bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-BASED SPEAKING SYSTEM FOR DUMB PEOPLE
Authors: Anusha Chilupuri , Jyothi N Krishna ,   G. Narayanamma Institute of Technology and Science
Published: July 2023

For deaf-mute people all around the world, Gestures are the main mode of communication for DeafMute people worldwide. In this gesture-based voice system, machine learning presents a real-time vision-based system for monitoring hand finger gestures. It was developed in Python using Raspberry Pi along with a camera module, which is compatible with the Open CV library for computer vision. The Raspberry Pi includes an image processing technique that monitors the fingers of the hand using the extracted attributes. The main purpose of a gesture based speaking system is to develop control communication between humans and computers. This leads to a system that can recognize and monitor known objects and has surveillance and application capabilities. The major goal of the suggested work was to allow the system to function properly. The main objective is to enable the system to recognize and monitor certain properties of objects specified by the Raspberry Pi along with camera module using an appropriate image processing technique. The Open CV library's feature extraction technique of the Open CV library for Python programming runs on Raspberry Pi using an external camera. A gesture based speaking system using machine learning provides a new, intuitive, and simple way to communicate with computers that are more human-like.
HOW NFTs CAN REVOLUTIONIZE THE BOOK INDUSTRY
Authors:   Narula Institute of Technology, Bhattacharya Abhik , Bhattacharjee Subhasree ,   Narula Institute of Technology
Published: July 2023

As the times are changing, physical books are also becoming old & a lot of young generations are preferring digital versions of physical books. The people who are most affected by these changes are the authors of those physical books. So the authors can adopt the NFTs which are unique tokens or digital representations of ownership of their book. They essentially turn their book into an NFT. This way the book can be digitally distributed as well as the author gets a lot of control over the distribution or sales of the book. This also garners the attention of the young generation. NFTs are our future and there are a lot of applications of NFT in the future.
DOES INFLATION SPECIAL EFFECTSON THE SECTORIAL INDICES IN THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET? AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS
Authors:   M.E.S College of Engineering, Kuttipuram, Kerala, Moosa Dr. Jabir , Kumar M Anil , E.S Dr SURAJ ,   Naipunnya Business School
Published: July 2023

In this study, the involvement of rate of inflation on the sectoral indices in the Indian Stock Market is investigated. Stock indices of various sectors and inflation rate are taken from secondary sources. Correlation is used for data analysis with the help of SPSS to verify whether the rate of inflation has any effect on stock prices. The results of the research shows that the rate of inflation has no direct effect on sectoral stocks, as there are other factors which cause variation in the price of sectoral stocks.
A STUDY PAPER ON ERROR CORRECTING OUTPUT CODE BUILD ON MULTICLASS CLASSIFICATION
Authors: K. Patel Rinkal , Poladi Irfan ,   Gokul Global University
Published: July 2023

Error-correcting output codes is a technique for using binary classification models on multi-class classification prediction tasks. Error-Correcting Output Codes (ECOC) represents a successful framework to deal with these kinds of problems. Recent works in the ECOC framework appear notable performance improvements. The ECOC framework is a high-level tool to deal with multi-class categorization problems. As the error correcting output codes have error correcting ability and improve the generalization ability to base classification. This library contains both modern coding (one-versus-one, one-versus- all, dense-random, sparserandom, DECOC, forest- ECOC, and ECOC-ONE) and decoding designs (hamming, Euclidean, inverse hamming, laplacian, β-density, density, attenuated, lossbased, probabilistic kernel-based, and loss weighted) with the framework defined by the authors, as well as the option to include your own coding, decoding, and base classifier.
INVESTIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE PERCEPTION AND AWARENESS LEVELS AMONG UNIVERSITY SCHOLARS OF PAKISTAN
Authors:   University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Sohail Sana
Published: July 2023

— The increasing people’s awareness on the environmental changes through the education is an imperative measure to influence inhabitants at all levels in the society to play a chief role in extenuating and adapting to the environmental change. Therefore, it is supreme to assess the university scholars’ level of awareness and the perception about climate change since it is prone to influence how the university level scholars and instructors conduct information transfer in their classroom. The study in hand is primarily designed to evaluate perception and awareness level about climate change among university scholars from main universities of Pakistan. According to the findings of the study television access, mobile phone access, environmental / agricultural magazine access, newspaper are affecting significantly in accelerating the scholar’s awareness about climate change whereas on the other hand radio access and computer / internet access was affecting insignificantly. Potential problems associated with climate change in Pakistan are lacking funds for research on climate change, lack of government policies for this pertaining issue, no environment science courses offered in most of universities, lack of media role and lack of seminars and conferences on this issue. The print and electronic media should raise campaign to aware of the people about the climate change and universities should start degrees regarding environment sciences as well as on climate change. So, in this way university scholars and media can play an imperative role for the betterment of the environment.
A STUDY TO ASSESS THE KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF B.Sc. NURSING STUDENTS REGARDING PREVENTION OF PRESSURE ULCERS IN SELECTED NURSING COLLEGES OF KASHMIR
Authors:   Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora, J&K, India., Jan Syed Rohi , Qadir Humaira , Ahmad Dar Sameer ,   Dolphin Institute of Medical Sciences and technology
Published: July 2023

