bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
As trees walking: the pros and cons of partial sight in the analysis of stream biofilms
Authors: Kelly Martyn G. , King Lydia , Yallop Marian L. 
Published: July 2019

Background – The microscopic world of the freshwater biofilm is a complex association of organisms from prokaryotes to metazoans. Understanding the relationships between these organisms, and between them and their environment, is complicated by the processes by which biofilms are studied. Whilst it is possible to observe and minutely describe the individual organisms which comprise biofilms, inter-relationships within the ‘community’ are often destroyed during sample collection and investigation under the microscope. Ecologists often focus on particular groups of organisms (e.g. diatoms) and interrogate data using multivariate statistics. This offers valuable insights that enable us to understand how associations of particular taxonomic groups respond to key environmental gradients yet offers an essentially abstract view of the microscopic world.
Approach – In this essay we contrast the great detail achieved when we see and describe individual cells with the gross approximations necessary when the response of communities is considered. A focus on the diatom assemblage (one part of the intricate biofilm community) and the use of multivariate statistics to interpret responses along ecological gradients offers opportunities to understand environmental change in space and time but at the expense, perhaps, of local detail which may account for some of the unexplained variation in models. We cannot envisage a change in approach in the near future but, instead, encourage a greater awareness of the complexity of stream biofilms to better inform interpretation.
Interação Comunitária Na Preservação E Recuperação De Reserva Nativa No Município De Campo Grande – Ms
Authors: Souza Armando Cirilo de , Guedes Pedro Henrique , Raulino Fernando Garcia , Andreatta Mayene Pereira 
Published: July 2019

As grandes e pequenas reservas pertencentes ao município de Campo Grande - MS, tem apresentado sérios problemas causados pelos avanços da construção civil e o desmatamento irregulares e ainda pela falta de conscientização e educação da comunidade local, produzindo uma degradação vegetal e consequências graves para todo o ecossistema. Com a interação comunitária foram realizadas observações no local, e foi possível classificar a área como degradada. Desta forma, esse projeto teve como objetivo empregar o método de Enriquecimento Vegetal da Reserva com a interação comunitária local. O método utilizado foi a realização da produção de mudas de árvores das espécies nativas regionais e a plantação na reserva, com ajuda da comunidade local, tornando o ecossistema mais próximo daquele originalmente existente. Os resultados apresentados, com a interação comunitária na reserva, foram excelentes; pois algumas espécies das mudas de árvores plantadas mostraram bons desenvolvimentos. Concluímos que a interação da comunidade, resultou em uma conscientização em relação à importância da preservação do meio ambiente em reservas nativas.
Application of Chemometrics for Spectral Resolving and Determination of Three Analgesics in Water Samples
Authors: Yehia Ali M , Elbalkiny Heba T , Riad Safa’a M , Elsaharty Yasser S 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
Background: Chemometrics is a discipline that allows the spectral resolution of drugs in a complicated matrix (e.g., environmental water samples) as an alternative to chromatographic methods. Objective: Three analgesics were traced in wastewater samples with simple and cost-effective multivariate approaches using spectrophotometric data. Methods and Results: Four chemometric approaches were applied for the simultaneous determination of diclofenac, paracetamol, and ibuprofen. Partial least squares (PLS), principal component regression (PCR), artificial neural networks (ANN), and multivariate curve resolution (MCR)–alternating least squares (ALS) were selected. The presented methods were compared and validated for their qualitative and quantitative analyses. Moreover, statistical comparison between the results obtained by the proposed methods and the official methods showed no significant differences. Conclusions: The proposed multivariate calibrations were accurate and specific for quantitative analysis of the studied components. MCR-ALS is the only method that has the capacity for both the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the studied drugs. Highlights: Four chemometric approaches were used for analysis of severally overlapped ternary mixture of three analgesics. The analytical performance of PCR, PLS, MCR-ALS, and ANN was compared and validated in terms of root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), SE of prediction, and recoveries. ANN gave the highest predicted concentrations with the lowest RMSEC and root mean square error of prediction. MCR-ALS has the capacity for both qualitative and quantitative measurement. The methods have been effectively applied for real samples and compared to official methods.
Effect of Social Skills Training on Juveniles’ Psychological Problems in a Detention Center in Ghana
Authors: Alhassan Mustapha 
Published: July 2019

