bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health Care Worker Perspectives of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Service Delivery in Central Uganda
Authors: Muwonge Timothy R. , Nsubuga Rogers , Ware Norma C. , Wyatt Monique A. , Pisarski Emily , Kamusiime Brenda , Kasiita Vicent , Nalukwago Grace Kakoola , Brown Charles , Nakyanzi Agnes , Bagaya Monica , Bambia Felix , Ssebuliba Timothy , Katabira Elly , Kyambadde Peter , Baeten Jared M. , Heffron Renee , Celum Connie , Mujugira Andrew , Haberer Jessica E.
Published: April 2022

Background

Scale-up of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services in Uganda is ongoing. However, health care workers (HCWs) may not be aware of PrEP nor what offering this service entails. We explored the impact of standardized HCW training on the knowledge and perspectives of PrEP service delivery in Uganda.

Methods

We recruited HCWs from facilities that offered HIV-related services in Central Uganda. Using the Uganda Ministry of Health curriculum, we trained HCWs on PrEP services. We collected data about PrEP knowledge, preparedness, and willingness to deliver PrEP to multiple key populations before the training, immediately after the training, and >6 months later (exit). We additionally conducted 15 qualitative interviews after the exit survey. Quantitative data were analyzed by Fisher exact test, while qualitative interview data were analyzed inductively.

Results

We recruited 80 HCWs from 35 facilities in urban (N = 24, 30%), peri-urban (N = 30, 37%), and rural (N = 26, 33%) areas. Most HCWs were nurse counselors (N = 52, 65%) or medical/clinical officers (N = 15, 18%). Surveys indicated that awareness of PrEP increased after the training and remained high. Knowledge of PrEP (i.e., as an effective, short-term antiretroviral medication to use before HIV exposure for people at high risk) generally increased with training, but significant gaps remained, and knowledge decreased with time. Most HCWs recommended PrEP for female sex workers and HIV serodifferent couples, as well as other key populations. We observed increases in the number of HCW who felt their facility was prepared to cater for HIV prevention and provide PrEP, but this view was not universal. HCWs believed in PrEP effectiveness and embraced it as an additional HIV prevention method. Concerns included patient adherence and behavioral risk compensation. HCWs noted challenges in PrEP delivery in terms of inadequate clinic preparedness, infrastructure, staff capacity, and poor attitudes toward key populations by untrained health workers. They felt further training was needed to ensure a smooth scale-up of services without stigmatization.

Conclusions

Standardized training improved knowledge, willingness, and preparedness to offer PrEP services among most HCWs in Central Uganda. Ongoing training will be needed to optimize PrEP delivery services and expand delivery to levels needed for population-level impact.
Health Care Workers' Perceptions on Factors Affecting Diabetes Self-Management Among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Fiji: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Kumar Lalesh , Mohammadnezhad Masoud
Published: April 2022

Background

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is known as a major cause of mortality globally. Diabetes self-management refers to daily activities undertaken to control or reduce the impact of diabetes on health and well-being to avoid further illness. Health Care Workers' (HCWs) can assist patients to be aware of self-care and solve the challenges diabetes presents. The management of diabetes can improve once HCWs promote measures that facilitate self-care activities by providing necessary information and supporting patients' initiatives to make lifestyle changes. This study aimed to explore HCWs perceptions on factors affecting diabetes self-management among T2DM patients of Fiji.

Methods

A qualitative study design was conducted to explore HCWs perceptions on factors affecting diabetes self-management using two Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) in Labasa, Fiji in 2021. The study settings were the Diabetic Hub Center, special outpatient department Labasa hospital and Nasea health Center Labasa. The study settings are located in an urban area. These health facilities provide special outpatient clinics to T2DM patients including clinics for other medical conditions. Nasea Health Center had 1,300 patients, the special outpatient's department Labasa hospital had 560 patients and the diabetic hub center Labasa had 295 patients at the time of the study. These patients either had T2DM or T2DM with other medical conditions. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit HCWs. The data were collected using an interview guide in semi-structured interviews and the interviews were audio recorded. The recorded data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis process.

Results

The participants were 9 HCWs with age range of 25-49 years. A counselor, a medical officer, physiotherapist, nurses and dieticians were among the HCWs. Three major themes and seven sub themes were identified. These included Theme 1- “availability of services” with the sub themes of clinical services for T2DM and other support services available for T2DM patients. Theme 2- “barriers and challenges to diabetes self-management” with the sub themes of health system factors, socioeconomic factors and health system factors. Theme 3- “Needs for diabetes management” with the sub themes resources and skilled personnel.

Conclusion

The findings of this study demonstrate health system challenges such as lack of material resources and human resources compounded the factors affecting diabetes self-management. HCWs training as diabetes educators and developing policy on diabetes self-management are highly recommended to facilitate diabetes self-management.
Spatial Effect Analysis of Health Expenditure and Health Output in China From 2011 to 2018
Authors: Xu Penghui , Zhao Xicang , Li Haili , Guo Shi
Published: April 2022

Objective

The objective of this study is to study the spatial effects of health expenditure and health output in China.

