bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crianças com medos noturnos
Authors: El Rafihi-Ferreira Renatha , Silva Jéssica de Assis , Monzani da Rocha Marina , Quero Sandra , Silvares Edwiges Ferreira de Mattos , Ollendick Thomas Hubert
Published: September 2021

Os medos noturnos em crianças podem afetar o seu sono e os seus comportamentos diurnos. Este estudo objetivou verificar em crianças em idade pré-escolar com intensos medos noturnos: 1) o conteúdo dos medos; 2) o efeito do sexo e da idade na frequência e conteúdo dos medos; e 3) os hábitos e padrões de sono e os problemas de comportamento. O estudo envolveu uma amostra de 71 pais de crianças com idade entre os 4 e os 6 anos (51% meninas) com intensos medos noturnos, que responderam a questionários sobre conteúdos de medo, hábitos e padrões de sono e problemas de comportamento dos filhos. Os medos de “fantasma”, “escuro” e “sonhos assustados” foram os mais comuns, enquanto que “escuro” e “dormir longe dos pais” foram os mais intensos. Poucas diferenças foram encontradas quanto ao sexo, todavia, a idade foi uma variável significativa para 27.2% dos medos avaliados – os mais velhos apresentaram mais medo. Padrões e rotina de sono inadequados foram identificados: horários tardios de ir para a cama, demora para adormecer, e frequentes despertares noturnos e problemas de comportamento internalizantes. Estes resultados sugerem a necessidade de tratamentos voltados para os medos noturnos frequentes, semelhantes para meninos e meninas e que sejam fornecidas orientações sobre higiene do sono para pais de crianças em idade pré-escolar como prevenção de hábitos e padrões inadequados.
Adaptação Portuguesa da Escala Fontes de Autoeficácia na Escrita
Authors: Silva Mariana , Camacho Ana , Alves Rui Alexandre
Published: September 2021

Escrever é indispensável para comunicar na escola e no quotidiano, contudo é uma tarefa complexa que requer muita motivação. Assim, é essencial desenvolver as competências e a autoeficácia dos alunos. Este estudo teve como objetivos adaptar a Sources of Middle School Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale (Usher & Pajares, 2009) para o domínio da escrita e para Português, explorar a relação entre fontes de autoeficácia, autoeficácia e competências de escrita, e testar diferenças de género nestes indicadores. Os 155 alunos (52.2% do sexo feminino) que participaram neste estudo responderam às escalas Fontes de Autoeficácia na Escrita e Escala de Autoeficácia na Escrita, e escreveram um texto argumentativo. A escala adaptada pode ser utilizada nos domínios propostos. As fontes de autoeficácia e a autoeficácia explicam a competência na escrita. As raparigas tiveram valores superiores aos dos rapazes nas fontes de autoeficácia e competência na escrita. Finalizamos, destacando o papel dos professores como modelos, persuasores e promotores da autoeficácia na escrita.
Os jornalistas nas ‘Cenas da Vida Portuguesa’ de Eça de Queirós
Authors: Magalhães Catarina , Peixinho Ana Teresa
Published: September 2021

Este artigo pretendeu compreender como a literatura portuguesa da segunda metade do século XIX representou ficcionalmente os homens da ‘imprensa’. Tendo como referência estudos de história cultural e de história do jornalismo, em particular, o cotejo dessas representações ficcionais trouxe à superfície algumas tensões socioculturais que estiveram na génese da construção identitária dos jornalistas e na cisão do campo da imprensa que foi determinante para a autonomia da profissão. A análise de personagens, figurantes e espaços de quatro romances de Eça de Queirós – O Crime do Padre Amaro (1875), O Primo Basílio (1878), Os Maias (1888) e A Capital (1925) – permitiu concluir i) que a presença destas personagens nos romances de Eça testemunha a importância que a profissão de jornalista assumia no xadrez sociocultural urbano da segunda metade do século XIX; ii) que, sujeitas a uma figuração caricatural, estas figuras são reveladoras da desconfiança e desprezo que esta nova classe profissional merecia por parte da elite culta que até meados do século dominava o mundo da imprensa.
Modification of poly(vinyl chloride) by aromatic amines: application to the extraction of some metal cation
Authors: Mabrouki Adnen , Ammari Fayçel
Published: September 2021

