bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cost-benefit Analysis and Financial Viability of Household Biogas Plant Investment in South Ethiopia
Authors: Geddafa Tale , Melka Yoseph , Sime Getachew 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis study investigates the cost–benefit analysis and financial viability of biogas plant investment in South Ethiopia. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select sample households. A total of 105 adopter households were selected for household survey using a purposive sampling technique. All the households adopting biogas technology were considered. Besides, a biogas plant with 6 m3 and 8 m3 sizes were selected because they were the most commonly used size in the study area. Data were collected from the household survey, key informant interviews, focus group discussion and market price assessment. The installation cost took the largest share of the total cost of construction and was one of the main constraints that hindered adoption. The findings of the study indicate that the production of biogas increased household income by reducing the costs incurred for buying firewood, kerosene and chemical fertilizers. Relatively, lower plant size was more profitable than larger plant size. Installation under the subsidy scheme was more financially viable at 10% discount rate than its counterparts. Subsidy is important to enhance biogas plant investment, particularly for larger biogas plant sizes. Nevertheless, both plant sizes, installed without subsidy, had smaller NPV values and UDBP greater than 1 year, making this scenario financially less viable. Installation of low cost plants could more attract the engagement of a large number of rural households with low economic capacity. However, both plant sizes (6 m3 and 8 m3) are financially viable and profitable at 10% discount rate. Moreover, the profitability of biogas investment is highly sensitive to variation in discount rates, level of expenditure savings and input prices.
Predicting future global temperature and greenhouse gas emissions via LSTM model
Authors: Hamdan Ahmad , Al-Salaymeh Ahmed , AlHamad Issah M. , Ikemba Samuel , Ewim Daniel Raphael Ejike 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis work is executed to predict the variation in global temperature and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from climate change and global warming, taking into consideration the natural climate cycle. A mathematical model was developed using a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) with Long–Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model. Data sets of global temperature were collected from 800,000 BC to 1950 AD from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Furthermore, another data set was obtained from The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) climate website. This contained records from 1880 to 2019 of global temperature and carbon dioxide levels. Curve fitting techniques, employing Sin, Exponential, and Fourier Series functions, were utilized to reconstruct both NOAA and NASA data sets, unifying them on a consistent time scale and expanding data size by representing the same information over smaller periods. The fitting quality, assessed using the R-squared measure, ensured a thorough process enhancing the model's accuracy and providing a more precise representation of historical climate data. Subsequently, the time-series data were converted into a supervised format for effective use with the LSTM model for prediction purposes. Augmented by the Mean Squared Error (MSE) as the analyzed loss function, normalization techniques, and refined data representation from curve fitting the LSTM model revealed a sharp increase in global temperature, reaching a temperature rise of 4.8 °C by 2100. Moreover, carbon dioxide concentrations will continue to boom, attaining a value of 713 ppm in 2100. In addition, the findings indicated that the RNN algorithm (LSTM model) provided higher accuracy and reliable forecasting results as the prediction outputs were closer to the international climate models and were found to be in good agreement. This study contributes valuable insights into the trajectory of global temperature and GHG emissions, emphasizing the potential of LSTM models in climate prediction.
Transcranial direct current stimulation as treatment for major depression in a home treatment setting (HomeDC trial): study protocol and methodology of a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study
Authors: Kumpf Ulrike , Ezim Harry , Stadler Matthias , Burkhardt Gerrit , Palm Ulrich , Dechantsreiter Esther , Padberg Frank 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Introduction
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of prefrontal cortex regions has been reported to exert therapeutic effects in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Due to its beneficial safety profile, its easy mode of application, and its cost-effectiveness, tDCS has recently been proposed for treatment at home. This would offer new chances for regionally widespread and long-term application. However, tDCS at home must meet the new methodological challenges of handling and adherence. At the same time, data from randomized controlled trials (RCT) investigating this mode of application are still lacking. In this pilot RCT, we therefore investigate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of a new antidepressant tDCS application set-up.

