bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La “legislazione di blocco” nella prospettiva internazionalprivatistica
Authors: Salerno Francesco
Published: November 2024

Non vi sono regole universalmente condivise sull’efficacia extra-territoriale di leggi ed atti stranieri, tanto da indurre gli Stati ad adottare proprie specifiche leggi di blocco per evitare che tali atti abbiano effetti nel foro. Nella prospettiva di diritto internazionale privato, queste leggi hanno una natura speciale: esse derogano, ma solo in parte, ai meccanismi ordinari dei conflitti di leggi e di riconoscimento delle decisioni straniere. È così da escludere la loro natura di norme di applicazione necessaria. Piuttosto esse costituiscono determinazioni sovrane dello Stato che indicano limiti puntuali di ordine pubblico internazionale, idonee a consentire la circolazione di valori stranieri con essi compatibili.
Auditoría de cuentas
Authors: Velasco Fabra Guillermo José , Ortega Rueda José David
Published: November 2024

El jurista debe guiar su actuación en la búsqueda del bien común -inseparable del bien individual- a través de la verdad para el correcto funcionamiento del mercado porque en caso contrario se producirán distorsiones insuperables. Se manifiesta de un modo evidente en la auditoría pues, tradicionalmente, su función ha consistido en comprobar que existe una correlación entre la realidad y lo expresado en los estados contables. Actualmente, con la introducción de información sobre sostenibilidad, se añade una dimensión más a esa vocación a la verdad por parte del auditor, consistente en examinar si la actividad económica es acorde con cuestiones ambientales, sociales, relativas a los derechos humanos y a la gobernanza.
12-36 Aylık Çocukların Ekran Sürelerinin Ebeveyn Davranışları Açısından İncelenmesi
Authors: Kılıç Ceren , Metin Emine Nilgün
Published: November 2024

Amaç: Araştırmanın amacı 12-36 aylık çocukların ekran sürelerinin ebeveyn davranışları bağlamında incelenmesidir.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Araştırma nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden korelasyonel araştırma deseninde bir çalışmadır. Gönüllü Katılım Formu”nu doldurarak araştırmaya katılım konusunda gönüllülük gösteren ve 12-36 aylık çocuğu olan toplam 129 anne ve baba bu çalışmanın katılımcılarını oluşturmuştur. Veri toplama aracı olarak katılımcıların demografik bilgilerine ilişkin bilgi elde edebilmek amacıyla “Genel Bilgi Formu” ve literatür taraması ve uzman görüşüne dayalı olarak araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen ve çocuklar ile anne-babaların ekran temelli uygulamaları kullanımlarına ilişkin tutumlarını/davranışlarını belirlemeye yönelik “12-36 Aylık Çocukların Ekran Süresini Belirleme Anketi” kullanılmıştır. Veriler Pearson korelasyon analizi ve Tek Yönlü Varyans analizi ile çözümlenmiştir.
Bulgular: Araştırmada, 25-36 aylık çocukların ekran süresinin 12-24 aylık çocukların ekran süresinden daha yüksek olduğu ve çocukların yaşı arttıkça ekran süresinin de arttığı tespit edilmiştir. Öte yandan araştırmanın bulguları, ebeveynlerin eğitim düzeyi arttıkça çocukların ekran süresinin azaldığını ve annenin TV izleme süresi arttıkça çocukların ekran süresinin arttığını ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca araştırmada şaşırtıcı olmayan bir şekilde televizyonun gün içinde sürekli açık olduğu durumda çocukların ekran süresinin arttığı belirlenmiştir. Son olarak, ebeveynlerin çocuklarının TV, akıllı telefon ve tablet kullanımına en çok meşgul oldukları zamanlarda ve çocuklarına yemek yedirdikleri zamanlarda izin verdikleri tespit edilmiştir.
Sonuç: Çalışma sonuçlarına göre, 12-36 aylık çocukların ekran sürelerinin Amerikan Pediatri Akademi’sinin yaşlara göre belirlediği ekran sürelerine ilişkin standartlara uymadığı belirlenmiştir. Buna göre araştırmada küçük çocukların ekran temelli uygulamaları kullanım yaşının 36 aylıktan önce başladığı sonucuna varılmıştır. Ayrıca çocukların yaşı arttıkça ekran süresinin arttığı, annelerin TV izleme süresinin artmasının çocukların ekran süresini de arttırdığı sonuçları elde edilmiştir.
12th International School-Seminar “Satellite Methods and Systems for Earth Exploration”
Authors:   Space Research Institute
Published: November 2024

The 12th International School-Seminar “Satellite Methods and Systems for Earth Exploration” took place in the town of Tarusa, at the Intercosmos representative office of Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences on March 21–25, 2024. The main topics were devoted to various aspects of satellite methods of atmospheric and water objects studies. Six sessions were held, during which 6 lectures were delivered and 14 reports were made, and a master class called “Neural Networks in Earth Remote Sensing Tasks” was conducted. Researchers, postgraduates and students from 14 scientific organizations and higher educational institutions took part in the School-Conference. For the first time students from the People’s Republic of China attended the School-Seminar. Information about the program of the School-Seminar, including links to the presentations and the collection of materials, can be found at http://d33.infospace.ru/d33_conf/tarusa2024.html
Measuring The Performance of Islamic Banks Using The Shidiq Amanah Tabligh and Fathona Models
Authors: Andi Muhammad Rizal  , Aedy Hasan , Ma’mun Siti Zakiah
Published: November 2024

