bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Didelphys Uterus: A Case Report
Authors:   Senior Consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nazareth Hospital, Shillong, Meghalaya 793001, India., Saikia Neelotparna , CH Marak Balsri ,   Junior Consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nazareth Hospital, Shillong, Meghalaya 793001, India., M Kurian Ancy ,   DNB(T), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nazareth Hospital, Shillong, Meghalaya 793001, India., Navyasri Gunti ,   DNB(T), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nazareth Hospital, Shillong, Meghalaya 793001, India.
Published: January 2024

Didelphys uterus or double uterus is one of the least common mullerian duct anomalies. It affects one to three in 3000 women worldwide. Uterus didelphys occurs due to Mullerian unification defects resulting in various abnormalities with the presence of 2 uteri, 2 cervices and often 2 vaginas. A high caesarean section rate of 51% has been reported in pregnancies with didelphys uterus. Reproductive outcome of women with this anomaly is better than that of women withunicornuate malformation due to better vascularity. Approximately 60% of women with uterus didelphys have successful full-term pregnancies. Renal anomaly scan be also associated with mullerian anomalies due to the common origin of mesonephric duct. The pregnancy outcome of women with uterus didelphys was comparatively good, but they still belong to a high-risk group. Women with uterine anomalies are more likely to experience adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Estudo retrospectivo das neoplasias diagnosticadas em bovinos pelo LPV-IFC (2013-2020)
Authors: Reis Angélica , Perosa Fernanda Felicetti , Horn Vitor Waldir , Carneiro Christophe , Mingotti Taisson Rafael , Bianchi Ronaldo Michel , Gomes Teane Milagres Augusto , Casagrande Renata Assis , Mendes Ricardo Evandro
Published: January 2024

As neoplasias em bovinos determinam perdas econômicas importantes, porém publicações com levantamentos sobre a sua ocorrência são escassas. Os estudos retrospectivos são de extrema importância para conhecer os aspectos clínicos e patológicos de enfermidades, auxiliando no diagnóstico, tratamento e prevenção. O objetivo deste estudo foi relatar os casos de neoplasias diagnosticadas em bovinos em Santa Catarina pelo Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária do Instituto Federal Catarinense – Campus Concórdia (LPV-IFC). Foi realizado um estudo retrospectivo dos casos de neoplasias em bovinos diagnosticadas pelo LPV-IFC, no período compreendido entre janeiro de 2013 a março de 2020. No período analisado, foram realizadas 1.087 necropsias em bovinos pela equipe do LPV–IFC e foram recebidas 309 amostras provenientes de bovinos para realização do exame histopatológico. Desse total, 140 casos foram diagnosticados como neoplasias, representando 10% da casuística de bovinos. Excluindo-se deste quantitativo as neoplasias de origem tóxica e viral, esse número diminuiu para 55, representando 3,9%. A neoplasia mais frequente foi o carcinoma de células escamosas com 24 casos, representando 1,7% da casuística total de bovinos e 43,6% das neoplasias deste estudo. A segunda neoplasia mais observada foi o fibrossarcoma, com quatro casos (7,3%); seguido do mesotelioma e leiomiossarcoma, cada um com três diagnósticos (5,5%). Conclui-se que a casuística descrita neste trabalho assemelha-se a outros estudos realizados por laboratórios de diagnóstico, quando comparando o valor total da casuistica em bovinos (10%). Entretanto, o valor aqui descrito de 3,9% de neoplasias sem causa conhecida, é superior aos 1,75% descritos no Rio Grande do Sul por outro laboratório de diagnótico. Também, salienta-se que é importante difundir o conhecimento da ocorrência das diversas neoplasias, evitando prejuízos no abatedouro e futuramente na propriedade rural, quando diagnostica-se erroneamente uma neoplasia/carcinoma como tuberculose.
Development of Young Children’s Problem-Solving Skills through Question-Asking and its Relationship with Executive Function
Authors:   The Society for Cognitive Enhancement and Intervention, Kim Sangah , Jeong Jeein
Published: January 2024

Objective: This study aimed to examine young children’s problem-solving ability through question-asking and its relationship with their executive function.
Methods: A total of 102 children aged 4-6 participated in a question game in which they were asked to discover the contents of a box by asking questions. The study quantified the number of questions based on their types (i.e., constraint-seeking, confirmatory, and ineffective question) and assessed the game scores. Additionally, children’s executive function, including cognitive flexibility and working memory, was evaluated using the Korean version of the “Early Years Toolbox”. Children’s expressive language ability was considered a controlled variable, measured using REVT-E.
Results: The number of constraint-seeking questions and performance scores increased with age. The study also found associations among the number of constraint-seeking and ineffective questions, game scores, and children’s executive function, even when considering age and expressive languages as controlled variables. Furthermore, cognitive flexibility predicted an increase in constraint-seeking questions and a decrease in ineffective questions, whereas working memory predicted an improvement in game scores.
Conclusions: The study demonstrated that children’s problem-solving ability through question-asking improves in early childhood, and their executive function may play a crucial role in effective questioning and problem-solving.
Development and Validation of Maternal Gatekeeping Scale: Focusing on Differences of Perceptions between Fathers and Mothers with Infants and Toddlers
Authors:   The Society for Cognitive Enhancement and Intervention, Park Jinjin , An Jeongshin
Published: January 2024

