bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Magnitude of Optimal Antenatal Care Utilization and Its Associated Factors among Pregnant Women in South Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Belay Alebachew Taye , Fenta Setegn Muche , Birhan Biresaw Hailegebrael , Abebaw Moyehodie Yikeber , Melkam Yelam Mequanint , Mekie Maru
Published: September 2022

Background. Adequate antenatal care is essential for the health of the mother and the development of the fetus. The World Health Organization recommends at least four antenatal care (ANC) visits during pregnancy. In Ethiopia, only 32% of women of childbearing age attend four or more ANC visits. This figure is significantly lower than the average for least developed countries. This study is aimed at calculating the magnitude and identifying the factors associated with optimal antenatal care utilization in the South Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the South Gondar Zone of Northwest Ethiopia from September 2020 to May 2021. A total of 434 participants were selected using multistage cluster sampling. Data were gathered through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. A multivariate binary logistic regression model was used to determine the factors associated with the optimal use of antenatal care. Result. The magnitude of optimal antenatal care utilization was 59% (95% CI; 54.20, 63.65). The study showed that mothers who completed their secondary school (AOR=8.205; 95% CI: 3.406, 19.767), women who completed their tertiary school (AOR=6.406; 95% CI: 2.229, 18.416), women whose husbands’ level of education is secondary school (AOR=5.967; 95% CI: 2.753, 12.936), those with a planned pregnancy (AOR=1.912; 95% CI: 1.117, 3.271), those with a wanted pregnancy (AOR=2.341; 95% CI: 1.366, 4.009), women whose husbands work in the government or nongovernment sector (AOR=3.736; 95% CI: 2.093, 6.669), those not being exposed to the media (AOR=0.520; 95% CI: 0.345, 0.783), and rural women (AOR=0.267; 95% CI: 0.164, 0.435) were significantly associated with optimal ANC utilization. Conclusion. The findings suggest that more emphasis should be placed on education-based programs for women and their husbands that highlight the benefits of a planned pregnancy, desired pregnancy, and maternal health care. Meanwhile, the government and other concerned bodies should focus on expanding road accessibility, health institutions, and ambulance distribution to improve optimal ANC utilization in the area.
[Retracted] Metaphoric Function and Emotional Cognition of English Loanwords in the Internet Environment
Authors: Liu Hui
Published: September 2022

With the rapid development of society, the emergence and innovation of network buzzwords continue to emerge. On the rapidly changing social network platform, previous sentiment analysis tasks cannot fully meet the needs of users. This paper aims to study the metaphorical function and affective cognition in Internet English loanwords. This paper proposes a neural network algorithm and conducts a comprehensive analysis of the metaphorical function and emotional cognition of Internet English loanwords. The neural network algorithm has a powerful sentiment analysis function, so the article chooses this algorithm. The experimental results of this paper show that with the popularity of the Internet, more and more people go online. In 2013, the proportion of Internet users was the highest at 23.2%. In 2015, the proportion of Internet users was 38.3%, an increase of 15.1% in just one year. The percentage of people online will reach 68.3% by 2021, indicating that almost half of the people have learned to surf the Internet. This also means that Internet English loanwords have also been developed. The rapid development of loanwords in Internet English is because they have metaphorical functions and express people's emotions.
GINS2 Is Downregulated in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Promotes Proliferation and Migration of Nucleus Pulposus Cells
Authors: Jiang Haitao , Sun Hailang , Dai Jian , Zhang Cheng , Tang Xiaoming
Published: September 2022

GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2) regulates the migration, invasion, and growth of cells in many malignant and chronic diseases. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the expression of GINS2 in the peripheral blood and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells of patients with intervertebral disk degeneration (IDD). GINS2 expression was detected using bioinformatics tools from the GEO public repository and validated using peripheral blood samples from IDD patients and healthy participants. GINS2 clinical significance was explored by the receiver operating curve (ROC) utilizing area under the curve (AUC). Moreover, the influences of GINS2 on cell viability, migration, and invasion were explored by MTT, wound healing, and transwell assays, whereas cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Expression levels of GINS2 in the peripheral blood were significantly lower in IDD patients than in healthy participants. Moreover, ROC obtained a significantly higher AUC of GINS2 in IDD patients. Further, overexpressed GINS2 increased the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NP cells while overexpressed GINS2 decreased the apoptotic property of cells compared to the NC plasmid and control groups. In conclusion, GINS2 might be a potential therapeutic target of IDD.
Bearing Early Fault Diagnosis Based on an Improved Multiscale Permutation Entropy and SVM
Authors: Jiang Qunyan , Dai Juying , Shao Faming , Song Shengli , Meng Fanjie
Published: September 2022

