bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the bidirectional relationship between sleep disorders and atrial fibrillation: implications for risk stratification and management
Authors: Ogieuhi Ikponmwosa Jude , Ugiomoh Oshomoh Mark-Anthony , Awe Mishael , Khan Maham , Kwape Julia Mimi , Akpo Deborah , Thiyagarajan Barkavi , Nnekachi Nnokam Prayer
Published: July 2024

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is characterized by the absence of p-waves on ECG and irregular rhythm. It often presents with palpitations either palpitations may occur acutely over a short period or intermittently over several years. Other cardinal symptoms of atrial fibrillation include fatigue, dyspnea, and lightheadedness; it is important however to note that most affected individuals are asymptomatic. Concurrently, sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), insomnia, narcolepsy, and circadian rhythm disorders which are a group of conditions associated with the body’s internal clock that affect the timing of sleep and alertness, are raising concerns due to their potential associations to arrhythmias. This review explores the bidirectional relationship between AF and sleep disorders, highlighting their implications for risk stratification and management strategies.

Main body

The narrative approach of this review synthesizes evidence from numerous studies obtained through meticulous literature searches. Specific sleep disorders with a bidirectional relationship with AF are the focus, with scrutiny on the prevalence of this connection. The examination delves into the pathophysiology of sleep-related autonomic dysregulation and inflammation, emphasizing potential management modalities. Various meta-analysis cohorts have highlighted a strong connection between sleep disorders and atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients with sleep disorders, especially OSA, have a higher likelihood of developing AF, and conversely, those with AF are more prone to sleep disorders. This impact is not limited to development, as sleep disorders also contribute to the progression of AF, with AF, in turn, negatively impacting sleep duration and quality. Sleep disorders may play an important role in atrial remodeling as well as electrophysiological abnormalities, rendering the atrial tissue more susceptible to arrhythmogenesis. The narrative review suggests that treating sleep disorders could not only improve sleep quality but also reduce risk factors associated with atrial fibrillation. The effective management of sleep disorders emerges as a potential challenge in preventing and treating atrial fibrillation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this narrative study highlights the bidirectional relationship between sleep disorders and atrial fibrillation. There is a positive correlation, affecting the development, progression, and management of atrial fibrillation. The detrimental impact of sleep disorders on atrial remodeling and electrophysiological abnormalities underscores the significance of their diagnosis and treatment. Education about the importance of sleep and the benefits of sleep disorder treatment becomes imperative for patients with AF and sleep disorders.
Investigating mental healthcare inequalities associated with forced migration: promise and potential pitfalls of electronic health records
Authors: Crowley Grace , Roberts Angus , Stewart Robert , Das-Munshi Jayati
Published: July 2024

There is a lack of data on mental health service utilisation and outcomes for people with experience of forced migration living in the UK. Details about migration experiences documented in free-text fields in electronic health records might be harnessed using novel data science methods; however, there are potential limitations and ethical concerns.
The Role of Prolactin in Amniotic Membrane Regeneration: Therapeutic Potential for Premature Rupture of Membranes
Authors: Kong Deqi , Cho Heeryun , Hwang Soowon , Lee Ahyoung , Lee Uk , Kim Yun-Bae , Geum Dong Ho , Kim Byung-Soo , Jung Young Mi , Kim Ho Yeon , Cho Geum Joon , Ahn Kihoon , Oh Min-Jeong , Kim Hai-Joong , Cho Hee Young , Park Joong Shin , Hong SoonCheol
Published: July 2024

Premature rupture of membranes (PROM) is defined as rupture of fetal membranes before the onset of labor. Prolactin (PRL) is secreted by decidual membranes and accumulated significantly in the amniotic fluid during pregnancy. PRL could ameliorate inflammation and collagen degradation in fetal membranes. However, the role of PRL in amniotic membrane is not well characterized. We isolated human amniotic epithelial stem cells (hAESCs) from human fetal membranes to study the effect of PRL on proliferation, migration, and antioxidative stress. Amniotic pore culture technique (APCT) model was constructed to evaluate the tissue regeneration effect in vitro. The potential targets and pathways of PRL acting in amnion via integrated bioinformatic methods. PRL had a dose-dependent effect on hAESCs in vitro. PRL (500 ng/mL) significantly improved the viability of hAESCs and inhibited cell apoptosis, related to the upregulation of CCN2 expression and downregulation of Bax, Caspase 3, and Caspase 8. PRL accelerated migration process in hAESCs via downregulation of MMP2, MMP3, and MMP9. PRL attenuated the cellular damage and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by hydrogen peroxide in hAESCs. PRL accelerated the healing process in the APCT model significantly. The top 10 specific targets (IGF1R, SIRT1, MAP2K1, CASP8, MAPK14, MCL1, NFKB1, HIF1A, MTOR, and HSP90AA1) and signaling pathways (such as HIF signaling pathway) were selected using an integrated bioinformatics approach. PRL improves the viability and antioxidative stress function of hAESCs and the regeneration of ruptured amniotic membranes in vitro. Thus, PRL has great therapeutic potential for prevention and treatment of ruptured membranes.
Hippo pathway inactivation through subcellular localization of NF2/merlin in outer cells of mouse embryos
Authors: Goda Nanami , Ito Yui , Saito Shun , Suzuki Miyabi , Bai Hanako , Takahashi Masashi , Wakai Takuya , Kawahara Manabu
Published: July 2024

