bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy policies and energy safety management: advancing environmental sustainability
Authors: Ismailov Taner , Savina Natalia , Kabakchieva Tsvetelina , Sribna Yevheniia , Murashko Iryna
Published: December 2024

The relevance of the research topic is due to geopolitical challenges and military conflicts, which have necessitated a revision of national energy policy, setting the task of replacing traditional energy resources with more environmentally friendly ones, while simultaneously reducing direct dependence on external suppliers. The study examines the main global energy systems: the EU, the USA, and China. The changes in the legal framework supporting energy development and energy policies of these countries have been assessed. It was noted that China’s policy for obtaining hydrogen energy is the most efficient and cost-effective, and at the same time, it is aimed at a comprehensive long-term development period until 2035. The study revealed that technological solutions for industrial hydrogen production are most effective in the EU, which allows for a 20% increase in overall production efficiency. The EU has established institutional approaches in the form of creating a hydrogen bank to effectively innovative de velopments in the hydrogen energy sector through a market-based auction mechanism. The research also demonstrated that in the EU, innovative projects in the field of hydrogen energy production could reduce production costs to 0.5 euros per kilogram. The research indicated the beginning of competitive rivalry between the USA, China, and the EU in capturing leading positions in the production of environmentally friendly hydrogen energy. It was noted that the analyzed countries pay significantly less attention to the development of logistics and storage systems for hydrogen energy.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration in air pollution and its correlation with related factors - A case study in Hanoi city, Vietnam
Authors: Hoang Anh The , Dau Khac Tai , Hoang Thi Thuy , Phan Thi Quynh Nga , Phan Thi Thao
Published: December 2024

Air pollution is becoming increasingly serious, adversely affecting human health in many countries, including Vietnam. Among the factors causing air pollution, PM2.5 is the main cause of disease and premature mortality. This study presents the current status of PM2.5 in the air of Hanoi city in 6 months (from 02 June 2023 to 30 November 2023) from automatic monitoring data of 7 monitoring stations. The Kriging spatial interpolation method was used to establish the pollution distribution map and the Multivariate Linear Regression (MLR) model was used to establish the relationship between PM2.5 concentration and related factors. The results show that PM2.5 concentration in the air in Hanoi is very high, 94% of the monitored values exceed the safety limit of the World Health Organization (WHO). Compared to summer months, the winter months have higher PM2.5 concentrations in the air. From the correlation equations, the study also shows that PM2.5 concentration is positively correlated with CO and NO2 emissions and negatively correlated with temperature.
The Effect of Curing Period on Mechanical Properties of Bamboo
Authors: Purnamawati Solin Dian , Estikhamah Fithri , Farichah Himatul , Alif Hutama Dio , Dwi Puspitasari Nia
Published: December 2024

Bamboo is increasingly recognized as a renewable and environmentally friendly construction material due to its strength, affordability, and rapid renewability. Particularly in geotechnical applications, bamboo proves to be an effective solution for soil reinforcement and stabilization, offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional construction materials. This paper evaluates the effects of 7-day and 14-day water curing treatments on bamboo’s moisture content, bulk density, and compressive strength, providing valuable insights into its mechanical properties for sustainable construction. The methodology involves cutting bamboo samples from different sections (bottom, middle, and upper) and immersing them in water baths for the designated periods, ensuring consistent and controlled treatment conditions. Results indicated a significant increase in both moisture content and compressive strength with extended curing periods, while bulk density remains stable across all samples. These findings demonstrate that bamboo’s mechanical properties improve with curing, enhancing its potential as a durable and sustainable construction material. The study highlights bamboo’s role in addressing modern construction challenges through sustainable practices and innovative engineering solutions.
The challenge of classification of argillaceous soft rock (HSSR)
Authors: Metzler Ines , Bostjancic Thomas , Marcher Thomas
Published: December 2024

This research aims to comprehensively investigate the geological and geotechnical parameter ranges of the argillaceous, hard soil/soft rock (HSSR) Unterangerberg formation to be expected for a thorough laboratory testing campaign of this lithology. A literature review and analysis of past project data establish realistic parameter ranges. These allow for material behavior predictions and geotechnical model development for the Angath adit construction in Tyrol, Austria. Ongoing comparisons with new data obtained during construction allow continuous model refinement, ensuring effective consideration of geological and geotechnical aspects. Despite variations in certain laboratory parameters like uniaxial compressive strength and slake durability index, correlations with Youngs modulus and swelling potential show the complex nature of material behavior. Integrating new data and adaptive modeling are considered crucial for successful implementation of underground construction in HSSR formations.
Enhancing Rock Mass Characterization with Advanced Pre-Processing of MWD Data
Authors: Sapronova Alla , Marcher Thomas , Soliman Abdalla , Klein Franziska
Published: December 2024

