bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost of illness due to Respiratory Syncytial Virus Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Among Infants Hospitalized in Argentina
Authors: Dvorkin Julia , Sosa Emiliano , Vodicka Elizabeth , Baral Ranju , Sancilio Andrea , Dueñas Karina , Rodriguez Andrea , Rojas-Roque Carlos , Carruitero Patricia B. , Polack Fernando P. , Pecenka Clint , Libster Romina , Caballero Mauricio T.
Published: October 2023

Background. Information is scarce regarding the economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in low-resource settings. This study aimed to estimate the cost per episode of hospital admissions due to RSV severe disease in Argentina. Methods. This is a prospective cohort study that collected information regarding 256 infants under 12 months of age with acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) due to RSV in two public hospitals of Buenos Aires between 2014 and 2016. Information on healthcare resource use was collected from the patient’s report and its associated costs were estimated based on the financial database and account records of the hospitals. We estimated the total cost per hospitalization due to RSV using the health system perspective. The costs were estimated in US dollars as of December 2022 (1 US dollar = 170 Argentine pesos). Results. The mean costs per RSV hospitalization in infants was US$587.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] $535.24 – $640.33). The mean costs associated with pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission more than doubled from those at regular pediatric wards ($1,556.81 [95% CI $512.21 – $2,601.40] versus $556.53 [95% CI $514.59 – $598.48]). Conclusions. This study shows the direct economic impact of acute severe RSV infection on the public health system in Argentina. The estimates obtained from this study could be used to inform cost-effectiveness analyses of new preventive RSV interventions being developed.
Assessing accuracy and reliability of modern 3D reconstruction and measurement techniques in the evaluation of Byzantine baths: a case study
Authors: Karolos Ion-Anastasios , Bellos Konstantinos , Bitharis Stylianos , Tsioukas Vassilios , Pikridas Christos
Published: October 2023

In recent years, sophisticated 3D reconstruction and measuring techniques such as Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), LiDAR applications, and Photogrammetry have gained popularity for surveying and mapping of physical environments. Using a case study of UNESCO-recognized Byzantine Bath monument, we examine the accuracy and reliability of different techniques. To assess the accuracy and dependability of modern 3D reconstruction and measurement systems, we created 3D models of the area of interest using a combination of Terrestrial Laser Scanning, LiDAR technology in conjunction with Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) systems and algorithms. The geometric features of the 3D models were evaluated by comparing the data generated by these approaches to ground-truth measurements. With errors ranging from 0.01 to 3.2 cm, our results demonstrated that the majority of the available techniques produced highly accurate and trustworthy 3D models of the monument. The TLS and SLAM approaches performed admirably in terms of capturing fine features and the monument’s geometry. Also, the iPhone solution occasionally was more effective at capturing the surface's geometry, texture and colour. Our work demonstrates the efficacy of modern 3D reconstruction and measurement techniques for surveying and mapping environments with precision and dependability. To evaluate our results, we use open-source algorithms and tools in order to quantify the differences from point cloud to ground truth point cloud in many different scenarios (vertical/horizontal sections and floor analysis on the z-axis component).
Assessment of water soil erosion using the RUSLE method coupled with RST and GIS approaches in a semi-arid region (southeastern Tunisia)
Authors: mnasri hayet , Sahnoun Houda , Abdelkarim Bilel , Nunes Adélia , Mahmoudi Salah
Published: October 2023

In semi-arid regions, soil erosion by water presents the major problem that affected the soil degradation. Thus, an adequate management strategy must be applied in order to restore this vital environmental resource. Several methods were used to assess soil erosion based on climatic, geologic and geomorphologic parameters. In this work a modified RUSLE model coupled with GIS and remote sensing technique were used to estimate soil loss in the Oueds El Ghram and Bou-Said basins (south-eastern Tunisia). The results showed that the soil erosion rate in the study basins varied between 0 and 16 t/ ha/yr. The most influencing parameters are slope, lithology, and precipitation. The high to very high affected areas are located in the mountainous parts of the basins and occupied 2.86% of the total surface of the study area. This work can be used as a foundation for a new management strategy that helps to minimize soil degradation and to restore this environmental resource in the study region.
Impact of murine breast tumor development in the kinetics of B cell subpopulations
Authors: Gonçalves Igor Visconte , Pinheiro-Rosa Natália , Torres Lícia , Oliveira Mariana de Almeida , Leite Christiana da Silva , Ortega José Miguel , Lopes Miriam Teresa Paz , Faria Ana Maria Caetano , Felicori Liza Figueiredo
Published: October 2023

