bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The magnitude and factors associated with chronic liver disease in Ethiopia: a cross- sectional study
Authors: Gage Beresa Lema , Gela Debela , Wurjine Teshome Habte 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background: Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a severe public health problem that affects 1.5 billion people globally. It was Ethiopia's seventh leading cause of death in 2019, with 24 fatalities per 100,000 people.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the magnitude and factors associated with medically confirmed chronic liver diseases among the adult population at selected public health hospitals in the West Arsi zone in 2022.
Methodology: An institution-based descriptive cross-sectional study design with a combination of structured interviews was employed from February 20, 2022, to July 6, 2022, G.C. There were 384 respondents selected using a systematic random sampling method. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with CLD.
Results: A total of 384 adult participants took part, and 100% of them responded. The magnitude of medically confirmed chronic liver disease among adults in the west Arsi zone is 60.2%, which is higher in males (37.26%). Having a family history of chronic liver disease (AOR = 5.23; 95% CI: 2.59–12.13), drinking more than 20 ml of alcohol per day (AOR = 13.53; 95% CI: 5.50–33.29), smoking cigarettes (AOR = 4.15; 95% CI: 1.70–10.14), chewing khat (AOR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.13–4.77), eating a high-fat diet (AOR = 3.97; 95% CI: 1.67–9.42), being infected with the viral hepatitis B and C virus (AOR = 18.15; 95% CI: 7.47–44.09), having comorbidities (AOR = 3.58; 95% CI: 1.65–7.77), using herbal medication (AOR = 9.84; 95% CI: 4.58–21.13), and being overweight (AOR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.05–6.11) all remained statistically significant.
Conclusions: The magnitude of medically confirmed chronic liver diseases in the western Arsi zone is 60.2%, which needs much more attention from the Ministry of Health and local authorities for prevention and interventions focused on behavioral changes, lifestyle modifications, and strengthening viral hepatitis screening activities to tackle these modifiable associated factors with consideration regarding family history of chronic liver diseases.
NeoGuider: neoepitope prediction using advanced feature engineering
Authors: Zhao Xiaofei , Wei Lei , Zhang Xuegong 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Neoepitope-based cancer immunotherapy depends on accurate prediction of patient-specific neoepitopes. Many candidate neoepitopes can be identified but their prioritization is challenging, resulting in poor effectiveness of existing methods. NeoGuider, our neoepitope prediction pipeline, detects neoepitope candidates from sequencing data and utilizes machine learning to prioritize and probabilistically classify the candidates to address the challenges, we developed a novel feature transformation in NeoGuider which uses adaptive kernel density estimation and centered isotonic regression to transform feature values into log odds. We studied the performance of NeoGuider on six cohorts, encompassing 43 patients with 168 immunogenic candidates. Experiments showed that it outperformed existing methods. NeoGuider is open-sourced at https://github.com/XuegongLab/neoguider.
SDV-HGNN: similarity-based dual view heterogeneous graph neural network method for drug adverse side effect prediction
Authors: Kumar Mayank , Ngom Alioune 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background: Drug adverse side effects (ASEs) significantly impact public health, healthcare costs, and drug discovery processes. As medication usage increases, effective management of drug side effects becomes crucial. Previ- ous research has focused on single-perspective drug features such as chemical structure or topological information from knowledge graphs. Recent approaches attempt to learn separately from molecular graphs and drug-side effect net- works, combining these representations for prediction. However, these methods often report limited performance metrics and may not fully capture the complex interplay between molecular structures and broader drug-side effect relationships.
Results: We propose a novel Similarity-based Dual View Heterogeneous Graph Neural Network (SDV-HGNN) for predicting drug adverse side effects. This approach simultaneously learns microscopic drug substructure features from the molecular graph and macroscopic features from a connectivity-enhanced Drug- adverse Side-effect Network (DSN). We introduced four additional edges between drugs and three between side effects using multiple context-specific similarity metrics. The problem is framed as a binary classification task within the context of link prediction on a graph. Our model demonstrated superior performance in 10-fold cross-validation (CV) using a benchmark dataset, achieving an AUROC of 0.8989 ± 0.0069, AUPR 0.9093 ± 0.0068, and F1 0.8261 ± 0.0056. The source code is available from GitHub at https://github.com/mayankkom-dev/ SDV-HGNN.
