bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Whole exome sequencing for identification of specific gene mutations in an Indian cohort of triple- negative breast cancer patients
Authors: P Preeti , Das Ankan Mukherjee , Kumar Prabhat , Gogia Ajay , Kumar Lalit , Deo SVS , Mathur Sandeep , Janardhanan Rajiv , Rawal Prof Kamal , Garg Manoj , Das Bhudev C
Published: April 2024

Background: Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are pathologically the most aggressive and heterogenous subtype of carcinoma breast displaying increased chemo-resistance and a high rate of relapse. A compelling need exists to discover specific gene mutation(s) and exomic mutational landscape associated with Indian TNBC patients in identifying potential therapeutic target(s) for effective treatment.
Methods: The status of the hormone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 was confirmed. Genomic DNA was extracted from TNBC tissues and adjacent non-cancerous breast tissues. Quantification and quality of gDNA samples were checked. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed on 15 TNBC patients along with 5 random adjacent non-cancerous tissue specimens. WES data alignment and mapping to reference human genome hg19 was done using BWA, SAMtools, and Picard tools. The data analysis and mutation calling were performed using the Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK). The signal and PANTHER pathways tools were used for mutational significance and pathway analysis, respectively.
Results: Our data reveals that the TNBC genomes carried an average of ~106 mutations per sample. MutSig2CV analysis showed the most significant recurrent mutations in CTNNB1 (47%; 7/15), TP53 (33%; 5/15), SLC7A8 (27%; 4/15), AMOT (20%; 3/15), CLEC11A (20%; 3/15), and ECHDC1 (13%; 2/15) with a q value of ≤ 0.1. We also observed recurrent mutations in other important cancer-associated genes such as ABCC3, BRCA1, BRCA2, BIRC6, CDH7, CSMD3, MUC12, MUC16, NT5C1B, PIK3CA, POLE, STK31, TTN, and ZFHX4. Interestingly, the TNBC genomes exhibited a predominance of signature 1 associated with spontaneous deamination of 5-methylcytosine, signature 3 represented the failure of DNA double-strand break repair by homologous recombination, while signature 5 correlated with transcriptional strand bias. Furthermore, these mutations were involved in several major signaling pathways such as the Wnt, p53, PDGF, cadherin, DNA replication, integrin, and apoptosis signaling.
Conclusions: Together, the findings of this study indicated that a crucial role played by these key exonic mutations in Indian TNBC patients which could be utilized in screening and TNBC risk predictions in clinical settings, and developing potential targeted therapeutics for TNBC. Furthermore, studies may focus on identifying genetic variability among TNBC patients for developing effective treatment.
Physical Exercise and Social Anxiety in College Students: Mediating Role of Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency and Self-control
Authors: Ou Yayi , Guo Kelei , Cheng Yueming
Published: April 2024

Objective: To explore the relationship between physical exercise and social anxiety of college students, and the mediating role of mobile phone addiction tendency and self-control between them.
Methods: The physical exercise scale, social anxiety scale, mobile phone addiction tendency scale and self-control scale were used to investigate 1209 college students by stratified cluster random sampling method.
Results: (1) Physical exercise is negatively correlated with social anxiety（β=-0.044, p < -1.396, CI[-0.107, 0.018]）. (2) Physical exercise was negatively correlated with mobile phone addiction tendency (β =- 0.240, p < 0.01, CI[-0.300, -0.180]); Mobile phone addiction tendency is positively correlated with social anxiety(β= 0.482, p < 0.01, CI[0.433, 0.531]). (3) Physical exercise is positively correlated with self-control（β = 0.577, p < 0.01, CI[0.529, 0.625]）; Self-control was negatively correlated with social anxiety（β= -0.124, p < 0.01, CI[-0.184, -0.063]）. (4) Mobile phone addiction tendency is negatively correlated with self-control（β= -0.207, p < 0.01, CI[-0.251, -0.162]）. The chain mediation effect between mobile phone addiction tendency and self-control is significant, and the simple mediation effect between mobile phone addiction tendency and self-control is significant. The mediating effect was composed of three paths: physical exercise → mobile phone addiction tendency → social anxiety (effect size -0.116), physical exercise → self-control → social anxiety (effect size -0.071), physical exercise → mobile phone addiction tendency → self-control → social anxiety (effect size -0.006).
Conclusion: (1) Physical exercise is negatively correlated with college students' social anxiety.(2) Mobile phone addiction tendency has an independent mediating effect between physical exercise and social anxiety of college students.(3) Self-control has an independent mediating effect between physical exercise and social anxiety of college students.(4) Mobile phone addiction tendency and self-control have a chain mediating effect between physical exercise and social anxiety of college students.
Advancing global herbal medicine: Enhancing herb quality through innovative strategies explored in Hong Kong - An international hub
Authors: NGAI Hiu-Lam , Shaw Pang-Chui , Chung Vincent Chi-Ho
Published: April 2024

