bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Derivation of appropriate temperature change for application of phase change materials in building walls for energy reduction in Korean climatic conditions
Authors: Lee Ki-Cheol , Park Seonghyun , Park Chang-Young
Published: August 2024

Studies are underway to apply phase change materials (PCMs) to buildings to reduce energy consumption. PCMs can be expected to achieve energy savings by exploiting their high latent heat capacity and time-lag phenomenon, slowing down the heat transfer within the structure, and accumulating and releasing latent heat. This study analyzed the appropriate melting point and energy-saving effects based on changes in external climate conditions, attachment location, and PCM properties (thickness and thermal conductivity) through building energy simulations. Climate data were quantitatively categorized into climate zones based on heating degree hours, cooling degree hours, and insolation, and a total of 14 climate zones were proposed. The appropriate melting point based on climate was evidently more effective for cooling than for heating, and external attachment was proved to be more advantageous. As the thickness increased, the appropriate melting point decreased, and the energy-saving effect remained effective. The thermal conductivity increased with the graphite content by 0.90–2.37%, and the appropriate melting point also changed by 0.72–0.91 °C. As the thermal conductivity increased, heat was rapidly transferred within the PCM, altering its energy-saving effect by 0.18–3.35%.
Exergetic analysis of a domestic refrigerator with an innovative mini-channel flat tube condenser
Authors: Ozturk M. Mete , Doğan Bahadır , Tosun Mert , Tosun Tuğba , Erbay L. Berrin
Published: August 2024

In this study, the energetic and exergetic performance of a household refrigerator with a unique compact heat exchanger composed of a mini-channel flat tube condenser and offset strip fins (OSF) is investigated experimentally by considering varying amounts of R600a (48–64 g) and capillary tube lengths (2800, 3300, and 3800 mm). The experiments have been performed for two refrigerators involving two different innovative condensers composed of mini-channel flat tube and offset strip fins which have varying orientations instead of conventional wire-on-tube condensers. The experiments were conducted in a climatic chamber at a temperature of 25 ± 0.5°C. According to the standard of IEC 62552:2015, the target temperatures of the fresh food and freezer compartments are set at 4°C and −18°C, respectively. Specific and relative exergy destructions of each component, total exergy destruction, the coefficient of performance, and second-law efficiency of the overall system with two different mini-channel condensers are reported for varying amounts of refrigerant and capillary tube lengths. The major concern of the investigation is to reveal the key components contributing to the degradation of the overall performance of the unique design. It is observed that the evaporator, which has a ratio of 52–69% in total exergy destruction within all investigated cases, is the most exergy destructive component and the exergy destruction of the evaporator decreases when the amount of R600a increases. The mini-channel condensers are the second exergy destructive components with a ratio of 19–22%. As an important outcome of this unique design’s investigation, exergy destruction of the condenser and compressor does not show a monotonic change with respect to the refrigerant amount and capillary length. Besides, the highest coefficient of performance and second-law efficiency are obtained when the amount of R600a is 48–50 g in all three capillary tube lengths.
Optical soliton stability in zig-zag optical lattices: comparative analysis through two analytical techniques and phase portraits
Authors: Riaz Muhammad Bilal , Jhangeer Adil , Kazmi Syeda Sarwat
Published: August 2024

This article explores the examination of the widely employed zig-zag optical lattice model for cold bosonic atoms, which is commonly utilized to depict nonlinear wave in fluid mechanics and plasma physics. The focus is on obtaining soliton solutions in optics and investigating their physical properties. A wave transformation is initially applied to convert a partial differential equation (PDE) into an ordinary differential equation (ODE). Soliton solutions are subsequently obtained through the application of two distinct methods, namely the generalized logistic equation method and the Sardar sub-equation method. These solutions include bright, dark, combined dark-bright, chirped type solitons, bell-shaped, periodic, W-shape, and kink solitons. In this paper, the solutions derived from two analytical approaches were compared to enhance the understanding of the behavior of the discussed nonlinear model. The obtained solutions have significant implications across various fields such as plasma physics, fluid dynamics, optics, and communication technology. Furthermore, 3D and 2D graphs are generated to depict the physical phenomena of the derived solutions by assigning appropriate constant parameters. The qualitative evaluation of the undisturbed planar system involves the analysis of phase portraits within bifurcation theory. Subsequently, the introduction of an outward force is carried out to induce disruption, and chaotic phenomena are unveiled. The detection of chaotic trajectory in the perturbed system is achieved through 3D plots, 2D plots, time scale plots, and Lyapunov exponents. Furthermore, stability analysis of the examined model is addressed under distinct initial conditions. Finally, the sensitivity assessment of the model under consideration is carried out using the Runge–Kutta method. The results of this study are innovative and have not been previously investigated for the system under consideration. The results obtained underscore the reliability, simplicity, and effectiveness of these techniques in analyzing a variety of nonlinear models found in mathematical physics and engineering disciplines.
Dynamics of Intercity Migration Propensity in China: Evidence from an Age-Period-Cohort Analysis
Authors: Li Sen , Shen Jianfa
Published: August 2024

