bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of Critical Closing Pressure Explain Cerebral Autoregulation Impairment in Acute Cerebrovascular Disease
Authors: Ince Jonathan , Panerai Ronney B. , Salinet Angela S.M. , Lam Man Y. , Llwyd Osian , Haunton Victoria J. , Robinson Thompson G. , Minhas Jatinder S.
Published: July 2024

Introduction: Cerebral autoregulation (CA) is impaired in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and is associated with worse patient outcomes, but the underlying physiological cause is unclear. This study tests whether depressed CA in AIS can be linked to the dynamic responses of critical closing pressure (CrCP) and resistance area product (RAP). Methods: Continuous recordings of middle cerebral blood velocity (MCAv, transcranial Doppler), arterial blood pressure (BP), end-tidal CO2 and electrocardiography allowed dynamic analysis of the instantaneous MCAv-BP relationship to obtain estimates of CrCP and RAP. The dynamic response of CrCP and RAP to a sudden change in mean BP was obtained by transfer function analysis. Comparisons were made between younger controls (≤50 years), older controls (>50 years), and AIS patients. Results: Data from 24 younger controls (36.4 ± 10.9 years, 9 male), 38 older controls (64.7 ± 8.2 years, 20 male), and 20 AIS patients (63.4 ± 13.8 years, 9 male) were included. Dynamic CA was impaired in AIS, with lower autoregulation index (affected hemisphere: 4.0 ± 2.3, unaffected: 4.5 ± 1.8) compared to younger (right: 5.8 ± 1.4, left: 5.8 ± 1.4) and older (right: 4.9 ± 1.6, left: 5.1 ± 1.5) controls. AIS patients also demonstrated an early (0–3 s) peak in CrCP dynamic response that was not influenced by age. Conclusion: These early transient differences in the CrCP dynamic response are a novel finding in stroke and occur too early to reflect underlying regulatory mechanisms. Instead, these may be caused by structural changes to cerebral vasculature.
Evaluation of the Factors Influencing Blood Transfusion during Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Authors: Sun Zhenmin , Cui Zhongqi , Xie Yan , Wang Lei , Li Zhengqian , Yang Xiaoyu , Zhang Xiaoqing , Wang Jun
Published: July 2024

Introduction: The objective of this study was to analyze the blood transfusion factors of minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) surgery using artificial intelligence. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for patients undergoing MIDCAB operations and no heart-lung machine was used from January 2017 to September 2022 in our hospital. The influencing factors of blood transfusion were used to build the artificial intelligence model. Eighty percent of the database was used as the training set, and twenty percent database was used as the testing set. To predict whether to use red blood cells during operation, we compared 104 artificial intelligence models. We aimed to assess whether which factors influence allogeneic transfusion in MIDCAB operations. Results: Of the 104 machine learning algorithms, the XGBoost model delivered the best performance, with an AUC of 0.726 in the testing set and an accuracy of 0.854 in the testing set. The artificial intelligence model showed preoperative hemoglobin less than 120 g/L, prothrombin time greater than 13.75, body mass index less than 22.7 kg/m2, coronary heart disease with additional comorbidities, a history of percutaneous coronary intervention, weight lower than 67 kg were the six major risk factors of allogeneic transfusion. Conclusion: The XGBoost model can predict transfusion or not transfusion in MIDCBA surgery with high accuracy.
Enhanced fault identification in grid-connected microgrid with SVM-based control algorithm
Authors: Nair Divya Shoba , Rajeev Thankappan Nair , Miraj Sindhura
Published: July 2024

The penetration of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles (EVs) and load dynamics, and network complexities often lead to nuisance tripping in grid-connected microgrids. Traditional protection methods fail to discriminate fault and other dynamic volatilities in the system. The paper presents a novel two-level adaptive relay algorithm to avoid nuisance tripping in a grid-connected microgrid under varying grid dynamics. The novelty of the adaptive relay algorithm is that nuisance tripping is eliminated by precisely determining normal system-level dynamics at the first level using a phase deviation reference block. The first level determines the necessity for activating the second level, which consists of a detection scheme combining a multiclass support vector machine (SVM) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT). The hybrid DWT-SVM methodology ensures effective fault diagnosis, adapting to variations in energy sources, load fluctuations, and fault scenarios. Real-time hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation validates the system’s effectiveness in dynamic microgrid environments. Extensive experiments on scenarios, including faults, fluctuations in renewable energy generation, and intermittent simulations of EV charging and capacitor switching, were conducted to test the efficacy of the adaptive relay algorithm. Finally, experiments using OPAL-RT HIL real-time simulator and the Raspberry Pi microcontroller validated the adaptive relay algorithm in a grid-connected microgrid under varying grid dynamics.
Design and performance analysis of a long-stroke electromagnetic double-reel hammer
Authors: Alkasassbeh Jawdat S. , Pavlov Vlademer Е. , Al-Zyoud Khalaf Y. , Al-Awneh Tareq A. , Alkasassbeh Osamah , Al-Rawashdeh Ayman Y.
Published: July 2024

