bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of BiFeO3-BaTiO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics with nonstoichiometric bismuth
Authors: Qin Hailan , Zhao Jianwei , Chen Xiaoxin , Li Hongtian , Wang Shenghao , Du Yuxiao , Zhou Huanfu , Li Peifeng , Wang Dawei
Published: September 2023

BiFeO3-BaTiO3 (BF-BT)-based lead-free ceramics are promising piezoelectric materials exhibiting high Curie temperatures and excellent electrochemical properties. In this study, 0.70Bi1+x FeO3-0.30BaTiO3 (B1+x F-BT, x = -0.01, 0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were successfully fabricated via the conventional solid-phase reaction process. Crystallographic structure, microstructure, dielectric, impedance, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties among different compositions were comprehensively investigated. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that all compositions exhibited a typical perovskite structure with a cubic-rhombohedral phase mixture. The grain size of ceramics tends to increase as the Bi2O3 content rises. In particular, the backscattered electron images and energy dispersive analysis revealed prominent core-shell microstructure within grains. Notably, the BF-BT ceramic containing 1% excess Bi displayed the maximum d 33 ~217 pC/N and ~243 pm/V accompanied by a high Curie temperature of 515 °C. The findings demonstrate the potential feasibility of BF-BT ceramics in the field of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics.
A mobile device to investigate the response of grapevine berries to heat stress
Authors: Heilemann Müller Kai Konstantin , Stoll Manfred , Hofmann Marco , Friedel Matthias
Published: September 2023

Reproducibly comparing the heat stress response of grapevine berries from different cultivars in the field is often limited by weather conditions during the growing season. This work presents a mobile heating device capable of controlled heat-stress induction on grapevine berries. The heater consisted of six 150 W infrared lamps mounted in a profile frame. The heating power of the lamps could be set individually by a control unit consisting of a single board computer and six temperature sensors positioned as desired. The heat energy applied to individual berries within a cluster decreases by the squared distance to the heat source, enabling the establishment of temperature profiles within individual clusters. Infrared thermography of the fruit surface and measurements conducted with a thermocouple inserted at the epidermis level showed comparable temperatures. Berries treated with high temperatures were sampled according to their visual appearance (i.e., sunburn symptoms). Only symptomatic berries showed a significant increase in electrolyte leakage, indicating cell damage. In a field experiment, the induction of sunburn necrosis symptoms with the presented device was used to predict a Lethal Dose (LD50) for sunburn necrosis symptoms of the Vitis vinifera L. cultivars Bacchus and Silvaner. The LD50 of Bacchus, known as a heat-sensitive cultivar, was about 3.2 °C lower than that of Silvaner. The presented device offers possibilities for a wide range of applications and the induction of precise temperature dynamics in the context of heat stress on fleshy fruit.
Agaricus bisporus chitosan influences the concentrations of caftaric acid and furan-derived compounds in Pinot noir juice and base wine
Authors: Mederios Jacob , Xu Shufen , Pickering Gary , Kemp Belinda
Published: September 2023

Chitosan is a fining agent used in winemaking, although its use in juice and wine beyond fining has been limited until now. Therefore, this study's first aim was to determine if chitosan derived from Agaricus bisporus (button mushrooms) could reduce caffeic and caftaric acid concentrations in Pinot noir grape juice (Study A). The second aim was to determine if chitosan, when added to base wine, could influence the synthesis of furan-derived compounds during storage (Study B). In Study A, Pinot noir grape juice was stored at 10 °C for 18 hours after the following treatments: control (no addition), bentonite/activated charcoal (BAC), low molecular weight (< 3 kDa; LMW) chitosan, med. MW (250 kDa; MMW) chitosan, and high MW (422 kDa; HMW) chitosan (all 1 g/L additions). Caftaric acid was decreased, and total amino acid concentration was increased in the LMW chitosan-treated juice, while the estimated total hydroxycinnamic acid content, turbidity, and browning were decreased in the MMW chitosan-treated juice compared to the control. In Study B, Pinot noir base wine destined for sparkling wine was stored at 15 and 30 °C for 90 days with the following treatments: control (no addition), LMW chitosan, MMW chitosan, and HMW chitosan (all 1 g/L additions). The three chitosan treatments stored at 30 °C had increased furfural, homofuraneol, and 5-methylfurfural formation in the base wine compared to the control. At 15 °C, furfural and homofuraneol had greater concentrations in all chitosan-treated wines after 90 days of storage. Our results demonstrate the potential of mushroom-derived chitosan to remove caftaric acid from grape juice and suggest that chitosan can influence the synthesis of furan-derived compounds in wine after short-term storage.
Molecular Epidemiology of Human Rhinovirus in COPD Pa-tients in Abu Dhabi
Authors: Alsayed Ahmad R. , Abed Anas , Khader Heba A. , Hasoun Luai , Al Maqbali Mohammed , Al Shawabkeh Mahmoud J
Published: September 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to describe the molecular epidemiology and seasonality of human rhinovirus (HRV) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its association with COPD exacerbations in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: Sputum specimens were collected for analysis from all COPD patients who visited a medical center from November 2021 to October 2022. The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) test was used to detect HRV. Results: Of the 78 COPD patients included in the study, 58 (74%) pa-tients presented with one or more exacerbation episodes. The incidence of COPD exacerbation peaked over the winter and substantially decreased during the summer. HRV positivity in pa-tients during exacerbation (E1) was 11/58 (19%) and 15/58 (26%) two weeks after the exacerbation episode (E2). There was no significant difference in the HRV load in these patients. No statistically significant difference was observed in the detection of HRV during exacerbation compared to patients with stable COPD. Conclusion: This is the first study to assess the association between HRV detection by qPCR and COPD exacerbations in the UAE. The high sensitivity of the detec-tion technology helped collect reliable epidemiologic data. Few studies have provided similar Middle East data. This study's pattern of COPD exacerbations and HRV detection parallels that of temperate countries. This information can help with future, more extensive surveillance of res-piratory viruses in the UAE and the Middle East and their association with COPD exacerbations.
Oxygen Vacancy Ordering and Molten Salt Corrosion Behavior of ZnO-Doped CeYSZ for Solid Oxide Membranes
Authors: Lee Hwanseok , Lee Heesoo
Published: September 2023

