bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Malignant Gastrointestinal Neuroectodermal Tumor (GNET): A Distinct Entity and the Challenging Differential Diagnosis with Mesenchymal, Lymphoid, and Melanic Tumors: A Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature
Authors: Boșoteanu Mădălina , Cristian Miruna , Așchie Mariana , Baz Radu Andrei , Zielonka Alina Marta , Cozaru Georgeta Camelia , Boșoteanu Luana Andreea
Published: March 2023

(1) Background: A malignant gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumor (GNET) is an ultra-rare primary neoplasm with a distinctive histopathological, immunohistochemical, molecular, and ultramicroscopic profile, synonymous terminology with clear cell sarcoma-like tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. This case report aims to describe a case of GNET with challenging mesenchymal, lymphoid, and melanic tumor differential diagnosis. (2) Case presentation: We discuss the case of a 67-year-old male patient who presented with diffuse abdominal pain, intermittent lack of intestinal transit, and frequent episodes of nausea, followed by segmental resection of the jejunum and sigmoid colon. The patient had no relevant medical history. The surgical specimen underwent immunohistochemical staining and morphological evaluation. (3) Results: Histopathological analysis reveals a moderately homogeneous polyhedral-epithelioid and spindle cell neoplastic proliferation with a zonal discohesive pattern and extensive and focal fasciculated architecture. Twenty monoclonal antibodies were used for immunostaining, which allowed GNET to be diagnosed on the basis of the tumoral immune profile, characterized by positive reactivity of S100, SOX10, and CD 56. (4) Conclusions: The poor prognosis of GNET is highlighted in the present study, along with the vital importance of differential diagnosis issues with mesenchymal, lymphoid, and melanic tumors, which make the diagnosis difficult for both pathologists and clinicians.
Comparison of 3D Bone Position Estimation Using QR Code and Metal Bead Markers
Authors: Ikumi Akira , Yoshii Yuichi , Iwahashi Yuta , Sashida Satoshi , Shrestha Pragyan , Xie Chun , Kitahara Itaru , Ishii Tomoo
Published: March 2023

To improve the accuracy of a 3D bone position estimation system that displays 3D images in response to changes in the position of fluoroscopic images, modified markers using quick response (QR) codes were developed. The aims of this study were to assess the accuracy of the estimated bone position on 3D images with reference to QR code markers on fluoroscopic images and to compare its accuracy with metal bead markers. Bone positions were estimated from reference points on a fluoroscopic image compared with those on a 3D image. The positional relationships of QR code and metal bead markers on the fluoroscopic image were compared with those on the 3D image in order to establish whether a 3D image may be drawn by tracking positional changes in radius models. Differences were investigated by comparing the distance between markers on the fluoroscopic image and that on the 3D image, which was projected on the monitor. The error ratio, which was defined as the difference in the measurement between the fluoroscopic and 3D images divided by the fluoroscopic measurement, was compared between QR code and metal bead markers. Error ratios for the QR code markers were 5.0 ± 2.0%, 6.4 ± 7.6%, and 1.0 ± 0.8% in the anterior–posterior view, ulnar side lateral view, and posterior–anterior view, respectively. Error ratios for the metal bead markers were 1.3 ± 1.7%, 13.8 ± 14.5%, and 4.7 ± 5.7% in the anterior–posterior view, ulnar side lateral view, and posterior–anterior view, respectively. The error ratio for the metal bead markers was smaller in the initial position (p < 0.01). However, the error ratios for the QR code markers were smaller in the lateral position and the posterior–anterior position (p < 0.05). In QR code marker tracking, tracking was successful even with discontinuous images. The accuracy of a 3D bone position estimation was increased by using the QR code marker system. QR code marker tracking facilitates real-time comparisons of dynamic changes in preoperative 3D and intraoperative fluoroscopic images.
A Robust and High-Dimensional Clustering Algorithm Based on Feature Weight and Entropy
Authors: Du Xinzhi
Published: March 2023

Since the Fuzzy C-Means algorithm is incapable of considering the influence of different features and exponential constraints on high-dimensional and complex data, a fuzzy clustering algorithm based on non-Euclidean distance combining feature weights and entropy weights is proposed. The proposed algorithm is based on the Fuzzy C-Means soft clustering algorithm to deal with high-dimensional and complex data. The objective function of the new algorithm is modified with the help of two different entropy terms and a non-Euclidean way of computing the distance. The distance calculation formula enhances the efficiency of extracting the contribution of different features. The first entropy term helps to minimize the clusters’ dispersion and maximize the negative entropy to control the clustering process, which also promotes the association between the samples. The second entropy term helps to control the weights of features since different features have different weights in the clustering process. Experiments on real-world datasets indicate that the proposed algorithm gives better clustering results than other algorithms. The experiments demonstrate the proposed algorithm’s robustness by analyzing the parameters’ sensitivity and comparing the computational distance formulas. In summary, the improved algorithm improves classification performance under noisy interference and high-dimensional datasets, increases computational efficiency, performs well in real-world high-dimensional datasets, and encourages the development of robust noise-resistant high-dimensional fuzzy clustering algorithms.
Analysis of the Factors Affecting Student Performance Using a Neuro-Fuzzy Approach
Authors: Abou Naaj Mahmoud , Mehdi Riyadh , Mohamed Elfadil A. , Nachouki Mirna
Published: March 2023

