bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detecting Loneliness in People Using Technology
Authors: Qirtas Malik
Published: December 2022

Loneliness has a negative effect on both physical and mental health, which increases the risk of both morbidity, including heart conditions, and death. Poor social bonds have been linked to a 29% rise in coronary heart disease and a 32% rise in strokes in a study that looked at thousands of people. Loneliness can have a serious impact on the brain, and it can also weaken the body’s immune system, which can cause many health problems. Loneliness can reduce a person’s life expectancy by fifteen years, which is equivalent to being overweight or smoking 15 cigarettes per day. That’s why early detection of chronic loneliness is very important to avoid its long-term health problems.
Russian loanwords in Skolt Saami
Authors: Juutinen Markus
Published: December 2022

The distribution of the Russian loan vocabulary within the Saami languages centers on Skolt, Akkala, Kildin, and Ter Saami. In Skolt Saami, this loanword stratum forms the largest loanword stratum and contains more than 750 lexemes. Despite the significance of the loanword stratum, there has hardly been any actual analysis of the Russian loanwords in the Saami languages. This paper aims to fill this gap by presenting an overview of Russian vocabulary in Skolt Saami from a phonological, morphological, and semantic point of view. Besides analyzing the loanwords, approximately 150 new loan etymologies are discussed and some thirty new comparisons with Russian loanwords proposed in other Saami languages. It turns out that the Russian loan lexicon is relatively recent, and most if not all the words were borrowed from the Northwestern dialects of Russian between the beginning of the 17th century and 1920. Semantically the vocabulary is heterogenous. The most important semantic categories include religion, clothing, buildings and houses, diet, as well as administration and society.
Gestión de la cadena de suministro: presiones, prácticas y desempeño del sector manufacturero
Authors: Lema-Ruiz Evelyn , Hurtado-Yugcha Jacqueline
Published: December 2022

La gestión de la cadena de suministro verde (GCSM) ha transformado el enfoque empresarial como una clave para volverse ambientalmente sostenibles. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo evaluar y describir los impulsores, las prácticas y el rendimiento de la GCSM entre varias organizaciones de fabricación ecuatorianas de la provincia de Tungurahua. El método utilizado se originó sobre la base de una revisión de la literatura, pues, se completó un estudio empírico mediante la utilización de encuestas. El cuestionario fue estructurado por 54 ítems según los aportes validados de expertos en la industria. Se utilizó la técnica estadística del análisis factorial exploratorio para derivar agrupaciones de presiones, práctica y desempeño de GCSM a partir de los datos de la encuesta que incluyeron 314 respuestas. Los hallazgos revelaron que, las empresas tungurahuenses han aumentado su conciencia medioambiental debido a las presiones y los impulsores regulatorios, competitivos y el marketing. Sin embargo, esta conciencia no se ha traducido en una sólida adopción de la práctica de GCSM, y mucho menos en mejoras en algunas áreas de desempeño, donde se esperaba.
El consumo de los tubérculos en el Ecuador y su decisión de compra
Authors: Guerra-Flores Cristian , Rodríguez-Ulcuango Olga , Slusarczyk-Antosz María , Ulcuango-Navas Jefferson
Published: December 2022

Con la investigación se realizó un estudio del comportamiento del consumidor y su decisión de compra con respecto a tubérculos y sus derivados, esto a fin de promover estrategias de producción y comercialización que fortalezcan el sector agrícola y su proyección en el mercado. Así mismo dentro del diseño metodológico se utilizó un enfoque de investigación cualitativo y cuantitativo, un nivel de investigación exploratorio y descriptivo. Para el análisis de las fases del proceso de decisión de compra se aplicó una encuesta, basado en el modelo de la toma de decisiones del consumidor, que está orientado al campo psicológico del individuo. De la misma manera se efectuó un análisis exploratorio en los supermercados de la ciudad, con la finalidad de calificar y mejorar los diferentes aspectos para mejorar el escenario de compra para el consumidor. Se han interpretado los datos evidenciando como factores más relevantes en la decisión de compra los siguientes: calidad, confianza y precio, además, se observó la necesidad de mejorar la metodología para informar de los beneficios de consumir los tubérculos con el fin de motivar la producción. Por tal motivo el estudio está orientado a incrementar en los clientes finales el consumo de tubérculos y sus derivados, también a mejorar el ambiente interno de los supermercados para elevar el nivel de satisfacción y la toma de decisiones de compra generando datos que sean de uso para el productor; debiéndose tomar en consideración las variables de este trabajo para incrementar la producción y el consumo de tubérculos en la ciudad y el país.
Gestión universitaria en los procesos de auditoría interna y su influencia en la administra-ción de instituciones públicas
Authors: Quiroz-Báez Narcisa del Rocío , Mendoza-Fernández Verónica
Published: December 2022

