bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dog Ownership for People With Substance Use Disorder: Self-Reported Influence on Mental Health and Substance Use
Authors: KERR-LITTLE ANDI , BRAMNESS JØRGEN G. , NEWBERRY RUTH C. , BIONG STIAN
Published: April 2024

Background: Dog ownership is reported to influence the everyday life for people with substance use disorder (SUD) such that they report feeling more connected socially with a sense of belonging and structure within their day. Yet how dog ownership affects their substance use specifically, has received little research. The aim of this study was to explore how people with SUD perceived that dog ownership affected their use of substances.Method: Qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight people with experience of dog ownership and SUD. Data were gathered and analysed using a 4-step qualitative content analysis.Results: Three categories of perceived effects emerged from the analysis. Firstly, participants became more conscious of their substance use, managing, planning or stopping use altogether. Secondly, the relationship with their dog helped the participants in their mental wellbeing and in their perception of themselves. Thirdly, the influence was valued precisely because it came from the dog and not another human.Discussion: Dog ownership helped the participants move away from habitual patterns around substance use and promoted a considered, less harmful approach to their use. The participants were able to experience a positive sense of themselves where they steadied their mental health and saw themselves as important. These findings add to the current research illuminating the unique influence a dog can have for someone with SUD.
Travel time prediction for an intelligent transportation system based on a data-driven feature selection method considering temporal correlation
Authors: Kandiri Amirreza , Ghiasi Ramin , Teixeira Rui , Nogal Maria
Published: April 2024

Travel-time prediction holds significant importance in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), providing essential information for tasks such as accident detection and congestion control. While data-driven methods are commonly used for travel-time prediction, the accuracy of predictions heavily relies on the selection of appropriate features. In this study, a two-stage methodology for travel time prediction is introduced, comprising a novel feature selection method called OA2DD with two layers of optimization and a layer of data-driven predictive methods. In the first stage (offline process), the optimal set of features and architecture for the machine learning model is selected using interconnected optimization algorithms. In the second stage (real-time process), travel time prediction is performed using new data from unseen parts of the dataset. The method is applied to a case study involving the M50 motorway in Dublin. Additionally, several wrapper feature selection methods are employed to assess and validate its performance. Results show that the proposed method has a better convergence curve and reduces the number of selected features by up to half, which reduces the computational cost of prediction process up to 56%. Moreover, employing the selected features from the OA2DD method leads to a reduction in predication error by up to 29% compared to the full set of features and the other feature selection methods.
Development, chlorophyll content, and nutrient accumulation in shoots of Melaleuca alternifolia in vitro under different light wavelengths and benzylaminopurine (BAP)
Authors: Cardoso Jean Carlos , Gonzales-Alvarado Antony Cristhian
Published: April 2024

In vitro growing of Melaleuca can contribute to the cloning of superior genotypes. Studies on factors affecting micropropagation are necessary, especially those using recent technologies, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). This study aimed at better understanding the effects of wavelengths on the development and physiology of Melaleuca cultivated in vitro, as well as the interaction of LED with N6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP), the main cytokinin used in micropropagation. The BAP and wavelengths, and their interaction, had a strong influence on most variables analyzed, altering the in vitro development and chlorophyll concentrations in the plants and changing the different variables of the culture medium, such as pH, EC, levels of Ca2+, Mg2+ and P in culture media and the nutrient accumulation in the shoots. The results demonstrated that the main effects of adding BAP in the in vitro cultivation of Melaleuca are the increase in the number of shoots, which resulted in a greater increase in fresh and dry mass, reduction in height and chlorophyll contents, complete inhibition of adventitious rooting, higher consumption of Mg and lower consumption of Ca and P from the culture media, higher contents of Fe and lower contents of P, S, Mn, Cu and B in the in vitro tissues.
Breeding of a Black Soybean Line with Green Cotyledon and Recessive Genotypes for Lectin, KTI, P34, Lipoxygenase, and Stachyose Components
Authors: Ly Sarath , Park Byeong Eon , Shim Sang In , Kim Min Chul , Moon Jin Young , Chung Jong Il
Published: April 2024

Black soybean cultivar with a green cotyledon has long been widely cultivated in Asia due to the high content of health-beneficial anthocyanins and lutein. However, the mature seeds of soybean cultivars with a black seed coat and a green cotyledon contain major anti-nutritional and allergenic components including lectin, Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI), P34, lipoxygenase, and stachyose. Genetically eliminating or reducing the levels of these components might be a method for achieving significantly enhanced quality and nutritional value in the utilization of soybean with a black seed coat and a green cotyledon. The objective of this research is to breed a soybean line with a black seed coat, a green cotyledon, and the penta null genotype (lele-titi-p34p34-lox1lox1lox2lox2 lox3lox3-rs2rs2) for all five components. The ratio for segregation based on the presence or absence of P34 protein was fitted to an expected ratio of 3:1 (χ2 = 2.64, α = 0.05) in 146 F2 seeds. Nine F2 plants with superior agronomic traits from 28 F2 seeds with the p34p34 genotype (lacking the P34 protein) were selected and one F2 plant with the rs2rs2 genotype was finally selected. The penta null genotype for components including lectin, KTI, P34, lipoxygenase, and stachyose was identified in random F3 seeds and 10 F3 plants. The characteristics for the selection line included a black seed coat, a green cotyledon, 31.5g in 100 seed weight, and the penta null genotype for five components. The selection line would be bred into a soybean cultivar with a black seed coat, a green cotyledon, and significantly reduced anti-nutritional and allergenic properties. Worldwide, this paper is the first to demonstrate that accumulation of all five recessive alleles for lectin, KTI, P34, lipoxygenase, and stachyose was achieved for soybean with a black seed coat and a green cotyledon.
Clinical Profile of Cellulitis and Erysipelas in the Tertiary Referral Hospital of West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Gunawan Hendra , Hindritiani Reti , Dharmadji Hartati Purbo , Suwarsa Oki , Widjaja Stephanie
Published: April 2024