Predicting students’ academic performance and the factors that significantly influence it can improve students’ completion and graduation rates, as well as reduce attrition rates. In this study, we examine the factors influencing student academic achievement. A fuzzy-neural approach is adopted to build a model that predicts and explains variations in course grades among students, based on course category, student course attendance rate, gender, high-school grade, school type, grade point average (GPA), and course delivery mode as input predictors. The neuro-fuzzy system was used because of its ability to implicitly capture the functional form between the dependent variable and input predictors. Our results indicate that the most significant predictors of course grades are student GPA, followed by course category. Using sensitivity analysis, student attendance was determined to be the most significant factor explaining the variations in course grades, followed by GPA, with course delivery mode ranked third. Our findings also indicate that a hybrid course delivery mode has positively impacted course grades as opposed to online or face-to-face course delivery alone.
Low-Profile Meander Line Multiband Antenna for Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) Applications with SAR Analysis
Authors: Islam Tania , Roy Sayan
Published: March 2023

In this work, we propose a novel multiband meander line antenna that can operate at three different frequency bands and offer suitable performance for wireless body area network (WBAN) applications. The net geometry of the antenna is 36 × 30 × 1.524 mm3. The proposed low-profile antenna is analytically modeled and designed in full wave ANSYS HFSS using Rogers TMM4 as the substrate, followed by in-lab prototyping. The designed antenna resonates at 4.5 GHz, 5 GHz, and 5.8 GHz and maintains positive gain, efficiency, and acceptable specific absorption rates at each resonant band. The effectiveness of the antenna for WBAN applications is demonstrated using an in-lab manufactured phantom. The fabrication process of the phantom is described, and dielectric characterization of the phantom mimicking different human tissue layers is presented. Considering results with and without human body phantoms available in the full wave ANSYS HFSS tool, a comparative analysis between simulated and measured antenna parameters concludes this work. Both the simulated and measured results show good agreement.
Design of Vector Control Strategies Based on Fuzzy Gain Scheduling PID Controllers for a Grid-Connected Wind Energy Conversion System: Hardware FPGA-in-the-Loop Verification
Authors: Hermassi Mahdi , Krim Saber , Kraiem Youssef , Hajjaji Mohamed Ali , Alshammari Badr M. , Alsaif Haitham , Alshammari Ahmed S. , Guesmi Tawfik
Published: March 2023

This paper presents a hardware implementation upon a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) of improved Vector Control Strategies (VCSs) based on a Fuzzy Logic System (FLS) of a grid-connected wind energy conversion system. Usually, the classical VCS is based on fixed-gain Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controllers, which are known to exhibit limited performance against the nonlinear behavior of wind systems, such as rapid fluctuations of the wind speed and uncertainties of the system parameters. In order to overcome this limitation, an improved VCS based on Fuzzy Gain Scheduling PID controllers (VCS-FGS-PID) is suggested in this work to guarantee good tracking, high accuracy and good robustness under system parameter variations. Indeed, the PID controller gains are tuned, in real-time, by the FLS. In addition, the proposed VCS-FGS-PID methods are implemented on the FPGA in order to reduce the delays and the period of the system of the control loop, thanks to its parallel processing. In fact, the performance of the suggested VCS-FGS-PID approaches are proved by digital simulation with the Xilinx system generator tool under Matlab/Simulink, in addition to an experimental hardware-in-the-loop implementation using the FPGA. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed VCS-FGS-PID techniques offer better performance as regards good tracking and high accuracy and good robustness against stator resistance variability compared to VCS-PI.
A Comparative Analysis of Word Embedding and Deep Learning for Arabic Sentiment Classification
Authors: Sabbeh Sahar F. , Fasihuddin Heba A.
Published: March 2023

Sentiment analysis on social media platforms (i.e., Twitter or Facebook) has become an important tool to learn about users’ opinions and preferences. However, the accuracy of sentiment analysis is disrupted by the challenges of natural language processing (NLP). Recently, deep learning models have proved superior performance over statistical- and lexical-based approaches in NLP-related tasks. Word embedding is an important layer of deep learning models to generate input features. Many word embedding models have been presented for text representation of both classic and context-based word embeddings. In this paper, we present a comparative analysis to evaluate both classic and contextualized word embeddings for sentiment analysis. The four most frequently used word embedding techniques were used in their trained and pre-trained versions. The selected embedding represents classical and contextualized techniques. Classical word embedding includes algorithms such as GloVe, Word2vec, and FastText. By contrast, ARBERT is used as a contextualized embedding model. Since word embedding is more typically employed as the input layer in deep networks, we used deep learning architectures BiLSTM and CNN for sentiment classification. To achieve these goals, the experiments were applied to a series of benchmark datasets: HARD, Khooli, AJGT, ArSAS, and ASTD. Finally, a comparative analysis was conducted on the results obtained for the experimented models. Our outcomes indicate that, generally, generated embedding by one technique achieves higher performance than its pretrained version for the same technique by around 0.28 to 1.8% accuracy, 0.33 to 2.17% precision, and 0.44 to 2% recall. Moreover, the contextualized transformer-based embedding model BERT achieved the highest performance in its pretrained and trained versions. Additionally, the results indicate that BiLSTM outperforms CNN by approximately 2% in 3 datasets, HARD, Khooli, and ArSAS, while CNN achieved around 2% higher performance in the smaller datasets, AJGT and ASTD.
The Role of Ketone Bodies in Various Animal Models of Kidney Disease
Authors: Liu Haoxin , Yan Liang-Jun
Published: March 2023

