bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Occurrence of biofilm forming Escherichia coli in drinking water supply system in Kathmandu
Authors: Gaihre Saraswati , Prajapati Kamil , Dhungel Sujata , Dawadi Prabin , Joshi Dev Raj , Joshi Tista Prasai 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBiofilm development in gram negative bacterial contaminants in water supply systems is linked to persistence as well as antibiotic resistance, which threatens water quality and hence the public health. This study aimed to investigate phenotypic and genetic capacity of biofilm formation by Escherichia coli isolated from supply water with their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Altogether fifty water samples collected from a city supply water distribution scheme in Kathmandu were analyzed to assess the physicochemical and microbiological quality. Comparing Nepal's national drinking water quality standards 2022, conductivity (4%), turbidity (18%), iron (28%), and residual chlorine (8%) were found exceeding the values above the standards. Among total, 40% of water samples were contaminated with total coliform bacteria. E. coli and Citrobacter species were dominant and isolated from 20 (64.52%) and 11 (35.48%) water samples, respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that E. coli isolates were resistant to ampicillin (20%), nitrofurantoin (10%), and cefotaxime (10%). Citrobacter spp. (54.54%) were found multidrug resistant (MDR) while none of the isolates of E. coli were MDR. Of total, 45% of the isolates developed biofilm while testing with the Microtiter plate method. Biofilm‐forming genes bcsA and csgD in E. coli isolates were detected with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) employing specific primers. bcsA and csgD genes were detected in 55% and 45% of the isolates, respectively. This study confirms the occurrences of biofilm forming and antibiotic resistant bacteria like E. coli in the drinking water supply system in Kathmandu alarming its environmental circulation and possible public health threat. Although further study is warranted, this study suggests public health and drinking water treatment interventions to mitigate the biofilm forming antibiotic resistant potential pathogens from supply water in Kathmandu, Nepal.Practitioner Points
Forty percent of tested drinking water samples in Kathmandu were contaminated with total coliform bacteria.
E. coli and half of Citrobacter spp. isolates were resistant to multiple antibiotics.
bcsA and csgD genes were detected in biofilm producing E.coli isolates.
Is social health insurance associated with smoking and alcohol consumption among Chinese older adults?
Authors: Xu Cai , Shelley Mack , Lee Yen‐Han 
Published: August 2024

AbstractChina launched a comprehensive health reform in 2009 to increase access to healthcare services and coverage rates. This study examined the associations of New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) and Urban Employment/Resident Basic Medical Insurance (UE/URBMI) with smoking and alcohol consumption among Chinese older adults. We extracted data from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted on the total sample (n = 9797) to examine smoking and drinking history. Negative binomial regression was performed on a subsample (n = 1442) to assess current daily cigarette usage. Gamma regression was employed on another subsample (n = 1422) to predict daily alcohol consumption. In the 2018 CLHLS sample, 15.69%, 30.38%, 14.51%, and 25.34% were current smokers, former smokers, current drinkers, and former drinkers, respectively. For current smokers, the mean daily cigarette consumption was 12.51 (SD = 8.99), and for current drinkers, the mean daily alcohol consumption was 2.57 liang (SD = 2.37). UE/URBMI coverage showed a statistically significant association with both smoking and drinking status prediction (all p < 0.001). However, there was no significant association between NCMS coverage and any of the outcomes. No significant associations were observed between major coverage of healthcare expenses and number of cigarettes smoked per day and daily alcohol consumption. The Chinese central government should incorporate health promotion benefits related to smoking and alcohol cessation programs.
Water conflict analysis in a changing context: A qualitative systematic review of trends, patterns, and approaches in Iran
Authors: Jafari Milad , Andik Behnam , Mianabadi Hojjat , Ghorbani Amineh , Nasri Fakhredavood Sedigheh , Choobchian Shahla , Mirhashemi Dehkordi Seyedeh Simin 
Published: August 2024

