bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tratamento da cefaleia tensional através da terapia manual: uma revisão de literatura
Authors: Gomes Andre Luis de Lima , Santos Michele Santana
Published: January 2024

O cuidado com a saúde física está entre as necessidades básicas do indivíduo. A dor de cabeça ou cefaleia, por exemplo, é um sintoma que acomete um percentual considerável da população e que pode comprometer o desempenho pleno de atividades comuns do dia-a-dia, podendo gerar não apenas um desconforto físico, mas prejuízos sociais e econômicos. Este estudo tem por objetivo investigar a eficiência das manobras fisioterápicas no tratamento da Cefaleia do Tipo Tensional (CTT), juntamente com a explanação sobre os métodos mais aplicados em relação a essa patologia e precisar a quantidade e a duração temporal das intervenções da terapia manual. Para atingir este objetivo, foi realizada uma revisão da literatura dos artigos científicos e livros relacionados à terapia manual e à cefaleia. Foram pesquisados os textos lançados entre os anos de 2002 e 2019, em espanhol, inglês e português. A minimização das dores de cabeça, sintoma característico das pessoas diagnosticadas com cefaleia, apresenta correlação com a aplicação da terapia manual, com base nas informações obtidas na literatura científica relacionada.
Estrés y alimentación emocional como indicadores de depresión en mexicanos de acuerdo con el índice de masa corporal en el contexto del SARS-CoV2
Authors:   Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Salmeron Ruiz Azul Fernanda , Rojas Ramírez Ana Teresa ,   Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, García Méndez Mirna ,   Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, García Cortés José Manuel ,   Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Becerril Belio Lizbeth ,   Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Corona Márquez Brenda Denisse ,   Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Published: January 2024

El confinamiento derivado de la pandemia por el COVID-19 ha implicado cambios en los hábitos de las personas, entre los cuales se incluyen los alimentarios, que han tenido efecto en la salud mental, como depresión y estrés. El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar, en el contexto del SARSCoV2, la influencia del estrés de pandemia y la alimentación emocional (AE) en presencia de depresión en adultos con diferentes índices de masa corporal (IMC) distribuidos en los grupos de obesidad, sobrepeso y peso normal. Se aplicó la Escala de Alimentación Emocional, el Inventario SISCO de Estrés de Pandemia y el Inventario de Depresión de Beck a 497 residentes de la Ciudad de México y área metropolitana. Los resultados indican que solo los factores síntomas y emoción, de las variables estrés de pandemia y AE, respectivamente, predijeron la sintomatología de depresión en todos los grupos de IMC. En el grupo de normopeso se encontró una mayor varianza explicada para la depresión. Los datos recabados tienen relevancia clínica porque apuntan hacia los indicadores de salud mental, en este caso, el estrés y la AE, como predictores de la sintomatología depresiva, y contribuyen a la detección temprana de este trastorno.
The Sectoral Impact of the Rice Tariffication Law on Filipino Rice Supply: A Time-Series Analysis
Authors:   University of San Jose-Recoletos, Cebu City, Philippines, Alcuitas Aaron Benjmin , Petralba Josephine ,   University of San Jose-Recoletos, Cebu City, Philippines
Published: January 2024

The Rice Tariffication Law was implemented in March 2019 to address rice shortage by replacing quantitative restrictions with import tariffs. Prior studies have evaluated its various impacts, but no study has analyzed post-RTL seasonal rice supply data by sector. This study is a quasi-experimental, interrupted time-series analysis using ARIMA models applied to 2011-2020 data. The control group consists of observed values and the experimental group consists of ARIMA-forecasted values post-RTL. Research findings indicate that RTL does not affect rice supply trends in the overall rice supply and household sector. Conversely, in the commercial and NFA sectors, RTL has been observed to significantly influence rice supply trends. This reveals the ways in which RTL altered the dynamics within these sectors, thereby impacting their respective supply trends by influencing local production, buffer stock, and importation. The actualization of RCEF, buffer stock increase, and the development of plans to enhance agricultural sustainability are recommended.
The Journey of a Non-Native English Speaker towards Scopus Publication: An Autoethnography
Authors:   University of Southeastern Philippines, Davao City, Davao del Sur, Philippines, Tudy Randy
Published: January 2024

Research publication continues to be a challenge for faculty in higher education institutions. Much more is expected of research leaders. My journey towards Scopus publication started over a decade ago when I was designated as a research director. I worked hard on my first publication in Scopus for years, but to no avail. Applying Autoethnography, I chronicle my publication journey, which can be a glimpse of the situation of other neophyte researchers who are non-native English speakers. In this paper, I discuss my struggles toward publication, such as losing confidence, excitement, and ignorance of standards, and Filipino English as a liability. However, I also expounded on the essential lessons I gained, such as article-journal fit, journal quality and standards, editing help, and focus and determination. Indeed, publishing in high-end journals like Scopus is challenging, but there is always a way, particularly learning from past mistakes and maximizing the lessons learned.
The meaning and measure of concordance factors in phylogenomics
Authors: Lanfear Rob , Hahn Matthew
Published: January 2024

