bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stacking Machine Learning Model for Predict Hotel Booking Cancellations
Authors: Prasetya Jus , Fallo Sefri Imanuel , Aprihartha Moch Anjas
Published: May 2024

The hotel prepares rooms and resources according to the room booking. Advance booking from customers is a relationship between customers and hotels that ensures price stability for customers to enjoy services. Cancellation of hotel bookings and inability to satisfy potential customers is a widespread and alarming problem that can increase hotel operating costs and affect customer satisfaction. Given that the impact on the hospitality industry can be very bad, predicting hotel cancellations can be a solution to help build an appropriate operational strategy. Method used in this research is stacking machine learning model. Stacking consists of two levels, where in this study level 0 (base learner) uses the Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, and Gradient Boosting Machine algorithms while at level 1 (meta learner) uses the Random Forest algorithm. Accuracy value of the stacking model classification and the gradient boosting machine has the highest accuracy value of 0.87. Sensitivity value of the stacking model is 0.86 and is the highest sensitivity value which means that the stacking model classification is very precise in predicting consumers in canceling hotel reservations. Specificity value of the gradient boosting machine is 0.88 and is the highest specificity value, which means that the gradient boosting machine classification is very precise in predicting consumers who do not cancel hotel reservations. Naive bayes and logistic regression classifications have accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision values that are not high.
Manifestasi Carbon Emission Disclosure Ditinjau Melalui Karakteristik Perusahaan dan Trading Carbon
Authors: Wahyuningsih Rita , Hanifah Umi , Meikhati Ety
Published: May 2024

Climate change has evolved into a pressing global concern, prompting a concerted effort towards achieving net zero emissions as outlined in the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement. In line with this urgency, this research focused on carbon emissions disclosure. This study aims to explore the determinants of carbon emissions disclosure among energy sector companies listed on the IDX between 2018 and 2022. Using a purposive sampling technique, we selected a sample of 17 companies based on predetermined criteria. Employing a quantitative approach, specifically panel data regression analysis, we investigated the influence of various factors including company size, profitability, company growth, media exposure, board gender diversity, and carbon trading on carbon emissions disclosure. The results show that the company growth and board diversity gender variables influence carbon emission disclosure, while the carbon trading variables and company characteristics which are proxied by company size, profitability, and media exposure do not affect carbon emission disclosure.
Solar Tracker Enhances Energy Yield by Over 35%
Authors: Azmi Muhammad Zum’an , Syahrorini Syamsudduha , Anshory Izza , Ayuni Shazana Dhiya
Published: May 2024

The escalating demand for electricity, coupled with Indonesia's commitment to expanding renewable energy sources, particularly solar power, underscores the necessity for innovative approaches in optimizing solar energy utilization. This paper addresses the deficiency in traditional fixed-angle solar panels, which fail to harness solar energy efficiently due to their inability to track the sun's movement. Through a comprehensive study utilizing literature review and system design, this research aims to develop an advanced solar tracker system to enhance energy production. The proposed solar tracker employs a scanning method to adjust panel orientation every hour, ensuring optimal sunlight absorption throughout the day. The methodology encompasses literature review, system design, and partial testing to evaluate sensor functionality, battery charging circuit, real-time clock module, and stepper motor driver. Results indicate that the solar tracker system increases electricity generation by 35.53% compared to fixed-angle panels, demonstrating its efficacy in maximizing solar energy utilization. Furthermore, the system's ability to adapt to changing weather conditions underscores its potential for practical implementation in renewable energy initiatives, thereby contributing to sustainable energy development.
Highlight:

Energy boost: Solar tracker increases electricity generation by 35.53%.
Adaptive design: Scans hourly for optimal sunlight absorption.
Practicality: Suitable for real-world renewable energy applications.

Keywoard: Solar tracker, Renewable energy, Energy optimization, System design, Electrical efficiency
Revolutionizing Distance Measurement with Arduino Nano
Authors: Hasyim Mochamad , Ahfas Akhmad
Published: May 2024

This study addresses the need for a practical, fast, and accurate digital meter by developing an Arduino Nano-based infrared laser distance sensor. Using the Research and Development (R&D) method, the system was designed with block diagrams, flowcharts, hardware layouts, and software programming. The device can measure distances from 5 cm to 55 meters and accurately assess non-transparent objects. However, it struggles with transparent objects and bright light sources. These results demonstrate the meter's efficiency and suggest areas for further improvement.
Highlight:

Measurement Range: Measures distances from 5 cm to 55 meters.
Accuracy Limitations: Struggles with transparent objects and bright lights.
Efficiency: Accelerates measurement process and displays results digitally.

