bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“With mental health and land, we have enough to live”. Social determinants of mental health in fifteen conflict-affected municipalities of Montes de María, Colombia: an exploratory mixed method study.
Authors: Rubio-León Diana Carolina , Cano-Sierra Laura , Reyes-Rivera María Juliana , Abitbol Pablo , García-Padilla Dennys , Forero-García Sara Lucía , López-López Wilson
Published: September 2024

Background
Armed conflicts affect mental health. In Colombia, many communities have been victims of armed conflict and multiple social inequalities and injustices for more than six decades. Our research explored the social determinants of mental health in fifteen municipalities affected by the armed conflict in Montes de María, Colombia.
Methods
We used a convergent parallel mixed-method design involving leaders and community members of Montes de María in Colombia, a region deeply affected by the armed conflict. We assessed mental health (PHQ-4 and DASS-21), social support (Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey - MOS), and sense of community (Brief Sense of Community Scale - BSCS) in a sample of 134 leaders and community members. Concurrently, we held 35 focus groups and 2 regional meetings with 167 leaders to further explore the social determinants of mental health in the region. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted, triangulating the information to ensure comprehensive and robust findings.
Results
The quantitative data analysis showed significative relations among different social determinants of health (SDH) and the mental health variables of anxiety, depression and stress. Social support and sense of community appear to be protective factors for mental health. Qualitative data revealed that armed conflict, state abandonment, economic issues, lack of opportunities, social capital, social cohesion and barriers to access mental health services are SDH that have impacted the current mental health of the community.
Conclusions
The results suggest social determinants of health impact the mental health of conflict-affected communities. Both quantitative and qualitative findings highlight the region's challenges, their capacity for resilience, and the urgent need for more effective policies and robust support to address mental health and socioeconomic issues in Montes de María.
Feature Distillation Network for Efficient Super-Resolution with Vast Receptive Field
Authors: Zhang Yanfeng , Tan Wenan , Mao Wenyi
Published: September 2024

In recent years, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have seen rapid advancements, leading to the proposal of numerous lightweight image super-resolution techniques tailored for deployment on edge devices. This paper examines the information distillation mechanism and the vast-receptive-field attention mechanism utilized in lightweight super-resolution. Additionally, it introduces a new network structure named the vast-receptive-field feature distillation network, named VFDN, which effectively enhances inference speed and reduces GPU memory consumption. The receptive field of the attention block is expanded, and the utilization of large dense convolution kernels is substituted with depth-wise separable convolutions. Meanwhile, we modify the reconstruction block to obtain better reconstruction quality and introduce a Fourier transform-based loss function that emphasizes the frequency domain information of the input image. Experiments show that the designed VFDN achieves comparable results to RFDN, but the parameters are only 307K(55.81\(%\) of RFDN), which is advantageous for deployment on edge devices.
PRFC: Program Repair combining Fix patterns and Code language models
Authors: Wei Dan , Cao Xinjian , Fang Jinglong , Wang Xingqi , Chen Bin
Published: September 2024

Automated program repair (APR) significantly improves development efficiency by automatically generating patches for defects in software. Recently, learning-based automatic program repair methods have been extensively studied. However, this approach still suffers from two obvious limitations: first, it is affected by the long-range dependency problem, which makes it difficult to handle long sequences of complex errors. The second is that the current patch ranking strategy does not consider the overall patch information, resulting in too many anomalously high-scoring patches in the candidate patch list, and thus ignoring the correct patches. To address the above limitations, we propose a novel automated program repair method PRFC (Program Repair combining Fix patterns and Code language models), which consists of three components:(1) By generalizing and organizing common fix patterns, we propose novel mask templates for enhancing the patch generation capability of code language models. (2) PRFC treats the repair task as a cloze task and utilizes the code language model to generate candidate patches based on the mask templates. (3) A novel patch reranking approach, which utilizes template coefficients to rerank candidate patches, greatly alleviates the problem of abnormally high-scoring patches. Experimental results show that PRFC correctly fixes 141 Defects4J bugs and 36 QuixBugs bugs under perfect fault localization conditions, which improves 11.02\% and 33.33\% over the optimal baseline, respectively.
Sex-specific effects of early life stress exposure on memory performance and medial prefrontal cortex transcriptomic pattern of adolescent mice
Authors: Orso Rodrigo , Viola Thiago Wendt , Heberle Bernardo Aguzzoli , Creutzberg Kerstin Camile , Lumertz Francisco Sindermann , Grassi-Oliveira Rodrigo
Published: September 2024

