bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Classifying native versus foreign speech perception from EEG using linguistic speech features
Authors: Puffay Corentin , Vanthornhout Jonas , Gillis Marlies , De Clercq Pieter , Accou Bernd , hamme Hugo Van , Francart Tom
Published: May 2024

When a person listens to natural speech, the relation between features of the speech signal and the corresponding evoked electroencephalogram (EEG) is indicative of neural processing of the speech signal. Using linguistic representations of speech, we investigate the differences in neural processing between speech in a native and foreign language that is not understood. We conducted experiments using three stimuli: a comprehensible language, an incomprehensible language, and randomly shuffled words from a comprehensible language, while recording the EEG signal of native Dutch-speaking participants. We modeled the neural tracking of linguistic features of the speech signals using a deep-learning model in a match-mismatch task that relates EEG signals to speech, while accounting for lexical segmentation features reflecting acoustic processing. The deep learning model effectively classifies languages. We also observed significant differences in tracking patterns between comprehensible and incomprehensible speech stimuli within the same language. It demonstrates the potential of deep learning frameworks in measuring speech understanding objectively.
An Improved YOLOv8-based Method for Real-time Detection of Harmful Tea Leaves in Complex Backgrounds
Authors: Leng Xin , Chen Jiakai , Huang Jianping , Zhang Lei , Li Zongxuan
Published: May 2024

Tea, a globally cultivated crop renowned for its unique flavor profile and health-promoting properties, ranks among the most favored functional beverages worldwide. However, pests and diseases severely jeopardize the production and quality of tea leaves, leading to significant economic losses.While early and accurate identification coupled with the removal of infected leaves can mitigate widespread infection, manual leaves removal remains time-consuming and expensive. To address this challenge, this paper introduces the YOLO-DBD network model for detecting of harmful tea leaves. The model excels in efficiently identifying harmful tea leaves with various poses in complex backgrounds, providing crucial guidance for the posture and obstacle avoidance of a robotic arm during the pruning process.The improvements proposed in this study encompass the C2f-DCN module, Bi-Level Routing Attention, Dynamic Head, and Focal-CIoU Loss function, enhancing the model's feature extraction, computation allocation, and perception capabilities. Comparative analysis with the YOLOv8s model demonstrates a 6% improvement in mAP and a reduction of 3.3G FLOPs in the YOLO-DBD model.
An Innovative Deep Learning Approach for Simultaneous Load and Price Prediction in Smart Power Grids
Authors: Rahmatinia S-Mozhgan , seno Seyed-Amin Hosseini
Published: May 2024

Predicting time series data in the electricity domain serves as a fundamental basis for implementing Demand Response (DR) techniques in smart grid networks, a topic widely addressed in the literature. In this paper, we propose a flexible deep learning approach based on the encoder-decoder architecture for simultaneous prediction of both load and electricity price. The ability of the model to capture long-term dependencies and extract meaningful patterns from the data is crucial for its effectiveness. To enhance this capability, we incorporate a scaled attention mechanism into the model to attend over the hidden encoder outputs, enabling better capture of relevant information. Additionally, we introduce a preprocessing step using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to extract frequency-domain features from the input data. By applying FFT at the beginning of the proposed model in the encoder section, we aim to better capture the underlying patterns in the data and facilitate the learning process. It is worth noting that while FFT is utilized for preprocessing, the decoder section of the model operates directly on the original data without employing inverse FFT, ensuring data integrity and preventing information leakage. The proposed model is trained and evaluated on [38] data and compared with several deep learning approaches, demonstrating improved prediction accuracy in all cases. This work contributes to the field by presenting a novel approach that effectively leverages both attention mechanisms and Fourier domain preprocessing for enhanced time series prediction in the electricity domain.
Payment Method and Invoicing Currency: Evidence from Turkish Textile and Clothing Exports
Authors: Türkcan Kemal , Yoshida Yushi , Yoshimi Taiyo
Published: May 2024

This study examines how the payment method affects the choice of invoicing currency. Focusing on Turkish textile and clothing exports, it finds that exporters using the open account method, where payment is made after goods are received, prefer to invoice in their home currency (Turkish lira) to mitigate exchange rate risks associated with foreign currencies. This preference is more pronounced among small and medium-sized enterprises. We also find that the euro, the predominant foreign currency in our Turkish sample, is less likely to be used under the OA method. Additionally, the Turkish lira is more likely chosen as the invoicing currency when its value is higher, when exporting to fewer countries, or by less productive exporters.
JEL Classification: F14 and L14
A neutralizing antibody potently prevents RSV A and B infections by targeting a conserved region of the prefusion F
Authors: Xia Ning-Shao , Sun Yong-Peng , Liu Liqin , Qiang Hong-Sheng , Sun Hui , Jiang Yi-Chao , Ren Luo , Jiang Ze-Min , Lei Si-Yu , Chen Li , Wang Yi-Zhen , Lin Xue , Wang Guosong , Huang Yang , Fu Yu-Hao , Shi Yu-Jin , Chen Xiuting , Yu Hai , Li Shaowei , Luo Wenxin , Enmei Liu , Zheng Qingbing , Zheng Zi-Zheng
Published: May 2024

