bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation, visibility, vagueness and variation: A qualitative assessment of existing veterinary guidelines for antimicrobial use in cattle and sheep in the UK
Authors: Best Caroline M. , Bard Alison M. , Rees Gwen M. , Reyher Kristen K.
Published: November 2023

Antimicrobials are essential in veterinary medicine to treat and control bacterial disease in animals. Their prudent use in food-producing animals has been encouraged to reduce the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. National and international guidelines for responsible antimicrobial use have been developed as tools to guide and rationalise antimicrobial prescribing decisions by veterinarians and usage decisions by farmers. Yet, there is little understanding of whether these existing guidelines are fit for purpose. Accordingly, this study rigorously assessed 128 veterinary guidelines for antimicrobial use in ruminants in the UK, following established qualitative methodologies. Findings revealed four pertinent themes: validation of the veterinarian as the prescriber, visibility of responsible use realities, vagueness in interpretation and variation in directing behaviour. These themes encompassed the roles and responsibilities of the veterinarian and the realities of prescribing scenarios, alongside concerns relating to the specificity within and variation between guidelines. Resultant recommendations to inform and support the future development of guidelines include establishing species-specific and disease-specific guidelines, expanding guidelines to include disease prevention measures, including definitions to resolve vagueness and promoting congruence in interpretation, encouraging the development of practice-level guidelines to endorse collaboration and ownership, and fostering active working between stakeholders to align priorities and messaging.
Wrack line formation and composition on shores of a large Alpine lake: The role of littoral topography and wave exposure
Authors: Ostendorp Wolfgang , Hofmann Hilmar , Armbruster Jens Peter
Published: November 2023

Wrack lines are a key formation along shorelines that provide organic matter and bring ecological diversity to the local environment. Although wrack line formation has been extensively studied along marine beaches and estuaries, in contrast, knowledge about the environmental variables that promote wrack line formation within inland lakes is widely lacking. In one of the first studies to focus on wrack line formation on lakesides, we analysed the dimensions, volume, elevation and particulate composition of 36 wrack lines across 20 shore sections of a large, oligotrophic Alpine lake with natural water level fluctuations (Lake Constance-Obersee). Using multivariate partial least squares (PLS) regression, we identified the key environmental variables that drive wrack accumulation in lakeside areas. Our results demonstrate that wrack line volume increased with (1) the width of the eulittoral zone as an indicator of the swash conditions (up-rush vs. down-wash), (2) high exposure to wind waves as indicated by the total effective fetch, (3) high exposure to ship waves (catamaran ferry), and (4) the width of the sublittoral zone as an indicator of the availability of source material (Chara spp.) and of the wave energy dissipation rate of the incoming deep water waves. Sediment texture played only a minor role. Wide eulittoral zones and high ship wave exposure favoured high proportions of lake-borne components (Chara remains, mollusc shells), while the reverse was true for land-based components. Anthropogenic wastes were only present in small proportions. We discuss four main factor groups influencing the amount of wrack in marine beaches and on lakeshores considering similarities (waves, breakers, swash, dissipation, relief) and differences (tides vs. annual water level fluctuations) of the two systems, and point out research gaps. We demonstrate that wrack line formation is also important in large inland lakes and can be analysed using basic ideas from relevant marine studies.
The efficacy and safety of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Qiu Bo , Liang Jia Xu , Romero Gómez Manuel
Published: November 2023

Background and objectives

The safety and efficacy of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for the treatment of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) remain controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of G-CSF in treating ACLF.

Methods

The estimated pooled risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) assessed the treatment effects of G-CSF. Mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals were used to analyze continuous data. Heterogeneity was explored by sensitivity analysis. Potential publication bias was assessed using Egger’s test.

Results

Ten studies, comprising a total of 603 participants, were included in the analysis. The G-CSF group showed significantly lower MELD scores at 7-day (MD = -2.39, 95%CI: -3.95 to -0.82), CTP scores at 7-day (MD = -0.77, 95%CI: -1.41 to -0.14), and MELD scores at 30-day (MD = -3.01, 95%CI: -5.36 to -0.67) compared to the control group. Furthermore, the G-CSF group was associated with a reduced risk of sepsis (RR = 0.53, 95%CI: 0.35–0.80). The 30-day survival (RR = 1.26, 95%CI:1.10–1.43), 60-day survival (RR = 1.47, 95%CI:1.17–1.84, and 90-day survival (RR = 1.73, 95%CI: 1.27–2.35) of patients with ACLF treated with G-CSF were significantly higher than those of the control group.

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis suggests that G-CSF therapy may be a promising treatment for ACLF, with significant improvements in liver function and survival rates, however, further studies are needed to verify this conclusion.
Definitions of successful aging among middle-aged Latinas residing in a rural agricultural community
Authors: Ambriz Elizabeth , De Pierola Camila , Calderon Norma M. , Calderon Lucia , Kogut Katherine , Deardorff Julianna , Torres Jacqueline M.
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Latinos are the fastest growing aging population in the U.S. However, there has been limited attention to conceptualizing successful aging among Latinos, especially those residing in rural communities. Latinos are the largest racial or ethnic group residing in rural underserved communities and rural Latinos experience significant structural barriers to access the conditions they need to age well. The goal of this study is to make unique contributions to the successful aging literature by describing what successful aging means for middle-aged Latinas residing in a rural community.