This research conducts a disaggregation of three major temporal interrelations – age, period, and cohort (APC) – to fully grasp variations in intercity migration propensity in China. Using repeated cross-sectional data from the Sixth Population Census in 2010 and the 1% Population Sampling Surveys in 2005 and 2015, we disentangle APC effects on the two-stage migration decision-making process through the Hierarchical APC model. The empirical findings are as follows: the likelihood of migration decreases as individuals age, persisting until their early 60s, after which a slight upward trend is observed. Migrants from the 1940–1985 cohorts exhibit an increasing propensity for migration, which later reverses in subsequent cohorts. However, the average intercity migration propensity does not significantly vary across periods. Furthermore, the decision of where to migrate – whether to move across provincial boundaries – also varies across APC factors. The propensity for interprovincial migration steadily declines with age. The contextual period effects are significant and partially result from the development of foreign-invested enterprises. Individuals born in the 1960s and 1970s are more likely to migrate interprovincially compared to their post-1980s counterparts. Sensitivity analysis confirms the robustness of these results. Our findings shed light on more nuanced mechanisms underlying the dynamics of intercity migration in China, particularly the effects of cohort replacement on migration.
Effects of Resource Sharing Networks on Community Anti-Drug Coalitions’ Outcomes: A Social Network Analysis
Authors: Gaddy Yvonne , Jones Eric C. , Wells Rebecca , Chilenski Sarah M. , Brown Louis D.
Published: August 2024

Substance use-related problems continue to be a national public health crisis despite years of prevention efforts. Community anti-drug coalitions are well positioned to address substance use at local levels. Coalitions often rely on their members to connect to resources they need to address community issues and plan for sustainability over time. Such capacity building occurs through voluntary cooperation among members, making it essential to understand the role network connections play. This study sought to determine whether structural characteristics of coalitions’ resource sharing networks impact members’ perceptions of community improvement and coalition sustainability. Surveys at two timepoints collected data from 68 coalitions in Pennsylvania and Missouri on members’ connections or ties to share information, personnel, money, or other types of collaboration. Analyses examined how coalition-level measurements of sectoral diversity, density, and resource sharing centralization, respectively, were associated with members’ perceptions of community improvement, sustainability planning, and coalition sustainability. Sectoral diversity and centralization were unrelated to study outcomes. Density was also unrelated with perceived community improvement and sustainability planning. However, two facets of cooperative density were positively associated with perceived coalition sustainability: the density of ties to share information and the density of multiple types of collaborative ties. This study suggests that both information and other collaborative ties foster perceived coalition sustainability, although not community improvement.
Individualized causal mediation analysis with continuous treatment using conditional generative adversarial networks
Authors: Huan Cheng , Song Xinyuan , Yuan Hongwei
Published: August 2024

Traditional methods used in causal mediation analysis with continuous treatment often focus on estimating average causal effects, limiting their applicability in precision medicine. Machine learning techniques have emerged as a powerful approach for precisely estimating individualized causal effects. This paper proposes a novel method called CGAN-ICMA-CT that leverages Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks (CGANs) to infer individualized causal effects with continuous treatment. We thoroughly investigate the convergence properties of CGAN-ICMA-CT and show that the estimated distribution of our inferential conditional generator converges to the true conditional distribution under mild conditions. We conduct numerical experiments to validate the effectiveness of CGAN-ICMA-CT and compare it with four commonly used methods: linear regression, support vector machine regression, decision tree, and random forest regression. The results demonstrate that CGAN-ICMA-CT outperforms these methods regarding accuracy and precision. Furthermore, we apply the CGAN-ICMA-CT model to the real-world Job Corps dataset, showcasing its practical utility. By utilizing CGAN-ICMA-CT, we estimate the individualized causal effects of the Job Corps program on the number of arrests, providing insights into both direct effects and effects mediated through intermediate variables. Our findings confirm the potential of CGAN-ICMA-CT in advancing individualized causal mediation analysis with continuous treatment in precision medicine settings.
R$$^{2}$$S100K: Road-Region Segmentation Dataset for Semi-supervised Autonomous Driving in the Wild
Authors: Butt Muhammad Atif , Ali Hassan , Qayyum Adnan , Sultani Waqas , Al-Fuqaha Ala , Qadir Junaid
Published: August 2024

