bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Establishing peat‐forming plant communities: A comparison of wetland reclamation methods in Alberta's oil sands region
Authors: Borkenhagen Andrea , Cooper David J. , House Melissa , Vitt Dale H. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe Sandhill Wetland (SW) and Nikanotee Fen (NF) are two wetland research projects designed to test the viability of peatland reclamation in the Alberta oil sands post‐mining landscape. To identify effective approaches for establishing peat‐forming vegetation in reclaimed wetlands, we evaluated how plant introduction approaches and water level gradients influence species distribution, plant community development, and the establishment of bryophyte and peatland species richness and cover. Plant introduction approaches included seeding with a Carex aquatilis‐dominated seed mix, planting C. aquatilis and Juncus balticus seedlings, and spreading a harvested moss layer transfer. Establishment was assessed 6 years after the introduction at SW and 5 years after the introduction at NF. In total, 51 species were introduced to the reclaimed wetlands, and 122 species were observed after 5 and 6 years. The most abundant species in both reclaimed wetlands was C. aquatilis, which produced dense canopies and occupied the largest water level range of observed plants. Introducing C. aquatilis also helped to exclude marsh plants such as Typha latifolia that has little to no peat accumulation potential. Juncus balticus persisted where the water table was lower and encouraged the formation of a diverse peatland community and facilitated bryophyte establishment. Various bryophytes colonized suitable areas, but the moss layer transfer increased the cover of desirable peat‐forming mosses. Communities with the highest bryophyte and peatland species richness and cover (averaging 9 and 14 species, and 50%–160% cover respectively) occurred where the summer water level was between −10 and −40 cm. Outside this water level range, a marsh community of Typha latifolia dominated in standing water and a wet meadow upland community of Calamagrostis canadensis and woody species established where the water table was deeper. Overall, the two wetland reclamation projects demonstrated that establishing peat‐forming vascular plants and bryophytes is possible, and community formation is dependent upon water level and plant introduction approaches. Future projects should aim to create microtopography with water tables within 40 cm of the surface and introduce vascular plants such as J. balticus that facilitate bryophyte establishment and support the development of a diverse peatland plant community.
Self‐efficacy and healthcare costs in patients with chronic heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Blanck Elin , Pirhonen Nørmark Laura , Fors Andreas , Ekman Inger , Ali Lilas , Swedberg Karl , Gyllensten Hanna 
Published: November 2023

AbstractAimsThis study aims to explore possible associations between self‐efficacy and healthcare and drug expenditures (i.e. direct costs) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a study investigating the effects of person‐centred care delivered by telephone.Methods and resultsThis exploratory analysis uses data from an open randomized controlled trial conducted between January 2015 and November 2016, providing remote person‐centred care by phone to patients with CHF, COPD, or both. Patients hospitalized due to worsening of CHF or COPD were eligible for the study. Randomization was based on a computer‐generated list, stratified for age ≥ 75 and diagnosis. At a 6 month follow‐up, 118 persons remained in a control group and 103 in an intervention group. The intervention group received person‐centred care by phone as an addition to usual care. Trial data were linked to register data on healthcare and drug use. Group‐based trajectory modelling was applied to identify trajectories for general self‐efficacy and direct costs. Next, associations between self‐efficacy trajectories and costs were assessed using regression analysis. Five trajectories were identified for general self‐efficacy, of which three indicated different levels of increasing or stable self‐efficacy, while two showed a decrease over time in self‐efficacy. Three trajectories were identified for costs, indicating a gradient from lower to higher accumulated costs. Increasing or stable self‐efficacy was associated with lower direct costs (P = 0.0013).ConclusionsThe findings show that an increased or sustained self‐efficacy is associated with lower direct costs in patients with CHF or COPD. Person‐centred phone contacts used as an add‐on to usual care could result in lower direct costs for those with stable or increasing self‐efficacy.
