bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Dental Caries and Salivary TGF-β Level and Growth Indicators in 5-6-Year-Old Children: A case-control study
Authors: Derakhshan Shokoofeh , Kamiab Zahra , Pourjahanshah Donya , Hoseinzade Faezehe , Karimabad Mojgan Noroozi
Published: August 2024

Objective
Pro-inflammatory cytokines in the saliva were detected in periodontitis and dental caries. This study aims to compare the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) in the saliva of dental caries patients and survey growth indices from childhood to the present, in children with dental caries.
Methods
In this case-control study, two groups of 30 cases (children with tooth decay) and control (without tooth decay), aged 5–6 years, were selected by using the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index and were matched based on age and sex. They were evaluated in terms of growth indices (BMI, gender, weight, height, and head circumference) from childhood to the present, as well as salivary TGF-β levels. Finally, the data were analyzed by SPSS22.
Results
The DMFT index in the case group was 7.03 ± 3.32 and they had significantly lower BMI (p = 0.042), but no relationship was observed with height and weight. The mean level of TGF-β (Pg/mL) in the case group was significantly higher than the control group (p = 0.047).
Conclusions
The study results indicate that TGF B level is higher in children with dental caries. Children with dental caries weigh less than children of the same age; therefore, dental examination in preschool children is necessary, with the aim of preventing DMFT.
Electro-polymerization of modified carbon paste sensor for detecting Azithromycin
Authors: mamdouh salma , shehata mohammed , fekry amany , ameer magda
Published: August 2024

A carbon paste electrode (CPE) was simply modified to detect AM using poly-threonine (PT). Azithromycin (AM) is one of the prescribed drugs in pandemic medication regimen which has a paying attention. The work was characterised using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A very sensitive response to the oxidation of 1.0 mM AM in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) over a pH range of 5.0 to 10.0 was observed using a developed poly-threonine carbon paste electrode (PTCPE). In PBS with a pH of 7.4, the impact of different AM concentrations was investigated resulting in a detection limit of 0.32 µM and a quantification limit of 1.07 µM. Finally, the recently used electrode realized acceptable sensitivity and consistency for AM detection in pharmaceutical drugs.
The TyG index is negatively associated with sarcopenia in nondiabetic middle-aged and elderly adults based on CHARLS data
Authors: Zhang Han , Du Hongzhen , Zhao Yuanyuan , Li Zengning , Liu Kun , Wang Xuan , Manafe Hendra , Sun Kejuan
Published: August 2024

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the TyG index, an alternative marker of insulin resistance, and sarcopenia in nondiabetic middle-aged and elderly people to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia.
Methods: Our study utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2011-2015 to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia in nondiabetic middle-aged and elderly adults based on the diagnostic criteria published by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) in 2019. Triglyceride and fasting blood glucose values were obtained from physical examination data to calculate the TyG index. The associations between the TyG index and sarcopenia, as well as its components, were analysed using multifactorial logistic regression and restricted cubic spline regression. The relationship between the TyG index and incident sarcopenia was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression modelling.
Results: Of the 7190 subjects included in 2011, 1139 (15.8%) had sarcopenia. There was a significant negative association between the TyG index and sarcopenia in nondiabetic middle-aged and older adults (OR=0.699, 95% CI: 0.588 to 0.830, P<0.001) and a negative association with low muscle mass and low physical function, with adjusted risk ratios of 0.677 and 0.840, respectively.The restricted cubic spline regression analysis showed a nonlinear association, demonstrating a significant negative correlation with sarcopenia when the TyG index was greater than 8.51. During the four-year follow-up, 520 (12.9%) of the 4,034 participants developed sarcopenia. Cox regression analysis revealed that the risk of incident sarcopenia decreased as the TyG index increased (HR=0.631, 95% CI: 0.538-0.741 P<0.001). After adjusting the model based on age, sex, education level, smoking and drinking status, marital status, glycated haemoglobin, high-density lipoprotein, and comorbidities, the trend remained consistent (HR=0.762, 95% CI=0.629-0.923, P=0.005). The adjusted hazard ratio for sarcopenia in the highest quartile of the TyG index compared to the lowest quartile was 0.719 (P=0.025), indicating a 28.1% reduced risk of new-onset sarcopenia.
Conclusions: The TyG index of nondiabetic middle-aged and elderly people in China is negatively correlated with sarcopenia, which may provide a reference for the prevention and management of sarcopenia.
Conservative or Radical: The Importance of Split-Renal Function Assessment in the Treatment of Emphysematous Pyelonephritis
Authors: Liu Wei , Jia Xuan , Sun Lingjiang , Liu Jun , Ni Jianming , Li Qianqian , Luo Liang
Published: August 2024

Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is an acute necrotizing infectious disease of the collecting system, the renal parenchyma, and perinephric tissues. The current treatment methods include intravenous antibiotics, percutaneous drainage and nephrectomy. Here, we report a case of a female patient with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM) who presented with EPN. Escherichia coli (E. coli) was the causative pathogen. Application of empirical simple antibiotic did not take a significant improvement of clinical manifestations. Combination of two kind of sensitive antibiotics, and appropriated invasive treatment based on the split-renal function assessment were suggested. Percutaneous drainage is helpful to improve clinical manifestations and achieve a better outcome. The split-renal function can be used to direct whether nephrectomy is necessary. If the split-renal function assessment provides support for nephron-sparing intervention, we should try our best to save it.
Experiences and unmet needs among caregivers of children living with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Nigeria: A qualitative study using the socio-ecological model
Authors: Azubuike Albright Obinna , Azubuike Precious Chidozie , Onyekachi Ebuka Light , Enyam Michael Obule , Akinreni Temidayo , Abuo James , Ogbonna Chimankpam Kingsley , Timothy Promise Nmesomachi , Uchegbu Eberechukwu Ruth , Adai George Sefa
Published: August 2024

Introduction: This study examines the experiences and unmet needs of caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder in Nigeria. With a 14.8% prevalence in Nigeria, autism spectrum disorder poses a heavy economic burden on society and the patients’ families, with limited social interactions and stigma. Despite this, the unmet needs and psychosocial burdens of autism spectrum disorder on caregivers have been understudied in Nigeria. The study contributes evidence and raises interest in this area of research.
Methods: This qualitative study was conducted among twenty-three purposively selected caregivers. Questions from the PREPARE and Zarit Burden Interview tools were adapted for the interview and discussion guides. Data were collected among caregivers of pupils in selected special needs schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. Inductive and deductive approaches were used for the analysis using NVivo 20 pro. The socio-ecological model was used to generate the themes and quotes.
Results: The study generated four themes and eleven sub-themes across four levels of the socio-ecological model. Findings from our study showed that caregivers of children undergo significant emotional distress, disbelief, and fear at the early stage of diagnosis. Furthermore, families and friends had difficulty comprehending or accepting their children’s diagnosis, which further created tension and misunderstanding. Socio-cultural contexts such as stigma and isolation were not uncommon in the society.
Conclusion: Given the burden of the psychological demand and stigma attached to caregivers and children with autism, there is an urgent need for a tailor-made intervention with the key interplay of individual, interpersonal, societal/institutional, and policy in Nigeria. Advocacy efforts and awareness chaired by caregivers should be strengthened across all levels of the society in Nigeria.
Application of Machine Learning for Predicting Concrete Strength: Ensembles vs. Instance-Based Algorithms in WEKA
Authors: ARIFUZZAMAN Md
Published: August 2024

This research work presents a comprehensive analysis of machine learning (ML) techniques for predicting the compressive strength of concrete, a critical parameter in civil engineering. The study compares instance-based learning methods, such as Locally Weighted Learning (LWL), K*, and IBk, with ensemble-based methods like Bagging, Random Committee, and Ensemble Selection, using the WEKA software platform. The research highlights the advantages of each ML approach, with ensemble methods generally outperforming instance-based methods in terms of prediction accuracy. The document also discusses the importance of data preprocessing, particularly the handling of outliers and extreme values, and employs Spearman's rank correlation for statistical analysis. The findings contribute to the advancement of ML applications in the construction industry, offering insights into the comparative strengths of different ML algorithms for predicting concrete compressive strength.
Analysis of Soret and Dufour impacts on MHD flow constrained between a long upright wavy wall and a parallel flat wall in a permeable medium
Authors: Deka Bhaskarjyoti , Choudhury Rita
Published: August 2024

This investigation focuses on how the waviness of one of the walls affects the flow and thermal-mass exchange of a completely developed free convection stream of a viscous, incompressible fluid that is constrained between two long, vertical walls in a permeable medium. The walls exhibit different shapes- one is wavy, the other is flat and the movement of both the walls is caused by variations in wall temperatures and concentrations. The emphasis has been on elucidating the Soret and Dufour impacts pertaining to heat sources and chemical reactions. The governing equations are accurately modeled through a series of regular differential equations generated by an analogous transformation. These equations are then solved using MATLAB’s advanced numerical method. A thorough analysis of the distributions of velocity, temperature and concentration has been conducted taking into account a range of physical parameters. Additionally, comprehensive tables have been compiled that demonstrate the variations in skin friction, Nusselt number and Sherwood number according to various management parameters at both walls. The current outcomes are compared to previously released works and are deemed to be a great addition.
Assessing the Economic Impact of Obesity and Overweight on Employers: Identifying Paths Toward Work Force Health and Well-Being
Authors: Dall Timothy , Sapra Tanvi , Natale Zachary , Livingston Tia , Chen Fang
Published: August 2024

