bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of metal-on-carbon catalysts based on polyvinyl chloride and their investigation in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of n-pentanal
Authors: Chumachenko Yulia , Saybulina Elina , Muromtsev Ivan , Gulyaeva Tatyana , Trenikhin Mikhail , Gorbunova Oxana , Raiskaya Eugenia , Belskaya Olga 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

A porous carbon material (PCM) and series of porous cobalt-carbon composite materials (PCoCCMs) with different metal content have been synthesized by dehydrochlorination of polyvinyl chloride and mixtures of Co(NO3)2 with polyvinyl chloride, respectively, followed by carbonization and activation in CO2 flow at temperatures of 673 and 1173 K. These materials were used to obtain supported palladium catalysts. The effect of cobalt content on catalytic performance in the reaction of liquid-phase hydrogenation of n-pentanal was analyzed. It was found that all Pd/PCoCCMs samples with cobalt content of 18.5–64.2 wt%, with a minimum micropore number of 52–66% and that of surface acidic groups of 0.05–0.15 mmol g− 1 are more active than the Pd/PCM sample with a maximum micropore number of 88% and that of surface acidic groups of 0.30 mmol g− 1. The highest n-pentanal conversion of 96 wt% and 70 wt% selectivity to 1 − pentanol were obtained for a catalyst with cobalt content of 25.3 wt% at reaction time of 6 h, temperature of 353 K, and hydrogen pressure of 1.0 MPa. A multi-cycle experimental study of the catalyst showed its reduced activity and increased selectivity to the products of acetalization, self-condensation and etherification. In general, the results obtained open up prospects for creating catalysts based on the available synthetic organic raw material.
Suicidal thoughts and their relationship with sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in adults with Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Authors: Baldini Valentina , Varallo Giorgia , Liguori Rocco , Rapelli Giada , Stefano Ramona Di , Scorza Maristella , Rubichi Sandro , Ronchi Diana , Plazzi Giuseppe 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Background
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive motor and respiratory dysfunction. Psychological disorders, including depression and suicidal ideation, frequently accompany severe chronic illnesses; however, in the context of SMA, evidence is scant. This study aimed to assess the presence of suicidal thoughts among SMA patients and to explore their associations with sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and overall quality of life.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional survey involving 50 adults with SMA in Italy. Participants aged 18–65 with a confirmed genetic diagnosis of 5qSMA were asked to complete a set of questionnaires comprising the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36), and additional sociodemographic and clinical information.
Results
Complete data were obtained for 50 patients. The sample was stratified into two groups based on the presence or absence of suicidal thoughts, as indicated by the PHQ-9. Female gender was the most represented in the group with suicidal thoughts (70%) with a mean age of 40. Suicidal thoughts were significantly associated with PSQI (OR = 2.11, 95% CI 0.14–1.34, p = 0.002), PHQ-9 (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 0.12–0.36, p = 0.009) and SF-36 (OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.01-0.0, p = 0.007).
Conclusions
In conclusion, our findings demonstrate a significant relationship between poor sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation in adults with SMA. Specifically, individuals reporting poorer sleep quality were more likely to experience heightened depressive symptoms, which, in turn, were strongly associated with the presence of suicidal thoughts. These results highlight the importance of addressing both sleep disturbances and mental health issues in this population to mitigate the risk of suicidal thoughts and improve overall quality of life.
The Potential Benefits Ponds Offer as Nature-Based Solutions in the Rural Areas of Gwadar, Baluchistan: A Call for New Policy Directions
Authors: Ahmed Pazeer , Usmani Nadeem Ahmad 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

