bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Potential benefits versus hazards of herbal therapy during pregnancy; a systematic review of available literature
Authors: Balarastaghi Soudabeh , Delirrad Mohammad , Jafari Abbas , Majidi Mohammad , Sadeghi Mahmood , Zare‐Zardini Hadi , Karimi Gholamreza , Ghorani‐Azam Adel 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe use of herbal medicine has considerably grown worldwide in the past two decades. Studies have shown that the prevalence of herbal diet therapy in pregnancy ranged from 1% to 60% in different societies. Many clinical reports have shown that some herbal medicines may have toxic effects on pregnant women and their fetuses because active ingredients of some medicinal plants can readily pass through the biological barriers (e.g., placental barrier). In the present study, we aimed to systematically review the literature to discover potential benefits versus the hazards of herbal therapy during pregnancy. For this purpose, a comprehensive literature review was performed, and after the literature search and selection of the appropriate documents, the desired data were extracted and reported. From 35 articles with a total of 39,950 study population, the results showed that some medicinal plants could cause severe toxicity on mothers and fetuses, in addition to abortion during pregnancy. It was also shown that some plants may lead to developmental abnormalities or fetal death. Findings of this survey showed that some herbal medicines have toxic, teratogenic, and abortive potential, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy because active ingredients of some medicinal plants are able to pass through the placental barrier and reach the fetus.
A meta‐analysis of prospective cohort studies of flavonoid subclasses and stroke risk
Authors: Li Xue‐qi , Wang Chong , Yang Ting , Fan Ze‐kai , Guo Xiao‐fei 
Published: January 2022

AbstractEpidemiological studies indicate that higher intakes of flavonoids are associated with reduced stroke risk, however, which subtypes play significant roles to protect against stroke remain unclear. A systematic literature search in PubMed and Web of Science databases was performed up to Oct. 2021. Flavonoids or their subtypes (flavanol, flavanone, flavone, flavan‐3‐ol, isoflavone, or anthocyanin) were paired with stoke as the search term. Multivariate‐adjusted relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the highest versus the lowest category were pooled by using a random‐effects model. Dose–response analysis was implemented by using a restricted cubic spline regression model. Ten independent prospective cohort studies with 387,076 participants and 9,564 events were included. Higher intakes of flavanones were inversely associated with stroke risk (RR = 0.85; 95%CI: 0.78, 0.93). Dose–response analysis showed that 50 mg/day increment of flavanones was associated with 11% reduction in stroke risk (RR = 0.89; 95%CI: 0.84, 0.94). Flavan‐3‐ols was marginally inversely associated with stroke risk (RR = 0.92; 95%CI: 0.82, 1.02). Dose–response analysis showed that 200 mg/day increment of flavan‐3‐ols was associated with 14% reduction in stroke risk (RR = 0.86; 95%CI: 0.75, 0.98). The non‐significant association was observed with respect to other flavonoid subclasses. This study demonstrated higher intakes of flavanones and flavan‐3‐ols were associated with a lower risk of stroke. Dietary intakes of lemon and citrus rich in flavanones and flavan‐3‐ols might have beneficial functions for the protection against stroke. The findings of these associations of the present study need to be confirmed in other regions and ethnic origins.
Validation of the Swedish National Inpatient Register for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in 2005
Authors: Andersson Therese , Isaksson Anja , Khalil Hesham , Lapidus Leif , Carlberg Bo , Söderberg Stefan 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe Swedish National Inpatient Register (NPR) has near‐complete coverage of in‐hospital admissions and ICD codes in Sweden. Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious condition presenting challenges regarding diagnosis, treatment, and follow‐up. Here we aimed to validate the accuracy of acute PE diagnosis in the NPR, investigational findings, antithrombotic treatment, and follow‐up of PE patients in Sweden. From a nation‐wide cohort of all patients with in‐hospital diagnoses of acute PE (ICD‐10‐SE codes I26.0–I26.9) in 2005 (n = 5793), we selected those from two Swedish regions for thorough manual review of hospital records. We identified 599 patients with PE diagnoses according to the ICD‐10 coding system. We excluded 58 patients with admissions related to previous PE (47; 8%) or incorrect ICD codes (11; 2%), leaving 501 patients with probable PE diagnoses. We confirmed the diagnosis in 441 (79%) cases, which was based on imaging (435 patients; 73%) or autopsy (6; 1%). In the remaining 60 (11%) cases, the PE diagnosis was based on clinical findings and can therefore not be confirmed. Of the surviving patients with PE, 231 (47%) were offered follow‐up within 6 months after the acute event. At follow‐up, 67 patients (29%) had symptoms requiring clinical attention (dyspnoea or reduced general condition). The Swedish NPR showed acceptable accuracy for PE diagnosis, and could be reliably used for register‐based research regarding acute PE.