This paper comprehensively investigates the performance characteristics of a long-stroke electromagnetic double-reel hammer compared to a conventional hammer. Quantitative analysis indicates that the long-stroke hammer shows a significant increase in striker speed and impact energy. The impact energy has increased by 255%, and energy losses in copper windings have decreased by 124% per operating cycle. Additionally, the long-stroke hammer demonstrates a 105% reduction in energy consumption and a 52% improvement in overall efficiency per cycle compared to the conventional hammer. This study examines the operational characteristics of the long-stroke hammer throughout its cycle using field theory methods, MATLAB simulations, and experimental tests. Results indicate higher impact energy and speed, lower energy losses in copper windings, and higher efficiency per cycle for the long-stroke hammer. Furthermore, a mathematical model of the long-stroke hammer is developed, incorporating static parameters and oscillograms of striker movement and current flow. A comprehensive comparison of the performance indicators of both hammers reveals significant improvements in lifting height, cycle duration, impact frequency, and striker speed for the long-stroke hammer. Overall, these findings suggest that the long-stroke operating mode can significantly enhance the efficiency and performance of conventional hammers while simultaneously reducing impact frequency and machine heating.
Performance evaluation of rank attack impact on routing protocol in low-power and lossy networks
Authors: Al-Qaisi Laila , Hassan Suhaidi , Zakaria Nur Haryani
Published: July 2024

The internet of things (IoT) is a network of connected devices, enabling the exchange and collection of data from various environments. The routing protocol for low power and lossy networks (RPL) is a protocol for routing IPv6 over low-power wireless personal area networks, commonly used in IoT applications. However, RPL has several security and privacy issues that make it vulnerable to various attacks, including rank attacks (RA), which can lead to denial-of-service (DoS) scenarios. This research aims to address the impact of RA on RPL networks by conducting simulations using the Contiki/Cooja simulator with two topology types, random and grid, along with three RA scenarios and a normal network scenario. The study compares the performance of RPL network OF0 and MRHOF in terms of throughput, packet delivery ratio (PDR), hop count (HC) and delay. The results demonstrate that RA significantly degrades network performance and reduces network lifetime, thus draining its limited resources. Some possible solutions are also suggested to mitigate these attacks by focusing on core components of the network like objective function (OF) and node behavior. Future work will focus on studying security mechanisms for RPL against RA.
The potential of the internet of things for human activity recognition in smart home: overview, challenges, approaches
Authors: Essafi Khadija , Moussaid Laila
Published: July 2024

Human activity recognition (HAR) is a technology that infers current user activities by using the available sensory data network. Research on activity recognition is considered extremely important, particularly when it comes to delivering sensitive services such as healthcare services and live tracking assistance and autonomy. For this purpose, many researchers have proposed a knowledge-driven approach or data-driven reasoning for identification techniques. However, there are multiple limitations associated with these approaches and the resulting models are typically not complete enough to capture all types of human activities. Thus, recent works have suggested combining these techniques through a hybrid model. This paper's goal is to give a brief overview of activity recognition implementation approaches by looking at various sensing technologies used to gather data from internet of things (IoT) gadgets, looking at preprocessing and feature extraction approaches, and then comparing methods used to identify human activities in smart homes, and highlighting their strengths and weaknesses across various fields. Numerous pertinent works were located, and their accomplishments were assessed.
How does natural language processing identify the issues?
Authors: Assiroj Priati , Alam Sirojul , Spits Warnars Harco Leslie Hendric
Published: July 2024

Product innovation and service improvement have become essential or crucial for organisations, including public service organisations. The Indonesia Immigration Directorate released the m-passport application to enhance its quality of service. The m-passport application is considered good as it has been downloaded over a million times. Like immigration officers, this application seems to be at the forefront, reflecting an increasingly better service. However, there was still a need for significant improvement in the application. Improvements can be made to the application by considering user feedback or reviews. Reviews provided by users, approximately 12K, will serve as input for improving or enhancing the application. This was made possible as users interacti directly with the application. The most common issues are one-time password or OTP verification code with a probability value of 0.044, errors when logging in with a probability value of 0.283, and slow response applications with a probability value of 0.125.
A novel steady-state visually evoked potential-based brain-computer interfaces using trans-subject feature fusion approach
Authors: Krishnappa Manjula , Anandaraju Madaveeranahally B.
Published: July 2024

A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a transformative technology that enables users to control external devices or communicate solely through the analysis of their brain activity. One promising aspect of BCIs is the utilization of steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs), a neurophysiological response in the brain that synchronizes with repetitive visual stimuli. This paper introduces a novel approach known as the trans-subject feature fusion approach (TFA), designed to improve SSVEP-based BCIs. This methodology streamlines data pre-processing, creates invariant SSVEP templates, and simplifies calibration, addressing key challenges that have hindered BCI adoption. By doing so, the main aim is to contribute to the advancement of BCIs, making them more accessible and efficient for a range of applications, from assistive technologies to healthcare, ultimately enhancing users’ communication, and control capabilities.
Expert systems in mental health: innovative approach for personalized treatment
Authors: Andrade-Arenas Laberiano , Rubio-Paucar Inoc , Celis Domingo Hernández , Yactayo-Arias Cesar
Published: July 2024