The rural ponds in Gwadar district provide clean drinking water for the local inhabitants and their livestock. They also serve as small-scale water storage, helping to prevent flash floods and providing a vital water source for agriculture in drought-prone rural areas. In this context, the current research assesses the vital role ponds play as nature-based solutions (NBS) in sustaining local communities, conserving biodiversity, and protecting the environment in the study area. The water source for the ponds was surface run-off, with a catchment area of less than 8 km2. The average depth was 1.95 m, the surface area was 10670 m2, and the pond volume was 11 acre-feet. Locals were interviewed about the details of ponds. In order to assess the quality of pond water, 26 water samples from different ponds were collected, and the physicochemical parameters (TDS, EC, and pH) of the pond water were recorded in situ. The TDS values of the samples rose from 170 mg/l to 1200 mg/l within an average of 463 ppm, and the EC values varied from 240 µS/cm to 1550 µS/cm within an average of 702 µS/cm, whereas the average pH was 7.4 and varied from 7.1 to 8. Analytical findings indicate that the pond water is fresh. Despite the longstanding role of ponds in supporting the local community of Gwadar for over a century and their potential use as NBS, these water bodies continue to receive almost no attention in provincial and federal water policy and environmental regulations in Baluchistan, Pakistan
Patient and Parent Satisfaction after Surgical Repair of Concealed Penis in Children
Authors: Mehrez Amr , Gamal Osama El , Omar Mohamed Adel , Elmaadawy Mohamed , Nagla Salah 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Background: Concealed penis in children is a morbid condition that needs special attention due to its negative psychological impact on both parents and patients. It represents a unique challenge due to the multifactorial nature of its etiology that requires different surgical approaches tailored to each case.
The aim of this study was to evaluate parents’ satisfaction after surgical repair of concealed penis in children.
Methods: The study was carried out on male patients, aged <18 years, diagnosed with concealed penis. All patients were subjected to repair of concealed penis. Adolescents and parents’ satisfaction were measured 3 months after concealed penis repair by 4 tools including a pre-validated questionnaire to evaluate outcome of the surgical treatment, the pediatric penile perception score for penile morphology, the patient’s global impressions of improvement scale, and rating the satisfaction with the final penile appearance by an expert independent urologist.
Results: There was a significant negative correlation between the age of children and the global impressions of improvement (r=-0.358; P=0.038) (better levels of parents’ satisfaction are associated with lower age group of children). The mean exposed penile length was significantly higher after surgical correction of concealed penis (P = <0.001). Postoperative satisfaction with penile morphology according to obesity and circumcision before surgical repair was significantly different between patients (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Surgical repair of concealed penis is generally safe and feasible with high rate of excellent surgical outcomes. It has good functional and cosmetic results with low rate of postoperative complications and achieve high grades of parents satisfaction.
Analysis method for operating error of electric energy meter based on improved fruit fly algorithm model
Authors: Xingliang Cheng , Mingli Zhou , Xiaojun Li , Tongyang Zou , Siyu Men , Lin Chen 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

In order to improve the error analysis ability of electricity meters, this study proposes an improved fruit fly algorithm model. optimizes the parameters and weights of the long and short-term memory network through the fruit fly algorithm, which can improve the accuracy and The model optimizes the parameters and weights of the long and short-term memory network through the fruit fly algorithm, which can improve the accuracy and ability of electricity prediction; Attention mechanism is introduced in LSTM neural network to screen for more influential error causes. experimental results show that the operating error of the electric energy meter using this method is less than 5%, and the testing accuracy can reach 99.32%. The experimental results show that the operating error of the electric energy meter using this method is less than 5%, and the testing accuracy can reach 99.32%.
Prevalence and predictors of caesarean section delivery among pregnant women delivering at a tertiary hospital in South-Western Uganda: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Agaba Adam , Ategeka Emmanuel , Mfitumukiza Valence , Nyeko Filbert , Namyalo Desire , Mary Amito Paula , Tamu Munezero , Okafor Christiana Nkiru , Daniel Nyanzi , Napyo Agnes 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Background

Caesarean section delivery has played a key role in reducing maternal and perinatal mortality when offered where it is medically indicated. Caesarean section delivery rates have risen over the last 3 decades across the globe making this a public health concern. Reasons for these high rates are not known especially for South-western Uganda. We therefore aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of caesarean section delivery among women delivering at a tertiary Hospital in South-western Uganda.
Methods
This cross sectional study was done between 1st September and 30th November 2023. We reviewed and abstracted secondary data from the from the Uganda health management information system including the Integrated Maternity Register coded as HMIS 072 in the maternity ward at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, in south-western Uganda. We abstracted data on maternal-related factors including socio-demographic – and pregnancy-related characteristics as well as foetal-related characteristics Data were analysed using Stata version 14.0 (StataCorp, College Station, Texas, USA.). We estimated adjusted prevalence ratios using modified Poisson regression models.
Results
The prevalence of caesarean section delivery in this study is 47.9% (n=457/955) (95%CI: 44.6% - 51.1%). The indications for a caesarean section were previous uterine scar, prolonged labour, foetal distress, premature rupture of membranes, and inadequate pelvis among others. Predictors for caesarean section delivery include: 1) maternal-related characteristics included: having attained a tertiary level of education (APR=0.74, 95%CI: 0.55 – 0.96), having a careered profession (APR=1.37, 95%CI: 1.05 – 1.77), belonging to other ethnic groups that are not predominant in the study setting (APR=1.33, 95%CI: 1.09 – 1.64). 2) foetal-related factors included: multiple pregnancy (APR=1.89, 95%CI: 1.43 – 2.48) and foetus in a position other than the left or right occipital anterior (APR=1.81, 95%CI: 1.18 – 2.78)
Conclusions and recommendations.
The prevalence of caesarean section remains alarmingly high. We recommend that keen attention should be given to pregnant women during health education especially those that do not understand the predominantly used language during the sessions. We also recommend caesarean section audits done for all women that have been referred from lower health facilities to deliver at this tertiary hospital especially for women with a previous uterine scar
Generative Image Steganography Based on Point Cloud
Authors: Zhong Yangjie , Liu Jia , Liu Meiqi , Ke Yan , Zhang Minqing 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

