bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Environmental exposure assessment of co-formulants in plant protection products under REACH
Authors: McMillan Claire , Bonifay Sébastien , Dobe Christopher , Fliege Ralph , Krass Joachim D. , Terry Adrian , Wormuth Matthias 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
It is a regulatory requirement to assess co-formulants in plant protection products (PPP) under the European Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) legislation. The standard environmental exposure assessment framework for chemicals under REACH is a multicompartmental mass-balanced model and, at the local scale, is designed for use with urban (wide dispersive) or industrial (point source) emissions. However, the environmental release of co-formulants used in PPP is to agricultural soil and indirectly to waterbodies adjacent to a field and, for sprayed products, to the air. The Local Environment Tool (LET) has been developed to assess these specific emission pathways for co-formulants in a local-scale REACH exposure assessment, based on standard approaches and models used for PPP. As such, it closes a gap between the standard REACH exposure model's scope and REACH requirements to assess co-formulants in PPP. When combined with the output of the standard REACH exposure model, the LET includes an estimate of the contribution from other nonagricultural background sources of the same substance. The LET is an improvement over the use of higher tier PPP models for screening purposes because it provides a simple standardized exposure scenario. A set of predefined and conservatively selected inputs allows a REACH registrant to conduct an assessment without requiring detailed knowledge of PPP risk assessment methods or typical conditions of use. The benefit to the co-formulant downstream user (formulators) is a standardized and consistent approach to co-formulant assessment, with meaningful and readily interpretable conditions of use. The LET can serve as an example to other sectors of how to address possible gaps in the environmental exposure assessment by combining a customized local-scale exposure model with the standard REACH models. A detailed conceptual explanation of the LET model is provided here together with a discussion on its use in a regulatory context. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:1544–1554. © 2023 BASF SE, Bayer AG et al. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC)
Proximal thermal imaging‐based irrigation scheduling for bread wheat in Egypt
Authors: Omar Mohie El Din , Nangia Vinay 
Published: March 2023

AbstractOwing to the significance of leaf and air temperature differences (ΔT) under arid conditions, this study aimed to prove the proximal thermal imaging concept for irrigation scheduling under controlled irrigation amounts for wheat in Egypt. This led to variation in leaf relative water content (RWC), soil water content (SWC) and ΔT and allowed us to obtain relationships. Two experiments were conducted in the 2022 winter season under different agroecological conditions. The average temperature of bright leaves (Tleaf) and average temperature of entire images (Timage) were estimated. Strong inverse relationships were observed between the bright leaves and air temperature difference (ΔT‐L) and both RWC and SWC, with R2 values of 0.736 and 0.844, respectively. Additionally, the entire image and air temperature difference (ΔT‐I) showed strong inverse relationships, with R2 values of 0.735 and 0.880, respectively. The study proved reliability for detecting water stress, instantly measuring RWC and SWC and providing thermal‐based irrigation scheduling in newly reclaimed lands. This study recommends determining ΔT thresholds for various crops. The study was the first step to prove the concept under controlled conditions and provide ΔT thresholds. The next step will capitalize on findings to schedule irrigation under uncontrolled conditions in farmer fields in the 2023 winter season to test the ability to achieve an impact.
