bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Changing Face of COVID-19
Authors: Pachauri Saroj , Pachauri Ash
Published: August 2023

Ever since it began in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has been continuously evolving. Simultaneously, our understanding of the virus and its pathogenesis has advanced significantly. The authors track the changes that the pandemic has undergone over the last two years. In addition, they provide an overview of the chapters in the book which cover the health, economic, political, and educational dimensions of COVID-19 in several different countries.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Adolescents, Nodal Teachers, and Frontline Workers
Authors: Gogoi Aparajita , Manoranjini Mercy , Banerjee Rohini
Published: August 2023

Adolescence is a critical developmental period that has the power to shape an individual’s dreams and future. Young people have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Closure of schools and non-formal education deprived them of learning opportunities and also of social engagement with their peers and educators. Prolonged lockdowns/closures and movement restrictions led to additional emotional and mental unrest and anxiety. Adolescents and youth, especially adolescent girls and young women, experienced higher levels of violence due to quarantine and isolation. The authors discuss the effects of these ground realities on access to health services and education during the COVID-19 lockdowns. They highlight important issues and make recommendations for policy dialogue and advocacy around critical areas like vulnerability to COVID-19 infection, physical abuse, limited access to mobile phones, disruption of supply chains, adolescent-friendly counseling, dealing with violence, early marriage, school drop-outs, and trafficking. Recommendations are made to decision-makers and program implementers for addressing barriers to access timely and appropriate care.
Communication Strategies to Build Vaccine Confidence in Vulnerable Populations in the United States
Authors: Velázquez J. Carlos , Burke-Garcia Amelia
Published: August 2023

The authors address the communication challenges of the disparate impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations in the USA including Latino, African American, American Indian populations, and older adults. They examine the barriers that mitigate vaccine confidence and testing efforts. They also highlight the successful communications strategies that were used to engage vulnerable populations at a grassroots level to own and organize vaccine promotion efforts in local communities and to shift the narratives about vaccine hesitancy. Three case studies are presented to provide tools and resources that can be implemented for ongoing communication interventions to promote COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
Exploring a Vaccine for the Misinformation Virus in a Global Pandemic: Media Literacy, COVID, and Science Communication
Authors: Muppidi Sundeep R.
Published: August 2023

I explore the questions raised at the end of my recent book on “COVID-19, Racism and Politicization: Media in the midst of a pandemic”. For this chapter, I extend on that book to explore the socio-cultural, politico-economic, and digital context of media audiences’ consumption of information, misinformation, and disinformation and their innate ability (or lack thereof) to distinguish factual information and/or fall prey to false and misleading information (or not). The impact of such media consumption, how it breeds irrational fears of the unknown and opposing views, and its impact on participation in civil society are explored. I conclude by suggesting possible strategies to counter this trend.
We Are Not All in the Same Boat: Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the Context of COVID-19
Authors: Philo Magdalene A. , Whiting Michelle , Rangel-Samponaro Felicia , Tower Amali
Published: August 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the existential risks and uncertainties experienced by refugees and asylum seekers on a day-to-day basis. Although the pandemic presents some level of risk to everyone, the world’s refugees and asylum seekers bear a disproportionate burden of risk in the context of COVID-19. Overcrowding in camps, lack of access to medical services, changes to the asylum-seeking process, movement restrictions, and other factors converge to marginalize refugees and asylum seekers. This chapter presents a case study that looks at the experiences of asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border through the lens of a non-governmental organization (NGO) volunteer who has been working in the region throughout the pandemic. By using this case study and secondary level research, the authors seek to provide an understanding of the ways the pandemic has aggravated the challenges refugees and asylum seekers are facing globally, with an emphasis on the US-Mexico region.
COVID-19 in Brazil: Overall Impact and Singularities
Authors: Vaz de Macedo Antonio
Published: August 2023

Since its outbreak in late 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread at an alarming rate across the globe, with a case tally of over 370 million and a death toll of more than 5.6 million as of late January 2022. Ranking third among the world’s most affected hotspots, Brazil was by far the hardest hit among its Latin American neighbors, with over 25 million cases and a death toll in excess of 625,000, which places it second worldwide. The actual toll is likely higher. It is underestimated because of limited testing and inconsistency in nationwide cause-of-death reporting. Brazil is one of the largest developing free market economies in the world. It is, however, tainted by having one of the highest socioeconomic disparities, with roughly a fifth of its population living under the poverty line, with little access to basic sanitary facilities. On the positive side, Brazil has the largest publicly funded healthcare system in the world. Despite having lagged behind vaccination rollout initially, it took a giant leap over the past six months, which resulted in two-thirds of its population being vaccinated. There was also a tremendous drop in both SARS-CoV-2 cases and death rates. Unfortunately, cases have begun to swell again with the advent of Omicron. In this chapter, we discuss the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, with a particular focus on underserved minorities.
Comprehensive Care Response and Systematic Management of COVID-19 in Querétaro, Mexico
Authors: Aguilar Galarza Adriana , Celada Martínez Sandra , San Roman Orozco Oscar , Gutiérrez Álvarez Isidro Amadeo , Rosillo Pantoja Izarelly , Villaseñor Cuspinera Nuri G.
Published: August 2023

