bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FCGR3A polymorphism : It is helpful for the management of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Zhong Xushu , Xu Juan , Yang Yunfan , Liu Qinyu , Tang Wenjiao , Wang Jie , Zhang Chunlan , Lv Shuli , Long Yanhong , Xu Caigang
Published: September 2024

Fc receptors (FcRs) polymorphisms may affect the affinity of rituximab for antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) effector cells. The C1qA polymorphism may influence C1q levels, but their significance in treatment response and survival is unknown. This study evaluated the role of FCGR3A, C1qA, and HLA-G polymorphisms in the outcomes of patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with rituximab and chemotherapy. Genomic DNA was isolated from the peripheral blood in 314 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL. The association of polymorphisms in FCGR3A, C1qA, and HLA-G genes with overall response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. The ORR for FCGR3A genotypes VV, FV, and FF were 90.3, 82.7, and 84.7%, respectively, there was no statistical difference (P > 0.05). A significant difference was observed in the 5-year OS rate between the FF (51.8%), FV (66.9%), and VV (74.2%) genotypes (P = 0.009). The 5-year OS rate for patient with FF genotypes treated for ≤ six cycles was significantly lower than those treated for > six cycles (46 vs. 65.1%, P = 0.018). No statistically significant relationship was found between the C1qA gene polymorphism and patients' outcomes (P > 0.05). The HLA-G gene polymorphism was rarely detected in this study. FCGR3A gene polymorphism was associated with the survival of DLBCL patients and acted as an independent prognostic factor. Prolonged treatment has been anticipated to improve patients’ survival among rituximab-insensitive FF genotype patients. In contrast, more than six cycles of treatment did not result in additional survival benefits for patients with rituximab-sensitive VV and FV genotype.
Enhancing Performance of BLDC: An Improved Fast Terminal Slide Mode Control for BLDC Motor Speed Control
Authors: Neda Omar Muhammed
Published: September 2024

Due to their several merits over brushed DC motors, comprising their superior dynamic characteristics, higher efficiency, a slightly lower noise level, and their utilize of an electronic commutation unit rather than a mechanical one, a brushless direct current (BLDC) motors are in high demand in a wide range of applications. To optimize efficacy and performance, the optimal control method for a BLDC motor operating at different speeds or loads needs to be planned. The objective of this study is for improving the speed control method for BLDC motors operating at various loads or reference speeds. This work suggests an improved method to control the speed of BLDC motors by using the improved fast terminal slide mode control (IFTSMC) technique. With the help of simulation, the suggested strategy's efficiency is evaluated utilizing MATLAB/Simulink software. A comparison is made between the proposed methodology, the proportional integral derivative (PID), and the sliding mode control (SMC) approaches for demonstrating the superiority and robustness of the control method that is offered. In comparison to other methods, the suggested control approach has a lower overshoot value of 0.008%, while 13.1368% for the PID, and 1.3% under the SMC method. Finally, the proposed IFTSMC shows less steady state error (SSE) in the speed responses under all case studies where the SSE of IFTSMC is 0.116745 RPM and this value is better to that of the PID (3.609496 RPM) and SMC (5.316406 RPM).
Agroforestry in buffer zones as a strategy for biodiversity conservation and resource management: A case study from Bouba Ndjidda National Park, Cameroon
Authors: Boukeng Elvire José Djiongo , Atangana Alain R. , Avana Marie Louise Tiencheu , Zapfack Louis , Desrochers André , Dzo Imelda Gaëlle Maaku , Banoho Louis-Paul-Roger Kabelong , Khasa Damase
Published: September 2024

Protected areas in the Sudano-Sahelian zone face increasing threats from human activities. Implementing agroforestry systems (AFS) in buffer zones is recommended to mitigate these threats. We characterized AFS around Bouba Ndjidda National Park (BNNP), Cameroon, using ethnobotanical surveys and tree inventories in 50 m x 50 m quadrats. The study focused on AFS diversity, structure, woody plant diversity, and the uses of agroforestry trees and products by local communities to assess their contribution to conserving tree resources and proposing actions to reducing encroachment on the park's resources. Identified AFS included agroforestry parklands (98%), homegardens (83%), fallows (72%), and live fences (6%). Woody plant richness comprised 50 species from 42 genera and 23 families, with Fabaceae being the most dominant. Acacia polyacantha had the highest Importance Value Index at 88.65. Species richness was higher in fallows and agroforestry parklands. Live fences had the highest Shannon index and the lowest Simpson and Pielou's evenness indices. Tree density was higher in live fences (P < 0.05) than in other AFS. Farmers used woody plant species primarily for fuelwood (66.49%) and food (63.69%). Vitellaria paradoxa recorded the highest Use Value at 4.36, while Anacardium occidentale had the highest Cultural Importance Index at 1.00. Two endangered species, Khaya senegalensis and Vitellaria paradoxa, were found in the AFS. Enriching agroforestry systems with species that produce firewood and food while promoting the protection and cultivation of endangered species is crucial for biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods.
Third generation cryotherapy reduces time to surgery and local complications in patients with ankle fractures: a prospective randomized controlled trial.
Authors: Via Alessio Giai , Pipino Gennaro , Anzano Francesco , Alonzo Raffaella , D'Arrigo Carmelo , De Santis Stefania , Spoliti Marco , Fidone Giovanna , Lanzetti Riccardo Maria
Published: September 2024

