bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of the vaginal ecosystem on vaginitis, bacterial vaginosis, and sexually transmitted diseases: an epidemiological study and literature review
Authors: Occhipinti Sara , Incognito Giosuè Giordano , Palumbo Marco
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aimed to demonstrate the correlation between altered balance of the vaginal ecosystem and increased risk of vaginitis, bacterial vaginosis, and sexually transmitted diseases and the association between specific alterations found in fresh bacterioscopic examinations (FBE) and the risk of certain infections.

Methods

A retrospective, monocentric study was conducted from January 2013 to December 2023. Patients who underwent FBE and vaginal swabs following reported symptoms or suspected syndromic pictures of vulvovaginal infections were included.

Results

Two thousand one hundred ten patients were included and divided into a control group (n = 811, 38.4%) and a pathological group (n = 1299 patients, 61.6%), based on the presence of alterations at the FBE. In the pathological group, 1185 women (91% of positive FBE) had vaginal infections detected through vaginal swabs. The presence of lactobacilli and typical inflammatory cells was detected in 111 (8%) women with pathological FBE and correlated with higher rates of positive swabs for common germs (n = 104, 94%), often leading to co-infections (n = 30, 29%). Conversely, Döderlein’s cytolysis (n = 56, 4.3% of positive FBE) indicated a predominance of positive human papillomavirus (HPV) swabs (n = 33, 59%). The presence of fungal elements (n = 208, 16% of positive FBE) suggested a higher prevalence of co-infections (n = 62, 30%). Similarly, mixed bacterial flora (n = 470, 36% of positive FBE) and Trichomonas vaginalis (n = 11, 0.8% of positive FBE) correlated with positive swabs for other pathogens, except for Mycoplasma (n = 0). Bacterial vaginosis (n = 443, 34% of positive FBE) was linked to co-infections (n = 142, 32%) and HPV (n = 123, 28%).

Conclusion

The importance of conducting FBE in patients with vulvovaginal symptoms is emphasized. This approach aids in determining the need for further diagnostic tests like vaginal swabs, guided by microscopic findings. A strong correlation emerges between the presence of specific alterations in the FBE and an increased prevalence of certain infections.
The Effect of Long-Term Azithromycin on Objective and Subjective Cough in Chronic Respiratory Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials and Noncomparative Studies
Authors: Sykes Dominic L. , Mason Pavan , Rahunathan Nithusa , Hart Simon P. , Morice Alyn H. , Crooks Michael G.
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Azithromycin is an effective treatment for various respiratory conditions but its effect on cough is poorly understood. We synthesised data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and noncomparative studies (NCT) examining its effect on objective and subjective cough.

Methods

After prospective registration on PROSPERO, we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL for both RCTs and NCT trials examining the effect azithromycin on cough in respiratory disease.

Results

We identified 1240 studies of which 6 (4 RCTs and 2 NCT studies) were included in the meta-analysis, with a total of 275 patients. Azithromycin was associated with significant improvement in Leicester Cough Questionnaire scores at follow-up when compared to baseline scores (SMD = 0.62 [95% CI 0.12 to 1.12], p = 0.01). However, when only RCTs were synthesised, no significant effect was observed (SMD = 0.12 [95% CI − 0.36 to 0.60], p = 0.62). There was no significant reduction in cough severity VAS score (SMD = − 0.39 [95% CI − 0.92 to 0.14], p = 0.15). There was no significant reduction in objective cough count (SMD = − 0.41 [95% CI − 1.04 to 0.32], p = 0.09).

Conclusion

Azithromycin therapy improves cough-related quality of life in various chronic respiratory diseases; however, there was no significant effect on cough outcomes when only data from RCTs were synthesised. We believe that to accurately identify which patients whose cough would benefit from azithromycin a large-scale clinical trial of patients with a broad spectrum of respiratory diseases, with sufficiently severe cough, should be undertaken with subgroup analysis of individual disease areas.
Preventing long-term disability in CIDP: the role of timely diagnosis and treatment monitoring in a multicenter CIDP cohort
Authors: Quint Paula , Schroeter Christina B. , Kohle Felix , Öztürk Menekse , Meisel Andreas , Tamburrino Giuliano , Mausberg Anne K. , Szepanowski Fabian , Afzali Ali Maisam , Fischer Katinka , Nelke Christopher , Räuber Saskia , Voth Jan , Masanneck Lars , Willison Alice , Vogelsang Anna , Hemmer Bernhard , Berthele Achim , Schroeter Michael , Hartung Hans-Peter , Pawlitzki Marc , Schreiber Stefanie , Stettner Mark , Maus Uwe , Meuth Sven G. , Stascheit Frauke , Ruck Tobias
Published: July 2024

Background

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an inflammatory disease affecting the peripheral nerves and the most frequent autoimmune polyneuropathy. Given the lack of established biomarkers or risk factors for the development of CIDP and patients’ treatment response, this research effort seeks to identify potential clinical factors that may influence disease progression and overall treatment efficacy.

Methods

In this multicenter, retrospective analysis, we have screened 197 CIDP patients who presented to the University Hospitals in Düsseldorf, Berlin, Cologne, Essen, Magdeburg and Munich between 2018 and 2022. We utilized the respective hospital information system and examined baseline data with clinical examination, medical letters, laboratory results, antibody status, nerve conduction studies, imaging and biopsy findings. Aside from clinical baseline data, we analyzed treatment outcomes using the Standard of Care (SOC) definition, as well as a comparison of an early (within the first 12 months after manifestation) versus late (more than 12 months after manifestation) onset of therapy.