The Hippo pathway plays a crucial role in cell proliferation and differentiation during tumorigenesis, tissue homeostasis and early embryogenesis. Scaffold proteins from the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) family, including neurofibromin 2 (NF2; Merlin), regulate the Hippo pathway through cell polarity. However, the mechanisms underlying Hippo pathway regulation via cell polarity in establishing outer cells remain unclear. In this study, we generated artificial Nf2 mutants in the N-terminal FERM domain (L64P) and examined Hippo pathway activity by assessing the subcellular localization of YAP1 in early embryos expressing these mutant mRNAs. The L64P-Nf2 mutant inhibited NF2 localization around the cell membrane, resulting in YAP1 cytoplasmic translocation in the polar cells. L64P-Nf2 expression also disrupted the apical centralization of both large tumor suppressor 2 (LATS2) and ezrin in the polar cells. Furthermore, Lats2 mutants in the FERM binding domain (L83K) inhibited YAP1 nuclear translocation. These findings demonstrate that NF2 subcellular localization mediates cell polarity establishment involving ezrin centralization. This study provides previously unreported insights into how the orchestration of the cell-surface components, including NF2, LATS2 and ezrin, modulates the Hippo pathway during cell polarization.
Reprogramming macrophages with R848-loaded artificial protocells to modulate skin and skeletal wound healing
Authors: López-Cuevas Paco , Oates Tiah C. L. , Tong Qiao , McGowan Lucy M. , Cross Stephen J. , Xu Can , Zhao Yu , Yin Zhuping , Toye Ashley M. , Boussahel Asme , Hammond Chrissy L. , Mann Stephen , Martin Paul
Published: July 2024

After tissue injury, inflammatory cells are rapidly recruited to the wound where they clear microbes and other debris, and coordinate the behaviour of other cell lineages at the repair site in both positive and negative ways. In this study, we take advantage of the translucency and genetic tractability of zebrafish to evaluate the feasibility of reprogramming innate immune cells in vivo with cargo-loaded protocells and investigate how this alters the inflammatory response in the context of skin and skeletal repair. Using live imaging, we show that protocells loaded with R848 cargo (which targets TLR7 and TLR8 signalling), are engulfed by macrophages resulting in their switching to a pro-inflammatory phenotype and altering their regulation of angiogenesis, collagen deposition and re-epithelialization during skin wound healing, as well as dampening osteoblast and osteoclast recruitment and bone mineralization during fracture repair. For infected skin wounds, R848-reprogrammed macrophages exhibited enhanced bactericidal activities leading to improved healing. We replicated our zebrafish studies in cultured human macrophages, and showed that R848-loaded protocells similarly reprogramme human cells, indicating how this strategy might be used to modulate wound inflammation in the clinic.
Γενετική προέλευση στη πληθυσμιακή φαρμακογονιδιωματική
Authors: Καραμπέρης Καριοφύλλης
Published: July 2024

Η γενετική ποικιλομορφία μεταξύ των ατόμων σε μια φαρμακευτική αγωγή εξακολουθεί να αποτελεί ένα παγκόσμιο φαινόμενο της δημόσιας υγείας και έναν σημαντικό παράγοντα που συμβάλλει στην εμφάνιση ανεπιθύμητων αντιδράσεων των φαρμάκων, με ήπιες έως σοβαρές μορφές εμφάνισης. Διερευνώντας τη σχέση μεταξύ του γονιδιώματος και γεωγραφικών παραγόντων, όπως η εθνικότητα και η γενετική καταγωγή, πολυάριθμες μελέτες έχουν αποκαλύψει αδιάσειστα στοιχεία για την ετερογένεια του πληθυσμού και διακριτά πρότυπα που μπορούν να αξιοποιηθούν περαιτέρω. Αυτό υποδηλώνει ότι πριν από τις θεραπευτικές παρεμβάσεις με βάση το γονιδίωμα, η κατανόηση της γενετικής ποικιλομορφίας εντός των πληθυσμών θα μπορούσε να προσφέρει πολύτιμες πληροφορίες σχετικά με την πρόβλεψη του κινδύνου που συνδέεται με τα συχνά συνταγογραφούμενα φάρμακα. Αυτή η έννοια, γνωστή ως «Πληθυσμιακή Φαρμακογονιδιωματική», υπόσχεται πολλά για την αναδιαμόρφωση της εξατομικευμένης ιατρικής. Στην παρούσα ερευνητική μελέτη, επιδείξαμε μια ολοκληρωμένη φαρμακογονιδιωματική ανάλυση 3.714 μη συγγενών ατόμων από διάφορους πληθυσμούς και γεωγραφικές περιοχές για να διαφωτίσουμε την παγκόσμια κατανομή 1.136 μονονουκλεοτιδικών παραλλαγών σε 512 φαρμακογονίδια που είναι γνωστό ότι σχετίζονται με ανεπιθύμητες ενέργειες των φαρμάκων. Στη συνέχεια, επεκτείναμε περαιτέρω την ανάλυσή μας χρησιμοποιώντας διεπιστημονικές προσεγγίσεις όπως η μηχανική μάθηση, η εξόρυξη κειμένου και άλλα υπολογιστικά προγνωστικά εργαλεία για την αξιολόγηση της εγγύτητας κινδύνου σε παγκόσμια κλίμακα, σε συχνά συνταγογραφούμενα φάρμακα. Τα ευρήματά μας υποστηρίζουν κρυμμένα μοτίβα ανάμεσα σε ανατολικούς και δυτικούς πληθυσμούς όσον αφορά την πιθανότητα εμφάνισης ανεπιθύμητων ενεργειών που συνδέονται με συχνά συνταγογραφούμενα φάρμακα. Τα άτομα με καταγωγή από την Ανατολική Ασία και σε μικρότερο βαθμό η Ωκεανία παρουσιάζουν χαμηλότερο κίνδυνο εμφάνισης τοξικών ανεπιθύμητων ενεργειών, ενώ γενετική μεταβλητότητα επίσης παρατηρήθηκε στις αλληλεπιδράσεις φαρμάκων και γονιδίων ανάμεσα στους πληθυσμούς. Η έμφαση στη φαρμακογονιδιωματική του πληθυσμού με βάση την γενετική καταγωγή θα πρέπει να αποτελέσει προτεραιότητα της εξατομικευμένης ιατρικής.
A rare presentation of a large left atrial myxoma with gastrointestinal symptoms
Authors: Kim Samuel , Kim Jiyeon , Shukri Ahmed , Barba Romelia , Qudrat-Ullah Muhammad , Sly Zhaunn , Whisenant Ty
Published: July 2024

