bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimising adherence to secondary prevention medications following acute coronary syndrome utilising telehealth cardiology pharmacist clinics: a matched cohort study
Authors: Livori Adam C. , Pol Derk , Levkovich Bianca , Oqueli Ernesto
Published: March 2023

Background

Adherence to secondary prevention medications following acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is a predictor of future major adverse cardiovascular events. Underutilisation of these medications is associated with higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events globally.

Aim

To explore the effects of a telehealth cardiology pharmacist clinic on patient adherence to secondary prevention medications in the 12 months following ACS.

Method

Retrospective matched cohort study within a large regional health service comparing patient populations before and after implementation of pharmacist clinic with 12-month follow up. Patients who received percutaneous coronary intervention for ACS were consulted by the pharmacist at 1, 3- and 12-months. Matching criteria included age, sex, presence of left ventricular dysfunction and ACS type. Primary outcome was difference in adherence in adherence at 12 months post ACS. Secondary outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events at 12 months and validation of self-reported adherence using medication possession ratios from pharmacy dispensing records.

Results

There were 156 patients in this study (78 matched pairs). Analysis of adherence at 12 months demonstrated an absolute increase in adherence by 13% (31 vs. 44%, p = 0.038). Furthermore, sub-optimal medical therapy (less than 3 ACS medication groups at 12 months) reduced by 23% (31 vs. 8%, p = 0.004).

Conclusion

This novel intervention significantly improved adherence to secondary prevention medications at 12 months, a demonstrated contributor to clinical outcomes. Primary and secondary outcomes in the intervention group were both statistically significant. Pharmacist-led follow up improves adherence and patient outcomes.
Maximum softly-penalized likelihood for mixed effects logistic regression
Authors: Sterzinger Philipp , Kosmidis Ioannis
Published: March 2023

Maximum likelihood estimation in logistic regression with mixed effects is known to often result in estimates on the boundary of the parameter space. Such estimates, which include infinite values for fixed effects and singular or infinite variance components, can cause havoc to numerical estimation procedures and inference. We introduce an appropriately scaled additive penalty to the log-likelihood function, or an approximation thereof, which penalizes the fixed effects by the Jeffreys’ invariant prior for the model with no random effects and the variance components by a composition of negative Huber loss functions. The resulting maximum penalized likelihood estimates are shown to lie in the interior of the parameter space. Appropriate scaling of the penalty guarantees that the penalization is soft enough to preserve the optimal asymptotic properties expected by the maximum likelihood estimator, namely consistency, asymptotic normality, and Cramér-Rao efficiency. Our choice of penalties and scaling factor preserves equivariance of the fixed effects estimates under linear transformation of the model parameters, such as contrasts. Maximum softly-penalized likelihood is compared to competing approaches on two real-data examples, and through comprehensive simulation studies that illustrate its superior finite sample performance.
Can Regulation Affect the Solvency of Insurers? New Evidence from European Insurers
Authors: Siopi Evaggelia , Poufinas Thomas , Chen James Ming , Agiropoulos Charalampos
Published: March 2023

Successive crises in the early twenty-first century prompted regulators around the world to ask financial institutions to implement a series of regulations. These measures aimed to increase transparency, improve consumer and investor protection, restructure financial capital, stabilize insurance and pension markets, and improve solvency. The Solvency II framework introduced in the European Union applied these principles to insurance companies. This study attempts to predict the solvency of an insurer within a set of European insurers. The dataset consists of 29 insurance groups that operate across the European Union with a country of origin within the European Union for the period 2016 to 2020. The variables were constructed from annual financial statements retrieved from (Thomson Reuters) DataStream. The solvency capital requirement ratios were obtained manually from the solvency financial condition reports of each group. Regularized linear regression applying a ℓ1/ least-absolute-shrinkage-and-selection-operator penalty showed that the reinvestment rate, cash and equivalents, long term investment, and losses-benefits-and-adjustments expenses have the greatest predictive impact on the solvency of insurers. The contribution of this paper lies in the identification of determinants that allow insurance companies to maintain strong solvency capital requirement ratios so that they can maintain internal operations with minimal interruption.
Graphene-based versus alumina supports on CO2 methanation using lanthanum-promoted nickel catalysts
Authors: Méndez-Mateos David , Barrio V. Laura , Requies Jesús M. , Gil-Calvo Miryam
Published: March 2023