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) poses a significant public health challenge, especially among children. Although palivizumab and nirsevimab, neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) targeting the RSV F protein, have been used for prophylaxis, their limitations underscore the need for more effective alternatives. Here, we present a nAb 5B11 with exceptional potency against both RSV-A and RSV-B, outperforming the first FDA-approved nAb, palivizumab, and the long-acting nirsevimab. Cryo-electron microscopy study reveals 5B11’s mechanism of action by targeting a highly conserved epitope within site V, offering a promising strategy with lower risk of escape mutants. In vivo studies further confirm that low-dose 5B11 provides superior prophylactic efficacy, marking it as a potent candidate for broad RSV prevention.
Visualizing Cancer Resistance via Nano- quenching and Recovery Detector of CD44
Authors: Zeng Jialin , Zeng Lingke , Yang Lihua , Feng Chengyu , Yang Yuepeng , Ye Yingying , Zhang Wenxin , He Jian , Zhang Chao
Published: May 2024

Drug resistance to chemotherapy in cancers remains significant clinical challenges. CD44 modulates cellular adhesion, migration and growth, which plays a pivotal role in driving cancer resistance and even recurrence. Despite ongoing efforts, accurate, safe, and real-time dynamic monitoring techniques for CD44 expression remain inadequate in guiding the management of drug-resistant cancer treatment. In this study, we developed a nano-quenching and recovery detector of CD44 (Cy3-AptCD44@BPNSs) for visualizing cancer drug resistance. The fluorescence recovery of the detector is directly related to the CD44 expression level on cancer cells, which can be used to indicate the degree of drug resistance. It’s confirmed that downregulating CD44 expression on cancer cells results in a corresponding decrease in the fluorescence intensity of the detector, which enables precise and dynamic monitoring of CD44. In addition, the Cy3-AptCD44@BPNSs also exhibited specificity in detecting CD44. This visualizing strategy may open up a wide range of possibilities for rapid recognition to cancer drug resistance, which is more efficient and flexible.
Investigation of the preliminary compounds found in leaf extracts of Inula confertiflora and evaluation of their activities against antioxidant and in vitro antibacterial activities
Authors: Habtamu Abere , Meku Esubalew , Leshe Sintayehu
Published: May 2024

Medicinal plants, from those traditionally utilized by healers in underdeveloped nations to those employed in the manufacturing of contemporary synthetic medications worldwide, are essential in the treatment of a wide range of illnesses. Ethiopians have long utilized the leaves of Inula confertiflora plants to treat diseases pertaining to the skin and eyes. This encouraged us to look at the yield of crudes extracted using various polar index solvents, look at the existence of precursor compounds in the plant's leaf sections, and evaluate the ability of preliminary compounds to scavenge free radicals from DPPH and their antibacterial properties against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains. Following the extraction processes of the plant soaking, filtering, and concentrating the crudes, the highest yield of crude was produced by ethanol in moderately polar solvents (3.64 gm), water with a higher polarity index (5.74 gm), and acetone in lower polar solvents (6.28 gm), which produced a relatively lower yield. The UV-Vis spectroscopic results of the ethanol extracts showed they contained a wide range of preliminary bioactive functional groups, like phenols and flavonoids, and their derivative compounds. Additionally, the ethanol extracts' inhibition zone was marginally higher than that of the water and acetone extracts', indicating that the preliminary compounds extracted in a higher polar solvent—water—and a moderate polar solvent—acetone—were obtained in the ethanol extracts. In conclusion, the presence of higher total content of the phenolic and flavonoids, higher radical scavenging efficiency in DPPH solution, and greater zone of inhibition in-vitro antibacterial activities displayed by the preliminary compounds extracted by ethanol and water extracted from the leaf of Inula confertiflora corroborate the traditional uses by the local people against various diseases.
3D-Printing and Biofunctionalization of PCL-Based Nanocomposite Scaffolds for Osteogenic Differentiation
Authors: Samavati Behnoush , Tamjid Elnaz , Khalili Mohammad Amin , Khajeh Khosro
Published: May 2024

