bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a risk scoring system for predicting advanced colorectal neoplasia within subcentimetric polyps: A population‐based study
Authors: Huang Junjie , Leung Eman Y. M. , Chun Sam C. C. , Li Zhaojun , Liu Xianjing , Zhong Chao Ying , Lin Jian Li , Hang Jun Jie , Zhong Claire C. W. , Yuan Jin Qiu , Wong Martin C. S.
Published: July 2024

Objective

To determine a risk scoring system for predicting advanced colorectal neoplasia (ACN) within subcentimetric polyps in a large Asian population.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted in Hong Kong SAR, China involving participants who underwent colonoscopy between 2008 and 2015. A random sample of 20 072 subjects were included as the derivation cohort to assess ACN‐associated independent factors using logistic regression modeling. Another 8603 subjects formed a validation cohort. A risk scoring system was developed and its performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC).

Results

The risk scores were assigned based on the following criteria: (a) patients who were admitted from inpatient colonoscopy (2.2) or not (1); (b) with three or more chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, heart disease, or cancer) (1.7) or not (1); (c) anemia (1.3) or without anemia (1); (d) receiving aspirin (0.5) or not (1); (e) receiving other nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (0.3) or not (1); (f) male (1.2) or female gender (1); (g) age <55 (1), 55–64 (1.4), 65–69 (2), 70 years or above (2.2). ACN was more common in those with scores of 2.192 or higher, and they were classified as high risk (HR). The prevalence of ACN in the validation cohort was 13.28% and 3.56% in the HR and low‐risk groups, respectively. In both the derivation and validation cohorts, AUROC of the risk‐scoring model was 0.7138.

Conclusion

Physicians are recommended to utilize this validated score for risk‐stratification of patients having subcentimetric polyps.
Cross‐disciplinary mathematical modelling to benefit healthcare – could clinical pharmacology play an enabling role?
Authors: Maluleke Tirhani , Benecke Rohan , Oladejo Sunday , Feulner Georg , Kern Steve , Lister Johanna , McClelland Gabriel , Njoki Miriam , Noack Patrick , Petruccione Francesco , Rajaratnam Kanshukan , Waitt Catriona , Rosenkranz Bernd , Pillai Goonaseela
Published: July 2024

Clinical pharmacology is often the nexus in any cross‐disciplinary team that is seeking solutions for human healthcare issues. The use and application of real‐world data and artificial intelligence to better understand our ecosystem has influenced our view at the world and how we do things. This has resulted in remarkable advancements in the healthcare space and development of personalized medicines with great attributes from the application of models and simulations, contributing to a more efficient healthcare development process. A cross‐disciplinary symposium was held in December 2023, whereby experts from different scientific disciplines engaged in a high‐level discussion on the opportunities and challenges of mathematical models in different fields, possible future developments and decision making. A strong interlink amongst the disciplines represented was apparent, with clinical pharmacology identified as the one which integrates various scientific disciplines. Deliberate and strategic cross‐disciplinary dialogues are required to break out of the silos and implement integration for efficiency and cost‐effectiveness of novel interventions.
Targeting CD25+ lymphoma cells with the antibody–drug conjugate camidanlumab tesirine as a single agent or in combination with targeted agents
Authors: Spriano Filippo , Tarantelli Chiara , Cascione Luciano , Gaudio Eugenio , Golino Gaetanina , Scalise Lorenzo , Cacciapuoti Maria Teresa , Zucca Emanuele , Stathis Anastasios , Van Berkel Patrick H. , Inghirami Giorgio , Zammarchi Francesca , Bertoni Francesco
Published: July 2024

Camidanlumab tesirine (ADCT‐301) is a CD25‐specific antibody‐drug conjugate (ADC) employing SG3199, a highly cytotoxic DNA minor groove cross‐linking pyrrolobenzodiazepine dimer. The ADC has shown early clinical antitumour activity in various cancers, including B‐ and T‐cell lymphomas. We assessed its preclinical activity as a single agent in 57 lymphoma cell lines and in combination with selected drugs in T‐cell lymphoma‐derived cell lines. Cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of the ADC or SG3199 for 96 h, followed by an MTT proliferation assay. CD25 expression was measured at cell surface and RNA levels. Experiments with PDX‐derived cell lines were used for validation studies. Camidanlumab tesirine presented more potent single agent in vitro cytotoxic activity in T‐ than B‐cell lymphomas. In vitro activity was correlated with CD25 cell surface and RNA expression. In vitro activity was correlated with CD25 cell surface and RNA expression. When camidanlumab tesirine‐containing combinations were evaluated in four T‐cell lymphoma models, the most active partners were everolimus, copanlisib, venetoclax, vorinostat, and pralatrexate, followed by bortezomib, romidepsin, bendamustine, and 5‐azacytidine. The strong camidanlumab tesirine single‐agent anti‐lymphoma activity and the in vitro synergisms with targeted agents identify potential combination partners for future clinical studies.
Evocative effects on the early caregiving environment of genetic factors underlying the development of intellectual and academic ability
Authors: Austerberry Chloe , Fearon Pasco , Ronald Angelica , Leve Leslie D. , Ganiban Jody M. , Natsuaki Misaki N. , Shaw Daniel S. , Neiderhiser Jenae M. , Reiss David
Published: July 2024

