bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Before and After Convalescent Plasma Therapy for Covid-19 Patients at Jemursari Islamic Hospital
Authors: Rachmayanti Notrisia , Bermawi Bastiana , Nugraha Gilang , Ballihgoo Hamiduumajid Ballihg
Published: August 2024

The World Health Organization declared Covid-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in January 2020. Treatment options for Covid-19 are still limited, so the health system is looking for a strategy to deal with Covid-19 by using convalescent plasma therapy. This study aims to analyze differences in plasma D-Dimer levels before and after convalescent plasma therapy. This study is an analytic observational study with a retrospective design approach. D-Dimer data were taken from medical records of Covid -19 patients who received convalescent plasma therapy and were treated at Jemursari Islamic Hospital from January to March 2021. A total of 117 patients received convalescent plasma therapy and D-Dimer examinations were performed. Plasma D-Dimer levels were analyzed using statistical tests and the result was p = 0.227. The results of p > 0.05 can be concluded that there is no difference between plasma D-Dimer levels before and after convalescent plasma therapy in Covid-19 patients treated at Jemursari Islamic Hospital.
The Effect of Green Grape Extract on Serum Triglyceride Levels in Rats
Authors: Bekti Heri Setiyo , Dewi Ni Nyoman Astika , Rinawati Luh Putu , Dewi Ni Wayan Rika Kumara , Hadi Mochammad Choirul
Published: August 2024

Cardiovascular disease, one of which is coronary heart disease (CHD) is the main cause of death and morbidity caused by blockages in the coronary arteries (atherosclerosis). Elevated serum triglyceride levels can encourage the formation of atherosclerosis. Statins are the drugs most commonly used to lower triglyceride levels but have side effects, so new treatment are needed. Grapes are fruits that has many bioactive compounds such as proanthocyanidins and resveratrol which are believed to reduce triglyceride levels in serum. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of green grape extract (Vitis vinifera) on triglyceride levels in male Wistar rats which were divided into 5 groups, namely P0 (fed with standard feed), P1 (fed with high cholesterol and then standard feed), P2 (fed with high cholesterol and simvastatin 0.2mg/200mgBW/day), P3 (fed with high cholesterol and grape extract at a dose of 500mg/200mgBW/day), and P4 (fed with high cholesterol and 250mg/200mgBW/day grape extract). Examination of triglyceride levels was carried out using the GPO-PAP method. Data analysis was performed with Annova test followed by Bonferroni test. The statistical test results showed that there were significant differences between each treatment group. The P3 group showed a lower average triglyceride level than P4 although it was still higher than P2. This showed that administration of green grape extract has an effect on decreasing serum triglyceride levels in all.
Role of House Fly, Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) as a Mechanical Vector of pathogenic Bacteria in Thi Qar Province
Authors: Lhoak Hussein Anad , Al-Awadi Alaa Hussein
Published: August 2024

The common house fly, known as Musca domestica, has been acknowledged to carry and spread numerous contagious illnesses. The purpose of this investigation is to uncover the extent of the house fly's involvement as a carrier of harmful bacteria that can lead to diseases in both humans and animals. To accomplish this goal, a collection process was conducted using manual traps from March 2023 until July 2023. I collected house flies from various locations in Thi Qar province. A total of 370 samples were gathered, out of which 270 flies were utilized to isolate bacteria from both the outer and inner surfaces. To identify the house flies, I sent 100 of them to the Natural History Museum at the University of Basra. The current study recorded among 270 flies 104 (38.52%) have not bacteria, while   166 (61.48%) have bacteria. The results were recorded the highest isolated bacteria from outer surface 94 (34.81%) and 72 (26.67%) from inner surface, in contrast the lowest negative bacteria were from outer surface 41 (15.19%), and 63 (23.33%) inner surfaces. The study recorded the highest number of isolated bacteria were from Arido 23 (8.52%), followed in both Al-Sharqiyah and Altathhia 22 (8.15%), followed by Shuhadda, Ur and Summer 21 (7.78%), while the lowest isolated bacteria were in Shmoukh 4 (1.48%), followed in both Aledara almahaleia 14 (5.19%). The current study recorded the most isolated bacteria was P. Vulgaris 21 (20.19%), followed by P. mirabilis 18 (17.31%), followed by S. aureus 11 (10.58%), in contrast the lowest isolated bacteria were P. stuartii 1 (0.96%), followed by both S. paucimobilis and S. maltophilia 2 (1.92%).
Perbedaan Tingkat Perkembangan Sosial Anak Obesitas dan Tidak Obesitas pada Usia Sekolah
Authors: Ruminingsih Esri
Published: August 2024