Methods

This qualitative paper used inductive thematic content analysis to examine definitions of successful aging among Latina women (n = 40) residing in an underserved agricultural community and entering mid-life (mean = 49 years old; age range 40–64).

Results

With regards to definitions of successful aging, four themes emerged: 1) Having good health; 2) maintaining an active lifestyle; 3) the wellbeing of one’s children; and 4) being independent.

Discussion

Participants’ definitions of successful aging aligned to some extent with existing frameworks, specifically related to health and independence. However, middle-aged Latina participants’ unique definitions of successful aging also diverged from existing frameworks, especially around the wellbeing of their children and the importance of work as a way of maintaining an active lifestyle. More research is needed to understand the unique social context and circumstances of middle-aged Latinos residing in rural communities and how they influence their aging journeys. This can provide important information for the development of culturally sensitive services, interventions, and policies to help Latinos age well.
Combining data discretization and missing value imputation for incomplete medical datasets
Authors: Huang Min-Wei , Tsai Chih-Fong , Tsui Shu-Ching , Lin Wei-Chao
Published: November 2023

Data discretization aims to transform a set of continuous features into discrete features, thus simplifying the representation of information and making it easier to understand, use, and explain. In practice, users can take advantage of the discretization process to improve knowledge discovery and data analysis on medical domain problem datasets containing continuous features. However, certain feature values were frequently missing. Many data-mining algorithms cannot handle incomplete datasets. In this study, we considered the use of both discretization and missing-value imputation to process incomplete medical datasets, examining how the order of discretization and missing-value imputation combined influenced performance. The experimental results were obtained using seven different medical domain problem datasets: two discretizers, including the minimum description length principle (MDLP) and ChiMerge; three imputation methods, including the mean/mode, classification and regression tree (CART), and k-nearest neighbor (KNN) methods; and two classifiers, including support vector machines (SVM) and the C4.5 decision tree. The results show that a better performance can be obtained by first performing discretization followed by imputation, rather than vice versa. Furthermore, the highest classification accuracy rate was achieved by combining ChiMerge and KNN with SVM.
High polygenic risk score is a risk factor associated with colorectal cancer based on data from the UK Biobank
Authors: Yang Mei , Narasimhan Vagheesh M. , Zhan F. Benjamin
Published: November 2023

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cancer among both men and women and is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. It is important to identify risk factors that may be used to help reduce morbidity and mortality of the disease. We used a case-control study design to explore the association between CRC, polygenic risk scores (PRS), and other factors. We extracted data about 2,585 CRC cases and 9,362 controls from the UK Biobank, calculated the PRS for these cases and controls based on 140 single nucleotide polymorphisms, and performed logistic regression analyses for the 11,947 cases and controls, for an older group (ages 50+), and for a younger group (younger than 50). Five significant risk factors were identified when all 11,947 cases and controls were considered. These factors were, in descending order of the values of the adjusted odds ratios (aOR), high PRS (aOR: 2.70, CI: 2.27–3.19), male sex (aOR: 1.52, CI: 1.39–1.66), unemployment (aOR: 1.47, CI: 1.17–1.85), family history of CRC (aOR: 1.44, CI: 1.28–1.62), and age (aOR: 1.01, CI: 1.01–1.02). These five risk factors also remained significant in the older group. For the younger group, only high PRS (aOR: 2.87, CI: 1.65–5.00) and family history of CRC (aOR: 1.73, CI: 1.12–2.67) were significant risk factors. These findings indicate that genetic risk for the disease is a significant risk factor for CRC even after adjusting for family history. Additional studies are needed to examine this association using larger samples and different population groups.
Kinematic alteration in three-dimensional reaching movement in C3-4 level cervical myelopathy
Authors: Noguchi Naoto , Akiyama Ryoto , Kondo Ken , Vo Duy Quoc , Sato Lisa , Yanai Akihito , Ino Masatake , Lee Bumsuk
Published: November 2023

Object

This study aimed to compare the reaching movement between two different spinal cord compression level groups in cervical myelopathy (CM) patients.

Methods

Nine CM patients with maximal cord compression at the C3-4 level (C3-4 group) and 15 CM patients with maximal cord compression at the C4-7 level (C4-7 group) participated in the study. We monitored three-dimensional (3D) reaching movement using an electronic-mechanical whack-a-mole-type task pre-and post-operatively. Movement time (MT) and 3D movement distance (MD) during the task were recorded. An analysis of variance for split-plot factorial design was performed to investigate the effects of compression level or surgery on MT and MD. Moreover, we investigated the relationship between these kinematic reaching parameters and conventional clinical tests.

Results

The 3D reaching trajectories of the C3-4 group was unstable with higher variability. The C3-4 group showed longer MT (p < 0.05) and MD (p < 0.01) compared with the C4-7 group both before and after surgery. Moreover, MT was negatively correlated with the Japanese Orthopedic Association score only in the C3-4 group (r = - 0.48).