El objetivo del estudio se fundamenta en analizar la gestión universitaria en los procesos de auditoría interna, y su influencia en la administración de instituciones públicas. El diseño de la investigación se desarrolla bajo un enfoque cualitativo, de tipo documental, en el cual se analiza la incidencia de la auditoría interna en el ámbito del control interno de las instituciones de educación superior, partiendo de la documentación teórica y el análisis de la información recopilada sin la manipulación de variables. La población objeto de estudio se sustenta en documentos tipo artículos científicos, trabajos de investigación y material referencial bibliográfico. Para recabar los datos se emplean fichas de contenido, las cuales representan la base para el análisis de contenido de las fuentes consultadas. Con el análisis de los resultados, se pretende realizar una indagación de los aspectos teóricos que fundamentan a la gestión universitaria, visualizada desde las nociones de auditoría para accionar en los controles que se deben llevar administrativa, contable y a novel gerencial en las universidades ecuatorianas.
capacidades dinámicas en el desarrollo del desempeño organizacional de las empresas agroindustriales de la provincia de El Oro
Authors: Troya-Vera Joselyn , Giler-Yupa Diana , Romero-Black Wilton , Mora-Sanchez Norman
Published: December 2022

La presente investigación busca de pensar que situación actual de las capacidades dinámicas en el desarrollo del desempeño organizacional de las empresas agroindustriales de la provincia de El Oro, de tal manera que se reconozcan la fortaleza y debilidades empresarial, con la finalidad de mejorar los procesos, métodos, herramientas y estrategias utilizadas por dichas organizaciones. El objetivo general es: determinar las capacidades dinámicas de las empresas agroindustriales en la provincia de El Oro, cuyo propósito se enfoca en el conocimiento de la situación actual de las capacidades dinámicas de las empresas agroindustriales de El Oro y la interpretación de la información recolectada. La metodología empleada se enfoca en el tipo de investigación descriptivo, con enfoque cualitativo y una muestra no probabilístico; como técnicas de recolección de datos se empleó una encuesta con formato de escala de likert, una entrevista y un Focus Group, cuyos resultados exteriorizaron que en la mayoría de las empresas agroindustriales de la provincia de El Oro se mantienen capacidades dinámicas óptimas, guiadas por capacitaciones constantes y el uso de herramientas adecuadas para el funcionamiento eficaz de los procesos. Concluyendo, que los factores negativos se encuentran en menor cantidad, sobre todo aquellos que son manipulados por el entorno exterior.
Palabras Claves:
Empresas agroindustriales, capacidades dinámicas, desempeño organizacional
Incorporación de cebolla (Granex 429) deshidratada en la elaboración de chips a base de harina de maíz (Zea mays) nixtamalizado
Authors: Amores-Muñoz Ian De Jesús , Parajó Corro Carolina Edith , Calle Thaller Paulina , Barría Nuñez Julissa Victoria , Broce Kathia
Published: December 2022

El consumo de aperitivos saludables está en crecimiento en Panamá, por tanto, el proyecto incursiona en el aprovechamiento de la materia prima de la región con el objetivo de reducir la merma postcosecha y brindarle un valor agregado a esta. Se utilizó cebolla Granex 429, la cual fue sometida a un proceso de deshidratación como método alternativo para conservar la cebolla por mayor tiempo y posteriormente ser utilizada en la elaboración de chips a base de harina de maíz nixtamalizado; para ello se desarrollaron dos formulaciones, con picante (CP) y sin picante (SP), se les agregó semillas de ajonjolí, chía y linaza, que, de acuerdo con la literatura, contribuyen a aumentar su valor nutricional y mejorar la textura final del producto. Se realizaron análisis fisicoquímicos como: prueba de humedad, actividad de agua, contenido de lípidos y cenizas para asegurar la calidad del producto desarrollado. Por último, se realizó una prueba de preferencia a panelistas no entrenados para determinar cuál producto tenía mayor preferencia. Como resultados se obtuvieron los valores óptimos en las pruebas fisicoquímicas para evitar el crecimiento de microorganismos; además de un bajo porcentaje de humedad, el cual puede favorecer la obtención de una mejor textura y crocancia en el chip. En cuanto al análisis sensorial, no se obtuvo una preferencia significativa por una de las dos formulaciones. Con este proyecto se buscaba darle valor agregado a la cebolla y contribuir con soluciones a la problemática de los productores de la región de Aguadulce, en cuanto a la merma de cebolla, obteniendo así un producto saludable y con características atractivas al consumidor.
Planificación para la reutilización y reciclaje de las palas de aerogeneradores de fibra de vidrio y carbono
Authors: Jiménez Diana , Valdes Katherine , González Roxana , Montero-Prado Pablo
Published: December 2022

