bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimizing the Mechanical Properties of Concrete Through Partial Replacement of Fine Aggregates with Wastewater Sludge
Authors: Mojapelo Kobe Samuel , Kupolati Williams Kehinde , Burger Everardt Andre , Ndambuki Julius Musyoka , Sadiku Emmanuel Rotimi , Ibrahim Idowu David
Published: October 2024

This study investigated the potential of using wastewater sludge (WWS) as a partial replacement for fine aggregates in concrete to optimize its mechanical properties, while mitigating environmental impacts. Wastewater sludge from three wastewater treatment plants in Polokwane, South Africa was used to replace sand at: 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% by weight. The leaching of heavy metals, including calcium, silicon, aluminium, iron, and phosphorus, was evaluated by using a toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) on samples submerged in iodine water for 28, 90, and 140 days. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) were employed to characterize the organic compositions of the sludge and sludge-based concrete. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of wastewater sludge significantly, reduced leachable heavy metals, with concentrations remaining within acceptable limits. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis revealed a substantial decrease in the metal content of the sludge-based concrete when compared with that of the original wastewater sludge. The surface morphology of the sludge-based concrete exhibited heterogeneous, crystalline, and rocky features, in contrast to the spongy and porous morphology of the sludge. Compressive strength tests showed that by replacing up to 5% of sand with wastewater sludge, maintained the required compressive strength of 25 MPa after 90 days of curing. These findings suggest that the partial replacement of fine aggregates with wastewater sludge in concrete can mitigate environmental pollution, while potentially optimizing the mechanical properties of the resulting material, thereby contributing to sustainable construction practices.
YOLO-Gum: a lightweight target detection model for gummosis on tree branches in smart agriculture
Authors: Zhang Pingchuan , Ma Zeze , Yang Ying , Zhang Caihong , Li Shan
Published: October 2024

Gummosis, a common disease among stone fruits such as peach, plum, and apricot trees, primarily affects the trunks and major branches. Peach trees stand as one of the frequently targeted species for this disease. To address the issues of the inability to observe high branch and trunk lesions directly, as well as the complex morphological features and low differentiation, a lightweight detection model, YOLO-Gum, has been proposed. The objective of this model is to provide an accurate basis for the prevention and scientific management of peach gummosis. Firstly, the SENetV2 module was integrated into the original YOLOv8 backbone network, replacing some of the original convolutional layers to enhance the model’s representative capability. Secondly, the CCFM structure was introduced into the neck structure to integrate detailed features and contextual information, reducing the number of parameters and improving computational efficiency. The fusion of CCFM and SENetV2 structures maintains the lightweight nature of the model while optimizing feature extraction to enhance detection accuracy. The experimental results show that the improved YOLOv8n model attains a precision of 92.5% and an F1 score of 74.3%. Compared to the original YOLOv8n model, there are improvements of 5.3% and 6.2% respectively. Furthermore, the parameters of the improved model are 2.79 M, the model size is 5.57 MB, and the FLOPs are 7.6 G, which are reduced by 12.54%, 35.4%, and 12.64%, respectively, in comparison with the original YOLOv8n model. Therefore, this model, being lightweight, precise, and robust, offers technical support for peach tree growth management and robotic vision systems for disease detection.
Characterizing Hypercholesterolemia Patients Initiated in PCSK9 Inhibitor Treatment in Denmark from 2017 to 2022 – a National Registry-Based Study
Authors: Klitgaard Elena , Flege Marius Mølsted , Jacobsen Ramune , Jensen Kristoffer Jarlov , Petersen Janne
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Statins are the first-line treatment for high cholesterol, but 10 to 20% of patients discontinue due to intolerance. Proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) have a favorable safety profile. Despite this, PCSK9is represent the last-line treatment option, primarily due to their high cost. This study aims to examine changes in PCSK9i initiation frequency and patient characteristics in Denmark from 2017 to 2022, investigate previous lipid-lowering treatments before PCSK9i initiation, and describe the medical specialties prescribing PCSK9i.
Methods: National registry study including all patients initiated on a PCSK9i in the period from 2017 to 2022. Patients were identified by the first PCKS9 prescription in the Danish National Patient Register and/or the National Hospital Medication Register.
Results: The final study population consisted of 959 patients. In 2017 to 2018, 225 patients were initiated on a PCSK9i, which increased to 494 patients in 2021 to 2022. Most PCSK9i initiations originated from cardiology departments (76.0%). Overall, 56.4% of patients had very high LDL-C (≥2.6 mmol/L) before being initiated on a PCSK9i, while 16.9% of patients had an LDL-C already lower than the treatment goal (<1.4 mmol/L). The majority of patients had tried a statin prior to PCSK9i initiation (96.6%), whereas 86,2% patients had used ezetimibe – 85.1% of patients had used both a statin and ezetimibe. The number of hospitals initiating PCSK9is was four in 2017 and rose to 19 in 2022.
Conclusion: PCSK9i initiations in Denmark increased between the years 2017 to 2022, but the number of PCSK9i users is still low in Denmark. Almost all patients had used a statin before being initiated on PCSK9i treatment, and prior ezetimibe use was also very common, although 14% did not try ezetimibe before PCSK9i; thus, most patients were initiated in accordance with national guidelines. When, over time, a larger number of patients have been initiated in PCSK9i further real-world evidence studies should be performed.
Developing Generalist Foundation Models from a Multimodal Dataset for 3D Computed Tomography
Authors: Hamamci Ibrahim Ethem , Er Sezgin , Almas Furkan , Simsek Ayse Gulnihan , Esirgun Sevval Nil , Dogan Irem , Dasdelen Muhammed Furkan , Durugol Omer Faruk , Wittmann Bastian , Amiranashvili Tamaz , Simsar Enis , Simsar Mehmet , Erdemir Emine Bensu , Alanbay Abdullah , Sekuboyina Anjany , Lafci Berkan , Bluethgen Christian , Ozdemir Mehmet Kemal , Menze Bjoern
Published: October 2024

