bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circular Economy Benefit Indicators for Using Biochar in Regenerative Agriculture
Authors: Baltrėnaitė-Gedienė Edita , Huisingh Donald , Yrjälä Kim
Published: July 2023

In spite of decades of political commitments, research, and applications of innovations for reducing climate change's causes and catastrophic impacts, the global CO2 emissions have continued to rise. Achieving more stringent reduction targets requires rapid activities towards carbon neutrality in many ways to accelerate the transition to equitable, sustainable, livable, post-fossil carbon societies. Conventional agriculture, is responsible for 14% of global annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is causing an additional 17% through land use changes, mostly in developing countries. This is due to GHG emissions from its food production activities that include the farming activities, food transportation to food processing facilities, distribution, marketing, food usage, and food waste. The negative impacts of current agricultural practices underscore the urgency to transition to holistic, regenerative agricultural practices where negative carbon emission technologies such as the usage of biochar and other approaches are used to dramatically decrease the GHG emissions as well as to make the transition to circular economies via food chain, carbon neutrality. It is unfortunate that at this time, carbon sequestration progress and implementation of circular economy principle is well documented and to be practically achievable, the progress needs to be quantitatively measured. The authors of this paper, proposed a system of indicators for measuring progress toward carbon neutrality in agriculture based on circular economy principles. To accelerate the needed transition to regenerative agriculture, the extensive production and usage of biochar is essential.
In vitro assessment of ruminal biohydrogenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in diets with different types and levels of protected fat and diverse sources of fibre
Authors: Rojas-González Alberto Jorge , Arriaga-Jordán Carlos Manuel , Sánchez-Torres Juan Edrei , Mejía-Uribe Luis Alberto , Rayas-Amor Adolfo Armando , Morales-Almaraz Ernesto
Published: July 2023

The objective was to assess in vitrorumen fermentation characteristics, methane production and biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids of diets based on maize silage with two sources of protected fat (PF) from soybean (S) or linseed (L) oil, two levels of PF (0 and 6%) and two forage sources: canola silage (CS) or alfalfa hay (AH); in a factorial 2x2x2 completely randomised design. The highest (P<0.05) amount of C18:2 at the end of incubation was in the S6AH treatment (4.41mg/g DM) and of C18:3 in L6CS (1.98mg/g DM). The AH 6% PF showed the highest concentration of C18:2 cis-9 trans-11 (308 mg/g DM; P<0.05). C18:1 trans-11 was higher with 6% PF than without PF (13.41 vs 7.89 mg/g DM). Cumulative methane production was not affected by treatments (0.9973 ± 0.1549 mmol/g DM; P>0.05). Gas production (GY) was lower with PF at 6% L vs S (150.97 vs 160.88 ml; P<0.05), and IVDMD was higher (P<0.05) with AH without PF than with 6% PF (85.04 vs 78.54%), and IVNDFD was lower with 6% L than with 6% S (62.89 vs 69.28%; P<0.05). L had the highest NH3-N concentration with CS than with AH with the same type of PF (41.27 vs 27.95 mg/dL; P<0.05). In conclusion, although methane production was not affected and in vitro digestibility and GY were reduced with linseed PF supplementation, the concentration of C18:3 and C18:1 trans-11 was increased, which could improve the lipid profile of milk. The negative effects on digestibility were improved with AH instead of CS regardless of PF type and level.
Alcohol inhibits sociability via serotonin inputs to the nucleus accumbens
Authors: Wang Ruixiang , Khan Kanza , Balasubramanian Nagalakshmi , James Thomas , Pushpavathi Selvakumar , Kim David , Pierson Samantha , Wu Qi , Niciu Mark , Hefti Marco , Marcinkiewcz Catherine
Published: July 2023

Social interaction is a core component of motivational behavior that is perturbed across multiple neuropsychiatric disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Positive social bonds are neuroprotective and enhance recovery from stress, so reduced social interaction in AUD may delay recovery and lead to alcohol relapse. We report that chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) induces social avoidance in a sex-dependent manner and is associated with hyperactivity of serotonin (5-HT) neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). While 5-HTDRN neurons are generally thought to enhance social behavior, recent evidence suggests that specific 5-HT pathways can be aversive. Using chemogenetic iDISCO, the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) was identified as one of 5 regions that were activated by 5-HT DRN stimulation. We then employed an array of molecular genetic tools in transgenic mice to show that 5-HT DRN inputs to NAcc dynorphin neurons drive social avoidance in male mice after CIE by activating 5-HT2C receptors. NAcc dynorphin neurons also inhibit dopamine release during social interaction, reducing the motivational drive to engage with social partners. This study reveals that excessive serotonergic drive after chronic alcohol can promote social aversion by inhibiting accumbal dopamine release. Drugs that boost brain serotonin levels may be contraindicated for individuals with AUD.
Preanesthetic withdrawal improves the effect of prolonged epidural labor analgesia conversion to epidural surgery anesthesia: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Li Shuying , Bi Yanmei , Gu Juan , Kang Yanming
Published: July 2023