Frente a la problemática de abastecimiento energético que presenta Panamá es de gran importancia mejorar la eficiencia energética. Apuntando a tecnologías más limpias y sostenibles, como la iniciativa de energía eólica que se refiere a la obtención de energía cinética del viento, la cual busca mejorar la eficiencia de la producción de energía y reducir el estrés hídrico. Actualmente, Panamá está comprometido cada vez más con la diversificación del sector energético, mediante la implementación de la generación eólica, lo que nos lleva a un desafío en la gestión de desechos una vez cumplan su vida útil, especialmente las aspas o palas. Dichas aspas están compuestas de materiales extremadamente difíciles de reciclar, por lo que la reutilización de las palas de los aerogeneradores es la solución fundamental propuesta a continuación, principalmente por su coste y accesibilidad. En este documento, se presentan algunas opciones para resolver esta problemática de gestión de residuos de la industria eólica al finalizar su ciclo de vida útil. Considerando algunas alternativas de reutilización y reciclaje para otorgar a las aspas fines arquitectónicos en forma de proyecciones a futuro de marquesinas para bicicletas, parques recreativos, parada de autobuses, y aplicaciones de otros procesos como el pirólisis para tratar las palas, modificando así las características de los residuos.
Elements of militarisation of the Atbasar and Botai cultures of Northern Kazakhstan
Authors: Baigunakov Dosbol S. , Zaibert Victor F. , Sabdenova Gulmira E.
Published: December 2022

The huge changes that took place after the domestication of the horse at the beginning of the paleometall in the field of material and spiritual culture, in the social organisation of societies, undoubtedly affected the production of various tools. There were new types of tools that could be used as weapons. The tips of spears, arrows, darts, knives, harpoons, hammers, bolas and other artifacts from more than two hundred sites of Northern Kazakhstan, related to the Atbasar (7000–3000 BC) and Botai (4000–3000 BC) cultures give an opportunity to consider questions of forms of early militarisation of ancient societies. Some tools, their seriality and significant standardisation indicate that they could be universal and complex, they were used in agriculture, as well as in military clashes. After the domestication of the horse, the world of paleometall entered a new generation of wars aimed at the direct destruction of the enemy by cavalry. This is a fundamental change in the nature of armed conflicts, the transformation of the content of war or armed struggle in Antiquity. If the hostile conflicts among hunter-gatherers, which were the bearers of the Atbasar culture, are primarily local, then for the Botai people they are already reaching the interregional level.
Phenomenon of mask as medium in world cultural history
Authors: Kirillova Natalia B.
Published: December 2022

The object of research is the phenomenon of the mask as a unique phenomenon of culture. The subject of analysis is the symbolism of the mask as a medium and a mythological code in different historical eras determined by certain socio-cultural trends. Having originated in primitive society, the mask has been developing throughout the history of human civilisation. In the study it was proved that one of the main social functions of the mask, which has arisen historically, is to be a medium, that is, an intermediary between man and society, the real and mythological worlds. Taking the genesis and evolution of the mask as a basis for the study, analysis of the interaction of the mask and myth-making in the history of ritual and theatrical culture, the authors proceed from the relevance of this problem in the context of the new social and cultural reality, including the pandemic, when the mask becomes a symbol of protection.
The H-index is an unfair measure of scientific achievements. A proposal to address its shortcomings
Authors: Formoso Giulio
Published: December 2022

Citation impact indicators play a relevant role in the evaluation of researchers’ scientific production and can influence research funding and future research outputs. The H-index is widely used in this regard, in spite of several shortcomings such as not considering the actual contribution of each author, the number of authors, their overall scientific production and the scientific quality of citing articles. Several authors have highlighted some of these limits. Alternative systems have been proposed but have gained less fortune. In order to show that fairer criteria to assess researchers’ scientific impact can be achieved, a workable example is presented through a novel method, integrating the aforementioned elements by using information available in bibliographic databases.
Higher serum apolipoprotein B level will reduce the bone mineral density and increase the risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis in adults
Authors: Zhu RunJiu , Xu Yuan , Wang ZhaoFu , Li Hui , Song MingRui , Wan HaoYang , Yang Hong , Zhang Xin , Chai Yu , Yu Bin
Published: December 2022

Objective: There is very limited evidence in the NHANES database linking serum apolipoprotein B and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) in adults aged 20–59 years. There are few studies associating apolipoprotein B concentrations with BMD, and there is some debate about the association between obesity and BMD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the association between serum apolipoprotein B concentrations and lumbar spine BMD in adults aged 20–59 years and to predict its association with risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of the entire US ambulatory population was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. Weighted multiple regression equation models were used to assess the association between serum apolipoprotein B and lumbar BMD. A logistic weighted regression model was used to assess the association between serum apolipoprotein B concentrations and risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis. Subsequent stratified analyses were performed to refine the primary population of association.

