bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does living longer mean living healthier? A comprehensive analysis of 204 countries and regions from 1990 to 2019
Authors: Xiong Bo , Chen Yuxiao , Chen Ning
Published: April 2024

Background The data from the WHO showed that life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy at global level both increased from 2000 to 2019, while they did not increase at the same rate. Therefore, our study aims to explore the relationship and changing trends between life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy, and further comprehensively analyze the factors influencing the difference between the two. Methods This paper uses data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database in life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy across 204 countries and regions from 1990 to 2019. It analyses the trends of the relationship between life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy at birth and at 65 and over across 204 countries and regions from 1990 to 2019 and classfies all the coutries into three typies: optimized countries, low deterioration countries and high deterioration countries. Then this paper uses the random effects model to analyze the factors that influence the three types of countries and regions in terms of environmental/occupational risk, behavioral risk, and metabolic risk. Results First, for males, for indicator of age at birth, 8 optimized countries were with "drug use" having the greatest impact, 98 low deterioration countries were with "low physical activity" being the most significant; 98 high deterioration countries were with "childhood sexual abuse and bullying" being the most significant; for indicator of age at 65 and over, 18 optimized countries were with "low physical activity" having the greatest impact, 98 low deterioration countries were with "drug use" being the most significant; 88 high deterioration countries were with "occupational risk" being the most significant. Second, for females, for indicator of age at birth, 6 optimized countries were with "drug use" having the greatest impact, 107 low deterioration countries were with "child and maternal malnutrition" being the most significant; 91 high deterioration countries were with "drug use" being the most significant; for indicator of age at 65 and over, 14 optimized countries were with "occupational risks" having the greatest impact, 109 low deterioration countries were with "occupational risk" being the most significant; 81 high deterioration countries were with "drug use" being the most significant. Conclusions Based on the results, it suggested that the policy need to focus on the facts of drug use, occupational risk and low physical activity to narrow the gap between life expectancy and health life expectancy.
Assessing urban riverscapes: A multiscale approach designed for management application
Authors: Murphy Brian M. , Nelson Peter A. , Powell Mary , Gilbert Josh
Published: April 2024

Urban riverscapes are integral to the livability and sustainability of cities and suburbs. Conserving and restoring these riverscapes requires assessing their condition over a broad range of spatial scales, from watershed to planning segment to reach scale. Any riverscape assessment must examine the hydrogeomorphic and ecological characteristics and behaviors in order to provide decision-making information to resource managers. The novel assessment method introduced in this article, Urban Riverscape conditions-Based Assessment for management Needs (URBAN), provides a framework to characterize the physical condition of and the social-ecological values within a watershed, as well as the anthropogenic impacts affecting those functions and values, that can inform restoration planning and riverscape management. URBAN is founded upon the third tier of the Urban Riverscapes Assessment Framework – “How should we assess the values and functions of an urban riverscape?” Assessment of physical conditions and characteristics in urban riverscapes using the URBAN indicators and metrics provides critical information about the underlying watershed system status and stream evolution trajectory. URBAN includes both data collection and the evaluation of desktop and field data to determine stream characteristics. Data collection emphasizes reach-typing (or stream classification) and related or relevant aspects of stream physical condition. URBAN is unique in its emphasis upon stream “values,” which links the physical processes of a stream and its social-ecological values to anthropogenic stressors that may influence the long-term recovery of degraded streams. These linkages also provide critical information for planning instruments, regulatory requirements, and community conversations. Coupled with GIS tools, urban riverscape studies at multiple scales, like URBAN, provide objective methods to understand and interpret multi-causal mechanisms and trends that influence the physical condition and potential recovery of degraded urban riverscapes. This article provides a summary of those methods and the tools applied by way of remote and rapid field assessments, through the lens of an urban watershed assessment conducted in the Colorado Front Range. The outcome of this work advances the scientific basis underlying applied riverscape management and broad-scale preservation and renovation planning.
Protocol for the Development of a Tool to Map Systemic Sclerosis Pain Sources, Patterns, and Management Experiences: A Scleroderma Patient-Centered Intervention Network Patient-Researcher Partnership
Authors: Santo Tiffany Dal , Golberg Meira , Nassar Elsa-Lynn , Carrier Marie-Eve , Hu Sophie , Kwakkenbos Linda , Bartlett Susan J. , Fox Rina S. , Lee Yvonne C. , Varga John , Benedetti Andrea , Thombs Brett D
Published: April 2024