The valorization of CO2 as a biofuel, transforming it through methanation as part of the power-to-gas (P2G) process, will allow the reduction of the net emissions of this gas to the atmosphere. Catalysts with 13 wt.% of nickel (Ni) loading incorporated into alumina and graphene derivatives were used, and the effect of the support on the activity was examined at temperatures between 498 and 773 K and 10 bar of pressure. Among the graphene-based catalysts (13Ni/AGO, 13Ni/BGO, 13Ni/rGO, 13Ni-Ol/GO, 13Ni/Ol-GO, and 13Ni/Ol-GO Met), the highest methane yield was found for 13Ni/rGO (78% at 810 K), being the only system comparable to the catalyst supported on alumina 13Ni/Al2O3 (89.5% at 745 K). The incorporation of 14 wt.% of lanthanum (La) into the most promising supports, rGO and alumina, led to nickel-support interactions that enhanced the catalytic activity of 13Ni/Al2O3 (89.5% at lower temperature, 727 K) but was not effective for 13Ni/rGO. The resistance against deactivation by H2S poisoning was also studied for these catalysts, and a fast deactivation was observed. In addition, activity recovery was impossible despite the regeneration treatment carried out over catalysts. The resistance against deactivation by H2S poisoning was also studied for these catalysts, observing that both suffered a rapid/immediate deactivation and which in addition/unfortunately was impossible to solve despite the regeneration treatment carried out over catalysts.
Spatiotemporal analysis of the surface urban heat island (SUHI), air pollution and disease pattern: an applied study on the city of Granada (Spain)
Authors: Hidalgo-García David , Arco-Díaz Julián
Published: March 2023

There is worldwide concern about how climate change —which involves rising temperatures— may increase the risk of contracting and developing diseases, reducing the quality of life. This study provides new research that takes into account parameters such as land surface temperature (LST), surface urban heat island (SUHI), urban hotspot (UHS), air pollution (SO2, NO2, CO, O3 and aerosols), the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the normalized difference building index (NDBI) and the proportion of vegetation (PV) that allows evaluating environmental quality and establishes mitigation measures in future urban developments that could improve the quality of life of a given population. With the help of Sentinel 3 and 5P satellite images, we studied these variables in the context of Granada (Spain) during the year 2021 to assess how they may affect the risk of developing diseases (stomach, colorectal, lung, prostate and bladder cancer, dementia, cerebrovascular disease, liver disease and suicide). The results, corroborated by the statistical analysis using the Data Panel technique, indicate that the variables LST, SUHI and daytime UHS, NO2, SO2 and NDBI have important positive correlations above 99% (p value: 0.000) with an excess risk of developing these diseases. Hence, the importance of this study for the formulation of healthy policies in cities and future research that minimizes the excess risk of diseases.
Basics of the LSPR Sensors for Soft Matter at Interfaces
Authors: Zhdanov Vladimir P.
Published: March 2023

An important class of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)–based sensors implies the fabrication of an array of plasmonic metal nanoparticles on the support in combination with a thin protective dielectric layer. If needed, this layer can be covered, e.g., by a suitable thin biological layer, e.g., a lipid bilayer with receptors. The attachment of analyte (e.g., protein molecules or vesicles) to such interfaces is tracked via its indirect optical effect on the LSPR-related peak extinction wavelength. Such sensors have been commercialized and are now used to study biological soft matter. The length scale of the local field able in probing analyte around plasmonic nanoparticles is in this case on the order of 20 nm. Conceptually, these LSPR sensors are similar to the SPR sensors which were developed much earlier. Herein, the similarities and differences in the formalisms used to interpret SPR and LSPR measurements are discussed in detail. In particular, the exponential and power-law attenuation functions employed in these formalisms to describe the drop of the field are compared from various perspectives. The applicability of the power-law attenuation function in the context of LSPR is illustrated by using a generic model describing spherically shaped plasmonic metal nanoparticles. This model is also employed to illustrate the sensitivity of LSPR sensors with respect to various quantities. Among more specific results, the available expressions for the signal reduction factor for analyte nanoparticles of various shapes are collected and complemented by new ones. In addition, the equation describing the LSPR signal related to analyte attachment to a rough surface is presented.
The Influence of Different Dimensions of the Parent–Child Relationship in Childhood as Longitudinal Predictors of Substance Use in Late Adolescence. The Mediating Role of Self-Control
Authors: Rodríguez-Ruiz Joaquín , Zych Izabela , Ribeaud Denis , Steinhoff Annekatrin , Eisner Manuel , Quednow Boris B. , Shanahan Lilly
Published: March 2023

This study examined longitudinal links between several dimensions of parent–child relationship and adolescent substance use, and tested the role of self-control in mediating these. Data came from the Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood. Validated questionnaires were used to measure parent–child domains at age 11, self-control at age 13, and substance use at ages 13, 15, 17, and 20. Low positive parenting and parental supervision, as well as aversive parenting, correlated with substance use. Linear regression model revealed that aversive parenting, low child disclosure, low positive parenting, and low parental involvement at age 11 predicted substance use at different stages of adolescence. These associations were mediated by low self-control at age 13. Involving parents and increasing their knowledge about desirable parental practices and ways to help their children to develop adequate self-control could be an effective element in substance use prevention strategies.
Does Exercise Addiction Exist Among Individuals Engaged in Team-Based Exercise? A Position Paper
Authors: Griffiths Mark D. , Landolfi Emilio , Szabo Attila
Published: March 2023

