bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends in the burden of hospitalised patients with cirrhosis in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study of cirrhosis-related hospitalisations between 1998 and 2020
Authors: Favre-Bulle Timothee , Moradpour Darius , Marques-Vidal Pedro , Vaucher Julien
Published: August 2024

Objective

Liver cirrhosis is an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide with a heavy load on healthcare systems. We analysed the trends in hospitalisations for cirrhosis in Switzerland.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Large nationwide inpatient database, years between 1998 and 2020.

Participants

Hospitalisations for cirrhosis of adult patients were selected.

Main outcomes and measures

Hospitalisations with either a primary diagnosis of cirrhosis or a cirrhosis-related primary diagnosis with a mandatory presence of cirrhosis as a secondary diagnosis were considered following the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems codes. Trends in demographic and clinical characteristics, in-hospital mortality and length of stay were analysed. Causes and costs of cirrhosis-related hospitalisations were available from 2012 onwards.

Results

Cirrhosis-related hospitalisations increased from 1631 in 1998 to 4052 in 2020. Of the patients, 68.7% were men. Alcohol-related liver disease was the leading cause, increasing from 44.1% (95% CI, 42.4% to 45.9%) in 2012 to 47.9% (95% CI, 46.4% to 49.5%) in 2020. Assessed by exclusion of other coded causes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was the second cause at 42.7% (95% CI, 41.2% to 44.3%) in 2020. Hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis decreased from 12.3% (95% CI, 11.2% to 13.5%) in 2012 to 3.2% (95% CI, 2.7% to 3.8%) in 2020. Median length of stay decreased from 11 to 8 days. Hospitalisations with an intensive care unit stay increased from 9.8% (95% CI, 8.4% to 11.4%) to 15.6% (95% CI, 14.5% to 16.8%). In-hospital mortality decreased from 12.1% (95% CI, 10.5% to 13.8%) to 9.7% (95% CI, 8.8% to 10.7%). Total costs increased from 54.4 million US$ (51.4 million €) in 2012 to 92.6 million US$ (87.5 million €) in 2020.

Conclusions

Cirrhosis-related hospitalisations and related costs increased in Switzerland from 1998 to 2020 but in-hospital mortality decreased. Alcohol-related liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were the most prevalent and preventable aetiologies of cirrhosis-related hospitalisations.
Effect of health extension workers-led home-based multicomponent intervention on blood pressure reduction among hypertensive patients in rural districts of northwest Ethiopia: a cluster-randomised controlled trial
Authors: Teshome Destaw Fetene , Alemu Shitaye , Ayele Tadesse Awoke , Atnafu Asmamaw , Gelaye Kassahun Alemu
Published: August 2024

Objectives

To evaluate effects of health extension workers-led home-based multicomponent intervention on blood pressure change in hypertensive patients in rural districts of northwest Ethiopia.

Design

Two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted.

Participants

Hypertensive patients’ age ≥25 years were included. 20 clusters or kebeles with 456 participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (10 clusters with 228 participants) and the control group (10 clusters with 228 participants).

Interventions

Participants in the intervention kebeles received health extension workers-led home-based multicomponent interventions every other month for 40–60 min for 9 months.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcomes were the differences in mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) changes from baseline between patients in the intervention and control groups. Intention-to-treat analysis was used for the primary analyses. Linear mixed effect model was used to evaluate the intervention’s effect on change in mean SBP and DBP. Effect sizes of mean difference and relative benefit increase were used.

Results

At 9 months, the mean SBP decreased by 15.8 mm Hg (95% CI: 13.5, 18.1) in the intervention and 10.8 mm Hg (95% CI: 8.7, 12.9) in the control groups; with a 5.0 mm Hg (95% CI: 1.9, 8.1) greater reduction in the intervention group. The mean DBP decreased by 12.1 mm Hg (95% CI: 10.6, 13.5) in the intervention and 8.4 mm Hg (95% CI: 7.0, 9.8) in the control group. The proportion of optimal blood pressure control was higher in the intervention group (45.8%) than the control group (28.2%) with percentage difference of 17.6% (95% CI: 8.5, 26.7).

Conclusions

Health extension workers-led home-based multicomponent intervention has resulted significant reduction of blood pressure and achieved a higher proportion of optimal blood pressure control. This strategy is effective, but further research is needed to determine its cost effectiveness for scaling up and integrating in primary care settings.

Trial registration

The trial is registered with Pan African clinical trial registry (PACTR202102729454417).
Building expert consensus regarding sharing of individual research results in Alzheimer’s disease research: a Delphi study protocol
Authors: Sankary Lauren R , Rico Valerie , Zelinsky Megan , Webster Helen S , Lerner Alan J , Martinez Kathryn , Ford Paul J , Tousi Babak , Leverenz James
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Informed decisions to enrol in the clinical investigations of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) require careful consideration of complex risks and uncertain benefits. Decisions regarding whether to receive information about biomarker status are complicated by lack of scientific consensus regarding biomarkers as surrogate endpoints for Alzheimer’s disease and how information about individual risk should be evaluated and shared with research participants. This study aims to establish stakeholder consensus regarding ethically optimal approaches to sharing individual results with ADRD research participants.

