bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Prevalence of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)-Related Advanced Fibrosis and Cirrhosis in the United States Population Utilizing AGILE 3+ and AGILE 4+ Scores: Analysis of the NHANES 2017-2018 Cycle
Authors: Alkhouri Naim , Almomani Ashraf , Le Phuc , Payne Julia Y. , Asaad Imad , Polanco Prido , Leff Phillip , Kumar Prabhat , Noureddin Mazen
Published: September 2023

Background
Studies attempted to estimate NASH-related advanced fibrosis (AF) and cirrhosis (NC) prevalence utilized tests with low positive predictive value (PPV) which overestimates prevalence. AGILE3+ and 4+ scores were developed to increase the PPV of both; respectively. In this study, w used these scores to assess the prevalence of AF and NC.
Methods
Participants aged ≥18 years with VCTE exam in the NHANES 2017-2018 cycle were included. We excluded pregnant women, patients with excessive alcohol intake, hepatitis B/C, and ALT or AST >500 IU/L. NAFLD was defined with CAP score >248 dB/m. NAFLD subjects with AGILE 3+ score of ≥0.68 and AGILE4+ score of ≥0.57 were considered to have advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis; respectively. AGILE3+ of 0.45-0.67 and AGILE4+ of 0.25-0.57 were grey zone, whereas AGILE 3+ <0.45 and AGILE4+ <0.25 were considered a rule-out.
Results
1244 subjects were included in the final analysis. The Median age was 53 (51.4-54.6) years, 55.6% were male, median BMI was 33.8 kg/m2 and 41.1% had T2DM. Based on AGILE3+, 80.3% of the NAFLD population were at low risk for AF and 11.5% were in grey zone. The prevalence of AF due to NAFLD was 8.1% corresponding to 4.5M Americans. Based on AGILE4+ score, 96.5% of the NAFLD population were at low risk for cirrhosis and 2.4% were in the grey zone. The prevalence of NASH-cirrhosis was 1.1% corresponding to 610,000 Americans.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that approximately 4.5 million people in the U.S. have AF and 0.6 million have cirrhosis due to NASH.
Insights into Breast Cancer Prognosis: A Differential Regulatory Network Approach to Identify Key Transcription Factor Biomarkers
Authors: Akhoundi Fereshte , Akhoundi Fatemeh , Ranjbarfard Mina , Emadi-Baygi Modjtaba
Published: September 2023

Background. Breast cancer (BC) is the most common and aggressive type of cancer in females, and exploring the mechanisms of disease progression is playing a crucial role in the development of potential therapeutics. Recently, systems biology approaches such as network strategies have been successfully applied to reveal the interaction mechanisms between genes. The main objective of the current study was to investigate potential biomarkers for BC patients at different stages by constructing differential regulatory networks (DRNs). Method. In the present study, clinical information and RNA-seq data from patients with BC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). According to the clinical staging information, the gene expression data of TCGA-BRCA was divided into different stages (stages I–IV) and analyzed separately. The differentially co-expressed genes and links (DCGL) package in R was used to identify differentially co-expressed genes (DCGs) and differentially co-expressed links (DCLs) in different stages (I–IV) of BC patients compared to normal samples. A q < 0.25 was considered the cut-off criterion. Besides, differentially-regulated genes (DRGs) and differentially-regulated links (DRLs) were identified by DCGs, DCLs, and TF-to-target knowledge. Stage-specific gene regulatory networks (GRNs) were further analyzed with Cytoscape to explore the core TFs. Afterward, Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis was utilized to explore the prognostic value of the core TFs. Cancer-related pathway analysis of candidate hub TF was done through the GSCALite database. Finally, the relationship between candidate transcription factors expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was analyzed using TCGA-BRCA data and the TIMER database. Results. From DRNs of stages I–IV, 29 unique core TFs were screened. Survival analysis indicated that the expression ofKLF12,FOS, BACH2 EPAS1,PPARA, andMRPL36had significant effects on the survival of breast cancer patients (P < 0.05). Hub genes were responsible for the infiltration levels of immunocytes. Based on the GSCALite database, these six TFs are significantly related to multiple signaling pathways, including RAS/MAPK, EMT, PI3K/AKT, and TSC/mTOR. These pathways play vital roles in oncogenesis, suggesting that these candidate hub TFs may participate in BC progression. Conclusion. Our findings suggest these six TFs might play important roles in the pathogenesis of BC and could be used as therapeutic targets for BC. However, further studies at the molecular level are required to confirm these observations.
Predictors of Problematic Smartphone Use Among Young Adult Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Individuals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Four-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Huang Mei-Feng , Chang Yu-Ping , Chou Wen-Jiun , Yen Cheng-Fang
Published: September 2023

