bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crisis y desequilibrio político durante el régimen fujimorista. El papel de la caricatura política. 1998-2000
Authors: Infante Yupanqui Carlos Rodrigo
Published: February 2024

This article examines the role of Peruvian political caricature during the crisis of the Fujimori administration (1998-2000). The research also develops an approach to  the connections between caricature and power. This reading, which links macro and micro sociology, is made from the processes of political imbalance of the Fujimori regime, a process that marked, at the same time, a moment of inflection within the political sphere and that reached the caricature, both officious and opposition. Following a qualitative approach with an interpretative perspective, the analysis includes a contextual reading of some caricatures by important Peruvian graphic humorists. As a result, we find that the opposition caricature played a critical role, characterized by the development of its erosive capacity; the same did not happen with the officious caricature that leaned towards a more functional role to the hegemonic power.
Discapacidad y emergencias médicas: análisis de una base poblacional peruana
Authors:   , Jimenez Lozada Mayra Alejandra , Lopez Magallanes Luis Daniel
Published: February 2024

Introducción Por su condición, las personas con discapacidad tendrían mayores complicaciones médicas, lo que podría incrementar las visitas a los servicios de emergencias. Objetivos Estimar la asociación entre la condición de discapacidad y la ocurrencia de emergencias médicas en el último año en peruanos de 18 a más años, durante el 2019. Metodología Se realizó un estudio transversal analítico de datos secundarios de la Encuesta Nacional de Programas Presupuestales (ENAPRES) 2019, la cual tiene como objetivo recopilar información a través de encuestas para entender cómo los programas gubernamentales impactaron en las condiciones que viven los ciudadanos peruanos. La discapacidad se determinó con las preguntas del grupo de Washington y la ocurrencia de una emergencia médica se evaluó con dos preguntas referidas a situaciones que ponen en riesgo la vida de las personas. Se incluyeron covariables sociodemográficas y relacionadas con las emergencias médicas, como posibles confusores. Se realizó una regresión de Poisson y se valoraron las razones de prevalencia (RP) crudos y ajustados. Todos los cálculos se hicieron de acuerdo con el muestreo complejo de la ENAPRES 2019. Resultados Se consideraron los informes de 62 959 personas de 18 a más años. El 4,3% refirió que tenía algún tipo de discapacidad y el 8,7% indicó que había tenido una emergencia médica en el último año. Las personas con tres o más tipos de discapacidad tuvieron 2,97 veces la probabilidad de tener una emergencia médica en el último año, que las personas sin discapacidad (RP=2,97 IC95%: 2,28–3,87), ajustado por diversas variables de confusión. Conclusiones En el Perú, las personas que padecen alguna discapacidad tienen más emergencias médicas en el último año, a diferencia de las personas sin discapacidad. Además, esta probabilidad se incrementa significativamente si las personas presentan más de un tipo de discapacidad.
Factores asociados al uso de plantas medicinales en gestantes atendidas en el Hospital Materno Infantil Carlos Showing Ferrari de Huánuco en el periodo septiembre - diciembre del año 2021
Authors:   , Quiñones Maza Saskia Danuzka
Published: February 2024

Objetivo: Determinar los factores asociados al uso de plantas medicinales en el embarazo en las gestantes atendidas en el Centro Materno – Infantil “Carlos Showing Ferrari” de septiembre a diciembre de 2021. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio observacional, transversal, prospectivo y analítico. Se incluyeron a 180 gestantes que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Se evaluó las variables según naturaleza, y se encontró asociaciones a través de chi2 y t de student dependiendo de su pertinencia. Las regresiones fueron examinada a través de familia poisson, enlace link y modelos de varianza robusta. Se considero significativos al valor p < 0.05. Resultados: Se encontró que a mayor edad había una mayor probabilidad de consumir plantas medicinales (RPc: 1.10, IC95%: 1.07 – 1.14, p: <0.001). Las mujeres que tenían educación superior tuvieron mayor probabilidad de consumir plantas medicinales durante su gestación (RPc: 2.07, IC95%: 1.04 – 4.09, p: 0.036). Finalmente, a mayor número de gestaciones había más probabilidad de consumir plantas medicinales durante la gestación (RPc: 1.21, IC95%: 1.08 – 1.37, p: 0.001). Conclusiones: Los factores asociados al uso de plantas medicinales en gestantes atendidas en el Hospital Materno Infantil “Carlos Showing Ferrari” de Huánuco fueron la edad, la educación superior y el número de gestaciones durante el periodo de septiembre a diciembre de 2021.
Ocean-related options for climate change mitigation and adaptation: A machine learning-based evidence map protocol
Authors: Veytia Devi , Airoldi Laura , Claudet Joachim , Cooley Sarah , Magnan Alexandre , Barclay Vicky Marti , Neill Simon , Sumaila U. Rashid , Thébaud Olivier , Voolstra Christian R. , Williamson Phillip , Bonnin Marie , Langridge Joseph , Comte Adrien , Viard Frédérique , Shin Yunne , Bopp Laurent , Gattuso Jean-Pierre
Published: February 2024