Three-dimensional printed porous scaffolds offer biophysical and biochemical support for surrounding cells, mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) in bone tissue engineering. Bone tissue engineering scaffold is intended to provide hydrophilicity, cytocompatibility and delivery of diverse bioactive molecules such as growth factors and enzymes to exhibit cell attachment, proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and calcification. Alkaline phosphatase enzyme is an essential biomolecule due to its significant role in bone mineralization and cell differentiation. This study immobilizes alkaline phosphatase enzyme (ALP) and dopamine on a 3D-printed polycaprolactone/TiO2 nanocomposite via solvent soaking. Characterization includes contact angle, compressive strength test, EDX, ATR, and XRD analysis. In vitro cell studies on PCL, PCL/nTiO2, PCL/nTiO2/Dopamine, and PCL/nTiO2/dopamine/ALP 3D-printed scaffolds evaluate osteogenic differentiation and cell viability using ALP activity on rat adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and MTT assay on the L929 cell line. FTIR confirms nanoparticle presence in the scaffold, while XRD and compressive tests show that the crystallinity degree and mechanical properties of the PCL scaffold are higher than nanocomposite scaffolds. Dopamine increases the hydrophilicity of PCL, enhancing biological behavior and expressing significant osteogenic effects. The PCL/nTiO2/Dopamine/ALP group shows the most ALP activity after 3 days. ALP assay exhibits acceptable differentiation in the absence of ALP for nanocomposite scaffolds after 7 days of incubation. TiO2 considerably increases osteogenic differentiation after 10 days, up to about 100%, compared to the sample containing osteogenic medium. This study highlights the potential for designing novel biofunctionalized 3D nanocomposite scaffolds with osteogenic properties for bone tissue engineering applications.
Associations of disability with incidence of heart disease in people with diabetes
Authors: Kim Kyusung , Lee Hwa-Young , Shin Dong Wook , Han Kyung‑Do , Jung Jin Hyung , Park Jae-hyun
Published: May 2024

This study investigated associations of disability, including its severity and type, with incidence of heart disease in people with diabetes. Korean National Health Insurance data from 2009 to 2019 were used. This study sampled 50% of people with disability registered in 2009 and 2010 and matched them 1:1 by sex and age to obtain a control group. A longitudinal analysis was conducted to examine the incidence of heart disease by disability, including its severity and type, in 17,338 diabetics from 2010 to 2019. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Hazard ratio of disability for the incidence of heart disease in those with diabetes was statistically significantly increased in all adjusted models. By disability severity, it was higher in both mild and severe groups than in the non-disabled group. It was much higher in the severe group. By disability type, the hazard ratio for the incidence of heart disease was significantly increased in those with mobility, communication disability, and those classified as others, but not in those with a mental disability. In conclusion, disability was associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease among people with diabetes.
Lightweight signal recognition based on hybrid model in wireless networks
Authors: Gao Rui , Guo Lan , Tang Mingjun
Published: May 2024

As a key technology in wireless networks, signal recognition is widely used in various military and civilian fields. By correctly recognizing the modulation scheme of the received unknown signal, the performance of the communication system can be improved. With the comprehensive digitization and intelligence of the world, the rapid development of wireless communication puts forward higher requirements for signal recognition: 1) Accurate and efficient recognition of various modulation modes and 2) Lightweight recognition of intelligent hardware. Therefore, through in-depth study of hybrid model and lightweight modulation recognition, this paper first designs a hybrid signal recognition model based on convolutional neural network and gating recursive unit (CnGr). By combining the spatial module with the temporal module, the multi-dimensional extraction of the original signal is promoted and the recognition accuracy is effectively improved. Further, a lightweight signal recognition method is given by combining pruning and depthwise separable convolution. The network can be reduced effectively on the premise of ensuring the recognition accuracy, which facilitates the deployment and implementation on edge devices. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively improve the recognition accuracy, and reduce the model significantly without reducing the accuracy.
The usability and usefulness of personal health records (PHRs) for supporting chronic disease management: A framework analysis approach
Authors: Salehi Fatemeh , Bastani Peivand , Ahmadian Leila , Sharifian Roxana , Samadi Katayoon , Yazdani Azita
Published: May 2024

Background
Personal health records (PHRs) are a major footstone for “improving the self-management of patients”. However, its effectiveness can be low if people do not find it beneficial to their management care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usability and usefulness of a web-based PHR for self-management improvement in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Methods
The present study was conducted in 2021 as qualitative research using a framework analysis approach. The study population consisted of patients who had experienced using chronic kidney disease personal health records (CKDPHR) and were willing to participate in the study. Snowball sampling was used to select 12 participants for the semistructured interviews. The Guba and Lincoln criteria, including credibility, transferability, confirmability and dependability, were used to determine reliability and transparency, and finally, a five-step framework analysis method was used to analyze the data.
Results
Analysis of the data led to the identification of 2 main themes, 8 subthemes and 23 main categories. The first main theme was “practical worth”, which included personal health management, personal health adherence, personal decision support, personal information management and communication management, and the second main theme was “use free of effort”, which included error handling, the feasibility of recall and subjective pleasure.
Conclusion
The results of these studies highlight that chronic patients want PHRs to be made more personal and tailored according to their needs to improve their usefulness and encourage them to use such a system on a regular basis.
Deciphering Osteoarthritis Progression and Knee Replacement Biomarkers: A Digital Twin Analysis via qMRI
Authors: Hoyer Gabrielle , Hoyer Gabrielle , Gao Kenneth , Gassert Felix , Luitjens Johanna , Jiang Fei , Majumdar Sharmila , Pedoia Valentina
Published: May 2024

