bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Response of Iron and Cadmium on Yield and Yield Components of Rice and Translocation in Grain: Health Risk Estimation
Authors: Siddique Abu Bakkar , Rahman Mohammad Mahmudur , Islam Md. Rafiqul , Mondal Debapriya , Naidu Ravi 
Published: August 2021

Rice consumption is a major dietary source of Cd and poses a potential threat to human health. The aims of this study were to examine the influence of Fe and Cd application on yield and yield components, dynamics of Cd in pore water, translocation factors, daily dietary intake, and estimation of human health risks. A pot experiment was performed under glasshouse conditions where rice cultivars (Langi and Quest) were cultivated in two dissimilar soils under different levels of Cd (0, 1.0, and 3.0 mg kg−1) and Fe (0, 1.0, and 2.0 g kg−1). The results showed that variation in two rice cultivars in terms of yield and yield-related components was dose dependent. Cadmium concentration in soil pore water was decreased over time and increased with increasing Cd levels but decreased with Fe application. Translocation factors (TFs) from root to straw (TFroot-straw) or straw to husk (TFstraw-husk) were higher than root to grain (TFroot-grain) or straw to grain (TFstraw-grain). The Quest cultivar had 20% lower Cd than the Langi cultivar. Application of Fe at the rate of 1 and 2 g kg−1 soil reduced Cd by 23 and 46%, respectively. Average daily intake (ADI) of Cd exceeded the permissible limit (5.8 × 10−3 mg −1 kg−1 bw per week) when rice plant subjected 1 and 3 mg kg−1 Cd stress with or without Fe application. Results also indicated that ADI value was lower in the Quest cultivar as compared to the Langi cultivar. Estimation of human health risk revealed that the non-carcinogenic risks (HQ &gt; 1) and carcinogenic risks (CR &gt; 1.0 × 10−4) increased with increasing Cd levels in the soil. The application of Fe decreased the human health risks from rice consumption which is more pronounced in Fe 2.0 than in Fe1.0 treatments. The rice cultivar grown in soil-1 (pH 4.6) showed the highest health risks as compared to soil-2 (pH 6.6) and the Quest cultivar had lower health risks than the Langi cultivar.
An Evaluation of First-Come, First-Served Scheduling in a Geometrically-Constrained Wet Bulk Terminal
Authors: Eisen Heleen E. , Van der Lei Joachim E. , Zuidema Joost , Koch Thomas , Dugundji Elenna R. 
Published: August 2021

In 2022, a new sea lock at IJmuiden is expected to open, permitting an increase in marine traffic of larger ships from the sea to the port. In the interest of facilitating operations, we evaluate the impact of the current first-come, first-served (FCFS) admittance policy in the context of berth allocation for a wet bulk terminal in the port. Four model types are constructed: optimal FCFS; no FCFS with fixed arrival times; 48-h arrival time relaxation; and complete arrival time relaxation. Comparison of the model types is done by means of a rolling time window: of each day within the time frame, a schedule was created for the following 2 weeks, after which the objective value was calculated. When comparing the average of all objective values, it was found that the optimal FCFS model already shows an improvement compared to the historical situation. Between the FCFS and the no FCFS model, there are no considerable differences, because the vessels are constrained to be scheduled on/after their arrival time at the port. When relaxation is allowed, a considerable efficiency gain is possible, especially if larger ships arrive at the port.
Increased IL-23R+ Th Cells Population Exhibits Higher SLEDAI-2K Scores in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients
Authors: Izati Aziz Farah , Mohd Shukri Nur Diyana , Wan Ghazali Wan Syamimee , Che Hussin Che Maraina , Wong Kah Keng 
Published: August 2021

