bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Addressing the overuse of hospital emergency departments in the Portuguese NHS: a new paradigm
Authors: Goiana-da-Silva Francisco , Costa Soraia , Malcata Filipa , Sá Juliana , Vasconcelos Rafael , Cabral Miguel , Guedes Raisa , Morais-Vilaça Inês , Pinheiro-Guedes Lara , Ferreira João , Pereira Nélson , Gaspar-Pais José , Neves Judite , Monteiro Joaquim , Pires Vera , Paiva Miguel , Guimarães Rui , Ashrafian Hutan , Moreira Rita , Fonseca Fátima , Cardoso Filomena , Alves Jaime , Darzi Ara , Araújo Fernando
Published: January 2025

The escalating trend of inappropriate visits to Emergency Departments (ED) has led to significant concerns, including resource misallocation, compromised patient care, and an increased burden on healthcare workers. Portugal faces a notable challenge, reporting one of the highest per capita ED visit rates, with an annual average of approximately 6 million ED visits from 2013 to 2023. In response, the “Call First, Save Lives” pilot project was launched by the Portuguese NHS Executive Board, in 2023, at the Local Health Unit (LHU) of Póvoa de Varzim/Vila do Conde. This project leverages the SNS 24 telephone triage system to direct patients to the most appropriate care settings, alleviating pressure on ED, and optimizing healthcare resources. The project introduced several strategic enhancements, including optimizations of the SNS 24 system and inter-institutional initiatives to promote interoperability, hospital follow-ups for chronic conditions, and a “reverse referral” system directing non-urgent ED cases to Primary Care Services (PCS). In PCS, the project expanded acute care consultations and introduced complementary health services. The initiative also emphasized communication to improve health literacy and appropriate utilization of the NHS, supported by legal framework development. Since the beginning of the project, the number of calls received by SNS 24 showed an upward trend, both at the local, 27.6%, and national level, 44.5%, having already expanded to other LHU. Nonetheless, challenges such as the “reverse referral” process complexity, healthcare information systems integration, and procedural standardization need addressing, with future plans including satisfaction surveys and patient triage protocol refinements to improve service delivery and patient adherence.
Comprehensive surgery of complex scalp arteriovenous fistula: a successful trial
Authors: Ma Zhiming , Zou Zhihao , Xie Dajiang , Qian Linlin
Published: January 2025

Background

Traumatic scalp arteriovenous fistula is a rare vascular abnormality. Open surgical removal and embolization have been employed to address this condition.

Methods

In this report, we present a case involving a 41-year-old man who exhibited a progressively enlarging pulsatile mass in his right occipital scalp. Computerized tomography angiography (CTA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) identified a complex scalp arteriovenous fistula (S-AVF). The combination of clinical symptoms and neuroimaging findings facilitated the diagnosis.

Results

Following a thorough discussion, we implemented a comprehensive strategy that included both endovascular embolization and surgical resection. The patient demonstrated an excellent prognosis with no reported discomfort.

Conclusions

A comprehensive surgical approach should be considered in the management of patients with complex scalp arteriovenous fistula.
Mental Health Assessment of the Population: Study Protocol of the MAP Research Program in Ukraine (MAP-U) and in Zurich (MAP-Z)
Authors: Yasenok Viktoriia , Neumann Eileen , Raineri Alessia , Kopp Julia , Rüegger Seraina , Ballouz Tala , Kaufmann Marco , Loboda Andrii , Smiianov Vladyslav , Baumer Andreas M. , Seifritz Erich , Königstein Heiko Fabian , Frei Anja , Von Wyl Viktor , Kriemler Susi , Kostenko Andriana , Puhan Milo A.
Published: January 2025

Objectives

To conduct mental health surveillance in adults in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees (Canton of Zurich, Switzerland) as an actionable scientific foundation for public mental health and mental healthcare.

Methods

Mental Health Assessment of the Population (MAP) is a research program including prospective, population-based, digital cohort studies focused on mental health monitoring. The study aims to include 17,400 people from the general population of Ukraine, 1,220 Ukrainians with refugee status S residing in the canton of Zurich, and 1,740 people from the Zurich general population. The primary endpoints are prevalence and incidence of symptoms of: posttraumatic stress disorder (measured by PCL-5), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and alcohol use disorder (AUDIT). Secondary endpoints include participants’ health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L and EQ-VAS), experiences of somatic distress syndrome (PHQ-15), social isolation, social integration, and mental wellbeing (SWEMWBS).

Results

Baseline assessment starts in March 2024 with follow-ups occurring every 3 months for at least 2 years.

Conclusion

MAP will generate reliable, comparable, and high-quality epidemiological data to inform public mental health and healthcare policies in the Ukrainian population.

