bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aplikasi Game Edukasi Matematika dan Bahasa Inggris bagi Anak Sekolah Dasar
Authors: Pratama Yudha Hady , Rijati Nova
Published: September 2023

Abstrak Perkembangan teknologi informasi telah mengubah pola dan sistem pembelajaran konvensional menjadi inovatif menggunakan game edukasi. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu mengembangkan game edukasi mata pelajaran matematika dan bahasa Inggris bagi anak usia dini umur 6-8 tahun. Penelitian menggunakan model Multimedia Development Life Cycle (MDLC) dan metode Finite State Machine yang diterapkan pada game dengan tambahan multimedia serta efek-efek tertentu menjadikan game menjadi lebih menarik dan menyenangkan untuk dimainkan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa game edukasi sebagai media pembelajaran memudahkan anak usia dini umur 6-8 tahun untuk memahami materi matematika dan bahasa Inggris sehingga meningkatkan motivasi dan semangat untuk selalu belajar. Kata Kunci: bahasa inggris, finite state machine, game edukasi, matematika AbstractDevelopment of information technology has changed conventional learning patterns and systems to become innovative by using educational games. The purpose of this study is to develop educational games in mathematics and English for early childhood ages 6-8 years. The research uses the Multimedia Development Life Cycle (MDLC) model and the Finite State Machine method which is applied to games with additional multimedia and certain effects that make games more interesting and fun to play. The results of the study show that educational games as learning media make it easier for young children aged 6-8 years to understand math and English material so as to increase motivation and enthusiasm to always learn. Keywords: english, finite state machine, game education, mathematics
Premodern ‘Galaktology’: Reading Milk in Ancient and Early Byzantine Medical Treatises
Authors: Constantinou Stavroula , Skouroumouni-Stavrinou Aspasia
Published: September 2023

Extant medical treatises from Greco-Roman antiquity and early Byzantium (second–seventh century CE) repeatedly foreground human milk as a therapeutic and a nutritional agathon (good), but also as a potential cause of malfunctioning and disease. Through a discussion of the juxtaposition of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ milk in the examined treatises, along with an investigation of the milk terminology and rhetoric employed, this article shows that milk’s usefulness was primarily defined not according to its effects on the human body, but in terms of the producer’s moral worth: the lactating woman’s (i.e. biological mother’s or wet nurse’s) ability to meet certain moral standards.
Early Qurʾānic Scrolls from the Qubbat al-khazna and their links with the Christian Manuscript Tradition of Greek-Byzantine Scrolls
Authors: Rambach Arianna D’Ottone
Published: September 2023

This contribution aims to reconsider some early Qurʾānic parchment scrolls once stored in Damascus Qubbat al-khazna and currently preserved in Istanbul – at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. Their peculiar book form, apart from vague hypothesis, never received a convincing explanation. However, the production of Greek-Byzantine liturgical scrolls in Damascus up to the tenth century offers a meaningful precedent that sheds light on the provenance and the origin of these scrolls. Codicological techniques, bilingual – Greek-Arabic – witnesses and oral performances are some of the elements that link the Christian and Islamic scrolls production in the Syrian area.
Urticaria and mimickers of urticaria
Authors: Fok Jie Shen , Katelaris Constance H.
Published: September 2023

Urticaria is a common skin condition encountered across various specialties in medicine, especially in dermatology and allergy/immunology practice. It has a heterogeneous presentation hence it is unsurprising that many skin conditions may be confused with urticaria. Urticaria may present as acute or chronic urticaria, the latter can be further categorised into chronic spontaneous and chronic inducible. In this article, we explore, explain, and summarise various skin lesions that are considered mimickers of urticaria, to promote understanding of each of the conditions highlighted, improve recognition, and reduce misdiagnosis.
Electronic health record-wide association study for atrial fibrillation in a British cohort
Authors: Chung Sheng-Chia , Schmit Amand F. , Lip Gregory Y. H. , Providencia Rui
Published: September 2023

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) confers a major healthcare burden from hospitalisations and AF-related complications, such as stroke and heart failure. We performed an electronic health records-wide association study to identify the most frequent reasons for healthcare utilization, pre and post new-onset AF.

Methods

Prospective cohort study with the linked electronic health records of 5.6 million patients in the United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink (1998–2016). A cohort study with AF patients and their age-and sex matched controls was implemented to compare the top 100 reasons of frequent hospitalisation and primary consultation.

Results

Of the 199,433 patients who developed AF, we found the most frequent healthcare interactions to be cardiac, cerebrovascular and peripheral-vascular conditions, both prior to AF diagnosis (41/100 conditions in secondary care, such as cerebral infarction and valve diseases; and 33/100 conditions in primary care), and subsequently (47/100 conditions hospital care and 48 conditions in primary care). There was a high representation of repeated visits for cancer and infection affecting multiple organ systems. We identified 10 novel conditions which have not yet been associated with AF: folic acid deficiency, pancytopenia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, seborrheic dermatitis, lymphoedema, angioedema, laryngopharyngeal reflux, rib fracture, haemorrhagic gastritis, inflammatory polyneuropathies.

