bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk Analysis Management of Volcanic Slopes in São Miguel Island, Azores
Authors: Fernandez Fabricio , Oliveira Carlos S , Vargas Eurípedes , Sousa Luis Ribeiro e , Malheiro Ana , Sousa Rita Leal e , Amaral Paulo , Moniz Letícia
Published: February 2024

The Azores Archipelago is affected by several geohazards and natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and extreme meteorological events. This makes this region quite susceptible to landslides. To ensure the safety of natural slopes, it is vital to systematically assess and manage risk to propose measures to reduce the geotechnical risk of slope instability. Volcanic formations are unique in that they typically exhibit sizeable natural variability of lithological formations and heterogeneities, with significant variations in geometry. Therefore, the existing standard characterisation systems do not consider the heterogeneous nature and unique characteristics of volcanic formations. The instability of a slope was selected for the analysis in Porto Formoso. The hill is located on the north coast of the island of S. Miguel, in the Azores archipelago. From a geological point of view, the slope consists of a volcanic rocky mass of a trachytic nature, which is covered superiorly by an incoherent deposit of a pomitic nature. A 3D numerical model using the Material Point Method (MPM) was developed and applied to the site, including seismic action considering the Portuguese regulations. A slope risk analysis was analyzed, considering the MPM numerical results. Finally, conclusions are drawn.
Identification of a novel waikavirus infecting Pittosporum tobira in China
Authors: Guo Mengze , Zhang Lei , Fan Xudong , Sun Pingping , Guo Jianwei , Li Zhengnan
Published: February 2024

A new waikavirus, tentatively named pittosporum tobira waikavirus (PtWV), was identified in Pittosporum tobira plants with symptoms of leaf abnormality and ringspot in Yunnan, China. The complete genome sequence was determined using high-throughput sequencing and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The RNA genome of PtWV is 12,709 nt in length and contains a large open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polyprotein of 3,669 aa. Furthermore, it includes a smaller ORF that encodes for a 13.2 kDa BVCV-like protein. Phylogenetic analysis and sequence alignment consistently demonstrated that PtWV shares the closest evolutionary relationship and the highest amino acid sequence of the Pro-Pol region identity with Actinidia yellowing virus 1 (AcYV1). This study represents the first report of a novel waikavirus identified in P. tobira.
The Application Value of CT Radiomics Combined with Clinical Parameters in Predicting the Duration of Invasive Mechanical Ventilation in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Fan Xinjiang , Jiang Yong’An , Fan Hengyi , Yuan Raorao , Li Yuping , Zhang Yichen , Qin Qian , Cai Jianhui , Huang Jun , Zhang Yan , Cheng Shiqi
Published: February 2024

Background
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a commonly devastating injury that is a leading cause of neurological disability and mortality worldwide. Prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) can cause complications for TBI patients. We explored the application value to predict the duration of IMV by using a quantitative radiomics approach combined with clinical parameters.
Methods
A retrospective analysis of 71 TBI patients was conducted. Among them, 30 patients (42.3%) showed IMV duration exceeding 7 days. The intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH) on the initial CT was manually segmented for radiomics analysis. After feature extraction and selection, a total of 5 different machine learning algorithms were used to predict IMV duration exceeding 7 days and to derive radiomics scores (R-scores). Univariate logistic regression analyses were implemented to screen clinical parameters. We conducted a comparative study of IVM for more than 7 days between the clinical factor alone and fusion radiomics features.
Results
The individual prediction of the radiomics model for predicting IMV duration exceeding 7 days resulted in an AUC of 0.8626. Clinical parameters were used to build a comparative model. For predicting IMV duration exceeding 7 days, the AUC generated by combining variables such as Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at the emergency department, Injury Severity Score (ISS), albumin count and neutrophil count at admission was 0.8496. After incorporating the R-scores into the combined model, the AUC increased to 0.8959.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that by performing radiomics analysis on initial CT images and combining clinical parameters, it is possible to effectively predict the duration of IMV duration exceeding 7 days in TBI patients.
Effects and Characterization of Environmental Conditions on Microplastic Fibers Release from Synthetic Textile
Authors: liu guangmin , Wang ke , Ye Xiangyu , Wang Laili , Wu Meiliang , Liu Hong
Published: February 2024

