bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Childbirth self-efficacy and fear of childbirth and their predictors in adolescent and adult pregnant women referring to health centres of Urmia-Iran: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Effati Daryani Fatemeh , Mohammadi Azam , Mirghafourvand Mojgan
Published: October 2023

Objective

Adolescent pregnancy as a growing phenomenon in the world has been investigated from different aspects. However, the examination of childbirth fear and self-efficacy has received less attention. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the self-efficacy and fear of childbirth and to determine their predictors in adolescent and adult pregnant women.

Design

In this comparative cross-sectional study, participants were selected through two-stage cluster sampling method. Data were collected using the Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory and Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire. The Pearson correlation test, independent t-test, and general linear model were used for data analysis.

Setting

Urmia health centres, Iran in 2020.

Participants

Three hundred and sixty adults and adolescent pregnant women.

Results

The mean (SD) of fear of childbirth was 114.7 (14.1) and 108.1 (23.1) in adolescent and adult pregnant women, respectively. The mean (SD) of childbirth self-efficacy in the active phase and the second stage of labour respectively were also obtained 208.8 (28.6) and 203.5 (32.1) for adolescent pregnant women and 213.8 (25.7) and 212.0 (26.5) for adult ones. There was a significant difference between adolescent and adult pregnant women in fear of childbirth (p=0.001), self-efficacy expectancy (p=0.003) and total childbirth self-efficacy (p=0.008) in the second stage of labour. After adjusting the sociodemographic characteristics, the mean score of fear of childbirth was significantly higher in adolescent pregnant women than in adult ones whereas the mean total self-efficacy score in the second stage of labour was significantly lower in adolescent pregnant women than in adult ones.

Conclusion

This study showed that adolescent pregnant women had more fear of childbirth and low self-efficacy than adult mothers, and there was also a relationship between fear of childbirth and self-efficacy. Paying more attention to fear and self-efficacy in childbirth and their predictors by health providers can improve pregnancy and childbirth outcomes.
Factors affecting point-of-care ultrasound implementation in general practice: a survey in Danish primary care clinics
Authors: Andersen Camilla Aakjær , Brodersen John Brandt , Graumann Ole , Davidsen Annette Sofie , Jensen Martin Bach
Published: October 2023

Objective

The implementation of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in general practice varies, but it is unknown what determines this variation. The purpose of this study was to explore (1) the overall proportion of POCUS-users among general practitioners (GPs), (2) the current use of POCUS by GPs, (3) factors related to the implementation of POCUS in general practice and (4) GPs’ concerns related to POCUS use in general practice.

Design

An online survey was distributed in June 2019.

Setting

General practice.

Participants

GPs working in office-based primary care clinics in Denmark.

Main outcome measures

The questionnaire was developed using mixed methods and included questions about participants’ characteristics, past POCUS training and experience, capability, opportunity and motivation for using POCUS in the primary care setting. Results were summarised using descriptive statistics. Association between GPs’ background characteristics and POCUS use was tested using logistics regression.

Results

Responses were analysed from 1216 questionnaires corresponding to 36.4% of all GPs in Denmark. The majority (72.3%) of participants had previous POCUS experience, 14.7% had access to a POCUS device and 11.5% used POCUS. Several factors motivated participants to use POCUS. However, barriers existed such as lack of remuneration and high workload. Additionally, many GPs questioned their ability to scan with sufficient diagnostic accuracy and the impact of POCUS on the consultation. Of non-users, 28.7% believed they would be using POCUS in the future.

Conclusion

Although, the majority of GPs had past experience with POCUS and felt motivated to use it, few had implemented POCUS. Several factors influenced the GPs’ capability, opportunity and motivation for using POCUS and several concerns were registered by non-users.
A Parent–child yoga intervention for reducing attention deficits in children with congenital heart disease: the Yoga for Little Hearts Feasibility Study Protocol
Authors: Simard Marie-Noëlle , Lepage Charles , Gaudet Isabelle , Paquette Natacha , Doussau Amélie , Poirier Nancy C , Beauchamp Miriam H , Côté Sylvana M , Pinchefsky Elana , Brossard-Racine Marie , Mâsse Benoît , Gallagher Anne
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Preschoolers and school-aged children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at higher risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with the general population. To this day, no randomised controlled trial (RCT) aiming to improve attention has been conducted in young children with CHD. There is emerging evidence indicating that parent–child yoga interventions improve attention and reduce ADHD symptoms in both typically developing and clinical populations.

Methods and analysis

This is a single-blind, two-centre, two-arm trial during which 24 children with CHD and their parents will be randomly assigned to (1) a parent–child yoga intervention in addition to standard clinical care or (2) standard clinical care alone. All participants will undergo standardised assessments: (1) at baseline, (2) immediately post-treatment and (3) 6 months post-treatment. Descriptive statistics will be used to estimate the feasibility and neurodevelopmental outcomes. This feasibility study will evaluate: (1) recruitment capacity; (2) retention, drop-out and withdrawal rates during the yoga programme and at the 6-month follow-up; (3) adherence to the intervention; (4) acceptability of the randomisation process by families; (5) heterogeneity in the delivery of the intervention between instructors and use of home-based exercises between participants; (6) proportion of missing data in the neurodevelopmental assessments and (7) SD of primary outcomes of the full RCT in order to determine the future appropriate sample size.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been obtained by the Research Ethics Board of the Sainte-Justine University Hospital. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and conferences and presented to the Canadian paediatric grand round meetings.