AbstractForemost in dealing effectively with water conflicts is comprehensive analysis. The global surge in water conflicts, coupled with the imperfect success of solutions, initiatives, and policies, calls for a critical reevaluation of the paradigms that guide approaches to water conflicts. The approach taken—conflict management, resolution, or transformation—has a decisive impact on addressing water conflicts, from the initial analysis to the crafting of policies and their practical implementation. Iran is a prime example of this, with water conflicts increasing at various scales despite concerted mitigation efforts. This paper, through a qualitative content analysis of 159 peer‐reviewed papers collected via a systematic review, aims to delineate the prevailing approach to water conflict analysis within Iran's academic discourse, thereby partially shedding light on the shortcomings in both policy and practice. Water conflict resolution, and its respective models such as game theory and optimization–simulation, is the predominant approach in Iran's literature on water conflict analysis, thereby marginalizing attention dedicated to conflict management and transformation. This reflects an overarching focus on techno‐economic functions to deal with water conflicts, often overlooking the myriads of managerial and societal factors. The adoption of water conflict transformation can be vital to rectify these deficits in conflict analysis, potentially with subsequent impacts on policy and practice.
Transforming Lives: First-Person Reflections from UC Links Participants
Authors: Cano John , Elaine Marjorie 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThis chapter offers eight first-person narratives from differently positioned UC Links participants including community partners, undergraduate and graduate students, and university faculty. Together, these reflections describe how participation in UC Links programs has transformed lives: by creating opportunities for changing forms of participation by members who have taken on different roles and identities in the network over time and by both inspiring aspirations and opening pathways to college, careers, and life.
Educational Inclusion in Uruguay: Creating Collaborative Narratives with Migrant Children During the Pandemic
Authors: Da Silva Mónica 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThis chapter describes a collaboration between teachers and students at the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay, and young participants from nearby minority communities. Set during the COVID-19 pandemic in a school working with a high percentage of immigrant children, the author details the development of an intergenerational and intercultural multi-grade classroom that provided an opportunity for critical reflection and growth for all participants (teachers, researchers, university students, community leaders, and children). The program is based on models such as La Clase Mágica and the Fifth Dimension and promotes the development of children’s imagination, integrating narrative, creative, collaborative processes and the use of different technological artifacts in community and school contexts. In this chapter we reflect on the experience of working in a pandemic and show how the system of activities we built offered an opportunity for critical reflection and growth for all the people involved. We seek to generate processes of educational inclusion, understood as the guarantee of access, quality permanence, belonging, and full participation of boys and girls, regardless of their personal, ethnic-racial, social, economic, and cultural characteristics, through the design and implementation of a collaborative and narrative proposal.
Concluding Thoughts: Reflections on Resistance, Renewal, and the Future of Transformative Education
Authors: Gzehoviak Jackson , Bronstein Micaela 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThis concluding chapter provides closing thoughts and lessons learned from the perspective of two doctoral students at UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies. The students share their personal educational pathways, their experience working on this edited volume, and their hopes and visions for the future of transformative education. Taking up the frames of resistance and renewal mapped out throughout the volume, the conclusion critically reflects on some of the unifying themes described in UC Links programs.
Nurturing Connection through Joyful, Creative Play: A Heart-Driven Approach to Educator Preparation
Authors: Minkoff Andréa C. , Franco Janelle , Elaine Marjorie 
Published: August 2024

AbstractB-Club was a play-based after-school program set in the heart of a diverse, new immigrant community in Los Angeles. This chapter discusses the transformative potential of this space for educator preparation. By sharing examples from B-Club, we suggest possibilities for re-imaging teacher education and reconceptualizing what learning can look like for both children and adults. We unpack examples of creative play and joyful human connection that took place in this multilingual, cross-age program, showing how children and university students worked and played as they moved across activities in a free-flowing, indoor-outdoor space. We describe the learning that happened for children and adult students alike, and call for creating more such learning spaces that integrate mind, heart, and activity by approaching learning as a playful and creative act. We also underscore the importance of connection and the ways in which relationships can nurture buds of development, promote agency, produce powerful forms of learning, and support the wellbeing of body, mind, and spirit.
Co-designing Science Lessons in Spanish: Connecting Science, Home Language, and Community for Undergraduates
Authors: Nation Jasmine McBeath , Yep Alejandra 
Published: August 2024