Results: Our study showed a significant negative association between serum apolipoprotein B concentration and lumbar BMD and a significant positive association with the risk of osteoporosis or osteopenia in the total population. After stratifying by sex, age and race, we concluded differently. The association of serum apolipoprotein B concentration with lumbar spine BMD and risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis was significant in male, but not in female. After stratification by age, the negative association between serum apolipoprotein B concentrations and lumbar BMD and the positive association with risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis was more significant in the 30–39 and 50–59 years age groups. When stratified by race, serum apolipoprotein B concentrations were significantly negatively associated with lumbar BMD and positively associated with risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis in Mexican American and non-Hispanic black populations. Thus, these findings suggest that these associations are influenced by sex, age, and race, respectively.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that the association between serum apolipoprotein B levels and the risk of lumbar BMD and osteopenia or osteoporosis varies by sex, age, and race. In men, elevated serum apolipoprotein B levels were negative for bone quality. Elevated serum apolipoprotein B levels in the age groups 30–39 and 50–59 years also had a negative effect on bone quality. In the Mexican American and Non-Hispanic Black populations, elevated serum apolipoprotein B levels also had a significant negative effect on bone quality.
Ontogenesis of the asymmetric parapineal organ in the zebrafish epithalamus
Authors: Palma Karina , Signore Iskra A. , Meynard Margarita M. , Ibarra Jazmin , Armijo-Weingart Lorena , Cayuleo Marcos , Härtel Steffen , Concha Miguel L.
Published: December 2022

The parapineal organ is a midline-derived epithalamic structure that in zebrafish adopts a left-sided position at embryonic stages to promote the development of left-right asymmetries in the habenular nuclei. Despite extensive knowledge about its embryonic and larval development, it is still unknown whether the parapineal organ and its profuse larval connectivity with the left habenula are present in the adult brain or whether, as assumed from historical conceptions, this organ degenerates during ontogeny. This paper addresses this question by performing an ontogenetic analysis using an integrative morphological, ultrastructural and neurochemical approach. We find that the parapineal organ is lost as a morphological entity during ontogeny, while parapineal cells are incorporated into the posterior wall of the adult left dorsal habenular nucleus as small clusters or as single cells. Despite this integration, parapineal cells retain their structural, neurochemical and connective features, establishing a reciprocal synaptic connection with the more dorsal habenular neuropil. Furthermore, we describe the ultrastructure of parapineal cells using transmission electron microscopy and report immunoreactivity in parapineal cells with antibodies against substance P, tachykinin, serotonin and the photoreceptor markers arrestin3a and rod opsin. Our findings suggest that parapineal cells form an integral part of a neural circuit associated with the left habenula, possibly acting as local modulators of the circuit. We argue that the incorporation of parapineal cells into the habenula may be part of an evolutionarily relevant developmental mechanism underlying the presence/absence of the parapineal organ in teleosts, and perhaps in a broader sense in vertebrates.
Mean versus variability of lipid measurements over 6 years and incident cardiovascular events: More than a decade follow-up
Authors: Masrouri Soroush , Cheraghi Leila , Deravi Niloofar , Cheraghloo Neda , Tohidi Maryam , Azizi Fereidoun , Hadaegh Farzad
Published: December 2022

Background

Lipid variability (LV) has emerged as a contributor to the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), even after considering the effect of mean lipid levels. However, these associations have not been examined among people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We aimed to investigate the association of 6-year mean lipid levels versus lipid variability with the risk of CVD among an Iranian population.

Methods

A total of 3,700 Iranian adults aged ≥ 30 years, with 3 lipid profile measurements, were followed up for incident CVD until March 2018. Lipid variability was measured as standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), average real variability (ARV), and variability independent of mean (VIM). The effects of mean lipid levels and LV on CVD risk were assessed using multivariate Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

During a median 14.5-year follow-up, 349 cases of CVD were recorded. Each 1-SD increase in the mean levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), TC/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and non-HDL-C increased the risk of CVD by about 26–29%; for HDL-C, the risk was significantly lower by 12% (all p-values < 0.05); these associations resisted after adjustment for their different LV indices. Considering LV, each 1-SD increment in SD and ARV variability indices for TC and TC/HDL-C increased the risk of CVD by about 10%; however, these associations reached null after further adjustment for their mean values. The effect of TC/HDL-C variability (measured as SD) and mean lipid levels, except for LDL-C, on CVD risk was generally more pronounced in the non-elderly population.

Conclusion

Six-year mean lipid levels were associated with an increased future risk of incident CVD, whereas LV were not. Our findings highlight the importance of achieving normal lipid levels over time, but not necessarily consistent, for averting adverse clinical outcomes.
Let’s draw molecules: Students’ sequential drawing processes of resonance structures in organic chemistry
Authors: Braun Irina , Langner Axel , Graulich Nicole
Published: December 2022

