bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of brain functions between healthy participants and methamphetamine users with various addiction histories: Data analysis based on EEG and fNIRS
Authors: Gu Xuelin , Li Xiaoou , Yang Banghua
Published: November 2023

The electroencephalogram (EEG) rhythm and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) activation levels have not been compared between a healthy control group (HCG) and methamphetamine user group (MUG) with different addiction histories. This study used 64-electrode EEG and fNIRS to conduct an experiment that analyzed the resting and craving states. The EEG and fNIRS data of 56 participants were collected, including 14 healthy participants, 14 methamphetamine users with an addiction history of 0.5–5 years, 14 users with an addiction history of 5–10 years, and 14 users with an addiction history of 10–15 years. Isolated effective coherence (iCoh) within the brain network was used to process the EEG data. Statistical analysis was performed to compare differences in iCoh among the delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands and explore oxyhemoglobin activation levels in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and frontopolar prefrontal cortex (FPC) of the control group. Finally, the Kmeans, Gaussian mixed model (GMM), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), support vector machine (SVM), Bayes, and convolutional neural networks (CNN) algorithms were used to classify methamphetamine users based on drug and neutral images. A 3-class accuracy was achieved. Changes in EEG and fNIRS activation levels of HCG and MUG with varied addiction histories were demonstrated.
On the Design of Power Attack Immune Spintronic Associative Memory
Authors: Ghazanfari Milad , Amirany Abdolah , Moaiyeri Mohammad Hossein , Jafari Kian
Published: November 2023

The growing utilization of neural networks has led to a heightened focus on the hardware implementation of such networks. Security concerns associated with these implementations pose a significant challenge in this regard. Among these problems, the vulnerability of these networks against side-channel attacks such as power attacks can be mentioned. This paper presents a technique to enhance the resilience of hardware implementations of neural networks, particularly Hopfield neural networks, to mitigate the risks posed by power attacks. In addition to the fact that the proposed method makes it impossible to attack the network, it also reduces the power consumption of the entire circuit by reducing the leakage currents. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach also achieves about a 10% reduction in energy consumption while concurrently improving the accuracy of the implemented associative memory by 1.1%.
Real-Time Facial Expression Recognition: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions
Authors: Dewi Christine , Gunawan Lanyta Setyani , Hastoko Sastra Gangga , Christanto Henoch Juli
Published: November 2023

Facial emotion recognition (FER) is the technology or process of identifying and interpreting human emotions based on the analysis of facial expressions. It involves using computer algorithms and machine learning techniques to detect and classify emotional states from images or videos of human faces. Further, FER plays a vital role in recognizing and understanding human emotions to better interpret someone’s feelings, intentions, and attitudes. In the present time, it is widely used in various fields such as healthcare, human–computer interaction, law enforcement, security, and beyond. FER has a wide range of practical applications across various industries including Emotion Monitoring, Adaptive Learning, and Virtual Assistants. This paper presents a comparative analysis of FER algorithms, focusing on deep learning approaches. The performance of different datasets, including FER2013, JAFFE, AffectNet, and Cohn–Kanade, is evaluated using convolutional neural networks (CNNs), deep face, attentional convolutional networks (ACNs), and deep belief networks (DBNs). Among the tested algorithms, DBNs outperformed other algorithms, reaching the highest accuracy of 98.82%. These results emphasize the effectiveness of deep learning techniques, particularly DBNs, in FER. Additionally, outlining the advantages and disadvantages of current research on facial emotion identification might direct future research efforts in the direction of the most profitable directions.
A Study of Vietnamese Sentiment Classification with Ensemble Pre-Trained Language Models
Authors: Thin Dang Van , Hao Duong Ngoc , Nguyen Ngan Luu-Thuy
Published: November 2023

Sentiment Analysis (SA) has attracted increasing research attention in recent years. Most existing works tackle the SA task by fine-tuning single pre-trained language models combined with specific layers. Despite their effectiveness, the previous studies overlooked the utilization of feature representations from various contextual language models. Ensemble learning techniques have garnered increasing attention within the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP). However, there is still room for improvement in ensemble models for the SA task, particularly in the aspect-level SA task. Furthermore, the utilization of heterogeneous ensembles, which combine various pre-trained transformer-based language models, may prove beneficial in enhancing overall performance by incorporating diverse linguistic representations. This paper introduces two ensemble models that leverage soft voting and feature fusion techniques by combining individual pre-trained transformer-based language models for the SA task. The latest transformer-based models, including PhoBERT, XLM, XLM-Align, InfoXLM, and viBERT_FPT, are employed to integrate knowledge and representations using feature fusion and a soft voting strategy. We conducted extensive experiments on various Vietnamese benchmark datasets, encompassing sentence-level, document-level, and aspect-level SA. The experimental results demonstrate that our approaches outperform most existing methods, achieving new state-of-the-art results with F1-weighted scores of 94.03%, 95.65%, 75.36%, and 76.23% on the UIT_VSFC, Aivivn, UIT_ABSA for the restaurant domain, and UIT_ViSFD datasets, respectively.
Clinical study of pelvic floor electromyography biofeedback combined with “four sacral needles” in the treatment of mild to moderate female stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Yu Xinmei , Niu Fang , Zhang Hao , Chen Xiaozhi , Fu Liyuan
Published: November 2023

Objective: To investigate the effect of pelvic floor electromyography Biofeedback and “four sacral needles” on pelvic floor muscle strength and quality of life in mild to moderate female stress Urinary incontinence (UI) patients.

