bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automatic Classification of Nodules from 2D Ultrasound Images Using Deep Learning Networks
Authors: Tareke Tewele W. , Leclerc Sarah , Vuillemin Catherine , Buffier Perrine , Crevisy Elodie , Nguyen Amandine , Monnier Meteau Marie-Paule , Legris Pauline , Angiolini Serge , Lalande Alain
Published: August 2024

Objective: In clinical practice, thyroid nodules are typically visually evaluated by expert physicians using 2D ultrasound images. Based on their assessment, a fine needle aspiration (FNA) may be recommended. However, visually classifying thyroid nodules from ultrasound images may lead to unnecessary fine needle aspirations for patients. The aim of this study is to develop an automatic thyroid ultrasound image classification system to prevent unnecessary FNAs. Methods: An automatic computer-aided artificial intelligence system is proposed for classifying thyroid nodules using a fine-tuned deep learning model based on the DenseNet architecture, which incorporates an attention module. The dataset comprises 591 thyroid nodule images categorized based on the Bethesda score. Thyroid nodules are classified as either requiring FNA or not. The challenges encountered in this task include managing variability in image quality, addressing the presence of artifacts in ultrasound image datasets, tackling class imbalance, and ensuring model interpretability. We employed techniques such as data augmentation, class weighting, and gradient-weighted class activation maps (Grad-CAM) to enhance model performance and provide insights into decision making. Results: Our approach achieved excellent results with an average accuracy of 0.94, F1-score of 0.93, and sensitivity of 0.96. The use of Grad-CAM gives insights on the decision making and then reinforce the reliability of the binary classification for the end-user perspective. Conclusions: We propose a deep learning architecture that effectively classifies thyroid nodules as requiring FNA or not from ultrasound images. Despite challenges related to image variability, class imbalance, and interpretability, our method demonstrated a high classification accuracy with minimal false negatives, showing its potential to reduce unnecessary FNAs in clinical settings.
Help-Seeking Situations Related to Visual Interactions on Mobile Platforms and Recommended Designs for Blind and Visually Impaired Users
Authors: Xie Iris , Choi Wonchan , Wang Shengang , Lee Hyun Seung , Hong Bo Hyun , Wang Ning-Chiao , Cudjoe Emmanuel Kwame
Published: August 2024

While it is common for blind and visually impaired (BVI) users to use mobile devices to search for information, little research has explored the accessibility issues they encounter in their interactions with information retrieval systems, in particular digital libraries (DLs). This study represents one of the most comprehensive research projects, investigating accessibility issues, especially help-seeking situations BVI users face in their DL search processes. One hundred and twenty BVI users were recruited to search for information in six DLs on four types of mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, Android phone, and Android tablet), and multiple data collection methods were employed: questionnaires, think-aloud protocols, transaction logs, and interviews. This paper reports part of a large-scale study, including the categories of help-seeking situations BVI users face in their interactions with DLs, focusing on seven types of help-seeking situations related to visual interactions on mobile platforms: difficulty finding a toggle-based search feature, difficulty understanding a video feature, difficulty navigating items on paginated sections, difficulty distinguishing collection labels from thumbnails, difficulty recognizing the content of images, difficulty recognizing the content of graphs, and difficulty interacting with multilayered windows. Moreover, corresponding design recommendations are also proposed: placing meaningful labels for icon-based features in an easy-to-access location, offering intuitive and informative video descriptions for video players, providing structure information about a paginated section, separating collection/item titles from thumbnail descriptions, incorporating artificial intelligence image/graph recognition mechanisms, and limiting screen reader interactions to active windows. Additionally, the limitations of the study and future research are discussed.
Identification of Key Habitats of Bowhead and Blue Whales in the OSPAR Area of the North-East Atlantic—A Modelling Approach towards Effective Conservation
Authors: Mercker Moritz , Müller Miriam , Werner Thorsten , Hennicke Janos
Published: August 2024

Effective protection of highly mobile and data-poor species constitutes a great challenge amid growing ocean exploitation and use. Blue whales and bowhead whales in the North-East Atlantic face several threats, such as climate change, ship strikes, pollution, and entanglement in fishing gear. Consequently, the OSPAR (“Oslo-Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic”) Commission recognised their need for protection and included them on the OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species. Two actions to protect these endangered species that OSPAR Contracting Parties have agreed on are (i) identifying areas that play an essential role in the species’ life cycle—subsequently called key habitats, and (ii) ensuring that those key habitats are covered by OSPAR marine protected areas (MPAs). In addition, OSPAR has committed to expanding its network of MPAs and other effective area-based conservation measures by 2030 to cover at least 30% of the OSPAR maritime area (termed the 30 × 30 target) from today’s approx. 11%. In this paper, we present the results of modelling key habitats for the bowhead and blue whales in the North-East Atlantic, including Arctic waters. Due to the sparse data situation for these species, we apply presence-only modelling methods. As this method can, in principle, produce somewhat biased results, we recommend that systematic, regular surveys on these species in Arctic waters be significantly intensified for future analyses to overcome the data paucity and allow using presence–absence/count data modelling approaches. Key habitats of blue whales were identified between Iceland and Svalbard, extending to the Azores. For bowhead whales, key habitats were identified in the Fram Strait. However, our findings show that only 11.8% of blue whale key habitats and 4.1% of bowhead whale key habitats are currently covered by OSPAR MPAs. To protect 30% of key habitats for these species in the most efficient way, our analyses suggest that suitable areas to designate new OSPAR MPAs are located around the Azores for blue whales and in the Fram Strait for bowhead whales. With these additional MPAs, OSPAR would substantially improve the protection of the two endangered species and, at the same time, progress towards its 30 × 30 target.
Opening and Closure of the Sulu Sea: Revealed by Its Peripheral Subduction and Collision Processes
Authors: Yang Yunliu , Xie Xinong , He Yunlong , Chen Hao
Published: August 2024

