bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KAJIAN PASIR SILIKA SEBAGAI AGREGAT HALUS PADA CAMPURAN ASPHALT CONCRETE WEARING COURSE (AC – WC) BERDASARKAN UJI MARSHALL
Authors: Nofrianto Hendri , Dwi Astika Septiana
Published: July 2023

Agregat merupakan komponen utama dalam pembentukan campuran beraspal, dalam campuran tersebut berat agregat berkisar antara 90% -95% dari total berat campuran aspal. Biasanya, agregat yang digunakan diperoleh langsung dari alam dan merupakan material yang tidak dapat diperbaharui sehingga ketersediaannya terus berkurang. Salah satu agregat alternatif yang dimanfaatkan adalah pasir silika yang merupakan limbah yang berasal dari Bukit Karang Putih, Kota Padang, Sumatera Barat, diharapkan limbah pasir silika ini dapat digunakan sebagai agregat alternatif dalam campuran aspal pada perkerasan lentur jalan raya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa karakteristik campuran aspal yang menggunakan agregat halus pasir silika serta meninjau lebih jauh pengaruh air terhadap durabilitas pada campuran tersebut melalui uji perendaman dengan variasi perendaman 0 jam, 24 jam, 48 jam, 72 jam dan 96 jam berdasarkan pengujian marshall. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa pasir silika dapat digunakan sebagai alternatif agregat pada perkerasan jalan, hal ini dapat disimpulkan berdasarkan nilai – nilai parameter marshall pasir silika berada dalam spesifikasi yang digunakan, Penggunaan pasir silika dalam campuran Asphalt Concrete – Wearing Course (AC-WC) gradasi halus mempunyai nilai kadar aspal optimum 5,7%. Durabilitas campuran aspal dengan pasir silika dilihat dari hasil uji perendaman mengalami penurunan seiring bertambahnya durasi perendaman, nilai Indeks Kekuatan Sisa (IKS) memenuhi syarat spesifikasi Bina Marga 2018 Revisi 2 hingga durasi perendaman 24 jam dengan nilai 93,94%.
Analisis kepuasan kualitas pelayanan MTs Al-Muttaqin Pekanbaru sebagai pembentuk citra sekolah dan customer loyalty
Authors: Jufri Detry , Kartikowati Sri , Sumarno
Published: July 2023

The research aims to determine customer satisfaction based on the quality of school services that can shape the school's image and customer loyalty. The research approach used mixed method research with a sequential mixed methods type with a sequential explanatory strategy. This research used interviews and questionnaires as research instruments. Total of 151 were chosen by using probability sampling with stratified random sampling. The data had collected then analyzed with univariate analysis, servqual analysis, and importance-performance analysis. The results of the research conducted, there are differences between expectations and reality for all dimensions of the quality of school services that are measured. Furthermore, the results of the interviews conducted showed that the dimensions of physical evidence are things that need to be improved, but in terms of teacher quality, it is already good. Those results indicate that customer satisfaction has not achieved yet, when referring to the theory of customer satisfaction. Schools are expected to be able to make improvements to the quality of service to students so that they can become a bridge to establish good communication with parents and be able to create positive perceived values ​​for schools.
Getting Warmer: A Refined Taxonomy For Assessing Public Libraries' Response to the Climate Crisis
Authors: Foggett-Parker Michelle
Published: July 2023

As Canada’s climate warms at double the rate of the rest of the world, Canadian libraries have an important responsibility towards guardianship and activism on the climate crisis. Libraries are often appraised on their climate change goals by inward-facing factors, such as building standards and collections. While these remain important, this paper proposes a taxonomy that develops assessment further outward in the direction of community activism and climate justice, and tests that taxonomy against the environmental sustainability indicators published by Ontario public libraries.
Physical fatigue exacerbates the negative effects of mental fatigue on soccer performance in practitioners
Authors: Díaz-García Jesús
Published: July 2023

Soccer is mentally as well as physically fatiguing. Negative effects of isolated mental fatigue on soccer performance have been reported, however, it does not appear isolated in soccer. This study compared the effects of baseline, mental fatigue and combined mental and physical fatigue on soccer performance. Voluntarily, 18 male soccer practitioners (23.61 ± 4.12y) participated in six randomized and crossover sessions– two non-induced fatigue baseline (30 min. documentary), 2 isolated mental fatigue (30 min. Incongruent Stroop) and 2 combined physical and mental fatigue (30 min. Incongruent Stroop while cycling at 80-85% of the theoretical Maximum Heart Rate). The Visual Analogue Scale pre- and post- fatiguing protocol for mental fatigue, and the Questionnaire to Quantify Mental Load in Sports Team for mental load post-fatiguing protocol were collected. The Loughborough shooting and passing test were performed post- fatiguing protocols. Results revealed the combined protocol as the most mentally loading and fatiguing, showing significant differences when compared with isolated mental fatigue and baseline (p<.001). Isolated mental fatigue was significantly more mentally loading (p<.001) and fatiguing (p<.001) that baseline. Significant impairments on soccer performance were observed after isolated mental fatigue and combined protocols in comparison with baseline (p<.001). However, these impairments were significantly higher after combined than isolated mental fatigue (p<.043). In conclusion, the presence of physical fatigue combined with mental fatigue exacerbates the negative effects that isolated mental fatigue causes on soccer performance.
Faktor Determinasi Kinerja Guru Madrasah (Studi di MTs Se-Kecamatan Slahung)
Authors: Sholahuddin Afif Fanani  , Fadli Wirawan
Published: July 2023