Despite presenting a worse prognosis and being associated with highly aggressive tumors, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the higher frequency of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, which have been implicated in better overall survival and response to therapy. Although in the last decades, the role and dynamics of tumor-infiltrating T cells have been extensively characterized, much less is known for B cells. Though recent studies have reported the capacity of B lymphocytes to recognize overly-expressed normal proteins, and tumor-associated antigens, how tumor development potentially modifies B cell response is yet to be elucidated. Our findings reveal distinct effects of 4T1 and E0771 murine tumor development on B cells in secondary lymphoid organs. Notably, we observe a significant expansion of total B cells and plasma cells in the tumor-draining lymph nodes (tDLNs) as early as 7 days after tumor challenge in both murine models, whereas changes in the spleen are less pronounced. Surprisingly, within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of both models, we detect distinct B cell subpopulations, but tumor development does not appear to cause major alterations in their frequency over time. Furthermore, our investigation into B cell regulatory phenotypes highlights that the B10 Breg phenotype remains unaffected in the evaluated tissues. However, we identified an increase in CD19 + LAG-3 + cells in tDLNs of both murine models. Interestingly, although CD19 + LAG-3 + cells represent a minor subset of total B cells (< 3%) in all evaluated tissues, most of these cells exhibit elevated expression of IgD, suggesting that LAG-3 may serve as an activation marker for B cells. In summary, our study demonstrates that TNBCs have a significant impact on the dynamics of B cells in secondary lymphoid organs, particularly in tDLNs. These findings suggest that TNBCs may influence the generation of antibodies and the immune response against tumor cells, shedding light on a relatively unexplored aspect of the immune microenvironment in TNBC.
GCNKD-Net:Multi-layer graph convolution networks for point cloud keypoints detection
Authors: Jia Xuefang , Li Minqi , Zhang Kaibing , Li Ben , Ren Jie
Published: October 2023

Point cloud keypoints detection is an important component for many 3D applications. However, it is still a challenging task due to the irregular topology structure, noisy, low-resolution, and incomplete nature of 3D scan data. In this paper, we propose a novel learning based method to jointly learn a keypoint detector and a 3D feature descriptor, titled GCNKD-Net, based on graph neu-ral networks. Our approach consists of two parts: a keypoint detector to extract reliable keypoints and saliency uncertainties, and a feature descriptor to extract features for each keypoint. We propose a novel graph convolutional network in the two modules by using edge convolution with clustering strategy to extract features of points, which incorporates local neighborhood information and is stacked to learn global topology structures. Moreover, a joint loss function composed of detector loss and descriptor loss is defined for training the proposed GCNKD-Net model to encourage high repeatability and accurate localization of the keypoints. We evaluate our approach on two large LIDAR datasets-the KITTI dataset and the Oxford dataset. Experimental results demonstrate that our method achieves state-of-the-art performances with better repeatability values and matching accuracy of detecting keypoints. Our code is available at https://github.com/Lucky5026/GCNKDNet.git
Stability Improvements for Fast Matrix Multiplication
Authors: Charlotte Vermeylen , Marc Van Barel
Published: October 2023

We implement an Augmented Lagrangian method to minimize a constrained least-squares cost function designed to find polyadic decompositions of the matrix multiplication tensor. We use this method to obtain new discrete decompositions and parameter families of decompositions. Using these parametrizations, faster and more stable matrix multiplication algorithms can be discovered.
Whole Genome Sequencing Identifies Enterotoxigenic and Antimicrobial Resistance Potential of Staphylococcus aureus from Maine Dairy Farms
Authors: Roadcap E. , Lichtenwalner A. , Kennedy-Wade B. , Adjapong G. , Chakrawarti A. , Anna F. Machado De Sant’ , Barlow John W.
Published: October 2023

Background
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of mastitis in dairy livestock and is a pathogen with unknown but potentially substantial impact on public and herd health in Maine. The primary objective of this study was to describe retrospective trends in S. aureus detection at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UMVDL) for milk samples from mastitis cases submitted between July 2017 and June 2022. The second objective was to assess the genetic profiles of 29 S. aureus isolates collected from dairy farms in Maine in 2017 and 2022.
Results
Overall, 7.8% of milk samples from mastitis cases submitted to UMVDL between July 2017 and June 2022 were positive for S. aureus, and the percentage of S. aureus-positive samples increased annually. The 29 isolates collected in 2017 (2 isolates) and between May and July of 2022 (27 isolates) and analyzed by whole genome sequencing belonged to 8 strain types and 5 clonal complexes typically associated with ruminant species. Across the genomes of the 29 isolates, 14 antimicrobial resistance genes were detected, with antibiotic efflux as the primary resistance mechanism. Each isolate contained 2 to 10 staphylococcal enterotoxin genes representing 15 unique genes. Antimicrobial resistance and staphylococcal enterotoxin gene presence/absence clustered with clonal complex and host species of origin.
Conclusions
Whole genome sequencing identified ruminant-associated sequence types and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles consistent with other regional reports. Staphylococcal enterotoxins genes of potential public health concern were also identified. This study provides insight into future opportunities to study S. aureus epidemiology and to survey dairy production in animal and public health contexts in Maine.
RNA transcriptome analysis of platelets revealed altered platelet responses and the mechanism of thrombocytopenia in SFTS
Authors: Fang Yaohui , Zhang Jingyuan , Xu Ling , Wang Tong , Fan Lei , Zhu Qiong , Xiao Jian , Wu Xiaoli , Jin Jiayin , Wu Qiaoli , Tang Shuang , Zheng Xin , Deng Fei , Shen Shu
Published: October 2023

