bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns and drivers of population trends on individual Breeding Bird Survey routes using spatially explicit models and route-level covariates
Authors: Aponte Veronica , Hudson Marie-Anne , English Willow , Jefferys Kendall , Binley Allison , Robinson Barry , Donkersteeg Courtney , Edwards Brandon , Daly Lindsay , Cox Amelia , Roy Christian
Published: October 2023

Spatial patterns in population trends, particularly those at finer geographic scales, can help us better understand the factors driving population change in North American birds. The standard status and trend models for the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) were designed to estimate trends within broad geographic strata, such as Bird Conservation Regions, U.S. states, and Canadian territories or provinces. Calculating trend estimates at the level of individual survey transects (“routes”) from the BBS allows us to explore finer spatial patterns and simultaneously estimate the effects of covariates, such as habitat-loss or annual weather, on both relative abundance and trend (changes in relative abundance through time). Here, we describe four related hierarchical Bayesian models that estimate trends for individual BBS routes, implemented in the probabilistic programing language Stan. All four models estimate route-level trends and relative abundances using a hierarchical structure that shares information among routes, and three of the models share information in a spatially explicit way. The spatial models use either an intrinsic Conditional Autoregressive structure or a distance-based Gaussian process to estimate the spatial components. We fit all four models to data for 71 species and then fit only two of the models (one spatial and one non-spatial) for an additional 216 species due to computational limitations. Leave-future-out cross-validation showed the spatial models outperformed the non-spatial model for 284 out of 287 species. For the species tested here, the best approach to modeling the spatial components depended on the species; the Gaussian Process had the highest predictive accuracy for 2/3 of the species tested here and the iCAR was better for the remaining 1/3. We also present two examples of route-level covariate analyses focused on spatial and temporal variation in habitat for Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) and Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus). Covariates explain or affect patterns in the rate of population change for both species. Route-level models for BBS data are useful for visualizing spatial patterns of population change, generating hypotheses on the causes of change, comparing patterns of change among regions and species, and testing hypotheses on causes of change with relevant covariates.
Planeación estratégica para la unidad de negocios de exploración y explotación de una empresa petrolera estatal
Authors: Cedeño Martha , Pochechoque-Cortez Liliana , Roca-Ortiz Rosa  T.
Published: October 2023

Objetivos: El propósito de este artículo es exponer los lineamientos fundamentales que se tuvieron en cuenta en la formulación de un plan estratégico para la Unidad de Negocios de Exploración y Explotación de la empresa estatal Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos
Métodos: En el proceso de investigación se utilizaron metodologías propias del campo cualitativo tales como la entrevista semiestructurada, la revisión documental y otros instrumentos de análisis de contexto. De esta manera se establecieron los mecanismos de diagnóstico sobre la situación de la empresa en estudio y sobre su papel económico en el ámbito local y nacional.
Resultados: Propuesta de planeación estratégica que hace énfasis en la priorización de proyectos y recursos que permitan mejorar la productividad y disminuir los impactos ambientales implícitos en este tipo de actividades extractivas.
Conclusión: Se concluye que es fundamental trazar e implementar planes estratégicos pertinentes y sostenibles que optimicen recursos y aseguren el rendimiento empresarial y, junto con ello, hacer un seguimiento eficaz de los mismos para facilitar el cumplimiento de sus objetivos y su huella positiva en el campo económico y social.
Pembentukan “Pondok Osteoartritis” sebagai Upaya Pencegahan Penyakit Nyeri Sendi di Posyandu Larasati Dukuh Kupang, Surabaya
Authors: Njoto Ibrahim , Lewi Anna , Agnes Andra , Aryanti Novina , Khamidah Nur
Published: October 2023

Sebagai upaya untuk mewujudkan kesehatan masyarakat pada lansia, saat ini dibutuhkan kegiatan berbasis masyarakat yang berfokus pada lansia. Lansia merupakan kelompok rentan penyakit degeneratif disebabkan penurunan fungsi organ tubuh yang disebabkan faktor usia sehingga untuk hidup sehat diperlukan suatu program berbasis masyarakat. Penurunan fungsi organ tersebut salah satunya ditandai dengan osteoartritis atau nyeri sendi. Namun nyeri tersebut bisa dikurangi salah satunya adalah dengan melakukan diet karbohidrat. Saat ini program posyandu lansia sudah banyak dilaksanakan namun belum dioptimalkan kegiatan dalam bidang preventif dan promotif, termasuk penyakit osteoarthritis yang merupakan penyakit yang akan dialami oleh lansia. Dengan memanfaatkan kader serta posyandu yang sudah berjalan, maka dibentuklah program “pondok osteoarthritis (OA)” yang berada di lokasi posyandu lansia “Larasati”, yang tujuannya adalah sebagai upaya untuk deteksi dini, pencegahan serta mengurangi kesakitan akibat penyakit OA. Kegiatan yang dilakukan adalah membentuk pos pada posyandu lansia kemudian dilakukan pendampingan pada kader posyandu lansia, dilakukan pemeriksaan awal hingga terapi pada lansia di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Dukuh Kupang yang pemeriksaannya dilakukan oleh kader. Hasil yang didapatkan adalah terbentuknya kegiatan berbasis masyarakat “Pondok Osteoarthritis (OA)” dengan memberdayakan kader posyandu yang pelaksanaanya di dampingi oleh Puskesmas Dukuh Kupang dan Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Wijaya Kusuma Surabaya (FK UWKS). Kegiatan ini diharapkan dapat meningkatkan status kesehatan lansia di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Dukuh Kupang Surabaya khususnya pada penanganan osteoartritis.
Penegakan Hukum Kepolisian dalam Pengungkapan Tindak Pidana Narkotika dengan Teknik Undercover Buy (Polres Kolaka Utara)
Authors: Irabiah  , Arief Mamba Muhammad As Ari , Mayasari Riezka Eka , Mafing Muhammad Ali Alala , Yahyanto  , Junaedy Akhmad
Published: October 2023

