bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanogels Incorporating Tectona grandis Seed Extract for Enhanced Drug Delivery
Authors: Shashikant Naykar Sharmila , Dolas Ramdas T.
Published: February 2025

This research emphasizes the formulation and analysis of nanoparticles incorporated into a nanogel utilizing Tectona grandis seed extract. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using silver nitrate solution, serving as silver precursor. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized through various techniques, including particle size analysis, zeta potential measurement, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), UV-visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To develop the nanogel, the synthesized nanoparticles were combined with a gelling agent. The nanogel was further evaluated for parameters such as physical appearance, pH, spreadability, washability, viscosity and antibacterial activity. Among the formulations tested, batch F1 showed the highest efficacy and stability. The antimicrobial potential of the AgNPs was confirmed through the agar well diffusion method, which exhibited a 48 mm zone of inhibition against Escherichia coli. Additionally, a zone of inhibition was detected within 1 day on petri plates treated with 50 as well as 100 µg of silver nanoparticles. The nanogel was further evaluated for its wound healing activity using an excision wound model. Results demonstrated a significant reduction in wound area and improved healing rates in comparison to the control group, with batch F1 exhibiting the fastest wound closure within a specified period. The heightened wound healing potential arises from the combined belongings of the antibacterial property and therapeutic benefits of silver nanoparticles with Tectona grandis seed extract. These findings highlight the potent antibacterial and wound healing properties of Tectona grandis seed extract-loaded nanoparticles, indicating their potential as effective candidates for topical therapeutic applications.
Sustainable Green Synthesis of Leaf Extract-Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles: Catalytic, Antimicrobial Properties and Colorimetric Sensing of Hg2+
Authors: Thythottathil Nasheetha Rahman , Thattaril Suhaila , Manniledam Kavitha
Published: February 2025

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticle(Ag NPs) s employing the aqueous extract of three different dried leaves, Murraya koenigi, Ocimum sanctum and Mentha spicata leaves was carried out. Different techniques, including UV-Visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to characterize green synthesized silver nanoparticles. The AgNPs are found to have effective catalytic properties in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and in the degradation of methyl orange and methylene blue dyes. Mercuric ion was selectively detected at ppm level with the green silver nanoparticles. Their antibacterial efficacy was evaluated against both Gram-negative Pseudomonas fluorescens and Gram-positive Bacillus megaterium bacteria. This study also explores the antifungal properties of green synthesized silver nanoparticles with Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis.
Lactobacillus sp., Mediated Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and their Anticancer Activity on A549 Lung Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Anjana M.I. , Abiyoga M. , Rajalakshmy K. , Kumari P. Saravana
Published: February 2025

Targeting certain signaling pathways may enable innovative therapeutics to overcome chemotherapy and radiation’s limitations, therefore, nanoparticle biosynthesis provides a promising alternative. This study investigates Lactobacillus sp., mediated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) as a therapeutic approach against lung cancer A549 cells. The ZnO NPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, zeta potential and DLS analyses, confirming their nanoscale size and structural integrity. The UV-Vis spectra analysis of ZnO NPs revealed a significant absorption peak at approximately 392 nm. FTIR investigation confirms the functional groups in Lactobacillus sp., mediated ZnO NPs. Electron microscopy and XRD validated the spherical/cubic crystalline structure of ZnO NPs, averaging 30-40 nm in size. Strong signals in EDAX spectrum confirmed ZnO NPs formation. Zeta potential and DLS analysis showed biosynthesized ZnO NPs stability and particle size. The cytotoxic effect of ZnO NPs on A549 cancer cells was dose- and time-dependent, with an IC50 at 38 µg/mL. Morphological changes such as cell shrinkage and nuclear fragmentation in treated cell lines indicative of apoptosis observed via AO/EB staining. Flow cytometry revealed that ZnO NPs induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Additionally, ZnO NPs significantly reduced A549 cell migration. These findings highlight the potential of Lactobacillus sp., mediated ZnO NPs as an eco-friendly, novel and effective strategy in cancer nanomedicine for lung cancer treatment.
Adapting the Biopsychosocial Model: The Role of Young Healthcare Professionals in Myanmar's Evolving Healthcare System
Authors: Aung Htet Lin
Published: February 2025

Background: Young healthcare professionals in Myanmar (aged 25–35) are adopting the biopsychosocial model in resource-limited settings to address patients' physical, psychological, and social needs. This shift represents a move toward holistic, patient-centered care, differing from traditional practices in Myanmar.

Methods: The study examines how young healthcare professionals in resource-poor areas of Myanmar apply the biopsychosocial model. Thirty-two participants, including doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, were included. Data was collected through interviews, surveys, and observations. Interviews explored the model’s application, challenges, and impact on care. Surveys provided broader insights, while observations captured real-world implementation. Data was analyzed for themes and trends by thematic analysis and descriptive statistics.

Results: Young healthcare professionals are actively using the biopsychosocial model, particularly for chronic diseases and mental health. Approximately 80% reported addressing physical, psychological, and social aspects of health. Observations confirmed their commitment to holistic care despite challenges like limited resources and training.