Custom classification of mental illnesses has emerged as a challenge for mental health specialists, often minimized by patients' lack of awareness of symptoms and the importance of early intervention. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to provide a comprehensive understanding of personalized treatment, encompassing both pharmacological and non-pharmacological options, specifically tailored to mental disorders, considering factors such as the patient's age and gender, among other relevant characteristics. In this context, the Buchanan methodology has been chosen as the framework for structuring a web-based expert system. This approach covers everything from problem identification to system implementation and subsequent evaluation. The survey results, with a total of 50 responses, reveal that the category "Good" leads with 70%, closely followed by "Fair" and "Poor," both at 14%. 71.4% of responses reflect a positive evaluation, with 85.7% combining "Good" or "Fair" responses, and all categories reaching 100%. These results support the feasibility and effectiveness of implementing a web-based expert system under the Buchanan methodology. A positive response in the survey suggests that this methodology can significantly contribute to personalizing and recommending appropriate treatments, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, thereby benefiting a broad spectrum of patients with mental disorders.
Deep learning based hybrid precoder for optimal power allocation to improve the performance of massive MIMO
Authors: Bhairanatti Shilpa , Pandu Rubini
Published: July 2024

Hybrid precoding is a significant procedure for decreasing the hardware complexity and power usage in massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. However, the effectiveness of hybrid precoding is highly dependent on precise channel state info and designing of the beamforming matrix. In recent years, deep learning-based approaches have emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges. This research focuses on improving the performance of massive MIMO systems. However, several methods have been introduced to develop the hybrid precoding model, but these models suffer from several issues such as complexity, interference and quantization error. Currently, deep learning-based methods have gained huge attention in this domain where these methods learn from the data and try to overcome the challenges. Here, a deep learning-based model is presented where our main aim is to develop a hybrid precoder along with the deep learning-based optimal power allocation model. Therefore, the proposed model overcomes the issue of hybrid precoding and power distribution resulting in improving the overall performance of massive MIMO systems on the parameters such as spectral efficiency (SE) and the sum rate.
Tech driven wellness: centralized integrated health management system in UAE
Authors: Dakwar Mohamad Fadi , Dakwar Norseen Fadi , Ali Halah Yaseen , Shaker Yomna O.
Published: July 2024

With the ever-more increasing usage of technology in our day-to-day life, an incursion into healthcare has been warranted. Especially in today’s age, where you have digital trackers all around, confusing terms of service, and just in general difficult management of healthcare. HealthPulse seeks to revolutionize that and simplify the concept of healthcare to the simple person. This will be accomplished by integrating the application with the Emirates ID, in the United Arab Emirates, and granting access to various insurance and past records. Additionally, it features a section for early diagnoses and standard measurements, in addition to extensions and plugins to be provided by third parties. Using biometrics will apply in the implementation for the creation of a secure digital national ID and enhancing the merger of public. Machine learning framework, which is trained on a dataset of images of certain diseases will be able to differentiate between a healthy and inflicted cases.
Comparative analysis of selected optimization algorithms for mobile agents’ migration pattern
Authors: Oyediran Mayowa O. , Ajagbe Sunday Adeola , Ojo Olufemi S. , Elegbede Adedayo Wasiat , Adio Michael Olumuyiwa , Adeniyi Abidemi Emmanuel , Adebayo Isaiah O. , Obuzor Princewill Chima , Adigun Matthew Olusegun
Published: July 2024

Mobile agents are agents that can migrate from host-to-host to work in a heterogeneous network environment. A mobile agent can migrate from host-to-host in its plan with the statistics generated on each host through a route known as migration pattern. Migration pattern therefore is the route the agents use to travel within the plan from the first host to the last host. However, there is a need for a comparison between the commonly used optimization algorithms in developing migration patterns for mobile agents with respect to some evaluation metrics. In this paper, the three techniques firefly algorithm (FFA), honeybee optimization (HBO) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) were used for developing migration patterns for mobile agents and their comparison was done based on migration time, time complexity and network load as metrics. PSO is discovered to perform better in terms of network load with an average of 242.3905 bits per second (bps), time complexity with an average of 41.2688 number of nodes (n), and migration/transmission time with an average of 4.203462 seconds (s).
Lifetime estimation of DC XLPE cable insulation using BPNN-IPM improved with various schemes and optimization meth
Authors: Fikri Miftahul , Abdul-Malek Zulkurnain , Mohd Esa Mona Riza , Supriyanto Eko , Mulyana Kartadinata Iwa Garniwa , Abduh Syamsir , Christiono Christiono
Published: July 2024

The world’s need for green energy is something that cannot be postponed any longer, where the transmission-distribution process requires power distribution in DC voltage. However, currently, the majority use AC voltage, so limited experience and lack of data regarding electrical cable aging under high voltage (HVDC) and their reliability are problems that must be resolved. Crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) constitutes many insulation cables used today, so estimating the lifetime of DC XLPE cable insulation is urgent research, even though various model-optimization improvements are needed to obtain accurate results. This research begins with pre-processing for the input and output data. These results were then analyzed using two improved model schemes to accommodate the addition of variable space charge and thickness: backpropagation neural network (BPNN) and hybrid BPNN with inverse power model (BPNN-IPM). The learning process uses gradient descent (GD), genetic algorithm (GA), and Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) optimization methods. Finally, the proposed method was verified using experimental data from previous research. The results show that the hybrid BPNN-IPM with LM optimization method is the most accurate: training root mean square error (RMSE) achieved 0 days, and testing RMSE achieved 0.83 days. These results show that the method BPNN-IPM-LM used is most accurate in estimating the lifetime of DC XLPE insulation.
Nos caminhos da lama: diálogos entre oleiras e marisqueiras através das fronteiras etnográficas sul-americanas
Authors: Belaunde Luisa Elvira , Machado Renata Freitas
Published: July 2024

