bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adverse events in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy in children and adolescents with nusinersen: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhong Zhi-Juan , Zheng Pi-Mei , Dou Hui-Hong , Wang Ji-Gan
Published: April 2023

Objectives

To systematically analyze adverse events (AEs) in treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) with Nusinersen in children and adolescents.

Methods

The study is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022345589). Databases were searched and literature relating to Nusinersen in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy in children from the start of database establishment to December 1, 2022, was retrospectively analyzed. R.3.6.3 statistical software was used, and random effects meta-analysis was performed to calculate weighted mean prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

In total, 15 eligible studies were included, with a total of 967 children. Rate of definite Nusinersen-related AEs was 0.57% (95% CI: 0%–3.97%), and probable Nusinersen-related AEs 7.76% (95% CI: 1.85%–17.22%). Overall rate of AEs was 83.51% (95% CI: 73.55%–93.46%), and serious AEs 33.04% (95% CI: 18.15%–49.91%). For main specific AEs, fever was most common, 40.07% (95% CI: 25.14%–56.02%), followed by upper respiratory tract infection 39.94% (95% CI: 29.43%–50.94%), and pneumonia 26.62% (95% CI: 17.99%–36.25%).

The difference in overall AE rates between the two groups (Nusinersen group and placebo group) was significant (OR = 0.27,95% CI: 0.08–0.95, P = 0.042). Moreover, incidence of serious adverse events, and fatal adverse events were both significantly lower than in the placebo group (OR = 0.47, 95%CI: 0.32–0.69, P < 0.01), and (OR = 0.37, 95%CI: 0.23–0.59, P < 0.01), respectively.

Conclusion

Nusinersen direct adverse events are rare, and it can effectively reduces common, serious, and fatal adverse events in children and adolescents with spinal muscular atrophy.
Essential headaches in developmental age: What is changed before, during and after the lockdown for COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical study
Authors: Bonuccelli Alice , Depietri Greta , Baldaccini Tommaso , Ricciutelli Irene , Peroni Diego , Spalice Alberto , Massimetti Gabriele , Morganti Riccardo , Orsini Alessandro , Striano Pasquale
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Essential headache is one of the main causes of pain in children, and has an important impact on their quality of life. In children with essential headaches play an important role in both triggers like stress, excessive use of video terminals, or physical fatigue but also comorbidities like anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. CoViD-19 Pandemic was very stressful, especially for children, and amplified all headache triggers and comorbidities.

Study objective

In this work, we studied the aspects concerning the headache,lifestyle, habits, and mental health of children before, during, and after the lockdown and the differences between some categories (selected by age, gender, and headache status before the lockdown).

Methods

This study was conducted on 90 patients with primary headaches followed at the AOUP Neuropediatrics Clinic from January 2018 to March 2022. Participants answered a questionnaire of 21 questions. For every question, the answer was divided into three periods: before, during, or after the lockdown. All dates have been converted and inserted into a database and we used SPSS technology for statistical analysis.

Results

In our study, 51,1% were females and 48,9% were males and there was a prevalence of adolescents (56,7%) compared to children from 5 to 11 years (43,3%). Regarding the headache onset, 77,7% of patients started to suffer from headaches before 10 years, moreover, 68,9% had familiarity with the headache. Using Cohen's K- Concordance Test, we performed a Concordance Analysis, studying the questions in the three periods above mentioned: considering headache characteristics there is poor concordance about the trend of headache; modest concordance (K: 0,2–0,4) about the frequency and the type (migraine or tension headache); moderate concordance (K: 0,41–0,61) about the acute use of analgesic. Analyzing lifestyle the lockdown had a significant impact on sports (practiced much less) and on the use of video terminals (used much more).

Conclusion

The pandemic and lockdown aren't events that led to strong and unidirectional responses in patients, there is great variability in the answers about headache, lifestyle, and psychology, and each patient had individualized reactions. However, these considerations are not applied to physical activity and the use of video terminals, because both have been inevitably modified by the pandemic situations and so were not affected by subjective influence.
Trends and characteristics of COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease related studies
Authors: Cheng Ao , Ren Honghao , Ma Zeyao , Alam Naqash , Jia Linying , Liu Enqi
Published: April 2023

Introduction: The new coronavirus has caused a pandemic that has infected hundreds of millions of people around the world since its outbreak. But the cardiovascular damage caused by the new coronavirus is unknown. We have analyzed the current global scenario and the general pattern of growth. After summarizing the known relationship between cardiovascular diseases and new coronary pneumonia, relevant articles are analyzed through bibliometrics and visualization.

Methods: Following our pre-designed search strategy, we selected publications on COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease in the Web of Science database. In our relevant bibliometric visualization analysis, a total of 7,028 related articles in the WOS core database up to 20th October 2022 were summarized, and the most prolific authors, the most prolific countries, and the journals and institutions that published the most articles were summarized and quantitatively analyzed.

