bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Popularyzacja Mikołaja Kopernika i jego dorobku w Polsce Ludowej
Authors: Hübner Mateusz
Published: January 2025

Celem artykułu nie jest przeprowadzenie merytorycznej analizy problemów z zakresu dorobku naukowego dotyczącego Mikołaja Kopernika. Nie podejmuję też rozważań nad zagadnieniem określanym mianem przewrotu kopernikańskiego czy rewolucji kopernikańskiej. Po 1944 roku, w okresie Polski Ludowej, komunistyczne władze objęły naukę kontrolą ideologiczną. Twórczość naukowa służyła jako narzędzie władzy w budowie nowej świadomości społecznej. Profesjonalne upowszechnianie nauki przez uczonych jako autorów zastąpił system popularyzacji prowadzonej przez dziennikarzy i instruktorów partyjnych. Powstało czasopismo „Problemy” (1945) oraz Towarzystwo Wiedzy Powszechnej (1950). Systemem popularyzacji objęto między innymi wiedzę o Mikołaju Koperniku. Z postacią Kopernika, będącego już w XIX wieku ikoną nauki akademickiej, władze komunistyczne łączyły rolę ikony „nowej nauki”. Cel ten opierano na stosowaniu w ocenie twórczości Kopernika i innych znanych uczonych kryterium postępowości – stanowiącego w rzeczywistości ideologicznie pojęty rozwój. Kryterium to zdeterminowało działalność Polskiego Towarzystwa Przyrodników im. Kopernika, a także referaty dotyczące Kopernika na I Kongresie Nauki Polskiej oraz w ramach Sesji Kopernikowskiej (15-16 IX 1953). Postać Kopernika była ideologizowana przez władze partyjno-państwowe także po okresie stalinowskim. Stałym elementem polityki władz było wskazywanie na rolę Kopernika w budowie naukowego światopoglądu, co naruszało depozyt wiary Kościoła oparty na historii biblijnej. Pozostałością po okresie popularyzacji jest nazewnictwo obiektów miejskich, instytucji oraz pomniki i uroczystości kopernikańskie.
Love and Education. Love in Education
Authors: Amilburu Maria
Published: January 2025

I will present in this paper some insights about the type of love that is needed in education according to some ideas presented by C. S. Lewis, Daniel Pennac, Joseph Rassam, Massimo Recalcati and François X. Bellamy, among others. After considering four anthropological assumptions that teachers must keep in mind for an adequate hermeneutics of human beings, education is presented like a kind of craftmanship, not as a mechanical production. This endeavour is understood as an act of love towards thestudents, and towards the wisdom that is condensed in the cultural traditions – scientific, humanistic, religious, artistic, etc. – we have inherited, and must pass improved to next generations, as their legitimate human inheritance.
Love and Social Generativity
Authors: Crotti Monica
Published: January 2025

This paper relates love to generativity through pedagogical anthropology, in which the person and environment can be seen as a network of participatory relationships. In fact, ‘love is the unity of the community as the vocation is the unity of the person. Love is not added to the person as more, as a luxury: without love the person does not exist’ (Mounier, 1961, p. 521). Therefore, we introduce the concepts of human and social generativity and their dynamics (desire, bringing into the world, taking care and letting go) as well as their effects. Then, we analyse intergenerational relations as an example of donative love.
Demanda cardiovascular do beach tennis recreacional em mulheres normotensas e hipertensas de meia-idade
Authors: Carpes Leandro de Oliveira , Jung Nathalia , Domingues Lucas Betti , Fuchs Sandra Costa , Tanaka Hirofumi , Ferrari Rodrigo
Published: January 2025

Objetivo: O objetivo do estudo foi analisar e comparar as respostas cardiovasculares de uma única sessão de beach tennis (BT) em mulheres de meia-idade com pressão normal (NTN) e hipertensão (HTN). Métodos: A amostra foi composta por 26 mulheres (13 NTN e 13 HTN; ≈ 47 ± 7 anos) que foram submetidas a uma sessão de BT composta por 5-min de aquecimento, seguidos por 3 jogos de 12-min com intervalos de 2-min entre elas. Todas os jogos foram realizados em uma quadra de BT regular e com regras oficiais. A pressão arterial (PA) e a frequência cardíaca foram avaliadas antes (Pré), durante a sessão (imediatamente após cada jogo) e após a sessão por 30-min. Resultados: Para a frequência cardíaca, não houve diferença entre os grupos em nenhum dos momentos avaliados (p > 0,050). Em comparação com o valor basal, a PA sistólica nas NTN aumentou após o primeiro (23 mmHg, p < 0,001), segundo (23 mmHg, p < 0,001) e terceiro jogo (14 mmHg, p = 0,013). Em contraste, nas HTN, a PA sistólica aumentou apenas após o primeiro jogo (19 mmHg, p = 0,009). Após o exercício, nas NTN, a PA sistólica diminuiu pós-30’ (-11 mmHg, p = 0,025). Nas HTN, a PA sistólica diminuiu tanto no pós-15’ (-19 mmHg, p < 0,001) quanto no pós-30’ (-19 mmHg, p < 0,001). Ao comparar os valores delta entre os grupos em cada ponto de recuperação, as HTN apresentaram uma PA sistólica inferior às NTN no pós-15’ (-16 mmHg, p < 0,001) e pós-30’ (-9 mmHg, p = 0,046). Conclusão: Em conclusão, durante o exercício, as mulheres HTN e NTN apresentaram um aumento na demanda cardiovascular em comparação aos valores pré-sessão. Além disso, uma única sessão de BT reduziu agudamente a PA em mulheres HTN e NTN, com uma redução mais acentuada observada nas HTN.
Robustness and Approximation of Discrete-Time Mean-Field Games Under Discounted Cost Criterion
Authors: Aydin Uğur , Saldi Naci
Published: January 2025