The Sulu Sea is a small marginal sea in the western Pacific, but it is a very complex and tectonically active region, situated amidst the convergence of the Eurasian, Pacific, and India-Australian plates. Deciphering its geodynamic evolution is crucial, but our understanding of its opening, closure, and tectonic history remains inadequate. The main aim of this study was to systematically study the opening and subsequent closure of the Sulu Sea though discerning tectonic unconformities, structural features, and subduction-collision tectonic zones around margins of the sea. The interpreted sections and gravity anomaly data indicate that the NE Sulu Sea has undergone Neogene extension and contraction due to subduction and collision along the northern margins of the Sulu Sea, whereas the SE Sulu Sea gradually extended from northwest to southeast during the Middle Miocene and has subsequently subducted since the Middle Miocene along the southeastern margins of the Sulu Sea. Several subduction and collision boundaries with different characteristics were developed including continent-continent collision, arc-continent collision, and ocean-arc subduction. The different margins of the Sulu Sea showed distinct asynchronous subduction and collision processes. The northern margins of the Sulu Sea can be divided into three subduction-collision tectonic zones from west to east: the Sabah-Nansha block collision has occurred in NE Borneo since the Early Miocene, followed by the SW Palawan-Cagayan arc collision in SW Palawan Island since the Middle Miocene, and the NW Palawan-Mindoro arc collision since the Late Miocene with further oblique subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate. The southeastern margins can also be divided into two subduction tectonic zones from south to east: the SE Sulu Sea has subducted southward beneath the Celebes Sea since the Middle Miocene, followed by the southeastward subduction beneath the Philippine Sea Plate since the Pliocene. Since the Miocene, the interactions among the Australia-India, the Philippine Sea, and the Eurasian plates have formed the circum-Sulu Sea subduction-collisional margins characterized by microplate collisions, deep-sea trough development, and thick sediments filling in the orogenic foreland. This study is significant for gaining insights into the opening and closure of marginal seas and the dynamics of multiple microplates in Southeast Asia.
Optimal Investments in the Portfolio Yield Reactive (PYR) Model
Authors: Loukeris Nikolaos , Eleftheriadis Iordanis
Published: August 2024

We evolved our past Portfolio Yield Reactive (PYR) model to provide a competitive system with infiltration of categorical information and fundamentals into advanced higher-order moments that support more objective portfolio selection aided by intelligent computing. The system of the PYR model searches for hidden corporate performance prototypes in big data from accounting and financial statements. The PYR model restricts malicious patterns, such as hoaxes, noise, and manipulation, incorporated into a novel optimal portfolio selection method.
Estimating Volatility of Saudi Stock Market Using Hybrid Dynamic Evolving Neural Fuzzy Inference System Models
Authors: Hamadneh Nawaf N. , Jaber Jamil J. , Sathasivam Saratha
Published: August 2024

This paper examines the volatility risk in the KSA stock market (Tadawul), with a specific focus on predicting volatility using the logarithm of the standard deviation of stock market prices (LSCP) as the output variable. To enhance volatility prediction, it proposes the combined use of the dynamic evolving neural fuzzy inference system (DENFIS) and the nonlinear spectral model, maximum overlapping discrete wavelet transform (MODWT). This study utilizes a dataset comprising 4609 observations and investigates the inputs of lag 1 of the close stock price (LCP), the natural logarithm of oil price (Loil), the natural logarithm of cost of living (LCL), and the interbank rate (IB), determined through autocorrelation (AC), partial autocorrelation (PAC), correlation, and Granger causality tests. Regression analysis reveals significant effects of variables on LSCP: LCP has a negative effect, and Loil has a positive effect in the ordinary least square (OLS) model, while LCL and IB have positive effects in the fixed effect model and negative effects in the random effect model. The MODWT-Haar-DENFIS model was developed as we found that the model has the potential to be an effective model for stock market forecasting. The results provide valuable insights for investors and policymakers, aiding in risk management, investment decisions, and the development of measures to mitigate stock market volatility.
Long-Term Complications of Aquafilling Injection after Male Breast Augmentation: A Case Report
Authors: Fast Anna , Radtke Christine
Published: August 2024