Atrial myxoma is a rare primary tumour of the heart that typically arises from the left atrium. Patients typically present with obstructive symptoms such as dyspnoea, but constitutional and embolic symptoms can be seen as well. Gastrointestinal symptoms in the absence of embolisation are rarely reported in the literature. Our case presents a 55-year-old female who was found to have a large left atrial myxoma after presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms, which resolved upon resection of the tumour. This case illustrates that atrial myxomas can have an atypical presentation with gastrointestinal symptoms, which could be related to inflammation of gastric mucosa from interleukin-6 produced by the tumour cells. Careful history-taking followed by early detection and prompt treatment is important as atrial myxomas can lead to potentially devastating complications.
Energy-efficient high-speed optical modulators based on the interplay of epsilon-near-zero effect in graphene and ITO
Authors: Rafatmah Afrooz , Miri Mehdi , Yasrebi Navid
Published: July 2024

The epsilon-near-zero effect of graphene and indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) is combined in an optical waveguide with a metal–oxide–semiconductor arrangement to provide the possibility of effective, high-speed optical modulation with low power consumption. The active waveguide is designed to induce large variations in the real and imaginary parts of the effective refractive index with an applied voltage. The proposed active waveguide is then used to design absorption and Mach–Zehnder optical modulators to perform binary and also 4- and 16-point quadrature amplitude modulation (4QAM and 16QAM). All modulators were optimized for operation at a wavelength of 1550 nm. It was shown that the proposed absorption modulator has an extinction ratio (ER) of 9.5 dB, an insertion loss (IL) of 1.4 dB, and an energy consumption of 1.57 fJ/bit. Using the Mach–Zehnder structure, binary, 4QAM, and 16QAM modulators with small active lengths of 0.6907 µm, 0.34536 µm, and 1.58 µm, respectively, are achieved. The binary modulator has an ER of 4.9 dB, an IL of 0.4 dB, an energy consumption of 6.17 fJ/bit, and the VπLπ figure of merit of 0.55 V. µm. For the 4QAM/16QAM modulators, IL, energy consumption, and the achievable bit rate are estimated to be 1.45/9.64 dB, 0.05/0.113 fJ/bit, and 500/1000 Gbit/s, respectively.
Diamond–silicon carbide composite “skeleton” as a promising heatsink material for Yb:YAG thin-disk lasers
Authors: Kuznetsov Ivan , Palashov Oleg , Gordeev Sergey
Published: July 2024

It is proposed to use a new diamond–silicon carbide (DSC) composite “skeleton” as a heatsink material for Yb:YAG thin-disk lasers. The main advantage of the DSC “skeleton” over a conventional diamond is a possibility to manufacture parts of almost any size and shape, which allows optimizing heat removal parameters and achieving better mechanical and thermophysical properties. Temperature distribution, phase distortions, and lasing in the active elements on heatsinks made of DSK “skeleton” and diamond are compared theoretically and experimentally.
Frequency tunable optoelectronic oscillator with parity-time symmetry by using integrated components
Authors: Ahmadfard Farnaz , Hosseini S. Esmail , Qashqaei Mohammadreza
Published: July 2024

This study introduces a parity-time (PT) symmetric, frequency-tunable optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) using integrated components within a dual-polarization Sagnac loop (SL). By leveraging the natural birefringence of a Z-cut lithium niobate (LiNbO3) phase modulator, interconnected optoelectronic loops with orthogonally polarized light waves are established—one experiencing gain and the other loss. Fine-tuning the polarization states through multiple polarization controllers (PCs) enables precise control over the gain and loss coefficients, achieving the PT symmetry breaking condition necessary to generate a stable, single-frequency microwave signal. The integrated components––the phase modulator (PM), the SL, and the photodetector (PD)––function as a microwave photonic filter (MPF). A tunable laser source combined with a microheater-tuned microdisk resonator (MDR) allows precise frequency adjustments, enabling tunable microwave frequencies from 2 to 12 GHz without additional filters. This integrated approach simplifies the system, reduces its footprint, and enhances the stability against environmental factors. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed OEO design generates a stable, frequency-tunable microwave signal, achieving single-mode oscillation at 11.8 GHz with a phase noise of −122.5dBc/Hz at a 10 kHz offset frequency.
Investigation on a high-quality health laser light source based on the age of lighting users
Authors: Yu Zihao , Zheng Jianzhuo , Zheng Chaodan , Zhu Xin , Huang Weijun , Xiao Qing , Xiao Wei , Wu Qingfeng
Published: July 2024

