bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Dual-branch Framework Based on Implicit Continuous Representation for Tumor Image Segmentation
Authors: Wang Jing , Zheng Yuanjie , Wang Junxia , Xiao Xiao , Sun Jing
Published: November 2023

Breast tumor segmentation has important significance for early detection and determination of treatment plans. However, segmenting early-stage small tumors in breast images is challenging due to small and low-resolution tumor regions, variation of tumor shapes, and blurred tumor boundaries. More importantly, breast scans are usually noisy and include metal artifacts. Most of the existing tumor segmentation methods have difficulty in extracting lesion discriminative information, leading to the problem that small tumors are ignored or predictions contain a lot of noise. In addition, common reconstruction and segmentation algorithms are based on discrete images and ignore the continuity of feature space. Therefore, in this paper, we investigate a novel and flexible dual-branch framework, named High-Resolution and Information Bottleneck-based Segmentation Network (HR-IBS), for breast tumor segmentation. For the first time, this method introduces the high-resolution tumor region reconstruction (HR-TR) branch via implicit neural representations to learning functions that map the discrete input signal to continuous density. The branch enables reconstruction from lesion regions for another segmentation branch. Furthermore, we design an Information bottleneck-based segmentation (IBS) branch, which adopts information bottleneck and U-Net to retain the features most relevant while removing noisy regions, and discovering more informative lesion regions. The reconstruction and segmentation branches interact with each other to facilitate performance. Comprehensive experiments are conducted on segmentation benchmarks of two modalities of breast images. The results show that the proposed method outperforms other segmentation models and contributes to optimizing hand-crafted ground-truths.
A study of event position dependence for the AMoRE-II R&D detectors with Li2MoO4 crystal absorbers
Authors: Kim W.T. , Kim S.C. , Sharma B. , Kim Y.D. , Kim Y.H. , Lee M.H.
Published: November 2023

The AMoRE collaboration conducts experiments to search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 100Mo using massive Li2MoO4 (LMO) crystals with cryogenic sensors. The forthcoming phase (AMoRE-II) of the experiment will include 6 cm (diameter) × 6 cm (height) LMO cylindrical crystals, and this has been chosen to reduce the number of crystals and sensors. Additionally, these crystals will have diffusive surfaces rather than polished ones, which helps to reduce the crystal preparation time significantly. The signal of crystals with diffusive surfaces is slower than that of polished crystals. However, due to the mitigated position dependence, diffusive crystals exhibit better discrimination between alpha and beta/gamma signals by pulse shape analysis. We also found that muon events show two bands in the rise time of the large LMO crystal with polished surface, indicating the muon passage at the edge of the crystal and the mitigation of the band structure in the crystals with the diffusive surface. To study the position dependence in the crystal absorber further, we irradiated some R&D detectors with localized alpha sources. In this paper, we discuss the particle identification and position dependence of gamma, alpha, and muon events for the large AMoRE-II type detectors based on the pulse shape analysis
Wideband Amplification for IBS-CAPP's Axion Search Experiments
Authors: Kim JinMyeong , Ko Minsu , Uchaikin Sergey , Ivanov Boris , Loo Arjan F. van , Nakamura Yasunobu , Oh Seonjeong , Gkika Violeta , Semertzidis Yannis , Ahn Saebyeok
Published: November 2023

We present a novel amplifier configuration that combines six relatively narrow-band flux-drive Josephson Parametric Amplifiers (JPAs) to extend the bandwidth for the axion search experiments. We have addressed challenges related to the tuning and cross-talk resulting from JPA band overlap while maintaining low noise levels. Our measurements demonstrate that the added noise by an RF chain, with the JPA acting as the primary stage amplifier, remains between 75 and 175 mK from 1.19 to 1.33 GHz and from 1.36 to 1.5 GHz.
Research on cuttings image segmentation method based on improved MultiRes-Unet++ with attention mechanism
Authors: Huo Fengcai , Liu Kaiming , Dong Hongli , Ren Weijian , Dong Shuai
Published: November 2023