Conclusion

Our nationwide data provide knowledge and better understanding of the clinical needs of AF patients suggesting: (i) groups at higher risk of AF, where screening may be more cost-effective, and (ii) potential complications developing following new-onset AF that can be prevented through implementation of comprehensive integrated care management and more personalised, tailored treatment.

Clinical trial registration

NCT04786366
A physics-based machine learning technique rapidly reconstructs the wall-shear stress and pressure fields in coronary arteries
Authors: Morgan Benjamin , Murali Amal Roy , Preston George , Sima Yidnekachew Ayele , Marcelo Chamorro Luis Alberto , Bourantas Christos , Torii Ryo , Mathur Anthony , Baumbach Andreas , Jacob Marc C. , Karabasov Sergey , Krams Rob
Published: September 2023

With the global rise of cardiovascular disease including atherosclerosis, there is a high demand for accurate diagnostic tools that can be used during a short consultation. In view of pathology, abnormal blood flow patterns have been demonstrated to be strong predictors of atherosclerotic lesion incidence, location, progression, and rupture. Prediction of patient-specific blood flow patterns can hence enable fast clinical diagnosis. However, the current state of art for the technique is by employing 3D-imaging-based Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The high computational cost renders these methods impractical. In this work, we present a novel method to expedite the reconstruction of 3D pressure and shear stress fields using a combination of a reduced-order CFD modelling technique together with non-linear regression tools from the Machine Learning (ML) paradigm. Specifically, we develop a proof-of-concept automated pipeline that uses randomised perturbations of an atherosclerotic pig coronary artery to produce a large dataset of unique mesh geometries with variable blood flow. A total of 1,407 geometries were generated from seven reference arteries and were used to simulate blood flow using the CFD solver Abaqus. This CFD dataset was then post-processed using the mesh-domain common-base Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (cPOD) method to obtain Eigen functions and principal coefficients, the latter of which is a product of the individual mesh flow solutions with the POD Eigenvectors. Being a data-reduction method, the POD enables the data to be represented using only the ten most significant modes, which captures cumulatively greater than 95% of variance of flow features due to mesh variations. Next, the node coordinate data of the meshes were embedded in a two-dimensional coordinate system using the t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) algorithm. The reduced dataset for t-SNE coordinates and corresponding vector of POD coefficients were then used to train a Random Forest Regressor (RFR) model. The same methodology was applied to both the volumetric pressure solution and the wall shear stress. The predicted pattern of blood pressure, and shear stress in unseen arterial geometries were compared with the ground truth CFD solutions on “unseen” meshes. The new method was able to reliably reproduce the 3D coronary artery haemodynamics in less than 10 s.
Antihypertensive treatment with hydrochlorothiazide-hydralazine combination aggravates medial vascular calcification in CKD rats with mineral bone disorder
Authors: Larivière Richard , Ung Roth-Visal , Picard Sylvain , Richard Darren E. , Mac-Way Fabrice , Agharazii Mohsen
Published: September 2023

Background

Arterial stiffness and medial vascular calcification, leading to isolated systolic blood pressure (BP), are major cardiovascular risk factors in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mineral bone disorders (MBD). The impact of BP on MBD-induced medial vascular calcification in CKD remains uncertain. We investigated whether BP reduction improves arterial stiffness and medial vascular calcification in a rat model of CKD-MBD.

Methods

CKD was induced in Wistar rats by subtotal nephrectomy. Then, MBD was generated by a Ca/P-rich diet with calcitriol supplementation to induce medial vascular calcification. Two antihypertensive treatments were evaluated: (1) the angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist losartan, and (2) the combination of the thiazide diuretic hydrochlorothiazide and the direct vasodilator hydralazine (HCTZ/HY). After 5 weeks, mean BP (MBP), pulse pressure (PP), and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were determined. Vascular calcification was assessed in the thoracic aorta.

Results

While MBP was similar in CKD-MBD and control CKD rats, PP and PWV were increased in CKD-MBD rats. The heightened arterial stiffness in CKD-MBD rats was associated with diffused medial calcification along the thoracic aorta. Although both losartan and HCTZ/HY reduced MBP in CKD-MBD rats, losartan did not affect PP and PWV nor medial vascular calcification, whereas HCTZ/HY, unexpectedly, further increased arterial stiffness and medial vascular calcification.

Conclusion

In the rat model of CKD-MBD, antihypertensive treatment with losartan did not affect arterial stiffness or medial vascular calcification. However, HCTZ/HY treatment aggravated arterial stiffness and vascular calcification despite a similar reduction of MBP, suggesting a blood pressure-independent mechanism for vascular calcification.
Integration of scRNA-Seq and bulk RNA-Seq uncover perturbed immune cell types and pathways of Kawasaki disease
Authors: Cao Naixin , Ouyang Huayi , Zhang Xing , Xu Yuanyuan , Li Jun , Chen Yanfei
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile illness primarily affecting children and characterized by systemic inflammation and vasculitis that can lead to coronary artery complications. The aim of this study was to gain a comprehensive understanding of immune dysregulation in KD.