Methods

Using the spatial panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2011 to 2018, the spatial weight matrix was introduced to analyze the spatial correlation, and the spatial Durbin model (SDM) was used to investigate the health output effect of health expenditure.

Results

Excluding the number of doctors per thousand, the provincial health expenditure, the number of beds per thousand population, and per capita education level had a positive impact on the regional health output. The health effect of China's health inputs showed a spatial spillover effect.

Conclusion

Due to the significant spatial effect, the health output of 31 provinces in China benefits not only from the local health inputs, but also from the health inputs of neighboring provinces.

Suggestions

This article puts forward some suggestions based on the conclusion: China should strengthen the health cooperation among neighboring provinces, promote the free flow of various health factors among provinces, make full use of the spillover and interdependence of health investment among provinces, and improve the medical policy environment in China.
Assessment of Saliva Specimens' Reliability for COVID-19 Surveillance
Authors: Pierri Biancamaria , Tafuro Maria , Cuomo Maria Concetta , Concilio Denise Di , Vassallo Lucia , Pierri Andrea , Ferro Amedeo , Rofrano Giuseppe , Gallo Alfonso , Stasio Antonio Di , Mancusi Andrea , Galdi Lydia , Coppola Annachiara , Buonerba Carlo , Atripaldi Luigi , Cerino Pellegrino
Published: April 2022

The aim of the present study is to assess saliva as a reliable specimen for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detection by real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), especially in community mass screening programs. The performance analysis considered 1,221 total samples [nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and corresponding saliva], tested by means of a reference diagnostic real-time RT-PCR assay. Conflicting results were further investigated with a second, more sensitive, reference assay. Analysis of agreement showed a good concordance (95.82%), with a k coefficient value of.74 (p < 0.001); moreover, a follow-up analysis revealed the presence of viral gene targets in saliva samples at the time point the corresponding NP swabs turned negative. Data obtained prove the reliability of this alternative biofluid for SARS-CoV-2 detection in real-time RT-PCR. Considering the role of saliva in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission and pathogenesis, and the advantages in the use of salivary diagnostics, the present validation supports the use of saliva as an optimal choice in large-scale population screening and monitoring of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The Influence of a School Social Network Intervention on Adolescent's Health Behaviors: A Gender-Specific Agent-Based Model
Authors: Zhang Shu , Xiao Tianyi , He Jie
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Adolescence is a crucial stage for health behavior development, which is associated with health in adulthood. School closures caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have exposed adolescents to an increased risk of obesity due to a lack of physical activity. Although social network interventions provide an effective approach for promoting health-related behavior, current practices neglect gender differences in adolescent behavioral patterns and emotional preferences. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of centrality-based methods integrated with of gender contexts in a social network intervention to improve adolescent's health behavior.

Methods

We developed an agent-based model (ABM) that supports the small-world characteristics of adolescent social networks. Health-related data for junior middle school students (n = 234, 48% girls) were collected in November 2018, 2019 and 2020 in Tianjin, China. We simulated multiple network-based interventions with different criteria for influential agents (i.e., betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, eigenvector centrality, and PageRank) and a random condition. The rules for generating peer influence and accelerating behavioral changes were based on the diffusion of innovations theory, with gender specifications.

Results

After the school closures, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents, with a greater increase in girls than in boys (+8.85% vs. +1.65%, p < 0.001). Simulations showed that centrality-based network interventions were more effective than the random condition (average 6.17% per tick vs. 5.22% per tick, p < 0.05), with a higher efficiency in girls than boys (average 3.68% vs. 2.99% per tick, p < 0.05). PageRank outperformed other centrality conditions at the population level (6.37% per tick, p < 0.05). In girls, betweenness centrality was the best method (3.85% per tick, p < 0.05), while in boys, PageRank still had the greatest efficiency (3.21% per tick, p < 0.05).

Conclusions

We found evidence for gender differences in the negative impact of COVID-19-related school closures and the potential for centrality-based social network interventions to affect adolescent health behavior. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of gender-specific targeting strategies to further promote health-related school programs in the post-pandemic era.
Development and Validation of a Nomogram to Predict Cancer-Specific Survival in Elderly Patients With Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Zhanghuang Chenghao , Wang Jinkui , Yao Zhigang , Li Li , Xie Yucheng , Tang Haoyu , Zhang Kun , Wu Chengchuang , Yang Zhen , Yan Bing
Published: April 2022

Objective

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) is the second most common type of renal cell carcinoma and an important disease affecting older patients. We aimed to establish a nomogram to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) in elderly patients with pRCC.

Methods

Patient information was downloaded from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) project, and we included all elderly patients with pRCC from 2004 to 2018. All patients were randomly divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional risk regression models were used to identify patient independent risk factors. We constructed a nomogram based on a multivariate Cox regression model to predict CSS for 1-, 3-, and 5- years in elderly patients with pRCC. A series of validation methods were used to validate the accuracy and reliability of the model, including consistency index (C-index), calibration curve, and area under the Subject operating curve (AUC).

