bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive review of water quality indices for lotic and lentic ecosystems
Authors: Mogane Lazarus Katlego , Masebe Tracy , Msagati Titus A. M. , Ncube Esper
Published: July 2023

Freshwater resources play a pivotal role in sustaining life and meeting various domestic, agricultural, economic, and industrial demands. As such, there is a significant need to monitor the water quality of these resources. Water quality index (WQI) models have gradually gained popularity since their maiden introduction in the 1960s for evaluating and classifying the water quality of aquatic ecosystems. WQIs transform complex water quality data into a single dimensionless number to enable accessible communication of the water quality status of water resource ecosystems. To screen relevant articles, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method was employed to include or exclude articles. A total of 17 peer-reviewed articles were used in the final paper synthesis. Among the reviewed WQIs, only the Canadian Council for Ministers of the Environment (CCME) index, Irish water quality index (IEWQI) and Hahn index were used to assess both lotic and lentic ecosystems. Furthermore, the CCME index is the only exception from rigidity because it does not specify parameters to select. Except for the West-Java WQI and the IEWQI, none of the reviewed WQI performed sensitivity and uncertainty analysis to improve the acceptability and reliability of the WQI. It has been proven that all stages of WQI development have a level of uncertainty which can be determined using statistical and machine learning tools. Extreme gradient boosting (XGB) has been reported as an effective machine learning tool to deal with uncertainties during parameter selection, the establishment of parameter weights, and determining accurate classification schemes. Considering the IEWQI model architecture and its effectiveness in coastal and transitional waters, this review recommends that future research in lotic or lentic ecosystems focus on addressing the underlying uncertainty issues associated with the WQI model in addition to the use of machine learning techniques to improve the predictive accuracy and robustness and increase the domain of application.
A Theory of Marginal and Large Difference
Authors: Dinis Bruno , Jacinto Bruno
Published: July 2023

We propose a new theory based on the notions of marginal and large difference which has natural models in the context of nonstandard mathematics. We introduce the notion of finite marginality and show a representation result which ensures, for finitely marginal countable models, the existence of a homomorphism of the structure of marginal and large difference into a nonstandard model of the natural numbers, and show the extent to which any such homomorphism is unique. Finally, we show that our theory constitutes part of the underlying abstract structure of three distinct philosophical theories of vagueness: Dean’s neofeasibilism, Itzhaki’s theory of nonstandard heuristics, and our own initial sketch of a nonstandard primitivism about vagueness.
I am Offshore! Teaching and Learning in the Time of a Pandemic: A Pilot Study
Authors: Inthiran Anushia
Published: July 2023

Higher education institutions had to quickly adapt to teaching and learning during COVID19. Border closure meant students were stuck offshore and had to learn from afar. This meant a revolutionary change had to be quickly introduced by the teaching team. As for the students, this meant, experiencing teaching and learning in a new way. In this research study, the experiences of offshore students enrolled in a university in New Zealand is explored. Participants in this research study are unique as they are students who have enrolled in a university but have never step foot in New Zealand due to border closure. This setup presents a unique opportunity to gain information on what strategies were used by these students to engage with teaching and learning material. Similarly, a description of teaching and learning strategies used by the teaching team to make teaching and learning seamless for these offshore students is described. Results of this preliminary study indicates that these students had to adapt to cultural issues and technical issues. Offshore students also provide suggestions in relation to strategies that the teaching team could use to help offshore students feel included.
Exploring the Perceived Impact of Parental PTSD on Parents and Parenting Behaviours—A Qualitative Study
Authors: Christie Hope , Hamilton-Giachritsis Catherine , McGuire Rosie , Bisson Jon I. , Roberts Neil P. , Underwood Jack F. G. , Halligan Sarah L.
Published: July 2023

A considerable number of adults who are currently living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are also parents caring for at least one biological child. Evidence suggests that parental PTSD can be associated with impairments to certain parenting behaviours, particularly increasing the use of more negative practices. However, most of the evidence to date has been collected using quantitative methodology, which gives limited insight into why such effects might occur. The current study qualitatively explored study the lived experiences of parents currently living with PTSD, within the United Kingdom. Interviews were conducted with 30 parents (16 mothers, 14 fathers) who were recruited via a PTSD research registry, and who had children living at home under the age of 18 years at the time they experienced their trauma. Three main themes were identified: key impacts of the trauma to the parent personally; negative changes to specific parenting outcomes; impact of these parenting changes on the parent’s sense of parental efficacy; and recovery and coping. These findings provide novel insight into the experiences of both mothers and fathers with PTSD, and highlight the multiple challenges faced by parents living with PTSD that extend beyond impairments to themselves as individuals. Potential implications for the implementation of effective support for parents and their families following trauma exposure are considered.
“Let them eat cake”: drought, peasant uprisings, and demand for institutional change in the French Revolution
Authors: Waldinger Maria
Published: July 2023