The health impact of the pandemic in Queretaro, México is assessed. The socioeconomic conditions of the population and health policies implemented at the federal and state level as well as in the Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro are examined. The work is presented in three parts: In the first part, epidemiological data related to the incidence, prevalence, and mortality from COVID-19 in Mexico and Querétaro is presented. In the second part, the epidemiological panorama of Queretaro is presented as an analysis tool to assess the epidemiological behavior of the population and the social, economic, and health conditions in the state. Finally, in the third part, health policies implemented by the state university and the experience of an integrative care model, implemented in the ‘Clinica de Atencion Integral COVID’, which provides multidisciplinary assessment and treatment for COVID-19, is presented.
A note on RG domain wall between successive $$ {A}_2^{(p)} $$ minimal models
Authors: Poghosyan Armen , Poghosyan Hasmik
Published: August 2023

Abstract

We investigate the RG domain wall between neighboring $$ {A}_2^{(p)} $$

A
2

p

minimal CFT models and establish the map between UV and IR fields (matrix of mixing coefficients). A particular RG invariant set of six primary and four descendant fields is analyzed in full details. Using the algebraic construction of the RG domain wall we compute the UV/IR mixing matrix. To test our results we show that it diagonalizes the matrix of anomalous dimensions previously known from perturbative analysis. It is important to note that the diagonalizing matrix can not be found from perturbative analysis solely due to degeneracy of anomalous dimensions. The same mixing coefficients are used to explore anomalous W-weights as well.
Cost stickiness and firm value
Authors: Costa Mabel D , Habib Ahsan
Published: August 2023

In this paper we explore the association between cost stickiness and firm value. Using a large sample of U.S. data, we find a robust negative relationship between cost stickiness and firm value. We then explore whether the resource adjustment, managerial expectations, and agency theories of cost stickiness affect the negative relation and find support for the managerial expectation and agency theories. Furthermore, we find evidence that the detrimental impact of cost stickiness on firm value is mediated partially through the cost of equity and cash flow channels. Further investigation suggests that the adverse effects of cost stickiness on firm value is stronger in the presence of high information asymmetry. We enrich the cost management literature by integrating cost stickiness with corporate finance.
Comparison of different scoring systems for predicting in-hospital mortality for patients with Fournier gangrene
Authors: Azmi Yufi Aulia , Alkaff Firas F. , Renaldo Johan , Wirjopranoto Soetojo , Prasetiyanti Rinta , Soetanto Kevin Muliawan , Salamah Sovia , Purba Abdul Khairul Rizki , Postma Maarten J.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

To compare different scoring systems for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with Fournier gangrene (FG).

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was performed to find all scoring systems that have been proposed previously as a predictor for in-hospital mortality in patients with FG. Data of all patients with FG who were hospitalized in one of Indonesia’s largest tertiary referral hospitals between 2012 and 2022 were used. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the scoring systems.

Results

Ten scoring systems were found, i.e., Fournier’s Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI), Uludag FGSI, simplified FGSI, NUMUNE Fournier score (NFS), Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis, age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), quick SOFA, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II, and surgery APGAR score (SAS). Of 164 FG patients included in the analyses, 26.4% died during hospitalization. All scoring systems except SAS could predict in-hospital mortality of patients with FG. Three scoring systems had areas under the ROC curve (AUROC) higher than 0.8, i.e., FGSI (AUROC 0.905, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.860–0.950), SOFA (AUROC 0.830, 95% CI 0.815–0.921), and NFS (AUROC 0.823, 95% CI 0.739–0.906). Both FGSI and SOFA had sensitivity and NPV of 1.0, whereas NFS had a sensitivity of 0.74 and an NPV of 0.91.

Conclusion

This study shows that FGSI and SOFA are the most reliable scoring systems to predict in-hospital mortality in FG, as indicated by the high AUROC and perfect sensitivity and NPV.
Tobamoviruses: old and new threats to tomato cultivation
Authors: Ishibashi Kazuhiro , Kubota Kenji , Kano Akihito , Ishikawa Masayuki
Published: August 2023

Mosaic diseases caused by tobamoviruses have posed significant threats to tomato production. In this review, we overview studies of tomato mosaic diseases published over the past century, which have led to several important discoveries in plant virology, such as the application of attenuated strains. A resistance breeding program established in the 1970s successfully controlled tomato mosaic virus for over 40 years; however, newly emerging tobamoviruses are posing serious challenges in current tomato production. We introduce recent biotechnological attempts to engineer tobamovirus-resistant tomato plants, which offer promising technologies for eradicating the current outbreak.
Can shrimp hydrolysate improve the efficacy of meat and bone meal diet in juvenile giant trevally Caranx ignobilis?
Authors: Nguyen Minh Chau , Fotedar Ravi , Pham Hung Duc
Published: August 2023

