bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Liraglutide versus pramlintide in protecting against cognitive function impairment through affecting PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β/TTBK1 pathway and decreasing Tau hyperphosphorylation in high-fat diet- streptozocin rat model
Authors: Moghazy Hoda M. , Abdelhaliem Nesreen G , Mohammed Sherine Ahmed , Hassan Asmaa , Abdelrahman Amany
Published: March 2024

The American Diabetes Association guidelines (2021) confirmed the importance of raising public awareness of diabetes-induced cognitive impairment, highlighting the links between poor glycemic control and cognitive impairment. The characteristic brain lesions of cognitive dysfunction are neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and senile plaques formed of amyloid-β deposition, glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β), and highly homologous kinase tau tubulin kinase 1 (TTBK1) can phosphorylate Tau proteins at different sites, overexpression of these enzymes produces extensive phosphorylation of Tau proteins making them insoluble and enhance NFT formation, which impairs cognitive functions. The current study aimed to investigate the potential contribution of liraglutide and pramlintide in the prevention of diabetes-induced cognitive dysfunction and their effect on the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β/TTBK1 pathway in type 2 diabetic (T2D) rat model. T2D was induced by administration of a high-fat diet for 10 weeks, then injection of a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ); treatment was started with either pramlintide (200 μg/kg/day sc) or liraglutide (0.6 mg/kg/day sc) for 6 weeks in addition to the HFD. At the end of the study, cognitive functions were assessed by novel object recognition and T-maze tests. Then, rats were sacrificed for biochemical and histological assessment of the hippocampal tissue. Both pramlintide and liraglutide treatment revealed equally adequate control of diabetes, prevented the decline in memory function, and increased PI3K/AKT expression while decreasing GSK-3β/TTBK1 expression; however, liraglutide significantly decreased the number of Tau positive cells better than pramlintide did. This study confirmed that pramlintide and liraglutide are promising antidiabetic medications that could prevent associated cognitive disorders in different mechanisms.
The pain target NaV1.7 is expressed late during human iPS cell differentiation into sensory neurons as determined in high-resolution imaging
Authors: Liu Yi , Balaji Rachna , de Toledo Marcelo A. Szymanski , Ernst Sabrina , Hautvast Petra , Kesdoğan Aylin B. , Körner Jannis , Zenke Martin , Neureiter Anika , Lampert Angelika
Published: March 2024

Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are efficiently differentiated into sensory neurons. These cells express the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.7, which is a validated pain target. NaV1.7 deficiency leads to pain insensitivity, whereas NaV1.7 gain-of-function mutants are associated with chronic pain. During differentiation, the sensory neurons start spontaneous action potential firing around day 22, with increasing firing rate until day 40. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to generate a HA-tag NaV1.7 to follow its expression during differentiation. We used two protocols to generate sensory neurons: the classical small molecule approach and a directed differentiation methodology and assessed surface NaV1.7 expression by Airyscan high-resolution microscopy. Our results show that maturation of at least 49 days is necessary to observe robust NaV1.7 surface expression in both protocols. Electric activity of the sensory neurons precedes NaV1.7 surface expression. A clinically effective NaV1.7 blocker is still missing, and we expect this iPS cell model system to be useful for drug discovery and disease modeling.
Blood pressure in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia in the first three months of life
Authors: Kiss Judit Klara , Gajda Anna , Mari Judit , Bereczki Csaba
Published: March 2024

Background

Neonatal hypertension is common in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Our study aimed to examine blood pressure variation in the first three months of life in preterm BPD patients.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective, single-centre study at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the University of Szeged, Hungary. We collected blood pressure data from 26 preterm infants (born at < 30 weeks gestation) with moderate or severe BPD over three years (2019–2021). We calculated the BPD group's daily average blood pressure values and used previously defined normal blood pressure values from a preterm patient group born at < 30 weeks gestation as a reference. We used 19,481 systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure measurement data separately to calculate daily average blood pressures.

Results

We found a statistically significant correlation between the blood pressure values of the BPD patient group and the reference data. The difference between the blood pressure curve of the group with BPD and that of the reference group was also statistically significant. We also analysed individual patients' daily average blood pressure values and found that 11 patients (42%) had hypertensive blood pressure values for three or more days within the first 90 days of life. Within this group, our statistical analysis showed a 25% chance of acute kidney injury.

Conclusion

The blood pressure of the BPD group not only correlated with but also significantly differed from the reference data. Hypertension lasting three or more days occurred more frequently in patients with acute kidney injury accompanied by BPD.

