bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sustainable green synthesis and characterization of nanocomposites for synergistic photocatalytic degradation of Reactive Orange 16 in textile wastewater using CuO@A-TiO2/Ro-TiO2
Authors: Nassar Amal A. , Elfiky Aya Abd El Aziz , El-Sawaf Ayman K. , Mubarak Mahmoud F. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis paper explores the photocatalytic degradation of Reactive Orange 16 (RO16) dye in textile wastewater employing a novel CuO@A-TiO2/Ro-TiO2 nanocomposite. The nanocomposite was synthesized via a hydrothermal technique, resulting in a monoclinic phase of leaf-shaped CuO loaded on a hexagonal wurtzite structure of rod-shaped ZnO, as confirmed by FE-SEM and XRD analyses. Optical experiments revealed band gap energies of 1.99 eV for CuO, 2.19 eV for ZnO, and 3.34 eV for the CuO@A-TiO2/Ro-TiO2 nanocomposite. Photocatalytic degradation experiments showcased complete elimination of a 100 mg/L RO16 solution (150 mL) after 120 min of UV light illumination and 100 min of sunlight illumination, emphasizing the nanocomposite's efficiency under both light sources. The study further delves into the application of the CuO@A-TiO2/Ro-TiO2 nanocomposite for the degradation of actual textile wastewater samples under sunlight irradiation. The results underscore the nanocomposite's remarkable efficacy in treating RO16 in textile wastewater, positioning it as a promising candidate for sustainable and efficient wastewater treatment applications. This research contributes valuable insights into the development of advanced photocatalytic materials for textile dye degradation in wastewater treatment.
Computational screening combined with well-tempered metadynamics simulations identifies potential TMPRSS2 inhibitors
Authors: Sharanya C. S. , Wilbee D. Sasikala , Sathi Shijulal Nelson , Natarajan Kathiresan 
Published: July 2024

AbstractType-II transmembrane serine proteases are effective pharmacological targets for host defence against viral entry and in certain cancer cell progressions. These serine proteases cleave viral spike proteins to expose the fusion peptide for cell entry, which is essential to the life cycle of the virus. TMPRSS2 inhibitors can also fight against respiratory viruses that employ them for cell entry. Our study combining virtual screening, all-atom molecular dynamics, and well-tempered metadynamics simulation identifies vicenin-2, neohesperidin, naringin, and rhoifolin as promising TMPRSS2 antagonists. The binding energies obtained are − 16.3, − 15.4, − 13.6, and − 13.8 kcal/mol for vicenin-2, neohesperidin, naringin, and rhoifolin respectively. The RMSD, RMSF, PCA, DCCM, and binding free energy profiles also correlate with the stable binding of these ligands at the active site of TMPRSS2. The study reveals that these molecules could be promising lead molecules for combating future outbreaks of coronavirus and other respiratory viruses.
Identifying symptom etiologies using syntactic patterns and large language models
Authors: Taub-Tabib Hillel , Shamay Yosi , Shlain Micah , Pinhasov Menny , Polak Mark , Tiktinsky Aryeh , Rahamimov Sigal , Bareket Dan , Eyal Ben , Kassis Moriya , Goldberg Yoav , Kaminski Rosenberg Tal , Vulfsons Simon , Ben Sasson Maayan 
Published: July 2024