Trial registration number

NCT05997680.
Long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in children born after vacuum-assisted delivery compared with second-stage caesarean delivery and spontaneous vaginal delivery: a cohort study
Authors: Romero Stefhanie , Lindström Katarina , Listermar Johanna , Westgren Magnus , Ajne Gunilla
Published: October 2023

Objective

To evaluate long-term neurodevelopment in children born after low-or mid-station vacuum-assisted delivery (VAD) compared with children delivered by second-stage caesarean delivery (SSCD) or spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD).

Design

Cross-sectional cohort study.

Setting

Two delivery wards, Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden.

Patients

253 children born by low-station or mid-station VAD, 247 children born after an SVD, and 86 children born via an SSCD accepted to participate.

Interventions

The Five-to-Fifteen questionnaire was used as a validated screening method for neurodevelopmental difficulties, assessed by parents.

Main outcomes measures

Results in the Five-to-Fifteen questionnaire. In addition, registered neurodevelopmental ICD-10 diagnoses were collected. Regression analyses estimated associations between delivery modes.

Results

Children born after VAD exhibited an increased rate of long-term neurodevelopmental difficulties in motor skills (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.8) and perception (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.002 to 2.9) compared with SVD. Similar findings were seen in the group delivered with an SSCD compared with SVD (motor skills: OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.8 to 6.4 and perception: OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.4). The increased odds for motor skills difficulties after VAD and SSCD remained after adjusting for proposed confounding variables. There were significantly more children in the VAD group with registered neurodevelopmental ICD-10 diagnoses such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders.

Conclusions

The differences in long-term neurodevelopmental difficulties in children delivered with a VAD or SSCD compared with SVD in this study indicate the need for increased knowledge in the field to optimise the management of second stage of labour.
Development of the Life Gatekeeper suicide prevention training programme in China: a Delphi study
Authors: Cai Chengxi , Yin Chen , Tong Yongsheng , Qu Diyang , Ding Yunzhi , Ren Daixi , Chen Peiyu , Yin Yi , An Jing , Chen Runsen
Published: October 2023

Background

Youth suicide has been a pressing public mental health concern in China, yet there is a lack of gatekeeper intervention programmes developed locally to prevent suicide among Chinese adolescents.

Aims

The current Delphi study was the first step in the systematic development of the Life Gatekeeper programme, the first gatekeeper programme to be developed locally in China that aims to equip teachers and parents with the knowledge, skills and ability to identify and intervene with students at high risk of suicide.

Methods

The Delphi method was used to elicit a consensus of experts who were invited to evaluate the importance of training content, the feasibility of the training delivery method, the possibility of achieving the training goals and, finally, the appropriateness of the training materials. Two Delphi rounds were conducted among local experts with diversified professional backgrounds in suicide research and practice. Statements were accepted for inclusion in the adjusted training programme if they were endorsed by at least 80% of the panel.

Results

Consensus was achieved on 201 out of 207 statements for inclusion into the adapted guidelines for the gatekeeper programme, with 151 from the original questionnaire and 50 generated from comments of the panel members. These endorsed statements were synthesised to develop the content of the Life Gatekeeper training programme.

Conclusions

This Delphi study provided an evidence base for developing the first gatekeeper training programme systematically and locally in China. We hope that the current study can pave the way for more evidence-based suicide prevention programmes in China. Further study is warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Life Gatekeeper training programme.
Asymmetric anti-CLL-1×CD3 bispecific antibody, ABL602 2+1, with attenuated CD3 affinity endows potent antitumor activity but limited cytokine release
Authors: Lee Eunhee , Lee Shinai , Park Sumyeong , Son Yong-Gyu , Yoo Jiseon , Koh Youngil , Shin Dong-Yeop , Lim Yangmi , Won Jonghwa
Published: October 2023

Background

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of leukemia in adults with a high mortality rate and poor prognosis. Although targeted therapeutics, chemotherapy, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can improve the prognosis, the recurrence rate is still high, with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 40%. This study aimed to develop an IgG-based asymmetric bispecific antibody that targets CLL-1 and CD3 for treating AML.

Methods

ABL602 candidates were compared in terms of binding activity, T-cell activation, and tumor-killing activities. ABL602-mediated T-cell activation and tumor-killing activities were determined by measuring the expression of activation markers, cytokines, cytolytic proteins, and the proportion of dead cells. We evaluated in vivo tumor growth inhibitory activity in two mouse models bearing subcutaneously and orthotopically engrafted human AML. Direct tumor-killing activity and T-cell activation in patient-derived AML blasts were also evaluated.

