bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lo sloveno
Authors: Šekli Matej
Published: May 2024

The article offers an overview of Slovene in the region Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Friulian: Friûl-Vignesie Julie, Slovene: Furlanija – Julijska krajina, German: Friaul-Julisch Venetien) in the north-easternmost part of Italy, where Slovene is present in its historical linguistic setting alongside the Italian-Slovene national border. In fact, the presence of the Slavic linguistic element which eventually developed into Slovene in that territory dates back to the period of the settlement of Slavic populations in that area in the second half of the 6th century AD. From the viewpoint of linguistic genealogy, Slovene dialects in Friuli-Venezia Giulia unambiguously form part of the Slovene dialect continuum. From a sociolinguistic point of view, Slovene was officially recognised as a minority language by the Italian Republic by the language protection act for the historical linguistic minorities in Italy in 1999. However, the actual level of legal protection and the “health” of Slovene in the Italian minority context differs from region to region. The actual state of affairs depends predominantly on the availability of public education in Slovene and, consequently, its official use in formal contexts. In the Provinces of Trieste/Trst and Gorizia/Gorica, where Slovene is used as the teaching language in Slovene monolingual education up to the university level (i.e. 13 years of education from 1946), intergenerational transmission of Slovene as the mother tongue can be observed, with a balanced use of different linguistic varieties: the use of dialect or other substandard varieties in informal contexts and Standard Slovene (alongside Italian) in formal contexts. On the contrary, in the Province of Udine/Videm, the situation is significantly more complex. In those regions where at least elementary Italian-Slovene bilingual education also exists in Standard Slovene, it is the local Slovene dialects as well as Standard Slovene that are used in public. This is the case of the Natisone/Nadiža Valleys, where starting in 1984 a five-year bilingual schooling system was implemented, extended to eight years in 2008. In stark contrast to that, the Torre/Ter Valleys and the Resia/Rezija Valley, where Standard Slovene is absent from the educational system, witness very limited public representation of local Slovene dialects and/or Standard Slovene, which is more or less characterised by occasional use. The last part of the contribution provides a case study illustrating in more detail the role of Slovene in the Val Canale (Slovene: Kanalska dolina, German: Kanaltal, Friulian: Val Cjanâl).
Il francoprovenzale e il francese nell’Italia settentrionale
Authors: Autelli Erica
Published: May 2024

This article focuses on the Francoprovençal varieties and on the French spoken in Northern Italy, in two regions located in multilingual contexts: the Aosta Valley (where, in addition to French and Francoprovençal, Italian and Walser dialects also coexist) and Piedmont (which, in addition to sharing the diatopic varieties mentioned for the Aosta Valley, also embraces Piedmontese and Occitan). It will be shown that French has played an important role in the history guaranteeing the autonomy of the Aosta Valley, also thanks to the sustainment of the government, while the various Francoprovençal dialects have not been supported at the same grade, are rather used in oral contexts and in general, they are undergoing a process of Italianisation, even though they are taught at school and partly also at university. French is the language of instruction in the Aosta Valley next to Italian and as L2 in Piedmont, while Francoprovençal has been introduced at school only towards the end of the XX century.
Holistic vibrational spectromics assessment of human cartilage for osteoarthritis diagnosis
Authors: Cook Hiroki , Crisford Anna , Bourdakos Konstantinos , Dunlop Douglas , Oreffo Richard Oc , Mahajan Sumeet
Published: May 2024

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease, presented as wearing down of articular cartilage and resulting in pain and limited mobility for 1 in 10 adults in the UK [Osteoarthr. Cartil. 28(6), 792 (2020)10.1016/j.joca.2020.03.004]. There is an unmet need for patient friendly paradigms for clinical assessment that do not use ionizing radiation (CT), exogenous contrast enhancing dyes (MRI), and biopsy. Hence, techniques that use non-destructive, near- and shortwave infrared light (NIR, SWIR) may be ideal for providing label-free, deep tissue interrogation. This study demonstrates multimodal “spectromics”, low-level abstraction data fusion of non-destructive NIR Raman scattering spectroscopy and NIR-SWIR absorption spectroscopy, providing an enhanced, interpretable “fingerprint” for diagnosis of OA in human cartilage. This is proposed as method level innovation applicable to both arthro- or endoscopic (minimally invasive) or potential exoscopic (non-invasive) optical approaches. Samples were excised from femoral heads post hip arthroplasty from OA patients (n = 13) and age-matched control (osteoporosis) patients (n = 14). Under multivariate statistical analysis and supervised machine learning, tissue was classified to high precision: 100% segregation of tissue classes (using 10 principal components), and a classification accuracy of 95% (control) and 80% (OA), using the combined vibrational data. There was a marked performance improvement (5 to 6-fold for multivariate analysis) using the spectromics fingerprint compared to results obtained from solely Raman or NIR-SWIR data. Furthermore, clinically relevant tissue components were identified through discriminatory spectral features – spectromics biomarkers – allowing interpretable feedback from the enhanced fingerprint. In summary, spectromics provides comprehensive information for early OA detection and disease stratification, imperative for effective intervention in treating the degenerative onset disease for an aging demographic. This novel and elegant approach for data fusion is compatible with various NIR-SWIR optical devices that will allow deep non-destructive penetration.
Optimization of polarization balance in beam splitter films for weak star simulator
Authors: Wu Linghao , Wang Jiaan , Xia Yuxin , Li Yihuan , Sheng Lan
Published: May 2024