Although 4Ce4YSZ has high corrosion resistance, it faces challenges concerning sinterability and ionic conductivity. Therefore, we studied destabilization behavior caused by corrosion and oxygen vacancy ordering according to ZnO doping. The powders of (4Ce4YSZ)1-x(ZnO)x (x=0.5, 1, 2, 4 mol%) were synthesized through the sol-gel method. With the addition of ZnO, the cubic phase increased, and secondary phases were not observed. The (111) peak showed a higher angle shift in ZnO-doped 4Ce4YSZ compared to 4Ce4YSZ, and TEM-SAED revealed a reduction in the spacing of the (011)t plane, suggesting lattice contraction due to the substitution of the smaller Zn2+ (60 Å) for Zr4+ (84 Å) in the lattice. The local atomic structure analysis was conducted using EXAFS to investigate the oxygen vacancy ordering behavior. Zr K-edge Fourier-transform data revealed a decrease in the Zr-O1 peak intensity with an increasing amount o ZnO doping, indicating an increase in oxygen vacancies. The Zr-O1 peak position shifted to the right, leading to an increase in the Zr-O1 interatomic distance. In the Y K-edge Fourier-transform data, the Y-O1 peak intensity did not decrease, and there was little variation in the Y-O1 interatomic distance. These results suggest that the oxygen vacancies formed due to ZnO doping are located in the neighboring oxygen shell of Zn, rather than in the neighboring oxygen shells of Y and Zr. Impedance measurements were conducted to measure the conductivity, and as the amount of ZnO doping increased, the total conductivity increased, while the activation energy decreased. The increase in oxygen vacancies by ZnO doping contributed to the enhancement of conductivity and it is considered that these created oxygen vacancies did not interact with Zn2+ and did not form defect associations. Fluoride-based molten salts were introduced to the specimens to assess corrosion behavior in a molten salt environment. Yttrium depletion layers (YDLs) were formed on the surfaces of all specimens due to the leaching of yttrium. However, Ce remained relatively stable at the interface according to EDS line scans, suggesting a reduction in the phase transformation (cubic, tetragonal to monoclinic) typically associated with yttrium leaching in YSZ.
Shuffle Graph Convolutional Network for Skeleton-Based Action Recognition
Authors: Yu Qiwei , Dai Yaping , Hirota Kaoru , Shao Shuai , Dai Wei
Published: September 2023

A shuffle graph convolutional network (Shuffle-GCN) is proposed to recognize human action by analyzing skeleton data. It uses channel split and channel shuffle operations to process multi-feature channels of skeleton data, which reduces the computational cost of graph convolution operation. Compared with the classical two-stream adaptive graph convolutional network model, the proposed method achieves a higher precision with 1/3 of the floating-point operations (FLOPs). Even more, a channel-level topology modeling method is designed to extract more motion information of human skeleton by learning the graph topology from different channels dynamically. The performance of Shuffle-GCN is tested under 56,880 action clips from the NTU RGB+D dataset with the accuracy 96.0% and the computational complexity 12.8 GFLOPs. The proposed method offers feasible solutions for developing practical applications of action recognition.
Novel Concepts on Domination in Neutrosophic Incidence Graphs with Some Applications
Authors: Mohamad Siti Nurul Fitriah , Hasni Roslan , Smarandache Florentin
Published: September 2023

In graph theory, the concept of domination is essential in a variety of domains. It has broad applications in diverse fields such as coding theory, computer network models, and school bus routing and facility location problems. If a fuzzy graph fails to obtain acceptable results, neutrosophic sets and neutrosophic graphs can be used to model uncertainty correlated with indeterminate and inconsistent information in arbitrary real-world scenario. In this study, we consider the concept of domination as it relates to single-valued neutrosophic incidence graphs (SVNIGs). Given the importance of domination and its utilization in numerous fields, we propose the application of dominating sets in SVNIG with valid edges. We present some relevant definitions such as those of valid edges, cardinality, and isolated vertices in SVNIG along with some examples. Furthermore, we also show a few significant sets connected to the dominating set in an SVNIG such as independent and irredundant sets. We also investigate a relationship between the concepts of dominating sets and domination numbers as well as irredundant and independence sets in SVNIGs. Finally, a real-life deployment of domination in SVNIGs is investigated in relation to COVID-19 vaccination locations as a practical application.
An Object Detection Method Using Probability Maps for Instance Segmentation to Mask Background
Authors: Uchinoura Shinji , Miyao Junichi , Kurita Takio
Published: September 2023