Background This 4-year follow-up study was conducted to evaluate the predictive effects of prepandemic individual and environmental factors on problematic smartphone use (PSU) among young adult lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Data on prepandemic PSU, demographics, sexual stigma (e.g., perceived sexual stigma from family members, internalized sexual stigma, and sexual microaggression), self-identity confusion (e.g., disturbed identity, unconsolidated identity, and lack of identity), anxiety, depression, and family support were collected from 1,000 LGB individuals between August 2018 and June 2019. The participants’ PSU was surveyed again after 4 years. The associations of prepandemic individual and environmental factors with PSU at follow-up were analyzed through linear regression. Results In total, 673 (67.3%) participants completed the follow-up assessment. The severity of PSU significantly decreased after 4 years (p = .001). Before the incorporation of PSU at baseline into the analysis model, the results of the model revealed that high levels depressive symptoms (p < .001), disturbed identity (p < .001), and perceived sexual stigma from family members (p = .025) at baseline were significantly associated with PSU at follow-up. After the incorporation of PSU at baseline into the analysis model, the results of the model revealed that high levels PSU (p < .001) and depressive symptoms (p = .002) at baseline were significantly associated with PSU at follow-up. Conclusion Interventions aimed at reducing the severity of PSU among LGB individuals should be designed considering the predictors identified in our study.
Dielectric Monitoring for understanding Herbicide Bioremediation in Microcosm experiment
Authors: Balwant Pandurang Laxmikant , Bramhanwade Kavita , Mitkari Mayur , Dhyani Shalini , HIPPARGI GIRIVYANKATESH , Pujari Paras R
Published: September 2023

Geophysical tools have emerged as a potential solution to monitor bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soil. Monitoring of herbicide bioremediation so far is lacking. In the present study, we formulated a geophysical approach for monitoring herbicides bioremediation in agriculture soil. Complex dielectric permittivity and conductivity was used to monitored in four microcosm setups i.e., control, herbicide contaminated soil, bioaugmentation and biostimulation. Real and imaginary dielectric permittivity showed different patterns of temporal changes for four microcosms. In the bioagumentated microcosm, the degradation was more prominent and real dielectric permittivity increased twice and achieved peak. Achieved two peaks signify two distinct phenomenon of herbicide degradation and can be further explained through conductivity spectrum and microbial count approach. The major interesting phenomenon observed during the study was shift in peak frequency of imaginary conductivity due to increased biomass during herbicide degradation process. Complex Dielectric permittivity indicated the ability to monitor bioremediation herbicide contaminated soil when it was coupled with complex conductivity method. We expect the insights of the study will be relevant to promote multidisciplinary approach of using geophysical tools for monitoring microbial signatures. The results provide insights how this non-invasive geophysical toll can revolutionize the process of understanding the decontamination process.
Use of transdermal alcohol sensors in conjunction with contingency management to reduce alcohol consumption in people with alcohol dependence attending alcohol treatment services: Feasibility randomised controlled trial
Authors: Brobbin Eileen , Deluca Paolo , Parkin Stephen , Drummond Colin
Published: September 2023

Background
Wearable technology for objective, continuous and reliable alcohol monitoring has been developed. These devices are known as transdermal alcohol sensors (TAS). They can be worn on the wrist or ankle with the sensor pressed against the skin and can measure sweat vapours being emitted from the skin, to record transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC). Previous studies have investigated the accuracy and acceptability of the available TAS brands but there has been little research into their use in people with alcohol use disorders (AUD). This pilot RCT aims to explore the feasibility, strengths, and limitations of using a TAS to monitor alcohol consumption in individuals in treatment for AUD with or without contingency management (CM) to promote abstinence or low-level alcohol consumption.
Method
Both groups (control and CM) will wear the TAS (BACtrack Skyn) for two weeks in the context of their usual treatment, meeting with the researcher every other weekday. In the last meeting the participants will complete a post-wear survey on their experience of wearing the TAS. The CM group will also receive small financial incentives for low or no alcohol consumption, as measured by the TAC. On days where the TAC peak is below a set threshold, CM group participants will earn £5. There are financial bonuses if this target is achieved on consecutive days. The researcher will monitor TAC for each day of the study at each research visit and allocate financial incentives to participants according to a set reinforcement schedule.
Discussion
Most TAS brands have had limited application in clinical settings and most studies have included healthy adults rather than people with AUD. TAS has the potential to enhance treatment outcomes in clinical alcohol treatment. The accuracy, acceptability, and feasibility of TAS in people with AUD in clinical settings needs to be investigated. This is the first study to use TAS in specialised alcohol services with diagnosed AUD individuals currently receiving treatment from a south London alcohol service.
Trial registration:
ISRCTN registration number. Retrospectively registered.
Date of registration: 24.07.23
Pathways to a Sustainable Food Future in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Searchinger Timothy , Dumas Patrice , Ray Deepak , Wirsenius Stefan , Herrero Mario , Peng Liqing , Vishwakarma Srishti
Published: September 2023