Osteoarthritis (OA), a prevalent and debilitating condition, poses substantial diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Our study leverages advanced quantitative MRI to construct a sophisticated 100-dimensional space mapping known risk factors, unveiling unique imaging biomarkers for early detection and causal analysis in OA incidence and knee replacement (KR) cohorts. This methodological innovation enables a data-driven exploration of OA pathophysiology. We identified distinctive imaging features that differentiate between individuals at risk of OA and controls, elucidating protective factors and risk enhancers. Specifically, our analysis revealed that variations in cartilage thickness and T2 relaxation times are associated with reduced OA risk, whereas alterations in the medial meniscus shape increase susceptibility. Additionally, we pinpointed biomarkers for KR candidates, including tibial bone shape and cartilage characteristics, with significant implications for understanding OA’s progression. Our findings provide a promising foundation for future research, tailored clinical trials, and personalized therapeutic approaches, marking a significant stride toward combating OA.
The effect of loneliness on depressive symptoms in the 65+ European population: A longitudinal observational study using SHARE data
Authors: Smit Daniëlle , Rehnberg Johan , Fors Stefan
Published: May 2024

Objectives: Loneliness has been found to be associated with an increased probability of depressive symptoms in various research studies. Yet, the relationship is complex, and it remains unclear whether loneliness is a cause for depressive symptomatology. This study aims to investigate the possible causal effect of loneliness in the loneliness-depressive symptoms relationship among 65+ older adults in Europe.
Method: This study analyzed two waves of observational data (2015–2017) from the Study of Health, Aging and Retirement Europe (SHARE) (n = 6808 individuals) and tried to identify a causal effect of direct and indirect loneliness on depressive symptomatology by accounting for confounding of potential unmeasured factors underlying the relationship using an endogenous treatment-effects model.
Results: This study showed that there was a substantial positive association between loneliness in 2015 and new depressive symptoms in 2017 in the sample. However, there was no support for the hypothesis that loneliness in 2015 was a cause of depressive symptoms among those adults in 2017. In addition, there was limited evidence for unmeasured factors confounding the relationship.
Discussion: Loneliness may not be a cause for depressive symptoms. This suggests that there might be other reasons why lonely individuals are at an increased risk of depressive symptoms. Therefore, a shift in focus when aiming to reduce depressive symptoms among lonely older adults may be warranted.
Inexperienced water users can “Float to Live” in realistic open water conditions
Authors: Eglin Clare , Massey Heather , Long Geoff , Mayhew Adrian , Tipton Michael
Published: May 2024

Background
The RNLI “Float to Live” campaign is based on research conducted in indoor pools with experienced open water swimmers. Study 1 investigated whether the RNLI “Float to Live” guidance would enable less experienced individuals to float in realistic open water conditions. Study 2 examined the separate effects of practice and coaching on floating competence.
Methods
Study 1: Inexperienced water users conducted floats in either still, open fresh (n = 22) or open sea water (n = 13), followed by moving sea (n = 6) or fresh water (n = 5). Participants undertook three 2-minute floats in still water wearing swimwear and one clothed float: 1) naïve; 2) following RNLI “Float to live” messaging; 3) individual float coaching; 4) simulated fall wearing summer clothing. In moving sea water, participants undertook two floats equivalent to Floats 3 and 4. In moving fresh water, participants undertook 3 floats: 1) naïve; 2) following “defensive floating” coaching; 3) simulated fall wearing summer clothing. Study 2: Two groups matched for skinfold thickness undertook three 2-minute floats in a flume wearing swimwear. PRAC group (n = 12): 1) naïve; 2) following float practice; 3) float coaching; COACH group (n = 11) coaching followed by practice. Floating difficulty, confidence, competence, “efficiency” and perceived exertion were analysed using either a Friedman test or mixed model ANOVA.
Results
In both fresh water and sea water, participants’ floating competence and confidence increased after viewing the RNLI messaging, it was further improved with individualised float coaching. The additional helpful instructions included: 1) “head back with ears submerged”; 2) “relax”; 3) “breathe normally”; 4) “it is OK if your legs sink”; 5) an accurate description of sculling for “active” floaters that needed it; 6) spread arms and legs for stability. The simulated fall with clothing did not impair floating competence. No difference in floating competence was seen between PRAC and COACH, though confidence may be increased sooner in COACH.
Conclusions
The RNLI float advice can be applied in realistic open water settings by less experienced water users. Additional content could be included to make the messaging even more effective.
Acute Myeloid Leukaemia with Normal Cytogenetics and NPM1-Mutation: Impact of Mutation Topography on Outcomes
Authors: Zhao Mingyue , Liao Mingyue , Gale Robert Peter , Zhang Meijie , Wu Lixin , Yan Nan , Liu Lixia , Qin Jiayue , Cao Shanbo , Chang Yingjun , Jiang Qian , Xu Lanping , Zhang Xiaohui , Huang Xiaojun , Jiang Hao , Ruan Guorui
Published: May 2024