Keywoard: Digital meter, Arduino Nano, Infrared sensor, Distance Measurement, Laser technology
Segmentation Study of Deep Shale Gas Horizontal Wells of the South Sichuan Shale Gas
Authors: Li Yumin , Li Xiaoping , Duan Yonggang , Wei Mingqiang , Meng Ke
Published: May 2024

The low porosity and low permeability of shale gas reservoirs make fracturing technology an indispensable part of shale gas reservoir development. The initial stage of shale gas development is characterized by shallow direct wells, but with the advancement of drilling and completion technology in the development of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, horizontal wells and fracturing technology have gradually become the key methods for the effective development of oil and gas reservoirs. “Geology-engineering integration” has gradually become a hot spot in the research of horizontal well fracturing. The factors affecting the development of shale gas reservoirs are subdivided into “geological sweet spot” and “engineering sweet spot” influencing factors. Geological sweet spot refers to the area where the reservoir is rich in hydrocarbons or organic matter; engineering sweet spot refers to the area with good fracturability in the later fracturing and reforming of the reservoir. The shale gas sweet spot area should have the characteristics of high gas content, high fracturable, and high efficiency. Comprehensively evaluating the physical properties and brittleness characteristics can provide certain guidance for shale gas horizontal well segmentation.
Joint Inversion Method of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Logging Multiwait Time and Multiecho Time Activation Data and Fluid Identification
Authors: Li Bo , Tan Maojin , Zhang Haitao , Zhou Jinyu , Changsheng Wang , Haopeng Guo
Published: May 2024

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging is effective for reservoir evaluation; at present, NMR logging data acquisition parameters are primarily divided into dual wait time (TW) and dual echo time (TE) and then are analyzed, respectively. However, the interpretation results of the two activations are often inconsistent and confuse the identification and quantitative evaluation of reservoir fluids. Based on the principle of multi-TW and -TE activations of NMR logging, the relaxation mechanism is analyzed, and the relationship between the amplitude of the echo train and the pore structure, fluid types, and content of different activations is established. The joint system of the amplitude of echo trains in multiactivations is constructed. Then, the difference spectrum and the oil porosity of the flushed zone can be calculated by the least squares algorithm (LSQR). The fluid-saturated rock model is set, and the numerical simulation of NMR is used to verify the data joint inversion is correct and that the calculation result is more accurate than the previous time domain analysis (TDA) processing method. Moreover, the oil porosity of the flushed zone-deep induction resistivity crossplot is constructed and is also proposed to identify fluid. The above method was applied to the Yanchang Formation in the western Ordos Basin. Based on the joint inversion of NMR multi-TW and -TE logging data in the study area, the methodology yields more precise calculations of fluid volume and saturation compared with conventional approaches. The crossplots derived from these calculations demonstrate high efficacy in identifying fluid types; therefore, the method for fluid identification exhibits potential for practical application and holds considerable value for widespread adoption in the field.
In-situ Investigation of Water Infiltration and Collapsibility in Loess Ground
Authors: Liu Chang-Ling , Cui Nai-Yuan , Syamsunur Deprizon , Kong Yang , Huang Xue-Feng
Published: May 2024

The problem of water infiltration and loess collapsibility are critical engineering issues in the loess region. Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) technique is used to investigate the vertical infiltration law of water, and to evaluate the self-weight collapsible deformation of a large thickness loess ground during this field investigation. The change of volumetric water content (VWC) values caused by water infiltration, self-weight collapsible deformation and consolidation are measured by TDR moisture probes. Change-points of the temporal and spatial VWC curves are happen-points of self-weight collapsible deformation. Variation of change-points of VWC curves represented the collapsible sensitivity of loess. Different types of changing modes and different locations of change-points of VWC curves reflect the systematic water infiltration process. At different measuring depths, the pattern of time-dependent VWC curves can be divided into four typical categories. The test results point out that there is a clear and close relationship between VWC and collapsible deformation. It can be indirectly determined from VWC curves that if there is a happen of self-weight collapsible deformation or collapsible deformation. Along the vertical direction, water can’t unlimitedly infiltrate because of the presence of loess matric suction. There is a limit depth of water infiltration. The loess under the depth of 22.5m does not reach the saturation state, which suggests that the depth of 22.5m is the limit depth of water infiltration in this field investigation and in the meanwhile, it can be used as the critical ground improvement depth of loess.
Nanoparticle-mediated delivery of peptide-based degraders enables targeted protein degradation
Authors: Alabi Christopher , Ghosal Souvik , Robertus Cara , Wang Jeanette , Chan Harrison , Alamgir Azmain , Almonte Joshua
Published: May 2024

The development of small molecule-based degraders against intracellular protein targets is a rapidly growing field that is hindered by the limited availability of high-quality small molecule ligands that bind to the target of interest. Despite the feasibility of designing peptide ligands against any protein target, peptide-based degraders still face significant obstacles such as limited serum stability and poor cellular internalization. To overcome these obstacles, we repurposed lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations to facilitate the delivery of Peptide-based proteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PepTACs). Our investigations reveal robust intracellular transport of PepTAC-LNPs across various clinically relevant human cell lines. Our studies also underscore the critical nature of the linker and hydrophobic E3 binding ligand for efficient LNP packaging and transport. We demonstrate the clinical utility of this strategy by engineering PepTACs targeting two critical transcription factors, β-catenin and CREPT (cell-cycle-related and expression-elevated protein in tumor), involved in the Wnt-signalling pathway. The PepTACs induced target-specific protein degradation and led to a significant reduction in Wnt-driven gene expression and cancer cell proliferation. Mouse biodistribution studies revealed robust accumulation of PepTAC-LNPs in the spleen and liver, among other organs, and PepTACs designed against β-catenin and formulated in LNPs showed a reduction in β-catenin levels in the liver. Our findings demonstrate that LNPs can be formulated to encapsulate PepTACs, thus enabling robust delivery and potent intracellular protein degradation.
Effect of partial or complete replacement of soybean meal with black solider fly (Hermetia illucens) prepupae meal on egg production and quality in layer chicken
Authors: av elangovan , Yandigeri Mahesh Shankarappa , Udayakumar Amala , Sastry Kochiganti Venkata Hanumat , Awachat Vaibhav Bhagwan , Mohan Muthugounder , Mech Anjumoni , Rao Somu Bala Nageswara , Soren Nira Manik , Sushil Satya Nand , Bhatta Raghavendra
Published: May 2024

