bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IMPROVE MARKETING PERFORMANCE THROUGH MARKET SENSING CAPABILITY, DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES, AND NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Nurul Komaryatin  , M. Rifqy Roosdhani  , Samsul Arifin  , Ali  , Nurul Huda
Published: May 2024

The worsening sales trend of Jepara furniture exporters as a result of substandard marketing performance is the driving force for this research. Currently, a company's ability to improve its marketing performance is very important because it shows how well the company can meet its sales targets in the market. An effective method for identifying problems that impact a company's competitiveness and sustainability is to examine its marketing performance and the factors that influence that marketing performance. This study shows market sensing capabilities, dynamic capabilities, and new product development that can be used by Jepara furniture exporters to improve their marketing performance. This survey involved 60 respondents and used quantitative techniques. Purposive sampling is used in the sampling procedure. The research utilizes multiple linear regression analysis for data examination. Research findings show that market sensing capability, dynamic capabilities, and new product development all influence marketing performance. In this research, expanding market sensing capabilities, dynamic capabilities and new product development are recommended for Jepara furniture export companies. Thus, the furniture export business in Jepara will have better marketing performance.
Pendampingan Laporan Keuangan Bagi Kelompok Usaha Budidaya Ikan Air Tawar Desa Kiping Kabupaten Tulungagung
Authors: Aalin Elmi Rakhma , Andari Atik Tri , Putranti Eti
Published: May 2024

Pelaksanaan kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat ini bertujuan mengenalkan dan mendampingi pelaku usaha budidaya ikan air tawar dalam pembuatan laporan keuangan. Metode pembelajarannya dengan metode experiential learning yang merupakan metode pembelajaran yang diciptakan dengan media belajar berupa materi dan juga belajar dengan melibatkan secara langsung, sehingga pelaku usaha bisa memahami dan menerapkan materi laporan keuangan. Metode pelaksanaan dengan metode ceramah, metode penerapan dan metode pendampingan praktik pembuatan laporan keuangan. Kegiatan ini dilaksanakan pada tanggal 13-14 Agustus 2020 yang dihadiri oleh 10 peserta dan dilaksanakan di Balai Desa Kiping.
Pemanfaatan Teknologi Informasi untuk Mengembangkan Promosi Wisata Kampung Lele Kediri
Authors: Alhamri Rinanza Zulmy , Cinderatama Toga Aldila , Sukya Fadelis , Effendi Fery Sofian , Eliyen Kunti
Published: May 2024

Mitra merupakan Wisata Kampung Lele yang berlokasi di Ds. Tales, Kec. Ngadiluwih, Kab. Kediri dimana usaha ini murni didirikan oleh masyarakat setempat. Semenjak adanya pandemi COVID19, Mitra mengalami penurunan pendapatan sampai 50% di 10 bulan terakhir. Terdapat dua masalah yang timbul, pertama adalah kurangnya minat pengunjung karena adanya era New Normal dan yang kedua adalah penurunan pendapatan membuat tidak adanya anggaran untuk promosi. Terdapat dua solusi yang ditawarkan yang pertama di bidang manajemen, untuk menambah pendapatan maka dimanfaatkan transaksi online di masa New Normal sehingga diselenggarakan pelatihan pemanfaatan e-commerce dan yang kedua di bidang pemasaran adalah pengembangan media promosi meliputi pembangunan papan baliho, pembuatan website profil, dan perbaikan tampilan media sosial Instagram. Terdapat lima tahapan dalam melaksanakan kegiatan meliputi Koordinasi Internal Tim, Koordinasi Timdengan Mitra, Pengambangan Media Promosi, Pelatihan Pemanfaatan e-Commerce, dan Evaluasi Kegiatan. Hasil yang diperoleh dari kegiatan ini adalah Mitra telah memanfaatkan aplikasi Android untuk e-commerce GoFood, memiliki website profil https://kampunglelekediri.com, papan baliho, dan diperbaharuinya tampilan media sosial Instagram @kampunglele54. Hasil evaluasi kegiatan menyatakan bahwa berdasarkan kuisioner Skala Likert keterampilan Mitra meningkat. Sedangkan darisegi pemanfaatan tenologi informasi dalam rentang satu bulan, order GoFood mencapai Rp294.500,00, website profil mencapai 306 pengunjung, dan follower instagram meningkat sejumlah 74 follower.
Studi Evaluasi Tingkat Keberhasilan Implementasi Ide ITS Provement Menggunakan Pendekatan HOT-FIT Model
Authors: Hasan Nur , Wulandari Anis , Nur Kholis Muhammad
Published: May 2024

