bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of firewood combustion cookstove types on indoor air pollution and deforestation in selected rural houses of Ethiopia
Authors: Fekadu Miftah , Molla Moges , Hailu Birhanu 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionIndoor air pollution occurs in a microenvironment such as residential homes, closed working places, or industries in which people spend a large part of their time. Cooking or baking food in traditional or open three-stone cookstoves by using firewood is the cause for kitchen-related smoke indoor air pollution and deforestation. Modifying traditional firewood cookstoves could reduce the emissions of indoor air pollutants. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of firewood cookstove types on indoor air pollution, emission reduction, and deforestation in selected rural houses of Bure, Ameya, and Dalocha woredas (districts) of Ethiopia.MethodsIndoor air pollutants such as carbonmonoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfurdioxide (SO2), and particulate matters (PMs) were measured in three replicates for 3 min. within an average cooking time of 1 h using an automatic gas sensor. The amount of wood was separately measured by using graduated weight balance (0.1 gm).Results and discussionThe cooking place was mostly the same room as the sleeping place without a separate kitchen. The improved cookstoves were installed without a chimney (smokeoutlet) and with wider spaces left for a firewood inlet. In improved Injera baking cookstoves, the mean emission of CO was 1004.80 mg/m3, 33.00 mg/m3, and 53.85 mg/m3 in Bure, Ameya, and Dalocha woredas, respectively, which were lower than the emissions from open cookstoves. The mean concentration of PM2.5 in open cookstoves in Bure, Ameya, and Dalocha woredaswas 124.50 mg/m3, 0.53 mg/m3, and 0.04 mg/m3, respectively, which are higher than the emission from improved stoves. In Bure woreda households, the CO exposure was above 26 times the permissible limit of WHO standards. Biomass consumption was positively correlated with the moisture content of wood (p &lt; 0.05). Improved cookstoves reduced indoor air pollution by 13%–81% and carbon emission and deforestation by 20%–41% when compared with the open three-stone cookstoves. Indoor air pollutants are risks to health and cause climate change problems. Therefore, awareness should be created on the health effects of firewood smoke indoor air pollution, ventilation of cooking places, and installation of chimneys with improved cookstoves.
Multi-scenario evolutionary simulation of land cover-based carbon stock during rapid urbanization: a case of shijiazhuang city
Authors: Li Qiang , Kong Lingran 
Published: October 2024

China is undergoing rapid urbanization, which brings about drastic land cover changes and thus has an important impact on land carbon stocks. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the driving factors of land cover changes in typical cities and simulate their carbon stocks in multiple scenarios, in order to promote the development of sustainable use of land resources and to achieve the goal of “dual-carbon.” In this study, based on the synergistic relationship between land cover and carbon stock (CS), a coupled modeling framework based on MOP-FLUS-InVEST (MFI) is proposed, which integrates the advantages of three models: targeted optimization of the land cover (LC) structure, patch-level simulation of the layout, and rapid probing of spatial and temporal evolutions of CS. In addition, based on the 30 m resolution surface cover data, we analyzed the land cover change characteristics of Shijiazhuang, a city undergoing rapid urbanization in China, from 2000 to 2020 using a dynamic attitude model. The results show that the rate of surface cover change in Shijiazhuang City is relatively fast, but the rate of surface cover change gradually slows down during the 20-year period. The LC change is mainly manifested in the mutual transfer of cropland, woodland and grassland. In the future, the area of cropland, water bodies and bare land decreases, the business-as-usual development (BAU) scenario has the most drastic increase in construction land, and the changes in woodland and grassland are weak, with an increase in economic benefits. In the Ecological Priority Development (EDP) scenario, woodland and grassland expand significantly while construction land growth stagnates, and ecological functions are restored. In the Ecologically and Economically Balanced Development (EEB) scenario, ecological land increases and the growth of built-up land slows down, realizing both economic and ecological benefits. The continuous shrinkage of water bodies is a pressing issue. The coupled model can provide scientific references for the simulation of spatial and temporal changes of LC and CS, the early warning of ecological risks, and the development of land cover planning.