Semantic understanding of roadways is a key enabling factor for safe autonomous driving. However, existing autonomous driving datasets provide well-structured urban roads while ignoring unstructured roadways containing distress, potholes, water puddles, and various kinds of road patches i.e., earthen, gravel etc. To this end, we introduce Road Region Segmentation dataset (R2S100K)—a large-scale dataset and benchmark for training and evaluation of road segmentation in aforementioned challenging unstructured roadways. R2S100K comprises 100K images extracted from a large and diverse set of video sequences covering more than 1000 km of roadways. Out of these 100K privacy respecting images, 14,000 images have fine pixel-labeling of road regions, with 86,000 unlabeled images that can be leveraged through semi-supervised learning methods. Alongside, we present an Efficient Data Sampling based self-training framework to improve learning by leveraging unlabeled data. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves learning methods in generalizability and reduces the labeling cost for semantic segmentation tasks. Our benchmark will be publicly available to facilitate future research at https://r2s100k.github.io/.
Can sleep hygiene interventions affect strength and power outcomes for female athletes?
Authors: Gooderick Julie , Wood Toby , Abbott Will , Clash Russ , Hayes Mark , Maxwell Neil
Published: August 2024

Improved sleep can enhance sprint, endurance, and sports-specific skills; however, it is yet to be investigated whether improved sleep indices could enhance strength and power performance. Sleep hygiene (SH) is growing in popularity as a tool to enhance sleep indices amongst athletic cohorts, yet the optimal delivery strategy of sleep hygiene education is yet to be determined. Using a randomised, controlled design with repeated measures, this study recruited 34 female footballers playing in WSL or WSL academy league. Participants were split into 3 groups: one receiving both group-based and individualised sleep hygiene education, one receiving only group-based SH education and a control group receiving no education. Monitoring of sleep (actigraphy, diaries) and physical performance (countermovement jump, isometric mid-thigh pull) was carried out at week 1, week 4 and week 7. Split-plot ANOVAs were used to assess for differences between groups × weeks, and groups × time. Individualised sleep hygiene education resulted in significantly improved sleep duration (p = 0.005), latency (p = 0.006) and efficiency (p = 0.004) at week 7 compared to controls, whilst also resulting in significantly improved countermovement jump scores (p = 0.001) compared to control. Results of this study suggest that jump performance may be affected by sleep factors, and that individualised SH may be superior to group-based SH, providing information to coaches regarding training optimisation and the efficacy of SH education methods.
Bounding the Softwired Parsimony Score of a Phylogenetic Network
Authors: Döcker Janosch , Linz Simone , Wicke Kristina
Published: August 2024

In comparison to phylogenetic trees, phylogenetic networks are more suitable to represent complex evolutionary histories of species whose past includes reticulation such as hybridisation or lateral gene transfer. However, the reconstruction of phylogenetic networks remains challenging and computationally expensive due to their intricate structural properties. For example, the small parsimony problem that is solvable in polynomial time for phylogenetic trees, becomes NP-hard on phylogenetic networks under softwired and parental parsimony, even for a single binary character and structurally constrained networks. To calculate the parsimony score of a phylogenetic network N, these two parsimony notions consider different exponential-size sets of phylogenetic trees that can be extracted from N and infer the minimum parsimony score over all trees in the set. In this paper, we ask: What is the maximum difference between the parsimony score of any phylogenetic tree that is contained in the set of considered trees and a phylogenetic tree whose parsimony score equates to the parsimony score of N? Given a gap-free sequence alignment of multi-state characters and a rooted binary level-k phylogenetic network, we use the novel concept of an informative blob to show that this difference is bounded by $$k+1$$

k
+
1

times the softwired parsimony score of N. In particular, the difference is independent of the alignment length and the number of character states. We show that an analogous bound can be obtained for the softwired parsimony score of semi-directed networks, while under parental parsimony on the other hand, such a bound does not hold.
Symmetrization results for parabolic equations with a singular lower order term
Authors: de Bonis Ida
Published: August 2024

We provide symmetrization results as mass concentration comparisons for solutions to singular parabolic equations in the cylinder $$\Omega \times (0,T)$$

Ω
×
(
0
,
T
)

, $$T>0$$

T
>
0

. Here, $$\Omega \subset {\mathbb {R}}^N$$

Ω
⊂

R

N

($$N \ge 2$$

N
≥
2

) is a bounded open set, featuring a lower order term that is singular in the solution variable s.
Phase Equilibrium Investigations and Thermodynamic Study of the Y2O3-Ta2O5 System
Authors: Löffler M. , Fabrichnaya O.
Published: August 2024

Two methods were used to investigate the Y2O3-Ta2O5 system: the equilibration method, which covered temperatures from 1573 to 1973 K, and the DTA method, which reached up to 2473 K. Phase identification was carried out using x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX). The temperature of the eutectic reaction, L → YTa3O9 (P) + Ta2O5, was determined to be 2019 K, with the corresponding eutectic composition being 78 mol.% Ta2O5. The study presents evidence that contradicts the existence of the eutectic reaction L → YTaO4 (T) + YTa3O9 (P). Instead, it identifies a peritectic reaction L + YTaO4 (T) → YTa3O9 (P), which was observed at a temperature of around 2075 K. Additionally, the heat capacity of the YTa3O9 (P) phase was measured using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) over the temperature range from 240 to 1300 K. The results of this experimental investigation will lead to the development of a thermodynamic database for the Y2O3-Ta2O5 system.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
Authors: Sharabi Eden , Rezaie Ali
Published: August 2024

Purpose of review

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder wherein excessive and abnormal growth of bacteria in the small bowel generally causes abdominal pain, bloating, and change in bowel habits. Our understanding of the underlying pathology and microbiome changes in SIBO has advanced greatly in the last 20 years in parallel with advances in treatment methods and diagnostics. Here, we review many of the latest findings that describe the pathophysiology of SIBO as well as its risk factors, clinical behavior, diagnosis, and management.