Methods and analysis

This Delphi consensus-building study consists of multiple online surveys conducted with Alzheimer’s disease research experts, including neurologists, neuropsychologists, ethicists, research oversight specialists and clinical trialists. Panellists will be administered questionnaires developed from a synthesis of researcher- and participant-endorsed considerations and decisional needs identified in published literature and a decisional needs assessment conducted with support from an Alzheimer’s Association Research Grant. Panellists will also be asked their views on the content and implementation of processes for sharing individual research results. ≥75% agreement will be required to achieve consensus. Response rates, level of agreement, medians, interquartile ranges and group rankings will be analysed. Following each round of data collection, our research team will undertake qualitative content analysis of open-ended responses.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval will be obtained from the Cleveland Clinic Institutional Review Board (Study Number 22–766). Delphi panellists will receive participant information sheets describing the study before agreeing to participate in the Delphi process. Results from the data we anticipate will be generated through this research and will be submitted for peer-reviewed journal publication and presentation at international conferences.
Aflibercept for central retinal vein occlusions: long-term outcomes of a ‘Treat-and-Extend’ regimen
Authors: Jaggi Damian , Nagamany Thanoosha , Wolf Sebastian , Zinkernagel Martin S. , Heussen Florian M.
Published: August 2024

Background/aims

This study reports on the long-term functional and anatomical outcomes of patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) treated under the Bern treat-and-extend (T&E) protocol.

Methods

Observational study. Treatment-naive patients with CRVO and consecutive macular oedema treated with aflibercept were included. The T&E protocol involved 2 monthly injections followed by an extension based on individual assessments. At each visit, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography imaging and a 2 mg aflibercept injection were administered. Changes in BCVA, proportion of patients gaining ≥15 letters, central subfield thickness (CST) and treatment intervals were analysed.

Results

Out of 173 patients, 64 had a follow-up of at least 2 years. BCVA improved from 46.7±25.3 at baseline to 78.3±0.5 at year 9. The proportion of patients with ≥15 letters gained was 56%, 53%, 56%, 62%, 52%, 52%, 43%, 50% and 33% at years 1–9, respectively. CST decreased significantly from 660±242 µm at baseline to 359±63 µm at year 9. Treatment intervals extended from 4 weeks initially to an average of 13.0±4.1 weeks by year 8.

Conclusions

The T&E regimen for CRVO shows sustained visual improvements and reduced CST over time. Patients maintained stable visual gains for many years, demonstrating the effectiveness of this treatment approach. However, no control group was available to compare our T&E regimen with other strategies.
Estimating biological age from retinal imaging: a scoping review
Authors: Grimbly Michaela Joan , Koopowitz Sheri-Michelle , Chen Ruiye , Sun Zihan , Foster Paul J , He Mingguang , Stein Dan J , Ipser Jonathan , Zhu Zhuoting
Published: August 2024

Background/Aims

The emerging concept of retinal age, a biomarker derived from retinal images, holds promise in estimating biological age. The retinal age gap (RAG) represents the difference between retinal age and chronological age, which serves as an indicator of deviations from normal ageing. This scoping review aims to collate studies on retinal age to determine its potential clinical utility and to identify knowledge gaps for future research.

Methods

Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist, eligible non-review, human studies were identified, selected and appraised. PubMed, Scopus, SciELO, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, Cochrane, CINAHL, Africa Wide EBSCO, MedRxiv and BioRxiv databases were searched to identify literature pertaining to retinal age, the RAG and their associations. No restrictions were imposed on publication date.

Results

Thirteen articles published between 2022 and 2023 were analysed, revealing four models capable of determining biological age from retinal images. Three models, ‘Retinal Age’, ‘EyeAge’ and a ‘convolutional network-based model’, achieved comparable mean absolute errors: 3.55, 3.30 and 3.97, respectively. A fourth model, ‘RetiAGE’, predicting the probability of being older than 65 years, also demonstrated strong predictive ability with respect to clinical outcomes. In the models identified, a higher predicted RAG demonstrated an association with negative occurrences, notably mortality and cardiovascular health outcomes.

Conclusion

This review highlights the potential clinical application of retinal age and RAG, emphasising the need for further research to establish their generalisability for clinical use, particularly in neuropsychiatry. The identified models showcase promising accuracy in estimating biological age, suggesting its viability for evaluating health status.
HIV prevalence and associated factors among adolescent boys and young men in South Africa: 2017 nationally representative household-based population survey
Authors: Makusha Tawanda , Mabaso Musawenkosi , Zungu Nompumelelo , Moyo Sizulu , Naidoo Inbarani , Jooste Sean , Mohapanele Karabo , Zuma Khangelani , Simbayi Leickness
Published: August 2024

Introduction

There is growing recognition that adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) have been left behind in the HIV response and are under-represented in HIV services, leading to poor outcomes across the HIV care cascade. Improved understanding of the HIV epidemic in this population is important for engaging ABYM in the HIV response. This study examined HIV prevalence and associated factors among ABYM aged 15–24 years using the 2017 South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey.