Objective: This study aims to develop a maternal gatekeeping scale for parents with infants and toddlers, focusing on differences of perceptions between fathers and mothers, and to validate the scale’s reliability and validity.
Methods: The items of measurement were constructed through a literature review and interviews with seven parents in a pilot study. Data were collected from 432 parents(fathers: 207, mothers: 225) with children aged 1-5 years old who were living in the Busan and Gyeongsang areas. They were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0.
Results: The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that three factors were extracted for maternal gatekeeping: gate opening, gate closing, and communication. The three factors fitted well with both parents; however, not all items representing each dimension were identical for mothers and fathers. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlational analyses with co-parenting showed the construct validity of the scales.
Conclusion: The scale could be a useful measure for researchers accessing the perceptions of mothers and fathers regarding maternal gatekeeping behavior.
Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of the Inclusive Education Experience of Elementary School Teachers
Authors:   The Society for Cognitive Enhancement and Intervention, Cho Kyungjin
Published: January 2024

Objective: This study analyzes the practical experiences and support demands of inclusive elementary classroom teachers regarding inclusive education. The goal is to propose practical support measures for the future operation of inclusive elementary classrooms.
Methods: A qualitative meta-analysis was conducted on six qualitative research articles, each involving elementary school teachers with experience in inclusive classroom operation. The analysis followed the seven-step qualitative meta-analysis method proposed by Noblit and Hare (1988).
Results: Inclusive teachers were found to experience “challenges, difficulties, and limitations in inclusive education” and “efforts and attitude changes for inclusive education.” Additionally, the teachers expressed the need for a “smooth operation of inclusive classrooms and collaborative efforts for the internalization of inclusive education” and “demands an understanding of educational support for children with disabilities from an ecological perspective.”
Conclusions: Based on the research findings, practical support measures for the operation of elementary inclusive classrooms were suggested and future research directions were proposed through discussion.
Reciprocal Causal Relationships between Self-Esteem and Life Satisfaction in Elderly with Disabilities by Age Group
Authors:   The Society for Cognitive Enhancement and Intervention, Choi HeeCheol , Kim YoungMi , Lee Mia , Seo YooKyung
Published: January 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the reciprocal causal relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction among elderly with disabilities aged 60 and above, as well as to investigate the age-related differences in the latent means of self-esteem and life satisfaction.
Method: Using data from the 16th (2021) and 17th (2022) waves of the Korean Welfare Panel Study, the data of 841 disabled elderly who took part in both surveys were analyzed for self-esteem and life satisfaction, and the latent mean of each age group was compared. To explore the reciprocal causal relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction among elderly individuals with disabilities by age group, an autoregressive cross-lagged structural equation model was analyzed.
Results: First, a reciprocal causal relationship was observed between the self-esteem and life satisfaction of disabled elderly individuals. Second, there were no significant differences in the reciprocal causal relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction among disabled individuals across different age groups. Third, there were no significant differences in the latent means of self-esteem and life satisfaction among different age groups of disabled elderly.
Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, suggestions aimed at enhancing the self-esteem and life satisfaction of elderly with disabilities are made.
Aircraft Observations in a Tropical Supercluster over the Equatorial Indian Ocean during MISO-BOB Field Campaign
Authors: Phadtare Jayesh , Fernando Harindra J.S. , Krishnamurthy Raghavendra , Valentín Jaynise M Pérez , McLaughlin Kaitlyn , Black Garrett , Dehart Jeremy , Tandon Amit , Shroyer Emily , Jinadasa S.U.P. , Bhat G.S.
Published: January 2024

The Monsoon Intra-Seasonal Oscillations in the Bay of Bengal (MISO-BOB) field campaign was conducted in the Indian Ocean during the 2018 and 2019 summer monsoon seasons. WC-130J aircraft of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the US Air Force participated in the campaign in June 2018. The dropsonde observations across a tropical supercluster showed zonal wind variations in association with the structure of the convectively coupled Kelvin wave (CCKW). Within the supercluster, easterlies (westerlies) were observed in the upper (lower) troposphere; this transformation occurred just below the 0oC level. The cold pool had an easterly component throughout, and it was coldest (by 2.5oC) at the center of the supercluster, deepest(~ 1000 m) at its rear/western end, and shallowest (~ 300 m) at the front/eastern end. The level of free convection (LFC) at the front end was at 897 m altitude. At the eastern flank of the supercluster, zonal convergence in the lower troposphere occurred between 500-1500 m levels above the surface between the westerlies within the supercluster and opposing ambient easterlies.Thus, the uplifting of conditionally unstable air parcels above LFC to the east of the supercluster was likely to occur due to this convergence rather than the cold pool influence. Conversely, the western flank of the supercluster had low-level zonal divergence. These observations support the notion of ‘self-similarity’ among the mesoscale convective systems and large-scale waves.
Mutual recognition of qualifications, health workforce migration, and graduate outcomes: a comparative mapping study of undergraduate dental education in Europe
Authors: Bryce Marie , Hanks Sally , Burns Lorna , Zahra Daniel , Gale Thomas
Published: January 2024

