bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An innovative intergenerational intervention to promote co-physical activity in grandparents and their grandchildren: the ‘Ages get Active’ intervention – Development, insights and future directions
Authors: Iliano Evelien , Cardon Greet , Latomme Julie
Published: November 2023

Background:Intergenerational physical activity programming is a promising approach to increase (co-)physical activity in children and older adults. Unfortunately, most of these programs do not take into account the needs and preferences of the target group and mostly focus on children and older adults who are not family-related. Furthermore, the development process of an intergenerational physical activity program often remains underexamined. This study aims to comprehensively describe the systematic development of an evidence-based, co-created intergenerational physical activity intervention, the ‘Ages get Active’ intervention, which jointly engages grandparents and their grandchildren in physical activity.
Methods: The three stages and seven steps of the theoretical framework, the Behaviour Change Wheel, were described. This theoretical framework was combined with a participatory co-creation approach to develop an intergenerational physical activity program for grandparents and grandchildren. Six grandchildren (1 boy and 5 girls, M age 6.83; Std 1.17) and four grandparents (3 women and 1 man, M age 63.5; Std 3.11) participated in the co-creation sessions. A meeting with organizational stakeholders was organized to gain additional input.
Results: Four intervention components emerged from the development phase: 1) an educational component; 2) organized group-based intergenerational movement sessions; 3) home-based (intergenerational) activities and 4) the promotion of community-based events. The intervention will start with an educational component where grandparents and parents will receive information about the intervention. During six weeks, six movement sessions will take place where grandparents and grandchildren will work on different aspects (coordination, strength,…) together. Grandparents and grandchildren will use a booklet with physical activities they can do together or individually at home and will also receive a list of events they can do together in the community.
Conclusions: The ‘Ages get Active’ intervention was developed using the Behaviour Change Wheel in combination with co-creation. The comprehensive and transparent description of the steps of the Behaviour Change Wheel and how these steps were integrated into the co-creation sessions, findings and insights into the process development can help future researchers and health professionals in developing interventions for older adults (grandparents) and children (grandchildren).
Effect of the observer’s gender bias monitoring acute pain using a validated behavior scale in castrated piglets
Authors: Trindade Pedro Henrique Esteves , Lopez-Soriano Magdiel , Merenda Victoria Rocha , Tomacheuski Rubia Mitalli , Pairis-Garcia Monique Danielle
Published: November 2023

We aimed to investigate the observer’s gender bias on acute pain assessment using the Unesp-Botucatu Pig Composite Acute Pain Scale (UPAPS) in piglets before and after castration. Twenty-nine piglets were filmed at 1h pre-castration, 0h and 3h post-castration. Two observers self-identified as women and two as men, and all four observers assessed all films using the UPAPS. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), and Bland-Altman were used to estimate the agreement, and modeling was conducted to compare genders. The ICC of the UPAPS total sum was ‘very good’ (0.84) when considering both genders and ‘good’ when considering each gender separately. Furthermore, women had a higher level of agreement (0.74) than men (0.65). The agreement of the UPAPS total sum assessed by women and men demonstrated minimal bias (-0.04), no proportion bias, and 55% of the assessments were identical. The UPAPS total sum was statistically equivalent between genders (P = 0.66). In conclusion, we found no evidence supporting gender bias in applying UPAPS in piglets before and after castration. Our findings permit the assessment of piglets' acute pain regardless of the observers’ gender, which might benefit the swine industry and researchers monitoring pain in piglets.
An Estimated Two-Country DSGE Model to Analyse Monetary Policy with Heterogeneous Agents : Euro Area and the US Economy
Authors: signe Franck Xavier , POUTINEAU Jean-Christophe , Gankou Jean Marie
Published: November 2023

This paper seeks to quantitatively assess the key role in open economy of heterogeneity in the conduct of monetary policy in Europe and the US, we take into account the fact that these two economies trade with each other and with the rest of the world, as well as the role of the exchange rate in trade. Using Bayesian estimation techniques, we estimate two models that take these specific features into account, a model with representative agents (RANK model), a model with heterogeneous agents (TANK model). Analysis of the Bayes ratio and the empirical characteristics of the two models shows that the TANK model plays a key role in the conduct of monetary policy in Europe and the United States and in the mitigation of cycles and fluctuations. The American economy is more sensitive to heterogeneity than the European one, because the differences in parameters between the models are greater in the USA than in Europe.
JEL Classification: E21 , E31 , E40 , E50 , E52 , E61
Digital literacy and online learning satisfaction among junior high school students in the context of COVID-19: The mediating role of online learning engagement and the moderating role of parents' educational expectations
Authors: Liu Xue-zhi , Wu Jian-xiao , Guo Ling-jing , Li Bing-bing , Ye Bao-juan
Published: November 2023