AbstractNuestra Ciencia (NC) is a university-school partnership connecting faculty and undergraduates with elementary learners from bilingual schools. Interdisciplinary teams of undergraduates and faculty develop experiments and educational resources, and lead activities in Spanish. The program teaches elementary students everyday microbiology concepts, engages them in hands-on science, and connects them with Spanish-speaking scientific role models. This chapter describes the collaborative process of developing and teaching a virtual lesson in Spanish about vaccines’ mechanism of action. We analyze the impact of NC undergraduates’ views on research, scientific content in Spanish, and sense of belonging to STEM and higher education. We present how undergraduates came to view research as collaborative and relevant, as they reported bringing their “whole selves” into the design and teaching process, and saw the “real-world impact” of microbiology lessons that mattered to their communities. Additionally, designing and teaching in Spanish impacted their views on academic Spanish, as they connected science, home language, and community. Multiple goals of NC focus on Spanish-speaking children’s microbiology literacy and interest in science. However, the impact of our co-design process on undergraduates shows that, as we work on designing and implementing lessons, NC also has a positive impact on undergraduates and their families.
Making Connections: Pandemic-Era Lessons from a Maker-Centered University–Community Partnership
Authors: Martin Lee , Lee Jade , Leapman J. C. , Rainey-Ruiz Ann 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBeta Lab Links connects UC Davis faculty and students with young people in the region to support them in imagining, designing, and building “maker” projects of their own choosing. The idea of “making” is broad and has a long history, but it has recently become associated with playful tinkering and design work that combines low-tech craft technologies (e.g., sewing, woodworking, and papercraft) with high-tech tools (e.g., microcontrollers, 3-D printers, software design). Advocates of maker-centered education emphasize its potential to foster STEM identity, knowledge, and skill development in a fun and inclusive environment.Typically, Beta Lab Links work in person at the schools or community centers youth already attend, using a mobile maker van to create “pop-up” making spaces. During COVID-19 closures, Beta Lab Links collaborated with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Sacramento to distribute maker kits to families and hold weekly online sessions with upper elementary-school-aged youth. These activities focused primarily on papercraft and electronics, as these were novel, STEM-rich, and did not require additional tools.This chapter shares Beta Lab’s core pedagogical commitments and explores how the move online provided a catalyst for reflection and new insights into processes of connection and community through making.
Microstructural homogenization and mechanical enhancement of aluminum matrix composites via multi-pass friction stir processing with SiC reinforcements
Authors: Leszczyńska-Madej Beata , Madej Marcin , Wąsik Anna , Węglowska Aleksandra 
Published: August 2024

AbstractIn this study, the environmentally friendly friction stir processing (FSP) method was utilized to fabricate surface composites employing technical aluminum matrix 1050-H14 and aluminum alloy 6060-T4 reinforced with silicon carbide (SiC) particles. Microstructure analysis, employing light and scanning electron microscopy, in conjunction with comprehensive evaluations of hardness, compressive strength, and tribological properties, was conducted to elucidate significant findings. The results reveal that an augmented number of FSP passes contributes to the homogenization of microstructure, leading to the alteration of SiC particle morphology and fragmentation. Consequently, this phenomenon results in improved mechanical properties, particularly noteworthy in the case of AA6060-T4 alloy matrix composites, and enhanced wear resistance. Both AA1050-SiC and AA6060-SiC composites demonstrate notable increases in compressive strength compared to their unreinforced matrices. Particularly noteworthy is the substantial enhancement in compressive strength observed in the AA6060-SiCp composite, escalating from 249 to 331 MPa (at ε = 0.1) and from 398 to 715 MPa (at ε = 0.2) with an increase in the number of FSP passes. Additionally, FSP’s ability to precisely control process parameters such as tool rotational speed and traverse speed allows for the optimization of mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics tailored to specific application requirements. This study highlights the potential of FSP in fabricating high-performance aluminum matrix composites with superior strength and wear resistance, positioning it as a viable technique for advanced engineering applications. The environmentally friendly nature of FSP, due to its solid-state operation and reduced energy consumption, further underscores its suitability for sustainable manufacturing practices.
Metabolic activation of WHO-congeners PCB28, 52, and 101 by human CYP2A6: evidence from in vitro and in vivo experiments
Authors: Randerath Isabella , Schettgen Thomas , Müller Julian Peter , Rengelshausen Jens , Ziegler Susanne , Quinete Nathalia , Bertram Jens , Laieb Salah , Schaeffeler Elke , Kaifie Andrea , Just Katja S. , Voigt Aaron , Tremmel Roman , Schwab Matthias , Stingl Julia C. , Kraus Thomas , Ziegler Patrick 
Published: August 2024