Background
The resource needs of health services are served by the recognition of qualifications across borders which allows professionals to migrate between countries. The movement of dentists across the European Union (EU), especially into the United Kingdom (UK), has provided a valuable boost to workforce supply. Recent policy changes have brought attention to the equivalence of qualifications awarded in EU countries. Professional regulators need to be confident that dentists who qualified elsewhere have the appropriate knowledge, skills and experience in order to practise safely and effectively. The aim of this study was to compare UK and EU dental curricula, identify any differences, and compare the extent of pre-qualification clinical experience.
Methods
This was a mixed methods study comprising a questionnaire and website searches in order identify information about curricula, competences, and quality assurance arrangements in each country. The questionnaire was sent to organisations responsible for regulating dental education or dental practice in EU member states. This was supplemented with information obtained from website searches of stakeholder organisations for each country including regulators, professional associations, ministries, and providers of dental education. A map of dental training across the EU was created.
Results
National learning outcomes for dental education were identified for seven countries. No national outcomes were identified 13 countries, therefore learning outcomes were mapped at institution level only. No information about learning outcomes was available for six countries. In one country, there is no basic dental training. Clinical skills and communication were generally well represented. Management and leadership were less represented. Only eight countries referenced a need for graduates to be aware of their own limitations. In most countries, quality assurance of dental education is not undertaken by dental organisations, but by national quality assurance agencies for higher education. In many cases, it was not possible to ascertain the extent of graduates’ direct clinical experience with patients.
Conclusions
The findings demonstrate considerable variation in learning outcomes for dental education between countries and institutions in Europe. This presents a challenge to decision-makers responsible for national recognition and accreditation of diverse qualifications in order to maintain a safe, capable, international workforce; but one that this comparison of programmes helps to address.
Population dynamics of Cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora on exotic flowering leguminous plant Gliricidia sepium
Authors: phuge samadhan , Satpute Priyanka , Torawane Sarika , Wankhade Varsha
Published: January 2024

Insect-plant interaction may have several unpredictable consequences, especially invasive, non-native plants in novel habitats beyond their original distribution. During flowering season of invasive Maxican Lilac (Gliricidia sepium) leguminous plant, Cowpea aphid (Aphis craccivora) attacks, populate, and excrete sticky secretion which could have inhibitory effect on both animals and plants. We studied population dynamics of different stages of A. craccivora on trunk, leaves, and different parts of flowers (corolla, calyx, and peduncle). Our observations revealed that during peak infection, large nymphs populate all studied plant parts except corolla. Small nymphs dominated corolla while the number of apterous, parthenogenetic females was constant on all plant parts. Apterous females were dominantly present on trunk. Winged adults were present on all plant parts in small proportion (3.34–5.51%). Results of the present study suggest that during peak infection proportion of small and large nymphs dominate the growing parts in inflorescence. Parthenogenetic females might be preferring corolla as oviposition sites. Results of the study will be helpful in understanding aphid and invasive pant interactions and their consequences.
Molecular Identification of Cassava Arthropod Pest Complex in the Philippines
Authors: Guerrero Michelle Solleza , Laquinta Janice F. , Ardez Karen P. , de Roxas Maureen Ceres dL. , Kahayon Cloe P. , Cayabyab Bonifacio F.
Published: January 2024

Cassava productivity is severely affected by arthropod pests, which cause damage through feeding and vector transmission. The complex nature of these pests, with morphologically similar species and small sizes, presents challenges in accurately identifying and implementing effective control measures. Accurate identification of arthropod pests infesting cassava in the field is crucial for successful pest management and mitigating the risk of introducing exotic pests through cassava trade and changing climate conditions. Thus, we employed DNA barcoding to generate genetic barcodes of the cassava arthropod pest complex found in major cassava growing areas in the Philippines. Identification to species level was achieved using molecular works with prior morphological identification. Molecular identification offers accurate species resolution of the cassava pest complex even at immature stages, typically hard to identify.
The high impact of zinc chromium oxide nanocombs on development of larvicidal and antimicrobial performance
Authors: Elhalaby Wageha , Elshanawany Soad A. , Otaif Khadejah D. , khalifa Mona , Elgazzar Elsayed
Published: January 2024