During the COVID-19 lockdown period, educational institutions in many countries adopted online teaching methods to varying degrees to cope with the impact of the epidemic on education, and online learning satisfaction was an important indicator to measure the effect of online learning. This study aimed to explore the mechanism among digital literacy, online learning satisfaction, online learning engagement, and parents' educational expectations. The Digital Literacy Scale, Online Learning Engagement Scale, Perceived Parental Expectation (PPE) Scale, and Satisfaction with the Online Learning Scale were adopted to measure 916 Chinese junior school students. The results were: (1) The digital literacy of junior high school students had a positive correlation with their online learning satisfaction. (2) Online learning engagement mediated the relationship between digital literacy and online learning satisfaction. (3) The positive effect of digital literacy on online learning engagement was different among middle school students who perceived different levels of parental educational expectations; that is, parental educational expectations moderated the first half of the mediating effect. The relationship between digital literacy and online learning satisfaction was a moderated mediated model. More measures should be taken to improve the digital literacy of middle school students and promote the quality of online learning.
Numerical simulation and in vitro experimental study of the hemodynamic performance of vena cava filters with helical forms
Authors: Huang Yuxiang , Li Qi , Liu Ming , Zhao Ming , Chen Ying
Published: November 2023

Inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) implantation is a common method of thrombus capture. By implanting a filter in the inferior vena cava (IVC), microemboli can be effectively blocked from entering the pulmonary circulation, thereby avoiding acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Inspired by the helical flow effect in the human arterial system, we propose a helical retrievable IVCF, which, due to the presence of a helical structure inducing a helical flow pattern of blood in the region near the IVCF, can effectively avoid the deposition of microemboli in the vicinity of the IVCF while promoting the cleavage of the captured thrombus clot. It also reduces the risk of IVCF dislodging and slipping in the vessel because its shape expands in the radial direction, allowing its distal end to fit closely to the IVC wall, and because its contact structure with the inner IVC wall is curved, increasing the contact area and reducing the risk of the vessel wall being punctured by the IVCF support structure. We used Ansys Fluent software to conduct unidirectional fluid-structure coupling simulation of four different forms of IVCF, combined with microthrombus capture experiments in vitro, to explore the impact of these four forms of IVCF on blood flow patterns and to evaluate the risk of IVCF perforation and IVCF dislocation. It can be seen from the numerical simulation results that the helical structure does have the function of inducing blood flow to undergo helical flow dynamics, and the increase in wall shear stress (WSS) brought about by this function can improve the situation of thrombosis accumulation to a certain extent. Meanwhile, the placement of IVCF will change the flow state of blood flow and lead to the deformation of blood vessels. In in vitro experiments, we found that the density of the helical support rod is a key factor affecting the thrombus trapping efficiency, and in addition, the contact area between the IVCF and the vessel wall has a major influence on the risk of IVCF displacement.
DocXClassifier: Towards a Robust and Interpretable Deep Neural Network for Document Image Classification
Authors: Saifullah Saifullah , Agne Stefan , Dengel Andreas , Ahmed Sheraz
Published: November 2023

Model interpretability and robustness are becoming increasingly critical today for the safe and practical deployment of deep learning (DL) models in industrial settings. As DL-backed automated document processing systems become increasingly common in business workflows, there is a pressing need today to enhance interpretability and robustness for the task of document image classification, an integral component of such systems. Surprisingly, while much research has been devoted to improving the performance of deep models for this task, little attention has been given to their interpretability and robustness. In this paper, we aim to improve upon both aspects and introduce DocXClassifier, an inherently interpretable deep document classifier that not only achieves significant performance improvements over existing approaches in image-based document classification, but also holds the capability to simultaneously generate feature importance maps while making its predictions. Our approach attains state-of-the-art performance in image-based classification on two popular document datasets, RVL-CDIP and Tobacco3482, with top-1 classification accuracies of 94.17% and 95.57%, respectively. Additionally, it sets a new record for the highest image-based classification accuracy on Tobacco3482 without transfer learning from RVL-CDIP, at 90.14%. In addition, our proposed training strategy demonstrates superior robustness compared to existing approaches, significantly outperforming them on 19 out of 21 different types of novel data distortions, while achieving comparable results on the remaining two. By combining robustness with interpretability, DocXClassifier presents a promising step towards the practical deployment of DL models for document classification tasks.
Overfertilization alters the ecological interactions and floral morphology in peri-urban environment
Authors: Vera Gabriel A. Brito , Calderón Ximena , Pérez Fernanda
Published: November 2023

Nitrogen is a crucial element that affects plant metabolic processes and indirectly influences the structure and dynamics of ecological interactions in terrestrial ecosystems. Since the invention of the Haber-Bosch process, human activity has significantly influenced the amount of nitrogen released into the environment. But, how might these processes of overfertilization impact flora and fauna within urban ecosystems? In our experiment, we employed elevated nitrogen concentrations to simulate terrestrial eutrophication in Nicotiana tabacum. We assessed the floral morphology through geometric morphometrics and quantified the nectar volume and the concentration of solutes. Subsequently, we investigated the impact of these modifications on herbivory and pollination interactions in a peri-urban setting. Overfertilization resulted in notable modifications to the floral shape of the lobes, along with a significant increase in herbivory rates due to chewing insects and daily pollination rates. However, we observed that herbivory intensity in fertilized plants and reduction in leaf size at the end of the experiments were not directly correlated with the overall pollination rate per plant. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the daily pollination rates were influenced by overfertilization. However, this increase was not attributed to the energetic content of nectar (including volume, concentration, and energy), but probably to other factors, such as the presence of nitrogen compounds in the nectar. Nitrogen is a crucial element not only for plants in natural terrestrial ecosystems but also plays a fundamental role in the modification and shaping of reproductive and vegetative structures. Moreover, it affects the functionality of ecological interactions of pollination and herbivory in anthropogenic environments such as peri-urban areas under potential terrestrial eutrophication scenarios.
Molecular choreography to acute heat exposure in a simulated extreme high temperature environment
Authors: Wen Jirui , Wang Ling , Cheng Juan , Liu Yilin , Ma Tengfei , Wen Qiao , Zhou Jing , Sun Xiaoru , Li Can , Zou Yuhao , Yang Wei , Chen Yineng , He Dehai , You Zhiqiang , Liu Li , Sun Qun , Wan Xuehong , Gao Mingzhong , Xie Heping , Zou Jian , Wu Jiang , Liu Jifeng
Published: November 2023

