bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community Composition of Black Flies During and After the 2020 Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Outbreak In Southern New Mexico, USA
Authors: Whelpley Madelin J. , Zhou Lawrence H. , Rascon Jeremy , Payne Bailey , Moehn Brett , Young Katherine I. , Mire Chad E. , Peters Debra P. C. , Rodriguez Luis L. , Hanley Kathryn A.
Published: October 2023

Background:
Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a vector-borne pathogen of livestock, emerges periodically in the western United States. In New Mexico (NM), USA, most cases occur close to the Rio Grande, implicating black flies (Simulium spp.) as a vector. In 2020, VS cases were reported in NM from April to May, although total black fly abundance remained high until September. We investigated the hypothesis that transience of local VSV transmission results from transient abundance of key, competent black fly species. Additionally, we investigated whether irrigation canals in southern NM support a different community of black flies than the main river. Lastly, to gain insight into the source of local black flies, in 2023 we collected black fly larvae prior to the release of the Rio Grande.
Methods:
We randomly sub-sampled adult black flies collected along the Rio Grande during and after the 2020 VSV outbreak. Further, we collected black fly adults along the Rio Grande in 2021 and 2022 and at southern NM farms and irrigation canals in 2022, and we collected black fly larvae from dams in 2023. All collections were counted, and individual specimens were subjected to molecular barcoding for species identification.
Results:
DNA barcoding of adult black flies detected four species in 2020: Simulium meridionale (N = 158), S. mediovittatum (N = 83), S. robynae (N = 26), and S. griseum/notatum (N = 1). Simulium robynae was only detected during the VSV outbreak period, S. meridionale showed higher relative abundance, but lower absolute abundance, during the outbreak than post-outbreak period, and S. mediovittatum was rare during the outbreak period but predominated later in the summer. In 2022, relative abundance of black fly species did not differ significantly between the Rio Grande sites and farm and irrigation canals. Intriguingly, 63 larval black flies comprised 56% S. vittatum, 43% S. argus, and 1% S. encisoi, species that were either extremely rare or not detected in previous adult collections.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that S. robynae and S. meridionale could be shaping patterns of VSV transmission in southern NM. Thus, field studies of the source of these species as well as vector competence studies are warranted.
Machine learning models to predict systemic inflammatory response syndrome after percutaneous nephrolithotomy
Authors: Zhang Tianwei , Zhu Ling , Wang Xinning , Zhang Xiaofei , Wang Zijie , Xu Shang , Jiao Wei
Published: October 2023

Objective The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the performance of machine learning models for predicting the possibility of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) following percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).
Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 337 patients who received PCNL between May 2020 and June 2022. In our study, eighty percent of the data were used as the training set, and the remaining data were used as the testing set. Separate prediction models based on the six machine learning algorithms were created using the training set. The predictive performance of each machine learning model was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity and specificity using the testing set. We used coefficients to interpret the contribution of each variable to the predictive performance.
Results Among the six machine learning algorithms, the support vector machine (SVM) delivered the best performance with accuracy of 0.868, AUC of 0.942 (95% CI 0.890-0.994) in the testing set. Further analysis using the SVM model showed that prealbumin contributed the most to the prediction of the outcome, followed by preoperative urine culture, systemic immune-inflammation (SII), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), staghorn stones, fibrinogen, operation time, preoperative urine white blood cell (WBC), preoperative urea nitrogen, hydronephrosis, stone burden, sex and preoperative lymphocyte count.
Conclusion Machine learning-based prediction models can accurately predict the possibility of SIRS after PCNL in advance by learning patient clinical data, and should be used to guide surgeons in clinical decision-making.
Optimizing Decision-Making with Aggregation Operators for Generalized Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets and Their Applications in the Tech Industry
Authors: Wasim Muhammad , Yousaf Awais , Alolaiyan Hanan , Akbar Muhammad Azeem , Alburaikan Alhanouf , Khalifa Hamiden Abd El-Wahed
Published: October 2023

Intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) extend the principles of fuzzy set (FS) theory by incorporating dual-degree attributes, encompassing both membership and non-membership degrees constrained within unity. IFSs find versatile applications across various domains, effectively addressing complex decision-making challenges. This study advances IFS theory to Generalized Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets (GIFSBs) and introduces novel operators GIFWAA, GIFWGA, GIFOWAA, and GIFOWGA, tailored for GIFSBs. The primary aim is to enhance decision-making capabilities by introducing aggregation operators within the GIFSB framework that align with preferences for optimal outcomes. The article introduces new operators for GIFSBs characterized by attributes like Idempotency, Boundedness, Monotonicity and Commutativity, resulting in aggregated values aligned with GIFNs. A comprehensive analysis of the relationships among these operations is conducted, offering a thorough understanding of their applicability. These operators are practically demonstrated in a multiple-criteria decision-making process for evaluating startup success in the Tech Industry, broadening their utility for decision-makers, and aligning with existing ranking formulas for IFSs and Pythagorean fuzzy sets under specific conditions.
Constructing Inverse Scattering Potentials for α-α System using Physics Informed Machine Learning
Authors: sastri O S K S , Sharma Arushi , Awasthi Ayushi
Published: October 2023

