bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lisfranc Fractures-Dislocation: 5-Year Clinical and Instrumental Evaluation of Surgically Treated Patients
Authors: Caldaci Alessia , Vaccalluzzo Marco Simone , Costarella Luciano , Testa Gianluca , Pavone Vito
Published: December 2024

Background: Lisfranc injuries pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, with outcomes influenced by injury type and treatment approach. Objectives: To evaluate the 5-year outcomes of patients treated with Kirschner wire fixation and compare findings with the literature. Methods: This retrospective study included 24 patients treated between May 2019 and May 2024. Injuries were classified using Myerson and Vertullo systems, and outcomes were assessed with radiographs, baropodometric analysis, and AOFAS midfoot scores. Results: The mean AOFAS score was 85.2 ± 5.77. Better outcomes were observed in isolated dislocations (p = 0.0371) and Stage II injuries (p = 0.00070). Osteoarthritis occurred only in 22.5% of cases, but reduction was well-maintained radiographically. Baropodometric analysis revealed comparable pressure distributions between treated and healthy feet. No infections or reoperations were reported. Conclusions: Kirschner wire fixation provides effective reduction and high patient satisfaction for Lisfranc injuries. However, more severe injuries show less favorable outcomes, highlighting the need for tailored surgical strategies.
A Fuzzy-Based Model to Detect Hotspots of Air Pollutants During Heatwaves in Urban Settlements
Authors: Cardone Barbara , Di Martino Ferdinando , Mauriello Cristiano , Miraglia Vittorio
Published: December 2024

: High concentrations of pollutants in urban areas generate cardiovascular and respiratory problems in citizens, which are aggravated by the persistence of summer heatwaves. For this reason, in this research a fuzzy-based method of detecting air pollutant hotspots and determining critical urban areas for air pollution during heatwaves is proposed. After acquiring the pollutant concentration values ​​recorded by monitoring stations during heatwaves, a spatial interpolation method is applied to obtain the distribution of the pollutant concentration during heatwaves and, subsequently, a fuzzification process is performed to determine urban hotspots in which the pollutant concentration assumes critical values. Finally, the critical urban areas are determined, consisting of the areas within hotspots with high population density exposed to health risk. The method was implemented in GIS platform and tested on an urban study area in the Lombardy region, Italy, to determine the urban areas with high criticality during heatwaves that occurred in the summer months of 2024. The test results show that the method can represent a valid support for decision makers and local administrators to evaluate which are the urban areas most critical for the population due to the high rate of air pollution during heatwaves.
Ethical Considerations in AI Applications in Smart Grid
Authors: Hayawi Kadhim , Shahriar Sakib , Al-Ali A. R.
Published: December 2024

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven applications due to the advancement of large language models and generative AI has sparked growing discussions about the ethics and governance of such algorithms. As the global adoption of smart grid and digital power infrastructure accelerates, the role of AI becomes increasingly significant in optimizing operations like forecasting, maintenance, and energy distribution. Despite several works in the literature relating to ethical AI in domains like medicine and agriculture, a framework and recommendation are missing from the power grid lens. In this study, we propose a framework of ethical principles, including transparency, accountability, fairness, and privacy, tailored to the smart grid context. Through this framework, we identify key methods and strategies, present case studies, and discuss challenges associated with ethical AI implementation in smart grids. Our findings highlight the importance of balancing technological innovation with moral considerations, ensuring equitable and transparent energy management. We also discuss significant challenges and outline future research directions for ethical AI in power grid systems.
Improving Accessibility of Cervical Cancer Screening: A Global Perspective on Self-Sampling and Digital Innovation
Authors: Gomes Michelle , Provaggi Elena , Pembe Andrea , Olaitan Adeola , Gentry-Maharaj Aleksandra
Published: December 2024

Cervical cancer causes 350,000 deaths annually, with 90% occurring in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), despite being largely preventable through vaccination and screening. This review examines innovative approaches to address screening coverage gaps worldwide, analysing both established programs in high-income countries and implementation strategies for LMICs. Self-sampling technologies demonstrate significant potential to increase screening participation by 1.5 to 2.5 times compared to traditional methods, particularly benefiting underserved populations across all healthcare settings. Vaginal brushes achieve the highest sensitivity (94.6%, 95% CI: 92.4-96.8) for HPV detection, while novel approaches like tampon sampling show promising acceptability and performance metrics. Implementation strategies vary by healthcare context, with high-income countries achieving success through integrated screening programs and digital solutions, while LMICs demonstrate effective adaptation through community-based distribution (20-35% uptake) and innovative delivery methods. In resource-limited settings, self-sampling increases participation through enhanced patient comfort and cultural acceptability, while reducing costs by 32-48%. Progress toward the WHO's cervical cancer elimination goals require careful consideration of local healthcare infrastructure, cultural contexts, and sustainable financing mechanisms. Future research priorities include optimising self-sampling technologies for sustainability and scalability, developing context-specific implementation strategies, and validating artificial intelligence applications to enhance screening efficiency across diverse healthcare settings.
Current Evidence on the Impact of Diet, Food, and Supplement Intake on Breast Cancer Health Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Endocrine Therapy
Authors: Žuža Praštalo Milena , Pokimica Biljana , Arsić Aleksandra , Ilich Jasminka Z. , Vučić Vesna
Published: December 2024

