bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Construct for Use and Recurring Use of Over-the-counter Herbal Health Products: Qualitative Insights From in-depth Interviews in Malaysia
Authors: Din Wardah Mustafa , Mahadi Zurina , Amin Latifah 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background
Inclination towards Herbal Health Products (HHP) among patients and consumers are increasing, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to explore the various reasons behind the usage and recurring use of HHP among patients and consumers in Malaysia and understand the construct that motivates consumers to make a recurring purchase of HHPs.
Methods
To explore the purpose underlying usage of herbal health products (HHP) and its constructs of preferred choice and motivations for recurring use among Malaysians, this study employs a qualitative approach of in-depth interviews with 30 participants whom are consumers of any herbal health products in Malaysia. Participants were interviewed regarding their experiences and opinions using a semi-structured protocol, and data were transcribed and thematically analyzed.
Results
There are three main purpose of HHP usage among Malaysians, which are to treat illness, to control symptoms or pain related to illness and to prevent illness or promote general health. Among these identified purpose of usage, it is observed that usage of HHP for treatment are for non-chronic illnesses, whereas usage to control symptoms are for chronic illnesses. To explore the reasons further, it is observed that there are few constructs that make HHP the preferred choice among consumers which are perceived safety of the herbal products; its effectiveness to treat or control illness; perceived to have less side effects compared to conventional medicine; religious beliefs; and price worthiness of the product. Motivational constructs for repurchase of HHPs are perceived efficacy to health and well-being, reduction in prescribed medicine dosage and reasonable price.
Conclusion
In summary, there are myriad of reasons underlying the preferences towards the consumption of HHP among Malaysians and motivation for repurchase according to individual objectives. Awareness for safe use of HHP among consumers pertaining to the herbal ingredients needs to be promoted to align the purpose of use and its real efficacy towards illness management. Initiatives for safe use of HHP must be done in order to safeguard consumers from unnecessary health risks and adverse effects in HHP consumption.
The relationship between psychosocial behavior and the quality of life of male gout patients in southwest china: a cross-sectional study based on an information-motivation-behavioral skills model
Authors: Wang Ying , Guo Xin , Chen Bo , Chen Yanling , Chen Hong , Ma Ling , Liu Huan 
Published: July 2023

Abstract

Background
The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of gout patients is poor, and studies have shown that providing psychosocial behaviors interventions can improve the HRQoL of gout patients, but there is no cross-sectional study on whether psychosocial behaviors affect the HRQoL of gout patients.
Methods
For this cross-sectional study, 225 male patients with gout were enrolled. HRQoL was assessed using the gout impact scale, and the gout knowledge questionnaire was used to assess patients´ degree of knowledge about the disease. The positive psycap questionnaire was used to assess positive psychological capacity and finally, the gout patient self-management assessment scale was used to assess self-management behaviors. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the factors affecting HRQoL in gout patients.
Results
The overall mean gout impact scale score was 52.7 (maximum possible = 100). Factors associated with the total gout impact scale score were tophi (β = 4.746), pain intensity (β = 1.294), and resiliency (β=-0.559). In addition, demographic characteristics (education level, smoking and marital status), clinical characteristics (tophi, pain intensity, number of attacks over 6 months, and number of affected joints) and psychosocial behavior variables (resiliency, hope, disease treatment management, diet management) were associated with several dimensions of the gout impact scale.
Conclusions
The HRQoL of male gout patients in Southwest China was assessed as at a medium level. We found that clinical characteristics and psychosocial behaviors are important factors affecting the HRQoL in men with gout, and should be the focus for interventions.
Quality of Chronic Disease (Diabetes &amp; Hypertension) Care in Health Care Facilities in High Diseas Burden Areas in Sidama Region: Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Derese Bedilu Deribe , Tadesse Fikru , Dadi Gezaheng Bekele , Ayalew Mohammed , Borie Yacob Abraham , Alemayehu Tinbete Samuel , Aynalem Amdehiwot , Gechere Ephrem Geja , Gebrekidan Martha Girma , Debiso Alemu Tamiso , Alemayehu Akalewold , Jisso Meskerem , Mihrete Kindalem Worku , Fikre Rekik , Ejeso Amanuel , Abera Wendwesen 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background: Diabetes and hypertension are major synergistic risks factors for microvasculopathy, macroangeophathy and neuropathy problems among patients with chronic disorder. Control of hypertension and diabetes have significant value in delaying these complications. The key for delaying complications in diabetes and hypertension is the quality of care.
Objectives: This study explored the quality of diabetes-hypertension care in health care facilities with high disease burden in Sidaama region.