Penelitian ini melakukan evaluasi implementasi system informasi penilaian angka kredit jabatan fungsional pustakawan (SI-PANK) yang merupakan hasil karya ajang kegiatan ITSProvement yang sebelumnya telah di uji coba di implementasikan untuk membantu tim penilaian angka kredit jabatan pustakawan dalam menilai secara cepat dan tepat, sekaligus memudahkan pustakawan di dalam pengajuan berkas kelengkapan penilaian. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan Hot-Fit Model untuk sebagai metode dan framework analisa data responden guna hasilnya dapat diambil kesimpulan guna mengetahui sejauh mana tingkat keberhasilan penerapannya, analisa faktor-faktor pendukung keberhasilan dan penghambat yang muncul, sehingga dapat disusun  hasil evaluasi berupa rekomendasi kebijakan untuk perbaikan pengembangan yang lebih baik dari sisi manajemen dan teknis. Berdasarkan hasil yang telah didapatkan secara keseluruhan ratarata karakteristik HOT-Fit Model memiliki nilai rata-rata 76,54% yang merupakan dalam kategori sangat baik, sehingga  dapat disimpulkan bahwa sistem sudah cukup berhasil dalam implementasinya hanya saja perlu dilakukan beberapa peningkatan lagi untuk penyempurnaan terutama dalam hal teknologi yaitu tampilan sistem.
Analisa Website ITS dalam Menyusun Rekomendasi Strategi Peningkatan Research Paper Visibility untuk Mendukung World Class University
Authors: Suprayitno Edy , Mufida Zamrud , Hasan Nur
Published: May 2024

Tugas Institusi/Lembaga yang menentukan peringkat perguruan tinggi secara mendunia seperti Times Higher Education, Academic Record of World Class University maupun Webometrics merupakan lembaga pemeringkatan dunia dengan mengevaluasi dan menilai kelayakan sebuah universitas muncul dalam daftar peringkat perguruan tinggi dunia. Dalam hal ini berjalan seiring dengan kebijakan strategis Kementrian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan terkait kebijakan pemerataan dan perluasan akses, kualitas dan daya saing lulusan akademisi pada pendidikan quality tinggi. Untuk kategori penilaian pemeringkatan, setiap perguruan tinggi berupaya education, meningkatkan nilai berdasarkan kriteria institusi/lembaga tersebut. Salah satu pemeringkatan citation, world adalah Webometrics yang lebih menekankan pada penilaian research paper visibility. class university. Salah satu metode pendekatan yang masih tetap teruji didalam meningkatkan visibilitas online research paper, adalah dengan memanfaatkan metode optimasi Search Engine Optimization (SEO) dan social search engine engineering. Pelaksanaan  metode  ini  telah  diterapkan  banyak institusi  dalam rangka untuk optimization meningkatkan kualitas dan kuantitas konten supaya nilai pada indikator rekomendasi research (SEO), visibility, paper  visibility  webometrics  perguruan  tinggi  meningkat.  Penelitian  ini  bertujuan  untuk webometrics, meningkatkan kualitas dan akses sumber daya informasi karya ilmiah dari perguruan tinggi, dengan melakukan analisis penggunaan metode SEO serta mengidentifikasi metode SEO yang efektif digunakan untuk meningkatkan visibility dalam pemeringkatan  dunia secara global. Adapun tahapan pada proses penelitian ini, antara lain; pengumpulan data, perhitungan visibility tiap perguruan tinggi periode Juli 2019, analisis pada tiap tools SEO terhadap masing–masing  perguruan tinggi, perhitungan visibility  tiap perguruan tinggi periode Januari 2020, analisis hasil kondisi setelah upaya peningkatan visibility, evaluasi dan strategi jangka panjang.
Digital Valuation: Lessons in relevance from the prototyping of a recommendation app
Authors: Lury Celia , Day Sophie , Simon Andre , Tironi Martín , Valderrama Matías , Wark Scott
Published: May 2024

This article describes the use of a prototype recommendation app to explore how users are included and/or excluded in categories of various kinds of ‘People Like You’. In the study, interviews with users of the prototype app indicate that the experience of receiving personalized recommendations isroutinely evaluated in terms of relevance, that is, as either of interest to them or as beside the point, as accurate or inaccurate, with accuracy often understood as recognition of their context(s). We build on the interviews to develop an analysis which suggests that the capacity of recommendation systems to make relevant recommendations is a function of the parallel projections – from the app on one side and users on the other – that are made as part of an interaction order. In developing this analysis, we reflect on the implications of the interaction order for the inclusion and exclusion of users in categories or kinds of people. We highlight the importance of the temporal formatting of interaction as a continuous present for the relation between belonging and belongings, and thus for the creation of a datasset (Beauvisage and Mellett 2020).
Valuing Data: Attaching online data to stakes, selves, and other data
Authors: Wagenknecht Susann , Kocksch Laura , Laser Stefan , Kühnen Ann-Kristin
Published: May 2024

As datafication proceeds rapidly, a large, unwieldy amount of data is available online. In this article, we ask: How valuable is this data, how is it made valuable? To answer this question, we study how online data is endowed with worth in virtual collaboration workshops. Our workshops challenged participants to assert and question the worth of online data – a challenge that participants addressed by using a set of techniques of which we describe collage, hierarchy building, and calculation. Data, we show, gains value through attachment. Thinking with attachment, we foreground affect, materiality, and the situatedness of valuing online data. As ethnographers, we study how data, as haphazard as it comes, is attached to the circumstances and stakes at hand, to ourselves and to other data. Our study contributes a conceptual perspective that attends to the shifting boundaries of the personal and the public, tensions between locality and generality, the role of contiguity, and the limits of combinatorial connectivity.
A rabbit osteochondral defect (OCD) model for evaluation of tissue engineered implants on their biosafety and efficacy in osteochondral repair
Authors: Zhou Liangbin , Ho Ki-Wai Kevin , Zheng Lizhen , Xu Jiankun , Chen Ziyi , Ye Xiangdong , Zou Li , Li Ye , Chang Liang , Shao Hongwei , Li Xisheng , Long Jing , Nie Yangyi , Stoddart Martin J. , Lai Yuxiao , Qin Ling
Published: May 2024

