bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
İbn Mâce’nin Mukaddimesinin Mukaddime Kavramı ve Hadis Usûlü Açısından Tahlili
Authors: KILIÇ Bilge
Published: December 2023

Bu makalede, İbn Mâce’nin (ö. 273/887) es-Sünen ismi ile meşhur olan eserinin girişinde yer alan ve herhangi bir kitap/bölüm başlığı taşımayan bâblar ve ihtiva ettikleri rivayetler Hadis usûlü açısından ele alınmıştır. Söz konusu bâbların mukaddime sayılıp sayılmayacağı, mukaddime isminin kim ya da kimler tarafından ve neden verildiği araştırılmış bu konuda farklı birçok baskı incelenmiştir. Mukaddime isminin müellif tarafından verilmediği anlaşılan bu bölüme sonraları mukaddime adı verilip bu şekilde yaygınlaşmış olması dikkate alınarak bir Hadis usûlü kavramı olarak mukaddime özelliğini ne ölçüde taşıyıp taşımadığı konu edilmiştir. Her bir müstakil bâb başlığı ve ihtiva ettiği rivayetler bu çerçevede incelenerek bunlardan hareketle hangi Hadis usûlü kavramlarının elde edilebileceği gösterilmeye çalışılmıştır. Ayrıca Hadis usûlü ile ilgili sonuçlar çıkarılmıştır. Genel olarak farklı pek çok çalışmaya konu edilmiş olan es-Sünen bu açıdan ele alınmamıştır. Makale bu anlamda bir ilk olma özelliği taşımakta ve İbn Mace’nin es-Sünen’ine Hadis usûlü açısından bakmanın önemini mukaddime özelinde örneklemektedir.
ANT COLONY OPTIMIZATION TO DETERMINE THE SHORTEST ROUTE OF TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN BALI : A CASE STUDY
Authors: Mas Diyasa I Gede Susrama
Published: December 2023

Bali is one of the popular tourist destinations in Indonesia. As technology develops, the tourism sector also gets support in the process. The problem we address in this research is to determine the closest distance to travel in Bali. The purpose of this study is to assist users in deciding which route is better to visit first so that it is more effective in terms of energy, gasoline usage, and time. We proposed a shortest route system using ant colony optimization (ACO). ACO then compared with other optimization method. ACO produces a great result with the optimal distance and reasonable amount of search time.
The Bering Strait's Overlooked Role in Amplified Arctic Warming: Insights from High-Resolution Climate Simulations
Authors: Chang Ping , Xu Gaopeng , Rencurrel Michael , Liu Xiaoqing , Zhang Qiuying , Danabasoglu Gokhan , Yeager Stephen , Rosenbloom Nan , Castruccio Frederic , Steele Michael , Weijer Wilbert , Li Yuchen
Published: December 2023

The Arctic region has experienced an alarming warming trend, nearly four times faster than the global average since 19791, with far-reaching global implications. However, future Arctic warming rates projected by models are uncertain. One of the key factors contributing to this uncertainty is the ocean heat transport (OHT) into the Arctic Ocean2. While the impact of Atlantic OHT on Arctic sea ice and warming has been extensively studied3–7, here we present compelling evidence that the OHT through the Bering Strait exerts a more substantial influence on Arctic warming than previously recognized. Our findings are derived from an unprecedented ensemble of high-resolution historical and future climate simulations (HR)8,9, which exhibit a 20% larger warming rate in the period of 2006-2100 compared to standard low-resolution model simulations (LR) commonly employed in the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports. The enhanced warming in HR is primarily attributed to an increase of OHT through the narrow and shallow Bering Strait that is nearly four times larger than in LR. Consequently, our study suggests that the projected rate of Arctic warming by current IPCC-class models is likely to be underestimated due to insufficient model resolution in capturing future changes in Bering Strait OHT.
Methane production potential from anaerobic digestion of wolfberry residues
Authors: Meng Yan , Zhang Defang , Li Yi , Han Rui
Published: December 2023

To resourcefully utilize wolfberry residues (WR), a mesophilic batch anaerobic digestion experiment was conducted, and methane production potential was assessed using response surface methodology (RSM). The results showed that the optimal process conditions for methane production from WR included an organic load (OL) of 14.76 g VS/L, an inoculum to substrate ratio (I/S) of 2.44, and an initial pH = 7.82, all of which were obtained via RSM. The measured cumulative methane yield value under these conditions was 430.03 mL/g VS, which was very close to the predicted value (425.54 mL/g VS), with a relative error less than 5%. This result indicated that the response surface model was effective. It was also found that compared to other residual biomass types, WR had a strong potential for methane production and represents a promising feedstock for fermentation. This research not only highlights a new potential feedstock for biogas engineering, WR but advances anaerobic digestion applications for WR from theory to practice.
Autophagy caused by oxidative stress promotes TGF-β1-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in human peritoneal mesothelial cells
Authors: Kim Yong-Lim , Oh Se-Hyun , Yook Ju-Min , Jung Hee-Yeon , Choi Ji-Young , Cho Jang-Hee , Park Sun-Hee , Kim Chan-Duck , Lim Jeong-Hoon
Published: December 2023