The reaction of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with various aliphatic amines in 1,4-dioxane has been studied. These reactions led to the formation of new polymers (PVC-L), which were characterized by different spectroscopic methods: differential thermal analysis (DTA) and infrared. The extraction percentages were determined by comparing the initial conductivity of the aqueous solution containing the studied metal with the final conductivity of the aqueous solution at extraction equilibrium. One of the obtained polymers gave an extraction rate of 82.05% for Li+, which underlines the importance of the substitution of chlorine atoms by diethylenetriamine groups. A kinetic study of the extraction shows that the optimal duration of extraction was obtained with the polymer most substituted by diethylenetriamine groups.
Shear-wave elastography for the assessment of testicular involvement of hematologic malignancies in children and young adults: a feasibility study
Authors: Koh Seok Young , Lee Seunghyun , Lee Seul Bi , Cho Yeon Jin , Choi Young Hun , Cheon Jung-Eun , Kim Woo Sun
Published: September 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of shear-wave elastography (SWE) for assessing the testicular involvement of hematologic malignancies in children and young adults.Methods: Eight patients (mean age, 11.0 years; range, 0.8 to 20 years) with biopsy-confirmed testicular involvement of hematologic malignancy between January 2018 and December 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. Multiparametric ultrasound examinations, including grayscale, color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS), and SWE, were performed. Stiffness was measured in the involved testicular area and contralateral normal parenchyma. If there was bilateral testicular involvement, the stiffness of the involved area and the adjacent normal echoic parenchyma was measured on one testis. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare stiffness values.Results: On grayscale, the testicular lesions were noted as a solitary mass in one patient, multiple lesions in four patients, and diffuse involvement in three patients. On CDUS and SWE, all patients demonstrated increased vascularity, and the stiffness of the involved area was higher than the values of normal parenchyma (the involved area vs. normal parenchyma, 11.6 kPa [3.9-20.2 kPa] vs. 2.9 kPa [1.1-3.7 kPa], P=0.003). The ratio of stiffness between the involved area and normal parenchyma was 3.4, ranging from 1.9 to 5.1. One patient showed decreased stiffness on follow-up SWE after treatment (affected testis vs. normal testis: initial, 13.8 vs. 3.2 kPa; 1 year later, 2.2 vs. 2.4 kPa).Conclusion: Increased testicular stiffness on SWE in children and young adults with hematologic malignancies suggests the possibility of testicular involvement.
A Decision Support System for Consumer Behavior of Chinese In-bound Tourists on Functional Beverage: An Empirical Study during COVID-19 with Thailand Sandbox
Authors: Kengpol Athakorn , Pichitkarnkar Thanyathip , Elfvengren Kalle
Published: September 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged all business owners to maintain their businesses and find ways to cope with the uncertainty. The functional beverage market has shifted its focus to consumers’ health value and wellness while its operators still lack knowledge to develop their products to serve customer needs, particularly to penetrate new customer groups, which are tourists. Therefore, the objective of this research is to investigate major influential factors of consumer behavior and create a decision support system (DSS) of consumer behavior (CB) on functional beverage. Samples are 378 Chinese tourists who visited Thailand in 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak. The structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data while the sensitivity analysis was to test model robustness. The results showed that motivation, reference group, and knowledge have indirectly influenced CB (buying behavior, brand consciousness, health consciousness, and quality consciousness) through Marketing Mix (MM) while MM has a direct influence on CB. Moreover, sensitivity analysis expressed that either increasing or decreasing place and decreasing knowledge can influence CB factors. These results confirmed that consumers in the new normal market were interested in brands, quality, and health; therefore, brand consciousness/brand creation was a crucial challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the industry as they needed to improve product quality and be informative in terms of products’ health benefits. Hence, SMEs had to develop the product serving customer needs, gaining competitive advantages, and boosting up the economic cycle of the whole tourism supply chain from Thailand’s sandbox project. The value of DSS can help entrepreneurs decide to produce beverage to meet Chinese tourists’ satisfaction and to save cost for product development. It is an applicable tool for entrepreneurs, chiefly SMEs, to penetrate a new tourism market and choose a new suitable product that serves consumer needs in terms of tastes, brand awareness, and health benefits in the post-pandemic era.
Building a Vision of the Good Life
Authors: Besek Jordan Fox
Published: September 2021

The crux of Kate Soper's Post-Growth Living is simple: we need to redefine "the good life." We need to move away from a culture that equates the good life with endless consumption and toward one that equates it with experiences that are not defined by the market. Not only is this transition ecologically necessary, but it will also lead to fairer, and far more pleasurable, experiences.
Forma y diseño: una reflexión de contexto
Authors: Yory Carlos Mario
Published: September 2021

El trabajo parte de una reflexión que, acotada, en principio, en el pensamiento griego, busca aproximarse a la comprensión del significado del diseño en su relación con la forma, esto en la perspectiva de establecer el rol de uno y otra en nuestra propia construcción como humanos, es decir, como seres de sentido abocados a transformar nuestro entorno en el acto mismo de darnos forma formando. Un papel fundamental cumple aquí la noción de mundo, que a través de la cultura se encarna en la forma de tal o cual manera. De este modo, se lleva a cabo una reflexión históricamente apoyada en referentes relevantes que relacionan los conceptos de diseño integrativo y complejidad e introducen los principales temas que los autores del libro desarrollarán en sus respectivos capítulos. En este contexto, el presente capítulo concluye que diseñar resulta afín a la idea de de-signar, es decir, de adjudicar papel a las cosas que a través del diseño de la forma signamos y, por tanto, traemos al uso desde el lenguaje.
Resiliencia cultural y reconversión del espacio colectivo. Un paso hacia la sostenibilidad
Authors: Casas-Matiz Elvia Isabel
Published: September 2021