Microplastic fibers account for approximately 40–90% of the total amount of microplastics in water environments and sediments. Synthetic textiles are susceptible to aging as a result of prolonged exposure to moist heat, high-temperature drying, and abrasion, resulting in the release of microplastic fibers. However, studies on the effects of environmental conditions on the release of microplastic fibers remains limited. Herein, the influence of wet heat, high-temperature drying, and abrasion on the release of microplastic fibers from six different synthetic textiles was studied. The results demonstrate that the average release of microplastic fibers after undergoing abrasion, wet-heat treatment, and drying was found to be 3.7–10.5 times, 6.5–7.7 times, and 8.4–14.6 times higher, respectively, in comparison to standard washing procedures. The number of3523-8172 microplastic fibers for per gram of acrylic fabric was after undergoing various treatments. Additionally, the quantity of microplastic fibers released from polyester fabric during the first wash was 5.15–37.6 times greater than those released during the fifth wash. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the release of microplastic fibers from synthetic textiles, as well as the influence of aging on such releases. This provides a solid foundation for the development of measures to mitigate the release of these pollutants into the environment.
Management of Flea Beetles Using Ecological Engineering in Vegetable Agroecosystem of Kashmir
Authors: Maqsood Saima , Buhroo Abdul A. , Sherwani Asma , Mukhtar Malik
Published: February 2024

Ecological engineering is a new concept of habitat manipulation for restoration of ecosystem thereby reducing dependence on insecticides. It is the intended involvement of insectary plants in managed landscapes influencing survival of natural enemies. These natural enemies lead to pest reduction in environmentally beneficial production practices. The main aim of ecological engineering is to make suitable agroecosystem for natural enemies growth by providing an appropriate environment. Two years field experiment was conducted during 2019 and 2020 for evaluating the effect of ecological engineering on the population of flea beetles viz., Altica himensis and Phyllotreta striolataalong with their natural enemies on the cabbage crop. The plant species in three different combination were worked out for study of pest management. Results showed that Treatment II with main crop cabbage and border crop of dill as a trap, intercrop of coriander as an attractant, buffer crop of onion as repellent and collard as perimeter crop caused the maximum increase in the mean number of natural enemies (1.53 ±0.11) during two years of study which in turn brought maximum mean pest reduction. The diversity of predators were documented in different treatments. Simpson’s diversity index, Shannon-Weiner index and Evenness index were found to be higher in Treatment II. The maximum mean percent increase of natural enemies in main crop over control (268.52%) with maximum mean percent reduction of target pest (56.52%) was observed in Treatment I.
Burden of Illness and Mortality in Men with Adrenomyeloneuropathy: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Bonkowsky Joshua L. , Healey Bridget , Sacks Naomi C. , McLin Ronaé , Cyr Phil , Sawyer Eileen , Stephen Christopher D. , Eichler Florian
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND: Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) is a neurodegenerative disease phenotype of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), resulting in progressive myeloneuropathy causing spastic paraparesis, sensory ataxia, and bowel/bladder symptoms. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using two large administrative databases to characterize mortality and the burden of illness in adult men with AMN in the US.
RESULTS: Healthcare resource use was assessed using a national commercial insurance claims database (2006-2021). Males with AMN ages 18-64 years and no evidence of cerebral ALD or other peroxisomal disorders were included and 1:4 matched on demographic characteristics to individuals without AMN. All study participants were followed for as long as observable. Patients with AMN were also identified in the Medicare Limited Dataset (2017-2022); mortality and age at death were compared with all Medicare enrollees. We identified 303 commercially insured men with AMN. Compared with non-AMN, individuals with AMN had significantly more inpatient hospital admissions (0.44 vs. 0.04 admissions/patient/year), outpatient clinic (8.88 vs. 4.1 visits/patient/year), outpatient hospital (5.33 vs. 0.99), and home healthcare visits (4.66 vs. 0.2 visits/patient/year), durable medical equipment claims (0.7 vs. 0.1 claims/patient/year), and prescription medication fills (18.1 vs. 5.4 fills/patient/year) (all p<0.001). Average length-of-stay per hospitalization was also longer in AMN (8.88 vs. 4.3 days; p<0.001). Rates of comorbidities were significantly more common in AMN compared to controls, including peripheral vascular disease (4.6% vs. 0.99%), chronic pulmonary disease (6.3% vs. 2.6%), and liver disease (5.6% vs. 0.88%), all p<0.001. Among individuals age <65 with Medicare disability 1coverage, mortality rates were 5.3x higher for adult AMN males (39.3% vs. 7.4%) and the age at death significantly younger (47.0±11.3 vs. 56.5±7.8 years), both p<0.001. Among Medicare beneficiaries ages ≥65 mortality rates were 2.2x higher for men with AMN vs. those without AMN (48.6% vs. 22.4%), p<0.001.
CONCLUSION: AMN imposes a substantial and underrecognized health burden on men, with higher healthcare utilization, greater medical comorbidity, higher mortality rates, and younger age at death.
Optimizing Nutrient Utilization, Hydraulic Loading Rate, and Feed Conversion Ratios through Freshwater IMTA-Aquaponic and Hydroponic Systems: An Environmentally Sustainable Concept
Authors: Goda Ashraf , Aboseif Ahmed M. , Taha Mostafa K.S. , Mohammady Eman Y. , Aboushabana Nevine M. , Nazmi Hani M. , Zaher Marwa M. , Aly Hadir A. , El-Okaby Mohamed A.S. , Otazua Nora Ibáñez , Ashour Mohamed
Published: February 2024