Ankle fractures are common injuries and cryotherapy is routinely used to reduce pain, swelling and local skin complications, both before and after surgery. However, the results on ankle surgery are contradictory. The aim of this study is to report the results with the use of third generation cryotherapy (Z- One®, Zamar, Italy) in the preoperative treatment of ankle fractures. We investigated the time to surgery, pain, opioids intake, and local skin complications. Methods 169 patients with ankle fracture were randomized in two groups, the cryotherapy group (89 patients) and the control group (C: 80 patients). The time-to- surgery, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the analgesic drug demand (including morphine or acetaminophen) were recorded. The development of skin complications was assessed on a daily basis. BMI and number of cigarettes smoked were also recorded. Results The mean time-to-surgery was shorter in patients treated with cryotherapy compared to the control group (34,78 hrs. vs. 91.44 hrs., p < 0.001). A significant difference between treatments and controls was also found for VAS, morphine intake (number of vails), and skin complications. The mean preoperatory VAS and morphine assumption were lower in the treatment group compared to controls (mean VAS 2.04 vs. 5.9, mean morphine assumption 0.01 vs. 0.83). 4.5% of patients in the cryotherapy group developed a skin complication compared to 28.7% of the control group, and the 85% of skin injuris occured in the non-cryotherapy group (p < 0.001). Conclusion Third generation cryotherapy is effective in reducing time-to-surgery, pre-operative pain and opioids intake in patients hospitalized for ankle fracture. It is also effective in reducing the occurrence of skin complications. No mayor complication related to the use of the device have been reported. Third generation cryotherapy may be useful in perioperative treatment of patients hospitalized for ankle fracture. Level of evidence: I (RCT) International Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT06396364
Burnout Prevalence Among Health Care Providers at King Fahd Hospital of The University and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University Family Medicine Center- Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alfayez Murtada , Holdar Mohammad
Published: September 2024

Background
HCPs are often subject to elevated discomfort in their daily jobs and are more likely to suffer from behavioral illness. As a result of burnout, healthcare workers can experience symptoms such as mood disorders, and a sense of weakness.
Despite its critical significance, little is known about HCPs burnout in Saudi Arabia.
Aim
To determine the prevalence of burnout and potential risk factors among healthcare providers at King Fahd Hospital of The University and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University Family Medicine Center in KSA with consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Setting
The MBI used as contains 22 questionnaire items designed to be administered to HCPs (physicians, residents, interns, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, radiologists, laboratory technicians, and physiotherapists)
Methodology
We specifically targeted high load areas which currently responsible for caring for higher flow of patients and involved more in caring of COVID-19 patients, Emergency Medicine department. Primary care department, critical care units, and internal medicine department as well as a surgical department. This study was conducted in 2021-2023 as drawn randomly over 3 phases.
Results and Conclusion
We conclude that HCWs who care for inpatients have a higher depersonalization than those who care for outpatients. Interestingly, mixed work type i.e., caring for outpatients & inpatients did not have an impact on burnout level. Although, clinicians who cared for more clinic patients were found to have a higher level of Personal Accomplishment indicating a positive number of clinic patients cared for and personal accomplishment.
Loneliness and long-term health-related quality of life: A latent class analysis among middle-aged and older Australian women
Authors: Ding Ding , Hagani Neta , Owen Katherine , Clare Philip , Merom Dafna , Smith Ben
Published: September 2024

Background
Loneliness has been long associated with poor health outcomes including health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, few studies used longitudinal data and none to our knowledge considered the dynamic nature of loneliness over time.
Objective
To identify longitudinal patterns of loneliness over 18 years and its association with physical and mental HRQoL of middle-aged and older women.
Methods
Data were from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health. Latent Class Analysis was conducted to identify long-term loneliness patterns. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the prospective associations between baseline predictors of loneliness and loneliness trajectories. Linear regression was used to examine the association between loneliness trajectories and HRQoL.
Results
Baseline predictors such as current smoking, depression, anxiety, stress and low social engagement were associated with higher odds of increasing, stable medium and stable high loneliness. Compared to stable low loneliness, increasing [B = -3.73 (95%CI = -5.42, -2.04)], medium [B = -3.12 (95%CI = -5.08, -1.15)] and high loneliness [B = -5.67 (95%CI = -6.84, -4.49)] were associated with lower mental HRQoL. The increasing loneliness class was also associated with lower physical HRQoL [B = -1.06 (95%CI = -2.11, -0.02)]. Out of all HRQoL sub-scales, emotional role, social functioning and physical role were the most strongly associated with loneliness.
Conclusions
Long-term loneliness patterns are consistently associated with prospective physical and mental HRQoL. This finding highlights the importance of addressing loneliness among women to promote their health and well-being.
Psychometric Properties of an Arabic Translation of the shortest version of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ-9) in adults
Authors: Hemade Ali , Fekih-Romdhane Feten , Obeid Sahar , Hallit Souheil
Published: September 2024

