bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulatory Compliance, Ethical Considerations, Audit Quality And Transparency In Modern Auditing And Assurance
Authors: Haladu Alhassan , Oladiran AbiodunI bietan- , Okoh Onche Abraham , Etim Utibe Etim
Published: January 2025

This study is a conceptual review that investigates regulatory compliance, ethical considerations, audit quality
and transparencyonthe dynamics of Auditing and Assurance in the Nigerian contextin the modern world by
studying the challenges hindering their effective implementations. With a methodology based on critical review
of related literatures through content analysis to identify key areas of development, patterns, trends and
problems facing significant concepts in the auditing profession, the research seeks to point out how technology
and new discoveries have influence the auditing profession. Findings reveal that while integrity and objectivity
are prioritized, external pressures, inadequate training, and resource constraints impede the full
implementation of regulatory compliance, ethical consideration and transparent quality audit. The study therefore,endorsedincreased auditor training, stronger enforcement of ethical guidelines, and improved resource allocation to enhance compliance, financial transparency and stakeholders’ trust
Factors Influencing The Customer Adoption Of Internet Banking: Case Of A Leading Public Sector Commercial Bank, Kurunegala District, In Sri Lanka
Authors: Pallegama P.M.S.I , Herath H.M.A.K
Published: January 2025

Background: This research is carried out to investigate the factors affecting customer adoption of Internet
banking. The adoption of online banking is influenced by several variables. Despite of the online banking services
offered, customer adoption is not up to the expected level in Sri Lanka. The objective of the study is to identify the
factors affecting Internet banking adoption and provide recommendations for the responsible management of a
leading public sector commercial bank, Kurunegala District in Sri Lanka.
Materials and Methods: The relevant data was collected by a quantitative method through a questionnaire survey.
The factors of green concern, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived security were selected
as predictable variables, and Internet banking adoption was considered as the dependent variable. The researcher
developed hypotheses for each factor that creates a significant impact on Internet banking adoption. Data were
collected from three hundred eighty-four customers of the particular bank in Kurunegala district, which
considered as the sample of the study. The researcher performed reliability analysis, normality analysis, validity
test, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis.
Results: All research variables were tested as reliable under Cronbach’s alpha standard. The Correlation
analysis showed a strong positive significant relationship between all the selected factors and Internet banking
adoption. Multiple Regression analysis described the significant impact of selected factors on Internet banking
adoption. The regression model demonstrated over 71.5 % of variance in the dependent variable (internet banking
adoption) due to the selected factors (green concern, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived
security). Each research variable creates a significant influence on Internet banking adoption. As a result, the
researcher accepted all the hypotheses (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The researcher found that consumer green concern, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and security, created a significant impact on Internet banking adoption of the selected context.
As contribuições da gamificação no ensino em matemática
Authors: Mattos Thiago Pierre Linhares , Lima Alex Sandro Santos de , Neto Raimundo Cazuza Da Silva , Lima Layane do Nascimento , Medeiros Tâmara Kadidja Silva de
Published: January 2025

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar as contribuições da gamificação no ensino de
Matemática, explorando como essa abordagem pode influenciar o engajamento, a aprendizagem e o
desenvolvimento dos alunos. A metodologia adotada foi de caráter qualitativo e exploratório, com uma amostra
composta por 21 professores de Matemática de uma escola pública brasileira, selecionados por conveniência.
Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas em profundidade e analisados utilizando a técnica da análise
do discurso. Os resultados indicaram que a gamificação é eficaz para aumentar o envolvimento dos alunos,
tornando as aulas mais dinâmicas e motivadoras, além de facilitar a compreensão de conceitos abstratos da
Matemática. No entanto, também surgiram desafios, como a necessidade de maior capacitação dos professores,
o acesso desigual a tecnologias, o tempo demandado para o planejamento de atividades e as dificuldades em
integrar a gamificação de forma alinhada aos objetivos pedagógicos e às avaliações. Conclui-se que, embora a
gamificação tenha grande potencial para transformar o ensino de Matemática, sua implementação bemsucedida depende de um apoio institucional consistente, incluindo a formação adequada dos educadores e a infraestrutura necessária para garantir o sucesso dessa abordagem no contexto escolar.
What Is The Impact Of Financial Literacy On Individual Investment Behaviour And Wealth Accumulation?
Authors: Batra Vaanya
Published: January 2025

.
Short-term Adverse Events Following Immunization With Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) Vaccine for Mpox
Authors: Deng Lucy , Lopez Laura K. , Glover Catherine , Cashman Patrick , Reynolds Renee , Macartney Kristine , Wood Nicholas
Published: May 2023

This study uses data collected by Australia’s vaccine safety surveillance system to examine the adverse event profile of the modified vaccinia Ankara–Bavarian Nordic vaccine.
Treatment Disparities in Radiation and Hormone Therapy Among Women Covered by Medicaid vs Private Insurance in Cancer Registry and Claims Data
Authors: Bradley Cathy J. , Sabik Lindsay M. , Liang Rifei , Lindrooth Richard C. , Perraillon Marcelo C.
Published: May 2023

Importance

Prior research has reported undertreatment among patients with cancer who are insured by Medicaid, but this finding may be due, in part, to incomplete data in cancer registries.