Results

ABL602 2+1 showed a limited CD3 binding in the absence of CLL-1, suggesting that steric hindrance on the CD3 binding arm could reduce CLL-1 expression-independent CD3 binding. Although the CD3 binding activity was attenuated compared with that of 1+1, ABL602 2+1 exhibited much stronger T-cell activation and potent tumor-killing activities in AML cell lines. ABL602 2+1 efficiently inhibited tumor progression in subcutaneously and orthotopically engrafted AML mouse models. In the orthotopic mouse model, tumor growth inhibition was observed by gross measurement of luciferase activity, as well as a reduced proportion of AML blasts in the bone marrow, as determined by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. ABL602 2+1 efficiently activated T cells and induced the lysis of AML blasts, even at very low effector:target (E:T) ratios (eg, 1:50). Compared with the reference 1+1 antibody, ABL602 did not induce the release of cytokines including interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the healthy donor-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cell.

Conclusions

With its potent tumor-killing activity and reduced cytokine release, ABL602 2+1 is a promising candidate for treating patients with AML and warrants further study.
Efficacy of adhesive strapping on umbilical hernia in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies
Authors: Sugimoto Takuya , Tahara Kazunori , Uchida Koshi , Yoshimoto Kazuhiko
Published: October 2023

Background

Although adhesive strapping (AS) for pediatric umbilical hernia (UH), which was once obsolete, has been reconsidered as a common practice in Japan, its efficacy is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate its efficacy by reviewing related articles.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and Igaku Chuo Zasshi via Ichushi-Web was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Cohort studies reporting on the UH closure rate after AS compared with observation-only management were included.

Results

A total of 10 cohort studies were included, and the overall UH closure rate was not statistically significant (p=0.31, risk ratio (RR)=0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45 to 1.28). However, there were significant differences in the UH closure rate at the age of 6 months (p<0.01, RR=0.55, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.75) and the efficacy of preventing protruding umbilici with redundant skin (p=0.049, RR=0.16, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.99).

Conclusions

Although the efficacy of AS on UH compared with observation-only management did not differ in terms of the UH closure rate, the application of AS may be effective for faster UH closure and the prevention of protruding umbilici. However, due to the high heterogeneity of the study, further large-scale studies, particularly randomized controlled trials, are warranted to reach a conclusion.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022314417.
Monitoring ground-nesting seabirds in the Canadian Arctic: the Nasaruvaalik Island Field Station
Authors: Mallory Mark L.
Published: October 2023

The Nasaruvaalik Island field station in the high Arctic was established to facilitate research and monitoring on rare seabird species, largely to meet regulatory obligations defined in Canada's Species At Risk Act. After building a small research facility at the site, investigations have not only shed new insights on at-risk seabirds but have (1) provided new insights into movements and annual habitat needs of other ground-nesting seabirds, (2) shown effects of weather on seabird breeding effort and success, (3) determined contaminant concentrations in species that have generally been overlooked in Arctic pollution monitoring, and (4) have captured trends in local breeding populations that appear to mirror region-wide trends. However, the future of monitoring at the site is unclear, as safety concerns, considerations of new approaches to Arctic research, and monitoring priorities in a time of multiple environmental stressors may be shifting.
Lake water chemistry and its relationship to shoreline residential development and natural landscape features in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada
Authors: DeSellas Anna M. , Paterson Andrew M. , Rühland Kathleen M. , Smol John P.
Published: October 2023

There is a scarcity of long-term chemical monitoring data for lakes in Algonquin Provincial Park (APP), with minimal understanding of the impacts of cottage-leases (e.g., cottage lots, campgrounds, and commercial leases) on lake water chemistry. We examine spatial patterns in water chemistry and landscape features of 32 reference and 22 cottage-lease lakes in APP. Multivariate techniques were used to examine differences in water chemistry, and to identify the subset of landscape features that best explain this variability. Breakpoint analysis was used to examine the relationship between gradients of water chemistry and specific landscape features. Lakes were separated along a primary gradient of ions and pH and a secondary gradient of nutrients and colour. These gradients were best explained by a combination of six landscape features (wetlands, elevation, lake depth, road length, and coniferous trees). Except for chloride, there was no statistically significant difference in water chemistry between cottage-lease and reference lakes. A roughly west-to-east gradient in catchment vegetation and lake chemistry was related to the location of the Algonquin Dome, a natural geological feature in APP, and the park’s glacial history. These results emphasize the importance of the park’s topography in influencing regional water chemistry.
Violation of the chaos bound in charged Taub–NUT black holes
Authors: Tang Jian
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we investigate the influence of the angular momentum of the charged particle around non-extremal and extremal charged Taub–NUT black holes on Lyapunov exponent, and find spatial regions where chaos bound is violated. The exponent is determined by the effective potential. When the particle’s charge is fixed, circular orbits gradually move away from the event horizons with the angular momentum’s increases. We find that the bound is always violated at a certain distance from the horizons when the angular momentum is greater than a certain value. Especially when the black holes’ charges are small enough, the Lyapunov exponent’s violation always exists for any value of the particle’s angular momentum.
Ab-initio study on structural, magnetic, electronic and optical properties of SrCo1−xAxO3 (A = Fe or Cr, x = 0.125 and 0.25)
Authors: Younsi Ahmed Memdouh , Rabehi Abdelaziz , Gacem Lakhdar , Soltani Mohamed Toufik
Published: October 2023