The IL-23/IL-17 axis plays causative roles in the development and progression of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, it remains unclear if the IL-17RA+ and IL-23R+ T helper (Th) cells populations are associated with the serum IL-17 and IL-23 levels, or with the immunological parameters and disease activities in SLE patients. Herein, we examined the proportion of IL-17RA+ and IL-23R+ Th cells and serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 in established SLE patients (n = 50) compared with healthy controls (n = 50). The associations of these interleukins and their receptors with immunological parameters [anti-nuclear antibody (ANA), anti-dsDNA antibody, and C-reactive protein (CRP)] and SLE disease activity (SLEDAI-2K scores) in SLE patients were assessed. CD3+CD4+ Th cells of SLE patients demonstrated significantly elevated IL-17RA+ (p = 1.12 x 10-4) or IL-23R+ (p = 1.98 x 10-29) populations compared with the healthy controls. Serum IL-17 levels were significantly lower in SLE patients compared with the healthy controls (p = 8.32 x 10-5), while no significant difference was observed for the IL-23 serum levels between both groups. IL-23R+ Th cells population was significantly associated with higher SLEDAI-2K scores (p = 0.017). In multivariate analysis, the proportion of IL-23R+ Th cells remained significantly associated with higher SLEDAI-2K scores independent of prednisolone intake (p = 0.027). No associations were observed between the interleukin parameters (i.e., IL-17, IL-23, IL-17RA+ Th cells, and IL-23R+ Th cells) with ANA, anti-dsDNA, and CRP status, suggesting that the IL-17/IL-23 axis acts independently of these immunological parameters. In conclusion, our results support that therapeutic inhibition of the IL-23/IL-17 axis receptors on Th cells, particularly IL-23R, is potentially relevant in SLE patients.
Phylogenetic and Drug-Resistance Analysis of HIV-1 Sequences From an Extensive Paediatric HIV-1 Outbreak in Larkana, Pakistan
Authors: Abidi Syed Hani , Nduva George Makau , Siddiqui Dilsha , Rafaqat Wardah , Mahmood Syed Faisal , Siddiqui Amna Rehana , Nathwani Apsara Ali , Hotwani Aneeta , Shah Sharaf Ali , Memon Sikander , Sheikh Saqib Ali , Khan Palwasha , Esbjörnsson Joakim , Ferrand Rashida Abbas , Mir Fatima 
Published: August 2021

IntroductionIn April 2019, an HIV-1 outbreak among children occurred in Larkana, Pakistan, affecting more than a thousand children. It was assumed that the outbreak originated from a single source, namely a doctor at a private health facility. In this study, we performed subtype distribution, phylogenetic and drug-resistance analysis of HIV-1 sequences from 2019 outbreak in Larkana, Pakistan.MethodsA total of 401 blood samples were collected between April–June 2019, from children infected with HIV-1 aged 0–15 years recruited into a case-control study to investigate the risk factors for HIV-1 transmission. Partial HIV-1 pol sequences were generated from 344 blood plasma samples to determine HIV-1 subtype and drug resistance mutations (DRM). Maximum-likelihood phylogenetics based on outbreak and reference sequences was used to identify transmission clusters and assess the relationship between outbreak and key population sequences between and within the determined clusters. Bayesian analysis was employed to identify the time to the most recent common recent ancestor (tMRCA) of the main Pakistani clusters.ResultsThe HIV-1 circulating recombinant form (CRF) 02_AG and subtype A1 were most common among the outbreak sequences. Of the treatment-naïve participants, the two most common mutations were RT: E138A (8%) and RT: K219Q (8%). Four supported clusters within the outbreak were identified, and the median tMRCAs of the Larkana outbreak sequences were estimated to 2016 for both the CRF02_AG and the subtype A1 clusters. Furthermore, outbreak sequences exhibited no phylogenetic mixing with sequences from other high-risk groups of Pakistan.ConclusionThe presence of multiple clusters indicated a multi-source outbreak, rather than a single source outbreak from a single health practitioner as previously suggested. The multiple introductions were likely a consequence of ongoing transmission within the high-risk groups of Larkana, and it is possible that the so-called Larkana strain was introduced into the general population through poor infection prevention control practices in healthcare settings. The study highlights the need to scale up HIV-1 prevention programmes among key population groups and improving infection prevention control in Pakistan.
Severe Brain Atrophy Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome After Endovascular Treatment of Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion: An Automated Volumetric Analysis of a Nationwide Registry
Authors: Liu Chang , Liu Hansheng , Wu Deping , Zhou Zhiming , Huang WenGuo , Wu Zhilin , Zi Wenjie , Yang Qingwu 
Published: August 2021