Guru memberikan peran penting dalam sistem pendidikan untuk meningkatkan pembelajaran siswa yang penting bagi kesuksesan masa depan mereka. Kinerja guru memiliki pengaruh langsung terhadap pembelajaran siswa dan kemajuan siswa adalah standar yang digunakan untuk menilai kinerja guru. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk : (1) mengetahui pengaruh  iklim kerja terhadap kinerja guru di MTs Se-Kecamatan Slahung, (2) mengetahui pengaruh  gaya kepemimpinan kepala madrasah terhadap kinerja guru di MTs Se-Kecamatan Slahung, (3) mengetahui pengaruh iklim kerja dan gaya kepemimpinan kepala madrasah terhadap kinerja guru di MTs Se-Kecamatan Slahung. Jenis peneilitian ini adalah kuantitatif deskriptif. Sampel dalam penelitian ini adalah 100 orang. Pengumpulan data menggunakan angket atau kuesioner. Analisa data dengan menggunakan hasil uji dan  regresi berganda. Hasil penelitian Variabel iklim kerja di MTs Kecamatan Slahung secara parsial berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap kinerja guru MTs. Kecamatan Slahung. Diperoleh nilai t hitung sebesar 2,579 dengan nilai sig. sebesar 0,011. Nilai tersebut lebih besar apabila dibandingkan dengan nilai t tabel yang bernilai 1,661. Variabel kepemimpinan tidak mempengaruhi secara parsial kinerja guru MTs Se-Kecamatan Slahung. Dari hasil analisis diperoleh nilai t hitung sebesar 1,620, apabila dibandingkan dengan nilai t tabel sebesar 1,661, nilai t hitung lebih kecil dari t tabel  (1,620 < 1,661) sehingga hipotesis dalam penelitian ini ditolak. Secara simultan terdapat pengaruh yang signifikan dari variabel iklim kerja dan gaya kepemimpinan terhadap variable kinerja guru MTs Se-Kecamatan Slahung Ponorogo. Hal tersebut berdasarkan hasil analisis uji F yang telah dilakukan, diperoleh nilai F hitung>F tabel (4,055> 3,09).
CRMetrics - an R package for Cell Ranger Filtering and Metrics Visualisation
Authors: Kick Fabienne Lorena , Holze Henrietta , Rydbirk Rasmus , Khodosevich Konstantin
Published: July 2023

Several pipelines exist for analysis of single-cell or single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (sxRNA-seq) data in multiple programming languages. Although filtering and quality control (QC) of data as preprocessing steps are included in several analytical pipelines, visual assessment of filtered cells is often lacking. Here, we present a streamlined pipeline for filtering of sxRNA-seq data and visualisation of every filtering step using existing software packages. This includes methods to remove ambient RNA, doublets, cells with a high fraction of mitochondrial genes expressed, and cells with low sequencing depth that are difficult to cluster and annotate. All steps are accompanied by plotting functions to ease the selection of thresholds for these crucial steps in data preprocessing.
Genome wide association study in goat identified novel SNPs and genes for growth
Authors: Moaeen-ud-Din Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Sajjad , Muner Raja Danish , Reecy James M.
Published: July 2023

A higher body weight at a younger age is an economically important trait for profitable goat farming. This study was focused on the identification of regions of the genome that harbor genetic variants associated with body weight using the Illumina GoatSNP50K Bead Chip. A total of 631 purebred Beetal goats (151 males and 480 females) were recorded for body weight, age and body measurement and then genotyped. Genome wide association analysis was carried out with GEMMA. After application of quality control filters with Plink 1.9, call rate less or equal than 0.9, minor allele frequency less than 0.05 and HWE P value lesser than 0.001, 594 animals and 45,744 SNPs were retained for association analysis. The association analysis for body weight with covariates of age, sex and morphometric measurements and contemporary group yielded 10 significant SNPs (P = -log10e-4 to -log10e-6). Three associated SNPs were within genes i.e.,BTAF1, NTMandGRID1when blasted against ARS1(accession GCA_001704415.1). Moreover, some associated SNPs were localized close toCEP78, ROBO1, ZFP36L2, SPTLC3, CTR9andZFHX3genes. The study identified SNPs and genes with potential role in growth of goat.
PDGF-D is de novo expressed after stroke and contributes to neurovascular protection by rescuing the function of pericytes
Authors: Bernard Maxime , Menet Romain , Lecordier Sarah , ElAli Ayman
Published: July 2023

