bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
WITHDRAWN: A Comprehensive Study of Prime Gaps Through Stochastic and Statistical Methods
Authors: Torres Íñigo 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

This study delves into the stochastic behavior of prime gaps, which are the differences between consecutive prime numbers, across various samples with sizes ranging up to 100 billion consecutive prime gaps. By analyzing multiple models approximating the probability mass function (PMF) of prime gaps, we evaluated their performance using statistical tests such as the Chi-Square Test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, Mean Squared Error (MSE), and Kullback-Leibler Divergence.
A key finding is the significance of incorporating the modular behavior of prime gaps with respect to 6 (gn ≡ 0, 2, 4 (mod 6)) and adjusting the expectation of prime gaps in accurately predicting the approximated probability mass function (PMF) of prime gaps. Models that accounted for these modular properties and fine-tuned the expected value consistently outperformed those that did not. This research underscores the increasing complexity of expected prime gap behavior with larger n and suggests that prime gap distributions can be approximated by geometric distributions with parameter adjustments reflecting this complexity.
The study’s findings have important implications for number theory and potential applications in cryptography. Future research directions include further exploration of modular properties, expanding the scope of statistical evaluations, and investigating additional mathematical properties influencing prime gap distributions.
Grain-size composition and depositional environment of surface sediments in the Kubuqi Desert, China
Authors: XI Cheng , ZUO Hejun , YAN Min , YAN Yu 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Sediments are the material basis for the development of eolian landscapes, and dune sediments contain key information about dune formation and development. The surface sediments of parabolic dunes, crescent dunes and chains, reticulate dune chains, compound dunes, ridge–honeycomb dunes, shrub-coppice dunes, and inter-dune lowlands in the Kubuqi Desert were studied. The grain-size parameters of dune sediments were measured, and their geographical patterns assessed. In the Kubuqi Desert, parabolic dunes contain the coarsest sediment and shrub-coppice dunes the finest. The average grain size of the overall surface sediment is 2.14–2.73 φ, with poor sorting, which is in the middle of the grain-size range compared with other deserts globally. The depositional environment of the Kubuqi Desert is dominated by eolian and flood deposition; the Yellow River, inland rivers, and seasonal alluvial-flood channels alter the dynamic conditions of the desert depositional environment. The major proximal material sources of surface sediments in the Kubuqi Desert are fluvial sediments remaining after Yellow River channel oscillation, fluvial alluvium and sediments in the Yellow River valley, remnant-slope deposits weathered from mountain bedrock, and stream-phase alluvial deposits in dry denuded uplands. The crescent dunes and chains and the compound dunes have a common sediment source.
The Mediating Role of Positive Feedback in the Relationship between Interest in Physical Education Class, School Satisfaction and School Burnout
Authors: Uğraş Sinan , Sağın Ahmet Enes , Yücekaya Mehmet Akif , Mergan Barış , Temel Cenk 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background: In this study, the effect of interest in physical education class on school satisfaction and school burnout and the mediating role of positive feedback in this relationship were examined.
Methods: A total of 652 middle school students, 45.859% (n=299) male and 54.141% (n=353) female, participated in the study. The scales of interest in physical education class, school satisfaction, school burnout, and perceived teacher feedback were used in the study. The mediation effects of the model in the study were conducted through JASP 0.18.3 statistical program.
Results: The findings of the study revealed that interest in physical education positively and significantly predicted students' school satisfaction and negatively and significantly predicted burnout. Positive feedback was found to mediate the relationship between interest in physical education class, school satisfaction and school burnout. These findings suggest that interest in physical education class has a positive effect on school satisfaction and also has a role in reducing school burnout. In addition, research findings show that positive feedback from teachers plays an important role in the relationship between interest in physical education class and school satisfaction and burnout.
Ethics approval number: 14/13, date of registration: 23/11/2023
Conclusion: It can be stated that physical education teachers' positive feedback to students has a predictive role in reducing school burnout and increasing school satisfaction.
Disposal of Polythene Bags Among Residents of Lira City, Northern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Adyero Cecilia , Orech Sam , Auma Irene , Okolimong Charles , Akello Anne Ruth 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Improper disposal of used polythene bags waste remains a significant public health challenge worldwide. In Uganda, 53% of solid wastes are generated in urban areas, especially in households. Lira City passed a solid waste management ordinance 2019 to support solid waste management including polythene bags, and use of enforcement among others but the implementation of the interventional measures remains a challenge since Polythene bags are used as daily shopping bags, and also for packaging food. This study therefore assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices of residents of Lira City on the disposal of used polythene bags.