Methods

The data were collected using a multi-stage stratified cluster randomised sampling design. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the study sample and HIV prevalence. A multivariate backward stepwise logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with HIV prevalence. Variables with a significance level of p<0.2 were retained in the final model. Adjusted ORs (AORs) with 95% CI and a p value ≤0.05 were used to determine the level of statistical significance.

Results

Of 3544 ABYM interviewed and tested, 47.8% (n=1 932) were aged 15–19 years and 52.2% (1612) were aged 20–24 years. Overall, 4.8% (95% CI 3.9 to 5.9) were HIV positive, translating to 230 585 ABYM living with HIV in 2017. The odds of being HIV positive were significantly lower among ABYM with tertiary education level (AOR=0.06 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.50), p=0.009), those who were employed (AOR=0.34 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.81), p=0.015) and those who had previously tested for HIV and were aware of their status (AOR=0.29 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.83), p=0.015).

Conclusion

These findings suggest the need to diversify the HIV response to include the implementation of social policies to reduce structural challenges such as low educational attainment and unemployment. They also underscore the importance of promoting the uptake of HIV testing and awareness as the entry point to the treatment and care cascade among ABYM.
Cross-sectional study of the prevalence of chronic liver disease risk factors and liver fibrosis in a remotely living Indigenous Australian population
Authors: Wigg Alan J , Narayana Sumudu , Nugent Michael , Ackland Arlene , Riessen Damian , Wigg Benjamin L , Muller Kate R , Ramachandran Jeyamani , Woodman Richard J
Published: August 2024

Objectives

Remotely living Indigenous Australians have a disproportionate mortality from cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer (HCC). However, there are no local population studies examining the prevalence of chronic liver disease (CLD) in remote communities. The main aims of this study were therefore to study a remote Indigenous population to determine the prevalence of CLD risk factors and the prevalence of significant fibrosis as defined by an Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score of ≥2.67.

Methods

The study design was a retrospective analysis of an electronic medical record database of a remote Aboriginal community-controlled health service. The setting was an Aboriginal community-controlled health service located in a remote South Australian town with a 15% Indigenous Australian population. Participants were all adult Indigenous Australians between the ages of 35 and 65 years.

Results

83.9% of the study population had at least one CLD risk factor and 45% of the population had multiple CLD risk factors. The most prevalent risk factors were alcohol misuse, diabetes and obesity. 3.7% of the population had a high risk of significant fibrosis with an FIB-4 score≥2.67. Each additional CLD risk factor was associated with a 12.3% increase in FIB-4 mean (p=0.001).

Conclusions

CLD risk factors and significant liver fibrosis were highly prevalent in this population. Integrating simple liver screening tests into adult health checks has the potential to detect CLD at an early and treatable stage and to reduce the high morbidity and mortality from cirrhosis and HCC experienced by remotely living Indigenous Australians.
Comparisons of frozen-thawed D3/D5 and D3/D6 sequential embryo transfer in women with repeated implantation failure: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Wang Zheng , Gao Jiangman , Long Xiaoyu , Li Rong
Published: August 2024

Objective

To investigate whether there are significant differences in pregnancy outcomes between frozen-thawed D3/D5 and D3/D6 sequential embryo transfer (SeET) in women with repeated implantation failure (RIF).

Methods

Women who experienced RIF and underwent frozen-thawed cycles with SeET were included and were divided into two groups: D3/D5 (n=455) and D3/D6 (n=308). Included cycles were stratified by the quality of transferred embryos and age.

Results

There were 252/455 (55.4%) clinical pregnancies in the D3/D5 group and 133/308 (43.2%) in the D3/D6 group (OR: 1.63, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.18). Rates for ectopic pregnancy, early miscarriage and multiple pregnancies did not differ between the two groups. In women under 35 years, with transfers of two good-quality embryos, the clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the D3/D5 group compared with the D3/D6 group (65.6% vs 42.4%, OR: 2.59, 95% CI 1.41 to 4.76). This trend persisted when analysing good-quality cleavage-stage embryo and poor-quality blastocyst (D3/D5) transfers versus two good-quality embryo (D3/D6) transfers (61.2% vs 42.4%, OR: 2.14, 95% CI 1.11 to 4.12). For women aged 35 years or older, pregnancy outcomes did not differ.

Conclusion

The clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the D3/D5 group compared with the D3/D6 group. When contrasting the outcomes of transferring a good-quality cleavage-stage embryo and a poor-quality blastocyst in the D3/D5 group with transferring two good-quality embryos in the D3/D6 group, the clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the D3/D5 group. However, among women aged 35 years or older, there were no significant differences in pregnancy outcomes.
Mounting agents with low toxicity and with fast curing time for digital pathology in the intraoperative frozen section laboratory
Authors: Frandsen Mette Wessel , Bojesen Lone , Johnsen Sys , Riis Lene Buhl , Smith Julie
Published: August 2024

Aims

In intraoperative frozen tissue section laboratories (FS laboratories) conventional practice for mounting coverslips on tissue slides involves the use of xylene-based mounting agents, such as Pertex. However, toxic vapours pose a risk to biomedical laboratory scientists (BLS) and pathologists who handle the wet slides to provide fast and urgent diagnostic results to surgeons during operations. Our study aims to evaluate non-toxic mounting agents to substitute Pertex, preferably with a fast curing time suitable for the demands of the new digital era in pathology.