Background The Hong Kong Department of Health has been inspecting a number of medicinal herbs circulating in the market every year. Herbs have been recurringly identified to have problems such as over-limit aflatoxins and toxic alkaloids. The distributors had to recall the problematic herbs. Despite the negative business consequences, the problems endured.Purpose This study aimed to find out the contributors of such phenomenon, particularly the reasons of unchanging supply chain practices in Hong Kong.Study Design We interviewed 16 stakeholders from the Chinese herbal medicine industry to investigate the reasons of suboptimal supply chain practices. The interviews were analyzed using a coding framework developed by Pisani and colleagues in 2019 for analyzing national risks for medicines with suboptimal quality. The purpose of our survey was to identify risks in market dynamics and policies associated with substandard and falsified medicinal herbs in Hong Kong.Results Problems of herbs’ quality in Hong Kong attributed to harvesting, collection, processing, packaging and storage errors. Batch-to-batch differences were also the contributors. The results revealed the lack of expertise and motivation in Chinese medicine industry self-surveillance and eradication of such errors. In addition, it was found that chemical inspection tests were generally avoided due to cost and time concerns.Conclusion The current situation is not conductive to consumer right and public health protection, and supply chain practices should be improved for providing good-quality herbs to the community in a consistent manner. We propose establishing a centralized system to purchase herbs. Track-and-trace electronic system can be set up for efficiently tracing the sources and time of transactions such as herb purchase and dispensary. A registration system of Chinese pharmacists is recommended to ensure enough professionalism and regulatory responsibility, guarding the quality of prescription, ensuring safe use of herbs, and protecting public health. These strategies can facilitate the internationalization of Hong Kong herbs by helping achieve high-quality standards. Given that Hong Kong is an international city, the implementation of the proposed strategies in this proposal can serve as a demonstration of ways to improve the quality of herbs on a global scale.
The flow-based multi-model ensemble strategy for projecting future runoff with CMIP6 GCMs
Authors: Chae Seung Taek , Hamed Mohammed Magdy , Shahid Shamsuddin , Chung Eun Sung
Published: April 2024

The dramatic rise in the number of global climate models (GCMs) caused a rise in the uncertainty of future runoff projection. A multi-model ensemble (MME) of suitable GCMs selected based on their performances has been proposed to solve this problem. This study used three MME generation methods which are climate-based, mixed climate-flow-based and flow-based approaches, coupled with two GCM selection methods (all GCMs and five best-performing GCMs), and two weight assignment methods (equal and unequal) to prepare the best MME to assess their relative performances in simulating historical runoff and reducing uncertainty in future runoff projections. The GCMs were selected from 20 coupled model intercomparison project phase 6 (CMIP6) models, while Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was used for long-term runoff simulation based on MMEs for four shared socioeconomic pathway scenarios (SSPs). Four evaluation metrics were used to verify the performance of each method, and the uncertainty of future runoff simulation was quantified using the reliability ensemble averaging (REA) method. The flow-based MME approach provided a better simulation of historical runoff and also lowered the uncertainty in future runoff simulation compared to the other MMEs. The selection of an efficient GCMs subset and assigning unequal weights to GCMs showed more effective than considering all GCMs and equal weight. The results of this study can provide meaningful information to researchers in future runoff projections using GCMs.
Unleashing technological advancements through foreign direct investments in West Africa's non-oil manufacturing sectors
Authors: Mantey Isaac
Published: April 2024

This paper explores the potential of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to drive technological advancements and promote sustainable growth in West Africa's non-oil manufacturing sector. The purpose of the study is to evaluate and ascertain the technological advancement that has been accompanied by FDI in West African countries. This study uses the FDI dataset of 5 West African countries and adopts the panel data analysis that spans from 1990 – 2022 to evaluate the factors that contribute to the diffusion and adoption of technological innovation. Data were sourced from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Investment Promotion centers of selected countries.
Findings from the study showed that factors that contribute to the diffusion and adoption of technological innovation come from FDI, political indicators, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Thus, there is a positive relationship between FDI and GDP on technological diffusion and adoption; the higher the FDI and GDP size the more improved the adoption and diffusion of technology in the specific market across the continent. The negative relationship between political stability and technology diffusion proves that the lower the occurrence of terrorism or political turmoil the higher the adoption of technology in manufacturing.
The study recommends the need for governments to improve political stability and set up technology hubs and clusters to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration to absorb technology diffusion in their respective economies.
JEL Codes: F2, L6, O33
Structural design and parameter optimization of vector brackets for vertical take-off and landing unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Authors: Liu Wenshuai , Quan Wenyong , Wang Junli , Wang Kangjie , Wang Jiahuan , Mei Yilin
Published: April 2024