This study aims to determine Police Law Enforcement in Disclosing Narcotics Crimes Using the Undercover Buy Technique at North Kolaka Police Station. The formulation of the problem posed is: What are the legal strengths and consequences for undercover buys made by non-Police members (informants)? and What are the obstacle factors in uncovering narcotics crimes with the Undercover Buy Technique?. The type of research used by the author in the preparation of this thesis final project is research that uses empirical research methods. The empirical legal research method is a legal research method that functions to see the law in a real sense and research how the law works in society. Covert Purchase as stipulated in Law No. 22 of 1997 which has been changed to Law No. 35 of 2009 is an addition to the investigator's authority in efforts to eradicate narcotics trafficking. This is because narcotics crimes are organized, secret crimes, and in practice they use sophisticated modus operandi and technology, making it difficult to collect evidence. Unlike other criminal acts, the implementation of covert purchases in narcotics crimes is not contrary to human rights if carried out in accordance with applicable regulations. However, it will be different if it is not implemented in accordance with applicable regulations. This is because the implementation of covert purchases cannot be separated from the participation of the community, so that the rights of the people who participate must be protected. In order to reduce errors and the implementation of covert purchases, it is necessary to know and understand clearly by investigators regarding the implementation of covert purchases themselves as stipulated in Law No. 35 of 2009. 

Keywords: Law Enforcement, Narcotics, Undercover Buy
Mobile Apps-Based Cosmetic Equipment Selection Decision Support System Use Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) Method
Authors: Destin Clarina Monica , Asriningtias Yuli
Published: October 2023

Currently, more and more types of cosmetic products are appearing on the market, thus making cosmetic users confused in choosing cosmetics that suit their skin type and usage. Not a few people who use cosmetics wrongly which has a lot of bad effects on their face and has to be touched up repeatedly. This application facilitates users with 5 types of skin types, lip types and types of use that can be selected to make it easier for users to choose cosmetics that suit their skin type and usage. The application was built with a Decision Support System (DSS) using the Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) method to make calculations for selecting the most appropriate Make Over cushion and lipstick product for the user. In this application, the user can enter their skin type and then the system will calculate using the SAW method to get the Make Over cushion and lipstick that is most suitable for the user. The final result of the system will display the Make Over cushion and lipstick and their description with the highest calculated value to the user. Based on testing, this application is able to display cushion and lipstick products whose compatibility with users reaches 98%.
Becoming-Metal: On Knowledge by Ketamine
Authors: Ramey Joshua
Published: October 2023

Within the context of the so-called psychedelic renaissance, ketamine (C13H16CINO) has been increasingly used for therapeutic purposes. While ketamine clearly has healing powers, what interests me here is less ketamine for healing than what I will call the possibility of knowledge by ketamine. Drawing upon Deleuze and Guattari's arguments for the centrality of metal and metallurgy as a perspective on matter, I speculate that knowledge by ketamine is not identical with, yet verges on, a kind of becoming-metal of consciousness, and an intuition of what Deleuze and Guattari call a ‘nonorganic life’ proper to matter. Ketamine trips provide vantage, and in some sense experience of that metallic dimension Deleuze and Guattari claim is inherent in all matter, a fluidity and transformability which for them is the basis of a hydraulic as opposed to solid model of matter, and clue to a vitality that supersedes the distinction of life and death. Intuition of the fundamentally hydraulic or metallic nature of matter is essential to what Deleuze and Guattari call a nomadic or ‘minor’ science, one that, because it centres continuous variation rather than discrete form, is capable of challenging the conservative tendencies of ‘major’ or State science. Without making claims for ketamine as in any sense sufficient for a becoming-metal of consciousness, ketamine may be constructively conjugated with other knowledges – knowledge by meditation, by dance, by music, or by martial arts, to name only a few. Such minor sciences of transformation and transmutation remain capable of a negative or corrosive relation to the State, despite the ever-present reality of recapture.
Institutional Dimensions of the Just Energy Transition: Reflecting the Role of Energy Justice in Public Administration
Authors: Sokołowski Maciej M , Lauri Cristiana , Okem Andrew E , Olivera Beatriz , Tsuji Yuichiro , Mikusek Piotr
Published: October 2023

