bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolic syndrome among people living with HIV in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Girma Derara , Dejene Hiwot , Geleta Leta Adugna , Malka Erean Shigign , Tesema Mengistu , Awol Mukemil , Oyato Befekadu Tesfaye
Published: March 2023

Background

Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) can cause metabolic disorders such as lipodystrophy, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance, all of which are symptoms of metabolic syndrome (MetS). In Ethiopia, despite the existence of the primary studies, there was no pooled study conducted to summarize the country-level MetS among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Therefore, this study aims to estimate the pooled prevalence of MetS among PLHIV in Ethiopia.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted to retrieve studies on the prevalence of MetS among PLHIV in Ethiopia from PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Web of Sciences, HINARI, and other relevant sources. A random-effects model was used to estimate the MetS in this study. The overall variation between studies was checked by the heterogeneity test (I2). The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality appraisal criteria were used to assess the quality of the studies. The summary estimates were presented with forest plots and tables. Publication bias was checked with the funnel plot and Egger’s regression test.

Results

Overall, 366 articles were identified and evaluated using the PRISMA guidelines, with 10 studies meeting the inclusion criteria included in the final analysis. The pooled prevalence of MetS among PLHIV in Ethiopia was 21.7% (95% CI:19.36–24.04) using National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III) and 29.91% (95% CI: 21.54–38.28) using International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. The lowest and highest prevalence of MetS were 19.14% (95%CI: 15.63–22.64) and 25.6% (95%CI: 20.18–31.08) at Southern Nation and Nationality People Region (SNNPR) and Addis Ababa, respectively. There was no statistical evidence of publication bias in both NCEP-ATP III and IDF pooled estimates.

Conclusion

MetS was common among PLHIV in Ethiopia. Therefore, optimizing regular screening for MetS components and promoting a healthy lifestyle is suggested for PLHIV. Furthermore, more study is contributory to identify the barriers to implementing planned interventions and meeting recommended treatment goals. Trial registration: The review protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO): CRD42023403786.
Impact of informal institutions on youth agribusiness participation in Southern Benin
Authors: Magbondé Kadoukpè Gildas , Mignouna Djana , Manyong Victor , Adéoti Razack , Sossou Ayélé Odile
Published: March 2023

The agribusiness sector development is often portrayed as an essential component of economic development. Though Benin is a country with inestimable agricultural potential, the agribusiness sector appears unappealing to the local youths. Prior investigations diagnosed the impeding factors as a paucity of financial resource and a dearth of land and technical knowledge. This article departs from past studies by considering the importance of informal institutions for youth participation in the agribusiness sector. Exploring a rich data set of 478 youths aged 15 to 35, collected in Southern Benin based on the stratified random sampling technique, the article uses propensity score matching to address selection bias and logistic regression on the matched sample to link informal institutions to youth participation in agribusiness. Results highlight that agribusiness-unfriendly informal institutions discourage youth participation in the agribusiness sector. Though easing access to finance is crucial for the youths to initiate agribusiness activities, findings make a case for long-term policies that aim to increase the societal levels of trust and desirability for the agribusiness sector.
Soil conditions and the plant microbiome boost the accumulation of monoterpenes in the fruit of Citrus reticulata ‘Chachi’
Authors: Su Jianmu , Wang Yayu , Bai Mei , Peng Tianhua , Li Huisi , Xu Hui-Juan , Guo Guifang , Bai Haiyi , Rong Ning , Sahu Sunil Kumar , He Hanjun , Liang Xiangxiu , Jin Canzhi , Liu Wei , Strube Mikael Lenz , Gram Lone , Li Yongtao , Wang Ertao , Liu Huan , Wu Hong
Published: March 2023

Background

The medicinal material quality ofCitrus reticulata‘Chachi’ differs depending on the bioactive components influenced by the planting area. Environmental factors, such as soil nutrients, the plant-associated microbiome and climatic conditions, play important roles in the accumulation of bioactive components in citrus. However, how these environmental factors mediate the production of bioactive components of medicinal plants remains understudied.

Results

Here, a multi-omics approach was used to clarify the role of environmental factors such as soil nutrients and the root-associated microbiome on the accumulation of monoterpenes in the peel ofC. reticulata‘Chachi’ procured from core (geo-authentic product region) and non-core (non-geo-authentic product region) geographical regions. The soil environment (high salinity, Mg, Mn and K) enhanced the monoterpene content by promoting the expression of salt stress-responsive genes and terpene backbone synthase in the host plants from the core region. The microbial effects on the monoterpene accumulation of citrus from the core region were further verified by synthetic community (SynCom) experiments. Rhizosphere microorganisms activated terpene synthesis and promoted monoterpene accumulation through interactions with the host immune system. Endophyte microorganisms derived from soil with the potential for terpene synthesis might enhance monoterpene accumulation in citrus by providing precursors of monoterpenes.