ISRCTN Registry

https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN17240415.
Kulturowe źródła antroponimii falenickich Żydów – geneza imion zanotowanych w księdze zgonów Falenickiego Okręgu Bóżniczego z lat 1920-1934
Authors: Kresa Monika
Published: January 2025

The article focuses on the first names of persons of Jewish origin (521 men and 316 women) recorded in the Falenica District Synagogue death registers from 1920 through 1934. The aim of the analysis was to trace the names and their variants, and to answer the question of the cultural sources of these names. The study shows that biblical and Yiddish names predominate in the Jewish community of Falenica municipality, constituted and forming at that time for socioeconomic reasons. The registered names serve as a testimony to the cultural identity of the people identified by them and, above all, as evidence of their lack of acculturation.
Historycznie o czasowniku zdechnąć – zdychać (na marginesie wypowiedzi medialnej J. Bralczyka)
Authors: Piela Agnieszka
Published: January 2025

The public discussion on how to refer to animal death has been going on for quite some time now. However, it has been revived following a media comment made by Jerzy Bralczyk, a renowned linguist. In a television programme, he expressed his preference for traditional linguistic forms that refer to animals, e.g., przygarnąć ‘to take in’ (not adoptować ‘to adopt’), zdechnąć – zdychać ‘to die – of an animal’ (not umrzeć – umierać ‘to die – of a human’). The article aims to draw attention to the historical evolution of the verb in question in the Polish language against philosophical approaches to animals and the contemporary cultural changes in how they are treated.
Neosędziowie i neo-KRS. Znaczenie, funkcja i wartość ekspresywna nowych wyrazów złożonych z cząstką neo-
Authors: Megger Przemysław
Published: January 2025

The article aims to describe the meaning, functions, and expressive value of new compound words with the initial segment neo- occurring in contemporary Polish, e.g., neosędzia, neo-KRS, neoprezes, neozarząd. To this end, a corpus analysis was carried out using data extracted from Monco Frazeo and a contextual analysis of examples from the Internet. A questionnaire was also conducted to investigate the expressive value of the words in question. The analysis shows that the meaning of the particle neo- in combination with some words has expanded. Apart from the semantic component denoting the novelty of what is referred to in the second segment, the neo-element also introduces information that the designate thus named is deemed fallacious, false, or politicised. At the same time, regardless of the context, it expresses the speaker’s negative attitude to what is being referred to.
MSEANet: Multi-Scale Selective Edge Aware Network for Polyp Segmentation
Authors: Liu Botao , Shi Changqi , Zhao Ming
Published: January 2025

The colonoscopy procedure heavily relies on the operator’s expertise, underscoring the importance of automated polyp segmentation techniques in enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of colorectal cancer diagnosis. Nevertheless, achieving precise segmentation remains a significant challenge due to the high visual similarity between polyps and their backgrounds, blurred boundaries, and complex localization. To address these challenges, a Multi-scale Selective Edge-Aware Network has been proposed to facilitate polyp segmentation. The model consists of three key components: (1) an Edge Feature Extractor (EFE) that captures polyp edge features with precision during the initial encoding phase, (2) the Cross-layer Context Fusion (CCF) block designed to extract and integrate multi-scale contextual information from diverse receptive fields, and (3) the Selective Edge Aware (SEA) module that enhances sensitivity to high-frequency edge details during the decoding phase, thereby improving edge preservation and segmentation accuracy. The effectiveness of our model has been rigorously validated on the Kvasir-SEG, Kvasir-Sessile, and BKAI datasets, achieving mean Dice scores of 91.92%, 82.10%, and 92.24%, respectively, on the test sets.
A Lexicon-Based Framework for Mining and Analysis of Arabic Comparative Sentences
Authors: Hamed Alaa , Keshk Arabi , Youssef Anas
Published: January 2025

People tend to share their opinions on social media daily. This text needs to be accurately mined for different purposes like enhancements in services and/or products. Mining and analyzing Arabic text have been a big challenge due to many complications inherited in Arabic language. Although, many research studies have already investigated the Arabic text sentiment analysis problem, this paper investigates the specific research topic that addresses Arabic comparative opinion mining. This research topic is not widely investigated in many research studies. This paper proposes a lexicon-based framework which includes a set of proposed algorithms for the mining and analysis of Arabic comparative sentences. The proposed framework comprises a set of contributions including an Arabic comparative sentence keywords lexicon and a proposed algorithm for the identification of Arabic comparative sentences, followed by a second proposed algorithm for the classification of identified comparative sentences into different types. The framework also comprises a third proposed algorithm that was developed to extract relations between entities in each of the identified comparative sentence types. Finally, two proposed algorithms were developed for the extraction of the preferred entity in each sentence type. The framework was evaluated using three different Arabic language datasets. The evaluation metrics used to obtain the evaluation results include precision, recall, F-score, and accuracy. The average values of the evaluation metrics for the proposed sentences identification algorithm reached 97%. The average evaluation values of the evaluation metrics for the proposed sentence type identification algorithm reached 96%. Finally, the average results showed 97% relation word extraction precision for the proposed relation extraction algorithm.
Vertex-Weighted Consensus-Based Formation Control with Area Constraints and Collision Avoidance
Authors: Hernandez-Venegas Ulises , Hernandez-Barragan Jesus , Gomez Jimenez Irene , Martinez-Soltero Gabriel , Alanis Alma Y.
Published: January 2025