The difference in the operational system principles of Islamic banks and conventional banks should have an impact on the difference in bank performance assessments. This study aims to evaluate the performance of the financial aspects, social aspects, and sharia compliance aspects of Islamic banks (SATF value). The type of research is quantitative descriptive using secondary data. The research population is Islamic banks operating in Indonesia for the period 2021-2022. The sampling technique used purposive sampling with three selected banks: Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI), Bank Muamalat Indonesia (BMI), and Bank Mega Syariah (BMS). The data uses are annual reports and corporate governance reports from the official websites of Islamic banks. The data analysis technique uses simple additive weighting (SAW). The results of the study generally show that the SATF value performance that focuses on the social perspective has a low concern for social aspects. This study can be a reference for future research and can provide valuable guidance for maintaining and improving the performance of Islamic banks, while actively correcting any weaknesses or deficiencies identified.
The Effect of Wadiah Savings and Problem Financing (NPF) in the 'Precise Sharia Financing' Product on the Profitability Level of PT. Bank BTPN Syariah Tbk for the Period 2015 - 2023
Authors: Dewi Aulia Siska Puspita , Moch Khoirul Anwar  , Maryam Bte Badrul Munir
Published: November 2024

This study aims to empirically examine the effect of wadi'ah savings and non-performing financing (NPF) on profitability (ROA) in the Precise Syariah Financing product at PT Bank BTPN Syariah during the period 2015 - 2023. Using an associative quantitative approach. The study conducted by researchers using secondary data derived from BTPN Syariah quarterly financial statements for the period 2015 - 2023. The data analysis technique used multiple linear regression analysis through Eviews 12 as a data processing tool. The study results showed that an increase in wadi'ah savings significantly positively contributed to an increase in ROA, while an increase in NPF had a significant negative effect. The regression model developed was able to explain 71.15% of ROA variability. This finding explains that an increase in wadi'ah savings tends to increase profitability, while an increase in NPF tends to decrease the level of profitability of BTPN Syariah. The implication is that banking management needs to focus on managing the increase in wadi'ah savings and improving the quality of financing to increase profitability. This study provides important insights for Islamic banking management in optimizing financial performance, especially in the context of the Tepat Pembiayaan Syariah product and contributes to the literature on factors affecting the profitability of Islamic banks in Indonesia. This study contributes to the Islamic banking literature, but has limitations in terms of the research period and variables used. Future research is expected to expand the scope of variables and periods in the study to obtain generalized results.
Binder makes it run - how carrageenan boosts the performance of Li-S batteries
Authors: jovari Pal , Zalka Dóra , Vizintin Alen , Maximenko Alexey , Pászti Zoltán , Dankházi Zoltán , Shankar Lakshmi , Kun Robert , Saksl Karel , Fedorkova Andrea , Hegedüs Kristóf
Published: November 2024

We investigated the effect of carrageenan, a polysaccharide type binder derived from red algae on the performance of Li-S batteries. Electrode slurries were prepared without the toxic NMP, using only water as a solvent and dispersant. This process has the potential to be scaled up to industrial levels and can also be cheaper as it does not require expensive precursor materials. With the optimum amount of carrageenan, a capacity retention of nearly 70% can be achieved even after 250 charge-discharge cycles. Carrageenan-containing electrodes delivered 30 % higher capacity than the electrodes fabricated with the industry standard PVdF binder. XPS investigations confirmed the chemical binding of carrageenan to the sulfur active material. Accurate information on the oxidation state of S regarding the total volume of the sample was obtained by transmission XAS measurements on a working battery using tender energy X-rays. It is revealed that carrageenan traps shorter chain lithium polysulfides.
Internal cap-initiated translation provides efficient protein production from circular mRNA
Authors: Abe Hiroshi , Fukuchi Kosuke , Nakashima Yuko , Abe Naoko , Kimura Seigo , Hashiya Fumitaka , Shichino Yuichi , Sugiyama Satomi , Kawaguchi Daisuke , Inagaki Masahito , Meng Zheyu , Kajihara Shiryu , Tada Mizuki , Uchida Satoshi , Li Ting-Ting , Liu Yiwei , Maity Ramkrishna , Kimura Yasuaki , Iwasaki Shintaro , Ogisu Ryoko , Kawasaki Tairin
Published: November 2024

Circular mRNA, emerging as a groundbreaking RNA therapeutic strategy, faces challenges in enhancing its translation potential. Here, we introduce two innovative molecular designs that bolster circular mRNA translation through an internal cap-initiated mechanism. The first design involved a circular mRNA with a covalently attached N7-methylguanosine (m7G) cap through a branching structure (cap-circ mRNA). This modification allows circular mRNA to recruit translation machinery and produce proteins more efficiently than IRES-containing circular mRNAs. Combining N1-methylpseudouridine (m1Ψ) modification, cap-circ mRNA exhibits a lower acute immunostimulatory effect, maintaining high translation ability, in mice. The second design features the non-covalent attachment of an m7G cap to a circular mRNA through hybridization with an m7G cap-containing oligonucleotide, significantly enhancing translation by more than 50-fold. This setup allows the design of circular mRNAs to synthesize reporter proteins upon hybridizing with capped mRNAs or long non-coding RNAs and to undergo rolling circle-type translation. These advancements have broadened the therapeutic applications of circular mRNA by minimizing their molecular size, elevating translation efficiency, and facilitating cell-type selective translation.
Effect of the honeycomb structure on the thermo mechanical buckling of sandwich nanoplates exposed to magnetic and thermal fields
Authors: Buğday Mustafa , Esen İsmail
Published: November 2024