Conclusions

Overall, this study demonstrated that both soil properties and the soil microbiome impacted monoterpene production in citrus peel, thus providing an essential basis for increasing fruit quality via reasonable fertilization and precision microbiota management.
Mediating role of resilience in the relationship between COVID-19 related stigma and mental health among COVID-19 survivors: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Xiao Weijun , Liu Xiaoyang , Wang Hao , Huang Yiman , Dai Zhenwei , Si Mingyu , Fu Jiaqi , Chen Xu , Jia Mengmeng , Leng Zhiwei , Cui Dan , Mak Winnie W. S. , Dong Liming , Su Xiaoyou
Published: March 2023

Background

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused many negative effects on physical and mental health of patients who have survived COVID-19. Apart from some long-lasting physical sequelae, those COVID-19 survivors are also suffering stigma and discrimination at different levels around the world. The current study aims to assess the role resilience played in stigma and mental disorders among COVID-19 survivors.

Methods

The cross-sectional study was carried out among former COVID-19 patients in Jianghan District (Wuhan, China) from June 10 to July 25, 2021. The demographic questions, the Impact of Events Scale-Revised, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Resilience Style Questionnaire and the Short Version of COVID-19 Stigma Scale of 12 items were used to collect relevant information of the participants. Descriptive analyses, Pearson correlation analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were used to make data description and analysis.

Results

A total of 1541 out of 1601 COVID-19 survivors (887 females and 654 males) were included in the analysis. Perceived stigma of those COVID-19 survivors correlates significantly with anxiety (r = 0.335,P < 0.001), depression (r = 0.325,P < 0.001) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (r = 0.384,P < 0.001). It has a direct effect on COVID-19 survivors’ anxiety (β = 0.326,P < 0.001), depression (β = 0.314,P < 0.001), PTSD (β = 0.385,P < 0.001) and their resilience (β = − 0.114,P < 0.01). Resilience partially mediated the association between perceived stigma and anxiety (β = 0.020,P < 0.01), depression (β = 0.020,P < 0.01), and PTSD (β = 0.014,P < 0.01) among COVID-19 survivors.

Conclusion

Stigma has a significant negative impact on mental health, while resilience plays a mediator role in the relationship between stigma and mental health among COVID-19 survivors. Based on our study, we suggested that when designing psychological interventions for COVID-19 survivors, consideration should be taken into account to reduce stigma and improve resilience.
Thiram, an inhibitor of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, enhances the inhibitory effects of hydrocortisone in the treatment of osteosarcoma through Wnt/β-catenin pathway
Authors: Zhang You , Li Nanjing , Li He , Chen Maojia , Jiang Wei , Guo Wenhao
Published: March 2023

Background

The anti-osteosarcoma effects of hydrocortisone and thiram, an inhibitor of type 2 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11HSD2), have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of hydrocortisone alone or the combination of hydrocortisone with thiram on osteosarcoma and the molecular mechanism, and determine whether they can be as new therapeutic agents for osteosarcoma.

Methods

Normal bone cells and osteosarcoma cells were treated with hydrocortisone or thiram alone or in combination. The cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by using CCK8 assay, wound healing assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. An osteosarcoma mouse model was established. The effect of drugs on osteosarcoma in vivo was assessed by measuring tumor volume. Transcriptome sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, RT–qPCR, Western blotting (WB), enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and siRNA transfection were performed to determine the molecular mechanisms.

Results

Hydrocortisone inhibited the proliferation and migration, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of osteosarcoma cells in vitro. Hydrocortisone also reduced the volume of osteosarcoma in mice in vivo. Mechanistically, hydrocortisone decreased the levels of Wnt/β-catenin pathway-associated proteins, and induced the expression of glucocorticoid receptor α (GCR), CCAAT enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBP-beta) and 11HSD2, resulting in a hydrocortisone resistance loop. Thiram inhibited the activity of the 11HSD2 enzyme, the combination of thiram and hydrocortisone further enhanced the inhibition of osteosarcoma through Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Conclusions

Hydrocortisone inhibits osteosarcoma through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Thiram inhibits 11HSD2 enzyme activity, reducing hydrocortisone inactivation and promoting the effect of hydrocortisone through the same pathway.
Effects of selected solvents on PMMA after prolonged exposure: unilateral NMR and ATR-FTIR investigations
Authors: Kavda Stefani , Golfomitsou Stavroula , Richardson Emma
Published: March 2023

