bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What are effective vaccine distribution approaches for equity-deserving and high-risk populations during COVID-19? Exploring best practices and recommendations in Canada: protocol for a mixed-methods multiple case codesign study
Authors: Aggarwal Monica , Katz Alan , Kokorelias Kristina Marie , Wong Sabrina T , Aghajafari Fariba , Ivers Noah M , Martin-Misener Ruth , Aubrey-Bassler Kris , Breton Mylaine , Upshur Ross E G , Kwong Jeffrey C
Published: November 2023

Introduction

The WHO has stated that vaccine hesitancy is a serious threat to overcoming COVID-19. Vaccine hesitancy among underserved and at-risk communities is an ongoing challenge in Canada. Public confidence in vaccine safety and effectiveness and the principles of equity need to be considered in vaccine distribution. In Canada, governments of each province or territory manage their own healthcare system, providing an opportunity to compare and contrast distribution strategies. The overarching objective of this study is to identify effective vaccine distribution approaches and advance knowledge on how to design and implement various strategies to meet the different needs of underserved communities.

Methods and analysis

Multiple case studies in seven Canadian provinces will be conducted using a mixed-methods design. The study will be informed by Experience-Based CoDesign techniques and theoretically guided by the Socio-Ecological Model and the Vaccine Hesitancy Matrix frameworks. Phase 1 will involve a policy document review to systematically explore the vaccine distribution strategy over time in each jurisdiction. This will inform the second phase, which will involve (2a) semistructured, in-depth interviews with policymakers, public health officials, researchers, providers, groups representing patients, researchers and stakeholders and (2b) an analysis of population-based administrative health data of vaccine administration. Integration of qualitative and quantitative data will inform the identification of effective vaccine distribution approaches for various populations. Informed by this evidence, phase 3 of the study will involve conducting focus groups with multiple stakeholders to codesign recommendations for the design and implementation of effective vaccine delivery strategies for equity-deserving and at-risk populations.

Ethics and dissemination

This study is approved by the University of Toronto’s Health Sciences Research Ethics Board (#42643), University of British Columbia Behavioural Research Ethics Board (#H22-01750-A002), Research Ethics Board of the Nova Scotia Health Authority (#48272), Newfoundland and Labrador Health Research Ethics Board (#2022.126), Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board, University of Calgary (REB22-0207), and University of Manitoba Health Research Board (H2022-239). The outcome of this study will be to produce a series of recommendations for implementing future vaccine distribution approaches from the perspective of various stakeholders, including equity-deserving and at-risk populations.
Lifecourse investigation of the cumulative impact of adversity on cognitive function in old age and the mediating role of mental health: longitudinal birth cohort study
Authors: Liu Yiwen , Patalay Praveetha , Stafford Jean , Schott Jonathan M , Richards Marcus
Published: November 2023

Objective

To investigate the accumulation of adversities (duration of exposure to any, economic, psychosocial) across the lifecourse (birth to 63 years) on cognitive function in older age, and the mediating role of mental health.

Design

National birth cohort study.

Setting

Great Britain.

Participants

5362 singleton births within marriage in England, Wales and Scotland born within 1 week of March 1946, of which 2131 completed at least 1 cognitive assessment.

Main outcome measures

Cognitive assessments included the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-III, as a measure of cognitive state, processing speed (timed-letter search task), and verbal memory (word learning task) at 69 years. Scores were standardised to the analytical sample. Mental health at 60–64 years was assessed using the 28-item General Health Questionnaire, with scores standardised to the analytical sample.

Results

After adjusting for sex, increased duration of exposure to any adversity was associated with decreased performance on cognitive state (β=−0.39; 95% CI −0.59 to –0.20) and verbal memory (β=−0.45; 95% CI −0.63 to –0.27) at 69 years, although these effects were attenuated after adjusting for further covariates (childhood cognition and emotional problems, educational attainment). Analyses by type of adversity revealed stronger associations from economic adversity to verbal memory (β=−0.54; 95% CI −0.70 to –0.39), with a small effect remaining even after adjusting for all covariates (β=−0.18; 95% CI −0.32 to –0.03), and weaker associations from psychosocial adversity. Causal mediation analyses found that mental health mediated all associations between duration of exposure to adversity (any, economic, psychosocial) and cognitive function, with around 15% of the total effect of economic adversity on verbal memory attributable to mental health.

Conclusions

Improving mental health among older adults has the potential to reduce cognitive impairments, as well as mitigate against some of the effect of lifecourse accumulation of adversity on cognitive performance in older age.
Scabies outbreak management in refugee/migrant camps in Europe 2014–2017: a retrospective qualitative interview study of healthcare staff experiences and perspectives
Authors: Richardson Naomi A , Cassell Jackie A , Head Michael G , Lanza Stefania , Schaefer Corinna , Walker Stephen L , Middleton Jo
Published: November 2023

Objectives

Provide insights into the experiences and perspectives of healthcare staff who treated scabies or managed outbreaks in formal and informal refugee/migrant camps in Europe 2014–2017.