Background
There are many factors affecting the failure of epidural labor analgesia (ELA) conversion to epidural surgery anesthesia (ESA). We hypothesized that preanesthetic withdrawal could improve the effect of prolonged ELA conversion to ESA.
Methods
This study prospectively observed parturients who converted the prolonged ELA to ESA. The parturients were divided into two groups according to whether the ELA was stopped before anesthesia. Group S: ELA was stopped more than 30 min before analgesia, Group NS: ELA was not stopped before analgesia. Epidural anesthesia was administered directly through the ELA catheter in both groups. The primary outcome was the failure rate of epidural anesthesia. The secondary outcomes were the intraoperative muscle relaxation effect, visceral pain, incision pain, intraoperative anesthesia effect and maternal satisfaction. Intraoperative anesthesia-related data, epidural labor analgesia-related data, and maternal and fetal data were also recorded.
Results
A total of 167 parturients were included in this prospective cohort study: 77 parturients were in Group S, and 88 parturients in Group NS. Compared with Group NS, Group S had a lower failure rate of epidural anesthesia (13% vs. 29.5%), higher excellent rate of muscle relaxation (90.3% vs. 78.2%), lower incidence of visceral pain (9.7% vs. 32.1%) and incision pain (9.7% vs. 15.9%), lower visual analog scale (VAS) of visceral pain (0 (0,0) vs. 0 (0,3)) and incision pain (0 (0,0) vs. 0 (0,0)). Group S had a higher rate of excellent anesthesia effect (77.9% vs. 56.8%) and anesthesia satisfaction (96.1% vs. 83%).
Conclusion
Drug withdrawal before anesthesia can significantly reduce the failure rate of epidural anesthesia and improve the anesthesia effect and anesthesia satisfaction in prolonged ELA conversion to ESA.
Trial registration
Chictr.org, ChiCTR2100047772. Registered on 26/6/2021.
Tacrolimus improves therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells in diabetic retinopathy by suppressing DRP1-mediated mitochondrial fission
Authors: Jo Hang Hyo , Goh Yeong-Seok , Kim Hye Jih , Kim Dae Hyun , Kim Hyemin , Hwang Jiyi , Jung Ji Seung , Kang Nanyoung , Park Sang-Eun , Park Kyung-Mee , Lee Hyun Jik
Published: July 2023

Background:Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness in diabetic patients. Human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs) are emerging as a promising new drug for degenerative disease associated with diabetes. Recent studies have shown that high glucose-increased excessive calcium levels are a major risk factor for mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) accumulation and apoptosis. This study aimed to investigate the role of high glucose-induced NFATC1 signaling in mitochondrial oxidative stress-stimulated apoptosis and the effect of tacrolimus on the therapeutic efficacy of subconjunctival transplantation of UCB-MSCs in a DR rat model.Methods:The UCB-MSCs were pretreated with the drugs prior to high glucose treatment. Then, we conducted experiments using western blot, LDH release, mitoSOX staining, qPCR analysis and MitoTacker staining. For animal experiment, tacrolimus or vehicle-pretreated MSCs were injected subconjunctivally in STZ-induced DR rat model.Results:High glucose increased cytotoxicity, mtROS, and cleaved caspase-9 expression in UCB-MSCs, and high glucose-induced mtROS was critical for apoptosis. High glucose conditions increased O-GlcNAcylated protein expression and nuclear translocation of NFATC1. However, nuclear translocation of NFATC1 was reduced by ST045849 pre-treatment, an O-GlcNAc transferase inhibitor. Tacrolimus pretreatment recovered high glucose-induced mtROS levels and apoptosis. In DR rat model, subconjunctival transplantation of tacrolimus-pretreated MSCs improved retinal vessel formation, retinal function, and uveitis. In high glucose conditions, tacrolimus pretreatment reduced protein and mRNA expression levels of DRP1 and inhibited mitochondrial fission. In addition, Mdivi-1 pretreatment, DRP1 inhibitor, reduced mtROS levels and apoptosis of UCB-MSCs under high glucose conditions.Conclusions: In conclusion, we demonstrated that high glucose-induced O-GlcNAcylation activates NFATC1 signaling, important for DRP1-mediated mitochondrial fission and mitochondrial apoptosis. Finally, we proposed NFATC1 suppression by tacrolimus as a promising therapeutic strategy to improve the therapeutic efficacy of UCB-MSC transplantation for DR treatment.
Effectiveness of Short-term Uric Acid-lowering Medications in Controlling Serum Uric Acid and Gout Attacks after Bariatric Surgery in Patients with Hyperuricemia: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Song Ke , He Ming , Kong Xiangxin , Zhang Yuan , Xie Xing , Cheng Junming , Ren Yixing
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Patients with hyperuricemia are at risk for increased serum uric acid (SUA) levels and gout attacks in the short term after undergoing bariatric surgery, and the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of short-term treatment with uric acid-lowering medications after bariatric surgery for the control of SUA and gout attacks in patients with hyperuricemia.
METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 71 patients who underwent bariatric surgery and had a preoperative diagnosis of hyperuricemia was performed, and the patients were classified into a drug-treatment group (DTG，n=32) and a non-drug-treatment group (NDTG，n=39) according to whether they took medication after surgery. Changes in the number of gout attacks, body mass index (BMI), and SUA levels at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after bariatric surgery were measured in both groups.
RESULTS: In the DTG, 22 patients (68.8%) experienced an increase in SUA within 1 week, 1 patient (3.1%) had an acute attack of gout within the first month, and no patient had a gout attack thereafter; in the NDTG, 35 patients (89.7%) experienced an increase in SUA within 1 week, 7 patients (17.9%) had an acute gout attack within the first month, and 2 patients (5.1%) experienced a gout attack between month 1 and month 3 postoperatively. Both groups were free of gout attacks between the 3rd and 6th postoperative month and showed a significant decrease in SUA and BMI by the sixth month.
Conclusion: Patients with hyperuricemia have a risk of increased SUA levels in the first month after bariatric surgery, and in patients with obesity combined with hyperuricemia, continued use of uric acid-lowering drugs after surgery is beneficial in reducing this risk and decreasing the number of gout attacks.
The Diagnostic Value of echocardiography of the Hepatic Vein in Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Ghaderi Fereshteh , Vakilian Farveh , poorzand Hoorak , Bigdelu leila , alimi Hedye , Fazlinejad afsoon , afshar sara
Published: July 2023