Conclusion

We found that spinal cord compression at the C3-4 level had a negative effect on 3D reaching movement and the kinematic alteration influenced the upper extremity performance. This new knowledge may increase our understanding of kinematic alteration in patients with CM.
Corporate governance and reporting quality of accounts in China-listed firms. A moderating role of ownership pattern
Authors: Sun Han
Published: November 2023

Financial reporting quality is critical for businesses, stakeholders, and government to ensure transparency and accountability. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corporate governance, financial reporting quality, and ownership structure as a moderating factor for Chinese stock exchange-listed firms. Quantitative data of 550 listed firms from 2012 to 2022 are collected from the annual reports. For investigating the relationship between variables, panel data analysis with random and fixed effect models is used. Our results show that corporate governance’s different attributes such as Auditor brand name, Existence of an audit committee, independent board, family ownership, and profitability have a significant negative impact on the audit report lag that decreases the lags and increases the financial reporting quality in China listed firms. Auditor opinion, Board diligence Board size, and CEO duality have a significant positive impact on the audit report lag that increases the lags and decreases the financial reporting quality of China-listed firms. Furthermore, our findings show that ownership concentration has no moderating effect between corporate governance, different attributes, and financial reporting quality. Family ownership, on the other hand, has a strong moderating effect between corporate governance characteristics and financial reporting quality. However, due to limitations, this study provides the opportunity for future research on corporate governance mechanisms in different cultures and environments. Moreover, this study has some important implications for investors, policymakers, and government.
Home delivery among women who had optimal ANC follow-up in Sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel analysis
Authors: Zegeye Alebachew Ferede , Negash Wubshet Debebe , Kassie Alemneh Tadesse , Wassie Likinaw Abebaw , Tamir Tadesse Tarik
Published: November 2023

Background

Home deliveries, where most births take place, are significantly responsible for the majority of maternal mortality. In order to develop appropriate policies and methods that could aid in addressing the issue, it is important to understand the scope of home delivery and its determinants in developing countries. Therefore, this study aims to ascertain the prevalence and factors associated with home delivery among women who had optimal ANC follow up in the Sub-Saharan Africa countries.

Methods

A population based cross-sectional study was conducted. Data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys, which covered 23 Sub-Saharan Africa countries from 2014 to 2020, were used. The study used a total of 180,551 women who had optimal ANC follow up weighted sample. Stata 14 was used to analyze the data. The determinants of home delivery were determined using a multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model. Factors associated with home delivery in the multilevel logistic regression model were declared significant at p-values <0.05. The adjusted odds ratio and confidence interval were used to interpret the results.

Results

In Sub-Saharan Africa, three in ten (30%) women who had optimal ANC follow-up gave birth at home. Individual-level variables such as maternal age (20 to 35 years) (AOR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.46), no formal education (AOR = 3.10, 95% CI: 2.68, 3.59), pregnancy complications (AOR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.82), distance to a health facility (AOR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.30, 1.58), and poor wealth status (AOR = 2.71, 95% CI: 2.37, 3.10) had higher odds of home delivery. Community-level variables such as rural residence (AOR = 2.83, 95% CI: 2.48, 3.22), living in central Sub-Saharan Africa (AOR = 7.95, 95% CI: 5.81, 10.9), and eastern Sub-Saharan Africa (AOR = 2.74, 95% CI: 2.09, 3.59), were significantly associated with home delivery.

Conclusions and recommendation

This study concludes that home delivery in sub-Saharan Africa among women who had optimal ANC follow-up were high. The study identified that both individual and community-level variables were determinants of home delivery. Therefore, the Government and ministries of health in Sub-Saharan Africa countries should give attention to those women who reported distance as a big problem to health facilities and for rural resident women while designing policies and strategies targeting reducing home delivery in sub-Saharan Africa.
PREPARATION OF NEW GLYCYRRETIC ACID DERIVATIVES WITH NITROGEN-CONTAINING LIGANDS
Authors: Esanov Rakhmat Sulton ugli , Ishimov Uchkun Zhomuradovich , Gafurov Makhmudzhon Bakiyevich , Sobirova Fotima Azamjonovna , Matchanov Alimzhan Davlatbaevich
Published: November 2023

This article presents the results of a study of obtaining new derivatives of glycyrrhizic acid aglycone with nitrogen-containing ligands. Natural compounds isolated from plant materials are relatively low toxic, can exhibit unique physical and chemical properties, and have a wide range of biological activity. One of these natural compounds is 3β-hydroxy-11-oxo-12-en-18βН, 20β-olean-30 acid, 3-О-(2҆-О-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl)-β-D-glucuronopyranoside (glycyrrhizic acid, GK) is the main active principle of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), which grows on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan and is a renewable natural source. With the ability to self-organize and recognize other particles and molecules, natural biologically active compounds are the subject of current chemical research aimed at modeling various biochemical processes. One of such widespread natural compounds are plant triterpenoids, glycyrrhizic (GA), glycyrrhetic (GlK), oleanolic, betulinic and ursalic acids, etc.