In this paper, we investigate the robustness of stationary mean-field equilibria in the presence of model uncertainties, specifically focusing on infinite-horizon discounted cost functions. To achieve this, we initially establish convergence conditions for value iteration-based algorithms in mean-field games. Subsequently, utilizing these results, we demonstrate that the mean-field equilibrium obtained through this value iteration algorithm remains robust even in the face of system dynamics misspecifications. We then apply these robustness findings to the finite model approximation problem in mean-field games, showing that if the state space quantization is fine enough, the mean-field equilibrium for the finite model closely approximates the nominal one.
How to effectively and efficiently use the Class II carriere motion appliance
Authors: Jawad Mariam , Alkadhimi Aslam
Published: January 2025

Class II malocclusion is a relatively common orthodontic presentation. Management can include various approaches depending on the severity of the malocclusion, the patient's age, wishes, expectations and the clinician's experience. As well as the increased overjet commonly seen in Class II malocclusion, the overbite usually, but not always, is increased. Managing and controlling both the anteroposterior and vertical elements of the malocclusion simultaneously can be very efficient and lead to a reduced overall treatment duration. The Carriere Class II 3D motion appliance (CMA) is a relatively new concept in managing Class II malocclusion. The simple design makes CMAs more comfortable than other appliances. The distal force on the posterior maxillary segment is applied by elastics, worn from the anterior hook to a button or hook on the mandibular first molar. The protocol for mandibular anchorage includes the use of a removable Essix-type clear retainer that has been modified posteriorly to accommodate the bonded buccal tubes or hooks on the mandibular molars. This article presents two cases where patients were concurrently treated with CMA and lower fixed appliances.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: Correction of Class II malocclusion can be made more efficient if both the anteroposterior and vertical components are addressed simultaneously.
Optimization of orthodontic bond strength to defective enamel
Authors: Emms George , Brierley Catherine
Published: January 2025

Defective enamel can render conventional methods for bonding orthodontic brackets ineffective and compromise orthodontic tooth movement. There are various techniques proposed in the literature to optimize the orthodontic bond strength. A clinical case is presented here with some additional lesser-known techniques to aid bonding. These include etching the enamel surfaces twice, curing the resin adhesive (primer) after etching, and placing composite ‘pads’ to maximize the surface area for bonding. These techniques may be implemented when the primary objective is to improve the bond strength. However, the need to maximize bond strength must be balanced against the risk of causing iatrogenic damage to weaker enamel.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: Defective enamel can present an orthodontic challenge owing to compromised bond strength between the adhesive and enamel.
Enhanced Probiotic Stability and Functional Beverage Potential through Bacterial Cellulose Encapsulation of Saccharomyces boulardii
Authors:   Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua 500, Taiwan, Chong Min-Chi , Chou Jui-Yu ,   Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua 500, Taiwan
Published: January 2025

Bacterial cellulose (BC), synthesized by acetic acid bacteria, provides a
versatile biofilm with promising potential for probiotic delivery. This study
investigates the encapsulation of the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii
within BC to improve its resilience against harsh digestive conditions.
By co-culturing Komagataeibacter rhaeticus JYCB292, a BC-producing
bacterium, with S. boulardii, we developed BC beads that encapsulate
the yeast, forming a structure similar to coconut jelly. To demonstrate
the protection provided by bacterial cellulose encapsulation, we used
YFP-labelled S. cerevisiae W303, a species closely related to S. boulardii.
The results showed that encapsulated yeast retained fluorescence,
indicating high survival rates after exposure to simulated digestion
and cold storage, while non-encapsulated yeast lost fluorescence. This
highlights the potential protective capability of bacterial cellulose for S.
boulardii. Scanning electron microscopy further confirmed the successful
encapsulation of S. boulardii within bacterial cellulose. Additionally, coculturing
in a tea medium at 28°C for one week produced a fermented
beverage with polyphenol (0.05 ± 0.01 gallic acid mg/mL) and flavonoid
content (0.13 ± 0.03 quercetin mg/mL), as well as antioxidant activity
(0.06 ± 0.005 FeSO4 mg/mL in FRAP analysis, and 88.56 ± 1.42 % in DPPH
scavenging assay), comparable to that of tea fermented by commercial
kombucha starters. This encapsulation technique not only enhances
probiotic stability in the digestive tract but also provides a novel approach to creating functional beverages with potential health
benefits. These findings suggest that BC-encapsulated
probiotics in a tea-based medium could serve as a
stable, health-promoting alternative to traditional
kombucha products.
Optimization of Chitosan-Alginate Hydrogel Properties for Controlled Release of Urea
Authors:   Centre for Pre-University Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak Malaysia, Kimi Melody , Chong Chee Jiun ,   Centre for Pre-University Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak Malaysia
Published: January 2025