An accurate way to incorporate long-range Coulomb interaction alongside short-range nuclear interaction remains challenging for theoretical physicists till date. Machine learning algorithms for global optimization, with physics equations guiding the process, are able to obtain robust models from available experimental data. In this article, we utilize the phase equation, which requires only potential and scattering energies as inputs, to obtain scattering phase shifts for the alpha-alpha system to construct the inverse potentials for its S, D, and G states. By incorporating the phase equation within an iterative loop of optimization code, mean absolute percentage error(MAPE) is minimized to obtain the best model parameters for a chosen reference potential. The key to successfully incorporating Coulomb interaction is in designing a reference potential. Here, a combination of two smoothly joined Morse functions, one regular followed by an inverted one, is considered. While the former takes care of short-range nuclear and Coulomb interactions, the latter accounts for expected barrier height due to the long-range Coulomb part that dominates once nuclear interaction subsides. The constructed inverse potentials for S, D, and G states have resulted in MAPE of 0.9, 0.5, and 0.4 and resonances(experimental) at 0.1240(0.0918), 2.95(3.03), and 11.89(11.35) respectively.
Modeling and Control of a High-Quality Electro-hydraulic Actuator Driven by an Induction Motor under Intelligent Indirect Vector Control
Authors: Hassan Aws F. , Mohammed Jamal A.-K. , Hashim Walaa M.
Published: October 2023

Due to its excellent energy efficiency and broad speed range, the variable-speed electro-hydraulic drive is an appealing driving principle in many contemporary industrial applications. It is a primary control of linear motion by a variable speed electric motor driving a hydraulic actuator via a constant displacement pump. One of the most commonly used controllers for the speed control of induction motors is Proportional Integral (PI) type. However, the traditional PI controller has some disadvantages such as the high starting overshoot, sensitivity to controller gains, and sluggish response due to sudden disturbance. To overcome these defects, an intelligent controller based on PI Fuzzy logic set theory is introduced to the electro-hydraulic system. This paper presents a study on the speed control of an indirect vector controlled induction motor driving an electro-hydraulic actuator. Various techniques of speed control like voltage-frequency control, sinusoidal pulse width modulation PI control, indirect field control, and fuzzy logic PI control were applied in the electro-hydraulic system and simulated by Matlab/Simulink environment for performance analysis and comparison. The results prove that the indirect field-oriented control technique with PI fuzzy logic controller provides better speed control of the induction motor, especially with high dynamic disturbances. This, in turn, will improve the performance of the proposed electro-hydraulic system.
SAP HANA Database Restart At Blazingly Fast Speed: An Overview
Authors: Azmeera Rajesh , Khanna Rhea , nanuruyagamurthy Deepak
Published: October 2023

The year-on-year increase in the usage of data requirements for IT enterprises has paved the way for significant improvements in database technology for storing and retrieving data stored on them at lightning-fast speeds. For instance, 6 TB DB without fast restart on AWS takes 5 min for restart and 2 hours for loading the database into memory while 6 TB DB with fast restart takes 5 min to restart and 15 min for loading the database into memory. As a thumb rule, the DB size is directly proportional to the restart time; higher the size of the database, longer is the restart time. With SAP HANA DB, the entire database must be fully loaded into the memory for starting and running the SAP applications, otherwise enterprises won’t be able to kick-start their operations. New-age enterprises are experiencing a lot of pain points associated with digital database restarts. The top pain points are high downtime and revenue losses. What is obvious is there is a rising challenge for enterprises in the way they deal with maintenance of the database and downtime during a database restart. SAP HANA DB has a time-tested and proven solution for this.
LarGAN: A Label Auto-Rescaling Generation Adversarial Network for Rare Surface Defects
Authors: Zhang Hanxin , Qin Guan , Xu Ke
Published: October 2023

The emergence of single-image generation (SIG) has opened up new possibilities for generative models, making it feasible to generate small datasets that were previously impractical. This paper presents LarGAN, a generative model designed specifically for generating images of rare defects, such as casting slabs, and explores its utility in the context of data augmentation and defect detection tasks. LarGAN model leverages a progressive training framework and an adaptive label auto-scaling method to produce defect images that closely resemble the input image, using only a single defect image as input. The results of the experiments demonstrate that LarGAN outperforms other single-image generative models in terms of both image quality and diversity. Moreover, the generated data can supplement the missing independent data distribution in the original dataset, rendering it particularly suitable for data augmentation and defect detection tasks, particularly when the availability of sample data is limited. Additionally, the experimental results indicate that the data generated by LarGAN can effectively augment the feature space of the original dataset, thereby improving the accuracy and generalization performance of the detection model. As such, this study provides a valuable generation method for detection models utilized in industrial contexts that require substantial amounts of data.
A scoping review of the landscape of ethics review processes during public health emergencies in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Orievulu Kingsley , Hinga Alex , Nkosi Busi , Ngwenya Nothando , Seeley Janet , Gerald Anthony , Tindana Paulina , Molyneux Sassy , Kinyanjui Samson , Kamuya Dorcas
Published: October 2023

