bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Digital Reading among Children in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Jarf Reima 
Published: August 2023

A sample of parents in Saudi Arabia was surveyed to find out the reading technologies that children under the age of 12 use, children’s digital reading habits and interests, parents’ roles in encouraging the children to read digitally, the effects of digital reading on children’s reading ability, and to compare digital reading before, during and after the Pandemic. Survey results showed that all the children in the sample use a smart phone to access apps, games, cartoons, and YouTube videos. About 41% use an iPad or tablet and few use their parents or older siblings’ laptops. None of the children in the sample uses an e-reader such as Kindle. 5% do not like to use an iPad/tablet and prefer to use their parents’ smart phones. Children below the age of 6 use touch screen devices in reading the English and Arabic letters, numeracy and words. They enjoy reading on touch screens. 36% of the children in grades 1-3 use touch screen devices in learning to read and 64% use them for games and entertainment. Children in grades 4-6 mainly use touch screen devices to play games, soccer, car races and watch movies mostly in English and do not use those devices for reading purposes. Older children feel that educational and language learning and reading apps are boring. During the pandemic, children used technology intensively due to remote teaching and learning, i.e., more than before and after the Pandemic. About half of the parents do not share, nor supervise reading from touch screen devices with their children whether during, before or after the pandemic. Despite the advancements in digital reading, most parents and children in Saudi Arabia still prefer print books and stories. Mobile audiobooks, electronic reading games, storybooks, picture books and glossy magazines, reading lessons with a digital, human-like character, WhatsApp remote reading, online book clubs, and children's digital libraries are not used. Therefore, this study recommends the integration of digital reading in the school curriculum, raising parents and teachers’ awareness of digital reading devices, reading apps and websites and designing mobile reading apps with interactive features to motivate older children to read Arabic fiction and short stories.
FACTORS INFLUENCING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SHARING AMONG RURAL FARMERS IN SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA
Authors: OMINIKARI ABRAHAM. G , OKRINGBO J. I. 
Published: August 2023

The study assessed factors influencing sharing of indigenous knowledge among rural farmers in South-South Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 360 farmers. Data collection was through structured questionnaire and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics such as mean and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression. The result reveals that sharing between two or more farmers ( = 3.9), parents/guardian/friends ( = 3.8), participation ( = 3.8), observation ( = 3.7), farmer’s groups ( = 3.7), demonstration ( = 3.4), social group gathering ( = 3.4), village groups/age grades ( = 3.4), village meetings ( = 3.4) among others were the major ways farmers share knowledge. The study also revealed that farm income ( = 4.05), access to information ( = 4.01), land tenure system ( = 3.91), literacy level ( = 3.88), awareness of knowledge sharing need ( = 3.83), access to credit ( = 3.79), farming experience ( = 3.72), age ( = 3.46), gender ( = 3.40) and marital status ( = 3.26) were perceived factors that influenced indigenous knowledge sharing. The Ordinary Least Square regression analysis revealed that participation (2.978***), social network (3.096***), infrastructure (2.423**) and farm income (2.105**) significantly influenced the sharing at 1% and 5% significance levels respectively. From the findings, it was concluded that indigenous knowledge sharing was influenced by participation, social network, and infrastructure and farm income. The study recommended State Ministries of Agriculture and extension agencies to assist the rural farmers by organizing demonstrations and coordinating farmer groups which would enable them improve the sharing of their indigenous knowledge
PENGELOLAAN JARINGAN DOKUMENTASI DAN INFORMASI HUKUM DALAM MENUNJANG INFORMASI PELAYANAN PUBLIK PADA KOMISI PEMILIHAN UMUM PROVINSI KALIMANTAN TENGAH
Authors: Wulandari Desia Asrina , Yusuf Muhamad , Nurhasanah Nurhasanah 
Published: August 2023

The aim of this research is to describe how the management of Law Documentation and Information Networking (JDIH) provide public services at the Commission of Public Election (KPU) of Central Kalimantan Province for supporting community public services in information and law products. This research applies qualitative approach with descriptive method. The data collection techniques were: 1) interview, 2) observation, and 3) documentation. The results show that the management of JDIH at KPU of Central Kalimantan Province in providing information/ law products has not been optimal yet. Developing quantity and quality of human resources is strongly needed in order to have the jobs finish effectively in accordance with the Standard Operational Procedures (SOP). It can be optimally by adding the quantity of personnel with suitable educational background/ skills and training. Adding appropriate infrastructures, especially networking/ internet system and application system, also special working rooms and library for JDIH will support the existence of law data/ information of KPU for the public. Public as the users of JDIH website will be helped by the existence of JDIH at KPU Central Kalimantan Province for finding law data/ information easily, effectively that is suitable with the aspects of prime public services.
Estimating Demand for Imported Food Categories in Iraq
Authors: Yaseen Abdullah Yaser , Mostafa Mohammed Rezgar 
Published: August 2023