This study examined gene–environment correlation (rGE) in intellectual and academic development in 561 U.S.‐based adoptees (57% male; 56% non‐Latinx White, 19% multiracial, 13% Black or African American, 11% Latinx) and their birth and adoptive parents between 2003 and 2017. Birth mother intellectual and academic performance predicted adoptive mother warmth at child age 6 (β = .14, p = .038) and 7 (β = .12, p = .040) but not 4.5 years, and adoptive father warmth at 7 (β = .18, p = .007) but not 4.5 or 6 years. These rGE effects were not mediated by children's language. Contrary to theory that rGE accounts for increasing heritability of intellectual ability, parenting did not mediate genetic effects on children's language or academic performance.
Coverage Axis++: Efficient Inner Point Selection for 3D Shape Skeletonization
Authors: Wang Zimeng , Dou Zhiyang , Xu Rui , Lin Cheng , Liu Yuan , Long Xiaoxiao , Xin Shiqing , Komura Taku , Yuan Xiaoming , Wang Wenping
Published: July 2024

We introduce Coverage Axis++, a novel and efficient approach to 3D shape skeletonization. The current state‐of‐the‐art approaches for this task often rely on the watertightness of the input [LWS*15; PWG*19; PWG*19] or suffer from substantial computational costs [DLX*22; CD23], thereby limiting their practicality. To address this challenge, Coverage Axis++ proposes a heuristic algorithm to select skeletal points, offering a high‐accuracy approximation of the Medial Axis Transform (MAT) while significantly mitigating computational intensity for various shape representations. We introduce a simple yet effective strategy that considers shape coverage, uniformity, and centrality to derive skeletal points. The selection procedure enforces consistency with the shape structure while favoring the dominant medial balls, which thus introduces a compact underlying shape representation in terms of MAT. As a result, Coverage Axis++ allows for skeletonization for various shape representations (e.g., water‐tight meshes, triangle soups, point clouds), specification of the number of skeletal points, few hyperparameters, and highly efficient computation with improved reconstruction accuracy. Extensive experiments across a wide range of 3D shapes validate the efficiency and effectiveness of Coverage Axis++. Our codes are available athttps://github.com/Frank-ZY-Dou/Coverage_Axis.
Optimizing avian translocation success: A systematic review of the effect of release age on survival, dispersal, and productivity
Authors: Miller Karl E. , Hewett Ragheb Erin L. , Layman Craig A.
Published: July 2024

The success of avian translocations depends on many factors. Release age is often cited as an influential factor that warrants further study, yet no general guidelines exist to improve the outcome of translocations. We conducted a systematic review of literature on captive‐reared or wild‐caught birds that incorporated >1 age class in their analyses of post‐release survival, dispersal, or reproduction. Fifty‐two studies met our search criteria, and 39 were retained for an evaluation of post‐release survival. For studies reporting at least one trend, more reported higher post‐release survival when birds were translocated at younger ages (68%) than at older ages (32%). This pattern was most pronounced for wild‐caught birds and for captive‐reared birds released within their first year of life. Captive‐reared birds of prey were an exception, with birds released at older ages often having higher survival than birds released at younger ages. We review the authors' hypotheses for why birds released at younger ages are more likely to settle, survive, and breed. More research is needed on the potential effects of release age on dispersal and reproduction. We recommend that future studies incorporate age of release as a covariate and control for the effect of season of release in experiments.
Entropy‐based hybrid sampling (EHS) method to handle class overlap in highly imbalanced dataset
Authors: Kumar Anil , Singh Dinesh , Yadav Rama Shankar
Published: July 2024

Class imbalance and class overlap create difficulties in the training phase of the standard machine learning algorithm. Its performance is not well in minority classes, especially when there is a high class imbalance and significant class overlap. Recently it has been observed by researchers that, the joint effects of class overlap and imbalance are more harmful as compared to their direct impact. To handle these problems, many methods have been proposed by researchers in past years that can be broadly categorized as data‐level, algorithm‐level, ensemble learning, and hybrid methods. Existing data‐level methods often suffer from problems like information loss and overfitting. To overcome these problems, we introduce a novel entropy‐based hybrid sampling (EHS) method to handle class overlap in highly imbalanced datasets. The EHS eliminates less informative majority instances from the overlap region during the undersampling phase and regenerates high informative synthetic minority instances in the oversampling phase near the borderline. The proposed EHS achieved significant improvement in F1‐score, G‐mean, and AUC performance metrics value by DT, NB, and SVM classifiers as compared to well‐established state‐of‐the‐art methods. Classifiers performances are tested on 28 datasets with extreme ranges in imbalance and overlap.
Effect of Li2O on the structure and properties of low‐boron aluminosilicate fiber glasses from molecular dynamics simulations and quantitative structure–property relationship analysis
Authors: Xie Wenqing , Li Hong , Neuville Daniel R. , Du Jincheng
Published: July 2024