Methods

To this end, we employed integration of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) and bulk RNA sequencing (bulk RNA-Seq) data. Furthermore, we conducted flow cytometry analysis for a cohort of 82 KD patients.

Results

Our analysis revealed significant heterogeneity within immune cell populations in KD patients, with distinct clusters of T cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. Importantly, CD4+ naïve T cells in KD patients were found to predominantly differentiate into Treg cells and Th2 cells, potentially playing a role in the excessive inflammation and vascular damage characteristic of the disease. Dysregulated signaling pathways were also identified, including the mTOR signaling pathway, cardiomyopathy pathway, COVID-19 signaling pathway, and pathways involved in bacterial or viral infection.

Discussion

These findings provide insights into the immunopathogenesis of KD, emphasizing the importance of immune cell dysregulation and dysregulated signaling pathways. Integration of scRNA-Seq and bulk RNA-Seq data offers a comprehensive view of the molecular and cellular alterations in KD and highlights potential therapeutic targets for further investigation. Validation and functional studies are warranted to elucidate the roles of the identified immune cell types and pathways in KD pathogenesis and to develop targeted interventions to improve patient outcomes.
Egg development and hatching in two Red Sea damselfishes
Authors: He Song , Berumen Michael L.
Published: September 2023

Damselfishes (family Pomacentridae) are widely distributed reef-associated marine fishes. The family’s diversity, iconic nesting behaviors, and high environmental adaptability contribute to the popularity of damselfishes as aquarium species, tourist attractions, and model scientific study organisms. In the present study, we conducted a series of in situ underwater observations on two Red Sea damselfishes: the Red Sea anemonefish (Amphiprion bicinctus) and the Maldives damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon indicus). We followed the egg development processes and provided an in situ photo time series for both species. In our observations, some Amblyglyphidodon eggs began hatching as early as 120 hours post-spawning, whereas Amphiprion eggs never hatched until at least 144 hours post-spawning. Some of the key morphological and developmental features that could be indicative of the developmental stage included eye structure and pigmentation/appearance, the proportion of the embryo to the yolk sack, spinal structures, and jaw/mouth structures. By referencing the time scale provided herein, in situ observations could roughly indicate the developmental stage of the eggs in the nest and how much time is remaining before hatching. This would also help to decrease the underwater observation time of divers and minimize interference to nesting damselfishes but still enable the back-calculation of spawning times. The incorporation of this information with longer-term environmental data can provide important insight into factors driving reproductive cycles.
Marine collagen: purification, properties and application
Authors: Barzkar Noora , Sukhikh Stanislav , Babich Olga , Venmathi Maran Balu Alagar , Tamadoni Jahromi Saeid
Published: September 2023

Collagens are abundant structural proteins found in connective tissues such as bones, swim bladder, skin, blood vessels, intestines, and cartilage. They make up around 30% of the total protein. The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of the current knowledge about collagen isolated from marine organisms and its possible applications. Collagen is widely used in pharmaceuticals, food, biomedical and cosmetic industries due to its cell adhesion, biocompatibility, and safety properties. This review discusses various methods for extracting collagen from marine vertebrates and its physicochemical properties. Enzymatic extractions might be a more effective at extracting collagen than acidic extractions. Peptides derived from collagen hydrolysates have biological activity that promotes health and relieves symptoms caused by chronic diseases. Aquaculture can help with collagen availability but an integrated technology for processing raw materials is necessary to address the negative effects of production waste. Marine collagen has many benefits over terrestrial sources including its versatility in healing skin damage and slowing down the aging process. The advantages of marine collagen over terrestrial sources are discussed along with its potential biotherapeutic applications in bone and skin injuries. The development of effective cosmetic products can become a strategic direction for technological development.
Utilizing logistic regression to compare risk factors in disease modeling with imbalanced data: a case study in vitamin D and cancer incidence
Authors: Meysami Mohammad , Kumar Vijay , Pugh McKayah , Lowery Samuel Thomas , Sur Shantanu , Mondal Sumona , Greene James M.
Published: September 2023

Imbalanced data, a common challenge encountered in statistical analyses of clinical trial datasets and disease modeling, refers to the scenario where one class significantly outnumbers the other in a binary classification problem. This imbalance can lead to biased model performance, favoring the majority class, and affecting the understanding of the relative importance of predictive variables. Despite its prevalence, the existing literature lacks comprehensive studies that elucidate methodologies to handle imbalanced data effectively. In this study, we discuss the binary logistic model and its limitations when dealing with imbalanced data, as model performance tends to be biased towards the majority class. We propose a novel approach to addressing imbalanced data and apply it to publicly available data from the VITAL trial, a large-scale clinical trial that examines the effects of vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acid to investigate the relationship between vitamin D and cancer incidence in sub-populations based on race/ethnicity and demographic factors such as body mass index (BMI), age, and sex. Our results demonstrate a significant improvement in model performance after our undersampling method is applied to the data set with respect to cancer incidence prediction. Both epidemiological and laboratory studies have suggested that vitamin D may lower the occurrence and death rate of cancer, but inconsistent and conflicting findings have been reported due to the difficulty of conducting large-scale clinical trials. We also utilize logistic regression within each ethnic sub-population to determine the impact of demographic factors on cancer incidence, with a particular focus on the role of vitamin D. This study provides a framework for using classification models to understand relative variable importance when dealing with imbalanced data.
The long-term outcomes of the Anderson-Kestenbaum procedure
Authors: Kuziel Jeffrey , Pope Hannah , Kothapalli Aishwarya J. , Larson Scott A. , Drack Arlene , Dumitrescu Alina V.
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Nystagmus is an involuntary, conjugated, rhythmic movement of the eye that can be idiopathic or secondary to ocular or neurologic pathologies. Patients with nystagmus often have a position of gaze in which their symptoms are dampened or absent, referred to as the “null zone.” The Anderson-Kestenbaum procedure is a bilateral recess-resect procedure of the four horizontal rectus muscles which aims to bring the null position into the primary gaze. This study aims to further elucidate long-term outcomes and factors associated with optimal postoperative outcomes.