Bearing fault is a process of gradual development and deepening. In the early stage of the fault, if it can be found out in time and taken reasonable prevention and elimination measures, we can avoid serious losses and safety accidents. Therefore, the feature extraction and analysis of early weak fault has important practical significance. In this paper, an improved multiscale permutation entropy (IMPE) method was proposed to overcome the shortcomings in the coarse-grained process. In order to solve the problem that only considering a single coarse-grained sequence under a certain scale may lead to the loss of feature information, this paper proposed to calculate the time series with equal overlapping segments, that was to consider all coarse-grained sequences under the same scale to reflect the feature information of fault signals more comprehensively. In order to solve the problem that feature extraction is not refined enough when using the first-order moment mean value calculation in traditional MPE calculation, a calculation method based on the skewness of the third-order moment was proposed. The calculation method is more sensitive to the complexity and fluctuation of signals and can better describe the feature details and extract the fault features effectively. IMPE was applied to feature extraction of early weak fault of rolling bearing and input into Support Vector Machines (SVMs) for faults classification. Aiming at SVM parameter optimization problem, an improved chaos firefly optimization algorithm was proposed. Experimental results show that the new method of early weak fault identification based on IMPE-SVM was effective in detecting rolling bearing faults with different severity.
Microstructural and Mechanical Characteristics of Pure-Cu/brass Dissimilar Joints Welded by Friction Stir Welding Using Various Process Parameters
Authors: C Ramesh , Tharwan Mohammed , Kumar P. Manoj , Gebreyohannes Dawit Tafesse
Published: September 2022

FSW (friction stir welding) is a solid-state joining method that attracts interest from all industries. The influence of various tool rotational speeds on the microstructure and mechanical characteristics of dissimilar pure Cu-brass joints has been investigated. The travel speed and vertical load were kept constant in the welding trials, at 40 mm/min and 10 kN, respectively, while the tool rotational speed varied from 1000 to 1400 rpm. The increase of the rotational speed to 1400 rpm resulted in degradation of the mechanical properties. The stir zone grain structure was refined; however, the grain size was irregular. Grain refining occurs due to a continuous and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization mechanism. In the grain interior, there were many large dislocations, identifying that incomplete recrystallization took part within the SZ. Instead, the lower rotational speed, i.e., 1000 rpm, led to more uniform grain refinement in the SZ. Moreover, in contrast to the welded zone where very fine grains exist, the base metal and thermomechanically heat-affected zone display coarser grains. Because of the microstructural modification, the stir zone’s mechanical characteristics were higher than the base materials, and the mechanical strength and plasticity were simultaneously upgraded. These results indicate that the size of the grains is independent of rotational speed. And mechanical properties like hardness and impact strength decreased as the rotational speed increased.
Modeling and Analysis of Group User Portrait through WeChat Mini Program
Authors: Li Guangmin , Chen Wenjing , Yan Xiaowei , Wang Li
Published: September 2022

Meeting users’ preferences and increasing business revenue is an ongoing challenge in the mobile service application. In this paper, we address these challenges by mining mobile user behavior patterns and propose an approach to construct a group user portrait by analyzing access data collected from the users of the WeChat Mini Program. We extract the attributes of mobile users considering their geographic information, online duration, and age group. UsingZ-score standardized processing andK-means clustering algorithm, we then model the user portraits through three dimensions including daily average duration, interaction intensity, and access frequency. Our analysis has two important features. Firstly, the significant log data used in our experiments was collected from the production environment ensuring that the results reflect the real attributes of WeChat Mini Program users’ behavior. Secondly, we provide data-driven decision-making to help marketers enhance the quality of the product and improve user experience. The experimental results indicate that by distilling and analyzing the key factors from the log data, the characters of typical users can be properly profiled to help product owners better optimize the exact set of the features which need to sustain and further grow.
Maximization Approach of Hosting Capacity Based on Uncertain Renewable Energy Resources Using Network Reconfiguration and Soft Open Points
Authors: Abbas Ahmed S. , Abou El-Ela Adel A. , El-Sehiemy Ragab A.
Published: September 2022

Nowadays, the continuous increase of renewable energy integration in power systems has become a global demand, especially after the urgent need to reduce the greenhouse gases resulting from fossil fuel fuels. Therefore, various methods have been presented to increase the hosting capacity (HC) that increases the system's ability to integrate more renewable energy resources (RERs) without exceeding the system's operational limits. In this paper, an optimization-based approach is proposed for assessing and maximizing the HC via network reconfiguration (NR) and/or soft open points (SOPs) techniques. The uncertain nature related to photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine (WT) is considered and simulated based on hourly historical data in addition to taking into account the load variability. Various case studies are considered to evaluate the impact of the NR and SOPs combination on maximizing the system HC. The proposed approach has been tested with the standard IEEE 33-bus and IEEE 69-bus distribution systems. The obtained results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed approach in maximizing the hosting capacity.
Orthodontic Fixed Retainer and Unwanted Movements of Lower Anterior Teeth: A Case Report
Authors: Sfondrini Maria Francesca , Pascadopoli Maurizio , Beccari Sergio , Beccari Giovanna , Rizzi Cinzia , Gandini Paola , Scribante Andrea
Published: September 2022