Reversible Near‐Infrared Fluorescence Photoswitching in Aqueous Media by Diarylethene: Toward High‐Accuracy Live Optical Imaging
Authors: Jung Hye‐youn , Kim Boram , Jeon Min Ho , Kim Yoonkyung 
Published: January 2022

AbstractFluorescence imaging is an indispensable tool in modern biological research, allowing simple and inexpensive color‐coded visualizations of real‐time events in living cells and animals, as well as of fixed states of ex vivo specimens. The accuracy of fluorescence imaging in living systems is, however, impeded by autofluorescence, light scattering, and limited penetration depth of light. Nevertheless, the clinical use of fluorescence imaging is expected to grow along with advances in imaging equipment, and will increasingly demand high‐accuracy probes to avoid false‐positive results in disease detection. To this end, a water‐soluble and relatively safe diarylethene (DAE)‐based reversible near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescence photoswitch for living systems is prepared here. Furthermore, to facilitate excellent switching performance, the photoirradiation results obtained is compared using three different visible light sources to turn on NIR fluorescence through cycloreversion of DAE. While photoswitching using 589 nm light leads to slightly higher cell viability, fluorescence quenching efficiency and fatigue resistance are higher when 532 nm light with low photobleaching is used in both aqueous solution and living systems. The authors anticipate that their reversible NIR fluorescence photoswitch mediated by DAE can be beneficial for fluorescence imaging in aqueous media requiring accurate detection, such as in the autofluorescence‐rich living environment.
Prussian‐Blue Analogue‐Derived Hollow Structured Co3S4/CuS2/NiS2 Nanocubes as an Advanced Battery‐Type Electrode Material for High‐Performance Hybrid Supercapacitors
Authors: Mule Anki Reddy , Ramulu Bhimanaboina , Yu Jae Su 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe facile and cost‐effective fabrication of hybrid nanostructures comprised of hollow mixed metallic chalcogenides has attracted growing interest in the development of high‐performance energy storage devices. Herein, multi‐component (nickel‐cobalt‐copper‐sulfides/selenides (NCCS/NCCSe)) hollow nanocubes (HNCs) are prepared via a single‐step sulfurization/selenization process. The NCCS material shows interior HNCs, and the NCCSe material exhibits slightly formed porous cubes. Both the prepared materials demonstrate higher charge storage performance than the precursor NCC NCs owing to the improved surface morphology and addition of sulfur and selenium ions. Particularly, the NCCS HNCs electrode reveals superior specific capacity (capacitance) (70.32 mAh g−1 (666.20 F g−1) at 5 mA cm−2) along with excellent cycling stability of 108.6% even after 10 000 cycles. Interestingly, the electrode delivers a good rate capability of 83.5% at a high current density of 20 mA cm−2. The feasibility of the battery‐type NCCS HNCs as a positive electrode is explored by constructing an aqueous electrochemical hybrid capacitor (AEHC). The AEHC exhibits maximum energy and power densities of 23.15 Wh kg−1 and 7899.08 W kg−1, respectively. Remarkably, it demonstrates superior long‐life cycling stability even after 10 000 cycles (120.6% retention). The suitability of AEHC for practical application is also tested by driving electronic devices.