Graphical abstract
Efficient economic operation based on load dispatch of power systems using a leader white shark optimization algorithm
Authors: Hassan Mohamed H. , Kamel Salah , Selim Ali , Shaheen Abdullah , Yu Juan , El-Sehiemy Ragab
Published: March 2024

This article proposes the use of a leader white shark optimizer (LWSO) with the aim of improving the exploitation of the conventional white shark optimizer (WSO) and solving the economic operation-based load dispatch (ELD) problem. The ELD problem is a crucial aspect of power system operation, involving the allocation of power generation resources to meet the demand while minimizing operational costs. The proposed approach aims to enhance the performance and efficiency of the WSO by introducing a leadership mechanism within the optimization process, which aids in more effectively navigating the complex ELD solution space. The LWSO achieves increased exploitation by utilizing a leader-based mutation selection throughout each generation of white sharks. The efficacy of the proposed algorithm is tested on 13 engineer benchmarks non-convex optimization problems from CEC 2020 and compared with recent metaheuristic algorithms such as dung beetle optimizer (DBO), conventional WSO, fox optimizer (FOX), and moth-flame optimization (MFO) algorithms. The LWSO is also used to address the ELD problem in different case studies (6 units, 10 units, 11 units, and 40 units), with 20 separate runs using the proposed LWSO and other competitive algorithms being statistically assessed to demonstrate its effectiveness. The results show that the LWSO outperforms other metaheuristic algorithms, achieving the best solution for the benchmarks and the minimum fuel cost for the ELD problem. Additionally, statistical tests are conducted to validate the competitiveness of the LWSO algorithm.
Pioneering electrochemical detection unveils erdafitinib: a breakthrough in anticancer agent determination
Authors: Yildir Merve Hatun , Genc Asena Ayse , Erk Nevin , Bouali Wiem , Bugday Nesrin , Yasar Sedat , Duygulu Ozgur
Published: March 2024

The successful fabrication is reported of highly crystalline Co nanoparticles interconnected with zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-12) -based amorphous porous carbon using the molten-salt-assisted approach utilizing NaCl. Single crystal diffractometers (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses confirm the codoped amorphous carbon structure. Crystallite size was calculated by Scherrer (34 nm) and Williamson-Hall models (42 nm). The magnetic properties of NPCS (N-doped porous carbon sheet) were studied using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The NPCS has a magnetic saturation (Ms) value of 1.85 emu/g. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses show that Co/Co3O4 nanoparticles are homogeneously distributed in the carbon matrix. While a low melting point eutectic salt acts as an ionic liquid solvent, ZIF-12, at high temperature, leading cobalt nanoparticles with a trace amount of Co3O4 interconnected by conductive amorphous carbon. In addition, the surface area (89.04 m2/g) and pore architectures of amorphous carbon embedded with Co nanoparticles are created using the molten salt approach. Thanks to this inexpensive and effective method, the optimal composite porous carbon structures were obtained with the strategy using NaCl salt and showed distinct electrochemical performance on electrochemical methodology revealing the analytical profile of Erdatifinib (ERD) as a sensor modifier. The linear response spanned from 0.01 to 7.38 μM, featuring a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.36 nM and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 11.2 nM. The developed sensor was examined in terms of selectivity, repeatability, and reproducibility. The fabricated electrode was utilized for the quantification of Erdafitinib in urine samples and pharmaceutical dosage forms. This research provides a fresh outlook on the advancements in electrochemical sensor technology concerning the development and detection of anticancer drugs within the realms of medicine and pharmacology.

Graphical Abstract
Improved coverage factors for expanded measurement uncertainty calculated from two estimated variance components
Authors: Rostron Peter D. , Fearn Tom , Ramsey Michael H.
Published: March 2024

Measurement uncertainty (MU) arising at different stages of a measurement process can be estimated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) on replicated measurements. It is common practice to derive an expanded MU by multiplying the resulting standard deviation by a coverage factor k. This coverage factor then defines an interval around a measurement value within which the value of the measurand, or true value, is asserted to lie for a desired confidence level (e.g. 95 %). A value of k = 2 is often used to obtain approximate 95 % coverage, although k = 2 will be an underestimate when the standard deviation is estimated from a limited amount of data. An alternative is to use Student’s t-distribution to provide a value for k, but this requires an exact or approximate degrees of freedom (df). This paper explores two different methods of deriving an appropriate k in the case when two variances from an ANOVA (classical or robust) need to be combined to estimate the measurement variance. Simulations show that both methods using the modified coverage factor generally produce a confidence interval much closer to the desired level (e.g. 95 %) when the data are approximately normally distributed. When these confidence intervals do deviate from 95 %, they are consistently conservative (i.e. reported coverage is higher than the nominal 95 %). When outlying values are included at the level of the larger variance component, in some cases the method used for robust ANOVA produces confidence intervals that are very conservative.
Symptoms of selective mutism beyond failure to speak in children and adolescents
Authors: Vogel Felix , Röse Carolin , Schwenck Christina
Published: March 2024