This study explored the effects of synthesis parameters such as
chitosan molecular weight, alginate loading, and crosslinker loading
in optimizing chitosan-alginate hydrogel using response surface
methodology prepared by ionotropic gelation. Box-Behnken design
evaluated the effects of chitosan molecular weight, alginate loading (2.5
to 4.5 wt%), and crosslinker loading (0.10 M to 1.00 M) on encapsulation
efficiency, swelling behaviour and urea release. The hydrogels were
spherical and with a mean diameter of 3.82 ± 0.78 μm. FTIR analysis
confirmed the interactions between chitosan, alginate and crosslinker
added. Encapsulation efficiency was maximized at 89.43 ± 12.66%, with
alginate concentration (3.5 wt%) being the most significant factor (p
= 0.001264). Higher alginate concentrations improved encapsulation
by facilitating crosslinking with Ca²⁺ ions. Swelling studies revealed an
average swelling capacity of 33.27 ± 17.26%, peaking at 77%. Urea release
over 2 hours averaged 20.08 ± 16.39%, with minimal release observed
in formulations using lower molecular weight chitosan and moderate
alginate concentrations (p = 0.01535). Statistical models indicated high
adequacy for encapsulation efficiency (R² = 0.844) but limited predictive
power for swelling (R² = 0.4987). The findings demonstrated the
influence of formulation variables on hydrogel properties, underscoring
their potential as nutrient delivery systems with controlled release and
swelling behaviour.
Incluir para transformar e se transformar: relato de experiência de uma formação para professores
Authors: Teles d’Alencar Monteiro Thayana , Sandes Galvão Nelma de Cássia
Published: January 2025

O artigo aborda a importância da inclusão na educação do século 21 e a necessidade de formação de professores para promovê-la. Sendo necessário uma transição do paradigma de exclusão para o movimento inclusivo, enfatizado na Política Nacional de Educação Especial na Perspectiva da Educação Inclusiva de 2008 no Brasil. A análise se deu a partir de duas formações realizadas com professores em cidades do interior da Bahia. Percebeu-se um relevante falta de conhecimento teórico e prático sobre inclusão entre os professores com falas excludentes e segregatícias além de queixas relativas a barreiras estruturais e materiais. O artigo enfatiza a resistência dos professores à mudança e a necessidade urgente e emergente de formação continuada para promover a inclusão. Conclui-se que a inclusão vai além de colocar todas as crianças na escola, requerendo infraestrutura, materiais, disposição dos educadores, superação de estereótipos e preconceitos e principalmente a quebras de barreiras atitudinais.
O germinar das folhas, alimento para o coração
Authors: Antunes Andréa
Published: January 2025

Essa arte que aqui apresento reúne duas manualidades muito antigas, ambas têm sua origem desde a pré-história, são elas a cerâmica e o bordado.
Ao que se sabe, a cerâmica mais antiga está datada de 26.000 anos, já os percussores do bordado que temos hoje, tem registros do período paleolítico, onde foram encontradas evidências dos primeiros trabalhos manuais com agulhas.
Unindo essas duas técnicas de origem milenar, a arte é um prato decorativo em cerâmica artesanal com bordado de um coração que germina folhas.
Todas as etapas da construção da peça foram realizadas pelo autor, desde o desenho, a construção do corpo cerâmico e o bordado. A construção envolveu algumas etapas da técnica bordado em cerâmica (veja nas figuras abaixo os detalhes do bordado, da peça inteira, e do seu tamanho relativo).
O processo foi iniciado com o desenho do que seria bordado, seguido da construção do corpo cerâmico, com a modelagem manual do prato com massa cerâmica, onde foi usada a técnica de placa, feito a aplicação do desenho para realizar os furos necessários para o bordado, após o tempo de secagem adequado, o prato passou pela primeira queima, chamada de queima biscoito com temperatura aproximada de 900 °C, depois dessa etapa, foi realizada a esmaltação da peça e seguiu para a segunda queima, essa de alta temperatura chegando aproximadamente a 1230 °C.
Depois da peça cerâmica pronta, veio a etapa do bordado, que com meada de algodão nas cores verde e vermelho e agulha foi construído o desenho “o germinar das folhas, alimento para o coração”.
Personificação da educação para as relações étnico- raciais: percursos da prática educativa lúdica
Authors: Nogueira Costa Geisa Martins , Pereira de Lima Mendes Maricleide
Published: January 2025