Cuttings logging is an important technology in petroleum exploration and production. It can be used to identify rock types, oil and gas properties, and reservoir features. However, the cuttings collected during cuttings logging are often small and few. Meanwhile, the surface color of cuttings is dark and the boundary is fuzzy. Traditional image segmentation methods have low accuracy. So it is difficult to identify and classify cuttings. Therefore, it is important to improve the accuracy of cuttings image segmentation. A deep learning-based cuttings image segmentation method is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the MultiRes module concept based on the U-Net + + segmentation model is introduced in this paper, which proposes an improved end-to-end U-Net + + image semantic segmentation model (called MultiRes-UNet++). Secondly, batch normalization (BN) into the input part of each layer's feature convolution layer is introduced too. Finally, a convolutional attention mechanism in the improved MultiRes-UNet + + segmentation model is introduced. Experimental results show that the accuracy (ACC) between the segmentation results and the original image labels is 0.8791, the dice coefficient (DICE) value is 0.8785, and the intersection over union (IOU) is 0.7833. Compared with existing neural network segmentation algorithms, the performance is improved by about 5%. Compared with the algorithm before the fusion of the attention mechanism, the training speed is increased by about 75.2%. Our method can provide auxiliary information for cuttings logging. It is also of great significance for subsequent rock identification and classification.
Quasilinear elliptic system with sub-natural and natural growth terms in distinct equations
Authors: Silva João Pablo Da , Rodrigues Gabriela
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we study the following system: −∆pu = λ*a(x)uq−1 + c(x)uα−1vβ,in Ω −∆pv = µb(x)vp−1 + c(x)uαvβ−1,in Ω 0 ̸≡ u ≥ 0, 0 ̸≡ v ≥ 0 in Ω u = v = 0 on ∂Ω where Ω ⊂ RN is a smooth bounded domain, −∆pdenotes the p-Laplacian operator, 1 < q < p < N, α,β > 1, p<α+β
0, and λ,µ>0.
2020 Mathematics Subject Classification: 35J47, 35J50, 35J92.
The Aluminum Standard: Using Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools to Synthesize and Annotate Non-Structured Patient Data
Authors: Ochoa Juan G. Diaz , Mustafa Faizan E , Weil Felix , Wang Yi , Dima Corina , Kama Kudret , Knott Markus
Published: November 2023

Background
Medical narratives are fundamental to the correct identification of a patient's health condition. This is not only because it describes the patient’s situation. It also contains relevant information about the patient’s context and health state evolution. Narratives are usually vague and cannot be categorized easily. On the other hand, once the patient’s situation is correctly identified based on a narrative, it is then possible to map the patient’s situation into precise classification schemas and ontologies that are machine-readable. To this end, language models can be trained to read and extract elements from these narratives. However, the main problem is the lack of data for model identification and model training in languages other than English. Alternative available data, like MIMIC (Johnson et al. 2016) is written in English and for specific patient conditions like intensive care. Thus, when model training is required for other types of patients, like oncology (and not intensive care), this could lead to bias. To facilitate clinical narrative models training, a method for creating high-quality synthetic narratives is needed.
Method
We devised workflows based on generative AI methods to synthesize narratives in the German Language. Since we required highly realistic narratives, we generated prompts, written with high-quality medical terminology, asking for clinical narratives containing both a main and co-disease. The frequency of distribution of both the main and co-disease was extracted from the hospital’s structured data, such that the synthetic narratives reflect the disease distribution among the patient’s cohort. In order to validate the quality of the synthetic narratives, we annotated them to train a Named Entity Recognition (NER) algorithm. According to our assumptions, the validation of this system implies that the synthesized data used for its training are of acceptable quality.
Result
We report precision, recall and F1 score for the NER model while also considering metrics that take into account both exact and partial entity matches. We obtained a precision of 0.851 for Entity Type match metric, with a F1 score of 0.188.
Conclusion
Despite its inherent limitations, this technology can accelerate model identification and training. By using this approach, data can be interoperable across languages and regions without compromising data safety.
Synthesis and Characterization of an Ag:Er Alloy for Metallic MagneticCalorimeters
Authors: Song Jiwan , Cho Yongchan , Kim Hongjoo , Lee Minkyu
Published: November 2023

Ag:Er alloy having paramagnetic properties were synthesized for temperature sensors of metallicmagnetic calorimeters. The Ag:Er master alloy and the 2-inch target for film deposition were manufacturedusing vacuum arc melting and RF heating methods, respectively, under process conditions designed to min-imize impurity contamination. Calculations and measurements of magnetization versus magnetic field wereemployed to check magnetic impurities in host material, Ag, and to estimate the Er concentration in Ag:Eralloys at each steps of synthesis. The temperature-dependent magnetization of the thin films deposited fromsynthesized Ag:Er with 168Er isotope was measured in mK range, demonstrating their suitability as tempera-ture sensor for low-temperature detectors such as MMCs
Antenna Coupled Magnetic Microbolometers for CMB Polarization Surveys
Authors: Geria Juan , Almela Alejandro , Bonaparte Juan , Bonilla-Neira Jesús , Ferreyro Luciano , Fuster Alan , Redondo Manuel García , Hampel Matías , Müller Nahuel , Platino Manuel , Salum Juan , Kempf Sebastian , Weber Marc , Etchegoyen Alberto
Published: November 2023

In this work, we propose an alternative type of magnetic bolometer to be employed in the search of primordial B-modes in the CMB. These magnetic bolometers are an adaption of the well-known Metallic Magnetic Calorimeters used in particle physics. They rely on the magnetization dependence on temperature of alloys such as Au:Er and Ag:Er. In addition to the low intrinsic noise a magnetic bolometer of this nature offers, the broad and smooth magnetization dependence with temperature of metallic magnetic sensors ultimately translates to a high dynamic range and straightforward calibration.The results show how antenna-coupled Metallic Magnetic Bolometers are a promising detector architecture for polarization measurements of millimeter- and sub-millimeter-wave radiation. Their intrinsic noise equivalent power is estimated to be in the range of 10 to 100 aW / Hz1/2, which means background limited detection is possible.
Association of CEP72 rs924607 Genetic Variant with Vincristine-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: LI Chuang , Jiao JIN , HUANG Jing , YANG Xiao-Yan , LI Yan , YAN Yong-Yan , Can YANG
Published: November 2023