Este artigo compõe diálogos entre a antropologia indígena e a antropologia de comunidades pesqueiras. Analisa as técnicas produtivas e experiências corporais que mulheres oleiras e mulheres marisqueiras tecem com a lama em seus aspectos sensíveis e conceituais. Parte da noção de lama/barro, como entidade viva que possui dinâmicas materiais, históricas e afetivas singulares em cada contexto etnográfico. Assim, percorre relatos de mulheres das comunidades kichwa lamas na Amazônia Peruana e da Ilha de Itaparica na Costa Atlântica brasileira que, nos interstícios do antropo/capitaloceno, persistem nos caminhos da lama e da lua.
Um mensageiro entre duas áreas: Educação e Antropologia
Authors: Fleischer Soraya
Published: July 2024

Review of the book
OLIVEIRA, Amurabi. Etnografia para educadores. São Paulo: Editora da UNESP, 2023.
Cinema, imaginário e educação: os fundamentos educativos do cinema
Authors: Almeida Rogério de ,   Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Educação
Published: July 2024

Este livro articula-se em duas partes. A primeira – cinema e educação – traz os fundamentos do cinema (capítulo 1) e os fundamentos educativos do cinema (capítulo 2), abordando como o cinema se constitui como linguagem, narração, imersão e espectatorialidade, para então aprofundar seus aspectos propriamente educativos, o que envolve os fundamentos cognitivo, filosófico, estético, mítico, existencial, antropológico e poético. A segunda parte – imaginários contemporâneos –apresenta três estudos hermenêuticos sobre a distopia, o niilismo e a afirmação trágica, como vetores que possibilitam compreender filosoficamente o contemporâneo por meio do cinema. Dessa forma, este livro se destina a pesquisadores do cinema e da educação, da filosofia da educação, a professores de artes, literatura, história, geografia e áreas afins, a estudantes de pedagogia e das demais licenciaturas, além de um público mais geral, interessado nas potencialidades do cinema para a compreensão da realidade contemporânea.
Instituições republicanas em Maquiavel: o caso das acusações públicas
Authors: Marques Miquéias Serrão
Published: July 2024

Este artigo discute a questão das acusações públicas e das calúnias no Discorsi de Maquiavel. Argumenta-se que a ordenação da acusação pública fortaleceu o controle sobre conflitos sociais que poderiam ser nocivos ao exercício da liberdade civil. Esta instituição impediu que as dissensões entre a plebe e a nobreza resultassem em desordens sociais que pudessem adoecer o corpo político. Descreve-se a função das acusações públicas e como as calúnias poderiam interferir na estabilidade da república. A análise foi norteada pela leitura do capítulo 7 e 8 do livro I do Discorsi. Em Roma, as acusações resultavam em punição e as calúnias eram controladas, diferente do que aconteceu em Florença, cidade natal de Maquiavel.
Subversões em Eu, Tituba… Bruxa Negra de Salem: reflexões sobre a crítica provocadora de Maryse Condé
Authors: Genial Beatriz Tereno Correa
Published: July 2024

Cette étude vise à explorer les concepts critiques mis en avant par Maryse Condé dans ses entretiens, dans le but d'identifier comment ces concepts se manifestent dans son roman le plus célèbre. Pour ce faire, les entretiens menés par Françoise Pfaff avec l'auteure guadeloupéenne seront pris en compte afin d'analyser ses réflexions critiques et l'image d'auteur qu'elle projette d'elle-même. Par ailleurs, un aperçu des réflexions critiques présentes dans trois des principales publications académiques de Condé sera dressé : sa thèse Stéréotype du noir dans la littérature antillaise : Guadeloupe - Martinique (1976) ; l'essai La parole des femmes (1979) ; et l'article " Ordre, disorder, freedom, and the West Indian Writer" (1993). En comprenant les idées centrales défendues par l'écrivaine antillaise et le caractère provocateur de sa figuration d'auteur, la recherche se concentrera sur l'analyse du livre Moi, Tituba : Sorcière Noire de Salem, en mettant l'accent sur la nature subversive de la protagoniste dans le contexte colonial, en accord avec les principes analytiques de Maryse Condé.
Não escrever [com Roland Barthes], um ensaio de Paloma Vidal
Authors: Kaspar Katerina Blasques
Published: July 2024

Resenha do ensaio Não escrever [com Roland Barthes], de Paloma Vidal, publicado na coleção Ensaio Aberto, organizada por Tatiana Salem Levy e Pedro Duarte, pela editora Tinta-da-China (Brasil). Nesta obra, Vidal apresenta quatro textos que integram um projeto literário mais amplo, chamado Não escrever, realizado a partir de 2013 em formatos diversos: palestras performáticas, diário, aulas, livro cartonero. O ensaio, tanto quanto o projeto, apresentam uma exploração da prática do não escrever, a partir de uma aproximação da obra e da biografia de Roland Barthes.
Variações sazonais de bacteriófagos tífico-paratíficos nas águas dos rios da cidade de São Paulo
Authors: Assumpção Lucas de , Silva Helena Leite e
Published: July 2024

