bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulated vs Actual Application of Symbiotic Model on Six Wheel Modular Multi-Agent System for Linear Traversal Mission
Authors: Fernando Arvin H. , Lim Laurence A. Gan , Bandala Argel A. , Vicerra Ryan Rhay P. , Dadios Elmer P. , Guillermo Marielet A. , Naguib Raouf N. G.
Published: January 2024

Constant demand for sustainable mechanisms to perform heavy and risky tasks has driven more robotics innovations to arise. Modular reconfigurable robotics system is one of these promising technologies that are continuously explored. Homogeneous types, to be specific, can accomplish similar missions at the same time as individual and heavier missions as an integrated system. This paper presents an analysis of the carrying capacity of a six-wheeled modular multi-agent system using the symbiotic model. The objective is to determine the resulting symbiotic relationship of a given configuration and module state combinations. The results show that the dominant relationship among the trials for linear traversal mission is commensalism. That means, the system neither benefits nor gets harmed from the symbiosis formed. This is true both in simulated and actual test environments although the percentage difference is about 12%. MATLAB Simulink was used for simulation while Maqueen robot in a 3D-printed chassis was used for actual testing. With this study, future configurations for several other missions such as object tracking and ramp climbing can be assessed using the same approach so that possible fault occurrence during operations can be prevented since the developed analysis method is performed prior to the deployment of the system.
Development of a Living Laboratory to Verify Assistive Technology in Simulated Indoor and Outdoor Spaces
Authors: Kato Kenji , Yoshimi Tatsuya , Shimotori Daiki , Aimoto Keita , Itoh Naoki , Okabe Kohei , Kubota Naoyuki , Hirata Yasuhisa , Kondo Izumi
Published: January 2024

Assistive robots and technologies can play a key role in supporting the independence and social participation of older people, helping them living healthy lives and reducing the burden on caregivers. To support the effective development of assistive robots and technologies, it is important to develop a “living laboratory” to verify and adapt technology in real-life living spaces. The purpose of this study is to validate assistive robots using a living laboratory that simulates typical indoor and outdoor real-life situations. The rationale is to enable evaluation of daily living activities of older people in a simulated living space. To minimize the risk of trauma after falls, a ceiling suspension system was installed in the living laboratory. Six different commercially available mobility and transfer support robots were introduced and tested. We demonstrated that effective scenarios could be implemented using these assistive robots within the living laboratory. We implemented a 3D markerless motion capturing system in the outdoor space and showed that outdoor activities, including walking up and down a ramp, could be verified with sufficient accuracy in three cases: (i) normal use without a robot, (ii) use of the ceiling suspension system, and (iii) use of a mobility support robot on three healthy subjects. These results suggest that the proposed living laboratory can support testing and verification of assistive robots in simulated living environments.
Semantic Similarity Analysis via Syntax Dependency Structure and Gate Recurrent Unit
Authors: Kang Qiao , Kan Jing , Dong Fangyan , Chen Kewei
Published: January 2024

Sentences are composed of words, phrases, and clauses. The relationship between them is usually tree-like. In the hierarchical structure of the sentence, the dependency relationships between different components affect the syntactic structure. Syntactic structure is very important for understanding the meaning of the whole sentence. However, the gated recursive unit (GRU) models cannot fully encode hierarchical syntactic dependencies, which leads to its poor performance in various natural language tasks. In this paper, a model called relative syntactic distance bidirectional gated recursive unit (RSD-BiGRU) is constructed to capture syntactic structure dependencies. The model modifies the gating mechanism in GRU through relative syntactic distance. It also offers a transformation gate to model the syntactic structure more directly. Embedding sentence meanings with sentence structure dependency into dense vectors. This model is used to conduct semantic similarity experiments on the QQP and SICK datasets. The results show that the sentence representation obtained by RSD-BiGRU model contains more semantic information. This is helpful for semantic similarity analysis tasks.
Audio-Visual Bimodal Combination-Based Speaker Tracking Method for Mobile Robot
Authors: Zhang Hao-Yan , Zhang Long-Bo , Shi Qi-Feng , Liu Zhen-Tao
Published: January 2024

Initiative service is a key research direction for the new generation of service robots. It is important to automatically track humans for initiative service in human-robot interaction. To solve the problems of low precision and poor anti-interference capability of only using single-modal (audio or visual) information, a speaker positioning and tracking method based on an audio-visual bimodal combination is proposed. First, the azimuth of the speaker is obtained based on the time difference of arrival using a microphone array, and face detection based on AdaBoost is carried out using the camera. A distance and azimuth calculation model is established to obtain the position of the speaker. Second, a speaker positioning strategy based on an audio-visual bimodal combination is designed to handle different situations. Third, the path is planned by which the azimuth and distance between the robot and the speaker are maintained in a limited range. Different azimuths and distances for speaker tracking are set to perform various simulations. Finally, the mobile robot is driven to follow the path using the STM32 real-time control system. Information from the microphone array and the camera is collected and processed by Raspberry Pi. The tracking accuracy was tested under a single-face situation by setting 20 different target points, and 10 tests were carried out under each point. Under multi-face situations, the audio-visual bimodal information is combined to identify the speaker, and then the Kalman filter is used in face tracking. The experimental results demonstrate that the running trajectory of the mobile robot is close to the ideal trajectory, which ensures effective speaker tracking.
Распространение вариантов вируса SARS-COV-2, вызывающих интерес (VOI) и субвариантов Omicron, находящихся под наблюдением (VUM), на основе количества их геномов, депонированных в базу данных GISAID за неделю с 13.01.2024 г. по 19.01.2024 г.
Authors: Зимирова Анастасия , Дмитриева Людмила , Краснов Ярослав , Осина Наталья , Чумачкова Елена , Иванова Александра , Карнаухов Игорь , Караваева Татьяна , Щербакова Светлана , Кутырев Владимир
Published: January 2024

