bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disordered eating behaviors and associated factors among secondary school adolescents in Harar town, eastern Ethiopia: cross-sectional study
Authors: Tekola Abainash , Regassa Lemma Demissie , Berhanu Hiwot , Mandefro Miheret , Shawel Samrawit , Kassa Obsan , Roba Kedir Teji
Published: December 2024

Background

Adolescent eating disorders impair physical and mental development and are associated with poor health outcomes in adulthood. However, there is little research on disordered eating in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. As a result, the purpose of this study is to examine disordered eating behaviors and associated factors in secondary school adolescents in the study area.

Methods

A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1104 secondary school adolescents in Harar town from June 30 to July 15, 2022. Multistage cluster sampling was used, and data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The eating attitude test-26 was used to assess disordered eating behaviors, and scores of 20 and above were considered to have disordered eating behaviors. A binary logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with disordered eating behaviors and the statistical significance level was set at a p-value of 0.05.

Result

In this study, 28.37% [95% CI (25.73%, 31.16%)] of the adolescents had disordered eating behaviors. Being female [AOR = 1.81, 95% CI (1.29, 2.53)], being from a mother, attending technical school [AOR = 3.61, 95% CI: (1.85, 7.04)], and having a higher-educated father [AOR = 1.55, 95% CI: (1.02, 2.36)] were significantly associated with disordered eating behaviors. Furthermore, desire to lose weight [AOR = 2.09, 95% CI (1.49, 2.93)], smoking [AOR = 3.64, 95% CI (2.24, 5.91)], emotional problems [AOR = 1.7, 95% CI (1.14, 2.55)], and body image dissatisfaction [AOR = 0.96, 95% CI (0.94, 0.97)] were associated with disordered eating.

Conclusion

In Harar, almost three out of ten secondary school adolescents had disordered eating behaviors. Personal, behavioral, and socio-demographic factors were associated with disordered eating. Since the prevalence of disordered eating is significant at the study site, all relevant stakeholders should have to develop appropriate interventions that target modifiable factors to reduce the burden.
Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on neglected tropical diseases in India: a perspective
Authors: Zaidi Ilham , Vardha Jagadeeswari , Khayum Abdul , Anjum Sahifa , Chaudhary Shikhar , Bakshi Aditi , Gill Jasmeen Kaur
Published: December 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly challenged healthcare systems worldwide, particularly in India, a country already burdened with a high prevalence of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). This perspective examines the pandemic’s direct and indirect impacts on the prevalence, diagnosis, and management of NTDs in India. Using a narrative review approach, we analyzed literature published between January 2020 and September 2023 from databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, along with grey literature. The focus was on studies reporting the pandemic’s influence on NTDs, especially among vulnerable populations in both rural and urban settings. The review incorporated 49 studies, revealing a twofold impact of COVID-19 on India’s healthcare. Directly, the surge in COVID-19 cases strained healthcare resources, disrupted services, and overwhelmed healthcare personnel. Indirectly, the pandemic exacerbated the burden of NTDs by delaying diagnoses, limiting access to treatment, and redirecting resources toward pandemic response efforts. These findings highlight the urgent need for resilient healthcare strategies that address both the immediate and long-term impacts of the pandemic on NTDs. By understanding and mitigating these effects, policymakers and public health experts can better protect vulnerable populations from the compounded challenges posed by these neglected diseases.
Association between CLOCK gene polymorphisms with circadian rhythm, chrononutrition, dietary intake, and metabolic parameters in adolescents
Authors: Özata Uyar Gizem , Yıldıran Hilal , Teker-Düztaş Demet , Dalgic Buket , Karakaş Nazmi Mutlu , Çamurdan Mahmut Orhun , Ergin Filiz Başak , Ezgü Fatih Suheyl
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Circadian Locomotor Output Cycles Kaput (CLOCK) is one of the transcription factors from the positive end of the molecular clock and regulates biological rhythm in mammals. Studies have shown that genetic variations in the CLOCK genes are associated with chronotype, sleep patterns, obesity, dietary energy, and nutrient consumption. Although interest in the field of chrononutrition continues to increase, investigations into the temporal aspects of dietary habits in adolescents are notably limited. This study aims to investigate the relationship between CLOCK rs3749474, rs4580704, and rs1801260 polymorphisms and circadian rhythm, metabolic parameters along with chrononutrition in adolescents.

Materials and methods

This cross-sectional study included a total of 300 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18. Anthropometric measurements, dietary intake, chrononutrition, circadian as well as biochemical and lifestyle data were collected. CLOCK rs3749474, rs4580704, and rs1801260 gene polymorphisms were analyzed.

