bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contribution of health system governance in delivering primary health care services for universal health coverage: A scoping review
Authors: Khatri Resham B , Endalamaw Aklilu , Erku Daniel , Wolka Eskinder , Nigatu Frehiwot , Zewdie Anteneh , Assefa Yibeltal
Published: February 2025

Background

The implementation of the primary health care (PHC) approach requires essential health system inputs, including structures, policies, programs, organization, and governance. Effective health system governance (HSG) is crucial in PHC systems and services, as it can significantly influence health service delivery. Therefore, understanding HSG in the context of PHC is vital for designing and implementing health programs that contribute to universal health coverage (UHC). This scoping review explores how health system governance contributes to delivering PHC services aimed at achieving UHC.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review of published evidence on HSG in the delivery of PHC services toward UHC. Our search strategy focused on three key concepts: health system governance, PHC, and UHC. We followed Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist to guide our methodology. We used the World Health Organization’s framework on HSG to organize the data and present the findings.

Results

Seventy-four studies were included in the final review. Various functions of HSG influenced PHC systems and services, including:1) formulating health policies and strategic plans (e.g., addressing epidemiological and demographic shifts and strategic financial planning), 2) implementing policy levers and tools (such as decentralization, regulation, workforce capacity, and supply chain management), 3) generating intelligence and evidence (including priority setting, monitoring, benchmarking, and evidence-informed decision-making), 4) ensuring accountability (through commitments to transparency), and 5) fostering coordination and collaboration (via subnational coordination, civil society engagement, and multisectoral partnerships). The complex interplay of these HSG interventions operates through intricate mechanisms, and has synergistic effects on PHC service delivery.

Conclusion

PHC service delivery is closely linked to HSG functions, which include formulating strategic policies and plans responsive to evolving epidemiological and demographic needs, utilizing digital tools, decentralizing resources, and fostering multisectoral actions. Effective policy implementation requires robust regulation, evidence-based decision-making, and continuous monitoring. Accountability within health systems, alongside community engagement and civil society collaboration, is vital for realizing PHC principles. Local health institutions should collaborate with communities—end users of these systems—to implement formal rules and ensure PHC service delivery progresses toward UHC. Sociocultural contexts and community values should inform decision-making aligning health needs and services to achieve universal access to PHC services.
Acceptability of long-acting antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada: A qualitative study
Authors: Chayama Koharu Loulou , Ng Cara , Brohman Isabella , Mansoor Manal , Small Will , Philbin Morgan , Collins Alexandra B. , McNeil Ryan
Published: February 2025

Background

People living with HIV (PLHIV) who use drugs face overlapping social-structural inequities that contribute to suboptimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Recent research suggests that long-acting antiretroviral therapy (LA-ART) can offer an important alternative to daily oral ART by mitigating adherence barriers, but this work has largely excluded PLHIV who use drugs. We, therefore, explored the acceptability of injectable and transdermal LA-ART among PLHIV who use drugs in Canada, which has no-cost universal access to oral ART. Greater understanding of PLHIV who use drugs’ perspectives on LA-ART will be essential to fully leverage treatment advances and maximize its individual- and population-level benefits.

Methods

From February 2019 to February 2020, we conducted in-depth interviews with 33 PLHIV who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada with suboptimal ART adherence (i.e., ≦  50%). Participants were recruited for interviews through a prospective cohort study. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive and deductive approaches.

Results

Our analysis identified key factors shaping LA-ART acceptability. First, LA-ART enthusiasm was highest among participants who were less satisfied with oral ART regimens due to pill burden or adverse side effects for oral ART and participants who struggled with daily adherence due substance use and social-structural factors (e.g., homelessness, incarceration). Moreover, participants who had physicians they trusted identified their physicians as credible sources of information on LA-ART, and indicated a desire for informed and shared decision-making regarding treatment changes. Finally, participants emphasized that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment approach for PLHIV who use drugs and highlighted the importance of access to a full range of available treatment options, including LA-ART.

Conclusions

There is potential for high LA-ART uptake among PLHIV who use drugs, particularly those who experience adherence barriers due to their substance use and structural vulnerability. While our findings are limited by the specific population and setting, they nevertheless underscore the need for efforts to ensure universal and equitable access to LA-ART.
Endoscopic submucosal excavation for gastric muscularis propria tumours less than 10 mm in diameter: What are the risk factors responsible for perforation?
Authors: Liu Zhaohui , Li Hualin , Deng Jiwen , Wu Ruinuan
Published: February 2025

Objective

To explore the risk factors for perforation during endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE) for gastric muscularis propria tumours less than 10 mm in diameter. This study provides clinical guidance for preventing the occurrence of intraoperative adverse events.

Methods

Samples of gastric muscularis propria tumours less than 10 mm in diameter were removed via ESE at Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital and were collected from June 2023 to August 2024. The general clinical characteristics of the patients, location, size, growth pattern, and pathology of the tumours, operation time, resection time, perforation incidence and bleeding incidence were analysed, and logistic regression was used to calculate the risk factors for perforation and bleeding.