Early life stress (ELS) is considered a risk factor for the development of cognitive and executive disfunctions throughout development. The medial portion of the prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is directly implicated with short-term and working memory. Furthermore, due to its late development compared to other brain regions, the mPFC is considered a vulnerable brain region to ELS exposure. Here, we investigated the effects of ELS on PFC-dependent memory as well as mPFC transcriptomic profile. From postnatal day (PND) 2 to PND 15 BALB/cJ mice were exposed to maternal separation for 3h per day combined with limited bedding (ELS group) or left undisturbed (CT group). During the period of stress, maternal behavior observations were recorded pre-MS and post-MS. During adolescence (PND45 to PND47), male and female were tested for working memory performance in the Y-maze and short-term recognition memory in the object in place task (OIP). Later, we assessed mRNA level alterations in the mPFC by RNA-seq. Here, we showed that ELS increases maternal care post-MS and the number of nest exits pre-MS and post-MS. Furthermore, males and females exposed to ELS showed impairments in the OIP, while only females performed worse in the Y-maze. Regarding the mPFC transcriptome, we identified 13 differently expressed genes in the females, with significant influence of chaperon-mediated protein folding processes, while 4 genes were altered in males. In conclusion, we showed that ELS alters maternal behavior and leads to more extensive impairments in memory function and transcriptomic alterations in females compared to males.
Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides alleviate early brain injury in experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage by inhibiting the KDR-mediated P38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway
Authors: Wan Yu-hui , Chen Xiang-xin , Cheng Zeng-jing , Fan Ling-xiang , Yang De-hong , Chen Bing-lin , Zhu Qing
Published: September 2024

Background
Subarachnoid hemorrhage is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. In its early stages, the substantial influx of blood into the subarachnoid space triggers excessive activation of microglial cells, which markedly contributes to early brain injury, a pivotal determinant of poor prognosis. Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides, as acidic heteropolysaccharides from the fruiting bodies of Tremella, exhibit robust anti-inflammatory characteristics and a plethora of biological properties. Nonetheless, the impact of TFPS on EBI subsequent to SAH has yet to be documented, and the elucidation of its underlying molecular mechanisms remains elusive. The objective of this study is to elucidate the effects and potential mechanisms of TFPS on EBI in SAH.
Methods
We used in vivo and in vitro models to study TFPS effects on microglia post-SAH. Network pharmacology analysis predicted TFPS targets and intervention pathways. These predictions were subsequently corroborated through flow cytometry, Western blotting, Immunofluorescent, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, and Quantitative real‑time polymerase chain reaction, both in vivo and in vitro.
Results
After 24 hours, TFPS-treated mice showed improved neurological function and reduced cerebral edema post-SAH. TFPS reversed microglial activation, enhanced phagocytic capability, and reduced neuronal apoptosis. Network pharmacology identified KDR as a potential target, with the P38 MAPK pathway as the downstream pathway. TFPS attenuated KDR expression, inhibited the P38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway, reduced inflammatory cytokine expression, and improved microglial phagocytic capacity post-SAH.
Conclusion
This investigation posits that TFPS may ameliorate EBI in SAH, potentially via the regulation of the KDR-mediated P38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway and phagocytic function.
Characterization of the transcriptional cellular response in midgut tissue of temephos- resistant Aedes aegypti larvae
Authors: Helvecio Elisama , Rezende Antonio Mauro , Bezerra Maria Jose Ribeiro , de-Melo-Neto Osvaldo Pompílio , Santos Maria Alice Varjal Melo , Romão Tatiany Patrícia , Ayres Constância Flávia Junqueira
Published: September 2024

Background
Resistance to organophosphate compounds is a serious concern in dealing with the control of mosquito vectors. Understanding the genetic and molecular basis of resistance is important not only to create strategies aimed at detecting and monitoring resistance in the field, but also to implement efficient control measures and support the development of new insecticides. Despite the extensive literature on insecticide resistance, the molecular basis of metabolic resistance is still poorly understood.
Methods
In order to better understand the mechanisms of Aedes aegypti resistance to temephos, we performed NGS sequencing of RNA from the midgut tissue of Aedes aegypti larvae from temephos resistant (RecR) and susceptible (RecL) colonies. Bioinformatics analyses were then performed to assess the biological functions of differentially expressed genes, and the sequencing data were validated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).
Results
The transcriptome analysis mapped 6.084 genes, of which 202 were considered upregulated in RecR, with genes representing many detoxification enzyme families, including cytochrome-P450 oxidative enzymes, glutathione-S-transferases and glucosyl transferases. Other upregulated genes were mainly involved in the cuticle, carbohydrates, and lipid biosynthesis. For the downregulated profiles, we found 106 downregulated genes in the RecR colony, with molecules involved in protein synthesis, immunity and apoptosis process. Furthermore, we observed an enrichment of KEGG metabolic pathways related to resistance mechanisms. The results found in RT-qPCR confirm the findings of the transcriptome data.
Conclusions
In this study, we investigated the changes in the transcriptome levels in an Ae. aegypti colony resistant to temephos. Our dataset showed that metabolic resistance mediated by multiple families of detoxifying enzymes is strongly associated with temephos metabolism, but other mechanisms may also contribute to temephos resistance in Ae. aegypti RecR colony.
Predicting Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Using a Fusion Model of Vision Transformer and Traditional Radiomics Based on Dynamic Dual-Modality Ultrasound
Authors: Zhu Peng-Fei , Zhang Xiao-Feng , Mao Yu-Xiang , Zhou Pu , Lin Jian-Jun , Shi Long , Cui Xin-Wu , He Ying
Published: September 2024