A study was conducted to examine the suitability of using black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus) prepupae meal as a feed supplement in layer chicken. Two experiments were conducted in layer chicken. Sixty White Leghorn layer birds of 19 weeks of age procured from commercial layer farm were fed with standard diet till 22wks of age and then shifted to experimental diet from 23 wks of age when all the birds were in peak egg production. Birds were randomly assigned to three treatment groups and each treatment group had 20 replicates (individual bird). In the first experiment (23–38 wks of age), dietary treatment groups consisted of one control diet (T1) with maize-soybean meal based and another two (T2 & T3) diets containing 5 and 10% of BSF pre pupae meal in diet, respectively. In the second experiment (39–48 wks of age), the 5% BSF fed group (T2 of Experiment 1) was switched to 20% BSF group wherein soybean meal was completely replaced. The treatment group consisted of T1, control and T2, 10% BSF meal continued from earlier Experiment 1 and T3, 20% BSF meal continued from 5% BSF meal fed group. In Experiment 1, the results indicated the egg production, egg weight and shell weight were similar (P < 0.05) in all the groups, however, with lower (P > 0.05) feed intake and better (P > 0.05) FCR in BSF fed group. The 10% BSF group had lower (P > 0.05) shell thickness. In Experiment 2, the egg production, shell thickness and shell weight were similar (P < 0.05) in all the groups, however, with lower (P > 0.05) feed intake in BSF fed group. The 20% BSF group had poor (P > 0.05) FCR and lower egg weight. There was no difference in the organoleptic evaluation of eggs due BSF feeding. Based on the two experiments it can be concluded that black soldier fly prepupae meal can be optimally included upto 10% in the diet of layer chicken replacing 50% of soybean meal.
Effects of Long-term Microgravity Exposure on Liver Activity and the Gut Microbiota as well as Gut-liver Axis Homeostasis
Authors: Chen Pu , Chen Junli , Xu Nan , Wang Weiran , Hou Lingwei , Sun Bowen , Lan Haiyun , Liu Wei , Shen Qibing , Yu Yanbo , Zang Peng
Published: May 2024

Background: Recent advances in understanding gut‒liver axis homeostasis have been made because of the promising beneficial effects of these systems on health maintenance and performance promotion. However, little is known about the effects of long-term microgravity exposure on the gut-liver axis or about effective countermeasures to prevent disruptions in gut-liver axis homeostasis. Hence, we conducted a well-controlled study to determine the effects of long-term microgravity exposure on liver activity, the gut microbiota and gut-liver axis homeostasis via a hindlimb suspension rat model.
Results: Interestingly, long-term microgravity exposure increased lipid deposition, oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver; increased proportions of opportunistic enteric pathogens; and disrupted intestinal barrier integrity, paralleling with dysregulation of gut-liver axis homeostasis, which especially underlined portal influx of secondary bile acid (mainly ursodeoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid). Notably, metabolites (mostly prostaglandins, kynurenine and derivatives) derived from the liver reflected the aggravating oxidative stress and inflammation and were strongly associated with those from the colon. In addition, the gut microbiota played a vital role in cometabolism pathways of aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, vitamin B6 metabolism, alanine, and aspartate and glutamate metabolism, which may emphasize the critical role of microbial homeostasis in maintaining liver activities as well as intestinal barrier integrity upon microgravity.
Conclusions: Taken together, our findings suggest that enteric microorganism is an effective target for maintaining gut-liver axis homeostasis as well as protecting astronauts from inflammation when deal with microgravity exposure in further long-term manned space mission.
Microplastics contamination in branded cigarettes: Characterization and potential burning inhalation risk assessment
Authors: Sun Yunmei , Zhang Kexin , Ju Peng , Jiang Fenghua , Sun Chengjun
Published: May 2024