Results: SARS-CoV-2 is more infectious than SARS-CoV-1 and has significant involvement in the cardiovascular system in addition to pulmonary manifestations, with a difference of 10.16% (20.26%/10.10%) in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. The number of cases increases in winter and decreases slightly in summer with temperature changes, but the increase in cases tends to break out of seasonality across the region as mutant strains emerge. The co-occurrence analysis found that with the progress of the epidemic, the research keywords gradually shifted from ACE2 and inflammation to the treatment of myocarditis and complications, indicating that the research on the new crown epidemic has entered the stage of prevention and treatment of complications.

Conclusion: When combined with the current global pandemic trend, how to improve prognosis and reduce human body damage could become a research focus. At the same time, timely detection, prevention, and discovery of new mutant strains have also become key tasks in the fight against the epidemic, and full preparations have been made to prevent the spread of the next wave of mutant strains, and still need to continue to pay attention to the differential performance of the variant “omicron.”
Numerical approach for the fractional order cable model with theoretical analyses
Authors: Ali Umair , Naeem Muhammad , Ganie Abdul Hamid , Fathima Dowlath , Salama Fouad Mohammad , Abdullah Farah Aini
Published: April 2023

This study, considers the fractional order cable model (FCM) in the sense of Riemann–Liouville fractional derivatives (R-LFD). We use a modified implicit finite difference approximation to solve the FCM numerically. The Fourier series approach is used to examine the proposed scheme’s theoretical analysis, including stability and convergence. The scheme is shown to be unconditionally stable, and the approximate solution converges to the exact solution. To demonstrate the application and feasibility of the proposed approach, a numerical example is provided.
Indicators of increased ER stress and UPR in aged D2-mdx and human dystrophic skeletal muscles
Authors: Krishna Swathy , Spaulding Hannah R. , Koltes James E. , Quindry John C. , Valentine Rudy J. , Selsby Joshua T.
Published: April 2023

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle disease that results in muscle wasting, wheelchair dependence, and eventual death due to cardiac and respiratory complications. In addition to muscle fragility, dystrophin deficiency also results in multiple secondary dysfunctions, which may lead to the accumulation of unfolded proteins causing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR). The purpose of this investigation was to understand how ER stress and the UPR are modified in muscle from D2-mdx mice, an emerging DMD model, and from humans with DMD. We hypothesized that markers of ER stress and the UPR are upregulated in D2-mdx and human dystrophic muscles compared to their healthy counterparts. Immunoblotting in diaphragms from 11-month-old D2-mdx and DBA mice indicated increased ER stress and UPR in dystrophic diaphragms compared to healthy, including increased relative abundance of ER stress chaperone CHOP, canonical ER stress transducers ATF6 and pIRE1α S724, and transcription factors that regulate the UPR such as ATF4, XBP1s, and peIF2α S51. The publicly available Affymetrix dataset (GSE38417) was used to analyze the expression of ER stress and UPR-related transcripts and processes. Fifty-eight upregulated genes related to ER stress and the UPR in human dystrophic muscles suggest pathway activation. Further, based on analyses using iRegulon, putative transcription factors that regulate this upregulation profile were identified, including ATF6, XBP1, ATF4, CREB3L2, and EIF2AK3. This study adds to and extends the emerging knowledge of ER stress and the UPR in dystrophin deficiency and identifies transcriptional regulators that may be responsible for these changes and be of therapeutic interest.
Testing field adaptation strategies for delaying grape ripening and improving wine composition in a cv. Macabeo Mediterranean vineyard
Authors: Buesa Ignacio , Yeves Antonio , Guerra Diego , Sanz Felipe , Chirivella Camilo , Intrigliolo Diego S.
Published: April 2023

Under semiarid and warm climates, field practices for climate change adaptation have to be defined in order to modulate grape composition according to the desired wine styles. Under this context, the present study investigated several viticulture practices in cv. Macabeo for Cava production. The experiment was carried out over 3 years in a commercial vineyard located in the province of Valencia (eastern Spain). The techniques tested were (i) vine shading, (ii) double pruning (bud forcing), and (iii) the combined application of soil organic mulching and shading, all of them tested against a control. Double pruning significantly modified phenology and grape composition, improving the wine alcohol-to-acidity ratio and reducing the pH. Similar results were also achieved by shading. However, the shading strategy did not significantly affect yield, unlike double pruning, which reduced vine yield even in the year following its application. Shading alone or in combination with mulching significantly improved the vine water status, suggesting that these techniques can also be used to alleviate water stress. Particularly, we found that the effect of soil organic mulching and canopy shading on stem water potential was additive. Indeed, all the techniques tested were useful for improving wine composition for cava production, but double pruning is only recommended for premium Cava production.
Psychometric properties of the job anxiety scale
Authors: Schmalbach Ileana , Schmalbach Bjarne , Kalkbrenner Andreas , Bassler Markus , Hinz Andreas , Petrowski Katja
Published: April 2023

Background

Occupational stress and specifically job anxiety are crucial factors in determining health outcomes, job satisfaction as well as performance. In order to assess this phenomenon, the Job Anxiety Scale (JAS) is one of the instruments available. It consists of 70 items that are clustered in 14 subscales and five dimensions. This manuscript is a revised version of a retracted article that analyzed the properties of a short version of the JAS. Rather than shortening the scale, the authors of the JAS recommend to further assess the scale in its current state without modification of the factor structure. Hence, the aim of this paper is to assess the psychometric properties of the original JAS.