Methods

Five non-toxic mounting agents were purchased and tested through six different protocols and compared to xylene-based Pertex as our gold standard. With light microscopy, tissue slides were quality assessed by BLS. Mounting agents, which were evaluated comparable to Pertex, were also evaluated by a pathologist, hence scanned digitally and re-evaluated.

Results

The protocols forEukitt UV,Eukitt UV R-1andEukitt UV R-2had significantly more artefacts (bubbles) compared to gold standard Pertex (p<0.0001, p=0.004 and p<0.0001, respectively) and assessed inadequate as replacements.Neo-MountandTissue Mountwere assessed applicable regarding quality, but curing times were long.Tek Select UVshowed promising results in both quality and fast curing time (protocol was <2 min).

Conclusions

Toxic mounting agents need replacement to health guard professionals, and also digital pathology is revolutionising laboratories. A digitalized FS laboratory requires fast dry/cured slides for digital scanning. Therefore, a substitute for the FS laboratory should have the qualities of being non-toxic to handle and having a fast curing time, and a UV-based mounting agent may solve both requirements.
Ethnic-specific characteristics associated with longitudinal response patterns from prebirth to 12 years: evidence fromGrowing Up in New Zealand
Authors: Yao Esther S , Neumann Denise , Taufa Seini , Liang Renee , Kingi Te Kani , Langridge Fiona , Paine Sarah-Jane
Published: August 2024

Background

Longitudinal studies can generate valuable scientific knowledge, but can be compromised by systematic attrition. Previous research shows that sociodemographic characteristics (eg, ethnicity, age, educational level, socioeconomic circumstances) are associated with attrition rates. However, little is known about whether these characteristics differ by ethnicity, and how this impacts cohort retention strategies.

Methods

Using antenatal to 12-year data from theGrowing Up in New Zealandbirth cohort study (N=6743), we examined transversal response rates by ethnicity (Māori, Pacific, Asian, European), used sequence analysis and cluster analysis to identify unique longitudinal response patterns, and binary logistic regression to examine ethnic-specific sociodemographic characteristics associated with these response patterns.

Results

The overall response rate at 12 years was 71.0%, with ethnic differences in response rates widening over the six data collection waves. Three longitudinal response patterns were identified: frequent responders (65.2%), intermittent non-responders (29.6%) and frequent non-responders (5.2%). Sociodemographic characteristics such as younger maternal age and lower maternal education were associated with a higher likelihood of membership in the non-response clusters across all ethnic groups. However, there were also important nuances by ethnicity. Individual level factors (eg, household material deprivation and maternal general health) tended to be associated with non-response for Europeans, whereas structural level factors (eg, area-level deprivation and racial discrimination) tended to be associated with non-response for Māori, Pacific and Asian peoples.

Conclusion

Ethnic differences in longitudinal response patterns are due to multiple factors of disadvantage, and therefore require targeted retention strategies. Stratifying analyses by ethnicity is important for revealing nuanced insights.
Splice site variants in the canonical donor site of
MED13L
exon 7 lead to intron retention in patients with
MED13L
syndrome
Authors: Fauqueux Jade , Boussion Simon , Thuillier Caroline , Meurisse Evine , Lacombe Didier , Willems Marjolaine , Piton Amélie , Ait-Yahya Emilie , Ghoumid Jamal , Smol Thomas
Published: August 2024

Pathogenic variants in the
MED13L
gene are associated with the autosomal dominant
MED13L
syndrome, which is characterised by global developmental delay and cardiac malformations. We investigated two heterozygous
MED13L
variants located at the canonical donor splice site motif of exon 7: c.1009+1G>C and c.1009+5G>C. We report that in silico predictions suggested two possible outcomes: exon 7 skipping, resulting in loss of the phosphodegron motif essential for
MED13L
regulation, or activation of a cryptic donor site in intron 7, leading to intron retention. RNA analysis confirmed that both variants affected the exon 7 splice donor site, resulting in the retention of 73 bp of intron 7. This retention caused a frameshift and premature translation termination, consistent with haploinsufficiency. Our results highlight the importance of combining predictive and experimental approaches to understand the functional impact of splice site variants. These insights into the molecular consequences of
MED13L
variants provide a deeper understanding of the genetic basis of
MED13L
syndrome.
Precision medicine for Defence?
Authors: Armstrong Stuart Jon , King K , Steventon G
Published: August 2024