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important cause of peritoneal fibrosis. However, pathophysiological mechanism of EMT, specifically its relationship with autophagy, is still unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the role of autophagy in TGF-β1-induced EMT in human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs). Primary cultured HPMCs were treated with TGF-β1 (2 and 5 ng/mL) and changes in the autophagy-related markers and association between autophagy and EMT were evaluated. Furthermore, we identified changes in EMT- and autophagy-related signaling pathways after autophagy and NOX4 inhibition. TGF-β1 increased the generation of NOX4 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HPMCs, which resulted in mitochondrial damage. Moreover, treatment with GKT137831 (20 µM), a NOX1/4 inhibitor, reduced ROS in the mitochondria of HPMC cells and reduced TGF-β1-induced mitochondrial damage. Additionally, the indirect inhibition of autophagy by GKT137831 (20 µM) downregulated TGF-β1-induced EMT, whereas direct inhibition of autophagy using 3-methyladenine (2 mM) or ATG5 gene silencing decreased the TGF-β1-induced EMT in HPMCs. The Smad2/3 pathways, autophagy-related PI3K Class III and AKT pathways, and MAPK signaling pathways, such as ERK and P38, were involved in the TGF-β1-induced EMT. Moreover, autophagy and NOX4 inhibition suppressed the activation of these signaling pathways. Inhibition of autophagy, either by direct inhibition of autophagy or indirectly by reducing mitochondrial damage through upstream NOX4 inhibition, resulted in reduced EMT in the HPMCs. Autophagy could serve as a therapeutic target to prevent peritoneal fibrosis in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.
Species richness promotes plant productivity by suppressing plant antagonists
Authors: Wan Nian-Feng , Wang Yu-Quan , Fu Liwan , Liu Jie , Woodcock Ben , Hu Yueqing , Eskelinen Anu , Hector Andew , Loreau Michel , Hautier Yann , Bardgett Richard , Kardol Paul , Zuppinger-Dingley Debra , Fraser Lauchlan , Bullock James , Xin Fengfei , Zhou Jia , Scherber Christoph
Published: December 2023

The diversity-productivity relationship predicts a positive effect of plant species richness on primary productivity. One key mechanism predicted to underlie this relationship is the effect of plant diversity on the suppression of plant antagonists, including invertebrate herbivores, plant diseases, antagonistic plants in an agricultural context (i.e., weeds), root-feeding nematodes, or plant-consuming rodents. Here, we conduct a global meta-analysis from 609 biodiversity manipulation studies and complementary path analyses, and show that increasing plant species richness promotes plant productivity by decreasing plant antagonist pressure in terrestrial ecosystems (especially in agroecosystems), with similar patterns seen for herbaceous and woody plants as well as in tropical and temperate zones. These results demonstrate how a key mechanism underpinning the diversity-productivity relationship can be explained via weakened effects of antagonists on plant productivity. Our findings provide new evidence supporting a multitrophic diversity-productivity relationship and highlight the importance of maintaining species diversity to promote productivity as an ecosystem function in both agricultural and more natural systems.
Paper defect detection based on improved canny edge detection algorithm and multi-feature fusion method
Authors: Wang Zaiyang , He Qian , Liu Xikun , Ren Guojie , Tan Chengdan
Published: December 2023

The automatic detection of paper defects is an important quality control measure in the paper production industry. This work aims to detect and identify holes, spots, cracks, and creases during the production of wrapping paper. The improved Canny algorithm and multi-feature fusion method are proposed and verified in experiments. The sampled captured paper images are pre-processed by the greyscale method and Gaussian filtering to suppress background noises. Then, an adaptive Canny edge algorithm enhanced by the morphological process is used to segment defects in the image. To classify four types of the defects, a fused multi-feature of shape features and texture features is proposed. The area and aspect ratio of the defect are calculated as shape features, while four statistics of the GLCM algorithm are adopted as texture features. The proposed method achieves an accuracy of 96.43\% with a RBF-SVM classifier optimized by a ten-fold cross-validation. The results show a considerable improvement in segmentation and classification of paper defects.
Golgi-associated retrograde protein (GARP) complex recruits retromer to trans-Golgi network for FgKex2 and FgSnc1 recycling, necessary for development and pathogenicity of Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Zheng Wenhui , Long Yunfei , Chen Xin , Chen Jia , Zhang Haoran , Lin Ying , Cheng Shuyuan , Pu Neng , Zhou Xuandong , Sheng Renzhi , Abubakar Yakubu Saddeeq , Zheng Huawei , Yun Yingzi , Lu Guo-dong , Wang Zonghua
Published: December 2023