Objective
This study aimed to develop a novel fusion model based on dynamic dual-modality with B-mode ultrasound and superb microvascular imaging (SMI), combining Vision Transformer (ViT) and radiomics features to predict central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in thyroid cancer patients.
Method
In this retrospective diagnostic study, 310 patients with pathologically confirmed papillary thyroid carcinoma from two hospitals were included. We trained ViT models for B-mode and SMI, then extracted ViT and radiomics features from their video images. Initially, Single-modality models were developed, including the B-mode radiomics model (BMUS_RAD) and the B-mode ViT model (BMUS_ViT). Subsequently, Dual-modality models were constructed, encompassing the Dual-modality radiomics model (DMU_RAD), the Dual-modality ViT model (DMU_ViT), and finally, the integrated model DMU_RAD_ViT, to enhance the prediction of CLNM. The performance of each model was compared, and SHAP was utilized for the visual interpretation of the novel fusion model.
Results
Among all the models, the fusion model DMU_RAD_ViT performed the best (AUC = 0.901, p < 0.05). At the same time, the dual-modality model DMU_RAD(AUC = 0.856) and DMU_ViT(AUC = 0.832) is also higher than the single-modal model BMUS_RAD (AUC = 0.837) and BMUS_ViT (AUC = 0.789), respectively. SHAP analysis revealed that 16 radiomics and ViT features from both modalities contributed to the DMU_RAD_ViT model.
Conclusions
The Dual-modality fusion model, integrating both radiomics and ViT features, can be utilized to predict CLNM.
Evolutionary Dynamics of Prrs Virus in Italian Pig Farms: a Retrospective Study
Authors: Parisio Giovanni , Franzo Giovanni , Barbieri Ilaria , Carta Valentina , Stadejek Tomasz , Manenti Sonia , Campagna Debora , Faccini Silvia , Vignola Greta , Alborali Giovanni Loris , Boniotti Maria Beatrice
Published: September 2024

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) causes huge economic losses to pig farms worldwide. Currently available vaccines do not always offer complete protection, due to the extreme variability of the virus. Therefore, good farming practices must be improved to prevent the disease from spreading across the pig production system. In this study, we inferred the dynamics of PRRSV population in Italy by applying bayesian methods on our ORF7 sequence dataset collected during a 15-year period. Random subsets from the overall dataset were built to reduce analysis runtime. Calculated evolutionary rate was consistent between subsets and with other findings on PRRSV and other RNA viruses (4-7 x10-3 substitution/site/year) while Time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor was less consistent (from 1980 to 1990). Despite this, in all population dynamic reconstruction a massive increase in size calculated in early 2000s lasting until aroung 2010 was inferred. This spike is followed by very heterougenous dynamics with some differences between subsets, probably due to the random sampling. Geographical origin was inferred in Emilia-Romagna region despite Lombardy being the region with the hightest number of farmed animals and farm size. These findings reflect the choices regurading farm management and biosecurity taken in the last two decades, and not strictly related to PRRS. Phylogeny and phylogeography are powerful tools to better understand microorganisms population dynamics and make appropriate choices for disease control.
Potential persistence of under-nutrition among adult tuberculosis patients completing intensive-phase treatment at public health facilities in Kembata Zone, Central Ethiopia Region
Authors: Deffase Rediet A , Miller Emma R , Fuge Terefe G , Gizachew Addisalem
Published: September 2024

Background
Nutritional impacts of tuberculosis (TB) have long been recognised. Individuals with TB are assessed for under-nutrition during treatment initiation and receive regular nutritional counselling and support, including food supplementation, when the condition is detected. However, the extent of potential persistence of TB-related under-nutrition after completing intensive-phase of treatment remains unclear, especially in resource-limited settings.
Objective
This study aimed to assess the extent of under-nutrition and associated factors among adult TB patients completing intensive-phase treatment at public health facilities of Kembata Zone, Central Ethiopia Region.
Methods
We conducted a cross sectional facility-based study among 334 adult TB patients completing intensive-phase treatment. Participants were recruited using a cluster sampling technique. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between under-nutrition and explanatory variables. Odds ratios along with 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated to identify factors significantly associated with under-nutrition using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The level of statistical significance was determined at P-value less than 0.05.
Results
Under-nutrition was detected in almost 19% of participants. Sociodemographic and clinical factors contributed to the presence of under-nutrition following intensive-phase of treatment. Not attending formal education (AOR: 4.2; 95%CI: 1.7–10.4) and living in a family of more than five (AOR: 2.3; 95%CI: 1.2–4.6) were sociodemogrphic factors associated with the presence of under-nutrition. Having extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB) (AOR: 3.2; 95%CI: 1.4–7.6) and shorter length (less than four months) of treatment (AOR: 4.3; 95%CI: 1.9–9.5) were clinical conditions linked with under-nutrition.
Conclusions
Our study identified a higher prevalence of under-nutrition in the continuous-phase of TB treatment than the targets of clinical guidelines, which expect optimal nutritional status in all patients. This suggests potential persistence of poor nutritional status (or a lack of weight gain) from the earlier period of treatment. This may reflect lower understandings of the nutritional impact of TB in association with a lack of formal education, and a limited adequate diet due to a larger family size. Being in the earlier period of continuous-phase treatment and having EPTB also increased the likelihood of under-nutrition. Continuous monitoring and support is suggested throughout the treatment course with a particular focus on individuals with a lower socioeconomic background and EPTB.
Changes of the copepod community of Ganges estuary following tropical cyclone Yass
Authors: Paul Sourav , Karan Samya , Bhattacharya Bhaskar Deb
Published: September 2024