Mononuclear Uranium and Heterobimetallic Actinide (An=Th, U) Alkoxides with Divalent Group 14 Elements (MII=Ge, Sn, Pb)
Authors: Lichtenberg Andreas , Lichtenberg Aida , Pieper Melissa , Mathur Sanjay 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWhen compared to main group and lanthanide elements, the heterobimetallic alkoxides of actinide elements with metals other than alkali metals are elusive. We report here for the first time alkoxide derivatives containing early actinides and the divalent group 14 elements. For this purpose in this work, co‐alcoholysis reactions of silyl amides of divalent group 14 elements (MII=Ge, Sn, Pb) and actinides (AnIV=Th, U) were studied that resulted in the formation of [AnM(OtBu)6] (1‐AnM) (AnIV=Th, MII=Ge, Sn, Pb; AnIV=U, MII=Ge, Sn). A 2‐electron redox reaction occurred in the UIV‐PbII couple, which generated nearly quantitatively a UV alkoxide species and elemental lead. Precise adjustments of the stoichiometry in this reaction allowed to synthesize [U(OtBu)5Py] (3), amongst others in high yield. 3 and the UIV alkoxide [U(OtBu)4(Py)2] (4) described in this work represent first mononuclear UIV or UV containing alkoxides. First promising attempts to use [U(OtBu)5Py] (3) as a starting material in co‐alcoholysis reactions with divalent group 14 silylamides resulted in the formation of heterobimetallic UV‐MII alkoxides [UM(OtBu)7] (MII=Ge, Sn, Pb) amongst others. All compounds described in this study were thoroughly characterized by multi‐nuclear NMR and IR spectroscopic investigations, single crystal X‐ray diffraction data, and CHN‐ analysis.
Cervical muscle parameters and allodynia in migraine and cervical pain—A controlled study
Authors: Rodrigues A. , Bigal L. M. , Bragatto M. M. , Dach F. , Bevilaqua‐Grossi D. , Bigal M. E. , Fernández‐de‐las‐Peñas C. , Florencio L. L. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBackgroundNeck pain is common among individuals with migraine, but there is a lack of information of how this comorbidity can be associated with cervical muscle function. This controlled cross‐sectional study aimed to compare cervical muscle function, activity, and sensitization in women with migraine, neck pain, both, and neither.MethodsThis study included women, between 18 and 55 years old, with either episodic migraine with or without aura, without any concomitant headache diagnosis; chronic neck pain, with at least moderate intensity and mild disability; or neither headache nor neck pain. Pain pressure threshold, allodynia, muscle strength, and endurance and cervical muscles activity were evaluated.ResultsOne hundred subjects, with mean age of 30.4 years old, were stratified by diagnosis (n = 25 per group) and by self‐reported pain during tests. Lower endurance during flexion was observed for migraine and neck pain (34s) relative to neck pain alone (45s), migraine (40s), and controls (58s) (p = 0.04). For extensor endurance, means were 142s, 166s, 215s, and 270s, respectively (p < 0.001). Endurance times were impacted by the presence of test‐induced pain decreasing about 40%–53% of the performance. Diagnostic groups did not differ significantly in strength (p > 0.05), but all pain groups presented significantly higher proportion of test‐induced pain, lower muscle activity during the maximal isometric voluntary contractions, and lower pressure pain thresholds.ConclusionPatients with migraine, chronic neck pain, and the association of both present altered cervical muscle function and activity. Also, test‐induced pain impacts significantly on neck muscles endurance.SignificanceThe diagnosis of migraine and chronic neck pain is associated with altered function and activity of the cervical muscles. However, the test‐induced pain had an important contribution to worse cervical muscle endurance. This suggests that the therapeutic approach should focus on de‐sensitization of the trigeminal–cervical complex when dealing with the comorbidity of migraine and cervical pain.