In eukaryotic cells, the retromer complex plays a crucial role in orchestrating the sorting and retrograde transport of cargo proteins from endosomes to the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Despite its significance, the molecular details of this intracellular trafficking process remain unclear. Here, we identified a Golgi-associated retrograde protein (GARP) complex as a mediator of vesicular transport, facilitating the recruitment of the retromer complex to TGN to exert its functions. The GARP complex is mainly localized to the TGN, where it interacts with the retromer complex. This interaction is evolutionarily conserved across different species. Furthermore, we identified FgKex2 and Fgsnc1 as cargo proteins in the GARP/retromer-mediated recycling pathway. Loss of GARP or retromer results in a complete mis-sorting of FgKex2 and FgSnc1 to the vacuolar degradation pathway, which affects the growth, development, toxisome biogenesis, and pathogenicity of F. graminearum. In summary, we assert that GARP facilitates the recruitment of retromer from endosomes to the TGN, orchestrating the recycling of FgKex2 and FgSnc1. This is integral to sustaining continuous growth, development and contributes significantly to the pathogenicity of F. graminearum.
Susceptibility Assessment of Rockfall in Karst Regions based on Information Entropy and Multi-Model Coupling
Authors: Xie Wei-an , Peng San-xi , Gu Shi-fei , Li Yi-wen , Fei Wang-jun , Xiang Xing-duo
Published: December 2023

Rockfall is one of the primary geological hazards in karst regions. In order to study the susceptibility distribution patterns of rockfall disasters in karst areas, the research areain Xincheng County is selected in this study and data are collected at 172 historical rockfall points under different geological environments. Various factors, including aspect, slope, elevation, terrain relief, plan curvature, profile curvature, landform type, roughness, coefficient of variation, lithology, fault distance, rainfall, distance to rivers, NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), and distance to roads, are employed to construct four coupling models, e.g. IV-RF, IV-CHAID, IV-MLP and IV-SVM. Through comparative analysis of the accuracy and reliability of these models, the optimal evaluation model is determined. The results indicate the corresponding AUC (Area Under the Curve) values for the four models, IV-MLP, IV-CHAID, IV-RF, and IV-SVM, are 0.854, 0.86, 0.862, and 0.888, respectively. For prediction of rockfall in karst areas, rainfall, profile curvature, and coefficient of variation are identified as the most significant factors, accounting for 21%, 18%, and 11%, respectively. These factors indirectly promote water movement in karst areas, consequently influencing rockfall occurrences.
Anti-inflammatory Effects of Nanoparticles Containing Alpha-Humulene in a Model of Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Wendler Sabrina Aparecida , Nunes Jéssica Roberta , Dranski Lais Fernanda , Mainardes Rubiana Mara , Machado Christiane Schineider , Bini Ana Carolina Dorigoni , Schiewe João Alfredo , Miranda Livia Hoyer Garcia , Kerppers Ivo Ilvan
Published: December 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes impairment in activities of daily living. Although there is no consensus on the pathophysiology, it is known that neuroinflammation is associated with the condition.
Objective:To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of nanoparticles containing alpha-humulene (HUM) in an experimental model of AD.
Methodology: 33 animals were part of the sample, 3 of which were in the negative control group. The other 30 received the amyloid-beta peptide in the CA1 hippocampal region for the neuroinflammation process. They rested for 30 days for the inflammatory process to occur. The HUM group was treated with α-humulene particles, the NHUM with α-humulene nanoparticles for 15 days, and the CP group wasn’t treated.
Results:There was a significant difference in IFNconcentration between CP and CN (p=0.0001), HUM and CN (p=0.0003), CP and NHUM (p=0.0006), and HUM and NHUM (p=0.0495) groups. TNF showed no difference between groups. IL-6 showed difference between CP and NHUM (p=0.0078) and CP and CN (p=0.0009). IL-12 showed difference between the CP and CN (p=0.0001) and NHUM and CN (p=0.0160). Among all, the highest concentration was in the CP group. Concerning IL-10, there was a difference between the CP and NHUM (p=0.0003) and NHUM and CN (p=0.0005), with NHUM having the highest concentration. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed in Anti-Tau and Anti-GAPF a strong positive in the CP, a positive in the HUM, and a weak positive in the NHUM group.
Conclusion: The Alzheimer's model used and the treatments with HUM and NHUM were effective.
Effect of perceived crowding on risk perception in leisure sports based on Edward T Hall’s concept of ‘proxemics’
Authors: Kang Seungwoo , Kim Youngjae
Published: December 2023

This study investigates the social distancing measures necessary for participants to safely engage in leisure sports activities and comply with social distancing requirements during epidemics. Based on crowding and risk perception in public spaces in the context of an epidemic, this investigation was conducted in terms of distance in Edward T. Hall’s concept of ‘proxemics’. The participants were males aged 20–65 years who had used spaces for leisure sports in South Korea during COVID-19. An online survey was conducted from 20 September 2021 to 20 October 2021, and data from 391 participants were used for the final analysis. Measures of perceived crowding, risk perception, and Hall’s proxemics were used as tools after they had been modified and validated. The results show that perceived crowding according to space for leisure sports activities during COVID-19 affected individual risk perception in indoor leisure sports and social risk perception in outdoor leisure activities. Perceived crowding according to proxemics influenced (1) personal, social, and public distances in individual risk perception and (2) public and social distances in social risk perception. Therefore, it is necessary to re-examine the scope of social distancing in developing risk perception and reducing the perceived crowding of participants in leisure sports to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Individuals must make an effort to maintain a minimum distance from one another, the public must be educated via the media, and warnings must be disseminated to reduce crowding and prevent infection spread.
Closed-loop circularity of mixed biomass waste: cellulose extraction and conversion into cellulose acetate bioplastic for use as growing substrates in plant cultivation
Authors: Chen Yuanyuan , Liu Handai , Portela Alexandre
Published: December 2023