Proteins control individual patient’s response to pharmaceutical medication, be they receptors, transporters or enzymes. These proteins are under the control of genes. The study of these genes and the interplay between multiple genes is pharmacogenomics, with individual genes being termed pharmacogenes. The greatest understanding of pharmacogenetics is of the drug metabolising enzymes, the cytochrome P450s. Almost the entire UK population is likely to have at least one genetic variant that controls these P450s and thus the phenotype for metabolic competence. This means two patients receiving the same medication and dose may have very different responses, from adverse reaction to being ineffective. An individual military person’s response to medications can be predicted from their pharmacogenetics, as an example; the response to the commonly prescribed ‘pain killers’, codeine, tramadol, hydrocodone or oxycodone. These opioids are metabolised into their active forms by the cytochrome 2D6. Four phenotypes classify an individual’s metabolic competency: ultra-rapid, extensive, intermediate or poor. A poor metaboliser is at risk of ineffective pain relief from one of the opioids listed, whereas an ultra-rapid metaboliser is at risk of overexposure and subsequent dependency or abuse. In white European populations, the prevalence of the phenotypes is well known and may be used to guide prescribing; however, in other populations such as Nepalese or Pacific Islander the distribution of these phenotypes is unknown. Genotyping provides a framework for the precise treatment of patients and cost-effective use of medication for the UK Armed Forces, as well as potentially providing equity for minority groups.
Ages and structural relationships in the Ganderian central Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia, Canada
Authors: van Rooyen Deanne , White Chris E. , Barr Sandra M. , Sunatori Évelyne , Grant Caleb J. , Kucker Kyle J.
Published: August 2024

Structural complexity of the Cape Breton Highlands is a key problem in reconstructing tectonic events in the northern Appalachian orogen. A new U–Pb thermal ionization mass spectrometry age of 428.53 ± 0.16 Ma for metarhyolite in the Calumruadh Brook Formation shows that volcanic and sedimentary rocks were deposited before collision of the Aspy and Bras d'Or terranes along the Eastern Highlands shear zone. A new U–Pb laser ablation zircon age of 394 +6/−4 Ma confirms that peak metamorphism in the Middle River complex continued during convergence linked to late stages of the Acadian orogeny. The compressive tectonic environment evolved into a transpressional system after initial collision in the late Silurian and caused a repeated pattern of imbrication of units in the Aspy terrane in the hanging wall in the collision. The shear zones bounding the geological units are curvilinear and have south-directed kinematics, imbricating units and transporting higher grade rocks over lower grade rocks, and moving plutons upward relative to their host rocks during and shortly after intrusion. The vergence of imbrication is parallel to the direction of transpressional movement on the main Eastern Highlands shear zone. This geometry is present in Ordovician–Silurian rocks and repeated in Devonian plutonic rocks, indicating that the overall transpressional tectonic setting was a long-lived feature of the orogen. The shear zones localized late syn- to post-deformational plutons that intruded at ca. 375–370 Ma. By the latest Devonian, emplacement of the ca. 363 Ma Margaree and related plutons marked the beginning of extension in the central Cape Breton Highlands.
ZeroD-fender: A Resource-aware IoT Malware Detection Engine via Fine-grained Side-channel Analysis
Authors: Li Zhuoran , Zhao Danella
Published: August 2024

In early 2023, cyberattacks experienced a significant rise due to unknown (zero-day) malware targeting Internet of Things (IoT) devices. To tackle the challenge of zero-day detection within a highly resource-constrained IoT environment, we propose a novel design that utilizes fine-grained power side-channel analysis with deep learning techniques. Our approach introduces an innovative concept called
multiscale feature extraction
to identify the most representative malware features across diverse architectures, thereby enhancing deep learning based detection performance against zero-day malware. Specifically, we employ a fine-grained power side-channel analysis of more than 120,000 honeypot-collected malware files across a hierarchy of
commands
,
functions
, and
modules
to identify the unique zero-day malware behaviors. With these identified features to train our model, ZeroD-fender’s performance in detecting zero-day malware has significantly improved. In pursuit of on-device detection, we present a resource-aware online inference customization framework. This framework features our lightweight network, ThingNetV2, which uses specialized 1-D depthwise separable convolution paired with h-swish activation, leading to significant resource savings. By applying the fine-grained power analysis, ZeroD-fender demonstrates a detection rate of 95.88% across various architecture zero-day malware, achieving detection speeds ranging between 16.083
ms
and 23.961
ms
, depending on the specific scenario.
MalSensor: Fast and Robust Windows Malware Classification
Authors: Zhao Haojun , Wu Yueming , Zou Deqing , Liu Yang , Jin Hai
Published: August 2024

Driven by the substantial profits, the evolution of Portable Executable (PE) malware has posed persistent threats. PE malware classification has been an important research field, and numerous classification methods have been proposed. With the development of machine learning, learning-based static classification methods achieve excellent performance. However, most existing methods cannot meet the requirements of industrial applications due to the limited resource consumption and concept drift. In this article, we propose a fast, high-accuracy, and robust FCG-based PE malware classification method. We first extract precise function call relationships through code and data cross-referencing analysis. Then we normalize function names to construct a concise and accurate function call graph. Furthermore, we perform topological analysis of the function call graph using social network analysis techniques, thereby enhancing the program function call features. Finally, we use a series of machine learning algorithms for classification. We implement a prototype system named
MalSensor
and compare it with nine state-of-the-art static PE malware classification methods. The experimental results show that
MalSensor
is capable of classifying a malicious file in 0.7 seconds on average with up to 98.35% accuracy, which represents a significant advantage over existing methods.
QR-CLIP: Introducing Explicit Knowledge for Location and Time Reasoning
Authors: Shi Weimin , Gao Dehong , Xiong Yuan , Zhou Zhong
Published: August 2024

