bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Fertility Determinants and Regional Disparities in Nigeria using Geo-Additive Regression
Authors: Jabaru Saheed , Jimoh Kamoru , Yahya Waheed
Published: December 2024

This study applied geo-additive regression modelling on high-dimensional data with metrical and categorical predictors, using data from the latest Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS-6). The sampled data comprises ninety-three predictors of total children ever born by eighty women of age group between fifteen and forty-nine years. Three penalty-based variable selection criteria—Elastic Net, Smoothly Clipped Absolute Deviation (SCAD), and Minimax Concave Penalty (MCP) were employed to reduce the dimensionality of the data. Geo-additive regression model were thereafter applied on the selected predictors to determine the impact of metrical, categorical and spatial predictors on the response variable. Findings revealed that predictors such as contraceptive use, age at first birth, and marital status are major determinants of total children ever born by a woman in Nigeria. Furthermore, spatial analysis revealed regional disparities in fertility rates within Nigeria, with notably higher fertility rate in northeastern states. This study’s findings have broad applications across disciplines. By providing robust methodologies for handling complex datasets, this research supports evidence-based decision-making in public health, agriculture, and environmental policy. Ultimately, these findings contribute to efforts aimed at promoting sustainable development and enhancing maternal and child health outcomes in Nigeria and similar contexts globally.
Physical and sensory quality of the fine-flavored and aromatic cocoas growing in different Venezuelan regions
Authors: Climaco Alvarez , Elevina Perez , Giovanni Silva , Angelica Pavani , Hadith Fernandez
Published: December 2024

This work aimed to determine the cocoa's physical and sensory quality in different Venezuelan regions to use in specific flavored chocolate production. 49 samples of cocoa beans gathered in plantations from different regions of Venezuela were evaluated using methodologies described to analyze cocoa physicochemical standards. A trained panel selected twenty samples from this lot as standards of fine-flavored cacao. Eleven samples with the best sensory attributes of each region were selected from the lot of twenty. These eleven samples showed variability in the physical and physicochemical attributes. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences between aroma and taste attributes in the liquors evaluated. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) expresses the variability of the eleven samples studied for the intensity of the sensory qualities of basic and complementary tastes (54.1%), and aroma (50.4%). Besides, the fermentation percent and the external and internal bean characteristics through typification and cut test analysis relevant for its commercialization, the study provides practical information on the sensory attributes that characterize Venezuelan fine-flavored cocoas from several regions that are used in the production of chocolate with regional-specific flavors.
Проста методика визначення довжин закритичних зон біконічного резонатора
Authors: Андрєєв Михайло Вікторович , Дробахін Олег Олегович , Горєв Микола Борисович , Коджеспірова Інна Федірівна , Салтиков Дмитро Юрійович
Published: December 2024

У роботі представлено просту методику визначення довжини закритичних зон поблизу кінців біконічного резонатора, де отвори для введення зразків можуть бути зроблені без суттєвого спотворення резонансних частот і структури поля. Методика використовує метод частково перетинних областей у комбінації з методом колокації. Внутрішність резонатора поділено на дві перетинні області, на межах яких задано точки колокації. У кожній області електричне поле представлено у вигляді розкладу за власними функціями, та з умови рівності електричних полів в обох областях у точках колокації отримано однорідну систему лінійних рівнянь відносно коефіцієнтів розкладання. Коефіцієнти розкладання визначено як власний вектор матриці цієї системи, що відповідає її нульовому власному значенню. За допомогою знайдених коефіцієнтів розкладання розраховано розподіл електричного поля, нормований на максимальне електричне поле в резонаторі, що дозволяє знайти довжину закритичних зон, означених як області, де електричне поле не перевищує заданої малої частки максимального електричного поля в резонаторі. Оскільки всього чотири пари точок колокації виявилися достатніми, обсяг обчислень для запропонованоi методики є досить помірним, що дозволяє використовувати її при розробці вимірювачів на основі біконічних резонаторів з відкритими кінцями.
Схема активації піднесучих низької складності для OFDM з індексною модуляцією
Authors: Фадхель Г. Н. , Сіддик А. І.
Published: December 2024

В системі ортогонального мультиплексування з частотним поділом та індексною модуляцією OFDM-IM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing with index modulation) дані відображаються на схеми активації піднесучих SAP (subcarrier activation patterns) за допомогою таблиць пошуку або комбінаторних схем. Складність цих схем відображення зростає зі збільшенням кількості піднесучих. Тому вони застосовуються до підгруп піднесучих, але за рахунок зменшення кількості даних, що завантажуються в OFDM-блок. У цій роботі запропоновано схему прямого відображення даних до SAP низької складності. Представлено необхідний аналіз для визначення аналітичного коефіцієнта бітових помилок BER (bit error rate) та проведено комп’ютерне моделювання для знаходження і порівняння теоретичних і змодельованих результатів BER в умовах частотно-селективного каналу з релеєвськими завмираннями. Запропонована схема дозволяє завантажити більше біт даних в OFDM-блок порівняно з традиційними схемами. Результати комп’ютерного моделювання демонструють перевагу OFDM-IM системи з використанням запропонованої схеми над традиційною OFDM-IM з точки зору показників BER.
A Note on Odd Perfect Numbers
Authors: Vega Frank
Published: December 2024

