bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multiple Roles of Apolipoprotein E4 in Oxidative Lipid Metabolism and Ferroptosis During the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Faraji Parisa , Kühn Hartmut , Ahmadian Shahin 
Published: July 2024

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease worldwide and has a great socio-economic impact. Modified oxidative lipid metabolism and dysregulated iron homeostasis have been implicated in the pathogenesis of this disorder, but the detailed pathophysiological mechanisms still remain unclear. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a lipid-binding protein that occurs in large quantities in human blood plasma, and a polymorphism of the APOE gene locus has been identified as risk factors for AD. The human genome involves three major APOE alleles (APOE2, APOE3, APOE4), which encode for three subtly distinct apolipoprotein E isoforms (APOE2, APOE3, APOE4). The canonic function of these apolipoproteins is lipid transport in blood and brain, but APOE4 allele carriers have a much higher risk for AD. In fact, about 60% of clinically diagnosed AD patients carry at least one APOE4 allele in their genomes. Although the APOE4 protein has been implicated in pathophysiological key processes of AD, such as extracellular beta-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, formation of neurofibrillary tangles, modified oxidative lipid metabolism, and ferroptotic cell death, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not well understood. As for all mammalian cells, iron plays a crucial role in neuronal functions and dysregulation of iron homeostasis has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD. Imbalances in iron homeostasis and impairment of the hydroperoxy lipid-reducing capacity induce cellular dysfunction leading to neuronal ferroptosis. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on APOE4-related oxidative lipid metabolism and the potential role of ferroptosis in the pathogenesis of AD. Pharmacological interference with these processes might offer innovative strategies for therapeutic interventions.
A mechanical study of the influence of ankle joint angle on translational traction of soccer boots
Authors: Loud Danyon , Grimshaw Paul , Kelso Richard , Robertson William S. P. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe shoe–surface interaction for soccer players has both safety and performance implications. This interaction has been widely researched in terms of outsole configuration and surface type. However, these investigations, particularly those involving translational traction, often neglect the approach angle of the foot in terms of a real-world setting. This investigation considers the foot position prior to injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament tears, and observes how the translational traction alters with various angles for simulated plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, calcaneal inversion and calcaneal eversion. It was hypothesised that, as these angles increased, the translational traction would decrease as there would be less contact area between the boot and the surface compared to the neutral, flat footform. A custom-built testing apparatus recorded the translational traction of a soccer boot moving in four different directions at different loading angles on both a natural grass and artificial grass playing surface. A one-way ANOVA was performed, with a post-hoc Tukey Test to determine the significant differences between the translational traction between each angle. It was found that the geometry of the outsole configuration, more specifically, the apparent contact area between the shoe and surface played a significant role in the level of traction obtained. These results highlight the importance of stud geometry, particularly with respect to movements when the foot is angled as it would be in a potential injury scenario. Manufacturers should consider the profile of studs relative to the expected movements to not induce excessive traction, which could lead to potential foot fixation and injury.
Estimating future bathymetric surface of Kainji Reservoir using Markov Chains and Cellular Automata algorithms
Authors: Ibrahim Pius Onoja , Sternberg Harald , Ojigi Lazarus Mustapha 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe menace of sedimentation to reservoirs has a significant implication for water quality, storage capacity and reservoir lifetime. Rainfall patterns and other anthropogenic and environmental impacts alter the erosion rate and, by extension, directly affect sedimentation rates if left unchecked. This research focused on using the integration of Markov Chains and Cellular Automata (MC – CA) models to estimate and forecast the future bathymetric surface of the Kainji reservoir in Nigeria for the year 2050. The bathymetric datasets used for this research comprise two different epochs (1990 and 2020). The datasets were acquired using a Single Beam Echosounder at Low and High frequencies of 20 kHz and 200 kHz. The preliminary investigation revealed that sedimentation is exacerbating a greater danger to the reservoir functionality. The results show that the maximum observed depth is 71.2 m, indicating a 7.53% loss in depth from the 1990 archived data and a 16.24% depth loss to sedimentation from 1968 to 2020 and 22.35% depth loss in the year 2050 as shown on the projected surface. Consequently, the integrated model (MC and CA) efficiently predicted the future bathymetric surface of the Kainji reservoir for the year 2050 based on the data characteristics. However, the proven techniques for analysing spatial data, such as the Markov Chain and Cellular Automata, best suited for analysing categorical transition data, show some artefacts (black spots) on the projected generated map which is subject to further investigation.