Introduction:
Cellulitis and erysipelas belong to a group of diseases that are considered global health burdens. Epidemiological data on these diseases in Indonesia is still limited.
Purposes:
This study aimed to identify the clinical profile of cellulitis and erysipelas in the tertiary referral hospital in West Java, Indonesia.
Method
This was a retrospective, descriptive study using a cross-sectional design. Data were obtained from outpatient and inpatient records of cellulitis and erysipelas patients in the tertiary referral hospital in West Java, Indonesia, in a three-year period during January 2020–December 2022.
Result
The results of the study showed that cellulitis was most common in women within the 45–64-year age group with normoweight nutritional status, while erysipelas mostly occurred in men within the > 65-year age group without a certain nutritional status predominance. In general, the risk factor for cellulitis was skin barrier disruption, while that for erysipelas was metabolic disorders. Fever was present in less than half of cases with cellulitis and erysipelas, and the lower extremities were the most often affected. The most frequent portal of entry in cellulitis was scratched skin, whereas erysipelas had no particular predominance. Additional skin lesions, such as bullae and/or erosions and suppuration, were found in some cases of these diseases and usually showed Gram-positive cocci with leukocytosis. Normal saline dressing was given to all cases, and some of them were treated with additional wound dressings and 2% mupirocin cream. Clindamycin was the most commonly administered oral antibiotic, while ceftriaxone was administered parenterally.
Conclusion
The clinical profile of cellulitis and erysipelas in the tertiary referral hospital in West Java, Indonesia, is consistent with findings from other previous studies. Additionally, clindamycin is the most commonly used oral antibiotic for the treatment of cellulitis and erysipelas.
Exploring biodiversity challenges in Europe: Completeness, geography and environmental representativeness
Authors: García-Roselló Emilio , González-Dacosta Jacinto , Lobo Jorge M.
Published: April 2024

Biases and gaps in biodiversity data lead to significant disparities in knowledge among species descriptions and distributions of different taxonomic groups. These gaps could be addressed by utilizing predictive models, but this requires ensuring that available information is environmentally representative. In this study we utilize data from GBIF to investigate geographical biases, gaps and spatial completeness patterns concerning species distribution for the main classes of terrestrial organism in Europe. By identifying the spatial units with comprehensive inventories for each class, we offer insights into their quantity, distribution, and ability to capture the environmental variability of the European subcontinent. The results clearly demonstrate a high spatial heterogeneity and variability between taxa in the number of well-surveyed spatial units, showing that the units with high completeness for vertebrates and vascular plants are several times more numerous than those available for invertebrates and mosses. Regarding the environmental variability represented by the available data, results demonstrate the uncoordinated and contingent character of the accumulation process of biodiversity information and the need of an extra effort, which should be more intense in those taxa with a lower geographical coverage of their data. These challenges raise doubts about the reliability of these data in providing a comprehensive understanding of biodiversity distribution, as well as hindering model estimations. Extra compilation efforts should be mainly directed towards those spatial units capable of improving the current environmental representation of the spatial units considered well-surveyed, to reach a representative sample capable of producing effective interpolations and reliable predictions of species distributions.
Networks and Yardstick Competition in the Digital Age: Evidence from Italy
Authors: Lockwood Ben , Porcelli Francesco , Redoano Michela , Schiavone Antonio
Published: April 2024

This paper examines the impact of OpenCivitas, a data disclosure program introduced by the Italian government that allows mayors to access detailed expenditure data of other municipalities through a dedicated website. Through analysing website views, we construct a directed network and investigate the characteristics and strategic behaviors of mayors in this network. Mayors in the network are on average younger, more educated, often from larger cities and are more likely to be affiliated to traditional parties, although populist parties are the ones usually relying more on the Web for communication and political activities. Mayors in this network do not engage in yardstick competition with neighboring municipalities as the other mayors do; rather, they interact with each other despite the physical distance. We find that the network existed prior to the website opening, but after data disclosure, yardstick competition within the network becomes strongly driven by mayors who are up for re-election, which was not the case before. For the other municipalities, yardstick competition between neighbours remains uncorrelated with mayors’ term limits.
JEL codes: H11, H71, H77
Integration of ex-situ multiplication approaches with in-situ conservation of Gentiana kurroo through reintroduction and recovery programs: a critically endangered and endemic species of the North-West Himalaya
Authors: Panwar Giriraj Singh , Kumar Puneet , Bhandari Aakriti , Srivast Amber , Mao A. A.
Published: April 2024