As phylogenomic datasets have grown in size, researchers have developed new ways to measure biological variation and to assess statistical support. Larger datasets have many more sites and many more loci, and therefore less sampling variance. While this means that we can more accurately measure the mean signal in these datasets. the lower sampling variance is often reflected in widely used measures of branch support— such as the bootstrap and posterior probability—being uniformly high, limiting their utility. Larger datasets have also revealed a large amount of biological variation in the topologies found across individual loci, such that the single species tree inferred by most phylogenetic methods represents a limited summary of the data. In contrast to measures of statistical support, the degree of underlying topological variation among sites or loci should be approximately constant regardless of the size of the dataset. “Concordance factors” and similar statistics have therefore become increasingly important tools in phylogenetics. In this review, we explain why concordance factors should be thought of as descriptors of topological variation, rather than as measures of statistical support, and argue that they provide important information not contained in measures of support. We review a growing suite of statistics derived from various ways of measuring concordance, comparing them in a common framework that reveals their interrelationships. We also discuss how measures of topological variation might change in the future as we move beyond estimating a single “tree of life” towards estimating the myriad evolutionary histories underlying genomic variation.
What a Spatial Graphics : The M44 Tisza Bridge
Authors: Teiter Zoltán
Published: January 2024

In this paper the design and the construction of a unique bridge are presented, and the history of the basic idea is described as well. The bridge spanning over the second largest river is innovative in many ways in Hungary, such as the first bridge with non-prestressed reinforced concrete pylons (allowing tension), the first cable-stayed bridge applying cable saddles, the first cable bridge with composite stiffening girder, etc. These facts and the immaturity of the preliminary designs repeatedly raised problems to which unique answers had to be found in the detailed design phase. To bring them into their exact final position, the erection control of the pylon and the composite stiffening girder had to be designed and carried out, which required extremely precise calculation and construction. The building of the half ellipse pylon, which also proved to be a serious challenge to the contractors is also discussed.
A Review in Technologies, Definitions, Properties and Applications of Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC)
Authors: Seyam Ahmed M. , Balázs György L.
Published: January 2024

Concrete technology has changed dramatically during the last decades, where the high-strength concrete concept has gone from 30 MPa to well over 100 MPa. In this paper, a review study has been conducted on ultra high-performance concrete (UHPC), however, researchers have a lot of definitions for this term, but all of them agreed that (UHPC) which refers to cement-based materials exhibiting superior properties, including compressive strength higher than 150 MPa with high ductility, and excellent durability. This paper reviews the theoretical principles of UHPC, definitions, raw materials, mixture design methods, successful mixture components with the required properties, challenges, and some of the successful applications of UHPC, focusing on bridge applications. The paper concluded by summarizing the benefits of using UHPC, the future of this superior concrete, current challenges and some recommendations for wider use.
SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY AND FEAR OF COVID-19 AMONG CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN SPAIN DURING THE SECOND WAVE OF COVID-19: A DESCRIPTIVE CORRELATION STUDY
Authors: Martínez-Lorca Manuela , Criado-Álvarez Juan José , Aguado Romo Roberto , Martínez-Lorca Alberto
Published: January 2024

Introducción: La emergencia por la pandemia por COVID-19 tiene consecuencias entre niños y adolescentes. El objetivo del presente estudio es 1) evaluar el miedo al COVID-19, la ansiedad, los síntomas somáticos y las reacciones emocionales y 2) investigar las relaciones entre variables como género, edad y curso. Metodología: 199 niños y adolescentes españoles (desde 3º de Educación Primaria hasta 2º bachillerato) con una media de edad de 12.48 años. Se usaron los instrumentos miedo al COVID-19 (FCV-19S), la versión corta del STAI y el PHQ-15. Resultados: 1) los estudiantes no tienen ni miedo ni ansiedad ni síntomas somáticos; 2) las chicas presentan más síntomas somáticos; 3) el grupo de edad de 12.49-18 años tienen más ansiedad rasgo y niveles de somatización en comparación con el grupo de edad de 8-12.48 años; 4) estudiantes de secundaria muestra una mayor prevalencia de emociones desagradables en comparación con los estudiantes de primaria y de bachillerato; 5) emociones desagradables están relacionadas con miedo al COVID-19, ansiedad rasgo, somatización y la edad (chicos mayores); y 6) encontramos presencia de comorbilidad psicológica y/o psiquiátrica. Conclusión: Estudios futuros deberían explorar el papel de la inseguridad de los adolescentes como factor de riesgo de síntomas psicopatológicos.
Dinî-Sosyokültürel Yakınlığın Çatışma Dinamiklerine ve Toplumsal Uyum Sürecine Etkisi: Altındağ Olayları Örneği
Authors: Çapcıoğlu İhsan , Çınar Ramazan
Published: January 2024