Recent findings

Studies have begun to employ advanced molecular assays to sequence the small bowel microbiome to reveal the changes evident in SIBO. An increase in the abundance of members of the Enterobacteriaceae is the main alteration to the gut microbiome that correlates with SIBO diagnosis and symptom severity, and enhancement of specific gas-producing pathways has been demonstrated in SIBO. Diagnostic methods continue to evolve with novel methods of small bowel aspiration and changes to interpretation of hydrogen breath tests. Elemental diets are the newest treatment modality that offer an exciting alternative to antibiotic therapy.

The study of SIBO provides valuable insights into the small bowel microbiome, particularly using molecular testing. Exciting changes to our understanding and treatment of SIBO are already in progress. Future work will be able to better elucidate not only the altered microbiology, but also its gold standard of diagnosis, treatment modalities, and secondary prevention.
Soybean Glycinin’s Antibacterial Properties Provide a Feasible Natural Alternative for Improving the Overall Quality and Shelf-Life of Beef Steaks and Combating Foodborne Pathogens
Authors: Elsheikh Mai , Osman Ali , Edris Shimaa , Dawam Wesam , Sitohy Mahmoud , Sabeq Islam
Published: August 2024

Ensuring the safety and longevity of food products is a major priority in the meat industry. This paper focused on assessing the soybean-glycinin (SBG) impact on the quality and shelf-life of beef Musculus longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) steaks and their potential in-vivo adverse consequences on foodborne pathogens and quantitative minimum biocidal values. Over 15 chilling-days at 4 °C, fresh LTL-steaks were fortified with either 1 mg/g of SBG (SBG1) or 0.5 mg/g (SBG0.5) and compared to control for physicochemical, oxidative, and microbiological attributes. Antibiotic-susceptible pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, and Escherichia coli were suppressed by 0.98 mg/mL of SBG, whereas antibiotic-resistant Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli required higher biocidal dosages of 50 and 6.25 mg/mL, respectively. SBG-fortification kept LTL-steaks’ pH below borderline until day 12, increased water-holding capacity, reduced cooking loss at the storage end, and significantly improved tenderness (p < 0.05). LTL-steaks’ lightness, redness, and chroma were statistically unaffected by SBG1.0-fortification compared to the control; however, there were notable growing-patterns during the last two storage-periods (p < 0.05). Except the sixth- and ninth-day storage-periods, SBG1.0-fortification increased the LTL-steaks yellowness and hue compared to the control, indicating brighter, less red meat (p < 0.05). SBG-fortification had a dose-dependent antioxidant and bactericidal impact on both native microflora and inoculated pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella. Conclusively, SBG-fortification activities to improve LTL-steaks oxidative stability and shelf-life beyond 15 days and to inhibit inoculated-pathogens growth by one log CFU/g above or below the inoculation dose, validating SBG as a promising feasible meat preservation strategy.
Queenpins: an exploratory study of female participation in high-level drug distribution networks
Authors: Gillespie Lauren Jane , Jones Sarah , Kelly Craig , Lynes Adam
Published: August 2024

Despite increasing recognition within mainstream media, criminology is yet to offer a substantive analysis of female participation within the upper echelons of organised crime. As such, this exploratory paper aims to offer an insight into the key themes identifiable within the context of high level, female, drug suppliers. Identifying thirty-six case studies, this exploratory paper combines descriptive statistics and a Fisher’s Exact test with Cramer’s V to demonstrate the prevalence and overall trends. Overall, the study demonstrated that women, dubbed Queenpins, are most likely to participate at high levels within Latin American cartels and the Camorra. Unlike their counterparts operating within the lower rungs of drug markets, these women are able to invert the highly patriarchal narcocultures they exist within. They operated in a narco-feminist role that supported the men in their lives and offered aroute to resist their machismo-oriented habitus.
The direct effect of basic need services, and social support on positive mental health among institutionalized children: the mediating role of psychological capital
Authors: Melese Adane K. , Pedro Athena , Somhlaba Nceba Z.
Published: August 2024