Background and Objectives
: Obesity is a major public health issue, significantly affecting national and individual health and economic well-being. This study quantifies the economic impact of excess body weight on employers and employees in 2023, offering insights for obesity prevention and treatment.
Methods
We utilized data from National Health Interview Survey, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, and Current Population Survey. Published reports and original estimates were combined to assess the economic burden for the U.S. and across seven major industries (Construction, Education & Health, Financial Activities, Government, Manufacturing, Professional & Business Services, and Transportation & Utilities). We compared the economic outcomes for adults with obesity and overweight to those with healthy weight, focusing on direct and indirect costs. Potential savings from different weight loss scenarios were estimated using the Disease Prevention & Treatment Microsimulation Model.
Results
In 2023, among 158 million civilian employees on nonfarm payrolls, 30% had obesity and 34% had overweight, resulting in a combined economic burden of $425.5 billion (obesity: $347.5 billion; overweight: $78 billion). This includes excess medical costs of obesity ($115 billion), presenteeism (obesity: $113.8 billion; overweight: $46.5 billion), absenteeism from obesity ($82.3 billion), excess medical costs of overweight ($31.5 billion), obesity-related disability payments ($31.1 billion), and workers’ compensation payments ($5.2 billion). For a hypothetical firm with 10 000 employees (plus dependents), the annual costs were $22 million for obesity and $4.9 million for overweight, with average costs of $6472 per employee with obesity, $1244 per employee with overweight, $1514 per adult dependent with obesity, and $380 per adult dependent with overweight. Medical savings over 5 years ranges from $153.3 billion with a 5% weight loss to $326.1 billion with 25% weight loss at the industry level.
Conclusion
The substantial economic costs imposed by obesity and overweight on employers and employees highlight the need for resources dedicated to treatment and prevention, which can result in reduced medical expenses and improved productivity.
WITHDRAWN: A Comprehensive Study of Prime Gaps Through Stochastic and Statistical Methods
Authors: Torres Íñigo
Published: August 2024

This study delves into the stochastic behavior of prime gaps, which are the differences between consecutive prime numbers, across various samples with sizes ranging up to 100 billion consecutive prime gaps. By analyzing multiple models approximating the probability mass function (PMF) of prime gaps, we evaluated their performance using statistical tests such as the Chi-Square Test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, Mean Squared Error (MSE), and Kullback-Leibler Divergence.
A key finding is the significance of incorporating the modular behavior of prime gaps with respect to 6 (gn ≡ 0, 2, 4 (mod 6)) and adjusting the expectation of prime gaps in accurately predicting the approximated probability mass function (PMF) of prime gaps. Models that accounted for these modular properties and fine-tuned the expected value consistently outperformed those that did not. This research underscores the increasing complexity of expected prime gap behavior with larger n and suggests that prime gap distributions can be approximated by geometric distributions with parameter adjustments reflecting this complexity.
The study’s findings have important implications for number theory and potential applications in cryptography. Future research directions include further exploration of modular properties, expanding the scope of statistical evaluations, and investigating additional mathematical properties influencing prime gap distributions.
Grain-size composition and depositional environment of surface sediments in the Kubuqi Desert, China
Authors: XI Cheng , ZUO Hejun , YAN Min , YAN Yu
Published: August 2024

Sediments are the material basis for the development of eolian landscapes, and dune sediments contain key information about dune formation and development. The surface sediments of parabolic dunes, crescent dunes and chains, reticulate dune chains, compound dunes, ridge–honeycomb dunes, shrub-coppice dunes, and inter-dune lowlands in the Kubuqi Desert were studied. The grain-size parameters of dune sediments were measured, and their geographical patterns assessed. In the Kubuqi Desert, parabolic dunes contain the coarsest sediment and shrub-coppice dunes the finest. The average grain size of the overall surface sediment is 2.14–2.73 φ, with poor sorting, which is in the middle of the grain-size range compared with other deserts globally. The depositional environment of the Kubuqi Desert is dominated by eolian and flood deposition; the Yellow River, inland rivers, and seasonal alluvial-flood channels alter the dynamic conditions of the desert depositional environment. The major proximal material sources of surface sediments in the Kubuqi Desert are fluvial sediments remaining after Yellow River channel oscillation, fluvial alluvium and sediments in the Yellow River valley, remnant-slope deposits weathered from mountain bedrock, and stream-phase alluvial deposits in dry denuded uplands. The crescent dunes and chains and the compound dunes have a common sediment source.
The Mediating Role of Positive Feedback in the Relationship between Interest in Physical Education Class, School Satisfaction and School Burnout
Authors: Uğraş Sinan , Sağın Ahmet Enes , Yücekaya Mehmet Akif , Mergan Barış , Temel Cenk
Published: August 2024

