bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Waste Marble Powder and Recycled Coarse Aggregate on the Mechanical and Microstructural Properties of Rubberized Concrete
Authors: Akbar Muhammad , Abbas Nadeem , Hussain Zahoor , Ali Azhar , Shahzad Qamar
Published: January 2024

This research aims to develop a sustainable concrete matrix using recycled waste materials, including marble powder, recycled coarse aggregate, and crumb rubber from tire waste. The aim is to reduce CO2 emissions associated with the cement and industrial materials waste, which currently contributes 8–10% to the global emissions. The study focuses on creating a concrete matrix with comparable properties to standard mixes. The mechanical properties and microstructural analysis of the newly designed concrete mix, such as compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were evaluated. The results showed improvements in compressive strength by 5%, split tensile strength by 4%, and flexural strength by 5%. Besides, a statistical two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a threshold of less than 0.001 was used, and the residual error was found to be low, both in terms of lack of fit and pure error. By incorporating crumb rubber, marble powder, and recycled coarse aggregate as cement ingredients, the mechanical properties of concrete and the environmental impact of industrial waste can be significantly improved. This research proposes a novel model to assess the sustainable performance of the newly developed concrete matrix. The findings demonstrate that a sustainable concrete matrix positively impacts sustainable performance. Incorporating marble powder, recycled coarse aggregate, and crumb rubber was beneficial in terms of mechanical strengths and microstructure. Overall, this research contributes to the goal of reducing CO2 emissions in the cement industry and provides practical recommendations for incorporating sustainable materials in construction practices.
Symptom experiences of cancer-related cognitive impairment in women with ovarian cancer
Authors: Wang liying , Ding Yan , Zhang Yi , Xue Mei , lu zhenqi , zhang xiaoju
Published: January 2024

Background
Ovarian cancer is one of the most common cancers and the leading death cause among women. This article aims to explore ovarian cancer survivors’ symptom experience of cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI).
Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eligible ovarian cancer patients in Cancer Center of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. This study was guided by symptom management theory. Qualitative content analysis and thematic framework analysis were used to refine themes.
Results
The average age of participants (n = 31) was 51.38 years (range 25–65 years)and median time since diagnosis was one year range 0.35–14.2 years). Six themes were identified from the research: Experiencing subtle memory, concentration and language problems. Denying or having no chance of noticing the cognition change impacting their life. “The Comfort” blunting symptom perception, response and causing the brain to "retire”. Couldn’t figure out which was the cause and which was the effect among those symptoms. Surgical anaesthesia and chemotherapy were blamed for the change. Try not burden brain, actively or passively let themself "slow down" or "offload" things. Personalized and repeated "note", "check" and "confirm" measures to prevent mistakes.
Conclusions
The majority of ovarian cancer patients experienced symptoms of CRCI, highlighted by memory and attention problems, however most patients stated that cognitive symptoms didn’t affect their lives. Sociocultural and cancer copying style played an important role in the CRCI symptom experience.
Survival after right ventricular diverticulum caused by right ventricular rupture: Case report and brief review of the literature
Authors: Yu Hao , Ding Baolong , Ji Linlin , Zhai Chunbo
Published: January 2024

Background
Ventricular diverticulum can be divided into congenital and acquired diverticulum. Cardiac rupture is a rare occurrence of cardiac injury, but the mortality rate is very high. Part of cardiac rupture may form an acquired ventricular diverticulum. Here, we present a case of a 57-year-old man presenting with right ventricular diverticulum caused by traumatic ventricle rupture.
Case presentation:
A 57-year-old man was admitted with chest pain and dyspnea after falling from a high place. The patient's condition gradually stabilized after emergency surgery and rescue treatment measures. One week later, the patient suddenly presented with swelling of the right upper limb. Right upper extremity venous thrombosis was detected by vascular color ultrasound. Further pulmonary artery computed tomography angiography (CTA) examination revealed an upper right pulmonary artery embolism and a diverticulum in the right ventricular wall; however, no obvious diverticulum or pericardial effusion was found by echocardiography. After a thorough discussion with the cardiac surgeon, it was decided that anticoagulant therapy should be given under close monitoring. After ten days, pulmonary CTA showed that the pulmonary thrombus had disappeared, but the right ventricular diverticulum was more prominent than before, so anticoagulant therapy was stopped, but hemostatic drugs were not given. Finally, the right ventricular diverticulum gradually shrinks and heals.
Conclusions
Although certain imaging features exist, the missed diagnosis of occult cardiac diverticulum cannot be ignored. We learned from this case that the diagnostic value of cardiac CTA or pulmonary artery CTA for occult heart injury might be superior to that of cardiac ultrasound.
Assessing the Clinical and cost-Effectiveness of inpatient mental health Rehabilitation services provided by the NHS and independent sector (ACER): Protocol
Authors: Killaspy Helen , Dalton-Locke Christian , Clarke Caroline S , Leavey Gerard , Igoumenou Artemis , Arbuthnott Maurice , Barrett Katherine , Omar Rumana
Published: January 2024