The optimal laser spectrum for users of all ages is determined by considering the health implications of laser lighting across different age groups. We present a theoretical calculation model for age-related blue light hazard (BLH) and Circadian Action Factor (CAF), establishing optimization criteria that integrate visual and health factors. Health assessments of white laser light source spectra, obtained from the combination of RGB-LDs, were conducted using BLH and CAF at various illumination color temperatures. Based on our proposed comprehensive optimization criteria, white-light laser sources with high luminous efficacy (LER ≥ 330 lm/W), good color rendering (Ra ≥ 70), and color coordinates within the quadrangle region specified by the ANSI C78.377-2008 standard were obtained. This research provides a theoretical foundation for the personalized design and application of high-quality, healthy laser light sources for users of different ages.
Controlled alignment imaging optical MIMO communication system based on light spot detection of arrayed light sources
Authors: Li Yanlong , Li Shuaixing , Jiang Pengcheng , Gu Chengyu , Chen Xiao , Zhang Zejun
Published: July 2024

Visible light communication (VLC) technology has become one of the potential key technologies for 6 G due to its unique features, such as abundant license-free spectrum, high confidentiality, and low electromagnetic interference. In this paper, an optical multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system based on imaging reception is proposed, which can improve the data transmission rate and reduce interference between different sub-channels. To overcome the problem of optical communication link alignment, in this paper, we established an imaging optical MIMO communication system with a controlled light source array (CLSA) and proposed an optical alignment strategy to address the alignment issue. The scheme decouples the constraint that the light spot cannot be aligned with the detector in the communication system under the influence of optical parameters. Based on the light spot detection CLSA module, the communication system can ensure the stability of the link alignment when the communication distance changes. Experimental results show that when the communication distance is 20-80 m, the bit error rate (BER) of the communication system remains below 10-6. The single-channel communication rate of the system is 5 Mbps, and the total communication rate is 20 Mbps through the four-channel rate multiplexing. Moreover, if the communication distance increases to the range of 80-100 m, the BER increases, but it is always lower than the forward error correction (FEC) threshold.
Enhancing the sensitivity of a humidity sensor by using PVA and GQDs hybrid diaphragms and the harmonic Vernier effect
Authors: Guo Zihao , Jiang Chao , Hu Chuanju , Li Li , Gao Ling , Han Bowen , Guo Xiaoshan , Sun Simei , Cao Tingshui , Li Hong , Wen Jian , Huang Huiling
Published: July 2024

What we believe to be a novel fiber optic Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) humidity sensor based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) doped graphene quantum dots (GQDs) was proposed and experimentally studied. This sensor consisted of a sensing FPI and a reference FPI in parallel. The two sensing cavities FPI were composed of humidity sensitive materials PVA and PVA-GQDs, respectively. Experimental comparative studies had found that doping GQDs in PVA increases humidity sensitivity by 2.1 times. Four reference cavity FPIs were prepared by splicing single-mode fiber and quartz capillary, and then they were combined with two sensing cavity FPIs to form two Vernier effect (VE) sensors and two harmonic Vernier effect (HVE) sensors. Experimental research had found that the sensitivities of PVA as a sensing material for the VE sensor and HVE sensor were -1.0804 nm/%RH and-1.6566 nm/%RH, respectively. The sensitivities of PVA-GQDs as sensing materials for the VE sensor and HVE sensor were-3.1527 nm/%RH and 7.3343 nm/%RH, respectively. Moreover, both HVE sensors had minimal temperature crosstalk. PVA-GQDs were excellent humidity sensitive materials that significantly improve the sensitivity of humidity sensors, making it promising candidate for humidity sensing in various applications.
Compact and efficient photonic lanterns through multi-stage tapering
Authors: Hou Lijie , Yang Linbo , Yang Zhiqun , Liu Yaping , Huang Zhanhua , Zhang Lin
Published: July 2024

Photonic lanterns (PLs) have been recently used in mode-division multiplexed systems with a low insertion loss, a low mode-dependent loss (MDL), and a wide bandwidth. However, the cross talk (XT) performance of the PLs requires further enhancement within a short taper length. In this Letter, a multi-stage cascaded scheme for short PLs is proposed to further improve the performance on losses and XT. The XT of the optimized 6-mode 3-stage PL is below −23.4 dB, while the total length is only 6 cm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quantitative optimization of a 3-stage tapered PL, resulting in a compact structure and excellent performance. Furthermore, we experimentally validate the feasibility of the 3-stage tapering process.
High diffraction efficiency complex amplitude modulation technique by using antiwave functions
Authors: Martinez-Carranza Juan , Kozacki Tomasz
Published: July 2024