Occupational exposure to extreme high temperature and increasing global temperatures require enhanced understanding of how heat exposure impacts human health. However, the molecular changes underlying the response to heat exposure in humans remain to be elucidated. This study used longitudinal multi-omics profiling to assess the impact of acute heat exposure (50℃ for 30 min) in 24 subjects from a mine rescue team. Intravenous blood samples were collected before acute heat exposure (baseline) and at 5 min, 30 min, 1 h, and 24 h after acute heat exposure (recovery). In-depth multi-omics profiling was performed on each sample, including plasma proteomics (untargeted), metabolomics (untargeted), and gene expression (transcriptomics) of peripheral blood monocytes and neutrophils. After data curation and annotation, the final dataset contained 5616 analytes, including 478 proteins, 1995 metabolites, and 3143 transcripts. Time-series analysis unveiled an orchestrated molecular choreography of changes involving the immune response, coagulation, acid-base balance, oxidative stress, cytoskeleton and energy metabolism. Further analysis through protein-protein interactions and network analysis revealed potential regulators of acute heat exposure. Moreover, novel blood-based analytes that predicted change in cardiopulmonary function after acute heat exposure were identified. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the molecular changes that underlie the complex physiological processes that occur in humans who undergo heat exposure. Findings will help health impact assessment of extreme high temperature and inform future mechanistic and clinical studies.
Traditional plant-based medicines used to treat musculoskeletal disorders in district North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Authors: Rehman Sabith , Iqbal Zafar , Qureshi Rahmatullah , Younas Muhammad
Published: November 2023

Background
This paper provides noteworthy information about the use of therapeutic plants for treating musculoskeletal disorders in a district, in North Waziristan, Pakistan. This survey aimed to document information regarding indigenous uses of plants in basic healthcare practices among rural people in regions, which may guide natural drug discovery and development.
Objective
The present study aims to document indigenous knowledge regarding medicinal plants used against musculoskeletal disorders in North Waziristan.
Methods
In total, 130 informants were interviewed using group discussions and semi-structured interviews. Documented ethnomedicinal data was analyzed using quantitative indices of relative frequency of citation (RFC), used value (UV) and fidelity level (FL).
Results
During the present studyatotalof60plant species belonging to39 plant families were reported with their medicinal usage to treat musculoskeletal disorders. The most dominant growth form were herbs (56.67%), decoction was preferred method of utilization (32.31%) and leaves were the most used plant part (21.88%). The highest used category was recorded for rheumatism (26 spp.). The highest use value was reported for Bergenia ciliata (0.87).
Conclusion
This study provides important information about therapeutic plants practice for musculoskeletal disorders among local communities of North Waziristan, Pakistan. The baseline findings of this study might be valuable in compiling information for future pharmacological and phytochemical screening of plant species leading to natural drug discovery and development.
Knowledge and Awareness about Natural Sugar Substitutes: Stevia and Monk fruit, among population in the Syrian Society
Authors: Harsan Loran , Harsan Leen , Hammoud Taghreed
Published: November 2023

Introduction
The stevia plant is used as a natural alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners, which helps reduce sugar and calorie consumption, thus reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. The stevia plant also provides a natural way to get sweetness without gaining weight, making it a healthy choice for people seeking to lose weight. Therefore, the goal of our research was to measure awareness and knowledge about stevia and monk fruit among a sample of members of Syrian society.
Methods
A cross-sectional study conducted on a sample of Syrian community members, amounting to 729 participants from various Syrian governorates, in the period between 7/23/2023 and 11/3/2023.
Results
Of the 729 participants, males constituted (51.2%) compared to females (48.8%). The age group “between 18–25” was the most participating (38.4%). It was found that the largest percentage of participants had an average economic level (42.4%). Only (12.8%) of the participants had one or both of their parents working in the medical field. Educational level: university (52.7%), pre-university (34.3%). Most of them had not heard of stevia (91.1%), and those who had heard of it (8.9%). Only 4.1% of participants had heard of monk fruit.
Conclusion
Overall, our study participants are not well informed about sugar substitutes, but the controversy surrounding most artificial and natural sweeteners cannot be ignored. Hence, the safety or harm of these sweeteners is of utmost importance to scientists. The benefits of natural sweeteners should be weighed against the harmful effects of using artificial sugar substitutes
A STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MAHASIRS MUDRA TO RELIEVE HEADACHE AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AT SELECTED HOSPITALS OF GANDHINAGAR
Authors:   Principal, Apollo Institute of Nursing, Gandhinagar (A Unit of Apollo Hospitals)., Mohan Singh Hari , Jibanlata Devi Chingshubam ,   Associate professor, Apollo Institute of Nursing, Gandhinagar (A Unit of Apollo Hospitals)., A Group- ,   Final year B.Sc. Nursing students, Apollo Institute of Nursing, Gandhinagar (A Unit of Apollo Hospitals).
Published: November 2023