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare, complex autoimmune rheumatic disease with multiple factors that contribute to pain. People with SSc emphasize the effect pain has on their quality of life, but no studies have systematically examined the frequency and relative importance of different SSc pain sources, patterns of pain from different sources, and pain management experiences. Our objectives are to (1) develop a tool, jointly with researchers, health care providers, and patients, to map sources of pain in SSc, determine patterns of pain from different sources, and understand pain management experiences; and (2) administer the final tool version to participants in the large multinational Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) Cohort.
Methods: First, we will use validated pain assessment tools as templates to develop an initial version of our pain assessment tool, and we will obtain input from patient advisors to adapt it for SSc. The tool will include questions on pain sources, pain patterns, pain intensity, pain management techniques, and barriers to pain management in SSc. Second, we will conduct nominal group technique sessions with people living with SSc and health care providers who care for people with SSc to further refine the tool. Third, we will conduct individual usability testing sessions with SPIN Cohort participants. Once the tool has been finalized, we will administer it to individuals in the multinational SPIN Cohort, which currently includes over 1,300 active participants from 54 sites in 7 countries. We will perform unsupervised clustering using the KAy-Means for MIxed LArge data (KAMILA) method to identify participant subgroups with similar profiles of pain sources (present or absent) and to evaluate predictors of subgroup membership. We will use latent profile analysis to identify subgroups of participants with similar profiles based on pain intensity scores for each pain source and evaluate predictors.
Discussion: Once completed, our pain assessment tool will allow our team and other researchers to map sources of pain in SSc and to understand pain management experiences of people living with SSc. This knowledge will provide avenues for studies on the pathophysiology of pain in SSc and studies of interventions to improve pain management.
Genetic diversity and comparative genomics across Leishmania (Viannia) species
Authors: Duitama Jorge , Gonzalez-Garcia Laura , Rodriguez Maria , Parra-Muñoz Marcela , Clavijo Ana , Levy Laura , Ovalle-Bracho Clemencia , Colorado Claudia , Camargo Carolina , Quiceno Eyson , Moncada Maria , Muskus Carlos , Urrea Daniel , Baez-Aguirre Felipe , Restrepo Silvia , Echeverry Maria
Published: April 2024

Leishmaniasis is a disease representing an important public health problem worldwide, with a broad spectrum of clinical and epidemiological features partly associated with the diversity and complex life cycle of the Leishmania parasites. This study analyzes genomic data from 205 Leishmania (Viannia) samples, including 66 newly sequenced clinical isolates. It also provides chromosome-level genome assemblies for 10 isolates representing different species and populations. The observed distribution of Leishmania genomic diversity across the sampling locations suggests rapid adaptation to different ecosystems. Pangenomic analysis of high-quality assemblies shows consistent copy number variation between species for different gene families. Amastin gene families have larger numbers and diversity than previous reports based on analysis of short-read data. This work provides comprehensive genomic resources to identify population markers for Leishmania spp, leveraging valuable insights into the biology, transmission dynamics, the evolution of virulence mechanisms, and the spread of resistance of the parasite.
WITHDRAWN: Research on pruning algorithm of the ViT model based on local linear embedding method
Authors: Wang Wei , Liu XiaoRui , You KeXin
Published: April 2024

To realize intelligent driving of new energy vehicles, traffic sign recognition has high requirements on storage and computing resources, increasing the cost of vehicle hardware. To solve this problem, the Vision Transformer (ViT) model is applied to classify traffic signs. However, due to its large number of parameters and the huge computation amount, the ViT model is difficult to be widely used in resource-limited platforms. This paper presents a similarity filter pruning method based on locally linear embedding. By using the alternating direction multiplier method and the loss of the locally linear embedding method for the model training function, the proposed pruning method prunes the operation model mainly by evaluating the similarity of each layer in the network layer filters. According to the pre-set pruning threshold value, similar filters to be pruned are obtained, and the filter with a large cross-entropy value is retained. The results on the BelgiumTS and GTSRB datasets indicate that the proposed SJ-LLE pruning algorithm can reduce the number of parameters of the multi-head self-attention module and Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP) module of the ViT model by more than 60%, and the loss of model accuracy is acceptable. The scale of the ViT model is greatly reduced, which is conducive to the application of this model in embedded traffic sign recognition equipment. Also, this paper proves the hypothesis through experiments that "using the LLE algo-rithm as the loss function for model training before pruning plays a positive role in reducing the loss of model performance in the pruning process".
Heart Failure Attributable to Hemoglobinopathies and Hemolytic Anemia: A Three-Decade Cross-Sectional Assessment of the Global Burden
Authors: Deng Xiaoqi , Yu Lei , He Jie , Fu Yufan , Jiao Lan
Published: April 2024

Background
Complexity of anemia subtypes remains unresolved, and therapies targeting anemia have inconsistently improved heart failure (HF) outcomes. This study aims to assess the prevalence trend and contributing factors of HF impairment with hemoglobinopathies and hemolytic anemia at global, regional and national levels.
Main body of the abstract:
Utilizing Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data for HF and hemoglobinopathies inclusive of hemolytic anemia, we systematically gathered annual figures for prevalence and incidence. Estimated Annual Percentage Changes (EAPCs) were computed to assess temporal trends in these diseases. Estimates were subsequently disaggregated by sex, geographical regions, and national levels to present a concise yet detailed picture of the disease dynamics globally. During the past three decades, although the absolute caseloads of hemoglobinopathies and hemolytic anemias grew without altering their standardized prevalence (EAPC = 0.26), the rate of heart failure compounded by anemia sharply rose (EAPC = 0.49). Notably, in high Sociodemographic Index (SDI) regions, the HF-to-hematological disorder ratio ascended more rapidly, moving from 82.80 parts per million (ppm) in 1990 to 114.22 ppm in 2019, surpassing the worldwide average increment (40 ppm). Despite greater anemia-related burdens among females, male patients experienced a disproportionately higher frequency of heart failure.
Short conclusion:
Over the past three decades, there has been a steady rise in the prevalence of heart failure comorbid with hemoglobinopathies and hemolytic anemias, with a more pronounced disease burden observed among men and a discernible shift toward High SDI regions.
Appropriateness of The Use of Tuberculosis Screening Guideline at Care and Treatment Clinic Mnazi Mmoja Hospital Zanzibar
Authors: RASHID RASHID MAULID
Published: April 2024

