bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis ompA DNA in urine by loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay
Authors: Attanayaka Hemali , Goonasekera Charitha , Abeygunasekera Nalaka , Elvitigala Jayanthi , Gunasekera Kamani 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
A cost-effective, sensitive and specific Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) diagnostic test is essential for resource limited countries. A loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was optimized for detection of CT ompA DNA in urine. Crude DNA extraction (method-1) from urine was by centrifugation at 14,000g for 30 minutes, heating at 95°C for five minutes with buffer and centrifugation at 17,000g for one minute. A 25µl LAMP reaction comprising, 7µl crude extract in 20mM Tris-HCl, 10mM KCl, 10mM (NH4)2SO4, 2mM MgSO4, 0.1% Tween 20, six LAMP primers, 1.4mM deoxynucleoside triphosphate, 0.8M Betaine, 6mM MgSO4 and 8U Bsm polymerase, were incubated at 56°C for 60 minutes and the colour change, when a nucleic acid gel stain was added, was noted by ultraviolet illumination. Urine from 326 sexually transmitted disease clinic attendees were tested, both by LAMP and real time PCR (rPCR). Analytical sensitivity was 0.8 copies per reaction volume. Compared to rPCR, LAMP assay had sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values of 71.4%, 99.7%, 96.2%, 96.7% respectively. LAMP assay was highly specific for CT ompA DNA in urine. The sensitivity improved further when urinary inhibitors were diluted and volume of urine for extraction was increased (method-2).
Spatial-temporal characteristics and driving factors’ contribution and evolution of agricultural non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions in China:1995-2021
Authors: Chu Yuanyue , Zhang Xiling , Guo Yangchen , Tang Lijuan , Zhong Chaoyong , Zhang Jiwen , Li Xinlong , qiao Dewen 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Comprehending the spatial-temporal characteristics, contributions, and evolution of driving factors in agricultural non-CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at a macro level is pivotal in pursuing temperature control objectives and achieving China’s strategic goals related to carbon peak and carbon neutrality. This study employs the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) carbon emissions coefficient method to comprehensively evaluate agricultural non-CO2 GHG emissions at the provincial level. Subsequently, the contributions and spatial-temporal evolution of six driving factors derived from the Kaya identity were quantitatively explored using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) and Geographical and Temporal Weighted Regression (GTWR) methods. The results revealed that the distribution of agricultural non-CO2 GHG emissions is shifting from the central provinces to the northwest regions. Moreover, the dominant driving factors of agricultural non-CO2 GHG emissions were primarily economic factor (EDL) with positive impact (cumulative promotion is 2879.69 million metric tons (Mt), alongside agricultural production efficiency factor (EI) with negative impact (cumulative reduction is 2153.39 Mt). Influence of EDL diminished in the eastern coastal regions but significantly impacted underdeveloped regions such as the northwest and southwest. In the eastern coastal regions, EI gradually became the absolute dominant driver, demonstrating a rapid reduction effect. Additionally, a declining birth rate and rural-to-urban population migration have significantly amplified the driving effects of the population factor (RP) at a national scale. These findings, in conjunction with the disparities in geographic and socioeconomic development among provinces, can serve as a guiding framework for the development of a region-specific roadmap aimed at reducing agricultural non-CO2 GHG emissions.
Life satisfaction of people with disabilities and public policy in EU countries
Authors: Grabowska Izabela , Antczak Radosław 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Background The concept of subjective well-being (SWB) is frequently used in economic, social, and other research. It is extremely relevant to assess the well-being of vulnerable groups, e.g., persons with disabilities. The 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities urges countries to introduce policies that ensure equal life opportunities for this group. The aim of this article is therefore to assess the impact of public policies in selected European countries on the life satisfaction of people with disabilities.Methods We use nationally representative data from five waves of the European Social Survey covering 25 countries and public policy data from the OECD database. Multivariate regression was applied to estimate the influence of public spending due to incapacity (on a country level) on the individual life satisfaction of persons with disabilities, controlling for country dummies, individual characteristics and other macroeconomic factors.Results The results show that the amount of public spending on disability as a percentage of GDP is statistically significantly associated with the life satisfaction of people with disabilities in European countries. The relative increase in expenditure on the country level increases the life satisfaction of people with disabilities. Among other macroeconomic factors, the HDI is also positively associated with life satisfaction, while the disability employment gap is negatively associated. Moreover, we proved that in more developed countries, the impact of incapacity spending on life satisfaction is smaller.Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study examining the influence of public policies on the individual well-being of persons with disabilities. Our results confirmed that the level of public expenditure targeting vulnerable groups has a clear and positive impact on the subjective well-being of individuals. These findings present important evidence that targeted policies can improve the lives of individuals.