Methodology: An institution-based cross-sectional study was carried out. Patients with Diabetes and hypertension were included in the study. A total of 844 patients were included in the study. The Data was collected using the application software Kobocollect. For data analysis, SPSS version 25 was used. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with quality of care. To measure quality, we employed patient outcome indicators focusing on long-term complications of the eye, heart, fasting blood pressure, and neuropathic complications. Ethical approval clearance was obtained from Hawassa University, college of medicine and health sciences ethical review board.
Result: The mean age of patients was 47.99 + 15.26 years with a range of 18–90 years while. Men make up 62% of the overall number of respondents. In terms of marital status, 700 (82.9%) were married. Concerning place of residence; 433 (51.3%) were from rural area. The primary diagnosis is diabetes for 419(49.6%) patients and nearly 23% of patients have both Diabetes and hypertension. Regarding blood pressure the mean diastolic blood pressure was 82.6 mmhg with mean systolic blood pressure of 129.6 mmhg. Among study participants 391 (46.33%) patients received poor quality of chronic disease care. Patients living alone, patients who have professional work, fasting blood glucose in normal range, patients with higher education and patients with serum creatinine receives relatively good chronic illness care.
Optimizing the Process Conditions of Corn Oil Methyl Ester for Bioresin Production
Authors: Huda Md Sanaul , Odegaard Michael , Sarker Niloy , Webster Dean , Monono Ewumbua 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
The conversion of corn oil into quality methyl ester through the transesterification process is an age-old concept. Because of its higher degree of unsaturation, similar to soybean oil, transesterified corn oil has promising properties to produce bio-based resin. Replicating published methods did not result in desired quantity and quality of corn methyl ester needed for bio-resin production, which requires further investigation. This research investigated the effect of different reaction conditions on the yield and quality of methyl ester produced from corn oil. The reaction was conducted at 60°C with a methanol-oil ratio of 6:1 and NaOH as a catalyst. Hypothesized recovered yield (> 70%) of corn methyl ester was achieved after stopping the reaction with HCl. The process was conducted at different reaction times (0.5, 1, and 1.5 h) and acid amounts (0, 1.3, 2.6, 3.9, and 5.2 mL). The methyl ester yield ranged from 45–79%. A statistical model was obtained with linear and quadratic terms, and the recovered yield varied significantly with the acid amount, reaction time, and their interactions. The addition of 2.6 mL acid after the transesterification process resulted in a 15–25% increased yield compared to no acid treatment. On the other hand, the yield was reduced 18–24% with increasing time when no acid was added. All the measured characteristics of the produced corn methyl ester sample were found within the limits of ASTM D6751 pure methyl ester. Overall, the optimization of the transesterification process showed promise in increasing the yield of quality methyl ester from corn oil.
Inflammasomes in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Pilot Study
Authors: Jiang Qi , Wang Xin , Xu Xiuping , Hu Liangfeng , Zhou Guozhong , Liu Rui , Yang Guocan , Cui Dawei 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background
The inflammasome plays an important role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which was little systematically reported. The aim of this study was to understand whether the levels of inflammasome were related to the severity of RA disease, which might provide a stronger theoretical basis for RA treatment.
Methods
The mRNA expression levels of some inflammasomes and associated molecules including IL-1beta and IL-18 in peripheral blood peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 30 RA patients (n = 30) and 16 healthy controls (HC) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the levels of plasma IL-1beta and IL-18 were also measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Moreover, clinical characteristics and laboratory results of the patients were collected and analyzed in this study.
Results
Compared to HC group, the relative mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, NLRC4, AIM2, caspase-1, and IL-1beta were significantly higher, but notably lower in NLRP1, NLRP2 and NLRC5 in RA group. Moreover, the plasma IL-1beta and IL-18 levels were markedly increased in RA group. Additionally, the mRNA level of AIM2 was negatively correlated with DAS28 by stepwise linear regression analysis. and ESR was positively correlated with DAS28 by multiple linear regression analysis in RA group.
Conclusions
These findings implied the critical role of NLRP3, NLRC4, AIM2, caspase-1 mRNA, plasma IL-1beta and IL-18 in the pathogenesis of RA patients, which provided potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of RA.
Finnish Internet Parsebank
Authors: Luotolahti Juhani , Kanerva Jenna , Luoma Jouni , Skantsi Valtteri , Pyysalo Sampo , Laippala Veronika , Ginter Filip 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
We present a Finnish web corpus with multiple text sources and rich additional annotations. The corpus is based in large parts on a dedicated Internet crawl, supplementing data from the Common Crawl initiative and the Finnish Wikipedia. The size of the corpus is 6.2 billion tokens from 9.5 million source documents. The text is enriched with morphological analyses, word lemmas, dependency trees, named entities and text register (genre) identification. Paragraph-level scores of an n-gram language model, as well as paragraph duplication rate in each document are provided, allowing for further filtering of the dataset by the end user. Thanks to changes in the 2023 Finnish copyright legislation, the corpus is openly available for research purposes, and can also be accessed through the NoSketchEngine concordance tool and the dep search dependency tree query tool, all at https://turkunlp.org/finnish nlp.html.