В обзоре представлена информация по циркулирующим в настоящее время вариантам вируса SARS-COV-2 вызывающих интерес (VOI) и субвариантов Omicron, находящихся под наблюдением (VUM), геномные последовательности которых размещены в международной базе данных GISAID за неделю с 13 по 19 января 2024 г.
A Subdural Dissection of Cerebrospinal Fluid Causing Cauda Equina Centralization After Durotomy
Authors: Zielinski Emily , Beutler Graham , Hajewski Christina J. , Sasso Rick
Published: January 2024

Case:

A 61-year-old woman with recurrent left L5 radiculopathy underwent revision L4-5 decompression complicated by incidental durotomy requiring primary repair. Postoperative course was complicated by wound drainage and headache. Repeat magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated cerebrospinal fluid dissecting a plane deep to the dura mater but superficial to the arachnoid, with the collection compressing the cauda equina in an atypical horizontal and linear fashion. Nonoperative treatment was ineffective, and she required revision decompression and dural repair.

Conclusion:

Spine surgeons should recognize this finding on postoperative imaging as a potential sign of an incomplete dural repair necessitating return to the operating room.
Delayed Presentation of Bowel Injury Associated with Pelvic Fragility Fracture in Patient with Bladder Sling
Authors: Meshay Ian M. , Robbins Jordan B. , Wainwright Jared , Sonstein Joseph , Person Joshua , Hagedorn John C.
Published: January 2024

Case:

An 85-year-old woman with a history of bladder mesh sling placement sustained a pelvic fracture and extraperitoneal bladder rupture after a ground-level fall. The patient underwent cystorrhaphy and percutaneous anterior column screw placement. Free air was identified on abdominal computed tomography scan on postoperative day 5. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a sigmoid colon perforation and extensive bowel adhesions to the anterior pelvis.

Conclusion:

This is the first report describing bowel injury and associated bladder rupture in a pelvic fragility fracture related to a prior bladder mesh sling. This case highlights the importance of obtaining a thorough surgical history when treating pelvic injuries.
Fake News Detection Model Basing on Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Taha Mohammed A. , Jabar Haider D. A. , Mohammed Widad K.
Published: January 2024

نظرًا للتطور السريع والهائل لشبكة الويب العالمية وسهولة الاتصال بالعالم الخارجي، فقد أصبح من السهولة إنشاء الأخبار ونشرها بشكل أسرع من أي فترة أخرى. نتيجة للاستخدام المتزايد للشبكات الاجتماعية، يقوم المستخدمون بإنتاج ونشر معلومات أكثر من أي وقت مضى، وبعضها واقع خاطئ وغير ذي صلة. من الصعب اكتشاف المعلومات الخاطئة أو المضللة تلقائيًا في المحتوى النصي. حتى المتخصص في الموضوع يجب أن يأخذ في الاعتبار عددًا من العناصر قبل تحديد مصداقية المقالة. المعلومات المضللة على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي الكيدية والمنشورة عن قصد لها تأثير سلبي على المجتمعات والأشخاص، لا سيما في المواقف التي توجد فيها كوارث فعلية مثل الهجمات الإرهابية وأعمال الشغب والزلازل والفيضانات والحروب. لذلك من الأفضل التعرف على الشائعات في أسرع وقت ممكن للحد من آثارها السلبية على المجتمع. تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى بناء نموذج تعليمي للكشف عن الأخبار المزيفة. تعتمد هذه الورقة البحثية على البحث عن خصائص النص وتحليلها، ثم يتم تحويل الكلمات إلى ميزات باستخدام تقنية TF-IDF، وبعد ذلك يتم تحديد الميزات الأعلى مرتبة لغرض دراسة وتمييز انتشار الأخبار، سواء كان ذلك حقيقي أو مزيف باستخدام تقنيات التعلم الآلي. أخيرًا، تم تكييف خوارزمية الانحدار اللوجستي، وشجرة القرار، وتعزيز التدرج، وخوارزمية الغابة العشوائية. تبلغ دقة الانحدار اللوجستي (0.985)، والغابة العشوائية (0.989)، بينما تبلغ دقة شجرة القرار (0.994) وتعزيز التدرج (0.9949) على التوالي.
Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO Nanoparticles and Their Application on Cotton Fabrics to Obtain Superhydrophobic Surfaces
Authors: Ebrahim Mai , Saffour Ziad
Published: January 2024