Background/Objectives: The most common breast cancer (BRC) in women is estrogen/progesterone receptor-positive. The first-conventional treatment includes endocrine therapy either with aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen to reduce estrogen levels. These treatments are associated with side effects, the most typical being joint/muscle pain, known as aromatase inhibitor arthralgia, affecting overall health and quality of life (QoL). The objectives here were to evaluate interventions examining impact of modified diets, supplements, and/or some food components on health outcomes in BRC patients undergoing endocrine therapy. Methods: Literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science through the end of November 2024, with articles reporting intervention with diet/food/supplement intake and the relevant outcomes. Results: The search uncovered 1028 studies; after the removal of duplicates, abstracts, and irrelevant studies, 53 studies were closely examined, with 26 evaluated and presented here. The outcomes were changes in bone and body composition, cardiovascular disease risks, inflammation, and QoL. Conclusions: Examined evidence suggests that adherence to dietary patterns such as Mediterranean or low-fat diet, and higher intake of fruits and vegetables were beneficial for various outcomes. Additionally, supplementation with some foods/components (dried plum, red clover), contributed to improving/maintaining bone and body composition, especially in overweight/obese patients. Supplementation with vitamin D or omega-3 improved lipid and angiogenic parameters and QoL. Although these results are promising, the effects of each supplement/food cannot be summarized due to the diverse nature of study designs, patients, and supplement dosage. Further studies are needed to explore the effects of specific nutritional interventions on various health outcomes in BRC survivors during endocrine therapy and derive universal recommendations.
A Systematic Analysis: Trends in Research on Scientific Discourse and Argumentation Published by (ESERA) Through 2011–2021
Authors: Alfarraj Yousef , Dahmash Abdulwa Dahmash
Published: December 2024

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) highlight the importance of students engaging in scientific discourse and argumentation as a core part of students’ learning development. A key Science and Engineering Practice outlined in the NGSS is "Engaging in Argument from Evidence," which inspires students to compare and evaluate claims, critically analyze the reasoning and evidence supporting different situations, and construct well-reasoned arguments to support or refute scientific explanations. Thus, the primery objective of this paper is to identify patterns in scientific argumentation research, including the keywords, objectives, research methods, and instruments used in studies published in the ESERA conference proceedings from 2011 to 2021. A mix of quantitative and qualitative content analysis methodology was employed to examine the trends in argumentation and discourse studies published by ESERA. The results indicated that the proportion of articles focused on argumentation and scientific discourse ranged between 3.8% and 6.6%, with the highest publication rate occurring in 2017 at 6.6%. In terms of keywords, no clear consistent pattern was observed in their occurrence across the argumentation and discourse articles; however, keywords related to classroom and discourse, argumentation, context and content, thinking skills, and learning processes were the most common. These articles primarily focused on addressing several objectives; however, the articles addressing investigating discourse analysis and argumentation, and exploring student learning and understanding comprised more than 60% of the contentt. In terms of research methodologies, qualitative approaches were the most commonly used, comprising more than three-quarters of the studies. The leading data collection tools included document and transcript analyses and case studies. The findings can provide evidence-based indicators of the growing importance of research in discourse and argumentation, which is increasingly recognized as crucial due to its strong connection with the emergence of new standards such as the Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The NGSS standards emphasize the significance of scientific and engineering practices, particularly those involving the construction of evidence-based arguments.
Analysis of Creep Deformation
Authors: Ghosh Sourangshu
Published: December 2024

Creep deformation, a time-dependent material response under sustained stress, plays a critical role in the long term performance and reliability of structural components, particularly at elevated temperatures. This article presents a mathematically rigorous analysis of creep deformation mechanisms and a phenomenological framework to describe its stages and evolution. By coupling microstructural insights with continuum mechanics, we derive and validate constitutive models capturing the interplay of stress, temperature, and material properties. The analysis integrates diffusion kinetics, dislocation dynamics, and grain boundary phenomena into a unified formalism, ensuring precision in predicting creep behavior across a wide spectrum of materials.
Advances in Preeclampsia Management: Addressing Racial Disparities and Improving Outcomes
Authors: Dickerson Alexis G. , Joseph Christiana A. , Kashfi Khosrow
Published: December 2024