This paper definitively settles the longstanding conjecture regarding odd perfect numbers. A perfect number is one whose sum of divisors equals itself doubled. While Euclid's method for constructing even perfect numbers is well-known, the existence of odd ones has remained elusive. By employing elementary techniques and analyzing the properties of the divisor sum function, we conclusively prove that no odd perfect numbers exist.
Discontinuous Structural Transitions in Fluids with Competing Interactions
Authors: Montero Ana M. , Yuste Santos Bravo , Santos Andrés , de Haro Mariano López
Published: December 2024

This paper explores how competing interactions in the intermolecular potential of fluids affect their structural transitions. The study employs a versatile potential model with a hard core followed by two constant steps, representing wells or shoulders, analyzed in both one-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) systems. Comparing these dimensionalities highlights the effect of confinement on structural transitions. Exact results are derived for 1D systems, while the Rational-Function Approximation is used for unconfined 3D fluids. Both scenarios confirm that when the steps are repulsive, the wavelength of the oscillatory decay of the total correlation function evolves with temperature either continuously or discontinuously. In the latter case, a discontinuous oscillation crossover line emerges in the temperature–density plane. For an attractive first step and a repulsive second step, a Fisher–Widom line appears. Although the 1D and 3D results share common features, dimensionality introduces differences: these behaviors occur in distinct temperature ranges, require deeper wells, or become attenuated in 3D. Certain features observed in 1D may vanish in 3D. We conclude that fluids with competing interactions exhibit a rich and intricate pattern of structural transitions, demonstrating the significant influence of dimensionality and interaction features.
Temporal Difference for Credit Assignment and Exploration of TD(λ) Family of Learning Procedures – a Reproducibility Report
Authors: Gopal Senthilkumar
Published: December 2024

Reinforcement learning is a major branch of machine learning which uses sequence of past experiences, to help a system learn and predict optimal behaviour. There are multitude of proposed learning procedures that have attempted to perform such learning. While typical prediction problems utilized the final outcome to minimize the error, Sutton explores ”temporally successive predictions” to assign credit for the actions performed. Similar to a weather forecast for the weekend getting better as time progresses, TD (Temporal Difference) learning utilizes the same method of updating estimates every time step to progress towards the optimal value. This technical report discusses the background and intuition behind the original paper [1] by recreating the experiments and investigates the reproduced empirical results to compare and contrast the assumptions and findings described in the original literature.
Use of Complementary and Alternative Treatments in Adolescent Obesity: A Narrative Review
Authors: Shrestha Mahesh , Harris Ann , Bailey Teresa , Savant Urvi , Patel Dilip R
Published: December 2024

Adolescent obesity is a growing global health problem all around the world. We reviewed the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatment for adolescent obesity. We performed a PubMed and Scopus search of all articles on CAM treatments in adolescents aged 12–17 years and included all studies that had all or part of those ages. Out of 226 PubMed articles and 14 Scopus articles, 28 articles from PubMed and one article from Scopus fit our criteria. Most CAM studies that showed some improvement in BMI were acupuncture- and yoga-based. Herb- and supplement-based studies involving fish oil, purslane seeds, jujuba fruits, Korean-based Tae-umjowi-tang herbal formula, and Chinese capsules have shown promise. Studies based on mind-body interventions such as self-hypnosis, slow deep breathing, emotional freedom techniques, and Mandolean training have also shown a significant impact on adolescent obesity. Music skip rope, dance-based exergaming, kung fu, creative drama, aerobic exercise, and respiratory muscle endurance training are physical therapy-based interventions helpful in the management of adolescent obesity. Although many studies were RCTs, the individual studies were small in size. There may be a role in doing larger studies to generate more effective conclusions in future.
Energy-Related Assessment of a Hemicellulose-First Concept – Debottlenecking of a Hydrothermal Wheat Straw Biorefinery
Authors: Parsin Stanislav , Scherzinger Marvin , Kaltschmitt Martin
Published: December 2024

A hemicellulose-first approach can offer advantages for biorefineries utilizing wheat straw as it combines lignocellulose fractionation and potentially higher added value from pentose-based hemicellulose. Therefore, a tailored hydrothermal concept for the production of xylooligosaccharides and xylan is investigated. The focus is on assessing energy requirements and potential improvements based on experimental results. The wheat straw pretreatment and the downstream processing of the hemicellulose hydrolysate are modeled at a scale of 30,000 tons wheat straw dry mass per year. The results confirm that the hydrothermal concept can be implemented in an energy-efficient manner without the need for additional auxiliaries, due to targeted process design, heat integration and high solids loading during hydrolysis. The resulting specific energy requirements for pretreatment and hydrolysate processing are 0.28 kWh/kg and 0.13 kWh/kg of wheat straw dry mass, respectively. Compared to thermal hydrolysate processing alone, the combination of a multi-effect evaporator and a pressure-driven ultrafiltration can reduce heating and cooling energy by 29 % and 44 %, respectively. However, the ultrafiltration requirements (e.g., electrical energy, membrane area, costs) depend heavily on the properties of the hydrolysate and its interactions with the membrane. This work can contribute to the commercially viable ramp-up of wheat straw multi-product biorefineries.
From Open Banking to Open Branching: Facing Bank Branches Closures with a New Technological Standard in Europe
Authors: Vergallo Roberto , Caione Adriana , Merico Benedetta Maria , Matino Sara
Published: December 2024