حضرت جسيمات أوكسيد الزنك النانوية ZnO (NPs) بطريقة كيميائية رطبة عند درجتي حرارة مختلفتين (30-90) ̊C باستخدام كلوريد الزنك كبادئ في وسط مائي. تم توصيف جسيمات أوكسيد الزنك النانوي المحضر  باستخدام المجهر الإلكتروني الماسح (SEM) ,حيود الأشعة السينية (XRD) ، وطيف الأشعة تحت الحمراء (FTIR) ، أشارت أنماط الأشعة السينية الى بنية  سداسية (wurtizte) بمتوسط حجم بلوري (19.5-23nm) لجسيمات أوكسيد الزنك  المحضرة عند درجتي الحرارة (30-90 ̊C)على التوالي. أظهرت صور المجهر الالكتروني الماسح  أنه مع زيادة درجة الحرارة ، تغير شكل جسيمات أوكسيد الزنك النانوي  من الأسلاك النانوية إلى االشكل الكروي  . لتصنيع قماش  قطني فائق المقاومة للماء. تم غمر القماش في محلول غروواني لأوكسيد الزنك  بتركيز (1٪) ,ثم تعديله لاحقًا بحمض الشمع . تم توصيف القماش القطني  المعالج باستخدام المجهر الإلكتروني الماسح (SEM) واختبار زاوية التماس  (CA) .أظهرت نتائج المجهر الالكتروني الماسح أن جسيمات أوكسيد الزنك النانوي المحضر عند(90 ̊C) خلق خشونة  على سطح القطن أفضل من جسيمات أكسيد الزنك النانوي المحضرعند (30 ̊C). أظهرت نتائج اختبار زاوية التماس CA خصائص فائقة الكره للماء لعينات أوكسيد الزنك النانوي المحضر عند(90 ̊C)  ، بينما أظهرت عينات أوكسيد الزنك النانوي المحضر عند(30 ̊C)  خصائص كارهة للماء فقط بعد التعديل بحمض الشمع. تم استخدام تراكيز مختلفة من حمض الشمع لجعل سطح أوكسيد الزنك كارهاً للماء. أظهرت نتائج  زاوية التماس (CA)  أن القماش القطني المعالج بأوكسيد الزنك النانوي المحضر عند الدرجة (90 ̊C) المعدل ب 1٪ وزناً من حمض الشمع أظهر سطحاً فائق الكره للماء بزاوية تماس (CA=154̊ ).
Antibacterial Efficacy of 940 nm Diode Laser against Cariogenic Bacteria (Tooth Decay-causing Bacteria)
Authors: Jameel Noha M. , Taher Hanan J.
Published: January 2024

تسوس الأسنان هو مرض معدي منتشر للغاية تسببه بكتيريا موجبة بشكل رئيسي المكورات العقدية الطافرة والتي تعتبر العامل المسبب الرئيسي لتسوس الأسنان. في السنوات الأخيرة ، كانت هناك زيادة هائلة في استخدام تقنية الليزر في الطب وطب الأسنان ، وقد ثبت أن لها تأثيرًا كبيرًا مضادًا للبكتيريا دون أي ضرر لأنسجة الفم. كان هدف الدراسة هو تقييم فعالية ليزر الصمام الثنائي كعامل مضاد للجراثيم ضد بكتيريا  بجرعات مختلفة. تم اجراء الدراسة على بكتريا المكورات العقدية بتركيز106 مستعمرة لكل مليلتر والتي تلقت اشعاع ليزر من ليزر ثنائي الصمام ذي الطول الموجي 940 نانو متر لفحص ثلاثة قدرات مختلفة ( 1 واط, 2 واط, و 3 واط) لمدة 30 ثانية من وقت التعرض, وتم استخدام الكلوروهيكسيدين كمجموعة تحكم ايجابية. تم حساب النمو البكتيري بعد 24 ساعة من التعرض لليزر.النتائج اظهرت فرق احصائي عالي بالمقارنة مع مجموعة التحكم السلبية بدون معالجة. كإستنتاج, الدراسة الحالية وضحت ان ليزر الصمام الثنائي 940 نانومتر كان ناجا وفعالا في تقليل نمو بكتيريا المكورات العقدية وبجرعات مختلفة.
Evaluation of the Potential Protective Role of Galangin Associated with Gold Nanoparticles in the Histological and Functional Structure of Testes of Adult Male Albino Mice Administrated with Carbon Tetrachloride
Authors: Abeed Bassem Sultan , Al-Shmgani Hanady Salim
Published: January 2024

الكالانجين Galangin (Gal) هو فلافونويد طبيعي من مصادره جذور نبات Albina Kalanga . يمتلك العديد من الفعاليات الدوائية مثل مضاد للأكسدة والسرطان والالتهابات. تهدف الدراسة الحالية إلى تعزيز فعالية الكالانجين من خلال استخدام جسيمات الذهب النانوية AuNPs  كنظام لتوصيل الدواء ضد السمية التي يسببها رباعي كلوريد الكاربون في أنسجة الخصية لذكور الفئران البيض. تم تقسيم اثنين وأربعين من الفئران البيض إلى سبع مجموعات (6 فئران / مجموعة)، كانت المعاملة بمحلول رباعي كلوريد الكاربون لمدة أسبوعين بالحقن داخل الصفاق , (1 مل / كغم) مرة واحدة في الأسبوع لكل المجاميع ماعدا مجموعة السيطرة، بعدها حقنت مجموعة بجسيمات الذهب النانوية ومجموعتين تم حقنها بالكالانجين بتركيزين ،  وتم حقن مجموعتين  بمحلول الاقتران AuNPs + Gal بتركيزين, .تم وزن أجسام الحيوانات وأخذ عينات دم لتحليل هرمون التستوستيرون والخصيتين لغرض الوزن والدراسة النسيجية في نهاية التجارب. أظهرت الدراسة أن أنسجة الخصية للفئران المعاملة برباعي كلوريد الكاربون كان لها أمراض مختلفة مقارنة بمجموعة السيطرة ، وكانت مستويات هرمون التستوستيرون في مجموعة CCl4 أعلى بكثير من تلك الموجودة في مجموعة السيطرة. أظهرت النتائج من مجموعة الاقتران AuNPs + Gal انخفاضا كبيرا في آثار سمية CCl4 على خصيتي الفئران ، مع عودة مستويات هرمون التستوستيرون إلى طبيعتها وتحسين تركيب الخصية النسيجية. كانت نسبة أوزان الخصية إلى وزن جسم الحيوان في المجموعة المحقونة ب AuNPs أعلى بكثير من تلك الخاصة بمجموعة السيطرة ،. في الختام ، كشفت النتائج أن الكالانجين عند اقنرانه مع جزيئات الذهب النانوية يمكن أن يقلل بشكل فعال من الامراض النسيجية والوظيفية التي يسببها CCl4 ، مما يقدم حلا طبيعيا واعدا يحتاج إلى مزيد من التطوير
In Silico Comparison of Main Proteinase Inhibitors for Different Coronaviruses
Authors: Jihad Tahani W. , Hussien Hyffaa Y. , Qaba Mohammed A. M. Ali , Ismail Ghassan Q.
Published: January 2024