Results

A total of 13,105 elderly patients with pRCC were enrolled. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that age, tumor size, histological grade, TNM stage, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy were independent risk factors for survival. We constructed a nomogram to predict patients' CSS. The training and validation cohort's C-index were 0.853 (95%CI: 0.859–0.847) and 0.855 (95%CI: 0.865–0.845), respectively, suggesting that the model had good discrimination ability. The AUC showed the same results. The calibration curve also indicates that the model has good accuracy.

Conclusions

In this study, we constructed a nomogram to predict the CSS of elderly pRCC patients, which has good accuracy and reliability and can help doctors and patients make clinical decisions.
Front-Face Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Feature Selection for Fruit Classification Based on N-CovSel Method
Authors: Latchoumane Lorraine , Alary Karine , Minier Jérôme , Davrieux Fabrice , Lugan Raphaël , Chillet Marc , Roger Jean-Michel
Published: April 2022

Internal disorder is a major problem in fruit production and is responsible for considerable economical losses. Symptoms are not externally visible, making it difficult to assess the problem. In recent years, 3D fluorescence spectroscopy has been used to reveal features of interest in agronomical field, such as plant stress and plant infection. Such technique could provide useful information regarding changes that occur at the tissue level, in order to distinguish spectral differences between healthy and disordered fruits. This paper introduces the use of the new three-way feature extraction N-CovSel method, compared to the commonly used N-PLS-DA method. These approaches were used upon front-face fluorescence spectra of 27 fruit pulp and skin samples, by analysing excitation wavelengths ranging from 250 to 650 nm, and emission wavelengths varying from 290 to 800 nm. N-CovSel method was applied to identify the most relevant features on: 1) excitation-emission wavelength couples, 2) excitation wavelengths whatever the emission wavelengths and 3) emission wavelengths whatever the excitation wavelengths. Discriminant analysis of the selected features were performed across classes. The constructed models provided key features to differentiate healthy fruits from disordered ones. These results highlighted the capability of N-CovSel method to extract the most fitted features for enhanced fruit classification using front-face fluorescence spectroscopy. They revealed characteristic fluorophores involved in the structural modifications generated by the physiological disorder studied. This paper provides preliminary results concerning the suitability of N-CovSel method for the desired application. Further investigations could be performed on intact fresh fruits in a non-destructive way, allowing an earlier and faster detection of the internal disorder for in-field or industrial applications.
How Can Science and Research Work Well? Toward a Critique of New Public Management Practices in Academia From a Socio-Philosophical Perspective
Authors: Kruse Jan-Philipp
Published: April 2022

While New Public Management practices (NPM) have been adopted in academia and higher education over the past two decades, this paper is investigating their role in a specifically socio-philosophical way: The preeminent question is what organization of science is likely to make science and research work well in the context of a complex society. The starting point is an obvious intuition: that academia would be “economized” by NPM (basically, that something is coming from the outside and is disturbing the inside). Habermas provides a sophisticated theorization for this intuition. In contrast, the thesis advanced here is that we should consider NPM potentially problematic—but not for descending from economics or administration outside academia. It is because NPM often cannot help research and science to function well. In this (rather “essayistic” than strictly deductive) consideration, I will therefore tentatively discuss an alternative approach that takes up critical intuitions while transposing them into a different setting. If we understand science and research as a form of life, a different picture emerges that can still bring immanent standards to bear, but at the same time compose them more broadly. This outlines a socio-philosophical critique of NPM. Accordingly, the decisive factor is not NPM's provenance. What is decisive is that it addresses some organizational problems while at the same time creating new ones. At the end, an outlook is sketched on how the specific situation of NPM allows some hypotheses on academy's [by “academy”, I am referring to the whole research community (like “academia”)] future organization. Ex negativo, it seems likely that qualitative evaluation criteria and creative freedom will have to play a greater role.
Frameworks Enabling Ubiquitous Mixed Reality Applications Across Dynamically Adaptable Device Configurations
Authors: Weber Sandro , Rudolph Linda , Liedtke Sven , Eichhorn Christian , Dyrda Daniel , Plecher David A. , Klinker Gudrun
Published: April 2022

If Mixed Reality applications are supposed to become truly ubiquitous, they face the challenge of an ever evolving set of hardware and software systems - each with their own standards and APIs–that need to work together and become part of the same shared environment (the application). A unified standard is unlikely so we can not rely on a single software development stack to incorporate all necessary parts. Instead we need frameworks that are modular and flexible enough to be adapted to the needs of the application at hand and are able to incorporate a wide range of setups for devices, services, etc. We identified a set of common questions that can be used to characterize and analyze Mixed Reality applications and use these same questions to identify challenges as well as present solutions in the form of three frameworks tackling the fields of tracking and inference (UbiTrack), interaction (Ubi-Interact) and visualization (UbiVis). Tracking and inference has been addressed for quite some time now while interaction is a current topic with existing solutions. Visualization will be focused more in the future. We present several applications in development together with their future vision and explain how the frameworks help realize these and other potential apps.
Aphasia: How Our Language System Can “Break”
Authors: Ivanova Maria V. , Dronkers Nina F.
Published: April 2022