Methods: A total of 96 patients with mild to moderate female stress UI who were treated in Qingpu District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June 2021 to May 2023 were randomly divided into a control group and a test group, with 48 cases in each group. The control group was given pelvic floor myoelectric stimulation combined with Biofeedback, and the treatment group was given “four sacral needles” on the basis of the control group. Record the Glazer electromyography assessment and 1-hour urine pad test leakage at weeks 0, 4, and 8 of treatment, and compare the therapeutic differences between the two groups.

Result: Compared with before treatment, after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment, the Glazer evaluation and 1 h urine pad test leakage in both groups were significantly reduced ([Formula: see text]), and the experimental group had better indicators than the control group at 4 and 8 weeks of treatment ([Formula: see text]). The total effective rate of the experimental group was 97.7%, significantly higher than the control group’s 90.9% ([Formula: see text]).

Conclusion: Pelvic floor electromyography Biofeedback combined with “four sacral needles” and simple pelvic floor electromyography Biofeedback is effective for women with mild to moderate stress UI. Pelvic floor electromyography Biofeedback combined with “four sacral needles” is superior to simple pelvic floor Biofeedback in the treatment of mild to moderate stress UI.
Refining Sentiment Predictions: Obtaining an Unbiased Business Sentiment Index from Japanese Newspapers
Authors: Seki Kazuhiro
Published: November 2023

Economic indices, such as the consumer price index, gross domestic product, and purchasing managers’ index, are typically computed based on economic data (e.g., prices of goods and incomes) and surveys. Recently, there has been considerable research to predict these indices using alternative data. One such approach is to utilize textual data, specifically newspaper articles, to predict a business sentiment index (BSI). However, newspapers often exhibit biases, which may impact the resulting index. This potential issue has not received adequate attention. Thus, this work first investigates whether these biases do influence the predicted indices and then proposes an approach to obtaining an unbiased business sentiment index. For this purpose, we analyze multiple Japanese newspapers, including one financial and three general papers with varied political orientations. We then predict a monthly BSI for each newspaper based on its content using a Transformer-based sentiment analysis model. To achieve an unbiased BSI, we employ the dynamic factor model. This model decomposes the time series of BSIs into a common dynamic factor shared across different newspapers and specific dynamic factors unique to individual newspapers. Our experiment indicates that the magnitudes of the predicted BSIs and the specific dynamic factors closely align with the political stances of the newspapers. Furthermore, the common dynamic factor exhibits a stronger and more positive correlation with composite indices and a survey-based BSI, namely the Tankan index.
Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics Reveals Local Invasion-Related Genes in Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of a Chimeric Protein Targeting Glypican-3
Authors: Naveed Muhammad , Jamil Hamza , Aziz Tariq , Makhdoom Syeda Izma , Alamri Abdulhakeem S. , Alhomrani Majid , Kassim Roaa Mohammed Tahir , Shaer Nehad. A , Barqawi Aminah A. , Al-Abbas Nouf S.
Published: November 2023

Despite advancements in cancer therapy, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major health concern due to late-stage diagnosis and poor prognosis. In this study, the expression of Glypican-3 (GPC3), a cell surface protein encoded by the GPC3 gene was analyzed at both Messenger RNA and protein levels. The goal was to advance understandings into the role of GPC3 in HCC progression and design a fusion protein as a potential therapy targeting cancer cells expressing this oncogene. Expression analysis of GPC3 in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) was performed using GEPIA 2 and OncoDB servers. The analysis revealed a significantly high expression level of GPC3 in cancerous tissues of HCC, with a p-value of p = 1.07e-37. This finding indicates the potential involvement of GPC3 in HCC development. To construct the chimeric proteins (CPs), rituximab, a linker, and an approved Anti-Ogawa O-antigen monoclonal antibody S-20-4 penetrating peptide were combined using trRosetta. The peptide sequence of the Anti-Ogawa O-antigen monoclonal antibody S-20-4, namely, NHNYPPLSLLTF, SHDWRLMLSHLQ, QHDRLLMLSYLV, HHILPPKALLFG, SHTFPPSWLLVR and YSVKPPLPYLPP was obtained from the Immunet BDB database. The HDock scoring algorithms were employed to assess the degree of connection between the CP and the GPC3 gene expressed in HCC. The analysis showed a strong binding affinity of -258.53 KJ/mol between the CP and GPC3, indicating a favorable interaction. Simulations and toxicity analysis further supported the therapeutic potential of the constructed CP for treating LIHC. These findings highlight the potential of the CP as a targeted therapy against HCC, leveraging the high expression of GPC3 in cancerous tissues.
Data-flow Reversal and Garbage Collection
Authors: Hascoët Laurent
Published: November 2023