Results

The CLOCK rs3749474 minor T allele carriers showed a statistically significant increased risk of being overweight or obese (OR: 2.106, p = 0.003). The minor G allele carriers of the CLOCK rs4580704 indicated statistically increased dietary energy intake and eating jetlag (p < 0.05). The frequency of snacking after the last meal was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) z-scores in minor allele carriers of the CLOCK rs3749474 (β = 0.134, p = 0.003) and rs4580704 (β = 0.142, p = 0.012) variants. The minor G allele carriers of CLOCK rs4580704 revealed a negative link between breakfast frequency along with BMI z-scores (β = −0.178, p = 0.009). Individuals with the rs1801260 minor G allele showed a positive link between BMI z score and meal frequency (β = 0.367, p = 0.049). In CLOCK gene variants, minor allele carriers in addition to non-carriers had similar biochemical parameters and distribution of dietary intake at meal (p> 0.05).

Conclusion

These results suggest that the impact of some chrononutrition behaviors on BMI z-scores are partially modulated by the variability in the CLOCK gene variants. Chrononutrition may be important in the shift toward “personalized nutrition” based on gene-diet interactions. For this reason, new dietary approaches may be implemented, including the circadian distribution of macronutrients and chrononutrition behaviors according to genotype. However, studies with larger samples in different populations are needed.
The mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between health literacy, health status and psychological well-being among German trainees and students in nursing
Authors: Otto Ramona , Jürgensen Ivonne-Nadine , Nienhaus Albert , Koch Peter
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Health literacy is considered a determinant of several health-related behaviors and outcomes. Health literacy can be seen as a particularly relevant resource for health maintenance and promotion for young adults at the beginning of their challenging vocational training in nursing. However, the underlying mechanisms and the roles of other influencing factors such as self-efficacy remain unclear and need to be understood to successfully tailor interventions.

Methods

This cross-sectional study aims to examine the relationships between health literacy, self-efficacy, health behavior and health status among 556 German trainees and students in nursing. Data were collected using paper-pencil and online questionnaires between January and June 2021. Mediation models were assessed, consisting of the direct pathways between health literacy and health status; health literacy and health behavior; and indirect pathways via self-efficacy.

Results

The findings showed that health literacy positively affected self-rated health status (ß = 0.05, t = 4.35, p < 0.001) and psychological well-being (ß = 0.28, t = 3.34, p < 0.001). The effect of health literacy on psychological well-being was fully mediated through self-efficacy (Z = 265 4.91, p < 0.001) while the effect of health literacy on self-rated health status was partially mediated through self-efficacy (Z = 5.06, p < 0.001). In this cohort, there was no significant association between either health literacy or self-efficacy and health behavior.

Conclusion

Self-efficacy should be taken into account when investigating health literacy and its possible relationships with health-related outcomes. Furthermore, it should be considered as an objective for health literacy interventions as well as health promotion measures for nursing students and trainees.
HPV genotypes in invasive cervical cancer: prevalence, risk attribution, and optimized vaccine strategies in western China
Authors: Kou Yuling , Tang Xiao , Liang Dongni , Xie Chuan , Zeng Jing , Chen Meng , Fu Wenjing , Li Zhonghua , He Qingfeng , Liu Tianming , Wang Mei , Wang Wei , Wang Cheng
Published: December 2024

Background

Understanding the HPV genotype distribution in invasive cervical cancer (ICC) is essential for vaccine optimization. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of HPV genotypes in ICC tissues from patients in western China, with the aim of informing regional vaccine policy and prevention strategies.

Methods

DNA was extracted from 1,908 paraffin-embedded ICC samples, and 23 HPV genotypes were detected via PCR and reverse dot hybridization gene chip assays. The genotypic distribution of HPV infections was analyzed, the attribution of each HPV genotype found in multiple infection cases was calculated using the fractional contribution approximation. Furthermore, the cumulative attribution rates of HPV genotypes included in each vaccine combination were totaled to estimate the potential vaccination coverage of ICC across various histologic types and age groups.

Results

The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 94.9% (95% CI 93.8–95.8) among 1,908 women with ICC. HPV genotypes 16 and 18 were detected in 1645 of 1810 HPV-positive patients (90.9, 95% CI 89.5–92.1) of ICC. HPV16, 18, 33, 52, and 58 were detected in 1,749 patients (96.6, 95% CI 95.7–97.4), the five most common genotypes in different age groups. HPV genotypes contained in the 9-valent vaccine were detected in 1776 patients (98.1, 95% CI 97.4–98.7). By weighted imputation analysis, the cumulative attribution rates of the bivalent vaccine was 83.4%, and that of the nine-valent vaccine was 89.8%. Optimization group A included the five genotypes with the highest prevalence, HPV16, 18, 33, 52, and 58, with a cumulative attribution rates of 88.5%, and optimization group B included the nine most common HPV genotypes, HPV16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 52, 58, and 59, with a cumulative attribution rates of 90.5%.