Design

Retrospective qualitative study using semistructured telephone interviews and framework analysis. Recruitment was done primarily through online networks of healthcare staff involved in medical care in refugee/migrant settings.

Setting

Formal and informal refugee/migrant camps in Europe 2014–2017.

Participants

Twelve participants (four doctors, four nurses, three allied health workers, one medical student) who had worked in camps (six in informal camps, nine in formal ones) across 15 locations within seven European countries (Greece, Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey, France, the Netherlands, Belgium).

Results

Participants reported that in camps they had worked, scabies diagnosis was primarily clinical (without dermatoscopy), and treatment and outbreak management varied highly. Seven stated scabicides were provided, while five reported that only symptomatic management was offered. They described camps as difficult places to work, with poor living standards for residents. Key perceived barriers to scabies control were (1) lack of water, sanitation and hygiene, specifically: absent/limited showers (difficult to wash off topical scabicides), and inability to wash clothes and bedding (may have increased transmission/reinfestation); (2) social factors: language, stigma, treatment non-compliance and mobility (interfering with contact tracing and follow-up treatments); (3) healthcare factors: scabicide shortages and diversity, lack of examination privacy and staff inexperience; (4) organisational factors: overcrowding, ineffective interorganisational coordination, and lack of support and maltreatment by state authorities (eg, not providing basic facilities, obstruction of self-care by camp residents and non-governmental organisation (NGO) aid).

Conclusions

We recommend development of accessible scabies guidelines for camps, use of consensus diagnostic criteria and oral ivermectin mass treatments. In addition, as much of the work described was by small, volunteer-staffed NGOs, we in the wider healthcare community should reflect how to better support such initiatives and those they serve.
Child eye health in Ethiopia: a mixed methods analysis of policy and commitment to action
Authors: Sherief Sadik Taju , Tesfaye Samson , Eshetu Zelalem , Ali Asim , Dimaras Helen
Published: November 2023

Background

Child eye health is a serious public health issue in Ethiopia, where children under the age of 15 account for over half of the population. Our aim was to review Ethiopian health policy and practice to reveal approaches and commitment to promotion and delivery of child eye health services.

Methods

We conducted a mixed-methods situational analysis employing documentary analysis and key informant interview methods. Government publications touching on any element of child eye health were included. Key informants were eligible if they were leaders, authorities, researchers or clinicians involved in child health. Data was combined and analysed by narrative synthesis, using an adaptation of the Eye Care Situation Analysis Tool as a framework.

Findings

Eleven documents developed by the Ministries of Health and Education were included and interviews with 14 key informants were conducted. A focus on child eye health was lacking in key health policy documents, demonstrated by limited allocation of funds, a shortage of human resources, and a subpar referral system across all levels of child eye care.

Conclusion

The study identified several gaps and limitations in child eye health in Ethiopia. There is a need for health policies that strengthen ownership, finance and partnerships for improved coordination, and collaboration with line ministries and other stakeholders to improve child eye health services in Ethiopia.
Evaluating the performance of artificial intelligence software for lung nodule detection on chest radiographs in a retrospective real-world UK population
Authors: Maiter Ahmed , Hocking Katherine , Matthews Suzanne , Taylor Jonathan , Sharkey Michael , Metherall Peter , Alabed Samer , Dwivedi Krit , Shahin Yousef , Anderson Elizabeth , Holt Sarah , Rowbotham Charlotte , Kamil Mohamed A , Hoggard Nigel , Balasubramanian Saba P , Swift Andrew , Johns Christopher S
Published: November 2023

Objectives

Early identification of lung cancer on chest radiographs improves patient outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may increase diagnostic accuracy and streamline this pathway. This study evaluated the performance of commercially available AI-based software trained to identify cancerous lung nodules on chest radiographs.

Design

This retrospective study included primary care chest radiographs acquired in a UK centre. The software evaluated each radiograph independently and outputs were compared with two reference standards: (1) the radiologist report and (2) the diagnosis of cancer by multidisciplinary team decision. Failure analysis was performed by interrogating the software marker locations on radiographs.

Participants

5722 consecutive chest radiographs were included from 5592 patients (median age 59 years, 53.8% women, 1.6% prevalence of cancer).

Results

Compared with radiologist reports for nodule detection, the software demonstrated sensitivity 54.5% (95% CI 44.2% to 64.4%), specificity 83.2% (82.2% to 84.1%), positive predictive value (PPV) 5.5% (4.6% to 6.6%) and negative predictive value (NPV) 99.0% (98.8% to 99.2%). Compared with cancer diagnosis, the software demonstrated sensitivity 60.9% (50.1% to 70.9%), specificity 83.3% (82.3% to 84.2%), PPV 5.6% (4.8% to 6.6%) and NPV 99.2% (99.0% to 99.4%). Normal or variant anatomy was misidentified as an abnormality in 69.9% of the 943 false positive cases.