While computer vision has achieved tremendous success with multimodal encoding and direct textual interaction with images via chat-based large language models, similar advancements in medical imaging AI—particularly in 3D imaging—have been limited due to the scarcity of comprehensive datasets. To address this critical gap, we introduce CT-RATE, the first dataset that pairs 3D medical images with corresponding textual reports. CT-RATE comprises 25,692 non-contrast 3D chest CT scans from 21,304 unique patients. Through various reconstructions, these scans are expanded to 50,188 volumes, totaling over 14.3 million 2D slices. Each scan is accompanied by its corresponding radiology report. Leveraging CT-RATE, we develop CT-CLIP, a CT-focused contrastive language-image pretraining framework designed for broad applications without the need for task-specific training. We demonstrate how CT-CLIP can be used in two tasks: multi-abnormality detection and case retrieval. Remarkably, in multi-abnormality detection, CT-CLIP outperforms state-of-the-art fully supervised models across all key metrics, effectively eliminating the need for manual annotation. In case retrieval, it efficiently retrieves relevant cases using either image or textual queries, thereby enhancing knowledge dissemination. By combining CT-CLIP's vision encoder with a pretrained large language model, we create CT-CHAT, a vision-language foundational chat model for 3D chest CT volumes. Finetuned on over 2.7 million question-answer pairs derived from the CT-RATE dataset, CT-CHAT surpasses other multimodal AI assistants, underscoring the necessity for specialized methods in 3D medical imaging. Collectively, the open-source release of CT-RATE, CT-CLIP, and CT-CHAT not only addresses critical challenges in 3D medical imaging but also lays the groundwork for future innovations in medical AI and improved patient care.
DNA methylation age from peripheral blood predicts progression to Alzheimer’s disease, white matter disease burden, and cortical atrophy
Authors: Bonham Luke , Sirkis Daniel , Pang Alina , Sugrue Leo , Santamaría-García Hernando , Ibanez Agustin , Miller Bruce , Yokoyama Jennifer , Corley Michael
Published: October 2024

Cross-sectional studies suggest a limited relationship between accelerated epigenetic aging derived from epigenetic clocks, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathophysiology or risk. However, most prior analyses have not utilized longitudinal analyses or whole-brain neuroimaging biomarkers of AD. Herein, we employed longitudinal modeling and structural neuroimaging analyses to test the hypothesis that accelerated epigenetic aging would predict AD progression. Using survival analyses, we found that two second generation epigenetic clocks, DNAmPhenoAge and DNAmGrimAge, predicted progression from cognitively normal aging to mild cognitive impairment or AD and worse longitudinal cognitive outcomes. Epigenetic age was also strongly associated with cortical thinning in AD-relevant regions and white matter disease burden. Thus, in contrast to earlier work suggesting limited applicability of blood-based epigenetic clocks in AD, our novel analytic framework suggests that second-generation epigenetic clocks have broad utility and may represent promising predictors of AD risk and pathophysiology.
Inconspicuous Hermit? Conservation Management Implications from a Decade of Online Wildlife Trade Trends for Land Hermit Crabs
Authors: Hsu Chia-Hsuan , Kang Jeifeng , Zhao Xuequn , Uryu Shinya , Imagawa Haruka , Endo Tomohiko , Kubo Takahiro
Published: October 2024

Wildlife trade poses a significant challenge to biodiversity conservation, yet invertebrate species often receive less attention. In this study, we focused on land hermit crabs to analyze 10 years of data from Japan's largest online selling platform, alongside public interest trends. Our findings reveal that a total of five species and 6,862 individuals were sold over the past decade. Notably, the number of individuals sold annually and the total revenue significantly increased, correlating with Google Trends data, which suggests rising popularity and demand. The price of these crabs may reflect consumer preferences and potential impacts on species conservation. Our analysis shows that body size, species, and the number of individuals per sale influence price. Additionally, while price is also affected by coloration in certain species and body sizes, no clear pattern was observed. A significant trend we identified is the increase in the proportion of small-sized crabs sold, alongside a decrease in large and extra-large sizes, which could indicate over-fishing. The selling season peaked during the summer, with a small number of sellers accounting for a large share of sales, most of whom were based in Okinawa. This study offers valuable insights for policymakers, including the need to manage catch volumes and sizes, collaborate with local stakeholders, and re-evaluate selling certifications. Importantly, it provides the first evidence of long-term trade in land hermit crabs, offering critical information for the conservation of these popular exotic invertebrates globally.
Association of different insulin resistance surrogates with erectile dysfunction： a cross-sectional study
Authors: Li Maocai , Li Xueying , Xu Yinuo , Chen Zhaocheng , He Pei , Zhu Yongtong
Published: October 2024

