bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hedgehog signaling is a promising target for the treatment of hepatic fibrogenesis: a new management strategy using itraconazole-loaded nanoparticles
Authors: Elmorsy Elsayed A. , Saber Sameh , Kira Ahmed Y. , Alghasham Abdullah , Abdel-Hamed Mohamed R. , Amer Maha M. , Mohamed Enas A. , AlSalloom A. A , Alkhamiss Abdullah S. , Hamad Rabab S. , Abdel-Reheim Mustafa Ahmed , Ellethy Abousree T. , Elsisi Hossam A. , Alsharidah Mansour , Elghandour Sahar R. , Elnawawy Tayseer , Abdelhady Rasha 
Published: May 2024

Liver fibrosis is a disease with a great global health and economic burden. Existing data highlights itraconazole (ITRCZ) as a potentially effective anti-fibrotic therapy. However, ITRCZ effect is hindered by several limitations, such as poor solubility and bioavailability. This study aimed to formulate and optimize chitosan nanoparticles (Cht NPs) loaded with ITRCZ as a new strategy for managing liver fibrosis. ITRCZ-Cht NPs were optimized utilizing a developed 22 full factorial design. The optimized formula (F3) underwent comprehensive in vitro and in vivo characterization. In vitro assessments revealed that F3 exhibited an entrapment efficiency of 89.65% ± 0.57%, a 169.6 ± 1.77 nm particle size, and a zeta potential of +15.93 ± 0.21 mV. Furthermore, in vitro release studies indicated that the release of ITRCZ from F3 adhered closely to the first-order model, demonstrating a significant enhancement (p-value &lt; 0.05) in cumulative release compared to plain ITRCZ suspension. This formula increased primary hepatocyte survival and decreased LDH activity in vitro. The in vivo evaluation of F3 in a rat model of liver fibrosis revealed improved liver function and structure. ITRCZ-Cht NPs displayed potent antifibrotic effects as revealed by the downregulation of TGF-β, PDGF-BB, and TIMP-1 as well as decreased hydroxyproline content and α-SMA immunoexpression. Anti-inflammatory potential was evident by reduced TNF-α and p65 nuclear translocation. These effects were likely ascribed to the modulation of Hedgehog components SMO, GLI1, and GLI2. These findings theorize ITRCZ-Cht NPs as a promising formulation for treating liver fibrosis. However, further investigations are deemed necessary.
The imbalance of self-reported wanting and liking is associated with the degree of attentional bias toward smoking-related stimuli in low nicotine dependence smokers
Authors: File Domonkos , Petro Bela , Kojouharova Petia , Kővári Lili , Gaál Zsófia Anna , Demetrovics Zsolt , Czigler István 
Published: May 2024

Background and aimsThe Incentive Sensitization Theory (IST) offers a comprehensive framework that explains how attentional mechanisms contribute to the maintenance and relapse of addictive behavior. However, the extent to which the underlying neuropsychological mechanisms are consciously accessible for report remains unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between self-reported wanting and liking among smokers and its relationship with detecting changes in smoking-related stimuli.DesignAn online experiment was designed deploying a flicker paradigm with neutral and smoking-related changes, completed by 422 individuals (mean age = 29.1 years, 214 non-smokers, 123 current smokers, and 85 former smokers). Additionally, the Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence and the Imaginative Wanting and Liking Questionnaire were administered.FindingsConsistent with prior research findings, smokers exhibited faster detection of smoking-related changes compared to non-smokers, while former smokers displayed an intermediate level of attentional bias, falling between the levels observed in smokers and non-smokers. Further, higher levels of nicotine dependence were associated with a greater discrepancy between self-reported wanting and liking, which was associated with better change detection performance for high salience smoking-related stimuli in smokers.ConclusionThese findings support the predictions of IST and support the notion that attentional bias might develops early in the course of nicotine addiction. Furthermore, the results indicate that the underlying cognitive mechanisms might be partially within conscious awareness, which opens up potential avenues for research design, treatment, and interventions.
Relationships between job satisfaction, occupational burnout and rationing of care among intensive care unit nurses
Authors: Tomaszewska Katarzyna , Kowalczuk Krystyna , Majchrowicz Bożena 
Published: May 2024