Methods
A cross-sectional study survey was employed. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected among 421 randomly selected residents of Lira City. Data was collected using structured Questionnaires and key interview guides through face-to-face interviews. Quantitative data analysis was done using STATA Version 17, summarized as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Pearson Chi-square test was run for bivariate analysis, and multivariate analysis using logistic regression p-value of 0.05 to obtain significant variables associated with the outcome variable. Qualitative data analysis was manually done using the Braun & Clerke 2016, 6 steps.
Results
Overall, the rate was 99.8%. Disposal practices of respondents were improper at 52.5%, a good number of the respondents 42.5% were aged 18 to 28 years, female 64.9%, and 34.9% attained a primary level of education. Most of them were self-employed 41.1%, married 61.3%, and Catholic 35.2%. The majority 78.9% had good knowledge of proper disposal of used polythene bags. Significant factors associated with used polythene bags disposal among residents in Lira City were age [AOR = 3.007; 95% CI; 1.074–8.417], Sex [AOR = 1.2; 95% CI; 0.82–1.97], Reduced Injuries [AOR = 1.2; 95% CI; 0.38–4.15], Drainage blockage [AOR = 3.04; 95% CI; 2.00-4.63], and Human Health Problems [AOR = 1.7; 95% CI; 1.15–2.73].
Conclusion
knowledge of disposal of used polythene bags was good; disposal practices were poor at 52.5%. KII reported a knowledge gap in managing used polythene bags which has become a major challenge in Lira city. “The waste management practices of the people in the peri-urban areas of the city are very poor and it’s even worse with used polythene bags. Therefore, need for awareness creation on general waste management with emphasis on the disposal of used polythene bags” KI-1 said.
Pollution characteristics, bioavailability, and risk assessment of heavy metals in urban road dust from Zhengzhou, China
Authors: Li Jialu , Zuo Qiting , Feng Feng , Jia Hongtao , Ji Yingxin 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

To analyze contamination levels, spatial distribution characteristics, bioavailability, and risks of heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb), 65 road dust samples were collected from Zhengzhou in October 2023. The mean concentrations of most heavy metals, except Ni, exceeded their corresponding background values, with the mean concentration of Cd being 7.43 times that of its background. Spatially, for most heavy metals, higher concentrations concentrated within the central area, and notable pollution hotspot emerged in proximity to construction area. Cr, Ni, Cu, As, and Pb were mostly bound to residual fraction with lower bioavailability, while Cd and Zn were mainly in exchangeable fraction with higher bioavailability. The enrichment factor, geo-accumulation, contamination factor, and pollution load index indicated that Cd and Hg were highly contaminated, particularly Cd, yet the study area remained moderate pollution. The average RI value of 384.66 indicated a considerate ecological risk, and Cd caused the highest potential ecological risk. Both of the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk were insignificant, however, the human health risk of Cr, As, and Pb demand attention. The research results can provide theoretical basis and data support for the pollution prevention and control of urban environment of Zhengzhou.
Peltogynoids contributing to discoloration in Peltogyne mexicana heartwood
Authors: Taga Yusuke , Yamauchi Kosei , Mitsunaga Tohru 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Four new peltogynoid monomers (3, 7, 10, 11), a new peltogynoid dimer (9), and two new flavanones (5, 6) were isolated from the heartwood of Peltogyne mexiacana, along with two known peltogynoids (1, 4) and two known aldehydes (2, 8). The structures of the isolated compounds were determined using NMR and MALDI-TOF MS analysis. The discoloration of the methanol solutions of the isolated peltogynoids and flavanones was examined by exposing them to room light in the air. The methanol solutions of (+)-peltogynol (1) and (+)-mopanol (4) discolored to reddish and bluish purple, respectively. After discoloration, the b* values of these compounds decreased significantly from 12.1 and 19.1 to -0.7 and − 1.8, respectively. These precursors of pigment compounds 1 and 4 have a catechol moiety in the B ring, and a hetero-six-membered ring (D ring) connecting the B and C ring of flavan-3,4-diol via an oxyethylene bridge, which is similar to the structure of leucoanthocyanidin. These results led to the hypothesis that the metabolized pigment compounds have anthocyanidin-like structures with peltogyne skeleton.