In the construction project, a precise characterization of rock masses is crucial for the safety and effectiveness of the project. The problem of low accuracy in rock mass characterization (RMC) using analytical methods can often be attributed to data quality issues, like sparsity, outliers, and measurement errors, particularly in complex geological settings. This study demonstrates how the preprocessing of Measurement While Drilling (MWD) data can improve the accuracy of machine learning (ML) models for RMC. In this work a correlational analysis of the MWD dataset has been used as the main pre-processing procedure: for each drilling event (single borehole) a matrix of correlation coefficients was calculated. ML models showed higher accuracy when correlation coefficients were used for training in addition to MWD data. The analysis shows that informational content (the amount and quality of useful information that the dataset provides for analysis) in the dataset composed of correlation coefficients is comparable to, if not greater than, that of the original data. Moreover, it was discovered that correlation coefficients showed increased variability and therefore can enrich the original dataset with more nuanced details. It was concluded that datasets with added correlation coefficients are better suited for ML model training leading to higher predictive accuracy and robustness of ML models.
Chemical Analysis to Determine Coal Rank in Ombrob Village Coal Deposits, Nimboran District, Jayapura Regency, Papua
Authors: Karolus Meak Karel , Medy Tandy Lia , Hartiningsih Endang , Virman
Published: December 2024

This research aims to determine the chemical characteristics and rank of coal from coal deposits in Ombrob Village, Nimboran District, Jayapura Regency, Papua. Three samples obtained from the results of field investigations, namely OBB-1, OBB-2 and OBB-3, were then analyzed at the Tekmira Bandung Lab using proximate, ultimate and calorific value analysis methods. Based on laboratory analysis, the average proximate analysis value for the three Ombrob coal samples (OBB-1, OBB-2 and OBB-3) was obtained, namely moisture content 26.67% (adb), ash 17.04% (adb), volatile matter 35.85% (adb), fixed carbon 20.45% (adb). The average results of ultimate analysis for the three samples are carbon 38.28% (adb), hydrogen 5.73% (adb), nitrogen 0.93% (adb), total sulfur 3.68 (adb), oxygen 34.34% (adb). Meanwhile, the analysis results for Gross Calorific Value (GCV) in the OBB-1 sample are 3616 cal/gr, (adb), OBB-2 is 3704 cal/gr, (adb) and OBB-2 is 3594 cal/cal (adb) with the overall average GCV in the three samples was 3638 cal/gr, (adb). Using the Parr formula, the average fixed carbon (FC) conversion value for the three samples is 37.62% (dmmf), the average volatile matter (VM) is 62.38% (dmmf), the average GCV for the three samples is 4340 (Blu/lb. mmmf). Based on ASTM D388, Ombrob Village’s coal is ranked into lignite-B rank coal.
Elemental Mass Balance Calculation of the Hydrothermal Alteration in Awak Mas Gold Deposit, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia
Authors: Permatasari A , Pratiwi W A S , Parningotn M R , Ernowo  , Sitohang S
Published: December 2024

Primary gold mineralization is associated with the hydrothermal processes. Interaction between the hydrothermal fluids and the wall rock resulting an alteration which characterized and indicated a mineralization process. The understanding of the mechanisms of alteration requires quantification of elemental changes in proximal to distal alteration zones. This study was conducted on an orogenic gold deposit at Awak Mas determine the lithogeochemical in each alteration zone caused by the hydrothermal processes. A total of eight schist rock samples geochemical data were applied in this study representing the least altered, quartz-albite zone, and albite-ankerite-pyrite zones. Major elements geochemical data was resulted by XRF analysis, and trace elements obtained by ICP-MS analytical method. The calculation method for mass balance during alteration is carried out using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software by applying the graphical isocon method. The calculation results show that there are gains and losses of elements that cause changes in rock volume and mass due to the reaction of hydrothermal solutions with wallrocks. From the least altered schist to quartz-albite zone, the alteration process increases 19,9% SiO2, 4.5% Na2O, 3.4% Fe2O3 and decrease of some elements, while Al and Ti were relatively immobile. This alteration process causes a gain in total rock volume of 20.7%. Furthermore, the alteration from quartz-albite to albite-ankerite-pyrite showed the gains of 0.16% SiO2, 0.43% Na2O, 1.3% SO3, 1.55% CaO, this reaction resulted in an additional volume to 9.7%. These calculations indicate that the hydrothermal solution is dominated by silica and sodium elements which form the secondary minerals of quartz and albite in distal zone. In the proximal alteration zone, which carries gold mineralization besides silica and sodium there is also characterized by enrichment of calcium, iron and sulfur which results in the formation of ankerite and pyrite. Gold is associated with pyrite which are formed in the albite-ankerite-pyrite zone.
Integration of gravity and geospatial data to determine geological hazard prospect zones in the Halmahera, North Molucca using GIS Weighted Overlay Index (WOI) method
Authors: Aprina P U , Santoso D , Alawiyah S , Prasetyo N
Published: December 2024