Water quality in land-based fish production can be controlled through either instantaneous water exchange or costly wastewater treatment followed by recirculation. Agricultural-aquaculture integration is an excellent alternative technique for lowering nutrient discharge levels, increasing profitability, and transforming fish culture wastewater into valuable products. The current study employed a solar energy system to power two separate IMTA-aquaponics systems (Nutrient Film Technique, NFT, and Floating Raft Systems, FRS) for the cultivation of Nile tilapia, African catfish, thin-lipped grey mullet, freshwater crayfish, freshwater mussels, and a variety of vegetables. Tilapia and catfish were fed exclusively on diets under the IMTA system. All wastewater from tilapia and catfish ponds, including dissolved and solid, flows sequentially to ponds of other cultivated species. The water then flows through the IMTA system's terminal point to the NFT and FRS systems before returning to the tilapia and catfish ponds, with complete control of the nutrient flow throughout this entire circular system. Two 147-day production cycles were carried out. The findings of the second production cycle are presented. Total biomass gain for aquatic species in the IMTA system was 736.46 kg, compared to 145.49 and 271.01 kg in the tilapia and catfish monoculture systems, respectively. The current IMTA system had a cumulative feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 0.90, whereas monoculture systems for tilapia and catfish had FCRs of 1.28 and 1.42, respectively. Nile tilapia and catfish consumed 571.90 kg of feed containing 25.70 kg of nitrogen (N) and 9.70 kg of phosphorus (P), respectively, and gained 11.41 and 3.93 kg of dietary N and P, representing 44.40 and 40.46% dietary N and P retention, respectively. In the IMTA system, the addition of mullet and prawn as detrivores aquatic animals improves dietary N and P utilization efficiency to 59.06 and 51.19%, respectively, and the addition of mussels as herbivore animals improves dietary N and P utilization efficiency to 65.61 and 54.67%, respectively. Finally, the use of FRS and NFT as hydroponic systems increased dietary N and P efficiency to 83.51% N and 96.82% P, respectively. This study indicates that the IMTA-Aquaponic system, as a bio-integrated food production system, can convert the majority of fish-fed residuals into useful products suitable for desert, rural, and urban areas in poor and developing countries.
The Wisconsin Narrative and the Effectiveness of Campaign Visits in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election
Authors: Song Shige , Beveridge Andrew A.
Published: February 2024

One of the lingering questions regarding the 2016 presidential election is ‘would things have been different, had Hilary Clinton visited Wisconsin?’ We tackle this question with a nonparametric identification strategy based on directed acyclic graph (DAG) and a Bayesian multilevel spatial statistical model to identify and estimate the campaign visit effect at the county-level. Our results suggest that the Wisconsin narrative misses the most important aspects of the 2016 election. In all counties in the 48 contiguous states, a Trump visit increases the support for Clinton. In half of the counties, a Clinton visit increases the support for Trump.
Occurrence of pharmaceutically active compounds in groundwater and their effects to the human health
Authors: Klanovicz Natalia , Pinto Carolina Afonso
Published: February 2024

Groundwater contamination by pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) has been considered a public health concern worldwide. Alongside the potential toxicological risk of these organic substances, many countries still rely on groundwater for drinking water supply. Thus, this study identified a priority list of seven licit PhACs, comprising acetaminophen (ACT), tramadol (TRA), carbamazepine (CBZ), erythromycin (ERY), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), metformin (MET), and oxazepam (OXZ). Consumption, concentration, and human toxicity in silico results were collected from open access databases. These three indicators were analyzed separately and grouped through a global risk index (GRI). The consumption index (data from the USA and Brazil) indicated that ACT, TRA, and MET are the most consumed. Monitoring samples from the USA and Europe (n=816) indicated that ERY and ACT stand out as the higher occurrence index considering both regions; but the ranking for each region showed considerable differences. When assessing human health risk, a high index was attributed to ERY, ACT, and MET. Thus, the GRI results indicated that future studies must pay attention to ACT as it has high index values for all three indicators. In addition, human toxicity of CBZ, MET, OXZ, SMX, and TRA indicated the need to be attentive to their effects on human health.
Identification of potential crucial genes and key pathways shared in acute pancreatitis and major depression disorder by bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Zhu Kai , Zhou Yue , Jiang Meiling Jiang , Wu Qiong , Zhao Chen
Published: February 2024