Previous research in Ethiopia mainly contemplated studying children’s mental distress and the negative effects of orphanages. However, there is a dearth of documented evidence on how positive psychological resources, social support, basic needs services, and mental health impact the well-being of children in childcare institutions and how care centers can benefit vulnerable children. This study aimed to investigate the direct impact of perceived social support (PSS), basic need services (BNS), and Psychological Capital (PsyCap) on the mental health of children in childcare settings. Additionally, the study sought to explore the mediating role of PsyCap between PSS, BNS, and children’s positive mental health (PMH). A total of 420 institutionalized Ethiopian children, comprising 187 females and 233 males, were selected by using a stratified multistage random sampling approach. Validated and standardized measures of psychological well-being (PWB), PsyCap, BNS, and PSS were employed to collect data from the study participants. The findings from the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that BNS and PsyCap directly and significantly predicted the PMH of children. Moreover, both BNS and PSS exhibited a positive and significant effect on the higher-order PsyCap construct. Although PSS did not directly influence positive mental health, it indirectly predicted mental health outcomes through the presence of PsyCap. Furthermore, PsyCap played a mediating role between BNS and positive mental health outcomes. It is recommended that future research replicate and expand upon the current study’s findings to gain insights into the positive mental health of institutionalized children.
Die (geringe) Beteiligung am Berliner Klimaentscheid 2023: Empirische Erklärungsversuche
Authors: Thomeczek J. Philipp
Published: August 2024

Der Berliner Klima-Entscheid ist gescheitert. Obwohl eine Mehrheit der Abstimmenden (50,9 %) die Vorlage annahm, konnte der Entscheid das Zustimmungsquorum von 25 % nicht überwinden. Nur 35,7 % der Abstimmungsberechtigten hatten sich beteiligt, umgerechnet stimmten damit nur 18,2 % der Abstimmungsberechtigten zu. Doch wie ist die niedrige Beteiligung erklärbar? Zur Annäherung an diese Frage analysiert der folgende Beitrag eine Nachbefragung. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass vor allem Faktoren, die dem Rational-Choice Ansatz zugeordnet sind, zur Erklärung der individuellen Entscheidung, sich an der Abstimmung zu beteiligen, beitragen können. Positiv beeinflusst wurde die individuelle Beteiligungswahrscheinlichkeit durch einen hohen instrumentellen (hohe Wichtigkeit des Themas) und expressiven Nutzen (internalisierte Wahlnorm). Diejenigen, die die Umsetzbarkeit Berliner Entscheide anzweifeln und nicht an der vorangegangenen Abgeordnetenhauswahl teilgenommen hatten, haben sich hingegen in geringerem Maße an der Abstimmung beteiligt. Der Beitrag knüpft an die empirische Forschung zu Abstimmungen in Deutschland an, die immer noch schwach ausgeprägt ist.
Shift-Reduce Task-Oriented Semantic Parsing with Stack-Transformers
Authors: Fernández-González Daniel
Published: August 2024

Intelligent voice assistants, such as Apple Siri and Amazon Alexa, are widely used nowadays. These task-oriented dialogue systems require a semantic parsing module in order to process user utterances and understand the action to be performed. This semantic parsing component was initially implemented by rule-based or statistical slot-filling approaches for processing simple queries; however, the appearance of more complex utterances demanded the application of shift-reduce parsers or sequence-to-sequence models. Although shift-reduce approaches were initially considered the most promising option, the emergence of sequence-to-sequence neural systems has propelled them to the forefront as the highest-performing method for this particular task. In this article, we advance the research on shift-reduce semantic parsing for task-oriented dialogue. We implement novel shift-reduce parsers that rely on Stack-Transformers. This framework allows to adequately model transition systems on the transformer neural architecture, notably boosting shift-reduce parsing performance. Furthermore, our approach goes beyond the conventional top-down algorithm: we incorporate alternative bottom-up and in-order transition systems derived from constituency parsing into the realm of task-oriented parsing. We extensively test our approach on multiple domains from the Facebook TOP benchmark, improving over existing shift-reduce parsers and state-of-the-art sequence-to-sequence models in both high-resource and low-resource settings. We also empirically prove that the in-order algorithm substantially outperforms the commonly used top-down strategy. Through the creation of innovative transition systems and harnessing the capabilities of a robust neural architecture, our study showcases the superiority of shift-reduce parsers over leading sequence-to-sequence methods on the main benchmark.
Geomorphological characteristics of Gandak river between Sahibganj and confluence with Ganga river during 1989–2022
Authors: Kumar Sandeep , Hanmaiahgari Prashanth Reddy , Chowdary V. M. , Pu Jaan H.
Published: August 2024