Bibliometric analysis of genomic selection in breeding of animal from 1993 to 2024: global trends and advancements
Authors: Çelik Şenol 
Published: October 2024

Animal breeding became a difficult science when numerous genes influenced economically significant features. The major source of genetic improvement is selection, and as such, the large generation intervals in these strategies lead to reduced rates of improvement. Therefore, breeding control, genetic improvement research, and selection processes are accelerated by genomic selection. This article regarding global research interest trends in genomic selection in animal breeding themes was examined using bibliometric analysis, which employed papers from 1993 to 2024 from the SCI-Expanded, SSCI, AHCI, and E-SCI indexes. Over the period of 31 years, the first 3,181 published articles on genomic selection in animal breeding were gathered. Additionally, the study displays trends in co-authorships according to nations and academic institutions as well as co-occurrences of author keywords. There have been more articles since 2010 about the use of genomic selection in animal breeding, building up a sizable library of work that will last until 2024. Among the top academics in the field are Calus MPL, Li J, and Wang Y. The most productive institutions were The United Kingdom’s University of Edinburgh, Aarhus University (Denmark) and China Agricultural University. The current hotspots in this field of study include “selection,” and “association,” according to keyword co-occurrence and frequency analysis. China, the United States, Brazil, Canada, and United Kingdom are the top five countries that produced the most papers with the highest levels of international collaboration and networking. The main topics of current study include prediction, accuracy, association, traits, and selection. New techniques for selection, prediction, accuracy, traits, and association were developed as the discipline matured. Research collaborations across countries, institutions, and writers promote knowledge sharing, effective issue resolution, and superior outcomes.
Genome-wide association and functional genomic analyses for body conformation traits in North American Holstein cattle
Authors: Sousa Junior Luis Paulo B. , Pinto Luis Fernando B. , Cruz Valdecy A. R. , Oliveira Junior Gerson A. , Oliveira Hinayah R. , Chud Tatiane S. , Pedrosa Victor B. , Miglior Filippo , Schenkel Flávio S. , Brito Luiz F. 
Published: October 2024

Body conformation traits are directly associated with longevity, fertility, health, and workability in dairy cows and have been under direct genetic selection for many decades in various countries worldwide. The main objectives of this study were to perform genome-wide association studies and functional enrichment analyses for fourteen body conformation traits using imputed high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes. The traits analyzed include body condition score (BCS), body depth (BD), bone quality (BQ), chest width (CW), dairy capacity (DC), foot angle (FAN), front legs view (FLV), heel depth (HDe), height at front end (HFE), locomotion (LOC), rear legs rear view (RLRV), rear legs side view (RLSV), stature (ST), and a composite feet and legs score index (FL) of Holstein cows scored in Canada. De-regressed estimated breeding values from a dataset of 39,135 North American Holstein animals were used as pseudo-phenotypes in the genome-wide association analyses. A mixed linear model was used to estimate the SNP effects, which ranged from 239,533 to 242,747 markers depending on the trait analyzed. Genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL) located up to 100 Kb upstream or downstream of the significant SNPs previously cited in the Animal QTLdb were detected, and functional enrichment analyses were performed for the candidate genes identified for each trait. A total of 20, 60, 13, 17, 27, 8, 7, 19, 4, 10, 13, 15, 7, and 13 genome-wide statistically significant SNPs for Bonferroni correction based on independent chromosomal segments were identified for BCS, BD, BQ, CW, DC, FAN, FLV, HDe, HFE, LOC, RLRV, RLSV, ST, and FL, respectively. The significant SNPs were located across the whole genome, except on chromosomes BTA24, BTA27, and BTA29. Four markers (for BCS, BD, HDe, and RLRV) were statistically significant when considering a much stricter threshold for the Bonferroni correction for multiple tests. Moreover, the genomic regions identified overlap with various QTL previously reported for the trait groups of exterior, health, meat and carcass, milk, production, and reproduction. The functional enrichment analyses revealed 27 significant gene ontology terms. These enriched genomic regions harbor various candidate genes previously reported as linked to bone development, metabolism, as well as infectious and immunological diseases.
