bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization of traditional market solid waste conversion process into hydrochar using hydrothermal carbonization technology
Authors: Rifandi M F , Djaenudin  , Putra H E , Sururi M R
Published: September 2024

In this study, an analysis was carried out to determine the optimum conditions for the hydrothermal carbonization process of traditional market waste using response surface methodology central composite design. The hydrothermal carbonization process was carried out at temperatures (180, 215, 250°C), process times (30, 60, 90 minutes), and a ratio (waste: water media) of 0,5. The results of response surface analysis show that temperature and process time are parameters that significantly affect the quality of hydrochar. Increasing temperature and process time resulted in a decrease in hydrochar weight from 67,01 to 40,77 grams. Furthermore, there was an increasing heating value of hydrochar from 18,87 to 30,5 MJ/Kg. The optimization formulation of the hydrothermal carbonization process of traditional market waste was obtained at a temperature of 181,133°C and a process time of 30 minutes with a prediction value of weight and heating value obtained, namely 61,39 grams and 23 MJ/Kg.
Properties of hydrogel for adsorbent textile dye waste based cellulose-carboxymethyl sago starch
Authors: Tuljannah N , Ahmad A , Sondari D , Septevani A A , Amanda P , Hanifah A S , Karim A , Karim H
Published: September 2024

The use of a single natural polymer in hydrogel preparations is considered insufficient to produce hydrogels that are more durable, more stable, and stronger. Blends of various natural polymers can improve each sago other’s lack of physicochemical characteristics and produce new properties. This research combines two natural polymers, cellulose and starch. Cellulose isolation from Gracilaria verrucosa seaweed using acid hydrolysis and alkaline autoclaving method produced 14.01% cellulose. This study combined the results of cellulose isolation with carboxymethyl sago starch at 0.09; 0.14 and 0.24 mol/mol AGU. The isolated cellulose-carboxymethyl sago starch has the potential as a hydrogel material with the addition of crosslinkers such as epichlorohydrin (ECH). This study aims to synthesize hydrogels from cellulose-carboxymethyl sago starch with application as a textile dye waste absorbent with a concentration of epichlorohydrin (ECH) at 7.5%. Analysis of carboxymethyl sago starch is degrees of substitution, water-soluble index (WSI), and swelling power (SP). The hydrogel properties are characterized by the degree of swelling, degree of polymerization, FTIR, and SEM, and the hydrogel adsorption ability is characterized by adsorption efficiency using a microplate reader. The research results show that hydrogel can be synthesized optimally by adding carboxymethyl sago starch (CMSS) at 0.24 mol/mol AGU. The results of FTIR analysis are also by chemical measurements (swelling and gel fraction). In contrast, for maximum colour absorption, the addition of carboxymethyl sago starch is 0.09 mol/mol AGU for purple, yellow, and black and 0.14 mol/mol AGU for green color absorption. In conclusion, the adsorption ability of hydrogel in commercial textile dyes is maximum when the carboxymethyl sago starch (CMSS) is added at 0.09 mol/mol AGU with the best adsorption efficiency at purple 86.22%, yellow 77.40%, black 73.70% and at the addition of CMSS 0.14 mol/mol AGU the best adsorption efficiency in green is 73.46%.
Preliminary findings on the potential of converting municipal solid waste into refuse-derived fuel as an alternative renewable energy source from the Jakarta waste case study
Authors: Wiharja  , Robbani M H , Maulidayanti E M , Suherman  , Syafrudin  , Kholiq M A
Published: September 2024

The conversion of municipal solid waste (MSW) to refuse-derived fuel (RDF) is a promising technology for addressing waste management issues and obtaining a sustainable source of renewable energy. However, the implementation of RDF technology for MSW management in Indonesia, particularly in urban areas, has not yet been realized. This study aims to evaluate the viability of producing RDF from MSW, specifically the waste generated by Jakarta city, which is representative of other large cities in Indonesia. The research analyzed the MSW, including its physical and chemical properties, such as composition, proximate and ultimate analysis, and energy content. In order to investigate the potential adoption of bio-drying technology for the production of RDF from waste in Jakarta, a pilot scale experiment was conducted using a batch system. The results of the characterization indicate that the sample comprises of more than 50% organic waste, and furthermore, the moisture content in the samples is greater than 60%. The waste typically contains a carbon content of around 50% and a calorific value of approximately 1400 kcal/kg. RDF products produced through bio-drying can achieve a moisture content of 37.88% and a heating value of 2675 kcal/kg. The results further emphasize the potential of the produced RDF as a feasible source of renewable energy.
Preliminary study of triclosan analysis: A GC/ECD optimization
Authors: Pitoi M M , Yusiasih R , Syampurwadi A , Wulan D R , Rusli H , Amran M B
Published: September 2024