The growing phenomenon of bank branch closures, driven by increasing operational costs and the need to meet specific KPIs, represents a significant challenge for both customers and banks. The closure of branches, especially in remote areas, reduces access to banking services and damages the image and influence of banks in the community, undermining customer trust. To address this issue, a potential solution draws inspiration from the experience of Open Banking, which has revolutionized the financial sector through digitalization. The idea is to extend this philosophy to bank branches, creating what can be defined as "Open Branching" (OB). This term refers to a technology-enabled branch where all services traditionally offered in-person can also be accessed digitally. Open Branching allows branches to offer a wide range of digital services through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), maintaining the interface and experience of a traditional branch while enhancing accessibility and efficiency by integrating the physical and digital worlds. In collaboration with a major Italian Bank and the Bank of Italy as part of the MilanoHub program, we developed and standardized a taxonomy of key branch-customer products and services, categorized by type (e.g., with and without authentication, account information, loans, withdrawals), and released it under an open-source license. This standard enable third-party operators to enhance the Customer Experience in traditional branches, much like Open Banking has done with online services. The validity of the standard was demonstrated through a case study focused on branch service access through the Metaverse, highlighting the effectiveness and potential of this innovation.
Efficient State Synchronization in Distributed Electrical Grid Systems Using Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types
Authors: Prymushko Arsentii , Puchko Ivan , Yaroshynskyi Mykola , Sinko Dmytro , Kravtsov Hryhoriy , Artemchuk Volodymyr
Published: December 2024

Modern electrical grids are evolving towards distributed architectures, necessitating efficient and reliable state synchronization mechanisms to maintain structural and functional consistency. This paper investigates the application of Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) for representing and synchronizing the states of Distributed Electrical Grid Systems (DEGS). We present a general structure for DEGS based on CRDTs, focusing on the Convergent Replicated Data Type (CvRDT) model with delta state propagation to optimize communication overhead. The Observed-Remove Set (ORSet) and Last-Writer-Wins Register (LWW-Register) are utilized to handle concurrent updates and ensure that only the most recent state changes are retained. An actor-based framework, "Vigilant Hawk," leveraging the Akka toolkit, was developed to simulate the asynchronous and concurrent nature of DEGS. Each electrical grid node is modeled as an independent actor with isolated state management, facilitating scalability and fault tolerance. Through a series of experiments involving 100 nodes under varying latency degradation coefficients (LDK), we examined the impact of network conditions on state synchronization efficiency. The simulation results demonstrate that CRDTs effectively maintain consistency and deterministic behavior in DEGS, even with increased network latency and node disturbances. An effective LDK range was identified (LDK effective=2,4), where the network remains stable without significant delays in state propagation. The linear relationship between the full state distribution time (FSDT) and LDK indicates that the system can scale horizontally without introducing complex communication overhead. The findings affirm that using CRDTs for state synchronization enhances the resilience and operational efficiency of distributed electrical grids. The deterministic and conflict-free properties of CRDTs eliminate the need for complex concurrency control mechanisms, making them suitable for real-time monitoring and control applications. Future work will focus on addressing identified limitations, such as optimizing message routing based on network topology and incorporating security measures to protect state information in critical infrastructure systems.
Microbiome Engineering for Sustainable Rice Production: Strategies for Biofertilization, Stress Tolerance, and Climate Resilience
Authors: Misu Israt Jahan , Kayess Md. Omar , Siddiqui Md. Nurealam , Gupta Dipali Rani , Islam M. Nazrul , Islam Tofazzal
Published: December 2024

The plant microbiome, encompassing the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, and endosphere, plays a critical role in nutrient acquisition, stress tolerance, and overall plant health. While extensive research exists on crop microbiomes, our meta-survey identified a significant gap in focused reviews addressing the rice plant microbiome. As the staple food for over half the global population, rice faces mounting challenges from climate change and environmental stresses. This review bridges this knowledge gap by synthesizing advancements in understanding the diversity and functional roles of rice-associated microbiomes. It highlights their contributions to plant growth, nutrient uptake, and resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses, emphasizing rhizosphere signalling mechanisms that mediate plant-microbe interactions. Advances in metagenomics have transformed our ability to map rice microbiomes, uncovering their composition and functional potential. The review also explores microbiome engineering strategies, including microbial inoculation, gene editing, and microbiome-shaping (M) genes, to develop stress-resistant rice varieties. These tools hold promise for improving rice productivity, reducing chemical inputs, and enhancing climate resilience. However, challenges remain in deciphering microbial interactions, environmental variability, and the scalable application of microbiome technologies. This review provides critical insights into leveraging microbiomes for sustainable rice production and outlines future directions for integrating advanced genomic tools and microbiome engineering into global agricultural practices.
Keywords: Microbiome Engineering, Rice Production, Biofertilization, Stress Tolerance, Microbiome-Shaping Genes, Metagenomics, Climate Resilience, Sustainable Agriculture
Multiple Sessions of Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy Improve Periodontal Outcomes in Patients with Down Syndrome: A 12-Month Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Ferreira Rafael , Greghi Sebastião Luiz Aguiar , Sant’Ana Adriana Campos Passanezi , Zangrando Mariana Schutzer Ragghianti , Damante Carla Andreotti
Published: December 2024