The use of fixed retainers at the end of an orthodontic treatment has become a standard practice. Nonetheless, orthodontic relapse can still occur, requiring retreatment in the most severe cases. This case report describes a patient with a mandibular canine to canine fixed retainer presenting uncontrolled torque on all lower anterior teeth, probably due to tongue thrust and/or activation of the wire. Multibracket orthodontic treatment was performed, and an orthodontic lingual sectional was used to control (reposition) the root movement of the lower right cuspid. This case highlights the need for clinicians and patients to be aware of the potential problems associated with bonded retainers. In addition, patients with an orthodontic fixed retainer need regular short-term observation by an orthodontist in order to detect any adverse movements and long-term control by a general dentist.
Sediment Yield Modeling and Mapping of the Spatial Distribution of Soil Erosion-Prone Areas
Authors: Sime Chala Hailu , Abebe Wondmagegn Taye
Published: September 2022

Sediment movement is the most critical problem in Ethiopia, notably in the Ketar River watershed, which is located in the Rift Valley Basin. The Ketar River flows through rugged terrain with steep slopes and high sediment movement. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the Soil and Water Assessment Tool's (SWAT) ability to simulate sediment and to identify areas that are vulnerable to soil erosion. This will aid water resource planners in determining the appropriate corrective action. In SWAT sediment sensitivity analysis, the USLE soil erodibility factor (USLE-K) is found to be the most sensitive sediment parameter. The SWAT model sediment simulation performance is evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R2) and Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE). The model performance results in R2 and NSE values of 0.69 and 0.55 for calibration and 0.73 and 0.51 for validation, respectively, using the SWAT Calibration and Uncertainty Program (SWAT-CUP). The sediment-prone area subbasins have steep slopes and were mostly covered by cultivated land. Annual sediment yield from cultivated land was approximately 1872.12 t/y, while yield for moderately cultivated grassland was 171.45 t/y. Woodland and forest land have less soil erosion rate. The subbasin highly covered by Eutric Nitisols is found in very high soil erosion-prone areas. Sediment yield from a slight slope is almost zero, whereas sediment yield from steep and very steep slopes is very high. The slope of the subbasin is an important factor in determining sediment yield, followed by land cover and soil types. The very high sediment yield rate area accounted for 39.64% of the total subbasin and it needs soil conservation planning.
Green Ca‐Loaded MgO Nanoparticles as an Efficient Adsorbent for Organic Hazardous Dyes
Authors: Al-Awaji Noha , Boukriba Moufida , Albadri Abuzar , Aissa Mohamed Ali Ben , Bououdina Mohamed , Modwi Abueliz
Published: September 2022

Textile industry wastewater is a principal source of environmental contamination, posing serious health and environmental risks; consequently, appropriate treatments are necessary before ultimate discharge to ensure environmental and public health safety. In this study, 10% Ca‐doped MgO (Ca0.10Mg0.90O) has been prepared via a green and ecologically benign approach using aqueous solution of gum arabic (GA) and then used to eliminate Congo red (CR) from aqueous solution. The XRD analysis reveals a size reduction of MgO nanoparticles from 11 to 6 nm after doping with a surface area reaching 50.1 m2·g-1 for the synthesized heterostructure. An excellent adsorption efficiency of 97% has been achieved under the following optimal operational conditions, i.e., adsorbent dosage of Ca0.10Mg0.90O (0.400 g/L), contact time of 120 min, and solution pH of 7.00. As indicated by pH, isotherm, and FTIR examinations, the CR sorption process is related to chemisorption and hydrogen bonding. The findings indicate that the synthesized nanomaterial is a suitable candidate for dyes containing effluent treatment due to its facile green synthetic approach using a natural product GA, low‐cost, mesoporous nature, and high uptake capacity under neutral solution pH.
Multigranulation-Based Granularity Selection for Intuitionistic Fuzzy Weighted Neighborhood IoT Data
Authors: Li Wentao , Tang Yue , Zhang Chao , Zhan Tao
Published: September 2022

Granular computing is to represent, construct, and process information granules formalized in many different approaches, and different formal approaches emphasize the same fundamental facet in different ways. In this paper, we present the multigranulation rough set models in the intuitionistic fuzzy neighborhood information system generated by Internet of Things (IoT) data with weighted features and develop the basic properties of the proposed models. Moreover, the multigranulation-based optimal granularity selection approach is established by introducing the concept of granularity significance. The experimental results on eight IoT datasets demonstrate that the proposed methods exhibit better efficiency by comparing three classical methods under the intuitionistic fuzzy weighted neighborhood information system.
Transcriptomic Profiling of Electroacupuncture Regulating the Molecular Network in Hippocampus of Rats with Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Pan Jiang , Shen Hong-Wei , Yang Kai-Lin , Chen Cheng , Shi Wen-Ying , Lou Bi-Dan , Li Sai-Qun , Ge Jin-Wen , Zhang Wei
Published: September 2022