Purpose： Metabolic syndrome and obesity are more common among men who have erectile dysfunction (ED), and there is a strong association between insulin resistance (IR) and the development of these diseases. However, no research has studied an attachment between different IR surrogates and ED. As a result, we scrutinized their potential relationship Among individuals in general.
Materials and Methods： The NHANES 2001-2004 dataset provided the basis for our analysis. We utilizedmultivariable logistic regression to investigate the link between ED and various IR surrogates (including the triglyceride glucose [TyG] index, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] index, and triglyceride glucose-body mass [TyG-BMI]index). Additionally, we utilized smoothed curve fitting and threshold effect examination to assess curvilinear correlations and validate our findings. Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify sensitive populations, while the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (ROC) study assessed the forecasting ability involving different IR surrogates for IR and ED.
Results: When controlling potential covariates, both the TyG index and the HOMA-IR index demonstrated no significant association with ED. Conversely, the TyG-BMI index/10 exhibited a favorable correlation with ED (odds ratio [OR] = 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01, 1.06; P < 0.05). Smooth curve fitting and threshold effect analysis revealed a curvilinear connection between the TyG-BMI index with ED, indicating a remarkable inflection point at 320.78. Subgroup analysis illustrated the interactive effects of age, marital status, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) on the connection that exists among the TyG-BMI index and ED (P for interaction > 0.05). Nonetheless, different IR surrogates showed no difference in predictive ability for ED: HOMA-IR (0.559, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.59) compared to TyG (0.604, 95% CI: 0.57, 0.63) and TyG-BMI (0.558, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.59).
Conclusions： This research demonstrates a positive relationship between highlevels of the TyG-BMI index and ED among adults in the United States.
A twin with a novel mutation in CYBB induced X-linked chronic granulomatous disease: A rare case report of misdiagnosis as congenital cystic lung disease.
Authors: Lin Lin , Gong Zongrong , Yin Genquan , Lu Gen , Peng Junzheng
Published: October 2024

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a lethal immunodeficiency disease caused by the defective generation of reactive oxygen species by the phagocyte nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). It results in recurrent infections caused by catalase-positive bacteria or fungi. Congenital cystic lung disease is a rare congenital disease, and compression and infection are the most common symptoms. Here, we report monochorionic diamniotic twins with X-linked CGD presenting with cystic lesions in the lungs, which were initially misdiagnosed as congenital cystic lung disease. A novel mutation (c.1303A > T p. Lys435Ter) in the CYBB gene was found via genetic testing.
Research on the evolution of microstructurale damage of high-rank coal under supercritical CO2 pulsating action
Authors: Liu Jiajia , Zhang Yunlong , Gao Jianliang , Wang Dan , Chang Ping
Published: October 2024

To characterize the microcomponents and pore structure of high-rank coals under supercritical CO2 pulsation, the effects of supercritical CO2 pulsation on the mineral composition, organic functional groups, pore structure and pore fractal characteristics of high-rank coals were investigated on the basis of a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), high-pressure mercuric pressure, low-temperature liquid nitrogen, and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. The results showed that after supercritical CO2 pulsation, the mineral compositions and organic functional group contents of the coals changed to different degrees, among which the contents of calcite, ilmenite and illite decreased, the contents of ferro-dolomite and kaolinite increased, and the characteristic peaks of oxygen-containing, benzene-ring-five-substituted H, and aliphatic functional groups decreased. The pore and fractal structure of the coals after supercritical CO2 pulsation was significantly altered, the total pore volume of the coal body increased by 188%, the percentage of seepage pore volume increased by 13 times, and the porosity increased by 8.272%. The fractal dimensions of the coal samples after supercritical CO2 pulsation all showed a decreasing trend, and the complexity of their pore structure and surface roughness decreased.
Influencing factors of oral frailty in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes in China: A cross- sectional study based on the integral model of frailty
Authors: Luo Wenyu , Zhou Jinfeng , Qiu Lingyu , Zhao Li
Published: October 2024