Methods and analysis
The HomeDC trial will be conducted as a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design trial. Thirty-two study participants with MDD will be randomly assigned to active or sham tDCS groups. Participants will self-administer prefrontal tDCS for 6 weeks. Active tDCS will be conducted with anode over F3, cathode over F4, for 5 sessions/week, with a duration of 30 min/day, and 2 mA stimulation intensity. Sham tDCS, conversely, follows an identical protocol in regard to electrode montage and timing, but with no electric stimulation between the ramp-in and ramp-out periods. Both conditions will be administered either as a monotherapy or an adjunctive treatment to a stable dose of antidepressant medication. Adjunctive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electric field (E-field) modelling will be conducted at baseline. Primary outcome is feasibility based on successfully completed stimulations and drop-out rates. The intervention is considered feasible when 20 out of 30 sessions have been fully conducted by at least 75% of the participants. Effectiveness and safety will be assessed as secondary outcomes.

Discussion
In the HomeDC trial, the technical requirements for a placebo-controlled tDCS study in a home-based treatment setting have been established. The trial addresses the crucial points of the home-based tDCS treatment approach: uniform electrode positioning, frequent monitoring of stimulation parameters, adherence, and ensuring an appropriate home treatment environment. This study will further identify constraints and drawbacks of this novel mode of treatment.

Trial registration
www.ClinicalTrials.gov. Trial registration number: NCT05172505. Registration date: 12/13/2021.
An audit of the use of CT pituitary scans to exclude a pituitary macroadenoma
Authors: Douglas Lisa , Caldwell James , Bolland Mark 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Pituitary imaging is often required to exclude an adenoma suspected clinically or biochemically. Although magnetic resonance (MR) is the gold standard, computerised tomography (CT) is faster, cheaper and induces less claustrophobia. Our audit at Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand, investigated whether the use of CT of the pituitary as the first line imaging to assess for a pituitary macroadenoma reduces the need for MR.

Methods
We investigated the usefulness of CT pituitary imaging in the exclusion of pituitary macroadenoma between 2012 and 2020. A re-audit was then undertaken for a period of one year between March 2021 and March 2022 to assess outcomes once a departmental policy change was implemented. At Auckland City Hospital, 32 patients across eight years were eligible for this analysis, of which 31 had data available. In our re-audit, 29 patients were eligible for this analysis. We collected data on patient demographics, relevant hormone levels, indication for imaging and imaging results and subsequent management.

Results
After CT pituitary imaging, 28/31 (90%) of patients did not require further imaging because the clinical question had been addressed. One year after routine initial CT pituitary imaging was implemented by the Auckland City Hospital Endocrinology Department, 29 CT pituitary scans were performed to exclude a pituitary macroadenoma. Of these patients one required further imaging due to the finding of an expanded pituitary sella but not a pituitary macroadenoma.

Conclusion
CT pituitary imaging to exclude a pituitary macroadenoma is a useful test that may reduce the need for MR pituitary scans.