SurVIndel2: improving CNVs calling from next-generation sequencing using novel hidden information
Authors: Sung Wing-Kin , Rajaby Ramesh 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Deletions and tandem duplications (commonly called CNVs) represent the majority of structural variations. They can be identified using short reads, but because they frequently occur in repetitive regions, existing methods fail to detect most of them. This is because CNVs in repetitive regions often do not produce the evidence needed by existing short reads-based callers (split reads, discordant pairs or read depth change). Here, we introduce a new CNV short reads-based caller named SurVIndel2. SurVindel2 builds on statistical techniques we previously developed, but also employs a novel type of evidence, hidden split reads, that can uncover many CNVs missed by existing algorithms. We use public benchmarks to show that SurVIndel2 outperforms other popular callers, both on human and non-human datasets. Then, we demonstrate the practical utility of the method by generating a catalogue of CNVs for the 1000g project that contains hundreds of thousands of CNVs missing from the most recent public catalogue. We also show that SurVIndel2 is able to complement small indels predicted by Google DeepVariant, and the two software used in tandem produce a remarkably complete catalogue of variants in an individual. Finally, we characterise how the limitations of current sequencing technologies contribute significantly to the missing CNVs.
Novel meriolin derivatives activate the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in the presence of antiapoptotic Bcl-2
Authors: Wesselborg Sebastian , Schmitt Laura , Hinxlage Ilka , Drießen Daniel , Flores-Romero Hector Dr. , Skowron Margaretha , Sekeres Marlena , Hoppe Julia , Krings Karina , Peter Christoph , Stork Björn , Bhatia Sanil , Nettersheim Daniel , Fritz Gerhard , García-Sáez Ana , Müller Thomas 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Meriolin derivatives represent a new class of kinase inhibitors with a pronounced cytotoxic potential. Here, we investigated a newly synthesized meriolin derivative (termed meriolin 16) that displayed a strong apoptotic potential in Jurkat leukemia and Ramos lymphoma cells. Meriolin 16 induced apoptosis in rapid kinetics (within 2 - 3 h) and more potently (IC50: 50 nM) than the previously described derivatives meriolin 31 and 36 [1]. Exposure of Ramos cells to meriolin 16, 31, or 36 for 5 min was sufficient to trigger severe and irreversible cytotoxicity. Apoptosis induction by all three meriolin derivatives was independent of death receptor signaling but required caspase-9 and Apaf-1 as central mediators of the mitochondrial death pathway. The mitochondrial toxicity of meriolins was further confirmed by the breakdown of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), mitochondrial release of proapoptotic Smac, processing of the dynamin-like GTPase OPA1 and subsequent fission of mitochondria. Remarkably, all meriolin derivatives could directly activate the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in Jurkat cells even in the presence of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein. In addition, meriolins were capable to induce cell death in imatinib-resistant K562 and KCL22 chronic myeloid leukemia cells as well as in cisplatin-resistant J82 urothelial carcinoma and 2102EP germ cell tumor cells. Since tumor cells frequently inactivate the mitochondrial death pathway (e.g. by overexpression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins) in order to acquire therapy resistance, meriolin derivatives might represent a promising therapeutic option for overcoming treatment resistance.