Results

A total of 102 patients were included in this study. The tumours were successfully removed from all patients. The mean age was 52.28 ± 11.84 years. There were 34 (33.33%) males. The mean size was 6.96 ± 1.82 mm. 89 (87.25%) tumours exhibited an intraluminal growth pattern. In total, 79 (77.45%) tumours were in the gastric body, and 23 (22.55%) tumours were in the gastric fundus. The mean operation time was 35.26 ± 23.15 min, and the mean resection time was 27.88 ± 21.77 min. A total of 55 (53.92%) tumours were leiomyoma, and 43 (42.16%) tumours were GIST. There were 4 (3.92%) tumours classified as other lesions. 41 (40.20%) patients experienced intraoperative bleeding, all of which had minor bleeding and successful haemostasis under endoscopy.There were 27 (26.47%) concurrent perforation, of which,24(88.89%) were diagnosed as GIST, and 3(11.11%) were diagnosed as leiomyoma. All perforations were successfully managed with an endoscopic suture. According to the multivariate regression analysis, a pathologic diagnosis was a risk factor for perforation. When the pathological diagnosis is GIST, the risk of perforation increases (PE = 18.632, 95% CI 4.571 ~ 75.941; p < 0.001). Gender,age,tumor size, growth pattern, location, and resection time were not found to be risk factors for perforation.all of observed factors were not the risk factors for bleeding.

Conclusion

ESE is an effective removal method for gastric muscularis propria tumours less than 10 mm in diameter.Intraoperative bleeding and perforation are common.However, these complications are controllable.GIST is an independent risk factor for the perforation.When the tumour is diagnosed as a GIST, the incidence of perforation is significantly increased.
The use of tranexamic acid for post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage: A scoping review protocol
Authors: Tesema Naomi , Hasnie Sukaina , Earley Marisa , April Max
Published: February 2025

Background

Post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH) is a highly studied outcome of tonsillectomy with serious consequences. Various treatments and interventions have been utilized to decrease post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage. The off-label use of tranexamic acid (TXA) is of growing interest to control PTH but has not been incorporated in management guidelines. This scoping review plans to summarize existing studies from the scientific literature on the use of tranexamic acid for post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage.

Methods

We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews or Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The review will cover studies including patients undergoing tonsillectomy who were treated with TXA in the peri—operative or post-operative period. We include randomized controlled trials, retrospective, prospective, and case series. A database-specific search strategy will be used to search records across. Two reviewers will independently screen and extract data. Tables and visual representations will be utilized to present the extracted data.

Registration details

The protocol will be registered in Open Science Framework and published in PLOS One.
Restoration of angiogenic capacity in senescent endothelial cells by a pharmacological reprogramming approach
Authors: Kalies Katrin , Knöpp Kai , Koch Susanne , Pilowski Claudia , Wurmbrand Leonie , Sedding Daniel
Published: February 2025

Senescent endothelial cells (EC) are key players in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases and are characterized by a reduced angiogenic and regenerative potential. Therefore, targeting these cells has been suggested as an effective therapeutic strategy to reduce vascular disease burden and potentially improve health and lifespan of humans. Here, we aimed to establish a pharmacological, partial reprogramming strategy to improve replicative senescent endothelial cell function in the context of angiogenesis. We demonstrate that our treatment improves tube formation and sprouting capacity but also increases proliferation and migration capacity in vitro. Further, inflammation and DNA damage were reduced in the replicative senescent cells. These processes were initiated by a short and timely-restricted overexpression of the Yamanaka-factors induced by our pharmacological strategy. The advantage of these compounds is that they are FDA approved in their respective concentrations which could pave the way for use in a clinical setting.
Does education level affect the health status of the elderly? The chain mediating effect of internet use, health behavior and social class identity
Authors: Qin Ting , Wei Pingqiang , Xie Yuanyuan
Published: February 2025

Background

China’s aging population is gradually increasing, and the health status of the elderly has become the focus of social attention. Education level is one of the important factors affecting the health status of the elderly. However, there are few studies on how education level specifically affects the health status of the elderly in China. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the influence path of education level on the health status of the elderly in China, and to further study the mediating effect of Internet use, health behavior and social class identity in this process.

Methods

This study is based on the latest version of the Chinese General Social Survey data as the basis of empirical analysis. Through multiple linear regression analysis, structural equation model analysis, Bootstrap method and robustness test, the relationship between education level, Internet use, health behavior, social class identity and the health status of the elderly is verified.

Results

(1) Education level has a significant positive impact on the health status of the elderly in China (p < 0.05), which is, education level has a positive effect on the health status of the elderly in China. (2) Internet use, health behavior and social class identity have a significant mediating effect between education level and health status of Chinese elderly, and the mediating effect values are 0.024, 0.002 and 0.011, respectively. (3) Internet use, health behavior and social class identity play a chain mediating role in the impact of education level on the health status of the elderly, and the chain mediating effect value is 0.004.