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced governments, multilateral public health organisations and (academic) research institutions to undertake research quickly to inform their responses to the pandemic. Most COVID-19-related studies required swift ethical approval, creating ethical and practical challenges for both regulatory authorities and researchers. In this paper, we look at the landscape of ethics review processes in Africa during the public health emergencies (PHEs).Methods: We searched four electronic databases (Web of Science, PUBMED, MEDLINE Complete, and CINAHL) to identify articles describing ethics review processes during public health emergencies and/or pandemics. We reviewed the retrieved articles, excluding articles that were not focused on Africa. We charted the data from the retrieved articles including the authors and year of publication, title, country and disease(s) reference, broad areas of (ethical) consideration, paper type, and approach.Results: Of an initial 4536 entries, we screened the titles and abstracts of 1491 articles, and identified 72 articles for full review. Nine articles were selected for inclusion. Of these nine articles, five referenced West African countries such as Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone and experiences linked to the Ebola virus disease. Two articles were centred on South Africa and Kenya, while the other two articles referenced Africa within more general discussions on experiences and pitfalls of ethics review during PHEs. We found that very few articles captured, or reported on, ethics review processes in Africa (including before the emergence of COVID-19). Guidelines on protocol review and approval processes for PHE were more frequently discussed after the 2014 Ebola outbreak, but these did not focus on Africa specifically.Conclusions: There is a gap in the literature about ethics review processes and preparedness within Africa during PHEs. This paper underscores the importance of these processes to inform practices that facilitate timely, context-relevant research that adequately recognises and reinforces human dignity within the quest to advance scientific knowledge about diseases.
Understanding and barriers to formation Professional Identity among current and recent graduates of nurses and midwifery in two universities in a low resource setting: A qualitative study
Authors: Mbalinda Scovia Nalugo , Najjuma Josephine Nambi , Mubuuke Aloysius Gonzaga , Kamoga Livingstone , Musoke David
Published: October 2023

Introduction: Professional identity (PI) in nursing is a sense of oneself and one’s relationship with others that is influenced by characteristics, norms, and values of the nursing discipline, resulting in an individual thinking, acting, and feeling like a nurse. Therefore, transformative educational approaches that include professional judgement, reasoning, critical self-evaluation and a sense of accountability are required to foster professional identity. We explored the understanding and barriers to professional identity formation among recent graduates and nursing students in Uganda.
Methods: A qualitative research design was used to collect data from student Nurses and Midwives from Makerere University, Mbarara University and recent graduates attending their internship training at Mulago National and Mbarara Regional Referral hospitals. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
Results: The participants who reported understanding of PI in nursing and midwifery mentioned that these are principles, characteristics and values, competencies, ethics and code of conduct, sense of belonging and professionalism that define the nursing profession and practice. Barriers to the formation of PI were provided under two themes education and health service delivery. Regarding education (nursing educators not working in clinical settings and inadequate clinical mentoring). Under health service delivery:(high workload, lack of interprofessional collaboration, many different professional groups, no clear scope of practice for the different professional careers, Low esteem among nurses and midwives, media and lack of policy implementation).
Conclusion and recommendation
Participants were knowledgeable about professional identity in nursing/midwifery. They faced several challenges and barriers in professional identity formation during their training and internship. We recommend a need to streamline the scope of practice and enhance clinical mentorship and engagement of Leadership in Nursing in developing PI among students.
Influential Factors Affecting the Adoption and Use of Health IT Tools in Hypertension Management: Motivational Drivers and Inhibitory Factors
Authors: Saeidnia Mohammdreza , Shokri Mehdi , Saeidnia Hamid Reza , Lotfata Aynaz , Ghiasi Nasrin , Ghaderi Abolhasan
Published: October 2023

Background:Health information technology (IT) significantly improves patient self-care and the health outcomes of those with conditions like hypertension.Methods:In 2022, we conducted a comprehensive literature review to identify factors impacting health IT adoption in hypertension management. We extensively searched databases like Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE, and PubMed for articles between 2013 and 2022.Results:Initially, we gathered 827 articles, rigorously screening them to select 50 for our study. These factors can be grouped into two categories: motivating drivers and inhibitory factors, each comprising eight elements. Motivating drivers include perceived usefulness, ease of use, incentives, autonomy, patient empowerment, education, peer influence, and organizational support. Inhibitory factors encompass limited technology access, inadequate training, cost, workflow disruption, technical challenges, knowledge gaps, resistance to change, and privacy concerns.Conclusions:Recognizing these factors is vital for optimizing health IT use in hypertension management, leading to increased acceptance, cost-effectiveness, reduced complications, and an improved quality of life for those managing hypertension.
The use of match-based exact movement activities to classify elite rugby league players into positional groups
Authors: Adeyemo Victor Elijah , Palczewska Anna , Jones Ben , Weaving Dan
Published: October 2023