Osteochondral defect (OCD) is a common but challenging condition in orthopaedics that imposes huge socioeconomic burdens in our aging society. It is imperative to accelerate the R&D of regenerative scaffolds using osteochondral tissue engineering concepts. Yet, all innovative implant-based treatments require animal testing models to verify their feasibility, biosafety, and efficacy before proceeding to human trials. Rabbit models offer a more clinically relevant platform for studying OCD repair than smaller rodents, while being more cost-effective than large animal models. The core-decompression drilling technique to produce full-thickness distal medial femoral condyle defects in rabbits can mimic one of the trauma-relevant OCD models. This model is commonly used to evaluate the implant’s biosafety and efficacy of osteochondral dual-lineage regeneration. In this article, we initially indicate the methodology and describe a minimally-invasive surgical protocol in a step-wise manner to generate a standard and reproducible rabbit OCD for scaffold implantation. Besides, we provide a detailed procedure for sample collection, processing, and evaluation by a series of subsequent standardized biochemical, radiological, biomechanical, and histological assessments. In conclusion, the well-established, easy-handling, reproducible, and reliable rabbit OCD model will play a pivotal role in translational research of osteochondral tissue engineering.
Student impressions of instructors based on Zoom backgrounds: investigating perceived technology skills of instructors and affective learning of students
Authors: Kelly Stephanie , Kim Jihyun , Berry Ian , Goke Ryan
Published: May 2024

The purpose of this study is to identify how Zoom backgrounds affect students’ affective learning and perceptions of an instructor’s technology use skills in online learning experiences. Data collected from undergraduate students in the U.S. indicate that with certain Zoom backgrounds, male students perceive the instructor having lower technology skills and experience less affective learning towards the instructor and course content than do female students. Overall, the study’s findings provide meaningful contributions to instructional communication research and suggest recommendations for strategic use of Zoom backgrounds to cultivate the best impression of an instructor and positive learning experiences.
The impact of floods triggered by natural dam breakage on the adaptability of downstream river fish—the 2018 baige outburst flood in the upper reaches of the Yangtze river in China
Authors: Xie Xinlin , Jiang Xiangang , Wen Tao , Jiang Qing , An Xinyu
Published: May 2024

Outburst floods can affect the survival adaptability of fish. Although the survival adaptability of many fish species under low steady-flow conditions has been studied, research on the survival adaptability of fish species under large outburst flood conditions is lacking. This paper takes the 2018 Baige landslide dam as an example. A breach model was developed to calculate the outburst discharge of the landslide dam. The outburst flood hydrograph is simulated with the breach model, which shows that the difference between the peak discharge of the dam break simulation results and the measured data is 0.13×104 m3/s. In addition, the simulated hydrographs are the same as the measured hydrographs. Furthermore, a two-dimensional fish habitat model was used to analyse the adaptability of Schizothorax to survival during the breaching process. For the survival adaptability of Schizothorax, we observed that as the flow rate increased the weighted usable area (WUA) decreased, which indicated a decrease in the adaptability of Schizothorax survival. In contrast, as the flow rate decreased and the WUA increased, the survival adaptability of Schizothorax improved. In addition, the WUA of Schizothorax changed with the substrate of the riverbed; the smaller the channel suitability index (CSI) the greater the WUA. This study revealed the impact of outburst floods triggered by landslide dam failure on the survival adaptability of Schizothorax, and a method for assessing the impact of outburst floods on fish habitat adaptability is provided.
Career adaptation in higher education: a study with non-working and working students
Authors: Soares Joana , Taveira Maria do Céu
Published: May 2024

The career construction and sociocognitive career theories were considered to test an integrative model of career adaptation in higher education. Participants were 523 Portuguese university students (non-working, n = 335, Mage = 20.64; working, n = 188, Mage = 29.05), who completed measures of social support, protean orientation, adaptability and adapting as adaptation predictors, and career certainty, academic wellbeing, and life satisfaction as adaptation outcomes. Multigroup path analysis results indicated a good fit of the model and invariance across groups after some changes. Although more studies are needed to explore the range and limits of the proposed model validity, our findings allow the career development literature extension while informing the practice. Career counselors might facilitate university students’ adjustment by helping them expand their social network and develop their career attitudes.
Teaching self-criticism and peer-critique skills to engineering students through a temporal survey-based program
Authors: Revilla-Cuesta Víctor , Hurtado-Alonso Nerea , Fontaneda Ignacio , Skaf Marta , Ortega-López Vanesa
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Engineering students should develop critical-thinking skills and insist on appropriate performance levels both from themselves and from their colleagues during their training. In doing so, they will adopt critical attitudes toward their own and others’ work. This will help them to successfully perform their future professional work with the highest standards.

