascular AMD Patients
Authors: Kin Akiko , Mizukami Takahiro , Ueno Satoru , Mishima Soichiro , Shimomura Yoshikazu
Published: July 2024

Background and Objectives: In this study, our objective was to assess and compare the changes in visual and structural outcomes among patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) who were switched from intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) to either intravitreal brolucizumab (IVBr) or intravitreal faricimab (IVF) injections in a clinical setting. Materials and Methods: This observational clinical study included 20 eyes of 20 patients switched to brolucizumab and 15 eyes of 14 patients switched to faricimab from aflibercept in eyes with nAMD. We measured the structural outcome (central macular thickness (CMT)) and the visual outcome (best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA); logMAR) as follows: just before the most recent IVA injection (B0), one month after the most recent IVA injection (B1), just before the first IVBr or IVF injection (A0), one month after (A1) and three months after (A3) the first IVBr or IVF injection. Results: BCVA showed significant improvement at A1 (0.25 ± 0.34) and at A3 (0.19 ± 0.24) compared to A0 (0.38 ± 0.35) in the IVBr group (p = 0.0156, p = 0.0166, respectively). CMT (μm) was significantly thinner at A1 (IVBr: 240.55 ± 51.82, IVF: 234.91 ± 47.29) and at A3 (IVBr: 243.21 ± 76.15, IVF: 250.50 ± 72.61) compared to at A0 (IVBr: 303.55 ± 79.18, IVF: 270.33 ± 77.62) in the IVBr group (A1: p = 0.0093, A3: p = 0.0026) and in the IVF group (A1: p = 0.0161, A3: p = 0.0093). There was no significant difference in BCVA and CMT improvement observed between two groups at any time point (p > 0.05 for all). Conclusions: Switching from aflibercept to either brolucizumab or faricimab has a significant anatomical effect in eyes with nAMD and both treatments appear to be effective short-term treatment options. There is a trend towards greater visual improvements and reductions in CMT with brolucizumab.
Transcriptional Regulation of the Genes Encoding Branched-Chain Aminotransferases in Kluyveromyces lactis and Lachancea kluyveri Is Independent of Chromatin Remodeling
Authors: González James , Quezada Héctor , Campero-Basaldua Jose Carlos , Ramirez-González Édgar , Riego-Ruiz Lina , González Alicia
Published: July 2024

In yeasts, the Leu3 transcriptional factor regulates the expression of genes encoding enzymes of the leucine biosynthetic pathway, in which the first committed step is catalyzed by α-isopropylmalate synthase (α-IPMS). This enzyme is feedback inhibited by leucine, and its product, α-isopropylmalate (α-IPM), constitutes a Leu3 co-activator. In S. cerevisiae, the ScBAT1 and ScBAT2 genes encode branched-chain aminotransferase isozymes. ScBAT1 transcriptional activation is dependent on the α-IPM concentration and independent of chromatin organization, while that of ScBAT2 is α-IPM-independent but dependent on chromatin organization. This study aimed at understanding whether chromatin remodeling determines the transcriptional regulation of orthologous KlBAT1 and LkBAT1 genes in Kluyveromyces lactis and Lachancea kluyveri under conditions in which the branched-chain amino acids are synthesized or degraded. The results indicate that, in K. lactis, KlBAT1 expression is reduced under catabolic conditions, while in L. kluyveri, LkBAT1 displays a constitutive expression profile. The chromatin organization of KlBAT1 and LkBAT1 promoters did not change, maintaining the Leu3-binding sites free of nucleosomes. Comparison of the α-IPMS sensitivities to feedback inhibition suggested that the main determinant of transcriptional activation of the KlBAT1 and LkBAT1 genes might be the availability of the α-IPM co-activator, as reported previously for the ScBAT1 gene of S. cerevisiae.
Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Small Fluorescent Molecules with a 1,1-Dimethylnaphthalen-2-(1H)-One Core
Authors: Wang Zhengyang , Wang Shuting , Zhang Yuexing , Ma Mingliang
Published: July 2024

A series of fluorescent molecules with 1,1-dimethylnaphthalene-2(1H)-one as the core were synthesized to overcome aggregation quenching and emit bright green fluorescence. The low molecular weight of these molecules led to them to smoothly pass through the cell membrane and penetrate deep into the nucleus to emit the corresponding fluorescence. Among them, NC-4-Br and NC-5-3O have good optical and in vitro properties and showed potential for use as fluorescent probes.
An Innovative Vortex-Assisted Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Approach Using Deep Eutectic Solvent: Application for the Spectrofluorometric Determination of Rhodamine B in Water, Food and Cosmetic Samples
Authors: Kakalejčíková Sofia , Bazeľ Yaroslav , Le Thi Van Anh , Fizer Maksym
Published: July 2024