Background
Mental health rehabilitation services provide specialist treatment to people with particularly severe and complex problems. In 2018, the Care Quality Commission reported that over half the 4400 mental health inpatient rehabilitation beds in England were provided by the independent sector. They raised concerns that the length of stay and cost of independent sector care was double that of the NHS and that their services tended to be provided much further from people's homes. However, there has been no research comparing the two sectors and we therefore do not know if these concerns are justified. The ACER Study (Assessing the Clinical and cost-Effectiveness of inpatient mental health Rehabilitation services provided by the NHS and independent sector) is a national programme of research in England, funded from 2021 to 2026, that aims to investigate differences in inpatient mental health rehabilitation provided by the NHS and independent sector in terms of: patient characteristics; service quality; patient, carer and staff experiences; clinical and cost effectiveness.
Methods
ACER comprises a:1) detailed survey of NHS and independent sector inpatient mental health rehabilitation services across England; 2) qualitative investigation of patient, family, staff and commissioners' experiences of the two sectors; 3) cohort study comparing clinical outcomes in the two sectors over 18 months; 4) comprehensive national comparison of inpatient service use in the two sectors, using instrumental variable analysis of routinely collected healthcare data over 18 months; 5) health economic evaluation of the relative cost-effectiveness of the two sectors. In Components 3 and 4, our primary outcome is 'successful rehabilitation' defined as a) being discharged from the inpatient rehabilitation unit without readmission and b) inpatient service use over the 18 months.
Discussion
The ACER study will deliver the first empirical comparison of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of NHS and independent sector inpatient mental health rehabilitation services.
Trial registration
ISRCTN17381762 retrospectively registered.
The Impact of Hyperinsulinemia on Short-term Prognosis in Patients with Hyperlipidemia-induced Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Wang Mengjun , Luo Ruilin , Sun Shasha , Zheng Lei , Jiang Wen , Ge Yu , Wei Jinlong , Qian Long , Xu Maoqi
Published: January 2024

Purpose
The short-term prognosis of hyperinsulinemia in patients with hyperlipidemia resulting in acute pancreatitis is remains uncertain.
Material and Methods
This study presents a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent treatment for hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis at Wuhu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to April 2023. The patients were categorized into two groups based on their fasting insulin levels: the hyperinsulinemia group (HINS) and the non-hyperinsulinemia group (NHINS). The study aimed to observe and record the outcomes related to metabolic disease, short-term recurrence rate, and quality of life (QOL) score.
Results
In this study, a total of 92 patients with hyperlipidemic pancreatitis were enrolled prior to lipid-lowering therapy, including 59 patients in the HINS group and 33 patients in the NHINS group. Significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of white blood cell count (WBC), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and fasting blood glucose at 2, 3–4, and 5–7 days after initiation of lipid-lowering intervention (P < 0.05). Following admission, anti-inflammatory treatment, lipid-lowering therapy, blood glucose control measures, and other symptomatic interventions were administered. Both groups exhibited a reduction in serum triglyceride levels; however, there was a significant difference in the magnitude of decrease compared to baseline on the fifth to seventh day (P < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in readmission for recurrent pancreatitis within 30 days after ICU transfer and discharge (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference observed between the length of hospital stay or quality of life scores fifteen days after discharge.
Conclusion
The presence of hyperinsulinemia exerts a detrimental impact on the recovery process of patients with hyperlipidemia-induced acute pancreatitis, while the favorable baseline physical condition observed in the NHINS group contributes to a more advantageous recuperation from hyperlipidemic pancreatitis.
Tumor microenvironment variation implicates immune alterations and correlates with prognosis in patients with glioma
Authors: Chen Danlei , He Yi , Feng Zhiyuan , Dong Longsheng , Yang Junfeng
Published: January 2024

To investigate the microenvironment composition of gliomas and the associated clinical significance, we analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing and bulk RNA-seq data from glioma samples. Cell trajectory analysis identified five trajectories with distinct cell states and corresponding trajectory-related genes (TRGs). TRG-based clustering segregated patients with glioma with different overall survival, clinicopathological features, immune infiltration status, and immune checkpoint gene (ICG) expression levels. Notably, a worse prognosis was seen in patients with a higher immune score, lower tumor purity, higher M0 macrophage and regulatory T (Treg) cell infiltration, and increased ICG expression. Further survival analysis and functional enrichment analysis revealed a close relationship between prognosis and ICG-associated immunosuppressive pathways. Candidate prognostic genes were obtained using WGCNA analysis and differential expression analysis. LASSO and multivariate regression analysis were used to establish a prognostic prediction model. The prognostic risk-scoring signature including 12 genes successfully predicted patient survival with acceptable AUC values. A nomogram was constructed to evaluate the contribution of the risk signature to patient prognosis. This study highlights the potential involvement of tumor microenvironment variation and immune alteration in glioma progression and establishes a TRG-based prognostic model to predict patient clinical outcomes.
A Social Network Detection Method Based on Graph Network Embedding
Authors: Xiao Zhiguo , Zhao Nan , Li Nianfeng , Li Changgen , Wang Ke , Shen Qi , Zhou Yangfan
Published: January 2024