Understanding the symptoms of a mental disorder is essential for accurate diagnosis or selecting appropriate treatment targets. Despite this, there is a surprising lack of systematic research on the symptoms of selective mutism (SM). While the DSM-5 defines failure to speak as the only core symptom of SM, sparse research suggests that children with SM may experience additional symptoms. Previous studies have been limited in their identification of symptoms of SM, either by using a predefined set of symptoms or by only asking for anxiety-specific symptoms. This may have resulted in important symptoms being overlooked. In this study, we provided n = 86 parents of children and adolescents with SM (3–18 years) with a symptom definition appropriate for the target group. Additionally, parents were asked an open-ended question about any other symptoms they had observed in their children, beyond the failure to speak. The symptoms reported were categorized using qualitative content analysis (QCA) and examined for frequency and association with symptom severity. Ten different symptom categories were identified, with fear, freezing, and avoidance/security behaviors being the most prevalent. On average, parents reported M = 4.74 (SD = 2.37) symptoms from different symptom categories. Only fear was found to be related to symptom severity of SM. As the findings suggest that SM encompasses various symptoms beyond failure to speak, a more sophisticated understanding of SM as a mental disorder with multiple symptoms seems essential. The clinical implications of this are discussed in further detail.
No evidence for a causal contribution of bioavailable testosterone to ADHD in sex-combined and sex-specific two-sample Mendelian randomization studies
Authors: Dinkelbach Lars , Peters Triinu , Grasemann Corinna , Hebebrand Johannes , Hinney Anke , Hirtz Raphael
Published: March 2024

The higher prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in males raises the question of whether testosterone is implicated in ADHD risk. However, cross-sectional studies did not identify an association between ADHD and testosterone levels. Mendelian randomization (MR) studies can overcome limitations inherent to association studies, especially of reverse causation and residual confounding. In the current study, sex-combined and sex-specific two-sample MR analyses were conducted to address whether testosterone has a causal influence on ADHD risk. Sex-combined as well as sex-specific target-genetic variants for bioavailable testosterone were derived from a large genome-wide association study (GWAS) on up to 382,988 adult white European UK Biobank study participants. In our sex-specific analyses for ADHD, including data from 14,154 males and 4,945 females with ADHD (17,948 and 16,246 controls respectively), no association between bioavailable testosterone and ADHD risk was found, neither in males (inverse-variance weighted (IVW): beta = 0.09, 95%-CI [-0.10, 0.27]) nor in females (IVW: beta=-0.01, 95%-CI [-0.20, 0.19]). However, in the sex-combined analysis, including 38,691 cases and 186,843 controls, genetically predicted bioavailable testosterone was associated with ADHD risk (IVW: beta = 0.24, 95%-CI [0.09, 0.39]). The inclusion of birth weight and/or SHBG as additional variables in multivariable MR analyses did not alter this result. However, when correcting for potential BMI-driven pleiotropy by a multivariable MR study, all effect estimates for testosterone showed non-significant results. Taken together, no robust evidence for a causal effect of bioavailable testosterone on the risk for ADHD was found.
Clinical impact and cost-consequence analysis of ePlex® blood culture identification panels for the rapid diagnosis of bloodstream infections: a single-center randomized controlled trial
Authors: Caspar Yvan , Deves A. , Richarme C. , Le Marechal M. , Ponderand L. , Mounayar A.-L. , Lejeune S. , Arata-Bardet J. , Gallouche M. , Recule C. , Maubon D. , Garnaud C. , Cornet M. , Veloso M. , Chabani B. , Maurin M. , David-Tchouda S. , Pavese P.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

To assess clinical impact and perform cost-consequence analysis of the broadest multiplex PCR panels available for the rapid diagnosis of bloodstream infections (BSI).

Methods

Single-center, randomized controlled trial conducted from June 2019 to February 2021 at a French University hospital with an institutional antimicrobial stewardship program. Primary endpoint was the percentage of patients with optimized antimicrobial treatment 12 h after transmission of positivity and Gram stain results from the first positive BC.

Results

This percentage was significantly higher in the multiplex PCR (mPCR) group (90/105 = 85.7% %, CI95% [77.5 ; 91.8] vs. 68/107 = 63.6%, CI95% [53.7 ; 72.6]; p < 10− 3) at interim analysis, resulting in the early termination of the study after the inclusion of 309 patients. For patients not optimized at baseline, the median time to obtain an optimized therapy was much shorter in the mPCR group than in the control group (6.9 h, IQR [2.9; 17.8] vs. 26.4 h, IQR [3.4; 47.5]; p = 0.001). Early optimization of antibiotic therapy resulted in a non-statistically significant decrease in mortality from 12.4 to 8.8% (p = 0.306), with a trend towards a shorter median length of stay (18 vs. 20 days; p = 0.064) and a non-significant reduction in the average cost per patient of €3,065 (p = 0.15). mPCR identified all the bacteria present in 88% of the samples.

