bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An operative laboratory investigation of bioconversion route from waste coal to natural energy
Authors: Basera Priyanka , Lavania Meeta , Shinde Omkar , Sarkar Supriya Kumar , Lal Banwari
Published: March 2022

Purpose

In the present research, the potential of reactivated consortium for the methane production consuming waste coal as a carbon source (1% w/v) in the modified media at mesophilic temperature (37 °C) was determined.

Methods

Media modification was conducted for the enhancement of methane production by selecting three different components from the two media, i.e., Methanosprillium sp. producing media (MSP) and methane-producing bacteria media (MPB). From MSP medium, C2H2NaO2 (sodium acetate), KH2PO4 (potassium dihydrogen the phosphate), and NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate) whereas from MPB medium; yeast extract, peptone, and NH4Cl (ammonium chloride) were selected in the range of 0.5–2.5 (g/l). Analytical assay, i.e., Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography mass spectrophotometry (GCMS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) were conducted. Further, compatibility study and pathogenicity was performed.

Results

In the present study, reactivated consortia was used therefore key components of the media were modified. In case of MPB medium, 2 g/l of yeast extract, 2 g/l peptone, and 1 g/l NH4Cl showed the promising results; whereas for MSP medium, 1 g/l of KH2PO4, 0.5 g/l of NaHCO3, and 1.5 g/l of C2H2NaO2 were noted to be the suitable range for methane production. Analytical studies confirmed the presences of -OH and aliphatic groups which majorly belongs to alkane, alkene, and phenol derivative compounds whereas SEM and EDX studies delineated the active interaction of bacteria with coal particles and presences of carbon (C) as a major peak in untreated coal and absence of C peak in microbial treated coal. In addition, a compatibility study was performed and their successful results aid in the future approach of field implementation. Further, pathogenicity data indicated the non-virulent and non-toxic nature of the consortia.

Conclusions

The production of waste coal is one of the most problematic and common activities of the mining industry. They release toxic substances into the environment (water, air, and soil) and damage the local biodiversity. Therefore, the generation of biogenic methane from waste coal is an environmentally friendly approach to overcome this problem.
Evaluation of compassionate and respectful care implementation status in model healthcare facilities: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Jemal Kemal , Samuel Assegid , Geta Abiyu , Desalegn Fantanesh , Gebru Lidia , Tadele Tezera , Genet Ewnetu , Abate Mulugeta , Tafesse Nebiyou
Published: March 2022

Background

Compassionate respectful, and caring (CRC) creates a pleasant environment for health workforce (HWF), customers, and families. For the past five years, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health (EMoH) has developed a CRC plan to improve person-centered care. Therefore, we aimed to assess the implementation status of CRC and associated factors in the 16 model health facilities (MHFs) in Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was employed from February to April 2021. A structured and semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess the level of CRC implementation in model health care facilities. Epi-data version 4.3 and SPSS version 26 software were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Binary logistic regressions analysis was used and significance was obtained at the odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval and P-value < 0.05.

Results

A total of 429 HWF participated in a self-administered questionnaire. The prevalence of compassionate and respectful care among HWF were 60.4%, and 64% respectively. Nurse professionals, midwives, having training on CRC, leader promoting CRC, having a conducive working environment and burnout management for HWF were significantly associated with compassionate care practice. Leaders promoting CRC, having a conducive working environment, and burnout management for HWF were significantly associated with respectful care practice.

Conclusion

The findings identified distinct issues related to CRC implementation in each 16 MHF. Addressing HWF skill gaps, a conducive working environment, and burnout management are encouraged CRC continuity. Incorporate CRC in pre-service education, health system strengthening, and motivating HWF are important for CRC strategic implementation.
Clonal heterogeneity by fluorescence in situ hybridization in multiple myeloma: enhanced cytogenetic risk stratification
Authors: Abdel-Qader Hadeel Yaseen , Fouad Dina Adel , Abuelela Soha Ahmed , Ismail Heba Mohamed Atif , Boshnaq Noha Hussein
Published: March 2022

Background

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a proliferation of monoclonal plasma cells that accumulate in bone marrow, leading to bone destruction and marrow failure. Cytogenetic analysis is a challenge in MM because of the low mitotic activity and the rapid loss of plasma cells viability in bone marrow culture. Adding mitogens such as interleukin 6 (IL6) is known to promote the in vitro growth of myeloma cell lines and enhance the fluorescence in situ hybridization application. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic impact of cytogenetic abnormalities detected by enhanced interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (iFISH) technique in Egyptian MM patients.

Results

Patients who had hyperdiploidy significantly presented with higher Hb level and lower calcium levels compared to non-hyperdiploid patients. They were staged as stage I and II by International staging system (ISS) and considered as standard risk showing better response to treatment. On the contrary, features associated with a worse outcome were patients having del 17p and those belonged to intermediate and high risk groups.