IntroductionRationing of nursing care is referred to as overlooking aspects of required patient care. Its result is incomplete or delayed services provided to the patient. Anesthesia nurses employed in an intensive care unit are exposed to a significant workload. Particularly heavy is the psychological burden leading in many cases to the onset of burnout syndrome and a decrease in job satisfaction.The aim of this paperWas to determine the relationship between occupational burnout, job satisfaction and rationing of care among anesthesia nurses employed in intensive care units.Materials and methodsThe study group consisted of 477 anesthesia nurses employed in intensive care units in Poland. The study was conducted between December 2022 and January 2023. The research tools were BERNCA-R questionnaire, Job Satisfaction Scale questionnaire and Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire, which were distributed to selected hospitals with a request to be forwarded to intensive care units and completed. In the statistical analysis, correlations were calculated using Spearman’s rho coefficient, reporting the intensity of the relationship and its positive or negative direction. The analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS 26.0 package with the Exact Tests module.ResultsThe mean score of the BERNCA questionnaire was 1.65 ± 0.82. The mean score of occupational burnout was 60.82 ± 10.46. The level of emotional exhaustion, which significantly affects occupational burnout, was 26.39 ± 6.07, depersonalization was 14.14 ± 3.21 and lack of personal achievement was 20.29 ± 4.70. All the scores obtained exceeded the threshold of 50% of total points, which indicates the presence of occupational burnout at a significant level. The job satisfaction of the nurses surveyed was above mean at 23.00 ± 5.2 out of 35 total points.ConclusionThe results proved that there is a statistically significant, although with a weak strength of association, correlation between occupational burnout and rationing of care by anesthesia nurses. As the limitation of anesthesia nurses’ ability to perform certain activities increases, their job satisfaction decreases. In a work environment that is conducive to nurses, there are fewer job responsibilities that are unfulfilled. Therefore, it is essential to create a friendly work environment for nursing staff that will promote the provision of services at the highest possible level.
Experiences of Food Insecurity Among Pregnant Adolescents and Adolescent Mothers in Ghana: A Photovoice Method
Authors: Posey Isabelle , Nsiah-Asamoah Christiana , Fergusson Russell Nicholas , Darkwa Entwi Esther , Okronipa Harriet 
Published: May 2024

Objectives: Food insecurity (FI) remains a major public health problem globally. However, there is limited information about adolescents’ experiences. The current study explored FI experiences of pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers in Cape Coast, Ghana using a Photovoice method.Methods: This study recruited 34 pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers from communities in Cape Coast, Ghana. Each participated in a training session then was provided prompts to take photos that portrayed food access barriers, facilitators and coping strategies. In a debrief session, each participant selected two pictures they took and explained the image, followed by a group discussion of the selected photos. Debrief sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim to develop themes using a theory-driven approach.Results: Most participants reported several or many experiences with FI (64.7%) in the previous month. Participants discussed money, unwanted pregnancy, and unstable work as barriers to obtaining food and working, selling goods, and family support as facilitators to obtaining food. Coping strategies mentioned include providing services to others, borrowing food and goods, meal stretching, pawning personal items and trading.Conclusion: The FI experience of this population is complex; interventions, including trade training or school retention, should be multifaceted.
Linking Variability in Phytochemical Composition with Safety Profile of Thymus carnosus Boiss. Extracts: Effect of Major Compounds and Evaluation of Markers of Oxidative Stress and Cell Death
Authors: Martins-Gomes Carlos , Nunes Fernando M. , Silva Amélia M. 
Published: May 2024