Conclusions

This study not only confirms the direct impact of education level on the health status of the elderly in China, but also reveals the indirect role of Internet use, healthy behavior and social class identity in this impact mechanism. These findings provide new perspectives and strategies for further improving the health status of the elderly in China.
Life cycle assessment of a clinical malaria trial in Mali reveals large environmental impacts of electricity consumption and international travel
Authors: Smit Merel J. , Mahamar Almahamoudou , Kooistra Emma , Lanke Kjerstin , Sanogo Koualy , Okedy Patrick Wilikpan , Yehia Mohamed A. , Drakeley Chris , Touw Hugo , Stone Will , Dicko Alassane , Bousema Teun , Stobernack Tim
Published: February 2025

Climate change may be the single largest threat facing humanity and ecosystems, necessitating reductions in carbon emissions across all sectors, including healthcare and academia. With the aim of informing and supporting sustainable research practices, we performed a life cycle assessment of a clinical malaria trial conducted in Mali. The trial involved 80 malaria-infected participants in Ouélessébougou who were treated with antimalarials and monitored to determine clinical and transmission-blocking efficacy. Data on consumables, transportation, travel, and electricity use were collected in Mali and the Netherlands, where additional laboratory analyses and sample storage occurred. Data were analysed using the ReCiPe 2016 method for midpoint impact assessment. The trial involved 3 intercontinental shipments of materials and samples, 59,900 km of travel by research staff, and ~55 kg of plastic consumables. Trial conduct and reporting resulted in approximately 20.5 metric tons of CO2-equivalent (CO2e) emissions. Major carbon contributors were international travel (50%), electricity in Mali (28%), and air-transportation of materials (14%). Laboratory consumables, while contributing up to 20% of the trial’s impact on land and water use, were less important sources of emissions (2% of CO2e). The formation of fine particulate matter was another important contributor to human health damage, which was mainly attributed to electricity in Mali. Main contributors to ecosystem damage were carbon emissions, terrestrial acidification and ozone formation, with electricity in Mali and international travel as the two major contributors. With an eye on energy efficiency and sustainability, we observed no loss in stability of parasite genetic material (mRNA) in protective buffers when stored for 12 months at -20°C, compared to conventional -70°C. Switching to energy-efficient equipment settings could reduce electricity consumption of equipment by over 30%. Implementing solar panels could reduce overall CO2e emissions substantially. Immediate CO2e reductions can further be achieved through online conference attendance and alternative sample transportation; the latter would allow 10% CO2e emission reduction. These results form a starting point for improving the environmental sustainability of clinical trials in Africa.
Design and Synthesis of (3′-Benzyloxy)-3-fluoro-5-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-[1,1′-biphenyl] carbaldehyde and Indanone Derivatives and their Antibacterial Activity Close to Fab I Inhibitors
Authors: Acharyulu S. Raghunadh , Srinivasu N. , Jabgunde Amit Murlidhar , Jampala Sivaranjani , Arundhathi M. , Venkatesan Srinivasadesikan
Published: February 2025

Several bacterial targets are screened for the development of anti-infective medicines, but still finding new pharmacological targets and chemotherapeutics is still necessary in this field. Many anti-infective drugs and Fab I inhibitors with center cores like pyridines, pyridones, benzoxazole, benzothiazoles, quinolines, quinazolines and pyrazoles, etc. are in an advanced stage. In present work, we have designed an simple and efficient synthetic route of novel molecules based on the structure and binding modes of Fab I inhibitors with enzymes. The derivatives of (3′-benzyloxy-3-fluoro-5-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)-[1.1′-biphenyl]carbaldehyde (7a-j) and indanone (14a-f) were synthesized and characterized. Compared to earlier synthetic approaches, the derived synthetic routes are thought to be the shortest and most efficient. The reagent titanium isopropoxide was used for the nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) in the synthesis of carbaldehyde derivatives. The bacterial activity of synthesized novel molecules was evaluated against the Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus and B. subtilis) and Gram-negative (E. coli and P. aeruginosa) bacteria. The synthesized compounds are found to be effective against S. aureus at 16 µg/mL and at 8 µg/mL concentration against B. subtilis. The molecular modeling study of these molecules has shown that the binding energies of some of the synthesized molecules are higher than the standard molecule triclosan. The binding interactions of the molecule with the protein with more hydrogen bonds prove that the synthesized molecules are well fit in the protein pocket.
Optimizing Structural, Optical, Photocatalytic Properties of Cadmium Substituted Al Nano Chromites Synthesized at Low Temperature
Authors: Srikanth Ch. , Kumari P. Sailaja , Nayak R.Venkatesh , Charan G. Vijaya
Published: February 2025