Conclusion

In conclusion, adding interleukin 6 to MM cell culture promotes the in vitro growth of myeloma cells and enhances the successful application of FISH technique. A comprehensive FISH probe set investigating high, intermediate and low-risk cytogenetic abnormalities is needed for accurate risk stratification. Hyperdiploid-myeloma is a favorable risk genetic subtype of MM associated with rapid response to therapy compared to patients having del 17p, t(4;14), and other 14q rearrangements rather than t(11;14) and t(6;14).
Solid-State Photophysical Properties of Chiral Perylene Diimide Derivatives: AIEnh-Circularly Polarized Luminescence from Vacuum-Deposited Thin Films
Authors: Kanesaka Aoba , Nishimura Yuki , Yamaguchi Akira , Imai Yoshitane , Mizokuro Toshiko , Nishikawa Hiroyuki
Published: March 2022

Studies on the optical properties of chiral perylene diimide derivatives, (S,S)- and (R,R)-BPP (BPP = N,N′-bis(1-phenylethyl)perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide), through absorption, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence, and chiroptical spectroscopies revealed that the vacuum-deposited thin films of (S,S)- and (R,R)-BPP exhibit aggregation-induced enhanced (AIEnh) circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), as observed when they are dispersed in KBr and polymer matrices. Fluorescence lifetimes revealed that two emissive species exist in the deposited thin film: the dimer state with a fast decay and the weakly coupled excimer state with a slow decay. Unlike the dilute solutions of chiral BPPs, the deposited thin films displayed circular dichroism (CD) and CPL, indicating solid-state aggregation-induced chiroptical properties of chiral BPPs. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations on isolated monomer and π-stacked dimer suggested that the formation of a chirally twisted molecular arrangement through intermolecular π–π interactions is essential for the chiroptical properties of (S,S)- and (R,R)-BPP in the solid states. Moreover, we fabricated organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using (S,S)- and (R,R)-BPP isomers as CPL emitters. The devices exhibited circularly polarized electroluminescence (CPEL) although the EL dissymmetry factor (gEL) was significantly low, as has been frequently noted in earlier studies.
O metaverso do ESG
Authors: Monzoni Mario , Carreira Fernanda
Published: March 2022

A realidade mostra problemáticas – e necessidade de ações – bem mais complexas do que o universo encantado em que todos os desafios socioambientais e éticos simplesmente se resolvem.
A liderança feminina na agenda sustentável
Authors: Cardoso Monique , Andrey de Almeida Lopes Fernandes Gustavo
Published: March 2022

Estudo mostra relação positiva entre o desempenho em ESG e a presença de mulheres na diretoria e no conselho de administração de empresas no Brasil. Seriam elas mais sensíveis a questões ambientais, sociais e de governança?
Dez recomendações para um mercado de carbono regulado no Brasil
Authors: Borba Lefevre Guilherme , Velloso Breviglieri Gustavo , Ipê do Sol Osório Guarany
Published: March 2022

Quais são os elementos necessários para criar e implementar um sistema de comércio de emissões, instrumento que está em discussão no Congresso Nacional.
Corneal laser procedure for vision improvement in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration and other retinal disorders involving central vision loss: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Devenyi Robert , Markowitz Samuel N. , Berry II Michael , Berry Michael
Published: March 2022

Background: The purposes of this pilot retrospective observational cohort study are to determine: 1) the safety and efficacy of corneal photovitrification (CPV), a corneal laser procedure, for vision improvement in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and other retinal disorders involving central vision loss, and 2) the correlation between post-treatment (post-treatment (Tx)) best-corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA) and pre-Tx potential visual acuity (PVA).

Methods: BCDVA measurements using ETDRS charts and PVA measurements using Gonzalez-Markowitz PVA charts were analyzed for 72 eyes that received a single CPV treatment.  

Results: Safety - No clinically significant complications or serious adverse events occurred. Efficacy – Mean BCDVA improved significantly from 20/303 (1.18 log of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), 26 letters) at pre-Tx to 20/208 (1.02 logMAR, 34 letters) at 1m post-Tx (p = 0.000001) for a cohort of 57 eyes, improving to 20/198 (1.00 logMAR, 35 letters; 11.6 mean letters gained) at 12m (p = 0.0009) for a cohort of 29 eyes. Mean pre-Tx PVA gains correlated well with mean BCDVA improvements at 1m, 3m, 6m and 12m post-Tx.

Conclusions: Subject to a small sample size, the CPV corneal laser procedure is safe and efficacious for vision improvement in patients with nAMD and other retinal disorders involving central vision loss. The pre-Tx PVA correlates well with post-Tx BCDVA; the PVA test may be useful for screening of candidate eyes for CPV treatment and for managing expectations.
Monitor to innovate with feedback loops: process evaluation protocol for an anemia prevention intervention
Authors: Pant Ichhya , Patro Lipika , Sedlander Erica , Chandrana Shikha , Rimal Rajiv
Published: March 2022

Background:With the proliferation of the digital age, information and communication technologies paired with feedback loops have the potential to innovate process evaluations.

Objective:To describe how a multilevel social norms field trial (RANI) is using feedback loops to enhance intervention delivery.

Methods:We use a mixed-methods process evaluation design to monitor the Reduction of Anemia through Normative Innovations (RANI) project; a three-year randomized control trial which aims to lower rates of anemia among women in Odisha, India. Surveys and structured observation monitor fidelity to implementation and receptivity to implementation activities among study participants. Quantitative data evaluates implementation dose, coverage, exposure, and reach of intervention activities, and qualitative data will delve more deeply into reasons for high or low functioning. Iron folic acid supplement supply and demand are also monitored for stock-outs. Data collected from 130 intervention villages is processed, visualized, and triangulated in near to real-time via Real-time Monitoring for Knowledge Generation (RPM4K), a locally developed software application. Data visualization products facilitate the examination of monitoring data to mitigate bottlenecks and identify and implement tweaks to our intervention delivery strategy on an ongoing basis.