Drawing is a fundamental skill in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to express one’s reasoning and externalize mental models in problem-solving. Although research has highlighted the effectiveness of drawing as a learning strategy and the importance of drawing accuracy for learning success, little is known about learners’ actual drawing process. However, especially in organic chemistry, the investigation of drawing processes is of great importance as generating different representations, such as structural formulas, is inherent to problem-solving in this visual-laden discipline. Resonance structures, for example, are often used to estimate reactive sites in a molecule and to propose reaction pathways. However, this type of representation places a high cognitive demand on learners, which, besides conceptual difficulties, leads to drawing difficulties. To support learners in drawing and using resonance structures in problem-solving, it is necessary to characterize how they generate their drawings. To this end, a qualitative, exploratory study has been conducted to investigate undergraduate students’ (N = 20) drawing processes of resonance structures while solving an organic case comparison task. Using eye-tracking, the characteristics regarding the construction of productive and unproductive drawings became visible. Results indicate that unproductive drawings often stem from integrating and connecting unrelated information during the drawing process. Further, the results show that the productivity of a drawing depends on learners’ flexibility in information selection. Implications for supporting learners’ drawing process and using eye-tracking for characterizing drawing processes in other STEM disciplines are discussed.
Measuring the impact of student success retention initiatives for engineering students at a private research university
Authors: Wick David P. , Atindama Emmanuel , Athavale Prashant , Mondal Sumona , Ramsdell Michael W. , Jaspersohn Robert P. , Moosbrugger John C.
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Student success in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is a national concern. To increase engineering retention and graduation rates at a small private institution, a university council developed a binary classifier to identify high-risk students and proposed interventions that included decoupling first-year Physics and Calculus courses, support in introductory Calculus, and Spatial Visualization (SV) training. This paper aims to validate the binary classifier used to identify the under-prepared students entering their first year and assess the impact of the interventions. We provide a comparative analysis of student success metrics for high-risk engineering students across a decade of cohorts, including 5 years before (2006–2010) and 5 years after (2011–2015) implementation of intentional strategies.

Methods

We validated the binary classifier using an accuracy measure and Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC). We used the 2-population proportion test to compare STEM retention and 4- and 6-year graduation rates of High-Risk engineering students before and after interventions and compare student performance in early foundation STEM courses across the same time frame.

Results

The binary classification model identified High-Risk students with an accuracy of 63–70% and an MCC of +0.28 to +0.30. In addition, we found statistically significant improvement (p < 0.001) in the STEM retention rates, 6-year graduation rates, and first part of Physics, Calculus, and Chemistry sequences after the interventions.

Discussion

The methodology and strategies presented may provide effective guidance for institutions seeking to improve the overall performance of undergraduate students who otherwise might struggle in their first-year engineering curriculum.
The number of metastatic lymph nodes optimizes staging in patients aged 55 years or older with papillary thyroid cancer
Authors: Sun Yun-Gang , Chen Fei , Sun Qiao-Ling , Tian Jin-Yu , He Xiao-Chuan
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Current staging criteria for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) do not include the number of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs), which is highly predictive of survival in multiple cancers. The LN metastasis burden is particularly relevant for older adults with thyroid cancer because of their poor prognosis. We examined a modified staging system for this population utilizing node number (Nn).

Methods

Overall, 14,341 patients aged 55 years or older with stage I-IVB PTC were identified in the 2004–2015 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Cox regression models were conducted to test the relationship between positive LN number and PTC-specific survival (PTCSS). Independent training/validation sets were used to derive and validate a new revised TNnM grouping. The 8th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging system was compared with TNnM stage by calculating the 10-year PTCSS rates, Harrell’s concordance index (C-index), and Akaike’s information criterion (AIC).

Results

An increase in number of LN metastases was identified as an independent, negative prognostic factor for PTCSS in multivariate analysis. 10-year PTCSS for stage I-IVB based on the AJCC 8th edition TNM were 98.83%, 93.49%, 71.21%, 72.95%, and 58.52%, respectively, while 10-year PTCSS for the corresponding stage in the TNnM were 98.59%, 92.2%, 83.26%, 75.24%, and 56.73%, respectively. The revised TNnM stage was superior, with a higher C-index and a lower AIC in both the training and validation cohorts.

Conclusion

The TNnM staging system for PTC patients ≥ 55 years could be associated with improved outcomes. External validation studies of this system are warranted.
Measuring educational neglect using the Q method: A model based on the burden of disseminated tungiasis
Authors: Martins Ana Carolina Tardin , Martins Luciana Pereira Freire , Timbó Renata Velozo , Bezerra Natanael Victor Furtunato , Urdapilleta Ada Amalia Ayala , Filho Florival Martins Passos , Gomes Ciro Martins
Published: December 2022

Background

A paramount factor in the control of neglected tropical diseases from both medical and social aspects is education. New strategies must be constantly pursued to test and provide educational information related to diseases affecting vulnerable populations. We applied the Q method as a model to measure educational neglect based on the burden of disseminated tungiasis.

Methods

Using a saturation method for sample size calculation, we recruited students and healthcare professionals to evaluate and classify 27 statements related to the prevention, control and treatment of tungiasis. After quantitative analysis, the Q method was applied based on the paired use of the centroid method and Varimax rotation, and 4 factors were extracted representing the main sets of viewpoints among the participants.

Results

We included 119 healthcare professionals with different academic degrees. Statements classified by specialists with a + agreement were also classified as a + agreement by most of the participants. However, we detected 5 important disagreements related to the topical treatment of tungiasis and control of the disease in the environment and animals. The Q method showed that almost no consensus was detected for four statements. The classification of each statement was not related to the participants' academic degree.