Trial registration
Not applicable. This was an audit as defined by the New Zealand National Ethics Advisory Committee guidelines. Please see ‘Declarations’ section.
£25 and a biscuit: Women’s Health Research and Public Engagement in the UK
Authors: Perry Alison Gabrielle , Mullins Edward 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIt is over a year since the Department of Health launched the Women’s Health Strategy for England and included the rally cry of “women’s voices”. However, methods and modes of the inclusion of women in their own health and health research still fall short. Patient and public engagement and involvement (PPIE) in women’s health research is considered a hallmark of a moral, ethical, and democratic society. Despite the call for the inclusion of “women’s voices” and “women’s stories”, approaches to PPIE often remain tokenistic and don’t address issues of representation, equality, and diversity or respond to wider racial inequalities in health. This past August marked the 103rd birthday of the late Henrietta Lacks who died of cervical cancer. Clones of her cells (HeLa cells) obtained without consent, continue to be used in laboratories around the world and serves as an ongoing reminder of dynamics and power in health research relationships with the public today. Historically, women have been mistreated and excluded from research and the reality that Black women in the UK remain 3.7 times more likely to die in childbirth makes the effectiveness of our research pathways critical (MBRRACE-UK, https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/mbrrace-uk). PPIE holds much potential to contribute to the improvement of shortcomings in maternity and women’s health, but not without deeper understanding of the ways in which engagement intrinsically, works. This article raises criticism of the current quality of engagement in women’s health research and calls for a redesign of our frameworks and the need to explore new configurations of the relationship between women’s health, research, and people.
Implementation of community physiotherapy in primary care: one-year results of an on-call physiotherapy service
Authors: Paci Matteo , Bianchi Lapo , Buonandi Elisa , Rosiello Laura , Moretti Sandra 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Primary health care systems have a key role in meeting health needs of community, including function. The aim of this paper is to describe the population involved in the Community Physiotherapist project and their health outcomes over a one-year period.

Methods
The Community Physiotherapist is an on-call service which requires a request by general practitioners or medical specialists. Reason for prescription, waiting time for service delivery, diagnostic categories, provided intervention, number of interventions and outcomes were recorded for everyone included in the project. Possible differences in characteristics between individuals referred by medical specialists and general practitioners were also investigated.

Results
From January to December 2022, 409 individuals were referred to the Community Physiotherapist pathway. Functional goals were achieved in 79.5% of interventions, without reported adverse events. In most cases physiotherapists provided counselling or caregiver training and 3.3% of individuals needed a full rehabilitation program. The groups of individuals referred by the two types of prescribers showed no significant differences, apart, as expected, from their median age.

Conclusions
The introduction of the Community Physiotherapist model within the primary care setting allows to provide appropriate, effective and safe interventions. Sharing the project among all the health professionals helped to support its appropriateness and effectiveness. Results also indicate that a new organizational model, such as the Community Physiotherapist, will take a long time to be implemented.
14,15-Dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid, a soluble epoxide hydrolase metabolite in blood, is a predictor of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity – a hypothesis generating study
Authors: dos Santos Julia Matzenbacher , Joiakim Aby , Putt David A. , Scherrer-Crosbie Marielle , Kim Hyesook 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Early identification of patients susceptible to chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity could lead to targeted treatment to reduce cardiac dysfunction. Rats treated with doxorubicin (DOX), a chemotherapeutic agent, have increased cardiac expression of 14,15-dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (14,15-DHET), a bioactive lipid implicated in hypertension and coronary artery disease. However, the utility of 14,15-DHET as plasma biomarkers was not defined. The aim of this study is to investigate if levels of 14,15-DHET are an early blood biomarker to predict the subsequent occurrence of cardiotoxicity in cancer patients after chemotherapy.

Methods
H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes were treated with DOX (1 μM) for 2 h and levels of 14,15-DHET in cell media was quantified at 2, 6 or 24 h in media after DOX treatment. Similarly, female Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with DOX for two weeks and levels of 14,15-DHET was assessed in plasma at 48 h and 2 weeks after DOX treatment. Changes in brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) mRNA, an early cardiac hypertrophy process, were determined in the H9c2 cells and rat cardiac tissue. Results were confirmed in human subjects by assessment of levels of 14,15-DHET in plasma of breast cancer patients before and after DOX treatment and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), a clinical marker of cardiotoxicity.

Results
Levels of 14,15-DHET in cell media and rat plasma increased ~ 3-fold and was accompanied with increase in BNP mRNA in H9c2 cells and rat cardiac tissue after DOX treatment. In matched plasma samples from breast cancer patients, levels of 14,15-DHET were increased in patients that developed cardiotoxicity at 3 months before occurrence of LVEF decrease.