In this work, the fabrication of cadmium doped Al nano chromites was performed by citrate gel auto combustion method to optimize its structural, morphological, optical and photocatalytic properties. The formed cadmium doped Al nanostructured chromites [Al1-xCdxCr2O4 where x = 0.00, 0.04 and 0.10] were characterized by X-ray diffraction, FESEM and FTIR techniques. The XRD confirms the single-phase cubic spinel structure of the Cd-Al nanochromites. The average crystalline size of the samples varies from 19 nm to 25 nm calculated by Debye-Scherrer’s equation from X-ray diffraction pattern. FTIR spectrum confirm the metal oxygen bonds around 400 to 600 cm–1 related to the spinel structure. The optical band gap energy ranges from 2.21 eV to 2.90 eV as calculated by Tauc plots. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and acid red dyes under visible light irradiation were performed.
Development of High-Performance Composite from Sugarcane Bagasse and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Enhanced Adsorption Applications
Authors: Ahmed Amel Y. , Hamza Izzeldin A.A.
Published: February 2025

A novel composite of sugarcane bagasse with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the ratio of 3:1 (m/m), respectively, was prepared. The bagasse was initially combined with functionalized MWCNTs using an HNO3-H2SO4 mixture, after which it was crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. Several characterization techniques like SEM, TEM, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis, were used to demonstrate the successful functionalization of the MWCNTs and the covalent anchorage of the bagasse onto the functionalized MWCNTs. The composite was subsequently evaluated alongside bagasse for its effectiveness in removing heavy metal ions from a multi-component metal ion mixture through batch adsorption studies. The findings indicated the enhanced sorption properties for some heavy metals. This composite, therefore, shows good potential for applications that involve pre-concentration and removal of water pollutants.
Structural, Magnetic and Antimicrobial Performance of Hydrothermally Synthesized Mg-Zn Ferrite Nanoparticles
Authors: Basha G. Ameer , Reddy C.V. Krishna , Reddy Lingala Eswaraditya , Jain Gaurav Mahnot , Gollapudi Dhruv , Balakrishna I. , Ramesh Gubbala V.
Published: February 2025

This study investigated the structural, magnetic and antibacterial properties of magnesium-zinc ferrite (Mg-Zn ferrite) nanoparticles, which were synthesized through hydrothermal method. The analysis revealed that the lattice parameters and crystallite sizes diminished as zinc content increased, showing a reduction from 36.6 nm for MgFe2O4 to 22.17 nm for ZnFe2FeO4, as determined through X-ray diffraction (XRD). An increased level of Zn substitution led to greater lattice strain and enhanced cation exchange, as evidenced by Raman spectrum. Magnetic studies revealed that the ideal cation configuration was Mg0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4, with a peak saturation magnetization of 28.53 emu/g. The antibacterial results showed that the zinc-rich samples were efficient against both Candida albicans and Gram-positive bacteria, specifically Staphylococcus aureus. This phenomenon was linked to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the liberation of Zn2+ ions into the adjacent environment.
Identification, Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Palbociclib Impurities
Authors: Reddy Nandyala Malyadri , Prasad K.R.S. , Nandipati Ravi Sekhar Reddy , Reddy Katam Reddy Vinod Kumar , Vineela Katam Reddy , Kumari G. Pavana , Mulakayala Naveen
Published: February 2025

Palbociclib is used for breast cancer treatment along with letrozole. Five major impurities were observed during the synthesis as well as in forced degradation studies, out of which, three impurities were identified during the penultimate step of palbociclib API synthesis. These three impurities were confirmed as palbociclib desacetyl impurity (PDA impurity), palbociclib desacetyl hydroxy impurity (PDH impurity) and palbociclib desacetyl hydroxyl methyl impurity (PDHM impurity). These impurities were formed due to the usage of palladium catalyst during the pre-final reaction between 1 and 2. The other two impurities were identified as N-oxides, which were formed due to the forced oxidative degradation studies of palbociclib. These two impurities were confirmed as palbociclib pyridine N-oxide and palbociclib piperazine N-oxide. All the five major impurities were identified, synthesized, characterized and confirmed by spectral analyses (1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectra). These impurities were potentially important as reference standards for the R&D scientists working in process development and formulation development of palbociclib.
On lifting of embeddings between transitive models of set theory
Authors: Honzík Radek
Published: February 2025

Suppose M and N are transitive models of set theory, P is a forcing notion in M and G is P-generic over M. An elementary embedding j : (M, ∈) → (N, ∈) lifts to M[G] if there is j+ : (M[G], G, ∈) → (N[j+(G)], j+(G), ∈) such that j+ restricted to M is equal to j. We survey some basic applications of the lifting method for both large cardinals and small cardinals (such as ω2, or successor cardinals in general). We focus on results and techniques which appeared after Cummings’s handbook article [Cum10]: we for instance discuss a generalization of the surgery argument, liftings based on fusion, and compactness principles such as the tree property and stationary reflection at successor cardinals.
Phytochemical profiling and evaluation of antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities of Ipomoea alba L.
Authors: Harshitha K R , Xavier Jobi
Published: February 2025