Conclusion

Our comprehensive postsurgical analysis of HPV in ICC patients in western China revealed that the incorporation of the bivalent vaccine into the national program is cost-effective, with group A optimization closely matching the vaccination coverage of the 9-valent vaccine, which can be used to guide future prevention strategies.
Becoming a leader for underserved patients—the importance of student run free clinics
Authors: Cheney Ann Marie , Baltrushes Noah , Gehlbach Daniel , Navarro Armando
Published: December 2024

Many students enter medical school with aspirations of expanding healthcare to underserved communities and reducing healthcare access barriers; yet they lack the leadership skills to achieve this goal. This perspective discusses the role of student-run free clinics in developing medical students’ leadership abilities—problem-solving, partnership building, planning, decision-making, and resource acquisition—to address the healthcare needs of marginalized patient populations. It also discusses how fostering leadership skills in the context of serving underserved patients also develops medical students’ structural competency and thus awareness of how inequities embedded within hierarchies and social institutions shape health outcomes. We use the example of the development of the Coachella Valley Free Clinic, a student-led and community engaged primary care clinic, to illustrate how student-run free clinics create opportunities for medical students to build leadership skills while addressing the healthcare needs of marginalized patient populations. Medical students, working alongside community health workers and federally qualified healthcare centers, devised a “pop-up” clinic model aimed at delivering care that is both culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate, thereby addressing health disparities rooted in systemic inequality. As we argue, SRFCs create real-world settings where medical students can develop their leadership skills and understanding of inequities in health ultimately contributing to the broader goal of reducing health inequities by improving healthcare access for underserved patient populations.
Augmenting visual feedback with visualized interaction forces in haptic-assisted virtual-reality teleoperation
Authors: van den Berg Alex , Hofland Jelle , Heemskerk Cock J. M. , Abbink David A. , Peternel Luka
Published: December 2024

In recent years, providing additional visual feedback about the interaction forces has been found to offer benefits to haptic-assisted teleoperation. However, there is limited insight into the effects of the design of force feedback-related visual cues and the type of visual display on the performance of teleoperation of robotic arms executing industrial tasks. In this study, we provide new insights into this interaction by extending these findings to the haptic assistance teleoperation of a simulated robotic arm in a virtual environment, in which the haptic assistance is comprised of a set of virtual fixtures. We design a novel method for providing visual cues about the interaction forces to complement the haptic assistance and augment visual feedback in virtual reality with a head-mounted display. We evaluate the visual cues method and head-mounted display method through human factors experiments in a teleoperated dross removal use case. The results show that both methods are beneficial for task performance, each of them having stronger points in different aspects of the operation. The visual cues method was found to significantly improve safety in terms of peak collision force, whereas the head-mounted display additionally improves the performance significantly. Furthermore, positive scores of the subjective analysis indicate an increased user acceptance of both methods. This work provides a new study on the importance of visual feedback related to (interaction) forces and spatial information for haptic assistance and provides two methods to take advantage of its potential benefits in the teleoperation of robotic arms.
Estimating CO2 flows in urban parks: knowns and unknowns
Authors: Moinel Caroline , Kuittinen Matti , Hautamäki Ranja
Published: December 2024

The life cycle climate impacts of urban parks are poorly known. Whereas vegetation and soils can be carbon sinks, building products, energy use, and processes cause emissions. Several studies acknowledge the need for further assessment of urban parks, especially regarding vegetation, soil organic carbon, management and design, together with the development of supportive tools for climate-wise planning. To deepen our understanding of carbon flows of urban parks, we applied life cycle assessment (LCA) and studied the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and removals of five urban parks in Helsinki, Finland. The components of the parks were divided into four categories: site preparation, covering and surface structures, vegetation and growing media, and systems and installations. According to our findings, CO2 emissions ranged from 27.08 to 61.45 kgCO2e/m2 and CO2 removals from 11.35 to 16.23 kgCO2e/m2 with uncertainty. Planted woody vegetation and existing forested areas had the highest CO2 uptake among the vegetation types. Moreover, growing media caused on average 35% of total CO2 emissions. As significant volumes of growing media remain necessary to support the growth and establishment of plantings, finding less emission intensive alternatives to peat-based growing medium becomes essential. Other main emissions sources included transportation, and replacements of surface materials, but their dominance is highly dependent on the design, use and maintenance of the park. LCA offers a robust assessment framework for the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions and is evolving towards the including of greenhouse gas removals and storages. However, the inclusion of living organisms would require changes in the mindset of LCA. The level of maturity in the assessment methods differs significantly between the park components. Data and methods are especially lacking for nursery production, maintenance and end-of-life phases of vegetation, soils, and mulches. We also identified uncertainties regarding the estimations of CO2 uptake by woody vegetation, lawns, and meadows due to software limitations and lack of data for local context. Simulating dynamic plantings raises additional questions, together with the forecast of accurate meteorological conditions of a changing climate. This research highlights the need for more holistic life cycle assessment of urban parks to inform low-carbon landscape industries.
Water is the vessel through which we ride the waves of changing climates
Authors: Zimmermann Karl , Sancho Camila , Kumaran Varshaa , Kalam Sifat
Published: December 2024

Acting through water, climate change may affect livelihoods, societal structures, and political conflicts, hindering progress toward poverty reduction. Expanding on themes from the WEST Water Conference, this perspective paper considers how water insecurity from changing climates has unequal impacts within societies, water and gender roles, changing livelihoods, and shifting cultural norms. Opportunities are shared to build resilience into our future water systems. First, technologies are considered for tracking water availability, quality, and usage. Second, collaborating with nature to manage water builds into the idea of blue-green cities. And third, the route to community participation in managing resilient water systems is with an empowered population, made possible through a three-step process of Awareness, Education, and Resources.
Cognitive appraisals linking dispositional mindfulness to athletes' emotions: a multi-states theory approach
Authors: Robazza Claudio , Vitali Francesca , Bortoli Laura , Ruiz Montse C.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between dispositional mindfulness, cognitive appraisals, emotions, and psychobiosocial experiences in athletes within the framework of multi-states (MuSt) theory.