Computational intelligence techniques for energy efficient routing protocols in wireless sensor networks: A critique
Authors: Lakshmi M. Sri , Ramana K. Seshadri , Ramu Gandikota , Shyam Sunder Reddy K. , Sasikala C. , Ramesh G. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) play a pivotal role in modern data acquisition systems, but their energy‐efficient operation remains a significant challenge. This work provides a concise overview of the key challenges and proposed solutions discussed in the context of energy‐efficient routing protocols for WSNs based on a systematic literature review. The need for fault tolerance to ensure network resilience is vital, given the limited resources and environmental challenges faced by sensor nodes. This work emphasizes the importance of addressing several open research questions, including the integration of diverse topologies, cross‐layer routing, and the use of multiple mobile sinks. Additionally, it highlights the need for QoS‐aware routing for real‐time applications, mathematical modeling for protocol evaluation, and the challenges of testing routing protocols on real hardware. Furthermore, this article suggests leveraging the RPL routing protocol with the Node‐based Metric RNE for enhanced energy efficiency and explores the promising field of hierarchical routing protocols, exemplified by the LEACH protocol and its variants. This work serves as a roadmap for researchers and practitioners, identifying critical challenges and proposing directions for future research to achieve energy‐efficient routing protocols in WSNs, ultimately enabling effective communication in resource‐constrained environments.
The Reality of Cost Sharing in Japan
Authors: Kawabuchi Koichi , Kajitani Keiko 
Published: November 2023

AbstractFinancial pressure on younger generation is mounting in Japan, a super‐ageing society with staggering economy. The revision on the co‐insurance rate for 70–74 with “Standard” category was implemented to mitigate such pressure, seeking better balance across generations in sharing the burden of healthcare cost. It raised the rate from 10% to 20% over the period of five years from 2014 to 2018. This report examined how it changed the share of cost sharing (cost sharing as percentage to total healthcare expenditure), among the 70–74 with “Standard” category in Citizens Health Insurance programme in 44 prefectures. It specifically focused on change in the population's actual share of cost sharing (ASCS) that better reflect the genuine amount of payment actually made by the patients themselves. The average ASCS increased from 7.28% (2013) to 10.78% (2019), resulting wider gap from the statutory planned share of cost sharing (i.e., the statutory co‐insurance rate of 10% in 2013, and 20% in 2019). Also found was increased variance among prefectural ASCS, which may suggest a possibility of un‐designed effect by the revision, of encouraging a move towards ability and willingness to pay. In terms of cost containment effect, Japan needs to consider various non‐conventional options, including review of the current use of healthcare resources. First and foremost, however, the true state of cost sharing should be recognized in terms of ASCS and shared more widely as a reality. Such effort is essential in discussion of how to keep embracing the country's life line, UHC.
Assessment of toxicological effects of favipiravir (T‐705) on the lung tissue of rats: An experimental study
Authors: Erbaş Elif , Celep Nevra Aydemir , Tekiner Deniz , Genç Aydın , Gedikli Semin 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis study aimed to present new data on the side effects of favipiravir on healthy lung tissue and the respiratory system. In the study, two different durations (5 and 10 days) were preferred to determine the effect of favipiravir treatment due to clinical improvement rates of approximately 5 and 10 days during the use of favipiravir in COVID‐19 patients. In addition, after 10 days of favipiravir treatment, animals were kept for 5 days without any treatment to determine the regeneration of lung tissues. Favipiravir was administered to rats by oral gavage at a daily dose of 200 mg/kg for 5 and 10 days, as in previous studies. At the end of the experiment, the histopathological and biochemical effects of favipiravir in the lung tissue were investigated. The data obtained from the study showed that favipiravir increased oxidative stress parameters, expression of apoptotic markers, and pro‐inflammatory markers in lung tissue. Since malondialdehydes is an oxidant parameter, it increased in favipiravir‐administered groups; It was determined that the antioxidant parameters glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase decreased. Other markers used in the analysis are Bcl‐2, Bax, NF‐κB, interleukin (IL)‐6, Muc1, iNOS, P2X7R, IL‐6 and caspase‐3. The levels of Bax, caspase‐3, NF‐κB, IL‐6, Muc1, and P2X7R were increased in the Fav‐treated groups compared with the control. However, the levels of Bcl‐2 decreased in the Fav‐treated groups. The present study proves that favipiravir, widely used today, causes side effects in lung tissue.
