bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of technology for sustainable livestock processes: a bibliometric review
Authors: Ramírez-Durán JA ,   Corporación Universitaria Latinoamericana, Niebles WA , Stojanovich-Morante Z , Gallego G , Guerra-Cogollo JA ,   Universidad de Sucre,   GIDIS Research Group,   Universidad del Atlántico,   Universidad de la Costa
Published: July 2024

To this date, livestock activity continues to constitute one of the main bastions of the world economy and global food security. Still, just as it is vital for the subsistence of humanity, it also generates environmental and health effects that deserve attention, and that forge the irrevocable need to look for all possible alternatives to guarantee the sustainability of animal production processes. Therefore, this research has been developed under the framework of a review of the scientific literature related to the use of technology to develop sustainable livestock production processes. This review consisted of a bibliometric analysis developed within the Scopus database, delimiting all the documents published between 1987 and 2023, based on the keywords: "Sustainability", "Livestock" and "Technology", from which the data was obtained, using the search equation (TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "sustainability" ) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "livestock" ) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "cattle breeding" ) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "cattle raising" ) OR TITLE-ABS -KEY ( "cattle" ) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "technology" ) ). A total of 887 papers in all were discovered as a consequence, with journal articles accounting for 59% of them, reviews for 19%, conference articles for 11%, and other formats for the remaining 11%. The scientific output examined between 1987 and 2023 demonstrates an increasing tendency in the study area, with the years 2019 to 2022 exhibiting the biggest publishing peaks (47% of all published papers). The findings indicate that 60% of the papers produced for the study subject were published in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Australia and Italy. Furthermore, Sustainability (Switzerland), Animal, Journal of Animal Science, Journal of Cleaner Production and IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, were the journals that published the most on the topic, accounting for 13% of the total publications. The remaining publications are distributed among various journals. Considering that 92% of researchers in this subject are temporary, Koziel JA is the author with the most publications with seven. Similarly, Wageningen University and Research, Iowa State University, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária - Embrapa, University of Guelph and Università Degli Studi di Milano were the institutions that conducted the most research on the study's subject, accounting for 11% of the publications. Key words: livestock, sustainability, cattle raising, cattle breeding, cattle, technology, health, environment
Maternal nutrition knowledge and mothers ability to utilize mobile phone application for health information sharing at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi City, Kenya
Authors: Obonyo KO ,   University of Nairobi, Kaindi DWM , Ngala S , Kogi-Makau W ,   University of Nairobi,   University of Nairobi,   University of Nairobi
Published: July 2024

The prevalence of maternal undernutrition has been reduced via numerous interventions, but it remains a global public health concern in underdeveloped countries. Pregnant women are increasingly using mobile phone applications to obtain, save, and share health information. This study evaluated maternal nutrition knowledge for the purposes of developing a mobile phone application-based health information sharing platform for pregnant women attending ante-natal care at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. The study adopted cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study design. A food frequency and individual dietary diversity questionnaires were used to gather data on dietary consumption and diversity, while a semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather sociodemographic information from respondents who attended the antenatal clinic. Approximately 31.2% of respondents exhibited a high level of knowledge regarding mobile phone applications. Half of the participants (50.1%) demonstrated a moderate level of understanding, whereas 18.7% showed a low level of familiarity with mobile phone applications. About 19.9% met the minimum dietary diversity score, while 12.2% met the minimum meal frequency, and 26.7% met the minimum acceptable diet. Based on Mid-Upper Arm Circumference, 60% of the pregnant women had normal nutritional status, 36.9% moderate acute malnutrition while 3.1% had severe acute malnutrition. Significant association was observed between dietary diversity score and mobile phone application knowledge p ˂ 0.001. Additionally, nutritional status p ˂ 0.05 and level of education p ˂ 0.05, and mobile phone application knowledge of pregnant women showed significant associations. Despite the growing number of mHealth apps, the level of knowledge and usability of such apps by patients still remains relatively low. Nevertheless, the majority who used health apps found them to be beneficial, and agreed that it helped them to live a healthier lifestyle. Health apps have great potential in health promotion and therefore, to increase the use of these apps, it is necessary to first increase awareness and knowledge of these apps, both to the public and to healthcare professionals. Key words: Mobile phone application knowledge, Maternal nutrition status, Maternal Diet
Residuos orgánicos en la reproducción de Eisenia foetida L y en calidad de lombricompost
Authors: Gilces Reyna Maria Amparo , Sánchez-Gavilanes Lexy , Macias Bazurto Gema , Lafuente Álvarez Francisco
Published: July 2024