Altındağ olayları; 10 Ağustos 2021 tarihinde Ankara ilinde birkaç Türk ve Suriyeli genç arasında çıkan asayiş sorununun ardından bir kitlenin sokaklara çekilmesiyle Altındağ semtinin yoğun olarak Önder, Ulubey, Battalgazi, Hüseyin Gazi, Karapürçek, Solfasol, Baraj ve çevre mahallelerinde mukim Suriyelilere yönelik gerçekleşen şiddet olayları ve kargaşanın adı olmuştur. Altındağ olayları ulusal ve uluslararası medyaya Suriyeli sığınmacılar ile Türk toplumu arasında büyük bir kırılmanın başlangıcı olarak yansıtılmıştır. Buna rağmen bu süreç yaşanan endişenin aksine kısa sürede durularak nihayetlenmiştir. Altındağ olaylarının yatışmasında etkili olan pek çok faktör bulunmaktadır. Söz konusu olayların durum çalışması (örnek olay-case study) olarak mercek altına alındığı nitel bir alan araştırması olan bu makalede, iki toplum arasındaki sosyal temas sürecini etkileyen dinî ve sosyo-kültürel ortaklıkların toplumsal uyumu güçlendiren rolü ele alınmış ve Suriyelilerin inanç ve pratiklerinin çatışma sürecindeki davranışlarına etkisi irdelenmeye çalışılmıştır. Bu amaçla Ankara ilinde ikamet eden ve Altındağ olaylarını yaşamış olan 11 kişi ile yüz yüze görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Araştırmada Suriyeli sığınmacıların yerel halk ile özellikle dinî ve sosyo-kültürel ortaklıklar temelinde kurduğu sosyal ilişkilerin onların toplumsal uyum sürecini kolaylaştırıcı etkiye sahip olduğu gözlemlenmiştir. Ayrıca bu süreçte her ne kadar olaylar üzerine sıkı güvenlik önlemleri alınmış olsa da çatışmanın büyümesinin önündeki en büyük engellerden birinin geçmiş yıllar içerisinde Suriyeliler ile yerel halk arasında gerçekleşen sosyal temas sürecinin olumlu çıktıları olduğu da elde edilen bulgular arasındadır.
Pengembangan Video Praktik Yoga Untuk Meningkatkan Kualitas Hidup Usia Lanjut Di Wilayah Puskesmas Sunyaragi Kota Cirebon
Authors: Nurasih Nurasih , Nurrochmi Endang
Published: January 2024

Growing old is a natural process that cannot be avoided and is a natural thing that everyone will experience. Yoga exercise is one of the exercises that is currently popular with everyone, including the elderly (elderly), because it has many benefits both for the body, soul and mind. The aim of this research is to examine the development of yoga practice videos and how they affect the quality of life of the elderly in the Sunyaragi Community Health Center area, Cirebon City. This research method is development research to test the effectiveness and efficiency of existing products in the form of elderly yoga videos. The population includes all elderly people in the Sunyaragi Community Health Center area. Elderly yoga exercises are carried out once a week for four weeks for respondents who meet the criteria. Quality of life was measured using a questionnaireWHOQOL and measurements were taken before and after yoga exercises. The data is then analyzed using testsPaired T-test. The results of statistical tests show a value of p = 0.001. The results of analysis and input from experts show that yoga videos for the elderly are safe to use as a medium for maintaining the health of the elderly. So it can be concluded that there is an influence of yoga on the quality of life of the elderly. The recommendation based on the results of this research is that yoga exercise can be used as an alternative effort to maintain health in elderly service programs at Community Health Centers.
Choline induced cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting the production of endogenous hydrogen sulfide in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Zhang W , Zhang Y , Xia Y , Feng G , Wang Y , Wei C , Tang A , Song K , Qiu R , Wu Y , Jin S
Published: January 2024

To investigate the exact effects of dietary choline on hypertensive heart disease (HHD) and explore the potential mechanisms, male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) were randomly divided into five groups as follows: WKY group, WKY + Choline group, SHR group, SHR + Choline group, and SHR + Choline + NaHS group. In choline treatment groups, rats were fed with 1.3% (w/v) choline in the drinking water for 3 months. The rats in the SHR + Choline + NaHS group were intraperitoneally injected with NaHS (100 μmol/kg/day, a hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donor) for 3 months. After 3 months, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and fractional shortening (LVFS), the indicators of cardiac function measured by echocardiography, were increased significantly in SHR as compared to WKY, although there was no significant difference in collagen volumes and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio between the two groups, indicating the early stage of cardiac hypertrophy. There was a significant decrease in LVEF and LVFS and an increase in collagen volumes and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in SHR fed with choline, meanwhile, plasma H2S levels were significantly decreased significantly in SHR fed with choline accompanying by the decrease of cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) activity. Three months of NaHS significantly increased plasma H2S levels, ameliorated cardiac dysfunction and inhibited cardiac fibrosis and apoptosis in SHR fed with choline. In conclusion, choline aggravated cardiac dysfunction in HHD through inhibiting the production of endogenous H2S, which was reversed by supplementation of exogenous H2S donor.
Hydrolat of Helichrysum Italicum promotes tissue regeneration during wound healing
Authors: Serra D , Bellu E , Garroni G , Cruciani S , Sarais G , Dessì D , Pashchenko A , Satta R , Montesu MA , Amler E , Floris M , Maioli M
Published: January 2024

