bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and diagnostic efficacy of trans-abdominal and trans-vaginal ultrasound for ectopic pregnancies: a longitudinal study
Authors: Shakeel Isha , Shabbir Ahmad , Yumn Laiba , Akhtar Mariyam , Khan Esha , Khan Ali Ahmad 
Published: July 2024

Background: Reducing maternal mortality and morbidity requires an accurate diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. The fallopian tube is the most frequent location for ectopic pregnancy.
Methods: This study was based on a longitudinal analytical design conducted at tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan. Patients in the reproductive age range (20 to 32 years) who underwent clinical examination and investigations and were diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy were included in this study. The ultrasound results of all the patients were evaluated, and data was collected on the existence and positioning of an ectopic pregnancy.
Results: In the study, 198 women underwent TVS and TAS. At the time of diagnosis, the age range was 20-32 years old. Our study found that 2.5% of pregnancies resulted in an ectopic pregnancy. 20 women had symptomatic EP that was confirmed. For the initial TVUS, the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography were 88.5% and 96.5%, respectively, and with a second rescan, they were 93.1% and 95.7%.
Conclusions: Our study showed that an excellent method for identifying ectopic pregnancy is trans-abdominal ultrasonography. Regarding diagnostic accuracy metrics, however, it falls short of trans-vaginal ultrasound. To avoid missing any cases of ectopic pregnancy, early detection can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality. We should employ both ultrasonography modalities sequentially, with TAS being used first.
Philosophical Cafe
Authors: Loginov E.V. , Mertsalov A.V. , Yunusov A.T. 
Published: July 2024

We offer the reader a short sketch of the history and theoretical mindset of the Moscow Philosophical Cafe – an association that was born among students of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University in 2009 and since then has been trying to combine in its work the rigor of a research seminar with the friendly atmosphere of a coffee break. The most famous product of the Philosophical Cafe’s activities to a wide audience is the magazine “Date Compote”.
Society and Subjectivity: Challenges for Political Conceptology from Soviet Experience to Digital Formats
Authors: Tulchinskii G.L. 
Published: July 2024

The work contains an attempt to consider the challenges for contemporary political science, which are associated with the large-scale digitalization of socio-cultural practices, including political ones. The key point of these challenges is the anthropological challenge caused by the temptation of power for power in taming subjectivity. The ideas of V.P. Makarenko, A.A. Zinoviev, as well as the pragmasemantic approach are involved.
Emprendimiento de mujeres en Guayas y Los Ríos -Ecuador: innovación, financiamiento y sostenibilidad
Authors: Barzola Jimenez Mery Katty 
Published: July 2024

El presente estudio tiene como objetivo diagnosticar el limitado acceso a financiamiento, baja preparación en Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) y corta sostenibilidad dentro de los negocios que experimentan las emprendedoras. Se utilizó una muestra homogénea combinada con la muestra de casos tipo, o llamadas “muestras típicas o intensivas” de 134 mujeres emprendedoras de las provincias de Guayas y Los Ríos. Se adaptó el diseño secuencial; es decir, los datos recolectados y analizados en una fase del estudio (CUAL) con información secundaria se presentaron las supuestas causas que originan las variables descritas, se realizó la encuesta utilizando un formulario de Google. Luego estos datos se utilizaron para informar a la otra fase (CUAN), donde se relacionaron las categorías precio y expectativas del negocio, también un análisis inferencial para determinar las diferencias entre las categorías indicadas y se aplicaron pruebas de Kruskal-Wallis. Los resultados indican que el 50,7 % de las emprendedoras no tiene Registro Único de Contribuyentes (RUC) o Régimen Impositivo para Microempresas (RIMPE), lo que es el reflejo de una informalidad; un 53 % de las emprendedoras se financió a través de sus familias, un 4,7 % por ahorros y sólo un 40 % ha lanzado un nuevo producto o servicio en los últimos tres años. Se concluye que todos los esfuerzos en impulsar el emprendimiento femenino deben tener su accionar concreto en una participación más intensa de la mujer en la transformación digital empresarial y adicionar otros servicios financieros a los ya existentes en Ley de Emprendimiento del Ecuador.
Influencia de la personalidad e imagen de destino en la elección de un destino turístico (intención de compra)
Authors: Calle Marcelo , Pineda Jorge 
Published: July 2024