Ischemic stroke induces an angiogenic response at the lesion site to improve tissue vascularization, as an attempt to promote repair. Brain pericytes, which are critically involved in regulating neurovascular functions, potently respond to stroke stressors, varying from death to detachment. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor (PDGFR)β plays a central role in pericyte survival, proliferation, migration, and recruitment to endothelial cells. The role of PDGF-D, a recently identified ligand that specifically binds and activates PDGFRβ, in ischemic stroke pathobiology, remains unexplored. Herein, we show that PDGF-D is transiently induced in vascular structures at the lesion site in experimental ischemic stroke. Attenuation of PDGF-D subacute induction using siRNA exacerbates injury and impairs vascular integrity. Enhancing PDGF-D subacute bioavailability via the intranasal delivery of an active form, attenuates neuronal loss and improves neurological recovery. PDGF-D stimulates the formation of a stable vasculature, improves brain perfusion, and rescues pericyte coverage, associated with an increased expression of insulin growth factor (IGF)1, a vascular protective factor. PDGF-D stimulation enhances the survival of human brain pericytes exposed to ischemic-like conditions in vitro by increasing the expression of B-cell lymphoma (BCL)2, while reducing the expression of neurogenic locus notch homolog (NOTCH)3, involved in pathological fibrosis. PDGF-D stimulation enhances the migratory properties of pericytes exposed to ischemic-like conditions, required for vascular coverage, and induces the release of factors involved in fine-tuning vascular remodeling. Our study provides new insights into the role of PDGF-D in preserving neurovascular functions after stroke by rescuing the function of pericytes, outlining its therapeutic potential.
Variation in GDP and its Link with Ecological Footprint and Air Pollution- A Across Country Analysis
Authors: KUMAR PIYALI
Published: July 2023

This study attempts to detect the relation of ecological footprint and air pollutants- CO2, N2O, SO2& CH4 with economic growth, urbanization, foreign direct investment inflow and energy consumption through Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework by employing fixed effect and random effect model. This is a comparative study involving panel of 56 selected countries from several income groups- high, middle, low covering the period 1990–2019. A theoretical approach has been undertaken to analyze the pollution intensity of population, based on decomposition analysis coherent with application of the notion of Kaya identity. The results confirmed the existence of N-shaped relationship for the natural resource degradation model in the high and middle income countries. CO2 pollutant exhibits N-shaped pattern of change with economic growth for both high and middle income countries. N2O model confirms the existence of N-shaped EKC for high and low income group and inverse U-shaped curve for middle income group of countries. Further the results of pollution model confirmed the N-shaped relationship of SO2 and CH4 emission with income growth in middle and low income economies. The results suggest that reconsideration of some economic and environmental policies are necessary to mitigate environmental degradation issues.
Development of computationally-guided workflow for designing therapeutic phage cocktail: targeting multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria
Authors: Nawaz Rabia , Husnain Ali , Ali Muhammad , Sajjad Moin , Ahad Ammara , Shahid Muhammad , Mehmood Uqba , Razzaq Attia , Khan Idrees
Published: July 2023

Background:
Antibiotic misuse and overuse have contributed to the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDR), a serious public health problem across the globe. Phage cocktails, which combine several phages to destroy various bacterial strains, offer a more thorough and efficient method of battling MDR illnesses. This might revolutionize the looming threat of reemergence of untreatable bacterial diseases. To provide a focused strategy to tackle the rising incidence of MDR bacterial infections, a phage cocktail against Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was intended to be made computationally. Predicting a group of prophages which can successfully lyse and disrupt these three MDR bacterial strains and might help to lessen the severity and occurrence of illnesses caused by these notorious pathogens.
Methods:
The genomes of selected MDR bacteria were accessed through NCBI GenBank, and prophages targeting them were selected. The prophages were further annotated for ORFs, putative promotors, virulence factors, transcriptional terminators, and tRNAs. Dot plot was created to investigate the similar phages and phylogenetic analysis was performed.
Results:
A total of 11 prophages were predicted from three MDR bacterial genomes, the investigation identified 472 ORFs and CDS, rRNA, and tRNA regions in 11 prophage genomes were predicted. The presence of 3 tRNAs encoded by the predicted prophages suggests a possible reliance on the host translation machinery for protein synthesis. The presence of transcription terminators and promotors were detected to understand the transcriptional and translational regulation of prophage genes. The comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses of predicted prophages provided important insights into diversity and relatedness of the phages. The final selected five prophages included Acinetobacter baumannii prophage (2759376-2809756), Acinetobacter baumannii prophage (3311844-3364667), Klebsiella pneumoniae (1288317-1338719), Klebsiella pneumoniae prophage (1778306-1808606), and Klebsiella pneumoniae prophage (2280703-2325555).
Conclusion:
In conclusion, our work provides an example of developing a phage cocktail to combat multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Sequence similarity analyses revealed that the cocktail is capable of targeting Enterobacter hormaechei and other carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae strains also. The phage cocktail indicates the possibility of being employed as a therapeutic agent for reducing harmful bacterial infections, where conventional antibiotic therapeutics fail.
Valproic Acid For Agitation In The Intensive Care Unit: a Retrospective Analysis Of Psychiatric Consults
Authors: White Geneviève , Adessky Noah , Chen Fei-Wen , Regazzoni Anne , Tourian Leon , Chagnon Miguel , Gursahaney Ashvini , Alharbi Majed , Williamson David , Perreault Marc
Published: July 2023