The paper studies whether a drought in 1788 affected the outbreak of peasant revolts during the French Revolution. I construct a community-level data set with information on local drought severity and peasant uprisings in 1789. Communities with severe drought conditions more often experienced peasant revolts against the feudal system. Then, I investigate a mechanism through which drought may have affected peasant revolts. Those more affected by the drought had higher demand for institutional change as expressed in the lists of grievances. The results provide evidence on specific ways in which the drought of 1788 impacted the French Revolution, a milestone in the democratization of Western Europe.
Informal Network Members’ Perspectives and Experiences on Work for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Thematic Synthesis
Authors: Voermans Moniek A. C. , Wilthagen Ton , Embregts Petri J. C. M.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The level of participation of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in various forms of work, including daytime activities, appears to be suboptimal. Informal networks of people with ID constitute crucial forms of support, as they can significantly influence occupational choices and opportunities. This review aims to synthesize existing research for the purpose of examining how informal network members perceive the meaning of employment or daytime activities for their relatives with ID.

Methods

Following the PRISMA guideline, a systematic search of scientific literature published between 1990 and July 2022 was conducted. The qualitative results from twenty-seven studies (qualitative and mixed-method) were analyzed using thematic synthesis.

Results

Four overarching themes and several subthemes were identified: (I) Ensuring customized work for my relative; (II) The ongoing need to collaborate and share care responsibilities with professionals; (III) The meaning of work for both my relative and myself; and (IV) Achieving full work participation for my relative is neither straightforward nor self-evident.

Conclusions

Informal networks place great value upon customized and sustainable work opportunities for their relatives with ID, particularly community-based work. While network members play an important role in creating these opportunities, they encounter obstacles resulting from both collaboration difficulties with professionals and employers and public and structural forms of stigma. Researchers, professionals, policy makers, and employers are encouraged to collaborate with individuals with ID as well as their networks to increase the meaningful work opportunities available to them.
Differentiation between copal and amber by their structure and thermal behaviour
Authors: Garcia-Valles M. , Di Mariano A. , Alfonso P. , Noguès J. , Martinez S.
Published: July 2023

The relationships between the polymerization related to structure and the composition of different types of natural resins were determined. Analyses were carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential thermal analysis–thermogravimetry (DTA-TG) and hot stage microscopy (HSM). Copal specimens were collected from the Mai-Ndombe Lake, Democratic Republic of Congo, and amber pieces that came from Bitterfeld, Germany, and from Kaliningrad, Russia. FTIR spectra of copal show a vibrational band at 1643 cm−1 (C=O stretching) attributed to communic acids, while amber shows a band at 1735 cm−1 associated with ester-group vibrations and a shoulder at about 3340 cm−1, suggesting partial oxidization. DTA shows the main exothermic peak, related to the combustion, at 546–552 °C in amber and at 518 °C in copal. The derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) peaks vary in the different resin types; in amber, they occur at 333–335, 401–404 and 548–555 °C and are related to mass losses of 31, 26 and 39 mass%, respectively; copal peaks are at 394 and 507 °C, with mass losses of 71 and 27 mass%, respectively. In copal, hot stage microscopy (HSM) shows the start of sintering at 131 °C, followed by an expansion produced by the material decomposition and the generation of gases that cannot be released because of the material plastic behaviour. Finally, the increase in pressure produces an explosion that results in a lower viscosity of the liquid, which at this point can no longer support the internal pressure of gases. In amber samples, a smaller decrease in viscosity is observed and the start of sintering occurs at 150 °C with no significant change in their morphology.
Delving NFT vulnerabilities, a sleepminting prevention system
Authors: Guidi Barbara , Michienzi Andrea
Published: July 2023

The rise of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) is beginning to revolutionize the digital world thanks to the unique property of these tokens. Indeed, they can represent the ownership of physical or digital assets. They are implemented using smart contracts, therefore if the code of the smart contract contains bugs, an attacker can exploit its vulnerabilities to perform an attack called sleepminting. Sleepminting consists of transferring NFTs owned by an address, without the owner’s consent. In this paper, we provide a detailed analysis of the sleepminting attack and, thanks to the insights gained, we propose a prevention system to reduce the number of sleepminting attacks. Our prevention system is based on analysing the transactions included in new blocks, detecting those that are related to sleepminting attacks and keeping track of the addresses that are involved in these transactions. A dictionary-like data structure can be used to keep track of the addresses involved, where the key is the address and the value acts as a counter for the number of times the address is involved in sleepminting. With this information, block-creating nodes can add another verification step before adding a transaction to a block, which consists of blocking transactions when the addresses involved appear in sleepminting attacks a number of times greater than a threshold. The evaluation shows that sleepminting is a relevant phenomenon, and now it involves NFT transfers rather than NFT minting. Our proposed prevention system is able to block up to 87% of attacks.
When Science Is Taught This Way, Students Become Critical Friends: Setting the Stage for Student Teachers
Authors: Iwuanyanwu Paul Nnanyereugo
Published: July 2023