Background: In this study, the effect of interest in physical education class on school satisfaction and school burnout and the mediating role of positive feedback in this relationship were examined.
Methods: A total of 652 middle school students, 45.859% (n=299) male and 54.141% (n=353) female, participated in the study. The scales of interest in physical education class, school satisfaction, school burnout, and perceived teacher feedback were used in the study. The mediation effects of the model in the study were conducted through JASP 0.18.3 statistical program.
Results: The findings of the study revealed that interest in physical education positively and significantly predicted students' school satisfaction and negatively and significantly predicted burnout. Positive feedback was found to mediate the relationship between interest in physical education class, school satisfaction and school burnout. These findings suggest that interest in physical education class has a positive effect on school satisfaction and also has a role in reducing school burnout. In addition, research findings show that positive feedback from teachers plays an important role in the relationship between interest in physical education class and school satisfaction and burnout.
Ethics approval number: 14/13, date of registration: 23/11/2023
Conclusion: It can be stated that physical education teachers' positive feedback to students has a predictive role in reducing school burnout and increasing school satisfaction.
Disposal of Polythene Bags Among Residents of Lira City, Northern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Adyero Cecilia , Orech Sam , Auma Irene , Okolimong Charles , Akello Anne Ruth
Published: August 2024

Background
Improper disposal of used polythene bags waste remains a significant public health challenge worldwide. In Uganda, 53% of solid wastes are generated in urban areas, especially in households. Lira City passed a solid waste management ordinance 2019 to support solid waste management including polythene bags, and use of enforcement among others but the implementation of the interventional measures remains a challenge since Polythene bags are used as daily shopping bags, and also for packaging food. This study therefore assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices of residents of Lira City on the disposal of used polythene bags.
Methods
A cross-sectional study survey was employed. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected among 421 randomly selected residents of Lira City. Data was collected using structured Questionnaires and key interview guides through face-to-face interviews. Quantitative data analysis was done using STATA Version 17, summarized as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Pearson Chi-square test was run for bivariate analysis, and multivariate analysis using logistic regression p-value of 0.05 to obtain significant variables associated with the outcome variable. Qualitative data analysis was manually done using the Braun & Clerke 2016, 6 steps.
Results
Overall, the rate was 99.8%. Disposal practices of respondents were improper at 52.5%, a good number of the respondents 42.5% were aged 18 to 28 years, female 64.9%, and 34.9% attained a primary level of education. Most of them were self-employed 41.1%, married 61.3%, and Catholic 35.2%. The majority 78.9% had good knowledge of proper disposal of used polythene bags. Significant factors associated with used polythene bags disposal among residents in Lira City were age [AOR = 3.007; 95% CI; 1.074–8.417], Sex [AOR = 1.2; 95% CI; 0.82–1.97], Reduced Injuries [AOR = 1.2; 95% CI; 0.38–4.15], Drainage blockage [AOR = 3.04; 95% CI; 2.00-4.63], and Human Health Problems [AOR = 1.7; 95% CI; 1.15–2.73].
Conclusion
knowledge of disposal of used polythene bags was good; disposal practices were poor at 52.5%. KII reported a knowledge gap in managing used polythene bags which has become a major challenge in Lira city. “The waste management practices of the people in the peri-urban areas of the city are very poor and it’s even worse with used polythene bags. Therefore, need for awareness creation on general waste management with emphasis on the disposal of used polythene bags” KI-1 said.
Pollution characteristics, bioavailability, and risk assessment of heavy metals in urban road dust from Zhengzhou, China
Authors: Li Jialu , Zuo Qiting , Feng Feng , Jia Hongtao , Ji Yingxin
Published: August 2024

To analyze contamination levels, spatial distribution characteristics, bioavailability, and risks of heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb), 65 road dust samples were collected from Zhengzhou in October 2023. The mean concentrations of most heavy metals, except Ni, exceeded their corresponding background values, with the mean concentration of Cd being 7.43 times that of its background. Spatially, for most heavy metals, higher concentrations concentrated within the central area, and notable pollution hotspot emerged in proximity to construction area. Cr, Ni, Cu, As, and Pb were mostly bound to residual fraction with lower bioavailability, while Cd and Zn were mainly in exchangeable fraction with higher bioavailability. The enrichment factor, geo-accumulation, contamination factor, and pollution load index indicated that Cd and Hg were highly contaminated, particularly Cd, yet the study area remained moderate pollution. The average RI value of 384.66 indicated a considerate ecological risk, and Cd caused the highest potential ecological risk. Both of the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk were insignificant, however, the human health risk of Cr, As, and Pb demand attention. The research results can provide theoretical basis and data support for the pollution prevention and control of urban environment of Zhengzhou.
Peltogynoids contributing to discoloration in Peltogyne mexicana heartwood
Authors: Taga Yusuke , Yamauchi Kosei , Mitsunaga Tohru
Published: August 2024