Zinc chromium oxide (Cr/ZnO, 5wt.%) was prepared by a facile chemical co-precipitation route. The structure, composition, and chemical bonding were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicating that chromium ions were integrated the host framework to form Cr/ZnO nanocomposite. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs showed comb-shaped nanoparticles with an average size 20 nm and large surface area. The energy gap of the thin films was estimated from T% and R% measurements which exhibit a strong optical absorption edge close to the visible spectrum. The insecticidal activity of the synthesized nanocombs against C. pipiens larvae was evaluated with LC50 (30.15 ppm) and LC90 (100.22 ppm). Besides, the nanocomposite showed high antibacterial performance against gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis) and gram-negative bacteria (Proteus vulgaris) with inhibition zones 21.9 and 19 mm, respectively.
Macrophyte assisted phytoremediation and toxicological profiling of metal(loid)s laden water is influenced by hydraulic retention time.
Authors: Khan Aqib Hassan Ali , Soto Alberto , Rad Carlos , Curiel-Alegre Sandra , Rumbo Carlos , Velasco-Arroyo Blanca , De Wilde Herwig , Pérez-de-Mora Alfredo , Martel-Martín Sonia , Barros Rocío
Published: January 2024

The present study reports the findings related to the treatment of a polluted groundwater using macrophyte assisted phytoremediation. The potential of three macrophyte species (including Phragmites australis, Scirpus holoschoenus, and Typha angustifolia) to tolerate exposure to multi-metal(loid) polluted groundwater was first evaluated in mesocosms for 7- and 14-days hydraulic retention time (HRT), respectively. The results of this initial macrophytes’ biochemical screening indicated that the selected plants were more metal(loid)-tolerant when an HRT of 14 days was applied. Based on these findings, the plants were exposed to greater HRT regimes of 15 and 30 days. The results showed that P. australis and S. holoschoenus performed better than T. angustifolia in terms of metal(loid) accumulation and removal, biomass production, and toxicity reduction. In addition, the translocation and compartmentalization of metal(loid)s were dose dependent. At 30-day loading rate (higher HRT), below-ground phytostabilization was larger than phytoaccumulation, whereas at 15-day loading rate (lower HRT) below- and above-ground phytoaccumulation was the dominant metal(loid) removal mechanism. Yet, higher levels of toxicity were noted in the water at 15-day loading rate. Overall, our study provides valuable insights for macrophyte assisted phytoremediation of polluted (ground)water streams that can help to improve the design and implementation of phytoremediation systems.
A hyper-redundant robot based on variable cross-section design
Authors: Zheng Jianxiao , Wu Yutong , Liu Jinsong , Zhang Jinhua , zhou liming , Chen Gang
Published: January 2024

A variable-section design for hyper-redundant robots is proposed in this paper. In industrial development, especially in the aerospace industry, nuclear industry, and medical field, where traditional rigid linkage robots are not sufficiently adapted to the working environment such as narrow and complex space and high-risk working space, and the stiffness of hyper-redundant robots with equal cross-section is insufficient. In aim to solve this problem, a hyper-redundant robot using variable cross-section design method and decoupled motion control method is proposed in this paper. The simulation results show that the variable section design has good mechanical properties and the trajectory planning meets the requirements. A prototype machine was manufactured to verify its design. Equipped with a nozzle at the end of the robot and completed disinfection operations, shows the robot was capable of completing various tasks as a platform. The research results will provide a new theoretical basis for the design of hyper-redundancy.
Neuro-fuzzy Approach for the Analysis of Aids/hiv Transmission Through Needles Sharing
Authors: Sharma Sudheer Kumar , Jain Madhu , Sharma G. C.
Published: January 2024

HIV, which causes AIDS, has infected millions of women, men and children in developed and developing countries. It is noticed that second most serious transmission mode of HIV is the use of unsterilized needles. If one user has HIV, the small amount of blood, which he or she leaves in the needle or syringe, and the same is used for the next user then this small amount of blood goes into the bloodstream of the user, who may also get HIV. This mode involves many complexities due to the magnitude and extent of the needles used by persons of all age groups. The present study is focused on the simple stochastic model for spreading the HIV virus through needle-sharing. The aim of this study is to determine the probability of HIV infection due to the use of clinical injections by using stochastic techniques as well as by neuro-fuzzy approach. The analytical expression for the probability of needle infection is derived. The analytical results are compared with results obtained by neuro-fuzzy techniques.
Evaluating what’s valued – uncovering the value elements of food and their importance for German food providers
Authors: Brumm Alexander , Fukushi Kensuke
Published: January 2024

The goal of this study was to derive an extensive and empirically practical view on what value elements can be associated with food products. We therefore systemically assessed a variety of established frameworks across disciplines, creating a list of 48 value elements spanning the four overarching value dimensions environmental, societal, health, and personal of the Food Value Framework (FVF). To add an initial empirical validation to this theoretically derived list, we pilot tested the scope and comprehensiveness of the value elements with an online survey comprising 29 participants from the German food and agriculture sector. Respondents were asked to further rate the importance of the presented value elements to create a detailed ranking, the results of which will be analysed and discussed in the following.
Not gone with the wind: 9,500-year sediment record of Arctic storminess favors internal climate control
Authors: Stachowska-Kamińska Zofia , Bilt Willem van der , Strzelecki Mateusz
Published: January 2024