AbstractDifferential diagnosis is a crucial aspect of medical practice, as it guides clinicians to accurate diagnoses and effective treatment plans. Traditional resources, such as medical books and services like UpToDate, are constrained by manual curation, potentially missing out on novel or less common findings. This paper introduces and analyzes two novel methods to mine etiologies from scientific literature. The first method employs a traditional Natural Language Processing (NLP) approach based on syntactic patterns. By using a novel application of human-guided pattern bootstrapping patterns are derived quickly, and symptom etiologies are extracted with significant coverage. The second method utilizes generative models, specifically GPT-4, coupled with a fact verification pipeline, marking a pioneering application of generative techniques in etiology extraction. Analyzing this second method shows that while it is highly precise, it offers lesser coverage compared to the syntactic approach. Importantly, combining both methodologies yields synergistic outcomes, enhancing the depth and reliability of etiology mining.
Automatic 3D reconstruction of vertebrae from orthogonal bi-planar radiographs
Authors: Chen Yuepeng , Gao Yue , Fu Xiangling , Chen Yingyin , Wu Ji , Guo Chenyi , Li Xiaodong 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWhen conducting spine-related diagnosis and surgery, the three-dimensional (3D) upright posture of the spine under natural weight bearing is of significant clinical value for physicians to analyze the force on the spine. However, existing medical imaging technologies cannot meet current requirements of medical service. On the one hand, the mainstream 3D volumetric imaging modalities (e.g. CT and MRI) require patients to lie down during the imaging process. On the other hand, the imaging modalities conducted in an upright posture (e.g. radiograph) can only realize 2D projections, which lose the valid information of spinal anatomy and curvature. Developments of deep learning-based 3D reconstruction methods bring potential to overcome the limitations of the existing medical imaging technologies. To deal with the limitations of current medical imaging technologies as is described above, in this paper, we propose a novel deep learning framework, ReVerteR, which can realize automatic 3D Reconstruction of Vertebrae from orthogonal bi-planar Radiographs. With the utilization of self-attention mechanism and specially designed loss function combining Dice, Hausdorff, Focal, and MSE, ReVerteR can alleviate the sample-imbalance problem during the reconstruction process and realize the fusion of the centroid annotation and the focused vertebra. Furthermore, aiming at automatic and customized 3D spinal reconstruction in real-world scenarios, we extend ReVerteR to a clinical deployment-oriented framework, and develop an interactive interface with all functions in the framework integrated so as to enhance human–computer interaction during clinical decision-making. Extensive experiments and visualization conducted on our constructed datasets based on two benchmark datasets of spinal CT, VerSe 2019 and VerSe 2020, demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed ReVerteR. In this paper, we propose an automatic 3D reconstruction method of vertebrae based on orthogonal bi-planar radiographs. With the 3D upright posture of the spine under natural weight bearing effectively constructed, our proposed method is expected to better support doctors make clinical decision during spine-related diagnosis and surgery.
Design and stability analysis of a new six-floater oscillating water column-based floating offshore wind turbine platform
Authors: Cayuela-Padilla Salvador , M’zoughi Fares , Garrido Izaskun , Garrido Aitor J. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe operational efficiency and lifespan of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) are adversely impacted by the inherent platform motions and undesired vibrations induced by wind and wave loads. To effectively address these effects, the control of specific structural motions is of utmost importance, with platform pitch and yaw identified as the primary Degrees Of Freedom (DOF) that require attention. This study proposes a novel utilization of Oscillating Water Columns (OWCs) as a reliable and viable solution to mitigate platform pitch and yaw motions, thereby significantly enhancing the efficiency and reducing fatigue in wind turbines. This article aims to evaluate the impact resulting from integrating OWCs within each discrete floater of a Six-Floater platform. By considering different combinations of OWCs, a comprehensive analysis of the Response Amplitude Operators (RAOs) associated with pitch and yaw motions is presented. The primary objective is to identify the most efficient arrangements of OWCs and determine suitable combinations that effectively stabilize platform pitch and yaw motions. The empirical results substantiate that specific OWC configurations exhibit notable dampening effects on both pitch and yaw motions, particularly within specific wave frequency intervals. Consequently, it can be inferred that the integration and adequate operation of OWCs facilitate a substantial improvement in the stabilization of multi-floater platforms.
High-intensity interval training improves bone remodeling, lipid profile, and physical function in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Amato Alessandra , Proia Patrizia , Alioto Anna , Rossi Carlo , Pagliaro Andrea , Ragonese Paolo , Schirò Giuseppe , Salemi Giuseppe , Caldarella Rosalia , Vasto Sonya , Nowak Robert , Kostrzewa-Nowak Dorota , Musumeci Giuseppe , Baldassano Sara 
Published: July 2024

AbstractMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease due to an autoimmune chronic inflammatory response, yet the etiology is currently not completely understood. It is already known that physical activity plays an essential role in improving quality of life, especially in neuropathological conditions. The study was aimed to investigate the possible benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in bone and lipid metabolism markers, and neuromotor abilities in MS patients. 130 participants were recruited; 16 subjects with MS met the inclusion criteria and were included in the data analysis. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: a Control group (CG) (34.88 ± 4.45 yrs) that didn’t perform any physical activity and the Exercise group (EG) (36.20 ± 7.80 yrs) that performed HIIT protocol. The training program was conducted remotely by a kinesiologist. It was performed three times a week for 8 weeks. At the beginning (T0) and the end of the study (T1) physical function tests, bone remodelling markers, and lipid markers analyses were performed. After 8 weeks of training the wall squat (s) (T0 = 27.18  ±  4.21; T1 = 41.68 ± 5.38, p ≤ 0.01) and Time Up and Go test (s) (T0 = 7.65 ± 0.43; T1 = 6.34 ± 0.38 p ≤ 0.01) performances improved; lipid markers analysis showed a decrease in Total (mg/dl) (T0 = 187.22 ± 15.73; T1 = 173.44 ± 13.03, p ≤ 0.05) and LDL (mg/dl) (T0 = 108 ± 21.08; T1 = 95.02 ± 17.99, p < 0.05) cholesterol levels. Additionally, the levels of osteocalcin (µg/L), a marker of bone formation increased (T0 = 20.88 ± 4.22; T1 = 23.66 ± 6.24, p < 0.05), 25-OH Vitamin D (µg/L) improved after 8 weeks (T0 = 21.11 ± 7.11; T1 = 27.66 ± 7.59, p < 0.05). HIIT had an effect on lower limb strength and gait control, improved bone formation, and lipid management, in MS patients.
The contribution of community-based conservation models to conserving large herbivore populations
Authors: Kiffner Christian , Foley Charles A. H. , Lee Derek E. , Bond Monica L. , Kioko John , Kissui Bernard M. , Lobora Alex L. , Foley Lara S. , Nelson Fred 
Published: July 2024

AbstractIn East Africa, community-based conservation models (CBCMs) have been established to support the conservation of wildlife in fragmented landscapes like the Tarangire Ecosystem, Tanzania. To assess how different management approaches maintained large herbivore populations, we conducted line distance surveys and estimated seasonal densities of elephant, giraffe, zebra, and wildebeest in six management units, including three CBCMs, two national parks (positive controls), and one area with little conservation interventions (negative control). Using a Monte-Carlo approach to propagate uncertainties from the density estimates and trend analysis, we analyzed the resulting time series (2011–2019). Densities of the target species were consistently low in the site with little conservation interventions. In contrast, densities of zebra and wildebeest in CBCMs were similar to national parks, providing evidence that CBCMs contributed to the stabilization of these migratory populations in the central part of the ecosystem. CBCMs also supported giraffe and elephant densities similar to those found in national parks. In contrast, the functional connectivity of Lake Manyara National Park has not been augmented by CBCMs. Our analysis suggests that CBCMs can effectively conserve large herbivores, and that maintaining connectivity through CBCMs should be prioritized.
Idiosyncratic fixation patterns generalize across dynamic and static facial expression recognition
Authors: Paparelli Anita , Sokhn Nayla , Stacchi Lisa , Coutrot Antoine , Richoz Anne-Raphaëlle , Caldara Roberto 
Published: July 2024