Methods

The sample consists of 991 – mostly psychosomatic – patients from two different clinics. We applied methods of factor analysis and bivariate correlations to explore and test factor structure and the nomological net of related constructs.

Results

The Job Anxiety Scale evinced satisfactory psychometric properties. We found very high internal consistency, and invariance across participant age. It displayed good discriminant validity and we found the expected pattern of convergent correlations. However, the model fit is not convincing.

Conclusion

With the Job Anxiety Scale, researchers can assess job related worries in a reliable manner. The questionnaire is particularly useful in large-scale surveys, in therapy or work-related contexts. However, the scale could be modified in order to aim for a better fit and assess job related anxiety in a more efficient way.
The impact thinking framework: a process for advancing research-to-practice initiatives in neuroaesthetics
Authors: Magsamen Susan , Golden Tasha L. , Towriss Catriona A. , Allen Joy
Published: April 2023

Neuroaesthetics research explores brain, body and behavioral responses to engagement with the arts and other aesthetic sensory experiences. Evidence indicates that such experiences can help address various psychological, neurological and physiological disorders, and that they can support mental and physical well-being and learning in the general population. The interdisciplinary nature of this work contributes to its impact and promise; however, it also creates challenges as various disciplines approach and define research and practice in varied ways. Recent field-wide reports have noted that a consensus translational framework is needed to support further neuroaesthetics research that can deliver meaningful knowledge and interventions. The Impact Thinking Framework (ITF) was designed to meet this need. Through a description of the framework’s nine iterative steps and a presentation of three case studies, this paper posits that the ITF can support researchers and practitioners in understanding and applying aesthetic experiences and the arts to advance health, well-being, and learning.
Staff perspectives on end-of-life care for people living with dementia in residential aged care homes: qualitative study
Authors: Juhrmann Madeleine L. , San Martin Aljon , Jaure Allison , Poulos Christopher J. , Clayton Josephine M.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

People living with dementia in care homes can benefit from palliative approaches to care; however, not all will require specialist palliative care. The generalist aged care workforce is well placed to provide most of this care with adequate training and support systems in place, but little is known about their experiences.

Objective

To describe staff perspectives on providing quality end-of-life care for people living with dementia in residential care and their families.

Methods

Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with residential aged care managerial and frontline staff in Australia who were caring for residents living with dementia and end-of life needs. A comprehensive, then snowballing sampling strategy was used in participating care homes. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Fifteen semi-structured interviews and six focus groups were undertaken with 56 participants across 14 sites across two Australian states. Five themes were identified: putting the resident at the center (creating homes not hospitals, knowing the individual, a case management approach); articulating goals to grant wishes (initiating the conversation, broadening death literacy, avoiding hospitalization); a collective call to action (staffing the home, recognizing deterioration and escalating issues, communication channels and engaging GPs, managing medications, psychosocial supports); educating to empower staff (governance and guidance, mentoring juniors, self-care); and facilitating family acceptance (setting expectations, partnering in care, access at all hours).

Discussion

Aged care staff are committed to providing person-centered palliative and end-of-life care for people living with dementia, recognizing the intrinsic value of each resident, regardless of their declining state. Frontline and managerial staff consider advance care planning, collectively working as part of a multidisciplinary team, access to targeted palliative and end-of-life education and training, and engaging families as key priorities to providing high quality care in care homes.
Circulating plasma and exosome levels of the miR-320 family as a non-invasive biomarker for methamphetamine use disorder
Authors: Xu Wenjin , Hong Qingxiao , Zhou Yun , Chen Xiaoyu , Li Longhui , Wang Majie , Chen Weisheng , Xie Xiaohu , Zhuang Dingding , Lai Miaojun , Zhou Wenhua , Liu Huifen
Published: April 2023