Conclusions
Together, these results indicate that levels of 14,15-DHET are elevated prior to major changes in cardiac structure and function after exposure to anthracyclines. Increased levels of 14,15-DHET in plasma may be an important clinical biomarker for early detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in cancer patients.
Connective tissue involvement in an m.10191 T > C carrier with Leigh-like syndrome
Authors: Finsterer Josef , Newstead Shaundra M. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Connective tissue involvement in a mitochondrial disorder has been only rarely reported.

Case presentation
A 32-year-old female with Leigh-like syndrome extending into adulthood due to the mtDNA variant m.10191 T > C developed various connective tissue abnormalities, which manifested as hyperlaxity of joints, decreased clivo-axial angle, subluxations of various joints, scoliosis, hyperextensibility of skin (stretchy skin), easy tearing, papyraceous scarring, frequent petechiae, very easy bruising, impaired wound healing, blood pooling in feet, and tiny veins. She received symptomatic treatment and physiotherapy, which provided some sort of relief.

Conclusions
The phenotypic spectrum of the m.10191 T > C variant is broader than previously anticipated.
Sphericity index for bedside diagnosis of acute myocarditis
Authors: AbdelMassih Antoine , El-Saiedi Sonia , Hendawy Rana , Esmail Reem , AbdelHameed Manal , Sobeih Alaa , Kharabish Ahmed , Diab Nourine , Gaber Hanya , El-Husseiny Nadine , Agha Hala M. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Differentiating acute myocarditis (AMY) from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in a patient presenting with acute heart failure and poor systolic function is of utmost importance to initiate timely anti-inflammatory treatment in AMY. Using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) or endomyocardial biopsies (EMB) as gold standards might be limited due to the likelihood of hemodynamic compromise. Eccentric myocardial remodeling as measured by sphericity index (SPI) might be useful in differentiating AMY from DCM, due to the progressive increase in transverse LV diameter in DCM. The primary outcome parameter of our study was to test the diagnostic accuracy of SPI in the differentiation of AMY from DCM, while the secondary outcome parameter was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of SPI to troponin I in the same context. For this purpose, we conducted a retrospective study involving a chart review of the files of sixty patients admitted with acute heart failure due to hypokinetic left ventricle in our hospital. Patients were divided after CMR imaging into two groups: group 1 with AMY (n = 30) and group 2 with DCM (n = 30). Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, including heart rate, need for mechanical ventilation, use of milrinone, epinephrine and norepinephrine, troponin I, and 2D-derived sphericity index, were collected from patients’ files.

Results
Patients with AMY had a higher need for mechanical ventilation inopressors and vasopressors; 73% of AMY patients required mechanical ventilation and epinephrine use, compared to less than 50% of DCM patients. Troponin I elevation was more marked in AMY compared to DCM patients (0.25 ± 0.04 vs. 0.21 ± 0.03, respectively). SPI was significantly higher in DCM compared to AMY cases, denoting a spherical configuration of the myocardium acquired due to progressive remodeling, because of the chronicity of the pathology. ROC analysis revealed that an SPI ≤ 0.38 was 100% sensitive in differentiating DCM from AMY, compared to a 53% sensitivity with the commonly used troponin I.

Conclusion
AMY diagnosis can be achieved by the assessment of sphericity index rather than troponin I. The bedside nature and noninvasiveness of SPI should reshape the practice in this context. SPI assessment can be part of point-of-care echocardiography, taught to emergency room (ER) physicians and intensivists.
Back to the Future: Is GnRHa Treatment in Transgender and Gender Diverse Adolescents Only an Extended Evaluation Phase?
Authors: Fisher Alessandra D , Ristori Jiska , Romani Alessia , Cassioli Emanuele , Mazzoli Francesca , Cocchetti Carlotta , Pierdominici Marina , Marconi Matteo , Ricca Valdo , Maggi Mario , Vignozzi Linda , Castellini Giovanni 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Context
The role of body modifications induced by gonadal suppression in transgender and gender diverse adolescents on psychological functioning has not yet been evaluated.