Conclusion: Young healthcare professionals in Myanmar are embracing the biopsychosocial model, even in resource-limited settings. Their efforts demonstrate the potential to transform healthcare delivery by addressing patients' comprehensive needs. These professionals can establish the biopsychosocial model as the standard for holistic patient-centered care across Myanmar with adequate training and resources.
Health Practitioner Burnout, Safety Implications, and Programmatic Fixes: A Systematic Literature Review of Current Literature Reviews—200 Proof*
Authors: J Johnson Ralph
Published: February 2025

High rates of workplace psychological stress and burnout have been chronic among Healthcare Practitioners. Research shows that Healthcare Practitioner psychological stress / burnout is related to poor quality of care and a high probability of making medical errors and mishaps resulting in harm to patients and even workers themselves. In response, relatively impactful programs have been developed to address Practitioner burnout. To derive a better understanding of the subject and inform best practices and policy regarding the problem and its fixes, this article reports findings from a novel study of a systematic (PRISMA-based) literature review of current (circa ~10 years <) literature reviews; or a distillation of reviews already at 100 proof then undergoing a further distillation into a review of 200 proof.* This study employed a grounded theoretic qualitative methodology to iteratively generate and enumerate descriptive themes from the study’s literature review articles. This article reports on what is currently known regarding the precipitants of Health Practitioner Burnout, Burnout itself, its relationship to Safety lapses and mishaps, and Programmatic Interventions (i.e., Fixes). The primary conclusion is that Health Practitioners are the foundation of healthcare organizations and key to quality care and management / leadership should be concerned for their wellbeing; and this article provides a general blueprint in terms of addressing burnout and safety. Study Limitations and Future research are also discussed.
Distribusi Material Padatan Tersuspensi di Perairan Pantai Roban, Batang-Indonesia
Authors: Muthia Naura Shobihatul , Maslukah Lilik , Kunarso Kunarso
Published: February 2025

Perairan Pantai Roban secara administratif terletak di Desa Roban Sengon, Kecamatan Subah, Kabupaten Batang, Jawa Tengah. Wilayah perairan pantai Roban banyak dipengaruhi oleh fenomena alam seperti abrasi dan sedimentasi maupun aktivitas masyarakat di daerah hulu seperti penggunaan lahan untuk pemukiman dan pertanian yang menjadi sumber masukan limbah seperti padatan tersuspensi, melalui aliran sungai Kaliboyo. Material Padatan Tersuspensi (MPT) merupakan partikel-partikel yang melayang dalam kolom air terdiri dari komponen biotik dan abiotik. Keberadaannya di perairan dapat mempengaruhi intensitas cahaya yang masuk ke kolom perairan dan menggantu proses fotosintesis. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan dan mengkaji pola distribusi MPT di Perairan Pantai Roban. Metode penelitian berupa metode kuantitatif dan analisa deskriptif yang dilakukan pada 12 stasiun. Pengambilan sampel air dilakukan pada 28 Agustus 2024. Sampel dianalisa menggunakan metode gravimetri sesuai SNI 6989.3: Data MPT hasil dari analisis laboratorium di gambarkan dalam bentuk pola sebaran menggunakan software ArcGIS. Data arus yang digunakan dalam mendukung pola sebaran diperoleh melalui pemodelan menggunakan pemodelan hidrodinamika. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa rerata MPT di perairan pantai Roban sebesar 33,2 mg/L. Konsentrasi MPT tertinggi berada di stasiun 2 sebesar 70,4 mg/L dan terendah berada pada stasiun 12 sebesar 6,3 mg/L. Pola distribusi MPT di perairan pantai Roban mengalami penurunan ke arah laut. Beberapa stasiun menunjukkan nilai diatas ambang batas untuk budidaya yaitu (>20 mg/L).
Faktor Risiko Diabetes Mellitus pada Remaja SMA Lab Salatiga dan SMK Kristen BM Salatiga dengan Obesitas dan Nonobesitas di Kota Salatiga
Authors: Ngana Anggu Rambu Dawi , Agustina Venti , Messakh Sanfia Tesabela
Published: February 2025

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a degenerative disease triggered by unhealthy lifestyles such as obesity. Obesity is a condition of someone who has a body weight above normal or more than the Body Mass Index (BMI) value of 27 kg/m2. Obesity is prone to occur in adolescence. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for diabetes mellitus (DM) in obese adolescents.Methods: The method used was descriptive quantitative with a cross sectional approach conducted in October-December 2020 on adolescents at SMA Lab Salatiga and SMK Kristen BM Salatiga. The samples in this study were adolescents with obesity at SMA Lab Salatiga and SMK Kristen BM Salatiga. The data collection technique in this study used google form. The research data were processed using SPSS (Univariate and Chi Square Test).Results: From the results of the study, several factors of DM were found, including age, gender, family history of Diabetes Mellitus. There were 50.8% of respondents who had normal blood pressure and most of the blood sugar levels were normal (57.1%). In this study, diet and physical activity had no relationship with obesity. The results of the analysis using chi square obtained a p-value (p>0,05).Conclusion: Factors of diabetes mellitus (DM) include age, gender and family history of diabetes mellitus while blood pressure, obesity diet, physical activity do not jeopardize the occurrence of diabetes mellitus and diet.
Hubungan Ketahanan dan Kerawanan Pangan dengan Social Capital dan Food Choice Rumah Tangga di kelurahan Kutowinangun Lor, Kecamatan Tingkir, Kota Salatiga
Authors: Geovani Devin , Renyoet Brigitte Sarah , Tauho Kristiani Desimina
Published: February 2025