In the weak star simulator, the background stray light of the self-excited star image and the simulated target star light are mixed with each other, which is difficult to separate and reduces the simulation accuracy of the star position. Therefore, based on the polarized light tracing method, this paper explores the induction mechanism of the polarization effect of the weak star simulator on the background stray light field of the star map, and proposes a polarization balance optimization method for the beam splitter film. At the same time, the mapping model of star position simulation accuracy, polarization parameters of beam splitter and polarization stray light suppression degree is established. Based on this evaluation function, the polarization balance optimization process of beam splitter is constructed to reduce the influence of polarization effect of beam splitter on the background stray light field of star image. The simulation and experimental results show that the stray light suppression ability of the weak star simulator is improved by 2.1 times and the simulation accuracy of the star position is improved by 1.64 times after the polarization balance optimization of the beam splitter film.
Non-destructive electroluminescence inspection for LED epitaxial wafers based on soft single-contact operation
Authors: Su Hao , Qiu Jiawen , Li Junlong , Chen Rong , Le Jianbi , Lei Xiaoyang , Zhang Yongai , Zhou Xiongtu , Guo Tailiang , Wu Chaoxing
Published: May 2024

Non-destructive and accurate inspection of gallium nitride light-emitting diode (GaN-LED) epitaxial wafers is important to GaN-LED technology. However, the conventional electroluminescence inspection, the photoluminescence inspection, and the automated optical inspection cannot fulfill the complex technical requirements. In this work, an inspection method and an operation system based on soft single-contact operation, namely, single-contact electroluminescence (SC-EL) inspection, are proposed. The key component of the SC-EL inspection system is a soft conductive probe with an optical fiber inside, and an AC voltage (70V
pp
, 100 kHz) is applied between the probe and the ITO electrode under the LED epitaxial wafer. The proposed SC-EL inspection can measure both the electrical and optical parameters of the LED epitaxial wafer at the same time, while not causing mechanical damage to the LED epitaxial wafer. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the SC-EL inspection has a higher electroluminescence wavelength accuracy than photoluminescence inspection. The results show that the non-uniformity of SC-EL inspection is 444.64%, which is much lower than that of photoluminescence inspection. In addition, the obtained electrical parameters from SC-EL can reflect the reverse leakage current (I
s
) level of the LED epitaxial wafer. The proposed SC-EL inspection can ensure high inspection accuracy without causing damage to the LED epitaxial wafer, which holds promising application in LED technology.
A multi-step analysis and co-produced principles to support equitable partnership with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, 125 years on
Authors: Karuga Robinson , Steege Rosie , Chowdhury Shahreen , Squire Bertie , Theobald Sally , Otiso Lilian
Published: May 2024

Transboundary health partnerships are shaped by global inequities. Perspectives from the “global South” are critical to understand and redress power asymmetries in research partnerships yet are not often included in current guidelines. We undertook research with partners working with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) to inform LSTM’s equitable partnership strategy and co-develop principles for equitable partnerships as an entry point towards broader transformative action on research partnerships. We applied mixed-methods and participatory approaches. An online survey (n = 21) was conducted with LSTM’s transboundary partners on fairness of opportunity, fair process, and fair sharing of benefits, triangulated with key informant interviews (n = 12). Qualitative narratives were analysed using the thematic framework approach. Findings were presented in a participatory workshop (n = 11) with partners to co-develop principles, which were refined and checked with stakeholders. Early inclusion emerged as fundamental to equitable partnerships, reflected in principle one: all partners to input into research design, agenda-setting and outputs to reflect priorities. Transparency is highlighted in principle two to guide all stages including agenda-setting, budgeting, data ownership and authorship. Principle three underscores the importance of contextually embedded knowledge for relevant and impactful research. Multi-directional capacity strengthening across all cadres is highlighted in principle four. Principle five includes LSTM leveraging their position for strategic and deliberate promotion of transboundary partners in international forums. A multi-centric model of partnership with no centralised power is promoted in principle six. Finally, principle seven emphasises commitment to the principles and Global Code of Conduct values: Fairness, Respect, Care, Honesty. The co-developed principles are part of ongoing reflections and dialogue to improve and undo harmful power structures that perpetuate coloniality within global health. While this process was conducted with LSTM-Liverpool’s existing partners, the principles to strengthen equity are applicable to other institutions engaged in transboundary research partnerships and relevant for funders.
Inflammatory biomarkers and perinatal depression: A systematic review
Authors: Silva-Fernandes Anabela , Conde Ana , Marques Margarida , Caparros-Gonzalez Rafael A. , Fransson Emma , Mesquita Ana Raquel , Figueiredo Bárbara , Skalkidou Alkistis
Published: May 2024

Background

Approximately 10 to 20% of pregnant women worldwide experience perinatal depression (PND), a depressive episode with onset during pregnancy or after childbirth. We performed a systematic review to identify, summarize and discuss studies on inflammatory biomarkers described in relation to PND.