Title: A study to assess the knowledge and attitude of B.Sc. Nursing Students regarding prevention of Pressure Ulcers in selected Nursing Colleges of Kashmir. Objectives: To assess the level of knowledge and attitude regarding prevention of pressure ulcers among B.Sc. Nursing Students. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. With the non-probability consecutive sampling 60 study participants from B.Sc. Nursing 2nd and 3rd year were selected. Tool used in this study included three sections, Section-I including demographic Performa of students such as age, gender, area of residence and family type. Section-II including standardized Pressure ulcer knowledge assessment tool with 25 item questionnaire on knowledge and prevention of pressure ulcers. Section-III including standardized Likert Scale to assess attitude regarding prevention of pressure ulcers Data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistical technique. Result: The data analysis revealed that the majority of study subjects 68.3% had poor knowledge and 83.3% of study subjects have neutral attitude, regarding prevention of pressure ulcers. Conclusion: The study concluded that study subjects had average knowledge and neutral attitude regarding prevention of pressure ulcers and there should be more awareness regarding prevention of pressure ulcers which can be achieved by giving more knowledge to students regarding prevention of pressure ulcers. All specialized nursing courses should cover pressure ulcer prevention issues in order to provide better knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention to students. To advance nursing knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention in Jammu Kashmir, further studies should be conducted to evaluate the course material of pressure ulcer prevention in the nursing curriculum.
ELECTRICAL ENERGY SAVINGS BY UTILIZING INTERNET-BASED AUTOMATIC MONITORING AND CONTROL OF THINGS
Authors:   Indonesian University of Education, Bandung, Indonesian, Kustija Jaja , Surya Irgi , Fahrizal Diki ,   Indonesian University of Education
Published: July 2023

Utilization of modern technology is almost inseparable from the use of electrical energy. There is often the use of electrical energy that is actually not needed (wasteful), wasteful use of electrical energy results in increased costs, increased power supply, which has an impact on increasing equipment capacity, the problem of saving electrical energy has been widely discussed but saving electrical energy is easy and can be controlled automatically and can be monitored remotely still needs to be improved. Saving electrical energy can have an impact on cost savings, as well as prevent a crisis in the supply of electrical energy. According to data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the installed capacity of power plants for the 2018-2020 period increased by 2.34% per year. The distribution of electricity to customers in the 2018 – 2020 period has increased by 1% per year. Monitoring and controlling electrical energy can be done using controls using sensors and can be monitored and controlled remotely based on the internet of things. This study aims to design and manufacture a prototype tool that functions to monitor and control electrical loads in real time from a distance based on the internet of things and by utilizing sensors can also help turn on and turn off electrical loads as needed. The method used is through the stages of Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation (ADDIE). The results of the study show that the designed and manufactured tools can monitor electrical loads whether they are on or off and can turn on or turn off electric loads automatically with the help of sensors and actuators and can also be controlled remotely via smartphones, laptops, computers or tablets. Future studies are expected to be able to control electrical parameters including voltage, current, frequency, real power, reactive power, apparent power, and power factor. The expected impact of this research is that it can control electrical energy automatically easily and can control it remotely and save electricity usage.
VISION ENABLED CONTAGIOUS WARD ROBOTIC NURSE
Authors:   E-Spin Nanotech Pvt Ltd, Tiwari Gaurav , Bajpai Garima ,   E-Spin Nanotech Pvt Ltd
Published: July 2023

The objective of the project is to develop a wireless robotic vehicle, which has vision using high resolution web-cam, capable of delivering medicines and monitoring patient health in contagious ward. It can provide indication alarm at every patient’s bed for monitoring body temperature and medicine delivery. The approach is to use low-cost solution for robotic nurse, with high efficiency. Android application is also developed for controlling the robot and vision monitoring. Project is developed using 8-bit Atmega328p microcontroller.
IDENTIFYING CLIMATE-RESILIENT AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN INDIA THROUGH POSITIVE DEVIANCE ANALYSIS OF SOIL MOISTURE, TEMPERATURE, AND PRECIPITATION ANOMALIES IN TELANGANA
Authors:   Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University, Singh Shubham
Published: July 2023

This study presents a analysis of the impact of climate change on several factors that affect agricultural output such as soil moisture, temperature anomalies, and precipitation anomalies. The project utilizes data-powered positive deviance (DPPD) to identify farmers who are achieving better values of the aforementioned factors despite similar geographical conditions. The findings are then used to devise policies to assist other farmers in adopting similar practices. The methodology used in the study applies seasonal-trend decomposition using the loess (STL) method to analyze temporal trends of weather variables across a specific region, using data collected from various sources, such as satellite imagery and weather station readings in the state of Telangana. Similar studies done across the world demonstrate an improvement in crop yields and an increase in the resilience of farms from rapid climate change.
Perbandingan Sistem Pemilihan Umum Presiden Amerika Serikat Dengan Indonesia
Authors: Canaldhy Rendy Sueztra , Suandi Suandi , Purwanti Umi
Published: July 2023