Background: In this world it is important to train children to acquire useful skills such that they would take care of themselves tomorrow and show good behaviors. The world can only be a peaceful and developed place if children are trained to acquire social skills that are useful. Therefore, to determine whether social skills training would change juvenile misbehavior this study was conducted.
Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental design. The sample was drawn from a population of 97 juveniles in detention at a Senior Correctional Center (formally known as Borstal Institute) in Accra, Ghana. The sample was 50 juveniles in a Correctional Center. The outcome measure was Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Test scores on delinquent behavior were compared across the two groups; (1) 25 juveniles who underwent social skills training (SST) and (2) 25 matched control group of juveniles who did not undergo SST. Participants in the training group underwent a one-month SST. The training sessions lasted for 60 minutes and they met three times a week for four weeks. Data collection was from May 2017 to August 2017.
Results: The results of the experimental group showed that 8 subscales somatization (df = 48; t = 2.39; p < .025), obsessive-compulsion (df = 48; t = 4.32; p < .001), depression (df = 48; t = 4.13; p <.001), anxiety (df = 48; t = 3.80; p < .001), hostility (df = 48; t = 3.74; p <. 001), phobic anxiety (df = 48; t = 3.80; ρ < .001), paranoid ideation (df = 48; t = 2.46; p < .021), and Psychoticism (df = 48; t = 2.28; p < .032) to have statistically significant differences.
Conclusion: This study found that out of the 9 subscales used only 1 scale was not statistically significant for the experimental group. This study provided evidence indicating juveniles who underwent social skills training (SST) had improvement in their social skills as compared to their colleagues who did not have such training.
Evaluation of Nursing Students' Performance in Controlling Healthcare-associated Infections in Southwest of Iran
Authors: Eskandari Parisa , Azizi Maryam , Madmoli Yaghoob , Madmoli Mostafa , Khodadadi Mahboobe , Yousefi Najime 
Published: July 2019

Background & Aim: Given that Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) increase the duration of hospitalization, increase the duration of disability and even death and given the fact that nursing students attend their clinical Nursing practice; the skills gained during this period will determine the performance of this nursing role in controlling future infectious diseases in the future. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the performance of nursing students in controlling HAI in Masjed-Soleyman in 2018.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, stratified sampling was done in nursing students of Islamic Azad University and Masjed-Soleyman health-care Higher Education Complex in 2018. Data were collected using standard questionnaire of students' performance regarding infection control as self-declaration. Data analysis with spss-20 software using T-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient was used.
Results: In this study, 145 students with an average age of 23.38 ± 14.47 years were enrolled. Of these, 66.9% were girls and the rest were boys, 89.0% were single and the rest were married. The mean score of these subjects was 44.02 ± 11. 6 which indicates good performance about hospital infections. Girls, students of Azad University and those who participated in workshops or classrooms beforehand, had significantly higher performance than others (p <0.05) but there was not a significant relationship between mean performance and marital scores, place of residence, and academic year (p >0.05).
Conclusion: The results showed that the control of infection in these people is good at the level and reveals the effect of the classroom and the training courses held. It is suggested that educational programs be used to engage students in advanced infection control processes and merely get out from workshop and education.
Protective Effect of Nigella Sativa in an Animal Model of Colon Anastomosis With Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Bali İlhan , Polat Fatin Rüştü , Aziret Mehmet , Sözen Selim , Oruç Cem , Coşkunkan Ufuk , Emir Seyfi , Bilir Bülent , Koç Ahmet 
Published: July 2019

Objective:
Anastomotic leaks are one of the chief complications after gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether Nigella sativa administration protects against ischemia/reperfusion injury on healing of colonic anastomosis in rats.