Method

Inclusion criteria defined the selection of observational studies written in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese, that evaluate analytical levels of inflammatory molecules (protein levels) in biological fluids in women, with a diagnosis of depression using ICD/DSM diagnostic criteria or depressive symptoms assessed by standardized psychometric instruments, during pregnancy and/or postpartum. Case reports, experimental studies, reviews, qualitative analysis, meta-analysis, gray literature or replicated data were excluded. Three electronic databases were used for search (Pubmed, Web of Science and PsychInfo) and quality assessment of selected studies were performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data extraction included study design; number of subjects; obstetric information; tools and timepoints of depression and inflammatory markers assessment.

Results

56 studies (sample size for cross-sectional and case-control studies ranging from 10 to 469; sample size for longitudinal studies ranging from 26 to 467), where the major aim was to analyze the association between depression and inflammatory biomarkers during pregnancy and postpartum period were included in this systematic review. Overall, the findings of our systematic review lend support to the hypothesis that several inflammatory markers may be associated with peripartum depressive symptoms. The associations were somewhat different looking at pregnancy compared to the delivery time-point and postpartum, and mainly referred to increased levels of IL-6, IL-8, CRP and TNF-α among depressed.

Discussion

In summary, our systematic review findings provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that several inflammatory markers may correlate with peripartum depressive symptoms. However, our work also highlighted notable differences in the timing of biological sampling for inflammatory markers and in the methodologies used to assess depression during the perinatal period. Additionally, variations were observed in how inflammatory biomarkers and depression were approached, including their classification as exposure or outcome variables, and the timing of assessments. It is essential for future research to investigate the influence of biological fluids and the timing of assessments for both inflammatory biomarkers and depression to gain a deeper understanding of their association. This comprehensive exploration is pivotal for elucidating the intricate relationship between inflammation and perinatal depression.
Dysregulation of miR-122, miR-574 and miR-375 in Egyptian patients with breast cancer
Authors: Elghoroury Eman A. , Abdelghafar Esmat E. , Kamel Solaf , Awadallah Eman , Shalaby Aliaa , EL-Saeed Gamila S. M. , Mahmoud Eman , Kamel Mahmoud M. , Abobakr Asmaa , Yousef Rasha Nazih
Published: May 2024

Background

The early detection of breast cancer (BC) is receiving global attention, creating an urgent need for more sensitive and comprehensive strategies for preventive intervention, therapy assessment, and prognosis prediction. Aberrant expression of miRNAs has been observed in various malignancies and may be potential targets for therapy. Our study aims to examine the expression profiles ofmiR-375,miR-574-3p, andmiR-122in the sera of Egyptian women with BC, benign breast lesions, and a control group. We hope to determine if these miRNAs can serve as minimally invasive biomarkers for BC.

Methods

This is a case-control study in which 77 patients with newly diagnosed BC, 20 patients with benign breast tumors, and 30 normal healthy subjects as controls were recruited from the outpatient clinic of the National Cancer Institute. The assessment of miRNAs was conducted using RT-PCR (Applied Biosystems).

Results

The expression level ofmiRNA-122was significantly upregulated in the BC group, while the expression levels ofmiRNA-574andmiRNA-375showed significant downregulation in BC patients. SerummiR-122andmiRNA-375were able to distinguish breast cancer from the benign and control groups in ROC curve analysis, with AUCs of 0.786 and 0.796, respectively. Our results also showed that serummiR-122andmiR-574are significant predictor variables in the multivariate analysis, after adjusting for age.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest thatmiR-122may act as an onco-microRNA, whilemiR-574andmiR-375may have a main tumour suppressor role. The studied miRNAs may serve as minimally invasive biomarkers for cases of breast cancer and as promising potential therapeutic targets for breast cancer.
Analysis and interpretability of machine learning models to classify thyroid disease
Authors: Akter Sumya , Mustafa Hossen A.
Published: May 2024