Exercise addiction is a term used to describe dysfunctional exercise behavior characterized by the classic symptoms of addictions, which eventually result in physical, psychological, or social harm to the affected individual. While well over 1000 peer-reviewed papers on problematic exercise have been published, very few studies have explored the conceptual differences between team-based and individual-based exercise, and no previous study has critically addressed this issue. The rationale for this distinction is that team-based exercise is typically organized and scheduled by others with little or no control over its timing by the individual team member. On the contrary, individual-based exercise can be self-scheduled. Consequently, more (total) control over its timing facilitates the satisfaction of craving-induced urges characterized by an addiction. It is posited that exercise addicts, in general, are “lone wolves” in the context of their addiction. Therefore, being addicted to exercise in team sports is only possible if the individual resorts to additional individually-controlled exercise above and beyond team-based training. To support this position, the present paper briefly reviews the few studies conducted in this area and examines how their results match the diagnostic interpretation of “addiction.” The present position paper highlights that “control” over the addictive behavior, in this case, exercise, is an important marker in the potential for the risk of exercise addiction. Therefore, future studies should consider that team-based exercise assigns little control to the individual. However, the extent to which additional individual-based exercise occurs and poses a risk of addiction within team exercises merits further research attention.
Kinetics of Electrically Enhanced Boron Removal From Silicon Using CaO-SiO2 and CaO-SiO2-Al2O3 Slag
Authors: Putera A. D. P. , Islam M. S. , Avarmaa K. L. , Petrus H. T. B. M. , Brooks G. A. , Rhamdhani M. A.
Published: March 2023

An approach in analyzing the kinetics of reacting metallurgical system enhanced by applied electrical potential difference has been proposed. The approach accounted the electrochemical mechanism by combining Fick’s first law and Nernst–Planck equation, building upon the approach by Kim et al. and extending it to simultaneously solve the key kinetics parameters of boron diffusivity in slag (D(B)) and potential difference ($${\Delta \phi }_{s}$$

Δ
ϕ

s

) across the slag phase. The approach was utilized to examine the kinetics of enhanced boron removal from silicon with CaO-SiO2 and CaO-SiO2-Al2O3 slags, in the context of silicon recycling and refining. The model was used to describe the mobility of boron in the molten silicon and slag phases, i.e., boron mass transfer coefficient in liquid silicon (km), in the slag (ks), and the diffusivity of boron in slag phase (D(B)). The results demonstrated that the new kinetics model fit well with the experimental data with an average coefficient of determination (R2 value) of 0.91. The ks and D(B) were calculated to be in the range of 0.9 to 1.3 × 10–6 and 1.1 to 29.2 × 10–9 m2 s−1, respectively. The application of external voltage was observed to reduce B final concentration in the silicon phase by 18 pct from approximately 120 to 100 ppmw in all samples. The addition of Al2O3 in the slag phase consistently reduced the mobility of boron in the slag phase by approximately 50 pct.
Feasibility of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for Patients with Obesity and Disorders of Intellectual Development: a Single Institutional Experience
Authors: Wakamatsu Kotaro , Oshiro Takashi , Kitahara Natsumi , Moriyama Yuuki , Nabekura Taiki , Hashi Kozue , Hayashi Karin , Saiki Atsuhito , Okazumi Shinichi
Published: March 2023

Background

Owing to their difficulty following clinical advice for procedural safety and ideal surgical outcomes, bariatric and metabolic surgery (BMS) for patients with disorders of intellectual development (DID) is concerning. Studies reporting the feasibility of BMS for this population remain scarce. This study aims to clarify the feasibility of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) for patients with clinically severe obesity and DID.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of a single institutional prospective database collected from 2010 to 2022 was performed. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) was used to measure intellectual ability before LSG. A multidisciplinary team approach was implemented to give special support and care to patients with DID. Patients were categorized into groups according to their WAIS scores. LSG outcomes were statistically compared between the DID and average intellectual ability groups.

Results

Using the WAIS to measure intellectual ability among patients who underwent LSG, we identified 14 patients with DID (IQ score: < 69, mean IQ: 63.4) and 71 with average intellectual ability (IQ score: 90–109, mean IQ: 98.9). Operative outcomes were comparable between the groups as follows: operation time (DID: 163 ± 41 min, average intelligence: 162 ± 30 min), hospital stay (DID: 4 [4–5] days, average intelligence: 5 [4–6] days), and total comorbidities (DID: 7.1%, average intelligence: 8.4%). No reoperations were performed, and no mortalities were observed.

Conclusions

With medical and social support and care, performing LSG on patients with clinically severe obesity and DID is safe, with good short-term results.