The cluster analysis of elite rugby league players identified groups of distinct playing positions, that can be referred to as broad positional groups. However, the identified positional groups were based on traditional indicators (physical and technical-tactical) that provided no information about the exact match-based movement activities that led to such similarity grouping and the classification of elite rugby league players into these broad positional groups remains unexplored. Hence, this study finds the best model to classify elite rugby league players into positional groups, using data characterised by movement patterns to uncover the similar movement activities of distinct playing positions within a positional group. Key movement patterns for the positional group classification and differences between the groups were also investigated. A total of 18,173 unique movement patterns were derived from 422 players' GPS data across the 2019 and 2020 seasons, where only 36 were identified as key patterns. The highest classification accuracy of 77.58% using all unique patterns and 74.5% accuracy using the key patterns was achieved, outperforming studies that used traditional indicators. Further analyses, based on key patterns revealed differences between forwards and backs. These findings establish movement patterns as viable indicators to classify rugby league players into positional groups, enabling coaches and trainers to develop position-specific training programs that cater to the unique physical demands of each position, leading to better player development and team performance. Movement patterns are therefore recommended as an alternative approach to quantifying players' external loads and obtaining granular information.
Notification vs Consent: The Differential Effects of Parental Involvement Laws on Teen Abortion
Authors: Gardner Graham
Published: October 2023

US state legislation requiring parental involvement in the abortion decision of a minor has grown in prevalence since its origin in the 1970s. Today, 36 states impose a parental involvement requirement on their residents below the age of 18. These laws come in two primary categories: parental notification and parental consent. Though much research estimates the effects of these policies, limited evidence exists regarding any differential impact between parental notification and parental consent. This paper uses the synthetic control method to determine if the increased marginal cost of an abortion imposed by a parental consent statute affects the abortion rate and birth rate for minors relative to parental notification. Results indicate no evidence of a marginal effect of parental consent laws on the abortion/birth rate of minors overall, suggesting that the additional cost of a parental consent law may be small.
JEL classi cation: I11, I12, J13, J18
Physiological Methylmalonic Acid Contributes to Cell Growth via Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Colorectal Cancer Cell Spheroids
Authors: Tanaka Arowu R , Murakami Chiho , Yamamoto Hideya
Published: October 2023

Methylmalonic acid (MMA) is a small molecule produced during the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids. Recently, it was reported that the blood concentration of MMA increased with age and that it also promoted lung cancer metastasis. However, little is known about how it affects cancers other than lung cancer. In this study, we examined the influences of MMA on colorectal cancer cell spheroids. We found that MMA promoted proliferation of colorectal cancer spheroids in a glutamine-dependent manner at physiological concentrations; MMA induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation, which in turn affected the promotion of cell growth. Methylmalonic acid treatment also induced a metabolic shift to the glycolytic system. These results suggest that physiological concentrations of MMA may promote cancer cell proliferation by decreasing mitochondrial function and inducing a metabolic shift, and add new insights into the effect of aging on cancer.
Support Structure Topology Optimization Considering the Residual Distortion for Laser Powder Bed Fusion Metal Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Xu Shuzhi , Liu Jikai , Sun Yiding , Li Xinming , Ma Yongsheng
Published: October 2023

This paper proposes a support structure topology optimization method for laser powder bed fusion processed metal parts, which could effectively avoid part failures caused by over-distortions. Multiple additive manufacturing issues are considered and overcome with the proposed method, including the self-support issue, minimum length scale control, and support structure easy removal. Specifically, a finite element analysis model based on the inherent strain method is proposed to simulate the complex mechanical behavior in the additive manufacturing process. Then, according to the layer-by-layer inherent strain-based fast simulation model, the gravity compliance and residual distortion minimization topology optimization problem incorporating the self-support constraint, mass fraction constraint, minimum length scale control, and support easy-removal constraint is formulated. Accordingly, the critical sensitivity information is derived through the adjoin analysis. Finally, the proposed method is applied to several 2D and 3D benchmark examples to demonstrate the effectiveness on residual distortion control. The influences of different optimization strategies, weighting parameters, and minimum length scale limits are comparatively explored. A comprehensive discussion is presented at the end to summarize the numerical phenomena.
Targeting PARP1 actives cGAS-STING signaling pathway to promote tumor cells apoptosis and reshape tumor immune microenvironment in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Feng Yanqi , Liu Xinyue , Xia Shu , Li Yiming , Li Piao , Xiao Xiangtian , Han Yuelin , Xia Shu
Published: October 2023

