bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous development of an autoimmune hepatitis – primary biliary cholangitis overlap syndrome in dnTGFβRII Aire−/− mice
Authors: Long Jie , Yang Si‐Yu , Huang Meng‐Xing , Luo Pan‐Yue , Li Liang , Tsuneyama Koichi , Ansari Aftab A , Lu Ling , Gershwin M Eric , Lian Zhe‐Xiong , Zhao Zhi‐Bin
Published: February 2023

Autoimmune regulator (Aire) and TGF‐β signaling play important roles in central tolerance and peripheral tolerance, respectively, by eliminating or suppressing the activity of autoreactive T cells. We previously demonstrated that dnTGFβRII mice develop a defect in peripheral tolerance and a primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)‐like disease. We hypothesized that by introducing the Aire gene to this model, we would observe a more severe PBC phenotype. Interestingly, however, we demonstrated that, while dnTGFβRII Aire−/− mice do manifest key histological and serological features of autoimmune cholangitis, they also develop mild to moderate interface hepatitis and show high levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and antinuclear antibodies (ANA), characteristics of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). To further understand this unique phenotype, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) and flow cytometry to explore the functional pathways and immune cell pathways in the liver of dnTGFβRII Aire−/− mice. Our data revealed enrichments of programmed cell death pathways and predominant CD8+ T cell infiltrates. Depleting CD8+ T cells using an anti‐CD8α antibody significantly alleviated hepatic inflammation and prolonged the life span of these mice. Finally, RNA‐seq data indicated the clonal expansion of hepatic CD8+ T cells. In conclusion, these mice developed an autoreactive CD8+ T‐cell‐mediated autoimmune cholangitis with concurrent hepatitis that exhibited key histological and serological features of the AIH‐PBC overlap syndrome, representing a novel model for the study of tolerance and autoimmune liver disease. © 2023 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
The crosstalking of lactate‐Histone lactylation and tumor
Authors: Rong Yao , Dong Fengyuan , Zhang Guiqian , Tang Mingzheng , Zhao Xiashuang , Zhang Yan , Tao Pengxian , Cai Hui
Published: February 2023

Lactate was once considered to be a by‐product of energy metabolism, but its unique biological value was only gradually explored with the advent of the Warburg effect. As an end product of glycolysis, lactate can act as a substrate for energy metabolism, a signal transduction molecule, a regulator of the tumor microenvironment and immune cells, and a regulator of the deubiquitination of specific enzymes, and is involved in various biological aspects of tumor regulation, including energy shuttling, growth and invasion, angiogenesis and immune escape. Furthermore, we describe a novel lactate‐dependent epigenetic modification, namely histone lactylation modification, and review the progress of its study in tumors, mainly involving the reprogramming of tumor phenotypes, regulation of related gene expression, mediation of the glycolytic process in tumor stem cells (CSCs) and influence on the tumor immune microenvironment. The study of epigenetic regulation of tumor genes by histone modification is still in its infancy, and we expect that by summarizing the effects of lactate and histone modification on tumor and related gene regulation, we will clarify the scientific significance of future histone modification studies and the problems to be solved, and open up new fields for targeted tumor therapy.
How does agricultural global value chain affect ecological footprint? The moderating role of environmental regulation
Authors: Xu Yubing , Li Cuixia , Wang Jing
Published: February 2023

With the deepening of the global division of labor, it is of great practical significance to study the impact of agricultural global value chain (GVC) on the ecological footprint. Based on the data of trade in value added provided by the OECD, this study adopts the dynamic panel model and moderating effect model to systematically examine the impact of agricultural GVC on ecological footprint and the moderating effect of environmental regulation. Empirical results show that upgrading the position of agricultural GVC significantly reduces the ecological footprint. Further, the effect of agricultural GVC on ecological footprint is more pronounced in middle‐ and low‐income countries than in high‐income countries. The mechanism test using the moderating effect model proves that there is a positive moderating effect of environmental regulation on the relationship between agricultural GVC and ecological footprint. The findings disclose the environmental effect behind upgrading the position of agricultural GVC and offer certain enlightenment from the perspective of environmental regulation for a country to participate in the agricultural GVC, alleviate the pressure on the ecological footprint and ultimately achieve sustainable development.
Transition Metal‐Free Aromatic C−H, C−N, C−S and C−O Borylation
Authors: Luo Lu , Tang Shuai , Wu Jiangyue , Jin Shiwei , Zhang Hua
Published: February 2023

Aromatic organoboron compounds are highly valuable building blocks in organic chemistry. They were mainly synthesized through aromatic C−H and C−Het borylation, in which transition metal‐catalysis dominate. In the past decade, with increasing attention to sustainable chemistry, numerous transition metal‐free C−H and C−Het borylation transformations have been developed and emerged as efficient methods towards the synthesis of aromatic organoboron compounds. This account mainly focuses on recent advances in transition metal‐free aromatic C−H, C−N, C−S, and C−O borylation transformations and provides insights to where further developments are required.
Genome‐wide association mapping for pre‐harvest sprouting in European winter wheat detects novel resistance QTL, pleiotropic effects, and structural variation in multiple genomes
Authors: Dallinger Hermann G. , Löschenberger Franziska , Azrak Naim , Ametz Christian , Michel Sebastian , Bürstmayr Hermann
Published: February 2023