Objectives
This study aimed to investigate the current status and influencing factors of oral frailty in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus to inform the development of oral management programs in this population.
Methods
A total of 431 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who visited two tertiary public hospitals in Nanchong City from March 2024 to October 2024 were enrolled in this study. The General Information Questionnaire, Oral Frailty Index-8 (OFI-8), Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT), Eating Assessment Questionnaire Tool-10 (EAT-10), Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-5), and Geriatric Self Efficacy Scale for Oral Health Scale (GSEOH) were used to investigate and assess the factors related to oral frailty.
Results
The prevalence of oral frailty in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes was 32.95% (142/431). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that advanced age(OR = 1.098, 95% CI: 1.054 ~ 1.146), HbA1c ≥ 7%(OR = 3.745, 95% CI: 1.203–12.647), dysphagia(OR = 8.401, 95% CI: 2.276–43.846), and poor oral health status (OR = 2.213, 95% CI: 1.134–4.394 ) were risk factors of oral frailty, and the number of remaining teeth ≥ 20(OR = 0.105, 95% CI: 0.046–0.217) and high oral health-related self-efficacy(OR = 0.934, 95% CI: 0.898–0.970) were protective factors against oral frailty (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
The main factors affecting oral frailty in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus include age, HbA1c, dysphagia, poor oral health status, number of remaining teeth, and oral health-related self-efficacy. Healthcare professionals need to formulate targeted oral health management strategies based on relevant influencing factors and implement early interventions to help prevent and delay the onset and development of oral frailty.
CerS6 gene methylation in peripheral blood is associated with asthma and the frequent exacerbator phenotype
Authors: song zhu , wang yuting , huang heqing , hu tingting , gao xu , chang chun
Published: October 2024

Background
Sphingolipids metabolism regulated by ceramide synthase (CerS) enzyme is closely related to asthma development, but the underlying biological mechanism remains unclear. Given the critical role of epigenetics in the pathogenesis of asthma, we explored the DNA methylation patterns of CerS1-6, the genes encoding the CerS enzyme, in asthma patients.
Methods
We enrolled 26 asthma patients and six healthy controls for this study. Peripheral blood samples were collected for the analysis of serum phospholipid profiles and DNA methylation assays. Linear regression models were employed to estimate DNA methylation dynamics of CerS1-6 genes between asthma patients and healthy controls, followed by bootstrap-based internal validation. Subgroup analyses were conducted for various asthma phenotypes. The correlation between the identified differentially methylated CpG sites and ceramide metabolites was further investigated.
Results
Among 127 CpG sites on CerS1-6, four sites (cg18956199, cg21465008, cg03236449, and cg15455300) on CerS6 gene were significantly differentially methylated between asthma patients and healthy controls. Specifically, cg15455300 exhibited significantly lower methylation levels in asthma patients and was significantly associated with frequent asthma exacerbations and poor asthma control. Internal validation indicated robust and significant differences at locus cg18956199. We further observed varying degrees of correlation between ceramide metabolites and the methylation levels of the four identified CpG sites. A differentially methylated region (chr2: 169311373–169312695) located on CerS6 was also identified.
Conclusion
Our study offered potential insights into asthma pathogenesis by revealing distinct DNA methylation patterns across CerS6 gene between asthma patients and healthy controls.
Dexmedetomidine ameliorates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury through regulating FASN-associated cholesterol homeostasis
Authors: Guo Yapeng , Zeng Xinyan , Zhang Shenghui , Zhao Kun , Wang Jiansheng
Published: October 2024

Dexmedetomidine (Dex) has been used in sedation in intensive care units and as an anesthetic adjunct. However, the mechanism of the protective function of Dex against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unclear. We applied in vivo rat model as well as in vitro cardiomyocyte models (H9c2 cells and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, NRCMs) to evaluate the effects of Dex against myocardial I/R injury. In the results, protective effects of Dex were observed in rat heart tissues after I/R injury. Next, transcriptomic sequencing was performed to determine the global change of gene expression, and identified genes related to cholesterol metabolism were significantly upregulated by Dex, where the change of fatty acid synthase (FASN) was the most significant. Furthermore, shRNAs targeting FASN were transfected into H9c2 cells and NRCMs to knock down FASN. By comparing the effects of Dex on both wild type and FASN-knockdown cells under the OGD/R challenge, the protection of Dex was absent in knockdown cells supported by the dataset including the cell viability and apoptosis as well as key gene expressions. Overall, this study systematically evaluates the protective effects of Dex on myocardial I/R injury and provides a better understanding of the role of cholesterol metabolism in the function of Dex.
Economic Evaluation of Telemedicine Services Provided at Satellite Centre for Tribal Health and Research, Abu Road Sirohi Rajasthan India
Authors: MITTAL AMIT KUMAR , PATEL MAMTA , Dwivedi Rakhi , Joshi Vibha , Singh Manmohan , DwivedI Pradeep , Singh Kuldeep
Published: October 2024