The kidney is a vital organ that carries out significant metabolic functions in our body. Due to the complexity of its role, the kidney is also susceptible to many disease conditions, such as acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Despite the prevalence and our increased understanding of the pathophysiology of both AKI and CKD as well as the transition of AKI to CKD, no well-established therapeutics have been applied clinically to these conditions, rendering an urgent need for a novel potential therapeutic target to be developed. In this article, we reviewed the function of ketone bodies in some common kidney conditions, such as drug-induced nephrotoxicity, ischemia and reperfusion injury, fibrosis development, diabetic kidney disease, kidney aging, hypertension, and CKD progression. All the selected studies reviewed were performed in animal models by primarily utilizing rodents, which also provide invaluable sources for future clinical applications. Ketone bodies have shown significant renal protective properties via attenuation of oxidative stress, increased expression of anti-inflammatory proteins, gene regulation, and a reduction of apoptosis of renal cells. A physiological level of ketone bodies could be achieved by fasting, a ketogenic diet, and an exogenous ketone supplement. Finally, the limitations of the long-term ketogenic diet were also discussed.
Modeling and Optimization of Hexavalent Chromium Adsorption by Activated Eucalyptus Biochar Using Response Surface Methodology and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System
Authors: Yusuff Adeyinka Sikiru , Ishola Niyi Babatunde , Gbadamosi Afeez Olayinka , Epelle Emmanuel I.
Published: March 2023

Due to its excellent textural features, non-toxicity, low cost and high uptake capacity, biochar has been synthesized from various biomasses and utilized as a biosorbent to remove hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) from contaminated water. Herein, activated eucalyptus biochar (AEB) was prepared via a pyrolysis-chemical activation process and then used as a less expensive biosorbent to adsorb Cr6+ ions from an aqueous solution. Proximate, ultimate, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analyses were employed in appraising the biosorbent characteristics. Furthermore, response surface methodology (RSM) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) were applied to establish the best operating conditions. Based on the results obtained, there was little discrepancy between the observed data and the data predicted by RSM and ANFIS approaches. In terms of prediction accuracy, ANFIS (MAE = 2.512 and R2=0.9200) was superior to RSM (MAE = 2.512 and R2=0.9002). Under best-optimized conditions (initial Cr6+ concentration = 38.14 mg/L, biosorbent dosage = 1.33 g/L and pH = 4.35), which were offered by the ANFIS–ACO technique, the maximum percentage removal of 99.92 ± 0.18% was achieved. The AEB performed exceptionally well due to its better textural characteristics, well-developed porous framework, and dominance of active surface functional groups, which were confirmed by BET, SEM, and FTIR analyses. The comparison of RSM, ACO and GA for process parameter optimization has not been reported in the open literature for Cr6+ adsorption by AEB and hence has been shown in this study.
Fermented Wheat Bran Polysaccharides Improved Intestinal Health of Zebrafish in Terms of Intestinal Motility and Barrier Function
Authors: Chen Qiuyan , Mao Jinju , Wang Yuan , Yin Na , Liu Na , Zheng Yue , An Xiaoping , Qi Jingwei , Wang Ruifang , Yang Yanping
Published: March 2023

Intestinal barrier dysfunction and gut microbiota disorders have been associated with various intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. Fermented wheat bran polysaccharides (FWBP) are promising natural products for enhancing the growth performance and antioxidant function of zebrafish. The present study was conducted, in order to investigate the effects of FWBP on the intestinal motility and barrier function of zebrafish, which could provide evidence for the further potential of using FWBP as a functional food ingredient in the consideration of gut health. In Experiment 1, the normal or loperamide hydrochloride-induced constipation zebrafish larvae were treated with three concentrations of FWBP (10, 20, 40 μg/mL). In Experiment 2, 180 one month-old healthy zebrafish were randomly divided into three groups (six replicates/group and 10 zebrafish/tank) and fed with a basal diet, 0.05% FWBP, or 0.10% FWBP for eight weeks. The results showed that FWBP treatment for 6 h can reduce the fluorescence intensity and alleviate constipation, thereby promoting the gastrointestinal motility of zebrafish. When compared with control group, zebrafish fed diets containing FWBP showed an increased villus height (p < 0.05), an up-regulated mRNA expression of the tight junction protein 1α, muc2.1, muc5.1, matrix metalloproteinases 9 and defensin1 (p < 0.05), an increased abundance of the phylum Firmicutes (p < 0.05), and a decreased abundance of the phylum Proteobacteria, family Aeromonadaceae, and genus Aeromonas (p < 0.05). In addition, 0.05% FWBP supplementation up-regulated the intestinal mRNA expression of IL-10 and Occludin1 (p < 0.05), enhanced the Shannon and Chao1 indexes (p < 0.05), and increased the abundance of Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota at the phylum level (p < 0.05). Additionally, 0.1% FWBP supplementation significantly improved the villus height to crypt depth ratio (p < 0.05) and increased the mRNA expression of IL-17 (p < 0.05). These findings reveal that FWBP can promote the intestinal motility and enhance the intestinal barrier function, thus improving the intestinal health of zebrafish.
Co-Design, Development, and Evaluation of a Health Monitoring Tool Using Smartwatch Data: A Proof-of-Concept Study
Authors: Bajaj Ruhi Kiran , Meiring Rebecca Mary , Beltran Fernando
Published: March 2023