(1) Background: Aquafilling, a filler initially designed for contouring the face, was developed in 2005 by the company Biomedica, Czech Republic. It is composed of 98% hydrophilic gel and 2% copolyamide. Since 2008 the use was expanded for augmentation of the breast and gluteal region. It is suitable as a nonsurgical method for patients who want discreet augmentation and would like to avoid undergoing an operation. This method promises long-term results lasting up to 10 years. However, according to the literature Aquafilling gel can cause long-term complications; (2) Methods: This case report presents a male patient who experienced severe complications following Aquafilling injections for breast augmentation after ten years of treatment; (3) Results: A 51-year-old male patient presented to our emergency room with complaints of pain, firmness, major pre-pectoral swelling and asymmetry in his breasts. Due to the severity of the clinical appearance and the patient’s discomfort, surgical intervention was deemed necessary. After undergoing three operations the patient was treated successfully and could be discharged for outpatient controls. The patient still did not show any signs of complications, three months after the event; (4) Conclusions: Although the patient has made a rapid recovery, as a result of the surgical procedure, we would recommend treating the breast region with small incisions and drainage in the future. This would have a better aesthetic result. Still there is no antidote available for the treatment of Aquafilling gel. It can only be removed by surgical debridement or irrigation and drainage.
Predicting the Performance of Ensemble Classification Using Conditional Joint Probability
Authors: Murtza Iqbal , Kim Jin-Young , Adnan Muhammad
Published: August 2024

In many machine learning applications, there are many scenarios when performance is not satisfactory by single classifiers. In this case, an ensemble classification is constructed using several weak base learners to achieve satisfactory performance. Unluckily, the construction of the ensemble classification is empirical, i.e., to try an ensemble classification and if performance is not satisfactory then discard it. In this paper, a challenging analytical problem of the estimation of ensemble classification using the prediction performance of the base learners is considered. The proposed formulation is aimed at estimating the performance of ensemble classification without physically developing it, and it is derived from the perspective of probability theory by manipulating the decision probabilities of the base learners. For this purpose, the output of a base learner (which is either true positive, true negative, false positive, or false negative) is considered as a random variable. Then, the effects of logical disjunction-based and majority voting-based decision combination strategies are analyzed from the perspective of conditional joint probability. To evaluate the forecasted performance of ensemble classifier by the proposed methodology, publicly available standard datasets have been employed. The results show the effectiveness of the derived formulations to estimate the performance of ensemble classification. In addition to this, the theoretical and experimental results show that the logical disjunction-based decision outperforms majority voting in imbalanced datasets and cost-sensitive scenarios.
Impact of Surgical and Anesthetic Procedures after Colorectal Cancer Surgery: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study (The PROCOL Study)
Authors: Kuoch Céline , Bezu Lucillia
Published: August 2024

Background: Surgical inflammatory pain decreases the innate and adaptive immune antitumor response and favors residual circulating tumor cells. Objectives: This study investigated whether minimally invasive surgeries (laparoscopic and robotic procedures), which are less painful and inflammatory, improved oncological outcomes after colorectal resection compared to laparotomy. Methods: This research was a single-center propensity score-matched study involving patients who underwent colectomy and rectum resection from July 2017 to December 2019. Results: Seventy-four laparotomies and 211 minimally invasive procedures were included. Minimally invasive procedures were associated with less blood loss (0 mL vs. 75 mL, p < 0.001), shorter length of stay (8 days vs. 12 days, p < 0.001), and fewer complications at 3 months (11.8% vs. 29.4%, p = 0.02) compared to laparotomies. No difference in overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 3 years between groups was observed. Univariate Cox regression analyses demonstrated that age and ASA > 3 can negatively impact OS, while adjuvant chemotherapy can positively influence OS. pT3-T4 stage and postoperative pain could negatively influence RFS. Multivariate Cox regression analyses concluded that age (HR 1.08, p < 0.01) and epidural analgesia (HR 0.12, p = 0.03) were predictors for OS. Lidocaine infusion (HR 0.39, p = 0.04) was a positive predictor for RFS. Conclusions: Minimally invasive procedures reduce postoperative complications and shorten the length of hospital stay compared to major surgeries without improving prognosis. However, the administration of local anesthetics through neuraxial anesthesia or intravenous infusion could improve survival and decrease the occurrence of relapses.
Comparison of Effectiveness of Two Different Practical Approaches to Teaching Basic Life Support and Use of an Automated External Defibrillator in Primary School Children
Authors: Pitz Durič Nadja , Borovnik Lesjak Vesna , Strnad Matej
Published: August 2024

Background and Objectives: As the first three links of the chain of survival of victims of cardiac arrest depend on prompt action by bystanders, it is important to educate as much of the population as possible about basic life support and use of an automatic external defibrillator (BLS and AED). Schoolchildren are an accessible population that can be easily taught and numerous BLS and AED courses are available. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of two different practical approaches to teaching BLS and AED. Material and Methods: We compared two different BLS and AED courses (course A and B) offered to 280 eighth- and ninth-grade students in primary schools. Knowledge about and the intention to perform BLS and AED were evaluated using validated questionnaires before and after the courses. Descriptive methods were used to describe the results. To compare courses, we used the Mann–Whitney U test. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Differences in knowledge and intention to perform BLS and AED after the courses were significant between courses (p < 0.001 and p = 0.037, respectively). After course A, students demonstrated significantly better knowledge and numerically greater intention to perform BLS and AED (intention score 6.55 ± 0.61 out of 7). Conclusions: Courses in which students have the opportunity to individually practice BLS skills show a greater increase in knowledge and in intention to perform BLS and AED.
The Diatom Diversity and Ecological Status of a Tufa-Depositing River through eDNA Metabarcoding vs. a Morphological Approach—A Case Study of the Una River (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Authors: Kamberović Jasmina , Gligora Udovič Marija , Kulaš Antonija , Tapolczai Kálmán , Orlić Sandi , Jusufović Amela , Gajić Almina , Žutinić Petar , Ahmić Adisa , Kalamujić Stroil Belma
Published: August 2024