This Research is based on of curiosity researchers know how indonesia (in the era of order reform ) and the united states as a country with system of government presidensial , in this case president and vice president. Both countries had a different way in elect president and his deputy where indonesia elect president and vice president directly while united states has a president and his deputy with a system of electoral college / represented through the electoral vote.The purpose of this research is to find and analyze the comparison about the system of presidential election between United States Of America and Indonesia
Eksplorasi etnomatematika pada permainan tradisional daerah Kaliwungu
Authors: Asriyani Wikan Dewi , Setyadi Danang
Published: July 2023

Etnomatematika merupakan penghubung antara budaya dan pendidikan khususnya dalam pembelajaran matematika. Etnomatematika dapat menghubungkan peserta didik dengan ide-ide matematika dan praktik dunia nyata. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui unsur matematika pada permainan tradisional daerah Kaliwungu diantaranya: permainan tradisional tikbrok, permainan tradisional lumbungan, permainan tradisional nekeran, dan permainan tradisional bekelan. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode etnografi dengan spesifikasi etnomatematika. Subjek penelitian ini adalah peserta didik, guru, dan tokoh masyarakat yang mengenal permainan tradisional dan etnomatematika yang berlaku dalam masyarakat.  Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan melakukan observasi atau pengamatan, wawancara, dan metode dokumenter. Berdasarkan hasil analisis diperoleh kesimpulan sebagai berikut: (1) permainan tradisional tikbrok mengandung unsur matematika berupa bangun datar persegi dan persegi panjang, perhitungan dan perbandingan. (2) permainan tradisional lumbungan mengandung unsur operasi hitung dan urutan bilangan dan bentuk bangun datar lingkaran. (3) permainan tradisional nekeran mengandung unsur bilangan bulat dan unsur operasi hitung. (4) permainan tradisional bekelan mengandung unsur operasi hitung. Unsur-unsur yang ditemukan dalam permainan tradisional tersebut dapat digunakan sebagai media edukasi pembelajaran matematika, sehingga matematika dapat dipelajari dengan cara menyenangkan.
Booklet Sebagai Media Edukasi Untuk Meningkatkan Pengetahuan Remaja Putri Tentang Anemia
Authors: Hutasoit Masta , Trisetiyaningsih Yanita , Utami Khristina Diaz
Published: August 2023

Anemia merupakan salah satu masalah gizi yang sering dialami oleh remaja putri dan dapat menyebabkan menurunnya kesehatan reproduksi, perkembangan motorik dan mental, prestasi belajar, tingkat kebugaran, dan tidak mencapai tinggi badan maksimal. Anemia pada remaja putri disebabkan karena kurangnya nutrisi yang dikonsumsi terutama zat besi dan asam folat, yang salah satu penyebabnya adalah rendahnya tingkat pengetahuan dan kesalahan persepsi terkait dengan diet. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh media booklet terhadap peningkatan pengetahuan remaja putri tentang anemia. Metode yang digunakan adalah quasi eksperimen dan desain pretest-posttest without control group. Sampel berjumlah 57 remaja putri sebagai responden yang diambil dengan teknik purposive sampling. Responden mendapatkan pretest, edukasi menggunakan media booklet, dan posttest.  Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa skor rata-rata pretest sebesar 56,33 dengan skor minimal 37 dan skor maksimal 85. Sedangkan skor rata-rata posttest sebesar 86,67 dengan skor minimal 56 dan skor maksimal 100. Analisis data menggunakan uji Wilcoxon menunjukkan terdapat pengaruh pendidikan kesehatan menggunakan media booklet untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan remaja putri tentang anemia (p value = 0,001). Peneliti menyimpulkan booklet sebagai media pendidikan kesehatan secara signifikan berpengaruh terhadap peningkatan pengetahuan remaja.
Metagenomic insights into the effects of cosmetics containing complex polysaccharides on the composition of skin microbiota in females
Authors: Cui Shumao , Pan Mingluo , Tang Xin , Liu Guangrong , Mao Bingyong , Zhao Jianxin , Yang Kaiye
Published: August 2023

Introduction

The use of cosmetics has become a habit for women. However, their influence on the microbial diversity of the skin has rarely been studied.

Methods

Herein, the effect of cosmetics containing complex polysaccharides on the skin bacterial microbiota of female forehead and cheek areas was analyzed. Eighty volunteers were recruited and split into two groups (40 people each); one group was treated with cosmetics containing complex polysaccharides and the other with basic cream for 28 days. Skin samples were collected using sterilized cotton swabs, and 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the changes in skin bacterial microbiota composition before and after the intervention.