Computational analysis and integration of smartwatch data with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) present potential uses in preventing, diagnosing, and managing chronic diseases. One of the key requirements for the successful clinical application of smartwatch data is understanding healthcare professional (HCP) perspectives on whether these devices can play a role in preventive care. Gaining insights from the vast amount of smartwatch data is a challenge for HCPs, thus tools are needed to support HCPs when integrating personalized health monitoring devices with EMR. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an application prototype, co-designed with HCPs and employing design science research methodology and diffusion of innovation frameworks to identify the potential for clinical integration. A machine learning algorithm was developed to detect possible health anomalies in smartwatch data, and these were presented visually to HCPs in a web-based platform. HCPs completed a usability questionnaire to evaluate the prototype, and over 60% of HCPs scored positively on usability. This preliminary study tested the proposed research to solve the practical challenges of HCP in interpreting smartwatch data before fully integrating smartwatches into the EMR. The findings provide design directions for future applications that use smartwatch data to improve clinical decision-making and reduce HCP workloads.
Antioxidant and Sensory Properties of Raw and Cooked Pork Meat Burgers Formulated with Extract from Non-Compliant Green Coffee Beans
Authors: Bergamaschi Monica , Simoncini Nicoletta , Spezzano Vincenzo Maria , Ferri Maura , Tassoni Annalisa
Published: March 2023

The effects of polyphenol-rich extract obtained from non-compliant defatted green coffee beans (dGCBs) on physicochemical and antioxidant properties, as well as on the sensory profile of vacuum-packed pork burgers stored at 4 °C for 14 days and after cooking were assessed. The dGCB extract obtained by means of supercritical water extraction was analyzed for its polyphenol profile, total phenolic content, radical scavenging, and ferric-reducing antioxidant activities (DPPH and FRAP), Fe2+-chelating capacity, and total iron. The most abundant polyphenol component observed in the dGCB extract was chlorogenic acid, and the alkaloid caffeine was also present. This extract showed antioxidant properties. Thereafter, five formulations of pork meat burgers with added NaCl (1%) were prepared; one without the antioxidant (negative control, C) and one with the use of a synthetic antioxidant (0.05% ascorbic acid = positive control, A), while the other three were supplemented with a different amount of dGCB extract (P15 = 0.15%; P30 = 0.30%; P60 = 0.60%). The addition of dGCB extract increased the antioxidant activity of the raw and cooked burgers and reduced the lipid oxidation of the cooked burgers (0.47, 0.21, and 0.20 vs. 1.28 and 0.55 mg MDA eq./Kg, for P15, P30, and P60 vs. C and A, respectively). No negative effects were observed on the meat’s color parameters and its stability during refrigerated storage and after cooking, nor on sensory attributes (color and aroma) for the lowest concentration of coffee extract. The results obtained indicate that 0.15% dGCB extract is a promising alternative to commercial synthetic antioxidants to improve the quality of refrigerated pork burgers.
Properties of Texturized Vegetable Proteins from Edible Mushrooms by Using Single-Screw Extruder
Authors: Ketnawa Sunantha , Rawdkuen Saroat
Published: March 2023

This research aimed to determine the feasibility of using mushrooms as an alternative ingredient in texturized vegetable protein (TVP) production using a single-screw extruder. TVPs from King Oyster (TVP-KO) and Pheonix mushroom (TVP-PH) were successfully developed and characterized. The visual appearance of TVP was reddish-brown, with a distinct roasted mushroom-soybean aroma. When rehydrated and cooked, both TVPs provided a minced meat-like appearance and chewy meat texture comparable to commercial TVP (TVP-Com); however, they had inferior water and oil holding and rehydration capacities. TVPs contained comparable protein content to TVP-Com (45–47 wt%), slightly lower carbohydrate content (33–36 wt% vs. 39 wt%), and ash (3–4 wt% vs. 8 wt%), but higher lipid content (7–8 wt% vs. 0.84 wt%) than TVP-Com. Sai-aua prepared from TVP-KO gained the highest overall acceptability. Mushrooms proved to be a potential source for TVP production due to their availability, low cost, nutritional value, and health benefits. Moreover, this finding helps add value to traditional meat products, which offer an opportunity for developing non-animal products with satisfactory sensory properties and low cost. In addition, the study would provide scientific resources for developing plant-based meat products that address health awareness and economic and environmental sustainability concerns.
“Got Milk Alternatives?” Understanding Key Factors Determining U.S. Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Plant-Based Milk Alternatives
Authors: Rombach Meike , Dean David L. , Bitsch Vera
Published: March 2023