The Arctic is rapidly losing its sea ice cover while the region warms faster than anywhere else on Earth. As larger areas become ice-free for longer, winds strengthen and interact more with open waters. Higher waves can increase coastal erosion and flooding, threatening communities and releasing permafrost carbon. However, the future trajectory of these changes remains poorly understood as instrumental observations and geological archives remain rare and short. Here, we address this critical knowledge by presenting the first continuous Holocene-length reconstruction of Arctic wind and wave strength using coastal lake sediments from Svalbard. Exposed to both polar Easterlies and Westerly storm tracks, sheltered by a bedrock barrier, and subjected to little post-glacial uplift, our study site provides a uniquely stable baseline to assess long-term changes in the region's dominant wind systems. To do so with high precision, we rely on multiple independent lines of proxy evidence for wind- and wave-blown sediment input. Our reconstructions reveal quasi-cyclic wind maxima during regional cold periods, and therefore challenge the prevalent view that a warmer less icy future Arctic will be stormier.
The role of neutrophil heterogeneity on T-cell immunity and prognosis in thyroid cancer patients
Authors: Kang Yea Eun , Lee Seong Eun , Koo Bon Seok , Sun Pureum , Yi Shinae , Choi Na Rae , Kim Seon-Young , Kim Seon-Kyu , Park Seongyeol , Lakhani Aliya , O'Keeffe Samantha , Park Junyoung O. , Kang Da Hyun
Published: January 2024

Neutrophil heterogeneity is involved in autoimmune diseases, sepsis, and several cancers. However, the link between neutrophil heterogeneity and T-cell immunity in thyroid cancer is incompletely understood. We investigated the circulating neutrophil heterogeneity in 3 undifferentiated thyroid cancer (UTC), 14 differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) (4 Stage IV, 10 Stage I-II), and healthy controls (n=10) by transcriptomic data and cytometry. Participants with UTC had a significantly higher proportion of immature high-density neutrophils (HDN) and lower proportion of mature HDN in peripheral blood compared to DTC. The proportion of circulating PD-L1+ immature neutrophils were significantly increased in advanced cancer patients. Unsupervised analysis of transcriptomics data from circulating HDN revealed downregulation of innate immune response and T cell receptor signaling pathway in cancer patients. Moreover, UTC patients revealed the upregulation of glycolytic process and glutamate receptor signaling pathway. Comparative analysis across tumor types and stages revealed the downregulation of various T cell related pathways, such as T cell receptor signaling pathway and T cell proliferation in advanced cancer patients. Moreover, the proportions of CD8+ and CD4+ T effector memory CD45RA+ (TEMRA) cells from peripheral blood were significantly decreased in UTC patients compared to DTC patients. Finally, we demonstrated that proportions of tumor infiltrated neutrophils were increased and related with poor prognosis in advanced thyroid cancer using data from our RNA-seq and TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) data. In conclusion, observed prevalence of circulating immature high-density neutrophils and their immunosuppressive features in undifferentiated thyroid cancers underscore the importance of understanding neutrophil dynamics in the context of tumor progression in thyroid cancer.
Structure and engineering of Brevibacillus laterosporus Cas9
Authors: Nureki Osamu , Nakane Toshihiro , Nakagawa Ryoya , Ishiguro Soh , Mori Hideto , Yachie Nozomy , Okazaki Sae , Yamashita Keitaro , Nishimasu Hiroshi
Published: January 2024

The RNA-guided DNA endonuclease Cas9 cleaves double-stranded DNA targets complementary to an RNA guide, and is widely used as a powerful genome-editing tool. Here, we report the crystal structure of Brevibacillus laterosporus Cas9 (BlCas9), a compact Cas9 comparable to versatile Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 (SaCas9), in complex with a guide RNA and its target DNA at 2.4-Å resolution. The structure reveals that the BlCas9 guide RNA adopts an unexpected architecture containing a triple-helix, which is specifically recognized by BlCas9. BlCas9 recognizes a unique N4CNDN protospacer adjacent motif through base-specific interactions at the 5th C:G base pair on both the target and non-target DNA strands. Based on the structure, we rationally engineered a BlCas9 variant that exhibits enhanced genome- and base-editing activities with an expanded target scope in human cells. This approach may further improve the performance of the enBlCas9 variant to generate useful genome-editing tools that require only a single C PAM nucleotide and can be packaged into a single AAV vector for in vivo gene therapy.
Divergent drivers of the spatial variabilities in CO2, CH4, N2O, and N2 concentrations along the Rhine river and the Mittelland canal in Germany
Authors: Mwanake Ricky Mwangada , Imhof Hannes , Kiese Ralf
Published: January 2024