Codon usage bias analysis of the gene encoding NAD+-dependent DNA ligase protein of invertebrate iridescent virus 6
Authors: DIZMAN YESIM AKTÜRK 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
The genome of Invertebrate iridescent virus 6 (IIV6) contains a sequence that shows similarity to eubacterial NAD+-dependent DNA ligases. The 615-amino acid open reading frame (ORF 205R) consists of several domains, including an N-terminal domain Ia, followed by an adenylation domain, an OB-fold domain, a helix-hairpin-helix (HhH) domain, and a BRCT domain. Notably, the zinc-finger domain, typically present in NAD+-dependent DNA ligases, is absent in ORF 205R. Since the protein encoded by ORF 205R (IIV6 DNA ligase gene) is involved in critical functions such as DNA replication, modification, and repair, it is crucial to comprehend the codon usage associated with this gene. In this paper, the codon usage bias (CUB) in DNA ligase gene of IIV6 and 11 reference iridoviruses was analyzed by comparing the nucleotide contents, relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU), effective number of codons (ENC), codon adaptation index (CAI), relative abundance of dinucleotides and other indices. Both the base content and the RCSU analysis indicated that the A- and T-ending codons were mostly favoured in the DNA ligase gene of IIV6. The ENC value of 35.64 implied a high CUB in the IIV6 DNA ligase gene. The ENC plot, neutrality plot, parity rule 2 plot, correspondence analysis revealed that mutation pressure and natural selection had an impact on the CUB of the IIVs DNA ligase genes. This findings will improve our comprehension of the CUB of IIV6 DNA ligase and reference genes, which may provide the required information for a fundamental evolutionary analysis of these genes.
Investigation of Tensile behaviour, Seizure Conditions and Frictional Characteristics of Al-Zn-Cu-Mg Alloy based composites
Authors: Kumar Ashish , Rana R. S. , Purohit Rajesh , Baghel Madhusudan , Namdev Anurag , Kumar Rajan 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
In a current scenario, light weighted composites are the prime need of manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, marine and other applications due to their excellent properties compared to traditional materials. The current study includes the fabrication of Al Alloy 7068-based composites reinforced with Si3N4 nanoparticles by 0.5 to 2.0 wt. % by maintaining a difference of 0.5 wt. % through stir casting approach advanced with ultrasonic treatment. Wear resistance and tensile strength were significantly improved with Si3N4 addition. A small decrement in tensile strength was noticed at 2 wt. % due to the agglomeration of particles. Wear loss increased with applied stress, sliding velocity and sliding distance. COF also increased with sliding distance but decreased with applied stress. There is a significant increment in seizure pressure noticed with reinforcement addition. Abrasive wear dominates at a higher applied stress and sliding distance due to the clustering of particles.
Calculating kill intervals for a specific prey from GPS location cluster data of a predator
Authors: Vogt Kristina , Roth Tobias , Signer Sven , Willisch Christian , Amrhein Valentin 
Published: July 2023

Abstract

An increasing number of GPS telemetry studies have helped to gain important insights into predator-prey relationships in the last years. However, considerable time and effort have to be invested to evaluate whether GPS location clusters (GLCs) reflect predation events. To reduce field effort, predictive models are being developed to calculate predator kill intervals, but few studies have attempted to do this for one specific prey species. Between 2013 and 2018, we studied predation of 13 GPS-collared Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) on Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) in the Northwestern Swiss Alps. Our objectives were to predict the total number of killed chamois, including potential kills in unchecked GLCs, and to evaluate if model predictions were accurate enough for practical use. We built a set of generalized linear models (GLM) predicting the occurrence of GLCs containing killed chamois versus GLCs containing other prey types or no prey and compared their predictive performance by means of k-fold cross-validation. We found that model performance was very similar for all candidate models, with the full model yielding the best cross-validation result (accuracy = 0.83, sensitivity = 0.43, specificity = 0.94). Female lynx killed on average one chamois every 11.9 days (10.6–13.0 days, 95% CI); male lynx killed one chamois every 7.2 days (6.7–7.6 days, 95% CI). We conclude that our modelling results were sufficient for practical application. However, this approach does not replace extensive fieldwork but depends both on fieldwork and thorough knowledge of the predator’s ecology and prey community. It may provide useful results only for binary classifications in rather simple predator-prey systems, and results cannot easily be extrapolated from one study area to another.