Herein, a first-principles study on the structural, electronic, optical and magnetic properties of SrCo[Formula: see text]AxO3 ([Formula: see text] or Cr, [Formula: see text] and 0.25) was conducted. For all calculations, ultrasoft pseudo-potentials plane wave (USPPW) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) with the default exchange-correlation parameterization of Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) were employed and with Hubbard correction. The crystal structures of SrCo[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]O3 and SrCo[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]O3 ([Formula: see text] or Cr) are determined as a supercell of [Formula: see text] cell cubic perovskite structure (Pm-3m) with symmetry space group No. 221. No energy gap was observed at the Fermi level for both SrCo[Formula: see text]Cr[Formula: see text]O3 and SrCo[Formula: see text]Cr[Formula: see text]O3 compounds, indicating their metallic properties. The magnetic moment calculations showed that the doping of Fe into SrCoO3 resulted in a higher net magnetic moment and all materials studied here was ferromagnetic ground states. Dielectric functions indicate the metallic conductivity for all materials studied here. The different values of the real part for materials present that this material has a Drude-like dielectric function behavior.
Phonon share to the thermal capacitance of ultrathin crystalline film along the entire temperature region
Authors: Ilić Dušan I. , Šetrajčić Jovan P. , Jaćimovski Stevo K. , Vučenović Siniša M.
Published: October 2023

As a result of theoretical considerations on the study of the influence of the phonon quasiparticle subsystem on the thermal capacitance of a two-dimensional quasicrystal in the form of an ultrathin film, an exact formula for the thermal capacitance of an ideal ultrathin film, valid over the entire temperature range, is derived in this paper. The dispersion equation as well as the possible phonon energies and allowed phonon states were determined by the method of Green’s functions. The obtained formula for the thermal capacitance of the ultrathin film is plotted and compared with the corresponding graphs representing massive crystalline structures in both the low-temperature and high-temperature regions. The conclusions that can be drawn are highly consistent with recent results related to the possibility of realizing high-temperature superconductivity.
Subnetworks in BlockDAG
Authors: Antonenko Oleksandr , Grybniak Sergii , Guzey Denis , Nashyvan Oleksandr , Shanin Ruslan
Published: October 2023

In this article, we study the horizontal scaling of the Waterfall network or similar blockDAG networks by applying hierarchical and graph-based clustering algorithms to partition them into subnetworks. This results in a reduction of network load and an increase in potential performance parameters of the underlying protocol. We consider methods of topology construction, propose clustering algorithms, and perform a simulation of the partitioning of a network into subnetworks.
“Intelligent Heuristics Are the Future of Computing”
Authors: Teng Shang-Hua
Published: October 2023

Back in 1988, the partial game trees explored by computer chess programs were among the largest search structures in real-world computing. Because the game tree is too large to be fully evaluated, chess programs must make heuristic strategic decisions based on partial information, making it an illustrative subject for teaching AI search. In one of his lectures that year on AI search for games and puzzles, Professor Hans Berliner—a pioneer of computer chess programs

1

—stated:

As a student in the field of the theory of computation, I was naturally perplexed but fascinated by this perspective. I had been trained to believe that “Algorithms and computational complexity theory are the foundation of computer science.” However, as it happens, my attempts to understand heuristics in computing have subsequently played a significant role in my career as a theoretical computer scientist. I have come to realize that Berliner’s postulation is a far-reaching worldview, particularly in the age of big, rich, complex, and multifaceted data and models, when computing has ubiquitous interactions with science, engineering, humanity, and society. In this article,

2

I will share some of my experiences on the subject of heuristics in computing, presenting examples of theoretical attempts to understand the behavior of heuristics on real data, as well as efforts to design practical heuristics with desirable theoretical characterizations. My hope is that these theoretical insights from past heuristics—such as spectral partitioning, multilevel methods, evolutionary algorithms, and simplex methods—can shed light on and further inspire a deeper understanding of the current and future techniques in AI and data mining.
EFMVFL: An Efficient and Flexible Multi-party Vertical Federated Learning without a Third Party
Authors: Huang Yimin , Wang Wanwan , Zhao Xingying , Wang Yukun , Feng Xinyu , He Hao , Yao Ming
Published: October 2023