Objective

To compare disparities in radiation and hormone therapy between women with breast cancer covered by Medicaid and those with private insurance using the Colorado Central Cancer Registry (CCCR) and CCCR data supplemented with All Payer Claims Data (APCD).

Design, Setting, and Participants

This observational cohort study included women aged 21 to 63 years who received breast cancer surgery. We linked the CCCR and Colorado APCD to identify Medicaid and privately insured women who were newly diagnosed with invasive, nonmetastatic breast cancer between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2017. In the radiation treatment analysis, we narrowed the sample to women who received breast-conserving surgery (Medicaid, n = 1408; private, n = 1984) and in the hormone therapy analysis, we selected women who were hormone-receptor positive (Medicaid, n = 1156; private, n = 1667).

Main Outcomes and Measures

We used logistic regression to estimate the likelihood of treatment within 12 months to assess whether the results varied between data sources.

Results

There were 3392 and 2823 participants in the radiation and hormone therapy cohorts, respectively. The mean (SD) age was 51.71 (8.30) years in the radiation therapy cohort, and 52.00 (8.16) years in the hormone therapy cohort. Among the participants, there were 140 (4%) and 105 (4%) who were Black non-Hispanic, 499 (15%) and 406 (14%) who were Hispanic, 2602 (77%) and 2190 (78%) were White, and 151 (4%) and 122 (4%) were other/unknown in the radiation and hormone therapy cohorts, respectively. A higher percentage of women were aged 50 years or younger in the Medicaid samples (40% vs 34% in the privately insured sample) and identified as non-Hispanic Black (about 7%) or Hispanic (approximately 24%). Treatment was underreported in both sources, but to a lesser extent in the APCD (2.5% and 2.0% for Medicaid and private insurance, respectively) compared with CCCR (19.5% and 13.3% for Medicaid and private insurance, respectively). Using CCCR data, Women with Medicaid insurance were 4 (95% CI, −8 to −1; P = .02) and 10 (95% CI, −14 to −6; P < .001) percentage points less likely to have a record of radiation and hormone therapy compared with privately insured women, respectively. Using combined CCCR and APCD, no statistically significant disparity was observed in radiation or hormone therapy between Medicaid-insured and privately insured women.

Conclusions and Relevance

Among women with breast cancer covered by Medicaid vs private insurance, cancer treatment disparities may be overestimated if based solely on cancer registry data.
Effectiveness of mobile-based intervention Self-care for Pregnant Women at Work: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lee Yaelim , Kim Seohyeon , Choi Soeun
Published: May 2023

Objectives

While the number of employed women has increased worldwide, they still have difficulties in practicing prenatal care at work. Previous studies have found that smartphone-based prenatal education has increased access to healthcare and contributed to improving pregnant women’s health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile-based intervention—Self-care for Pregnant Women at Work (SPWW)—in enhancing the self-care practices of pregnant women who work.

Methods

A randomized repeated measures design was used in the study. The 126 women were randomly assigned to either an intervention group that used the SPWW mobile application for 4 weeks or a control group that used an application that only had surveys. Both groups completed surveys at preintervention, week 2, and week 4 of their participation in the study. The primary study variables were work stress, pregnancy stress, fear of childbirth, pregnancy experience, and health practices in pregnancy.

Results

A total of 116 participants’ data (60 in the intervention group and 56 in the control group) were analyzed. Significant group-by-time interaction effects were noted for pregnancy stress, pregnancy hassles, and health practices in pregnancy. The effect size of the intervention was small to medium for pregnancy stress (d = −0.425), pregnancy uplifts (d = 0.333), pregnancy hassles (d = −0.599), and health practices in pregnancy (d = 0.490).

Conclusions

A mobile-based intervention using a comprehensive health application is effective in pregnant women at work. Developing educational content and methods targeted at this population would be helpful.
Ultrasound‐Assisted Crystallization Enables Large‐Area Perovskite Quasi‐Monocrystalline Film for High‐Sensitive X‐ray Detection and Imaging
Authors: Li Wen‐Guang , Wang Xu‐Dong , Huang Yu‐Hua , Kuang Dai‐Bin
Published: May 2023

In recent years, halide perovskites have shown great application potential in X‐ray detection due to their superior optoelectronic properties and high X‐ray attenuation coefficient. However, large‐area perovskite fabrication for high performance X‐ray detectors remains extremely challenging. Herein, ultrasound‐assisted crystallization combined with the hot‐pressing method is proposed to prepare large‐area (10 cm × 10 cm) and high‐quality quasi‐monocrystalline thick film of a mixed‐cation perovskite MA0.42FA0.58PbI3. The rapid ultrasound‐assisted crystallization provides more homogeneous nucleation, which is essential to the fabrication of large‐area and uniform perovskite microcrystalline film. Furthermore, the post hot‐pressing treatment is implemented to fuse the crystal boundaries, rearrange the crystal grains, and eliminate the voids between crystals, resulting in a quasi‐monocrystalline film. After the hot‐pressing treatment, the carrier mobility and the carrier mobility‐lifetime product increased about 13‐fold (from 1.8 to 23.5 cm2 s−1 V−1) and 18 times (from 8.4 × 10−6 to 1.5 × 10−4 cm2 V−1), respectively. As a result, a high‐performance MA0.42FA0.58PbI3 quasi‐monocrystalline X‐ray detector is achieved with an impressively high sensitivity (1.16 × 106 µC Gyair−1 cm−2) and low detection limit (37.4 nGyair s−1), demonstrating the potential of the ultrasound‐assisted crystallization and hot‐pressing strategy from an industrial perspective.
Interface Charge Characteristics in Polymer Dielectric Contacts: Analysis of Acoustic Approach and Probe Microscopy
Authors: Hu Leiyu , Wang Weiwang , Yu Shixin , Ma Diqin , Lv Jiaju , Zhong Yu , Li Shengtao , Tanaka Yasuhiro , Takada Tatsuo
Published: May 2023