Background
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever disease caused by infection with Dabie bandavirus (SFTS virus, SFTSV). Thrombocytopenia is the primary clinical feature of SFTS and is significantly associated with disease severity. However, the pathological mechanism of thrombocytopenia in SFTS remains unclear.
Methods
Platelets purified from SFTS patients were subjected to RNA transcriptome analyses. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the platelets of deceased and surviving patients were identified, and their functions and transcription levels were characterized. DEGs related to cell death were compared with the platelets of COVID-19 and dengue fever patients. The percentage of platelets positive for biomarkers of pyroptosis, apoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis was determined by flow cytometry. RNA transcriptome analyses were also performed with platelets purified from nonlethal SFTSV infection model mice. DEGs representing the functional changes in mouse platelets were characterized, and platelet death was also investigated. Functional platelet changes in SFTS patients and SFTSV-infected mice were compared to determine the different mechanisms underlying thrombocytopenia in humans and mice.
Results
Platelet transcriptome analyses revealed altered platelet functioning in SFTS patients and suggested an active platelet response in surviving patients but not in fatal patients. Enhanced neutrophil activation, interferon (IFN) signaling, and the virus life cycle were common platelet responses in SFTS. The increased histone methylation and impaired vesicle organization in platelets may be related to the fatal outcome, while the enhanced protein transport to membrane and RNA catabolic process may contribute to disease recovery. Moreover, SFTSV infection resulted in platelet loss via pyroptosis, apoptosis, necroptosis, and autophagy but not ferroptosis. Unlike platelets in SFTS patients, platelets in SFTSV-infected mice play a role mainly in regulating adaptive immunity, and platelet death in mice was not as severe as that in humans.
Conclusions
This study revealed altered platelet functioning in response to SFTSV infection and the mechanisms of thrombocytopenia in humans, which are different from those in mice infected with SFTSV. The results deepen our understanding of the pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia in SFTS and provides insights for subsequent studies on SFTS pathogenesis and the development of novel intervention strategies.
Videoconference buyer-seller negotiations: a systematic literature review
Authors: Prat Mireia
Published: October 2023

Negotiations performed through videoconference have traditionally been studied in comparison to other communication media such as face-to-face, audio channels, or instant messaging. In this systematic literature review, we aim at gathering all empirical studies of buyer-seller negotiations performed synchronously by two people using a video system, analyzing the variables studied and the technological evolution of video negotiations. We develop a framework to classify the relevant variables, dividing them into negotiation, communication, and technological variables, and also in objective or subjective variables. We find that there are mixed or inconclusive results concerning negotiation variables such as economic outcomes, negotiation time, satisfaction, power, or trust. Technological variables like screen size, hardware and software used or user familiarity with technology show the evolution of videoconferencing and are very different among studies, which hinders its comparability. Emerging technologies involving extended reality or artificial intelligence may change the game in the negotiation world.
The effect of using probiotics on the microbial hydrolysis of collagen of fish waste to determine the optimal conditions for collagen peptide production
Authors: Abedi Mahsa , Darejazi Amirreza Shaebani , Gholami Roozbeh , Maghsoudi Ghazaleh
Published: October 2023

As fish processing expands, the rational use of by-products to valuable products is becoming more and more important. Collagen peptide is a hydrolysis of collagen and a valuable product used in medical and food applications. Hydrolysis of collagen by protease enzymes such as pepsin and trypsin is a major health concern. The deactivation of these enzymes at high temperatures leads to reduced collagen quality. Introducing probiotics into the collagen instead of protease enzymes could offer a solution to the health risk problem. Despite this, the hydrolytic activity of a probiotic bacterial strain such as lactobacillus casei is not as powerful as that of strong commercial enzymes, the dissertation proposed hydrolysing fish collagen using combination of the probiotic strains (VSL#3). The influence of the probiotic hydrolysis on the quality and structural components of the collagen was examined using colour differences (CD) and determination of its degree of hydrolysis (DH). Based on the data, we evolved and tested numerous equations and surfaces explaining how to find the best parameters for collagen hydrolysis. The temperature and time of hydrolysis are factors that have a significant impact on the DH and CD. As a result of the experiment, it can be concluded that VSL#3 breaks down fish collagen at a higher incidence than Lactobacillus strain. Antioxidant activity is substantially higher in the presence of VSL#3 than single one and commercial enzymes. Research has shown that combination of the probiotic enzyme is more effective than single probiotic on collagen hydrolysis and quality.
The Potential of Solanum aethopicam Supplementation to Reduce the Anthropometric and Biochemical Risk Factors for Non-communicable Diseases among Older Persons in Mukono Municipality, Uganda: A Before-and-After Study
Authors: Tumusiime Gerald , Balyejusa Elizabeth Kizito , Kkonde Anthony , Nakanwagi Mildred Julian , Tukwasibwe Stephen , Ndagire Catherine , Mutambuka Martin
Published: October 2023