This study aims to model and analyze the thermo mechanical buckling behavior of honeycomb core sandwich nanoplates. The analysis is conducted using a new high-order shear deformation theory and nonlocal strain gradient elasticity theory, considering the thickness strain effect. The sandwich nanoplate, resting on a viscoelastic base, consists of a honeycomb structure in the inner layer and symmetric surface layers made of functionally graded material. It is subjected to thermal and magnetic fields. The core layer is made of biocompatible SUS304 stainless steel, while the surface layers are made of zirconium on the outside and SUS304 on the inside. The equations of motion for the sandwich nanoplate are derived by incorporating the thermal forces, Lorentz force, and the fundamental forces from the spring and shear basis into the equations. Hamilton's principle is used to obtain these equations and then solved using the Navier method. An in-depth analysis is conducted on the effects of parameters such as inclination angle, length ratio, and thickness ratio on the thermal buckling behavior of the sandwich nanoplate. In addition, the effects of surface layer material composition, temperature rise, external horizontal magnetic field, nonlocal effects and viscoelastic fundamental parameters are comprehensively studied. The thermal buckling behavior of sandwich nanoplate can be favorably modified by careful tuning of honeycomb parameters, material properties of surface layers, magnetic field intensity and viscoelastic fundamental parameters.
BOLD-CSF dynamics assessed using real time phase contrast CSF flow interleaved with cortical BOLD MRI
Authors: Roefs Emiel C.A. , Eiling Ingmar , de Bresser Jeroen , Osch Matthias J.P. van , Hirschler Lydiane
Published: November 2024

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) motion and pulsatility has been proposed to play a crucial role in clearing brain waste. Although its driving forces remain debated, increasing evidence suggests that large amplitude vasomotion drives such CSF fluctuations. Recently, a fast blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI sequence was used to measure the coupling between CSF fluctuations and low-frequency hemodynamic oscillations in the human cortex. However, this technique is not quantitative, only captures unidirectional flow and is sensitive to B0-fluctuations. Real-time phase contrast (pcCSF) instead measures CSF flow dynamics in a fast, quantitative, bidirectional and B0-insensitive manner, but lacks information on hemodynamic brain oscillations. In this study we propose to combine the strengths of both sequences by interleaving real-time phase contrast with a cortical BOLD scan, thereby enabling the quantification of the interaction between CSF flow and cortical BOLD.
Methods: Two experiments were performed. First, we compared the CSF flow measured using real-time phase contrast (pcCSF) with the inflow-sensitized BOLD (iCSF) measurements by interleaving both techniques at the repetition level and planning them at the same location. Next, we compared the BOLD-CSF coupling obtained using the novel pcCSF interleaved with cortical BOLD to the coupling obtained with the original iCSF. To time-lock the CSF fluctuations, participants were instructed to perform slow, abdominal paced breathing.
Results: pcCSF captures bidirectional CSF dynamics with a more pronounced in- and outflow curve than the original iCSF method. With the pcCSF method, the BOLD-CSF coupling was stronger (mean cross-correlation peak increase = 0.22, p=.008) and with a 1.9 s shorter temporal lag (p=.016), as compared to using the original iCSF technique.
Conclusions: In this study, we introduce a new method to study the coupling of CSF flow measured in the fourth ventricle to cortical BOLD fluctuations. In contrast to the original approach, the use of phase contrast MRI to measure CSF flow provides a quantitative in- and outflow curve, and improved BOLD-CSF coupling metrics.
Enhancing Sea Level Inversion Accuracy with a Novel Phase-Based Error Correction Method and Multi-GNSS Combination Approach
Authors: Wang Xiaolei , He Xiufeng , Song Minfeng , Zhang Taotao
Published: November 2024

In recent decades, Global Navigation Satellite System-Interferometric Reflectometry (GNSS-IR) environmental parameters inversion has become a research hotspot in the field of GNSS. Among them, sea/water level inversion has become one of the applications with better inversion performance because of its clear mathematical relationship and horizontal reflection surface. Among the many sources of error in GNSS-IR sea level inversion, sea surface height variation is the one with the largest error magnitude. Currently, this error is corrected by estimating the rate of change of sea surface height to calculate the amount of the error model. However, the estimation of the rate of change is difficult to be accurate, making it difficult to correct this error precisely. Theoretically, the retrieval error results in an offset in the initial phase parameter in the signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) oscillation sequence. Therefore, the error can also be inverted by estimating the phase. However, the phase determined during parameter fitting is between -π and π. When the error affects the phase offset magnitude greater than 2π, the integer cycle of it is not available, resulting in the phase-based correction model not being able to correct the error. In other words, the integer cycle ambiguity that exists in GNSS positioning also exists in SNR phase determination. In this article, a method for integer cycle determination based on the assistance of the traditional sea surface height variation error model is proposed, and an error correction method based on SNR phase and a multi-mode multi-frequency combination inversion method are also proposed. Two GNSS sites with different amplitudes of tidal oscillations are selected to carry out the experiments. The results show that the phase-based error correction method improves the sea-level retrieval accuracy about twice as much as that obtained by the traditional correction method. Meanwhile, this paper analyses the adaptability of the phase-based error correction method: good results can be achieved in the lower elevation angle interval, while the results are poor in the higher elevation angle interval. This study provides another solution idea for GNSS-IR error correction based on phase parameters, and the accuracy improvement achieved by this method is large and pleasing.
Development and evaluation of mobile learning application for practical chemistry among pre-service teachers
Authors: Sobowale Favour Mosunmola , Mohammed Ibrahim Abba , Samson Berechiah Manji , Ali Fati , Sadiku Abdulazeez
Published: November 2024