Interfaces are essential components in polymer contact systems, which widely exist in electronic devices and power equipment. Interface charge originating from the mismatch of the electronic structure in interfaces is one of the key issues to modify the device performance due to its multifunctional migration and accumulation behaviors. Hence, the detection and analysis of the interface charge characteristics are of great importance to deeply understand the polymer contact system in various devices. This paper presents an overview of recent research progress in the interface charge properties at dielectric interfaces. Based on the theoretical analysis of the MWS polarization and electronic localized states, two typical approaches of discussing the interface charges from micrometer to millimeter are mainly studied. Acoustic method is prevalent in detecting the space charge in various dielectrics. However, owing to its limited resolution (several µm), it is difficult to clarify the charge distributions at the interface with a micro‐scale. Probe microscopy presents a promising technique due to its flexible surface potential detection at a submicron scale. The challenges and prospects of acoustic and probe microscopy methods are discussed in this paper. The advanced techniques of interface charges can promote the development of new energy electronic devices.
Piezoelectric Effect Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF): From Energy Harvester to Smart Skin and Electronic Textiles
Authors: Feng Zhangbin , Zhao Ziquan , Liu Yanan , Liu Yukang , Cao Xianyang , Yu Deng‐Guang , Wang Ke
Published: May 2023

With the great demand for flexible self‐powered sensors and nanogenerators, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is widely investigated for outstanding piezoelectric and dielectric constant. In the pursuit for increasing β content, electrospinning is exhibited to be an effective method without external high voltage pooling or mechanical stretching and thus is considered a cost‐effective and simple method, because the molecular dipoles in the PVDF can be aligned during the process of electrospinning with high voltage field and stretching. The methods for improving piezoelectric characteristics are briefly introduced in this review, electrospinning fibers including uniaxial fibers, highly aligned fibers, core–shell fibers and Janus fibers are revealed, and research on theoretical modeling is carried out for efficiency in the design of piezoelectric nanogenerator. Last, studies on prospective applications based on electrospun PVDF and its copolymer PVDF‐TrFE, from sensors to smart skin, from energy harvesters to electronic textiles, are being conducted.
Luminescence Nanoprobes for Drug Screening, Pharmaceutical Analysis, and Therapeutic Evaluations
Authors: Li Lanlan , Hu Tao , Guo Jiawei , Zhang Jianxiang
Published: May 2023

Luminescence nanoprobes have been extensively investigated for many biomedical applications, ranging from cell/tissue imaging, real‐time monitoring pathophysiological changes, drug discovery, bioassays, image‐guided surgery, and therapeutic evaluations, mainly due to their excellent physicochemical properties such as tailorable size, controlled morphology, and regulatable luminescence performances. In particular, rationally designed luminescence nanoprobes with reasonable functional integration enable pharmacological effect‐based drug screening, quantification of biological/pharmaceutical agents, and monitoring therapeutic responses of different drugs. This review provides an overview of the applications of different types of luminescence nanoprobes in drug discovery and development, involving various nanoprobes for high‐throughput and high‐content drug screening, pharmaceutical analysis, and therapeutic evaluations in cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and other typical inflammatory diseases. Moreover, challenges and future perspectives regarding future applications of luminescence nanoprobes in the drug discovery field are also discussed.
2D Semiconducting Polymers Based on Aromatic 1,5‐Diheterocines with Oxygen and Nitrogen
Authors: Kevorkyants Ruslan
Published: May 2023

A class of two‐dimensional polymers (2DP) based on aromatic oxygen‐ and nitrogen‐containing 1,5‐diheterocines is proposed. The diheterocines are interconnected via linkages with multiple bonds (─N═N─, ─C≡C─, ─N═CH─, ─CH═CH─) resulting in 30 polymers with 2D π‐conjugated network. According to DFT modeling nine of them are strictly planar species of monoclinic symmetry featuring either direct or indirect electronic transitions with HSE06 energies falling in the range [0.01–1.03] eV. The highest charge carrier velocity and corresponding lowest mass are estimated at 5.79 × 105 m s−1 and 9.45 × 10−3 m0, respectively. In addition to prospective optoelectronic applications, the polymers can be used in separation/filtration technologies. The proof‐of‐principle of N2/O2 separation is presented. Pore sizes of the 2DPs can be varied subject to the size of linkages. This study opens up new avenues for a design of multifunctional 2DPs.
KMT2D Deficiency Promotes Myeloid Leukemias which Is Vulnerable to Ribosome Biogenesis Inhibition
Authors: Xu Jing , Zhong Ailing , Zhang Shan , Chen Mei , Zhang Lanxin , Hang Xiaohang , Zheng Jianan , Wu Baohong , Deng Xintong , Pan Xiangyu , Wang Zhongwang , Qi Lu , Shi Kaidou , Li Shujun , Wang Yiyun , Wang Manli , Chen Xuelan , Zhang Qi , Liu Pengpeng , Gale Robert Peter , Chen Chong , Liu Yu , Niu Ting
Published: May 2023