Methods

Patients with a diagnosis of nystagmus and a surgical code for strabismus between June 1990 and August 2017 were considered for inclusion in the study. Patients were included if they had undergone the Anderson-Kestenbaum procedure and had follow-up lasting at least 24 months post-operatively. Data collected included demographic information, characteristics of the nystagmus, underlying etiology of nystagmus, and pre-and post-operative measurements.

Results

25 patients were included. At their last recorded follow-up, 44% of patients achieved an optimal surgical outcome -an abnormal head position of 10 degrees or less. 88% of patients showed an overall improvement in their head posture at the last follow-up. The absence of an abnormal head position at the visit closest to 24 months post-operatively was found to be significantly associated with the lack of a significant head position at the last follow-up visit. Optimal surgical outcomes were not significantly associated with the underlying diagnosis, the direction of the abnormal head position, or the type of nystagmus.

Discussion

The relatively long follow-up of this cohort allows this study to further elucidate the long-term outcomes of the Anderson-Kestenbaum procedure. Overall, our results suggest that although improvement in head position post-operatively is likely, it is still expected that many patients will have a residual abnormal head position after the procedure. The results of this study are helpful in counseling patients, especially knowing that if they do not have a significant head position at 24 months follow-up, they are unlikely to develop one. However, due to the small sample size, larger cohorts and more standardized follow-up may provide further insight into the procedure’s outcomes.
The use of honey in button battery ingestions: a systematic review
Authors: Schmidt Yannick Michael , Muensterer Oliver , Wendling-Keim Danielle
Published: September 2023

Background

Button battery (BB) ingestions may cause severe and possibly fatal complications, especially if the battery is located in the esophagus. The application of oral honey has recently been proposed by the National Capital Poison Center in the USA and in an ESPGHAN position paper in Europe, but clinical trials and experimental studies are limited. The goal of this systematic review was to analyze the evidence for this approach.

Materials and methods

A systematic review of clinical trials and experimental studies on the oral application of honey after BB ingestion in children was performed. Inclusion criteria according to the PICO format were patient age 0–18 years, ingestion of BB, oral administration of honey or other substances, all in vivo and in vitro studies, as well as reported complication rate, esophageal injury, and mortality. A manual search in the databases MEDLINE, Web of Science and Cochrane was performed to identify relevant search terms to form the following queries and to construct the extensive search. Furthermore, the search was extended by using snowballing on the reports reference lists. The review is registered at Research Registry. The identifying number is reviewregistry1581.

Results

We found four publications that investigated the effects of honey after button battery ingestion. Three of these presented experimental in vitro and in vivo results and one reported a clinical retrospective study of 8 patients.

Conclusion

Follow up studies are required to further elucidate the effectiveness of the treatment with honey. The time intervals in which the use of honey is effective is not clear. Furthermore, a physiological model is needed for in vitro testing, preferably mimicking peristalsis and dynamic flow of the applied substances. However, since it is easy to apply and of minimal risk in patients over one year of age, honey should be considered a possible treatment option during the interval between presentation and endoscopic removal of the retained BB.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.researchregistry.com/browse-the-registry#registryofsystematicreviewsmeta-analyses/registryofsystematicreviewsmeta-analysesdetails/643e9df96750410027ee11b0/, identifier: reviewregistry1581.
Automatic pest identification system in the greenhouse based on deep learning and machine vision
Authors: Zhang Xiaolei , Bu Junyi , Zhou Xixiang , Wang Xiaochan
Published: September 2023