Conclusions

There is significant educational neglect related to tungiasis prevention and treatment in healthcare sciences in Brazil. We conclude that the Q method may be an interesting strategy alone or associated with quantitative strategies for detecting educational limitations related to neglected diseases. In countries where neglected diseases are endemic, a detailed study evaluating the quality of education related to these diseases must be prioritized.
Copper mediates life history responses of Daphnia pulex to predation threat
Authors: Becker Dörthe , Beckerman Andrew P.
Published: December 2022

A key challenge for ecological and ecotoxicological risk assessment is to predict the risk of organisms when exposed simultaneously to multiple stressors in sub-lethal concentrations. Here, we assessed whether sub-lethal concentrations of an anthropogenic stressors, the heavy metal copper (Cu), mediates the impacts of a natural ecological threat to species, predation risk, among six distinct Daphnia pulex clones. We investigated the interaction between the two stressors on morphological defenses and on several life-history traits including maturation time, size at maturity, somatic growth rate and survival rates. Combining a life table experiment on a response surface design, we found no evidence that the heavy metal copper mediates the effects of predator cue induced morphological responses in the tested D. pulex clones. However, our data indicate that copper can mediate several key life-history responses to predation risk. For age at maturity, we found also clear evidence that the observed interaction between predation risk and copper varied by whether clones were strong or weak morphological responders. Specific exploration of the relationship between morphological responses and life history traits under predation risk and copper suggest a strong hypothesis for multiple strategies to deal with multiple stressors. While interactions between different stressors make it harder to predict their outcomes, and ultimately assess water quality regulations about the effects of such stressors, our study provides evidence that life history theory can aid in understanding and predicting their impacts.
Prognostic significance and immune landscape of a fatty acid metabolism-related gene signature in colon adenocarcinoma
Authors: Liu Xia , Fang Xisheng , Lu Lin , Liu Guolong
Published: December 2022

Background: Fatty acid metabolism (FAM), as a hallmark of caner, plays important roles in tumor initiation and carcinogenesis. However, the significance of fatty acid metabolism-related genes in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) are largely unknown.

Methods: RNA sequencing data and clinical information were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were utilized to construct a fatty acid metabolism-related gene signature. Kaplan-Meier survival and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to verify the performance of this signature. GEO datasets were applied to validate the signature. Maftools package was utilized to analyze the mutation profiles of this signature. Correlation between the risk signature and stemness scores was compared by RNA stemness score (RNAss). Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were performed to explore the potential functions and signaling pathways. Immune landscape of the signature was explored by analyzing different immune cells infiltration, immune functions and microsatellite instability. A nomogram was constructed by combining the risk signature and multiple clinical factors. Expression levels and prognostic values of the risk genes were revealed in the cancer genome atlas and GEO databases. Moreover, the expression the risk genes were measured in cell lines using real time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR).

Results: Eight fatty acid metabolism-related genes (CD36, ENO3, MORC2, PTGR1, SUCLG2, ELOVL3, ELOVL6 and CPT2) were used to construct a risk signature. This signature demonstrated better prognostic value than other clinicopathological parameters, with AUC value was 0.734 according to the cancer genome atlas database. There was negative correlation between the riskscore and RNA stemness score. The patients in the high-risk group demonstrated higher infiltration of M0 macrophages, and less infiltration of activated CD4 memory T cells and Eosinophils. There were more MSI patients in the high-risk group than those in the low-risk group (38% vs. 30%). The risk scores of patients in the MSI group were slightly higher than those in the microsatellite stability group. Gene ontology, kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes and gene set variation analysis enrichment analyses showed that several metabolism-related functions and signaling pathways were enriched. A nomogram showed good predictive capability of the signature. Moreover, qRT-PCR revealed upregulated expression of ENO3, MORC2, SUCLG2 and ELOVL6, and downregulated expression of CPT2 in all examined colon adenocarcinoma cell lines.

Conclusion: This study provided novel insights into a fatty acid metabolism-related signature in the prognosis an immune landscape of colon adenocarcinoma patients.
Sex differences in Guillain Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and experimental autoimmune neuritis
Authors: McCombe Pamela A. , Hardy Todd A. , Nona Robert J. , Greer Judith M.
Published: December 2022

Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS) and its variants, and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP and its variants, are regarded as immune mediated neuropathies. Unlike in many autoimmune disorders, GBS and CIDP are more common in males than females. Sex is not a clear predictor of outcome. Experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN) is an animal model of these diseases, but there are no studies of the effects of sex in EAN. The pathogenesis of GBS and CIDP involves immune response to non-protein antigens, antigen presentation through non-conventional T cells and, in CIDP with nodopathy, IgG4 antibody responses to antigens. There are some reported sex differences in some of these elements of the immune system and we speculate that these sex differences could contribute to the male predominance of these diseases, and suggest that sex differences in peripheral nerves is a topic worthy of further study.
Inflammatory-driven NK cell maturation and its impact on pathology
Authors: Bourayou Elsa , Golub Rachel
Published: December 2022