Climate policy-driven transformation processes in the energy sector are accelerating changes to both national and international legal frameworks. However, no successful just energy transition is achievable without significant regulatory reforms. In this context, the article examines the possibility for modifying and introducing regulatory tools to guarantee that the just energy transition is conducted in order to accomplish climate goals and lower anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. The analysis is based on the application of the theory of energy justice and its five principal pillars: recognition, procedural, distributive, restorative, and cosmopolitan justice. For each of these five domains, the paper proposed regulatory tools that can strengthen the energy policies, both pursued and planned, in terms of institutional and decision-making dimensions. The analysis’ key conclusion is that there is a need for a fundamental change in how energy policies are planned and conducted, and that its regulatory tools must be modified to meet the requirements of energy justice. As a result, proposed in this paper are universal measures to institutionalise energy justice in different legal regimes that should be viewed as advancements in the effort to make energy transition processes more just.
‘Godwin versus Godwin’: Negotiating the War of Ideas in Charles Lloyd’s Isabel, A Tale
Authors: Grenby M. O.
Published: October 2023

Charles Lloyd remains on the fringe of Romanticism, remembered for his relationships with Coleridge, Southey, Lamb, De Quincey and Hays, and known chiefly for his novel Edmund Oliver (1798). This essay investigates the complex history and meanings of Lloyd’s other, entirely neglected novel, Isabel, A Tale. Using unpublished correspondence the essay establishes that, although published in 1820, Isabel was printed in 1810, and written in 1798–99. Two manuscripts of the novel have been located. These are for the first time analysed to shed light on Lloyd’s intentions. Intriguingly, the manuscripts give the novel the sub-title ‘Godwin versus Godwin’, as well as positioning it as a response to Mary Wollstonecraft. These clues, with an unpublished preface, support a reading of Isabel as an attempt to use Wollstonecraft’s work, and her life as written by William Godwin, to develop a modus vivendi allowing radical social critique to co-exist with a defence of chastity and marriage.
‘Such conduct bears Philanthropy’s rare stamp’: The Byronic Hero’s Good Works
Authors: Rudd Andrew
Published: October 2023

This article presents for the first time a file of petitions sent to Lord Byron, now held in the John Murray Archive of the National Library of Scotland (MS 43523) and catalogued in 2022. It analyses a sample of the letters and argues that Byron’s correspondents (all outside his regular social circle) framed their requests for assistance based on their reading of scenes of philanthropy in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage and the Turkish Tales, where the image of the Byronic hero was consolidated. The article goes on to discuss the nature of the Byronic hero’s imaginary giving, characterised by secrecy and unknowability, and why this model was attractive to petitioners in real life. Byronic philanthropy thus provides a new lens to examine the entanglements between literary and epistolary and material cultures in the Romantic period, as well as offering scholars valuable new evidence of Byron’s personal generosity and charitable practices.
Parodying The Prelude: The Autobiography of John Cowper Powys
Authors: Wheatley Kim
Published: October 2023

This essay reads the 1934 prose Autobiography of the twentieth-century British novelist John Cowper Powys as a parody of Wordsworth’s Prelude. It argues that Powys revises Wordsworth’s trajectory of emotional growth, loss and recovery in ways that sometimes endorse and more often satirise the poet’s youthful love of nature and his adult transcendental imaginings. In doing so, Powys anticipates the revisionary readings of recent critics who have interpreted Wordsworth’s ‘language of the sense’ in materialist terms. Powys represents Wordsworth as a poet of physical – and sexual – sensation, registering The Prelude’s openness to physiology-focused interpretation. Powys self-mockingly rewrites the story of the growth of Wordsworth’s mind, debunking The Prelude’s climactic encounters with transcendence. Ultimately however, for Powys as for Wordsworth, nature leads him beyond nature. Powys’s Autobiography thus helps to suggest the limits of approaches focused on what Powys calls ‘the physical quality of Wordsworth’s flesh and blood’.
Portraiture and Anthropocentrism
Authors: Bush Stephen
Published: October 2023

In an age in which anthropocentrism is increasingly under fire, the investment of the artistic tradition in that paradigm deserves particular attention. Portraiture is especially significant, as it seems to be the anthropocentric art form par excellence. It seems to reinforce key features of anthropocentrism: the distinction of the human from the nonhuman and the superiority of the former over the latter. We can pursue these questions most effectively if we distinguish descriptive (“weak”) anthropocentrism from normative (“strong”) anthropocentrism. The former involves some sort of focus on humans, the latter combines this with claims about their superiority over the nonhuman. Certain works by influential portraitists, such as Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and Ana Mendieta, contest both weak and strong anthropocentrism. Other portraits seem to be involved in weak anthropocentrism, but not necessarily strong anthropocentrism. Considering the artwork of Alice Neel and the philosophy of Judith Butler, I argue that such works have an important ethical role to play in orienting us in our relationships with humans, precisely in resisting strong anthropocentrism even in expressing weak anthropocentrism.
Conceptual risk assessment of mosquito population modification gene-drive systems to control malaria transmission: preliminary hazards list workshops
Authors: Kormos Ana , Dimopoulos George , Bier Ethan , Lanzaro Gregory C. , Marshall John M. , James Anthony A.
Published: October 2023