Currently, composting remains the primary method of processing mixed biomass waste, despite being a plentiful and renewable resource, the heterogeneous nature and widespread distribution of the mixed biomass waste have led to its underutilization. Similar situation in space, 80% of space-grown crop results in biomass waste, and the current waste disposal method of storing wastes and returning them to Earth or burning them up in the atmosphere is not suitable for long-duration human space exploration missions. In addition, Rockwool has been currently utilized as the growing substrate for space plant cultivation, which is not sustainable and depends on space logistics. Therefore, this study investigated a novel circular approach of converting mixed biomass waste into bioplastics and using it as a growing substrate to support plant growth, then the plant residue was converted into bioplastics again. Mixed garden waste was collected and treated with alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) to extract cellulose. The cellulose content of the AHP-treated biomass increased by 75%, while the hemicellulose and lignin contents decreased by 46% and 58%, respectively. The cellulose extraction performance of AHP was assessed by FTIR and SEM. A solvent-free acetylation method using anhydride and iodine was used to convert the extracted cellulose into cellulose acetate (CA). A degree of substitution of 2.5 was measured using a titration technique. Triethyl citrate (TEC) was used to plasticize the synthesized CA by dissolving them both in acetone. The plasticization and 3D printability of plasticized CA were assessed with DSC and rheological tests. Porous structures were produced using the plasticized CA and a self-constructed granule-based material extrusion printer. Plant garden peas were able to grow on these porous structures. After the harvesting, the plant residues were reprocessed into CA, showing a circular approach to the mixed biomass waste valorisation.
Climate Extreme Scenarios affecting the Italian Energy System with a Multi-Hazard Approach
Authors: Faggian Paola , Trevisiol Arianna
Published: December 2023

The operation of the energy system can be compromised by extreme weather events that can impact generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, as well as energy demand, and will face even more critical situations in the coming decades due to ongoing climate change. The challenge concerns particularly the infrastructures with long technical life. To support decision makers in planning adaptation actions for increasing the resilience of the Italian Energy System, some analyses about the expected meteorological threats over Italy have been carried out. The study aims to identify the Italian regions more prone to climate extremes at short- (2021–2050), medium- (2041–2070) and long-term (2071–2100) by using 12 high-resolution Euro-CORDEX models under the emission pathways RCP8.5, RCP4.5 and RCP2.6. For this purpose, a subset of the WMO ETCCDI indices was used. In addition, a multi-hazard analysis was carried out by defining the three indices DRO, STO, and MUHZ to characterize respectively droughts conditions, strong winds and heavy rainfalls, and the areas affected to multiple threats, considering the hazards at which power infrastructure are particularly vulnerable. At short term, under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 hypotheses, the Southern Italy and Islands will already have to deal with a significant increase of drought conditions, that are projected to progressively extend from summer to autumn and then to spring, whereas the Central-Northern Italy will suffer particularly from storms. A decrease of wet days and, consequently, a lengthening of dry spells are generally expected, but extreme precipitations will be more frequent and more destructive, in particular over Po Valley and the eastern Italian coasts. Po Valley, Adriatic and Tyrrhenian coasts are projected to be the areas most exposed to a plurality of threats, but no Italian region will be safe from an enhancement of climate change hazards both in frequency and intensity during the Century in all three RCPs, with more and more severe conditions from RCP2.6 to RCP8.5 and from short- to long-term.
TEST-Net: Transformer-Enhanced Spatio-Temporal Network for infectious disease prediction
Authors: Chen Kai , Liu Yao , Ji Tianjiao , Zhang Yi , Chen Yang
Published: December 2023

Outbreaks of infectious diseases have caused tremendous human suffering and incalculable economic losses, and infectious diseases are a global public health problem that threatens human society.
Therefore, it is necessary to model the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of infectious diseases, explore the transmission trend of infectious diseases, establish an infection early warning model and take corresponding preventive and control measures, which can make the prevention and control work more targeted and forward-looking.
Given the complex spatial correlation and temporal variation of infectious diseases, deep learning-based Spatio-temporal sequence prediction is widely employed because of its superior performance in capturing Spatio-temporal features.
However, current deep learning-based infectious disease prediction methods utilize an encoder-decoder structure that provides barely satisfactory accuracy due to a lack of understanding of infectious disease prevalence factors or deficiencies in capturing representative Spatio-temporal patterns.
In this paper, we develop the Transformer-Enhanced Spatio-Temporal Network (TEST-Net) which consists of a temporal location coding module and a Spatio-temporal feature fusion module for Infectious disease prediction.
Temporal information is input in TEST-Net by Temporal Location Encoding (TLE), and temporal and spatial correlation of sequences is extracted by a transformer-based attention network, and temporal features are fused with spatial features by a Spatio-temporal feature fusion network.
Compared with other state-of-the-art methods, qualitative and quantitative results show that TSET-Net has an excellent performance in modeling the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of data and performs well in the accuracy of long-term prediction of infectious disease.
Failure analysis and numerical simulation of the regulating valve in the black- water treatment system
Authors: Cui Bochao , Chen Ping , Liu Boshen , Zhao Yuanqi , Zheng Jiaqi
Published: December 2023