This paper proposes a two-step detector called segmented object detection, whose performance is improved by masking the background region. Previous single-stage object detection methods suffer from the problem of imbalance between foreground and background classes, where the background occupies more regions in the image than the foreground. Thus, the loss from the background is firmly incorporated into the training. RetinaNet addresses this problem with Focal Loss, which focuses on foreground loss. Therefore, we propose a method that generates probability maps using instance segmentation in the first step and feeds back the generated maps as background masks in the second step as prior knowledge to reduce the influence of the background and enhance foreground training. We confirm that the detector can improve the accuracy by adding instance segmentation information to both the input and output rather than only to the output results. On the Cityscapes dataset, our method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods.
Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment Using a Spiral Drawing Test
Authors: Fujiwara Katsuya , Matsuhashi Kenta , Mitobe Kazutaka
Published: September 2023

Information and communication technology-based monitoring services for the elderly can be improved by using a monitoring function that automatically detects cognitive decline. Therefore, we developed a system that provides a brief screening for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This screening is performed by measuring the performance of two tasks completed simultaneously on a tablet device, such as drawing a spiral and counting color changes. First, we used this system to measure and analyze three groups: elderly persons suspected of having MCI, elderly persons with no cognitive impairment, and healthy young adults. We extracted evaluation parameters relevant for determining MCI through analysis. Furthermore, we developed a detection method using the evaluation parameters and performed an evaluation. Cross-validation revealed that the sensitivity and specificity of this method were 90.0% and 75.0%, respectively.
An Efficient Scheduling Strategy for Collaborative Cloud and Edge Computing in System of Intelligent Buildings
Authors: Feng Xiaodong , Yi Lingzhi , Liu Ning , Gao Xieyi , Liu Weiwei , Wang Bin
Published: September 2023

Edge computing is a new computing method, and task scheduling is challenging work. Using edge computing in intelligent buildings for managing smart home devices has gained popularity because it can reduce the delay and network congestion brought by cloud computing. Edge computing has the advantage of fast response speeds, but its computing capacity is limited. To solve this practical problem, a system framework of collaborative cloud and edge computing is constructed for intelligent buildings. First, the communication time, task completion time, and CPU energy consumption are considered comprehensively, and a mathematical model of the system is developed. Considering the compute-intensity task, the splitting ratio is determined for tasks to achieve the collaboration of cloud computing and edge computing. Then, the search mechanism of a single gene mutation in the genetic algorithm (GA) is introduced to compensate for the defects of the salp swarm algorithm (SSA), while focusing on the search ability and optimization efficiency. Finally, the proposed strategy is theoretically analyzed and experimentally evaluated. The simulation results show that the hybrid algorithm of SSA-GA has better performance than other algorithms, and the proposed collaborative cloud and edge computing task scheduling strategy demonstrated a lower delay and makespan.
Abdullâh Hasîb Efendi’nin Kaleminden Hüsn-i Matlaʻ Sanatı
Authors: DURMUŞ Ersin
Published: September 2023

Abdullâh Hasîb Efendi hem Osmanlı devlet adamı hem bir yazardır. Devletin farklı kademelerinde ve farklı alanlarda memuriyet görevlerinde bulunmuştur. Tercüme, şerh ve telif eserleri vardır. Abdullâh Hasîb Efendi’nin bir eseri de bu makale ile tespit edilen fakat henüz ulaşılamayan Gülzâr-ı Edeb adlı risaledir. Bu eser bedîʻiyye (sanat, edebiyat, estetik) ile ilgilidir. Eserin hüsn-i matlaʻ ile ilgili kısmı “Gülzâr-ı Edeb Adlı Risâle-i Bedîʻiyyeden Hüsn-i Matlaʻ Taʻrîfi: Hüsn-i Matlaʻ Yahut Hüsn-i İbtidâ” başlığı ile Osmanlıca olarak yayımlanmıştır. Söz konusu kısım bu makalenin ana konusunu teşkil etmektedir. Hüsn-i matla, belagatin dolayısı ile edebiyat ve klasik şiirin araştırma alanına giren bir konudur. Abdullâh Hasîb Efendi ise bu konuyu tüm konuşmacı ve yazarlara hitap edecek şekilde genişleterek ele almıştır. Yazar, hüsn-i matlaʻı bir sanat olarak değerlendirmektedir. Ayrıca yaygın kabulün aksine hüsn-i matlaʻı, şiirle ve bir eserin başlangıç bölümüyle sınırlandırmamıştır. Örnekler üzerinden konuyu derinlemesine ele alan Abdullâh Hasîb Efendi, konuşmacı ve yazarların hüsn-i matlaʻ sanatını kullanmaları gereken yerleri de özellikle vurgulamıştır. Bu makalenin amacı Abdullâh Hasîb Efendi’nin hüsn-i matlaʻ konusunda öne çıkan fikirlerini ortaya koymaktır. Çalışmada Abdullâh Hasîb Efendi’nin hüsn-i matlaʻ konusuna bakışı, konu ile ilgili farklı kaynaklarla da karşılaştırılarak ayrıntılı olarak değerlendirilmiştir.
Az érvelés és a stílus humora Gárdonyi regényeiben II.
Authors: Adamikné Jászó Anna
Published: September 2023