Thyroid disease classification plays a crucial role in early diagnosis and effective treatment of thyroid disorders. Machine learning (ML) techniques have demonstrated remarkable potential in this domain, offering accurate and efficient diagnostic tools. Most of the real-life datasets have imbalanced characteristics that hamper the overall performance of the classifiers. Existing data balancing techniques process the whole dataset at a time that sometimes causes overfitting and underfitting. However, the complexity of some ML models, often referred to as “black boxes,” raises concerns about their interpretability and clinical applicability. This paper presents a comprehensive study focused on the analysis and interpretability of various ML models for classifying thyroid diseases. In our work, we first applied a new data-balancing mechanism using a clustering technique and then analyzed the performance of different ML algorithms. To address the interpretability challenge, we explored techniques for model explanation and feature importance analysis using eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) tools globally as well as locally. Finally, the XAI results are validated with the domain experts. Experimental results have shown that our proposed mechanism is efficient in diagnosing thyroid disease and can explain the models effectively. The findings can contribute to bridging the gap between adopting advanced ML techniques and the clinical requirements of transparency and accountability in diagnostic decision-making.
S-WD-EEMD: A hybrid framework for imbalanced sEMG signal analysis in diagnosis of human knee abnormality
Authors: Vijayvargiya Ankit , Sinha Aparna , Gehlot Naveen , Jena Ashutosh , Kumar Rajesh , Moran Kieran
Published: May 2024

The diagnosis of human knee abnormalities using the surface electromyography (sEMG) signal obtained from lower limb muscles with machine learning is a major problem due to the noisy nature of the sEMG signal and the imbalance in data corresponding to healthy and knee abnormal subjects. To address this challenge, a combination of wavelet decomposition (WD) with ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (S-WD-EEMD) is proposed. In this study, a hybrid WD-EEMD is considered for the minimization of noises produced in the sEMG signal during the collection, while the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) is considered to balance the data by increasing the minority class samples during the training of machine learning techniques. The findings indicate that the hybrid WD-EEMD with SMOTE oversampling technique enhances the efficacy of the examined classifiers when employed on the imbalanced sEMG data. The F-Score of the Extra Tree Classifier, when utilizing WD-EEMD signal processing with SMOTE oversampling, is 98.4%, whereas, without the SMOTE oversampling technique, it is 95.1%.
Walk-in mental health: Bridging barriers in a pandemic
Authors: Wellspring Ian , Ganesh Kirthana , Kreklewetz Kimberly
Published: May 2024

‘Single Session Therapy’ (SST) is a service delivery model that seeks to provide an evidence-based, solution-focused, brief intervention within a single therapy session. The stand-alone session affords the opportunity to provide brief psychological interventions while clients await access to longer-term services. The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted individuals’ mental health. However, the majority of research has investigated patient mental health within hospital settings and community organizations that offer long-term services, whereas minimal research has focused on mental health concerns during COVID-19 within an SST model. The primary aim of the study was to measure client experiences of a brief mental health service. The nature of client mental health concerns who access such services at various points during a pandemic was also investigated. The current study utilized client feedback forms and the Computerized Adaptive Testing—Mental Health (CAT-MH) to measure client experiences and mental health concerns. Qualitative analysis of client feedback forms revealed themes of emotional (e.g., safe space) and informational support (e.g., referrals). Clients also reported reduced barriers to accessing services (e.g., no appointment necessary, no cost), as well as limitations (e.g., not enough sessions) of the Walk-in clinic. Profile analysis of the CAT-MH data indicated that clients had higher rates of depression before COVID-19 (M = 64.2, SD = 13.07) as compared to during the pandemic (M = 59.78, SD = 16.87). In contrast, higher rates of positive suicidality flags were reported during the pandemic (n = 54) as compared to before (n = 29). The lower reported rates of depression but higher rate of suicidality during the pandemic was an unanticipated finding that contradicted prior research, to which possible explanations are explored. Taken together, the results demonstrate the positive experiences of clients who access a single session therapy.
Long-term survival of patients receiving home hemodialysis with self-punctured arteriovenous access
Authors: Tomori Koji , Inoue Tsutomu , Sugiyama Masao , Ohashi Naoto , Murasugi Hiroshi , Ohama Kazuya , Amano Hiroaki , Watanabe Yusuke , Okada Hirokazu
Published: May 2024

Objective

To determine the long-term survival of patients receiving home hemodialysis (HHD) through self-punctured arteriovenous access.

Methods

We conducted an observational study of all patients receiving HHD at our facility between 2001 and 2020. The primary outcome was treatment survival, and it was defined as the duration from HHD initiation to the first event of death or technique failure. The secondary outcomes were the cumulative incidence of technique failure and mortality. Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify the predictive factors for treatment survival.

Results

A total of 77 patients (mean age, 50.7 years; 84.4% male; 23.4% with diabetes) were included. The median dialysis duration was 18 hours per week, and all patients self-punctured their arteriovenous fistula. During a median follow-up of 116 months, 30 treatment failures (11 deaths and 19 technique failures) were observed. The treatment survival was 100% at 1 year, 83.5% at 5 years, 67.2% at 10 years, and 34.6% at 15 years. Age (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.07) and diabetes (aHR, 2.45) were significantly associated with treatment survival. Cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death, and vascular access-related issues were the primary causes of technique failure, which occurred predominantly after 100 months from HHD initiation.