Monitoring and understanding pest population dynamics is essential to greenhouse management for effectively preventing infestations and crop diseases. Image-based pest recognition approaches demonstrate the potential for real-time pest monitoring. However, the pest detection models are challenged by the tiny pest scale and complex image background. Therefore, high-quality image datasets and reliable pest detection models are required. In this study, we developed a trapping system with yellow sticky paper and LED light for automatic pest image collection, and proposed an improved YOLOv5 model with copy-pasting data augmentation for pest recognition. We evaluated the system in cherry tomato and strawberry greenhouses during 40 days of continuous monitoring. Six diverse pests, including tobacco whiteflies, leaf miners, aphids, fruit flies, thrips, and houseflies, are observed in the experiment. The results indicated that the proposed improved YOLOv5 model obtained an average recognition accuracy of 96% and demonstrated superiority in identification of nearby pests over the original YOLOv5 model. Furthermore, the two greenhouses show different pest numbers and populations dynamics, where the number of pests in the cherry tomato greenhouse was approximately 1.7 times that in the strawberry greenhouse. The developed time-series pest-monitoring system could provide insights for pest control and further applied to other greenhouses.
Plastic use for food and drinks and related knowledge, attitudes, and practices among a sample of Egyptians
Authors: Hassan Fatma Mohamed , El Desouky Eman D. , Salem Marwa Rashad , Abdelsabour Motaze Adel , Abdelmoneim Mostafa Alaa , Elsaieed Mohamed Mahmoud , Ali Mona Mohamed
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Plastic is extensively used in everyday life, particularly for food and beverage containers. The inappropriate use of these containers may lead to the leaching of various chemicals from plastic, such as bisphenol A, phthalate, and styrene, which cause numerous adverse health effects. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward using plastic for food and drinks among a sample of the Egyptian population.

Materials and methods

A questionnaire was designed based on scientific literature to assess sociodemographic data, knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward the use of plastic for food and drinks. A total of 639 participants were recruited by employing the convenience sampling technique.

Results

More than half of the participants (347, 54%) had poor knowledge scores. Personal experiences, social media, and web pages represented the most common knowledge sources. A comparison between plastic-related knowledge scores and the studied sociodemographic characteristics revealed statistically significant differences in age, gender, education, marital status, residence, working, and socioeconomic standard. A good attitude was reported by the majority (515, 80.6%) of participants. The majority (493, 77.2%) were occasional and frequent plastic users and the practice scores were significantly associated with age, education, residence, and socioeconomic standard. Higher educational level, gender (women), and rural residence were predictors of good participants knowledge, while lower socioeconomic status and urban residence were predictors of bad participants practice in a multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Conclusion

The observed unsatisfactory knowledge and practice scores vs. the high attitude indicates a knowledge gap that can help direct future improvements. We call for public awareness programs about safe plastic use and the related health hazards of plastic chemicals. We also stress upon the urgent need for a collaboration between health authorities and the plastic and food industry to guarantee that information about proper plastic use is conveyed to consumers.
Defining human-AI teaming the human-centered way: a scoping review and network analysis
Authors: Berretta Sophie , Tausch Alina , Ontrup Greta , Gilles Björn , Peifer Corinna , Kluge Annette
Published: September 2023

Introduction

With the advancement of technology and the increasing utilization of AI, the nature of human work is evolving, requiring individuals to collaborate not only with other humans but also with AI technologies to accomplish complex goals. This requires a shift in perspective from technology-driven questions to a human-centered research and design agenda putting people and evolving teams in the center of attention. A socio-technical approach is needed to view AI as more than just a technological tool, but as a team member, leading to the emergence of human-AI teaming (HAIT). In this new form of work, humans and AI synergistically combine their respective capabilities to accomplish shared goals.

Methods

The aim of our work is to uncover current research streams on HAIT and derive a unified understanding of the construct through a bibliometric network analysis, a scoping review and synthetization of a definition from a socio-technical point of view. In addition, antecedents and outcomes examined in the literature are extracted to guide future research in this field.

Results

Through network analysis, five clusters with different research focuses on HAIT were identified. These clusters revolve around (1) human and (2) task-dependent variables, (3) AI explainability, (4) AI-driven robotic systems, and (5) the effects of AI performance on human perception. Despite these diverse research focuses, the current body of literature is predominantly driven by a technology-centric and engineering perspective, with no consistent definition or terminology of HAIT emerging to date.

Discussion

We propose a unifying definition combining a human-centered and team-oriented perspective as well as summarize what is still needed in future research regarding HAIT. Thus, this work contributes to support the idea of the Frontiers Research Topic of a theoretical and conceptual basis for human work with AI systems.
Does perceived similarity of pro-environmental behaviors lead to behavioral spillover?
Authors: Dreijerink Lieke , Handgraaf Michel , Antonides Gerrit
Published: September 2023

Similarity of pro-environmental behaviors is described as a moderator of behavioral spillover: when behaviors are perceived as similar positive spillover would be more likely. However, how people perceive similarity is unclear and therefore, the exact role that similarity plays in the spillover process is uncertain. In a survey (n = 1,536) we investigated how people clustered a variety of pro-environmental behaviors and why. Moreover, we explored potential spillovers between people's current and desired behaviors. People appeared to mainly cluster behaviors according to domains (such as energy, mobility) in addition to other categorization types. Furthermore, positive spillovers from actual to desired behavior occurred both within and between domains. In other words, similarity did not seem to play an important role in predicting spillover. In general, people who clustered behaviors into more different categories had a stronger overall desire to behave pro-environmentally than people who used fewer clusters.
Human leukocyte antigen-dependent colonization of Lactobacillus in the early-life gut
Authors: Berryman Meghan A. , Triplett Eric W. , Ludvigsson Johnny
Published: September 2023