Gentiana kurroo Royle (Gentianaceae), a highly medicinal, critically endangered and endemic species of the Western Himalayas with restricted distribution in India and Pakistan. The perspective focuses on the ex-situ mass multiplication and in-situ conservation of the species through reintroduction under the species recovery initiative. The integration of effective conservation strategies viz macro and micro and intervention of modern technological tools for in-situ restoration of species were invoked. The macro propagation was carried out through seed germination and vertically segregating the profusely branched tuft of plants into small tufts along with the rhizome. The species was micro propagated through axillary bud explants in MS medium fortified with 4.4 µM BAP and 0.53 µM NAA was found to be the optimum for shoot induction having 98.23% of shoot formation with 11.32 mean shoot number per culture and shoot length of 4.6 cm. Shoots rooted in half strength MS medium supplemented with IBA (4.9 µM) and 0.3% activated charcoal. Profuse rooting with average 24.58 roots per shoot was reported after 3-weeks of incubation. The plants were acclimatized in the glass house and were finally transferred to the open environment with 83% survival percentage. Under the species reintroduction and recovery programs, the propagated saplings were introduced into three different wild habitats located in Chakrata and Mussoorriee forest divisions of Uttarakhand and 44% survival was reported after six months of field transfer. The research demonstrates the successful coherence of ex-situ propagation methods with in-situ conservation through reintroduction initiatives. The efforts might be helpful in in-situ preservation of the germplasm and simultaneously to cater the escalating medicinal requirements of Gentiana kurroo.
Selection of Superior sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) genotypes using Selection Indexes of multi-trai under rhizomania-contaminated areas
Authors: Hamze Hamze , Mohammadian Rahim , Darabi Saeed , Idiliki Jamshid Soltani , khodadadi Shahram , KHURSHID Abdul Majid
Published: April 2024

In this study, 13 modern genotypes were examined based on the list provided by the Iraniai Seed Registration and Certification Institute. Genotypes grown in a randomized complete block design, with four replications in Iran's Karaj, Mashhad, Miandoab, Zarghan, and Hamedan stations in the 2022 and 2023 crop seasons. The mean genotype comparison results revealed that the F-21375 hybrid had the highest root yield (RY), while the F-21376 and F-21374 genotypes had the highest sugar content (SC), white sugar content (WSC), and white sugar yield (WSY). The results of AMMI analysis revealed that RY, SC, WSC, and WSY were significantly influenced by genotype (G), environment (E), and the multiplicative effect of G×E. Based on the WAASB and WAASBY indexes, F-21376, F-21410, F-21411, and F-21092 in terms of RY, F-21375, F-21370, and F-20940 in terms of SC and WSC, and F-21375, F-21376, and F-21092 in terms of WSY were stable with favorable quantitative and qualitative characteristics. The predicted mean for RY, SC, WSC, and WSY in F -21375 and F-21092 was higher than the total mean. The biplot analysis showed that the first two components contributed 65.1%, 80.80%, 88.07%, and 69.7% of GEI variance of RY, SC, WSC, and WSY, respectively. In this experiment, F-21092 and F-21376 were selected as stable genotypes for all quantitative and qualitative characteristics; in addition, F-21375, F-21092, and F-21411 were recognized as the most ideal among the studied genotypes. Finally, the F-21092 genotype can be introduced as a variety with high performance and stability to areas with rhizomania contamination.
SNP-based analysis reveals high genetic structure and diversity in umbu tree (Spondias tuberosa Arruda), a native and endemic species of the Caatinga biome
Authors: Nascimento Wellington Ferreira do , Costa Flaviane Malaquias Malaquias , Alves-Pereira Alessandro , Batista Carlos Eduardo de Araújo , de Carvalho Igor Araújo Santos , Garcia Caroline Bertocco , Silva Allison Vieira da , Silva Edson Ferreira da , Dias Márcia Maria de Souza Gondim , Pereira Fábio Rodrigo Araújo , Zucchi Maria Imaculada , Veasey Elizabeth Ann
Published: April 2024

Umbu (Spondias tuberosa Arruda) is an endemic fruit tree restricted to the Brazilian seasonally dry tropical forest called Caatinga. This study aimed to evaluate the structure and genomic diversity of umbu trees from seven locations in the Caatinga biome, distributed among four Brazilian states. Using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), a total of 5,336 SNPs were obtained, of which 250 showed outlier behavior. Therefore, 5,086 neutral SNPs were used for population structure and genetic diversity analyses. Both discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) and neighbor-joining cluster analyses classified the accessions into four groups, with a genetic structure observed among groups, disagreeing with our initial hypothesis of low genetic structure between locations. Isolation by distance (r2 = 0.974; p = 0.0015) was detected. Moderate to high levels of genetic diversity were found, with the average observed heterozygosity (HO = 0.221) higher than the expected heterozygosity (HE = 0.199) and with negative inbreeding coefficient (FIS) values. Most genetic variation was found within locations, although high diversity between locations (22.1%) was observed. The results obtained are important for understanding the levels and distribution of genetic variation, suggesting that most locations are priorities for conservation actions, contributing with different alleles to the species' gene pool in Brazil.
Hand gestures classification of sEMG signals based on BiLSTM- Metaheuristic Optimization and Hybrid U-Net-MobileNetV2 Encoder Architecture
Authors: Khavari Safoura Farsi , Rezaee Khosro , Ansari Mojtaba , Zare Fatemeh , Roknabadi Mohammad Hossein Alizadeh
Published: April 2024