NK cells are innate lymphocytes involved in a large variety of contexts and are crucial in the immunity to intracellular pathogens as well as cancer due to their ability to kill infected or malignant cells. Thus, they harbor a strong potential for clinical and therapeutic use. NK cells do not require antigen exposure to get activated; their functional response is rather based on a balance between inhibitory/activating signals and on the diversity of germline-encoded receptors they express. In order to reach optimal functional status, NK cells go through a step-wise development in the bone marrow before their egress, and dissemination into peripheral organs via the circulation. In this review, we summarize bone marrow NK cell developmental stages and list key factors involved in their differentiation before presenting newly discovered and emerging factors that regulate NK cell central and peripheral maturation. Lastly, we focus on the impact inflammatory contexts themselves can have on NK cell development and functional maturation.
Molecular characterization of immunogenic cell death indicates prognosis and tumor microenvironment infiltration in osteosarcoma
Authors: Liu Zhongyue , Liu Binfeng , Feng Chengyao , Li Chenbei , Wang Hua , Zhang Haixia , Liu Ping , Li Zhihong , He Shasha , Tu Chao
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly aggressive bone malignancy with a poor prognosis, mainly in children and adolescents. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is classified as a type of programmed cell death associated with the tumor immune microenvironment, prognosis, and immunotherapy. However, the feature of the ICD molecular subtype and the related tumor microenvironment (TME) and immune cell infiltration has not been carefully investigated in OS.

Methods

The ICD-related genes were extracted from previous studies, and the RNA expression profiles and corresponding data of OS were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus database. The ICD-related molecular subtypes were classed by the "ConsensusclusterPlus" package and the construction of ICD-related signatures through univariate regression analysis. ROC curves, independent analysis, and internal validation were used to evaluate signature performance. Moreover, a series of bioinformatic analyses were used for Immunotherapy efficacy, tumor immune microenvironments, and chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity between the high- and low-risk groups.

Results

Herein, we identified two ICD-related subtypes and found significant heterogeneity in clinical prognosis, TME, and immune response signaling among distinct ICD subtypes. Subsequently, a novel ICD-related prognostic signature was developed to determine its predictive performance in OS. Also, a highly accurate nomogram was then constructed to improve the clinical applicability of the novel ICD-related signature. Furthermore, we observed significant correlations between ICD risk score and TME, immunotherapy response, and chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity. Notably, the in vitro experiments further verified that high GALNT14 expression is closely associated with poor prognosis and malignant progress of OS.

Discussion

Hence, we identified and validated that the novel ICD-related signature could serve as a promising biomarker for the OS's prognosis, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy response prediction, providing guidance for personalized and accurate immunotherapy strategies for OS.
The energetic cost of early reproductive development in juvenile Antarctic krill at the Western Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Steinke Kirsten B. , Bernard Kim S. , Fontana Julia M. , Copeman Louise A. , Garcia Lani M.
Published: December 2022

The overwinter survival mechanisms of Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, are poorly characterized, especially for juveniles. It has been suggested that juveniles adopt a mix of strategies characteristic of both larvae and adults. Like larvae, they may feed opportunistically throughout winter when food is available, and like adults they may be able to suppress their metabolism when food is scarce. In this study we look at the overwinter strategies of juvenile krill and how their reproductive development changes when energy input exceeds what is necessary for survival. We take a closer look at how the sexual maturation of juvenile krill progresses in response to different environmental conditions throughout the fall and winter. We exposed juvenile Antarctic krill to four different “food environment scenarios”, supplementing them with various diets from May to September 2019 that were representative of environmental conditions that they may encounter in different regions of the Western Antarctic Peninsula during autumn and winter. Each month, we measured the physiology and condition of the krill, and assessed the reproductive development of females. We found that when female juvenile krill have greater energy reserves than what is needed to survive the winter, they will begin to sexually mature. Further, when there are sufficient levels of the fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and 16:4 (n-1), krill are likely to be in a more reproductive advanced stage. However, when lipids, EPA, DHA and 16:4 (n-1) are depleted throughout the winter, juvenile female krill lose their ability to develop reproductively. We also found that sexual development is an energy intensive process that requires high respiration rates in juvenile krill. Furthermore, when juvenile females expend energy maturing, their physiological condition declines. This trade-off between early reproductive development and condition in juvenile female krill has important implications for individual health and population fecundity. Gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms behind juvenile krill winter survival strategies and their consequences will allow us to predict how future change at the western Antarctic Peninsula may affect krill population dynamics, especially in light of a warming climate.
Mapping the structure of mixed seagrass meadows in the Mexican Caribbean
Authors: de Almeida Laura R. , Ávila-Mosqueda S. Valery , Silva Rodolfo , Mendoza Edgar , van Tussenbroek Brigitta I.
Published: December 2022