Iraq is highly dependent on international markets to provide food for its residents. As imported food prices are highly dependent on crude oil prices in global markets, any shock in oil prices will have an impact on food consumption in the country. As a result, it is essential to study the demand for imported food at every time period. To the best of our knowledge as researchers, as not even a single study is available in the literature, this paper is considered the first to study the demand for imported food groups in Iraq. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to estimate demand elasticities for several imported food categories in Iraq. This study uses an Almost Ideal Demand System model to analyze the demand for imported food in Iraq from 1980-2003 and 2003-2020. Data are collected from secondary resources. The main results show that some food categories become demand inelastic after they were demand elastic in the first period. In contrast, demand for some food groups become more price sensitive in the second period after it was less price sensitive in the first period. There are also changes in some food categories after they became luxuries in the second period. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the changing dynamics of food import demand in Iraq and have policy implications by helping the decision-makers to invest more in the local production of some food groups.
Paper type: Research paper
Correlation between energy and displacement demands for infilled reinforced concrete frames
Authors: Angelucci G. , Mollaioli F. , Quaranta G. 
Published: August 2023

Introduction: It is well recognized that masonry infills, even though they are non-structural elements, might offer a significant earthquake resistance and can prevent the collapse of relatively weak reinforced concrete structures.Methods: The goal of this study is to investigate the energy dissipation contribution of masonry infills in reinforced concrete frames subjected to earthquake ground motion. To this purpose, a sticktype model with and without infills is considered for the evaluation of the inelastic response of representative frame structures. The infills are modeled by means of equivalent strut elements, which can only carry compressive loads. To investigate the influence of their mechanical characteristics, different idealized type of masonry infills are considered, and the weakest one is selected for the dynamic analyses based on the whole strong motions database.Results: Wide ranges of structural systems and natural periods are taken into account, in such a way to establish response spectra for several significant parameters, including those based on energy. The results of the present investigation demonstrate that the infills significantly contribute to the energy dissipation capacity, provided that they are present in all stories.Discussion: It is found that the contribution of masonry infills is of great importance in reducing both dissipation and displacement energy demands in frame elements. The effectiveness of their contribution depends on the characteristics of the ground motion, especially for non-seismic frames.
Sex-specific associations of γ-glutamyltransferase to HDL-cholesterol ratio and the incident risk of cardiovascular disease: three Korean longitudinal cohorts from different regions
Authors: Jung Dong Hyuk , Park Byoungjin , Ryu Ha Eun , Lee Yong Jae 
Published: August 2023

BackgroundThe combination of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (GGT/HDL-C) is a novel noninsulin-based marker for assessing the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, whether the GGT/HDL-C ratio is related to the risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is not well known. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the longitudinal effect of GGT/HDL-C ratio on incident CVD risk in three large cohorts of Korean men and women.MethodsData were assessed from 27,643 participants without CVD from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES), Health Risk Assessment Study (HERAS), and Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA) (HERAS-HIRA) datasets. The participants were divided into four groups according to the GGT/HDL-C quartiles. We prospectively assessed hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CVD using multivariate Cox proportional-hazard regression models over a 50-month period following the baseline survey.ResultsDuring the follow-up period, 949 patients (3.4%; 529 men and 420 women) developed CVD. The HRs of CVD for GGT/HDL-C quartiles 2-4 were 1.36 (95% CI, 0.91–2.02), 1.54 (95% CI, 1.05–2.26), and 1.66 (95% CI, 1.12–2.47) after adjusting for metabolic parameters in women, but GGT/HDL-C did not show a trend toward increases in incident CVD in men. Regional discrepancies were evident in the results; the increase in HR in the metropolitan hospital cohort was more pronounced than that in the urban cohort, and the risk was not increased in the rural cohort.ConclusionGGT/HDL-C ratio may be a useful predictive marker for CVD in women. Furthermore, the prevalence of CVD was strongly correlated with the GGT/HDL-C ratio in metropolitan areas, and this correlation was more significant than that observed with GGT or HDL-C in isolation.
Integration of transcriptomics and metabolomics reveals the responses of the maternal circulation and maternal-fetal interface to LPS-induced preterm birth in mice
Authors: Cao Xianling , Zhou Xuanyou , Chen Songchang , Xu Chenming 
Published: August 2023