By carrying out a central composite design (CCD) test, 49 sample points of the four particular factors were constructed. The lift-to-drag ratio and thrust coefficient were simulated under different structural parameter combinations using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method. CFD simulation was verified by carrying out a wind tunnel test, and the results revealed that the thrust coefficient error was less than 9% while the lift-to-drag ratio error was less than 8%. The response surface methodology (RSM) for the lift-to-drag ratio and thrust coefficient was established using a Kriging algorithm. A multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) was used to optimize the parameters with regard to the maximum lift-to-drag ratio and maximum thrust coefficient. The optimal structural parameters were valve diameter at 31 mm, vector bracket length at 51 mm, fixed bracket width at 69 mm, and fixed bracket length at 168. Compared to the original model, the thrust coefficient increased by 19%, and the lift-to-drag ratio did not decrease.
RETRACTED: The effects of group drawing therapy based on self-psychology theory on anxiety in college students : a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Zhu Jinli , Yu Guilin , Dai Xiatong , Lu Sha , Qin Yang
Published: April 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Understanding the Deterrence in Medical Insurance Fund Regulatory Systems for Fraud and Abuse Behaviors by Enrollees in China: An Analysis Based on Deterrence Theory
Authors: Zhang Jinsui , Sun Chenhan , Liao Bowei , Hu Min , Chen Wen
Published: April 2024

Background: To effectively improve the regulatory systems of medical insurance, a deep dive into their impact on enrollees is essential. The challenge lies in comprehensively and quantitatively assessing these effects, amidst a noticeable research gap in evaluating regulatory impacts within the medical insurance domain. This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework based on deterrence theory to assess the effects of medical insurance regulations on deterring medical insurance fraud and abuse (MIFA) among enrollees, focusing on Shanghai as a case study.
Methods: This study integrated data for analysis from three distinct sources and used mixed methods. The Database of Medical Insurance Supervision on Enrollees (DMISE), spanning 2017 to 2021, provided a foundational analysis of the system's implementation. We utilized a multistage stratified sampling method to conduct a questionnaire survey to gauge enrollees' perceptions of deterrence, employing the Enrollees' Perceived Deterrence Scale (EPDS), developed for this study. Semi-structured interviews with key informants offered deeper insights into the regulatory systems. Our evaluation was guided by a conceptual framework that identified three key dimensions of deterrence: severity, certainty, and celerity.
Results: Our study analyzed 12,898 historical fraud and abuse cases, involving 10,723 enrollees, alongside 965 valid questionnaires. It revealed that the medical insurance regulatory system in Shanghai exerted a high level of deterrence. Enrollees rated the perceived severity of the regulatory system as the highest. Although administrative sanctions were the primary measures, and were effective, there is a need for greater intensity and precision in their application. The certainty of detection was high, at approximately 80–90%. Whilst some covert activities remained difficult to detect, the certainty of enforcement was approximately 99%. Celerity received the lowest scores, indicating delays in both detection and penalty imposition within the regulatory response.
Conclusion: The study developed a theoretical analytical framework to assess the effectiveness of deterrence within medical insurance regulatory systems. It identified both the strengths and weaknesses of severity, certainty, and celerity in the current regulatory system, providing valuable insights for enhancing deterrence. These findings offer important guidance for policymakers to strengthen regulatory schemes against MIFA, contributing to the advancement of more effective healthcare policies.
Retrospective determination of exposure temperature of standing trees during wildfires with Solid-state NMR
Authors: Kutzer Karl , Meincken Martina
Published: April 2024

Timber plantations across the world are suffering from the effects of increasingly frequent wildfires, which potentially degrade the wood of affected trees, depending on the exposure temperature and time. However, it is rather complicated to determine the exact temperature of the fire, or the temperature to which the wood was exposed. This study aimed to determine the exposure temperature of wood retrospectively through solid-state NMR analysis. Models were developed from softwood and hardwood samples exposed to defined temperatures, which successfully linked the NMR signal to the exposure temperature. Various fit equations were developed to link the half-width or peak area of the NMR signal to the exposure temperatures. Hard- and softwoods displayed noticeable differences: a linear function best described the half-width in the higher temperature region for Pine and Eucalyptus, whereas a parabolic function for the peak area of Eucalyptus yielded the best correlation to the entire temperature range. This non-destructive and direct method offers a valuable evaluation method to determine, if wood in burnt trees is degraded and can be processed. An informed choice can be made on the decision to use, or discard burnt wood.
Finite element analysis of mechanical stress in a cementless tapered-wedge short stem in the varus position
Authors: Maeda Takahiro , Obayashi Osamu , Ishijima Muneaki , Sato Taichi , Musha Yoshiro , Ikegami Hiroyasu
Published: April 2024