Background: Assessing health technology is a vital tool for determining whether interventions should be continued or stopped. Delivering efficient medical services in remote tribal, hilly regions demands careful planning to maximize limited resources. To identify the effectiveness of telemedicine centres, we conducted an economic evaluation of telemedicine services. Furthermore, we identified the avertion of patient transportation costs.
Methods: A qualitative telemedicine evaluation was conducted through in-depth interviews with patients and hospital authorities, as well as focused group discussions with medical officers and paramedical staff. By analyzing direct and indirect costs, including setup, operations, and patient-related expenses and patient satisfaction levels, the study provides insights into the sustainability of telemedicine in resource-constrained settings.
Results: The analysis reveals that telemedicine can significantly reduce patient transportation costs, making healthcare more accessible and affordable, particularly for underserved populations in tribal and hilly regions. The study also highlights substantial operating costs driven by staff salaries and emphasizes the importance of efficient budget planning and resource allocation.
Conclusions: The findings underscore the potential of telemedicine to promote health equity by reducing disparities and improving health outcomes. To fully understand the impact of telemedicine services, a comprehensive economic evaluation considering patient outcomes, quality of care, and long-term cost savings is recommended.
A meta-study of the microbiome and related dysfunction of the brain reveals distinct microbial signatures in the microbiota-gut-brain axis
Authors: Liu Yaru , Li Shitao , Liu Tiantian , Deng Penghui , Dong Jiyang , Xu Xiangnan
Published: October 2024

The gut microbiome has emerged as a potential contributor to neurological disorders, with growing evidence linking microbial alterations to conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, a comprehensive understanding of shared and distinct microbial signatures across these disorders remains elusive. In this meta-analysis, we re-analyzed 31 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing datasets to investigate gut microbiome alterations in AD, PD, and ASD. Using a unified bioinformatic pipeline and robust statistical approaches, we identified both common and disorder-specific microbial signatures. While alpha diversity was significantly altered only in PD, beta diversity analysis revealed consistent compositional changes across all disorders. The genera Blautia and Bacteroides emerged as shared markers, showing differential abundance in AD, PD, and ASD, albeit with varying directions of change. PD exhibited the most distinct microbial profile, with 19 genera showing PD-specific alterations, including enrichment of Akkermansia and depletion of Faecalibacterium. Network analysis revealed complex, disorder-specific patterns of microbial interactions, with PD showing the highest number of altered microbial associations. These findings provide a nuanced picture of gut microbiome alterations across neurological disorders, highlighting potential common mechanisms and disease-specific signatures that may contribute to pathogenesis or serve as diagnostic biomarkers.
An evaluation of the feasibility, value and impact of using participatory modelling to inform the development of a regional system dynamics model for youth suicide prevention.
Authors: Michail Maria , Waring Justin , Occhipinti Jo-An , Witt Katrina , Skinner Adam , Lamblin Michelle , Veresova Maria , Kartal Dzenana , Robinson Jo
Published: October 2024

Background
Suicide remains a leading cause of death for young Australians. We need robust analytical tools to help us understand and respond to the dynamic complexity underlying suicide and suicidal behaviour. Participatory systems modelling leverages empirical data together with the experiential knowledge of stakeholders to inform model building, evaluation, and implementation. Efforts to evaluate collaborative deliberative processes such as participatory system modelling remain sparse. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, value and impact of adopting a participatory systems modelling approach for developing a youth suicide prevention system dynamics model in North-West Melbourne, Australia.
Methods
Three participatory workshops were conducted with an expert stakeholder group including young people with lived and living experience of self-harm/suicidal behaviour, family members, healthcare professionals, and policymakers. Data collection was informed by an evaluation framework, including i) briefing questionnaires, ii) workshop recordings and field notes, iii) evaluation questionnaires. Data from each source were analysed separately, using codebook and reflexive thematic analysis, and synthesised to identify patterns in meaning and broad concepts under the evaluation categories of feasibility, value, and impact.
Results
We found that the feasibility of undertaking an inclusive and accessible participatory systems modelling project was influenced by stakeholder cultural diversity, meaningful involvement of those with lived and living experience, accessibility of technical aspects of modelling, and managing group dynamics. The value of adopting a participatory approach in developing a complex systems model was demonstrated in the collaborative learning that took place between the expert stakeholder group and the research team. Central to this was the experiential knowledge of young people who helped shape our understanding of the contextual drivers of self-harm and suicidal behaviour. Stakeholders’ knowledge of the regional health system informed the structure, logic and assumptions of the systems model.
Conclusions
This is one of very few evaluations of a participatory systems modelling project involving young people with lived and living experience of self-harm/suicidal behaviour and bereaved families. Our study offers novel theoretical and practical insights into the processes adopted to ensure the safe and inclusive involvement of diverse perspectives in developing a youth suicide prevention system dynamics model.
Nexus Scissor: Enhance Open-Access Language Model Safety by Connection Pruning
Authors: Pang Yan , Mai Peihua , Yang Youjia , Yan Ran
Published: October 2024

Large language models (LLMs) are vulnerable to adversarial attacks that bypass safety measures and induce the model to generate harmful content. Securing open-access LLMs against these adversarial attacks is especially challenging due to their offline, unregulated, and often secretive usage. To defend open-access models against a broad spectrum of attacks, it is critical to mitigate their inherent capacity to retrieve malicious responses. Inspired by Spreading Activation theory, this paper proposes the Nexus Scissor, a framework based on connection pruning, to prevent LLMs from recalling harmful content, thereby bolstering its security against a range of jailbreak attacks. Nexus Scissor servers the link between the malicious target and its immediate harmful knowledge, while maintaining the integrity of the remaining knowledge graph. Our framework can also be generalized to closed-access models, such as ChatGPT and Claude. Empirical analysis demonstrates that our proposed Nexus scissor effectively enhances the safety of open-access LLMs against various adversarial attacks, with minimal impact on performance across on common benchmarks.
Associations between different triglyceride glucose index-related obesity indices and eating disorders: results from NHANES 2005–2018
Authors: Xiao He , Du Yudie , Song Ke , Ren Yixing
Published: October 2024