Lack of proper laboratories and inadequate facilities have become some of the factors affecting the teaching of chemistry practical in Nigeria which therefore affects students’ performance. While there were many studies conducted on the effectiveness of mobile learning, literature remains very scarce in the Nigerian context. In order to tackle this problem, using ADDIE instructional design model, we developed and tested the effectiveness of mobile learning towards improving college of education pre-service teachers’ achievement in practical chemistry. The study adopted the use of repeated measures design whereby 50 pre-service teachers were purposively used in the study. A 40-item Practical Chemistry Achievement Test (PCAT) which was subjected to expert validation and reliability test was used to obtain data for the study. A normality test was conducted using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and it was revealed that the data were normally distributed (P > 0.005). The students were given two pre-test and post-measures before and after the 8-week treatment period. The data were analyzed using mixed design repeated measures analysis of variance and we found that students’ performance improved periodically with each testing period (F (3,147) = 109.475, P = 0.000 with an effect size of (ηp2) = 0.916) after the treatment. The finding also revealed no significant differences in the performance of the students on the basis of gender. Our finding has some implications for lecturers, researchers and policy experts on the need to incorporate mobile learning in education. Our finding provides insights on the effectiveness of mobile learning towards enhancing students’ chemistry practical knowledge.
Spatial prediction of Pb, Zn and Fe air pollution in urban environments: A case of Douala-Cameroon
Authors: MOUAFO Joseph Magloire FOSSOKENG , Toumeni F. Vanessa Chezeu , Tanaselia Claudiu , Petrisor Alexandru-Ionut , Bowong Samuel
Published: November 2024

Plant biomonitoring is usually used as a tool for characterizing or monitoring air quality in complex urban environments. Trees are reliable bio-accumulators of air pollution and can provide information on the chemical composition associated with vehicular particles through their bark. In this work, geostatistical techniques are employed to examine the content of Pb, Zn, and Fe within 234 tree bark samples analyzed using a portable X-ray fluorescence instrument to map their spatial distribution throughout the city of Douala in Cameroon. We used the universal kriging to predict Pb levels in sampled sites where Pb values are below the instrument's detection limit. Heavy metal levels were predicted at unsampled sites using ordinary kriging. We found that the Zn and Fe levels exceeded the threshold set by the World Health Organization (WHO), at intersections with high traffic intensity and nearby sites. Pb levels also exceeded the threshold value throughout the city and increased with traffic intensity. Our results also suggest that the city of Douala is on high pollution alert, and mitigation measures must be rapidly integrated into the city's master plan, including the establishment of green infrastructures based on the choice of appropriate species to trap chemical elements from the air.
Distinct BMP-Smad Signaling Outputs Confer Diverse Functions in Dental Mesenchyme
Authors: Tang Qinghuang , Li Liwen , Li Yihong , Wang Amy , Li Hua , Wang Linyan , Gu Cong , Lee Jung-Mi , Wu Zhaoming , Kwon Hyuk-Jae , Chen YiPing
Published: November 2024

The canonical bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway plays a crucial regulatory role in tooth development by activating Smad proteins to regulate gene expression. Our previous research identified an atypical canonical BMP signaling in dental mesenchyme that is Smad4-independent but Smad1/5-dependent. This study demonstrates that phosphorylated Smad1/5 (pSmad1/5) and Smad4 transcriptionally regulate distinct gene sets in dental mesenchyme. Real-time monitoring of BMP-Smad transcriptional activity revealed that Smad4-dependent canonical BMP signaling is restricted to neurovascular cells surrounding the condensed dental mesenchymal cells where pSmad1/5 is present. Notably, we found that pSmad1/5 in dental mesenchymal cells form complexes with pSmad3 to prevent canonical BMP signaling. CUT&RUN assays revealed genome-wide co-occupancy of pSmad1/5 and pSmad3, indicating that pSmad1/5-pSmad3 complexes function as transcriptional regulation units. Integrative analyses of their transcriptional targets with RNA-seq demonstrated that the atypical canonical BMP signaling regulates tooth sensory innervation and is temporally required for maintaining odontogenic inductive potential in the dental mesenchyme. This enabled the identification of potentially critical genes for maintaining tooth inductive capability. Our findings elucidate the operating mechanism of atypical canonical BMP signaling in dental mesenchymal cells and clarify how BMP-Smad signaling exerts diverse functions across different cell types, shedding light on future tooth bioengineering strategies.
Nucleophilic Sulfur Dioxide Insertion Enabled Enantioselective Michael Additions to Access α-chiral Sulfones
Authors: Wu Jie , Wang Xinhua , Mao Yuyuan , Ye Shengqing , Zhou Xiaoyu , Li Shaoyu
Published: November 2024