A tanulmány első része retorikai szempontból vizsgálta Gárdonyi Géza műveit. A stílus is érvel, így a második rész témája Gárdonyi sajátos stílusának, szellemes szóhasználatának az elemzése. Bemutatja Gárdonyi különleges szavait, a kicsinyítést, a tréfás népetimológiákat, foglalkozik a névadással, az idegen szavak és az igenevek használatával. Példákat hoz arra, hogyan válik a sajátos stílus forrásává a szöveg helyesírása és a beszédmód utánzása. A tanulmány számos példát idéz a Gárdonyi-művekből – a klasszikus retorika értelmezése és rendszere szerint – az alakzatokra, valamint a szóképekre. A tanításban is hasznosak lehetnek például a tárgyleírásra, a hasonlatra, a kérdésre, a felkiáltásra, az ismétlésre, a szinekdochéra és a metaforára idézett példák. A tanulmány szemléletesen és meggyőzően bizonyítja Gárdonyi Géza stílusának egyediségét és erejét.
Dichotikus teszt alkalmazása tanulási nehézséget mutató gyermekeknél
Authors: Désfalvi Ildikó
Published: September 2023

Az agyfélteke-dominancia (lateralizáció) kialakulása meghatározó a nyelvi fejlődésben. A dichotikus teszt viszonylag gyors és egyszerű eljárás a lateralizáció és a binaurális integráció (két füllel történő hallás) vizsgálatában. A jelen tanulmány azt mutatja be, hogy a tanulási nehézséggel veszélyeztetett óvodáskorú gyermekek hogyan teljesítenek a dichotikus észlelési tesztekben. A 20 tanulási nehézségben veszélyeztetett és 20 tipikusan fejlődő óvodással elvégzett vizsgálat eredményei szerint a tanulási nehézségben veszélyeztetett gyermekek szignifikánsan gyengébben teljesítenek a kontrollcsoport óvodásaihoz képest. A két csoport közötti különbség a bal fül esetében hangsúlyosabbnak mutatkozott. Ez utalhat arra, hogy a két fül észlelése között abnormálisan nagy az aszimmetria. A két fül közötti eltérés okozhat beszédészlelési és beszédértési nehézségeket. A dichotikus tesztekben mért életkori normák meghatározása hozzájárulhat az atipikus nyelvfejlődés differenciál-diagnosztikájához
Mozduljunk! – Mozgásos gyakorlatok az anyanyelvi órán
Authors: Könnyü Laura Krisztina
Published: September 2023

A tanulmány a mozgás mint aktív tevékenység tanórai alkalmazásának a lehetőségeit mutatja be az anyanyelvi órákon. Az elméleti bevezetés a mozgásnak a tanulás hatékonyságára gyakorolt jótékony hatásáról, a mozgásos és a társas intelligencia jellemzőiről, valamint a drámapedagógia alapelveiről szól. Foglalkozik továbbá a tanórai aktivitásnak az anyanyelvi nevelésben betöltött szerepével és az anyanyelvi, irodalmi nevelés integrációjának a kérdésével is. A tanulmány fő részét a mozgásos gyakorlatok gyűjteménye alkotja, amelyben a magyar nyelvi órán tárgyalt témakörökhöz illeszkedő, mozgásos aktivitással megvalósítandó feladatok találhatók. A mozgásos gyakorlatok leírásait a tanulmány ábrákkal is szemlélteti, többségükhöz tapasztalatokon alapuló megjegyzéseket, tanácsokat is fűz. A gyűjteményben szereplő feladatok három főbb típusra oszthatók, példaanyaguk átalakításával könnyen beilleszthetők a tanóra menetébe. A tanulmány és a feladatgyűjtemény célja a tanórai mozgás népszerűsítése a magyar nyelvet tanító pedagógusok körében.
Javaslatok a digitális nemzedék helyesírási készségének a fejlesztéséhez
Authors: Szerdi Ilona
Published: September 2023

A diákok számára a mindennapokban leginkább hasznosítható magyar nyelvi órai tevékenységet a helyesírás jelenti. A 21. század digitális korában az interneten megjelenő szövegek és diskurzusok nyelvi megszerkesztettségének sokfélesége miatt számos inger éri a tanulókat. Ezért napjainkban még fontosabbá válik a helyesírási készség fejlesztése az iskolában. A tanulmány első része a helyesírási vétségek internetes kommunikációban betöltött lehetséges funkcióival foglalkozik. Második része pedig olyan feladatjavaslatokat ismertet, amelyekben a közösségi médián belül a megosztott tartalmak segítségével vitathatók meg a helyesírási kérdések, és erősíthető meg a tudatos nyelvhasználat.
Spanyolországi konferencia a grammatikatanítás és a metanyelvi tudat kapcsolatáról (III. International Conference on Teaching Grammar)
Authors: Parapatics Andrea
Published: September 2023

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A nyelvjárási tudat fejlesztésének útjain I. Nyugat-dunántúli középiskolások nyelvjárási tudata
Authors: Bereczk Zsófia Mirtill , Parapatics Andrea
Published: September 2023