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar el efecto de residuos en la reproducción de E. foetida, caracterización fisicoquímica y fitotoxicidad de lombricompost. En esta investigación se analizaron 8 tratamientos: T1: bovinaza, T2: gallinaza, T3 tamo de maíz, T4: cáscara de maní, T5: bovinaza + cáscara de maíz, T6: bovinaza + cáscara de maní, T7: gallinaza + tamo de maíz y T8: gallinaza + cáscara de maní. Se evaluaron parámetros de reproducción, como número, tamaño y peso de lombrices. Los parámetros fisicoquímicos del lombricompost analizados fueron: rendimiento, humedad, densidad aparente, pH, conductividad eléctrica, concentración nitrógeno, fósforo y potasio, mientras que la fitotoxicidad se la analizó frente a semillas de Lactuca sativa. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que en el T1 se lograron reproducir 912 unidades con una longitud media de 4,86 cm mismas que se generaron 17,17 kg de lombricompost, el T7 presentó mayor concentración de nitrógeno (2,64%) y contenido de materia orgánica 52,71%, el pH se mantuvo en valores neutros (6,9 -7,2); mientras que conductividad eléctrica fue baja (0,22-0,64 ds/m). Ninguno de los tratamientos presentó toxicidad frente a semillas L. sativa, más bien los T1, T3, T4, T5, T7 y T8 presentaron actividad fito estimulante en la germinaciónde semilla. La transformación biológica de desechos es una importante herramienta para el manejo de residuos que influye en la reproducción de E. foetida, en rendimiento, calidad de lombricompost y estimula la germinación de L. sativa.
Análisis de accesibilidad en los sitios web de las universidades ecuatorianas
Authors: Chiriboga Casanova Washington , Medina Medina Nuria , Paderewski Rodriguez Patricia
Published: July 2024

El artículo aborda las dificultades de navegación que presentan las páginas web de universidades ecuatorianas respecto a la accesibilidad. El objetivo de este artículo es determinar el grado de aplicación de las pautas WCAG 2.1, en las universidades ecuatorianas. Para ello se aplicaron varias herramientas de validación. Del total de 61 páginas web analizadas, solo 11 presentaban un botón para ajustes visuales. Utilizando TAW (Test de Accesibilidad Web) y un análisis de dispersión, se determinó que la mayoría de las universidades tienen hasta 26.8 errores en el principio “Perceptible”; 46.8 errores en el principio “Operable”; 9,4 errores en el principio “Comprensible” y 9.4 errores en el principio “Robusto”. Utilizando Markup Validation Service se encontraron hasta 80 errores de marcado. La aplicación del CSS Validation Service evidenció hasta 143 errores en las páginas web. Con estos resultados, los desarrolladores web podrán enfocar sus mejoras, considerando las pautas de accesibilidad.
Does Having More Women in Parliament Result in More Gender-Sensitive Tax Policies? A Case Study of Uganda’s Parliament
Authors: Kangave Jalia , Rukundo Solomon
Published: July 2024

The number of women in parliaments globally has slowly but steadily increased over the years. In Uganda, this number has increased from two women at Uganda’s independence in 1962 to 189 women in the current parliament. To understand the impact that female parliamentarians have on tax debates, we analyse the contents of 72 tax debates that were held in Uganda’s parliament between 1995 and 2022. We then interview former and current members of parliament, officials from the Uganda Women’s Parliamentary Association and the Equal Opportunities Commission and representatives from civil society organisations. We find that most of the gendered tax debates are on issues relating to value-added tax and excise duty, with both female and male parliamentarians playing important roles in engendering these debates. While the engendering of tax debates can be traced back to the early 2000s, it was not until 2014 that gender became a more frequent component in these debates. In addition to the increase in the number of women in parliament, we find three other factors that facilitate the invoking of gender in tax debates: the introduction of the Certificate of Gender and Equity Compliance in 2014, the efforts of the Uganda Women’s Parliamentary Association and the presence of a female speaker of parliament. However, female parliamentarians are constrained in their ability to invoke gender in tax debates because they have limited tax knowledge and are sometimes constrained by political party positions.
Developing a model for life skills training through the enhancement of academic, personal, social, and career competencies for middle school students
Authors: Hafina Anne , Rusmana Nandang , Hamzah Rifqy Muhammad , Irawan Tb Moh Irma Ari , Mulyati Srie
Published: July 2024

The objective of this research is to develop a model for life skills training through the strengthening of academic, personal, social, and career competencies for middle school students. We designed this model to equip students with the necessary skills to navigate the complexities of life’s challenges. Design-Based Research (DBR) serves as a research methodology, encompassing four stages: identification and analysis of practical problems, solution design, iterative testing cycles and solution refinement, reflection, and producing the final design. Validation testing of the model was conducted with four experts, including one developmental guidance and counseling specialist, one developmental psychologist, one adolescent psychologist, one curriculum and learning specialist, and eight guidance and counseling teachers or practitioners. The results of expert and practitioner validation indicate that the life skills training model is worthy of further experimentation to develop student’s life skills. Recommendations for future research emphasize the importance of developing new skills or competencies for the younger generation and educators to address the challenges and dynamics of the digital era. Globalization and societal shifts toward digitally automated services underscore the need for teacher preparation in imparting life skills that not only adhere to conventional norms but also integrate technological skills into student education.
PRIMEIRO ELE, DEPOIS O RESTO: REPERCUSSÕES DA PATERNIDADE DE CRIANÇAS COM AUTISMO NA SAÚDE DOS HOMENS
Authors: Fonsêca Marcos Aurélio , Parreiras Laura de Araújo , Modena Celina Maria
Published: July 2024