Conclusion

Despite its higher laboratory cost, the use of multiplex PCR for BSI diagnosis leads to early-optimised therapy, seems cost-effective and could reduce mortality and length of stay. Their impact could probably be improved if implemented 24/7.
Repurposing fusidic acid as an antimicrobial against enterococci with a low probability of resistance development
Authors: Abdelmassih Mark M. , Ismail Maha M. , Kashef Mona T. , Essam Tamer
Published: March 2024

Drug repurposing constitutes a strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance, by using agents with known safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. Previous studies have implemented new fusidic acid (FA) front-loading-dose regimens, allowing higher serum levels than those achievable with ordinary doses. As susceptibility breakpoints are affected by serum level, we evaluated the repurposing of FA as an antimicrobial product against enterococci. FA minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against standard enterococci strains; Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and Enterococcus faecium ATCC 27270 were 2 and 4 µg/mL, respectively. The MIC against 98 enterococcal clinical isolates was ≤ 8 µg/mL; all would be susceptible if categorized according to recalculated breakpoints (≥ 16 µg/mL), based on the serum level achieved using the front-loading regimen. FA administration in vivo, using the BALB/c mouse infection model, significantly reduced bacterial burden by two to three log10 units in the liver and spleen of mice infected with vancomycin-susceptible and -resistant strains. Exposure of the standard enterococcal strains to increasing, but not fixed, FA concentrations resulted in resistant strains (MIC = 128 µg/mL), with thicker cell walls and slower growth rates. Only one mutation (M651I) was detected in the fusA gene of the resistant strain derived from serial passage of E. faecium ATCC 27270, which was retained in the revertant strain after passage in the FA-free medium. In conclusion, FA can be repurposed as an antimicrobial drug against enterococci with a low probability of mutational resistance development, and can be employed for treatment of infections attributable to vancomycin-resistant enterococci.
Exploring the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) in maritime medicine
Authors: Battineni Gopi , Chintalapudi Nalini , Ricci Giovanna , Ruocco Ciro , Amenta Francesco
Published: March 2024

This narrative literature review has analyzed the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) in the field of maritime medicine. A comprehensive search was conducted in academic databases using relevant search terms, resulting in the identification of 257 records. After screening for relevance and quality, a final review was conducted on 17 papers. This review highlights the potential applications and benefits of AI and AR in enhancing medical practices and safety measures for seafarers. The integration of AI and AR technologies in maritime medicine shows promise in providing real-time medical assistance, remote consultations, augmented training, and improved diagnostic capabilities. Additionally, AI-driven predictive models can aid in early detection of health issues and support proactive health management onboard ships. Challenges related to data privacy, connectivity at sea, and the need for regulatory frameworks are also discussed. The data analysis reported in this review contributes to a better understanding of the current state and future potential of AI and AR in maritime medicine and provide insights into opportunities for further research and implementation in the maritime industry.
The introduction of a minimum wage in Germany and the effects on physical activity participation
Authors: Dallmeyer Sören , Breuer Christoph
Published: March 2024

The relationship between income and physical activity has been extensively studied. This paper utilizes the introduction of the minimum wage in Germany in 2015 as a quasi-experiment to determine the causal effect of minimum wages on the frequency of physical activity participation. Employing survey data from the German Socio-Economic Panel between 2013 and 2017, regression-adjusted difference-in-difference models combined with matching techniques are estimated. Our findings reveal a notable negative effect immediately after the minimum wage implementation on physical activity frequency. Given that the introduction of the minimum wage did not increase monthly gross income but reduced working hours, it appears that affected individuals exhibit preferences and engage in utility maximization that do not emphasize healthy behaviors. This effect is particularly pronounced among older females in white-collar occupations.
Exosomal encapsulation of miR-3198 promotes proliferation and migration of trophoblasts in preeclampsia
Authors: Li Yuchen , Yu Yanling , Li Dejun , Li Lei
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Preeclampsia (PE) is a vascular remodeling disorder cloesly linked to trophoblast dysfunction, involving defects in their proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Maternal exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to play pivotal roles in the development of PE. However, the mechanism underlying the role of maternal exosomes in trophoblast dysfunction regarding the development of PE is poorly understood.

Methods

Plasma exosomes from maternal peripheral blood were collected from pregnant women with PE and from those with normal pregnancy. Bioinformatics analysis was used to identify significantly differentially expressed miRNAs under these two conditions. The expression of the miR-3198 gene in plasma exosomes was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Dual luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm binding of miR-3198 and 3′UTR region of WNT3. Cell proliferation was examined using the Cell Count Kit-8 and EdU assays, and flow cytometry was performed to detect apoptosis and cell cycle. Changes in cell migration were examined using transwell and scratch assays.

Results

Patients with PE showed decreased expression of plasma-derived exosomal miR-3198. The proliferation and migration abilities of HTR-8/SVneo and primary human trophoblast cells were both improved when cocultured with miR-3198-rich exosomes. Exposure to miR-3198-enriched exosomes facilitated cell cycle progression but reduced apoptosis in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Notably, overexpression of miR-3198 partially prevented the inhibitory effects of WNT3 on proliferation and migration in HTR-8/SVneo cells.

Conclusion

Exosomal miR-3198 in the maternal peripheral blood may regulate the biological functions of trophoblasts by targeting WNT3 and influence the development of diseases of placental origin.