Background
Detection of Tuberculosis Case (TB) in Tanzania continue to be lower to the World Health Organization (WHO) target, Although Tanzania use TB Guidelines to detect TB patients, the validity of the use and appropriateness of information filled has not well assessed. Therefore, this study explored the appropriateness with completeness of the use of TB guideline for TB screening patients.
Objective
To assess the appropriateness of the use of TB guideline for TB case detection at Care and Treatment Clinic Mnazi Mmoja Hospital (MMH) Zanzibar.
Methods
A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed using quantitative data collection approaches. Documentary review guide (extraction form and Kobo data collect from) was used to collect 426 CTC patient files through random generator software, in MMH CTC. The data were managed by SPSS 22 version and analyzed by using STATA 14.1 version.
Result
A total of 408 patient files at CTC MMH were included. Among them, 284(69%) were females, 124(30.4%) males, 9 (2.2%) children less than five years old and 399(9.8%)children five years old and older. 50.00% are overall appropriate questionnaire filling which is not significant, 31.13% moderately appropriate filling and 18.87% inappropriate filling.
Conclusions
The TB screening questionnaires appropriately filled were not significant. Healthcare practitioners should be regularly completed aware, trained on how to fill the TB diagnostic tools as well supervised on how to improve the quality of TB diagnostic information.
Using a Person-centred model of Lean Six Sigma to support process improvement within a paediatric primary eye care clinic
Authors: Bourke Christine , Mulaniff Aaron , Tang Bobby , Waya Oriyomi , Teeling Sean Paul
Published: April 2024

Background Process improvement methodologies such as Lean Six Sigma are increasingly being deployed to address inefficiencies in healthcare. Simultaneously policy and strategy development globally stress the value of person-centredness as the preferred approach in healthcare. This paper addresses the use of a Person-centred Lean Six Sigma Model (PCLSSM) to support process improvement in the study site, a paediatric eye care clinic. Methods Within the study site the referral process of children by relevant clinicians to the specialist clinic was experienced by referrers, parents of referred children and clinic staff as not fit for purpose. We applied the PCLSSM to improved the patient experience and efficiency of the clinic. Results Application of the PCLSSM to manage improvement resulted in five key outcomes: a 46% percentage increase in right first time accuracy of children’s referrals to the service, with a corresponding a 20% percentage decrease in time spent managing referrals, a 13% percentage increase in staff confidence in the referral system and 158% percentage increase in staff satisfaction with workload. Importantly there was a 104% percentage increase in child and parent satisfaction with their clinic experience. Conclusions This study will assist healthcare professionals understand the work involved in the successful deployment of a PCLSSM in paediatric healthcare settings, in order to improve operational efficiency and promote enhanced patient and staff satisfaction.
A Novel Comparative Performance Analysis of Document Store Non-Relational Databases
Authors: Fahd Kiran , Venkatraman Sitalakshmi , Parvin Sazia , Miah Shah J
Published: April 2024

The crucial role of competent software architecture is essential in managing the challenging big data processing for both relational and nonrelational databases. Relational databases are designed to structure data and facilitate vertical scalability, while non-relational databases excel in handling vast volumes of unstructured data and are geared towards horizontal scalability. Choosing the right database paradigm is determined by the needs of the organization, yet selecting the best option can often be challenging. Large number of applications still use relational databases due to its benefits of reliability, flexibility, robustness, and scalability. However, with the rapid growth in web and mobile applications as well as huge amounts of complex unstructured data generated via online and offline platforms, nonrelational databases are compensating for the inefficiency of relational databases. Since data is the most important element in maintaining organizational growth, selecting the right nonrelational database for high performing applications from a plethora of possibilities is a challenging task. Existing studies are still at emergent stage to compare the performance of different popular nonrelational databases. This paper introduces a novel benchmarking approach for tailoring the comparative study of nonrelational databases. To illustrate our approach, we compare two leading non-relational databases, Aerospike and MongoDB, focusing on their average transaction times to evaluate the database performance. Our comprehensive analysis reveals the strengths of each database in read and write operations for single record and bulk record batch transactions.
Differential Analysis of Gas Generation between Gas to Liquid and Mineral Oil under Electric-Thermal Combined Fault
Authors: Li Xiaohan , Chen Beibei , Ma Yanjun , Liu Jinfeng , Yang Minkun
Published: April 2024