Objective. To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture stimulation of the hand-taiyin meridian in regulating the molecular network of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury based on transcriptomics. Methods. Male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, and electroacupuncture (EA) group. Middle cerebral artery embolization/reperfusion injury (MCAO/R) was used to establish the model group and EA group. The sham operation group only performed sham operation without modeling and any intervention, and the model group was bound daily. The EA group received electroacupuncture to stimulate the acupoints of hand-taiyin meridian for 14 days. Then, neurological scores, pathomorphological observations, and Tunel staining were performed. Finally, the affected hippocampus of the rat was used for transcriptome sequencing and RT-PCR detection. Results. After electroacupuncture intervention in rats, neurological function scores were improved, and neuronal apoptosis was reduced. The results of transcriptomics showed that a total of 1097 differentially expressed genes were obtained, of which 422 were upregulated and 675 were downregulated. The bioinformatics analysis showed that those differentially expressed genes were related to axon development, neuron projection development, neuron projection morphogenesis, plasma membrane cell projection morphogenesis, cell part morphogenesis, notch signaling pathway, long-term potentiation, MAPK signaling pathway, Hedgehog signaling pathway, and so on. The results of RT-PCR showed that Caspase 9 mRNA increased and BDNF, Grin2a, and PlexinD1 mRNA decreased after electroacupuncture intervention

P
<
0.05

. Conclusion. Electroacupuncture intervention on hand-taiyin meridian may reduce neurological function scores, inhibit neuron apoptosis, and enhance neuronal repair neuroreparation in MCAO/R rats, which may be related to the regulation of genes such as Caspase 9, BDNF, Grin2a, and PlexinD1.
Mixed Transport Network Prioritization Based on Environmental Impact and Population Density
Authors: Mousavimasouleh Seyed Omid , Salehi Iraj , Sadeghi Farzaneh , Mohammadi Fard Mahshad , Roshanghalb Alireza
Published: September 2022

Today, due to the growing importance of sustainable development in urban areas, the decision to prioritize different transportation options in an area where users have to combine different transportation modes has received much attention in the scientific community. In this research, different modes of transportation including pedestrians, taxis, buses, and bicycles are considered as a combination of two different transportation modes in Tehran’s densely populated area. With the aim of prioritizing travel options in order to achieve sustainable urban development, public transport users were first asked about their travel means preferences. Next, by obtaining the opinions of urban transportation experts of Tehran Municipality regarding sustainable development of urban transportation, a set of transportation options in this area were prioritized on the basis of some criteria optimized using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. The results indicate that air pollution and noise pollution, with the score of 0.33 and 0.24, respectively, were the two most important criteria for choosing a trip mode in dense population areas according to the opinion of transportation and traffic experts of Tehran. The AHP analysis indicated that the use of combined bicycle-walk mode with a score of 0.282 is the most preferred option, while bus-bicycle mixed mode with a score of 0.116 is the least preferred. Survey data indicate that there is a significant difference between people’s general preferences in choosing their urban transportation options and the sustainable urban development approach.
Preventive Effects of Mandarin Fruit Peel Hydroethanolic Extract, Hesperidin, and Quercetin on Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatonephrotoxicity in Wistar Rats
Authors: Eldin Doaa Nor , Fahim Hanaa I. , Ahmed Heba Y. , Abdelgawad Mohamed A. , Abourehab Mohammed A. S. , Ahmed Osama M.
Published: September 2022

Acetaminophen, also known as N-acetyl-para-aminophenol (NAPAP), is a traditional antipyretic and analgesic that is used extensively around the world to treat colds and fevers. However, a NAPAP excess causes rapid, severe liver and kidney damage. The goal of the study was to examine the protective effects and determine the mechanisms of action of MPHE, hesperidin, and quercetin in NAPAP-induced hepatorenal damage in Wistar rats. Male Wistar rats received a 0.5 g/kg oral supplement of NAPAP every other day for a period of four weeks. During the same period of NAPAP supplementation, MPHE (50 mg/kg), quercetin (20 mg/kg), and hesperidin (20 mg/kg) were administered to rats receiving NAPAP. MPHE, quercetin, and hesperidin treatments significantly improved liver function in NAPAP-supplemented rats. The high serum levels of aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and γ-glutamyl transferase as well as total bilirubin were significantly reduced, while the levels of suppressed serum albumin were significantly increased, demonstrating this improvement. Treatments utilizing these natural substances significantly enhanced kidney function as seen by a considerable decline in the increased blood levels of urea, uric acid, and creatinine. Additionally, the injection of MPHE, hesperidin, and quercetin resulted in a decrease in the quantity of lipid peroxides while increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione-S-transferase in the liver and kidneys. The treatments markedly abated the NAPAP-induced liver and kidney histological perturbations and reduced the NAPAP-induced serum tumor necrosis factor-α level and liver and kidney proapoptotic protein 53 and caspase 3 expressions. Otherwise, serum interleukin-4 level significantly increased by treatments. The MPHE, hesperidin, and quercetin treatments resulted in marked decrease in liver and kidney histopathological scores including inflammation, necrosis, apoptosis, and congestion. In conclusion, the MPHE, quercetin, and hesperidin may induce hepatonephropreventive impacts in NAPAP-supplemented rats via enhancing the antioxidant defense system, anti-inflammatory activity, and antiapoptotic action.
Clinical Value Study on Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasound Combined with Enhanced CT in Early Diagnosis of Primary Hepatic Carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Libo , Gu Junyi , Li Ya , Ren Zhen , Zhang Bo , Yu Zuoren
Published: September 2022