The black-water regulating valve is very easy to be damaged due to the erosion of the key components, such as valve spool and valve seat. This work presents the failure analysis of the spool and seat of regulating valve in the black-water treatment system. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) were used to detect the morphology and chemical compositions of failure valve samples. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was also adopted to simulate the medium flow characteristics in black-water regulating valve. The results show that most erosion areas of the valve occur at the spool-seat throttle zone. The erosion profile is mainly manifested in plastic deformation pits, cutting abrasions, furrows, pinhole pits and impact pits. The particles and cavitation bubbles move toward the throttle zone driven by black-water medium, causing particles impact and bubbles collapse. The valve suffered severe particle erosion and cavitation erosion under the particle impact and bubble collapse, finally resulting in its failure.
Single-Cell Transcriptomic, hdWGCNA, and Machine Learning reveal the Role of DYNLL1 in Lung Adenocarcinoma within Epithelial Cells
Authors: Wu Jintao , Liu Haiyun , Yang Xianxin , Liu Xiaohua , Mao Xiaocheng , Li Zhao , Peng Huopin , Li Dou , Mao Junying , Li Xingquan , Ji Daozhi , Fan Yiwei , Han Chunbin
Published: December 2023

Background: Lung cancer has the highest morbidity and mortality worldwide. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common histological subtype and tends to be diagnosed at advanced stages with poor prognosis. Tumor heterogeneity and lack of prognostic biomarkers pose significant challenges for personalized therapy. Single-cell sequencing provides new opportunities to characterize intratumor heterogeneity and identify prognostic markers for early diagnosis or treatment target.
Methods: In this study, we analyzed single cell RNA sequencing data of 11 normal lung tissue samples and 11 LUAD samples from the GEO dataset GSE131907. High dimensional Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (hdWGCNA) was applied to the single-cell expression profile of epithelial cells to construct gene co-expression modules. Subsequently, a 13-gene prognostic signature was established by integrating 207 models with 15 machine learning algorithms in a cross validation framework. The correlation of the hub gene DYNLL1 with prognosis, clinical characteristics and biological pathways were comprehensively analyzed. Furthermore, loss-of-function assays by siRNA knockdown of DYNLL1 were performed to examine its functional role in LUAD cell lines.
Results: Significant differences in immune cell type distributions were observed between normal and tumor tissues, indicating important immune dysregulations during LUAD development. hdWGCNA identified 27 modules in LUAD epithelial cells potentially associated with tumorigenesis and disease outcomes. The 13-gene prognostic model effectively stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups with distinct survival. DYNLL1 was identified as an independent prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target. High expression of DYNLL1 positively correlated with advanced tumor stage and poorer survival. Knockdown of DYNLL1 expression suppressed cancer cell proliferation and invasion capacities.
Conclusions: Our study provided in-depth characterization of LUAD at single-cell resolution, identified key gene modules and prognostic biomarkers, and suggested DYNLL1 as a candidate prognostic predictor and therapeutic target, pending further verification in clinical settings. Keywords: Lung adenocarcinoma、scRNA_seq、hdWGCNA、machine learning 、Prognostic biomarker
Predictors of Two Minute Walk Distance in Healthy Indian Adults (18-40years)
Authors: Vaish Hina , Sharma Digvijay
Published: December 2023

Background: In recent year the two minute walk test (2MWT) is has been used in different health conditions, but the interpretation of its results is limited due to a shortage of reference values and prediction equations. The distance measured in 2MWT is known as two minute walk distance (2MWD). The aims of this study were 1) to measure 2MWD in healthy Indian adult 2) to determine the applicability of Selman et al. reference equation to Indian adult and 3) to find predictors of 2MWT in healthy Indian adults.
Methods: After initial screening and investigations, 2MWT were conducted in subjects aged 18–40 years.
Results: The mean (±SD) 2MWD was 220.47 ± 12.65m in males and 185.33 ± 17.49m in females. Selman et al. reference equation did not correctly predict distance in an Indian population: 2MWT was overestimated by a mean (±SD) of 24.71+14.31 m. The gender specific regression equations were developed. Predicted 2MWD (m) in males = 196.701+ 0.664 x Height (cm) – 0.715 x Age (years) -2.488 x BMI (kg/m2.) and predicted 2MWD (m) in females = 147.972+0.644 x Height (cm)–1.169 x Age (years)-0.506 x Weight (kg).
Conclusions: Selman et al. equation cannot be used to predict the 2MWD in Indian adult. The new regression equation for 2MWD is expected to prove useful for assessment purposes and prescribing exercises in healthy Indian adults aged 18-40 years.
A Qualitative Study on Community Usage of Antibiotics in Mogadishu-Somalia
Authors: Mohamed Shafi”i Abdulahi Ma’alim , Bashir Ahmed Muhammad
Published: December 2023