Background
Doppler echocardiographic parameters of the middle hepatic vein (MHV)in detecting PHTN.
Methods
The study comprised 72 patients who were referred for right heart catheterization (RHC) to our department. All patients underwent conventional transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) the day after RHC and Doppler study of the MHV. Based on RHC and TTE results ,Patients were divided in three groups 1: patients with PHTN without significant RV dysfunction (n = 25), 2: patients with PHTN with significant RV dysfunction (n = 22), 3: patients with normal PAP (n = 25).
Results
The analysis revealed a significant relationship between A velocity and PHTN among patients with significant RV dysfunction (p = 0.033) and PHTN without significant RV dysfunction (p = 0.020). At cut-off value of 39.5 cm/s, A velocity could detect PHTN in patient with significant RV dysfunction with sensitivity and specificity of 77.3% and 56.0%, respectively. At cut-off value of 38.5 cm/s, A velocity could detect PHTN without significant RV dysfunction with sensitivity and specificity of 76.0% and 51.0%, respectively. The ROC curve analysis was performed to assess the sensitivity of the hepatic venous systolic filling fraction in detecting normal SPAP in the study population. The area under curve was 0.718. Considering the cut-off value of 0.535 for the hepatic venous systolic filling fraction, the sensitivity and specificity of S/S + D for detecting normal SPAP were 80% and 64%, respectively .
Discussion
Doppler echocardiographic parameters of the MHV could be helpful in detecting PHTN. A/S higher than 1 in PHTN was the main finding on HV Doppler assessment in PHT with and without significant RV dysfunction. HV systolic filling fraction more than 0.535 was a sensitive parameter in detecting normal PAP, therefore; HV systolic filling fraction can be used as a screening echocardiographic parameter in ruling out PHTN.
Analysis of the impact of the psychological contract, commitment and trust on the effectiveness of business coaching: Perspectives for success
Authors: FITOURI MOHAMED , zouaoui samia karoui
Published: July 2023

The success of newly created businesses relies heavily on the relationship between entrepreneurs and their coaches. Understanding the factors contributing to this relationship is crucial for entrepreneurial success. This study examines the influence of psychological contracts, engagement, and confidence on coaching effectiveness. Results show significant relationships between psychological contracts, engagement, and confidence in coaching relationships. This study highlights the importance of psychological contracts, engagement, and confidence in coaching entrepreneurial relationships.
Understanding these variables can improve satisfaction, performance, and goal achievement. Establishing a solid psychological contract and maintaining trust between entrepreneurs and their coaches can enhance the coaching experience and increase the likelihood of positive outcomes. Recognizing and promoting these factors can enhance the quality and efficiency of coaching engagements, contributing to the success of newly created businesses.
Clustering the Predictors of Breast Cancer Mortality
Authors: Woolsey Ted R. , Badruddoza Syed , Amin Modhurima , Lyford Conrad P.
Published: July 2023

Background
Over the last few decades advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer (BC). Despite progress in diagnosis and treatment, no study has utilized a multidisciplinary data set outside of clinical and laboratory settings to analyze BC mortality.
Methods
Using U.S. county-level data, we find the environmental, behavioral, and demographic predictors of age-adjusted BC mortality rates, and cluster them into groups by their internal correlation. Principal components were derived to reduce data dimension, and various functional forms were utilized to predict BC mortality.
Results
We find evidence that environmental contaminants and one’s surrounding living conditions are correlated and significantly associated with BC mortality. Factors associated with poverty (e.g., low literacy, income, and female Medicaid eligibility) and lacking access to mammogram facilities also relate to BC mortality rate.
Conclusion
This methodology and data set can be used to investigate other chronic diseases, e.g., diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Mortality rates associated with these other diseases can be analyzed just as BC mortality rates were in this paper, and valuable insights discovered.
Recommendation System to Reduce Toxic Element Release
Authors: Vanu Shoaib
Published: July 2023