The field-testing and eventual adoption of genetically-engineered mosquitoes (GEMs) to control vector-borne pathogen transmission will require them meeting safety criteria specified by regulatory authorities in regions where the technology is being considered for use and other locales that might be impacted. Preliminary risk considerations by researchers and developers may be useful for planning the baseline data collection and field research used to address the anticipated safety concerns. Part of this process is to identify potential hazards (defined as the inherent ability of an entity to cause harm) and their harms, and then chart the pathways to harm and evaluate their probability as part of a risk assessment. The University of California Malaria Initiative (UCMI) participated in a series of workshops held to identify potential hazards specific to mosquito population modification strains carrying gene-drive systems coupled to anti-parasite effector genes and their use in a hypothetical island field trial. The hazards identified were placed within the broader context of previous efforts discussed in the scientific literature. Five risk areas were considered i) pathogens, infections and diseases, and the impacts of GEMs on human and animal health, ii) invasiveness and persistence of GEMs, and interactions of GEMs with target organisms, iii) interactions of GEMs with non-target organisms including horizontal gene transfer, iv) impacts of techniques used for the management of GEMs and v) evolutionary and stability considerations. A preliminary hazards list (PHL) was developed and is made available here. This PHL is useful for internal project risk evaluation and is available to regulators at prospective field sites. UCMI project scientists affirm that the subsequent processes associated with the comprehensive risk assessment for the application of this technology should be driven by the stakeholders at the proposed field site and areas that could be affected by this intervention strategy.
Amino acid profile in overweight and obese prepubertal children – can simple biochemical tests help in the early prevention of associated comorbidities?
Authors: Bugajska Jolanta , Berska Joanna , Wójcik Małgorzata , Sztefko Krystyna
Published: October 2023

Background

It is accepted that plasma branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and aromatic amino acids (AAAs) are closely related to metabolic risk. Arterial hypertension, metabolic syndrome, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) are frequently seen in obese patients. Many attempts have been made to find biochemical indicators for the early detection of metabolic complications in children. It is not known if different amino acid profiles and BCAA and AA concentrations in overweight and obese children correlate with chemerin, proinflammatory, and simple biochemical markers. Thus, the study aimed to find out the early markers of cardiovascular disease and MAFLD in overweight and obese children.

Materials and methods

The study included 20 overweight and obese children (M/F 12/8; mean age 7.7 ± 2.3 years; BMI 26.8 ± 5.0 kg/m2) and 12 non-obese children (control group) (M/F 4/8; mean age 6.5 ± 2.2 years; BMI 14.8 ± 1.5 kg/m2). The following plasma amino acids were measured: aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, asparagine, glycine, glutamine, taurine, histidine, citrulline, threonine, alanine, arginine, proline, tyrosine, methionine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, ornithine, and lysine. Chemerin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and basic biochemistry parameters were measured.

Results

The mean plasma levels of leucine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, glutamic acid, and alanine were significantly higher in overweight and obese children than in the control group (p<0.03–p<0.0004). Conversely, the mean values of serine, asparagine, glutamine, and citrulline were significantly lower in overweight and obese children than in the control group (p<0.03–p<0.0007). Isoleucine, leucine, valine (BCAAs) tyrosine, and phenylalanine (AAAs) levels showed a positive correlation with uric acid, ALT, hs-CRP, and chemerin (r=0.80–0.36; p<0.05-p<0.00001), but not with IL-6. The mean values of glucose, IL-6, hs-CRP, chemerin, uric acid, and ALT were significantly higher in overweight and obese children than in the control group (p<0.03–p<0.00002). In contrast, the lipid profile did not differ between groups.

Conclusion

An abnormal amino acid profile in overweight and obese pre-pubertal children, accompanied by elevated ALT and UA observed in the studied cohort, may suggest early metabolic disturbances that can potentially lead to metabolic syndrome, or MAFLD, and increased cardiovascular risk.
The slan antigen identifies the prototypical non-classical CD16+-monocytes in human blood
Authors: Tamassia Nicola , Bianchetto-Aguilera Francisco , Gasperini Sara , Grimaldi Alessio , Montaldo Claudia , Calzetti Federica , Gardiman Elisa , Signoretto Ilaria , Castellucci Monica , Barnaba Vincenzo , Tripodi Marco , Cassatella Marco Antonio
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Peripheral monocytes in humans are conventionally divided into classical (CL, CD14++CD16−), intermediate (INT, CD14++CD16+) and non-classical (NC, CD14dim/−CD16++) cells, based on their expression levels of CD14 and CD16. A major fraction of the NC-monocytes has been shown to express the 6-sulfo LacNAc (slan) antigen, but whether these slan+/NC-monocytes represent the prototypical non-classical monocytes or whether they are simply a sub-fraction with identical features as the remainder of NC monocytes is still unclear.

Methods

We analyzed transcriptome (by bulk and single cell RNA-seq), proteome, cell surface markers and production of discrete cytokines by peripheral slan+/NC- and slan−/NC-monocytes, in comparison to total NC-, CL- and INT- monocytes.