Social development of children at the school marked the expansion of ties with forming a new bond with peers (peer group). Obesity has an impact on the growth and development of children, especially the consequences on the psychosocial aspects because he felt different from the people in general, including creating a sense of lack of confidence, depression , and passive because it is often not involved in the activities undertaken by their peers. The purpose of this research was an analyzed the differenced level of social development ofobese and non-obese childhood at school age in elementary school MIN Karanganom, Klaten. This study was an comparative researsh with cross sectional approach. Techniques using Mann Whitney analysis with significance level of 95%. The number of sampel in this study was taken by usingtotal sampling technique was obtained asa many as 123 students.Indicates that respondents with a middel level of social development as many (53,7%), who haveobesity as many (33,3%). Results of analysis using Mann Whitney obtained p value (0,002) α < (0,05),that mean a significant differences level of social development of obese and non-obese childhood atschool age in Elementary School MIN Karanganom, Klaten. Conclusion:that mean a significantdifferences level of social development of obese and non-obese childhood at school age in ElementarySchool MIN Karanganom, Klaten
Efektivitas Buah Pisang Untuk Menurunkan Tekanan Darah Diastolik Pada Wanita Hamil Dengan Hipertensi
Authors: Kartikasari Ratih Indah , Lestari Dwi
Published: August 2024

Hypertension in pregnancy is increased blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg. Hypertension is the beginning of a sign of eclampsia in pregnancy. In the initial survey of 10 pregnant women found that 40% had hypertension. The research objective to analyze the effectiveness of bananas to the reduction of blood pressure in pregnant women with hypertension. The study design using pre-experimental design approach to one group pre post test design. Samples were taken at 18 people with simple random sampling technique. Instrument used SOP and observation sheet before and after the action. The results showed nearly all pregnant women decreased diastolic blood pressure by 77.8% given bananas for 7 days with a dose three times a day. The results of analysis by Wilcoxon signed rank test p value = 0.001 (p <0.05), the H1 accepted, meaning that there is the influence of bananas to the decline in diastolic blood pressure in pregnant women with hypertension. Based on the results of this study are expected of hypertensive patients that eating bananas to lower blood pressure.
Model for Ensuring the Reliability of Expert Quality Control of Products and Processes
Authors: Serenkov P. S. , Romanchack V. M. , Davidova E. A. , Hurynovich A. A.
Published: August 2024

The reliability of the results of sensory analysis depends on a number of factors that affect the objectivity of the tests carried out. Today, the credibility of subjective measurements is primarily achieved through standardization. However, the issue of the credibility of subjective measurements remains, furthermore, it moves to a new level. Special attention must be paid to subjective measures related to the measurement of sensations to ensure credibility of results. The dynamics of increasing credibility through factor standardization lags behind the dynamics of stakeholder demand for increasing the credibility of subjective measurements. The purpose of the paper is to consider subjective measurements from the point of view of the development of the theory of quantitative measurements and to substantiate a process model for measurement that ensures the meaningfulness of the results in relation to expert assessments that ensure the subjectivity of measurements when conducting sensory tests, the results of which form decisions on compliance or non-compliance. The object of research is expert assessment methods used in sensory measurements, specifically in the evaluation of participating experts. The research methods used in this work include system analysis of measurement theories, method of alternatives, and standardized methods of expert assessment. A model of quantitative measurements is proposed to ensure meaningful measurement results, based on an analysis of the evolution of measurement theories. The problem of ensuring the meaningfulness of subjective measurements is formulated, which manifests itself in the form of risks of making incorrect decisions about characteristics of food products and processes based on expert assessments that lack reliability. An algorithm for quantitative measurements has been defined and tested on a specific example of expert assessment, demonstrating the importance of the identified problem of ensuring the reliability of expert assessments.
Student Perspectives on Employability Skills in Liberal Arts Programs: A Canadian Case
Authors: Kanuka Heather , Gregory Emily
Published: August 2024

The purpose of the study was to gain further understandings of undergraduate students’ perspectives on employability skill development in the liberal arts programs, as well as the perceived influence of the identification of employability skills in course curricula on undergraduate students’ self-efficacy. Building on the results of a prior study on faculty perspectives in the liberal arts on employability skills, we also explored the ways students’ and faculty members’ perspectives were in alignment. Purposive sampling was used to select the undergraduate courses from three different undergraduate programs at the research site. Three relatively high enrolment courses were selected based on two key criteria: must be a second or third level undergraduate course and must be in a non-professional program in the liberal arts. Non-professional programs were considered programs where the students do not graduate with a specific professional designation or applied program. Two methods were used to collect the data for this project: an employability skill inventory and a survey distributed to students (N = 131). Course syllabi were also obtained to map employability skills. The findings of this study provide further insights with respect to the ways that employability matters to students and the ways in which students expect their instructors and institution to play a role in their employability development. Conclusions of this study underscore the need to consider bridging the disconnect between expectations of the students, the institution, and the faculty regarding employability development.
A New Brittleness Evaluation Index for Reservoir Rocks Based on Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process and Energy Dissipation
Authors: Lin Chong , Deng Shuowen , Mao Jincheng , Jiang Zhiwei , Chen Xueyong , Yang Xiaojiang , Zhang Yang , He Jianming , Li Yongshun , Zheng Chongwei
Published: August 2024