Mixed alkaline earth (MgO, CaO) aluminosilicate glass fibers (MCAS) with and without boron are commonly used as reinforcements in plastic composites, and the fundamental understanding of the thermal and mechanical properties is essential to the design of new glass compositions to satisfy the growing demands in applications from renewable energy to lightweight structural components. In this work, a series of Li2O containing low‐boron MCAS fiber glasses have been studied by using molecular dynamic (MD) simulations with recently developed effective partial charge composition dependent boron potentials. Structural characteristics, such as pair distribution function, bond angle distribution, and neutron/X‐ray diffraction structure factors, were calculated, as well as properties such as elastic moduli and vibrational density of states. The addition of Li2O was found to improve the elastic moduli of the fiber glasses in excellent agreement with experimental results we reported earlier. The simulation results showed that the weakened network connectivity and decrease of tri‐/bridging oxygen have positively affected the lowering of liquid temperature, owing to the transformation to more boron Q2 and silicon/aluminon Q3. It is found that higher oxygen packing density, coordinated aluminum/boron species such as [AlO5] and [BO4] units, larger‐membered oxide rings, and intensified connections of [AlOx] and [SiO4] are the main reasons that lead to improved mechanical properties. MD‐based quantitative structure–property relationship analyses were performed and showed excellent correlations to measured properties, indicating that it is a promising approach to understand glass properties and design new glass compositions for functional applications.
Profiles of parental coping with paediatric cancer and their associations with parental illness adaptation
Authors: Golfenshtein Nadya , Barakat Lamia , Lisanti Amy J. , Ash Shifra
Published: July 2024

Aims

To identify profiles of coping in parents of children with cancer and their underlying factors and to examine which profile(s) are associated with illness adaptation.

Design

A cross‐sectional study utilizing surveys among parents of children with cancer (n = 89).

Methods

Questionnaires included socio‐demographics, ways of coping, parenting stress, depression, post‐traumatic symptoms, illness adjustment and quality of life. Parental coping profiles were identified via latent profile analysis. Logistic multinomial regression was used to identify predictors of coping profiles. Adaptation outcomes were compared across the coping profiles via multivariable analyses of variance with Bonferroni adjustments.

Results

Five profiles were identified: The ‘Strong Repertoire’ used coping strategies moderate to high degree, with a positive‐active orientation; The ‘Moderate‐Activist’ used a similar pattern, rather more moderately; The ‘Self‐Regulator’ used self‐content strategies; The ‘Mild‐Engager’ used active‐engaging strategies; The ‘Avoidant Coper’ used avoidant‐passive strategies. Parental stress predicted coping profiles, so that parents experiencing greater stress utilized the ‘Avoidant Coper’ to a greater degree. Group comparisons revealed that ‘Avoidant‐Copers’ had more depressive and post‐traumatic symptoms, worse illness adjustment and lower quality of life.

Conclusions

Passive‐avoidant mechanisms of coping may be maladaptive in terms of parental cancer adaptation and indicative of lower resilience.

Impact

Findings can direct clinicians to promote familial resilience by adapting policy and practice to meet familial needs.

Patient or Public Contribution

Not applicable.
European Solidarity Takes the Field: The Dimensional Structure of Political Competition in the European Union After the Polycrisis
Authors: Visconti Francesco , Pellegata Alessandro
Published: July 2024

Most studies investigating the dimensionality of political space in Europe demonstrate that European Union (EU)‐related issues are orthogonal to the economic left–right dimension. This literature usually employs survey items tapping into general support for the EU. However, the multiple crises that hit Europe after 2008 have polarized even Europhile voters on the more specific issue of European solidarity. This article aims to investigate how voters' attitudes towards European solidarity interplay with their position on the left–right and European integration dimensions, as well as specific economic and cultural issues. Empirical analyses employ original survey data collected in 2019 in 10 EU countries. Results partially support the expectations of regional differences in the dimensionality of the political space, with European solidarity more strongly associated with left–right, EU integration and immigration in Northern EU member states than in Eastern and Southern countries, in which voters are more likely to support solidarity notwithstanding their general political orientations.
Plasma cell‐directed therapies induce profound clinical and durable responses in patients with severe or relapsed/refractory scleromyxedema
Authors: Theves F. , Lahuna C. , Mahévas T. , Harel S. , Royer B. , Lemiale V. , Brignier A. , Parquet N. , Jachiet M. , Bouaziz J.‐D. , Elessa D. , Arnulf B. , Talbot A.
Published: July 2024

Background

Scleromyxedema (SM) is a rare skin disorder related to monoclonal gammopathy. High dose intravenous immunoglobulins (HDIVIg) are usually used as a frontline therapy with initial efficacy. However, some patients evolve with relapse, refractory state or severe extra‐cutaneous complications such as dermato‐neuro syndrome (DNS) or cardiac involvement.

The objective of the study is to evaluate the use of anti‐plasma cell treatment in these patients in order to obtain a deep and durable dermatological and haematological response.

Methods

We report here eight patients treated with HDIVIg together with anti‐plasma cell therapy including: lenalidomide and dexamethasone (n = 5); bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (n = 1); daratumumab, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (n = 2).

Results

Combination of HDIVIg with a treatment targeting the monoclonal component led to a high level of haematological remission and drastically improved skin response with an acceptable safety profile in all patients. Moreover, HDIVIg was reduced and stopped in 4 of the 7 patients who achieved complete remission.