AbstractDespite extensive research on the metabolism of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), knowledge gaps persist regarding their isoform-specific biotransformation pathways. This study aimed to elucidate the role of different cytochrome P450 enzymes in PCB metabolism, focusing on WHO-congeners 2,4,4′-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB28), 2,2′,5,5′-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB52), and 2,2′,4,5,5′-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB101). Utilizing engineered HEK293 cell lines, we investigated the in vitro metabolism of these PCBs by CYP1A2, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP3A4, CYP2A6, and CYP2E1, revealing robust production of hydroxylated metabolites. Our results show that CYP2A6 plays a major role in the metabolism of these congeners responsible for predominant formation of para-position hydroxylated metabolites, with concentrations reaching up to 1.61 µg/L (5,89 nM) for PCB28, 316.98 µg/L (1,03 µM) for PCB52, and 151.1 µg/L (441 nM) for PCB101 from a 20 µM parent PCB concentration. Moreover, concentration-dependent cytotoxic and cytostatic effects induced by reactive intermediates of the PCB hydroxylation pathway were observed in HEK293CYP2A6 cells, for all three congeners tested. CYP2A6 was specifically capable of activating PCBs 28 and 101 to genotoxic metabolites which produced genetic defects which were propagated to subsequent generations, potentially contributing to carcinogenesis. In a clinical study examining CYP2A6 enzyme activity in formerly exposed individuals with elevated internal PCB levels, a participant with increased enzyme activity showed a direct association between the phenotypic activity of CYP2A6 and the metabolism of PCB28, confirming the role of CYP2A6 in the in vivo metabolism of PCB28 also in humans. These results altogether reinforce the concept that CYP2A6 plays a pivotal role in PCB congener metabolism and suggest its significance in human health, particularly in the metabolism of lower chlorinated, volatile PCB congeners.
Deep learning-aided respiratory motion compensation in PET/CT: addressing motion induced resolution loss, attenuation correction artifacts and PET-CT misalignment
Authors: Lu Yihuan , Kang Fei , Zhang Duo , Li Yue , Liu Hao , Sun Chen , Zeng Hao , Shi Lei , Zhao Yumo , Wang Jing 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Respiratory motion (RM) significantly impacts image quality in thoracoabdominal PET/CT imaging. This study introduces a unified data-driven respiratory motion correction (uRMC) method, utilizing deep learning neural networks, to solve all the major issues caused by RM, i.e., PET resolution loss, attenuation correction artifacts, and PET-CT misalignment.

Methods
In a retrospective study, 737 patients underwent [18F]FDG PET/CT scans using the uMI Panorama PET/CT scanner. Ninety-nine patients, who also had respiration monitoring device (VSM), formed the validation set. The remaining data of the 638 patients were used to train neural networks used in the uRMC. The uRMC primarily consists of three key components: (1) data-driven respiratory signal extraction, (2) attenuation map generation, and (3) PET-CT alignment. SUV metrics were calculated within 906 lesions for three approaches, i.e., data-driven uRMC (proposed), VSM-based uRMC, and OSEM without motion correction (NMC). RM magnitude of major organs were estimated.