AbstractFacial expression recognition (FER) is crucial for understanding the emotional state of others during human social interactions. It has been assumed that humans share universal visual sampling strategies to achieve this task. However, recent studies in face identification have revealed striking idiosyncratic fixation patterns, questioning the universality of face processing. More importantly, very little is known about whether such idiosyncrasies extend to the biological relevant recognition of static and dynamic facial expressions of emotion (FEEs). To clarify this issue, we tracked observers’ eye movements categorizing static and ecologically valid dynamic faces displaying the six basic FEEs, all normalized for time presentation (1 s), contrast and global luminance across exposure time. We then used robust data-driven analyses combining statistical fixation maps with hidden Markov Models to explore eye-movements across FEEs and stimulus modalities. Our data revealed three spatially and temporally distinct equally occurring face scanning strategies during FER. Crucially, such visual sampling strategies were mostly comparably effective in FER and highly consistent across FEEs and modalities. Our findings show that spatiotemporal idiosyncratic gaze strategies also occur for the biologically relevant recognition of FEEs, further questioning the universality of FER and, more generally, face processing.
Examining the influence of technological self-efficacy, perceived trust, security, and electronic word of mouth on ICT usage in the education sector
Authors: Xu Shuo , Khan Kanwal Iqbal , Shahzad Muhammad Farrukh 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe context of education has changed due to revolutionary developments in the information communication technology (ICT) industry in the post-COVID era. Innovative learning methods were introduced in the education sector to promote quality education. The students find it more convenient to use ICT tools to integrate their knowledge-seeking. China has recently paid more attention to developing and adopting electronic infrastructure. The study assesses the effect of technology self-efficacy (TSE) on ICT acceptance and implementation in China’s education sector. It also analyzed the role of perceived trust, perceived security, and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) in integrating digital information sharing and interaction tools. Data is collected from 382 business students at Chinese universities. The results revealed that perceived trust mediates the relationship between TSE and the actual use of ICT tools, intention to use ICT tools for information, and intention to use ICT tools for interaction. Further, perceived security and eWOM significantly moderate the relationship between TSE and perceived trust. The findings indicate that it is essential to offer assistance and instruction to students in the educational sector so they can use ICT technology more frequently. It is also crucial for organizations to establish a supportive culture and provide the necessary technological resources to facilitate the use of ICT.
Co-designing the integration of voice-based conversational AI and web augmentation to amplify web inclusivity
Authors: Pucci Emanuele , Piro Ludovica , Possaghi Isabella , Mulfari Davide , Matera Maristella 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe Web has become an essential resource but is not yet accessible to everyone. Assistive technologies and innovative, intelligent frameworks, for example, those using conversational AI, help overcome some exclusions. However, some users still experience barriers. This paper shows how a human-centered approach can shed light on technology limitations and gaps. It reports on a three-step process (focus group, co-design, and preliminary validation) that we adopted to investigate how people with speech impairments, e.g., dysarthria, browse the Web and how barriers can be reduced. The methodology helped us identify challenges and create new solutions, i.e., patterns for Web browsing, by combining voice-based conversational AI, customized for impaired speech, with techniques for the visual augmentation of web pages. While current trends in AI research focus on more and more powerful large models, participants remarked how current conversational systems do not meet their needs, and how it is important to consider each one’s specificity for a technology to be called inclusive.
Energy efficient and sustainable design of a multi-story building based on embodied energy and cost
Authors: Qing Zhang Qing , Li Na Zhang 
Published: July 2024

AbstractSustainable multi-story building designs are gaining increasing attention in light of the green development of the building industry. Recently, many studies have been conducted to determine the optimized embodied energy considering size of structural members and materials strength using a single objective function. In this context, the current study adopted a multi-objective function based on cost and Embodied Energy (EE) for the sustainable design of the entire multi-story building. A BuildingEnergy computer program is used to assess the energy consumption performance of a multi-story reinforcement cement concrete building. Based on the proposed method, an analysis is carried out to compare the optimal solutions for multi-story building. Furthermore, a detailed parametric study was conducted to explore the main factors for energy-efficient column and beam design. The results revealed that with a comparison of the most “carbon-friendly” and “cost-friendly” solutions, an added cost of 6–7% can contribute up to a 13% emission reduction. The sectional dimensions, steel rebar, concrete strengths, cost ratio, building height, and eccentricity remarkably influence sustainable design, cost optimization, and minimum carbon emission. Overall, this study could help to define cost-effective and energy-efficient structural members. Eventually, the EE is confirmed to be a feasible parameter for designing more sustainable multi-story RCC buildings.
Fingerphoto morphing attack generation using texture descriptors based landmarks
Authors: Li Hailin , Ramachandra Raghavendra 
Published: July 2024