In deep steganography, the model size is usually related to the underlying mesh resolution, and a separate neural network needs to be trained as a message extractor. In this paper, we propose a generative image steganography based on point cloud representation, which represents image data as a point cloud, learns the distribution of the point cloud data, and represents it in the form of a continuous function. This method breaks through the limitation of the image resolution, and can generate images with arbitrary resolution according to the actual need, and omits the need for explicit data for image steganography. At the same time, using a fixed point cloud extractor transfers the training of the network to the point cloud data, which saves the training time and avoids the risk of exposing the steganography behavior caused by the transmission of the message extractor. Experiments prove that the steganographic images generated by the scheme have very high image quality and the accuracy of message extraction reaches more than 99%.
Chronic intermittent hypoxia exacerbates isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis
Authors: Zhang Yujie , Zhang Ming , Jiang Hongfeng , Fang Fang 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Background
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is marked by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) and is associated with multiple cardiovascular complications. Isoproterenol (ISO) is commonly used to induce cardiac hypertrophy. However, the impact of CIH on ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling remains unclear.
Methods
Cardiac hypertrophy was induced in mice using ISO, with or without CIH. Echocardiography was performed to assess cardiac functions, while histological analyses were employed to evaluate the physiological modifications in the heart. Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR were used to evaluate the protein and mRNA gene expression levels, respectively. Additionally, immunofluorescence was employed to observe the morphological changes in H9C2 cells.
Results
CIH exacerbated ISO-induced cardiac dysfunction and cardiac pathological alterations in mice. The expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was elevated in both mice and H9C2 cells in the CIH + ISO group. Additionally, CIH worsened the inhibitory effects of ISO on cell proliferation.
Conclusions
CIH exhibits a negative effect on ISO-treated mice, leading to an exacerbation of cardiac hypertrophy, remodeling, and apoptosis.
Excess iodine promotes papillary thyroid carcinoma through the AKT/mTOR pathway
Authors: Liu Siyu , Ding Peisen , Yu Xiaomeng , Xing Zhilei , Cui Yushan , Liu Hongliang 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

The incidence of thyroid cancer in the world is increasing year by year, among which PTC accounts for more than 80%. Iodine is an essential trace element for thyroid hormone synthesis, but the relationship between excessive iodine and thyroid cancer is not clear. This study assumes that high iodine intake is related to the occurrence of thyroid cancer, and may affect the cell cycle through AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and promote the progress of cancer. The human PTC cell line TPC-1 was treated with different concentrations of potassium iodide (KI) to evaluate its effect on cell proliferation and migration. The results showed that an appropriate concentration of KI (such as 10-3 mM) could significantly enhance the proliferation of TPC-1 cells, and a high concentration of KI(≥1 mM) might inhibit cell proliferation. In addition, the expression of key proteins in the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway (such as p-AKT, p-mTOR, p-P706k) was up-regulated in TPC-1 cells treated with high iodine, indicating that the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was activated. After the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway inhibitor LY294002 was used, the cell proliferation and migration ability decreased significantly, and cell cycle analysis showed that more cells treated with high iodine entered the S phase, while the proportion of cells in the G1 phase increased after LY294002 treatment. To sum up, this study provides preliminary evidence that an appropriate amount of KI affects cell proliferation and migration by activating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and inducing Cyclin D1 overexpression, thus promoting the development of PTC cell line TPC-1. This study is of great significance for understanding the relationship between excessive iodine intake and thyroid cancer and developing new prevention and treatment strategies.
The Aerodynamics of Sharp- and Filet-Edged Cylinders in High Supersonic Flow
Authors: Duchene Travis , Laurence Stuart 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