The exponential growth of social network information has a certain degree of falsehood, which seriously affects people’s judgment and decision-making and even leads to adverse consequences such as social unrest. In the research on intelligent detection of rumors, existing studies have overlooked the coupling relationship between nodes during the spread of rumors. Therefore, we propose a network comment relationship graph modeling method for social networks, which characterizes the interaction patterns and information dissemination mechanisms of social networks; A hybrid of graph convolutional neural network and graph multi-head attention mechanism is used to extract high-level semantic relationships between nodes during rumor propagation through bidirectional embedding expression, which can better perform feature extraction and graph network embedding in the comment relationship graph of rumor propagation. Based on the coupling characteristics of node similarity, importance, correlation, etc., a rumor detection model was designed through bidirectional feature fusion to improve the accuracy of rumor detection. The experimental results show that the model can better detect rumors on social networks. In comparison with the four benchmark models, the proposed model achieves an accuracy of 96.6% on the Weibo dataset, 85.5% on the Twitter15 datasets, and 91.8% on the Twitter16 datasets. The accuracy of the Weibo datasets and Twitter 16 datasets is higher than the benchmark model.
The transcription of TCOF1 , the main gene associated with Treacher-Collins syndrome, is regulated by G-quadruplexes and Cellular Nucleic acid Binding Protein (CNBP)
Authors: Rosas Mauco Gil , Centola Cielo , Mouguelar Valeria , David Aldana , Piga Ernesto , Gomez Dennis , Calcaterra Nora , Armas Pablo , Coux Gabriela
Published: January 2024

Treacle ribosome biogenesis factor 1 (TCOF1) is responsible for about 80% of mandibular dysostosis (MD) cases. We have formerly identified a correlation between TCOF1 and CNBP (CCHC-type zinc finger nucleic acid binding protein) expression in human mesenchymal cells. Given the established role of CNBP in gene regulation during rostral development, we explored the potential for CNBP to modulate TCOF1 transcription. Computational analysis for CNBP binding sites (CNBP-BSs) in the TCOF1 promoter revealed several putative binding sites, two of which (Hs791 and Hs2160) overlap with putative G-quadruplex (G4) sequences (PQSs). We validated the folding of these PQSs measuring circular dichroism and fluorescence of appropriate synthetic oligonucleotides. In vitro studies confirmed binding of purified CNBP to the target PQSs (both folded as G4 and unfolded) with Kd values in the nM range. ChIP assays conducted in HeLa cells chromatin detected the CNBP binding to TCOF1 promoter. Transient transfections of HEK293 cells revealed that Hs2160 cloned upstream SV40 promoter increased transcription of downstream firefly luciferase reporter gene. We also detected a CNBP-BS and PQS (Dr2393) in the zebrafish TCOF1 orthologue promoter (nolc1). Disrupting this G4 in zebrafish embryos by microinjecting DNA antisense oligonucleotides complementary to Dr2393 reduced the transcription of nolc1 and recapitulated the craniofacial anomalies characteristic of Treacher Collins Syndrome. Both cnbp overexpression and Morpholino-mediated knockdown in zebrafish induced nolc1 transcription. These results suggest that CNBP modulates the transcriptional expression of TCOF1 through a mechanism involving G-quadruplex folding/unfolding, and that this regulation is active in vertebrates as distantly related as bony fish and humans. These findings may have implications for understanding and treating MD.
Comparison of the relative telomere length in the skin, muscle, and spinal cord of the crested gecko (Correlophus ciliatus)
Authors: Pacoń Jakub , Cholewińska Paulina , Wojnarowski Konrad , Kruszyński Wojciech , Wołoszyńska Magdalena
Published: January 2024

Studies to date have shown that the length of telomere, which changes with the age of an animal, can vary depending on the tissues tested, even within a single organism. Additionally, their length can be influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. The aim of this study was to determine the relative length of the telomeres in the muscle, skin and spinal cord derived from the tail of Correlophus ciliatus. The analysis was performed by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) using DNA isolated from the appropriate tissues of seven animals as a template. tail rejection. Statistical analysis of the combined results obtained for all subjects showed significant differences in the relative telomere length between muscle, skin, and spinal cord (P > 0.01). In addition, an individual analysis was performed for all subjects, which showed that only in some subjects the muscle and skin telomere lengths differ significantly, while the muscle and spinal cord telomere lengths are always statistically different (P > 0.01). The obtained results may be related to the different activity of telomerase in individual tissues and the fragmentary regrowth of the tail in the form of the so-called stump. There is then a slight increase in muscle mass and skin at the site of the thrown tail, but the spinal cord is not restored. However, no direct influence of growth parameters on the length of the studied telomeres was demonstrated.
Global Texture Sensitive Convolutional Transformer for Medical Image Steganalysis
Authors: Zhou Zhengyuan , Chen Kai , Hu Dianlin , Shu Huazhong , Coatrieux Gouenou , Coatrieux Jean Louis , Chen Yang
Published: January 2024