Milk is an important dairy product in U.S. food retail. Lifestyle changes toward climate-conscious consumption, animal welfare, and food safety concerns have increased the popularity of plant-based milk alternatives. This study is focused on such beverages and provides insights and best practice recommendations for marketing managers in the U.S. food retail sector. An online survey was distributed to explore factors explaining the intentions of U.S. consumers to purchase and pay a premium for plant-based milk alternatives. Food curiosity and food price inflation were identified as relevant for both willingness to buy and willingness to pay a price premium. In addition, animal welfare concerns and the green and clean product image of plant-based alternatives were relevant to the willingness to pay a premium for plant-based milk.
Amphibian Skin and Skin Secretion: An Exotic Source of Bioactive Peptides and Its Application
Authors: Indriani Sylvia , Karnjanapratum Supatra , Nirmal Nilesh Prakash , Nalinanon Sitthipong
Published: March 2023

Amphibians have been consumed as an alternative protein source all around the world due to their delicacy. The skin of edible amphibians, particularly frogs and giant salamanders, always goes to waste without further utilization. However, these wastes can be utilized to extract protein and bioactive peptides (BPs). Various BPs have been extracted and reported for numerous biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, etc. The main BPs identified were brevinins, bombesins, dermaseptins, esculentins, magainin, temporins, tigerinins, and salamandrins. This review provides a comprehensive discussion on various BPs isolated and identified from different amphibian skins or skin secretion and their biological activities. The general nutritional composition and production statues of amphibians were described. Additionally, multiple constraints against the utilization of amphibian skin and secretions are reported. Finally, the prospective applications of BPs in food and biomedical industries are presented such as multifunctional food additives and/or supplements as well as drug delivery agents.
Anti-Inflammatory Effect and Toxicological Profile of Pulp Residue from the Caryocar Brasiliense, a Sustainable Raw Material
Authors: Fracasso Julia Amanda Rodrigues , Ibe Mariana Bittencourt , da Costa Luísa Taynara Silvério , Guarnier Lucas Pires , Viel Amanda Martins , Brito Gustavo Reis de , Parron Mariana Conti , Pereira Anderson Espírito do Santo , Pegorin Brasil Giovana Sant’Ana , Farias Ximenes Valdecir , Fraceto Leonardo Fernandes , Malacrida Mayer Cassia Roberta , Ribeiro-Paes João Tadeu , Ferreira Fernando Yutaka de , Zoppe Natália Alves , Santos Lucinéia dos
Published: March 2023

Caryocar brasiliense Cambess is a plant species typical of the Cerrado, a Brazilian biome. The fruit of this species is popularly known as pequi, and its oil is used in traditional medicine. However, an important factor hindering the use of pequi oil is its low yield when extracted from the pulp of this fruit. Therefore, in this study, with aim of developing a new herbal medicine, we an-alyzed the toxicity and anti-inflammatory activity of an extract of pequi pulp residue (EPPR), fol-lowing the mechanical extraction of the oil from its pulp. For this purpose, EPPR was prepared and encapsulated in chitosan. The nanoparticles were analyzed, and the cytotoxicity of the encapsu-lated EPPR was evaluated in vitro. After confirming the cytotoxicity of the encapsulated EPPR, the following evaluations were performed with non-encapsulated EPPR: in vitro anti-inflammatory activity, quantification of cytokines, and acute toxicity in vivo. Once the anti-inflammatory activity and absence of toxicity of EPPR were verified, a gel formulation of EPPR was developed for topical use and analyzed for its in vivo anti-inflammatory potential, ocular toxicity, and previous stability assessment. EPPR and the gel containing EPPR showed effective anti-inflammatory activity and lack of toxicity. The formulation was stable. Thus, a new herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory activity can be developed from discarded pequi residue.
Feature Extraction and Classification of Canopy Gaps Using GLCM- and MLBP-Based Rotation-Invariant Feature Descriptors Derived from WorldView-3 Imagery
Authors: Jackson Colbert M. , Adam Elhadi , Atif Iqra , Mahboob Muhammad A.
Published: March 2023

Accurate mapping of selective logging (SL) serves as the foundation for additional research on forest restoration and regeneration, species diversification and distribution, and ecosystem dynamics, among other applications. This study aimed to model canopy gaps created by illegal logging of Ocotea usambarensis in Mt. Kenya Forest Reserve (MKFR). A texture-spectral analysis approach was applied to exploit the potential of WorldView-3 (WV-3) multispectral imagery. First, texture properties were explored in the sub-band images using fused grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM)- and local binary pattern (LBP)-based texture feature extraction. Second, the texture features were fused with colour using the multivariate local binary pattern (MLBP) model. The G-statistic and Euclidean distance similarity measures were applied to increase accuracy. The random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) were used to identify and classify distinctive features in the texture and spectral domains of the WV-3 dataset. The variable importance measurement in RF ranked the relative influence of sets of variables in the classification models. Overall accuracy (OA) scores for the respective MLBP models were in the range of 80–95.1%. The respective user’s accuracy (UA) and producer’s accuracy (PA) for the univariate LBP and MLBP models were in the range of 67–75% and 77–100%, respectively.
Ankle Kinematics Characterization in Children with Idiopathic Toe Walking: Does the Foot Model Change the Clinical Evaluation?
Authors: Brasiliano Paolo , Alvini Martina , Di Stanislao Eugenio , Vannozzi Giuseppe , Di Rosa Giuseppe , Camomilla Valentina
Published: March 2023