ANN-Based Evaluation System for Erosion Resistant Highway Shoulder Rocks
Authors: Tariq Aiman , Abualshar Basil , Deliktas Babur , Song Chung R. , Al-Nimri Bashar , Barret Bruce , Silvey Alex , Glennie Nikolas 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Highway shoulder rocks are exposed to continuous erosion force due to extreme rainfall that could be caused by global warming to some extent. The logical design method for the erosion resistance highway shoulder rocks is, however, not well researched yet. This study utilized a large-scale UNLETB (University of Nebraska Lincoln - Erosion Testing Bed) with a 7.6 cm nozzle width and a 4000 cm3/sec flow rate, to study the erosion characteristics of highway shoulder rocks. Test results showed that different shoulder materials currently in use had vastly diverse erosion resistance. For example, some crushed limestone rocks such as the one with a 3.8 cm diameter were not eroded, while some other rocks were easily eroded. The clear criteria between the erosion resistant gradation and other gradation, however, could not be determined easily. Then, this study trained ANN (Artificial Neural Network) with test results to distinguish the erosion resistant of rocks from other rocks conveniently. The ANN predicted the acceptable/non-acceptable erosion characteristics of shoulder rocks with close to 99% accuracy based on the three gradation parameters (D10, D30, and D60).
Multimorbidity Healthcare Expenditure in Belgium: A Four-Year Analysis (COMORB study)
Authors: Tran Phuong Bich , Nikolaidis Georgios F , Abatih Emmanuel , Bos Philippe , Berete Finaba , Gorasso Vanessa , Heyden Johan Van der , Kazibwe Joseph , Tomeny Ewan M , Hal Guido Van , Beutels Philippe , Olmen Josefien Van 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Background
The complex management of health needs in multimorbid patients, alongside limited cost data, presents challenges in developing cost-effective patient-care pathways. We estimated the costs of managing 171 dyads and 969 triads in Belgium, taking into account the influence of morbidity interactions on costs.
Methods
We followed a retrospective longitudinal study design, using the linked Belgian Health Interview Survey 2018 and the administrative claim database 2017–2020 hosted by the Intermutualistic Agency. We included people aged 15 and older, who had complete profiles (N = 9,753). Applying a system costing perspective, average annual direct cost per person per dyad/triad was presented in 2022 Euro and comprised mainly of direct medical costs. We developed mixed models to analyze the impact of single chronic conditions, dyads, and triads on healthcare costs, considering two/three-way interactions within dyads/triads, key cost determinants, and clustering at the household level.
Results
People with multimorbidity constituted nearly half of the study population and their total healthcare cost constituted around three-quarters of the healthcare cost of the study population. The most common dyad, Arthropathies + Dorsopathies, with 14% prevalence rate, accounted for 11% of the total national health expenditure. The most frequent triad, Arthropathies + Dorsopathies + Hypertension, with 5% prevalence rate, contributed 5%. The average annual direct costs per person for dyads and triads were €3,515 (95%CI:3,093 − 3,937) and €4,592 (95%CI:3,920-5,264), respectively. Dyads and triads associated with cancer, diabetes, chronic fatigue, and genitourinary problems incurred the highest costs. In most cases, the cost associated with multimorbidity was lower or not substantially different from the combined cost of the same conditions observed in separate patients.
Conclusion
Prevalent morbidity combinations, rather than high-cost ones, made a greater contribution to total national health expenditure. Our study contributes to the sparse evidence on this topic globally and in Europe, with the aim of improving cost-effective care for patients with diverse needs.
Surge in future record shattering precipitation driven by increasing variability
Authors: de Vries Iris , Sippel Sebastian , Zeder Joel , Fischer Erich , Knutti Reto 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Climate events that shatter previous records by large margins are a threat to society because critical infrastructure is often not designed to withstand such events.
Climate change is expected to increase the probability of such events happening, but quantifying event probabilities is challenging due to natural variability and limited data availability, especially in observations and for events that would be "impossible" without climate change.
Here, we quantify the changing probability of record shattering precipitation events in climate models using extreme value statistics.