Results

In terms of treatment, most patients received intravenous immunoglobulin (56%) or prednisolone (39%) as their first therapy. Patients who started their initial treatment later experienced a worsening disease course, as reflected by a significant deterioration in their Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment (INCAT) leg disability score. SOC-refractory patients had worse clinical outcomes than SOC-responders. Associated factors for SOC-refractory status included the presence of fatigue as a symptom and alcohol dependence.

Conclusion

Timely diagnosis, prompt initiation of treatment and careful monitoring of treatment response are essential for the prevention of long-term disability in CIDP and suggest a “hit hard and early” treatment paradigm.
Complete pathological response to pembrolizumab in pretreated pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma
Authors: Merz Valeria , Maines Francesca , Marcucci Stefano , Sartori Chiara , Frisinghelli Michela , Trentin Chiara , Kadrija Dzenete , Carbone Francesco Giuseppe , Michielan Andrea , Gabbrielli Armando , Melisi Davide , Barbareschi Mattia , Brolese Alberto , Caffo Orazio
Published: July 2024

Background

Therapeutic approach used for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is usually translated also for the rarer acinar counterpart, which shows a different mutational landscape nevertheless. While dMMR/MSI-H status is rare in the ductal histotype, it appears to be more prevalent in pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (PACC).

Case presentation

We report the case of a patient with locally advanced MSI-H PACC in whom the treatment with the anti-PD-1 pembrolizumab, administered as third line, made possible surgical resection, achieving even an exceptional pathological complete response.

Conclusions

Treatment of PACC should be tailored based on the peculiar molecular features that distinguish PACC from ductal adenocarcinoma. Evaluation of potentially therapeutically targetable alterations should be mandatory in case of PACC diagnosis.
Potential of animal-welfare compliant and sustainably sourced serum from pig slaughter blood
Authors: Hahn Olga , Peters Kirsten , Hartmann Alexander , Dannenberger Dirk , Kalbe Claudia
Published: July 2024

The animal product most used as a stimulatory additive for cell cultivation is still fetal bovine serum (FBS). Besides the ethical concerns regarding serum collection, the main problems of FBS are batch-to-batch variability and the resulting risk of lower reproducibility, the differences between species, the presence of undefined/unknown components, and the risk of contamination. In contrast, pig blood, which is a by-product of slaughter, is a sufficiently available and sustainable resource with a high degree of standardization in terms of donor age, weight, and genetics. The variations in preparations from pig slaughter blood seem to be comparatively low, and consequently, batch effects might be much smaller, suggesting that the reproducibility of the research data obtained may be increased. Our pilot study aimed to investigate, as a proof of concept, whether adult human and porcine stem cells of different tissue origins proliferate and differentiate adequately when FBS is completely or partially replaced by porcine serum (PS). We could show that the human and porcine stem cells were vital and proliferated under partial and full PS supplementation. Furthermore, using PS, the two cell types studied showed tissue-specific differentiation (i.e., lipid vacuoles as a sign of adipogenic or myotubes as a sign of myogenic differentiation). In conclusion, the pig slaughter blood–derived serum has promising potential to be a replacement for FBS in adult stem cell cultures. Therefore, it could serve as a basis for the development of new cell culture supplements.
El Chichón volcanic activity before and after the Mw8.2, 2017, Chiapas earthquake, México. Is El Chichón ready to erupt?
Authors: Legrand D. , Perton M. , López-Landa V. , Ramos S. , Selvas J. Jon , Alatorre-Ibargüengoitia M. , Campion R. , Peiffer L. , Macías J. L. , Cisneros G. , Valdéz C. , De la Cruz-Reyna S.
Published: July 2024

El Chichón volcano is the most active volcano in the state of Chiapas, México, and experienced its last Plinian eruption (VEI = 5) in 1982. To better assess its volcanic hazard, we studied its readiness to erupt by estimating changes in its internal stress state. These stress changes are difficult to calculate accurately, for example in the absence of focal mechanisms, but their existence can be indirectly revealed by the presence of volcano-tectonic earthquakes, for example following a large tectonic earthquake. We show that the seismic rate recorded at El Chichón volcano increased slightly after the large Mw8.2 Tehuantepec earthquake of 8 September 2017, Chiapas. However, this rate quickly returned to its background level after only 2 months, without any external volcanic manifestations, suggesting that the volcano is not ready to erupt in the near future. Previous observations of slight increases in the volcanic seismicity rate following large earthquakes have been explained by the presence of active hydrothermal systems in the vicinity of the volcano. We propose a similar explanation for El Chichón volcano which is known for its large hydrothermal system. Furthermore, the characteristics of the 2017 seismicity (spatial and magnitude distributions), and the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio also confirm the presence of high amounts of water near the volcano. We show that the 2017 volcano-tectonic seismicity is of hydrothermal rather than magmatic origin, in agreement with recent independent geochemical and aeromagnetic studies.
New quantum color image watermarking technique (NQCIWT)
Authors: Aly Rasha F.
Published: July 2024