Background
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a chronic and debilitating mental health condition characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors. The Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-9 is a concise tool designed to assess the dysfunctional beliefs central to OCD. This study aimed to translate, adapt, and validate the OBQ-9 for use in Arabic-speaking populations.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 392 Lebanese adults. Participants completed the Arabic OBQ-9, the Eating Attitudes Test-7, and the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-12 through online self-administered questionnaires. The OBQ-9 was translated using a forward-backward method and validated through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency reliability, gender invariance testing, and concurrent validity assessment.
Results
The CFA supported a three-factor structure of the Arabic OBQ-9, with fit indices improving significantly after minor modifications (χ2/df = 4.23, RMSEA = .091, SRMR = .060, CFI = .941, TLI = .908). The OBQ-9 demonstrated good internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha values for the total score and subscales ranging from .70 to .84. Gender invariance was confirmed, with no significant differences between male and female scores (p = .446). Concurrent validity was supported by significant correlations between OBQ-9 scores and both EAT-7 (r = .21, p < .001) and OCI-12 (r = .41, p < .001) scores.
Conclusion
The Arabic OBQ-9 is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing obsessive beliefs in Arabic-speaking populations. It can enhance the accuracy of OCD diagnosis and treatment in clinical and research settings. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies and broader demographic samples to further validate the OBQ-9 and explore its applicability in other cultural contexts.
Widespread 3'UTR capped RNAs derive from G-rich regions in proximity to AGO2 binding sites
Authors: Haberman Nejc , Digby Holly , Faraway Rupert , Cheung Rebecca , Chakrabarti Anob M. , Jobbins Andrew M , Parr Callum , Yasuzawa Kayoko , Kasukawa Takeya , Yip Chi Wai , Kato Masaki , Takahashi Hazuki , Carninci Piero , Vernia Santiago , Ule Jernej , Sibley Christopher R , Martinez-Sanchez Aida , Lenhard Boris
Published: September 2024

The 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) plays a crucial role in determining mRNA stability, localisation, translation and degradation. Cap analysis of gene expression (CAGE), a method for the detection of capped 5’ ends of mRNAs, additionally reveals a large number of apparently 5’ capped RNAs derived from locations within the body of the transcript, including 3’UTRs. Here we provide direct evidence that these 3’UTR-derived RNAs are indeed capped and widespread in mammalian cells. By using a combination of AGO2 enhanced individual nucleotide resolution UV crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (eiCLIP) and CAGE following siRNA treatment, we find that these 3’UTR-derived RNAs likely originate from AGO2-binding sites, and most often occur at locations with G-rich motifs bound by the RNA-binding protein UPF1. High-resolution imaging and long-read sequencing analysis validate several 3’UTR-derived RNAs, showcase their variable abundance and show that they may not co-localise with the parental mRNAs. Taken together, we provide new insights into the origin and prevalence of 3’UTR-derived RNAs, show the utility of CAGE-seq for their genome-wide detection, and provide a rich dataset for exploring new biology of a poorly understood new class of RNAs.
Research on the Timing for Subsequent Water Flooding in Alkali-Surfactant- Polymer Flooding in Daqing Oilfield Based on Automated Machine Learning
Authors: Jiang Wenchao , Hou Zhaowei , Yao Shichun , Wu Xiaolin , Gai Jian , Nie Chunlin , Su Xu , Lu Shouliang , Wang Yunchao , Huang Bin , Dong Chi , Liu Di , Jiang Jiang , Yu Xiaodan , Wang Yane , Zhang Jifeng , Zhao Changjiu , Yang Erlong , He Xiaoru , Qi Guangming , Li Jingya
Published: September 2024

Whether the timing of subsequent water flooding in ASP flooding is reasonable or not directly determines the technical and economic benefit of the block. In order to carry out the research on the reasonable timing for subsequent water flooding, 8 evaluation parameters affecting the technical and economic benefits of ASP flooding blocks were selected, and the selection range of each evaluation parameter was determined according to the completed blocks and actual data. The optimized timing for subsequent water flooding was obtained based on the change of the cumulative net profit in the whole process of ASP flooding. On this basis, using machine learning technology, an optimization design model of reasonable timing for subsequent water flooding was established. The work efficiency was greatly improved, while the timeliness and reliability were guaranteed. The model was used to calculate the optimized timing for the subsequent water flooding of 6 blocks which were in the chemical flooding slug in Daqing oilfield. The injection scheme such as extending slug was adjusted according to the optimization results. The result shows that the cumulative net profit of these block increased by 224.9 million CNY than the original scheme, the predicted final increase will be 752.1 million CNY.
Stress perception and the developmental trajectory of smart phone addiction among college students:Based on Parallel Latent Variable Growth Modeling
Authors: Ye Zicong , Peng Ying , Huang Xiantao , Rao Wei , Yao Jie , Zhang Ting
Published: September 2024