To develop a physical understanding and accurate trajectory models for atmospheric re-entry objects like space debris, the influence of the flight attitude on the aerodynamic coefficients of cylindrical bodies in high-speed flow is of interest. Experiments were conducted in a Mach-4 Ludweig tube at The University of Maryland to study the aerodynamics of cylinders with varying aspect ratios and edge sharpness. A free-flight technique with a high-speed object tracking apparatus was used that allows unconstrained model motion, free of any sting interference, over a full range of angle of attack. A piece-wise analytic function for the model outline combined with a subpixel edge-detection routine allowed measurements of the aerodynamic coefficients based on the 4-degrees-of-freedom model motion. Experimental results were compared to modified Newtonian flow solutions, with generally good agreement. The influence of the angle of attack on the aerodynamic loading was determined to vary strongly according to the aspect ratio and edge radius. In the case of sharp-edged cylinders, increasing the aspect ratio led to an increase in both the flight region for positive lift and larger regions of dynamic stability. By adding curvature to the cylinder base edges, the location of the statically stable trim points occur at the fully-base-exposed and fully-body-exposed orientations. It was also found that the flight attitude region for which the cylinder was dynamically stable was expanded due to the addition of edge curvature. Further, as the aspect ratio was increased for these curved edged cylinders, the magnitude of the moment coefficient increased noticeably.
Emotion Identification Among Typically-Developing Children and Children with Autism May be Facilitated by Environmental Contexts
Authors: Kline Nathan T. , Blumberg Fran C. 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Purpose This study, which was a follow-up to a previous work with young adult participants, examined whether the visual information provided by extra-facial stimuli (i.e., human bodies and contextual surroundings) affected emotion-identification accuracy among TD children and children with an autism spectrum disorder.Methods Participants were 25 children with autism spectrum disorder (Mage = 8.72) and 25 typically-developing children (Mage = 8.08), who identified emotions (fear, anger, disgust, happiness, sadness, surprise) from photographs. Stimuli developed in a previous study were used, which included head-only, whole-body, and whole-body-in-context (e.g., a person in a store) visuals. Participants viewed the images on a computer and identified the emotions.Results Findings showed that mean emotion-recognition accuracy among both typically-developing children and children with autism was the highest on whole-body-in-context images and lowest on head-only images. Typically-developing children significantly outperformed the children with autism on head-only and whole-body images. No significant differences between groups on whole-body-in-context images were found.Conclusion These findings indicate that emotion recognition in both typically-developing children and children with autism may be facilitated by extra-facial visual information. These results may have implications for real-world skill application and future measurement and interventions, especially for those with ASD.
Application of PGRs improves the grain size of Eragrostis Tef by optimizing tiller production
Authors: Girmay Fano Dargo , Flavel Richard J. , Nonhebel Heather M. 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Eragrostis tef is a small annual cereal crop that naturally produces many tillers. In the past, there has been a focus on selecting for high tillering. However, having many tillers can negatively impact grain size, increase lodging, and result in uneven grain maturation. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using plant growth regulators (PGRs), synthetic strigolactone (GR24) and 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) to reduce tillering and observe their effects on grain size and yield components. The reduction in total tiller number through the application of GR24 and NAA resulted in larger grains, increased thousand-grain weight (TGW), and higher yield per panicle. The GR24 and NAA treatments led to a 12% and 8% increase in grain size and a 20% and 14% increase in TGW, respectively. Although grain yield increased with reduced tiller number, a significant reduction in tiller number could lead to lower grain yield. The application of GR24 and NAA significantly reduced the rate of tiller emergence but did not completely stop tillering. The effect of PGRs was only temporary and limited to the application period; after the treatment ceased, many tiller buds were activated and elongated. Early application of PGRs when the plant had 2-4 tillers and more frequent and longer duration of application resulted in a significant reduction in total tiller number. This suggests that large-scale application of SL and auxin on farmers' fields may not be economical. Therefore, identification of tiller inhibition genes or genetic modification leading to increased SL production or activation of SL downstream could be effective in teff.
A Novel Framework for Adaptive Neural Contextual Modulation in Large Language Models
Authors: Higasigi Hiroto , Nagamori Tatsuya , Kuroyanagi Takumi , Toyokawa Ryunosuke , Higashiyama Shoma , Komatsu Haruto 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Modern artificial intelligence systems have faced persistent challenges in adapting dynamically to evolving linguistic contexts, particularly in tasks requiring precision and domain-specific comprehension. Adaptive Neural Contextual Modulation represents a novel framework designed to overcome such limitations through the introduction of auxiliary neural pathways that dynamically recalibrate attention mechanisms to maintain contextual coherence and semantic alignment. The approach integrates seamlessly into transformer architectures, achieving enhanced adaptability without significant computational trade-offs. Rigorous experimental validation demonstrates its superiority across benchmarks, including improved performance in cross-domain generalization, contextual reconfigurability, and long-form text coherence. These results suggest the potential of the proposed framework to redefine the adaptability of language models, paving the way for their application in increasingly complex and specialized scenarios.