Conclusions

The association of lenalidomide and dexamethasone with HDIVIg could improve the treatment of relapsed or severe SM.
Temporal trends and regional variations in operative vaginal deliveries in Japan: A national representative cohort study
Authors: Sugai Shunya , Mori Yutaro , Yamawaki Kaoru , Shima Eiri , Matsushita Mitsuru , Yoshihara Kosuke , Nishijima Koji
Published: July 2024

Aim

To analyze temporal trends and regional variations in operative vaginal delivery (OVD) in Japan.

Methods

Using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan from 2014 to 2021, we identified the numbers of vacuum and forceps deliveries. We analyzed annual totals and proportions of OVDs and calculated the mean age of women undergoing these deliveries. We also predicted trends in OVD for the next 20 years and compared geographical differences in the proportions of forceps deliveries among OVDs.

Results

During the observation period, out of 7 368 814 total births, 8.4% were through OVD, including 7.6% by vacuum and 0.8% by forceps. Both delivery methods showed an increasing trend from 2014 to 2021: vacuum deliveries rose from 7.0% to 8.7%, and forceps deliveries increased from 0.6% to 1.0%. Notably, the proportion of forceps deliveries in OVD increased from 8.1% to 10.5%. The mean age was higher for forceps deliveries than vacuum deliveries. According to our predictions, vacuum deliveries may continue to increase, but forceps deliveries may stabilize. The proportion of forceps deliveries among OVDs ranged from 0% to 38% across Japanese prefectures.

Conclusions

This study shows an increase in the use of OVD in Japan from 2014 to 2021. There are large regional differences in the choice between vacuum and forceps deliveries. These findings can help us understand the practice of OVD in Japan.
Genetic diversity and population structure of grapevine Roditis leaf discoloration‐associated virus in Turkey vineyards
Authors: Ulubaş‐Serçe Ç. , Aydınlık S. , Öztürk Z. N. , Önder S. , Çiftçi O. , Altan B.
Published: July 2024

Grapevine Roditis leaf discoloration‐associated virus (GRLDaV) is a type of virus that infects grapevines. This research aimed to determine the prevalence of GRLDaV in Turkey vineyards and investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of the selected viral isolates from Turkey compared to isolates from other countries. In this study, 800 shoot samples from Turkey vineyards were collected in late spring and autumn from different regions. The samples were analysed by RT‐PCR targeting the partial RNaseH‐like gene region of the virus genome. The overall prevalence of GRLDaV was 8.1% among the samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the GRLDaV genome showed that the GRLDaV isolates were clustered into two major lineages. The nucleotide diversity (π) value of Group I, including only Mediterranean isolates, was lower than Group II, suggesting little variation among isolates. Even though π values were low among the geographical regions in Turkey, the region with the highest nucleotide diversity was the Aegean population, followed by the Eastern and Mediterranean populations. Comparison between nonsynonymous and synonymous substitutions showed that negative selection acts on synonymous amino acids. Along with neutrality tests and gene flow analyses, it was emphasized that genetic drift played an important role in shaping the GRLDaV populations. This study provides important information on the prevalence and genetic diversity of GRLDaV in Turkey vineyards. The findings will help to develop better strategies to manage and control this virus, which can cause significant economic losses in grape industries.
Proteolytic activity of surface‐exposed HtrA determines its expression level and is needed to survive acidic conditions in Clostridioides difficile
Authors: Corver Jeroen , Claushuis Bart , Shamorkina Tatiana M. , de Ru Arnoud H. , van Leeuwen Merle M. , Hensbergen Paul J. , Smits Wiep Klaas
Published: July 2024

To survive in the host, pathogenic bacteria need to be able to react to the unfavorable conditions that they encounter, like low pH, elevated temperatures, antimicrobial peptides and many more. These conditions may lead to unfolding of envelope proteins and this may be lethal. One of the mechanisms through which bacteria are able to survive these conditions is through the protease/foldase activity of the high temperature requirement A (HtrA) protein. The gut pathogen Clostridioides difficile encodes one HtrA homolog that is predicted to contain a membrane anchor and a single PDZ domain. The function of HtrA in C. difficile is hitherto unknown but previous work has shown that an insertional mutant of htrA displayed elevated toxin levels, less sporulation and decreased binding to target cells. Here, we show that HtrA is membrane associated and localized on the surface of C. difficile and characterize the requirements for proteolytic activity of recombinant soluble HtrA. In addition, we show that the level of HtrA in the bacteria heavily depends on its proteolytic activity. Finally, we show that proteolytic activity of HtrA is required for survival under acidic conditions.
Examining the objectives of ethnic parties: A comprehensive analysis of the dynamics of ethnic party competition beyond the constraints of the outbidding model
Authors: Tarkhani Soran
Published: July 2024

This study scrutinises the core assumptions of Donald Horowitz's outbidding model, which defines ethnic party competition as a rivalry between extremist groups focussed solely on ethnic politics, deeming other socio‐economic issues insufficient for voter mobilisation and electoral success (Horowitz, 1985). Through a comprehensive analysis of ethnic parties in Iraqi Kurdistan, this study demonstrates how these parties extend their focus beyond ethnic concerns to include broader administrative matters, such as social and economic issues within the local governance framework. Utilising content analysis of Kurdish newspapers and a comparative perspective, this study challenges the prevailing notion of ethnic outbidding, revealing the multifaceted strategies employed by Kurdish parties.
Forest fragmentation effects on mutualistic interactions: frugivorous birds and fruiting trees
Authors: Siegel Tovah D. , Cooper William Justin , Forkner Rebecca E. , Laurance William F. , Luís Camargo José , Luther David
Published: July 2024