Lotic ecosystems transversing mixed land-use landscapes are sources of GHGs to the atmosphere, but their emissions are uncertain due to longitudinal GHG heterogeneities. In this study, we quantified summer CO2, CH4, N2O, and N2 concentrations, as well as several water quality parameters along the Rhine river and the Mittelland canal, two critical inland waterways in Germany. Our main objectives were to compare GHG concentrations along the two ecosystems and to determine the main driving factors responsible for their longitudinal heterogeneities. The results indicated that GHGs in the two ecosystems were up to three orders of magnitude oversaturated relative to equilibrium concentrations, particularly in the Mittelland canal, a hotspot for CH4 and N2O concentrations. We also found significant longitudinal variabilities in % GHG saturations along the mainstems of both ecosystems (CV = 26 – 98 %), with the highest variability recorded for CH4 concentrations in the Mittelland canal, suggesting that single GHG measurements along large lotic ecosystems are unrepresentative of entire reaches. However, these significant longitudinal GHG heterogeneities were driven by divergent drivers between the two lotic ecosystems. Within the Canal, longitudinal CO2 and CH4 hotspots were linked to external inflows of the GHGs from surrounding WWTPs. Contrastingly, harbors and in-situ biogeochemical processes such as methanogenesis and respiration explained CH4 and CO2 hotspots along the Rhine river. In contrast, N2O was strongly linked to N2 concentrations, with a negative relationship in the Rhine river and a positive relationship in the Mittelland canal. Based on these N2 relationships, we hypothesized that denitrification drove N2O hotspots in the Canal, while coupled N-fixation and nitrification accounted for N2O hotspots in the Rhine. This finding stresses the need to include N2 concentration measurements in GHG sampling campaigns, as it has the potential to determine whether nitrogen is fixed through N-fixation or lost through denitrification.
Co-evolving N-Fe redox processes controlled iron minerals in banded iron formation
Authors: Jiang Hongchen , Huang Liuqin , Dong Yanlong , Li Linxin , Nie Nicole , Wu Geng , Yang Jian , Ma Li , Dong Hailiang
Published: January 2024

Biogeochemical cycles in the Precambrian ocean responded to the co-evolution of biosphere (microorganisms) and the physicochemical structure (e.g., redox, temperature) of the ocean, which closely link to the enigma of banded iron formations (BIFs) that primarily triggered by massive Fe(II) oxidation under anoxic-hypoxic condition for two-billon years (~3.8-1.8 Ga). The current Fe(II) oxidation models, however, rarely consider the effects of the evolution of coupled biogeochemical cycles on secular succession (shifting from magnetite to hematite) of dominant iron minerals in BIFs. Here, we investigated the evolution of coupled Fe-N redox processes under the simulated Precambrian ocean conditions, and propose a dynamic model for the origin of iron mineral succession in BIFs: During the early-mid Archean, NO2- was mainly produced by nitrification in the oceans of warm-hot temperatures (>50-60 oC), which favored the primary precipitation of Fe(II)-Fe(III) oxides (magnetite) and silicates (cronstedtite) in the early BIFs. Subsequently, the cooling and oxygenation of paleo-ocean near the GOE promoted the input of both NO2- and NO3-, resulting in co-precipitation of an increasing amount of Fe(III) minerals (goethite and lepidocrocite as precursors of hematite). This dynamic N-Fe coupling model explains the observed secular transition of iron mineral phases in BIF deposition.
Adherence to low back pain clinical guidelines in Australian hospital emergency departments: a public and private comparison
Authors: Samanna Claire Louise , Buntine Paul , Belavy Daniel L , Sultana Ron V , Miller Clint T , Nimorakiotakis Vasilios (Bill) , Owen Patrick J
Published: January 2024

Background
Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Managing LBP via clinical practice guidelines in healthcare settings is recommended, yet burgeoning evidence suggests adherence is suboptimal in the emergency department (ED) setting. Whether adherence differs between public and private settings is unknown. This study compared adherence to LBP clinical guidelines between a private and public Australian hospital ED.
Methods
A retrospective audit of 86 private patients were matched to 86 public patients by age (± 5 years), sex (male/female) and LBP duration (first time/history of LBP). Patient charts were reviewed according to the Australian clinical guidelines for the management of LBP. Guidelines were considered individually and via a collective guideline adherence score (GAS).
Results
Management GAS was lower in private patients compared to public patients (d [95%CI]: -0.67 [-0.98, -0.36], P < 0.001). Public patients were more likely to have documentation of guideline-based advice (OR [95%CI]: 4.4 [2.4, 8.4], P < 0.001) and less likely to be sent for imaging (OR [95%CI]: 5.0 [2.6, 9.4], P < 0.001). Private patients were more likely to have documented screening for psychosocial risk factors (OR [95%CI]: 21.8 [9.1, 52.1], P < 0.001) and more likely to receive guideline-based medication prescriptions at patient discharge (OR [95%CI]: 2.2 [1.2, 4.2], P = 0.013).
Conclusion
Findings suggest that differences exist in public and private hospital ED guideline adherence. Exploring barriers and facilitators underpinning differences in guideline implementation will assist in guiding future implementation science approaches.
Gender income differences among general practitioners with compulsory services in early career stage in underdeveloped areas: evidence from a prospective cohort study in China
Authors: Tang Haoqing , Li Mingyue , Zheng Huixian , Zhang Xiaotian , Liu Xiaoyun
Published: January 2024