This article presents a study on the implementation of a rule-based recommendation system for identifying potential areas where the release of toxic elements can be decreased. The study focuses on utilizing a comprehensive set of rules and guidelines to provide recommendations for minimizing toxic element release. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the recommendation system in identifying opportunities for reducing toxic element emissions. By leveraging rule-based techniques, the system offers valuable insights into areas where mitigation efforts can be implemented. This study highlights the potential of recommendation systems in promoting sustainable practices and raising awareness regarding the reduction of toxic element release. Implementing such a system can contribute to informed decision-making and facilitate the adoption of practices aimed at minimizing the release of toxic elements, thereby fostering a more environmentally friendly approach.
A new scale to assess health-facility level management: The development and validation of the Facility Management Scale in Ghana, Uganda, and Malawi
Authors: Mubiri Paul , Ssengooba Freddie , O’Byrne Thomasena , Keremani Adelaine , Namakula Justine , Chikaphupha Kingsley , Aikins Moses , Martineau Tim , Vallières Frédérique
Published: July 2023

Background
The increased recognition of leadership and management as a determinant of health system performance has prompted calls for research focusing on the nature, quality, and measurement of this key health system building block. In low- or middle-income contexts (LMIC), where facility-level management and performance remain a challenge, valid tools to measure leadership and management have the potential to boost performance improvements. We, therefore, sought to develop a Facility-level Management Scale (FMS) and test its reliability in the psychometric properties in three African contexts.
Methods
The FMS was administered to 881 health workers in; Ghana (n = 287; 32.6%), Malawi (n = 66; 7.5%) and Uganda (n = 528; 59.9%). Half of the sample was randomly subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Monte Carlo Parallel Component Analysis to first explore the FMS’ latent structure. The construct validity of this structure was then tested on the remaining half of the sample using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The FMS’ convergent and divergent validity, as well as internal consistency, were also tested.
Results
Findings from the EFA and Monte Carlo PCA suggested the retention of three factors (labelled ‘Supportive Management’, ‘Resource Management’ and ‘Time management’). The 3-factor solution explained 51% of the variance in perceived facility management. These results were supported by the results of the CFA (N = 381; χ2 = 256.8, df = 61, p < .001; CFI = .94; TLI = .92; RMSEA [95% CI] = 0.065 [.057–.074]; SRMR = .047).
Conclusion
The FMS is an open-access, short, easy-to-administer scale that can be used to measure health workers’ perceptions of facility-level management in LMICs. When used as a regular monitoring tool, the FMS can identify key strengths or challenges pertaining to time, resources, and supportive management functions at the health facility level.
Model Driven Method for exploring Individual and Confounding Effects in Spontaneous Adverse Event Reporting Databases
Authors: Lv Bo , Li Yuedong , Shi Aiming , Pan Jie
Published: July 2023

Background
Spontaneous Adverse Event Reporting (SAER) databases play a crucial part in post-marketed drug surveillance. The reported odds ratio (ROR) is commonly used to detect the significant signal of AE-drug combinations. However, the typical ROR may be biased by heterogeneity from individual factors such as gender and age. In addition, confounding biases render the typical ROR far from indicative of causality. Therefore, these issues urgently require solutions.
Methods
Model driven ROR (MD-ROR) was proposed as an alternative to typical ROR to explore individual and confounding effects in SAER databases. Unlike the traditional 2*2 cross table approach, our method employed Poisson regression with two-way interactions to estimate the MD-ROR, which was shown to be equivalent to typical ROR. Subsequently, we introduce the MD-ROR under three-way interaction to reveal the heterogeneity behind pooled crude ROR and to identify subgroup effects on the signals of AE-drugs. We also introduce adjusted MD-ROR to address confounding biases by flexibly defining confound effects in the model. To test our methods, the simulation data and FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database were both used.
Result
The simulated data suggested the subgroup effects estimated by MD-ROR were unbiased and efficient. Additionally, the adjusted MD-ROR was more robust against confounding biases than crude ROR. Application of our method to FAERS database showed differences in drug interaction and cardiac adverse events between males and females for Midazolam existed. In addition, the AE-drug combinations, Midazolam-septic shock and Midazolam-depression, were found overestimated potentially due to confounding biases from gender.
Conclusion
Our study highlighted that MD-ROR is a promising method for exploring individual and confounding effects in SAER databases. Our method provides a bridge between SAER databases and flexibly customized models.
Cellular metabolism genes expression in the onset of diabetic nephropathy: an experimental model of diabetes mellitus.
Authors: Encinas Jéssica Freitas Araújo , Fonseca Fernando Luiz Affonso , Raimundo Joyce Regina Santos , Peiró Carlos Henrique Foncesca , Perez Matheus Moreira , Petri Giuliana , Gascón Thaís Moura , Reis Pedro Henrique Alves , Maifrino Laura Beatriz Mesiano , Alves Beatriz da Costa Aguiar , Veiga Glaucia Luciano da
Published: July 2023