High food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and expected adverse effects of climate change have appropriately focused attention on climate adaptation, but there has been less focus on mitigating SSA’s agricultural emissions. Emissions from the region’s agricultural production processes and recent rates of agricultural expansion are 2–3 tCO2e per capita per year and regionally more than 2 GtCO2e per year. Crop yield growth in recent years has been limited with some exceptions. With projected population of 2.15 billion in 2050 and extrapolating these recent yield trends, we estimate using the GlobAgri framework that agricultural production emissions for SSA will rise from 0.7 GtCO2e in 2010 to 1.3 GtCO2e by 2050. Conversion of 310 million hectares (Mha) of forests and savannas to cropland and 158 Mha to pasture will generate average annual emissions of 3.8 GtCO2e for 2010–2050. The combined ~ 5 GtCO2e per year would seriously undermine global climate goals. But mitigation options valuable to improve food insecurity could also greatly reduce emissions, including partially closing yield gaps, broad use of urea treatment of crop residues, and increasing per capita consumption of animal products from dairy and poultry rather than beef. These findings suggest that agricultural improvements in SSA needed to address food insecurity should also be a priority for climate mitigation.
Gender and age differences in associations between intelligence structure and adaptive behavior among school-age children with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disorder and their comorbidities in China
Authors: Shao Ning , Wang Zepeng , Song Chao , Li Wenhao , Hu Lifei , Wu Lingling , Zhu Zhiwei
Published: September 2023

Background
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specific learning disorder (SLD), and ADHD + SLD are associated with children’s specific profiles of intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior. The gender and age differences were unclear. Identifying the differences among these disorders will be meaningful for the intervention of school-age children.
Methods
This study recruited 3203 school-age Chinese children who had been diagnosed from 2017 to 2021 (ASD = 239, ADHD = 1521, SLD = 1067, ADHD + SLD = 196). All of them were assessed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth edition (WISC-Ⅳ) and Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-Second Edition (ABAS-Ⅱ).
Results
Our study found significant differences in the WISC-Ⅳand ABAS-Ⅱcomposite scores among the four groups, and scores in the ADHD group were the highest. Boys in the ADHD and SLD groups had higher scores in Perceptual Reasoning Index field than girls, while girls in the ADHD and SLD groups had higher scores in Processing Speed Index and Working Memory Index (WMI) field than boys. WMI and Full-scale IQ scores in ADHD group and WMI score in the ADHD + SLD group increased with age before 10, while the Verbal Comprehension Index in ADHD group increased with age from 6 to 15.
Conclusions
This study further expanded the understanding of the intellectual structure and adaptive behavior of the four disorders. The gender and age differences in intellectual structure provided an important reference for the intervention of school-age children with these disorders, and help them integrate into school and society.
Resolving the climatic and ecological drivers of geographical gradients in avian sexual selection
Authors: Barber Robert , Yang Jingyi , Yang Chenyue , Barker Oonagh , Janicke Tim , Tobias Joseph
Published: September 2023

Sexual selection, one of the central pillars of evolutionary theory, has powerful effects on organismal morphology, behaviour and population dynamics. However, current knowledge about geographical variation in this evolutionary mechanism and its underlying drivers remains highly incomplete, in part because standardized data on the strength of sexual selection is sparse even for well-studied organisms. Here we use information on mating systems – including the incidence of polygamy and extra-pair paternity – to quantify the intensity of sexual selection in 10671 (> 99.9%) bird species distributed worldwide. We show that avian sexual selection varies latitudinally, peaking at higher latitudes, although the gradient is reversed in the world’s most sexually selected birds – specialist frugivores – which are strongly associated with tropical forests. Phylogenetic models further reveal that the strength of sexual selection is explained by temperature seasonality coupled with a suite of climate-associated factors, including migration, diet, and territoriality. Overall, these analyses suggest that climatic conditions leading to short, intense breeding seasons, or highly abundant and patchy food resources, increase the potential for polygamy in birds, driving latitudinal gradients in sexual selection. Our findings help to resolve longstanding debates about spatial variation in evolutionary mechanisms linked to reproductive biology, and provide a comprehensive species-level dataset for further studies of selection and phenotypic evolution in the context of global climatic change.
Reuse gold tailings as filling materials for depleted mines
Authors: Hu Min , Guo Na , Hu Zhangmei , Mu Mulan
Published: September 2023

The accumulation of gold mine tailings poses a significant environmental challenge. The feasibility of reuse this waste as underground filling materials was investigated in this work. The filling materials were prepared by mixing the tailings, Portland cement and water using a one-step method. The fluidity, bleeding rate, setting time, mechanical behavior, water quality analysis and toxicity characteristic of leaching solution of the filling materials with various tailings/cement ratios and slurry concentrations were characterized and assessed. The results show secondary hydration reaction occurred between the tailings and the cement. The rheological properties, setting/hardening properties and bleeding rate became less favorable with the increase of the tailings/cement ratio and slurry concentration. The water quality index of the leaching solution was lower than the permissible limit values. The uniaxial compressive strength of the filling materials prepared with a tailings/cement ratio of 4:1 and a slurry concentration of 68% was 0.99 MPa, which met the filling purposes. The values of heavy metal leaching (copper, zinc, cadmium, lead, total chromium, hexavalent chromium, beryllium, barium, argentum, selenium, nickel, hydrargyrum, arsenic, cyanide and fluorion) were much lower than the standard limits. This indicates that gold mine tailings could be utilized as the filling materials to reduce waste accumulation without causing any hazards to environment or human beings.
Extracting interpretable features for pathologists using weakly-supervised learning to predict p16 expression in oropharyngeal cancer
Authors: Sakashita Shingo , Adachi Masahiro , Taki Tetsuro , Sakamoto Naoya , Kojima Motohiro , Hirao Akihiko , Matsuura Kazuto , Hayashi Ryuichi , Tabuchi Keiji , Ishikawa Shumpei , Ishii Genichiro
Published: September 2023