Discussion:Feedback loops facilitate timely course corrections. Feedback loops can also engender a shared understanding of ground realities for a geographically dispersed and culturally diverse team. Leveraging feedback loops, we identify opportunities to provide on-going supportive supervision for our community facilitators promoting joint problem-solving, and communication. Monthly media and hemoglobin level demonstration strategies are informed by participant engagement and receptivity. Stock-outs of iron folic acid tablets activate contingency plans to mobilize local stakeholders and advocate for timely resolutions. Unintended effects are monitored based on ongoing feedback from community facilitators.

Conclusions:Documenting our processes can inform the future implementation or scale up of similar projects embracing feedback loops to iterate and innovate their intervention delivery.
Maintaining laboratory quality assurance and safety in a pandemic: Experiences from the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme laboratory’s COVID-19 response
Authors: Gumba Horace , Opiyo Michael , Musyoki Jennifer , Mutunga Martin , Ngetsa Caroline , Mwarumba Salim , Mosobo Moses , Njuguna Susan , Kai Oscar , Lambisia Arnold W. , Kimani Domtila , Cheruiyot Robinson , Kiyuka Patience , Lewa Clement , Gicheru Elijah , Tendwa Metrine , Said Mohammed Khadija , Osoti Victor , Makale Johnstone , Tawa Brian , Odundo Calleb , Cheruiyot Wesley , Nyamu Wilfred , Gumbi Wilson , Mwacharo Jedidah , Nyamako Lydia , Otieno Edward , Amadi David , Ouma Nelson , Karia Boniface , Thoya Janet , Karani Angela , Mugo Daisy , Gichuki Bonface M. , Riako Debra , Mutua Shadrack , Gitonga John N. , Ominde Kelly , Wanjiku Perpetual , Mutiso Agnes , Mwanzu Alfred , Sein Yiakon , Bartilol Brian , Mwangi Shaban , Omuoyo Donwilliams O. , Morobe John M. , de Laurent Zaydah R. , Mitsanze Fredrick , Mwakubia Alfred , Rono Martin , Nyaguara Amek , Tsofa Benjamin , Bejon Philip , Agoti Charles N. , Ochola-Oyier Lynette Isabella
Published: March 2022

Laboratory diagnosis plays a critical role in the containment of a pandemic. Strong laboratory quality management systems (QMS) are essential for laboratory diagnostic services. However, low laboratory capacities in resource-limited countries has made the maintenance of laboratory quality assurance, especially during a pandemic, a daunting task. In this paper, we describe our experience of how we went about providing diagnostic testing services for SARS-CoV-2 through laboratory reorganization, redefining of the laboratory workflow, and training and development of COVID-19 documented procedures, all while maintaining the quality assurance processes during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) laboratory. The KWTRP laboratory managed to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak in Kenya by providing diagnostic testing for the coastal region of the country, while maintaining its research standard quality assurance processes. A COVID-19 team comprising of seven sub-teams with assigned specific responsibilities and an organizational chart with established reporting lines were developed. Additionally, a total of four training sessions were conducted for county Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) and laboratory personnel. A total of 11 documented procedures were developed to support the COVID-19 testing processes, with three for the pre-analytical phases, seven for the analytical phase, and one for the post-analytical phase.

With the workflow re-organization, the development of appropriate standard operating procedures, and training, research laboratories can effectively respond to pandemic outbreaks while maintaining research standard QMS procedures.
Wpływ samooceny osób w wieku rozrodczym na zachowania zdrowotne predysponujące do nadwagi i otyłości
Authors: Nowakowska Ilona , Urbańczyk Karol , Zwierzyńska Anna , Nawrocki Maciej , Wasiak Wojciech , Gruszka Jakub , Adamczyk-Gruszka Olga
Published: March 2022

Wstęp

Samoocena jednostki jest czynnikiem mającym kluczowe znaczenie dla rozwoju psychospołecznego. Otyłość stanowi ważny problem dzisiejszej medycyny, jej coraz częstsze występowanie czyni z niej chorobę cywilizacyjną. Do oceny odżywienia stosowany jest wskaźnik masy ciała (BMI – Body Mass Index) – gdy jego wartość wynosi 30 i więcej mamy do czynienia z otyłością. Kluczowym elementem kontroli masy ciała, polepszającym stan zdrowia jest aktywność fizyczna. Jest ona jednym z najskuteczniejszych sposobów zapobiegania chorobom układu krążenia i psychicznego oraz poprawy sprawności fizycznej. Regularny wysiłek zmniejsza czynniki ryzyka wielu chorób, takich jak nadciśnienie tętnicze, cukrzyca i otyłość.

Cel pracy

Celem pracy była ocena samooceny masy ciała, stanu odżywienia jak również porównanie tych parametrów pomiędzy kobietami i mężczyznami w wieku rozrodczym.

Materiały i metody

W badaniu wzięło udział 406, jednak ostatecznie badanie oparto o dane pozyskane od 400 osób, w tym 194 kobiet i 206 mężczyzn. Uzyskane za pomocą kwestionariusza autorskiego dane poddano analizie statystycznej w programie Statistica.

Wyniki i wnioski

Większość respondentów zarówno wśród kobiet, jak i mężczyzn to mieszkańcy obszarów wiejskich poniżej 20 roku życia.

Subiektywna ocena masy ciała wpływa na niektóre elementy stylu życia, przyczyniając się do nadwagi i otyłości, ale także anoreksji i innych zaburzeń powodujących zbyt niską wagę.