Preeclampsia (PE) is a major cause of maternal mortality and morbidity, affecting 3-6% of pregnancies worldwide and ranking among the top six causes of maternal deaths in the U.S. PE typically develops after 20 weeks of gestation and is characterized by new-onset hypertension and/or end-organ dysfunction, with or without proteinuria. Current management strategies for PE emphasize early diagnosis, blood pressure control, and timely delivery. For prevention, low-dose aspirin (81 mg/day) is recommended for high-risk women between 12 and 28 weeks of gestation. Magnesium sulfate is also advised to prevent seizures in preeclamptic women at risk of eclampsia. Emerging management approaches include antiangiogenic therapies, hypoxia-inducible factor suppression, statins, and supplementation with CoQ10, nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulfide donors. Black women are at particularly high risk for PE, potentially due to higher rates of hypertension and cholesterol, compounded by healthcare disparities and possible genetic factors, such as the APOL1 gene. This review explores current and emerging strategies for managing PE and addresses underlying causes of health disparities, offering potential solutions to improve outcomes.
ANCHOR-Grid: Authenticating Smart Grid Digital Twins Using Real World Anchors
Authors: Hatami Mohsen , Qu Qian , Chen Yu , Mohammadi Javad , Blasch Erik , Ardiles-Cruz Erika
Published: December 2024

Integrating digital twins (DTs) into smart grid systems within the Internet of Smart Grid Things (IoSGT) ecosystem presents both security challenges and novel opportunities. Advanced Deepfake technologies enable adversaries to create highly realistic yet fraudulent DTs, threatening critical infrastructures’ reliability, safety, and integrity. In this paper, we introduce Authenticating Networked Computerized Handling of Representations for Smart Grid security (ANCHOR-Grid), a novel authentication framework that leverages Electric Network Frequency (ENF) signals as real-world anchors to secure smart grid DTs against Deepfake attacks. By capturing distinctive ENF variations from physical grid components and embedding these environmental fingerprints into their digital counterparts, ANCHOR-Grid provides a robust mechanism to ensure the authenticity and trustworthiness of virtual representations. We conducted comprehensive simulations and experiments within a virtual smart grid environment to evaluate ANCHOR-Grid. We crafted both authentic and Deepfake DTs of grid components, with the latter attempting to mimic legitimate behavior but lacking correct ENF signatures. Our results show that ANCHOR-Grid effectively differentiates between authentic and fraudulent DTs, demonstrating its potential as a reliable security layer for smart grid systems operating in the IoSGT ecosystem. These findings highlight the importance of integrating real-world environmental data into authentication processes for critical infrastructure and lay the foundation for future research on leveraging physical-world cues to secure digital ecosystems.
Secondhand Clothing in Global Commerce: Trade Patterns and Impact
Authors: Das Debanjan
Published: December 2024

Secondhand clothing has undergone a significant transformation from a vital household asset in the pre-industrial era to a dynamic segment of global trade in the 21st century. However, the advent of fast fashion has led to overproduction and mass consumption of inexpensive garments, fueling a surge in the secondhand clothing trade. Between 2002 and 2022, the market value of this industry quadrupled, with exports accounting for 1.17% of total global clothing exports in 2022. This study explores the global dynamics of secondhand clothing exports, focusing on the top ten exporting countries from 2013 to 2022, with Pakistan included as an emerging player. Export competitiveness tools such as RCA, RSCA, Dynamic RCA, TII, IEMP, and Unit Values are used to understand the secondhand clothing trade patterns. The analysis reveals notable trends: the United States and China dominate the market, while Pakistan and the UAE exhibit the highest growth rates.
Enhancing Patient Safety Education: Cross-Cultural Validation of the APSQ-III in Brazilian Healthcare Students
Authors: Menezes João Daniel de Souza , Silva Matheus Querino da , Santos Emerson Roberto dos , Ribeiro Rodrigo Soares , Castro Natália Almeida de Arnaldo Silva Rodriguez , Bistafa Isabela Amaral de Almeida , Quitério Alex Bertolazzo , Chubaci Eliana Fazuoli , Lopes Sônia Maria Maciel , Custódio Flávia Cristina , Carvalho Stela Regina Pedroso Vilela Torres de , Schiavinato Gustavo , Catricala Thalissa , Rocha José Nathan Fernandes , Brienze Vânia Maria Sabadoto , Faria Josimerci Ittavo Lamana , Oliani Denise Cristina Mós Vaz , Oliani Antônio Hélio , Brandão Vânia Zaqueu , André Júlio Cesar , Ribeiro Rita de Cassia Helú Mendonça
Published: December 2024