El crecimiento desbordado y la inequidad formal y de contenido en las estructuras espaciales de la ciudad y sus áreas colindantes plantean la necesidad de reconsiderar y reconvertir las formas y presupuestos con los cuales diseñamos y construimos el espacio colectivo. Las vulnerabilidades implícitas a estas formas de ocupación sobredimensionada y no distintiva van en contravía de los marcos que presuponen la resiliencia y sostenibilidad; el alto nivel de riesgos en las ciudades con elevadas concentraciones de población se hace evidente no solo con la pérdida de los ecosistemas, de las identidades colectivas y de sus prácticas culturales, sino a la vez con el posible desabastecimiento y la dificultad para albergar en condiciones de equidad y calidad a sus pobladores. Actualmente, la amenaza a la salud colectiva, que proviene de un agente externo que rompió las fronteras de lo local, ha incrementado un detrimento económico multidimensional que además evidencia no solo la alta disparidad social de nuestras culturas en Latinoamérica, sino también la debilidad en las estructuras políticas, el déficit en la cobertura en salud, la baja calidad en los servicios básicos y la falta de conciencia, educación y cultura ciudadana que tenemos como colectivo social. Hoy, el espacio colectivo debe ser reconvertido no solo en su forma sino en su significado, debemos entrar en un periodo de consciencia social que requiere revisar la construcción y aplicación del concepto de buena gobernanza desde la agenda abierta, de la participación democrática y corresponsable de los ciudadanos, así como el reconocimiento del ambiente como un otro, sujeto de derecho. El trabajo presentado se ubica dentro del marco de problemas que aborda el grupo de investigación Hábitat sustentable, diseño integrativo y complejidad, haciendo énfasis en el diseño participativo y en cómo, desde el reconocimiento del sujeto social y el capital humano, puede conducirse un desarrollo territorial más asertivo y de menor impacto, comprendiendo al hábitat como un espacio de dinámicas complejas que advierte la necesidad de ser estudiado desde modelos sistémicos y complejos. El documento plantea un marco de principios mínimos comunes que fortalezcan la relación dialógica entre los actores implicados y sus entornos y observen como método de análisis la teoría de sistemas propuesta por Ludwig von Bertalanffy y como soporte conceptual la producción social del espacio propuesta por Henry Lefebvre. Desde estos acercamientos, logra determinar tres sistemas prioritarios para el diagnóstico y la reconversión de nuestro espacio colectivo.
Tecnología, ambiente y sostenibilidad: una visión de futuro
Authors: Moreno-Sierra Andrés
Published: September 2021

Nuestra visión acerca del futuro está profundamente relacionada con la noción de progreso. Para alcanzarlo, construimos el concepto de hábitat sustentable como una forma de evolución basada en la optimización de los modelos de producción y consumo en el marco de las actividades humanas. Sin embargo, este concepto parece hacerse obsoleto en el contexto actual de crecimiento económico acelerado. Este trabajo encuentra sustento dentro de las problemáticas del grupo de investigación Hábitat sustentable, diseño integrativo y complejidad, al fijar como objetivo la construcción de una nueva definición de hábitat a través del estudio metodológico de tres aspectos. El primero, una revisión del paradigma del desarrollo sostenible; el segundo, la comprensión de la relación simbiótica entre el hombre y la naturaleza a través de los principios funcionales de Nielsen y Schutz, que se constituyen como el soporte teórico de este postulado; y el tercero, la formulación de la tecnología como factor de desarrollo del ser humano en su entorno. El siguiente capítulo pone en evidencia, desde una perspectiva científica, cómo a través de la tecnología y el diseño integrativo es posible encontrar convergencias entre los modelos de desarrollo del ser humano y su relación simbiótica con la naturaleza, con el fin de construir herramientas que permitan diseñar el hábitat del futuro.
Validation of the Instagram Addiction Scale in Greek Youth
Authors: Zarenti Maria , Bacopoulou Flora , Michou Maria , Kokka Ioulia , Vlachakis Dimitrios , Chrousos George P. , Darviri Christina
Published: September 2021

Instagram is one of the fastest growing social networking platforms. A body of evidence suggests that Instagram problematic use and addiction have negative effects on the psychological well-being of young people. The Instagram Addiction Scale, a self-report tool assessing Instagram problematic use and addiction, has been developed recently. The aim of the present study was to validate the Instagram Addiction Scale in the Greek language and to assess its psychometric properties. An online and on-print self-report survey was conducted among Greek youth, aged between 18 and 24 years. The survey included the Instagram Addiction Scale, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Big Five Inventory. A total of 967 respondents participated in the study. The analysis suggested that the Greek version of the Instagram Addiction Scale has good psychometric properties. The principal component factor analysis for construct validity generated two subscales as the original instrument: social effect and impulsion. Internal consistency for the two subscales and the scale’s total score was satisfactory, with Cronbach’s α at 0.76, 0.85 and 0.88, respectively. Correlation analyses revealed positive associations between the perceived stress scale and social effect, and the Instagram Addiction Scale’s total score (p<0.0001 and p=0.002 respectively). This is the first study validating the Instagram Addiction Scale in Greek youth, which can be used by researchers and practitioners for the evaluation of youth problematic use of Instagram.
Reliability and validity of the Peer Relation Questionnaire in a sample of Greek school children and adolescents
Authors: Panagiotou Marilena , Charalampopoulou Maria , Bacopoulou Flora , Velegraki Ioanna Maria , Kokka Ioulia , Vlachakis Dimitrios , Chrousos George P. , Darviri Christina
Published: September 2021