Pre‐harvest sprouting (PHS), germination of seeds before harvest, is a major problem in global wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production, and leads to reduced bread‐making quality in affected grain. Breeding for PHS resistance can prevent losses under adverse conditions. Selecting resistant lines in years lacking pre‐harvest rain, requires challenging of plants in the field or in the laboratory or using genetic markers. Despite the availability of a wheat reference and pan‐genome, linking markers, genes, allelic, and structural variation, a complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying various sources of PHS resistance is still lacking. Therefore, we challenged a population of European wheat varieties and breeding lines with PHS conditions and phenotyped them for PHS traits, grain quality, phenological and agronomic traits to conduct genome‐wide association mapping. Furthermore, we compared these marker‐trait associations to previously reported PHS loci and evaluated their usefulness for breeding. We found markers associated with PHS on all chromosomes, with strong evidence for novel quantitative trait locus/loci (QTL) on chromosome 1A and 5B. The QTL on chromosome 1A lacks pleiotropic effect, for the QTL on 5B we detected pleiotropic effects on phenology and grain quality. Multiple peaks on chromosome 4A co‐located with the major resistance locus Phs‐A1, for which two causal genes, TaPM19 and TaMKK3, have been proposed. Mapping markers and genes to the pan‐genome and chromosomal alignments provide evidence for structural variation around this major PHS‐resistance locus. Although PHS is controlled by many loci distributed across the wheat genome, Phs‐A1 on chromosome 4A seems to be the most effective and widely deployed source of resistance, in European wheat varieties.
Seed Processing for Quality Upgradation
Authors: Sinha J. P. , Kumar Ashwani , Weissmann Elmar
Published: February 2023

Pre-harvest and post-harvest operations are integral parts of the quality seed production system. If due attention is not paid during the first phase, probably therewill not be any means left to obtain quality seed. Similarly, good quality seed produced with utmost care may lose much of its value if proper management is not followed during the post-harvest period. The seed quality attributes are genetic purity, appearance and physical purity, germination potential, vigour and seed health. Proper attention should be given during both the phases of seed production, regarding all the attributes of seed quality. Genetic purity is primarily linked with production or pre-harvest phase. Whereas, physical purity is primarily achieved in post-harvest phase. The harvested raw seed mass consists of various materials other than seed (MOS). MOS may be trash, plant parts, inert matter, weeds, other crop seeds and non-viable seeds, e.g. cut grains, insect pest damaged, off sized or physically damaged kernels, etc. Such contaminants reduce seed quality and increase the volume of harvested seed mass that requires additional space during storage. Moreover, these contaminants often attract pest infestation, which can further cause seed loss both in terms of quality and quantity. Proper storage of processed and clean seed is also an essential component of seed programmes as the sowing season normally falls at least six to nine months after the production season.
Emerging Trends and Promising Technologies
Authors: Dadlani Malavika
Published: February 2023

The growing demands for improved seeds of food, vegetables, flowers, other horticultural species, feed, fibre, forage, and fuel crops are driving the global seed industry at a CAGR of 6.6%, which is expected to grow from a market size of USD 63 billion in 2021 to USD 86.8 billion by 2026. This will primarily depend on two key features, genetic enhancement of the crop variety and seed quality. The focus of varietal improvement will be not only on yield increase but also on tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses to meet the challenges of climate change, better input use efficiency, and improvement of the nutritional value. Advanced molecular tools and techniques including gene editing are likely to be used for precision breeding. The scope of seed quality, on the other hand, will grow beyond the basic parameters of purity, germination, and health, to the ability to perform better under adverse growing conditions, supplement the nutrient deficiency in the soil, and withstand pests during seed germination and early growth stages. Seed enhancement technologies will complement the genetic enhancement, as the advancements in seed technology will become an integral part of future crop improvement programmes. This will call for more efficient and precise technologies for determining quality parameters and predicting seed longevity, which will need to be developed using advanced marker technologies, 3D and multispectral imaging analysis, digital phenotyping, and other non-destructive methods. Novel approaches of hybrid seed production, including apomixis and doubled haploidy, will be integrated further for their commercial application. Multi-dimensional approaches need to be taken for addressing the gaps in understanding the key physiological processes underlying the regulation of dormancy (and pre-harvest sprouting), germination, recalcitrance, loss of viability, and seed priming.
Behavioural effects of APH199, a selective dopamine D4 receptor agonist, in animal models
Authors: Chestnykh Daria , Graßl Fabian , Pfeifer Canice , Dülk Jonas , Ebner Chiara , Walters Mona , von Hörsten Stephan , Kornhuber Johannes , Kalinichenko Liubov S. , Heinrich Markus , Müller Christian P.
Published: February 2023

Rationale

The dopamine D4 receptors (DRD4) play a key role in numerous brain functions and are involved in the pathogenesis of various psychiatric disorders. DRD4 ligands have been shown to moderate anxiety, reward and depression-like behaviours, and cognitive impairments. Despite a series of promising but ambiguous findings, the therapeutic advantages of DRD4 stimulation remain elusive.

