bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Usnea improves high-fat diet- and vitamin D3-induced atherosclerosis in rats by remodeling intestinal flora homeostasis
Authors: Liu Yanjun , Dou Chongyang , Wei Guihua , Zhang Liudai , Xiong Wei , Wen Lingmiao , Xiang Chunxiao , Chen Chunlan , Zhang Tinglan , Altamirano Alvin , Chen Yunhui , Zhang Tian-e , Yan Zhiyong 
Published: November 2022

Background: Usnea has various pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant, antiviral, and cardiovasculoprotective effects.Aim of the study: To investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the anti-atherosclerosis (AS) activity of Usnea ethanol extract (UEE) via the regulation of intestinal flora.Materials and Methods: The chemical composition of UEE was determined using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-EOMS). Thirty-six male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into six groups. A high-fat diet and intraperitoneal vitamin D3 injections were used to establish a rat model of AS. After 4 weeks of treatment with UEE, hematoxylin–eosin staining was performed to evaluate the pathomorphology of the aorta, liver, and colon. The composition and diversity of the rat intestinal flora were determined using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to measure the levels of plasma trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), serum bile acid (BA), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The protein expression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and flavin monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) in the liver and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin in colon tissue was detected via western blotting.Results: Forty-four compounds were identified in UEE. In the rat model of AS, UEE significantly prevented calcium deposition; decreased the serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, LPS, TNF-α, and IL-6; and increased the serum level of HDL-C. Additionally, all UEE dosages decreased the relative abundance of Verrucomicrobiota while increased that of Bacteroidetes. FMO3 protein expression and TMAO levels decreased, whereas CYP7A1 protein expression and BA levels increased. The absorption of intestinal-derived LPS was minimized. Furthermore, the protein expression of ZO-1 and occludin was upregulated.Conclusion: UEE ameliorated AS. The underlying mechanism was the reversal of imbalances in the intestinal flora by Usnea, thereby inhibiting calcium deposition, abnormal lipid metabolism, and inflammatory response.
Resolving the spatial scales of mass and heat transfer in direct plasma sources for activating liquids
Authors: Silsby J. A. , Dickenson A. , Walsh J. L. , Hasan M. I. 
Published: November 2022

When plasma is in direct contact with liquid, an exchange of mass and heat between the two media occurs, manifested in multiple physical processes such as vaporization and multiphase heat transfer. These phenomena significantly influence the conditions at the plasma–liquid interface and interfere with other processes such as the multiphase transport of reactive species across the interface. In this work, an experimentally validated computational model was developed and used to quantify mass and energy exchange processes at a plasma–liquid interface. On the liquid side of the interface, it was shown that a thin film of liquid exists where the temperature is approximately three times higher than the bulk temperature, extending to a depth of 10 μm. As the depth increased, a strongly nonlinear decrease in the temperature was encountered. On the plasma side of the interface, plasma heating caused background gas rarefaction, resulting in a 15% reduction in gas density compared to ambient conditions. The combined effect of gas rarefaction and liquid heating promoted vaporization, which increased liquid vapor density in the plasma phase. When water is the treated liquid, it is shown that water vapor constitutes up to 30% of the total gas composition in the region up to 0.1 mm from the interface, with this percentage approaching 70–80% of the total gas composition when the water’s temperature reaches its boiling point.
Free-electron terahertz radiation based on silicon gratings with in-plane waveguide emission
Authors: Chen Zhaofu , Mao Leilei , Jin Mengmeng 
Published: November 2022

We present a method utilizing the coupling between a pre-bunched electron beam and a silicon subwavelength grating to generate coherent terahertz waves. The grating that is connected to two opposite-traveling in-plane waveguides functions as a resonator. An example operating around 2 THz shows that, when the velocity and repetition frequency of the electron bunches respectively match the phase velocity and resonant frequency of the Bragg resonance in the grating, the strong electron-wave coupling leads to coherent radiation through the waveguide. The repetition frequency of the electron bunches can be halved by using its second harmonic to match the resonant frequency. This study might offer a potential approach for on-chip terahertz sources.
Design of a polyurethane underwater sound absorber based on the BP neural network and genetic algorithm
Authors: Wang Feng , Chang Shan , Xie Jie 
Published: November 2022