Halmahera Island is one of the Indonesian archipelagos that formed from the interaction among three major plates, Indo-Australian, Eurasia, and Pacific. This convergence causes Halmahera Island presumably to be a geological hazard susceptibility area. This study used gravity data to delineate subsurface structure based on the Euler Deconvolution technique and further combined with various geospatial data, including lineament density extracted from Sentinel-1A imagery, rainfall rate, PGA, and vegetation index (NDVI) derived from optical imagery processing, to generate a geological hazard potential zone map based on the Geographic Information System (GIS) implementation. Each thematic map is weighted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach, normalized by the Weighted Overlay Index (WOI) technique, and summed up to calculate the Hazard Potential Index (HPI). The calculated map is ranked and reclassified as the most and least dangerous zone of geological hazard vulnerability. HPI shows the most dangerous area is located in several places, including the north and south arms of Halmahera with an index of 0.63 and 0.51, respectively, while the lowest potential zone is in the southeast arm (0.15). The outcome of this mapping is presumably to be used as a hazard mitigation reference henceforward.
Effect of Salt Addition on Sedimentation Rate and Mine Wastewater Quality
Authors: Norfaeda R , Kartini  , Saptarini D L , Fajar R A
Published: December 2024

Prediction of sedimentation rate is one of the efforts to carry out good ex-mining water treatment. The sedimentation rate can be accelerated by the addition of chemical and biological additives, one of which is the addition of salt.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the addition of salt content to the sedimentation rate and its effect on the quality of wastewater produced by settling ponds. The sample used is a solution made from coal seam overburden dissolved in water as a representative sample of waste water that flows into the settling pond. The sample solutions were added of 10%, 20% and 30% of salt from total solid. The sedimentation rate and water quality parameters of the salt solution were measured using a Multiparameter tool.

Addition of salt with a concentration of 30% was the fastest, with a sedimentation rate of 6.25 x 10−5 m/s, for 20% and 10%, respectively, of 5.83 x 10−5 m/s. Based on 3 experiments were concluded that the optimal salinity value in accelerating the sedimentation rate with good water quality was 20%. This research indicates that more salt content will accelerate the sedimentation rate but will affect the water quality in terms of increasing the pH to become more alkaline and increasing the salinity in the water.
Enhancing the efficiency of hybrid Schottky diode by decoration of 2D Cs:ZnO nanosheets with CNTs via a facile co-precipitation approach
Authors: Al-Sayed A , Siddiq Miad Ali , Elgazzar Elsayed
Published: December 2024

The Cs:ZnO@CNTs nanocomposite was synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method and characterized using XRD, EDX, SEM, and TEM techniques, which revealed small crystalline size, high atomic density, and large surface area. The thin films showed intense optical absorption near the visible region with optical band gaps of 3.12 eV and 3.06 eV for Cs:ZnO and Cs:ZnO@CNTs nanostructures, respectively. The hybrid Schottky diode was fabricated by depositing Cs:ZnO nanosheets on p-Si using drop casting technique and the metal contacts were thermally deposited via thermal evaporation technique. The electronic parameters were evaluated in a dark environment, revealing reduced series resistance

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and a decreased potential barrier

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relative to the undoped diode. The photodiode demonstrated elevated responsivity and specific detectivity under illumination conditions influenced by CNT additions, which expanded optical absorption and increased photocarrier density. The

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−
V

and

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measurements were executed over a wide frequency range, indicating the significant impact of trapped centers at interfacial layers on capacitance, conductance, and series resistance characteristics. The obtained results confirmed the potential use of hybrid photoactive materials in the development of solar power devices.
Methods for estimating beneficiary populations targeted by health and nutrition interventions for women, pregnant women, infants, and young children
Authors: Gune Soyra , Nguyen Phuong H , Chakrabarti Suman
Published: December 2024

Utilization of maternal and child interventions is typically tracked in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) using coverage estimates from population representative surveys. These estimates cannot be directly applied to assess resource gaps in intervention delivery for which data on the population eligible is required. Moreover, coverage improvements may not necessarily reflect an expansion in utilization because of a decline in the population eligible. We develop a method to estimate the populations eligible for interventions across the continuum of care. The method uses data from the World Population Prospects and the Demographic Health Survey, data sources which are available for most LMICs. Additionally, we develop a method to estimate the eligible population covered by each intervention. Using the illustration of India, we estimate populations eligible for, and covered by interventions during preconception, pregnancy, delivery, lactation, and childhood. We find that between 2015 and 2020, the eligible population declined for all beneficiary groups. Additionally, coverage expansion was not entirely driven by an increase in the population accessing an intervention, but rather also by a decline in the eligible population. Our illustration highlights the importance of including population estimates alongside coverage for interventions, particularly in LMIC contexts due to changing fertility dynamics.
Male Chest Athletic Definition: A Comprehensive View from an Anatomical and Physiological Perspective
Authors: Mera-Cruz Giovanni , Murillo-Romero Natalia , Barragán-Guadalupe Carlos , Duran Michael , Camacho-Domínguez Laura , Guio-Gómez Yulia Daniela , Mera-Herrera Isabella
Published: December 2024

Background

In order to obtain a natural but athletic contour through liposuction, the management of the male pectoral region is constantly changing. Cutting-edge methods including mammary gland excision and fat grafting to the pectoralis major have been created. There isn't yet a single method that can handle all long-term problems, like gynecomastia with eventual loss of pectoral definition, fat graft asymmetries, and/or unnatural definition..vic

Objectives

This article proposes a surgical technique to improve the male pectoral region through liposuction in specific areas, muscular volumization with objectively established fat volumes based on intracompartimental pressure measurements, and the management and prevention of gynecomastia. This approach aims to ensure the maximal survival of the fat graft with reduced fat necrosis, long-term asymmetry, and sustained results over time.