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are straining the lower food web of Indian estuaries but regular institutional monitoring of those changes is rare. For that the ‘Cyclone Ecology’ research program was established in February 2019 on the Muriganga stretch of the Ganges estuary. On 26 May 2021, a category-1 TC Yass disrupted the ‘Cyclone Ecology’ research program sites. A before-after impact assessment was conducted of the cyclone-mediated changes. Water and copepod samples were collected in the pre-Yass (November 2020 to March 2021) and the post-Yass (June 2021) periods. The aim was to assess changes in diversity and dominance of the copepod community following TC Yass. Post-Yass, estuary became polyhaline for a while losing its usual meso-haline characteristic. Species richness of the copepod community was higher during post-Yass than the pre-Yass period. During the pre-Yass, calanoid copepods Bestiolina similis, Paracalanus parvus and Acartiella tortaniformis co-dominated the community and Bestiolina similis was the most abundant species. Post-Yass abundances of the cyclopoid copepods were considerably higher than the pre-Yass. Further, Oithona brevicornis replaced Bestiolina similisas the most abundant species of the community. Spatial heterogeneity of the copepod community of the pre-Yass period temporarily lost in the post-Yass. Changed species richness, abundances, dominance and spatial heterogeneity of the copepod community even for a short-term may have consequences for the ecology of the lower food web of an estuary. Keeping United Nations Ocean Decade (2021-2030) as the baseline, a nation-wide cyclone impact monitoring and resilience plan of the lower food web of Indian estuaries is recommended.
The Differential Outcomes Procedure for improving the recognition of dynamic facial expressions of emotion in people with autism spectrum disorders and first-degree relatives
Authors: García-Pérez Ángel , González-Rodríguez Antonio , Godoy-Giménez Marta , Sayans-Jiménez Pablo , Cañadas Fernando , Estévez Ángeles F.
Published: September 2024

Previous research highlights impairments in the recognition of facial expression of emotion in individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Relatives of people with ASD may exhibit similar, albeit subtler, impairments, referred to as the Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP). Recently, the Differential outcomes procedure (DOP) has been shown to enhance this ability in young adults using dynamic stimuli, with fewer intensity levels required to identify fear and surprise. The present study aimed to extend these findings to adult diagnosed with ASD (ASD group), and relatives of people diagnosed with ASD (BAP group). A Bayesian Generalized Linear Model was employed for statistical inference. The results indicated that the ASD DOP group performed worse than the BAP DOP group in fear trials. The social dimension of autism negatively impacted performance in some conditions, while positive relationships were found between the repetitive behavior dimension and performance for the ASD group. The opposite pattern was observed in the BAP group. These results suggest the importance of considering different dimensions of autism when conducting research on its relationship with other variables. Finally, participants in both ASD and BAP groups required less intensity to identify certain emotions when the DOP was applied, highlighting its potential utility for improving dynamic facial emotion recognition.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome as a cause of chronic kidney disease stage 5 in children is in retreat; results from the Polish Registry of Renal Replacement Therapy in children ( 2000-2023)
Authors: Zagozdzon Ilona , Szczepańska Maria , Rubik Jacek , Zachwieja Katarzyna , Musielak Anna , Bratkowska Monika , Makulska Irena , Niwińska Katarzyna , Leszczyńska Beata , Bieniaś Beata , Janusz Katarzyna Taranta - , Kipigroch Hanna Adamczyk - , Żurowska Aleksandra
Published: September 2024

Backgroud Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a life-threatening disease with a poor prognosis in children receiving maintenance renal replacement therapy (RRT). The aim of this study was to analyse the incidence and outcome of chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD5) due to Escherichia coli-HUS (STEC-HUS) and complement-mediated HUS (CM-HUS) in children, compared to controls with non-HUS CKD5 over the last 24 years.
Methods The study included 1,488 children undergoing RRT in Poland between 2000 and 2023. Thirty-nine patients with CM-HUS and 18 with STEC-HUS were identified and analysed for incidence, RRT modality and survival.
Results The incidence rate of CKD5 was 0.09 cases/million age-related population (marp) for STEC-HUS and 0.23/marp for CM-HUS, while no new cases have been observed in recent years. CKD5 due to CM-HUS developed significantly earlier from initial HUS manifestation than in STEC-HUS (median 0,2 year vs. 9,8years). CM-HUS was associated with a younger age at initiation of RRT compared to STEC-HUS and non-HUS controls (median 6.0 years vs. 10.9 and 10.9 years), with a higher risk of death (Hazard Ratio 1.92, 95% Confidence Interval 0.9 - 4.13) and worse 5-year kidney graft survival at 77%, 93% and 90%, respectively (p<0.001).
Conclusions In recent years, both CM-HUS and STEC-HUS, have become an increasingly rare causes of CKD5 in children. In the eculizumab era CKD5 due to CM-HUS is exceptional. Children on RRT due to STEC-HUS had a significantly better survival, shorter waiting time for kidney transplantation and better kidney graft survival compared to the CM-HUS group.
WITHDRAWN: An Experimental Study on the Size Effect of Maximum Coarse Aggregate on the Inherent Anisotropy of Concrete's Compressive Strength
Authors: Jabbar Noor Fadhil , Akhaveissy Amir
Published: September 2024