Graphical abstract
Moral Difference and Moral Differences
Authors: Taylor Craig
Published: March 2023

The idea that human beings have a distinct moral worth—a moral significance over and above any moral worth, such as that may be, possessed by other animals—has a long history and has traditionally been taken for granted by philosophers and theologians. However, in a variety of quarters in recent philosophy, this idea has come into disrepute, seeming to indicate a mere prejudice in favour of our own species. For example, Peter Singer has argued that such a position is mere speciesism, a prejudice of a kind with racism and sexism in that it involves making moral distinctions between our own and other species that cannot be morally justified. What on such views is needed to justify any such distinction is a difference in terms of the morally relevant properties possessed by our own species as compared with other species. I will call this view the moral property view. Insofar as other species share with us morally relevant properties, for example the capacity to suffer cognitive ability and so on, it is mere prejudice not to accept moral requirements with respect to them as we do with respect to our own species. While on the surface such a view may seem morally enlightened, it indicates what will seem to many problematic moral judgments with respect to severely disabled human beings. In this paper, I will respond to these concerns by suggesting a different basis for the idea of human moral distinctiveness, one that draws on recent work by Wittgensteinian moral philosophers and which denies what I called above the property view. According to this view, while our shared life with other animals involves the recognition of their moral significance, our shared life with other human beings involves recognising that human beings as human beings have a distinctive moral value.
The annual conference of the Irish College of Ophthalmologists: examining over a decade of trends
Authors: Farrell Lily , Gull Khadija , Kelly Siobhan , O’Brien Colm , O’Toole Louise
Published: March 2023

Background

The annual conference of the Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO) is a key calendar event for ophthalmology research in Ireland.

Aims

We investigated whether there were identifiable trends across various domains for the last twelve ICO meetings. Our objectives were to assess subspeciality and training centre representation, as well as the characteristics of the first author to include gender and stage of training.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of paper and poster presentations from the ICO annual conference yearbooks was conducted. The representation of subspecialties, affiliated institutions, and gender distribution were noted for both categories. For paper presentations, the author’s career stage, full-text publication rates, and impact factors were also determined.

Results

A total of 306 paper presentations and 306 poster presentations were analysed. The subspecialty of retina had the highest representation within both sections. The overall mean publication rate was 38% (range, 6–39%), with a mean journal impact factor of 2.02. No statistically significant differences in gender noted with regard to poster, paper, or publications (p < 0.9, p < 0.1, p < 0.7, respectively).

Conclusions

This is the first review of all research contributions to the ICO conference. We found that there is a need to promote research in some underrepresented subspecialities and training centres. No significant gender bias was found. There is scope to improve the publication conversion rate; this would allow for greater dissemination of the research presented at the ICO meeting.
Transformational and entrepreneurial leadership: A review of distinction and overlap
Authors: Ravet-Brown Theo Émile , Furtner Marco , Kallmuenzer Andreas
Published: March 2023

Entrepreneurship represents a key motor of economic growth, and entrepreneurial leadership (EL) represents a vital constituent thereof. However, its examination remains factious, and integration with the wider leadership literature is fragmentary. EL is claimed by some as representing a construct distinct from extant leadership styles, even though the major contribution made by transformational leadership (TL) theory remains under-researched and under-reported. Furthermore, TL is often used to measure leaders in entrepreneurship, resulting in a lack of clarity regarding the relationship between TL and EL. Our study seeks to contribute to the literature by elucidating the distinction and overlap between the two leadership constructs, as currently defined by available questionnaires. To this end, conceptual work, current findings, and research practice are reviewed. Drawn from a final sample of 25 articles, our findings show appreciable conceptual divergence. However, questionnaires of EL overlap significantly with TL and are subject to validation and discriminant validity issues; many researchers furthermore continue to use TL questionnaires to measure EL. Very little compelling empirical evidence for divergent validity was found, though strong correlations between EL and TL were observed. Our study contributes an overview of EL from the viewpoint of leadership science, providing recommendations to entrepreneurship researchers examining EL. We suggest that future work should satisfy two main goals: the establishment of a conceptualization of EL which can empirically demonstrate divergent validity versus other, accepted measures of leadership, and the creation of a cogent and a specific theoretical model to support it.
LncRNA MIR17HG Suppresses Breast Cancer Proliferation and Migration as ceRNA to Target FAM135A by Sponging miR-454-3p
Authors: Xu Jingjing , Hu Meishun , Gao Yang , Wang Yishu , Yuan Xiaoning , Yang Yan , Song Wenjing , Yin Weinan , Gong Pengju , Wei Lei , Zhang Jingwei
Published: March 2023