Background
About one-half of adults with acute myeloid leukaemia with normal cytogenetics (CN-AML) have a nucleophosmin-1 (NPM1) mutation. There is controversy regarding their prognosis and best therapy.
Methods
We studied 150 consecutive subjects with these features using targeted regional sequencing. The co-variates in the multi-variable analyses including clinical baseline data and genetic mutations. Prognostic stratification based on identified risk factors was performed, and subjects were assigned to two post-remission therapies with and without a transplant. Subsequently, we evaluated the effect of post-remission therapy.
Results
In multi-variable analyses a positive MRD-test after the 2nd consolidation cycle (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 6.00; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] [3.31, 10.85]; P < 0.001), DNMT3A mutation (HR = 3.01 [1.57, 5.78]; P < 0.001), FLT3-ITD mutation with high variant allele frequency (VAF) (HR = 4.40 [1.89, 10.24]; P < 0.001) and DEAD/H-box helicase 11 (DDX11) mutations (HR = 4.38 [2.38, 8.04]; P < 0.001) were independently correlated with higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and worse leukaemia-free survival (LFS) (HR = 5.76 [3.16, 10.48]; P < 0.001; HR = 3.32 [1.78, 6.20]; P < 0.001; HR = 4.03 [1.82, 8.94]; P < 0.001; HR = 4.24 [1.99, 9.01]; P < 0.001). Subjects with ≥ 1 high-risk co-variate who received an allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplant had a lower CIR and better LFS compared with subjects not receiving a transplant. Allocation to a transplant was not random and our censoring was imperfect so this observation needs validation.
Conclusions
In conclusion, we identified co-variates associated with CIR and LFS in subjects of NPM1-mutated CN-AML.
Trial registration
The trial is registered at Clinicaltrials. gov (NCT01455272, NCT02185261) and in chictr.org (ChiCTR-OCH-10000940).
Risk factors associated with negative appendicectomy rates: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Donald Neil , Halliday Laura , Smith Gillian , Dighe Shwetal
Published: May 2024

Background
Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common emergency general surgical condition worldwide. Diagnosis is challenging and incorporates clinical, biochemical and radiological investigations. Our aim was to provide data from routine practice investigating widely utilised diagnostic methods from a single centre within the United Kingdom.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of patients who underwent a laparoscopic appendicectomy for AA between April 2022–March 2023. AA was defined as the presence of transmural polymorphonuclear leukocytes on histology. Subgroup analysis was performed on paediatric patients. Factors associated with AA were investigated and the diagnostic utility of biochemical and radiological investigations was examined.
Results
330 appendicectomies were analysed. We found an overall negative appendicectomy rate (NAR) of 38% and 48% in paediatric patients. Independent factors associated with AA on multivariate analysis included elevated neutrophil counts (> 7 × 109/L) (OR 4.04), elevated CRP (> 5mg/L) (OR 3.04) and a radiological diagnosis (OR 8.0). Computerised tomography (CT) and ultrasound had sensitivity/specificity of 98%/47% and 35%/86% respectively. The positive-predictive values were 85% for CT and 50% for ultrasound and negative-predictive values were 86% for CT and 77% for ultrasound.
Conclusion
Our study has highlighted the importance of utilising a combination of factors to improve the diagnostic certainty of AA. However, our routine practice data has shown different sensitivities and specificities of imaging in comparison to existing literature, resulting in a high NAR. Further real world data is needed to understand whether these differences from the existing data are seen in other clinical settings.
Bladder duplication in the male cat: The first case report in China
Authors: Li Mingyuan , Deng Yuqing , Liu Haoqian , Sun Jiaxu , Hong Shaokang , Lu Chen , Yu Feng
Published: May 2024

Background
Bladder duplication is a rare and congenital lower urinary tract anomaly disease characterized by the presence of two bladders, possibly with duplication of the urethra. This disease is rarely reported in cats. The clinical symptoms are commonly occult, with increased difficulty in making a definite diagnosis, especially if there is no obvious urethral duplication. The diagnosis is typically based on radiographs and ultrasound, with computer tomography serving as a more advanced imaging diagnostic modality. Cases of duplicated bladders with accessory tubular tissues are even more scarce in both human medicine and veterinary medicine.
Case presentation
A 6-year-old male neutered cat was brought to the hospital because of vomiting and constipation. Cystography revealed increased soft tissue density of a fusiform structure in the lower middle abdomen. The purulent-filled cavitary structure and the accessory tubular structure were removed via surgery, and histopathological examination confirmed a double bladder with attached accessory tubular tissue. After antibiotic treatment, the cat recovered uneventfully.
Conclusion
This is the first case of bladder duplication in China and the first case of feline bladder duplication with tubular structure attachment in the world. This information will provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of similar cases in the future.
Design of Real-time Ship Detection Strategy Based on Modified YOLOv7 Architecture
Authors: Xing Bowen , Wang Wei , xing Qingsong , Sun Yue , Han Jitao , Guan Lianwu
Published: May 2024

Ship detection is crucial in inland waterway shipping management, and it is not easy to balance accuracy and real-time performance in complex water conditions. This paper proposes a real-time ship detection method based on improved YOLOv7 to address the problem. Firstly, GhostNet is introduced into the backbone network for feature extraction, and then distribution shifting convolution is introduced into the feature fusion network to achieve a lightweight model. Secondly, an attention mechanism is introduced into the feature fusion network to compensate for the accuracy loss caused by the lightweight model. Finally, the loss function is improved to make the detection model more applicable to the ship dataset. Compared with the traditional YOLOv7 detection model, the experimental results of the HPRship dataset show that the computation volume is reduced by 3.88 × 10 10 , the model parameter volume is reduced by 5.7 × 10 6 , and the detection accuracy mAP0.5 is increased by 0.7% to 98.80%. YOLOv7-GDAW model achieves a good balance between lightweight and detection accuracy, allowing it to accurately and timely complete ship detection tasks. It is suitable for deployment on small devices with limited storage and computing capacity.
An Integrated Static and Dynamic Graph Fusion Approach for Traffic Flow Prediction
Authors: Che Xingliang , Xiong Wen , Zhang Xian , Zhang Xitong
Published: May 2024