Gender equality and the gender income gap in medicine are long-standing global problems. Although gender-related differences have been widely studied in developed countries, they remain unclear in underdeveloped regions. In 2010, China initiated a national compulsory service program (CSP) to train qualified general practitioners in rural and remote areas. This study aimed to evaluate gender income differences for early career CSP and non-CSP (NCSP) graduates in underdeveloped areas. A cohort study was conducted with 3620 CSP and NCSP graduates from four medical universities in Central and Western China. Baseline surveys and six follow-up surveys were conducted between 2015 and 2022. Incomes, including monthly mean income and proportion of performance-based income, were measured as the key outcome variables. Multivariate linear regression models were used to identify the gender income gap. NCSP graduates had higher average monthly incomes than CSP graduates. In the seventh year after graduation, the average monthly income for NCSP graduates was 7859 CNY while was 5379 CNY for CSP graduates. After controlling for demographic characteristics, the gender monthly income gap for CSP graduates was expanded from the fourth year (3.0%) to the sixth year (5.9%) after graduation, and that for NCSP graduates was expanded from the fifth year (11.9%) to the seventh year (16.3%) after graduation. Regarding performance-based income, it was 58.9% for NCSP graduates and 45.8% for CSP graduates in the seventh year after graduation. After controlling for performance-based income proportion, the gender income gap was reduced from 5.9% to 4.0% in the sixth year after graduation for CSP graduates, and from 16.3% to 14.4% for NCSP graduates in the seventh year after graduation. An extensive and ever-increasing gender income gap exists among young doctors in the early stages of their careers in underdeveloped areas of China. The high proportion of performance-based income among men is one of the main explanations for the observed difference. A more explicit compensation system must be established to enhance support for female health workers.
Differences in childhood stress between Neanderthals and early modern humans as reflected by dental enamel growth disruptions
Authors: Limmer Laura S. , Santon Matteo , McGrath Kate , Harvati Katerina , Zaatari Sireen El
Published: January 2024

Neanderthals’ lives historically portrayed as highly stressful, shaped by constant pressures to survive in harsh ecological conditions, thus potentially contributing to their extinction. Recent work has challenged this interpretation, leaving the issue of stress among Paleolithic populations highly contested and warranting in-depth examination. Here, we analyze the frequency of dental enamel hypoplasia, a physiological stress induced pathology, in the largest sample of Neanderthal and Upper Paleolithic dentitions investigated to date. To track potential species-specific patterns in the ontogenetic distribution of childhood stress, we present the first comprehensive Bayesian modelling of the likelihood of occurrence of individual and matched enamel growth disruptions throughout ontogeny. Our findings support similar overall stress levels in both groups but reveal species-specific patterns in its ontogenetic distribution. While Neanderthal children faced increasing stress starting with the weaning process and culminating in intensity post-weaning, physiological stress in Upper Paleolithic children was found to be limited to the period of weaning and substantially dropping right after its completion. These results might, at least in part, reflect differences in childcare or other behavioral strategies between the two taxa, including those that were advantageous for modern humans’ long-term survival.
Thermoregulatory integration in hand prosthesis and humanoid robots through blood vessel simulation
Authors: Ju Sanghyun , Jeong Sang-Mi , Yang Jonguk , Kang Youngsoo , Seo Hee Sung , Seo Keumyoung , Lim Taekyung
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we introduce a new approach to give robotic faces a thermal signature similar to that of humans and equip prosthetic or robotic hands with a lifelike temperature. This enhances their detection by infrared cameras and promotes more natural interactions between humans and robots. This method integrates a temperature regulation system into artificial skin, drawing inspiration from the human body's natural temperature control via blood flow. Central to this technique is a fiber network simulating blood vessels within the artificial skin. Water flows through these fibers under specific temperature and flow conditions, forming a controlled heat release system. The heat emission can be adjusted by changing the dilation of these fibers, primarily by modulating the frequency of circulation. Our findings indicate that this approach can replicate the varied thermal characteristics of different human face and hand areas. Consequently, robotic faces appear more human-like in infrared images, aiding their identification by infrared cameras. At the same time, prosthetic hands achieve a more natural temperature, reducing the typical discomfort felt in direct contact with synthetic limbs. This study sought to address the challenges faced by the users of prosthetic hands. It also heralds a promising direction in humanoid robotics, fostering improved tactile interactions and redefining human–robot relationships. The innovative technique paves the way for further advancements, blurring the lines between artificial aids and natural biological systems.
Active droplets through enzyme-free, dynamic phosphorylation
Authors: Boekhoven Job , Poprawa Simone , Stasi Michele , Wenisch Monika , Kriebisch Brigitte , Sastre Judit
Published: January 2024