Background
Agitation is a common clinical problem encountered in the intensive care unit (ICU). Treatment options are based on clinical experience and sparse quality literature.
Aim
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of valproic acid (VPA) as adjuvant treatment for agitation in the ICU as well as to identify independent predictors of response.
Method
This retrospective single center observational study evaluated adult patients admitted to the ICU for whom a psychiatric consultation was requested for agitation management, with agitation defined as a Richmond Agitation Sedation Score of 2 or greater. A descriptive analysis of the proportion of agitation-free patients per day of follow-up, the incidence of agitation-related-events, as well as the evolution of co-medications use over time are presented. A logistic regression model was used to assess predictors of VPA response, defined as being agitation-free on Day 7 and GEE models were used to evaluate the independent effect of VPA as adjuvant therapy for agitation in the critically ill.
Results
One hundred seventy-five (175) patients were included in the study with 78 receiving VPA. The percentage of agitation-free patients was 6.5% (5/77) on Day 1, 14.1% (11/78) on Day 3 and 39.5% (30/76) on Day 7. Multivariate regression model for clinical and demographic variables identified female gender as predictor of response on Day 7 (OR 6.10 [1.18–31.64], p = 0.03). The independent effect of VPA was non-significant when compared to a control group.
Conclusion
Although VPA used as adjuvant treatment was associated with a decrease in agitation, its effect when compared to a control group did not yield significant results.
Association between gestational exposure and risk of orofacial Clefts: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Huang ZhiMeng , Wu JinZhun , Qiu Yue , Lin Jiayan , Huang Wanting , Ma Xiaohui , Yang Xiaoqing , zhang huifen
Published: July 2023

Background:
The occurrence of orofacial Clefts (OFCs) is a congenital disease caused by many factors. According to recent studies, air pollution has a strong correlation with the occurrence of OFCs. However, there are still some controversies about the current research results, and there is no relevant research to review the latest results in recent years.
Objective:
In this paper, the authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the correlation between ambient air pollution and the occurrence of neonatal OFCs deformity.
Methods:
We searched Pubmed, Web of science, and Embase databases from the establishment of the database to May 2023. We included observational studies on the relationship between prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), fine particulate matter 10 (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO) and the risk of cleft lip (CL), cleft palate (CP), cleft lip with or without palate (CL/P). the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the literature. Funnel plot and Egger's regression were used to verify the publication bias. Random effect model or fixed effect model was used to estimate the combined relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI).
Results:
A total of eleven studies were included in this study, including four cohort studies and seven case-control studies, including 22453 cases of OFCs. Ten studies had low risk of bias and only one study had high risk of bias. Three studies reported that PM2.5 was positively correlated with CL and CP, with a combined RR and 95%CI of 1.287(1.174,1.411) and 1.267 (1.105,1.454). Two studies reported a positive correlation between O3 and CL, with a combined RR and 95%CI of 1.132(1.047,1.225). Two studies reported a positive correlation between PM10 and CL, with a combined RR and 95%CI of 1.108 (1.017,1.206). No association was found between SO2, CO, NO2 exposure during pregnancy and the risk of OFCs.
Conclusion:
The results of this study showed that there was a significant statistical correlation between exposure to PM10, PM2.5, O3 and the risk of OFCs in the second month of pregnancy. Exposure assessment, research methods and mechanisms need to be further explored.
Unilateral Intrathoracic Extramedullary Hematopoiesis: A Rare Case Report
Authors: MOHAMMED QUADER NASEER , MOHAMMED AFSHAR ALAM , HOOR IQRA ,   4.	UDAY SANKAR AKASH VANKAYALA, SHAIK SUBHANA MUSQUAN
Published: July 2023

Intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis (ITEMH) is an extremely rare condition characterized by the abnormal proliferation of hematopoietic tissue outside the bone marrow. Here, we present a case of unilateral ITEMH in a 56-year-old male without a history of hematological disorders, which to the best of our knowledge, represents the first reported occurrence of this rare tumor condition. The patient presented with respiratory symptoms and was initially misdiagnosed with a mediastinal mass. Subsequent imaging studies revealed a localized lesion in the left thoracic cavity, which was surgically excised. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis. This case highlights the importance of considering ITEMH in the differential diagnosis of intrathoracic masses, even in the absence of underlying haematological disorders. Categories: Family/General Practice, Internal Medicine, GEN SURGERY.
Analysis on Novel Feature-Independent CAD Design/Modelling Approach Combined with a Neural Network for Random Parametric 3D Boundary Representation Modelling
Authors: Angajala Nikhil Chaitanya , Balla Srinivasa Prasad , Resapu Rajeswara Reddy
Published: July 2023