Este trabalho é fruto de uma pesquisa concluída do Mestrado Profissional em Educação Científica e Diversidade da Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia. O objetivo principal perpassou por identificar como se constituem as práticas educativas lúdicas desenvolvidas pelos professores do Ensino Fundamental Anos Iniciais de uma unidade de ensino da rede Municipal de Feira de Santana para a Educação das Relações Étnico- Raciais (ERER). Elucidamos a seguinte questão: Como a ERER e o uso da ludicidade aparecem nas práticas educativas docentes no Ensino Fundamental Anos Iniciais? O estudo ateve-se no viés metodológico da abordagem qualitativa, fundamentado na pesquisa participante e, utilizou-se do questionário, entrevista semiestruturada e da observação participante para obter dados. A análise e tratamento dos dados obtidos no estudo foram realizados por meio da Categorização. Os resultados demonstram a necessidade urgente de atualização no tocante às bases legais da ERER e a aplicabilidade no currículo da escola, e, ainda, acentuam a carência das apropriações lúdicas nas práticas educativas, pois foi evidenciada a ausência de planejamento que abarque a Lei nº 11.645/2008, bem como o estado de desatualização acerca dos potenciais lúdicos para educar para diversidade. O fruto desta pesquisa corporifica-se na produção do livro paradidático intitulado “Cada nome, uma história. Qual é a sua”, material para propagação da educação antirracista. Dessa maneira, esperamos que o estudo seja utilizado por outros pesquisadores, dando continuidade à propagação da educação antirracista.
Utilização de painéis didáticos no ensino de óptica mediado pela Astronomia
Authors: Vinicio Santos Marlus , De Lima Ribeiro Carlos Alberto
Published: January 2025

Nosso objetivo foi criar uma unidade didática que possibilitou trabalhar com conceitos de Astronomia e Óptica nas aulas de Física. Organizamos uma Sequência Didática como ferramenta pedagógica de modo a utilizar a Astronomia como facilitadora para o ensino de Óptica em aulas de Física do Ensino Médio. A metodologia empregada para o desenvolvimento dos Painéis Didáticos e da Sequência Didática envolveu a utilização da Teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa. Uma abordagem qualitativa, investigação sobre conhecimentos prévios, problematização e sensibilização; apresentação do objeto de conhecimento; atividade prática; discussão da atividade prática; e a finalização. A Sequência Didática, formada por 16 aulas, teóricas e experimentais e dois Painéis Didáticos foram os Produtos Educacionais desenvolvidos e aplicados no Colégio Estadual Rubem Nogueira, localizado na cidade de Serrinha-BA com turmas da 2ª série do Ensino Médio com cerca de 70 estudantes.  Os resultados foram avaliados por meio de questionário do tipo Formulário Google. A aceitação, envolvimento e participação dos estudantes foi muito boa.
Possibilidades da utilização do modelo de Lotka-Volterra para a promoção de analogias interdisciplinares
Authors: Dalmolin Cesar
Published: January 2025

Este trabalho tem como assunto principal o Modelo de Lotka-Volterra. Esse modelo está relacionado com a modelagem matemática, especifi-camente, aquela que se refere à interação entre duas espécies, sendo uma denominada por presa e a outra por predador. As equações descri-tas neste trabalho estão embasadas nas equações descritas por Alfred J. Lotka (1880-1949) e Vito Volterra (1860-1940) e, por convenção, essas equações representam o que chamamos de “Modelo de Lotka-Volterra” ou “sistema predador-presa”. Na primeira parte do trabalho é apresentado o desenvolvimento matemático do modelo, bem como uma interpretação qualitativa sobre ele. Esta base será necessária para compreender a segunda parte, na qual é aplicada por meio de analogi-as e/ou metáforas para tratar de cenários que vão além do contexto biológico o qual foi criado. Dessa forma, o modelo se apresenta como uma ferramenta alternativa que permite o debate das seguintes ques-tões sociais: 1. Ciclo de pobreza e desigualdade de renda; 2. Consumo excessivo e degradação ambiental; 3. Conflitos entre grupos étnicos ou religiosos e; 4. Desafios da migração e superpopulação. Em decorrên-cia, surge a possibilidade de vincular o tratamento a outros aspectos do conhecimento com estudantes de diferentes níveis de aprendizagem.
Intervention effects in Czech clitic climbing
Authors: Tabachnick Guy
Published: January 2025

abstract: This paper examines restrictions on the ability of Czech second-position clitics to climb out of embedded clauses. Clitics cluster together in a set order, and while arguments of a single verb can freely rearrange themselves to match the required order, arguments of embedded infinitives generally cannot climb over controllers in the matrix clause in object control constructions. I propose that clitic movement is due to a DP probe that comes equipped with a hierarchy of case features, and that clitics reached by the probe in the wrong order are trapped and cannot cliticize. Arguments may freely scramble within a single TP, allowing arbitrary reordering, but embedded arguments cannot scramble over matrix arguments, leading to the restrictions in object control sentences.
Enhancement of spectral performance in gadolinium-based BEUV sources by supplying pre-formed plasma with cavity-confined targets
Authors: Wen Zhilin , Xie Zhuo , Zhang Qijin , Wang Shaokang , Pu Zhenwei , Song Xiaowei , Dou Yinping , Li Bochao , Pan Qikun , Chen Fei , Zhao Chongxiao , Xing Yan , Lin Jingquan
Published: January 2025