Gas to Liquid (GTL), produced from natural gas, possesses excellent environmental and electrical properties, making it suitable as a new type of transformer insulation oil. In order to better understand the gas generation behavior of GTL and analyze its differences from traditional mineral oil, this paper constructs micro-systems for GTL insulation oil and mineral insulation oil based on molecular dynamics simulation, simulating their decomposition processes under electric-thermal combined faults and analyzing the trends in the types and quantities of decomposition products. The simulation results show that the gas generation characteristics of the two types of insulation oil under electric-thermal combined faults are almost similar, but the relative percentage of characteristic gases differs to some extent. The final decomposition products of GTL and mineral oil include small molecular gases and radicals such as C2H4, C2H2, CH4, H2, and C2H6. With the increase in fault temperature, the decomposition of GTL and mineral oil becomes more thorough, and the presence of a strong electric field also accelerates the decomposition. Under the same fault conditions, the proportion of H2 and CH4 generated from the decomposition of GTL is higher by about 5% compared to mineral oil. This study provides theoretical support and references for the fault diagnosis and condition assessment of GTL immersed transformers.
Study on the adsorption and transport characteristics of Mn(Ⅱ)/Cd(Ⅱ) by sediments in the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River in China
Authors: Yang C , Song Fengmin , Zhao Hanghang , Li Qiaoyun , Li Pengfei , Qi Wenbo , Liu Zhifeng
Published: April 2024

To investigate the pollution characteristics and transformation dynamics of heavy metals in the sediments of the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River, this study conducted a comprehensive study analyzing the adsorption properties and transport mechanisms of Mn(Ⅱ)/Cd(Ⅱ) in these sediments. This was achieved through static and dynamic adsorption experiments, coupled with the application of Hydrus-1D software for detailed analysis. The outcomes of the static adsorption experiments revealed that temperature exerted a minimal influence on the adsorption energy, whereas the pH of the solution significantly impacted it. Both adsorption isotherms and kinetics were employed for fitting the adsorption processes. The results indicated that the adsorption behavior of Mn(Ⅱ)/Cd(Ⅱ) in the sediments aligned more closely with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Additionally, intragranular diffusion was found to play a substantial role in the adsorption process. This suggests that the adsorption of Mn(Ⅱ)/Cd(Ⅱ) in the sediments involved a combination of physical and chemical adsorption mechanisms. Furthermore, the dynamic adsorption experiments demonstrated that the initial concentration of heavy metals crucially influenced their migration within the sediments. Characterization results pointed towards ion exchange, complexation reactions, and precipitation reactions as the primary mechanisms driving sediment adsorption of Mn(Ⅱ)/Cd(Ⅱ). Overall, this study research provides enhanced insights into the environmental behavior of these heavy metals and offers valuable guidance for risk assessment related to Mn(Ⅱ)/Cd(Ⅱ) in the sediments of the upper Hanjiang River.
Anti-fungal potential of phytochemicals present in Mangifera indica: An in-silico approach
Authors: Samajdar Saptarshi
Published: April 2024

Fungal pathogens are responsible for at least 13 million illnesses and 1.5 million fatalities globally each year, primarily in those with weakened immune systems. Numerous studies have been conducted and numerous fungi with pathogenic activities have been found; nevertheless, the existing treatment approaches have demonstrated certain toxicities and adverse effects. Consequently, using natural products can be a smart way to address the existing problems. Using molecular docking techniques, this study sought to evaluate the phytochemicals from Mangifera indica as possible antifungal agents. PyRx software was utilised to conduct a docking analysis on two proteins: Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase (NDK) from Aspergillus flavus (PDB ID: 6k3h) and the crystal structure of sterol 14-alpha demethylase (CYP51B) from a pathogenic filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus (PDB: 5frb). The outcomes show how successful this screening method is, particularly when dealing with harmful fungi. Mangiferin (− 8.4 to – 9.1 kcal/mol) has a great potential for both pathogenic fungus models, according to the data. ProTox II software's toxicity prediction showed that all of the chemicals, particularly mangiferin, had class 5–6 level toxicity with high LD50 values. MD RMSD cluster shows clusters major cluster over 30–45 ns. Thus, M. indica chemicals, especially mangiferin, have the potential to develop into a useful anti-fungal medication in the future.
Optimized Optical Splitter Demultiplexing basedon light Beam Incidence on a CorrugatedInterface and Beam Propagation Method (BPM)
Authors: Aboshosha Ashraf , Eltokhy Mustafa , Nagy Mustafa , Hosny Tarek , Hamad Hisham A.
Published: April 2024

In this research, we investigate the segregation of Gaussian light beam wavelengths using corrugated triangular wave-index interfaces with the beam propagation method (BPM). We present a novel approach for optical wavelength demultiplexing (DEMUX) utilizing the Goos-Haenchen (GH) shift and continuous refraction at the interface. By exploiting wavelength-dependent lateral shifts (GH shifts), reflected beams achieve spatial beam separation. Light beams exhibit distinctive "turning points" in the medium, resulting in spatially separated "back-refracted" beams. Meta-heuristics were employed to optimize operational parameters for this demultiplexing optical splitter, enabling its application in "corrugated triangular wave-index integrated-optics" structures within optical fiber networks. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in conjunction with an Ant Colony (AC) was utilized for optimal beam incidence. Findings suggest improved demultiplexer performance with three media compared to two media for 2 and multi-wavelength demultiplexing, highlighting a significant academic contribution of this study.
Investigating Centaurea napifolia Extracts for Zinc Electroplating Efficiency and Corrosion Prevention: Experimental and Surface Analysis
Authors: Soltani Habiba , Hanini Karima , Benahmed Merzoug , Boudiba Sameh , Boudiba Louiza , Tamfu Alfred Ngenge , Zellagui Amar , Akkal Salah
Published: April 2024