Conclusions

The software demonstrated considerable underperformance in this real-world patient cohort. Failure analysis suggested a lack of generalisability in the training and testing datasets as a potential factor. The low PPV carries the risk of over-investigation and limits the translation of the software to clinical practice. Our findings highlight the importance of training and testing software in representative datasets, with broader implications for the implementation of AI tools in imaging.
Development and validation of a multimorbidity risk prediction nomogram among Chinese middle-aged and older adults: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Zheng Xiao , Xue Benli , Xiao Shujuan , Li Xinru , Chen Yimin , Shi Lei , Liang Xiaoyan , Tian Feng , Zhang Chichen
Published: November 2023

Objectives

The aim of this study is to establish a self-simple-to-use nomogram to predict the risk of multimorbidity among middle-aged and older adults.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Participants

We used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, including 7735 samples.

Main outcome measures

Samples’ demographic characteristics, modifiable lifestyles and depression were collected. Cox proportional hazard models and nomogram model were used to estimate the risk factors of multimorbidity.

Results

A total of 3576 (46.2%) participants have multimorbidity. The result showed that age, female (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.89), chronic disease (HR 2.59, 95% CI 2.38 to 2.82), sleep time (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.85), regular physical activity (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.95), drinking (HR 1.27 95% CI 1.16 to 1.39), smoking (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.26 to 1.53), body mass index (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.05) and depression (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03) were associated with multimorbidity. The C-index of nomogram models for derivation and validation sets were 0.70 (95% CI 0.69 to 0.71, p=0.006) and 0.71 (95% CI 0.70 to 0.73, p=0.008), respectively.

Conclusions

We have crafted a user-friendly nomogram model for predicting multimorbidity risk among middle-aged and older adults. This model integrates readily available and routinely assessed risk factors, enabling the early identification of high-risk individuals and offering tailored preventive and intervention strategies.
Birth prevalence and risk factors of neural tube defects in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Tesfay Neamin , Hailu Girmay , Habtetsion Medhanye , Woldeyohannes Fistum
Published: November 2023

Objective

This study aims to estimate the prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) and to identify potential risk factors in the Ethiopian context.

Study design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Study participants

A total of 611 064 participants were included in the review obtained from 42 studies.

Methods

PubMed (Medline), Embase and Cochrane Library databases in combination with other potential sources of literature were systematically searched, whereby studies conducted between January 2010 and December 2022 were targeted in the review process. All observational studies were included and heterogeneity between studies was verified using Cochrane Q test statistics and I2test statistics. Small study effects were checked using Egger’s statistical test at a 5% significance level.

Result

The pooled prevalence of all NTDs per 10 000 births in Ethiopia was 71.48 (95% CI 57.80 to 86.58). The between-study heterogeneity was high (I2= 97.49%, p<0.0001). Birth prevalence of spina bifida (33.99 per 10 000) was higher than anencephaly (23.70 per 10 000), and encephalocele (4.22 per 10 000). Unbooked antenatal care (AOR 2.26, 95% CI (1.30 to 3.94)), preconception intake of folic acid (AOR 0.41, 95% CI (0.26 to 0.66)), having chronic medical illness (AOR 2.06, 95% CI (1.42 to 2.99)), drinking alcohol (AOR 2.70, 95% CI (1.89 to 3.85)), smoking cigarette (AOR 2.49, 95% CI (1.51 to 4.11)), chewing khat (AOR 3.30, 95% CI (1.88 to 5.80)), exposure to pesticides (AOR 3.87, 95% CI (2.63 to 5.71)), maternal age ≥35 (AOR 1.90, 95% CI (1.13 to 3.25)), maternal low educational status (AOR 1.60, 95% CI (1.13 to 2.24)), residing in urban areas (AOR 0.75, 95% CI (0.58 to 0.97))and family history of NTDs (AOR 2.51, 95% CI (1.36 to 4.62)) were associated with NTD cases.

Conclusion

The prevalence of NTDs in Ethiopia is seven times as high as in other Western countries where prevention measures are put in place. Heredity, maternal and environmental factors are associated with a high prevalence of NTDs. Mandatory fortification of staple food with folic acid should be taken as a priority intervention to curb the burden of NTDs. To smoothen and overlook the pace of implementation of mass fortification, screening, and monitoring surveillance systems should be in place along with awareness-raising measures.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023413490.
Chain mediation model of consultation empathy, resilience and resignation coping on depression: a cross-sectional study among patients with COVID-19 in China
Authors: Wang Lujie , Huang Shuling , Feng Zhiyi , Lin Yuhui , Zhang Yuan
Published: November 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the mediating role of resilience and resignation coping in the relationship between consultation empathy and depression in patients with COVID-19.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Participants were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Participants

A total of 215 patients were recruited for this study.

Outcome measures

A total of 215 patients completed the Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. PROCESS 4.1 model 6 was used to analyse the moderated mediating effects.

Results

Consultation empathy had a positive correlation with resilience (r=0.34, p<0.001), and a negative correlation with resignation (r=−0.288, p<0.001) and depression (r=−0.379, p<0.001). Resilience had a negative correlation with resignation (r=−0.463, p<0.001) and depression (r=−0.605, p<0.001). Resignation had a positive correlation (r=0.547, p<0.001) with depression. In the moderated mediating model, consultation empathy had significant indirect predictive effects on depression through resilience (95% CI −0.093 to –0.030) or resignation (95% CI −0.043 to –0.005). Consultation empathy had significant indirect predictive effects on depression through both resilience and resignation (95% CI −0.030 to –0.008).