The use of medical images by hackers or illegal organizations as a vehicle for information leakage refers to steganography. Exchanged between PACS or communicated during telemedicine sessions, images are modified to hide data. Such leaks through stego-images may result in the disclosure of doctors' or patients' personal data, or of sensitive hospital data posing thus major risks in terms of privacy and security of the information system. In this paper, to detect these illegal image-based communications, we propose a steganalysis approach, the originality of which relies on a novel neural network GTSCT-Net. This one first extracts texture features as global texture features based on location specificity of different parts in image and then extracts possible steganographic information by composing mutlihead self-attention and deep convolution blocks. It also offers easier convergence and higher accuracy on a lower information embedding rate. Comparative experiments on private and public datasets show that the performance of GTSCT-Net for medical image intrusion detection is separately up to 10.12% and 2.97% better than recent advanced steganography detectors.
Normal and Late Sowlng Effect on Yield and Yield Related Traits in Wheat
Authors: Wahid Muhammad Atif
Published: January 2024

The Agriculture sector continues to play a central role in Pakistan's economy. It is the second largest sector, accounting for over 21% of GDP, and remains by far the largest employer, absorbing 45% of the country's total labor force. Nearly 62% of the country's population resides in rural areas, and is directly or indirectly linked with agriculture for their livelihood (Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2009-10). While on the one hand, the sector is a primary supplier of raw materials to downstream industry, contributing substantially to Pakistan's exports and on the other hand, it is a large market for industrial products such as fertilizer, pesticides, tractors and agricultural implements.
Wheat is cold loving plant and it germinates at low temperatures. The temperature requirements of the different growth phases of wheat plant are different. Seed germination occurs at low temperatures whereas booting and seed setting requires optimal temperature. During grain filling the rising temperatures is 26 to 30 °C, above this limit plant photosynthetic efficiency is disturbed which eventually affects proper grain filling and development.
Diosmin inhibits neuroinflammation and improves cognitive deficit in lipopolysaccharide-mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: ADEOLUWA Olusegun Adebayo , ADENIYI Funmilayo Racheal , ADEOLUWA Gladys Onyinye , OTOMEWO Lily Oghenevovwero
Published: January 2024

Background: Neuroinflammation has been linked to some central alterations such as cognitive and memory impairment which are prominent features of many neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease etc. This study explored the cognitive-enhancing properties of a flavonoid, diosmin, on lipopolysaccharide-induced cognitive impairment in mice.
Methodology: Twenty-eight mice were divided into four groups. These groups were scheduled to receive either vehicle or any of the two doses of diosmin. Groups 2-4 were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 250 µg/kg, i.p.) daily for seven days. Afterwards, all mice were subjected to the Y-maze test and the novel object recognition test (NORT) to assess their spatial and non-spatial working memory, respectively. Subsequently, the mice were sacrificed and brain samples were harvested for biochemical analysis. The data was analysed using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a post hoc test. The level of significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Our data shows that diosmin significantly reversed the LPS-induced neuroinflammation by reducing proinflammatory mediators in the brain and subsequently improving mice memory.
Conclusion: Diosmin possesses properties that could be beneficial in symptom management in such inflammation-related disorders.
Development and Validation of Group Intervention Module for Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Chinnadurai  , Sinu
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND: Group intervention is highly effective for survivors of IPV. There are fewer interventions available in addiction treatment services and intimate partner violence in the Indian context. The study aimed to develop and validate the group intervention module for women survivors of IPV.
METHODS: The group intervention manual was developed through psychosocial need assessments for intimate partner violence, subject experts' opinions, and expert validation through the content validation index and kappa value. The components of the group intervention manual were developed for women survivors of IPV who were seeking treatment for their husbands’ alcohol dependence at inpatient services, Centre for Addiction Medicine, Tertiary care teaching hospital, Bangalore.
RESULTS: The intervention components included sharing about the experience of intimate partner violence, understanding the impact of IPV, psychoeducation regarding alcohol dependence and treatment process, imparting the social skills, safety plans, and self-care for the survivors and their children, crisis intervention, and resource mapping. The delivery of the group intervention module was refined based on pilot testing with ten participants.
CONCLUSION: The group intervention module was designed and tailored to the wives of alcohol dependents who have experienced IPV.
Collective excitations of Bose-Einstein Condensate in a Rydberg Atom
Authors: Banerjee Avra , Majumder Dwipesh
Published: January 2024

In this work, we investigated a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) inside a Rydberg atom. We first observed the system’s density profile using the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, and then we used the Bogoliubov theory to examine the collective excitation spectra. We have also extended our study by taking into account a hybrid of two BEC species. Again, for this new system, the density profile and the collective excitation are investigated in a similar manner. The results of the BEC for one species reveal that the Rydberg atom can trap the BEC and that the excitation curve moves upward with increasing Rydberg atom interaction. We have seen roton minima for two species of BEC, and the depth of the minima shifts with the Rydberg interaction.
Immune cells and Alzheimer's disease: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhang Jian , Zhang Yueling , Wang Hao , Huang Zhilin , Xie Shuyu , Fan Dongmei , Chen Yiyun , Zhong Chongxu , Chen Liufei , Kong Deyan , Shi Shengliang
Published: January 2024