Background: Food security at this national level has received attention because it has not yet reached the word "resilience", which is indicated by Indonesia still importing staple food from Vietnam. One of the provinces in Indonesia with the best level of resilience is Central Java province with 93%, but it does not guarantee the condition of overall food security at the household level because it has different access to food. Utilization of social capital can realize food security related to food access, making it easier for people to choose food (food choice).Objectives: This study aims to examine the relationship between food security and insecurity with social capital and household food choice in the Kutowinangun Lor Village, Tingkir District, Salatiga City.Methods: The method used is a descriptive quantitative method. The statistical test used is the Chi Square test.Results: As many as 48.4% of respondents fall into the category of severe food insecurity. 54.8% of respondents do not actively participate in village organizations with moderate levels of social capital. 71% of respondents have a fairly good food choice. Bivariate analysis shows that there is no relationship between food security and social capital with a chi square test result of 0.709, while for food choice with food security, it shows that there is a relationship between the two with an iujiichi square result of 0.015.Conclusions: Most of the underprivileged households in Kutowinangun Lor fall into the category of severe food insecurity, with the result of a Chi Square test for social capital of i0.709. Meanwhile, the results of the Chi Square test on food choice are 0.015. Thus, food choice is the variable that most influences food security and insecurity in underprivileged households in Kutowinangun Lor.
Strategi Penyandang Disabilitas dalam Mengakses Pangan dengan Keterbatasan Finansial di Kota Ambon
Authors: Sopacua Maria M
Published: February 2025

Background: In Ambon, improving the quality of life of people with physical disabilities is still largely ignored by the local government and beyond. The gap is widening because they are stigmatized as “helpless”. This causes them to experience social discrimination and to be “othered”.  As a result, it is difficult to meet their financial needs and this affects how they access food.Methods: This research uses a qualitative method conducted on the people of Ambon City from February - April 2021. Data collection techniques used observation and in-depth interviews.Results: I interviewed seven male participants based on their experiences to look at the relationship between “disabled bodies” and food miles and how the two can be intertwined. Physical geographical constraints and unfriendly constructions for people with disabilities are barriers for them to reach food destinations. On the other hand, income insecurity also makes it more difficult for them to obtain good and safe food. However, this does not mean that they have no power. To reduce the inequality of food access, they do gardening or borrow money from relatives.Conclusion: The results of this study can inform that the local government's concern is not enough to help people with physical disabilities in accessing food, but also requires support from the environment and the community.
Hydroponic system of cultivation and runner removal enhanced plant growth and yield of strawberry cultivars
Authors: Fayaz Saima , Khan Farooq Ahmad , Chand Gurdev , Bhat Sajad Ahmad , Narayan Sumati , Mir Shakeel Ahmad , Kumar Amit , Gul Shaheen , Khan Faheemullah , Amir Mohammad
Published: February 2025

Hydroponics is gaining popularity among growers due to changing climatic conditions and the shrinking of resources, particularly land and water. The present study was conducted at SKUAST-K, Shalimar during the months of February to June of 2021 and 2022 to determine the effects of hydroponics and runner removal on plant growth traits of strawberry cultivars with 8 treatment combinations comprised of 3 factors with 2 levels of each viz., variety, growing system and runner removal. The NFT system of hydroponic was used to grow strawberry plants. Treatments were arranged in RCBD with 4 replications. Findings revealed that V2 (Camarosa) had higher plant growth compared to V1 (Sweet Charlie). Significantly higher plant growth was also recorded under a hydroponic system (S2) than a traditional one (S1). Runner removal (R1) additionally benefitted the plant by diverting food energy used in runner growth to the main shoot and resulted in better shoot and root growth. Second-order interaction of treatments further clarified that V2 × S2 × R1 resulted in maximum shoot growth (plant height - 20.15 cm, shoot biomass - 7.20 g/plant and RGR - 0.58 g/g/week) compared to the minimum values of these parameters recorded with V1 × S1 × R0. The highest number of runners (7.92/plant) with maximum runner length (85.32 cm) was recorded with V1 × S1 while their minimum values were evident with V2 × S1. However, V2 × S1 registered the highest fresh weight (6.13 g/plant) and dry weight (0.45 g/plant) of runners along with the number of propagules (6.93/runner) against their minimum values recorded with V1 × S1. V1 × S2 × R1 resulted in the highest number of fruits (23.32/plant), fruit breadth (3.31 cm) and fruit yield (288.00 g/plant) compared to other interactions.
Impact of weed management practices on weed control efficiency and fibre quality in cotton under the high-density planting system
Authors: Nageswari R , Sanjay  Kumar T , Anitha R , Dhanushkodi V , Sujatha K B , Satheeshkumar N , Rajarathinam P , Somasundaram S , Rathika S , Ramesh T
Published: February 2025