فيروسات كورونا تضم فيروسات الحمض النووي الريبي الموجبة مع نتوءات بروتينية شوكية تسمح للفيروس بالاختراق والتأثير على الخلايا المضيفة. ان ظهور فيروس كورونا المتلازمة التنفسية الحادة الوخيمة (SARS-CoV) ومتلازمة الشرق الأوسط التنفسية التاجية (MERS-CoV) ، كأمراض مميتة بفيروس كورونا البشري، مم اثار اهتمامًا كبيرًا في المجتمع الطبي. ان التفشي السريع والعالمي لفيروس كورونا البشري الجديد الناتج عن سلالة جديدة من الفيروس التاجي 2 (CoV-2) ادى إلى تعزيز الحاجة لايجاد علاج فعال لCOVID-19. ان انزيم MPro برز كهدف علاجي جذاب لفيروسات كورونا، وهو المسؤول عن النسخ والنسخ المتماثلة لفيروسات كورونا. ان تشخيص ادوية محتملة هي حاجة ملحة وحاسمة للمجتمع الطبي. تم استخدام الالتحام الجزيئي استعمل لوصف انزيم البروتيز وتقييم قدرة العديد من مثبطات انزيم MPro الطبيعية المعروفة والمختبرة مختبريا. تم اختيار ستة وسبعين مركبًا طبيعيًا ذو فعالية مثبطة معروفة وأربعة أدوية مختبرة ضد  CoV-1 اختيرت في دراسة الالتحام الجزيئي. كشفت دراساتنا النظرية أن العديد من هذه الجزيئات تظهر الفة ارتباط عالية للعديد من انزيمات CoV-2 ومقارنة المفضلة منها مع انزيمات CoV-1 و MERS. يشير بحثنا إلى أن هذه الجزيئات يمكن أن تكون مثبطة لانزيم CoV-2 MPro. مما يدل على إمكانية إعادة توصيفها كمركبات مضادة للفيروسات على نطاق واسع.
Asymmetrical Microfracture Density Across an Active Thrust Fault: Evidence from the Longmen Shan Fault, Eastern Tibet
Authors: Wang Hu , Luo Peisheng , Liang Yi , Li Dongming , Li Kaijin , Deng Lin , Chen Lichun
Published: January 2024

Microfracture density in fault damage zones can reflect spatial variability that decays in intensity as a function of distance from the fault, which is crucial in understanding the mechanical, seismological, and fluid-flow properties of the fault system. However, few studies explored the characteristics of fracture density between the two sides of active dip-slip faults due to rare field observations. Here, we measured and modeled microfractures across an active thrust fault associated with the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake in the Longmen Shan, eastern Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that the microfracture density at the Qingping site developed more intensely in the hanging wall than in the footwall for an exposed thrust fault, indicating an asymmetrical pattern. The hidden thrust fault at the Jushui site showed that microfractures developed more intensely in vertical planes in the hanging wall than in the footwall, whereas microfractures developed similarly in horizontal planes within the two sides, indicating a quasiasymmetrical pattern. Comparing the data at the two sites with computational modeling, we suggest that fault geometry might exert a first-order control of the asymmetrical microfracture density pattern, which is helpful for revealing different deformational behaviors of rock masses in the fault damage zones and better understanding the hanging-wall effect for evaluating seismic hazards on active thrust faults.
On the Influence of Grain Size Compared with Other Internal Factors Affecting the Permeability of Granular Porous Media: Redefining the Permeability Units
Authors: Díaz-Curiel Jesús , Biosca Bárbara , Arévalo-Lomas Lucía , Paredes-Palacios David , Miguel María J.
Published: January 2024

This study first reviews the influence of grain size on the permeability of porous granular media in comparison to other factors, especially the sorting of grain size distribution, in order to improve the physical knowledge of permeability. The aim of this research is to counter the widespread misconception that the characteristics of water flow in granular porous media can be associated exclusively with an area regarding grain size. This review involves two different aspects. First, the dependence of the intrinsic permeability on the particle size distribution is highlighted, independently of the other internal factors such as porosity and average grain size, by simply reviewing the main existing formulas. Second, the historical literature on the influence of the average grain size in porosity is analyzed, and it is compared with the influence of the granulometric sorting. The most recognized data show that the influence of each of these two factors is of the same order, but it was not expressed in mathematical form, so a relationship of porosity versus average grain size and sorting is established. The two aforementioned steps conclude that the factors influencing permeability do not advise the use of area dimensions because it leads to only link permeability with the average grain size, especially when nonspecialists come into contact with earth sciences. Finally, after a review of the historical evolution of the permeability units, they are redefined to avoid the common misconception that occurs when the established unit leads to only a partial understanding of the key parameters influencing permeability.
“Para onde nos leva a tecnologia”: uma resenha em forma de mapas conceituais
Authors: Maurina Keli Cristina
Published: January 2024

Estamos rodeados de tecnologia, usufruímos dela, mas não necessariamente entendemos seu conceito e suas implicações. Kevin Kelly nos convida a entender sua construção mais elaborada sobre o assunto, em sua obra “Para onde nos leva a tecnologia”. Sob o conceito “técnio”, o autor desenvolve toda uma análise contextualizada e rica sobre a tecnologia, suas origens, tendências, associação com o progresso, viés de dependência, dentre outros aspectos. Culminando em uma concepção teórica acerca do técnio, nos permitindo ao final uma luz direcional de trajetória, sem assombros, porém indicando racionalidade nas escolhas relativas à tecnologia. Toda essa configuração de ideias é expressa nesse trabalho, em um formato diferenciado, mediante o recurso de um organizador gráfico do conhecimento, o mapa conceitual. Trata-se basicamente da interligação entre conceitos por meio de frases de ligação que formam uma proposição que deve ter clareza semântica. Concebido pelo pesquisador norte-americano Joseph Novak na década de 1970, os mapas conceituais são objeto de pesquisa na área da aprendizagem.
Divulgação científica e tecnológica realizada no Instituto Federal Catarinense Campus Concórdia
Authors: Lombardo Evangelista Fábio , Gustavo Schwitzki Peretti  , Kemilly Seibel dos Santos  , Brenda Luzia Talini Goronski
Published: January 2024