Our brains enable us to learn language. We develop it early on in life and use it effortlessly every day. It is only when the language system breaks down that we fully realize how complicated it is to speak and understand. In this article, we will explore what happens when brain damage leads to a language disorder called aphasia. About 15 million people worldwide and about 2 million in the U.S. alone are affected by aphasia. Sadly, many people still do not know what aphasia is. Here, we will explain different types of aphasia, tell you about the language difficulties people with this disorder encounter, and provide information about how language is processed in the brain.
Why Does Movement Help? The Remarkable Science of Physical Therapy
Authors: Pate Joshua W. , Pacey Verity
Published: April 2022

Many things happen in your body when you exercise. It is not just your muscles that get a workout. Almost every system in your body improves because of exercise. Physical therapists make the most of these changes. They provide movement-based treatments for a very wide range of conditions. In this article, we discuss how physical therapy came about, we explain where you might find physical therapists and what kinds of conditions they help with, and we describe how movement can help our bodies. Recent scientific advances certainly have people moving in a healthy direction!
Children's Green Infrastructure: Children and Their Rights to Nature and the City
Authors: Vidal Diogo Guedes , Castro Seixas Eunice
Published: April 2022

The development of green spaces in cities has corresponded to a need to deal with a series of socio-environmental and health problems felt in urban spaces. However, these are often fragmented or somewhat disconnected interventions that leave out vulnerable and subaltern groups like children, being also commonly based on strictly formatted designs, with more urban furniture than natural elements. In view of the need to make urban spaces healthier, safer, more resilient, and at the same time more child-friendly, in this Conceptual Analysis paper we build from the literature on Urban Green Spaces, Child-Friendly Cities and environments, and Children's Infrastructure to propose the concept of Children Green Infrastructure (CGI), and discuss its application to urban planning, foregrounding the need for fairer, more inclusive and participatory approaches. GGI derives from the Children Infrastructure concept but it puts at the center of the debate the idea of connecting children to nature where they live, learn and play. CGI is based on the assumption that nature should be transversal in urban planning processes, and that it must be perfectly integrated within urban infrastructures, ensuring access to all. Understanding children's needs and integrating their voices in urban planning and design processes are necessary conditions to moving forward to a fairer, more inclusive and truly collective urban project.
1H-NMR-Based Metabolomic Study of Potato Cultivars, Markies and Fianna, Exposed to Different Water Regimes
Authors: Mdlalose Samukelisiwe P. , Raletsena Maropeng , Ntushelo Khayalethu , Bodede Olusola , Modise David M.
Published: April 2022

This study investigated the effects of varying soil moisture conditions (through either flooding, drought, or provision of a moderate water supply) on the metabolomic profile of two potato cultivars, namely, Markies and Fianna. Representative tubers of the treated plants were collected 91 days after planting. The samples were freeze-dried, and ground to a fine powder in liquid nitrogen. The fine powder of the tuber samples was analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to identify their metabolomic profiles. The NMR data was analyzed using principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis to identify any variations between the treatments. In both models, plants exposed to drought clearly separated from the plants that received either excess or moderate water (control). The potato tubers that experienced drought and flood treatments had the highest quantities of aspartic acid, asparagine, and isoleucine. Furthermore, the potatoes exposed to either drought or flood had higher levels of valine and leucine (which are essential for plant defense and resistance against plant pathogens). Potato plants can respond metabolically to varying soil moisture stress.
Percutaneous Cannulated Screw Fixation vs. Plating With Minimally Invasive Longitudinal Approach After Closed Reduction for Intra-Articular Tongue-Type Calcaneal Fractures: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Cao Yuan , Xu Xiangyu , Guo Yan , Cui Zengzhen , Zhao Yang , Gao Shan , Tian Yun , Lv Yang , Zhou Fang
Published: April 2022

Objective

Displaced intra-articular tongue-type fractures are often treated with surgical interventions, and there is a lack of consensus regarding the surgical approach. This retrospective cohort study aimed to compare percutaneous cannulated screw (PCS) fixation and plating with a minimally invasive longitudinal approach (MILA) after closed reduction for the treatment of tongue-type calcaneal fractures.

Materials and Methods

A total of 77 patients with intra-articular tongue-type calcaneal fractures between September 2015 and July 2019 were included in this study. They were randomly allocated into two groups: PCS fixation (n = 32) and MILA (n = 45). The outcome measures included demographic variables, operation time (OT), preoperative time (POT), hospital stay time (HST), blood loss, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot scores, postoperative complications, and imaging parameters. The patients were clinically examined at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, with a final follow-up period of 27 months.