While many effects of forest fragmentation are reasonably well understood, knowledge of interspecific interactions in fragmented ecosystems is much more limited, particularly for high diversity tropical forests. Using nearly 40 years of data from the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project in Central Amazonia, we assessed whether forest fragment area and time since isolation impact mutualistic interactions between frugivorous birds and their food resources. We used structural equation modeling to analyze the complex pathways between four main variables determining these interactions: fruiting tree abundance, frugivorous bird abundance, forest fragment area, and time since fragment isolation. Our results confirm that fragment area alters the abundance of some tree resources, with successional plant families increasing in abundance with decreasing fragment size. However, these changes do not drive alterations in the abundance of frugivorous birds. We also tested if bird species with a greater relative diet breadth are less vulnerable to forest fragmentation and found that specialist frugivores are more vulnerable to forest fragmentation immediately after isolation but are not differentially impacted within the long term. Collectively, our results demonstrate the need to further evaluate human‐driven habitat change across multiple timescales to fully understand its impacts on complex species interactions.
Understanding time to peak effect of propofol as sole agent on bispectral index in children aged 2–12 years
Authors: Gavel Gil , Koch Gilbert , Terrier Axel , Atkinson Andrew , Pfister Marc , Erb Thomas
Published: July 2024

Background

The pharmacodynamics of propofol in children have previously been described with the proprietary bispectral index (BIS) as an effect‐site marker, and it has been suggested that the rate of onset of propofol might be age dependent, that is, a shorter time to peak effect in younger children. However, these analyses were potentially confounded by co‐administered drugs, in particular opioids and benzodiazepines. Thus, the goal of this prospective study was to characterize the influence of age and weight on the onset of hypnotic effects from propofol, reflected by the time to peak of propofol effect‐site concentration in the absence of additional drugs.

Methods

A total of 46 healthy children aged 2–12 years presenting for elective surgery were included in our observational cohort study. Solely propofol was administered via a target‐controlled infusion pump programmed with the Paedfusor pharmacokinetic model. The BIS and infusion pump data were recorded. The effect of an induction “bolus” was recorded having stopped the pump once a propofol plasma target concentration of 7 μg.mL−1 was achieved. A direct‐response and an indirect‐response model in the context of nonlinear mixed‐effects modeling was used to characterize and compare BIS data in children aged 2–6 years and older children aged 8–12 years.

Results

Time to peak of propofol effect‐site concentration had a difference (p‐value <.01) for age and weight, that is 84 [74, 96] (median [IQR] secs for children aged 2–6 years vs. 99 [91, 113] secs for children aged 8–12 years and 82 [71, 95] secs for weight 11–25 kg vs. 99 [91, 114] secs for weight 30–63 kg). The plasma effect‐site equilibration rate constant for propofol had a heterogeneous distribution with a median of 2.36 (IQR: 2.05–2.93; range: 0.83–7.31) per minute but showed a weight‐dependent effect in patients with weight below 45 kg.

Conclusions

In children, the age and weight have an influence on time to peak effect of propofol. In the absence of opioids and benzodiazepines, time to peak effect was approximately 20% longer in children aged 8–12 years as compared to younger children. Such clinically relevant age and weight effects are an important consideration in the individualized titration of propofol dosing.
Integrating dynamic psychophysiological indices across time and contexts: Elucidating mechanisms, risk markers, and intervention targets
Authors: Stange Jonathan P.
Published: July 2024

Why should researchers measure psychophysiological processes repeatedly over time? The study of psychophysiology inherently involves sampling biological processes as they manifest over time. The most common approach is to use a brief sample to make conclusions about how individuals or groups differ. Although these types of between‐subject comparisons have utility for understanding individual and group differences, many of the important conceptual questions in the field involve processes that are dynamic, varying within individuals over time. Using examples from the literature on affect regulation, this conceptual review contrasts three types of study designs: the classic single‐observation design and the aggregated and temporally linked repeated observation designs, which have great promise for measuring variables that fluctuate dynamically over time. Importantly, these designs can be integrated to elucidate research questions about risk (when and for whom will the likelihood of an unwanted outcome occurring increase?), mechanisms (how and why does a change in psychophysiology contribute to a change in another process of interest?), and interventions (how and when should interventions take place to modify an outcome?). Researchers are encouraged to implement intensive sampling in their research, which can be conducted in traditional laboratory settings (e.g., fMRI, event‐related brain potentials, and heart rate variability) and in ecologically valid contexts in everyday life using ambulatory assessment.
Why do some academic articles receive more citations from policy communities?
Authors: Ma Ji , Cheng Yuan (Daniel)
Published: July 2024