The ability of Centaurea napifolia extracts, hydro-methanolic (HME), methylene dichloride (MDE), ethyl acetate (EAE), and n-butanol (BE), to inhibit carbon steel (CS) corrosion in acidic environments and to function as additives in mild steel (MS) electroplating baths with pure zinc is assessed in this study. Potentiodynamic polarization, gravimetric method, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), profilometer, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used in this investigation to evaluate the corrosion behavior. Brightness, thickness, and adhesion strength served as indicators of the zinc's quality when deposited on the various substrates. The findings demonstrated that the addition of plant extracts enhanced the coating's quality, resulting in less porous plates with improved adhesion, increased brightness, and more corrosion resistance. The optimal corrosion rate is 0.038 mm/y obtained in the presence of 3.2 g/l of BE in the electroplating bath, compared to 1.137 mm/y without the additive and 3.783 mm/y for unplated MS. Moreover, the current density decreased from 0.3235 mA/cm² for unplated MS to 0.0972 mA/cm² and 0.0033 mA/cm² for plated without additive and when adding 3.2 g/l of the BE, respectively. The extracts were also evaluated as CS corrosion inhibitors in a 1M HCl solution. The results show that the inhibitor's ability to stop the corrosion reaction increased as the concentration went up but decreased as the temperature went up, with a maximum efficiency of 700 ppm (81%), 800 ppm (73%), 700 ppm (82%), and 700 ppm (78%), for HME, MDE, EAE, and BE, respectively. The adsorption process of all the extracts on the metallic surface obeys the Langmuir isotherm. The thermodynamic parameters of adsorption were calculated and discussed, and the results indicated that the adsorption was physical, spontaneous, and exothermic.
RETRACTED: Energy Efficient Antenna Selection Method for Massive MIMO System in Downlink Scenario
Authors: kassahun Ermias
Published: April 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
A novel rat model of sarcopenia based on lipopolysaccharide and high-fat diet
Authors: Gao Yifang , Li Ming , Wang Yu , Fu Rongfeng , Chen Borui , Chen Shaoqing , Wang Shizhong , Lin Jianping
Published: April 2024

Objective Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a high-fat diet (HFD) over a long period of time can induce skeletal muscle atrophy, but their combined effects is unclear. Thus, the purpose of this study was to present a novel animal model of sarcopenia induced by LPS and HFD in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and to compare the aging among the groups. Methods We divided 10-month-old male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats into adult control (AC), low dose lipopolysaccharide (150 µg/kg)-high-fat diet group (LD-LPS-HFD), and high dose lipopolysaccharide (200 µg/kg)-high-fat diet group (HD-LPS-HFD). AC group rats were intraperitoneally injected with 0.9% physiological saline solution twice weekly and fed ordinary feed; while the two LPS-HFD groups were intraperitoneally injected with LPS twice a week and had a high-fat diet for 8 weeks. Sarcopenia index (SI), relative grip strength, hematoxylin & eosin staining, Sirius red staining, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay verified sarcopenia. Results SI values in LD-LPS-HFD and HD-LPS-HFD were significantly decreased and the differences were more than twice the standard deviation of the AC group, indicating that sarcopenia model was successful. Although relative grip strength of rats in LD-LPS-HFD and HD-LPS-HFD were significantly reduced, only the difference in HD-LPS-HFD group was more than twice the standard deviation of the AC group, which was consistent with the characteristics of muscle strength decline in sarcopenia. Cross-sectional areas and fiber diameters of LD-LPS-HFD and HD-LPS-HFD decreased, but were lower in HD-LPS-HFD. Fibrosis, MuRF1, FbX32, and p53 protein expression in LD-LPS-HFD and HD-LPS-HFD were increased, but were higer in HD-LPS-HFD. p21, IL-6, and TNF-α level were significantly increased in HD-LPS-HFD. Conclusion Sarcopenia is induced by peritoneal injection of LPS (200 µg/kg) and a high-fat diet for 8 weeks in 10-month SD male rats. This model is suitable to study the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia and its molecular mechanisms.
An experimental study on aerodynamic characteristics of hypergravity centrifugal facility
Authors: Liu Jianyong , Zheng Jianjing , Xie Fangfang , Zhao Yu , Li Guohua , Han Xiao , Ling Daosheng
Published: April 2024