This study conducts an experimental investigation into the inherent anisotropy of concrete during compressive tests, utilizing different material orientations (MOs) and mechanical parameters in the concrete. Specifically, the research focuses on performing a series of comprehensive tests to analyze compressive strength, compressive fracture energy, and failure angle of concrete samples with varying maximum coarse aggregate sizes (MCASs) in different MOs. The study includes designing three mixtures of normal concrete for an approximately constant compressive strength using three of rounded MCASs 4.75, 9.5 and 19 mm. Concrete cubes and lintels are cast, both unreinforced, along with three standard cylinders for each MCAS with diameter of 100 mm and 200 mm height (high to diameter ratio 2). After a curing period of 28 days in water, by using core drilling machine 75 samples with diameter 54 mm and height 97 mm (high to diameter ratio 1.8) are drilled from the concrete cubes and lintels at orientations 0°, 22.5°, 45°, 67.5° and 90° and standard cylinders are tested as well. The results show that the compressive strength and compressive fracture energy of concrete are significantly influenced by MCAS and MO. As the MCAS increases, the compressive strength increase and compressive fracture energy decrease. Additionally, it is observed that the compressive strength significantly changed respect to MO. The lowest compressive strength is observed at an angle of 45° with size 4.75 mm, while the highest is recorded at an angle of 0° with size 19 mm. The highest compressive strength was recorded for the sizes 19, 9.5 and 4.75 mm, respectively.
Promoting diverse teams in rehabilitation through adaptive digital diversity training: A study on participatory development, implementation and evaluation - A Study Protocol
Authors: Kempny Christian , Aksakal Tugba , Yilmaz-Aslan Yüce , Brzoska Patrick
Published: September 2024

Background: The integration of foreign staff, upon whom rehabilitation facilities are increasingly dependent, poses numerous challenges. The primary challenge is effectively integrating new staff members into existing teams, ensuring smooth work processes. This project, with its pivotal goal of developing and evaluating a fully digital training program for rehabilitation facility healthcare staff and HR managers, underscores the crucial role of professionals in promoting diversity within teams. The training content will be tailored to meet the needs of both existing staff, including those with and without a migration history, and newly recruited staff from abroad. It will consider additional diversity characteristics such as culture, origin, gender, and age while ensuring objectivity and avoiding biased language.
Methods: The program will be developed using a participatory approach in collaboration with three rehabilitation facilities and their staff. The framework conditions and content of the training program will be developed using qualitative research methods. The initial stage will comprise three development workshops with 6 to10 target group representatives. To evaluate the process, a 'cognitive walkthrough' will be conducted with 8 to 12 individuals, while a qualitative evaluation of the effectiveness will be based on 8 to 10 problem-centered interviews.
Discussion: Adaptive learning may be an effective method for digitally delivering diversity training and assist in onboarding. This approach could be used to provide dynamically and automatically tailored learning paths that are made available as nudges, potentially allowing staff with limited time and budget to participate in diversity training.
Effect of surface texturing on friction and lubrication of Ti6Al4V biomaterials for joint implants
Authors: Ranuša Matúš , Odehnal Lukáš , Kučera Ondřej , Nečas David , Hartl Martin , Křupka Ivan , Vrbka Martin
Published: September 2024

The number of endoprosthetic implants for both large and small joints is increasing at a steady rate, thereby creating a growing demand for durable products that closely replicate the functionality of human joints. Notwithstanding the aforementioned advancements, challenges pertaining to implant fixation and tribological surfaces persist. The advent of progressive technologies, such as three-dimensional printing, offers a promising avenue for addressing these challenges in implant design and surface engineering. Ti6Al4V, renowned for its biocompatibility and osseointegration properties, represents a promising printable material, although it is susceptible to wear on articulating surfaces. In order to mitigate the effects of abrasion, it is essential to implement surface treatments to facilitate the formation of a robust lubricating film. This research investigates the potential of texturing and electrochemical polishing to enhance protein aggregation in the contact area. The study employs a reciprocating simulator and colourimetric interferometry to observe the contact area and measure the coefficient of friction (CoF) of modified surfaces. The findings demonstrate that textured surfaces and the combination of electrochemical polishing result in an increase in the thickness of the protein lubrication film, which may potentially reduce wear. These outcomes suggest the potential for the utilization of Ti6Al4V alloy implants with fewer elements manufactured by additive technology.
Exploring the Feasibility of Using Spent Rooibos Tea Waste-Derived Activated Carbon for Supercapacitor Applications
Authors: Gembo Robert O. , Morake Gorata P. , Orero Bonface O. , Odisitse Sebusi , Msagati Titus AM. , King’ondu Cecil K.
Published: September 2024