Federated learning (FL) is a machine learning setting which allows multiple participants collaboratively to train a model under the orchestration of a server without disclosing their local data. Vertical federated learning (VFL) is a special structure in FL. It handles the situation where participants have the same ID space but different feature spaces. In order to guarantee the security and privacy of the local data of each participant, homomorphic encryption (HE) is often used to transmit intermediate parameters or data during the training process. In most VFL frameworks, a trusted third-party server is necessary because the plaintexts of the parameters need to be revealed for the computation. However, it is hard to find such a credible entity in the real world. Existing methods for solving this problem are either communication-intensive or unsuitable for multi-party scenarios. By combining secret sharing (SS) and HE, we propose a novel VFL framework without any trusted third parties called EFMVFL. It allows intermediate parameters to be transmitted among multiple parties without revealing the plaintexts. EFMVFL is applicable to generalized linear models (GLMs) and supports flexible expansion to multiple participants. Extensive experiments under Logistic Regression and Poisson Regression show that our framework is outstanding in communication (reduced by 3.2×– 6.8×) and efficiency (accelerated by 1.6×– 3.1×).
3D Printed TiO2 Negative Electrodes for Sodium-Ion and Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Vat Photopolymerization
Authors: Maurel Alexis , Martinez Ana C. , Chavari Sina Bakhtar , Yelamanchi Bharat , Seol Myeong-Lok , Dornbusch Donald A. , Huddleston William H. , Sreenivasan Sreeprasad T. , Sherrard Cameroun G. , MacDonald Eric , Cortes Pedro
Published: October 2023

Additive manufacturing represents a unique approach to develop three-dimensional shape-conformable batteries with enhanced surface area, ion diffusion, and power. For the first time, a composite photocurable resin loaded with solid particles of active materials and conductive additives was prepared and used as feedstock to print negative electrodes for sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries by means of a vat photopolymerization (VPP) 3D printer. In alignment with NASA’s Artemis mission goals to develop sustainable lunar energy storage infrastructure to support long-term human operations, TiO2 was selected as an active material for the negative electrode due to its abundance on the lunar surface. The TiO2 loading in the composite photocurable resin was increased as high as possible to maximize the electrochemical performance of the printed electrodes, while simultaneously ensuring printability and good mechanical strength for sample handling. The effect of thermal post-processing on the electrical, electrochemical, and mechanical performance is reported. A configurational study is implemented to identify the impact of electrode designs (cubic and gyroid) on the electrochemical performance. This work addresses the difficulties related to the introduction of solid particles within a photocurable resin and the need for a compromise between the electrochemical performances and printability to obtain fully functional VPP-printed electrodes.
Structural and Optical Properties of N+ Implanted V2O5 Thin Film on Glass Substrate
Authors: Priya Bhanu , Jasrotia Priya , Sulania Indira , Singh Vinamrata , Kumar Raj , Kumar Tanuj
Published: October 2023

In this study, we investigate the effect of nitrogen (16 keV N+) ion implantation on V2O5 thin films with varying thicknesses, focusing on their structural, compositional, and optical characteristics. Through X-ray diffraction, we reveal the coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases, while UV–vis spectroscopy determines the band gap. Atomic force microscopy unveils the intriguing surface morphology, with the thickest film displaying high smoothness. Notably, grain formation and growth dynamics are intricately linked to roughness (α) and fractal dimension (Df) calculations. Additionally, wetting properties are connected to fractal growth in ion-implanted films. This work underscores the stable optical band gap of V2O5 thin films for optical applications and offers insights into managing wetting behaviors in nanofluidics through fractal patterns, potentially impacting nanotechnology and material engineering.
Development of Conducting Biopolymer-Based Biosensor for Heavy-Metal Ion Detection
Authors: Dutta Shreya , Butola Ravi , Singh Bhupendra Pratap , Chandra Prakash
Published: October 2023

The increasing concentration of heavy metals in the water ecosystems has been a noteworthy concern nowadays. This has accounted for various diseases, due to the bioaccumulation in the human body. We propose a biocompatible, non-toxic technique for the identification of heavy metal ions from the contaminated aquatic samples. A urease biosensor, having interpenetrating network of Katira-cl-Acrylic Acid (AAc)/Polyaniline (PANI) hydrogel composite deposited onto the indium tin oxide (ITO). Enhanced hydrogel conductivity due to the incorporation of PANI has been gained by the interfacial polymerization of katira gum and aniline monomer in the ratio of 2:1 using N,N′-MBA and APS as cross-linker and initiator respectively. Structural, morphological and electrochemical characterization of PANI/ITO, Katira-cl-AAc/PANI/ITO and Urease/Katira-cl-AAc/PANI/ITO electrode conducted using SEM, FT-IR, TGA, UV spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry. A comparative study of different concentrations of cadmium, cobalt and Mercury, has been done. The inhibition rates were found to be in the order of Hg2+ > Cd2+ > Co2+. Enzyme inhibition observed in the concentration range from 1.8 mM to 5 mM, 0.1 mM to 2 mM and 0.1 mM to 5 mM respectively. Urease/Katira-cl-AAc/PANI/ITO, exhibits greater stability, enhanced sensitivity and wide-range of detection limit (200 to 270 ng l−1) with a shelf life.
Performances of Nano-Structured Cu2O Thin Films Electrochemically Deposited on ITO Substrates in Lactate Bath as Liquid Petroleum Gas Sensors
Authors: Bandara A. H. M. N. N. , Perera V. P. S. , Senadeera G. K. R , Bandara K. N. D
Published: October 2023