Centrifugal modelling is widely recognized as a valuable approach in various fields, including slope and high dam engineering, geotechnical earthquake engineering, deep-sea engineering, and advanced material preparation research. Zhejiang University is building the Centrifugal Hypergravity Interdisciplinary Experiment Facility (CHIEF), poised to become the largest and fastest hypergravity centrifuge worldwide. A comprehensive analysis of the internal airflow characteristics is imperative for the effective design of the centrifuge, including velocity distribution and resultant aerodynamic forces induced by high-speed air rotation inside the centrifuge chamber. Such an analysis is pivotal to the design of critical aspects such as motor selection, vibration control, and chamber design. This work reveals the air velocity distribution and the velocity ratio between air and the centrifuge arm in a scaled-down hypergravity facility. Various working pressures (30–101 kPa) and arm velocity (200-1000g) are investigated. Air velocity is obtained, and the velocity ratio is 0.62–0.64. Moreover, the theoretical estimation of the wind resistance power is higher than the experimental results obtained. Additionally, the pressure difference between both sides of the heat exchanger and the top plate is analysed for safety consideration. The largest pressure difference is 5.83 kPa across the top plate, and in order to prevent resonance, the frequency doubling of the rotating arm should be paid attention in accordance to the spectrum analysis. This study serves as a valuable reference for investigating airflow characteristics in rotating machines and the designing large hypergravity facilities.
Partitioning of TSP systems based on security and schedulability trade-off
Authors: Atchadam Ill-ham , Tran Hai Nam , Lemarchand Laurent , Singhoff Frank
Published: April 2024

Time and Space Partitioning (TSP) introduces the concept of partitions that allow application isolation. Applications can be assigned to partitions according to various objective functions or constraints related to safety, security, schedulability or energy requirements. Some of these objective functions may be conflicting, i.e. an improvement of one objective leads to a decrease of another. For example, improving the safety by active redundancy of a system may impact its schedulability. In this paper, we investigate the conflicting aspect between schedulability and security (confidentiality and integrity) in TSP real-time systems. We formulate 3 design space exploration algorithms with a meta-heuristic called Pareto Archived Evolutionary Strategy (PAES). These algorithms are implemented into Cheddar, a schedulability analysis tool. We investigate the effect of different architecture implementations to bring confidentiality and integrity in TSP systems. Our experiments reveal that the security architecture implementation alternatives offer opportunities for good trade-offs between schedulability and security. We also establish that our proposed mutation algorithms are adapted to large-scale problems. Comparison with the exact method for small size test-case shows that the proposed approach converges towards the Pareto front, missing only one non dominated solution.
An extended analysis of approximation algorithms for k-median problems on complex networks
Authors: POZO ROLDAN
Published: April 2024

Finding the k-median in a network involves identifying a subset of k vertices that minimize the total distance to all other vertices in a graph. This problem has been extensively studied in computer science, graph theory, operations research, and numerous areas due to its significance in a wide range of applications. While known to be computationally challenging (NP-hard) several approximation algorithms have been proposed, most with high-order polynomial-time complexity. However, the graph topology of complex networks with heavy-tailed degree distributions present characteristics that can be exploited to yield custom-tailored algorithms.We compare eight algorithms specifically designed for complex networks and evaluate their performance based on accuracy and efficiency for problems of varying sizes and application areas. Rather than relying on a small number of problems, we conduct over 16,000 experimentscovering a wide range of network sizes and k-median values. While individual results vary, a few methods provide consistently good results. We draw general conclusions about how algorithms perform in practice and provide general guidelines for solutions.
Evaluation of Perceived Barriers Towards Medical Research among Undergraduate Students
Authors: Emmanuel Mgbedo Nnaemeka , Hussain Aysha , Inga
Published: April 2024

Background: Research knowledge is crucial in every discipline and profession, especially in healthcare. We aimed to examine the practice, attitude, and perceived barriers to research among medical students, from the University of Georgia.
Methods: This study involved all undergraduate students from the medical, nursing, dentistry, and pharmacy departments of the University of Georgia. 274 students completed this cross-sectional study conducted from February to March 2024. The questionnaire was prepared in Google form which was shared through the University intranet. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and performed statistical analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23.0 software.
Results: Most of the participants were international students (94.9%), from the medical department (81.8%) with a mean age of 20.57 (SD D± 2.23). 81.8% never participated in a research project, and 86.9% never attended a research workshop or training. Most of the participants had a positive attitude toward the research study. The commonly perceived barriers were lack of funding, guidance, time, and familiarity with research statistical analysis.
Conclusion: We observed that most of the students had an interest in having a research experience but were faced with difficulties achieving the goal. We suggest that students should be provided with more research opportunities, training, and scholarships that can improve their knowledge and skills in advancing innovation.
Assessment of Heavy Metal Bioaccumulation capabilities of the Moss Erythrodontium julaceum at different Industrial Areas of Upper Assam, India under various influences
Authors: Hazarika Porismita , Hazarika Abinash , Barukial Jayanta
Published: April 2024