Methods

Measurement of the pectoralis major pressure, following fat graft, was conducted between January 2021 and June 2023. Patients aged between 19 and 60 years at the time of surgery, with a body mass index below 30 kg/m², were included. The surgical technique is presented in this article.

Results

The two models used in this study exhibited strong explanatory power, indicating that a significant portion of the variability in fat graft resorption could be explained by the variables included in these models. Postoperative exercise, patients age, and intramuscular pressure of the transferred fat showed statistically significant results in the survival of fat grafts. BMI did not show a statistically significant relationship.

Conclusions

This technique can treat and prevent gynecomastia while simultaneously improving the appearance of the male chest through volumization of the pectoralis major with safe fat grafts volumes. The established volumes did not exceed 8 mmHg intracompartimental pressure. Higher volumes reduced fat survival. Large volumes lead to greater postoperative asymmetry and loss of fat grafts
PAGE-based transfer learning from single-cell to bulk sequencing enhances model generalization for sepsis diagnosis
Authors: Jin Nana , Nan Chuanchuan , Li Wanyang , Lin Peijing , Xin Yu , Wang Jun , Chen Yuelong , Wang Yuanhao , Yu Kaijiang , Wang Changsong , Chen Chunbo , Geng Qingshan , Cheng Lixin
Published: December 2024

Sepsis, caused by infections, sparks a dangerous bodily response. The transcriptional expression patterns of host responses aid in the diagnosis of sepsis, but the challenge lies in their limited generalization capabilities. To facilitate sepsis diagnosis, we present an updated version of single-cell Pair-wise Analysis of Gene Expression (scPAGE) using transfer learning method, scPAGE2, dedicated to data fusion between single-cell and bulk transcriptome. Compared to scPAGE, the upgrade to scPAGE2 featured ameliorated Differentially Expressed Gene Pairs (DEPs) for pretraining a model in single-cell transcriptome and retrained it using bulk transcriptome data to construct a sepsis diagnostic model, which effectively transferred cell-layer information from single-cell to bulk transcriptome. Seven datasets across three transcriptome platforms and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) were used for performance validation. The model involved four DEPs, showing robust performance across next-generation sequencing and microarray platforms, surpassing state-of-the-art models with an average AUROC of 0.947 and an average AUPRC of 0.987. Analysis of scRNA-seq data reveals higher cell proportions with JAM3-PIK3AP1 expression in sepsis monocytes, decreased ARG1-CCR7 in B and T cells. Elevated IRF6-HP in sepsis monocytes confirmed by both scRNA-seq and an independent cohort using FACS. Both the superior performance of the model and the in vitro validation of IRF6-HP in monocytes emphasize that scPAGE2 is effective and robust in the construction of sepsis diagnostic model. We additionally applied scPAGE2 to acute myeloid leukemia and demonstrated its superior classification performance. Overall, we provided a strategy to improve the generalizability of classification model that can be adapted to a broad range of clinical prediction scenarios.
Extramammary Paget disease
Authors: Zhang Ji-Bin , Li Qiao-Xi , Guo Hao
Published: December 2024

We describe a patient with extramammary Paget disease. We think these clinical and pathological pictures are typical, interesting and educational.
Immune-related genes for the prediction of response to imatinib therapy in chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Yang Pu , Yu Qian
Published: December 2024

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a malignant hyperplastic tumor that originates from pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors has significantly improved the survival rates of CML patients. This study aimed to identify immune-related genes associated with the response to imatinib (IM) therapy in CML. Gene expression profiles from IM-treated CML patients were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and categorized into high- and low-score groups based on immune scores calculated using the ESTIMATE algorithm. Subsequent bioinformatics analysis identified 428 differentially expressed immune-related genes in the CML context. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were involved in immune-related pathways, including T-cell receptor signaling and cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction. Finally, based on five modules in weighted gene co-expression network analysis and the top-ranked degree, 10 hub genes were identified. Receiver operating characteristic analysis in two Gene Expression Omnibus datasets identified IL10RA, SCN9A, and SLC26A11 as potential biomarkers for predicting IM response. We further validated these biomarkers in an independent clinical cohort of 60 CML patients treated with IM. Results from quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed high expression of IL10RA and SLC26A11 in responders, while SCN9A showed low expression. All three genes had an area under the curve greater than 0.75, confirming their potential as predictive biomarkers. These findings deepen our understanding of functional characteristics and immune-related molecular mechanisms underlying IM response and offer promising predictive biomarkers.
Defying Uganda’s morality police: the grammar of social media protest images
Authors: Ssozi Javie , Dowling David O
Published: December 2024