One drawback of existing artificial intelligence (AI)-based histopathological prediction models is the lack of interpretability. The objective of this study is to extract p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) features in a form that can be interpreted by pathologists using AI model. We constructed a model for predicting p16 expression using a dataset of whole-slide images from 114 OPSCC biopsy cases. We used the clustering-constrained attention-based multiple-instance learning (CLAM) model, a weakly supervised learning approach. To improve performance, we incorporated tumor annotation into the model (Annot-CLAM) and achieved high performance. Utilizing the image patches on which the model focused, we examined the features of model interest via histopathologic morphological analysis and cycle-consistent adversarial network (CycleGAN) image translation. By using the CycleGAN-converted images, we confirmed that the sizes and densities of nuclei are important features for prediction with strong confidence. This approach improves interpretability in histopathological morphology-based AI models and contributes to the advancement of clinically valuable histopathological morphological features.
Effects of microwave softening treatment on dynamic mechanical and chemical properties of bamboo
Authors: Qin Weilian , Yu Haixia , Xu Manping , Zhuang Xiaowei , Wang Hongyan , Yin Man , Pan Xin , Liang Yanjun
Published: September 2023

Bamboo is a high-quality biomass material, but its thin walls and hollowness, limit subsequent processing. Softening can flatten and bend bamboo without causing cracks, and thus enables efficient value-added use. In this study, the effects of microwave softening parameters (microwave power, processing time, and initial moisture content) on the glass transition temperature, compression ratio, microstructure, chemical composition, and surface wettability of Phyllostachys. edulis and Dendrocalamus. sinicus were studied. Microwave softening parameters (microwave power, treatment time, initial moisture content) improved the flexibility and processability of both bamboo species. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed the storage modulus of D. sinicus slices was reduced from 7846 to 4498 MPa, which was 1.06 times higher than that of P. edulis. The glass transition temperature was lowered from 221.25 to 123.67°C, which was1.07 times higher than that of P. edulis, indicating bamboo stiffness was reduced and elasticity was enhanced. Moreover,P. edulis has higher thermoplastic quality than D. sinicus. Water molecules have a wetting and swelling effect on the cell wall. With a rise in water content, the free hydroxyl group increased, and the compression ratio of P. edulis with a moisture content of 90% increased from 15.65–45.54%, and that of D. sinicus increased from 11.31–41.67%. Hence, choosing the most adaptable bamboo species and moisture content, and increasing the softening temperature and softening time can improve the flattening quality of bamboo and effectively reduce the number of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups, and thus offers a theoretical basis for the industrial processing of bamboo timbers.
A gas-mechanical-damage coupling model based on TLF-SPH method to simulate gas seepage in fractured coal
Authors: Mu Dianrui , Zhang Ke , Liu Weitao , Zhao Jiyuan
Published: September 2023

The coupled calculation of gas seepage in fractured coal is always the focus and difficulty of computational mechanics. Therefore, combined with the phase field theory, the gas seepage model of fractured coal is developed under the framework of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). The accuracy of the seepage model based on partial differential equation (PDE) with constant coefficient is verified by a reference example, and the simulation results agree well with the analytical solutions. Meanwhile, the seepage characteristics of gas in homogeneous coal based on PDE with constant and variable coefficients are analyzed, respectively, with their numerical errors compared. Then, based on the gas seepage model of fractured coal, the effects of heterogeneity, defect opening and inclination on gas seepage in coal are studied, respectively. In addition, considering the influence of coal deformation and pre-existing defects on gas seepage, a gas-mechanical-damage coupling model for gas seepage simulation of fractured coal is proposed by using SPH method with total Lagrange formula (TLF-SPH). Subsequently, the permeability evolution and gas seepage characteristics of borehole surrounding rock under different conditions (such as overburden load, extraction pressure, borehole radius and initial gas pressure) are investigated, revealing the seepage-mechanical coupling mechanism of fractured coal during gas extraction. This work provides important theoretical support for mine gas extraction and gas outburstdisaster prevention technology.
Variation in Tree Density, Biomass and Carbon Stock with Altitude under the Large Cardamom-based Traditional Agroforestry System of Darjeeling
Authors: .. Vineeta , Sarkar Biplov Chandra , Tamang Mendup , N Shahina N , Shukla Gopal , Nath Arun Jyoti
Published: September 2023