Results

No significant differences were observed during the follow-up in calcaneal length, height, Gissane's and Böhler's angles, VAS scores, AOFAS hindfoot scores, or complication rates between the two groups. However, the postoperative VAS scores in the PCS group were significantly lower than those in the MILA group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the OT, POT, and HST in the PCS group were significantly shorter than those in the MILA group (p < 0.05). Blood loss was lower in the PCS group than those in the other group (p = 0.044). However, postoperative calcaneal widening was significantly smaller in the MILA group than that in the PCS group (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

After closed reduction for the treatment of tongue-type calcaneal fractures, PCS fixation was superior to MILA in terms of OT, POT, HST, blood loss, pain, and degree of comfort. Meanwhile, MILA has the advantage of restoring the calcaneal width. Under the same rehabilitation program, the two approaches showed similar abilities in maintaining the closed reduction.
Case Report: ECMO-Assisted Uniportal Thoracoscopic Tracheal Tumor Resection and Tracheoplasty: A New Breakthrough Method
Authors: Li Zi-Hao , Dong Bo , Wu Chun-Li , Li Shi-Hao , Wu Bin , Sheng Yin-Liang , Li Feng , Qi Yu
Published: April 2022

Primary tracheal tumors are seldom seen, and most of them are malignant. At present, the main treatment is surgical resection. It is rare to accomplish tracheal tumor resection and tracheoplasty via uniportalal thoracoscopy. In order both to maintain the patient's oxygen supply during surgery and to reduce the size of the surgical incision, we have innovatively integrated the ECMO-assisted and uniportal thoracoscopic techniques for the first time, perfectly achieving tracheal tumor resection and tracheoplasty. The intraoperative manipulation was only 180 min in duration. The patient returned to the intensive care unit and recovered smoothly after the surgery. The patient was discharged from the hospital 17 days after the operation. ECMO-assisted uniportal thoracoscopic tracheal resection and tracheoplasty provides a new idea and method for colleagues.
Case Report: Proximal Phalangeal Fracture Management in a European Bison (Bison bonasus)
Authors: Hoby Stefan , Steiner Adrian , Jucker Simone , Bähler Hansjürg , Alsaaod Maher
Published: April 2022

Fracture of the digits is a well-known orthopedic condition in adult cattle, and mainly the distal phalanx (P3) is involved. To our knowledge, the treatment of fractures of the middle (P2) and proximal (P1) phalanges with orthopedic claw blocks has not yet been described in cattle and other ruminants. This report describes the first case of the successful management of a P1 fracture in an adult European bison. A 5-year-old female European bison (Bison bonasus) presented with severe weight bearing lameness of the left hind limb and a marked soft tissue swelling accentuated over the plantar and lateral aspects of the proximal and middle phalanges, associated with multifocal light bluish discoloration of the skin (hematoma) and increased local temperature. The cow was examined and managed because of a severely comminuted fracture of the lateral P1 of the left hind limb. Application of an orthopedic block on the healthy medial partner claw allowed to reduce the load of the affected digit. Combined with the administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, it supported immobilization and recovery. Radiographic re-evaluations at weeks 6, 9, and 11 after the injury revealed progressive callus formation and fracture consolidation. From week 9 onwards, until the end of treatment, no lameness was observed. The healing process was good, and both clinical and radiographical improvement were evident after immobilizing the affected digit by applying an orthopedic claw block on the healthy partner claw and administering non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Polysaccharides From Abrus cantoniensis Hance Modulate Intestinal Microflora and Improve Intestinal Mucosal Barrier and Liver Oxidative Damage Induced by Heat Stress
Authors: Wang Ying , Sun Wenjing , Wu Enyun , Wang Kaijun , Chen Xiaogang , Cui Yao , Zhang Geyin , Lv Feifei , Wang Yuhan , Peng Xiaomin , Si Hongbin
Published: April 2022

The protective effects of polysaccharides from Abrus cantoniensis Hance (ACP) on antioxidant capacity, immune function, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis balance, the intestinal mucosal barrier, and intestinal microflora in heat stress (HS)-induced heat-injured chickens are rarely reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of ACP on HS-injured chickens by enhancing antioxidant capacity and immune function, repairing the intestinal mucosal barrier, and regulating intestinal microflora. A total of 120 native roosters in Guangxi were randomly divided into 5 groups to evaluate the protective effect of ACP on chickens injured by HS (33 ± 2°C). The results showed that ACP increased the body weight and the immune organ index of heat-injured chickens, regulated the oxidative stress kinase secretion, and restored the antioxidant level of heat-injured birds. ACP significantly inhibited the secretion of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and corticosterone (COR) and reversed the disorder of hormone levels caused by HS. ACP significantly regulated the secretion levels of immune cytokines and restored the immune function of the body. ACP significantly improved the intestinal morphology and increased the expression levels of tight junction proteins, which had a positive effect on protecting intestinal health. The results of high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene showed that HS led to an increase in the abundance of harmful bacteria and an abnormal increase in the abundance of intestinal microflora and that ACP restored the HS-induced intestinal microflora imbalance. In conclusion, this study provides a scientific basis for ACP as an antioxidant activity enhancer to reduce liver injury, regulate intestinal microflora, and protect intestinal mucosal damage in chickens.
A Comprehensive Literature Review on Cadmium (Cd) Status in the Soil Environment and Its Immobilization by Biochar-Based Materials
Authors: Rahim Hafeez Ur , Akbar Waqas Ali , Alatalo Juha M.
Published: April 2022