Immune cells play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although the relationship between immune cells and AD is uncertain, it is clinically important, as immune cells could be targets for therapy. The current study aimed to systematically explore the bidirectional relationship between immune cells and AD. Genetic instruments for AD and 731 immune cell traits were derived from large-scale genome-wide association studies. We performed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to explore causation. In the forward MR analysis (immune cells as exposure and AD as outcome), we found 41 immune cell traits causally associated with AD. The reverse MR analysis (AD as exposure and immune cell as outcome) indicated that AD affected 57 immune cell traits. Our results indicated that a variety of immune cells were causally associated with AD. Among them, resting Tregs, CD25hi, CD20 and CD33 were linked to the development of AD, while activated Tregs, secreted Tregs and HLA DR were protective factors for AD. Future studies are needed to develop the above immunophenotypes as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in AD.
Understanding the Ion Conductivity of Self-standing Poly-[Ethylene oxide] Composite Films through Non Fickian Diffusion Mediated Water Uptake Phenomena
Authors: Das Anamika , Mukhopadhyay Madhumita , Mukhopadhyay Jayanta , Mishra Shweta , Sutradhar Soumyaditya , Sarkar Anwita , Kulsi Goutam , Biswas Satarupa , Mukherjee Moumita
Published: January 2024

Understanding the mechanism towards interaction of water with polymer composite is of significance in the arena of solid-state device application, biomaterial science etc. A systematic research work is presented on the swelling behaviour and its influence towards the ionic conduction of Polyethylene oxide (PEO) -salt films. The influence of salts (viz. NH4I and KBr termed as PSN- & PSK-series) on the diffusion trait of polymer is analysed using non-Fickian python programming. The presence of ions and its polarizability behaviour influences the aqueous equilibration, number density of bounded and free water molecules along with the extent of cross linkage. The contribution of osmotic pressure tends to balance the dynamic non-covalent interactions thereby enhancing the diffusion driven ionic conduction (10-3 S.cm-1) process of PSK-films. Non Fickian diffusion is also found to accelerate the ionic conduction of PSK-series to 10-2 S.cm-1. The dielectric relaxation and long-term endurance (18500 h) establish the stability and applicability of such functionalized films as ionic electrolytes, membranes etc.
No Mow May citizen/community science and pollinator lawns increase bee and floral diversity in Central Wisconsin
Authors: Ribbons Relena , Toro Israel Del , Tamayo Audari , McGlynn Maggie , Knight Jackson , McMurray Dylan
Published: January 2024

Background.
Urban spaces can be re-imagined to encourage greater plant and insect biodiversity. Here, we share refined results from the first iteration of No Mow May in 2020, in Appleton, Wisconsin, which aimed to rapidly assess bee richness and abundance, plant richness and percent cover of lawns or greenspaces, and cultivate an engaged community of citizen scientists. We also present the subsequent 2021 No Mow May study, and demonstrate the process of open-access science. We integrated reviewer feedback to refine the methods used to assess the impacts of not mowing through the month of May.
Methods.
The 2020 study compared bee richness and abundance and plant richness and percent cover in lawns that were not mowed through the month of May with urban parks with regular mowing, using a sweep netting sand a largely no-kill approach to bee collection and identification. The 2021 study compared paired lawns that were in the No Mow treatment relative to neighboring lawns that were regularly mowed, and assessed flowering plant counts and percent cover as well as Hymenoptera genera abundance and richness using yellow pan traps and preserving bees in ethanol for subsequent identification in the lab.
Results.
We found a threefold increase in bee abundance and twofold increase in bee genera richness in 2020 in No Mow treatments compared with regularly mowed greenspaces. In 2020, mowed areas had 36% fewer plant species and 34% lower flower density than No Mow areas. In 2021, Hymenoptera richness mean values were 1.99 the No Mow vs. 0.18 the Mowed treatment, and the mean number of flowering plants hovered around 10 in No Mow vs. 2 across the Mowed treatments. This study highlights the importance of reproducibility in science as we show 2020 trends are consistent in 2021. We discuss the iterative nature of research studies and the benefits of the continued refinement in research questions and communication in science. We close by inviting folks to experiment with ways to advocate for small scale changes to improve pollinator forage and habitat resources, promote environmentally friendly urban spaces, increase water conservation efforts, and garden with native flowers and plants.
Adsorption of uremic toxins by modified activated carbon of different mesh with sulfuric acid
Authors: Guangle Qin , Gan Zhang , Dapeng Chen , Jinjie Sha
Published: January 2024