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with prospects for an increase worldwide, therefore, researches are developed to understand its metabolic implications, as well as the early signaling of the onset of the disease and possible complications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the expression profile in the genes Mct1, Mct4, Cd147, Hif-1α and Vegffor different biological matrices in rats induced to diabetes in the determined periods of: 7, 21, 30 and 40 days. Wistar rats (160-180g, n=68), divided into shamand diabetic groups evaluated according to tissue samples from the heart, brain and kidney, blood samples; being studied in classical biochemical analysis and in the determination of intergroup differential gene expression, temporally, by qPCR. The main alterations were observed in the renal tissues - decrease in the expression of Hif-1α (21x30 days) and Vegf (21x40 days), and in the brain - with significant alterations in the evaluated genes, comparing the early group (7 days) and late groups (30 and 40 days). Thus, we observed that the evaluated genes are related to metabolic changes that, over time, corroborate the worsening of diabetes and the installation of secondary diseases, directly and/or indirectly related to the evaluated tissues.
Tracking early child development at the population level: Validation of the Kidsights Measurement Tool for children birth to age five years
Authors: Waldman Marcus R. , Hepworth Katelyn , Johnson Jolene , Tourek Kelsey M. , Jones Kelly J. , Garcia Yaritza Estrada , Fritz Laura M. , Siebler Abbey , Raikes Abbie
Published: July 2023

Background
Group disparities in early child development arise due to inequities in early environments that are reflective of socio-economic status, geography, and other factors. To track and address these disparities, valid and reliable child development tools are needed that can be implemented at-scale and across populations. However, no population-based measures of child’s motor, cognitive, language, and social/emotional development appropriate for children from birth to age five years have been validated in the United States to date. In response, we have designed the Kidsights Measurement Tool (KMT).
Methods
We evaluate the validity and reliability evidence of the KMT with reference to the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (APA, AERA, & NCME, 2014) from a sample of N = 3,413 initial parent reports residing in Nebraska, USA, as well as from a 12–24-month direct observation follow-up subsample of N = 70 children. Evidence came from the test content, evidence based on other variables, and the precision of scores.
Results
We find strong evidence supporting the KTM’s validity and reliability (rXX' =.92) as a population-based tool. We find that scores from KMT’s initial administration strongly predict later scores from the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (r > .50) and the Woodcock Johnson’s overall development score (r = .70), both administered by trained professionals at least one year later. We also find that scores exhibit expected associations with known correlates of children’s development, including the parent’s educational attainment, enrollment into governmental subsidies and services, parent’s anxiety and depressive symptoms, and the child’s count of adverse childhood experiences.
The Effect of Halloysite Nanotubes and Mult Wall Carbon Nanotubes on the Mechanical Properties of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Denture Base Nanocomposites
Authors: Aldwimi ISSAM.M , Alhareb A. O. , Md. Hazizan. , Hamid Zuratul.Ain Abdul
Published: July 2023

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin is a popular material for denture bases due to its aesthetic properties and ease of processing, but it does have limitations in terms of its mechanical properties. PMMA resin is a brittle material and has low impact strength and fatigue resistance, which means that it is prone to cracking, chipping, and other forms of damage over time, especially when subjected to repeated stress or impact. The process of fabricating denture base composites involves using PMMA powder, benzoyl peroxide as a polymerization initiator, and a mixture of nanotube-treated fillers (multi-walled carbon nanotubes and halloysite nanotubes) as the reinforcing fillers. The fabrication process involves mixing the PMMA powder and treated nanotube fillers together with a “liquid component that contains methyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol Di methacrylate. The addition of a mixture of MWCNTs and HNTs into the PMMA denture base composite significantly improved the mechanical properties of the base composite, such as the flexural strength of 109.1MPa, flexural modulus of 3.62GPa, and tensile strength of 64.4MPa when compared to a pure PMMA matrix (G1); the Vickers hardness improvement was only 18.93kg/mm2. Therefore, the introduction of HNTs/MWCNTs mixture into PMMA is a potential way of improving the mechanical properties of PMMA denture bases (P < 0.05), which can have positive implications for their durability, wear resistance, and overall performance.
Gaseous air pollutants and its association with stubble burning: an integrated approach using ground and satellite based datasets and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) analysis
Authors: . Nirwan , Siddiqui Asfa , Shaeb Hareef Baba , Chauhan Prakash , Singh R. P.
Published: July 2023