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common pathological subtype of non-small cell lung cancer. Although the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors has greatly improved the therapy of solid tumors, treatment of lots of patients with lung adenocarcinoma is still not satisfactory. For most diseases with low immunogenicity, it’s urgent to seek for new combination treatment strategies.
Platinum is a widely used DNA damage agent. PARP inhibitors are more effective for tumors with defects in DNA damage and repair. In the context of inhibition of PARP1, tumor cells are easier to form more immunogenic tumor antigen libraries and increase immunogenicity. Nonetheless, the efficacy of PARP inhibitors, combined with platinum and immune checkpoint inhibitors is still undefined. In this research, we have demonstrated that inhibiting PARP1 activated cGAS-STING pathway to up-regulate PD-L1 expression in lung adenocarcinoma cells by real-time quantitative PCR and immunoblotting. Then, we constructed a LLC tumor model to verify that PARP inhibitors, combined with platinum and immune checkpoint inhibitors could change the lymphocyte infiltration in tumor microenvironment, increase the proportion of CD8+T cells and activated DC cells, and enhance anti-tumor immunity.
To sum up, we confirmed that PARP inhibitors combined with platinum can enhance the immune checkpoint effect by activating cGAS-STING pathway, further increase the infiltration of CD8+ T and DC cells and reshape tumor immune microenvironment. Therefore, this research provides a novel strategy for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma patients with poor prognosis.
The phenotypic characterization of Rivet wheat accessions (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. turgidum) for grain quality and other agronomic properties
Authors: Pshenichnikova Tatyana A. , Shchukina Ludmila V. , Börner Andreas
Published: October 2023

Currently, there is an increased interest in obsolete accessions of cultivated species that do not meet modern agronomic requirements. A tetraploid Rivet wheat, which has a common genepool with durum wheat, is among them. Unlike the latter, Rivet wheat has so far been little involved in genetic and molecular studies. Technological properties of grain, which determine its end-use, are characterized especially weakly and fragmentarily. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a phenotypic diversity in six accessions of Rivet wheat from the collection of Gatersleben genebank (IPK, Germany) for these and other economically important traits. Milling parameters of grain, gluten content and quality, and physical properties of dough were studied. All characteristics, except flour particles diameter demonstrated a substantial variability. The difference for thousand grain weight was 12 g, for gluten content – 8%. The total grain vitreousness was in the range of 48–82%. Gluten, in general, had a low extensibility. One of the samples showed a high elasticity of dough and high flour strength according to alveograph. Two samples showed a darkening of gluten during washing, which indicates a high activity of polyphenol oxidases. The accessions also differed in yield components and in flowering date greater than 10 days. The variety in grain quality indicates the possibility of using Rivet wheat for a wider range of flour products compared to durum wheat. The obtained phenotypic data allow the purposeful use of Rivet wheat samples both in agricultural production and in scientific research.
A Case Study: Lessons learned from online tutorial to improve clinical reasoning for Family Medicine residents in Palestine
Authors: Colton Benjamin , Al-Saudi Lubna , Smalldridge Ann , Spicer Nicki , Zink Therese
Published: October 2023

Background
Geopolitical and socioeconomic challenges limit faculty development and clinical teaching in the Occupied Territories of Palestine and many other developing countries. The first, and still only, Family Medicine residency program is a four-year program based out of An-Najah University in the West Bank. Training in primary care clinics occurs in the final two years and there are many challenges to adequate supervision in the clinical setting that were exacerbated during the pandemic. To improve the clinical reasoning skills of 13 Palestinian FM residents a three-month tutorial program was organized in 2020. An NGO that has worked to support Family Medicine development in the region engaged experienced British General Practitioners trained as tutors to offer online tutorials. We evaluate the program as case study research to understand the factors that facilitated or impaired a positive virtual learning environment.
Methods
The tutors and residents were divided into groups and met virtually between June and September 2020. Evaluations and session reports collected during the program, the text of an online chat, and responses to an online survey two years later were collected. Using thematic analysis techniques, we evaluated the value for the residents at the time and two years later and identified factors that facilitated or impaired a positive virtual learning environment.
Results
Themes of knowledge, skills, attitudes, cultural disconnects, and tutorial logistics emerged. The group with the most stable tutor pairing, including one Arabic-speaker familiar with the context, was the most engaged. The all-female group formed a chat group to share real-time case questions during clinical practice, and focused on skills (e.g. conducting a thorough medication review) and attitudes (e.g. open to sharing and discussing uncertainties). Other groups were less cohesive.
Conclusions
Transnational tutorials that focused on clinical thinking and decision-making skills were most successful when the tutorial pair was stable, offered familiarity with the language and addressed cultural differences. Intrinsic factors such as lacking the motivation to participate and extrinsic factors such as unstable internet and rolling electric cuts, and clinical structures that made applying new skills challenging were more difficult to address but must be considered.
Optimising policies and regulations for zero routine gas flaring and net zero
Authors: Aigbe Godwin O. , Stringer Lindsay C. , Cotton Matthew
Published: October 2023