Bullying among children and adolescents can have detrimental effects on their physical and mental health. The first step in the identification of bullying is the detection of relevant signs and behaviours, with the use of appropriate instruments. The widely used Peer Relation Questionnaire (PRQ)has been developed to measure bullying behaviour in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to translate and validate this instrument in the Greek language in a school sample of children and adolescents. Α sample of 193 students (mean age ± SD 11.44 ± 1.26 years, girls 49.7%), was recruited from elementary and junior high schools of the public and private sector, in the capital of Athens, Greece. Along with the Peer Relation Questionnaire, the Stress in Children questionnaire and a structured inquiry regarding satisfaction from various aspects of life were used to assess the criterion validity of the Peer Relation Questionnaire. Results revealed good psychometric properties of the questionnaire in the Greek language. The principal component analysis resulted in two subscales that demonstrated an adequate internal consistency and a significant correlation with stress and satisfaction parameters, suggesting satisfying criterion validity. Meaningful associations between demographic characteristics and the subscales were also found. The Greek version of the Peer Relation Questionnaire-short form can be used as a valid tool to measure bullying behaviour in children and adolescents.
CTLA-4 promotes lymphoma progression through tumor stem cell enrichment and immunosuppression
Authors: Chen Yan , Li Meng , Cao Jian , Cai Guohong , Li Xiantao , Liu Yuejiao , Chen Wen
Published: September 2021

The recurrence rate of lymphoma is very high, and tumor stem cells may be an important mechanism. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) can inhibit antitumor immunity and promote cancer progression, but its role and mechanism in lymphoma are still unclear. Here we collected lymphoma tissue and peripheral blood from patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Results showed that CTLA-4 expression and CD44+ cell in the high-risk group were significantly higher than that in the low-risk group. Correlation analysis showed that CTLA-4 expression positively correlated with CD44+ cell in lymphoma tissue and regulatory T (Treg) cells in lymphocytes. In vitro experiment showed that CTLA-4 increased the ratio of lymphoma stem cells, and proliferation and invasion of lymphoma cells through TGF-β pathway. Moreover, CTLA-4 enhanced the proliferation of Treg cells induced by lymphoma cells. Animal experiments showed that CTLA-4 can promote transplanted lymphoma growth. Immunohistochemistry results showed that both Ki-67 and CD44+ cells increased significantly in the CTLA-4 group. TGF-β neutralization can significantly block these effects of CTLA-4. In conclusion, CTLA-4 promoted DLBCL progression through lymphoma stem cell enrichment and immunosuppression.
WDR74 promotes proliferation and metastasis in colorectal cancer cells through regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Cai Zhou , Mei Yan , Jiang Xiaoye , Shi Xingfeng
Published: September 2021

Colon cancer (CRC) is a common type of cancer and has a high incidence worldwide. Protein 74 (WDR74), which consists of the WD repetition sequence, has been previously associated with tumor tumorigenesis. However, its mechanism of action in CRC remains unclear. Here, we found that WDR74 expression was upregulated in CRC tissues and cells. Downregulation of WDR74 repressed the proliferation and cell cycles in CRC cells. In addition, WDR74 knockdown induced cell apoptosis and suppressed both cell metastasis and invasion. Mechanistically, WDR74 decreased the phosphorylation of β-catenin and induced nuclear β-catenin accumulation, activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in CRC cells. Further investigation showed that blocking the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by XAV-939 reversed the effects of WDR74 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCT116 cells. Overall, WDR74 induced β-catenin translocation to the nucleus and activated the Wnt/β-Catenin, thus facilitated CRC cell proliferation and metastasis. In summary, WDR74 could be a potential target for the intervention of CRC.
Semiconducting nanomaterials for photocatalytic desulfurization of liquid fuel under sunlight irradiation
Authors: Zaidi Zakiullah , Gupta Yesleen , Sorokhaibam Laxmi Gayatri
Published: September 2021

Nanomaterials have fascinated the interest of researchers due to their unique electronic, optical, magnetic, and several other properties. Tin sulfide (SnS2) and Zinc oxide (ZnO) have emerged as promising materials for pharmaceutical, textile, environmental remediation, energy conversion, and storage device design. These two compounds were widely used in waste-water treatment for photocatalytic destruction of organic contaminants. However, the degradation of organic sulfur compounds in the liquid fuel desulfurization process has rarely been investigated using such materials. We hereby, present a hydrothermal method for developing the hexagonal lattice structure of SnS2 and ZnO for the deep desulfurization of model liquid fuel. These materials were further characterized through powder X-ray diffraction for phase purity and crystalline, FTIR analysis to validate functional groups, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm to study surface properties, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for band gap analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy for morphology analysis. The optical behavior reveals that the energy gap for SnS2 and ZnO is 2.09 and 3.21 eV, respectively which corresponds to the visible light absorption range. The photocatalysis experiment was carried out in direct sunlight to degrade 10 ppm DBT in iso-octane. The obtained results show that 60% of the DBT degrade with SnS2 and 15% of the DBT degraded with ZnO in 120 min, with a first-order kinetics rate constant of 0.009 and 0.001 min−1 respectively.
Application of antiviral materials in textiles: A review
Authors: Zhang Yao , Fan Wei , Sun Yanli , Chen Weichun , Zhang Yifan
Published: September 2021