A experimental study was conducted to assess effectiveness of Mahasirs Mudra on healthcare professionals at selected hospitals of Gandhinagar. TheVisual Analog Pain Scale was usedas conceptual framework. A quantitative approach with one pretest posttest study design wasusedtoachievetheobjectivesof thestudy.Thesampleconsistedof50fromselectedhospitalsof. TheSystematic samplingtechniquewas usedtocollectthesample.In theexperimental group the mean of pretest was 4.08 with standard deviation 1.51 and post test mean was 3.6 with standard deviation1.68. Thecalculatedt value was 6.31 where as table value is 2 in 0.05 levelwhich shows highly significant. So, the Mahasirs Mudra was effective on hypertensive headache among healthcare professionals.
HEMORRAGIE DIGESTIVE ABONDANTE REVELANT UNE TUMEUR DUODENALE: A PROPOS D1 CAS AU SERVICE URGENCE-DECHOQUAGE CHU MOHAMED VI MARRAKECH
Authors: Bouebazebi Biantona Leonard , Ladgani Mouad , Armandaind Yila , Manel Rhezali , Errifaiy Hayate , Hassan Taoufik Aboul , Hicham Nejmi , Boutakiout Badr
Published: November 2023

Duodenal gastrointestinal tumors are very rare. Represents approximately 2% of grelic tumors [1]. The discovery is often fortuitous, through chronically evolving digestive symptoms (epigastric pain, digestive disorder, abdominal pain, mass,) or through intermittent digestive bleeding complicated by anemia [2]. But the discovery of a large digestive hemorrhage generally poses a major problem of diagnosis and emergency management because it requires adequate emergency treatment and sometimes emergency hemostasis measures. We report the observation of a duodenal tumor, revealed by a large digestive hemorrhage with hemodynamic impact in a 35-year-old male patient.
CROSS SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE ANALYTICAL STUDY OF MORPHOMETRY OF INTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY
Authors: Naveen M. , T.T Pradeep , Anandha Shanmugaraj M. , Venkatesh R. , Murugesan G. , Indunesh K.
Published: November 2023

Background: The internal carotid artery (ICA) is essential for diagnosing and treating cerebrovascular diseases and plays a significant role in the human head and neck circulatory system. Traditional techniques of ICA research have their limitations, but more recent developments in medical imagingÂ—particularly retrospective angiographyÂ—offer more thorough evaluation options. Objective: This study aimed to investigate variations and morphometry of the ICA using 2D digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images, with a focus on age and gender-related differences. Methods: The 149 individuals with subarachnoid hemorrhage who had cerebral angiography were included in the research. Analysis was done on 2D ICA pictures without any obvious pathology. PACS imaging techniques were used to measure morphometric characteristics such as the length, angle, and diameter of the ICA segments. Results: According to the study, ICA length and direction were not substantially affected by age, but segment diameters were highly associated with age, indicating that segment diameters decreased with age. However, gender indicated statistically significant variations in several segment sizes, with males typically having greater diameters than females. Gender had little effect on length and orientation. Conclusion: This study sheds light on ICA changes and morphometry, emphasizing age-related diameter decreases and gender-related variations in segment diameters. These findings highlight the need to take age and gender into account when conducting clinical evaluations and cerebrovascular disease therapies.
COVID-19 pandemic and firm performance in the insurance industry in developed and emerging markets
Authors: Paminto Ardi , Abni Lahaya Ibnu , Iqbal Muhammad , Azizil Yudaruddin Yanzil , Yudaruddin Rizky
Published: November 2023

This study aims to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on insurance companies` performance. Data spanning 2018 to 2022 from the Wall Street Journal Database was employed, encompassing 1,931 companies across 65 countries. The research distinguishes between developed (808 insurers) and emerging markets (1,123 insurers) to identify more real consequences of the pandemic. The random effects model was utilized for regressions, which run in three stages. The dependent variables (Return on Assets and Return on Equity) and the independent variables (the COVID-19 pandemic and four firm-specific factors such as claim expenses, company size, leverage, and liquidity) were analyzed. In developed markets, the study confirms the significant negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on insurance firms, resulting in a global decline in performance. Conversely, emerging markets reveal a different scenario where company size plays a substantial role in insurance company performance, particularly in return on assets, aligning with findings favoring larger insurance entities. However, when considering company size’s interaction with COVID-19, larger insurers in emerging markets experienced performance declines during the pandemic. While leverage significantly affects insurance firm performance in both market types, its interaction with the pandemic shows no substantial impact. Liquidity, as represented by cash holding does not significantly enhance performance, particularly in developed markets, but higher cash reserves during the pandemic negatively affect performance, primarily in emerging markets. These findings provide insights for insurance company managers to develop adaptive strategies amid evolving market conditions and potential crises, including pandemics like COVID-19.
Klâsik Türk Müziği Özelinde Müziklerarası Yöntemler; Alıntı-Anıştırma
Authors: Esen Biçer Beste
Published: November 2023