Gadolinium laser-produced plasma (Gd-LPP) represents a promising BEUV lithography light source for future semiconductor manufacturing. In this work, we seek to further enhance the Gd-LPP spectral performance by integrating a cavity-confined target with the existing dual-pulse laser scheme. By regulating the pre-formed plasma with the cavity-confined target, a higher level of spectral purity was achieved in comparison to the flat target, reaching a maximum of 4.35% at a pre-main pulse delay of around 40 ns. Notably, even with extended pre-main pulse delays, the spectral purity of the cavity-confined target drops slowly and remains comparable to the peak spectral purity value achieved by that flat target. Simulations indicate that a gradual density gradient at the ablation front for the cavity-confined target is key to achieving high spectral purity and this is attributed to the fact that the cavity-confined target maintains this gradient when a main pulse laser is irradiated. Our findings offer an approach for enhancing spectral performance by optimizing the pre-formed plasma in a dual pulse scheme.
ISLRWR: A network diffusion algorithm for drug–target interactions prediction
Authors: Sun Lu , Yin Zhixiang , Lu Lin
Published: January 2025

Machine learning techniques and computer-aided methods are now widely used in the pre-discovery tasks of drug discovery, effectively improving the efficiency of drug development and reducing the workload and cost. In this study, we used multi-source heterogeneous network information to build a network model, learn the network topology through multiple network diffusion algorithms, and obtain compressed low-dimensional feature vectors for predicting drug–target interactions (DTIs). We applied the metropolis–hasting random walk (MHRW) algorithm to improve the performance of the random walk with restart (RWR) algorithm, forming the basis by which the self-loop probability of the current node is removed. Additionally, the propagation efficiency of the MHRW was improved using the improved metropolis–hasting random walk (IMRWR) algorithm, facilitating network deep sampling. Finally, we proposed a correction of the transfer probability of the entire network after increasing the self-loop rate of isolated nodes to form the ISLRWR algorithm. Notably, the ISLRWR algorithm improved the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) by 7.53 and 5.72%, and the area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) by 5.95 and 4.19% compared to the RWR and MHRW algorithms, respectively, in predicting DTIs performance. Moreover, after excluding the interference of homologous proteins (popular drugs or targets may lead to inflated prediction results), the ISLRWR algorithm still showed a significant performance improvement.
Acquired hypothyroidism, iodine status and hearing impairment in adults: A pilot study
Authors: Grimmichova Tereza , Verespejova Ludmila , Urbaniova Zuzana , Chovanec Martin , Hill Martin , Bilek Radovan
Published: January 2025

Objectives

Hearing impairment can have major impacts on behavior, educational attainment, social status, and quality of life. In congenital hypothyroidism, the incidence of hearing impairment reaches 35–50%, while in acquired hypothyroidism there is a reported incidence of 25%. Despite this, knowledge of the pathogenesis, incidence and severity of hearing impairment remains greatly lacking. The aim of our study was to evaluate hearing in patients with acquired hypothyroidism.

Methods

30 patients with untreated and newly diagnosed peripheral hypothyroidism (H) and a control group of 30 healthy probands (C) were enrolled in the study. Biochemical markers were measured, including median iodine urine concentrations (IUC) µg/L. The hearing examination included a subjective complaint assessment, otomicroscopy, tympanometry, transitory otoacoustic emission (TOAE), tone audiometry, and brainstem auditory evoked potential (BERA) examinations. The Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher’s Exact test and multivariate regression were used for statistical analysis.

Results

The H and C groups had significantly different thyroid hormone levels (medians with 95% CI) TSH mU/L 13.3 (8.1, 19.3) vs. 1.97 (1.21, 2.25) p =  0 and fT4 pmol/L 10.4 (9.51, 11.1) vs. 15 (13.8, 16.7) p =  0. The groups did not significantly differ in age 39 (34, 43) vs. 41 (36,44) p =  0.767 and IUC 142 (113, 159) vs. 123 (101, 157) p =  0.814. None of the hearing examinations showed differences between the H and C groups: otomicroscopy (p =  1), tympanometry (p =  1), TOAE (p =  1), audiometry (p =  0.179), and BERA (p =  0.505).

Conclusions

We did not observe any hearing impairment in adults with acquired hypothyroidism, and there were no associations found between hearing impairment and the severity of hypothyroidism or iodine status. However, some forms of hearing impairment, mostly mild, were very common in both studied groups.
SAASNets: Shared attention aggregation Siamese networks for building change detection in multispectral remote sensing
Authors: Pang Shuai , You Chaochao , Zhang Min , Zhang Baojie , Wang Liyou , Shi Xiaolong , Sun Yu
Published: January 2025

Interfered by external factors, the receptive field limits the traditional CNN multispectral remote sensing building change detection method. It is difficult to obtain detailed building changes entirely, and redundant information is reused in the encoding stage, which reduces the feature representation and detection performance. To address these limitations, we design a Siamese network of shared attention aggregation to learn the detailed semantics of buildings in multispectral remote sensing images. On the one hand, a special attention embedding module is introduced into each subspace of the feature extractor to promote the interaction between multi-scale local features and enhance the representation of global features. On the other hand, a highly efficient channel and position multi-head attention module is added to the Siamese features to encode position details while sharing channel information. In addition, adopting a feature aggregation module with a residual strategy to fuse the features of different stages of the Siamese network is beneficial for detecting different scales and irregular object buildings. Finally, experimental results on LEVIR-CD and CDD datasets show that designed SAASNets have better accuracy and robustness.
Analysis of glutamate-dependent mechanism and optimization of fermentation conditions for poly-gamma-glutamic acid production by Bacillus subtilis SCP017-03
Authors: Wu Caiyun , Gou Yutao , Jing Shuai , Li Wei , Ge Fanglan , Li Jiao , Ren Yao
Published: January 2025