KMT2C and KMT2D are the most frequently mutated epigenetic genes in human cancers. While KMT2C is identified as a tumor suppressor in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the role of KMT2D remains unclear in this disease, though its loss promotes B cell lymphoma and various solid cancers. Here, it is reported that KMT2D is downregulated or mutated in AML and its deficiency, through shRNA knockdown or CRISPR/Cas9 editing, accelerates leukemogenesis in mice. Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and AML cells with Kmt2d loss have significantly enhanced ribosome biogenesis and consistently, enlarged nucleolus, increased rRNA and protein synthesis rates. Mechanistically, it is found that KMT2D deficiency leads to the activation of the mTOR pathway in both mouse and human AML cells. Kmt2d directly regulates the expression of Ddit4, a negative regulator of the mTOR pathway. Consistent with the abnormal ribosome biogenesis, it is shown that CX‐5461, an inhibitor of RNA polymerase I, significantly restrains the growth of AML with Kmt2d loss in vivo and extends the survival of leukemic mice. These studies validate KMT2D as a de facto tumor suppressor in AML and reveal an unprecedented vulnerability to ribosome biogenesis inhibition.
Electric Field‐Assisted Uptake of Hexavalent Chromium Ions with In Situ Regeneration of Carbon Monolith Adsorbents
Authors: Wang Biao , Jiang Qi , Yang Guangxing , Wang Haofan , Wang Hongjuan , Peng Feng , Yu Hao , Huang Jiangnan , Zhong Guoyu , Cao Yonghai
Published: May 2023

The uptake of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) ions from wastewater is of great significance for environmental remediation and resource utilization. In this study, a self‐designed instrument equipped with an oxidized mesoporous carbon monolith (o‐MCM) as an electro‐adsorbent is developed. o‐MCM with a super hydrophilic surface displayed a high specific surface area (up to 686.5 m2 g−1). With the assistance of an electric field (0.5 V), the removal capacity of Cr(VI) ions is as high as 126.6 mg g−1, much higher than that without an electric field (49.5 mg g−1). During this process, no reduction reaction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) ions is observed. After adsorption, the reverse electrode with 10 V is used to efficiently desorb the ions on the carbon surface. Meanwhile, the in situ regeneration of carbon adsorbents can be obtained even after ten recycles. On this basis, the enrichment of Cr(VI) ions in a special solution is achieved with the assistance of an electric field. This work lays a foundation for the uptake of heavy metal ions from wastewater with the assistance of the electric field.
Dual cross‐linked self‐healing temperature and pressure sensor based on PAM/ENR/h‐BN composite
Authors: Ding Hongda , Wang Yanqiu , Shen Xiande
Published: May 2023

Sensor of monitor of temperature and pressure changes are garnering constant attention due to their wide applications. It is a challenge to synthesize dual‐functional material with the well‐balanced performance to temperature response and pressure changes. In this work, we have proposed a facile way to fabricate tough, flexible, and self‐healing composite with dually synergistic networks for pressure and temperature sensors, which are composed of polyacrylamide (PAM) and elastic epoxidized natural rubber (ENR). PAM networks are crosslinked by N,N‐methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) and physical crosslinking of hydrophilic hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) nanosheets, ENR network is further interlocked and PAM by physical entanglements, hydrogen bonds. It is found that the ternary PAM/ENR/h‐BN (PEB) composite is highly sensitive to temperature, making it can be exploited as a thermistor. This thermistor possesses high flexibility and appealing mechanical performance, with the sensitivity as high as 1.87%/°C at temperature range of −13 to 90°C. Furtherly, the PEB composite also can work as a flexible pressure sensor at operating range of ~80% strain and ~540 KPa. Our research work provides a guideline for the preparation of temperature monitor, piezoresistive pressure sensors, as well as flexible electronic products.
Investigation of sorption mechanisms of chemical contaminants in PHBV‐based food packaging material: Impact on closed‐loop mechanical recycling opportunities
Authors: Dedieu Isabelle , Aouf Chahinez , Gaucel Sébastien , Peyron Stéphane
Published: May 2023

The identification of contaminants on postconsumer food packaging is crucial for developing/adapting decontamination technology of closed‐loop mechanical recycling. So far, almost all contamination studies were conducted on PET bottles, with results extrapolated to other polymers. This work investigates the sorption mechanisms of three contaminants (Benzophenone, Ferulic acid and Irganox 1076), with different molecular weights and polarity, on the biodegradable polymer PHBV. Characterization of their respective partition coefficient (KP/L) and diffusion coefficient (D), under realistic conditions of use (contact with food simulants), allowed the modeling of their concentration profile in the thickness of the material. The results show a sorption in the core of PHBV of these three molecules, reached after a few hours/days. On the contrary, the same model applied to PET reveal a very slow sorption (several years), and only at the surface of the material. This study highlights the impact of polymer structure (chain mobility, polarity…) on contaminant sorption. The behavior of each polymer towards contaminants is directly related to its structure under given conditions of use, and it is a mistake to continue to address the decontamination processes of all polymers, based on the nature and level of contamination of PET.
Clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes in patients with angiosarcoma of breast
Authors: Li Junfeng , Li Yunhai , Wang Yuanyuan , Li Zhao , Zhang Huan , Gao Yidan , Tan Jinxiang
Published: May 2023

Background

Angiosarcoma of the breast is a rare malignancy. There are little data evaluating the survival and estimating the prognostic factors. The best surgical management and the role of systemic adjuvant therapy remain ill‐defined. This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological features, survival, and prognostic factors of breast angiosarcoma.