Plant-based medicine has been one of the oldest therapeutic practices in India and continues to offer valuable treatments for various ailments. Ipomoea alba, commonly known as morning glory, belongs to the family Convolvulaceae and is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of North and South America. It is renowned for its large, fragrant, nocturnal blooms, this plant holds significant potential in traditional medicine, particularly for managing gastrointestinal disorders, inflammation, and skin conditions. The nutrient content of Ipomoea alba leaves and seeds has demonstrated promising health benefits. This study investigated the phytochemical profile of Ipomoea alba leaves using three solvents: water, methanol, and chloroform. Phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, and tannins. HPLC analysis identified the presence of phenols in the aqueous extract, albeit in small quantities. Among the three extracts,the methanolic extract exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, as determined by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. Antiinflammatory activity, assessed using a proteinase inhibitory assay, demonstrated that the methanolic extract showed the greatest inhibition at lower concentrations compared to the aqueous and chloroform extracts. The results suggest that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Ipomoea alba may hold potential applications in cancer prevention and treatment. Future studies will aim to evaluate its cytotoxic effects, thereby exploring its potential role in cancer therapy.
Influence of ethrel on spatiotemporal changes and biosynthesis of volatile metabolites of Mango cultivars
Authors: Kavitha P S , Ranjhani R , Muthuvel I , Kalarani M K , Gurusamy R , Shanmugasundaram K A , Divya P
Published: February 2025

Mango, a highly preferred fruit known for its distinctive aroma and flavour, requires proper ripening to enhance its quality and shelf life. The use of calcium carbide for ripening has been banned due to its harmful effects on human health. While ethrel treatment in temperature-controlled chambers offers a safer alternative, it remains unaffordable for small-scale farmers and traders. This study evaluated mango ripening using ethrel in three chambers: silpaulin chamber, zero energy cool chambers and cold chamber. Among these, the zero-energy cool chambers demonstrated the most promising results. Fruits ripened in this chamber exhibited the lowest per cent disease index, indicating superior quality. Additionally, these fruits recorded higher colour values and total carotenoid content than those ripened in the cold chamber. The silpaulin chamber, however, showed increased antioxidant enzyme activity due to a higher respiration rate and disease index. Importantly, mangoes ripened in the zero energy cool chambers had the highest area percentage of volatile metabolites, which are key contributors to aroma and defence mechanisms. This suggests that the zero-energy cool chamber enhances fruit quality while minimizing postharvest losses. Besides being an eco-friendly and cost -effective alternative to traditional cold chambers, the zero-energy cool chamber can serve dual purposes. When not used for ripening, it can be utilized for the postharvest storage of fruits, effectively extending their shelf life. Thus, adopting zero-energy cool chambers offers a sustainable solution for small-scale mango traders and farmers.
Harnessing green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles for enhancement of sweet corn yield and quality
Authors: Sarin S , Sanbagavalli S , Janaki P , Geetha P , Rajkishore S K
Published: February 2025

Sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata), cherished globally for its sweet taste and nutritional richness, is sensitive to zinc availability-a key micronutrient vital for enzymatic activity, photosynthesis and kernel development. Despite its importance, zinc deficiency in agricultural soils remains a significant barrier to enhancing crop yield and nutritional quality. This study explores the efficacy of foliar-applied green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using Moringa oleifera leaf extract in enhancing sweet corn yield and quality under field conditions at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during the Kharif season of 2024, employing a Randomized Block Design with seven treatments, varying ZnO NP concentrations from 100 to 600 ppm, applied at 40 and 60 days after sowing (DAS). The findings revealed that foliar application of ZnO NPs at 500 ppm significantly enhanced yield parameters, including cob weight (269.9 g), grain yield (10277 kg/ha), green cob yield (16195 kg/ha) and green fodder yield (16393 kg/ha) along with quality attributes such as total soluble solids (16.33 ºBrix), total sugars (12.07 %) and carbohydrate content (25.08 %). Enhanced zinc uptake (357.5 g/ha) and recovery efficiency (50.63 %) were also recorded. Correlation analysis also revealed strong positive associations between yield traits, such as cob weight, grain yield and green fodder yield, with zinc uptake and content in grains. These results underscore the potential of ZnO NPs in optimizing zinc bioavailability to bolster sweet corn yield and nutritional value and thereby positioning ZnO NPs as a promising and sustainable biofortification strategy.
Maximum Defective Clique Computation: Improved Time Complexities and Practical Performance
Authors: Chang Lijun
Published: February 2025

k
-defective clique is a relaxation of the well-studied clique structure, by allowing up-to
k
edges missing from a clique. The problem of finding a
k
-defective clique with the largest number of vertices, although being NP-hard, has been receiving increasing interests recently, with advancements in both the theoretical time complexity and practical efficiency. The state-of-the-art time complexity is

O*(γ
n
k
)

, where
O*
ignores polynomial factors,
n
is the number of vertices in the input graph
G
, and

γ
k

< 2 is a constant that only depends on
k.
In this paper, we first prove, through a more refined and non-trivial analysis, that the time complexity of an existing algorithm can actually be bounded by

O* (γ
n
k

-1
), where

γ
k

-1
<

γ
k
.