Exposure of heritage plastics to solvents can cause several changes to their surface layers and bulk. The amorphous nature of certain plastics, particularly polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), allows penetration and diffusion of low-molecular liquids, which can lead to swelling, cracking, plasticisation or stiffening, extraction and dissolution of polymer and additive components. Such phenomena compromise the visual characteristics, chemical and physical structure of heritage collections and remain, for the most part, unexplored. Research studies present contradicting evidence concerning the use of solvents and their safe application on PMMA. The main discrepancy is about PMMA being permeable to water or not. Alcohols have also triggered debates about whether they cause leaching and/or depolymerisation. This paper investigates the potential effects that selected free polar and non-polar solvents—employed in different media as cleaning systems—can have on PMMA after prolonged contact. The Hildebrand solubility theory was used to select solvents based on PMMA’s miscibility. The effects of deionised water, ethanol, isopropanol and petroleum ether are examined through a 30-day immersion study of PMMA via microscopic examination, weight change measurements, ATR-FTIR, peak height ratios, and NMR MOUSE. All four solvents extracted soluble components, i.e. unreacted residual monomer, and increased PMMA’s surface sensitivity to abrasions. Water and petroleum ether did not cause any measurable chemical or physical changes. Alcohols caused surface crystallisation and crazing, with isopropanol leading to stiffening and ethanol to plasticisation of the material. These effects, although extreme and absent in most routine cleaning timeframes, demonstrate the cumulative damage these solvents can potentially induce to PMMA.
Testing the stress gradient hypothesis in soil bacterial communities associated with vegetation belts in the Andean Atacama Desert
Authors: Mandakovic Dinka , Aguado-Norese Constanza , García-Jiménez Beatriz , Hodar Christian , Maldonado Jonathan E. , Gaete Alexis , Latorre Mauricio , Wilkinson Mark D. , Gutiérrez Rodrigo A. , Cavieres Lohengrin A. , Medina Joaquín , Cambiazo Verónica , Gonzalez Mauricio
Published: March 2023

Background

Soil microorganisms are in constant interaction with plants, and these interactions shape the composition of soil bacterial communities by modifying their environment. However, little is known about the relationship between microorganisms and native plants present in extreme environments that are not affected by human intervention. Using high-throughput sequencing in combination with random forest and co-occurrence network analyses, we compared soil bacterial communities inhabiting the rhizosphere surrounding soil (RSS) and the corresponding bulk soil (BS) of 21 native plant species organized into three vegetation belts along the altitudinal gradient (2400–4500 m a.s.l.) of the Talabre–Lejía transect (TLT) in the slopes of the Andes in the Atacama Desert. We assessed how each plant community influenced the taxa, potential functions, and ecological interactions of the soil bacterial communities in this extreme natural ecosystem. We tested the ability of the stress gradient hypothesis, which predicts that positive species interactions become increasingly important as stressful conditions increase, to explain the interactions among members of TLT soil microbial communities.

Results

Our comparison of RSS and BS compartments along the TLT provided evidence of plant-specific microbial community composition in the RSS and showed that bacterial communities modify their ecological interactions, in particular, their positive:negative connection ratios in the presence of plant roots at each vegetation belt. We also identified the taxa driving the transition of the BS to the RSS, which appear to be indicators of key host-microbial relationships in the rhizosphere of plants in response to different abiotic conditions. Finally, the potential functions of the bacterial communities also diverge between the BS and the RSS compartments, particularly in the extreme and harshest belts of the TLT.

Conclusions

In this study, we identified taxa of bacterial communities that establish species-specific relationships with native plants and showed that over a gradient of changing abiotic conditions, these relationships may also be plant community specific. These findings also reveal that the interactions among members of the soil microbial communities do not support the stress gradient hypothesis. However, through the RSS compartment, each plant community appears to moderate the abiotic stress gradient and increase the efficiency of the soil microbial community, suggesting that positive interactions may be context dependent.
Arabic language version of the obsession with COVID-19 scale adaptation and validity evaluation in Saudi sample
Authors: Alshomrani Abdulaziz
Published: March 2023

Background

The obsession with COVID-19 scale is a reliable and validated scale developed to assess obsessions related to coronavirus infection (COVID-2019) and because of its usefulness, this paper is aiming to develop an Arabic version of the obsession with COVID-19 scale and evaluate its validity. Firstly, scale translated to Arabic through the guidelines of Sousa and Rojjanasriratw for scale translation and adaptation. Then we distributed the final version with some sociodemographic questions and an Arabic version of the COVID-19 fear scale to a convenient sample of college students. Internal consistency, factor analysis, average variable extraction, composite reliability, Pearson correlation, and mean differences has been measured.

Results

Out of 253 students, 233 responded to the survey, where 44.6% of them were female. Calculated Cronbach’s alpha was 0.82, item-total correlations were 0.891–0.905, and inter-item correlations were 0.722–0.805. Factor analysis identified one factor which reflects 80.76% of the cumulative variances. The average variance extracted was 0.80, and the composite reliability was 0.95. The correlation coefficient between the two scales was 0.472.

Conclusions

The Arabic version of obsession with COVID-19 scale has high values of internal consistency, and convergent validity, and has a unidimensional factor that reflects its reliability and validity.
Idiopathic lumbar epidermoid: review of literature and case report
Authors: Elnoamany Hossam , Salim Mohammud
Published: March 2023

Background

Spinal epidermoid tumors are rare, comprising of less than 1% of tumors involving the spine. These tumors arise from pathological displacement of epidermal cells into the spinal canal. Therefore, these tumors can be congenital, when there is improper closure of the neural tube; or acquired, in patients who have had prior lumbar punctures, trauma, or surgery. Spinal epidermoids are typically found in the lumbosacral region but can be found in other locations as well.