Jelen tanulmány az első része annak a dolgozatnak, amely közel 200 fő gimnáziumi és technikumi tanuló nyelvjárásokkal kapcsolatos ismereteit, élményeit és attitűdjeit méri fel kérdőíves módszerrel. A kapott eredmények arról tanúskodnak, hogy bár a végzős tanulóknak valamivel több és rendszerezettebb tudásuk van a kérdésről a kilencedikes diákokhoz képest, a megkérdezettek összességében bizonytalan és a legtöbb esetben sztereotip ismeretekkel és attitűdökkel rendelkeznek ezen a téren. A kutatás adalékokkal szolgál a vizsgált tanulók nyelvhasználatára jellemző (önreflektív módon közölt) regionális nyelvi sajátosságokról is, amelyek többek számára okoztak már kellemetlen élményeket, sőt hátrányt. Az eredmény alapján egy – nem csak a vizsgált régióban élők körében alkalmazható – feladatsor összeállítására is sor került a nyelvjárási tudat fejlesztésének az elősegítéséhez, amely a dolgozat második részében (a folyóirat jelen számának Műhely rovatában) jelenik meg.
Bóna Judit – Murányi Sarolta szerk.: A nyelvfejlődés folyamata koragyermekkortól kamaszkorig (Schmidt Ildikó)
Authors: Schmidt Ildikó
Published: September 2023

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A Novel Combined Fuzzy MCDM Approach Based on IMF-SWARA and F-CODAS for Consulting Firm Selection
Authors: KUNDAKCI Nilsen , ARMAN Kevser
Published: September 2023

In today's challenging industry conditions, where being good is not enough to be successful, companies trying to be the best, need consultancy in different fields. Consulting firms provides consultancy services to businesses, and they need to determine the most appropriate one for them. Fuzzy MCDM (Multi Criteria Decision Making) methods are appropriate to solve consulting firm selection problem. In this study, consulting firm selection problem of a textile company operating in Istanbul, Turkey is handled by using a novel combined fuzzy MCDM method based on IMF-SWARA (Improved Fuzzy Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) and F-CODAS (Fuzzy COmbinative Distance-based Assessment) methods. The importance weights of the criteria are calculated with IMF-SWARA method. Findings indicate that the top three important criteria are respectively, experience, references, and reliability. Then, F-CODAS method is used to rank the consulting firms and the best one is presented to the Human Resources department of the textile company. This study contributes to the existing literature in various aspects. It suggests a novel combined fuzzy MCDM method to solve consulting firm selection and a new Fuzzy CODAS based on TFNs is proposed. Moreover, HR managers can use the findings of this study to evaluate consulting firms.
Cow-calf management practices in Mexico: dual-purpose cattle
Authors: Lassala Arantzatzu , Alonso-Díaz Miguel Ángel , Corro-Morales Manuel Dionisio , González-Padilla Everardo , Aguilar Carlos Gutierrez
Published: September 2023

This study aimed to characterise management practices of dual-purpose (DP) cattle production systems across Mexico through a structured questionnaire answered by 996 farmers. The predominant type of cattle found in DP operations was European dairy x Zebu crossbreeds (54.7%). These cattle were most popular in the tropics with 78% and 56% for the humid and dry tropics, respectively. In contrast, temperate climate farmers prefer European beef x Zebu crossbreeds (63.1%). Weaned calves and dairy products were the primary goods of DP systems. More operations sell raw milk in temperate climates than in arid and tropical climates. Ninety one percent of DP farms milk their cows manually, whilst only 8.6% use mechanical milking. Cows are milked once daily in 93% of farms. The main calf-rearing system is by allowing the calf to suckle (95.1%), with only 4.9% of operations using artificial rearing methods. Milk letdown was most frequently induced by the calf (73.2%), but 13.9% of operations used oxytocin stimulation. Only 6.3% of operations have milk cooling systems. Regarding sanitary practices, 73.5% of farms reported cleaning the teats prior to milking. Teat dipping after milking was generally low (10.5%), owing to the calf feeding on remanent milk. In addition, only 18% of DP operations routinely use mastitis diagnosis tests. Given the importance of dual purpose for local economies, improvements in market integration, technical assistance, and technology appropriation are paramount for the future development of this sector.
Enhancing Deep Learning Predictive Models with HAPPY (Hierarchically Abstracted rePeat unit of PolYmers) Representation
Authors: Hur Su-Mi , Ahn Jihun , Irianti Gabriella , Choe Yeojin
Published: September 2023

We introduce HAPPY (Hierarchically Abstracted rePeat unit of PolYmers), a new string representation for polymers, designed to efficiently encapsulate essential polymer structure features for property prediction. HAPPY assigns single constituent elements for groups of sub-structures and employs grammatically complete and independent connectors between chemical linkages. Using a limited number of datasets, we trained neural networks represented by both HAPPY and conventional SMILES encoding of repeated unit structures and compared their performance in predicting five polymer properties: dielectric constant, glass transition temperature, thermal conductivity, solubility, and density. The results showed that the HAPPY-based network achieved higher prediction accuracy and two-fold faster training times. We further tested the robustness and versatility of HAPPY-based network with an augmented training dataset. Additionally, we present topo-HAPPY (Topological HAPPY), an extension that incorporates topological details of the constituent connectivity, leading to improved solubility and glass transition temperature prediction accuracy.
Genome-wide Scan for Selection Signatures Using Tajima’s D and Pooled Heterozygosity in Ankamali Pigs of Kerala State, India
Authors: Roy Michelle Elezabeth , Manoj M , Sadan Tina , Rojan P.M , Aravindakshan T.V. , Usha A.P. , Unnikrishnan M.P.
Published: September 2023