Analysis of the treatment efficacy and prognostic factors of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer: a multicenter, retrospective clinical study
Authors: Yang Yuanyuan , Wang Zhe , Xin Dao , Guan Lulu , Yue Bingtong , Zhang Qifan , Wang Feng 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed advanced gastric cancer treatment, yet patient responses vary, highlighting the need for effective biomarkers. Common markers, such as programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), microsatellite instability/mismatch repair (MSI/MMR), tumor mutational burden, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and Epstein–Barr virus, face sampling challenges and high costs. This study seeks practical, minimally invasive biomarkers to enhance patient selection and improve outcomes.MethodsThis multicenter retrospective study analyzed 617 patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer treated with programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 inhibitors from January 2019 to March 2023. Clinical data and peripheral blood marker data were collected before and after treatment. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS); the secondary endpoints included the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox and LASSO logistic regression analyses identified independent factors for OS, PFS, and ORR. Predictive nomograms were validated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, areas under the curve (AUCs), C-indices, and calibration curves, with clinical utility assessed via decision curve analysis (DCA), net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI).ResultsOS-related factors included treatment line, T stage, ascites, pretreatment indirect bilirubin (pre-IBIL), posttreatment CA125, CA199, CA724, and the PLR. PFS-related factors included treatment lines, T stage, metastatic sites, pre-IBIL, posttreatment globulin (GLOB), CA125, and CA199 changes. ORR-related factors included treatment line, T stage, N stage, liver metastasis, pretreatment red cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio (RPR), CA125, and CA724 changes. The nomograms showed strong predictive performance and clinical utility.ConclusionsEarly treatment, lower T stage, the absence of ascites, and lower pre-IBIL, post-CA125, CA199, CA724, and PLR correlate with better OS. Factors for improved PFS include early treatment, lower T stage, fewer metastatic sites, and lower pre-IBIL, post-GLOB, and post-CA125 levels. Nomogram models can help identify patients who may benefit from immunotherapy, providing valuable clinical guidance.
Long-term follow up of fecundability after ectopic pregnancy in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based study
Authors: Yin Chih-Hsiang , Lee Yi-Liang , Chang Chia-Ching , Chien Wu-Chien , Wu Gwo-Jang 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundEctopic pregnancy (EP) occurs when a fertilized ovum is implanted outside the uterine cavity. Its incidence is 2% of all pregnancies and is known to decrease fertility. This study aimed to measure pregnancy rates after EP, identify the various parameters influencing pregnancy, and compare these variables in women with and without a history of EP, as well as determine in which medical facilities women with EP seek medical help.MethodsThe data was extracted from the National Health Insurance Research Database during 2000–2013. The study group included of women with a history of one EP (study group) and women without EP (control group). The chi-square/Fisher exact test was performed for categorical variables, and t-tests were used for continuous variables.ResultsThe EP group had a higher cumulative pregnancy rate (41.55%) than the control group (37.14 %), and a 1.16 times higher rate in developing pregnancy (p &lt; 0.001). While the pregnancy rate in the EP group was initially lower than in the control group during the first 5 years, it surpassed the control group’s rate between the 10th and 14th years.ConclusionsFecundability after EP was lower at the beginning but increased at long-term follow-up.