Tufa deposits in karst rivers are unique habitats created by mutual interactions between specific environmental and biotope features and inhabited by diatoms as a highly abundant and diverse algal group. This pilot study aimed to investigate the diversity of diatom communities on tufa depositing habitats and assess the Una River’s ecological status using a comparative molecular and morphological approach for diatom identification. The 312 base pairs of the rbcL gene were barcoded and analyzed using MiSeq reads and amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) obtained by the DADA2 pipeline. The reference database Diat.barcode v7 was used for taxonomic assignment. The morphological identification of the diatoms was carried out in parallel. In total, the combined dataset revealed 46 taxa identified at genus rank, 125 on the subgenus, and 145 on combined taxonomy rank. The metabarcoding approach mostly leads to a lower number of identified taxa at species rank (58 in molecular vs. 119 in optical inventory), resulting in higher values of beta diversity and heterogeneity in diatom assemblages in samples obtained by morphological approach. Despite the high percentage of taxonomically not assigned diatom ASVs to the species rank, high Shannon diversity index values and a similar number of taxa per locations compared to the morphological approach were obtained. Taxa Achnanthidium minutissimum (Kützing) Czarnecki, Achnanthidium pyrenaicum (Hustedt) H.Kobayasi, Amphora pediculus (Kützing) Grunow, Diatoma vulgaris Bory, Navicula cryptotenella Lange-Bertalot, and Navicula tripunctata (O.F.Müller) Bory were identified at all locations in both inventories. Although limited consistency in the diatom abundances between the two inventory datasets was found, a similar grouping of samples was observed connected to the river’s longitudinal gradient. The data obtained using molecular approach in most sites indicated a mostly lower ecological status (good or moderate) compared to the data obtained from the morphological approach (high, good, and moderate). The potential of environmental DNA (eDNA) diatom metabarcoding for water monitoring and diversity studies is undeniable, but to fully realize the benefits of these methods in the future, it is essential to standardize protocols and expand the reference database for species found in specific habitats, such as tufa deposits.
Antimicrobial Activity of Olive Leaf Extract to Oral Candida Isolates
Authors: Kinkela Devčić Maja , Pasković Igor , Kovač Zoran , Knežević Petra Tariba , Morelato Luka , Glažar Irena , Simonić-Kocijan Sunčana
Published: August 2024

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the antifungal activity of olive leaf extract (OLE) and the synergistic effect of standard antifungal therapy and OLE against clinical oral Candida species’ isolates. Materials and Method: The susceptibility of 60 clinical isolates of the Candida species (36 C. albicans, 16 C. krusei, 5 C. glabrata and 3 C. tropicalis) was tested with four concentrations of OLE (60 µg/µL, 120 µg/µL, 240 µg/µL and 333 µg/µL) and the synergistic effect of standard antifungal therapy and OLE (miconazole (MIC) + 333 µg/µL OLE and nystatin (NYS) + 333 µg/µL OLE). The antimicrobial activity was tested using the disk diffusion method. Results: All concentrations (60 µg/µL, 120 µg/µL, 240 µg/µL and 333 µg/µL) of OLE showed a statistically significant effect on all Candida species compared to the control (DMSO) except for the lowest concentration (60 µg/µL) tested on C. glabrata. There was a dose-dependent effect of OLE on tested samples. Concentrations of 240 µg/µL and 333 µg/µL showed statistically significant higher antifungal activity compared to the lowest concentration of 60 µg/µL. No statistically significant synergistic effect of OLE and standard antifungal therapy was found compared with standard therapy alone. Conclusions: The results of this study present the significant antimicrobial effect of OLE against all tested Candida species except for the lowest concentration on C. glabrata. Increasing the concentration of OLE also increases its effect on Candida species. This indicates the possible potential effect of OLE in the treatment of Candida-related oral diseases.
Cholesterol Efflux Decreases TLR4-Target Gene Expression in Cultured Macrophages Exposed to T. brucei Ghosts
Authors: Fernando Lawrence , Echesabal-Chen Jing , Miller Murphy , Powell Rhonda Reigers , Bruce Terri , Paul Apurba , Poudyal Nava , Saliutama Joshua , Parman Kristina , Paul Kimberly S. , Stamatikos Alexis
Published: August 2024

Trypanosoma brucei causes African trypanosomiasis in humans. Infection with T. brucei elicits a potent pro-inflammatory immune response within infected human hosts, and this response is thought to at least be partially due to Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation. In response to stimulation by lipopolysaccharide and other pathogen antigens, TLR4 translocates to lipid rafts, which induces the expression of pro-inflammatory genes. However, cholesterol efflux is acknowledged as anti-inflammatory due to promoting lipid raft disruption. In this study, we wanted to assess the impact of T. brucei “ghosts”, which are non-viable T. brucei essentially devoid of intracellular contents, in stimulating macrophage TLR4 translocation to lipid rafts, and whether promoting cholesterol efflux in macrophages incubated with T. brucei ghosts attenuates TLR4-target gene expression. When cultured macrophages were exposed to T. brucei ghosts, we observed an increase in lipid raft TLR4 protein content, which suggests certain surface molecules of T. brucei serve as ligands for TLR4. However, pretreating macrophages with cholesterol acceptors before T. brucei ghost exposure decreased lipid raft TLR4 protein content and the expression of pro-inflammatory TLR4-target genes. Taken together, these results imply that macrophage cholesterol efflux weakens pro-inflammatory responses which occur from T. brucei infection via increasing macrophage lipid raft disruption.
There Is Worse: The Serpent’s Curse Compared to That of Eve. For a New Order
Authors: Ombrosi Orietta
Published: August 2024