Case presentation

We report an original case of a 50 year old. He presented with 1 year with back pain and bilateral sciatica. The patient was neurological intact with no sphincter incompetence. The magnetic resonance image of the lumbosacral spine showed a 12 × 3 cm well-circumscribed intradural mass at the L3–S1 level. The patient was operated on with posterior lumbar laminectomy for tumor removal. Postoperation, the patient had improved pain and numbness. The motor power was intact as preoperative.

Conclusions

MRI with DWI is especially useful to confirm the diagnosis with the lesions appearing hyperintense. The most conventional approach to resection involved laminectomies and intradural tumor resection. GTR provided better outcomes in most cases even when the tumor was adherent to the nearby spinal cord or nerve roots.
Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi encodes non-classically secreted proteins that suppress hypersensitive cell death response in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Gao Xiaoyu , Ren Zhengguang , Zhao Wenjun , Li Weimin
Published: March 2023

Increasing evidence is proving the biological significance of the phytoplasma-secreted proteins. However, besides a few Sec-dependent secretory proteins, no other phytoplasma-secreted proteins have been reported yet. Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi is a phytoplasma that causes witches’-broom, a devastating jujube disease prevalent in east Asia. In this study, using the SecretomeP server coupled with an Escherichia coli-based alkaline phosphatase assay, we identified 25 non-classically secreted proteins (ncSecPs) from Ca. P. ziziphi, a novel type of secreted protein associated with phytoplasmas. Among them, six were characterized as hypersensitive cell death response (HR) suppressors that significantly attenuated both Bax- and INF1-triggered HR and H2O2 accumulation in Nicotiana benthamiana, indicating a so-far unknown role of the phytoplasma-secreted proteins. Further, we demonstrated that despite the diverse subcellular localizations in the N. benthamiana cells, the six HR-suppressing ncSecPs enhanced the gene expression of several known cell death inhibitors, including pathogenesis-related proteins (NbPR-1, NbPR-2, and NbPR-5) and Bax inhibitor-1 (NbBI-1 and NbBI-2). Together, our data indicated that Ca. P. ziziphi has evolved an arsenal of ncSecPs that jointly circumvent HR by activating the plant cell death inhibitors, thus providing new insight into understanding the pathogenesis of phytoplasmas.
Effect of social media marketing on online travel purchase behavior post-COVID-19: mediating role of brand trust and brand loyalty
Authors: Azhar Mohd , Husain Rehan , Hamid Sheeba , Rahman Mohd Nayyer
Published: March 2023

The present study intends to unleash the influence of social media marketing (SMM) on purchase intention (PI), brand trust (BT) and brand loyalty (BL) in the setting of online travel booking websites. It also analyses the mediating effect of BT and BL in the relationship between SMM and PI. This study also examines the importance of trust and loyalty in the suggested model, which adds to the current research in this area. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect the data from the users of online travel booking websites, and the study rested upon 397 valid responses. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) through Smart PLS v.3.2.6. The findings reveal that SMM has a favorable and substantial impact on BT and BL, influencing COVID-19 purchase intention. As per the findings, BT and BL's beneficial influence on the purchase intention of arranging travel on social media was discovered. Moreover, it was also confirmed from the results that BT and BL mediate the relationship between SMM and PI. Therefore, SMM significantly impacts online trip booking purchase intentions with increased BT and BL levels. Finally, several theoretical and managerial implications can be delineated from the findings of this study for industry and academia.
Evaluation and application of a milk antibody ELISA for assessing the prevalence and incidence of bovine tuberculosis in dairy herds in Hubei Province, China
Authors: Chen Yingyu , Cheng Shuang , Wang Yu , Wang Guiqiang , Wu Xijuan , Robertson Ian D. , Guo Aizhen
Published: March 2023

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic zoonotic disease that is endemic in China. Currentin-vitrotests for bTB are mainly based on blood assays. Collection of samples results in some stress to the sampled cattle and associated economic losses for the herd owner. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between milk and serum antibody tests for bTB in dairy cows using 85 cows with milk and corresponding blood samples. Totally 4,395 milk samples were used to assesse the apparent (test) prevalence and incidence of bTB using the milk antibody ELISA. The association between levels of bTB milk antibody and milk quality was also evaluated. Milk and serum antibody tests showed a good correlation with a 87.5% (95% CI: 61.7%, 98.4) positive agreement and 98.7% (95% CI: 95.4, 99.8) negative agreement. The animal level lactoprevalence ranged from 0.3% (95% CI: 0, 1.2) to 33.3% (95% CI: 26.6, 40.6) in different farms and the incidence rate ranged from 0 head/cow-month (95% CI: 0, 0.02) to 0.04 head/cow-month (95% CI: 0.02, 0.07). Twenty percent of sampled farms met the criteria for bTB control in China. The prevalence on large-scale farms was lower (p < 0.001) than on small farms. The bTB milk antibody levels had a negative correlation with milk yield and a positive correlation with somatic cell count (SCC), milk protein percentage (MPP) and percentage of total solids (TS). According to this research, milk ELISA could be used as a supplement of blood samples to assist in the surveillance for bTB and for alerting control and eradication of bTB.
Overburden 4D seismic analysis: Influence of stress and pore-pressure changes accounting for elastic contrast between a reservoir and its anisotropic surrounding rocks
Authors: Yan Hong , Bakk Audun , Duda Marcin , Holt Rune Martin , Lozovyi Serhii
Published: March 2023