Aim
This study examines the knowledge and usage of antibiotics among participants in Somalia. Obtaining antibiotics from pharmacies based on perceived indications is common, driven by self-medication or advice from non-medical sources due to financial constraints.
Methods
The study used qualitative research design and data were gathered primarily through in-depth semi-structured interviews, employing a carefully designed interview guide. Participants were intentionally selected to encompass diverse medical and educational backgrounds, ensuring a comprehensive representation of the community. A total of 20 participants were interviewed, providing a sufficiently robust dataset for analysis.
Results
The study reveals that participants have a basic understanding of antibiotics and use them primarily for treating infections, naming specific examples. Dosage guidance varies, with participants relying on pharmacy salespersons, package leaflets, past prescriptions, or medical advice. Non-compliance with prescribed antibiotic courses is also prevalent. Concerns about the quality of antibiotics in the market are expressed, with participants favouring medicines imported from local markets of exporting countries.
Conclusion
The findings underscore the need for education and awareness campaigns to address knowledge gaps and promote responsible antibiotic use. Improving healthcare access, implementing regulatory measures, enhancing pharmaceutical quality, and properly training pharmacy personnel are necessary to ensure safe antibiotic use and combat antibiotic resistance.
Associated risk factors of gastroenteritis in infancy
Authors: AbdulHassan Shaima’a Dakhel
Published: December 2023

Introduction
Gastroenteritis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in a variety of symptoms like cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort and dehydration. This ailment can manifest in two forms: acute or chronic. Acute gastroenteritis typically resolves within two weeks, while chronic gastroenteritis may persist for a period ranging from 14 to 30 days. Significantly, gastroenteritis can affect individuals of all age groups and poses a significant health risk, particularly in children. Chronic gastroenteritis stands as a leading cause of childhood mortality, and diarrhea remains a widespread illness among children worldwide.
Patients and Methods
A study was conducted involving 200 children, comprising a hundred cases and a hundred controls, to investigate the issues linked to gastroenteritis in children within their first years of life. The cases included children diagnosed with gastroenteritis, while controls comprised healthy children. To ensure the study's accuracy, children admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or severely ill due to conditions other than gastroenteritis were excluded from the cases. Similarly, the control group consisted of children without any underlying diseases.
Results
A notable disparity emerged in various factors, including patient age, gender, maternal education, family structure, socioeconomic status and household income. These findings suggest that less education at home, unfavorable socioeconomic status, and restricted family income are potential risk factors associated with the development of gastroenteritis. Furthermore, the study also revealed significant distinctions in aspects related to child health, such as feeding patterns, the daily intake of meals, maternal responses to a child's diarrhea, consumption of boiled water, the child's penchant for consuming unpreserved food items, and the practice of sterilizing feeding equipment.
Accuracy of “high-quality” rating using the AMSTAR 2 tool for systematic reviews of prospective, controlled, clinical therapy trials. An empirical investigation (Protocol)
Authors: Mickenautsch Steffen , Yengopal Veerasamy
Published: December 2023

Aim: To investigate the likelihood that systematic reviews with “high-quality” AMSTAR 2 rating are affected by high risk of systematic error (bias).
Methods: A systematic literature search of current meta-reviews (systematic reviews of systematic reviews) will be conducted. From the identified meta-reviews, systematic reviews with “high” and “low” or “critically low” AMSTAR 2 quality rating will be extracted. All meta-analysis of the systematic reviews will be statistically tested for selection bias and the reviewed trials re-appraised for bias risk using the CQS-2B tool. From the test and re-appraisal results true positive, true negative, false positive or false negative results will be established and the negative and positive likelihood ratios with 95% Confidence interval computed. From the likelihood ratios the likelihood that systematic reviews with “high-quality” AMSTAR 2 rating are affected by high risk of systematic error will be inferred.
Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval is not required for methodological studies. The results will be disseminated as a prior preprint version and subsequent peer-reviewed publication.
Genetic Insights into the Therapeutic Targets for Essential Hypertension: Mendelian Randomization and Colocalization Analysis
Authors: Hu Ben , Feng Jun , Luo Chunmiao , Shu Jinlian , Fan Yinguang , Hou Linlin
Published: December 2023

The prevalence of Essential Hypertension (EH) is increasing globally, and the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments remains far from ideal. Combining Mendelian Randomization (MR) to identify potential drug targets may be key to reducing the disease burden and developing potential treatments. We utilized the UK Biobank cohort (ncase = 54358, ncontrol = 408652) to extract summary statistics for EH and further validated in the FinnGen cohort (ncase = 92462, ncontrol = 265626). Cis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTL) from available druggable genes were retrieved and used as genetic instrumental variables. Two-sample MR analysis and colocalization analysis were conducted to examine whether identified genes and EH share variants, further consolidating MR results. Ten drug targets (FES, SLC22A4, PTK2B, BLK, ITPR1, NEGR1, GRK4, ADM, MAPK3, MAST3) showed significant MR results in two independent datasets, with no reverse causation observed. Colocalization analysis indicated that FES (PP.H4 = 0.99) and SLC22A4 (PP.H4 = 0.82) shared the same variants with EH, providing strong evidence. Additionally, FES showed significant associations with reduced risk of coronary artery disease, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure, while SLC22A4 was significantly associated with increased diastolic blood pressure. Our results suggest that targeting FES and SLC22A4 might treat or cause EH, potentially revealing new pathophysiological pathways and treatment targets for EH.
Innovation Working Trends: A Review About Well-Being and Work Motivation Relations of People Working from Home
Authors: Dicle Salih , Yildirim Elvan
Published: December 2023