In this paper, a consensus-based formation control strategy is presented, subject to area constraints and collision avoidance. To achieve a desired formation pattern, a control law is proposed that incorporates a vertex-tension function along with signed area constraints. The vertex-tension function provides the capabilities of collision avoidance among agents. Moreover, signed area constraints avoid local minimum stagnation and mitigate ambiguities within the formation shape. Additionally, the proposed approach can be implemented considering a group of differential-drive mobile robots in both centralized and decentralized settings. Simulation and real-world experiments are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, where the experimental setup includes a multi-robot system composed of Turtlebot3® Waffle Pi robots.
Improved Direct–Parallel Active Noise Control Systems for Narrowband Noise
Authors: Chang Cheng-Yuan , Ho Ming-Han , Kuo Sen M.
Published: January 2025

Narrowband active noise control (NANC) systems are extensively used to cancel narrowband noise. Direct, parallel, and direct–parallel NANC systems use nonacoustic sensors to measure rotational speeds, and a bank of signal generators then produces synchronized sinusoidal waveforms as reference signals corresponding to the fundamental frequency of the undesired noise. The performance of direct NANC systems is based on the frequency difference between two adjacent reference input sinusoids. Parallel NANC systems apply several sinewave generators and two-weight adaptive filters in parallel to attenuate these narrowband components. Conventional direct–parallel NANC systems split these sinusoids into several mutually exclusive sets such that the distance between frequencies within sets is maximized. This paper proposes an improved direct–parallel NANC system in which reference sinusoidal signals are separated by amplitude to enhance efficiency and improve noise reduction performance. Several experiments were conducted using a muffler model to verify the performance of the proposed NANC system.
Exploring the Effects of Financial Knowledge on Better Decision-Making in SMEs
Authors: González-Prida Vicente , Pariona-Amaya Diana , Sánchez-Soto Juan Manuel , Barzola-Inga Sonia Luz , Aguado-Riveros Uldarico , Moreno-Menéndez Fabricio Miguel , Villar-Aranda Mark David
Published: January 2025

The knowledge on financial management highly matters as it assists the micro-entrepreneurs in the making of right and sustainable business decisions. This research seeks to examine the effects of financial literacy on microenterprise decision-making in order to improve rational decision-making in financial management. A structured questionnaire with Likert-scaled options was used to measure micro-entrepreneurs’ financial decision-making capacity in terms of information processing and decision-making. They demonstrate a favorable relationship between financial education and rationality, which refers to micro-entrepreneurs’ capacity to select from a range of acceptable options. Based on the findings presented in this research, it is suggested that greater efforts should be paid to the integration of financial literacy within any form of entrepreneurial training targeting improvement in sustainability dimensions and qualities of decisions made by micro-entrepreneurs. Through increased financial knowledge, micro-entrepreneurs can manage financial problems effectively and thereby support the growth of sustainable microenterprises. Moreover, such observations suggest that all future policies must focus on and incorporate financial literacy as the defining strategy towards the improvement of the microenterprise sector and, therefore, economic growth.
OW-YOLO: An Improved YOLOv8s Lightweight Detection Method for Obstructed Walnuts
Authors: Wang Haoyu , Yun Lijun , Yang Chenggui , Wu Mingjie , Wang Yansong , Chen Zaiqing
Published: January 2025

Walnut detection in mountainous and hilly regions often faces significant challenges due to obstructions, which adversely affect model performance. To address this issue, we collected a dataset comprising 2379 walnut images from these regions, with detailed annotations for both obstructed and non-obstructed walnuts. Based on this dataset, we propose OW-YOLO, a lightweight object detection model specifically designed for detecting small, obstructed walnuts. The model’s backbone was restructured with the integration of the DWR-DRB (Dilated Weighted Residual-Dilated Residual Block) module. To enhance efficiency and multi-scale feature fusion, we incorporated the HSFPN (High-Level Screening Feature Pyramid Network) and redesigned the detection head by replacing the original head with the more efficient LADH detection head while removing the head processing 32 × 32 feature maps. These improvements effectively reduced model complexity and significantly enhanced detection accuracy for obstructed walnuts. Experiments were conducted using the PyTorch framework on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GPU. The results demonstrate that OW-YOLO outperforms other models, achieving an mAP@0.5 (mean average precision) of 83.6%, mAP@[0.5:0.95] of 53.7%, and an F1 score of 77.9%. Additionally, the model’s parameter count decreased by 49.2%, weight file size was reduced by 48.1%, and computational load dropped by 37.3%, effectively mitigating the impact of obstruction on detection accuracy. These findings provide robust support for the future development of walnut agriculture and lay a solid foundation for the broader adoption of intelligent agriculture.
A Meta-Analysis on Quantitative Sodium, Potassium and Chloride Metabolism in Horses and Ponies
Authors: Maier Isabelle , Kienzle Ellen
Published: January 2025