Conclusions: The SDV-HGNN model shows promising results in predicting drug adverse side effects by leveraging both microscopic and macroscopic features simultaneously. By reporting a comprehensive set of performance metrics, our study provides a more thorough evaluation of the model’s capabilities, addressing previous research limitations.
The influence of land use, microhabitat and aquatic insect subsidies on predatory riparian arthropod distributions.
Authors: Carlson Peter 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Agricultural land use effects to aquatic and riparian communities is complex and multifaceted, often resulting habitat degradation and biodiversity loss in riparian and instream ecosystems. This study correlatively evaluated predatory arthropod densities and species richness to abundance of potential prey (emerged aquatic insects and terrestrial dipterans), along an agricultural to forested land use gradient. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used as an effect size to measure affinity to prey and the ratio of predator to prey was calculated to indicate potential consumption capacity of prey. Results revealed that gradients in land use and microhabitat condition, distance from the stream, and season were important explanatory factors. Positive correlations between predatory arthropods and aquatic insect abundance were more apparent compared to terrestrial dipteran abundance, suggesting an overall preference of aquatic prey. However, positive correlations between predatory arthropods and adult aquatic insect subsidies were strongest in microhabitats with characteristics associated with higher moisture (e.g. greater soil organic matter and shade), particularly with increasing agricultural land use. In September, there was indication of reduced confinement to microhabitats, likely as an effect of seasonal elevated precipitation. Overall results of this study suggest that a limited tolerance to desiccation in predatory arthropods increases spatial confinement with agricultural land use and ultimately restricts access to adult aquatic insect subsidies. The findings of this study have implications for the pathways that adult aquatic insect subsidies enter into riparian food webs with consequences that cascade across trophic levels and larger spatial scales.
Petrology and Staining Analysis of Carbonate Rocks of A1 Well, Eastern Dahomey Basin, Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Agunsoye Omowunmi Idera , Adeigbe Olubunmi Christopher , Jokotagba Samuel Temitope 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Limestone, a soft rock, is known to be highly susceptible to various post-depositional diagenetic effects whose imprints are visible in hand specimens and more expressly in thin section studies. This study aims to provide a diagenetic assessment of the limestone in A1 well penetrating the Tertiary sediments of the Eastern Dahomey Basin through an integrated approach combining staining and petrographic analyses. A total of fourteen thin sections obtained from seven limestone intervals of the A1 well core samples were studied. The petrographic analysis reveals that the limestone is of biosparitic and biomicritic microfacies; and dominantly packstone classification with the imprints of certain diagenetic processes such as physical and chemical compaction, micritisation, neomorphism, and dolomitisation delineated. The staining analysis using the Alizarin Red-S and Potassium Ferricyanide composite test reveals the presence of calcite, ferroan calcite, dolomite and ferroan dolomite. The incorporation of iron into the carbonate minerals indicate that the A1 well has been subjected to late stage chemical diagenetic alterations and are not so pure for industrial use. Although ferroan dolomite is more expressed in the upper section, ferroan calcite occurs in all the sampled limestone intervals with scarce occurrence of pure calcite. Overall, the imprints of dolomitisation are delineated revealing greater dominance at the base of the column.