The physical and ecological importance of seagrass meadows in coastal processes is widely recognized, and the development of tools facilitating characterization of their structure and distribution is important for improving our understanding of these processes. Mixed (multi-specific) meadows in a Mexican Caribbean reef lagoon were mapped employing a multiparameter approach, using PlanetScope remote sensing images, and supervised classification based on parameters related to the structure of the seagrasses meadows, including the cover percentages of seagrass/algae/sediment, algae thalli and seagrass shoot densities, canopy heights and estimated leaf area index (LAI). The cover, seagrass and algae densities, and seagrass canopy heights were obtained using ground truth sampling, while the LAI was estimated using data obtained from long-term monitoring programs. The maps do not show the differentiation of seagrass species, but ground truthing contemplated characterization of the density of Thalassia testudinum, Syringodium filiforme and Halodule wrightii and their respective LAIs. S. filiforme was the dominant species in terms of shoot density, and T. testudinum was dominant in terms of LAI. In the multiparameter-based map four classes were defined, based on the cover and structural characteristics, and its overall accuracy was very high (~90%). Maps based on sediment cover and LAI alone also had 4 classes, but they were less accurate than the multiparameter-based map (~70% and ~80%, respectively). The multiparameter-based seagrass map provided spatially-explicit data on the abundance and structure of seagrasses, useful for future monitoring of the changes in the meadows, and also for studies of that require data of large-scale meadow structure, such as inventories of associated biota, blue carbon storage, or modelling of the local hydrodynamics.
Interactive neurotoxicity of environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics and butyl methoxydibenzoyl methane on early zebrafish embryos
Authors: Zhou Ranran , Yang Haohan , Zhou Dao , Yang Shixin , Shi Zhiqiao , Jin Qijie , Ding Zhuhong
Published: December 2022

Organic ultraviolet filters (OUVFs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are two important new pollutants that coexist widely in freshwater and coastal habitats. Both OUVFs and MPs can be taken up by aquatic organisms and may be toxic or co-toxic. In this study, the neurotoxicity and interaction neurotoxicity of the typical OUVFs butyl methoxydibenzoyl methane (BM-DBM) and polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) on zebrafish at environmental concentrations were comprehensively investigated at the tissue and molecular levels using transgenic or non-transgenic zebrafish. Results showed that both BM-DBM and PS-NPs induced abnormal expression of developmental genes neurogenin 1, glial fibrillary acidic protein, Finkel-Biskis-Jinkins osteosarcoma oncogene, growth-associated protein 43, synapsin IIa, and apoptosis regulator a (Bcl2a), Bcl2 associated x and apoptosis-related cysteine peptidase a, neuronal loss, motor neuron axon deletion, neuronal apoptosis and behavioral abnormalities in larvae thus being neurotoxic. BM-DBM also specifically interferes with neurotransmitter systems and affects signaling between neurons. In addition, PS-NPs and BM-BDM exerted synergistic and antagonistic effects in inducing apoptosis in neuronal cells and developmental neurotoxicity, respectively. Our results highlight the neurotoxic risk of PS-NPs and BM-BDM and the complex interactive neurotoxic effects of the two. We anticipate that our study may lay the foundation for ecological risk assessment of OUVFs and PS-NPs and exploration of complex interactions between PS-NPs and hydrophobic organic pollutants.
Increase of intestinal bacterial sialidase activity exacerbates acute colitis in mice
Authors: Hasler Tobias , Tavares-Gomes Leticia , Gut Sereina , Swayambhu Meghna , Gysi Mario , Hausmann Martin , Arora Natasha , Hennet Thierry
Published: December 2022

The availability of endogenous and dietary carbohydrates in the gastrointestinal tract influences the composition of the gut microbiota. Carbohydrate foraging requires the action of bacterially-encoded glycoside hydrolases, which release mono- and oligosaccharides taken up as carbon sources by multiple microbial taxa. In addition to providing nutrients to the microbiota, the cleavage of host glycans by bacterial glycoside hydrolases may alter the properties of surface glycoproteins involved in cell adhesion and activation processes in the gut lumen. To investigate the impact of bacterial glycoside hydrolase activities on the gut microbial composition and on host glycans during colon inflammation, we increased local glycoside hydrolase activity by supplementing mice with recombinant E. coli expressing specific sialidase, fucosidase and rhamnosidase enzymes during acute colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium ingestion. Whereas increased fucosidase and rhamnosidase activity did not alter the course of colitis, increased sialidase activity exacerbated disease severity. The effect of increased sialidase activity on inflammation was not caused by changes in the microbial composition given that a similar shift in gut bacteria occurred in all groups of mice supplemented with recombinant E. coli. Increased sialidase activity in the colon of treated mice however significantly altered the distribution of sialic acid on mucosal glycans. Treatment of lamina propria dendritic cells with bacterial sialidase also strongly decreased the density of sialylated ligands to anti-inflammatory siglec lectins, indicating that the remodeling of surface sialylation caused by increased sialidase activity likely accounts for the observed exacerbation of acute colitis in mice.