Triclosan is one of emerging contaminants with antimicrobial and disinfection properties. It is commonly used in soaps, toothpastes, detergents, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and other personal care products. Triclosan is ubiquitous in environmental samples and its concentration in natural waters is drastically increase owing to the use of hand-sanitizer during COVID-19 pandemic. Triclosan cancer classification has not been determined yet, but recent studies and government assessments had shown its adverse effect, including as endocrine disruptor compound (EDC) to living things even at relatively low concentration. Triclosan analysis in environmental samples are mostly performed on LC/MS or GC/MS instruments. However, these instruments are relatively expensive. This study was aimed to optimize GC/ECD for triclosan quantification as an alternative to MS based instruments. Triclosan standard solutions at several concentrations were injected into the GC/ECD and the result is evaluated. The result showed that GC/ECD was able to detect triclosan at 0.1 ppb with good repeatability showed by %RSD of 0.48 %. The calibration curve at range of 0.1 to 1000 ppb showed a good linearity (r=0.99999).
Using continuous online monitoring measurements to determine the Serayu River’s water quality status
Authors: Arinda E S , Wahyono H D , Santoso A D , Yudo S , Hernaningsih T , Said N I , Widayat W
Published: September 2024

The Serayu River is a national strategic river that provides essential water to local water companies, industrial operations, agriculture, and household irrigation in the surrounding community. The Serayu River’s condition is currently deteriorating due to erosion and pollution. The primary goal of this investigation is to quantify the Serayu River’s water pollution. Data from continuous online monitoring stations at Wanganaji Dam (upstream) and Gerak Serayu Dam (downstream) will be used to assess temperature, DO, pH, TDS, DHL), turbidity, and ammonia levels. The research methodology for this study included descriptive statistical analysis and the STORET method, which is based on the regulatory framework established in the Republic of Indonesia by Ministerial Decree Number 115 of 2003 and Government Regulation Number 22 of 2021. The results show that the water quality upstream of the Serayu River (Wanganaji Dam Station) partially meets most of the measured parameters while still meeting the required quality standards. Meanwhile, the water quality in the downstream part of the Serayu River (Gerak Serayu Dam Station) has DO values (3.68-4.98 mg/L), turbidity (36.78-95.48 mg/L) that exceed the required quality standards. The water quality at the Serayu River’s two dams ranges from moderate to heavily polluted.
Mapping the vicious cycles of community gold mining (CGM): a case study of the CGM sites at Sukabumi Regency, Indonesia
Authors: Prabawa F Y , Nurjaman D M , Garinas W , Dani Umar , Hardianti A , Budiman E B , Hidayat W , Haryono T , Jannah W , Zulfahmi
Published: September 2024

Community Gold Mining (CGM) in Indonesia faces significant challenges, with a specific concern being the use of mercury. Mercury is a highly toxic chemical commonly utilized in the Trommel Mercury (TM) gold extraction method, known locally as the Glundung method. Although the government has initiated programs to reduce mercury usage, such as encouraging researchers to develop non-mercury gold extraction methods, progress has been slow, and the impact has been limited. The growth of new CGM sites is outpacing these efforts, leading to an increased use of mercury and unmanageable chemical risks. Previous research has identified a vicious cycle within the CGM sector. However, no existing model illustrates this cycle. This study seeks to map the scope of CGM at its essential stages and translate them into variables to create a causal and basic model. However, Sukabumi Regency in Indonesia hosts numerous CGM sites, and a case study was conducted in the Simpenan Sub-District between 2018 and 2020. A recent site visit in August 2023 revealed continued growth in CGM site numbers within the broader area. This growth corresponds to an increase in mercury released into the environment, which poses a growing threat to public health. The study employed ArcGIS and Powersim 10 System Dynamics Software, utilizing data collected through observations, investigative methods, and reference studies. The results include two significant contributions: first, a model of current CGM activities in the form of a Causal Loops Diagram (CLD) called “the Turtle Map CLD Model of the CGM”. Second, a model depicting “the vicious cycle of CGM” highlights problematic stages within CGM. Both models represent the current state of CGM in Indonesia, showcasing the existence of vicious cycles in ongoing CGM sites. These models can guide future efforts to identify progressive solutions, especially in support of programs aimed at reducing mercury usage.
Investigation of microbiological quality of indoor air in university campus due to students returning after COVID-19 restriction
Authors: Imami A D , Azizah R N , Marpaung T K , Awfa D
Published: September 2024

