bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microstructural features of weathered tailings in the Northern Chile
Authors: Gerding Javiera , Novoselov Alexey A. , Kelm Ursula , Nilo Bianca T. Guggiana , Morales Juan 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

The mining industry in Chile concentrates in the northern part of the country, mostly covered by desert landscapes, including the Atacama Desert and its adjacent areas. Their arid and semi-arid climates cause the predominance of eolian weathering on tailing surfaces. The tailing dust transported by wind is a main factor of metal contamination in the vast areas surrounding mining waste repositories. In this context, we studied with Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis the microstructural characteristics of tailings from the Domeyko and Delirio impoundments exposed to wind erosion under contrasting humidity regimes. Both sites are located near urban areas and have been abandoned for more than 30 years. Pyrite together with other sulfides trigger the acidification of the system and the activation of the dissolution processes. The proportion between pyrite, pH compensating silicates such as feldspars and water available in the adjacent pores controls the development of three main alteration patterns in the tailings column. Unaltered feldspars, secondary iron hydroxides or jarosite dominate in the mineral makeup of the matured tailings. Considering BET characteristics, those mineralogical clusters differ by the reactive surface area that links directly to the volume of micropores and mesopores. Microstructural features like bottleneck, plate and cylindrical pores correspond to the specific alteration patterns. Cylindrical pores do not form in the Feldspar cluster, but they are common in samples of the Jarosite cluster. Otherwise, bottleneck-shaped pores, typical for the tailings not affected by chemical transformations, are rare in the Jarosite cluster. Both bottleneck and cylindrical pores are not found in the sulfate crusts. At the more acidic levels, typical for the Jarosite cluster, the smallest pores are destroyed reducing the reactive surface area. The plate-shaped pores formed in goethite store toxic metals. On the other hand, in the Jarosite cluster, gypsum shares microstructural features linked to the adsorption of hazardous elements. The development of sulfate crusts inhibits the reactivity and shields the tailing surfaces affected by the acid weathering, although sulfate minerals may accumulate toxic metals in their structure. The BET analysis complements the chemical, mineralogical and granulometric properties of abandoned mining waste deposits and improves our understanding of the eolian transport of tailing dust in desert climates.
Effects of damming, seasonality and different environments on reservoir phytoplankton
Authors: Castro Luana Silva , Silva Idelina Gomes , Dunck Bárbara 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Reservoirs transform the physical, biological and chemical characteristics of rivers, altering their flow dynamics and the availability of nutrients. After a river is dammed, the species composition in the reservoir and its tributaries tend to change in response to the new conditions which are generated. This work investigates the tributary rivers and sites along the main channel of the Tocantins River’s middle course. The study was conducted between 2009 and 2013 in the pre- and post-dam periods to evaluate the effects of the dam on phytoplankton. The area of study was located along the middle course of the Tocantins River, where the Estreito hydroelectric power plant is found. The variables of ammonium, nitrate and inorganic phosphorous were those that most contributed to the environmental variation post-damming. The richness in classes of phytoplankton was higher during the pre-dam period, the dry season, and in the environment of the river’s main channel. The classes which stood out the most were Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae and Cyanophyceae. We verified that damming the Tocantins River negatively affected the phytoplankton communities, reducing their richness and density in the post-dam period. The results showed that the species with the largest contributions to beta diversity were found to be the most common and abundant ones, suggesting that the damming of the Tocantins River has led to the loss of sensitive and specialist species.
Short term Quality of life outcomes of Metabolic/Bariatric surgery tourism; a single-centre survey-based study
Authors: Khan Haseeb Javed , Ghumman Abdul Kamil , Yunus Tahir , Tariq Nabil , Nimeri Abdelrahman 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background
Global obesity is a pervasive issue, affecting one in three adults by 2013. Metabolic/bariatric surgery (MBS) addresses weight loss needs but faces challenges in accessibility. MBS tourism, driven by factors like cost and wait times, constitutes 2% of global MBS volume, presenting ethical concerns.
Methods
A cross-sectional study at Evercare Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan, with patients who met the inclusion criteria and had MBS between June 2020 and September 2023 at the hospital by a single surgeon. Data was collected via a self-administered Google Forms questionnaire, including demographics, weight changes, and the Bariatric Quality of Life Index (BQLI), providing insights into impact of surgery on diverse patient groups. Statistical analysis was performed with significance set at p < 0.05. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used for comparisons along with correlation tests.
Results
38.9% patients (105/270) responded to the questionnaire. The study included 105 patients MBS (69 local and 36 medical tourism). We found no significant difference in QOL, TWL%, BMI change, or post-surgical follow-up duration between MBS tourism patients and native patients. Both groups showed significant weight and BMI reductions (p < 0.001). A positive correlation was observed between TWL% and BQLI scores (r = 0.25, p = 0.01), and post-MBS quality of life was better in younger patients (r = -0.32, p < 0.001). Satisfaction rates were 75% for tourism patients and 59.4% for native patients.
Conclusion
MBS tourism offers comparable outcomes to MBS performed in home countries, suggesting that it can be a viable option for patients facing accessibility issues. Ensuring ethical practices and patient satisfaction remains crucial.
Research on the resonance of photodiode with a collector for terahertz communication
Authors: Tan Shuhu , Huang Yongqing , Wamh Xuejie , Yang Mingxi , Ye Jihong , Duan Xiaofeng , Liu Kai , Ren Xiaomin 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