Data-flow reversal is at the heart of source-transformation reverse algorithmic differentiation (reverse ST-AD), arguably the most efficient way to obtain gradients of numerical models. However, when the model implementation language uses garbage collection (GC), for instance, in Java or Python, the notion of address that is needed for data-flow reversal disappears. Moreover, GC is asynchronous and does not appear explicitly in the source. This article presents an extension to the model of reverse ST-AD suitable for a language with GC. The approach is validated on a Java implementation of a simple Navier-Stokes solver. Performance is compared with existing AD tools ADOL-C and Tapenade on an equivalent implementation in C and Fortran.
Haisor
: Human-aware Indoor Scene Optimization via Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Sun Jia-Mu , Yang Jie , Mo Kaichun , Lai Yu-Kun , Guibas Leonidas , Gao Lin
Published: November 2023

3D scene synthesis facilitates and benefits many real-world applications. Most scene generators focus on making indoor scenes plausible via learning from training data and leveraging extra constraints such as adjacency and symmetry. Although the generated 3D scenes are mostly plausible with visually realistic layouts, they can be functionally unsuitable for human users to navigate and interact with furniture. Our key observation is that human activity plays a critical role and sufficient free space is essential for human-scene interactions. This is exactly where many existing synthesized scenes fail—the seemingly correct layouts are often not fit for living. To tackle this, we present a human-aware optimization framework
Haisor
for 3D indoor scene arrangement via reinforcement learning, which aims to find an action sequence to optimize the indoor scene layout automatically. Based on the hierarchical scene graph representation, an optimal action sequence is predicted and performed via Deep Q-Learning with Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS), where MCTS is our key feature to search for the optimal solution in long-term sequences and large action space. Multiple human-aware rewards are designed as our core criteria of human-scene interaction, aiming to identify the next smart action by leveraging powerful reinforcement learning. Our framework is optimized end-to-end by giving the indoor scenes with part-level furniture layout including part mobility information. Furthermore, our methodology is extensible and allows utilizing different reward designs to achieve personalized indoor scene synthesis. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our approach optimizes the layout of 3D indoor scenes in a human-aware manner, which is more realistic and plausible than original state-of-the-art generator results, and our approach produces superior smart actions, outperforming alternative baselines.
A Prescriptive Simulation Framework with Realistic Behavioural Modelling for Emergency Evacuations
Authors: Othman Md. Shalihin , Tan Gary
Published: November 2023

Emergency and crisis simulations play a pivotal role in equipping authorities worldwide with the necessary tools to minimize the impact of catastrophic events. Various studies have explored the integration of intelligence into Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) for crisis simulation. This involves incorporating psychological behaviours from the social sciences and utilizing data-driven machine learning models with predictive capabilities. A recent advancement in behavioural modelling is the Conscious Movement Model (CMM), designed to modulate an agent’s movement patterns dynamically as the situation unfolds. Complementing this, the model incorporates a Conscious Movement Memory-Attention (CMMA) mechanism, enabling learnability through training on pedestrian trajectories extracted from video data. The CMMA facilitates mapping a pedestrian’s attention to their surroundings and understanding how their past decisions influence their subsequent actions. This study proposes an efficient framework that integrates the trained CMM into a simulation model specifically tailored for emergency evacuations, ensuring realistic outcomes. The resulting simulation framework automates strategy management and planning for diverse emergency evacuation scenarios. A single-objective method is presented for generating prescriptive analytics, offering effective strategy options based on predefined operational rules. To validate the framework’s efficacy, a case study of a theatre evacuation is conducted. In essence, this research establishes a robust simulation framework for crisis management, with a particular emphasis on modelling pedestrians during emergency evacuations. The framework generates prescriptive analytics to aid authorities in executing rescue and evacuation operations effectively.
Vanadium Pentoxide Nanoparticles Doped ZnO: Physicochemical, Optical, Dielectric, and Photocatalytic Properties
Authors: Massoudi Imen , Hamdi Ridha , Rached Amani , AlDhawi Zainah A. , Alobaidan Fatimah M. , Alhamdan Hawra M. , Almohammed Ali Ghadeer A. , Almuslim Fatimah E. , Ben Ali Amor
Published: November 2023

In this work, vanadium pentoxide nanoparticles (V2O5) derived by the chemical coprecipitation route were used to synthesize various vanadium-doped ZnO nanocomposite samples via the standard solid-state reaction process. The effect of V2O5 nanoparticles on the physicochemical properties of ZnO was discussed. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and UV-visible spectroscopy. A diffuse reflectance spectroscopic approach is described to determine the bandgap energy (Eg) of the samples. The dielectric and photocatalytic characteristics are also examined. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared materials was tested under visible light using methylene blue (MB) as a pollutant dye model. As a result, it is found that the addition of V2O5 enhances the photodegradation of MB. The kinetics of the photodegradation reaction was found to follow a pseudo-first-order model.
Parametric Updating of Steel Strand Stay Cable Force Calculation Model Based on Response Surface Method
Authors: Xu Shizhan , Ma Yinggang , Zhang Hao
Published: November 2023