It is well known that smoking is harmful to human health owing to the containing harmful substances. However, the study of prevalence and further harm to human of emerging pollutant microplastics (MPs) in cigarettes is still lacking. This study systematically analyzed 21 most kinds of most known and consumed domestic and international cigarette brands to ascertain the presence or absence of MPs in cigarettes. Experimental results illustrated that MPs were identified in 18 out of the 21 sampled cigarette brands with an average abundance of 0.21±0.61 items/g (0.15±0.44 items/individual). Among the identified MPs, the shape was mainly fibrous, predominantly colors blue and black, and particle sizes were mostly concentrated in 100-300 µm. A total of 6 polymer types were identified: rayon, polyester, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polydimethylsiloxane, and polyvinyl alcohol. After being burned, MPs would possibly produce toxic gases such as dienes, alkenes and alkanes, which can directly enter the human lung, resulting in further harm to human health. Besides, the daily and life time MPs exposure risk through cigarettes consumption was evaluated. These findings not only achieve a full and proper assessment of MPs contamination in cigarettes and potential risk to human, but also provides suggestions to minimize MPs contamination in cigarettes during the preparation process, aiming to reduce the risk of cigarettes being tainted by microplastics.
Me-LLaMA: Foundation Large Language Models for Medical Applications
Authors: Xie Qianqian , Chen Qingyu , Chen Aokun , Peng Cheng , Hu Yan , Lin Fongci , Peng Xueqing , Huang Jimin , Zhang Jeffrey , Keloth Vipina , Zhou Xinyu , He Huan , Ohno-Machado Lucila , Wu Yonghui , Xu Hua , Bian Jiang
Published: May 2024

Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and LLaMA have hinted at their potential to revolutionize medical applications, yet their application in clinical settings often reveals limitations due to a lack of specialized training on medical-specific data. In response to this challenge, this study introduces Me-LLaMA, a novel medical LLM family that includes foundation models – Me-LLaMA 13/70B, along with their chat-enhanced versions – Me-LLaMA 13/70B-chat, developed through continual pre-training and instruction tuning of LLaMA2 using large medical datasets. Our methodology leverages a comprehensive domain-specific data suite, including a large-scale, continual pre-training dataset with 129B tokens, an instruction tuning dataset with 214k samples, and a new medical evaluation benchmark (MIBE) across six critical medical tasks with 12 datasets. Our extensive evaluation using the MIBE shows that Me-LLaMA models achieve overall better performance than existing open-source medical LLMs in zero-shot, few-shot and supervised learning abilities. With task-specific instruction tuning, Me-LLaMA models outperform ChatGPT on 7 out of 8 datasets and GPT-4 on 5 out of 8 datasets. In addition, we investigated the catastrophic forgetting problem, and our results show that Me-LLaMA models outperform other open-source medical LLMs in mitigating this issue. Me-LLaMA is one of the largest open-source medical foundation LLMs that use both biomedical and clinical data. It exhibits superior performance across both general and medical tasks compared to other open-source medical LLMs, rendering it an attractive choice for medical AI applications. We release our models, datasets, and evaluation scripts at: https://github.com/BIDS-Xu-Lab/Me-LLaMA.
Biomechanical Evaluation of Unstable Intertrochanteric Fractures Fixation with Different Implants: A Finite Element Analysis Study
Authors: Qi Yuanbo , Li Jiantao , Xu Cheng , Xiong Dou , Wu Jie , Wang Guoqi , Wang Daofeng , Liu Kaiyuan , Tao Sheng , Zhang Zhi , Liu Daohong
Published: May 2024

Purpose
Unstable intertrochanteric fractures are one of the most difficult to treat in older hip fractures. In this study, we simulated unstable intertrochanteric fractures AO/OTA 31 A2.3 by finite element analysis to compare the biomechanical stability of the three implants most commonly used in clinical treatment at this stage.
Methods
We used Mimics, Geomagic studio, UG-NX, Hypermesh and other software to establish the model of unstable intertrochanteric fracture (AO/OTA 31 A2.3) and three internal fixation models of Dynamic hip screw (DHS), Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation (PFNA), and InterTAN. After assembly, Abaqus software was used to analyze and calculate the Von Mises stress distribution, strain distribution, and displacement distribution of each group of fracture internal fixation models when the force was applied in the gait.
Results
Our experimental results show that under 2100N load, the peak stress of the InterTAN was 783.4Mpa, while the peak stress of PFNA and DHS was 603.7Mpa and 763.5Mpa. In InterTAN, the peak strain was 0.41% at the load of 2100N; in PFNA, the peak strain was 0.58%; in DHS, the peak strain was 0.69%. And InterTAN structure had a maximum displacement of 5.74 mm at a load of 2100N. PFNA structure performed the maximum displacement of 9.44 mm, and DHS was 21.76 mm. The maximum displacement of the complete fracture model under InterTAN fixation was 6.7 mm, and the maximum displacement values for the PFNA fixation model and DHS fixation model were 10.84 mm and 22.8 mm.
Conclusions
Our finite element analysis results indicate that when subjected to the same mechanical loads, InterTAN experiences lower yield strain and displacement compared to DHS and PFNA. Only under higher loads does InterTAN exhibit higher peak stress. It demonstrates superior biomechanical performance, making it a better choice for fixing unstable intertrochanteric fractures. Additionally, intramedullary fixation proves to be more effective than extramedullary fixation.
Naturalization of Pineapple-weed (Matricaria discoidea DC.) in the Indian Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh
Authors: Zargar Shabir A. , Khuroo Anzar Ahmad , Reshi Zafar A. , Ganie Aijaz Hassan
Published: May 2024

