bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improving life cycle assessment for carbon capture and circular product systems
Authors: Pinto Ariane S. S. , McDonald Lewis J. , Galvan Jose Luis Hernandez , McManus Marcelle 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to critically assess the suitability of current ISO life cycle assessment standards and practices for the challenges of decarbonisation through the use of carbon capture and the circular economy. Currently, the handling of wastes, including carbon dioxide, in life cycle assessment varies from sector to sector. We propose several methodological innovations to improve transparency and comparability of life cycle assessments to aid in the decarbonisation transition.

Methods
Three approaches have been used to analyse the shortcomings of life cycle assessment for carbon capture and circular practices: Recent standards and practices have been assessed to determine their suitability for decarbonisation; Life cycle assessment and industry experts were consulted through a workshop held at the University of Bath in September of 2022; Case studies of industrial decarbonisation projects funded by IDRIC have been conducted to apply solutions to the shortcomings identified through the former methods. The issues identified have been categorised into three key areas: (i) guidelines and standards; (i) temporal and regional issues and (iii) data quality analysis.

Results and discussion
The methods of handling carbon capture, waste valorisation and circular practices were found to vary significantly from sector to sector. Temporal aspects are frequently aggregated in a specific point of time, leading to low resolution by neglecting emissions over the duration of the process that creates them. Regionalisation was found to be hampered by regional characterisation factors being representative of larger regions but unsuitable at county or state scale. Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses, which are key to assessing the validity of the impacts of new and emerging technologies, were found to be neglected or only partially conducted.

Conclusions and recommendations
The ISO life cycle assessment standards require updating to provide consistency in methodologies to make them suitable for use with carbon capture and circular systems and to avoid ambiguity. We recommend that the life cycle assessment community focuses on developing more consistent standards and practices between sectors to address carbon capture and circularity; improving the implementation of temporal aspects of impacts; increasing the number of studies including uncertainty and sensitivity analyses and moving towards global uncertainty in favour of local sensitivity.

Graphical Abstract
Evaluation of a Magnetic Compression Anastomosis for Jejunoileal Partial Diversion in Rhesus Macaques
Authors: Evans Lauren L. , Lee William G. , Karimzada Mohammad , Patel Veeshal H. , Aribindi Vamsi K. , Kwiat Dillon , Graham James L. , Cummings David E. , Havel Peter J. , Harrison Michael R. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Purpose
Metabolic surgery remains underutilized for treating type 2 diabetes, as less invasive alternative interventions with improved risk profiles are needed. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of a novel magnetic compression device to create a patent limited caliber side-to-side jejunoileal partial diversion in a nonhuman primate model.

Materials and Methods
Using an established nonhuman primate model of diet-induced insulin resistance, a magnetic compression device was used to create a side-to-side jejunoileal anastomosis. Primary outcomes evaluated feasibility (e.g., device mating and anastomosis patency) and safety (e.g., device-related complications). Secondary outcomes evaluated the device’s ability to produce metabolic changes associated with jejunoileal partial diversion (e.g., homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] and body weight).

Results
Device mating, spontaneous detachment, and excretion occurred in all animals (n = 5). There were no device-related adverse events. Upon completion of the study, ex vivo anastomoses were widely patent with healthy mucosa and no evidence of stricture. At 6 weeks post-device placement, HOMA-IR improved to below baseline values (p < 0.05). Total weight also decreased in a linear fashion (R2 = 0.97) with total weight loss at 6 weeks post-device placement of 14.4% (p < 0.05).

Conclusion
The use of this novel magnetic compression device to create a limited caliber side-to-side jejunoileal anastomosis is safe and likely feasible in a nonhuman primate model. The observed glucoregulatory and metabolic effects of a partial jejunoileal bypass with this device warrant further investigation to validate the long-term glucometabolic impact of this approach.

Graphical Abstract
Effects of abdominal Tuina on behavioral function and 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptor/synapsin-1 in hippocampal CA1 region of rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain injuries
Authors: Wang Wei , Huang Yumei , Wang Dejun , Yi Xiqin , Ai Kun , Chen Chutao , Ge Junyun , Guo Chunxiu 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Objective
To investigate the effects of abdominal Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) on behavioral function, 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptor (5-HT1AR), and synapsin-1 (Syn1) in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain injuries (HIBI).

Methods
Forty healthy neonatal rats, born of 5 specific pathogen-free healthy pregnant rats, were randomly divided into a group for modeling (n=28) and a sham operation group (n=12) on the 7th day of birth. In the group for modeling, 24 neonatal rats with HIBI successfully established by the Rice method were randomly divided into a model group (n=12) and an abdominal Tuina group (n=12). The abdominal Tuina group was given abdominal Tuina for 28 d from 24 h after modeling, and the other groups were put under the same conditions but without any treatments. Rats in each group were subjected to suspension tests on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days of intervention. After the intervention, the rat hippocampal tissue was collected and stained with hematoxylin-eosin to observe the pathological changes in the rat hippocampal CA1 region. The 5-HT1AR expression in rat hippocampal CA1 region was detected by immunehistochemistry. The Syn1 expression in rat hippocampus was measured by Western blotting method.