Background
This research aimed to determine the possible links between obesity measures related to the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and the prevalence of eating disorders (ED) for the United States residents.
Methods
This observational investigation analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2018. It assessed the relationship of the TyG index, TyG combined with waist circumference (TyG-WC), or TyG combined with body mass index (TyG-BMI) with ED. The analysis employed a multivariable regression model, stratified analyses, and a ROC curve assessment.
Results
This research included a total of 10,324 adults. In the comprehensive analysis model, the TyG, TyG-BMI, along with TyG-WC all had a significant positive correlation with ED. The adjusted graphical representations revealed a rising trend in the association of TyG-BMI index with ED. Subgroup analyses indicated that individuals with hypertension exhibited even stronger positive associations between these indices and ED. The areas under the curve (AUC) values indicates the value for TyG-related indicators in predicting ED.
Conclusions
The research uncovered a significant and enduring connection between obesity measures related to the TyG-related index and ED, indicating a robust association of increased insulin resistance with the probability of ED among the U.S. population.
Three-dimensional nonlinear tooth meshing modeling and analysis for preloaded tracked vehicles.
Authors: Huang Kai , Wang Guoping , Wang Pingxin , Zhang Jianshu , Miao Yangyang
Published: October 2024

The single-pin track system is widely used in light-tracked vehicles due to its simple structure and high reliability. This paper aims to establish a nonlinear three-dimensional tooth engagement search process to simulate the meshing process between the single-pin track shoe and the sprocket, thereby improving the accuracy of multibody system dynamics simulations. Based on the actual geometric structure, the contact surfaces between the sprocket teeth and the track pin are discretized, and a body-fixed coordinate system is introduced for each contact surface to facilitate the geometric contact criteria and contact force calculation. Through simulation, the effect of pre-tension on tooth engagement is analyzed, revealing the dynamics of the track chain as a function of pre-tension variation. Simulation results, validated by commercial software and experimental tests, indicate that the proposed 3D meshing model can effectively simulate the impact of high-frequency excitations on tracked vehicles. Furthermore, the study provides suggestions for optimizing the design of the track shoe and sprocket to improve the service life of the meshing system.
Identification and Targeting of Regulators of SARS-CoV-2-Host Interactions in the Airway Epithelium.
Authors: Dirvin Brooke , Noh Heeju , Tomassoni Lorenzo , Cao Danting , Zhou Yizhuo , Ke Xiangyi , Qian Jun , Schotsaert Michael , Garcia-Sastre Adolfo , Karan Charles , Califano Andrea , Cardoso Wellington , Jangra Sonia
Published: October 2024

Background
In spite of the wealth of literature available, the mechanistic determinants of SARS-CoV-2-mediated host-cell hijacking that results in massive infection of the human airway epithelium are still poorly understood. While ciliated cells have been identified as a major target and sink of SARS-CoV-2 during COVID-19 pathogenesis, the contribution of other airway epithelial components and the specific host factors hijacked that maintain their pro-infective cell state remains unclear. Limitations have been in part due to overreliance on single-cell gene expression profiling which may not reflect the protein activation status and analyses biased toward downstream effects rather than in actual determinants of infection. These ultimately have hampered progress in the understanding of the hijacking mechanisms implemented by SARS-CoV-2 in different cell types and in the identification of compounds to effectively counteract these host factors.
Methods
Here we used a human airway organotypic culture system known to model the cellular diversity of the airway epithelium, and a network-based platform to identify master regulator (MR) proteins that facilitate SARS-CoV-2 reprogramming of key airway epithelial cell types at different stages of infection. The analysis was coupled to a large-scale drug perturbation screen in these organotypic cultures using a library of FDA-approved compounds to identify drugs able to the invert SARS-CoV-2-induced activities in these cells.
Results
The identification of top MR differentially activated by SARS-CoV-2 in ciliated (NCOR, HDAC1), secretory (KAT2B), or basal/ciliated (MED21/MED7) cells suggested distinct host cell reprogramming mechanisms. Notably, the identification of crucial proviral factors required for SARS-CoV-2 infection (USP33, CUL5, SNX27 and PBRM1) collectively activated in all 3 main cell types revealed a potential mechanism of viral propagation common to both basal and luminal airway compartments. The perturbation assay identified 11 drugs able to invert the entire MR signature activated by SARS-CoV-2 in these cell types, with 9 of these targeting recognized proviral MR factors.
Conclusions
Leveraging MR analysis and drug perturbational profiles of human primary cells represents a relevant mechanism-based platform for investigation of disease pathogenesis and drug discovery in conditions affecting the airway epithelium.
Seizure Reduction with Cenobamate in a Pediatric Patient with Refractory Generalized Epilepsy: A Case Report
Authors: Ranpariya Margil , Ludwig Alexus , Rosen Elizabeth C. , Glover Robert L.
Published: October 2024