A six-treatment study in a 3 × 2 factorial design was conducted to investigate whether dietary supplementation of shrimp hydrolysate (SH) improves the efficacy of meat and bone meal (MBM) replacing fishmeal protein in juvenile giant trevally Caranx ignobilis. A fishmeal-based diet (MBM0) was used as a control; two low fishmeal diets were prepared by replacing 25% (MBM25) and 50% (MBM50) of fishmeal protein with MBM; and another three treatments by supplementing MBM0, MBM25, and MBM50 with 45-g/kg SH supplementation (MBM0SH, MBM25SH, MBM50SH) were produced. The results showed that fish fed MBM25 and MBM50 caused lower growth and feed utilization than MBM0, whereas no differences were observed among fish fed MBM25SH, MBM50SH, and MBM0. Increasing dietary MBM levels resulted in decreased lipids in fish muscles and increased ash contents, while SH supplementation improved the muscle lipid levels. Substituting fishmeal with MBM increased monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and decreased polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA), n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFA), and n-3/n-6 HUFA, whereas SH supplementation enhanced n-3 PUFA, n-3 HUFA, and n-3/n-6 HUFA. The goblet cell density in the intestine increased in fish fed diets supplemented with SH. The study suggested that dietary supplementation of 45-g/kg SH increased the efficacy of substituting MBM protein for 50% of fishmeal protein without compromising the growth of juvenile giant trevally.
Boosting and Predictability of Macroeconomic Variables: Evidence from Brazil
Authors: Schultz Lindenmeyer Guilherme , da Silva Torrent Hudson
Published: August 2023

This paper aims to elaborate a treated data set and apply the boosting methodology to monthly Brazilian macroeconomic variables to check its predictability. The forecasting performed here consists in using linear and nonlinear base-learners, as well as a third type of model that has both linear and nonlinear components in the estimation of the variables using the history itself with lag up to 12 periods. We want to investigate which models and for which forecast horizons we have the strongest performance. The results obtained here through different evaluation approaches point out that, on average, the performance of boosting models using P-Splines as base-learner are the ones that have the best results, especially the methodology with two components: two-stage boosting. In addition, we conducted an analysis on a subgroup of variables with data available until 2022 to verify the validity of our conclusions. We also compared the performance of boosted trees with other models and evaluated model parameters using both cross-validation and Akaike Information Criteria in order to check the robustness of the results.
Lean approach in the application of new technologies: integration of risk, situational awareness, and resilience by a prehospital emergency medical service
Authors: Cintora-Sanz Ana María , Colmenar-García Carmen , Gómez-Usabiaga Cristina , García-Martinez Ricardo , Lafuente-Saenz Raquel , Sierra-García Teresa , Montero-Pernía Carmen , Blanco-Lara Alberto , Vázquez-Rodríguez Tatiana , Horrillo-García Cristina
Published: August 2023

After an earthquake or an industrial chemical release, a timely and effective response is crucial and can prevent or significantly reduce the risk of casualties. To this end, first responders and rescue teams have been equipped with state-of-the-art tools and specialised instruments to improve their capabilities in terms of accuracy, rapid location, and reduction of false alarms. The European Union-funded Search and Rescue project (Emerging technologies for the Early location of Entrapped victims under Collapsed Structures and Advanced Wearables for risk assessment and First Responders Safety in SAR operations) has designed, implemented and tested a highly compatible open architecture platform for first responders in a pilot case study of a chemical incident. An analysis of major chemical accidents classified by the eMars database (Major Accident Reporting System, established by the European Seveso Directive) was carried out; it has determined the types of companies that have suffered chemical accidents with the highest number of injuries and fatalities. Based on this previous analysis, a chemical spill pilot study was devised to test advanced user equipment systems and backup applications, improving first responders’ decision-making and providing a common, dynamic operational perspective of the disaster. The Lean Method was used to evaluate processes, identify waste, test new solutions and, finally, increase the value of the product and service produced.
FindVehicle and VehicleFinder: a NER dataset for natural language-based vehicle retrieval and a keyword-based cross-modal vehicle retrieval system
Authors: Guan Runwei , Man Ka Lok , Chen Feifan , Yao Shanliang , Hu Rongsheng , Zhu Xiaohui , Smith Jeremy , Lim Eng Gee , Yue Yutao
Published: August 2023

Natural language (NL) based vehicle retrieval is a task aiming to retrieve a vehicle that is most consistent with a given NL query from among all candidate vehicles. Because NL query can be easily obtained, such a task has a promising prospect in building an interactive intelligent traffic system (ITS). Current solutions mainly focus on extracting both text and image features and mapping them to the same latent space to compare the similarity. However, existing methods usually use dependency analysis or semantic role-labelling techniques to find keywords related to vehicle attributes. These techniques may require a lot of pre-processing and post-processing work, and also suffer from extracting the wrong keyword when the NL query is complex. To tackle these problems and simplify, we borrow the idea from named entity recognition (NER) and construct FindVehicle, a NER dataset in the traffic domain. It has 42.3k labelled NL descriptions of vehicle tracks, containing information such as the location, orientation, type and colour of the vehicle. FindVehicle also adopts both overlapping entities and fine-grained entities to meet further requirements. To verify its effectiveness, we propose a baseline NL-based vehicle retrieval model called VehicleFinder. Our experiment shows that by using text encoders pre-trained by FindVehicle, VehicleFinder achieves 87.7% precision and 89.4% recall when retrieving a target vehicle by text command on our homemade dataset based on UA-DETRAC [1]. From loading the command into VehicleFinder to identifying whether the target vehicle is consistent with the command, the time cost is 279.35 ms on one ARM v8.2 CPU and 93.72 ms on one RTX A4000 GPU, which is much faster than the Transformer-based system. The dataset is open-source via the link https://github.com/GuanRunwei/FindVehicle, and the implementation can be found via the link https://github.com/GuanRunwei/VehicleFinder-CTIM.
First steps of pollinator-promoting interventions in Eastern European urban areas – positive outcomes, challenges, and recommendations
Authors: Süle Gabriella , Kovács-Hostyánszki Anikó , Sárospataki Miklós , Kelemen Tünde Ilona , Halassy Gabriella , Horváth Anna , Demeter Imre , Báldi András , Szigeti Viktor
Published: August 2023