Complex amplitude modulation (CAM) is a single-step technique that codes the amplitude and phase of a diffracted optical field into a real function. Loading this function onto a phase-only spatial light modulator enables the reconstruction of 3D images. However, the obtained images have poor brightness because of the low diffraction efficiency. In this work, we show a novel solution, to the best of our knowledge, that overcomes this limitation. This is done by employing antiwave complex exponential functions, which modify the spectrum of the diffracted field. Proper configuration of these functions allows transferring energy across the diffraction spectrum to the informative diffraction order, which significantly improves the brightness of the reconstructed image. Simulations and experiments prove the efficiency of the proposed method.
Frame-rate adaptive fractionally spaced equalization enabled high-throughput optical camera communication
Authors: Chen Shiwen , Xiang Meng , Zhou Gai , Li Jilong , Fu Songnian , Qin YuWen
Published: July 2024

Optical camera communication (OCC) has garnered worldwide research attention, due to its immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and efficient utilization of spectrum resources. However, the limited bandwidth of the OCC system and the timing offset of the camera result in low system throughput. To enhance the OCC throughput, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a frame-rate adaptive fractionally spaced equalization algorithm (FA-FSE) for the joint mitigation of severe inter-symbol interference (ISI) and timing offset arising in OCC. Experimental results validate its correct and power-efficient function, leading to a record aggregated throughput of 250.96 kbit/s, when the 8-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-8) signals are independently modulated to eight chip-on-board light emitting diode (COB-LED) light strips, while simultaneously received by a smartphone 10 cm away.
Experimental demonstration of Ge2Sb2Te5 loaded 1-D plasmonic metasurface perfect absorber for near-IR wavelength regime
Authors: Verma Sagar Kumar , Jangra Mandeep , Datta Arnab , Srivastava Sachin Kumar
Published: July 2024

Inclusion of a phase change material such as germanium–antimony–telluride (Ge2Sb2Te5 or GST) enhances the performance of plasmonic metasurface absorbers (PMAs). One-dimensional (1-D) plasmonic metasurfaces (PMs) support the excitation of surface plasmon modes for the normal incidence of transverse magnetically (TM) polarized light. The 1-D PMAs absorb incident light because of their confinement in the groove region, which is possible because of the surface plasmon modes excited at the metal–dielectric interface. A thin layer of the phase change material enhances the absorption of incident light because of the increasing strength of the confined electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the PMA. We developed a GST loaded, low cost, 1-D PMA for the absorption of near-infrared (NIR) light (740–920 nm). The PMA was fabricated using an Ag coated 1-D patterned polycarbonate, which was obtained from a commercial digital versatile disk (DVD). A 1-D PMA of 1 cm2 in size obtained from a DVD was coated with a GST layer of 8 nm in thickness to achieve the maximum absorption of 99.56% for the hexagonal closed packed (h.c.p.) crystalline state of the GST loaded layer. Control experiments were performed for different temperatures and different thicknesses of the GST layer for achieving an optimal performance nearing perfect absorption. Electric and magnetic field profiles were simulated for the normal incidence of TM-polarized light to understand the underlying physics of the light–matter interaction with the PMA. Such a PMA can be used to develop various cost-effective optical devices, such as optical sensors, optical filters, photodetectors, and heat absorbing photonic windows in the NIR wavelength regime.
Prevalence of social anxiety disorder and its associated factors among foreign-born undergraduate students in Türkiye: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Alnemr Lujain , Salama Abdelaziz H. , Abdelrazek Salma , Alfakeer Hussein , Ali Alkhateeb Mohamed , Torun Perihan
Published: July 2024

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is prevalent among university students, yet data on its severity among foreign-born international undergraduate students in Türkiye remains limited. This study aims to determine the prevalence of SAD and its associated factors within this population. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a Google Form survey distributed across various universities from September 17, 2023, to February 1, 2024. The survey comprised two sections: sociodemographic information and 17 items of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), which measures the frequency and intensity of social anxiety symptoms. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and inferential analysis, multiple regression, and binomial logistic regression. Out of 506 participants, 455 were included in the study. Results revealed that 39.1% exhibited no or very mild symptoms of SAD, while 23.7% experienced mild symptoms, 21.3% faced moderate symptoms, and 11.6% and 4.2% presented with severe to very severe symptoms, respectively. Factors such as gender (p < 0.0001), previous academic failures (p = 0.013), family history of mental health issues (p = 0.009), exercise frequency (p < 0.0001), and perceptions of relationships with classmates (p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with SAD. Females showed a higher probability of SAD compared to males (OR = 1.976). Individuals engaging in over 90 minutes of exercise per week were less likely to have SAD (OR = 0.383), and occasional smokers had a lower risk of SAD compared to non-smokers (OR = 0.422). Our study uncovered a notably elevated prevalence of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) among foreign-born undergraduate students in Türkiye. Factors such as being female, having a family history of mental illnesses, studying in a stressful environment, experiencing academic failure, and engaging in less frequent exercise were associated with noticeable symptoms of SAD. These findings emphasize the urgent need for heightened efforts in recognizing and addressing SAD within this population.
Social support and ideal cardiovascular health in urban Jamaica: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Blake Alphanso L. , Bennett Nadia R. , McKenzie Joette A. , Tulloch-Reid Marshall K. , Govia Ishtar , McFarlane Shelly R. , Walters Renee , Francis Damian K. , Wilks Rainford J. , Williams David R. , Younger-Coleman Novie O. , Ferguson Trevor S.
Published: July 2024