The global drive towards sustainable and environmentally friendly energy solutions has led to increased interest in the development of efficient energy storage devices. In this context, the utilization of waste materials as precursors for activated carbon (AC) production has garnered substantial attention. This study investigates the feasibility of using spent Rooibos tea waste (SRTW), a hitherto unexplored precursor, to synthesize AC for supercapacitor applications. The preparation of the AC was optimized by the Taguchi method. The sample generated under optimum conditions (700 ℃, 75 min, and 2 g/g, activation temperature, time and ratio) designated as 2AC700-75, was subjected to morphological analysis by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) which reveal the porous nature of the prepared AC. Concurrently, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) elucidated the presence of carbonaceous functional groups. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) analyses, employed for determining the electric double layer capacitance (EDLC) in the presence of a 6 M potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolytic medium. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) generated a Nyquist plot, revealing a charge transfer resistance value (Rct) of 11.36 Ω. Furthermore, a galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) study determined the specific capacitance (Sc) values of 109.16 and 210 F/g at 0.5 A/g for two and three electrode system, respectively. Remarkably, it exhibited excellent cycling stability, retaining 99.99% of its capacitance and maintaining 100% coulombic efficiency after 5000 cycles at a current density of 2 A g− 1. In a symmetric coin supercapacitor cell with a 6 M KOH solution, 2AC700-75 electrodes exhibited exemplary EDLC behavior, featuring an energy density of 15.16 W h kg− 1 and a power density of 999.2 W kg− 1. The findings illuminate the promising future of waste-to-energy conversion and its critical role in a sustainable and clean energy landscape.
Proapoptotic Bcl-2 inhibitor as host directed therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Jain Sanjay , Singh Medha , Sarhan Mona , Damiba Nerketa , Singh Alok , Villabona-Rueda Andres , Meza Oscar Nino , Chen Xueyi , Ordonez Alvaro , D'Alessio Franco , Aboagye Eric , Carroll Laurence
Published: September 2024

Mycobacterium tuberculosis establishes within host cells by inducing anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, triggering necrosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Here, we demonstrate that navitoclax, an orally bioavailable, small-molecule Bcl-2 inhibitor, significantly improves pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) treatments as a host-directed therapy. Addition of navitoclax to standard TB treatments at human equipotent dosing in mouse models of TB, inhibits Bcl-2 expression, leading to improved bacterial clearance, reduced tissue damage / fibrosis and decreased extrapulmonary bacterial dissemination. Using immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, we show that navitoclax induces apoptosis in several immune cells, including CD68 + and CD11b + cells. Finally, positron emission tomography (PET) in live animals using novel, clinically translatable biomarkers for apoptosis (18F-ICMT-11) and fibrosis (18F-FAPI-74) demonstrates that navitoclax significantly increases apoptosis and reduces fibrosis in pulmonary tissues, which are confirmed using post-mortem studies. Our studies suggest that proapoptotic drugs such as navitoclax can improve pulmonary TB treatments, and should be evaluated in clinical trials.
Psychometric properties of the Feeling of Unsafety Scale – Arabic (FUSA) in general population adults.
Authors: Obeid Sahar , Bitar Zeinab , Malaeb Diana , Sakr Fouad , Dabbous Mariam , Hallit Souheil , Fekih-Romdhane Feten
Published: September 2024

Background: Feelings of unsafety, including fear of crime, uncertainty, or insecurity, can negatively impact individuals by reducing psychological well-being and worsening health. Validating a simple and cost-effective tool to assess the general feeling of unsafety in the Arabic-speaking population, primarily residing in the Middle-East and North-Africa (MENA) region, where safety can be a major concern, would be highly beneficial. The study aimed to translate the Feeling of Unsafety Scale into Arabic (FUSA) and evaluate its psychometric properties, including internal reliability, sex invariance, composite reliability, and correlation with a measure of intolerance of uncertainty.
Methods: A total of 484 Arabic-speaking adults were recruited between March and April 2024. A self-administered anonymous survey was distributed through social media using a Google Forms link. We used FACTOR software to conduct the exploratory factor analysis of the FUSA scale.
Results: The confirmatory factor analysis of the unidimensional model was poor; the exploratory factor analysis conducted on the first split subsample showed a two-factor solution, with the CFA conducted on the second split subsample showing good fit. The latter model fit indices improved even more after adding a correlation between items 2-5 due to high modification indices. the reliability of the scale was excellent as shown by the McDonald’s omega and Cronbach’s alpha values for the total score (ω = 0.89 and α = 0.90), Factor 1 = Feeling of outdoor unsafety (ω = 0.91 and α = 0.91) and Factor 2 = Feeling of indoor unsafety (ω = 0.83 and α = 0.83). Invariance was established between males and females. Good concurrent validity was attested by positive correlations between FUSA scores and intolerance of uncertainty dimensions.
Conclusion: The FUSA is found to be reliable, valid, and cost-effective for measuring the general feeling of unsafety in the general population. To evaluate its practical effectiveness and further enhance data on its construct validity, future studies should assess the scale in diverse contexts and among specific populations.
The emerging face of FOXG1 Syndrome: a rare, genetically defined neurodevelopmental disorder coming of age in the genomics era.
Authors: Mueller Katarina , Shine Mary Grace , Lee Jae , Lee Soo-Kyung , Malone Karen E.
Published: September 2024