Cotton enjoyed the synonyms ‘White Gold,’ ‘King of Fibre Crops,’ and ‘Friendly Fibre’, playing a vital role as both a cash and fibre crop in India. However, weeds pose a major challenge, causing an approximate 45% yield reduction in cotton nationwide. Effective weed management is crucial for optimizing cotton yield and fibre quality. This study evaluated the impact of various weed management practices on productivity and fibre quality. Field trials were conducted using multiple treatments, including pre-and post-emergence herbicides, hand weeding, and power weeding. Fibre quality parameters, such as fibre length, strength, fineness, micronaire, and elongation percentage, were measured across treatments. While results showed no significant differences in fibre quality among the treatments, the combination of preemergence (PE) application of Pendimethalin at the rate of 1.0 kg active ingredient ha-1 + Metolachlor at the rate of 1.0 kg active ingredient ha-1 followed by post-emergence (POE) application of Pyrithiobac sodium at the rate of 0.075 kg active ingredient ha-1 + quizalofop ethyl at the rate of 0.075 kg active ingredient ha-1 emerged as the most effective weed control strategy.This treatment provided effective weed suppression, reduced competition for resources, and resulted in a higher seed cotton yield than other treatments. The study concluded that, although fibre quality did not vary significantly, the integrated use of Pendimethalin and Metolachlor as preemergence herbicides and Pyrithiobac sodium and quizalofop ethyl as post-emergence herbicides offers an optimal solution for cotton growers.
Unleash the Power of Ellipsis: Accuracy-Enhanced Sparse Vector Technique with Exponential Noise
Authors: Liu Yuhan , Wang Sheng , Liu Yixuan , Li Feifei , Chen Hong
Published: February 2025

The Sparse Vector Technique (SVT) is one of the most fundamental tools in differential privacy (DP). It works as a backbone for adaptive data analysis by answering a sequence of queries on a given dataset, and gleaning useful information in a privacy-preserving manner. Unlike the typical private query releases that directly publicize the noisy query results, SVT is less informative---it keeps the noisy query results to itself and only reveals a binary bit for each query, indicating whether the query result surpasses a predefined threshold. To provide a rigorous DP guarantee for SVT, prior works in the literature adopt a
conservative
privacy analysis by assuming the direct disclosure of noisy query results as in typical private query releases. This approach, however, hinders SVT from achieving higher query accuracy due to an overestimation of the privacy risks, which further leads to an excessive noise injection using the Laplacian or Gaussian noise for perturbation. Motivated by this, we provide a new privacy analysis for SVT by considering its less informative nature. Our analysis results not only broaden the range of applicable noise types for perturbation in SVT, but also identify the exponential noise as optimal among all evaluated noises (which, however, is usually deemed non-applicable in prior works). The main challenge in applying exponential noise to SVT is mitigating the sub-optimal performance due to the bias introduced by noise distributions. To address this, we develop a utility-oriented optimal threshold correction method and an appending strategy, which enhances the performance of SVT by increasing the precision and recall, respectively. The effectiveness of our proposed methods is substantiated both theoretically and empirically, demonstrating significant improvements up to 50% across evaluated metrics.
Chimera: A System Design of Dual Storage and Traversal-Join Unified Query Processing for SQL/PGQ
Authors: Lee Geonho , Park Jeongho , Kim Min-Soo
Published: February 2025

As graphs are being used increasingly in various industries, a new standard of SQL (called SQL:2023) has incorporated SQL with Property Graph Queries (SQL/PGQ) as a core feature. While some approaches process graph queries within RDBMSs using graph view definition or materialized graph view, their performance is not good enough for interactive SQL/PGQ queries in terms of response time, throughput, and graph size. To address this problem, we propose a novel system design named
Chimera
, which features a dual-store architecture and a unified query planning called Traversal-Join(TJ). This design treats the topologies of a graph as first-class citizens rather than secondary elements overcoming the graph size limitations of the materialized graph view approach. It also generates an efficient, unified query plan that performs traversal and join in a mixed way, significantly enhancing both response time and throughput. Implemented on the open-source RDBMS, PostgreSQL, our extensive experiments with the LDBC SNB benchmark and microbenchmark show that Chimera significantly outperforms the existing approaches and GRDBMSs.
Maximum
k
-Plex Search: An Alternated Reduction-and-Bound Method
Authors: Gao Shuohao , Yu Kaiqiang , Liu Shengxin , Long Cheng
Published: February 2025

k
-plexes relax cliques by allowing each vertex to disconnect to at most
k
vertices. Finding a maximum
k
-plex in a graph is a fundamental operator in graph mining and has been receiving significant attention from various domains. The state-of-the-art algorithms all adopt the branch-reduction-and-bound (BRB) framework where a key step, called
reduction-and-bound
(RB), is used for narrowing down the search space. A common practice of RB in existing works is SeqRB, which
sequentially
conducts the reduction process followed by the bounding process
once
at a branch. However, these algorithms suffer from the efficiency issues. In this paper, we propose a new
alternated reduction-and-bound
method AltRB for conducting RB. AltRB first partitions a branch into two parts and then
alternatively
and
iteratively
conducts the reduction process and the bounding process at each part of a branch. With newly-designed reduction rules and bounding methods, AltRB is superior to SeqRB in effectively narrowing down the search space
in both theory and practice.
Further, to boost the performance of BRB algorithms, we develop efficient and effective pre-processing methods which reduce the size of the input graph and heuristically compute a large
k
-plex as the lower bound. We conduct extensive experiments on 664 real and synthetic graphs. The experimental results show that our proposed algorithm kPEX with AltRB and novel preprocessing techniques runs up to two orders of magnitude faster and solves more instances than state-of-the-art algorithms.
SIMformer: Single-Layer Vanilla Transformer Can Learn Free-Space Trajectory Similarity
Authors: Yang Chuang , Jiang Renhe , Xu Xiaohang , Xiao Chuan , Sezaki Kaoru
Published: February 2025