A presente proposta originou-se de projetos de extensão voltados para turmas do ensino médio público em Concórdia, Santa Catarina. A ideia era promover a conscientização científica e tecnológica por meio da Física, facilitada pela impressão 3D e tecnologia Arduino, juntamente com palestras sobre Astronomia e apresentações de Experimentos Laboratoriais de Física. Além disso, houve também consideração sobre como promover de forma eficaz o Instituto Federal Catarinense (IFC), campus Concórdia. O objetivo deste texto é relatar como a ação foi concebida e implementada pelos membros do projeto para o público-alvo mencionado. A preparação das aulas envolveu várias reuniões e um planejamento minuciosamente detalhado, com o objetivo central de garantir uma execução tranquila. Foram feitos convites para escolas na região de Concórdia e para professores de física que manifestaram interesse em introduzir seus alunos no mundo da ciência e tecnologia. As aulas foram ministradas presencialmente nos laboratórios de Física do IFC devido à necessidade de um espaço físico adequado, com computadores, projetores multimídia e acesso à internet. Quanto à metodologia utilizada, os assuntos foram abordados de maneira prática e dialógica, relacionando conceitos com atividades experimentais facilitadas pelos dispositivos mencionados. Os resultados alcançados estão diretamente ligados à participação ativa do público-alvo, direcionando sua atenção, interesse, inquietações e questionamentos para este campo científico e tecnológico.
Desafios e Aprendizados na Aplicação do Projeto Índice de Positividade de Armadilhas (IPA): Um Estudo sobre o Controle do Aedes aegypti em Santa Catarina, Brasil
Authors: Ribeiro Eduardo , Matiola Cleusa , Mattedi Marcos , Bohn Isabel , Fuck João , Guimaraes Raul , Quadro Mario , Alves Thiago
Published: January 2024

O projeto "Índice de Positividade de Armadilhas (IPA)" visou aprimorar o controle do Aedes aegypti em Santa Catarina, Brasil. O estudo foi realizado em parceria com várias instituições e focou na análise de dados e modelagem para entender os fatores determinantes dos focos do mosquito. Apesar dos desafios técnicos, como a coleta e integração de dados, e a implementação de uma API, o projeto resultou em um modelo preditivo robusto que integra dados meteorológicos e imagens termais para mapear a distribuição do vetor. Este estudo reforça a importância da colaboração interinstitucional, do intercâmbio de conhecimentos e do investimento em infraestrutura tecnológica para futuras pesquisas.
Phage Therapy: Leveraging Machine Learning and Big Data techniques to Unveil the Evolution, Innovations, and Global Landscape in the Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance
Authors: Fonkou Maxime Descartes Mbogning , Kong Jude Dzevela
Published: January 2024

Phage therapy patent analysis, spanning from 1955 to 2023, reveals a substantial growth in the field, particularly since the early 2000s, with a peak in patent filings in 2021. The study identified key thematic areas, with “Compositions for Bacterial Infection Treatment” being the most prominent among the ten identified topics. Geographically, Asia, especially China, emerged as a leader in patent production, although U.S. patents showed greater citation impact, indicating a significant influence on global research. The analysis also highlighted diverse sectoral contributions with commercial and academic entities actively involved, and the importance of collaborative dynamics in driving innovation. This underscores a dynamic, evolving landscape in phage therapy, marked by regional disparities and a shift in research focus towards broad-spectrum medical applications and treatments for bacterial infections.
Advancing Transnational Assessments of Biodiversity Drivers in European Agriculture with an Updated Hierarchical Crop and Agriculture Taxonomy (HCAT)
Authors: Schneider Maja , Gackstetter David , Prexl Jonathan , Meyer Sebastian T. , Körner Marco
Published: January 2024

Modern agriculture plays a significant role in driving the decline of global biodiversity. The homogenization of landscapes, the reduction of natural habitats, and the intense use of pesticides are substantial factors for natural species populations to shrink or even disappear. However, despite significant advances in research, still today, the impacts of cropping systems on biodiversity are challenging to quantify. One primary reason for this is the lack of available agricultural data. The data from the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) of the European Union’s (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) give new potential to improve the basis of information for agroecological research in Europe. Within the framework of the CAP, European farmers are required to declare their cropping arrangements to official authorities to receive corresponding subsidies in exchange. The nationally applied crop taxonomies are, however, not harmonized across Europe, which hinders transnational analyses of agriculture and its environmental impacts. To overcome this barrier, we developed a Hierarchical Crop and Agriculture Taxonomy (HCAT) to harmonize administrative, agricultural data from 16 EU member states. With the release of our upgraded second version of HCAT, we demonstrate how a harmonized CAP data set can aid in identifying drivers of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes at both national and international scales.
Prioritizing Asset Information Requirements for Data-Driven Decision Making: A Fuzzy AHP Approach of Ethiopian Public University Buildings Cases
Authors: Desbalo Muluken Tilahun , Woldesenbet Asregidew Kassa , Yehualaw Mitiku Damtie
Published: January 2024