Climate change and biological invasions represent significant drivers of biodiversity loss, and changes in climate and land use can also synergistically influence the naturalization of alien species into new areas. Therefore, reporting the transition of alien plant species along the casual-naturalization-invasion continuum can be crucial to the early detection of alien species and their timely management with lower costs. Here, we report the distribution of the recently naturalized plant species Matricaria discoidea DC. (Pineapple-weed) in Ladakh, a remote region located in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh. We provide a taxonomic description of M. discoidea and photo-illustrations of its distinctive characters for easy field identification. Based on the sampling of communities dominated by M. discoidea, we found it positively associated with plant species that habitat preferences similar to M. discoidea but negatively associated with several native plant species that occurred in the same community. Our findings suggest that this newly naturalized alien species can potentially spread throughout this trans-Himalayan region and may have ecological consequences, including the negative impact on native species diversity in the region.
Production of xylanases from Penicillium sp. FSDE15 using agro-industrial residues and its biotechnological potential
Authors: Nunes Jaqueline Siqueira , Padilha Carlos Eduardo de Araújo , Costa Isabela Oliveira , Silva Rene Pinto da , Alcântara Maristela Alves , Santos Everaldo Silvino dos , Gonçalves Laís Campos Teixeira de Carvalho , de Araújo Demétrius Antonio Machado
Published: May 2024

This study investigates the production and application of xylanases derived from the fungus Penicillium sp. FSDE15, obtained via solid-state fermentation (SSF). Wheat bran served as the substrate, either in its pure form or mixed with sisal fiber. Penicillium sp. underwent incubation in SSF for 168 h, with daily sampling to evaluate xylanase activity. Xylanase analyses were conducted under various temperature and pH conditions to optimize enzymatic activity, with the optimal conditions determined as 50°C and pH 4.8. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis revealed the enzyme's molecular weight as 66 kDa. Evaluation of Penicillium sp. xylanase for enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane straw (untreated and alkaline pretreated) and corn cob xylan showcased significant activity, with 102.34 U/g and a productivity of 1.67 U/g.h observed in 72 h, surpassing experiments with the blend of bran and sisal fiber. Electrophoresis analysis identified a single protein band at 66 kDa. Although optimal conditions were identified, the enzyme exhibited instability at alkaline pH values (> 6.0) and elevated temperatures (> 60°C). When compared to a commercial enzyme, FSDE15 demonstrated satisfactory performance in saccharification and xylooligosaccharide (XOS) production, including X2, indicating its biotechnological potential. This study underscores the efficacy of SSF in xylanase production by Penicillium sp. FSDE15 has implications for converting lignocellulosic biomass into value-added products, particularly in saccharification and XOS production.
Using IoT and YOLOv5 for real-time security monitoring of homes
Authors: NOUTELE Guy
Published: May 2024

Everyone wants their home to be as secure as possible against disturbances and threats. Many people have installed Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) as a home security system. Apart from the fact that it is relatively expensive to install, CCTV has shortcomings that make it difficult to integrate with stable, secure user devices in real time. The aim of this work is to develop a security system capable of detecting malicious people in a house using a Raspberry PI 3, infrared (PIR) and ultrasound sensors, a webcam for taking photos and YOLOv5 for detecting objects. Once the malicious person is detected, the homeowner is immediately informed of the status of their home on their mobile phone via the Telegram mobile application. This proposed system can be applied and used as a safe and very inexpensive means of prevention.
Comparative Assessment of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Overlay Analysis (FOA) Models in Groundwater Potential Zone Mapping Using Sensitive Analysis: A GIS-RS Integrated Approach
Authors: Gandhi Fenil , Songara Jaysukh , Prakash Indra , Altuwaijri Hamad Ahmed
Published: May 2024

This study addresses the pressing need for assessing groundwater potential in diverse regions worldwide, emphasizing the challenges posed by industrialization and urban expansion. Leveraging remote sensing (RS) data within an ArcGIS framework, a comparison was conducted on the effectiveness of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Overlay Analysis (FOA) models in delineating groundwater potential zones. Ten influencing factors underwent rigorous multicollinearity checks to ensure independent analysis. Both methodologies categorized the output into five classification zones, revealing variations between methods. The sensitivity analysis identified specific influential layers for each method, showcasing heightened sensitivity in assessing groundwater potential zones. Notably, AHP emphasized factors such as NDWI, Lineament density, and Land Use Land Cover (LULC), while FOA prioritized Soil Texture, Lineament Density, and NDWI. Evaluating the reliability of groundwater potential assessments, AHP demonstrated fair agreement (59.18%), while FOA exhibited substantial agreement (77.5%). FOA emerged as superior, offering a more nuanced and precise representation of spatial relationships and uncertainties. The promising performance of FOA in our study suggests its potential applicability in accurate groundwater potential assessment beyond the study area (India) to other countries regions with heterogeneous hydrogeological conditions.
Comparative Metagenomics of Vaginal Microbiomes Reveal Strain-Level Differences with Relevance to Colonization and Host-Microbe Interactions
Authors: Nori Sai Ravi Chandra , Walsh Calum , McAuliffe Fionnuala , Moore Rebecca , Sinderen Douwe van , Feehily Conor , Cotter Paul
Published: May 2024