Optimized Bidirectional Power Flow Control in Grid-Connected Solar PV-Powered Water Pumping Systems
Authors: Krishnan Geethu , Sitbon Moshe , Vellayikot Shijoh 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

This paper presents a novel method for controlling the flow of electricity in both directions in an intelligent grid-interactive solar photovoltaic (PV) water pumping system. The water pump in the system is driven by a brushless DC (BLDC) motor without utilizing phase current sensors. This design makes it possible to run constantly at maximum capacity for a full day, no matter what the weather is like. Additionally, excess energy can be routed back into a single-phase electrical system when it's not in use. By using this system, users can optimize the use of the motor pump and the PV array, which increases the pumping system's dependability. A single-phase voltage source converter with a unit vector template generating technique facilitates bidirectional power flow regulation. This converter manages the power flow between the grid and the DC bus of the voltage source inverter (VSI), which powers the BLDC motor. PWM_ON_PWM switching is used by the voltage source inverter (VSI) to reduce torque fluctuations in the BLDC drive. Notably, in order to reduce switching losses, the VSI runs at the fundamental frequency. Furthermore, the system incorporates power factor correction, a reduction in the grid's total harmonic distortion, and the PV array's maximum power point operation, all of which enhance power quality. The effectiveness and dependability of the suggested system are illustrated by means of comprehensive MATLAB/Simulink. This work presents a comprehensive approach that offers major improvements in terms of operational flexibility, energy consumption, and power quality enhancement for bidirectional power flow management in solar PV-fed water pumping systems.
Highly porous Hastelloy-X nickel superalloy produced by a space holder approach: microstructure and mechanical properties
Authors: Bętkowska Aleksandra , Podsiadło Marcin , Polkowska Adelajda , Włoch Grzegorz , Polkowski Wojciech 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Highly porous nickel-based superalloys appears as attractive candidates to be applied e.g. as seals in gas turbine engines instead of honeycomb structures. Among various methods of producing open-porous materials, a space holder approach provides number of benefits regarding economic and ecological aspects of production. In this work, the pioneering results of microstructure and mechanical properties analyses of highly porous Hastelloy-X nickel superalloy produced by the space holder approach, are presented. The materials were fabricated by using spherical fine Hastelloy-X powders and carbamide particles as batch materials. Multi-step powder metallurgy and thermomechanical processing was applied to produce open porous samples having a total volumetric porosity of 50, 60 and 70%. The produced materials were subjected to non-destructive (X-ray computed tomography) and metallographic inspections. Mechanical properties of the porous Hastelloy-X samples were examined in static room temperature compression tests, to discuss the effect of obtained porosity on compressive response.
Do Personality Traits Really Impact Susceptibility to Persuasion in Social Engineering? A Study Among UK and Arab Samples
Authors: Muhanad Aya , Haris Raseena , Abouelezz Israa , Barhamgi Mahmoud , Ali Raian , K Khaled MD 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

This study investigates whether personality traits can predict and impact susceptibility to persuasion in potential social engineering scenarios. It also explores cultural differences in such susceptibility. Data was collected through an online survey with 651 participants (329 from the Arab Gulf countries and 322 from the United Kingdom). Personality traits were measured using a validated 10-item scale based on the Big-5 model. Cialdini’s six persuasion principles were employed as a conceptual framework. Participants were presented with 12 scenarios: six featuring the principles and six where the principles were neutralized. They were asked questions about their level of trust in the potential social engineer and their willingness to take risks. We analysed the data to identify differences in susceptibility between the two groups, and regression analyses evaluated the impact of personality traits on susceptibility. The findings reveal no significant difference in susceptibility to persuasion tactics between Arab and UK participants. Additionally, personality traits are weak predictors of susceptibility to persuasion in social engineering scenarios in both samples. Unlike existing studies, our method isolated personality traits and did not mix them with other predictors like age, gender, or competency. This approach allowed us to scrutinize their pure impact. Scenarios were carefully designed, and face validated to be around the same situation but present each principle alone while neutralizing other variables. Previous literature used heterogeneous scenarios, making it hard to pinpoint specific causes. Additionally, this study includes a cross-cultural component with participants from the Arab Gulf countries, a segment often neglected in research.
Effect of Electroacupuncture on Sensory Peripheral Nerve Function in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.