Methods

In this research, peer- and self-assessments of in-class presentations through a survey-based program were used to analyze the development of critical-thinking skills among engineering students. The program included two key features: firstly, formative assessments were repeatedly conducted over time; secondly, teachers’ ratings were provided to students as comparative benchmarks. This approach encouraged students to reflect on their ratings over time using the reference of the teacher.

Results

From a general perspective, the analysis of survey responses showed that students assigned lower ratings in assessments conducted at a later stage, despite receiving higher ratings from their teachers over time. Therefore, students became more demanding throughout the experience in spite of the increased quality of their work according to the teachers’ assessments. Moreover, students tended to closely attune their evaluations to their teachers’ ratings. Comparing peer- and self-assessments, it was noted that students were more demanding toward the work of their peers in the long term, and especially their ability to explain concepts, than they were toward their own work. Nevertheless, high temporary increases were observed in students’ own self-assessments of presentation-file quality. Finally, students did not conduct overall assessments with the same level of demand as their teachers at any time during the experience.

Discussion

The results demonstrate that this program and similar initiatives are useful to help engineering students to develop critical-thinking skills and to broaden their expectations with respect to their own and their colleagues’ work. However, other relevant aspects could be evaluated in lengthier programs, such as whether the students’ levels of critical thinking and expectations are maintained when the comparative reference of a teacher’s assessment is unavailable.
Overvoltage risk regulation strategy with distributed energy application in a distribution network based on the Stackelberg game
Authors: Qiu Zekai , Wang Jianbo , Zhang Xiaoqing , Lei Yuhang , Tong Chenjie , Lu Yufan , Chang Xiaoqiang
Published: May 2024

Along with the increasing low-carbon demand of the power system, the access of a high percentage of renewable energy resources to the distribution network has a large impact on the voltage fluctuation of the system and reduces the operational reliability. In this paper, we consider utilizing the reactive capacity of distributed resources to participate in system voltage regulation to reduce node loss of load probability (LOLP) caused by node overvoltage faults and propose an overvoltage risk regulation strategy for the interaction between distribution network operators (DSOs) and distributed users in the framework of the Stackelberg game. First, the nodes are clustered and analyzed based on the two-dimensional indexes of node voltage regulation ability, and different voltage regulation compensation tariffs are assigned. Second, the cost-benefit model of voltage regulation for the leader and follower sides and the node LOLP model are constructed to measure the reliability of the system. The Stackelberg game is used to co-optimize the two parties’ compensation tariffs and voltage regulation strategies. The optimal solution of voltage regulation under the equilibrium of the game is obtained by solving using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Based on the IEEE-33 node system, a case study is carried out to verify that the proposed overvoltage risk regulation strategy can maximize the benefits of the regulator participants while enhancing the operational reliability of the system.
Effects of different fire slash artificial promotion regeneration and natural material regeneration on ecological function
Authors: Cai Xiaojing , Liu Falin
Published: May 2024

Introduction

In the aftermath of a fire, prompt reforestation of the affected areas is crucial to mitigate economic losses and ecological impacts.

Methods

This paper introduces an ecological function assessment model leveraging the Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN). The model's efficacy is validated through simulation comparison experiments. Subsequently, an analysis of the ecosystem's material circulation and energy flow capabilities is undertaken.

Results

Simulation outcomes reveal that our proposed model attains convergence by the 10th training iteration, with a loss function value of just 0.28, highlighting minimal training loss. This underscores the model's rapid convergence and impressive training performance. Our method proves superior to the comparison method in both initial and later operational phases. Notably, it offers a significantly faster response speed and boasts an accuracy rate exceeding 95%.

Discussion

Consequently, employing this model to analyze ecological function changes is deemed feasible. The analysis of ecosystem material circulation and energy flow capabilities reveals that while initial assessments show minimal change, scores exhibit a clear acceleration as the cycle progresses.
Xenophobia: a hindrance factor to South Africa’s ambition of becoming a developmental state
Authors: Niyitunga Eric Blanco
Published: May 2024

The prevalence of xenophobic violence toward foreigners has hindered South Africa’s ambition to become a developmental state since 2007, when the concept of a “democratic developmental state” was first endorsed during the African National Congress (ANC) conference in Polokwane. This ambition has also been thwarted by the inability of the post-apartheid regime to provide adequate and sustainable services to the citizens. Xenophobia has disrupted economic growth and has contributed to poor service delivery in local municipalities, thus leading to social protests. The developmental state depends mainly on a solid balance of economic growth and human development. It also leans on the capacity of the state to establish policies that address poverty and promote the expansion of solid economic opportunities. In this endeavor, migrants increase economic growth and make it sustainable, increase productivity, and promote the labor market. They also promote the labor force and human capital, economic growth, and public finance, thus enabling the realization of a developmental state. However, xenophobia has limited migrants’ contributions to economic growth and social well-being in South Africa. It has destructive effects on South Africa’s economic structure and growth, thus affecting the delivery of adequate services that would enhance its ability to achieve a developmental state. The paper recommends that there is a need for South Africa to understand that xenophobia affects economic growth and the service delivery framework. To address the prevalence of xenophobia and achieve its ambition of a developmental state, South Africa needs to hasten its responses to curb xenophobia and integrate migrants into economic opportunities. The paper adopted a qualitative research methodology and conceptual and document analysis techniques to collect data that enabled the achievement of the above assertions.
17β-estradiol and methylprednisolone association as a therapeutic option to modulate lung inflammation in brain-dead female rats
Authors: Vidal-dos-Santos Marina , Anunciação Lucas F. , Armstrong-Jr Roberto , Ricardo-da-Silva Fernanda Y. , Ramos Isabella Yumi Taira , Correia Cristiano J. , Moreira Luiz F. P. , Leuvenink Henri G. D. , Breithaupt-Faloppa Ana C.
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Brain death (BD) is known to compromise graft quality by causing hemodynamic, metabolic, and hormonal changes. The abrupt reduction of female sex hormones after BD was associated with increased lung inflammation. The use of both corticoids and estradiol independently has presented positive results in modulating BD-induced inflammatory response. However, studies have shown that for females the presence of both estrogen and corticoids is necessary to ensure adequate immune response. In that sense, this study aims to investigate how the association of methylprednisolone (MP) and estradiol (E2) could modulate the lung inflammation triggered by BD in female rats.