Background
Ocean-related options (OROs) to mitigate and adapt to climate change are receiving increasing attention from practitioners, decision-makers, and researchers. In order to guide future ORO development and implementation, a catalogue of scientific evidence addressing outcomes related to different ORO types is critical. However, until now, such a synthesis has been hindered by the large size of the evidence base. Here, we detail a protocol using a machine learning-based approach to systematically map the extent and distribution of academic evidence relevant to the development, implementation, and outcomes of OROs.
Method
To produce this systematic map, literature searches will be conducted in English across two bibliographic databases using a string of search terms relating to the ocean, climate change, and OROs. A sample of articles from the resulting de-duplicated corpus will be manually screened at the title and abstract level for inclusion or exclusion against a set of predefined eligibility criteria in order to select all relevant literature on marine and coastal socio-ecological systems, the type of ORO and its outcomes. Descriptive metadata on the type and location of intervention, study methodology, and outcomes will be coded from the included articles in the sample. This sample of screening and coding decisions will be used to train a machine learning model that will be used to estimate these labels for all the remaining unseen publications. The results will be reported in a narrative synthesis summarising key trends, knowledge gaps, and knowledge clusters.
Serum galectin-3 levels be a marker in exudative -type age-related macular degeneration?
Authors: SÜMER FATMA , Subasi Sevgi , Bahceci Ilkay , Satılmaz Fatıh
Published: February 2024

Background:To investigate the effect of serum galectin-3 on naive exudative AMD and its use as a serum marker by showing the variation of this molecule between patient and control groups.
Methods:56 naive exudative AMD patients and 30 age-matched healthy controls were included in the prospective case-control study.
Results:The average HsCRP level in the AMD group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p<0.001).The median leukocyte count was significantly higher in the AMD group than in the control group (p<0.001).The average NLR was not statistically significant between groups (p = 0.892).Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride (TG) levels were statistically significant increases in the AMD group as compared to the control group (p<0.001,in all comparisons).The mean high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level showed a statistically significant decrease in the AMD group as compared to the control group (p<0.001). The mean galectin-3 level was 8.79 ± 0.55 in the AMD group and 6.55 ± 0.55 in the control group.There was a statistically significant increase in galectin-3 levels in the AMD group (p<0.001).There was a significant positive correlation between CMT and galectin-3 levels in the control (r = 0.495, p = 0.005) and AMD groups (r = 0.776, p<0.001).
Conclusion:The increase of galectin-3 in serum and its positive correlation with CMT in the AMD group were remarkable. Although the role of galectin-3 in the pathogenesis of AMD is known, its correlation with the disease and its prognosis as a serum marker should be clarified in studies with a large number of patients.
Design and validation of a method for evaluating medical device cleanliness by recovering and quantifying residual proteins on stainless plates
Authors: Uematsu Miyuki , Miyamoto Yuko , Shimizu Masatake , Kajiura Takeshi , Saito Atsushi , Takashina Masaki , Fujita Satoshi , Nakano Yuko , Shimizu Toshiaki , Nagahara Yuki , Kosaka Hayato , Muramatsu Hiroki , Mori Masafumi , Suzuki Takamasa , Nakamura Takayoshi , Tanemura Atsushi , Hosaka Junki , Mori Takahide , Kato Seiichi , Itagaki Ayaka , Inoue Toshiki , Matsumoto Shinichi , Naito Tomoko , Fujii Shinji , Nakaoka Ryusuke , Yamamoto Eiichi
Published: February 2024

We recently reported a method for recovering and quantifying residual proteins bound to surfaces of various medical instruments via thermal coagulation under neutral pH and room temperature. The method effectively recovered and solubilised coagulated proteins at high temperatures in dry and humid conditions, with a protein recovery rate of > 90%. This study validated the previous method by comparing residual protein recovery from test samples using a conventional extraction solution (1% SDS, [pH 11.0]) and novel solution (1% SDS, 10 mM TCEP, and 10 mM HEPES [pH 7.0]). To mimic soiled medical equipment, pseudo-blood-contaminated stainless steel plates were prepared. Residual protein was recovered using conventional and novel solutions under varying temperature and humidity conditions. Quantitative protein recovery limits were determined at nine facilities. Compared with the conventional solution, the novel solution recovered proteins more effectively from samples processed at temperatures > 60°C. However, low recovery rates were observed for samples processed at 95°C, possibly owing to differences in protein adhesion due to sample and plate-surface properties. Our findings present a method for quantifying residual proteins on medical instruments exposed to high temperatures during use or disinfection. Further studies should standardise test soiling conditions, materials, and solutions to evaluate cleaning methods.
Deficiency of astrocytic TWIK-1 displays increased susceptibility to kainic acid-induced seizures
Authors: Park Jae-Yong , Kim Ajung , Bae Yeonju , Gadhe Changdev G. , Jung Hyun-Gug , Yang Esther , Kim Hyun , Lee Jaekwang , Shim Chanseob , Sung Young Hoon , Pae Ae Nim , Hwang Eun Mi
Published: February 2024