Objective. To explore the clinical value of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound combined with enhanced CT in the early diagnosis of primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC). Methods. 84 patients with suspected PHC in the early stage treated in our hospital from January 2020 to January 2022 were selected as the study subjects. All patients underwent contrast‐enhanced ultrasound and enhanced CT examinations, and the surgery was performed for resection of lesions within 1 month. According to the results of postoperative pathology diagnosis, the benign group and the malignant group were included. The case data were viewed for the retrospective study to analyze the clinical application value by evaluating the diagnostic efficiency of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound, enhanced CT, and their combination for PHC. Results. Among 84 suspected patients, 70 patients had PHC (malignant group) and 14 patients had other hepatic lesions (benign group) after postoperative histopathological examination. There was no significant difference in age, gender, clinical symptoms, and educational level between the two groups (P > 0.05), with obvious differences in the history of chronic hepatic disease, smoking, drinking, and infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) between the two groups (P < 0.05). The enhancement time and regression time of the two groups were significantly different (P < 0.05), with no statistical difference in the enhancement pattern of photography (P > 0.05). For patients with PHC, the imaging features of the two inspection methods at arterial phase and lag phase were statistically different (P < 0.05). Taking pathologic findings as the gold standard, the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of joint diagnosis were significantly higher than those of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound and enhanced CT (P < 0.05), and the area under the curve of joint diagnosis was obviously larger than that of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound and enhanced CT by placing the ROC curve for examination (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The combination of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound and enhanced CT has a higher accuracy in the early diagnosis of PHC, and the diagnostic efficiency of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound is higher than that of enhanced CT. In clinical practice, the physical condition and state of illness in patients should be fully considered, and the most suitable examination method should be selected to reduce their medical burden by taking into account their economic situation.
Classification Method of Rock Structure and Rock Mass Quality of Surface Granite: Geological Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste in China
Authors: Xiang Wei , Cheng Hanlie , Cadasse David
Published: September 2022

The engineering quality of rock mass is a key factor to evaluate the long-term stability and safety of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) geological disposal engineering and is also the important basis for disposal site selection. Traditional rock mass quality classification methods, such as RMR and [Formula: see text], can meet underground engineering but still should be studied further for the site evaluation in the HLW disposal engineering. In this study, rock mass structure rating (RMSG) was proposed based on the quantitative control index of rock mass structure which was from the rock mass quality classification methods. Based on the statistical results of rock mass structure, the relationship between the number of RMSG and the modified RMR ([Formula: see text]) and [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) was established, China, as a case study. Results from this study show that RMSG is linearly related to [Formula: see text] and negatively exponential to [Formula: see text]. The research results can solve the evaluation of rock mass quality for HLW geological disposal engineering, and the addition of more engineering examples over time will enable further verification.
Mercury Exposure and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ghorbani Nejad Behnam , Raeisi Tahereh , Janmohammadi Parisa , Mehravar Fatemeh , Zarei Mahtab , Dehghani Azadeh , Bahrampour Niki , Darijani Mohammad Hosein , Ahmadipour Fatemeh , Mohajeri Mohammad , Alizadeh Shahab
Published: September 2022

Background and Aim. Previous studies have indicated that exposure to mercury (Hg) may be associated with odds of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the available evidence is contradictory. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the relationship of Hg with the risk of T2DM. Methods. Scopus and PubMed databases were systematically searched from their inception to November 2021 to obtain pertinent studies. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the difference in Hg levels between people with and without T2DM. The association of the Hg exposure with T2DM was assessed using a random-effects model by pooling the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Results. A total of 17 studies, with 42,917 participants, aged ≥18 years, were analyzed. Overall, Hg levels were significantly higher in T2DM patients compared with non-T2DM controls (SMD = 1.07; 95%CI = 0.59 to 1.55,

P
≤
0.001

), with significant heterogeneity across studies (I2 = 96.1%;

P
=
≤
0.001

). No significant association was found between Hg exposure and risk of T2DM in the overall analysis and subgroup analysis based on the source of sample and study design. However, higher exposure to Hg was related to reduced risk of T2DM in men (OR = 0.71; 95%CI = 0.57 to 0.88), but not in women. No significant evidence for publication bias was detected. Conclusions. Although the Hg level in T2DM is significantly higher than that of nondiabetics, there was no association between Hg exposure and the overall risk of T2DM. Nevertheless, our study shows that higher exposure to Hg might reduce the risk of T2DM in men.
Modeling and Analysis of COVID-19 Spread: The Impacts of Nonpharmaceutical Protocols
Authors: Shadi Reza , Fakharian Ahmad , Khaloozadeh Hamid
Published: September 2022

In this study, the extended SEIR dynamical model is formulated to investigate the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) via a special focus on contact with asymptomatic and self-isolated infected individuals. Furthermore, a mathematical analysis of the model, including positivity, boundedness, and local and global stability of the disease-free and endemic equilibrium points in terms of the basic reproduction number, is presented. The sensitivity analysis indicates that reducing the disease contact rate and the transmissibility factor related to asymptomatic individuals, along with increasing the quarantine/self-isolation rate and the contact-tracing process, from the view of flattening the curve for novel coronavirus, are crucial to the reduction in disease-related deaths.
Effect of Rotating Magnetic Field on Hydrogen Production from Electrolytic Water
Authors: Guo Hao , Kim Sangyoung
Published: September 2022