Results and discussion

A total of twenty-four phyla were detected in the forehead and cheek skin samples of 80 volunteers, the top three of which were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. The main genera of the forehead skin bacterial microbiota were Cutibacterium (11.1%), Acinetobacter (10.4%), Enterococcus (8.9%), Ralstonia (8.8%), and Staphylococcus (8.7%), while those of the cheek skin bacterial microbiota were Staphylococcus (20.0%), Ralstonia (8.7%), Propionibacterium (7.9%), Acinetobacter (7.2%), and Bifidobacterium (6.0%). Compared with basic cream, the use of cosmetics containing complex polysaccharides significantly increased the relative abundance of Staphylococcus and Bacillus in the forehead and cheek and reduced the relative abundance of Propionibacterium and Bifidobacterium. Thus, cosmetics containing complex polysaccharides could modify the composition of skin bacterial microbiota, which may help to maintain stable conditions of the skin.
Migratory behavior in the enigmatic Late Pleistocene bovid Rusingoryx atopocranion
Authors: O'Brien Kaedan , Podkovyroff Katya , Fernandez Diego P. , Tryon Christian A. , Ashioya Lilian , Faith J. Tyler
Published: August 2023

For many animals, migration is an important strategy for navigating seasonal bottlenecks in resource availability. In the savannas of eastern Africa, herds of grazing animals, including blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), Thomson's gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii), and plains zebra (Equus quagga), travel hundreds of kilometers annually tracking suitable forage and water. However, we know nearly nothing about migration among the extinct species that often dominated Late Pleistocene communities. Using serially sampled 87Sr/86Sr and δ13C, we characterize the prehistoric movement and diet of the enigmatic wildebeest Rusingoryx atopocranion from two localities (Karungu and Rusinga Island) in the Lake Victoria Basin of western Kenya. We find clear evidence for migration in all four individuals studied, with three 87Sr/86Sr series demonstrating high-amplitude fluctuations and all falling outside the modeled isoscape 87Sr/86Sr ranges of the fossil localities from which they were recovered. This suggests that R. atopocranion exhibited migratory behavior comparable to that of its closest living relatives in the genus Connochaetes. Additionally, individuals show seasonally-variable δ13C, with a higher browse intake than modern and fossil eastern African alcelaphins indicating behavioral differences among extinct taxa otherwise unrecognized by comparison with extant related species. That this species was highly migratory aligns with its morphology matching that of an open grassland migrant: it had open-adapted postcranial morphology along with a unique cranial structure convergent with lambeosaurine dinosaurs for calling long distances. We further hypothesize that its migratory behavior may be linked to its extinction, as R. atopocranion disappears from the Lake Victoria Basin fossil sequence coincident with the refilling of Lake Victoria sometime after 36 ka, potentially impeding its past migratory routes. This study characterizes migration in an extinct eastern African species for the first time and shapes our ecological understanding of this unique bovid and the ecosystems in which Middle Stone Age humans lived.
AM fungal-bacterial relationships: what can they tell us about ecosystem sustainability and soil functioning?
Authors: Hoosein Shabana , Neuenkamp Lena , Trivedi Pankaj , Paschke Mark W.
Published: August 2023

Considering our growing population and our continuous degradation of soil environments, understanding the fundamental ecology of soil biota and plant microbiomes will be imperative to sustaining soil systems. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi extend their hyphae beyond plant root zones, creating microhabitats with bacterial symbionts for nutrient acquisition through a tripartite symbiotic relationship along with plants. Nonetheless, it is unclear what drives these AM fungal-bacterial relationships and how AM fungal functional traits contribute to these relationships. By delving into the literature, we look at the drivers and complexity behind AM fungal-bacterial relationships, describe the shift needed in AM fungal research towards the inclusion of interdisciplinary tools, and discuss the utilization of bacterial datasets to provide contextual evidence behind these complex relationships, bringing insights and new hypotheses to AM fungal functional traits. From this synthesis, we gather that interdependent microbial relationships are at the foundation of understanding microbiome functionality and deciphering microbial functional traits. We suggest using pattern-based inference tools along with machine learning to elucidate AM fungal-bacterial relationship trends, along with the utilization of synthetic communities, functional gene analyses, and metabolomics to understand how AM fungal and bacterial communities facilitate communication for the survival of host plant communities. These suggestions could result in improving microbial inocula and products, as well as a better understanding of complex relationships in terrestrial ecosystems that contribute to plant-soil feedbacks.
Joint models quantify associations between immune cell kinetics and allo-immunological events after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and subsequent donor lymphocyte infusion
Authors: Koster Eva A. S. , Bonneville Edouard F. , Borne Peter A. von dem , van Balen Peter , Marijt Erik W. A. , Tjon Jennifer M. L. , Snijders Tjeerd J. F. , van Lammeren Daniëlle , Veelken Hendrik , Putter Hein , Falkenburg J. H. Frederik , Halkes Constantijn J. M. , de Wreede Liesbeth C.
Published: August 2023