Effective science education draws on many different ways of teaching science. The literature on science education documents some potential benefits of argumentation instruction as a powerful tool for learning science and maintaining wonder and curiosity in the classroom. Unlike expository teaching, which relies on a teacher-driven pedagogy in which students accept the teacher’s authority over any content to be justified a priori, argumentation teaching allows students to focus on the importance of high-quality evidence for epistemic knowledge, reasoning, and justification. Using a quasi-experimental design, two study groups of undergraduate student teachers were exposed to two different learning conditions, the Exp-group with dialogic argumentation instruction (DAI) and the Ctrl-group with expository instruction. Each group received the same science content twice a week for 12 weeks (2 h per lesson). Pre- and posttests were administered to collect data. One-way MANCOVA with the pretest results as covariates showed that the instructional approaches (Wilk’s Λ = 0.765, p < 0.001) had a significant effect on the tested variables after the intervention. A pairwise comparison of performance indices between the two study groups revealed that the exp-group was better able to evaluate alternative solutions and defend arguments for collaborative consensus on unstructured scientific problems. This suggests that dialogic argumentation instruction can be used to help students improve their scientific reasoning, thinking, and argumentation skills, which are required to solve problems involving scientific phenomena.
Gender Confirmation Work, Rest, and Symbolic Boundaries in (Trans)Gender Support Groups
Authors: Weber Kairo
Published: July 2023

Research on transgender identity and community boundaries has developed steadily over the last decade, but many of the inquiries center around personal identity boundaries and development rather than collective boundary drawing. To understand how and why gendered symbolic boundaries are drawn and enforced in shared spaces, I collected and analyzed qualitative data from thirteen in-depth interviews with trans people in gender support groups in the United States. I investigated the symbolic boundaries that members of gender support groups draw around who “counts” as trans, who is welcome in the groups, and factors that influence boundary drawing. I found that trans participants engage in high amounts of emotional work, that I term gender confirmation work, to uphold their gender identities in a cisnormative world. Consequently, gender support groups function as space of rest from work, and boundaries are drawn to ensure rest inside the groups. My study on gender support group membership boundaries advances new terms to describe trans people’s response to gender-based harm. My findings also demonstrate how trans people—a marginalized population—employ group strategies for navigating cisgender-dominant society.
Worker Well-Being and Quit Intentions: Is Measuring Job Satisfaction Enough?
Authors: Pelly Diane
Published: July 2023

The links between worker well-being and quit intentions have been well researched. However, the vast majority of extant studies use just one measure, job satisfaction, to proxy for worker well-being as a whole, thus ignoring its documented multidimensionality. This paper examines whether this approach is justified. Using novel survey data, I compare the extent to which alternative well-being indicators (job satisfaction, affect, engagement and the satisfaction of basic psychological needs) individually, and jointly, explain variation in the quit intentions of 994 full-time workers. I find systematic differences in the personal and well-being profiles of workers who intend quitting and those who do not. Furthermore,  well-being indicators explain four to nine times more variation in quit intentions than wages and hours combined. The engagement measure performs best, explaining 22.5% of variation in quit intentions. Employing a composite model (job satisfaction + affect + engagement) significantly increases explanatory power. My results suggest that the standard single-item job satisfaction measure may be good enough for organisations who merely wish to identify categories of workers who may be most at risk of quitting. For organisations seeking to develop proactive quit prevention  strategies however, supplementing job satisfaction with other indicators such as engagement should increase explanatory power and yield valuable, potentially actionable, insights.
Endoreduplication changes in five in-vitro-grown crops upon treatment with silver nanoparticles
Authors: Tomaszewska-Sowa Magdalena , Rewers Monika , Bocian Karol , Sliwinska Elwira
Published: July 2023

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are now often utilized in agriculture and horticulture. One of the common applications is to use AgNPs as antimicrobial agents in tissue cultures instead of using standard sterilization procedures. However, in addition to beneficial effects they have also cyto- and genotoxic ones, inducing DNA damage and changing cell cycle dynamics. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of AgNPs at different concentrations (50–100 ppm) on endoreduplication, DNA content, and growth of seedlings of five crops: rapeseed, white mustard, sugar beet, red clover, and alfalfa, cultivated in vitro. Flow cytometry was used to establish genome size and DNA synthesis patterns in the roots, hypocotyls, and leaves of first-leaf-pair seedlings. AgNP-treatment did not influence germination or genome size, but increased root length and endoreduplication intensity. The increases were especially pronounced in species/organs with high polysomaty. We suggest that enhanced endopolyploidization is a defense mechanism against the stress induced by AgNPs causing mitotic division disruption.
Floral resources encourage colonisation and use of green roofs by invertebrates
Authors: Berthon Katherine , Thomas Freya , Baumann Jess , White Rebecca , Bekessy Sarah , Encinas-Viso Francisco
Published: July 2023