Annual and Lunar-Related Breeding Rhythmicity in the Acorn Barnacle Tetraclita kuroshioensis (Chan, Tsang &amp; Chu, 2007) in Okinawa, Japan
Authors: Katayama Aoi , Tan Ee Suan , Takekata Hiroki , Takemura Akihiro 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Barnacles, a class of marine crustaceans, have adapted to various environments. This study investigated the breeding activity of Tetraclita kuroshioensis, a species prevalent on the coast of Okinawa Island, Japan, with a focus on gonadal development, the retention of eggs and larvae at different levels of attachment sites, and the role of environmental factors in their breeding rhythmicity. Monthly collections of T. kuroshioensis were conducted around the full moon from September 2019 to October 2020. Histological observations showed varying oocyte developmental stages in ovaries collected from September to October 2019 and March to September 2020. Developed testes were obtained from April to October. The breeding season of this species lasts for at least 7 months and is influenced by water temperature. Samples collected in April, August, and October displayed little variation in ovarian development across attachment sites; however, there was a noticeable vertical difference in egg and larval retention, with a preference for the new moon phase in the upper and middle parts of attachment sites in August and October. The findings indicate that T. kuroshioensis larval release exhibits seasonal variation, influenced by the lunar and tidal cycles of their habitat.
Construction Risk Assessment of Super- Large-Diameter Shield Tunnel in Karst Area Based on FAHP-TOPSIS Method
Authors: Wenzhou Wang , Xifeng Yang , Yong Cheng , Jiguo Liu , ming Song , cong Zhang 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
In recent years, construction accidents happen frequently in shield tunnel crossing karst caves due to the complex karst geological structure. These are more obvious in super-large-diameter shield tunnel during construction. In the past, the results of risk assessment tended to be subjective since these reviews were mainly based on experience. A super-largediameter tunnel model is constructed by using calculation principle of FAHP-TOPSIS method based on quantitative analysis and objective weighting method to conduct risk assessment in karst area based on risks evaluated in a shield tunnel project under construction in a city. The risk classification is formulated, and the risk assessment system for a super-large-diameter shield tunnel under construction in karst area is developed to perform computation for assessment. The results show that the closeness of the construction risk for shield tunnel with super-large-diameter crossing the karst area is 0.034, and the risk level is V, that is, high risk, which brings great potential safety hazard to tunnel construction. The computation results are consistent with those of site conditions to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the method. The results have provided reference for the risk assessment of similar engineering practice under construction.
Glutamate Secretion by Embryonic Stem Cells as an Autocrine Signal to Promote Proliferation
Authors: Lin Teng , Qin Qin , Zhou Ziyi , Zhou Fei , Cao Chunyu , Yang Jian , Ding Jia wang 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, has also been found to play a role in embryonic stem (ES) cells. However, the exact mechanism and function of glutamatergic signaling in ES cells remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified a glutamatergic transmission circuit in ES cells that operates through an autocrine mechanism and regulates cell proliferation. We performed biological analyses to identify the key components involved in glutamate biosynthesis, packaging for secretion, reaction, and reuptake in ES cells, including glutaminase, vesicular glutamate transporter, glutamate NMDA receptor, and cell membrane excitatory amino-acid transporter. We directly quantified the released glutamate signal using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Pharmacological inhibition of endogenous glutamate release and the resulting tonic activation of NMDA receptors significantly affected ES cell proliferation, suggesting that ES cells establish a glutamatergic autocrine niche via releasing and responding to the transmitter for their own regulation.
Mechanistic study on the micro-optical morphology and electrical properties of microchannel plates by acid-base alternating corrosion processes
Authors: Li Tao , Wang Jian , Cong Xiaoqing , Pan Kai , Li Wankai , Jin Ge , Qiu Xiangbiao , Lin Yanjian 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
As a two-dimensional vacuum electron multiplier device, the microchannel plate is made by solid method with lead silicate glass as the base material, and acid-base etching to remove the core material is a key step in the formation of the microchannel plate, which mainly affects the microstructure, morphology and composition of the inner wall surface, and then affects the electrical properties of the microchannel plate. The microscopic morphology of silicate glass under different etching processes was studied by scanning electron microscopy, and it was found that with the increase of acid-base alternation during the etching process, the particle density of the inner wall of the channel gradually decreased, and the energy spectrum analysis of the particles revealed that the main contents were Pb and Bi; further by AFM analysis, the particle peak height was reduced from 31.1 nm to 1.9 nm with roughness. The results of the electrical and noise properties of the microchannel plates show that an appropriate increase in acid-base alternation can effectively reduce the bulk resistance and dark current without reducing the gain of the microchannel plates. This shows that increasing the "erosion intensity" of the acid-base alternation multiple times during corrosion can effectively improve the core-skin diffusion layer, further affecting the physical and chemical transformation of the nanoscale morphology, pointing to a new direction for improving the electrical properties of microchannel plates made of silicate glass.