Avrupa da postmodernizm anlayış ile gelişen metinlerarasılık, metin ve dilbilim çalışmalarına farklı bir bakış açısı kazandırmıştır. Bu kuramın temelinde metinlerin iç içe, çok katmanlı bir şekilde kurgulandığı ve birbirinden izler taşıdığı savı yatmaktadır. Metinlerarasılık mimarlık, iletişim, sosyoloji, felsefe vd. gibi sanatta da gözlenmiş, müzik çalışmalarında “Müziklerarasılık” kavramı ile nitelendirilmiştir. Müziklerarası çalışmalar incelendiğinde Klâsik Batı Müziği Rock, Pop, Rap, vb. gibi müzik türlerinde söz konusu olurken Klâsik Türk müziği alanında henüz böyle bir çalışmaya rastlanmadığı gözlenmiştir. Bu farkındalıktan hareketle çalışmada Metinlerarası-Müziklerarası yöntemlerinden Alıntı ve Anıştırmanın neler olduğu Klâsik Türk müziğine nasıl etki edip yansıdığı, içerikleri ve kullanımlarına dair özellikler incelenmiştir. Sonuç olarak aynı Metinlerarasılık da olduğu gibi Türk müziğinde Alıntı, Anıştırma yöntemleri ile Müziklerarası ilişkilerin kurulduğu ve yeni icralar ile bestelerin oluşumuna kaynaklık ettiği tespit edilmiştir.
The elemental profile of ciders made from different varieties of apples
Authors: Ageyeva Natalia , Khrapov Anton , Shirshova Anastasia , Chemisova Larisa , Ulyanovskaya Elena , Chernutskaya Evgenia
Published: November 2023

Macro- and microelements are vital components of the nutrient profile of apples and apple juice. Although the mineral composition of apple juices has been well studied, there is a lack of research into the elemental profile of ciders. We aimed to determine the concentrations of macro- and microelements in various samples of ciders.

We studied 25 experimental ciders from apple juice of direct extraction (fresh must) and 4 commercial ciders purchased from a retailer in Krasnodar. Mass concentrations of metal cations were determined by high-performance capillary electrophoresis, atomic absorption spectrometry with electrothermal atomization, and atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma.

The concentrations of macroelements in the ciders from fresh must depending on the variety varied significantly in the following ranges (mg/L): 696–1920 for potassium; 6.7–26.8 for sodium; 4.3–35.5 for calcium; and 10.2–36.8 for magnesium. The commercial ciders had significantly lower concentrations of macroelements. The content of iron ranged from 0.86 to 2.26 mg/L. Among microelements, copper cations were detected in the range from 31.0 to 375 μg/L. The concentrations of toxic elements did not exceed the maximum permissible values in any of the samples, including the commercial ones. Finally, ranges of variation were established in the concentrations of macro- and microelements depending on the varietal characteristics of apples.

The pomological varieties of apples used in the study were grown under the same agrotechnical conditions. Therefore, the differences revealed in the elemental profile of the ciders were assumingly due to the genetic characteristics of the respective variety.
Drinking water potability prediction using machine learning approaches: a case study of Indian rivers
Authors: Ainapure Bharati , Baheti Nidhi , Buch Jyot , Appasani Bhargav , Jha Amitkumar V. , Srinivasulu Avireni
Published: November 2023

Drinking water is the most precious resource on Earth. In the past few decades, the quality of drinking water has significantly degraded due to pollution. Water quality assessment is paramount for the well-being of the people since the presence of pollutants can have serious health issues. Particularly, in developing countries such as India, water is not properly assessed for its quality. This work uses machine learning techniques to predict the water quality of Indian rivers. It focuses on finding water potability when provided with the key factors used to calculate the water quality index for the water sample. Important parameters like water temperature, pH value, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, total coliform counts, and biochemical oxygen demand are used to calculate the water quality index. The approaches that are explored include the use of K-nearest neighbor (KNN), Random Forest, and XGBoost, with and without hyperparameter tuning, and the use of a sequential artificial neural network to see which of the three models helps us to give the most accurate predictions for the potability of water. XGBoost was the most efficient model, with an accuracy of 98.93%.
A water quality prediction model based on signal decomposition and ensemble deep learning techniques
Authors: Dong Jinghan , Wang Zhaocai , Wu Junhao , Huang Jinghan , Zhang Can
Published: November 2023