Background/Objectives: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) often present with severe periodontal disease at a young age. Adjuvant treatments to scaling and root planing (SRP), such as antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), may benefit this population. This study evaluated the effectiveness of aPDT as an adjunct to SRP in individuals with DS. A randomized, double-blind, parallel trial was conducted with 37 individuals with DS. Methods: The test group (aPDT; n = 18) received SRP + aPDT, while the control group (C group; n = 19) received SRP only. For aPDT, a red laser (658 nm; 0.1 W; 2229 J/cm²; 40s sweeping with optical fiber) combined with methylene blue (MB) (100 µg/ml) was applied across repeated sessions (on days 3, 7, and 14). Clinical parameters, such as plaque index (PI), clinical attachment level (CAL), probing depth (PD), and bleeding on probing (BOP), were recorded at baseline and after 3, 6, and 12 months of treatment. Statistical analyses were performed using parametric and non-parametric tests (p < 0.05). Results: Both treatments promoted improvements in all clinical periodontal parameters (p > 0.05). The aPDT group showed a statistically significant reduction in CAL at 3 months (aPDT = 4.58 mm vs. C = 4.72 mm; p < 0.05) and 12 months (aPDT = 4.59 mm vs. C = 4.84 mm; p < 0.05). Conclusions: aPDT improved periodontal health in the long term through a stable gain in attachment.
Rapid Detection of microRNA-122 in Serum and Finger Blood Using a Lateral Flow Nucleic Acid Biosensor
Authors: Zhang Min , Ma Meijing , Wang Jiahui , Zhou Yurui , Zhang Xueji , Liu Guodong
Published: December 2024

MicroRNA122 (miR-122) is a microRNA that is highly expressed in hepatocytes and becomes a prospective therapeutic target and biomarker for liver injury. An expanding body of research has demonstrated that miR-122 is a critical regulator in both the initiation and progression of a wide range of liver diseases. Traditional methods for detecting miR-122 mainly include northern blotting and qRT-PCR, but they are technically complex and cumbersome, requiring expensive instruments and high technical requirements. In this paper, we present a rapid testing method utilizing a lateral flow nucleic acid biosensor (LFNAB) for the sensitive and time-efficient detection of miR-122. This approach offers several advantages, including high specificity for miR-122, the ability to detect low concentrations of the target molecule, and a significantly reduced testing time compared to conventional detection methods. A thiol-modified single-stranded detection DNA probe (Det-DNA), a biotinylated single-stranded capture DNA probe (Cap-DNA) and a biotinylated single-stranded control DNA probe (Con-DNA) are used to construct the LFNAB. Gold nanoparticle (AuNP) is a colored tag, which is used to label the Det-DNA probe. Principal of detecting miR-122 is based on dual DNA-miRNA hybridization reactions on the LFNAB to form sandwich-type AuNP-Det-DNA-miR-122-Cap-DNA complexes, which are captured on the test area of LFNAB for visualization and quantification. After systematic optimization of conditions of experiment, the response of LFNAB was highly linear within the scope of 0 pM-100 pM miR-122, and the detection limit in 15 min is 3.90 pM. The use of LFNAB to detect miR-122 in serum and fingertip blood has yielded satisfactory results. This successful application indicates the effectiveness of LFNAB in detecting miR-122 in both serum and fingertip blood samples, showcasing its potential utility in clinical and research settings for assessing miR-122 levels in different biological samples.
Guidance for the Clinical Use of the Breast Cancer Polygenic Risk Score
Authors: Padrik* Peeter , Tõnisson Neeme , Hovda Tone , Sahlberg Kristine Kleivi , Hovig Eivind , Costa Luís , Costa Gonçalo Nogueira da , Feldman Inna , Sampaio Filipa , Pajusalu Sander , Ojamaa Kristiina , Kallak Kersti , Tihamäe Ave-Triin , Roht Laura , Kahre Tiina , Lepland Anni , Sõber Siim , Kruuv-Käo Krista , Tamm Madli , Evans D Gareth
Published: December 2024