Research of antiviral textiles has received considerable attention owing to the continuous emergence of new infectious diseases. Antiviral textiles can effectively inhibit the spread of viruses and significantly reduce the risk of cross-infection and re-infection to protect people’s health and safety. In recent years, researchers studied various antiviral materials, which can prevent the spread and reproduction of viruses by killing and reducing their attachment. These materials can be applied to antiviral textiles through finishing and various spinning methods. This review organizes antiviral materials, analyzes their antiviral mechanisms and inhibition effects, and discusses the methods of combining antiviral materials with textiles, as well as their applications in healthcare and public transportation. In addition, prospects for antiviral textile research are proposed. This review provides references for the study of antiviral textiles and may stimulate the continuous research and development of antiviral textiles.
INFLUENCE OF WATER HARDNESS ON VOLATILE COMPOUNDS AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF TURKISH COFFEE
Authors: DADALI Ceyda
Published: September 2021

Water used in coffee preparation has essential importance on coffee flavour. In this study, it was aimed to determine effect of water (soft, medium hard and hard) on volatile compounds and sensory properties of Turkish coffee. It was revealed that number of volatile compounds of Turkish coffee prepared with medium hard water higher than Turkish coffee prepared with soft and hard water. Medium hard water used Turkish coffee contain 30 volatile compounds from aldehyde (2), furan (13), furanone (1), ketone (2), pyrazine (7), pyridine (1), pyrrole (3), and thiophene (1) class. The sweetness and sourness of soft water used Turkish coffee samples were high. Roasted coffee and roasted hazelnut characteristics were perceived intensely in medium hard water used Turkish coffee samples. While bitterness was perceived intensely in hard water used Turkish coffee samples; the intensity of roasted coffee, roasted hazelnut, roasted almond, spicy, citrus, sweet, and sour characteristics were low.
Commoning the bloom? Rethinking bee forage management in industrial agriculture
Authors: Durant J. L.
Published: September 2021

Managed and wild bee populations are declining around the world, in part due to lost access to bee forage (i.e., nectar and pollen). As bee forage diminishes, the remaining acres become sites of contestation between beekeepers, land managers, ecologists, and regulatory agencies. This article applies a commons framing to contextualize these conflicts and attempts to resolve them. Drawing from the concepts of commons and commoning, I argue that nectar and pollen are common-pool resources for pollinators, beekeepers, and land managers, currently managed through varied access arrangements such as informal usufruct rights and pseudo-commoning practices. Like commoning, pseudo-commoning aims to collectively manage a resource through a set of protocols that involve equitable resource sharing and communication. However, because pseudo-commons are implemented from the top down, for example, from institutional actors driven in part by economic interests, they often do not result in widespread adoption on the ground. Through a case in California almond orchards, I make two additional arguments. First, because beekeepers are largely migratory and do not own the land they need for production, their subordinate position to landowners can challenge equitable bee forage management. Second, while floral pseudo-commons may aim to counter the negative effects of industrialized agricultural production (e.g., by limiting pesticide exposure to honey bees), they also provide a “fix” that supports and expands industrial agriculture by stabilizing managed bee pollination services. Increasing reliance on managed bee pollination services can thus disincentivize transitions to sustainable food production, such as adopting diversified practices that would support native bee populations and reduce the need for managed honey bees on farms.
Contamination characteristics, mass concentration, and source analysis of metal elements in PM2.5 in Lanzhou, China
Authors: Li Yingquan , Zhao Baowei , Duan Kaixiang , Cai Juexian , Niu Wujiang , Dong Xiao
Published: September 2021

PM2.5 and its bound metals pose a serious threat to human health. Understanding their contamination characteristics and source could provide implication for controlling their spreading and ensuring air quality. In this article, 1,600 of PM2.5 samples were collected from 5 urban sites in Lanzhou, China. The contamination characteristics of PM2.5, its relationship with meteorological factors, and the source of its bound metals were studied based on multiple linear regression analysis, enrichment factor (EF), principal component analysis and correlation analysis. The outcomes show that the PM2.5 concentrations in winter (0.117 mg·m–3) and spring (0.083 mg·m–3) are higher than those in summer (0.043 mg·m–3) and autumn (0.048 mg·m–3). The influence degree of meteorological factors on PM2.5 concentration is in the order of wind speed > atmospheric pressure > temperature > humidity. The major source of Fe and Cu in PM2.5 is construction dust, Pb and As is industrial, and Hg is coal combustion. In addition, Cd, V, Co, and Mn are mainly derived from dust produced by weathering of soil or rock. In general, the spatiotemporal distribution of PM2.5 and its bound metals are different, which is closely related to geographical location, source, and meteorological factors. The results in this article could provide support for the scientific formulation to prevent air pollution in Lanzhou.
Cell signaling in sperm midpiece ensures quiescence and survival in cauda epididymis
Authors: Devi Archana , Kushwaha Bhavana , Maikhuri Jagdamba P , Singh Rajender , Gupta Gopal
Published: September 2021