Background and Objectives
FOXG1 Syndrome was first identified in 2005 and has been closely associated with Rett Syndrome. However, with access to genetic testing an increasing number of patients have been identified that do not fulfill Rett Syndrome clinical criteria. Utilizing genetic surveys of large, severe neurodevelopmental disease (NDD) cohorts, we provide the first prevalence estimates of FOXG1 Syndrome independent of Rett Syndrome clinical criteria.
Methods
We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies conducting extensive genetic testing on cohorts of severe neurodevelopmental patients within the last ten years. Fourteen studies were included, after exclusion of outliers biased for FOXG1 patients, providing analysis of over 36,000 severe neurodevelopmental disease pediatric patients in total.
Results
FOXG1 patients accounted for 0.20% [95% CI: 0.15–0.25%] of severe NDD pediatric patients. MECP2 and CDKL5 patients accounted for 0.54% [95% CI: 0.47–0.62%] and 0.35% [95% CI: 0.29–0.41%], respectively. This results in an estimated prevalence of 0.6–2.2 FOXG1 patients per 100,000 children or ~ 430–1600 patients in the United States. The estimated prevalence of CDLK5 patients was 2.1–7.7 cases per 100,000 female children, and the estimated prevalence of MECP2 patients was 3.2–11.9 cases per 100,000 female children.
Conclusions
Estimated prevalence of MECP2-driven severe NDD was comparable to estimates based on Rett Syndrome clinical criteria. Similarly, CDKL5-driven NDD were also comparable to an earlier study. However, prevalence estimates for FOXG1-associated severe NDD were ~ 10 times higher than expected if limited to reports based on Rett Syndrome clinical criteria. This data further supports that both FOXG1 Syndrome and CDKL5 deficiency represent distinct and sizable patient populations as compared to MECP2-associated Rett Syndrome. These findings have immediate implications for improved diagnosis of these patients and highlight the benefits of genetic testing in identifying them.
COVID-19 vaccination survey and anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1 IgG responses in a human cohort from Schistosoma mansoni-endemic villages in Mayuge, Uganda: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Niu Mimi , Mu Yi , Adriko Moses , Candia Rowel , Jones Malcolm K. , McManus Donald P. , Egwang Thomas G. , Cai Pengfei
Published: September 2024

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic precipitated devastating health and economic consequences globally. Vaccination has been a central pillar for COVID-19 prevention and control. Understanding the immunomodulatory effects of helminth infections on COVID-19 vaccine-induced immune responses and vaccine efficacy is crucial to the development and deployment of effective vaccination strategies in low- and middle-income countries with high prevalence of worms.
Methods: In September 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional, population-based survey in five Schistosoma mansoniendemic villages in Mayuge District, Uganda (n=450). The prevalence of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths was determined by the Kato-Katz (KK) technique on two stool samples collected from each participant. A subset of individuals (n=204) were interviewed in a COVID-19 vaccination survey. IgG levels against the SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 subunit (Anti-S1 IgG) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assays using collected serum samples.
Results: The overall schistosomiasis and hookworm prevalence in the five villages was 36.4% (166/450) and 36.9% (168/450), respectively. Within the cohort, 69.78% (314/450) subjects showed a positive anti-S1 IgG response. COVID-19 vaccination coverage in interviewed participants was 93.14% (190/204; 95% CI, 88.8% − 95.9%). However, 81% (154/190) COVID-19 vaccinees had an anti-S1 IgG titer ≤ 200. In an adolescent group receiving a single dose of BNT162b2 vaccine (n=23), an inverse correlation was observed between anti-S1 IgG antibody levels/titers and faecal egg counts. Within the above group, anti-S1 IgG levels/titers were significantly low in subjects with a moderate-to-heavy S. mansoni infections (n=5) compared with KK-negative individuals (n=9). IgG1 was the dominant IgG subclass in sub-groups vaccinated with a single dose of the BNT162b2 (n=23) or Ad26.COV2.S (n=18).
Conclusion: Although the acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination was high, the majority of participants received only a single vaccine dose and the overall anti-S1 IgG titers in confirmed vaccinees were low. Moderate-to-heavy intensity schistosome infections blunted the antibody response following vaccination with a single dose of BNT162b2. These observations confirm the necessity for a second vaccine dose for two-dose primary immunization series and call for implementation research that may inform the development of a ‘treat and vaccinate’ policy during vaccination roll-out in regions with heavy worm burdens.
An overview of Self-Supervised Image Denoising
Authors: Zhang Dan
Published: September 2024