Methods

The data on patients diagnosed with breast angiosarcoma were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1975–2016). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to estimate the influential prognostic factors. The overall survival (OS) and disease‐specific survival (DSS) of patients with breast angiosarcoma were evaluated.

Results

This study included 656 patients diagnosed with breast angiosarcoma between 1975 and 2016. The 5‐year OS rate of all patients was 44.9% (95% CI 40.8–49.0). In both OS and DSS, Kaplan–Meier survival analyses revealed significant differences for both OS and DSS according to age, year at diagnosis, laterality, grade, and stage (all log‐rank p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis suggested that lesions of the right breast, poor differentiation, and advanced stage were independent risk factors for OS or DSS (all p < 0.05). Older age was a risk factor in OS, but was protective in DSS. In primary breast angiosarcoma, age, laterality, grade, and stage were independent prognostic factors in OS and DSS (all p < 0.05). Mastectomy was also a risk factor in DSS (p = 0.034). The proportion of patients with grade III and regional disease was larger in the mastectomy group.

Conclusion

Angiosarcoma of the breast had a poor prognosis. In our study, age, laterality, histologic grade, and stage were identified as significant prognostic factors. Why patients with angiosarcoma of the right breast had a worse prognosis remains equivocal. Mastectomy was adopted more often by surgeons in this cohort study for patients with advanced primary breast angiosarcoma.
Diagnosing, imaging, and successfully treating a debilitating case of Bing–Neel syndrome: A multidisciplinary feat
Authors: Kerley Robert N. , O'Donnell Niamh , Lynott Fiona , Mulcahy Riona , Hennessy Brian
Published: May 2023

Key Clinical Message

We present a case of Bing–Neel syndrome a rare central nervous system lymphoplasmocytic lymphoma associated with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. Diagnosis should be considered in the context of unexplained neurological symptoms in the presence of macroglobulinemia.

Waldenstroms macroglobulinaemia (WM) is a rare B‐cell lymphoma representing ~2% of all hematological malignancies. While most neurological complications of WM are secondary to the overproduction of immunoglobulin M (IgM), Bing‐Neel syndrome (BNS) is an extremely rare direct central nervous system (CNS) infiltration by malignant lymphoplasmocytic lymphoma (LPL) cells. Limited information on BNS exists in the literature with sparse case reports and case series. Here, we present a diagnostically challenging BNS case successfully treated with systemic chemoimmunotherapy and ibrutinib, with remarkable clinical response.
Visceral leishmaniasis complicated by hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: A case report from a nonendemic area
Authors: Joudeh Anwar I. , Elsiddig Awadelkarim Hussein A. , Gul Mohammadshah Isam , Elayana Mahmoud Salm , Soliman Dina Sameh , Amer Aliaa , Alsamawi Musaed
Published: May 2023

Key Clinical Message

Visceral leishmaniasis and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis share many features in common and may coincide in the same patient. Timely diagnosis and management of visceral leishmaniasis could save patients from unnecessary toxic treatment.

Visceral leishmaniasis and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis share many clinical features in common and may coexist in the same patient. Visceral leishmaniasis should be promptly ruled out in patients coming from endemic areas before starting immunosuppressive therapy for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. The mainstay treatment, in this case, is anti‐leishmania medications preferably liposomal amphotericin‐B.
Bilateral pulmonary embolism associated with peripheral blood eosinophilia and positive antiphospholipid antibodies in a patient with cellulitis
Authors: Tun Han Naung , Kyaw May Thu , Chernikova Daryna , Trofenciuc Mihai , Raza Syed Haseeb , Abdelnabi Mahmoud
Published: May 2023

Key Clinical Message

This report described the pathophysiology, diagnostic workup, and management of thrombosis possibly associated with peripheral blood eosinophilia and transient positive antiphospholipid antibodies in the setting of cellulitis.

Peripheral blood eosinophilia is a risk factor for thrombosis and the presence of other prothrombotic factors such as antiphospholipid antibodies can potentiate that risk. The authors present a case of acute pulmonary embolism which developed at the peak of eosinophilia, later found to have transient positive antiphospholipid antibodies in a male patient with right lower limb cellulitis and a history of intravenous drug abuse. This report illustrates the pathophysiology, diagnosis workup, and therapeutic options of thrombosis possibly associated with peripheral blood eosinophilia and positive antiphospholipid antibodies, which include anticoagulants, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants. Clinicians should be aware of this possible association which may guide the choice and duration of anticoagulants. Although direct oral anticoagulants are effective anticoagulants in various thromboembolic events, studies showed unfavorable outcomes for their use in antiphospholipid syndrome.
Glycogen storage disease in two sisters: A case report
Authors: Twanabasu Sajal , Duwadee Prabin , Homagain Sushan , Ghimire Jeevan , Rijal Ram Chandra
Published: May 2023