Cadmium, Cd(II) pollution of soils is a serious environmental and agricultural issue, posing a threat to crop production, environmental quality, food safety, and human health. Therefore, immobilization of Cd(II) in soils is crucial. Biochar-based materials are receiving significant attention as Cd(II) immobilizers, due to their multifunctional surface properties. The remediation/immobilization mechanisms involved are, mainly, surface complexation, chemical reduction, precipitation, ion exchange, π–π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and adsorption. These mechanisms are mostly dependent on biochar surface pore size, oxygen-containing functional groups, pyrolysis temperature used in biochar preparation, biochar feedstock, and soil characteristics. So far, various pristine and modified biochar substrates have been used to remediate heavy metal-contaminated soils. Therefore, in this review paper, we briefly summarize the chemical forms, release sources, and maximum permissible limits of Cd(II) in soil. We also summarize recent scientific findings on the performance of biochar substrates in Cd(II)-contaminated soils to minimize Cd(II) mobility, bioavailability, and potential accumulation in crops. Finally, we identify challenges associated with the use of biochar and suggest areas for future research. The review presents an overview of the knowledge of biochar as a promising amendment for the decontamination of Cd(II)-polluted soils.
Keeping Up with Insect Pollinators in Paris
Authors: Zaninotto Vincent , Dajoz Isabelle
Published: April 2022

There is growing interest in urban pollinator communities, although they may be subject to biotic homogenization in densely artificial landscapes. Paris (France) is one of the densest cities in the world, yet over the years many insect pollinator species have been reported there. We conducted in-depth surveys of Parisian green spaces for two years, in order to improve our knowledge of these assemblages. We explored several types of green spaces, monitoring pollinators throughout their activity season. We listed 118 species of wild bees and 37 species of hoverflies, updating pre-existing lists with 32 additional species. Bee assemblages showed functional diversity with 18.5% parasitic species and 17.7% oligolectic species. We also found several bee and hoverfly species under special conservation status. Over the study period, we observed seasonal succession of species, with diversified phenological niches. The greatest taxonomic and functional diversity was found in green spaces combining several habitats with ecological management. Despite its very dense urbanism, Paris is home to diverse pollinator communities. As a result, nearly half of the wild bee species of the wider Ile-de-France administrative region can be found within the city. This highlights the need to also consider dense urban environments in insect pollinator conservation strategies.
Effects of Volatile Anaesthetics and Iron Dextran on Chronic Inflammation and Antioxidant Defense System in Rats
Authors: Odeh Dyana , Oršolić Nada , Adrović Emanuela , Gaćina Lydia , Perić Petra , Odeh Sahar , Balta Vedran , Lesar Nikola , Kukolj Marina
Published: April 2022

Iron, as an essential microelement, is involved in cell proliferation, metabolism, and differentiation. It also modulates the fate and function of macrophages in hematopoiesis and macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses. On the other hand, anesthetics can affect the inflammatory process by modulating the response to stress or the functions of immune cells. The aim of this paper is to understand how excessive iron intake alters physiological, functional characteristics of peripheral tissues and whether different anesthetics can alter cell metabolism regarding oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation through regulation of macrophage polarization. Y59 rats were injected intraperitoneally with iron dextran solution at a dose of 50 mg/kg or were exposed to inhaled anesthetics sevoflurane and isoflurane and their combination for 28 days every other day. The results show that the use of anesthetics reduces the rat’s organ weight and increases OS in peripheral tissues, leading to M1 macrophage polarization. Excessive iron intake leads to increased OS, inflammation, and an increased ratio of IL-12/IL-10 cytokines to the M1 macrophage phenotype. Iron, in combination with sevoflurane, has a protective effect in tissues showing the M2 phenotype of macrophages. The combination of iron dextran and isoflurane in rats leads to an increase in the erythropoiesis process made possible through the induction of hypoxia.
Piperlongumine Inhibits Thioredoxin Reductase 1 by Targeting Selenocysteine Residues and Sensitizes Cancer Cells to Erastin
Authors: Yang Yijia , Sun Shibo , Xu Weiping , Zhang Yue , Yang Rui , Ma Kun , Zhang Jie , Xu Jianqiang
Published: April 2022