The investigations are focused on structural and surface morphological features and their influence on electrical and wetting characteristics against liquid petroleum gas (LPG) sensing of synthesized nanostructured cuprous oxide (Cu2O) thin films grown by electrochemical deposition (ECD) on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates in lactate bath (pH 10). p-Cu2O films revealed a cubical-tetrahedron nano-scale polycrystalline grain distribution (average grain size: 64.2 nm, inter planer spacing: 0.24 nm) that exhibited dominance in the crystallographic plane (111). LPG sensing evaluations of p-Cu2O/ITO done at 70 °C constant temperature with 100% LPG at 5 cc min−1 flow rate, showed excellent gas sensor response, recovery, and stability over time due to its moderate wetting behavior (average contact angle: ∼86°). AC impedance measurements carried out at room temperature demonstrated an ionic to electronic conduction variation from 100 Hz to 1 MHz, due to adsorption/desorption of LPG molecules (CnH2n+2) and oxygen species on the nano-particles surface. Cu2O/ITO flat band potential was found to be higher than its’ ambient state after exposure to LPG with an increment in acceptor density. Overall, this efficient LPG sensing could be attributed to the interfacial properties of Cu2O thin films and ITO substrates, that provide an optimized fabrication process of nano-structured Cu2O thin films.
Functional and molecular profiling of fasted piglets reveals decreased energy metabolic function and cell proliferation in the small intestine
Authors: Bekebrede Anna F. , de Boer Vincent C. J. , Gerrits Walter J. J. , Keijer Jaap
Published: October 2023

Fasting is identified as one of the underlying causes potentiating diarrhea development, both in piglets and humans. With this study, we demonstrate that fasting decreases the metabolism of intestinal epithelial cells, on a functional and transcriptional level. Transcriptional and histological data also show decreased intestinal cell proliferation. As such, fasting-induced intestinal energy shortage could contribute to intestinal dysfunction upon fasting.
Molecular Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (Borreliella) and Chlamydia-Like Organism DNA in Early Developmental Stages of Arthropod Vector Species
Authors: Petráš Jiří , Bártová Eva , Žákovská Alena
Published: October 2023

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) is spirochetes transmitted by ticks and known to cause Lyme disease. Chlamydia-like organisms (CLOs) comprise a large group of bacteria that can lead to serious health disorders, including miscarriage. Recently, CLOs have been found in ticks and patient skin biopsies. Due to the involvement of multiple potential vectors in the spread of these pathogens, the objective of this study was to confirm the presence of both organisms in the early developmental stages of selected vectors. Three potential vectors, Ixodes ricinus larvae, Culex pipiens larvae, and winged (unfed) adults of Lipoptena cervi, were collected in the Czech Republic in years 2019–2020. The presence of Bbsl and panchlamydial DNA was detected by PCR and positive samples were further analyzed by Sanger sequencing and phylogenetic tree construction. Bbsl DNA was proved in 1.5% (2/137) of I. ricinus larvae (identified as Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii), in 1.7% (2/119) of C. pipiens larvae (both identified as B. garinii), and in 11% (3/27) of L. cervi (all identified as B. garinii). CLOs were identified in 0.7% (1/137) of I. ricinus larvae (Candidatus Protochlamydia) and in 7.4% (2/27) of L. cervi (unspecified genus), while C. pipiens larvae could not be evaluated (0%). This research represents the first investigation of the presence of CLOs in L. cervi. The detection of pathogen DNA in the early developmental stages of vectors suggests the potential for transgenerational transmission of Bbsl and CLOs in the selected vectors, although at a low rate.
Multimodal and Multitask Learning with Additive Angular Penalty Focus Loss for Speech Emotion Recognition
Authors: Wen Guihua , Ye Sheng , Li Huihui , Wen Pengcheng , Zhang Yuhan
Published: October 2023

Speech emotion recognition has lots of applications such as human‐computer interaction and health management. The current methods are challenged with the problems of fuzzy decision boundary and imbalance between difficult and easy samples in the training data. This paper first proposes an additive angle penalty focus loss function (APFL), which strictly refines the fuzzy decision boundary by introducing angle penalty factors to improve the compactness within the class and enlarge the distance between classes. It also assigns the larger loss to difficult samples to make the model pay more attention to them, as they are easily misclassified. Simultaneously, due to the lack of training samples, the framework of multimodal and multitask learning with APFL is further proposed, which extracts spectrogram features by deep neural network, text features by the pretrained language model, and audio features by the pretrained sound model. It uses the gender recognition as an auxiliary task. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed loss function and framework.
Medical Specialty Classification Based on Semiadversarial Data Augmentation
Authors: Zhang Huan , Zhu Dong , Tan Hao , Shafiq Muhammad , Gu Zhaoquan
Published: October 2023