In order to solve the problem that the calculation result of cable force deviates from the measured value because the parameters of steel strand stay cable are not exactly equal to the designed value in practical engineering, a model updating method selecting the steel strand stay cable parameters as the updating parameters and using more measured data as the objective function was proposed. This method selects the central composite design in the response surface method. In the fine-fitting model affected by the cross-term and high-order terms between parameters, the value of the parameter to be corrected is optimized according to the measured data. Using the above method, taking a cable-stayed bridge without a backstay as the engineering background, the model updating is carried out by using the cable force monitoring data during the construction monitoring process. The results show that using this method, the updated values of the parameters of the cable can be obtained according to the measured data, and the updated values of the parameters are consistent with the reality. The deviation between the calculated value of cable force and the actual cable tension obtained according to the parameter updating decreases significantly, and most of the deviation is reduced from 30% to 50% before the updating to less than 5%. The updating effect is obvious and meets the engineering requirements.
A Discrete Choice Experiment of Older Self-Funders’ Preferences When Navigating Community Social Care
Authors: Jasper Rowan , Wright Stuart , Rogers Stephen , Tonks Sarah , Morfitt Richard , Baxter Kate , Birks Yvonne , Wilberforce Mark
Published: November 2023

Most long-term care systems (social care) for older people rely on some means testing, copayment system, private insurance, or other non-governmental funding to supplement state provision. In England, an estimated quarter of homecare delivery is funded privately. For many older people, the absence of state funding for their care is only part of the problem: they are also expected to search for care in a market characterised by complexity, plurality, and imperfect information. Surprisingly, there are few services available to support private funders to navigate the system. This paper examines willingness to pay for care navigation and seeks to classify heterogeneity of preferences for navigation support. A discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey was completed by 182 participants across England in 2020-21. The results of the random parameter logit model used to analyse preferences showed that people valued information about care options (quality, information, and finances), but they also wanted help to “think things through,” as processing information could be challenging. Generally, participants valued what the navigation service provided, more than how the services were organised and delivered. The study also used latent class analysis to identify four groups with similar preferences, with almost half of participants (48%) expressing high willingness to pay for a comprehensive navigation service. The other three classes represented those with preferences focused on a narrower set of attributes: fast access to information (20%), affordable help to “think things through” (18%), and information provided by their local council (14%). The study demonstrates the potential demand and likely take-up of navigation support if made available to people who pay privately for care. Future research needs to examine the barriers to market development for social care navigation services.
Hematological and Biochemical Laboratory Parameters in COVID‐19 Patients: A Retrospective Modeling Study of Severity and Mortality Predictors
Authors: Alizad Ghazaleh , Ayatollahi Ali Asghar , Shariati Samani Armin , Samadizadeh Saeed , Aghcheli Bahman , Rajabi Abdolhalim , Nakstad Britt , Tahamtan Alireza
Published: November 2023

Background. It is well known that laboratory markers could help in identifying risk factors of severe illness and predicting outcomes of diseases. Here, we performed a retrospective modeling study of severity and mortality predictors of hematological and biochemical laboratory parameters in Iranian COVID‐19 patients. Methods. Data were obtained retrospectively from medical records of 564 confirmed Iranian COVID‐19 cases. According to the disease severity, the patients were categorized into two groups (severe or nonsevere), and based on the outcome of the disease, patients were divided into two groups (recovered or deceased). Demographic and laboratory data were compared between groups, and statistical analyses were performed to define predictors of disease severity and mortality in the patients. Results. The study identified a panel of hematological and biochemical markers associated with the severe outcome of COVID‐19 and constructed different predictive models for severity and mortality. The disease severity and mortality rate were significantly higher in elderly inpatients, whereas gender was not a determining factor of the clinical outcome. Age‐adjusted white blood cells (WBC), platelet cells (PLT), neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCHC), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (Cr) also showed high accuracy in predicting severe cases at the time of hospitalization, and logistic regression analysis suggested grouped hematological parameters (age, WBC, NLR, PLT, HGB, and international normalized ratio (INR)) and biochemical markers (age, BUN, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) as the best models of combined laboratory predictors for severity and mortality. Conclusion. The findings suggest that a panel of several routine laboratory parameters recorded on admission could be helpful for clinicians to predict and evaluate the risk of disease severity and mortality in COVID‐19 patients.
TOPSIS Method Based on Entropy Measure for Solving Multiple-Attribute Group Decision-Making Problems with Spherical Fuzzy Soft Information
Authors: Fathima Perveen P. A. , John Sunil Jacob , Baiju T.
Published: November 2023