Economic production of eco-friendly dehairing keratinase and antioxidant feather hydrolyzate using Bacillus halotolerans
Authors: Ismail Shaymaa A. , Nour Shaimaa A. , Nashy El-Shahat H. A. , Abdel-Fattah Azza M. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractFeather is a high recalcitrance keratin-based biomass, and keratin-degrading microorganisms have been seen as beneficial tools for its biodegradation and production of valuable products with biomedical and industrial applications. In the current study, the isolated keratinolytic bacteria was identified on the base of its 16 S rDNA sequencing data as Bacillus halotolerans, and its efficiency in the hydrolysis of feather with the preservation of most of its amino acid constituent was estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography Pico-Tag (HPLC PICO-TAG) method. The produced hydrolysate possessed antioxidant activity of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity of 52.3 ± 5.6 mmole TE/g without possessing any cytotoxicity to human normal skin fibroplast cell line BJ-1 estimated by MTT assay. Moreover, the isolated strain was capable for producing keratinase under submerged fermentation of feather that was optimized by combining single-variable-at-a-time optimization with the application of statistical designs (Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken). The optimum keratinase activity was 140.83 U/mL that was enhanced by 3.2-fold of the estimated initial activity, and the purified enzyme possessed optimum activity at pH 9.5 and 70 °C with a half-life of 69.3 min. Finally, the applicability of the purified enzyme in the dehairing of bovine hide was examined in comparison to sodium sulfide (Na2S) and lime (Ca(OH)2) conventional method. The results estimated the efficiency of the examined bio-treatment process, it achieved complete dehairing after 2 h with a good skin quality as manifested by scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, a significant reduction of the pollution load parameters was estimated.
Strengths and Limitations of BMI in the Diagnosis of Obesity: What is the Path Forward?
Authors: Sweatt Katherine , Garvey W. Timothy , Martins Catia 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Purpose of Review
This review aims to discuss strengths and limitations of body mass index (BMI) in diagnosing obesity, the use of alternative anthropometric measurements, and potential new technology that may change the future of obesity diagnosis and management.

Recent Findings
The diagnosis of obesity requires the anthropometric assessment of adiposity. In clinical settings, this should include BMI with confirmation that elevated BMI represents excess adiposity and a measure of fat distribution (i.e., waist circumference (WC), waist to height ratio (WHtR), or WC divided by height0.5 (WHR.5R). Digital anthropometry and bioelectric impedance (BIA) can estimate fat distribution and be feasibly employed in the clinic. In addition, the diagnosis should include a clinical component assessing the presence and severity of weight-related complications.

Summary
As anthropometric measures used in the diagnosis of obesity, BMI is generally sufficient if confirmed to represent excess adiposity, and there are advantages to the use of WHtR over WC to assess fat distribution. BIA and digital anthropometry have the potential to provide accurate measures of fat mass and distribution in clinical settings. There should also be a clinical evaluation for the presence and severity of obesity complications that can be used to stage the disease.
Interactive Mixed Reality Methods for Visualization of Underground Utilities
Authors: Abdul Muthalif Mohamed Zahlan , Shojaei Davood , Khoshelham Kourosh 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis research aims to overcome the difficulties associated with visualizing underground utilities by proposing six interactive visualization methods that utilize Mixed Reality (MR) technology. By leveraging MR technology, which enables the seamless integration of virtual and real-world content, a more immersive and authentic experience is possible. The study evaluates the proposed visualization methods based on scene complexity, parallax effect, real-world occlusion, depth perception, and overall effectiveness, aiming to identify the most effective methods for addressing visual perceptual challenges in the context of underground utilities. The findings suggest that certain MR visualization methods are more effective than others in mitigating the challenges of visualizing underground utilities. The research highlights the potential of these methods, and feedback from industry professionals suggests that each method can be valuable in specific contexts.