To determine the importance of Lactobacillus in shaping the human gut microbiome, the microbial composition of stools from 1,602 children between the ages of 0.3 months and 37.2 months was analyzed in a general population cohort in the All Babies in Southeast Sweden study. Lactobacillus colonized only 32% of the total pediatric population at an average relative abundance of 0.29%. Lactobacillus was age-dependent, decreasing in prevalence and relative abundance over time. The main determining factor for Lactobacillus colonization was whether the individual was actively breastfeeding. Following cessation of breastfeeding, Lactobacillus prevalence rapidly declined. However, within the actively breastfeeding cohort, 45.6% of the population remained uncolonized by Lactobacillus. The presence versus absence of Lactobacillus was determined to be human leukocyte antigen (HLA) dependent. Individuals with HLA DR15-DQ6.2 were 3.4 times more likely to be colonized by Lactobacillus than those without the haplotype, and those with HLA DR5-DQ7 were more likely to have zero Lactobacillus despite actively breastfeeding. These results suggest that HLA genetics should be considered when designing Lactobacillus-based probiotics.
The science and art of testing in ice hockey: a systematic review of twenty years of research
Authors: Bournival Michael , Martini Gaëtan , Trudeau François , Lemoyne Jean
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Ice hockey is a complex sport requiring multiple athletic and technical attributes. Considering the variety of tests developed, on-ice testing protocols have been created to measure the physiological and mechanical attributes associated with performance. To our knowledge, a lack of technical resources exists to help stakeholders opt for on-ice protocols from among those developed. It becomes crucial for researchers and practitioners to select relevant and context-specific procedures. This systematic review of the literature outlines an inventory of the on-ice tests that have been used in the domain of ice hockey research over the last twenty years, and summarize protocols mostly used in major athletic components.

Methods

A search was performed on three databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus and Scopus) by following the PRISMA guidelines. Specific keywords were selected to find publications using on-ice testing protocols in the methodology. Four aspects of athletic attributes were used to categorize the protocols: aerobic capacity, acceleration-speed, agility-change of direction and ability to repeat skating sprints. Analyses were conducted regarding four categories of observations: population under study, on-ice reported test(s), outcomes measures and main findings.

Results

A total of 107 articles were included, resulting in 55 on-ice tests related to the on-ice assessments of four major athletic components: aerobic capacity (n = 7), acceleration-speed (n = 6), agility and change of direction (n = 23) and repeated skating sprint ability (n = 19). Testing in male and older cohorts (≥16 years old) predominates, with a primary focus on the competitive amateur level. The selected tests were mainly designed for assessing on-ice physiological responses and fitness (n = 38), talent identification-team selection (n = 19), efficiency of interventions (n = 17) and validation purposes (n = 16).

Conclusion

A prevalence of on-ice skating tests to assess the ability to repeat intense efforts, agility, acceleration and speed components exists, which are relevant and linked to match requirement. The wealth of on-ice tests used in the literature reflects the need to adapt the on-ice evaluation process to the population, constraints, and goals. This review is a valid toolbox and can benefit for researchers and practitioners interested in testing hockey players from different levels, with a variety of aims and needs, by helping them to select the relevant procedures to their environment and practice context.
Increased brain activation and functional connectivity after working memory training in patients with ischemic stroke: an fMRI study
Authors: Chen Zhengwei , Yun Xiaoping
Published: September 2023

Objective

Working memory (WM) impairment is common in patients after a stroke. WM training (WMT) has been suggested as a way to improve cognitive function. However, the neural effects following WMT in stroke patients remain largely unclear. This study aimed to explore the behavioral changes and neural effects of WMT on patients with chronic ischemic stroke.

Methods

Fifty first-ever ischemic stroke patients with WM deficits in the chronic stage were randomly assigned to either a 4-week WMT group or a control group. Verbal n-back, digital and spatial memory-span, Raven's standard progressive matrices, and the Stroop color-word test, as well as task-state and resting-state fMRI were assessed for all patients at baseline and after the intervention.

Results

The WMT group showed improvements in WM, fluid intelligence, and attention after training. Additionally, the WMT group exhibited increased activation in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and middle occipital gyrus after training. At baseline, all patients were impaired in their abilities to elevate activation in their WM network as a response to increasing WM load. However, in the WMT group, increased activation was observed in the left cerebellum anterior lobe, right cerebellum posterior lobe (CPL), and MFG in the 2-back vs. 1-back contrast after WMT. We also found increased functional connectivity between the left MFG and the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), and between the bilateral IPL and the right CPL after training in the WMT group.