This article focuses on reasoning about the location and time behind images. Given that pre-trained vision-language models (VLMs) exhibit excellent image and text understanding capabilities, most existing methods leverage them to match visual cues with location and time-related descriptions. However, these methods cannot look beyond the actual content of an image, failing to produce satisfactory reasoning results, as such reasoning requires connecting visual details with rich external cues (e.g., relevant event contexts). To this end, we propose a novel reasoning method,
QR-CLIP
, that aims at enhancing the model’s ability to reason about location and time through interaction with external explicit knowledge such as Wikipedia. Specifically,
QR-CLIP
consists of two modules: (1) The
Quantity
module abstracts the image into multiple distinct representations and uses them to search and gather external knowledge from different perspectives that are beneficial to model reasoning. (2) The
Relevance
module filters the visual features and the searched explicit knowledge and dynamically integrates them to form a comprehensive reasoning result. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness and generalizability of
QR-CLIP
. On the WikiTiLo dataset,
QR-CLIP
boosts the accuracy of location (country) and time reasoning by 7.03% and 2.22%, respectively, over previous SOTA methods. On the more challenging TARA dataset, it improves the accuracy for location and time reasoning by 3.05% and 2.45%, respectively. The source code is at
https://github.com/Shi-Wm/QR-CLIP
.
Boundary Attention Guided Sparse Feature Learning for Underwater Object Tracking in Edge Computing
Authors: Qiu Hongyi , Li Ning , Li Pengfei , Hou Ruitao , Zhang Yuting , Peng Yun
Published: August 2024

Underwater visual object tracking is crucial for marine resource exploration and military security. However, due to the effect of insufficient light and turbid background in underwater scenes, efficient and accurate target tracking cannot be realized on underwater edge devices with limited computing resources. To address this problem, we design an underwater object tracking network, namely DBSF, for edge computing devices based on sparse confidence feature learning guided by differential boundary attention. Specifically, we propose a differential boundary attention distribution model to compute the object edge distribution state to enhance the accurate perception of the underwater object edge structure. Then, the differential boundary attention-guided object tracking network learns to perceive the highly discriminative sparse features on the object structure, and computes the object sparse confidence matrix, which reduces the constraints of the edge devices with limited computational resources and ensures the tracking performance. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the DBSF network achieves accurate underwater target recognition and outperforms related advanced methods.
Periodontal Outcomes in Anterior Teeth following Presurgical Orthodontic Decompensation in Patients with Skeletal Class III Malocclusion: A Single‐Arm Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: He Yun , Wang Siyuan , Xiong Hui
Published: August 2024

Objective. This study aims to systematically review and analyze the periodontal outcomes of presurgical orthodontic decompensation (POD) in patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion and to identify the key influencing factors. Material and Methods. We searched the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. The outcomes included measurements related to periodontal soft or hard tissues. Results. A total of 3,904 records were found, of which 10 were included. The meta‐analysis revealed significant alveolar bone loss in mandibular incisors on both the lingual and labial sides during POD, with a more pronounced loss on the lingual side at the apex level and on the labial side near the crown. The maxillary incisors demonstrated significant bone loss, primarily on the lingual side. No significant bone loss was observed during postsurgical orthodontic treatment. Gingival recession was statistically significant but had a minor clinical impact. Incisor proclination was found to influence the gingival recession. However, no correlation was observed between bone loss and incisor proclination, vertical facial type, or sex. Conclusions. POD for skeletal Class III patients results in alveolar bone loss, particularly on the lingual side at the mandibular incisors’ apex level and labial side at the crown level, and clinically acceptable gingival recession.
Investigating the Medicinal Potential of Lavatera cashmeriana Leaf Extract: Phytochemical Profiling and In Vitro Evaluation of Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Anticancer Activities
Authors: Sofi Mohmmad Ashaq , Sofi Mohd Abass , Nanda Anima , Thiruvengadam Kasi , Nayak B. K.
Published: August 2024