Free-space trajectory similarity calculation, e.g., DTW, Hausdorff, and Fréchet, often incur quadratic time complexity, thus learning-based methods have been proposed to accelerate the computation. The core idea is to train an encoder to transform trajectories into representation vectors and then compute vector similarity to approximate the ground truth. However, existing methods face dual challenges of effectiveness and efficiency: 1) they all utilize Euclidean distance to compute representation similarity, which leads to the severe curse of dimensionality issue - reducing the distinguishability among representations and significantly affecting the accuracy of subsequent similarity search tasks; 2) most of them are trained in triplets manner and often necessitate additional information which downgrades the efficiency; 3) previous studies, while emphasizing the scalability in terms of efficiency, overlooked the deterioration of effectiveness when the dataset size grows. To cope with these issues, we propose a simple, yet accurate, fast, scalable model that only uses a single-layer vanilla transformer encoder as the feature extractor and employs tailored representation similarity functions to approximate various ground truth similarity measures. Extensive experiments demonstrate our model significantly mitigates the curse of dimensionality issue and outperforms the state-of-the-arts in effectiveness, efficiency, and scalability.
CUBIT: Concurrent Updatable Bitmap Indexing
Authors: Wang Junchang , Athanassoulis Manos
Published: February 2025

Bitmap indexes are widely used for read-intensive analytical workloads because they are clustered and offer efficient reads with a small memory footprint. However, they are generally inefficient to update. As analytical applications are increasingly fused with transactional applications, leading to the emergence of hybrid transactional/analytical processing (HTAP), it is desirable that bitmap indexes support efficient concurrent real-time updates. In this paper, we propose Concurrent Updatable Bitmap indexing (CUBIT) that offers efficient real-time updates that scale with the number of CPU cores used and do not interfere with queries. Our design relies on three principles. First, we employ a horizontal bitwise representation of updated bits, which enables efficient atomic updates without locking entire bitvectors. Second, we propose a lightweight snapshotting mechanism that allows queries to run on separate snapshots and provides a wait-free progress guarantee. Third, we consolidate updates in a latch-free manner, providing a strong progress guarantee. Our evaluation shows that CUBIT offers 3--16× higher throughput and 3--220× lower latency than state-of-the-art updatable bitmap indexes. CUBIT's update-friendly nature widens the applicability of bitmap indexing. Experimenting with OLAP workloads with standard, batched updates shows that CUBIT overcomes the maintenance downtime and outperforms DuckDB by 1.2--2.7× on TPC-H. For HTAP workloads with real-time updates, CUBIT achieves 2--11× performance improvement over the state-of-the-art approaches.
Privacy-Enhanced Database Synthesis for Benchmark Publishing
Authors: Ge Yunqing , Qin Jianbin , Zheng Shuyuan , Zhong Yongrui , Tang Bo , Qiu Yu-Xuan , Mao Rui , Yuan Ye , Onizuka Makoto , Xiao Chuan
Published: February 2025

Benchmarking is crucial for evaluating a DBMS, yet existing benchmarks often fail to reflect the varied nature of user workloads. As a result, there is increasing momentum toward creating databases that incorporate real-world user data to more accurately mirror business environments. However, privacy concerns deter users from directly sharing their data, underscoring the importance of creating synthesized databases for benchmarking that also prioritize privacy protection. Differential privacy (DP)-based data synthesis has become a key method for safeguarding privacy when sharing data, but the focus has largely been on minimizing errors in aggregate queries or downstream ML tasks, with less attention given to benchmarking factors like query runtime performance. This paper delves into differentially private database synthesis specifically for benchmark publishing scenarios, aiming to produce a synthetic database whose benchmarking factors closely resemble those of the original data. Introducing
PrivBench
, an innovative synthesis framework based on sum-product networks (SPNs), we support the synthesis of high-quality benchmark databases that maintain fidelity in both data distribution and query runtime performance while preserving privacy. We validate that PrivBench can ensure database-level DP even when generating multi-relation databases with complex reference relationships. Our extensive experiments show that PrivBench efficiently synthesizes data that maintains privacy and excels in both data distribution similarity and query runtime similarity.
Finding Convincing Views to Endorse a Claim
Authors: Agmon Shunit , Gilad Amir , Youngmann Brit , Zoarets Shahar , Kimelfeld Benny
Published: February 2025

Recent studies investigated the challenge of assessing the strength of a given claim extracted from a dataset, particularly the claim's potential of being misleading and cherry-picked. We focus on claims that compare answers to an aggregate query posed on a view that selects tuples. The strength of a claim amounts to the question of how likely it is that the view is carefully chosen to support the claim, whereas less careful choices would lead to contradictory claims. We embark on the study of the reverse task that offers a complementary angle in the critical assessment of data-based claims: given a claim, find useful supporting views. The goal of this task is twofold. On the one hand, we aim to assist users in finding significant evidence of phenomena of interest. On the other hand, we wish to provide them with machinery to criticize or counter given claims by extracting evidence of opposing statements.