A paternidade produz mudanças e significados importantes na vida de um homem. As construções históricas e sociais forjaram modelos que dispensaram os homens de assumirem, integral ou parcialmente, as responsabilidades pelos cuidados de seus filhos. Este estudo, orientado pela abordagem qualitativa, teve o objetivo de compreender as relações entre o desempenho da paternidade e as repercussões na vida e na saúde dos homens que são pais de crianças com autismo, realçadas pelas subjetividades expressas durante o exercício dos diferentes papéis sociais, empregando Gênero como categoria central de análise, à luz das teorias pós-feministas e dos estudos sobre as masculinidades. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com 32 homens, residentes em Minas Gerais, em abril e maio de 2023. Utilizou-se a análise de conteúdo temática para construir duas categorias: 1) Fragilidades, subterfúgios e superações; e 2) Prioridades, renúncias e apoios. Concluiu-se que os homens significaram positivamente a paternidade e mostraram engajamento nos cuidados dos filhos, sem exceção.  Ao priorizar os filhos, eles vivenciaram efeitos em várias dimensões, quando abdicavam significativamente da própria saúde e dos cuidados de si. Eles relataram dificuldades de falar o que sentem e de procurar apoio, reiterando que os homens se mantêm filiados aos modelos de masculinidades dominantes.
A AUTORIA NA EAD E AS NOVAS TECNOLOGIAS: UM ENSAIO DIGITAL
Authors: Miranda José Fernando Bezerra , Abrão Ruhena Kelber , Rocha José Damião Trindade
Published: July 2024

A presente pesquisa, derivada de um estudo mais abrangente, está sendo conduzida dentro do contexto do programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação na Amazônia (PGEDA) da UFPA-UFT, e tem como foco as complexas interseções da educação contemporânea, especialmente no campo da Educação à Distância (EaD) na cibercultura, com ênfase na produção autoral dos alunos nessas modalidades de ensino. Este recorte da pesquisa, apresentado neste artigo, concentra-se em um estudo de caso realizado em um curso de EaD da Universidade Estadual do Tocantins (UNITINS) no período de 2021 a 2023, investigando aspectos relacionados à autoria dos alunos, como acesso, usabilidade, interação, produção de conhecimento, resolução de problemas e autonomia. O estudo, baseado em revisão de literatura, destaca a lacuna existente na produção acadêmica sobre autoria em cursos de EaD, especialmente a partir de pesquisas realizadas em programas de pós-graduação stricto sensu no Brasil nos últimos anos. A pedagogia da autoria no contexto da EaD é explorada, enfatizando a importância da criatividade e colaboração dos alunos, o treinamento de tutores e professores, além da utilização das novas tecnologias da cibercultura para oferecer uma maior personalização dos ambientes virtuais e aprimorar as produções dos estudantes nesse contexto específico de ensino à distância.
Stock market responses to Covid-19: Evidence from Jakarta Islamic Index
Authors: Fianto Bayu Arie , Nugroho Perdana Adi , Ali Shah Syed Alamdar , Busser Rogier
Published: July 2024

Purpose – This study examines the effect of Covid-19 in Indonesia on the value of abnormal returns, trading volume activity, and efficiency of the Jakarta Islamic Index (JII), the Indonesian Islamic stock market.Methodology – This study employed the event study model to measure the relationship between important events related to the Indonesian Covid-19 pandemic on stock returns and the stock trading volume of JII indexed companies. Using research analysis techniques in the form of a market-adjusted model, this study determines the period of events before, during, and after the event.Findings – This study found that the global Covid-19 announcement, announcement of the new normal, and announcement of the Covid-19 vaccination gave a significant abnormal return reaction to the JII index and did not provide a significant trading volume activity reaction. Implications – Indonesia's Islamic stock market, which falls into the semi-strong efficient category, responds quickly to important public information such as Covid-19-related announcements. Investors showed high sensitivity to major news, but trading volumes did not change significantly, indicating a cautious adjustment strategy. The different reactions across sectors, especially industry and energy, highlight the need for investor portfolio diversification. It is important for policymakers to provide clear and timely communication to maintain market stability during crises. Further research is required to understand the long-term impact and extend the coverage of international Islamic stock markets.Originality – This study examines several important Covid-19 events that occurred in Indonesia on stock returns and trading volumes in the Indonesian Islamic stock market.
Clinical outcomes of second-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a real-world study
Authors: Liu Yuxiao , Guo Xiaofan , Xu Peijun , Song Yuning , Huang Jing , Chen Xingyun , Zhu Wenbo , Hao Jihui , Gao Song
Published: July 2024

Objective: Little progress has been made in recent years using first-line chemotherapy, including gemcitabine combined with nab-paclitaxel, FOLFIRINOX, and NALIRIFOX, for advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (APC). In addition, the optimal second-line chemotherapy regimen has not been determined. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of different types of second-line chemotherapy for APC. Methods: Patients with APC who received first-line treatment from January 2008 to January 2021 were considered eligible for this retrospective analysis. The primary and secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), respectively. Results: Four hundred and thirty-seven and 617 patients were treated with 5-fluorouracil- and gemcitabine-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment, respectively. Demographic and clinical features, except age and liver metastasis, were comparable between the two groups (P < 0.05). The median OS was 8.8 and 7.8 months in patients who received a 5-fluorouracil- and gemcitabine-based combined regimen for first-line therapy, respectively (HR = 1.244, 95% CI = 1.090–1.419; P < 0.001). The median OS was 5.6 and 1.9 months in patients who received second-line chemotherapy and supportive care, respectively (HR = 0.766, 95% CI = 0.677–0.867; P < 0.001). The median PFS was not significantly differently between gemcitabine or 5-fluorouracil monotherapy and combination therapy. Conclusions: A 5-fluorouracil- or gemcitabine-based combined regimen was shown to be as effective as a single 5-fluorouracil or gemcitabine regimen as second-line therapy for patients with APC.
DeskDealFinder: Application for Online Shopping Optimization on Desktop Products with Web Scraping
Authors: Acero Ivan
Published: July 2024