In order to reveal the influence of magnetic field on electrochemical machining, a research method of the influence of rotating magnetic field on hydrogen production from electrolytic water is proposed in this paper. Firstly, taking pure water as electrolyte, this paper selects rigid SPCE water molecular model, constructs the molecular dynamics model under the action of magnetic field, and simulates it. In this paper, the thermodynamics, electric power principle, and electrolytic reaction of hydrogen production from electrolytic water are analyzed, and the working processes of alkaline electrolytic cell, solid oxide electrolytic cell, and solid polymer electrolytic cell are analyzed. Based on solid polymer electrolytic cell, the effects of membrane electrode performance, diffusion layer material, contact electrode plate, electrolytic temperature, and electrolyte types on hydrogen production are analyzed. The experimental results show that the heteroions in the lake electrolyte significantly affect the performance of the membrane electrode, and the number of heteroions in the electrolyte should be controlled during the experiment. The hydrogen production capacity and energy efficiency ratio of the unit are basically not affected by different water flow dispersion. When dilute sulfuric acid electrolyte is selected in the experiment, the concentration should be 0.1%–0.2%; After the proton exchange membrane enters the stable period after the activation period, with the increase of the electrolysis time of tap water, (24 h) the membrane electrode will weaken the catalyst activity and reduce the electrolysis efficiency in the electrolysis process. Furthermore, the correctness of rotating magnetic field on hydrogen production from electrolytic water is verified.
A Novel Implementation of Krasnoselskii’s Fixed-Point Theorem to a Class of Nonlinear Neutral Differential Equations
Authors: Rezaiguia Ali , Moumen Abdelkader , Mennouni Abdelaziz , Alshammari Mohammad , Hassan Taher S.
Published: September 2022

In this work, we examine a class of nonlinear neutral differential equations. Krasnoselskii’s fixed-point theorem is used to provide sufficient conditions for the existence of positive periodic solutions to this type of problem.
The Prognostic Role of Cuproptosis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients: A Comprehensive Analysis
Authors: Ding Qin , Chen Xiaochuan , Hong Wenquan , Wang Lihua , Liu Wei , Cai Sunqin , Chen Xin , Lu Jun , Qiu Sufang
Published: September 2022

Purpose. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) exhibits a high mortality and morbidity rate, and its treatment is facing clinical challenges. Cuproptosis, a copper-dependent cell death process, can help derive new forms of cancer therapies. However, the potential of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) as novel biomarkers for risk prediction, screening, and prognosis remains to be further explained in HNSCC. Methods. We built a prognostic multigene signature with CRGs, which is associated with the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), in the TCGA cohort. Furthermore, we systematically correlated risk signature with immunological characteristics in TME including tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs), immune checkpoints, T cell inflamed score, and cancer immunity cycles. We also thoroughly investigated the biological functions of cuproptosis-associated lncRNAs and its immunological characteristics. Results. CRGs-related prognostic model showed good prediction performance. A higher risk score was associated with a poorer overall survival (OS) than those with low-risk scores, according to the results of the survival analysis (

p
<
0.0001

). The risk score was significantly related to the variable clinicopathological factors. Samples with high-risk scores had lower levels of CD8+ T cells infiltration. Immune therapy might be effective for the low-risk subtype of HNSCC patients (

p
<
0.05

). Moreover, 11 differentially expressed lncRNAs as the independent prognostic factor could also predict TME in an accurate manner. Conclusion. Our study identified and validated novel cuproptosis-related biomarkers for HNSCC prognosis and screening, which offer better insights into developing accurate, reliable, and novel cancer therapies in the era of precision medicine.
Pumping Iron: Ferritinophagy Promotes Survival and Therapy Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Jain Vaibhav , Amaravadi Ravi K.
Published: September 2022

Autophagy is an adaptive response to metabolic and therapeutic stress, especially in treatment-refractory cancers such as pancreatic cancer. In this issue of Cancer Discovery, two groups establish ferritinophagy, a selective autophagy program that could become a drug target, as the mechanism that pumps iron into mitochondria via the lysosome, enabling survival and therapy resistance in pancreas cancer.

See related article by Santana-Codina et al., p. 2180 (3).

See related article by Ravichandran et al., p. 2198 (4).
Las variables sociales y la conciencia metacognitiva de los jóvenes adultos colombianos
Authors: Gutierrez de Blume Antonio , Montoya-Londoño Diana Marcela , Landínez-Martínez Daniel , Toro-Zuluaga Natalia Andrea
Published: September 2022

(analytical)Metacognition is defined as a higher-order reflective process that allows individuals to monitor, control,and self-regulate their behavior. However, metacognition has rarely been studied with variablesbeyond the educational context such as social, behavioral and clinical variables. The purpose of thisstudy was to explore the relationship between social variables and subjective metacognitive awareness and whether these same social variables can predict components of metacognitive awareness(knowledge and regulation of cognition). Working with a sample of university students (N = 246), theresults of this study identified that there were not only significant correlations between some socialvariables and both components of metacognitive awareness, but that those same social variablescould predict metacognitive awareness. Implications for these outcomes in educational and clinicalcontexts are discussed.
Keywords: Adult learning; clinical diagnosis; metacognition; personality; self-assessment.
Viver como uma águia: uma abordagem sensível da trajetória de um imigrante cubano no Canadá
Authors: Morais Marciglei Brito , Carvalho Lais Chagas de , Rougeon Marina
Published: September 2022