Green roof retrofits offer a promising avenue to increase greenspace and thus biodiversity in the city. The successful colonisation and establishment of plants and animals on green roofs is limited by the location and context of the green roof. Here we use a before, after, control, impact (BACI) design to monitor the colonisation of a new retrofit roof in Melbourne CBD. We find that colonisation for some taxa occurs rapidly, with honeybees (Apis mellifera) arriving four days after flowers had been planted. Other insect taxa, such as native bees, did not colonise the impact roof but were present on the green roof reference site, which was lower in height and planted with native plants. Invertebrate abundance increased for all sites after the retrofit was built, however this sampling period was in late spring when more insects are expected to be active. Bird richness and abundance didn’t change in response to roof greening, but invertebrate richness was significantly higher on reference sites and increased after the green roof retrofit was built for the impact site. There was an apparent ‘spill over’ effect onto the nearby green roof control, which also increased in invertebrate diversity. Overall, invertebrate composition across roof types was driven by floral density. Floral density and richness increased on the impact roof as vegetation matured, subsequently correlating with higher abundance and richness of invertebrates. We use these findings to discuss colonisation of green roofs and argue for strategic placement of new green roof retrofits to maximise their biodiversity potential.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between policing and collective efficacy
Authors: Yesberg Julia A. , Costi Francesca , Chan Angus , Bradford Ben
Published: July 2023

Objectives

To systematically review the evidence of the relationship between policing and collective efficacy.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis synthesising data from 16 studies (4 experimental/quasi-experimental, 12 observational) assessing the relationship between policing and collective efficacy.

Results

Overall, police trustworthiness was the only measure of policing that was significantly associated with collective efficacy. People who thought the police were an effective and supportive resource perceived greater collective efficacy in their neighbourhoods.

Conclusions

The contribution of policing to collective efficacy seems to be about supporting communities by providing a trustworthy presence, which may reassure people that the police will be there if needed.
Static and cyclic performance of polyurethane foam adhesive bound soil–rubber mixtures under drained conditions
Authors: Farooq Mohammad Adnan , Nimbalkar Sanjay
Published: July 2023

The major drawbacks of a railway track include noise, vibration, and aggravated track degradation. Resilient mats and asphalt have been increasingly used in recent years to mitigate this noise and vibration. However, these materials are quite expensive. Conventional asphalt is very stiff and brittle, making it more prone to cracking. The present work aims to develop a novel material that can be used as a base layer in ballasted and slab tracks. The current research proposes a sustainable and resilient base course layer comprising ground rubber (GR) and polyurethane foam adhesive (PFA). In this study, the performance of GR embedded in the sand is investigated. The use of PFA-treated sand with and without GR is then explored. The optimum dosage of PFA for soil and GR for treated and untreated soil is recommended based on static direct simple shear (SDSS) and cyclic direct simple shear (CDSS) tests. SDSS tests were performed to evaluate the monotonic performance of all mixtures. CDSS tests were performed to assess the long-term performance of these different mixes under repeated cyclic loading (50,000 load cycles) and varying cyclic shear stress amplitude. It is shown that PFA helps reduce the settlement and enhance soil shear strength, while GR increases the damping ratio of the soil. The optimum dosage of PFA is recommended 10%. The optimum GR content for untreated and PFA-treated soil is recommended 5 and 10%, respectively.
Disorientation of male Agriotes click beetles in the presence of granulate pheromones - a case for mating disruption
Authors: van Herk Willem G. , Kabaluk J. Todd , Vernon Robert S. , Richard Romain , Benz Philipp
Published: July 2023

1. Larvae of multiple click beetle species, i.e. wireworms, are important pests of agriculture worldwide, and are generally managed with insecticides. Conceivably, semiochemical-based management tactics that target male beetles and reduce the mating success of females, would reduce the formation of new larvae in the field.

2. Using two of the best studied species, Agriotes obscurus (AO) and A. lineatus (AL), we evaluated the ability of male beetles to find traps that simulate calling female beetles in field plots treated with various formulations and densities of pheromone-treated substrates. Four disorientation studies were conducted, and the response of wild and marked-released beetles inferred from frequent trap collections.

3. Beetle responses differed between male AO, female AO, and male AL. The presence of AO pheromone increased male AO movements, reduced captures in baited traps, and attracted wild AO beetles into the plots. By the final experiment, the pheromone-treated substrate effectively disoriented male AO for > 17 d. However, treatment with AL pheromone reduced male AO movements and/or repelled them from the plots. Female AO were slightly attracted to their own pheromone early in the season, but not thereafter. Treatment with AL pheromone attracted male AL into plots but did not increase their activity. Both AO and AL pheromone disrupted male AL behaviour, but less significantly than observed for male AO.