In the era of competitive digital innovation, product manufacturing companies need rapid customisation and ability to create uniqueness in new product development to stay competitive in the consumer market. Till recent times, this requirement heavily depended on CAD designer’s ability and experience to produce creative designs. This paper presents a novel feature-independent CAD design/modelling approach combined with a neural network that enables the creation of random parametric 3D CAD design variants using the Boundary Representation (B-Rep) method. This method is rapid and thus offers about 10 to 100 concept alternatives to the client in 10 to 30 minutes. Additionally, the paper also highlights the suitability of the proposed Neural Network method in creating 3D deep learning datasets to train generative design models like 3D GANs to further enhance 3D designs specifically targeted in product design problems.
American Sign Language Detection using YOLOv5 and YOLOv8
Authors: Tyagi Shobhit , Upadhyay Prashant , Fatima Hoor , Jain Sachin , Sharma Avinash Kumar
Published: July 2023

In the modern world, culture and religion are diverse and widespread. Sign language culture had grown since its emergence in the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in 1817. In a world where computers are now solving real-time applications and issues using deep learning, Sign language (SL) is one of those. YOLO is an object detection and classification algorithm that uses Convolutional neural network (CNN) to achieve high performance and accuracy. The paper aims to detect American sign language using YOLO models and compare different YOLO algorithms by implementing a custom model for recognizing sign language. The experiments show that the latest YOLOv8 gave better results than other YOLO versions regarding precision and mAP, while YOLOv7 has a higher recall value during testing than YOLOv8. The proposed model is lightweight, fast and uses the American sign language letters dataset for training and testing. The custom model achieved 95% precision, 97% recall, and 96% mAP @0.5, showing the model capabilities in real-time hand gesture recognition.
Pearl farming micro-nanoplastics affect both oyster physiology and pearl quality
Authors: Gardon Tony , Luyer Jérémy Le , Moullac Gilles Le , Soyez Claude , Lagarde Fabienne , Dehaut Alexandre , Paul-Pont Ika , Huvet Arnaud
Published: July 2023

The widespread contamination of pearl farming lagoons in French Polynesia by microplastics has led to questions about risks for the pearl industry. The aim of this study was to test the effects of micro-nanoplastics (MNPs) on the pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera) over a 5-month pearl production cycle. MNPs were produced from plastic pearl farming gear and used at a concentration that oysters may encounter in lagoons. MNP exposure led to the alteration of energy metabolism, mostly driven by a lower assimilation efficiency of microalgae, with modulation of gene expression patterns. Pearl biomineralization was impacted by thinner aragonite crystals, with harvest marked by the presence of abnormal biomineral concretions, called keshi pearls. These experimental results demonstrated that MNPs threaten pearl oyster biology, with potential detrimental effects on pearl quality. Ecological approaches are now required to test the holistic impact of MNPs on population sustainability in the Polynesian pearl industry.
Household conditions, COVID-19, and equity: Insight from two nationally representative surveys
Authors: Kim Nathan , Anneser Elyssa , Chu MyDzung T. , Nguyen Kimberly H. , Stopka Thomas J. , Corlin Laura
Published: July 2023

Background: With people across the United States spending increased time at home since the emergence of COVID-19, housing characteristics may have an even greater impact on health. Therefore, we assessed associations between household conditions and COVID-19 experiences.
Methods: We used data from two nationally representative surveys: the Tufts Equity Study (TES; n = 1449 in 2021; n = 1831 in 2022) and the Household Pulse Survey (HPS; n = 147,380 in 2021; n = 62,826 in 2022). In the TES, housing conditions were characterized by heating/cooling methods; smoking inside the home; visible water damage/mold; age of housing unit; and self-reported concern about various environmental factors. In TES and HPS, household size was assessed. Accounting for sampling weights, we examined associations between each housing exposure and COVID-19 outcomes (diagnosis, vaccination) using separate logistic regression models with covariates selected based on an evidence-based directed acyclic graph.
Results: Having had COVID-19 was more likely among people who reported poor physical housing condition (odds ratio [OR] = 2.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17-4.59; 2021), visible water damage or mold/musty smells (OR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.10-2.03; 2022), and larger household size (5+ versus 1-2 people; OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.34-1.75, HPS 2022). COVID-19 vaccination was less likely among participants who reported smoke exposure inside the home (OR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.31-0.90; 2022), poor water quality (OR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.21-0.85; 2021), noise from industrial activity/construction (OR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.19-0.99; 2022), and larger household size (OR = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.46-0.71; HPS 2022). Vaccination was also positively associated with poor indoor air quality (OR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.02-3.72; 2022) and poor physical housing condition (OR = 2.27; 95% CI = 1.01-5.13; 2022). Certain heating/cooling sources were associated with COVID-19 outcomes.
Conclusions: Our study found poor housing conditions associated with increased COVID-19 burden, which may be driven by systemic disparities in housing, healthcare, and financial access to resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design for Resource-Efficient Parallel Solution to Real-Data Sparse FFT
Authors: Jones Keith John
Published: July 2023