The major challenge in accurate traffic flow prediction lies in effectively capturing the dynamic spatiotemporal correlations within the traffic system. In this paper, we propose a novel traffic flow prediction method based on the fusion of static and dynamic graphs. Firstly, a predefined graph structure is used as the initial static graph. Secondly, a temporal graph convolution module constructed in a data-driven manner is designed, further implementing a dynamic graph structure that varies with the input data, thoroughly constructing the spatial relations between traffic flow sequence data. Finally, specific spatial and temporal relations are modeled from the perspective of graphs, effectively merging static and dynamic spatial relations. The performance of our method was validated using two real public datasets, PEMS04 and PEMS08. Experimental results demonstrate that our model outperforms existing traffic flow prediction models by 9.32% in terms of prediction error when compared to 18 benchmark methods.
Effect of Faults and Fractures on Springwater Quality and Discharge of West Phaileng, Mizoram
Authors: Sailo Lalsangzela , Vanlalhruaia H.
Published: May 2024

The North Eastern part of India compromises of hilly slopes and ridges. The main source of water is of river, streams, rainfall and springs. Due to change in environmental variables, many springs and streams are drying up as discharge decreases. A lithological study shows the area to consist of clay, silt, shale, siltstone and sandstone where porosity is low leading to low yielding capacity. Hydrogeological and geochemical composition studied represents the water within this region as immature and major ions composition shows Na+>Mg2+>Ca2+>Mn2+>Fe2+>K+ in cations and anoins HCO3->Cl->SO42->NO3->PO43-. The mineral saturation indices constructed using PHREEQC showed supersaturation with dolomite, siderite and vivianite. The hydrogeochemical formation mechanism using Gibbs Diagram and Piper diagram suggested rock weathering type. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed as a multivariate analysis to determine the correlation between different components of hydrogeochemistry. The assessment of springwater quality using water quality index (WQI) shows good quality for most of the samples. A conceptual recharge model was the constructed anticipating mountain front recharge as major recharge of spring water. The springwater hydrograph was modelled using Maillets. It was observed that two types of flow, firstly the initial larget slope corresponding to conduit flow and secondly smaller slope to the diffuse flow was system. Thus the main mechanism of recharge in the hilly regions of West Phaileng was attributed to the mountain front recharge which is influenced by faults and fractures.
Actual prestress force detection of tendons in prestressed beams based on static responses using genetic algorithm
Authors: Sharifi Mohamad , Mahmoudi Mussa , Sahab Mohamad Ghasem
Published: May 2024

The determination and monitoring of prestress force in tendons of prestressed concrete (PC) structures have become a key focus for researchers in recent years. While modern structures are equipped with sensors to track prestress losses, older structures require non-destructive testing methods to assess these forces. This paper introduces a novel approach for detecting actual prestress force in tendons of a prestressed concrete beam using static displacement data under experimental loads. The method eliminates the need for pre-installed sensors or destructive tests, offering a more cost-effective solution. An algorithm based on genetic algorithm (GA) is developed to accurately determine the prestress force of tendons. Laboratory testing demonstrates that the proposed algorithm can detect prestress losses with high accuracy, even in the presence of intentional measurement errors up to ten percent.
Myanmar XNLI: Building a Dataset and Exploring Low-resource Approaches to Natural Language Inference with Myanmar
Authors: Htet Aung Kyaw , Dras Mark
Published: May 2024

Despite dramatic recent progress in NLP, it is still a major challenge to apply Large Language Models (LLM) to low-resource languages. This is made visible in benchmarks such as Cross-Lingual Natural Language Inference (XNLI), a key task that demonstrates cross-lingual capabilities of NLP systems across a set of 15 languages.
In this paper, we extend the XNLI task for one additional low-resource language, Myanmar, as a proxy challenge for broader low-resource languages, and make three core contributions. First, we build a dataset called Myanmar XNLI (myXNLI) using community crowd-sourced methods, as an extension to the existing XNLI corpus. This involves a two-stage process of community-based construction followed by expert verification; through an analysis, we demonstrate and quantify the value of the expert verification stage in the context of community-based construction for low-resource languages. We make the myXNLI dataset available to the community for future research. Second, we carry out evaluations of recent multilingual language models on the myXNLI benchmark, as well as explore data-augmentation methods to improve model performance. Our data-augmentation methods improve model accuracy by up to 2 percentage points for Myanmar, while uplifting other languages at the same time.Third, we investigate how well these data-augmentation methods generalise to other low-resource languages in the XNLI dataset.
As a prognostic biomarker for malignant tumors, DUXAP8 can mediate the proliferation and migration of prostate cancer
Authors: Wen Yaoan , Wang Shenfan , Zhan Shuyuan , Zheng Song
Published: May 2024