A survey of South Carolina pharmacists' readiness to prescribe human immunodeficiency virus pre‐exposure prophylaxis
Authors: Burns Charles M. , Endres Kyle , Derrick Caroline , Cooper Alexandra , Fabel Patricia , Okeke Nwora Lance , Ahuja Divya , Corneli Amy , McKellar Mehri S. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIntroductionHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is largely underutilized in the Southern United States. Given their community presence, pharmacists are well positioned to provide PrEP within rural, Southern regions. However, pharmacists' readiness to prescribe PrEP in these communities remains unknown.ObjectiveTo determine the perceived feasibility and acceptability of prescribing PrEP by pharmacists in South Carolina (SC).MethodsWe distributed a 43‐question online descriptive survey through the University of South Carolina Kennedy Pharmacy Innovation Center's listserv of licensed SC pharmacists. We assessed pharmacists' comfort, knowledge, and readiness to provide PrEP.ResultsA total of 150 pharmacists responded to the survey. The majority were White (73%, n = 110), female (62%, n = 93), and non‐Hispanic (83%, n = 125). Pharmacists practiced in retail (25%, n = 37), hospital (22%, n = 33), independent (17%, n = 25), community (13%, n = 19), specialty (6%, n = 9), and academic settings (3%, n = 4); 11% (n = 17) practiced in rural locales. Pharmacists viewed PrEP as both effective (97%, n = 122/125) and beneficial (74% n = 97/131) for their clients. Many pharmacists reported being ready (60% n = 79/130) and willing (86% n = 111/129) to prescribe PrEP, although over half (62% n = 73/118) cited lack of PrEP knowledge as a barrier. Pharmacists described pharmacies as an appropriate location to prescribe PrEP (72% n = 97/134).ConclusionsMost SC pharmacists surveyed considered PrEP to be effective and beneficial for individuals who frequent their pharmacy and are willing to prescribe this therapy if statewide statutes allow. Many felt that pharmacies are an appropriate location to prescribe PrEP but lack a complete understanding of required protocols to manage these patients. Further investigation into facilitators and barriers of pharmacy‐driven PrEP is needed to enhance utilization within communities.
Impact of osteosarcopenia on disability and mortality among Japanese older adults
Authors: Shimada Hiroyuki , Suzuki Takao , Doi Takehiko , Lee Sangyoon , Nakakubo Sho , Makino Keitaro , Arai Hidenori 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundIn clinical settings, muscle mass and bone mineral density assessments are usually performed using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA), the clinical standard technique. However, DXA is often unavailable in community settings. This study aimed to determine whether osteoporosis, osteopenia (OP) and sarcopenia (SP) identified by simplified instruments are associated with the future incidence of disability and mortality and evaluate the validity of these instruments as community screening tools. We also examined osteosarcopenia (OS), defined as the coexistence of OP and SP, as a new indicator of geriatric syndromes to determine whether it has an additive effect on adverse outcome incidence compared with OP and SP alone.MethodsIn total, 8995 older adults participated in the study (women: 51.7%, average age: 73.5 ± 5.4 years). Data were extracted from the Japanese national cohort study, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology‐Study of Geriatric Syndromes. We determined OP based on T‐scores generated based on the speed of sound, which is the time taken for ultrasound waves to go through a determined distance in the calcaneus bone. Skeletal muscle mass was evaluated using a bioimpedance analysis device. Handgrip strength and walking speed were measured as physical performance indicators. Incidences of disability and mortality were prospectively determined for 5 years.ResultsThe prevalence of OP, SP and OS was 45.5%, 3.9% and 7.4%, respectively. The incidence of disability in the nonOP/nonSP, OP, SP and OS groups was 6.5%, 14.9%, 20.5% and 33.5%, respectively. The incidence of mortality in the nonOP/nonSP, OP, SP and OS groups was 4.0%, 4.9%, 10.3% and 10.2%, respectively. Participants with OP (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25–1.68), SP (HR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.08–1.76) and OS (HR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.43–2.09) had a higher risk of disability than nonOP/nonSP participants. Participants with OP (HR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.04–1.64) and OS (HR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.05–2.00) had a higher risk of mortality than nonOP/nonSP participants. SP was not significantly related to mortality (HR: 1.14, 95% CI: 0.90–1.45). There was no statistical interaction between OP and SP in incident disability and mortality.ConclusionsAmong older adults, OS identified by bioimpedance and quantitative ultrasound assessments was associated with an increased risk of disability and mortality. Further research is needed to implement these findings in community health activities, such as setting precise cut‐off values and constructing accurate disability and mortality prediction models.