COVID-19 has opened the world’s eyes to microbiological indoor air quality, which is essential to know the disease’s behaviour and spread. COVID-19 has caused several campuses to restrict campus activities to minimize the virus’s transmission among students. As students return to campus, microbiological indoor air quality can deteriorate. Therefore, understanding related to this matter needs to be improved. This study aims to give a glimpse to investigate the impact of a student returning to microbiological indoor air quality and determine the main contributing factors influencing it. This study measured two microbial air pollutants, total bacteria, and fungi, in a different indoor environment at the Sumatra Institute of Technology in Lampung, Indonesia. Simultaneously, the main factor, (the number of occupants/students) and several environmental factors that could potentially influence microbial air pollutants such as room temperature, relative humidity, light intensity, ventilation area, and the direction of wind movement were also measured. Compared to measurements taken during the pandemic, the intensified number of averaged total bacteria and total fungi reached 248% and 63%, respectively. The total bacteria measured at the sampling locations were higher than the total fungi of 799.27 CFU/m3 compared to 552.99 CFU/m3. The number of bacteria also exceeds the Indonesian Bacteria Indoor Air Quality parameters standard. Based on the regression linier analysis, different significant variables influence each parameter. In general, the return of students after COVID-19 restrictions has significantly affected indoor microbiological air quality. In addition, the environmental factors that affect the parameters of bacteria and fungi are different, so further attention shall be addressed by the campus.
Determinant factor of environmental quality based on carbon footprint levels in Asia using regression model and Jacobian optimization method
Authors: Putri O A , Ahmad A , Zahid M F , Izzany N , Aisyah S , Oktarina S D
Published: September 2024

The rapid economic growth in Asia has resulted in significant carbon emissions, leading to global climate change and environmental degradation. The situation is closely linked to increased industrial activities, population growth, and high energy consumption. Thus, this research is focused on analyzing whether the growth domestic product per capita, foreign direct investment per capita, energy use per capita, and forestland emissions per capita are associated with carbon footprint records in Asia. The attempt is conducted by employing parameter estimation of carbon footprint using a regression model and Jacobian Optimization procedure. The model incorporates data from FAOSTAT, Global Footprint Network, and the World Bank in 2021. The result suggested that if GDP per capita increases by 1,000 units, then the estimated average of carbon footprint per capita will also increase by 0.2, holding other variables remain constant. The finding contributes to formulating effective strategies for carbon footprint reduction and sustainable development in the region. The optimized parameter estimation provides valuable insights into the factors affecting the carbon footprint in Asia.
A Study of waste generation and waste composition in Pasaran Island for the sustainability of tourism industry in Lampung, Indonesia
Authors: Mawaddah N , Alam F C , Sahid  , Bunga V U , Hanami Z A , Prayogo W , Kamal M , Hasiany S , Gultom T , Putri Z O
Published: September 2024

To date, no studies have been undertaken on Pasaran Island to investigate waste generation and composition, rendering this research significant for laying the groundwork for precise and sustainable waste management planning. Existing studies predominantly center on waste generation concerning community behaviour, stakeholder roles in management, and the technical assessment of waste management aspects. Consequently, this study aims to quantify waste generation and composition on Pasaran Island. Sampling adhered to the SNI-19-3694-1994 standard over eight consecutive days, focusing on household waste for domestic waste samples and selecting commercial establishments, mosques, and schools as sources for non-domestic waste samples. The research reveals an average waste generation rate of 0.13 kg/person/day on Pasaran Island. Organic waste predominates, constituting 44% of the total, originating from household activities like kitchen waste and waste deposited on the island by the sea. Plastic, encompassing bottles, bags, and food packaging, ranks as the second most prevalent waste type at 26% of the total. Residents in tourist areas exhibit distinct waste generation characteristics. The findings can be utilized for the development of the tourism sector to consider organic waste as the primary focus, it must be addressed first.
Environmental monitoring of the transportation sector in meta-analytic study
Authors: Sarjana Sri
Published: September 2024

Environmental monitoring is the process of collecting, monitoring and analyzing data related to physical and biological environment in order to understand environmental conditions, identify problems that may occur and take action to protect and improve the environment. Environmental monitoring in transportation sector is directed at understanding its contribution to air pollution, noise pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, habitat destruction, and other impacts on environment. The purpose of this study is to identify derivative concepts in environmental monitoring for encouraging the development of green technology through analysis of scientific publications. Meta-analysis applied through bibliometric analysis to the concept of environmental monitoring in transportation sector is expected to produce novel findings. Analytic hierarchy process is carried out as follow-up analysis in determining choices and priorities on topic findings that have novelty. Data collection was obtained in the form of scientific journals published for 2018-2022 sourced from Google Scholar through a search with the concept of environmental monitoring in transportation sector. The results of study found that several derivative topics in the concept of environmental monitoring in transportation sector have novelties including atmospheric transport, gas sensing, carbon footprint, tritium transport, vertical transport, smart grid and intelligent transportation system. While priority topics that are expected to be followed up in the development of knowledge and technology in the future include carbon footprint, gas sensing and intelligent transportation systems.
Domestic wastewater treatment with anaerobic-aerobic biofilters using plastic honeycomb media
Authors: Said N I , Hernaningsih T , Widayat W , Yudo S , Septian A , Setiyono  , Rifai A , Setiadi I , Sulaeman O , Wahyono H D , Hartaja D R K , Darmawangsa M R , Ikhsan I N
Published: September 2024