Accurate and quantitative evaluation of rock brittleness is essential for optimizing hydraulic fracturing parameter design. Specific aspects of rock brittleness can be characterized based on mineral composition, strength parameter, stress-strain, and elasticity parameter. However, in characterizing the effect of high confining pressure on rock brittleness, these advantages have not been shown for various reasons. The essence of rock fracture resides in the accrual and dissipation of energy, concomitant with the transformation of three distinct energy modalities: elastic energy, dissipated energy, and post-peak release energy. In this study, we proposed a new brittle index for reservoir rocks considering the interactions of the energy evolution process in different stages. The associated Bii values are computed through the analysis of energy evolution based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy analysis process (FAHP) method. Tri-axial compression tests were conducted on granite, shale, and sandstone specimens under different confining pressures for the validation of the proposed brittleness evaluation (BE) index. The results indicate a decreasing trend in the brittleness index with increasing confining pressure. Comparative analysis with other existing brittleness evaluation indexes demonstrates that the new brittleness evaluation index offers a more precise evaluation of the brittleness of various rock types.
Causal relationship between lipid-lowering drugs and ocular disorders: A drug-targeted Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Huang Yilan , Dong Wenjie , Zhong Min , Li Qiuyu , Jiang Longyang
Published: August 2024

Background
Most ocular diseases are associated with lipid metabolism, but the exact mechanisms are unclear. Statins, PCSK9 inhibitors and NPC1L1 inhibitors are common lipid-modulating agents. The aim of this study was to explore the causal relationship between common lipid-lowering drugs and ocular diseases through Mendelian randomization analysis.
Methods
In this study, we used the summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) method and inverse-variance-weighted Mendelian randomization (IVW-MR). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was used as a biomarker. We then obtained instrumental variables (IVs) from the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium (GLGC) (n = 173082) and UK Biobank (n = 440546). The 3-Hydroxy-9-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) was obtained from a cohort study containing 31,684 blood samples. Summary data for ocular diseases were obtained from the Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) database.
Results
IVW-MR showed that statins increased the risk of allergic conjunctivitis (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.30–2.95, P = 0.001) and diabetic retinopathy (OR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.67–3.99, P < 0.001). PCSK9 inhibitors reduced the risk of allergic conjunctivitis (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.47–0.95, P = 0.02) but increased the risk of glaucoma (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.06–1.43, P = 0.006). The SMR approach showed that inhibition of HMGCR significantly elevated the risk of allergic conjunctivitis (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.11–1.45, P < 0.001) and diabetic retinopathy (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.33–1.84, P < 0.001).
Conclusion
The study found that statin elevated the risk of allergic conjunctivitis and diabetic retinopathy. PCSK9 inhibitors reduced the risk of allergic conjunctivitis but elevated the risk of glaucoma. But more mechanisms remain to be further explored.
Disparity in Periocular Manifestations between Hemifacial Spasm and Post-Paralytic facial Syndrome
Authors: Alsuhaibani Adel , Ahmed Ali , Alsulaiman Naif
Published: August 2024

Objective
This study aims to describe the differences in periocular manifestations among patients with hemifacial spasm and post-paralytic facial syndrome.
Methods
A retrospective study was conducted at two tertiary-care eye centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data of patients with hemifacial spasm and post seventh nerve paralytic facial syndrome who received management and follow-up at the two hospitals were collected from the electronic medical records.
Results
We had a total of 67 subjects with abnormal facial movement, out of which 33 patients had hemifacial spasm and 34 patients had post-paralytic facial syndrome. 39 (58.2%) were female and 28 (41.8%) were male. The average age of the subjects under study was 46.5 years. Clinical features were noted for patients with hemifacial spasm including orofacial muscle twitching in 31 patients (93.9%), eyelid ptosis in five patients (15%), reveres ptosis in one patients (3%), no brow ptosis, and complaints of one eye being smaller than the other eye in five patients (15%). Among patients with post-paralytic facial syndrome, orofacial muscle twitching was found in 23 patients (67.6%), eyelid ptosis in 32 patients (94%), reveres ptosis in 29 patients (85.3%), brow ptosis in 28 patients (82.4%), and complaints of one eye being smaller than the other eye in 94.1%.
Conclusion
We have observed that patients with post-paralytic facial syndrome tend to exhibit periocular manifestations such as eyelid ptosis, reverse ptosis and brow ptosis more frequently than patients with hemifacial spasm.
Carbon storage and fluxes from Sphagnum peatlands of the Bogong High Plains, Australia
Authors: Treby Sarah , Gunawardhana Meeruppage , Grover Samantha , Carnell Paul
Published: August 2024

Australian alpine peatlands are critically important ecosystems that deliver a range of valuable services. However, our understanding of these services in Australia, particularly peatland carbon cycling, is lacking. Here, we investigated quantified peat soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations, C:N ratios, and C density in eight Sphagnum-dominated peatlands on the Bogong High Plains, southeastern Australia. Soil C and N concentrations averaged 16.5 ± 13.2% and 0.6 ± 0.4%, respectively. C:N ratios averaged 30.9 ± 20.4, and C density averaged 46.6 ± 20.7 mg C cm− 3. Our findings suggest that (1) these peatlands are significant C stores; (2) peat biogeochemistry is highly variable between sites, even at small spatial scales; and (3) while not a direct focus of the study, peat depths in this area were relatively shallow, ranging from 30–60 cm, possibly due to previous disturbance. Additionally, we present preliminary data investigating CO2 and CH4 fluxes at these sites. We recommend that future research includes (1) age dating peat cores to better understand the role of disturbance in peat accumulation and loss; and (2) long-term C flux studies at multiple peatland sites.
Effect of supplementation of distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS) to straw-based diet on performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality in Nellore ram lambs
Authors: Reddy P. Vishnu Vardhan , Reddy Y. Ramana , Ramana J. V , Babu D. Suresh , Srinivasa D. , Reddy G. Vijaya Bhaskar , Devarapalli Srikala
Published: August 2024