Background
Despite the presence of evidence indicating a correlation between Acute Pancreatitis (AP) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), the precise mechanisms underlying the co-occurrence of these two conditions remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate potential crosstalk genes, pathways and immune cell between AP and MDD.
Methods
We downloaded the AP and MDD data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Shared genes were identified using differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Subsequently, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Core genes were screened by cross and overlap of WGCNA and DEGs. The sensitivity and specificity of the candidate genes were evaluated using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted. Finally, the CIBERSORT was used to analyze immune infiltration, and the Spearman correlation between immune cells and candidate genes was computed using the psych package.
Results
By intersecting the WGCNA and DEGs, the TBC1D2, SFXN, and F12 genes were identified as the key cross-talk genes between AP and MDD. The results of the LASSO analysis demonstrated that these three core genes have significant diagnostic value for AP and MDD. The results of immune infiltration analysis indicated that Macrophages M2, Macrophages M0, memory resting CD4 T cells, and memory B cells are crucially involved in the pathogenesis of AP and MDD.
Conclusion
This study represents the first attempt to investigate the genetic relationship between AP and MDD using bioinformatics tools. The TBC1D2、SFXN and F12 genes were the most important cross-talk genes between AP and MDD. Macrophages, memory resting CD4 T cells and memory B cells-driven immune responses may play an important role in the association between AP and MDD.
Exploring the Perceptions and Experiences of Mobile Teams on COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake at the Community Level: Evidence from Benue and Niger States
Authors: Isiaka Saheed Dipo , Jimoh Akolade Uthman , Samuel Olugbemisola Wuraola , Atobatele Sunday , Sampson Sidney , David Joshua Cinwonsoko , Okoye Irene , Adegoke Zubair , Daniel Victor , Nto Sunday
Published: February 2024

Background
After the adoption of several non-pharmaceutical measures, vaccines were developed to ameliorate the menace of the COVID-19 pandemic and improve the global population’s well-being in less than a year, resulting in the largest vaccination campaign in human history. Nigeria received nearly 4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, shipped via the COVAX Facility, marking a historic step towards ensuring equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally. The NPHCDA in collaboration with implementing partners engaged ad-hoc health workers to facilitate outreaches in different communities and settlements as a strategy to optimize COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria.
Objective
This study seeks to explore the perceptions and experiences of mobile teams in various communities during their implementation of COVID-19 vaccination.
Methods
Our study adopted an exploratory research design to acquire qualitative data from purposively selected populations in two North Central states in Nigeria. Focus Group Discussions (FDGs) were moderated among 12 mobile vaccination teams from 12 LGAs across Benue and Niger states to elicit information from participants at the Community Level.
Results
A total of 72 health workers including vaccinators, validators, EMID recorders, social mobilizers, and paper recorders participated in the study. Nearly 3 out of every 5 (58.3%) participants were female by gender, as over one-quarter (27.8%) of the study participants are National Certificate Examination (NCE) degree holders. Using the health building blocks, we found that health workers experienced challenges across service delivery, health information systems, finance, and vaccine and logistics. These challenges include misconceptions about the vaccine, requests for incentives in exchange for the vaccine, poor network services, inadequate stipends, distance to communities, lack of transportation, and vaccine stockout.
Conclusion
Our study concludes that stakeholders across all levels directly and indirectly involved in community health interventions should provide all necessary support to mobile health workers to limit their challenges.
Automated Scoring of Open-Ended Question Complexity: A Large Language Model Approach
Authors: Raz Tuval , Luchini Simone , Beaty Roger , Kenett Yoed
Published: February 2024

Question-asking, an essential yet often understudied activity, holds significant implications for learning, creativity, and cognitive development. In particular, the quality and complexity of the questions asked are crucial factors affecting these fields. Previous research has explored open-ended question complexity through frameworks like the Bloom taxonomy of cognitive objectives, but the measurement of complexity remains challenging. Recent advancements in natural language processing have enabled automated scoring of psychological tasks, notably predicting human ratings of creativity. Although some methods have been applied to measure question complexity, there has been scarce research so far on the automatic assessment of open-ended questions. Here, we address this gap by employing a Large Language Model (LLM) to accurately predict human ratings of open-ended question complexity based on the Bloom taxonomy and comparing these predictions to existing baseline measures such as semantic distance and word count. Specifically, this study capitalized on previously collected human-rated responses from a creative question-asking task to train an LLM for scoring questions based on the Bloom taxonomy of complexity. Our results reveal that our LLM-generated Bloom scores correlated strongly with human ratings of complexity (r = .73), whilst also greatly exceeding tested baseline measures. Our study emphasizes the significance of LLM in automating the assessment of open-ended question complexity, fostering cost-effective, automatic, and reliable measurements in this domain. Our study further highlights the exciting possibilities for the continued usage of LLM in education and psychology and their potential in helping study how we ask creative questions.
Interaction of sixth-week body weight and lay-period on egg production and quality of Coturnix coturnix japonica (Japanese quail) layers
Authors: Jesuyon Oluwatosin M. A. , Oseni Saidu O.
Published: February 2024