d‐Galactose induces the senescence and phenotype switch of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells
Authors: Hu Daoyuan , Ge Yunlong , Ye Lei , Xi Yuhang , Chen Jialiang , Zhu Wenliang , Wang Zhenqing , Sun Zhuolun , Su Ying , Wang Dejuan , Xiao Shiwei , Qiu Jianguang 
Published: November 2023

AbstractStudies regarding age‐related erectile dysfunction (ED) based on naturally aging models are limited by their high costs, especially for the acquisition of primary cells from the corpus cavernosum. Herein, d‐galactose (
d‐gal) was employed to accelerate cell senescence, and the underlying mechanism was explored. As predominant functional cells involved in the erectile response, corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs) were isolated from 2‐month‐old rats. Following this,
d‐gal was introduced to induce cell senescence, which was verified via β‐galactosidase staining. The effects of
d‐gal on CCSMCs were evaluated by terminal deoxynucleoitidyl transferase dUTP nick‐end labeling (TUNEL), immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry, western blot, and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Furthermore, RNA interference (RNAi) was carried out for rescue experiments. Subsequently, the influence of senescence on the corpus cavernosum was determined via scanning electron microscopy, qRT‐PCR, immunohistochemistry, TUNEL, and Masson stainings. The results revealed that the accelerated senescence of CCSMCs was promoted by
d‐gal. Simultaneously, smooth muscle alpha‐actin (alpha‐SMA) expression was inhibited, while that of osteopontin (OPN) and Krüppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4), as well as fibrotic and apoptotic levels, were elevated. After knocking down KLF4 expression in
d‐gal‐induced CCSMCs by RNAi, the expression level of cellular alpha‐SMA increased. Contrastingly, the OPN expression, apoptotic and fibrotic levels declined. In addition, cellular senescence acquired partial remission. Accordingly, in the aged corpus cavernosum, the fibrotic and apoptotic rates were increased, followed by downregulation in the expression of alpha‐SMA and the concurrent upregulation in the expression of OPN and KLF4. Overall, our results signaled that
d‐gal‐induced accelerated senescence of CCSMCs could trigger fibrosis, apoptosis and phenotypic switch to the synthetic state, potentially attributed to the upregulation of KLF4 expression, which may be a multipotential therapeutic target of age‐related ED.
Effect of Obesity on the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Anticancer Agents
Authors: Zamboni William C. , Charlab Rosane , Burckart Gilbert J. , Stewart Clinton F. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractAn objective of the Precision Medicine Initiative, launched in 2015 by the US Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health, is to optimize and individualize dosing of drugs, especially anticancer agents, with high pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recently reported that 40% of obese patients receive insufficient chemotherapy doses and exposures, which may lead to reduced efficacy, and recommended pharmacokinetic studies to guide appropriate dosing in these patients. These issues will only increase in importance as the incidence of obesity in the population increases. This publication reviews the effects of obesity on (1) tumor biology, development of cancer, and antitumor response; (2) pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of small‐molecule anticancer drugs; and (3) pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of complex anticancer drugs, such as carrier‐mediated agents and biologics. These topics are not only important from a scientific research perspective but also from a drug development and regulator perspective. Thus, it is important to evaluate the effects of obesity on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of anticancer agents in all categories of body habitus and especially in patients who are obese and morbidly obese. As the effects of obesity on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of anticancer agents may be highly variable across drug types, the optimal dosing metric and algorithm for difference classes of drugs may be widely different. Thus, studies are needed to evaluate current and novel metrics and methods for measuring body habitus as related to optimizing the dose and reducing pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability of anticancer agents in patients who are obese and morbidly obese.