Objectives

The investigation focused on the behavioural effects of the recently developed DRD4 agonist, APH199, to evaluate its impact on anxiety, anhedonia, behavioural despair, establishment and retrieval of alcohol reinforcement, and amphetamine (AMPH)-induced symptoms.

Methods

Male C57BL/6 J mice and Sprague–Dawley rats were examined in five independent experiments. We assessed APH199 (0.1–5 mg/kg, i.p.) effects on a broad range of behavioural parameters in the open field (OF) test, conditioned place preference test (CPP), elevated plus maze (EPM), light–dark box (LDB), novelty suppressed feeding (NSF), forced swim test (FST), sucrose preference test (SPT), AMPH-induced hyperlocomotion test (AIH), and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response in AMPH-sensitized rats.

Results

APH199 caused mild and sporadic anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in EPM and FST, but no remarkable impact on behaviour in other tests in mice. However, we found a significant increase in AMPH-induced hyperactivity, suggesting an exaggeration of the psychotic-like responses in the AMPH-sensitized rats.

Conclusions

Our data challenged the hypothesis of the therapeutic benefits of DRD4 agonists, pointing out a possible aggravation of psychosis. We suggest a need for further preclinical studies to ensure the safety of antipsychotics with DRD4 stimulating properties.
Determination of polyurethanes within microplastics in complex environmental samples by analytical pyrolysis
Authors: Coralli Irene , Goßmann Isabel , Fabbri Daniele , Scholz-Böttcher Barbara M.
Published: February 2023

Polyurethanes (PUR) are a group of polymers synthesized from different diisocyanate and polyol monomers resulting in a countless number of possible structures. However, the large market demand, and the variety of application fields justify the inclusion of PUR in microplastic (MP) investigation. This study aimed at providing comprehensive information on PUR within MP analysis by pyrolysis–gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to clarify whether (i) it is possible to make a reliable statement on the PUR content of environmental samples based on a few pyrolysis products and (ii) which restrictions are required in this context. PUR were managed as subclasses defined by the diisocyanates employed for polymer synthesis. Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI)- and toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-based PUR were selected as subclasses of greatest relevance. Different PUR were pyrolyzed directly and under thermochemolytic conditions with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). Distinct pyrolytic indicators were identified. The study supported that the use of TMAH greatly reduced the interactions of pyrolytic MP analytes with the remaining organic matrix of environmental samples and the associated negative effects on analytical results. Improvements of chromatographic behavior of PUR was evidenced. Regressions (1–20 µg) showed good correlations and parallelism tests underlined that quantitation behavior of different MDI-PUR could be represented by the calibration of just one representative with sufficient accuracy, entailing a good estimation of the entire subclass if thermochemolysis were used. The method was exemplary applied to road dusts and spider webs sampled around a plastic processing plant to evaluate the environmental spread of PUR in an urban context. The environmental occurrence of MDI-PUR as MP was highly influenced by the proximity to a potential source, while TDI markers were not observed.

Graphical Abstract
Analysis of local head losses in microirrigation lateral connectors based on machine learning approaches
Authors: Martí Pau , Shiri Jalal , Román Armand , Turégano José Vicente , Royuela Álvaro
Published: February 2023

The presence of emitters along the lateral, as well as of connectors along the manifold, causes additional local head losses other than friction losses. An accurate estimation of local losses is of crucial importance for a correct design of microirrigation systems. This paper presents a procedure to assess local head losses caused by 6 lateral start connectors of 32- and 40-mm nominal diameter each under actual hydraulic working conditions based on artificial neural networks (ANN) and gene expression programming (GEP) modelling approaches. Different input–output combinations and data partitions were assessed to analyse the hydraulic performance of the system and the optimum training strategy of the models, respectively. The range of the head losses in the manifold (hsM) is considerable lower than in the lateral (hsL). hsMincreases with the protrusion ratio (s/S). hsLdoes not decrease for a decreasing s/S. There is a correlation between hsLand the Reynolds number in the lateral (ReL). However, this correlation might also be dependent on the flow conditions in the manifold before the derivation. The value of the head loss component due to the protrusion might be influenced by the flow derivation. DN32 connectors and hsMpresent more accurate estimates. Crucial input parameters are flow velocity and protrusion ratio. The inclusion of friction head loss as input also improves the estimating accuracy of the models. The range of the indicators is considerably worse for DN40 than for DN32. The models trained with all patterns lead to more accurate estimations in connectors 7 to 12 than the models trained exclusively with DN40 patterns. On the other hand, including DN40 patterns in the training process did not involve any improvement for estimating the head losses of DN32 connectors. ANN were more accurate than GEP in DN32. In DN40 ANN were less accurate than GEP for hsM, but they were more accurate than GEP for hsL, while both presented a similar performance for hscombined. Different equations were obtained using GEP to easily estimate the two components of the local loss. The equation that should be used in practice depends on the availability of inputs.
Labile carbon inputs support the recovery of bacterial communities, but not fungal communities, from a simulated bovine urine event
Authors: Dopheide Andrew , Davis Carina , Wakelin Steve A. , Whitehead David , Grelet Gwen-Aëlle
Published: February 2023