Conclusion

This study showed a favorable long-term prognosis of patients receiving HHD. HHD can be a sustainable form of long-term kidney replacement therapy. However, access-related technique failures occur more frequently in patients receiving it over the long term. Therefore, careful management of vascular access is crucial to enhance technique survival.
CVD incidence and mortality among people with diabetes and/or hypertension: Results from the English longitudinal study of ageing
Authors: Zaninotto Paola , Steptoe Andrew , Shim Eun-Jung
Published: May 2024

Background and aims

Diabetes and/or hypertension are the most common conditions in older people, and also related to higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality. This study aims to explore the risk of CVD incidence and mortality among older people with diabetes and/or hypertension over a 16 years follow-up period and investigates the role of depression and obesity in these relationships.

Methods

6,855 participants aged 50+ from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The main exposure is having diabetes and/or hypertension at baseline (2002/2003) compared to not having, but excluded those with coronary heart disease (CHD) and/or stroke (CVD). Survival models are used for CVD incidence and mortality up to 2018, adjusted for socio-demographic, health, health behaviours, cognitive function, and physical function characteristics.

Results

39.3% of people at baseline had diabetes and/or hypertension. The risk of CVD incidence was 1.7 (95%CI: 1.5; 1.9) higher among people with diabetes and/or hypertension compared to those without and was independent of covariates adjustment. People with diabetes and/or hypertension were also 1.3 (95%CI: 1.1; 1.8) times more likely to die from CVD than those without. We did not find evidence for an elevated risk of CVD incidence and mortality among people with obesity nor among those with depression.

Conclusions

In order to effectively reduce the risk of CVD incidence and mortality among older people, treatment as well as management of hypertension and diabetes should be routinely considered for older people with diabetes and/or hypertension.
Visual impairment among diabetes patients in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Aytenew Tigabu Munye , Kefale Demewoz , Birhane Binyam Minuye , Kebede Solomon Demis , Asferie Worku Necho , Hailemeskel Habtamu Shimels , Kassaw Amare , Asnakew Sintayehu , Kassie Yohannes Tesfahun , Mekonnen Gebrehiwot Berie , Kebede Melese , Eshetie Yeshiambaw , Ejigu Netsanet , Zeleke Shegaw , Agimas Muluken Chanie , Simegn Amare
Published: May 2024

Introduction

The increased prevalence of visual impairment among diabetes patients has become a major global public health problem. Although numerous primary studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence of visual impairment and its associated factors among diabetes patients in Ethiopia, these studies presented inconsistent findings. Therefore, this review aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of visual impairment and identify associated factors among diabetes patients.

Methods

An extensive search of literature was done on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Sciences databases. A manual search of the reference lists of included studies was performed. A weighted inverse-variance random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled prevalence of visual impairment.

Results

A total of 34 eligible primary studies with a sample size of 11,884 participants were included in the final meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of visual impairment was 21.73% (95% CI: 18.15, 25.30; I2= 96.47%; P<0.001). Diabetes mellitus with a duration of diagnosis ≥10 years [AOR = 3.18, 95% CI: 1.85, 5.49], presence of co-morbid hypertension [AOR = 3.26, 95% CI: 1.93, 5.50], poor glycemic control [AOR = 4.30, 95% CI: 3.04, 6.06], age ≥56 years [AOR = 4.13, 95% CI: 2.27, 7.52], family history of diabetes mellitus [AOR = 4.18 (95% CI: 2.61, 6.69], obesity [AOR = 4.77, 95% CI: 3.00, 7.59], poor physical activity [AOR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.75, 3.46], presence of visual symptoms [AOR = 4.28, 95% CI: 2.73, 6.69] and no history of eye exam [AOR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.47, 3.57] were significantly associated with visual impairment.

Conclusions

The pooled prevalence of visual impairment was high in Ethiopia. Diabetes mellitus with a duration of diagnosis ≥10 years, presence of co-morbid hypertension, poor glycemic control, age ≥56 years, and family history of diabetes mellitus, obesity, poor physical activity, presence of visual symptoms, and no history of eye exam were independent predictors. Therefore, diabetic patients with these identified risks should be screened, and managed early to reduce the occurrence of visual impairment related to diabetes. Moreover, public health policy with educational programs and regular promotion of sight screening for all diabetes patients are needed.
Validation of a Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale: Dimensionality and factorial invariance
Authors: Zhu Xiaoqin , Chu Carman K. M. , Wu Xue , Shek Daniel T. L.
Published: May 2024

For a multi-dimensional measure of positive youth development (PYD), its factor structure should be invariant across groups and over time. This study examined the factorial validity of the 44-item short form of the “Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale” (CPYDS-SF) that assesses 15 dimensions of PYD attributes. Using two waves of longitudinal data with a one-year interval in between, this study examined the factor structure of the scale and whether the structure is invariant between gender groups and across time. The data were collected from 3,328 adolescents at Wave 1 and 3,638 adolescents at Wave 2, with a matched sample of 2,905 adolescents (mean age = 12.57 ± 0.72 at Wave 1; 49.54% girls). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the 15-factor structure fitted the data well. The findings of invariance tests further supported this structure’s invariance across gender and time, indicating a stable factor structure of CPYDS-SF among Chinese adolescents. These findings suggest that CPYDS-SF can be used to examine gender differences and the longitudinal development of PYD qualities among Chinese adolescents.
Bayesian rank likelihood-based estimation: An application to low birth weight in Ethiopia
Authors: Bekalo Daniel Biftu , Wanjoya Anthony Kibira , Mwalili Samuel Musili
Published: May 2024

Background

Low birth weight is a significant risk factor associated with high rates of neonatal and infant mortality, particularly in developing countries. However, most studies conducted on this topic in Ethiopia have small sample sizes, often focusing on specific areas and using standard models employing maximum likelihood estimation, leading to potential bias and inaccurate coverage probability.