E. julaceum is one of the species of corticolous mosses which is distributed widely in Upper Assam which falls under Tropical Rain Forest and Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hot Spot. Upper Assam is the most productive region in the state of Assam, with abundant natural resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas in addition to tea plantations. Concentration of five heavy metals viz., Cd, Cu, Ni, Cr and Pb were determined by ICP-OES analysis in the moss species along with its BAF and EF for each metal. It has revealed from the study that the species has significant concentrations of Cr, Cu, and Pb in all the study sites. The study unequivocally shows that species are capable of accumulating Cr, Cu, and Pb, and that they may thrive in industrial environments by creating dense carpets in the phorophytes.
Tonische Immobilität und die Auslegung der neuen sexualstrafrechtlichen Tatbestände in Art. 189 und 190 StGB
Authors: Schleifer Sven
Published: April 2024

Anhand von interdisziplinärer Literatur werden Erkenntnisse zum Phänomen der sog. «tonischen Immobilität» (TI) dargestellt, um das diesbezügliche Verständnis in der Praxis zu fördern und die Ausgestaltung der neuen Tatbestände von Art. 189 und 190 StGB kritisch zu analysieren. Dabei wird einerseits aufgezeigt, dass die Formulierung im Gesetz als «Schockzustand» potenziell missverständlich oder gar irreführend ist. Andererseits wird dargelegt, dass die explizite Verankerung dieses Phänomens innerhalb der gewählten Ablehnungslösung als Konkretisierung des Grundtatbestands «gegen den Willen» zu verstehen ist und die Anwendung eines weiten Kommunikationsbegriffs bei der Beurteilung der strafbarkeitsbegründenden Ablehnung von sexuellen Handlungen erfordert. Der Fokus ist dabei jeweils auf den subjektiven Tatbestand zu legen.

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Basé sur la littérature interdisciplinaire, cet article présente le phénomène dit de l'«immobilité tonique» (ou catalepsie) dans le but de comprendre ses implications pratiques et d'analyser de manière critique les nouveaux éléments constitutifs des infractions prévues aux articles 189 CP et 190 CP. Il est ainsi démontré, d'une part, que la formulation «état de sidération» figurant dans la loi est potentiellement ambiguë, voire trompeuse. D'autre part, que l'ancrage explicite de ce phénomène en tant que manifestation du refus doit être compris comme une concrétisation de l'infraction «contre la volonté» (art. 189 al. 1 CP) et nécessite, au moment de l'examen de punissabilité, d'admettre une conception large de la manière de signifier le refus d'actes sexuels. L'accent devant systématiquement être mis sur l'élément subjectif de l'infraction.
Teachers’ Indıvıdual Cultural Values and the Relatıonshıp Between Psychologıcal Resılıence and Perceptıons of Alıenatıon
Authors:   Faculty of Education, University of Prizren “Ukshin Hoti”, Yildirim Soner , Yildirim Bilal ,   Faculty of Education, Balıkesir University, Sancak Tuğba ,   Faculty of Education, Balıkesir University, Çelikten Mustafa ,   Faculty of Education, University of Erciyes
Published: April 2024

Schools are social structures and educational organizations are open and social systems. Determining the perception of cultural values, psychological resilience levels and alienation perceptions of administrators and teachers working in schools can provide information to practitioners and those concerned and offer clues for taking necessary measures. Determining the relationship and interaction level between these three qualities can contribute to the generation of realistic solutions. In this context, the purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between school administrators’ and teachers’ perceptions of individual cultural values and psychological resilience and their perceptions of alienation. Relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. The study was conducted with school principals, assistant principals and teachers working in Istanbul in the 2021–2022 academic year. Data were collected from 411 teachers randomly selected by clusterstratified sampling. “Individual Cultural Values Scale” translated into Turkish by Saylık (2019), “Psychological Resilience Scale” developed by Arslan (2015) and the “Alienation Scale” translated into Turkish by Güğerçin and Aksay (2017) were used as data collection tools. According to the results of the analysis, it was determined that although the perceptions of psychological resilience of administrators and teachers were at a very high level, they also experienced a high level of alienation. Perceptions of individual cultural values are at a medium level in the power distance sub-dimension, at a medium level in the masculinity, femininity and collectivism sub-dimensions, and at a high level in other sub-dimensions. While there is a low level relationship between all sub-dimensions of individual cultural values perceptions of administrators and teachers and psychological resilience perceptions in general and their sub-dimensions, there is no significant relationship between alienation perceptions and cultural values except for the sub-dimension of long term reach.
Resilience to Physical and Emotional Stress
Authors:   College of Social Work, University of Belgrade, Serbia, Stepanovic Sasa
Published: April 2024

Resilience is the ability of an individual to successfully adapt to stressful and challenging situations. However, resilience encompasses not only the way we react to a specific stressful situation but also how we cope with accompanying physical, psychological, and social challenges. A resilient person is not immune to failures, losses, and the effects of stress. It is the way a person responds after the initial shock that stands out and distinguishes resilient individuals from others. The aim of this study is to examine differences in resilience and quality of life among early and middle-aged participants, as well as the relationship between these variables. We aim to determine the importance of self-efficacy, perseverance, social support, internal locus of control, and coping and adaptation strategies for preserving the physical and mental health of individuals under the impact of stressful life events.
Unconscious Bullying in the Workplace: A Qualitative Exploration
Authors:   Social Science and Languages, Department of Psychology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India, Jandhyala Shivani
Published: April 2024