We show that CMIP6 models forced with SSP3-7.0 project much higher probability of record shattering extreme precipitation in a changing climate relative to a stationary climate by the end of the century. This holds for almost all the global land, in line with the expected intensification of extreme precipitation.
For vulnerable regions in the tropics, the projected probability of shattering precipitation records anywhere in the region in a 5-year period exceeds 50% in the high warming SSP3-7.0 scenario.
We demonstrate that increasing variability is an essential driver of near-term increases in precipitation record shattering probability.
Overall, our results provide estimates of probabilities and intensities of unseen record shattering precipitation events in a warming world that are crucial to inform risk assessment and adaptation policies.
Evaluation of knowledge and attitude regarding monkeypox among Chinese college students
Authors: Yu Liliang , Yan Shen , Liu Min , Ma Junchun , Long Jiang , Zheng Daikun 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Background: Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which is increasingly recognized as a worldwide serious, public health concern. Our aim is to investigate the knowledge and attitude of monkeypox among Chinese college students.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 8,897 college students from China. An e-questionnaire was used to collect data on knowledge (17 items), attitude (12 items), and baseline criteria. The relationship between a range of factors with knowledge and attitude was studied using univariate and multivariate analyses.
Results:79.33% of the study participants were female; 89.10% were Han nationality; 72.50% came from rural areas; 50.39% in their first year; 80.65% were medical majors. 50.88% had good knowledge of monkeypox and 57.11% had a positive attitude towards it. Univariate analysis found that freshmen had better knowledge and more positive attitude towards monkeypox. More participants with good knowledge of monkeypox lived in rural areas and mainly majored in medicine, while most students with a positive attitude towards monkeypox were women. Multivariate analysis showed that major and the origin of students independently influenced the monkeypox knowledge of Chinese college students, while the gender, grade and monkeypox knowledge were significantly related with the attitude of monkey pox.
Conclusion: This study found that nearly half of Chinese college students had good knowledge and a positive attitude regarding monkeypox. Student origin and major independently influence the knowledge of Chinese college students of monkeypox, while gender, grade and knowledge are independently related to the attitude of Chinese college students towards monkeypox.
Determinants of physical activity behaviour in the cardiac population: a systematic review
Authors: McGowan Hannah , Gutenberg Johanna , Mayr Barbara , Sareban Mahdi , Niebauer Josef , Crutzen Rik , Kulnik Stefan Tino 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Background: Physical inactivity is one of the most detrimental modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. Despite the well-established benefits of physical activity (PA) on the overall health of people with cardiovascular disease (CVD), challenges remain in maintaining heart-healthy PA behaviour after completing a cardiac rehabilitation programme. This study aimed to collect and analyse observational data on the relative importance of determinants for heart-healthy PA levels in people with CVD, to inform behaviour change research and intervention development in CVD secondary prevention.
Methods: This systematic review included studies reporting bivariate association statistics of determinants and PA behaviour in adults fulfilling the medical indications for cardiac rehabilitation. Included were peer-reviewed journal articles published in English, Dutch, or German since 2005. Five electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE via PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection) were last searched in April 2023. Risk of bias of included studies was assessed using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Study Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Studies. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis and narrative synthesis.
Results:Included were 57 articles reporting on 54 primary studies from 23 countries, with the majority from North America (n=22), Europe (n=18) and Asia (n=10). Twenty-nine studies were rated good quality and 25 studies fair quality. The studies report on altogether 17,639 individual participants, providing collated empirical evidence for 51 determinants and their patterns of association with PA behaviour in the cardiac population. Those determinants showing distinct positive associations with PA behaviour are self-efficacy, life attitude, intention, exercise belief, education, weather, exercise behaviour, habit formation, social support, psychological wellbeing and employment; whereas those determinants showing distinct negative associations with PA behaviour are age, emotion (including anxiety and kinesiophobia), depression and comorbidity.
Conclusions: This systematic review has identified determinants of PA behaviour that bear particular relevance for the cardiac population. Developers of behaviour change interventions may draw on these findings to inform intervention concepts, methods and designs. Further research in underrepresented geographic regions, and studies into underrepresented determinants of PA and dynamic changes of PA behaviours over time are warranted.