Idiopathic toe walking (ITW) is a gait deviation characterized by forefoot contact with the ground, sometimes observed in children, that alters ankle kinematics, possibly leading to health-related issues. When studying foot and ankle gait deviations, the adoption of a single-segment foot model entails a significant simplification of foot and ankle movement, and thus may potentially mask some important foot dynamics. Differences in ankle kinematics between single- (conventional gait model, PiG, or Davis) and multi-segment (Oxford foot model, OFM) foot models were investigated in children with ITW. Fourteen participants were enrolled in the study and underwent instrumented gait analysis. Children were asked to walk barefoot and while wearing a foot orthosis that modified the ankle movement pattern toward a more physiological one without blocking foot intrinsic motion. ITW gait abnormalities, e.g., the absence of heel rocker and the presence of anticipated forefoot rocker, were found/not found according to the foot model. Walking conditions significantly interacted with the foot model effect. Finally, the different characterization of gait abnormalities led to a different classification of ITW, with a possible impact on the clinical evaluation. Due to its closer adhesion to ankle anatomy and to its sensitivity to ITW peculiarities, OFM may be preferable for instrumented gait analysis in this population.
The Reliability and Validity of Dental Indifference Scale among Romanian Young Adults
Authors: Sfeatcu Ruxandra , Balgiu Beatrice Adriana , Băluță Andreea , Gălbinașu Bogdan Mihai , Georgescu Carmen Elena , Ilici Roxana Romanița
Published: March 2023

The study aimed at examining the reliability and the validity of the Dental Indifference Scale (DIS), which measures the significant undervaluing attitude towards the state of one’s oral health. The study has a cross-sectional design in which 660 young Romanian adults (Meanage = 30.69; 30.30% males) completed an online survey in which the Dental Indifference Scale was included alongside five items related to one’s behavior towards oral health. The reliability was calculated by means of internal consistency and test-retest after two or three weeks. The DIS scores were associated with the questions regarding oral health habits. Although DIS is discriminatory regarding the behavior towards oral hygiene (brushing, flossing) and diet, the reliability of the scale is low (α = 0.37; ω = 0.39; Intraclass correlation coefficienttest-retest = 0.60). In comparison with prior research, no gender differences were found. In exchange, the scores for dental indifference (DI) are significantly different when it comes to comparing people with secondary education and people who are university graduates. The study shows that DIS needs to be used with caution and only with other instruments that evaluate attitudes and behaviors related to oral health which passed the test of validation in various cultural models, the Romanian one included.
Breathing Control Exercises Delivered in a Group Setting for Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Cazorla Sibylle , Busegnies Yves , D’Ans Pierre , Héritier Marielle , Poncin William
Published: March 2023

Breathing control exercises are an important component of occupational therapy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Delivering these exercises in group settings may enhance their benefits. Therefore, this study assessed the effectiveness of breathing control exercises delivered in a group format to patients with severe COPD remitting from an acute pulmonary exacerbation. This randomized controlled trial of 6 weeks’ duration compared the addition of breathing exercise sessions delivered in a group setting to a standard exercise inpatient rehabilitation program (usual care) versus usual care alone. The standard exercise program consisted of endurance and strength training and therapeutic patient education. The intervention group received, in addition to usual care, 20 sessions of 30 min duration of breathing control exercises in a group setting. The primary outcome was quality of life (Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire). Secondary outcomes were the COPD assessment test, modified Borg scale, handgrip strength test, and five-time sit-to-stand test. Thirty-seven patients aged 69 ± 7 years were recruited. After the 6-week period, all outcomes significantly improved and exceeded the minimal clinically important difference in the intervention group only. Between-group changes were significant for each outcome. Conclusions: breathing control exercises in a group setting provide clinically relevant benefits in patients with severe COPD who are remitting from an acute pulmonary exacerbation.
Experimental Mindfulness Intervention in an Emergency Department for Stress Management and Development of Positive Working Environment
Authors: Argyriadis Alexandros , Ioannidou Louiza , Dimitrakopoulos Ioannis , Gourni Maritsa , Ntimeri Georgia , Vlachou Chrisi , Argyriadi Agathi
Published: March 2023