Four new peltogynoid monomers (3, 7, 10, 11), a new peltogynoid dimer (9), and two new flavanones (5, 6) were isolated from the heartwood of Peltogyne mexiacana, along with two known peltogynoids (1, 4) and two known aldehydes (2, 8). The structures of the isolated compounds were determined using NMR and MALDI-TOF MS analysis. The discoloration of the methanol solutions of the isolated peltogynoids and flavanones was examined by exposing them to room light in the air. The methanol solutions of (+)-peltogynol (1) and (+)-mopanol (4) discolored to reddish and bluish purple, respectively. After discoloration, the b* values of these compounds decreased significantly from 12.1 and 19.1 to -0.7 and − 1.8, respectively. These precursors of pigment compounds 1 and 4 have a catechol moiety in the B ring, and a hetero-six-membered ring (D ring) connecting the B and C ring of flavan-3,4-diol via an oxyethylene bridge, which is similar to the structure of leucoanthocyanidin. These results led to the hypothesis that the metabolized pigment compounds have anthocyanidin-like structures with peltogyne skeleton.
Optimized Machine Learning Technique for Breast Cancer Detection and Classification
Authors: Kavitha N , Chandrappa D N
Published: August 2024

Breast cancer is one of the tumor types that causes the breast cells to become active causing mortality among females worldwide. It enables doctors to take appropriate action toward patients, it is imperative to identify and classify breast cancer in its early stages. Nevertheless, surgical biopsy, fine needle aspiration, and mammography are frequently employed techniques for diagnosis. These techniques provide low effectiveness and sensitivity in identifying breast cancer. Hence, the optimized You Look Only Once Version 3 (YOLOv3) technique trains the ultrasound image datasets to identify the breast tumor by extracting the features and classifying them as benign, malignant, and normal types. In this process, increasing the number of training datasets for the network decreases errors and boosts system performance followed by anticipating normal, benign, and cancerous tissues. The Wisconsin Breast Cancer Datasets (WBCD) ultrasonography pictures are employed for training and testing. The optimized YOLOv3 achieves accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 97.21%, 93.63%, and 96.81% and presents a promising system to support radiologists in clinical settings compared to existing techniques, and the proposed approach exhibits superior performance, underscoring its efficiency in classifying breast tumors as benign or malignant in real-time using computer-assisted diagnosis.
Effects of diazinon on the ovarian tissue of rats: A histochemical and ultrastructural study
Authors: Hasan Feras Abou , Mutlu Hasan Serdar , Özdemir İlkay , Kotil Tuğba
Published: August 2024

Despite the negative environmental and biologic effects, organophosphates have currently been widely used. We aimed to examine the possible negative effects of diazinon, a type of organophosphate, on rat ovarian tissue. Wistar Albino rats were divided into four groups. No treatment was given to control, olive oil was applied to sham group. Experimental groups were injected intraperitoneally with 30 and 60 mg/kg/day diazinon, respectively. 24 hours later, ovarian tissues were extracted, preparated, examined via light and electron microscope. In the experimental groups granulosa and corpus luteum showed degenerative changes. Dilatation of endoplasmic reticulum cisterns and morphological alterations of mitochondria in granulosa cells were detected utrastructurally. Also, accumulation of lipid droplets and autophagic vacuoles was observed in cells of corpus luteum. A statistically significant dose-dependent decrease in superoxide dismutase and catalase reactivity and a statistically significant increase in caspase-3 expression in cells of atretic follicles and corpus luteum were observed. Results show that exposure to a single dose of diazinon may disrupt antioxidant system, trigger atresia in follicles and negatively effect corpus luteum functions. It was concluded that studies applying possible antioxidant treatments should be carried out to reduce and prevent the negative effects of diazinon on the reproductive system.
Study on a new fiber wall element model of RC short-limb shear wall
Authors: Pinle ZHANG , Rang Deng , Junfang Gao
Published: August 2024

Fiber wall element model which considers cumulative damage effect of material is set up by introducing cumulative damage index to the fiber wall element hysteretic models of reinforcement and concrete. Numerical simulation analysis of cyclic loading test of short-limb shear wall is conducted based on fiber wall element model, and the corresponding pseudo-static test of short-limb shear wall is conducted. Results demonstrate that energy dissipation capacity and ductility of T-shaped short-limb shear wall are good. All the specimens failed under a flexural-dominant behavior, and the damage was mainly concentrated in the boundary element of the web. Special attention should be paid to the design of the web boundary. The model exhibits a high level of numerical stability and computational efficiency for all specimens investigated. Comparisons of experimental and analytical results demonstrate that the proposed fiber wall element model, with good accuracy, the cyclic load-displacement behavior of shear wall specimens, providing an important reference to the seismic performance assessment of RC short-limb shear wall.
Psychometric evaluation of an Arabic language version of the Geriatric Sleep Questionnaire- 6 items (GSQ-6) in Community-dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Khalil Marwa Ibrahim Mahfouz , Shaala Reem Said , Elnakeeb Mayar , Mousa Enas Fouad Sayed , Fekih-Romdhane Feten , Hallit Souheil
Published: August 2024