Sperm in most mammalian species including rat, mice and human are kept completely quiescent (motionless) and viable for up to a few weeks in the cauda epididymis before ejaculation. Vigorous motility is initiated almost instantly upon sperm release from cauda during ejaculation. The molecular mechanisms that suppress sperm motility but increase cell survival during storage in cauda epididymis are not known. Intracellular signaling via phosphorylation cascades is quick events that may regulate motility and survival of transcriptionally inactive sperm. Pathscan intracellular signaling array provided the preliminary picture of cell signaling in quiescent and motile rat sperm, indicating upregulation of cell-survival pathways in quiescent sperm, which were downregulated during motility activation. Interactome of signaling proteins involved in motility activation was constructed by Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) software, which identified mitogen activated protein kinase-p38 (MAPK-p38), AKT, mTOR and their downstream target p70S6K as the key kinases regulating sperm function. Further validation was achieved by western blotting and pathway activators/inhibitors. Immunofluorescence localized the kinase proteins in the sperm mid-piece region (mitochondria), a known extra-nuclear target for these signaling pathways. Activators of these kinases inhibited sperm motility but increased viability, and vice versa was true for inhibitors, in most of the cases. Activators and inhibitors also affected sperm mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP content and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Data suggest that sperm motility and survival are inversely complementary and critically regulated by intracellular cell signaling. Aberrant cell signaling in caudal sperm may affect cell survival (sperm concentration) and motility of ejaculated sperm.
Female reproductive abnormalities in mouse adolescent pregnancy
Authors: Yang Chen , Li Yue , Pan Hai-Yang , Li Meng-Yuan , Pan Ji-Min , Chen Si-Ting , Zhang Hai-Yi , Yang Zhen-Shan , Dou Hai-Ting , Yang Zeng-Ming
Published: September 2021

There are around 300 million adolescent pregnancies worldwide, accounting for 11% of all births worldwide. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that many adverse perinatal outcomes are associated with adolescent pregnancies. However, how and why these abnormalities occur remain to be defined. In this study, pregnancy at different stages was compared between 25- and 30- day-old and mature female mice. We found that the litter size of adolescent pregnancy is significantly decreased from F1 to F3 generations compared to mature pregnancy. On days 8 and 12 of pregnancy, multiple abnormalities in decidual and placental development appear in F3 adolescent pregnancy. On days 5 and 8, uterine endoplasmic reticulum stress is dysregulated in F3 adolescent pregnancy. Embryo implantation and decidualization are also compromised in adolescent pregnancy. Many genes are abnormally expressed in adolescent estrous uteri. The abnormal endocrine environment and abnormal implantation from uterine immaturity may result in multiple pregnancy failures in adolescent pregnancy. The aim of this study is to shed light on human adolescent pregnancy.
Regulation of dual specificity phosphatases by fibroblast growth factor signaling pathways in bovine granulosa cells
Authors: Relav Lauriane , Price Christopher A
Published: September 2021

Controling the duration and amplitude of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling is an important element in deciding cell fate. One group of intracellular negative regulators of MAPK activity is a subfamily of the dual specificity phosphatase (DUSP) superfamily, of which up to 16 members have been described in the ovarian granulosa cells. Growth factors stimulate proliferation of granulosa cells through MAPK, protein kinase C (PKC), and AKT pathways, although it is not known which pathways control DUSP expression in these cells. The aim of the present study was to identify which pathways were involved in the regulation of DUSP expression using a well-established serum-free culture system for bovine granulosa cells. Stimulation of cells with FGF2 increased DUSP1, DUSP5, and DUSP6 mRNA abundance in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and increased DUSP5 and DUSP6 protein accumulation. None of the other eleven DUSP measured were regulated by FGF2. Pharmacological inhibition of MAPK3/1 signaling decreased FGF2-stimulated DUSP1, DUSP5, and DUSP6 mRNA levels (P  < 0.05), whereas inhibition of PKC did not affect the expression of these three DUSPs. Abundance of FGF2-dependent DUSP6 mRNA was reduced by inhibition of phospholipase C (PLC) or by chelating calcium, but DUSP5 mRNA abundance was not affected. Abundance of basal DUSP1 and DUSP6, but not DUSP5 mRNA was increased by the addition of the calcium ionophore A23187. We conclude that FGF2 stimulation of DUSP5 abundance requires MAPK3/1 whereas DUSP6 mRNA accumulation is dependent on calcium signaling as well as MAPK3/1 activation, suggesting complex regulation of physiologically important DUSPs in the follicle.
Overview of the new regulatory base for 2019–2020 on the decarbonisation of economy and its influence on the conditions of functconing of the ukrainian gas industry
Authors:   Institute of General Energy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 172 Antonovycha str., Kyiv, 03150, Ukraine, Leshchenko I.Ch.
Published: September 2021