Poly-gamma-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is mainly synthesized by glutamate-dependent strains in the manufacturing industry. Therefore, understanding glutamate-dependent mechanisms is imperative. In this study, we first systematically analyzed the response of Bacillus subtilis SCP017-03 to glutamate addition by comparing transcriptomics and proteomics. The introduction of glutamate substantially altered gene expression within the central metabolic pathway of cellular carbon. Most genes in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and energy-consuming phase of the glycolysis pathway (EMP) were down-regulated, whereas those in the energy-producing phase of glycolysis and those responsible for γ-PGA synthesis were up-regulated. Based on these findings, the fermentation conditions were optimized, and γ-PGA production was improved by incorporating oxygen carriers. In a batch-fed fermentor with glucose, the γ-PGA production reached 95.2 g/L, demonstrating its industrial production potential. This study not only elucidated the glutamate dependence mechanism of Bacillus subtilis but also identified a promising metabolic target for further enhancing γ-PGA production.
Effect of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the growth and development of young foals under subtropical conditions of Pakistan
Authors: Chatha Muhammad Athar , Ahmad Nisar , Abbas Muhammad Athar , Saadullah Muhammad , Khan Jawaria Ali
Published: January 2025

This study was designed to explore the impact of intrinsic (breed of foal, age of dam, and age of foal at weaning) and extrinsic (season of birth and housing type) factors on the growth and survival of foals in the subtropical conditions of Pakistan. For the growth study, retrospective data analysis of foals (n = 150) born from purebred brood mares of Thoroughbred, Arabs, and Percheron breeds (n1, n2, and n3 = 50 each) was made. Six hundred and twenty-four (n = 624) foals born between 2020 to 2022 were observed for the study of foal survival rate. The survival of these foals till the age of one year was considered. To study the growth and development of foals, height, bone, and girth measurements were taken at multiple developmental stages (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months of age). Statistical analysis revealed that late-weaned foals demonstrated superior growth metrics compared to early-weaned foals (P = 0.001) and sheltered housing conditions markedly enhanced growth parameters across all breeds and measurement intervals (P = 0.002). However, no significant effect of season (P > 0.05) on the growth measurements across breeds was found. Arab and Thoroughbred breeds demonstrated significant early growth advantages in foals from middle-aged dams, with marked differences in height, bone width, and girth; however, by 15 months, these differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). In contrast, Percheron foals showed consistent growth regardless of the dam’s age, suggesting breed-specific developmental influences (P = 0.885). Regarding the effects of extrinsic and intrinsic factors on foal survival, environmental conditions, and maternal age significantly impacted survival rates. Extreme winter conditions were associated with a notably lower survival probability (P = 0.002), and middle-aged dams exhibited significantly enhanced survival odds (P = 0.03). However, the influences of housing conditions and weaning age on survival were not statistically significant (P > 0.05), indicating these factors do not substantially affect foal survival within the first year. These results underscore the critical roles of weaning age, housing conditions, and age of dams in influencing foal growth and survival, highlighting the importance of tailored management practices in optimizing outcomes for the growth and development of young equines under subtropics.
An untargeted metabolomic analysis of acute AFB1 treatment in liver, breast, and lung cells
Authors: Cao Heidi H. , Molina Sabrina , Sumner Susan , Rushing Blake R.
Published: January 2025

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a class 1 carcinogen and mycotoxin known to contribute to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), growth impairment, altered immune system modulation, and malnutrition. AFB1 is synthesized by Aspergillus flavus and is known to widely contaminate foodstuffs, particularly maize, wheat, and groundnuts. The mechanism in which AFB1 causes genetic mutations has been well studied, however its metabolomic effects remained largely unknown. A better understanding of how AFB1 disrupts metabolism would provide insight into how this mycotoxin leads to carcinogenesis, growth impairment, and/or immunomodulation, and may reveal potential targets for pharmacological or nutritional interventions to protect against these effects. The current study evaluated the metabolomic effects of various doses (2.5 μM, 5 μM, 10uM) of AFB1 treatment to HepG2 (liver), MDA-MB-231 (breast), and A549 (lung) cells. Treated and control cells’ metabolomic profiles were evaluated via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed significant alterations in metabolite concentrations from each dose of AFB1 treatment in each cell type. Pathway analysis was then used to understand broader biochemical functions affected by AFB1 treatment in each cell type. HepG2 cell pathway analyses revealed significant pathway perturbations in lipid metabolism, carnitine synthesis, catecholamine biosynthesis, purine metabolism, and spermidine and spermine biosynthesis. Analysis of A549 cells found a greater emphasis of perturbations on various amino acids along with lipid synthesis-related pathways, and catecholamine biosynthesis. Finally, analysis of treated MDA-MB-231 cells found spermidine and spermine biosynthesis, carnitine synthesis, plasma membrane-related pathways (phosphatidylcholine synthesis and alpha linolenic acid and linoleic acid metabolism), and various amino acid metabolism pathways to be most affected. These highlighted pathways should be targeted in future investigations to evaluate their potential in mitigating or preventing the development of negative health effects associated with AFB1 exposure.
The changes in health-related quality of life after attending cardiac rehabilitation: A qualitative systematic review of the perspective of patients living with heart disease
Authors: Rashidi Amineh , Whitehead Lisa , Halton Helena , Munro Lisa , Jones Ian , Newson Lisa
Published: January 2025

Background

Although the benefits of engaging in cardiac rehabilitation are well established, patient perceptions of the changes in their health-related quality of life are poorly documented. This systematic review synthesized qualitative studies on patients’ perspectives of change in their health-related quality of life after attending cardiac rehabilitation.