The goal of this meta-analysis was to (i) identify any potential differences in the apparent and true digestibility, renal excretion, and retention between ponies and horses and (ii) examine the impact of work on these parameters. Additionally, the study aimed to (iii) evaluate the effects of water deficiency. This meta-analysis used data from 33 studies and plotted them in diagrams similar to the Lucas test against mineral intake. Three studies involved ponies that were later diagnosed with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). These were compared with other data to identify quantitative differences, as they may have clinical significance. If any significant difference was observed, the data were not used for the evaluation of the aforementioned goals. Data were compared within certain intake ranges using t-tests and ANOVA, followed by Holm–Sidak post hoc tests. Working equines showed significantly higher apparent and true Na digestibility and lower endogenous faecal Na losses compared to non-working ponies and horses, suggesting a rather important role of the gastrointestinal tract in the regulation of Na metabolism in equines. The true K digestibility was also significantly higher in working animals than in non-working ones, but the differences were quantitatively smaller than for Na. Retention plus sweat losses for Na, K and Cl were higher in working animals compared to equines in maintenance. Horses showed higher Na and K retention plus sweat losses compared to ponies. These effects are likely attributable to greater sweat losses in working equines, particularly horses. The apparent and true Cl digestibility was significantly higher in ponies than in horses. A clinical relevance of this observation is rather unlikely, as the digestibility remained very high in both. Water deprivation influenced serum Cl levels and increased renal K excretion, which subsequently led to reduced K retention. Compared to other animal species, no effects on blood K levels or Na metabolism were observed. The ponies diagnosed with PPID exhibited a significantly lower apparent K digestibility compared to healthy animals, which could be an important factor to consider when feeding soaked hay, due to potential electrolyte losses during soaking.
Impact of Feeding Frequency on Growth Performance and Antioxidant Capacity of Litopenaeus vannamei in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems
Authors: Liang Qinlang , Liu Gang , Luan Yazhi , Niu Jiangbo , Li Yasong , Chen Huwei , Liu Ying , Zhu Songming
Published: January 2025

Feeding frequency is crucial for the growth and development of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) at various life stages. Although higher feeding frequencies can enhance growth, manual feeding methods significantly increase labor costs. Automatic feeding systems offer a cost-effective and efficient alternative, yet their application in intensive shrimp culture remains under-researched. This study evaluates different feeding frequencies for L. vannamei in intensive aquaculture tanks, focusing on growth performance, survivability, feed utilization, digestive and antioxidant capacities, and economic viability. Juvenile shrimp (3.85 ± 0.3 g) were cultured for 63 days with feeding frequencies of 6, 8, 10, and 12 times/day (A6, A8, A10, and A12 groups, respectively) using automatic feeders, with a control group fed manually 6 times/day (M6). Results indicated that automatic feeding significantly improved final body weight, specific growth rate, and feed conversion ratio compared to manual feeding. Among automatic feeding groups, A6 and A8 showed optimal performance, with a quadratic regression identifying 7.83 times/day as the optimal frequency. While digestive enzyme activity remained consistent across groups, A6 and A8 demonstrated significantly higher antioxidant enzyme levels (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)) and lower lipid peroxidation (MDA), suggesting superior digestive and antioxidant capacities. Pearson’s correlation confirmed a positive relationship between SOD and GPx. Economically, the A8 group achieved the highest profitability. Consequently, a feeding frequency of 6–8 times/day using automatic feeders is recommended as an optimal and feasible strategy for intensive white shrimp culture in this life stage.
Remediating Cambridge: Human and Horse Co-Relationality in a Culture of Mis-Re-Presentation
Authors: Brady Francesca A. , McDonell Jennifer
Published: January 2025

This case study aims to problematise concepts of equine and human co-relational agency in the context of ‘mis-re-presentations’ in the Australian media of harms experienced by the Anglo Arab stallion, Cambridge, following his development of laminitis and his consequent confinement at a leading national Equestrian centre. Autoethnographic narrative is used to retrospectively and selectively narrate the evolving relationship between Cambridge and his owners, farrier, and treating veterinarians within the dominant housing and veterinary practices and welfare paradigms in equestrian culture of 1990’s Australia. Structured author/owner autoethnographic vignettes are framed by newspaper and internet reportage to highlight a productive tension between the public mediation of the case, and what it means to be fully embodied in relationship with an equine companion agent within a particular, racialised, gendered, and biopoliticised location. Adopting a phenomenologically informed intersectional feminist ethics of care perspective, a counternarrative to the gendered, racialised and essentialising rights-based judgements about Cambridge’s illness and eventual death that dominated the popular media is provided. Crucially, the autoethnographic vignettes are chosen to capture the corporeal reciprocity and rapport of forces that produced a co-created agentivity that characterised the horse’s birth, training, and treatment. The embodied interspecies knowledge that informs the training and care of equines (and all animal species) is always historically situated within permeable, dynamic worlds of self and other that are fluid, contextual, and always in relation. It is suggested that the case of Cambridge illustrates how competing stakeholder investments in animal welfare can play out in the public mediation of particular cases in ways that exclude their historical and interspecies situatedness and serve to reinforce dominant ideologies governing human and animal relationships.
Management of Recurrent Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Infections in Adult Patients
Authors: Elgormus Neval , Elgormus Yusuf , Dundar Bagnu , Bozkurt Fatma , Dogu Huseyin , Uzun Hafize
Published: January 2025