Wound healing is a dynamic process involving different cell types with distinct roles according to the stages of healing. Fibroblasts and stem cells actively participate in tissue regeneration. A proper stimulation could contribute to enhance wound healing process-es. Helichrysum italicum (H. italicum) is a medical plant well described for its pharmacological, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities. Aim of the present work was to examine the effect of the hydrolat derivate from H. italicum on stem cells isolated from skin and fibroblasts in vitro in presence or absence of tissue damage. The viability and proliferation of all cell types cultured in dif-ferent conditions were analyzed by MTT and BrdU assays. Cell proliferation after wound was analyzed with scratch test. Also, the expression of the main genes involved in tissue repair was evaluated by RT-qPCR analysis. Here we describe the capability of hy-drolat of H. italicum to promote tissue regeneration after scratch test both in stem cells and in fibroblasts. Moreover, the gene ex-pression analysis revealed that, hydrolat of H. italicum is also able to enhance stemness related. In conclusion our results are en-couraging, highlighting novel regenerative properties of hydrolat of H. italicum and paving the way for future application of this wasting product in accelerating wound healing.
KRONİK VENÖZ YETMEZLİK HASTALARINDA EGZERSİZİN ETKİLERİ: RANDOMİZE KONTROLLÜ ÇALIŞMA
Authors: Çelik Sıla , Şevgin Ömer , Buğday Burak
Published: January 2024

Bu çalışmanın amacı kronik venöz yetmezliği olan hastalarda kombine egzersiz ve kalf kası egzersizi eğitiminin fiziksel aktivite, yorgunluk ve yaşam kalitesi üzerine etkilerini karşılaştırmaktır. Yaşları 30-60 arasında değişen kronik venöz yetmezliği olan 60 birey rastgele kombine egzersiz ve kalf kası egzersiz grubu olarak 2 gruba ayrıldı. Çalışmaya katılan tüm bireylere pompalama egzersizi verilirken, kombine egzersiz grubuna ek olarak solunum egzersizleri, hamstring germe egzersizleri ve self masaj eğitimi verildi. Egzersizler 6 hafta sürecek şekilde ev egzersiz programı olarak planlandı. Tüm katılımcılara tedavi öncesi ve sonrası SF-36 Kısa Formu, Freiburg Yaşam Kalitesi Değerlendirme Anketi Kısa Formu, Görsel analog skala, Yorgunluk Şiddet Ölçeği ve Uluslararası Fiziksel Aktivite Anketi Kısa Formu değerlendirme ölçekleri uygulandı. Altı haftalık egzersiz programı sonunda her iki grupta fiziksel aktivite ve hastalığa özgü yaşam kalitesi ölçekleri puanları arasındaki fark tedavi öncesi ve sonrasına göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı iken (p0.05). Kronik Venöz Yetmezliği bulunan hastalarda egzersiz programı reçetesine solunum egzersizleri ve self masajın eklenmesi tedavinin etkinliğini arttırabilir. Bu yöntemlerin etkilerinin uzun vadede kalıcı olması adına daha uzun süreli çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.
Solvency and profitability: the duality of the large Spanish banks between the two economic-financial crises of the 21st century
Authors: Saiz-Sepúlveda Álvaro , Orden-Cruz Carmen , Hernández-Tamurejo Álvaro
Published: January 2024

A retrospective view of the “subprime mortgage” crisis enables us to assess the actions of banks, both those prompting the genesis of the crisis and those resulting from subsequent actions aimed at resolving it and rebooting the economy. However, given the fact that the crisis is framed by the sudden appearance of another outside the established parameters of the post-recession boom, we are able to analyze whether the actions adopted by regulators were as effective as initially thought. Solvency and profitability are two of the most important factors that reveals the quality of banking management. From the numerous parameters described in the literature reviewed, fourth banking ratios were selected to evaluate the relationship between solvency and profitability from 2011 to 2021, a period between the two economic-financial crises of the 21st century. Using a representative sample of Spanish banking and applying a descriptive and explicative methodology, the results show a complementarity between solvency and profitability. This evidence provides to bank managers more knowledge about the behavior of banking during crisis periods.
The effect of financial risks on the performance of Islamic and commercial banks in UAE
Authors: Oudat Mohammad Salem , Ali Basel J. A. , Abdelhay Sameh , Hazaimeh Haziem M. , Altalay Mohamed Saif Rashid , Marie Attiea , El-Bannany Magdi
Published: January 2024

Risk management has emerged as a critical element across several economic sectors, with particular significance in the banking industry. The governing bodies of these industries encounter a multitude of threats stemming from the escalation of an unpredictable economic environment, the intricacy of transactions and big data, and several other concealed factors. The primary aim of the present research is to investigate the impact of certain financial risks, including capital risk, liquidity risk, and operational risk, on the financial performance of both commercial and Islamic banks operating within the banking sector of the United Arab Emirates. The study will focus on the time frame spanning from 2015 to 2022. The data used in this study was sourced from the annual reports of banks, which were acquired from the official websites of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Dubai stock market. The most prevalent indicators used to assess a bank's financial performance are Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE). In contrast, the financial risk metrics included three distinct categories of risk: capital risk, liquidity risk, and operational risk. The findings indicate that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between capital risk and both return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). However, it was observed that neither liquidity risk nor operational risk had a statistically significant impact on either of the financial performance metrics. Moreover, the size of a bank has a notable and favorable impact on both return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). The ramifications of the study's conclusions have significant importance for regulators, bank management, and investors. IPolicymakers need to prioritize the enhancement of the regulatory framework pertaining to caboutements in order to the financial stability of banks. Bank managers should give priority to the management of capital risk and the size of the bank in order to their financial performance. In order to optimize profits, it is important for investors to carefully evaluate and take into account the many risk considerations associated with their investment selections.