Background
This study aimed to adapt and validate the Attitudes to Patient Safety Questionnaire (APSQ-III) for Brazili-an Portuguese and to compare patient safety attitudes between medical and nursing students. Given the critical role of assessing safety attitudes in shaping future healthcare professionals, this research addresses a significant gap in the Brazilian educational context.
Materials and Methods
The cross-cultural adaptation process adhered to the guidelines of Beaton et al. (2000), encompassing trans-lation, synthesis, back-translation, and expert committee evaluation. The adapted APSQ-III was adminis-tered to a sample of 423 undergraduate students from medicine and nursing courses. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to verify the factor structure, while reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and composite reliability measures.
Results
The CFA supported an acceptable fit for the nine-factor model with 26 items, following the exclusion of four items (χ²/df = 1.92; CFI = 0.90; TLI = 0.89; RMSEA = 0.05; SRMR = 0.07). Factor loadings ranged from 0.30 to 0.82, with satisfactory reliability indices, except for factors 4 (α = 0.47; ω = 0.48) and 9 (α = 0.54; ω = 0.54). Sig-nificant differences were discovered between medical and nursing students in four factors, and gender dif-ferences were noted in five items, highlighting the diverse perceptions of patient safety across these groups.
Conclusion
The Brazilian version of the APSQ-III demonstrated adequate validity and reliability for seven out of the nine original factors. It is recommended to use the scale with modifications, such as excluding factors with low reliability, to enhance its applicability. This study contributes to advancing patient safety research and education in Brazil, providing a robust tool for evaluating and improving safety attitudes among healthcare students.
Dynamic Aggregation and Augmentation for Low-Resource Machine Translation using Federated Fine-tuning of Pretrained Transformer Models
Authors: Agyei Emmanuel , Xiaoling Zhang , Quaye Ama Bonuah , Odeh Victor Adeyi , Arhin Joseph Roger
Published: December 2024

Machine Translation (MT) for low-resource languages, such as Twi, remains a persistent challenge in Natural Language Processing (NLP) due to the scarcity of extensive parallel datasets. Due to their heavy reliance on high-resource data, traditional methods frequently fall short, underserving low-resource languages. To address this, we propose a fine-tuned T5 model trained using Cross-Lingual Optimization Framework (CLOF), a unique method that dynamically modifies gradient weights to balance low-resource (Twi) and high-resource (English) datasets. This cross-lingual learning framework leverages the strengths of federated training to improve translation performance while ensuring scalability for other low-resource languages. In order to maximize model input, the study makes use of a carefully selected parallel English-Twi corpus that has been aligned and tokenized. A thorough evaluation of translation quality is provided by the use of SPBLEU, ROUGE (ROUGE-1, ROUGE-2, and ROUGE-L) measures, and Word Error Rate (WER) metrics. A pretrained mT5 model is used to set baseline performance, which acts as a standard for the optimized model. The suggested method shows notable benefits, according to experimental results. The fine-tuned model achieves a remarkable increase in SPBLEU from 2.16% to 71.30%, a rise in ROUGE-1 from 15.23% to 65.24%, and a notable reduction in WER from 183.16% to 68.32%. These findings highlight the effectiveness of CLOF in addressing the challenges of low-resource MT and enhancing the quality of Twi translations. This work demonstrates the potential of combining cross-lingual learning and federated training to advance NLP for underrepresented languages, paving the way for more inclusive and scalable translation systems.
Acute Biomechanical Effects of Cardiac Contractility Modulation in Living Myocardial Slices From End- Stage Heart Failure Patients
Authors: Bierhuizen Mark F.A. , Amesz Jorik H. , Langmuur Sanne J.J. , Lam Bobby , Knops Paul , Veen Kevin M. , Manintveld Olivier C. , Kluin Jolanda , de Groot Natasja M.S. , Taverne Yannick J.H.J.
Published: December 2024

1.1 Aims: Proof-of-concept to determine the direct biomechanical effects of cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) on living myocardial slices (LMS) from patients with end-stage heart failure (HF). 1.2 Methods and results: Left ventricular LMS from patients with end-stage HF were produced and cultured in a biomimetic system with mechanical loading and electrical stimulation. CCM stimulation (80 mA, 40 ms delay, 21 ms duration) enhanced maximum contractile force (CCM: 1229 µN (587 – 2658) vs. baseline: 1066 µN (529 – 2128), p = 0.05) and area under the contractile curve (CCM: 297 (151 – 562) vs. baseline: 243 (129 – 464), p = 0.05), but did not significantly impact contractile duration, time to peak or time to relaxation. Increasing CCM stimulation delay, duration and amplitude resulted in a higher fraction of LMS with a positive inotropic response. Furthermore, CCM attenuated the negative force-frequency relationship in HF-LMS. 1.3 Conclusion: CCM stimulation enhanced contractile force in HF-LMS. The fraction of LMS exerting a positive inotropic response to CCM increased with increasing delay, duration and amplitude settings, suggesting that personalizing stimulation parameters could optimize the beneficial effects of CCM. 1.4 Translational perspective CCM is a novel device-based therapy that may improve contractile function, ejection fraction, functional outcomes and quality of life in patients with heart failure. However, continuous efforts are needed to identify true responders to CCM therapy, understand the exact mechanisms and to optimize the contractile response to CCM stimulation. The present study revealed that CCM enhanced contractile force of HF-LMS in a stimulation setting dependent manner, reaching a larger fraction of the myocardium while increasing delay, duration and amplitude. This understanding may contribute to the individualization of CCM stimulation settings.
Development of a Reporting Guideline for Trochim’s Concept Mapping
Authors: Pantha Sandesh , Jones Martin , Gray Richard
Published: December 2024