Methods

This study used a novel approach, the Bayesian rank likelihood method, within a latent traits model, to estimate parameters and provide a nationwide estimate of low birth weight and its risk factors in Ethiopia. Data from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) of 2016 were used as a data source for the study. Data stratified all regions into urban and rural areas. Among 15, 680 representative selected households, the analysis included complete cases from 10, 641 children (0-59 months). The evaluation of model performance considered metrics such as the root mean square error, the mean absolute error, and the probability coverage of the corresponding 95% confidence intervals of the estimates.

Results

Based on the values of root mean square error, mean absolute error, and probability coverage, the estimates obtained from the proposed model outperform the classical estimates. According to the result, 40.92% of the children were born with low birth weight. The study also found that low birth weight is unevenly distributed across different regions of the country with the highest amounts of variation observed in the Afar, Somali and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples regions as represented by the latent trait parameter of the model. In contrast, the lowest low birth weight variation was recorded in the Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, and Amhara regions. Furthermore, there were significant associations between birth weight and several factors, including the age of the mother, number of antenatal care visits, order of birth and the body mass index as indicated by the average posterior beta values of (β1= -0.269, CI=-0.320, -0.220), (β2= -0.235, CI=-0.268, -0.202), (β3= -0.120, CI=-0.162, -0.074) and (β5= -0.257, CI=-0.291, -0.225).

Conclusions

The study showed that the low birth weight estimates obtained from the latent trait model outperform the classical estimates. The study also revealed that the prevalence of low birth weight varies between different regions of the country, indicating the need for targeted interventions in areas with a higher prevalence. To effectively reduce the prevalence of low birth weight and improve maternal and child health outcomes, it is important to concentrate efforts on regions with a higher burden of low birth weight. This will help implement interventions that are tailored to the unique challenges and needs of each area. Health institutions should take measures to reduce low birth weight, with a special focus on the factors identified in this study.
DAU-Net: Dual attention-aided U-Net for segmenting tumor in breast ultrasound images
Authors: Pramanik Payel , Roy Ayush , Cuevas Erik , Perez-Cisneros Marco , Sarkar Ram
Published: May 2024

Breast cancer remains a critical global concern, underscoring the urgent need for early detection and accurate diagnosis to improve survival rates among women. Recent developments in deep learning have shown promising potential for computer-aided detection (CAD) systems to address this challenge. In this study, a novel segmentation method based on deep learning is designed to detect tumors in breast ultrasound images. Our proposed approach combines two powerful attention mechanisms: the novel Positional Convolutional Block Attention Module (PCBAM) and Shifted Window Attention (SWA), integrated into a Residual U-Net model. The PCBAM enhances the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) by incorporating the Positional Attention Module (PAM), thereby improving the contextual information captured by CBAM and enhancing the model’s ability to capture spatial relationships within local features. Additionally, we employ SWA within the bottleneck layer of the Residual U-Net to further enhance the model’s performance. To evaluate our approach, we perform experiments using two widely used datasets of breast ultrasound images and the obtained results demonstrate its capability in accurately detecting tumors. Our approach achieves state-of-the-art performance with dice score of 74.23% and 78.58% on BUSI and UDIAT datasets, respectively in segmenting the breast tumor region, showcasing its potential to help with precise tumor detection. By leveraging the power of deep learning and integrating innovative attention mechanisms, our study contributes to the ongoing efforts to improve breast cancer detection and ultimately enhance women’s survival rates. The source code of our work can be found here:https://github.com/AyushRoy2001/DAUNet.
Prognostic effect of osteoprotegerin in patients with ischemic stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Pang Linlin , Lin Hongyu , Wei Xinxian , Wei Wenxin , Lan Yu
Published: May 2024

Background

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is supposed to participate in the development of atherosclerosis and cardio-cerebrovascular disease. However, the results of research on relationship between OPG and ischemic stroke (IS) are controversial. Therefore, we carried out the first systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate prognostic effect of osteoprotegerin in patients with IS.

Methods

We comprehensively searched databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library through 21 August 2023 to identify observational studies that evaluated effect of OPG on poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] Score of 3–6) and mortality in patients with IS. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of each included study were used as much as possible to assess the pooled effect.

Results

Five studies that enrolled 4,506 patients in total fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Three studies were included in the pooled analysis for each endpoint since one of the included studies had provided data on poor functional outcome as well as mortality. OPG was neither associated with poor functional outcome (aOR 1.29, 95% CI 0.90–1.85) nor with mortality (aOR 1.57, 95% CI 0.90–2.74) in patients with IS.