Purpose In recent years, the problem of smart phone addiction among college students has become increasingly serious, which has aroused the attention of colleges and universities at home and abroad. Based on the general stress theory, this study explores the development of stress perception and smart phone addiction among college students over a semester, while further exploring the causal relationship between the two. Methods A longitudinal study was conducted utilizing a physical education classroom to administer questionnaires on students' stress perception and smart phone addiction levels. The test was administered three times at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester, resulting in 517 valid participants. Data were processed using SPSS and Mplus to explore trends in their stress perception and smart phone addiction using potential growth modeling, as well as causal relationships between the aforementioned variables using cross-lagged modeling. Results (1) The levels of college students' stress perception and smart phone addiction showed a linear trend of weakening over time; (2)There is a significant positive effect of the intercept of college student stress on the intercept of smart phone addiction and a significant negative effect on the slope of smart phone addiction;(3)The intercept of smart phone addiction among college students has a significant negative impact on the slope of stress perception;(4)The slope of smart phone addiction among college students has a significant positive impact on the slope of stress perception;(5) college students' stress perception and smart phone addiction were causally related to each other. Conclusion This study reveals the developmental trajectories of stress perception and smart phone addiction among college students over the course of a semester, and explores the causal relationship between the two. These findings may provide insight into how stress perception affects smart phone addictive behaviors, and provide a scientific basis for the development of effective preventive and intervention measures.
Determinants of Financial Stability: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis
Authors: Tsegaye Adane Tilahun , Irena Obsa Teferi , Tesfaye Getahun Daribie
Published: September 2024

Financial soundness is crucial for the health of the financial sector and economic stability. The study examines the degree of financial stability and its drivers in commercial banks using dynamic panel data analysis. Arellano & Bover and Blundell & Bond a two-step system GMM model were applied to test the hypothesis. The 'Z-score' was used as a proxy for financial stability. The results indicate that the previous year's financial stability, profitability, and liquidity positively influenced financial stability, while bank size, credit risk, and bank concentration have negative impacts. External factors including the GDP growth rate positively affected financial stability, whereas real interest rates have a negative impact on the financial stability of the banks. The findings of this study will have implications for banks, bank regulators, policymakers, and the government in fostering a stable banking environment through targeted policies and strategic management of financial metrics.
Moderating effect of physical activity on stigma and psychological distress in children and adolescents with epilepsy: a multicenter cross-sectional study in China
Authors: Zhao Jing , Li Shuangzi , Zhang Ni , Zeng Junqi , Xie Yuan , Wang Ting , Xia Qing
Published: September 2024

Objective: Children and adolescents with epilepsy suffer from stigma. Stigma associated with epilepsy is closely related to poor physical activity (PA) and high levels of psychological distress. However, the internal relationships are not well understood in China. This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of PA to determine whether PA mediates the relationship between stigma and psychological distress among children and adolescents with epilepsy.
Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional design was used to study children and adolescents with epilepsy admitted to 9 tertiary hospitals in China. Data were collected using a questionnaire measuring the Kilifi Stigma Scale for Epilepsy, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, and the Physical Activity Rating Scale. The PROCESS macro in SPSS was used to examine the mediation model.
Results: 226 children and adolescents with epilepsy participated in the study. Psychological distress increased considerably as stigma levels increased, while a decrease was observed with increasing levels of PA. The results showed PA mainly plays partial mediating roles in the relationship between stigma and depression (ab = 0.042, 95% CI: 0.016 to 0.068), anxiety (ab = 0.077, 95% CI: 0.054 to 0.099) and stress (ab = 0.092, 95% CI: 0.061 to 0.122) dimensions of psychological distress. Additionally, intensity (ab = 0.027, 95% CI: 0.007 to 0.048) and frequency (ab = 0.028, 95% CI: 0.010 to 0.049) respectively only intermediated the relationship between stigma and anxiety and stress; duration (ab = 0.023, 95% CI: 0.002 to 0.044; ab = 0.034, 95% CI: 0.015 to 0.055; ab = 0.037, 95% CI: 0.012 to 0.061) all mediated between stigma and the psychological distress dimensions.
Conclusion: Stigma could increase psychological distress by indirectly influencing PA and its components. Interventions to improve physical activity may prevent or reduce psychological distress among children and adolescents with epilepsy.
A Compact UWB-MIMO Antenna with Enhanced Isolation for Short distance V2X Communications
Authors: Kumari E. Kusuma , Szymański Jerzy R. , Żurek-Mortka Marta , Sathiyanarayanan Mithileysh
Published: September 2024