We (1) present the landscape of the citations of Public Administration and Policy (PAP) scholarly articles in policy documents and (2) examine influencing factors along three dimensions: collaborative teams, cross‐disciplinary interactions, and disruptive paradigms. Using data from the 30 most‐cited PAP peer‐reviewed journals and 38,062 documents from 1107 policy institutions, we find that 10.1% of all PAP scholarship receives high citations from both academics and policy communities. Collaborative teams, cross‐disciplinary interactions, and disruptive paradigms can all increase the citations within policy communities, yet the relationships are not linear. Nonacademic authors can consistently attract more policy citations, whether publishing alone or collaborating with academics. An article should ideally cite no more than 13 disciplinary subjects. No significant trade‐off between scholarly and policy impact as scholarly citations and the academic reputation of authors often translate into policy citations. These findings offer novel and concrete insights into optimizing academic research for policy impact.
Depositional environments of complex lake systems – palaeogeographical evolution and main controls: A case study of the Lower to Middle Permian Roseneath–Epsilon–Murteree strata, Cooper Basin, Australia
Authors: Guo Fengtao , McCabe Peter , Feng Zhiqiang , Zhang Zhongmin , Peng Weilong
Published: July 2024

Lake systems are among the largest integrated depositional complexes in the continental realm. Their interplay with tectonics and climate often complicates the interpretation of depositional processes, usually resulting in a complex facies architecture that is challenging to correlate regionally. The Lower to Middle Permian Roseneath–Epsilon–Murteree strata of the Cooper Basin in Australia represent a glacially influenced fluvial–deltaic lake system, which hosts substantial petroleum resources. Despite their potential, the Roseneath–Epsilon–Murteree strata are inadequately understood in terms of regional facies architecture and their palaeogeographical implications. Using a multidisciplinary approach with robust data, including cores, petrology, wireline logs and geochemistry, the sedimentary evolution of the Roseneath–Epsilon–Murteree strata is described within a new basin‐wide sequence stratigraphic framework defined by key surfaces identified from cores and wireline logs. Detailed facies analysis of over 1400 m of cores and wireline logs from nine wells identified twelve lithofacies and eight facies associations, revealing various depositional processes and environments. The Roseneath–Epsilon–Murteree strata are interpreted as having formed in a fluvial–deltaic–lacustrine system influenced by a cold climate. First‐order and second‐order maximum flooding surfaces define a regional sequence stratigraphic framework, subdividing the Roseneath–Epsilon–Murteree strata into four sequence units (SU1, SU2, SU3 and SU4), deposited during four phases (I, II, III and IV). Cyclic stacking patterns observed in both cores and wireline logs reveal two transgressive–regressive cycles. Palaeogeographical maps of the four depositional phases suggest that the Roseneath–Epsilon–Murteree strata were dominated by a lacustrine system with some delta and mire deposits. Rivers primarily drained towards the south/south‐west from the Gidgealpa, Merrimelia, Packsaddle and Innamincka ridges (‘GMI Trend’) as indicated by decreasing sandstone percentages and increasing gross unit isopach maps. The deposition of the Roseneath–Epsilon–Murteree strata was primarily controlled by basin subsidence. Additionally, palaeoclimate trends and extensive glaciation in the Permian played important roles in providing sediments and affecting lake level changes. The lake system recorded by the Roseneath–Epsilon–Murteree strata serves as an analogue for other fluvial–deltaic–lacustrine systems in basins worldwide. A multidisciplinary approach, similar to the one utilized in this study, can help to elucidate their evolution and aid in resource prediction.
An Introduction of Boundary Element Method.to the Analysis of Crack Propagation in Concrete
Authors: Saleh Abd. Latif
Published: July 2024

The dual boundary element method (DBEM) incorporated with fictitious crack model (FCM) is used to analyse and simulatethe crack propagation .in concrete. The fracture in concrete is represented by the FCM in which the fracture zone is replaced by applying closing forces on both crack surfaces. When the force at the ficti tious crack tip exceeds the maximum tensile strength of the concrete, the fictitious crack will propagate perpendicular to the maximum principal stress. Three-point bending specimen is used to check the numerical analysis and the res ults is compared to the analysis by finite element method and experimental results.
Midblock Signalled Pedestrian Crossing - Alternative Controller Algorithms
Authors: Chik Abdul Aziz , Ismail Che Ros , Hainin Mohd Rosli
Published: July 2024

Observation at midblock signalled pedestrian crossings in Malaysia showed thatviolation of the red signal aspect by both the motorists and pedestrians is close to70 %. Motorists may travel on the red signal aspect when there is no pedestrianon the crossing. Pedestrians are also observed to cross in vehicle gaps at thecrossings during the right of way to vehicles. Such behaviour is dangerousespecially at a system where the traffic movements rely on the signal aspectsshown to them. Four alternative algorithms were designed in order to enhancethe operation and safety of users at the midblock signalled pedestrian crossings inMalaysia. The objectives are to increase pedestrian safety and drivers compliancewith the signal. The developed strategies required detectors to register the vehicleand pedestrian demands. Algorithms were designed to compute the appropriatetime to start and terminate the vehicle and pedestrian precedence. The appliedcomputation aimed to limit vehicle delay and to ensure that vehicle saturationflow does not exceed 85 % of the road capacity. Apart from the vehicle demands,the developed strategies also attempt to emphasis on the requirement and limitsof pedestrian behaviour. Four measures of performance are compared andevaluated. These measures are the percentage of vehicles crossing on the redman, pedestrian mean delay, mean cycle times and vehicle mean delay. Themeasures of performance of all algorithms are evaluated using a fully calibratedand validated simulation program. All of the new strategies increase thepedestrian compliance and balance. This indicates that the present system doesnot respond satisfactorily to the gaps in vehicle flow and may contribute to theusers disrespect of the system.
Noise Pollution at School Environment Located in Residential Area
Authors: Hj. Ibrahim Zulkepli , Richard Hazel Kiddo
Published: July 2024