To be effective, the supporting sub-population should be significant and defined by a "natural" view. We discuss several measures of naturalness and propose ways of extracting the best views under each measure (and combinations thereof). The main challenge is the computational cost, as naïve search is infeasible. We devise anytime algorithms that deploy two main steps:
(1)
a preliminary construction of a ranked list of attribute combinations that are assessed using fast-to-compute features,
and (2)
an efficient search for the actual views based on each attribute combination. We present a thorough experimental study that shows the effectiveness of our algorithms in terms of quality and execution cost. We also present a user study to assess the usefulness of the naturalness measures.
Quantifying Point Contributions: A Lightweight Framework for Efficient and Effective Query-Driven Trajectory Simplification
Authors: Song Yumeng , Gu Yu , Li Tianyi , Li Yushuai , Jensen Christian S. , Yu Ge
Published: February 2025

As large volumes of trajectory data accumulate, simplifying trajectories to reduce storage and querying costs is increasingly studied. Existing proposals face three main problems. First, they require numerous iterations to decide which GPS points to delete. Second, they focus only on the relationships between neighboring points (local information) while neglecting the overall structure (global information), reducing the global similarity between the simplified and original trajectories and making it difficult to maintain consistency in query results, especially for similarity-based queries. Finally, they fail to differentiate the importance of points with similar features, leading to suboptimal selection of points to retain the original trajectory information.

We propose MLSimp, a novel Mutual Learning query-driven trajectory simplification framework that integrates two distinct models: GNN-TS, based on graph neural networks, and Diff-TS, based on diffusion models. GNN-TS evaluates the importance of a point according to its globality, capturing its correlation with the entire trajectory, and its uniqueness, capturing its differences from neighboring points. It also incorporates attention mechanisms in the GNN layers, enabling simultaneous data integration from all points within the same trajectory and refining representations, thus avoiding iterative processes. Diff-TS generates amplified signals to enable the retention of the most important points at low compression rates. Experiments involving eight baselines on three databases show that MLSimp reduces the simplification time by 42%--70% and improves query accuracy over simplified trajectories by up to 34.6%.
Goku: A Schemaless Time Series Database for Large Scale Monitoring at Pinterest
Authors: Sanghavi Monil Mukesh , Hu Ming-May , Luo Zhenxiao , Li Xiao , Bajaj Kapil
Published: February 2025

Engineers rely heavily on observability tools to monitor their business and system metrics and set up alerting on it. A reliable and efficient monitoring system is very important for development velocity. In this paper, we introduce Goku, a time series database (TSDB) we built from the ground up at Pinterest. Over the years, we have studied user patterns and common requests to constantly evolve Goku to store and serve the use cases at Pinterest with high efficiency and reduced costs. At its core, Goku uses tiered storage to store new and frequently queried metrics data in memory while leveraging solid state drive (SSD) and hard disks (HDD) for older data. Goku aggregates metrics data at write time while also rolling up datapoints with lower time granularity to low latency to certain use cases. Goku also supports modifying configurations on metrics data like time to live (TTL), rollup granularity, backfilling capability, etc. Using multiple replicas and AWS S3 as backup, Goku is highly available and fault tolerant.
COVID-19, Economic Growth, and Income Inequality: Empirical Study in Indonesia
Authors: Agusalim Lestari , Setiawan Yoga
Published: February 2025

Income inequality remains a significant issue in developing countries like Indonesia, affecting societal well-being unevenly. Economic growth is often considered a key indicator of social welfare, but its benefits are not always distributed equitably. When economic growth coincides with high levels of income inequality, it suggests that only certain groups reap greater benefits while others are left behind. Therefore, it is essential to analyze whether there are disparities in the influence of economic growth on income inequality in Indonesia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a random effects model and 12 years of data (2010–2021), this analysis reveals that economic growth does not significantly affect income inequality in Indonesia, challenging the Kuznets hypothesis. Domestic investment (DIN) also shows no influence on income inequality. In contrast, the human development index (HDI) consistently has a significant negative impact on income inequality across both periods. Meanwhile, foreign direct investment (FDI) positively impacts income inequality. There is no difference in the influence of HDI and FDI on income inequality before and during COVID-19. These findings emphasize the importance of improving human resource quality as an effective strategy for addressing income inequality, particularly by enhancing access to education, healthcare services, and overall social welfare.
Fraud and Abuse: Learning From Mistakes of Others
Authors:   American Academy of Pediatrics
Published: February 2025

This article reviews compliance risk areas that have resulted in payment of refunds and penalties by physician practices that self-disclosed potential violations to the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG) or to the US Department of Justice and gives an overview of indications for self-disclosure. Topics include the following: Responsibility to learn and complyUp-codingIncident-to services without proper supervisionBilling for services by an excluded individual
Coding Hotline
Authors:   American Academy of Pediatrics
Published: February 2025