Background/Objectives: Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have been extensively studied and are in-creasingly applied in healthcare. One of the most studied and developed areas is predictive med-icine for breast cancer, but there is no wider consensus on the indications for the clinical use of PRSs for breast cancer. Current guidance endeavours to articulate the scientific evidence under-pinning the clinical utility of PRS in stratifying breast cancer risk, with a particular emphasis on clinical application.
Methods: The guidance has been prepared by a group of experts who have been active in breast cancer PRS research and development, combining a review of the evidence base with expert opin-ion for indications for clinical use.
Results: Based on data from various studies and existing breast cancer prevention and screening services, the indications for clinical use of breast cancer PRS can be divided into the following scenarios: 1) Management of cancer-free women with a family history of cancer; 2) Individual personalised breast cancer prevention and screening in healthcare services; 3) Breast cancer screening programs for more personalised screening.
Conclusions: The integration of PRS into clinical practice enables healthcare providers to deliver more accurate risk assessments, personalised prevention strategies, and optimised screening programmes, thereby improving patient outcomes and enhancing the effectiveness of breast cancer care. PRS testing represents a novel component in clinical breast cancer risk assessment, support-ing a personalised, risk-based approach to breast cancer prevention and screening.
Genetic Selection of Holstein Cows Increased Preformed Fatty Acids and Decreased Carnitine Contents in Early-Lactation Milk
Authors: Ding Feng , Weber Wanda J , Su Rui , Crooker Brian A. , Chen Chi
Published: December 2024

Genetic selection of dairy cattle has dramatically increased milk yield of dairy cows, but its influences on the chemical composition of milk, especially during early lactation, are not well characterized. A continuous selective breeding practice in Minnesota generated unselected Holsteins (UH) that represent US Holsteins in the early 1960s and contemporary Holsteins (CH) that produced much more milk and experienced greater negative energy balance than the UH cows. In this study, milk samples were collected weekly in the first 9 weeks of lactation from CH and UH cows (n = 12/genotype), and their metabolite profiles were defined by macronutrient analysis, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis, multivariate analysis, structural elucidation, and quantitative analysis. The CH milk contained more triacylglycerols (TAGs) than the UH milk. Lipidomic profiling showed that the CH milk had more TAGs with at least two preformed fatty acid moieties while the UH milk had more TAGs with at least two de novo synthesized fatty acid moieties. Subsequent quantitative fatty acid analysis determined that the increase in preformed fatty acids in CH milk was responsible for different TAG profiles between the two genotypes. Moreover, the analysis of short-chain carboxylic acids in milk showed that episodes of transient and persistent ketosis were more frequent in CH than in UH cows. Interestingly, CH milk contained less free carnitine and short-chain acylcarnitines in the UH milk indicating the greater utilization of mobilized lipids increased the utilization of carnitine. These observations warrant further mechanistic investigations on the metabolic consequences of genetic selection on dairy cows.
Soil Moisture Retrieval Based on Ensemble Learning Models Using Landsat8 Data in Areas of High Heterogeneity
Authors: Wu Qingxia , Zhu Zhongli , Ma Julong , Liu Shaomin , Chai Linna , Xu Ziwei
Published: December 2024

Soil moisture (SM) is intricately connected to various components of the Earth's system and plays a critical role in human survival and development. Although significant efforts have been made in soil moisture retrieval and validation, the monitoring and assessment of high-precision, high-resolution SM networks remain limited. This study focuses on a long-term SM network (QLB-NET) located in a high-altitude plateau with significant topographic variability. Utilizing more than 20 soil moisture-related indices derived from Landsat data, along with elevation and its derivatives, we estimate soil moisture at a 30-meter resolution with the aid of ensemble Learning Models. Soil moisture is treated as the dependent variable, while the other data serve as independent variables, integrated into a dataset which is subsequently divided into training, validation, and testing sets. Four ensemble Learning Models—Random Forest (RF), Extremely Randomized Trees (ERT), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Categorical Boosting (CatBoost)—were evaluated for their performance in soil moisture retrieval. The CatBoost model demonstrated the best performance, surpassing the other models across the training, validation, and test sets. In the test set, it achieved a correlation coefficient (R² = 0.83), a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.052 m³/m³, a bias of 0.003 m³/m³, and a mean square error (MSE) of 0.003. We also used the four models to generate 30 m soil moisture maps for three different dates, providing more detailed insights into the spatial distribution of soil moisture. SHAP was employed to assess the contribution of different features to soil moisture predictions, revealing that elevation had the greatest impact. Finally, we assessed the overall heterogeneity of QLB-NET, using terrain complexity to represent local heterogeneity. Our findings indicate that the northern-central region exhibits significant local heterogeneity. Moreover, areas with higher heterogeneity also show greater uncertainty, making them a key source of model prediction error. The findings of this study contribute to more accurate retrieval of soil moisture, enhancing both new and existing methods.
Assessing the External Shocks on Prices in the Live Pig Industry Chain: Evidence from China
Authors: Zhou Dapeng , Zhang Jing , Huan Honghua , Hu Nanyan , Li Yinqiu , Cheng Jinhua
Published: December 2024