Virtual commerce has experienced significant growth in recent years, especially in emerging markets such as Peru. This boom has led to an increase in the number of online stores and with it a dispersion of prices which makes it difficult for consumers to make decisions. Comparing prices has become a crucial need to maximize savings and optimize online shopping. This platform uses web scraping techniques to collect price data of desktop products from various Peruvian online stores, presenting the information in a clear and accessible way for users. By centralizing and comparing prices, it not only facilitates purchasing decisions, but also promotes transparency and competitiveness in the market. For this according to the metrics used show 56% of success of the algorithm
Test and Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Beams Reinforced by Polyurethane Concrete-Prestressed Steel Wire (PUC-PSW)
Authors: Li Wei , Qiu Jiaqi , Wang Yi , Zhang Kexin
Published: July 2024

In this paper, polyurethane concrete (PUC) is used as wire embedding material to form a new polyurethane concrete- prestressed steel wire (PUC-PSW) reinforcement method. The lightweight and high-strength PUC materials not only bond and anchor the prestressed steel wire (PSW), but also passively participate in the structural force. The problems caused by using mortar or composite mortar as the embedding material are avoided. Twelve reinforced concrete T-beams were tested for PUC-PSW flexural reinforcement. It consists of 1 unreinforced beam, 4 PSW reinforced beams, and 7 PUC-PSW reinforced beams. The wire embedding material, wire anchorage form, PUC material depth, amount of wire, and loading type were used as variables. The test results show that PUC-PSW reinforcement can obviously enhance the flexural load and ultimate load of the reinforced beams compared with PSW reinforcement. The ability of PUC-PSW reinforcement to limit crack development is better than that of PSW reinforcement beam, especially after the main beam steel yield. The strength, stiffness and crack limiting ability of the reinforced beam increase with the PUC thickness of the reinforced layer.
Mechanisms of Gut-Related Viral Persistence in Long Covid
Authors: McMillan Philip , Turner Anthony J. , Uhal Bruce D.
Published: July 2024

Long COVID (Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19, PASC) is a consequence of infection by SARS-CoV-2 that continues to disrupt the well-being of millions of affected individuals for many months beyond their first infection. While the exact mechanisms underlying PASC remain to be defined, hypotheses regarding the pathogenesis of Long COVID are varied and include (but are not limited to) dysregulated local or systemic inflammatory responses, autoimmune mechanisms, viral-induced hormonal imbalances and long-term persistence of virus and/or fragments of viral RNA or proteins. This review article is based on a comprehensive review of the wide range of symptoms most often observed in long COVID and an attempt to integrate that information into a plausible hypothesis for the pathogenesis of PASC. In particular, it is proposed that longterm dysregulation of the gut in response to viral persistence could lead to the myriad of symptoms observed in PASC.
Численное исследование влияния генератора вихрей на сверхзвуковое обтекание крыла
Authors: Borisov Vitaly Evgenyevich , Konstantinovskaya Tat'yana Vital'evna , Lutsky Alexander Evgenjevich
Published: July 2024

Представлены результаты численного исследования и анализа влияния вихревых
структур, сходящих с расположенного выше по потоку крыла-генератора, на обтекание сверхзвуковым потоком основного крыла. Рассматривается, в том числе, влияние размаха крыла-генератора. Численные результаты получены на многопроцессорной гибридной суперкомпьютерной системе К-60 в ИПМ им. М.В. Келдыша РАН.
Численное исследование разрывного метода Галеркина для решения уравнений Баера-Нунциато с мгновенной механической релаксацией
Authors: Polekhina Ruzana Ramilevna , Savenkov Evgenii Borisovich
Published: July 2024

Работа посвящена численному исследованию разрывного метода Галеркина для решения двухфазных уравнений Баера-Нунциато с мгновенной механической релаксацией. С математической точки зрения определяющая система уравнений является неконсервативной гиперболической. В отличие от консервативных гиперболических систем уравнений, для которых численные методы хорошо известны и развиты, численное решение неконсервативных гиперболических систем является более сложной задачей, требующей обобщения метода Годунова. Вычислительный алгоритм для решения этой модели основан на решении гиперболической части с помощью разрывного метода Галеркина 2-го порядка с консервативными по пути потоками HLL или HLLEM. Для монотонизации решения используются лимитер WENO-S, который применяется непосредственно к консервативным переменным модели. Для учета релаксационных процессов предложен новый алгоритм мгновенной релаксации, в рамках которого определение равновесных значений скорости и термодинамических переменных сводится к решению системы алгебраических уравнений. Для проверки предложенного численного алгоритма результаты численных расчетов сравниваются с известными аналитическими решениями в одномерных постановках. Для демонстрации возможности предложенных алгоритмов рассматривается пространственно двумерная задача об обтекании ступеньки, а также двухфазный вариант задачи о тройной точке. Результаты расчетов показывают, что предложенный алгоритм является робастным и позволяет проводить расчеты для двухфазных сред со скачком плотностей 1000.
Метод построения схем повышенного порядка аппроксимации для гиперболических уравнений
Authors: Popov Igor Viktorovich
Published: July 2024