Method

A convenience sample of 334 Italian athletes (188 men and 146 women), aged 18–48 years (M = 24.77, SD = 7.26) and involved in individual or team sports, were recruited for the study. Athletes were assessed individually or in small groups before regular practice sessions.

Results

Path analysis showed positive indirect effects via challenge appraisal from mindful awareness and refocusing to excitement, happiness, and psychobiosocial experiences, and negative indirect effects to anxiety and dejection. Positive indirect effects were observed via threat appraisal from mindful awareness and refocusing to happiness and psychobiosocial experiences, and negative indirect effects to anxiety, dejection, and anger.

Conclusions

The results highlight the impact of mindful awareness, refocusing, and cognitive appraisals on athletes' emotional and psychobiosocial experiences. Overall findings support MuSt theoretical foundation and suggest that mindfulness may help athletes view challenges as opportunities to express their potential by triggering pleasant emotions and functional psychobiosocial experiences. From an applied perspective, the findings support the use of mindfulness practice in the development of programs to promote athletes' challenge appraisals, pleasant and functional emotional experiences, which may enhance their performance.
Partnerships for improved food safety: MESPT's engagements in effective pesticides governance and management in selected counties in Kenya
Authors: Akidiva Alex , Nyangori Godfrey , Kinoti Doreen , Amukhoye Rebecca
Published: December 2024

Pesticides continue to receive criticism due to their adverse impacts on the environment and human health, a food safety concern emanating from pesticide residues in food and the occupational pesticide exposure risks on farms. This usage has elicited increased attention from policymakers, consumer organizations, and the private and public sectors, pushing the authorities to strengthen pesticide governance and compliance. For instance, the East Africa Community (EAC) has borrowed heavily from the United States and European Union in revising its pesticide standards, which are currently under adoption among the six member states. The Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) in Kenya is at the frontline in the domestication and adoption of the EAC standards by developing new bills and reviewing regulations guiding pesticide usage. Furthermore, with agriculture being a devolved function, counties have woken up and are exploring avenues for promoting the wise use of pesticides. Counties are leveraging partnerships and multi-stakeholder collaboration to efficiently strengthen the pesticide policy-practice nexus. Micro Enterprises Support Program Trust (MESPT), a development organization in Kenya, is closely partnering with and building the capacity of 21 county governments to improve food safety and increase sustainable agricultural productivity through good agricultural practices (GAP) initiatives. This paper reviews the deliberate programmatic interventions by MESPT in facilitating investments within food safety control systems by key sector players. Furthermore, the paper highlights institutional efforts to strengthen farmer organizations to comply with and adapt sustainable agricultural practices that promote the reduced and safe use of pesticides in production. Through MESPT interventions, County Governments have established a functional food safety coordination mechanism and surveillance system backed by legal infrastructure. Additionally, the private sector has been capacitated on food safety compliance, thus influencing smallholder farmers to meet market standards, especially for formal markets. Across the counties, multi-stakeholder collaborations have been strengthened, fueling timely discussions on pesticide compliance toward improved food safety.
On willingness to pay and impact mechanism of green agricultural products: a case of shrimp rice in Hunan, China
Authors: Zhou Rongji , Yin Yuyan
Published: December 2024

The burgeoning interest in green agriculture represents a pivotal shift towards environmentally friendly farming systems but sales of its products have been poor. Therefore, guiding consumers to pay reasonably can help green agricultural enterprises formulate appropriate marketing strategies and enhance public health and environmental quality. This paper takes shrimp rice (SR) as an example, based on 1,158 consumers in the largest rice province Hunan, and seeks to detect which factors affect the public’s willingness to pay (WTP) by adopting the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) and Heckman two-step Model. After removing biased observations, the results show that most respondents recognize the value of SR, whose premium is 1.47 yuan/kg, with a 25.85% premium rate. Moreover, positive external cognitions (psychology, environment, safety, policy) can moderate consumers’ WTP to varying degrees by strengthening their corresponding motivations. In addition, older, highly educated men who are familiar with SR and high-income but small-scale households with children and the elderly are more likely to pay a higher premium. Hence, some recommendations are put forward to enhance consumers’ external cognitions, providing an indispensable scientific basis for developing countries to promote the sustainable development of environmentally friendly agriculture.
The evolution of precision agriculture and food safety: a bibliometric study
Authors: Xu Jiahui , Cui Yuanpei , Zhang Shuhan , Zhang Meiping
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Food safety issues pose a significant threat to humanity. Precision agriculture leverages advanced technologies for real-time monitoring and management, improving agricultural productivity and sustainability while safeguarding food security. Nonetheless, acquiring a thorough comprehension of this continually shifting panorama remains of vital significance.