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the demographic, clinical, laboratory, and microbiological features of ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) infections through a 13-year retrospective study. VPS bacterial agents and their antibiotic susceptibility were also investigated through the occurrence of single VPS (SVPS) and recurrent VPS (RVPS) infections. Methods: This study included 110 patients with SVPS infections and 55 patients with RVPS infections. Results: In patients who developed multiple infections, Gram-negative organisms were found to be the most predominant (60%, 54/90). The resistance rates were 85.2% for third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs), 83.3% for piperacillin–tazobactam, and 10.4% for carbapenem. Of the patients in the SVPS infection group, 49% were treated with combinations with carbapenem; of the patients in the RVPS infection group, 84.4% were treated in the same way. Central nervous system (CNS) tuberculosis as the etiology of hydrocephalus; short duration of antibiotics used for treatment; high cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein and blood C-reactive protein (CRP) levels; and prolonged use of prophylactic antibiotics were found to be related to an increased rate of recurrent infection occurrence. A two-stage shunt change approach decreased the risk of recurrent infections. Conclusions: Based on the findings of our study, it is essential to closely monitor patients with independent risk factors for RVPS infection development, due to the high rates of resistant Gram-negative bacterial growth and the initiation of empirical antimicrobial treatment with glycopeptide plus carbapenem. Certain treatment options, such as 3GCs plus glycopeptide, should be revised based on clinical progress and microbiological culture results.
Development and Validation of a Capacitor–Current Circuit Model for Evaporation-Induced Electricity
Authors: Zhang Wenluan , Liu Runru Tristan , Huang Yumin
Published: January 2025

Evaporation-induced electricity is a promising approach for sustainable energy generation which is particularly suited for off-grid and Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. Despite significant progress, the mechanism of electricity generation remains debated due to complex factors. In this study, we introduce a simplified capacitor–current circuit model to describe the behavior of evaporation-induced electricity. The primary objective of this work is to provide a framework for understanding the transient and steady-state behavior of this phenomenon. We validated this model using experimental data from wood-based nanogenerators with citric acid modified microchannels. The fitting results revealed a steady-state current of approximately 9.832 μA and an initial peak current of 16.168 μA with a time constant of 621.395 s. These findings were explained by a hybrid model incorporating a capacitor and current source components, and subsequent discharge through internal resistance. This simplified model paves the way for better understanding and optimization of evaporation-induced electricity, highlighting potential improvements in device design for enhanced performance. While improving device performance is beyond the scope of this study, the insights gained from this model offer a foundation for future optimization and the enhanced performance of evaporation-induced electricity generation devices.
Seasonal Variations in Chemical Composition and Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Rosmarinus officinalis L. Essential Oil from Southwestern Romania
Authors: Bejenaru Ludovic Everard , Segneanu Adina-Elena , Bejenaru Cornelia , Biţă Andrei , Tuţulescu Felicia , Radu Antonia , Ciocîlteu Maria Viorica , Mogoşanu George Dan
Published: January 2025

Our study reports for the first time, over a 12-month period, the seasonal variations in chemical composition and antibacterial and antioxidant activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil (RoEO) from Southwestern Romania (Oltenia region). To analyze the constituents of RoEO, a comprehensive gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method was employed. The analysis aimed to identify and quantify the various components by comparing their mass spectra with reference spectra from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Library 2020. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of Staphylococcus aureus minimum were determined using the microdilution method (96-well plates). The antioxidant activity was analyzed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) radical scavenging assays. This analysis provided a detailed profile of RoEO’s constituents, revealing significant monthly variations. Key compounds, such as camphor, eucalyptol, α-pinene, camphene, and α-myrcene, were quantified, alongside lesser-studied constituents like β-pinene, α-terpinene, linalool, terpinolene, and carvacrol. Comparisons were made with a reference sample from Tunisia. Oxygenated monoterpenes reach the highest concentration (56.82–66.94%), followed by monoterpene hydrocarbons (30.06–40.28%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (0.90–2.44%), and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (0.02–0.23%). Camphor was found in high concentrations ranging from 29.41% to 40.03%. 1,8-Cineole was another dominant compound, ranging from 13.07% to 16.16%, significantly lower compared to the Tunisian reference (52.77%). α-Pinene ranged from 11.36% to 19.33%, while α-myrcene ranged from 1.65% to 3.08%. Correlations between specific compounds and their bioactivity were explored to understand their contributions to the overall efficacy of RoEO. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the potential applications and seasonal variability of RoEO from Romania.
Maternal–Foetal Effects of Exposure to Bisphenol A: Outcomes and Long-Term Consequences
Authors: Costa Henrique Eloi , Medeiros Ines , Mariana Melissa , Cairrao Elisa
Published: January 2025

Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), one of the most widely produced plasticisers, can have a major effect on the growing embryo and the mother during pregnancy; as this is the most vulnerable period, the cutoff established in the legislation does not take this factor into account. Thus, this narrative review aims to highlight the consequences for the foetus and the pregnant woman of maternal and foetal exposure to BPA by analysing epidemiological and experimental studies on humans. Extensive research has examined the effects of BPA on several systems outcomes. Specifically, BPA exposure affects the immune system of the offspring and promotes the development of respiratory diseases, including asthma and wheezing. Moreover, BPA has been negatively associated with children’s neurodevelopment, leading to behavioural changes; autism; and reproductive changes, mainly deviations in anogenital distance, sexual hormone levels and sexual maturation, which can result in infertility. Furthermore, in mothers, BPA exposure may be linked to pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus and affects birth parameters, leading to a higher risk of preterm delivery, shorter birth lengths and lower birth weights, although the results were not always consistent. These results demonstrate the urgent need for stricter legislation banning the use of BPA during pregnancy to reduce the hazards to the health and development of the foetus and the unborn child.
High-Quality Text-to-Image Generation Using High-Detail Feature-Preserving Network
Authors: Hsu Wei-Yen , Lin Jing-Wen
Published: January 2025

Multistage text-to-image generation algorithms have shown remarkable success. However, the images produced often lack detail and suffer from feature loss. This is because these methods mainly focus on extracting features from images and text, using only conventional residual blocks for post-extraction feature processing. This results in the loss of features, greatly reducing the quality of the generated images and necessitating more resources for feature calculation, which will severely limit the use and application of optical devices such as cameras and smartphones. To address these issues, the novel High-Detail Feature-Preserving Network (HDFpNet) is proposed to effectively generate high-quality, near-realistic images from text descriptions. The initial text-to-image generation (iT2IG) module is used to generate initial feature maps to avoid feature loss. Next, the fast excitation-and-squeeze feature extraction (FESFE) module is proposed to recursively generate high-detail and feature-preserving images with lower computational costs through three steps: channel excitation (CE), fast feature extraction (FFE), and channel squeeze (CS). Finally, the channel attention (CA) mechanism further enriches the feature details. Compared with the state of the art, experimental results obtained on the CUB-Bird and MS-COCO datasets demonstrate that the proposed HDFpNet achieves better performance and visual presentation, especially regarding high-detail images and feature preservation.
Deep Learning and Automatic Detection of Pleomorphic Esophageal Lesions—A Necessary Step for Minimally Invasive Panendoscopy
Authors: Martins Miguel , Mascarenhas Miguel , Almeida Maria João , Afonso João , Ribeiro Tiago , Cardoso Pedro , Mendes Francisco , Mota Joana , Andrade Patrícia , Cardoso Hélder , Mascarenhas-Saraiva Miguel , Ferreira João , Macedo Guilherme
Published: January 2025

Background: Capsule endoscopy (CE) improved the digestive tract assessment; yet, its reading burden is substantial. Deep-learning (DL) algorithms were developed for the detection of enteric and gastric lesions. Nonetheless, their application in the esophagus lacks evidence. The study aim was to develop a DL model for esophageal pleomorphic lesion (PL) detection. Methods: A bicentric retrospective study was conducted using 598 CE exams. Three different CE devices provided 7982 esophageal frames, including 2942 PL lesions. The data were divided into the training/validation and test groups, in a patient-split design. Three runs were conducted, each with unique patient sets. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV), area under the conventional receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC), and precision–recall curve (AUC-PR) were calculated per run. The model’s diagnostic performance was assessed using the median and range values. Results: The median sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 75.8% (63.6–82.1%), 95.8% (93.7–97.9%), 71.9% (50.0–90.1%), and 96.4% (94.2–97.6%), respectively. The median accuracy was 93.5% (91.8–93.8%). The median AUC-ROC and AUC-PR were 0.82 and 0.93. Conclusions: This study focused on the automatic detection of pleomorphic esophageal lesions, potentially enhancing the diagnostic yield of this type of lesion, compared to conventional methods. Specific esophageal DL algorithms may provide a significant contribution and bridge the gap for the implementation of minimally invasive CE-enhanced panendoscopy.
Less Is More in Digital Games Too: A Comparative Analysis of Visual Elements of Physical and Digital Versions for Two Tabletop Games
Authors: Čerepinko Darijo , Štefanović Robert , Hajdek Krunoslav , Miljković Petar
Published: January 2025

The changing habits of consuming entertainment via digital channels have been well researched in contemporary academic papers, as has the migration of different forms and formats into digital environments. Often these migrations are based on familiarity for facilitating the smooth transition into the new format, with additions specific to the digital channel (e.g., animations, sound effects, 3D perspectives, etc.) that are supposed to enhance user experience. In this paper, we present a comparative study of visual elements used in physical and digital versions of two tabletop games (Monopoly and UNO). Results from a sample of 100 players of both versions show higher overall satisfaction when engaging with the physical version of the games and significantly lower satisfaction with various visual elements in digital versions, such as overall visual perception, colors, and visual appearance of some key elements of the games. On closer inspection, the results show that the tendency to overload user interfaces with an abundance of interactive and visually enhanced features may reduce game enjoyment and overall satisfaction with the game, presumably due to factors such as information overload and cognitive distraction. In conclusion, it seems that the rule “less is more” could also be applied to the digital transition explained in this article.
Stability and Bioaccessibility of β-Arbutin in Simulated Digestion Conditions
Authors: Sęczyk Łukasz , Sugier Danuta , Sugier Piotr
Published: January 2025