Alloreactive donor-derived T-cells play a pivotal role in alloimmune responses after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT); both in the relapse-preventing Graft-versus-Leukemia (GvL) effect and the potentially lethal complication Graft-versus-Host-Disease (GvHD). The balance between GvL and GvHD can be shifted by removing T-cells via T-cell depletion (TCD) to reduce the risk of GvHD, and by introducing additional donor T-cells (donor lymphocyte infusions [DLI]) to boost the GvL effect. However, the association between T-cell kinetics and the occurrence of allo-immunological events has not been clearly demonstrated yet. Therefore, we investigated the complex associations between the T-cell kinetics and alloimmune responses in a cohort of 166 acute leukemia patients receiving alemtuzumab-based TCD alloSCT. Of these patients, 62 with an anticipated high risk of relapse were scheduled to receive a prophylactic DLI at 3 months after transplant. In this setting, we applied joint modelling which allowed us to better capture the complex interplay between DLI, T-cell kinetics, GvHD and relapse than traditional statistical methods. We demonstrate that DLI can induce detectable T-cell expansion, leading to an increase in total, CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts starting at 3 months after alloSCT. CD4+ T-cells showed the strongest association with the development of alloimmune responses: higher CD4 counts increased the risk of GvHD (hazard ratio 2.44, 95% confidence interval 1.45-4.12) and decreased the risk of relapse (hazard ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.92). Similar models showed that natural killer cells recovered rapidly after alloSCT and were associated with a lower risk of relapse (HR 0.62, 95%-CI 0.41-0.93). The results of this study advocate the use of joint models to further study immune cell kinetics in different settings.
Hierarchical graphene oxide-Ni3S2 quantum dots nanocomposites modified glassy carbon electrode for electrochemical detection of dopamine and tyrosine
Authors: Hasheena M. , Ratnamala A. , Noorjahan M. , Reddy G. Deepthi , Begum Gousia
Published: August 2023

A facile synthetic strategy is demonstrated to generate nickel sulfide quantum dots (Ni3S2). The thus formed Ni3S2 quantum dots are assembled onto exfoliated graphene oxide sheets hydrothermally to form nickel sulfide-graphene oxide nanocomposite material (GO-Ni3S2). The microscopic and spectroscopic characterization of the GO-Ni3S2 nanocomposites revealed the shape, size, crystalline phases, and oxidation states (of elements) of the hybrid material. The GO-Ni3S2 nanocomposites are then coated onto the glassy carbon electrode by drop casting to form GO-Ni3S2@GCE. The modified electrode is then used to detect dopamine and tyrosine simultaneously. The effect of scan rate, analyte concentrations, pH, and interfering agents on the peak current are studied to establish a plausible mechanism for oxidizing dopamine and tyrosine at GO-Ni3S2@GCE. The GO-Ni3S2@GCE is stable for 3 weeks and ten cycles of washing with minimal loss in the peak current in each cycle. Dopamine with a concentration as low as 12 nM can be detected using the GO-Ni3S2@GCE system.
Impact of hs-CRP concentration on brain structure alterations and cognitive trajectory in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Zhang Ye , Tatewaki Yasuko , Nakase Taizen , Liu Yingxu , Tomita Naoki , Thyreau Benjamin , Zheng Haixia , Muranaka Michiho , Takano Yumi , Nagasaka Tatsuo , Taki Yasuyuki
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Present study was to investigate hs-CRP concentration, brain structural alterations, and cognitive function in the context of AD [Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD].

Methods

We retrospectively included 313 patients (Mean age = 76.40 years, 59 SCD, 101 MCI, 153 AD) in a cross-sectional analysis and 91 patients (Mean age = 75.83 years, 12 SCD, 43 MCI, 36 AD) in a longitudinal analysis. Multivariable linear regression was conducted to investigate the relationship between hs-CRP concentration and brain structural alterations, and cognitive function, respectively.

Results

Hs-CRP was positively associated with gray matter volume in the left fusiform (β = 0.16, pFDR = 0.023) and the left parahippocampal gyrus (β = 0.16, pFDR = 0.029). Post hoc analysis revealed that these associations were mainly driven by patients with MCI and AD. The interaction of diagnosis and CRP was significantly associated with annual cognitive changes (β = 0.43, p = 0.008). Among these patients with AD, lower baseline CRP was correlated with greater future cognitive decline (r = −0.41, p = 0.013).

Conclusion

Our study suggests that increased hs-CRP level may exert protective effect on brain structure alterations and future cognitive changes among patients already with cognitive impairment.
A universal lesion detection method based on partially supervised learning
Authors: Wang Xun , Shi Xin , Meng Xiangyu , Zhang Zhiyuan , Zhang Chaogang
Published: August 2023

Partially supervised learning (PSL) is urgently necessary to explore to construct an efficient universal lesion detection (ULD) segmentation model. An annotated dataset is crucial but hard to acquire because of too many Computed tomography (CT) images and the lack of professionals in computer-aided detection/diagnosis (CADe/CADx). To address this problem, we propose a novel loss function to reduce the proportion of negative anchors which is extremely likely to classify the lesion area (positive samples) as a negative bounding box, further leading to an unexpected performance. Before calculating loss, we generate a mask to intentionally choose fewer negative anchors which will backward wrongful loss to the network. During the process of loss calculation, we set a parameter to reduce the proportion of negative samples, and it significantly reduces the adverse effect of misclassification on the model. Our experiments are implemented in a 3D framework by feeding a partially annotated dataset named DeepLesion, a large-scale public dataset for universal lesion detection from CT. We implement a lot of experiments to choose the most suitable parameter, and the result shows that the proposed method has greatly improved the performance of a ULD detector. Our code can be obtained at https://github.com/PLuld0/PLuldl.
Phytocannabinoid-rich galenic preparations for topical administration: extraction and stability testing
Authors: Kaczorová Dominika , Peč Jaroslav , Béres Tibor , Štefelová Nikola , Ćavar Zeljković Sanja , Trojan Václav , Janatová Anežka Kosmáková , Klouček Pavel , Tarkowski Petr
Published: August 2023