Model‐Informed Approaches to Support Drug Development for Patients With Obesity: A Regulatory Perspective
Authors: Pan Xiaolei , Wang Li , Liu Jiang , Earp Justin C. , Yang Yuching , Yu Jingyu , Li Fang , Bi Youwei , Bhattaram Atul , Zhu Hao 
Published: November 2023

AbstractObesity, which is defined as having a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or greater, has been recognized as a serious health problem that increases the risk of many comorbidities (eg, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes) and mortality. The high prevalence of individuals who are classified as obese calls for additional considerations in clinical trial design. Nevertheless, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how obesity affects the pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and efficacy of drugs proves challenging, primarily as obese patients are seldom selected for enrollment at the early stages of drug development. Over the past decade, model‐informed drug development (MIDD) approaches have been increasingly used in drug development programs for obesity and its related diseases as they use and integrate all available sources and knowledge to inform and facilitate clinical drug development. This review summarizes the impact of obesity on PK, PD, and the efficacy of drugs and, more importantly, provides an overview of the use of MIDD approaches in drug development and regulatory decision making for patients with obesity: estimating PK, PD, and efficacy in specific dosing scenarios, optimizing dose regimen, and providing evidence for seeking new indication(s). Recent review cases using MIDD approaches to support dose selection and provide confirmatory evidence for effectiveness for patients with obesity, including pediatric patients, are discussed. These examples demonstrate the promise of MIDD as a valuable tool in supporting clinical trial design during drug development and facilitating regulatory decision‐making processes for the benefit of patients with obesity.
Recovery of tungsten from spent selective catalytic reduction catalyst by sulfuric acid precipitation and evaporation crystallization method
Authors: Wang Bo , Yang Qiaowen , Chen Yue , Bai Ruoyan , Cao Hui 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBACKGROUNDSelective catalytic reduction (SCR) can effectively handle NOx from flue gas in coal‐fired power plants. However, as the core part of the SCR method, V2O5–WO3/TiO2 catalyst has a limited operational life in the complex flue gas environment. The recovery of rare metals from spent catalyst would not only bring economic benefits but also solve environmental problems. The process of reducing acid leaching and further roasting‐water leaching could realize the efficient recycling of vanadium, tungsten and titanium.RESULTSAfter reducing acid leaching and roasting‐water leaching to treat spent SCR catalyst, the obtained solution containing tungsten was used as the raw material in this study. The optimal pH value of solution for removal of silicon and aluminum impurities was 9.2–9.5. The best tungsten precipitation conditions were shown as follows: a tungsten concentration of 30 g L−1, a sulfuric acid concentration of 8 mol L−1, reaction temperature of 70 °C and reaction time of 2 h. Under the optimal tungsten precipitation conditions, the tungsten precipitation efficiency can reach 92.53%. Finally, in order to further improve the purity of the crude H2WO4, the crude H2WO4 was fully dissolved in ammonia, followed by filtration and evaporation crystallization to obtain 5(NH4)2O.12WO3.5H2O (APT) crystals with a purity of 93.05 wt%. The crystallization efficiency of APT was 73.37% at 60 °C for 2 h with a rotor speed of 400 rpm.CONCLUSIONThese results indicated that a higher purity of APT crystals can be obtained by the steps of removing silicon and aluminum, precipitation of tungsten by sulfuric acid, ammonia dissolution and evaporation crystallization. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Colonoscopic finding in children with lower gastrointestinal complaints
Authors: Abdullah Jan Shinwari , Ajmal Ghayour , Naimatullah Zaheer 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBackground and AimColonoscopy is an important tool for the diagnosis and treatment of lower gastrointestinal (LGI) diseases in both children and adults. This study describes an endoscopic profile of children at the Shinnwari Gastroenterology Diagnostic Clinic in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.MethodsThis is a cross‐sectional descriptive study conducted in children ≤16 years, taken from recorded colonoscopy reports from 1 January 2021 to 30 December 2022.ResultsOf the 672 colonoscopy procedures, 250 were diagnostic in children (7.41 years median age; 2.5:1 male/female ratio) without serious complications. Abnormal findings were recorded in 201 (81.2%) procedures; the most common presentation was hematochezia, which was higher in 5–8‐year‐olds. More frequent findings were colorectal polyps (50%), infection (16.4%), internal hemorrhoid (IH; 10%), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; 1.2%). Incidences of colorectal polyps were higher in those aged <9 years (37.2% vs 12.8%; P < 0.001). Conversely, internal IH and IBD tended to be higher in older children (aged ≥9 years) (IH: 6.8% vs 3.2%; P < 0.005; IBD: 1.2% vs 0%; P < 0.02). Colonoscopy procedures were completed without major complications.ConclusionColonoscopy is an important and safe procedure for the diagnosis of LGI compliants, especially hematochezia, which is frequently accompanied by colorectal polyps.