Cenobamate (CNB) is a newer anti-seizure medication (ASM) approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adjunctive treatment of focal onset seizures in adults. Preclinical data indicates that CNB may have broad spectrum anti-seizure properties. A recently published small case study has reported that CNB led to improvement in seizure frequency in patients with generalized epilepsy. We present a pediatric patient with refractory generalized epilepsy who presented to our institution in status epilepticus consisting of bilateral facial and upper extremity twitching. After a prolonged hospitalization for refractory status epilepticus, he experienced a clinically significant reduction in seizure frequency with utilization of CNB. Our case adds to sparse literature available for the efficacy of utilizing CNB in a patient with refractory generalized epilepsy.
Multimarker genetic analyses of Gonimbrasia belina, the most harvested wild edible insect of mopane woodlands in southern Africa supports concerns over the sustainability of the species
Authors: Nethavhani Zwannda , Veldtman Ruan , Nyamukondiwa Casper , Versfeld William , Asch Barbara
Published: October 2024

The caterpillars of Gonimbrasia belina, commonly known as mopane worms, are intensively harvested for human consumption in southern Africa. Concerns over the sustainability of the species have been raised for the last two decades due to increasing demand, habitat erosion, and climate change. Despite its cultural, economic, and nutritional significance, genetic data for G. belina was largely unavailable. We used a multi-marker approach including mitochondrial sequences and nuclear ddRADseq data to assess the genetic diversity, phylogeographical structure and demographic history of G. belina in Namibia and the Limpopo River Basin (South Africa and Botswana). Mitochondrial sequences revealed strong phylogeographical structure at the broad scale separating Namibia and Limpopo River Basin populations. Within the Limpopo River Basin, populations are separated by the Limpopo River, with haplotype sharing only at the border between South Africa and Botswana. Mitochondrial genetic diversity varies between sampling areas but overall is highest in South Africa and lowest in Botswana, while historical demography points to population expansion in Namibia but not in South Africa and Botswana. Nuclear data in the Limpopo River Basin revealed some connectivity among populations albeit with significant genetic differentiation and unique gene pools in some sampling areas. All sampling areas show low genetic diversity, alarmingly small effective population size, and signs of recent bottlenecks. We generated the first baseline data for the genetic monitoring of G. belina populations and conclude that concerns over the sustainability of the species are presently justified in Botswana and South Africa.
Predictive Maintenance System for Screw Compressors Using Machine Learning: A Comparative Study
Authors: DAOUDI Nawal , ZAKI Smail , ABOUSSALEH Mohamed
Published: October 2024

Maintaining operational efficiency and reliability of any industrial system is mandatory to minimize downtime and preventing failures. For this purpose, forecasting the evolution of key operational parameters such as temperature is essential. Hence, for this work, we have considered the temperature at the compressor’s screw element outlet. Given its criticality, this parameter is continuously monitored, as beside its operational role, it is considered as a safety indicator enabling to avoid thermal events, moreover it doesn’t require any significant investment. In this paper, we will present a comparison between four machine learning models for predicting this parameter. We have considered using regression models, i.e. Linear Regression, K-Nearest Neighbors, Support Vector Machine and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM). After the first steps which include data cleaning and preprocessing, feature selection using the correlation analysis and feature importance techniques, the models were trained and evaluated using key metrics: Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), R-squared (R²), and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). Among the tested models, the GBM has proven a superior performance, explaining, and forecasting 92% of the variance in the temperature at the screw element outlet and achieving the lowest error. Furthermore, A residual analysis confirmed the robustness of the GBM, highlighting its ability to make accurate predictions with minimal bias. This level of accuracy is considered as sufficient through academic as well as industrial lenses. Accurately predicting the outlet temperature is crucial for developing an effective predictive maintenance system, which can proactively prevent failures and optimize compressor performance. Future work focuses on hyperparameter tuning and advanced feature engineering to improve model accuracy and robustness for real-time industrial applications. Additionally, extending the scope of this approach to integrate other equipment, as the compressor is not an isolated machine in the industry but live in an Ecosystem under the utility room and with this, we can ensure the scalability, the integration, and the real-time processing capabilities.
Thicker Posterior Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue (SAT) During Peri-arrest Period is Associated Favorable Neurological Outcome at Hospital Discharge in Patients Achieving Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) After IHCA: an Observational Study
Authors: Zhou Tingyuan , Ma Wen , He Yarong , Tang Songling , Jian Mengyao , Yao Peng , Cao Yu
Published: October 2024