Conclusions

Consultation empathy not only predicted depression directly, but also indirectly predicted depression through the chain mediating effects of resilience and resignation coping.
Flat flexible school shoes for adolescents with patellofemoral pain: a randomised, assessor-blinded, parallel-group feasibility trial
Authors: Mazzella Natalie , Fox Aaron , Trowell Danielle , Saunders Natalie , Vicenzino Bill , Bonacci Jason
Published: November 2023

Objectives

To determine the feasibility of conducting a large-scale randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of flat, flexible school footwear versus traditional school footwear in adolescents (aged 12–18 years) with patellofemoral pain (PFP).

Methods

Adolescents with PFP were recruited for this study. Participants were randomised to wear either a (1) flat, flexible school shoe or (2) a traditional school shoe. Participants wore the shoes as per school requirements for 12 weeks. Feasibility was assessed by (1) adherence to allocated shoe wear of ≥75% of total weekly school shoe wear time (recorded through weekly log sheets), (2) a recruitment rate of one participant per fortnight and (3) a dropout rate of ≤ 20%. Descriptive statistics were used for feasibility outcomes.

Results

24 adolescents (15 men, 9 women, mean (SD) age 14.3 (1.7) years) participated in this study. Two participants (8%) were lost to follow-up. The recruitment rate was 1.7 participants per fortnight. 11 of 12 participants (91%) in the flat flexible shoe group and 9 of 10 participants (90%) in the traditional shoe group met the minimum adherence for shoe wear. Mean weekly shoe wear was 20 (7.6) and 21 (4.5) hours per week in the flat, flexible, and traditional shoe groups, respectively.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that progression to a full-scale randomised controlled trial is feasible based on the current protocol. A full-scale randomised controlled trial powered to detect estimates of treatment efficacy using flat, flexible school shoes versus traditional school shoes is warranted and will guide evidence-based management of adolescent PFP.
Lack of change in blood pressure and arterial stiffness after high dairy intake in hyperinsulinemic subjects: a cross-over randomized controlled trial
Authors: Arghavani Hana , O'Connor Sarah , Fortier Catherine , Rudkowska Iwona
Published: November 2023

To evaluate the effects of high dairy (HD) (≥4 servings/day), compared to adequate dairy (AD) (2–3 servings/day as per Canada's Food Guide for Healthy Eating (2007)), on blood pressure (BP) and measures of arterial stiffness in hyperinsulinemic subjects. In this cross-over clinical trial, hyperinsulinemic adults were randomized to AD and HD for 6 weeks. Anthropometric, glycemic, and lipid parameters were analyzed and dietary intake was evaluated; BP, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, and measures of arterial stiffness were assessed. Twenty-seven participants completed the study. Dairy intake was 2.2 ± 1.2 servings/day during AD. In addition, lower total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were observed without significant change in BP or arterial stiffness between before and after AD. During HD, the subjects consumed 5.8 ± 1.9 servings/day of dairy products, providing a higher intake of protein, saturated fat, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium compared to the baseline diet. After the HD, subjects had higher body fat, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, and triglycerides without altering BP or arterial stiffness compared to before HD. Overall, adequate or high intake of total dairy did not modify BP or arterial stiffness in hyperinsulinemic adults after 6 weeks.
Deterioration effects of X-ray irradiation in artificially aged parchment
Authors: Mercuri Fulvio , Cicero Cristina , Paoloni Stefano , Zammit Ugo , Orazi Noemi , Vadrucci Monia , Severini Leonardo , Mazzuca Claudia
Published: November 2023

The effects of X-ray irradiation, a potential disinfection method, produced in parchment samples with different extent of artificial ageing have been investigated to analyse the possible superposition effects of the irradiation-induced damage with the existing ageing associated deterioration. The study was carried out in modern parchment samples in which different degrees of artificial ageing were induced by exposing them to severe hygro-thermal conditions for various durations. The aged samples were subsequently irradiated with increasing X-ray doses (350–4000 Gy). The consequent deterioration effects were analysed using light transmission analysis (LTA), attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) in order to evaluate possible changes in, respectively, the hydro-thermal stability, the collagen protein structure (hydrolysis/denaturation) and the optical absorption/reflectance properties of the collagen protein. The results show increasing additional deterioration with irradiation dose for non-aged and moderately aged parchment, until damage saturation occurs for more intensively aged samples where no substantial additional deterioration is induced by the irradiation. The combined results indicate that the ageing produces the more substantial deterioration with respect to that induced by the irradiation treatment employed for disinfection purpose.
On Dihedral Angle Sums of Prisms and Hexahedra
Authors: Korotov Sergey , Vatne Jon Eivind
Published: November 2023