TWIK-1 is the first identified member of the two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channel family, which plays an essential role in the background K+ conductance of cells. However, the physiological role of TWIK-1 has remained largely unknown since the phenotype of previously reported exon 2-deleted Twik-1 knockout(KO) mice are not clear. Here, we demonstrate, through individual exon-specific short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) against Twik-1 and CRISPR/Cas9 system to target each exon of the Twik-1 gene, that the exon 2-deleted Twik-1 KO mice express an unexpected functional K+ channel. Furthermore, we generate a new strain of Twik-1 KO mice in which exon 1 was targeted using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique and provide strong evidence, using the new Twik-1 KO mice, to show the potassium buffering role of TWIK-1 in astrocytes. Additionally, deficiency of astrocytic TWIK-1 by cell-type specific gene silencing techniques decreases the potassium buffering function of astrocytes, leading to increased susceptibility to kainic acid-induced seizures. These results clearly showed that TWIK-1 contributes to the astrocytic passive conductance, which is critical in the potassium buffering function of astrocytes in the brain, and the new Twik-1 KO mice can pave the way for functional studies on the physiological role of TWIK-1.
Improving delirium assessments in acute senior health. A quality improvement project for care of the elderly
Authors: Taylor Charles , Peakman Georgia , Mackinnon Lauren , Mohamadzade Navid , Han Wayne , Mackie Lucy , Gandhi Jasmine , Mitchell Oliver , Bateman-Champain Caitlin , Hetherington Joseph , Belarbi Fahed , Alg Gaggandeep
Published: February 2024

Background: Delirium is a common and reversible neurobehavioral condition with significant morbidity and mortality ramifications for elderly patients. Consequentially, clear guidelines exist pertaining to its swift identification and management. However, studies suggest that adherence to these guidelines are poor. This audit aimed to evaluate compliance to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) delirium guidelines in an Acute Senior Health Unit (ASHU) and to present a single centre experience of a low-cost ward based intervention for improving delirium guideline adherence.
Methods: A retrospective observational audit was conducted on patients admitted to ASHU between 01/07/2023 and 30/07/2023. Data on delirium assessments, diagnoses and causes of delirium were obtained through retrospective database searches. Posters and education based MDT interventions were designed and initiated following grounded thematic literature analysis and ward discussion. A methodically equivalent audit was then conducted between 01/09/2023 and 30/09/23. Data was anonymised and blinded and analysis was performed on SPSS.
Results: A total of 128 patients were included in the study. Initial audit revealed suboptimal compliance with NICE recommendations. Chi-square test of independence found that patients were statistically more likely to receive a full delirium assessment (1.9% vs 56.6%, p = 0.001) and formal diagnosis (5.8% vs 27.6%, p = 0.002) after the ward based intervention.
Conclusion: This study provides limited evidence in favour of low-cost MDT based interventions for improving adherence to NICE delirium guidelines and provides a 5-step framework for future studies. This study also explores the potential patient implications of these interventions. A repeat audit should be conducted to ensure lasting and sustainable change is achieved.
Trial registration: AUDI003614
Factors Influencing Willingness to Pay for Improved Solid Waste Collection Services Among Households in Urban Cities in Uganda: Empirical Evidence From Lira City
Authors: Apio Everline , Akello Anne Ruth , Acanga Alfred , Opio Bosco
Published: February 2024

In most Ugandan urban areas, including Lira City, waste management is still a major challenge. In addition to contributing to air, water, and soil pollution, uncollected waste also serves as a breeding ground for pests like rats and insects, degrades the environment, draws snakes and other pests, and poses serious health risks to people. Willingness to pay for solid waste services at household level is essential for enhancing management of garbage at the community level. As a result, this study aimed to assess the variables affecting household willingness to pay for solid waste collection and disposal in Lira City. To achieve the objectives of the study, a survey was conducted utilizing a structured questionnaire to collect quantitative data from 585 randomly selected household heads and Key informant interview to elicit information from city environmental officers, city clerk, city division health inspectors, and managers of the private garbage collecting companies. STATA version 17 was used for data analysis. The households' solid waste management procedures and the level of resident readiness to pay for better garbage collection in Lira city were both assessed using descriptive analysis. Using a binary logistic model, the variables influencing household willingness to pay were examined. The research found that households willing to pay for better garbage collection services was 48.12% of the total household heads (585) and they were willing to pay on average UGX 3012/= (0.84$) per month for this services. Education level, occupation, distance to waste collection sites, and awareness of solid waste environmental concerns were all variables that significantly influenced the amount that households were prepared to pay. It was consequently recommended that citizens of Lira city be made aware of the significance of efficient solid waste management.
RETRACTED: The low-carbon significance of COOA-RBFNN prediction ability in green buildings: rapid detection of concrete microcracks
Authors: YU FENG , Yajie Han , zehao wang , nana Yao , Shen Yang
Published: February 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
SWIR based estimation of TIR emissivity of bare soil surfaces using deep conditional generative adversarial network in Landsat data
Authors: Ataei Shima , Momeni Mehdi , Monadjemi Amirhassan
Published: February 2024

Aims
Land surface emissivity (LSE) is an important variable in soil studies. Although there are various remote sensing methods to estimate LSE, accurately predicting LSE still remains a major challenge. Typically, the correlation between LSE and the Visible Near Infrared bands is employed for LSE estimation. However, some studies have raised some concerns about this correlation, especially in bare soil areas. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct further investigation to determine if there exists a nonlinear relationship between the LSE and other spectral bands, which was not detected by simple linear correlation/regression.
Methods
In this study, firstly, a deep Auto-encoder (DAE) network has been used to investigate the correlation between LSE and other spectral bands. Subsequently, we have applied a Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (CGAN) to estimate the LSE. The proposed CGAN was trained using the Landsat and ECOSTRESS satellite datasets. The performance of the developed network was then compared with NDVI-based method on satellite/simulated-based bare soil pixels.
Results
For satellite data, the RMSE (Root Mean Squared Error) and correlation coefficient (R) between the estimated LSE using proposed CGAN and ECOSTRESS LSE are 0.005 and 0.97, respectively. For the simulated data, the RMSE and R between the estimated LSE and the simulated one are 0.01 and 0.92, respectively.
Conclusion
The results of the DAE show considerable relationship between the LSE and Short-Wave Infrared bands which not be seen using simple linear correlation.
Cytomorphological changes in urine of Sudanese patients diagnosed with hepatitis B virus
Authors: Ishaq Mohammed Osman Mohammed , Idris Alkhair Abd Almahmoud
Published: February 2024