Background: The prognostic value of lncRNA double homeobox A pseudogene 8 (DUXAP8) remains inconsistent. Moreover, the role of DUXAP8 in prostate cancer (PCa) is poorly understood. We performed a meta-analysis to elucidate the clinical value of DUXAP8 in malignancies and evaluated the effect of DUXAP8 in PCa in this study.
Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched to identify eligible studies. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) and clinicopathological factors were extracted. Subgroup analysis according to sample size, cancer type, cancer morphology and HRs source were conducted. The DUXAP8 expression in PCa tissues, and the relationship between DUXAP8 expression and clinical parameters were performed using TCGA dataset. Then transwell, wound healing and EdU assays were used for cells migration and proliferation analysis. In vivo xenograft assay was also employed to evaluate the DUXAP8 role in PCa.
Results: A total of 20 eligible studies involving 1226 patients were incorporated in the meta-analysis. We found that DUXAP8 overexpression was significantly associated with poor overall survival (HR = 2.50, 95%CI: 1.90-3.28), lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.76, 95%CI: 1.71-4.46) , histological grade (OR = 2.20, 95%CI: 1.42–3.40) and TNM staging (OR = 2.60, 95%CI 1.96-3.46) in malignancies. By analyzing the TCGA databases, and confirming in cell lines, we found that DUXAP8 was overexpressed in PCa. its overexpression was associated with poor biochemical recurrence (p = 0.04), pathological stage (p = 0.035), Gleason score (p = 0.009), T stage (p = 0.003) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.024). DUXAP8 knockdown inhibited the PCa cell migration and invasion in vitro, and cell growth both in vitro and vivo.
Conclusion: These results indicate that DUXAP8 may be a potential predictor for poor prognosis and therapeutic target in tumor including PCa.
‘Everyone needs to be educated’: pupil’s voices on menstrual education
Authors: Brown Natalie , Forrest Laura J , Williams Rebekah , Piasecki Jessica , Bruinvels Georgie
Published: May 2024

Background Physical, affective and behavioural symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle can significantly impair the daily lives of individuals. Within school, the menstrual cycle has been reported to affect attendance, behaviour and participation in physical activity. However, investigations have lacked understanding why the menstrual cycle negatively influences these aspects of schools to create recommendations for change. Through obtaining the pupil voice, this study aimed to understand young people’s perceptions and experiences of menstrual education received in schools, this included perceived gaps in their own understanding. A secondary aim was to explore first-hand how girls felt their periods affected participation in physical education (PE) in school.Methods To address the aims of this study, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Nine focus groups with female pupils were completed across six school locations in England and Wales, including primary and secondary schools. A range of elements relating to the menstrual cycle, education at school and PE were discussed by pupils.Results Similarities were reflected across focus groups in terms of current (lacking) education, lesson style and preferences, comfort of conversations, lack of school support and impact on school and PE. Four main themes were developed a) Education preferences, b) Period positive environment c) Personal experiences and d) Impact on school.Conclusion The findings highlight the lack of menstrual education received and subsequent impact on menstruation and menstrual-related symptoms in school and PE participation. The abundance of information requested by pupils highlights the deficit in information provided to young people to understand and manage periods in school and in relation to staying physically active. Schools can utilise information from the current study to create period positive environments, with consideration given to lesson content and format, but also specifically in PE to help support girls stay physically active.
Effects of a static and an magnetic field electron beam on the linear propagation of dust acoustic mode
Authors: El-Shorbagy Kh. H. , Mahassen Hania , Elbendary A. A.
Published: May 2024

Dusty plasma consist of electron, ions, electron beam as a separate component and charged dust grains observed in several astrophysical and space environments such as nebulas, planetary rings, and planetary ionosphere. The physical and optical properties of plasma are depend on dynamic of species in the discharge volume, then the presence of an electron beam and external static magnetic field in a dusty plasma can modify the plasma structure. In this study, we proved the linear propagation in the non-collision dusty plasma. The results revealed that the propagation of acoustic waves in the dusty plasma can be controlled by adjusting the electron number density of the electron beam and the external magnetic field.
Perspectives of substance use disorder counselors on the benefits and drawbacks of medications for opioid use disorder
Authors: Cardamone Nicholas C. , Stewart Rebecca E. , Kampman Kyle M. , Marcus Steven C.
Published: May 2024