Background: In recent years, the use of tapered-wedge short stems has increased because of their ability to preserve bones and tendons. Surgical techniques occasionally result in a varus position of the stem, which is particularly pronounced in short stems. Although the varus position is not clinically problematic, there are reports of an increased incidence of stress shielding and cortical hypertrophy. Thus, we evaluated and examined the acceptable range of varus angles using finite element analysis.
Methods: We selected patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the hip joint who had undergone arthroplasty and were classified into three types [champagne-flute (type A), intermediate (type B), and stovepipe (type C)]. Finite element analysis was performed using Mechanical Finder. The model was created using a Taperloc microplasty stem with the varus angle increased by 1° from 0° to 5° from the bone axis and classified into seven zones based on Gruen’s zone classification under loading conditions in a one-leg standing position. The volume of interest was set, the mean equivalent stress for each zone was calculated, and the mean value of the equivalent stress in each zone was calculated.
Results: A significant decrease in stress was observed in zone 2, and increased stress was observed in zones 3 and 4, suggesting the emergence of a distal periosteal reaction, similar to the results of previous studies. In zone 2, there was a significant decrease in stress in all groups at a varus angle ≥3°. In zone 3, stress increased from ≥3° in type B and ≥4° in type C. In zone 4, there was a significant increase in stress at varus angles of ≥2° in types A and B and at ≥3° in type C.
Conclusion: In zone 2, the varus angle at which stress shielding above Engh classification grade 3 may appear is expected to be ≥3°. Distal cortical hypertrophy may appear in zones 3 and 4; the narrower the medullary cavity shape, the smaller the allowable angle of internal recession, and the wider the medullary cavity shape, the wider the allowable range. Long-term follow-up is required in patients with varus angles >3°.
Characterization of non-Markovianity with maximal extractable qubit-reservoir entanglement
Authors: Yang Zhen-Biao , Han Pei-Rong , Wu Fan , Huang Xin-Jie , Wu Huai-Zhi , Yi Wei , Wen Jianming , Zheng Shi-Biao
Published: April 2024

Understanding the dynamical behavior of a qubit in a reservoir is critical to applications in quantum technological protocols, ranging from quantum computation to quantum metrology. The
effect of the reservoir depends on reservoir’s spectral structure, as well as on the qubit-reservoir coupling strength. We here propose a measure for quantifying the non-Markovian effect of a reservoir with a Lorentzian spectrum, based on the maximum qubit-reservoir quantum entanglement that can be extracted. Numerical simulation shows this entanglement exhibits a monotonous behavior in response to the variation of the coupling strength. We confirm the validity of this measure with an experiment, where a superconducting qubit is controllably coupled to a lossy resonator, which acts as a reservoir for the qubit. The experimental results illustrate the maximal extractable entanglement is progressively increased with the strengthening of the non-Markovianity.
The effects of silver and gold nanoparticles on the cell metabolic activity and biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in microbial fuel cell-based biosensors
Authors: Wu Wenguo , Lin Jia , Yang Dayun
Published: April 2024

Background
Biofilm infections are resistant and seriously harmful to human health, real-time monitoring of the effects of anti-biofilm drugs on biofilms is critical for screening of new anti-biofilm drugs. Microbial fuel cell (MFC)-based biosensor with Pseudomonas aeruginosa as electricigens was constructed.
Results
The effects of silver and gold nanoparticles on the cell metabolic activity and biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa in MFC-based biosensor were investigated and compared with the anti-biofilm assessment results by crystal violet staining. The gold nanoparticles facilitated planktonic cells growth in anolyte and biofilm formation on the anode, while silver nanoparticles inhibited the growth of both planktonic cells and biofilm. The phenazine secreted in anolyte was decreased with the addition of gold nanoparticles but increased with the addition of silver nanoparticle. In comparison, the biofilm formed on the glass covers in microwell plates by crystal violet staining were inhibited by both of silver and gold nanoparticles. The growth restricted condition in MFC-biosensor and its discharging state resulted in the different response of cells to nanoparticles.
Conclusions
MFC-based biosensor as a potential method for the assessment of drug susceptibility, the actual cell metabolic activity and biofilm formation in it should be studied for the accurate comprehension of the interaction between drugs and electricigens.
Indoxyl Sulfate Induces Ventricular Arrhythmias Attenuated by Secretoneurin in Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Hung Yuan , Cheng Chen-Chuan , Lu Yen-Yu , Huang Shih-Yu , Chen Yao-Chang , Lin Fong-Jhih , Lin Wei-Shiang , Kao Yu-Hsun , Lin Yung-Kuo , Chen Shih-Ann , Chen Yi-Jen
Published: April 2024

Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are major causes of sudden cardiac death in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Indoxyl sulfate (IS) is one common uremic toxin found in CKD patients. This study investigated whether IS could induce VAs via increasing right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) arrhythmogenesis. Using conventional microelectrodes and whole-cell patch clamps, we studied the action potentials (APs) and ionic currents of isolated rabbit RVOT tissue preparations and single cardiomyocytes before and after IS (0.1 and 1.0 µM). Calcium fluorescence imaging was performed in RVOT cardiomyocytes treated with and without IS (1.0 µM) to evaluate the calcium transient and the calcium leak. In rabbit RVOT tissues, IS (0.1 and 1.0 µM) attenuated the contractility and shortened the AP durations in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, IS (0.1 and 1.0 µM) enhanced the pro-arrhythmia effects of isoproterenol (ISO, 1.0 µM) and rapid ventricular pacing (20 Hz) in RVOT (before versus after ISO, 25% versus 83%, N = 12). In RVOT cardiomyocytes, IS (1.0 µM) significantly decreased the sodium currents and L-type calcium currents but increased the sodium-calcium exchanger currents. Cardiomyocytes treated with IS (1.0 µM) had lower calcium transients but higher calcium leak than those without IS treatment. Pretreatment with secretoneurin (SN, 30 nM, a potent neuropeptide, suppressing CaMKII) prevented IS-induced ionic current changes and arrhythmogenesis. In conclusions, IS modulates RVOT electrophysiology and arrhythmogenesis via enhanced CaMKII activity. SN attenuates the effects of IS, leading to a novel therapeutic target for CKD arrhythmias.
Understanding the Financial Barriers to Treatment Among Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder: a Focus Group Study
Authors: Anyanwu Precious , Tata Vaishnavi , Olateju Olajumoke , Varisco Tyler , Gilbert Lauren R. , Ogunsanya Motolani E. , Essien E. James , Johnson Michael L. , Thornton J. Douglas
Published: April 2024