Systematic review registration: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) CRD42020206637
Landslide susceptibility, ensemble machine learning, and accuracy methods in the southern Sinai Peninsula, Egypt: Assessment and Mapping
Authors: Youssef Ahmed M. , El‑Haddad Bosy A. , Skilodimou Hariklia D. , Bathrellos George D. , Golkar Foroogh , Pourghasemi Hamid Reza 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Each year, thousands of tourists visit Egypt's Wadi Feiran region, one of the most popular tourist sites in the Sinai Peninsula. The region’s topography is distinctive and diverse, making it particularly susceptible to “natural disasters” (such as floods and landslides). The current study deals with landslide hazards as a critical hazard type, where, after rainfall, hundreds of landslides occur annually, and landslide disaster assessments are becoming more necessary to reduce mountain hazards. The current research mapped "landslide susceptibility" in the Wadi Feiran basin using three different modeling strategies: “Logistic Regression” -LR, “Artificial Neural Network”-ANN, and an "ensemble" of LR and ANN. A “landslides” map was first created as a preliminary stage, using 800 landslide locations acquired from multiple data sources (30% validation datasets, 70% training datasets), including historical records, field surveys, and high-resolution satellite imagery. In addition, fourteen landslide causative parameters (LCPs), elevation (El), “distance to wadis” (DtW), “distance to fault” (DtF), “distance to road” (DtR), lithology (Lith), aspect (As), “profile-curvature” (PrC), “plan-curvature” (PlC), “slope length” (LS), slope-angle (Sa), “topographic wetness index” (TWI), “relative slope position” (RSP), rainfall (Ra), and “topographic roughness index” (TRI) were employed. These models' accuracy was evaluated using “receiver operating characteristics and area under the curve (ROC - AUC),” “root mean square error”-RMSE, and “kappa index”-K. According to the findings, the AUC for LR, ANN, and ensemble of LR &ANN were 82%, 89%, and 91%, respectively. The results showed that the ensemble model outperformed ANN and LR by 2.3% and 10.9%, respectively, whereas ANN model outperformed LR by 8.5%. Other statistical indices also revealed that the RMSE and kappa index values obtained by LR were the highest and the lowest, respectively, whereas the RMSE and kappa index values generated by the LR&ANN ensemble were the lowest and the highest, respectively. These results indicate that landslides are influenced by a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic factors. To better manage and avoid landslides, it is important to create maps that show the area’s most susceptible to landslides.
The contribution of mean arterial pressure to pulse pressure is greater in women than in men beginning before middle age
Authors: Alfie José , Posadas-Martínez María , Aparicio Lucas , Galarza Carlos 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The study analyses the contribution of mean arterial pressure (MAP) to pulse pressure (PP) in hypertensive men and women younger than 50 years. Central pressure waveform was obtained from radial artery applanation tonometry in 312 hypertensive patients between 16 to 49 years (134 women, mean age 35 ± 9 years). As expected, brachial PP, central PP, incident wave, and augmentation pressure were significantly higher above the mean level of MAP (≥ 100 mmHg) compared to lower levels (p values adjusted for sex, age, height, weight, and heart rate were 0.001, < 0.001, 0.005, and < 0.001 respectively). In turn, the differences observed in brachial PP, central PP, and the incident wave between the MAP subgroups were significantly greater in women than in men (p values for the interaction between sex and MAP adjusted by age, height, weight, and heart rate were 0.008, 0.004 and 0.010 respectively). When subjects were stratified by age (16–29, 30–39, and 40–49 years), the strength of the relationship between MAP and central PP increased from age 30–39 onwards in women and from age 40–49 in men (p-value for the interaction between sex, MAP, and age group: < 0.001). The sex difference was driven by a greater MAP-mediated increase in the incident wave in women (p < 0.001). In conclusion, in hypertensive subjects younger than 50 years, the contribution of MAP to PP was greater in women than in men beginning at age 30–39 years.