Key Clinical Message

Glycogen storage diseases (GSDs) are rare autosomal disorders that result from defects in glycogen metabolism. There are more than 12 types, each with distinct clinical features. Clinical scenario, biochemical abnormalities are useful for suspicion whereas liver biopsy and enzyme assay provides definite diagnosis. We report a case of two sisters with similar clinical symptoms suggestive of the disease.
A “solid” solution for wheat stem sawfly (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) resistance: Genetics, breeding and development of solid stem wheat
Authors: Bathini Akshara , Mendu Lavanya , Singh Nagendra Pratap , Cook Jason , Weaver David , Sherman Jamie , Hager Megan , Mondal Suchismita , Mendu Venugopal
Published: May 2023

Wheat (Triticum spp. L) production needs to be improved to meet the needs of a global population of >9 billion people by 2050. Increasing the productivity of the crop under conditions of abiotic and biotic stress to achieve food security continues to be a challenging proposition. Wheat stem sawfly (WSS) (Cephus cinctus Norton) has been considered as a serious pest of wheat since the late 19th century, causing devastating losses of wheat productivity in the Northern Great Plains of United States and regions of Canada. Developing resistant varieties of wheat that show consistent agronomic performances in varying environments is an effective strategy to manage WSS infestations. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms of WSS infestation, damage, subsequent response of the host plant, and resulting yield losses. The review focuses on genetics, breeding, and development of solid stem (SS)‐mediated WSS resistance in wheat since it has been the most effective method of genetic resistance in reducing wheat yield losses. Furthermore, the knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to develop an effective resistant cultivar against WSS are also discussed.
An isolated high‐gain impedance source‐based single‐phase AC–AC converter with safe commutation and variable output frequency
Authors: Abdoli Iman , Mosallanejad Ali
Published: May 2023

Conventional AC–AC converters have some critical disadvantages, such as inappropriate input and output power quality features, employing snubber circuits to suppress the voltage stress on high‐frequency switches without a safe commutation method that increases the converter size and cost, confined voltage gain, and using huge passive components. This paper proposes an isolated high‐gain single‐phase AC–AC converter with variable output frequency, extended voltage gain, and a safe commutation strategy. Ten semiconductors are only employed for the proposed topology that only two switches and two diodes are operated with high‐frequency PWM signals. This new topology has noteworthy specifications like continuous input and output current, voltage isolation, extended inverting and non‐inverting buck‐boost modes, and frequency regulation. The high voltage gain has been achieved with small values for passive components in the impedance source section, reducing the volume and cost of the converter. The impedance source‐based section of the converter comprises one input inductor, two coupled inductors, and two capacitors in each converter leg. A safe commutation strategy has been designed and applied to the converter to mitigate the voltage and current stresses without extra snubber circuits. The number of semiconductors that simultaneously conduct in each state of the converter has been reduced. So, the conduction loss of the converter diminished. The achieved efficiency equals 95.5% and 93.5% in step‐down and step‐up modes, respectively, validated by an accurate power loss model and experimental analysis. An experimental prototype has been designed to confirm the performance of the suggested converter. Results confirm the theory and operation of the proposed converter.
An efficient FPGA‐based implementation of UWB radar system for through‐wall imaging
Authors: Saad Mohamed , Maali Abdelmadjid , Salah Azzaz Mohamed , Benssalah Mustapha
Published: May 2023

The work presented in this paper aims to develop a low‐cost ultra‐wideband (UWB) radar system that has the capability to image through the wall of a human target. The proposed radar system relies heavily on a field‐programmable gate array (FPGA) platform. The Xilinx FPGA Kintex‐7 (KC705) board is employed to integrate the main functionalities of the radar system, such as the generation and acquisition of a UWB signal. The generated signal is a monocycle signal, which has an ultra‐wide bandwidth. Due to the UWB nature of this signal, the radar system achieves better penetration ability, as well as high imaging resolution. However, the major challenge of a UWB radar system lies in the stage of digitization, as it requires a high sampling rate analog‐to‐digital converter (ADC). In fact, such a chip is very expensive. Hence, to reach a high sampling resolution using a low‐cost and low‐speed ADC, an efficient sampling strategy is implemented. In contrast to other UWB sampling methods, which require a hardware delay line chip, the new sampling scheme depends only on the FPGA firmware to realize a combination of real‐time and equivalent‐time sampling, which provides better jitter performance. Finally, to demonstrate the imaging capability, experimental tests are conducted in an indoor environment while human targets are located in different places. The measurement results revealed that the proposed radar system has the ability to provide 2D images that accurately determine the location of the target.
Functional, antioxidant, and sensory properties of mixed‐fruit (pitaya, watermelon, and mint) and pitaya wines
Authors: Hu Tsung‐Ming , Gavahian Mohsen , Pradhan Rojina , Lu Si‐Yu , Chu Yung‐Lin
Published: May 2023