Mindfulness-based interventions have increasingly gained the interest of health professionals in the last decade, especially practices that are short, economical, easily accessible, and physically, cognitively, and psychologically compelling. Nurses of Emergency Departments are a special, dynamic, but at the same time vulnerable group of health professionals who work in shifts and face multiple challenges. Considering the recent literature and the fact that stress and a hostile work environment are the top ranked health professionals’ challenges, there is a need for a further study of the use of mindfulness. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the application of mindfulness on nurses in the Emergency Department on several factors related to daily nursing practice and that directly affect these specific health professionals. This experimental study was performed on 14 participating nurses in the Emergency Department of a Public General Hospital in Athens, randomized into two groups: a control and an intervention group. The data collection tools were two digital smart devices, participatory observation, and semi-structured interviews. By practicing mindfulness meditation, the participating nurses in the intervention group showed improvement in their cognitive functions (attention, thinking, memory, concentration), professional interpersonal relationships, personal satisfaction and communication with patients and caregivers, sleep rate, negative emotions, and behaviors. The findings suggest that the application of mindfulness practices should be considered an easy, affordable, economical, accessible, and effective method that nurses can use to strengthen and empower themselves, enjoying its multiple benefits. The effectiveness of the application of mindfulness remains an important issue for future research in other health professionals as well.
The Acetone Extract of Albizia lebbeck Stem Bark and Its In Vitro Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Activities
Authors: Ibrahim Omer H. M. , Abdul-Hafeez Essam Y.
Published: March 2023

To address the growing demand for natural sources of drugs, in addition to chemical ones, the present study aimed to explore the phytochemical and biological activity of acetone stem bark extract of Albizia lebbeck. The phytoconstituents of the derivatized acetone stem bark extract were analyzed using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), while the phenolic and flavonoid compounds were analyzed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Six bacterial strains (Serratia marcescens, Acinetobacter johnsonii, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Bacillus subtilis, Erwinia carotovora, Escherichia coli) and three fungal strains (Rhizoctonia solani, Penicillium italicum, Fusarium oxysporum) were evaluated for antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, in vitro cytotoxicity was assessed against three cancer cell lines (PC-3, Caco-2, and MCF-7). Our findings indicated that the acetone extract of A. lebbeck stem bark was rich in fatty acids, with a predominance of oleic acid (19.2%). Additionally, eight phenolic acids, primarily cinnamic acid, and eight flavonoids, primarily chrysoeriol and hesperidin, were identified. It was found that the acetone extract of the A. lebbeck stem bark exhibited a high potential antibacterial effect against B. subtilis and S. marcescens and evident antifungal activity against F. oxysporum. Based on the calculated selectivity index, PC-3 cells were found to have the highest value (2.95), followed by Caco-2 cells (1.92) and MCF-7 cells (1.34). These results suggest the richness of A. lebbeck stem bark in phytochemicals with promising antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties.
Dynamic Weighted Road Network Based Multi-Vehicles Navigation and Evacuation
Authors: Cai Zhi , Wang Tao , Mi Qing , Su Xing , Guo Limin , Ding Zhiming
Published: March 2023

Many events such as large-scale activities and traffic accidents could cause an increase in vehicle density in an area, which makes the evacuation of vehicles important. However, the existing evacuation methods are not efficient limit to multi-vehicles sequences or destinations. In this paper, we introduce a novel dynamic weighted road network model for route planning. Based on the model, the route planning algorithm can obtain higher search efficiency while avoiding congested roads. For multi-vehicles evacuation, we propose a spatial diversity theory to evaluate the overlaps of routes between vehicles to be evacuated and those already evacuated. To verify the efficiency and effectiveness of our model, we conducted experiments on real road network. The results showed that our methods and algorithms can provide more reasonable paths and manage the process more efficiently.
Current State and Innovations in Newborn Screening: Continuing to Do Good and Avoid Harm
Authors: la Marca Giancarlo , Carling Rachel. S. , Moat Stuart. J. , Yahyaoui Raquel , Ranieri Enzo , Bonham James. R. , Schielen Peter. C. J. I.
Published: March 2023

In 1963, Robert Guthrie’s pioneering work developing a bacterial inhibition assay to measure phenylalanine in dried blood spots, provided the means for whole-population screening to detect phenylketonuria in the USA. In the following decades, NBS became firmly established as a part of public health in developed countries. Technological advances allowed for the addition of new disorders into routine programmes and thereby resulted in a paradigm shift. Today, technological advances in immunological methods, tandem mass spectrometry, PCR techniques, DNA sequencing for mutational variant analysis, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), iso-electric focusing, and digital microfluidics are employed in the NBS laboratory to detect more than 60 disorders. In this review, we will provide the current state of methodological advances that have been introduced into NBS. Particularly, ‘second-tier’ methods have significantly improved both the specificity and sensitivity of testing. We will also present how proteomic and metabolomic techniques can potentially improve screening strategies to reduce the number of false-positive results and improve the prediction of pathogenicity. Additionally, we discuss the application of complex, multiparameter statistical procedures that use large datasets and statistical algorithms to improve the predictive outcomes of tests. Future developments, utilizing genomic techniques, are also likely to play an increasingly important role, possibly combined with artificial intelligence (AI)-driven software. We will consider the balance required to harness the potential of these new advances whilst maintaining the benefits and reducing the risks for harm associated with all screening.
Immune Dynamics Involved in Acute and Convalescent COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Silva-Junior Alexander Leonardo , Oliveira Lucas da Silva , Belezia Nara Caroline Toledo , Tarragô Andréa Monteiro , Costa Allyson Guimarães da , Malheiro Adriana
Published: March 2023