Method:
Thirty male Wistar albino rats, weighing between 200 and 240 g, were used in the study. They were randomly divided into three groups (n = 10 for each group): Anastomosis (group 1), anastomosis and ischemia/reperfusion injury (group 2), and treatment group of anastomosis, ischemia/reperfusion injury, and Nigella sativa (group 3). After 7 days, serum, plasma, and colonic tissue were obtained and then all rats were sacrificed. Tissue and serum level of total oxidant status, total antioxidant status, total thiol levels, hydroxyproline, interleukin-6, and TNF-alpha were determined and specimens were histopathologically evaluated.

Results:
In the Nigella sativa treated rats, serum hydroxyproline levels were significantly higher, while tissue levels were significantly lower than those seen in group 1 and group 2 (P = 0.007, P = 0.01, respectively). In the Nigella sativa group, the serum levels of TNF-α were significantly lower than those seen in group 1 and 2 (P = 0.001). Also, in group 3, the tissue IL-6 level was significantly higher than that seen in group 1 and group 2 (P = 0.009). The histopathologic analysis showed less edema and inflammatory cell infiltration in the Nigella sativa treated group, as well as a statistically significant difference according to the Chiu classification (P &lt; 0.05).

Conclusion:
The results of this study indicate that Nigella sativa has a protective and therapeutic effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury on the healing of colonic anastomosis in rats.
Reduced Quality of Life, Fatigue, and Societal Participation After Polytrauma
Authors: Leijdesdorff Henry A. , Krijnen Pieta , van Rooyen Lisette , de Mheen Perla Marang–van , Rhemrev Steven , Schipper Inger B. 
Published: July 2019

Objective:
This cross-sectional study analyzed associations between and determinants for health-related quality of life (HRQoL), fatigue, and societal participation in polytrauma patients.

Summary of background data:
More polytrauma patients survive their injuries, often resulting in long-term disabilities. HRQoL is therefore an important outcome of trauma care. Fatigue and societal participation may be related to HRQoL. Also, their relation to severe injuries has not been studied to date.

Methods:
A total of 283 polytrauma patients (injury severity score ≥ 16) admitted to the Dutch level 1 Trauma Centre West were analyzed. HRQoL was measured by the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores of the SF-36, fatigue by the multidimensional fatigue inventory, and societal participation by the Utrecht scale for evaluation of rehabilitation-participation. Age, sex, comorbidity, injury pattern, injury severity, and time since trauma were analyzed as potential determinants.

Results:
A total of 122 patients (43%) responded after a median follow-up of 15 (range, 10–23) months after polytrauma; 44% reported reduced physical health (PCS &lt; 45) and 47% reported reduced mental health (MCS &lt; 45). HRQoL was highly correlated with all fatigue and participation subscales. Severe head injury was associated with worse mental health. Female patients reported more general and mental fatigue and were less satisfied with their ability to perform daily activities. Patients with pre-existing comorbidity experienced worse physical health, more fatigue, and reduced societal participation.

Conclusions:
One to 2 years after trauma, polytrauma patients report reduced HRQoL, which is associated with more fatigue and reduced societal participation. Trauma rehabilitation strategies should focus on early recognition of reduced HRQoL, fatigue, and societal participation and facilitate early intervention to improve these outcomes.
Engineered Nanochannels in MXene Heterogeneous Proton Exchange Membranes Mediated by Cellulose Nanofiber/Sodium Alginate Dual Crosslinked Networks
Authors: Zhu Liyu , Yang Hongbin , Xu Ting , Wang Luying , Lei Jiandu , Si Chuanling 
Published: December 2024