Graphical Abstract
Electronic Health Records for Predicting Outcomes to Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Scoping Review
Authors: Wassell M. , Vitiello A. , Butler-Henderson K. , Verspoor K. , McCann P. , Pollard H.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Through electronic health records (EHRs), musculoskeletal (MSK) therapists such as chiropractors and physical therapists, as well as occupational medicine physicians could collect data on many variables that can be traditionally challenging to collect in managing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The review’s objectives were to explore the extent of research using EHRs in predicting outcomes of WMSDs by MSK therapists.

Method

A systematic search was conducted in Medline, PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase. Grey literature was searched. 2156 unique papers were retrieved, of which 38 were included. Three themes were explored, the use of EHRs to predict outcomes to WMSDs, data sources for predicting outcomes to WMSDs, and adoption of standardised information for managing WMSDs.

Results

Predicting outcomes of all MSK disorders using EHRs has been researched in 6 studies, with only 3 focusing on MSK therapists and 4 addressing WMSDs. Similar to all secondary data source research, the challenges include data quality, missing data and unstructured data. There is not yet a standardised or minimum set of data that has been defined for MSK therapists to collect when managing WMSD. Further work based on existing frameworks is required to reduce the documentation burden and increase usability.

Conclusion

The review outlines the limited research on using EHRs to predict outcomes of WMSDs. It highlights the need for EHR design to address data quality issues and develop a standardised data set in occupational healthcare that includes known factors that potentially predict outcomes to help regulators, research efforts, and practitioners make better informed clinical decisions.
Reconstruction-Aware Kernelized Fuzzy Clustering Framework Incorporating Local Information for Image Segmentation
Authors: Wu Chengmao , Qi Xiao
Published: March 2024

Kernelized fuzzy C-means clustering with weighted local information is an extensively applied robust segmentation algorithm for noisy image. However, it is difficult to effectively solve the problem of segmenting image polluted by strong noise. To address this issue, a reconstruction-aware kernel fuzzy C-mean clustering with rich local information is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the optimization modeling of guided bilateral filtering is given for noisy image; Secondly, this filtering model is embedded into kernelized fuzzy C-means clustering with local information, and a novel reconstruction-filtering information driven fuzzy clustering model for noise-corrupted image segmentation is presented; Finally, a tri-level alternative and iterative algorithm is derived from optimizing model using optimization theory and its convergence is strictly analyzed. Many Experimental results on noisy synthetic images and actual images indicate that compared with the latest advanced fuzzy clustering-related algorithms, the algorithm presented in this paper has better segmentation performance and stronger robustness to noise, and its PSNR and ACC values increase by about 0.16–3.28 and 0.01–0.08 respectively.
Do institutional dimensions matter at different stages of the entrepreneurial process? A multi-country study
Authors: Alvarez Claudia , Lopez Tatiana , Urbano David
Published: March 2024

Entrepreneurs should navigate through different stages from the conception of an idea until the business is operational. According to these stages, we expected that the context has a different impact on an individual’s decisions. This paper analyses the role of institutional dimensions (regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive) in the entrepreneurial process (potential, nascent, and new entrepreneurship), using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and Heritage Foundation, with a sample of 99 countries for the period 2001–2017. Through panel data, the main findings show that (a) regulations regarding new business creation have a stronger influence on new entrepreneurship, (b) social norms have more influence on potential entrepreneurs and individual perceptions regarding their self-capacity and experience to start a new business, and (c) the cultural-cognitive dimension has a stronger influence on nascent entrepreneurship. Policymakers could consider these results to promote and generate target group policies that effectively encourage entrepreneurial activity, which is also distinguished by the level of development among countries.
A comparative evaluation of machine learning ensemble approaches for disease prediction using multiple datasets
Authors: Mahajan Palak , Uddin Shahadat , Hajati Farshid , Moni Mohammad Ali , Gide Ergun
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Machine learning models are used to develop and improve various disease prediction systems. Ensemble learning is a machine learning technique that combines many classifiers to increase performance by making more accurate predictions than a single classifier. Although several researchers have employed ensemble techniques for disease prediction, a comprehensive comparative study of these techniques still needs to be provided.

Methods

Using 16 disease datasets from Kaggle and the UCI Machine Learning Repository, this study compares the performance of 15 variants of ensemble techniques for disease prediction. The comparison was performed using six performance measures: accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, AUC (Area Under the receiver operating characteristics Curve) and AUPRC (Area Under the Precision-Recall Curve).

Results

Stacking variant of Multi-level stacking showed superior disease prediction performance compared with other bagging and boosting variants, followed by another stacking variant (Classical stacking). Overall, stacking outperformed bagging and boosting for disease prediction. Logit Boost showed the worst performance.