The maximum size of data set being presented to the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) is becoming increasingly large to reflect the increasingly challenging problems being faced in today’s ‘big data’ era, in areas such as astronomy, medical imaging and the real-time spectrum analysis of multiGHz radio frequency signals for cognitive radio networks. Such problems are typically addressed by means of the fast Fourier transform (FFT), but there will always be data sets – typically realvalued in nature – that are too large to be efficiently processed in real time with existing computing technology, so that alternative approaches are needed. The approach pursued here for the spectrum analysis problem assumes that a relatively small number of outputs are likely to contain detectable levels of signal energy with such signals being detected through the use of a sparse version of the FFT (sFFT). A flexible and scalable sFFT design has been sought for implementation with silicon-based computing technology that’s able to yield resourceefficient lowpower solutions by maximizing the computational density through exploitation of both partitioned memory and the realvalued nature of the data. A theoretical analysis shows how this may be achieved with a parameterized solution which, with a low-end fieldprogrammable gate array (FPGA) device, a 2 GHz sampling rate and a 100 MHz clock rate, is able to achieve a latency of < 1 ms for a 2 millionpoint real-data sFFT together with low resource utilization and which compares favourably with other recently published FFT and sFFT solutions.
Development and external validation of a machine learning-based model to classify uric acid stones in patients with kidney stones of Hounsfield units <800
Authors: Chew Ben H. , Wong Victor KF. , Halawani Abdulghafour , Lee Sujin , Baek Sangyeop , Kang Hoyong , Koo Kyo Chul
Published: July 2023

The correct diagnosis of uric acid (UA) stones has important clinical implications since patients with a high risk of perioperative morbidity may be spared surgical intervention and be offered alkalization therapy. We developed and validated a machine learning (ML)-based model to identify UA stones from non-UA stones. An international, multicenter study was performed on 202 patients who received percutaneous nephrolithotomy for kidney stones with HU < 800. Data from 156 (77.2%) patients were used for model development, while data from 46 (22.8%) patients from a multinational institution were used for external validation. A total of 21,074 kidney and stone contour-annotated computed tomography images were trained with the ResNet-18 Mask R-convolutional neural network algorithm. Finally, this model was concatenated with demographic and clinical data as a fully-connected layer for stone classification. Our model was 100% sensitive in detecting kidney stones in each patient, and the delineation of kidney and stone contours was precise within clinically acceptable ranges. The development model provided an accuracy of 99.9%, with 100.0% sensitivity and 98.9% specificity, in distinguishing UA from non-UA stones. On external validation, the model performed with an accuracy of 97.1%, with 89.4% sensitivity and 98.6% specificity. SHAP plots revealed stone density, diabetes mellitus, and urinary pH as the most important features for classification. Our ML-based model accurately identified and delineated kidney stones and classified UA stones from non-UA stones with the highest predictive accuracy reported to date. Our model can be reliably used to select candidates for an earlier-directed alkalization therapy.
The Effect of Hydrogen Content on Electrophysical Properties of Hydrogenated Titanium – Thermally Expanded Graphite Composites
Authors: Galstian Iryna , Mykhailova H Yu. , Len E. G.
Published: July 2023

The nanocomposites based on metals with carbon nanostructures can be used as cathode materials for low temperature thermionic converters. Such materials often have different electrophysical properties from their original components. The peculiarities of the changes in electrical conductivity of powder composites containing thermally expanded graphite (TEG) and hydrogenated titanium before and after hydrogen desorption are investigated, and the influence of hydrogen on their properties is determined. The effect of conductivity growth is found at low TEG concentration in composites with both hydrogenated and dehydrogenated titanium. It can be explained by charge transfer from the metal to the TEG components of the composites. The effect of significant increase of composite conductivity after dehydrogenation can be explained by reduction of titanium oxide shell during hydrogen desorption from metal particle and by peculiarities of Fermi level shift in it during changes of electron concentration due to charge transfer to TEG.
Antidiabetic evaluation of vanillic acid-glyburide loaded polymeric micelles in high fat diet and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats
Authors: Kaur Jaskiran , Gulati Monica , Pandey Narendra Kumar , Khatik Gopal Lal , Sudhakar Swathi , Alotaibi Faisal , Kumar Deepak , Shukla Monu Kumar , Kumar Parveen , Famta Paras , Arora Poonam , Okaiyeto Kunle , Oguntibeju Oluwafemi Omoniyi , Gupta Gaurav , Paudel Keshav Raj , Dua Kamal , Singh Sachin Kumar
Published: July 2023