Reporting guidelines are intended to enhance the quality and transparency of reporting different research methods. Trochim’s concept mapping is a six-phase, participatory mixed-method approach to develop a deep understanding of complex constructs. Currently, there is no reporting guideline for concept mapping. Following the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) network’s process, we undertook a systematic review and concept mapping study to develop a reporting guideline for Trochim’s concept mapping. This paper reports our concept mapping study that aims to identify candidate items that, along with our previously reported systematic review, informed a reporting guideline for Trochim concept mapping. Stakeholders (researchers, methodological experts, academic peer-reviewers, and statisticians) who had published or reviewed Trochim concept mapping studies were identified and invited to participate. Thirty-two stakeholders participated in the brainstorming phase of the concept mapping process and generated 96 discrete statements. Twenty-four participants contributed to the prioritisation and clustering phase. The final concept map included 11 clusters. Clusters were relatively small and positioned in a circle around the edge of the map, suggesting each was of equal importance and conceptually discreet. During the utilisation phase, we combined findings from our concept mapping work and systematic review (of the quality of reporting concept mapping research) to draft a reporting guideline for Trochim concept mapping research. The draft was reviewed by eight stakeholders (who had participated in our concept mapping study) to check the completeness and clarity of expression. The final checklist (the ConMapT) has 27 items organised under 14 headings. The guideline will be made freely available via the EQUATOR network. Registration: The study protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF) before recruiting the first study participant. The EQUATOR network has listed the study as a guideline under development.
High Colchicine Doses Are More Effective in COVID-19 Outpatients than Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir, Remdesivir, and Molnupiravir
Authors: Mitev Vanyo , Marinov Krasimir , Tiholov Rumen , Tashkov Konstantin , Bilyukov Radoslav , Lilov Aleksander I. , Palaveev Kiril R. , Miteva Ani , Miteva Iva , Dimitrova Violeta S. , Ishkitiev Nikolay , Mondeshki Tsanko
Published: December 2024

Colchicine has an excellent basis for being effective against COVID-19 due to its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, cardioprotective effects, and prevention of microvascular thrombosis. In addition colchicine has also antiviral effect, extremely favorable safety profile and since it does not exert any overt immunosuppressive activity, does not interfere with the effective viral clearing nor is associated with the occurrence of secondary infections.However, all studies to date on the effects of colchicine with low doses for COVID-19 treatment are conflicting and rather disappointing.As colchicine has the remarkable ability to accumulate intensively in leukocytes, where the cytokine storm is generated, we started high, but save doses colchicine for COVID-19 patient treatment. Our assumption was that a safe increase in colchicine doses to reach micromolar concentrations in leukocytes will result in NLRP3 inflammasome/cytokine storm inhibition and will enhance its antiviral effect by inducing microtubule dissociation.Outpatients’ high-dose colchicine treatment practically prevents hospitalizations. The total colchicine uptake analysis demonstrates reverse relationship with hospitalization. The period of colchicine uptake analysis demonstrates reverse relationship with hospitalization and post-COVID-19 symptomatics. Unlike the WHO-recommended antiviral preparations molnupiravir, remdesivir and paxlovid, colchicine, in addition to its antiviral effect, prevents the cytokine storm, and therefore has a strong effect not only in outpatients, but also in inpatients. Unlike antivirals, colchicine significantly reduces post-COVID-19 symptoms. The side effects of colchicine are similar to those of paxlovide. Colchicine price is incomparably lower and it is also easily available.
Predicting House Rental Prices in Ghana Using Machine Learning
Authors: Adzanoukpe Philip
Published: December 2024

This study investigates the efficacy of machine learning models for predicting house rental prices in Ghana, addressing the need for accurate and accessible housing market information. Utilising a comprehensive dataset of rental listings, we trained and evaluated various models, including CatBoost, XGBoost, and Random Forest. CatBoost emerged as the best-performing model, achieving an \(R^2\) of 0.876, demonstrating its ability to effectively capture complex relationships within the housing market. Feature importance analysis revealed that location-based features, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and furnishing status are key drivers of rental prices. Our findings provide valuable insights for stakeholders, including real estate professionals, investors, and policymakers, while also highlighting opportunities for future research, such as incorporating temporal data and exploring regional variations.
Toward Enhanced Seed Potato Yield: Ultrasonication Techniques for Sustainable Agricultural Development
Authors: Pszczółkowski Piotr , Piotr Barbaś , Sawicka Barbara
Published: December 2024