Предлагается метод построения разностных схем высокого порядка аппроксимации для решения простейшего уравнения гиперболического типа, а именно линейного уравнения переноса. На основе разработанного метода проводится анализ схем Русанова, Уорминга-Катлера-Ломакса и построены новые разностные схемы третьего порядка. Для этих схем предлагается способ монотонизации решения. Монотонизация численного решения осуществляется за счет понижения порядка разностной схемы в точках осцилляции численного решения. Это достигается с помощью вложенности шаблонов младших пространственных производных, которые являются подмножеством шаблонов разностных схем старших производных по «принципу матрeшки». Приводятся результаты численных экспериментов для известных тестовых задач.
Моделирование колебаний давления на пластине за поперечной выемкой в сверхзвуковом потоке
Authors: Savel'ev Aleksandr Dmitrievich , Savel'ev I A
Published: July 2024

Численно моделируется обтекание поперечной выемки на плоской пластине сверхзвуковым потоком вязкого газа. Исследуется течение внутри выемки и колебания давления в следе за ней при числах Маха набегающего потока от 2 до 8 и ламинарном пограничном слое. В расчетах используются разностные схемы высокого порядка.
Blood pressure control with active ultrafiltration measures and without the use of antihypertensives is essential for survival in patients with CKD in hemodiafiltration and hemodialysis programs. A prospective multicenter observational study.
Authors: Mora-Bravo Franklin Geovany , Morales Pamela Tatiana , Rojas Nelson , Blum Guillermina Lucía , Santacruz Juan Cristobal , Santacruz Angel Cristobal , Perez-Grovas Hector , Robles William
Published: July 2024

Background
High blood pressure is a prevalent condition in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. Adequate control of high blood pressure is essential to reduce deaths in this group of patients. The present study aimed to observe mortality prospectively in a group of patients in hemodialysis and hemodiafiltration programs in whom the use of antihypertensives was optimized with the point of care dry weight (POCW) technique.
Methods
The present observational, prospective study was carried out at the Pafram Hemodiafiltration Unit in Morona Santiago, Ecuador, and the Hemodialysis Unit of the Fundación Renal del Ecuador in Guayaquil, Ecuador, from August 2019 to December 2023. Patients who were receiving hemodiafiltration were included. Weight was optimized with POCW. Group 1 included patients whose antihypertensive agents were not required to control blood pressure with a value less than 150/85 mmHg predialysis at eight weeks of POCW. In group 2, the patients required antihypertensive therapy. Clinical data, demographic data, mortality data, treatment descriptions, and routine laboratory test results during dialysis were included. The sample was nonprobabilistic. Survival analysis was carried out for the study groups. The log-rank test (Mantel-Cox) was used for survival comparisons.
Results
The study included 106 patients. Optimal blood pressure control without antihypertensive treatment was achieved in 52 patients (49.1%) (Group 1). In 54 patients (50.9%), antihypertensive agents were required (Group 2). There was more significant mortality in the group that received antihypertensives: 11 patients in group 1 (21.2%) versus 25 patients in group 2 (46.3%) (P = 0.005). Survival was more significant in group 1, with an HR of 2.2163 (1.125–4.158) (P = 0.0243).
Conclusion
Blood pressure control with active ultrafiltration measures and without the use of antihypertensives is essential for survival in patients with CKD in hemodiafiltration and hemodialysis programs.
Comparing Antithyroid Drugs vs. Radioactive Iodine in Paediatric Graves’: Literature Review
Authors: Sinha Akshat , Oza Reuben , Sangha Brandon Karamveer , Akhavan-Mofrad Arshia , Suddhi Arvin Singh
Published: July 2024

Introduction:
Paediatric Graves’ disease (PGD) is an autoimmune condition, which if left untreated, can result in cardiac complications. NICE Guidance (NG145) advocates the use of antithyroid drugs (ATD) as first-line therapy for PGD, with a consultation to consider a move to definitive therapy in the form of radioactive iodine (RAI) or thyroidectomy if the initial 2-year course failed to achieve normal thyroid function. We aim to explore the effectiveness and associated adverse events (AEs) of ATD compared with RAI.
Methods
A thorough guideline search of NICE Evidence and RCP guidelines & Policy was conducted to yield a guideline relevant to our review question. A literature search of the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PubMed, alongside a clear inclusion and exclusion criteria was utilised to generate systematic reviews and primary literature exploring the efficacy and AEs of ATD and RAI. Our guideline, systematic reviews and primary literature were appraised using AGREE-II, AMSTAR 2 and CASP respectively.
Results
The search strategy yielded one NICE guideline (NG145) published in November 2019, two systematic reviews published after November 2019 and four primary studies, published after the most recent systematic review (August 2020). All studies determined that ATD and RAI are both effective treatment options for PGD. With regards to AEs, RAI and ATD were considered to be safe treatment options, with the latter having the least severity of complications.
Conclusions
In patients who have been identified to have predictors of remission, we agree with NG145 and ATD should be offered as first-line treatment. However, for those who do not have characteristics aligning with the predictors of remission, RAI should be offered as first-line therapy. We suggest screening of predictors of remission to aid the choice of treatment in paediatric Graves’ disease treatment.
Naive CD8br T Cell Affects Epilepsy through Partial Sphingomyelin Mediation: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Wang Jinchao , LI Kaiji , Gao Yalong , Wu Rongrong , Chen Bo , Chen Xin , Liu Yafan , Liu Huajie , Zhang Shu , Xu Shangchen , Zhang Jianning
Published: July 2024