The increase in intensity of anthropogenic activities in the world has induced increase in vulnerability to natural and man-made hazards, especially in densely populated metropolitan cities. Delhi faces severe health and infrastructure related issues due to the deteriorated air quality that worsens with variation in seasonal meteorological conditions. This study aims to identify the spatial sources of pollution contributing to Delhi and understand the role of anthropogenic activities and meteorological conditions in pollutant levels of the city in different years and seasons. This study assesses the variation in pollutant levels of CO, NO2 and SO2 in Delhi using ground and satellite observation data from 2018 to 2022. The pollutant levels are compared to the meteorological conditions to assess the role of environmental conditions in the change in pollutant levels along with its association to potentially contributing anthropogenic activities in and around Delhi region such as stubble burning in Punjab in 2019. The study further uses meteorological data and pollutant concentration data to develop back trajectories and carry out WCWT analysis that helps us identify the spatial hotspots contributing to the pollutant levels in Delhi on annual and seasonal basis. The exercise is carried out at winter, Pre-Monsoon, Monsoon, Post-Monsoon and Annual timespan for 2019 for 100m, 500m, 1000m and 1500m height above ground level composited to identify the spatially contributing hotspots. This study identifies the clear contributing hotspots in different seasons of 2019 and its overlap with observed active fire areas. This can help us segregate areas with similar fire intensity and varying contribution extent to pollutant levels of Delhi.
Evaluation of a patient-centered communication skills training for nurses (KOMPAT): study protocol of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lindig Anja , Mielke Kendra , Frerichs Wiebke , Cöllen Katja , Kriston Levente , Härter Martin , Scholl Isabelle
Published: July 2023

Background: To ensure high quality of nurses’ communication as part of patient-centered care, training of communication skills is essential. Previous studies indicate that communication skills trainings can improve communication skills of nurses and have a positive effect on emotional and psychological burden. However, most show methodological limitations, are not specifically developed for nurses or were developed for oncological setting only.
Methods: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a needs-based communication skills training for nursing professionals and to derive indications for future implementation. A two-armed randomized controlled trial including components from both effectiveness and implementation research will be applied. Additionally, a comprehensive process evaluation will be carried out to derive indications for future implementation. Nurses (n=180) of a university medical center in Germany will be randomized to intervention or waitlist-control group. The intervention was developed based on the wishes and needs of nurses, previously assessed via interviews and focus groups. Outcomes to measure effectiveness were selected based on Kirkpatrick’s four levels of training evaluation and will be assessed at baseline, post-training and at 4-weeks follow-up. Primary outcome will be nurses’ self-reported self-efficacy regarding communication skills. Secondary outcomes include nurses’ communication skills assessed via standardized patient assessment, knowledge about patient-centered communication, mental and work-related burden, and participants’ satisfaction with training.
Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first study systematically evaluating the effectiveness of a patient-centered communication skills training for nursing professionals in Germany. Results will yield insight whether a needs-based intervention can improve nurses’ self-efficacy regarding communication skills and other secondary outcomes.
Trial registration: Clinical trial registration number: NCT05700929, trial register: ClinicalTrials.gov (date of registration: 16 November 2022)
Past family selection in Populus nigra leads to an amplification of rust damages when neighbors are related
Authors: tiret mathieu , Lascoux Martin , Sanchez Leopoldo
Published: July 2023

Selfish individuals might prevail in the wild, but they often cause waste of nutritional resources and decrease the population yield in breeding schemes. Re-orienting past evolution towards less competitive paths (e.g., group selection) can limit negative interactions between elite material and leads to a more efficient transformation of resources into economically interesting traits. In particular, there are reasons to believe that, in the presence of kin, individuals either will cooperate (kin selection) or over-compete (niche partitioning). In either case, local relatedness might reveal interaction that can enhance the predictive abilities of genomic models when accounted for. However, recurrent family selection during domestication can have blurred the effect of relatedness on neighbors’ phenotypes. To overcome this difficulty, we analyzed data from the French breeding program of Populus nigra L., where 1,452 genotypes were replicated six to eight times, each time encountering a different neighborhood. We assessed local relatedness and investigated genomic estimated breeding values on tree height and rust vulnerability with a single-step GBLUP incorporating local relatedness as a covariate. We found that, when surrounded by related individuals, rust damage is significantly more important, whereas no interaction was visible on tree height.
Exposure to Violence, Stressful Life Events and Antenatal Depression Among Pregnant Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana
Authors: Adzofu Harriet Yayra , Banougnin Boladé Hamed , Nyame Solomon , Ae-Ngibise Kenneth , Asante Kwaku Poku , Omigbodun Akinyinka
Published: July 2023

Background: Mental health conditions contribute to a significant proportion of global burden of disease during adolescence and are the leading causes of disability in young people. This study examines the association of antenatal depression with stressful life events and perceived social support among pregnant adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Accra Metropolitan area.
Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 among 336 pregnant AGYW (aged 15–24) in their third trimester. Participants were screened for antenatal depression using the patient health questionnaire depression module (PHQ-9). Bivariate chi-square analysis and covariates-adjusted logistic regression were used to determine associations.
Results: The mean age of study participants was 20.9 years. Prevalence of antenatal depression was 30.5% among pregnant AGYW. Participants had increased probabilities of reporting antenatal depression if they had ever experienced any type of intimate partner violence (IPV) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13–5.94, p=0.024), lost a parent, child or spouse (aOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.19–3.38, p=0.009), broke off a steady relationship (aOR 2.51, 95% CI 1.45–4.35, p=0.001), or lost a job (aOR 4.92, 95% CI 1.11–21.77, p=0.036). Social support from a significant other was associated with a decreased probability of antenatal depression (aOR 0.47, 95% CI 0.24–0.92, p=0.028).
Conclusion: Findings underscore a negative association between exposure to IPV, specific stressful life events, and antenatal depression. Clinical attention to pregnant AGYW exposed to violence and other stressful life events is recommended for early detection and treatment.
Good Practice in Reaching and Treating Refugees in Addiction Care in Germany – A Delphi Study
Authors: Stylianopoulos Panagiotis , Hertner Laura , Heinz Andreas , Kluge Ulrike , Schäfer Ingo , Penka Simone
Published: July 2023