Fermentation of fruits offers a diverse range of flavors, smells, and colors. Colored fruits are rich in naturally occurring pigments, such as betacyanin. Hence, they are considered to possess powerful antioxidant activities. However, in wine production, such pigments often diversify the flavor and color of the wine. The objective of this study was to compare the quality of two types of wines: a single‐fruit (pitaya) wine and a mixed‐fruit wine that contains watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), mint (Mintha spicata), and pitaya (Hylocereus costaricensis). In this study, fresh pitaya, watermelon, and mint leaves were fermented using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Juice extracts underwent fermentation at room temperature for 7 days under dark conditions. Physicochemical changes, such as pH, sugar content, specific gravity, and alcohol content, were observed daily. The antioxidant activities were measured by the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, and total phenolic contents (TPCs). After 14 days of fermentation, the alcohol contents of mixed and pitaya wine were 11.22% (v/v) and 11.25%, respectively. The total sugar content of the mixed wine was 8.0 °Brix, while that of pitaya wine was 7.0 °Brix. Moreover, pitaya wine exhibited a higher TPC (22.7 mg GAE/100 g D.W.), and better FRAP (3578 μmole/L) and DPPH scavenging ability (80.2%) compared to the mixed wine with a TPC of 21.4 mg GAE/100 g D.W., FRAP of 2528 μmole/L, and DPPH of 75.6%., while the addition of watermelon and mint did not change the alcohol percentage contents of wine.
Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway inhibitors, glycyrrhizic acid, solanine, polyphyllin I, crocin, hypericin, tubeimoside‐1, diosmin, and rutin in medicinal plants have better binding affinities and anticancer properties: Molecular docking and ADMET study
Authors: Egbuna Chukwuebuka , Patrick‐Iwuanyanwu Kingsley C. , Onyeike Eugene N. , Uche Chukwuemelie Zedech , Ogoke Uchenna Petronilla , Riaz Muhammad , Ibezim Ebube Nnamdi , Khan Johra , Adedokun Kamoru A. , Imodoye Sikiru O. , Bello Ibrahim O. , Awuchi Chinaza Godswill
Published: May 2023

Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway plays a role in cancer development, organogenesis, and embryogenesis. The abnormal activation promotes cancer stem cell renewal, proliferation, and differentiation. In the present study, molecular docking simulation and ADMET studies were carried out on selected bioactive compounds in search of β‐catenin protein inhibitors for drug discovery against cancer. Blind docking simulation was performed using PyRx software on Autodock Vina. β‐catenin protein (PDB ID: 1jdh) and 313 bioactive compounds (from PubChem database) with selected standard anticancer drugs were used for molecular docking. The ADMET properties of the best‐performing compounds were calculated using SwissADME and pkCMS web servers. The results obtained from the molecular docking study showed that glycyrrhizic acid, solanine, polyphyllin I, crocin, hypericin, tubeimoside‐1, diosmin, and rutin had the best binding interactions with β‐catenin protein based on their binding affinities. Glycyrrhizic acid and solanine had the same and lowest binding energy of −8.5 kcal/mol. This was followed by polyphyllin I with −8.4 kcal/mol, and crocin, hypericin, and tubeimoside‐1 which all had a binding energy of 8.1 kcal/mol. Other top‐performing compounds include diosmin and rutin with binding energy of −8.0 kcal/mol. The ADMET study revealed that the following compounds glycyrrhizic acid, solanine, polyphyllin I, crocin, hypericin, tubeimoside‐1, diosmin, rutin, and baicalin all violated Lipinski's rule of 5 which implies poor oral bioavailability. However, based on the binding energy score, it was suggested that these pharmacologically active compounds are potential molecules to be tested against cancer.
Similar somatotopy for active and passive digit representation in primary somatosensory cortex
Authors: Sanders Zeena‐Britt , Dempsey‐Jones Harriet , Wesselink Daan B. , Edmondson Laura R. , Puckett Alexander M. , Saal Hannes P. , Makin Tamar R.
Published: May 2023

Scientists traditionally use passive stimulation to examine the organisation of primary somatosensory cortex (SI). However, given the close, bidirectional relationship between the somatosensory and motor systems, active paradigms involving free movement may uncover alternative SI representational motifs. Here, we used 7 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare hallmark features of SI digit representation between active and passive tasks which were unmatched on task or stimulus properties. The spatial location of digit maps, somatotopic organisation, and inter‐digit representational structure were largely consistent between tasks, indicating representational consistency. We also observed some task differences. The active task produced higher univariate activity and multivariate representational information content (inter‐digit distances). The passive task showed a trend towards greater selectivity for digits versus their neighbours. Our findings highlight that, while the gross features of SI functional organisation are task invariant, it is important to also consider motor contributions to digit representation.
Rural age‐friendly ecosystems for older adults: An international scoping review with recommendations to support age‐friendly communities
Authors: Liebzeit Daniel , Krupp Anna , Bunch Jacinda , Tonelli Shalome , Griffin Emily , McVeigh Sarah , Chi Nai‐Ching , Jaboob Saida , Nakad Lynn , Arbaje Alicia I. , Buck Harleah
Published: May 2023

Background and Aims

The population of older adults in rural areas is rising, and they experience higher rates of poverty and chronic illness, have poorer health behaviors, and experience different challenges than those in urban areas. This scoping review seeks to (1) map the state of the science of age‐friendly systems in rural areas regarding structural characteristics, processes for delivering age‐friendly practices, and outcomes of age‐friendly systems, (2) analyze strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats of age‐friendly system implementation, and (3) make person, practice, and policy‐level recommendations to support active aging and development of age‐friendly communities.