The neurobiological mechanism underlying methamphetamine (MA) use disorder was still unclear, and no specific biomarker exists for clinical diagnosis of this disorder. Recent studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the pathological process of MA addiction. The purpose of this study was to identify novel miRNAs for the diagnosis biomarkers of MA user disorder. First, members of the miR-320 family, including miR-320a-3p, miR-320b, and miR-320c, were screened and analyzed in the circulating plasma and exosomes by microarray and sequencing. Secondly, plasma miR-320 was quantified by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in eighty-two MA patients and fifty age-gender-matched healthy controls. Meanwhile, we also analyzed exosomal miR-320 expression in thirty-nine MA patients and twenty-one age-matched healthy controls. Furthermore, the diagnostic power was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The expression of miR-320 significantly increased in plasma and exosomes of MA patients compared with healthy controls. The AUC of the ROC curves of miR-320 in plasma and exosomes of MA patients were 0.751 and 0.962, respectively. And the sensitivities of miR-320 were 0.900 and 0.846, respectively, whereas the specificities of miR-320 were 0.537 and 0.952, respectively, in plasma and exosomes in MA patients. And the increased plasma miR-320 was positively correlated with cigarette smoking, age of onset, and daily use of MA in MA patients. Finally, cardiovascular disease, synaptic plasticity, and neuroinflammation were predicted to be the target pathways related to miR-320. Taken together, our findings indicated that plasma and exosomal miR-320 might be used as a potential blood-based biomarker for diagnosing MA use disorder.
Gender differences in lung cancer epidemiology – do Austrian male lung cancer patients still die earlier in life?
Authors: Felsinger Richard , Kunze Ursula , Groman Ernest
Published: April 2023

Objective

Previous analyses reported an unexpected decline of mean age of death of Austrian male lung cancer patients until 1996 and a subsequent turnaround of this epidemiological trend after the mid-1990s until 2007. In light of ongoing changes in smoking behavior of men and women, this study aims to investigate the development of mean age of death from lung cancer in Austria during the past three decades.

Materials and methods

This study used data about the annual mean age of death from lung cancer, including malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung, between 1992 and 2021 obtained from Statistics Austria, Federal Institution under Public Law. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent samples t-tests were applied to explore any significant differences of mean values in the course of time as well as between men and women.

Results

Overall, mean age of death of male lung cancer patients increased consistently throughout the observed time periods, whereas women did not show any statistically significant change in the last decades.

Conclusion

Possible reasons for the reported epidemiological development are discussed in this article. Research and Public Health measures should increasingly focus on smoking behaviors of female adolescents.
Availability of essential medicines, progress and regional distribution in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Miao , Zou Kun , Liu Zheng , Liu Dan , Wang Xiuli , Shi Yuqing , Chen Zhe , Cheng Xiao , Lang Bingchen , Li Hailong , Zeng Linan , Tang Yong , Zhao Shaoyang , Jiang Yongmu , Choonara Imti , Zhang Lingli
Published: April 2023

Background

Essential medicines are the backbone of healthcare and meet the priority healthcare needs of the population. However, approximately one-third of the global population does not have access to essential medicines. Although China formulated essential medicine policies in 2009, the progress of availability of essential medicines and regional variations remains unknown. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the availability of essential medicines, their progress, and regional distribution in China in the last decade.

Methods

We searched eight databases from their inception to February 2022, relevant websites, and reference lists of included studies. Two reviewers selected studies, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias independently. Meta-analyses were performed to quantify the availability of essential medicines, their progress, and regional distribution.

Results

Overall 36 cross-sectional studies conducted from 2009 to 2019 were included, with regional data for 14 provinces. The availability of essential medicines in 2015–2019 [28.1%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 26.4–29.9%] was similar to that in 2009–2014 (29.4%, 95% CI: 27.5–31.3%); lower in the Western region (19.8%, 95% CI: 18.1–21.5%) than Eastern (33.8%, 95% CI: 31.6–36.1%) and Central region (34.5%, 95% CI: 30.6–38.5%); very low for 8 Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) categories (57.1%), and low for 5 categories (35.7%) among all ATC groups.

Conclusion

The availability of essential medicines in China is low compared with the World Health Organization goal, has not changed much in the last decade, is unequal across regions, and lacks data for half of provinces. For policy-making, the monitoring system of the availability of essential medicines is to be strengthened to enable long-term surveillance, especially in provinces where the data has been missing. Meanwhile, Joint efforts from all stakeholders are warranted to improve the availability of essential medicines in China toward the universal health coverage target.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=315267, identifier: PROSPERO CRD42022315267.
Rural-urban disparities in Oral Health-related Quality of Life for middle-aged and older adults with diabetes in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Hsueh-Fen , Lin Yun-Ti , Lin Jia-Ying , Lee Huey-Er
Published: April 2023

Background

Public health faces a significant challenge in reducing rural–urban disparities in diabetes. Since dietary control is part of the medical regimen for diabetes management, how diabetic patients perceive the impact of oral health on their quality of life is critical. The present study aimed to compare the Oral Health-related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) between rural and urban diabetic patients.