This study examines the social media movement protesting Uganda’s 2014 Anti-Pornography Act (APA) designed to regulate women’s attire. The legislation fueled mob attacks on women wearing miniskirts in public, sparking public protests documented with images of demonstrators bearing placards voicing their dissent. Unlike the traditional public sphere where gatekeeping remains pervasive and entrenched, social media’s loosely regulated platforms give interested users unabated access to issues and the public. Images, text, and hashtags play a vital role in conveying grievances. Through critical discourse analysis (CDA) relevant to communication through images, findings reveal how the circulation of protest images online shapes public opinion and legislative outcomes on contested issues such as sex, morality, and women’s rights. The images operationalize a visual grammar of resistance that negotiates and contests the meaning of women’s bodies in defiance of the repressive government.
Detection of antibodies to infliximab in routine care: a 4-year French retrospective study
Authors: Bertin Daniel , Aghzadi Jehanne , Balandraud Nathalie , Roman Céline , Serrero Mélanie , Desplat-Jégo Sophie
Published: December 2024

Despite its wide use to treat various inflammatory diseases, infliximab becomes ineffective in some patients due to inadequate drug levels and production of anti-drug antibodies (ADA). The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence and ADA levels in a large cohort of patients. ADA and infliximab (IFX) through levels measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were collected from 505 patients within a period of 4 years. The results indicate that (i) 13.5% of patients produce ADA, (ii) male patients were more likely to produce ADA at levels above 10 000 ng/ml than female patients, (iii) ADA levels were lower when associated with immunosuppressant drugs, (iv) there was an inverse relationship between ADA presence and IFX detection, and (v) no correlation was observed between ADA levels and number of injections or brand of IFX administered. This study improves our understanding of the factors promoting IFX immunogenicity and highlights the need to develop personalized treatment strategies.
Asymmetrical patterns of β-amyloid deposition and cognitive changes in Alzheimer’s disease: the SILCODE study
Authors: Yu Xianfeng , Zhang Ying , Cai Yue , Rong Ning , Li Ruixian , Shi Rong , Wei Min , Jiang Jiehui , Han Ying
Published: December 2024

The asymmetric pattern of β-amyloid plaque distribution across Alzheimer’s disease clinical progression stages remains unclear. In this study, 66 participants with normal cognition, 59 with subjective cognitive decline, 12 with mild cognitive impairment, and 11 with Alzheimer’s disease dementia were included in the Sino Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Decline (SILCODE) cohort. A regional asymmetry index, denoting the left–right asymmetry of β-amyloid plaques, was derived for each region based on the Anatomical Automatic Labeling atlas. The level of β-amyloid plaques in each region was compared among different clinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease using the analysis of variance. An additional correlation analysis examined the relationship between each region of interest’s cognitive performance scores and asymmetry index values. We found that β-amyloid appears to be lateralized in different stages of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, there is a significant correlation between β-amyloid asymmetry in various brain regions and cognition. The observed Aβ lateralization could potentially be utilized as a neuroimaging biomarker throughout AD progression.
The more eye-like, the more intimidating—visual illusion gives new evidence for the anti-predation mechanism of eyespots
Authors: Long Xiaoyu , Chen Qiuyang , Zhang Yigui , Zhao Yumeng , Cheng Yuwen , Li Zhongqiu
Published: December 2024

Eyespots have been shown to perform an anti-predator function by intimidating predators. However, whether predators are deterred by the eyespots’ mimicking eyes of higher-order predators, or by the conspicuousness of the spots, is still being debated. The anti-predator mechanism of eyespots, which involves the predator’s visual perception and cognition, urges to be examined. To explore the “eye mimicry hypothesis” and “conspicuous signal hypothesis,” we designed prey with deceptive eyespots eliciting 2-dimensional (2D) or 3-dimensional (3D) visual illusions for domestic chicks (as predators). For 2D visual illusion, we provided prey with occluded eyespots for chicks. Chicks can “complete” the occluded eyespots into a full 2D concentric circle by the amodal completion mechanism, that is, one of visual illusion. For 3D visual illusion, we created the crescent-shaped sparkles on the eyespots to simulate a visually 3D eye. Our result indicated that (1) 2D: chicks hesitated more when facing preys with occluded eyespots than facing preys with broken eyespots and (2) 3D: compared to prey with no-sparkle eyespots, chicks spent more time approaching prey with sparkle eyespots and were more likely to approach them tangentially. Thus, the visual illusion perceived by chicks would impact the anti-predation effectiveness of eyespots. Eyespots that more closely resemble the real eyes, especially those with 3-dimensionality, provided more effective protection. Our study supported the eye mimicry hypothesis from the perspective of visual illusion.
Interpretable predictive value of including HDL-2b and HDL-3 in an explainable boosting machine model for multiclass classification of coronary artery stenosis severity in acute myocardial infarction patients
Authors: Wang Bin , Li Dong , Geng Yu , Jin Feifei , Wang Yujie , Lv Changhua , Lv Tingting , Xue Yajun , Zhang Ping
Published: December 2024

Aims

The aim of this study was to use explainable boosting machine (EBM) to evaluate the predictive value of HDL-2b and HDL-3 levels in comparison with traditional lipid parameters in three-class classification of coronary artery stenosis severity in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients.