Piperlongumine, a natural alkaloid substance extracted from the fruit of the long pepper (Piper longum Linn.), is known to inhibit the cytosolic thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD1 or TrxR1) and selectively kill cancer cells. However, the details and mechanism of the inhibition by piperlongumine against TXNRD1 remain unclear. In this study, based on the classical DTNB reducing assay, irreversible inhibition of recombinant TXNRD1 by piperlongumine was found and showed an apparent kinact value of 0.206 × 10−3 µM−1 min−1. Meanwhile, compared with the wild-type TXNRD1 (-GCUG), the UGA-truncated form (-GC) of TXNRD1 was resistant to piperlongumine, suggesting the preferential target of piperlongumine is the selenol (-SeH) at the C-terminal redox motif of the enzyme. Interestingly, the high concentration of piperlongumine-inhibited TXNRD1 showed that its Sec-dependent activity is decayed but its intrinsic NADPH oxidase activity is retained. Furthermore, piperlongumine did not induce ferroptosis in HCT116 cells at 10 µM, whereas significantly promoted erastin-induced lipid oxidation, which could be alleviated by supplying glutathione (GSH) or N-acetyl L-cysteine (NAC). However, restricting GSH synthesis by inhibiting glutaminase (GLS) using the small molecule inhibitor CB-839 only slightly enhanced erastin-induced cell death. Taken together, this study elucidates the molecular mechanism of the antitumor capacity of piperlongumine by targeting TXNRD1 and reveals the potential possibility of inhibiting TXNRD1 to strengthen cancer cells’ ferroptosis.
Attention-Based RU-BiLSTM Sentiment Analysis Model for Roman Urdu
Authors: Chandio Bilal Ahmed , Imran Ali Shariq , Bakhtyar Maheen , Daudpota Sher Muhammad , Baber Junaid
Published: April 2022

Deep neural networks have emerged as a leading approach towards handling many natural language processing (NLP) tasks. Deep networks initially conquered the problems of computer vision. However, dealing with sequential data such as text and sound was a nightmare for such networks as traditional deep networks are not reliable in preserving contextual information. This may not harm the results in the case of image processing where we do not care about the sequence, but when we consider the data collected from text for processing, such networks may trigger disastrous results. Moreover, establishing sentence semantics in a colloquial text such as Roman Urdu is a challenge. Additionally, the sparsity and high dimensionality of data in such informal text have encountered a significant challenge for building sentence semantics. To overcome this problem, we propose a deep recurrent architecture RU-BiLSTM based on bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM) coupled with word embedding and an attention mechanism for sentiment analysis of Roman Urdu. Our proposed model uses the bidirectional LSTM to preserve the context in both directions and the attention mechanism to concentrate on more important features. Eventually, the last dense softmax output layer is used to acquire the binary and ternary classification results. We empirically evaluated our model on two available datasets of Roman Urdu, i.e., RUECD and RUSA-19. Our proposed model outperformed the baseline models on many grounds, and a significant improvement of 6% to 8% is achieved over baseline models.
Environmental and Anthropogenic Influence on the Core Beneficial Honeybee Gut Microbiota—A Short Communication from Bulgaria
Authors: Dimov Svetoslav G.
Published: April 2022

Bees’ and beehives’ health are strongly influenced by the honeybees’ gut microbiota which in turn is strongly dependent on many different factors, including environmental factors as well as anthropogenic pressure. In this study, in four locations in Bulgaria differing strongly in environmental conditions and anthropogenic pressure, an assessment was made using several obligatory core symbiont species and genera for reference, such as Lactobacillus sp., Bifidobacterium sp., Snodgrassiella alvi, Gilliamella apicola, Frishella perrara, and Commensalibacter sp., as well as an observation of the overall number of species. A snapshot of the relative abundances of the total number of species and the core species was made using a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based metagenomic approach using the Illumina 2 × 250 bp paired-end platform. It was found that the two forms of anthropogenic pressure, the agricultural and the urban/industrial, have distinct effects, affecting different core genera and species. It was also demonstrated that both types of anthropogenic pressure cause a reduction in the overall number of bacterial species.
YB-1 as an Oncoprotein: Functions, Regulation, Post-Translational Modifications, and Targeted Therapy
Authors: Yin Qiyan , Zheng Min , Luo Qianmei , Jiang Dewei , Zhang Huifeng , Chen Ceshi
Published: April 2022

Y box binding protein 1 (YB-1) is a protein with a highly conserved cold shock domain (CSD) that also belongs to the family of DNA- and RNA-binding proteins. YB-1 is present in both the nucleus and cytoplasm and plays versatile roles in gene transcription, RNA splicing, DNA damage repair, cell cycle progression, and immunity. Cumulative evidence suggests that YB-1 promotes the progression of multiple tumor types and serves as a potential tumor biomarker and therapeutic target. This review comprehensively summarizes the emerging functions, mechanisms, and regulation of YB-1 in cancers, and further discusses targeted strategies.
In2O3 Based Hybrid Materials: Interplay between Microstructure, Photoelectrical and Light Activated NO2 Sensor Properties
Authors: Nasriddinov Abulkosim , Tokarev Sergey , Fedorova Olga , Bozhev Ivan , Rumyantseva Marina
Published: April 2022