Assessment of Advanced Machine and Deep Learning Approaches for Predicting CO2 Emissions from Agricultural Lands: Insights Across Diverse Agroclimatic Zones
Authors: Harsányi Endre , Mirzaei Morad , Arshad Sana , Alsilibe Firas , Vad Atilla , Nagy Adrian , Ratonyi Tamás , Gorji Manouchehr , Al-Dalahme Main , Mohammed Safwan 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPrediction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from agricultural soil is vital for efficient and strategic mitigating practices and achieving climate smart agriculture. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of two machine learning algorithms [gradient boosting regression (GBR), support vector regression (SVR)], and two deep learning algorithms [feedforward neural network (FNN) and convolutional neural network (CNN)] in predicting CO2 emissions from Maize fields in two agroclimatic regions i.e., continental (Debrecen-Hungary), and semi-arid (Karaj-Iran). This research developed three scenarios for predicting CO2. Each scenario is developed by a combination between input variables [i.e., soil temperature (Δ), soil moisture (θ), date of measurement (SD), soil management (SM)] [i.e., SC1: (SM + Δ + θ), SC2: (SM + Δ), SC3: (SM + θ)]. Results showed that the average CO2 emission from Debrecen was 138.78 ± 72.04 ppm (n = 36), while the average from Karaj was 478.98 ± 174.22 ppm (n = 36). Performance evaluation results of train set revealed that high prediction accuracy is achieved by GBR in SC1 with the highest R2 = 0.8778, and lowest root mean squared error (RMSE) = 72.05, followed by GBR in SC3. Overall, the performance MDLM is ranked as GBR > FNN > CNN > SVR. In testing phase, the highest prediction accuracy was achieved by FNN in SC1 with R2 = 0.918, and RMSE = 67.75, followed by FNN in SC3, and GBR in SC1 (R2 = 0.887, RMSE = 79.881). The performance of MDLM ranked as FNN > GRB > CNN > SVR. The findings of the research provide insights into agricultural management strategies, enabling stakeholders to work towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient future in agriculture.
Anti-oomycete activity of asparagus and olive by-products with potential to control Phytophthora cinnamomi root rot
Authors: Martín María Ángeles Romero , García Rosa López , Rodríguez-Arcos Rocío , Jiménez-Araujo Ana , Moral María Socorro Serrano 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe development of environmentally friendly control methods to mitigate the severe damages caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi in the Mediterranean climate-type ecosystems is essential. In this way, crop waste and by-products which represent between 13 and 65% of agriculture production, are a rich source of bioactive compounds with antifungal and biocide activity. The main objective of this work was to determine the biocide activity against P. cinnamomi of three organic extracts. These extracts enriched in bioactive compounds come from residues of asparagus (Asp) and olive crops (Oliv and OH, from fruits and leaves respectively). They were evaluated at two doses (0.15 and 0.10%) on the mycelial growth and sporangial production of P. cinnamomi by in vitro experiments. Mycelial growth and sporangial production were significant reduced from the three plant extracts at the two doses tested, reaching a total inhibition with Asp at both doses. In general, no phytotoxicity symptoms were observed on seed germination and plant development, except for a plant yield reduction in the substrate treated with Oliv and Asp at the highest dose. In experiments performed in artificially infested soil, Asp induced a reduction of chlamydospores viability greater than 75% compared to unamended soil. Additionally, in planta experiments showed a significant reduction in plant mortality in substrate amended with OH. These results suggest that soil application of Asp and OH can limit P. cinnamomi infectivity and survival, setting the first steps to develop a sustainable method to control the root disease based on agricultural waste circular economy.