Urbanisation has a strong role in pollinator decline, while properly managed green spaces could promote pollinators – especially bees and butterflies – by providing foraging and nesting habitats in cities. In public spaces, several opportunities exist to help pollinators including rare mowing, flower strip sowing, and bee hotel establishment. However, pollinator-promoting interventions are almost lacking and still understudied in Eastern Europe. We aimed to investigate the impact of rare mowing and annual flower-sowing interventions on pollinators, floral resources, and vegetation attributes in three case studies within Hungary. We compared treatment (extensively mown or sown) and control (intensively mown) site pairs during five sampling occasions within a season. We found positive, but due to the severe drought and management inaccuracies relatively minor effect of both interventions. The extensively mown sites presented higher and greener vegetation with more flowers and pollinators. The sown flower patches provided floral resources and supported the pollinators in the second half of the season, while they were scarcely visited in spring and early summer due to the annual soil scarification and re-sowing. Although the two types of interventions could complement each other during the season, there is room for further improvements. To reach resilient urban ecosystems against climate and environmental changes, we recommend using primarily native and mostly perennial seeds, combining intervention types, planning for the long-term, and avoiding management inaccuracies (e.g. unplanned mowing). Promoting and monitoring plant-pollinators systems may increase the diversity and human well-being in cities, while citizens’ involvement can facilitate these interventions.
Complementors as ecosystem actors: a systematic review
Authors: Carst Alexandra Elena , Hu Yimei
Published: August 2023

As downstream actors providing innovations that enhance the value of the core proposition, complementors have been recognized as indispensable in many definitions of ecosystems. The increasing attention they have received in the past years demonstrates the concern to enrich our knowledge of complementors. With a hybrid approach of bibliometric and content analyses, this systematic literature review aims at a clearer understanding of complementors in an ecosystem setting. The findings confirm complementors’ strategic role in enhancing the ecosystem’s focal value proposition and impacting the ecosystem survival and success, more intensely since 2018. Several characteristics of complementors are also revealed. Despite autonomy being their most affirmed feature, an inconsistent understanding of complementors in different types of ecosystems is revealed. This study represents a pioneering attempt to systematically understand complementors as ecosystem actors through extant literature. Various research gaps in the extant ecosystem research were also identified, providing research directions in terms of complementors’ coopetitive interactions, strategies, and challenges in ecosystems.
A Novel Near-Infrared Fluorescence Probe THK-565 Enables In Vivo Detection of Amyloid Deposits in Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Model
Authors: Naganuma Fumito , Murata Daiki , Inoue Marie , Maehori Yuri , Harada Ryuichi , Furumoto Shozo , Kudo Yukitsuka , Nakamura Tadaho , Okamura Nobuyuki
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Noninvasive imaging of protein aggregates in the brain is critical for the early diagnosis, disease monitoring, and evaluation of the effectiveness of novel therapies for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging with specific probes is a promising technique for the in vivo detection of protein deposits without radiation exposure. Comprehensive screening of fluorescent compounds identified a novel compound, THK-565, for the in vivo imaging of amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits in the mouse brain. This study assessed whether THK-565 could detect amyloid-β deposits in vivo in the AD mouse model.

Procedures

The fluorescent properties of THK-565 were evaluated in the presence and absence of Aβ fibrils. APP knock-in (APP-KI) mice were used as an animal model of AD. In vivo NIRF images were acquired after the intravenous administration of THK-565 and THK-265 in mice. The binding selectivity of THK-565 to Aβ was evaluated using brain slices obtained from these mouse models.

Results

The fluorescence intensity of the THK-565 solution substantially increased by mixing with Aβ fibrils. The maximum emission wavelength of the complex of THK-565 and Aβ fibrils was 704 nm, which was within the optical window range. THK-565 selectively bound to amyloid deposits in brain sections of APP-KI mice After the intravenous administration of THK-565, the fluorescence signal in the head of APP-KI mice was significantly higher than that of wild-type mice and higher than that after administration of THK-265. Ex vivo analysis confirmed that the THK-565 signal corresponded to Aβ immunostaining in the brain sections of these mice.