4. These results suggest pheromone-based click beetle mating disruption for wireworm management is feasible. However, further work is required to determine application rates and methods, and if this can be developed for other species.
Analgesia for the Bayesian Brain: How Predictive Coding Offers Insights Into the Subjectivity of Pain
Authors: Lersch Friedrich E. , Frickmann Fabienne C. S. , Urman Richard D. , Burgermeister Gabriel , Siercks Kaya , Luedi Markus M. , Straumann Sven
Published: July 2023

Purpose of Review

In order to better treat pain, we must understand its architecture and pathways. Many modulatory approaches of pain management strategies are only poorly understood. This review aims to provide a theoretical framework of pain perception and modulation in order to assist in clinical understanding and research of analgesia and anesthesia.

Recent Findings

Limitations of traditional models for pain have driven the application of new data analysis models. The Bayesian principle of predictive coding has found increasing application in neuroscientific research, providing a promising theoretical background for the principles of consciousness and perception. It can be applied to the subjective perception of pain.

Pain perception can be viewed as a continuous hierarchical process of bottom-up sensory inputs colliding with top-down modulations and prior experiences, involving multiple cortical and subcortical hubs of the pain matrix. Predictive coding provides a mathematical model for this interplay.
How to Improve the Efficacy of Gastric Cancer Screening?
Authors: Januszewicz Wladyslaw , Turkot Maryla Helena , Regula Jaroslaw
Published: July 2023

Purpose of review

This review article aims to provide an overview of existing and emerging screening strategies for gastric cancer and discuss potential measures to improve its efficacy in countries with different risk profiles for the disease.

Recent findings

Recent developments in endoscopic technology, including image enhancement and computer-guided diagnosis, can improve further early cancer detection in countries with primary endoscopic screening. Moreover, accumulating data on upper endoscopy quality underlines the pivotal role of appropriate examination time and the vital role of premedication (sedation, defoaming agents, and antispasmodics). In regions with low-to-intermediate incidence, the “test-and-treat” approach for H. pylori infection seems feasible for gastric cancer screening and prevention. Possibly, a family-based approach to test for the condition within family households could further improve the efficacy of this approach. In addition, other non-invasive methods to identify at-risk individuals are being evaluated, such as breath testing, serological markers, and circulating tumor cells.

Gastric cancer screening practices vary widely globally based on incidence, local healthcare facilities, and funding. However, wide-ranged screening programs for gastric cancer may be feasible even in countries with low-to-intermediate incidence if the approach is tailored towards the local disease burden and focused on the pre-selection of at-risk individuals.
Methodologies for assessing the quality of 3D models obtained using close-range photogrammetry
Authors: di Filippo Andrea , Antinozzi Sara , Cappetti Nicola , Villecco Francesco
Published: July 2023

Although reality-based models are widely used to describe the geometric surfaces of an entity in a digital space, a systematic and universally recognised treatment of issues such as accuracy is lacking. The topic is certainly complex as this analysis should involve not only shape approximation but also other attributes (e.g., colour). Wanting to limit ourselves to geometry alone, this work proposes solutions for assessing the quality of photogrammetric models, differentiating them according to possible scenarios: sometimes, homologous models obtained using different techniques and technologies are available. In these cases, a comparison between digital reconstructions can serve to effectively quantify accuracy; more often, no terms of comparison are available, and one is forced to derive indicators from the same photogrammetric process to describe quality. We propose for this scenario a statistical analysis on the covariance matrix of the estimated coordinates for the tie points. The main goal is to provide a range of possible approaches to the conscious management of survey data.
The Fine Structure of the Spectral Theory on the S-Spectrum in Dimension Five
Authors: Colombo Fabrizio , De Martino Antonino , Pinton Stefano , Sabadini Irene
Published: July 2023

Holomorphic functions play a crucial role in operator theory and the Cauchy formula is a very important tool to define the functions of operators. The Fueter–Sce–Qian extension theorem is a two-step procedure to extend holomorphic functions to the hyperholomorphic setting. The first step gives the class of slice hyperholomorphic functions; their Cauchy formula allows to define the so-called S-functional calculus for noncommuting operators based on the S-spectrum. In the second step this extension procedure generates monogenic functions; the related monogenic functional calculus, based on the monogenic spectrum, contains the Weyl functional calculus as a particular case. In this paper we show that the extension operator from slice hyperholomorphic functions to monogenic functions admits various possible factorizations that induce different function spaces. The integral representations in such spaces allow to define the associated functional calculi based on the S-spectrum. The function spaces and the associated functional calculi define the so-called fine structure of the spectral theories on the S-spectrum. Among the possible fine structures there are the harmonic and polyharmonic functions and the associated harmonic and polyharmonic functional calculi. The study of the fine structures depends on the dimension considered and in this paper we study in detail the case of dimension five, and we describe all of them. The five-dimensional case is of crucial importance because it allows to determine almost all the function spaces will also appear in dimension greater than five, but with different orders.
Bi-Sobolev Extensions
Authors: Koski Aleksis , Onninen Jani
Published: July 2023