This month’s Coding Hotline addresses coding for attendance at newborn delivery.
Professional-applied physical training of future specialists in the oil and gas industry with the predominant use of the game method
Authors: Boichuk Roman , Vintonyak Oleh , Kryzhanivskyi Volodymyr , Mikhailenko Roman , Shankovskyi Andriy , Belyavskyi Ihor , Hrabchuk Andriy
Published: February 2025

Background and Study Aim. Physical training plays a crucial role in preparing future specialists for the demands of the oil and gas industry, where physical endurance and coordination are essential for professional activities. Implementing effective training methods can enhance students' physical preparedness and overall performance. To identify the pedagogical conditions for using the game method in the process of professional and applied physical training of oil and gas students.
Material and Methods. The study involved students of the specialty "Oil and gas engineering" aged 17–18 (n=60). The students were divided into a control (n=30) and an experimental group (n=30). Physical fitness was assessed using motor tests that evaluated key motor qualities, including strength, endurance, speed, flexibility, and coordination abilities.
Results. Widespread use of the game method contributed to a higher growth rate of the development level of most indicators of physical fitness among students of the experimental group. Significant improvement in physical fitness indicators (p < 0.05) was found in almost all indicators in both groups. However, in the experimental group, an improvement (p < 0.001) was found in 9 out of 11 indicators. In the control group, a significant improvement in the results (p < 0.001) occurred only in 5 out of 11 cases. The use of the game method contributed to a higher growth rate of the development level of coordination abilities in students of the experimental group. Significant improvement (p < 0.001) in the experimental group was found in 2 out of 3 indicators of coordination preparedness. Along with this, a significant increase in such professionally significant motor quality as general endurance at the level (p < 0.001) was found in students of the experimental group (test "3000 m running").
Conclusions. During the planning of physical education classes, the content, means and methods should be focused on the game form of learning, because game activity is distinguished by its intensity, dynamism, variety and unpredictability of the results of game actions. The use of competitive and game methods in the process of developing students' physical qualities allows students to fully reveal their functional capabilities and fully realize their motor potential. Theoretical and methodological training of students in physical education classes is a kind of basis for improving the development of motor qualities, strengthening and maintaining health, forming students' readiness for independent use of physical education tools for personal self-improvement.
Strength training versus high-intensity aerobic exercise: which is more effective in increasing il-10 production as an anti-inflammatory?
Authors: Wijono Wijono , Fajar Muhammad Kharis , Jatmiko Tutur , Purnomo Mochamad , Wiriawan Oce , Pramono Bayu Agung , Mustar Yetty Septiani , Kusuma I Dewa Made Aryananda Wijaya , Kurnaz Mert , Widohardhono Rachman , Nirwansyah Waristra Tyo , Pranoto Adi
Published: February 2025

Background and Study Aim. Physical exercise is widely recognized as an effective strategy for improving health and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of high-intensity and low-intensity strength training, as well as high-intensity aerobic exercise, on serum Interleukin-10 (IL-10) production.
Material and Methods. Thirty college students were recruited to undergo different training programs in each group. The study employed an experimental design with three exercise groups: high-intensity strength training (STH), low-intensity strength training (STR), and high-intensity aerobic exercise (AH). Each group included 10 participants, and serum IL-10 levels were measured before exercise and 24 hours post-exercise. To assess long-term effects, participants trained three times per week for four weeks under carefully monitored conditions.  
Results. The results showed that all types of exercise significantly increased serum IL-10 levels. The AH group exhibited the highest increase, followed by the STR and STH groups. These findings align with previous studies demonstrating an increase in IL-10 following high-intensity aerobic exercise. The elevated IL-10 levels in the AH group can be attributed to improved cardiovascular capacity and the body's inflammatory response. Strength training, despite not increasing VO2max, also led to an IL-10 increase, though the effect was smaller compared to aerobic exercise.
Conclusions. High-intensity aerobic exercise is more effective at increasing IL-10 production compared to strength training. This study suggests combining both types of exercise to maximize immunological benefits. Such an approach can also enhance post-exercise recovery. It is important to consider the duration and recovery intervals, as these factors influence the immune response.
QUANDO A RELAÇÃO ADOECE
Authors: Soares Domingues Gustavo , Santos Silva Flávia , Vite de Andrade Hellen , Melo Ferreira Veloso Roberta , Nobre Thalita
Published: February 2025

A relação do bebê com a pessoa que ocupa a função materna é fundamental para a constituição psíquica. Nesse sentido, é a partir dessas relações que são internalizados aquilo que se chama de objetos internos da criança, assim como seus padrões de apego. O filme “Precisamos falar sobre Kevin”, por sua vez, ganha destaque para a análise, visto que apresenta o desenvolvimento do personagem desde a concepção ao período da adolescência, além de apresentar os impactos de figuras pouco adaptativas às necessidades infantis - principalmente quando há uma demanda maior vindo dessa criança. Nesse sentido, o objetivo do presente estudo consiste em discutir sobre a relação mãe-criança em um caso compreendido como psicopatológico e apresentado na produção fílmica “Precisamos falar sobre Kevin”.
ESCUTAR NO CONTRATEMPO
Authors: De Oliveira Silva Taysa Rebeca , Fernandes de Medeiros Laura Gabryelle , Monteiro da Costa Ana Clara , Pessoa Lima Bárbara , Do Nascimento Costa Alessandra , Clemente Anselmo
Published: February 2025