Background
Health and adequate access to health care is a human right. Despite both structural and personal risk factors towards substance abuse, refugees continue to face barriers to receive adequate addiction care in Germany, neglecting their human right of adequate health care. The question arises as to how barriers for refugees in reaching addiction services and care can be overcome. In the presented study, strategies for good practices to deconstruct these barriers were identified.
Method
A total of 21experts participated in a three–round, consensus-oriented Delphi-Process. The experts represented five different fields: addiction care services, including specialized programs for women, refugee aid services, academia, policy-making and immigrants’ self-help services.
Results
The Delphi-Process generated 39 strategies of good practice summarized in 9 major categories: Care System, Framework Conditions, Multilingualism, Information and Education, Access, Service-Level, Employee-Level, Employee-Attitudes and Networking.
Conclusion
In order to guarantee human rights regarding health and adequate access to health care for refugees, institutional barriers limiting access to prevention and treatment programs for addictive disorders must be abolished. The identified good practice strategies for Germany, if widely implemented, could contribute to this aim. By opening up prevention and treatment facilities for refugees, other marginalized groups could also benefit. While some of the strategies need to be implemented at the institutional level, political steps are also required at the system level including, e.g. financing of adequate translation services.
Point convolutional neural network algorithm for Ising model ground state research based on spring vibration
Authors: Jiang Zhelong , Chen Gang , Qiao Ruixiu , Feng Pengcheng , Chen Yihao , Su Junjia , Zhao Zhiyuan , Jin Min , Chen Xu , Li Zhigang , Lu Huaxiang
Published: July 2023

The ground state search of the Ising model can be used to solve many combinatorial optimization problems. Under the current computer architecture, an Ising ground state search algorithm suitable for hardware computing is necessary for solving practical problems. Inspired by the potential energy conversion of springs, we propose a point convolutional neural network algorithm for ground state search based on spring vibration model, called Spring-Ising Algorithm. Spring-Ising Algorithm regards the spin as a moving mass point connected to a spring and establish the equation of motion for all spins. Spring-Ising Algorithm can be mapped on the GPU or AI chips through the basic structure of the neural network for fast and efficient parallel computing. The algorithm has very productive results for solving the Ising model and has been test in the recognized test benchmark K2000. The algorithm introduces the concept of dynamic equilibrium to achieve a more detailed local search by dynamically adjusting the weight of the Ising model in the spring oscillation model. Finally, there is the simple hardware test speed evaluation. Spring-Ising Algorithm can provide the possibility to calculate the Ising model on a chip which focuses on accelerating neural network calculations.
Modified gauge invariant Einstein Maxwell gravity and Thermodynamic phase transition of anti de Sitter ReissnerNordstrom black holes
Authors: Ghaffarnejad Hossein , Ghasemi Elham
Published: July 2023

By contracting Ricci tensor of metric field with electromagnetic tensor field we make a scalar term added with the Einstein-Maxwell (EM) gravity Lagrangian density and then obtain modified Reissner Nordstrom (RN) black hole metric via perturbation method. In fact our motivation in use of this alternative gravity theory instead of the EM gravity is based on influence of cosmic magnetic field throughout the space time as inevitable effect at duration of cosmic inflation. Our goal in this work is investigation of contribution of this interaction term on the Hawking temperature and possibility of phase transitions too.
Evaluation of the biological activity of Cordyceps militaris as an antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory agent for natural healthcare
Authors: Kaewkod Thida , Ngamsaoad Pronpimon , Mayer Kanok-orn , Cheepchirasuk Nitsanat , Promputtha Itthayakorn , Tragoolpua Yingmanee
Published: July 2023