Wprowadzenie skutecznych programów edukacyjnych promujących aktywne formy spędzania czasu wolnego i zdrowe nawyki żywieniowe może powstrzymać epidemie otyłości.
The documentation of design decisions in engineering projects: A study in infrastructure development
Authors: Kinneging Tara , Graaf Robin de , Siebelink Sander , Van Dijck Tim
Published: March 2022

In most design projects, the documentation of design decisions is considered important. Among others, documentation of design decisions contributes to the traceability of decisions that shape a project’s development process, helps deal with changes in the project and prevents the recurrence of old discussions. Yet, little attention is given to documenting design decisions in the engineering literature. In this study, a theoretical framework for the key elements of this documentation process was developed. Four infrastructure projects were studied and compared to this framework by means of pattern matching. This method compares theoretical and empirical patterns and determines whether they match or do not match. The findings demonstrate that accessibility of documentation for all involved project parties and the division of documentation tasks are in accordance with the literature. However, the documentation of design decisions and their rationale is not done as completely as is recommended in theory. Literature states that the documentation of interrelations and context of decisions should be described thoroughly, but that is barely done in practice. In addition, the findings show that neither immediate documentation nor periodical monitoring of documentation is applied. Based on these findings, this research proposes a strategy for improving the documentation of design decisions.
How IT Governance can assist IoT project implementation
Authors: Henriques David , Pereira Ruben , Bianchi Isaías S. , Almeida Rafael , Silva Miguel Mira da
Published: March 2022

Internet of things (IoT) is considered a key technology for the Industry 4.0 revolution. Information Technology (IT) governance (ITG) is now an increasingly important tool for organizations to align their IT strategy and infrastructures with the organizations’ business objectives. The most adopted ITG framework is COBIT, which defines seven enabler categories. These enablers aim to facilitate the implementation, identification, and management of IT. This research aims to determine, explore, and define which are the most suitable IT governance enablers to assist managers in IoT implementation. The study adopted the Design Science Research methodology, including two systematic literature reviews and a Delphi method to build the artefact. The artefact was demonstrated and evaluated in a real organization. The results indicate that data privacy, data protection, and data analysis are currently the most relevant enablers to consider in an IoT implementation because they increase the efficiency of the solution and enhance data credibility.
Fused or Unfused? The Parable of ERP II
Authors: Haddara Moutaz , Constantini Angelo
Published: March 2022

One of the major visions is having one system that covers all business functions and satisfies virtually all the standard processes and routine transactions within organizations. In the last decade, several academics and practitioners have predicted the rise of what is called enterprise resource planning systems II (ERP II). ERP II was sought to be a digital platform that is capable of supporting timely decision-making through covering all business functions’ processes through having preloaded modules that will minimize the need for external systems like separate customer relationship management (CRM), e-business platforms, and supply chain management (SCM) systems, among others. While ERP systems nowadays have matured, and several packages come with CRM modules and other solutions, however separate CRM systems are still widely adopted by organizations. Thus, this study investigates why organizations that currently have ERPs with CRM modules are still investing in separate CRM systems. Our results show that the current ERP systems did not reach the ERP II state as envisioned, as most organizations are inclined to adopt separate CRM systems. Thus, we have presented five main reasons for this inclination, which are: scoping during ERP implementations, costs, features and functionalities, user-friendliness and ease of use, and finally integration with e-business platforms.
Continual learning with a Bayesian approach for evolving the baselines of a leagile project portfolio
Authors: Chhetri Sagar , Du Dongping
Published: March 2022

This article introduces a Bayesian learning approach for planning continuously evolving leagile project and portfolio baselines. Unlike the traditional project management approach, which uses static project baselines, the approach proposed in this study suggests learning from immediately prior experience to establish an evolving baseline for performance estimation. The principle of Pasteur’s quadrant is used to realize a highly practical solution, which extends the existing wisdom on leagile continuous planning. This study compares the accuracy of the proposed Bayesian approach with the traditional approach using real data. The results suggest that the evolving Bayesian baselines can generate a more realistic measure of performance than traditional baselines, enabling leagile projects and portfolios to be better managed in the continuously changing environments of today.
Pricing of Debt and Equity in a Financial Network with Comonotonic Endowments
Authors: Banerjee Tathagata , Feinstein Zachary
Published: March 2022

Valuing Debt and Equity in Interbank Networks

Valuation adjustments to account for, for example, counterparty risk, have become an important part of derivative valuation by any bank since the 2007–2009 financial crisis. As evidenced by that crisis, considering the risk of a single firm alone can cause gross misspecification of firm health. In “Pricing of Debt and Equity in a Financial Network with Comonotonic Endowments,” Banerjee and Feinstein construct an analytical formulation for a valuation adjustment that takes the entire network of counterparty obligations into account when all institutions have comonotonic endowments. From the perspective of stress testing, such a setting corresponds to a systematic shock to all firms. This comonotonic setting is then shown to provide computationally tractable upper and lower bounds to the general network valuation problem. The authors demonstrate that the comonotonic endowment setting arises endogenously in a system of equity maximizing firms.
Mental health: A false dichotomy
Authors: Purves Matthew
Published: March 2022

Mental health and academic achievement are not an either/or. As we respond to the pandemic, we must involve children and look beneath the surface, says Matthew Purves
Probiotics for gut health: an overview
Authors: Harris Gemma
Published: March 2022