Background:
Non-communicable diseases contribute to over 70% of all deaths globally with the majority of the deaths in low and middle-income countries. Although increased vegetable consumption is a cost-effective intervention to mitigate the burden of non-communicable diseases, little is known about African indigenous vegetables to guide their consumption, especially among older persons. This study, aimed at exploring the potential of dietary Solanum aethopicam Shum supplementation in the reduction of the risk of non-communicable diseases among older persons aged 50 years and above in Mukono municipality, Uganda.
Methods:
This was a before-and-after study of 100 community-dwelling older persons aged 50 years and above residing in cosmopolitan Mukono Municipality in central Uganda. The meal of each participant was supplemented with 375g of Solanum aethiopicum Shum per day for four weeks. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were collected at baseline and at the end of the four weeks. All measurements were taken in the morning after an overnight fast. Data was entered into an Excel sheet and transferred to STATA software for analysis. All data was summarized in tables and texts.
Results:
Of the 100 older persons aged 50 to 88 years (mean 63 ± 10), 60% were females and on average, males were older than females. Based on the body mass index, five percent were underweight, 40% were normal, and 55% were overweight or obese at baseline. After supplementation with Solanum aethiopicum Shum, three percent were normal, 44% were normal and 53% were overweight or obese. Also, there was a mean reduction in the participants’ weight, body mass index, mid-upper arm circumference, abdominal girth, hip circumference, and C-reactive protein.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that supplementation of the older persons’ diet with Solanum aethiopicum Shum improves their nutrition status, and leads to a reduction in the mean weight, body mass index, mid-upper arm circumference, abdominal girth, hip circumference, and C-reactive protein levels. Dietary supplementation with Solanum aethiopicum Shum should be promoted as a potential strategy to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases among older persons.
DRG-LLaMA: Tuning LLaMA Model to Predict Diagnosis-related Group for Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Wang Hanyin , Gao Chufan , Dantona Christopher , Hull Bryan , Sun Jimeng
Published: October 2023

In the U.S. inpatient payment system, the Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) is pivotal, but its assignment process is inefficient. The study introduces DRG-LLaMA, an advanced large language model (LLM) fine-tuned on clinical notes to enhance DRGs assignment. Utilizing LLaMA as the foundational model and optimizing it through Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) on 236,192 MIMIC-IV discharge summaries, our DRG-LLaMA-7B model exhibited a noteworthy macro-averaged F1 score of 0.327, a top-1 prediction accuracy of 52.0%, and a macro-averaged Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.986, with a maximum input token length of 512. This model surpassed the performance of prior leading models in DRG prediction, showing a relative improvement of 40.3% and 35.7% in macro-averaged F1 score compared to ClinicalBERT and CAML, respectively. Applied to base DRG and complication or comorbidity (CC)/major complication or comorbidity (MCC) prediction, DRG-LLaMA achieved a top-1 prediction accuracy of 67.8% and 67.5%, respectively. Additionally, our findings indicate that DRG-LLaMA's performance correlates with increased model parameters and input context lengths.
Enhancing Early Detection of Lung Cancer: Image Processing and Nodule Classification using Sensitivity maps
Authors: Saxena Sugandha , N Prasad S
Published: October 2023

Lung cancer is a deadly and malignant condition. There are numerous models that can identify lung cancer, but their accuracy must be improved. Therefore, it's critical to identify lung cancer with great precision and sensitivity. A new model called Maximum Sensitivity Neural Network (MSNN) has been offered as a solution to this issue. The suggested model beat existing deep learning models with 96.9% accuracy and 94.6% sensitivity after experimental verification. Sensitivity map has been superimposed on lung ct scan image to show the area of an image that contributes the most for classification of nodule as cancerous or noncancerous. As a result, this innovative approach has good performance in identifying lung cancer with a low false positive rate, which can boost the accuracy of medical diagnosis.
The relationship between 10 anthropometric measures and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: among United States population: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–2018
Authors: Zhang Wei , Huang Jiale , Li Hongwei , Meng Qingyang
Published: October 2023

Background
MAFLD is a rapidly progressive chronic liver disease approximately 1/3 of adults in the United States have fatty liver. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between 10 anthropometric measures and the risk of MAFLD using the American National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.
Methods
Overall 3702 participants were included in this study. MAFLD was defined as hepatic steatosis with one or more of the following: (1) overweight or obesity (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2), (2) type 2 diabetes, or (3) two or more other metabolic risk abnormalities. The anthropometric measures included weight, hip, WC, BMI, BRI, BAI, WTHR, WHTR, ABSI, and conicity index. The relationship between anthropometric measures and MAFLD was investigated using survey-weighted logistic regression, and stratified by sex and ages.
Result
When different indexes were used as continuous variables, the odds ratio (OR) is basically between 1.01–1.08. When different indexes were used as categorical variables (divided into trisection), WHTR per SE had the highest OR 20.166 (95%CI:12.131–33.523), followed was WC per SE with OR 19.472 (95%CI: 13.046–29.064), BRI per SE with OR 19.110 (95%CI: 11.195–32.623), while the ABSI per SE with the lowest OR 1.968 (95%CI: 1.387–2.794), WC with highest AUC (0.832), WHTR and BRI with AUC (0.831), ABSI with lowest AUC (0.609). WHTR had the highest sensitivity of 0.791(0.765,0.815).
Conclusion
The results of this study suggest that anthropometric indices can be good predictors of MAFLD. WTHR, BRI and WC were better predictors of MAFLD in adults, correctly identifying 80% of patients with the disease.
Sero-Antigen Prevalence, Risk Factors of Lymphatic Filariasis and Podoconiosis in Busiriba Sub-county, Kamwenge District, Southwestern Uganda, August–September 2018
Authors: Mwesigye Vicent , Musinguzi Benson , Migisha Richard , Okongo Benson , Mucunguzi William , kakaire Michael Nyende
Published: October 2023