The vaginal microbiome, a relatively simple, low diversity ecosystem crucial for female health, is often dominated by Lactobacillus spp.. Studies of this community have often relied on short read amplicon sequencing, limiting the taxonomic resolution to genus or species level. More detailed strain-level data, facilitated by shotgun sequencing, can provide a greater understanding of the mechanisms of colonization and host-microbe interactions. In this study, we analysed 354 vaginal metagenomes from pregnant women in Ireland to investigate the metagenomic community state types and strain-level variations, particularly those involved in cell surface interface with the host. Our analysis showed the presence of multiple metagenomic subspecies across major vaginal bacteria with Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus iners being the most dominant. Detailed examination revealed distinct genes, including mucin-binding genes, present in Lactobacillus crispatus subspecies but absent in Lactobacillus iners. Within the dataset, we recovered 337 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes and determined that L. crispatus harbours a greater number of strain-specific genes related to cell wall biogenesis, carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism compared to L. iners, with genes predicted to be involved in mucin binding and cell surface structure under positive selection in L. crispatus. Supplementing our dataset with publicly available genomes, we revealed a cell surface glycan gene cluster predominantly present in L. crispatus that is absent from L. iners and Gardnerella vaginalis. Overall, our comprehensive analysis offers new insights into the intra-species diversity of the vaginal microbiome, emphasising the importance of strain-specific variations in factors associated with colonisation and host-microbe interactions, which are essential for maintaining vaginal health.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Skills of Oral Health Care Professionals towards Cancer Treatment-induced Oral Mucositis.
Authors: Mohod Swapnil , Dadgal Komal , Sontakke Tushar , Rahul Neha , Patel Shraddha , Patel Aditya
Published: May 2024

Background and objectives: More than 90% of patients with head and neck malignancies develop cancer treatment-induced oral mucositis CT-IOM. It is commonly referred to stomatitis. It is a common, dose-limiting, and potentially life-threatening side effect of radiation or chemotherapy. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and skills of oral health care professionals working in different setups regarding the treatment and care of CT-IOM.
Material and methods: This study used a questionnaire with 20 questions that was circulated to oral health care providers using Google Forms. The questionnaire collected data regarding the knowledge, attitude, and skills of oral health care professionals of CT-IOM using multiple answers questions and a Likert scale. The obtained information from the responders was statistically analyzed.
Results:The study was conducted to compare the knowledge, attitude and skills among three groups of private practitioners, dental hospital and general hospitals. Among all the oral healthcare professionals, the responders working in the dental hospital setup are more aware than the private practitioners and the ones working in general hospitals of palliative care in CT-IOM
Conclusion: The study concluded by stating that oral healthcare professionals need to be sensitized regarding palliative care and knowledge of CT-IOM.
A Comprehensive Review of Deep Learning-based Models for Heart Disease Prediction
Authors: Zhou Chunjie , Dai Pengfei , Hou Aihua , Zhang Zhenxing , Liu Li , Li Ali
Published: May 2024

Heart disease (HD) is one of the leading causes of death in humans, posing a heavy burden on society, families, and patients. Real-time prediction of HD can reduce mortality rates and is crucial for timely intervention and treatment of HD. Deep learning (DL)-related methods have higher accuracy and real-time performance in predicting HD. In this study, we comprehensively compared and evaluated the contributions and limitations of DL algorithms, extended deep learning (ETDL) algorithms, and integrated deep learning (integrated DL) algorithms that combine DL with other technologies for predicting HD. The articles considered span the period from 2018 to 2023, and after rigorous screening, 63 articles were selected for preliminary research. A systematic literature review of real-time HDP will provide future researchers with a comprehensive understanding of existing deep learning methods and related integrated technologies in the healthcare industry. Furthermore, it discusses popular datasets employed in deploying numerous prediction models. Additionally, it reveals existing open problems or challenges encountered by previous researchers. Notably, the most prevalent challenge is the scarcity of large discrete datasets, followed by the need for further improvement of existing models.
The effect of authoritarian leadership on young nurses’ burnout: The mediating role of organizational climate and psychological capital
Authors: Zheng Xiaojia , Song Jiamei , Shi Xindi , Lu Guangli , Chen Chaoran
Published: May 2024