Inputs of carbon to soil may be used to stimulate microbial growth and immobilize excess nitrogen from sources such as livestock urine. However, the growth responses of microbial taxa to carbon inputs under conditions of excess soil nitrogen remain poorly understood. Using DNA metabarcoding and a field-based soil lysimeter experiment, we characterised the temporal responses (up to 112 days) of bacterial and fungal communities to a simulated bovine urine event plus inputs of labile carbon (sucrose) at two concentrations. Fungal communities were impacted more strongly than bacterial communities by carbon inputs following the simulated urine event, with more variable responses among taxa. Chytridiomycota and Glomeromycota richness were most negatively affected, and Tremellomycetes richness most positively affected, by carbon inputs. A minority of fungal ASVs had greatly increased proportional abundances in response to carbon, while fungal trophic composition became highly dominated by saprotrophs by the experiment end. Bacterial taxa showed consistent trends of declining (to about 14 days) and recovering (to 112 days) richness in response to urine and carbon inputs, but carbon-related evenness and proportional abundance trends varied between taxa. Proportional abundances of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria increased in response to carbon, whereas proportional abundances of Acidobacteria, candidate division WPS-1, Planctomycetes, Deltaproteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia decreased. These results show that labile carbon inputs to limit nitrate leaching support the recovery of bacterial communities to bovine urine events but may have long-term impacts on fungal community composition and function, with potential consequences for soil food webs, carbon sequestration, and agricultural productivity.
Masculine depression and its problem behaviors: use alcohol and drugs, work hard, and avoid psychiatry!
Authors: von Zimmermann Claudia , Hübner Magdalena , Mühle Christiane , Müller Christian P. , Weinland Christian , Kornhuber Johannes , Lenz Bernd
Published: February 2023

The gender role influences vulnerability to mental illness. Substance use, even critical in scale, is perceived as masculine, just like hard (over-)work, while not seeking help. With the ongoing separation between gender and sex, masculine norms become more relevant also to females’ mental health. The male depression concept highlights the role of male symptoms in affective disorders. However, the empirical evidence is still limited. Here, we use the denomination ‘masculine depression’ to open the category for female patients and tested substance use patterns, health services’ utilization, and working hours as predictors in a case–control study of 163 depressed in-patients (44% women; masculine vs. non-masculine depression according to a median split of the Male Depression Rating Scale-22) and 176 controls (51% women). We assessed higher depression severity in patients with masculine (vs. non-masculine) depression. Masculine depression (vs. non-masculine depression and vs. no depression) was predicted by more frequent and critical use of alcohol (including binge drinking), tobacco, and illicit drugs, and by longer working times. Moreover, fewer health services contacts due to mental complaints during the previous year were associated with masculine (vs. non-masculine) depression. Alarmingly, even critical substance misuse was not significantly associated with more frequent health services contacts; however, the higher the depression severity, the more contacts the patients reported. Here, we provide evidence that patients with masculine depression are highly burdened and undertreated, which applies equally to female and male patients. This study identified promising targets to establish specialized care offers.
Risk of new onset and persistent psychopathology in children with long-term physical health conditions: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Panagi Laura , White Simon R. , Dai Xiaolu , Bennett Sophie , Shafran Roz , Ford Tamsin
Published: February 2023

Children and young people (CYP) with long-term physical health conditions (pLTCs) have increased risk of psychopathology compared to physically healthier peers. We explored risk factors for new onset and persistent psychiatric disorders in CYP with pLTCs compared to CYP without pLTCs. This 3-year follow-up study involved a UK representative sample of CYP from the British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Surveys (N = 7804). We examined potential baseline predictors of new onset and persistent psychiatric disorders at follow-up in four groups of children based on the presence of any physical and/or any psychiatric conditions at baseline. Psychiatric disorders were assessed using standardised multi-informant diagnostic assessment. Separate multivariable binary logistic regressions were conducted for each group. In CYP with pLTCs, rented housing (aOR = 1.42, 95% CI  1.01 to 1.99), non-traditional family structure (aOR = 2.08, 95% CI  1.42 to 3.05), increased parental distress (aOR = 1.09, 95% CI  1.04 to 1.14), and greater peer relationship difficulties (aOR = 1.29, 95% CI  1.19 to 1.39) predicted future psychiatric disorder. Only peer relationship difficulties predicted persistent disorder (aOR = 1.27, 95% CI  1.17 to 1.38) in this group. A greater number of factors predicted the onset of psychiatric disorder in CYP with pLTCs compared to physically healthier peers and similarly, a higher number of factors predicted persistent disorder in CYP without pLTCs. CYP with pLTCs might comprise a group with different vulnerabilities, some of which are potentially tractable and may be useful indicators of patients who require preventable or management interventions.
Confronting climate change and livelihood: smallholder farmers’ perceptions and adaptation strategies in northeastern Burundi
Authors: Batungwanayo Pacifique , Habarugira Viateur , Vanclooster Marnik , Ndimubandi Jean , F. Koropitan Alan , Nkurunziza Jean de Dieu
Published: February 2023