The study aims to explore the potential of ultrasonication techniques in seed potato production as a sustainable agricultural innovation. By improving seed potato efficiency and promoting resource optimization, this research seeks to align with the goals of sustainable agricultural and rural development, addressing challenges such as food security, environmental preservation, and economic viability in rural farming communities. The research was based on a three-year field experiment, utilizing the randomized block design in a split-split-plot arrangement, in the central-eastern region of Poland. The primary factor were technologies: a) technology with employing ultrasonic pre-planting treatment, b) traditional cultivation without this treatment. The secondary factors were potato varieties. Sonication of tubers was conducted using a bath-type ultrasonic device equipped with piezoelectric transducers. Results revealed a significant influence of cultivation technology, cultivar, and weather conditions on seed tubers yield, quantity, and multiplication coefficient of potato tubers. However, genetic traits of the examined varieties and random factors significantly affected the individual seed tuber mass and the number of shoots emerging from a single tuber. Ultrasonic techniques have the potential to significantly enhance the quality of seed potatoes and the efficiency of their cultivation while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact, making them an ideal tool for sustainable agriculture systems.
Concrete Mix Design Using Recycled Aggregates: Analysis of Review Papers, Characteristics, Research Trends and Underexplored Topics
Authors: Prasittisopin Lapyote , Tuvayanond Wiput , Kang Thomas H.-K. , Kaewunruen Sakdirat
Published: December 2024

Recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) has been widely adopted in construction and emerged as a sustainable alternative to conventional natural aggregates in the construction industry. This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of RCA, highlighting its properties, applications, and overall sustainability benefits. The paper explores the manufacturing process of RCA, examines its mechanical and durability characteristics, and investigates its environmental impacts. Furthermore, it delves into the various applications of RCA, such as road construction materials, pavement bases, and concrete materials, considering their life cycle performance and economic considerations. This review reveals that there is a need for systemic data collection that could enable automated concrete mix design. The findings of this review shed light on the potential of RCA as a viable solution to reduce resource depletion and waste generation while promoting sustainable construction practices. The critical research gaps now are durability of RCA concrete, feasibility analysis, and implementation of treatment methods for RCA improvement. An effective life cycle assessment tool, digitalization technologies, can be applied to enhance its sustainability. The equivalent mortar volume method to calculate the RCA concrete mix design, which can contain metakaolin and fibers, needs further assessment.
Tslp and Tslpr Expression Levels in Peripheral Blood as Potential Biomarkers in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps
Authors: Moreno-Jiménez Emma , Morgado-Llamazares Natalia , Gómez-García Manuel , Sanz Catalina , Gil-Melcón María , Isidoro-García Maria , Dávila Ignacio , García-Sánchez Asunción
Published: December 2024

TSLP is an alarmin released upon activation of epithelia in response to various external stimuli and is involved in type 2 cytokine-mediated pathological disorders. The formation of a high-affinity heterodimeric receptor complex, comprising the thymic stromal lym-phopoietin receptor (TSLPR) chain and IL-7Rα, is required for signaling. This study investigated whether TSLP and TSLPR expression in peripheral blood or nasal polyps could provide a valuable approach for the molecular phenotyping of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). The study population comprised 156 unre-lated Caucasian individuals, including 45 controls and 111 patients with CRSwNP. Quantitative PCR analysis of TSLP and TSLPR was performed on the population study’s peripheral blood and nasal biopsy. The data were analyzed for potential associations, and possible use as a biomarker was studied. Significant differences were observed in TSLP and TSLPR blood expression between the control group and patients. Similarly, the expression of TSLP observed in biopsy samples was statistically significantly elevated in the polyp tissue of the patient compared with healthy controls. The combination of TSLP and TSLPR expression testing with peripheral blood eosinophils represents a more specific biomarker in patients exhibiting low eosinophil values. Further investigation of TSLP/TSLPR mRNA levels in peripheral blood may yield new minimally invasive biomarkers.
Repurposing Drugs for Synergistic Combination Therapies to Counteract Monkeypox Virus Tecovirimat Resistance
Authors: Witwit Haydar , Cubitt Beatrice , Khafaji Roaa , Castro Esteban M. , Goicoechea Miguel , Lorenzo Maria M. , Blasco Rafael , Martinez- Sobrido Luis , de la Torre Juan C.
Published: December 2024

The ongoing monkeypox (mpox) disease outbreak has spread to multiple countries in Central Africa and evidence indicates it is driven by a more virulent clade I monkeypox virus (MPXV) strain than the clade II strain associated with the 2022 global mpox outbreak, which led the WHO to declare this mpox outbreak a public health emergency of inter-national concern. The FDA-approved small molecule antiviral tecovirimat (TPOXX) is recommended to treat mpox cases with severe symptoms, but the limited efficacy of TPOXX and the emergence of TPOXX resistant MPXV variants has challenged this medical practice of care and highlighted the urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies. In this study we have used vaccinia virus (VACV) as a surrogate of MPXV to assess the antiviral efficacy of combination therapy of TPOXX together with mycophe-nolate mofetil (MMF), an FDA-approved immunosuppressive agent that we have shown to inhibit VACV and MPXV, or the N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) inhibitor IMP-1088. Both MMF and IMP-1088 drugs exhibited strong dose-dependent antiviral activity against VACV and mpox, and potent synergistic effects in conjunction with TPOXX. Our findings support combination therapy of direct-acting (TPOXX) and host-targeted (MMF and IMP-1088) antivirals as a promising approach to treat mpox and prevent the emergence and spread of TPOXX-resistant MPXV variants.
Craft-Based Methodologies in Human-Computer Interaction: Exploring Interdisciplinary Design Approaches
Authors: Guerra Arminda
Published: December 2024