O período de maior incidência das febres tifóide e paratifóides A e B é, em S. Paulo, tipicamente na estação quente, vendo-se, lambem, pelos dados meteorológicos apresentados, a sua correspondência com a época das chuvas. Bacteriófagos tífico-paratíficos A e B, praticamente, podem ser isolados das águas dos rios Tietê e Pinheiros durante todo o ano, mas com dificuldade nos meses frios. Embora a pesquisa desses bacteriófagos tenha sido feita com raças selecionadas (bem lisaveis, mas não lisógenas), assim mesmo umas se mostraram mais sensíveis à lise que outras, variando às vezes essa sensibilidade de um exame para o outro. Os bacteriófagos tífico-paratíficos A e B foram encontrados em maior concentração no rio Pinheiros do que no rio Tietê. A atividade lítica das águas dos rios Tietê e Pinheiros para os bacilos tífico-paratíficos, diminue nos períodos frios e aumenta na estação quente do ano. A época das chuvas em S. Paulo é na estação quente e os bacteriófagos tífico-paratíficos vão aumentando no início das chuvas de acordo com a incidência dessas infeções; contudo, precisamente na epoca das maiores chuvas -- que corresponde à maior incidência dessas infeções - há queda brusca desses bacteriófagos, mas essa queda indica apenas a sua diminuição relativa, por serem eles diluídos no grande volume das águas. A diminuição dos bacteriófagos tífico-paratíficos nos períodos frios e o seu aumento na estação quente, são fatos que não dependem das condições meteorológicas, mas sim da maior incidência das infecções tífico-paratificas nas estações quentes do ano, trazendo como consequência um aumento desses bacteriófagos na natureza, Portanto, as variações sazonais desses haetcriófagos nas úguas dos rios estudados observam-se ern consequencia às variações estacionais das infecções lifico-paratífícas.
Organização e funcionamento de um serviço médico industrial
Authors: Ribeiro Benjamin Alves
Published: July 2024

No desenvolvimento de um programa de cooperação com o Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, o Instituto ele Higiene de São Paulo, por intermédio de sua Seção de Higiene elo Trabalho, encarregou-se de projetar a organização e mecanismo de funcionamento de um serviço médico para o pessoal daquela primeira instituição.
Incidência de verminoses entre os matriculados no centro de saúde do Instituto de Higiene de São Paulo (Apresentação estatística dos resultados de 10.000 exames de fezes)
Authors: Cardoso F.A. , Carvalho P. Egydio de
Published: July 2024

Os A.A. apresentam os resultados dos exames de fezes de 10.000 individuos matriculados no Centro de Saude do Instituto ele Higiene de São Paulo. Fornecem, inicialmente, dados sobre a composição da população estudada. Apresentam, a seguir, a frequência total encontrada de verminoses: a percentagem de indivíduos parasitados sobre o total de examinados foi de 62,03. Os resultados encontrados para cada verme, expressos em percentagens sobre o total de indivíduos examinados foram: Trichuris trichiura, 37,06; Ascaris lumbricoides, 32,67; Necator americanus, 16,38; Strongyloides stercoralis, 4,79; Hymenolepis nana. 4,11 e outros menos frequentes. Estudam os autores, a seguir, a distribuição encontrada das verminoses em função da idade, do sexo, da profissão, da raça e da nacionalidade. Apresentam ainda a frequência das diferentes verminoses, isoladamente, em função da idade.
Bryophyte diversity of Berinag (Pithoragarh District) in Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India
Authors: D. Dhami  , P. Chaturvedi
Published: July 2024

This study reports the diversity of bryophytes of Berinag (Dist. Pithoragarh), Uttarakhand (India). In the investigation, a total of 33 species were reported, out of which eight were liverworts and 25 were mosses. Majority of the taxa were terricolous and corticolous. Liverwort species belonged to six genera of five families and two orders whereas mosses belonged to 24 genera of 17 families and eight orders. Out of the 10 orders dealt in the present work, Hypnales was the largest consisting of seven families, nine genera, and nine species followed by Dicranales and Marchantiales both consisting of three families, five, and four genera, respectively. In mosses, Bryaceae was the dominant family consisting of three genera and four species followed by Calymperaceae, Leucobryaceae, Anomodontaceae, Leskeaceae, and Polytrichaceae. Out of 25 mosses, 15 were acrocarpous and 10 were pleurocarpous. Aytoniaceae was dominant among liverworts. Marchantia, Frullania, and Bryum were the dominant genera of the region.
Current conservation status of Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis in Manas National Park, Assam, India
Authors: Thakur Miranda , Kalita Jonmani , Brahma Namita , Rajbongshi Koushik , Bhattacharyya Kangkanjyoti , Sarmah Amal Chandra , Alolika Sinha  , Dutta Deba Kumar , Das Dhritiman , Lahkar Bibhuti Prasad
Published: July 2024