Aim: To investigate the relationship between authoritarian leadership and burnout for young nurses in China, and the mediating role of organizational climate and psychological capital in this relationship.
Background: As the backbone of clinical nursing, young nurses are prone to job burnout due to the tedious work and the intense work intensity of clinical nursing. It is critical to pay close attention to young nurse burnout to elevate nursing quality and patient satisfaction.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out. From November to December 2022, 1,160 nurses from 4 hospitals in Henan, China took part in the survey. Pearson correlation analysis, descriptive statistics and structural equation model were used to analyze the existing data.
Results: Authoritarian leadership can positively predict burnout (β = 0.260, P < 0.001) and negatively predict organizational climate (β = -0.270, P< 0.001) and psychological capital (β = -0.090, P < 0.001). Organizational climate positively predicted psychological capital (β = 0.880, P < 0.001) and negatively predicted burnout (β = -0.260, P < 0.001). Psychological capital negatively predicted burnout (β = 0.200, P < 0.001). The direct effect of authoritative leadership on burnout was 0.338.
Conclusions: The impact of authoritarian leadership on young nurse burnout was mediated by organizational climate and psychological capital in a chain reaction, and examined the mediating model of authoritative leadership → organizational climate → psychological capital → burnout of young nurses. The results showed that nursing managers need to fully understand the disadvantages of authoritarian leadership and adjust related behaviors in time. Targeted management measures can be implemented from the organizational climate and psychological capital of young nurses to alleviate the burnout of nurses and improve the quality of nursing services.
TOX: A Potential New Immune Checkpoint in Cancers by A Pan-Cancer Analysis
Authors: Qiu Shengliang , Lin Weiye , Zhou Zhengyang , Hong Qianran , Chen Shuangyu , Li Jiayang , Zhong Fengyun , Zhou Qinfeng , Cui Dawei
Published: May 2024

Background
TOX (Thymocyte Selection-Associated HMG BOX) belongs to a family of transcription factors with a conserved high mobility group box (HMG-box) domain. Research indicates that TOX is involved in tumor development and T cell exhaustion. This study used data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to evaluate TOX expression across cancers.
Methods
TOX expression was analyzed using RNAseq data from TCGA and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. Genetic alterations and protein levels were assessed via Human Protein Atlas (HPA), GeneCards, and String databases. Prognostic significance was determined using Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate Cox regression. Enrichment analysis was performed using the "clusterProfiler" R package. The relationship between TOX and immune cell infiltration was analyzed via TIMER2 and "CIBERSORT." Differences in TOX expression between cancerous and adjacent normal tissues were confirmed using immunohistochemistry.
Results
TOX expression varied across TCGA cancer types, with high expression in gliomas and lymphoma and low expression in other cancers. Genetic alterations and protein levels correlated with cancer prognosis and were linked to immune pathways, cell infiltration, and checkpoints. Significant differences in TOX expression between cancerous and adjacent normal tissues were confirmed.
Conclusions
TOX is a promising biomarker for cancer, likely playing a role in regulating the immune microenvironment and providing opportunities for novel targeted therapies.
A System-Level Model Reveals that Transcriptional Stochasticity is Required for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Differentiation
Authors: Álvarez-Buylla Elena R , Herrera Joel , Bensussen Antonio , García-Gómez Monica L. , Garay-Arroyo Adriana
Published: May 2024

Background The differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells towards their different cell fates, has been difficult to study experimentally due to the diverse number of physiological conditions involved in it. These experimental obstacles have generated antagonistic positions to explain this differentiation process.Methods Here, we build a gene regulation network that integrates several aspects documented in the literature on the regulation of the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells towards their different cell fates. Based on this network, we used Boolean, stochastic and continuous models to simulate the conditions of the hematopoietic stem cell niche under physiological conditions.Results We found that the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells is a process in which cell fates can transdifferentiate among themselves through plasticity phenomena, which are supported by the stochasticity of transcription. Finally, we found that oxygen activates the production of reactive oxygen species that inhibits the quiescence of hematopoietic stem cells and promote the growth and differentiation pathways of the hematopoietic stem cells.Conclusion Hematopoiesis is a plastic process strongly conditioned at a genetic level that can be altered by the microenvironment in which it takes place, as well as by metabolism.
Integrated Geophysical Characterization of the Active Sidi–Thabet Fault (Northeastern Tunisia): Implications for Active Tectonics and Seismotectonics
Authors: Mejri Lassaad , Sayah Nermine
Published: May 2024

The present-day seismicity reported from permanent networks in northeastern Tunisia is of low to moderate magnitude. However, several damaging earthquakes have been documented in the northeastern region, including the Utica earthquake of 412 and the Tunis earthquakes of 854, 857, and 1957. This seismic activity is a result of the ongoing deformation of tectonic structures in this area. The Sidi Thabet region, dominated by the geological structure of Jebel Ammar, is particularly seismically active, with earthquakes exceeding magnitude 5 and occasionally causing surface ruptures. The Jebel Ammar structure is underlain by a preexisting E-trending fault, referred to as the Sidi-Thabet fault in this study. Geologic, seismic, neotectonic, and geophysical investigations have revealed recent tectonic activity on this fault. Recent surface tectonic markers found along the fault lineament suggest quaternary activity on this fault. Geophysical investigations, including electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and seismic refraction sections, confirm the fault's recent activity. The results of the focal mechanism analysis agree with the estimates of strike-slip to transpression paleostress from the Neotectonic period. Tectonic activity observed along the fault zone indicates a significant seismic hazard and high seismic risk for the three million residents in the Tunis metropole, located south of the study area.
Using dynamic materials modelling approach to establish critical parameters for hot coiling of spring steels
Authors: Matejeke Velaphi , Kareem Sodiq Abiodun , Klenam Desmond , Merwe Josias van der , Gwalani Bharat , Obiko Japheth , Bodunrin Michael
Published: May 2024