This study presents the bioactive compounds and the antioxidant, anti-bacteria, and anti-inflammatory activities of C. militaris fruiting body (FB) and fruiting body with substrate (FBS). C. militaris FB and FBS were extracted using water, ethanol, and methanol solvents. The chemical composition analysis of C. militaris extract shows bioactive compounds including adenosine, cordycepin, carotenoids, phenolics and flavonoids correlated with antioxidant activity in 2.153–5.105 mg GAE/g extract. Moreover, the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of C. militaris, and the bioactive compounds cordycepin and carotenoids, exhibited the greatest bactericidal activity against all enteric pathogenic bacteria; Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella Typhi, Vibrio cholerae and Bacillus cereus. In addition, C. militaris extracts and bioactive compounds are confirmed as new agents to prevent the adhesion and invasion of enteric pathogenic bacteria on Caco-2 colon cells. This finding demonstrates the anti-inflammatory activity found in the aqueous extract of C. militaris and bioactive compounds on the LPS-stimulated Caco-2 cell model, which had the efficacy to suppress inflammatory moderators including iNos, Cox-2, NF-κB, TNF-α, AP-1, TLR-4, IL-1ß and IL-6. C. militaris extract and its bioactive compounds cordycepin and carotenoids impede the adhesion and invasion of enteric pathogenic bacteria on colonic epithelial cells, and also promote anti-inflammation mechanisms. This study attests to C. militaris as an alternative therapeutic agent to prevent enteric pathogenic bacterial infection and inflammation due to its proven health benefits and high level of antioxidants.
Disruption of the non-canonical wnt gene PRICKLE2 leads to cerebellar Purkinje cell abnormalities while cerebellar-mediated behaviors remain intact.
Authors: Abbott Parker W , Hardie Jason , Walsh Kyle P. , Nessler Aaron , Freeman John H. , Wemmie John , Sowers Levi , Parker Krystal L.
Published: July 2023

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) involve brain wide abnormalities that contribute to a constellation of symptoms including behavioral inflexibility, cognitive dysfunction, learning impairments, altered social interactions, and perceptive time difficulties. Although a single genetic variation does not cause ASD, genetic variations such as one involving a non-canonical Wnt signaling gene, Prickle2, has been found in individuals with ASD. Previous work looking into phenotypes of Prickle2 knock-out (Prickle2−/−) and heterozygous mice (Prickle2−/+) suggest patterns of behavior similar to individuals with ASD including altered social interaction and behavioral inflexibility. Growing evidence implicates the cerebellum in ASD. As Prickle2 is expressed in the cerebellum, this animal model presents a unique opportunity to investigate the cerebellar contribution to autism-like phenotypes. Here, we explore cerebellar structural and physiological abnormalities in animals with Prickle2 disruption using immunohistochemistry, whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology, and several cerebellar-associated motor and timing tasks, including interval timing and eyeblink conditioning. Histologically, Prickle2−/− mice have significantly more empty spaces or gaps between Purkinje cells in the posterior lobules and a decreased propensity for Purkinje Cells to fire action potentials. These structural cerebellar abnormalities did not impair cerebellar-associated behaviors as eyeblink conditioning and interval timing remained intact. Therefore, although Prickle−/− mice show classic phenotypes of ASD, they do not recapitulate the involvement of the adult cerebellum and may not represent the pathophysiological heterogeneity of the disorder.
Artificial Neural Network Based Modeling of Separation of Xylose from Glucose by Nanofiltration from Monosaccharide Solutions
Authors: Singh Ananya , Malik Disha , Jain Teesha , Khanna Yutika , Roy Annoy
Published: July 2023

In industrial processes, chromatographic techniques are applied to separate monosaccharides from one another. Here, the investigation was focused on the use of nanofiltration method to separate the pentose sugar from hexose sugar. A xylose is an abundantly available raw material that can be converted into various vital products like xylitol, 2,3-butanediol ethanol and ethanol. The production of xylitol involves xylose as an intermediate product and glucose interferes in this process. The purpose of this research study is to use an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to create a model for membrane processes based on nanofiltration using already published experimental results. It was interpreted that the xylose and glucose separation using nanofiltration was possible up to a limited extent. It was observed that the mass proportion of a xylose to the glucose was 1.5 to 3.0 times greater in the permeate than their proportion in the feed. Observed monosaccharide retention depends extremely on factors such as permeate flux, type of membrane used for comparable fractionations and the concentration of monosaccharides. The regression model obtained and the corresponding set of simulations strongly support the required results.
Effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on dopamine synthesis, transport and maturation in rats with manganese poisoning
Authors: Guo Shu , Tian Yu tian , Chen Ceng ceng , Song Ping ping , Fan Xiao , Yan Yongjian
Published: July 2023

Objective: Manganismis a neurodegenerative disease that mainly damages dopamine neurons. In recent years, transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) has shown good efficacy in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Methods: Stem cell transplantation was used to treat the manganism model in rats, and the therapeutic effect of stem cell transplantation on nerve injury of manganese poisoning was observed.
Results: Immunofluorescence detection revealed that BM-MSCs survived in the rat brain and gradually differentiated into Dopaminergic neurons. Compared with the control group, the accumulation of denatured proteins in the experimentalgroup is relatively stable. Analysis of Dopamine (DA) content, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and other related factors NeuN, VMAT2, and BDNF revealed that BM-MSCs could significantly increase the expression of the above proteins after transplantation (P <0.05), this high expression effect was more obvious one month after transplantation, and it showed a slow decline afterwards. Among them, DA and TH were significantly related, indicating that one of the mechanisms of stem cell transplantation to increase DA content may be to accelerate the conversion of tyrosine to dopa by increasing TH.
Conclusions: This experiment observed that BM-MSCs can differentiate into dopaminergic neurons after striatum transplantation, and the dopamine content in striatum increases. Compared with the control group, BM-MSCs transplantation can effectively alleviate the increase of muscle tone in manganese-poisoned rats; reduce the accumulation of neuronal protein in the brain striatum.