bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Online News Channel Streaming: A Comprehensive Analysis of Channel and User Engagement during the Israel-Palestine Conflict
Authors: Alsubari Akram , Alhiba M. , Enan Ahlam , Aldawla Najran. N. H. , Alsurori M.
Published: February 2024

The current research aims to uncover insights into how online audiences engage with and respond to conflict-related news content. This research investigates public discourse on conflict through a comprehensive analysis of a dataset comprising three million YouTube comments collected from 37 reputable international news channels, such as the BBC, Al Jazeera, and CNN, within a time span of 37 days. This research presents a meticulous exploration of global public discourse during this critical juncture. Therefore, we built a dataset by mining and perusing three million user comments from comment sections provided by news channels that were streaming on YouTube. We selected 2095 news titles and 2.9 million comments covering the period from 5 Oct to 12 Nov. The dataset contains information (channels, titles, title descriptions, views, publishing dates, and comments). The dataset was carefully selected and analysed to encapsulate diverse perspectives and offer a representative snapshot of global reactions. This study employs natural language processing (NLP) techniques to explore sentiment dynamics, media influence, temporal patterns, and user behaviors within the comments section. Temporal patterns in comments are meticulously examined to discern evolving public perceptions over time. Furthermore, media influence is addressed by exploring how news channels shape and reflect public opinion during a conflict of global significance. Beyond traditional sentiment analysis, this study delves into user engagement profiles, shedding light on patterns of interaction and the factors influencing online discourse. This research extends beyond a conventional examination of online comments; it provides a nuanced understanding of how digital platforms become spaces for global dialogue during critical geopolitical events. These findings not only contribute to the field of online discourse analysis but also offer valuable insights for policymakers, media professionals, and scholars studying the intersection of digital communication and global affairs.
Exploring Deep Fully-convolutional Neural Networks for Surface Defect Detection in Complex Geometries
Authors: García Daniel , García Diego , Díaz Ignacio , Marina Jorge
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we propose a machine learning approach for detecting superficial defects in metal surfaces using point cloud data. We compare the performance of two popular deep learning architectures, Multilayer Perceptron Networks (MLPs) and Fully Convolutional Networks (FCNs), with varying feature sets. Our results show that FCNs outperformed MLPs in terms of precision, recall, and f1-score. We found that transfer learning with pre-trained models can improve performance when the amount of available data is limited. Our study highlights the importance of considering the amount and quality of training data in developing machine learning models for defect detection in industrial settings with 3D images.
The investigation of the effect of incense use on patients with dry eye diseases: A clinical interview-based study
Authors: Alhalwani Amani , Mofti Alaa Hashem , Domyati Mustafa Ibrahim , Muzian Faisal , Qadizadah AlBaraa Ehab , Alquhaibi Abdulaziz Saad , Alghamdi Jumana , Gusti Nizar , Khan Muhammad Anwar , Almhmad Wasayf M. , Alqahtani Yara , ALZAHRANI NADIM , ALBAR HASHIM
Published: February 2024

Background
Incense is burning regularly in Saudi culture. Studies show that incense smoke is considered one of the indoor air pollutants and has been associated with affecting human health. Therefore, this study compared DED patients with cataract patients concerning their incense use, frequency of DED symptoms, blood inflammatory biomarkers, and ocular examination in patients in King Abdulaziz Medical Center (KAMC)- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Methodology
A total of 64 patients participated in the prospective research study from August 2022 to December 2022 and performed a cross-sectional interview study at ophthalmology outpatient clinics using a pre-designed, validated questionnaire. The participants were divided into two groups: the study group, DED diagnosis, and the control group, cataract diagnosis. Blood biomarker tests and demographic data were gathered and analyzed. The means, standard deviations, and medians of the blood test and TBUT results were calculated. The PLR and NLR were calculated, and the correlation between all PLR, NLR, and TBUT values was investigated. Statistical analysis was utilized to determine the incense risk factors associated with the diagnosis.
Results
Patients with DED were older adults, more females, and high BMI. The type of incense used was high in synthetic wood. The dry eye disease symptoms frequency was eye fatigue (66.7%), and the highest intensity was itching (29.5%). There were increases in tear break-up time (TBUT) and inflammatory blood biomarkers values between groups with insignificant differences. There was a positive correlation with significant differences among DED patients between NLR and PLR and between TBUT (OS) and TBUT (OS).
Conclusion
This study shows that incense smoke might be a risk factor for increased tear break-up time and inflammatory blood biomarkers and has been indicated to cause dry eye symptoms. Additionally, the availability of a blood provocative test detecting DED ability markers besides ocular examination will be a significant advantage for managing DED to prevent adverse outcomes. It is recommended that people use natural incense rather than synthetic incense, use incense smoke for shorter periods, and ventilate their surroundings when burning incense at home to prevent dry eye disease and other health problems.
The relationships between ankylosing spondylitis, enteropathic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis were studied based on Mendelian randomization
Authors: Huang Chuan-hong , Chen Yue-ping , Chen Shang-Tong
Published: February 2024