A spherical fuzzy soft set (SFSS) is a generalized soft set model, which is more sensible, practical, and exact. Being a very natural generalization, introducing uncertainty measures of SFSSs seems to be very important. In this paper, the concept of entropy, similarity, and distance measures are defined for the SFSSs and also, a characterization of spherical fuzzy soft entropy is proposed. Further, the relationship between entropy and similarity measures as well as entropy and distance measures are discussed in detail. As an application, an algorithm is proposed based on the improved technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) and the proposed entropy measure of SFSSs, to solve the multiple attribute group decision-making problems. Finally, an illustrative example is used to prove the effectiveness of the recommended algorithm.
On the Existence of a Normal Trimagic Square of Order
16
n
Authors: Hu Can , Meng Jiake , Pan Fengchu , Su Maoting , Xiong Shuying
Published: November 2023

The study of magic squares has a long history, and magic squares have been applied to many mathematical fields. In this paper, we give a complete solution to the existence of normal trimagic squares of all orders

16
n

. In particular, we obtain a unified solution for the normal trimagic square of order

16
n

for

n
>
3

by means of set partitions, semibimagic squares, Latin squares, and new product construction. Since there exist normal trimagic squares of orders 16, 32, and 48, we prove that there exists a normal trimagic square of order

16
n

for every positive integer

n

.
Enhancement of Liver Targetability through Statistical Optimization and Surface Modification of Biodegradable Nanocapsules Loaded with Lamivudine
Authors: Grandhi Srikar , Al-Tabakha Moawia , Avula Prameela Rani
Published: November 2023

The intention of the current work was to develop and optimize the formulation of biodegradable polymeric nanocapsules for lamivudine (LMV) in order to obtain desired physical characteristics so as to have improved liver targetability. Nanocapsules were prepared in this study as aqueous-core nanocapsules (ACNs) with poly(lactide-co-glycolide) using a modified multiple emulsion technique. LMV was taken as a model drug to investigate the potential of ACNs developed in this work in achieving the liver targetability. Three formulations factors were chosen and 33 factorial design was adopted. The selected formulation factors were optimized statistically so as to have the anticipated characteristics of the ACNs viz. maximum entrapment efficiency, minimum particle size, and less drug release rate constant. The optimized LMV-ACNs were found to have 71.54 ± 1.93% of entrapment efficiency and 288.36 ± 2.53 nm of particle size with zeta potential of −24.7 ± 1.2 mV and 0.095 ± 0.006 h−1 of release rate constant. This optimized formulation was subjected to surface modification by treating with sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), which increased the zeta potential to a maximum of −41.6 ± 1.3 mV at a 6 mM concentration of SLS. The results of in vivo pharmacokinetics from blood and liver tissues indicated that hepatic bioavailability of LMV was increased from 13.78 ± 3.48 μg/mL 

∗

 h for LMV solution to 32.94 ± 5.12 μg/mL 

∗

 h for the optimized LMV-ACNs and to 54.91 ± 6.68 μg/mL 

∗

 h for the surface-modified LMV-ACNs.
Unlocking the Potential of NiSO4·6H2O/NaOCl/NaOH Catalytic System: Insights into Nickel Peroxide as an Intermediate for Benzonitrile Synthesis in Water
Authors: Shoair Abdel Ghany F. , Almalki Abdulraheem S. A. , Shanab Mai M. A. H. , Sheta Ahmed M. , El-Basiony Amir , El-Ghamaz Nasser A. , Nasef Hany A. , Khalaf Hussein A.
Published: November 2023

Nickel peroxide nanoparticles (NPNPs) were prepared and characterized using various techniques including transmission electron microscope (TEM), scan electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and FTIR spectra. The aqueous basic catalytic system NiSO4·6H2O/NaOCl/NaOH (pH = 14) was investigated for the catalytic dehydrogenation of benzylamine and parasubstituents to their corresponding nitriles at room temperature. The obtained results confirmed the formation of NiO2 nanocrystalline particles with a size of 20 nm. Benzylamine with electron-donating groups showed higher yields of nitriles compared to electron-withdrawing groups. The mechanism involved in the in situ generated NiO2 nanoparticles dehydrogenating benzylamine to benzonitrile, with the produced NiO converting back to NiO2 nanoparticles through the excess of NaOCl.
Dogs in Dutch Media: Exploring Public Opinion As A Step Toward Solving Dog Welfare Problems
Authors: Ophorst Susan , Aarts Noelle , Bovenkerk Bernice , Hopster Hans
Published: November 2023