Surface electromyography (sEMG) data has been extensively utilized in deep learning algorithms for hand movement classification. This paper aims to introduce a novel method for hand gesture classification using sEMG data, addressing accuracy challenges seen in previous studies. We propose a U-Net architecture incorporating a MobileNetV2 encoder, enhanced by a novel Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) and metaheuristic optimization for spatial feature extraction in hand gesture and motion recognition. Bayesian optimization is employed as the metaheuristic approach to optimize the BiLSTM model's architecture. To tackle the non-stationarity of sEMG signals, we utilize a windowing and overlapping method, augmented with additional signals in deep learning architectures. The MobileNetV2 encoder and U-Net architecture extract relevant features from sEMG spectrogram images. Edge computing integration is leveraged to further enhance innovation by enabling real-time processing and decision-making closer to the data source. Six standard databases were utilized, achieving an average accuracy of 90.23% with our proposed model, showcasing a 3-4% average accuracy improvement and a 10% variance reduction. Notably, Mendeley Data, BioPatRec DB3, and BioPatRec DB1 surpassed advanced models in their respective domains with classification accuracies of 88.71%, 90.2%, and 88.6%, respectively. Experimental results underscore the significant enhancement in generalizability and gesture recognition robustness. This approach offers a fresh perspective on prosthetic management and human-machine interaction, emphasizing its efficacy in improving accuracy and reducing variance for enhanced prosthetic control and interaction with machines through edge computing integration.
Long-Term Risk of Autoimmune Diseases After mRNA-based COVID-19 Vaccination: A Korean Population-based Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Lee Solam , Jung Seung-Won , Jeon Jae Joon , Choe Sung Jay
Published: April 2024

The long-term association between mRNA-based Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and the development of autoimmune connective tissue diseases (AI-CTDs) remains unclear. In this nationwide population-based cohort study involving 9,258,803 individuals, we investigated the incidence of AI-CTDs associated with mRNA vaccines for ≥1 year and further analysed the risk by stratifying by sex, age, mRNA vaccine type, COVID-19 diagnosis, cross-vaccination with a non-mRNA vaccine, and booster vaccination. The risk of developing most AI-CTDs did not increase following mRNA vaccination. However, systemic lupus erythematosus and bullous pemphigoid were significantly more prevalent in vaccinated individuals than in controls. Comparable results were reported in the subgroup analyses, especially in the subgroups comprising women or patients aged ≥40 years who showed a higher risk of developing bullous pemphigoid following mRNA vaccination. Our results suggest that mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccinations are not associated with a high incidence of most AI-CTDs. However, further research is needed regarding its potential association with certain conditions including systemic lupus erythematosus and bullous pemphigoid.
Neural Adaptive Video Streaming with OfflineReinforcement Learning
Authors: Qin Yongbin , Huang Ruizhang
Published: April 2024

Learning adaptive bitrate (ABR) algorithms arecurrently an effective means for video players to optimize userquality of experience (QoE) under diverse network conditions.Nonetheless, reinforcement learning (RL) approaches demandextensive trial-and-error learning with Internet adaptive videostreaming, and the dynamic and heavy-tailed nature of networkcharacteristics poses a challenge. As a result, off-the-shelf RLtechniques face difficulties in efficient learning and fast adaptation to diverse network conditions.
In this work, we propose Offline Meta-RL ABR (OMA) algorithm, which utilizes offline datasets to automatically generatehighly-efficient meta-ABR policies based on specific networkconditions. First, traditional learned ABR algorithm techniquesrequire lengthy online meta-training from video streaming sessions, which we replace with demonstration and and offline data,eliminating the need for expensive online learning and enablingsafer exploration. Second, meta-ABR inevitably fail to generalizeto unseen network conditions that differ significantly duringmeta-training. We address this issue by incorporating contextualmeta-learning for online fine-tuning. If the new network conditions are similar to the prior data, then the contextual meta-ABRlearner adapts immediately, and if it’s significantly different, itgradually adapts through fine-tuning.
Comparing OMA under different network conditions, the experimental results demonstrate that it outperforms existing stateof-the-art ABR algorithms. OMA achieves up to 8× improvementduring training and effectively generalizes to unseen networkconditions and video streams.
Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Amalgamation of Mixed Frequency Carrier Based Asymmetrical 15 Level Multilevel Inverter
Authors: Paramasivan Muthukumar , Prasad Narasimha , K Vanchinathan
Published: April 2024

This research encompasses the investigations of a multicarrier based 15 level multilevel inverter in an asymmetrical mode. The series connection of three voltage sources (12V, 24V and48 V) with three metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) switches and a parallel H Bridge are used to construct the multilevel inverter. The Phase Disposition configurations of triangle carrier and inverted sine carrier are selected for the investigations. The indigenous thorough Pulse-width modulation (PWM) has been generated for three series switches from the comparison of seven carriers with a reference. The two frequencies (1 kHz and 4 kHz) are chosen for carriers. The 4 kHz frequency carrier will be active only at the peak of the sine reference i.e between 5π/12 ≥ θ ≤ 7π/12 in positive half cycle and between 17π/12 ≥ θ ≤ 19π/12 in negative half cycle, remaining period 1 kHz frequency carrier has been active. These schemes have been verified with single phase MLI with RL load. The MATLAB based simulation results of fours schemes are presented. Field programmable gate array based experimental result of best scheme among four is reported and corresponding hardware results are evidenced. Xilinx Vivado design suite has been used for design synthesis and bit file generation for the FPGA.
Decision-making in suicidal acute psychiatric patients
Authors: Reiråskag Marie Aaslie , Brokke Silje Støle , Rohde Gudrun , Bertelsen Thomas Bjerregaard , Landrø Nils Inge , Haaland Vegard Øksendal
Published: April 2024