Implication of fault seal analysis method to evaluate the sealing conditions of major fault planes at Barapukuria basin, North-West Bangladesh
Authors: Roy Sushanta Kumar , Shemu Tamanna Meheran , Alam Mohammad Jahangir , Solaiman Mohammad 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe Barapukuria coal basin stands as Bangladesh’s sole active underground coal mining site. The geological setting of this basin is marked by two major faults, the Eastern Boundary Fault and FB fault encircling the basin perimeter, alongside several smaller faults and those induced by underground longwall mining activities. A major concerning issue of this mine is the water inrush into the mine area from the extensive groundwater aquifer, Upper DupiTila (UDT). Using the Fault Seal Analysis technique employed by (Yielding et al. in Am Assoc Pet Geol Bull 81:897–917, 1997) algorithm, this analysis attempts to identify susceptible areas and potential unsealed faults that could provide the risk of water invasion into the mine area. Evaluation of Fault Seal Analysis reveals varying Shale Gauge Ratio (SGR) values: 0.08 and 0.13 for the major Eastern Boundary Fault, 0.05 for the second largest FB fault, 0.35 and 0.53 for FB-1, and 5.65, 1.69, and 1.22 for the smaller faults BGP-N-F11, BGP-N-F2, and F-24, respectively. According to SGR values, the Eastern Boundary Fault and the FB fault plane are anticipated to be unsealed and dip westward at an angle of 75°-80°, rendering them vulnerable to water inflow through the fault planes. The analysis also suggests that the Lower DupiTila (LDT) aquiclude which can impede the groundwater flow from the UDT aquifer into the mine area, is very thin or absent in the northern region of the basin making this region highly susceptible to water inundation.
Assessment of suitability for photovoltaic power generation in periurban seminatural grasslands: toward the coexistence of seminatural grasslands and photovoltaic power generation
Authors: Nakatani Miharu , Osawa Takeshi 
Published: July 2024

AbstractRenewable energy has grown substantially in recent years due to its efficacy in mitigating climate change. The rapid proliferation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and subsequent alterations in land use have led to concerns about the impact on local ecosystems. Particularly in Japan, seminatural grasslands, which are valuable habitats, are being developed as solar PVs. Here, we focused on stilt-mounted agrivoltaic systems, capable of both photovoltaic power generation and plant growth beneath solar panels. By repurposing this technology, the coexistence of vegetation and solar PV systems can be possibly ensured. To assess the feasibility of this proposed approach, we initially examined the suitability of installing solar PV in seminatural grasslands. The suitability of seminatural grasslands, solar PVs, and random points for solar PV was evaluated in terms of electricity generation and construction costs. The environmental conditions of seminatural grasslands were found to be advantageous for electricity generation. On the other hand, in terms of construction costs, seminatural grasslands were comparable to randomly selected sites. These findings indicate that the suitability of existing seminatural grasslands for solar PV plant installations is not considerably lower than that of other land types. The idea of reconciling solar power generation with ecosystem conservation holds promise and warrants further investigation toward its realization.
A systematic scoping review characterising studies investigating workplace nutritional interventions in male employees
Authors: Schinnenburg L. , Gibson R. 