Methods

Female Wistar rats (8 weeks) were divided into four groups: sham (animals submitted to the surgical process, without induction of BD), BD (animals submitted to BD), MP/E2 (animals submitted to BD that received MP and E2 treatment 3h after BD induction) and MP (animals submitted to BD that received MP treatment 3h after BD induction).

Results

Hemodynamics, systemic and local quantification of IL-6, IL-1β, VEGF, and TNF-α, leukocyte infiltration to the lung parenchyma and airways, and adhesion molecule expression were analyzed. After treatment, MP/E2 association was able to reinstate mean arterial pressure to levels close to Sham animals (p<0.05). BD increased leukocyte infiltration to the airways and MP/E2 was able to reduce the number of cells (p=0.0139). Also, the associated treatment modulated the vasculature by reducing the expression of VEGF (p=0.0616) and maintaining eNOS levels (p=0.004) in lung tissue.

Discussion

Data presented in this study show that the association between corticoids and estradiol could represent a better treatment strategy for lung inflammation in the female BD donor by presenting a positive effect in the hemodynamic management of the donor, as well as by reducing infiltrated leukocyte to the airways and release of inflammatory markers in the short and long term.
A framework for studying the effects of offshore wind energy development on birds and bats in the Eastern United States
Authors: Williams Kathryn A. , Gulka Julia , Cook Aonghais S. C. P. , Diehl Robert H. , Farnsworth Andrew , Goyert Holly , Hein Cris , Loring Pamela , Mizrahi David , Petersen Ib Krag , Peterson Trevor , Press Kate McClellan , Stenhouse Iain J.
Published: May 2024

Offshore wind energy development (OWED), while a key strategy for reducing carbon emissions, has potential negative effects to wildlife that should be examined to inform decision making and adaptive management as the industry expands. We present a conceptual framework to guide the long-term study of potential effects to birds and bats from OWED. This framework includes a focus on exposure and vulnerability as key determinants of risk. For birds and bats that are exposed to OWED, there are three main effects of interest that may impact survival and productivity: 1) collision mortality, 2) behavioral responses, including avoidance, displacement, and attraction, and 3) habitat-mediated effects to prey populations. If these OWED effects cause changes in survival and/or breeding success (e.g., fitness), they have the potential for population-level consequences, including changes in population size and structure. Understanding the influence of ecological drivers on exposure and effect parameters can help to disentangle the potential impacts of OWED from other stressors. We use this theoretical framework to summarize existing relevant knowledge and identify current priority research questions (n=22) for the eastern United States, where large-scale development of OWED is primarily in the planning and early construction phase. We also identify recommendations for study design and further prioritization of research topics.
Community science informs movement and reproductive ecology of sand tigers Carcharias taurus off North Carolina, United States of America
Authors: Price Carol Seals , McClanahan Ara Lupton , Burge Erin J. , Houppermans Tanya , Holmberg Jason
Published: May 2024

Sand tigers are frequently observed at shipwrecks and other artificial reef habitats off North Carolina (USA), but data about occupancy, movement ecology, and site fidelity are lacking. Spot A Shark USA researchers used Wildbook© photoidentification software to spot map sand tigers in images provided by recreational SCUBA divers, or collected from remotely operated vehicles, and an offshore live-streaming camera. We uniquely identified 1837 sand tigers, 101 of which were resighted on more than one date between 2005–2021. Sand tigers of both sexes and various ages were found year-round along the northern, central and southern coast. We identified shipwrecks or artificial reef sites with consistently high numbers of shark encounters reported, sometimes with seasonal occupancy patterns. Resighted sharks were often encountered at the same or nearby locations, confirming high levels of residency and site fidelity to specific locations. Together, the mating scars seen on 121 female sand tigers and 202 females documented with rotund abdomens consistent with pregnancy highlight the importance of NC waters for reproduction. We also quantified other characteristics of the sand tigers visible in the photographs including wounds, parasitic copepods, and attached fishing gear. Our results reflect the importance of habitats off the NC coast to the movement and reproductive ecology of sand tigers at multiple life history stages. Sand tiger populations have declined in the Northwest Atlantic, so information about residence at specific locations, seasonal patterns of occupancy, and sex-dependent behaviors associated with migration and reproduction are important to future management and conservation of the species.
Observations of wave run-up affected by dune scarp during storm conditions: a two dimensional large-scaled movable bed experiment
Authors: Lee Eunju , Van Dang Hai , Shin Sungwon , Yoo Jeseon , Park Hyoungsu
Published: May 2024