Background
Suicidality is a major health problem. Decision-making deficits, including a lack of cognitive control (e.g., impulsivity and risk-taking behavior), have been associated with an increased risk of suicide.
Methods
This study examined decision-making in a clinical group of 23 adult, suicidal acute psychiatric patients and compared their data to that of a control group of 17 healthy adults using the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT) from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Group differences in outcomes on the six CGT subtests were compared using chi-square tests, t tests, and Mann‒Whitney U tests where appropriate. Multiple regression analysis was used to explore whether background variables were associated with CGT outcomes.
Results
The main findings were significantly lower scores for risk-taking, quality of decision-making, and risk adjustment in the clinical group than in the control group. Within the clinical group, differences were observed in which suicide ideators scored worse in some measures than did suicide attempters. These findings suggest that suicidal acute psychiatric patients may struggle with making low-risk decisions that are considered reasonable.
Conclusion
These results support the potential for cognitive control training, specifically aimed at enhancing decision-making abilities, in suicide prevention efforts. The observed decision-making deficits in suicidal patients underscore the importance of further investigating these findings in a larger population to solidify the foundation for targeted interventions.
Towards Resource-Efficient DDoS Detection in IoT: Leveraging Feature Engineering of System and Network Usage Metrics
Authors: Gavric Nikola , Bhandari Guru Prasad , Shalaginov Andrii
Published: April 2024

The Internet of Things (IoT) is omnipresent, exposing a large number of devices that often lack security controls to the public Internet. In the modern world, many everyday processes depend on these devices, and their service outage could lead to catastrophic consequences. There are many Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) based intrusion detection systems (IDS). However, their linear computational complexity induced by the event-driven nature poses a power-demanding obstacle in resource-constrained IoT environments. In this paper, we shift away from the traditional IDS as we introduce a novel and lightweight framework, relying on a time-driven algorithm to detect Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks by employing Machine Learning (ML) algorithms leveraging the newly engineered features containing system and network utilization information. These features are periodically generated, and there are only ten of them, resulting in a low and constant algorithmic complexity. Moreover, we leverage IoT-specific patterns to detect malicious traffic as we argue that each Denial of Service (DoS) attack leaves a unique fingerprint in the proposed set of features. We construct a dataset by launching some of the most prevalent DoS attacks against an IoT device, and we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach with high accuracy. The results show that standalone IoT devices can detect and classify DoS and, therefore, arguably, DDoS attacks against them at a low computational cost with a deterministic delay.
Smoking is not associated with wound complications in augmented urethroplasty: A NSQIP Analysis
Authors: Cahill Ellen , Islam Raeesa , Chua Kevin , Balraj Vasundhara , Boyle Joseph , Patel Hiren , Kaldany Alain , Doppalapudi Sai Krishnaraya , Velez Danielle , Tunuguntla Hari , Sterling Joshua
Published: April 2024

Objective
To investigate if predictors of wound complications differed between patients undergoing excision and primary anastomosis urethroplasty (EPA) and augmented urethroplasty.
Methods
The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2006–2018 was queried for male patients undergoing urethroplasty. Thirty-day wound complications were identified and categorized (superficial/deep/organ-space surgical site infections and dehiscence). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine risk factors associated with wound complications. Smoking history was defined as current smoker within the past year.
Results
Urethroplasty was performed in 2251 males, with 25.46% (n = 573) using a flap or graft. There was no significant difference in wound complications for patients undergoing augmented urethroplasty (n = 17, 2.97%) or EPA (n = 45, 2.68%) (p = 0.9). The augmented group had a higher BMI, longer operative time, and longer length of stay. On multivariable logistic regression, risk factors associated with wound complications for patients undergoing EPA were diabetes (OR 2.56, p = 0.03) and smoking (OR 2.32, p = 0.02). However, these factors were not associated with wound complications in patients undergoing augmented urethroplasty.
Conclusions
Smoking and diabetes were associated with increased wound complications for men undergoing EPA, but not in patients undergoing augmented urethroplasty. Patients with comorbidities associated with worse wound healing may be more likely to have a wound complication when undergoing EPA.
Real-World Cost-analysis of Paliperidone Palmitate for Schizophrenia Management:A Retrospective Analysis in Xiamen, China
Authors: Zhou Yixiang , Chen Binbin , Huang Yinghua
Published: April 2024

Background: To perform a cost-analysis of one-year maintenance treatment in stable schizophrenic patients with paliperidone extended-release tablets (PPER) and paliperidone palmitate once-monthly (PP1M) and provide a reference for clinicians in patient selection.
Methods: A retrospective investigation and analysis were conducted on stable schizophrenic patients who had been on PPER or PP1M for at least one year between June 2014 and December 2019 in Xiamen City. Patient demographic data, direct medical and nonmedical costs, and other information were collected. The clinical efficacy data were obtained from published articles, and a cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted.
Results: The PPER and PP1M groups included data from 84 and 62 patients, respectively. The two groups had no significant difference in gender and age. The total effective rates of PPER and PP1M were 73.17 and 97.37%, respectively. The registration frequency in the PPER group was significantly higher than that in the PP1M group (P<0.001). The cost of medication and total treatment was significantly higher in the PP1M group than in the PPER group (P <0.001). The cost/effect value was slightly higher in the PP1M group than in the PPER group. The incremental cost-effect ratio of both treatments was 369.07 yuan, less than the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) value.
Conclusion: Both formulations of paliperidone were found to be suitable for the long-term management of schizophrenia, while PP1M has better pharmacoeconomic advantages.
Purulent Pericarditis Caused by Nocardia: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Zhong Xinxin , Lin Ao , Luo Jian , Jiang Shihao , Ruan Yuying , Li Shuting , Zhong Li , He[Author] zhiyi , Cao Fu
Published: April 2024