Objective
To investigate the association between the CEP72 rs924607 genetic variant and vincristine-induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Methods
Children between the ages of 1 and 18 with ALL were treated with Chinese Children's Cancer Group (CCCG)-ALL2015 or CCCG-ALL2020 from January 2018 to December 2022 at the Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, and VIPN was assessed and recorded using the criteria outlined in the US National Cancer Institute’s Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), 5th edition. Chi-square or Fisher’s tests were used for comparison between groups, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results
1) A total of 74 children were included in this study, among whom the C allele frequency was 68.9% and the T allele frequency was 68.9%. 2) In total, 43 patients had at least one episode of grade 2–4 VIPN (58.1%). Among those with the high-risk CEP72 genotype (TT at rs924607), 10 of 11 patients (90.9%) developed VIPN, and 33 of 63 patients had the CEP72 CT + CC genotype (52.4%). The incidence of VIPN in the TT genotypes was higher than the CC + CT genotypes, and there were statistically significant differences in the incidence of VIPN between the TT groups and CT + CC (P < 0.05) groups. 3) Among 43 patients with VIPN, 17 (39.5%) were grade 3 and above, 26 (60.5%) were grade 2, 9 of 18 patients (50%) with the CC genotype had severe VIPN (grade 3 and above), 4 of 15 patients (26.7%) had the CT genotype, and 4 of 10 patients (40%) had the TT genotype. There were no significant differences in the severity of VIPN (P > 0.05). 4) Relationship between the polymorphism of the CEP72rs924607 gene and the type of VIPN: Among all 83 cases of VIPN, 35 cases of autonomic nervous symptoms (42.2%), 40 cases of peripheral nerve injury (48.2%), and 8 cases of cranial nerve injury (9.6%) were reported. There were no significant differences among the three genotypes in VIPN occurrence (P > 0.05). 5) The treatment methods for VIPN focused on observation, use of neurotrophic drugs, analgesics, enemas, and other treatments. Clinical symptoms disappeared 2.6 ± 1.9 days after these treatments, and no case of death or residual peripheral neuropathic injury was reported.
Conclusions
The CEP72 CC genotype accounted for the highest proportion of children with ALL, followed by CT and then TT. There was a high incidence of VIPN in the T allele. Furthermore, peripheral nerve injury had the highest incidence. The prognosis of VIPN was generally good.
Trees increase the frequency of cool-season grasses in silvopastoral systems on temperate native grasslands of Uruguay
Authors: Pizarro Dante M. , Zarza Rodrigo , Boggiano Pablo , Cadenazzi Monica , Picasso Valentin D
Published: November 2023

Silvopastoral systems may provide important production and environmental benefits. The loss of cool-season (C3) grasses from temperate grazed native grasslands is associated with selective grazing and excessive solar radiation that limits their survival. Silvopastoral systems integrate trees with grasslands that provide shade to both cattle and herbaceous plants, potentially favoring C3 species. There is limited information on the effect of trees on the species and functional composition of native grasslands in the Campos biome in South America. The objective of this study was to detect gradients in the botanical composition of grasslands associated with trees under three conditions: Prosopis on Solonetz, Acacia on Brunisols, and Eucalyptus on Brunisols. Frequency and soil cover of the herbaceous species under trees in each situation was systematically recorded in transects on the four cardinal directions. In all situations, there were differences in pasture composition in the different shade regions. Under the canopy, the herbaceous layer was enriched with cool-season grasses such as Bromus catharticus Vahl, Lolium multiflorum Lam., Stipa hyalina (Nees) Barkworth, and S. setigera J.Presl. At greater distances from trees, cover of warm-season (C4) grasses increased, such as Axonopus affinis Chase and Paspalum notatum Flüggé. The gradients detected allow us to conclude that trees in silvopastoral systems can increase the abundance of cool-season species and potentially improve the forage nutritive value of the native pasture.
How do you teach the Ukraine war in economics?
Authors: Niisato Yasutaka
Published: November 2023

The Ukraine war is currently the most important economic issue, which attracted students’ interest. How do you teach the Ukraine war in economics? This study is a teaching report of my economics lecture at the National Institute of Technology Toyama College in 2022. Some topics on the theme “the Ukraine war and the Japanese economy” were taken for exercise and assignment. In the spring term, for example, some topics include economic comparisons among Ukraine, Russia, and Japan (population, gross domestic product, industrial structure, growth rate, inflation rate, etc.), price decrease and increase, price ceiling for Russian oil, and “The Economic Consequences of the Peace” by J. M. Keynes. Moreover, in the autumn term, the topics are 12 economic shocks of the Ukraine war, the macroeconomic effect of export and import regulation on the Japanese economy, and the macroeconomic effects of an increase in oil price and yen depreciation. My students tried these exercises and were given homework about these topics.
Crosstalk effects in microwave SQUID multiplexed TES bolometer readout
Authors: Groh John C. , Ahmed Zeeshan , Henderson Shawn W. , Hubmayr Johannes , Mates John A. B. , Silva-Feaver Maximiliano , Ullom Joel , Yu Cyndia
Published: November 2023

Transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers are broadly used for background-limited astrophysical measurements from the far-infrared to mm-waves. Many planned future instruments require increasingly large detector arrays, but their scalability is limited by their cryogenic readout electronics. Microwave SQUID multiplexing offers a highly capable scaling solution through the use of inherently broadband circuitry, enabling readout of hundreds to thousands of channels per microwave line. As with any multiplexing technique, the channelization mechanism gives rise to electrical crosstalk which must be understood and controlled so as to not degrade the instrument sensitivity. Here, we explore implications relevant for TES bolometer array applications, focusing in particular on upcoming mm-wave observatories such as the Simons Observatory and AliCPT. We model the relative contributions of the various underlying crosstalk mechanisms, evaluate the difference between fixed-tone and tone-tracking readout systems, and discuss ways in which crosstalk nonlinearity will complicate on-sky measurements.
On the Performance of T2-Based PCA Mix Control Chart with KDE Control Limit for Monitoring Variable and Attribute Characteristics
Authors: Ahsan Muhammad , Mashuri Muhammad , Prastyo Dedy Dwi , Lee Muhammad Hisyam
Published: November 2023

In this work, the mixed multivariate T2 control chart's detailed performance evaluation based on PCA Mix is presented. The control limit of the proposed control chart is calculated using the kernel density approach. Through simulation studies, the proposed chart's performance is assessed in terms of its capacity to identify outliers and process shifts. When 30% more outliers are included in the data, the proposed chart provides a consistent accuracy rate for identifying mixed outliers. For the balanced percentage of attribute qualities, misdetection happens because of the high false alarm rate. For unbalanced attribute qualities and excessive proportions, the masking effect is the key issue. The proposed chart shows the improved performance for the shift in identifying the shift in the process.
Manifold Area Prior for Blind Image Deblurring: A Continue Space Method
Authors: Peng Junge , Luo Bing , Cheng Zhongzhe , Zhang Chao , Li Bo
Published: November 2023

Ringing artifacts is a critical problem in image deblurring. Existing methods based on image sparsity cannot efficiently recognize the plausive edge and result in significant ringing artifacts. Those methods mostly consider the statistic prior for blur and clear images but ignore continuity of natural image in feature space. While, image intrinsic continuity could complement the sparsity information for image statistic prior. Intuitively, ringing effects should form the shake in feature space and break the piece-wise smoothness of natural image. To this end, we propose a minimizing manifold area prior (MAP) method to reduce the ringing artifacts. We first embed a two-dimension manifold into the image high-dimension feature space. Then the feature difference between blur and clear images could be described by manifold area, which could be represented via local Euclide-space. This is beneficial to proposing a fast and effective algorithm to calculate manifold area, which significantly improve the computational complexity. Experiments validate that our method is superior than state-of-the-arts in performance and time consuming, especially for ringing artifacts.
Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species prevalent in ticks and livestock in Hubei Province, China
Authors: Tang Ju , Xu Jiao , Liu Xiaohui , Lv Fangzhi , Yao Qiuju , Zhou Xiao-Fan , Lu Huiya , Yu Tianmei , Jiang Zezheng , Jin Xiaozhou , Guo Fang , Yu Xue-jie
Published: November 2023

Background: Anaplasmaand Ehrlichia are tick-borne bacterial pathogens that cause anaplasmoses and ehrlicoses in humans and animals.
Methods: In this study, we examined the prevalence of Anaplasmaand Ehrlichia species in ticks and livestock in Suizhou County, Hubei Province in the central China.
Results: We collected 1,900 ticks, including 1,981 Haemaphysalis longicornis and 9 Rhipicephalus microplus, 159 blood samples of goats, cattle (n=4), and dogs (n=3) from May to September of 2023. PCR amplification and DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA, groEL, and gltA genes of the PCR products demonstrated that A. bovis, A. capra, and an uncultured Ehrlichia species were detected in the ticks with the minimum infection rates of 0.52%, 1.16%, and 0.05%, respectively; A. bovis, A. capra, and a novel Anaplasma species were detected in the goats with the minimum infection rate of 25.65%, 0.66% and 1.97%, respectively. Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species were not detected from cattle and dogs.
Conclusions: This study shows that ticks and goats in Hubei Province carry multiple Anaplasma species and an Ehrlichia species, with extremely high infection rate of A. bovis in goats. Our study indicates that multiple Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species exist in ticks and goats in the central China with potential to cause human infection.
INSaFLU-TELEVIR: an open web-based bioinformatics suite for viral metagenomic detection and routine genomic surveillance
Authors: Santos João Dourado , Sobral Daniel , Pinheiro Miguel , Isidro Joana , Bogaardt Carlijn , Pinto Miguel , Eusébio Rodrigo , Santos André , Mamede Rafael , Horton Daniel L , Gomes João Paulo , consortium* TELEVIR , Borges Vítor
Published: November 2023