Methods and results

In this cross-sectional study, 1200 AMI patients were evaluated. HDL subtypes were quantified via microfluidic chip detection, and stenosis severity was assessed via the Gensini scoring system. The Gensini scores were divided into three groups: low group (<36.5), moderate group (36.5–72), and high group (>72). Explainable boosting machine, an interpretable machine learning technique, was employed to assess the predictive value of HDL-2b and HDL-3 compared with traditional lipid markers. Explainable boosting machine was used as the main model in this study, whereas logistic regression, XGBoost, and Random Forest were selected as reference models for predictive performance. Model performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. The HDL-3 (%) values were divided into three risk categories: low (>43), moderate (30–43), and high (<30). The incorporation of HDL-2b and HDL-3 levels into lipid profiling significantly increased the group importance scores. The macro-average area under the curve values for the four models were as follows: 0.56 for the logistic model, 0.54 for the EBM model, 0.50 for the Random Forest model, and 0.49 for the XGBoost model.

Conclusion

HDL-3 provides superior predictive value for evaluating coronary artery stenosis severity in AMI patients compared to HDL-2b and other conventional lipid markers.
The Effects of Graded Levels of Calorie Restriction XXI: impact of short term graded restriction on gene expression profiles of stomach and skeletal muscle
Authors: Xia Fan , Wu Yingga , Li Min , Mitchell Sharon E , Speakman John R
Published: December 2024

Calorie restriction (CR) extends lifespan and prevents several aging related diseases. During short-term restriction, we previously showed that lean tissues generally decrease in size, but the alimentary tract (especially the stomach) grows. To illuminate pathway alterations in these contrasting tissues we compared gene expression profiles (bulk RNAseq) of the skeletal muscle and stomach, in the same male C57BL/6J mice exposed to 3 months of graded CR (0-40%). Transcriptomic analysis showed the numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) relative to 12h ad libitum (12AL) feeding increased as the level of restriction increased. We found the canonical CR and aging related pathways, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (EIF2) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), were significantly up- and downregulated respectively in gastrocnemius muscle, but less so in the stomach. These changes were consistent with the differential growth status of the two tissues under CR. However, various immune-related pathways such as pathogenesis of influenza and interferon signalling pathway were downregulated and the PD-1/PD-L1 cancer immunotherapy pathway was upregulated with increased CR level in the stomach, indicating an impaired ability of anti-virus and improvement of cancer treatment. Furthermore, in the mTOR and NF-kB aging related pathways, more genes in muscle tissue were significantly correlated with CR level than in the stomach and liver. Suggesting muscle is an important aging related tissue responding to caloric restriction. These two pathways were altered in a manner consistent with increased lifespan as CR level increased in both tissues.
Digital Determinants: The Inclusion of Social Media in Health Conceptualization
Authors: Wade Michelle Elaine , Parks Kortnie
Published: December 2024

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are vital components to helping address health equity and the social and economic factors that impact health and health outcomes. Two important aspects of SDOH to consider are informational access and accuracy. In an era increasingly influenced by digital platforms, this study delves into the significant role of social media as an SDOH. Through an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, this study captures mental health professionals’ perspectives regarding the professional use of social media. The findings of this study reveal a need for further guidance on how to professionally utilize social media and address boundary and confidentiality concerns. Additionally, the findings demonstrate that social media could be a valuable tool for health education, community support, and public health messaging, and highlights a necessity for accurate informational accessibility. This study underscores the need for a nuanced understanding of social media’s role in health, advocating for informed and strategic use in mental health practice.
Impact of micro-habitat fragmentation on microbial population growth dynamics
Authors: Mant Dina , Orevi Tomer , Kashtan Nadav
Published: December 2024

Microbial communities thrive in virtually every habitat on Earth and are essential to the function of diverse ecosystems. Most microbial habitats are not spatially continuous and well-mixed, but rather composed, at the microscale, of many isolated or semi-isolated local patches of different sizes, resulting in partitioning of microbial populations into discrete local populations. The impact of this spatial fragmentation on population dynamics is not well-understood. Here, we study how such variably sized micro-habitat patches affect the growth dynamics of clonal microbial populations and how dynamics in individual patches dictate those of the metapopulation. To investigate this, we developed the μ-SPLASH, an ecology-on-a-chip platform, enabling the culture of microbes in microscopic landscapes comprised of thousands of microdroplets, with a wide range of sizes. Using the μ-SPLASH, we cultured the model bacteria E. coli and based on time-lapse microscopy, analyzed the population dynamics within thousands of individual droplets. Our results reveal that growth curves substantially vary with droplet size. Although growth rates generally increase with drop size, reproductive success and the time to approach carrying capacity, display non-monotonic patterns. Combining μ-SPLASH experiments with computational modeling, we show that these patterns result from both stochastic and deterministic processes, and demonstrate the roles of initial population density, patchiness, and patch size distribution in dictating the local and metapopulation dynamics. This study reveals basic principles that elucidate the effects of habitat fragmentation and population partitioning on microbial population dynamics. These insights deepen our understanding of natural microbial communities and have significant implications for microbiome engineering.
Wholesale Debt Relief: Do LICs Need a New Package?
Authors: Chuku Chuku
Published: December 2024