A systematic review of dramatherapy interventions used to alleviate emotional distress and support the well‐being of children and young people aged 8–18 years old
Authors: Keiller Eleanor , Tjasink Megan , Bourne Jane , Ougrin Dennis , Carr Catherine Elizabeth , Lau Jennifer Y. F. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundDramatherapy, a creative form of psychotherapy, may be a useful treatment for child and adolescent mental health. As there is a growing evidence base, this systematic review sought to identify, describe and evaluate dramatherapy with children and adolescents who were experiencing emotional distress (anxiety, depression and trauma) in order to inform future research in this area.MethodsSeven databases (PsychInfo, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, EMBASE and Cochrane) were searched for peer‐reviewed articles exploring dramatherapy as a treatment for child and adolescent emotional distress. Hand searches of relevant journals were also conducted. Two reviewers coded articles for eligibility and independently appraised papers using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. Details relating to intervention and participant characteristics were extracted and, where data were available, effect sizes on measures relating to emotional distress were calculated.ResultsFifteen papers were included. Studies showed that dramatherapy was often delivered in schools (46%) and clinical settings (20%) and was more frequently delivered to adolescents (53%) (>11 years) than children (26%) (8–11 years). Dramatherapy was used as a treatment for diagnostically heterogeneous groups (40%), for emotional and behavioural difficulties (33%) and following a shared, traumatic, experience (20%). Seven papers reported relevant quantitative data however, just three of these studies were controlled and none were blinded. Pre‐to‐post intervention effect sizes ranged from d = 0.17 to d > 2 yet samples were small and participant response to treatment was not always consistent. The largest effects were seen in dramatherapy employed following trauma and in clinical settings. Medium to large effects were also seen in early intervention school‐based dramatherapy.ConclusionDespite promising results with regards to the treatment of child and adolescent emotional distress, the evidence base for dramatherapy is small and methodologically flawed. Larger, methodologically robust trials should test the efficacy of dramatherapy in future research.
Evolution and copula modelling of drought duration and severity over Africa using CORDEX‐CORE regional climate models
Authors: Olusegun Christiana Funmilola , Ogunjo Samuel , Olusola Adeyemi 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThis study assessed the dependence of drought severity and duration across four subregions (Southern, Western, Eastern and Central) in Africa using copula modelling. The analysis was carried out for the reference period 1991–2020 and the future period 2071–2099. Simulated daily precipitation at a horizontal resolution of 0.22° were obtained from three regional climate models (RCMs) participating in the Coordinated Output for Regional Evaluations within the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX‐CORE). The RCMs were downscaled by three global climate models and validated using three high‐resolution gridded daily precipitation products obtained from The Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations data (CHIRPS), Climate Prediction Center Africa Rainfall Climatology Version 2.0 (CPC‐ARC2) and Tropical Applications of Meteorology using SATellite data and ground‐based observations (TAMSAT). Comparison of precipitation from the RCMs with the three gridded reference observations shows relatively good performance across the different regions with median value within the range of 3–5 mm·day−1 in Central Africa, 1.5–4.5 mm·day−1 in Western Africa, 1.8–2.8 mm·day−1 in Eastern Africa and 0.5–2.2 mm·day−1 in Southern Africa. On the other hand, the correlation values of drought duration–severity from CORDEX‐CORE models in the different regions of Africa exhibit predominantly strong values greater than 0.8 for both historical and projected climate. The analysis also considered two families of copulas: Archimedean (Frank, Clayton, Gumbel) and Elliptical (Gaussian, Student's t). The performance of the copula functions were estimated using the Akaike information criteria (AIC). Generally, there is a good agreement in the distribution of observed precipitation among the three observational data products across the subregion of Africa, with slight differences attributed to the different processing algorithms of the products. Across West Africa, mean precipitation values from CPC, CHIRPS and TAMSAT was 2.86, 3.16 and 3.07 mm·day−1, respectively. The CCLM‐NCC underestimated the mean values of precipitation reported in the observation data, while CCLM‐MPI and CCLM‐HAD overestimated the mean values of precipitation in the West Africa region.