Background
The importance of sleep has become increasingly recognized in geriatric research. There is a growing body of evidence that links poor sleep with numerous adverse health outcomes in older adults. As a result, assessing sleep quality and patterns in later life has become essential for accurately diagnosing and effectively treating sleep problems and their associated consequences. The Geriatric Sleep Questionnaire-6 (GSQ-6) is a widely used self-report questionnaire that assesses sleep quality and disturbances specifically among older adults. This study aimed to translate the scale into Arabic and evaluate its psychometric properties in an older Arabic-speaking adults’ population.
Methods
The GSQ-6 was translated into Arabic using forward and backward translation procedures, and was administered to a convenience sample of 539 older adults along with the 13-item Older People Quality of Life-Brief (OPQOL-brief), the 15-item Resilience Scale of Older Adults (RSOA), and the 11-item Older Adult Neglect and Abuse Scale (NAS) for validation purposes. Reliability was examined using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was also conducted to test the unidimensional factor structure.
Results
The CFA results supported the unidimensional factor structure proposed by the developers (CFI = 0.967, TLI = 0.945, RMSEA = 0.077. The McDonald’s omega values for the Arabic GSQ-6 was 0.70, indicating acceptable internal consistency. The measurement model had an equivalent factor structure, loadings, intercepts, and residuals across sex. correlated negatively with quality of life and resilience, and positively with neglect and abuse scores, supporting the validity of our Arabic translation.
Conclusion
The Arabic version of the GSQ-6 demonstrated good psychometric properties. The findings support its use as a valid and reliable measure for evaluating sleep quality among the Arabic-speaking older adult population.
Understanding collaborative governance of Biodiversity-inclusive urban planning: Methodological approach and benchmarking results for urban nature plans in 10 European cities
Authors: Mahmoud Israa , Dubois Grégoire , Liquete Camino , Robuchon Marine
Published: August 2024

The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 aims to ensure that Europe's biodiversity will be on the path to recovery for the benefit of people, climate and the planet. Specifically, the Target 14 from the strategy specifies that all cities with at least 20,000 inhabitants should have an ambitious urban greening plan. For this purpose, the European Commission advanced several mechanisms helping cities and larger urban areas unlocking funding for biodiversity; nonetheless a stronger need for an established governance framework that includes people and public participation across all levels and all sectors is needed as well as a stronger mechanism to monitor the progress of the target 14. Along these lines, this research was initiated as a way to understand the possible quality criteria against which several European cities could be evaluated while establishing their ambitious urban nature plans through three main research questions. Stemming from multiple database collections for the cities’ sampling methodology such as the green capital award, Urban Biodiversity Hub, Climate Neutral Cities Mission, the green City Accord (Nature/biodiversity priority area) and lastly the top-ranking cities in European Local Climate Adaptation Plans Initiative in the last 10 years, a sample of 10 cities was selected. To evaluate how ambitious these plans were, we developed an analytical framework of 30 criteria belonging to 6 macro categories focusing on urban biodiversity goals and targets, collaborative governance, institutional support, public participation, financing mechanisms, and monitoring and evaluation aspects. We propose and test this framework to evaluate the urban green plans of 10 lighthouse European cities having an existing Urban Nature plan for at least the last 3 years. During the evaluation process, several experts from different policy and research groups were consulted on the selected criteria and the cities’ results. It emerges that public participation and collaborative governance aspects are rarely considered as an integral part from the beginning of established plans except in few cities, nonetheless, several guidance by the EU calls on adopting more co-creation approaches. From the selected sample, only 4 out of 10 cities scored high across all the categorical analysis, namely: Hamburg, Utrecht, Thessaloniki and Barcelona. Meanwhile, the evidence on lack of monitoring and evaluation as well as financial mechanisms oriented towards advancing urban greening and collaborative governance of biodiversity is evident in 7 out of 10 cities. The results from this research can help local authorities to meet the EU target, and national/regional authorities to monitor the progress towards this commitment.
Feature Engineering and Semantic Enrichment for Enhanced Text Classification: A Case Study on Figurative Language in Tweets
Authors: Sammartino Vincenzo , Baccheschi Corrado , Gneri Jacopo , Picchianti Valeria , Frasson Andrea
Published: August 2024

This study explores advanced feature engineering and semantic enrichment methods to enhance text classification, focusing on detecting figurative language in tweets. The novel features introduced, Syno_Lower_Mean and Syn_Mean, measure the use of uncommon synonyms and the mean frequency of synonyms, capturing semantic richness crucial for detecting figurative expressions. Using resources like SenticNet and Framester, we enrich our feature set with sentiment and frame semantic information.
Our approach includes extensive data preprocessing, sophisticated feature selection, and implementing various classification models, such as SVM, KNN, Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, Random Forest, BERT, and LSTM networks. We rigorously evaluate each model's performance to assess the effectiveness of our features and enrichment methods. Putting emphasis on model explainability, we use decision tree analysis, feature importance analysis, and the TREPAN algorithm to approximate SVM decisions.
Although we focus on figurative language detection, our methods have broader implications for various NLP text classification tasks. Our findings demonstrate significant improvements in classification accuracy and interpretability through innovative feature design and dataset enrichment.
Parental germline mosaicism in genome-wide phased de novo variants: recurrence risk assessment and implications for precision genetic counselling
Authors: Lecoquierre François , Drouot Nathalie , Coutant Sophie , Quenez Olivier , Fourneaux Steeve , Jumeau Fanny , Rives Nathalie , Charbonier Françoise , Derambure Celine , Boland Anne , Olaso Robert , Meyer Vincent , Deleuze Jean-François , Goldenberg Alice , Guerrot Anne-Marie , Charbonnier Camille , Nicolas Gaël
Published: August 2024