Craft-based research approaches have emerged as an essential methodology in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), offering innovative strategies for integrating digital and physical materials in interactive system design. This study explores the evolving landscape of craft-based methodolo-gies through collaborative workshops that bring together participants from diverse professional backgrounds. The research focuses on understanding how design processes can be transformed by encouraging participants to identify specific problems, select appropriate technologies, and explore contextual considerations within a creative framework. The workshops served as a dy-namic platform for observing participant behaviors, feelings, and goals in real-world environ-ments, generating rich qualitative data that provides insights into user-centered design ap-proaches. Emphasizing sustainable and socially responsible design, the study examined how in-terdisciplinary collaboration generates innovative solutions that effectively address user re-quirements. By drawing inspiration from creative concepts like Chindogu – Japanese "unuseless" inventions – the research demonstrates how reframing interaction design can lead to more intui-tive and contextually aware technological solutions. Craft-based methodologies in Hu-man-Computer Interaction enable innovative, user-centered design approaches by fostering inter-disciplinary collaboration, implementing a holistic design process that integrates problem iden-tification, technology selection, and contextual exploration, and emphasizing direct user-centered observation of behaviors and goals in real environments. This approach prioritizes sustainable and responsive design, creating environmentally friendly and socially responsible solutions that meet user needs. By incorporating creative frameworks and integrating digital and physical ma-terials, HCI researchers can develop more intuitive, contextually aware, and user-responsive in-teractive systems that transcend traditional design methodologies, ultimately advancing the field's understanding of meaningful technological interactions.
Urban Social Sustainability Assessment: A Case Study of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Authors: Chan Puthearath
Published: December 2024

The world is rapidly urbanizing. By 2050, 2.5 billion people will gradually shift from rural to urban areas, with close to 90% of this shift taking place in Africa and Asia. In Southeast Asia, Cambodia’s Phnom Penh capital city is rapidly growing, making its development concerned with sustainability and inclusiveness, hereafter called “social sustainability”. Hence, this research aims to assess the social sustainability of the Phnom Penh capital city, to find out the strengths and weaknesses of its districts (14 khans), and then provide recommendations on improvement potentials for each district. This research developed an urban social sustainability assessment framework based on national development priorities, the New Urban Agenda, SDG11 (sustainable cities), and other SDGs that incorporated human wellbeing, such as SDGs1-6, SDG8, SDG10, and SDG12. The standard variable model was applied to standardize indicators before comparison to obtain high accuracy, and the data were sourced from the Phnom Penh capital socio-economic data (commune database). The results showed that the most sustainable district was Chamkarmon, followed by Boeng Keng Kang and Doun Penh. Prek Pnov was found to be weak in income generation and welfare while Kamboul was weak in structured gender equality. Prampir Makara was more resilient to vulnerability while Sen Sok was weak in this dimension. Boeng Keng Kang was strong in welfare and sanitation while Kamboul was weak in sanitation. Doun Penh was strong in clean water supply while Mean Chey was weak in this dimension.
Perceptual Sensitivity to Tactile Stimuli Is Enhanced When One Is Aware That Tactile Stimulus Intensity Is Self-Controlled
Authors: Oda Hitoshi , Fukuda Shiho , Kunimura Hiroshi , Kawasaki Taku , Gao Han , Futamura Moritaka , Hiraoka Koichi
Published: December 2024

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether perceptual sensitivity to the tactile stimulus is influenced by awareness of who controls the stimulus intensity. The intensity of the tactile stimulus to the participant's index finger providing each 1 s was increased by the participant or by someone else. The stimulus intensity at the perceptual threshold, when controlled by the participant, was significantly lower than when controlled by someone else, regardless of whether vision was available. This indicates that awareness of the self-control of the tactile stimulus intensity enhances tactile sensitivity. The electrodermal level immediately preceding the stimulus at the perceptual threshold was significantly lower when the participant controlled the stimulus intensity compared to when it was controlled by someone else, with the participant keeping their eyes closed. The electrodermal level immediately preceding the stimulus at the perceptual threshold was significantly greater when the participant controlled the stimulus intensity compared to when it was controlled by someone else, with the participant's eyes remaining closed throughout. These findings on the electrodermal level can be explained by the idea that cognitive stress is greater when timing at the first perception of the tactile stimulus is difficult to predict.
Evaluation of Individual Cardiovascular Risk in Pre-Dialysis CKD Patients by Using the Ratio of Calcium-Phosphorus Product to Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (Ca×P/eGFR)
Authors: Kostov Krasimir , Simeonova Tatyana , Ignatov Borislav , Eftimova Tsvetelina
Published: December 2024