Background
Several studies have suggested a potential link between immune cells and epilepsy. Nonetheless, the precise causal relationship between immune cells and epilepsy, and the role of metabolites as potential mediators, remain ambiguous.
Methods
We extracted information on immune cells, metabolites and epilepsy from pooled data from a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS). We used Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to elucidate causal links between immune cells, metabolites and epilepsy. The main statistical method used was inverse variance weighting (IVW). In addition, we investigated the potential mediating role of metabolites in the pathway from immune cells to epilepsy. Finally, we applied bioinformatics methods for validation.
Results
In assessing the genetic susceptibility of immune cells to epilepsy, we observed 12 positive associations. However, when analyzed in reverse, we found two of these associations to be negative. Similarly, we found 60 positive and 8 negative associations between metabolites and epilepsy. Subsequently, mediation analysis revealed that Naive CD8br T cells affect epilepsy through Partial Sphingomyelin as a mediator. Finally, the bioinformatics analysis revealed alterations in the immune microenvironment between healthy individuals and patients with epilepsy, with notable changes in the differentiation of Naive CD8 T cells.
Conclusion
There exists a causal association between immune cells, and metabolites with epilepsy, wherein metabolites serve as mediators in the pathway from immune cells to epilepsy.
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Family-centered Empowerment Model, Collaborative Care Model and Motivational Interviewing on Blood Glucose Control and Nutritional Behaviors Based on BASNEF Model in Patients Attended to Rural Health Centers
Authors: Mirkarimi Kamal
Published: July 2024

Background
Type 2 diabetes mellitus has imposed increasingly burden on health systems worldwide. Self-care behaviors improve and enhance by receiving support from family of diabetic patients. The present study aims to compare the effectiveness of the family-centered empowerment model, collaborative care model and motivational interviewing on blood glucose control and nutritional behaviors based on the BASNEF model.
Methods
A single blind randomized clinical trial survey was run among patients with T2DM who were referred to the Rural Health Centers located in Gorgan city of Iran. In total, 120 patients were classified randomly into four groups of interventions (family-centered empowerment model n = 30, collaborative care model n = 30, and motivational interviewing n = 30 and control (n = 30). Blood glucose control, nutritional behaviors and constructs of the model were measured in pre-intervention, 2,6 and 12 months’ follow-ups. P-value < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results
The mean age of participants was 57.19 ± 5.79 year. Constructs of the model and nutrition variables (except for carbohydrates) did not present statistically significant difference in the pre-intervention, while in six and twelve months showed statistically significant differences (p = 0.001). In addition, FBS (p = 0.001) and HbA1C (p = 0.008), decreased significantly in 12-month follow-up.​
Conclusion
Given the present findings, FCEM, CCM and MI techniques might be likely applicable and useful to improve nutritional behavior and control chronic diseases such as diabetes which is a serious threat to people's health.
Trial registration:
The study protocol was approved by the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (trial ID 34852 in 2018-12-05).
Quantitative Evaluation of Olfactory Function in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type3 and Type1 in China: A Clinical Study
Authors: Liu Yiwen , Wu Tong , Zhou Hao , Chen Kepu , Han Yongsheng
Published: July 2024

Objectives: This study investigates olfactory function and clinical characteristics in spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) patients, exploring the link between motor and nonmotor symptoms.
Methods: In a study conducted at the Neurology Institute Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, 30 spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) patients diagnosed from August 2020 to August 2023 were matched with 30 controls. Olfactory functions were evaluated using the Institute of Psychology's olfactory test. The SCA group's ataxia severity was assessed with the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS). Variations in Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were compared between groups, and correlations between olfactory function and SCA symptoms were examined.
Results: In the SCA group, olfactory scores were significantly lower compared to controls (P < 0.001). SCA patients had higher HAMA (P = 0.005), HAMD (P= 0.02), and PSQI (P < 0.001) scores. However, Olfactory identification correlated negatively with age (r = −0.377, P = 0.041) in SCA patients. No significant correlations were found between olfactory function and disease duration, ICARS, HAMA, HAMD, or PSQI scores in the SCA group.
Conclusion: The olfactory dysfunction is prevalent in SCA patients, But there was no significant correlation between motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms.
Alteration in functional connectivity of SC_thalamus with primary trigeminal neuralgia
Authors: Cheng Qiansheng , Liu Shoufeng , Wang Junling , Wang Yajing , Han Bihui , Wang Lichen , Jin Song
Published: July 2024