The asymmetric hydrosulfonylation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyls represents a significant goal in accessing α-chiral sulfones due to its high atom and step efficiency. In contrast to the well-established radical sulfonylation, the classical Michael addition using sulfonyl anions as nucleophiles for assembling α-chiral sulfone structures remains elusive and challenging. In this work, we introduce for the first time an organocatalytic enantioselective Michael addition of α,β-unsaturated carbonyls with sulfur dioxide insertion-enabled γ-keto sulfinates as the nucleophiles, which provides an alternative pathway for producing highly enantioenriched α-chiral sulfone derivatives with excellent atom economy. The methodology showcases an innovative mode of relay catalysis, where a bifunctional organocatalyst containing both tertiary amine and hydrogen bond donor sites catalyzes the initial nucleophilic sulfur dioxide insertion and subsequent Michael addition processes in two distinct manners. Mechanistic details of the transformation pathway and stereochemical induction were systematically verified through controlled experiments and DFT calculations.
Diurnal variation in nonstructural carbohydrate storage in leaves of trees and shrubs
Authors: Wang Ning , Liu Xiao , Ji Hongliang , Li Hong , Wu Pan , Yi Shijie , Li Qiang
Published: November 2024

Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), including soluble sugars (SS) and starch (ST) are an important material basis for maintaining metabolic activity in plants, and are an important energy response to extreme weather. The differences in biological characteristics of different tree species lead to significant inter-species differences in NSC allocation. In this study, we conducted the field experiments in Xinjiang in August 2023. Sixteen common species (eleven trees and five shrubs) were selected for SS and ST concentration measurements in daytime and nighttime. We found that the NSC and SS concentrations of trees were significantly higher than those of shrubs. Through two-way analysis of variance, NSC concentration, ST concentration, and SS:ST were influenced by life form and time treatments. However, the SS concentration was influenced by life form treatment, but not by time treatment. The results showed that minimum sugar concentrations were necessary to sustain basic cellular functions. ST was a temporary storage substance that accumulated in leaves during the day and was degraded at night before being converted into SS output, thereby regulating the diurnal output of carbon assimilated in leaves.
Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Docking of Novel Isatin-Oxime Ether Derivatives as Potential IDH1 Inhibitors
Authors: Wei Kangning , Guo Kaige , Tao Ye , Gong Xuanming , Wang Liangliang , Guo Ming , Yan Guobing
Published: November 2024

A series of novel isatin-oxime ether derivatives were designed, synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR and 13C NMR and HRMS. These compounds were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines (A549, HepG2 and Hela) by MTT assay. According to the experimental results, compounds 6a (IC50=0.34μM), 6c (IC50=14nM) and 6r (IC50=45nM) were found as the excellent selectivity and high activity against A549, whereas compounds 6m (IC50=12nM) and 6n(IC50=25nM) displayed the significant activity for HepG2, respectively. Compound 6f (IC50=30nM), 6n (IC50=9nM) and 6o(IC50=20nM) also showed the excellent activity against Hela. From the experiments of cell migration and colony formation assays, the findings demonstrated that 6m can effectively suppress the migration and growth of HepG2 cells. In addition, the results of molecular docking studies determined the strong binding interactions between the potential active compounds 6m and 6n and the active sites of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) with the lowest binding affinity energy.
Rhizome induction and proliferation in Anoectochilus lylei for biomass and bioactive compounds accumulation
Authors: Ho Thanh-Tam , Park So-Young , Pham Thi Hong Trang , Ashaolu Tolulope Joshua , Le Thanh-Do , Ngo Gia Huy , Nguyen Tran Kim Long , Le Trung Hieu , Bich Van Ngo Thai , Quang Hoang Tan , Hong Hoang Thi Kim
Published: November 2024

Anoectochilus sp. is a valuable medicinal plant with a long history of traditional uses. This study aimed to induce and optimize culture conditions for rhizome biomass cultivation in Anoectochilus lylei, providing a sustainable method for biomass and bioactive compound production. The highest rhizome induction rate (98.9%) with fresh weight (FW) of 12.64 g and dry weight (DW) of 1.14 g was achieved using MS medium supplemented with 2 g/L hyponex I, 2 g/L hyponex II, 2 g/L peptone, and 1.0 g/L activated charcoal. To optimize the culture condition, different salt strengths (MS, SH, B5) were tested, and ¾🞨MS medium with 2 mg/L BA, 0.5 mg/L NAA, 0.2 mg/L Kin, and 35 g/L sucrose was most effective for rhizome proliferation (127.33 g/L FW and 20.40 g/L DW). The highest total phenolic content (4.9 mg/g DW) was observed in ½🞨MS medium, while the highest flavonoid (1.05 mg/g DW) and polysaccharide content (150.66 mg/g DW) was recorded in control. Optimal bioactive productivity was observed in ¾🞨MS medium. In sucrose concentrations trials, 35 g/L sucrose yielded the highest rhizome biomass (157.17 g/L FW; 20.67 g/L DW). The highest phenolic (4.44 mg/g DW), and flavonoid (1.15 mg/g DW) were recorded at 10g/L sucrose, while polysaccharide (115.87 mg/g DW) content was observed at 35 g/Lsucrose concentrations. Additionally, rhizome cultures exhibited higher kinsenoside (2.94 mg/g DW) and polysaccharide content than both ex vitro and in vitro plants. Furthermore, the rhizome extract show suppresses inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, demonstrating potential for antibacterial applications. These results highlight the potential for large-scale bioreactor cultivation of A. lylei rhizomes for enhanced biomass and bioactive compound production.
Health-related quality of life and cancer related fatigue in patients with non-metastatic head and neck cancers
Authors: Sheida Fateme , Abbasi Rohollah , Ameri Ahmad , Tapak Leili , Mansouri Alireza , Jamalpour Mohammad Reza , Shariatpanahi Elnaz , Mirza-Aghaei Mehdi , Khajavi Mohamad , Amlashi Zahra Keshtpour
Published: November 2024