AbstractSmartphone-based biometric authentication has been widely used in various applications. Among several biometric characteristics, fingerphoto biometrics captured from smartphones are gaining popularity owing to their usability, scalability across different smartphones, and reliable verification. However, fingerphoto verification systems are vulnerable to both direct and indirect attacks. In this work, we propose a novel method to generate morphing attacks on fingerphoto biometrics captured using smartphones. We introduce three different image-level fingerphoto morphing attack generation algorithms that can generate high-quality fingerphoto morphing images with minimum distortions. Extensive experiments were conducted on two datasets captured using different smartphones under various environmental conditions. The results demonstrate that the proposed morphing algorithms are highly vulnerable to commercial off-the-shelf and block-directional fingerprint verification systems. To effectively detect morphing attacks on fingerphoto biometrics, we propose the use of fingerphoto morphing attack detection algorithms that utilize both handcrafted and deep features. However, our detection results showed a high error rate in accurately detecting these types of attacks.
Quantitative evaluation of 67Ga-citrate scintigraphy in the management of nephritis
Authors: Matsuda Noritake , Otsuka Hideki , Kasai Ryosuke , Otani Tamaki , Bollos Leah Anne Christine Locsin , Azane Shota , Kunikane Yamato , Otomi Yoichi , Ueki Yuya , Okabe Mana , Amano Masafumi , Tamaki Masanori , Wakino Shu , Takao Shoichiro , Harada Masafumi 
Published: July 2024

AbstractIn 67Ga-citrate scintigraphy (Ga-S), visual assessment is used by evaluating renal-uptake comparison with liver and spine and is simple and objective. We adopted the standardized uptake value (SUV) for 67Ga-citrate and proposed two quantitative indices, active nephritis volume (ANV) and total nephritis uptake (TNU). This study clarified the utility of new Ga-S-based quantitative indices in nephritis management. Before SUV measurement, the Becquerel calibration factor of 67Ga-citrate was obtained using a phantom experiment. Seventy patients who underwent SPECT/CT imaging were studied. SUV, ANV, and TNU were calculated using a quantitative analysis software for bone SPECT. SUVmean, ANV, and TNU were analyzed using the (1) threshold method (set 40%) and constant-value method for (2) vertebral SUVmax, and (3) vertebral SUVmean. ROC analysis was used to evaluate SUV, ANV, and TNU diagnostic abilities to distinguish nephritis presence and absence as well as interstitial nephritis (IN) and non-IN. The area under the curve (AUC) for nephritis presence or absence had a good value (0.80) for SUVmean (1), ANV (3), and TNU (3). The AUC for differentiation between IN and non-IN groups had a good value (0.80) for SUVmean (1). Thus, the new Ga-S-based quantitative indices were useful to evaluate nephritis and distinguish IN and non-IN.
Acute effects of cannabigerol on anxiety, stress, and mood: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, field trial
Authors: Cuttler Carrie , Stueber Amanda , Cooper Ziva D. , Russo Ethan 
Published: July 2024

AbstractCannabigerol (CBG) is a phytocannabinoid increasing in popularity, with preclinical research indicating it has anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. However, there are no published clinical trials to corroborate these findings in humans. The primary objective of this study was to examine acute effects of CBG on anxiety, stress, and mood. Secondary objectives were to examine whether CBG produces subjective drug effects or motor and cognitive impairments. A double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over field trial was conducted with 34 healthy adult participants. Participants completed two sessions (with a one-week washout period) via Zoom. In each, they provided ratings of anxiety, stress, mood, and subjective drug effects prior to double-blind administration of 20 mg hemp-derived CBG or placebo tincture (T0). These ratings were collected again after participants ingested the product and completed an online survey (T1), the Trier Social Stress Test (T2), a verbal memory test and the DRUID impairment app (T3). Relative to placebo, there was a significant main effect of CBG on overall reductions in anxiety as well as reductions in stress at T1. CBG also enhanced verbal memory relative to placebo. There was no evidence of subjective drug effects or impairment. CBG may represent a novel option to reduce stress and anxiety in healthy adults.