In this work, organic–inorganic hybrids based on nanocrystalline indium oxide and ruthenium (II) heteroleptic complexes were used as sensitive materials for room temperature light-activated NO2 detection. In2O3 was obtained by chemical precipitation method and then annealed at three different temperatures (T = 300, 500, 700 °C) in order to investigate the influence of the microstructure of indium oxide on sensor characteristics of hybrid materials and on kinetics of the rise and fall of photoconductivity. The results of the X-ray phase analysis demonstrated that the obtained materials are single-phase with a cubic bixbyite structure. The Ru (II) heteroleptic complex, which was used as a photosensitizer, made it possible to shift the optical sensitivity range of the hybrids to the low energy region of the spectrum and to use a low-power LED (λmax = 470 nm) source for the photoactivation process. The sensor properties were investigated toward NO2 at sub-ppm range at room temperature. It was found that for pure oxides, the sensor signal correlates with a specific surface area, while for hybrid materials, both the sensor signal and photoresponse increase with increasing the matrix crystallinity. In this case, the main role is played by traps of nonequilibrium charge carriers, which are structural defects in the matrix.
Exploring How a University Mathematics Teacher’s Digital Relational Competence Can Be Manifested: A Micro-Analytical Study
Authors: Segerby Cecilia
Published: April 2022

In recent years, daily practice at universities all over the world has involved online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Teaching online requires knowledge of new ways to engage with the students, but limited research concerning pedagogical aspects of online formats has been conducted to examine this further. Research shows that the teacher–student relationship is a critical factor in a student’s development and learning in both traditional and online teaching. Limited research has examined teacher–student relationships in online teaching at universities further. In the present pilot study, a university mathematics teacher’s digital relational competence is examined and visualized by using Halliday’s Systematic Function Linguistics to explore what is said, the verbal language, and Burgoon and Hobbler’s framework to visualize how it is said, i.e., the nonverbal language. Data were collected in autumn 2020 and involved a seminar with ten pre-service special educators in mathematics in Sweden; approximately 3 h of video-recorded material was collected. The result shows that the teacher’s verbal language, such as the choice of questions, personal pronouns, and being personal, but also her nonverbal language, involving gestures, facial expressions, and paralanguage, are essential when building supportive teacher–student relationships in mathematics.
An Efficient Simulation-Based Policy Improvement with Optimal Computing Budget Allocation Based on Accumulated Samples
Authors: Huang Xilang , Choi Seon Han
Published: April 2022

Markov decision processes (MDPs) are widely used to model stochastic systems to deduce optimal decision-making policies. As the transition probabilities are usually unknown in MDPs, simulation-based policy improvement (SBPI) using a base policy to derive optimal policies when the state transition probabilities are unknown is suggested. However, estimating the Q-value of each action to determine the best action in each state requires many simulations, which results in efficiency problems for SBPI. In this study, we propose a method to improve the overall efficiency of SBPI using optimal computing budget allocation (OCBA) based on accumulated samples. Previous works have mainly focused on improving SBPI efficiency for a single state and without using the previous simulation samples. In contrast, the proposed method improves the overall efficiency until an optimal policy can be found in consideration of the state traversal property of the SBPI. The proposed method accumulates simulation samples across states to estimate the unknown transition probabilities. These probabilities are then used to estimate the mean and variance of the Q-value for each action, which allows the OCBA to allocate the simulation budget efficiently to find the best action in each state. As the SBPI traverses the state, the accumulated samples allow appropriate allocation of OCBA; thus, the optimal policy can be obtained with a lower budget. The experimental results demonstrate the improved efficiency of the proposed method compared to previous works.
Plastic Waste Management towards Energy Recovery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Example of Protective Face Mask Pyrolysis
Authors: Skrzyniarz Magdalena , Sajdak Marcin , Zajemska Monika , Iwaszko Józef , Biniek-Poskart Anna , Skibiński Andrzej , Morel Sławomir , Niegodajew Paweł
Published: April 2022

This paper presents an assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the waste management sector, and then, based on laboratory tests and computer calculations, indicates how to effectively manage selected waste generated during the pandemic. Elemental compositions—namely, C, H, N, S, Cl, and O—were determined as part of the laboratory tests, and the pyrolysis processes of the above wastes were analysed using the TGA technique. The calculations were performed for a pilot pyrolysis reactor with a continuous flow of 240 kg/h in the temperature range of 400–900 °C. The implemented calculation model was experimentally verified for the conditions of the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) pyrolysis process. As a result of the laboratory tests and computer simulations, comprehensive knowledge was obtained about the pyrolysis of protective masks, with particular emphasis on the gaseous products of this process. The high calorific value of the pyrolysis gas, amounting to approx. 47.7 MJ/m3, encourages the management of plastic waste towards energy recovery. The proposed approach may be helpful in the initial assessment of the possibility of using energy from waste, depending on its elemental composition, as well as in the assessment of the environmental effects.