The joint influence of the 6th week body weight (point of lay) and lay-period on quail egg production and quality was investigated in Ikole, Nigeria. One hundred and eighty quail birds at six weeks, point of lay, were randomized into three body weight treatments (123-130, 131-137, 138-144, g), each treatment consisting of six replicates, of ten birds each. All replicates were fed common diets from 6th week to 15th week. Body weight, feed intake, egg production, internal and external egg quality traits were recorded throughout the period by standard experimental procedures. Data were analysed using the 2-way ANOVA procedure based on factorial treatment design, using body weight as factor-1 and lay-period (6-8, 9-11, 12-15, weeks) as factor-2 in order to generate the interaction effect. Analytical procedures included the General Linear Model (GLM), Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) and regression procedures. Average body weight (ABW), egg height (EHT), egg surface area (ESA), albumen quality index (AQI), yolk quality index (YQI) and Haugh unit (HUT) were significantly (p= 0.036-0.050) influenced by interaction of 6th-week body weight and lay-period. A target minimum sexual maturity body weight target of 131g at 6th week is recommended for high egg production and breeding in tropical environment.
Case Series: Hyperbilirubinemia under elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor in the presence of Gilbert’s syndrome
Authors: Weitzel Julia , Welsner Matthias , Taube Christian , Ballmann Manfred , Sutharsan Sivagurunathan
Published: February 2024

Liver-related side effects are a known complication of treatment with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) for cystic fibrosis (CF). Gilbert’s syndrome is caused by a genetic mutation that reduces activity of the enzyme UDP glucuronosyltransferase 1 polypeptide A1 (UGT1A1), causing elevated levels of unconjugated bilirubin in the blood and duodenal bile. The presence of Gilbert’s syndrome and CF might represent additive risk factors for liver-related adverse events during ETI treatment. This case series describes six people with CF (pwCF) in whom previously unknown Gilbert’s syndrome was unmasked after initiation of treatment with ETI. Although all patients had some level of hepatic dysfunction and/or elevated levels of bilirubin after initiation of ETI, the clinical course varied. Only one patient had to stop ETI therapy altogether, while the others were able to continue treatment (some at a reduced dosage and others at the full recommended daily dosage). All patients, even those using a lower dosage, experienced clinical benefit during ETI therapy. Thus, Gilbert’s syndrome is not necessarily a contraindication for ETI therapy but may be a risk factor for liver-related adverse events in pwCF. This is something that physicians need to be aware of in pwCF who show liver adverse events during ETI therapy.
Development of a river DTM generation algorithm based on SfM point clouds using vegetation and morphological filters
Authors: Lee Hyeokjin , Gou Jaejun , Park Jinseok , Jang Seongju , Song Inhong
Published: February 2024

Developing algorithms for generating accurate Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of rivers is necessary due to the limitations of traditional field survey methods, which are time-consuming and costly and do not provide continuous data. The objective of this study was to develop an advanced algorithm for generating high-quality DTM of rivers using Structur from Motion (SfM) data. A leveling survey was conducted on four cross-sections of the Bokha stream in Icheon City, S. Korea, and SfM-based DTM was produced using the Pix4Dmapper program and Phantom 4 multispectral drone. Two vegetation filters (NDVI and ExG) and two morphological filters (ATIN and CSF) were applied to the data, and the best filter combination was identified based on MAE and RMSE analyses. The integration of NDVI and CSF showed the best performance for the vegetation area, while a single application of NDVI showed the lowest MAE for the bare area. The effectiveness of the SfM method in eliminating waterfront vegetation was confirmed, with an overall MAE of 0.299 m RMSE of 0.375 m. These findings suggest that generating DTMs of riparian zones can be achieved efficiently with a limited budget and time using the proposed methodology.
Orbitrap noise structure and method for noise-unbiased multivariate analysis
Authors: Gilmore Ian , Keenan Michael , Trindade Gustavo , Pirkl Alexander , Newell Clare , Jin Yuhong , Aizikov Konstantin , Zhang Junting , Matjacic Lidija , Arlinghaus Henrik , Eyres Anya , Havelund Rasmus , Bunch Josephine , Gould Alex , Makarov Alexander
Published: February 2024

Orbitrap mass spectrometry is widely used in the life-sciences. However, like all mass spectrometers, non-uniform (heteroscedastic) noise introduces bias in multivariate analysis complicating data interpretation. Here, we study the noise structure of a high-field Orbitrap mass analyzer integrated into a secondary ion mass spectrometer (OrbiSIMS). Using a stable primary ion beam to provide a well-controlled source of secondary ions from a silver sample, we find that noise has three characteristic regimes (1) at low signals the ion trap detector noise and a censoring algorithm dominate, (2) at intermediate signals counting noise specific to the SIMS emission process is most significant and has Poisson-like statistical properties, and (3) at high signal levels other sources of measurement variation become important and the data are overdispersed relative to Poisson. We developed a generative model for Orbitrap-based mass spectrometry data that directly incorporates the number of ions and accounts for the noise distribution over the entire intensity range. We find, for silver ions, a detection limit of 3.7 ions independent of ion generation rate. Using this understanding, we introduce a new scaling method, termed WSoR, to reduce the effects of noise bias in multivariate analysis and show it is more effective than the most common data preprocessing methods (root mean scaling, Pareto scaling and log transform) for the simple silver data. For more complex biological images with lower signal intensities the WSoR, Pareto and root mean scaling methods have similar performance and are significantly better than no scaling or, especially, log transform.
Population genetic diversity analyses reveal the determinants of genetic variation of banana endogenous virus sequences in China
Authors: Chen Huazhou , Li Huaping , Rao Xue Qin
Published: February 2024