Natural products are generally considered safe for human consumption, but this classification is often based on ethnobotanical surveys or their use in traditional medicine over a long period of time. However, edaphoclimatic factors are known to produce different chemotypes, which may affect the safety profile and bioactivities, and are not commonly considered for plants exploited as crops worldwide. Thymus carnosus Boiss., a thyme species with various health-promoting effects, has potential pharmaceutical applications, but edaphoclimatic factors were found to significantly impact its phytochemical composition. Thus, we aimed to assess the safety profile of T. carnosus extracts obtained from plants harvested in two locations over three consecutive years and to establish an association with specific components, an essential study in the search for new sources of nutraceuticals. Thus, the antiproliferative effect of an aqueous decoction (AD), hydroethanolic (HE) extracts, and major extracts’ components of T. carnosus was evaluated on intestinal (Caco-2) and hepatic (HepG2) cell models, revealing effects dependent on extract type, cell line, and tested compounds. Flavonoids induced different cytotoxic patterns, which could be attributed to molecular structural differences. Flow cytometry analysis showed apoptosis and necrosis induction, mediated by the modulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential, effects that were dependent on the cell line and phytochemical composition and on the synergism between extracts components, rather than on the activity of an isolated compound. While ursolic acid was the component with the strongest impact on the difference between extraction methods, flavonoids assumed a pivotal role in the response of different cell lines to the extracts. We report for the first time, for Thymus spp. extracts, that variations in the phytochemical composition clearly influence the cellular response, thus highlighting the need for extract standardization for medicinal applications.
Allochthonous Trichoderma Isolates Boost Atractylodes lancea Herb Quality at the Cost of Rhizome Growth
Authors: Li Kuo , Lin Huaibin , Guo Xiuzhi , Wang Sheng , Wang Hongyang , Wang Tielin , Peng Zheng , Wang Yuefeng , Guo Lanping 
Published: May 2024

Atractylodes lancea is a perennial herb whose rhizome (AR) is a valuable traditional Chinese medicine with immense market demand. The cultivation of Atractylodes lancea faces outbreaks of root rot and deterioration in herb quality due to complex causes. Here, we investigated the effects of Trichoderma spp., well-known biocontrol agents and plant-growth-promoters, on ARs. We isolated Trichoderma strains from healthy ARs collected in different habitats and selected three T. harzianum strains (Th2, Th3 and Th4) with the strongest antagonizing effects on root rot pathogens (Fusarium spp.). We inoculated geo-authentic A. lancea plantlets with Th2, Th3 and Th4 and measured the biomass and quality of 70-day-old ARs. Th2 and Th3 promoted root rot resistance of A. lancea. Th2, Th3 and Th4 all boosted AR quality: the concentration of the four major medicinal compounds in ARs (atractylon, atractylodin, hinesol and β-eudesmol) each increased 1.6- to 18.2-fold. Meanwhile, however, the yield of ARs decreased by 0.58- to 0.27-fold. Overall, Th3 dramatically increased the quality of ARs at a relatively low cost, namely lower yield, showing great potential for practical application. Our results showed selectivity between A. lancea and allochthonous Trichoderma isolates, indicating the importance of selecting specific microbial patches for herb cultivation.
Aggressive Tax Planning and Performance by Kenya Revenue Authority
Authors: Muturi John , Musau Salome 
Published: May 2024

Taxation is a vital fiscal tool that can be utilized to augment the economic wellbeing of a nation. Taxation is not only vital for revenue generation purposes; it can also be used to control the behavior of taxpayers such as raising taxes on commodities that are deemed to be toxic to the society, if over consumed. In Kenya, from Financial Year 2010/11 to Financial Year 2020/21 has recorded a deficit budget. A deficit budget implies that the economy’s leverage is weak. The country`s debt ceiling has now become a major issue, since the increase in national debt has surpassed the stipulated threshold necessitating adjustment of debt ceiling. Aggressive tax planning is vital with regards to revenue performance by Kenya Revenue Authority. This paper reviews the conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature and raises a variety of issues that necessitates a proposed theoretical model for the purpose of understanding aggressive tax planning and performance by Kenya Revenue Authority. This study aims at assessing the effects of debt shifting, location of intellectual property rights, bilateral tax treaty and performance by Kenya Revenue Authority. This research will be anchored on Social Learning Theory and Tax Competition Theory. This research study reviewed on the previous studies undertaken on the area of interest. This study focused on the study findings and the methodology. The conclusions regarding the relationship that exist between the independent variables and dependent for this study were derived from the findings of the past studies. Recommendations in this study were made based on the previous study findings and conclusions. This study found that Multinational corporations tend to exploit all the available loopholes within the tax laws in order for them to decrease their tax liability to tax administration. Due to multinational corporations adopting aggressive tax planning, the dire repercussions include tax revenues being collected by the tax administration tend to reduce significantly. This leads to tax administration not meeting their tax revenues collection targets. This study recommends KRA to continuously review any existing loopholes in the tax laws. Sealing the respective loopholes in the tax laws tend to enhance tax revenues collection targets. Further, multinational corporations need to observe ethics in their business practices.
Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice of Health Professionals in Togo
Authors: Agbeko Foli , Takassi Ounoo Elom , Ayao Azindje Jean Baptiste , Ate Karilowô , Kouvahe Damien , Pakoudjare Mazama , Fiawoo Mawouto , Nadiedjoa Douti Kokou , Djadou Edem Koffi 
Published: May 2024