Este texto propõe uma resenha do curta metragem The Eagle, realizado pelas antropólogas Alexandrine Boudreault-Fournier & Rose Satiko Gitirana Hikiji. Foca nos aportes da abordagem sensível da trajetória de um imigrante cubano no Canadá, Miguel Aguila,  proporcionada pelo uso da ferramenta audiovisual. Objetiva refletir sobre as potencialidades dos sentidos e da percepção sensível no exercício de analise da vida social, e mais especificamente das questões ligadas à migração, à doença e outras dificuldades vivenciadas. Destaca como, ao se apoiar nas dimensões associativas, sensíveis e imagéticas em torno da figura de uma águia, as ferramentas audiovisuais podem auxiliar na ampliação do campo de observação mas também na formas de escrita da pesquisa. Constituem um aporte importante na obtenção de elementos e nuances que escapam a atenção imediata, e na maneira pela qual essas nuances são reconstituídas em sons e imagens.
Habitações, jabuticabas e afetos – trajetórias com Sylvia Caiuby Novaes
Authors: Villela Alice , Ferraz Ana Lúcia , Barbosa Andrea , Barcelos Neto Aristóteles , Moraes Beatriz Rego Vinci de , Triana Bruna , Pompeia Caio , Santos Carolina Junqueira dos , Ramos Danilo Paiva , Cunha Edgar Teodoro da , Garcia Eduardo da Silva , Barbosa Francirosy Campos , Rodrigues Jardel Jesus Santos , Silva Jeferson Carvalho da , Kim Joon Ho , Koide Kelly , Kontic Laila Zilber , Cezar Lilian Sagio , Hirano Luis Felipe Kojima , Bühler Maíra , Vicentin Maria Julia , Baumgaertner Mariana Floria , Sanfelício Marianna Knothe , Marin Nadja Woczikosky , Lopes Paula Morgado Dias , Ermel Priscilla Barrak , Hupsel Rafael , Castro Rita de Almeida , Hikiji Rose Satiko Gitirana , Lotierzo Tatiana , Grunvald Vi , Issa Victor Eiji , Córdova Vinícius Teles
Published: September 2022

Sylvia Caiuby Novaes é professora do Departamento de Antropologia da Universidade de São Paulo (USP) e dedica-se há cerca de 50 anos à pesquisa e ao ensino em antropologia. Entre outras realizações, ela é uma das pioneiras da antropologia visual no Brasil, é fundadora do Laboratório de Imagem e Som da Antropologia (LISA) e editora responsável pela revista Gesto, Imagem e Som. Revista de Antropologia (GIS). Nesta entrevista, realizada por mais de 30 orientandos de diferentes gerações, Sylvia fala sobre sua trajetória, projetos, visão de mundo, suas diversas viagens, o fascínio pelas pesquisas de campo e a universidade. Ao contar sobre sua trajetória acadêmica e pessoal, Sylvia traz reflexões sobre sua relação com a fotografia e a produção de imagens.
Fibroblast GSK-3α Promotes Fibrosis via RAF-MEK-ERK Pathway in the Injured Heart
Authors: Umbarkar Prachi , Tousif Sultan , Singh Anand P. , Anderson Joshua C. , Zhang Qinkun , Tallquist Michelle D. , Woodgett James , Lal Hind
Published: September 2022

Background:

Heart failure is the leading cause of mortality, morbidity, and health care expenditures worldwide. Numerous studies have implicated GSK-3 (glycogen synthase kinase-3) as a promising therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases. GSK-3 isoforms seem to play overlapping, unique and even opposing functions in the heart. Previously, we have shown that of the 2 isoforms of GSK-3, cardiac fibroblast GSK-3β acts as a negative regulator of myocardial fibrosis in the ischemic heart. However, the role of cardiac fibroblast-GSK-3α in the pathogenesis of cardiac diseases is completely unknown.

Methods:

To define the role of cardiac fibroblast-GSK-3α in myocardial fibrosis and heart failure, GSK-3α was deleted from fibroblasts or myofibroblasts with tamoxifen-inducible Tcf21- or Postn-promoter-driven Cre recombinase. Control and GSK-3α KO mice were subjected to cardiac injury and heart parameters were evaluated. The fibroblast kinome mapping was carried out to delineate molecular mechanism followed by in vivo and in vitro analysis.