Strongly Chiral Liquid Crystals in Nanoemulsions
Authors: Yang Yu , Palacio‐Betancur Viviana , Wang Xin , de Pablo Juan J. , Abbott Nicholas L. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractLiquid crystal (LC) emulsions represent a class of confined soft matter that exhibit exotic internal organizations and size‐dependent properties, including responses to chemical and physical stimuli. Past studies have explored micrometer‐scale LC emulsion droplets but little is known about LC ordering within submicrometer‐sized droplets. This paper reports experiments and simulations that unmask the consequences of confinement in nanoemulsions on strongly chiral LCs that form bulk cholesteric and blue phases (BPs). A method based on light scattering is developed to characterize phase transitions of LCs within the nanodroplets. For droplets with a radius to the pitch ratio (Rv/p0) as small as 2/3, the BP‐to‐cholesteric transition is substantially suppressed, leading to a threefold increase of the BP temperature interval relative to bulk behavior. Complementary simulations align with experimental findings and reveal the dominant role of chiral elastic energy. ForRv/p0 ≈1/3, a single LC phase forms below the clearing point, with simulations revealing the new configuration to contain a τ−1/2disclination that extends across the nanodroplet. These findings are discussed in the context of mechanisms by which polymer networks stabilize BPs and, more broadly, for the design of nanoconfined soft matter.
Experimental study on the tensile behavior of ultra‐high performance concrete fiber continuous joints
Authors: Zhao Qiu , Huang Jinju , Yang Jianping , Wang Ying , He Ganlin , Lai Zhichao 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe application of ultra‐high performance concrete (UHPC) in the bridge deck effectively increases the strength, ductility, and durability of the deck system, while the problem of fiber discontinuity at the joint‐deck interface remains unsolved. This study proposes an innovative UHPC joint to create steel fiber continuity at the interface and experimentally investigates its tensile behavior. Test parameters include fiber content, fiber length and diameter, fiber shape, and fiber strength. Test results indicate that the joint tensile strength increases with fiber content, fiber length, and fiber strength. The specimen with hooked end fibers also develops higher joint tensile strength compared with the specimen with straight fibers. It is recommended to use fibers with a smaller diameter to increase the interfacial bonding area between the fibers and the matrix. High‐strength fibers are also recommended to achieve the best efficiency in a high‐strength matrix, like UHPC. The tensile performance of the joint with a fiber content of no less than 0.5%, and an embedment length of 15 mm (with a fiber length/diameter ratio of 50), and a diameter of 0.3 mm is similar to the performance of the specimen cast as one piece. Therefore, a properly designed UHPC fiber continuous joint is recommended in engineering practice to improve the integrity of the joint‐deck system.
Examining the antimicrobial efficacy of granulated tetraacetylethylenediamine derived peracetic acid and commercial peracetic acid in urban wastewaters
Authors: Spencer‐Williams Isaiah , Theobald Allister , Cypcar Christopher C. , Casson Leonard W. , Haig Sarah‐Jane 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe ever‐increasing need for access to safe water has meant that alternative water sources and innovative water reclamation approaches are often required to meet the global water demand. As a result, many wastewater treatment facilities have faced regulatory pressure to seek alternative disinfection methods that ensure public health safety, while adhering to regulations that set limits on carcinogenic disinfection by‐products (DBPs). Peracetic acid (PAA) is an emerging wastewater disinfectant in the United States that has been widely used in other industries such as food sanitization and does not produce carcinogenic DBPs. However, several factors such as transport, storage, and physical and chemical effects have stymied its widespread use in wastewater markets. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the antimicrobial efficacy of an on‐site generated PAA compared against a commercially available PAA. Antimicrobial efficacy was assessed using standard fecal contamination indicators (i.e., total coliforms and Escherichia coli) in six urban wastewater treatment facilities ranging in size and treatment processes. Overall, few statistical differences were found between the antimicrobial efficacies of on‐site generated PAA and commercially available PAA; however, before becoming more widely utilized, the on‐site PAA should be tested against emerging fecal contamination indicators (e.g., human norovirus and enterovirus) and be assessed in terms of economic and sustainability impacts.Practitioner Points

Alternative Ct approaches should be considered when using disinfectants like PAA.