It has been reported that the large cardamom-based traditional agroforestry systems in the Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, India represents a sustainable land use system with a high potential to store and sequester biomass carbon. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the changes in tree biomass stock and carbon accumulation of this indigenous system with altitude. The study area was classified into three altitude-classes as low (700–1200 m asl), mid (1200–1700 m asl) and high (> 1700 m asl). The tree biomass and carbon storage for low-, mid- and high-altitude classes was estimated at 630.17 and 296.18 Mg ha− 1, 397.05 and 186.61 Mg ha− 1 and 315.78 and 148.42 Mg ha− 1, respectively. Schima wallichi, Cryptomeria japonica and Cupressus cashmeriana were the most ecologically important tree species based on IVI (important value index) in the low-, mid-, and high-altitude classes, respectively. The IVI and total biomass of the five most ecologically important tree species in low-, mid- and high-altitude ranged from 17.34–26.04, 18.15–37.56, 27.13–42.43 and 9.05-133.75 Mg ha− 1, 1.38–37.43 Mg ha− 1 and 19.0-72.1 Mg ha− 1, respectively. Schima wallichi occurred in all the altitude-classes among the five most ecologically important tree species. In the study area, the average ecosystem carbon storage was estimated at 295.02 Mg ha− 1. The contribution of soil organic carbon to the ecosystem carbon stock increased with the increasing altitude. In contrast, the contribution of biomass carbon to the ecosystem carbon stock decreased with the increase in altitude. The ecosystem carbon stock estimated for the low-altitude class was 36.43% and 45.30% higher than the mid- and high-altitude agroforestry systems. The large cardamom-based agroforestry systems in the Darjeeling Himalayas are thus a prospective carbon sink, both in vegetation and soil due to higher tree densities and natural resource conservation-based traditional farming practices.
Clinical and laboratory investigations of a sudden death syndrome in newborn Boer goats
Authors: El-Ashker Maged , Karam Reham , Shalaby Shady , Awad Amal , Abdelhamid Fatma , Risha Engy , Awadin Walaa , Rahman Sahar Abd El
Published: September 2023

Background
The aim of the present study was to determine the cause of a sudden death syndrome in Boer goats on an organised farm in Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, and to investigate the associated haematobiochemical changes. In December 2021, an outbreak of sudden death was detected on an organised farm with two hundred adult Boer goats and thirty kids. The complaint was that seventeen newborn kids died suddenly after showing a brief episode of apathy, while the adults remained healthy and showed no systemic disease. As FMD infections occurred simultaneously on large ruminant farms in the study region, buccal and nasal swabs were taken from the thirteen kids to diagnose FMD virus in one step RT-PCR. Further typing tests were carried out to determine the circulating FMDV. Blood samples were also taken from the goats to determine haematobiochemical changes. A post-mortem examination was carried out on eight carcasses, while swabs of internal organs and intestinal contents were taken for bacteriological examination. Tissue samples were also fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin for histopathological examination.
Results
The results confirmed the FMDV type O strain, while C. perfringens was cultured and confirmed by DNA sequencing as C. perfringens strain B1. The alpha toxin gene (CPA) of C. perfringens was also detected. The affected kids showed the picture of intravascular haemolysis, which is indicative of the CPA toxin.
Conclusions
The study highlights the role of Clostridia infection as a complication of FMD in Boer kids. This is the first report in which C. perfringens has been detected in association with FMD infection in this valuable goat species. These results improve our understanding of the clinical presentation of complicated cases of FMD infection in Boer goats under natural conditions.
A novel gradient multi-Helmholtz cavities muffler for low-frequency broad band gaps
Authors: hanbo Shao , Hang XiaoChen
Published: September 2023

With the development of local resonance theory, more and more researchers use Helmholtz cavity structures to reduce low-frequency noise. However, the absorption frequency is very narrow in the traditional structure. It is very inflexible in practical applications. To address this challenge, we first proposed a gradient multi-Helmholtz cavities muffler for low-frequency broad band gaps. By simplifying the structure into a neck-cavity model, we derived the resonance frequency of a single Helmholtz cavity. Next, we use COMSOL software to calculate the transmission loss (TL). The results of our analysis confirmed that the structure can reduce noise in its resonance frequency, and the range of absorption frequency is enlarged with the number of the cavities increases, almost 24.75 times that of one cavity. The transmission loss around the center frequency also increases from 45dB to near 100dB. In addition, the relationship between noise attenuation characteristics and the distance of the cavities is also studied. Results show that a deeper valley appears in the transmission loss curve with the increase of the distance, which greatly affects the sound absorption performance. The gradient multi-Helmholtz cavities designed in our paper enlarges the range of absorption frequency and improve the ability of noise reduction. Our findings can be widely applied to guide the design and optimization of metamaterial mufflers.
Efficiency and comparability of using new evidence platforms for updating recommendations: experience with a diabetes guideline in Colombia
Authors: Villar Juan Carlos , López Luz Angela Torres , Flórez Anamaría Muñoz , Balcázar Angela Manuela , Parra-Gómez Laura , Barrera Edgar
Published: September 2023