Various angle characteristics are used (e.g. in finite element methods or computer graphics) when evaluating the quality of computational meshes which may consist, in the three-dimensional case, of tetrahedra, prisms, hexahedra and pyramids. Thus, it is of interest to derive (preferably tight) bounds for dihedral angle sums, i.e. sums of angles between faces, of such mesh elements. For tetrahedra this task was solved by Gaddum in 1952. For pyramids, this was resolved by Korotov, Lund and Vatne in 2022. In this paper, we compute tight bounds for the remaining two cases, hexahedra and prisms.
Presenting an Effective Motivational Model on the Knowledge Acquisition Process Using Fuzzy Best-Worst Method (FBWM)
Authors: Jafari Mostafa , Zahedi Mohammadreza , Khanachah Shayan Naghdi
Published: November 2023

In the knowledge economy, knowledge-based organisations, in particular, open a special account for their employees. Knowledge acquisition is important for organisations, because it enables them to improve their skills and creates value, credibility and competitive advantage. This research has been made to identify the motivational factors effective for knowledge acquisition and prioritise these factors, as well as providing a framework for managers to enable knowledge sharing from knowledge workers and increase their desire to overcome current problems. The organisation has been paid. The statistical population of the research is 300 managers and experts in the automotive industry, and in this research, the opinions of 20 experts have been used to analyse the results. The results were analysed using the fuzzy technique to answer the research questions. The calculations obtained by applying the proposed method show that among the six factors affecting knowledge acquisition, Behavioural factors, with a weight of 0.296, have the most impact on knowledge acquisition compared to other factors. After that, the factor of Information Technology in the organisation, with a weight of 0.17, is in second place concerning the level of influence on knowledge acquisition. Also, the Organisational Learning Criteria are ranked third with a weight of 0.165. And the factors of Organisational Culture, Reward and Structure are placed in the next priorities with weights of 0.153, 0.094 and 0.121, respectively.
SPH Simulation of Solitary Wave Interaction with Cylinder
Authors: Cai Guozhen , Zhang Chi , Yang Yafei , Luo Min
Published: November 2023

The wave impact on marine structures is concerning in ocean and coastal engineering. Cylinders are important components of various marine structures such as piers of sea-crossing bridge, columns of oil and gas platforms and subsea pipelines. In this study, the interaction of solitary wave with a submerged horizontal cylinder and a surface-piercing vertical cylinder are numerically studied by the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) code SPHinXsys. SPHinXsys is an open-source multi-physics library based on the weakly compressible SPH and invokes the low-dissipation Riemann solver for alleviating numerical noises in the simulation of fluid dynamics. The capability of SPHinXsys in reproducing the fluid fields of solitary wave propagating through cylinders is demonstrated by comparing with the experimental data. With the validation in hand, the features of the wave–structure process are examined.
Safety of Perception Systems for Automated Driving: A Case Study on Apollo
Authors: Kochanthara Sangeeth , Singh Tajinder , Forrai Alexandru , Cleophas Loek
Published: November 2023

The automotive industry is now known for its software-intensive and safety-critical nature. The industry is on a path to the holy grail of completely automating driving, starting from relatively simple operational areas like highways. One of the most challenging, evolving, and essential parts of automated driving is the software that enables understanding of surroundings and the vehicle’s own as well as surrounding objects’ relative position, otherwise known as the perception system. Current generation perception systems are formed by a combination of traditional software and machine learning-related software. With automated driving systems transitioning from research to production, it is imperative to assess their safety.

We assess the safety of Apollo, the most popular open-source automotive software, at the design level for its use on a Dutch highway. We identified 58 safety requirements, 38 of which are found to be fulfilled at the design level. We observe that all requirements relating to traditional software are fulfilled, while most requirements specific to machine learning systems are not. This study unveils issues that need immediate attention; and directions for future research to make automated driving safe.
Genome Assembly, from Practice to Theory: Safe, Complete and
Linear-Time
Authors: Cairo Massimo , Rizzi Romeo , Tomescu Alexandru I. , Zirondelli Elia C.
Published: November 2023

Genome assembly asks to reconstruct an unknown string from many shorter substrings of it. Even though it is one of the key problems in Bioinformatics, it is generally lacking major theoretical advances. Its hardness stems both from practical issues (size and errors of real data), and from the fact that problem formulations inherently admit multiple solutions. Given these, at their core, most state-of-the-art assemblers are based on finding non-branching paths (
unitigs
) in an assembly graph. While such paths constitute only partial assemblies, they are likely to be correct. More precisely, if one defines a genome assembly solution as a
closed arc-covering walk
of the graph, then unitigs appear in all solutions, being thus
safe
partial solutions. Until recently, it was open what are
all
the safe walks of an assembly graph. Tomescu and Medvedev (RECOMB 2016) characterized all such safe walks (
omnitigs
), thus giving the first safe and
complete
genome assembly algorithm. Even though maximal omnitig finding was later improved to quadratic time by Cairo et al. (ACM Trans. Algorithms 2019), it remained open whether the crucial linear-time feature of finding unitigs can be attained with omnitigs.