This study aimed to examine the current conservation status of the ‘Critically Endangered’ bird species Houbaropsis bengalensis (Gmelin, 1789), commonly known as the Bengal Florican or Bustard, in Manas National Park in Assam. The grasslands of this park, once home to the largest population of Bengal Floricans in India, are undergoing natural and anthropogenic changes. Field surveys conducted from February to April 2021 to assess florican populations recorded 50 males and 17 females, while a 2009 survey estimated 24 males in Manas NP (Brahma et al. 2009), indicating long-term population increase. Land use and land cover change maps of florican habitats were created using supervised classification. Grassland habitats face several threats, including uncontrolled natural succession coupled with livestock grazing, growth of invasive alien plants and collection of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) by local people. These disturbances reflect the condition of grasslands that are home to a wide variety of wildlife, including grassland specialists like Pygmy Hog Porcula salvania, Hispid Hare Caprolagus hispidus, Hog Deer Axis porcinus, and mega herbivores like Indian Rhino Rhinoceros unicornis, wild Water Buffalo Bubalus arnee, Eastern Swamp Deer Rucervus duvaucelii ranjitsinhi, Gaur Bos gaurus, and Asian Elephant Elephas maximus. These findings indicate an urgent need to protect and restore grasslands for conservation of the Bengal Florican and other grassland-dependent species.
Diversity of bird species in Ebpanan Marsh, Maguindanao del Norte, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Philippines
Authors: Limbaro Gindol Rey , Pingoy Benito Anthony A. , De Vera Peter Jan D.
Published: July 2024

Wetland areas such as the marsh provide vital habitats for birds. However, marshes in the Philippines have been threatened by anthropogenic disturbances and may be further degraded. This study conducted a rapid bird assessment in Ebpanan Marsh located in Maguidanao del Norte within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on 06–12 March 2022. A total of 36 bird species belonging to 24 families were recorded during the rapid assessment. Among the bird species recorded, two species— Anas luzonica and Streptopelia dusumieri are considered as Vulnerable, while Padda oryzivora is considered ‘Endangered’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Eight of the bird species recorded are endemic and are observed in the remaining freshwater swamp forest of the Ebpanan Marsh. Despite habitat degradation and anthropogenic disturbance, the Ebpanan Marsh can still accommodate threatened and endemic bird species. Increasing the number of observation sites and extending the sampling duration of bird assessment will be required in order to complete the list of birds on the Marsh and understand the spatial and temporal variation in bird populations in the area.
Taxonomy and distribution of some orthopteran species (Orthoptera: Gryllidae, Trigonidiidae, Acrididae) from northwestern Morocco
Authors: Hanae El Harche  , Samiha Kaioua  , Dalale Mansouri
Published: July 2024

Orthopterans have emerged as a crucial group of invertebrates for environmental monitoring and assessment. According to available literature the study of Moroccan orthopteran species remains limited in comparison to other countries. In recent years, the field of orthopteran classification has witnessed significant progress thanks to groundbreaking research in taxonomy and phylogeny that have shed new light on relationships and evolutionary history. In Morocco, there are many types of Orthoptera, including grasshoppers, crickets, and locusts, and different regions of the country have not been equally well sampled and studied. Notably the northwestern, particularly the Sidi Kacem region, are little studied. Here we present a taxonomic update of the most abundant orthopterans in Morocco based on field visits between spring and summer 2019. Five species were identified: Dociostaurus maroccanus, Aiolopus strepens, Gryllus bimaculatus, Gryllus campestris, and Nemobius sylvestris. We aim to use this publication as a baseline for future work on Orthopterans from northwestern Morocco.
The opportunistic feeding behaviour of Schistura notostigma (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) in tropical mountain streams in Sri Lanka
Authors: J. Bandara  , M.P. Gunawardena  , R.T.P Jayasuriya
Published: July 2024

Schistura notostigma is a bottom-dwelling freshwater fish endemic to Sri Lanka. In this study, we document an opportunistic feeding behavior exhibited by this loach species in close association with Garra ceylonensis and Plesiopuntius bimaculatus in the streams of high-elevation headwater regions of the Knuckles Mountain Range and Piduruthalagala Mountain Range in Sri Lanka.
Medicago monantha (Fabaceae) and Euphorbia jodhpurensis (Euphorbiaceae) as new additions to the flora of Maharashtra State, India
Authors: Kale Praveen V. , Shinde Rajendra D.
Published: July 2024

Medicago monantha (C.A. Mey.) Trautv. and Euphorbia jodhpurensis Blatt. & Hallb., are reported for the first time from Maharashtra state.
Change in Pd/Pa: Clinical Implications for Predicting Future Cardiac Events at Deferred Coronary Lesions
Authors: Murai Kota , Kataoka Yu , Kiyoshige Eri , Iwai Takamasa , Sawada Kenichiro , Matama Hideo , Miura Hiroyuki , Honda Satoshi , Fujino Masashi , Yoneda Shuichi , Nakao Kazuhiro , Takagi Kensuke , Otsuka Fumiyuki , Asaumi Yasuhide , Nishimura Kunihiro , Noguchi Teruo
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND:

Cardiovascular events still occur at intermediate stenosis with fractional flow reserve (FFR) ≥0.81, underscoring the additional measure to evaluate this residual risk. A reduction in distal coronary artery pressure/aortic pressure (Pd/Pa) from baseline to hyperemia (ie, change in Pd/Pa) reflects lipidic burden within vessel walls. We hypothesized that this physiological measure might stratify the risk of future cardiac events at deferrable lesions.

METHODS:

Lesion- (899 intermediate lesions) and patient-based (899 deferred patients) analyses in those with FFR ≥0.81 were conducted to investigate the association between change in Pd/Pa and target lesion failure (TLF) and major adverse cardiac events at 7 years, respectively.