JEL:

G20, G21
Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum ZFM4 in Helicobacter pylori-infected C57BL/6 mice: prevention is better than cure
Authors: Yu Ying-ying , Wu Ling-yan , Sun Xue , Gu Qing , Zhou Qing-qing
Published: January 2024

Objectives

This study was performed to explore the preventive and therapeutic effects of Lactobacillus plantarum ZFM4 on H. pylori infections of the stomach tissue in C57BL/6 mice.

Methods

In this study, 40 specific-pathogen-free female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups, namely, the control, ZFM4 pretreatment) ZFM4 pretreatment before H. pylori infected), model (H. pylori infected), triple therapy (H. pylori infected and treated with triple therapy), and ZFM4 treatment groups (H. pylori infected and treated with ZFM4). The preventive and therapeutic effects of Lactobacillus plantarum ZFM4 were evaluated in H. pylori-infected C57BL/6 mice by assessing gastric tissue morphology, inflammatory cytokine levels, microbial composition, and microbial diversity.

Results

Lactobacillus plantarum ZFM4 was able to survive in low gastric pH and play a role in preventing H. pylori infection. This was evident from a reduction in both, the gastric inflammatory response and expression of inflammatory factors caused by H. pylori infection. Lactobacillus plantarum ZFM4 could also inhibit the growth of H. pylori via its beneficial impact on the gastric microbiota.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that Lactobacillus plantarum ZFM4 offers superior preventive effects against H. pylori infections when used alone. However, the therapeutic effect on established infections is weaker. Further clinical trials are needed to confirm the specific dosage, duration, and other aspects of administration.
The December 2018 eruption at Etna volcano: a geochemical study on melt and fluid inclusions
Authors: Correale Alessandra , Corsaro Rosa Anna , Miraglia Lucia , Paonita Antonio , Rotolo Silvio G.
Published: January 2024

This study focus on the Mt Etna December 2018 eruption with the aim of investigating the geochemical characteristics of the feeding magma. New data on major and trace element geochemistry of olivine-hosted melt inclusions (MI) in volcanic products are presented together with the noble gas geochemistry of fluid inclusions (FI) in olivines. The noble gas geochemistry of fluid inclusions (FIs) in olivines was also investigated. The major element composition of MIs is variable from tephrite/trachybasalt to phonotephrite/basaltic trachyandesite, with SiO2 = 45.51–52.72 wt%, MgO = 4.01–6.02 wt%, and CaO/Al2O3 = 0.34–0.72. Trace element patterns of MIs present a typical enrichment in LILE and LREE, depletion in HFSE, and relatively fractionated REE patterns: (La/Lu) N= 18.8–41.08, with Eu/Eu* = (0.5–1.8). Positive anomalies in Sr (Sr/Sr* = 0.8–2.3) and Ba can be ascribed to the assimilation of plagioclase-rich cumulates in the magmatic reservoir. The variable Ba/La (9.8–15.8), K/Nb (260–1037), Ce/Nb (1.9–3.4), Rb/La (0.4–1.6), and Ba/Nb (10.8–25.8) ratios reveal mixing between two types of end-member magmas comparable to those emitted from 1) the 2001 Upper Vents and 2002–03 Northern Fissures (Type-1) and 2) the 2001 Lower Vents and 2002–03 Southern Fissures (Type-2), respectively. Type-2 represents a magma that was under the influence of a crustal component, whereas Type-1 is compatible with a HIMU–MORB-type heterogeneous mantle source. It appears that the 2018 MIs have captured the two different types of magmas, and the lack of homogenization may imply a very fast ascent (a few months). Compatible with the contemporary presence of primordial HIMU–MORB and crust-contaminated end-members are the data on noble gases from FI that highlighted an 3He/4He value of 6.5–6.6Ra. The hypothesis of two different types of magmas, identified by the trace element geochemistry in MIs, is, thus, reinforced by helium isotopic data on FI of the 2018 eruption together with data from other Etnean eruptions and allows the inference of a bicomponent magma mixing.
Low follistatin level is a causal risk factor for spontaneous abortion: a two-sample mendelian randomization study
Authors: Gong Chen , Yang Wenzhi , Liu Xue , Li Xinliang , Wang Yutong , Tian Chan
Published: January 2024

Background

Recurrent pregnancy loss is a distressing event during pregnancy, and understanding its causal factors is crucial. Follistatin, a glycoprotein involved in folliculogenesis and embryogenesis, has been implicated as a potential contributor to the risk of spontaneous abortion. However, establishing a causal relationship requires rigorous investigation using robust methods.