The article also presents the results of a study of the dependence of the complex formation of GlK with nitrogen-containing ligands depending on the structural changes in the guest molecule. New supramolecular derivatives of GlK with some nitrogen-containing ligands were obtained by the liquid phase method, their physicochemical and spectral (UV, IR) characteristics of the synthesized compounds were determined, and the chemical structure was analyzed on the basis of mass spectrometry data.
ISOLATION, CHEMICAL AND SPATIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ACIDIC POLYSACCHARIDES FROM SOME PLANTS OF SIBERIAN FLORA WITH IMMUNOTROPIC ACTIVITY
Authors: Gulina Yekaterina Igorevna , Krivoshchekov Sergey Vladimirovich , Isakov Denis Aleksandrovich , Belousov Mikhail Valer'yevich
Published: November 2023

Plant polysaccharides have a wide range of biological activity, including an immunotropic effect, the degree and magnitude of which depends on the composition and tertiary structure of the macromolecule. Acidic polysaccharides (APS) were isolated by extraction with an acidic aqueous solution (pH=3) and characterized From the rhizomes of Acorus calamus L., the aerial part of Centaurea pseudomaculosa Dobrocz., the herb Conium maculatum L., and the leaves of Betula pendula Roth. The content of total carbohydrates was determined for all samples (>90%), uronic acids (24.56–53.70%) and a small amount of impurity substances (protein and nucleic acids 0.81–1.02% and 0.016–0.035%, respectively); molecular weight distribution (Mn, Mw). Structural features were studied using physicochemical and instrumental methods, such as UV and IR spectroscopy, reaction with Congo red, and scanning electron microscopy. The polysaccharides of Acorus calamus, Conium maculatum, and Betula pendula have a triple-helical conformation and bulky ultrastructure; the polysaccharides of Centaurea pseudomaculosa are characterized by the absence of a triple-helical conformation and an amorphous ultrastructure.
Análisis estadístico, sinóptico y termodinámico de las granizadas en el Altiplano Mexicano
Authors: Hernández Comi Boris Isauro , Sánchez Ruiz Francisco Javier , León-Cruz José Francisco , Martínez Tavera Estefanía
Published: November 2023

Este estudio muestra un análisis estadístico, sinóptico y termodinámico de las granizadas en el Altiplano Mexicano (AL-ME), región que concentra una gran cantidad de eventos cada año. Para ello se calculó el ciclo anual de las granizadas y se relacionó con eventos de tormenta y lluvia, y se emplearon bases de datos del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) de los observatorios meteorológicos de Puebla, Tlaxcala, Estado de México, Hidalgo y Ciudad de México, durante el periodo de 1981-2017. Además, se seleccionaron tres eventos de granizo severo y se analizaron a través de imágenes de satélite del canal infrarrojo (IR), cartas sinópticas, sondeos de proximidad y mapas compuestos de variables meteorológicas realizadas con datos de reanálisis ERA5. Los resultados muestran que los eventos de granizo se incrementan en abril y disminuyen en noviembre. Los perfiles verticales generados permitieron identificar las características termodinámicas de estos fenómenos, donde se observaron valores de Energía Potencial Convectiva Disponible entre 642 J/kg y 2166 J/kg, Inhibición Convectiva de 0 J/kg a -28 J/kg y un buen rendimiento del Índice de Elevación, entre -3 y -7, para la detección de las granizadas. Finalmente, se identificaron patrones sinópticos que favorecieron las granizadas analizadas, como son una alta presión sobre el Golfo de México y una vaguada sobre la región de estudio, mismas que predominaron durante los tres eventos.
Rodríguez Núñez, V. (2022). La batalla por el litio de México
Authors: Toscana Aparicio Alejandra
Published: November 2023

Rodríguez Núñez, V. (2022). La batalla por el litio de México. México: Entretejas, 98 pp. ISBN 978-607-99863-2-2
Protection of the Rights of Refugees and Asylum Seekers: Examining the Role of South African NGOs
Authors:   University of the Western Cape, Okbandrias Meron
Published: November 2023

In the past ten years, there were so many. The country rose to the challenge enacting one of the most liberal pieces of refugee legislation in the world. Despite these developments, the status of refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa, and their substantive access to human rights provisions, has in recent times been subjected to greater public and judicial scrutiny after the violent episode of xenophobic attacks unfolded in 2008. This sector of society has always been vulnerable as a result of numerous factors and the weak institutional framework for facilitating refugee rights, either in terms of suitable policies or their implementation has always been part of the broader human rights discourse in South Africa. This state of affairs, poses something of a unique challenge for NGO’s specializing in the area of refugee rights to advocate for their rights as well as to monitor the implementation of polices and processes, in an environment lacking political will and public support. This research essentially explores whether refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa have been able to claim rights they are entitled to, in a substantive manner and to examine the degree to which NGOs working in the area of human rights and tasked with assisting refugees, have been able to contribute in this regard. The researcher collected data from Ethiopian and Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa to examine their perception of the contribution by NGOS and also interviewed personnel from the three case study NGOs. It is obvious that NGOS have made significant contribution to the protection of refugees and asylum seekers and continue to do so. However, their effectiveness has decreased since their relationship with government department has changed and their agenda lacks public support and political will of political elites.
APPLICATION OF LOAD TESTING TECHNIQUES FOR СUSTOMER’S STAFF TRAINING PROCESSES SIMULATION
Authors: Filippov E. V.
Published: November 2023