Conclusions

A novel NIRF probe, THK-565, enabled the in vivo detection of Aβ deposits in the brains of the AD mouse model, suggesting that NIRF imaging with THK-565 could non-invasively assess disease-specific pathology in AD.
Eco-friendly methodology for removing and recovering rare earth elements from saline industrial wastewater
Authors: Viana Thainara , Ferreira Nicole , Tavares Daniela S. , Abdolvaseei Azadeh , Pereira Eduarda , Henriques Bruno
Published: August 2023

In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was applied with a Box–Behnken design to optimize the biosorption (removal and bioconcentration) of rare earth elements (REEs) (Y, La, Ce Eu, Gd, Tb) by living Ulva sp. from diluted industrial wastewaters (also containing Pt and the classic contaminants Hg, Pb, Zn, Cu, Co, and Cd). Element concentration (A: 10–190 μg/L), wastewater salinity (B: 15–35), and Ulva sp. dosage (C: 1.0–5.0 g/L) were the operating parameters chosen for optimization. Analysis of the Box–Behnken central point confirmed the reproducibility of the methodology and p-values below 0.0001 validated the developed mathematical models. The largest inter-element differences were observed at 24 h, with most REEs, Cu, Pb and Hg showing removals ≥ 50 %. The factor with the greatest impact (positive) on element removal was the initial seaweed dosage (ANOVA, p < 0.05). The optimal conditions for REEs removal were an initial REEs concentration of 10 μg/L, at a wastewater salinity of 15, and an Ulva sp. dosage of 5.0 g/L, attaining removals up to 88 % in 24 h. Extending the time to 96 h allowed seaweed dosage to be reduced to 4.2 g/L while achieving removals ≥ 90 %. The high concentrations in REE-enriched biomass (∑REEs of 3222 μg/g), which are up to 3000 times higher than those originally found in water and exceed those in common ores, support their use as an alternative source of these critical raw materials.
Sustainable synthesis of multifunctional nanomaterials from rice wastes: a comprehensive review
Authors: Chakroborty Subhendu , Pal Kaushik , Nath Nibedita , Singh Varun , Barik Arundhati , Soren Siba , Panda Pravati , Asthana Nidhi , Kyzas George Z.
Published: August 2023

More than 60% of India’s population relies on agriculture as their primary source of income, making it the nation’s most important economic sector. Rice husk (often abbreviated as RH) is one of the most typical by-products of agricultural production. Every five tonnes of rice that is harvested results in the production of one tonne of husk. The concept of recycling and reusing waste from agricultural production has received interest from a variety of environmental and industrial perspectives. A wide variety of nanomaterials, including nano-zeolite, nanocarbon, and nano-silica, have been discovered in agro-waste. From rice cultivation to the finished product, there was a by-product consisting of husk that comprised 20% of the overall weight, or RH. The percentage of silica in RH ash ranges from 60 to 40%, with the remaining percentage consisting of various minerals. As a direct consequence of this, several distinct approaches to generating and extracting nanomaterial from rice husk have been developed. Because it contains a significant amount of cellulose and lignin, RH is an excellent and economical source of carbon precursor. The goal of this chapter is to produce carbon-based nanomaterials from RH.
Robinobiosylation of tyrosol by seed meal from Rhamnus cathartica
Authors: Haluz Peter , Mastihubová Mária , Karnišová Potocká Elena , Pančík Filip , Mastihuba Vladimír
Published: August 2023

Tyrosol robinobioside was prepared under catalysis of robinobiosidase-containing seed meal from common buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica. Robinin, a flavonoid isolated from the flowers of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) served as a robinobiosyl donor. The glycosylation proceeded predominantly on the primary hydroxyl of tyrosol, typically yielding mixtures of isomeric glycosides in ratios of 5:1 to 8:1 with overall yields of robinobiosides higher than 20%. This is the first robinobiosylation promoted under enzymatic catalysis.
Insights into the fauna associated with Egeria densa at the upper section of the international Minho River estuary (NW Iberian Peninsula) 3 decades after its establishment
Authors: Gomes Nuno , de Araújo Costa Dimítri , Martins Duarte , Rocha Sónia , Sousa-Pinto Isabel , Antunes Carlos
Published: August 2023

The macrophyte Egeria densa Planchon, 1849 is a freshwater plant native to the subtropical regions of South America. Fast vegetative reproduction and efficient dispersal allow this species to form extensive beds that produce high levels of oxygen in freshwater ecosystems, generating microhabitats that act as refuge and nursery for an array of organisms, increasing sedimentation and light availability. Despite its undisputable ecological role, it is considered invasive and is present on all continents except Antarctica with the first records in Europe occurring at the 20th century. At the international Minho River (NW Iberian Peninsula), the observation of its presence was noted in the 1990s and is now an established population in this ecosystem. This study is the first descriptive-taxonomical assessment of the associated fauna with the exotic macrophyte E. densa, using both morphological and molecular approaches, three decades after its establishment in the international Minho River. Results indicate the presence of a faunal assemblage, composed a total of 20 identified species, including platyhelminths, hydrozoans, bryozoans, molluscs (Gastropoda), annelids (Oligochaeta and Hirudinea), crustaceans (Ostracoda, Copepoda, Branchiopoda and Amphipoda), aquatic mites and insects. Paludicella aff. articulata (Ehrenberg, 1831), Girardia sinensis Chen & Wang, 2015, Lebertia insignis Neuman, 1880 and Ceriodaphnia rigaudi Richard 1894 are recorded for the first time in Portugal.
Gabapentinoid detection in coronial casework in Gold Coast, Australia: a 5-year retrospective study
Authors: Thompson Isabella , Gadsby Zeena , Martin Jeremy , Thompson Melissa , Tse Rexson
Published: August 2023