This study investigated the medicinal potential of Lavatera cashmeriana, a plant traditionally known for its therapeutic properties. The aim was to identify the phytocompounds in L. cashmeriana leaf extract and evaluate its antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis was employed to characterize the phytochemical composition of the ethanol extract derived from L. cashmeriana leaves. The antimicrobial potential was assessed through the well diffusion technique, targeting Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl assay was conducted to assess antioxidant capabilities, while cytotoxicity against the A549 cancer cell line was determined via the MTT assay. GC‐MS analysis identified ten different compounds, with phytol, 1‐Eicosanol, and 2,6,10‐trimethyl,14‐ethylene‐14‐pentadecne being the most prevalent. The extract exhibited notable antimicrobial efficacy against all bacteria with MIC values ranging from 62.5 to 250 µg/mL. However, C. albicans did not respond. The extract exhibited antioxidative properties with an IC50 value of 86 µg/mL and cytotoxicity with an IC50 value of 69.95 µg/mL against the A549 cancer cell line. The results derived from this study supported the historical use of L. cashmeriana as a medicinal plant and suggested that it can potentially treat a wide range of medical ailments. The identified phytocompounds and the demonstrated antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer effects provide scientific evidence for its medicinal properties. However, further investigations are needed to fully understand its safety profile, efficacy, and mechanism of action before recommending it for therapeutic purposes.
Weight‐Based Standardized Sugammadex Dosing in Pediatrics: A Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Compliance with Dosing Guidelines and Reduce Waste and Cost
Authors: Brown Sydney E. S. , Meyer Michael , Meyer Andrea , Cassidy Ruth , Zhao Xinyi , Wagner Deborah , Wetzel Laura , Colquhoun Douglas A.
Published: August 2024

Study Objective. Sugammadex is a widely used neuromuscular blockade reversal agent. Cost concerns limit use in pediatric patients for, whom recommended doses are often far less than vial quantities. Therefore, we undertook a quality improvement initiative at a pediatric hospital in which sugammadex vials were fractionated. We hypothesized we would see a decrease in administered dose and waste and improved adherence with dosing guidelines. Methods. Sugammadex vials were fractionated into 25, 50, or 100 mg aliquots, which would be distributed to anesthesia staff by pharmacy staff in approximate 2 mg/kg of actual body weight doses (±10%). We analyzed changes in sugammadex waste and dosing practices 1/1/2019 to 3/15/2023 pre/postintervention (4/1/2021). We gauged dose appropriateness using last train of four (TOF) prior to sugammadex administration. Results. 7,889 patients 2–17 years (4,771 with documented TOF), ASA 1–4 receiving general anesthesia with a steroidal NMB medication and sugammadex reversal. Pre‐ and postintervention mean doses were 2.5 mg/kg (SD: 1.2) and 2.4 mg/kg (SD: 0.96), respectively. A smaller proportion of cases received standard 2 or 4 mg/kg doses (pre: 77.6 vs. post: 66.7%). Mean waste per case declined from 4.2 mg/kg (SD: 4.1) to 0.22 mg/kg (SD: 0.38). Among cases with 0 or 1 measured twitches on TOF that should receive at least 4 mg/kg, fewer received at least 3.6 mg/kg (post: 56.7% vs. pre: 66.8%), and a greater proportion received less than 2.2 mg/kg (post: 27.4% vs. pre: 20.7%). Among cases that should have received at least 2 mg/kg by TOF, the proportion of patients receiving more than 3.6 mg/kg declined from 9.5% to 5.2%. Discussion. Fractionating sugammadex vials was associated with decreases in waste, but not dose, and significant underdosing was more likely to occur. While vial fractionation could enable increased access to sugammadex and other costly medications, it may introduce unintended consequences.
Combined Earthquake‐Wave Effects on the Dynamic Response of Long‐Span Cable‐Stayed Bridges
Authors: Tang Xinhu , Chen Peng
Published: August 2024

In order to investigate the dynamic response of a deep‐water long‐span cable‐stayed bridge under the combined action of earthquakes and waves, this paper establishes a model of a certain deep‐water long‐span cable‐stayed bridge based on the finite element method. According to the corresponding theoretical models, the equivalent added mass caused by internal and external water during earthquake actions and wave forces were calculated. A comparative analysis of the dynamic responses under only earthquake actions, only wave actions, and the combined actions of earthquakes and waves were conducted. The results indicate that the presence of water increases the dynamic response of the structure under earthquake actions, with the maximum increase in structural shear force reaching 71.57%. Under lateral earthquake actions, the impact of hydrodynamic forces on the dynamic response of the structure increases with the depth of water, reaching its maximum increase at a water depth of 40 m. Under longitudinal earthquake actions, the impact of hydrodynamic forces on the dynamic response of the main tower also shows a trend of increasing with the depth of water. However, for the auxiliary piers, their shear force and bending moment show a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. As the water depth increases from 29 to 40 m, the impact rates of their shear force and bending moment decrease by 35.12% and 11.71%, respectively. The increase in wave height will cause an increase in the dynamic response of the structure, but it will not change the period of the response time‐history curve. Furthermore, the increase in wavelength not only causes an increase in the dynamic response of the structure but also leads to an increase in the period of the response time‐history curve. Compared to the solitary action of earthquakes, the increase in the amplitude of the internal force response of the main tower and auxiliary piers under the combined action is about 10%–12%, indicating that the impact of wave action on the dynamic response of the structure cannot be ignored, but earthquake action still dominates.
A Trajectory‐Based Control Strategy with Vehicle Cooperation and Absolute Transit Priority at an Isolated Intersection
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Lai Jintao , Wang Fangkai , Yang Xiaoguang , Liu Shipeng , Zhang Mingyu
Published: August 2024