Background: Mean AgNOR can be used to detect cytological changes in urine of patients with hepatitis B. The study aimed to detect the cytomorphological changes in urine of patients with hepatitis B in Kassala State-Sudan.
This were cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in Kassala hospitals. Cytological smears of exfoliative cells were collected from urine samples by sterile containers and the obtained materials were directly applied with Pap stain and AgNOR. The data were analyzed using SPSS statistical package software version 23.0.
Results: A total of 100 samples were used in this study, 50 were considered as cases and 50 as control. The urine cytological results in cases were distributed as normal in 11 (22%), suspicious of malignancy in 15 (30%), and inflammation in 24 (48%). The control group showed urine cytological results as 47 (94%) normal, and 3 (6%) inflammation. The mean AgNOR in cases was 4.76 (SD 4. 173), and in control was 0.42 (SD 0.797). The correlation between cytological results and duration of hepatitis in case group showed statistical significance (r=+0.728, p=<0.01). The correlation between cytological results and residence. The correlation between cytological results and mean AgNOR (p=0.000).
Conclusions: Mean of AgNOR can be used to detect cytological changes in urine. There is strong positive correlation between mean of AgNOR and cytological results and duration of hepatitis, age and residence.
The microRNAs inhibiting atheroprotective pathways in correlation with atherosclerosis severity in chronic coronary syndrome patients – a case control study
Authors: Michał Kowara , Michał Kopka , Karolina Kopka , Renata Główczyńska , Piotr Baruś , Agnieszka Cudnoch-Jędrzejewska
Published: February 2024

Background
Atherosclerotic plaque progression is regulated by different factors – both atherogenic and atheroprotective. Atheroprotective pathways involve factors like KLF2, KLF4, Mert-K, IL-10 and TGF-β. These factors are down-regulated by microRNA particles – miR-92a downregulates KLF-2, miR-10b – KLF4, miR-126 – Mert-K, miR-98 – IL10 and miR-29b – TGFβ.
Methods
A number of 44 patients with chronic coronary syndrome and atherosclerotic lesions confirmed by coronary angiography were enrolled to the study. Patients were classified according to atherosclerosis burden (assessed by Gensini Score) and presence of advanced atherosclerotic lesions. The relative expression levels in plasma of miR-92a, miR-10b, miR-126, miR-98 and miR-29b were measured by quantitative RT-PCR.
Results
The study revealed that patients with the lowest burden of atherosclerosis presented significantly increased miR-126, whereas patients with advanced atherosclerosis (i.e. presence of significant atherosclerotic lesion qualified for intervention in main coronary artery branch or chronic occlusion) presented significantly increased level of miR-92a, an inhibitor of atheroprotective KLF2.
Conclusions
The obtained results demonstrated that microRNA which down-regulate atheroprotecive pathways might differ according to atherosclerotic plaque burden and advancement.
Sexual dimorphism of rhizosphere microorganisms in Salix gordejevii under varying sandy land types
Authors: Lan Qing , Liu Guanzhi , Song Haifeng , Liu Guohou , Xu Xiao
Published: February 2024

Aims The relationship between dioecious plants and soil rhizosphere microorganisms remains unclear, particularly in diverse sandy environments where sex dimorphism is observed.Methods The study extensively investigated the microbial communities associated with male and female Salix gordejevii, which are widely utilized for wind deterrence and sand fixation in the arid and semi-arid regions of Inner Mongolia's middle-east area. Illumina sequencing was employed to examine the fungal and bacterial communities in the rhizospheres of male and female S. gordejevii plants across mobile, semi-arid, and fixed sandy sites.Results It was found that the bacterial community composition was largely affected by the sandy land types. The fungal community composition, however, was influenced by both the plant sexes and the site conditions. In the moving sandy site, diversity of fungi and bacteria in the rhizosphere of S. gordejevii was lower than that in the fixed sandy site. The assembly of the bacterial community in the rhizosphere of S. gordejevii was regulated by soil properties, with pH being identified as the most influential factor impacting bacterial diversity and richness.Conclusion The sharing of these core microbes among the samples implies the rhizospheres of S. gordejevii in different sandy sites exhibited a shared core community of fungi and bacteria, known for their ability to enhance plant growth and confer resistance against abiotic stress. These findings will not only unveil the impact of sexual dimorphism in S. gordejevii on microbial assemblages, but also contribute to the restoration of microbial diversity in degraded ecosystems.
Mandelonitrile lyase MDL2-mediated regulation of seed amygdalin and oil accumulation of Prunus sibirica
Authors: Chen Feng , Zang Junxin , Wang Zirui , Wang Jing , Shi Lingling , Xiu Yu , Lin Shanzhi , Lin Weijun
Published: February 2024