Background
Implementation of clinical metagenomics and pathogen genomic surveillance can be particularly challenging due to the lack of bioinformatics tools and/or expertise. In order to face this challenge, we have previously developed INSaFLU (https://insaflu.insa.pt/), a free web-based bioinformatics platform for virus next-generation sequencing data analysis. Here, we considerably expanded its genomic surveillance component and developed a new module (TELEVIR) for metagenomic virus identification.
Results
The routine genomic surveillance component was strengthened with new workflows and functionalities, including: i) a reference-based genome assembly pipeline for Oxford Nanopore technologies (ONT) data; ii) automated SARS-CoV-2 lineage classification; iii) Nextclade analysis; iv) Nextstrain phylogeographic and temporal analysis (SARS-CoV-2, human and avian influenza, monkeypox, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV A/B), as well as a “generic” build for other viruses); and, v) algn2pheno (https://github.com/insapathogenomics/algn2pheno) for screening mutations of interest. Both INSaFLU pipelines for reference-based consensus generation (Illumina and ONT) were benchmarked against commonly used command line bioinformatics workflows for SARS-CoV-2, and an INSaFLU snakemake version was released. In parallel, a new module (TELEVIR) for virus detection was developed, after extensive benchmarking of state-of-the-art metagenomics software and following up-to-date recommendations and practices in the field. TELEVIR allows running complex workflows, covering several combinations of steps (e.g., with/without viral enrichment or host depletion), classification software (e.g., Kaiju, Kraken2, Centrifuge, FastViromeExplorer) and databases (RefSeq viral genome, Virosaurus, etc), while culminating in user- and diagnosis-oriented reports. Finally, to potentiate real-time virus detection during ONT runs, we developed findONTime (https://github.com/INSaFLU/findONTime), a tool aimed at reducing costs and the time between sample reception and diagnosis.
Conclusion
The accessibility, versatility and functionality of INSaFLU-TELEVIR is expected to supply public and animal health laboratories and researchers with a user-oriented and pan-viral bioinformatics framework that promotes a strengthened and timely viral metagenomic detection and routine genomics surveillance. INSaFLU-TELEVIR is compatible with Illumina, Ion Torrent and ONT data and is freely available at https://insaflu.insa.pt/ (online tool) and https://github.com/INSaFLU (code).
Experimental Investigation of Biogas Injera Baking Stove Using Circular Ring Pipe Burner
Authors: Abdella Taha
Published: November 2023

Baking and cooking are day-to-day human activities that demand energy from different sources. Injera is stapled food in Ethiopia mainly baked by traditional biomass injera baking stoves. In order to minimize the environmental and social impact of traditional non-clean energy sources of energy, different research has studied replacing traditional stoves with clean and renewable energy sources. However, the developed injera baking stove has low performance and heat distribution problems. The purpose of this study is to solve this problem by developing injera baking biogas stove with better performance. The experimental investigation was conducted using a biogas plant in Addis Ababa University 4 Kilo Campus. A detailed energy analysis of energy demand, energy output, and baking performance has been performed. Baking time is 3 minutes, Idle time is 2 minutes and efficiency is 68%. Thus, this injera baking biogas stove has achieved uniform heat distribution and improved efficiency and hence can be used for injera biogas injera baking stove.
An Improved Toolkit of Gateway- and Gibson Assembly-Compatible Vectors for Protoplast Transfection and Agrobacterium-Mediated Plant Transformation
Authors: Allen Jeffrey , Flanagan Michael , Pathak Sunita , Emenecker Samantha , Emenecker Ryan , Strader Lucia
Published: November 2023

Objective Understanding the regulation and function of plant genes is essential for addressing the challenges faced by modern agriculture. Plant transformation, in conjunction with fluorescence microscopy, offers a powerful approach to investigate the dynamic behavior of plant genes and the proteins they encode. We previously developed a set of Gateway-compatible tissue-specific plant transformation vectors. In this paper we aim to expand the toolkit of vectors available for Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation and protoplast transfection.Results Here, we introduce new Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation vectors by introducing additional fluorophores to create the pJRA vector series. Additionally, we introduce the pLCS series of vectors, a new set of modular Gateway- and Gibson assembly-compatible vectors designed for protoplast transfection. All described vectors are available from Addgene to serve as a resource for the plant research community.
High and Low Pitch Sound Stimuli Effects on HRV-EEG Coupling
Authors: vonJakitsch Camila Bomfim , Neto Osmar Pinto , Pinho Tatiana Okubo Rocha , Ribeiro Wellington , Pereira Rafael , Baltatu Ovidiu Constantin , Osório Rodrigo Aléxis Lazo
Published: November 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the influence of sound stimulation on the autonomic nervous system and the potential coupling between cardiac and cerebral activities.
Methods: Thirty-one participants underwent exposure to periods of silence and two distinct continuous, non-repetitive pure tone stimuli: low pitch (110 Hz) and high pitch (880 Hz). Electroencephalography (EEG) data from electrodes F3, F4, F7, F8, Fp1, Fp2, T3, T4, T5, and T6, along with R-R interval data for heart rate, were recorded. Heart-brain connectivity was assessed using wavelet coherence between heart rate variability (HRV) and EEG envelopes (EEGE).
Results: We observed that heart rates were notably higher during silence compared to both high and low-pitch sound periods. The high-frequency (HF) band of HRV was significantly elevated across all tested conditions. However, an interaction between HRV bands and conditions emerged when examining normalized power. The low-pitch stimulus resulted in markedly reduced normalized power in the HF band compared to silence. Notably, HRV-EEGE coherence was considerably enhanced during silence and low-pitch sound intervals compared to high-pitch intervals, especially between the beta band and the low-frequency HRV range. This implies a differential involvement of the frontal and temporal brain regions, in response to varying auditory stimuli.
Conclusion: Our findings highlight the essential nature of discerning the complex interrelations between sound frequencies and their implications for heart-brain connectivity. Such insights could have ramifications for conditions like seizures and sleep disturbances. A deeper exploration is warranted to decipher the potential advantages or drawbacks of specific sound stimuli in diverse clinical scenarios.
Analysis of the transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BA.5.2 and BF.7 based on COVID-19 surveillance data.
Authors: Ke-Wei  , Qian-Qian
Published: November 2023