Global policy actions to reduce the environmental and social impacts of gas-flaring are primarily derived from voluntary arrangements. This paper evaluates stakeholder preferences for different policies and regulatory options, determining the most optimised and effective to help eliminate routine gas-flaring by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050 whilst addressing good governance, justice, and fair implementation. Its mixed methods incorporate literature and document review, interviews, expert surveys, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (G-TOPSIS), deriving two competing perspectives on gas flaring policy strategy, with differences revealed through the AHP ranking process of individual criteria. All criteria and sub-criteria identified were integral to achieving the flaring and emissions targets, with “policy and targets” and “enabling framework” the most important individual criteria. The “background and the role of reductions in meeting environmental and economic objectives” and “nonmonetary penalties” were the most crucial sub-criteria. G-TOPSIS showed that fully implementing gas-flaring policies and regulatory framework criteria to limit warming to 1.5°C is the most effective policy alternative. Globally coordinated, uniform and reciprocal legally binding agreements between countries to supplement national initiatives are imperative to improve the effectiveness of country-specific gas flaring policy strategies.
Polygenic risk score predicting susceptibility of female overactive bladder in the Han Chinese
Authors: Hung Sheng-Chun , Chang Li-Wen , Lin Guan-Cheng , Li Jian-Ri , Chen I-Chieh
Published: October 2023

Objective:
Our study aims to explore the predictive potential of a polygenic risk score (PRS) in overactive bladder (OAB) as well as its impact on drug compliance.
Materials and methods:
This retrospective cohort study involved 29,812 female participants from Taichung Veterans General Hospital, enrolled in the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative (TPMI), and genotyped using the Affymetrix Genome-Wide TWB 2.0 SNP Array. PRS was determined using PGS002112 for depression, which included 748,601 single nucleotide polymorphisms. PRS scores were categorized into quartiles (Q1-Q4) and their association with OAB incidence was analyzed using logistic regression model, including overactive bladder (ICD-9-CM code 596.51), urinary incontinence (ICD-9-CM code 788.3) and frequency (ICD-9-CM code 788.4).
Results:
Among 29,812 female participants, 2,583 were diagnosed with OAB. Risk of non-neurogenic female low urinary tract was higher in the fourth quartile (Q4) than the first quartile (Q1) (OR=1.16, 95% CI=1.03-1.30, p=0.016). In addition, the PGS002112 Q4 group displayed a heightened prevalence of depression and anxiety. Our results reveal that PRS effectively predicts the occurrence of depression (Q4 vs. Q1, OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.03-1.43, p=0.021) and anxiety (Q4 vs. Q1, OR=1.25, 95% CI=1.12-1.38, p<0.001). However, the PRS score did not correlate with drug compliance, including antimuscarinic (p=0.509), beta-3 agonist (p=0.411), or both types of drugs (p=0.352).
Conclusions and relevance:
In this hospital-based cohort, a higher PRS was associated with the susceptibility to OAB in female Han Chinese, as well with susceptibility to depression and anxiety. Prospective large-scale study with longer follow-up would be needed to validate our result.
High Rate of Complications In Subacute And Chronic Cases of Peripartum Pubic Symphysis Disrupture After Surgical Treatment: Series of Five Cases and A Review of The Literature
Authors: Doroszewski Grzegorz , Wasielewski Jan , Bartosz Paweł , Caban Adam , Białecki Jerzy
Published: October 2023

● Background:
Peripartum disruption of the pubic symphysis is a rare injury of the pelvic ring that occurs in 1/300-1/30000 births. In the majority of cases, it is successfully treated conservatively. Nevertheless, some cases require surgical treatment. We analysed 5 cases treated surgically in our department and found 23 articles with case presentations of patients treated surgically. The aim of our paper is to analyse our experiences and the available literature in this regard and propose a treatment algorithm.
● Case presentation:
Five women, aged 25–38, with perinatal symphysis disruption were primarily treated conservatively. Due to the lack of improvement, all patients were treated surgically at subacute and chronic stages. In four cases, early loosening of screws and partial or complete loss of reduction were observed. In one case, the plate and screws were removed, and in three cases, revision surgery was performed, one with a larger plate and two with two plates (“box plate fixation”). The mean follow-up was 7.4 years. Two excellent and two good results after final treatment in the modified Majeed scale were noticed.
● Conclusions:
Cases from our department and found in the literature review were analysed. We found that the number of complications in surgically treated patients was higher in the subacute and chronic groups than in the acute group (50% vs. 20%, p = 0.041), and the number of complications in the group where external fixators were used was higher than that in the group where plate fixation was used (37,5% vs. 0%, p = 0,027). In acute cases where symphysis disruption exceeds 25 mm and walking is impaired, surgical treatment with fixation of the pubic symphysis with an anterior plate and, in cases with widening of the S-I joint, S-I screw fixation should be considered. Surgical treatment performed more than two weeks after delivery is associated with a higher rate of complications. Therefore, for patients with pain persisting longer than two weeks considering another vaginal delivery, two anterior plate fixation (“box plate fixation”) is recommended, and for patients who do not consider further vaginal parturition, symphysiodesis is recommended.
Anti-PD-1 Therapy Reverses TIGIT + CD226 + NK Depletion in Immunotherapy Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma through PVR/TIGIT Pathway
Authors: Wang Jing , Yang Lin , Zhao Yang , Cui Song-ping , Gao Ya , Hu Bin , Zhou Lin , Lang Ren
Published: October 2023