Objective: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and enteric arthritis (enteropathic arthritis) were investigated via Mendelian randomization (MR). EA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Method: Using publicly available GWAS data, inverse variance weighting (IVW) in the random effect model was used as the main analysis method, and weighted medium estimates were used. WME and MR‒Egger regression methods were used to verify the effectiveness of the IVW method. The simple mode and weighted mode were used to evaluate the directionality of causal effects.
Results: According to the IVW model, AS (OR=1.069) and EA (OR=1.171) were risk factors for RA, RA had no clear correlation with AS, and RA (OR=1.253) was a risk factor for EA.
Conclusion: After excluding the interference of confounding factors, unbiased estimation results were obtained via bidirectional MR analysis, which revealed a causal relationship between AS, EA and RA and between RA and EA.
Hypoglycemic effect of leafy vegetables from Ankole and Teso sub-regions of Uganda: preclinical evaluation using a high fat diet-streptozotocin model
Authors: Asekenye Caroline , Alele Paul Erasmus , Ogwang Patrick Engeu , Olet Eunice Apio
Published: February 2024

Background: The hypoglycemic effect of the most frequently eaten leafy vegetables in Ankole and Teso sub-regions of Uganda, Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Hs), Vigna unguiculata L. Walp (Vu) and Solanum nigrum L. (Sn) was studied in an attempt to explain the remarkable difference in prevalence of hyperglycemia observed in the two sub-regions.
Methods: Phytochemical screening was done and the phytochemicals in the Aqueous leaf extracts (ALEs) of Hs, Vu and Sn were quantified by means of UV-visible spectrophotometer using the standard calibration graph. The phytochemical concentration was given as standard equivalent of the vegetable fresh weight. The extracts were then tested for their hypoglycemic activity in high fat diet-streptozotocin (HFD-STZ) induced diabetic Wistar rats. These extracts were administered to diabetic rats at 100- and 200 mg/kg/body weight, orally once a day for 12 days. Glibenclamide (a standard drug used to treat diabetes mellitus) was similarly given to a positive control group to support the results at a dose of 5 mg/kg/body weight. Diabetic and normal control groups received vehicle (distilled water) daily for the same period of time.
Results: More phytochemical compounds were found in aqueous than methanol solvent. The highest quantity of total phenolic (TP) compounds was found in Hs 66.11±0.19 Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE) (µg/mg fresh weight), highest quantity of total flavonoids (TF), total tannins (TT) and total alkaloids (TA) were found in Sn (71.35±0.14 Quercetin equivalent of flavonoids (QEF), 172.17±8.69 GAE and 119.71±3.64 Atropine equivalent (µg/mg, fresh weight) respectively, whereas the total saponins (TS) were highest in Vu 125.78±0.47 Diosgenin equivalent of Saponin per mg of fresh weight of the vegetable.
Conclusions: The ALEs of Hs lowered the fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels most significantly (65%) at the dose of 200 mg/kg; Sn lowered the FBG by 57%, while Vu lowered the FBG by 43%, compared to the diabetic control. Vegetable hypoglycemic effects were comparable with glibenclamide (66%). Animal body weights showed insignificant increases by the end of the study. These vegetables can be considered effective in prevention and management of hyperglycemia.
Evaluating the Efficiency of Artificial Insemination Supported by Estrus Synchronization of Dairy Cows in the East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia
Authors: Awoke Nitsuh Walelign , Zewdie Awoke Kassa , Desta Natnael Teshager
Published: February 2024

This study was conducted to assess the breeding practices of dairy cattle in the Dejene and Machakel districts. In the present study, the effectiveness of prostaglandin hormone therapy was evaluated, and different factors affecting pregnancy in synchronized cows were detected. Among the cows treated with prostaglandin, 72.20% responded. There was a significant difference between the breeds in which the responding cows and local cows were bred was greater than that in which the cows were crossed. The estrus rates were estimated to be 81.33, 66.67 and 68.33 in the Dejene and Mchakel districts, respectively, for prostaglandin injection. There were significant differences in the estrus rate between artificial insemination technicians (AITS). The conception rates for injection of prostaglandin were 28.5% and 4.0% in Dejene and Mchekel, whereas the numbers of services per conception were 1.56, 2.56 and 2.55 in Dejene and Machakel, respectively. The overall conception rate and number of services per conception for prostaglandin injection were 18.5% and 2.22, respectively. Improvements in facilities and management are necessary before implementing effective estrous synchronization. Skill- and knowledge-based training for enhancing oestrus synchronization must be provided for both farmers and implementers to enhance their perception and adoption of the technology. The AITS must update recent skills and knowledge. Finally, information on breeding practice and the evaluation of the effectiveness of prostaglandin injection may serve as a basis for improving the fertility of dairy cows and will help in the design of appropriate breeding strategies for dairy cattle.
5-hydroxytryptamine Distribution Alterations in both Neurons and Synapses: A Potential Pathogenesis of Neuron Death in Tg(SOD1*G93A)1gur Mice
Authors: Jiang Shishi , Li Menghua , Dai Qi , Liu Xiwang , Li Cheng , Jiao Huifeng , Nie Hongbing , Pan Haili , Xu Renshi
Published: February 2024