Results
The cells were disordered, and edema and necrosis appeared in the hippocampal CA1 region of the model group. Cell arrangement was clear, and edema was improved obviously in the hippocampal CA1 region of the abdominal Tuina group. Compared with the sham operation group, the suspension test scores, the number of 5-HT1AR positive cells, and Syn1 protein expression in the hippocampus decreased significantly in the model group after 21 d and 28 d of interventions (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the suspension test scores, the number of 5-HT1AR positive cells, and Syn1 protein expression increased significantly in the abdominal Tuina group after 21 d and 28 d of interventions (P<0.05).

Conclusion
Abdominal Tuina improves the behavioral function of upper limbs and up-regulates the expression levels of 5-HT1AR and Syn1 in the hippocampus of neonatal HIBI rats.
Efficacy of Tuina plus Ba Duan Jin for primary dysmenorrhea due to cold-induced blood stasis
Authors: Fu Jiali , Tan Xinxin , Li Yao , Zhang Renzhen , Long Shengquan , Ding Xi , Zhang Jiaxin , Wen Qiyu , Li Zhongzheng 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Objective
To observe the effect of Ba Duan Jin (Eight-brocade Exercise) plus Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) in treating primary dysmenorrhea due to cold-induced blood stasis in female college students and on the score of fatigue scale-14 (FS-14).

Methods
Seventy-two female college students with primary dysmenorrhea due to cold-induced blood stasis were randomized into a Tuina group and a joint group, with 36 cases in each group. The Tuina group only received Tuina manipulations. In the joint group, besides the same Tuina manipulations, patients practiced Ba Duan Jin. For both groups, the once-daily intervention was conducted from 6 d before the menstrual period until menstrual day 1 for 3 menstrual cycles. Changes in the scores of COX menstrual symptom scale (CMSS), visual analog scale (VAS), and FS-14 after the intervention were observed. Clinical efficacy was also estimated.

Results
During the process, 1 case dropped out in the Tuina group, and 35 cases completed the intervention; 2 cases dropped out in the joint group, and 34 cases completed the intervention. The total effective rate was 94.1% in the joint group, higher than 88.6% in the Tuina group (P<0.05). After treatment, the symptom duration and intensity scores in the scores of CMSS, VAS, and FS-14 declined in both groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the CMSS symptom duration score and FS-14 score were lower in the joint group than in the Tuina group (P<0.05).

Conclusion
Tuina manipulations alone or combined with Ba Duan Jin practice can effectively treat primary dysmenorrhea due to cold-induced blood stasis in female college students; when combined with Ba Duan Jin practice, Tuina manipulations can more significantly improve pain duration and fatigue, suggesting the advantages of combining Tuina Gongfa and manipulations.
Acupuncture compound anesthesia for traditional thyroidectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ye Zhe , Wang Dongcai , Wu Haibin , Lin Jiwei , Shu Jicheng 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Objective
To assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture compound anesthesia (ACA) for traditional thyroidectomy.

Methods
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) studying the use of ACA for traditional thyroidectomy were retrieved from PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP Database (CQVIP), Wanfang Academic Journal Full-text Database (Wanfang), and China Biology Medicine Disc (CBM) from inception to September 30, 2021. Two investigators independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias and quality of the studies. Anesthesia effectiveness was the primary outcome, while the secondary outcomes included various pain scales, vital signs, analgesic consumption, and adverse events. Review Manager 5.3 was used for meta-analysis. Weighted mean difference (WMD), standardized mean difference (SMD), and confidence interval (CI) were used for statistical descriptions.

Results
A total of 16 papers were included, involving 1 228 patients. Meta-analysis showed that anesthesia effectiveness was significantly improved after adding acupuncture as an adjunct [SMD=0.62, 95%CI (0.40, 0.83), P<0.0001, I2=36%]. Besides, ACA can also moderate vital signs and reduce the feeling of pain [SMD=−1.61, 95%CI (−2.61, −0.61), P<0.00001, I2=95%], analgesic consumption, and adverse events. Subgroup analysis of the electroacupuncture (EA) group further revealed that the effectiveness of low-frequency EA [WMD=0.43, 95%CI (0.30, 0.55), P<0.00001, I2=15%] and the entire operative stimulation of EA [WMD=0.55, 95%CI (0.33, 0.77), P<0.00001, I2=0%] was significantly better than high-frequency EA and short-time stimulation of EA during the operation. Further, no significant difference existed between conventional analgesia and acupuncture analgesia.