Conclusion

Our study supported that WMT potentially improved WM capacity in ischemic stroke patients during the chronic stage, and that the training effects might transfer to fluid intelligence and attention ability. Our results also demonstrated that repeated WMT potentially increased brain activation and resting-state functional connectivity within the WM network in patients with ischemic stroke. These findings provided robust evidence to support WMT as an effective intervention to enhance cognitive rehabilitation and shed light on the functional neuroplasticity mechanism of WMT on cognitive recovery after ischemic stroke.
Experimental Validation of a Permanent Magnets Magnetorheological Device under a Standardized Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Test Cycle
Authors: Simonelli Claudia , Sani Luca , Gori Nicolò , Fernández-Muñoz Miguel , Musolino Antonino , Rizzo Rocco
Published: September 2023

In this paper, the experimental validation of an innovative clutch based on magnetorheological fluids (MRFs) excited by permanent magnets is described. The device, used in automotive applications to engage and disengage the vacuum pump, is tested using a standardized Worldwide harmonized Light-duty Test Cycle (WLTC). A test bench is built, and the system is observed in its operation for one hour, considering two consecutive WLTCs. The temperature increase slightly impacts the clutch’s behavior; in particular, the on-state performance of the device, mainly determined by the magnetic field-induced torque, remains largely unaffected by the temperature increase. The results showed that the performance of the proposed MRF-based device is only marginally affected by the phenomena that take place during the actual operation (e.g., temperature increase, shaft slip), confirming the effectiveness of the design.
Exogenous Phytase Improves Growth Performance, Nutrient Retention, Tibia Mineralization, and Breast Meat Quality in Ross-308 Broilers
Authors: Sampath Vetriselvi , Gao Shanshui , Park Jae Hong , Kim In Ho
Published: September 2023

To evaluate the effect of exogenous phytase (Ronozyme HiPhos-L, produced by the strain of Aspergillus oryzae), 1050 one-day-old Ross-308 broilers with an initial average body weight of 50.29 ± 0.98 g were randomly assigned to one of seven dietary treatments with 10 replicates and 15 chicks/cage. During starter (d 1–7), grower (d 8–21), and finisher (d 21–35) periods, broilers were allowed to feed: positive control (PC), negative control (NC), and NC diet supplemented with 250, 500, 1000, 1500, and 3000 U/kg of phytase. Broilers fed NC diet supplemented with graded levels of phytase (250 U/kg to 3000 U/kg) showed a linear increase (p < 0.05) in body weight gain and feed intake during the starter and the overall trial period with no adverse effect on feed conversion ratio. The nutrient utilization of broilers showed neither an increase nor a decrease with the PC and NC diet until d 35 but when the NC diet was supplemented with a graded dose of phytase, the broilers showed a linear increase (p < 0.05) in dry matter, gross energy, calcium (Ca), ash, and phosphorus (P) utilization and a tendency to increase (p < 0.10) nitrogen retention at the end of the starter phase. Unlike the starter phase, broilers fed the PC diet showed increased (p < 0.05) ash and Ca retention at the end of the grower and finisher phase compared to those fed the NC diet. In addition, the phytase group showed a linear increase (p < 0.05) in ash, Ca, and P utilization at the end of d 21 and 35. Moreover, the inclusion of graded levels of phytase in the NC diet showed a linear increase (<0.0001) in bone (ash, Ca, and P) mineralization in broilers. Also, they showed a linear increase (p < 0.05) in gizzard weight, breast muscle, color of lightness, redness, and pH and a decreased cooking loss and drip loss. Though the standard diets were able to compensate for the P deficiency and promote performance and bone mineralization, the elevated (1000 FTU/kg) levels of phytase in the NC diet showed a higher response. Thus, we suggest that incorporating the exogenous enzyme phytase into the broiler feed in excess of 1000 units (U)/kg would be more beneficial to achieve better productivity.
Combining Nucleotide Sequence Variants and Transcript Levels of Immune and Antioxidant Markers for Selection and Improvement of Mastitis Resistance in Dromedary Camels
Authors: Ateya Ahmed , Safhi Fatmah A. , El-Emam Huda , Marawan Marawan A. , Fayed Hayat , Kadah Amgad , Mamdouh Maha , Hizam Manar M. , Al-Ghadi Muath Q. , Abdo Mohamed , Fericean Liana , Olga Rada , Mihaela Ostan
Published: September 2023

The immune and antioxidant genetic factors that could converse with mastitis susceptibility in dromedary camels were looked at in this research. Of 120 female dromedary camels (60 healthy, and 60 with mastitis) were utilised. Each camel’s jugular vein was pierced to obtain five millilitres of blood. The blood was placed within tubes containing sodium fluoride or EDTA anticoagulants to obtain whole blood and extract DNA and RNA. The immunological (OTUD3, TLR2, TLR4, STAB2, MBL2, TRAPPC9, and C4A) and antioxidant (CAT, SOD3, PRDX6, OXSR1, NDUFS6, SERP2, and ST1P1) genes’ nucleotide sequence polymorphisms between healthy and mastitis affected she-camels were discovered using PCR-DNA sequencing. Fisher’s exact test revealed that camel groups with and without mastitis had noticeably different odds of all major nucleotide alterations propagating (p < 0.01). Mastitic camels were significantly more likely to express the OTUD3, TLR2, TLR4, STAB2, MBL2, TRAPPC9, C4A, OXSR1, SERP2, and ST1P1 genes (p < 0.05). However, CAT, SOD3, PRDX6, and NDUFS6 genes elicited a different pattern. The results may be used to develop management strategies and support the significance of nucleotide differences and gene expression patterns in these markers as indicators of the incidence of mastitis.
Predicting Quality Properties of Pears during Storage Using Hyper Spectral Imaging System
Authors: Taghinezhad Ebrahim , Rasooli Sharabiani Vali , Shahiri Mohammadali , Moinfar Abdolmajid , Szumny Antoni
Published: September 2023