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, the accurate pathogenesis of ALS hasn’t been found up to now. The previous studied results revealed that the abnormal alterations of some non-motor neurons (MN) were one of potential pathogenesis of MN death in ALS. Therefore, we studied the altered features of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) distribution and expression in the spinal cord and brainstem of both Tg(SOD1*G93A)1Gur (TG) and wild-type (WT) mice through the fluorescent immunohistochemistry and Western blot methods using the biomarkers of 5-HT neuron and synapse (both 5-HT and Tryptophan hydroxylase 2). Our results revealed that 5-HT synapses mainly distributed in the funiculus lateralis, the anterior horn, the posterior horn, the central lateral column and the around central canal in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar segments of spinal cord, as well as both the raphe nucleus and the lateral paragigantocellular nucleus of brainstem, and gradually reduced following by the age increase in WT mice. However, both 5-HT synapses and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1A (5-HTR1A), but not 5-HTR2A, in spinal cord and 5-HT neurons in brainstem gradually increased following by the progression of disease and presented the significantly negative correlation between the increased distribution of both 5-HT synapses and neurons and neural cell death at the onset and/or progression stages of TG mice. Therefore, it is speculated that the distribution changes of 5-HT synapses in spinal cord and 5-HT neurons in brainstem are closely associated with neuron death, is a potential pathogenesis of ALS.
Dietary beta-hydroxybutyrate is superior to a ketogenic diet to improve behavior and abnormal myelination in a mouse model of NMDA receptor deficiency
Authors: Yan Yuanye , Lipina Tatiana , Pepera Laura , Horsfall Wendy , Salahpour Ali , Ramsey Amy J.
Published: February 2024

Background
Dysfunction of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) is associated with idiopathic autism and a syndromic form of autism called GRIN disorder. Ketogenic therapy is used to treat seizures in GRIN disorder, but it is unknown whether it improves other aspects of the disorder. We asked whether a ketogenic diet or exogenous ketone bodies, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), could improve autism-like behaviours in Grin1 knockdown mice (Grin1KD). Since BHB has been reported to affect myelination, we asked whether improvements in behavior were correlated with changes in myelination.
Methods
WT and Grin1KD mice were randomly assigned to receive control, ketogenic diet (6:1 fat to proteins and carbohydrates ratio), or normal chow with BHB supplementation (6mg/ml in drinking water) starting at postnatal week 3-4. Blood ketones were monitored one-week and nine-week after treatment. Following this, behavioural tests were conducted, and subsequently the myelin integrity of the corpus callosum was studied with transmission electron microscopy.
Results
Ketogenic diet was not well-tolerated by juvenile Grin1KD mice in contrast to BHB supplementation. Both dietary manipulations elevated blood ketone levels after one week of treatment, but these elevations diminished over time. Both treatments reduced hyperactivity of Grin1KD mice. However, only BHB improved sensorimotor gating in Grin1KD mice. Social motivation and spatial working memory were not improved by either treatment. We report, for the first time, a reduced percentage of myelinated axons in the corpus callosum of adult Grin1KD mice, which was ameliorated by long-term BHB supplementation. Surprisingly, mice receiving a ketogenic diet showed increased number of abnormal myelinations, especially decompaction.
Limitations
Our findings are limited to the specific ketogenic regimens. Although findings in Grin1KD mice have significant implications in ASD and GRIN disorder, mice and humans have fundamental differences in their dietary and metabolic requirements. Future studies are required to understand the mechanism by which ketone bodies improve myelination.
Conclusions
We demonstrate that sub-chronic administration of exogenous BHB from early-life is beneficial to some domains of ASD-linked behaviours in Grin1KD mice. One potential mechanism is by improving myelination in the corpus callosum of Grin1KD mice. Our data supports exogenous BHB supplementation as potential treatment for ASD and GRIN disorder.
Using the flocculation index to optimise velocity gradient during slow mixing in drinking water treatment
Authors: Pereira Airton , Silva Laís , Pimentel Marcio
Published: February 2024

This article aimed to study the influence of the velocity gradient on the flocculation process by aluminum sulfate (AS) in raw water samples under the action of a sweep mechanism at a temperature of 20°C and, with the help of continuous flocculation monitoring equipment (CFME), to verify the potential use of the flocculation index (FI) as a way to choose an adequate velocity gradient to achieve higher sedimentation rates and to obtain kinetic flocculation aggregation (KA) and breakup constant (KB) data. KA and KB helped to explain why the best tapered velocity gradient (G) conditions (G0 − 5 min = 80 s− 1, G5 − 10 min = 50 s− 1 and G10 − 15 min = 20 s− 1: 83.4%) promoted greater turbidity removal efficiency than did the fixed gradient (G0 − 15 min = 20 s− 1: 78.6%), highlighting the compartmentalization benefits. It was also observed that floc size was the most relevant factor for selecting velocity gradients that generated greater removal efficiencies for turbidity and apparent color. Finally, the model developed through kinetic constants was applied to water treatment plant conditions, and the mean absolute errors were 1.5% and 0.1 s− 1, considering the turbidity removal efficiencies and the best estimated velocity gradients, respectively, allowing us to improve the quality of the treated waters.
Copula Tubular Quantum Based Spearman Deep Neural for Influential Node Tracing in Social Network
Authors: P Vimalkumar , C Balasubramanian
Published: February 2024