Then, by utilizing the diameter-two property of large
k
-deffective cliques, we show that for graphs with maximum
k
-defective clique sizes

ω
k

(
G
) ≥
k
+ 2, a maximum
k
-defective clique can be found in
O*
((
α
Δ

)
k

+2

γ
α
k

-1
) time when using the degeneracy parameterization
α
and in
O
((αΔ)

k
+2

γ
α

k
-1

) time when using the degeneracy-gap parameterization
α
+
k
+ 1 -

ω
k

(
G
); here,
α
and Δ are the degeneracy and maximum degree of
G
, respectively. Note that, most real graphs satisfy

ω
k

(
G
) ≥
k
+ 2 and
α
≪
n.
Lastly, to improve the practical performance, we design a new degree-sequence-based reduction rule that can be efficiently applied, and theoretically demonstrate its effectiveness compared with the existing reduction rules. Extensive empirical studies on three benchmark graph collections, containing 290 graphs in total, show that our algorithm is also practically efficient, by outperforming all existing algorithms by several orders of magnitude. We remark that our proving techniques for reducing the base from

γ
k

to

γ
k

-1
and our general principle of designing a new reduction rule may also be beneficial to other problems.
Outback: Fast and Communication-Efficient Index for Key-Value Store on Disaggregated Memory
Authors: Liu Yi , Xie Minghao , Shi Shouqian , Xu Yuanchao , Litz Heiner , Qian Chen
Published: February 2025

Disaggregated memory systems achieve resource utilization efficiency and system scalability by distributing computation and memory resources into distinct pools of nodes. RDMA is an attractive solution to support high-throughput communication between different disaggregated resource pools. However, existing RDMA solutions face a dilemma: one-sided RDMA completely bypasses computation at memory nodes, but its communication takes multiple round trips; two-sided RDMA achieves one-round-trip communication but requires non-trivial computation for index lookups at memory nodes, which violates the principle of disaggregated memory. This work presents Outback, a novel indexing solution for key-value stores with a one-round-trip RDMA-based network that does not incur computation-heavy tasks at memory nodes. Outback is the first to utilize dynamic minimal perfect hashing and separates its index into two components: one memory-efficient and compute-heavy component at compute nodes and the other memory-heavy and compute-efficient component at memory nodes. We implement a prototype of Outback and evaluate its performance in a public cloud. The experimental results show that Outback achieves higher throughput than both the state-of-the-art one-sided RDMA and two-sided RDMA-based in-memory KVS by 1.06--5.03×, due to the unique strength of applying a separated perfect hashing index.
Themis: A GPU-Accelerated Relational Query Execution Engine
Authors: Hong Kijae , Kim Kyoungmin , Lee Young-Koo , Moon Yang-Sae , Bhowmick Sourav S , Han Wook-Shin
Published: February 2025

GPU-accelerated relational query execution engines have parallelized the execution of a pipeline, a sequence of operators. For the parallelization, the engines evenly partition the tuples in a table that will be scanned by the pipeline's first operator (a scan), and each thread executes the pipeline for the tuples in a partition. However, this approach leads to load imbalances since an operator returns a varying number of output tuples per input tuple, particularly under non-uniform data distributions such as skewed join key values. The load imbalances are classified into
intra- and inter-warp load imbalances
(intra-WLIs and inter-WLIs) since 1) threads are grouped into warps and 2) every thread in a warp evaluates the same operator for an input tuple concurrently following a
single-instruction-multiple-thread
manner. In contrast, threads in different warps can evaluate different operators concurrently. Although load balancing techniques have been proposed, however, they fail to solve the load imbalances on various workloads. In this paper, we propose a query execution engine, Themis, named after the deity of fairness, which symbolizes balanced workloads within our context. Themis minimizes intra-WLIs and inter-WLIs across various workloads. First, Themis minimizes intra-WLIs by redistributing tuples between the threads in a warp and making the threads evaluate an operator only when all of them hold inputs. Second, Themis mitigates the inter-WLIs by redistributing the tuples of warps with heavy workloads to idle warps. To check whether a warp's workload is heavy, we propose a method to approximate the sizes of warps' workloads. Based on these approximations, Themis adaptively adjusts the threshold for determining a warp's workload as heavy. In a recent benchmark JCC-H, which introduces skewed join key distributions to TPC-H, Themis significantly alleviates the inter-WLIs and intra-WLIs, outperforming the runner-up by up to 379x.
Advancing CLIL Approaches in EMI Settings Through International Collaboration: An Introduction
Authors: De Costa Peter I. , Hartman Douglas , Green-Eneix Curtis , Philip Montgomery D.
Published: February 2025