Optimized Machine Learning Technique for Breast Cancer Detection and Classification
Authors: Kavitha N , Chandrappa D N 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the tumor types that causes the breast cells to become active causing mortality among females worldwide. It enables doctors to take appropriate action toward patients, it is imperative to identify and classify breast cancer in its early stages. Nevertheless, surgical biopsy, fine needle aspiration, and mammography are frequently employed techniques for diagnosis. These techniques provide low effectiveness and sensitivity in identifying breast cancer. Hence, the optimized You Look Only Once Version 3 (YOLOv3) technique trains the ultrasound image datasets to identify the breast tumor by extracting the features and classifying them as benign, malignant, and normal types. In this process, increasing the number of training datasets for the network decreases errors and boosts system performance followed by anticipating normal, benign, and cancerous tissues. The Wisconsin Breast Cancer Datasets (WBCD) ultrasonography pictures are employed for training and testing. The optimized YOLOv3 achieves accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 97.21%, 93.63%, and 96.81% and presents a promising system to support radiologists in clinical settings compared to existing techniques, and the proposed approach exhibits superior performance, underscoring its efficiency in classifying breast tumors as benign or malignant in real-time using computer-assisted diagnosis.
Effects of diazinon on the ovarian tissue of rats: A histochemical and ultrastructural study
Authors: Hasan Feras Abou , Mutlu Hasan Serdar , Özdemir İlkay , Kotil Tuğba 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Despite the negative environmental and biologic effects, organophosphates have currently been widely used. We aimed to examine the possible negative effects of diazinon, a type of organophosphate, on rat ovarian tissue. Wistar Albino rats were divided into four groups. No treatment was given to control, olive oil was applied to sham group. Experimental groups were injected intraperitoneally with 30 and 60 mg/kg/day diazinon, respectively. 24 hours later, ovarian tissues were extracted, preparated, examined via light and electron microscope. In the experimental groups granulosa and corpus luteum showed degenerative changes. Dilatation of endoplasmic reticulum cisterns and morphological alterations of mitochondria in granulosa cells were detected utrastructurally. Also, accumulation of lipid droplets and autophagic vacuoles was observed in cells of corpus luteum. A statistically significant dose-dependent decrease in superoxide dismutase and catalase reactivity and a statistically significant increase in caspase-3 expression in cells of atretic follicles and corpus luteum were observed. Results show that exposure to a single dose of diazinon may disrupt antioxidant system, trigger atresia in follicles and negatively effect corpus luteum functions. It was concluded that studies applying possible antioxidant treatments should be carried out to reduce and prevent the negative effects of diazinon on the reproductive system.
Study on a new fiber wall element model of RC short-limb shear wall
Authors: Pinle ZHANG , Rang Deng , Junfang Gao 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Fiber wall element model which considers cumulative damage effect of material is set up by introducing cumulative damage index to the fiber wall element hysteretic models of reinforcement and concrete. Numerical simulation analysis of cyclic loading test of short-limb shear wall is conducted based on fiber wall element model, and the corresponding pseudo-static test of short-limb shear wall is conducted. Results demonstrate that energy dissipation capacity and ductility of T-shaped short-limb shear wall are good. All the specimens failed under a flexural-dominant behavior, and the damage was mainly concentrated in the boundary element of the web. Special attention should be paid to the design of the web boundary. The model exhibits a high level of numerical stability and computational efficiency for all specimens investigated. Comparisons of experimental and analytical results demonstrate that the proposed fiber wall element model, with good accuracy, the cyclic load-displacement behavior of shear wall specimens, providing an important reference to the seismic performance assessment of RC short-limb shear wall.
Psychometric evaluation of an Arabic language version of the Geriatric Sleep Questionnaire- 6 items (GSQ-6) in Community-dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Khalil Marwa Ibrahim Mahfouz , Shaala Reem Said , Elnakeeb Mayar , Mousa Enas Fouad Sayed , Fekih-Romdhane Feten , Hallit Souheil 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
The importance of sleep has become increasingly recognized in geriatric research. There is a growing body of evidence that links poor sleep with numerous adverse health outcomes in older adults. As a result, assessing sleep quality and patterns in later life has become essential for accurately diagnosing and effectively treating sleep problems and their associated consequences. The Geriatric Sleep Questionnaire-6 (GSQ-6) is a widely used self-report questionnaire that assesses sleep quality and disturbances specifically among older adults. This study aimed to translate the scale into Arabic and evaluate its psychometric properties in an older Arabic-speaking adults’ population.