Artificial dunes serve as essential nature-based defenses against the increasing threats posed by climate change and rising sea levels along coastal regions. However, these man-made dunes are particularly susceptible to erosion during severe storm events, necessitating careful consideration of their design for effective coastal protection. Among the myriad factors influencing artificial dune design, wave run-up stands out as a paramount concern. Not only is wave run-up crucial in assessing the extent of coastal flooding, but it also plays a significant role in shaping shoreline dynamics. During intense storm events, wave run-up amplification leads to substantial erosion of sand dunes, forming dune scarps that resemble cliffs. To address these challenges, we conducted a series of innovative two-dimensional large-scale laboratory experiments using movable beds. These experiments aimed to provide a quantitative understanding of wave run-up characteristics on dune scarps. Additionally, our study explored the feasibility of using existing empirical formulas to predict the 2% exceedance of wave run-up (referred to as R2%) in such scenarios. Our results revealed a consistent trend in R2% values, irrespective of variations in the surf similarity parameter when wave run-up was influenced by a dune scarp. Notably, our findings recommend the adoption of the Stockdon empirical formula, incorporating beach slope from the still water level to the dune scarp toe, as an effective method for predicting R2% during highly erosive conditions. This approach can significantly enhance the design and functionality of artificial dunes, bolstering their capacity to safeguard coastal areas from the impacts of severe storms and erosion, thus contributing to resilient coastal ecosystems and sustainable coastal management.
Escarpments within Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica meadows increase habitat heterogeneity and structural complexity enhancing fish diversity and biomass
Authors: Gomis Enric , Ballesteros Enric , Bernabeu Irene , Inostroza Karina , Mateo Miguel A. , Serrano Oscar
Published: May 2024

Seagrass meadows provide important ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, coastal protection from erosion, and sustained biodiversity and fisheries thereby improving the wellbeing and livelihoods of coastal communities. The erosion of millenary deposits of intertwined roots and rhizomes of Posidonia results in the formation of three-dimensional structures named escarpments that constitute a biogenic reef habitat. However, the natural history of seagrass escarpments including their formation processes and their role as habitat for reef fauna and flora remains poorly understood. This research located and characterized Posidonia oceanica escarpments in Menorca (Balearic Islands) and compared structural complexity and fish assemblages among seagrass escarpments, seagrass meadows, rocky substrates and bare sand with emphasis on its role as habitat and shelter for typical rocky fish. Fish abundance and biomass were similar between seagrass escarpments and rocky substrates (P > 0.05), but significantly lower in seagrass meadows (P < 0.001). The large number of caves found along seagrass escarpments provide shelter to fish, including species only associated to rocky substrates. Seagrass meadows form a rather homogenous habitat within their canopy, but the presence of seagrass escarpments enhances habitat heterogeneity and structural complexity along with fish abundance and biomass at the seascape level. This study enhances understanding on the ecological importance of seagrass escarpments.
Long-term outcome of percutaneous vertebroplasty versus conservative treatment for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: a retrospective cohort study with three-year follow-up
Authors: Chen Zefu , Xu Lei , Shi Liang , Cao HongXia , Nie Mingxi
Published: May 2024

Background

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) appear to be more common as the population ages. Previous studies have found that percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) can achieve better short-term clinical outcomes than conservative treatment (CT) for OVCF. However, the long-term outcomes of PVP compared with CT for OVCF has been rare explored. This study was designed to explore the clinical outcomes of PVP or CT within 3 years after OVCF.

Methods

This study reviewed the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent PVP or CT for OVCF in a single center from January 2015 to December 2019. The back pain visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI) and satisfaction rate were compared between the two groups at baseline, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months and 36 months after treatment.

Outcomes

The baseline data including gender, age, bone mineral density, body mass index, back pain VAS, and ODI were not significantly different between the two groups. The back pain VAS and ODI of CT patients were significantly higher than those of PVP group at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after treatment. The satisfaction rate in the PVP group were significantly higher than those in the CT group at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after treatment. Subsequently, the back pain VAS and ODI showed no significant difference between the two groups at 24 and 36 months. In addition, there was no significant difference in treatment satisfaction between the two groups at 36 months. There was no significant difference in the rate of new vertebral compression fractures between the two groups within 36 months after treatment.