Methods

This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric review of precision agriculture and food safety, utilizing quantitative methods to identify past, current, and future evolution. It includes citation, co-authorship, co-citation, and co-words analyses.

Results

Publications emerged in 1994 and began to rise significantly since 2019. Citation analysis verified influencing works and journals, whereas co-authorship analysis identified how authors, institutions, and countries collaborate in this field. Co-citation analysis then classified past and current hotspots into four clusters: remote vegetation monitoring techniques, technological innovations and agricultural decision-making, precision agriculture and sustainable development, and deep learning in agriculture. After that, the co-occurrence of keywords revealed emerging trends, such as precision cultivation and yield prediction, smart agricultural technology and food management, precision information for climate change adaptation, and precision agriculture and food security.

Discussion

The findings provide insights for scholars, policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and industry stakeholders. They guide future research directions and address pressing challenges in agriculture and food safety.
Factors affecting the adoption of blockchain technologies in the food supply chain
Authors: Mbadlisa Gcobisa , Jokonya Osden
Published: December 2024

With the rise in food insecurity, one of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals is to end hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture. This can be achieved through the strengthening and development of existing food systems. Integrating emerging technologies such as blockchain technology can help develop sustainable food systems. Blockchain technology allows the tracking and tracing of food items as they move through the supply chain. Blockchain technology also allows for low transactional costs at almost instantaneous applications. There is however a low adoption rate of blockchain technology amongst organisations in the food supply chain. The objective of the study was to explore factors that affect the adoption of blockchain technology in the food supply chain. The study adopted a quantitative research method that was guided by the technology, organisation, and environment Framework (TOE) to explore factors affecting blockchain technology adoption in the food supply chain. A systematic literature review was used for the study. Quantitative content analysis was used to analyse peer-reviewed articles. Results showed that TOE factors affect the adoption of blockchain technology in the food supply chain. Factors such as cost, scalability, firm size, and IT policy were noted as important factors affecting the adoption of blockchain technology in the food supply chain. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on factors that affect the adoption of blockchain technology in the food supply chain.
Optimization and test of the heating parts of gas-fired tea fixation and shaping machine
Authors: Wu Qilong , Yu Lei , Cao Chengmao , Qin Kuan , Jing Yi , Dai Yuhao , Guo Xinliang , Fan Lili , Zhang Junhao , Fan Chaoyue , Bi Haijun
Published: December 2024

Introduction

The uneven heating of the U-shaped multi-groove pot in gas-fired tea fixation and shaping machines results in inconsistent quality of tea leaves.

Methods

A three-dimensional model of the gas-fired tea fixation and shaping machine was established by using SOLIDWORKS software. With the use of ANSYS finite element software, the orthogonal experiment method was applied to analyze and optimize the design of the spacing arrangement, the shape of the heating parts, and the heat conduction temperature field.

Results

Results show that the optimized heating parts significantly reduce the temperature difference on the surface of the U-shaped multi-groove pot, and the surface temperature field of the multi-groove pot is more uniform, which greatly improves the efficiency and quality of fresh tea leaf fixation and shaping. Prototype temperature and tea sample fixation ratio tests verified that the optimized heating components significantly improved the temperature uniformity of the U-shaped multi-groove pot and the quality of the finished tea.

Discussion

The research findings provide insights for further improving the uniformity of the U-shaped multi-groove pot’s temperature in the tea fixation and shaping machine.
Intersecting epidemics: deciphering the complexities of tuberculosis-diabetes comorbidity
Authors: Araujo-Pereira Mariana , Vinhaes Caian L. , Barreto-Duarte Beatriz , Villalva-Serra Klauss , Queiroz Artur T. L. , Andrade Bruno B.
Published: December 2024

Within the global health landscape, tuberculosis (TB) presents an ongoing challenge, demanding innovative strategies for its control. This review spotlights the intersection of TB with diabetes mellitus (DM), recognized by the World Health Organization as a key risk factor in the TB epidemic. Particularly prevalent in low and middle-income nations, the TB-DM comorbidity drives up TB rates through a nexus of chronic inflammation. By delving into the epidemiological, clinical, and inflammatory dimensions, we elucidate the impact of TB-DM on patient prognosis and the multifaceted complications it introduces to disease transmission, diagnosis, and treatment protocols. Our synthesis aims to offer a fresh lens on TB-DM, fostering a nuanced understanding that could inform future healthcare policies and interventions.
Effects of Isalo scorpion cytotoxic peptide on growth, immune performance, and intestinal flora of yellow-feathered broilers
Authors: Wang Zhengli , Zhu Jianjun , Ma Yan , Liu Tingting , Chen Shuaihu , Gao Mingyang , Wang Sijia , Wang Jungang , Shen Hong
Published: December 2024

Introduction

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Isalo scorpion cytotoxic peptide (IsCT) on the growth performance, immune function, and gut microbiota of yellow-feathered broilers.