RESULTS:

The occurrence of TLF and major adverse cardiac events was 6.7% and 13.4%, respectively. The incidence of target lesion–related nonfatal myocardial infarction was 0.6%. Lesions with TLF had a greater change in Pd/Pa (0.11±0.03 versus 0.09±0.04;
P
=0.002), larger diameter stenosis (51.0±9.2% versus 46.4±12.4%;
P
=0.048), and smaller FFR (0.84 [0.82–0.87] versus 0.86 [0.83–0.90];
P
=0.02). Change in Pd/Pa (per 0.01 increase) predicted TLF (odds ratio, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.05–1.28];
P
=0.002) and major adverse cardiac event (odds ratio, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.01–1.16];
P
=0.03). Lesions with change in Pd/Pa ≥0.10 had 2.94- and 1.85-fold greater likelihood of TLF (95% CI, 1.30–6.69;
P
=0.01) and major adverse cardiac event (95% CI, 1.08–3.17;
P
=0.03), respectively. Lesions with FFR ≤0.85 had a substantially higher likelihood of TLF when there is a change in Pd/Pa ≥0.10 (12.4% versus 2.9%; hazard ratio, 3.60 [95% CI, 1.01–12.80];
P
=0.04). However, change in Pd/Pa did not affect TLF risk in lesions with FFR ≥0.86 (3.8% versus 3.7%; hazard ratio, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.06–5.62];
P
=0.62).

CONCLUSIONS:

Despite deferrable FFR values, lesions and patients with a change in Pd/Pa ≥0.10 had higher cardiovascular risk. Change in Pd/Pa might help stratify lesion- and patient-level risks of future cardiac events in those with FFR ≥0.81.
Hypertension and Ventilatory Responses During Exercise in the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database (FRIEND)
Authors: Watso Joseph C. , Robinson Austin T. , Arena Ross , Harber Matthew P. , Kaminsky Leonard A. , Myers Jonathan
Published: July 2024

Background

A high minute ventilation/rate of carbon dioxide production (V̇
E
/V̇
co
2
) slope during exercise is prognostic for cardiovascular death. Recent data indicate that adults with either controlled or untreated primary hypertension, but not those with uncontrolled hypertension, exhibit a higher V̇
E
/V̇
co
2
slope during exercise. However, the sample sizes were modest. Therefore, we used the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database to determine whether adults with hypertension, particularly those with controlled or untreated hypertension, exhibit higher V̇
E
/V̇
co
2
slopes compared with adults without hypertension.

Methods and Results

Using the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database, we isolated primary hypertension by excluding those with any disease other than hypertension or taking any medications other than antihypertension medications. We also excluded current smokers and those with obesity. The V̇
E
/V̇
co
2
slope was determined during a peak cycling exercise test. All data are presented as median [interquartile range]. We compared groups using linear regression adjusted for age, male/female, and body mass index. The characteristics of the entire sample (n=4109) were age, 42 [18] years; 48% women; body mass index, 26 [4] kg/m
2
. The V̇
E
/V̇
co
2
slope did not differ between adults with hypertension (n=1940; 24.7 [3.7]) compared with those without hypertension (n=2169; 24.9 [3.8]) (hypertension versus no hypertension,
P
=0.31; overall model:
R
2
=0.07, F
4,4104
=73.0;
P
<0.001). Further, the V̇
E
/V̇
co
2
slope did not differ between adults with medication‐controlled hypertension (n=107; 24.4 [3.0]), untreated hypertension (n=1626; 24.8 [3.9]), uncontrolled hypertension (n=207; 24.8 [3.0]), or those without hypertension (n=2169; 24.9 [3.8]) (hypertension subgroup versus no hypertension,
P
≥0.06; overall model:
R
2
=0.07, F
6,4102
=49.6,
P
<0.001).

Conclusions

Primary hypertension is not associated with V̇
E
/V̇
co
2
slope in the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database.
Differential Effect of Sex on Mortality According to Age in Heart Failure
Authors: Lee Yoonpyo , Yoon Minjae , Choi Dong‐Ju , Park Jin Joo
Published: July 2024

Background

Heart failure exhibits sex‐based differences in prevalence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes. However, these differences may have an interaction with age. This study investigates these disparities in Asian patients with acute heart failure according to age.

Methods and Results

We pooled data from the KorHF (Korea Heart Failure) and the KorAHF (Korean Acute Heart Failure) registries including 3200 patients between 2005 and 2009 and 5625 patients between 2011 and 2014, respectively, hospitalized for acute heart failure in Korea. Patients were categorized by their age into 2 groups: those with age ≥70 years and those with age <70 years. The primary endpoint was in‐hospital and postdischarge outcomes according to sex, stratified by age. Of 8825 patients, 45.7% had an age <70 years, and 54.3% had an age ≥70 years. Women were older on average in both groups. Differences in baseline characteristics were more apparent in the older group, with women having a higher prevalence of hypertension and valvular heart disease, whereas more men had chronic kidney disease, previous myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and strokes. Both in‐hospital and postdischarge mortalities showed differences only in the older group, with men dying more (5.08% versus 7.41%,
P
<0.001; 17.95% versus 22.20%,
P
<0.001 respectively). This pattern persisted to adjusted analyses, which revealed that men have a 54% (odds ratio, 1.54 [95% CI, 1.17–2.04]) and 30% (hazard ratio, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.13–1.51]) increased in‐hospital and 1‐year mortality, respectively, compared with women.