The article deals with modelling of company’s training processes for сustomer’s staff on projects of information systems implementation on 1C:Enterprise application development platform. Simulation was performed using technologies and approaches previously used in 1C community for load testing of application solutions. It has been pointed out in particular that the system of involving contractors in project work leads to competition for resources (i.e. for staff). Checking the compatibility of project schedules and resource plans could reveal conflicts in advance. It can be made by modelling the behavior of project participants as elements of a queuing system. The concept of the application model is described here as a whole and the problem setting process for the experimental procedure. The locking mechanism is described. The article comes up here with conditions used to separate application model events from host system events. The application model itself and the processes to be modelled are also described, the expected behavior of the model is outlined with required restrictions and assumptions made. It is shown here that the runtime model provided information on queues and downtime, as well as on under- and overloaded resources. It is recorded that the behavior of the queues was as expected and the study of the behavior of downtime within the model structure has allowed to separate the occurrence conditions for queues from those for downtime. It is concluded that load testing techniques allow correctly modelling procedure for arbitrary processes with competition for resources already at the work planning stage. It is emphasized here that the source or input information for the model can serve the detailed documentation prepared by project managers.
Parental Awareness Regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome and Associated Factors in Jordan
Authors:   Jordan University of Science and Technology, Bani-Ahmed Ali A.
Published: November 2023

Background: Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a serious public health issue believed to result from non-accidental trauma by violently shaking the baby. Purpose: To evaluate the awareness about SBS among parents in Jordan. Risk factors associated with SBS including psychological distress and age were investigated. Methods: A descriptive questionnairebased study consisting of demographic characteristics, SBS knowledge, and parental selfreported psychological distress was conducted. The questionnaire was conducted online between September and October 2022. Descriptive analysis of frequency and percent distribution was used for demographic analysis. Contingency table (Cross Tabulation and Chi-square) along with frequency analysis was used to describe the associations among the frequency distributions of the categorical variables. Results: Over two-thirds (67.65%) of parents (a total of 306 participants) were unaware of SBS and 68.30% of them reported shaking their children. Aging was significantly associated with less SBS knowledge and more self-reported psychological distress. Self-reported psychological distress was significantly associated with increased shaking incidents (p<0.05). Most parents who had shaken their children and were unaware of the syndrome reported psychological distress at an ages of 30 and above. Conclusion: A serious lack of SBS awareness exists among parents in Jordan. Parents’ characteristics including age and self-reported psychological distress are important factors to formulate a logical understanding of the SBS phenomenon. The triad of SBS knowledge, age and psychological distress should be essential components of successful educational programs. Implications for Nursing: The study supports the need for SBS interdisciplinary education and training programs for parents and professionals caring for babies in pediatrics units. Keywords: Shaken baby syndrome, Knowledge, Psychological distress, Abusive head trauma.
Developmental fluoxetine exposure affects adolescent and adult bone depending on the dose and period of exposure in mice
Authors: Fricke Hannah P. , Krajco Chandler J. , Perry Molly J. , Desorcy‐Scherer Katelyn M. , Wake Lella A. , Charles Julia F. , Hernandez Laura L.
Published: November 2023

At the end of gestation, fetal skeleton rapidly accumulates calcium, and bone development continues in offspring postnatally. To accommodate, maternal skeletal physiology is modulated in a serotonin‐dependent manner. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are generally considered safe for treatment of major depressive disorder, postpartum depression, and other psychiatric illnesses during the peripartum period, but because serotonin affects bone remodeling, SSRIs are associated with decreased bone mass across all ages and sexes, and the impact of SSRIs during fetal and postnatal development has not been fully investigated. In the present study, our aim was to examine developmental fluoxetine exposure on offspring skeleton and to assess varying degrees of impact depending on dose and window of exposure in short‐term and long‐term contexts. We established that a low dose of lactational fluoxetine exposure caused a greater degree of insult to offspring bone than either a low dose during fetal and postpartum development or a high dose during lactation only in mice. We further discovered lasting impacts of developmental fluoxetine exposure, especially during lactation only, on adult bone and body composition. Herein, we provide evidence fluoxetine exposure during early development may have detrimental effects on the skeleton of offspring at weaning and into adulthood.
Down-regulation of COL1A1 inhibits tumor-associated fibroblast activation and mediates matrix remodeling in the tumor microenvironment of breast cancer
Authors: Ma Bin , Li Fangfang , Ma Binlin
Published: November 2023

We investigated the effects of collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1) on tumor-associated fibroblast activation and matrix remodeling in the tumor microenvironment of breast cancer. Cells were divided into the blank control, negative control, and siRNA-COL1A1 groups, or HKF control, HKF + exosomes (EXO), HKF + siRNA negative control-EXO, and HKF + siRNA-COL1A1-EXO co-culture groups. Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR detected gene expressions. COL Ⅰ, COL Ⅲ, and TGF-β1 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found that compared with blank and negative control groups, COL1A1 expression and the secretion of exosomes by breast cancer cells were inhibited in the siRNA-COL1A1 group. Compared with the HKF control group, the COL Ⅰ, COL Ⅲ, TGF-β1, α-SMA, and fibroblast activation protein (FAP) were increased, while the E-cadherin and CAV-1 were decreased in the HKF + EXO, HKF + siRNA negative control-EXO, and HKF + siRNA-COL1A1-EXO co-culture groups. Compared with HKF + EXO and HKF + siRNA negative control-EXO co-culture groups, the COL Ⅰ, COL Ⅲ, TGF-β1, α-SMA, and FAP were decreased, and the E-cadherin and CAV-1 were increased in the HKF + siRNA-COL1A1-EXO co-culture group. Collectively, COL1A1 down-regulation may inhibit exosome secretion possibly via inhibiting COL Ⅰ and upregulating CAV-1, thereby inhibiting tumor-associated fibroblast activation and matrix remodeling in the tumor microenvironment.
Interfuel Substitution and Inflation Dynamics in India
Authors: Sengupta Anirban , Serletis Apostolos , Xu Libo
Published: November 2023