Conclusion

The findings of this study can help researchers select an appropriate ensemble approach for future studies focusing on accurate disease prediction.
Addressing Ethical Concerns in Implementing Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Educational Setting
Authors: Berger Rony , Tarrasch Ricardo , Lieblich Maty
Published: March 2024

The burgeoning interest in mindfulness and the way it has been stripped from its Buddhist ontological roots and popularized in the West has recently raised ethical concerns regarding its application in various domains, and more specifically in the educational field. We will address in this article three main ethical concerns regarding implementing mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in the educational field. Firstly, how do we help educators and students cultivate personal awareness while at the same time being conscious of the needs of others and promote a pro-social orientation? Secondly, how do we ethically implement MBIs in the current neoliberal social, cultural, and political context? Thirdly, how do we implement MBIs in a culturally sensitive manner respecting the ethics of other ethnic groups and other societies? We will attempt to offer solutions to those issues by exemplifying how MBIs are integrated with compassion-based interventions (e.g., mindful self-compassion (MSC)) and social-emotional learning (understanding and managing emotions, building positive relationships, and making responsible decisions) among educators and students in Jewish and Arab schools in Israel. We will discuss three MBI programs that incorporate strategies addressing social ailments such as stereotyping and prejudicial attitudes and promote pro-social behavior as well as share research findings regarding their efficacy. Additionally, we will outline ways in which these mindfulness-based programs were adapted to suit different populations. Finally, we will conclude by pointing to future means to address these issues.
Quality of life assessment and therapeutic adherence in Mexican patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Pérez-Ortiz Alejandro , Becerra-Gálvez Ana Leticia , Mancilla-Díaz Juan Manuel , de la Hoz Perla Irán Fernández , Lugo-González Isaías Vicente , Cancino-Romero y Mario Francisco
Published: March 2024

Background

Patients with diabetes mellitus experience physical health needs, but also psychological health needs, as some studies have suggested that addressing the psychological variables associated with diabetes mellitus may improve the biochemical parameters of the disease.

Objectives

To assess the quality of life (QoL) and therapeutic adherence (TA) in Mexican patients with controlled and uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as well as related QoL sociodemographic and clinical variables.

Methods

201 people with T2DM answered a battery of psychological tests to assess TA (Therapeutic Adherence Survey or TAS-15), QoL (WHOQOL-BREF-16) and disease-related quality of life (DRQoL-27), aside from an expressly designed questionnaire that gathered sociodemographic data and took information from medical records into consideration. The average age of the participants was 65.12 ± 11.617 years and 57.2% were female, who have suffered from diabetes for 13.4 years on average ± 8.088 and an average 158.84 mg/dL ± 61.913 fasting plasma glucose.

Results

The correlation analyses revealed that a higher perception of QoL, the lower the perception that having diabetes affected QoL (p<0.01); the higher the TA, the lower the QoL (p<0.01); and the higher the TA, the lower the perception that having diabetes affected QoL (p<0.01). The participants with an uncontrolled T2DM exhibited a better QoL than those that manage their glucose levels (p = 0.015). The participants’ level of education had a positive effect on QoL (β = 0.163, IC 95%: 0.429─3.415, p = 0.012), whereas the DRQoL had a negative effect (β = -0.546, IC 95%: -0.127─-0.080, p = 0.001).

Conclusions

If the TA of patients with T2DM increases, the overall QoL as well as the DRQoL will improve. Hence, these variables must be considered as therapeutic targets in clinical practice.
Generalized fuzzy difference method for solving fuzzy initial value problem
Authors: Soroush S. , Allahviranloo T. , Azari H. , Rostamy-Malkhalifeh M.
Published: March 2024

We are going to explain the fuzzy Adams–Bashforth methods for solving fuzzy differential equations focusing on the concept of g-differentiability. Considering the analysis of normal, convex, upper semicontinuous, compactly supported fuzzy sets in $$R^n$$

R
n

and also convergence of the methods, the general expression of solutions is obtained. Finally, we demonstrate the importance of our method with some illustrative examples. These examples are provided aiming to solve the fuzzy differential equations.
Quantum Antitrust – A Unified Exclusionary Abuse Theory
Authors: Solano Díaz Pablo
Published: March 2024