Straw-based diets supplemented with different levels of distillers’ dried grain with solubles (DDGS) were assessed in growing sheep through a growth trial. In a completely randomized design, twenty-four growing ram lambs (16.07±1.78 kg; 4 m old) received either a basal diet (sorghum stover) supplemented with a concentrate mix (18% crude protein) at 2% body weight (D1) or a basal diet supplemented with DDGS at 1% (D2), 1.5% (D3), or 2% (D4) of their body weight for 90 days. While the total feed intake was comparable (P>0.05) among the lambs fed different experimental diets, the D3 and D4 diets significantly improved the average daily gain by 36.20% and 49.33%, respectively, and reduced the feed conversion ratio by 30.10% and 32.90%, respectively, compared to the D1 diet. Although the D3 and D4 groups showed statistically similar growth performance, the D3-fed lambs had a lower cost-effective gain at ₹76.30/kg than did the D4 group at ₹89.79/kg. The D4 group displayed significantly greater pre-slaughter, empty body, and carcass weights (P<0.05). Nonetheless, the dressing percentage, wholesale cut yield, and meat composition were not significantly different (P>0.05) among the different dietary groups. Similarly, there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in the wholesale cut yield, body wall thickness, loin eye area, visceral organ yield, meat-to-bone ratio, or meat chemical composition among the four dietary treatments. It was concluded from the present study that supplementing DDGS at 1.5% of body weight to a stover-based diet in growing ram lambs seems to be a viable and economical option.
Distribution of C30 carotenoid biosynthesis genes suggests habitat adaptation function in insect-adapted and nomadic Lactobacillaceae
Authors: Lebeer Sarah , Legein Marie , Eilers Tom , Temmermans Jari , Dillen Jelle , Vandendriessche Ine , Sandra Koen , Bron Peter , Wittouck Stijn
Published: August 2024

Carotenoids are membrane-bound pigments that are essential for photosynthesizing plants and algae. These specialized metabolites are widely applied in food, feed and cosmetics because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The production of carotenoids, particularly C30 forms, has also been documented in a few non-photosynthetic prokaryotes. However, our understanding of the function, distribution and ecology of these compounds beyond photosynthesizing organisms is limited. In this study, we performed an eco-evolutionary analysis of terpenoid biosynthetic gene clusters in the Lactobacillaceae family, an important family of beneficial bacteria with diverse lifestyles and habitats. Hereto, 4203 dereplicated genomes were screened for terpenoid biosynthesis genes, resulting in detection of crtMN genes in 28/361 (7.7%) species in 14/34 (41.2%) genera. These genes encode the key enzymes that transform two farnesyl pyrophosphate molecules into the C30 carotenoid 4,4’-diaponeurosporene. These crtMN genes appeared to be convergently gained within Fructilactobacillus, and horizontally transferred across species and genera, e.g. from Lactiplantibacillus to Levilactobacillus. Subsequently, in our in-house Lactobacillaceae culture collection from various habitats (n = 575), the phenotype was confirmed in 87% of the isolates predicted to have the crtMN genes (27/31). Nomadic and insect-adapted species, particularly those isolated from vegetable fermentations, such as Lactiplantibacillus, and floral habitats, such as Fructilactobacillus, were capable of C30 carotenoid biosynthesis, while vertebrate-associated species, such as those from the vagina, lacked this trait. This habitat association aligned with the observations that C30 carotenoid-producing strains were more resistant to oxidative and UV-stress. Taken together, this study revealed that C30 carotenoid biosynthesis plays a role in habitat adaptation and is scattered across Lactobacillaceae in line with this habitat adaptation.
“Bears are like family”: Indigenous knowledge of human-polar bear coexistence amidst rapid social-ecological change
Authors: Miller Katharina , Berg Georgina , Churchill Indigenous Knowledge Keepers of , Lickers Michael , Henri Dominique
Published: August 2024

Polar bears are coming into northern communities more frequently, and human-polar bear conflict is increasing. However, in the community of Churchill, Manitoba, people live alongside polar bears with high tolerance and reciprocal respect. Through this case study, we explored human–polar bear coexistence in the community through Indigenous voices, documented change, and provided recommendations as future visions to inform inclusive management and research strategies: elevate Indigenous knowledge, support proactive management and less invasive research, cultivate a culture of coexistence, improve education and safety awareness, and protect polar bears to support tourism. We used community-based participatory research, coproduction of knowledge, hands back, hands forward, and storytelling, mixing methods from the social sciences and Indigenous ways of knowing. Our study revealed coexistence may be a tool to bridge social and ecological knowledge, examine and facilitate wildlife conservation, and promote well-being through applied research on global issues at the local level.
Prenatal stress mediates tissue specific programming of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 expression in diet-induced obese and dietary resistant rats
Authors: MohanKumar Sheba , Balasubramanian Priya , Varde Pratibha , Murugan Abarna , Palaniyappan ArunKumar , Chuang Yen-Jun , MohanKumar Puliyur
Published: August 2024