By interpreting both the account of Creation found in Genesis 3 and the related exegetical interpretations of the text, this article aims to focus on the figure of the serpent, which has always been laden with a negative, even ruthless, symbolic meaning traditionally approached as almost entirely irrevocable. Taking ‘original nakedness’ as the key perspective, this brief study seeks to bring out and highlight the moment or condition preceding the curse, in which the serpent is revealed to be at once extremely similar to and radically different from humans, an animal as well but profoundly different from other animals: ill-placed. Sharing its solitude and alienation in this slippery and uncomfortable boundary position, participating in its desire, its temptation to encounter the other and to change places, to blur the boundaries of creation, this article listens to the serpent’s call to another story and follows it/him in an attempt to reimagine and rewrite another genesis, this time from its/his point of view, to displace and mix-up the established order and to find, in the end, a new dignity for itself/himself and for other animals.
Multiple Materialities of the Offering in Egypt: The Case of mnpḥ
Authors: Meeks Dimitri
Published: August 2024

Egyptian temples are profusely decorated with scenes showing the pharaoh performing animal sacrifices, offering food, or presenting various objects with symbolic value. In this last case, the image of what is offered is usually easy to identify, but the image alone is not sufficient to explain the purpose of the offering. Texts accompanying the offering scene explain the role of the pharaoh and gods involved, the nature of the offering, and its role based on mythological events and their theological interpretation. Some lists of materia sacra, unfortunately, almost all from the Hellenistic or Roman period, give information of this kind but in a very laconic form. In some cases, the offered object is not immediately recognisable. Discovering its identity as a real object, then as a symbolic one, leads to revealing its apparent multiplicity of roles and even materialities. The example of the object called mnpḥ is particularly illustrative in this respect. It is an oryx skin, but it was also regarded as a cloth and as a part of boats belonging to different gods. This article aims at explaining the logic that links these different roles.
Simple Green Purification of Spilanthol from Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent and Ethanolic Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen Extracts Using Solid-Phase Extraction
Authors: Alperth Fabian , Erhart Sebastian , Kunert Olaf , Bucar Franz
Published: August 2024

Spilanthol is a major N-alkylamide constituent of Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen with diverse pharmacological properties. We recently showed the applicability of NADES (natural deep eutectic solvents) for the green extraction of spilanthol. However, the purification of targets from NADES poses a challenging step due to their non-volatility. A simple green method to retrieve spilanthol with minimal instrumental effort was devised, fractioning NADES (choline chloride/methylurea, choline chloride/1,2-propanediol, choline chloride/citric acid) and dry ethanolic extracts by SPE on C18 material, eluting merely with ethanolic solutions. The relative distribution of spilanthol and organic adulteration in SPE fractions were detected by HPLC-DAD, followed by scale-up, quantification and purity determination in an NMR-based approach. Isocratic elution with 52% ethanol (v/v) proved suitable in all experiments. The three purest 10 mL fractions combined yielded 12.21 mg spilanthol at 71.65% purity from NADES extract ChCl/P (choline chloride/1,2-propanediol, molar ratio 1:2, +20% m/m water). Ethanolic extract samples showed purities ranging from 77.27 to 80.27% in combined raw fractions. For all samples, purity increased by removing non-soluble substances from organic solutions. Pooled NADES extract fractions showed 89.71% in final samples, ethanolic extracts 87.25 to 91.93%. The highest purities of individual fractions per extract were 89.23 to 94.15%. This cheap and simple purification process is promising to acquire spilanthol for research purposes or as a sample preparation step before HPLC on a semi-preparative to preparative scale, as the substance is highly priced and scarcely available on the market. Organic solvents can be reused, and preliminary scale-up possibilities are shown.
Characterization of Commercial and Custom-Made Printing Filament Materials for Computed Tomography Imaging of Radiological Phantoms
Authors: Okkalidis Filippos , Chatzigeorgiou Chrysoula , Okkalidis Nikiforos , Dukov Nikolay , Milev Minko , Bliznakov Zhivko , Mettivier Giovanni , Russo Paolo , Bliznakova Kristina
Published: August 2024