Authors: Kumar Syam , krishnan Gokula , Narasimman Prabu 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background: Diabetes, a chronic metabolic disorder, affects millions globally, with Type 2 diabetes being the most prevalent. Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication, characterized by symptoms such as pain, tingling, and numbness due to peripheral nerve damage. The global burden of diabetes has been rising, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In India, the number of diabetes cases is projected to reach over 134 million by 2045. Traditional treatments for DPN often have limited efficacy and adverse long-term effects, highlighting the need for alternative therapies.
Objective: This study aims to investigate the efficacy of electroacupuncture in improving sensory nerve functions in patients with DPN. Specific acupuncture points will be targeted to assess their impact on vibration perception, hot and cold perception, touch sensitivity, and skin temperature.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial will be conducted with 80 participants divided equally into an interventional group and a control group. The interventional group will receive electroacupuncture at specific points (ST44, ST36, ST43, K2, K3, BL60, SP9, and GB41) three times a week for 8 weeks. The control group will continue their usual routine and receive the treatment post-study. Primary outcomes will be measured using the NEURO TOUCH instrument to assess sensory thresholds and skin temperature. Secondary outcomes will include pain assessment using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Data will be analyzed using SPSS version 16.
Results: The study will evaluate the degree of sensory improvement in peripheral nerves and the effectiveness of electroacupuncture in reducing neuropathic pain. This research seeks to bridge the gap in understanding the mechanisms and efficacy of electroacupuncture in DPN treatment.
Conclusion: This study will provide significant insights into the potential benefits of electroacupuncture for DPN, offering an alternative approach to improve the management of this debilitating condition. The findings could inform future clinical practices and guidelines for DPN treatment.
Awareness and Implementation of Comprehensive Genomic Profiling and Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Support among Healthcare Professionals in Osaka, Japan
Authors: Nishida Tsutomu , Miyamoto Miwa , Yasuda Junko , Ninomiya Yukie , Kosugi Satoru , Mizuki Masao , Eguchi Hidetoshi , Imamura Hiroshi 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background
Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) and specialized support for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients are crucial yet underexplored areas of healthcare in Japan. This study investigated awareness of CGP testing and support for AYA cancer patients among healthcare professionals in Osaka.
Methods
An anonymous online survey was conducted from January 31 to March 31, 2024. The survey targeted all staff, including doctors, nurses, technicians, pharmacists, and others, from eight hospitals in the Toyono Medical Area Cancer Medical Network Council. The survey included questions on basic demographics, awareness of CGP testing, and support provided to patients with AYA cancer.
Results
Among the 720 respondents, 41.9% were aware of CGP testing, while 20.3% were unaware. Regarding AYA cancer, 60.7% were aware, and 14.3% were unaware. Only 7.5% had frequent contact with AYA patients, and 96.8% recognized the need for more training. Awareness of CGP was greater among doctors (72.5%) than among other professionals (34.4%); similarly, AYA cancer awareness was greater among doctors (73.9%) than among other professionals (57.7%). CGP awareness among doctors varied by experience year and institutional type, being highest in core and cooperative hospitals (80% and 78.6%, respectively) and among doctors with more than 21 years of experience (90%).
Conclusions
This study reveals significant gaps in CGP and AYA cancer awareness among healthcare professionals in Osaka, Japan, with doctors exhibiting higher awareness levels than other professionals. There is a pressing need for targeted educational programs to enhance the understanding and implementation of CGP and support AYA cancer patients.
Mini-Abstract
Significant gaps in genomic profiling and AYA cancer awareness exist among Osaka healthcare professionals, with doctors showing higher awareness. Targeted education is needed to improve understanding and support.