Background. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in behavior, social communication, and interaction.
Objectives. To describe health staff's knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding ASD in Lomé.
Methods. From January to March 2020, we conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study on ASD in childhood. A survey was administered to a sample of healthcare professionals in 5 facilities in Lomé, Togo. A questionnaire assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of ASD among 139 participants (pediatricians, neurologists, general practitioners, psychologists, speech therapists, and nurses).
Results.The participation rate was 84.2 % (117 / 139). One hundred seven health workers (91.5 %) had heard of ASD. Inaccurate knowledge was observed: 65.4 % gave a good definition of autism, 73.2 % did not know the autistic triad, the early warning signs (64.6 %), or the age of onset (61.0 %). Only 22.0 % of staff were familiar with autism screening tools. The highest knowledge was significantly associated with being a speech therapist or pediatrician practicing in a tertiary health facility (p < 0,0001). Higher-graded staff also observed better knowledge levels (p = 0, 0128). Concerning attitudes or practices regarding autistic children, 26 of those surveyed (22,2 %) had already screened for ASD, of whom 23 (88,5 %) worked with other specialties in case management.
Conclusion. This study highlights inappropriate knowledge, attitudes, and practices among health staff. These findings warrant the need for good initial training on ASD, awareness campaigns, and the setting up a specialized center in Togo.
Studi Cross-sectional: Karakteristik Tenaga Kerja dan Iklim Keselamatan di Workshop Peralatan Pembuatan Semen
Authors: Maharja Rizky , Seftianingsih M. Nur Angraeni , Latief Ade Wira Lisrianti , Juliani Arni , Syamsul Muhammad Azrul , Maharja Riadnin 
Published: May 2024

Iklim keselamatan atau persamaan persepsi bertujuan untuk meningkatkan keselamatan kerja di tempat kerja dan menurunkan angka kecelakaan kerja. Di mana iklim keselamatan ini dapat berbeda-beda tergantung dari karakteristik pekerja. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh karakteristik tenaga kerja terhadap iklim keselamatan di bagian workshop peralatan pembuatan semen. Jenis penelitian pada penelitian ini adalah kuantitatif yang menggunakan pendekatan cross-sectional. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh tenaga kerja di bagian workshop PT. PKM. Teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan total sampling dengan jumlah 56 orang tenaga kerja. Karakteristik tenaga kerja pada penelitian ini diantaranya adalah usia, masa kerja, tingkat pendidikan, posisi jabatan dan status perkawinan. Sedangkan iklim keselamatan diukur menggunakan NOSACQ-50. Analisis data yang digunakan adalah regresi ordinal. Hasil dari penelitian ini didapatkan bahwa masa kerja (?=0,013), posisi jabatan (?=0,00) dan tingkat pendidikan (?=0,021) memiliki pengaruh terhadap iklim keselamatan kerja tenaga kerja sedangkan usia (?=0,137) dan status perkawinan (?=0,556) tidak berpengaruh terhadap iklim keselamatan tenaga kerja. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah karakteristik tenaga kerja yang berpengaruh dengan iklim keselamatan adalah masa kerja, posisi jabatan, dan tingkat pendidikan.