Accurate water quality predictions are critical for water resource protection, and dissolved oxygen (DO) reflects overall river water quality and ecosystem health. This study proposes a hybrid model based on the fusion of signal decomposition and deep learning for predicting river water quality. Initially, complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) is employed to split the internal series of DO into numerous internal mode functions (IMFs). Subsequently, we employed multi-scale fuzzy entropy (MFE) to compute the entropy values for each IMF component. Time-varying filtered empirical mode decomposition (TVFEMD) is used to further extract features in high-frequency subsequences after linearly aggregating the high-frequency sequences. Finally, support vector machine (SVM) and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks are used to predict low- and high-frequency subsequences. Moreover, by comparing it with single models, models based on ‘single layer decomposition-prediction-ensemble’ and combination models using different methods, the feasibility of the proposed model in predicting water quality data for the Xinlian section of Fuhe River and the Chucha section of Ganjiang River was verified. As a result, the combined prediction approach developed in this work has improved generalizability and prediction accuracy, and it may be used to forecast water quality in complicated waters.
Life-cycle analysis of environmental loads from household septic systems in Japan focusing on effluent water discharge
Authors: Mishima Iori , Yoshikawa Naoki , Asakawa Susumu , Noguchi Yuji , Amano Koji
Published: November 2023

Various types of small-scale wastewater treatment systems are widely used in rural areas, and life-cycle assessment (LCA) should be performed to evaluate their environmental performance. In this study, septic systems were first classified into five categories based on their wastewater treatment performance. Effluent samples from actual systems were collected, and their water qualities were determined. A model to evaluate the environmental load from the septic systems using LCA methods was then established. The water-quality values obtained were input to the model, and the life-cycle environmental costs of the classified septic systems were calculated. The mean environmental load of the effluent during the operation stage was 37.6%, confirming that evaluation of an effluent discharge inventory using LCA, inspection, and water-quality monitoring to improve operations is critical for reducing the environmental load. The operation stage accounts for over 99% of the involved eutrophication, biological toxicity, and toxic chemicals, which are strongly related to the quality of the effluent. Evaluation of the effluent discharge inventory using LCA is of great significance, even for small-scale wastewater treatment systems. The set of procedures developed in this study can be used to calculate comprehensive environmental impacts at wastewater treatment plants.
Identification of suitable sites for rainwater and storm water harvesting through spatial analysis and smart sustainable urban water infrastructure in Lahore, Pakistan
Authors: Siddiqui Rumana , Javid Kanwal , Ahamad Muhammad Irfan
Published: November 2023

Sustainable and water-wise cities maintain an eco-friendly urban hydrological cycle (UHC). Regrettably, the UHC of Pakistani cities is not consistently eco-friendly. Pakistan is situated within the influential area of the world's largest monsoon weather system. Cities like Lahore face simultaneous vulnerabilities to urban flooding and water scarcity due to extreme climate change events. Therefore, Pakistan's urban areas necessitate Urban Water Infrastructural Transformation (UWIT), achievable only after identifying suitable Rainwater and Stormwater Harvesting Potential Sites (RSWHPS) in Lahore. Hence, we conducted spatial analysis to pinpoint these RSWHPS within Lahore city for 2020, utilizing the World View Water Index (WV-WI). The results indicate 85.54 km2 of available areas for rain and stormwater harvesting potential during monsoon rains in Lahore. The area with the highest potential in Lahore is Wagha town, featuring 19.96 km2 of stagnant water. Additionally, RSWHPS is classified into four categories based on potential: high, medium, low, and water bodies in Lahore. Urgent transformation is required for the identified storm and rainwater harvesting sites. Consequently, this study will serve as a snapshot for policymakers to systematically address water shortage and urban flooding, making Lahore's hydrological cycle eco-friendly and sustainable.
A Review of Gap Junction Protein and its Potential Role in Nervous
System-Related Disease
Authors: Xiang Qiong , Liu Xiao-Lin , Chen Jia-Jia , Yang Liang , Liu Li-Ni , Deng Jing , Tao Jia-Sheng , Li Xian-Hui
Published: November 2023

Gap junction (GJ) is a special cell membrane structure composed of connexin. Connexin
is widely distributed and expressed in all tissues except differentiated skeletal muscle, red
blood cells, and mature sperm cells, which is related to the occurrence of many genetic diseases
due to its mutation. Its function of regulating immune response, cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis,
and carcinogenesis makes it a therapeutic target for a variety of diseases. In this paper, the
possible mechanism of its action in nervous system-related diseases and treatment are reviewed.
Impact of Pt-Ni Nanoparticle Architecture on Electrocatalytic Oxidation Reaction in Fuel Cells
Authors: Ishiki Nicolas A. , Della-Costa Maria , Keller Beatriz , Rocha Kleper O. , Bortoloti Francielle Bortoloti , Ângelo Antonio C. D.
Published: November 2023