Assessment of the Environmental Impact and Awareness of Waste Disposal in Jos Metropolis Plateau State, Nigeria
Authors: Zitta Wuyep Solomon , Edward Yilni 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Rapid development and population growth have led to a surge in waste generation. Noncompliance with best practices for environmental waste disposal has led to escalating environmental impacts; however, this practice has drastic public health risks in the Jos metropolis. A random sampling method was used to administer questionnaires to 600 respondents. One hundred questionnaires were administered to the six settlements selected. Both descriptive and five-point Likert statistics were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that females are more engaged in environmental management than their male counterparts. There is inadequate awareness and education about waste disposal among respondents, distance to the point of disposal and inadequate disposal facilities are major factors influencing proper waste disposal. In addition, the findings indicated that respondents are knowledgeable that poor solid waste disposal creates a dirty environment, leads to pest infestations and spread diseases among communities. The results showed that respondents are aware that bad and offensive odors pollute the environment and hence affect their health. It is recommended that communities should be educated on proper waste disposal and its health impact and that environmental monitoring by ministries of health and the environment be conducted for physicochemical analysis of underground water which are closer to solid waste disposal sites to detect evidence of contamination. Monthly sanitation exercise should be reintroduced to curtail environmental contamination, strengthen waste collection and provide adequate containers within communities at short intervals, encouraging both the government and the private sector to increase recycling.
S100A7 as a predictive biomarker in malignant transformation of oral epithelial dysplastic lesions.
Authors: Soparlo Jeffrey , McLean Lachlin , McCord Christina , Jackson-Boeters Linda , Shimizu Michael , Robinson Michael , Tilakaratne Wanninayake , Darling Mark 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background: S100A7 expression is increased in oral epithelial dysplasias at risk of transformation to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The objective of this study was to evaluate S100A7 expression in dysplastic lesions which transformed and to correlate these results with the 3-tier and 2-tier dysplasia grading systems, and an S100A7 immunohistochemistry-based signature algorithm (S100A7 ARS).
Methods: Formalin fixed paraffin embedded specimens from 48 patients with dysplastic lesions that had transformed into OSCC were selected. Thirty-five patients with multiple biopsies of dysplasia which had not transformed, and 25 cases with normal appearing and/or hyperkeratotic oral mucosa were included as control groups. Specimens were stained for S100A7 protein by immunohistochemical methods. Expression of S100A7 was assessed semi-quantitatively and by image analysis for the S100A7 ARS.
Results: The semi-quantitative score had strong correlation with the S100A7 ARS and allowed differentiation of dysplastic lesions from the Control groups. The S100A7ARS was also useful in differentiation of dysplasias that transformed to carcinoma from non-transforming cases (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: S100A7 immunohistochemical staining and the S100A7 ARS has potential for identifying oral potentially malignant lesions that have an increased risk of malignant transformation.
Analyzing Heavy Metal Distribution in Wheat Grains: Insights from Spatial Kriging and Health Implications in Southern Iranian Oil Fields
Authors: Aibaghi Roza , Talepour Nastaran , Jorfi Sahand , Jaafarzadeh Neamatollah , Maraghi Elham , Birgani Yaser Tahmasebi 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

The present study addresses the pressing concern of heavy metal (HM) contamination in wheat grains, aiming to fill the existing research gap by investigating the spatial distribution of heavy metals and evaluating their health implications in southern Iranian oil fields. Using a quantitative approach, we sampled 50 wheat cultivation farms across the region and analyzed the concentrations of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) using inductively coupled plasma‒mass spectrometry. Our findings revealed alarming levels of heavy metals, with zinc exhibiting the highest concentration (averaging 30.169 mg/kg) and lead and mercury surpassing the FAO/WHO guidelines. Hg had the highest health quotient for both adults (HQ: 1.38) and children (HQ: 2.14). Cr (adults: 0.000236; children: 0.00038), followed by arsenic (adults: 0.000494; children: 0.00076), was identified as the primary carcinogenic heavy metal in this study. PCA revealed 48% of the total variance (attributed to As, Cr, Pb, and Hg), while the secondary factor explained 27.32% (associated with Cd, Zn, and Cu). The ordinary kriging interpolation highlights high HM levels in farms across the eastern, northeastern, and southwestern regions. Based on these results, we recommend urgent measures to mitigate heavy metal contamination in wheat grains, underscoring the critical importance of safeguarding food safety and public health.