The potential for domestic wastewater will also increase as Indonesia’s population grows. Domestic wastewater contains organic and inorganic contaminants and pathogenic microorganisms, which are dangerous to public health. Therefore, strategies need to be taken to overcome the pollution problem caused by domestic wastewater. The anaerobic-aerobic biofilters is a wastewater treatment method that employs a biological, low-energy, and environmentally friendly process. Hence, in this research, the utilization of plastic honeycomb media technology in the anaerobic-aerobic biofilter is proposed as an alternative method for domestic wastewater treatment. This research aims to evaluate the performance of office wastewater treatment with anaerobic-aerobic biofilters using plastic honeycomb media. The research method evaluated the treatment results with a 70 m3/day capacity used in an office in Muara Karang, Jakarta. The wastewater treatment results must comply with Ministry of the Environment Regulation 68 of 2016 concerning Domestic Wastewater Quality Standards, so it is necessary to analyze the Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), Chemical oxygen demand (COD), Total suspended solid (TSS), ammonia, and total coliform parameters. The average removal efficiency of BOD, COD, TSS, ammonia, and total coliforms were 92.5; 91.1; 97.2; 97.1; and 99.9 %, respectively. In addition, there is an influence of wastewater discharge on the removal efficiency of these parameters.
Comparative analysis of biomass boiler, heat pump, direct electric and solar-biomass based heating systems for small residential building in Kathmandu
Authors: Timilsina N S , Adhikari N , Gautam S , Aacharya A , Satyal S , Pandey P , Baral B
Published: September 2024

Globally, 42 % of the energy produced is used for heating and cooling applications to maintain thermal comfort for the human body. The selection of these heating systems is governed by initial investment and operating expenses. This study presents the technical and economic assessment of four heating systems: a biomass-based radiator system, an air-air heat pump system, a direct electric heater system, and a hybrid-biomass solar-based radiator system. The heating requirement of the building of an area of 94 m2 for the winter months of Kathmandu was determined. Later, the heating systems of standard size were selected for technical and economic assessment to choose the suitable one. Based on degree-day method, the annual heating requirement of the building was estimated to be 10890.5 kWh to maintain a temperature of 20°C. The total yearly energy of 10880 kWh, 3203 kWh, 10890.5 kWh, and 6013.17 kWh were consumed for the biomass, the heat pump, the direct electric, and the hybrid system, respectively. The equivalent energy costs for operation were estimated to be Rs 52,500, Rs 38,436, Rs. 1,19,795, and Rs. 29,000 for the respective systems. Considering the initial and operating costs over 15 years time period, the present worth of the hybrid system is the largest amongst all other systems. Hence, from the study, the hybrid biomass- solar-based radiator is the best heating system for Kathmandu, considering the energy costs and NPW.
Why does the rule of law survive?
Authors: Huq Aziz Z.
Published: September 2024

Most contemporary accounts of the rule of law set out the criteria that a legal system must meet in order to satisfy the rule of law, but they do not have much to say about how a decent and respectable legal system gets off the ground initially, or how it remains stable. This chapter explores a series of theories for why the rule of law proves stable and sustainable. In particular, it characterizes this as a puzzle about why powerful actors, in particular the ones wielding the levers of state violence, limit themselves within the bounds defined by law. Why should the powerful, that is, give pause when the law says no? Drawing on economics and political theory, this chapter canvasses the available (yet ultimately unsatisfying) array of answers.
Shared decision-making with older people on TReatment Escalation planning for Acute deterioration in the emergency Medical Setting: a qualitative study of Clinicians’ perspectives (STREAMS-C)
Authors: Warner Bronwen E , Wells Mary , Vindrola-Padros Cecilia , Brett Stephen J
Published: September 2024

Background

Shared decision-making (SDM) is increasingly expected in healthcare systems prioritising patient autonomy. Treatment escalation plans (TEPs) outline contingency for medical intervention in the event of patient deterioration. This study aimed to understand clinicians’ perspectives on SDM in TEP for older patients in the acute medical setting.

Methods

This was a qualitative study following a constructivist approach. Semistructured interviews with vignettes were conducted with 26 consultant and registrar doctors working in emergency medicine, general internal medicine, intensive care medicine and palliative care medicine. Reflexive thematic analysis was performed.

Results

There were three themes: ‘An unequal partnership’, ‘Options without equipoise’ and ‘Decisions with shared understanding’. Clinicians’ expertise in synthesising complex, uncertain clinical information was contrasted with perceived patient unfamiliarity with future health planning and medical intervention. There was a strong sense of morality underpinning decision-making and little equipoise about appropriate TEP decisions. Communication around the TEP was important, and clinicians sought control over the high-stakes decision whilst avoiding conflict and achieving shared understanding.