Background
The Prunus sibirica seeds with rich oils has great utilization, but contain amygdalin that can be hydrolyzed to release toxic HCN. Thus, how to effectively reduce seed amygdalin content of P. sibirica is an interesting question. Mandelonitrile is known as one key intermediate of amygdalin metabolism, but which mandelonitrile lyase (MDL) family member essential for its dissociation destined to low amygdalin accumulation in P. sibirica seeds still remains enigmatic. An integration of our recent 454 RNA-seq data, amygdalin and mandelonitrile content detection, qRT-PCR analysis and function determination is described as a critical attempt to determine key MDL and to highlight its function in governing mandelonitrile catabolism with low amygdalin accumulation in Prunus sibirica seeds for better developing edible oil and biodiesel in China
Results
To identify key MDL and to unravel its function in governing seed mandelonitrile catabolism with low amygdalin accumulation in P. sibirica. Global identification of mandelonitrile catabolism-associated MDLs, integrated with the cross-accessions/developing stages association of accumulative amount of amygdalin and mandelonitrile with transcript level of MDLs was performed on P. sibirica seeds of 5 accessions to identify crucial MDL2 for seed mandelonitrile catabolism of P. sibirica. MDL2 gene was obtained from the seeds of P. sibirica, and yeast eukaryotic expression revealed an ability of MDL2 to specifically catalyze the dissociation of mandelonitrile with the ideal values of Km (0.22 mM) and Vmax (178.57 U/mg). A combination of overexpression and mutation was conducted in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of PsMDL2 decreased seed mandelonitrile content with an increase of oil accumulation, upregulated transcript of mandelonitrile metabolic enzymes and oil synthesis enzymes (involving FA biosynthesis and TAG assembly), but exhibited an opposite situation in mdl2 mutant, revealing a role of PsMDL2-mediated regulation in seed amygdalin and oil biosynthesis. PsMDL2 has shown as key molecular target for bioengineering high seed oil production with low amygdalin in oilseed plants.
Conclusions
This work presents the first integrated assay of genome-wide identification of mandelonitrile catabolism-related MDLs and the comparative association of transcriptional level of MDLs with accumulative amount of amygdalin and mandelonitrile in the seeds across different germplasms and developmental periods of P. sibirica to determine MDL2 for mandelonitrile dissociation, and an effective combination of PsMDL2 expression and mutation, oil and mandelonitrile content detection and qRT-PCR assay was performed to address a metabolism of PsMDL2 for controlling amygdalin and oil production in P. sibirica seeds. These findings could offer new bioengineering strategy for high oil production with low amygdalin in oil plants.
Existence and computation of linear state-transformations into the controllability and observability canonical form of nonlinear dynamical systems
Authors: Willigenburg L. Gerard Van
Published: February 2024

Sensitivity-based algorithms very efficiently compute controllability/observability of large-scale linear and nonlinear dynamical systems. Also, they provide controllability/observability signatures pinpointing the state-variables involved in uncontrollable/unobservable modes. One contribution of this paper is to show that these algorithms can also be used to determine whether the transformation into the controllability/observability canonical form of nonlinear dynamical systems is linear or not. If linear, this paper also reveals how this transformation is obtained from the sensitivity-based algorithm. Another contribution is to show that this linear transformation can also be obtained from standard algorithms putting linear time-invariant systems into the controllability/observability canonical form. Examples of medium and large-scale nonlinear dynamical systems are presented to illustrate these contributions.
The prevalence of occupational injuries and associated risk factors among workers in the iron and steel industries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shabani Saumu , Bachwenkizi Jovine , Mamuya Simon Henry , Moen Bente Elisabeth
Published: February 2024

Background
The iron and steel industries are among the most dangerous workplaces in the world compared to other manufacturing industries. Workers are exposed to multiple occupational hazards, which predispose them to high risks of both fatal and nonfatal injuries. Currently, the data on the global prevalence and associated risk factors for occupational injuries in the iron and steel industries are fragmented and incomplete. This study was undertaken to address this issue by pooling data relating to the prevalence of occupational injuries and associated factors among workers in iron and steel industries worldwide.
Methods
The search was conducted systematically using PubMed, HINARI, EMBASE and Google Scholar for published studies that reported on occupational injuries and associated risk factors among workers in the iron and steel industries. MetaXL version 5.3 software was used in the meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence of occupational injuries and associated risk factors among workers in the iron and steel industries. The study protocol has been registered with PROSPERO (number CRD42022344258).
Results
Of the 447 articles identified, 15 studies from 9 countries met the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence estimate of occupational injury was 0.55 (95% CI=0.15, 0.93). The pooled results indicated that the odds of having an occupational injury were 4.06 times greater among workers who did not use personal protective equipment (PPE) than among those who used PPE. Similarly, the odds of occupational injuries were increased by 1.65 among night shift workers compared to their counterparts.
Conclusion
The global prevalence of occupational injuries in the iron and steel industries was 55%. The results indicate that night shift work and the use of personal protective equipment have greater impacts than other factors on the occurrence of occupational injuries in the iron and steel industries. PPE use decreased the occurrence of occupational injuries, and night shiftwork increased the rate of occupational injuries in this industry.
Exploration of novel series of chalcone-phosphonates derivatives as Anticancer Agents: Synthesis, spectral characterization, in vitro anti-proliferative evaluation, molecular docking and in silico ADMET prediction
Authors: Mishra Shweta , Verma Ekta , Debnath Biplab , Chawla Amit , Khandige Prasanna Shama , Saxena Bhagawati , Sahoo Nityananda , Jana Pardeep
Published: February 2024