Background The link between uterine stress and fetal programming of metabolic diseases in the offspring is well established. However, susceptibility to prenatal stress-induced programming of metabolic diseases is not uniform across population. We have previously reported that diet-induced obese rats (DIO) are more susceptible to develop metabolic diseases in response to prenatal stress and postnatal HF diet challenge when compared to dietary resistant rats (DR), but the mechanism behind this phenomenon is unclear. In the present study, we hypothesized that prenatally stressed DIO rats will have alterations in stress axis and 11βHSD1 expression, which in turn predisposes them to metabolic disorders.Methods Pregnant DIO and DR rats were divided into 2 groups: control (normal pregnancy) and prenatal stress (restraint stress during the last week of gestation) groups. The male offspring were weaned onto chow diet until 9 weeks of age and then shifted to either chow or HF diet (45% calories from fat) for 1 week. Following 1 week of chow/HF diet treatment, the animals were sacrificed, and tissues were collected for assessing stress axis activity and 11βHSD1 expression.Results Prenatal stress activated stress axis with increased NE levels in the PVN and CRH levels in the median eminence in both DIO and DR rats. Though there was no change in either circulating CORT levels or adrenal gland weight, 11βHSD1 protein expression increased significantly in adipose tissue of prenatally stressed DIO and DR offspring compared to controls. Baseline levels of 11βHSD1 protein in the adipose tissue were higher in DIO than DR animals implicating a role for 11βHSD1 in the development of obesity. Postnatal HF diet did not have any additive effect on prenatal stress-induced changes.Conclusion Our results suggest that stress axis activation with induction of adipose tissue 11βHSD1 might be involved in the fetal origins of metabolic diseases.
Equatorial convection controls boreal summer intraseasonal oscillations in the present and future climates
Authors: Kottapalli Aditya , Vinayachandran P. N.
Published: August 2024

Boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) is the major mode of tropical variability during the Indian summer monsoon(ISM), it controls the dry and wet spells of ISM and thus is crucial for agricultural yield in the country. Understanding the future of BSISO is essential as it has been established recently that the large-scale BSISO environment enhances the probability of extreme rainfall events (EREs) enormously. In this study, the ability of Climate Model Inter Comparison Project (CMIP6) models to capture the northward propagation of boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) is examined using a counting algorithm. A composite moisture budget reveals the difference in moisture dynamics between the above-average-performing (AAPM) and below-average-performing (BAPM) models, AAPM composite has a more robust horizontal moisture advection ahead of the convection centre than the BAPM composite. This difference in the horizontal moisture advection between AAPM and BAPM is mainly caused by the weaker wind and moisture perturbations in the BAPM. The BAPM composite shows a weaker equatorial convection signal compared to the AAPM composite, resulting in weaker wind and moisture perturbations and a lesser number of northward propagations. Finally, we understand the future of BSISO by examining the projections of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways 370 (SSP370) from the available AAPMs. The background moisture will be enhanced uniformly in the future, leading to no substantial change in gradients. The equatorial convection enhances and broadens in the future projections, leading to very little change in the wind perturbations. This results in the enhancement of BSISO rainfall by 63\% in the Bay of Bengal and 42\% in the Arabian Sea. However, the proportion of northward propagations remains the same as moisture advection remains the same. The study implies that with a correct representation of BSISO's equatorial convection, the prediction of BSISO and extreme rainfall associated with BSISOs becomes more reliable.
Association between sleep patterns and symptoms of depression in older adults: a cross-sectional study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2014
Authors: Niu Yi , Sun Yuqin , Xie Yijie , Yu Shun
Published: August 2024

Background
To assess the association between sleep behaviour and sleep factors (sleep duration, sleep problems, sleep disturbances) and the risk of depression in older adults.
Methods
A total of 5636 participants (2754 men and 2882 women) aged 60 years and older from the 2007–2014 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included. Sleep duration, sleep problems, and sleep disorders were assessed in the home by trained interviewers using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) system. The combined sleep behaviours were referred to as 'sleep patterns (healthy, intermediate and poor)', with a 'healthy sleep pattern' defined as sleeping 7–9 hours per night with no self-reported sleep problems or sleep disorders. Intermediate and poor sleep patterns indicated 1 and 2–3 sleep problems, respectively. Logistic multiple linear regression was used to assess the association of sleep factors and sleep patterns with the risk of depressive symptoms.
Results
The overall prevalence of depression was 7.7% among the 5636 participants analysed, with the rate of depression in older women being 1.6 times higher than in older men. Compared with normal sleep duration (7–9 hours), short sleep duration (<7 hours) was associated with a higher risk of depression, but long sleep duration (> 9h) did not reach statistical significance. (Short sleep: OR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.65–2.52; long sleep: OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 0.87–2.48). Self-reported sleep complaints, whether trouble sleeping or sleep disorder, were significantly associated with depression (sleep disturbance: OR: 0.3, 95% CI: 0.24–0.37; sleep disturbance: OR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.27–0.45). In addition, the correlations appeared to be higher in people with poor sleep patterns (OR: 5.6, 95% CI: 4.25–7.39).
Conclusion
This nationally representative survey showed a relationship between sleep patterns and depression in older adults.
Mining spatiotemporal association rule based on prevalent sequential patterns
Authors: Wang Ling , Shen Peng , Yang Le , Gui Lingpeng
Published: August 2024