The crazy, unconscious use of the Internet, and the increase in cybercrime and hacking, which resulted in the loss of a large number of sensitive data, the risk of piracy, etc. were the motivation for protecting rights, securing and hiding essential information such as images, audio, etc. Watermarking was a popular security, copyright and privacy approach and one of the problems in modern quantum digital computing that produced more powerful quantum protection techniques than the classical one that used classical techniques such as digital wavelet transformation and Hungarian algorithms. Recent advances in quantum image representation and processing help to manipulate data hidden. This paper proposes a new watermark technique in which a color watermark image is hidden within another color-carrying image after transformation into the quantum domain using the recently completed quantum color image representation technique. Finally, a comparison is made between the proposed method and the most recent watermarking techniques is establish in terms of PSNR (peak signal-to-noise ratio), which shows the high precision of the proposed technique and improves the imperceptibility compared to the related schemes.
Praktische Anwendung von Wärme als Tracer zur Abflussmessung in kleinen Oberflächengewässern
Authors: Gossel Wolfgang
Published: July 2024

Thermische Methoden können zur Abflussmessung an kleinen Fließgewässern eingesetzt werden. Hierbei wird Wärme als Impuls oder kontinuierlich eingebracht und als Tracer genutzt. Diese Methode reduziert den Einfluss auf das Gewässer auf ein Minimum. Bei Nutzung einer Wärmebildkamera können Bilder wie auch Videos zur Ermittlung der Fließgeschwindigkeit und der Querdispersion im Gewässer genutzt werden. Durch die Multiplikation der Fließgeschwindigkeit mit dem Gewässerquerschnitt kann der Abfluss berechnet werden. Sowohl der theoretische Hintergrund als auch die praktische Ausführung für Kleingewässer werden im Detail und an einem Beispiel erläutert. Die Hinweise zur Ausrüstung können für eigene Feldversuche interessant sein.
Surgery on admission and following day reduces hip fracture complications: a Japanese DPC study
Authors: Mori Yu , Tarasawa Kunio , Tanaka Hidetatsu , Mori Naoko , Fushimi Kiyohide , Fujimori Kenji , Aizawa Toshimi
Published: July 2024

Introduction

The efficacy of early surgery in preventing complications among Japanese elderly patients with hip fractures requires further investigation. This study aims to use a comprehensive Japanese hip fracture case database to determine whether surgery within the day of admission and the following day reduces the incidence of complications and mortality during hospitalization in elderly hip fracture patients.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively analyzed the Japanese National Administrative DPC (Diagnosis Procedure Combination) database from April 2016 to March 2022. Approximately 1100 DPC-affiliated hospitals consistently provided medical records with consent for research. The study investigated the association between postoperative pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and mortality during hospitalization after propensity score matching, focusing on surgeries conducted on the day of admission and the following day.

Results

After one-to-one propensity score matching for age, gender, and comorbidity, we identified 146,441 pairs of patients who underwent surgery either within the day of admission and the following day or after the third day of admission. Surgery on the third day or later was independently associated with increased risks of pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and mortality during hospitalization with risk ratios of 1.367 (95% CI 1.307–1.426), 1.328 (95% CI 1.169–1.508), 1.338 (95% CI 1.289–1.388), and 1.167 (95% CI 1.103–1.234), respectively.

Conclusion

A comprehensive study of elderly Japanese patients with hip fractures in the DPC database showed that surgery on admission and the following day is crucial for preventing complications like pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and mortality during hospitalization.
Physical, mechanical, and microstructural characteristics of fly ash replaced cement deep mixing columns
Authors: Yenginar Yavuz , Olgun Murat
Published: July 2024

The novel approach of the study is implementing the installation procedure of fly ash (FA) replaced cement deep mixing (DM) columns to field cases aiming at managing FA waste and reducing cement utilization. FA replaced cement DM columns (diameter of 30 cm and length of 80 cm) were installed on clayey soils using a laboratory type DM machine. The effect of installation parameters such as the binder dosage, FA replacement ratio, superplasticizer content, water/binder ratio, and the liquidity index (LI) of the soil on column performance was investigated. The design of experiments and optimization process were conducted using the Taguchi method, S/N and ANOVA analyses, and the desirability function method. Observations have shown that the mixing time required for a homogeneously mixed column depends on the LI of the soil and the volume ratio (VR) of the slurry. A key parameter (LI∙VR) is defined to decide the minimum number of the mixing process. The blade rotation number should be minimum of 252 rev/m to obtain a homogeneous soil-slurry mixture. The highest strength of the column was obtained when LI of fresh soilcrete (LImix) is 1.25∙LI. Optimum installation parameters were determined as binder dosage of 425 kg/m3, FA replacement ratio is 40%, superplasticizer content is 3%, water/binder ratio is 0.8, and LI of the untreated soil is 1. In the optimum design, the mixing efficiency of the soil-slurry mixture increased and the best column performance was obtained. In addition, cement utilization and binder cost decrease 40% and 33%, respectively, in FA-replaced cement DM columns. SEM images prove the increase in column performance due to the cementation products (CSH and CAH gels) formed in the microstructure of the column.
High-intensity versus low-level laser in musculoskeletal disorders
Authors: Saleh Marwa Shafiek , Shahien Mostafa , Mortada Hossam , Elaraby Abdelrahman , Hammad Yara Samir , Hamed Maged , Elshennawy Shorouk
Published: July 2024

Purpose

To evaluate the current evidence comparing low level to high level laser therapy to reveal any superiorities in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.