Background: Updating recommendations of guidelines requires both comprehensive and efficient literature searches. While new information platforms are available for developing groups, their relative contribution to this purpose remains uncertain.
Methods: As part of a review/update of 8 selected evidence-based recommendations (EBR) on type 2 diabetes, we evaluated the following five literature search approaches (targeting systematic reviews, using predetermined criteria): PubMed for MEDLINE; Epistemonikos database basic search; Epistemonikos database, using a structured search strategy; Living overview of evidence (L.OVE) platform, and TRIP database. Three reviewers independently classified retrieved references as definitely or probably eligible/not eligible. Those falling in the same “definitely” categories for all reviewers were labelled as “true” positives/negatives. The rest went to re-assessment and if found eligible/not eligible by consensus became “false” negatives/positives, respectively. We described the yield for each approach, computed their “diagnostic accuracy” measures and agreement statistics.
Results: Altogether, the five approaches identified 318-505 references for the 8 recommendations, from which reviewers considered 4.2-9.4% eligible after the two rounds. While Pubmed outperformed the other approaches (diagnostic odds ratio 12.5 versus 2.6-5.3), no single search approach returned eligible references for all recommendations. Individually, searches identified up to 40% of all eligible references (n=71), and no combination of any three approaches could identify over 80% of them. Kappa statistics for retrieval between searches were very poor (9 out of 10 paired comparisons did not surpass chance-expected agreement).
Conclusion: Among the information platforms assessed, Pubmed seemed the more efficient to update this set of recommendations. However, the very poor agreement in the reference yield demands developing groups to add information from several (probably over 3) sources for this purpose. Further research is needed to replicate our findings and enhance our understanding of how to update recommendations efficiently.
Centrality measures on segmented entropy networks to identify influencers and influencees for financial market scenario
Authors: Sengupta Anwesha , Middya Asif Iqbal , Roy Sarbani
Published: September 2023

The rise and fall in stock prices are mutually dependent on different intra and inter-sectoral stocks. These mutual dependencies through the interactive market transactions are responsible for creating idiosyncratic shocks regarded as an influence. These necessitate the identification of influential stocks in terms of influencers and influencees in any financial network. These kinds of influential effects can be adequately captured by the flow of directional impact. As a consequence, the influencers in the financial market create an impact through the ups and downs in the economy on the influencees. In this context, attempts have been made to exhibit these kinds of directional influences through segmented entropy networks (SEN) using transfer entropy measures. In addition to the fragmentation of different levels of information flow, i.e., strong, moderate and weak, the network sub-categories are expected to reduce information loss that might occur for construction of network using threshold values. To identify the set of influential stocks in terms of influencees and influencers, the in-centrality and out-centrality measures have been proposed. Their performance is compared using the NSE (national stock exchange) dataset of India with other existing centralities namely, betweenness centrality, harmonic centrality, etc. It is noted that the financial and energy sectors drive the market as a whole during the period. On the other hand, the healthcare, basic material, and consumer defensive sectors create a moderate impact on the market. Additionally, the top influential stocks had high market capitalization and generated high market revenue at that time. The effectiveness of the proposed model has also been compared in terms of its spreading efficacy using a weighted independent cascade model for financial networks. Empirically, the seed stocks (i.e., top influential stocks) captured by the proposed model can spread the impact among other companies over the market by more than 50\% for strong influential network. However, for all other existing baseline centralities, the spreading performance is approximately 40\%.
The role of social media marketing of ESG in warehouse logistics
Authors: Błaszczyk Artur , Viet-Błaszczyk Milena Le
Published: September 2023

Environment, social and governance (ESG) topic has attracted increasing attention from practitioners, especially in last 2 years. However, there is still a lack of a studies of this area in the context of modern warehouse logistics and how these activities are communicated in social media (SM). The purpose of this article is to explore this topic and present the results of quantitative research involving statistical analysis of the results of social media marketing publications on ESG. For these purposes, the researchers brought up the structured overview of ESG in warehouse logistics and made a netnographic investigation focused on the social media activities of companies that represent the largest market share. The results of the research evaluate the correlation between warehouse size and marketing performance, show areas of ESG, which are the most frequently communicated and the most attractive to customers from the perspective of engagement on LinkedIn. It can be a basis for future studies on the implementation of ESG activities in warehouses and can serve practitioners in selecting projects of interest and worth deploying.
Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plant knowledge among three ethnic groups in peri- urban areas of south-central Ethiopia
Authors: Tamene Sintayehu , Negash Mesele , Makonda Fortunatus BS , Chiwona-Karltun Linley , Kibret Kefyalew Sahle
Published: September 2023