Although medical cannabis was legalized in Czechia in 2013 and its use in topical treatments of skin disorders is now allowed, galenic formulations prepared from medical cannabis have not been widely implemented in the Czech healthcare system. One of the main reasons is the lack of a straightforward standardized protocol for their preparation. Cannabinoids, e.g., cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), have been shown to have therapeutic effects on various skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, scleroderma, acne and skin pigmentation. Recognizing the potential of dermatological treatment with medical cannabis, the present study aimed to evaluate the extraction capacity of various pharmaceutical bases for cannabinoids and the stability of prepared galenic formulations for dermatological applications with respect to cannabinoid content. The results showed that the stability of cannabinoids in formulations depended on the bases’ physical and chemical properties. The highest THC decomposition was observed in cream bases and Vaseline, with estimated percentage loss of total content of up to 5.4% and 5.6% per week, respectively. In contrast, CBD was more stable than THC. Overall, the tested bases were comparably effective in extracting cannabinoids from plant material. However, olive oil and Synderman bases exhibited the highest cannabinoid extraction efficiencies (approximately 70%) and the best storage stabilities in terms of the content of monitored compounds. The proposed preparation protocol is fast and easily implementable in pharmacies and medical facilities.
The kinematic profile of ventral swimming start: sex diversity
Authors: Rudnik Daria Malgorzata , Rejman Marek , Vilas-Boas Joao Paulo
Published: August 2023

It has been suggested that sex distinctions in physiology may affect the swimming performance of each sex differently. Yet, sex-based performance dependency has not been taken into consideration by most of the researchers evaluating swimming start. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine the effect of sex heterogeneity on the spatiotemporal characteristics of swimming start by investigating the determinants of its performance. A total of fifty-two international-level swimmers (thirty females and twenty-two males) performed three repetitions of the kick-start up to the 15-m mark. During trials, data were collected using video cameras and instrumented starting block. To search for evidence of differences between the two groups, the one-way ANOVA was conducted. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated between measurements widely used to describe overall starting performance and selected kinematical variables of swimming start. A sex effect was exposed for temporal variables describing all swimming start phases (p ≤ 0.015). Male swimmers, by spending less time during the push-off from the starting block (p = 0.002; ηp2 = 0.18), reaching higher take-off velocity (p < 0.001; ηp2 = 0.29), traveling longer distances during flight (p < 0.001; ηp2 = 0.40), and swimming faster in the water phase (p < 0.001; ηp2 = 0.40), took starting advantage over their female counterparts. Consequently, performance measures such as 5-m, 10-m, and 15-m start times indicated that male participants were faster than females (p < 0.001; ηp2 ≥ 0.40). Only in the group of male swimmers a significant correlation between variables describing overall starting performance (5-m, 10-m, and 15-m times), and variables commonly highlighted as starting performance determining factors (block phase duration, take-off horizontal velocity, and flight distance) was found. The current study shows that the spatiotemporal variables of swimming start, the relation between them as well as overall starting performance, vary by sex. Consequently, the requirement of sex factor and its heterogeneity effect should be included not only in detailed characteristics of separate variables but also in all approaches undertaken. Those findings seem to play a crucial role mainly in swimming start evaluations in post-pubertal age groups of swimmers.
Metaphor production in the bilingual acquisition of English and Polish
Authors: Gaskins Dorota , Rundblad Gabriella
Published: August 2023

Metaphor acquisition research has focused mostly on metaphor comprehension in monolingual children. Ours is the first study to examine metaphor production in young bilinguals. A quantitative method was employed whereby sixty-two children aged three to six, with English and Polish, were tested on their ability to produce primary (e.g., along day) and perceptual resemblance metaphors (e.g., You’re mysunshine) in response to elicitation tasks. A univariate ANOVA revealed that the main factors to affect the production of conventional metaphors in bilingual children are their chronological age and their verbal skills in both English and Polish. No significant effect was found for nonverbal IQ, metaphor type, or testing language. These results are discussed in the context of both Conceptual Metaphor Theory, which has been concerned with the study of primary (and other conceptual) metaphors, and Structure Mapping Theory, which has focused on the use of perceptual resemblance metaphors. Usage-Based Theory is brought in to explain lexical effects in metaphor production.
Green space and the health of the older adult during pandemics: a narrative review on the experience of COVID-19
Authors: Tabrizi Nasibeh , Lak Azadeh , Moussavi.A S. Mohammad Reza
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Aging is an inevitable process that leads to changes in various dimensions of older adult life, including physical, psychological, and social aspects. Unfortunately, older adults are more susceptible to health problems caused by adverse experiences such as the Corona outbreak.