The main focus of this work is the design and parametric study of a compact Ultra Wide Band (UWB) Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna with three ports loaded with DGS and elliptical slots on the ground plane to enhance isolation and bandwidth. The dimensions of the proposed constructed antenna are 26 x 50 x 0.8 mm. The FR4 is used as a substrate, its dielectric constant is 4.4. The suggested Antenna was simulated using the HFSS Software tool and evolved over five steps. Based on simulation findings, it is noted that the antenna falls inside the Ultra Wide Band, ranging from 3.6 GHz to 10.06 GHz, and has an isolation of more than -43 dB. Even with the patches' modest end-to-end gap of 8 mm, it is apparent that the suggested antenna exhibits good isolation. Important factors that evaluate the effectiveness of the antenna are examined, including radiation pattern, diversity gain, surface current distribution, peak gain, Total Active Reflection Coefficient (TARC), and Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC) below 0.05. The measured Diversity Gain (DG) of the MIMO antenna is more than 9.98 dB, its TARC is observed as -10 dB, and its estimated ECC was less than 0.002. Using a computer-aided design (CAD) model of the vehicle, the antenna’s performance was examined to estimate the antenna's dependability in the presence of metallic bodies. The results show that due to its low profile and satisfactory functionality, the suggested antenna is well suited to high throughput compact UWB transceivers in Connected Vehicle Technology and V2V Communication applications.
Genome-Wide Association Study of Haploid Female Fertility (HFF) and Haploid Male Fertility (HMF) in BS39-Derived Doubled Haploid Lines
Authors: Fakude Mercy , Murithi Ann , Frei Ursula K. , Scott Paul M. , Lübberstedt Thomas
Published: September 2024

Doubled haploid (DH) breeding accelerates the development of elite inbred lines and facilitates the incorporation of exotic germplasm, offering a powerful tool for maize improvement. Traditional DH breeding relies on colchicine to induce haploid genome doubling. Colchicine is toxic, and its application is labour-intensive, with most genotypes recording low genome doubling rates (10% to 30%). This study investigates spontaneous haploid genome doubling (SHGD) as a safer and more efficient alternative to colchicine. We evaluated the effectiveness of SHGD in restoring haploid female fertility (HFF) and haploid male fertility (HMF) without colchicine. Using genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we identified genomic regions influencing HFF and HMF. The plant materials included the BS39-haploid isogenic lines (HILs) and BS39-SHGD-haploid isogenic lines (HILs). Our results revealed significant SNP associations for both traits, with candidate genes involved in cell cycle regulation, cytoskeletal organization, and hormonal signalling. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant variation in HFF across haploids and two environments. Similarly, HMF showed substantial differences across haploids and between the two environments. Spearman correlation between HFF and HMF showed no correlation (r = -0.03) between the two traits. HFF showed high heritability (0.8), indicating strong genetic control, whereas HMF displayed moderate heritability (0.5), suggesting additional environmental influences. The findings underscore the potential of SHGD to enhance DH breeding efficiency and support the development of new maize varieties tailored to diverse agricultural needs.
Experimental study of the impact of deck-charge structure on blast-induced fragmentation
Authors: Hong Zhixian , Tao Ming , Feng Shurong , Liu Hao , Wu Wenhong , Li Xudong , Liu Shuai
Published: September 2024

The deck-charge structure, also referred to as axially decoupled charge structure, has found widespread application in open-pit rock excavation to enhance blasting performance. However, the relationships between blast-induced fragmentation and deck-charge structures remain unclear. This paper aims to experimentally investigate the influences of deck ratio, deck position and deck material on blast-induced fragmentation. Small-scale single-hole blasting experiments were conducted on concrete blocks (400×400×200 mm3). The dynamic evolution process of model fracturing under blast loading was captured using a high-speed camera. The displacement and strain fields were analyzed employing a 3D digital image correlation system (DIC), and the fragment size distribution (FSD) was determined through ImageJ, which is an advanced image-processing code. Meanwhile, the blasthole wall pressure (BWP) was monitored through the embedded gauges in the test block. The experimental results indicate that under a deck charge blasting, the host concrete experiences three phases, i.e., crushing phase, further crushing and fracturing phase, and radial crack developing phase. The fragmentation performance increases within a reasonable range of air-deck ratio, while an excessive deck ratio results in worse fragmentation compared to fully coupled charge blasting. The center deck charge yields the superior fragmentation, followed by the double-ends deck charge and top deck charge. Water-deck charge produces finer fragmentation than air-deck and PE-deck charges. EPS-deck charge is not conducive to fragmentation, but it may provide a solution for reducing vibration and controlling damage to the remaining rock mass. Based on the experiment results, production blasts with fully coupled charge, center air-deck charge and center water-deck charge were conducted in an open-pit mine, revealing that the proposed center deck charge blasting results in at least a 15% reduction in median fragment size, with center water-deck charge outperforming in rock fragmentation due to its ability to maximize the utilization of explosive energy for rock fracturing.
The burden of ambient air pollution on years of life lost from ischaemic heart disease in Pudong New Area, Shanghai
Authors: Zhong Xing , Chen Yichen , Sun Lianghong , Chen Hua , Qu Xiaobing , Hao Lipeng
Published: September 2024

Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) remains a major public health threat globally. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term burden of air pollution exposure on years of life lost (YLLs) from IHD in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. Data on air pollutants, meteorological factors, and daily IHD deaths were collected from 2013 to 2021. A distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) combined with linear (for YLLs) and quasi-Poisson (for mortality) regression models was applied to analyse the association between air pollution exposure and the IHD burden. A stratified analysis was conducted according to sex, age, and educational level. Each 10 µg/m³ increase in PM10, SO2, and NO2 exposure was associated with YLL increases of 0.40 (95% CI: -0.32, 1.11), 4.38 (95% CI: 0.83, 7.92), and 0.67 (95% CI: -0.71, 2.04) years, respectively, at lag0-3. The corresponding YLL increase due to PM2.5 exposure was 0.28 (95% CI: -0.24, 0.80) years at lag0-1. The impacts of air pollution exposure on YLLs and daily IHD deaths were greater for males than for females. Furthermore, the difference in SO2 exposure effects was statistically significant among sex-stratified groups. Air pollution exposure was positively associated with IHD-related YLL increases in Pudong New Area, Shanghai.
Pretrained Language Models for Semantics-Aware Data Harmonisation of Observational Clinical Studies in the Era of Big Data
Authors: Dylag Jakub J. , Zlatev Zlatko , Boniface Michael
Published: September 2024

Background:
In clinical research, there is a strong drive to leverage big data from population cohort studies and routine electronic healthcare records to design new interventions, improve health outcomes and increase the efficiency of healthcare delivery. However, realising these potential demands requires substantial efforts in harmonising source datasets and curating study data, which currently relies on costly, time-consuming and labour-intensive methods. We explore and assess the use of natural language processing (NLP) and unsupervised machine learning (ML) to address the challenges of big data semantic harmonisation and curation.
Methods:
Our aim is to establish an efficient and robust technological foundation for the development of automated tools supporting data curation of large clinical datasets. We propose two AI based pipelines for automated semantic harmonisation: a pipeline for semantics-aware search for domain relevant variables and a pipeline for clustering of semantically similar variables. We evaluate pipeline performance using 94,037 textual variable descriptions from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) database.
Results:
We observe high accuracy of our Semantic Search pipeline, with an AUC of 0.899 (SD = 0.056). Our semantic clustering pipeline achieves a V-measure of 0.237 (SD = 0.157), which is on par with that of leading implementations in other relevant domains. Automation can significantly accelerate the process of dataset harmonisation. Manual labelling was performed at a speed of 2.1 descriptions per minute, with our automated labelling increasing speed to 245 descriptions per minute.
Conclusions:
Our study findings underscore the potential of AI technologies, such as NLP and unsupervised ML, in automating the harmonisation and curation of big data for clinical research. By establishing a robust technological foundation, we pave the way for the development of automated tools that streamline the process, enabling health data scientists to leverage big data more efficiently and effectively in their studies and accelerating insights from data for clinical benefit.
Experimental observation of gapped shear waves and liquid-like to gas-like dynamical crossover in active granular matter
Authors: Zhang Jie , Jiang Cunyuan , Zheng Zihan , Chen Yangrui , Baggioli Matteo
Published: September 2024

Unlike crystalline solids, liquids do not exhibit long-range order due to frequent structural rearrangements. When considering shorter time and length scales, molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical propositions suggest that collective shear excitations in liquids display a gap in wave-vector space, referred to as the k-gap. Above this gap, solid-like transverse waves re-emerge. However, direct experimental verification of this phenomenon in classical liquids remains elusive, with the only documented evidence from studies in two-dimensional dusty plasmas. Active granular systems provide a novel platform for exploring the emergence of collective dynamics and showcasing a rich interplay of complex phases and phenomena. Our study focuses on bi-disperse active Brownian vibrators. In this work, we demonstrate that this active system exhibits both gas-like and liquid-like phases, depending on the packing fraction, despite pure hard-disk-like repulsive interactions. Notably, within the granular liquid-like phase, we experimentally validate the existence of a k-gap in the dispersion of transverse excitations. Our results offer a direct experimental confirmation of the k-gap phenomenon, extending its relevance beyond classical thermal liquids to active granular systems, and reveal the existence of intriguing similarities between the physics of active granular matter and supercritical fluids.
Scalable Recurrence Graph Network for Stratifying RhoB Texture Dynamics in Rectal Cancer Biopsies
Authors: Pham Tuan
Published: September 2024

Background: RhoB plays a crucial role in cellular processes. Its expression, evaluated via immunohistochemistry (IHC), serves as a significant biomarker for predicting survival outcomes in cancer patients, particularly in response to radiotherapy (RT). However, the accuracy and reliability of RhoB expression assessments can be compromised by variability in staining techniques and tumor heterogeneity.

Methods: This study introduces the scalable recurrence graph network (SRGNet) to improve the accuracy and reliability of five-year survival predictions for patients with rectal cancer. SRGNet integrates principles of spatial statistics, nonlinear dynamics, graph theory, and graph convolutional networks (GCNs). Spatial statistics aims to capture the distribution of protein expression, while nonlinear dynamics can model complex temporal changes within tumor biopsies. Graph theory represents relationships between texture recurrences, and GCN architecture enables graph node classification.