Conclusions

Clinicians take responsibility for securing a ‘good’ TEP decision for older patients in the acute medical setting. They synthesise clinical data with implicit ethical reasoning according to their professional predictions of qualitative and quantitative success following medical intervention. SDM is seldom considered a priority for this context. Nonetheless, avoidance of conflict, preserving the clinical relationship and shared understanding with the patient and family are important.
Trend and driving factors in burden of age-related macular degeneration in older adults aged 60–89 years: a global analysis over three decades
Authors: Ni Qin-Yu , Wu Meng-Yao , Zha Chen-Kai , Wen Yu , Zhong Lan , Ding Jing-Jing , Li Xue-Yan , Tao Li-Ming , Jiang Zheng-Xuan , Cao Fan
Published: September 2024

Background

To explore temporal trends and determine driving factors of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) burden in older adults aged 60–89 years at global, regional and national levels from 1990 to 2019.

Methods

Prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) were extracted. Joinpoint regression analysis was adopted to calculate average annual percentage change and to identify the year with the most significant changes. Global trends were stratified by sex, age and sociodemographic index, and regional and national trends were explored. Decomposition analysis was conducted to determine what extent the forces of population size, age structure and epidemiologic change driving alterations of AMD burden.

Results

Globally, prevalence rate slightly increased whereas YLDs rate decreased. The year 2005 marked a turning point where both prevalence and YLDs started to decline. Regionally, Western Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest prevalence and YLDs rates in 2019, with East Asia experiencing the most notable rise in prevalence from 1990 to 2019. Global decomposition revealed that the increased case number was primarily driven by population growth and ageing, and epidemiological change was only detected to lessen but far from offset these impacts.

Conclusions

Although there was only slight increase or even decrease in prevalence and YLDs rates of AMD in older adults, the case number still nearly doubled, which may be primarily attributed to population growth and ageing, coupled with the emerging growing pattern of prevalence rate from 2015, collectively suggesting a huge challenge in control and management of AMD.
Insomnia in ambulatory care: A clinical review
Authors: Dopheide Julie A , Roth Winter R , Chu Michelle K L
Published: September 2024

Purpose

One-third to one-half of ambulatory care patients report insomnia. The objective of this clinical review is to detail the many causes and evidence-based treatment options for insomnia in outpatients and to recommend screening and summarize evidence for the place in therapy of prescription and nonprescription treatments.

This work provides an overview of the literature on insomnia regarding causes, patient assessment, and nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments. Patients who present with insomnia should be assessed for sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and all contributing medications as well as medical, psychiatric, and substance use disorder diagnoses. The type of insomnia, namely difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, and early morning awakening with resulting functional impairment, should be documented in addition to whether insomnia is short term or persistent. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) or digital CBT-I is first-line treatment for all patients with insomnia irrespective of the cause or type. Nonprescription treatments such as antihistamines or melatonin are for select populations. Prescription hypnotics are best utilized on an as-needed basis or for nightly use for less than 6 weeks. Z-hypnotics are safe and effective for insomnia in persons with depression or an anxiety disorder but should be avoided in older individuals or if there is respiratory or cognitive impairment. Orexin receptor antagonists are effective for sleep initiation and maintenance in healthy persons or if there is mild cognitive impairment, but they require further study in individuals with psychiatric and medical diagnoses. Trazodone is the most prescribed off-label treatment due to its efficacy for sleep initiation and maintenance and its lack of abuse potential.

Conclusion

Insomnia treatment should be guided by patient age, diagnoses, and type of insomnia. Pharmacological treatments should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration of time.
Practice-enhancing publications about the medication-use process in 2023
Authors: Vest Tyler A , Gazda Nicholas P , O’Neil Daniel P , Donnowitz Kathrine R , Eckel Stephen F
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This article identifies, prioritizes, and summarizes published literature on the medication-use process (MUP) from calendar year 2023 that can impact health-system pharmacy daily practice. The MUP is the foundational system that provides the framework for safe medication utilization within the healthcare environment. The MUP is defined in this article as having the following components: prescribing/transcribing, dispensing, administration, and monitoring. Articles evaluating at least one step of the MUP were assessed for their usefulness toward practice improvement.

A PubMed search was conducted in January 2024 for calendar year 2023 using targeted Medical Subject Headings keywords and the tables of contents of selected pharmacy journals were searched, providing a total of 5,314 articles. A thorough review identified 40 potentially practice-enhancing articles: 8 for prescribing/transcribing, 15 for dispensing, 6 for administration, and 11 for monitoring. The trends from the articles are briefly summarized, with a mention of the importance within health-system pharmacy. The articles are listed and summarized in tables for further review and evaluation.