In this paper, we find that utilizing the resonance of photodiode with a collector can lead to a flat frequency response within the terahertz frequency range. To enhance the resonant peak output power, we propose a large-sized terahertz band photodiode (TB-PD) features a depleted absorption layer made of 400 nm InGaAs material. Operating under a bias of -4 V and an optical intensity of 1.5e5 W/cm2, the 20-µm-diameter TB-PD exhibits a 3dB flatness in the frequency range of 275 GHz ~ 437 GHz and − 4.6 dBm@340GHz of the output power.
Identifying Importation and Asymptomatic Spreaders of Multi-drug Resistant Organisms in Hospital Settings
Authors: Prakash B. Aditya , Cui Jiaming , Heavey Jack , Klein Eili , Madden Gregory , Vullikanti Anil 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) due to multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) are a significant burden to the healthcare system. Patients are sometimes already infected at the time of admission to the hospital (referred to as “importation”), and additional patients might get infected in the hospital through transmission (“nosocomial infection”). Since many of these importation and nosocomial infection cases may present no symptoms (i.e., “asymptomatic”), rapidly identifying them is difficult since testing is limited and incurs significant delays. Although there has been a lot of work on examining the utility of both mathematical models of transmission and machine learning for identifying patients at risk of MDRO infections in recent years, these methods have limited performance and suffer from different drawbacks: Transmission modeling-based methods do not make full use of rich data contained in electronic health records (EHR), while machine learning-based methods typically lack information about mechanistic processes. In this work, we propose NeurABM, a new framework which integrates both neural networks and agent-based models (ABM) to combine the advantages of both modeling-based and machine learning-based methods. NeurABM simultaneously learns a neural network model for patient-level prediction of importation, as well as the ABM model which is used for identifying infections. Our results demonstrate that NEURABM identifies importation and nosocomial infection cases more accurately than existing methods.
Prediction of the gastric precancerous risk based on deep learning of multimodal medical images
Authors: Ma Changzheng , Zhang Peng , Du Shiyu , Li Shao 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Effective warning diverse gastritis lesions, including precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC) and Non-PLGC, and progression risks, are pivotal for early prevention of gastric cancer. An attention-based model (Attention-GT) was constructed. It integrated multimodal features such as gastroscopic, tongue images, and clinicopathological indicators (Age, Gender, Hp) for the first time to assist in distinguishing diverse gastritis lesions and progression risks. A longitudinal cohort of 384 participants with gastritis (206 Non-PLGC and 178 PLGC) was constructed. These two baseline groups were subdivided into progressive (Pro) and Non-Pro groups, respectively, based on a mean follow-up of 3.3 years. The Attention-GT model exhibited excellent performance in distinguishing diverse gastritis lesions and progression risks. It was found that the AUC of Attention-GT in distinguishing PLGC was 0.83, significantly higher than that of clinicopathological indicators (AUC = 0.72, p < 0.01). Importantly, for the patients with baseline lesions as Non-PLGC, the AUC of Attention-GT in distinguishing the Pro group was 0.84, significantly higher than that of clinicopathological indicators (AUC = 0.67, p < 0.01), demonstrating the value of the fusion of gastroscopic and tongue images in predicting the progression risk of gastritis. Finally, morphological features related to diverse gastritis lesions and progression risk, respectively, were identified in both gastroscopic and tongue images through interpretability analysis. Collectively, our study has demonstrated the value of integrating multimodal data of medical images in assisting prediction of diverse gastritis lesions and progression risks, paving a new way for early gastric cancer risk prediction.