Conclusions

There is insufficient evidence to demonstrate the correlation between OPG and mortality or poor functional outcome in IS patients. OPG cannot be applied to predict worse neurological function in IS patients based on the current evidence.
Association between muscle strength and depression in a cohort of young adults
Authors: Vodička Tomáš , Bozděch Michal , Vespalec Tomáš , Piler Pavel , Paludo Ana Carolina
Published: May 2024

Background

The study investigated the association between knee joint muscle strength and the prevalence of depression in a cohort of young adults.

Methods

The observational, population-based study was performed with 909 participants (29.02 ± 2.03 years; 48.73% male) from the Central European Longitudinal Studies of Parents and Children: Young Adults (CELSPAC: YA), who were retained to analysis. Quadriceps and hamstring knee muscle strength were assessed by isokinetic dynamometry, and depression by Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI-II). Statistical comparisons (Mann-Whitney and Chi-squared test) and effect size analyses (Eta-Squared, and Odds Ratio) were conducted.

Results

The main findings revealed an inverse association between knee joint muscle strength and depression, with individuals who had low muscle strength having 3.15 (95% CI = 2.74–3.62) times higher odds of experiencing depression. Specifically, participants with low extensor strength had 4.63 (95% CI = 2.20–9.74) times higher odds, and those with low flexor strength had 2.68 (95% CI = 1.47–4.89) times higher odds of experiencing depression compared to those individuals with high muscle strength. Furthermore, gender-specific analyses revealed that males with low muscle strength had 2.51 (95% CI = 1.53–4.14) times higher odds, while females had 3.46 (95% CI = 2.93–4.08) times higher odds of experiencing depression compared to individuals with high muscle strength.

Conclusions

Strong knee muscles seems to be a key factor in preventing depression, specially in female young adults. The results support the importance of promoting an increase in muscle strength through physical activity as a preventive strategy against depression in this population.
Visual explanations for polyp detection: How medical doctors assess intrinsic versus extrinsic explanations
Authors: Hicks Steven , Storås Andrea , Riegler Michael A. , Midoglu Cise , Hammou Malek , de Lange Thomas , Parasa Sravanthi , Halvorsen Pål , Strümke Inga
Published: May 2024

Deep learning has achieved immense success in computer vision and has the potential to help physicians analyze visual content for disease and other abnormalities. However, the current state of deep learning is very much a black box, making medical professionals skeptical about integrating these methods into clinical practice. Several methods have been proposed to shed some light on these black boxes, but there is no consensus on the opinion of medical doctors that will consume these explanations. This paper presents a study asking medical professionals about their opinion of current state-of-the-art explainable artificial intelligence methods when applied to a gastrointestinal disease detection use case. We compare two different categories of explanation methods, intrinsic and extrinsic, and gauge their opinion of the current value of these explanations. The results indicate that intrinsic explanations are preferred and that physicians see value in the explanations. Based on the feedback collected in our study, future explanations of medical deep neural networks can be tailored to the needs and expectations of doctors. Hopefully, this will contribute to solving the issue of black box medical systems and lead to successful implementation of this powerful technology in the clinic.
Development and analyses of stakeholder driven conceptual models to support the implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management in the U.S. Caribbean
Authors: Seara Tarsila , Williams Stacey M. , Acevedo Kiara , Garcia-Molliner Graciela , Tzadik Orian , Duval Michelle , Cruz-Motta Juan J.
Published: May 2024

Fisheries management agencies in the U.S. Caribbean are currently taking steps into transitioning from a single species approach to one that includes Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) considerations. In this study, we developed and analyzed stakeholder-driven conceptual models with seven different stakeholder groups in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands to assess and compare their perceptions of the fishery ecosystem. Conceptual models were developed for each stakeholder group during 29 separate workshops involving a total of 236 participants representing Commercial Fishers, Managers, Academics, Local Businesses, Environmental NGOs, and the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) District Advisory Panels (DAPs) and Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (nMDS) and two-mode social network analysis were used to investigate differences and similarities between stakeholder groups as well as to identify priority ecosystem elements and threats. Results show important variations between stakeholders and islands in terms of their perceived importance of ecosystem components and relationships, which supports the need for collaborative approaches and co-production of knowledge in the United States (U.S.) Caribbean region. Despite this variation, important areas of common concern among stakeholders were identified such as: habitat integrity (e.g., coral reefs), water quality, and influence of recreational fisheries and tourism on marine ecosystems. Findings of this study support the use of stakeholder-driven conceptual models as effective tools to guide decision-making, aid prioritization of data collection, and increase collaboration and cooperation among stakeholders in the context of fisheries management.
Spatial-temporal differentiation pattern and influencing factors of land economic density at the township scale in Zhejiang Province
Authors: Ma Fangfang , Hu Yiping , Ding Zhiwei
Published: May 2024