The wide choice of available probiotics has the potential to make selecting a suitable product for a patient overwhelming. This article aims to lighten this burden and highlights the factors that need to be considered, as well as the safety and the evidence-based efficacy of the use of probiotics for specific gastrointestinal conditions, to help inform probiotic product selection and recommendation. The range of probiotics on the market is expanding, available over the counter or via prescription. Probiotics are generally deemed safe for healthy individuals, but can cause harmful side effects for severely ill or immunocompromised patients. Not all probiotic bacteria achieve the same results, and not all probiotics will help with all symptoms or conditions. Probiotics have been proven to help treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but further research into this is warranted. Nurses should review new and existing evidence-based trials of efficacy of probiotics before making product recommendations.
The role of inflammatory bowel disease nurses for patients on biologic therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Napolitano Daniele , Galasso Linda , Privitera Giuseppe , Morana Giuseppe , Bardelli Arianna , Sinatora Rita , Onidi Maria Francesca , Lombardi Maria Teresa , Orgiana Nicoletta , Amatucci Valeria , Strazzeri Martina , Schiavoni Elisa , Turchini Laura , Guarini Alessandra , Settanni Carlo Romano , Armuzzi Alessandro , Scaldaferri Franco
Published: March 2022

Background:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) centres had to reorganise their work, and multidisciplinary teams, including IBD nurses, have had to try to deliver services to patients as safely as possible.

Aims:

This survey aimed to assess the thoughts, opinions and feelings of IBD patients on biologics regarding the efforts of IBD nurses to organise care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

An evaluation survey based on an anonymous questionnaire was distributed to IBD nurses in five Italian IBD centres, in parallel.

Findings:

Of 306 participants, 55.6% had Crohn's disease and 44.4% had ulcerative colitis. Most (79.1%) were aware of the specialist IBD nurse role, and 75.8% could distinguish it from generalist nurses. Of patients, 99.7% felt IBD nurses were competent to care for their condition and 91.2% felt that IBD nurses could provide valid scientific information. Meanwhile, 81.4% had a good or excellent relationship with their IBD nurse. Patients reported that most nurses wore personal protective equipment (94.4%), promoted self-care (91.8%), asked about presence of fever or cough (84.3%), asked about patient health status (83.7%) and covered pandemic safety and social distancing rules (69.3%), but fewer spoke about patient mood (44.4%) or relevant benefits, rules and exemptions (26.8%). Most participants (77.8%) faced pandemic-related issues for infusions. Nearly all (97.4%) knew immunosuppressed people were vulnerable to COVID-19, but only 42.8% spoke to their nurse about it. Some 61.8% of patients were concerned about COVID-19, but only 39.2% raised this with the IBD nurse. However, many more patients spoke to a nurse about concerns regarding biologics (41.8%) and worsening IBD symptoms (46.4%) in the pandemic than the actual number experiencing these issues (13.7% and 4.3%, respectively).

Conclusion:

The results show that IBD patients appreciate the role of the specialist nurse in their care.
Return of the mentoring programme for BSG members
Authors: Radford Shellie
Published: March 2022

Shellie Radford introduces a mentoring scheme for gastrointestinal specialists
Insights into female cancer
Authors: Greener Mark
Published: March 2022

Mark Greener looks at the latest efforts to improve outcomes in women's cancers
Have young children become healthier in the last 20 years?
Authors: Hancock Dave
Published: March 2022

Recent research found both improvements and deterioration in young children's health while identifying policies with the potential to reduce inequalities and improve life chances. Dave Hancock explains
Two-mirror compact system for ideal concentration of diffuse light
Authors: Steinberg Shlomi , Bokor Nandor , Davidson Nir
Published: March 2022

We introduce a simple, compact two-mirror system for diffuse light concentration. The design principle is based on local conservation of optical brightness. The system design is flexible, and we are able to compute mirror shapes given arbitrary incident beam direction and target cross-sectional shape. As illustration, we showcase our design for flat and cylindrical target geometries, and we also demonstrate that our system is able to concentrate efficiently along one or two dimensions. We perform numeric experiments that confirm our theoretical results and provide diffuse light concentration very close to the thermodynamic limit in all cases we considered.
Spatiotemporal evolution of the morphology of multi-pulse laser ablated metals considering plasma shielding
Authors: Dong Yiwei , Guo Xiang , Xu Bo , Shao Pengfei , Yin Chunping , Hou Naixian
Published: March 2022

With the laser ablation of metals, ultrafast lasers have high peak power density and significant nonlinear absorption, but plasma shielding and large taper often exist during ablation, which seriously affects the quality and efficiency of ablation. In this paper, the heat conduction equation of the lattice system is rewritten into the dual-temperature model, the time and space terms in the femtosecond laser source equation are superimposed to calculate, and the plasma shielding effect is incorporated into the ablation model using multi-pulse laser ablation iterative calculations. The constructed 3D improved dual-temperature model uses the finite difference method to investigate the spatio-temporal evolution of the ablation morphology of the metal target under the influence of different laser parameters using the critical point phase separation mechanism. In the numerical simulation, the error of considering plasma shielding is controlled within 8.24% compared with that of not considering plasma shielding, the ablation process has obvious layering phenomenon, the actual ablation experimental results are basically consistent with the calculation results of the proposed model, and the prediction error of the ablation depth can be controlled within 13.28%, which indicates that the model proposed in this paper has the ability to more accurately describe the spatial and temporal evolution of metal ablation by femtosecond laser.
Modelling non-linear interference in non-periodic and disaggregated optical network segments
Authors: London Elliot , D’Amico Andrea , Virgillito Emanuele , Napoli Antonio , Curri Vittorio
Published: March 2022