Objective

To identify and synthesize the best available evidence on the perspective of patients living with heart disease about the changes in their health-related quality of life after attending cardiac rehabilitation.

Methods

Eight databases were used to identify relevant papers published in English and peer-reviewed, and no date restrictions were considered for the search. This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to appraise the quality of each paper, and two independent reviewers conducted it. A meta-aggregation approach was used to synthesize the findings of the included studies.

Results

The search identified 10813 titles. Thirty-five full-text papers were reviewed after duplicates were removed, and the titles and abstracts were reviewed. Thirteen papers were retained for data synthesis. The synthesized findings were divided into three categories: building healthier habits, peer interaction, and improving mental health.

Conclusion

This review demonstrates the positive changes in health-related quality of life for those patients engaged in cardiac rehabilitation. Peer interaction with other patients improved both mental and physical health. This review indicated that adopting healthier habits, including healthy eating and regular physical activity, had substantial benefits in formulating healthy behavior. The role of peers in supporting the development of a healthy lifestyle appears to be an understudied avenue and has potential for development.
IL-34 aggravates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by upregulating the HMGB1-IL-17A-IL-6 axis through the JAK signaling pathway
Authors: Ma Ruisong , Hu Xiaochun , Fu Wenwen , Hu Xiaorong
Published: January 2025

Interleukin-34 (IL-34) was recently reported to be a new biomarker for atherosclerosis diseases, such as coronary artery disease and vascular dementia. IL-34 regulates the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-17A, IL-1 and IL-6), which are classical cytokines involved in myocardial ischemia‒reperfusion (MI/R) injury. However, the exact role of IL-34 in MI/R remains unknown. In this study, a rat MI/R model was used to explore the effect of IL-34 on modulating inflammatory processes during MI/R injury. First, eighteen rats were subjected to 30 min of LAD ligation followed by 0 h, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h or 24 h of reperfusion (n = 3 for each group). The level of IL-34 peaked at 4 h after MI/R in the ischemic myocardium. Next, ischemia for 30min and reperfusion for 4h (I/R) model was used. 24 rats were randomly divided into I/R group (n = 8), IL-34+IR group (n = 8) and IL-34+ab12+IR group (n = 8). We found that IL-34 pretreatment increased the expression of inflammatory cytokines, including high mobility group Box 1 (HMGB1), IL-17A, and IL-6; the expression of the apoptosis protein cleaved caspase-3; and the Bcl-2/Bax ratio within the ischemic myocardium. We also observed increased serum cardiac enzymes and a larger myocardial injury area. Treatment with a Janus kinase (JAK) pathway inhibitor, however, partially reduced the expression of these proteins and attenuated myocardial injury. Together, these results showed that IL-34 aggravates MI/R injury by inducing the expression of the HMGB1-IL-17A-IL-6 axis and apoptosis after MI/R, which is partially dependent on the JAK pathway. Therefore, blocking the JAK signaling pathway or inhibiting IL-34 expression might provide a new idea to reduce MI/R injury, but further researches are needed.
The involvement of non-governmental organisations in achieving health system goals based on the WHO six building blocks: A scoping review on global evidence
Authors: Doshmangir Leila , Sanadghol Arman , Kakemam Edris , Majdzadeh Reza
Published: January 2025

Background

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have the potential to make a significant contribution to improving health system goals through the provision of resources, health services and community participation. Therefore, this paper examines the role of NGOs in achieving health system goals, based on the six building blocks of a health system framework, and identifies strategies to enhance NGO involvement in achieving health system goals.

Methods

A scoping systematic review methodology was used to map and synthesise the existing literature on the topic, following the latest JBI six-stage framework. Four databases and one search engine including PubMed, Web of Science (ISI), EMBASE, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched from January 2000 to January 2024. The results were synthesised using a directed content analysis approach, and the findings were categorised according to the dimensions of the six building blocks.

Results

NGO involvement in health system goals can effectively address gaps in service delivery, strengthen the health workforce, improve health information systems, increase access to essential medicines, mobilise resources and promote good governance. In addition, six key strategies were identified, including joint planning, policy development, capacity building, resource allocation, developing collaboration, and improving the quality of health care, to enhance NGO participation in achieving health system goals.