Esta pesquisa investiga as transformações vivenciadas por uma pesquisadora-estagiária durante seu estágio em Psicologia em uma Unidade de Saúde da Família em João Pessoa, destacando como as interações no serviço influenciam o processo formativo e a produção do cuidado. Utilizando uma abordagem qualitativa, foram empregados os métodos da cartografia e análise de implicação. A coleta e análise de dados se basearam em diários cartográficos e encontros de processamento do vivido, explorando o movimento de transformação mútua entre pesquisador e campo. A conclusão indica que esta experiência exige uma avaliação constante acerca dos discursos e práticas em funcionamento, garantindo que as ações e decisões estejam alinhadas à garantia de direitos, integralidade e transversalidade do cuidado.
ESTRELAS NUNCA MORREM: IDENTIDADE-METAMORFOSE DA PESSOA EM CUIDADOS PALIATIVOS
Authors: Amâncio do Rêgo Junior João , Passos da Silva Joice , Lamberti Renan , Portugueis Diane
Published: February 2025

Desde a antiguidade a morte é um tabu e, principalmente após a pandemia do Covid-19, a Psicologia, entre outras áreas da saúde, viu-se diante da necessidade de tratar deste tema e desvelar o padecer humano, etapa do desenvolvimento tão ignorada. Fundamentados no estudo sobre a morte e o morrer de Kübler-Ross e sob o olhar das diversas representações da morte de Maria Julia Kovács, em sintonia com a teoria de Identidade-Metamorfose de Antônio da Costa Ciampa, este estudo entrou em contato com a história de vida de Estrela, mulher em cuidados paliativos devido ao câncer, participante voluntária da pesquisa. Ao traçar paralelos com Macabéa, protagonista de “A hora da Estrela”, exploramos as personagens assumidas por Estrela e o papel desumanizador da sociedade na produção da morte.
CONTRIBUIÇÃO DAS UNIVERSIDADES PARA OS OBJETIVOS DE DESENVOLVIMENTO SUSTENTÁVEL NO BRASIL E NO MUNDO
Authors: Limeira Tiago Silva , Souza Eduardo Ferreira de , Moraes Denes Martins de , Luetkmeyer Leandro , Stieven Ana Carla
Published: February 2025

O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar buscas e identificar as principais instituições de ensino superior reconhecidas por suas práticas de sustentabilidade e contribuição para os ODS. Foi realizado metanálise, executado 5 fases: Identificar o problema de pesquisa; Fazer a pesquisa bibliográfica; Definir os critérios de seleção e inclusão; Extração de dados; Realizar a metanálise básica. No Brasil, três universidades são destacadas na aplicação dos ODS, sendo elas: Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC). Internacionalmente as principais universidades reconhecidas por suas práticas de sustentabilidade e contribuição para os ODS incluem: Universidade de Harvard (EUA), Universidade de Stanford (EUA), Universidade de Cambrige (Reino Unido), Universidade de Melbourne (Austrália). Para essas universidades, a aplicação dos ODS não é apenas uma questão de conformidade ou reputação, mas um aspecto integral de sua missão acadêmica e social, que contribui para um impacto positivo mais amplo na sociedade e no ambiente global. Os ODS são essenciais para as instituições de ensino superior porque promovem um impacto positivo abrangente, asseguram a relevância e a qualidade da educação e da pesquisa, incentivam a colaboração e a inovação, e fortalecem a reputação e a eficiência operacional das universidades. Ao integrar os ODS em suas estratégias e práticas, as instituições não só contribuem para um futuro sustentável, mas também garantem seu papel como agentes de mudança e progresso na sociedade.
Optimized ammonium removal using Al-modified bentonite: Insights into structural and mineralogical changes
Authors: Hoang-Minh Thao , Nguyen-Thanh Lan , Thi Pham Nga , Van Bui Dong , Nguyen Thi Hai , Dinh Nguyen Thai , Minh Thi Nguyen Thuyet , Duy Nguyen Thien , Mählmann Rafael Ferreiro , Kasbohm Jörn
Published: February 2025

Highly effective adsorbents derived from modified Di Linh bentonite (Lam Dong Province, Vietnam) were produced using Al3+ stock solution prepared from Al2(SO4)3•18H2O. Mineral, morphology, and surface area properties of untreated and Al-modified Di Linh bentonite were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption analyses. A scanning experiment was conducted to investigate the Al-modified bentonite material's ammonium (NH₄⁺) removal capacity at two levels of NH₄⁺ initial concentration. Results show that the combination of acid H2SO4 (a bioproduct of diluted Al solution) with Al3+ caused the smectitization of clay particles via a dissolution-precipitation mechanism, which enhances the structural organization of smectite and modifies its mineralogical properties. This process promoted the removal capacity of Al-modified bentonites, which increased to 0.47 mg/g in comparison with 0.32 mg/g from untreated bentonite at 50 mg/L NH4+-N concentration, to 19.3 mg/g in comparison with 17.2 mg/g from untreated bentonite at 1000 mg/L NH4+-N concentration. This approach to modifying natural bentonite offers new possibilities for developing adsorbents to eliminate NH4+ from water.