We answer this question affirmatively, by describing a surprising
O(m)
-time algorithm to
identify
all maximal omnitigs of a graph with
n
nodes and
m
arcs, notwithstanding the existence of families of graphs with
Θ (mn)
total maximal omnitig size. This is based on the discovery of a family of walks (
macrotigs
) with the property that all the non-trivial omnitigs are univocal extensions of subwalks of a macrotig. This has two consequences: (1) A
linear-time output-sensitive
algorithm enumerating all maximal omnitigs. (2) A

compact
O(m)
representation

of all maximal omnitigs, which allows, e.g., for
O(m)
-time computation of various statistics on them. Our results close a long-standing theoretical question inspired by practical genome assemblers, originating with the use of unitigs in 1995. We envision our results to be at the core of a reverse transfer from theory to practical and
complete
genome assembly programs, as has been the case for other key Bioinformatics problems.
High-Efficiency Red-Emitting Phosphor of Li0.5La0.5SrMgWO6: Mn4+, Pr3+
Authors: Hu Shaozu , Yang Fugui , Yan Fengpo , Yu Yunlong , Wu Yonghua
Published: November 2023

The 400–500 nm blue light and 630–750 nm red light play crucial roles in plant cultivation. In this work, a high efficiency red-emitting phosphor, Li0.5La0.5SrMgWO6:Mn4+, Pr3+, was synthesized through the solid-state reaction technique. The absorption and excitation spectra were measured, indicating that 467 nm was an suitable excitation wavelength for this material. Upon excitation with a 467 nm LED, the fluorescence characteristics were evaluated, revealing dual-band red emission peaks located at 621–654 nm and 695–710 nm. The quantum efficiency and pumping slope efficiency were measured to be 63% and 35%, respectively. Based on energy level theory and Tanabe-Sugano theory, the dual-band fluorescence mechanism was analyzed, revealing that cross relaxation phenomenon contributed to the high quantum efficiency. The temperature sensing property was also demonstrated. The relative sensitivity (Sr) exhibited a significant change from 0.05% K−1 to 0.85% K−1 with different temperatures. The phosphor’s high efficiency and exceptional temperature property confer it with extensive potential applications in the fields of plant cultivation and display technology.
Deposition Temperature as a Crucial Process Parameter in Tuning the CO2 Sensing Properties of Spary-Pyrolyzed SnO2 Thin Film
Authors: S Deepa , K Prasannakumari , Joseph Anisha , Thomas Boben
Published: November 2023

SnO2 thin films are deposited on 76 × 26 × 12 mm glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique from an aqueous solution of SnCl4.5H2O at various deposition temperatures in the range 250 °C–330 °C and their Carbon Dioxide (CO2) sensing properties are studied. Crystallographic measurements performed on the samples reveal the tetragonal cassiterite structure with a P42/mnm space group. The micro-strain, crystallite size and the texture of prominent planes vary with deposition temperature. The effect of deposition temperature on the surface topography is closely examined by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The CO2 sensing properties reveals that the sample prepared at 310 °C shows better response to CO2. The presence of tin interstitials oxygen vacancies and excitons is confirmed by PL spectra. Raman spectra depict the formation of sub-stoichiometric phases in the sample. It is found that the deposition temperature is crucial in controlling the dislocations, surface defects, and crystalline orientation that play an important role in enhancing the CO2 sensing performance. To investigate the conduction mechanism prevailing in the sample, AC conductivity measurements of the SnO2 thin films are carried out using Agilent 4294 A precision impedance analyzer and the results are correlated with their CO2 sensing properties.
Weakening Effect of Mn on the Oxygen Vacancies of KNN-BZT-Mn Ceramic with Improved Energy Storage Performance
Authors: Wang Yuanyu , Li Yuesong , Yang Ya , Deng Jizhong
Published: November 2023

In this work, the weakened pinning effect of oxygen vacancies due to the introduction of Mn on the transfer from polarization nanoregions to normal ferroelectric domains is investigated through the component design. Therefore, the 0.85K0.5Na0.5NbO3−0.15Bi0.5Zn0.5Ti0.5O3-x mol% MnO2 (abbreviated with KNN- BZT-xMn, x = 0 and 0.1, i.e. KNN-BZT and KNN-BZT-Mn) ceramics were synthesized by the conventional solid-reaction method. The relaxor transition from ferroelectric R to paraelectric C phase of the ceramics is demonstrated by the temperature-dependent dielectric constants. The oxygen vacancies account for grain polarization and grain boundary polarization is derived from the migration of oxygen vacancies to the grain boundary, which is indicated by the complex impedance spectra and slimmer ferroelectric hysteresis loop for KNN-BZT-Mn. The mechanism for enhanced energy storage performance is ascribed to the NbMn-Vo decreases the pinning effect of the oxygen vacancies.
Emerging role of N6-methyladenosine in the homeostasis of glucose metabolism
Authors: Sun Yuan-Hai , Zhao Teng-Jiao , Li Ling-Huan , Wang Zhen , Li Han-Bing
Published: November 2023