Conclusion

It is important to routinely review the published literature and to incorporate significant findings into daily practice. This article assists in identifying and summarizing the most impactful literature from 2023. Health-system pharmacists have an active role in improving the MUP in their institutions, and awareness of significant published studies can assist in changing practice at the institutional level.
Future outlook for food function research
Authors: Tachibana Hirofumi
Published: September 2024

The results of research on food functionality in Japan have been passed on to society in the form of Foods for Specified Health Uses and Foods with Functional Claims. However, it is also true that there are people who do not experience any health benefits even when they consume these foods. To clarify the factors that cause such individual differences in the health benefits of food, research into the following points is important: (1) Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms behind why food factors exert their functionality. (2) Research into the functional interactions between food factors that exert their functionality in multi-component systems. (3) Research into the functionality of food factors that have not been the subject of research until now. We will introduce the results of our research in these areas. We will also discuss our expectations for the application of food functionality research to pharmaceutical development as an extension of this research.
Multi-Cover Persistence (MCP)-based machine learning for polymer property prediction
Authors: Zhang Yipeng , Shen Cong , Xia Kelin
Published: September 2024

Accurate and efficient prediction of polymers properties is crucial for polymer design. Recently, data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) models have demonstrated great promise in polymers property analysis. Even with the great progresses, a pivotal challenge in all the AI-driven models remains to be the effective representation of molecules. Here we introduce Multi-Cover Persistence (MCP)-based molecular representation and featurization for the first time. Our MCP-based polymer descriptors are combined with machine learning models, in particular, Gradient Boosting Tree (GBT) models, for polymers property prediction. Different from all previous molecular representation, polymer molecular structure and interactions are represented as MCP, which utilizes Delaunay slices at different dimensions and Rhomboid tiling to characterize the complicated geometric and topological information within the data. Statistic features from the generated persistent barcodes are used as polymer descriptors, and further combined with GBT model. Our model has been extensively validated on polymer benchmark datasets. It has been found that our models can outperform traditional fingerprint-based models and has similar accuracy with geometric deep learning models. In particular, our model tends to be more effective on large-sized monomer structures, demonstrating the great potential of MCP in characterizing more complicated polymer data. This work underscores the potential of MCP in polymer informatics, presenting a novel perspective on molecular representation and its application in polymer science.
Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in early pregnancy: implications for miscarriage
Authors: Lai Yuxuan , Fu Zhiyu , Gao Yaxin , Ma Ning , Li Lu
Published: September 2024

Miscarriage poses a significant threat to both maternal and fetal health. Its etiology remains unknown, and there are no established effective identification or prevention strategies. A low-oxygen environment in early pregnancy is a physiological necessity for embryonic and placental growth. Hypoxia-inducible factors are a family of classic hypoxia signaling molecules whose expression level may fluctuate abnormally because of an imbalance in oxygen levels. Its unusual fluctuations initiate multiple signaling pathways at the maternal womb. Hypoxia-inducible factors are a family of classic hypoxia-signaling molecules and immune tolerance. Notably, aberrant regulation of these processes may lead to miscarriage. This review aims to clarify how the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α mediates the aberrant regulation of biological processes, including autophagy, metabolic reprogramming, et al., and how these effects impact trophoblasts and other cells at the maternal-fetal interface. These findings provide new insights into potential therapeutic and preventive strategies for miscarriage.
PTEN controls alternative splicing of autism spectrum disorder-associated transcripts in primary neurons
Authors: Rademacher Sebastian , Preußner Marco , Rehm Marie C , Fuchs Joachim , Heyd Florian , Eickholt Britta J
Published: September 2024

Phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) is the main antagonist of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway and mutated in 10%–20% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibiting macrocephaly. Hyperactive mTOR signalling is responsible for some aspects during PTEN-ASD progression, e.g. neuronal hypertrophy and -excitability, but PI3K/mTOR-independent processes have additionally been described. There is emerging evidence that PTEN regulates gene transcription, spliceosome formation and pre-mRNA splicing independently of PI3K/mTOR. Altered splicing is a hallmark of brains from individuals with idiopathic and PTEN-ASD, however, molecular mechanisms are yet to be identified.

We performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq), followed by analysis of altered transcript splicing in Pten-deficient primary cortical mouse neurons, which we compared with published data from PTEN-deficient human neuronal stem cells. This analysis identified that transcripts were globally mis-spliced in a developmentally regulated fashion and cluster in synaptic and gene expression regulatory processes. Strikingly, splicing defects following Pten-deficiency represent a significant number of other known ASD-susceptibility genes. Furthermore, we show that exons with strong 3′ splice sites are more frequently mis-spliced under Pten-deficient conditions. Our study indicates that PTEN-ASD is a multifactorial condition involving the dysregulation of other known ASD-susceptibility genes.
Nurses’ health promotion practices in rural primary health care in Nigeria. A qualitative study
Authors: Enebeli Maria Oluomachi , Saint Victoria , Hämel Kerstin
Published: September 2024