The Gandak River originates in Nepal and merges with the Ganga River in India. The Gandak River is experiencing significant geomorphological alterations due to climate change and anthropogenic causes. In this study, an attempt has done to examine river bank erosion & accretion, shifting of the river bank, sinuosity, and braiding index of the Gandak River between Sahibganj and the confluence with the Ganga River, covering a length of 92.4 km from 1989 to 2022 (33 years) using remote sensing and geospatial technologies. The delineation of the river bank line for different periods, along with the quantification of erosion and accretion of the river’s right and left banks, were analysed using GIS, including the sinuosity and braiding patterns. The overall sinuosity value ranged from 1.16 to 1.01 and did not follow any specific pattern in significant reaches. The sinuosity value was almost constant over the most d/s reach of 30.74 km. The braiding index of the River was found to be the maximum between Ismailpur and Baijalpur and the minimum value between Munja and Chakia in 2015 and 1995 respectively. This study revealed that the river is shifting to the right, and bank protection measures were needed. Finally, the proposed investigation revealed the braiding phenomenon, river shifting in the transverse direction, and shifting of the meander bend was primarily responsible for the erosion and accretion of the river banks. This study will benefit local government agencies, concerned authorities, and people residing along the banks of the Gandak River by providing insights into the river’s migration patterns. Further, this knowledge aids in better planning of riverbank protection measures and developing a navigation system.
Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposures Reported to US Poison Centers: Variations Among US States and Regions and Associations with Public Policy
Authors: Smith Gary A. , Burgess Alice , Badeti Jaahnavi , Rine Natalie I. , Gaw Christopher E. , Middelberg Leah K. , Spiller Henry A. , Hays Hannah L.
Published: August 2024

Introduction

This study investigated exposures involving ∆8-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆8-THC) reported to US poison centers (PCs), including variation among states and regions. It evaluated whether the ∆8-THC exposure rate was lower among states with ∆8-THC regulations and states where cannabis (∆9-THC) use was legal.

Methods

National Poison Data System data for ∆8-THC exposures in 2021–2022 were analyzed, including comparisons of state and regional population-based exposure rates.

Results

There were 4,925 exposures involving ∆8-THC as the primary substance reported to US PCs from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, with 69.8% of these reported in the US South. The rate of exposure per 100,000 US population increased by 79.2% from 0.53 in 2021 to 0.95 in 2022. In 2022, the mean rate of ∆8-THC exposures in states where cannabis use was illegal was 1.64 per 100,000 population (95% CI: 1.08–2.20) compared with 0.52 (95% CI: 0.29–0.76) in states where cannabis use was legal (P = 0.0010). In 2022, the mean rate of ∆8-THC exposures in states where ∆8-THC was unregulated was 1.36 per 100,000 population (95% CI: 0.95–1.77) compared with 0.17 (95% CI: 0.06–0.27) in states where ∆8-THC was banned (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

The rate of ∆8-THC exposures reported to US PCs increased by 79% from 2021 to 2022, with the US South accounting for more than two-thirds of exposures. The rate of ∆8-THC exposures reported to PCs was significantly lower among states where ∆8-THC was banned and among states where cannabis use was legal. Consistent regulation of ∆8-THC across all states should be adopted.
Structural balance in real-world social networks: incorporating direction and transitivity in measuring partial balance
Authors: Rezapour Rezvaneh , Dinh Ly , Jiang Lan , Diesner Jana
Published: August 2024

Structural balance theory predicts that triads in networks gravitate towards stable configurations. This theory has been verified for undirected graphs. Since real-world networks are often directed, we introduce a novel method for considering both transitivity and sign consistency for evaluating partial balance in signed digraphs. We test our approach on graphs constructed by using different methods for identifying edge signs: natural language processing to infer signs from underlying text data, and self-reported survey data. Our results show that for various social contexts and edge sign detection methods, partial balance of these digraphs is moderately high, ranging from 61 to 96%. Our approach not only enhances the theoretical framework of structural balance but also provides practical insights into the stability of social networks, enabling a deeper understanding of interpersonal and group dynamics across different communication platforms.
Risk Assessment of Multi-Hazards in Hangzhou: A Socioeconomic and Risk Mapping Approach Using the CatBoost-SHAP Model
Authors: Yu Bofan , Yan Jiaxing , Li Yunan , Xing Huaixue
Published: August 2024

As the global push for sustainable urban development progresses, this study, set against the backdrop of Hangzhou City, one of China’s megacities, addressed the conflict between urban expansion and the occurrence of urban geological hazards. Focusing on the predominant geological hazards troubling Hangzhou—urban road collapse, land subsidence, and karst collapse—we introduced a Categorical Boosting-SHapley Additive exPlanations (CatBoost-SHAP) model. This model not only demonstrates strong performance in predicting the selected typical urban hazards, with area under the curve (AUC) values reaching 0.92, 0.92, and 0.94, respectively, but also, through the incorporation of the explainable model SHAP, visually presents the prediction process, the interrelations between evaluation factors, and the weight of each factor. Additionally, the study undertook a multi-hazard evaluation, producing a susceptibility zoning map for multiple hazards, while performing tailored analysis by integrating economic and population density factors of Hangzhou. This research enables urban decision makers to transcend the “black box” limitations of machine learning, facilitating informed decision making through strategic resource allocation and scheduling based on economic and demographic factors of the study area. This approach holds the potential to offer valuable insights for the sustainable development of cities worldwide.
Patients with immune mediated inflammatory diseases are insufficiently protected against vaccine-preventable infections
Authors: van de Pol Natasja , van der Woude C. Janneke , Vis Marijn , van Doorn Martijn B.A. , Schrauwen Saskia L. , Cetinözman-Teunissen Fatos , West Rachel L. , de Vries Annemarie C.
Published: August 2024

Background

Patients with Immune Mediated Inflammatory Diseases (IMIDs) using immunosuppressive therapy are at increased risk of infections, including vaccine-preventable infections. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether patients with IMIDs on systemic immunosuppressive therapy are vaccinated according to current guidelines.