Results

By bulk RNA-seq and proteomic analysis, we found that slan+/NC-monocytes express higher levels of genes and proteins specific of NC-monocytes than slan−/NC-monocytes do. Unsupervised clustering of scRNA-seq data generated one cluster of NC- and one of INT-monocytes, where all slan+/NC-monocytes were allocated to the NC-monocyte cluster, while slan−/NC-monocytes were found, in part (13.4%), within the INT-monocyte cluster. In addition, total NC- and slan−/NC-monocytes, but not slan+/NC-monocytes, were found by both bulk RNA-seq and scRNA-seq to contain a small percentage of natural killer cells.

Conclusion

In addition to comparatively characterize total NC-, slan−/NC- and slan+/NC-monocyte transcriptomes and proteomes, our data prove that slan+/NC-, but not slan−/NC-, monocytes are more representative of prototypical NC-monocytes.
Study on the mechanical properties of embankment soil under long-term immersion conditions
Authors: Zhang Kun , Feng Di , Wang Zhikui
Published: October 2023

During flood season, embankments are often submerged in high water levels for extended periods, leading to deterioration in their soil mechanics performance and increasing the risk of slope instability and other hazards. In order to investigate the changes in mechanical properties of embankment slopes during long-term water immersion, direct shear tests were conducted. Scanning electron microscopy, chemical composition analysis, and laser particle size analysis were conducted on samples taken at different immersion periods. Clay samples were taken from the embankments at Jiangxinzhou in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Results showed the shear strength of the soil gradually decreases with the increase of immersion time, while the cohesive force and internal friction angle gradually decrease as well. This suggests that immersion has a softening effect on the shear strength of the soil. As the immersion time increases, the colloidal particles (soluble salt) rapidly dissolves, the microstructure of the soil is destroyed, and sticky particles increases, resulting in a change in the shear strength of the soil. The research results provide a basis for flood control and prevention of embankments immersed in high water levels for long periods during the flood season.
A distinct strain of tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus that causes mosaic disease in ash gourd and other cucurbitaceous crops
Authors: Vignesh S. , Renukadevi P. , Nagendran K. , Senthil N. , Kumar R. Vinoth , SwarnaPriya R. , Behera Tusar Kanti , Karthikeyan G.
Published: October 2023

Ash gourd (Benincasa hispida) is a cucurbitaceous crop cultivated as an edible vegetable rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fibers and antioxidants. In a field survey conducted in the Udumalpet region of Tamil Nadu during 2019, the incidence of mosaic disease on ash gourd crop was observed to be 75%. The DNA-A and DNA-B components of begomovirus genome have been identified as associated with this disease. Both the cloned DNA-A and DNA-B genomic components shared highest pairwise sequence identities with the isolates of tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), a bipartite begomovirus. Recombinant analysis showed that both the components are possibly evolved through intra-species recombination between ToLCNDV isolates. Tomato leaf curl Bangladesh betasatellite (ToLCBB) is not naturally associated with this sample. The results of infectivity studies on ash gourd and other cucurbitaceous crops demonstrates the Koch’s postulates, when co-inoculation of DNA-A and DNA-B of ToLCNDV was undertaken. However, the inoculation of non-cognate ToLCBB along with DNA-A and DNA-B enhances the symptom expression and reduces the time taken for symptom development. Thus, Koch’s postulates were proved for these virus complexes on cucurbitaceous crops. Furthermore, an enhanced accumulation of DNA-A component was detected in the cucurbits co-inoculated with ToLCNDV and ToLCBB. This report highlights the importance of investigating the spread of these disease complexes with other cucurbitaceous crops in India.
Dialysis resource allocation in critical care: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the promise of big data analytics
Authors: Koraishy Farrukh M. , Mallipattu Sandeep K.
Published: October 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented burden on intensive care units (ICUs). With increased demands and limited supply, critical care resources, including dialysis machines, became scarce, leading to the undertaking of value-based cost-effectiveness analyses and the rationing of resources to deliver patient care of the highest quality. A high proportion of COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU required dialysis, resulting in a major burden on resources such as dialysis machines, nursing staff, technicians, and consumables such as dialysis filters and solutions and anticoagulation medications. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based big data analytics are now being utilized in multiple data-driven healthcare services, including the optimization of healthcare system utilization. Numerous factors can impact dialysis resource allocation to critically ill patients, especially during public health emergencies, but currently, resource allocation is determined using a small number of traditional factors. Smart analytics that take into account all the relevant healthcare information in the hospital system and patient outcomes can lead to improved resource allocation, cost-effectiveness, and quality of care. In this review, we discuss dialysis resource utilization in critical care, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how AI can improve resource utilization in future public health emergencies. Research in this area should be an important priority.
Ultrasound radiomics based on axillary lymph nodes images for predicting lymph node metastasis in breast cancer
Authors: Tang Yu-Long , Wang Bin , Ou-Yang Tao , Lv Wen-Zhi , Tang Shi-Chu , Wei An , Cui Xin-Wu , Huang Jiang-Sheng
Published: October 2023

Objectives

To determine whether ultrasound radiomics can be used to distinguish axillary lymph nodes (ALN) metastases in breast cancer based on ALN imaging.