Ankamali pig, a domesticated native variety is found in several parts of Kerala. They are well known for their disease resistance, lean meat and adaptability to hot and humid environmental conditions. Natural and artificial selection over a period of time left unique footprints (selection signatures) in genome resulting in dramatic changes in the phenotype of animals. Detection of artificial selection footprints in genomic regions can provide insights for understanding the function of specific phenotypic traits and better guide animal breeding. The present study is aimed to explore, genome-wide scanning using whole genome sequencing to detect selection signatures and enrichment analysis of selective sweep regions. Genomic DNA was isolated from 12 pigs and pooled after quality checks for WGS. Selective sweep regions were identified by using Tajima’s D (TD) and pooled heterozygosity (Hp) statistics. A total of 437 and 484 selective signals were obtained (with a threshold of –ZTD < -2.32 and -ZHp < -2.32) and more than 600 potential genes were annotated. Several candidate genes associated with body size (PKPD1, MSTN), fertility (INHBB, CSMD1), erythrocyte stability (GYPC) and lipid metabolism (REPIN1) were identified. Gene ontology (GO) terms, including biological process (BP), cellular component and molecular function and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were conducted. Two hundred sixty-eight enriched GO terms were found in the present study. In KEGG analysis, nine and more than 30 enriched pathways were found using Tajima’s D and pooled Heterozygosity respectively, with herpes simplex infection being the most enriched, followed by Neurotrophin signalling pathway, m TOR signalling pathway etc.
Transmembrane serine protease 6, a novel target for inhibition of neuronal tumor growth
Authors: Chang Yan-Zhong , Zuo Yong , Bai Jiawei , Bai Huiyuan , Tian Siyu , Sun Hongtao , Shi Zhenhua , Yu Peng , Gao Guofen , Li Yuan
Published: September 2023

Transmembrane serine protease 6 (Tmprss6) has been correlated with the occurrence and progression of tumors, but any specific molecular mechanism linking the enzyme to oncogenesis has remained elusive thus far. In the present study, we found that Tmprss6 markedly inhibited mouse neuroblastoma N2a (neuro-2a) cell proliferation and tumor growth in nude mice. Tmprss6 inhibits Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation by cleaving the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) co-receptor, hemojuvelin (HJV). Ordinarily, phosphorylated Smad1/5/8 binds to Smad4 for nuclear translocation, which stimulates the expression of hepcidin, ultimately decreasing the export of iron through ferroportin 1 (FPN1). The decrease in cellular iron levels in neuro-2a cells with elevated Tmprss6 expression limited the availability of the metal forribo nucleotide reductase (RNR) activity, thereby arresting the cell cycle prior to S phase. Interestingly, Smad4 promoted nuclear translocation of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) to activate the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathway by binding to ATF3, inducing apoptosis of neuro-2a cells and inhibiting tumor growth. Disruption of ATF3 expressing significantly decreased apoptosis in Tmprss6 overexpressed neuro-2a cells. Our study describes a mechanism whereby Tmprss6 regulates the cell cycle and apoptosis. Thus, we propose Tmprss6 as a candidate target for inhibiting neuronal tumor growth.
Surrogacy of one-year survival for overall survival in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Jin yuzhi , Yue Qianhua , Wu Wei , Liu Chuan , Ren Hui , Guo Yixuan , Zhao Peng
Published: September 2023

Background
The increasing number of sequential treatments complicates the evaluation of overall survival (OS) in clinical trials for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), therefore, reliable surrogate endpoints (SEs) are required. This study aimed to evaluate the surrogacy of progression-free survival (PFS) and one-year (1-yr) milestone survival for OS in HCC trials.
Methods
We systematically searched databases for randomized clinical trials that evaluated systemic treatments for advanced HCC. Individual patient data were reconstructed to calculate the 1-yr survival rate. We adopted a two-stage meta-analytic validation model to evaluate the correlation between SEs and OS, and the correlation between treatment effects on SEs and OS. The hazard ratio (HR) was calculated to assess the treatment effects on PFS and OS, and the 1-yr survival ratio was calculated to evaluate the treatment effects on the 1-yr milestone survival.
Results
Thirty-two HCC trials involving 13,808 patients were included. A weak correlation was detected between the median PFS and median OS (R2 = 0.32), whereas the correlation improved between PFS HR and OS HR (R2 = 0.58). We identified strong correlations between the 1-yr survival rate and median OS and between the 1-yr survival ratio and OS HR (R2 = 0.74 and 0.65, respectively). In subgroup analyses, PFS HR strongly correlated with OS HR in trials relevant to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Although the correlation remained weak between PFS and OS even in trials with PFS HR ≤ 0.6, the 1-yr survival rate and 1-yr survival ratio were strong surrogates for median OS and OS HR, respectively (R2 = 0.77 and 0.75).
Conclusions
One-year milestone survival outperformed PFS as a SE for OS in HCC, indicating the application of 1-yr survival as a secondary endpoint. In particular, PFS HR was a potential SE for OS HR in the ICI trials.
Psychosocial Care for Infants, Children and Adolescents with Variations of Sex Characteristics: Results from a Pan-European Survey
Authors: Gramc Martin , Stephenson John , Monro Surya , Streuli Jürg
Published: September 2023