This paper uses neoclassical microeconomic theory to investigate the demand for energy and interfuel substitution in India at the sectoral level. It makes full use of the relevant economic theory and econometrics and generates inference in terms of Allen and Morishima elasticities of substitution that are internally consistent with the data and nonlinear models used. The results indicate that the interfuel substitution elasticities are consistently below unity in the household and power sectors, revealing the limited ability to substitute between major energy commodities in these two sectors. However, significant substitution relationships are found in the industrial and transportation sectors, suggesting that energy price changes in these sectors will significantly shift the demand for energy and consumption. Based on measured elasticities of substitution, we also discuss implications of energy price shocks on inflation and inflation targeting strategies by the central bank.
Volatility Forecasting Using Quasi-Score-Driven Models with an Application to the Coronavirus Pandemic Period
Authors: Ayala Astrid , Blazsek Szabolcs , Licht Adrian
Published: November 2023

We study the statistical and volatility forecasting performances of the recent quasi-score-driven EGARCH (exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity) models. We compare the quasi-score-driven EGARCH models with GARCH, asymmetric power ARCH (A-PARCH), and all relevant score-driven EGARCH models of the literature. For score-driven and quasi-score-driven EGARCH, we use the following seven score-driven probability distributions: Student’s t-distribution; general error distribution (GED); generalized t-distribution (Gen-t); skewed generalized t-distribution (Skew-Gen-t); exponential generalized beta distribution of the second kind (EGB2); normal-inverse Gaussian distribution (NIG); Meixner distribution (MXN). We use all combinations of those distributions for (i) the probability distribution of the dependent variable, and (ii) the probability distribution which defines the quasi-score function updating term of the quasi-score-driven filters. We use daily data for the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) index. We find that both in-sample and out-of-sample, quasi-score-driven EGARCH is superior to GARCH, A-PARCH, and score-driven EGARCH. We report in-sample results for the period of January 2000 to December 2020, providing evidence in favor of the quasi-score-driven EGARCH model for the last two decades. We report out-of-sample volatility forecasting results for a period within the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, providing evidence in favor of the quasi-score-driven EGARCH model for a crisis period.
Donner une voix à l’élève : Propositions pour une vision plus inclusive du processus d’élaboration et de révision du plan d’intervention
Authors: Lachance Demers Louis-Philippe , Bergeron Laurie , Fortier Marie-Pierre
Published: November 2023

Le droit qu’ont les enfants de s’exprimer sur les enjeux qui les concernent est défendu par la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant des Nations Unies. Conséquemment, leur voix est censée être prise en compte dans le cadre du processus d’élaboration et de révision du plan d’intervention. Considérant que de nombreux enfants se voient toutefois écartés de ce processus, le présent article en propose une révision. En nous appuyant sur un cadre conceptuel traitant des enjeux éthiques associés à la prise de parole de l’enfant, nous proposons un modèle dialogique où l’élève peut réellement faire entendre sa voix.
La participation parentale à l’établissement des plans d’intervention d’élèves en difficulté d’adaptation
Authors: Chouinard Jeanne , Gaudreau Nancy , Massé Line
Published: November 2023

Le plan d’intervention (PI) constitue un outil de planification mis en place pour favoriser la réussite des élèves présentant des difficultés d’adaptation. Dans cette optique, la participation des parents est attendue de la part de l’école. Quelle forme celle-ci prend-elle ? Quels facteurs facilitent ou entravent la participation parentale ? Cet article présente les résultats d’une recherche qualitative menée au Québec auprès de 29 parents d’élèves présentant des difficultés d’adaptation. Les analyses réalisées permettent de dégager certaines recommandations pour favoriser une plus grande participation des parents à la démarche du PI de leur enfant.
A Frameshift Variant of GluN2A Identified in an Epilepsy Patient Results in NMDA Receptor Mistargeting
Authors: Vieira M. M. , Peng S. , Won S. , Hong E. , Inati S. K. , Thurm A. , Thiam A. H. , Kim S. , Myers S. J. , Badger J. D. , Traynelis S. F. , Lu W. , Roche K. W.
Published: November 2023