Objective
The main aim of the present study was to explore several hormone, physical and psychological functioning changes during gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) treatment in transgender and gender diverse adolescents (TGDAs). The potential relationship between the physical and hormone effects of GnRHa and psychological well-being, along with its magnitude, was assessed for the first time.

Methods
This prospective multidisciplinary study included 36 TGDA (22 assigned female at birth, and 14 assigned male at birth) who received psychological assessment followed by triptorelin prescription after referring to the Florence Gender Clinic. This study consisted of 3 time points: first referral (T0), psychological assessment (T1); and treatment with intramuscular injections of triptorelin for 3 up to 12 months (T2). Psychometric questionnaires were administered at each time point, and clinical and biochemical evaluations were performed at T1 and T2.

Results
The following results were found: (1) GnRHa showed efficacy in inhibiting puberty progression in TGDAs; (2) an increase in psychopathology was observed before starting GnRHa (T1) compared with baseline levels; (3) during GnRHa treatment (T2), a significant improvement in psychological functioning, as well as decrease in suicidality, body uneasiness, depression, and anxiety levels were observed; (4) hormone and physical changes (in terms of gonadotropin and sex steroid levels, height and body mass index percentiles, waist–hip ratio, and acne severity) observed during triptorelin treatment significantly correlated with a reduction in suicidal ideation, anxiety, and body image concerns.

Conclusion
Psychological improvement in TGDA on GnRHa seems to be related to the objective body changes induced by a GnRHa. Therefore, the rationale for treatment with a GnRHa may not only be considered an extension of the evaluation phase, but also the start of a medical (even if reversible) gender-affirming path, especially in TGDAs whose puberty has already progressed.
Low achromatic contrast sensitivity in birds: a common attribute shared by many phylogenetic orders
Authors: Blary Constance L. M. , Duriez Olivier , Bonadonna Francesco , Mitkus Mindaugas , Caro Samuel P. , Besnard Aurélien , Potier Simon 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT
Vision is an important sensory modality in birds, which can outperform other vertebrates in some visual abilities. However, sensitivity to achromatic contrasts – the ability to discern luminance difference between two objects or an object and its background – has been shown to be lower in birds compared with other vertebrates. We conducted a comparative study to evaluate the achromatic contrast sensitivity of 32 bird species from 12 orders using the optocollic reflex technique. We then performed an analysis to test for potential variability in contrast sensitivity depending on the corneal diameter to the axial length ratio, a proxy of the retinal image brightness. To account for potential influences of evolutionary relatedness, we included phylogeny in our analyses. We found a low achromatic contrast sensitivity for all avian species studied compared with other vertebrates (except small mammals), with high variability between species. This variability is partly related to phylogeny but appears to be independent of image brightness.
Sacred Groves, the Brahmanical Hermit, and Some Remarks on ahiṃsā and Vegetarianism
Authors: Pieruccini Cinzia 
Published: December 2023

The term sacred grove‘ is used to denote an area of vegetation that is afforded special protection on religious grounds. In India, where sacred groves are known by a wide repertoire of local names, such places may be found right from the Himalayas up to the far South. Sacred groves host veneration of natural phenomena or elements of landscape, but also ancestral, local, folk or tribal gods and Sanskritised deities; the use of their resources is strictly regulated. Research studies on sacred groves in India often consider them to be a legacy of archaic economic forms, possibly harking back to the stage of hunters-gatherers, and an expression of a religiosity dating back to a remote, non-Aryan, pre-Vedic antiquity. However, main sources for our knowledge of Indian antiquity, namely the literary sources, provide no direct record of voices of such archaic societies. Nonetheless, the same sources allow us to highlight some important aspects of the sacredness anciently ascribed to vegetation, forest, and specific places therein. The present paper proposes to focus on the Brahmanical hermit‘s distinct relationship with the forest and examine some aspects related to food.