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, and causes a large number of cancer-related deaths. The main cause of death of breast cancer patients is tumor recurrence and metastasis. Recent studies show that lncRNA (Long non-coding RNA) plays an important role in breast cancer. However, the overall biological activity and clinical consequences of the lncRNA MIR17HG in breast cancer remain unclear. Thus, we investigate how the MIR17HG/miR-454-3p network impacts breast cancer cell proliferation and migration. Given the TCGA and Oncomine databases, the researchers evaluated variations in MIR17HG expression for the survival rates of breast cancer patients. The influence of MIR17HG on cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle, and the mRNA expression level of miR-454-3p and FAM135A (family with sequence similarity 135 member A) is identified. Luciferase assay was used to detect the regulatory effect of miR-454-3p on the 3′UTR region of FAM135A, and rescue experiments demonstrated that MIR17HG can up-regulate FAM135A expression by competitively binding miR-454-3p. The effect of FAM135A on the cloning and invasion of MCF-7 cells was detected. MIR17HG expression is reduced in breast cancer tissues, and patients with greater levels of MIR17HG expression have a better prognosis. MIR17HG overexpression caused G2/M arrest in breast cancer cells according to a flow cytometry assay. FAM135A knockdown enhances breast cancer cell proliferation and clone creation, as well as two-dimensional and three-dimensional migratory capacities. Patients with high FAM135A expression in their breast cancer had a better prognosis. These novel findings indicate that MIR17HG may be a potential target for breast cancer. Our findings demonstrated that MIR17HG might suppress breast cancer cell proliferation and migration by sponge miR-454-3p through ceRNA(competing endogenous RNAs) mechanism, indicating that targeting MIR17HG may be a feasible therapeutic candidate for breast cancer.

Graphical Abstract
Resilience to Shrinking as a Catch-Up Strategy: a Comparison of Brazil and Indonesia, 1964–2019
Authors: Axelsson Tobias , Martins Igor
Published: March 2023

Development economics has long focused on growth patterns to explain countries’ ability to catch up and forge ahead. We argue, however, that resilience to economic shrinking matters more. Using the examples of Brazil and Indonesia, we propose that a framework consisting of social capabilities—namely structural transformation, autonomy, and inclusion—can explain why Indonesia is more resilient to economic shrinking than Brazil and why the country is more likely to be successful in its catching-up process.
Daily arousal variation has little effect on sustained attention performance
Authors: Bond Isobel G. , Machida Keitaro , Johnson Katherine A.
Published: March 2023

Sustaining attention is an important cognitive process for everyday functioning and arousal is thought to underpin its performance. Primate studies depict an inverted-u relation between sustained attention and arousal, in which sustained attention performance is most affected at the extreme levels of arousal and peak performance aligns with moderate arousal. Human research findings are, however, inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the effects of arousal on sustained attention performance in humans using two approaches—a small-N study with an inbuilt replication to test within-participant variation, and a larger sample assessing between-participant variation. The Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) was used to measure sustained attention performance and the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) was used to measure arousal. In the small-N study five participants completed the SART and KSS once an hour between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., repeated two weeks later. Significant, curvilinear variation in KSS across time-of-day was found. A linear association between SART response time variability (sigma) and KSS was noted, however no other consistent associations between the SART and KSS were found. In the large-N study, 161 participants completed the SART and KSS once, at a time of day of their choosing. There were no significant relations between SART measures and the KSS, indicating that subjective sleepiness was not related to sustained attention performance. Overall, the hypothesized inverted-u relation between arousal and sustained attention performance was not found. The results suggested that diurnal arousal variation does not modify sustained attention performance in adults.
High-resolution silicon photonic sensor based on a narrowband microwave photonic filter
Authors: Luo Haiyan , Xu Lu , Yan Jie , Wang Qiansheng , Wang Wenwu , Xiao Xi
Published: March 2023

Microwave photonic sensors are promising for improving sensing resolution and speed of optical sensors. In this paper, a high-sensitivity, high-resolution temperature sensor based on microwave photonic filter (MPF) is proposed and demonstrated. A micro-ring resonator (MRR) based on silicon-on-insulator is used as the sensing probe to convert the wavelength shift caused by temperature change to microwave frequency variation via the MPF system. By analyzing the frequency shift with high-speed and high-resolution monitors, the temperature change can be detected. The MRR is designed with multi-mode ridge waveguides to reduce propagation loss and achieves an ultra-high Q factor of 1.01 × 106. The proposed MPF has a single passband with a narrow bandwidth of 192 MHz. With clear peak-frequency shift, the sensitivity of the MPF-based temperature sensor is measured to be 10.22 GHz/°C. Due to higher sensitivity and ultra-narrow bandwidth of the MPF, the sensing resolution of the proposed temperature sensor is as high as 0.019 °C.

Graphical Abstract
Loss of Histone Methyltransferase KMT2D Attenuates Angiogenesis in the Ischemic Heart by Inhibiting the Transcriptional Activation of VEGF-A
Authors: Meng Xiang-Min , Liu Shu-Bao , Deng Tian , Li De-Yong , You Lu , Hong Hao , Feng Qi-Pu , Zhu Bing-Mei
Published: March 2023