We give a full characterization of circle homeomorphisms which admit a homeomorphic extension to the unit disk with finite bi-Sobolev norm. As a special case, a bi-conformal variant of the famous Beurling–Ahlfors extension theorem is obtained. Furthermore we show that the existing extension techniques such as applying either the harmonic or the Beurling–Ahlfors operator work poorly in the degenerated setting. This also gives an affirmative answer to a question of Karafyllia and Ntalampekos.
Analysis of Rhesus (Rh) Antigen Distributions in Donors and Multi-transfused Patients for Phenotype-Matched Transfusion
Authors: Zhao Yuhong , Yao Ni , Lv Yan , Cui Dawei , Xie Jue
Published: July 2023

Knowledge about the frequency of Rh blood group systems in the local population help build a donor pool for multi-transfused patients and provide antigen-negative compatible blood for patients with alloantibodies. ABO and Rh antigens were identified for blood donors and patients before transfusion. The antiglobulin test based on the micro-column gel method was used to perform unexpected antibody screening and identification for patients in pre-transfusion testing. The incidence of the adverse transfusion reactions and the accordance rate of Rh phenotype-matched transfusion were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 246,340 specimens were detected with Rh blood group antigens D, C, E, c, and e. Rh D antigen was the most common phenotype with a frequency of 99.40%, followed by e antigen, C antigen, c antigen, and E antigen. In Rh D positive specimens, DCe was the most common phenotype, while DCE was the least common. At the same time, in Rh D negative specimens, ce was the most common phenotype with CE and CcE unobserved. Rh phenotype-matched transfusion has been conducted in our department since 2012. The accordance rate of Rh phenotype-matched transfusion has been kept above 95% and the resulting incidence of adverse transfusion reactions has been decreasing year by year, from 19.95‰ in 2011 to 2.21‰ in 2021. Blood transfusion with matched Rh phenotypes was able to avoid the generation of unexpected antibodies, reduce the incidence of adverse transfusion reactions, and enhance precise diagnosis and treatment.
Development of electrocoagulation-based continuous-flow reactor for leachate treatment: Performance evaluation, energy consumption, modeling, and optimization
Authors: Mehralian Mohammad , Ehrampoush Mohammad Hassan , Ebrahimi Ali Asghar , Dalvand Arash
Published: July 2023

This study investigated the performance of continuous-flow electrocoagulation (CFR-EC) reactor for aged landfill leachate treatment with a novel configuration of iron and aluminum electrodes to enhance the applicability of the process. The effects of the applied current density (ACD), initial pH, and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the percentage removal of COD, TOC, BOD5, color, turbidity, and heavy metals (HMs) were modeled with Box-Behnken design (BBD). The results demonstrated that the models are significant (R2 0.97—p-value < 0.0029 and R2 0.92—p-value < 0.0001 for Fe and Al electrodes). COD, TOC, BOD5, and NH3-N removal were maximized at HRT 50 min (40.0 mL min−1) and pH 11 reaching 59, 64, 55, and 27%, respectively, by applying the ACD of 1.1 mA cm−2 in the CFR-ECFe reactor. The CFR-ECFe reactor presented a higher color (59%) and turbidity reduction (86%) than the CFR-ECAl reactor. At optimum condition, the removal percentages of HMs: Cr6+, Pb2+, As3+, Mg2+, B3+, Mn3+, Ni2+, and Ba2+ were 50, 70, 80, 99, 81, 99, 20, and 65%, respectively. The total process cost for landfill leachate treatment was 0.21 $/m3. The CFR-ECFe was an effective and affordable reactor for pollutant removal from landfill leachate.
Evaluation of surface activity of rhamnolipid biosurfactants produced from rice bran oil through dynamic surface tension
Authors: Safari Paria , Hosseini Morteza , Lashkarbolooki Mostafa , Ghorbani Monireh , Najafpour Darzi Ghasem
Published: July 2023