Background:
De novo mutations (DNMs) significantly impact health, particularly through developmental disorders. DNMs occur in both paternal and maternal germlines via diverse mechanisms including parental early embryonic mosaicism, which increases recurrence risk for future pregnancies through germline mosaicism. Embryonic mosaicism is divided based on primordial germ cell specification (PGCS): pre-PGCS events may affect both germline and somatic tissues, while post-PGCS events are only found in the germline. The specific contribution of germline mosaicism to DNMs across the genome is not well defined. We aimed at categorizing DNMs and their recurrence risk by detecting a large set of DNMs followed by systematic deep sequencing of parental blood and sperm DNA.
Methods:
We performed trio-based short-read genome sequencing for initial DNM detection and long-read genome sequencing for phasing, followed by high-depth targeted sequencing of parental blood and paternal sperm to detect germline mosaicism.
Results:
We detected a total of 428 DNMs (on average 85.6 per trio, n = 5 trios), with an expected paternal bias of 80%. Targeted resequencing of parental blood and sperm (depth > 5000x) unveiled 20/334 parental germline mosaics (2–5 per trio) with variant allele fractions (VAFs) ranging from 0.24–14.7%, including 7 that were detected in paternal sperm exclusively (1–2 per trio). We estimate that individual genomes harbour about 2 paternal and 2 maternal pre-PGCS DNMs and 2 paternal post-PGCS DNMs (detectable in sperm only). Due to paternal bias, maternally phased variants appear 3.4x more likely to be mosaic in blood. By using average VAFs in sperm as a direct indicator, we estimate recurrence risk of genome -wide paternally phased de novo variants to be 0.3%, prior to any sperm sequencing assessment. This estimate is an average between a majority of variants with a null recurrence risk and a handful of variants with a high recurrence risk.
Conclusions:
Genetic counselling of DNM may not rely anymore on empirical estimates of recurrence risk. Sperm sequencing may be an effective method to reliably specify the recurrence risk of most individual DNMs. Long-read sequencing, allowing the phasing of DNMs, may also become critical in this process.
Enhanced seismic mitigation through energy management using nonlinear energy sinks with clearance–contacts
Authors: Gzal Majdi O. , Gendelman Oleg V. , Bergman Lawrence A. , Vakakis Alexander F.
Published: August 2024

This study investigates the implementation of non-smooth nonlinear energy sinks, namely with clearance-contacts (CC-NESs), for passive seismic mitigation of a 1D shear frame (primary) structure. To this end, two nonparasitic (in the sense that they do not add extra mass into the structure) local NESs incorporating single-sided clearance contacts are introduced, one at each of the top two stories of the structure. We investigate the nonlinear management of seismic input energy to the primary structure, showcasing the effectiveness of the CC-NESs compared to classical tuned mass dampers (TMDs). Utilizing historical earthquakes scaled for severe excitation, a multi-task optimization approach is employed to determine optimal CC-NESs design parameters, with the main objectives to decrease the input seismic energy and maintain low overall acceleration levels. The results show that the implementation of non-smooth CC-NESs yields significant benefits, exceeding those of TMDs which are linear and narrowband devices. First, due to the action of the CC-NESs a drastic reduction of seismic input energy into the primary structure is achieved compared to that of the corresponding unprotected structure. Second, the CC-NESs facilitate rapid, robust, and irreversible targeted energy transfer (TET) from the primary structure to the local CC-NESs, leading to passive energy confinement and local dissipation. Third, the clearance nonlinearities induce intermodal targeted energy transfer (IMTET) from low to high-frequency structural modes of the primary structure, thereby enhancing energy dissipation performance even during the initial cycles of the structural response, i.e., in the critical highly energetic regime of the seismic response. Remarkably, such enhanced seismic mitigation performance of the CC-NESs is achieved while simultaneously maintaining low acceleration levels. This performance is attributable to the synergy of TET-based NES and IMTET, occurring in the physical and modal spaces, respectively. Lastly, we demonstrate robustness performance of the optimized CC-NESs across a broad spectrum of seismic input energy levels and frequency content, even under severe ground excitations. Further extensions of this methodology to 2D are discussed.
Detection of multi-residue insecticides in bitter gourd using Glutathione-S-Transferase enzyme based different analytical techniques
Authors: Mawtham M. M. , Bhuvaneswari K. , Thirumalairajan S. , Suganthi A. , Kulanthaisami S. , Subramanian K. S.
Published: August 2024