A new green and highly sensitive method for the determination of rhodamine B (RhB) by deep eutectic solvent-based vortex-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction with fluorescence detection (DES-VALLME-FLD) was developed. The extraction efficiency of conventional solvents and different deep eutectic solvent (DES) systems composed of tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) and an alcohol (hexanol, octanol, or decanol) in different ratios were compared. DFT calculations of intermolecular electrostatic and non-covalent interactions of the most stable RhB forms with DES and water explain the experimental DESs’ extraction efficiency. Semiempirical PM7 computations were used to obtain Hansen solubility parameters, which supported the good solubility of the monocationic RhB form in selected DESs. The dependence of the linear calibration of microextraction into 100 µL DES was observed in the RhB calibration range from 0.2 to 10.0 µg L−1 with a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.9991. The LOD value was calculated to be 0.023 µg L−1. The accuracy and precision of the proposed method were verified over two days with RSD values of 2.9 to 4.1% and recovery of 94.6 to 103.7%. The developed method was applied to the determination of RhB in real samples (tap water, energy drink, and lipstick).
The Effect of Technological Conditions on ABE Fermentation and Butanol Production of Rye Straw and the Composition of Volatile Compounds
Authors: Dziemianowicz Wojciech , Kotarska Katarzyna , Świerczyńska Anna
Published: July 2024

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pretreatment and different technological conditions on the course of ABE fermentation of rye straw (RS) and the composition of volatile compounds in the distillates obtained. The highest concentration of ABE and butanol was obtained from the fermentation of pretreated rye straw by alkaline hydrolysis followed by detoxification and enzymatic hydrolysis. After 72 h of fermentation, the maximum butanol concentration, productivity, and yield from RS were 16.11 g/L, 0.224 g/L/h, and 0.402 g/g, respectively. Three different methods to produce butanol were tested: the two-step process (SHF), the simultaneous process (SSF), and simultaneous saccharification with ABE fermentation (consolidation SHF/SSF). The SHF/SSF process observed that ABE concentration (21.28 g/L) was higher than in the SSF (20.03 g/L) and lower compared with the SHF (22.21 g/L). The effect of the detoxification process and various ABE fermentation technologies on the composition of volatile compounds formed during fermentation and distillation were analyzed.
Assembly of Homochiral Magneto-Optical Dy6 Triangular Clusters by Fixing Carbon Dioxide in the Air
Authors: Liu Cai-Ming , Hao Xiang , Li Xi-Li
Published: July 2024

A new hydrazone Schiff base bridging ligand (H2LSchiff (E)-N′-((1-hydroxynaphthalen-2-yl)methylene)pyrazine-2-carbohydrazide) and L/D-proline were used to construct a pair of homochiral Dy6 cluster complexes, [Dy6(CO3)(L-Pro)6(LSchiff)4(HLSchiff)2]·5DMA·2H2O (L-1, L-HPro = L-proline; DMA = N,N-dimethylacetamide) and [Dy6(CO3)(D-Pro)6(LSchiff)4(HLSchiff)2]·5DMA·2H2O (D-1, D-HPro = D-proline), which show a novel triangular Dy6 topology. Notably, the fixation of CO2 in the air formed a carbonato central bridge, playing a key role in assembling L-1/D-1. Magnetic measurements revealed that L-1/D-1 displays intramolecular ferromagnetic coupling and magnetic relaxation behaviours. Furthermore, L-1/D-1 shows a distinct magneto-optical Faraday effect and has a second harmonic generation (SHG) response (1.0 × KDP) at room temperature. The results show that the immobilization of CO2 provides a novel pathway for homochiral multifunctional 4f cluster complexes.
Gearbox Fault Diagnosis Based on MSCNN-LSTM-CBAM-SE
Authors: He Chao , Yasenjiang Jarula , Lv Luhui , Xu Lihua , Lan Zhigang
Published: July 2024