About three decades ago, many low-income countries (LICs) were bailed out from debt crises through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) debt relief initiative. Today, many of those countries are again facing renewed debt vulnerabilities, prompting critical questions. Are LICs on the brink of another systemic debt crisis? Is another HIPC-style debt relief package the solution? This paper compares the debt problems of LICs today with the situation on the eve of the HIPC initiative and shows that, despite high vulnerabilities, debt burden indicators today are not as dangerous as they were in the mid-1990s. Nevertheless, if current trends persist and in the absence of policy reforms to address LICs' debt problems, we could face another systemic debt crisis in LICs within the near to medium term. If such a crisis materialises, today's global financial architecture would pose significant challenges to mobilise and deliver wholesale debt relief for LICs. Therefore, a pragmatic, case-specific approach to restructuring pockets of localised debt crisis in LICs could prove a more effective approach to address the debt crisis today.
The Political Economy of Economic Policy Advice
Authors: Dercon Stefan
Published: December 2024

This article examines the political economy of economic policy advice. It offers a framework for assessing how to maximise the economic development impact of advice, allowing for the political incentives of those in power. It argues for a ‘second best’ analysis that looks to maximise development impact given political incentives and shows how standard advice often given by researchers, government advisors or international organisations such as the World Bank and the IMF may not be this second best option. Furthermore, it looks at the implications of treating political constraints as endogenous. Some examples illustrate how research and advice can be more impactful by considering local political economy conditions.
Debt Distress and Climate-Resilient Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Gallagher Kevin P , Ramos Luma , Were Anzetse , Marques Marina Zucker
Published: December 2024

Due to multiple external shocks since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the world economy, SSA is facing acute debt distress and new highs in the cost of foreign capital at exactly the time it needs to mobilise a stepwise level of financing to invest in human, physical and natural capital to meet the region's development and climate goals for the 21st Century. This paper outlines the relative levels of sovereign external debt and service payments between now and 2030 for SSA countries. We calculate the fiscal space level left to meet climate and development financing needs during the same period. The region cannot meet those pressing needs without new forms of liquidity, concessional and grant finance to complement and bend down the cost of capital and comprehensive debt relief. We find that External debt in SSA has more than tripled since 2008, experiencing the largest increase in debt and the largest increase in debt-to fiscal revenue in the developing world—as capital costs have hit new highs.Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and private bondholders represent 60% of the region's external debt, with roughly equal shares of 30%. China and the Paris Club are owed 12 and 5%.Sub-Saharan's external debt service is the equivalent to 93% of the average country's climate financing needs, and only ten countries in the region have the borrowing space to finance those needs.The region urgently needs new forms of liquidity, concessional and grant-based development finance that catalyses low-cost private finance; and for those countries in debt distress significant debt relief across all creditor classes that is aligned with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.MDBs will need to provide between $2.4 and $34.5 billion in relief in a manner that does not harm their preferred creditor status or crediting ratings, or the burden of reduction by the private sector and official creditors will be immense.

Sub-Saharan Africa's debt distress is in large part a function of external shocks of which the region had no control—such as COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, climate shocks, the globalisation of inflation from advanced economies and advanced economy interest rate hikes. Moreover, the region is responsible for roughly one half of 1% of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions and bares the highest level of the costs of climate change itself (IMF, 2017; Moss, 2020). Given the lack of voice and representation that the region has in the international economic architecture, advanced economies must lead. Further inaction will not only inflict material damage globally in the form of climate change and lost market opportunities, but also further erode the legitimacy of the architecture itself.
LncRNA MSTRG.14227.1 regulates the morphogenesis of secondary hair follicles in Inner Mongolia cashmere goats via targeting ADAMTS3 by sponging chi-miR-433
Authors: Ma Rong , Wang Min , Ma Qing , Zhang Yiming , Shang Fangzheng , Wang Ruijun , Zhang Yanjun
Published: December 2024