A semantic segmentation method to analyze retinal vascular parameters of diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Lu Youlv , Fang Ruolin , Xu Bolun , Feng Chunyun , Zhu Zhentao , Yu Meiting , Tong Yuhua 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionBy using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to measure retinal blood vessels. The correlation between the changes of retinal vascular structure and the degree of diabetic nephropathy is analyzed with a full-pixel Semantic segmentation method.MethodsA total of 120 patients with diabetic nephropathy who were treated in the nephrology department of Quzhou People’s Hospital from March 2023 to March 2024 were selected and divided into three groups according to the urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR). The groups included simple diabetes group (UACR &lt; 30 mg/g), microalbuminuria group (30 mg/g ≤ UACR &lt;300 mg/g) and macroalbuminuria group (UACR ≥300 mg/g). SD-OCT was used to scan the arteries and veins in the superior temporal area B of the retina. The semantic segmentation method built into the SD-eye software was used to automatically identify the morphology and structure of the vessels and calculate the parameters of arteriovenous vessels. The parameters of arteriovenous vessels are as follows: outer diameter of the retinal artery (RAOD); inner diameter of the retinal artery (RALD); arterial wall thickness (AWT); arterial wall to lumen ratio (AWLR); cross sectional area of arterial wall (AWCSA); retinal vein outer diameter (RVOD); retinal vein inner diameter (RVLD); vein wall thickness (VWT); vein wall to lumen ratio (VWLR); cross sectional area of vein wall (VWCSA). Statistical analysis software was used to compare and analyze the parameters of retinal arteriovenous vessels of the three groups.ResultsThe study revealed statistically significant differences in RAOD and RALD among the three groups (p &lt; 0.05) with the RAOD and RALD of the macroalbuminuria group and microalbuminuria group being lower than those of the simple diabetes group. Conversely, there were no significant differences in AWT, AWLR and AWCSA among the three groups (p &gt; 0.05). Additionally, the differences in RVOD and RVLD among the three groups were found to be statistically significant (p &lt; 0.05) with the RVOD and RVLD of the simple diabetes group being lower than those of the microalbuminuria group and macroalbuminuria group. No significant differences were observed in VWT and VWL among the groups. Additionally, RVOD and RVLD were weakly associated with UACR (R = 0.247, p = 0.007; R = 0.210, p = 0.021). Full-pixel semantic segmentation method combined with OCT images is a new retinal vascular scanning technology, which can be used as a new method for early diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy. The structural changes of retinal vessels can be used to predict the severity of diabetic nephropathy during the development of diabetic nephropathy.
Experiences of discrimination are associated with microbiome and transcriptome alterations in the gut
Authors: Dong Tien S. , Shera Simer , Peters Kirstin , Gee Gilbert C. , Beltrán-Sánchez Hiram , Wang May C. , Kilpatrick Lisa A. , Zhang Xiaobei , Labus Jennifer S. , Vaughan Allison , Church Arpana 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundDiscrimination is a recognized psychosocial stressor that has been linked to various negative health outcomes. This study explored the impact of discrimination on gut health, specifically focusing on microbiome changes, predicted metagenomic differences, transcriptomic profiles, and the potential for using a multi-omic approach to predict discrimination to identify discrimination status for an individual. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive investigation involving male and premenopausal female participants, using the Everyday Discrimination Scale to classify them into either high or low discrimination. Multiple questionnaires were administered to evaluate participants’ physiological, psychological, and perceived stressors. Two diet questionnaires were also administered. Stool samples were collected for microbiome analysis and RNA sequencing. Microbial composition changes were analyzed using the Shannon index and Chao1 richness estimator for alpha diversity and the Aitchison distance metric for beta diversity. Differential abundance was evaluated using MaAsLin2, followed by metatranscriptomics sequencing and annotation. A multi-omic approach utilizing random forest was used to assess the predictability of discrimination.ResultsThe study results showed that high discrimination was linked to higher gut microbiome species richness (Chao1, p = 0.02) and significant beta diversity differences (p = 0.04). Prevotella and Ruminococcaceae were both less abundant in the high discrimination group. High discrimination participants also reported higher levels of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, early life adversity, visceral sensitivity, and neuroticism than those in the low discrimination group. Gene expression analysis revealed distinctive patterns, with significant changes in genes associated with environmental sensing (two-component system) and metabolic pathways. In a plot comparing gene transcription to DNA content, certain genes showed higher expression levels in participants who experienced both high and low levels of discrimination. Our random forest classifier demonstrated the capability to accurately differentiate individuals with high and low discrimination in our training cohort (AUC = 0.91).ConclusionThese findings illuminate the substantial impact of discrimination on gut health, encompassing microbiome composition, gene expression, and functional pathways. These findings suggest that discrimination is associated with internal biological changes that can be associated with negative health outcomes, opening research to examine novel pathways that can be used to mitigate the negative health effects of discrimination.