Noise pollution around the educational area can negatively affect theperformance of both teachers and students. The noise level should be around therange of 35 dBA to 55 dBA in the school area. Little attention has been given byindividuals or government concerning noise pollution in schools' surrounding. Astudy of this problem is presented in this paper by doing some measurement onthe noise level at schools located in residential areas case study at SekolahKebangsaan Sri Skudai, Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Universiti IV and SekolahMenengah Taman Universiti has been conducted to measure noise level in itssurrounding. The results from this study shows that the rate of noise level inSekolah Kebang
A Review On Effects of Using Electrochemical Extraction Technique In Corrosion Treatment of Reinforced Concrete
Authors: Ismail Mohammad , Yahaya Nordin
Published: July 2024

Traditional patch repair of concrete suffers from corrosion of the reinforcementsdue to the presence of chloride which as penetrated beyond the reinforcement.Methods based on electrochemical technique either in the form of cathodicprotection or electrochemical chloride extraction have been used to alleviate thisproblem. Since electrochemical chloride extraction is a new technique thatadopts higher current density with short duration of treatment, this paper reviewsthe possible side effects that might be caused in using this technique. The reviewcovers possible physical and chemical effects such as steel/concrete bondstrength and alkali-aggregate reaction.
REDUCTION OF NUTRIENT CONTENTS BY HARVESTING NATURAL WETLAND VEGETATIONS
Authors: Shamsudin Supiah , Kassim Mohd Azraai , Sohaili Johan
Published: July 2024

The effects of harvesting wetlands vegetation on nutrient contents entering Layang reservoir, in Masai Johor were investigated. Total Phosphorus (TP), Total Dissolved Phosphorus (TDP) and Nitrate-N levels at the harvesting site, both upper and bottom layers were lower compared to the control site and the inflowing river. The monthly percentage removals of TP, TDP and Nitrate-N fluctuated noticeably, ranging from 20% to 89%. Percentage removals were also higher after harvesting operation compared to before harvest. The percentage removal is highest when the shoots are young.
A NOTE ON THE INFLUENCE OF HOUSEHOLD BEHAVIOR ON THE GENERATION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IN JOHOR BAHRU TENGAH
Authors: Mohd.Badruddin Mohd.Yusof Mohd.Badruddin Mohd.Yusof , Salim Mohd. Razman , Othman Fadil
Published: July 2024

This note presents results of a study involving 885 residents in Johor Bahru area. The average solid waste generated per household was 1.93 kg per day. Several behavioral factors were found to be influencing the amounts of solid wastes generation. Based on multiple regression analysis, the significant explanatory variables are lifestyle and eating habit, housing characteristics such as length of stay in a particular home, marital status, and the family size. The R 2 is 0.4. Surprisingly, income level has no significant effect on the solid waste generation in the study area.
AN ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR MONITORING PROJECT PERFORMANCE
Authors: Mansur Shaiful Amri , Mohamed Abdul Hakim
Published: July 2024

In the past, productivity assessment and performance evaluation were carried out separately due to cost constraints. Performing both simultaneously could significantly improve a project monitoring system. The appropriate use of schedule compression methods to accelerate the work at hand will reduce additional costs. The aim of this study was to develop a project monitoring tool that combines productivity assessment and schedule compression methods for reporting productivity status and evaluating project performance. Factors Affecting Productivity (FAP) and Schedule Compression Methods (SCM) were identified and measured from completed building projects. The capability of using these factors as project assessment tool and project performance predictor was analysed using fuzzy logic inference system. It is found that the Time Performance Ratio (TPR) can be included in a project status report to monitor and predict project performance.
ANALYSIS OF CONCRETE BEAMS WITH CIRCULAR WEB OPENINGS USING STRUT-AND-TIE MODELS
Authors: M.A. Mansur M.A. Mansur , Tan Kiang-Hwee , W. Weng W. Weng
Published: July 2024

This study examines the strut-and-tie model for the analysis of reinforced concrete beams that contain geometric discontinuities in the form of a transverse circular opening in the web. Three T-beams with circular openings tested earlier by the authors have been chosen, and a strut-and-tie model was constructed for each beam. A comparison of the theoretical predictions concerning the ultimate strength, mode of failure and the proportion of applied shear carried by the chord members above and below the opening show good agreement with test results. The truss model also explains clearly the role of diagonal reinforcement in relieving concrete distress at the throat section by transferring a significant amount of applied shear across the discontinuity.
CONCEPTUALIZATION OF SUBMERGED STRUCTURES AS TSUNAMI BARRIER
Authors: Jahromi Bahman Esfandiar , Sidek Faridah Jaffar
Published: July 2024