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are crucial for neuronal development and synaptic plasticity. Dysfunction of NMDARs is associated with multiple neurodevelopmental disorders, including epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability. Understanding the impact of genetic variants of NMDAR subunits can shed light on the mechanisms of disease. Here, we characterized the functional implications of a de novo mutation of the GluN2A subunit (P1199Rfs*32) resulting in the truncation of the C-terminal domain. The variant was identified in a male patient with epileptic encephalopathy, multiple seizure types, severe aphasia, and neurobehavioral changes. Given the known role of the CTD in NMDAR trafficking, we examined changes in receptor localization and abundance at the postsynaptic membrane using a combination of molecular assays in heterologous cells and rat primary neuronal cultures. We observed that the GluN2A P1199Rfs*32-containing receptors traffic efficiently to the postsynaptic membrane but have increased extra-synaptic expression relative to WT GluN2A-containing NMDARs. Using in silico predictions, we hypothesized that the mutant would lose all PDZ interactions, except for the recycling protein Scribble1. Indeed, we observed impaired binding to the scaffolding protein postsynaptic protein-95 (PSD-95); however, we found the mutant interacts with Scribble1, which facilitates the recycling of both the mutant and the WT GluN2A. Finally, we found that neurons expressing GluN2A P1199Rfs*32 have fewer synapses and decreased spine density, indicating compromised synaptic transmission in these neurons. Overall, our data show that GluN2A P1199Rfs*32 is a loss-of-function variant with altered membrane localization in neurons and provide mechanistic insight into disease etiology.
Integrated systems biology approach identifies gene targets for endothelial dysfunction
Authors: Pinheiro‐de‐Sousa Iguaracy , Fonseca‐Alaniz Miriam Helena , Giudice Girolamo , Valadão Iuri Cordeiro , Modestia Silvestre Massimo , Mattioli Sarah Viana , Junior Ricardo Rosa , Zalmas Lykourgos‐Panagiotis , Fang Yun , Petsalaki Evangelia , Krieger José Eduardo
Published: November 2023

Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is critical in the development and progression of cardiovascular (CV) disorders, yet effective therapeutic targets for ED remain elusive due to limited understanding of its underlying molecular mechanisms. To address this gap, we employed a systems biology approach to identify potential targets for ED. Our study combined multi omics data integration, with siRNA screening, high content imaging and network analysis to prioritise key ED genes and identify a pro‐ and anti‐ED network. We found 26 genes that, upon silencing, exacerbated the ED phenotypes tested, and network propagation identified a pro‐ED network enriched in functions associated with inflammatory responses. Conversely, 31 genes ameliorated ED phenotypes, pointing to potential ED targets, and the respective anti‐ED network was enriched in hypoxia, angiogenesis and cancer‐related processes. An independent screen with 17 drugs found general agreement with the trends from our siRNA screen and further highlighted DUSP1, IL6 and CCL2 as potential candidates for targeting ED. Overall, our results demonstrate the potential of integrated system biology approaches in discovering disease‐specific candidate drug targets for endothelial dysfunction.
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of Their Lost World
Authors: Richardson David H.S.
Published: November 2023

N/A
Profitabilitas dalam Memediasi Pengaruh Kepemilikan Institusional, Komite Audit, dan Ukuran Perusahaan terhadap Pengungkapan Sustainability Report
Authors: Roviqoh Devi Istiani , Khafid Muhammad
Published: November 2023

Tujuan penelitian dilakukan adalah menguji pengaruh kepemilikan institusional, komite audit, dan ukuran perusahaan terhadap pengungkapan sustainability report dengan variabel intervening profitabilitas. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah perusahaan yang termasuk kategori indeks LQ45 periode 2013-2017 sebanyak 70 perusahaan. Teknik sampel yang digunakan pada penelitian ini yaitu purposive sampling. Sampel yang diperoleh sebanyak 14 perusahaan sehingga diperoleh total 70 unit analisis. Teknik analisis yang digunakan adalah analisis statistik deskriptif dan path analysis dengan software IBM SPSS Statistics 23. Penelitian ini menunjukkan adanya pengaruh positif profitabilitas terhadap pengungkapan sustainability report, komite audit berpengaruh positif terhadap profitabilitas, dan ukuran perusahaan berpengaruh negatif terhadap profitabilitas. Sedangkan kepemilikan institusional, ukuran perusahaan, dan komite audit tidak mempengaruhi pengungkapan sustainability report, serta kepemilikan institusional tidak berpengaruh terhadap profitabilitas. Hasil Sobel Test menunjukkan profitabilitas mampu memediasi pengaruh ukuran perusahaan dan komite audit terhadap pengungkapan sustainability report, namun tidak mampu memediasi pengaruh kepemilikan institusional terhadap pengungkapan sustainability report. Simpulan penelitian yaitu pengungkapan sustainability report akan lebih tinggi ketika ukuran perusahaan dan komite audit yang dimiliki, ditunjang dengan tingginya tingkat profitabilitas perusahaan. Hal tersebut menunjukkan bahwa manajemen hendaknya menjaga profitabilitas perusahaan karena terbukti berpengaruh langsung dan mampu memediasi terhadapÂ  pengungkapan sustainability report.
Affecting Factors of Shallots Production Level in Wanasari Sub-District Brebes Regency
Authors: Prakoso Kukuh Ibnu
Published: November 2023

Shallots are vegetables that are included in the staple food classification. Therefore, it should be controlled in order to prevent an economic problem among them such as surge in price or price instability of shallots that can trigger imports and it could be harmful to farmers. Wanasari sub-district is one of the shallots centers located in Brebes regency of Central Java, the last five years has decreased production. The purpose of this research is to know the effect of asset, land area, labor, seedlings, fertilizers, and pesticides factors against the level of production of shallots. The data in this study used primary and secondary data with samples of 70 farmers. The analysis method in this study was the multiple linear regressions.
The Impact of Consumer Price Index, Foreign Direct Investment, Bank Credit and Labour Force on Economic Growth in Indonesia
Authors: Lamah Abdulhadi Ieweedat Ali , Yanto Heri , Setyadharma Andryan
Published: November 2023