Purpose
The present study describes oral administration of glyburide (GLY) and vanillic acid (VA) loaded polymeric micelles for the effective treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in high-fat diet (HFD) and a low dose of streptozotocin (STZ) rats.
Methods
The rats were divided into 12 groups (G1-G12) based on the respective treatments. All rats except G1 received high fat diet for first 15 days and then induced to STZ. Then the study was continued for another 28 days. GLY and VA loaded polymeric micelles (GV-APMs) were orally administered to the STZ induced rats. The rats of different groups received their respective treatments orally. Various parameters such as body weight, blood glucose level, biochemical parameters and histopathology of liver and pancreas. The rats of G2 received HFD-STZ alone, whereas rats of G6 received high dose of mixture of raw Gly-VA and G12 received high doses of GV-APMs, separately.
Results
The results revealed 1.43, 1.44, 1.55, 2.4, 1.66, 3.30, and 3.76-folds higher reduction in blood glucose, cholesterol (CHL), triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very LDL levels, CHL/high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and LDL/HDL ratio in rats receiving GV-APMs (G12) than rats receiving their physical mixture (G6). In addition to this, significant reduction in the serum inflammatory, hepatic and renal markers as well as antioxidant levels was observed in rats of G12 as compared to any other group, indicating higher efficacy of GV-APMs.
Conclusion
The study revealed that co-loading of GLY and VA in APMs showed excellent antidiabetic potential can be explored further for clinical evaluation.
Synonymous base substitution in SARS-CoV-2 EE.2 lineage furin arginine CGG–CGG codons
Authors: Romeu Antonio R.
Published: July 2023

This work has been carried out within the framework of a study on SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein furin cleavage site evolution. The polybasic motif (originally PRRA) present at the S1/S2 junction has two arginine codons CGG–CGG, whose usage is rare in coronaviruses. It has no analogy in other “linage B” beta‐coronaviruses, including neither the Laos closest known relatives of virus behind covid. An hypothesis for theprobable PRRA human origin includes recombination between the genome of a SARS-CoV-2 progenitor and mRNA transcripts within human infected cells. At protein level, the furin arginine pair is evolutionarily strictly conserved, however, the CGG–CGG code can be optimized by the virus itself through synonymous base substitutions. Here I show that the GISAID SARS-CoV-2 EE.2 lineage isolates (accessed June 29, 2023), 531 out of 1,021 (52.2%) have already optimized this furin CGG–CGG code. It has changed to CGA–CGG. As a new brand of the lineage all these 531 isolates share the same mutation in the third position of the first of the two arginine codons. In addition of the codon usage bias affecting R682 there are also two non-synonymous base substitutions N679K and P681R. The earliest date of the SARS-CoV-2 EE.2 lineage was September 12, 2022. Based on NCBI Virus database, from this date appear 1,028 different SARS-CoV-2 lineages. The majority was XBB.1.5 (64,232 isolates 17.17%). However, the ranking position of the EE.2 lineage was 167 (331 isolates, 0.088%), still in the first quartile. Results provide insight into the change of an extremely rare genetic footprint that within an exogenous 12-nucleotide fragment that was imprinted in the SARS-CoV-2 S gene.
Stohastic Frontier Analysis in health units: A systematic review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Farantos Georgios
Published: July 2023

Background
In recent years, parametric and non-parametric methods, especially the SFA, have been used at an increasing rate to measure efficiency in the health sector in the cases of political systems transition or with emphasis on the impact on the economic crisis or other types of crises.The purpose is the literature review of efficiency studies using the Stohastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) with emphasis on inputs and outputs, so that the resulting knowledge can be used for further efficiency study using the SFA method.
Methods
The data used in the study were derived from literature review of efficiency studies using the SFA method in Pubmed, Scopus, Heal-Link and Google scholar databases. The study was designed to review literature efficiency studies conducted using the SFA method and to perform meta-analysis of the findings of these studies. The data were extracted and then the stated methodology of the research was applied following the PICOS model protocol.The meta-analysis of the data obtained from the literature overview was analyzed using the KNIME software.
Results
Efficiency studies with SFA show great heterogeneity due to the different models used in them and the different areas in which they are performed. Most frequently found inputs and outputs in the reviewed studies were identified.Using KNIME software,the dominance of the classic SFA models in theefficiency assessment was shownand the overwhelming superiority of using SFA to measure Technical Efficiencywas shown also. Proposals for policy interventions are heterogeneous and can be classified into different levels of policy interventions.
Conclusions
The main inputs – outputs used in the efficiency studies with SFA were identified. Efficiency is basically high. The proposals for political interventions are classified at political, managerial and operational levels.
Male Selective Migration for Work: A Study of The National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi
Authors: Mishra Hemant , Ali Asif , Abedin Zainul
Published: July 2023