The use of low-cost carbon substrates such as agricultural residues can drastically lower the cost of biosurfactant production. In this study, rice bran oil extracted from agricultural waste was used as a renewable carbon source for biosurfactant production using Pseudomonas aeruginosa PTCC 1340. The biosurfactant was characterized as a glycolipid derivative by thin-layer chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The yields of biosurfactant from rice bran oil (YRL/S) and biosurfactant to biomass (YRL/X) were 0.246 and 2.81 (g/g), respectively. In addition, the surface activity of the produced biosurfactant was studied using dynamic surface tension measurements and a mono-exponential decay model by estimating the relaxation time of the biosurfactants at the interface. The biosurfactant exhibited acceptable performance in reducing surface tension, as confirmed by examining the dynamic surface tension state and the lowest adsorption time without being affected by the type of salt or concentration. It was found that the adsorption/relaxation of biosurfactants at the interface was considerably affected by the biosurfactant concentration. The produced biosurfactant by the strain considerably reduced the surface tension of water from 70.46 to 25.86 mN/m with a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 0.09 g/L with rice bran oil as a carbon source. The biosurfactant was also found to be highly effective in suppressing one of the most destructive pathogenic fungi, Macrophomina phaseolina, in terms of its environmental impact. The enhanced physicochemical properties of biosurfactants, such as potential antifungal properties, oil displacement properties, and surface tension-reducing ability, demonstrate the potential of this biosurfactant as a bio-adjuvant and perfect replacement for chemical surfactants in addressing oil spills and environmental decontamination processes.
Successful treatment of coexisting membranous nephropathy and immune thrombocytopenia by eradicating gastric Helicobacter pylori infection: a case report
Authors: Suetsugu Reina , Sakuma Hirofumi , Maruyama Keisuke , Matsuki Motoki , Ogawa Yayoi , Nakagawa Naoki
Published: July 2023

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in middle-aged and older adults. MN etiology is mainly primary or idiopathic; however, it may also be secondary to infections, drugs, neoplasms, and autoimmune diseases. We present the case of a 52-year-old Japanese man with coexisting nephrotic MN and immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Renal biopsy revealed glomerular basement membrane thickening with immunoglobulin (Ig) G and complement component 3 deposition. Glomerular IgG subclass analysis revealed predominant IgG4 deposition with weak IgG1 and IgG2 deposition. IgG3 and phospholipase A2 receptor deposits were negative. Upper endoscopy revealed no ulcers, but histological examination demonstrated Helicobacter pylori infection in the gastric mucosa with elevated IgG antibodies. After gastric Helicobacter pylori eradication, the nephrotic-range proteinuria and thrombocytopenia of the patient were markedly improved without initiation of immunosuppressive treatment. Therefore, clinicians should consider the possibility of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with coexisting MN and ITP. Further studies are required to demonstrate the associated pathophysiological aspects.
Carbohydrate Nutrition and Skill Performance in Soccer
Authors: Rollo Ian , Williams Clyde
Published: July 2023

In soccer, players must perform a variety of sport-specific skills usually during or immediately after running, often at sprint speed. The quality of the skill performed is likely influenced by the volume of work done in attacking and defending over the duration of the match. Even the most highly skilful players succumb to the impact of fatigue both physical and mental, which may result in underperforming skills at key moments in a match. Fitness is the platform on which skill is performed during team sport. With the onset of fatigue, tired players find it ever more difficult to successfully perform basic skills. Therefore, it is not surprising that teams spend a large proportion of their training time on fitness. While acknowledging the central role of fitness in team sport, the importance of team tactics, underpinned by spatial awareness, must not be neglected. It is well established that a high-carbohydrate diet before a match and, as a supplement during match play, helps delay the onset of fatigue. There is some evidence that players ingesting carbohydrate can maintain sport-relevant skills for the duration of exercise more successfully compared with when ingesting placebo or water. However, most of the assessments of sport-specific skills have been performed in a controlled, non-contested environment. Although these methods may be judged as not ecologically valid, they do rule out the confounding influences of competition on skill performance. The aim of this brief review is to explore whether carbohydrate ingestion, while delaying fatigue during match play, may also help retain sport soccer-specific skill performance.
Physically Violent Parental Practices: A Cross-Cultural Study in Cameroon, Switzerland, and Togo
Authors: Naudin Caroline , Gatti Veronica , Kounou Kossi B. , Bagnéken Claude-Olivier , Ntjam Marie-Chantale , Clément Marie-Ève , Brodard Fabrice
Published: July 2023

Violence against children and adolescents is a widespread problem. However, most studies conducted in this field has been carried out in Western countries and studies are needed in non-Western countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where rates of child physical violence are high. The present study aimed firstly to document the different forms of physical violence and attitudes toward corporal punishment (CP) across Cameroon, Switzerland, and Togo. The second objective aimed, on the one hand, to understand the influence of cultural context, childhood physical abuse, and parental attitudes on physically violent parental practices in these three different cultural contexts. On the other, this study aimed to investigate the mediating role of childhood physical abuse and parental attitudes on the effect of cultural contexts on parental practices. Five hundred and forty-seven parents from Togo, Cameroon, and Switzerland filled out questionnaires concerning violent parental practices (ICAST-P), childhood physical abuse (CTQ-SF), and parental attitudes in favor of CP. Firstly, results highlighted some cultural differences regarding parental attitudes and practices. Secondly, the hierarchical regression showed that physical violence could be partially predicted by the cultural context, childhood abuse, and attitudes in favor of CP. Finally, childhood abuse and parental attitudes mediated the link between the cultural context and parental practices. This study underscores the importance of considering the cultural context when examining parental practices. Moreover, these results provide a better understanding of these types of parental practices in less studied contexts.
Between news and history: identifying networked topics of collective attention on Wikipedia
Authors: Gildersleve Patrick , Lambiotte Renaud , Yasseri Taha
Published: July 2023