The cashmere goat is a type of livestock primarily known for its cashmere. Cashmere has a soft hand feel and good luster. It is a vital raw material in the textile industry, possessing significant economic value. Improving the yield and quality of cashmere can accelerate the development of the cashmere industry and increase the incomes of farmers and herdsmen. The embryonic stage is the main stage of the formation of hair follicle structure, which directly affects the yield and quality of cashmere. With the rapid advancements in modern molecular technology and high-throughput sequencing, many signaling molecules have been identified as playing critical roles in hair follicle development. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), which lacks protein-coding ability and exceeds 200 nucleotides in length, has been discovered to play a role in hair follicle development. In this study, the lncRNA MSTRG.14227.1, which is associated with the morphogenesis of secondary hair follicles, was screened and identified based on previously established lncRNA expression profiles derived from skin tissues of cashmere goats at different embryonic stages. This lncRNA has been shown to inhibit the proliferation and migration of dermal fibroblasts. Furthermore, we confirmed through bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays that lncRNA MSTRG.14227.1 can function as a sponge for chi-miR-433, thereby alleviating the inhibitory effect of chi-miR-433 on its target gene ADAMTS3. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that lncRNA MSTRG.14227.1 can inhibit the morphogenesis of secondary hair follicles through the chi-miR-433/ADAMTS3 signaling axis.
Experimental crosses detect reproductive isolation among populations of Triatoma pallidipennis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae)
Authors: Meraz-Medina Tzintli , Grant-Guillén Yunuen , Mercado-Trujillo José Rodrigo , Vences-Blanco Mauro Omar , Ibáñez-Hernández Dévora Yajahira , Martínez-Ibarra José Alejandro
Published: December 2024

Chagas disease is one of the most important vector-borne diseases in Mexico. Triatoma pallidipennis (Stål) is one of the most epidemiologically important vector species. Despite being classified as a single species, various studies (molecular, morphometric, and biological) on populations across its distribution suggested it is composed of a group of cryptic species. This study examined reproductive isolation among 5 populations of T. pallidipennis originating from the western, southern, and central regions of Mexico to help clarify the potential existence of a cryptic species complex of T. pallidipennis in Mexico. A generation of hybrids was analyzed for fertility and fecundity. Fertility rates varied from 50% to 100% in the parental crosses and from 20% to 100% in the F1 × F1 crosses. Fecundity ranged from 1.4 to 3.2 eggs/female/day in the parental crosses, which decreased to 0.9–2.9 in the F1 × F1 crosses (except in Jalisco × Morelos). The fertility of the eggs ranged from 61.4% to 85.4% in the parental crosses, dropping to 44% to 90.1% in some F1 × F1 crosses, indicating partial reproductive isolation among these populations.
Explicit non-normal modal logic
Authors: Rohani Atefeh , Studer Thomas
Published: December 2024

Faroldi argues that deontic modals are hyperintensional and thus traditional modal logic cannot provide an appropriate formalization of deontic situations. To overcome this issue, we introduce novel justification logics as hyperintensional analogues to non-normal modal logics. We establish soundness and completeness with respect to various models and we study the problem of realization.
Sundanese Reverberances: Untangling Contradictions about the Gamelan Spectacle at the 1889 Paris World’s Fair
Authors: López-Lara Ángela , Chiantore Luca
Published: December 2024

This article revisits the gamelan performances at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, providing an updated and comprehensive study of the scenic specificities displayed and the intersecting interests that contributed to shaping them. Drawing on a wealth of previously unexamined press accounts and transcriptions, and close familiarity with Sundanese and Javanese music and dances, it delves into the performance practices carried out, revealing the many ways in which the staging concept—driven largely by commercial concerns and logistical challenges—diverged from the homeland’s usual practices. It also aims to resolve inconsistencies regarding the socio-cultural background of the performers and the repertory exhibited, and uncovers musical and choreological procedures still present in modern Sundanese customs. Furthermore, the recent discovery and examination of the 1889 gamelan by the authors (in January 2024) has been crucial in understanding how its particular tunings and scales presented a challenge to European musical conventions in the late nineteenth century.
MixtureFinder: Estimating DNA Mixture Models for Phylogenetic Analyses
Authors: Ren Huaiyan , Wong Thomas K F , Minh Bui Quang , Lanfear Robert
Published: December 2024

In phylogenetic studies, both partitioned models and mixture models are used to account for heterogeneity in molecular evolution among the sites of DNA sequence alignments. Partitioned models require the user to specify the grouping of sites into subsets, and then assume that each subset of sites can be modeled by a single common process. Mixture models do not require users to prespecify subsets of sites, and instead calculate the likelihood of every site under every model, while co-estimating the model weights and parameters. While much research has gone into the optimization of partitioned models by merging user-specified subsets, there has been less attention paid to the optimization of mixture models for DNA sequence alignments. In this study, we first ask whether a key assumption of partitioned models—that each user-specified subset can be modeled by a single common process—is supported by the data. Having shown that this is not the case, we then design, implement, test, and apply an algorithm, MixtureFinder, to select the optimum number of classes for a mixture model of Q-matrices for the standard models of DNA sequence evolution. We show this algorithm performs well on simulated and empirical datasets and suggest that it may be useful for future empirical studies. MixtureFinder is available in IQ-TREE2, and a tutorial for using MixtureFinder can be found here: http://www.iqtree.org/doc/Complex-Models#mixture-models.