Banana (Musa spp.) is an economic crop in tropical and subtropical areas, especially in South China. Banana streak virus (BSV) is one of the most important viruses infecting bananas. Banana endogenous virus sequences (BEVs) from badnavirus ancestors are widely present in various bananas. However, the determinants of genetic variation of BEVs are poorly understood. To elucidate the genetic diversity of BEVs, we obtained hundreds of BEVs from different bananas. These BEVs were belonged to Clade II and divided into 26 different BEVs groups. Ten groups were chosen to analyze the genetic diversity of BEVs populations. The results revealed that each BEVs population had an Hd value of 1.0 and a Pi value of more than 0.005 of nucleotide diversity, indicating that there was a great genetic diversity among these BEVs populations. The analyses of genetic variation of various BEVs populations showed that BEV UF populations were the most variable, while BEV GZ20 populations were the most conserved, suggesting that different BEVs populations had different evolutionary rates. Purifying selection, evolutionary rate, and base transition contributed to genetic variation of BEVs populations. Additionally, two recombination events were found in BEV GZ6 populations. This study provided a theoretical basis for further research on the functions and integration mechanisms of BEVs.
Causal Effects of 1400 Blood Metabolites And Sleep Disorders: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: ma zhen , min zhao , huanghong zhao , Qu Nan
Published: February 2024

Background: There is growing evidence that sleep disorders (SD) affect changes in the body's metabolic microbiota, such as serum levels of glucose, lipid metabolites, insulin, adrenaline, and cortisol, which are all modified by sleep. However, the causal relationship between these serum metabolites and SD remains undetermined.
Methods: A comprehensive two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was performed to investigate the causal relationship between blood microbiota characteristics and SD. Additionally, reverse MR analyses were performed to mitigate the effects of reverse causality, genetic correlation, and linkage disequilibrium (LD). Moreover, the screened significant metabolites were further examined in an additional dataset. Finally, potential metabolic pathways associated with SD were exposed by enrichment analysis.
Results: In a survey of 1400 metabolites, 201 exhibited statistical significance (P<0.05) in an inverse variance weighted (IVW) model. Among these, 18 known metabolites and four unknown metabolites were found to be significantly associated with SD (PFDR<0.05), with six of them being validated in the validation set. Enrichment analysis revealed the involvement of five typical metabolites in 23 central metabolic pathways (P<0.05). Notably, glycine, D-lysine, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, guanosine, and arachidonic acid could serve as key markers based on their roles in the pathways, disease characterization prediction, and localization. Furthermore, inverse Mendelian randomization analysis indicated that six known metabolites and three unknown metabolites were significantly associated with SD (PFDR<0.2), and these metabolites were implicated in 15 core metabolic pathways (P<0.05). Among them, cortisone, cortisol, N-acetyl-L-aspartic acid, and arachidonic acid played crucial roles. These findings provide novel insights for early screening, prevention, and treatment of SD.
Conclusions:This study reveals the potential relationship between blood microbiota and SD using a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach, and the findings provide new insights into the role of genetic exposure interactions in the development of SD.
Physio-biochemical responses and crop performance analysis in chickpea upon botanical priming
Authors: Kaushal Kamini , Rajani Kumari , Kumar Ravi Ranjan , Kumar Anand , Ranjan Tushar , Kumar Vinod , Ahmad Feza , Kumar Vikash , Kumar Aman
Published: February 2024

Chickpea is a highly nutritious protein-rich source and one of the major crops to alleviate global malnutrition. It is the third-largest legume cultivated globally in arid and semi-arid environments. Chickpea productivity is affected by several factors, among which poor seed quality is one of the significant factors contributing to its decrease in productivity. Seed quality is essential for better crop establishment and higher yields, particularly in the uncertain climate change. The present study investigated the role of botanical priming in enhancing seed quality by investigating physio-biochemical responses and crop performance in chickpeas. The study compared the effects of botanical priming with hydropriming, seed treatment with bavastin and control on medium-vigour chickpea seeds. A detailed physiological (germination percentage, root and shoot length, vigour index) and biochemical (amylase, protease, dehydrogenase, phytase, and lipid peroxidation) analysis was carried out in the laboratory to assess the effect of priming treatments. SDS-PAGE was used to compare seed storage protein expression in primed and control seeds. Seeds treated with 1% turmeric leaf extract displayed a higher germination rate (94.5%) than the control and other priming treatments. Turmeric-primed seeds showed higher seedling length, vigour index, enzyme activity, and lower MDA content. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed the expression of two minor polypeptides of the albumin and three minor polypeptides of the globulin subunit. Moreover, field experiments indicated increased crop growth, vigour, and days to 50% flowering, yield and its attributing traits in turmeric-primed seeds. The study demonstrates that botanical priming can increase the yield of chickpeas by up to 16% over the control group. This study proves that implementing low-cost and eco-friendly seed priming techniques can significantly enhance the genetic potential of chickpeas by improving their physiological and biochemical activities during seed germination and crop growth. Therefore, chickpea growers must adopt botanical priming techniques to improve seed quality and crop performance. This study unequivocally establishes the efficacy of botanical priming as a powerful tool for augmenting chickpea growth. Moreover, this approach is environmentally sustainable and can help conserve natural resources long-term. Therefore, this new approach must be widely adopted across the agricultural industry to ensure sustainable and profitable farming practices.
Modelling and Analysis of Malaria and Ebola Co-Infection Dynamics: Insights, Implications, and Future Perspectives
Authors: Francis John Saqware , Mofi Hawa Omary , Leandry Leonce
Published: February 2024