This paper investigates how the aggregation of bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) influences the electronic condition of the surface adsorption site and, hence, the performance of materials during the electrooxidation of fuels in an alkaline medium. First, we synthesized Pt-Ni NPs in three configurations: ordered intermetallic, ordinary alloy, and core-shell. The NPs contained Pt and Ni close to a 1:1 Pt/Ni atomic ratio. They had similar particle sizes, which allowed us to evaluate their performance without the influence of these physical parameters. Depending on the structural arrangement of the Pt and Ni atoms in the NP, the electronic condition of the surface adsorption site (Pt) changed significantly. Consequently, the performance of the materials varied whenever they were used as anode material for the electrooxidation of hydrogen, methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol in an alkaline solution. The electronic condition of the surface site strongly affected the adsorption characteristics of the reactants, intermediates, and products, consequently impacting the material's performance during the electrochemical processes. The approach adopted here could contribute to a better understanding of electrocatalytic processes and the design of selective electrocatalysts.
A Comparison of ChatGPT and Fine-Tuned Open Pre-Trained Transformers (OPT) Against Widely Used Sentiment Analysis Tools: Sentiment Analysis of COVID-19 Survey Data
Authors: Lossio-Ventura Juan Antonio , Weger Rachel , Lee Angela Y , Guinee Emily P , Chung Joyce , Atlas Lauren , Linos Eleni , Pereira Francisco
Published: November 2023

Background

Health care providers and health-related researchers face significant challenges when applying sentiment analysis tools to health-related free-text survey data. Most state-of-the-art applications were developed in domains such as social media, and their performance in the health care context remains relatively unknown. Moreover, existing studies indicate that these tools often lack accuracy and produce inconsistent results.

Objective

This study aims to address the lack of comparative analysis on sentiment analysis tools applied to health-related free-text survey data in the context of COVID-19. The objective was to automatically predict sentence sentiment for 2 independent COVID-19 survey data sets from the National Institutes of Health and Stanford University.

Methods

Gold standard labels were created for a subset of each data set using a panel of human raters. We compared 8 state-of-the-art sentiment analysis tools on both data sets to evaluate variability and disagreement across tools. In addition, few-shot learning was explored by fine-tuning Open Pre-Trained Transformers (OPT; a large language model [LLM] with publicly available weights) using a small annotated subset and zero-shot learning using ChatGPT (an LLM without available weights).

Results

The comparison of sentiment analysis tools revealed high variability and disagreement across the evaluated tools when applied to health-related survey data. OPT and ChatGPT demonstrated superior performance, outperforming all other sentiment analysis tools. Moreover, ChatGPT outperformed OPT, exhibited higher accuracy by 6% and higher F-measure by 4% to 7%.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of LLMs, particularly the few-shot learning and zero-shot learning approaches, in the sentiment analysis of health-related survey data. These results have implications for saving human labor and improving efficiency in sentiment analysis tasks, contributing to advancements in the field of automated sentiment analysis.
Behavioral Mechanisms That Mediate Mental and Physical Health Improvements in People With Chronic Pain Who Receive a Digital Health Intervention: Prospective Cohort Pilot Study (Preprint)
Authors: Cheng Abby L , Agarwal Mansi , Armbrecht Melissa A , Abraham Joanna , Calfee Ryan P , Goss Charles W
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND

Preliminary evidence suggests that digital mental health intervention (Wysa for Chronic Pain) can improve mental and physical health in people with chronic musculoskeletal pain and coexisting symptoms of depression or anxiety. However, the behavioral mechanisms through which this intervention acts are not fully understood.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to identify behavioral mechanisms that may mediate changes in mental and physical health associated with use of Wysa for Chronic Pain during orthopedic management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. We hypothesized that improved behavioral activation, pain acceptance, and sleep quality mediate improvements in self-reported mental and physical health.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort, pilot mediation analysis, adults with chronic (≥3 months) neck or back pain received the Wysa for Chronic Pain digital intervention, which uses a conversational agent and text-based access to human counselors to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy and related therapeutic content. Patient-reported outcomes and proposed mediators were collected at baseline and 1 month. The exposure of interest was participants’ engagement (ie, total interactions) with the digital intervention. Proposed mediators were assessed using the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale–Short Form, Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, and Athens Insomnia Scale. Outcomes included Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Anxiety, Depression, Pain Interference, and Physical Function scores. A mediation analysis was conducted using the Baron and Kenny method, adjusting for age, sex, and baseline mediators and outcome values. P<.20 was considered significant for this pilot study.

RESULTS

Among 30 patients (mean age 59, SD 14, years; 21 [70%] female), the mediation effect of behavioral activation on the relationship between increased intervention engagement and improved anxiety symptoms met predefined statistical significance thresholds (indirect effect –0.4, 80% CI –0.7 to –0.1; P=.13, 45% of the total effect). The direction of mediation effect was generally consistent with our hypothesis for all other proposed mediator or outcome relationships, as well.