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of the new Ukrainian and European regulatory framework for 2019-2020 concerning the decarburization of economy of the functioning of Ukrainian gas industry. The paper provides an overview of the Ukrainian regulatory framework of 2019–2020 on the implementation of the system of monitoring, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emissions in our country. We also provide an overview of new European documents on the decarbonisation of economy, in particular, the European Green Deal, the EU Strategy for Reducing Methane Emissions, and the Hydrogen Strategy for Climate-Neutral Europe. We showed that these EU documents will exert a significant influence on the functioning of both the energy sector of our country as a whole and its part – gas industry. The paper shows that, under the existing plans of the development of energy sector in European countries in order to reach the state where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 and under conditions of fierce competition for sources and routes of gas supply to the European market, the most pressing problem confronting the gas transportation system of Ukraine is to optimize its structure with simultaneous replacement of outdated compressor equipment by modern one with lower carbon dioxide emissions, which will require a significant amount of investment. Under such conditions, it is necessary to study carefully the feasibility of introducing activities for the main transportation of gas under the action of Greenhouse Gas Trading System. We also showed that the reduction of methane emissions along the natural gas chain supply in accordance with the EU Strategy for the reduction of methane emissions is extremely important for Ukraine. In addition to the implementation of measures for reducing these emissions, it is necessary to attract attention to the development of national methods for estimating methane emissions and the use of national coefficients in the formation of the National Greenhouse gas emissions inventory for estimating volatile emissions from natural gas activities. Keywords: monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions, Greenhouse Gas Trading System, decarbonisation, European Green Deal, gas transportation system
Cost of hydrogen production with using the share of electricity from a wind power plant in Ukraine
Authors:   Institute of General Energy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 172 Antonovycha str., Kyiv, 03150, Ukraine, Ivanenko N.P. , Tarasenko P.V. ,   Institute of General Energy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 172 Antonovycha str., Kyiv, 03150, Ukraine
Published: September 2021

To ensure the balance reliability of regimes of UES functioning, it was necessary to apply restrictions on generation from renewable energy sources (RES). In this regard, a number of amendments was made in 2020 to the Law of Ukraine "On the Electricity Market" dated April 13, 2017 No. 2019-VIII, which provide for reduction of the rates of the "green" tariff for renewable energy projects. CJSC NEC "Ukrenergo" predicts limitation of electricity production from renewable sources against the background of their growing capacity and falling consumption – up to 1 billion kW∙h. The total volume of electricity production from renewable energy sources in 2019 was about 4.5 billion kW∙h. One of the most efficient ways to use excessive electricity is producing hydrogen. Hydrogen has been successfully used as a raw material for many years. The total estimated value of the hydrogen feedstock market is $ 115 billion, and it is expected only to grow, reaching $ 155 billion by 2022. Hydrogen is widely used at present in various industries and sectors. It should be noted separately that the use of hydrogen instead of natural gas does not lead to increasing greenhouse gas emissions and favors the decarbonization of economy. In addition, the by-product of electrolysis is purified oxygen, which is currently relevant. The cost of hydrogen generated with the use of renewable electricity is typically $ 2.5–6.6 / kg of hydrogen. The most well-known technological options for producing hydrogen from RES are water electrolysis and steam reforming of biomethane / biogas with or without carbon capture and use / storage. The purpose of this paper was to estimate the weighted average cost of hydrogen in Ukraine at the expense of RES electricity, in particular, produced by a wind power plant with using water electrolysis. We developed an algorithm for calculating the weighted average cost of hydrogen production using wind power plants for the conditions of Ukraine, taking into account the determination of installed capacities of the battery, electrolyzer, and distiller. According to the calculation results, the weighted average cost of hydrogen production was about US $ 5.1 / kg of hydrogen. Keywords: hydrogen production, renewable energy sources, wind farm, weighted average cost. mathematical model, storage, electrolyzer
Trends in the development of the district heating systems of Ukraine
Authors:   Institute of General Energy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 172 Antonovycha str., Kyiv, 03150, Ukraine, Derii V.O.
Published: September 2021

We considered trends in the development of district heating systems (DHS) in Europe and Ukraine. It was established that DHS are widely used and make a significant contribution to the heat supply of European countries. In the European Union as a whole, the share of DHS is 13%, and there are plans to increase it to 50% in 2050 with a wide use of cogeneration and renewable sources of energy, including environmental energy with using heat pumps. Ukraine is one of the countries with a high level of DHS, but, at present, there are negative trends to reducing their contribution to the total heat supply for heating and hot water supply – from 65.2% in 2014 to 52% in 2017. In several cities, DHS ceased to function at all. The main equipment of the DHS of Ukraine is physically worn out and technologically obsolete and needs to be renewed by means of wide reconstruction, modernization, and technological re-equipment. We determined factors and the level of their influence on the demand in thermal energy of DHS. It was established that the factors reducing demand have a much greater potential. We created forecasts of demand for thermal energy, fuel balance, and the structure of DHS generation by 2050. It is shown that the demand for thermal energy from DHS will decrease and reach about 35 million Gcal in 2050. To ensure the low-carbon development of Ukraine in the structure of thermal energy generation in DHS, the use of coal-fired CHPs and boilers, as well as boilers on petroleum products will be significantly reduced. The share of natural gas in the fuel balance of DHS of Ukraine will also decrease, but it will be the main fuel for the period of technological transformation of generating capacities under conditions of the low-carbon development of Ukraine. The use of technologies for the production of thermal energy from biomass, waste, environment, and electricity will gradually increase, and in 2050, using these sources will produce about 23.8 million Gcal, which is more than 60% of the total thermal energy of DHS. Keywords: district heating systems, thermal energy, factors of influence, demand, fuel balance, generation structure
The Fourth Trimester: Pregnancy as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Wu Pensée , Park Ki , Gulati Martha
Published: September 2021