Introduction:
Despite the established effectiveness and relatively widespread availability of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUDs), individuals seeking treatment frequently encounter various structural and social barriers, including costs of treatment. This study aimed to understand the financial barriers that affect treatment continuation in individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).
Methods
In this qualitative study, seven semi-structured in-depth focus group interviews were conducted among 28 participants in treatment for OUD. Basic demographic information were collected in a pre-focus group survey. Focus group interviews were conducted from December 2021 to February 2022. A moderator guide was used to facilitate the discussion. Transcripts were managed using ATLAS.ti© v7. Data collected from the focus groups underwent deductive thematic analysis.
Results
Data saturation was reached in 7 focus groups with a total of 28 participants (17 [60.7%] women; 27 [96.4%] white; 24 [85.7%] non-Hispanic). All three medications for OUD were represented (18 [64.3%] buprenorphine and naloxone, 5 [17.9%] methadone, 3 [10.7%] naltrexone, and 2 [7.1%] buprenorphine) and the time in treatment ranged from 1 month to over three years. Nearly all participants (27 [96.4%]) indicated a financial barrier that led to delayed treatment initiation and treatment retention. Two themes were identified from the focus group interviews: (1) OUD treatment-related financial burden- the direct and indirect cost associated with the treatment (2) Psychosocial effects associated with the cost of OUD treatment -the mental, emotional, and social effects of a disease.
Conclusions
Most participants described the desire and need for resources to offset the unaffordable cost that inhibits treatment initiation and retention. Further work is required to help identify individuals susceptible to financial barriers that can lead to early discontinuation in treatment.
Cingulate Sulcus Sign: A Descriptive Analysis in a Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Population
Authors: Li Weishuai , Zheng Dongming
Published: April 2024

The cingulate sulcus sign (CSS) has been observed in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), suggesting potential disruptions in cerebrospinal fluid circulation and compromised glymphatic system. Although there are similarities in the underlying mechanisms between cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and iNPH, the relationship between CSS and CSVD remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and potential mechanisms of CSS in patients with CSVD.Data from patients diagnosed with CSVD at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University between January 2020 and October 2022 were retrospectively collected, including general information and four CSVD magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers(white matter hyperintensity (WMH), cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), lacunes, and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), CSS and the Evan index (EI). A total of 308 patients were included, and CSS was detected in 80 patients (26%). Multivariable analysis showed an independent correlation between CSS and the presence of lacunes (odds ratio [OR] 0.347, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.187–0.645, p = 0.001), the presence of lobar dominant CMBs (OR 2.741, 95%CI 1.416–5.308, p = 0.003), the periventricular WMH Fazekas score (OR 1.752, 95% CI 1.174–2.615, p = 0.006), and EI (0.25–0.3; OR 4.293, 95% CI 2.311–7.976, p < 0.001, reference group < 0.25).This preliminary study showed that CSS can be observed in some patients with CSVD. The presence of CSS may represent different mechanisms of CSVD pathogenesis and reflect differences in the degree of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/interstitial fluid (ISF) stasis.
Do We Teach Environmental Education The Way We Should? A Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of Science Subject Text Books
Authors: Soomro Raja Bahar Khan
Published: April 2024

Environmental education (EE) plays a crucial role in fostering environmental literacy among students, yet its representation in science text books published by the Sindh Text Book Board (STBB) needs critical examination. This research critically analyzes the presence and frequency of EE-related content in selected text books across different grade levels through CDA approach. The study highlights the traditional theoretical approach prevalent in science text books, which often lacks practicality and problem-solving elements, and neglects to incorporate regional environmental diversity and local scientific discoveries. EE encompasses various scientific concepts such as climate, biodiversity, and sustainability, aiming to instill in individuals the ability to explore environmental issues and engage in problem-solving for environmental improvement. However, the current curriculum falls short in providing a comprehensive understanding of environmental issues and developing necessary skills for environmental stewardship. The context of the study focuses on Sindh, Pakistan which boasts diverse geographical features, wildlife, and climatic conditions. However, despite its ecological richness, Sindh faces challenges such as endangered species, climate change, and a lack of proper environmental education. The study draws attention to the need for immediate action and viable solutions to preserve Sindh's biodiversity. Data collection involved analyzing nine science textbooks and conducting interviews with science teachers, students, and community members to gather insights into the representation of EE. Findings indicate a minimal integration of EE into the science curriculum, with only a few units or chapters dedicated to environmental topics across different grade levels. The paper concludes with a discussion on the discourse surrounding EE in science text books and proposes recommendations for enhancing environmental education delivery in schools. This research also contributes to the ongoing dialogue on the importance of EE and its integration into educational policies and practices.
Beyond the Battlefield: Uncovering the Impact of Military Pollution on Human Mortality
Authors: Steffens Brendan , Kohl Matthias , Pozzer Andrea
Published: April 2024