Background
Primary trigeminal neuralgia (PTN) is a recurrent condition of electric shock-like pain occurring in the facial area nervated by the sensory portion of the trigeminal nerve. The thalamus is a relay station for transmitting sensory information transmission, where the facial pain signal involved in PTN transmits. The multiple functions of the thalamus vary from its subregions, and changes in the functional connectivity (FC) between the thalamic sensory subregions and the whole brain are yet unclear. This study aims to explore the altered FC of thalamic sensory subregions in PTN patients using the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).
Methods
Differences in the FC of the thalamic subregions with the whole brain voxels between 48 PTN patients and 35 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were examined. Moreover, the correlation of altered FC in the brain regions with the course of PTN was identifed.
Results
Compared with HCs, PTN patients displayed a significantly increased FC between the SC_thalamus and postcentral gyrus, increased FC between the SC_thalamus and midfrontal gyrus, and decreased FC between the SC_thalamus and right supramarginal gyrus. The FC between the SC_thalamus and left postcentral gyrus (r = 0.442, P = 0.002) and that between the SC_thalamus and right postcentral gyrus (r = 0.415, P = 0.003) were positively correlated with the course of PTN. The FC between the SC_thalamus and right supramarginal gyrus (r=-0.398, P = 0.005) was negatively correlated with the course of PTN.
Conclusion
FC between the SC_thalamus and certain brain regions alters in PTN patients. The pathophysiological basis of the central mechanism changes in PTN patients at the subnuclear level provides a theoretical basis for developing new treatment methods for PTN.
Screening and identification of key biomarkers in Rheumatoid arthritis: Evidence from bioinformatic analysis
Authors: Yan Huang , Xiao-ling Leng , Zhen Gan , Ye-qing Quan , Jia-xin Meng
Published: July 2024

Objectives: Our objective was to dissect the biomarkers and the inflammation state of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) by comprehensively applying multiple bioinformatics analysis tools.
Methods: To identify candidate genes in the carcinogenesis and progression of RA, the microarray datasets GSE153015, GSE197057, and GSE206848 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) were identified and function enrichment analyzes were performed. Next, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established through the STRING database and Cytoscape. Furthermore, the CIBERSORT website was used to assess the inflammatory state of RA. Finally, we validated the candidate hub genes with dataset GSE93776.
Results: A total of 73 DEGs were identified, consisting of 50 down-regulated genes and 23 up-regulated genes. Through GO and KEGG analysis, we found that DEGs were mainly involved in immune response and inflammatory signaling pathway.With the help of Cytoscape software and the MCODE plug-in, the most prominent subnetwork was selected, containing 8 genes. For the analysis of the ROC curve, three genes with AUC >0.70 were considered core genes of RA.
Conclusions: Compared to healthy controls, DEG and its closely related biological functions were analyzed, and we were of the opinion that chemokines and immune cell infiltration promote the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. The three biomarkers identified may be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
The agony of choice: Comparing abundance estimates from multiple N-mixture model variants for a dataset of reptile observations
Authors: Wyk Kurt van , Maritz Bryan
Published: July 2024

Ecological surveys rarely achieve perfect detection of target species, and failure to account for imperfect detection can produce erroneous estimates of abundance. N-mixture models account for variation in detectability by separating the observation process from the ecological process that determines true site-level abundance, making these models theoretically well-suited to studies of inconspicuous species, such as reptiles. Multiple N-mixture model variants have been published, but little is known about their ability to provide ecologically realistic abundance estimates from real-world observation data. Given their novelty and potential for wider use, studies that help users decide which variant to use in a particular case would be valuable. If different, yet data-appropriate N-mixture model variants provide substantially incongruent abundance estimates for the same dataset, then their uncritical use in ecology is problematic. Using a dataset of reptile observations from south-eastern Zimbabwe, we compare the estimates of five N-mixture model variants. For each species, we assess congruence between the site-level abundance estimates of each variant. We then use a novel metric to assess the performance of each model variant based on the precision and ecological feasibility of its abundance estimates, accounting for goodness-of-fit. We find that model variant pairs were rarely congruent in their abundance estimates, and that model performance varies significantly according to species occupancy and detection probability. We provide a framework for the application of multiple N-mixture model variants in faunal ecology to guide analytical decision-making.
Global risk of precipitation deficits for tree-based cooling in cities
Authors: Rollinson Christine , Alexander M. Ross , Turner-Skoff Jessica , Custic Melissa , Darling Lindsay , Deas Ayo , Ford Trent , Kamakura Renata Poulton , Wirtz Zach
Published: July 2024