Background
Pericarditis caused by Nocardia, a rare opportunistic disease marked by high mortality rates, is frequently misdiagnosed as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and bacterial infections.
Case Presentation:
We present a case of pericarditis caused by Nocardia in a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS). The patient was misdiagnosed on several occasions and received inappropriate anti-tuberculosis treatment for MTB. When timely pericardial puncture and collection of pericardial effusions culture revealed the presence of Nocardia, the patient was started on appropriate antibiotic therapy, which resulted in a cure.
Conclusions
By reporting this case, we aim to enhance clinicians' awareness of the differential diagnosis of purulent pericarditis and the importance of sensitive antibiotic therapy to aid in the timely diagnosis and treatment of nocardial pericarditis. The previously reported cases of laboratory-confirmed nocardial pericarditis are also reviewed and summarized.
Forest-based Approaches for SDR
Authors: Dai Shuang , Wu Ping , Yu Zhou
Published: April 2024

Sufficient dimension reduction (SDR) primarily aims to reduce the dimensional-ity of high-dimensional predictor variables while retaining essential informationabout the responses. Traditional SDR methods generally employ kernel weightingfunctions, which unfortunately makes them prone to the curse of dimensional-ity. To address this issue, this paper applies Random Forests as an adaptiveweighted technique for SDR problems, thereby resulting in both improved computational efficiency and predictive accuracy. In the central mean subspace model,by combining the study of Xia et al. (2002) with Mondrian forest weights, wesuggest the forest-based outer product of gradients estimation (mf-OPG) andthe forest-based minimum average variance estimation (mf-MAVE). Moreover, we implement the forest-based techniques (mf-dOPG and mf-dMAVE) to estimate the central subspace based on the study of Xia (2007). Under regularityconditions, we establish the asymptotic properties of the forest-based estimators, as well as the convergence of the affiliated algorithms. The practical efficacy of our proposals is demonstrated via simulation studies and empirical data analysis.Moreover, for a more comprehensive representation, we compare the numericalperformance of forest-based approaches with tree-based methodologies.
Multichannel meta-imager for parallel front-end optical computations
Authors: Li Peng , Bi Xinyi , Wu Xuanguang , Fan Xinhao , Zhao Chenyang , Wen Dandan , Liu Sheng , Gan Xuetao , Zhao Jianlin
Published: April 2024

Optical computing has demonstrated significant advantages over electronic computing, including parallelism, high-speed processing, extensive capacity, and low energy consumption. Optical computing front ends leveraging metasurfaces provide advantages such as miniaturization and seamless integration, but have a serious constraint of single computing functionality. Here, we propose a meta-imager, optical computing front end that integrates two coherent transfer functions corresponding to differential and integral convolution kernels into a built-in metasurface. In this architecture, the meta-imager enables parallel processing of multiple all-optical operations for signal computing tasks such as edge enhancement and denoising. We demonstrate the robust integral and differential operations on image signals of noisy patterns and onion cells at multiple visible wavelengths. This optical computing meta-imager paves a promising pathway towards multifunctional image processing for artificial intelligence and biological observation, and shows the potential to expedite and potentially supplant certain digital neural network algorithms.
Diagnostisk nøyaktighet ved algoritmen til den norske versjonen av StrengthsandDifficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
Authors: Eidstuen Jon Sigurd , Kornør Hege
Published: April 2024

Beskrivelse: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) er et sett spørreskjema med tre informantversjoner: foreldre, lærere og barn ≥ 11 år. Måleegenskapene ved de ulike informantversjonene av SDQ er vurdert i separate PsykTestBarn-artikler. Robert Goodman har utviklet en algoritme for å predikere hvorvidt en psykisk lidelse er tilstede. SDQ-algoritmen inneholder data fra minst to informanter, men kan også ha data fra samtlige tre informanter. Ved hjelp av algoritmen kan man estimere sannsynligheten for at et barn har en diagnose blant fire brede kategorier: emosjonell lidelse, atferdsforstyrrelse, hyperkinetisk-/oppmerksomhetsforstyrrelse og noen (minst én) psykisk lidelse. Sannsynligheten har tre terskelverdier: unlikely, possible og probable. I denne artikkelen undersøker vi den diagnostiske nøyaktigheten til SDQ-algoritmen i skandinaviske utvalg. Litteratursøk: Av 541 unike treff vurderte vi 133 i fulltekst, hvorav 11 publikasjoner oppfylte inklusjonskriteriene. Fem publikasjoner var delstudier i kohortstudien Barn i Bergen, fem var andre norske studier og én var en dansk studie. Studiene omfattet både befolknings- og selekterte utvalg i alderen 5-18 år. Psykometri: Seks studier rapporterte relevante data for vurdering av diagnostisk nøyaktighet, mens fem kun rapporterte forekomster. SDQ-algoritmen hadde generelt god sensitivitet, spesifisitet og negativ prediktiv verdi i selekterte utvalg, mens den positive prediktive verdien varierte. I befolkningsutvalg der kun ADHD var undersøkt hadde algoritmen utmerket spesifisitet og negativ prediktiv verdi, mens sensitiviteten og den positive prediktive verdien var utilfredsstillende for denne diagnosen. Ingen av referansestandardene i studiene av diagnostisk nøyaktighet hadde godt nok dokumentert kriterievaliditet. Konklusjon: Med forbehold om usikkerheten knyttet til referansestandarden og normgrunnlag i de inkluderte studiene, har SDQ-algoritmen god evne til å identifisere barn med og uten noen psykisk lidelse i selekterte utvalg. I befolkningsbaserte utvalg kan SDQ-algoritmen med stor sannsynlighet korrekt utelukke ADHD, mens den har dårlig evne til å påvise ADHD. For å få bedre kunnskap om SDQ-algoritmens diagnostiske nøyaktighet i norske utvalg trenger vi studier som bruker en referansestandard med dokumentert kriterievaliditet.
Måleegenskaper ved den norske versjonen av Autism Diagnostic Interview- Revised (ADI-R)
Authors: Halvorsen Marianne , Helverschou Sissel Berge
Published: April 2024