CLIL, which stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning, is an instructional approach that gives ample curricular and pedagogical attention to content and language outcomes in multilingual educational settings. Increasingly, it is heralded as a way to responsibly enact top-down English-Medium-of-Instruction (EMI) policies at the university level, where teachers and students are tasked with developing their English proficiency while remaining competitive in the international job market. However, teachers and teacher educators hoping to implement this approach in their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) content courses face significant challenges. This article serves as an introduction to a guest-edited special issue that reports on several aspects related to a project of international collaboration called Project SCILLA, an acronym for “STEM Content Integrated with Language-Learning Activities”. We first provide a brief overview of the project, which was developed and carried out in collaboration between Michigan State University and a consortium of 10 rural universities in Kazakhstan as a way to support STEM educators who wish to adapt their teaching practices to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Education. We then offer an overview of the six articles that comprise the special issue, and call for deliberate and dialogic international collaboration as a way to support teachers responding to language policy demands.
Depopulation in the Visok micro-region: Toward demographic and economic revitalization
Authors: Marković Ksenija , Radivojević Aleksandar R. , Marković Rastko S.
Published: February 2025

The demographic potential of the settlements in the Visok micro-region has been significantly disrupted since 1948. The latest census (2022) shows that the Visok micro-region now consists of very small settlements, all with fewer than 100 inhabitants. In all 22 villages of the Visok micro-region, there are only 504 inhabitants, with unfavorable age structures. The region’s average age has remained above 65 for the last 30 years, significantly older than the surrounding areas. Low salaries, bad infrastructure, and the industrialization of Pirot City represent the main reasons for depopulation. The Zavoj Lake catastrophe caused three villages to be submerged, which accelerated depopulation even more. Most of the remaining inhabitants are engaged in farming or work in the construction, stone, and forestry industries, with sheep farming being a notable tradition. The local population shows strong ecological awareness, advocating for industries that align with nature, creating an ideal environment for nature enthusiasts and scientists. The only way for revitalization is to have organized seasonal migrations based on the summer tourist season. The main aim for revitalization would be a national-level plan for creating a brand of untouched nature, with traditional agricultural products for the complete experience.
From tumor immunity to precision medicine: the next step in B7-H3/CD276 research
Authors: Fang Haolie , Liu Yuqian , Wang Gege , Liu Heng-Jia
Published: February 2025

B7-H3 (CD276) is one of the immune checkpoint molecules at the forefront of cancer biology, plays a diverse role in immune regulation and cancer progression, while its immunosuppressive functions enable tumors to escape immune detection, its contribution to processes such as angiogenesis, metabolic reprogramming and chemoresistance underscores its broader impact on the tumor microenvironment (TME). These properties make B7-H3 an attractive target for cancer therapy. This perspective discusses the immune and non-immune related functions of B7-H3, the challenges in tapping its therapeutic potential.
Review of Models and Modeling Methods for Optimization Problems of Electricity Supplier Company Portfolio and Strategic Decision Support
Authors:   G.E. Pukhov Institute for Modelling in Energy Engineering National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Kliuzko O.I.
Published: February 2025

The problem of making strategic decisions by the electricity supplier in significant uncertainty conditions caused by high volatility of prices on the wholesale market and fluctuations in the electricity consumption volume is determined. An overview was performed on the mathe-matical models and methods presented in the scientific literature, aimed at solving the prob-lems faced by individual market participants, taking into account their specific goals, regulato-ry and technological limitations. An analysis was conducted on the main methods and models used to optimize the activities of electricity suppliers in order to increase their profitability through the forming processes improvement and the procurement portfolio management, as well as making strategic decisions. Recommendations are offered for optimizing the activities of electricity suppliers aimed at increasing their profitability and efficiency of purchasing port-folio management.
Simulation of the Circular Motion of an Autonomous Unmanned Underwater Vehicle and the Signals of the Sensors of the Inertial Navigation System
Authors:   National Technical University of Ukraine «Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic   Institute», Kyiv, Zolotarov Ye.O. , Bouraou N.I. ,   National Technical University of Ukraine «Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic   Institute», Kyiv
Published: February 2025

An integrated navigation complex for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) has been developed to determine its current location coordinates and navigation parameters in various modes of movement, as well as to transmit and display these data in the visualization system on board the carrier vessel. Such a complex should provide not only the process of orientation, navigation, and control, but also the ability to monitor the functional technical condition of the AUV and its systems, and, if necessary, the remote control mode of the vehicle. We consider the inertial navigation system (INS) by «Inertial Labs» to determine the position, speed, and orientation of the vehicle based on data from the inertial measurement unit (IMU), which includes accelerometers and gyroscopes. The mathematical and computer modeling of the circular motion of the AUV was carried out, and the dependencies characterizing the change in the coordinates and projections of the AUV speed in the geographical coordinate system and the change in the heading angle were obtained. The obtained characteristics of the AUV motion were used to model the output signals of the gyroscopes and accelerometers of the IMU. Based on the mathematical description of the IMU signals, their computer modeling was carried out for the circular motion of the AUV, which makes it possible to reproduce the work of the INS for further research on navigation algorithms, data integration, improving the accuracy of positioning and navigation, the efficiency of transmission and visualization of the AUV motion data.
Pediatric Dermatology
Authors:   American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Dermatology
Published: February 2025