Rain-fed
agriculture is the main source of livelihood for most of Burundi’s population, especially in the northeastern part of the country. This research is aimed at examining how smallholder farmers in the Northeastern region of Burundi perceive climate change and variability and at identifying the methods that are used to adapt, based on data from 200 small farmers and on actual weather data recorded between 1986 and 2017. We find that the majority of farmers (54%) perceive significant increases in temperature and unpredictability of rainfall duration and intensity and are making adjustments to adapt their agriculture in response to changes in climate. Over 80% of farmers have implemented at least one adaptation strategy among the nine evaluated. Changing crop varieties, changing fertilizers, and planting shade trees are the main adaptation strategies that were being implemented by farmers across the study area. The results of a binary regression model showed that the agricultural education and experience of farmers, as well as farm and family size, livestock ownership, climate information access, credit access, and farm income, strongly influence smallholder farmers’ decisions to adapt to climate change. The main obstacles are the lack of information on climate and adaptation strategies, and poverty, which makes it difficult to cope with the increased costs of farming. Understanding farmers’ perceptions of climate change and variability on a local level would provide information on how to develop adaptation strategies. The present study suggests the need for strengthening farmers’ capacities and improving the policy framework for adaptation to climate change in order to improve farmers’ livelihoods. Implications for policymakers will, therefore, include making flexible credit facilities, and investing in training extension agents on both climate change outreach and coping strategies.
Determinants of churn in telecommunication services: a systematic literature review
Authors: Ribeiro Hugo , Barbosa Belém , Moreira António Carrizo , Rodrigues Ricardo Gouveia
Published: February 2023

The telecommunications industry is particularly competitive and characterized by very high churn rates. The literature on the topic is vast, but studies on the determinants of churn behavior are dispersed, failing to provide a comprehensive view of the state of the art. Based on this research gap, this article aims to contribute to developing the literature on customer churn in the telecommunications sector by summarizing the current state of research, and identifying the main determinants of churn and switching intentions. It provides a systematic literature review (SLR) of 37 articles on the topic published between 1999 and 2022. The results reveal the existence of two research streams. The first, in which the studies are based on surveys examining the alleged intentions of subscribers to change operators, with criteria such as satisfaction and attitudes as predictors, and the second, dealing with subscribers’ actual switching behavior and relating this to behaviors and characteristics extracted from internal customer management systems. All independent variables used to explain switching intention or real churn were mapped. It was found that age, gender, satisfaction, switching costs and barriers, and service quality are the most important determinants highlighted by the literature. Our study also outlines some insightful practical implications, which could be extended to other service sectors. The paper ends with a research agenda for future studies according to the gaps detected by the study’s results. Among its limitations, this research excludes papers related to predictive models and studies not in English.
The Numerical Analysis of the Trajectory and Landing Location of YSZ Droplets Impinging the Microtextured Substrate
Authors: Kiełczawa Tomasz , Sokołowski Paweł
Published: February 2023

This work considers the possibility of controlling the thermally sprayed TBC columnar microstructure using metallic bond coat microtexturization prior to ceramic top coat spraying. Such pretreated bond coat has been modeled to investigate the influence of the substrate topography on the behavior of the plasma stream and the resulting movement of the feedstock particles in the closest proximity of the substrate. The analysis considered the microscale computational domain. It was extracted from the entire spraying domain and located in the microtextured substrate boundary layer at three different distances from the plasma jet centerline. Advanced flow models were used here to define the plasma jet/feedstock droplet interaction and the heat flux to the substrate. YSZ feedstock was modeled using the discrete phase model with a DPM source and particle drag law introduced to the governing equations. Then, the TBC deposition conditions were investigated considering the effect of the distance from the plasma jet centerline. It was concluded that the intensity of the shadowing effect determines the columnar TBC build-up mechanism depending on the droplet landing location on the microtextured substrate. The motivation behind this study was to model and investigate the influence of the bond coat microtexturing on the behavior of the feedstock particles in the substrate boundary layer. This opens the possibility of better understanding the mechanism of the coating build-up, strictly controlling the microstructure of such TBCs, and improving their overall performance.
Intensive care drug therapy and its potential adverse effects on blood pressure and heart rate in critically ill children
Authors: Kiesel Lisa Marie , Bertsche Astrid , Kiess Wieland , Siekmeyer Manuela , Bertsche Thilo , Neininger Martina Patrizia
Published: February 2023

Background

Owing to complex treatment, critically ill children may experience alterations in their vital parameters. We investigated whether such hemodynamic alterations were temporally and causally related to drug therapy.