Life continuously transduces energy to perform critical functions using energy stored in reactive molecules like ATP or NADH. ATP dynamically phosphorylates active sites on proteins and thereby regulates their function. Inspired by such machinery, regulating supramolecular functions using energy stored in reactive molecules has gained traction. Enzyme-free, synthetic systems that use dynamic phosphorylation to regulate supramolecular processes do not exist. We present an enzyme-free reaction cycle that consumes phosphorylating agents by transiently phosphorylating amino acids. The phosphorylated amino acids are labile and deactivate through hydrolysis. The cycle exhibits versatility and tunability, allowing for the dynamic phosphorylation of multiple precursors with a tunable half-life. Notably, we show the resulting phosphorylated products can regulate the peptide’s phase separation, leading to active droplets that require the continuous conversion of fuel to sustain. Our new reaction cycle will be valuable as a model for biological phosphorylation but can also offer insights into protocell formation.
Meteorological gaps in audits of pedestrian environments: a scoping review
Authors: Drapeau Hayley Florence , Singh Pratima , Benyaminov Faina , Wright Kelsey , Spence John C , Nuzhat Saba , Walsh Amy , Islam Kausarul , Azarm Zahra , Lee Karen K
Published: January 2024

Background
Weather and season are determinants of physical activity. Therefore, it is important to ensure built environments are designed to mitigate negative impacts of weather and season on pedestrians to prevent these losses. This scoping review aims to identify built environment audits of pedestrian environments developed for use during a specific weather condition or season. Secondly, this review aims to investigate gaps in the inclusion of relevant weather mitigating built environment features in pedestrian environment audit tools.
Methods
Following a standard protocol, a systematic search was executed in CINAHL, Medline and Web of Science to identify built environment audit tools of pedestrian spaces. Studies were screened, and data were extracted from selected documents by two independent reviewers (e.g., psychometric properties and audit items included). Audit items were screened for the inclusion of weather mitigating built environment features, and the tool’s capacity to measure temperature, precipitation, seasonal and sustainability impacts on pedestrians was calculated.
Results
The search returned 2823 documents. After screening and full text review, 27 articles were included. No tool was found that was developed specifically for use during a specific weather condition or season. Additionally, gaps in the inclusion of weather mitigating items were found for all review dimensions (temperature, precipitation, seasonal, and sustainability items). Poorly covered items were: (1) temperature related (arctic entry presence, materials, textures, and colours of buildings, roads, sidewalk and furniture, and green design features); (2) precipitation related (drain presence, ditch presence, hazards, and snow removal features); (3) seasonal features (amenities, pedestrian scale lighting, and winter destinations and aesthetics); and (4) sustainability features (electric vehicle charging stations, renewable energy, car share, and bike share facilities).
Conclusions
Current built environment audit tools do not adequately include weather / season mitigating items. This is a limitation as it is important to investigate if the inclusion of these items in pedestrian spaces can promote physical activity during adverse weather conditions. Because climate change is causing increased extreme weather events, a need exists for the development of a new built environment audit tool that includes relevant weather mitigating features.
Analysis of lower respiratory flora in patients with stable bronchiectasis in north and south China
Authors: bingrui gao , Cong Feng , Shanshan Huang , Haiyan Chen , Manrui Wang , Yinghua Guo , Lixin Xie
Published: January 2024

Objective: To compare microbiome in the lower respiratory tract of patients with bronchiectasis in North and South China.
Methods: Demographic and Sequencing data were collected from patients who underwent bronchoalveolar lavage fluid macro-genomic sequencing testing between September 2021 and September 2022 at Hainan Hospital of the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army (Sanya, Hainan, South) and the Eighth Medical Center of the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army (Haidian, Beijing, North). Sequencing data were analyzed, and patients were divided into subgroups according to their test results to compare microecological difference.
Results: We enrolled 75 patients, 42 in the North and 33 in the South. The number of smokers in the Northern group was higher than that in the Southern group and the FEV1/FVC(%) value was lower than that in the Southern group; otherwise, the groups had no significant differences. The most abundance bacteria in the lower respiratory tract of the Northern group were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Nocardia wilsonii, while the Southern group had H. influenzae, P. aeruginosa, and Nocardia Gelsenkirchen. There were differences in the abundance of lower respiratory tract microbiome between patients with bronchiectasis in the Northern and Southern regions, depending on the severity of bronchiectasis.
Conclusion: The lower respiratory tract microbiome of our patients with stable bronchiectasis differed significantly between the North and South. The bacterial flora of the Southern group was closer to that reported in the international literature, while the core taxa of the Northern group was significantly different. P. aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae were most abundant in the Northern group, while H. influenzae and P. aeruginosa were most abundant in the Southern group, These findings can guide antibiotic treatment of exacerbations.