Background:
Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are among the best tools we have to combat the opioid epidemic. Yet, use of MOUD among people with opioid use disorder (OUD) remains low. Interventions to increase MOUD access in the United States have largely focused on improving organizational capacity and addressing funding barriers, yet stigma toward MOUD may inhibit uptake even where MOUD is readily available. Substance use disorder (SUD) treatment counselors likely have considerable influence on a client’s choice to initiate and adhere to MOUD, but beliefs that counselors convey about MOUD in interaction with clients are understudied. The current study explores what advantages and disadvantages that SUD treatment counselors communicate about buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone.
Methods:
From June to December 2021, we surveyed counselors from publicly-funded SUD treatment agencies under a municipality-wide mandate to offer MOUD to all clients with OUD. Counselors were asked to describe, in a free-response format, the most important advantages and disadvantages to communicate to their clients about taking buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. Counselor responses were coded for one or more advantage and disadvantage.
Results:
A total of 271 SUD counselors from 29 agencies completed the survey, generating 1,995 advantages and disadvantages across three types of MOUD. The most frequently reported advantage across all three types of MOUD was their ability to reduce cravings and illicit drug use. The most frequently reported disadvantage related to the potential for some types of MOUD to develop long-term medication dependence.
Conclusions:
As the availability and variety of MOUD treatment options continue to expand, it is important that SUD counselors are equipped with evidence-based recommendations for OUD care. We identified misalignments with the MOUD-prescribing evidence base and stigmatizing language toward MOUD within counselors’ responses, highlighting the potential to refine training materials for MOUD and mitigate stigmatizing beliefs.
Surface fluxes and flow structure for stably stratified near-calm conditions
Authors: Mahrt Larry
Published: May 2024

The dependence of fluxes on the wind speed near the surface of the stable nocturnal boundary layer can be organized in terms of a threshold wind speed. When the wind speed is smaller than the threshold speed (near calm conditions), the eddies at the observational level tend to be decoupled from the surface. When the wind speeds are larger than the threshold value, the main eddies tend to directly interact with the underlying surface. As an example, the threshold wind speed at the 2-m observational level is typically 1 m s-1 Investigation of the heat flux as a function of the wind speed is straightforward. The dependence of the friction velocity u* on the wind speed requires somewhat different strategies. The friction velocity is derived from the momentum flux averaged in different ways. For near calm conditions, the stress vector and wind vector are often not aligned. The wind direction frequently varies rapidly with height near the surface for near-calm conditions, and meandering of the wind vectors can sweep out a range of wind directions over a short period of time. Individual time series for near-calm wind speeds are often erratic. Considerable averaging of records is required for emergence of the relation between u* and the mean flow.
Tip-Over Stability Estimation and Simulation of a Manipulator using the Mean Normal Ground Reaction criterion.
Authors: García-Hernández Juan Carlos , Gonzalez-Villela Victor Javier , Souza-Jimenez Jose Antonio , Meda-Campaña Jesús Alberto
Published: May 2024

The possibility of a robot failing to perform its task can be influenced by factors related to its movement and the load it carries. This concern is particularly important in mobile robots where these factors are more noticeable. Many researchers have conducted studies to quantify the loss of stability in different types of robots. However, these studies often require expensive and complex equipment for replication. Therefore, this research proposes an alternative approach to estimate tip-over stability using MATLAB/Simulink.
The methodology involves using a 3-degree-of-freedom serial manipulator placed on an Angular Positioning Table. The stability measure is determined by applying a criterion based on the average normal reactions at the base of the manipulator. Case studies are conducted to simulate operating conditions and assess the potential for tipping over based on the trajectory between two desired points. Finally, a case is presented where the obtained stability values are used to mitigate this effect by adjusting the manipulator’s trajectory.
The Impact of Sleep Duration and Dietary Patterns on the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults: A Decision Tree Analysis
Authors: Zhu Hao , Zhang Li , Zhu Tongying , Jia Linlin , Zhang Jiaye , Shu Li
Published: May 2024

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sleep duration and dietary patterns and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in middle-aged and elderly adults in Bengbu city. This study, a cross-sectional analysis, utilized information from the “Community-based Cardiovascular and Health Promotion Study 2019” (COCHPS 2019), carried out in Bengbu, Anhui Province, China. The definition of MetS adhered to the criteria of Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Chinese Adults (2016 Revision). Dietary information was collected from 24-hour dietary records spanning three successive days. Principal component analysis (PCA) served to identify dominant dietary patterns. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the associations of sleep duration and dietary patterns with MetS, and decision tree model was used to analyze the influencing factors of MetS. The prevalence rate of MetS was 13.4% among the 9132 middle-aged and elderly adults over 45 years of age. Participants were divided into short (< 6 h/d), normal (6–8 h/d), and long (> 8 h/d) groups based on their daily sleep duration. Three dietary patterns were identified by PCA, namely fruit-milk pattern, tubers-meat pattern and vegetable-cereal pattern. After adjusting for covariates, logistic regression analysis showed that long sleep duration had statistically significant negative effects on MetS. Fruit-milk pattern and vegetable-cereal pattern were negatively associated with MetS, while tubers-meat pattern showed a positive correlation with MetS. The results of decision tree model analysis showed that vegetable-cereal pattern is the most important influencing factor for MetS, followed by marital status, tubers-meat pattern, fruit-milk pattern, exercise, sleep duration and gender. In addition, the decision tree model also screened out five types of high-risk groups of MetS. The results of our study indicate that normal sleep duration and consumption of either a fruit-milk or vegetable-cereal diet may lower the likelihood of Mets in middle-aged and elderly adults.