Results:

Fibroblast-specific GSK-3α deletion restricted fibrotic remodeling and preserved function of the injured heart. We observed reductions in cell migration, collagen gel contraction, α-SMA protein levels, and expression of ECM genes in TGFβ1-treated KO fibroblasts, indicating that GSK-3α is required for myofibroblast transformation. Surprisingly, GSK-3α deletion did not affect SMAD3 activation, suggesting the profibrotic role of GSK-3α is SMAD3 independent. The molecular studies confirmed decreased ERK signaling in GSK-3α-KO CFs. Conversely, adenovirus-mediated expression of a constitutively active form of GSK-3α (Ad-GSK-3α
S21A
) in fibroblasts increased ERK activation and expression of fibrogenic proteins. Importantly, this effect was abolished by ERK inhibition.

Conclusions:

GSK-3α-mediated MEK-ERK activation is a critical profibrotic signaling circuit in the injured heart, which operates independently of the canonical TGF-β1-SMAD3 pathway. Therefore, strategies to inhibit the GSK-3α-MEK-ERK signaling circuit could prevent adverse fibrosis in diseased hearts.
Spiritual Power, Witchcraft and Protestants: Conflicting Approaches to Religious Belonging and Practice in the Komi Countryside
Authors: Leete Art , Koosa Piret
Published: September 2022

In this article we aim to explore how vernacular ideas about spiritual power, words, and silence shape perceptions of religion and witchcraft among the rural Komi people, whose predominant religion is Russian Orthodoxy. In this framework we investigate local ideas of witchcraft, belonging, and strangeness. During our joint ethnographic fieldwork trips to the Komi Republic, Russia, these notions were evoked repeatedly in discussions concerning the Evangelical Protestants who established their mission in a village historically associated with witches. This particular coincidence is reflected in discourses that brand the Evangelicals culturally alien, drawing on both traditional and contemporary categories of otherness. Our analysis shows that ideas about magical power and the usage of words constitute significant aspects of vernacular understanding of faith regardless of formal denominational belonging. We claim that religious practices are switched more spontaneously than feelings of spiritual power and traditionally accepted religious belonging among the rural Komi.
Der Geist als Bild des Einen
Authors: Tornau Christian
Published: September 2022

Plotinus claims that Intellect, the second hypostasis, is an image of the transcendent One or Good. While this is certainly an application of the paradeigmatist language inherited from the Platonic theory of Forms, it is not obvious how this claim squares with the Neoplatonic axiom that the One transcends Being and Thought and is absolutely formless. I argue that Plotinus solves this dilemma by interpreting Plato’s characterization of Intellect and Being as “Good-like” in such a way as to refer, not to the eidetic properties of Intellect, but to the goodness, desirability and unifying power it receives from the One. While these are not reducible to Intellect’s essence, they are nevertheless an integral part of its being insofar as Intellect is fully real and intelligible only through the First Principle’s presence in it. It may be said, then, that Intellect is an image of the One in a non-paradigmatic sense.
Transformation Pathways Towards Climate Resilient Cities: A Comparative Analysis of Halle (Saale) and Mannheim, Germany
Authors: Izdebska Olga , Knieling Jörg , Kretschmann Nancy , Woyna Maischa-Katharina
Published: September 2022

This article explores the enabling factors and actors involved in the transformation pathways towards climate resilience of two German cities: Halle (Saale) and Mannheim. A specifically developed analytical framework served as basis for making the complex developments of the transformation paths of the two cities visible and comparable. The analysis has shown that despite strong similarities in terms of climate change impacts, the cities acted under very different political and economic conditions and thus applied particular strategic and tactical approaches and steering instruments. It can be stated that preparation of climate strategies, creation of a supporting central unit for climate issues and exemplary implementation of selected measures by the administration, as well as awareness-raising and cooperation with the stakeholders and citizens have played a key role in the cities’ transformation. In both cities, the city administration took the role of innovation organiser and orchestrated the pathway towards becoming climate resilient.
“The Intellect is a Point and a Circle”: A Case Study in the Textual Relationship of Abū Yaʿqūb al-Sijistānī’s Kitāb al-Maqālīd and the Longer Theology of Aristotle
Authors: Treiger Alexander
Published: September 2022

In his ground-breaking monograph Early Philosophical Shiism: The Ismaili Neoplatonism of Abū Yaʿqūb al-Sijistānī, Paul Walker has pointed out parallels between al-Sijistānī’s Kitāb al-Maqālīd and the Longer Theology of Aristotle – an augmented version of the Theology of Aristotle preserved mainly in Judeo-Arabic manuscripts and a sixteenth-century Latin translation. This raises the question of whether it is al-Sijistānī who cites the Longer Theology, or the unknown author of the Longer Theology who cites al-Sijistānī, or whether the two rely on a common source. Walker opts for the third solution: a common source used by both al-Sijistānī and the Longer Theology. The present contribution focuses on one of the parallels between al-Sijistānī’s Kitāb al-Maqālīd and the Longer Theology, demonstrates that Walker is indeed correct in postulating such a common source, and shows that this common source contained some of the most significant ideas for al-Sijistānī’s Ismāʿīlī Neoplatonism: the idea that the Word (al-kalima) mediates between the Creator (“Originator,” al-mubdiʿ) and the Intellect, that the Intellect is united with the Word, that the Word is “non-being” (lays), and several others. The article comments on the possible nature of this common source and on how the Longer Theology sheds light on the origins of al-Sijistānī’s Ismāʿīlī Neoplatonism.