Exploring the influence of external shocks on the pricing dynamics of the live pig industry chain is essential for effective macroeconomic control. Utilizing monthly data spanning from January 2010 to August 2023, this study employs a Time-Varying Parameter - Stochastic Volatility - Vector Autoregression (TVP-SV-VAR) model to analyze the effects of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) and Live Pig Industry News Uncertainty (INU) on industry pricing. The findings are as follows: Firstly, the impacts of EPU and INU on industry prices exhibit time variability and distinct characteristics. Specifically, the impact strength of EPU ranges between [-0.025, 0.025], and that of INU between [-0.01, 0.01]. These differences in impact strength elicit varied responses from manufacturers and consumers to the indices. Secondly, uncertainty shocks at particular time points show high consistency, suggesting a patterned influence of external shocks on industry pricing that aligns with historical trends. Thirdly, robustness tests with alternative explanat ory variables confirm the reliability of the findings. An uncertainty index, crafted from more comprehensive information sources, more accurately captures the effects of external shocks on industry pricing. Additionally, the volume of live pig slaughters illustrates the potential interaction between external shocks and pricing dynamics. In an era marked by increasingly frequent external shocks, this research offers valuable insights for policymakers to implement macro-control and foster high-quality industrial development.
Sharp Estimates of Pochhammer’s Products
Authors: Lampret Vito
Published: December 2024

Sharp, asymptotic estimates of classical and
generalized rising/falling Pochhammer's products having positive
arguments are presented on the basis of Stirling's approximation
formula for $\Gamma$ function.
Association Between Sleep Traits and Epilepsy Risk: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Li Xun , Yue Wei
Published: December 2024

Background: Sleep and epilepsy have been reported to have a possible interaction. This study intended to assess the causal relationship between sleep traits and epilepsy risk through a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study.
Methods: Exposure- [sleep traits: getting up in morning, sleeplessness/insomnia, sleep duration, nap during day, morning/evening person (chronotype), daytime dozing/sleeping (narcolepsy).] and outcome- [Europeans: epilepsy, focal epilepsy, generalized epilepsy; East Asians: epilepsy] related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) databases were used as instrumental variables for analysis. The main analyses used inverse variance weighted (IVW) to derive causality estimates, which were expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the results.
Results: For Europeans, genetically predicted getting up in morning decreased the risk of epilepsy (OR=0.354, 95%CI: 0.212-0.589) and generalized epilepsy (OR=0.256, 95%CI: 0.101-0.651), whereas genetically predicted evening person (chronotype) increased the risk of epilepsy (OR=1.371, 95%CI: 1.082-1.739) and generalized epilepsy (OR=1.618, 95%CI: 1.061-2.467). No significant associations were found between genetically predicted sleeplessness/insomnia, sleep duration, nap during day, and daytime dozing/sleeping (narcolepsy) and the risk of epilepsy, focal epilepsy, and generalized epilepsy in Europeans. For East Asians, only genetically predicted sleeplessness/insomnia was found to increase the risk of epilepsy (OR=1.381, 95%CI: 1.039-1.837).
Conclusion: There was a causal relationship between getting up in morning and evening person (chronotype) and epilepsy risk in Europeans, and between sleeplessness/insomnia and epilepsy in East Asians.
Features of Selective Sorption of Neodymium and Praseodymium Ions by Interpolymer Systems Based on Industrial Sorbents KU-2-8 and AV-17-8
Authors: Talkybek Jumadilov , Kabzhalelov Kamil , Malimbayeva Zamira , Korganbayeva Zhanar
Published: December 2024

In this study, the possibilities of selective sorption of neodymium and praseodymium ions from a mixture of their solution were studied. For this purpose, based on the obtained results on the dynamics of sorption of each ion separately by industrial hydrogels KU-2-8 (Na+): AV-17-8 (Cl-), interpolymer systems with different molar ratios of cation exchanger and anion exchanger, namely 4:2 and 3:3, respectively, were selected. The choice of these ratios was based on the detection of increased sorption of praseodymium ions from a model solution compared to neodymium ions. The sorption (48 h.) and desorption (72 h.) processes were carried out in two modes: dynamic (with active mixing, speed range 80-150 rpm) and static (without mixing the working solution from which REE were extracted), at room temperature (close to 25° С). According to the obtained results, sorption in the dynamic mode in the ratios of 4:2 and 3:3 does not lead to any selectivity (praseodymium ions were sorbed better than neodymium ions by 3.93% and 2.96% for each ratio). However, a high degree of extraction was noted for both ions: Pr3+ = 99.36%, Nd3+ = 95.67% for the 4:2 system and Pr3+ = 81.33%, Nd3+ =79% for the 3:3 system. In the static mode, the degree of extraction of both metals was significantly lower: for the 4:2 system Pr3+ = 19.33%, Nd3+ = 24%.But, despite this, in the static mode, greater selectivity was observed with respect to one of the metals, namely neodymium. Thus, with a ratio of 4:2, neodymium was sorbed better than praseodymium by 24.16%, and in the 3:3 system by 39.83%. When desorption was carried out from the cationite, a similar picture was also preserved. From here it becomes clear the relevance and necessity of further study of the issue of choosing a technological mode for the sorption of REE from industrial solutions, as well as the creation and selection of similar interpolymer systems that can provide sufficient selectivity in relation to one of the target ions in several extraction cycles.
Neohesperidin Mitigates High-Fat Diet Induced Colitis In vivo by Modulating Gut Microbiota and Enhancing SCFAs Synthesis
Authors: Lu Kun , Shan Sijie , Zeng Yanling , Yang Guliang
Published: December 2024