Based on the wide range of pharmacological aspects related to organophosphates, a novel type of compound, containing chalcones-phosphonates derivative was synthesized by the reaction of dialkyl phosphite and substituted chalcones using anhydrous Mg(ClO4)2 at 80 °C under solvent-free conditions. All the obtained structures were confirmed by IR, 1H NMR 13C NMR, and HRMS techniques. The synthesized compounds were tested in vitro against a panel of three human cancer cell lines against MCF7, HeLa, and A549 cell lines. As compared to the reference drug Doxorubicin (IC50 = 4.17, 3.31, 6.61 µM against MCF7, HeLa, and A549 cell lines, respectively), most of the synthesized derivatives exhibited moderate to good antiproliferative activity. The structure-activity relationship of synthesized compounds is discussed. To speculate on the mechanism of anticancer activity, a molecular docking study was carried out. The molecular docking investigation indicates that all of the synthesized derivatives have good binding ability in the active site of the Vaccinia H1-related (VHR) phosphatase (PDB: 3F81), PI3- kinase (PDB: 3R7Q), androgen receptor (PDB: 3V49) and VEGFR2 kinase (PDB: 3VHE). Furthermore, all compounds were screened for in silico drug-likeness, and all were found to have drug-like properties, following the Lipinski rule of 5, with no PAINS alarms. Thus, the in vitro inhibitory activity and in silico molecular studies confirmed the potency of the chalcone-phosphonate derivatives for anti-proliferative activity.
An investigation on explicit exact non-traveling wave solutions of the (3+1)-dimensional potential Yu-Toda-Sasa-Fukuyama equation
Authors: Guo Qianqian , Peng Xiaoming
Published: February 2024

This paper is devoted to investigating new non-traveling wave solutions for the (3+1)-dimensional potential Yu-Toda-Sasa-Fukuyama (YTSF) equation. By using the generalized variable separation method and extended three-wave approach, the process of solving the (3+1)-dimensional potential-YTSF equation is simplified and the interactions of multiple waves are revealed. With the aid of Maple, we derive thirty-six types new exact explicit non-traveling wave solutions with a like-parabolic tail. The main characteristic of these solutions is that they contain three arbitrary functions, which greatly enrich the diversity of solutions. This characteristic shows the novelty of our work. In particular, selecting suitable arbitrary functions, we can obtain traveling solutions, such as kink-wave solutions, solitary-wave solutions, kinky breather-wave solutions, singular solutions and periodic solutions. Then, some dynamical phenomena are exhibited by 3D representation, providing the complicated structure of the non-traveling wave solutions for the (3+1) dimensional potential-YTSF equation and their physical interpretation. In addition, our findings improve and extend the existing literature on related topics.
Molecular dynamics simulations reveal differences in the conformational stability of FtsZs derived from Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Takasawa Taichi , Matsui Takashi , Watanabe Go , Kodera Yoshio
Published: February 2024

FtsZ is highly conserved among bacteria and plays an essential role in bacterial cell division. The tense conformation of FtsZ bound to GTP assembles into a straight filament via head-to-tail associations, and then the upper subunit of FtsZ hydrolyzes GTP bound to the lower FtsZ subunit. Curving of the filament is accompanied by a conformational change in the subunit from the tense to relaxed conformation. Although crystal structures of FtsZ derived from several bacterial species have been determined, the conformational change from the relaxed to tense conformation has only been observed in Staphylococcus aureus FtsZ (SaFtsZ). Recent cryo-electron microscopy analyses revealed the three-dimensional reconstruction of the protofilament, in which tense molecules assemble via head-to-tail associations. However, the resolution of the protofilament was worse than 3.5 Å, suggesting that the flexibility of the FtsZ protomers between the relaxed and tense conformations caused them to form in less-strict alignments. Furthermore, this flexibility may also prevent FtsZs other than SaFtsZ from crystalizing in the tense conformation, suggesting that the flexibility of bacterial FtsZs differs. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were performed using SaFtsZ and Bacillus subtilis FtsZ in several situations, which suggested that different features of the FtsZs affect their conformational stability.
Corrosion performance of new Cu-V weathering steels in harsh industrial environments
Authors: Zhang Jie , Yin Shubiao , Zhang Huanhuan , Li Pei , Yuan Jing , Huang Jixiang , Peng Leng , Zhang Xiaosong , Xu Mingli
Published: February 2024

The structure and properties of weathering steels have a significant impact on the safety of practical applications and are also closely linked to localised corrosion induced by external elements. In this study, the structure and properties of weathering steels and corrosion mechanisms were investigated using various microtesting techniques, with a special study of the effect of copper elements on the corrosion of weathering steels and ordinary steel bars. Experimental data showed that HRB400aE (0.3% Cu) and HRB500aE (0.6% Cu) lost less weight in corrosion in the peri-immersion experiments compared to HRB400E and HRB500E when Cu and V elements were present. In electrochemical tests, HRB400aE (0.3% Cu) and HRB500aE (0.6% Cu) showed a smaller trend of potential decrease, slower rate of decrease, smaller self-corrosion currents and lower electrochemical activity than HRB400E and HRB500E. These results confirm the protective effect of trace alloying elements such as copper and vanadium on the corrosion resistance of steel bars in industrial atmospheres.
Marine mammal mitigation through financial risk measures and probabilistic formalism of sonar exposure
Authors: Day Andrew C.
Published: February 2024