In recent years, material extrusion-based additive manufacturing, particularly fused filament fabrication (FFF), has gained significant attention due to its versatility and cost-effectiveness in producing complex geometries. This paper presents the characterization of seven novel materials for FFF and twenty-two commercially available filaments in terms of X-ray computed tomography (CT) numbers, as tissue mimicking materials for the realization of 3D printed radiological phantoms. Two technical approaches, by 3D printing of cube samples and by producing cylinders of melted materials, are used for achieving this goal. Results showed that the CT numbers, given in Hounsfield unit (HU), of all the samples depended on the beam kilovoltage (kV). The CT numbers ranged from +411 HU to +3071 HU (at 80 kV), from −422 HU to +3071 HU (at 100 kV), and from −442 HU to +3070 HU (at 120 kV). Several commercial and custom-made filaments demonstrated suitability for substituting soft and hard human tissues, for realization of 3D printed phantoms with FFF in CT imaging. For breast imaging, an anthropomorphic phantom with two filaments could be fabricated using ABS-C (conductive acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) as a substitute for breast adipose tissue, and ASA-A (acrylic styrene acrylonitrile) for glandular breast tissue.
A Generalizable Prioritization Protocol for Climate-Sensitive Zoonotic Diseases
Authors: Castonguay Adam C. , Chowdhury Sukanta , Shanta Ireen Sultana , Schrijver Bente , Schrijver Remco , Wang Shiyong , Soares Magalhães Ricardo J.
Published: August 2024

Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases pose a significant threat to global health and economic security. This threat is further aggravated by amplifying drivers of change, including climate hazards and landscape alterations induced by climate change. Given the complex relationships between climate change and zoonotic disease health outcomes, a structured decision-making process is required to effectively identify pathogens of greatest concern to prioritize prevention and surveillance efforts. Here, we describe a workshop-based expert elicitation process in six steps to prioritize climate-sensitive zoonoses based on a structured approach to defining criteria for climate sensitivity. Fuzzy analytical hierarchy process methodology is used to analyze data provided by experts across human, animal, and environmental health sectors accounting for uncertainties at different stages of the prioritization process. We also present a new interactive expert elicitation interface that facilitates data collection and real-time visualization of prioritization results. The novel approach presented in this paper offers a generalized platform for prioritizing climate-sensitive zoonoses at a national or regional level. This allows for a structured decision-making support process when allocating limited financial and personnel resources to enhance preparedness and response to zoonotic diseases amplified by climate change.
A Study of the Accretion–Jet Coupling of Black Hole Objects at Different Scales
Authors: Yang Zhou , Long Qing-Chen , Yang Wei-Jia , Dong Ai-Jun
Published: August 2024

The fundamental plane of black hole activity is a very important tool to study accretion and jets. However, we found that the SEDs of AGNs and XRBs are different in the 2–10 keV energy band, and it seems inappropriate to use 2–10 keV X-ray luminosities to study the fundamental plane. In this work, we use the luminosity near the peak of the blackbody radiation of the active galactic nuclei and black hole binaries to replace the 2–10 keV luminosity. We re-explore the fundamental plane of black hole activity by using the 2500 A˚ luminosity as the peak luminosity of the blackbody radiation of AGNs and 1 keV luminosity as the peak luminosity of the blackbody radiation of XRBs. We compile samples of black hole binaries and active galactic nuclei with luminosity near the peak luminosity of blackbody radiation and study the fundamental plane between radio luminosity (LR), the peak luminosity of blackbody radiation (Lpeak), and black hole mass (MBH). We find that the radio–peak luminosity correlations are L5GHz/LEdd∝(L2500A˚/LEdd)1.55 and L5GHz/LEdd∝(L1keV/LEdd)1.53 for AGN and XRB, respectively, in the radiatively efficient sample, and L5GHz/LEdd∝(L2500A˚/LEdd)0.48 and L5GHz/LEdd∝(L1keV/LEdd)0.53 in the radiatively inefficient sample, respectively. Based on the similarities in radio–peak correlations, we further propose a fundamental plane in radio luminosity, the peak luminosity of blackbody radiation, and black hole mass, which is radiatively efficient: logL5GHz=1.57−0.01+0.01logLpeak−0.32−0.16+0.16logMBH−27.73−0.34+0.34 with a scatter of σR = 0.48 dex, and radiatively inefficient: logL5GHz=0.45−0.01+0.01logLpeak+0.91−0.10+0.12logMBH+12.58−0.38+0.38 with a scatter of σR = 0.63 dex. Our results are similar to those of previous studies on the fundamental plane for radiatively efficient and radiatively inefficient black hole activity. However, our results exhibit a smaller scatter, so when using the same part of blackbody radiation (i.e., the peak luminosity of the blackbody radiation), the fundamental plane becomes a little bit tighter.
Mapping Local Climate Zones (LCZ) Change in the 5 Largest Cities of Switzerland
Authors: Moix Estelle , Giuliani Gregory
Published: August 2024

In the face of climate change and population growth, Local Climate Zone (LCZ) maps have emerged as crucial tools for urban planners and policymakers to address Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects, thereby playing a significant role in mitigating climate change. This study presents a methodology for classifying major Swiss cities into LCZs, offering an efficient, cost-effective, and uniform tool for supporting climate action plans across municipalities and cantons. Initial results show that Sentinel-2, Landsat 8, and Landsat 5 imagery perform well in LCZ classification with an overall accuracy usually exceeding 80%, and Sentinel-2 displays marginally superior performance. Temporal analysis reveals that the built-up classes of Open low-rise and Open mid-rise have increased by ~3%, while Large low-rise and Bare rock or paved have decreased, and Compact mid-rise remains stable. For the natural classes, Water and Dense trees remain stable, but Low plants have declined (~4%). A general decline in overall accuracy over time is noted, attributed to landscape changes. This preliminary effort emphasizes the need to enhance and automate the methodology, integrate it into the Swiss Data Cube, and potentially extend analyses with climate data to better study UHI effects. Future work will include developing visualization and tracking services for urban planners and authorities.
Morphometric Assessment of the Hip Joint in a Functional Dysplastic Rabbit Model
Authors: Tomé Inês , Costa Luís , Alves-Pimenta Sofia , Sargo Roberto , Pereira José , Colaço Bruno , Ginja Mário
Published: August 2024