Kata Kunci: iklim keselamatan, karakteristik tenaga kerja, masa kerja, pendidikan, posisi jabatan
Lyric poetry of Venedikt Mart in 1917: from artistic ethnography to social and philosophical issues
Authors: Сливко С.В. 
Published: May 2024

В статье рассмотрено развитие лирической поэзии известного дальневосточного поэта Венедикта Марта в период Февральской революции. Развитие традиционных мотивов в творчестве поэта и обращение им к художественной этнографии дополнилось произведениями, в которой этот подход дополнился социально-философским осмыслением общественных проблем, обостренных развитием общенационального кризиса. Выявлены особенности осмысления поэтом этнического своеобразия Дальнего Востока России, а также китайского и корейского населения. Рассмотрено отражение в творчестве Венедикта Марта влияния зарубежной литературы, а также революционной действительности 1917 года.
The article considers the development of lyric poetry of Venedikt Mart, the famous Far East poet, during the February Revolution. The development of traditional motifs in the poet's creative work, and his appeal to artistic ethnography were supplemented by works in which this approach was aligned with socio-philosophical comprehension of social problems aggravated by the development of the national crisis. The peculiarities of the poet's comprehension of the ethnic originality of the Russian Far East, as well as the Chinese and Korean population, are revealed. The reflection in the work of Venedikt Mart of the influence of foreign literature, as well as the revolutionary reality of 1917 is considered.
Independent expert assessment of foreign language competence of pedagogical university students
Authors: Сергеева И.Ф. 
Published: May 2024

В статье рассматривается участие высших учебных заведений Российской Федерации в совместной международной программе по оценке качества обучения французскому языку как иностранному учащихся общеобразовательных учреждений и студентов вузов.
The article examines the participation of Russian higher educational institutions in a joint international program to assess the quality of teaching French as a foreign language to students of general education institutions and university students.
Awake targeted memory reactivation doesn’t work
Authors: Hoffman Linda J. , Foley Julia M. , Tanrıverdi Büşra , Chein Jason , Olson Ingrid R. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractMemories are pliable and can be biased by post-encoding information. In targeted memory reactivation (TMR) studies, participants encode information then sleep, during which time sounds or scents that were previously associated with the encoded images are re-presented in an effort to trigger reactivation of the associated memory traces. Upon subsequent testing, memory for reactivated items is often enhanced. Is sleep essential for this process? The literature on awake TMR is small and findings are mixed. Here, we asked English-speaking adults to learn Japanese vocabulary words. During a subsequent active rest phase, participants played Tetris while sound cues associated with the vocabulary words were presented. Results showed that when memories were reactivated, they were either disrupted (Experiment 1) or unaffected (Experiments 2, 3). These findings indicate that awake TMR is not beneficial, and may actually impair subsequent memory. These findings have important implications for research on memory consolidation and reactivation.
Surprise!—Clarifying the link between insight and prediction error
Authors: Becker Maxi , Wang Xinhao , Cabeza Roberto 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe AHA experience, a moment of deep understanding during insightful problem-solving involving feelings of certainty, pleasure, and surprise, has captivated psychologists for more than a century. Recently, a new theoretical framework has proposed a link between the AHA experience and prediction error (PE), a popular concept in decision-making and reinforcement learning. This framework suggests that participants maintain a meta-cognitive prediction about the time it takes to solve a problem and the AHA experience arises when the problem is solved earlier than expected, resulting in a meta-cognitive PE. In our preregistered online study, we delved deeper into this idea, investigating whether prediction errors also pertain to participants’ predictions regarding the solvability of the problem itself, and which dimension of the AHA experience aligns with the meta-cognitive PE. Utilizing verbal insight problems, we found a positive association between the AHA experience and the meta-cognitive PE, specifically in regards to problem solvability. Specifically, the element of surprise, a critical AHA dimension, emerged as a key indicator of the meta-cognitive PE, while other dimensions—such as pleasure, certainty, and suddenness—showed no signs for similar relationships, with suddenness exhibiting a negative correlation with meta-cognitive PE. This new finding provides further evidence that aspects of the AHA experience, surprise in particular, correspond to a meta-cognitive PE. The finding also underscores the multifaceted nature of this phenomenon, linking insights with learning theories and enhancing our understanding of this intriguing phenomenon.