Methods

In this study, we utilized mendelian randomization (MR), a powerful genetic epidemiological approach, to examine the causal relationship between follistatin levels and spontaneous abortion. We obtained instrumental variables strongly associated with follistatin levels from large-scale genome-wide association from the IEU database. The inverse variance weighting (IVW) method was taken as gold standard. We also performed sensitivity test to evaluate the robustness of our result.

Results

MR analysis revealed a significant causal relationship between low follistatin levels and spontaneous abortion (p = 0.03). Sensitivity analyses, including pleiotropy test, heterogeneity test, and leave-one-out analysis, all supported the robustness of our findings.

Conclusion

Our study provides compelling evidence supporting the causal relationship between low follistatin levels and increased risk of spontaneous abortion. These findings underscore the importance of follistatin in the etiology of spontaneous abortion and suggest potential preventive interventions. Modulating follistatin levels or relevant pathways could hold promise for reducing the incidence of spontaneous abortion and improving reproductive outcomes. The utilization of MRs strengthens the validity of our results by mitigating confounding and reverse causality biases. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and explore therapeutic strategies targeting follistatin levels.
Research on the double-layer clustering method of residential energy use characteristics under the background of energy system energy savings and carbon reduction
Authors: Kang Bing , Xu Zhihao , He Wenhua , Ding Guili , Han Wei , Sun Min , He Junjia , Wang Zongyao
Published: January 2024

Accurate differentiation of energy consumption information of residential users is of great significance for load planning, scheduling, operation and management of power system, and is the basic premise for realizing intelligent perception of energy system and energy saving and carbon reduction. Considering that the conventional single-layer clustering method has limited clustering stability and clustering effect, this paper takes the key family feature factors as the modified feature quantity of quadratic clustering, and proposes a study of user energy characteristics based on double-layer clustering and modification. Firstly, the user’s energy consumption data is collected and pre-processed, and the user’s energy consumption curve is clustered and analyzed by using the integrated clustering algorithm based on voting and the advantages of each member algorithm. Then, the key family characteristic factors are obtained, and the results of one-layer clustering and key family characteristic factors are combined to carry out two-layer clustering of the same category of users in the form of questionnaire survey. Finally, the nonlinear mapping capability of Support Vector Machine (SVM) is used to reverse correct the results of the one-layer clustering. The actual algorithm data of the residents’ demand response experiment in a southeastern province are compared. The results show that compared with the single-layer clustering algorithm, the proposed method can accurately distinguish the energy consumption characteristics and adjustable potential of different users, and correct the wrong clustering results in the single-layer clustering. The clustering stability and clustering effect have been effectively improved.The example results show that the clustering results modified by SVM can better mine and distinguish user energy characteristics, and can be used to solve the problem of the current demand response clustering algorithm not being able to comprehensively and objectively describe the participation willingness and response-ability of residential users in the implementation process. It can also provide a basis for peak shaving and power grid frequency regulation.
Human capital and manufacturing activities under environmentally-driven urbanization in the MENA region
Authors: Bajja Salwa , Radoine Hassan , Celik Ali , Dakyaga Francis , Damrah Sadeq
Published: January 2024

Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region possesses immense capacity for renewable energy generation. Despite the potential, most countries in the region are yet to fully embrace renewable energy. Non-renewable sources still dominate their energy mix. This study examines the interplay between urbanization, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, and environmental quality in the six Middle Eastern and North African countries from 1990 to 2021, using the mean group (MG), the mean group dynamic least squares (DOLSMG), the common correlated effect (CCE), augmented mean group (AMG) and the cross-section augmented ARDL (CS–ARDL). Accounting for urbanization, and economic growth, the findings of DOLSMG indicate that while renewable energy and manufacturing activities significantly contribute to environmental quality, urbanization and human capital development significantly contributes to environmental degradation. The CS-ARDL short-term and long run estimation result showed that manufacturing activities significantly contribute to environmental quality, When examined by country, it was found that there is a unidirectional causal relationship from economic growth, manufacturing value added, urbanization, human capital development to dioxide emissions in Saudi Arabia. While there is a unidirectional causality from manufacturing value added to dioxide emissions in Jordan, and a unidirectional causality from urbanization to dioxide emissions in Tunisia.
CCL7 and olfactory transduction pathway activation play an important role in the formation of CaOx and CaP kidney stones
Authors: Zhang Qiankun , Wei Hhuiling , Huang Gang , Jin Lie
Published: January 2024

Background: The deposition of calcium oxalate (CaOx) and calcium phosphate (CaP) is the most common cause of kidney stone disease (KSD). Whether KSDs caused by CaOx and CaP have common genetic targets or signaling pathways remained unclear.

Methods: The present study utilized public data GSE73680 to analyze differentially expressed genes between CaOx or CaP tissues and normal tissues, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of co-DEGs were performed. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to identify hub genes, and the top hub gene was selected for gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Finally, real-time PCR of patients’ urine was performed to validate the bioinformatic results.