The present study investigates the morphometric changes in the hip joint in a surgically induced rabbit model of hip dysplasia through the sectioning of the ligamentum capitis femoris and pelvic limb immobilization. A total of seventeen rabbits were evaluated using radiographic and computed tomographic imaging to measure the following parameters: the femoral angles of anteversion and inclination, length and width indexes of the neck of the femur, and acetabular depth and ventroversion. Significant differences in femoral anteversion angle and acetabular depth were observed, particularly in the group of hip instability surgery with pelvic limb immobilization. The results have shown the influence of hip joint instability in the promotion of femoral anteversion and acetabular shallowing. These findings provide a foundation for future research on naturally occurring or experimentally induced hip dysplasia in rabbits and underscore the model’s potential for studying the biomechanical and developmental aspects of hip joint disorders.
Relación entre rasgos de personalidad, estilos de aprendizaje y su impacto en el rendimiento académico
Authors: Rivera Rojas Claudia Noemi , Matos Juarez Analy Solange , Sánchez Chávez Valentina , Chiri Saravia Paulo Cesar
Published: August 2024

La relación entre los rasgos de personalidad, los estilos de aprendizaje y el rendimiento académico es crucial para comprender cómo estos factores afectan el éxito de los estudiantes. Este estudio tiene como objetivo identificar el nivel de influencia de la personalidad y los estilos de aprendizaje en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes universitarios. Se realizó un estudio cuantitativo con un análisis correlacional causal, utilizando una muestra probabilística de 238 estudiantes. Se emplearon el Cuestionario Breve de Personalidad (CBP) y las calificaciones del último trimestre para la recolección de datos. Los resultados mostraron que el 61.3% de los estudiantes presentan una personalidad en un nivel regular, el 53.7% tienen un estilo de aprendizaje en nivel regular, y el 58.8% obtienen un rendimiento académico en nivel regular. Las conclusiones indican que tanto los rasgos de personalidad como los estilos de aprendizaje influyen significativamente en el rendimiento académico, con una contribución del 72.4% en el desempeño de los estudiantes.
Karakterisasi dan Pengaruh Waktu Polimerisasi terhadap Sifat Fisik dan Efisiensi Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) Berbasis Poli Kuersetin
Authors: Fisyabilillah Dea , Hardeli Hardeli
Published: August 2024

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are solar cells that use dye to absorb photons from sunlight, which are then converted into electrical energy. In this study, quercetin, a flavonoid dye, was polymerized to increase the number of conjugated bonds, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the DSSCs produced. The aim of this research is to determine how polymerization time of polyquercetin affects the energy conversion efficiency of the DSSCs. The polymerized quercetin was characterized using FTIR, density, and viscosity measurements. FTIR results indicated the presence of functional groups such as O-H phenol, C=O carbonyl, C=C aromatic, and C-O, confirming the occurrence of polymerization. The polymerized quercetin was measured with a multimeter, revealing an optimal efficiency of 19.5% at a polymerization time of 45 minutes. Density and viscosity tests provided a molecular weight of polyquercetin of 20,117.3804 g/mol, resulting in a degree of polymerization of 66.56 polyquercetin chains.
FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG BERHUBUNGAN DENGAN MASALAH EMOSI DAN PERILAKU REMAJA DI PANTI ASUHAN
Authors: Nursyamsiyah Nursyamsiyah , Fatah Vera Fauziah , Ariyanti Metia
Published: August 2024

Remaja yang tinggal di panti asuhan merupakan salah satu kelompok yang berisiko mengalami masalah kesehatan. Salah satu masalah kesehatan yang umum terjadi adalah masalah emosi dan perilaku yang dapat dipengaruhi oleh berbagai faktor. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan masalah emosi dan perilaku remaja di panti asuhan. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan desain cross sectional. Sebanyak 105 remaja menjadi sampel dalam penelitian ini yang diambil menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Instrumen The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire digunakan untuk mengukur masalah emosi dan perilaku remaja. Analisis data univariat menggunakan distribusi frekuensi dan analisis bivariat menggunakan uji Chi-square. Sebanyak 46.7% remaja mengalami kesulitan emosi dan perilaku, dengan proporsi masalah teman sebaya 47,6%, masalah emosi 37,1%, masalah perilaku 30.5%, hiperaktivitas 21% dan masalah prososial 13.3%. Dukungan sosial merupakan faktor yang berhubungan dengan keseluruhan masalah kesulitan emosi dan perilaku remaja (p=0,046). Berdasarkan domainnya, jenis kelamin merupakan faktor yang berhubungan dengan masalah emosi (p=0.007), perilaku (p=0.016) dan hiperaktivitas (p=0.029), sedangkan dukungan sosial berhubungan dengan masalah teman sebaya (p=0.002) dan masalah perilaku prososial (p=0.028). Faktor risiko dalam penelitian ini dapat dijadikan masukan dalam upaya menurunkan masalah emosi dan perilaku remaja di panti asuhan.
Arte e Educação Ambiental: a experiência da Coletânea Histórias para Colorir a Alma
Authors: Azevedo Karoline , Almeida Luana , Alves-Martins Fernanda , Rosa Bruna Maria Barbosa da , Malhado Ana Cláudia Mendes
Published: August 2024