Dogs are considered humans’ best friend, but this relationship is not all puppies and sunshine. Zoonoses, biting incidents, hereditary problems, and other welfare issues can threaten the relationship, especially when humans are not aware of them. Public opinion on dogs in the densely populated Netherlands was therefore examined. Dutch newspapers and Facebook were analyzed with frame analysis. A positive view of dogs seems predominant, followed by one that sees dogs as normal, while problems with dogs are less common. That dogs are considered close to humans is exemplified by the found norms that the needs of dogs must be met, that severe penalties must be applied when humans do not respect the welfare of dogs, and that dog keepers and conditions are responsible for problems with dogs. The image of the dog as ordinary may hinder public awareness, despite the norms that emphasize the importance of dog welfare.
Sachsia putridicola n. sp. (Rhabditida: Diplogastridae), isolated from an Onthophagus dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Tsukuba, Japan
Authors: Kanzaki Natsumi , Degawa Yousuke
Published: November 2023

An undescribed Sachsia species (Diplogastridae) was isolated from a dung beetle, Onthophagus sp. cf. atripennis, and the species is described here as Sachsia putridicola n. sp. The new species is characterised by its cheilostom; anterior part forming a cuticular ring, posterior part in the form of a thin-walled tube; an anisotopic gymnostom, a metastegostom with dorsal small tooth and no subventral armature, and setiform male genital papillae with the arrangement . Sachsia putridicola n. sp. is typologically similar to two previously described congeners, Sachsia zurstrasseni and Sachsia postpapillata, but can be readily distinguished by its anisotopic gymnostom (vs isotopic gymnostom in the two nominal species) and the direction of the anterior three pairs of genital papillae, which are directed sublaterally in the new species (vs second or third pair directed sublaterally in S. zurstrasseni and S. postpapillata, respectively). Phylogenetically, the new species is close to Eudiplogasterium evidentum, not S. zurstrasseni. Based on the typological and phylogenetic characters, the status of S. zurstrasseni is discussed.
Understanding human-wildlife conflict in Nepal and its mitigating measures
Authors: Gaire Asmita , Acharya Krishna Prasad
Published: November 2023

Human-wildlife conflict has emerged as a nexus of diverse factors. Although the conservation plans have successfully increased the density of wildlife, such as tigers and rhinos in Nepal, the human-wildlife conflict remained inevitable. This article reviews several articles based on the status and patterns of human-wildlife conflict in Nepal and its mitigating measures. The human population is steadily increasing, as is the desire for infrastructure, resulting in the deterioration and loss of wildlife habitats such as forests. These processes have increased wildlife competition for food and territory, shifting their habitats towards the farmlands and human settlements. Likewise, climate change has increased wildlife’s environmental, physiological, and hormonal stress, causing them to become more aggressive and threatening human-wildlife harmony. In this scenario, the actions on biodiversity conservation would reach the climax only if the necessary approaches are sought to manage the conflicts. An appropriate relocation approach with post-monitoring and health surveillance in wildlife-friendly landscapes could control human-wildlife conflicts with the support of the local communities and relevant governmental and non-governmental authorities. Likewise, transboundary coordination with neighboring countries, cooperation among all related stakeholders, and transparent science-based conservation management can help reduce human-wildlife conflict.
The potential, challenge, and economic contribution of tourism resources in Menagesha Amba Mariam, state forest in Central Ethiopia
Authors: Desalegn Tamenut
Published: November 2023

The present study used quantitative and qualitative research approaches to assess tourism resources’ potential, challenge, and economic contribution in the Menagesha Amba Mariam state forest. A total of 169 respondents’ samples were collected from the target population. The results confirmed that the study area has enormous tourism resource potential that can facilitate the respective tourism economy. The majority (88.2%) are natural attractions, including the landscape, the Meti River, the Adare River, the Meti waterfall, and wildlife species, as well as cultural (e.g., Horseback riding, Irreecha, Geda, and the handcrafts system) and religious resources (e.g., Meskel festivity, funeral ceremonies, monasteries, and ancient churches). Lack of infrastructure, lack of awareness, lack of community participation, poor coordination of stakeholders, and lack of fair administration are challenges for tourism development in the study area. Therefore, the Federal and Regional governments could collaborate to solve the challenges of ecotourism development. Furthermore, the involvement of local communities and the provision of basic tourism infrastructure amenities and facilities could encourage tourism flow and economic development at Menagesha Amba Mariam state forest.
Catharine Trotter Cockburn on Moral Knowledge
Authors: Young James O.
Published: November 2023

In the wake of Locke’s Essay, empiricists faced the challenge of giving an empiricist account of the origins of moral knowledge. Locke did not rise to this challenge and relied on revelation as the source of moral knowledge. Other empiricists, including Hume and Hutcheson, opted for either emotivism or subjectivism. Clarke and others opted for rationalism and non-naturalism. In contrast, Catharine Cockburn’s meta-ethics combined Locke’s empiricism with naturalism. She held that moral good is natural good and that natural good is known just as any other matters of natural fact are known: empirically. Cockburn’s position was unusual for its time, and the full originality and appeal of her meta-ethical position have not been fully appreciated.
Epistemic Injustice and Feminist Education: The Case of the Centre for Women’s Studies in Zagreb
Authors: Dremel Anita
Published: November 2023