Ensuring the safety of mechanical equipment, gearbox fault diagnosis is crucial for the stable operation of the whole system. However, existing diagnostic methods still have limitations, such as the analysis of single-scale features and insufficient recognition of global temporal dependencies. To address these issues, this article proposes a new method for gearbox fault diagnosis based on MSCNN-LSTM-CBAM-SE. The output of the CBAM-SE module is deeply integrated with the multi-scale features from MSCNN and the temporal features from LSTM, constructing a comprehensive feature representation that provides richer and more precise information for fault diagnosis. The effectiveness of this method has been validated with two sets of gearbox datasets and through ablation studies on this model. Experimental results show that the proposed model achieves excellent performance in terms of accuracy and F1 score, among other metrics. Finally, a comparison with other relevant fault diagnosis methods further verifies the advantages of the proposed model. This research offers a new solution for accurate fault diagnosis of gearboxes.
Finite Element Simulation Model of Metallic Thermal Conductivity Detectors for Compact Air Pollution Monitoring Devices
Authors: Mallah Josée , Occhipinti Luigi G.
Published: July 2024

Air pollution has been associated with several health problems. Detecting and measuring the concentration of harmful pollutants present in complex air mixtures has been a long-standing challenge, due to the intrinsic difficulty of distinguishing among these substances from interferent species and environmental conditions, both indoor and outdoor. Despite all efforts devoted by the scientific and industrial communities to tackling this challenge, the availability of suitable device technologies able to selectively discriminate these pollutants present in the air at minute, yet dangerous, concentrations and provide a quantitative measure of their concentrations is still an unmet need. Thermal conductivity detectors (TCDs) show promising characteristics that make them ideal gas sensing tools capable of recognising different gas analytes based on their physical fingerprint characteristics at the molecular level, such as their density, thermal conductivity, dynamic viscosity, and others. In this paper, the operation of TCD gas sensors is presented and explored using a finite element simulation of Joule heating in a sensing electrode placed in a gas volume. The results obtained show that the temperature, and hence, the resistance of the individual suspended microbridge sensor device, depends on the surrounding gas and its thermal conductivity, while the sensitivity and power consumption depend on the properties of the constitutive metal. Moreover, the electrode resistance is proven to be linearly dependent on the applied voltage.
Beam-Hopping-Based Resource Allocation in Integrated Satellite-Terrestrial Networks
Authors: Zhang Mengying , Yang Xiumei , Bu Zhiyong
Published: July 2024

The integrated satellite-terrestrial network (ISTN) provides a promising solution to achieve high-data-rate and ubiquitous connectivity in next-generation communication networks. Considering the scarce spectrum resources and unevenly distributed traffic demands, we investigate the resource allocation algorithms for ISTNs, where the beam-hopping (BH)-based satellite system and terrestrial systems share the same frequency band. Taking advantage of the scheduling flexibility of BH technology, the dynamical protection zones are constructed to avoid co-channel interference and improve the spectrum efficiency. Since both spectrum efficiency and user fairness are the key optimization indexes in practical systems, two resource allocation problems are formulated to maximize the weighted sum of capacity (MWSC) and maximize the minimum capacity-to-demand ratio (MMCDR) of ISTNs, respectively. By reformulating the problems as mixed-integer linear programming problems, optimal solutions are obtained. To reduce the computational complexity, two greedy suboptimal algorithms are proposed for the MWSC and MMCDR, respectively. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithms achieve higher spectrum efficiency and guarantee fairness between the satellite and terrestrial systems. It is also shown that both the greedy algorithms perform similarly to the optimal algorithms while having much lower complexity.
Maternal Exposure to Ozone and the Risk of Birth Defects: A Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Study in Southwestern China
Authors: Li Yi , Zhou Chunbei , Liu Jun , Mao Deqiang , Wang Zihao , Li Qunying , Wu Yunyun , Zhang Jie , Zhang Qi
Published: July 2024

A few studies have explored the relationship between air pollution exposure and the risk of birth defects; however, the ozone-related (O3) effects on preconception and first-trimester exposures are still unknown. In this time-stratified case-crossover study, conditional logistic regressions were applied to explore the associations between O3 exposure and the risk of birth defects in Chongqing, China, and stratified analyses were constructed to evaluate the modifiable factors. A total of 6601 cases of birth defects were diagnosed, of which 56.16% were male. O3 exposure was associated with an increased risk of birth defects, and the most significant estimates were observed in the first month before pregnancy: a 10 ug/m3 increase of O3 was related to an elevation of 4.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.4–5.1%]. The associations between O3 exposure and congenital malformations and deformations of the musculoskeletal system were statistically significant during almost all exposure periods. Pregnant women with lower education and income, and from rural areas, were more susceptible to O3 exposure, with the strongest odds ratios (ORs) of 1.066 (95%CI, 1.046–1.087), 1.086 (95%CI, 1.034–1.140), and 1.053 (95%CI, 1.034–1.072), respectively. Our findings highlight the health risks of air pollution exposure and raise awareness of pregnant women’s vulnerability and the susceptibility window period.
Biochar Amendments and Phytoremediation: A Combined Approach for Effective Lead Removal in Shooting Range Soils
Authors: Maceiras Rocio , Perez-Rial Leticia , Alfonsin Victor , Feijoo Jorge , Lopez Ignacio
Published: July 2024