Conclusions

In patients hospitalized with acute heart failure, male sex is an independent predictor of mortality in older patients but not younger patients.
Cardiovascular Diseases Increase Cancer Mortality in Adults: NHANES‐Continuous Study
Authors: Makram Omar M. , Okwuosa Tochukwu , Addison Daniel , Cortes Jorge , Dent Susan , Bevel Malcolm , Ganatra Sarju , Al‐Kindi Sadeer , Hedrick Catherine C , Weintraub Neal L , Wang Xiaoling , Guha Avirup
Published: July 2024

Background

Both cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are the leading causes of death worldwide. Although our previous study detected a relationship between CVD and cancer incidence, limited evidence is available regarding the relationship between CVD, cardiovascular risk factors, and cancer mortality.

Methods and Results

A prospective cohort study using data from the continuous NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2016) merged with Medicare and National Death Index mortality data, through December 31, 2018. We included individuals with no history of cancer at baseline. The primary exposure was CVD at baseline. We also conducted a comprehensive risk factor analysis as secondary exposure. The main outcome was cancer mortality data collected from Medicare and National Death Index. We included 44 591 adult individuals representing 1 738 423 317 individuals (52% female, 67% non‐Hispanic White, and 9% Hispanic). Competing risk modeling showed a significantly higher risk of cancer mortality in individuals with CVD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.37 [95% CI 1.07–1.76],
P
=0.01) after adjusting for age, sex, and race and ethnicity. Notably, cancer mortality increased with aging (aHR, 1.08 [95% CI 1.05–1.11],
P
<0.0001), current smoking status (aHR, 6.78 [95% CI, 3.43–13.42],
P
<0.0001), and obesity (aHR, 2.32 [95% CI, 1.13–4.79],
P
=0.02). Finally, a significant interaction (
P
=0.034) was found where those with CVD and obesity showed higher cancer mortality than those with normal body mass index (aHR, 1.73 [95% CI, 1.03–2.91],
P
=0.04).

Conclusions

Our study highlights the close relationship between cardiovascular health and cancer mortality. Our findings suggest that obesity may play a significant role in cancer mortality among individuals with CVD. These findings emphasize the need for a more proactive approach in managing the shared risk factors for CVD and cancer.
Impact of analytic decisions on test–retest reliability of
individual and group estimates in functional magnetic resonance imaging: A
multiverse analysis using the monetary incentive delay task
Authors: Demidenko Michael I. , Mumford Jeanette A. , Poldrack Russell A.
Published: July 2024

Empirical studies reporting low test–retest reliability of individual blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal estimates in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data have resurrected interest among cognitive neuroscientists in methods that may improve reliability in fMRI. Over the last decade, several individual studies have reported that modeling decisions, such as smoothing, motion correction, and contrast selection, may improve estimates of test–retest reliability of BOLD signal estimates. However, it remains an empirical question whether certain analytic decisions consistently improve individual- and group-level reliability estimates in an fMRI task across multiple large, independent samples. This study used three independent samples (Ns: 60, 81, 119) that collected the same task (Monetary Incentive Delay task) across two runs and two sessions to evaluate the effects of analytic decisions on the individual (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC(3,1)]) and group (Jaccard/Spearman rho) reliability estimates of BOLD activity of task fMRI data. The analytic decisions in this study vary across four categories: smoothing kernel (five options), motion correction (four options), task parameterizing (three options), and task contrasts (four options), totaling 240 different pipeline permutations. Across all 240 pipelines, the median ICC estimates are consistently low, with a maximum median ICC estimate of .43 – .55 across the 3 samples. The analytic decisions with the greatest impact on the median ICC and group similarity estimates are the Implicit Baseline contrast, Cue Model parameterization, and a larger smoothing kernel. Using an Implicit Baseline in a contrast condition meaningfully increased group similarity and ICC estimates as compared with using the Neutral cue. This effect was largest for the Cue Model parameterization; however, improvements in reliability came at the cost of interpretability. This study illustrates that estimates of reliability in the MID task are consistently low and variable at small samples, and a higher test–retest reliability may not always improve interpretability of the estimated BOLD signal.
Task-related modulation of event-related potentials does not reflect changes to sensory representations
Authors: Rideaux Reuben
Published: July 2024

Attention supports efficient perception by increasing the neural signals of targets while suppressing those of distractors. Decades of work studying the event-related potentials of electroencephalography (EEG) recordings have established our understanding of attention in the human brain, but many aspects of this phenomenon remain unknown. Several recent studies suggest that multivariate analyses may provide new insights into how attention shapes the neural representations of stimuli; however, it is unclear whether the increased multivariate decoding accuracy associated with task relevance represents a change in the stimulus representation or an additional cognitive process. To understand what the change in multivariate information that is associated with task relevance reflects, here we used inverted encoding to characterise how task relevance shapes the neural representation of space and colour. For both spatial and feature-based tasks, we found that the change in the EEG recordings associated with task relevance is not related to the stimulus representation. Rather, our findings indicate that this phenomenon reflects an additional cognitive process, such as target recognition.