Now that the judgments in Servizio Elettrico Nazionale and Unilever have made sense of previous case-law, a unified analytical framework can be predicated for all exclusionary abuses. It is made up of two limbs (artificiality/conduct deviating from competition on the merits and potential exclusionary effect/capability of foreclosing). The two limbs are two sides of the same coin, which consists of ascertaining whether the plausible rationale (in the sense of nature and economy) behind a dominant company’s conduct is to derive an advantage that equally efficient competitors cannot either derive by doing the same (first limb–artificiality) or offset by other means (second limb–potential effect). This exclusionary rationale, which is a cognitive state in the dominant company’s mind rather than an ontological reality, is objectivised by holistically judging the dominant company’s conduct against the backdrop of the relative efficiency of its competitors, which is the link between both limbs: if the inherent features of the company’s conduct and all the relevant circumstances surrounding it allow equally efficient competitors to either derive a similar advantage or to defeat its exclusionary effect by some other means, the conduct does not make anticompetitive sense (exclusion is not its plausible rationale). Owing to the very Darwinian nature of competition law, relative efficiency is the common “quantum” and, therefore, a useful yardstick for abuse from the historical, legal, teleological and practical perspectives, as well as from the points of view of causality and reality. Finally, plausibility would be the single standard of proof that could be rebutted by disproving either of the two limbs (in an Intel II-like fashion), either by providing an alternative non-exclusionary explanation that breaks the casual link or by putting forward an objective justification. All other tests and standards merely reflect the extent to which either the artificiality or the potential effects of the conduct can be presumed based on economic judgement or experience (as happened in merger control following CK Telecoms)–thus reconciling per se rules, consisting of an Art. 101-like cursory analysis, with a more economic approach.
Development of a diagnostic model for pre-washout screening of primary aldosteronism
Authors: Wang Q. , Dong H. , LI H.-W. , Zheng Z.-H. , Liu Y.-Z. , Hua Y.-H. , Xiong Y.-J. , Zhang H.-M. , Song L. , Zou Y.-B. , Jiang X.-J.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Primary aldosteronism (PA) diagnosis is affected by antihypertensive drugs that are commonly taken by patients with suspected PA. In this study, we developed and validated a diagnostic model for screening PA without drug washout.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 1095 patients diagnosed with PA or essential hypertension. Patients were randomly grouped into training and validation sets at a 7:3 ratio. Baseline characteristics, plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), and direct renin concentration (DRC) before and after drug washout were separately recorded, and the aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) was calculated.

Results

PAC and ARR were higher and direct renin concentration was lower in patients with PA than in patients with essential hypertension. Furthermore, the differences in blood potassium and sodium concentrations and hypertension grades between the two groups were significant. Using the abbreviations potassium (P), ARR (A), PAC (P), sodium (S), and hypertension grade 3 (3), the model was named PAPS3. The PAPS3 model had a maximum score of 10, with the cutoff value assigned as 5.5; it showed high sensitivity and specificity for screening PA in patients who exhibit difficulty in tolerating drug washout.

Conclusion

PA screening remains crucial, and standard guidelines should be followed for patients to tolerate washout. The PAPS3 model offers an alternative to minimize risks and enhance diagnostic efficiency in PA for those facing washout challenges. Despite its high accuracy, further validation of this model is warranted through large-scale clinical studies.
Hydrodynamic resistance of pore–throat structures and its effect on shale oil apparent permeability
Authors: Wang Wendong , Zhang Qian , Xu Jilong , Zheng Da , Liu Lifeng , Su Yuliang
Published: March 2024

Oil transport is greatly affected by heterogeneous pore–throat structures present in shale. It is therefore very important to accurately characterize pore–throat structures. Additionally, it remains unclear how pore–throat structures affect oil transport capacity. In this paper, using finite element (FE) simulation and mathematical modeling, we calculated the hydrodynamic resistance for four pore–throat structure. In addition, the influence of pore throat structure on shale oil permeability is analyzed. According to the results, the hydrodynamic resistance of different pore throat structures can vary by 300%. The contribution of additional resistance caused by streamline bending is also in excess of 40%, even without slip length. Furthermore, Pore–throat structures can affect apparent permeability by more than 60% on the REV scale, and this influence increases with heterogeneity of pore size distribution, organic matter content, and organic matter number. Clearly, modeling shale oil flow requires consideration of porous–throat structure and additional resistance, otherwise oil recovery and flow capacity may be overestimated.
Revitalising smallholder agriculture: the impact of technical training in rural Lebanon
Authors: Balestri Sara
Published: March 2024

This paper provides new evidence about the impact of an agricultural development initiative focused on the cherry sector and implemented in rural areas of the Bekaa Valley (Lebanon). The initiative aims to enhance economic opportunities of smallholder farmers by strengthening technical skills, fostering sustainable productions and developing market linkages. Using original micro data from a sample of 118 smallholder cherry farmers, we explore, through a Difference-in-Differences approach, whether the development initiative, based on the provision of extension services and accompaniment through technical training, impacts on a broad set of alternative agricultural outcomes—namely, total cherry production, average market price, management competency and the adoption of improved agricultural practices. The results show that beneficiary small-scale farmers achieve better performances in three outcomes out of the four considered, with the adoption of improved and sustainable agricultural practices as the most remarkable result. Conversely, the management of the agricultural economic activity does not experience any statistically significant variation connected to the initiative implementation. The analysis of a limited source of treatment heterogeneity discloses the primary role of technical training, rather than other kinds of material support, to explain the main results.
Further Results on the [k]-Roman Domination in Graphs
Authors: Valenzuela-Tripodoro Juan Carlos , Mateos-Camacho Maria Antonia , Cera Lopez Martin , Álvarez-Ruiz Maria Pilar
Published: March 2024