Gabapentinoids is a class of drug with analgesic, anxiolytic, and anticonvulsant properties and has a reported increase in prescription, use, and adverse outcomes. Regional studies are scant, and postmortem toxicological data may characterise patterns of regional use and inform local interventions. Characterising drug and non-drug-related deaths with gabapentinoid detection may also aid in toxicology interpretation. A 5-year retrospective study on all deaths admitted to the Gold Coast University Hospital under where toxicological analysis was performed. Of the gabapentinoids, only pregabalin was detected over the study period, and annual rates of detection did not differ significantly over the period (7.4–12.4%). In cases where pregabalin was detected, it was 15 times more likely to be a drug-related death. Drug-related deaths where pregabalin was detected have higher levels of pregabalin, are younger, and had a greater proportion of concurrent opioid detection. Postmortem detection of pregabalin was associated with drug-related deaths. Higher levels, younger decedents, and concurrent use of opioids were found in drug-related deaths. Public health interventions and regulated prescribing to target concurrent pregabalin and opioid use may address the burden of pregabalin drug-related deaths.
Interface catalytic reduction of alumina by nickle for the aluminum nanowire growth: Dynamics observed by in situ TEM
Authors: Wang Zichun , Wang Dan , Li Ang , Wang Lizhuo , Han Xiaodong , Jiang Yijiao , Chen Jianfeng , Huang Jun
Published: August 2023

Metal nanowires show promise in a broad range of applications and can be fabricated via a number of methods, such as vapor–liquid–solid process and template-based electrodeposition. However, the synthesis of Al nanowires (NWs) is still challenging from the stable alumina substrate. In this work, the Ni-catalyzed fabrication of Al NWs has been realized using various Al2O3 substrates. The growth dynamics of Al NWs on Ni/Al2O3 was studied using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effect of alumina structures, compositions, and growth temperature were investigated. The growth of Al NWs correlates with the Na addition to the alumina support. Since no eutectic mixture of nickel aluminide was formed, a mechanism of Ni-catalyzed reduction of Al2O3 for Al NWs growth has been proposed instead of the vapor–liquid–solid mechanism. The key insights reported here are not restricted to Ni-catalyzed Al NWs growth but can be extended to understanding the dynamic change and catalytic performance of Ni/Al2O3 under working conditions.
Critical minerals versus major minerals: a comparative study of exploration budgets
Authors: Castillo Emilio , del Real Irene , Roa Cintia
Published: August 2023

Disruptions in the minerals supply chain play a central role in defining the future stock of minerals; therefore, an in-depth analysis of the outcomes and variables affecting exploration is required. In comparative terms, the exploration of critical minerals and major minerals presents geological and technical differences; thus, exploration budgets for critical minerals should be expected to depart from those observed in other minerals. In this context, the main goal of this paper is to contrast how exploration budgets differ between critical and major minerals when considering a set of key variables. We take a multivariate statistical analysis approach based on firm-level budget exploration data to show four key findings: exploration budgets allocated for critical minerals remain consistently lower than major minerals even when controlling for other factors. Moreover, they present a higher sensitivity to fluctuations in commodity prices. Besides, the investment made by larger companies in critical minerals significantly lags behind those made by junior companies. Additionally, the focus of exploration activity for critical minerals predominantly lies in the earlier stages of the exploration process. We expect these initial results to be used as a step forward to facilitate the discussion about exploration policies and, consequently, the reliability of the supply chain.
Synthesis of a novel chloroquinoline, rhodanine encompassed 1,2,3-triazole scaffolds and molecular docking evaluation of their cytotoxicity
Authors: Suryanarayana Kotyada , Gangu Kranthi Kumar , Kerru Nagaraju , Khatana Kavita , Satyanarayana Botcha , Maddila Suresh
Published: August 2023

A novel series of quinoline-linked rhodanine bearing 1,2,3-triazole analogs (10a-l) have been designed and prepared. All the novel hybrids were analyzed and characterized by spectroscopic performances like 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and HR-MS analysis. The anticancer efficiency of final molecules was screened for their in vitro activity against the diverse cancer cells lines like HeLa (cervical carcinoma), MCF-7 (human breast), HT-29 (colon cancer), and Caco-2 (human epithelial). Amongst, compound (10c) exhibited more potent anticancer activity than Combretastatin-A4 as a standard drug against MCF7, Caco-2, HeLa, HT-29, and Caco-2 cancer cells with IC50 values of 3.67, 3.93, 4.92, and 6.83 μM, respectively. The overview of an electron-releasing substituent on the aryl ring exhibited potent anticancer activity. It is the first report to reveal the quinoline-linked rhodanine-bearing 1,2,3-triazole scaffolds as potential antitumor agents with inclusive docking analysis.