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a neglected tropical disease with painful and disfiguring visible manifestations of the disease, including lymphedema, elephantiasis and scrotal swelling that occur later in life and can lead to permanent disability(WHO, 2017). Elephantiasis one of the neglected tropical diseases is a public health problem with 947 million people in 54 countries that requires preventive chemotherapy to stop the spread of infection. In the African region, more than 382 million people are exposed to lymphatic filariasis (LF) in 39 of the 46 countries at risk. For over a decade since its inception, the Lymphatic Filarial Elimination programme has finished mapping in 35 countries at risk including Uganda. (MoH, 2009). Despite the treatment given under this programme , an increase in elephantiasis has been reported in Kamwenge district according to the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI) and another 14.5 million are at risk of being infected (MoH, 2009). However the prevailing status of lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis in Busiriba Sub County is not known. We determined the Sero-antigen prevalence, and risk factors of lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis in Busiriba Sub-county, Kamwenge District, and south western Uganda.
Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study during August and September 2018.We recruited residents (participants) who had lived in study area for more than three months using stratified sampling procedure, and administered a structured questionnaire to capture demographic and other exposure characteristics of study participants. We collected blood samples and tested for them for filarial circulating antigen using Immunochromatographic Test (Alere Scarborough, Inc. 10 Southgate Road, Scarborough, ME 04074 USA). Additionally, soil samples were tested for silicon using inductively coupled plasma spectrometer. We performed multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors for Podoconiosis among the study participants.
Results: We enrolled 101 participants; of these most (61.4%) females. The mean age was 41(±21) years. The overall Sero - antigen prevalence of lymphatic filariasis was 1.0% (n=1). The prevalence of non-filarial elephantiasis (Podoconiosis) was found to be 34.7% (35/101) (95%CI 25.5 – 44.8%).
Conclusion: The Sero antigen prevalence of lymphatic filariasis was found to be 1.0%. Prevalence of Podoconiosis was found to be 34.7%. The average silicon concentration was found to be 36.1ppm (mg/kg of soil). The average pH was 6.2 (range 5.6–6.8).
Seasonal Variation in Physico-chemical Characteristics of Wastewater from Domestic Treatment Plant
Authors: Semegn Getachew , Demeke Getahun , Aschale Minbale , Melaku Assefa
Published: October 2023

The discharge of effluent from wastewater treatment plants is one of the main sources of pollution that seriously affects the water quality parameters in water bodies. This occurs mainly when partially or untreated effluent is released to the nearby water bodies. The present work paying attention on the regular variations in physico-chemical parameters of the Kombolcha Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ethiopia. The study was carried out using standard methods to evaluate various physico-chemical parameters from the effluent. Our findings were pH (8.6–9.3), TSS (196–226 mg/L), EC (1244–1143 µS/cm), temperature (23–31 0C), turbidity (820–896 NTU), COD (580–622 mg/L), alkalinity (241–290 mg/L), sulfate (8.3–11 mg/L), nitrite (7.1–7.8 mg/L), nitrate (3.1–3.9 mg/L) and phosphate (4.1–4.8 mg/L). Alkalinity, conductivity, TSS, turbidity, sulfate, phosphate and COD values exhibited considerable month-to-month variation. The results showed that most of the values of the results were above the recommended limits for wastewater discharge. Hence, the effluents from the treatment plant were the possible sources of pollution in the study areas and calls for improvement of the wastewater treatment operations to ensure safe effluent discharge to the receiving water bodies.
Did aid to the Ebola crisis divert aid for reproductive, maternal, and newborn health? An analysis of donor-reported data in Sierra Leone
Authors: Mayhew Susannah H , Doyle Kirkley , Babawo Lawrence S. , Mokuwa Esther Yei , Rohan Hana , Martinez-Alverez Melisa , Borghi Josephine , Pitt Catherine
Published: October 2023

Background
Epidemic outbreaks like Ebola and Covid-19 are increasing in frequency. They may harm reproductive, maternal and newborn health (RMNH) directly and indirectly. Sierra Leone experienced a sharp deterioration of RMNH during the 2014-16 Ebola epidemic. One possible explanation is that donor funding may have been diverted away from RMNH to the Ebola response.
Methods
We analysed donor-reported data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s Creditor Reported System data for Sierra Leone before, during and after the 2014-16 Ebola epidemic to understand whether aid flows for Ebola displaced aid for RMNH. We used Muskoka-2 estimates.
Results
We find substantial increases in aid to Sierra Leone (from $484 million in 2013 to $1 billion at the height of the response in 2015), most of which was earmarked for the Ebola response. Overall, Ebola aid was additional to RMNH funding. Overall, RMNH aid was sustained during the epidemic (at $42m per year) and peaked immediately after (at $77m in 2016). There is some evidence of a small displacement of RMNH aid from the UK during the period when its Ebola funding increased.
Conclusions
Modest changes to RMNH donor aid patterns are insufficient to explain the severe decline in RMNH indicators recorded during the outbreak. Our findings therefore suggest the need for substantial increases in aid for routine RMNH services and infrastructure before and during epidemics like Ebola and Covid-19, if reproductive, maternal and newborn healthcare is to be maintained at pre-epidemic levels.
Application of using a boron tracer to evaluate groundwater contamination in the Quaternary limestone aquifer in the southern region of Okinawa Island, Japan
Authors: Song Ke-Han , Shinjo Ryuichi , Ito Yuto , Moromizato Yumi , Yasumoto Jun
Published: October 2023