Methods

Five databases were searched till September 2022 to obtain relevant RCTs comparing high intensity and low-level laser therapies in the management of musculoskeletal disorders. Two authors assessed the methodological quality of the included studies using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale and meta-analysis was conducted for studies that showed homogeneity.

Results

Twelve articles were included in this systematic review with a total population of 704 participants across various musculoskeletal pathologies including tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic non-specific low back pain, knee arthritis, plantar fasciitis, and subacromial impingement. There were no statistical differences between the two interventions in pain, electrophysiological parameters, level of disability, quality of life, postural sway or pressure algometer, however, Low level laser therapy showed superiority in increasing grip strength compared to high intensity laser therapy while results were significant in favour of high intensity laser therapy regarding long head of biceps diameter and cross sectional area, supraspinatus thickness and echogenicity and acromio-humeral distance.

Conclusion

The current literature suggests no superiority of both types of laser therapy in musculoskeletal disorders, however, more RCTs with larger sample size are required to reach a definitive conclusion regarding the superiority of either form of laser therapy in musculoskeletal disorders.
Masking ability of gingiva-colored resin-based composites over different tooth-colored substrates
Authors: Şen Nazmiye , Sancaklı Erkan
Published: July 2024

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of different tooth-colored substrates and restoration thicknesses on the final color of gingiva-colored resin-based composites (GCRBCs). Five different shades of GCRBCs [light pink (LP), dark pink (DP), orange (Or), brown (Br), and purple (P)] were used to prepare disc-shaped specimens with 2 different thicknesses: 1.0 mm, and 2.0 mm. GCRBC discs (n = 5) were placed over 3 different tooth-colored substrates (ND1, ND5, and ND9) and color parameters were assessed using a spectroradiometer. Color differences (∆E*ab and ∆E00) were calculated using CIELab and CIEDE2000 formulas and compared to 50:50% perceptibility (PT: ∆E*ab = 1.7, ΔE00 = 1.1) and acceptability (AT: ∆E*ab = 3.7, ΔE00 = 2.8) visual thresholds. Color variation data were statistically analyzed using two-way ANOVAs followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc tests (a = 05). The ∆E*ab and ΔE00 values of GCRBCs placed over ND9 substrates were significantly higher in the LP-1.0 mm and Or-1.0 mm groups that presented values above AT (p< .001).

Regardless of the substrate color and GCRBC thickness applied, ∆E*ab and ΔE00 values below AT were recorded in the gingival color groups of P. Substrate color significantly affected the color differences in the gingival color groups of LP, DP, and Or with a restoration thickness of 1.0 mm (p < .05). Gingival color, restoration thickness, and substrate color influenced the color differences of GCRBCs. When the gingival color was a lighter gingival color, rather than dark purple, the masking ability was decreased, especially with a restoration thickness of 1.0 mm.
Sociobehavioral Risk Factors and Clinical Implications of Late Presentation Among People Living with HIV in the Brazilian Amazon Region
Authors: Pereira Leonn Mendes Soares , França Eliane dos Santos , Costa Iran Barros , Lima Igor Tenório , Freire Amaury Bentes Cunha , Ramos Francisco Lúzio de Paula , Monteiro Talita Antonia Furtado , Macedo Olinda , Sousa Rita Catarina Medeiros , Freitas Felipe Bonfim , Costa Igor Brasil , Vallinoto Antonio Carlos Rosário
Published: July 2024

This study aimed to analyze the prevalence, sociobehavioral factors and clinical-laboratory consequences of late presentation among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Brazilian Amazon region. In total, 402 HIV + individuals treated at reference units in Belém city (Pará, Brazil) between 2018 and 2019 were evaluated. Late presentation was defined as a first-collection LTCD4+ count below 350 cells/µL. Sociodemographic, behavioral and clinical data were obtained from questionnaires or medical records. Th1, Th2 and Th17 cytokine profiles were evaluated by flow cytometry. Longitudinal data on viral load, T lymphocytes, and antiretroviral therapy administration were obtained from control and logistic databases. Approximately 52.73% of the participants were late presenters and sought medical care 7–12 + months after their primary HIV diagnosis. Sociobehavioral factors associated with late presentation included illicit drug use for more than 5 years, polyamory, no alcohol consumption, homosexuality, and sexual inactiveness after HIV diagnosis. Clinically, late presentation was associated with coinfection rate; polysymptomatology; high IFN-ɣ, IL-6 and IL-10 levels; nonresponse to antiretroviral therapy; and virological failure- and tuberculosis coinfection-motivated changes to therapy. In summary, the prevalence of late presentation in Pará in the Brazilian Amazon region is high. Delays in seeking specialized care after a primary HIV diagnosis cause medium/long-term changes in the life expectancy and health of PLHIV.
An overview of implementing security and privacy in federated learning
Authors: Hu Kai , Gong Sheng , Zhang Qi , Seng Chaowen , Xia Min , Jiang Shanshan
Published: July 2024