Background
Documenting traditional knowledge and plant use culture among ethnic groups has enabled researchers to get a better understanding of how indigenous flora is seen and used in daily life. Their therapeutic applications will encourage future conservation and phytochemical research, potentially leading to the development of novel drugs. However, as to the knowledge of this study, the ethnobotanical studies conducted in Ethiopia are mainly focused on rural areas and were limited to identifying and documenting the local ethnobotanical knowledge at the rural-urban interface. Therefore, this study was conducted to document and evaluate the application of traditional ethnobotanical knowledge among three selected ethnic groups in peri-urban areas of south-central Ethiopia. Besides, we have attempted to investigate the range of cultural similarity and disparity between the studied ethnic groups in relation to traditional medicinal plants and diseases treated.
Methods
Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews with 189 key informants, floristic species inventories, and field observations. Several cultural importance indices and Rahman’s similarity indexes were applied to analyze the relevance of medicinal plants and cultural similarity among the ethnic groups.
Results
A total of 331 therapeutic plants were identified and documented. Of which, the Sidama, Gedeo, and Oromo ethnic groups reported 28, 34, and 38%, respectively. Most medicinal plants are herbs (36%), followed by shrubs (31%), for preparing traditional medicine. Rahman's similarity index (RSI) revealed considerable ethnobotanical knowledge variation among ethnic groups, with Oromo and Sidama showing the highest disparity at 64%, followed by Gedeo and Oromo at 63%. Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex Delile scored 1.27 and 0.76 cultural significance values in the Gedeo and Oromo ethnic groups, respectively, followed by Zingiber officinale Roscoe (0.73) in the Sidama ethnic group as a curative plant against various ailments.
Conclusion
This study reveals the presence of cultural similarity and differences in medicinal plant knowledge application among ethnic groups in rural-urban interface areas of south-central Ethiopia. The diverse healing potential of plants will support future pharmacological investigations, emphasizing the need for adequate documentation of indigenous knowledge and versatile flora to prevent their loss.
Factors associated with rodent infestation on livestock farms in Japan
Authors: Kiyokawa Yasushi , Koizumi Ryoko , Yamada Ryoko , Frye Matthew , Parsons Michael H. , Hirata Shigeki , Tanikawa Tsutomu
Published: September 2023

One of the obstacles to controlling rodents on livestock farms in Japan is the lack of information about characteristics that lead to infestations. To address this knowledge gap, we performed a nationwide survey that collected information from livestock farmers, including the types and number of livestock present, severity of rodent infestation, rodent management approaches utilized, and details about the most- and least-infested barns. More than 80% of respondents reported rodent infestation on their farms, especially rodents observed on overhead beams and girders. A multiple ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio of rodent infestation was higher on farms housing pigs and lower on farms with chickens, as compared to farms with cattle. We also found that medium-sized farms, but not large-sized farms, showed a higher odds ratio than small-sized farms. Furthermore, the odds ratio was similarly higher on farms that implemented rodent control measures by themselves or with the assistance of pest control operators, compared to farms with no rodent management. Within a farm, barn age contributed to infestation status, such that the most-infested barns were older than the least-infested barns, regardless of livestock species. Furthermore, the proportion of ad libitum feeding was higher in the most-infested barns than in the least-infested barns on pig farms. Taken together, our results provide valuable information for understanding rodent infestations on livestock farms in Japan, which can contribute to the development of better management approaches.
Data driven modeling of linear motion system using learning algorithm
Authors: H Ramesh , S Arockia Edwin Xavier
Published: September 2023

Linear motion control systems are used in a wide range of industrial applications, including machine tools, packaging, textiles, printing, and renewable energy. The main control elements of the linear motion control systems are the motion controller, servo drive, and encoder. The motion controller controls the servo drive coupled with the lead screw or ball-screw assembly in order to obtain the desired motion profile. The motion controllers need to be configured accurately with the parameters of motor revolution, load revolution, and length unit (LU) per load revolution in order to achieve the desired results. The positional errors due to temperature, vibration, backlash, and encoder measurement also affect the accuracy of the linear motion system. In this paper, the proposed experimental data-based modelling of the linear motion system using learning algorithms help the user to configure the motion parameters easily and also reduce the positional errors due to mechanical and measurement error factors. Learning algorithms such as the neural network (NN) and machine learning (ML) algorithms are used to compare and formulate the best model that gives the least root mean squared error (RMSE). The comparison and experimental validation show that the Gaussian process regression (GPR) model outperforms all other models.
A high-resolution exponential spline method and its convergence analysis for two-point mixed boundary value problems
Authors: Sharma Sachin , Kaur Kirandeep
Published: September 2023

In this article, we present a new numerical method for effectively solving general second-order ordinary differential equations with mixed boundary conditions. Our approach utilizes a quasi-variable mesh enabling us the flexibility to adapt the mesh density according to different boundary layer problems. By employing a discretization technique that incorporates the construction of exponential spline, we achieve third-order accuracy at internal grid points, while boundary points exhibit fourth-order accuracy. This technique is particularly beneficial while dealing with singular problems since it is based on two half step and one central point and thus it obviates the necessity for any alterations while solving these problems. We provide computational results to demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed method in solving problems. A comparison with recent findings underscores the superior performance of our method.
Zinc dampens anti-tumour immunity by promoting Foxp3+ regulatory T cells
Authors: Awasthi Amit , Narayan Sugandha , Dalal Rajdeep , Rizvi Zaigham Abbas
Published: September 2023