A coordinate transformation theory for the acoustic cloak design based on pentamode material was proposed by Norris in 2008. This theory avoids the problem of infinite density at the inner boundary of the inertial cloak, but the structural design of the pentamode material was difficult to be achieved. In order to solve this manufacturing problem, a design scheme of a low scattering cloak with only a few layers of polyurethane materials was proposed in this study. First, the material parameter distribution of the acoustic cloak was obtained based on the coordinate transformation theory. On this basis, the material parameter distribution in the two-dimensional annular acoustic cloak was derived by using linear mapping. Through simulation comparison between the uncovered acoustic cloak and covered acoustic cloak, the equivalent scattering characteristics of obstacles covered with the acoustic cloak were significantly reduced, which shows that anisotropic concealed materials have obvious advantages in acoustic control. When the thickness was given and the frequency was fixed, the sound pressure field of the cloak was simulated under the condition of uniform stratification. With the increase in the number of layers, the stealth effect was better, and the complexity of the preparation of metamaterials was increased. In order to obtain the cloak structure with a simple structure and good stealth performance, the BP neural network genetic algorithm and sound field finite element modeling were used. The minimum scattering area was taken as the optimization goal, and we tried to find the design scheme of a low scattering cloak with only a few layers of polyurethane materials. The optimization results show that when the target frequency is 2 KHz and the number of cloak layers is five, the optimized scattering area is 73% less than that of the uniformly layered structure. This shows that anisotropic stealth materials have obvious advantages in sound control. This study can guide the cell configuration design of polyurethane materials in different positions and greatly simplify the complexity of the manufacturing process of stealth materials.
Tunable thermal properties of the biphenylene and the lateral heterostructure formed with graphene: A molecular dynamics investigation
Authors: Cui Qiang , Ren Kai , Zheng Ruxing , Zhang Qiuhua , Yu Luxin , Li Jianping 
Published: November 2022

Recently, biphenylene was successfully synthesized as a novel allotrope of carbon. In this investigation, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics calculations are conducted to explore the intrinsic thermal properties of biphenylene. The isotropic thermal conductivity of biphenylene is obtained, which is also sensitive to size and temperature. Furthermore, the graphene/biphenylene lateral heterostructure is constructed to possess an interfacial thermal conductance of about 2.84 × 109 W K−1 m−2. The external tensile strain can induce a redshift of the vibrational density of states of pristine graphene and biphenylene, and the improved overlap also results in an enhanced heat flux in the biphenylene/graphene heterostructure. Our approach can provide theoretical guidance to design a thermal management device based on graphene and biphenylene.
The efficacy of a transdiagnostic group cognitive behavioral intervention for Chinese elderly with emotional disorders: A one-year follow-up randomized clinical trial
Authors: Yan Zijun , Meng Fanqiang , He Meiling , Li Zhanjiang 
Published: November 2022