Beskrivelse: Autism Diaganostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R) er et semistrukturert intervju utviklet av Sir Michael Rutter, Ann Le Couter og Cathrine Lord for å bidra til valid og reliabel diagnostisering av Autismespekterforstyrrelser. Intervjuet ble første gang publisert i 1989 av Western Psychological Services og revidert i 1994. Norsk utgave ble utarbeidet av Hogrefe i 2009. Det foreligger norsk protokoll med oversikt over spørsmålene, mens manualen med instruksjon for hvordan intervjuet skal gjennomføres og skåres er amerikansk. Intervjuet består av 93 ledd. Det kan benyttes til vurdering av voksne og barn over tolv måneder og med mental alder over ti måneder. Intervjuet tar 1,5 – 2,5 timer. ADI-R bør administreres av en erfaren kliniker. Klinikeren intervjuer forelder eller omsorgsperson med god kjennskap til utviklingshistorien og nåværende fungering for personen som vurderes. Ved hjelp av en diagnostisk algoritme utarbeides grenseverdier for indikasjon på mulig forekomst av autisme.
Litteratursøk: Systematisk litteratursøk etter studier av målegenskaper ved den norske, svenske og danske versjonen av intervjuet ga 190 treff. I tillegg ble tre artikler inkludert etter innspill fra eksperter. En norsk befolkningsstudie med til sammen 679 deltakere og seks svenske kliniske studier, hvorav den største bestod av 268 deltakere, oppfylte inklusjonskriteriene. Flertallet av studiene omfattet barn og ungdom.
Psykometri: Den diagnostiske validiteten til ADI-R er undersøkt for de nye småbarns algoritmene. Funn viser at den norske og svenske ADI-R-versjonen har lavere sensitivitet sammenlignet med amerikanske valideringsstudier. Grad av samsvar mellom ADI-R og Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS) i diagnostikk er varierende. Interrater-reliabilitet for ADI-Rs enkeltledd, diagnostiske ledd og diagnostisk klassifisering er funnet tilfredsstillende i et mindre svensk utvalg. Faktorer som barnets alder, IQ og atferdsvansker, i tillegg til foreldrebekymring, kan påvirke validiteten til ADI-R.
Konklusjon: Det foreligger ikke norske eller skandinaviske normer. Validiteten til de nye småbarns algoritmene er i all hovedsak tilfredsstillende når en komplementerer diagnostikken av autismespekterforstyrrelser ved hjelp av direkte observasjon ved bruk av ADOS. Karakteristika ved barnet og omsorgsgiver kan påvirke validiteten til ADI-R. Det er behov for studier av validiteten til de ordinære diagnostiske algoritmene, men også av instrumentets reliabilitet.
Måleegenskaper ved den norske versjonen av Autism Diagnostic ObservationSchedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2)
Authors: Brøndbo Per Håkan , Høyland Anna Lise
Published: April 2024

Beskrivelse: Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) (Lord, et al., 2012) er et kartleggingsinstrument for å vurdere atferd ved autismespekterforstyrrelser, ASF. ADOS-2 har fem moduler tilpasset språknivå og/eller alder. ADOS-2 er utviklet av Lord et al. og er en videreutvikling av ADOS-G (2000). Revisjonen har nye og reviderte algoritmer for modulene 1–4 samt en småbarnsmodul (Toddler Module) som kan brukes ned til 12 måneders alder (Hus & Lord, 2014). Dette betyr at ADOS-2 er et egnet verktøy ved utredning av ASF fra 12 måneder til voksen alder. l tillegg har revisjonen en sammenligningsskår for at en bedre skal kunne sammenligne mellom modulene. Testen er oversatt til norsk av Synnve Schölberg, Kenneth Larsen og Niels Petter Thorkildsen i 2014. Bruk av testen forutsetter godt kjennskap til testen og de enkelte oppgavene, samt kunnskap om ASF. Högrefe Psykologiforlaget AB © har rettighetene til den norske manualen og protokollene, copyright © 2012 Western Psychological Services. Testen består av aktiviteter som forventes å frambringe atferd som er relatert til en ASF-diagnose og tar ca. 40 – 60 minutter å administrere. Atferden skåres ut under testen på tvers av aktivitetene. Algoritmen er knyttet opp mot diagnosekriteriene.
Litteratursøk: Det systematiske litteratursøket resulterte i 67 norske artikler hvorav ingen oppfylte inklusjonskriteriene. Tilsvarende litteratursøk resulterte i 129 skandinaviske artikler hvorav tre oppfylte inklusjonskriteriene. I tillegg ble en norsk artikkel av Karoline Alexandra Havdahl identifisert gjennom kontakt med Eric Zander. Alle de fire inkluderte artiklene rapporterte resultater fra tverrsnittsundersøkelser, tre av dem fra kliniske utvalg og den fjerde fra en norsk befolkningsstudie.
Psykometri: Forekomst og middelverdier er beskrevet i den norske studien og den diagnostiske validiteten er undersøkt for både den norske og svenske versjonen. I tillegg er reliabilitet undersøkt i en svensk studie. Det foreligger ikke norske eller skandinaviske normer.
Konklusjon: Det finnes begrenset dokumentasjonen på kartleggingsinstrumentets psykometriske egenskaper og ADOS-2 må derfor brukes med en viss forsiktighet. Resultatene må som anbefalt i manualen sees i sammenheng med annen klinisk informasjon samt andre tester, før en konkluderer med en diagnose i autismespekteret.
Måleegenskaper ved den norske versjonen av Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (SPPA)
Authors: Jozefiak Thomas , Backer-Grøndahl Agathe
Published: April 2024