Methods

A total of 147 breast cancer patients with 41 non-metastatic lymph nodes and 109 metastatic lymph nodes were divided into a training set (105 ALN) and a validation set (45 ALN). Radiomics features were extracted from ultrasound images and a radiomics signature (RS) was built. The Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), Spearman correlation analysis, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) methods were used to select the ALN status–related features. All images were assessed by two radiologists with at least 10 years of experience in ALN ultrasound examination. The performance levels of the model and radiologists in the training and validation subgroups were then evaluated and compared.

Result

Radiomics signature accurately predicted the ALN status, achieved an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.929 (95%CI, 0.881-0.978) and area under curve(AUC) of 0.919 (95%CI, 95%CI, 0.841-0.997) in training and validation cohorts respectively. The radiomics model performed better than two experts’ prediction of ALN status in both cohorts (P<0.05). Besides, prediction in subgroups based on baseline clinicopathological information also achieved good discrimination performance, with an AUC of 0.937, 0.918, 0.885, 0.930, and 0.913 in HR+/HER2-, HER2+, triple-negative, tumor sized ≤ 3cm and tumor sized>3 cm, respectively.

Conclusion

The radiomics model demonstrated a good ability to predict ALN status in patients with breast cancer, which might provide essential information for decision-making.
Application of serum Raman spectroscopy combined with classification model for rapid breast cancer screening
Authors: Lin Runrui , Peng Bowen , Li Lintao , He Xiaoliang , Yan Huan , Tian Chao , Luo Huaichao , Yin Gang
Published: October 2023

Introduction

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using general Raman spectroscopy as a method to screen for breast cancer. The objective was to develop a machine learning model that utilizes Raman spectroscopy to detect serum samples from breast cancer patients, benign cases, and healthy subjects, with puncture biopsy as the gold standard for comparison. The goal was to explore the value of Raman spectroscopy in the differential diagnosis of breast cancer, benign lesions, and healthy individuals.

Methods

In this study, blood serum samples were collected from a total of 333 participants. Among them, there were 129 cases of tumors (pathologically diagnosed as breast cancer and labeled as cancer), 91 cases of benign lesions (pathologically diagnosed as benign and labeled as benign), and 113 cases of healthy controls (labeled as normal). Raman spectra of the serum samples from each group were collected. To classify the normal, benign, and cancer sample groups, principal component analysis (PCA) combined with support vector machine (SVM) was used. The SVM model was evaluated using a cross-validation method.

Results

The results of the study revealed significant differences in the mean Raman spectra of the serum samples between the normal and tumor/benign groups. Although the mean Raman spectra showed slight variations between the cancer and benign groups, the SVM model achieved a remarkable prediction accuracy of up to 98% for classifying cancer, benign, and normal groups.

Discussion

In conclusion, this exploratory study has demonstrated the tremendous potential of general Raman spectroscopy as a clinical adjunctive diagnostic and rapid screening tool for breast cancer.
Associations of multi-human papillomavirus infections with expression of p16 in a cohort of women who underwent colposcopy: a retrospective study of 5165 patients
Authors: Zhang Yulong , Li Haibo , Li Xiaowen , Li Zelong , You Qianru , Liu Hanwen , Zhao Zhiyan , Su Yanzhao , Zheng Xiangqin , Chen Yusha , Chen Jiancui , Yi Huan
Published: October 2023

Objective

Investigate HPV types in cervical specimens, their correlation with p16 expression in lesions, and diagnostic value for cervical lesions. Enhance clinical diagnosis reliability.

Methods

Retrospective cross-sectional study at Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital’s Cervical Disease Center (Jun 2019-Dec 2021). Patients with abnormal cervical screening underwent colposcopy and conization. Pathological diagnosis based on colposcopy, cervical biopsy, ECC, and conization. Analyzed HPV genotyping (18 HR-HPV, 5 LR-HPV) and p16 expression correlation. Statistical analysis used R software.

Results

he expression of p16 is significantly associated with the infection of high-risk HPV types, such as 16, 33, 52, and 58, with an increased risk of 1.4 times or higher (OR=1.91, 3.14, 1.40, and 1.78, respectively). The risk of p16 expression increased 4-fold for multiple high-risk HPV types [adjusted OR (95% CI) = 4 (2.92~5.5), P-value <0.001]. Compared to the p16(-) group, the p16(+) group had a higher association with cervical lesions worse than HSIL (High-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions).In the group with multiple Human Papillomavirus Infections with types 16, 33, 52, and 58, the risk of cervical lesions worse than HSIL increased by up to 660-fold compared to the negative group (adjusted OR=660.62, 95% CI: 91.39~4775.53, P<0.001), indicating that this combination of HPV types posed the greatest risk for cervical lesions above HSIL.