Conclusion

The clinical outcomes within 12 months after PVP and patient satisfaction rate within 6 months after PVP were significantly higher than CT. However, during 12 months to 36 months, this advantage generated by PVP was gradually diluted over time. Compared with CT, the long-term effect of PVP on OVCF should not be overestimated.
Molecular genetic characterization analysis of a novel HIV-1 circulating recombinant form (CRF156_0755) in Guangdong, China
Authors: Lin Yaqing , Lan Xianglong , Xin Ruolei , Ling Xuemei , Xiao Mingfeng , Li Feng , Hu Fengyu , Li Linghua , Lan Yun
Published: May 2024

Introduction

The characteristic of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is its susceptibility to erroneous replication and recombination, which plays a crucial role in the diverse and dynamic variation of HIV-1. The spread of different subtypes in the same population often leads to the emergence of circulating recombination forms (CRFs). At present, the main recombinant subtypes of HIV-1 in China are CRF07_BC, CRF01_AE, CRF08_BC and B′ subtypes, while CRF55_01B has become the fifth major epidemic strain in China after rapid growth in recent years since it was first reported in 2013. In this study, we obtained five nearly full-length genomes (NFLGs) and one half-length genome from five different cities in Guangdong. Here, we focused on analyzing their characteristics, parental origin and drug resistance.

Methods

Plasma samples were collected from six HIV-1 infected patients in Guangdong Province who had no epidemiological association with each other. The NFLGs of HIV-1 were amplified in two overlapping segments by the near-terminal dilution method. The positive products were sequenced directly to obtain genomic sequences. The recombinant patterns and breakpoints of the NFLGs were determined using the Simplot software and confirmed by the maximum likelihood trees for segments using the IQ-TREE and BEAST software. The genotypic resistance profiles of the protease reverse transcriptase and integrase were resolved by the Stanford HIV drug resistance database.

Results

The six genomes shared highly similar recombinant pattern, with the CRF55_01B backbone substituted by CRF07_BC segments, therefore assigned as CRF156_0755. The evolutionary analysis of the segments showed that CRF07_BC segments were not clustered with the Chinese MSM variants in the CRF07_BC lineage. All the five NFLGs were identified with the non-nucleoside reverse-transcription inhibitors (NNRTIs) resistance mutation V179E.

Discussion

With the accumulation and evolution of recombination between CRF55_01B and CRF 07_BC, the prevalence of more recombinant strains of CRF55_01B and CRF 07_BC may occur. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the identification and monitoring of the recombination of CRF55_01B and CRF 07_BC.
Development and application of a high-sensitivity immunochromatographic test strip for detecting pseudorabies virus
Authors: Yin Jiajia , Liu Huimin , Chen Yumei , Zhou Jingming , Liu Yankai , Liang Zhenglun , Zhu Xifang , Liu Hongliang , Ding Peiyang , Liu Enping , Zhang Ying , Wu Sixuan , Wang Aiping
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Pseudorabies (PR) is a multi-animal comorbid disease caused by pseudorabies virus (PRV), which are naturally found in pigs. At the end of 2011, the emergence of PRV variant strains in many provinces in China had caused huge economic losses to pig farms. Rapid detection diagnosis of pigs infected with the PRV variant helps prevent outbreaks of PR. The immunochromatography test strip with colloidal gold nanoparticles is often used in clinical testing due to its low cost and high throughput.

Methods

This study was designed to produce monoclonal antibodies targeting PRV through immunization of mice using the eukaryotic system to express the gE glycoprotein. Subsequently, paired monoclonal antibodies were screened based on their sensitivity and specificity for use in the preparation of test strips.

Results and discussion

The strip prepared in this study was highly specific, only PRV was detected, and there was no cross-reactivity with glycoprotein gB, glycoprotein gC, glycoprotein gD, and glycoprotein gE of herpes simplex virus and varicellazoster virus, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, Senecavirus A, classical swine fever virus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, and porcine parvovirus. Moreover, it demonstrated high sensitivity with a detection limit of 1.336 × 103 copies/μL (the number of viral genome copies per microliter); the coincidence rate with the RT-PCR detection method was 96.4%. The strip developed by our laboratory provides an effective method for monitoring PRV infection and controlling of PR vaccine quality.
Using sustained vowels to identify patients with mild Parkinson’s disease in a Chinese dataset
Authors: Wang Miao , Zhao Xingli , Li Fengzhu , Wu Lingyu , Li Yifan , Tang Ruonan , Yao Jiarui , Lin Shinuan , Zheng Yuan , Ling Yun , Ren Kang , Chen Zhonglue , Yin Xi , Wang Zhenfu , Gao Zhongbao , Zhang Xi
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and affects millions of people. Accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment in the early stages can slow down disease progression. However, making an accurate diagnosis of PD at an early stage is challenging. Previous studies have revealed that even for movement disorder specialists, it was difficult to differentiate patients with PD from healthy individuals until the average modified Hoehn-Yahr staging (mH&Y) reached 1.8. Recent researches have shown that dysarthria provides good indicators for computer-assisted diagnosis of patients with PD. However, few studies have focused on diagnosing patients with PD in the early stages, specifically those with mH&Y ≤ 1.5.

Method

We used a machine learning algorithm to analyze voice features and developed diagnostic models for differentiating between healthy controls (HCs) and patients with PD, and for differentiating between HCs and patients with mild PD (mH&Y ≤ 1.5). The models were independently validated using separate datasets.

Results

Our results demonstrate that, a remarkable diagnostic performance of the model in identifying patients with mild PD (mH&Y ≤ 1.5) and HCs, with area under the ROC curve 0.93 (95% CI: 0.851.00), accuracy 0.85, sensitivity 0.95, and specificity 0.75.