Recent studies have suggested that high levels of social support can encourage better health behaviours and result in improved cardiovascular health. In this study we evaluated the association between social support and ideal cardiovascular health among urban Jamaicans. We conducted a cross-sectional study among urban residents in Jamaica’s south-east health region. Socio-demographic data and information on cigarette smoking, physical activity, dietary practices, blood pressure, body size, cholesterol, and glucose, were collected by trained personnel. The outcome variable, ideal cardiovascular health, was defined as having optimal levels of ≥5 of these characteristics (ICH-5) according to the American Heart Association definitions. Social support exposure variables included number of friends (network size), number of friends willing to provide loans (instrumental support) and number of friends providing advice (informational support). Principal component analysis was used to create a social support score using these three variables. Survey-weighted logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between ICH-5 and social support score. Analyses included 841 participants (279 males, 562 females) with mean age of 47.6 ± 18.42 years. ICH-5 prevalence was 26.6% (95%CI 22.3, 31.0) with no significant sex difference (male 27.5%, female 25.7%). In sex-specific, multivariable logistic regression models, social support score, was inversely associated with ICH-5 among males (OR 0.67 [95%CI 0.51, 0.89], p = 0.006) but directly associated among females (OR 1.26 [95%CI 1.04, 1.53], p = 0.020) after adjusting for age and community SES. Living in poorer communities was also significantly associated with higher odds of ICH-5 among males, while living communities with high property value was associated with higher odds of ICH among females. In this study, higher level of social support was associated with better cardiovascular health among women, but poorer cardiovascular health among men in urban Jamaica. Further research should explore these associations and identify appropriate interventions to promote cardiovascular health.
A new Paleogene fossil and a new dataset for waterfowl (Aves: Anseriformes) clarify phylogeny, ecological evolution, and avian evolution at the K-Pg Boundary
Authors: Musser Grace , Clarke Julia A.
Published: July 2024

Despite making up one of the most ecologically diverse groups of living birds, comprising soaring, diving and giant flightless taxa, the evolutionary relationships and ecological evolution of Anseriformes (waterfowl) remain unresolved. Although Anseriformes have a comparatively rich, global Cretaceous and Paleogene fossil record, morphological datasets for this group that include extinct taxa report conflicting relationships for all known extinct taxa. Correct placement of extinct taxa is necessary to understand whether ancestral anseriform feeding ecology was more terrestrial or one of a set of diverse aquatic ecologies and to better understand avian evolution around the K-T boundary. Here, we present a new morphological dataset for Anseriformes that includes more extant and extinct taxa than any previous anseriform-focused dataset and describe a new anseriform species from the early Eocene Green River Formation of North America. The new taxon has a mediolaterally narrow bill which is rarely found in previously described anseriform fossils. The matrix created to assess the placement of this taxon comprises 41 taxa and 719 discrete morphological characters describing skeletal morphology, musculature, syringeal morphology, ecology, and behavior. We additionally combine the morphological dataset with published sequences using Bayesian methods and perform ancestral state reconstruction for select morphological, ecological and behavioral characters. We recover the new Eocene taxon as the sister taxon to (Anseranatidae+Anatidae) across all analyses, and find that the new taxon represents a novel ecology within known Anseriformes and the Green River taxa. Results provide insight into avian evolution during and following the K-Pg mass extinction and indicate that Anseriformes were likely ancestrally aquatic herbivores with rhamphothecal lamellae..
A qualitative evaluation of treatment fidelity alongside a pilot trial of a novel therapy for pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Olson Jenny L. , Castillo Gisell , Palumbo Amelia , Harrison Megan , Singleton Ruth , Lalu Manoj M. , Fergusson Dean A. , Stintzi Alain , Mack David R. , Presseau Justin
Published: July 2024

Background

Process evaluations conducted alongside clinical trials can improve understanding of treatment fidelity and provide contextual knowledge to aide interpretations of trial outcomes. We adopted a multiple-goals perspective to investigate treatment fidelity in two related pilot clinical trials of an adjuvant treatment for pediatric-onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This included a focus on barriers and enablers of performing trial-specific activities and of integrating those activities into daily life.

Methods

We conducted one-time semi-structured interviews with a sub-sample of participants of the Resistant Starch in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (NCT04522271) and Optimized Resistant Starch in Inflammatory Bowel Disease pilot trials (NCT04520594) and their caregivers (N = 42). The trials examined the effects of personalized food-derived resistant starches as an adjuvant therapy on intestinal microbiome functioning. Interviews were conducted within 3-months of participants completing or withdrawing from the trials. Interview guides with age-appropriate language were developed and pilot tested. Codes were identified inductively though conventional content analysis and then mapped to personal projects analysis, to explore how participants navigated between activities.

Results

Three themes were identified. The first described the potential impact of living with inflammatory bowel disease and taking prescribed medications. The second described characteristics of trial-specific activities that might impact on their enactment, including perceived difficulty, and challenges following procedures or using trial materials. The third described the integration of trial-specific activities with school, work, household demands, and social, and extracurricular activities.