End-stage renal disease is a global health issue, and there is a growing trend of younger individuals being affected by this condition. In order to save time for patient undergoing dialysis treatment and allow them to return to social life, a portable dialysis device called wearable artificial kidney is quite necessary. The dialysate recycling system serves as a fundamental component of the wearable artificial kidney. It effectively eliminates various toxins from the waste dialysate and gets regenerated dialysate for subsequent dialysis sessions. However, the low capacity of urea treatment has been a difficult problem to overcome. In this study, our primary focus was to investigate the optimal modification conditions for activated carbon modified with sulfuric acid. We fabricated water vapor activation of coconut shell activated carbon and modified activated carbon of various mesh sizes with sulfuric acid solution. The samples were subjected to characterization, and adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate their performance in adsorbing creatinine and urea. It was ultimately concluded that the samples obtained by treating 200 mesh activated carbon with 6 mol/L sulfuric acid solution exhibited superior adsorption capacity.
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the South African exchange rate market.
Authors: Antwi Albert , Chaka Lyson , Mokgosi Patience S.
Published: January 2024

This study aims to assess the impact of the pandemic on South Africa’s major exchange rate markets via GARCH in Mean models. Observations from the study indicate that the pandemic yielded increased volatility across all the currencies but only the increase on the EUR market was significant. However, although the increased volatilities during the pandemic were not asymmetric, the estimates were all significant. This suggests that during the pandemic, good news tends to significantly influence volatility more than bad news of equal magnitude. In addition, volatility did not persist much longer for the USD and the GBP market during the pandemic, but it persisted longer for the EUR market. The pandemic also affected the risk premium of the markets. While no incentive existed for investors to take on additional risk prior to the pandemic, they had substantial incentives during the pandemic for the USD and the GBP markets. This suggests that investors and traders were rewarded for the additional risks they took because of the increased volatility during the pandemic. However, although the intensity of the pandemic has subsided, the incentives may still exist, thus it is recommended that they explore this opportunity to make more returns on their investments.
A Systematic Literature Review of Interventions to Reduce Communication Apprehension among School Students
Authors: MINJ IPSITA , Biswal Ramakrishna , Oram Biren
Published: January 2024

Classroom communication, especially interpersonal communication skills, is an integral aspect of a successful classroom teaching-learning process. Students with high levels of communication apprehension in classes face serious negative outcomes on intra- and inter-personal relationships and academic performance, leading to an unpleasant schooling experience. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist, we present a systematic review of the characteristics and effectiveness of communication apprehension reduction interventions used for k-12 students in the past 30 years. Five electronic databases were searched for literature from 1992 to January 2022 that returned six studies for the final analyses. Self-modelling, communication mentoring, and speech training were found to be successful interventions in reducing communication apprehension among school students. The majority of interventions focus on public speaking anxiety, and there is a paucity of research in the interventions on CA reduction based on small groups and interpersonal communication among school students. The public speaking interventions were majorly implemented in separate courses, which cannot be incorporated into regular classes by teachers. Findings suggest that there is a need for more intervention studies on communication apprehension at the school level, especially communication at interpersonal and informal levels in regular classrooms, preferably implemented by teachers.
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN MASS MEDIA FRAMEWORK
Authors: Sari Mungky Diana , Mahestu Gayes , Soraya Kiky
Published: January 2024

This study aims to see how far media positioned women, especially in their news frames. The focus of this research will be more about seeing how are violence against women cases in the mass media framework, especially online media. The selection of online media in this research is because the access of information provided by online media is much wider and easier in comparison with other media, especially mainstream mass media like newspaper. The focus of this study is on violence against women which occurred on a high school student in Bengkulu that resulted on her die. The method used in this study is the framing method of Robert Entman, by looking at the articles on Detik.com and Tribunews.com in May 2016. The results of this study indicate that Detik.com put women as objects, while Tribunews.com a little more put women as subjects, though not yet fully in the entity as a woman.
THE ROLE OF TRUST AND AFFECTIVE IDENTIFICATION AS A MEDIATOR BETWEEN PERCEIVED CSR AND INTENTION
Authors: Dewanti Retno , Pamela Erina , Mohammad Shah Khairul Anuar bin
Published: January 2024

This research about CSR was conducted at educational institutions, where the purpose of this study was to evaluate CSR activities. It is known that CSR activities are an obligation from the government to companies. This study examined CSR being perceived by the participants, where the perception influences trust and affective identification that will ultimately have an impact on intention. Intention means a reaction to attend the training which one matching with what the participants need. CSR activities do not only aim to fulfil the responsibility, but the company sincerely provides training to improve the quality of community life. The rresearch uses smartPLS 3.0. and a total of 100 respondents. The results of this study showed a significant relationship between perceived CSR to the trust as well as affective identification. Trust and affective identification showed a successful mediator between perceived CSR and intention.
IMPROVING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SME) OF TROSO WEAVING CRAFT IN JEPARA REGENCY USING CAPITAL INTELLECTUAL ANALYSIS
Authors: Ngatindriatun Ngatindriatun
Published: January 2024