Angiogenesis occurred after myocardial infarction (MI) protects heart failure (HF). The aim of our study was to explore function of histone methyltransferase KMT2D (MLL4, mixed-lineage leukemia 4) in angiogenesis post-MI. Western blotting showed that KMT2D protein expression was elevated in MI mouse myocardial. Cardiomyocyte-specific Kmt2d-knockout (Kmt2d-cKO) mice were generated, and echocardiography and immunofluorescence staining detected significantly attenuated cardiac function and insufficient angiogenesis following MI in Kmt2d-cKO mice. Cross-talk assay suggested that Kmt2d-KO H9c2-derived conditioned medium attenuates EA.hy926 EC function. ELISA further identified that VEGF-A released from Kmt2d-KO H9c2 was significantly reduced. CUT&Tag and RT-qPCR revealed that KMT2D deficiency reduced Vegf-a mRNA expression and enrichment of H3K4me1 on the Vegf-a promoter. Moreover, KMT2D silencing in ECs also suppressed endothelial function. Our study indicates that KMT2D depletion in both cardiomyocytes and ECs attenuates angiogenesis and that loss of KMT2D exacerbates heart failure after MI in mice.
Effective and Elaborative Induction Program for Mitigating Myths and Misconceptions Linked to Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in a Resource Limited Setting
Authors: Khaled Safaa A. A. , Elzembely Mahmoud M. , Soliman Asmaa M. A. , Shwakat Nahed , Rafaat Nashwa , Malek Mohamed A. , Abdelmageed Esmat S.
Published: March 2023

Since the first transplant in 1957 and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the curative modality for numerous hematological disorders. Nevertheless, it is not available for all patients. Besides unavailability of matched donors a lot of factors could hinder HSCT in a resource limited setting, as financial and administrative factors. In our daily practice we noticed other factors that hinder HSCT in our center, the common myths and misconceptions about HSCT and donation. This quasi-experimental study assessed, for the first time, common myths and misconceptions about HSCT among 218 medical and nursing students before and after an interventional educational program. The study tool was an investigators' developed self-administered questionnaire. Participants' male to female ratio was 1:2.5, and FAS was middle in 52.7%. Pretest high myths scores were reported in 53.4% and 90% of medical and nursing students that was reduced to 0% and 4% post-test, respectively. Pretest, 26.3% and 7% of medical and nursing students welling to donate HSC, that increased to 66% and 39% post-test, respectively. Rural residency, low and middle FAS associated with higher myths scores. Myths score is an independent effector of willingness to donate HSC among participants. In conclusion medical/nursing students had significant myths and misconceptions about HSCT that was corrected with the educational program. Thus, wide based educational programs about HSCT are mandatory to correct myths and augment HSC donation.

www.clinicaltrrial.gov: clinical trial ID NCT05151406.
Petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry of nitrogenous shale in the Western Desert of Egypt: implications for paleoenvironment
Authors: Abdel-Hakeem Mahmoud , El-Habaak Galal , El-Kheir Gebely Abu , Ebraheem Mohamed , Manaa Mayada
Published: March 2023

Besides nitrate deposits located in the Atacama Desert of Chile and the Mojave Desert of California, the present work documents, for the first time, the occurrence of potassium nitrate as oval-suboval-shaped aggregations associated with the Late Maastrichtian-Early Paleocene Dakhla Shale and the Paleocene-Early Eocene Esna Shale encountered in the northeastern part of the Kharga Oasis, particularly at G. Um El-Ghanayem and G. Ghaneima. Consequently, integrated petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical investigations were carried out for shale deposits and nitrate salts to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental conditions of shale, reveal the extent to which nitrate salts are genetically related to the paleoenvironment of shale deposits, and build up a complete scenario about the source and the formation mechanism of nitrate salts. The overall results showed that the studied shale deposits were sourced from mafic igneous and quartzose sedimentary provenances where humid climatic conditions were dominant; the transported detrital particles were then settled down under oxidizing bottom water and shallow depositional conditions. Moreover, the nitrate salts are of an epigenetic origin and sourced from the microbial nitrification of organic matter and the wet atmospheric deposition that is believed to be triggered by the active volcanic eruptions during the Late Eocene/Early Oligocene transition where warm climatic conditions prevailed.
New Insights Into Method Development and Characterization of Amorphous Silica From Wheat Straw
Authors: Ramasamy Sangeetha Piriya , Veeraswamy Davamani , Ettiyagounder Parameswari , Arunachalam Lakshmanan , Devaraj Sivakumar Senjeriputhur , Krishna Kadirvelu , Oumabady Sadish , Sakrabani Ruben
Published: March 2023

Amorphous silica, a specialised silicate adsorbent is extensively extracted from agricultural residues for application in various environmental domains. Wheat straws are a rich source of silica that have earlier been overlooked however demand for value addition. The study presents an innovative approach to extracting silica from wheat straw and standardising the extraction process to produce clean product. The sodium silicate solution and the amorphous silica synthesis were obtained by modifying the template mediated sol–gel method. Optimum temperature, concentration and pH were identified for the cleaner production of silica with maximum yield and favourable adsorbent characteristics. The crystallographic properties analysed by the X-Ray Diffraction revealed the amorphous nature of silica extracted from ash at 650 °C for 4 h. The structure of phytolith present in the wheat straw was observed in the form of articulated elongate undulate epidermal phytolith under scanning electron microscopy. The Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrum exhibited higher amount of silica (Si %) of 70.10% with a minimal percentage of potassium (9.96%). The sharp bend at 1025 cm−1 is attributed to the siloxane (Si–O-Si) vibrations in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic graph of amorphous silica. The specific surface area measurements of amorphous silica showed type II isotherm curve with a hysteresis of H3 type. The optimum conditions derived to produce amorphous silica were 3 M NaOH and 3 M H2SO4 at pH 9.
Assessment of the Competence of Nurses in Taking Care of a Dying Patient in Poland
Authors: Sadowska Anna , Krzykwa Izabella , Czarkowska-Pączek Bożena
Published: March 2023