Methods

The experiment involved supplementing a corn-soybean meal-based diet with various dietary levels of IsCT. The experiment adopted a completely randomized design. A total of 240 one-day-old yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into six groups: a control group (CON), a chlortetracycline group (CTC), and four groups receiving a basal diet with 50, 100, 150, or 200 mg/ kg IsCT (IsCT50, IsCT100, IsCT150, and IsCT200). The trial period lasted 60 days.

Results

The results showed that the average final body weight and average daily weight gain of the IsCT150 and IsCT200 groups were significantly higher than those of the CON group (p < 0.05). Compared to the CTC group, the average daily feed intake in group III was significantly lower (p < 0.05). The feed conversion ratios of the IsCT150 and IsCT200 groups were significantly lower than those of the IsCT50 and CON groups (p < 0.05). Albumin levels in the CTC and IsCT150 groups were significantly higher than those in the CON, IsCT100, and IsCT50 groups. Alanine transaminase levels in the IsCT150 group were significantly lower than those in the IsCT50, IsCT200, CON, and CTC groups (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference compared with the IsCT100 group (p < 0.05). IgA levels in the IsCT150, IsCT200, and CTC groups were significantly higher than those in the IsCT50 group (p < 0.05). IgG levels in the CTC, IsCT100, IsCT150, and IsCT200 groups were significantly higher than those in the IsCT50 and CON groups (p < 0.05). 16S rRNA sequencing indicated significant differences in the caecal microbiota between the IsCT and CON groups (p < 0.05). The abundance of Bacteroidetes increased, whereas that of Firmicutes decreased in the IsCT groups; however, the difference was not significant (p < 0.05). The relative abundances of Actinobacteriota and Patescibacteria were significantly different in the IsCT100 group (p < 0.05).

Discussion

In conclusion, supplementing the basal diet with IsCT improved growth performance, immune function, and gut microbiota of yellow-feathered broilers at an optimal supplementation level of 150 mg/kg.
Optimizing Thermosetting Epoxy Asphalt with Styrene–Butadiene Rubber and Styrene–Butadiene–Styrene Modifiers for Enhanced Durability in Bridge Expansion Joints
Authors: Liu Xiaodong , Du Ben , Min Zhaohui
Published: December 2024

The high- and low-temperature performance of asphalt-based seamless expansion joints seriously affects road performance. The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of thermosetting epoxy asphalt-based materials in bridge expansion joints. The composite modification of asphalt was performed using Styrene–Butadiene rubber (SBR) and Styrene–Butadiene–Styrene (SBS) copolymer. The study then investigates the impact of five different dosages of SBR/SBS-modified asphalt on the performance of epoxy asphalt. The results of the cone penetration test, tensile test, and stress relaxation test of SBR/SBS-modified epoxy asphalt (SSEA) and BJ200 (a commercial Seamless expansion joint material) were comparatively analyzed. The Marshall test, rutting test, three-point bending test, and freeze–thaw split test were used to evaluate the road performance of SSEA mixtures. The test results show that with the increase in asphalt content, the shear resistance and tensile strength of SSEA decrease, and the low-temperature relaxation ability and elongation at break increase. The content of SBR/SBS-modified asphalt has a positive effect on the low-temperature performance of SSEA mixtures, and the residual stability in water and freeze–thaw splitting strength ratio (TSR) are higher than that of BJ200. Based on the requirement of balancing high and low-temperature performance, SSEA-3 has the best overall performance, and the dosage of SBR and SBS modifier is 12% and 2.5%, respectively. The ratio of epoxy resin, SBR/SBS-modified asphalt, and the curing agent is 1:4:1.6, and its use is recommended in areas with slight temperature differences.
Photovoltaic Short-Term Output Power Forecast Model Based on Improved Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise–Kernel Principal Component Analysis–Long Short-Term Memory
Authors: Cao Lan , Yang Haoyu , Zhou Chenggong , Wang Shaochi , Shen Yingang , Yuan Binxia
Published: December 2024

To solve the problem of photovoltaic power prediction in areas with large climate changes, this article proposes a hybrid Long Short-Term Memory method to improve the prediction accuracy and noise resistance. It combines the improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (ICEEMDAN) and kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) algorithm. The ICEEMDAN algorithm reduces the instability of the environmental factor sequence. The KPCA algorithm reduces the input dimensions of the model. LSTM performs dynamic time modeling of the multivariate feature sequences to predict the output PV power. The adaptability of the ICEEMDAN-KPCA-LSTM model is assessed with datasets from a PV plant in west China and evaluated by root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and R-squared metrics. Using 70% of the datasets for output PV power estimation, the results show a good performance, with an RMSE of 4.3715, MAPE of 8.9264%, and R-squared value of 89.973%. By comparing with other prediction models, the ICEEMDAN-KPCA-LSTM photovoltaic output power model outperforms other models.
Investigation of Fatigue Assessment Method for Glass Fiber Reinforced Composite Hull Structures Based on Stiffness Degradation
Authors: Li Kaiyan , Gao Guanyi , Feng Guoqing , Fan Yaozhong , Han Yiyang
Published: December 2024