Background
The Chinese government, announced new 10 measures for COVID-19 response on December 7, 2022, which meant the thorough abolishment of the dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy. The actual number of SARS-CoV-2-infected residents was much larger than the official data due to the cancellation of large-scale nucleic acid testing.
Methods
This work is a re-analysis of published COVID-19 data. The COVID-19 surveillance data were derived from Human-Society Communication, which is a public service agency for employment. The information of the main endemic strains of SARS-CoV-2 in the Chinese mainland during the Omicron wave obtained from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Human-Society Communication issued online questionnaires of COVID-19 to all Chinese residents via the WeChat Public Account during December 20–21, 2022. Thereafter, Human-Society Communication issued online questionnaires of COVID-19 for the second time on December 26, 2022.
Results
A total of 122,806 residents participated in the first online questionnaire survey during the two days. The results showed that 74,689 participants (60.8%) were infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants. For the second online questionnaire survey, a total of 47,897 residents participated in the survey in a day. The results showed that the infection rate of COVID-19 in the Chinese mainland was increased from 60.8–73.5% during December 21–26, 2022. The main endemic strains of SARS-CoV-2 were BA.5.2 and BF.7 according to the analysis results of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences.
Conclusions
Both SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BA.5.2 and BF.7 had extremely strong transmissibility, and large-scale COVID-19 infections posed unprecedented challenges on the Chinese mainland.
Factors affecting financial management behavior of Paylater users in Indonesia: Examining the moderating role of locus of control
Authors: Gunawan Ade , Mukmin  , Fitri Wahyuni Sri , Sari Maya
Published: November 2023

Financial Management Behavior refers to the systematic activities involved in predicting, gathering, allocating, investing, and strategizing the cash flow required for a company’s or individual’s efficient functioning. This study aims to examine the role of locus of control in moderating the relationship between financial socialization, financial knowledge, financial experience, and financial management behavior among Paylater users in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. The population of this research is the people of Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, who use Paylater. The sampling methodologies utilized were purposive sampling and snowball sampling. A total of 221 individuals participated in data collection for this study. The questionnaires were disseminated using social media chat functions or messaging applications (e.g., WhatsApp, Line, Telegram) in which the Google Forms link is shared. The study employs the data analysis technique of SEM-PLS with the assistance of PLS 4.00 software. The research results show that financial socialization, knowledge, and experience influence financial management behavior (p < 0.05). Furthermore, financial socialization, financial knowledge, and financial experience influence financial management behavior, moderated by locus of control (p < 0.05). The research implications are expected to improve the Financial Management behavior of the Paylater users by providing literacy about managing their finances.
AcknowledgmentThis study was funded by the Revenue and Expenditure Budget of the Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara following the assignment agreement letter in the context of implementing the Basic Research Program of the Revenue and Expenditure Budget of the Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara for the 2023 Fiscal Year, Number: 73/II.3- AU /UMSU-LP2M/C/2023.
Role of innovative work behavior of vocational lecturer in Indonesia
Authors: Fiernaningsih Nilawati , Herijanto Pudji , Widayani Anna
Published: November 2023

One aspect that needs to be developed in work is competence. In this case, competence is knowledge, skills, and attitudes sufficient to meet needs, such as good job performance. One of the employee behaviors that has not been developed and improved is the behavior of innovation at work. This study aims to analyze the role of Vocational Lecturers’ innovative behavior. This study was conducted based on data about 1,494 lecturers from vocational higher education institutions in East Java, Indonesia (seven state polytechnics and two state community academies). Using the proportional random sampling method, the Slovin formula of 316 people was used. The questionnaire was conducted as through Google Forms, as a person by seeing research respondents, and by holding virtual meetings from March to April 2022. The collected data were processed using descriptive statistical analysis methods to determine the characteristics of the respondents and inferential statistics using the SmartPLS version 3.0 program. The results of this study indicate that organizational support and transglobal leadership characteristics significantly affect employee engagement, proactive personality, proactive work behavior, and performance. Transglobal leadership influences proactive personality and job engagement in positive and significant ways. Organizational support significantly and beneficially influences work engagement and proactive attitudes. Work engagement positively and meaningfully encourages innovative work behavior, with a path coefficient 0.22. The path coefficients of the relationship between inventive work style, proactive attitude, and employee performance are 0.55 and 0.617, respectively. In addition, job involvement has a statistically significant adverse effect on worker performance.
Filling a financial gap in SDG3 achievement: Investments vs. budget funds
Authors: Plastun Alex , Gryn Viktoriia , Proskurina Nelia , Potapov Yevhenii , Gryn Olena
Published: November 2023