Bias correction of CMIP6 simulations of precipitation over Indian monsoon core region using deep learning algorithms
Authors: Kesavavarthini T. , Rajesh A. Naga , Venkata Srinivas C. , Kumar T. V. Lakshmi 
Published: March 2023

AbstractGeneral Circulation Models or Global Climate Models (GCMs) output consists of inevitable bias due to insufficient knowledge about parameterization schemes and other mathematical computations that involve thermodynamical and physical laws while designing climate models. Indian summer monsoon (southwest monsoon) accounts for 75%–90% of the annual rainfall over most climatic zones of India during the months, June, July, August, and September, which has a direct impact on the agricultural economy of India. The aim of this study is to bias correct the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase – 6 (CMIP6) GCMs' precipitation data for the historical period from 1985 to 2014 and two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) SSP1‐2.6 and SSP5‐8.5, from the period 2015 to 2100, with reference to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) observed rainfall gridded dataset. The datasets used are for the rain‐bearing Indian southwest monsoon season from the months, June to September. Monsoon Core Region is selected to carry out the bias correction using a couple of deep learning algorithms, namely one‐dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (CNN1D) and Long Short‐Term Memory Encoder‐Decoder (LSTM‐ED) Neural Network. The performance of both algorithms is evaluated with metrics. The LSTM‐ED algorithm yielded better results with least error output. The bias‐corrected data obtained using the LSTM‐ED algorithm is then compared with IMD observed rainfall data for the climatic events such as ENSO (El Niño and La Niña) and Positive and Negative IOD (Indian Ocean Dipole).
Online teaching effectiveness: Lessons from Indian universities during the Covid‐19 pandemic
Authors: Mahajan Ritika , Kumar Satish , Agrawal Monika 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThis research aims to study the effectiveness of online teaching, from student and faculty perspectives, during the Covid‐19 Pandemic in higher education institutions across India. Using the Student's Evaluation of Online Teaching Effectiveness (SEOTE) scale, a survey was conducted among 1042 students in different Indian universities. The scale measured student faculty contact (SFC), cooperation among students (CAS), active learning (AL), prompt feedback (PF), time on task (TT), high expectations (HE), and diverse talents and ways of learning (DTWL). The research instrument also included three open‐ended questions. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Human Development Index (HDI). The Online Teaching Effectiveness Index (OTEI) value was moderate at 0.62. Challenging aspects of online education were found to be access, learning experience, technology, resources, and infrastructure, the need for face‐to‐face interaction, and the health hazards of long screen time. The survey of 60 faculty members recorded online teaching to be sustainable, backed by institute support, flexible, and creates the possibility of peer learning. Lack of training resources, unsuitability of course design and practical courses for online mode, and the need for an overhaul of pedagogy were the challenges. Policymakers and digital companies should include infrastructural changes and investments at both the institutional and digital platforms level.
Does financial fragility affect consumer well‐being? Evidence from COVID‐19 and the United States
Authors: Baker H. Kent , Goyal Kirti , Kumar Satish , Gupta Prashant 
Published: March 2023

AbstractFinancial fragility is of considerable concern for consumer well‐being. Besides unleashing a public health crisis, COVID‐19 also ignited a financial crisis and thus represents a natural event from the field to study financial well‐being. We maintain that well‐being is a corollary to one's financial situation. We investigate the linkage between financial fragility and well‐being and the moderating role of financial literacy and personality using US data. We find that financial fragility is negatively associated with well‐being. This pervasive phenomenon during a financial crisis has harmful consequences. We also find evidence of a differential impact of financial fragility on well‐being based on Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism, supporting our argument that personality has varying degrees of explanatory and predictive power in terms of well‐being. Surprisingly, financial literacy does not modify this relationship, possibly due to the well‐being affecting an individual's cognition and emotions rather than financial knowledge. Our findings could aid policy makers and financial educators in devising timely strategies to deal with post‐crisis complications.