Many countries use mathematical modelling and decision aids for mitigating the risk of harm to marine mammals due to active sonar tests. A model for the distribution of harm to marine mammals due to sonar exposure is developed and risk measures from financial mathematics are used to quantify worst-case scenarios. The distribution model accounts for the spatial-temporal uncertainty in marine mammal locations and abundance, transmission loss of the sound sources, and species-specific criteria for harm. Under reasonable assumptions, a closed-form solution is found for the distribution of harm for a given marine mammal species and sonar configuration. These risk assessments would be used by planners to choose times, locations, and allowed sonar configurations when conducting sonar activities that would reduce the risk of harm to marine mammals in the area. Two applicable case studies will be presented which include an application of Koch’s spatially normalized risk measures.
Marine photosynthetic microbial fuel cell for circular renewable power production
Authors: Basnayaka Charitha , Somasiri Maheshi , Ahsan Ahmed , Nazeer Zumaira , Thilini Nirath , Bandara Sampath , Fernando Eustace
Published: February 2024

Marine photosynthetic Microbial fuel cells (mpMFCs) can utilize marine photosynthetic microorganisms to drive electrical energy generating electrochemical reactions. Due to improved ionic mobility and superior electrical conductivity of sea water, it is a suitable electrolyte for operating bio-electrochemical devices at operating elevated salinities. This study examined the use of seawater as a conducting medium in two-chambered MFCs to enhance power production in conjunction with a marine photosynthetic bio-cathode as an alternative to the abiotic chemical cathode. Using a modified BG11 seawater medium as catholyte, marine cyanobacteria were grown and maintained in the MFC cathode compartment. After a significant quantity of biomass had formed, it was harvested for use as the substrate for anode microorganisms. Isolated marine cyanobacteria from photosynthetic biocathode were identified using 16s rRNA and Sanger DNA sequencing. In electrochemical characterization, mMFC, maximum power density (Pmax) was 147.84 mW/m2 and maximum current density (Jmax) reached 1311.82 mA/m2. In mpMFC, Pmax was 104.48 mW/m2 and Jmax was 1107.27 mA/m2. Pmax was 53.14 mW/m2 and Jmax was 501.81 mA/m2 in comparable freshwater MFC employing platinum catalyst, which proves that mMFC & mpMFC worked better. Dapis pleousa & Synechococcus moorigangaii were identified as dominant marine cyanobacteria. It was demonstrated that mpMFC, operated using seawater, employing a cyanobacteria biocathode, is suitable for circularized renewable energy production. The outcomes of this study implies that, mpMFCs are good candidates for circular renewable energy production.
Exploring the use of alternative promoters for enhanced transgene and sgRNA expression in Atlantic salmon cells
Authors: Reza Mohammad Ali Noman , Harvey Thomas Nelson , Regmi Axmee , Torgersen Jacob Seilø , Sandvik Guro
Published: February 2024

This study facilitates design of expression vectors and lentivirus tools for gene editing of Atlantic salmon. We have characterized widely used heterologous promoters and novel endogenous promoters in Atlantic salmon cells. We used qPCR to evaluate the activity of several U6 promoters for sgRNA expression, including human U6 (hU6), tilapia U6 (tU6), mouse U6 (mU6), zebrafish U6 (zU6), Atlantic salmon U6 (sU6), medaka U6 (medU6), and fugu U6 (fU6) promoters. We also evaluated several polymerase type II (pol II) promoters by luciferase assay. Our results showed that hU6 and tU6 promoters were the most active among all the tested U6 promoters, and heterologous promoters (CMV, hEF1α core) had higher activity compared to endogenous Atlantic salmon promoters sHSP8, sNUC3L, sEF1α. Among endogenous pol II promoters, sEF1α and sHSP8 displayed higher activity than sNUC3L, sHSP703, sHSP7C, sXRCC1L and sETF. We observed that extending the promoter sequence to include the region up to the start codon (ATG) resulted in a significant increase in expression efficiency for several promoters. We also discovered a motif, PRDM1, which significantly increased the activity of the promoter when included. This short sequence could possibly be included in other promoters to further enhance the activity. Our findings provide valuable insights into the activity of different promoters in Atlantic salmon cells and can be used to facilitate further transgenic studies and improve the efficiency of transgene expression in Atlantic salmon.
Investigation of Successful Aging, Life Satisfaction and Perceived Social Support Levels of Elderly Residents in Nursing Homes and Non-Residents
Authors: Özdemir Yazgan , ŞAHİN Ayşe Bedia , ARTAN Taner , ATAK Irmak , BOYACIOĞLU Nur Elçin
Published: February 2024