COVID-19 is a viral disease that has caused millions of deaths around the world since 2020. Many strategies have been developed to manage patients in critical conditions; however, comprehension of the immune system is a key factor in viral clearance, tissue repairment, and adaptive immunity stimulus. Participation of immunity has been identified as a major factor, along with biomarkers, prediction of clinical outcomes, and antibody production after infection. Immune cells have been proposed not only as a hallmark of severity, but also as a predictor of clinical outcomes, while dynamics of inflammatory molecules can also induce worse consequences for acute patients. For convalescent patients, mild disease was related to higher antibody production, although the factors related to the specific antibodies based on a diversity of antigens were not clear. COVID-19 was explored over time; however, the study of immunological predictors of outcomes is still lacking discussion, especially in convalescent patients. Here, we propose a review using previously published studies to identify immunological markers of COVID-19 outcomes and their relation to antibody production to further contribute to the clinical and laboratorial management of patients.
Affective Design Analysis of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI): A User-Centric Perspective
Authors: Bernardo Ezekiel , Seva Rosemary
Published: March 2023

Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) has successfully solved the black box paradox of Artificial Intelligence (AI). By providing human-level insights on AI, it allowed users to understand its inner workings even with limited knowledge of the machine learning algorithms it uses. As a result, the field grew, and development flourished. However, concerns have been expressed that the techniques are limited in terms of to whom they are applicable and how their effect can be leveraged. Currently, most XAI techniques have been designed by developers. Though needed and valuable, XAI is more critical for an end-user, considering transparency cleaves on trust and adoption. This study aims to understand and conceptualize an end-user-centric XAI to fill in the lack of end-user understanding. Considering recent findings of related studies, this study focuses on design conceptualization and affective analysis. Data from 202 participants were collected from an online survey to identify the vital XAI design components and testbed experimentation to explore the affective and trust change per design configuration. The results show that affective is a viable trust calibration route for XAI. In terms of design, explanation form, communication style, and presence of supplementary information are the components users look for in an effective XAI. Lastly, anxiety about AI, incidental emotion, perceived AI reliability, and experience using the system are significant moderators of the trust calibration process for an end-user.
Phylogenetic Analysis of the Genus Planaphrodes Hamilton (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Aphrodinae) Based on Morphological Characteristics, with Revision of Species from China, Korea and Japan
Authors: Liang Zonglei , Kwon Jin-Hyung , Hayashi Masami , Dietrich Christopher H. , Dai Wu
Published: March 2023

A morphology-based phylogeny of the Holarctic leafhopper genus Planaphrodes Hamilton is reconstructed for the first time based on 39 discrete male adult morphological characters. The results support the monophyly of Planaphrodes, with the included species forming two monophyletic lineages defined mainly by the number and location of aedeagus processes. The position of Planaphrodes in the Aphrodini was resolved as follows: (Stroggylocephalus + (Anoscopus + (Planaphrodes + Aphrodes))). The fauna of Planaphrodes from China, Japan and Korea are reviewed and six species are recognized, including two new species: P. bifasciatus (Linnaeus), P. sahlbergii (Signoret), P. nigricans (Matsumura), P. laevus (Rey), P. baoxingensis sp. nov. (China: Sichuan) and P. faciems sp. nov. (China: Hubei). Acocephalus alboguttatus Kato, 1933 syn. nov. and Aphrodes daiwenicus Kuoh, 1981 syn. nov. are considered junior synonyms of Planaphrodes sahlbergii (Signoret, 1879). Planaphrodes bella Choe, 1981 is a junior synonym of Planaphrodes nigricans (Matsumura, 1912). A checklist and key to species of Planaphrodes are provided.
The Impact of the Blood Lipids Levels on Arterial Stiffness
Authors: Baba Mirela , Maris Mihaela , Jianu Daniela , Luca Constantin Tudor , Stoian Dana , Mozos Ioana
Published: March 2023

Arterial stiffness is a recognized predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and death. It is an early indicator of arteriosclerosis and is influenced by numerous risk factors and biological processes. The lipid metabolism is crucial and standard blood lipids, non-conventional lipid markers and lipid ratios are associated with arterial stiffness. The objective of this review was to determine which lipid metabolism marker has a greater correlation with vascular aging and arterial stiffness. Triglycerides (TG) are the standard blood lipids that have the strongest associations with arterial stiffness, and are often linked to the early stages of cardiovascular diseases, particularly in patients with low LDL-C levels. Studies often show that lipid ratios perform better overall than any of the individual variables used alone. The relation between arterial stiffness and TG/HDL-C has the strongest evidence. It is the lipid profile of atherogenic dyslipidemia that is found in several chronic cardio-metabolic disorders, and is considered one of the main causes of lipid-dependent residual risk, regardless of LDL-C concentration. Recently, the use of alternative lipid parameters has also been increasing. Both non-HDL and ApoB are very well correlated with arterial stiffness. Remnant cholesterol is also a promising alternative lipid parameter. The findings of this review suggest that the main focus should be on blood lipids and arterial stiffness, especially in individuals with cardio-metabolic disorders and residual cardiovascular risk.