Published: July 2024

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the predominant cause of death in the UK(1) and place an economic burden on societies(2). An unhealthy diet is one of the four main behavioural risk factors for NCDs(3) and thus, interventions targeting dietary behaviour are of particular interest in the prevention of NCDs. The workplace may be a valuable setting for these interventions as employees represent a large proportion of the population in the UK(4). In the male population, NCDs and several risk factors typically manifest at a younger age(5) and, additionally, males participate less in health-promoting activities(6).The aim of this scoping review was to identify and characterise the evidence base to determine if a future full systematic review on nutrition interventions in the workplace to improve health and well- being in males is feasible.The review was conducted adhering to the PRISMA guideline for Scoping Reviews(7). Three electronic databases (Ovid, PubMed, and The Cochrane Library) were systematically searched for relevant publications responding to the research question from inception. No restrictions were made in the search and all study types were eligible. Articles that were not available in English were excluded from the review. Eligible studies were reviewed using a pre-defined data extraction form and references hand-searched for relevant publications. Data synthesis was focused on describing application-oriented aspects and outcome analyses were reduced to anthropometric outcomes.Of the 1,224 publications from the initial database search, 46 were included in the review, with an additional 15 studies identified from hand-searching, resulting in 61 included reports on 57 interventions. Four main approaches to nutrition interventions at the workplace were identified; educational, environmental, individual counselling, and meal provision/replacement. Most interventions used multicomponent approaches. One of the 61 included reports followed a qualitative design. Anthropometric outcomes were reported in the majority (83.6%) of studies, followed by bioclinical outcomes (45.9%), other outcomes were food (34.4%) and nutrient intake (22.9%), smoking habits (14.8%) and, one study reported on Quality of Life. Of the studies reporting anthropometric outcomes 69% reported to be effective in improving body weight, 47.8% BMI and 54.5% waist circumference. No determinants of successful interventions such as type, duration, workplace participation were identified.This review suggests that nutrition interventions at the workplace are effective in improving several anthropometric outcomes. A future full systematic review is feasible but should consider narrowing the research question to account for limitations in the current evidence base as differences in reporting of design, population, intervention, and outcomes severely limited data analyses. Furthermore, to enable high-quality research, the development of a reporting tool, such as the TIDieR checklist (8) is recommended.
Effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on markers of oral health: A systematic review
Authors: Alhulaefi S. , Watson A. , Ramsay S.E , Jakubovics N. , Matu J. , Griffiths A. , Kimble R. , Brandt K. , Shannon OM. 
Published: July 2024

The oral cavity is a vital part of the digestive system. Poor oral health can impact an individual’s ability to eat and has been associated with increased risk of non-communicable diseases and reduced longevity. Conversely, positive oral health has been associated with improved cardiometabolic, cognitive and systemic health and greater longevity. Consumption of dietary nitrate, which is processed in the mouth into nitrite, and is subsequently converted into nitric oxide (NO) in the body (1), has been demonstrated to reduce blood pressure, improve endothelial function, and enhance exercise performance. Interestingly, recent studies suggest that nitrate consumption could also positively modulate markers of oral health (2). To our knowledge, no systematic review has been published examining the effect of inorganic dietary nitrate on oral health. However, this could be valuable to summarise current state of the knowledge, identify effect modifiers and highlight gaps for future research. Therefore, this systematic review aims to investigate the effects of dietary nitrate supplements on markers of oral health in vivo in randomised controlled trials (RCTs).This study was pre-registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023411159). Five databases (PubMed, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SPORTDiscus) were searched from inception until March 2023 to identify studies that met the following criteria: adult participants (≥ 18 years) and RCTs investigating the effects of oral dietary nitrate versus placebo on markers of oral health. A narrative synthesis of data was conducted. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool.Nine articles reporting data on 284 participants were included. Nitrate was provided via beetroot juice (six studies), a beetroot-derived supplement dissolved in mineral water (one study), and lettuce juice (two studies). The duration of the interventions ranged from one day to a maximum of six weeks. Dietary nitrate supplementation increased the relative abundance of several individual bacterial genera including Neisseria (increased in three studies) and Rothia (increased in three studies). Dietary nitrate supplementation increased salivary pH (increased in two studies) and decreased salivary acidification resulting from the consumption of a sugar-sweetened beverage (decreased in two studies). Furthermore, dietary nitrate supplementation resulted in a decrease in the gingival inflammation index in one study. Overall, the risk of bias in studies was mixed. One study had a low risk of bias, while the rest were rated as having some concerns. No study was considered to have a high risk of bias.The results show that dietary nitrate is a potential nutritional strategy that can potentially benefit oral health by modifying the oral microbiome, altering salivary pH, and minimising gingival inflammation.