Results
uRMC enhanced diagnostic capabilities by revealing previously undetected lesions, sharpening lesion contours, increasing SUV values, and improving PET-CT alignment. Compared to NMC, uRMC showed increases of 10% and 17% in SUVmax and SUVmean across 906 lesions. Sub-group analysis showed significant SUV increases in small and medium-sized lesions with uRMC. Minor differences were found between VSM-based and data-driven uRMC methods, with the SUVmax was found statistically marginal significant or insignificant between the two methods. The study observed varied motion amplitudes in major organs, typically ranging from 10 to 20 mm.

Conclusion
A data-driven solution for respiratory motion in PET/CT has been developed, validated and evaluated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first unified solution that compensates for the motion blur within PET, the attenuation mismatch artifacts caused by PET-CT misalignment, and the misalignment between PET and CT.
The prevalence and anatomy of accessory navicular bone: a meta-analysis
Authors: Stolarz Kacper , Osiowski Aleksander , Preinl Maciej , Osiowski Maksymilian , Jasiewicz Barbara , Taterra Dominik 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Purpose
There have been over 40 descriptions of the common developmental variants of the accessory ossicles of the feet. Although predominantly asymptomatic, they sometimes may be linked to painful conditions. One of the most common accessory ossicles in the foot is the accessory navicular bone (AN), located on the medial side of the foot. Our research provides a first meta-analysis on this topic that establishes its frequency by contrasting 39 studies from across the globe.

Methods
Up to February 2024, PubMed and Embase databases were thoroughly searched for research on the AN. Eligible data regarding AN prevalence was extracted. This study strictly adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Results
A total of 39 studies, 11,015 patients, and 36,837 feet were analyzed in our study. The pooled prevalence estimate (PPE) of AN was found to be 17.5% (95%CI: 11.5–25.7) and 12.6% (95%CI: 10.1–15.5) in patients and feet analyses, respectively. Accessory navicular occurred bilaterally in 50.0% of patients, with similar distribution in gender-based groups (21.1% of males and 22.0% of females were confirmed with AN). Accessory navicular was most prevalent in the East Asian population (38.4%) and least prevalent in North Americans (8.0%). No significant differences in AN prevalence were found when comparing different imaging modalities (X-ray and cadaver dissection).

Conclusion
Accessory navicular is a common finding in imaging studies. Its prevalence depends on the population covered by the study but is not affected by the patient’s gender or the imaging modality utilized for AN assessment.
Infant Botulism: In Search of Clostridium botulinum Spores
Authors: Harris Richard A. , Dabritz Haydee A. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractInfant botulism is now the most common form of human botulism in Canada and the United States. Infant botulism is a severe neuroparalytic disease caused by ingestion of the spore-forming neurotoxic clostridia, including Clostridium botulinum that colonize the large intestine and subsequently produce botulinum neurotoxin in situ. It has been over a century since the first surveys documenting the ubiquitous prevalence of C. botulinum in soils around the world. Since then, honey has been identified as the only well-known risk factor for infant botulism despite a multitude of international environmental surveys isolating C. botulinum spores from ground soil, aquatic sediments, and commonly available infant foods. Associations of infant botulism cases with confirmed sources of C. botulinum exposure have primarily implicated outdoor soil and indoor dust, as well as commonly ingested foods including honey, dry cereals, and even powdered infant formula. Yet the origin of infection remains unknown for most infant botulism cases. This review summarizes the various surveys from around the world for C. botulinum in environmental soils and sediments, honey, and other infant foods, as well as laboratory-confirmed associations with documented infant botulism cases. Additional factors are also discussed, including the composition of infant gut microbiota and the practice of breastfeeding. We make several recommendations to better identify sources of exposure to C. botulinum spores that could lead to effective preventive measures and help reduce the incidence of this rare but life-threatening disease.