Greenhouse gas emissions from militaries across the globe constitute a major fraction of global anthropogenic emissions annually. In addition to negatively impacting the climate, military activity also produces a significant amount of air pollution, which impacts human health. In this study, we numerically estimate the amount of air pollution which originates from military activity at global scale. We estimate its health impact using an exposure response function, finding that 276,446 lives (95% confidence interval 206,839 - 329,510) could have been saved in 2019 in a scenario free of global military activity. This number far exceeds the number of casualties in that year caused by fighting between militaries (78,282) and is on a similar scale as the mortality caused from pollution generated by entire sectors, such as land traffic, and industry. Our results call for immediate efforts toward global demilitarization, or at a minimum, the greening of military technologies and operations. Systematic changes of this kind can potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives per year and could divert important funding toward the existential crises faced by humanity, such as climate change and future pandemics.
Spiral vine trellising shortens juvenile of seedlings and mining of genes associated with precocity in v. vinifera
Authors: Liu Junli , Wang· Zhilei , Jiang· Shan , Wang· Liang , Geng· Zijian , Li· Hua , Wang Hua
Published: April 2024

Flower formation is an important transformation in plant development, and analyzing the early flowering genes is of great significance for accelerating plant reproduction. Exploring the early fruiting genes present in Vitis vinifera (V. vinifera) can provide molecular theoretical basis for breeding high-quality resistant varieties using the excellent quality of V. vinifera. This study conducted a study on the V. vinifera intraspecific hybrid population [S07 (Ecolly×Cabernet Sauvignon), S08 (Ecolly×Garanior), S09 (Ecolly×Marselan and S10 (Ecolly×Dornfelder)] on the flowering characteristics of one-year seedlings, screen samples of flowering and non-flowering plants in the S10 population, and use high-throughput sequencing to perform transcriptome sequencing and related differential gene expression analysis on each sample. The results showed that the spiral vine trellising can promote flower bud differentiation in grape seedlings, and there were 93 differential genes (77 upregulated and 16 downregulated) between the flowering group and the non-flowering group. GO analysis of differential genes revealed that the pathways between flowering and non-flowering groups were mainly enriched in polysaccharide binding, DNA integration, defense reactions, carbohydrate binding, and dioxygenase activity. KEGG analysis of differentially expressed genes, with pathways mainly enriched in protein processing, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pentose and glucuronic acid conversion, and pyruvate metabolism in the endoplasmic reticulum. Through analysis of flowering related genes in various pathways, it was found that the flowering genes of V. vinifera were mainly related to carbohydrate metabolism, secondary metabolite metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and transcription factor regulation.
Field Robot Self-Exploration Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning and Safety Control Mechanism
Authors: Kang Jipeng , Zhang Zhibin , He Liqiang , Chen Xu
Published: April 2024

This paper aims to address the issues that arise when using deep reinforcement learning algorithms for reactive robotic navigation in farmland environments. These challenges include complex network models, a large number of parameters, significant computational requirements, and the possibility of being vulnerable to local optimal solutions. Moreover, the complexity of the farmland environment poses a challenge to the existing indoor reactive navigation methods, which struggle to meet the requirements of tasks such as crop protection and human cooperation.To address these issues, the paper proposes the Field Robot Autonomous Navigation System (FRANS), which utilizes Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) to enable farmland robots to autonomously explore unknown environments. The system consists of two modules: Global Navigation (GN) and Local Navigation (LN). The GN module establishes goal points and implements a secure control mechanism to manage the robot's actions. This approach helps to address problems like locally optimal solutions. The LN module uses a lightweight DRL framework to develop a locally navigated motion strategy that guides the robot toward waypoints. FRANS does not require any prior knowledge and is capable of adjusting the navigation strategy in real time based on the current environment. The map is generated in real time as the robot moves through the environment. Experimental results demonstrate that FRANS outperforms similar approaches.
Nutritional status and associated factors of attending schools children in Burkina Faso
Authors: OUEDRAOGO Daniel Somwaoga , COMPAORE Ella W. R. , OUEDRAOGO Ousmane , DICKO Mamoudou H.
Published: April 2024