Pregnancy identifies women who may be at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), based on the development of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), and may identify women who may benefit from atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk reduction efforts. APOs are common and although they are separate diagnoses, all these disorders seem to share an underlying pathogenesis. What is not clear is whether the APO itself initiates a pathway that results in CVD or whether the APO uncovers a woman’s predisposition to CVD. Regardless, APOs have immediate risks to maternal and foetal health, in addition to longer-term CVD consequences. CVD risk assessment and stratification in women remains complex and, historically, has underestimated risk, especially in young women. Further research is needed into the role of ASCVD risk assessment and the effect of aggressive ASCVD risk modification on CVD outcomes in women with a history of APOs.
Análisis histórico de la variabilidad de la precipitación en Anolaima, como herramienta para la adaptación local en cultivos de café (Coffea arabica L.)
Authors: Córdoba-Vargas Cindy Alexandra , Rojas-Barbosa Edwin Oswaldo , Díaz-Manrique Miguel Alejandro
Published: September 2021

Se estudiaron las series históricas mensuales de precipitación de dos estaciones ubicadas en Anolaima (Cundinamarca- Colombia), con el fin de identificar asociaciones entre eventos macro-climáticos como El fenómeno El Niño, Oscilación del Sur (ENSO, por sus siglas en inglés), la variabilidad local de las lluvias y sus implicaciones en el desarrollo del cultivo de café. Los patrones de comportamiento, las lluvias atípicas y extremas se analizaron mediante el cálculo de estadísticos de variabilidad y diagramas de caja anuales y mensuales, mientras la asociación entre las lluvias y fenómenos macro-climáticos se estudió mediante correlaciones entre las series de lluvias y 11 indicadores climáticos del Pacifico y La Amazonia como el índice Oceánico El Niño (ONI) y el dipolo del Amazonas. Los promedios históricos reflejaron el comportamiento bimodal de las lluvias y las correlaciones confirmaron que el ONI es el mejor índice para relacionar la variabilidad interanual de las lluvias en la región con el ENOS, por lo que se resalta su potencialidad para utilizarlo como predictor de las lluvias en la región y planificación de medidas preventivas y de adaptación frente a la ocurrencia de periodos de excesos o deficiencias de lluvias.
Contenido de metales pesados en sedimentos y peces provenientes de las ciénagas Marimonda y El Salado en Antioquia, Colombia
Authors: Hernández-Morales Ingrid , Paternina-Uribe Roberth , Marrugo-Negrete José
Published: September 2021

Las ciénagas El Salado y Marimonda en el municipio de Necoclí (Antioquia-Colombia) son de gran importancia para las comunidades circunvecinas, pero carencen de saneamiento básico por vertimientos de aguas residuales domésticas, quema de basuras, residuos de envases de plaguicidas, bebedero de aguas y desechos de animales. Ante la ausencia de información sobre la presencia de metales pesados en estas ciénagas, se cuantificó las concentraciones de Cu, Zn, Cd y Hg en sedimentos y peces por espectrofotometría de absorción atómica (EAA) de llama y por vapor frío. En el sedimento, se encontró en mg kg-1: 7,519±2,432 de Cu, 11,925±7,234 de Zn, 0,003±0,002 de Cd y 0,0001±0,0006 de Hg, todos por debajo del límite permisible de la norma internacional canadiense – CEQGs. Las especies de peces evaluadas fueron: Andinoacara pulcher, Caquetaia kraussii y Piaractus brachypomus, con concentraciones de metales pesados por debajo del límite de cuantificación (25,0 y 7,5 µg kg-1 de Pb y Cd, respectivamente, 41,532±3,25; 79,911±3,433; 201,681±2,573 µg kg-1 de Hg en cada especie), todos por debajo del límite máximo de metales pesados en peces, según la Resolución 122 de la normatividad colombiana. Aunque la concentración de metales pesados se encontró por debajo de los límites permisibles de la norma internacional canadiense, se hace necesario realizar monitoreos anuales por parte de las autoridades ambientales a fin de detectar cualquier variación en los parámetros fisicoquímicos que puedan alterar la movilización o resuspensión hacia la columna de agua.
Producción de hidrógeno y su perspectiva en Colombia: una revisión
Authors: Castiblanco Orlando , Cárdenas Dany José
Published: September 2021

Existe una gran oportunidad para que las energías alternativas y específicamente para las tecnologías de hidrógeno prosperen en Colombia. El hidrógeno es un material prometedor que puede obtenerse de diferentes fuentes. Los combustibles fósiles, el agua, la biomasa, la energía nuclear y las energías renovables son las fuentes de obtención mencionadas en este estudio. Sin embargo, se deben superar algunos desafíos tecnológicos para promover el avance y la aplicación viable de las tecnologías relacionadas con la producción de hidrógeno. Colombia destaca en el mundo por su potencial con la producción de carbón y su disponibilidad de recursos hídricos, biomasa y fuentes renovables de energía, como la hidroeléctrica y la fotovoltaica. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo presentar una revisión de la investigación en el campo de la producción de hidrógeno, su uso como recurso energético y materia prima para la industria, y la perspectiva de su implementación en Colombia, considerando aspectos como el impacto económico, ambiental, social, tecnológico y la confiabilidad de los métodos de producción.