This research presents the first quantitative analysis using the boron isotope in groundwater to study environmental contamination in the Quaternary limestone aquifers of the southern region of Okinawa Island. Due to the direct discharge of wastewater from human activities into the groundwater, monitoring water quality is of primary concern in this region. In this study, we reported on boron concentrations and δ11B values in groundwater, spring, soil, and possible contaminant samples collected between August 2020 and August 2021. Our results indicated that boron contents co-migrate with nitrate-nitrogen, as confirmed by a positive correlation between their concentrations, indicating that boron is a valuable tracer in the Ryukyu limestone region. We also observed that the four endmembers had different boron characteristics that could help diagnose the trend of contamination processes via mixing lines. The solute samples from our regional monthly monitoring showed that boron concentrations ranged from 12 to 168 ppb and δ11B values ranged from 19 to 38‰. We estimated that the rainwater contained 0.62% seawater, obtaining the best fit of solute samples to two trends on the mixing lines of fertilization (manure and fertilizer). The mixing calculation revealed that contribution rates were less than 1% and approximately 3% in groundwater and soil leachates, respectively. Overall, the quantitative application of the boron tracer allowed us to represent the distribution of contamination caused by fertilization in the Ryukyu limestone watershed.
Utilization of Pineapple Peel Waste/ZnO Nanoparticles Reinforcement for Cellulose-Based Nanocomposite Membrane and Its Characteristics
Authors: Yanuhar Uun , Suryanto Heru , Aminnudin Aminnudin , Wijaya Husni Wahyu , Maulana Jibril , Caesar Nico Rahman , Irawan Yudy Surya , Binoj Joseph Selvi
Published: October 2023

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a natural substance produced by microorganisms and offers numerous benefits. It can be produced by utilizing biomass waste which is abundantly available through the fermentation process. This study investigates the utilization of pineapple peel waste for bacterial cellulose synthesis and observes their properties as nanocomposites membrane after the addition of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs). The experimental methods were conducted by synthesizing BC using pineapple peel extract using fermentation process. Subsequently, BNC was synthesized using a high-pressure homogenizer, and ZnO-NPs nanoparticles were added as reinforcement at concentrations of 2.5 wt.%, 5.0 wt.%, and 7.5wt.%. The mixture was sonicated and subsequently dried in an oven at 60°C for 20 h. BNC/ZnO-NPs membranes were characterized using XRD, FTIR, tensile test, BET, antibacterial test, and SEM analysis. The results indicate that the membrane structure of BNC/ZnO-NPs nanocomposite has peaks at diffraction angles of 14.4°, 15.2°, 16.9°, 22.8°, 31.6°, 34.1°, and 36.8°. The addition of ZnO-NPs affects the crystallite size and pore diameter of the membrane. It enhances the crystalline index of BNC by 81.37% at 2.5wt.% ZnO-NPs but reduces the membrane strength. The surface morphology of nanocomposite shows agglomeration with increasing ZnO-NPs content. Membrane BNC/ZnO-NPs show antibacterial activity against S.aureus.
Deltamethrin Resistance Profiling in Anopheles gambiae: A Study in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
Authors: Tebamifor Mercy Eyitomi , Mamudu Collins O. , Zakari Suleiman , Adedeji Eunice , Joel Wisdom O. , Ogunlana Olubanke O.
Published: October 2023

Pyrethroids account 89.9% of all vector control insecticide use in African in terms of normal spray coverage This study aims to identify mosquito breeding sites and assess the knockdown resistance (kdr) gene responsible for pyrethroids resistance of Anopheles populations in Ota. Anopheles larvae collected from the Atan and Nestle (6⁰ 40' N, 3⁰ 09' E & 6⁰ 41’N, 3⁰ 9’E) were grown to adulthood in an insectary. Female mosquitoes (2-5days old) not blood-fed were evaluated for sensitivity to 0.05% deltamethrin using the standard method of the World Health Organization. To distinguish the An. gambiae complex related species, rDNA intergenic spacers were amplified using PCR. The kdr- genes were genotyped in Anopheles gambiae females. 438 female mosquitos were gathered in total; Aedes (11.17%), Anopheles (28.8%) and Culex (50.9%) being the most abundant species specimens collected. WHO bioassay for exposure to deltamethrin mortality rate for Anopheles species was 39% (Atan) and 37% (Nestle) respectively. Anopheles mosquitoes were resistant to deltamethrin. Anopheles gambiae was found as the main vector within Ota. The Probit model was utilised to obtain the median knockdown time; KDT50 and KDT95 for both sites (Nestle; KDT50 = 45.829 Min, KDT 95 = 88.854 Min & Atan; KDT 50= 44.957 Min, KDT95 = 93.473 Min). The total frequency of the kdr allele (i.e., kdr-W) resistant individuals was 0.86 in Atan and 0.796 in Nestle site. This data, despite being preliminary, highlights the importance of monitoring An. gambiae numbers in these areas to develop an effective approach for managing pyrethroid and DDT resistance in mosquito control. Susceptibility to pyrethroids can be partially restored when used alongside synergist (e.g Piperonyl butoxide- PBO) suggesting likely involvement of metabolic resistance.
Can reduction of local carbon emissions motivate participation in demand-side flexibility programs? Evidence from the United Kingdom
Authors: Wen Cheng , Steadman Shandelle , Rafaq Muhammad Saad , Vatougiou Paraskevi , Deakin Matthew
Published: October 2023