Digitization of a building infrastructure requires the creation of big data that needs to be modelled and integrated into digital platforms from initial/design phase to operation & maintenance phases to serve as a single source of reliable information. This insufficient integration and/or transition of building information modelling (BIM) into asset management has posed challenges in the operation & maintenance performance. Thus, it is compulsory for owners and end-users to invest in creating digital data for built assets in taking advantage of incorporating building information modelling (BIM) into operational functions. Nevertheless, creating a BIM-enabled asset management and development of a big data repository is costly, time-consuming and requires expertise that may not be achievable without specific targets to make data-driven decisions. The aim of this study is to prioritize the information requirements using building improvement/adaptation, maintenance/ preservation and deconstruction/disassembling as strategic decisions in built asset management. The data for the pairwise comparisons among criteria, strategic decisions, and information requirements was collected from 11 expert’s using AHP pairwise questionnaire. The collected data was transformed into triangular fuzzy logic to overcome the lack of precision and uncertainties of human thought process. A fuzzy-AHP approach is utilized to analyze the collected data. The degree of importance of all forms of information requirement is determined in relation to the strategic decisions. The results showed that all forms of information requirements varies with the type of strategic decision. The results of the present study can help built asset owners and their representatives to define information need based on the decision type using criteria for efficient built asset management.
Optimizing gas pipeline routing considering seismic risk through metaheuristic algorithm
Authors: Alavi Sayyed Hadi , Mashayekhi Mohammadreza , Zolfaghari Mohammadreza
Published: January 2024

The gas pipelines are a significant part of energy transportation pipelines and are recognized as a vital component of societal infrastructure. Earthquake-induced damage to gas pipelines can have severe disastrous humanitarian, social, economic, and ecologic consequences. To mitigate these consequences, one effective approach is to carefully design gas pipeline routes, considering the seismic hazard of the region. Conventional gas pipeline design methods consider only minimum distances from faults and fails to account for seismic potential of faults. This paper introduces a methodology that integrates seismic risk assessment into the gas pipeline route design process. Seismic risk is performed using the HAZUS method, and pipeline routing optimization is accomplished through the application of a metaheuristic algorithm within a GIS-based framework. The methodology is applied in to three gas pipeline routing problems within the high seismic region of southern Iran. The results are then compared with conventional approaches, considering factors such as route length, seismic risks, and seismic damage costs. The findings demonstrate the proposed method effectiveness in mitigating seismic risks related to gas pipeline. The proposed method enables a quantitative and direct incorporation of seismic risk into gas pipeline routing, marking a departure from the qualitative methods presently in use.
Neuroinflammatory imaging markers in white matter: insights into the cerebral consequences of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC)
Authors: Clouston Sean , Huang Chuan , Ying Jia , Sekendiz Zennur , Kritikos Minos , Fontana Ashley , Bangiyev Lev , Luft Benjamin
Published: January 2024

Symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can persist for months or years after infection, a condition called Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Whole-brain white matter and cortical gray matter health were assessed using multi-shell diffusion tensor imaging. Correlational tractography was utilized to dissect the nature and extent of white matter changes. In this study of 42 male essential workers, the most common symptoms of Neurological PASC (n = 24) included fatigue (n = 19) and headache (n = 17). Participants with neurological PASC demonstrated alterations to whole-brain white matter health when compared to controls made up of uninfected, asymptomatic, or mildly infected controls (n = 18). Large differences were evident between PASC and controls in measures of fractional anisotropy (Cohen’s D=-0.54, P = 0.001) and cortical isotropic diffusion (Cohen’s D = 0.50, P = 0.002). Symptoms were associated with white matter fractional anisotropy (fatigue: rho = -0.62, P < 0.001; headache: rho = -0.66, P < 0.001), as well as nine other measures of white and gray matter health. Brain fog was associated with improved cerebral functioning including improved white matter isotropic diffusion and quantitative anisotropy. This study identified changes across measures of white and gray matter connectivity, neuroinflammation, and cerebral atrophy that were interrelated and associated with differences in symptoms of PASC. These results provide insights into the long-term cerebral implications of COVID-19.
Antibiotic resistance and its correlation with biofilm formation and virulence genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from wounds
Authors: Allami Mohammed
Published: January 2024

Klebsiella pneumoniae is the most important species of the Klebsiella genus and often causes hospital infections. These bacteria have a high resistance to most of the available drugs, which has caused concern all over the world. In this study, we investigated the antibiotic resistance profile and the ability to produce Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) among K. pneumoniae isolates, then we investigated the relationship between these two factors with biofilm formation and the prevalence of different virulence genes. In this study, 130 isolates of K. pneumoniae isolated from wounds were investigated. The antibiotic resistance of the isolates was evaluated by the disk diffusion method. The microtiter plate method was used to measure biofilm formation. The prevalence of virulence genes was detected by multiplex PCR.Among the examined isolates, 85.3% showed multidrug resistance. 87.6% of the isolates were ESBL-positive. Imipenem, Meropenem, and Fosfamycin were the most effective drugs. The ability of the isolates to produce biofilm was strong (80%), moderate (12.3%), and weak (7.6%), respectively. FimH, mrKD, entB and tolC virulence genes were observed in all isolates.High prevalence of antibiotic resistance (especially multidrug resistance), high prevalence of ESBL-producing isolates, the ability of all isolates to form a biofilm (especially strong biofilm) and the presence of FimH, mrKD, entB and tolC virulence genes in all isolate show the importance of these factors in the pathogenesis of K. pneumoniae isolates in Iraq.
In vitro analysis of the molecular mechanisms of ursolic acid against ovarian cancer
Authors: Zhang Ru , Zhang Zhaopeng , Xie Lulu , Yu Ziqing , Gao Rui , Zhang Zhi-Run , Zhang Ying , Wei Xuyang , Chen Yang , Jiao Sue , Gao Yiren , Guo Junpeng
Published: January 2024