A study was conducted on the fatigue assessment method for composite ship structures under complex marine environments, and a fatigue assessment method based on the principle of stiffness degradation was proposed. Fatigue tests were performed on the composite material of the target ship to obtain the stiffness degradation parameters under tension–compression loading. Four fatigue hotspot areas in the midsection of the hull were selected, and mesh refinement was applied to these locations to accurately capture the variations in stress gradients. The structural stress response transfer function was calculated, and the short-term and long-term distribution data of wave loads were obtained. Finally, the fatigue life of the target ship hotspots was predicted by combining spectral fatigue analysis with the stiffness degradation theory. The results indicate that the connection between the bulkhead stiffener and the inner bottom plate has the shortest fatigue life, and its dimensions were optimized.
Application and Analysis of the MFF-YOLOv7 Model in Underwater Sonar Image Target Detection
Authors: Zheng Kun , Liang Haoshan , Zhao Hongwei , Chen Zhe , Xie Guohao , Li Liguo , Lu Jinghua , Long Zhangda
Published: December 2024

The need for precise identification of underwater sonar image targets is growing in areas such as marine resource exploitation, subsea construction, and ocean ecosystem surveillance. Nevertheless, conventional image recognition algorithms encounter several obstacles, including intricate underwater settings, poor-quality sonar image data, and limited sample quantities, which hinder accurate identification. This study seeks to improve underwater sonar image target recognition capabilities by employing deep learning techniques and developing the Multi-Gradient Feature Fusion YOLOv7 model (MFF-YOLOv7) to address these challenges. This model incorporates the Multi-Scale Information Fusion Module (MIFM) as a replacement for YOLOv7’s SPPCSPC, substitutes the Conv of CBS following ELAN with RFAConv, and integrates the SCSA mechanism at three junctions where the backbone links to the head, enhancing target recognition accuracy. Trials were conducted using datasets like URPC, SCTD, and UATD, encompassing comparative studies of attention mechanisms, ablation tests, and evaluations against other leading algorithms. The findings indicate that the MFF-YOLOv7 model substantially surpasses other models across various metrics, demonstrates superior underwater target detection capabilities, exhibits enhanced generalization potential, and offers a more dependable and precise solution for underwater target identification.
Exploring Tonal Variation Using Dialect Tonometry
Authors: Sung Ho Wang Matthew , Prokić Jelena
Published: December 2024

Most research on dialectometry so far primarily focuses on European languages. Within these studies, analyses on the phonetic level predominantly focus on segments. A lack of studies on languages outside of Europe means that the variation in many lesser-studied languages, including tonal languages, is largely unknown. Tonal languages are languages which pitch is used as an indication in the lexical realisations in (at least some) morphemes, and over half of the world’s languages include lexical tones. Despite tones being the inseparable and unneglectable part of the majority of the world’s languages, there is only a handful of quantitative dialectometric studies on the dialectal variation in tonal languages. In this paper, we explore the phonetic and phonological variations in Yue, a lesser-studied tonal language spoken by around 80 million people in Southern China. Using a newly devised tone representation (modified Onset–Contour–Offset) combined with the Levenshtein distance, we explore the patterns of dialectal variation on the tonal level, as well as to what extent tonal variation correlates with segmental variation. Our results show that tones behave rather differently from segments, and thus, we illustrate that studying lesser-studied and tonal languages can contribute immensely to the study of dialect variation in general.
Effect of Laser Quenching on Wire–Powder Collaborative Arc Additive Manufacturing of Ti6Al4V-Cu Alloys with 2.4% and 7.9% Copper Content
Authors: Zhang Xingyu , Wu Weimin , Zhang Xiangxiang , Wang Yanhu
Published: December 2024

In this work, Ti6Al4V-Cu alloys with different Cu contents (2.4 and 7.9 wt.%) were fabricated using novel wire–powder synchronous arc additive manufacturing to analyze the effect of laser quenching on Ti6Al4V-Cu alloys. The results show that this method can successfully produce Ti6Al4V-Cu alloys with a uniform composition. As the copper content increased, the alloy transitioned from a Widmanstätten structure to a basketweave structure, and the yield strength and tensile strength of the alloy increased by approximately 35% due to grain refinement and the high volume fraction of Ti2Cu with eutectic lamellae. The microhardness of the alloys significantly increased after laser quenching, particularly for those with low copper contents (from 311 HV to 510 HV). Laser quenching also enhanced the corrosion resistance of the alloy in a 3.5% NaCl solution.
Renewed Minds and Redeemed Inheritance: Pauline Eschatology in Eph 4:17–32
Authors: Kingsley James Andrew
Published: December 2024