The Dedicated Bus Lane (DBL) is often adopted to ensure transit priority. This is because transit priority can effectively mitigate congestion at the signalized intersection. However, the DBL would cause heavy sacrifices from general vehicles when the frequency of buses is low. To address this issue, many studies were proposed to reduce general vehicles’ sacrifice by converting DBLs into Bus‐Priority Lanes (BPLs). Such BPLs can be intermittently open to general vehicles. However, these studies cannot ensure absolute transit priority when general vehicles access BPLs. With the advance of Connected Automated Vehicle (CAV) technology, this paper proposes a Trajectory‐Based Control (TBC) method for connected automated traffic to approach signalized intersections considering absolute transit priority. A TBC controller is designed to control general vehicles’ trajectories to access BPLs without interference with buses. The TBC controller can balance the multiple cost factors and ensure absolute bus priority. The proposed TBC controller is evaluated against the noncontrol baseline and the state‐of‐the‐art TBC. Sensitivity analysis is conducted under four different congestion levels. The results demonstrate that the proposed TBC method outperforms and has benefits in improving throughputs and fuel efficiency and reducing delays.
Determinants for Increased Efficiency of Sitio Busngol Farmers Association Highland Vegetable Production in Puerto Princesa City
Authors: Dicar Ziedwrick A.
Published: August 2024

Highland vegetable farming is the cultivation of vegetables in high-altitude regions to take advantage of the unique climatic conditions found at higher elevations, such as cooler temperatures, greater rainfall, and more fertile soil. In 2020, a successful pilot production of highland vegetables in Puerto Princesa City was conducted by local government in partnership with the Sitio Busngol Farmers Association (SBFA). Recently, the farmers are able to produce significant amount of bell pepper, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, lettuce, chines cabbage, onion leaves, and snap beans. A good indication that the location has a potential of producing an ample amount of the commodity to sustain the demand of the city and to decrease its dependency in Cordillera region. Thus, this study examined the determinants for increased efficiency of the farmers in producing highland vegetables by assessing their profile and farming practices in relation to the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for Fruits and Vegetable Farming – Code of Practice of the Philippines. Further, this study examined the relationship between their total harvest and farming practices. This study used descriptive correlational quantitative research design to attain the objectives and answer the research questions. A researcher-made questionnaire underwent content validation and reliability testing with an alpha coefficient of .917 (Excellent). Ten (10) member farmers of SBFA served as respondents of the study. Using Pearson Correlation Coefficient, there is a strong positive relationship between the Total Harvest of the farmers and their farming practices in terms of Source of Irrigation Water and Management, Post-Harvest Handling and Storage, and Transport and Marketing respectively as evidenced by their p-values.
Managing School Resources and Financial Competencies of Secondary School Administrators in the Delivery of Basic Education Services
Authors: Hernandez Melanie P.
Published: August 2024

In order to improve school performance, school leaders must be more effective and efficient in their administration, and their management skills must be enhanced. As a result, this study aimed to determine if there was a link between school administrators’ financial competencies in managing school resources and the financial management practices of the Schools Division of Quezon. The descriptive-correlational technique of research was used to conduct the study with 372 school administrators and teachers in the Division of Quezon to analyze the link between the independent and dependent variables. Descriptive and Inferential analyses were carried out using SPSS. The findings revealed that managing school resources was highly practiced by the respondents, such as record management, financial management, school facilities and equipment, staff management, and school safety for disasters. In terms of financial management, the respondents highly practiced budgeting, auditing, finance and resource management mobilization, financial reporting, and inventory management. On matters of school administrators’ financial management, the respondents were highly competent in the areas of securing financial resources, fiscal management, the use of technology in the management of operations, coordinating with others, and professionalism. Furthermore, the result confirmed the significant correlation between the financial management competencies of the school administrators in managing school resources and financial management practices. Also, there were single and combined related variables of financial management competencies that demonstrated significant effects and served as predictors for managing school resources and financial management. Annual orientation, seminars, and workshops for school administrators in SDO Quezon on financial management, technology, awareness, codes, facilities, and professional development improve performance. Technical help, mentorship, and benchmarking are also essential.
New Insights into Emperor Wen of Han’s 167 BCE Legal Reform: the Changes in the Grading System for Illicit Profit from Robberies
Authors: Ma Tsang Wing
Published: August 2024

Recognized as a pivotal moment in early Chinese legal history, Emperor Wen of Han’s 167 BCE legal reform raises significant unresolved questions due to limited available evidence. This paper aims to investigate the reform’s impact on the grading system for illicit profit resulting from robberies. By analyzing recently published legal manuscripts discovered in Tomb No. 12 at Hujia caochang, Hubei, this study reveals that the reform introduced a more structured and coherent grading system for illicit profit, aligning it with the newly-established hierarchy of fixed-term hard labor punishments. By placing this reform in the context of the early Han dynasty, this research offers an alternative perspective that challenges the prevailing assumption that “Han continued the institutions of the Qin.”