BackgroundTerm birth (TB) and preterm birth (PTB) are characterized by uterine contractions, rupture of the chorioamniotic membrane, decidual activation, and other physiological and pathological changes. In this study, we hypothesize that inflammation can cause changes in mRNA expression and metabolic stability in the placenta, decidua, chorioamniotic membrane, uterus and peripheral blood, ultimately leading to PTB.MethodsTo comprehensively assess the effects of inflammation on mRNA expression and metabolite production in different tissues of pregnancy, we used a mouse PTB model by intraperitoneally injecting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics studies.ResultsOur analysis identified 152 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 8 common differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) in the placenta, decidua, chorioamniotic membrane, uterus, and peripheral blood, or placenta and uterus after LPS injection, respectively. Our bioinformatics analysis revealed significant enrichment of the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway (mmu04621), TNF signaling pathway (mmu04668), IL-17 signaling pathway (mmu04657), and NF-kappa B signaling pathway in the transcriptomics of different tissues, and Hormone synthesis, Lysosome, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, and Protein digest and absorption pathway in metabolomics. Moreover, we found that several upstream regulators and master regulators, including STAT1, STAT3, and NFKB1, were altered after exposure to inflammation in the different tissues. Interaction network analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics DEGs and DEMs also revealed functional changes in mice intraperitoneally injected with LPS.ConclusionsOverall, our study identified significant and biologically relevant alterations in the placenta, decidua, chorioamniotic membrane, uterus, peripheral blood transcriptome and the placenta and uterus metabolome in mice exposed to LPS. Thus, a comprehensive analysis of different pregnancy tissues in mice intraperitoneally injected with LPS by combining transcriptomics and metabolomics may help to systematically understand the local and systemic changes associated with PTB caused by inflammation.
Incorporating inflammatory biomarkers into a prognostic risk score in patients with non-ischemic heart failure: a machine learning approach
Authors: Feng Jiayu , Zhao Xuemei , Huang Boping , Huang Liyan , Wu Yihang , Wang Jing , Guan Jingyuan , Li Xinqing , Zhang Yuhui , Zhang Jian 
Published: August 2023

ObjectivesInflammation is involved in the mechanisms of non-ischemic heart failure (NIHF). We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of 21 inflammatory biomarkers and construct a biomarker risk score to improve risk prediction for patients with NIHF.MethodsPatients diagnosed with NIHF without infection during hospitalization were included. The primary outcome was defined as all-cause mortality and heart transplantations. We used elastic net Cox regression with cross-validation to select inflammatory biomarkers and construct the best biomarker risk score model. Discrimination, calibration, and reclassification were evaluated to assess the predictive value of the biomarker risk score.ResultsOf 1,250 patients included (median age, 53 years, 31.9% women), 436 patients (34.9%) experienced the primary outcome during a median of 2.8 years of follow-up. The final biomarker risk score included high-sensitivity C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) and red blood cell distribution width-standard deviation (RDW-SD), both of which were 100% selected in 1,000 times cross-validation folds. Incorporating the biomarker risk score into the best basic model improved the discrimination (ΔC-index = 0.012, 95% CI 0.003–0.018) and reclassification (IDI, 2.3%, 95% CI 0.7%–4.9%; NRI, 17.3% 95% CI 6.4%–32.3%) in risk identification. In the cross-validation sets, the mean time-dependent AUC ranged from 0.670 to 0.724 for the biomarker risk score and 0.705 to 0.804 for the basic model with a biomarker risk score, from 1 to 8 years. In multivariable Cox regression, the biomarker risk score was independently associated with the outcome in patients with NIHF (HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.49–2.08, p &lt; 0.001, per 1 score increase).ConclusionsAn inflammatory biomarker-derived risk score significantly improved prognosis prediction and risk stratification, providing potential individualized therapeutic targets for NIHF patients.
Whole exome sequencing of well-differentiated liposarcoma and dedifferentiated liposarcoma in older woman: a case report
Authors: Zhao Zidan , Chen Xiaoyan , Xu Jie , Shi Yuntao , Mak Tsz Kin , Huo Mingyu , Zhang Changhua 
Published: August 2023