Background: Malaria and Ebola co-infection refers to the simultaneous presence of the malaria parasite (Plasmodium) and the Ebola virus within an individual's body.
Methodology: This study establishes an epidemiological model employing non-linear differential equations to assess disease transmission via the reproduction number R0, stability, and sensitivity analysis. The conclusion is that the disease-free equilibrium point exists at specific values and is locally asymptotically stable when the reproduction number R0 is less than one, while globally stable under the same conditions.
Results: Sensitivity analysis indicates that parameters such as 'a', 'μh', 'γD', and 'βD' have a substantial impact on the reproduction number. The simulated results highlight that increased contact between individuals infected with malaria and Ebola amplifies co-infection rates. Furthermore, increased contact between malaria-infected individuals and deceased Ebola patients, increased mosquito bite rates ('a'), and the probability of transmission from infected mosquitoes to susceptible humans ('b') all contribute to increased malaria and Ebola co-infections.
Conclusion and future work: The model's capabilities include forecasting total infected cases, mortality rates, and providing information on the spread of the co-infection. Recommendations involve environmental alterations to achieve a disease-free state. Future work entails extending the model by introducing treatment or prevention compartments to address individuals with co-infections of Ebola and malaria. This research significantly contributes to understanding co-infection dynamics, emphasising the need for strategic measures to mitigate the spread and impact of malaria and Ebola co-infections.
Unify three photoemission measurement modes within a matrixlike framework
Authors: Ibrahim Kurash , Liu C. , Wang J. O. , Qian H. J. , Nie K. Q. , Xu J. F. , Guo Y. X.
Published: February 2024

Three photoemission measurement modes, namely photoelectron spectroscopy (PES), constant initial state spectroscopy (CIS), and constant final state spectroscopy (CFS), were introduced into the measurement field by three research groups half a century ago, in accordance with the state-of-the-art experimental conditions at that time. Until now, these modes have been separately applied in experimental practices, resulting in respective datasets obtained through individual measurement processes. These measurement modes and density-functional theory share a common characteristic in that they quantitatively adhere to the same energy conservation law. In the density-functional theory, the transition probability distribution, which corresponds to the PES quantity in measurement, and the cross-section components, which are equivalent to the quantities of CIS and CFS in measurements, are interconnected and interconvertible under the constraints of the energy conservation law. However, such interconnectedness does not exist between the datasets obtained by the PES, CFS, and CIS modes. This work aims to bridge the gap between theory and experiment by establishing interconnectedness between datasets from the three modes through the introduction of an orderly structured matrix-like framework. This matrix-like framework, serving as a generalized data analysis tool, presents the results of the three modes in a unified form and enables the transformation of one set of data into the results of another mode.
Predicting Frequency Deviation of a Crystal Oscillator based on Long Short-Term Memory Network and Transfer Learning Technique
Authors: Su Bo-Chen , Nguyen Duc Huy , Chao Paul C.-P.
Published: February 2024

Crystal oscillators are fundamental to an extensive range of electronic systems, spanning computers, mobile phones, and automotive electronics. Their significance is accentuated in high-precision applications such as global positioning systems (GPS) and aerospace systems where the frequency-temperature characteristics and thermal hysteresis phenomena are of paramount importance. This study introduces a groundbreaking approach for predicting frequency deviations arising from thermal hysteresis using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. Contrary to prior research which predominantly utilized cubic functions to model frequency-temperature characteristics and frequently overlooked thermal hysteresis, this investigation distinguishes itself by leveraging LSTM. The proposed methodology is aptly designed to model both time-dependent and temperature-dependent variations, consequently offering a heightened precision in predicting frequency deviations. By integrating transfer learning techniques, the model's adaptability to diverse databases is augmented, broadening its utility. Experimental evaluations with real-world data underscore the preeminence of the introduced method, registering a root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 0.05 ppm, more favorable than that by the traditional cubic functions and all the prior arts.
NOTCH3 serves as a potential biomarker for radioresistance and is correlated with the immunosuppressive microenvironment in rectal cancer
Authors: lelin Hu , qianlong Ling , liu Liu , qiong Wu
Published: February 2024