The role of zinc (Zn) in tumor development and immune modulation has always been paradoxical. This study redefines our understanding of the impact of Zn on cancer progression and therapeutic strategies. Our findings show that high dietary Zn promotes tumor progression by fostering a pro-tumorigenic environment mediated by T cells. In contrast, deficiency in dietary Zn and chelation of tissue Zn emerge as potent drivers of anti-tumor immunity. We elucidated that increased Zn intake facilitates tumor progression by fostering Foxp3 + regulatory T cells (Tregs) frequency. Remarkably, we have pinpointed FOXO1 as the master regulator governing the influence of Zn on Tregs, elucidating a novel mechanistic insight. Finally, we introduce a promising therapeutic approach by showing that administering Clioquinol (CQ) significantly enhances αPD-1 immunotherapy response, particularly in melanoma. These revelations transform our comprehension of multifaceted role of Zn in tumorigenesis and immune regulation, highlighting innovative possibilities for cancer therapy.
Assessment of a Novel Xanthan Gum-based Composite for Oil Recovery Improvement at Reservoir Conditions; Assisted with Simulation and Economic Studies
Authors: Khattab Hamid , Gawish Ahmed A. , Hamdy Abdelnaser , Gomaa Sayed , El-hoshoudy A. N.
Published: September 2023

Chemical flooding is a crucial technique in petroleum recovery. Although synthetic polyacrylamides are widely used, they suffer from hard reservoir conditions (high salinity, temperature, and pressure) and high costs. Current efforts focus on eco-friendly and affordable biopolymers like xanthan gum to overcome these issues. This study screens xanthan gum modification to improve its rheological properties and tolerance to high temperature, salinity, and shearing action by copolymerizing it with vinyl silane, vinyl monomers, and silica nanoparticles. The new composite was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) tests. Its implementation was evaluated in polymer flooding at 2200 psi pressure, 135,000 ppm salinity, and 196°F temperature. Unlike previous studies that evaluated xanthan gum at 176 degrees °F, 1800 psi, and 30,000 ppm, without combining those three factors in one experiment. The rheological properties of native and composite xanthan were examined at reservoir conditions, as well as their viscoelastic properties (G‵ and G‶). Flooding runs used actual Bahariya formation cores at the lab scale. Simulation studies were conducted on a lab/field scale using the tNavigator simulator and economic feasibility to calculate the net present value. The most outcoming findings of this research comprise 1) investigating the impact of salinity, temperature, and pressure on the rheological properties of native and composite xanthan. 2) The composite xanthan exhibits more resistant criteria, as it recovered 27% residual oil versus 22% for native xanthan. 3) Modeling and simulation studies exhibit 48% oil recovery for composite versus 39% for native xanthan and 37% for water flooding. 4) Economically, using native and composite xanthan through enhanced oil recovery methods increased net present value to $32mm and $58mm versus traditional methods.
Genetic diversity and population structure of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) germplasm from Sierra Leone and Togo based on KASP- SNP genotyping
Authors: Bhattacharjee Ranjana , Luseni Mohammed Mambu , Ametefe Komivi , Agre Paterne A. , Kumar P. Lava , Grenville-Briggs Laura J.
Published: September 2023

Background
Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is a tropical tree species belonging to Malvaceae family and originated in the lowland rainforests of the Amazon. It is one of the major agricultural commodities contributing towards the GDP (gross domestic product) of West African countries contributing about 70% of world’s production.
Methodology
A sample of 376 cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) germplasm accessions (235 from Sierra Leone and 141 from Togo) collected from different seed gardens and farmers’ fields across the cacao producing states/regions of these countries were assembled for genetic diversity and population structure studies using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The 376 cacao accessions were genotyped using 20 highly informative and reproducible KASP-SNPs markers. The genetic diversity among different accessions was assessed using three complementary clustering methods including the model-based population structure, discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC), and phylogenetic trees. A network analysis was further carried out to understand the genetic relationships among cacao accessions from Sierra Leone and Togo. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was carried out to estimate the genetic differentiation among and within groups.
Results
The STRUCTURE and DAPC exhibited some consistency in the allocation of accessions in subpopulations or groups, although some discrepancy was identified in the grouping based on these two methods. Hierarchical clustering analysis grouped all the individuals into two major groups and represented several sub-clusters. AMOVA revealed high genetic diversity (86%) within accessions. A high rate of mislabeling/duplicate genotype names was revealed in both countries, which may be attributed to errors from the sources of introduction, labeling errors, and lost labels.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates the use of KASP-SNPs for fingerprinting that can help identify mislabeled accessions and provide strong evidence for improving the accuracy and efficiency in cacao germplasm management as well as distribution of correct materials to farmers.