Ovarian cancer is a common gynaecologic malignancy that poses a serious threat to the health and lives of women.Ursolic acid (UA) is present in various fruits, and several experiments have demonstrated its ability to inhibit tumour growth. In this study, the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to investigate the anti-proliferative effect of UA on ovarian cancer. Additionally, we assessed the inhibitory effects of UA on the colony formation and migration abilities of ovarian cancer cells via colony formation and scratch assays, respectively. To elucidate the capacity of UA to promote apoptosis, we assessed its potential mechanism of inhibiting ovarian cancer cell proliferation using flow cytometry, TUNEL staining, and protein blotting. These findings suggest that UA can enhance endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), induce apoptosis, and suppress autophagy in ovarian cancer cells. This implies that UA exerts a significant anti-ovarian cancer effect by facilitating ERS in tumour cells and inhibiting autophagy.
Machine learning techniques based on 18F-FDG PET radiomics features of temporal regions for classification of temporal lobe epilepsy patients from healthy controls
Authors: Liao Kai , Wu Huanhua , Jiang Yuanfang , Dong Chenchen , Zhou Hailing , Wu Biao , Tang Yongjin , Gong Jian , Ye Weijian , Hu Youzhu , Guo Qiang , Xu Hao
Published: January 2024

Background
To investigate the clinical application of 18F-FDG PET radiomics features for temporal lobe epilepsy and create a radiomics-based model for differentiating TLE patients from healthy controls.
Methods
A total of 347 subjects that underwent 18F-FDG PET scans from March 2014 to January 2020 (234 TLE patients and 113 controls) were allocated to training (n = 242) and test (n = 105) sets. All PET images were registered to the Montreal Neurological Institute template. PyRadiomics was used to extract radiomics features from the temporal regions segmented according to the AAL atlas. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and Boruta algorithms were applied to select the radiomic features significantly associated with TLE. Eleven machine-learning algorithms were used to establish models.
Results
The final radiomics features (n = 22)used for model training were selected by the combinations of the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and the Boruta algorithm with cross-validation. All data were randomly divided into a training set (n = 242) and a testing set (n = 105). Among eleven machine-learning algorithms, the logistic regression (AUC 0.984, F1-Score 0.959) performed the best of the 11 machine-learning models. The AUCs of the tuned logistic regression model in the training and test sets were 98.1 and 95.7.
Conclusions
The radiomics model from temporal regions can be a potential method for distinguishing TLE. Machine learning-based diagnosis of TLE from preoperative FDG PET images could serve as a useful preoperative diagnostic tool.
The difference of double-positive T cells and double-negative-T cells in myeloid neoplasms before and after chemotherapy, and after COVID-19 infection
Authors: Guo Xinyu , Ren Xiaotong , Duan Yuanjia , Shao Zonghong , Fu Rong , Wang Huaquan , Liu Zhaoyun , Liu Hui , Li Lijuan
Published: January 2024

T lymphocytes play a crucial role in the immunological microenvironment of tumors by performing several roles, such as regulating immune responses and executing cytotoxic attacks on tumor cells. However, it is worth noting that various subpopulations of T cells might exhibit contrasting functions in the advancement of tumors, particularly in the context of hematological malignancies. In this study, we studied the differential expression levels of CD3 + CD4 + CD8 + T (double-positive T cells, DPT) cells and CD3 + CD4-CD8-T (double-negative T cells, DNT) cells in myeloid neoplasms, with a particular focus on the pre- and post-chemotherapy stages in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). This study focused on alterations in the peripheral blood composition of patients with AML/MDS before and after COVID-19 infection, aiming to investigate the clinical relevance of DPT cells and DNT cells in myeloid neoplasms and COVID-19 infection. Additionally, the study aimed to offer insights for future research on the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of myeloid neoplasms.
Interactive study between aqueous cationic and anionic surfactant using physical and acoustical parameters
Authors: Saxena Indu , Gupta Aditya , Ejaz Syed Mohammad , Mishra Divyanshi , Yadav Preeti
Published: January 2024

Surfactants have high important application in everyday life due to its amphiphilic nature. Ionic surfactants have either positive or negative charge on its head group making it cationic and anionic in nature. The physical properties of binary solutions of SDS-CTAB in water were thoroughly examined across various mole fraction ratios at temperatures of 298K and 308K. These properties included relative densities, relative viscosities, specific conductance, and the velocity of sound measured through the solutions. Utilizing this data, several critical physical parameters such as adiabatic compressibility (βad), intermolecular free length (Lf), acoustic impedance (Z), viscous relaxation time (τ), and molar free volume (Vf) were calculated using established formulas and relationships. The results obtained from these calculations suggest a compelling presence of molecular interactions between the cationic and anionic surfactants within the solution. These interactions appear to be of an associative nature, indicating a cooperative relationship between the molecules involved. The investigated values of the physical properties support this notion, reinforcing the feasibility of molecular interaction within the SDS-CTAB binary solutions. Furthermore, the derived acoustical and adiabatic parameters exhibit a strong correlation with the experimental observations, signifying the accuracy and reliability of the findings. These parameters collectively provide insights into the nature and characteristics of the interactions occurring between the cationic and anionic surfactants in the solution, highlighting their impact on the overall properties and behaviour of the system.
Lung Protective Effects of Esketamine in Patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery：A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Xiong Wanling , Yin Xia , Ran Wei , Gao Jin , Liang Ning , Yuan Ruixue
Published: January 2024