Background
The Chicago Consensus statement introduced multidisciplinary care, psychosocial support and peer support for minors with variations of sex characteristics (VSC) and their parents. However, there is a lack of data on the provision and implementation of psychosocial support. This study addresses the gap in the knowledge on the type and timing of psychosocial support for minors with VSC and their families. It examines the provision of peer support, and compares perceptions of the level of implementation of psychosocial support among the participating HCPs and peer support group members. Perceptions of the obstacles to fuller provision of psychosocial care and peer support are also discussed.
Methods
A survey was conducted based on snowball purposive sample of healthcare professionals and members of peer support groups across Europe. 301 responses were received and analysed using descriptive and inferential methods.
Results
Regarding the current and aspired practice of different types of psychosocial care, almost all respondents considered psychosocial support to be needed. The most common features of current practice included discussing diagnostic procedures (86 respondents; 69.4%), with similar frequencies and proportions of general emotional support, discussing terminology and discussing medical treatment. In relation to the timing, the moment of the healthcare practitioner suspecting a variation of sex characteristics/Disorders or Differences of Sex Development (VSC/DSD) diagnosis was the aspired, but not currently achieved, point of implementation of psychosocial support; aspired to by 84 respondents (67.2%), but current practice for only 33 (26.4%). Inferential analysis showed significant differences in the perceived level of implementation of psychosocial support between healthcare professionals and peer support providers (p < 0.001 for all anticipated points of implementation of psychosocial support.) Parental distress and lack of training appeared to be the most difficult challenges faced by medical professionals.
Conclusions
The survey shows that psychosocial support and collaboration between healthcare providers and peer support groups have been insufficiently implemented, yet the need remains high. As early non-vital medical interventions carry a high risk of poor outcomes and parental distress, psychosocial support should be provided at the earliest point, when VSC are suspected or diagnosed. Follow-up studies should implement and assess the indicators for provision of psychosocial support and health care.
Survey of the national clinical practice of inhaled nitric oxide in preterm infants in China
Authors: Ke Tian , Lingyue Gong , Jun Tang , Yi Huang
Published: September 2023

Background
To help understand the current clinical practice and provide a reference for the quality improvement of iNO in preterm infants in China.
Methods
A survey on iNO use in preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units was sent to healthcare providers and conducted from January to February 2021.
Results
Of 678 people participated in this survey, 638 were finally included in the analysis. There was no statistical difference (P > 0.05) in iNO use in infants with a gestational age of 28–36 weeks among different types of hospitals; however, iNO use significantly differed in infants with a gestational age of < 28 weeks (P < 0.001). The younger the gestational age of preterm infants, the fewer the respondents who agreed with its use, with only 26.15% of respondents choosing to use iNO in neonates with a gestational age of < 28 weeks. Hypoxic respiratory failure combined with persistent pulmonary hypertension was the main indication for iNO. The majority of investigators (70.77%) used 20 ppm as the initial concentration of iNO therapy in preterm infants.
Conclusion
iNO has been used on preterm infants in some hospitals in China. High-quality clinical evidence is needed to further evaluate the dose, procedure, effectiveness, and safety of iNO in preterm infants.
Factors Determining Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Among Married Women in Bhutan
Authors: Jamtsho Cheda
Published: September 2023

Background
Although continuous efforts are being made to address violence against women, the prevalence among married women and the underlying determining factors remain relatively underexplored and rarely studied in Bhutan. This study aims to determine the factors associated with IPV (physical, psychological or sexual), and to determine its prevalence, including women justifying IPV in Bhutan.
Methods
The study employed descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses, utilizing data from the 2010 Bhutan Multiple Indicator Survey, encompassing a sample of 9,210 married Bhutanese women.
Results
The prevalence of IPV was 22.5% (physical violence–12.8%; psychological violence–16.7%; and sexual violence–6.6%). The percentage of women who justified attitudes supporting wife hitting or beating was 71.2%. There was a negative association observed between household standard of living and physical, psychological and sexual IPV, as well as attitudes justifying IPV. Women residing in urban area was positively associated with physical but not with psychological domestic violence and an attitude about wife beating. Women’s age at first marriage was positively associated with physical and with attitudes about wife beating. Pregnant women exhibited reduced likelihood of experiencing both physical and psychological IPV, but pregnant women residing in rural areas faced higher odds of encountering both forms of IPV. Women who reported their husbands' infidelity exhibited elevated odds of experiencing both physical and psychological IPV.
Conclusion
Close to a quarter of married women have encountered IPV, with psychological IPV emerging as the most prevalent form, trailed by physical IPV. Household standard of living, lower education level, rural pregnancy, husband’s infidelity, area of residence, location, and women’s age at first marriage was risk factors of IPV.
Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitance Among Adolescents and Youths in Sub-Saharan African Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Allan Mwiinde Mayaba , Patrick Kaonga , Jacobs Choolwe , Joseph Zulu Mumba , Isaac Fwemba
Published: September 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health systems especially sub-Saharan African countries. Vaccination is one of the easily accessible interventions that can help reduce the burden on the health system. However, vaccination coverage remains low in sub-Saharan African countries. The determinants of vaccine acceptance and hesitance among adolescents and youths remain unknown. Therefore, this study explored the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitance among Adolescents and Youths in Sub-Saharan African Countries. A systematic literature search of Scopus, PubMed Central, PubMed, Embase, African Journal Online, Research 4 Life, Embase, and Google Scholar was performed from 6th to 9th May 2023, using developed keywords. Studies conducted in sub-Saharan African countries between 20th February 2020 and 14th June 2023 were considered for the study. Twenty-three (N = 23) studies were finally selected for analysis. The prevalence of vaccine acceptance among adolescents and youths was (n = 23) 38.7% in sub-Saharan African countries. The subgroup analysis indicated that the prevalence of acceptance among adolescents was (n = 13), 36.1% while youths (n = 10), 42%. At the region level West Africa (n = 13) 42.2%, East Africa (n = 6), 39.8%, Central Africa (n = 1), 33%, and Southern Africa (n = 3), 24.2%. The prevalence of vaccine hesitance was (n = 23), 25.3%. The subgroup analysis indicated that the prevalence of acceptance among adolescents was n = 13, 30.7% while youths (n = 10), 41.6%. At the region level Central Africa (n = 1), 67.2, Southern Africa (n = 3), 41.7%, East Africa (n = 6), 34.7% and 3%, and West Africa (n = 13, 31.9%. The meta-regression analysis of determinants of acceptance was self-immunity p < 0.05, health officer p < 0.001, effectiveness p < 0.05, while hesitance was the source of information 0.05. The findings indicate that there is a low level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and high levels of hesitance among adolescents and youths in Sub-Saharan African countries. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that extensive research is undertaken into age-appropriate health promotion messages and strategies to encourage uptake of the vaccines. Educating individuals on the benefit of vaccination and the expected side effect should be addressed as well as the basic process of vaccine development.
Loss of Bmp2 impairs odontogenesis via dysregulating pAkt/pErk/GCN5/Dlx3/Sp7
Authors: Chen Shuo , Wang Feng , Yang Guobin , Yuan Guohua , Liu Mengmeng , Goldman Graham , harris stephen , Wang Wei , Chen Zhi , Mary MacDougall
Published: September 2023