Background: Immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy significantly improved the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Immunotherapy resistance conducts the main reason for the failure of PD-1-based immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The gist of this study was to clarify the mechanism of Nature kill cells (NK) depletion in immunotherapy resistance of HCC.
Methods: Cancerous /paracancerous tissues and peripheral blood (PB) of 55 patients with HCC treated in our hospital from Sep. 2019 to Sep. 2021 were collected. Patients were grouped according to the degree of differentiation, FCM, IHC, and in vitro lymphocyte culture drug intervention experiments were used to determine the degree of NK cell depletion. Furthermore, a novel mouse model of HCC in situ was constructed and divided into different groups according to the various intervention measures of ICIs. Immunofluorescence thermography was used to observe the changes in tumor burden for survival analysis.
Results: NK cells in cancerous tissues significantly up-regulated the expression of TIGIT compared with paracancerous tissues (P < 0.001). FCM for PB indicated a more severe depletion of NK cells and higher expression of TIGIT and PD-1 in poorly differentiated HCC (P < 0.001). Intervention experiments in vitro revealed that expression of TIGIT and PD-1 decreased gradually with the increase of PD-1 inhibitor dose in moderately-highly differentiated patients (P < 0.05), while there was no change in poorly differentiated patients. Animal experiment showed that the proliferation of tumors in the experimental group was significantly inhibited compared with the control group after being blocked by PD-1 through immunofluorescence thermography, meanwhile, WB results of tumor tissues indicated that ICIs effectively decreased the expression of TIGIT, increased the expression of CD226, decreased the expression of PVRL1 protein and increased the expression level of PVRL3 protein.
Conclusion: TIGIT+NK cells competitively bind to PVR with activator receptor CD226, thus promoting NK cell depletion. Anti-PD-1 efficiently decreases the expression of PVRL1 through the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, promoting the independent endocytosis of PVRL3 and PVR binding, reducing the PVR/TIGIT inhibitory signal pathway, and enhancing the function of PVR/CD226 activation signal, which provides a theoretical basis for improving the immunotherapy resistance of HCC.
Shade Nets Reduced Growth, Nutrition, and Sugars of Hydroponic Lettuce and Basil
Authors: Singh Harpreet , Dunn Bruce L. , Fontanier Charles , Singh Hardeep , Kaur Amandeep , Zhang Lu
Published: October 2023

Colored shade nets are known to alter the light quality and quantity and thus can influence plant growth and nutritional quality of crops. Lettuce (‘Lollo Antonet’ and ‘Green Forest’) and basil (‘Aroma-2’ and ‘Genovese’) were grown in ebb-and-flow hydroponic tables for 4 weeks. Colored shade nets of aluminet, black, pearl, and red with 50% shading intensity along with a control (no-shade) were used in this experiment. Data for plant growth and leaf quality attributes were collected at harvest time. The no-shade treatment showed increased shoot fresh and dry weight, sugar, and relative chlorophyll content in both lettuce and basil cultivars, whereas plant height and net photosynthesis rates were increased under aluminet, pearl, and red nets. In basil, calcium and sulfur were greatest under no-shade, whereas zinc and copper were greatest under aluminet. Zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, and manganese concentrations were greatest under no-shade in lettuce. The pearl-colored net increased leaf soluble solids content. No-shade produced the greatest starch values in basil, whereas pearl shade net produced the greatest starch in ‘Lollo Antonet’ in the fall. Light spectra varied with shade net resulting in 90%, 65%, 50%, 30%, and 70% of incident light occurring between 400 and 700 nm for no-shade, pearl, aluminet, black, and red shade nets, respectively. Overall, lettuce and basil plants under no-shade (daily light integral of 20 to 24 mol·m−2·d−1 and temperature of 26 to 30 °C) had increased plant growth and leaf quality in late spring and fall, compared with colored shade nets.
EFFECTS OF NITROGEN NUTRIENT ON THE PRODUCTION OF MYCOSPORINE-LIKE AMINO ACIDS IN NOSTOC SPECIES
Authors:   School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, P. R. China., Chetima Maina Boukar Mamadou ,   University of Diffa, Faculty of Agronomic Science, 78 Diffa, Niger., Kiari Boukar Kellou Kaka ,   University of Diffa, Faculty of Agronomic Science, 78 Diffa, Niger., Salifou Issa ,   Institut Superieur en Environnement et Ecologie, Diffa, Niger., Moussa Chetima Bagana Mai ,   Institut Superieur en Environnement et Ecologie, Diffa, Niger., Zhang Zhong-Chun ,   School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, P. R. China., Qiu Bao-Sheng ,   School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, P. R. China., Ali Mahamane ,   University of Diffa, Faculty of Agronomic Science, 78 Diffa, Niger.,   UniversitÃƒÂ© Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, FacultÃƒÂ© des Sciences et Techniques, BP 10662 Niamey, Niger.
Published: October 2023