Results: In total, 155 significantly co-upregulated DEGs and 64 co-downregulated DEGs were obtained from the datasets. The Gene Ontology analysis showed that DEGs were significantly enriched in chemical stimulus in sensory perception, detection of chemical stimulus in sensory perception of smell, and olfactory receptor activity. The KEGG analysis showed that the olfactory transduction pathway was significantly enriched. According to protein-protein interaction, 10 genes were identified as the hub genes, and CCL7 was the top hub gene. The olfactory transduction, maturity-onset diabetes of the young, linoleic acid metabolism, and fat digestion and absorption were significantly enriched in the high-CCL7 subgroup by GSEA. In total, 9 patients who had primarily CaOx mixed with some CaP stones and 9 healthy subjects were enrolled. The RT-PCR results showed that CCL7 level in the stone group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). For the olfactory transduction pathway, the expression of OR10A5, OR9A2, and OR1L3 was significantly upregulated in the stone group compared with the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: CCL7 may play a key role in the development of both CaOx and CaP, and this process may depend on olfactory transduction pathway activation.
Estimation of genetic parameters for fertility traits in Chinese Holstein of south China
Authors: Zhu Kai , Li Tuowu , Liu Dengying , Wang Shiyi , Wang Sihu , Wang Qishan , Pan Yuchun , Zan Linsen , Ma Peipei
Published: January 2024

Introduction:Chinese Holstein in South China suffer heat stress for a long period, which leads to evolutionary differences from Chinese Holstein in North China. The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of fertility traits for Chinese Holstein in South China.

Methods:A total of 167,840 Chinese Holstein heifers and cows from Guangming Animal Husbandry Co., LTD farms were used in this study. The fertility traits analyzed were calving interval (CI), days open (DO), age of first service (AFS), age of first calving (AFC), calving to first insemination (CTFS), first insemination to conception (FSTC), gestation length (GL), non-return rate to 56 days (NRR), and number of services (NS).

Results:The descriptive statistics revealed that the same trait in heifers performed better than in cows, which was consistent with the other studies. The heritabilities of fertility traits in this study ranged from close to 0 (for NS of cows) to 0.2474 (for AFC of heifers). The genetic correlation of NRR between heifers and cows was 0.9993, which indicates that the NRR for heifers and cows could be treated as one trait in this population.

Conclusion:The heritabilities of fertility traits in Chinese Holstein in south China were quite different from the heritabilities of fertility traits in North China. NRR56, NS, AFC, and CI were suggested to be included into the selection index to improve fertility performance of Chinsese Holstein of south China. The results of this study could provide genetic parameters for the animal breeding program of Chinese Holstein in the south of China.
Gender identity as a barrier to accessing adequate and inclusive healthcare for Syrian refugees in Lebanon's Northern regions
Authors: Diab Jasmin Lilian , Samneh Bechara , Masoud Dima , Cravero Kathleen
Published: January 2024

The structure and modes of operation of Lebanon's healthcare system cast a blind eye upon refugees' specific challenges and needs. It not only remains highly privatized, but additionally involves a number of exclusionary practices across both private and public sectors. This reality, coupled with political agendas, partisan politics, clientelism, and an overall lack of transparency at the level of public administration, gives private health providers substantial amounts of subjective influence – and more importantly, the authority to be exclusionary. This article explores how gender identity has impacted access to healthcare services for the Syrian refugee community since 2019 – with a specific focus on women and members of the LGBTIQ+ community. The study focuses on the regions of Tripoli and Akkar – regions found to be tainted by socio-cultural sensitivities hindering women and LGBTIQ+ individuals from being honest and expressive about the gender-specific care they need, and thus, hindering adequate service provision. Specifically, the research aims to implore an intersectional lens to exploring health, gender and displacement in application. It aims to respond to the following questions: (1) To what extent have gender identity, gender expression and gender norms impacted Syrian refugees' ability to access gender-sensitive health services in Tripoli and Akkar?; (2) To what extent have the aforementioned gender considerations, when intersecting with refugee status, served as an added layer/barrier to accessing health services in Tripoli and Akkar?; (3) To what extent do socio-cultural norms in Tripoli and Akkar impact Syrian refugee women and LGBTIQ+ refugees' ability to be honest and transparent about their specific health needs? (4) To what extent does the nature of the Lebanese health system, coupled with the limited knowledge among healthcare providers around gender-sensitive care, serve as a catalyst toward exclusionary health access for refugees first, and for sexual and gender minorities (SGM) second?
Impaired activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells via toll-like receptor 7/9 and STING is mediated by melanoma-derived immunosuppressive cytokines and metabolic drift
Authors: Monti Matilde , Ferrari Giorgia , Grosso Valentina , Missale Francesco , Bugatti Mattia , Cancila Valeria , Zini Stefania , Segala Agnese , La Via Luca , Consoli Francesca , Orlandi Matteo , Valerio Alessandra , Tripodo Claudio , Rossato Marzia , Vermi William
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) infiltrate a large set of human cancers. Interferon alpha (IFN-α) produced by pDCs induces growth arrest and apoptosis in tumor cells and modulates innate and adaptive immune cells involved in anti-cancer immunity. Moreover, effector molecules exert tumor cell killing. However, the activation state and clinical relevance of pDCs infiltration in cancer is still largely controversial. In Primary Cutaneous Melanoma (PCM), pDCs density decreases over disease progression and collapses in metastatic melanoma (MM). Moreover, the residual circulating pDC compartment is defective in IFN-α production.