During nursing education, few practical hours are devoted to comprehensively preparing students to care for a dying patient. Contact with a dying patient is a key element of the job of every working nurse in the profession. Therefore, it is necessary to properly prepare nurses to care for a dying patient. This study aimed to assess the professional competence of nurses in caring for a dying patient and the factors that affect this preparation. This study involved 223 nurses during master’s degree in nursing at the Medical University of Warsaw, receiving either full-time education (group I, N = 121) or hybrid education (group II, N = 102). The study used the FATCOD-BP ((Frommelt Attitudes Toward the Care Of the Dying scale Form B, Polish version)) questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha 0.75), an original questionnaire containing questions about feelings experienced during the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic and sociodemographic questions. FATCOD-BP for all groups was below average regarding caring for a dying patient (M = 109, SD = 11.68). Nurses pursuing full-time education were better prepared to care for a dying patient than were nurses pursuing hybrid education. Nurses who exhibited fear of their own deaths had a lower subjective level of preparation for caring for a dying patient. (1) Nurses are not sufficiently prepared to care for a dying patient. (2) The training of nurses should be provided in the form of in-patient education, and the methods of training should be modified by increasing the number of hours of practical and theoretical instruction in palliative care for a dying patient.
Efficiency assessment of the environmental variables in the Qanat systems based on major hydrological basins in Iran
Authors: Mansouri Daneshvar M. R. , Ebrahimi M. , Ahmadi F. S.
Published: March 2023

Qanat system, as a great human heritage, contributes to the sustainable management of groundwater in the arid and semiarid regions of the world. The main aim of this paper was to efficiency assessment of the environmental variables in the construction of the Qanat system in Iran. Using the geographical information system (GIS) and statistical method of receiver operation characteristic (ROC), the efficiency of 20 environmental variables was assessed based on divisions of 30 major hydrological basins. Results revealed that most physical parameters and anthropogenic characteristics have significant effects on the construction of Qanat water lines with an AUC index > 0.6. The Pearson correlation test also confirmed the positive and significant relationships between the Qanat system and mentioned environmental parameters. From a geological viewpoint, the results highlighted the effective role of Quaternary aged alluvial sediments with very high permeability and low density of crust rocks in arid soils of arid and semiarid regions, such as playa fields in NamakTehran, Kavir, Lut, and Siahkuh basins. Regarding the spatial expansion of the Qanat system in Iran, the higher effects of some test variables, such as the climatic element of temperature, fault density, and drainage density, were rejected due to poor discrimination values of the AUC index < 0.6.
Study on influence of failure mode on fracturing performance of fractured reservoir
Authors: Zhao Kai , Zhang Zhenwei , Song Wenjie , Wang Xiaoyun , Dou Liangbin , Jiang Hailong
Published: March 2023

Reasonable volumetric fracturing effect evaluation is the key to effective stimulation of fractured reservoir. Traditional fracturing effect evaluation is mainly conducted by the SRV (stimulated reservoir volume), fracture length, fracture width and other indicators, ignoring the influence of failure mode on fracturing performance. In this paper, the different fracture modes including main fractures, branch fractures and self-supporting fractures contained in the fracture network and their contributions to fracturing effect were studied in depth by numerical simulation. The results show that the main fracture formed by tensile failure has the largest width but simple shape and relatively small distribution range, while the branch fracture has a slightly smaller width but effectively expands the main fracture. Although the self-supporting fracture by shear failure is not connected, it can still improve the overall flow conductivity. The angle and number of natural fractures in fractured reservoir have a significant effect on fracture network scale and fracturing effect. When the number of natural fractures is larger, both of the number and proportion of branching fractures and self-supported fractures are larger, although the isolated self-supported fractures account for a larger proportion, the overall flow conductivity of the final fracture network is stronger. When the angle of natural fractures is larger, the natural fractures in uniform stress field are easier to be connected by hydraulic fractures and the final fracturing effect is better. The research methods and results have a certain guiding significance for the evaluation of volumetric fracturing effect in fractured reservoirs and are conducive to the reasonable selection of favorable fracturing areas and engineering parameters.
The effect of forces affecting the spread of oil droplets on a rock surface
Authors: Samba Mohammed A. , Li Yiqiang , liu Zheyu , Almahdi Ayman S. , Siregar H. P. Septoratno
Published: March 2023