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent post-transcriptional internal RNA modification, which is involved in the regulation of diverse physiological processes. Dynamic and reversible m6A modification has been shown to regulate glucose metabolism, and dysregulation of m6A modification contributes to glucose metabolic disorders in multiple organs and tissues including the pancreas, liver, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, kidney, blood vessels, and so forth. In this review, the role and molecular mechanism of m6A modification in the regulation of glucose metabolism were summarized, the potential therapeutic strategies that improve glucose metabolism by targeting m6A modifiers were outlined, and feasible directions of future research in this field were discussed as well, providing clues for translational research on combating metabolic diseases based on m6A modification in the future.
The Potential Application of Innovative Methods in Neural Networks for Surface Crack Recognition of Unshelled Hazelnut
Authors: Shojaeian Alireza , Bagherpour Hossein , Bagherpour Reza , Parian Jafar Amiri , Fatehi Farhad , Taghinezhad Ebrahim
Published: November 2023

In some countries, most hazelnuts are cracked using semi-industrial or hand-crafted machines and marketed as open-shell. In the process of hazelnut cracking, because of the different sizes and shapes of hazelnuts, many hazelnuts leave the cracking machine in the form of a cracked or closed-shell. The presence of cracked or closed-shell hazelnuts reduces the marketability of the product. Therefore, after the cracking operation, the separation of cracked or closed-shells from whole hazelnuts has largely been conducted by visual inspection, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and lacks accuracy. So, the purpose of this study was to use the deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) algorithm to classify hazelnuts into two classes: open-shell and closed-shell or cracked hazelnuts. To compare the proposed method with pretrained DCNN models, three models including ResNet-50, Inception-V3, and VGG-19 were investigated. The results of the proposed model (accuracy of 98% and

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-score of 96.8) showed that the proposed DCNN has good capability in predicting hazelnut classes. Compared with pretrained models, because of the small size and simple architecture of the proposed model, this model can be a good substitute for a complex and large model such as Inception-V3. Overall, the results indicate that crack on the hazelnut surface can be successfully detected automatically, and the proposed DCNN has a high potential to facilitate the development of a hazelnut sorter based on surface crack.
The Canonical Discriminant Model of the Environmental Security Threats
Authors: Kovalchuk Olha , Karpinski Mikolaj , Babala Ludmila , Kasianchuk Mykhailo , Shevchuk Ruslan
Published: November 2023

The existence of modern humanity directly depends on environmental security. Human society, biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate safety are interdependent. The anthropogenic influence that causes irreversible climate change threatens both the ecosystem’s existence and humans’ survival. To maintain a balance between human well-being and a safe environment, it is important to have a diverse knowledge of the interrelations between the technological impact on the natural environment and climate change and an understanding of action strategies to mitigate climate change and ensure sustainable development. Applying a scientific approach, data analytics, and data science tools can effectively support climate change mitigation and prevent a climate disaster. Based on the components of the climate change performance index (CCPI) 2023 for 59 countries and the EU, a canonical discriminant model was built to identify the significant factors that influence the assessment of the effectiveness of climate protection in a particular country or region and the assessment of climate risks. It can be used to assess the level of climate protection effectiveness of countries that have not defined the CCPI 2023. Based on empirical data, we have determined the real weights of the relevant CCPI components in relation to the effectiveness of actions aimed at reducing global warming. We have established that there are additional factors important for assessing climate protection, but the CCPI rating does not consider them. We conducted a comparative analysis of the CCPI index and the sustainable development goals (SDG) index. The study establishes that the differences in environmental protection among the world’s countries do not determine the assessment of the level of sustainable development of the world’s countries. The obtained results can provide information to support decision-making in developing effective strategies and urgent actions to ensure climate protection.
The Autosomal Short Tandem Repeat Polymorphisms Are Potentially Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Predisposition in the Latin American Population: A Mini Review
Authors: Zambrano Ana Karina , Cadena-Ullauri Santiago , Guevara-Ramírez Patricia , Paz-Cruz Elius , Tamayo-Trujillo Rafael , Ruiz-Pozo Viviana A. , Doménech Nieves , Ibarra-Rodríguez Adriana Alexandra , Gaviria Aníbal
Published: November 2023

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide across nearly all ethnic groups. Inherited cardiac conditions comprise a wide spectrum of diseases that affect the heart, including abnormal structural features and functional impairments. In Latin America, CVDs are the leading cause of death within the region. Factors such as population aging, unhealthy diet, obesity, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle have increased the risk of CVD. The Latin American population is characterized by its diverse ethnic composition with varying percentages of each ancestral component (African, European, and Native American ancestry). Short tandem repeats (STRs) are DNA sequences with 2‐6 base pair repetitions and constitute ~3% of the human genome. Importantly, significant allele frequency variations exist between different populations. While studies have described that STRs are in noncoding regions of the DNA, increasing evidence suggests that simple sequence repeat variations may be critical for proper gene activity and regulation. Furthermore, several STRs have been identified as potential disease predisposition markers. The present review is aimed at comparing and describing the frequencies of autosomal STR polymorphisms potentially associated with cardiovascular disease predisposition in Latin America compared with other populations.
Representation Enhancement-Based Proximal Policy Optimization for UAV Path Planning and Obstacle Avoidance
Authors: Huang Xiangxiang , Wang Wei , Ji Zhaokang , Cheng Bin
Published: November 2023