Methods

The study design was cross-sectional. The study sample included 831 self-reported diabetic patients, extracted from the first wave of the new-cohort Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging survey (NC_TLSA) that comprised a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults aged 50 and above in Taiwan. The composite score generated from the Oral Health Impact Profile-7 (OHIP-7), which has seven questions, was used to construct two OHRQoL measures, the severity of perceived poor OHRQoL and the prevalence of poor OHRQoL. These two OHRQoL measures were treated as dichotomous variables. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied for analysis.

Results

Rural diabetic patients had a higher likelihood of experiencing the severity of perceived poor OHRQoL than those in urban areas (OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.30–4.40). Although rural diabetic patients also had a higher prevalence of poor OHRQoL than urban diabetic patients, the difference was not significant (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 0.95–2.28). Social determinants, such as education, are essential factors attributed to both OHRQoL measures.

Conclusion

Overall, rural diabetes community-dwelling patients had a poorer OHRQoL than those in urban areas. Given a bidirectional relationship between oral health and diabetes, improving oral health in rural areas may be a critical avenue to improve the quality of diabetes care in rural areas.
Strategies to improve PrEP uptake among West African men who have sex with men: a multi-country qualitative study
Authors: Reyniers Thijs , Babo Stéphane Alain Yoro , Ouedraogo Mamadou , Kanta Ibrahima , Ekon Agbégnigan Laurette , Rojas Daniela , Eubanks August , Anoma Camille , Dah Ter Tiero Elias , Mensah Ephrem , Dembélé Keita Bintou , Spire Bruno , Vuylsteke Bea , Laurent Christian
Published: April 2023

Introduction

West African men who have sex with men (MSM) remain at substantial risk of contracting HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can be an effective game-changer in reducing the number of HIV infections in MSM communities. To optimize the roll-out of PrEP, we need to better understand how we can increase its uptake. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of West African MSM toward PrEP and their proposed strategies to overcome barriers to PrEP uptake within their communities.

Methods

Between April 2019 and November 2021, we conducted 12 focus group discussions with 97 MSM not taking PrEP, and 64 semi-structured interviews with MSM taking PrEP, in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Togo. Data collection and analysis were guided and conducted by local research teams, enabling a community-based participatory approach. A coordinating researcher collaborated with these local teams to analyze the data guided by a grounded theory approach.

Results

The results show that participants were generally positive toward PrEP and that MSM communities have become more aware of PrEP for the study. We identified three main strategies for increasing PrEP uptake. First, participants proposed to raise awareness and improve knowledge of HIV as they considered the self-perceived risk of MSM in their communities to be low. Second, because of existing misconceptions and false information, participants proposed to improve the dissemination of PrEP to allow for informed choices, e.g., via peers or PrEP users themselves. Third, as oral PrEP also entails a risk of being associated with HIV or homosexuality, strategies to avoid stigmatization (e.g., hiding pills) were deemed important.

Discussion

These findings indicate that the roll-out of oral PrEP and other future PrEP modalities should be accompanied by raising awareness and improving knowledge on HIV, and wide dissemination of information that focuses on the health-promoting aspect of these tools. Tailored delivery and long-acting PrEP modalities will be important to avoid potential stigmatization. Sustained efforts to prevent discrimination and stigmatization based on HIV status or sexual orientation continue to be highly important strategies to address the HIV epidemic in West Africa.
Solar-induced 27-day modulation on polar mesospheric cloud (PMC), based on combined observations from SOFIE and MLS
Authors: Qiu Shican , Yuan Mengzhen , Soon Willie , Velasco Herrera Victor Manuel , Zhang Zhanming , Yang Chengyun , Yousof Hamad , Dou Xiankang
Published: April 2023

Temperature and water vapor are two key variables affecting the polar mesospheric cloud (PMC). Solar radiation can increase the mesospheric temperature through UV heating. In this research, the composite solar index Y10 is used for the first time to study the influence of solar radiation on PMC variability. The ice water content (IWC) is selected to characterize the properties of PMCs. The observations of IWC are from the Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment (SOFIE) onboard the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite, and the temperature data used are measured by both the SOFIE instrument and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) onboard the Aura satellite. According to the superposed epoch analysis (SEA) method, it is shown that the solar 27-day modulation can affect PMCs by changing and modulating the mesospheric temperature. The results show that the IWC responds to the Y10 later than the mesospheric temperature does. Further investigation into the relationship between the mesospheric temperature and PMCs reveals that the average time lag is 0 days in the northern hemisphere (NH) and 1 day in the southern hemisphere (SH). The differences in temperature response to the 27-day solar rotational modulation with atmospheric pressure and latitude are also analyzed on the basis of the temperature observations made from 2004 to 2020 by the MLS. The temperature time lag of NH2008 and NH2012 are 1–5 days (depending on latitude), close to the time lag of direct solar heating with 4 days. The PMC seasons with temperature time lags greater than 5 days are indicated to be modulated by atmospheric dynamics with a 27-day cycle. The temperature time lag has two distinct patterns of variation in latitude, and thus two different atmospheric modulation mechanisms may exist. Twelve PMC seasons with 27-day periodicity are distinguished, nine of which have decreasing temperature time lags with increasing altitude because of the atmospheric dynamical effects.
Mitigating disease risk in an endangered pinniped: early hookworm elimination optimizes the growth and health of Australian sea lion pups
Authors: Lindsay Scott A. , Fulham Mariel , Caraguel Charles G. B. , Gray Rachael
Published: April 2023

The Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) experiences high pup mortality of seasonally alternating severity, partly attributed to endemic hookworm (Uncinaria sanguinis) infection. To further explore health outcomes of early hookworm elimination, a treatment trial was conducted at Seal Bay Conservation Park, South Australia, over consecutive lower and higher mortality breeding seasons (2019, 19.2%; 2020–1; 28.9%). Pups (n = 322) were stratified into two age cohorts (median 14 d and 24 d recruitment ages) and randomly assigned to treated (topical ivermectin 500  μg/kg) or control (untreated) groups. A younger prepatent cohort <14 d old (median 10 d) was identified a posteriori. A seasonally independent growth benefit resulted from hookworm elimination across all age cohorts. The greatest relative improvements (bodyweight + 34.2%, standard length + 42.1%; p ≤ 0.001) occurred in the month post-treatment, in the youngest prepatent cohort. A significant benefit of lesser magnitude (bodyweight + 8.6–11.6%, standard length + 9.5–18.4%; p ≤ 0.033) persisted up to 3  months across all age cohorts – greatest in the youngest pups. Treatment resulted in immediate improvement in hematological measures of health – decreased anemia and inflammation severity (p ≤ 0.012). These results enhance our understanding of host–parasite–environment interactions within the context of hematological ontogenesis, confirm the seasonally independent benefits of hookworm disease intervention, and further inform conservation recommendations for this endangered species.
Predicting the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with the New Chinese Diabetes Risk Score in a Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Hongen , She Yuhang , Dai Shuhong , Wang Li , Tao Na , Huang Shaofen , Xu Shan , Lou Yanmei , Hu Fulan , Li Liping , Wang Changyi
Published: April 2023

Objectives: The New Chinese Diabetes Risk Score (NCDRS) is a noninvasive tool to assess the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Chinese population. Our study aimed to evaluate the performance of the NCDRS in predicting T2DM risk with a large cohort.

Methods: The NCDRS was calculated, and participants were categorized into groups by optimal cutoff or quartiles. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidential intervals (CIs) in Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association between the baseline NCDRS and the risk of T2DM. The performance of the NCDRS was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC).

Results: The T2DM risk was significantly increased in participants with NCDRS ≥25 (HR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.88–2.39) compared with NCDRS <25 after adjusting for potential confounders. T2DM risk also showed a significant increasing trend from the lowest to the highest quartile of NCDRS. The AUC was 0.777 (95% CI 0.640–0.786) with a cutoff of 25.50.

Conclusion: The NCDRS had a significant positive association with T2DM risk, and the NCDRS is valid for T2DM screening in China.
Influence of Electric Wing Tip Propulsion on the Sizing of the Vertical Stabilizer and Rudder in Preliminary Aircraft Design
Authors: Albrecht Alexander , Bender Andreas , Strathoff Philipp , Zumegen Clemens , Stumpf Eike , Strohmayer Andreas
Published: April 2023

During preliminary aircraft design, the vertical tail sizing is conventionally conducted by the use of volume coefficients. These represent a statistical approach using existing configurations’ correlating parameters, such as wing span and lever arm, to size the empennage. For a more detailed analysis with regard to control performance, the vertical tail size strongly depends on the critical loss of thrust assessment. This consideration increases in complexity for the design of the aircraft using wing tip propulsion systems. Within this study, a volume coefficient-based vertical tail plane sizing is compared to handbook methods and the possibility to reduce the necessary vertical stabilizer size is assessed with regard to the position of the engine integration and their interconnection. Two configurations, with different engine positions, of a hybrid-electric 19-seater aircraft, derived from the specifications of a Beechcraft 1900D, are compared. For both configurations two wiring options are assessed with regard to their impact on aircraft level for a partial loss of thrust. The preliminary aircraft design tool MICADO is used to size the four aircraft and propulsion system configurations using fin volume coefficients. These results are subsequently amended by handbook methods to resize the vertical stabilizer and update the configurations. The results in terms of, e.g., operating empty mass and mission fuel consumption, are compared to the original configurations without the optimized vertical stabilizer. The findings support the initial idea that the connection of the electric engines on the wing tips to their respective power source has a significant effect on the resulting torque around the yaw axis and the behaviour of the aircraft in case of a power train failure, as well as on the empty mass and trip fuel. For only one out of the four different aircraft designs and wiring configurations investigated it was possible to decrease the fin size, resulting in a 53.7% smaller vertical tail and a reduction in trip fuel of 4.9%, compared to the MICADO design results for the original fin volume coefficient.
Pre-Trained Deep Neural Network-Based Features Selection Supported Machine Learning for Rice Leaf Disease Classification
Authors: Aggarwal Meenakshi , Khullar Vikas , Goyal Nitin , Singh Aman , Tolba Amr , Thompson Ernesto Bautista , Kumar Sushil
Published: April 2023