This paper reports on the well-being and work motivation interactions of people working from home. Therefore, whether demographic variables could create differentiation is the second issue of this research. For their benefit, companies prefer to switch remote working formats to be financially efficient and innovative for the most necessities, led by knowledge and computer-based innovation communication technologies. However, on the employee’s side, it is still debated whether this approach is good, bad or sustainable for a long time. The relevance of this scientific problem decision is arguable because there are many aspects of remote working practices and employer/employee interactions for finding an optimum. Therefore, well-being and work motivation wereselected as the research aspects because these factors could reflect the perceived status of people working from home. The survey was administered in Turkey 4 months a time via an online questionnaire, which consisted of the Multidimensional Working Motivation Scale, the Well-Being Index and demographic variables related to a total of 19 questions with 214 participants. Thegathered data revealed that work motivation and well-being interact in a positive manner according to the correlation coefficient. was 0.177 (p<0.01). The interaction between the Amotivation subscale and Well-Being was negative. was found to be -0.306 (p<001). However, demographic variables impacting the differentiation of work motivation and well-being are considered demographic variables, as not all demographic variables have the same impact on work motivation and well-being. The identifiedRegulation, Intrinsic Motivation and Well-Being interaction were also found to be positive, as they had correlation coefficients of0.383 and 0.351, respectively. On the other hand, for demographic variable differential effect purposes, age and income hadmeaningful differential effects on well-being; 35- to 44-year-old people had more well-being points (57.2), and those whose income was higher had a better well-being situation (56.45) than others. However, for work motivation evaluation, there was no meaningful effect of demographic variables.
Farmers’ Perception of Viral Diseases and Their Management in Pepper (Capsicum spp.) Production in Benin
Authors: Zohoungbogbo Herbaud P. F. , Ganta Judicael S. O. , Oliva Ricardo , Chan Yuan-Li , Adandonon Appolinaire , Bokonon-Ganta Aimé H. , Ba Malick N. , Achigan-Dako Enoch G. , Barchenger Derek W.
Published: December 2023

Pepper (Capsicum spp.) is an important solanaceous cash crop in Benin; however, productivity is limited due to several key constraints, especially diseases caused by viruses. We sought to understand farmers’ perceptions of viral diseases, management strategies deployed, and to identify the virus population affecting pepper production in Benin. To assess farmers’ perceptions and management of viral diseases, a survey was carried out in four agroecological zones of Benin. A total of 144 pepper farmers were interviewed using the snowball method. A total of 52 pepper leaf samples with virus-like symptoms were collected and diagnosed by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or PCR. Pepper production systems varied across agroecological zones (P ≤ 0.001) with a predominance of farms practicing monoculture (82%). The majority of farmers (89%) indicated that pests and diseases were the main constraints to increased production. Cucumber mosaic virus (92% of the total samples), Pepper vein yellow virus (52%), and Pepper veinal mottle virus (50%) were the major viruses detected in pepper fields in Benin. There were both single (29%) and mixed (71%) infections of the viruses, suggesting that mixed infections are common for pepper in Benin, confounding efforts to reduce virus infections. Nearly 100% of the farmers surveyed were not aware of these viral diseases. They also could not directly relate symptoms of virus infection to the presence of aphids, whiteflies, or thrips. Farmers relied primarily on synthetic insecticides (93%) to control virus vectors. Interestingly, some farmers applied commercial (12%) and homemade (17%) biopesticides, with neem-based preparations being the most widely used. A total of 15% of farmers used companion cropping with maize, mint or basil and 43% of farmers used crop rotation as a cultural management practice to control viral disease and vector pressure in pepper fields. The implications of this work include the importance of training farmers and extension agents on diagnosis of viruses and their vectors causing viral diseases. This study provides baseline information for the development of host-resistant cultivars and deployment of integrated pest management strategies for pepper in Benin to reduce farmer losses.
Examination of response time effort in TIMSS 2019: Comparison of Singapore and Türkiye
Authors: YILMAZ KOĞAR Esin , SOYSAL Sümeyra
Published: December 2023