The advent of deep learning has brought a revolutionary transformation to image denoising techniques. The persistent challenge of acquiring noisy-clean pairs for supervised methods in real-world scenarios remains formidable, necessitating the exploration of more practical self-supervised image denoising. However, although a large number of reviews on deep learning image denoising methods have emerged in recent years, there is no review specifically on self-supervised image denoising methods. This paper focuses on self-supervised image denoising methods that offer effective solutions to address this challenge. Our comprehensive review analyzes the latest advancements in self-supervised image denoising approaches, categorizing them into three distinct classes: General methods, Blind Spot Network (BSN)-based methods, and Transformer-based methods. For each class, we provide a concise theoretical analysis along with their practical applications. To assess the effectiveness of these methods, we present both quantitative and qualitative experimental results on various datasets. Additionally, we critically discuss the current limitations of these methods and propose promising directions for future research. By offering a detailed overview of recent developments in self-supervised image denoising, this review serves as an invaluable resource for researchers and practitioners in the field, facilitating a deeper understanding of this emerging domain and inspiring further advancements.
Optimizing Automated Essay Scoring: Achieving Comparable Performance with Simpler Machine Learning Models through Effective Feature Engineering
Authors: USMAN QAMAR , USMAN QAMAR
Published: September 2024

Automated Essay Scoring (AES) systems are crucial in modern education, providing scalable and consistent assessments of student writing. While large language models (LLMs) like BERT and DeBERTa have demonstrated state-of-the-art performance in various Natural Language Processing (NLP) tasks, their high computational demands limit their applicability in resource-constrained educational environments. This paper explores the potential of simpler machine learning models—Support Vector Machines (SVM), LightGBM (LGB), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN)—in achieving comparable AES performance through effective feature engineering. By leveraging a dataset of over 17,000 student essays from diverse backgrounds, we demonstrate that with thoughtful feature selection and transformation, these models can achieve Quadratic Weighted Kappa (QWK) scores competitive with those of more complex LLMs, with SVM and ANN models reaching QWK scores of 0.79 and LGB achieving 0.80 on test data. Our findings highlight the viability of using less computationally intensive models for AES, making such systems more accessible to a broader range of educational institutions. This research offers practical insights into developing efficient and scalable AES solutions that maintain high performance while reducing the computational burden.
Hemisection : Split to save a compromised tooth- A case report
Authors: Thakur Vivek , Vishal Sharma  , Anshu Minocha
Published: September 2024

Hemisection involves splitting of a mandibular molar into two halves, removing the damaged root with its accompanying part of crown and leaving the intact root along with crown in place. This form of treatment may be used when only one root has been affected by periodontal, resorption, perforation and caries involving furcation area while another root remains in good condition. Hemisection of the damaged tooth assists to maintain the tooth’s structure and the alveolar bone surrounding it. The key element to ensuring the long-term success in such cases is the proper case selection. This case report shows the hemisection of a mandibular molar in a young patient, followed by an appropriate restoration.
KIMI.AR Application for Easier and Interactive Chemistry Learning
Authors: Irawan Elysa Nensy , Salman Fauzie , Putri Aisyah Aira , Sakti Rizky Hamdani , Mulya Tri Seda , Venica Liptia
Published: September 2024

Chemistry is a crucial subject since it covers the structure and makeup of the world around us. However, chemistry is frequently cited as a subject that students dislike. Most secondary school pupils believe that chemistry is difficult, uninteresting, and unimportant. Therefore, an improvement in learning technic is needed. An application called KIMI.AR was created in this research. KIMI.AR is a learning media in the form of a mobile-based augmented reality application regarding elements and the formation of chemical reactions that are expected to solve high school students' problems in the chemistry learning process. What makes the KIMI.AR application better than other chemistry learning applications is the focus on the displayed material according to the user's level and displaying descriptions in addition to 3D visualization that students can access through their respective Android devices. So, through the KIMI.AR application, learning chemistry becomes easier and more interesting.
Misalignments in prepaid water technology: findings from urban poor settings of Kampala, Uganda
Authors: Ahabwe Gerald Zihembire , Ssewaya Achilles , Batega Dauda Waiswa , Kayaga Sam
Published: September 2024

Progressive urban water utilities in developing countries have, since the mid-2000s deployed prepaid dispensers (PPDs) to provide reliable and equitably priced water services to slum residents. This paper reports on a study that evaluates the performance of the PPDs first deployed in the slums of Kampala in 2006 by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Uganda's main urban water utility. By February 2020, over 1,400 PPDs were installed in 20 slums, serving residents through over 33,000 access tokens. Data were collected in 2019/2020 through 275 household questionnaires, 17 key informant interviews, and 8 focus group discussions. The main finding was that although the PPD technology has achieved a relatively high diffusion rate, water drawn therefrom was an average of a paltry 7 litres per capita per day, meaning that many slum residents still rely on other water sources of doubtful quality. Key misalignments include misappropriation by local middlemen, who inflate the prices; high levels of technical malfunctions; and the utility's overreliance on international development financing for asset maintenance and expansion. NWSC should mainstream the pro-poor service department and build the necessary capabilities to ensure better technical functionality of the PPDs, including setting up smart partnerships where necessary.