Background:Brain atrophy globally reflects the effects of preexisting risk factors and biological aging on brain structures and normally predicts poor outcomes in anterior circulation stroke. However, comparing with these patients, acute basilar artery occlusion (ABAO) impairs infratentorial regions frequently and might benefit from brain atrophy due to the resulting residual space to reduce tissue compression and thus improve prognosis, which raises doubts that current understandings for prognostic roles of brain atrophy are also applicable for ABAO. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate brain atrophy automatically from CT images and investigates its impact on outcomes of ABAO following endovascular treatment (EVT).Methods:A total of 231 ABAO who underwent EVT from the BASILAR registry were enrolled. Brain atrophy was quantified as the ratio of brain parenchymal volume to cerebrospinal fluid volume on baseline CT. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 3 months.Results:The frequency of favorable outcomes (90-day mRS ≤ 3) was significantly lower in the severe atrophy group (P= 0.014). Adjusted logistic models revealed that severe brain atrophy was significantly negatively associated with favorable outcome incidence (P= 0.006), with no relationship with either in-hospital or 90-day overall mortality (allP&gt; 0.05). Adding a severe atrophy index into the baseline model obviously enhanced its discriminatory ability in predicting the outcome by obviously increasing areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve, net reclassification improvement algorithm, and integrated discrimination improvement algorithm values (allP&lt; 0.05).Conclusion:Severe brain atrophy did not improve in-hospital or overall mortality but impaired the long-term recovery after EVT. This objective and automated marker has the potential to be incorporated into decision-support methods for treating ABAO.
Assessment of Body Posture of Children With Chest Pain
Authors: Zmyślna Anna , Żurawski Arkadiusz Łukasz , Śliwiński Grzegorz , Śliwiński Zbigniew Włodzimierz , Kiebzak Wojciech Piotr 
Published: August 2021

Objective: An increase in the appearance of chest pain among children is observed globally. The authors present various reasons for their appearance. As can be seen from numerous observations, the majority of cases are not related to the pathology of the circulatory system. Increasingly, studies on the causes of chest pain in children show their association with musculoskeletal disorders.Aim: of the work was assessment of body posture in children with chest pain using the Diers Formetric 4D system.Methods: The study involved a group of 184 female and male children, aged 7–12 years. The study group consisted of 64 patients with chest pain. The children from this group were diagnosed with functional chest pain by a cardiologist. The control group consisted of 120 patients without chest pain. The study included the assessment of body posture using the DIERS Formetric system.Results: The analysis of the results obtained during the study showed that among the children with chest pain, there are statistically significant irregularities in the parameters determining body posture compared to the control group.Comparing the study group with the control group, there is a statistically significant difference in the lateral deviation of VPDM (rms) (mm) (p = 0.001). Both children from the test group aged 9–10 and 11–12 obtained higher results than their peers from the control group. In the group of the youngest children in terms of the lateral deviation of VPDM (rms) (mm), increasing the number of children under study would contribute to significant differences in this variable.In the study group, among children aged 9–10 years, there were also statistically significant abnormalities regarding trunk imbalance and pelvic skewness compared to the children of the same age in the control group.Conclusions: Irregularities in the parameters determining body posture may cause chest pain in children.
Midterm Outcomes of Crosslinked Acellular Bovine Jugular Vein Conduit for Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction
Authors: Qian Tao , Wu Zhong-Shi , Hu Jian-Guo , Yang Yi-Feng , Wu Qin , Lu Ting , Huang Can , Li Jia 
Published: August 2021