Path planning and obstacle avoidance are pivotal for intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems in various domains, such as postdisaster rescue, target detection, and wildlife conservation. Currently, reinforcement learning (RL) has become increasingly popular in UAV decision-making. However, the RL approaches confront the challenges of partial observation and large state space when searching for random targets through continuous actions. This paper proposes a representation enhancement-based proximal policy optimization (RE-PPO) framework to address these issues. The representation enhancement (RE) module consists of observation memory improvement (OMI) and dynamic relative position-attitude reshaping (DRPAR). OMI reduces collision under partially observable conditions by separately extracting perception features and state features through an embedding network and feeding the extracted features to a gated recurrent unit (GRU) to enhance observation memory. DRPAR compresses the state space when modeling continuous actions by transforming movement trajectories of different episodes from an absolute coordinate system into different local coordinate systems to utilize similarity. In addition, three step-wise reward functions are formulated to avoid sparsity and facilitate model convergence. We evaluate the proposed method in three 3D scenarios to demonstrate its effectiveness. Compared to other methods, our method achieves a faster convergence during training and demonstrates a higher success rate and a lower rate of timeout and collision during inference. Our method can significantly enhance the autonomy and intelligence of UAV systems under partially observable conditions and provide a reasonable solution for UAV decision-making under uncertainties.
Drug Utilization Evaluation of Erythropoietin at a Referral Teaching Hospital in Iran
Authors: Karimzadeh Iman , Rasekh Hanieh , Karimian Ava , Shabani-Borujeni Mojtaba , Vazin Afsaneh
Published: November 2023

Objectives. Drug utilization evaluation (DUE) studies aim to survey the appropriateness of drug use. DUE is an executive approach used to improve the use of medications as well as reduce the cost of treatment, ensure drug adequacy, and improve patient safety. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of erythropoietin use, according to standard guidelines, in patients admitted to Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, Iran. Methods. In this descriptive, retrospective study, 230 patients were assessed. All patients who were hospitalized in different wards of Namazi Hospital, affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, and received at least three doses of erythropoietin from September 2019 to March 2020 participated in this study. The following standard indicators of erythropoietin use were evaluated through reviewing medical charts of the cohort: drug dose, dosing intervals, route of administration, indication, monitoring of laboratory parameters, drug dose adjustment based on the response rate as well as target hemoglobin ≥12 g/dl, attention to major drug interactions, and administration of injectable or oral iron supplementation during treatment. Results. Most (65.2%) of the participants were male. The mean ± SD age of the patients was 47.55 ± 22.71 years. More than half (51.3%) of the included subjects were hospitalized in the nephrology ward. PDpoetin® and Cinnapoietin® were given to 52.6% and 47.4% of the study participants, respectively. Treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease was the most frequent indication of erythropoietin. The time interval of erythropoietin administration was three times a week for 68.3% of the patients. The most frequently administered weekly dose of erythropoietin was 12,000 units. The weekly dose, dose interval, and route of administration of erythropoietin were appropriate in 52.6%, 77.4%, and 100% of the patients, respectively. Dose adjustment based on the response rate, attention to major drug interactions as well as absolute-relative contraindications, and attention to the target hemoglobin ≥12 g/dl to decide whether or not to continue treatment were based on standard guideline in 98.1%, 98.7%, and 93% of the patients, respectively. The sum indexes of erythropoietin use were in line with standard guidelines in 75.84% of the cases. Conclusion. According to our results, in the setting of erythropoietin use in hospitals, physicians need more attention and education in areas such as selecting the proper dose of medication, correct indication of the drug, temporal arrangement of monitoring laboratory items, and the patient’s need for iron supplements.
Enhancing Hydrogen Production through Integration of Electrolysis and Photocatalysis in a Cell
Authors: Engge Yohanes , Maulana Frendi , Nurhuda Muhammad , Istiroyah  , Hakim Lukman
Published: November 2023

We present a new method for hydrogen production that combines photocatalysis and electrolysis in a cell. TiO2 was doped with Ni and nitrogen to form Ni-TiO2 and N-Ni-TiO2 photocatalysts. XRD, UV-Vis, and SEM techniques were used to characterize the resulting samples. The Ni-TiO2 and N-Ni-TiO2 samples had anatase structures with energy gaps of 2.77 eV and 2.03 eV, respectively. A 50-watt UV lamp with a wavelength of 254 nm was used as the photon source. Our results indicate that this method produces more hydrogen than the sum of hydrogen generated by separate electrolysis and photocatalysis methods. The N-Ni-TiO2 sample produced the highest yield of HHO gas among the Ni-TiO2 and TiO2 p.a samples. The underlying mechanisms responsible for this improvement, including the role of the Ni and nitrogen doping, are discussed and analyzed.