We investigate the generation of nonlinear interference (NLI) within two disaggregated transmission scenarios, each considering a chain of three distinct optical line systems that contain fibers with different dispersion values, with 400G-ZR+ 64 GBd transmission simulated using the split-step Fourier method. Firstly, by separating the NLI into its main constituents: the self- and cross-phase modulations, we investigate the impact of accumulated dispersion upon NLI generation and compensate for the coherent accumulation of the former to produce a model that is fully spectrally and spatially separable, including for alien wavelengths. Considering ideal and optimized in-line amplification, we calculate the amplified spontaneous emission noise and combine this value with the recovered NLI to obtain the generalized signal-to-noise ratio. We show that this disaggregated model provides accurate and conservative results for both transmission scenarios, showing that abstracting these signals with a Gaussian noise approximation always results in a conservative prediction, even for non-uniform fiber dispersion scenarios.
The powerful synergistic effect of spiramycin/propolis loaded chitosan/alginate nanoparticles on acute murine toxoplasmosis
Authors: Hagras Nancy Abd-elkader , Mogahed Nermine Mogahed Fawzy Hussein , Sheta Eman , Darwish Amira Abd-elfattah , El-hawary Mohamed Ali , Hamed Moaaz Tarek , Elwakil Bassma Hassan
Published: March 2022

The novel formula of spiramycin/propolis loaded chitosan (CS)/alginate (Alg) nanoparticles (NPs) was assessed forToxoplasma gondii (T.gondii)treatment in comparison with the commercially available spiramycin regarding tissue penetration and blood brain barrier (BBB) passage. Swiss Albino mice were inoculated intraperitoneally by 2500 tachyzoites of the virulentT.gondiiRH strain. The experimental groups were treated with oral spiramycin, propolis, CS/Alg NPs, spiramycin loaded CS/Alg NPs, propolis loaded CS/Alg NPs, and spiramycin/propolis loaded CS/Alg NPs. The results demonstrated that spiramycin/propolis loaded CS/Alg NPs exerted the longest survival time with no mortality on the sacrifice day (8th) in addition to representing the highest significant parasite percent reduction of (≥96% reduction) in liver, spleen and brain designating successful tissue penetration and BBB passage. Tachyzoites treated with spiramycin/propolis loaded CS/Alg NPs demonstrated the most disfigured rapturing organism via scanning electron microscope examination along with representing an overall remarkable improvement of the histopathological pictures of liver, spleen and brain. In conclusion, spiramycin/propolis loaded CS/Alg NPs showed the uppermost efficacy in the treatment of acute murine toxoplasmosis. The safe nature and the anti-parasitic effect of each of CS, Alg, spiramycin and propolis encourage the synergistic use of spiramycin/propolis loaded CS/Alg NPs as a potent treatment for human toxoplasmosis.
Explicit and implicit timing in older adults: Dissociable associations with age and cognitive decline
Authors: Capizzi Mariagrazia , Visalli Antonino , Faralli Alessio , Mioni Giovanna
Published: March 2022

This study aimed to test two common explanations for the general finding of age-related changes in the performance of timing tasks within the millisecond-to-second range intervals. The first explanation is that older adults have a real difficulty in temporal processing as compared to younger adults. The second explanation is that older adults perform poorly on timing tasks because of their reduced cognitive control functions. These explanations have been mostly contrasted inexplicittiming tasks that overtly require participants to process interval durations. Fewer studies have instead focused onimplicittiming tasks, where no explicit instructions to process time are provided. Moreover, the investigation of both explicit and implicit timing in older adults has been restricted so far to healthy older participants. Here, a large sample (N = 85) comprising not only healthy but also pathological older adults completed explicit (time bisection) and implicit (foreperiod) timing tasks within a single session. Participants’ age and cognitive decline, measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), were used as continuous variables to explain performance on explicit and implicit timing tasks. Results for the explicit timing task showed a flatter psychometric curve with increasing age or decreasing MMSE scores, pointing to a deficit at the level of cognitive control functions rather than of temporal processing. By contrast, for the implicit timing task, a decrease in the MMSE scores was associated with a reduced foreperiod effect, an index of implicit time processing. Overall, these findings extend previous studies on explicit and implicit timing in healthy aged samples by dissociating between age and cognitive decline (in the normal-to-pathological continuum) in older adults.
A chromosome-level genome sequence assembly of the red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.)
Authors: Davik Jahn , Røen Dag , Lysøe Erik , Buti Matteo , Rossman Simeon , Alsheikh Muath , Aiden Erez Lieberman , Dudchenko Olga , Sargent Daniel James
Published: March 2022