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), necessitating effective risk assessment methods. This study evaluates the calcium-phosphorus product (Ca×P) to estimated glomerular filtration rate (Ca×P/eGFR) ratio as a potential biomarker for predicting CV risk in pre-dialysis CKD patients. Methods: Eighty-four CKD patients in stages G1 - G4, according to the KDIGO criteria, were classified into CVD (n = 43) and non-CVD (n = 41) groups. Biochemical parameters, including serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), calcium (Ca), inorganic phosphate (Pi), parathyroid hormone (PTH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Ca×P, eGFR, and the Ca×P/eGFR ratio, were measured and calculated. Statistical analyses were performed to identify predictors of CV risk and evaluate the diagnostic reliability of the Ca×P/eGFR ratio for predicting the risk. Results: Significant differences were observed in SCr, BUN, eGFR (p < 0.001) and the Ca×P/eGFR ratio (p = 0.007) between the groups. Regression analysis indicated the Ca×P/eGFR ratio as a significant CVD risk predictor (p = 0.012, OR = 1.206, 95% CI: 1.042-1.395). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed an AUC of 0.751 (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.645–0.857), with sensitivity and specificity of the method 74.4% and 70.7%, respectively. Significant correlations were found between the Ca×P/eGFR ratio and SCr, BUN, UA, Ca, Pi, PTH, and ALP. Conclusions: The Ca×P/eGFR ratio is a significant predictor of CVD risk in pre-dialysis CKD patients, suggesting its integration into routine evaluations could improve CV risk stratification and management.
Impact of Flowering Plant Heterogeneity on Enhancing Population Abundance of Arthropod Predators and Pollinators
Authors: Sharma Abhishek , Raut A. M. , Banu A. Najitha , Navik Omprakash , Parajulee Megha N. , Hashem Abeer , Almutairi Khalid F. , Allah ElsayedFathi Abd
Published: December 2024

Plant inflorescence is not only the source of nectar and pollen to attract beneficial arthropods but also acts as the major tool for conservation of biodiversity in an agro-ecosystem. The present study aimed to quantify the ecosystem service value of arthropod predators and pollinators through enhanced plant biodiversity and mass flowering. The experiment consisted of a direct comparison between wheat monoculture crop versus wheat crop embedded with one strip each of three floral crops [singhra (Raphanus raphanistrum L.), coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) and linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)]. Thirty beneficial insect species including pollinators and predators belonging to 14 families from six arthropod orders were recorded in the strip planted field. Dominant pollinators' activity increased linearly with the blooming of R. raphanistrum, L. usitatissimum and C. sativum, while predator populations were directly proportional to aphid populations. The maximum foraging activity of dominant pollinators was recorded during afternoon hours (1200hr) than in the morning and evening hours. Flower initiation, duration of blooming, uniformity of flowering and flower morphometric variation directly affected the population activity of pollinators, where predator occurrences were dependent on the abundance and activity of herbivores, Rhopalosiphum padi (bird cherry-oat aphid) and Sitobion avenae (grain aphid), on wheat. Both pollinator and predator population dynamics positively correlated with ambient temperature, whereas the relative humidity and rainfall negatively impacted beneficial arthropod activities. Therefore, the selection and appropriate mix of suitable crops as intercrop, border, cover or bunker crops will provide an opportunity for enhanced habitat diversity thereby increasing pollinator and predator activities and lowering the risk of pest-induced yield losses.
Experimental and Numerical Study on the Influence of Extra-Depth on Cut Blasting Post-Blast Damage
Authors: Zheng Changda , Yang Renshu , Ding Chenxi , He Songlin , Wang Bo , Yuan Yongzhong
Published: December 2024

Cutting is a key factor affecting the speed of blasting excavation. With the continuous advancement of deep-hole blasting technology, determining the optimal extra-depth of the cut relative to the non-cut blast hole is of paramount importance. By combining model experiments and numerical simulations, this study systematically investigates the effect of extra-depth on post-blast damage morphology, damage width, depth, area, and fractal damage. Furthermore, numerical simulations were employed to validate the experimental results from the perspectives of damage evolution and peak pressure at monitoring points. The main findings are as follows: The extra-depth of the cut has a significant nonlinear effect on the blasting outcome. As the extra-depth increases, blasting damage initially increases but decreases beyond a critical depth due to marginal effects, leading to the appearance of residual blast hole features. Under experimental conditions, when the extra-depth was 15 mm, the damage depth, width, and area reached their maximum values of 43.5 mm, 109.9 mm, and 6055.2 mm², respectively, indicating optimal blasting performance. The fractal damage of the specimen also exhibited a significant trend of initially increasing and then decreasing. The maximum fractal damage, obtained by deriving the fitting curve, was 0.75, corresponding to an extra-depth of 13.7 mm. The numerical simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental findings, showing a significant downward shift in the peak pressure points in the damage zone with increasing extra-depth. In summary, an appropriate extra-depth can achieve optimal borehole utilization, while an excessive extra-depth can lead to residual blast hole formation at the bottom of the cut, reducing effectiveness. This study provides theoretical guidance for optimizing the design parameters of extra-depth in deep-hole blasting.