Conclusions

p16 plays a crucial role in cervical lesion progression, linked to high-risk HPV. Combining p16 with HPV screening improves cervical cancer detection. Studying multiple HPV infections will enhance prevention and management.
US medical school curriculum on opioid use disorder—a topic review of current curricular research and evaluation of winning student-designed opioid curricula for the 2021 Coalition on Physician Education in Substance Use Disorders curricular competition
Authors: Cao Ling , Van Deusen Jennifer
Published: October 2023

The opioid crisis in the US severely affected and continues to affect population's health. The opioid crisis was in part fueled by inadequate pain management, which is in part due to the inadequate education in both pain and opioid use disorder (OUD) for health care professionals. In 2021, the Coalition on Physician Education in Substance Use Disorders (COPE) organized a curricular competition soliciting US medical students-designed OUD-related curricula. Twelve winning curricula were identified. Here, we first conducted a topic review regarding current US medical school OUD curricula. Then we evaluated the COPE winning curricula and compared them to the curricula identified in the topic review. For the topic review, ten relevant databases were searched up to December 31, 2021 using a combination of pre-determined keywords. Total of 25 peer-reviewed articles were selected based on the pre-determined criteria, which included 5 articles describing opioid curricular development at the state level (AZ, CA, MA, PA, and RI), 17 research articles evaluating a curriculum developed in a single institution, 2 literature reviews, and 1 article detailing curricular development and validation processes in a single institution. Although vary in organizations and formats, state-level curricula were comprehensive and could be adopted by other states or institutions with necessary local issue-based modifications. Faculty development and critical resources were major challenges for curricular implementation. The 17 research articles exhibited good scientific quality (Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) score = 11.94 ± 2.33 (maximal score = 18)). All research articles reported to some extent, the success of respective curriculum, in improving students' knowledge in and/or attitude towards OUD, based on primarily pre- and post- comparisons. Compared to these published curricula, winning students-designed curricula had more specific focuses, diverse learning activities, and varieties in assessment methods. For all curricula, long-term evaluations were lacking. Except for the state level curricula, majority of the other curricula did not emphasize specifically on chronic pain education or the biopsychosocial approach. Interprofessional education approach was also lacking. Our topic review and curricular evaluation highlighted the needs for integrating OUD and chronic pain medical curricula, developing long-term assessment tools, and more OUD curriculum research overall.
An unusual presentation of neonatal rhabdomyosarcoma: a case report
Authors: Strah Danielle , Stanley Kelly , Oatmen Kelsie , Kylat Ranjit I. , Dishop Megan , de la Maza Michelina
Published: October 2023

A full-term infant with an unremarkable prenatal course presented at birth with a large midline facial mass and smaller masses in the head and neck. In addition, multiple diffuse flesh-colored nodules spread along all the upper and lower limbs. An extensive evaluation to cover a broad differential diagnosis of infectious, lymphatic/vascular, and oncologic etiology was undertaken. The initial suspicion was confirmed by biopsy of the skin lesion as congenital alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). RMS is the most common soft tissue sarcoma that occurs in childhood. However, neonatal RMS is exceedingly rare. The infant’s initial treatment included vincristine, dactinomycin, and cyclophosphamide in addition to salvage ifosfamide and etoposide, which were dose-adjusted for age. Herein, we present a case of an infant with RMS who showed initial improvement before relapsing and succumbing to her disease at 5 months of age. A review of the limited literature available on this rare condition and newer treatment regimens with improved mortality rates is performed.
MS-Net: a novel lightweight and precise model for plant disease identification
Authors: Quan Siyu , Wang Jiajia , Jia Zhenhong , Yang Mengge , Xu Qiqi
Published: October 2023

The rapid development of image processing technology and the improvement of computing power in recent years have made deep learning one of the main methods for plant disease identification. Currently, many neural network models have shown better performance in plant disease identification. Typically, the performance improvement of the model needs to be achieved by increasing the depth of the network. However, this also increases the computational complexity, memory requirements, and training time, which will be detrimental to the deployment of the model on mobile devices. To address this problem, a novel lightweight convolutional neural network has been proposed for plant disease detection. Skip connections are introduced into the conventional MobileNetV3 network to enrich the input features of the deep network, and the feature fusion weight parameters in the skip connections are optimized using an improved whale optimization algorithm to achieve higher classification accuracy. In addition, the bias loss substitutes the conventional cross-entropy loss to reduce the interference caused by redundant data during the learning process. The proposed model is pre-trained on the plant classification task dataset instead of using the classical ImageNet for pre-training, which further enhances the performance and robustness of the model. The constructed network achieved high performance with fewer parameters, reaching an accuracy of 99.8% on the PlantVillage dataset. Encouragingly, it also achieved a prediction accuracy of 97.8% on an apple leaf disease dataset with a complex outdoor background. The experimental results show that compared with existing advanced plant disease diagnosis models, the proposed model has fewer parameters, higher recognition accuracy, and lower complexity.
Exploring attributional and coping strategies in competitive injured athletes: a qualitative approach
Authors: Leguizamo Federico , Núñez Antonio , Gervilla Elena , Olmedilla Aurelio , Garcia-Mas Alejandro
Published: October 2023

Introduction

This study explores the attributions and coping strategies of athletes who experienced psychological impact from sport injuries or illness from a qualitative methodology.

Purpose

To understand athletes' unique perspectives on injury and recovery, framed in the Global Model of Sport Injuries, and contribute to the development of effective interventions and support programs for athletes.