Objectives: Conduits for reconstructing right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) in children with congenital heart disease have evolved for better durability over the past decades, but conduits failure remains common. We designed decellularized and photooxidatively crosslinked bovine jugular vein conduit (DP-BJVC) and now aim to evaluate the midterm results of DP-BJVC for RVOT reconstruction.Methods: Ninety patients (median age: 4.2 years) undergoing RVOT reconstruction using DP-BJVC were prospectively followed for median of 4.7 years (range: 0.2–16.1 years). Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to examine the survival, freedom from conduit explantation and catheter-based reintervention. Risk factors were analyzed with Cox regression analysis.Results: Follow-up was completed in 92% of patients. There were five (5.6%) early deaths. The 10-year survival rate was 85.2%, with palliative procedure at DP-BJVC implantation as the risk factor. The 10-year freedom from conduit explantation and reintervention were 84.4 and 67.3% respectively, with previous cardiac operation as the only risk factor for explantation. Complications during the follow-up included conduit stenosis (peak gradient ≥50 mmHg) in 12 (12.9%), severe regurgitation in 2 (2.4%), and infective endocarditis in 2 (2.4%). The annual increase in gradient was highest in the first year (P = 0.003), but not appreciably afterwards. The echo-measured annulus diameter trends to increase by an average of 0.37 mm per year. Calcification appeared mild in the failed conduits.Conclusions: DP-BJVC provides satisfactory durability and functionality for RVOT reconstruction for children, with low morbidity of stenosis and endocarditis, as well as increase in diameter mildly with age in midterm follow-ups.
Biological Ingredient Analysis of Traditional Herbal Patent Medicine Fuke Desheng Wan Using the Shotgun Metabarcoding Approach
Authors: Xie Hongbo , Zhao Qing , Shi Mengmeng , Kong Weijun , Mu Weishan , Li Baoli , Zhao Jingyi , Zhao Chunying , Jia Jing , Liu Jinxin , Shi Linchun 
Published: August 2021

With the widespread use of traditional medicine around the world, the safety and efficacy of traditional herbal patent medicine have become an increasing concern to the public. However, it is difficult to supervise the authenticity of herbal materials in mixed herbal products according to the current quality standards, especially for traditional herbal patent medicine, with a distinct variance in the dosage of herbal materials. This study utilized the shotgun metabarcoding approach to analyze the biological ingredients of Fuke Desheng Wan (FKDSW), which is an effective traditional herbal product for the treatment of dysmenorrhea. Six herbal materials were collected, and a lab-made mock FKDSW sample was produced to establish a method for the authentication assessment of biological ingredients in traditional herbal patent medicine based on shotgun metabarcoding. Furthermore, four commercial FKDSW samples were collected to verify the practicality of the shotgun metabarcoding approach. Then, a total of 52.16 Gb raw data for 174 million paired-end reads was generated using the Illumina NovaSeq sequencing platform. Meanwhile, 228, 23, and 14 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained for the ITS2, matK, and rbcL regions, respectively, after bioinformatic analysis. Moreover, no differences were evident between the assembly sequences obtained via shotgun metabarcoding and their corresponding reference sequences of the same species obtained via Sanger sequencing, except for part of the ITS2 and matK assembly sequences of Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch. and Bupleurum chinense DC. with 1–6 different bases. The identification results showed that all six prescribed ingredients were successfully detected and that the non-authentic ingredient of Bupleuri Radix (Chaihu, Bupleurum chinense DC. or Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd.) was found in all the commercial samples, namely Bupleurum falcatum L. Here, 25 weed species representing 16 genera of ten families were detected. Moreover, 26 fungal genera belonging to 17 families were found in both lab-made and commercial FKDSW samples. This study demonstrated that the shotgun metabarcoding approach could overcome the biased PCR amplification and authenticate the biological ingredients of traditional herbal patent medicine with a distinct variance in the dosage of the herbal materials. Therefore, this provides an appropriate evaluation method for improving the safety and efficacy of traditional herbal patent medicine.
An Economy-Climate Model for Quantitatively Projecting the Impact of Future Climate Change and Its Application
Authors: Chou Jieming , Xu Yuan , Dong Wenjie , Zhao Weixing , Li Jiangnan , Li Yuanmeng 
Published: August 2021