Rice is a staple food for roughly half of the world’s population. Some farmers prefer rice cultivation to other crops because rice can thrive in a wide range of environments. Several studies have found that about 70% of India’s population relies on agriculture in some way and that agribusiness accounts for about 17% of India’s GDP. In India, rice is one of the most important crops, but it is vulnerable to a number of diseases throughout the growing process. Farmers’ manual identification of these diseases is highly inaccurate due to their lack of medical expertise. Recent advances in deep learning models show that automatic image recognition systems can be extremely useful in such situations. In this paper, we propose a suitable and effective system for predicting diseases in rice leaves using a number of different deep learning techniques. Images of rice leaf diseases were gathered and processed to fulfil the algorithmic requirements. Initially, features were extracted by using 32 pre-trained models, and then we classified the images of rice leaf diseases such as bacterial blight, blast, and brown spot with numerous machine learning and ensemble learning classifiers and compared the results. The proposed procedure works better than other methods that are currently used. It achieves 90–91% identification accuracy and other performance parameters such as precision, Recall Rate, F1-score, Matthews Coefficient, and Kappa Statistics on a normal data set. Even after the segmentation process, the value reaches 93–94% for model EfficientNetV2B3 with ET and HGB classifiers. The proposed model efficiently recognises rice leaf diseases with an accuracy of 94%. The experimental results show that the proposed procedure is valid and effective for identifying rice diseases.
Self-Regulation of Soil Enzyme Activity and Stoichiometry under Nitrogen Addition and Plastic Film Mulching in the Loess Plateau Area, Northwest China
Authors: Liu Meixia , Wang Menglu , Sun Congwei , Wu Hui , Zhao Xueqing , Liu Enke , Dong Wenyi , Yan Meiling
Published: April 2023

Soil extracellular enzyme activity (EA) and its eco-enzyme stoichiometric ratio (ES) are extremely sensitive to environmental change. This study aimed to clarify the change law of EA and ES in soil with different nitrogen addition levels under plastic film mulching, and to optimize the application amount of nitrogen fertilizer that was used. Based on the location experiment of plastic film mulching fertilization that has been ongoing since 2015, soil samples were collected from different depths (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm) during the harvest period of spring maize in October 2021. Four soil extracellular enzyme activities (β-1,4 glucosidase (βG), β-1, 4-N-acetylglucosidase (NAG), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and alkaline phosphatase (AP)) involved in soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling at different nitrogen application levels (0, 90, 150, 225 and 300 kg·hm−2) were studied under two planting patterns of no plastic film mulching (LD) and plastic film mulching (PM). The latest discovery of this study is that the activities of soil EA involved in the cycling of soil carbon C, N and P are similar in different soil depths (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm). Both EC:P and EC:P in the soil in this area are less than 1:1, indicating that the soil is limited by N and P. Comprehensive analysis showed that a nitrogen application level of 225 kg·hm−2 was beneficial to the balance of soil nutrients and the improvement of soil EA at harvest. At the same time, PM can effectively improve the soil EA and is more conducive to the balance of soil nutrients. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that EA and ES were strongly correlated with pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). Most importantly, this study revealed that the activity of extracellular enzymes in arid and semi-arid areas was constantly self-regulated with the addition of nitrogen, which provided theoretical and technical support for the efficient use of nitrogen under the condition of plastic film mulching.
Agri-Ecological Policy, Human Capital and Agricultural Green Technology Progress
Authors: Ma Guoqun , Li Minjuan , Luo Yuxi , Jiang Tuanbiao
Published: April 2023

Agri-ecological policy and human capital are important factors affecting agricultural green technology progress (AGTP), but the related research is relatively insufficient. This paper contributes to existing research through new insights on the effect of agri-ecological policy on AGTP, using human capital as a moderating variable. We use the Super-efficiency SBM-DEA model to measure AGTP in 30 provinces of China during 2000–2019, and use a two-way fixed effects model to analyze the nonlinear effect of agri-ecological policy on AGTP and the moderating role of human capital. The results show that there is a “U”-shaped relationship between agri-ecological policy and AGTP, where human capital plays a positive moderating role. Intermediate human capital and advanced human capital can significantly moderate the impact of agri-ecological policy on AGTP, while the moderating role of primary human capital is not significant. The “U”-shaped relationship between agri-ecological policy and AGTP involves some heterogeneity based on differences in grain function and the two sides of the Hu Huanyong line.
Identifying Redox-Sensitive Cysteine Residues in Mitochondria
Authors: Kisty Eleni A. , Saart Emma C. , Weerapana Eranthie
Published: April 2023