BackgroundCommon kinds of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) include well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS) and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS). In this case, we present a comprehensive clinical profile of a patient who underwent multiple recurrences during the progression from WDLPS to DDLPS.Case presentationA 62-year-old Asian female underwent retroperitoneal resection of a large tumor 11 years ago, the initial pathology revealed a fibrolipoma-like lesion. Over the next six years, the patient underwent three resections for recurrence of abdominal tumors. Postoperative histology shows mature adipose tissue with scattered “adipoblast”-like cells with moderate-to-severe heterogeneous spindle cells, pleomorphic cells, or tumor giant cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) demonstrated positive staining for MDM2 and CDK4, confirming that the abdominal tumor was WDLPS and gradually progressing to DDLPS. Post-operative targeted sequencing and IHC confirmed the POC1B::ROS1 fusion gene in DDLPS. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) revealed that WDLPS and DDLPS shared similar somatic mutations and copy number variations (CNVs), whereas DDLPS had more mutated genes and a higher and more concentrated amplification of the chromosome 12q region. Furthermore, somatic mutations in DDLPS were significantly reduced after treatment with CDK4 inhibitors, while CNVs remained elevated.ConclusionDue to the high likelihood of recurrence of liposarcoma, various effective treatments should be taken into consideration even if surgery is the primary treatment for recurrent liposarcoma. To effectively control the course of the disease following surgery, combination targeted therapy may be a viable alternative to chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the treatment of liposarcoma.
The microbiota of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO cheese: a study across the manufacturing process
Authors: Levante Alessia , Bertani Gaia , Marrella Martina , Mucchetti Germano , Bernini Valentina , Lazzi Camilla , Neviani Erasmo 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionMozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO cheese (MBC) is a globally esteemed Italian cheese. The traditional cheesemaking process of MBC relies on natural whey starter culture, water buffalo's milk, and the local agroecosystem.MethodsIn this study, the microbial ecology of intermediate samples of MBC production, coming from two dairies with slightly different cheesemaking technology (dairy M large producer, and dairy C medium-small), was investigated using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. This research aimed to provide insights into the dynamics of microbial consortia involved in various cheesemaking steps.Results and discussionAll samples, except for raw buffalo milk, exhibited a core microbiome predominantly composed of Streptococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp., albeit with different ratios between the two genera across the two MBC producers. Notably, the microbiota of the brine from both dairies, analyzed using 16S amplicon sequencing for the first time, was dominated by the Lactobacillus and Streptococcus genera, while only dairy C showed the presence of minor genera such as Pediococcus and Lentilactobacillus. Intriguingly, the final mozzarella samples from both producers displayed an inversion in the dominance of Lactobacillus spp. over Streptococcus spp. in the microbiota compared to curd samples, possibly attributable to the alleviation of thermal stress following the curd stretching step. In conclusion, the different samples from the two production facilities did not exhibit significant differences in terms of the species involved in MBC cheesemaking. This finding confirms that the key role in the MBC cheesemaking process lies with a small-sized microbiome primarily composed of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus spp.
Neuromuscular recovery from botulism involves multiple forms of compensatory plasticity
Authors: Machamer James B. , Vazquez-Cintron Edwin J. , Stenslik Mallory J. , Pagarigan Kathleen T. , Bradford Aaron B. , Ondeck Celinia A. , McNutt Patrick M. 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionBotulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) causes neuroparalytic disease and death by blocking neuromuscular transmission. There are no specific therapies for clinical botulism and the only treatment option is supportive care until neuromuscular function spontaneously recovers, which can take weeks or months after exposure. The highly specialized neuromuscular junction (NMJ) between phrenic motor neurons and diaphragm muscle fibers is the main clinical target of BoNT. Due to the difficulty in eliciting respiratory paralysis without a high mortality rate, few studies have characterized the neurophysiological mechanisms involved in diaphragm recovery from intoxication. Here, we develop a mouse model of botulism that involves partial paralysis of respiratory muscles with low mortality rates, allowing for longitudinal analysis of recovery.Methods and resultsMice challenged by systemic administration of 0.7 LD50 BoNT/A developed physiological signs of botulism, such as respiratory depression and reduced voluntary running activity, that persisted for an average of 8–12 d. Studies in isolated hemidiaphragm preparations from intoxicated mice revealed profound reductions in nerve-elicited, tetanic and twitch muscle contraction strengths that recovered to baseline 21 d after intoxication. Despite apparent functional recovery, neurophysiological parameters remained depressed for 28 d, including end plate potential (EPP) amplitude, EPP success rate, quantal content (QC), and miniature EPP (mEPP) frequency. However, QC recovered more quickly than mEPP frequency, which could explain the discrepancy between muscle function studies and neurophysiological recordings. Hypothesizing that differential modulation of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) contributed to the uncoupling of QC from mEPP frequency, pharmacological inhibition studies were used to study the contributions of different VGCCs to neurophysiological function. We found that N-type VGCC and P/Q-type VGCC partially restored QC but not mEPP frequency during recovery from paralysis, potentially explaining the accelerated recovery of evoked release versus spontaneous release. We identified additional changes that presumably compensate for reduced acetylcholine release during recovery, including increased depolarization of muscle fiber resting membrane potential and increased quantal size.DiscussionIn addition to identifying multiple forms of compensatory plasticity that occur in response to reduced NMJ function, it is expected that insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in recovery from neuromuscular paralysis will support new host-targeted treatments for multiple neuromuscular diseases.