The increasing contamination of soil with heavy metals poses a problem to environmental sustainability. Among these pollutants, lead is particularly concerning due to its persistence in the environment, with harmful effects on human health and ecosystems. Various strategies that combine phytoremediation techniques with soil amendments have emerged to mitigate lead contamination. In this context, biochar has gained significant attention for its potential to enhance soil quality and remediate metal-contaminated environments. This study aims to investigate the combined effect of biochar amendments on the phytoremediation of lead-contaminated shooting range soils. A series of experiments were conducted to determine the impact of the amount and distribution of biochar on lead removal from soil. Soil samples were incubated with biochar for one week, after which two types of seeds (Brassica rapa and Lolium perenne) were planted. Plant and root lengths, as well as the number of germinated seeds, were measured, and a statistical analysis was conducted to determine the influence of the amendments. After one month, the Pb concentration decreased by more than 70%. Our results demonstrate that seed germination and plant growth were significantly better in soil samples where biochar was mixed rather than applied superficially, with the optimal performance observed at a 10% wt. biochar amendment. Additionally, the combined use of biochar and phytoremediation proved highly effective in immobilizing lead and reducing its bioavailability. These findings suggest that the combination of biochar, particularly when mixed at appropriate concentrations, and Brassica rapa significantly improved lead removal efficiency.
Can Support Groups Improve Treatment Adherence and Reduce Sexual Risk Behavior among Young People Living with HIV? Results from a Cohort Study in South Africa
Authors: Thurman Tonya R. , Luckett Brian , Zani Babalwa , Nice Johanna , Taylor Tory M.
Published: July 2024

Adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYLHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa experience poorer HIV outcomes than adults, including lower ART adherence and virologic suppression. They also have high rates of unprotected sex, increasing the risk of adverse sexual health outcomes and onward transmission. This one-arm, pre–post study investigates a structured 14-session support group aiming to boost treatment adherence and sexual protective behavior for AYLHIV in South Africa. Logistic and Poisson regression analyses were performed on self-reported pre- and post-intervention survey data collected approximately 7.5 months apart from a cohort of 548 AYLHIV. Participants were significantly more likely to report at least 95% adherence at follow-up and rate their health as “good;” they also demonstrated greater treatment knowledge and had fewer absences from school overall and due to illness. Among sexually active AYLHIV, contraception use at last sex increased significantly, while condom use did not. Effects were small, and greater programmatic emphasis on adherence and multifaceted service packages is likely necessary to promote viral suppression. Nonetheless, the intervention addresses an important gap in service provision for AYLHIV in South Africa. Findings denote the potential for incorporating care and treatment components into sexual and reproductive health interventions tailored for AYLHIV.
Urban Gardening—How Safe Is It?
Authors: Hubai Katalin , Kováts Nora , Eck-Varanka Bettina
Published: July 2024

Urban gardening has become more and more popular in recent years, as people might prefer to grow their own vegetables from controlled sources. In addition, community building also plays a key role. However, air pollution in settlements is a serious hazard affecting the quality of home-grown vegetables. During the vegetation period, traffic is the main factor generating atmospheric particulate matter. These particles will, in turn, bind to potentially toxic compounds, of which heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the most widely studied and discussed. In addition to their potential toxicity, both groups contain carcinogenic species. Heavy metals, as well as PAHs, are capable of bioaccumulation, depending on the element or compound’s characteristics and the vegetable species. Some leafy vegetables can accumulate these toxic materials in significant quantities. As dietary uptake is considered the major exposure route of both heavy metals and PAHs, the consumption of impacted vegetables might even pose human health risks. This recent review summarises available data reported on heavy metal and PAH accumulation in urban environments, specified by vegetable species. Also, the assessment of possible human impact is given.
Pengaruh Kepatuhan Discharge Planning terhadap Gambaran Nilai Kreatinin Pasien Hemodialisa di RSUD dr.H.Chasan Boesoirie Ternate
Authors: Doa Nunung Iriani , Anwar Nursanti
Published: July 2024