Objective: This study aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in patients with non-metastatic head and neck cancers over a six-month period following treatment initiation.
Methods: Patients with non-metastatic head and neck cancers referring to two oncology clinics in Hamadan, Iran, from April 2022 to March 2023 were evaluated using the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ C-30) version 3. Scores were recorded at baseline and six-month post-treatment. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27, with a P-value of <0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: Of the 47 patients in this study, 83% were male (n=39) and the mean age was 54.28±9.61 years. The oral cavity (n=25, 53.2%) and larynx (n=11, 23.4%) were the most frequent tumor sites. Significant increase in CRF were observed between baseline and six-month post-treatment (3.07 vs. 3.50, P <0.001). The result of EORTC QLQ C-30 showed that mean global QoL score was 73.91±8.89 at baseline and 63.40±9.20 six-month post-treatment (P<0.001). The majority of functional scales items reduced significantly (P<0.001), and symptom scale items increased over time.
Conclusion: In conclusion, this study demonstrates a significant decline in QoL and an increase in CRF among patients with non-metastatic head and neck cancers during the first six months of treatment. The findings emphasize the multifactorial impact of cancer treatments on physical, psychological, and financial aspects of patients’ life and vital need for supportive care.
WITHDRAWN: Designing of Optimized Offloading and Load Balancing Schemes for Cloud-Edge Computing in the Internet of Vehicles
Authors: Gourav Kumar , Gupta Kavita
Published: November 2024

Research aims to develop advanced optimization methods to improve cloud-edge computing efficiency, particularly focusing on two primary objectives. The first objective is to design an optimized offloading scheme that efficiently distributes computational tasks between cloud and edge servers, thereby optimizing energy consumption and reducing latency in edge computing environments. Leveraging hybrid optimization algorithms such as the Black Widow Whale Algorithm (BWWA), this study seeks to balance processing loads and resource utilization, leading to significant improvements in overall system performance. The second objective is to design a load-balancing scheme specially designed for Cloud-Edge Computing frameworks and the Internet of Vehicles (IoV). The suggested design is to achieve the optimal distribution of workloads among IoT devices, edge servers, and cloud resources, addressing the unique challenges posed by the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of vehicular networks. By incorporating real-time data analytics and adaptive algorithms, the load balancing mechanism will enhance system reliability, minimize latency, and improve energy efficiency. Both objectives are pursued through rigorous simulation and evaluation using MATLAB, assessing important performance indicators such as transmission rates, consumption of energy, processing time, and offloading utilization. The outcomes of this research are expected to provide substantial advancements in the field of cloud-edge computing, offering scalable and efficient solutions for complex, distributed computing environments.
The Clinico-Pathologic Profiles of Patients with Incidental Hyperuricemia Post Renal Transplant at the Kenyatta National Hospital
Authors: Adam Zoya , Kayima Joshua , Sokwala Ahmed
Published: November 2024

BACKGROUND:
Following a renal transplant hyperuricemia is a common complication, but its clinical and prognostic significance is controversial. Evidence is accumulating indicating a role for uric acid in causing graft dysfunction and hence decreasing survival of the graft. This study was conducted to determine the clinical characteristics, graft function and outcomes of hyperuricemic renal transplant recipients at the Kenyatta national hospital
METHODOLOGY:
The study population comprised all renal transplant recipients between January 2011 to June 2021 being seen at the Kenyatta National Hospital transplant clinic .Patients were above 18 years of age with at least 2 consecutive uric acid assays that were consistently high or normal. As many files as available, that met the inclusion criteria were analysed by consecutive sampling. The clinical characteristics, the graft function at the end of 1 year, 3 years and at the end of 5 years, as well as the outcomes were recorded
RESULTS:
All the patients were Black Africans and had received a kidney from a living allograft donor. 82 (65.6%) of the 125 patients were Male and 43 (34.4%) were Female. The mean age of the patients was 44.2 (SD 14.4) years. The prevalence of hyperuricemia was 30.4%.9 (23.7%) of the 38 patients with hyperuricemia had Diabetes as a comorbidity and all the 38(100%) patients had hypertension as a comorbidity. Most of the patients 25(65.8%) were of normal BMI.
The majority 23 (60.5%) had been transplanted 5 or more years ago. None of the patients with hyperuricemia had pre-transplant hyperuricemia. 29 (76.3%) were on Tacrolimus while 9 (23.7%) were on Cyclosporine. Only 1 (2.6%) of the patients with hyperuricemia was on a Thiazide diuretic.
Overall, there were no factors that were found to be independently associated with hyperuricemia, except the EGFR at 1, 3 and 5 years which were all significantly lower in the hyperuricemic group.
CONCLUSION:
Hyperuricemia was common in our transplant recipients and was seen more among males. All patients with hyperuricemia had hypertension but not diabetes and most had a normal BMI. No significant transplant associated risk factors among those with hyperuricemia, were found. However, among patients with hyperuricemia the EGFR was significantly lower at the end of 1, 3 and 5 years when compared to those with normal uric acid levels.
Development of a patient-centered communication skills training: A qualitative exploration of nurse managers‘ perspectives
Authors: Mielke Kendra , Frerichs Wiebke , Cöllen Katja , Lindig Anja , Härter Martin , Scholl Isabelle
Published: November 2024