Federated learning has received a great deal of research attention recently,with privacy protection becoming a key factor in the development of artificial intelligence. Federated learning is a special kind of distributed learning framework, which allows multiple users to participate in model training while ensuring that their privacy is not compromised; however, this paradigm is still vulnerable to security and privacy threats from various attackers. This paper focuses on the security and privacy threats related to federated learning. First, we analyse the current research and development status of federated learning through use of the CiteSpace literature search tool. Next, we describe the basic concepts and threat models, and then analyse the security and privacy vulnerabilities within current federated learning architectures. Finally, the directions of development in this area are further discussed in the context of current advanced defence solutions, for which we provide a summary and comparison.
XK-III: A Spherical Robot with Redundant Degrees of Freedom
Authors: Lin Rui , Huo Jianwen , Yang Xin , Wang Qiguan , Yang Ruilin , Xu Jinfei
Published: July 2024

The spherical robot XK-III, designed with redundant degrees of freedom, addresses the limitations of existing pendulum spherical robot structures by enhancing mobility and environmental adaptability. A nonlinear dynamic model is developed for XK-III’s new drive structure, along with a nonlinear disturbance observer (NDOB) to mitigate perturbations. Additionally, a Fuzzy PID controller (FPID) is implemented to further enhance XK-III’s environmental adaptability. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the new design, showing that XK-III equipped with FPID and NDOB outperforms traditional control systems in terms of anti-disturbance capabilities. This research provides valuable insights for the use of spherical robots in complex environments.
Compressed sensing: a discrete optimization approach
Authors: Bertsimas Dimitris , Johnson Nicholas A. G.
Published: July 2024

We study the Compressed Sensing (CS) problem, which is the problem of finding the most sparse vector that satisfies a set of linear measurements up to some numerical tolerance. CS is a central problem in Statistics, Operations Research and Machine Learning which arises in applications such as signal processing, data compression, image reconstruction, and multi-label learning. We introduce an $$\ell _2$$

ℓ
2

regularized formulation of CS which we reformulate as a mixed integer second order cone program. We derive a second order cone relaxation of this problem and show that under mild conditions on the regularization parameter, the resulting relaxation is equivalent to the well studied basis pursuit denoising problem. We present a semidefinite relaxation that strengthens the second order cone relaxation and develop a custom branch-and-bound algorithm that leverages our second order cone relaxation to solve small-scale instances of CS to certifiable optimality. When compared against solutions produced by three state of the art benchmark methods on synthetic data, our numerical results show that our approach produces solutions that are on average $$6.22\%$$

6.22
%

more sparse. When compared only against the experiment-wise best performing benchmark method on synthetic data, our approach produces solutions that are on average $$3.10\%$$

3.10
%

more sparse. On real world ECG data, for a given $$\ell _2$$

ℓ
2

reconstruction error our approach produces solutions that are on average $$9.95\%$$

9.95
%

more sparse than benchmark methods ($$3.88\%$$

3.88
%

more sparse if only compared against the best performing benchmark), while for a given sparsity level our approach produces solutions that have on average $$10.77\%$$

10.77
%

lower reconstruction error than benchmark methods ($$1.42\%$$

1.42
%

lower error if only compared against the best performing benchmark). When used as a component of a multi-label classification algorithm, our approach achieves greater classification accuracy than benchmark compressed sensing methods. This improved accuracy comes at the cost of an increase in computation time by several orders of magnitude. Thus, for applications where runtime is not of critical importance, leveraging integer optimization can yield sparser and lower error solutions to CS than existing benchmarks.
On Stage-Wise Backpropagation for Improving Cheng’s Method for Fully Connected Cascade Networks
Authors: Mizutani Eiji , Kubota Naoyuki , Truong Tam Chi
Published: July 2024

In this journal, Cheng has proposed a backpropagation (BP) procedure called BPFCC for deep fully connected cascaded (FCC) neural network learning in comparison with a neuron-by-neuron (NBN) algorithm of Wilamowski and Yu. Both BPFCC and NBN are designed to implement the Levenberg-Marquardt method, which requires an efficient evaluation of the Gauss-Newton (approximate Hessian) matrix $$\nabla \textbf{r}^\textsf{T} \nabla \textbf{r}$$

∇

r
T

∇
r

, the cross product of the Jacobian matrix $$\nabla \textbf{r}$$

∇
r

of the residual vector $$\textbf{r}$$
r
in nonlinear least squares sense. Here, the dominant cost is to form $$\nabla \textbf{r}^\textsf{T} \nabla \textbf{r}$$

∇

r
T

∇
r

by rank updates on each data pattern. Notably, NBN is better than BPFCC for the multiple $$q~\!(>\!1)$$

q

(
>

1
)

-output FCC-learning when q rows (per pattern) of the Jacobian matrix $$\nabla \textbf{r}$$

∇
r

are evaluated; however, the dominant cost (for rank updates) is common to both BPFCC and NBN. The purpose of this paper is to present a new more efficient stage-wise BP procedure (for q-output FCC-learning) that reduces the dominant cost with no rows of $$\nabla \textbf{r}$$

∇
r

explicitly evaluated, just as standard BP evaluates the gradient vector $$\nabla \textbf{r}^\textsf{T} \textbf{r}$$

∇

r
T

r

with no explicit evaluation of any rows of the Jacobian matrix $$\nabla \textbf{r}$$