Conclusion

The results of our study are helpful for screening PD in the early stages in the community and primary medical institutions where there is a lack of movement disorder specialists and special equipment.
Mining local and global spatiotemporal features for tactile object recognition
Authors: Qian Xiaoliang , Deng Wei , Wang Wei , Liu Yucui , Jiang Liying
Published: May 2024

The tactile object recognition (TOR) is highly important for environmental perception of robots. The previous works usually utilize single scale convolution which cannot simultaneously extract local and global spatiotemporal features of tactile data, which leads to low accuracy in TOR task. To address above problem, this article proposes a local and global residual (LGR-18) network which is mainly consisted of multiple local and global convolution (LGC) blocks. An LGC block contains two pairs of local convolution (LC) and global convolution (GC) modules. The LC module mainly utilizes a temporal shift operation and a 2D convolution layer to extract local spatiotemporal features. The GC module extracts global spatiotemporal features by fusing multiple 1D and 2D convolutions which can expand the receptive field in temporal and spatial dimensions. Consequently, our LGR-18 network can extract local-global spatiotemporal features without using 3D convolutions which usually require a large number of parameters. The effectiveness of LC module, GC module and LGC block is verified by ablation studies. Quantitative comparisons with state-of-the-art methods reveal the excellent capability of our method.
3D hand pose and mesh estimation via a generic Topology-aware Transformer model
Authors: Yu Shaoqi , Wang Yintong , Chen Lili , Zhang Xiaolin , Li Jiamao
Published: May 2024

In Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), accurate 3D hand pose and mesh estimation hold critical importance. However, inferring reasonable and accurate poses in severe self-occlusion and high self-similarity remains an inherent challenge. In order to alleviate the ambiguity caused by invisible and similar joints during HRI, we propose a new Topology-aware Transformer network named HandGCNFormer with depth image as input, incorporating prior knowledge of hand kinematic topology into the network while modeling long-range contextual information. Specifically, we propose a novel Graphformer decoder with an additional Node-offset Graph Convolutional layer (NoffGConv). The Graphformer decoder optimizes the synergy between the Transformer and GCN, capturing long-range dependencies and local topological connections between joints. On top of that, we replace the standard MLP prediction head with a novel Topology-aware head to better exploit local topological constraints for more reasonable and accurate poses. Our method achieves state-of-the-art 3D hand pose estimation performance on four challenging datasets, including Hands2017, NYU, ICVL, and MSRA. To further demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of our proposed Graphformer Decoder and Topology aware head, we extend our framework to HandGCNFormer-Mesh for the 3D hand mesh estimation task. The extended framework efficiently integrates a shape regressor with the original Graphformer Decoder and Topology aware head, producing Mano parameters. The results on the HO-3D dataset, which contains various and challenging occlusions, show that our HandGCNFormer-Mesh achieves competitive results compared to previous state-of-the-art 3D hand mesh estimation methods.
Circulating sphingolipids and subclinical brain pathology: the cardiovascular health study
Authors: Moseholm Kristine F. , Horn Jens W. , Fitzpatrick Annette L. , Djoussé Luc , Longstreth W. T. , Lopez Oscar L. , Hoofnagle Andrew N. , Jensen Majken K. , Lemaitre Rozenn N. , Mukamal Kenneth J.
Published: May 2024

Background

Sphingolipids are implicated in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. We assessed the potential role of circulating ceramides and sphingomyelins in subclinical brain pathology by investigating their association with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures and circulating biomarkers of brain injury, neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), a large and intensively phenotyped cohort of older adults.

Methods

Brain MRI was offered twice to CHS participants with a mean of 5 years between scans, and results were available from both time points in 2,116 participants (mean age 76 years; 40% male; and 25% APOE ε4 allele carriers). We measured 8 ceramide and sphingomyelin species in plasma samples and examined the associations with several MRI, including worsening grades of white matter hyperintensities and ventricular size, number of brain infarcts, and measures of brain atrophy in a subset with quantitative measures. We also investigated the sphingolipid associations with serum NfL and GFAP.

Results

In the fully adjusted model, higher plasma levels of ceramides and sphingomyelins with a long (16-carbon) saturated fatty acid were associated with higher blood levels of NfL [β = 0.05, false-discovery rate corrected P (PFDR) = 0.004 and β = 0.06, PFDR = < 0.001, respectively]. In contrast, sphingomyelins with very long (20- and 22-carbon) saturated fatty acids tended to have an inverse association with levels of circulating NfL. In secondary analyses, we found an interaction between ceramide d18:1/20:0 and sex (P for interaction = <0.001), such that ceramide d18:1/20:0 associated with higher odds for infarcts in women [OR = 1.26 (95%CI: 1.07, 1.49), PFDR = 0.03]. We did not observe any associations with GFAP blood levels, white matter grade, ventricular grade, mean bilateral hippocampal volume, or total brain volume.

Conclusion

Overall, our comprehensive investigation supports the evidence that ceramides and sphingomyelins are associated with increased aging brain pathology and that the direction of association depends on the fatty acid attached to the sphingosine backbone.