Graphical abstract
The Two Fundamental Problems of Epistemology, Their Resolution, and Relevance for Life Science
Authors: Smit Harry
Published: August 2023

Among the many fundamental problems Wittgenstein discussed, two are especially relevant for evolutionary theory. The first one is the problem of negation and its relation to the intentionality of thought. Its resolution answers the question of how thought can anticipate reality though what is thought may not exist, and explains how empirical propositions are distinguishable from mathematical, logical, and conceptual (or what are traditionally called metaphysical) propositions. The second is the problem of the grounds of sensory experience. Wittgenstein’s resolution of this problem is revolutionary since he showed that first-person, present-tense expressions (these are sentences by which we express what goes on in our mind) have no grounds at all, clarifying why we should abandon (all variants of) representative idealism. In combination with the resolution of the first problem, it enables us to develop new explanations about how during the course of development and evolution the mind evolves and evolved.
Reduction of PSII photosynthetic performance by low temperature is the reason for the growing inhibition of Kobresia pygmaea Clarke
Authors: Shi Shengbo , Shi Rui , Zhou Dangwei , Li Tiancai , De Kejia , Gao Xiuzhen , Ma Jialin , Wang Fanglin
Published: August 2023

Kobresia pygmaea Clarke is mainly distributed in the alpine region from 3800 to 4500 m elevation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is excellent in low-temperature tolerance and trampling resistance and plays an important role in maintaining the stability of regional ecological environments. Mainly based on the chlorophyll fluorescence imaging technique, using grass sods blocks with a size of 20 × 20 cm2 collected from K. pygmaea forb meadow, simulated a low-temperature treatment in cultural room with 8 °C/4 °C (day/night) at diurnal photoperiod, we analyzed the effects of low temperature on PSII photochemical efficiency and non-photochemical quenching, as well as the interaction between low temperature and light intensity. The results showed that low temperature could significantly decrease the maximum quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and inhibit the leaf growth of K. pygmaea. The light response curve of PSII relative linear electron transport rate was reduced by low temperature, while it recovered to almost normal level after two days of removing adversity. Further experiments under steady-state actinic light confirmed that light intensity was the main factor affecting the PSII photochemical efficiency, and its reduction caused by the low temperature showed a certain degree of reversibility. The non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) was significantly affected by light intensity, and its fast and slow components (NPQf and NPQs) in NPQ accounted for 36% and 64% of NPQ, respectively. The decrease in NPQf and corresponding increase in NPQs slowly recovered after relieving from low-temperature condition. The relative inhibition of photosynthesis (Pinh) was significantly enhanced by low temperature and reduced after removal of adversity. Strong light intensity could intensify the adverse effect of low temperature on PSII operating efficiency Fq′/Fm′ and efficiency factor Fq′/Fv′, as well as NPQ. In conclusion, low temperature was one of the main reasons limiting the photosynthetic performance of K. pygmaea on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and could aggravate photosynthetic photoinhibition. The adversity of low temperature frequently occurring in the plant growing season on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was constituted of the main factor of the low productivity level in alpine meadow.
Diabetic striatopathy: an updated overview of current knowledge and future perspectives
Authors: Arecco A. , Ottaviani S. , Boschetti M. , Renzetti P. , Marinelli L.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Diabetic striatopathy (DS) is a rare complication of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (DM), characterized by hyperglycemia associated with chorea/ballism and characteristic reversible basal ganglia abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We propose a narrative review of the literature on this topic, currently unknown to most, and about which physicians should be aware. We intend to summarize, critically review, and take to mean the evidence on this disorder, describing its typical features.

Methods

We searched Pubmed for English-language sources using the following keywords in the title and the abstract: diabetic striatopathy, hyperglycemic non-ketotic hemichorea/hemiballism, chorea/hemichorea associated with non-ketotic hyperglycemia, diabetic hemiballism/hemichorea, chorea, hyperglycemia, and basal ganglia syndrome. We collected scientific articles, including case reports, reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses from the years 1975 to 2023. We eliminated duplicate, non-English language or non-related articles.

Results

Older Asian women are more frequently affected. Suddenly or insidiously hemichorea/hemiballism, mainly in the limbs, and high blood glucose with elevated HbA1c in the absence of ketone bodies have been observed. Furthermore, CT striatal hyperdensity and T1-weighted MRI hyperintensity have been observed. DS is often a treatable disease following proper hydration and insulin administration. Histopathological findings are variable, and no comprehensive hypothesis explains the atypical cases reported.

Conclusion

DS is a rare neurological manifestation of DM. If adequately treated, although treatment guidelines are lacking, the prognosis is good and life-threatening complications may occur occasionally. During chorea/hemiballism, we recommend blood glucose and HbA1c evaluation. Further studies are needed to understand the pathogenesis.
Phenology as a tool to gain more insights into the grass pollen season
Authors: Bastl Katharina , Bastl Maximilian , Berger Markus , Dirr Lukas , Berger Uwe E.
Published: August 2023

Background

Grass pollen allergy is the most common pollen allergy in the world. The grass family (Poaceae) consists of many genera and species of allergenic importance, but all share a uniform pollen grain morphology. Phenology is the key to discriminate different taxa.