∇
r

.
Hydrodynamic modelling for simulating nearshore waves and sea levels: classification of extreme events from the English Channel to the Normandy coasts
Authors: López Solano C. , Turki E. I. , Mendoza E. T. , Gutiérrez Barceló A. D. , Migaud A. , Hamdi Y. , Laignel B. , Lafite R.
Published: July 2024

Assessing the vulnerability of coastal systems to storms often rely on an accurate modelling of extreme events and the identification of their impacts that depend on their physical characteristics. This requires the development of an exhaustive numerical downscaling of extreme hydrodynamics from deep to shallow areas to enhance our ability to predict the risks induced by these events, which is of fundamental importance for coastal managers. This work aims at investigating the nearshore dynamics of extreme events and their evolution from the shelf seas of the English Channel to the Normandy Coasts by developing a new numerical field of wave and sea level simulations during a period of 40 years. This dataset has been explored for the classification of extreme events considering their severity, direction, and duration. The overall results highlighted that more than 90% of the storms are coming from the Atlantic Ocean with a substantial change in their amplitude and their duration along the Channel: storms with Northern component are more severe while those coming from the South last longer with higher energy. A detailed monitoring of three different storm events exhibited that their impact depends on their travelling direction, being more significant for hydrodynamic events propagating following the orientation of the Channel, of about 70 degrees to the North, with lower diffraction. Extreme events coming from South Atlantic experience a stronger wave modulation when they arrive nearshore.
Flood Susceptibility Mapping Using Information Fusion Paradigm Integrated with Decision Trees
Authors: Akay Hüseyin
Published: July 2024

Accurate estimation of flood-damaged zones in a watershed is prominent in guiding a framework for developing sustainable strategies. For these purposes, several flood conditioning factor values at flooded and non-flooded points are extracted, and those points are analyzed using decision tree algorithms and eight novel information fusion techniques to get more reliable flood susceptibility mapping. The belief function values of flood susceptibility values at leaf nodes of the tree are fused by several techniques named Dempster-Shafer (DS), Fuzzy Gamma Overlay (FGO), Hesitant Fuzzy Weighted Averaging (HFWA), Hesitant Fuzzy Weighted Geometric (HFWG), Hesitant Fuzzy Weighted Ordered Averaging (HFWOA), HFWOG, Closeness coefficient (Cc) using Euclidean and Manhattan distances. The flood susceptibility values are extracted from the generated maps and are validated by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve parameters, and the seed cell area index (SCAI) of classified flood levels. The area under ROC (AUROC) values of training process are 0.997 for DS, HFWA, HFWOA, and Cc-Euclidean, 0.996 for Cc-Manhattan, 0.995 for FGO and 0.994 for HFWG and HFWOG. The AUROC values of the testing process are 0.951 for DS, HFWA, HFWOA, Cc-Euclidean, and Cc-Manhattan, 0.945 for FGO, 0.943 for HFWG, and 0.941 for HFWOG. True Skill Statistics values are 0.962 and 0.870 for training and testing processes. Although these techniques present excellent performance, the SCAI values versus flood susceptibility classes are fitted to assess the prediction capabilities of the techniques further. HFWA and HFWOG have the first- and second-best performances on the estimations. Hence, information fusion paradigm can be employed to combine flood conditioning factors based on a robust classification method to get reliable predictions of flood potential levels and utilize them for land use and construction planning and management.
Integrating deep learning and regression models for accurate prediction of groundwater fluoride contamination in old city in Bitlis province, Eastern Anatolia Region, Türkiye
Authors: Demir Yetiş Ayşegül , İlhan Nagehan , Kara Hatice
Published: July 2024

Groundwater resources in Bitlis province and its surroundings in Türkiye’s Eastern Anatolia Region are pivotal for drinking water, yet they face a significant threat from fluoride contamination, compounded by the region’s volcanic rock structure. To address this concern, fluoride levels were meticulously measured at 30 points in June 2019 dry period and September 2019 rainy period. Despite the accuracy of present measurement techniques, their time-consuming nature renders them economically unviable. Therefore, this study aims to assess the distribution of probable geogenic contamination of groundwater and develop a robust prediction model by analyzing the relationship between predictive variables and target contaminants. In this pursuit, various machine learning techniques and regression models, including Linear Regression, Random Forest, Decision Tree, K-Neighbors, and XGBoost, as well as deep learning models such as ANN, DNN, CNN, and LSTM, were employed. Elements such as aluminum (Al), boron (B), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (Pb), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) were utilized as features to predict fluoride levels. The SelectKbest feature selection method was used to improve the accuracy of the prediction model. This method identifies important features in the dataset for different values of k and increases model efficiency. The models were able to produce more accurate predictions by selecting the most important variables. The findings highlight the superior performance of the XGBoost regressor and CNN in predicting groundwater quality, with XGBoost consistently outperforming other models, exhibiting the lowest values for evaluation metrics like mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean squared error (RMSE) across different k values. For instance, when considering all features, XGBoost attained an MSE of 0.07, an MAE of 0.22, an RMSE of 0.27, a MAPE of 9.25%, and an NSE of 0.75. Conversely, the Decision Tree regressor consistently displayed inferior performance, with its maximum MSE reaching 0.11 (k = 5) and maximum RMSE of 0.33 (k = 5). Furthermore, feature selection analysis revealed the consistent significance of boron (B) and cadmium (Cd) across all datasets, underscoring their pivotal roles in groundwater contamination. Notably, in the machine learning framework evaluation, the XGBoost regressor excelled in modeling both the “all” and “rainy season” datasets, while the convolutional neural network (CNN) outperformed in the “dry season” dataset. This study emphasizes the potential of XGBoost regressor and CNN for accurate groundwater quality prediction and recommends their utilization, while acknowledging the limitations of the Decision Tree Regressor.
To work or to care? Herausforderungen der Herstellung des Alltags von Mehrkindfamilien
Authors: Simon Romy
Published: July 2024