Trees are key sources of cooling in natural and urban ecosystems across the globe (1–3). Increasing tree cover is one popular nature-based approach to reducing excessive heat in cities where the majority of the world’s population lives (4–6). The cooling effects of trees arise from both shading and evapotranspiration and have been widely demonstrated with on-the-ground and remotely sensed data (1,7,8). However, cooling from evapotranspiration depends on water availability, which may become more scarce in many regions due to climate change (9). We evaluated urban tree cooling and water sustainability in 2,021 global cities by comparing summer evapotranspiration with incoming precipitation under current and increased canopy conditions. Mild increases in urban canopy evenness can effectively reduce surface temperature without increasing summer precipitation deficit in most cities. However, projected climate change impacts may expose 40% of cities to summer precipitation deficits given the characteristics of their current canopies. Our results demonstrate the use of tree cover for mitigating urban heat will likely require climate adaptation strategies that increase the drought tolerance of urban forests in many regions.
To evaluate the predictive effect of vitamin D on clinical outcomes of infliximab treated Crohn’s disease patients in western China
Authors: Song Xiaomei , Zhang Huihui , Song Junya , Wang Hao , Guo Hong , Zhou Xiaoqin
Published: July 2024

Background and aim
To evaluate predictors of clinical outcomes in infliximab(IFX) treated CD patients in western China, and provide evidence for future treatment optimization.
Methods
This study adopted retrospective investigation method, collected the clinical data of patients in the database of CD patients in Chongqing General Hospital during 2022.07-2023.07. The clinical data of CD patients at baseline and the endpoint(the seventh IFX treatment, 38 weeks)were collected.The baseline variables of IFX treated patients with regard to clinical remission(Crohn's Disease Activity Index(CDAI)<150) at endpoint were assessed, and the correlation of serum vitamin D(Vit-D) levels before initiating IFX therapy and CDAI at week 38 were analyzed.
Results
60 patients with CD treated with IFX were included, Vit-D deficient rate was 51.7% at baseline, 81.7% of patients achieved clinical remission and 66.7% achieved endoscopic remission at week 38 after IFX treatment. Vit-D level at baseline were one of the independent predictors of clinical remission in CD patients after IFX treatment (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that when Vit-D concentration was 15.81ng/ml, the area under the curve was 0.711 (95%CI: 0.523–0.899, P = 0.03), the sensitivity and specificity was 81.6% and 63.6%. Vit-D level in normal BMI, smoking, combine with IMM subgroup had independent predictive value of CDAI at endpoint (P < 0.05).
Conclusion
Baseline Vit-D level were one of the independent predictors of clinical remission in CD patients after IFX treatment, which has predictive value on CDAI before the seventh IFX treatment, especially in normal Body Mass Index, smoking, combine with immunosuppressant subgroup.
Multi controller Placement optimization in Software Defined Network Controllers by using Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Inayatullah Syed , Hanif Fozia , Shams Rehan , Waheed Urooj , Khan M Ahsan
Published: July 2024

SDN stands for software-defined network, and it gives scalability to manage the network by giving the concept of centralization and open control. The key concept of software-defined networks is that it separates the control mechanism and data mechanism, so the controller of SDN is only responsible for controlling the network functions. The controller can be programmed or decoded as per the need of the network administrator, whether the network administrator wants to expand the network or downscale the existing network. Open flow is the protocol which is used to build communication between controllers and a switching node. Open flow protocol is responsible for synchronizing and receiving the flow table when the request from the switches increases to control the level and multiple routing information comes to the controller. The controller could not be able to manage such an overflow of information. As a result, the performance of the controller was affected. In this paper genetic algorithm technique is used to resolve the load balancing issue between the multiple controllers. The proposed solution of algorithm will perform the method of selection, crossover, and mutation techniques to optimize the load balancing of controllers. The proposed technique will be compared with some benchmark algorithms, and it will be proved that the proposed GA outperforms as compared to other existing algorithms.
A lightweight fine-grained recognition algorithm based on object detection
Authors: Ren Weiyu , Shi Dongfan , Chen Yifan , Song Liming , Hu Qingsong , Wang Meiling
Published: July 2024

In order to enhance the fine-grained recognition of fish species, this paper proposes a lightweight object detection model YOLOv8n-DFG. The model accurately identifies six deep-sea fish species including Flatfin sailfish, Striped marlin, Atlantic bluefin tuna, Bigeye tuna, Longtail tuna, and Yellowfin tuna, meeting the requirements for real-time detection and fishing monitoring. Firstly, by introducing FasterNetBlock and EMA attention mechanism into the YOLOv8 network structure to improve C2f and obtain the C2f-FE module, this model enhances feature extraction accuracy and operational efficiency. Subsequently, it combines BiFPN structure with C2f-FE module to construct a fast and lightweight neck network structure that achieves multi-scale feature fusion. Additionally, Dysample dynamic upsampling module is introduced along with porting of Adown downsampling module from YOLOv9 to optimize feature pyramid sampling method named as YOLOv8-FG. Finally using large-sized YOLOv8s-FG as teacher network and small-sized YOLOv8n-FG as student network based on CWD loss intermediate layer feature distillation method constructs the final model YOLOv8n-DFG. Experimental results on a dataset containing six morphologically similar fish species demonstrate the effectiveness of these improvements and distillation effects are significant. Compared to YOLOv8n, precision has increased by 7.8%, recall by 3.3%, mAP@50 by 5.6%, while FlOPs decreased by 42% with a reduction in model size of 58%. The results indicate that our proposed YOLOv8n-DFG demonstrates exceptional accuracy and real-time performance, effectively fulfilling the requirements for real-time fine-grained fish recognition.