Time-lapse (4D) seismic data analysis is widely used to monitor producing hydrocarbon or CO2 storage reservoirs and their surroundings. The influence of potentially significant undrained pore-pressure changes around depleting (or injected) reservoirs appears to be neglected in most previous studies. The 4D seismic response in the overburden depends on the stress changes and strains induced by the reservoir. These alterations may challenge stable infill drilling and well integrity. We have used anisotropic static elastic moduli from laboratory measurements for two different field shales to predict stress changes and strains in the surroundings of a depleting reservoir through geomechanical modeling. These mechanical changes are used to quantify undrained pore-pressure changes using anisotropic poroelastic theory constrained with Skempton parameters. Finally, an empirical rock-physics model quantifies the impact of these poroelastic changes on vertical velocity changes and time strains. This model explicitly quantifies the individual contributions to vertical velocity changes from undrained pore pressure, mean stress, and shear stress above (and below) the depleting reservoir. We find that a stiffer surrounding rock exhibits significantly larger vertical time strains and time shifts in the overburden as compared with softer surrounding rocks because of promoted arching. Undrained overburden pore-pressure changes significantly contribute to overburden velocity changes and time shifts. Ignoring anisotropy in the Skempton parameters can lead to overestimating the overburden undrained pore pressure and time shifts after reservoir depletion. The anisotropy in static stiffnesses significantly impacts the dynamic changes in the vertical direction, and the dynamic changes are particularly pronounced in the vicinity of the reservoir. We find how a tailored rock-physics model can link 4D seismic data and geomechanics to separate stress, strain, and pore-pressure changes — all essential for optimizing drilling and production.
Active learning with deep autoencoders for seismic facies interpretation
Authors: Mustafa Ahmad , AlRegib Ghassan
Published: March 2023

Machine-learning (ML)-assisted seismic interpretation tasks require large quantities of labeled data annotated by expert interpreters, which is a costly and time-consuming process. Whereas existing works to minimize dependence on labeled data assume the data annotation process to already be completed, active learning — a field of ML — works by selecting the most important training samples for the interpreter to annotate in real time simultaneously with the training of the interpretation model itself, resulting in high levels of performance with fewer labeled data samples than otherwise possible. Whereas there exists significant literature on active learning for classification tasks with respect to natural images, there exists very little to no work for dense prediction tasks in geophysics such as interpretation. We have developed a unique and first-of-its-kind active learning framework for seismic facies interpretation using the manifold learning properties of deep autoencoders. By jointly learning representations for supervised and unsupervised tasks and then ranking unlabeled samples by their nearness to the data manifold, we can identify the most relevant training samples to be labeled by the interpreter in each training round. On the popular F3 data set, we obtain close to a 10% point difference in terms of the interpretation accuracy between the proposed method and the baseline with only three fully annotated seismic sections.
An improved elastic wavefield separation method based on the Helmholtz decomposition
Authors: Zheng Qingqing , Yao Gang
Published: March 2023

Elastic wave-mode separation plays an important role in elastic reverse time migration and elastic full-waveform inversion. It helps to remove crosstalk artifacts and improve imaging quality. A class of efficient methods for elastic wave-mode separation in isotropic elastic media is the Helmholtz decomposition technique. Although this kind of approach produces pure-mode vector wavefields with correct amplitudes, phases, and physical units, their computational costs are still high especially for 3D large-scale problems. By making use of the relationships among the divergence, curl, gradient, and exterior derivative operations, we develop an improved elastic wave-mode separation based on the Helmholtz decomposition. We also need to solve a Poisson equation, but the Laplace operator operates on a scalar function rather than a vector function. Thus, for multidimensional (2D or 3D) problems, the Poisson equation only needs to be solved once for the vector P and S wavefields. This allows us to reduce the computational cost of the conventional Helmholtz decomposition method by a factor of two for solving 2D problems. For a 3D problem, the computational cost can be reduced by a factor of three. To further reduce the computational cost, by introducing a smooth extension technique, we transform the problem into the wavenumber domain via the Fourier transform and use a fast solver for the Poisson equation. The resulting wavefield separation method not only produces P and S waves with the same phases and amplitudes as the input-coupled wavefields but also significantly reduces the computational cost. Numerical tests indicate the efficiency of the proposed method and confirm the theoretical results.
Ultradeep carbonate reservoir lithofacies classification based on a deep convolutional neural network — A case study in the Tarim Basin, China
Authors: Lu Shengyu , Cai Chuyang , Zhong Zhi , Cai Zhongxian , Guo Xu , Zhang Heng , Li Jie
Published: March 2023