In Mehrkindfamilien, d. h. Familien mit drei und mehr Kindern, sind die sozialen Beziehungen aufgrund der größeren Zahl der Mitglieder komplexer, so dass die Gestaltung des Familienalltags herausfordernder sein kann. Aus einer Doing Family Perspektive ist Familie keine selbstverständlich vorhandene Ressource, sondern muss tagtäglich durch die Herstellungsleistungen der Mitglieder aktiv erbracht werden. Der Artikel geht der leitenden Frage nach, welche Unterschiede in den Herstellungsleistungen des Alltags von Mehrkindfamilien, die das Ernährer- oder Doppelverdienermodell ausüben, herausgearbeitet werden können. Die empirische Grundlage dieses Beitrags bildet eine qualitative Studie mit zwölf Mehrkindfamilien, in welcher Eltern- und Kinderinterviews sowie teilnehmende Beobachtungen durchgeführt wurden. Es zeigt sich, dass das Arrangement der Erwerbstätigkeit die verfügbaren Zeiten und die Gestaltung des Familienlebens stark beeinflusst. Dabei nimmt die mütterliche Einbindung in die Erwerbsarbeit einen zentralen Einflussfaktor für die geschlechtsspezifische Arbeitsteilung ein. Eine mütterliche Nichteinbindung oder Teilzeiterwerbstätigkeit kann die Organisation der Care-Arbeit entzerren, führt jedoch einerseits zu der primären Hauptverantwortung der Mutter sowie andererseits häufig zu einer angespannteren finanziellen Situation der Familie. Dahingehend zeigen sich bei den Doppelverdienerpaaren knappere Zeitressourcen für die Care-Arbeit bei gleichzeitiger finanzieller Sicherheit, die wiederum dieses Erwerbstätigkeitsarrangement neben dem individuellen Wunsch nach Selbstverwirklichung der Elternteile legitimiert. Insbesondere Mütter, die die Hausfrauenrolle übernehmen oder voll erwerbstätig sind, sehen sich mit den von Außenstehenden an sie herangetragenen Normen und Wertevorstellungen konfrontiert.
Impact and Adhesion Mechanics of Block Copolymers in Cold Spray: Effects of Rubbery Domain Content
Authors: Duran Salih , Kim Ara , Lee Jae-Hwang , Müftü Sinan
Published: July 2024

The impact and adhesion mechanics of two-phase block copolymers during high-velocity impacts are studied experimentally and computationally to understand the effect of the rubbery phase on bonding behavior in cold spray additive manufacturing. Micron-scale (10-20 μm) spherical particles of polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane with varying rubbery phases are impacted on a silicon substrate by using a laser-induced projectile impact test setup with impact velocities in the range of 50-600 m/s. Experiments indicate that the minimum impact velocity for polymer particles adhering to the substrate decreases with increasing rubbery phase content. A strain rate- and temperature-dependent constitutive model and cohesive zone model are calibrated for each material by comparing the deformed and computed deformed particle shapes and coefficient of restitution values of the rebounding particles. Computational results show that increasing the rubbery phase content in block copolymers increases plastic energy dissipation from 89 to 96% and the critical strain energy release rate from 1.87 to 9.3 J/m2 at 140 m/s, and thus contributes to the observed decrease in the minimum impact velocity required for block copolymers to adhere to substrates. The discovered direct relationship between soft phase content and critical strain energy release rate implies that increased soft-rubbery PDMS content in block copolymers enhances adhesion through improved chain mobility, better surface asperities coverage, and enhanced wetting, due to its lower surface energy and greater adiabatic heating.
Decentralized traffic management of autonomous drones
Authors: Balázs Boldizsár , Vicsek Tamás , Somorjai Gergő , Nepusz Tamás , Vásárhelyi Gábor
Published: July 2024

Coordination of local and global aerial traffic has become a legal and technological bottleneck as the number of unmanned vehicles in the common airspace continues to grow. To meet this challenge, automation and decentralization of control is an unavoidable requirement. In this paper, we present a solution that enables self-organization of cooperating autonomous agents into an effective traffic flow state in which the common aerial coordination task—filled with conflicts—is resolved. Using realistic simulations, we show that our algorithm is safe, efficient, and scalable regarding the number of drones and their speed range, while it can also handle heterogeneous agents and even pairwise priorities between them. The algorithm works in any sparse or dense traffic scenario in two dimensions and can be made increasingly efficient by a layered flight space structure in three dimensions. To support the feasibility of our solution, we show stable traffic simulations with up to 5000 agents, and experimentally demonstrate coordinated aerial traffic of 100 autonomous drones within a 250 m wide circular area.
Association between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and risk of urolithiasis: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mantovani Alessandro , Morandin Riccardo , Fiorio Veronica , Lando Maria Giovanna , Petta Salvatore , Ferraro Pietro Manuel , Targher Giovanni
Published: July 2024