Mycosporine-like amino acids MAAs belong to a family of secondary metabolites produced by a wide range of different organisms. These compounds had several potential applications in biomedical, in cosmetics and toiletries. In the present study, three Nostoc strains distributed in soil and freshwater were tested for MAA production under different nitrogen conditions. UV-B radiation significantly enhanced the production of MAAs in Nostoc linckia, Nostoc muscorum and Nostoc paludosum under nitrogen sufficient and deficient conditions. The contents of MAAs significantly increased in these three Nostoc strains with prolonged UV-B treatment under both nitrogen conditions. Both UV-B exposed N. muscorum and N. paludosum produced much less MAAs under nitrogen deficiency in comparison to culture under nitrogen sufficiency, respectively. There was just little difference of MAA contents in UV-B treated N. linckia when it was cultured under both nitrogen conditions. After separation by HPLC and characterization by in-line absorption spectra and mass spectra, one type of MAA porphyra was induced by UV-B in N. linckia under nitrogen sufficient and deficient conditions, and N. muscorum synthesized another kind of MAA shinorine under nitrogen sufficient and deficient conditions. However, UV-B induced N. paludosum to produce porphyra under nitrogen sufficient condition but shinorine under nitrogen deficient condition. These results indicated the nutrient nitrogen levels could regulate the types and amounts of MAAs in Nostoc species. These strains would be a better source for the industrial production of MAAs that can be used as organisms for studying the biosynthetic route of MAAs in nitrogen conditions.
COMPARISON OF SHEAR BOND STRENGTH OF THREE COMPOSITE RESIN REPAIR MATERIAL WITH CERAMIC AND COBALT CHROMIUM SURFACES AFTER VARIOUS SURFACE TREATMENTS - AN INVITRO STUDY
Authors:   Senior Resident, Government Dental College, Kottayam., K. Nanukuttan Sreeja , C. Rajesh ,   Associate Professor, Government Dental College, Kottayam., Anilkumar S. ,   Controller of Examinations, Kerala University Of Health Sciences., Raj Indu ,   Professor, Government Dental College, Kottayam., S. Raj Anjana ,   Junior Resident, Government Dental College, Kottayam.
Published: October 2023

Aim:The objective of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of composite resin repair material with ceramic and cobalt chromium surfaces after various surface treatments and the mode of bond failures by stereo microscope. Materials An Methods: Thirty Ceramic and thirty Cobalt chromium samples (10x10x2mm) were prepared .The samples were divided into three groups for ceramic -CI,CII,CIII and for metal -M1,MII and MIII .Three composite resin repair materials were used (1) Restorative composite (control)- [C Group ] ,(2)SHOFU P & R Ceramic repair kit-[S Group] (3) Ivoclar Ceramic Repair System intro pack after surface modification withintraoral sandblaster â€“ [I Group].The composite material was added 6x4mm using a metal holder .All specimens were subjected to a standard shear load in the universal testing machine until fracture occurred. All debonded samples were examined under stereomicroscope to determine the type of failure .The data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA test of variance and Post hoc comparison was applied at 95 % confidence level. Results: Igroup showed the highest shear bond strength followed by S group in ceramic and metal samples. The C group showed least shear bond strength. The predominant mode of failure among the C group in ceramic and Co Cr metal samples was adhesive failure , S Group showed 50% adhesive and 50% mixed type of failure in ceramic samples (CII) in cobalt chromium samples(MII),it showed 70 % adhesive and 30% mixed failure . I group showed 100% mixed failure in ceramic samples(CIII) group ,and 80% mixed and 20% adhesive failure in cobalt chromium samples(MIII). Conclusion:The surface modified with intra oral sandblaster and repaired with Ivoclar ceramic repair kit showed the most favorable results in ceramic and cobalt chromium samples.
WASTE FROM FOOD CHAINS AND TRANSMISSION OF ZOONOTIC DISEASES
Authors:   University of Lubumbashi, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences., IE Kasamba , K A Kalumba ,   University of Lubumbashi, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences., Ngandu Fabien Mbuyi ,   University of Lubumbashi, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences., M.E.P Malangu ,   University of Lubumbashi, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences.,   University of Lubumbashi, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Published: October 2023

Many, if not most, important zoonoses are linked in some way to animals participating in the food production chain. Food therefore becomes an important vehicle for many zoonotic pathogens.We focused here on the risk to human health linked to zoonotic microorganisms present in waste generated by food chains and carried by rodents and insects.It appears from our results that poor management of waste from stores was noted with all the consequences on the possibility of contact between rodents and arthropods, moreover the risk of transmission of zoonotic diseases as well as on the climate by production of gases with environmental effects. greenhouse, consequence of poor waste disposal methods by burning and putrefaction during the storage of household waste.In view of the above, the risk of transmission of zoonotic diseases is evident in the current conditions of our food chains.