Quantitatively projecting the impact of future climate change on the socio-economy and exploring its internal mechanism are of great practical significance to adapt to climate change and prevent climate risks. Based on the economy-climate (C-D-C) model, this paper introduces a yield impact of climate change (YICC) model that can quantitatively project the climate change impact. The model is based on the YICC as its core concept and uses the impact ratio of climate change (IRCC) indicator to assess the response of the economic system to climate change over a long period of time. The YICC is defined as the difference between the economic output under changing climate condition and that under assumed invariant climate condition. The IRCC not only reflects the sensitivity of economic output to climate change but also reveals the mechanism of the nonlinear interaction between climate change and non-climatic factors on the socio-economic system. Using the main grain-producing areas in China as a case study, we use the data of the ensemble average of 5 GCMs in CMIP6 to project the possible impact of climate change on grain production in the next 15–30 years under three future scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP5-8.5). The results indicate that the long-term climate change in the future will have a restraining effect on production in North region and enhance production in South region. From 2021 to 2035, climate change will reduce production by 0.60–2.09% in North region, and increase production by 1.80–9.01% in South region under three future scenarios. From 2021 to 2050, compared with the climate change impact in 2021–2035, the negative impact of climate change on production in North region will weaken, and the positive impact on production in South region will enhance with the increase in emission concentration. Among them, climate change will reduce grain output in North region by 0.52–1.99%, and increase output in South region by 1.35–9.56% under the three future scenarios. The combination of economic results and climate change research is expected to provide scientific support for further revealing the economic mechanism of climate change impacts.
Influence of Family Dynamics on Stigma Experienced by Patients With Schizophrenia: Mediating Effect of Quality of Life
Authors: Wang Ling , Chen Yanhua , Hu Chengping , Qin Hongyun 
Published: August 2021

Background: Stigma is a barrier to schizophrenia recovery; thus, screening the factors that affect stigma experienced by patients with schizophrenia and exploring the interactions between each factor are critical for improved treatment. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between quality of life (QoL), family dynamics, and stigma in patients with schizophrenia.Methods: A total of 447 participants with schizophrenia were recruited in the study, namely, 281 community patients and 166 inpatients. Three scales, Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (SQLS), Self-rating Scale of Systemic Family (SSFD), and Stigma Scale for Mental Illness (SSMI), were, respectively, used to evaluate three variables: QoL, family dynamics, and stigma. The correlations between each factor in these three scales were evaluated by Spearman's rank correlation analysis. A mediation model was constructed to investigate whether QoL mediated the relationship between stigma and family dynamics.Results: Correlation analysis revealed that most variables in these three scales correlated significantly with each other. Mediational regression analyses indicated that the degree of stigma was affected by family dynamics; that is, good family dynamics predicted less stigma. Surprisingly, we found that a worse QoL was associated with less stigma, and this led to good family dynamics being related to a worse QoL. These findings further suggested that QoL had a mediating effect on the relationship between family dynamics and stigma.Conclusions: This study suggested that more attention should be focused on the multifactorial influence of stigma on patients with schizophrenia. Integrated and personalized interventions regarding QoL and family dynamics can be tailored for patients with schizophrenia to reduce self-stigma.
Correlates and Predictors of PTSD Symptoms Among Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of the egePan-VOICE Study
Authors: Steudte-Schmiedgen Susann , Stieler Lisa , Erim Yesim , Morawa Eva , Geiser Franziska , Beschoner Petra , Jerg-Bretzke Lucia , Albus Christian , Hiebel Nina , Weidner Kerstin 
Published: August 2021

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to ongoing challenges for healthcare systems across the world. Previous research has provided evidence for an increased prevalence of depression and anxiety as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In Germany, however, only scarce data on correlates and predictors for PTSD symptomatology in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers (HCW) are available.Methods: This research is part of a large prospective web-based survey (egePan-VOICE study) among HCW in Germany. The current sample (N = 4,724) consisted of physicians (n = 1,575), nurses (n = 1,277), medical technical assistants (MTA, n = 1,662), and psychologists (n = 210). PTSD symptomatology was measured using the abbreviated version of the Impact of Event Scale (IES-6). In addition, sociodemographic, occupational, COVID-19-related, psychological (e.g., depressive symptoms and generalized anxiety), as well as work-related variables were assessed.Results: Our findings revealed significant higher PTSD symptoms with medium effect sizes among HCW reporting an increased self-report burden during the pandemic, increased fear of becoming infected or infecting relatives with the virus, sleep problems, feeling physically or mentally exhausted, as well as increased levels of depressiveness and generalized anxiety. According to multiple linear regression analysis, the most relevant predictors for higher IES-6 scores were increased level of generalized anxiety and depressiveness, increased fear of infecting relatives, as well as medical profession (MTA compared to physicians).Conclusion: Despite the cross-sectional design of our study, the here identified associations with PTSD symptomatology may provide a basis for future preventive interventions.