Methods
The GSQ-6 was translated into Arabic using forward and backward translation procedures, and was administered to a convenience sample of 539 older adults along with the 13-item Older People Quality of Life-Brief (OPQOL-brief), the 15-item Resilience Scale of Older Adults (RSOA), and the 11-item Older Adult Neglect and Abuse Scale (NAS) for validation purposes. Reliability was examined using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was also conducted to test the unidimensional factor structure.
Results
The CFA results supported the unidimensional factor structure proposed by the developers (CFI = 0.967, TLI = 0.945, RMSEA = 0.077. The McDonald’s omega values for the Arabic GSQ-6 was 0.70, indicating acceptable internal consistency. The measurement model had an equivalent factor structure, loadings, intercepts, and residuals across sex. correlated negatively with quality of life and resilience, and positively with neglect and abuse scores, supporting the validity of our Arabic translation.
Conclusion
The Arabic version of the GSQ-6 demonstrated good psychometric properties. The findings support its use as a valid and reliable measure for evaluating sleep quality among the Arabic-speaking older adult population.
Understanding collaborative governance of Biodiversity-inclusive urban planning: Methodological approach and benchmarking results for urban nature plans in 10 European cities
Authors: Mahmoud Israa , Dubois Grégoire , Liquete Camino , Robuchon Marine 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 aims to ensure that Europe's biodiversity will be on the path to recovery for the benefit of people, climate and the planet. Specifically, the Target 14 from the strategy specifies that all cities with at least 20,000 inhabitants should have an ambitious urban greening plan. For this purpose, the European Commission advanced several mechanisms helping cities and larger urban areas unlocking funding for biodiversity; nonetheless a stronger need for an established governance framework that includes people and public participation across all levels and all sectors is needed as well as a stronger mechanism to monitor the progress of the target 14. Along these lines, this research was initiated as a way to understand the possible quality criteria against which several European cities could be evaluated while establishing their ambitious urban nature plans through three main research questions. Stemming from multiple database collections for the cities’ sampling methodology such as the green capital award, Urban Biodiversity Hub, Climate Neutral Cities Mission, the green City Accord (Nature/biodiversity priority area) and lastly the top-ranking cities in European Local Climate Adaptation Plans Initiative in the last 10 years, a sample of 10 cities was selected. To evaluate how ambitious these plans were, we developed an analytical framework of 30 criteria belonging to 6 macro categories focusing on urban biodiversity goals and targets, collaborative governance, institutional support, public participation, financing mechanisms, and monitoring and evaluation aspects. We propose and test this framework to evaluate the urban green plans of 10 lighthouse European cities having an existing Urban Nature plan for at least the last 3 years. During the evaluation process, several experts from different policy and research groups were consulted on the selected criteria and the cities’ results. It emerges that public participation and collaborative governance aspects are rarely considered as an integral part from the beginning of established plans except in few cities, nonetheless, several guidance by the EU calls on adopting more co-creation approaches. From the selected sample, only 4 out of 10 cities scored high across all the categorical analysis, namely: Hamburg, Utrecht, Thessaloniki and Barcelona. Meanwhile, the evidence on lack of monitoring and evaluation as well as financial mechanisms oriented towards advancing urban greening and collaborative governance of biodiversity is evident in 7 out of 10 cities. The results from this research can help local authorities to meet the EU target, and national/regional authorities to monitor the progress towards this commitment.
Feature Engineering and Semantic Enrichment for Enhanced Text Classification: A Case Study on Figurative Language in Tweets
Authors: Sammartino Vincenzo , Baccheschi Corrado , Gneri Jacopo , Picchianti Valeria , Frasson Andrea 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

This study explores advanced feature engineering and semantic enrichment methods to enhance text classification, focusing on detecting figurative language in tweets. The novel features introduced, Syno_Lower_Mean and Syn_Mean, measure the use of uncommon synonyms and the mean frequency of synonyms, capturing semantic richness crucial for detecting figurative expressions. Using resources like SenticNet and Framester, we enrich our feature set with sentiment and frame semantic information.
Our approach includes extensive data preprocessing, sophisticated feature selection, and implementing various classification models, such as SVM, KNN, Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, Random Forest, BERT, and LSTM networks. We rigorously evaluate each model's performance to assess the effectiveness of our features and enrichment methods. Putting emphasis on model explainability, we use decision tree analysis, feature importance analysis, and the TREPAN algorithm to approximate SVM decisions.
Although we focus on figurative language detection, our methods have broader implications for various NLP text classification tasks. Our findings demonstrate significant improvements in classification accuracy and interpretability through innovative feature design and dataset enrichment.