In this study, the effects of physicochemical and biochemical digestion conditions on β-arbutin stability and bioaccessibility were investigated. β-Arbutin, at doses that correspond to its natural occurrence in plant materials (i.e., 1–100 mg), was subjected to gastric and intestinal electrolyte treatments (application of physicochemical factors) or the whole digestion process (application of physicochemical and biochemical factors). Its content in in vitro bioaccessible fractions was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and percentage bioaccessibility was calculated. The study shows very high stability and bioaccessibility of β-arbutin in a wide range of applied concentrations. Especially at doses ≥7.5 mg, bioaccessibility was close to 100% regardless of the stage of digestion and the type of treatment (electrolyte treatment or the whole digestion process). The assessment of phytochemicals in terms of their stability and interactions with the digestion environment can help in the future evaluation of their applicability for therapeutic purposes. The high bioaccessibility of β-arbutin within its multifunctional biological activity makes it a promising substance for phytomedicinal applications.
A Hysteresis Model Incorporating Varying Pinching Stiffness and Spread for Enhanced Structural Damage Simulation
Authors: Rabiepour Mohammad , Zhou Cong , Chase James Geoffrey
Published: January 2025

The widely used Bouc–Wen–Baber–Noori (BWBN) hysteresis model, although effective in simulating hysteresis behaviors, does not account for variations in the pinching region of hysteretic behaviors. This can negatively impact the accuracy of the BWBN model in simulating structural responses and damage mechanisms in structures such as reinforced concrete (RC) and timber, which exhibit highly pinched hysteresis behavior when damaged by earthquakes. This paper introduces a BWBN model with varying pinching region characteristics (BWBN-VP model) which can degrade pinching stiffness and increase pinching effects under seismic loads. Unlike the original BWBN model using constant pinching stiffness (kp), this modified new model, inspired by real-world structural damage, improves structural damage detection, identifiability, and analysis in real-world scenarios. Model validation uses experimental data from three RC column tests with different failure modes and hysteresis loop shapes, resulting in an ~0.98 correlation coefficient between the experimental and simulated responses. Further validation uses real-world seismic data from a six-story RC building and achieves an average correlation of ~0.97 with a minor 2.5% difference in the peak restoring forces compared to direct measurements. The proposed BWBN-VP model also accurately and realistically captures damage to both the elastic and pinching stiffness values of the building, with an average difference of ~4%. Results confirm that the BWBN-VP model, compared to the original, more accurately predicts hysteretic responses, especially in Shear Failure (SF) modes. Therefore, the BWBN-VP model, superior in simulating highly pinched behaviors in RC and timber structures, would be an advanced tool for resilient seismic design and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM).
Visual Reliance in Severe Hearing Loss: Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs) Study
Authors: Gabr Takwa , Hashem Ahmed , Ahmed Sherihan Rezk , Zeinhom Mohamed G.
Published: January 2025

Peripheral hearing loss is associated with the cross-modal re-organization of the auditory cortex, which can occur in both pre- and post-lingual deaf cases. Background/Objectives: Whether to rely on the visual cues in cases with severe hearing loss with adequate amplification is a matter of debate. So, this study aims to study visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in children with severe or profound HL, whether fitted with HAs or CIs. Methods: This study included three groups of children matched in age and gender: normal hearing, children with hearing thresholds >70 dBHL and fitted with power HAs, and children fitted with CIs. All cases were subjected to pure tone audiometry (aided and unaided), speech discrimination scores, ophthalmic examinations, and visual evoked potentials (VEPs). Results: SD% scores significantly improved with the use of VCs in both CI and HL groups, and a significantly higher P100 amplitude of VEPs in both CI and HL groups (more in children fitted with CIs). Conclusions: Cross-modal reorganization in severe degrees of HL is of great benefit whether they are fitted with HAs or CIs.
FundusNet: A Deep-Learning Approach for Fast Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative and Eye Diseases Using Fundus Images
Authors: Hu Wenxing , Li Kejie , Gagnon Jake , Wang Ye , Raney Talia , Chen Jeron , Chen Yirui , Okunuki Yoko , Chen Will , Zhang Baohong
Published: January 2025

Early-stage detection of neurodegenerative diseases is crucial for effective clinical treatment. However, current diagnostic methods are expensive and time-consuming. In this study, we present FundusNet, a deep-learning model trained on fundus images, for rapid and cost-effective diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. FundusNet achieved superior performance in age prediction (MAE 2.55 year), gender classification (AUC 0.98), and neurodegenerative disease diagnosis—Parkinson’s disease AUC 0.75 ± 0.03, multiple sclerosis AUC 0.77 ± 0.02. Grad-CAM was used to identify which part of the image contributes to diagnosis. Imaging biomarker interpretation demonstrated that FundusNet effectively identifies clinical retina structures associated with diseases. Additionally, the model’s high accuracy in predicting genetic risk suggests that its performance could be further enhanced with larger training datasets.
A Pilot Study on the Age-Dependent, Biomechanical Properties of Longitudinal Ligaments in the Human Cervical Spine
Authors: Singh Narendra , Trajkovski Ana , Trajkovski Jovan , Kunc Robert , Matas Jose Felix Rodriguez
Published: January 2025