Nurses play a vital role in providing high-quality primary healthcare and health promotion services. The state of research highlights their often complex operational realities and shows the need for an evidence-based understanding of nurses’ perspectives on health promotion practices, especially in low-resource settings. This study focuses on how community health nurses in rural primary healthcare centers in Nigeria perceive their health promotion role and the opportunities and challenges of, and potential entry points for strengthening, their practice. A sample of 10 nurses from eight rural primary healthcare centers in eight local government areas of Anambra state, Nigeria, was purposively selected. Data were collected via semistructured telephone and written interviews and analyzed by qualitative content analysis using a deductive–inductive approach. Nurses emphasized their commitment to supporting patients and communities to develop skills and take control of their own lives. Nurses described their role as facilitators of behavioral and environmental change, individual and community empowerment facilitators as well as social activists. Factors that enhance the health promotion practice of nurses include adequate skills, sufficient human and material resources and community support and participation. Inhibiting factors included insufficient funding, poor working conditions, staff shortages, high workload, lack of training opportunities and low participation of community members. Overcoming challenges and facilitating health promotion activities in rural communities require bolstering nurses by providing further training opportunities for enhancing their health promotion competencies and creating supportive environments. Future research should focus on how to strengthen nurses’ health promotion efforts through interprofessional and intersectoral collaboration.
The new regulation of non-medical neurotechnologies in the European Union: overview and reflection
Authors: Bublitz Christoph , Ligthart Sjors
Published: September 2024

The regulation of neurotechnologies for non-medical purposes such as enhancement, gaming, or well-being is a topic of ongoing controversy. Without much attention, the European Union addressed it by two implementing regulations to the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) for non-invasive brain stimulation devices, passed in December 2022. This paper presents main aspect of these regulations and the conditions for placing non-medical neurodevices on the EU market, especially the risk threshold and the requirement for pre-market certification. It also provides a first critical comment on selected aspects and the unclear situation regarding research only devices which has alarmed the European neurotechnology sector.
Neuroblastoma of the thoracic spine in an adult: a case report
Authors: Oyemolade Toyin A , Adeolu Augustine A , Oyewo Oluwafunmito L , Oko-Azu Vivian C
Published: September 2024

Neuroblastoma (NB) in the adults is extremely rare. Even less encountered is NB involving the adult spine with only a few reported cases. Because of its rarity, there are as yet no well-established treatment guidelines for NB in the adults. Treatment strategies, therefore, are often extrapolated from paediatric data. We report a case of a 51-year-old man with NB involving the thoracic spine who had surgical excision with a good postoperative outcome in the short term.
An Argument for the Distinct Nature of Nursing Ethics
Authors: Grace Pamela J.
Published: September 2024

In this chapter the proposition that nursing ethics be accepted as a distinct field of inquiry is defended. It is a bona fide and stand-alone branch of applied professional ethics specific to understanding the responsibilities of the profession and its members. Support for the argument is derived from prior literature, the author’s own research, practice experiences, and the contemporary sociopolitical context of healthcare. Nursing ethics is defined, advanced, and juxtaposed with understandings about the ethics of other healthcare professions including medicine. The idea that the discipline of bioethics is an apt parent discipline, under which all healthcare professional and sociopolitical issues can be subsumed, is challenged. Bioethics has paid scant attention to the underlying conditions of everyday nursing and healthcare practice and/or root causes of problems in sociopolitical conditions, structural injustices, and power imbalances. Viewing nursing, other professional ethics, and bioethics as distinct fields of inquiry, rather than being problematic, facilitates improvements in healthcare.
Phenomenology, Power, and Polarization
Authors: Aftab Awais , Jones Nev
Published: September 2024

Nev Jones, PhD, is Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work, PA. She has an interdisciplinary academic background in social and political philosophy, community psychology, and medical anthropology. An applied mental health services researcher, her expertise includes the social and cultural determinants of pathways to and through care, early intervention in psychosis, multistakeholder perspectives on mental health services, and the relationship between poverty, education/employment, and longer-term outcomes. This interview discusses various phenomenological and structural complexities of psychosis in light of her own schizophrenia spectrum experiences and her research on the subject. In addition, the state of polarized discourse and the importance of engaging with consumer/survivor/ex-patient perspectives in psychiatry are discussed.
The Battle for the Soul of Psychiatry
Authors: Aftab Awais , Pies Ronald W.
Published: September 2024

Ronald W. Pies, MD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Lecturer on Bioethics and Humanities at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine. He is also Editor-in-Chief Emeritus (2007–2010) of Psychiatric Times. Pies is the author or co-author of several psychiatric textbooks, including Clinical Manual of Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment: A Biopsychosocial Approach (American Psychiatric Press, 1994) and Handbook of Essential Psychopharmacology (American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2005). Articles and commentaries by Pies have been a staple feature of Psychiatric Times. He is well known for his articulate defence of psychiatry, especially in the face of Szaszian critiques and the ‘chemical imbalance’ controversy. In this interview, he defends the ‘biopsychosocial’ integrative tradition as the underappreciated solid centre of psychiatry and clarifies his position on various matters pertinent to critiques of psychiatry.
The Medical Model in Theory and Practice
Authors: Aftab Awais , Huda Ahmed Samei
Published: September 2024