On‐site generated PAA can achieve the same level of disinfection as commercial PAA.
On‐site generation of PAA may help further its use as a wastewater disinfectant.
Racemic Porous Organic Cage Crystal with Selective Gas Adsorption Behaviors
Authors: Yang Wei , Sun Nana , Wang Xinxin , Yu Baoqiu , Wang Hailong 
Published: January 2022

AbstractA mixture containing the reactions solution between 3,3′′,5,5′′‐tetraformyl‐4,4′′‐[1,1′:4′,1′′‐terphenyl]diol (TTD) and two enantiomers of cyclohexanediamine, respectively, affords porous racemic molecular crystal (1). Two kinds of homochiral [3+6] porous organic cage molecules1have been clearly disclosed by single crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis, forming one‐dimensional porous supramolecular channels with the narrowest size of 3.5 Å. The intercrossing channels of1enable the permanent porosity as well as the selective gas adsorption of acetylene and carbon dioxide over methane.
Evaluation at the Endgame: Evaluating Sustainability and the SDGs by Moving Past Dominion and Institutional Capture
Authors: Rowe Andy 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThree facts underlay this chapter. First, the human system and all our ambitions for improving the human system depend on sustainable natural systems. Second, we do not have much time. On track to fall well short of all sustainability goals, the climate and sustainability crises grow and extinction looms. Third, up to this point evaluation has shown little interest in sustainability, yet evaluation potentially addresses the very questions that are central to informing and guiding rapid adaptation of human behavior to successfully surmounting extinction.Business-as-usual evaluation will not suffice. At the endgame with extinction looming, we need an evaluation that is more nimble, keeps up with rapidly accelerating knowledge, is relentlessly use-seeking and that guides the way to joined-up approaches. The evaluation we need will systematically mainstream sustainability across all evaluations and interventions, in all evaluation criteria and standards. For this, all evaluations will always address nexus where human and natural systems join and incorporate knowledge and methods from both systems. Existing evaluation knowledge is well suited to this task, as are knowledges in biophysical sciences. We know and promote knowledge processes for integrative evaluation and are starting to shift toward the requirements for evaluation at the nexus. As this chapter shows, the anchors holding us back are political, not technical.
Application of Geospatial Methods in Evaluating Environmental Interventions and Related Socioeconomic Benefits
Authors: Anand Anupam , Batra Geeta 
Published: January 2022

AbstractEnvironmental interventions underpin the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Rio Conventions. The SDGs are integrated and embody all three aspects of sustainable development—environmental, social, and economic—to capture the interlinkages among the three areas. The Rio Conventions—on biodiversity, climate change, and desertification, also intrinsically linked—operate in the same ecosystems and address interdependent issues, and represent a way of contributing to the SDGs. Assessing the results of environmental interventions and the related socioeconomic benefits is challenging due to their complexity, interlinkages, and often limited data. The COVID-19 crisis has also necessitated creativity to ensure that evaluation’s critical role continues during the crisis. Satellite and other geospatial information, combined with existing survey data, leverage open-source and readily available data to determine the impact of projects. Working with geospatial data helps maintain flexibility and can fill data gaps without designing new and often expensive data tools for every unique evaluation. Using data on interventions implemented by the Global Environment Facility in biodiversity, land degradation, and climate change, we present the application of geospatial approaches to evaluate the relevance, efficiency, and effectiveness of interventions in terms of their environmental outcomes and observable socioeconomic and health co-benefits.
Transformational Change for Achieving Scale: Lessons for a Greener Recovery
Authors: Batra Geeta , Garcia Jeneen , Temnenko Kseniya 
Published: January 2022

AbstractAchieving transformational changes that can be then effectively scaled up requires ambition in design, a supportive policy environment, sound project design and implementation, partnerships, and multistakeholder participation. This chapter presents a framework that can be applied at the design stage to plan for change and scaling up and provides relevant lessons based on GEF interventions. Achieving change and scale can be an iterative and a continuous process until impacts are generated at the magnitude and scope of the targeted scale. Successful transformations typically adopt a systems approach and address multiple constraints to attain environmental and other socioeconomic impacts.