Increasing demand-side flexibility is important for decarbonising electricity systems with increasing intermittent and variable renewable energy. Although previous research has identified reduction of carbon emissions from electricity consumption as a driver for households to provide demand-side flexibility, it is not clear yet whether they are willing to provide additional flexibility if the emission reduction takes place locally. This study conducted an online factorial survey across the UK to investigate the determinants of domestic consumers' willingness to participate in time-of-use and direct load control of electric vehicle charging and heat pump heating programs. The results show that consumers generally prefer the static time-of-use tariffs (programs) to more flexible, controlled charging/heating programs (e.g. vehicle-to-grid charging), but savings on electricity bills, the percentage of reduced carbon emissions, and localisation of emission reduction (i.e. contributing to local emission targets) can significantly motivate participation in demand-side flexibility programs. Keeping other variables constant, localisation of emission reduction can increase the likelihood of program acceptance by over 11\%. Socio-demographic variables (e.g age), energy-related behaviours (e.g. intention to buy an electric vehicle or a heat pump, the current expenditure in electricity), consumers' trust in electricity service suppliers, their concerns over data privacy, and attitudes towards climate change and local carbon targets also influence household willingness to provide demand-side flexibility.
Strong Earthquakes and Semi-Annual Behaviour
Authors: Mizrahi Ezra
Published: October 2023

To date, very little has been written about earthquake distribution and cyclicality although, when looking at the available data, certain apparent cyclic trends can be seen as generating new conditions that activate complex, tectonic dynamo behavior. This paper discusses our research on global, primary earthquake distribution, where we attempted to identify and understand how and when earthquakes occur. After tracing earthquakes (M ≥ 6.8) over a period of 37 years and filtering out subsequent aftershocks, evidence appears to support cyclical activity, rather than the activity of a system that is traditionally thought of as random, unpredictable and chaotic. Our results show how primary earthquakes relate to, variations that change with seasonal fluctuations between the equinoxes and solstices and might follow the classic semi-annual variation of the geomagnetic field. We argue that magnetism may effect primary, earthquakes a distribution and could play a key role in complex, tectonic dynamo behavior.
Assessing the Safety and Efficacy of High-Dose Liposomal Amphotericin B: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-analysis in Microbial Pathogens
Authors: Zheng Jiankang , Zhu Xiao , Wang Hongrui
Published: October 2023

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy, mortality, survival rate, and adverse reactions of high-dose liposomal amphotericin B (L-AMB) in disease treatment.
Methods: Reports of randomized controlled trials (RCTs; whether randomized, single-blind, or double-blind) of high-dose L-AMB treatment of diseases were retrieved from the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. The primary outcome was the overall therapeutic effect, and the secondary outcomes were mortality, the ≥10-week survival rate, and adverse reactions. Meta-analysis of data was performed with RevMan5.3. The PROSPERO registration number for this review is CRD42022368973.
Results: Ten RCTs in 1,661 patients were included. High-dose L-AMB had no obvious therapeutic advantage in the anti-infection treatment. Furthermore, treatment of invasive Aspergillus infection with high-dose L-AMB led to high mortality and a low survival rate (≥10 weeks). Subgroup analysis revealed that the incidence of adverse reactions during invasive fungal infections and the incidence of renal dysfunction were higher for high-dose L-AMB than for regular-dose L-AMB.
Conclusion: High-dose L-AMB had no obvious advantage for the treatment of diseases and was accompanied by a risk of increased mortality, reduced long-term survival rate, and increased adverse reactions, including renal insufficiency. Therefore, high-dose L-AMB to control infections is recommended with caution only when the preferred treatments are contraindicated.
The Suppression of Ocean Waves by Spatially Heterogeneous Biogenic Slicks
Authors: Laxague Nathan , Zappa Christopher , Soumya Shantanu , Wurl Oliver
Published: October 2023