Spatiotemporal association rules mining algorithms can effectively mine the association relationships between spatiotemporal event patterns, which plays an important role in pollution control, weather forecasting and other fields.However,most existing association rule mining algorithms require quantitative time intervals between predefined patterns, and these algorithms do not consider sequential patterns between different spaces. To address these issues, we propose an efficient algorithm for mining spatiotemporal association rule based on prevalent sequential patterns (STARPSP). Firstly, a cross spatiotemporal sequence dataset is constructed by discretizing sequence data from different spaces to mine both sequential patterns in the same space and between different spaces. Secondly, the PrefixSpan algorithm is extended to mine spatiotemporal prevalent sequential patterns. Thirdly, spatiotemporal association rules are automatically obtained based prevalent sequential patterns with time intervals. Finally, STARPSP is compared with other spatiotemporal sequential patterns and association rules mining algorithms on three real datasets. Our experiments show that STARPSP outperforms the other algorithms with respect to both execution time and the number of generated rules. Furthermore, the rules generated by STARPSP contain more spatiotemporal information, which is critical in decision-making.
Deep Learning Models for Small Rivers Stream-Flow Forecasting and Flood Prediction
Authors: Albared Mohammed , Beise Hans-Peter , Stüber Manfred
Published: August 2024

River streamflow forecasting is essential for water resources management and flood damage mitigation. Due to their superiority at solving time series problems, several studies have evaluated deep learning models for river streamflow forecasting. However, forecasting small river flow rates, especially during flood events, is a challenge of particular difficulty due to the scarcity of data and the sudden appearance of floods. This work investigates the performance of five deep-learning models for small river streamflow forecasting and particularly focuses on flow forecasting during flood events. The models considered in this work are long short-term memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent units (GRU), Bidirectional LSTM, 1D convolutional neural networks (1DCNN), and sequential ConvLSTM models. In addition to the standard performance metrics used to evaluate models, this work introduces and applies a new evaluation metric to measure the time effectiveness of models in the early prediction of floods, taking into account the time budget to take early actions. The models are used to forecast the flow rate values over the next 6 hours, 3 hours, and 1 hour. Kyll River, a small river in western Germany, was chosen as a case study because it was subject to several flood events. Results show that all models achieved good performance in overall small river flow forecasting. Results also show that the LSTM-based and the GRU models exhibited poor streamflow forecasting performance (accuracy and time) during normal and extreme flood periods and showed a big decrease in their performance during extreme floods. The findings of this study show that 1DCNN had the highest streamflow forecasting performance, and it reaches impressive forecast accuracy on the entire test set periods and even in normal and extreme flood periods. This suggests that the 1DCNN algorithm can be used as a part of an early flood warning and prediction system in case of both normal and extreme floods.
Effects of integrating traditional and modern healthcare system on tuberculosis diagnosis delay in Ethiopia: a clustered randomized controlled study
Authors: Amare Desalegne , Alene Kefyalew Addis , Ambaw Fentie
Published: August 2024

Background: Delay in tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment is a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of a new approach of integrating traditional care with modern TB control programs in reducing delays in TB diagnosis and treatment.
Methods: We conducted a cluster randomized control trial involving 23 health facilities across four districts and two town administrations in northwest Ethiopia. The clusters were randomly allocated with a 1:1 ratio to intervention or control groups. We provided training for traditional and modern healthcare providers in three different rounds to enhance their knowledge, attitude, and skills towards referral systems. We used shared frailty parametric survival analysis to investigate the relationship between the outcome and exposure variables.
Results: A total of 510 participants (255 in each group) were included in the study. Delay was significantly decreased following the intervention (mean difference=23.678, P=0.008). The effect size of the intervention on patient delay, diagnosis delay, and total delays were 0.281, 0.211, and 0.213, respectively. The total delay was 4.578 per 1000 person-days. The delay in the intervention group was 4.185 per 1000 person-days and 5.031 per 1000 person-days in the control group. The median time to delay was 135 days (95% CI: 102, 223) and the total follow-up period was 55, 026 person-days of observation, with an average follow-up time of 107.894 days. The time to delay who had higher education was significantly decreased by 22.7% (δ=0.773; 95% CI: 0.617, 0.967) compared to the illiterates. Patients who travelled a far distance saw an increase of 1.026 units in delays as distance increased by one kilometer (δ =1.026; 95% CI: 1.007,1.046) compared to their counter parts. Participants with adequate knowledge significantly decreased the time to diagnosis delay by 30.4% compared to those with poor knowledge.
Conclusion: The involvement of traditional care providers in the TB control program has led to a significant decrease in patient and diagnosis delays. Higher education, distance, and knowledge about TB were found to be significantly associated with diagnosis delay. These findings underscore the importance of integrating traditional and modern healthcare systems to effectively combat TB.
Clinical trial registration
· ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05236452.
· The date recruitment began: July 1, 2022.
· Registration date: July 22, 2022.
Comparative landscape genetics in two amphibians demonstrates the influence of habitat specialization in a mountain range in Northeastern Brazil
Authors: Lima Jose Henrique de Andrade , Katzenberger Marco , Gehara Marcelo , Simões Pedro Ivo
Published: August 2024