The cervical spine ligaments, including the anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL) and posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL), play a key role in maintaining spinal stability by limiting excessive movements. This study investigates how ageing affects the mechanical properties of these ligaments. We analysed 33 samples from 12 human cervical spines (15 ALL, 18 PLL), averaging data from the same donors for independent analysis, resulting in 18 final samples (8 ALL, 10 PLL). To explore age-related changes, we classified the samples into two groups—below and above 50 years old—aligning with the peak incidence of major musculoskeletal disorders. The investigation concentrated on the effects of age on four mechanical parameters of the uniaxial stress–stretch curve: initial tangent stiffness (E0), maximum tangent stiffness (Em), ultimate stress (Pu) and ultimate stretch (λu). When the age effect is neglected, then the behaviours of both the ALL and PLL appeared similar. However, when introducing age as a variable into the context of the ALL and PLL, statistically significant differences became evident. The findings underscored a reduction in maximum tangent stiffness (p-value = 0.0147), ultimate stress (p-value = 0.0009), and ultimate stretch (p-value = 0.0024) when the ALL and PLL were grouped under and above 50 years as a consequence of ageing.
HDC1 Promotes Primary Root Elongation by Regulating Auxin and K+ Homeostasis in Response to Low-K+ Stress
Authors: Kuang Xiaofang , Chen Hao , Xiang Jing , Zeng Juan , Liu Qing , Su Yi , Huang Chao , Wang Ruozhong , Lin Wanhuang , Huang Zhigang
Published: January 2025

Plants frequently encounter relatively low and fluctuating potassium (K+) concentrations in soil, with roots serving as primary responders to this stress. Histone modifications, such as de-/acetylation, can function as epigenetic markers of stress-inducible genes. However, the signaling network between histone modifications and low-K+ (LK) response pathways remains unclear. This study investigated the regulatory role of Histone Deacetylase Complex 1 (HDC1) in primary root growth of Arabidopsis thaliana under K+ deficiency stress. Using a hdc1-2 mutant line, we observed that HDC1 positively regulated root growth under LK conditions. Compared to wild-type (WT) plants, the hdc1-2 mutant exhibited significantly inhibited primary root growth under LK conditions, whereas HDC1-overexpression lines displayed opposite phenotypes. No significant differences were observed under HK conditions. Further analysis revealed that the inhibition of hdc1-2 on root growth was due to reduced apical meristem cell proliferation rather than cell elongation. Notably, the root growth of hdc1-2 showed reduced sensitivity compared to WT after auxin treatment under LK conditions. HDC1 may regulate root growth by affecting auxin polar transport and subsequent auxin signaling, as evidenced by the altered expression of auxin transport genes. Moreover, the organ-specific RT-qPCR analyses unraveled that HDC1 negatively regulates the expression of CBL-CIPK-K+ channel-related genes such as CBL1, CBL2, CBL3, AKT1, and TPK1, thereby establishing a molecular link between histone deacetylation, auxin signaling, and CBLs-CIPKs pathway in response to K+ deficiency.
The Combination Effect of Purpureocillium lilacinum Strain (AUMC 10620) and Avermectin (B1a and B1b) on Control Citrus Nematode Tylenchulus semipenetrans (Cobb) Under Laboratory and Field Conditions
Authors: El-Marzoky Amr M. , Ali Mohamed A. M. S. , Elnahal Ahmed S. M. , Abuljadayel Dalia A. , Alkherb Wafa A. H. , Moustafa Mahmoud , Alshaharni Mohammed O. , Abd El-Aal Elsayed M.
Published: January 2025

This study investigates the nematicidal efficacy of Purpureocillium lilacinum strain (AUMC 10620) combined with avermectin (B1a and B1b) against the citrus nematode Tylenchulus semipenetrans, both in vitro and in vivo. Laboratory experiments tested four concentrations of P. lilacinum (2.5, 5, 10, and 15 × 107 spores/mL) mixed with 250 ppm avermectin, assessing their effects on nematode juveniles (J2) and eggs. Results showed significant increases in juvenile mortality and egg hatching inhibition with the combined treatments compared to individual applications. The highest concentration (15 × 107 spores/mL + 250 ppm avermectin) achieved 100% juvenile mortality and 83.33% egg hatching inhibition after 72 h. Field trials confirmed the superior efficacy of the combined treatment, with P. lilacinum (15 × 107 spores/mL) and avermectin (1000 ppm) reducing nematode populations by 70.85% in mandarin trees and 70.77% in sweet orange trees after three weeks, compared to the 83.59% and 81.76% reduction, respectively, achieved by oxamyl. These findings suggest that mixtures of P. lilacinum and avermectin can serve as effective, eco-friendly alternatives for controlling nematodes in citrus orchards.