Conclusions

Adjusting to living with inflammatory bowel disease and managing its treatment can impact trial participation. Integrating trial-related activities into daily life can be challenging, which could heighten perceptions of goal conflict. Findings can inform interpretations of trial outcomes and development of strategies for trial optimization and implementation of the adjuvant therapy into clinical practice.
COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and uptake: A sociocultural perspective focusing on parents and peers
Authors: Thompson Oscar , Cristea Mioara , Tamariz Monica
Published: July 2024

The global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical importance of widespread vaccination to mitigate the impact of the virus on public health. The current study aimed to investigate which social influences might be most important for predicting attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine uptake among young students in the UK. We focused on the cultural evolution and social transmission aspects, i.e., parent-to-child versus peer-to-peer, of attitudes and vaccine uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 192 UK students (aged 18 to 35 years old) filled in an online survey including measures for attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine uptake and/or intention, age, and gender. Participants were also asked about their mother’s, father’s, and best friend’s attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine uptake. Finally, they provided a subjective measure of the quality relationship with their parents. Overall, our results suggest that both parents and very close friends are important agents in understanding the students’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine uptake. More specifically, our findings suggest the mother’s vaccine uptake as the most salient predictor of students’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine uptake, particularly when the students report having a positive relationship with their parents. In cases where students’ experience negative relationship with their parents, the best friend’s vaccine uptake may supersede the mother’s influence. Despite these nuances, a general trend emerges from our data suggesting that vaccine uptake could be primarily guided by vertical transmission (i.e., parent to child). Our results have the potential to influence public health strategies, communication campaigns, and targeted interventions to enhance vaccination uptake. Identifying key social predictors can enable policymakers and health authorities to tailor vaccination promotion efforts towards mothers’ and peers’ vaccine uptake to increase overall positive attitudes and vaccine uptake among young people.
Individual differences and motor planning influence self-recognition of actions
Authors: Kadambi Akila , Xie Qi , Lu Hongjing
Published: July 2024

Although humans can recognize their body movements in point-light displays, self-recognition ability varies substantially across action types and participants. Are these variations primarily due to an awareness of visually distinct movement patterns, or to underlying factors related to motoric planning and/or individual differences? To address this question, we conducted a large-scale study in self-action recognition (N = 101). We motion captured whole-body movements of participants who performed 27 different actions across action goals and degree of motor planning. After a long delay period (~ 1 month), participants were tested in a self-recognition task: identifying their point-light action amongst three other point-light actors performing identical actions. We report a self-advantage effect from point-light actions, consistent with prior work in self-action recognition. Further, we found that self-recognition was modulated by the action complexity (associated with the degree of motor planning in performed actions) and individual differences linked to motor imagery and subclinical autism and schizotypy. Using dynamic time warping, we found sparse evidence in support of visual distinctiveness as a primary contributor to self-recognition, though speed distinctiveness negatively influenced self-recognition performance. Together, our results reveal that self-action recognition involves more than an awareness of visually distinct movements, with important implications for how the motor system may be involved.
New clusterization of global seaport countries based on their DEA and FDEA network efficiency scores
Authors: Nadarajan Dineswary , Aruchunan Elayaraja , Mohd Noor Noor Fadiya
Published: July 2024

Global seaport network efficiency can be measured using the Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) with Gross Domestic Product. This paper utilizes k-means and hierarchical strategies by leveraging the results obtained from Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Fuzzy Data Envelopment Analysis (FDEA) to cluster 133 countries based on their seaport network efficiency scores. Previous studies have explored hkmeans clustering for traffic, maritime transportation management, swarm optimization, vessel trajectory prediction, vessels behaviours, vehicular ad hoc network etc. However, there remains a notable absence of clustering research specifically addressing the efficiency of global seaport networks. This research proposed hkmeans as the best strategy for the seaport network efficiency clustering where our four newly founded clusters; low connectivity (LC), medium connectivity (MC), high connectivity (HC) and very high connectivity (VHC) are new applications in the field. Using the hkmeans algorithm, 24 countries have been clustered under LC, 47 countries under MC, 40 countries under HC and 22 countries under VHC. With and without a fuzzy dataset distribution, this demonstrates that the hkmeans clustering is consistent and practical to form grouping of general data types. The findings of this research can be useful for researchers, authorities, practitioners and investors in guiding their future analysis, decision and policy makings involving data grouping and prediction especially in the maritime economy and transportation industry.
DeepDate: A deep fusion model based on whale optimization and artificial neural network for Arabian date classification
Authors: Khalifa Nour Eldeen Mahmoud , Wang Jiaji , Hamed N. Taha Mohamed , Zhang Yudong
Published: July 2024

Purpose

As agricultural technology continues to develop, the scale of planting and production of date fruit is increasing, which brings higher yields. However, the increasing yields also put a lot of pressure on the classification step afterward. Image recognition based on deep learning algorithms can help to identify and classify the date fruit species, even in natural light.

Method

In this paper, a deep fusion model based on whale optimization and an artificial neural network for Arabian date classification is proposed. The dataset used in this study includes five classes of date fruit images (Barhi, Khalas, Meneifi, Naboot Saif, Sullaj). The process of designing each model can be divided into three phases. The first phase is feature extraction. The second phase is feature selection. The third phase is the training and testing phase. Finally, the best-performing model was selected and compared with the currently established models (Alexnet, Squeezenet, Googlenet, Resnet50).