Methods

A qualitative research approach was employed, conducting semi-structured interviews with an ad hoc sample of 16 athletes, representing diverse backgrounds and competitive levels. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using NVivo software, identifying themes and codes related to attributions and coping strategies.

Results

Athletes attributed their sport injury mostly to bad luck, routine deviations, and negative mental states, while coping strategies used included cognitive restructuring, emotional calming, seeking social support, mental withdrawal, and behavioral risk. Factors such as training deviations, social support, psychological responses, and injury diagnosis seems to have influenced the coping strategies employed.

Conclusions

Sport injuries and illnesses significantly impact athletes' careers and wellbeing. Support and effective communication from coaching staff and healthcare professionals were identified as crucial for athletes' wellbeing. These findings contribute to understanding the psychological processes and experiences involved in sport injury recovery and highlight key elements for prevention and intervention protocols. Future research should explore communication patterns in sports contexts and assess attributions and coping strategies at different stages of injury recovery.
Perceptions and concerns of emergency medicine practitioners about artificial intelligence in emergency triage management during the pandemic: a national survey-based study
Authors: Ahun Erhan , Demir Ahmet , Yiğit Yavuz , Tulgar Yasemin Koçer , Doğan Meltem , Thomas David Terence , Tulgar Serkan
Published: October 2023

Objective

There have been continuous discussions over the ethics of using AI in healthcare. We sought to identify the ethical issues and viewpoints of Turkish emergency care doctors about the use of AI during epidemic triage.

Materials and methods

Ten emergency specialists were initially enlisted for this project, and their responses to open-ended questions about the ethical issues surrounding AI in the emergency room provided valuable information. A 15-question survey was created based on their input and was refined through a pilot test with 15 emergency specialty doctors. Following that, the updated survey was sent to emergency specialists via email, social media, and private email distribution.

Results

167 emergency medicine specialists participated in the study, with an average age of 38.22 years and 6.79 years of professional experience. The majority agreed that AI could benefit patients (54.50%) and healthcare professionals (70.06%) in emergency department triage during pandemics. Regarding responsibility, 63.47% believed in shared responsibility between emergency medicine specialists and AI manufacturers/programmers for complications. Additionally, 79.04% of participants agreed that the responsibility for complications in AI applications varies depending on the nature of the complication. Concerns about privacy were expressed by 20.36% regarding deep learning-based applications, while 61.68% believed that anonymity protected privacy. Additionally, 70.66% of participants believed that AI systems would be as sensitive as humans in terms of non-discrimination.

Conclusion

The potential advantages of deploying AI programs in emergency department triage during pandemics for patients and healthcare providers were acknowledged by emergency medicine doctors in Turkey. Nevertheless, they expressed notable ethical concerns related to the responsibility and accountability aspects of utilizing AI systems in this context.
Overview of the Special Issue on “Deep Neural Networks and Optimization Algorithms”
Authors: Liu Jia-Bao , Nadeem Muhammad Faisal , Shang Yilun
Published: October 2023

Deep Neural Networks and Optimization Algorithms have many applications in engineering problems and scientific research [...]
Structural Stability Analysis of Underwater High-Speed Moving Vehicles in Supercavity Flow Velocity
Authors: Oh Kyungwon , Kho Seonghee
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the structural stability of an underwater high-speed vehicle. The drag characteristics of a moving body moving at high speed in water were analyzed, and a stability analysis of the structure was performed by applying the non-conservative property according to the driven force in a rocket propulsion environment. To this end, the fluid characteristics that enable high-speed maneuvering in an underwater environment were described, and the structural stability was analyzed by simplifying modeling by increasing the resulting drag. In addition, for high-speed underwater movement, an analysis of the following force according to drag and axial load and the effect on structural stability was conducted by simplifying the structure attached to a specific location when a supercavitation occurs.
SpikoPoniC: A Low-Cost Spiking Neuromorphic Computer for Smart Aquaponics
Authors: Siddique Ali , Sun Jingqi , Hou Kung Jui , Vai Mang I. , Pun Sio Hang , Iqbal Muhammad Azhar
Published: October 2023

Aquaponics is an emerging area of agricultural sciences that combines aquaculture and hydroponics in a symbiotic way to enhance crop production. A stable smart aquaponic system requires estimating the fish size in real time. Though deep learning has shown promise in the context of smart aquaponics, most smart systems are extremely slow and costly and cannot be deployed on a large scale. Therefore, we design and present a novel neuromorphic computer that uses spiking neural networks (SNNs) for estimating not only the length but also the weight of the fish. To train the SNN, we present a novel hybrid scheme in which some of the neural layers are trained using direct SNN backpropagation, while others are trained using standard backpropagation. By doing this, a blend of high hardware efficiency and accuracy can be achieved. The proposed computer SpikoPoniC can classify more than 84 million fish samples in a second, achieving a speedup of at least 3369× over traditional general-purpose computers. The SpikoPoniC consumes less than 1100 slice registers on Virtex 6 and is much cheaper than most SNN-based hardware systems. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first SNN-based neuromorphic system that performs smart real-time aquaponic monitoring.