The taxonomy of human goals in technology development: supporting needs of long-term care recipients and their caregivers in finding and accessing appropriate care
Authors: Heijster Hanneke van , Calis Julia van , Liebrecht Christine , Bol Nadine , Antheunis Marjolijn , Muller Michael , Cruijsen Anneke van der , Tromp Emilie , Bevelander Kirsten 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background. Digital health innovations increase the options to enhance care practices, such as providing support in the complex task of organizing timely and appropriate care for long-term care recipients. Aiming to provide directions for technology development, this study investigated the needs of care recipients, specifically those facing cognitive challenges. We used a taxonomy of human goals to identify what long-term care recipients and caregivers value regarding care and support.
Method. Ten focus groups with 36 participants (23 care recipients and 13 caregivers) were conducted. Data were analyzed through a hybrid approach to thematic content analysis. The taxonomy of human goals served as a deductive framework, whereas inductive coding was applied to derive main themes and subthemes, elucidating the needs underlying the identified human goals.
Results. Three overarching human goals emerged from the analysis: 1) Tranquility, 2) Self-determination, and 3) Social responsibility, with 18 human goals clustered under the overarching goals. Five main themes underlying the overarching goals provided a comprehensive understanding of the needs and desired outcomes for technology use. Additionally, two new human goals were identified: 4) Connectedness and 5) Being understood.
Discussion. The existing taxonomy should be expanded with the newly identified human goals to enhance the representation of more vulnerable populations such as long-term care recipients. Moreover, various directions for technology are discussed, including the potential of a virtual assistant (i.e., conversational agent) sensitive to the different needs of long-term care recipients and caregivers.
Understanding potential determinants of menstruation-related school absenteeism in Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Hirai Mitsuaki , Kushner Cindy , Shirihuru Nesbert , Chagwiza Godfrey , Mavi Tariro , Munyaka Moreblessing , Mwenda John , Midzi Nicholas , Nyamandi Victor 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) plays a vital role in protecting the dignity, safety, privacy, and wellbeing of girls and women. In low- and medium-income countries, students often face challenges to manage their menstruation in schools. In 2019, Zimbabwe conducted the first national formative research to inform MHH programming in schools. This study conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the national formative research to explore potential determinants of menstruation-related school absenteeism in Zimbabwe. The analysis included 1,393 students from 50 schools, and the main outcome variable measured if students ever missed school due to menstruation. Multivariate analysis employed nested logistic regression models after controlling for the complex survey design. The results revealed that 20.6% of students had ever been absent from school due to menstruation-related issues. Students' age, challenges with concentration, physical sickness, and pain were significantly associated with school absenteeism in this context. Presence of a reliable school water source and availability of adequate handwashing resources at sanitation facilities were protective factors. The evidence-based MHH programming can be further advocated and scaled up to promote students' good health and wellbeing, maximize their educational opportunities, and develop their fullest potential in life.
Assessing the Stability of Clusters of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Scarfo Sara , Moshfeghi Yashar , McGeown William J. 
Published: July 2024