Aim

The current study examines the lived experience of older adults in facing the conditions of the Corona epidemic to see how green spaces at various scales can influence the physical and mental health of this group.

Method

Relevant articles published, from 2019 to February 17, 2023, were searched using in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Eligible studies published in English and all studies passed a quality evaluation.

Result

In the final search, 40 articles were selected and analyzed. The majority of studies conducted during the pandemic categorized the impact of green spaces on the health of older adults into three main categories: Place-based attribute, Process, and Function.

Conclusion

The findings of this study demonstrated that people were using private green spaces (gardens, balconies, etc.), small local green public spaces, sitting and gathering spaces in the neighborhood, nearby open spaces, and urban green-blue spaces throughout the epidemic era. They visited green spaces outside the city and urban areas, including urban gardens, agricultural areas, forestlands, and pastures. In this research, we investigated the characteristics of these spaces and classified them into four physical categories: urban landscape, land use, activity, movement, and accessibility. The results showed that exposure to nature or green space improved physical and mental health and increased attention and decision-making quality in older people. We have proposed design implications recommendations for crises to improve safety, security, and social capital by increasing the safe access of older adults to diverse and high-quality green spaces on different scales, which will ultimately enhance the physical and mental health of people in different age groups.
Stress and influencing factors of public health and preventive medicine students in the post-pandemic period: a cross-sectional study in Changsha, China
Authors: Wang Xiaofen , Zhang Jiahui , Yang Na , Zou Miliang , He Pingping
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Little is known about the stress levels and associated factors of public health and preventive medicine students in the post-pandemic period. This study aims to investigate the stress levels of these students in the post-COVID-19 era and to determine the association of personal background, employment attitude, and psychological state with stress.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in March 2023 among 620 public health and preventive medicine students from two universities in Changsha, China. The survey included demographic characteristics, employment attitudes, perceived stress scale 10, general anxiety disorder 7, the University of California at Los Angeles loneliness scale 20, and the PTSD checklist-civilian version. Two-sided t-tests and ANOVA tests were used to compare the differences in PSS scores among variables, and multiple hierarchical regression analysis was used to evaluate the associated factors with stress.

Results

The survey was completed by 504 students (mean age: 21.5 ± 2.6 years, 69.2% female). 24.8% of the students were screened for a high level of stress. 69.0% thought the epidemic positively impacted employment while 18.5% believed it had a negative impact. The results of regression analysis showed that older age (B = 0.42, p = 0.001), higher grade (B1=3.59, p < 0.001, B2=4.57, p < 0.001), having internship experiences (B = 1.16, p = 0.006), having anti-epidemic experiences (B = 1.77, p < 0.001), believing that COVID-19 has a negative impact on employment (B = 2.56, p < 0.001), and having higher GAD scores (B = 0.64, p < 0.001) and UCLA scores (B = 0.07, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with high-stress levels. Conversely, being female (B = −1.64, p < 0.001) and believing that the pandemic had a positive impact on employment (B = −1.98, p = 0.001) were associated with low-stress levels.

Conclusion

Public health and preventive medicine students in Changsha, China, experienced a high-stress level in the post-pandemic period, which was influenced by age, gender, grade, employment attitude, internship experience, anxiety, and loneliness. As one of the main guardians of the epidemic, these students should be given more attention and psychological interventions in the future.
Native Pig Breeds as a Source of Biodiversity—Breeding and Economic Aspects
Authors: Kasprzyk Anna , Walenia Alina
Published: August 2023

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the available important information on local pig breeds maintained in Europe. Genetic erosion has prompted national and international bodies to take organized action aimed at the minimization of further losses of biodiversity. Since the genetic resources of livestock ensure both food security and the sustainable development of rural areas, genetic diversity is indispensable for sufficient flexibility of future animal husbandry to adapt to changing consumer demands and climatic conditions. Therefore, the problem of biodiversity has recently become an essential part of the comprehensive international program of the World Conservation Strategy and the global idea of the so-called sustainable development. The issue of biodiversity protection occupies an important place in the provisions of the EU Common Agricultural Policy. The successive financial perspectives assume an increase in relevant expenditure from the EU and national budgets. With regard to the protection of native pig breeds, a particularly large increase in funding was recorded in 2014–2020.
Inversion Model of Salt Content in Alfalfa-Covered Soil Based on a Combination of UAV Spectral and Texture Information
Authors: Zhao Wenju , Ma Fangfang , Yu Haiying , Li Zhaozhao
Published: August 2023