Rubus idaeusL. (red raspberry), is a perennial woody plant species of the Rosaceae family that is widely cultivated in the temperate regions of world and is thus an economically important soft fruit species. It is prized for its flavour and aroma, as well as a high content of healthful compounds such as vitamins and antioxidants. Breeding programs exist globally for red raspberry, but variety development is a long and challenging process. Genomic and molecular tools for red raspberry are valuable resources for breeding. Here, a chromosome-length genome sequence assembly and related gene predictions for the red raspberry cultivar ‘Anitra’ are presented, comprising PacBio long read sequencing scaffolded using Hi-C sequence data. The assembled genome sequence totalled 291.7 Mbp, with 247.5 Mbp (84.8%) incorporated into seven sequencing scaffolds with an average length of 35.4 Mbp. A total of 39,448 protein-coding genes were predicted, 75% of which were functionally annotated. The seven chromosome scaffolds were anchored to a previously published genetic linkage map with a high degree of synteny and comparisons to genomes of closely related species within the Rosoideae revealed chromosome-scale rearrangements that have occurred over relatively short evolutionary periods. A chromosome-level genomic sequence ofR.idaeuswill be a valuable resource for the knowledge of its genome structure and function in red raspberry and will be a useful and important resource for researchers and plant breeders.
Cardiovascular disease risk in liver transplant recipients transplanted due to chronic viral hepatitis
Authors: Maggi Paolo , Calò Federica , Messina Vincenzo , Stornaiuolo Gianfranca , Stanzione Maria , Rinaldi Luca , De Pascalis Stefania , Macera Margherita , Coppola Nicola
Published: March 2022

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation, mostly in patients transplanted for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, obesity and diabetes. Few data exist on cardiovascular diseases among patients transplanted for viral hepatitis.

Objective

Our aim is to clarify the cardiovascular risk and subclinical vascular damage among liver transplant recipients for chronic viral hepatitis (i.e. hepatits C virus, hepatis B virus and hepatitis D virus infection).

Methods

Adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) with orthotopic liver transplants (OLT) due to viral hepatitis who signed informed consent, and were admitted for a routine follow-up between June 2019 and September 2020 at the Infectious Disease outpatient clinic of the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy, were prospectively enrolled. An estimation of cardiovascular risk was assessed using three main risk charts, echocolor-Doppler of epiaortic vessels was performed to assess subclinical Intima-Media changes.

Results

A total of 161 patients were evaluated; of these 15 were excluded because not affected by viral hepatitis. 146 patients were considered. 83 patients (56.8%) were considered at high cardiovascular risk according to Framingham, 54 patients (36.9%) to American Heart Association Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) score and 19 (13.0%) to Heart Score. Only 8 patients (5.4%) showed a normal carotid ultrasound, while 52 patients (35.6%) had a carotid artery Intima-Media Thickness (IMT) and 86 (58.9%) an atherosclerotic plaque.

Conclusions

Liver transplant recipients for virus-related associated liver disease are, in light of the high percentage of carotid lesions, at high risk of CVD. Risk charts compared to subclinical carotid lesions which represent damage already established and a real localization of the disease, seem to underestimate the cardiovascular risk. A chronic inflammatory status, could play a key role. It’s important to raise the awareness of cardiovascular risk in liver transplant patients to prevent cardiovascular diseases and improve the timing of early diagnosis of premature vascular lesions.
Webinar among Indonesian academics during Covid-19, embracing the audiences
Authors: Priatmoko Setiawan , Hossain Billal , Rahmawati Wuri , Winarno Susilo Budi , Dávid Lóránt Dénes
Published: March 2022

This research aims to find out the phenomenon of webinar competition from the viewpoint of the audience. Covid-19 pandemic makes webinars a means for knowledge dissemination. Many events offered turned out to be a tight competition among organizers and caused a different response for the audience. Academics participants’ responses had never been known in depth so that they could be the basis for determining the strategy for the organizers. Using quantitative data through online surveys to further interpreted with the help of previous literature. The independent variables gender, age, frequency, cost, and place are used to determine their effect on loyalty, which is represented by the length of duration in participating in each webinar. The effectiveness of webinars as a means of disseminating ideas in the pandemic era still faces various challenges. Among academics, the loyalty at the webinar event is influenced by gender and age. It is important for organizers to effectively communicate to webinar participants so that they get the message they want to convey.
MurA escape mutations uncouple peptidoglycan biosynthesis from PrkA signaling
Authors: Wamp Sabrina , Rothe Patricia , Stern Daniel , Holland Gudrun , Döhling Janina , Halbedel Sven
Published: March 2022

Gram-positive bacteria are protected by a thick mesh of peptidoglycan (PG) completely engulfing their cells. This PG network is the main component of the bacterial cell wall, it provides rigidity and acts as foundation for the attachment of other surface molecules. Biosynthesis of PG consumes a high amount of cellular resources and therefore requires careful adjustments to environmental conditions. An important switch in the control of PG biosynthesis of Listeria monocytogenes, a Gram-positive pathogen with a high infection fatality rate, is the serine/threonine protein kinase PrkA. A key substrate of this kinase is the small cytosolic protein ReoM. We have shown previously that ReoM phosphorylation regulates PG formation through control of MurA stability. MurA catalyzes the first step in PG biosynthesis and the current model suggests that phosphorylated ReoM prevents MurA degradation by the ClpCP protease. In contrast, conditions leading to ReoM dephosphorylation stimulate MurA degradation. How ReoM controls degradation of MurA and potential other substrates is not understood. Also, the individual contribution of the ~20 other known PrkA targets to PG biosynthesis regulation is unknown. We here present murA mutants which escape proteolytic degradation. The release of MurA from ClpCP-dependent proteolysis was able to activate PG biosynthesis and further enhanced the intrinsic cephalosporin resistance of L. monocytogenes. This latter effect required the RodA3/PBP B3 transglycosylase/transpeptidase pair. One murA escape mutation not only fully rescued an otherwise non-viable prkA mutant during growth in batch culture and inside macrophages but also overcompensated cephalosporin hypersensitivity. Our data collectively indicate that the main purpose of PrkA-mediated signaling in L. monocytogenes is control of MurA stability during standard laboratory growth conditions and intracellular growth in macrophages. These findings have important implications for the understanding of PG biosynthesis regulation and β-lactam resistance of L. monocytogenes and related Gram-positive bacteria.
Phosphorylated viral protein evades plant immunity through interfering the function of RNA-binding protein
Authors: Li Juan , Feng Huimin , Liu Shuang , Liu Peng , Chen Xuan , Yang Jin , He Long , Yang Jian , Chen Jianping
Published: March 2022