Conclusion

NGOs can play a critical role in achieving health system goals, alongside government and other key health stakeholders. Governments need to use evidence-based policies and interventions to support NGOs to realise their potential in achieving health system goals.
Diabetes knowledge and glycemic control among type 2 diabetes patients at public hospitals in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
Authors: Lema Girma Deshimo , Gebeyaw Enguday Demeke
Published: January 2025

Background

Diabetes mellitus is a growing global health issue, especially in low- and middle-income countries like Ethiopia. To the best of our knowledge, the impact of diabetes knowledge on glycemic control in Ethiopia has not been documented. This study assessed diabetes knowledge and its relationship with glycemic control among Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 380 patients diagnosed with T2DM who were receiving care at two hospitals in Debre Berhan from January 1 to March 30, 2024. Patients’ knowledge was assessed using the modified Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ-18), categorizing outcomes as either good or poor. Glycemic control was evaluated using hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors of poor diabetes knowledge. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between knowledge and glycemic control.

Results

Among the 380 participants, 75.2% were older than 45 years, and 51.3% were male. Overall, 62.4% of participants had poor knowledge of diabetes. Additionally, 72.6% had poor glycemic control, with HbA1C levels ≥7%. The mean average diabetes knowledge score was 7.9 (SD = 3.49) out of 18, and the median HbA1C was 8%. Diabetes knowledge was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with patients’ educational level, occupation, family history of diabetes, and glycemic control. The Spearman correlation coefficient between HbA1C and diabetes knowledge scores was -0.166 (p = 0.001), suggesting a weak but statistically significant inverse relationship between knowledge scores and HbA1C levels.

Conclusions

The study found that the majority of patients had a low level of diabetes knowledge. Enhancing diabetes education and identifying additional factors that influence glycemic control are crucial for achieving optimal diabetes management in Ethiopia. Public health initiatives should prioritize enhancing diabetes knowledge through targeted educational programs and resources to support effective diabetes management and achieve optimal glycemic control.
A feature-based approach for atlas selection in automatic pelvic segmentation
Authors: Shan Guoping , Bai Xue , Ge Yun , Wang Binbing
Published: January 2025

Accurate and efficient automatic segmentation is essential for various clinical tasks such as radiotherapy treatment planning. However, atlas-based segmentation still faces challenges due to the lack of representative atlas dataset and the computational limitations of deformation algorithms. In this work, we have proposed an atlas selection procedure (subset atlas grouping approach, MAS-SAGA) which utilized both image similarity and volume features for selecting the best-fitting atlases for contour propagation. A dataset of anonymized female pelvic Computed Tomography (CT) images demonstrated that MAS-SAGA significantly outperforms conventional multi-atlas-based segmentation (cMAS) in terms of Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) and 95th Percentile Hausdorff Distance (95HD) for bladder and rectum segmentation using a three-fold cross-validation strategy. The proposed procedure also reduced computation time compared to cMAS, making it a promising tool for medical image analysis applications. In addition, we have evaluated two distinct atlas selection methods: the Feature-based Atlas Selection Approach (MAS-FASA) and the Similarity-based Atlas Selection Approach (MAS-SIM). We investigate the differences between these two methods in terms of their ability to select the best fitting atlases. The findings demonstrated that MAS-FASA selected different atlases than MAS-SIM, resulting in improved segmentation performance overall. It highlighted the potential of feature-based subgrouping techniques in enhancing the efficacy of MAS algorithms in the field of medical image segmentation.
Prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infection and associated risk factors among residents of Jigjiga town, Somali region, Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Sedo Abdlmenur Alewi , Zeynudin Ahmed , Belay Tariku , Belay Mekdes Mekonen , Ibrahim Ahmed Mohammed , Osman Mohamed Omar , Yusuf Ramadan Budul , Abdulahi Abdifatah
Published: January 2025

Background

One of the tropical illnesses that is often overlooked is soil-transmitted helminths, or STHs. In tropical and subtropical nations, where poor sanitation and contaminated water sources are common, they mostly impact the most vulnerable populations.

Objective

The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of STHs and related risk factors among the people living in Jigjiga town, Somali region, Eastern Ethiopia.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was revealed from June 1 to July 21, 2023. Study participants were selected through a multistage sampling method, where households were randomly chosen from the kebeles. A semi-structured questionnaire and observational checklist were used to collect some of the data. A stool sample was collected from each participant, and a single Kato-Katz was performed to detect STHs. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, and statistical significance was declared at a level of p-value < 0.05 between the outcome and independent variables.

Results

There were 507 participants in this study, and 90.9% of them responded. STH prevalence was 11.4% overall (95% CI =  9.0, 14.0). With a prevalent parasite species, A. lumbricoides was 9.3%, T. trichiura was 2.8%, and hookworms were 0.2%. Of the overall positive cases, 93.1% are due to single parasite infections. Independent predictors of STHs included low wealth status (AOR =  3.10; 95% CI =  1.25, 7.75; p =  0.015), infrequent hand washing before meals (AOR =  3.19; 95% CI =  1.55, 6.57; p =  0.002), earthen floors (AOR =  2.32; 95% CI =  1.12, 4.79; p =  0.023), and no drinking water treatment habit (AOR =  5.07; 95% CI =  1.89, 13.57; p =  0.001).

Conclusion

Jigjiga town had a low prevalence of STHs infections. Infrequent hand washing habits before meals, earthen floors, low wealth status, and no habit of treating drinking water were significant associated factors. Health education on handwashing, regular deworming, improved access to clean water and sanitation facilities to reduce the burden of STH effectively.