Previous research has consistently shown that high-fat diet (HFD) consumption can lead to the development of colonic inflammation. Neohesperidin (NHP), a naturally occurring flavanone glycoside in citrus fruits, has anti-inflammatory properties. However, the efficacy and mechanism of NHP in countering prolonged HFD-induced inflammation remains unclear. In this study, rats on HFD were intragastric administered (i.g.) with NHP for 12 consecutive weeks. Results indicated that this natural compound is effective in reducing colorectal inflammation at doses of 40-80 mg/kg body weight by i.g. administration, with significant decreases in inflammation markers such as TNF-α and IL-1β levels. It also improved intestinal mucosal tissue integrity and reduced HFD-stimulated colorectal inflammation via the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Furthermore, intestinal microbiota sequencing results showed that NHP intervention significantly downregulated the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. This ratio is closely related to the preventive role in the context of glycolipid metabolism disorder. Compared with fecal cultures of rats from the HFD group, after 48 h in vitro fermentation, those from the NHP group had distinct microbiota composition and notably higher concentrations of SCFAs. Collectively, these observations suggest that NHP's biological activities in downregulating HFD-induced colorectal inflammation are achieved by regulating intestinal flora and promoting SCFAs formation.
An End-to-End Speech Recognition Model for the Northern Shaanxi Dialect: Design and Evaluation
Authors: Qin Yi , Yu Feifan
Published: December 2024

The coal mining industry in Northern Shaanxi is robust, with a prevalent use of the local dialect, known as “Shapu,” characterized by a distinct Northern Shaanxi accent. This study addresses the practical need for speech recognition in this dialect. We propose an end-to-end speech recognition model for the Northern Shaanxi dialect, leveraging the Conformer architecture. To tailor the model to the coal mining context, we developed a specialized corpus reflecting the phonetic characteristics of the dialect and its usage in the industry. We investigated feature extraction techniques suitable for the Northern Shaanxi dialect, focusing on the unique pronunciation of initial consonants and vowels. A preprocessing module was designed to accommodate the dialect’s rapid speech tempo and polyphonic nature, enhancing recognition performance. To enhance the decoder’s text generation capability, we replaced the Conformer decoder with a Transformer architecture. Additionally, to mitigate the computational demands of the model, we incorporated CTC joint training for optimization. Experimental results on our self-established voice dataset for the Northern Shaanxi coal mining industry demonstrate that the proposed Conformer-Transformer-CTC model achieves a 9.2% and 10.3% reduction in word error rate compared to the standalone Conformer and Transformer models, respectively, confirming the advancement of our method.
Medical Hypothesis: Respiratory Epidemics and Pandemics Without Viral Transmission
Authors: Rancourt Denis G
Published: December 2024

The spatiotemporal all-cause mortality (weekly time resolution, >100 jurisdictions) during the Covid period (the period of the declared pandemic, 2020-2023) disproves that the excess deaths could have been caused by the spreading contagion of any novel virus or its postulated variants (Rancourt et al., 2024). What then caused the estimated 31 million excess deaths worldwide (Rancourt et al., 2024)? In this paper, I systematically present many facets (based on the existing scientific literature) of my overall hypothesis whereby the Covid-period pandemic of mortality was a pandemic of transmissionless self-infection bacterial pneumonias induced by biological stress (in the sense of medical researcher Hans Selye, which includes psychological stress) arising from the coordinated and largescale mandates, measures, so-called responses, and medical assaults including testing, diagnostic bias, isolation, denial of treatment (especially antibiotics for pneumonia), mechanical ventilation, sedation, experimental and improper treatments, and vaccination. Transmissionless self-infection bacterial pneumonias are normally prevalent in the geriatric context, where they are known as aspiration pneumonia. Transmissionless pneumonias do not rely on person-to-person transmission or contagion but rather are associated with the stressed or assaulted respiratory tract microbiome. My contribution is to advance that the likelihood of fatal transmissionless pneumonias in the elderly and persons with comorbidities increases significantly with environmental changes or assaults that cause biological stress, and to describe several mechanisms. My hypothesis is that this proposed phenomenon is amply sufficient to cause epidemics, pandemics and seasonal mortality, always targeting the frail and sick, and that Covid was exactly such a case, completely caused by institutions and governments.
Energy Poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Challenges, Solutions, and Policy Recommendations
Authors: Muftić Dedović Maja , Avdaković Samir , Mujezinovic Adnan , Dautbašić Nedis , Alihodžić Ajdin , Memić Adin
Published: December 2024