BackgroundWith the global aging, geriatric emotional disorders have received more and more attention. Psychotherapy is an effective approach for alleviating the symptoms associated with emotional disorder, but the number of experienced therapists is low. Studies should be conducted to explore a low-cost and efficient treatment method. Previous findings indicate that transdiagnostic cognitive behavior therapy is an effective approach for treatment of emotional disorders. Group therapy is appropriate for the elderly as they are characterized by high levels of loneliness. In this study, we compared and explored the effects of a transdiagnostic group cognitive behavioral intervention (TD-GCBT), a transdiagnostic individual cognitive behavioral intervention (TD-CBT), and treatment as usual (TAU) on treatment of emotional disorders among the elderly.MethodA total of 120 elderly patients diagnosed with emotional disorders were randomly assigned to the TD-GCBT group (40), TD-CBT group (40), and TAU group (40). Changes in symptoms were assessed using HAMD, PHQ-9, HAMA, and GAD-7 scales at baseline, post-treatment (three months), six-month and twelve-months follow-up. The efficacies of the three intervention strategies were compared using linear mixed-effects models. Post-hoc and simple effect analyses were conducted to determine the differences among the three groups.ResultsThe HAMD, PHQ-9, HAMA, and GAD-7 scores revealed a significant effect from baseline to 12 months for time (p &lt; 0.001), group (p &lt; 0.001) and time × group interaction (p &lt; 0.001) in TD-GCBT group compared with the TD-CBT group and TAU group. The effect of TD-GCBT (HAMD: Cohen’s d (3th month, 6th month, 12th month) = 2.69, 3.98, 4.51; HAMA: Cohen’s d = 2.84, 4.13, 5.20) and TD-CBT (HAMD: Cohen’s d = 2.55, 2.87, 2.63; HAMA: Cohen’s d = 2.43, 2.83, 2.78) group was better relative to that of the TAU group (HAMD: Cohen’s d = 0.41, 1.13, 1.46; HAMA: Cohen’s d = 0.64, 1.22, 1.57) (p &lt; 0.001). The scores of the TD-GCBT group showed the most significant decrease compared with the other two groups.ConclusionThe findings indicate that TD-GCBT method is effective for treatment of emotional disorders among the elderly. TD-GCBT is effective for alleviating depression and anxiety symptoms up to at least nine months after treatment. The results indicate that TD-GCBT is a cost-effective and resource-effective strategy and can be used an alternative therapy for treatment of mental disorders.Clinical trial registration[https://www.chictr.org.cn], identifier [ChiCTR1900021806].
Direct and indirect effects of alexithymia on disordered eating in a non-clinical female sample: Determining the role of negative affect
Authors: Wallis Deborah J. , Ridout Nathan 
Published: November 2022

BackgroundAlexithymia is an independent predictor of symptoms of eating disorders, but also influences disordered eating in clinical samples indirectly via negative affect (depression and anxiety). The aim of the current work was to establish if alexithymia predicts disordered eating in a non-clinical sample directly and indirectly (via negative affect).MethodsA sample of healthy females (n = 248) completed measures of depression, anxiety, alexithymia, and disordered eating (drive for thinness, bulimia, and body dissatisfaction). Bias-corrected bootstrapping was used to conduct parallel mediation analyses to determine if negative affect (depression and anxiety) mediated the influence of alexithymia on disordered eating.ResultsThe relationship between alexithymia (difficulty identifying feelings) and drive for thinness was mediated by depression but not anxiety. The link between difficulty identifying feelings and bulimia was mediated by anxiety but not depression. The correlation between alexithymia (difficulty describing feelings) and body dissatisfaction was mediated by both depression and anxiety. However, after controlling for negative affect, difficulty identifying feelings remained an independent predictor of drive for thinness, and difficulty describing feelings remained an independent predictor of body dissatisfaction.ConclusionFacets of alexithymia (DIF and DDF) directly predict disordered eating in healthy participants as well as indirectly via depression and anxiety. These findings suggest that targeted interventions to improve the ability of individuals to identify and describe their feelings could be beneficial in reducing disordered eating, particularly in those “at risk” of developing eating disorders.
Do sustainable food system innovations foster inclusiveness and social cohesion? A comparative study
Authors: Hennchen Benjamin , Schäfer Martina 
Published: November 2022

IntroductionExisting food systems are not only responsible for severe environmental damage, but also face pressing social challenges, with people having uneven access to safe and healthy food, good working conditions, and political participation. These socio-ethical aspects play a key role in successful food transitions. So far, aspects of social cohesion and inclusiveness within social food innovations have rarely been analyzed in more depth. Many social innovations have emerged over the last few decades, such as land cooperatives, farm leasing models, community-supported agriculture, or citizen shareholder companies. Expectations towards these financing models vary from facilitating more investment in a sustainable and socially responsible agri-food sector and a shift towards more local food to the creation of transparent relationships between food producers and consumers.ObjectivesIt is against this backdrop that this paper compares three different food innovations—citizen shareholder companies, community-supported agriculture, and food co-ops—regarding their inclusiveness, the degree of member involvement, and the quality of experienced connectedness.MethodsEmpirically, this paper draws on quantitative and qualitative data, including an online survey, two focus group discussions, and a broad literature search.ResultsFindings reveal that all food innovations show a rather low level of inclusiveness, although efforts are being made to overcome barriers to access. Food innovations generate social cohesion between different actors along the value-added chain, which is constituted differently in a more service-oriented versus a community-oriented model.DiscussionOverall, these innovations provide key momentum towards the dominant food regime by rewarding producers for sustainable practices, establishing stronger producer–consumer relationships, and motivating consumers to assume shared responsibility. Based on the different approaches adopted, we consider the food innovations as complementary for food system transitions.
A Comprehensive Account of the Rust Genus Skierka (Skierkaceae)
Authors: Balkrishna Acharya , Gautam Ajay Kumar , Avasthi Shubhi , Niranjan Mekala , Verma Rajnish Kumar , Arya Vedpriya , Kumar Ashwani , Karunarathna Samantha C. , Suwannarach Nakarin 
Published: November 2022