Methods

In a university pediatric intensive care unit, we retrospectively analyzed hemodynamic alterations defined as values exceeding the limits set for heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP). For causality assessment, we used the World Health Organization–Uppsala Monitoring Center (WHO–UMC) system, which categorizes the probability of causality as “certain,” “probable,” “possible,” and “unlikely.”

Results

Of 315 analyzed patients with 43,200 drug prescriptions, 59.7% experienced at least one hemodynamic alteration; 39.0% were affected by increased HR, 19.0% by decreased HR, 18.1% by increased BP, and 16.2% by decreased BP. According to drug information databases, 83.9% of administered drugs potentially lead to hemodynamic alterations. Overall, 88.3% of the observed hemodynamic alterations had a temporal relation to the administration of drugs; in 80.2%, more than one drug was involved. Based on the WHO–UMC system, a drug was rated as a “probable” causing factor for only 1.4% of hemodynamic alterations. For the remaining alterations, the probability ratings were lower because of multiple potential causes, e.g., several drugs.

Conclusions

Critically ill children were frequently affected by hemodynamic alterations. The administration of drugs with potentially adverse effects on hemodynamic parameters is often temporally related to hemodynamic alterations. Hemodynamic alterations are often multifactorial, e.g., due to administering multiple drugs in rapid succession; thus, the influence of individual drugs cannot easily be captured with the WHO–UMC system.
Barriers, Facilitators, and Strategies to Improve Participation of a Couple-Based Intervention to Address Women’s Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Authors: Belus Jennifer M. , Msimango Lindani I. , van Heerden Alastair , Magidson Jessica F. , Bradley Valerie D. , Mdakane Yvonne , van Rooyen Heidi , Barnabas Ruanne V.
Published: February 2023

Background

Couple-based interventions (CBIs), despite strong efficacy in improving numerous HIV risk behaviors, are not widely available and have not been tested to improve women’s antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. We examined barriers and facilitators to participation in a CBI based on cognitive behavioral couple therapy for women’s ART adherence in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women with HIV (n = 15) and men of mixed HIV status (n = 15). Thematic analyses were guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

Results

Facilitators mostly related to the couple’s relationship, including having an existing healthy relationship, men’s desire to support their partners, and a potential opportunity for men’s HIV disclosure. Barriers included a lack of understanding of how a CBI approach would be useful for women’s ART adherence, sole focus on women if male partners were also living with HIV, and men’s lack of prior HIV status disclosure to female partners.

Conclusion

Findings indicate that relationship context and the male partner’s HIV status need to be addressed during recruitment, enrolment, and during the intervention to promote uptake.
Prime numbers in typical continued fraction expansions
Authors: Schindler Tanja I. , Zweimüller Roland
Published: February 2023

We study, from the viewpoint of metrical number theory and (infinite) ergodic theory, the probabilistic laws governing the occurrence of prime numbers as digits in continued fraction expansions of real numbers.
Reducing Workload in Short Answer Grading Using Machine Learning
Authors: Weegar Rebecka , Idestam-Almquist Peter
Published: February 2023

Machine learning methods can be used to reduce the manual workload in exam grading, making it possible for teachers to spend more time on other tasks. However, when it comes to grading exams, fully eliminating manual work is not yet possible even with very accurate automated grading, as any grading mistakes could have significant consequences for the students. Here, the evaluation of an automated grading approach is therefore extended from measuring workload in relation to the accuracy of automated grading, to also measuring the overall workload required to correctly grade a full exam, with and without the support of machine learning. The evaluation was performed during an introductory computer science course with over 400 students. The exam consisted of 64 questions with relatively short answers and a two-step approach for automated grading was applied. First, a subset of answers to the exam questions was manually graded and next used as training data for machine learning models classifying the remaining answers. A number of different strategies for how to select which answers to include in the training data were evaluated. The time spent on different grading actions was measured along with the reduction of effort using clustering of answers and automated scoring. Compared to fully manual grading, the overall reduction of workload was substantial—between 64% and 74%—even with a complete manual review of all classifier output to ensure a fair grading.
Quasi-Solid Electrolyte Interphase Boosting Charge and Mass Transfer for Dendrite-Free Zinc Battery
Authors: Xu Xueer , Xu Yifei , Zhang Jingtong , Zhong Yu , Li Zhongxu , Qiu Huayu , Wu Hao Bin , Wang Jie , Wang Xiuli , Gu Changdong , Tu Jiangping
Published: February 2023