Background：
Radioresistance significantly hinders tumor regression in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Identifying potential biomarkers associated with radioresistance is essential for guiding treatment selection in rectal cancer.
Methods：
In this study, we analyzed mRNA expression datasets of rectal adenocarcinoma (READ) obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by comparing radiotherapy responders and non-responders. To identify common DEGs, we constructed a Venn diagram using an online tool. Furthermore, we used the Kaplan–Meier Plotter to screen for target genes associated with the prognosis of READ. The mRNA expression of the target gene was determined using TCGA-COAD (READ) and R language. Moreover, we investigated the relationship between NOTCH3 and immune cell-associated gene markers via TIMER and GEPIA. Finally, we used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to validate the expression of NOTCH3 in READ and to establish the correlation between NOTCH3 expression and radioresistance.
Results:
The expression of NOTCH3 was up-regulated in the rectal cancer radiotherapy non-responders. Elevated NOTCH3 expression was found to be associated with shorter overall survival in READ. NOTCH3 expression exhibited a positive correlation with the levels of infiltrating CD4+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells. Additionally, the expression level of NOTCH3 demonstrated a significant correlation with gene markers associated with TAM, M2 macrophages, Treg cells, and T cell exhaustion.
Conclusions:
Our research demonstrate NOTCH3 may serve as a prognostic biomarker for predicting radioresistance linked to immunosuppression in READ. Targeting NOTCH3 could be a promising therapeutic approach to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy.
Sociocultural determinants of health-associated quality of life among Afghan refugees in Pakistan: Evidence from a multi-stage cross-sectional study
Authors: Rehman Atta Ur , Zakar Rubeena , Hani Ume , Fischer Florian
Published: February 2024

Background
Foreign invasions and political instability in Afghanistan affected neighboring countries with the large influx of refugees. Discrepancies in quality of life between the host and refugee populations may lead to health inequalities. Investigations in Pakistan on the quality of life of Afghan refugees were scarce despite more than four decades of refugee status. Therefore, this study was initiated to assess the sociocultural determinants that influence health-associated quality of life among Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Methods
The Punjab province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province refugee populations were selected as the study population for cross-sectional research based on the inclusion criteria of majority refugee representation and female participation. Quantitative research methodology with validated questionnaires was chosen for data collection via multi-stage probability sampling techniques. We collected data from 1,185 study participants and applied univariate and bivariate analyses. Inferential analyses included independent t-test and ANOVA.
Results
The average scores for the entire sample of Afghan refugees were highest for the social domain (58.78 ± 22.74), followed by the physical domain (53.29 ± 19.46), the general health domain (50.44 ± 20.10), the environmental domain (48.43 ± 16.30), and the psychological domain (46.52 ± 14.78). Age, marital status, family setup, mother language, number of years in the host country, residence type, family monthly income, access to health care, current health status, chronic health illness, substance abuse (smoking), cultural compatibility, linguistic barriers, and social inclusion were non-significant with all the subdomains in the inferential analysis using the independent t-test and analysis of variance.
Conclusion
The Afghan refugees’ average scores across all health-associated quality-of-life domains were lower than Pakistan's host population and the standard cutoff criteria (< 60 as an indicator of poor quality of life). The development of a national policy to include refugees in health insurance programs seems essential to improve the health-associated quality of life among Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Dynamics of Mass Movements in an Urban Basin: A Case Study in the Fradinhos Drainage Basin, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
Authors: Couto Jeniffer Oliveira Nepomuceno do , Effgen Julia , Vieira Bianca , Silva Thelma , Marchioro Eberval
Published: February 2024

Landslides are a widespread problem in Brazil due to the heavy rainfall typical of tropical environments. In urban areas, landslides can be catastrophic and can lead to significant economic and social losses. To prevent such catastrophes, it is crucial to comprehend the spatial distribution of mass movements in local dynamics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of areas susceptible to shallow translational slides in the Fradinhos Drainage Basin (FDB), situated in Vitória, state of Espírito Santo (ES). To achieve this, we used the Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-Based Regional Slope-Stability (TRIGRS) model, along with geotechnical and hydrological data from five sampling points. An extreme rainfall event that lasted 24 days, with an accumulated rainfall of 744 mm was considered. The study revealed that 31% of the basin is unstable, with no significant increase in these areas during the rainfall period. Additionally, 86% of this area is in an Environmental Protection Zone. The results indicate that the FDB has a low susceptibility to shallow landslides, due to the existence of the Environmental Protection Zone, as this zone forms a protective belt at higher slopes. TRIGRS effectively identifies unstable zones and is an useful tool for identifying susceptibility, contributing to local management.