Based on the land economic density of 892 town units, the spatial pattern of the land economic density in Zhejiang Province is analyzed using the coefficient of variation, spatial classification, and spatial correlation methods, and the influencing factors are analyzed using a spatial regression model. The results are as follows: (1) The coefficients of variation were 2.6 and 3.1 in 2014 and 2019, respectively, indicating that the degree of imbalance of the town’s industrial economy at the county level increased. (2) The distribution of the high-level agglomeration areas was characterized by one core area and two sub-core areas. The main core area was located at the junction of Hangzhou City, Shaoxing City, and Jiaxing City, and the two sub-core areas were located in Yuyao City and the main urban area of Ningbo City. In addition, several small-scale agglomeration areas composed of medium and high-level units were distributed in Wenzhou City. (3) The high-value agglomeration and low-value agglomeration distribution in the spatial correlation patterns was identified using the spatial auto-correlation method. The hot spots and sub-hot spots were distributed in Northern Zhejiang, and the cold spots formed a large-scale agglomeration in Quzhou City, Lishui City, Taizhou City, and several other cities in Southern Zhejiang. (4) Compared with the county scale, the spatial scope of the high-level areas in Northern Zhejiang shrunk significantly at the township scale, and the high-level agglomeration areas along the southeast coast changed into a cluster of several townships. (5) According to the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model, the importance of influencing factors is as follows: population density > regional area > industrial output value per capita > total population > proportion of secondary and tertiary personnel > total employees.
In vitro synthesis and biochemical characterization of acyl-homoserine lactone synthase and its deletion mutant
Authors: Jeong Yechan , Moon Sunwoo , Shin Jae-hwa
Published: May 2024

Quorum sensing can induce density-dependent gene expressions that cause various problems. For quorum-sensing inhibition, fundamental solutions such as gene manipulation are required, and acyl-homoserine lactone synthase (AHL synthase), which synthesizes the universal quorum-sensing signal of gram-negative bacteria, can be used as a target. In this study, researchers synthesized His-tagged AHL synthase and its deletion mutant that lacks the active site and compared their biochemical characteristics. His-YpeI, the 6x His-tagged AHL synthase of Serratia fonticola, and His-ΔYpeI, its deletion mutant, were designed, and their property conservation were examined using in silico projection tools. For in vitro synthesis of enzymes, the His-YpeI CFPS template was synthesized by in vitro gene synthesis, and the His-ΔYpeI CFPS template was obtained by deletion PCR. CFPS was performed and the products were purified with the 6x His-tag. The enzymes’ properties were compared using an enzymatic assay. The bioinformatic analysis confirmed the conservation of biochemical properties between 6x His-tagged and untagged enzymes, including helix-turn-helix interactions, hydropathy profiles, and tertiary structure between His-YpeI and YpeI and between His-ΔYpeI and ΔYpeI. His-YpeI and His-ΔYpeI synthesized by CFPS were found to have the expected molecular weights and demonstrated distinct differences in enzyme activity. The analyzed enzymatic constants supported a significant decrease in substrate affinity and reaction rate as a result of YpeI’s enzyme active site deletion. This result showed that CFPS could be used for in vitro protein synthesis, and quorum sensing could be inhibited at the enzymatic level due to the enzyme active site’s deletion mutation.
Health-related quality of life and associated factors among family caregivers of patients with cancer in oncologic centers of Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Tamene Fasil Bayafers , Mihiretie Endalamaw Aschale , Desalew Akalu Fetene , Tafesse Fasika Argaw , Wondm Samuel Agegnew
Published: May 2024

Background

Providing care for individuals dealing with long-term illnesses like cancer demands significant amounts of time, energy, and emotional investment, potentially resulting in a challenging and overwhelming quality of life for those providing the care.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to assess the level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and associated factors among family caregivers of patients with cancer in oncologic centers of Northwest Ethiopia.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 412 family caregivers of patients with cancer who were following treatment at oncologic centers in Northwest Ethiopia from August to October 2023. Systematic random sampling was used to enroll study participants. Epi-data version 4.6.1 and SPSS version 26 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. The relationship between quality of life and independent variables was examined using linear regression. Statistical significance was determined for variables having a p-value of less than 0.05 at a 95% confidence range.

Result

A total of 412 eligible caregivers were included in the study out of 422 approached samples, yielding a 97.6% response rate. The mean score of the overall Quality of Life Brief—Scale Version was 52.7 ± 9.57. Being Spouse (β = -3.39; 95% CI: -6.49, -0.29), presence of chronic illness (β = -3.43; 95% CI: -5.56, -1.31), depression, (β = -2.55; 95% CI: -4.34, -0.75), anxiety (β = -3.27; 95% CI: -5.22, -1.32),and social support, (β = -3.61; 95% CI: -6.20, -1.02) were negatively associated with quality of life.

Conclusion and recommendation

In this study, the psychological domain had the lowest mean score. Caregivers being as spouse, who were with chronic illness, manifested depression and anxiety and had a poor social support needs attention and support to improve HRQoL.