The practical applications of zinc metal batteries are plagued by the dendritic propagation of its metal anodes due to the limited transfer rate of charge and mass at the electrode/electrolyte interphase. To enhance the reversibility of Zn metal, a quasi-solid interphase composed by defective metal–organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles (D-UiO-66) and two kinds of zinc salts electrolytes is fabricated on the Zn surface served as a zinc ions reservoir. Particularly, anions in the aqueous electrolytes could be spontaneously anchored onto the Lewis acidic sites in defective MOF channels. With the synergistic effect between the MOF channels and the anchored anions, Zn2+ transport is prompted significantly. Simultaneously, such quasi-solid interphase boost charge and mass transfer of Zn2+, leading to a high zinc transference number, good ionic conductivity, and high Zn2+ concentration near the anode, which mitigates Zn dendrite growth obviously. Encouragingly, unprecedented average coulombic efficiency of 99.8% is achieved in the Zn||Cu cell with the proposed quasi-solid interphase. The cycling performance of D-UiO-66@Zn||MnO2 (~ 92.9% capacity retention after 2000 cycles) and D-UiO-66@Zn||NH4V4O10 (~ 84.0% capacity retention after 800 cycles) prove the feasibility of the quasi-solid interphase.
A review on solar photovoltaic-powered thermoelectric coolers, performance enhancements, and recent advances
Authors: Kaiprath Jayadeep , V. V. Kishor Kumar
Published: February 2023

The average global temperature has increased by approximately 0.7 °C since the last century. If the current trend continues, the temperature may further increase by 1.4 – 4.5 °C until 2100. It is estimated that air-conditioning and refrigeration systems contribute about 15% of world electrical energy demand. The rapid depletion of non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels and the associated emissions lead to the development of alternative solutions which employ renewable energy resources for refrigeration. The conventional vapour compression (VC) and vapour absorption (or adsorption) (VA) refrigeration systems usually rely on fossil fuels for their operation which ultimately leads to large amount of CO2 emissions. Thermoelectric (TE) refrigeration systems working on the principle of Peltier effect are an alternative for the conventional systems. The thermoelectric refrigerators will not produce any noise and vibration due to the absence of any moving parts. They are refrigerant-free as electrons act as heat carriers. The greatest advantage of a TE system is that it can directly be powered by solar photovoltaic (PVs) since they give a DC output. The main drawback of thermoelectric refrigeration system is their low coefficient of performance (COP). The COP of a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) operating with a temperature difference of 20 °C is about 0.5. The improvement of heat transfer at the hot side of the cooler is a key aspect for a better COP. A good thermoelectric material should possess high Seebeck coefficient, low-thermal conductivity, and high electrical conductivity. Since these three are interrelated, these parameters must be optimized. It is important to reduce the electric contact and thermal resistances and get an optimized configuration of thermoelectric cooler. The recent developments in material science has enabled the usage of better thermoelectric materials with a positive Thomson coefficient to produce a better cooling performance. The total efficiency of a TEC powered by solar cell is the product of PV system efficiency and the COP of the cooler. Therefore, the enhancement of PV system efficiency and the selection of materials with better thermoelectric performance are important in the design of solar-powered thermoelectric cooler. The performance of solar cell-powered TEC depends on solar insolation which varies with weather, climate, and geographic location. Due to the variation in insolation and unavailability of solar power in the night, a battery must be used to store the energy. This paper presents a comprehensive review about the thermoelectric coolers and the dependance of performance of TECs on various operating and design parameters. The results reported for the performance improvement of solar PV-powered thermoelectric coolers were critically analysed.
The World in Words
Authors: Majchrowicz Daniel Joseph
Published: February 2023

Based on over a decade of original archival research, this book shows how Urdu travel writing gave voice to a global imagination that reflected the ambition and aspiration of Indians and Pakistanis as they negotiated their place in the changing world of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In this interdisciplinary study, author Daniel Majchrowicz traces the social and literary history of the Urdu travelogue from 1840 to 1990 in six chronological chapters. Each chapter asks how travel writers used the genre to give meaning to the shifting social and political realities of their colonial and postcolonial worlds. The book particularly highlights the role of women writers in the production of a global imagination in Urdu with an emphasis on travel writing on Asia and Africa.
Orienting the Self
Authors: Prager Debra N.
Published: February 2023

Follows the evolution of the Orient as a positive literary device in German literature and demonstrates how it was used to explore subjectivity and the possibility of wholeness.
Conducting for a New Era
Authors: Roxburgh Edwin
Published: February 2023

A guide to the art of conducting in the twenty-first century, by the founder of the RCM's Twentieth Century Ensemble.
Romance and Exemplarity in Post-War Spanish Women's Narratives
Authors: Kebadze Nino
Published: February 2023

A reading of women's post-war literary representations in terms of exemplarity.
Mourning the demise of the Italian Communist Party: Turinese memories of the PCI
Authors: Chabert Alexandre
Published: February 2023