Migration is the most important component of population dynamics affecting the demography of cities. In India, nearly two-third of the population in 2011 was migrant population. Given the rapid rate of urban growth accompanied by aspirations of economic development, the internally migrant population has and is expected to play a major role in shaping not only the future population dynamics but also the socio-economic landscape. It is generally hypothesized that out-migration for work is ‘male-selective’ and even though females are more migratory than males (E.G. Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration, 1885), when it comes to migration to large industrial-commercial centres for work, males outnumber females. The migrant population modifying the demography of urban India is already manifested in the top-heavy urban structure and the adverse sex ratio in some of the largest urban centres of the country. This paper using the case of the NCT of Delhi has tried to examine whether migration to the national capital for work is male-selective. The migration for work to Delhi is certainly male-selective and males outnumber females by a factor of 12. Most of the in-migrants to Delhi are literate, for both genders. However, a major proportion of in-migrant male workers are educated only up to the senior secondary level. On the other hand, proportion of women workers with graduate or higher degrees is higher than for males. However, when all types of in-migrants of considered, there is almost parity between males and females.
Exploring the Temporary Appropriation of Marginal Open Spaces in Urban Residential Neighbourhoods
Authors:   Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Olabisi Onabanjo University, NIGERIA, Adebara Temitope Muyiwa
Published: July 2023

Open spaces are essential to the liveability of urban residential neighbourhoods. While formal open spaces, including neighbourhood parks, have been extensively studied for their environmental and social values, there is scanty research on marginal open spaces’ potential uses and benefits. By drawing on an empirical study of residential neighbourhoods in a Nigerian urban centre, this study explores the temporary appropriation of marginal open spaces. The study adopts a mixed-method approach using a questionnaire survey, photographic recordings, observations, open space measurements and interviews with local planning authorities. Findings showed that marginal spaces exist in various types and forms, including open areas along neighbourhood streets and stream corridors. The three major types of temporary appropriation in the residential neighbourhoods were “Informal commerce”, “Leisure/social pursuit” and “Sacralisation (religious activity)”. The most critical concerns regarding open space appropriation, measured on a five-point Likert scale, were “Lack of safety”, “Absence of tree cover/shade” and “Stench from uncollected waste”, with scales of 4.92, 4.68 and 4.42, respectively. Information gathered from the local planning authorities also showed that the users violated the planning regulations guiding the marginal spaces. The study concluded that although the temporary use of open spaces in residential neighbourhoods is essential for improving the residents’ livelihoods and socio-cultural lives, the practice is fraught with several challenges. Consequently, practical policy recommendations were proffered to ensure that marginal spaces are produced as desirable areas for everyday life while maintaining hygiene, safety, cleanliness and comfort.
Micro and Small Enterprises’ Development in the Ethiopian Construction Industry: The Challenges and Improvement Regulatory Framework
Authors:   Department of Construction Technology and Management, Hawassa University, Institute of Technology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, ETHIOPIA, Mengistu Desalegn Girma , Ashene Daniel Alemayehu ,   Department of Construction Technology and Management, Hawassa University, Institute of Technology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, ETHIOPIA, Beyene Melaku Mamo ,   Department of Construction Technology and Management, Hawassa University, Institute of Technology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, ETHIOPIA
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this study is to assess the challenges and develop a regulatory framework for the sustainable development of micro and small enterprises (MSE) in the construction industry. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the quantitative data and a semi-structured interview was conducted to get detailed insight into the MSE development. Descriptive analysis was used for the quantitative data analysis and the qualitative data was analysed thematically focusing on the challenges and applicable regulatory instruments. The identified internal challenges are associated with management practice, financial capacity and technical capacity. The external challenges are ineffective policy support and regulation, weak registration practice and demand and price fluctuation. Considering these findings, an improvement regulatory framework with four pillars was developed. The pillars of the improvement regulatory framework are registration and follow-up, access to markets, access to finance, and training and advisory. The identified internal and external challenges are interrelated and situation-dependent; therefore, continual monitoring and controlling of the operating environment would help to ensure the sustainable development of MSE. The nature of the construction industry in developing countries shares common characteristics, hence the findings and the developed improvement framework can be extended to similar contexts.
Genetic markers of the proliferative syndrome in age-related macular degeneration and chronic angle-closure glaucoma
Authors: Balashova L. M. , Bakunina N. A. , Fedorov A. A. , Kuznetsova Yu. D. , Popov A. V. , Viner M. E.
Published: July 2023

Purpose: clinical and genetic research of primary chronic angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) for prospective pathogenetically-oriented targeted treatment of these condition.

Materials and methods. 15 patients with isolated ocular proliferative syndrome were divided into 2 groups depending on their diagnosis: 1) 7 patients (14 eyes) aged 55 to 83 with confirmed wet AMD (4 women and 3 men). 2) 8 patients (16 eyes) aged 45 to 80 with chronic PACG (5 women and 3 men). The patients were followed up for 1 to 3 years.

Results. In both conditions, we found mutations in the genes of the Russian population involved in the process of proliferation: VEGF A, CFH, and COL11A1. We developed an algorithm of bioinformatic analysis of full-exome/full-genome sequencing data which takes account of the aggregate of clinical and genetic data and helps refine the prognosis of the course of proliferation. Genetic markers remain unchanged throughout the patient’s life, so it is important to conduct these studies in old age.

Conclusion. To prevent the proliferative syndrome in patients with chronic PACG and AMD, and develop individual targeted pathogenetic therapy schemes for these diseases, specialized molecular genetic tests are needed, the results of which could be analyzed with the developed algorithm.