Methods

A survey was sent out, between August 2022 and March 2023, to all patients with IMIDs that visited the departments of dermatology, rheumatology and gastroenterology at an academic and regional hospital in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Patient-reported vaccination status was compared to the Dutch guidelines on vaccinations in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases.

Results

A total of 1,905/5,987 patients responded to the survey (response rate 32%). After exclusion of patients without systemic immunosuppressive medication, the study population comprised 1,390 patients, median age 56 years (IQR 42–66) and 41% male. Most patients (92%) had been vaccinated according to the Dutch National Immunization Program. Before starting immunosuppressive therapy, 2% of the patients who were still considered at risk according to the Dutch guideline were vaccinated for measles, and 4% for diphtheria/tetanus/polio (DT-IPV). Additionally, 62% of patients received an annual influenza vaccine, 16% received a five-yearly pneumococcal vaccine, and 91% were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Conclusion

Patients with IMIDs on immunosuppressive therapy are not vaccinated in accordance with the guidelines. Implementation strategies to improve the vaccination rates for patients with IMIDs should specifically focus on vaccinating against measles and diphtheria/tetanus/polio, and periodic vaccination against pneumococcal and influenza infections.
Stress hyperglycemia ratio and its influence on mortality in elderly patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia: a retrospective study
Authors: Miao Lei , Shen Xiaozhu , Du Zhiqiang , Liao Jingxian
Published: August 2024

Background

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a significant health issue among the elderly, with severe cases (SCAP) having high mortality rates. This study assesses the predictive significance of the stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) in elderly SCAP patients and its impact on outcomes in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

Methods and materials

This retrospective study included 406 SCAP patients aged 65 or older from the Second People’s Hospital of Lianyungang (January 2020 to December 2023). Data collected included demographics, medical history, vital signs, and lab results. SHR was calculated from initial blood glucose and estimated average glucose (HbA1c). Statistical analyses, including Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis, evaluated SHR’s impact on mortality. Mediation models explored the effects of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and SHR.

Results

The 28-day mortality rate was 21.67%. Deceased patients had higher age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, procalcitonin, NLR, glucose, and SHR levels compared to survivors (P < 0.05). Both SHR and NLR significantly increased mortality risk, particularly in non-diabetic patients. Combining NLR and SHR improved ROC AUC to 0.898, with 89.80% sensitivity and 81.10% specificity. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed higher cumulative survival for SHR < 1.14, regardless of diabetes status (P < 0.05). NLR mediated 13.02% of the SHR-survival relationship, while SHR mediated 14.06% of the NLR-survival relationship.

Conclusion

Elevated SHR is a significant mortality risk factor in elderly SCAP patients, independent of diabetes status. Stringent glucose control and careful monitoring of SHR may improve outcomes in elderly patients with acute respiratory conditions.
High-precision laser monitoring system with enhanced non-uniform scanning for railway safety
Authors: Yang Yingying , Wang Cheng , Liu Xiaoqi , Liu Yu , Lu Weier , Zhu Zhonglin , Yan Hongye , Zhao Guotang , Lin Xuechun
Published: August 2024

The intrusion of obstacles onto railway tracks presents a significant threat to train safety, characterized by sudden and unpredictable occurrences. With China leading the world in high-speed rail mileage, ensuring railway security is paramount. The current laser monitoring technologies suffer from high false alarm rates and unreliable intrusion identification. This study addresses these issues by investigating high-resolution laser monitoring technology for railway obstacles, focusing on key parameters such as monitoring range and resolution. We propose an enhanced non-uniform laser scanning method, developing a laser monitoring system that reduces the obstacle false alarm rate to 2.00%, significantly lower than the 20% standard (TJ/GW135-2015). This rate is the best record for laser monitoring systems on China Railway. Our system operates seamlessly in all weather conditions, providing superior accuracy, resolution, and identification efficiency. It is the only 3D LiDAR system certified by the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (Certificate No. [2023] 008). Over three years, our system has been deployed at numerous points along various lines managed by the China State Railway Group, accumulating a dataset of 300,000 observations. This extensive deployment has significantly enhanced railway safety. The development and implementation of our railway laser monitoring system represent a substantial advancement in railway safety technology. Its low false alarm rate (2.00%), high accuracy (20 cm × 20 cm × 20 cm), and robust performance in diverse conditions underscore its potential for widespread adoption, promising to enhance railway safety in China and internationally.
Virtual and In-Person Multiple Mini-interviews: A Comparison of Two Modalities in Regard to Bias
Authors: Grier David D. , Turner Laurah , Prichard Tracy J. , Oaks Andrea , Nolan David , Shomo Anisa S. , Dunlavy Dustin , Batisky Donald L.
Published: August 2024

Purpose

To examine the characteristics between virtual multiple mini-interview (vMMI) and in-person interviews (ipMMI) in regard to difference in performance between applicant-reported gender identity and racial groups.