Background: Communication skills trainings can enhance nursing professionals’ patient-centered communication skills, fostering positive health outcomes for both patients and nursing professionals. Understanding experiences and preferences of the target group is crucial when developing a specific communication skills training. Thus, it is essential to involve not only nurses but also nurse managers in the training development, as they offer a comprehensive overview of communication challenges experienced by nursing staff. Therefore, this study aimed to explore nurse managers’ perspectives on essential content for developing a patient-centered communication skills training.
Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with nurse managers working at an academic medical center in Germany. Transcripts of audio-recorded interviews were analyzed using Kuckatz’s qualitative content analysis.
Results: N = 18 nurse managers from various medical disciplines such as gynecology, psychiatry, pediatrics, and neurology participated in the study. The majority highlighted the importance of enhancing general communication skills and strategies such as showing empathy and applying tailored communication, as well as addressing communication challenges with patients. Fewer participants emphasized the need for training in professional self-awareness, communication with relatives, and culturally sensitive communication.
Conclusion: Nurse managers identified crucial aspects for a training to enhance nurses’ patient-centered communication, revealing similar communication challenges across all medical disciplines.
Effective Energy Aware Cluster based Routing to improve Lifetime of Mobile WSN: A Glowworm Swarm Optimization approach
Authors: Dey Ranadeep , Thakurta Parag Kumar Guha
Published: November 2024

The mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSNs) are comprised of small, low powered mobile sensor nodes to sense various types of data from the environment. A higher energy requirement of network with major power constraint makes it more challenging to develop an energy efficient routing of data towards sink node in this network. Hence in this paper, an energy efficient routing is proposed to improve the network lifetime under hierarchical arrangements of the nodes. In the proposed work, the mobile nodes are initially placed inside a sensing region randomly. Dendrogram technique is used to determine the optimal number of clusters for a set of nodes having their current locations. Then K-means algorithm is used to develop the clusters, which can provides centroid locations in each clusters. A cluster head in each cluster is selected by glowworm swarm optimization (GSO) algorithm, to route the collected data from other member nodes towards the sink node of the network. This cluster head is determined depending on three factors, such as distance from cluster centroid location, distance from sink node and the residual energy of a node from corresponding cluster. The simulation results indicate the less energy requirement by 4.9–24.2% in data transmission during each round of the proposed routing scheme over other existing methodologies. An improvement in the number of alive nodes in the MWSN is also determined by the proposed work, which eventually can prolong the average lifetime of the networks by 4.82–41.03% over other existing approaches.
Determining Irrigation Frequency and Water Amount for Irrigated Wheat Production in Amibara, Afar Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Hassen Jemal Mohammed , Borana Fikadu Robi
Published: November 2024

Irrigation water management is crucial for enhancing wheat production in Ethiopia, especially in lowland regions like Amibara, where salinity and improper irrigation practices affect crop yields. This study was conducted at Werer Agricultural Research Center to determine the optimal irrigation frequency and amount that enhances water use efficiency (WUE) and wheat yield. The experiment used a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five treatments: 35mm every 6 days, 45mm every 8 days, 60mm every 10 days, 70mm every 12 days, and irrigation based on an Allowable Soil Moisture Depletion Level (ASMDL) of 50%. Bread wheat (Ga'ambo 2 variety) was grown, and agronomic data were collected over two years. Results indicated that the treatment of 35mm every 6 days achieved the highest grain yield (4104.74 kg/ha) and WUE (0.90 kg/m³), closely followed by the 45mm every 8 days treatment (3743.35 kg/ha and 0.78 kg/m³). Both treatments were statistically similar in terms of yield and WUE. The ASMDL and treatments with longer irrigation intervals (60 mm/10 days and 70 mm/12 days) resulted in significantly lower yields and WUE, demonstrating the critical role of more frequent irrigation in maintaining optimal soil moisture and mitigating salinity effects. The findings suggest that applying 45mm every 8 days provides a balanced approach, maximizing yield while offering practical labor and time savings compared to the more frequent 35 mm/6-day schedule. These results are essential for improving irrigation strategies in Ethiopia’s lowland wheat production areas, contributing to the country’s goal of wheat self-sufficiency. Further research is recommended to validate these findings under farmer-managed conditions and explore their long-term impacts on soil health and water resources.
A New Optimization-Based Framework for Enhanced Feature Selection with the Narwal Optimizer
Authors: Medjahed Seyyid Ahmed , Boukhatem Fatima
Published: November 2024