Beskrivelse: «Self-perception Profile for Adolescents (SPPA)» er et spørreskjema for selvrapportering av domene-spesifikk og global selvoppfatning. SPPA ble laget i 1988 av Susan Harter ved University of Denver, USA. Spørreskjemaet ble oversatt til norsk, revidert og validert med et stort representativt nasjonalt utvalg av norske ungdommer i alderen 13–20 år av Lars Wichstrøm i begynnelsen av 1990-årene. SPPA er gratis, og Wichstrøm har copyright. Målgruppene er ungdom både i den generelle befolkningen og i kliniske utvalg. Ungdom evaluerer sin kompetanse på seks ulike domener (skolefaglig, sosial aksept, atletisk, fysisk utseende, romantisk, nære venner) samt sin globale selvoppfattelse. Det tar ca. ti minutter å fylle ut SPPA. Det er ikke oppgitt noen minstekrav til fagkompetanse for å kunne administrere og tolke skårer.
Litteratursøk: 33 norske artikler ble inkludert. Av disse rapporterte 30 fra studier med flere enn 100 deltagere. De fleste av de inkluderte studiene ble gjennomført i den generelle befolkningen (representative skoleutvalg), samt noen få blant ungdom i barnevernsinstitusjoner og i kliniske utvalg. Det var både tverrsnitts- og longitudinelle studier, og deltakerne var ungdom og unge voksne i alderen 12–31 år.
Psykometri: Vi fant tilfredsstillende konstrukt-, konvergens-, diskriminerende og prediktiv validitet, samt intern konsistens. Det manglet studier av test-retest reliabilitet, mens endringssensitivitet er dokumentert i noen få studier.
Konklusjon: Vi anbefaler bruken av den norske versjonen i forskning. Den virker også lovende for klinisk bruk, men det trengs flere norske studier på kliniske populasjoner for en mer entydig konklusjon.
Måleegenskaper ved den norske versjonen av Competence and Adherence Scale for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CAS-CBT)
Authors: Rasmussen Lene-Mari Potulski , Puggard Louise Berg
Published: April 2024

Beskrivelse: Competence and Adherence Scale for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CAS-CBT) er et skåringsverktøy som vurderer terapeuters etterlevelse og kompetanse i (manualbasert) terapi for barn og unge med angst. CAS-CBT er inspirert av Cognitive Therapy Adherence and Competence Scale (CTACS; Barber, Liese, & Abrams, 2003), og utviklet i Norge av Jon Bjåstad og kollegaer (2015). Skåringsverktøyet består av 11 spørsmål som kartlegger etterlevelse og kompetanse fordelt på tre dimensjoner: 1) Kognitiv terapistruktur; 2) Prosess- og relasjonsferdigheter; 3) Tilretteleggelse for gjennomføring av mål for timen.
Litteratursøk: Det systematiske litteratursøket resulterte i totalt 85 treff, hvorav to publikasjoner til slutt ble inkludert. Begge var fra norske kliniske utvalg der instrumentet ble brukt ved behandling av angst hos barn (7–15 år).
Psykometri: Den eksplorerende faktoranalysen som ble gjennomført i den ene studien identifiserte to faktorer. Begge viste god indre konsistens. Interraterreliabilitet, basert på gjennomsnittsskårene for etterlevelse og kompetanse mellom ekspertene og studentene som skåret videoene, var tilfredsstillende til utmerket. Test-retest reliabilitet var undersøkt i en studie og viste utmerket resultat. Normdata er ikke relevant for dette instrumentet.
Konklusjon: CAS-CBT har noe begrenset psykometrisk dokumentasjon. Reliabilitetsmålene varierte noe, men var i hovedsak god til utmerket. Faktorstrukturen får frem andre faktorer enn de som skisseres i instrumentbeskrivelsen. Det kan derfor stilles spørsmål om hvorvidt instrumentet måler det som er tiltenkt. Det er ikke foretatt andre studier som belyser begrepsvaliditeten enn den eksplorerende faktoranalysen. Det er ønskelig med flere studier som undersøker instrumentets psykometriske egenskaper.