Methods

Retrospective multiple mini-interview (MMI) data from two vMMI interview cycles (2021 and 2022) consisting of 627 applicants and four ipMMI cycles (2017–2020) consisting of 2248 applicants. Comparisons were made between applicant subgroups including reported gender (male and female) and minority status (URiM and non-URiM). A three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine the effects of gender, URiM status, and interview modality (in-person vs. virtual) on MMI scores.

Results

There were no overall significant differences between annual ipMMI and vMMI scores. A significant main effect of gender was observed, with females scoring higher than males overall. An interaction between gender and URiM status was also found. Although not statistically significant, when the MMI was virtual, URiM applicants on average scored higher than non-URiM applicants. In both the ipMMI and vMMI, URiM males tended to score lower than their non-URiM counterparts, though this difference was not statistically significant. URiM females tended to score higher than non-URiM females during the vMMI, and this difference was statistically significant.

Conclusions

The switch to vMMI shows that there are no overall significant differences between the in-person and virtual formats; however, the finding that female URiM’s better performance in the virtual setting is novel. The cause of this finding is unknown but most likely reflects the complex interaction between race and gender. This insight requires future study and builds on the evidence that the MMI is an admissions tool to mitigate bias.
Contemporary Trends in the Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Dysphagia
Authors: Elluru Ravindhra
Published: August 2024

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this review is to present the most recent data on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of pediatric dysphagia. The diagnosis and management of swallowing disorders presents a formidable dilemma to diagnose and manage in the pediatric population. Swallowing disorders can occur subtly or with overt signs and symptoms, and can occur in the context of other comorbidities such as premature birth, respiratory insufficiency, craniofacial anomalies, and motor delays. Pediatric dysphagia poses a significant risk because it can lead to chronic malnutrition and irreversible lung disease.

Recent Findings

Recent findings advocate for the use of multidisciplinary teams, such as the Aerodigestive and Swallowing Clinic (ADSC) to treat children with dysphagia. Expeditious return to oral intake of food is necessary to prevent long term issues such as food aversion.

The summary of findings from the current literature suggests that the understanding of pediatric dysphagia and treatment is still in its infancy, and an algorithmic approach to diagnosis and treatment is necessary to allow the accumulation of objective outcomes data.
Expressions of gratitude in education: an analysis of the #ThankYourTeacher campaign
Authors: Allen Kelly-Ann , Grove Christine , May Fiona S. , Gamble Nicholas , Lai Rhoda , Saunders James M.
Published: August 2024

Teachers play a significant societal role, yet many feel underappreciated, and commonly cite this as a reason for considering leaving the profession. This study investigated responses to the #ThankYourTeacher social media campaign, which was created to generate public expressions of gratitude towards teachers. Data were collected from Twitter, Instagram, a campaign website, and public events and thematically analysed. Orr’s (1992) Head, Heart, and Hands Model of Transformational Learning was used as a framework for understanding the qualities of teachers and their teaching that participants appreciated. Notably, more individuals expressed gratitude for teachers’ motivational and compassionate qualities (Heart) and their enthusiasm and leadership (Hands) than for their subject knowledge (Head). These findings underscore the importance of the teacher-student relationship and relational qualities over subject expertise. This study also highlights the potential for further research into the impacts of practicing gratitude towards teachers and increasing teachers’ sense of being valued and appreciated.
Optimizing accuracy and efficiency in real-time people counting with cascaded object detection
Authors: Holla M. Raviraja , Suma D. , Holla M. Darshan
Published: August 2024

Growing concerns about public safety have driven the demand for real-time surveillance, particularly in monitoring systems like people counters. Traditional methods heavily reliant on facial detection face challenges due to the complex nature of facial features. This paper presents an innovative people counting system known for its robustness, utilizing holistic bodily characteristics for improved detection and tallying. This system achieves exceptional performance through advanced computer vision techniques, with a flawless accuracy and precision rate of 100% under ideal conditions. Even in challenging visual conditions, it maintains an impressive overall accuracy of 98.42% and a precision of 97.51%. Comprehensive analyses, including violin plot and heatmaps, support this outstanding performance. Additionally, by assessing accuracy and execution time concerning the number of cascading stages, we highlight the significant advantages of our approach. Experimentation with the TUD-Pedestrian dataset demonstrates an accuracy of 94.2%. Evaluation using the UCFCC dataset further proves the effectiveness of our approach in handling diverse scenarios, showcasing its robustness in real-world crowd counting applications. Compared to benchmark approaches, our proposed system demonstrates real-time precision and efficiency.