The new 5th edition simplifies clinical problem-solving with more than 500 full-color images to aid in the identification of skin conditions as well as appropriate treatment options. Content is organized in bulleted lists to make this an easy-to-use resource for busy clinicians. Available for purchase at https://www.aap.org/Pediatric-Dermatology-A-Quick-Reference-Guide-5th-Edition-Paperback
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE! Reporting Category G89: Pain, Not Elsewhere Classified
Authors:   American Academy of Pediatrics
Published: February 2025

Correct use of G89 codes provides information that cannot be conveyed by most site-specific codes for pain. This article reviews appropriate assignment and sequencing of pain codes included in category G89.
Digital game addiction, anger and aggression among university students
Authors: Altın Mehmet
Published: February 2025

Background and Study Aim. The increasing prevalence of digital games and their potential impact on mental health highlight the need to identify protective mechanisms against possible negative effects. This study aims to determine how gender, daily internet use, and age influence digital game addiction, anger expression styles, and aggression levels among university students.
Material and Methods. The study included 1074 university students (429 women and 645 men) from various universities in Turkey. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Digital Game Addiction Scale, the Anger Expression Styles Questionnaire, and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Statistical analyses included Independent Samples t-tests, One-Way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation tests to examine the relationships between digital game addiction, anger, and aggression. The study followed ethical guidelines and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Selcuk University.
Results. Male students demonstrated significantly higher levels of digital game addiction, aggression, and anger compared to female students (p < 0.05). Additionally, students with higher daily internet usage exhibited increased levels of digital game addiction, aggression, and anger (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found based on age. A positive correlation was observed between digital game addiction and anger expression styles (p < 0.05), suggesting that higher digital game addiction is associated with increased anger.
Conclusions. The findings suggest that male students are more susceptible to digital game addiction, aggression, and anger than female students, and that increased daily internet usage exacerbates these issues. These results underscore the need for further research and targeted interventions to mitigate the negative effects of digital game addiction on mental health, particularly among young adults. Developing educational programs and preventive strategies may help reduce the risks associated with excessive digital gaming and internet use.
Enhancing health-related physical fitness through Arnis: effects of a martial arts training program on collegiate students
Authors: Lobo Joseph
Published: February 2025

Background and Study Aim. Arnis, a Filipino martial art, is recognized for its potential to enhance physical fitness, yet its comprehensive impact on health-related fitness remains underexplored. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of the Arnis Training program (ATG) on Health-related Physical fitness of untrained Collegiate Students.
Material and Methods. The study randomly selected 192 college students, divided into two groups: Arnis Training (n=96) and Random Physical Activity (n=96). The ATG participated in a 10-week program with sparring and Anyo sessions, three times a week for 60–90 minutes, led by a certified instructor. The Random Physical Activity Group (RPAG) engaged in self-selected physical activities, following the same schedule. Pretesting and post-testing measured endurance, strength, and body composition using five tests: one-minute push-up, planking, three-minute step, 1 Repetition Max Bench Press (1RMBP), Back Squat (1RMBS), and a Skin Caliper test for lean body mass (LBM) and fat mass (FM). Post-testing occurred three days after the training to minimize fatigue. Paired t-tests were used for within-group comparisons, and independent t-tests for between-group comparisons.
Results. Results indicated that Arnis training improved overall health-related fitness for all, especially females. Males did not gain in cardiovascular endurance or fat mass. The RPAG achieved better squatting strength and LBM for all, with males showing gains in cardiovascular fitness and fat mass. Moreover, the ATG outperformed in most areas except squatting strength, with females displaying notably higher fitness components than those in RPAG. The findings suggest Arnis effectively enhances fitness, particularly for females, though sex-specific requirements necessitate tailored programs emphasizing cardio or fat-reduction.
Conclusions. The findings emphasize that ATG and RPAG training programs led to notable fitness improvements, but the ATG program showed more consistent gains across various fitness components. This suggests incorporating Arnis training into fitness programs could be highly beneficial, particularly for enhancing cardiovascular endurance, strength, and body composition. With its emphasis on agility, coordination, and strength, Arnis may offer a holistic approach to improving overall fitness. Its potential as a comprehensive training tool highlights the value of integrating martial arts-based programs into physical education and sports regimens to promote better health outcomes. This study underscores the importance of exploring diverse training methods like Arnis to optimize fitness and physical performance.