On December 26, 2004 a devastating tsunami struck the west coast of peninsular malaysia. The island of penang was one of the places that suffered from the disaster. Fifty seven people died in this area when most of them were enjoying their time on the beach. Many home appliances, several boats and fishing equipments were also destroyed in the area. In order to prevent similar damages from a possible recurring tsunami event, the steady-state spectral wave (stwave) model of surface water modelling system (sms) has been used to design a nearshore barrier to dissipate the tsunami wave energy in this study. The december 2004 tsunami was used as a reference case. Nearshore tsunami wave amplitude was obtained from field surveying data conducted on july 9-10, 2005. Whilst, offshore tsunami wave height and direction have been acquired from an output of tunami-n2 program. The model which has been calibrated against field survey data showed good agreement. Several breakwater layouts were simulated in the stwave model to derive an optimal configuration which could dissipate the tsunami wave energy before it reaches the penang island shoreline. From analysis made, it was found that eleven layouts reduced the tsunami wave heights by more than 70%. After extensive evaluation, breakwater layout number 39 was selected as the optimized layout showing the efficiency to reduce wave energy by 83%. At this efficiency, a wave height of 1.02 meter would impact the shoreline should a 6.0 m tsunami wave was made to propagate from offshore.
PICA: PIPELINE INTEGRATED CORROSION ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR STRUCTURE INTEGRITY
Authors: Md Noor Norhazilan , Nor Ozman Nor Apaziah , Yahaya Nordin , Mohd Ali Napiah Mohd Nazmi , Abdullah Zaabah
Published: July 2024

The paper develops an automated assessment tool specially tailored for corroding steel pipeline used to convey hydrocarbon deposit. The proposed tool named PICA integrates deterministic and reliability method to evaluate the time-variant remaining allowable pressure of steel pipelines subjects to internal and external corrosion based on series of metal loss data. The deterministic assessment method is preferred by pipeline operator due to its simplicity, yet the accuracy is still arguable as the integrity of assessment results is dominantly governed by inherent uncertainties which insufficiently covered even by the introduction of safety factor. Whereas reliability assessment requires systematic data sampling and matching method as well as probabilistic nature of the parameters to give more credible and accurate result especially in estimating the corrosion growth rate. The combination of data sampling, data analysis, structure assessment and integrity prediction both in the form of deterministic and reliability-based methodology has great potential to be developed as robust and potent software. This assessment software covers wide range of options including selection of assessment codes, corrosion models, data sampling techniques, assessment methods and particularly effective to manage the vast amounts of collected data relating to pipeline condition, in a way that enables pipeline operators to monitor the pipeline integrity efficiently. By integrating various stages of pipeline assessment procedure into a unified systematic assessment framework, it can greatly assist pipeline operator to protect the public, financial investment and environment from such devastating effects owing to pipeline failures.
PROPERTIES OF CEMENT BASED COMPOSITES CONTAINING OIL PALM STEM AS FIBER REINFORCEMENT
Authors: Mazlan Dianah , A.S.M. Abdul Awal A.S.M. Abdul Awal
Published: July 2024

With the increasing building activities in both developed and developing countries, there has been a growing concern to convert the agricultural and industrial waste to a construction material. Researches since decades ago have shown that the addition of fibers into the cement matrix enhanced the physical and mechanical behavior of mortar and concrete. This paper discusses the properties and usage of oil palm stem fiber as discrete reinforcing material in cement matrix. Cement mortar mixes containing 1 to 4% fiber were made to investigate workability, water absorption and strength of the matrix. Test specimen comprising of cube, cylinder and beam were cast and tested for compressive, tensile and flexural strength respectively following ASTM standards. Laboratory test results reveal that the workability of cement mortar decreases with the increase of oil palm stem fiber. The water absorption capacity on the other hand was found to increase with the increasing amount of fiber content. Regarding strength, the compressive strength has been found to increase up to certain limit of 3% fiber content, beyond which the strength decreased gradually. The tensile and flexural strength of the mortar matrix, however, showed a positive response in terms of fiber content. Results obtained and the observations made in the study suggest that oil palm stem fiber can effectively be used in producing lightweight construction materials.
TIME DEPENDENT INFLUENCE ON THE LATERAL RESPONSE OF SINGLE PILE SUBJECTED TO LATERAL LOAD
Authors: Z. H. Chik Z. H. Chik , J. M Abbas J. M Abbas , M. R. Taha M. R. Taha , Q. S. M. Shafiqu Q. S. M. Shafiqu
Published: July 2024

The time dependent response of the pile foundation can be categorized as one of the effective parameters that should be taken into account during analysis and design stage. From the literatures, very few reports are available on lateral response of the pile especially on the effect of soil type. It seems to be no exact solution for laterally loaded pile foundations in consolidating elasto-plastic soil to determine the design parameter such as maximum lateral pile displacement, ultimate lateral soil resistance and p-y relationship. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of soil type with different intensities of loading on the lateral pile deformation and lateral soil pressure with time. Finite element analysis is carried out to evaluate the lateral pile response embedded in cohesionless and cohesive soil subjected to pure lateral load. The simulation include linear elastic model to represent the pile structural material and Mohr-Coulomb elasto-plastic model to represent the surrounding soil. Biotâ€™s equation of consolidation is used to govern the elasto-plastic material. The complete model of the whole geotechnical system are used to assess the lateral pile displacement and lateral soil pressure developed at pile face of 15m pile length and 1m pile diameter. It is shown that the lateral pile displacements increased and the lateral soil pressure was redistributed with time due to consolidation process.