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the application of visible–near-infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy for the estimation of various chemical attributes of pear fruit. Specifically, the paper investigates how pH, titratable acidity (TA), soluble solids content (SSC), and Vitamin C change as the pear undergoes different storage durations and temperatures. To obtain the most accurate prediction models, we applied a variety of pre-processing techniques to the acquired spectra. Notably, the combination of Savitzky-Golay (S.G.), Multiplicative Scatter Correction (MSC), and second derivatives (D2) emerged as the most effective method for predicting the fruit’s pH, with an impressive rp = 0.95 and SDR = 4.9. In contrast, combining S.G., MSC, and first derivatives (D1) yielded the most accurate predictions for TA, with a robust rp = 0.98 and SDR = 9.6. The research further delved into understanding how the storage period and temperature can significantly influence the pear fruit’s chemical properties. Our findings established that as the storage duration and temperature rise, the pH of the fruit also escalates, while TA sees a decline. The research further elucidates that prolonged storage periods and elevated temperatures lead to the pear fruit shedding its intrinsic qualities, resulting in a reduction in soluble solids and Vitamin C content. To summarize, this paper underscores the immense potential of Vis/NIR spectroscopy as a non-destructive and expedient tool for monitoring the chemical attributes of pear fruit during storage, especially when subjected to diverse temperature and time conditions. These insights not only add to the existing body of knowledge but also align with earlier research on how storage conditions can affect fruit quality.
Analysis of the Spatial Correlation Network Structure of Agricultural Water Use Efficiency in Northwest China
Authors: Gao Yun , Zhao Yulong , Li Kaiyang , Qi Xuebin , Li Ping
Published: September 2023

There are some problems in Northwest China, such as the fragile ecological environment, poor basic conditions of agricultural production, low efficiency of agricultural water use, and difficulty in clarifying the path of agricultural water use efficiency (AWUE) improvement. Based on the superefficiency data envelopment analysis (DEA) model, this study increases the amount of ‘green water’ resources in the agricultural water consumption index of the input index and increases the wastewater pollutants (total chemical oxygen demand emissions; total ammonia nitrogen emissions) in the undesired output index to measure the AWUE in the northwest region. Based on the calculation results of AWUE, combined with the modified gravity model, the connection strength of AWUE between any two provinces in Northwest China is calculated, and the spatial structure and network characteristics of AWUE in this area are analysed via the social network analysis (SNA) method. The results show that the average AWUE in 2020 is nearly two times higher than that in 2011. From the situation of the northwest provinces, the average AWUE of the five provinces is in the order of Qinghai > Shaanxi > Gansu > Ningxia > Xinjiang. The AWUE value, total population, real GDP and per capita GDP of the capital cities of the five provinces in Northwest China are the key factors for the improvement of the connection intensity of AWUE. From 2011 to 2020, the connection intensity and closeness of AWUE in Northwest China increased, and there was a clear network hierarchy. The improvement in overall AWUE in the region is mainly due to the radiation and driving effect of the central province on other provinces. Based on this, the study proposes policy recommendations for gradually realising the AWUE improvement path of the central province (Shaanxi; Gansu)—cooperation circle (Shaanxi–Ningxia; Gansu–Qinghai)—the whole region. The results provide theoretical support and a quantitative basis for optimising the spatial pattern of agricultural water resources and improving AWUE in Northwest China.
Reactive Oxygen Species Are Central Mediators of Vascular Dysfunction and Hypertension Induced by Ethanol Consumption
Authors: Padovan Júlio C. , Dourado Thales M. H. , Pimenta Gustavo F. , Bruder-Nascimento Thiago , Tirapelli Carlos R.
Published: September 2023

Consumption of high amounts of ethanol is a risk factor for development of cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension. The hypertensive state induced by ethanol is a complex multi-factorial event, and oxidative stress is a pathophysiological hallmark of vascular dysfunction associated with ethanol consumption. Increasing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the vasculature trigger important processes underlying vascular injury, including accumulation of intracellular Ca2+ ions, reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), endothelial dysfunction, and loss of the anticontractile effect of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT). The enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase plays a central role in vascular ROS generation in response to ethanol. Activation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) is an upstream mechanism which contributes to NADPH oxidase stimulation, overproduction of ROS, and vascular dysfunction. This review discusses the mechanisms of vascular dysfunction induced by ethanol, detailing the contribution of ROS to these processes. Data examining the association between neuroendocrine changes and vascular oxidative stress induced by ethanol are also reviewed and discussed. These issues are of paramount interest to public health as ethanol contributes to blood pressure elevation in the general population, and it is linked to cardiovascular conditions and diseases.