Synergistic modification of collagen structure using ionic liquid and ultrasound to promote the production of DPP‐IV inhibitory peptides
Authors: He Long , Cao Yingying , Wang Xinyue , Wang Yanru , Han Ling , Yu Qunli , Zhang Li 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBACKGROUNDDual modification of collagen was performed using ionic liquid (IL) and ultrasound (US) to modulate the activity of collagen hydrolyzed peptides and reveal the production mechanism of cowhide‐derived dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP‐IV) inhibitory peptides.RESULTSThe results revealed that dual modification (IL + US) significantly improved the hydrolytic degree of collagen (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, IL and US tended to promote the break of hydrogen bonds, but inhibit the crosslinking between collagens. The double modification reduced the thermal stability and accelerated the exposure of tyrosine and phenylalanine of collagen, and improved the proportion of small molecular (< 1 kDa) peptides in collagen hydrolysates. Interestingly, the hydrophobic amino acid residues and DPP‐IV inhibitory activity of collagen peptides with small molecular weight (< 1 kDa) was increased further under the combination of IL and US.CONCLUSIONEnhanced hypoglycemic activity of collagen peptides can be attained through the dual modification of IL and US. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Valorization of orange peels exploiting fungal solid‐state and lacto‐fermentation
Authors: Ricci Annalisa , Díaz Ana Belen , Lazzi Camilla , Blandino Garrido Ana María 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundOrange peels can serve as a cost‐effective raw material for the production of lactic acid. Indeed, given their high concentration of carbohydrates and low content of lignin, they represent an important source of fermentable sugars, recoverable after a hydrolytic step.ResultsIn the present article, the fermented solid, obtained after 5 days of Aspergillus awamori growth, was used as the only source of enzymes, mainly composed of xylanase (40.6 IU g−1 of dried washed orange peels) and exo‐polygalacturonase (16.3 IU g−1 of dried washed orange peels) activities. After the hydrolysis, the highest concentration of reducing sugars (24.4 g L−1) was achieved with 20% fermented and 80% non‐fermented orange peels. The hydrolysate was fermented with three lactic acid bacteria strains (Lacticaseibacillus casei 2246 and 2240 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus 1019) which demonstrated good growth ability. The yeast extract supplementation increased the lactic acid production rate and yield. Overall, L. casei 2246 produced the highest concentration of lactic acid in mono‐culture.ConclusionTo the best of our knowledge this is the first study exploiting orange peels as low‐cost raw material for the production of lactic acid avoiding the employment of commercial enzymes. The enzymes necessary for the hydrolyses were directly produced during A. awamori fermentation and the reducing sugars obtained were fermented for lactic acid production. Despite this preliminary work carried out to study the feasibility of this approach, the concentrations of reducing sugars and lactic acid produced were encouraging, leaving open the possibility of other studies for the optimization of the strategy proposed here. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
High transparency and performance slot‐die‐coated large‐area polymer solar module
Authors: Sung Yun‐Ming , Tsao Cheng‐Si , Cha Hou‐Chin , Ma Wei‐Yang 
Published: March 2023

AbstractWe fabricate polymer solar cells (PSCs) and modules by sheet‐to‐sheet slot‐die coating under air environment based on halogen‐free host solvent. How to upscale small‐area PSC to large‐area PSC module is demonstrated here. The opaque module exhibits the most superior performance among the slot‐die‐coated modules reported. The scaling of both the semitransparent top electrode and PSC module is a challenge due to the complex difficulties. In this study, the semitransparent MoO3/Ag/MoO3 top electrode is successfully upscaled to be in the large‐area semitransparent PSC module. Ag layer thickness as reflector in the tri‐layer electrode is used to tune the trade‐off between transmittance, conductivity, and the light absorption in the active layer. The matching combination of transmittance, absorption spectra of MoO3/Ag/MoO3 top electrode, and active layer is a main key of our approach greatly improving photovoltaic and optical performance. The power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of the semitransparent PSC modules with Ag thickness of 25, 20, and 15 nm are 7.1%, 5.9%, and 4.4%, respectively. The corresponding average visible transmittance (AVT) values are 20.5%, 28.3%, and 36.1%, respectively. The transmittance values at 550 nm are ranging from 24% to 40%. According to the review of all the reported semitransparent modules (>10 cm2), our modules demonstrate the excellent trade‐off performance about two times better than the large‐area semitransparent PSC modules currently reported either based on the similar PCEs or AVTs.