This paper delves into the challenge of financing Sustainable Development Goal 3 “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” (SDG 3). Despite its ambitious nature, the achievement of this goal has been hindered by a substantial lack of funding. The study aims to investigate potential sources to bridge the investment gap in SDG 3, analyzing data from 28 European countries. This includes factors such as the index and progress in sustainable development, sources of investment resources, and healthcare costs for 2020. Logit and probit regression models are employed for the analysis. The results indicate the absence of a statistically significant relationship between the volume of investments from the state, businesses, and households of countries and their level of SDG 3 achievement. However, an interesting finding emerges regarding healthcare expenditures under state insurance programs among European countries, which show a greater extent of progress in achieving SDGs compared to voluntary insurance programs. The paper emphasizes the importance of a balanced approach that uses multiple funding sources and the need for focused policies and partnerships to mobilize resources to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
AcknowledgmentAlex Plastun gratefully acknowledges support from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (№ 0121U113830).
Modern aspects of managing patients with non-erosive reflux disease
Authors: Tsukanov V. V. , Vasyutin A. V. , Tonkikh Ju. L.
Published: November 2023

A review of current  data  on the management of patients with non-erosive reflux disease  (NERD) was made. Diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease  (GERD) is based  on symptom analysis, endoscopic  evaluation of the esophageal mucosa, objective  evidence of gastric contents reflux into the esophagus during pH-impedancemetry, and response to therapeutic intervention. Treatment for GERD should include weight loss if overweight, lifestyle modification, and dietary modification. Current consensus recommends starting NERD treatment with once-daily proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), but only 50% of patients with this pathology respond to such therapy. Incomplete response to PPIs is a reason  to increase  the dose of PPI and add Gaviscon to treatment to neutralize the post-prandial “acid pocket”. Gaviscon is especially effective in patients with postprandial or nocturnal symptoms and in those with hiatal hernia. The mechanism  of action of Gaviscon is based  on the formation  of an alginate “raft” on the surface of the gastric contents, which neutralizes the acid and blocks its pathological effect to esophageal mucosa. A modern meta-analysis on the NERD treatment, which included  23 studies  and 10,735  patients, showed  the  efficacy of Gaviscon monotherapy comparable to PPIs in treatment for 4 weeks. The combination of a PPI with Gaviscon offers the opportunity to optimize response to treatment in NERD patients with an incomplete response to PPIs monotherapy. The Russian Gastroenterological Association thinks that alginates can be used both as monotherapy for mild clinical variants of NERD and in complex treatment regimens  for various GERD variants.
A clinical case of aortic coarctation in combination with a septal defect in a newborn child
Authors: Sagitova G. R. , Tkachev I. V. , Antonova O. V. , Davydova O. V.
Published: November 2023

Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital malformation characterized by the presence of narrowing of the aorta, which can be localized in any part of it. In this publication, we present a clinical case of coarctation of the aorta before and after surgical correction in a newborn. The child was admitted to the cardiosurgical hospital at the age of 6 days. Congenital heart disease of a low category of complexity was diagnosed prenatally. After birth, the condition is satisfactory. After 3 hours, the negative dynamics due to the clinic of respiratory failure. According to echocardiography – hypoplasia of the aortic arch, coarctation of the aorta? Open ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect. On the 3rd day of life, a diagnosis of congenital pneumonia was made and the child was transferred to a cardiosurgical hospital. Upon admission to the FCSSH in Astrakhan, the condition was regarded as severe, due to heart and respiratory failure. The child is examined. On echocardiography – Pronounced preductal form of coarctation of the aorta. Hypoplasia of the proximal arch and isthmus. Open ductus arteriosus. Ventricular septal defect. biventricular hypertrophy. Severe dilatation of the right chambers of the heart. Relative hypoplasia of the left ventricle. Tricuspid regurgitation. On the 7th day of life, surgical correction of the defect was performed plasty of the arch and isthmus of the aorta, plasty of the VSD. The early postoperative period proceeded with a clinic of moderate respiratory and heart failure. Against the background of the expansion of the volume of feeding, chylothorax was detected, drainage of the right pleural cavity was prescribed. Enteral feeding has been replaced by parenteral nutrition. The child was extubated on the 4th postoperative day. However, oxygen dependence was noted. The pleural drainage was removed on the 11th day after the operation. On the 12th day, the newborn was transferred from the intensive care unit. Discharged from the hospital on the 20th day after surgical treatment. After 4 months the child was examined in the hospital. The general condition was regarded as satisfactory. This clinical example shows the complexity of prenatal diagnosis of obstructive pathology of the aortic arch and the rapid manifestation of clinical manifestations after birth against the background of an unfavorable combination with a large septal defect.
Еndoscopic and histological features of the gastroduodenal zone in children with the CagA Helicobacter pylori infection
Authors: Shubina M. V. , Tereshchenko S. Yu. , Gorbacheva N. N. , Anisimova E. N.
Published: November 2023

Introduction. It is known that the presence of the CagA gene in Helicobacter pylori is associated with its increased pathogenicity. However, in children, studies on the effects of this strain on the gastric mucosa are insufficient.