Rapidly increasing adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems has caused automated medical specialty classification to become an important research field. Medical specialty classification not only improves EHR system retrieval efficiency and helps general practitioners identify urgent patient issues but also is useful in studying the practice and validity of clinical referral patterns. However, currently available medical note data are imbalanced and insufficient. In addition, medical specialty classification is a multicategory problem, and it is not easy to remove sensitive information from numerous medical notes and tag them. To solve those problems, we propose a data augmentation method based on adversarial attacks. The semiadversarial examples generated during the dynamic process of adversarial attacking are added to the training set as augmented examples, which can effectively expand the coverage of the training data on the decision space. Besides, as nouns in medical notes are critical information, we design a classification framework incorporating probabilistic information of nouns, with confidence recalculation after the softmax layer. We validate our proposed method on an 18‐class dataset with extremely unbalanced data, and comparison experiments with four benchmarks show that our method improves accuracy and F1 score to the optimal level, by an average of 14.9%.
Cultural Identity as a Determinant of Health among South Sudanese in Sydney, Australia
Authors: Vaughan Geraldine , Nyanhanda Tafadzwa , Rawal Lal , Kaphle Sabitra , Kelly Jenny , Mude William
Published: October 2023

Background. The issue of identity has been widely explored among migrant populations in western countries in the context of cultural integrations and acculturations. However, there is less evidence on identity as a determinant of health and social wellbeing. This study reports on identity as a determinant of health among the South Sudanese community who arrived as refugees through an Australian humanitarian program in the early 2000s. Methods. A qualitative study was undertaken, underpinned by a phenomenological framework that characterised the lived experiences of adult South Sudanese in Sydney, Australia. Semistructured in-depth interviews explored how 26 participants identified themselves in Australia, including changes in their experiences over time, their social and general life situation in Australia, and how they felt perceived in Australia. Data were audio-recorded using a digital voice recorder, transcribed verbatim, coded, and categorised into themes using interpretive thematic analysis. Results. Participants described a multiplicity of interconnected domains that governed the negotiating and making sense of identity, in turn mediated by other interwoven personal and structural factors that shaped experience and perception. Expressions of hope, pride, and achievement were threaded through several of the interviews, particularly in relation to their children. There were also frustrations related to employment challenges and discrimination that limited identity ownership. Conclusions. The evolving and often conflicting factors identified by participants can shape their sense of belonging, integration, and social and mental wellbeing. A deeper, more nuanced understanding of bicultural identity within a strengths-based framework is needed, with improved partnerships and services to support and strengthen South Sudanese community integration, belonging, and acculturation in Australia.
Assessment of Cytogenotoxicity of Plastic Industrial Effluent Using Allium cepa Root Tip Cells
Authors: Mohammed Jibril Sani , Mustapha Yahaya , Him Madu Abdulkarim , Danladi Zandam Nuhu
Published: October 2023

The effects of plastic effluent in Kano Metropolis on cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were examined using a test on Allium cepa root cells. The physicochemical characteristics of industrial wastewater were assessed, and the results showed values that were higher than the required criteria; this implies that the effluent was not treated before to disposal. For 96 hours, a group of 40 onion bulbs was cultivated in various concentrations of plastic effluent: 15, 30, 45, and 60% (

v
/
v

). The control was made up of distilled water. Following 96 hours, the four treated root tips from each replication’s bulbs were harvested and subjected to the acetoorcein squash technique for cytogenetic analysis. High concentrations of the industrial effluents had severe development retarding effects on the root tips. Root growth was inhibited with EC50 values of 48% after treatment with the effluents in comparison to control. When Allium cepa was exposed to different quantities of plastic effluent, the results of an analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the mean root length varied, and this variation was statistically significant (

p
<
0.05

). With rising effluent concentrations, the mitotic index (M.I.) rapidly dropped. Chromosomal abnormalities were caused by the plastic effluent in the root cells of Allium cepa, especially sticky chromosome and binucleated cells being the most frequently seen at lower concentrations of 15%. It was discovered that the compounds found in plastic wastewater could injure live beings as well as harm the environment if not treated. Legal mechanisms must be used to push businesses and manufacturers to switch to environmentally friendly technologies.
Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Analysis of Cephalexin against Streptococcus parauberis in Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus: Temminck and Schlegel)
Authors: Choi Hee-Jae , Lee Ji-Hoon , Choi Da-Yeon , Lee Ji-Eun , Hori Saran , Cho Kyu Seok , Kim Jun-Hwan , Choi Seong Hee , Kang Yue Jai
Published: October 2023