Successful pathogen infection in plant depends on a proper interaction between the invading pathogen and its host. Post-translational modification (PTM) plays critical role(s) in plant-pathogen interaction. However, how PTM of viral protein regulates plant immunity remains poorly understood. Here, we found that S162 and S165 of Chinese wheat mosaic virus (CWMV) cysteine-rich protein (CRP) are phosphorylated by SAPK7 and play key roles in CWMV infection. Furthermore, the phosphorylation-mimic mutant of CRP (CRPS162/165D) but not the non-phosphorylatable mutant of CRP (CRPS162/165A) interacts with RNA-binding protein UBP1-associated protein 2C (TaUBA2C). Silencing of TaUBA2C expression in wheat plants enhanced CWMV infection. In contrast, overexpression of TaUBA2C in wheat plants inhibited CWMV infection. TaUBA2C inhibits CWMV infection through recruiting the pre-mRNA of TaNPR1, TaPR1 and TaRBOHD to induce cell death and H2O2 production. This effect can be supressed by CRPS162/165D through changing TaUBA2C chromatin-bound status and attenuating it’s the RNA- or DNA-binding activities. Taken together, our findings provide new knowledge on how CRP phosphorylation affects CWMV infection as well as the arms race between virus and wheat plants.
ما وراء تكنولوجيا الشباب الهاتف الذكي العالمي
Authors: Miller Daniel
Published: March 2022

الهاتف الذكي هو حرفيًا أمام أنفنا باستمرار، وهو الأمر الذي يجعلك تعتقد اننا نعرف ما هو. لكن هل نحن نعرفه فعلاً؟ للإجابة على ذلك، قام 11 من علماء الأنثروبولوجيا بقضاء 16 شهرًا في مجتمعات في إفريقيا وآسيا وأوروبا وأمريكا الجنوبية، مع التركيز على استخدام كبار السن للهواتف الذكية. وقد أسفر ناتج بحثهم عن أن الهواتف الذكية هي تقنية للجميع ، وليس فقط من أجل الشباب. قدم الهاتف الذكي العالمي سلسلة من وجهات النظر الأصلية المشتقة من هذا المشروع البحثي العالمي والمقارن. الهواتف الذكية أصبحت مكانًا نعيش فيه بقدر ما هو جهاز نستخدمه لتوفير “الانتهازية الدائمة” ، وذلك نظراً لوجودهم الدائم معنا. يوضح المؤلفون كيف يتخطى الهاتف الذكي كونه أكثر من مجرد “جهاز تطبيقي”، ويقوموا باستكشاف الاختلافات بين ما يقوله الناس عن الهواتف الذكية وكيفية استخدامهم لها الهاتف الذكي هو غير مسبوق من حيث الدرجة التي يمكننا القيام بتحويلات له. ونتيجة لذلك ، فإنه يستوعب القيم الشخصية بشكل سريع. من أجل فهم الهاتف الذكي ، يجب أن نأخذ في الاعتبار مجموعة من الفروق الوطنية والثقافية ، مثل الاتصال المرئي في الصين واليابان ، الأموال المتنقلة في الكاميرون و أوغندا ، والوصول إلى المعلومات الصحية في تشيلي وأيرلندا – كل ذلك جنبًا إلى جنب مسارات متنوعة للشيخوخة في القدس والبرازيل وإيطاليا، وعندها فقط نستطيع معرفة ماهية الهاتف الذكي وفهم عواقبه على حياة الناس حول العالم دانيال ميللر هو أستاذ الأنثروبولوجيا في جامعة كاليفورنيا. ليلى عبد ربه هي باحثة في معهد هاري س. ترومان لتعزيز السلام. باتريك أووندو هو باحث ما بعد الدكتوراه في الأنثروبولوجيا بجامعة كاليفورنيا ، ومحاضر في جامعة ياوندي. مايا ده - فريس هي باحثة ما بعد الدكتوراه في الجامعة العبرية في القدس. ماريليا دوكي هي باحثة في المدرسة العليا للإعلام والتسويق بساو باولو. بولين غارفي هي أستاذة مساعدة في الأنثروبولوجيا في جامعة ماينوث بمقاطعة كيلدير بإيرلندا. لورا هابيو كيرك لورا هابيو كيرك هي طالبة دكتوراه بقسم الأنثروبولوجيا في كلية لندن الجامعية، وزميلة ببرنامج ال “ليتش / راي” في الأنثروبولوجيا العامة. شارلوت هوكينز هي باحثة ما بعد الدكتوراه بقسم الأنثروبولوجيا في كلية لندن الجامعية. ألفونسو أوتيغي هو محاضر في الجامعة البابوية الكاثوليكية في شيلي. شيرين والتون هي محاضرة في الأنثروبولوجيا في كلية جولد سميث بجامعة لندن. شينيوان وانغ هي باحثة ما بعد الدكتوراه في كلية لندن الج