On 12 November 1989, three days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Achille Occhetto, the Secretary of the Italian Communist Party (PCI), announced that the Party needed to transform itself, implicitly including changing its name. His announcement launched a 15-month-long process that culminated in the dissolution of the PCI and the rise of a new political organisation, which became a member of the Socialist International. Drawing on the individual and collective memories of former Turinese PCI officials, this essay examines the complex, tortuous abandonment of the communist reference and the disintegration of the political community surrounding the Party. Because of their highly varied reactions, the dissolution of the PCI caused fragmentation of the subsequent careers and paths of former Party ‘comrades’. To this day, the 1989 turning point continues to inspire highly diverse memories among former Italian communists.
Relationship between health insurance enrolment and unintended pregnancy in Ghana
Authors: Oyediran Kola’ , Davis Nikki
Published: February 2023

Context:

The effect of health insurance coverage on sexual and reproductive health, especially unintended pregnancy, has scantly been researched. Using the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, the study examined the links between women’s health insurance enrolment on unintended pregnancy in Ghana.

Method:

The sample consisted of 9,396 women aged 15-49 years, but the analysis was limited to the 4,544 women who were pregnant in the two years preceding the survey. The effects of health insurance enrolment on unintended pregnancy was examined with the propensity score matching. The health insurance enrolment was the treatment variable and unintended pregnancy as the outcome variable.

Results:

This study showed that 66.0% of all women surveyed had health insurance coverage and 31.8% of all women of childbearing age who were currently or had previously been pregnant reported having at least one unintended pregnancy. Thirty percent of insured women had an unintended pregnancy, compared to 37% of uninsured women. The results showed that education, household wealth index, religion, and type of marital union were significant predictor of health insurance coverage among Ghanaian women. The PSM split the women based on their health insurance status. After matching, the difference between the insured and uninsured women reduces significantly. Results demonstrated that, the probability of unintended pregnancy was 0.312 among insured women and 0.351 among those not insured in Ghana. This implies that having health insurance coverage will help in reducing the likelihood of women experiencing unintended pregnancy.

Conclusions:

Results highlight the importance of the target of universal health coverage under the sustainable development goal 3 and demonstrate that expanding existing health insurance schemes within Ghana could contribute to reducing the number unintended pregnancies experienced each year.
Against Intelligence: Rethinking Criteria for Medical School Admissions
Authors: Appel Jacob M.
Published: February 2023

Intelligence, as measured by grades and/or standardized test scores, plays a principal role in the medical school admissions process in most nations. Yet while sufficient intelligence is necessary to practice medicine effectively, no evidence suggests that surplus intelligence beyond that threshold is correlated with providing higher quality medical care. This paper argues that using perceived measures of intelligence to distinguish between applicants, at levels that exceed the level of intelligence required to practice medicine, is both unfair to applicants and fails to serve the interests of patients.
SMITH AT 300: USELESS COMPANIES
Authors: Rothschild Emma
Published: February 2023

This observation is from an obscure backwater of the Wealth of Nations. It is about companies that were archaic even in 1776: the Russian Company, the Eastland Company, the Hamburgh Company, chartered in Britain in the sixteenth century, and trading mainly in the Baltic. But the comments on regulated companies are a revealing epitome of Adam Smith’s thought. There is the artful language, and one can almost hear Smith’s ironic tone as he dictated these sentences. There is the analytic idiom, so characteristic of the Wealth of Nations, in the juxtaposition of large theories with the details of legal and economic history. There is, above all, the subject, which is also the largest object of inquiry in the Wealth of Nations, or the changing relationship between states and markets.
SMITH AT 300: NEGATIVE JUSTICE AND POLITICAL WISDOM
Authors: Carrasco Maria
Published: February 2023

Adam Smith is known as a liberal thinker. The political system that he promotes and describes as one of “perfect justice, perfect liberty, and perfect equality” (Wealth of Nations [1776] 1981; WN IV.ix.17:669) is characterized by the primacy of the rights of non-interference and the protection of a private sphere where every individual directs her life according to her own decisions. The moral justification for the primacy of negative justice is in the second book of The Theory of Moral Sentiments, where he unambiguously states: “Mere justice is, upon most occasions, but a negative virtue, and only hinders us from hurting our neighbor” ([1759] 1982; TMS II.i.1.9:82). For the same reason, the first time I read that book, the following paragraph struck me as an inexplicable contradiction, an incomprehensible lapse in Adam Smith’s thoroughly revised text: A superior may, indeed, sometimes, with universal approbation, oblige those under his jurisdiction to behave, in this respect, with a certain degree of propriety to one another. … The civil magistrate is entrusted with the power not only of preserving the public peace by restraining injustice, but of promoting the prosperity of the commonwealth, by establishing good discipline, and by discouraging every sort of vice and impropriety; he may prescribe rules, therefore, which not only prohibit mutual injuries among fellow-citizens, but command mutual good offices to a certain degree. … Of all the duties of a law-giver, however, this, perhaps, is that which it requires the greatest delicacy and reserve to execute with propriety and judgment. To neglect it altogether exposes the commonwealth to many gross disorders and shocking enormities, and to push it too far is destructive of all liberty, security, and justice. (TMS II.ii.1.8)