Lithofacies identification is essential in reservoir evaluation, especially in ultradeep carbonate reservoirs. In general, coring samples are the best sources to identify carbonate lithofacies because they are taken directly from reservoirs. However, the core is expensive to obtain, and generally its availability is greatly limited. In recent years, deep learning has attracted enormous attention because of its robust nonlinear regression and classification ability. This study applies a deep-learning algorithm to identify the lithofacies using geophysical well-log data. Six types of well-log data, such as natural gamma ray, density (DEN), neutron porosity (CNL), acoustic (AC), and shallow and deep lateral resistivity well logs (RT/RXO), are smoothed by the average sliding method and converted to 2D data. Then, the 2D data are treated as inputs to predict the carbonate lithofacies through the convolutional neural network (CNN). The results indicate that the prediction accuracy rate is 90.2%. This indicates that the CNN can identify different carbonate lithofacies well.
Possible Advantage of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists for Kidney Transplant Recipients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Sato Tetsuhiko , Azuma Yoshinori , Ozone Chikafumi , Okazaki Mikako , Takeda Asami , Okada Manabu , Futamura Kenta , Hiramitsu Takahisa , Goto Norihiko , Narumi Shunji , Watarai Yoshihiko
Published: March 2023

Context

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (RAs) have the potential to improve native kidney function.

Objective

This work aimed to elucidate the possible protective effects of GLP-1 RAs on kidney graft function after successful kidney transplantation (KTX).

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included all KTX recipients (KTRs) at our facility with type 2 diabetes who were followed up from 1 month post-transplantation for 24 months or longer as of December 31, 2020. We investigated associations between the use of GLP-1 RAs and other antidiabetic medications (non–GLP-1 RAs) and the risk of sustained estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) reduction (40% reduction compared with baseline for 4 months) for KTRs with type 2 diabetes. We calculated the propensity score of initiating GLP-1 RAs compared with that of initiating non–GLP-1 RAs as a function of baseline covariates using logistic regression. The inverse probability of the treatment-weighted odds ratio was estimated to control for baseline confounding variables. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor use was a competing event. The primary outcome was sustained eGFR reduction of at least 40% from baseline for 4 months post-transplantation.

Results

Seventy-three patients were GLP-1 RA users and 73 were non–GLP-1 RA users. Six patients and 1 patient in the non–GLP-1 RA and GLP-1 RA groups had sustained eGFR reduction. GLP-1 RA use after KTX was associated with a lower risk of sustained eGFR reduction.

Conclusion

GLP-1 RAs resulted in lower eGFR reduction compared with non–GLP-1 RAs and may contribute to better kidney graft survival after KTX.
Pluriactivity, Identity of Farming and Their Relation to the Question of Class Location of Farming Households
Authors: Sönmez Abdulkerim
Published: March 2023

This paper is a methodological one, addressing the issue of how to deal with questions of identity, of farming, and its relation to the class locations of households engaged in farming and off-farm employment concurrently, which is usually called “pluriactivity”. The paper first examines and assesses why and how this problem arises out of different abstract conceptions of class, the social-class-identities of productive activities, the occupational identities of individuals and how the household boundaries are drawn in empirical research. Next, the paper makes suggestions for how to overcome these problems by paying attention to the problem of emergence, that is, how to describe and decide the very unity and identity that several income generating activities and forms of employment bring about concerning the class location of individuals and households. The leading argument of this essay is that the same or similar types of activities or types of employment derive their identity not from within themselves as separate entities but from the larger scheme of material, social or cultural objectives which the individuals and households, acting on the principle of “we-intentionality”, try to achieve by using their labour and resources as instruments.
The Role of Adult Education Centers in Syrian Refugees’ Integration Process
Authors: Altunay Esen , Karabulut Serap
Published: March 2023

The aim of this study is to reveal the views of administrators and instructors regarding the role adult education centers (AECs) have in the process of integrating Syrian refugees and to present relevant suggestions. This qualitative study has employed a phenomenological design, obtained the data using a semi-structured interview form. The study group of the research consists of administrators and instructors working at AECs in Izmir, Turkey between 2019-2020 and were identified using criterion sampling, a purposive sampling method. As a result of the research, the participants were revealed to have most commonly emphasized language learning under the theme of Syrian refugee adults’ social needs. Among the problems regarding the integration process of the Syrian refugees enrolled in the AECs, absenteeism and economic inadequacy came to the fore under the theme of problems regarding instructees. In terms of the AECs’ contributions to the adaptation process, their contributions to language learning, social adaptation, and establishing communication and relationships were emphasized under the theme of social skills development. According to the research results, states should develop certain policies to produce permanent solutions regarding Syrian refugees’ education and provide financial assistance regarding the problem of refugees’ economic inadequacy; AECs should also strengthen their collaborations with other institutions.
Factors Affecting Negative Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccines
Authors: Bozkurt Veysel , Bayram Arlı Nuran , İlhan Mustafa Necmi , Usta Emine Kübra , Budak Burkay , Aydemir Dev Mine
Published: March 2023