In 2016, Beeler et al. defined the double Roman domination as a variation of Roman domination. Sometime later, in 2021, Ahangar et al. introduced the concept of [k]-Roman domination in graphs and settled some results on the triple Roman domination case. In 2022, Amjadi et al. studied the quadruple version of this Roman-domination-type problem. Given any labeling of the vertices of a graph, AN(v) stands for the set of neighbors of a vertex v having a positive label. In this paper we continue the study of the [k]-Roman domination functions ([k]-RDF) in graphs which coincides with the previous versions when $$2\le k \le 4$$

2
≤
k
≤
4

. Namely, f is a [k]-RDF if $$f(N[v])\ge k+|AN(v)|$$

f
(
N
[
v
]
)
≥
k
+
|
A
N
(
v
)
|

for all v. We prove that the associate decision problem is NP-complete even when restricted to star convex and comb convex bipartite graphs and we also give sharp bounds and exact values for several classes of graphs.
Dynamic Responses of Layered Viscoelastic Half-Medium with Twin Tunnel Under Harmonic Load
Authors: Yüksel Yusuf Ziya , Akbaş Şeref Doğuşcan
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This paper presents dynamic analysis of layered viscoelastic half medium which includes twin rectangular tunnel under harmonic load. Viscoelastic half medium is considered and modelled with using Kelvin–Voigt viscoelastic model and two dimensional (2-D) continua.

Methods

The considered problem is solved by using finite element method. The energy expressions of the system are obtained and equation of motion are obtained by using Lagrange procedure. Infinite region far from twin tunnel is modelled by using infinite elements with 8 nodes and finite region is modelled by using 16 nodes finite elements. The dynamic equations for finite and infinite elements are solved by using Newmark-Beta method in time domain. Finite and infinite element models with different layers and twin tunnel are generated and numerical solutions are obtained by using an algorithm by authors.

Results

In order to achieve verify the used models and methods, some special results are obtained and compared with results from a finite element software. In numerical studies, effects of location of twin tunnel on dynamical responses of the system under harmonic load are obtained in figures and discussed in detail. Dynamic tunnel-medium interaction is discussed in the obtained results.

Conclusions

The numerical results show that tunnel location plays important role on the dynamic responses of half medium and dynamic responses change significantly with tunnel-medium interaction. In field near to the tunnel, the dynamic responses are more affected. Important practical implication is that computational cost for this kind of problems could be reduced, more realistic results could be obtained and all boundary conditions could be considered by used model with infinite elements. The used model and method are very useful and practical for dynamic analysis of tunnel structures.
A study on peristaltic flow and nanofluid in medication delivery systems considering heat transfer
Authors: Berkan S. , Hosseini S. R. , Jalili B. , Ranjbar A. A. , Ganji D. D.
Published: March 2024

This study uses analytical and numerical approaches to explore nanofluid peristaltic flow and heat transfer in drug delivery systems. Low Reynolds numbers are used to examine the study using long-wavelength approximations. Along the channel, the walls are distributed sinusoidally. The current issue is resolved by using analytical and numerical methods, and solutions are obtained for the temperature profile, axial velocity, volume flow rate, pressure gradient, stream function, and Nusselt number. The influence of several physical factors on the temperature, velocity profile, and trapping phenomena is shown. These parameters include the thermal and basic-density Grashof numbers and the Brownian motion and thermophoresis parameters. Along the channel, streamlines and Nusselt number variations are also displayed. The axial velocity profile is shown to be greatly reduced when the thermal Grashof number rises, but it increases as the species Grashof number rises. Specifically, the axial velocity increased by 50% with the increase of the species Grashof number from 0.1 to 1, but the thermal Grashof decreased by 33% with the same amount of change. Compared to Newtonian fluids, nanofluids tend to reduce backflow and also exhibit a significant rise in pressure differential, indicating that they are a more practical fluid for use in medical pumps for drug delivery systems. With the increase in Brownian motion and thermophoretic parameters, the Nusselt number decreased sharply. Changing these parameters from 0.1 to 4 brought the Nusselt number to about 10% of its initial value. Also, the increase in these parameters leads to an increase in temperature and a decrease in fluid velocity.
Investigation of the stability of a fly ash pond facility using 2D and 3D slope stability analysis
Authors: de Kooker L. C. , Ferentinou M. , Musonda I. , Esmaeili K.
Published: March 2024

A numerical investigation of the effect of pore pressure regime on the safety factor and the critical failure mechanism is presented for fly ash storage facility. Pore pressures’ measurements from standpipe piezometers and pore pressure estimated from seepage analysis are used to compare the factor of safety for a fly ash slope. This was applied for considering static and seismic scenarios. A probabilistic approach was applied to account for the uncertainties resulting from the limited data available and support a qualitative risk assessment evaluation. Slope stability analysis is conducted in two and three dimensions, adopting the limit equilibrium analysis approach, and also a finite element seepage analysis, to assess the stability of the slope. The two-dimensional cross-sections were extruded to three-dimensional models to estimate the factor of safety and associated shear failure. The results from the performed analysis suggest an increase in safety factor values of 5%.