A better understanding of the main forces that affect oil droplets is expected to play an important role in enhancing oil recovery from reservoirs. The effects of the various forces on an oil droplet on the top of a rock surface or hanging from the bottom of a rock surface are analysed. The results proved that increasing the mass of an oil droplet creates a favourable condition for interaction between the displaced and displacing fluids, which prevents the displacing fluid from bypassing the oil droplets. The results show that the mass of an oil droplet plays an important role in initiating its movement if the gravity force is greater than the capillary force. This study provides a sound understanding of the main forces affecting oil droplet movements and opportunities for future enhanced oil recovery projects.
Ecomodernism and the Libidinal Economy: Towards a Critical Conception of Technology in the Bio-Based Economy
Authors: Veraart Roel , Blok Vincent , Lemmens Pieter
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we carry out a critical analysis of the concept of technology in the current design of the bio-based economy (BBE). Looking at the current status of the BBE, we observe a dominant focus on technological innovation as the principal solution to climatic instability. We take a critical stance towards this “ecomodernist” worldview, addressing its fundamental assumptions, and offer an underarticulated explanation as to why a successful transition toward a sustainable BBE—i.e. one that fully operates within the Earth’s carrying capacity—has not yet been reached. Bernard Stiegler has developed a philosophical perspective on the concept of economy, broadening it to include the human condition through the notion of desire. This theory can help to obtain a more profound understanding of why ecomodernist strategies are dominant today. Stiegler’s theory of the libidinal economy offers an analysis of controlled and exploited human desire as a primary driver behind modern techno-economic structures. Our hypothesis is that a critique of contemporary technofixism as a critique of libidinal economy is a necessary step to take in the discussion around the BBE as a concept, if the BBE is ever to bring about a system that can truly operate within the Earth’s carrying capacity.
Effects of Building Height and Seismic Load on the Optimal Performance of Base Isolation System
Authors: Dushimimana Aloys , Dushimimana Cyrille , Mbereyaho Leopold , Niyonsenga Aude Amandine
Published: March 2023

Seismic isolation has been widely accepted as one of the techniques that can be used to protect structures during earthquake ground motions. However, some challenges still exist such as the optimal control of excessive isolator shear strains imposed by some ground motions. The main purpose of this study was to assess the effects of building height variation and earthquake ground motion type on the optimal performance of the seismic isolation using lead core rubber bearing (LCRB). Nonlinear time history analysis for building models of various storeys isolated by LCRB and exposed to different real earthquakes was performed. To achieve this, the equations governing the motion of the isolated three different building models were presented, and an approach for solving the equations while taking into consideration of the optimized mechanical properties of the LCRB was developed. The LCRB performance was measured in terms of elastomer shear strains, derived after an optimal criterion leading to reliable substructure and superstructure responses was reached. The results showed that the combined effects of the earthquake type and building height significantly affect the substructure responses (maximum isolator displacement, energy dissipation capacity, maximum isolator force) and the superstructure responses (storey shear forces, storey drifts, floor displacements, and floor accelerations), which in some cases lead to a need for adding a fluid damper. In this regard, an attempt to couple the LCRB with nonlinear fluid viscous damper was made, and the performance of the hybrid was assessed. It was generally found that the hybrid can positively improve the substructure responses, thereby reducing the unwanted large elastomer shear strains without adversely affecting the superstructure responses.
Using email interviews to reflect on women’s careers at a regional university
Authors: Goriss-Hunter Anitra , White Kate
Published: March 2023

The article investigates asynchronous narrative research via email as a flexible and agentic method of collecting data that may empower female participants. A case study was used that focused on the challenges for academic and professional women at an Australian regional university. Twenty-one women responded by email to a range of questions about working conditions and career progression. The data demonstrated that participants found this methodology empowering, encouraging agentic behaviour as they could respond at a time that suited them and in as much detail as they desired. They could also leave their narratives and return to them after some reflection. While lacking the non-verbal markers that often add to meanings in face-to-face interviews, the participants’ writing gave voice and form to their lived experience that has been missing from academic literature. This research method may be vital in the continuing COVID-19 environment where it can be difficult to access geographically dispersed participants.
General one-dimensional model of the time-fractional diffusion-wave equation in various geometries
Authors: Terpák Ján
Published: March 2023

This paper deals with the analysis of the time-fractional diffusion-wave equation as one-dimensional problem in a large plane wall, long cylinder, and sphere. The result of the analysis is the proposal of one general mathematical model that describes various geometries and different processes. Finite difference method for solving the time-fractional diffusion-wave equation using Grünwald-Letnikov definition for homogeneous or inhomogeneous material and for homogeneous or inhomogeneous boundary conditions is described. Dirichlet, Neumann and Robin boundary conditions are considered. Implementation of numerical methods for explicit, implicit, and Crank-Nicolson scheme were realised in MATLAB. Finally, illustrative examples of simulations using the developed toolbox are presented.