The aim of this study is to examine the factors affecting negative attitudes (vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccination) towards vaccines. Data of 4004 people were collected online. Although vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccination attitudes are two different concepts, there is a strong positive relationship between them. In this study, explanatory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis are used for vaccine questions. Then, quantile regression models at 10p, 50p and 90p values were calculated separately for these two variables (vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccination). As a result of the estimation, age, gender, education, household income, belief in conspiracy theories, political views, religious involvement are significant predictors. In addition, trust in science, doctors, the government, vaccine companies, COVID-19 vaccines and herbal treatments are other predictive variables. Negative attitudes towards vaccines are relatively higher among the poor, unemployed and socio-economically disadvantaged groups. To reduce negative attitudes towards vaccines, it is important to inform society based on the results of reliable scientific research, to follow transparent policies that will reduce the doubts in people’s minds, and to maintain effective communication policies.
A Meta-Theoretical Discussion on Strengthening the Processual-Relational Sociology of Childhood
Authors: Dalfidan Fazilet
Published: March 2023

The relational sociology of childhood often has a structural character; however, the main problem is that the structural character largely confines the “ontological turn” in childhood studies. This is related to the fact that how structures are understood in relational analysis is mostly based on a one-way perspective: Structures are “systems of human relations between social positions”. In this context, this article problematizes the structural character of relational childhood ontology. In order to overcome the problem, we should trace alternative relational conceptualizations and show how we can work them in relational childhood sociology. Based on the processual character in hybrid-relational childhood ontology, this article argues which features of Elias and Dépelteau’s relational ontologies can be included in the relational ontology of childhood in order to strengthen the understanding of interdependence relations at the interactional level. The aim of the article is to make a theoretical contribution to the strengthening of the processual character in the relational analysis of childhood by drawing attention to the need for processual-relational childhood ontology as an alternative to the structural-relational perspective. Looking at children’s agency from a processual-relational perspective will further reveal the potential and capacity of children to transform their social worlds and social fields.
Exploring the experiences of struggling undergraduate medical students with formal mentoring program at a private medical college in Rawalpindi
Authors: Aziz Anbreen , Shadab Wajiha , Siddique Lubna , Mahboob Usman
Published: March 2023

Objective: To explore the experiences of struggling undergraduate medical students (mentees) with formal mentoring program at a private medical college in Rawalpindi.

Methods: A qualitative exploratory study was carried out from March to August 2019. Data was collected from a purposive sample of sixteen struggling undergraduate students. Validated interview guide was utilized to conduct semi-structured one-to-one interviews. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed accurately. Confidentiality and anonymity were ensured to the participants due to the sensitive nature of the data. Various measures were taken to achieve trustworthiness in the study. Manual thematic analysis was performed and consensus among all authors was built regarding themes and subthemes.

Results: Four themes and twelve subthemes emerged from the data. Participants were satisfied with the psychosocial outcomes of the mentoring program such as emotional, moral, and psychological support, and personal and professional development. Mentees told that mentors were their best guides who shared their life experiences. Moreover, mentors provided guidance on Islam, research methods, and case-based learning. Further, mentees said that mentors provide solutions to their problems. Useful suggestions were provided by the mentees regarding betterment in the present mentoring program such as recruitment of committed staff, the need for verbal feedback from mentees about their mentors, need for career counselling and one-to-one mentoring sessions.

Conclusions: Majority of the mentees were satisfied with the formal mentoring program. Mentoring focuses on personal and professional development of all medical students. In addition to the useful suggestions provided by the mentees, there is a need for the addition of specific strategies to deal with students struggling with personal or professional problems.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.3.7114

How to cite this: Aziz A, Shadab W, Siddique L, Mahboob U. Exploring the experiences of struggling undergraduate medical students with formal mentoring program at a private medical college in Rawalpindi. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(3):815-819.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.3.7114

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Spätmittelalterliche Getreidefunde aus einer Brandschicht des Basler Rosshof-Areales (15. Jahrhundert A.D.)
Authors: Kühn Marlu
Published: March 2023