The exchanges of momentum, heat, and gas between atmosphere and ocean are critical drivers of the earth's climate. These colossal exchanges are mediated by the growth, development, and breaking of short wind-driven surface waves. Surface wave motions are significantly damped by biogenic surfactants, substances found at the ocean's surface from the high latitudes to the tropics. Therefore, the effect of surfactant compounds in the uppermost millimeters of the ocean in damping short surface waves bears greatly on earth's climatic processes. The mechanisms through which surfactants suppress waves have been studied in great detail through careful laboratory experimentation. Such efforts have primarily focused on phenomena at the scale of individual surface waves in quasi one-dimensional wave tanks. However, the spatial scales over which this damping occurs in structurally complex surfactant slicks on the real ocean have not been resolved. Here we present the results of the first-ever field observations of the spatial response of decimeter to millimeter-scale waves---the specific conduit for mediating air-sea fluxes---to biogenic surfactant slicks. We found that wave damping in organic material-rich coastal waters resulted in a net (spatio-temporally averaged) reduction of ~50% in momentum input to the wave field relative to the open ocean across all wind speeds. This significant effect had thus far evaded quantification due in large part to the enormous range of scales required for its description-- spanning the sea surface microlayer to the ocean submesoscale. These results are of critical importance to our efforts in describing the energy exchange between ocean and atmosphere and in forecasting the coupled earth system.
Energy-Saving Individual Heating Systems Based on Liquid-Vapor Ejector
Authors: Sharapov Serhii , Bocko Jozef , Yevtushenko Sviatoslav , Panchenko Vitalii , Skydanenko Maksym
Published: October 2023

The problem of increasing the efficiency of individual heating systems is solved by using heat pumps based on a liquid-vapor ejector with the working fluid R718 (water). The research object was the working process of the liquid-vapor ejector, based on the principle of jet thermal compression. It involves the generation of vapor in the nozzle of the motive flow of the liquid-vapor ejector and does not require its supply from an external source. Schemes and descriptions of the traditional system and the proposed scheme were given. Their difference from the traditional ones was indicated according to the schematic solution and working cycle. The article compared the proposed schemes’ thermodynamic calculation with the working flow R718 and traditional heat pump systems with carried-out refrigerants R134a, R410a, and R32. As a result, the values of the thermodynamic parameters of all system components were obtained. The coefficients of performance (COP) for the traditional and proposed cycles were determined. Applying the new scheme made it possible to increase the COP by an average of 40 %. An exergy analysis assessed the expediency of implementing vacuum units based on liquid-vapor ejectors in individual heating systems. This made it possible to compare systems that use several types of energy (e.g., electrical, thermal) and to determine their efficiency with high accuracy. As a result of the exergy analysis, the value of the proposed scheme’s exergy efficiency was obtained.
Fermionic higher-form symmetries
Authors: Wang Yi-Nan , Zhang Yi
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we explore a new type of global symmetries - the fermionic higher-form symmetries. They are generated by topological operators with fermionic parameter, which act on fermionic extended objects. We present a set of field theory examples with fermionic higher-form symmetries, which are constructed from fermionic tensor fields. They include the free fermionic tensor theories, a new type of fermionic topological quantum field theories, as well as the exotic 6d (4,0) theory. We also discuss the gauging and breaking of such global symmetries and the relation to the no global symmetry swampland conjecture.
The mediating role of perceived value on electronic service quality and customer satisfaction: Evidence from Malaysia
Authors: Khaleel Okour Mohammad , Wei Chong Chin , Abdulraheem Okour Sarah , Abdelfattah Fadi
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of customers’ perceived value in mediating the relationship between Electronic Service Quality (ESQ) and customer satisfaction in online banking in Malaysia. The research model is developed based on the disconfirmation theory. Non-probability purposive sampling was adopted for data collection. A cross-sectional technique with a self-administered questionnaire was applied. The unit of analysis in this study is bank customers using online banking in Selangor, Malaysia. One hundred twenty-eight usable responses were received and analyzed. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was applied to analyze the data. Findings showed that the variance in customer satisfaction can be significantly explained via E-service quality dimensions (R2 = 0.52). The ease of use, security, reliability, responsiveness (ESQ) have a significant and positive impact on customer satisfaction among online banking users (p = 0.000). Furthermore, it was found that the customers’ perceived value significantly mediates the relationship between E-service quality and customer satisfaction (p-value = 0.0004). The experimental findings for this paper strengthen and expand the theoretical understanding of the relationship between ESQ, customer perceived value, and customer satisfaction that helps the banks in Malaysia to perform more successfully in the rapid business environment. This study also contributed to diminishing the gap in the ESQ literature between developed and developing countries, especially in the Malaysian context.
Job satisfaction and organizational commitment in Syrian refugee textile enterprises: A case study from Turkey
Authors: Uygur Gokce , Gunaltay Ayse , Rudnak Ildiko
Published: October 2023

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Syrian refugee entrepreneurs operating in the Turkish textile industry on job satisfaction and organizational commitment of refugee employees. It is foreseen that refugees working informally may become permanent. This image shakes not only the social order but also the economic balance. A significant portion of refugees have a very low education level; also, Turkish society does not welcome them as they create a cheap labor force. Due to poor working conditions, they tend to change their jobs constantly. At this point, refugees’ attitude toward work and organization has been examined. The sample comprised 12 enterprises; 104 blue-collar employees, experts, and managers answered the questionnaires. All of the participants in the study were Syrian refugees. The results concluded that while there is a positive relationship between affective and normative organizational commitment and the perception of abstract talent management practice, there is a negative and weak relationship between continuance commitment with a strength of –0.169. The perception of tangible talent management practice is positively related to internal and external job satisfaction and negatively related to continuance commitment with a power of –0.157. Accordingly, Syrian refugees with a talent management perspective believe talented employees should be in their jobs to achieve their goals. Job satisfaction partially mediates between the abstract perception of talent management practices and organizational commitment.