Energy poverty remains a significant issue in Bosnia and Herzegovina, characterized by limited access to affordable and sustainable energy sources. This paper examines the prevalence of energy poverty among 1,500 pensioner households and evaluates the potential of photovoltaic (PV) systems as a solution. The research highlights the multidimensional nature of energy poverty, incorporating variables such as income, energy expenditures, and heating methods. Using statistical methods, including factor analysis and regression models, the research developed an Energy Poverty Index (EPI) to categorize households and identify key drivers of energy poverty. The findings reveal that 96.5% of households experience moderate to high energy poverty when transport costs are included, dropping to 84.3% when these costs are excluded. Households using wood for heating, with a combined rooftop area of 26,104 m², could generate 7,831,200 kWh of solar energy annually, reducing CO₂ emissions by 1,389,825 kg. The aggregated payback period for PV investments is approximately 9.3 years, demonstrating financial viability. The paper underscores the potential of energy communities in pooling resources, facilitating rooftop leasing for PV installations, and promoting policy reforms to promote renewable energy adoption. This research contributes to the understanding of energy poverty dynamics and provides actionable recommendations for integrating PV power plants, fostering energy equity, and reducing environmental impacts.
Role of Organic and Chemical Fertilizer in the Co-Migration of Nutrient in Different Types of Ditches on Red Soil Slope Orchard
Authors: Li Wenbin , Tang Chongjun , Zhang Jie , Zhu Jinjin , Chen Xiaoan , Hu You
Published: December 2024

The planting of fruit trees on sloping land can bring significant benefits to the local economy, but it also causes different degrees of soil and water erosion problem. In this study, we studied the difference of nutrient migration in the slope ditch runoff. In the 39 scouring tests, grass ditch could reduce the loss of carbon(C), nitrogen(N) and phosphorus(P) by intercepting runoff. There was a positive correlation between runoff and the loss rate of N and P. Flow affected the retention time of runoff in the ditch, and then changed dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loss rate in runoff. The concentration of N and P wouldn't affect N and P loss rate, but would affect N and P total loss amount and DOC loss rate in runoff. The addition of organic fertilizer would significantly increase the N loss rate in runoff, and the change rule of P and DOC loss rate was similar, the co-migration may occurs. To sum up, the importance of the four factors on the migration and loss of C, N and P in ditch runoff was as follows: organic fertilizer (100%) > fertilizer concentration (74.8%) > ditch type (12.6%) > initial flow (10%).
Online Pulse Compensation for Energy Spectrum Determination: A Pole-Zero Cancellation and Unfolding Approach
Authors: Quirino Tiago Motta , Paschoalin Thiago Campos Acácio , Gonçalves Guilherme Inácio , Lisboa Pedro Henrique Braga , de Andrade Filho Luciano Manhães , Peralva Bernardo Sotto-Maior
Published: December 2024

Signal conditioning circuits, in particle energy spectrum determination systems, introduce shaping characteristics that affect pulse integrity. This study explores algorithms to compensate for these effects, focusing on a digital signal processing for pole-zero cancellation (PZC) and unfolding techniques. The PZC algorithm successfully corrects baseline shift and pulse amplitude loss, providing significant improvements in signal fidelity. An unfolding is then applied for fine-tuning the compensation, further enhancing the recovery of the signal. Implemented on FPGA, the algorithms enable real-time compensation for various signal conditioning circuits, demonstrating enhanced performance across different experimental conditions.
Cytotoxicity and Antibacterial Activity of Protonated Diallylammonium Polymers: Influence of End Groups and Molecular Weight
Authors: Timofeeva Larisa M. , Simonova Yulia A. , Eremenko Ivan V. , Filatova Marina P. , Topchiy Maxim A. , Kozobkova Nataliya V. , Shleeva Margarita O. , Eropkin Mikhail Yu.
Published: December 2024

A series of antimicrobial protonated diallylammonium polymers, poly(diallylammonium trifluoroacetate) (PDAATFA), have been synthesized by classical polymerization, using especially elaborated method for preparation of polymers with small molecular weight (MW), and by RAFT polymerization, with different end groups in a range of MW values of (8 – 35)x10^3 g∙mol-1. Cytotoxicity relative to eukaryotic cells (epithelioid lines A-549 and MA-104) and bactericidal activity of the polymers were investigated. The effect of end groups and MW on toxicity and bactericidal activity has been shown. Dependence of the activity and, most of all, cytotoxicity on MW is preserved even at a small difference in MW values (10^4 gxmol-1) in the MW range of (18-35)x10^3 gxmol-1. A clear dependence of the studied properties on the nature of the terminal group has been revealed. Sulfate -O-S(=O)2-O¯ end group has a noticeable effect on the bactericidal efficiency and smaller influence on toxicity, while dithiocarbonyl end group -S-C(=S)-O-CH2-CH3 has significant effect on efficiency and especially toxicity, drastically increasing the second. In a whole, based on results obtained and considering toxicity values obtained for the MA-104 cell line, polymers PDAA of small MW seem to be promising as antimicrobial agents for the creation of new transdermal drugs.