The rust genus Skierka belonging to the phylum Basidiomycota was described in 1900 by Raciborski with Skierka canarii as the type species. The published literature on this rust genus reveals its ambiguity in taxonomic placement. It was challenging to taxonomically delineate and precisely identify each species within this genus due to the species sharing some common characteristics. The latest studies based on morphology taxonomy and molecular characteristics, however, have solved this puzzle now and placed this genus in its new family Skierkaceae. To understand all about the genus Skierka, this compilation was carried out to unveil the general characteristics, history, diversity, distribution, ecology, morphology and molecular taxonomy of different species of Skierka. After exploring 14 species of Skierka, it was observed that this genus is distributed in seven plant families in 19 countries all over the world. The genus appears to be well-represented in Asian and South American counties. This rust has not been reported from any European countries to date. The morpho-taxonomy of all species is well studied, but molecular analyses are still required. Only two species of the genus namely S. robusta and S. diploglottidis were identified based molecular analyses. Therefore, further studies should be focused on epitypifying the taxa that are too old and updating their taxonomy based on molecular, biochemical, and physiological aspects along with morphological characteristics. Multiple analytical methods should be considered when dealing with multi-locus datasets. This will increase our understanding of the diversity, distribution, and identification of these rust fungi.
Reconstrução de polegar utilizando o segundo pododáctilo
Authors: Filho José Isnack Ponte de Alencar , Júnior José Alberto Guilherme Frota , Lima Maria de Fátima de Brito Coutinho Nogueira , Cardoso Guilherme Pinho , Filho Aluísio Kennedy de Sousa , Gomes Larissa Eleutério , Muniz Vitor de Vasconcellos , Alcântara Fernando Soares de , Pessoa Salustiano Gomes de Pinho 
Published: November 2022

Introdução: O polegar permite uma grande amplitude de movimentos essenciais para as atividades cotidianas. Portanto, a amputação traumática do primeiro quirodáctilo provoca um significativo comprometimento estético e funcional. Nesses casos, a reconstrução do polegar utilizando dedo do pé constitui-se como opção terapêutica, devendo-se avaliar cada caso individualmente. Objetivos: Descrever e avaliar as técnicas cirúrgicas realizadas em dois pacientes com transferência do segundo pododáctilo para a mão devido à amputação traumática. Caso clínico: Dois pacientes do sexo masculino foram submetidos a cirurgias de reconstrução do polegar com transferência do segundo pododáctilo para a mão numa clínica privada localizada na cidade de Fortaleza – Ceará. O primeiro paciente teve amputação total, inclusive do metacarpo, já o segundo teve amputação de falange média e distal. Em ambos os casos, utilizou-se o segundo pododáctilo para a reconstrução do polegar. No pós-operatório tardio, os pacientes evoluíram estética e funcionalmente bem. Considerações finais: O transplante de dedos do pé para a mão, em casos de trauma, como a amputação do polegar, apesar da sua complexidade e dos riscos de complicações, apresenta resultados estéticos e funcionais favoráveis ao paciente.
The Implementation of TEYL in Indonesia Revisited: A Study at Primary Schools in Bandung
Authors: Suwanto Slamet , Rahman Fadhlur 
Published: November 2022