Ahmed Samei Huda, MBChb, MSC, works as a consultant psychiatrist in the UK National Health Service in a deprived area to the east of Manchester. He is the author of The Medical Model in Mental Health: An Explanation and Evaluation (Oxford University Press, 2019). Huda describes how he was struck by the disparity between the views of various academics and those of clinicians at the coalface regarding the medical model and its application to psychiatry. This served as his motivation for writing The Medical Model in Mental Health. He argues that, in many respects, there is a greater degree of overlap between psychiatry and general medicine than is realized by many critics with regards to the nature of diagnostic constructs and effectiveness of treatments. This interview discusses his views on the medical model in psychiatry, the misconceptions surrounding it, and its relationship with other frameworks.
A Surgeon’s Perspective
Authors: Falowski Steven M.
Published: September 2024

In pain management, proper and optimal patient care requires relationships between spine surgeons and interventional pain physicians. Minimally invasive technologies are growing, as is the overlap of practice between the specialties; therefore, it is paramount that referral networks be patient-centric, regardless of who is performing a procedure. Thus, it is important to be able to offer therapies to your patients that focus on their best interests, even if you are not the one performing the procedure. With the evolving landscape in spine interventions and the evolving scope of practice for interventional pain physicians, it is more important than ever to have collaboration.
Spinal Diagnostics for Interventional Pain and Surgery
Authors: Petersohn Jeffrey D.
Published: September 2024

All pain treatments rest on an understanding of the causes of pain. Obvious diagnoses confirmable with limited investigation require little cognitive effort, but complex pain presentations with multiple possible underlying diagnoses present challenges. Often, if a specific injection is performed once with a satisfactory result, it is followed by repetition of the same injection when the pain returns. If the patient then fails to improve, this is considered a failure of technique, where in fact the original problem may remain successfully abated and a second pain process having a distinct pathophysiology has emerged. Many cases may have several distinct causes of pain that require the physician to finesse each diagnosis in sequence. The chapter discusses common dyads and triads of pain disorders, along with a hierarchical and sequentially recursive approach to diagnosis and treatment, with emphasis on precise procedures selected to address anatomically specific pathophysiologies. A model of lumbar spinal pain that divides pain conditions into pathoanatomical subsets is presented. The utility and limitations of imaging are discussed, as are techniques for performing physical examination that allow establishment of a pain diagnosis based on correlation of anatomy and pathophysiology. Clinical pearls for performance of less common interventional procedures are offered, as are clinically derived guidelines for interpretation of the varied results of injection procedures. Many clinical points presented are not drawn from the published literature but are a collated offering of an improved clinical frame of reference for interpretation of spinal diagnostic injections. Until additional studies are published that use improved patient selection criteria and that constructively address the challenging diagnosis of multiple coexisting painful conditions, it is possible to substantially improve diagnostic acumen using inference, logic, and deductive reasoning.
Vertebral Augmentation
Authors: Francio Vinicius Tieppo , Kalia Hemant , Escobar Alexander
Published: September 2024

The treatment options available for vertebral fractures (VFs) range from nonsurgical treatment (NST) to minimally invasive interventions, such as vertebral augmentation, which includes percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) and titanium implantable vertebral augmentation devices (TIVAD). Although most VFs can be managed with NST, a subset with significant vertebral height loss, mechanical disruption, and uncontrollable pain may warrant vertebral augmentation. Vertebral augmentation using specific FDA approved devices are considered medically necessary for the treatment of symptomatic thoracolumbar osteoporotic VFs that have failed to respond to at least 6 weeks of conservative NST, and for the treatment of severe pain due to osteolytic lesions of the spine, related to malignancy. Overall, current guidelines and multiple reviews suggest that BKP is a safe and effective procedure with level I evidence recommending its use when proper criteria are met. Additionally, level I TIVAD related studies have demonstrated non-inferiority, when compared to BKP, with similar safety, efficacy, and interestingly less incidence of adjacent fractures. A poor prognostic factor is found if vertebral augmentation is not performed earlier than 6 months after injury, advocating a strategy for intervention early on. Hence, vertebral augmentation has a life changing impact in morbidity and mortality in patients with VFs, with a low NNT to save one life at 1 and 5 years. Both vertebral augmentation modalities conferred a prominent mortality benefit over NST with a low NNT, demonstrating a relative mortality advantage of BKP over NST. Since VFs have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and considering the abundance of high-quality information, multiple medical societies favor and confidently advocate the use of vertebral augmentation in the treatment of VFs. In summary, there is no consensus about which vertebral augmentation device is best for treating VFs. The decision to choose one vertebral augmentation system over another is physician dependent, however clinical guidelines, society recommendations and level I studies favor BKP and TIVAD, which have demonstrated similar outcomes of improved quality of life, functionality and pain relief in patients with VFs.