The food safety issues related to the pesticide residues in agricultural produce have increased the demand for instruments that can rapidly, sensitively, and selectively detect pesticide residues in food commodities. This idea served as the impetus for the development of protocols for the detection and quantification of various insecticide residues using GST-based biosensor probes. We demonstrated the effectiveness of GST-based biosensor and compared with analytical methods such as GC-MS/LC-MS for application in detection of multi-residue insecticides viz., synthetic pyrethroid and neonicotinoid in bitter gourd samples. Spectrophotometric analysis was confirmed from Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) and maximum velocity (Vmax) in the range 0.00178–0.00767 M and 0.01519–0.05249 mM/s for six different insecticides. Further, GST-based biosensor for the detection of various insecticides showed good linear curve (R2 > 0.98) in the range from 0.01 to 0.5 mg kg− 1 with LOD and LOQ calculated in 0.01 and 0.05 mg kg− 1. Method validation parameters namely linearity, recovery inhibition were calculated 1.83–65.10%, accuracy (71–100%) and precision (RSD < 6.0%), respectively. Among the 20 farmgate and market samples subjected to different techniques, imidacloprid residues were detected in four bitter gourd samples ranging from 0.042 to 0.099 mg kg− 1 in LC-MS and 0.050–0.10 mg kg− 1 for three samples in GST-based biosensor techniques.
Edge modes as dynamical frames: charges from post-selection in generally covariant theories
Authors: Carrozza Sylvain , Eccles Stefan , Hoehn Philipp A.
Published: August 2024

We develop a framework based on the covariant phase space formalism that identifies gravitational edge modes as dynamical reference frames. As such, they enable both the identification of the associated spacetime region and the imposition of boundary conditions in a gauge-invariant manner. While recent proposals considered the finite region in isolation and sought the maximal corner symmetry algebra compatible with that perspective, we here advocate to regard it as a subregion embedded in a global spacetime and study the symmetries consistent with such an embedding. This leads to advantages and differences. It clarifies that the frame, although appearing as “new” for the subregion, is built out of the field content of the complement. Given a global variational principle, it also permits us to invoke a systematic post-selection procedure, previously used in gauge theory [J. High Energy Phys. 02, 172 (2022)], to produce a consistent dynamics for a subregion with timelike boundary. As in gauge theory, requiring the subregion presymplectic structure to be conserved by the dynamics leads to an essentially unique prescription and unambiguous Hamiltonian charges. Unlike other proposals, this has the advantage that all (field-independent) spacetime diffeomorphisms acting on the subregion remain gauge and integrable (as in the global theory), and generate a first-class constraint algebra realizing the Lie algebra of spacetime vector fields. By contrast, diffeomorphisms acting on the frame-dressed spacetime, that we call relational spacetime, are in general physical, and those that are parallel to the timelike boundary are integrable. Upon further restriction to relational diffeomorphisms that preserve the boundary conditions (and hence are symmetries), we obtain a subalgebra of conserved corner charges. Physically, they correspond to reorientations of the frame and so to changes in the relation between the subregion and its complement. Finally, we explain how the boundary conditions and conserved presymplectic structure can both be encoded into boundary actions. While our formalism applies to any generally covariant theory, we illustrate it on general relativity, and conclude with a detailed comparison of our findings to earlier works.
Intestinal microbiota in children with chronic viral hepatitis
Authors: Pervishko O. V. , Dmitrieva D. K. , Zakharova I. N.
Published: August 2024

The article is devoted to a review of the literature on the study of intestinal microbiota in chronic viral hepatitis in children. The results of recent studies of microbial diversity of colon contents using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing are presented. Scientific research in recent years has proven the influence of changes in the microbiota and its individual representatives on the formation of complications in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, the development of fibrosis/cirrhosis. Changed quantitative and species ratios of microorganisms can lead to the launch of pathological reactions in the intestinal-liver axis system. A significant reduction in the number of bacteria such as Clostridia and Bacteroidia (Faecalibacterium, Roseburia inilinivorans, Roseburia intestinalis, Coprococcus comes) causes low production of short-chain fatty acid butyrate, which can interfere with the functioning of tight junction proteins. Leaks and increased intestinal permeability create conditions for the formation of inflammation due to the activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Violation of the intestinal barrier function creates the opportunity for the penetration of bacteria, lipopolysaccharide complexes, bacterial ligands and metabolites, leading to the development of immunopathological reactions. These changes in the pediatric population are less noticeable than in the adult cohort of patients, since the clinical course of chronic viral hepatitis in children has a smoother course. However, periods of exacerbation, which are characterized by clinical and laboratory changes, may maintain the risk of developing fibrogenesis activity in older age groups. Data on intestinal microbial diversity in adult patients with chronic viral hepatitis B and C are presented separately. The possibilities of using pre- and probiotic therapy in the complex treatment of chronic liver diseases in adults and children are considered.