Methodology

PubMed was used as the search engine. The publications found were selected based on their relevance and summarized.

Results

Studies with this focus are still rare. The composition of grass genera and species varies largely from region to region. Some taxa play a more important role in terms of pollen release and allergenicity than others.

Conclusion

Phenological routines need deep botanical knowledge and are time-consuming. Nonetheless, they should be integrated into studies on the grass pollen season since they allow a more precise understanding.
An efficient long-text semantic retrieval approach via utilizing presentation learning on short-text
Authors: Wang Junmei , Huang Jimmy X. , Sheng Jinhua
Published: August 2023

Although the short-text retrieval model by BERT achieves significant performance improvement, research on the efficiency and performance of long-text retrieval still faces challenges. Therefore, this study proposes an efficient long-text retrieval model based on BERT (called LTR-BERT). This model achieves speed improvement while retaining most of the long-text retrieval performance. In particular, The LTR-BERT model is trained by using the relevance between short texts. Then, the long text is segmented and stored off-line. In the retrieval stage, only the coding of the query and the matching scores are calculated, which speeds up the retrieval. Moreover, a query expansion strategy is designed to enhance the representation of the original query and reserve the encoding region for the query. It is beneficial for learning missing information in the representation stage. The interaction mechanism without training parameters takes into account the local semantic details and the whole relevance to ensure the accuracy of retrieval and further shorten the response time. Experiments are carried out on MS MARCO Document Ranking dataset, which is specially designed for long-text retrieval. Compared with the interaction-focused semantic matching method by BERT-CLS, the MRR@10 values of the proposed LTR-BERT method are increased by 2.74%. Moreover, the number of documents processed per millisecond increased by 333 times.
An overview of developments and challenges for unmanned surface vehicle autonomous berthing
Authors: Wu Gongxing , Li Debiao , Ding Hao , Shi Danda , Han Bing
Published: August 2023

With the continuous progress of contemporary science and technology and the increasing requirements for marine vehicles in various fields, the intelligence and automation of ships have become a general trend. The autonomous control of surface Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) generally covers the USV path planning, path tracking control, and autonomous collision avoidance control. But in the whole navigation process of USV, autonomous berthing is also a crucial part. And the research on the algorithm of the automatic berthing process of the USV is less. Mature USV autonomous berthing technology can effectively reduce the cost of human and material resources and financial resources while reducing the accident rate reasonably and safely. Therefore, it is of great importance to comprehensively promote the development of USV autonomous berthing technology.
Simultaneous detection and quantification by multiplex qPCR of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris' and 'Candidatus Phytoplasma fraxini' in a plant host and insect vectors
Authors: Lamilla Julian , Galvez Anny , Franco-Lara Liliana
Published: August 2023

Phytoplasmas are bacteria transmitted by insects that can cause plant diseases. In Bogotá 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris' and ' Candidatus Phytoplasma fraxini', infect 11 species of urban trees, weeds, grass, potato and strawberry. A set of primers, that amplify both phytoplasmas species were designed and used for absolute and relative qPCR quantification of the 16SrRNA gene. The primers AJ-16Sr-F/AJ-16Sr-R allowed the amplification of ‘Ca. P. asteris’, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma palmae’, ‘Ca. P. fraxini’ and ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium’, not of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni’. Absolute qPCR detected phytoplasmas between 1 × 109 and 1 × 103 copies/μL DNA extract. Two species-specific hydrolysis probes, AJ-16SrI-Cy5.5 and AJ-16SrVII-TexRed, were designed to detect 'Ca. P. asteris' and 'Ca. P. fraxini' respectively, using the AJ-16Sr-F/AJ-16Sr-R primers. For relative quantification, the 18SrRNA gene was used as normalizer. Relative qPCR detected phytoplasmas between 1 × 109 and 1 × 103 copies/μL DNA extract. Multiplex reactions allowed the specific quantification of 'Ca. P. asteris', 'Ca. P. fraxini' in comparison to the normalizer. qPCR methods were validated on natural hosts Andean oak trees and leafhoppers. The relative quantification values were higher for 'Ca. P. fraxini' (x̅ RQ = 3203.1 ± 2622,9 n = 14) compared with 'Ca. P. asteris' (x̅ RQ = 14.9 ± 24,5 n = 6) in oak tree samples. In the leafhoppers, the relative quantification values ranged between RQ = 26.5 and RQ = 294,927.3 for 'Ca. P. fraxini’ and RQ = 34.8 and RQ = 1722.2 for 'Ca. P. asteris'. In conclusion, although absolute qPCR allowed the quantification of phytoplasmas by comparing Cq (quantification cycle) values of samples with a standard curve, it did not allow to differentiate between 'Ca. P. asteris' and 'Ca. P. fraxini'. In contrast, relative qPCR assays using specific hydrolysis probes allowed the specific detection and quantification of each phytoplasma, in individual and mixed infections in insect vectors and plant hosts.
Closures of certain matrix varieties and applications
Authors: Chang William , Guralnick Robert M.
Published: August 2023

We prove some results about closures of certain matrix varieties consisting of elements with the same centralizer dimension. This generalizes a result of Dixmier and has applications to topological generation of simple algebraic groups.