From the Big Picture to Detailed Observation: The Case of the GEF IEO’s Strategic Country Cluster Evaluations
Authors: Carugi Carlo , Viggh Anna 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis chapter introduces strategic country cluster evaluations (SCCEs), a concrete example of how the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has dealt with the increasing complexity of GEF programming. This complexity reflects the interconnectedness—in terms of both synergies and trade-offs—between socioeconomic development priorities and environment conservation imperatives that is typical of many country settings in which GEF projects and programs are implemented, such as least developed countries and small island developing states. SCCEs address this complexity by applying a purposive evaluative inquiry approach that starts from aggregate analyses designed to provide trends and identify cases of positive, neutral, or negative change, and proceeds to in-depth data gathering aimed at identifying the specific factors underlying the observed change in those specific cases. By establishing the interconnectedness and sequencing of the various evaluation components, rather than conducting these in parallel, SCCEs provide an opportunity to focus on a limited set of purposively selected issues that are common in clusters of countries and/or portfolios. This enables a comprehensive understanding of the factors at play in complex national and local settings.
Using a Realist Framework to Overcome Evaluation Challenges in the Uncertain Landscape of Carbon Finance
Authors: Murdoch Callum , Keppler Lisa , Burlace Tillem , Wörlen Christine 
Published: January 2022

AbstractIn 2013, the United Kingdom Department for International Development and the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy published a business case for the Carbon Market Finance Programme (CMFP). The core mandate: to build capacity and develop aids for least developed countries in sub-Saharan Africa to access finance via the carbon market. The chosen strategy involved signing emission reduction purchase agreements with private sector enterprises, using the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to verify generation of tradeable certified emissions reductions. The World Bank’s Carbon Initiative for Development (Ci-Dev) would implement the 12-year program. The team for the 2019 midterm evaluation found that program uncertainty—from sociopolitical challenges in pilot markets to global indecision on the future of Article 6 and carbon markets—would complicate assessing progress toward business case objectives. The collapse and failed recovery of the carbon market impacted underlying assumptions of the CMFP’s theory of change, and uncertainty about CDM’s future complicated evaluation of program sustainability. This chapter presents a practical approach to using realist evaluation to overcome the contextual uncertainties of the carbon market landscape, providing strengths and weaknesses of the approach applied and recommending a revised approach for future evaluations.
Functional Regression
Authors: Montesinos López Osval Antonio , Montesinos López Abelardo , Crossa Jose 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis chapter deals with the main theoretical fundamentals and practical issues of using functional regression in the context of genomic prediction. We explain how to represent data in functions by means of basis functions and considered two basis functions: Fourier for periodic or near-periodic data and B-splines for nonperiodic data. We derived the functional regression with a smoothed coefficient function under a fixed model framework and some examples are also provided under this model. A Bayesian version of functional regression is outlined and explained and all details for its implementation in glmnet and BGLR are given. The examples take into account in the predictor the main effects of environments and genotypes and the genotype × environment interaction term. The examples are done with small data sets so that the user can run them on his/her own computer and can understand the implementation process.
Random Forest for Genomic Prediction
Authors: Montesinos López Osval Antonio , Montesinos López Abelardo , Crossa Jose 
Published: January 2022

AbstractWe give a detailed description of random forest and exemplify its use with data from plant breeding and genomic selection. The motivations for using random forest in genomic-enabled prediction are explained. Then we describe the process of building decision trees, which are a key component for building random forest models. We give (1) the random forest algorithm, (2) the main hyperparameters that need to be tuned, and (3) different splitting rules that are key for implementing random forest models for continuous, binary, categorical, and count response variables. In addition, many examples are provided for training random forest models with different types of response variables with plant breeding data. The random forest algorithm for multivariate outcomes is provided and its most popular splitting rules are also explained. In this case, some examples are provided for illustrating its implementation even with mixed outcomes (continuous, binary, and categorical). Final comments about the pros and cons of random forest are provided.