Context Within the same geographical area, geographical distance is the most important landscape feature limiting dispersal in some species, whereas for others environmental variation, such as climate and vegetation patterns, may curtail dispersal. Such landscape effects are usually determined by the ecological traits of the species. Although very intuitive, landscape hypotheses remain poorly investigated in tropical regions. Objectives We developed a comparative landscape genetic study evaluating the association and importance of geographic and environmental landscape features on the genetic differentiation in two ecologically differing anurans, the treefrog Dendropsophus oliveirai (a reproductive habitat specialist) and the chorus frog Physalaemus cuvieri (a reproductive habitat generalist), in highland forests inserted in a dry vegetation matrix in Northeastern Brazil. Methods We applied Mantel tests and Structural Equation Modeling to assess associations between geographic distance and environmental factors on mitochondrial genetic variation of the two study species. Results We found lower genetic differentiation in P. cuvieiri, mainly associated with geographic distance along a latitudinal gradient and weakly influenced by environmental variation among highland forests. Conversely, the higher genetic differentiation in D. oliveirai was associated with a combination of geographic distance along a longitudinal gradient, environmental variation, and past climatic variation. Conclusions Idiosyncrasies in the genetic structure and associations with landscape features in the two species may have resulted from different abilities to cross the dry lowland among the mesic highland forests. Our findings also suggest selective and neutral evolutionary mechanisms conducive to intraspecific genetic variation in the study area.
Training group for parents of patients with pediatric avoidant/restricted food intake disorder sensory-based avoidance: feasibility and acceptability
Authors: Carletti Leila , Porte Chloé , Helbert Sarah , Hooreman Marie , Charpentier Firiel , Delorme Richard , Elandaloussi Yannis , Stordeur Coline , Ayrolles Anaël
Published: August 2024

Background
We aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, treatment satisfaction and preliminary efficacy of a training group for parents of patients with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). The objective of our group is to enable families to co-construct knowledge and strategies that will empower them to improve children's flexibility, dietary intake and eating in social situations.
Method
The parents of 18 children (aged 5–14 years) with ARFID with sensory-based avoidance participated in a 2-day session of the training group. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed by calculating enrollment, attendance and attrition. Therapeutic alliance and perception of care benefit were assessed by the Helping Alliance Questionnaire-11 (HAQ-11S) and the Consumer Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8), and efficacy was assessed by the Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGI-S) and Improvement (CGI-I) questionnaires administered pre- and posttreatment.
Results
Of the 26 eligible families, 18 (69%) participated in the training group. Of the 18 participating families, all except for 2 (11%) completed all sessions. Both parents were invited to participate, but we observed little involvement from fathers (83% mothers attending sessions alone). Parents rated the treatment as highly satisfactory, with significant increases from the pre- to posttreatment HAQ-11S and CSQ-8 questionnaires (p < .001). Significantly decreased CGI severity scores were observed (p < .003). Qualitative evaluation suggested improved symptom understanding, increased parental empowerment and decreased isolation.
Discussion
The findings of this study provide preliminary evidence that short parent-based group treatment for ARFID patients is associated with high levels of engagement and satisfaction, decreased isolation, enhanced parental competence and increased child flexibility. Many patients with ARFID are not able to access appropriate care, and enhancing parents’ functions in daily life may improve patients’ long-term trajectories.
Tracing neurodevelopment and growth pattern in six-year-old children with idiopathic clubfoot: A national cohort study
Authors: Cho Sung Tan , Yoo Ha-Na , Jeong Simho , Kim Ju Hee , Ha Eun Kyo , Han Bo Eun , Liawrungrueang Wongthawat , Han Man Yong , Lee Soonchul
Published: August 2024

Study design:
Population-based retrospective cohort study
Objectives
Timely recognition and intervention are crucial for idiopathic clubfoot management, yet its developmental impact on children is underexplored. This study investigates neurodevelopment and physical growth in children with idiopathic clubfoot up to age six.
Methods
This population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted in South Korea (2009–2019) using linked data from National Health Insurance Service. The cohort included children diagnosed with idiopathic clubfoot and 1:10 exact match of unexposed children. Neurodevelopmental assessments were conducted using the validated Korean Developmental Screening Test, which covers six domains: gross motor skills, fine motor skills, cognition, language, social skills, and self-regulation, for children aged 42–71 months. Secondary outcomes measured were height and body mass index (BMI) Z-score during the same period.
Results
The cohort comprised 484 children with idiopathic clubfoot and 4,840 matched unexposed children. Children with clubfoot had a higher rate of premature birth (7.44% vs. 3.66%, p < 0.0001), lower birth weight (3.08 ± 0.59 kg vs. 3.20 ± 0.46 kg, p < 0.0001), and higher frequency of breastfeeding (42.9% vs. 33.7%, p < 0.001), compared to the unexposed children. In-depth evaluation of all six neurodevelopmental domains showed significant differences in children with clubfoot (overall aOR, 3.671; 95% CI, 2.463–5.471). Children with clubfoot showed a significant height delay (Z score, -1.63 below), but no BMI difference was noted.
Conclusions
Children with clubfoot exhibited differences in neurodevelopment and height. Early parental concern and proactive therapeutic interventions are crucial during the initial stages of developmental delay in children with clubfoot.
Analysis of the Influence of Myodural Bridge Complex Classification on Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Yin Hao-Song , Liu Cong , Zheng Nan , Yu Sheng-Bo , Chi Yan-Yan , Zhang Jian-Fei , Tian Yan-Ping , Ning Zhi-Chao , Wang Hao-Nan , Sui Hong-Jin , Xu Qiang
Published: August 2024