The aim of this paper is to analyse and discuss critical aspects of practicing women’s studies and the complex politics involved in it, including the changes in how feminist voices have been articulated, based on the example of the Centre for Women’s Studies (cws) in Zagreb. In addition to a descriptive and historical contribution, a lens of epistemic injustice and feminist epistemology will be used to analyse primarily the processes of independent education organized by the cws. The notions of testimonial and hermeneutical epistemic injustice as well as epistemic credit and epistemic authority are used to discuss aspects of independent feminist education at the cws in Zagreb, including formal pedagogical aspects (feminist classroom), the content studied, and issues of epistemology (critique of androcentrism). In addition to the study of relevant literature, this paper methodologically relies on the analysis of documents on changes in the study programme and semi-structured informant interviews with women active in the work of the cws.
Influence of minimal invasive extracorporeal circuits on dialysis dependent patients undergoing cardiac surgery
Authors: Nguyen Thai Duy , Morjan Mohammed , Ali Khaldoun , Breitenbach Ingo , Harringer Wolfgang , El-Essawi Aschraf
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Cardiac surgery in patients on chronic renal dialysis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Minimally invasive extracorporeal circuits (MiECC) have shown a positive impact on patient outcome in different high-risk populations. This retrospective study compares the outcome of these high-risk patients undergoing heart surgery either with a MiECC or a conventional extracorporeal circulation (CECC).

Methods

This is a single-center experience including 131 consecutive dialysis dependent patients undergoing cardiac surgery between January 2006 and December 2016. A propensity score matching was employed leaving 30 matched cases in each group.

Results

After propensity score matching the 30-day mortality was significantly lower in the MiECC group ( n = 3 (10%) vs n = 10 (33%) in the CECC group, p = .028). Further, intraoperative transfused units of packed red blood cells were lower in the MiECC group (1.4 ± 1.8 units vs 2.8 ± 1.7, p < .001).

Conclusions

There are evident advantages to using MiECC in dialysis dependent patients, especially regarding mortality. These findings necessitate additional research in MiECC usage in high-risk populations.
Fibrinogen B β promoter polymorphism may not be associated with pulmonary embolism
Authors: Chen Wenxiang , Han Shengbin , Xu Jingzhe , Ding Shun , Guan Hongxi
Published: November 2023

Objective

A prospective experiment was designed to explore all possible SNPs in the promoter region of fibrinogen B β (FGB) and reveal the influence of these SNPs on susceptibility of pulmonary embolism.

Methods

In this 2-year randomized prospective study, we had totally recruited 203 volunteers. 58 PE patients (58 out of 145 VTE patients) and 114 healthy people were taken as case and control objects, respectively. FGB promoter was detected by gene sequencing.

Results

There were 6 SNPs in FGB promoter, which were β-1420G/A, β-993C/T, β-854G/A, β-455G/A, β-249C/T, and β-148C/T. Genotype frequencies of individual SNPs between the cases and controls were not statistically significant, all p > .05. After excluding subjects of COVID-19 infection within 6 months, the statistical results (35 PE patients vs 66 healthy people) were consistent.

Conclusion

The susceptibility to pulmonary embolism may not be affected by any SNP in the FGB promoter region.
HPV-related lesions after hysterectomy for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and early-stage cervical cancer: A focus on the potential role of vaccination
Authors: Bogani Giorgio , Sopracordevole Francesco , Ciavattini Andrea , Ghelardi Alessandro , Vizza Enrico , Vercellini Paolo , Casarin Jvan , Pinelli Ciro , Ghezzi Fabio , De Vincenzo Rosa , Di Donato Violante , Golia D’augè Tullio , Giannini Andrea , Sorbi Flavia , Petrillo Marco , Capobianco Giampiero , Vizzielli Giuseppe , Restaino Stefano , Cianci Stefano , Scambia Giovanni , Raspagliesi Francesco
Published: November 2023

Objective:

To date, no data supports the execution of vaccination after hysterectomy for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) and early-stage cervical cancer. We aim to evaluate the potential effect of vaccination after hysterectomy for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and early-stage cervical cancer.

Methods:

This is a multi-center retrospective study evaluating data of women who develop lower genital tract dysplasia (including anal, vulvar and vaginal intra-epithelial neoplasia) after having hysterectomy for CIN2+ and FIGO stage IA1- IB1 cervical cancer.

Results:

Overall, charts for 77 patients who developed lower genital tract dysplasia were collected. The study population included 62 (80.5%) and 15 (19.5%) patients with CIN2+ and early-stage cervical cancer, respectively. The median (range) time between hysterectomy and diagnosis of develop lower genital tract dysplasia was 38 (range, 14-62) months. HPV types covered by the nonavalent HPV vaccination would potentially cover 94.8% of the development of lower genital tract dysplasia. Restricting the analysis to the 18 patients with available HPV data at the time of hysterectomy, the beneficial effect of nonvalent vaccination was 89%. However, considering that patients with persistent HPV types (with the same HPV types at the time of hysterectomy and who developed lower genital tract dysplasia) would not benefit from vaccination, we estimated the potential protective effect of vaccination to be 67% (12 out of 18 patients; four patients had a persistent infection for the same HPV type(s)).