Bullying is an intimidating behavior that can be internalized as a learned behavior. The Study aimed to create thoughtfulness among employees about how and what makes an individual become a bully or engage in bullying with no awareness. The Study explored the view of an employee to understand how unconscious behavior can influence one’s actions and behavior toward bullying. This Study practiced a Focus Group Discussion and conducted the discussion virtually on a sample of 31 employees of the Service and Non-Service sectors. The researcher discussed with 11 participants in one group and 20 in another on two different days. This discussion helped to provide awareness about unconsciousness in bullying behavior at the workplace. This discussion helped to gather views of working people from various sectors. It illustrated that focus groups could enhance awareness and empower one’s thoughts and beliefs. An important finding can be that the group identified the challenges of Unconscious bullying, like lack of self-awareness, marginal ethical and moral guidance, and eminence. In conclusion, it is observed from the discussion and responses from employees that there is a need to have healthy communication abilities in stating their feelings assertively.
Radioinduced Modulatory Response of Lipid Profiles of Wistar Rats Brain Monitored by DESI-MS Imaging
Authors: Mingote Matheus , de Paula Camila Cristina , de Campos Tarcísio , Vasconcelos Géssica Adriana , Vaz Boniek , Augusti Rodinei
Published: April 2024

The ionizing radiation used in radiotherapy can break down deoxyribonucleic acid bonds, generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, alter intracellular proteins, and induce changes in the lipidome. This study delves into examining lipid classes and their spatial distribution in the brains of Wistar rats exposed to ionizing radiation. Healthy male isogenic Wistar rats (n = 15) were divided into a control group (CG, n = 3) and an irradiated group (IRG, n = 12). The individuals of the IRG group were subjected to total body irradiation (TBI) using a Co-60 source and a radiation dose of 5 Gy. The IRG group was subdivided into four subgroups corresponding to 168, 96, 48, and 24 h before sacrifice. The brains were sliced into the sagittal direction, and the slices were analyzed using the desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) approach. The mass spectrometry results and information from the Metabolite and Chemical Entity Database (METLINTM) and Lipid Metabolites and Pathways Strategy (LIPID MAPS) databases enabled the identification of lipids belonging to distinct classes. The DESI-MS images revealed distinctive spatial distributions of these lipids and the modulatory response induced by the radiation over time.
Психологическое благополучие обучающихся
Authors: Музыченко А.В. , Асипчик Н.Н.
Published: April 2024

В статье представлены результаты исследования представлений студентов-психологов о психологическом благополучии. По результатам исследования были выявлены компоненты психологического благополучия студентов-психологов: осознание удовлетворенности своих витальных потребностей и комфорта, связанных с контекстом принятия себя; позитивные отношения в группе, с преподавателями, с родными; цели в жизни, рассматриваемые через мотивацию и интересы. Развитие автономии проявляется в очерчивании границ индивидуальности, характеристиках субъектности, в том числе и через контроль окружения, попытки управления через обратную связь для преподавателей. Составляющие психологического благополучия согласуются с параметрами оценки эффективности образовательных сред.
Electronarcosis of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): Effects on Dynamic Physiological Balance and Meat Quality
Authors: Godoy Antonio Cesar , da Silva Deividy Miranda , Bittencourt Fábio , Fantini-Hoag Leticia , Rodrigues Mariana Lins , Rodrigues Rômulo Batista , Weiler Kátia Aparecida , Neu Dacley H. , Pfrime Felipe Walter Dafico , Signor Altevir
Published: April 2024

Introduction:

Electronarcosis is the most commonly used stunning method for large animals, but its consequences in tilapia still need to be evaluated. The aim of the study was to evaluate the application of electronarcosis in the pre-slaughter stunning of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis ni-loticus) and verify its effects on dynamic physiological balance and meat quality.

background:

Electronarcosis is the method of stunning for animals most used in large animals, but its consequences in tilapia still need to be evaluated

Methods:

Nile tilapia specimens, totaling 184, with an average weight of 247.08 37.04 g, were randomly distributed. Each fish was individually placed in a rectangular tank constituted by a voltage regulator and aluminum electrode. The behavior of the fish subjected to different expo-sure times (5, 10, 20, and 30 seconds) and electric currents (1.50, 3.00, 4.50, and 6.00 amperes) with alternating and continuous currents was evaluated. Subsequently, the quality of the chilled fillets was checked after slaughter over a period of 35 days. The longest stun time was achieved using an alternating current of 3.00, 4.50, and 6.00A for 30 seconds.

Results:

The fillet quality index (FQI) showed a high correlation with the storage time. In the first 15 days of storage, the fish stunned with different alternating currents maintained a higher MQI, meeting the meat quality standard when compared to fish slaughtered by ice stunning. The fish fillets obtained using different electrical currents showed a pH similar to the fish fillets stunned with ice.

Conclusion:

Therefore, electronarcosis can be applied in the slaughter of tilapia using al-ternating current between three and six amps for 30 seconds, with euthanasia time of 37 and 46 seconds, ensuring safety in the slaughter procedures in the industry, the quality of the meat, and the well-being of the animal.