Background
Child malnutrition remains a public health problem affecting both children under 5 years of age and adolescents in Burkina Faso. However, school-age children are not always considered in programs to reduce malnutrition, despite their negative impact on school performance. This study sought to identify the factors associated with the nutritional status of students in public primary schools.
Method
Three-stage sampling was used to select 559 students aged 5–14 years enrolled in 24 public elementary school. Face- to- face interview using a structured questionnaire were used to collect information from children and their parents. Z-scores for weight-for-age, height-for-age, and BMI-for-age were calculated using the AnthroPlus software to determine the prevalence of all aspects of malnutrition among the studied children. Binary logistic regressions were used to examine factors associated with malnutrition.
Results
The sample included 52.8% girls, with an average age of 10.79 years. The prevalence of undernutrition was 35.8%, with 12.9% for stunting, 9.1% for underweight, and 13.8% for thinness. The prevalence of being overweight and obese was 0.7%. Stunting is significantly associated with 5–10 age and water from non-portable sources. Being underweight is associated with living in the province of Kourwéogo and the father's lack of of schooling. Leanness is positively associated with the 5 to 10 age group, non-deworming of pupils and the father's occupation as a trader.
Conclusion
Undernutrition is a real health problem among students in public primary schools in the Plateau Central region of Burkina Faso. Actions to prevent undernutrition must be undertaken to benefit school-age children.
Arima Modeling and Forecasting of Banana Production in Eastern Visayas, Philippines: 2010-2022
Authors: Bustaliño Blademeire D. , Galos Thea C. , Cajudo Silver G.
Published: April 2024

This time series study investigated the quarterly banana production among the six provinces in Eastern Visayas, Philippines namely: Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar from 2010 to 2022 specifically the time series components of the data, appropriate time series model, projected banana production for 2023-2024, and the comparison of the predictive accuracy of forecasted models. The technique employs a descriptive and predictive study design of the secondary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) using descriptive statistics, time series charts, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models, forecasting, Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), and Symmetric Mean Absolute Percentage Error (SMAPE). Among the six provinces, Samar (148,352.78 mt) had the highest total volume of banana production, followed by Southern Leyte (819,306.59 mt). The highest banana production was observed among provinces, namely: 3rd quarter of 2013 in Biliran, 2nd quarter of 2010 in Eastern Samar, 3rd quarter of 2012 in Leyte, 2nd quarter of 2014 in Northern Samar, 1st quarter of 2022 in Samar, and 4th quarter of 2012 in Southern Leyte. In terms of the overall banana production, seasonality was found in quarters from 2010-2022 with irregular variations and gradual increases.
All provinces showed ADF statistics that are negative and p-values that are below the 0.05 threshold, suggesting that the time series for each province is stationary. With ARIMA models being assessed and validated for each province, Eastern Samar (ARIMA(4,1,1)) model has the lowest AIC and BIC values indicating the best fit among the models. Overall ARIMA (3,1,2) model forecasts in Eastern Visayas will experience fluctuations but maintain general stability until 2024. Further, the predictive accuracy using MAE, MAPE, and SMAPE was determined to compare the resulting ARIMA models of the quarterly banana production, hence, the findings revealed variable model accuracies across different provinces with Northern Samar showing the highest accuracy. Thus, the different models and forecasted productions found in this study are important to ensure market stability and consistent supplies of banana production.
Implications of the application of δ 37 Cl analysis to a new type of polyhalite potassium deposit identified in northeast Sichuan, China
Authors: Shang Wen-jun , Su Kui , Li Kong , Zhang Yong-sheng
Published: April 2024

The discovery of a new type of polyhalite potassium deposit in the Puguang area of northeast Sichuan Province is expected to alleviate the problem of insufficient potassium resources in China. However, in this high and steep fold belt, tectonic movement has made the sequence division of evaporites difficult; which, this division is an important factor in the study of the genesis of polyhalite. This study analyzed the effect of δ37Cl on the salt deformation structure by using the δ37Cl distribution in the halite of well CXD1 as an indicator and discussed the genetic mechanism of the new type of polyhalite potassium deposit. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) Tectonic activity has a limited influence on the vertical direction of the two or multiple facies of primary sedimentary evaporite dominated by halite components in the plastic dynamic flow process, and the δ37C1 value can be used as a reference index in the study of the deformation of salt structures, except for local salt veins and salt in diapirs. (2) The δ37C1 values of halite from well CXD1 provide the latest quantitative geochemical data supporting the genetic model of the tectonic events and sedimentary environment influencing the new type of polyhalite potassium deposit in the Puguang area of northeast Sichuan; the results indicate that the sedimentary environment featured a wide range of paleowater temperatures, extreme drought and frequent replenishment of marine water sources. (3) Additionally, the low evaporation stage of the Sichuan salt basin was not conducive to the deposition of soluble K-Mg salt.
Wireless Power Transfer with Silicon Steel Core and Copper Wire for Various Mediums
Authors: Somashekar B. , Moger Ganapathy D
Published: April 2024