Aim:
The aim of the study was to investigate the factors that underpin neuropsychiatric
symptoms and how they might evolve over time in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia.

Background:
Neuropsychiatric symptoms are psychiatric and behavioural manifestations that occur
in people with AD. These are highly prevalent along the continuum of the disease, including
at the stage of MCI, as well as before cognitive decline. Various small- and large-scale projects
have investigated the underlying factors that underpin these symptoms; however, the identification
of clear clusters is still a matter of debate; furthermore, no study has investigated how the clusters
might change across the development of AD pathology by comparing different time points.

Objective:
Our objective was to investigate the factors that underpin neuropsychiatric symptoms
in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and to assess how the loadings
might differ based on considerations such as the disease stage of the samples.

Methods:
Data was obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database (adni.
loni.usc.edu), using scores from the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, followed up yearly from baseline
until month 72. Participant groups included those with MCI or AD dementia, or a mixture of
both, with all participants presenting with at least one neuropsychiatric symptom. A series of exploratory
Principal Component and Factor (Principal Axis) Analyses were performed using Direct
Oblimin rotation.

Results:
The best-fitting structure was interpreted for each time point. A consistent, unique structure
could not be identified, as the factors were unstable over time, both within the MCI and AD
groups. However, some symptoms showed a tendency to load on the same factors across most
measurements (i.e., agitation with irritability, depression with anxiety, elation with disinhibition,
delusions with hallucinations).

Conclusion:
Although the analyses revealed some degree of co-occurrence of neuropsychiatric
symptoms across time points/samples, there was also considerable variation. In the AD group,
more discrete syndromes were evident at the early time points, whereas a more complex picture of
co-occurring symptoms, with differences likely reflecting disease staging, was seen at later time
points. As a clear and distinctive factor structure was not consistently identified across time points/
samples, this highlights the potential importance of sample selection (e.g., disease stage and/or
heterogeneity) when studying, for example, the neurobiological underpinnings of neuropsychiatric
symptoms.
Assessment of Early Vascular Aging Ambulatory Score (EVAAs): A Large Population-based External Validation Study
Authors: Antza Christina , Potoupni Victoria , Akrivos Evangelos , Stabouli Stella , Kotsis Vasilios 
Published: July 2024

Background:
Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) remains the gold-standard method to assess
Early Vascular Aging (EVA) defined by arterial stiffness. However, its high cost, time-consuming
process, and need for qualified medical staff shows the importance of identifying alternative methods
for the EVA evaluation.

Objective:
In order to simplify the process of assessing patient's EVA, we recently developed the
Early Vascular Aging Ambulatory score (EVAAs), a simple tool to predict the risk of EVA. The
aim of the present study was the external validation of EVAAs in an independent population.

Methods:
Eight hundred seventy-nine (46.3% men) patients who were referred to our Hypertension
ESH Excellence Center were included in this study. The mean age was 46.43 ± 22.87 years.
EVA was evaluated in two different ways. The first assessment included c-f PWV values, whereas
the second one included EVAAs without the direct measurement of carotid-femoral PWV.

Results:
The null hypothesis was that the prediction of EVA based on EVAAs does not present
any statistically significant difference compared to the prediction based on the calculation from c-f
PWV. Mean squared error (MSE) was used for the assessment of the null hypothesis, which was
found to be 0.40. The results revealed that the EVAAs shows the probability of EVA with 0.98
sensitivity and 0.75 specificity. The EVAAs present 95% positive predictive value and 92% negative
predictive value.