A coletânea "Histórias para Colorir a Alma" foi criada para trazer narrativas positivas de conservação ambiental ao público infantil. Com uma abordagem lúdica, as histórias imergem as crianças nas experiências de diversas entidades naturais, promovendo a reflexão sobre a conexão humana com o meio ambiente. Cada narrativa destaca protagonistas da biodiversidade, como macacos, manguezais, pedras, sapos e serpentes, que compartilham os desafios enfrentados devido às atividades humanas, cultivando empatia e incentivando ações sustentáveis. Temas como "caça" e "mineração" são abordados em histórias como "Um Luar no Manguezal", “Um Poema sobre o Defeso dos Caranguejos”, e "A História do Dino Diamantino", que conta a trajetória de uma pedra preciosa que se disfarça de carvão para evitar a mineração. Esta coletânea de três volumes, desenvolvida por pesquisadores da Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL), oferece contos encantadores sobre conservação ambiental, sempre sob a perspectiva dos habitantes da natureza. O material inclui ilustrações para colorir, promovendo a criatividade, um glossário com informações sobre os personagens, e uma seção para que as crianças possam criar suas próprias histórias. Através desta coleção, esperamos contribuir para os hábitos de leitura e o desenvolvimento educacional das crianças, fortalecendo seu vínculo com o meio ambiente.
O jogo digital OIKOS Brasil e a Educação Ambiental para crianças
Authors: Canto-Dorow Thais Scotti do , Figueiredo Nicolas de Souza Brandão de , Cerezer Maritza Vestena , Vestena Rosemar de Fátima
Published: August 2024

Este trabalho objetiva apresentar o jogo digital “Oikos Brasil”, elaborado com o intuito de mediar saberes ambientais na educação básica. “Oikos Brasil” é uma coletânea de seis jogos, cada um apresentando um bioma brasileiro, com suas principais problemáticas ambientais. Após a conclusão do jogo digital, este foi aplicado em dinâmica com alunos do ensino fundamental e, a partir dessa experiência, responderam a um questionário com a temática de biodiversidade, ecologia e problemas ambientais brasileiros. Espera-se que o “Oikos Brasil” sirva de subsídio para a qualificação do ensino e aprendizagem, aproximando alunos do conteúdo e da oportunidade para tornarem-se cidadãos críticos, capazes de repensar suas ações ambientais.
Efficacy of 532-nm Nd: YAG Fractional Picosecond Laser with 9 mm High Coverage Handpiece Micro Lens Array in the Treatment of Facial Partial Unilateral Lentiginosis: A Case Report
Authors: Lueangarun Suparuj , Tempark Therdpong
Published: August 2024

Introduction: Facial partial unilateral lentiginosis (PUL) is an infrequent skin pigmentation disorder characterized by multiple lentigines. Despite the availability of various treatment modalities, there is no standard treatment for PUL. This study reports a successful treatment of facial PUL in a female patient using a novel 532-nm Nd:YAG fractional picosecond laser (FPL). Case Report: The patient underwent four treatment sessions at four-week intervals. The treatments were administered using a 9 mm high coverage handpiece micro lens array (MLA), with a fluence of 0.2–0.4 J/cm², a frequency of 2 Hz for 2-3 passes, and approximately 10% overlap. The treatment was well-tolerated by the patient, with significant improvement in pigmentation and no significant side effects observed. The outcomes confirmed the efficacy of the 532-nm Nd:YAG FPL in treating facial PUL. Conclusion: The 532-nm Nd:YAG FPL appears to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment for facial PUL, offering significant improvement in pigmentation without notable side effects.
Temperature Rise and Pain Following the Use of 810 and 980 nm Diode Lasers for Second-Stage Dental Implant Surgery: A Clinical Trial
Authors: Hosseini Mehvar Bahareh , Azizi Arash , Lavaf Shirin , Etemadi Ardavan , Hassani Ali
Published: August 2024

Introduction: Many surgical procedures in a soft tissue are performed using diodes lasers. This study aimed to assess the temperature rise and pain following the use of 810 and 980 nm diode lasers for second-stage dental implant surgery. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 24 osseointegrated dental implants that were randomly divided into two groups of 810 nm and 980 nm diode lasers. The temperature rise in each group was measured right after uncovering by the laser and 15 minutes later by a thermocouple, compared with the baseline temperature of gingival tissue. The level of pain was also measured at 24 hours postoperatively by using a visual analog scale. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, Tukey’s test, and t test (alpha=0.05). Results: Within-group comparisons by ANOVA showed a significant difference in tissue temperature between the three time points in both groups (P<0.0001). Pairwise comparisons by Tukey’s test showed that the temperature at baseline (P<0.0001) and 15 seconds after uncovering was significantly lower than that immediately after uncovering in both groups (P<0.0001). The mean tissue temperature and the mean pain score in the 980 nm laser group were significantly higher than the corresponding values in the 810 nm laser group (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, temperature rise in the use of the 980 nm laser was higher than the 810 nm laser. The use of 810 nm diode laser was associated with lower temperature rise and significantly lower pain score after 24 hours.