In an initial exploration, an effort was undertaken to execute WPT by utilizing circuits resonating at the standard utility frequency of 50 Hz. The primary goal The purpose of this study is to devise a technique for conveying electrical power through various mediums. By conducting an equivalent circuit analysis, a formula for the theoretical transmission efficiency was formulated, taking into consideration both copper and core losses. Notably, There's a substantial alignment between the values obtained from experimentation and those calculated theoretically. It was observed that the efficiency of transmission is significantly influenced by the configuration of the magnet pole pieces. This work sheds insight on the complex interaction between magnet pole component design and overall power transmission efficiency. An investigation is being carried out Power was transferred over a distance using various media for a rectangular flared shape, with air serving as the medium. This transmission efficiency was 70.22% at a distance of cms. As the distance rose and for misaligned conduction, the efficiency decreased.
Optimizing Seaweed Biomass Production - A Two Kelp Solution
Authors: Stekoll Michael , Pryor Alf , Alexandra Meyer , Lindell Scott , Bailey David , Kite-Powell Hauke , Goudey Cliff , Roberson Loretta , Barbery Kendall , Yarish Charles
Published: April 2024

Interest in farming kelps has grown beyond using kelp for food, feed or biofuels. There is considerable interest in generating biomass from seaweed for use in bioplastics and other products that would substitute for petroleum-derived products. For these uses to be viable, large amounts of biomass are needed. Very large kelp farms can be expensive to build and maintain, leading to the need to optimize the biomass per unit area. Although close spacing of growlines can lead to poor growth, a viable approach may be to grow two species of kelps together: one that hangs down and one that is buoyant, growing up. This system would increase the spacing in three dimensions. In Alaska, Saccharina latissima is commonly grown hanging down from longlines. One of the buoyant Alaskan kelps is Nereocystis luetkeana. Because there are commercial uses for wild-harvested Nereocystisin Alaska, we undertook a preliminary trial in Kodiak, Alaska that grew both Saccharina and Nereocystis in the same longline array. Closely spaced lines were seeded the first week of February 2023 and set at 3m below the surface. The arrays were harvested in late June 2023. Total yields were greatest on the combined arrays, followed by the Nereocystisonly and Saccharina only arrays. Despite having 45% fewer grow-lines, the total yield of the Nereocystis on the combined arrays was statistically similar to the Nereocystis only arrays. These results may have significance for large scale macroalgal production.
On the Computational Complexity of Generalized Common Shape Puzzles
Authors: Banbara Mutsunori , Minato Shin-ichi , Ono Hirotaka , Uehara Ryuhei
Published: April 2024

In this study, we investigate the computational complexity of some variants of generalized puzzles. We are provided with two sets S1 and S2 of polyominoes. The first puzzle asks us to form the same shape using polyominoes in S1 and S2. We demonstrate that this is polynomial-time solvable if S1 and S2 have constant numbers of polyominoes, and it is strongly NP-complete in general. The second puzzle allows us to make copies of the pieces in S1 and S2. That is, a polyomino in S1 can be used multiple times to form a shape. This is a generalized version of the classical puzzle known as the common multiple shape puzzle. For two polyominoes P and Q, the common multiple shape is a shape that can be formed by many copies of P and many copies of Q. We show that the second puzzle is undecidable in general. The undecidability is demonstrated by a reduction from a new type of undecidable puzzle based on tiling. Nevertheless, certain concrete instances of the common multiple shape can be solved in practical time. We present a method for determining the common multiple shape for provided tuples of polyominoes and outline concrete results, which improve on the previously known results in the puzzle community.
Exploring the Impact of Prabhakar Fractional Derivatives on Bioconvection Flow of Nanofluids with Applications in Solar Energy
Authors: Shafique Ahmad , Ramzan Muhammad , Nazar Mudassar
Published: April 2024

The current research explores how entropy generation, heat, and mass transfer impact the motion of a second-grade fluid when exposed to solar radiation on a vertical plate. This study employs a base fluid composed of polyvinyl alcohol-water and considers the presence of copper nanoparticles and gyrotactic microorganisms. Given the increasing utilization of solar plates in various devices, there is a need to develop an effective numerical model for the flow and thermal characteristics of a parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC) mounted on a solar plate. Parabolic trough solar collectors (PTSCs) are solar energy systems that utilize curved mirrors, resembling parabolic troughs, to concentrate sunlight onto a single focal line. This focused sunlight heats the fluid flowing through a plate aligned along the focal line. The governing equations for heat, mass, and momentum, based on Fourier's and Fick's laws, have been established, and mathematical modeling is carried out. The Laplace transform method is applied to derive non-dimensional partial differential equations for the energy, mass, and velocity fields. The graphical analysis primarily focuses on the significant impact of key parameters, including the bioconvection Lewis number, magnetic field parameter, Prandtl number, electric field parameter, Grashof number, mass Grashof number, chemical reaction parameter, and Peclet number, related to the flow properties. Increasing the volume fraction and radiation parameter of nanoparticles is shown to enhance the temperature profile. Non-Newtonian nanofluids exhibit great potential for enhancing heat transfer processes and find diverse applications in solar energy systems, thermal energy systems, and microchip cooling. These nanofluids not only exhibit exceptional thermal properties but also unexpected thermal behavior. By incorporating nanoparticles into fluids, we can augment both solar energy storage and heat transfer capabilities.