Social networks are one the foremost origins of information transmission at present. Nevertheless, not all nodes in social networks are indistinguishable. As a matter of fact, certain nodes are said to be more influential than others, or to be more specific, their information gravitates to proliferate more. Identifying the most influential nodes in a social network called as the Influence Maximization problem remains one of the hot issue with the evolution of Internet and social media. Several methods have been proposed to identify influential nodes in composite networks, ranging from parallel algorithm to distribution difference and non-overlapping communities. However, most of the previous methods do not take into account error involved in overlapping communities in social network. To address this issue, in this work, a Copula Tubular Neighborhood and Quantum-based Spearman Deep Neural Network (CTNQ-SDNN) for influential node tracing in social network is proposed. The CTNQ-SDNN method is split into three sections. First, computationally efficient nodes are identified by employing Copula Probability Node Pre-processing model. Then, with the identification of effective nodes, accurate feature extraction is made by means of Tubular Neighborhood Intensity-based Feature extraction model. Finally, influential node selection and tracing in case of tie or overlapping communities with the purpose of reducing error rate is proposed by utilizing Spearman Deep Neural Influential Node Tracing model. Experimental results on telecom dataset social networks, comparing our proposed method against state-of-the-art methods in current literature, indicates our method to be efficient and robust in tackling the influence maximization issue even in case of tie or overlapping communications in social network via error rate.
Do the national climate acts of EU Member States enable the most vulnerable to participate in climate policymaking?
Authors: Honkonen Tuula
Published: February 2024

Climate change does not know equality in its human impacts. Some people and communities are in a more vulnerable position than others in the face of the negative effects of efforts to mitigate climate change as well as in addressing the need to adapt and developing the capabilities to do so. One way to give recognition to and account for vulnerability in climate policymaking is enhanced public participation. National climate change acts are the main legal instruments countries use to structure domestic climate governance systems. The acts exhibit great variation in regard to how openness and participation in policymaking and implementation of policy are addressed. This study examines national climate acts across the EU Member States with particular reference to their regulation of public participation. Of particular concern are those members of the public who are considered most climate vulnerable. The analysis finds that few of the acts address public participation, and none of the acts examined directly provides for the participation of specified groups of people based on their presumed vulnerability to climate change impacts. However, there are participation mechanisms that take into account climate vulnerable groups. Many states have not regarded the national climate act as the legal instrument of choice for regulating public participation in climate policymaking.
However, this paper argues that the institutionalization of public participation in the national climate acts would have added value. Accommodating climate vulnerability in public participation is admittedly challenging, though. If given a chance, many groups of people would be likely to plead vulnerability, making it difficult to draw the line between who is vulnerable and who is not.
A Statistical Analysis of Commercial Articulated Industrial Robots and Cobots
Authors: Amiri Peyman , Müller Marcus , Southgate Matthew , Theodoridis Theodoros , Wei Guowu , Richards-Brown Mike , Holderbaum William
Published: February 2024

This paper undertakes a statistical analysis and review of commercial articulated industrial robots and collaborative robots (cobots) based on their documented specifications such as maximum payload, weight, reach, repeatability, average maximum angular speed and degrees of freedom (DOF). This elucidates the state-of-the-art of these robots, discerns the prevailing priorities and focus of the industry, and identifies both limitations and potential gaps. Industrial robots and cobots are compared and the respective advantages and limitations of industrial cobots are ascertained. Additionally, three novel factors are introduced in this survey as metrics to evaluate the efficiency and performance of industrial robots and cobots. Subsequently, the statistical distributions of these factors are investigated to obtain a systematic method for robot selection. An accompanying program has been developed and uploaded to GitHub which takes the required specifications and returns a list of proper and efficient robots sourced from different companies according to the aforementioned method. Although some robot makers provide some proprietary internal software to assist customers in finding their appropriate robots, the software just considers their own products and does not include those made by other manufacturers. In the end, specifications exhibiting strong correlations are compared in pairs to find out trends and relations between them within each company and across them all. This explains the reason behind these interrelationships, the design purpose of robot makers, and the limitations of industrial robots and cobots. Additionally, this helps industries predict the dependent specifications of articulated robots based on the specifications they require.
Endoluminal vacuum therapy using a new “fistula sponge” in treating defects of the upper gastrointestinal tract – a comparative, retrospective cohort study.
Authors: Richter Florian , Conrad Claudio , Hoffmann Julia , Reichert Benedikt , von Schönfels Witigo , Schafmayer Clemens , Ergberts Jan-Hendrik , Becker Thomas , Ellrichmann Mark
Published: February 2024