Epidemiological studies have reported an association between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and the risk of urolithiasis. However, the magnitude of the risk and whether this risk varies with the severity of MASLD remains uncertain. We performed a meta-analysis of observational studies to quantify the magnitude of the association between MASLD and urolithiasis. We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from database inception to March 31, 2024, using predefined keywords to identify relevant observational studies in which imaging methods or survey questionnaires diagnosed MASLD and urolithiasis. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effects modelling. We identified seven cross-sectional studies and one prospective cohort study with aggregate data on 248,936 adults from different countries. MASLD was significantly associated with an increased risk of prevalent urolithiasis (pooled random-effects odds ratio 1.87, 95% CI 1.34–2.60; I2 = 91%). This association remained significant in those studies whose results were adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, obesity, diabetes, and other potential confounders. There was a positive graded association between the ultrasonographic severity of MASLD and urolithiasis. Meta-analysis of the single prospective cohort study showed that MAFLD was not associated with risk of developing incident urolithiasis (pooled random-effects hazard ratio 1.08, 95% CI 0.90–1.30), although a significant association was reported in men. Sensitivity analyses did not modify these findings. The funnel plot did not reveal any significant publication bias. This updated meta-analysis provides evidence for a significant association between MASLD and the presence of urolithiasis. Whether MASLD is associated with a higher risk of developing incident urolithiasis remains to be established.
Biogenic synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles using transformed mesophilic Escherichia coli BL21 and thermophilic Thermus thermophilus HB27
Authors: Erasmus Mariana , Idris Oladayo Amed , Adetunji Adegoke Isiaka , Cason Errol Duncan
Published: July 2024

Gold nanoparticles have numerous applications, many of which are notable in industries. The biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles offers an easy, effective, green, and eco-friendly approach. In organisms capable of synthesizing nanoparticles, enzymes and proteins are responsible for the structural and functional modifications that lead to their formation. These include ABC transporter, peptide-binding proteins, which are dependent on abiotic parameters. This study uses the purified ABC transporter, peptide-binding protein transformed from Thermus scotoductus SA-01 and expressed in mesophilic Escherichia coli BL21 and thermophilic Thermus thermophilus HB27 hosts for the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles at different concentrations, temperatures, and pH values. Gold nanoparticle formation was evaluated with a range of gold (III) concentrations (0–10 mM), incubated at temperatures ranging from 30–85 ºC and pH levels from 3.6–9.0. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy were used to characterise the formation of nanoparticles. In all of the protein reactions, UV–Vis absorbance peaks at approximately 520–560 nm confirmed the formation of gold nanoparticles. Optimum nanoparticle synthesis was observed at pH values ranging from 5.5 to 9.0, gold (III) solution (HAuCl4) concentrations from 0.5–2.0 mM, and a maximum temperature of 65ºC in the mesophilic host and 85ºC in the thermophilic host, indicating the significance of temperature in both hosts for the expression and bioactivity of the purified ABC transporter protein. However, the biogenic formation of gold nanoparticles using E. coli and T. thermophilus hosts was not monodispersed, suggesting a necessity for further development of the procedure.
Unraveling high-quality mathematics teaching in algebra: insights from overlaying domain-specific and content-specific observation instruments
Authors: Litke Erica , Candela Amber , Boston Melissa , Dietiker Leslie
Published: July 2024

When analyzing instructional quality in mathematics, observational measures can consider domain-specific instructional approaches (e.g., effective teaching of mathematics) and content-focused practices (e.g., effective teaching of a specific mathematical topic). In this study, we analyze lesson videos from secondary algebra classrooms using two different instruments—one focused on ambitious mathematics teaching practices and one focused on instructional features that support students’ learning opportunities in algebra specifically. We consider the information provided by overlaying these instruments to raise implications for instructional improvement efforts, particularly related to how information from the instruments might inform formative feedback to teachers. We consider how alignment between instrument and instructional emphasis can influence the strengths and areas of instructional improvement identified in a given lesson. We further model a collaborative process for looking across observation instruments to deepen understanding of the information provided.
Gastrointestinal Manifestation of MPox
Authors: Trestrail Timothy , Kodia Karishma , Hui Vanessa W.
Published: July 2024

Purpose of Review

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a zoonotic illness caused by a virus that is part of the Orthopoxvirus family. Originally identified in humans in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970, the disease has been endemic in central African nations. In 2022, an outbreak of Monkeypox warranted a declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the virus was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Prior literature documented the dermatological manifestations of the disease, but fewer papers have described and navigated the complexities of mpox gastrointestinal manifestations. We aim to update the current literature on the gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations of mpox, through a review of the literature via PubMed search for English language papers reporting GI manifestations of the virus.

Recent Findings

Individual reports of symptomatic manifestations of mpox have been reported. Upper and lower GI symptoms have been described and, in multiple cases, required multidisciplinary team care to successfully treat the patients.

GI manifestations of mpox disease are reported in a variety of severities and, in some instances, may require multidisciplinary management.