In this paper, it is aimed to evaluate different aspects of students' response time to items in the mathematics test and their test effort as an indicator of test motivation with the help of some variables at the item and student levels. The data consists of 4th-grade Singapore and Turkish students participating in the TIMSS 2019. Response time was examined in terms of item difficulties, content and cognitive domains of the items in the mathematics test self-efficacy for computer use, home resources for learning, confident in mathematics, like learning mathematics, and gender variables at the student level. In the study, it was determined that all variables considered at the item level affected the response time of the students in both countries. It was concluded that the amount of variance explained by the student-level variables in the response time varied for each the country. Another finding of the study showed that the cognitive level of the items positively related to the mean response time. Both Turkish and Singaporean students took longer to respond to data domain items compared to number and measurement and geometry domain items. Additionally, based on the criterion that the response time effort index was less than .8, rapid-guessing behavior, and therefore low motivation, was observed below 1% for both samples. Besides, we observed that Turkish and Singaporean students were likely to have rapid guessing behavior when an item in the reasoning domain became increasingly difficult. A similar result was identified in the data content domain, especially for Turkish graders.
Covid-19, State-Power and Society in Europe. Focus on Western Balkans
Authors: BEYAZ Cenk
Published: December 2023

Covid-19, State-Power and Society in Europe: Focus on Western Balkans by Neven Andjelic focuses on the changes in political and social freedoms in the Western Balkans before and during the pandemic. In relation to this aim, it draws on the reports of 20 research organizations, including Freedom House, Friedrich Neumann Stiftung and the World Bank, and develops categories such as "open society", "fairly open society", "opening society", "suppressed society" and "closed society" and includes the Balkans, the European Union, the countries in the region and Türkiye in the analysis. Although this study is important because it has been carried out from a perspective dealing with the course of freedoms based on a comparison of pre-pandemic and pandemic process, it should be indicated that lack of an inquiry into the reliability and validity of the studies used and the lack of sufficient employment of other relevant researches are among the prominent shortcomings of this study.
Gender and Nation
Authors: KENDİR-GÖK Yeliz
Published: December 2023

This paper presents a comprehensive review of Gender and Nation, an invaluable academic contribution authored by the pioneer in the field of social sciences, Nira Yuval-Davis. Conducted through a gender analysis lens, this review thoroughly examines Yuval-Davis’s substantial academic legacy. Yuval-Davis’s insights emphatically underscore the heightened relevance of such a perspective when dissecting intricate issues related to nation and nationalism. The review initiates by positing a pivotal question and subsequently accentuates the gaps present within the current body of literature that addresses the intersection of nation and gender. Moreover, the review highlights the inherent worth of Yuval-Davis’s work by meticulously exploring its implications for themes encompassing women, femininity, men, masculinity, and their intricate connections with the construct of the nation. This exploration distinctly underscores the pivotal role of gender in shaping and influencing these multifaceted aspects. Consequently, the review expounds upon how our identities as gendered individuals often relegate us to a subordinate position, ultimately situating us with paramount significance in the intricate tapestry of the nation.
Shadow tax evasion and its impact on the competitiveness of the country’s tax system
Authors: Mazurenko Oleksiy , Tiutiunyk Inna , Cherba Vіta , Artyukhov Artem , Yehorova Yuliia
Published: December 2023

Tax competitiveness of the country characterizes the ability of the tax system to obtain permanent competitive advantages in attracting external and mobilizing internal financial resources due to the establishment of the optimal level of tax burden and differentiation of fiscal instruments. The complexity of this indicator determines the presence of a number of drivers of its formation. Shadow tax evasion is one of them. The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of the shadow tax evasion of taxpayers on the level of competitiveness of the tax system on the example of 11 European countries from 2011 to 2021. The methodological tools are regression analysis methods, Shapiro-Wilk tests, and Spearman’s rank correlation. It was determined that informal employment, informal production, and unregistered or informal entrepreneurship are the most common methods of tax evasion. Based on the results of the calculations, regression equations of the influence of shadow tax evasion on the level of competitiveness of the country’s tax system were constructed. It has been proven that shadow tax evasion exerts the greatest influence on the level of tax competitiveness of Slovenia (0.32), Romania (0.34), and Croatia (0.26). The least sensitive to shadow tax evasion is the competitiveness of the Czech Republic’s tax system (0.096). For most analyzed countries, this influence is carried out with a time lag of 2 years. Only in Croatia, this influence is the most substantial with a one-year lag.
AcknowledgmentThe study is funded by the EU NextGenerationEU through the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Slovakia under the project No. 09I03-03-V01-00042.The authors are grateful to the participants of projects “National security of Ukraine through the prevention of financial fraud and money laundering: war and post-war challenges” (2023–2025, state registration number: 0123U101945) and “De-shadowing and regulatory efficiency of environmental taxation: optimization modelling to ensure national security and rational use of nature” (2022–2024, registration number 0122U000777) for numerous discussions and comments.
Forms of complicity in a criminal offense under the criminal law of Ukraine
Authors: Grodetsky Yurii Vasylovych
Published: December 2023

The forms of complicity in a criminal offense under the criminal law of Ukraine are considered: 1) complicity without prior agreement among the accomplices; 2) complicity by prior conspiracy; 3) organized group; 4) criminal organization. Objective and subjective signs of these forms of complicity are investigated. Deficiencies in the legislative regulation of the specified concepts in the Criminal Code of Ukraine were revealed.