Conclusions:

Our retrospective analysis supported the adoption of HPV vaccination in patients having treatment for HPV-related disease. Even in the absence of the uterine cervix, HPV vaccination would protect against develop lower genital tract dysplasia. Further prospective studies have to confirm our preliminary research.
Acculturation, Acculturative Stress and Eating Disorder Symptoms Among Latina University Students
Authors: Ramirez Edith , Elliott Marta , LaMotte Megan E.
Published: November 2023

This study examined relationships between acculturation, acculturative stress, and symptoms of eating disorders among Latina university students in the US. We hypothesized that acculturative stress would be associated with increased symptoms, and acculturation would indirectly be associated with fewer symptoms via acculturative stress. Survey data from 567 Latinas age 18 to 54 at a public Western university were collected online. Participants provided data on acculturation, acculturative stress, demographics, and eating disorders symptoms. The results indicated that acculturation was indirectly and negatively related to desire for thinness, binge eating, and bulimia via its negative association with acculturative stress, which in turn was positively associated with eating disorder symptoms. However, acculturation had a direct positive association with binge eating and bulimia after considering its indirect negative associations via acculturative stress. The unique contributions of this study and its implications for mental health professionals, the media, and higher education are discussed.
Entropy generation rate analysis of turbocharger radial flow compressor in range from surge to choke
Authors: Altafi Davood , Mojaddam Mohammad , Bastankhah Majid
Published: November 2023

This study compares the local losses of a radial compressor in the range from surge to choke considering shock phenomena, boundary layer separation, and mixing mechanisms. For this purpose, formulation of the local entropy generation rate (EGR) is added to the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver, which models the turbulent flow field of the compressor through the RANS approach. For validation, the numerical pressure rise curve of the compressor is compared with the experimental data. The results indicate that at the design point, the impeller, diffuser, and the volute account for approximately 50.8%, 30.0%, and 12.3% of the EGR, respectively, with approximately 5% in the impeller backspace, 1% in the diffuser cavity, and less than 0.5% in the inlet duct. Approaching the surge condition, local losses due to mixing and shock waves decline while boundary layer losses increase. Based on comprehensive analysis of the leading-edge boundary layer, the largest dead-air zone is found at the design point, resulting in a lower diffusion entrance loss and a higher mixing loss. Furthermore, the EGR variation in the diffuser channel is investigated by shedding light on mixing dynamics and classification of the channel flow regime into three different zones based on mixing ratio (MR). The outcomes show that the flow regime tends to mix more quickly at a higher MR, resulting in a slight decrease in EGR, which benefits compressor performance. We demonstrate that the mixing rate of flow regimes decreases in both the leading-edge boundary layer and the radial diffuser approaching the surge margin.
Uncompensated Care is Highest for Rural Hospitals, Particularly in Non-Expansion States
Authors: Keesee Emmaline , Gurzenda Susie , Thompson Kristie , Pink George H.
Published: November 2023

High levels of uncompensated care impact hospital profitability and may create challenges for rural hospitals at financial risk of closure. We explore 2019 hospital uncompensated care as a percentage of operating expenses and draw comparisons at a state level by Medicaid expansion status and rural classification. We further compare uncompensated care in 2019 to 2014 in rural hospitals by Medicaid expansion implementation timing. We found that, overall, rural hospitals had more uncompensated care than urban hospitals in 2019 (3.81% vs. 3.12%), but there was a larger difference by expansion status (expansion states: 2.55% vs. non-expansion states: 6.28%). In all but seven states, rural hospitals reported higher uncompensated care than urban, and the 14 states with the highest uncompensated care had not expanded Medicaid. We observed that rural hospital uncompensated care in non-expansion states increased between 2014 and 2019, while the most dramatic decrease occurred in late-expansion states.
Safety Assessment of Polyfluorinated Polymers as Used in Cosmetics
Authors: Johnson Wilbur , Bergfeld Wilma F. , Belsito Donald V. , Hill Ronald A. , Klaassen Curtis D. , Liebler Daniel C. , Marks James G. , Shank Ronald C. , Slaga Thomas J. , Snyder Paul W. , Fiume Monice , Heldreth Bart
Published: November 2023

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) reviewed the safety of 12 polyfluorinated polymers in cosmetic products; most of these ingredients have the reported function of film former in common. However, PTFE, the only ingredient that is reported as currently used in cosmetics, functions as a bulking agent and slip modifier, but not as a film former. The Panel reviewed data relevant to the safety of these ingredients under the intended conditions of use in cosmetic formulations, and concluded that PTFE and Hexafluoropropylene/Tetrafluoroethylene Copolymer are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in the safety assessment; the data are insufficient to determine the safety of the 4 fluorinated-side-chain polymers and 6 fluorinated polyethers.