Conclusion
ACA is beneficial to traditional thyroidectomy regarding efficacy and safety when acupuncture is applied as an adjunct. However, additional high-quality studies with larger sample sizes are needed to verify the findings.
Clean air captures attention whereas pollution distracts: evidence from brain activities
Authors: Yang Jianxun , Liu Yunqi , van den Berg Berry , Wang Susie , Chen Lele , Liu Miaomiao , Bi Jun 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAwareness of the adverse impact of air pollution on attention-related performance such as learning and driving is rapidly growing. However, there is still little known about the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms. Using an adapted dot-probe task paradigm and event-related potential (ERP) technique, we investigated how visual stimuli of air pollution influence the attentional allocation process. Participants were required to make responses to the onset of a target presented at the left or right visual field. The probable location of the target was forewarned by a cue (pollution or clean air images), appearing at either the target location (attention-holding trials) or the opposite location (attention-shifting trials). Behavioral measures showed that when cued by pollution images, subjects had higher response accuracy in attention-shifting trials. ERP analysis results revealed that after the cue onset, pollution images evoked lower N300 amplitudes, indicating less attention-capturing effects of dirty air. After the target onset, pollution cues were correlated with the higher P300 amplitudes in attention-holding trials but lower amplitudes in attention-shifting trials. It indicates that after visual exposure to air pollution, people need more neurocognitive resources to maintain attention but less effort to shift attention away. The findings provide the first neuroscientific evidence for the distracting effect of air pollution. We conclude with several practical implications and suggest the ERP technique as a promising tool to understand human responses to environmental stressors.
Removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals from water through urethane functionalization of microfiltration membranes via electron beam irradiation
Authors: Niavarani Zahra , Breite Daniel , Yasir Muhammad , Sedlarik Vladimir , Prager Andrea , Schönherr Nadja , Abel Bernd , Gläser Roger , Schulze Agnes 
Published: December 2023

AbstractPolyethersulphone (PES) membranes modified with urethane functional groups were prepared through an interfacial reaction using electron beam irradiation. The removal of eight endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) was studied using both pristine and functionalized PES membranes. The prepared membranes underwent characterization using several techniques, including attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, contact angle analysis, and measurements of pure water flux. Furthermore, dynamic adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the adsorption mechanism of the prepared membrane toward the eight EDCs. The urethane functionalized membranes were hydrophilic (52° contact angle) and maintained a high permeate flux (26000 L/h m2 bar) throughout the filtration process. Dynamic adsorption results demonstrated that the introduction of urethane functional groups on the membranes significantly enhanced the removal efficiency of 17β-estradiol, estriol, bisphenol A, estrone, ethinylestradiol, and equilin. The adsorption loading of 17β-estradiol on the functionalized PES membrane was 6.7 ± 0.7 mg/m2, exhibiting a 5-fold increase compared to the unmodified PES membrane. The membranes were successfully regenerated and reused for three adsorption cycles without experiencing any loss of adsorption capacity.
Association Between Wnt Target Genes and Cortical Volumes in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Dong Liling , Hou Bo , Liu Caiyan , Mao Chenhui , Huang Xinying , Shang Li , Chu Shanshan , Peng Bin , Cui Liying , Feng Feng , Gao Jing 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe disproportionate cortical atrophy is an established biomarker for the pathophysiological process of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the genetic basis underlying the cortical atrophy remains poorly defined. Herein, we aim to illustrate the effect of the Wnt target genes on the cortical volumes of AD patients. 82 sporadic AD patients were recruited. All the subjects had history survey, blood biochemical examination, cognitive assessment, MRI morphometry and whole exome sequencing. This report focused on 84 common variants (minor allele frequency > 0.01) of 32 Wnt target genes, including the APC, DAAM1, DACT1, DISC1, LATS2, TLR2, WDR61, and the AXIN, DVL, FZD, LRP, TCF/LEF, WNT family genes. The Wnt target genes showed asymmetric effects on the cortical volumes of AD patients. The right temporal/parietal/occipital cortices were more affected than left temporal/parietal/occipital cortices. Nevertheless, the reverse applied to the frontal cortex. The DACT1 affected the cortical thickness most, followed by the TCF3 and APC. The DACT1 rs698025-GG genotype displayed greater right temporal pole and left medial orbito-frontal gyrus than rs698025-GA genotype (2.4 ± 0.4 vs. 2.0 ± 0.6, P = 0.005; 5.2 ± 0.6 vs. 5.0 ± 0.6, P = 0.001). The brain region most influenced by the Wnt target genes was the right calcarine cortex. In conclusion, the common variants of the Wnt target genes exert asymmetric effects on the cortical volumes of AD patients. The Wnt signaling pathway may play a role in the cortical atrophy of AD patients.
Fertility Has Been Framed: Why Family Planning Is Not a Silver Bullet for Sustainable Development
Authors: Senderowicz Leigh , Valley Taryn 
Published: December 2023