The aim of the research was to analyze the management of the SMEs of Troso Weaving Craft in Jepara Regency in relation to the human resources. In order that the SMEs can compete with today’s industry, the SMEs are required to be able to run their businesses professionally and to innovate, as well as to implement new breakthroughs. Therefore, the management of the SMEs needs to develop their intellectual ability and competitive advantage for their products. Intellectual capital is the intangible resource that can be used as the source of sustainable competitive advantage. The measurement of IC associated with competitive advantage was made against the elements of human capital, structural capital and costumer capital. Hence,this research discussed a model that relates the intellectual capital of the SMEs to the competitive advantage of the SMEs of Troso Weaving Craft in Jepara Regency. For the development of the model and hypothesis, the research used the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), by taking the samples of 157 SMEs of Troso Weaving Craft selected in simple random sampling. The analysis results show that human capital, structural capital, and customer capital have the effect on competitive advantage. It means that the improvement of the competitive advantage for Troso Weaving Craft requires trainings in the managements of production, distribution, marketing and finance for all individuals and employees of the SMEs.
HENRY SCHRADIECK’İN “SCHOOL OF VIOLIN TECHNIQUE 1” KİTABI 20 NUMARALI ETÜDÜN TEKNİK ANALİZİ
Authors: KARAYEL Furkan , GÜL Gülnihal , EĞİLMEZ Özgür
Published: January 2024

Çalgı eğitiminde önemli bir yere sahip olduğu düşünülen keman eğitimi ile bireye temel teknik ve becerilerin kazandırılması hedeflenmektedir. Bu hedef doğrultusunda bir çalgıyı öğrenmenin önemli basamaklarından biri olarak düşünülen teknik alıştırmalarla müzikalite kaygısı olmadan teknik bir güçlüğün giderilmesi veya teknik bir yeterliğin kazanılması hedeflenmektedir. Bu hedef doğrultusunda çalıcının sağlam bir temel oluşturmasına ve donanımlı bir hâle gelmesine katkı sağlayan teknik becerileri kazanması gerekli görülmektedir. Bu düşünce ile bu araştırmada H. Schradieck’in “School of Violin Technique 1” isimli kitabındaki 20 numaralı etüdün teknik analizi yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda teknik analizi yapılan bu etüdün teknik gelişim açısından keman eğitiminde önemli bir yere sahip olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Söz konusu bu çalışmada teknik kümelere ayrılması yönü ile etüdün daha kalıcı ve sağlıklı bir keman eğitimini destekler nitelikte olduğu; bununla birlikte etüdün daha nitelikli bir şekilde icra edilebilmesine katkı sağlandığı düşünülmektedir.
The optimization method of CNC lathe performance based on Morris sensitivity analysis and improved GA algorithm
Authors: Li Xianyi
Published: January 2024

This study achieved the goal of guiding bed design and optimization by conducting multi-objective optimization research on the performance of CNC lathe beds. In this study, Morris analysis was first performed on the sensitivity of the parameters, and then out to optimize the parameters using a combination of neural network and genetic algorithm. The loss function value, RMSE error accumulation, recall, sensitivity and specificity of the ASSGA-BP optimization model were better. The maximum error between the predicted and true values of the ASSGA-BP model was 0.28 mm. In the performance study of the multi-objective optimization method based on the Morris sensitivity analysis and the improved GA algorithm, the average MAE value is 0.91 %. The average RMSE value is 0.59 %. Also, the new model is significantly better than the NSGA-II, EGA, and FGA algorithms in terms of both the number of final non-dominated solutions and the speed of reaching convergence. The above results demonstrate that the model proposed in this study has high performance, can achieve faster convergence and has the best stability of the convergence state. The innovation of this article lies in the use of the Morris method to screen and evaluate numerous parameters in order to improve the accuracy of the calculation results and ensure the effectiveness of the optimization results. The improved algorithm overcomes the problems of BP neural network and can effectively improve the generalization performance of the neural network, thereby improving the prediction accuracy of the model.
Addressing the global water crisis: a comprehensive review of nanobiohybrid applications for water purification
Authors: Kalyan I. , Nayak A. K. , Khobragade M. U.
Published: January 2024

Systematic and organized handling of pre-existing and ever-emerging pollutants, which are continuously contaminating the freshwater resources and causing severe problems in aquatic bodies, aerial environments, and earthbound flora and fauna, is an absolute must. These pollutants contribute to one of the major global problems of scarcity of pristine water for daily use. In the last decades, different types of water cleaning and purification techniques have been embraced to address the issue. Traditional and standard water purification techniques have several shortcomings, like high time consumption, expensive operation and maintenance, and lower affinity with low efficiency toward newly emerging micropollutants. The circumstances demand that we adopt and develop a relatively new purification approach through ‘nanobiohybrids.’ Though for a long time, nanomaterials, nanohybrids, and enzymes have previously been used for water treatment, each of these materials has its unique challenges. Advance oxidation processes, production of toxic intermediates, lesser selectiveness and sensitivity toward dilute solutions, catalyst leaching and for enzymes shorter shelf life, extreme sensitiveness toward mechanical stress, and separation difficulties for reuse are some major problems. Now, the combination of nanomaterials with biomolecules (especially enzymes), known as ‘nanobiohybrids,’ is a powerful combination that holds the potential to overcome the abovementioned issues due to their synergistic properties. In the synthesis of nanobiohybrids, carbon nanotubes or graphene oxide, offer an excellent support matrix for enzymes, and play a significant role. This chapter discusses the background of nanobiohybrids, their recent development as a favorite candidate for novel water purification techniques, and their future.
Assessing the feasibility of inorganic nanomaterials for nanohybrids formation
Authors: Pande Ranjana , Patil Anirudh Gururaj
Published: January 2024