Conclusion:
Our study revealed that EVAAs could be as reliable as the carotid-femoral PWV to
identify patients with EVA. Hence, we hope that EVAAs will be a useful tool in clinical practice.
Invasive Treatment of Left Main Coronary Artery Disease: From
Anatomical Features to Mechanistic Differences
Authors: Kirov Hristo , Caldonazo Tulio , Doenst Torsten 
Published: July 2024

:
There is debate on the best treatment for significant stenoses of the left main (LM)
coronary artery. The available evidence is based on four randomized trials, which were either
performed specifically to assess patients with LM disease (EXCEL, NOBLE, PRECOMBAT) or
had a significant fraction of patients with this disease pattern (SYNTAX). A meta-analysis revealed
no difference in periprocedural and 5-year mortality but demonstrated a significant reduction
of spontaneous myocardial infarction (MI) with CABG. Furthermore, the recently published
SWEDEHEART registry data have shown survival advantage and fewer MACCE with
CABG for LM disease after adjustment. In general, patients with more severe coronary artery
disease (CAD) appear to have a survival advantage with CABG both over PCI and medical therapy
(independent of the presence or absence of LM stenosis), which is always associated with a
reduction of spontaneous MI in the CABG arm. Since the nomenclature of LM disease does not
automatically reflect the complexity of CAD, we review the nature of LM disease in this article.
We mechanistically assess the treatment effects of PCI and CABG for patients with LM disease,
which is rarely isolated, often distal, and mostly associated with varying degrees of single and
multi-vessel disease. We conclude that in patients with isolated LM shaft lesions and associated
diseases of low complexity, the risk of spontaneous MI is lower, and PCI may achieve similar
long-term outcomes compared to CABG. Thus, heart teams are essential for selecting the best
treatment option and should focus on assessing infarction risk in chronic CAD.
A Bioinformatics Analysis of the Envelope Glycoproteins Expressing the Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome and Hemorrhagic Fever with
Renal Syndrome
Authors: Polanco Carlos , Huberman Alberto , Uversky Vladimir N. , Rios Castro Martha , Hernández-Lemus Enrique , Buhse Thomas , Vargas Alarcón Gilberto , Calvo-Leroux Corona Gabriela , López Oliva Erika Jeannette , Pimentel- Hernández Claudia , Martínez-Garcia Mireya , Becerra-Luna Brayans , Díaz González Juan Luciano , Martinez-Memije Raul , Roldan Gomez Francisco J. , Flores Ch Pedro L. , Sierra Fernández Carlos Rafael 
Published: July 2024

Background:
The transmission of hantaviruses through rodents has been associated with
the development of severe illnesses, including Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (CPS) and Hemorrhagic
Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS). Environmental changes impacting rodent populations affect
their global distribution. These are severe diseases, potentially lethal, and widespread, making them a
public health issue.

Objective:
Computational studies were conducted to better understand the envelope glycoproteins
that are expressed by Hantavirus, which produce the cardiopulmonary syndrome and the hemorrhagic
fever with renal syndrome.

objective:
Computational studies were conducted in order to better understand the envelope glycoproteins that are expressed by Hantavirus, and which are considered as cardiopulmonary syndrome and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome glycoproteins.

Methods:
The glycoprotein sequences were found through the utilization of specific computational
tools, including the Intrinsic Disorder Predisposition (PIDP), Polarity Index Method Profile 3.0v
(PIM 3.0v), and genomics software.

Results:
Examining the PIM 3.0v profile and the PIDP profile revealed distinct patterns in the envelope
glycoproteins of different genotypes of Hantavirus. These patterns allowed for structural and morphological
similarities to be identified. In particular, the PIM 3.0v profile shows that it is possible to discriminate
between CPS and HFRS groups, and the PIDP profile shows the existence of an overlaid disorder
profile of glycoproteins N and C from Hantavirus strains associated with CPS and HFRS.

Conclusion:
Using the PIM 3.0v profile, our computer programs were able to identify isolates of
Hantavirus envelope glycoproteins associated with cardiopulmonary syndrome and hemorrhagic
fever with renal syndrome. We believe this research contributes to a deeper comprehension of these
emerging viruses.