Background
Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is associated with pulmonary function impairment on account of the specificity of the surgical site.Recent studies have reported that the widespread application of esketamine in general anesthesia.Esketamine acts on multiple receptors but the role in pulmonary protection is indeterminate.Hence,we hypothesized that esketamine exerts protective effects on pulmonary function in patients undergoing VATS and further investigate the possible mechanisms and determine the effects of different dosages.
Methods
Patients with aged 18–65 years scheduled for VATS were included in this study.The patients were assigned randomly to 3 groups as follows:esketamine was administered in group K1 as an initial loading bolus of 0.5 mg/kg before induction and followed by a maintenance infusion of 0.5 mg/kg/h during surgery,patients in group K2 received esketamine as an initial loading bolus of 1.0 mg/kg before induction and followed by 0.5 mg/kg/h during surgery.And group C was received identical amount of normal saline as a placebo.
Results
In total,85 eligible patients were enrolled in our study.Patients in the placebo group had lower a/A ratio and OI,higher RI and A-aDO2 when discharged from ICU and 24h postoperatively (all p༜0.05),higher incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs)(p = 0.017),higher resting and movement numerical rating scale (NRS) at 24h and 48h postoperatively,greater fluctuations of blood pressure and heart rate intraoperatively compared with the esketamine groups.while the time of tracheal extubation,length of intensive care unit stay,the serum levels of procalcitonin (PCT) and the incidence of postoperative adverse events were similar among the 3 groups.
Conclusions
Esketamine administration was effective in protecting pulmonary function in patients undergoing VATS by improving oxygenation,reducing hemodynamic fluctuation and postoperative pain.But the relationship between the optimal dosage and minimal adverse events needed further researches.
Associations of coping and health-related behaviors with medical students’ well-being and performance during Objective Structured Clinical Examination
Authors: Barret Noémie , Guillaumée Théodore , Rimmelé Thomas , Cortet Marion , Mazza Stéphanie , Duclos Antoine , Rode Gilles , Lilot Marc , Schlatter Sophie
Published: January 2024

Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a valid method to evaluate medical students’ competencies. The present study aimed at determining how students’ coping and health-related behaviors are associated with their psychological well-being and performance on the day of the OSCE.
Fourth-year medical students answered a set of standardized questionnaires assessing their coping and health-related behaviors before the examination (BCI, PSQI, GPAQ). Immediately before the OSCE, they reported their level of instant psychological well-being on multi-dimensional visual analogue scales. OSCE performance was assessed by examiners blinded to the study. Associations were explored using multivariable linear regression models.
A total of 482 students were included. Instant psychological well-being was positively associated with the level of positive thinking and of physical activity. It was negatively associated with the level of avoidance and of sleep disturbance. Furthermore, performance was negatively associated with the level of avoidance.
Positive thinking, good sleep quality, and higher level of physical activity were all associated with improved well-being before the OSCE. Conversely, avoidance coping behaviors seem to be detrimental to both well-being and OSCE performance. The recommendation is to pay special attention to students who engage in avoidance and to consider implementing stress management programs.
Text Messaging to Improve Retention in Hypertension Care in Bangladesh
Authors: Gupta Reena , Jubayer Shamim , Akhtar Jubaida , Abrar Ahmad , Sayem Md. Noor , Islam Shahinul , Amin Khondoker , Nahid Muhtamim , Bhuiyan Mahfuzur , Mamun Mohammad Al , Alim Abdul , Amin Mohammad , Burka Daniel , Gupta Prabhanshu , Zhao Di , Matsushita Kunihiro , Moran Andrew , Choudhury Sohel , Gupta Reena
Published: January 2024

Visit non-attendance is a common barrier to hypertension control in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile text messaging in improving visit attendance among patients with hypertension in primary care facilities in Bangladesh. A randomized A/B testing study was conducted with two patient groups: (1) patients regularly attending visits (regular patients) and (2) patients overdue for follow-up visits (overdue patients). Regular patients were randomized into three groups: a cascade of three text reminders, a single text reminder, or no text reminder. Overdue patients were randomized into two groups: a single text reminder or no text reminder. 20,072 regular patients and 12,708 overdue patients were enrolled. Among regular patients, visit attendance was significantly higher in the cascade reminder group and the single reminder group compared to the no reminder group (78.2% and 76.6% vs. 74.8%, p < 0.001 and 0.027, respectively). Among overdue patients, the single reminder group had a 5.8% higher visit attendance compared to the no reminder group (26.5% vs. 20.7%, p < 0.001). The results remained consistent in multivariable analysis; adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) was 1.04 (95% CI 1.02–1.06) for the cascade reminder group and 1.02 (95% CI 1.00-1.05) for the single reminder group among regular patients. The adjusted PR for the single reminder group vs. the no reminder group among overdue patients was 1.23 (95% CI 1.15–1.33). Text message reminders are an effective strategy for improving retention of patients in hypertension treatment in LMICs, especially for patients overdue to care.
Adaptive Backstepping and Sliding Mode Control of a Quadrotor
Authors: maaruf muhammad , Gulzar Muhammad , Abubakar Abdulrazaq Nafiu
Published: January 2024

Quadrotors are increasingly employed for both civilian and military applications. Recently, researchers have combined different control and estimation schemes to come up with a hybrid control structure to improve the robustness and tracking performance of the quadrotors. To further enhance the tracking precision of quadrotors subjected to parametric variations and environmental disturbances, this article proposes a new robust adaptive hybrid control architecture. In this study, the quadrotor model is divided into altitude, attitude, and position subsystems for which appropriate control methods are designed. A fractional-order sliding mode control with adaptive gain (AFSMC) is designed to enhance the tracking of the altitude subsystem. A robust backstepping control with adaptive gain (RAB) is developed for the horizontal position to generate the required roll and pitch orientations. A nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode control (NFTSMC) is incorporated with a finite-time disturbance observer (FDO) to accurately suppress the disturbances, follow the target rotation angles, and attain finite-time stability. The compounded control structure ensures accurate, fast, and robust tracking. The efficacy of the developed hybrid control scheme is assessed via simulations and comparisons with existing control methods.