Methods

An international scoping review was conducted of articles that used age‐friendly framing, had a sample age of 45 years of age or older, self‐identified as rural, and reported empiric data. Searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, AgeLine, PsychINFO, EMBASE, Scopus, and Academic Search Elite on October 26, 2021, and rerun March 10, 2023. Data were charted across three analytic layers: socioecological model, Donabedian's framework, and SWOT analysis.

Results

Results reveal limited data on outcomes relevant to organizations, such as return on investment or healthcare utilization. While the SWOT analysis revealed many strengths of age‐friendly systems, including their impact on persons' outcomes, it also revealed several weaknesses, threats, and gaps. Namely, age‐friendly systems have weaknesses due to reliance on trained volunteers and staff, communication, and teamwork. System‐level threats include community and health system barriers, and challenges in poor/developing areas.

Conclusions

While age‐friendly systems in this review were heterogeneous, there is an opportunity to focus on unifying elements including the World Health Organization age‐friendly cities framework or 4Ms framework for age‐friendly care. Despite the many benefits of age‐friendly systems, we must acknowledge limitations of the evidence base, pursue opportunities to examine organizational metrics to support implementation and sustainability of age‐friendly systems, and leverage improvements in age‐friendliness at a community level.
Hypothyroidism in induction chemotherapy of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: A single‐centre study
Authors: Yu Hui , Han Juan , Wu Xiaoyan , Qiu Yining , Yu Hui , Xu Jiawei , Hao Jinjin , Peng Yun , Jin Runming , Zhou Fen
Published: May 2023

Hypothyroidism as a long‐term complication in cancer survivors has been an issue, but few studies have focused on changes in thyroid hormone levels during chemotherapy for leukaemia. This retrospective study was conducted to assess the characteristics of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and hypothyroidism during induction chemotherapy and to investigate the prognostic value of hypothyroidism in ALL. Patients with a detailed thyroid hormone profile at ALL diagnosis were enrolled. Hypothyroidism was defined as low serum levels of free tetraiodothyronine (FT4) and/or free triiodothyronine (FT3). The Kaplan‐Meier method was used to create survival curves, and multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to screen prognostic factors associated with progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). There were 276 children eligible for the study, and 184 patients (66.67%) were diagnosed with hypothyroidism, including 90 cases (48.91%) with functional central hypothyroidism and 82 cases (44.57%) with low T3 syndrome. Hypothyroidism was correlated with the dosages of L‐Asparaginase (L‐Asp) (P = .004) and glucocorticoids (P = .010), central nervous system (CNS) status (P = .012), number of severe infections (grade 3, 4 or 5) (P = .026) and serum albumin level (P = .032). Hypothyroidism was an independent prognostic factor for PFS in ALL children (P = .024, 95% CI: 1.1‐4.1). We conclude that hypothyroidism is commonly present in ALL children during induction remission, which is related to chemotherapy drugs and severe infections. Hypothyroidism was a predictor of poor prognosis in childhood ALL.
Herd health: approach to assessing fertility data quality
Authors: Reynolds Jessica , Hudson Chris
Published: May 2023

Background: Farm animal veterinarians are increasingly using routinely collected farm data to assess performance and enable implementation of preventive management changes on farm. Furthermore, the significance of data collection and data management to the farming industry and the farmer‐vet relationship has been identified as a key component of the future cattle veterinary practitioner role in the UK.

Aim of the article: This article provides an overview of commonly recorded key performance indicators of herd fertility, and guides practitioners on how to assess the quality of such recorded data so that they can undertake meaningful data analyses.
How practices can help their team during the cost‐of‐living crisis
Authors: Headington Suzanne
Published: May 2023

The cost‐of‐living crisis is affecting people across the UK, and veterinary practices are under increasing strain to help alleviate this burden when it comes to their teams. While inflation‐beating pay rises are not always possible, this article outlines some other tax‐efficient ways that practices can help.
Applying consumer psychology to drive client behaviour: health plan uptake in practice
Authors: Maher Rebecca
Published: May 2023

Veterinary teams possess abundant clinical expertise, knowledge and skills to deliver an outstanding service to clients. Consumer psychology can help ensure that all of that expertise and knowledge is delivered to clients in such a way that it makes the biggest difference to patient health. This article outlines what consumer psychology is and gives some tips on how it can be applied in a practical context, to encourage the uptake of practice health plans.
Effective injection of adversarial botnet attacks in IoT ecosystem using evolutionary computing
Authors: Bhale Pradeepkumar , Biswas Santosh , Nandi Sukumar
Published: May 2023

With the widespread adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, botnet attacks have become the most prevalent cyberattack. In order to combat botnet attacks, there has been a considerable amount of research on botnet attacks in IoT ecosystems by graph‐based machine learning (GML). The majority of GML models are vulnerable to adversarial attacks (ADAs). These ADAs were created to assess the robustness of existing ML‐based security solutions. In this letter, we present a novel adversarial botnet attack (ADBA) that modifies the graph data structure using genetic algorithms (GAs) to trick the graph‐based botnet attack detection system. According to the experiment results and comparative analysis, the proposed ADBA can be executed on resource‐constrained IoT nodes. It offers a substantial performance gain of 2.15 s, 52 kb, 92 817 mJ, 97.8%, and 27.74%–41.82% over other approaches in term of Computing Time (CT), Memory Usage (MU), Energy Usage (EU), Attack Success Rate (ASR) and Accuracy (ACC) metrics, respectively.