Abstract2D architectures and superior physiochemical properties of MXene offer an exciting opportunity to develop a new class of polymer electrolyte membranes by controlling the stacking behavior of MXene nanosheets. However, assembling MXene nanosheets into macroscopic stable and high‐performance proton conductors is challenging. Here, a general strategy is reported for achieving stable and high‐performance MXene‐based heterogeneous proton conductors via crosslinked cellulose nanofiber/sodium alginate (CNF/SA). Through the coordination of calcium ions with 1D CNF/SA, MXene nanosheets with abundant hydrogen‐bonding networks are firmly locked into the heterogeneous polymer network, and meanwhile, the heterogeneous polymer chains are transformed from a randomly arranged state to a long‐range ordered arrangement, and such arranged polymer molecular channels collaborate with the tightly‐stacked MXene nanosheets jointly guide the stable and efficient proton conduction. Thus, the as‐built CNF/SA/MXene (CSM) composite membrane exhibits superior mechanical properties (164.7 MPa), proton conductivity (45.4 mS cm−1), power density (49.5 mW cm−2), and low open circuit voltage (OCV) decay rate (0.4 mV h−1). The design principle of 2D material anchoring through ionic‐cross‐linking and mixed‐dimensional assembly can inspire the synthesis of various ion exchange membranes for ion filtration, ion transport, ion sieving, and more.
Acute Three‐Dimensional Hypoxia Regulates Angiogenesis
Authors: Ntekoumes Dimitris , Song Jiyeon , Liu Haohao , Amelung Connor , Guan Ya , Gerecht Sharon 
Published: December 2024

AbstractHypoxia elicits a multitude of tissue responses depending on the severity and duration of the exposure. While chronic hypoxia is shown to impact development, regeneration, and cancer, the understanding of the threats of acute (i.e., short‐term) hypoxia is limited mainly due to its transient nature. Here, a novel gelatin‐dextran (Gel‐Dex) hydrogel is established that decouples hydrogel formation and oxygen consumption and thus facilitates 3D sprouting from endothelial spheroids and, subsequently, induces hypoxia “on‐demand.” The Gel‐Dex platform rapidly achieves acute moderate hypoxic conditions without compromising its mechanical properties. Acute exposure to hypoxia leads to increased endothelial cell migration and proliferation, promoting the total length and number of vascular sprouts. This work finds that the enhanced angiogenic response is mediated by reactive oxygen species, independently of hypoxia‐inducible factors. Reactive oxygen species‐dependent matrix metalloproteinases activity mediated angiogenic sprouting is observed following acute hypoxia. Overall, the Gel‐Dex hydrogel offers a novel platform to study how “on‐demand” acute moderate hypoxia impacts angiogenesis, with broad applicability to the development of novel sensing technologies.
Optimizing Perovskite Surfaces to Enhance Post‐Treatment for Efficient Blue Mixed‐Halide Perovskite Light‐emitting Diodes
Authors: Liu Aqiang , Zhang Zheng , Li Jing , Yu Hui , Wang Nana , Wang Jianpu , Zhao Ni 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe halide postdeposition treatment technique is a widely used strategy for mitigating defects in perovskite. However, when applied to mixed‐halide perovskites, it often leads to surface and internal halide heterogeneity, which compromises luminescence performance and spectral stability. In this work, blue mixed‐halide 3D perovskites are engineered with acetate (Ac⁻)‐rich surfaces to optimize the post‐treatment process and achieve halide homogeneity. The findings demonstrate that the strong interaction between surface Ac⁻ ions and Pb2+ ions significantly reduces the formation of halide vacancy defects caused by the washing effect of isopropanol during post‐treatment. This defect reduction slows the infiltration of halide ions into the perovskite lattice, providing more time for surface reconstruction and minimizing the accumulation of introduced halide ions at the surface. As a result, a mild halide redistribution occurs, promoting the formation of a uniform mixed‐halide perovskite phase. This approach enabled the development of blue mixed‐halide 3D PeLEDs with a record external quantum efficiency of 19.28% (emission peak at 482 nm), comparable to state‐of‐the‐art blue reduced‐dimensional perovskite‐based PeLEDs. Additionally, the device demonstrated a narrowband and stable electroluminescence spectrum with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of less than 16 nm.
Electrochemical Detection of BRAF V600E Mutation in a Liquid Biopsy Format: LAMPing the Way to an Improved Diagnostics and Treatment
Authors: Moranova Ludmila , Strmiskova Johana , Ondraskova Katerina , Bardelcik Miroslav , Cwik Matous , Kiss Igor , Hrstka Roman , Bartosik Martin 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe BRAF V600E substitution, predominantly found in melanoma and metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), is associated with aggressive traits and poor prognosis. Molecular testing of the BRAF mutational status is crucial for guiding therapeutic decisions, driving the necessity for new rapid diagnostic technologies. Here, a novel LAMP‐based assay is presented for fast and selective amplification of mutated DNA, coupled with simple electrochemical detection on electrode biochips. The assay demonstrated high selectivity across cell lines and in 51 cancer patients, detecting mutations in both tumor tissue DNA and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in serum. Clear discrimination between the mutated and wild‐type sequences is achieved, in perfect agreement with either NGS or ddPCR. The bioassay offers a simple and efficient alternative to traditional PCR methods for point‐of‐care diagnostics, particularly in settings with limited equipment and resources.
Comparative Analysis of Excitonic and Biexcitonic Effects on the Power Conversion Efficiency of a CdSe/CdTe/ZnTe Quantum Dot Solar Cell
Authors: Unluler Murat , Koc Fatih 
Published: December 2024