Pollutant removal from industrial effluents is a big challenge for industries and these pollutants can have a great risk to the environment. Traditional methodologies for nanomaterials fabrication have drawbacks such as high energy consumption and use of toxic agents. But there is an option of green nanobiotechnology that synthesizes biogenic metal nanoparticles (Bio-Me NPs) with microbes. Biogenic metal NPs are produced at ambient biosynthesis conditions, and exhibit unique surface properties and crystalline structures, which can eliminate various contaminants from water. Microbes-based nanomaterials exhibit high-quality catalytic performance because of their greater number of active sites and higher surface area as compared to polycrystalline materials. Hence, microorganisms used for nanomaterial production can provide a novel approach for wastewater treatment and decontamination. This chapter focuses on the feasibility of nanomaterials for microbes to fabricate nanohybrids for wastewater treatment and decontamination. Apart from this, the use of microbial fuel cells to not only treat wastewater but also generate electricity in the process is discussed.
Feasibility of nanomaterials to support electroactive microbes in nanobiohybrids
Authors: Chen Zheng , Zeng Yanqiong , Wang Feng , Huang Peng , Li Jian , Chen Yibin
Published: January 2024

Electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) harboring extracellular electron transfer capabilities display great potential for applications in wastewater treatment and energy recovery. However, limited biocatalytic efficiency can curtail their practical engineering applications. Building on the merits of nanomaterials (NMs) that are biocompatible with EAB, engineered nanobiohybrids that are synergistically integrated with specific bacterial components and NMs provide a novel design for engineering an advanced biocatalyst complex. In this chapter, we summarize the efficacy of NMs for their suitability in constructing nanobiohybrids. Favorable engineered nanobiohybrids attributes include high electrical conductivity, large specific surface area, desirable photocatalytic capability, stimulated production of cellular components related to electron transfer, and cytoprotection capabilities. Considering the mechanisms of interfacial electron transport and electron flux generation, the configuration of nanobiohybrids with NMs can be implemented through both endogenous and exogenous bioaugmentation, wherein nanobiohybrids are constructed at a single cell-based or biofilm-based scale with different interfacial connections. Finally, we summarize the current challenges for nanobiohybrid construction and envision the future prospects for nanobiohybrid development and applications.
Unlocking the potential of nanobiohybrids to combat environmental pollution
Authors: Gholap Amol D. , Hatvate Navnath T. , Sawant Sampada D. , Khemka Palak N. , Vora Lalitkumar K.
Published: January 2024

The destructive effects of the world's population growth, which have led to the overuse of primary resources, are evident today. Recently, the world has hit an 8 billion population mark, which is accompanied by an increase in waste generation. Anthropogenic activities lead to environmental pollution that is a problem of great importance, and it is essential to develop economically sound, eco-friendly, and sustainable technologies to tackle this ever-increasing problem of the 21st century. Innovations are required since they can contribute to the creation of sophisticated, sustainable, and novel goods for ecological repair. Such properties can be seen in the current advancements of nanotechnologies and new performing nanomaterials. They have a substantial surface area, enzymatic activity, and responsiveness and are easily functionalized to chemically modify their characteristics. This chapter examines current advancements in bioremediation methods used in conjunction with various nanocomposites and nanobiohybrids to recover the environment from pollution. Special focus is placed on environmentally friendly and regenerative nanosolutions, as well as their secure properties.
A study on factors affecting flow experiences and continued use intention of Instagram webtoon users
Authors:   The Korean Publishing Science Society, Lee Jang Suk , Yoo Ji Yoon
Published: January 2024

Recent trends indicate a growing interest among readers in Instagram-based webtoons. Unlike traditional online webtoon platforms that predominantly feature genres like fantasy or drama, Instagram webtoons offer a new experience to readers by showcasing stories based on the everyday life of the authors. This study examines the impact of storytelling elements(interest, authenticity, clarity) in Instagram webtoons on user flow and their intent to continue using Instagram webtoons. Additionally, it explores the moderating effect of emotional identification with the characters. For this purpose, responses from 156 individuals aged between teens to thirties, who have experience using Instagram webtoons, were analyzed. The results reveal that all storytelling elements - interest, authenticity, and clarity - positively influence user flow. Furthermore, the authenticity of Instagram webtoons enhances user flow through their interaction with emotional identification with the characters. This study empirically substantiates the various factors affecting the flow experience and the continuous usage intentions of Instagram webtoon readers, offering significant theoretical and practical implications.