The mitochondrion is the primary energy generator of a cell and is a central player in cellular redox regulation. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) are the natural byproducts of cellular respiration that are critical for the redox signaling events that regulate a cell’s metabolism. These redox signaling pathways primarily rely on the reversible oxidation of the cysteine residues on mitochondrial proteins. Several key sites of this cysteine oxidation on mitochondrial proteins have been identified and shown to modulate downstream signaling pathways. To further our understanding of mitochondrial cysteine oxidation and to identify uncharacterized redox-sensitive cysteines, we coupled mitochondrial enrichment with redox proteomics. Briefly, differential centrifugation methods were used to enrich for mitochondria. These purified mitochondria were subjected to both exogenous and endogenous ROS treatments and analyzed by two redox proteomics methods. A competitive cysteine-reactive profiling strategy, termed isoTOP-ABPP, enabled the ranking of the cysteines by their redox sensitivity, due to a loss of reactivity induced by cysteine oxidation. A modified OxICAT method enabled a quantification of the percentage of reversible cysteine oxidation. Initially, we assessed the cysteine oxidation upon treatment with a range of exogenous hydrogen peroxide concentrations, which allowed us to differentiate the mitochondrial cysteines by their susceptibility to oxidation. We then analyzed the cysteine oxidation upon inducing reactive oxygen species generation via the inhibition of the electron transport chain. Together, these methods identified the mitochondrial cysteines that were sensitive to endogenous and exogenous ROS, including several previously known redox-regulated cysteines and uncharacterized cysteines on diverse mitochondrial proteins.
In-Situ Thermoresponsive Hydrogel Containing Resveratrol-Loaded Nanoparticles as a Localized Drug Delivery Platform for Dry Eye Disease
Authors: De Luca Ilenia , Di Cristo Francesca , Conte Raffaele , Peluso Gianfranco , Cerruti Pierfrancesco , Calarco Anna
Published: April 2023

Dry eye disease (DED) is a dynamic and complex disease that can cause significant damage to the ocular surface and discomfort, compromising the patient’s quality of life. Phytochemicals such as resveratrol have received increasing attention due to their ability to interfere with multiple pathways related to these diseases. However, the low bioavailability and the poor therapeutic response of resveratrol hinder its clinical applications. Cationic polymeric nanoparticles, in combination with in situ gelling polymers, could represent a promising strategy to prolong drug corneal residence time reducing the frequency of administration and increasing the therapeutic response. Eyedrop formulations, based on acetylated polyethyleneimine-modified polylactic-co-glicolyc acid- (PLGA-PEI) nanoparticles loaded with resveratrol (RSV-NPs) were dispersed into poloxamer 407 hydrogel and characterized in terms of pH, gelation time, rheological properties, in vitro drugs release, and biocompatibility. Moreover, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of RSV were assessed in vitro by mimicking a DED condition through the exposition of epithelial corneal cells to a hyperosmotic state. This formulation exhibited sustained release of RSV for up to 3 days, exerting potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on corneal epithelial cells. In addition, RSV reversed the mitochondrial dysfunction mediated by high osmotic pressure, leading to upregulated sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) expression, an essential regulator of mitochondrial function. These results suggest the potential of eyedrop formulation as a platform to overcome the rapid clearance of current solutions for treating various inflammation- and oxidative stress-related diseases such as DED.
Application of an Optimized PSO-BP Neural Network to the Assessment and Prediction of Underground Coal Mine Safety Risk Factors
Authors: Mulumba Dorcas Muadi , Liu Jiankang , Hao Jian , Zheng Yining , Liu Heqing
Published: April 2023

Coal has played an important role in the economies of many countries worldwide, which has resulted in increased surface and underground mining in countries with large coal reserves, such as China and the United States. However, coal mining is subject to frequent accidents and predictable risks that have, in some instances, led to the loss of lives, disabilities, equipment damage, etc. The assessment of risk factors in underground mines is therefore considered a commendable initiative. Therefore, this research aimed to develop an efficient model for assessing and predicting safety risk factors in underground mines using existing data from the Xiaonan coal mine. A model for evaluating safety risks in underground coal mines was developed based on the optimized particle swarm optimization-backpropagation (PSO-BP) neural network. The results showed that the PSO-BP neural network model for safety risk assessment in underground coal mines was the most reliable and effective, with MSE, MAPE, and R2 values of 2.0 × 10−4, 4.3, and 0.92, respectively. Therefore, the study proposed the neural network model PSO-BP for underground coal mine safety risk assessment. The results of this study can be adopted by decision-makers for evaluating and predicting risk factors in underground coal mines.