Results: SRGNet outperformed 10 pre-trained convolutional neural networks. For biopsy samples with RT, SRGNet achieved an accuracy of 88%, predicting five-year survival with 100% accuracy. It demonstrated a precision of 100% and an F1 score of 0.80, with an AUC of 0.73. For biopsy samples without RT, SRGNet obtained an accuracy of 91%, predicting survival over five years with perfect precision (100%), an F1 score of 0.86, and an AUC of 0.82.

Conclusions: SRGNet can enhance the biopsy-based prediction of five-year survival outcomes for rectal cancer patients, offering a more precise and individualized assessment. Its integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies addresses the challenges of variability and tumor heterogeneity in RhoB expression evaluation, leading to more reliable prognostic evaluations.
Research on Shape Memory Performance of TPI/PE Composite Materials
Authors: Zhang Tao , Ma Ruize , Xu Haohao , Xue Caihong , Liang Yurong
Published: September 2024

Triple shape memory materials have become a major research hotspot in recent years. Trans-1,4-polyisoprene (TPI) was mixed with inexpensive polyethylene (PE) in this work, and TPI/PE shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) were vulcanized using the dynamic vulcanization process. PE can be divided into low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), both have the same structure but different molecular chain arrangement and density. Since the properties of SMPC are different due to the different ratios of TPI and PE components, choosing the right ratio is especially important for triple shape memory materials. We investigated the triple shape memory properties of composites of TPI with LDPE and TPI with HDPE at different ratios (8:2,7:3 and 6:4), respectively. The impact of the dynamic vulcanization system on the mechanical and shape memory characteristics of the TPI/PE hybrid SMPC was discovered through a sequence of studies. The results showed that when the ratio of TPI/PE was 8:2, the composites had the fastest vulcanization rate and the largest cross-linking degree with the highest tensile strength and mechanical properties. In addition, the test results show that the crystalline properties of HDPE-based composites are consistently higher than those of LDPE-based composites. The shape memory properties of TPI/HDPE composites are more excellent than those of TPI/LDPE composites at the same ratio. The best triple shape memory properties were obtained at a TPI/HDPE composite ratio of 8:2. We believe that the relevant findings of this study can provide a valuable design reference for the development of high-performance TPI shape memory materials.
The magnitude and factors associated with chronic liver disease in Ethiopia: a cross- sectional study
Authors: Gage Beresa Lema , Gela Debela , Wurjine Teshome Habte
Published: September 2024

Background: Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a severe public health problem that affects 1.5 billion people globally. It was Ethiopia's seventh leading cause of death in 2019, with 24 fatalities per 100,000 people.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the magnitude and factors associated with medically confirmed chronic liver diseases among the adult population at selected public health hospitals in the West Arsi zone in 2022.
Methodology: An institution-based descriptive cross-sectional study design with a combination of structured interviews was employed from February 20, 2022, to July 6, 2022, G.C. There were 384 respondents selected using a systematic random sampling method. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with CLD.
Results: A total of 384 adult participants took part, and 100% of them responded. The magnitude of medically confirmed chronic liver disease among adults in the west Arsi zone is 60.2%, which is higher in males (37.26%). Having a family history of chronic liver disease (AOR = 5.23; 95% CI: 2.59–12.13), drinking more than 20 ml of alcohol per day (AOR = 13.53; 95% CI: 5.50–33.29), smoking cigarettes (AOR = 4.15; 95% CI: 1.70–10.14), chewing khat (AOR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.13–4.77), eating a high-fat diet (AOR = 3.97; 95% CI: 1.67–9.42), being infected with the viral hepatitis B and C virus (AOR = 18.15; 95% CI: 7.47–44.09), having comorbidities (AOR = 3.58; 95% CI: 1.65–7.77), using herbal medication (AOR = 9.84; 95% CI: 4.58–21.13), and being overweight (AOR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.05–6.11) all remained statistically significant.
Conclusions: The magnitude of medically confirmed chronic liver diseases in the western Arsi zone is 60.2%, which needs much more attention from the Ministry of Health and local authorities for prevention and interventions focused on behavioral changes, lifestyle modifications, and strengthening viral hepatitis screening activities to tackle these modifiable associated factors with consideration regarding family history of chronic liver diseases.
NeoGuider: neoepitope prediction using advanced feature engineering
Authors: Zhao Xiaofei , Wei Lei , Zhang Xuegong
Published: September 2024