This study aims to analyse the impact of consumer price index on GDP, to analyse the im-pact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on GDP, to analyse the impact of bank credit on GDP, to analyse the impact of Labour Force on GDP. The sample in this study are the data for GDP, direct investment (FDI), bank credit, Consumer Price Index, and the labour force with annual data for fourteen consecutive years that are from period 2005-2019 years.  ECM with e-views programs used to analyse the data. Based on the results of data analysis and discussion that has been presented, the following conclusions can be drawn that Con-sumer Price Index (CPI) has no impact on GDP in short term and long term, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has an impact on GDP in short term and long term, Bank Credit (BC) has no impact on GDP in short term and long term, Labour Force (LB) has no impact on GDP in short term and long term.
Evaluasi Program Theurapetic Feeding Center dalam Upaya Penanganan Kasus Gizi Buruk pada Balita di Kabupaten Tegal (Studi Kasus di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Bumijawa, Tegal Tahun 2021)
Authors: Umami Nur Atik , Farida Eko
Published: November 2023

ABSTRAK

Latar belakang : Kasus gizi buruk di Jawa Tengah mengalami peningkatan sejak empat tahun terakhir. Pada tahun 2019 prevalensi gizi buruk di Kabupaten Tegal menempati urutan kedua tertinggi yaitu 10,4%. Puskesmas Bumijawa merupakan salah satu puskesmas dengan kasus gizi buruk tertinggi dan merupakan satu-satunya Puskesmas di Kabupaten Tegal yang telah berhasil mendirikan Program Theurapetic Feeding Centre (TFC) sebagai upaya dalam mengatasi gizi buruk pada balita. Untuk itu, perlu dilakukan penelitian dalam mengevaluasi program yang ditinjau dari komponen input, proses dan output. Metode : Jenis penelitian kualitatif yang dilengkapi dengan data-data kuantitatif dengan desain penelitian analisis deskriptif. Informan dipilih secara purposive sampling dan snowball sampling dengan kriteria tertentu yang terdiri dari 4 informan utama dan 4 informan triangulasi. Teknik pengambilan data dilakukan dengan wawancara mendalam, observasi dan telaah rekam medis. Data kualitatif dianalisis menggunakan model analisis Miles dan Huberman sedangkan kuantitatif dengan deskriptif presentase. Hasil : Hasil menunjukkan bahwa program TFC dapat dikatakan cukup baik . Hal ini terlihat dari komponen input (petugas, dana, bahan dan waktu pelaksanaan sudah baik, namun masih terdapat kendala dalam peralatan yang masih kurang memadai dan masih ada paket makanan yang tidak sesuai dengan sasaran program). Komponen proses (tahap penemuan kasus sudah sesuai dengan panduan, penanganan kasus sesuai dengan kondisi balita, serta pemulihan yang sudah dilakukan orang tua balita di rumah. Namun dalam tahapan pemulihan orang tua balita merasa kesulitan tersendiri dalam menyokong pemulihannya selama di rumah). Kemudian pada komponen output  (dalam waktu 3 bulan balita gizi buruk mengalami kenaikan berat badan selama mengikuti program TFC). Kesimpulan : Program TFC Puskesmas Bumijawa sudah berjalan cukup baik dalam mengatasi masalah gizi buruk pada balita, namun masih ada beberapa kendala dalam pelaksanaan yang harus di perbaiki agar pelaksanaan program berjalan maksimal.
Pemanfaatan Kartu Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) Di Puskesmas
Authors: Amadea Cindy Putri , Rahardjo Bambang Budi
Published: November 2023

Latar Belakang: Pada tahun 2020, jumlah kunjungan pasien BPJS Kesehatan di Puskesmas Perumnas Utara mengalami penurunan dari tahun sebelumnya yaitu 14.212 pasien (65,5%) dari 21.692 kunjungan. Masih terdapat pasien yang belum memanfaatkan pelayanan kesehatan menggunakan JKN. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis faktor yang mempengaruhi pemanfaatan JKN oleh masyarakat di Puskesmas Perumnas Utara Kota Cirebon. Metode: Jenis penelitian yang dilakukan adalah penelitian analitik observasional dengan rancangan Cross Sectional. Populasi pada penelitian ini adalah peserta JKN di Puskesmas Perumnas Utara sebanyak 6618 orang dengan jumlah sampel sebesar 101 responden dengan teknik purposive sampling. Kuesioner sebagai instrument terstruktur dan dianalisis menggunakan uji Chi-Square dan uji regresi logistik berganda. Hasil: Hasil analisis uji regresi berganda diperoleh bahwa terdapat pengaruh variabel tingkat pendidikan (p=0,016), tingkat pengetahuan (p=0,012) dan persepsi sakit individu (p=0,000) terhadap pemanfaatan JKN. Sementara tingkat pendidikan (Exp (B)=5,002) merupakan faktor yang paling berpengaruh terhadap pemanfaatan JKN di Puskesmas Perumnas Utara. Kesimpulan: Pemanfaatan JKN di Puskemas Perumnas Utara dipengaruhi oleh tingkat pendidikan.