Olive flounders are susceptible to annual outbreaks of streptococcosis, which accounts for approximately 10% of all fish farm diseases and is associated with high mortality rates. The development of an antibiotic therapy against streptococcosis is thus necessary. This study determined the therapeutic effects of varying cephalexin concentrations in Streptococcus parauberis-infected olive flounders and evaluated its histopathological toxicity and residual concentration in the fish. Compared with the control group, the 200 and 800 mg/kg cephalexin groups showed significant mean survival rates of approximately 10% and 30%, respectively, and the 400 mg/kg group showed the highest survival rate of approximately 40%. The average residual cephalexin concentration in muscle samples on day 1 post-cephalexin administration was 13.21 µg/kg, showing a rapid decrease. At the optimum water temperature (25°C), cephalexin was rapidly metabolized within 24 hr of its administration being terminated, and most of it was excreted from the bodies of the fish. A histopathological analysis showed that the oral administration of cephalexin did not lead to specific inflammatory lesions, and there were no significant differences between the treatment and control groups. Our novel findings suggest that cephalexin is a promising candidate for treating streptococcosis outbreaks in fish farms.
Investigation of Fracture Evolution and Failure Characteristics of Rocks under High-Temperature Liquid Nitrogen Interaction
Authors: Wang Linchao , Xue Yi , Shi Xuyang , Zhang Zhihao , Li Xue , Zhu Lin , Liu Ruifu , Sun Lin , Wu Caifang , Feng Songbao
Published: October 2023

The utilization of liquid nitrogen as a sustainable and water-free fracturing medium exhibits immense promise in engineering applications. In this investigation, Brazilian split tests and acoustic emission tests were conducted to explore the impact of liquid nitrogen cooling on the internal structure and mechanical properties of rock specimens. To examine the influence of liquid nitrogen cooling on the tensile strength of rocks, displacement-load curves were obtained from samples subjected to varying cycles of high-temperature liquid nitrogen cooling using Brazilian split tests. Acoustic emission experiments were conducted to investigate the characteristics of granite samples exposed to various cycles of high-temperature liquid nitrogen cooling. Based on these findings, the impact of liquid nitrogen cooling on the internal structure of rock masses was analyzed. The findings of this study demonstrate that high-temperature liquid nitrogen thermal treatment significantly modifies the microscopic structure and mechanical properties of rocks, with potential implications for overall stability and reliability. Notably, an observable decline in tensile strength was observed as the number of cycles of high-temperature liquid nitrogen treatment increased. These findings underscore the substantial impact of liquid nitrogen cooling on the behavior of rocks. High-temperature liquid nitrogen treatment effectively promotes the generation of microcracks within rocks, thereby increasing their permeability. During the experiment, granite specimens primarily exhibited shear-type fractures when subjected to high-temperature freeze-thaw cycles induced by liquid nitrogen.
Effect of Water Content on the Impact Propensity of White Sandstone
Authors: Bai Jiankui , Li Chuanming , Feng Ruimin , Liu Nan , Gao Xiang , Zhang Zhengrong , Nie Bochao
Published: October 2023

Impact ground pressure is one of the most common dynamic disasters induced by mining activities, and water content is an important factor affecting such dynamic disasters. In this paper, uniaxial compression test, cyclic loading and unloading test, and acoustic emission test were conducted on white sandstone using RMT-150B rock mechanics test system and DS5 acoustic emission test system. The influence law of water content was analyzed on the strength characteristics, energy change characteristics, and impact propensity of white sandstone. The results showed that (1) the internal structure of the sandstone gets softened with the increase of the water content. The cohesive effect within the rock also begins to weaken, which in turn reduces the stiffness of the material and enhances its plasticity. The ability of the rock to resist elastic deformation becomes weaker, resulting in lower compressive strength and elastic modulus when the rock is subjected to external forces, making it more prone to deform and fail. The decrease in compressive strength of the water-saturated rock is 33.3%, and the decrease in its elastic modulus is 28.1% compared to the dry rock. (2) As the water content increases, the cohesion of the rock decreases and the internal structure of the rock fails more easily, which ultimately makes the energy needed for rock destruction lower. As a result, the total energy, elastic energy, and dissipative energy of the rock are reduced. The accumulated AE energy also decreases with the increase of the water content, indicating that rocks with higher water content gather less elastic energy before damage and accumulate less energy when deformation damage occurs. (3) The impact energy index and elastic energy index are negatively correlated with the water content. The impact energy index is reduced by 28.6%, and the elastic energy index is reduced by 20.9% for the saturated rock compared to the dry rock. The elastic energy index and impact energy index both decrease with the increase of rock water content, indicating that the less elastic energy is stored before the destruction of the rock and no excess energy is transformed into energy in rock crushing when the rock breaks, and therefore, the impact propensity of the rock is smaller. The results of the study can provide a theoretical basis for underground construction as well as rock fracture destabilization.
Option Pricing by Willow Tree Method for Generalized Hyperbolic Lévy Processes
Authors: Wu Hongying , Zhou Zhiqiang , Kang Caijuan
Published: October 2023

In this paper, a new approach is proposed to construct willow tree (WT) for generalized hyperbolic (GH) Lévy processes. There are two advantages of our proposed approach compared to the classical WT methods. Firstly, it avoids the moments matching from Johnson curve in the known WT construction. Secondly, the error of European option pricing is only determined by time partition

∆
t

under some conditions. Since the moments of Lévy measure are removed from this algorithm, our approach improves the stability and accuracy of WT in option pricing. Numerical experiments support our claims. Moreover, the new approach can be extended to other Lévy processes if their characteristic functions are expressed by explicit forms.