Methods

The activation of tumor-associated pDCs was evaluated by in silico and microscopic analysis. The expression of human myxovirus resistant protein 1 (MxA), as surrogate of IFN-α production, and proximity ligation assay (PLA) to test dsDNA-cGAS activation were performed on human melanoma biopsies. Moreover, IFN-α and CXCL10 production by in vitro stimulated (i.e. with R848, CpG-A, ADU-S100) pDCs exposed to melanoma cell lines supernatants (SN-mel) was tested by intracellular flow cytometry and ELISA. We also performed a bulk RNA-sequencing on SN-mel-exposed pDCs, resting or stimulated with R848. Glycolytic rate assay was performed on SN-mel-exposed pDCs using the Seahorse XFe24 Extracellular Flux Analyzer.

Results

Based on a set of microscopic, functional and in silico analyses, we demonstrated that the melanoma milieu directly impairs IFN-α and CXCL10 production by pDCs via TLR-7/9 and cGAS-STING signaling pathways. Melanoma-derived immunosuppressive cytokines and a metabolic drift represent relevant mechanisms enforcing pDC-mediated melanoma escape.

Discussion

These findings propose a new window of intervention for novel immunotherapy approaches to amplify the antitumor innate immune response in cutaneous melanoma (CM).
Integrative analysis of disulfidptosis and immune microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma: a putative model and immunotherapeutic strategies
Authors: Yang Ti , Liu Junhao , Liu Fang , Lei Jiashun , Chen Siliang , Ma Zengxin , Ke Peifeng , Yang Qiaolan , Wen Jianfan , He Yifeng , Duan Juan , Zeng Xiancheng
Published: January 2024

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with a high rate of recurrence and m metastasis that does not respond well to current therapies and has a very poor prognosis. Disulfidptosis is a novel mode of cell death that has been analyzed as a novel therapeutic target for HCC cells.

Methods

This study integrated bulk ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing datasets, spatial transcriptomics (ST), and single-cell RNA sequencing to explore the landscape of disulfidptosis and the immune microenvironment of HCC cells.

Results

We developed a novel model to predict the prognosis of patients with HCC based on disulfidptosis. The model has good stability, applicability, and prognostic and immune response prediction abilities. N-myc downregulated gene1 (NDRG1) may contribute to poor prognosis by affecting macrophage differentiation, thus allowing HCC cells to evade the immune system.

Conclusion

Our study explores the disulfidptosis of HCC cells through multi-omics and establishes a new putative model that explores possible targets for HCC treatment.
The rare DRB1*04:08-DQ8 haplotype is the main HLA class II genetic driver and discriminative factor of Early-onset Type 1 diabetes in the Portuguese population
Authors: Caramalho Iris , Matoso Paula , Ligeiro Dário , Paixão Tiago , Sobral Daniel , Fitas Ana Laura , Limbert Catarina , Demengeot Jocelyne , Penha-Gonçalves Carlos
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Early-onset Type 1 diabetes (EOT1D) is considered a disease subtype with distinctive immunological and clinical features. While both Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) and non-HLA variants contribute to age at T1D diagnosis, detailed analyses of EOT1D-specific genetic determinants are still lacking. This study scrutinized the involvement of the HLA class II locus in EOT1D genetic control.

Methods

We conducted genetic association and regularized logistic regression analyses to evaluate genotypic, haplotypic and allelic variants in DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 genes in children with EOT1D (diagnosed at ≤5 years of age; n=97), individuals with later-onset disease (LaOT1D; diagnosed 8-30 years of age; n=96) and nondiabetic control subjects (n=169), in the Portuguese population.

Results

Allelic association analysis of EOT1D and LaOT1D unrelated patients in comparison with controls, revealed that the rare DRB1*04:08 allele is a distinctive EOT1D susceptibility factor (corrected p-value=7.0x10-7). Conversely, the classical T1D risk allele DRB1*04:05 was absent in EOT1D children while was associated with LaOT1D (corrected p-value=1.4x10-2). In corroboration, HLA class II haplotype analysis showed that the rare DRB1*04:08-DQ8 haplotype is specifically associated with EOT1D (corrected p-value=1.4x10-5) and represents the major HLA class II genetic driver and discriminative factor in the development of early onset disease.

Discussion

This study uncovered that EOT1D holds a distinctive spectrum of HLA class II susceptibility loci, which includes risk factors overlapping with LaOT1D and discriminative genetic configurations. These findings warrant replication studies in larger multicentric settings encompassing other ethnicities and may impact target screening strategies and follow-up of young children with high T1D genetic risk as well as personalized therapeutic approaches.