Kidney failure can occur when the function of kidneys is disrupted, making them unable to discrete metabolic waste from food. Patients with terminal kidney failure undergoing hemodialysis needs to have concerns on several aspects. Dialysis or hemodialysis is blood cleaning process using dialyzer that acts as an artificial kidney to excrete the accumulated waste from the body. The waste includes substances dissolved in the blood, such as urea and potassium toxins, or their solvents, including water or blood serum. Thus, patients should comply with discharge planning to keep their condition stable as they undergo regular hemodialysis. This research examined the creatinine levels of patients with kidney failure undergoing Hemodialysis at dr. H. Chasan Boesoirie Ternate Regional Hospital.  In this quasi-experiment research, 32 purposively-selected samples were assigned into experimental group and control group. An observation checklist on discharge planning was used as the data collection instrument, which data were then analyzed in Mann whitney t test. Statistical outcomes were obtained, showing Asymp.Sig (2-tailed) value of 0.318 greater than p value 0.05. It can be inferred that there was no significant difference in the creatinine levels between experimental group and control group.
Pengaruh Pemusatan Perhatian (Mindfulness) terhadap Koping Keluarga Pasien Skizofrenia
Authors: Ria Hendriyani Kadek , Widjanegara I Gede , Sumirta I Nengah
Published: July 2024

The addition of the role of caring for patients at home can cause a burden on the family. If the family is burdened, it is possible that the family is unable to use adaptive coping. Mindfulness can help families improve effective coping in a more focused way, so this study wanted to find out the effect of mindfulness on the coping of families of schizophrenic patients in the working area of the Abang 1 Public Health Center. The population in this study were families with one family member experiencing Schizophrenia in the working area of the Abang 1 Health Center with a total number of family members experiencing schizophrenia recorded 66 families with the sample used, namely 34 respondents. The research design that has been carried out uses a pre-experimental design. This study has used the one-group pre-post test design approach. The research sampling technique that has been used is the non-probability sampling technique with purposive sampling. The type of data collected in this study is divided into 2, namely primary data and secondary data. The instrument used was a questionnaire that was distributed online in the form of a Google form. The data analysis used was correlative analysis, and the bivariate analysis used was the paired t-test test. The pre-test results showed that the majority of respondents had family coping included in the maladaptive category of 58,8%. The results of the post-test are that all respondents (100%) have family coping included in the adaptive category. The significance value is 0.000 (p less than0.05), which means that there is an effect of providing mindfulness interventions on family coping.
Does Surgical Nurses’ Commitment to the Profession Affect Their Attitudes to Patient Safety? A Descriptive Study
Authors: Çeçen Çamlı Dilek , Barluk Elif
Published: July 2024

Background: Nursing is a profession group where professional commitment is very important. Nurses with high professional commitment considered that they provide patient benefit in their jobs and to be more motivated by the profession. Positive attitudes and practices towards patient safety are very important due to the nature of surgical nursing.
Objective: The study was designed to examine the effect of surgical nurses professional commitment on patient safety.
Methods: The study was conducted using cross-sectional and descriptive design. Two hundred and seventy-two nurses included the study who is working in surgical units of a university and a public hospital was included in the study between May-June 2019. The instruments for data collection were 'Nurse Description Form' and 'Patient Safety Information Form', Nursing Professional Commitment Scale (NPCS) and Patient Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (PSAQ) were obtained. In the analysis of the data was used in SPSS 15.0 statistical package program.
Results: The average of NPCS was 73.91 ± 11.98, and the mean of PSAQ was 159.58 ± 26.38. There were significant difference between the nurses' age, working year and institution studied whit Willingness to Effort. There were significant difference between the nurses' age and the institution with the NPCS. There was a significant difference between nurses' professional year and teamwork, safety climate, stress diagnostic sub-dimensions and total mean scores of PSAQ.
Conclusions: In the study, a positive and moderate relationship was found between surgical nurses' perception of commitment to profession and patient safety attitude. Professional Commitment to the profession in nursing was found to be an important factor in explaining the patient safety attitude, which was a dependent variable.
Key Words: Surgical Nursing, Professional Commitment, Patient Safety,