AbstractHigh fertility and population growth have been framed as villains in global health and development. Inspired by neo-Malthusian concerns around resource depletion, scholars have argued that fertility reduction through increased contraceptive use is necessary to protect maternal health, prevent environmental disaster, and promote economic prosperity throughout the Global South. Despite substantial critique from feminist and anticolonial scholars, the scientific evidence behind these arguments has often been treated as established fact. This ostensible scientific consensus on the instrumental benefits of contraceptive use has been marshalled by the global family planning establishment in the wake of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development to justify continued efforts to maximize contraceptive uptake in the Global South. Here, we critically examine the evidence linking high fertility to adverse maternal health, environmental, and economic outcomes and evaluate whether reducing fertility through increased contraceptive use offers an effective strategy to address these challenges. We find the state of the evidence weaker and more conflicted than commonly acknowledged, with many claims relying on small effect sizes and/or unjustified assumptions. While increasing contraceptive uptake and reducing fertility may offer limited, marginal advantages, we argue that family planning cannot effectively address the multidimensional challenges of global poverty, ill health, and environmental degradation. Instead, global health and development should address root causes of these phenomena, while family planning programs must radically refocus on reproductive autonomy.
Parental perspectives on the use of fidget toys and sensory-seeking profiles in autistic and neurotypical children
Authors: Roche Megan A. , Back Elisa , Van Herwegen Jo 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis study addresses the research gap concerning whether the use of fidget toys or fidget spinners specifically are perceived to support children and positively influence their behavioural and emotional wellbeing as well as investigating how these perceptions relate to children’s sensory-seeking profiles. 129 parents/carers of autistic children (n = 53) and neurotypical (NT) children (n = 76) completed an online survey. The survey consisted of questions relating to the benefits and risks of fidget toys as well as statements about their own child’s fidget toy use. The Sensory Profile 2 was used to obtain parents perspectives on their child’s sensory behaviours. The main findings demonstrated that parents of autistic children perceived fidget toys and fidget spinners to be overall more beneficial than NT parents, especially in relation to reducing anxiety. Higher sensory-seeking scores for both autistic children and NT children were associated with greater parental agreement for fidget toys and fidget spinners being beneficial. Parents of autistic children with higher sensory seeking scores found fidget toys to reduce anxiety and spinners to be less distracting. Whereas, parents of NT children with higher sensory seeking scores perceived both fidget toys and spinners to help their child concentrate. Implications include that educators should consider parental views when forming policies about the use of fidget toys. Findings also imply that the sensory profiles of autistic and NT students should be considered in relation to the use of fidget toys.
Aberrant Hippocampal Development in Early-onset Mental Disorders and Promising Interventions: Evidence from a Translational Study
Authors: Yang Jingyu , Guo Huiling , Cai Aoling , Zheng Junjie , Liu Juan , Xiao Yao , Ren Sihua , Sun Dandan , Duan Jia , Zhao Tongtong , Tang Jingwei , Zhang Xizhe , Zhu Rongxin , Wang Jie , Wang Fei 
Published: December 2023

AbstractEarly-onset mental disorders are associated with disrupted neurodevelopmental processes during adolescence. The methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) animal model, in which disruption in neurodevelopmental processes is induced, mimics the abnormal neurodevelopment associated with early-onset mental disorders from an etiological perspective. We conducted longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood in MAM rats to identify specific brain regions and critical windows for intervention. Then, the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) intervention on the target brain region during the critical window was investigated. In addition, the efficacy of this intervention paradigm was tested in a group of adolescent patients with early-onset mental disorders (diagnosed with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder) to evaluate its clinical translational potential. The results demonstrated that, compared to the control group, the MAM rats exhibited significantly lower striatal volume from childhood to adulthood (all P <0.001). In contrast, the volume of the hippocampus did not show significant differences during childhood (P >0.05) but was significantly lower than the control group from adolescence to adulthood (both P <0.001). Subsequently, rTMS was applied to the occipital cortex, which is anatomically connected to the hippocampus, in the MAM models during adolescence. The MAM-rTMS group showed a significant increase in hippocampal volume compared to the MAM-sham group (P <0.01), while the volume of the striatum remained unchanged (P >0.05). In the clinical trial, adolescents with early-onset mental disorders showed a significant increase in hippocampal volume after rTMS treatment compared to baseline (P <0.01), and these volumetric changes were associated with improvement in depressive symptoms (r = − 0.524, P = 0.018). These findings highlight the potential of targeting aberrant hippocampal development during adolescence as a viable intervention for early-onset mental disorders with neurodevelopmental etiology as well as the promise of rTMS as a therapeutic approach for mitigating aberrant neurodevelopmental processes and alleviating clinical symptoms.