Aus einer Brandschicht des 15. Jahrhunderts vom Basler Rosshof-Areal wurden 17 Sedimentproben auf das Vorkommen von Samen und Früchten untersucht. Daraus konnten Erkenntnisse über die Ernährung der spätmittelalterlichen Bevölkerung Basels sowie in diesem Zusammenhang Informationen über die Herkunft der Nahrungspflanzen und die Methoden, mit denen sie zur damaligen Zeit angebaut wurden, gewonnen werden.
A prospective cohort study of economic and nutritional changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in urban Callao, Lima, Peru
Authors: Datta Sumona , Montoya Rosario , Franco Jessica , Haro Maria , Tapia Pilar , Pozo Carlos , Quispe Janet , Lozano Adelina , Quevedo Cruz Luz , Evans Carlton
Published: March 2023

Background: Peru followed strict quarantine measures to control COVID-19 but reported excess mortality rates during the pandemic that were the highest globally. High obesity prevalence in Peru may have contributed to COVID-19 mortality, although economic hardship during the pandemic could have reduced obesity. To investigate these potential associations, we updated surveys of economic status, nutritional status, and risk factors for severe COVID-19 in residents of Callao, in the Lima metropolitan area of Peru.

Methods: We attempted in December 2021 to invite members of households selected randomly from a map that had provided data in previous surveys 2016-2018 and 2019-2020 to participate in another survey. Households were contacted by telephone and, if uncontactable, were visited. Demographic, economic, and health-related data were collected using the Kobo toolbox platform.

Results. We interviewed 83% (305/369) of censused household members for 65% (90/138) of previously participating households. Dissaving activities were reported by all households during the pandemic, more than 2016-2018 (51%, 95% confidence interval, CI=41-62%) and 2019-2020 (44%, 95%CI=33-53%, both p<0.0001). Moreover, 90% (81/90, 95%CI=82-95%) of households reported inability to afford sufficient food and hunger rates increased 1.4 times compared with 2016-2018 (95%CI=1.02, 2.0, p=0.04). Despite financial and food insecurity during the pandemic, the mean adult body mass index was maintained unchanged from the 2019-2020 survey at 27 kg/m2 (standard deviation, SD=4.5 kg/m2), having increased (p=0.0001) from 26 kg/m2 (SD=4.1 kg/m2) in 2016-2018. Overweight/obesity was the most common risk factor for severe COVID-19, and adults were 3.1 times (95%CI=2.3-4.2, p<0.0001) more likely to be overweight/obese than they were to have a co-morbid illness. There was considerable dietary diversity and only 23% of participants had taken micronutrient supplements and 11% probiotics in the past year.

Conclusion: Obesity was the most prevalent risk factor for severe COVID-19 despite economic pressure, food insecurity, and hunger during the pandemic.
Mandatory Audit, Initiative Audit, Other Forms of Reporting Confirmation: Situation and Prospects
Authors: Guttsayt E.
Published: March 2023

The article builds time series of the main indicators of mandatory and initiative audit in recent years; at the same time, cost indicators are given both in current and constant prices. Based on the results of the analysis of the volume of revenues and average fees for mandatory and initiative audits, it is shown that the first one has been declining significantly in recent years, while the second one is growing slightly; the predominance of the first in the market of audit services leads to the fact that the market as a whole falls. Th e proposal to expand and improve the mandatory audit as a necessary condition for increasing demand for initiative audit and other audit services is argued. Other forms of mandatory confirmation of reporting (information) are considered as a special case of work requiring subsequent external verification, as well as part of a future system of socio-economic information for the population of the country.
Decomposition Strategies for Vehicle Routing Heuristics
Authors: Santini Alberto , Schneider Michael , Vidal Thibaut , Vigo Daniele
Published: March 2023

Decomposition techniques are an important component of modern heuristics for large instances of vehicle routing problems. The current literature lacks a characterization of decomposition strategies and a systematic investigation of their impact when integrated into state-of-the-art heuristics. This paper fills this gap: We discuss the main characteristics of decomposition techniques in vehicle routing heuristics, highlight their strengths and weaknesses, and derive a set of desirable properties. Through an extensive numerical campaign, we investigate the impact of decompositions within two algorithms for the capacitated vehicle routing problem: the Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search of Pisinger and Ropke (2007 ) and the Hybrid Genetic Search of Vidal et al. (2012 ). We evaluate the quality of popular decomposition techniques from the literature and propose new strategies. We find that route-based decomposition methods, which define subproblems by means of the customers contained in selected subsets of the routes of a given solution, generally appear superior to path-based methods, which merge groups of customers to obtain smaller subproblems. The newly proposed decomposition barycenter clustering achieves the overall best performance and leads to significant gains compared with using the algorithms without decomposition.

History: Erwin Pesch, Area Editor for Heuristic Search and Approximation Algorithms.

Funding: This work was supported by the U.S. Air Force [Grant FA9550-17-1-0234], the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Juan de la Cierva Formación), H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions [Grant 945380], the Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca [Grant 2015JJLC3E_002], the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [Grant 308528/2018-2], and the Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro [Grant E-26/202.790/2019].

Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2023.1288 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2022.0048 ) at ( http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7613129 ).