CONCLUSIONS

In a full-sized randomized controlled trial of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, behavioral activation, pain acceptance, and sleep quality may play an important role in mediating the relationship between use of a digital mental health intervention (Wysa for Chronic Pain) and improved mental and physical health.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05194722; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05194722
TRENDING PERSPECTIVE IN EVALUATION OF INSPECTION CHARACTERISTICS OF PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOUND: COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CONTROL CHARTS
Authors: Eissa Mostafa Essam
Published: November 2023

Background and objectives: The quality and efficacy of the pharmaceutical medicinal product are of paramount importance to the patients. Reproducibility and consistency of the properties of the dosage form start with the constituting ingredients either active or inactive. The present work provides an approach for the trending of one of the crucial inspection characteristics of a well-known excipient that is commonly used as a disintegrant of a water-insoluble synthetic cross-linked Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone (PVP). Establishing manufacturing criteria and quality limits should be assessed from the beginning level of the project using exploratory process-behavior plots.
Materials and Methods: This study involved an assay of the initial 16 batches of the manufactured 1-ethenyl pyrrolidine-2-one expressed as a dried substance using a standard analysis method according to British Pharmacopoeia (BP). Exploratory Shewhart charts were plotted after preliminary distribution identification using Statistical Process Control (SPC) software. Based on the goodness of fit test results, the most appropriate assumed distribution was implemented in drawing the Individual/Moving Range (I/MR) control charts.
Results: The goodness of fit study and probability plot showed that the most close-fitting to the data dispersion pattern was Johnson transformation to the normal spreading, smallest extreme value and Weibull distribution, respectively. While there were no alarms that could be detected from the process mean and the variability charts, further improvement is required from the supplier side to meet the benchmark minimum limit threshold, in addition, the process mean was not centered but shifted towards the Upper Control Limit (UCL).
Conclusion: Implementation of SPC techniques is crucial in the modern competitive healthcare industry. Trending charts play a pivotal role in this perspective. They provide a quantitative estimation for the current situation and the actions needed for the future improvement of the monitored characteristic.
                      
Peer Review History:
Received: 11 August 2023; Revised: 23 September; Accepted: 29 October, Available online: 15 November 2023
Academic Editor: Dr. Amany Mohamed Alboghdadly, Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, amanyalboghdadly@gmail.com 
Received file:                             Reviewer's Comments:
Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 6.5/10
Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.0/10
Reviewers:
Dr. Taiwo O Elufioye, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, toonitaiwo@yahoo.com
Dr. Bilge Ahsen KARA, Ankara Gazi Mustafa Kemal Hospital, Turkey, ahsndkyc@gmail.com
STRUCTURE-BASED DESIGN OF NOVEL PYRIMIDINE CARBONITRILES ANALOGS TARGETING THE CYSTEINE PROTEASE FALCIPAIN 2 OF PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM (pfFP2) AT THE TROPHOZOÏTE STAGE WITH FAVORABLE ADME SPECIFICITIES
Authors: Fagnidi Yves Kily Hervé , Ziki Eric , Allangba Koffi N’Guessan Placide Gabin , Toï Beguemsi , Megnassan Eugene
Published: November 2023

Aim and Objective: Structure-based drug design (SBDD) of new antimalarials at the moment of resistance of the most causative agent, Plasmodium falciparum to the more valuable artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) is even more urgent. Carbonitriles pyrimidine derivatives (CNP) has emerged as potential inhibitors of the cysteine protease falcipain 2 of Plasmodium falciparum (pfFP2), so here we report virtual pharmacophore based screening of the CNP chemical subspace yielding novel CNP analogs with predicted high inhibitory potency against pfFP2.
Methods: A quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR) complexation model has been developed from a series of fifteen carbonitriles pyrimidine derivatives to establish a linear correlation between the calculated Gibbs free energies (GFE: ΔΔGcom) of pfFP2-CNP complex formation and the experimental half-maximal enzymatic inhibition concentration ( ).The predictive power of the QSAR model was then validated with the generation of a 3D-QSAR-PH4 pharmacophore (PH4) model as CNP chemical subspace (exemplified as a virtual combinatorial library of more than 83.300 CNP analogs) explorer for novel predicted more potent CNP analogs. Finally the best PH4 hits were evaluated with the initial QSAR model for predicted potency ( ) and pharmacokinetic profile.
Results: The QSAR model linear correlation equation: p = -0.1025 x ∆∆Gcom + 7.2867, R2=0.94, the subsequent PH4 model linear correlation between experiment and PH4-estimated IC50: p = 0.9366 x p + 0.2849, R2=0.91 documents the high predictive power of this approach. Finally the screening of the virtual library of CNP analogs yielded 52 orally bioavailable candidates the best reaching a predicted potency ( ) of 14 pM and displaying favorable pharmacokinetic profile.
Conclusion: The combined use of one descriptor complexation QSAR model and 3D-QSAR Pharmacophore model performs well in identifying novel CNP analogs against pfFP2 and the handful of top predicted analogs are worth undergoing synthesis and biological evaluation.
                      
Peer Review History:
Received: 12 August 2023; Revised: 17 September; Accepted: 27 October, Available online: 15 November 2023
Academic Editor: Prof. Dr. Gorkem Dulger, Duzce University, Turkey, gorkemdulger@yandex.com
Received file:                             Reviewer's Comments:
Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 7.0/10
Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 9.0/10
Reviewers:
Prof. Hassan A.H. Al-Shamahy, Sana'a University, Yemen, shmahe@yemen.net.ye
Prof. Cyprian Ogbonna ONYEJI, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, conyeji@oauife.edu.ng
Dr. U. S. Mahadeva Rao, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Terengganu Malaysia, raousm@gmail.com
Dr. Hayriye Eda Şatana Kara, Gazi University, Turkey, eda@gazi.edu.tr