This article examines the eschatology in Eph 4:17–32 and argues that the section represents an understanding of “inaugurated eschatology” that is consistent with the undisputed letters of Paul. In the letter, believers are called to a metaphorical resurrection from the corruption and ignorance of the old self (2:1–3; 4:17–22) to a renewed life in the present modeled after the image of God (4:24) and guided by the truth in Jesus (4:21). With minds renewed as such, readers of Ephesians may “discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (5:10) as they “understand what the will of the Lord is” (5:17) in everyday decisions of character and conduct (e.g., 4:25–6:9). The “already” resurrection and renewed mind yet await the “not yet” resurrection of the final day. Indeed, the renewal of the mind anticipates further and final renewal of the whole person (i.e., mind and body) on the future “day of redemption” (4:30)—the day in which the present rising will be made complete as the physical body rises to die no more (cf. 1 Thess 5:2; 4:2; 2 Thess 1:10; 2:2–3; 2 Tim 1:12, 18; 4:8).
Advancing Grey Modeling with a Novel Time-Varying Approach for Predicting Solar Energy Generation in the United States
Authors: Zhou Ke , Zhao Ziji , Xia Lin , Wu Jinghua
Published: December 2024

This paper proposes a novel time-varying discrete grey model (TVDGM(1,1)) to precisely forecast solar energy generation in the United States. First, the model utilizes the anti-forgetting curve as the weight function for the accumulation of the original sequence, which effectively ensures the prioritization of new information within the model. Second, the time response function of the model is derived through mathematical induction, which effectively addresses the common jump errors encountered when transitioning from difference equations to differential equations in traditional grey models. Research shows that compared to seven other methods, this model achieves better predictive performance, with an error rate of only 2.95%. Finally, this method is applied to forecast future solar energy generation in the United States, and the results indicate an average annual growth rate of 23.67% from 2024 to 2030. This study advances grey modeling techniques using a novel time-varying approach while providing critical technical and data support for energy planning.
Leveraging Multiple Adversarial Perturbation Distances for Enhanced Membership Inference Attack in Federated Learning
Authors: Xia Fan , Liu Yuhao , Jin Bo , Yu Zheng , Cai Xingwei , Li Hao , Zha Zhiyong , Hou Dai , Peng Kai
Published: December 2024

In recent years, federated learning (FL) has gained significant attention for its ability to protect data privacy during distributed training. However, it also introduces new privacy leakage risks. Membership inference attacks (MIAs), which aim to determine whether a specific sample is part of the training dataset, pose a significant threat to federated learning. Existing research on membership inference attacks in federated learning has primarily focused on leveraging intrinsic model parameters or manipulating the training process. However, the widespread adoption of privacy-preserving frameworks in federated learning has significantly diminished the effectiveness of traditional attack methods. To overcome this limitation, this paper aims to explore an efficient Membership Inference Attack algorithm tailored for encrypted federated learning scenarios, providing new perspectives for optimizing privacy-preserving technologies. Specifically, this paper proposes a novel Membership Inference Attack algorithm based on multiple adversarial perturbation distances (MAPD_MIA) by leveraging the asymmetry in adversarial perturbation distributions near decision boundaries between member and non-member samples. By analyzing these asymmetric perturbation characteristics, the algorithm achieves accurate membership identification. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves accuracy rates of 63.0%, 68.7%, and 59.5%, and precision rates of 59.0%, 65.9%, and 55.8% on CIFAR10, CIFAR100, and MNIST datasets, respectively, outperforming three mainstream Membership Inference Attack methods. Furthermore, the algorithm exhibits robust attack performance against two common defense mechanisms, MemGuard and DP-SGD. This study provides new benchmarks and methodologies for evaluating membership privacy leakage risks in federated learning scenarios.
Text Data Augmentation Using Generative Adversarial Networks – A Systematic Review
Authors: Silva Kanishka , Can Burcu , Sarwar Raheem , Blain Frederic , Mitkov Ruslan
Published: December 2024

Insufficient data is one of the main drawbacks in natural language processing tasks, and the most prevalent solution is to collect a decent amount of data that will be enough for the optimisation of the model. However, recent research directions are strategically moving towards increasing training examples due to the nature of the data-hungry neural models. Data augmentation is an emerging area that aims to ensure the diversity of data without attempting to collect new data exclusively to boost a model’s performance. Limitations in data augmentation, especially for textual data, are mainly due to the nature of language data, which is precisely discrete. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) were initially introduced for computer vision applications, aiming to generate highly realistic images by learning the image representations. Recent research has focused on using GANs for text generation and augmentation. This systematic review aims to present the theoretical background of GANs and their use for text augmentation alongside a systematic review of recent textual data augmentation applications such as sentiment analysis, low resource language generation, hate speech detection and fraud review analysis. Further, a notion of challenges in current research and future directions of GAN-based text augmentation are discussed in this paper to pave the way for researchers especially working on low-text resources.