BMP2 signaling plays a pivotal role in odontoblast differentiation and maturation during odontogenesis. Teeth lacking Bmp2 exhibit a morphology reminiscent of dentinogenesis imperfecta (DGI), associated with mutations in dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) and dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) genes. Mechanisms by which BMP2 signaling influences expressions of DSPP and DMP1 and contributes to DGI remain elusive. To study the roles of BMP2 in dentin development, we generated Bmp2 conditional knockout (cKO) mice. Through a comprehensive approach involving RNA-seq, immunohistochemistry, promoter activity, ChIP, and Re-ChIP, we investigated downstream targets of Bmp2. Notably, the absence of Bmp2 in cKO mice led to dentin insufficiency akin to DGI. Disrupted Bmp2 signaling was linked to decreased expression of Dspp and Dmp1, as well as alterations in intracellular translocation of transcription factors Dlx3 and Sp7. Intriguingly, upregulation of Dlx3, Dmp1, Dspp, and Sp7, driven by BMP2, fostered differentiation of dental mesenchymal cells and biomineralization. Mechanistically, BMP2 induced phosphorylation of Dlx3, Sp7, and histone acetyltransferase GCN5 at Thr and Tyr residues, mediated by Akt and Erk42/44 kinases. This phosphorylation facilitated protein nuclear translocation, promoting interactions between Sp7 and Dlx3, as well as with GCN5 on Dspp and Dmp1 promoters. The synergy between Dlx3 and Sp7 bolstered transcription of Dspp and Dmp1. Notably, BMP2-driven GCN5 acetylated Sp7 and histone H3, while also recruiting RNA polymerase II to Dmp1 and Dspp chromatins, enhancing their transcriptions. Intriguingly, BMP2 suppressed the expression of histone deacetylases. we unveil hitherto uncharted involvement of BMP2 in dental cell differentiation and dentine development through pAkt/pErk42/44/Dlx3/Sp7/GCN5/Dspp/Dmp1.
Clinician and Staff Experiences with Frustrated Patients during an Electronic Health Record Transition: A Qualitative Case Study
Authors: Ball Sherry L. , Kim Bo , Cutrona Sarah L. , Molloy-Paolillo Brianne K. , Ahlness Ellen , Moldestad Megan , PsyD George Sayre , Rinne Seppo T.
Published: September 2023

Background: Electronic health record (EHR) transitions are known to be highly disruptive, can drastically impact clinician and staff experiences, and may influence patients’ experiences using the electronic patient portal. Clinicians and staff can gain insights into patient experiences and be influenced by what they see and hear from patients. Through the lens of an emergency preparedness framework, we examined clinician and staff reactions to and perceptions of their patients’ experiences with the portal during an EHR transition at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Methods: This qualitative case study was situated within a larger multi-methods evaluation of the EHR transition. We conducted a total of 122 interviews with 30 clinicians and staff across disciplines at the initial VA EHR transition site before, immediately after, and up to 12 months after go-live (September 2020-November 2021). Interview transcripts were coded using a priori and emergent codes. The coded text segments relevant to patient experience and clinician interactions with patients were extracted and analyzed to identify themes. For each theme, recommendations were defined based on each stage of an emergency preparedness framework (mitigate, prepare, respond, recover).
Results: Participants expressed concerns about the reliability of communicating with their patients via secure messaging within the new EHR portal. Participants felt ill-equipped to field patients’ questions and frustrations navigating the new portal. Participants learned that patients experienced difficulties learning to use and accessing the portal; when unsuccessful, some had difficulties obtaining medication refills via the portal and used the call center as an alternative. However, long telephone wait times provoked patients to walk into the clinic for care, often frustrated and without an appointment. Patients needing increased in-person attention heightened participants’ daily workload and their concern for patients’ well-being. Recommendations for each theme fit within a stage of the emergency preparedness framework.
Conclusions: Application of an emergency preparedness framework to EHR transitions could help address the concerns raised by the participants, 1) mitigating disruptions by identifying at-risk patients before the transition, 2) preparing end-users by disseminating patient-centered informational resources, 3) responding by building capacity for disrupted services, and 4) recovering by monitoring integrity of the new portal function.