Background: Moderate overweight in hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) patients tend to have better neurological outcomes after attaining return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), but the underlying mechanism has not been elucidated.
Method: We collected the demographics, clinical and cardiac arrest characteristics, thoracic cage dimension indexes measured from computed tomography (CT) images, and survival and neurological outcome at hospital discharge of the eligible patients. Patients receiving different kind of respiratory support while performing pre-compression and post-compression CT scans were divided into groups and we did the subgroup analysis.
Results: We reviewed the clinical records of 1663 CA patients. After selection, 70 patients were included into this study. We found thicker posterior SAT (pSAT) at the 7/8/10/11 spinous process plane in patients with favorable neurological outcome in post-compression CT images(p<0.05). For patients with favorable neurological outcome receiving one kind of respiratory support during peri-cardiac arrest period, we found significantly thicker pSAT at the 6/7/8/9/10/11 spinous process plane in pre-compression and 7/8/9/10/11/12 spinous plane in post-compression CT images (p<0.05). Patients with favorable neurological outcome receiving mechanical ventilation (MV) in peri-cardiac arrest period had thicker pSAT at the 10/11/12 spinous process plane; for those without MV, thicker pSATs were found at 10/11 spinous process plane in post-compression CT images(p<0.05). We found no difference in bony thorax within different vertebral plane after subgroup analysis (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Thicker posterior SAT depth during peri-cardiac arrest period is associated with favorable neurological outcome at discharge for IHCA survivors. This could partly explain the “obese paradox” that overweight patients have better prognosis after CA. We recommend a multiple vertebral plane thorax measurement for future investigations concerning chest characteristics.
Geomechanical Back Assessment of a Major Ground Collapse of a Twin Tunnel located in the Eastern Section of the Algerian Highway
Authors: N ALLOUACHE Abdelaziz
Published: October 2024

Highway tunnels are sometimes driven in a challenging ground conditions and technical constrains, within surrounding groundmass with poor mechanical properties, namely the cretaceous soil, which is a highly weathered and degraded rock with scaly structure. These tunnels are often excavated with large cross-sections and often in double-tubes line, leaving a clear spacing between each other, in order to ensure traffic fluidity and security services. High section tunnels usually result in large stress perturbations and deformations leading to a ground collapse phenomenon in misunderstood behaviour conditions of the groundmass, more particularly freeway twin tunnels with clear spacing.
This paper takes into consideration a twin 3-lanes tunnel, part of a national freeway project of around 1200 km, with a non-circular section of a 190 m² each and a clear spacing of 17 m. Given the surrounding rock conditions, mentioned above, at a certain project stage, substantial displacements reached a peak of 41 mm/day, moreover, shotcrete cracks were observed prior to a major collapse extending up to 130 m in the tunnel direction. Back assessment is proposed in this work of post-collapse and ante-collapse main disturbance factors, feedback outcomes will be valuable for the ascertaining and understanding of underground failures phenomenon.
Validation of the QuickDASH (Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand) in Patients with Neck Pain
Authors: Lue Yi-Jing , Cheng Kuang-I , Lin Chih-Lung , Chen Chung-Hwan , Lu Yen-Mou
Published: October 2024

Purpose
Many patients with neck pain have upper limb disorders, and prolonged use of computers at work commonly induces neck/shoulder pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the QuickDASH in patients with neck pain.
Methods
A total of 189 patients with neck pain were included in reliability and validity studies. The reliability studies of the QuickDASH included internal consistency and test–retest reliability. The validity studies for the QuickDASH included the convergent and divergent validities, and EFA and CFA were used to examine the structural validity.
Results
The QuickDASH indicated that most participants (83.6%) had upper limb disorders, and it had a slight floor effect (16.4%). For reliability, the internal consistency (Cα = 0.945) and test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.98; SEM = 3.17, and MDC = 8.79) were excellent. For validity, the convergent and divergent validities were satisfactory. The QuickDASH had moderate to high correlations to the Neck Disability Index, VAS of the arm, and the Physical Component Summary of the SF-36 (rho = 0.80, 0.56 and − 0.62, respectively) and was not associated with age or disease duration. EFA revealed that two factors of the QuickDASH (Function-factor and Symptom-factor) explained 80.9% of the variance, and CFA confirmed the two-factor model.
Conclusion
The QuickDASH is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing upper limb disorders in patients with neck pain.
Urkundliches Material zum hansisch-dänischen Krieg 1368–1370 aus dem Bestand „Pfundzollherren“ des Archivs der Hansestadt Lübeck in der Staatlichen Universität Tomsk
Authors: Portnykh Valentin , Bessudnova Marina
Published: October 2024

Dieser Artikel präsentiert eine Edition der bisher unveröffentlichen Dokumenten zum hansisch-dänischen Krieg 1368-70.
Über das Tagen und Vertagen als politische Handlungsprinzipien
Authors: Annas Gabriele
Published: October 2024

Im Heiligen Römischen Reich des 14. und 15. Jahrhunderts waren Tagungen und Versammlungen nicht Ungewöhnliches, sowohl auf regionaler als auch auf höheren Ebenen.
"Nicht zu unterschätzen"
Authors: Ashauer Christian , Holterman Bart , Siegemund Jan
Published: October 2024

In der Vergangenheithat sich die Hanseforschung vornehmlich auf die großen Akteure wie Lübeck, Hamburg, Köln oder Danzig fokussiert, während angenommen wurde, dass kleine Städte eine untergeordnete Rolle gespielt haben.