This study investigated deformation-induced defects in 55Cr3, 54SiCr6, and 52CrMoV4 spring steels through isothermal compression testing using Gleeble 3500 thermomechanical simulator. The tests were conducted at deformation temperatures of 760, 820, 860, and 920°C, strain rates of 0.1, 1, 5, and 10 s-1, and a total strain of 0.5. Critical parameters leading to defects were established using power dissipation and instability maps. Microstructural examinations were performed on the deformed samples to validate predictions from power dissipation and instability maps. The results indicated that 55Cr3 spring steel exhibited instability at 850-870°C and 0.3-0.6 s-1, resulting in rounded cracks and pores in the microstructure. To avoid these defects, this temperature and strain rate range should be avoided during the coiling of 55Cr3 with a ferritic-pearlitic initial microstructure. Both 54SiCr6 and 52CrMoV4 were identified as potential alternatives to 55Cr3, with both alloys primarily undergoing dynamic recovery similar to 55Cr3. However, 54SiCr6 was recommended as the preferred alternative due to its higher power dissipation efficiency of 33% and an optimum deformation region similar to that of 55Cr3.
Deep neural network-enabled dual-functional wideband absorbers
Authors: Li Jing , Ma BinYi , Chen Huanyang , Cai Rui , Chen SiMing , Wu Qiannan , Li Mengwei
Published: May 2024

The burgeoning interest in switchable and tunable wideband perfect absorbers for modulation, energy harvesting, and spectroscopy has galvanized researchers. In this study, under the support of deep neural networks (DNN), we introduce a dual-function terahertz (THz) metamaterial absorber, achieving dual-wideband perfect absorption via graphene and vanadium dioxide (VO2), facilitating switching and tuning. Simulation outcomes indicate that in the insulating phase of VO2, a high-frequency wideband from 9.31 THz to 9.77 THz is attainable, boasting an absorption rate exceeding 90%. Conversely, in the metallic phase of VO2, a full-band wideband absorption over 90% is observed from 8.44 THz to 9.75 THz. The fractional bandwidths achieved are 61.3% and 174.6%, respectively. Electrical manipulation of graphene's Fermi level from 0.01 eV to 1 eV allows for continuous adjustment of absorption intensity between 48% and 100%. Moreover, the absorber demonstrates polarization insensitivity to TE and TM waves, owing to its symmetric design and wide incidence angle. This design shows promise for various THz range applications, including switching, electromagnetic shielding, stealth technology, filtering, and sensing.
Bayesian dynamic models to estimate the impact of halting vehicle fleets on the air quality: a case study from Medellín, Colombia
Authors: Pérez Carlos , Jiménez Johnatan Cardona , Gomez-Miranda I.N. , Ramírez Isabel
Published: May 2024

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2022), outdoor air pollution is estimated to have caused 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide in 2019. Under this scenario, the development of statistical tools for assessing the impact of a possible reduction of fossil fuels-based transportation systems on air quality is more relevant than ever. This type of instruments can help policy makers to take the right path to tackle the problem of air pollution in urban environments. Thus, this work proposes a method to evaluate the impact of the reduction of vehicle fleets on air quality. The method is based on the construction of coun-terfactual time series, which represent observed air pollutants under a treatment of interest. In this case, the treatment of interest are the vehicle fleets on the streets. The construction of the counterfactual time series is based on Bayesian dynamic linear models. Several impact assessment measures are implemented, taking advantage of the counterfactual and observed time series (the observed pollutant without the treatment). The flexibility of the Bayesian approach allows easy inference of the impact quantities via high posterior density intervals. Some simulation analyses show that the method works well under different impact scenarios, and one application regarding Medellin’s case in Colombia is presented. For the application, it is shown that the drastic reduction in vehicle fleets during the COVID-19 mobility restrictions led to a significant reduction in the presence of different pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, NOx)
A Numerical Investigation on a Novel Approach for Designing Semi-Rigid Barriers for Rockfall Protection Based on Spider Web Geometry
Authors: Kerhali Okba , Palassi Massoud , Azad Amir Reza Ghiami
Published: May 2024

Semi-rigid rockfall barriers are commonly used to mitigate rockfall hazards by preventing rocks from falling into ‎roads and railways paths. Many companies and authorities design these semi-rigid barriers without any clear standards or ‎guidelines. Some guidelines such as the European technical approval of falling rock protection kits (ETAG 027) are occasionally used in testing flexible rockfall barriers. ‎The current study proposes a new approach for designing flexible barriers in general, and semi-rigid barriers in particular. This new approach is inspired by the spider web geometry and its topology. A virtual computer simulation by finite element software ̎Abaqus/explicit is also performed on a semi-rigid barrier that complies with most of the design practices. The ‎results are compared with a previous virtual simulation study of a semi-rigid barrier. ‎The comparison of the results shows that the proposed rockfall barrier design method leads to a better design compared to other previously investigated design methods.