AbstractIn this study, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a CdSe/CdTe/ZnTe quantum dot solar cell (QDSC) is investigated considering the influence of internal parameters such as CdSe core radius and CdTe and ZnTe shell thickness along with external parameters such as temperature and hydrostatic pressure. A comparative analysis is performed using both the original detailed balance model (ODBM) and the modified detailed balance model (MDBM). The main focus of the research is to investigate the effects of excitonic and biexcitonic effective gap energies, as well as the biexciton bound state, on the PCE in the presence of multiple exciton generation (MEG). Calculations using both ODBM and MDBM indicate that the distinct excitonic and biexcitonic effective bandgap energies, resulting from strong confinement effects in quantum dot (QD) structures, significantly affect the PCE in the presence of MEG. In addition, MDBM calculations considering the biexciton bound state show that this bound state critically affects the PCE. The discrepancy between the theoretically predicted maximum PCE and the considerably lower PCE observed in practical applications of QDSCs is also examined, along with the potential reasons for this phenomenon.
Unveiling the Aluminum Doping Effects of In‐Situ Transmogrified Dual‐LDH Heterostructure and Its Fermi‐Level Alignment to Water Splitting Potentials
Authors: Manivelan Nandapriya , Piao Junji , Kim Jaekook , Lee Seunghwa , Kim Youngji , Soundharrajan Vaiyapuri , Son Min‐Kyu , Humayun Amir , Ganji Masoud Darvish , Ko Hyunseok , Prabakar Kandasamy 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe layered double hydroxide (LDH) captivates the starlight of electrochemical water‐splitting applications due to its stacked layers and larger surface area. A novel approach is reported to integrate CoFe‐LDH/NiAl‐LDH heterostructure through a single‐step in situ transmogrification, harnessing the benefits of LDH. The in situ Raman spectroscopy reveals that aluminum (Al) doping promotes the formation of high‐valent CoIII/IV‐O active species concentration in LDH, whereas without Al dopants, the catalyst predominantly exhibit NiII/III‐O species and underperform the catalytic activity. The projected density of states is very close to the Fermi level positions in Al‐doped samples which significantly enhance the electron transfer processes. The Mott–Schottky studies confirm that both Al40 CoFe30 and Al60 CoFe20 catalysts are p‐type semiconductors, exhibiting a distinct redox behaviors under applied bias. At positive bias, Al60 CoFe20 undergoes downward band bending (accumulation), and align the Fermi‐level near the water oxidation potential, which promotes the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The negative bias causes upward band bending (deep depletion) in the Al40 CoFe30, and shifts the Fermi‐level near the water reduction potential, and hence facilitates hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Overall, this study highlights the importance of manipulating Fermi‐level alignment in LDH catalysts through strategic metal doping to achieve targeted water‐splitting reactions.