Neoepitope-based cancer immunotherapy depends on accurate prediction of patient-specific neoepitopes. Many candidate neoepitopes can be identified but their prioritization is challenging, resulting in poor effectiveness of existing methods. NeoGuider, our neoepitope prediction pipeline, detects neoepitope candidates from sequencing data and utilizes machine learning to prioritize and probabilistically classify the candidates to address the challenges, we developed a novel feature transformation in NeoGuider which uses adaptive kernel density estimation and centered isotonic regression to transform feature values into log odds. We studied the performance of NeoGuider on six cohorts, encompassing 43 patients with 168 immunogenic candidates. Experiments showed that it outperformed existing methods. NeoGuider is open-sourced at https://github.com/XuegongLab/neoguider.
SDV-HGNN: similarity-based dual view heterogeneous graph neural network method for drug adverse side effect prediction
Authors: Kumar Mayank , Ngom Alioune
Published: September 2024

Background: Drug adverse side effects (ASEs) significantly impact public health, healthcare costs, and drug discovery processes. As medication usage increases, effective management of drug side effects becomes crucial. Previ- ous research has focused on single-perspective drug features such as chemical structure or topological information from knowledge graphs. Recent approaches attempt to learn separately from molecular graphs and drug-side effect net- works, combining these representations for prediction. However, these methods often report limited performance metrics and may not fully capture the complex interplay between molecular structures and broader drug-side effect relationships.
Results: We propose a novel Similarity-based Dual View Heterogeneous Graph Neural Network (SDV-HGNN) for predicting drug adverse side effects. This approach simultaneously learns microscopic drug substructure features from the molecular graph and macroscopic features from a connectivity-enhanced Drug- adverse Side-effect Network (DSN). We introduced four additional edges between drugs and three between side effects using multiple context-specific similarity metrics. The problem is framed as a binary classification task within the context of link prediction on a graph. Our model demonstrated superior performance in 10-fold cross-validation (CV) using a benchmark dataset, achieving an AUROC of 0.8989 ± 0.0069, AUPR 0.9093 ± 0.0068, and F1 0.8261 ± 0.0056. The source code is available from GitHub at https://github.com/mayankkom-dev/ SDV-HGNN.
Conclusions: The SDV-HGNN model shows promising results in predicting drug adverse side effects by leveraging both microscopic and macroscopic features simultaneously. By reporting a comprehensive set of performance metrics, our study provides a more thorough evaluation of the model’s capabilities, addressing previous research limitations.
The influence of land use, microhabitat and aquatic insect subsidies on predatory riparian arthropod distributions.
Authors: Carlson Peter
Published: September 2024

Agricultural land use effects to aquatic and riparian communities is complex and multifaceted, often resulting habitat degradation and biodiversity loss in riparian and instream ecosystems. This study correlatively evaluated predatory arthropod densities and species richness to abundance of potential prey (emerged aquatic insects and terrestrial dipterans), along an agricultural to forested land use gradient. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used as an effect size to measure affinity to prey and the ratio of predator to prey was calculated to indicate potential consumption capacity of prey. Results revealed that gradients in land use and microhabitat condition, distance from the stream, and season were important explanatory factors. Positive correlations between predatory arthropods and aquatic insect abundance were more apparent compared to terrestrial dipteran abundance, suggesting an overall preference of aquatic prey. However, positive correlations between predatory arthropods and adult aquatic insect subsidies were strongest in microhabitats with characteristics associated with higher moisture (e.g. greater soil organic matter and shade), particularly with increasing agricultural land use. In September, there was indication of reduced confinement to microhabitats, likely as an effect of seasonal elevated precipitation. Overall results of this study suggest that a limited tolerance to desiccation in predatory arthropods increases spatial confinement with agricultural land use and ultimately restricts access to adult aquatic insect subsidies. The findings of this study have implications for the pathways that adult aquatic insect subsidies enter into riparian food webs with consequences that cascade across trophic levels and larger spatial scales.
Petrology and Staining Analysis of Carbonate Rocks of A1 Well, Eastern Dahomey Basin, Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Agunsoye Omowunmi Idera , Adeigbe Olubunmi Christopher , Jokotagba Samuel Temitope
Published: September 2024

Limestone, a soft rock, is known to be highly susceptible to various post-depositional diagenetic effects whose imprints are visible in hand specimens and more expressly in thin section studies. This study aims to provide a diagenetic assessment of the limestone in A1 well penetrating the Tertiary sediments of the Eastern Dahomey Basin through an integrated approach combining staining and petrographic analyses. A total of fourteen thin sections obtained from seven limestone intervals of the A1 well core samples were studied. The petrographic analysis reveals that the limestone is of biosparitic and biomicritic microfacies; and dominantly packstone classification with the imprints of certain diagenetic processes such as physical and chemical compaction, micritisation, neomorphism, and dolomitisation delineated. The staining analysis using the Alizarin Red-S and Potassium Ferricyanide composite test reveals the presence of calcite, ferroan calcite, dolomite and ferroan dolomite. The incorporation of iron into the carbonate minerals indicate that the A1 well has been subjected to late stage chemical diagenetic alterations and are not so pure for industrial use. Although ferroan dolomite is more expressed in the upper section, ferroan calcite occurs in all the sampled limestone intervals with scarce occurrence of pure calcite. Overall, the imprints of dolomitisation are delineated revealing greater dominance at the base of the column.