Aim. To compare effects of different Helicobacter pylori (HP) strains on the gastric and duodenum mucosa in children to optimize indications for eradication.

Materials and methods. 397 adolescents (169 boys and 227 girls) aged 11–18 were examined on the basis of the hospital gastroenterological department: the content of antibodies to the CagA strain of HP was determined by ELISA, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EFGDS) was performedwith a biopsy of the gastric mucosa and determination of the HP contamination degree, and also HP gene was detected in the feces.According to the results obtained, all children were divided into 3 groups: 131 children (57 boys and 74 girls) infected with CagA by negative HP strains (CagA “-”); 119 children (52 boys and 67 girls) infected with CagA positive HP strains (CagA “+”); 94 children (36 boys and 57 girls) who are not infected with HP (HP “-”).

Results. When we analyzed the endoscopic-histological picture of the gastric mucosa in the CagA “+” group, in contrast to the CagA “-” group, it was found that the chances of developing highbacteria contamination of the mucosa increased 4.7 times, II and III degree of gastritis activity – 6.6 times, chronic inflammation – 2.6 times, hyperplastic gastritis – 2.8 times, erosive gastritis or duodenitis – 2.7 times, peptic ulcer – 3.6 times, andalso signs of concomitant candidiasis (the presence of structural elements of the Candida fungus) – 4.1 times.

Conclusion. Thus, it is advisable for all children with gastroduodenal pathology to recommend an examination for the detection of the CagA HP antigen with subsequent eradication.
Assisted reproductive technologies and the children’s heart
Authors: Pavlyukova E. N. , Kolosova M. V. , Alekseeva E. О. , Karpov R. S.
Published: November 2023

The active use of assisted reproductive technologies has allowed us to achieve very impressive results, which allows us to consider this method as one of the effective approaches to infertility treatment. More than eight million children have been born worldwide with the help of assisted reproduction to date. At the same time, assisted reproductive technologies are an important risk factor, since long-term consequences for the morphology and function of the child’s heart can predispose to premature cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. These facts require a revision of traditional ideas about the long-term safety of their use, the formation of special registers. The creation of registers of the use of assisted reproductive technologies optimizes the process of long-term monitoring of children born with their use. The analysis of experimental and clinical studies presented in the review creates a theoretical basis for understanding the subtle mechanisms of the formation of postnatal health in children born prematurely and in the process of using inflammatory reproductive technologies. This review of the literature will allow doctors of various specialties (embryologists, reproductologists – obstetricians-gynecologists, neonatologists, pediatricians, therapists, cardiologists) and producers of culture media to significantly expand traditional ideas about the impact of assisted reproductive technologies on the health of the cardiovascular system in childhood, since even small changes in the conditions of cultivation and the composition of the culture medium for the embryo, the peculiarities of the course of pregnancy can have significant delayed effects on the health of children, born with the use of assisted reproductive technologies. Therefore, it is obvious the importance of monitoring children of this clinical group in order to further clarify possible long-term health consequences, a deeper understanding of the fundamental patterns of postnatal development and early diagnosis of subclinical disorders of the cardiovascular system.
A clinical case of early multifocal atherosclerosis complicated by acute coronary syndrome in a young man with ulcerative colitis
Authors: Tarasova L. V. , Kucherova N. Yu. , Tsyganova Yu. V.
Published: November 2023

Inflammatory bowel disease  (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing, systemic and immune-mediated conditiondis  that  frequently  involve extraintestinal manifestations. Latest  studies  showed  increased risk of cardiovascular  complications,  which is the  main cause of death  in developed countries, in chronic inflammatory disorders, especially during IBD relapses. IBD patients are at increased risk of conditions  such as early atherosclerosis, ischaemic heart  disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, venous thrombosis, heart failure, аtrial fibrillation. Hypotheses  for the  mechanism  underlying  the  association of IBD and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases  include adverse  effects of both the IBD itself (chronic inflammation, еndothelium dysfunction, dyslipidemia, thrombocytosis, gut microbiome  dysfunction) and its treatment. The predominant role in atherogenesis is currently assigned  to disruption of the endothelium. Endothelium plays an important role in physiologic regulation of vascular tone, cell adhesion, migration and resistance to thrombosis. Also, its dysfunction  is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis development. Early multifocal atherosclerosis is a serious complication  of ulcerative  colitis and can occur in young people  without  traditional cardiovascular  risk factors. Untimely diagnosis,  lack of pathogenetic treatment, correction  of basic anti-inflammatory therapy  and comprehensive consideration of a problem  of high cardiovascular  risk can lead to acute  myocardial infarction  and stroke and disability of a patient  of working age. The authors  present a case  report  of multifocal  atherosclerosis complicated by acute coronary syndrome in a young man with ulcerative  colitis, who required  a radical revision of the therapy.