Background: Anastomotic insufficiencies (AI) and perforations of the upper gastrointestinal tract (uGIT) result in high morbidity and mortality. As treatment options surgical revision, endoscopic stent placement as well as endoluminal vacuum therapy (EVT) have been established. The Eso-Sponge® is the only licensed EVT system with limitations in treating small defects (<10mm). Therefore, a fistula sponge (FS) was established for the treatment of such defects as a new therapeutic approach.
Methods: The aim of the study was to compare indications, technical/clinical success rates, and complications in a retrospective, comparative study of both EVT approaches. Between 01/2018 and 01/2021 clinical data of patients undergoing FS-EVT or conventional EVT (cEVT; Eso-Sponge®, Braun Melsungen, Germany) due to AI/perforation of the uGIT were recorded. Indication, diameter of leakage, therapeutic success, and complications during the procedure were assessed. FSs were prepared using a nasogastric tube and a porous drainage film (Suprasorb® CNP, Lohmann & Rauscher, Germany) sutured to the distal tip.
Results: A total of 72 patients was included (20 FS-EVT; 52 cEVT). FS-EVT was performed in 60% suffering from AI (cEVT = 68%) and 40% from perforation (cEVT = 32%; p > 0.05). FS-EVT's duration was significantly shorter than cEVT (7.6±12.0d vs. 15.1±14.3d; p = 0.014). The mean diameter of the defect was 9 mm in the FS-EVT group compared to 24 mm in cEVT (p < 0.001). Therapeutic success was achieved in 90% (FS-EVT) and 91% (cEVT; p > 0.05).
Conclusions: EVT comprises an efficient treatment option for transmural defects of the uGIT. In daily clinical practice, fistulas <10 mm with large abscess formations poses a special challenge since intraluminal cEVT usually is ineffective. In these cases, the concept of extraluminal FS placement is safe and effective.
Validation of a Non-invasive Method Using Mechanical Extensometer for the Estimation of Intracranial Compliance by Repeated Measures Agreement Analysis
Authors: Uysal Sanem Pinar , Williams Hayley G. , Huerta Mina , Thompson Nicolas R. , Hassett Catherine E.
Published: February 2024

Validation of a Non-invasive Method Using Mechanical Extensometer for the Estimation of Intracranial Compliance
Background
Intracranial compliance refers to the relationship between changes in volume and the resultant changes in intracranial pressure (ICP). This study aimed to assess the validity of a non-invasive ICP waveform device for the estimation of compliance compared with invasive ICP monitoring employing three distinct methods.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective analysis of ICP waveform morphology recorded through both invasive (external ventricular drain) and non-invasive (mechanical extensometer) methods in adult patients with acute brain injury admitted to the Neurointensive Care Unit at the Cleveland Clinic between 8/2021 to 8/2022. Compliance was calculated as the amplitude of the fundamental component of cerebral arterial blood volume (estimated with concurrent Transcranial Doppler [TCD] recordings), divided by the amplitude of the fundamental component of the invasive and non-invasive ICP waveforms. Subsequently, we assessed the agreement between invasive ICC and non-invasive ICC by repeated measures correlation coefficient analysis using 3 methods: TCD-derived, P2/P1 ratio, time-to-peak (TTP). Linear mixed-effects model was used to compute the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), total deviation index (TDI), and coefficient of individual agreement (CIA). Coverage probability plot (CPP) was calculated to estimate the percent of observations within different cut points for each of the three methods.
Results
21 patients were identified. Repeated measures correlation analysis showed a strong correlation R=0.982 (95% CI [0.980, 0.984], p<0.0001) between log-transformed non-invasive and invasive compliance. Agreement statistics for TCD, P2/P1 ratio, and TTP demonstrated that although the CCC was highest for log(TCD) values, TTP and P2:P1 ratio measures had better agreement with TDI and CPP analyses.
Conclusion
Repeated measures correlations suggest that ICP waveform analyses may offer a more accurate estimate of compliance than TCD-derived methods for non-invasive ICP monitoring. Further validations studies are warranted to confidently establish this method as a reliable indicator of intracranial compliance.
Using real-time modelling to optimise an outbreak response: Insights from the 2017 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Thompson Robin , Hart William , Keita Mory , Fall Ibrahima , Gueye Abdou , Chamla Dick , Mossoko Mathias , Ahuka-Mundeke Steve , Nsio-Mbeta Justsus , Jombart Thibaut , Polonsky Jonathan
Published: February 2024

Important questions for policy makers during infections disease outbreaks include: i) How effective are public health measures?; ii) When can resource-intensive and restrictive interventions be removed? We used mathematical modelling to address these questions during the 2017 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Likati Health Zone, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The index case developed symptoms on 27th March 2017, and eight cases occurred in total prior to the arrival of the Ebola Response Team (ERT) on 15th May 2017. We used a branching process transmission model to estimate that before the arrival of the ERT, the reproduction number was R=1.49 (95% credible interval (0.67,2.81)). Based on the full distributional estimate of R, the risk of further cases occurring if the ERT had not been deployed was estimated to be 0.97 (i.e., there was a 97% chance of additional cases in the absence of the ERT). Following the arrival of the ERT, no further cases arose, suggesting that interventions implemented by the ERT were effective. We then used the same transmission model to estimate in real-time when the ERT could be withdrawn. By the time of the end-of-outbreak declaration and withdrawal of the ERT (2nd July 2017), the risk of future cases in the absence of the ERT was only 0.01, indicating that the decision to withdraw the ERT was safe. We also evaluated the sensitivity of our modelling results to the estimated value of R, and considered different criteria for determining when the ERT could be withdrawn. As well as providing insights into interventions during the 2017 EVD outbreak, this research provides a modelling framework that can be used during future infectious disease outbreaks to determine the effectiveness of control measures and to guide when to relax or remove interventions.
Medical doctor’s perspectives on antibiotic self-medication in pregnant women from a Sub-Saharan African country
Authors: Umeh Kanayo , Adaji S , Sacks M , Eleje G U , Umeh E O , Ushie S , Okafor C G , Oguejiofor C B , Bawa U , Bature S , Madugu N H , Singh R , Karuppuchamy H
Published: February 2024