This study aimed to investigate how the combination of texture information and spectral index affects the accuracy of the soil salinity inversion model. Taking the Bianwan Farm in Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, China as the research area, the multi-spectral data and soil salinity data at 0–15 cm, 15–30 cm and 30–50 cm depths in the sampling area under alfalfa coverage were collected, and spectral reflectance and texture features were obtained from a multispectral image. Moreover, the red-edge band was introduced to improve the spectral index, and gray correlation analysis was utilized to screen sensitive features. Five types of alfalfa-covered soil salinity machine learning inversion models based on random forest (RF) and extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithms were constructed, using the salinity index (SIs), vegetation index (VIs), salinity index + vegetation index (SIs + VIs), vegetation index + texture feature (VIs + TFs), and vegetation index + texture index (VIs + TIs). The determination coefficient R2, root-mean-square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) were used to evaluate each model’s performance. The results show that the VIs model is more accurate than the SIs and SIs +VIs models. Combining texture information with VIs improves the inversion accuracy, and the VIs + TIs model has the best inversion effect. From the perspective of inversion depth, the inversion effect for 0–15 cm soil salinity was significantly better than that for other depths, and was the best inversion depth under alfalfa cover. The average R2 of the RF model was 10% higher than that of the ELM. The RF algorithm has high inversion accuracy and stability and performs better than ELM. These findings can serve as a theoretical basis for the efficient inversion of soil salinity and management of saline–alkali lands.
Genome Editing Technologies Accelerate Innovation in Soybean Breeding
Authors: Cai Yupeng , Chen Li , Hou Wensheng
Published: August 2023

Human existence is intricately intertwined with crops, which can serve as abundant sources of food, feed, and all kinds of consumable resources [...]
Sustainability of Vine Cultivation in Arid Areas of Southeastern Spain through Strategies Combining Controlled Deficit Irrigation and Selection of Monastrell Clones
Authors: García García José , Romero Azorín Pascual , García García Benjamín , García Castellanos Begoña , Botía Pablo , Navarro Josefa María
Published: August 2023

The use of rootstocks and clones with different vigor and sensitivity to water deficit is an important and useful agronomic tool for vineyard management. It is essential to search for systems and strategies that maximize efficiency and productivity in the use of water. The objective of this work was to carry out a comparative economic and environmental evaluation, using the life cycle cost (LCC) and life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, of the organic cultivation of seven Monastrell clones under two irrigation strategies, as well as to evaluate the productivity of water. The grape production depended significantly on the clone and the irrigation treatment, but the interaction between these factors was not significant. The differentiating effect of the °Brix on the price and gross receipts was very insignificant. Thus, the most important differences in productivity were those that determined the differences in economic productivity; clones 188 and 94 stood out for their high profitability. In relation to water, the most productive, water-use-efficient clones (94 and 188) showed very high WUE values. The combination of the selected plant material with the application of controlled deficit irrigation programs is a strategy with relevant economic and environmental effects on the sustainability of wine grape cultivation, especially in semi-arid areas with limited water resources.
Assessing Chronodisruption Distress in Goldfish: The Importance of Multimodal Approaches
Authors: Saiz Nuria , Herrera-Castillo Lisbeth , de Pedro Nuria , Delgado María Jesús , Arvidsson Sven David , Marugal-López Miguel Ángel , Isorna Esther
Published: August 2023

Chronodisruption caused by factors such as light at night and mistimed meals has been linked to numerous physiological alterations in vertebrates and may be an anxiogenic factor affecting welfare. This study aims to investigate whether chronodisruption causes measurable changes in the anxiety responses of goldfish under two conditions: randomly scheduled feeding (RF) and continuous light (LL). Anxiety-like behavior was assessed in the open field with object approach and black/white preference tests, which had been validated using diazepam. An increased thigmotaxis response and decreased object exploration under both chronodisruption protocols indicated anxiety states. Furthermore, locomotor activity was increased in LL fish. The black/white preference test discriminated anxiolysis induced by diazepam but was unable to detect anxiety caused by chronodisruption. Plasma cortisol increased in both RF and LL fish throughout the experiment, confirming that both conditions caused stress. The LL fish also showed an apparently desensitized hypothalamus–pituitary–interrenal HPI axis, with a decrease in pomc and crf expression. Individual analysis found no correlation between anxiety-like behavior and stress axis activation nor between scototaxis and thigmotaxis responses. However, individual differences in sensitivity to each test were detected. Altogether, these results highlight circadian disruption as a stressor for fish and endorse a multiple variable approach for reliably assessing animal discomfort.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Effect of Aurantiochytrium sp. on Gonadal Development in Zebrafish
Authors: Huang Yanlin , Yang Hao , Li Yikai , Guo Yuwen , Li Guangli , Chen Huapu
Published: August 2023

Aurantiochytrium sp. has received much attention as a potential resource for mass production of omega-3 fatty acids, which contribute to improved growth and reproduction in aquatic animals. In this study, we evaluated the gonadal index changes in zebrafish supplemented with 1–3% Aurantiochytrium sp. crude extract (TE) and the effects of ex vivo environmental Aurantiochytrium sp. on oocytes. 1% TE group showed significant improvement in the gonadal index, and both in vitro incubation and intraperitoneal injection promoted the maturation of zebrafish oocytes. In contrast, the transcriptome revealed 576 genes that were differentially expressed between the 1% TE group and the control group, including 456 up-regulated genes and 120 down-regulated genes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes indicated that Aurantiochytrium sp. potentially affects pathways such as lipid metabolism, immune regulation, and oocyte development in zebrafish. The results of this study enriched the knowledge of Aurantiochytrium sp. in regulating gonadal development in zebrafish and provided a theoretical basis for its application in aquaculture.