Objective To classify myodural bridge complex (MDBC) in the posterior atlanto-occipital interspace (PAOiS) and posterior atlanto-axial interspace (PAAiS) in cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), analyzing the effects of sex, age, spinal compression ratio(CR), space available for the cord༈SAC༉, and cervical sagittal balance༈CSB) parameters on the classification of MDBC in CSM, the aim is to provide imaging evidence for the functional research and clinical application of MDBC. Methods Imaging data from 96 patients with CSM and 104 healthy adults were retrospectively selected, were evaluated by univariate analysis of factors and multi-factor analysis of factor Influencing the MRI Classification of MDBC in CSM . Results The results showed significantly lower proportions of Type A and Type B MDBC in the CSM group than in the control group (P < 0.001), the proportions of type C and type D MDBC were greater than those in the control group (P < 0.05), and have a statistically significant correlation with age (P < 0.05), but not with sex (P > 0.05). Types C and D predominated in the MDBC classification in CSM, regardless of sex and age (P > 0.05). Parameters such as the mean subaxial cervical space available for the cord (MSCSAC), and mean subaxial cervical compression ration (MSCCR) significantly influenced the MDBC classification in CSM (P < 0.05), particularly for Types C and D. Sex and CSB did not affect MDBC classification. Conclusion The MDBC classification in CSM predominantly showed Type C and Type D, regardless of age. MSCSAC and MSCCR are influencing factors of MDBC classification in CSM, particularly affecting Type C and Type D MDB, regardless of sex and CSB.
Research on Robot Path Planning Based on Improved A* Algorithm
Authors: Liu Haibin , Cao Jingjing , Zhao Yang , Wang Zhiyuan
Published: August 2024

With the advent of the industrial 4.0 era of intelligent manufacturing, industrial production is becoming more and more unmanned, such as drones, self-driving cars, industrial robotic arms, unmanned aerial vehicles, etc. This paper proposes an improved A* path planning algorithm, which achieves fast and accurate path planning to find the target location. Aiming at the problems of blind expansion, large number of sampling nodes, and slow speed of the traditional A* algorithm, this paper proposes an improved A* path planning algorithm, which retains the heuristic function and uses a fixed sampling function to find the fixed sampling points, and makes the starting point and the target point simultaneously perform path planning towards the sampling points. Thus, the problems of a large number of sampling nodes and slow speed are solved. The simulation results show that compared with the traditional A* algorithm, the number of sampling nodes is reduced by 65.30%, and compared with the A* algorithm with heuristic function, the number of sampling points is reduced by 55.35%. At the same time, the optimal path is retained. It meets the requirements of path planning.
Quantifying Intratumoral Biomarker Heterogeneity in Tubo-ovarian High-grade Serous Carcinoma to Optimize Clinical Translation
Authors: Talhouk Aline , Chiu Derek S. , Meunier Liliane , Rahimi Kurosh , Page Cecile Le , Bernard Monique , Provencher Diane , Huntsman David G. , Masson Anne Marie Mes , Köbel Martin
Published: August 2024

Intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) is spatial, phenotypic, or molecular differences within the same tumor that have important implications for accurate tumor classification and assessment of predictive biomarkers. The Canadian Ovarian Experimental Unified Resource (COEUR) has created a cohort of 437 FFPE tissue specimens from 108 tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) patients to quantify ITH across the anatomical sites and between primary and recurrence. We quantified the ITH of six clinically used immunohistochemical diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers (WT1, p53, p16, PR, CD8, and Ki67). Markers were stained on tissue microarrays and scored using a continuous or categorical interpretation of staining patterns. Two-way random effect and nested intraclass correlation were used to assess continuous markers, and Gwet’s AC1 was used for categorical markers. All biomarkers showed at least substantial agreement over several spatial comparisons, with WT1, p53 and p16 showing almost perfect agreement for most spatial comparisons. Similarly, categorical WT1, p53 and p16 showed almost perfect agreement for temporal comparisons, while the agreement for primary versus recurrence for PR, CD8 and Ki67 was only fair. We provide power calculations to achieve reliability of >0.60 and recommend testing emerging protein biomarkers to see whether they reach a clinically acceptable benchmark level of ITH.