Background.
In 1987 the World Bank, in collaboration with WHO and UNFPA, launched the Safe Motherhood Initiative (SMI) to help raise global awareness about the impact of maternal mortality and morbidity. Although the SMI has been a global priority in recent years, the implications of self-medication in pregnancy on meeting SDG-3 initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa have yet to be addressed. Nigeria has one of the highest rates of antibiotic misuse during pregnancy (37%). Furthermore, antibiotics consumed during pregnancy are linked to birth defects. Past research suggests Nigerian medical doctors are influential stakeholders who can help develop policy guidance to reduce antibiotic self-medication in pregnant women. Thus, this study explored the perspectives of Nigerian medical doctors regarding antibiotic self-medication during pregnancy.
Method.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 medical doctors working in three Nigerian tertiary hospitals. All interviews were conducted remotely, using Zoom Video Communications software. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Several checks for methodological rigour were performed.
Results.
Seven distinct themes emerged: prescribing antibiotics; easy availability of antibiotics; self-medication with antibiotics; use of medicinal herbs; detecting self-medication; lack of policy guidelines on antibiotic self-medication; and side effects. The doctors’ major perspectives were that during pregnancy, the antibiotics are easily available without prescription, self-medicated without any policy guidelines, side effects alone were not sufficient proof of self-medication, and herbal medication are frequently used. .
Conclusions.
The data suggests antimicrobial misuse in pregnancy, especially the use of herbal medicines, is a recognised problem. The project highlights a need for policy guidance on antibiotic stewardship, including point-of-care testing to detect antibiotic self-medication in pregnant women. Implications for SMI campaigns in sub-Saharan Africa are considered.
Optimisation of soil-agent particle distribution in a new chain plate soil remediation device based on discrete element
Authors: Wang Zhipeng , Zhu Tong , Wang Youzhao , Ma Feng , zhao chaoyue , Li xu , Zhang yanping
Published: February 2024

To improve the working efficiency of the in-situ soil remediation equipment, this paper takes black soil particles as the object, and the structural design of the new chain plate soil remediation equipment is carried out based on Solidworks.The mixing process of soil and chemicals under different parameters was investigated using the discrete element method and the orthogonal test method. The experimental designs were all based on horizontal movement speed, chain knife speed, screw speed, and uniform mixing distance as test factors and discrete coefficient and soil fragmentation rate as indices. The test method uses a unidirectional test to determine the value of the reference centre level for the orthogonal test and a combined balancing method to determine and validate the optimum parameters of the soil remediation device. The optimised parameters were determined as follows: the horizontal movement speed of the mechanism is 0.15 m/s, the rotational speed of the chain knife is 5.25 m/s, the rotational speed of the screw is 187.5 rpm, and the homogeneous mixing pitch is 98mm, respectively. The dispersion coefficient was reduced by 7.43% and the soil fragmentation rate increased by 5.45% compared to the operating parameters of the baseline group.
The impact of landscape pattern changes on ecosystem services under optimal amplitude
Authors: Fan qindong , Li jingjing , Li xiaoyan , Lu qiaosu
Published: February 2024

Ecosystem services are generated by surface landscapes. Analyzing the impacts of ecosystem services on the changes in landscape patterns is conducive to the management of ecosystem services. Utilizing the optimal amplitude, spatially and temporally geographically weighted analysis was employed to assess the impact of landscape patterns on the alteration of ecosystem services in Zhengzhou from 2010 to 2020. The results show that : (1)The optimal amplitude of the landscape pattern analysis of Zhengzhou central urban area is 2km* 2km. (2) From 2010 to 2020, the transfer of landscape types in the central urban area of Zhengzhou mainly occurred among five types of landscapes (building land, cultivated land, water, grassland, and forest land). The degree of fragmentation in different landscape types is on the rise, and their shapes are becoming increasingly intricate. (3) From 2010 to 2020, the landscape pattern index of the central urban area of Zhengzhou had a significant impact on ecosystem services, and the impact intensity was different in different regions. In general, PD, LPI, LSI, CONTAG, and SHDI had negative effects on food production, water supply, climate regulation, and soil conservation, while LSI had positive effects on climate regulation and soil conservation. This study can provide a theoretical basis and case reference for regional planning.
Incidence of aphid-transmitted viruses in raspberry and raspberry aphids in Norway and experiments on aphid transmission of black raspberry necrosis virus (BRNV)
Authors: Sapkota Bijaya , Trandem Nina , Fránová Jana , Koloniuk Igor , Blystad Dag-Ragnar , Hamborg Zhibo
Published: February 2024