The digital information landscape has introduced a new dimension to understanding how we collectively react to new information and preserve it at the societal level. This, together with the emergence of platforms such as Wikipedia, has challenged traditional views on the relationship between current events and historical accounts of events, with an ever-shrinking divide between “news” and “history”. Wikipedia’s place as the Internet’s primary reference work thus poses the question of how it represents both traditional encyclopaedic knowledge and evolving important news stories. In other words, how is information on and attention towards current events integrated into the existing topical structures of Wikipedia? To address this, we develop a temporal community detection approach towards topic detection that takes into account both short term dynamics of attention as well as long term article network structures. We apply this method to a dataset of one year of current events on Wikipedia to identify clusters of Wikipedia articles related to news events, distinct from those that would be found solely from page view time series correlations or static network structure. We are able to resolve the topics that more strongly reflect unfolding current events vs more established knowledge by the relative importance of collective attention dynamics vs link structures. We also offer important developments by identifying and describing the emergent topics on Wikipedia. This work provides a means of distinguishing how these information and attention clusters are related to Wikipedia’s twin faces of encyclopaedic knowledge and current events—crucial to understanding the production and consumption of knowledge in the digital age.
Migrant status disparities in blood pressure: a multiple mediation analysis of modifiable factors
Authors: Dalla Zuanna Teresa , Batzella Erich , Russo Francesca , Pitter Gisella , Canova Cristina
Published: July 2023

Background

We examined differences in blood pressure (BP) levels between first-generation immigrants and natives in adult residents in Northeast Italy, and investigated the role of lifestyle behaviors, body mass index (BMI), and education as potentially modifiable mediating factors.

Methods

We included 20–69-year-old participants from the Health Surveillance Program of the Veneto Region (n = 37,710). Immigrants born in a high migratory pressure country (HMPC) were further grouped into geographical macro-areas. The outcomes were systolic BP (SBP) and hypertension. Multiple mediation analyses were performed to determine the contribution of each mediator of the SBP/migrant status association.

Results

Of the 37,380 subjects included, 8.7% were born in an HMPC. BMI, education, alcohol, sweets and meat consumption were included as potential mediators. A small advantage in SBP was seen for immigrants compared to natives (β =  – 0.71,95%CI  – 1.30;  – 0.10). The direct effect (net of the covariates) of immigrant status on SBP was a reduction of 1.62 mmHg (95%CI  – 2.25;  – 0.98). BMI played the highest suppressive role (β = 1.14,95%CI 0.99; 1.35), followed by education. Alcohol consumption amplified the health advantage of immigrants. The suppressing effect of BMI was particularly evident among women and North Africans compared to natives. Similar results were seen for hypertension rates.

Conclusions

Although causation cannot be proven given the cross-sectional design, our findings identify BMI as the most effective target to preserve the health advantage of immigrants with respect to BP levels.
Impacts of Spontaneous Waterfall Development on Bedrock River Longitudinal Profile Morphology
Authors: Rothman Sophie D. , Scheingross Joel S. , McCoy Scott W. , Dow Helen W.
Published: July 2023

River profiles are shaped by climatic and tectonic history, lithology, and internal feedbacks between flow hydraulics, sediment transport and erosion. In steep channels, waterfalls may self‐form without changes in external forcing (i.e., autogenic formation) and erode at rates faster or slower than an equivalent channel without waterfalls. We use a 1‐D numerical model to investigate how self‐formed waterfalls alter the morphology of bedrock river longitudinal profiles. We modify the standard stream power model to include a slope threshold above which waterfalls spontaneously form and a rate constant allowing waterfalls to erode faster or slower than other fluvial processes. Using this model, we explore how waterfall formation alters both steady state and transient longitudinal profile forms. Our model predicts that fast waterfalls create km‐scale reaches in a dynamic equilibrium with channel slope held approximately constant at the threshold slope for waterfall formation, while slow waterfalls can create local channel slope maxima at the location of slow waterfall development. Furthermore, slow waterfall profiles integrate past base level histories, leading to multiple possible profile forms, even at steady‐state. Consistency between our model predictions and field observations of waterfall‐rich rivers in the Kings and Kaweah drainages in the southern Sierra Nevada, California, supports the hypothesis that waterfall formation can modulate river profiles in nature. Our findings may help identify how bedrock channels are influenced by waterfall erosion and aid in distinguishing between signatures of external and internal perturbations, thereby strengthening our ability to interpret past climate and tectonic changes from river longitudinal profiles.
Ambidextrous Microbes May Pump Out CO2 as Temperatures Rise
Authors: Kornei Katherine
Published: July 2023

Certain microbes that engage in both photosynthesis and predation are more likely to do the latter as the planet warms, resulting in a net release of carbon dioxide.