This study explored Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) implementation in elementary schools in Bandung, Indonesia. Surveys, interviews, observation, and document analysis were used to obtain data. The survey was distributed to 30 TEYL teachers from 30 schools within the region. Interviews were conducted with four teachers from four different schools. The data were triangulated and descriptively examined to assess TEYL in primary schools. The findings showed a mismatch between the government's policy on English instruction in primary schools and TEYL's implementation. In the 30 schools investigated, English was taught as local content in 21 schools (70%) and extracurricular in 7 schools (23%). Meanwhile, only 2 schools (7%) did not conduct English in their teaching-learning process. Due to the lack of government supervision, teachers are free to construct their own TEYL course content. According to the interviews, adopting TEYL is challenging due to varying teacher abilities and the availability of school’s infrastructure. The discussion suggests some recommendations on how to utilize the TEYL curriculum in Indonesian's primary schools effectively.
A RESSIGNIFICAÇÃO ATRIBUÍDA PELA IGREJA UNIVERSAL DO REINO DE DEUS AOS SÍMBOLOS E PRÁTICAS UMBANDISTAS
Authors: Alves Lion Granier 
Published: November 2022

Análise crítico-interpretativa do processo da ressignificação a partir da combinação dos símbolos e práticas religiosas da Umbanda no espaço sagrado da Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus. Tentativa de compreender a intolerância religiosa da denominação no campo religioso brasileiro. Uma hermenêutica do discurso de “Demonização” das entidades da Umbanda.
O acordo entre o Governo da República Federativa do Brasil e a Santa Sé: A disputa política pelo ensino religioso na escola pública
Authors: Rodrigues Letícia Araújo 
Published: November 2022

Este artigo visa realizar uma breve análise da construção legal do ensino religioso ao longo da história no Brasil. Em especial será explorado o Decreto nº 7.107, de 11 de fevereiro de 2010 que promulgou o acordo entre o Governo da República Federativa do Brasil e a Santa Sé relativo ao Estatuto Jurídico da Igreja Católica no Brasil, firmado na Cidade do Vaticano, em 13 de novembro de 2008 e a relação do estado laico brasileiro garantido pela constituição Federal do Brasil de 1988. Foi observada que as instituições religiosas estão presentes ao longo da história da construção da disciplina de Ensino Religioso no Brasil e que nas legislações vigentes existe uma confusão pedagógica com relação à oferta da disciplina, o que estaria abrindo espaço para as manifestações de entidades religiosas acerca da ministração da mesma, causando uma desorientação nacional do que é e de como a disciplina deverá ser trabalhada em sala de aula. Por fim, o artigo aponta qual seria a melhor solução para diminuir essa desordem educacional acerca do Ensino Religioso na escola pública, que já assombra o Brasil há tantos anos.
UM SANTO ESPETÁCULO: A MÚSICA EVANGÉLICA COMO PRODUTO MERCADOLÓGICO E A ESPETACULARIZAÇÃO E DIVINIZAÇÃO DE SEUS ARTISTAS
Authors: Lima Luiger Andrade Cavalcanti de 
Published: November 2022

Este artigo apresenta uma análise da importância e surgimento da música nas celebrações religiosas, suas origens e o papel do músico e de artistas cristãos envolvidos na obra religiosa. A primeira parte aborda o surgimento da música nas celebrações religiosas e a sua aplicação nos cultos cristãos. Desse modo, o processo evolutivo musical, com seus principais compositores e representantes é abordado, criando assim, um ponto de partida desde o surgimento dos músicos e artistas no contexto bíblico até o cenário musical religioso atual. Em sequência, o comportamento dos músicos e artistas religiosos é analisado, abordando as diversas questões conflitantes entre suas atitudes em face dos seus deveres eclesiásticos. Além disso, trata do mercado musical religioso contemporâneo brasileiro, comparando as diferenças e similitudes existentes entre ele e o mercado fonográfico não religioso, justificando estas diferenças através de dados recentes de alguns eventos acontecidos. Portanto, o papel e a responsabilidade dos artistas envolvidos no culto cristão devem ser ponderados, haja vista, a responsabilidade destes no desenvolvimento dos cultos e celebrações cristãs.