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) is susceptible to aphid-borne viruses. We studied the incidence of four of them – black raspberry necrosis virus (BRNV), raspberry leaf mottle virus (RLMV), raspberry vein chlorosis virus (RVCV), and Rubus yellow net virus (RYNV) – in raspberry plants and aphids in and around Norwegian raspberry crops for three years (2019, 2021–2022). Most of the samples were from symptomatic plants. Applying RT-PCR, 274 leaf samples and 107 aphid samples were analyzed. All four viruses were found, but BRNV dominated: it was detected in 93% of the 178 leaf samples with virus and was the only virus more common as a single infection than in co-infections with the other viruses. The old cv. Veten had the highest virus incidence (97%) among the sampled plants, followed by uncultivated raspberry in the boundary vegetation (82%). All aphids identified were Amphorohora idaei and Aphis idaei. BRNV and/or RLMV was detected in 27% of the aphid samples. Notably, BRNV was detected in 30% of A. idaei samples, a species not known as a BRNV vector. In subsequent transmission experiments we found that although A. idaei can acquire BRNV within one hour it did not transmit the virus to healthy raspberry plants. In contrast, Am. idaei, a known BRNV vector, was able to acquire the virus within one minute and transmit it within one hour of inoculation. Our study will improve the identification and management of BRNV.
PD-1 + CD8 + TILs and CD57 + CD8 + TALs are associated with Prognosis of Patients with Advanced HGSOC
Authors: He Tianhui , Zhang Jie , Zeng Lin , Yin Zhongnan , Shang Chunliang , Yu Bo , Zhang Xi , Yang Xiaoxue , Xue Lixiang , Guo Hongyan
Published: February 2024

Objective
Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) expression is associated with activation and exhaustion of CD8+ T-cells, and CD57 is a marker of senescence. The impact of PD-1+CD8+ T-cells and CD57+ CD8+ T-cells on the prognosis of patients with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is unclear.
Methods
The percentage of PD-1+ and CD57+ among CD8+ T-cells was assessed by flow cytometry in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs, n = 67) and tumor ascites lymphocytes (TALs, n = 74). To better stratify the survival risk, the optimal cutoff for the frequency of PD-1+ and CD57+ in CD8+ TILs and CD8+ TALs were obtained by the log-rank maximization method. Proliferation and functional properties of PD-1+CD8+ T-cells and CD57+ CD8+ T-cells were assessed in vitro.
Results
Patients with higher PD-1+CD8+ TILs (> 87.8%) have longer platinum-free interval (PFI) and overall survival (OS). Patients with higher CD57+CD8+ TALs (> 32.66%) are more likely to be resistant to chemotherapy and have lower complete remission rates, shorter PFI and OS. Multivariate analysis showed that the composite score of PD-1+CD8+ TILs and CD57+CD8+ TALs was an independent prognostic factor. The status of PD-1+CD8+ TILs and CD57+CD8+ TALs was significantly associated with tumor microenvironment specific immunophenotypes. PD-1+CD8+ TILs were still in a precursor exhaustion state with stem cell properties and high proliferative ability. CD57+CD8+ TALs exhibited senescence features, with impaired proliferation ability and secreted superfluous pro-inflammatory cytokines that aggravate immunosuppression.
Conclusions
This study suggests the potential of PD-1+CD8+ TILs and CD57+CD8+ TALs at diagnosis as prognostic biomarkers in advanced HGSOC.
Modeling Fluctuations in Daily Sunspot Numbers Using White Noise Analysis
Authors: Toledo Reynan , Bernido Christopher , Reyes Reinabelle
Published: February 2024

In this work, we model the fluctuations in daily sunspot numbers, denoted by X(t), as a modulated Brownian motion using a white noise analysis framework. We analyze data from the past 15 solar cycles with a complete record (Solar Cycles 10 to 24) and characterize the deviations in X(t) over timescales from 1 to ∼ 2000 days. We demonstrate that the observations can be adequately matched by a white noise model with 3 parameters: an amplitude parameter N, a decay parameter β, and a memory parameter μ. By matching the model with the observed time series from individual solar cycles, we are able to characterize the properties of each as well as potentially detect evolution in the stochastic component of the sunspot time series over the last ∼100 years. The approach followed here can also be readily applied to other indices of solar activity.
Computational and Synthetic Approach with Biological Evaluation of Substituted Thiazole Derivatives as Small Molecule L858R/T790M/C797S Triple Mutant EGFR Inhibitors Targeting Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Authors: Shinde Sonali S. , Sarkate Aniket P. , Rathod Sanket S. , Kilbile Jaydeo T. , Chaudhari Somdatta Y. , Tiwari Shailee V. , Yadala Rajesh , Pawar Smita C. , Bhandari Shashikant V.
Published: February 2024

The present research work explains the potential of novel substituted thiazole derivatives as anticancer agents along with molecular docking, DFT, ADMET, drug-likeness, and dynamics by simple chemical reaction. The synthesized derivatives were assessed against overexpressed wild-type EGFR (DU145) prostate, (MCF7) breast, (A549) lung, and L858R/T790M mutant EGFR (H1975) lung cancer cells. The compounds 4b and 4c showed good anticancer activity. The biological evaluation has been supported by computational studies such as simulation study, density functional study, and pharmacokinetic prediction.
Spatiotemporal Characteristics of the Coherent Structures in a Flow Over a Forest Canopy
Authors: Accary Gilbert
Published: February 2024