The selection of relevant features is a critical step in many machine learning and data analysis tasks, as it can significantly impact the performance and inter-pretability of the resulting models. In this work, we introduce a novel feature selection approach that draws inspiration from the unique movement patterns of the narwhal, a fascinating marine mammal, and the power of binary optimization. The proposed method, named BNO-FS is based on Narwhals Optimizer (NO) which is a new meta-heuristic recently developed recently and never been tested on feature selection problem. A binary version is proposed in this study. A new fitness function is proposed composed of two important terms: the classification accuracy rate obtained by three classifiers and the number of selected features. The algorithm aims to identify the optimal subset of features that maximizes the predictive performance of the model while minimizing the number of selected features. The effectiveness of the Binary Narwhals Optimizer approach is demonstrated through a series of experiments on benchmark datasets, where it is compared to other state-of-the-art feature selection techniques.
Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome and its related factors in covid- 19 patients discharged from at northwest of Iran hospitals in 2022
Authors: Alizadeh Arman , Dadkhah Behrouz , Mozaffari Nasser , Mohammadi Mohammad Ali
Published: November 2024

Introduction:
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a tragedy. It has devastated the health and financial well-being of many people around the world. Fatigue is one of the common symptoms and complications of covid-19, which can continue in patients for a long time after infection. The present study was also conducted with the aim of determining the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome and associated risk factors in covid-19 patients discharged from at northwest of Iran hospitals in 2022
Methods
This cross-sectional study was performed between May 2021 and January 2022 at northwest of Iran. 422 patients who had been discharged from hospital with COVID-19 were enrolled in our study. Chalder fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) was used to measure post-COVID-19 chronic fatigue syndrome. Central and dispersion indicators were used to describe clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of patients. The chi-square test and person correlation were used to examine the statistical association between the CFS score and other clinical and sociodemographic factors.
Results
in overall, 72% of patients were female. The mean ± SD of the CFS score was 21.2 ± 9.0. The prevalence of post-COVID-19 CFS among our studied sample was %12.64. The findings showed that the prevalence of chronic fatigue and fatigue scores were higher in women (%13) than in men (%12.3) and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.04). The findings showed that the prevalence of chronic fatigue with history of previous disease (P = 0.04), history of drug use (P = 0.01), history of smoking (P = 0.04), history of mechanical ventilation (P = 0.05) and age (P = 0.001) has a significant relationship.
Conclusion
Post-COVID-19 fatigue is a major issue following the initial acute illness with COVID-19, with a prevalence of %12.64. Therefore, the implementation of standardized measures for the screening of chronic fatigue after covid-19 and planning by the health staff in order to help these patients especially among female patients Seems necessary.
Groundwater level prediction in Datong Basin based on multivariate LSTM neural network
Authors: Wang Cang-Ning , Ning Ge , Su Dong-Yang , Zhang Ya-Ting , Zhang Fang
Published: November 2024

Considering that the groundwater level is influenced by a variety of complex factors, this paper constructs a groundwater level prediction model by introducing multiple variables to adapt to different geological and meteorological conditions. This model is established using a multivariate long short-term memory (M-LSTM) network in combination with an attention mechanism to provide an efficient artificial intelligence method for predicting groundwater levels. The model is trained using groundwater level data, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), rainfall, average air temperature, and relative humidity from 2018 to 2019 in the Datong Basin and validated with 2020 groundwater level data. Results indicate that the M-LSTM combined with the attention mechanism accurately predicts future groundwater level changes based on historical data, achieving root mean square errors (RMSE) of 0.2131, 0.2033, and 0.2844 in three experiments, demonstrating a high model fit. Meanwhile, an investigation of hydrogeology, meteorological data, and groundwater resources in the Datong Basin was conducted to perform a groundwater early warning analysis based on the extent of groundwater over-exploitation. The depth of groundwater in each area of the Datong Basin was predicted for the end of 2035 under high, medium, and low exploitation modes and varying precipitation conditions, with a quantitative analysis of the funnel center's location.
DiscoverNet: Unsupervised Video Object Discovery through Discrete Visual Tokenization and Language Model-Inspired Reconstruction
Authors: Joshi Amey , Joshi Gargi , Walambe Rahee , Kotecha Ketan
Published: November 2024

Object discovery, the task of separating objects from the background without human annotations, continues to be an unsolved challenge in the field of computer vision. Existing methods face difficulties due to object-background ambiguity and slot drift, as they rely on clustering based on only low-level features. In this work, we introduce DiscoverNet, a comprehensive framework that enhances the auto-encoder representation learning approach by incorporating a scalar quantized discrete latent space and reconstruction via a masked language model (LM). Our innovative visual tokenizer enables end-to-end object discovery by harnessing the synergy between discretization and image generation using a bidirectional transformer. The proposed method fosters the development of compatible object-centric features for language models, providing interpretability and memory efficiency. Experiments conducted on synthetic and real-world datasets show that DiscoverNet surpasses current state-of-the-art methods in object discovery and can be extended to various downstream computer vision tasks, such as image and video generation and action recognition. Our approach demonstrates significant improvements over existing techniques, as evidenced by the evaluation of the real-world KITTI benchmark