Results

The experimental results show that, after trying different combinations of optimization algorithms and classifiers, the highest test accuracy achieved by DeepDate was 95.9%. It takes less time to achieve a balance between classification accuracy and time consumption. In addition, the performance of DeepDate is better than that of many deep transfer learning models such as Alexnet, Squeezenet, Googlenet, VGG-19, NasNet, and Inception-V3.

Conclusion

The proposed DeepDate improves the accuracy and efficiency of classifying date fruits and achieves better results in classification metrics such as accuracy and F1. DeepDate provides a promising classification solution for date fruit classification with higher accuracy. To further advance the industry, it is recommended that stakeholders invest in technology transfer programs to bring advanced image recognition and AI tools to smaller producers, enhancing sustainability and productivity across the sector. Collaborations between agricultural technologists and growers could also foster more tailored solutions that address specific regional challenges in date fruit production.
Are haloclines distributional barriers in anchialine ecosystems? Physiological response of cave shrimps to salinity
Authors: Chávez Solís Efrain M. , Mascaro Maite , Rosas Carlos , Rodríguez-Fuentes Gabriela , Caamal Monsreal Claudia , Paschke Kurt , Díaz Fernando , Re Araujo Denisse
Published: July 2024

Anchialine systems are coastal groundwater habitats around the world which host a unique community of cave adapted species (stygobionts). Such communities are expected to be separated by haloclines into either fresh or saline groundwater communities, hence climate changes (e.g., eustatic sea level shifts) and anthropic driven changes (e.g., salinization) may have a great impact on these stygobiont communities. Here we used cave-restricted species ofTyphlatyafrom the Yucatan Peninsula as models to identify physiological capacities that enable the different species to thrive in marine groundwater (T.dzilamensis) or fresh groundwater (T.mitchelliandT.pearsei), and test if their distribution is limited by their salinity tolerance capacity. We used behavior, metabolic rates, indicators of the antioxidant system and cellular damage, and lactate content to evaluate the response of individuals to acute changes in salinity, as a recreation of crossing a halocline in the anchialine systems of the Yucatan Peninsula. Our results show that despite being sister species, some are restricted to the freshwater portion of the groundwater, while others appear to be euryhaline.
Unravelling habituation for COVID-19-related information: A panel data study in Japan
Authors: Fukui Shinya
Published: July 2024

This study examines people’s habituation to COVID-19-related information over almost three years. Using publicly available data from 47 Japanese prefectures, I analyse how human mobility responded to COVID-19-related information, such as the number of COVID-19-infected cases, the declaration of a state of emergency (DSE), and several doses of vaccine using an interactive effects model, which is a type of panel data regression. The results show that Japanese citizens were generally fearful and cautious during the first wave of the unknown infection. As such, a 1% week-on-week increase in the number of infected cases results in a decrease in human mobility by 1.09-percentage-point (pp) week-on-week. However, they gradually became habituated to similar infection information during the subsequent waves, which is reflected in 0.71 pp and 0.29 pp decreases in human mobility in the second and third waves. Nevertheless, the level of habituation decreased in response to the different types of the infection, such as new variants in the fourth wave, with 0.50 pp decrease. By contrast, regarding the DSE, it is more plausible to consider that human mobility responds to varying requests rather than habituate them. Whereas a rapid vaccination program could alleviate people’s concerns. I also find spatial spillovers of infection information on human mobility using a spatial weight matrix included in the regression model. However, there is no evidence of DSE or vaccination spatial spillovers, likely because both are valid only in one’s own prefecture. The implementation of flexible human mobility control policies by closely monitoring human mobility can prevent excessive or insufficient mobility control requests. Such a flexible policy can efficiently suppress infection spread and prevent economic activity reduction more than necessary. These implications are useful for evidence-based policymaking during future pandemics.
Depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and health-related quality of life in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: A population-based study
Authors: Andersson Johanna , Maripuu Martin , Sjövill Mathilda , Lindam Anna , Laurell Katarina
Published: July 2024

Background

Maximising quality of life is a central goal for all healthcare, especially when dealing with dementing disorders. In this study we aimed to compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL), depressive symptoms and functional impairment between individuals with and without idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) from the general population.

Methods

A total of 122 individuals, 30 with iNPH (median age 75 years, 67 females) underwent neurological examinations and computed tomography of the brain with standardised rating of imaging findings and clinical symptoms. The participants completed the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and the HRQoL instrument EQ5D-5L. In addition, the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to evaluate functional impairment.

Results

Compared with participants without iNPH, those with iNPH reported a higher score on GDS-15 (median 3 vs 1) and mRS (median 2 vs 1) (p < 0.05). Further, those with iNPH rated lower on EQ5D-5L (index 0.79, VAS 70) than those without iNPH (index 0.86, VAS 80) (p < 0.05). In logistic regression models, low HRQoL was associated with more depressive symptoms, a higher degree of iNPH symptoms, and lower functional status.

Conclusions

In this population-based sample, those with iNPH had more depressive symptoms, lower functional status, and worse quality of life compared to those without iNPH. The strongest association with low HRQoL was found for depressive symptoms, functional level, and degree of iNPH symptoms. These results underline the value of shunt surgery because of its potential to reduce symptoms and disability in iNPH and therefore improve HRQoL.