Large-Eddy Simulations of the development of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and the transition to turbulence in an atmospheric boundary layer flow over a canopy are carried out using the hydrodynamic module of FireStar3D. The simulations were conducted by combining five different wind velocity (1, 3, 5, 8, and 12 m/s at the top of the canopy) and three leaf-area indices (0.5, 2, and 8) with variable leaf-area density. As long as the average wind speed was maintained at the top of the canopy, it was observed that the flow field was not significantly affected by canopy density, despite the higher drag exerted by the denser canopy. The wave-number and frequency spectra of the stream-wise velocity at the canopy surface was analysed at steady state. The analysis revealed the presence of a continuous spectrum of frequencies and wavelengths, indicating a fully developed turbulent flow. More importantly, the analysis describes the wavelength and frequency dependence of the normalized amplitude of the Fourier transforms of the stream-wise velocity at the top of the canopy. This normalized amplitude exhibits an exponential decay with a slope of − 0.5 with the normalized wave-number. At low frequencies, the normalized amplitude is globally constant, while it decays at high frequencies with the Strouhal number according a power law of slope − 3.
Closest target on the frontier of the free disposal hull
Authors: Kao Chiang
Published: February 2024

In data envelopment analysis (DEA) the production possibility set (PPS) constructed from the observed decision making units (DMUs) under only the free disposability postulate is referred to as the free disposal hull (FDH), based on which efficiencies are measured. The conventional non-radial DEA models that take both the inputs and outputs into consideration seek the target on the FDH frontier that is farthest to the DMU to be assessed to measure efficiency. A consequence is that greater effort is needed to make an inefficient DMU efficient. This paper proposes a method to find the target on the frontier that is closest to the assessed DMU. The target is found by examining only the orthogonal projection points of the assessed DMU on the frontier and the weakly efficient corner points of the PPS that dominate the assessed DMU. The effort needed to reach this point is the least. The case of twenty-four non-life insurance companies in Taiwan widely used in the literature is used in this paper for illustrative purposes. Surprisingly, the difference between the longest and shortest distances can be hundreds of times, which implies that the effort for an inefficient DMU to become efficient can be reduced to less than one-hundredth of what is usually needed.
JEL Classification C61, C67
Identification of varieties of wheat seeds based on multispectral imaging combined with improved YOLOv5
Authors: Liu Wei , Liu Yang , Hong Fei , Li Jiaming , Jiang Quan , Kong Lingfei , Liu Changhong , Zheng Lei
Published: February 2024

The identification of seed variety is important in wheat production because the growth and yield are highly related with its variety. Traditional discrimination methods for wheat seed varieties were suffered with time consuming and contamination. In this study, multispectral imaging technology combined with improved YOLOv5s was proposed. Three optimal spectral bands images were selected from all 19 bands using Genetic algorithm and confusion matrix and then the new images were fused with the three band images. The improved YOLOv5s with CBAM module was developed to train the identification model of wheat varieties using fusion images. The experimental results showed that the average precision of the model from proposed method in test set reached 99.38% that were better than the traditional YOLOv5s model. Meanwhile, the evaluation indexes of the model such as P/%, R/%, F1/% and mAP/% were all higher than 90%. The results showed that the method could be used for wheat variety identification rapidly and non-destructively.
WITHDRAWN: Restricted AP based Channel Estimation for Cell-Free Massive MIMO System
Authors: Kumar Abhishek , Kumar Avinash , Yadav Ishwar Chandra
Published: February 2024

In this work, we propose a restricted access points (AP) based dynamic channel estimation for a sixth-generation (6G) cell-free massive multiple input multiple output (CF-mMIMO) system. In CF-mMIMO network architecture, a large number of APs are distributed over a wide area and connected to a centralized processing unit (CPU) through a lossless infinite capacity to serve a smaller number of user devices (UDs) simultaneously. The channel state information (CSI) between is active user and APs is an important parameter that needs to be estimated for establishing an efficient communication link among them. Thus, in this work, we propose a restricted APs based channel estimation for the channel between UD to APs at CPU in CF-mMIMO system. A correlated Rayleigh fading channel with spatial correlation is considered between UDs and APs. A minimum mean square error (MMSE) based channel estimation with pilot contamination is carried out for the proposed CF-mMIMO system. An analytical closed form expression is derived for estimated channel for the proposed restricted APs based 6G CF-mMIMO system. A MATLAB based thorough simulation analysis is carried out and the obtained result is compared with the state-of-art small cell cellular technique. It has been shown that the proposed channel estimation technique gives the near optimal performance in CF-mMIMO system.
Topicality Boosts Popularity: A Comparative Analysis of NYT Articles and Reddit Memes
Authors: Barnes Kate , Juhász Péter , Nagy Marcell , Molontay Roland
Published: February 2024

This study sheds light on interconnected topic dynamics across traditional news sources and social media platforms, emphasizing the influential role of topicality in shaping content popularity in social media. Using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation and BERTopic models, we define sets of 120 New York Times (NYT) topics to compare with 899,766 image-with-text memes from Reddit, showing that social media content aligns with many of the same topical patterns observed in news outlets. Topicality is formalized based on the temporal distributions of the topics over the past 5 years. Using these topicality features, the investigation reveals significant correlations between the rising popularity of NYT topics and increased average upvotes on Reddit, particularly evident in "innovator" memes posted during the early stages of a topic's prevalence in the NYT. Furthermore, topicality features show significant predictive power over other content-based control features in a CatBoost classifier prediction of viral Reddit memes.