The evolution of intractable Ménière’s disease: attacks resolve over time
Authors: Gerritsen F. R. , Schenck A. A. , Locher H. , van de Berg R. , van Benthem P. P. , Blom H. M. 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionKnowledge of the natural and temporal course of a disease is important when deciding if an intervention is appropriate. In the case of Ménière’s disease (MD), there is some evidence that attacks diminish over time, but the topic remains controversial. A conservative approach to surgery is usually followed in northern Europe, and leads to strict patient selection before considering surgery. Here, we describe the evolution of vertigo attacks among a group of intractable MD patients in whom surgery was considered.MethodsRetrospective cohort study in a Ménière’s disease expert center. Patients with definite unilateral Ménière’s disease and persisting vertigo attacks despite treatment with intratympanic steroid injections were included. All patients had been waitlisted for participation in a planned trial assessing non-ablative surgery. They were waitlisted between June 2016 and June 2021 without undergoing the surgical intervention. In September 2022, data were collected from patient’s files and follow-up telephone interviews were conducted to assess the evolution of their vertigo attacks.ResultsThirty-five patients (54% male, mean age of onset 52 years, 51% right sided) were included in the analysis. Twenty-five patients (71%) eventually declined surgery. Of the 33 patients with complete information on vertigo attacks, 21 (64%) were free of vertigo attacks upon data collection, after a median disease duration of 5.3 years. Patients who did undergo surgery, had longer duration of disease than patients who did not.DiscussionEven in a population with intractable MD, most patients will experience relief of symptoms over time. On one hand, active treatment may accelerate relief of symptoms, but on the other hand, non-ablative therapies are of debatable effect and ablative intervention carries a risk of life long side effects. Therefore, any active intervention should be carefully considered.
Perturbing reach elicits anticipatory responses in transport and grasp
Authors: Akbaş Anna , Furmanek Mariusz P. , Hsu Sarah , Yarossi Mathew , Tunik Eugene 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether the anticipation of a mechanical perturbation applied to the arm during a reach-to-grasp movement elicits anticipatory adjustments in the reach and grasp components. Additionally, we aimed to evaluate whether anticipatory adjustments in the upper limb might be global or specific to the direction of the perturbation.MethodsThirteen healthy participants performed reach-to-grasp with perturbations randomly applied to their dominant limb. Participants were presented with three types of trials: unperturbed (control), trials perturbed in a predictable manner (either Up or Down), or perturbed in a partially predictable manner (knowledge about the perturbation but not its specific direction). EMG activity of 16 muscles, as well as the kinematics of wrist, thumb, and index finger, were acquired and analyzed.Results and discussionWhen the perturbation was expected, EMG activity of the triceps and pectoralis major muscles significantly increased about 50 – 200 ms before the perturbation onset. Peak acceleration of the reach was significantly higher and occurred earlier relative to control trials. Similar adjustments were observed in the grasp kinematics, reflected as significantly shorter time to peak aperture velocity and acceleration, as well as in increased activity of flexor and extensor digitorum 100–200 ms before perturbation onset. In summary, our data demonstrate that knowledge of an upcoming perturbation of reach during reach-to-grasp action triggers anticipatory adjustments not only in the muscles controlling the reach component, but also in those controlling grasp. Furthermore, our data revealed that the preparatory activations were generalized, rather than direction specific.