This study aimed to evaluate the successful aging levels of individuals between the ages of 65–99 and to examine the relationship between life satisfaction and perceived social support. In addition, it examined the mediating effect of social support on the relationship between successful aging and life satisfaction. The study was conducted with a quantitative method. The study sample consisted of 408 people living in Edirne and Istanbul. The study used the Personal Information Form, Successful Aging Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale. The data were analyzed with the "SPSS 22.0 for Windows" program. The marital status and having children had a significant effect on social support levels. Internet use increased the friend-social support and successful aging levels. The family-social support levels were higher for the elderly who did not stay in the nursing home. The reasons for staying had an effect on all variables. Boarding leave had an effect on life satisfaction, successful aging, significant other and family social support levels. Finally there was a mediating effect of the family-social support for the life satisfaction and successful aging relationship. The results supported the importance of social support for the elderly. It is important to preserve friends and social networks at old ages.
Assembly and comparative analysis of the complete mitochondrial and chloroplast genome of Cyperus stoloniferus (Cyperaceae), a coastal plant possessing saline-alkali tolerance
Authors: Miao Xiaorong , Yang Wenwen , Li Donghai , Wang Aiqin , Li Juanyun , Deng Xu , He Longfei , Niu Junqi
Published: February 2024

Background
Cyperus stoloniferus is an important species in coastal ecosystems and possesses economic and ecological value. To elucidate the structural characteristics, variation, and evolution of the organelle genome of C. stoloniferus, we sequenced, assembled, and compared its mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes.
Results
We assembled the mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes of C. stoloniferus. The total length of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) was 927,413 bp, with a GC content of 40.59%. It consists of two circular DNA fragments, including 37 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, and five rRNAs. The length of the chloroplast genome (cpDNA) was 186, 204 bp, containing 93 PCGs, 40 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. The mtDNA and cpDNA contained 81 and 129 tandem repeats, respectively, and 346 and 1,170 dispersed repeats, respectively, both of which have 270 simple sequence repeats. The third high-frequency codon (RSCU > 1) in the organelle genome tended to end at A or U, whereas that of the low-frequency codon (RSCU < 1) tended to end at G or C. The RNA editing sites of the PCGs were relatively few, with only 9 and 23 sites in mtDNA and cpDNA, respectively. A total of 29 mitochondrial plastid DNAs (MTPTs) in the mtDNA were derived from cpDNA, including three complete trnT-GGU, trnH-GUG, and trnS-GCU. Phylogeny and collinearity indicated that the relationship between C. stoloniferus and C. rotundus is closest. The mitochondrial rns gene exhibited the greatest nucleotide variability, whereas the chloroplast gene with the greatest nucleotide variability was infA. Chloroplast nucleotide sequences are more conserved than are mitochondrial rRNA gene sequences. Most PCGs in the organellar genome have been negatively selected and are highly conserved during evolution. Only six mitochondrial genes and two chloroplast genes exhibited Ka/Ks > 1, and in particular, atp9, atp6, and rps7 may have undergone potential positive selection.
Conclusion
We assembled and validated C. stoloniferus mtDNA, that contained a 15,034 bp reverse complementary sequence. The organelle genome sequence of C. stoloniferus provides valuable genomic resources for species identification, evolution, and comparative genomic research in Cyperaceae.
Investigation of Crab (Portunus pelagicus) Shells in Concrete as a Potential Substitute for Fine Aggregate
Authors: Hadipramana Josef , Riza Fetra Venny , Mokhatar Shahrul Niza
Published: February 2024

Blue crab shell (Portunus pelagicus) is a fairly abundant domestic waste in the Indo-Pacific and has the potential to be reused. This study aimed to take advantage of the benefit of crab shells, which contain a lot of calcium carbonate and can potentially help the cement hydration reaction to create concrete strength. This study analyzed the mechanical properties of concrete containing crab shell powder (CSP). The composition of crab shell powder as a substitute for fine aggregate (FA) with variations of 5%, 7%, and 8% wt. FA. Crab shells (CS) are dried and finely crushed with a diameter of 1/8 inch, or equivalent to the diameter of FA. This study uses w/c ratios of 0.4 and 0.5 and all aggregates in SSD condition. The results show that the compressive strength of concrete containing CSP is above the strength of the design concrete. The composition of 5% CSP at a w/c ratio of 0.4 is equivalent to the strength of normal concrete with a w/c of 0.5%. The result showed the potential for CSP to replace fine aggregate while helping the cement hydration process.
Towards Sustainable Seismic Design: Assessing Embodied Carbon in Concrete Moment Frames
Authors: Suwondo Riza , Keintjem Militia , Cunningham Lee
Published: February 2024

The construction industry faces the imperative of reconciling structural integrity with environmental sustainability, urging a nuanced exploration of the material choices and design parameters. This study investigated the seismic design and embodied carbon implications of varying concrete grades and column spacing in concrete moment frames. The primary objective was to evaluate the seismic design outcomes and embodied carbon of concrete moment frames, focusing on the variations introduced by different concrete grades and column spacings. This study employs a systematic approach, conducting seismic design analyses and embodied carbon assessments for concrete moment frames with varying concrete grades (C25/30, C32/40, and C40/50) and column spacings (4, 6, and 8 m). The results highlight the intricate influence of concrete grades on beam and column design parameters, with C32/40 emerging as the optimal choice, showing a substantial reduction in total embodied carbon. Additionally, column spacing is pivotal in shaping the beam design parameters, exhibiting a positive correlation between reduced column spacing and environmentally sustainable outcomes. This study contributes valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on sustainable construction, offering a balanced perspective on the complex interplay between structural design choices and environmental implications.