El sector turístico ha sido uno de los más afectados por la pandemia de coronavirus COVID-19 generando disminución de la movilidad hacia destinos turísticos, pérdidas económicas e incertidumbre laboral. A raíz de estos sucesos se justifica la importancia a contribuir con investigaciones que ayuden a la reactivación económica de este sector, siendo que comprender el comportamiento del consumidor (turistas) podría suponer un desafío para los especialistas en marketing y para los gerentes de los destinos turísticos. Este estudio intenta determinar si la personalidad y la imagen de destino influyen en los jóvenes al momento de elegir su destino turístico y brindar la información de la que carecen los directivos de organizaciones turísticas debido a las escasas investigaciones de estas variables. Por medio de la revisión literaria se identificaron que la imagen y la personalidad del destino podrían influir en la decisión del turista de elegir un destino turístico. La metodología se llevó a cabo bajo una investigación descriptiva, con un enfoque cuantitativo, mediante la aplicación de encuestas usando cuestionarios validados. Los resultados obtenidos determinan la influencia positiva de las variables antes mencionadas en la elección un destino turístico. Las conclusiones pueden ayudar a los administradores de los distintos destinos turísticos a desarrollar estrategias conforme a lo que posiblemente los consumidores más valoran al momento de decidir su próximo destino a visitar y esto puede estimular la economía de un determinado lugar.
Eficiencia técnica del cultivo de cacao (Theobroma cacao L) en el sur de Córdoba, Colombia
Authors: Martínez Reina Antonio María , Tordecilla Zumaqué Lilibeth , Grandett Martinez Liliana María , Rodriguez Pinto María del Valle , Díaz Cabadiaz Abelardo , Ballesteros Leal Henry Andrés 
Published: July 2024

La región del sur del departamento de Córdoba, Colombia, en los últimos diez años ha presentado un crecimiento en el cultivo del cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) como alternativa de sustitución de cultivos ilícitos y de mejoras en la calidad de vida de las familias que han atravesado el conflicto armado. El sistema de producción ha mostrado potencialidad dado sus rendimientos que superan al promedio nacional; sin embargo, no se evidencia la presencia de un estudio que indague acerca de la eficiencia en la asignación o inversión de recursos. Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo determinar la eficiencia técnica de este cultivo con información obtenida de una encuesta estructurada y aplicada a 158 cacaoteros de los municipios de Puerto Libertador, Montelíbano, Tierralta y Valencia. La información obtenida contenía variables técnicas y socioeconómicas que permitieron calcular el estado actual de la eficiencia técnica del cultivo del cacao para esta región, del país. La técnica que se usó fue la de frontera estocástica a través de la estimación de parámetros por el método de mínimos cuadrados a una función de producción tipo Cobb Douglas. A pesar de que los rendimientos no son bajos, los resultados muestran que el agricultor presenta una eficiencia técnica del 39%, lo cual se atribuye a la subutilización de factores y ocasiona una brecha en la producción. Se concluye que esta ineficiencia también está asociada a factores sociales como edad avanzada de los agricultores y los bajos niveles de escolaridad principalmente.
Estudio etnobotánico de plantas medicinales del Humedal Abras de Mantequilla y su área de influencia cantón Vinces.
Authors: Jiménez Romero Edwin Miguel , Crespo Gutierrez Rommel Santiago , Moreno Vera Ana Noemi , Sánchez Fonseca Carlos Luis , Eguez Enriquez Erick Alberto 
Published: July 2024

Se determinó el uso etnobotánico de plantas medicinales en el humedal Abras de Mantequilla y su área de influencia, se aplicaron un total de 46 encuestas analíticas. Se registraron 39 especies, 36 géneros y 28 familias de plantas de uso medicinal, las especies con mayor frecuencia fueron Cymbopogon citratus, Origanum vulgare y Valeriana officinalis, las enfermedades de la categoría gastrointestinal obtuvieron el mayor porcentaje de cura de las especies vegetales, el mayor porcentaje de tratamiento fueron la preparación por cocción. C. citratus, O. vulgare y V. officinalis registraron mayor Índice de Valor de Uso (IVU), Conocimiento Relativo de las Especies (RVU) y Uso Significativo de Trámil (UST).
Extended cycles of adjuvant temozolomide improves survival outcomes in glioblastoma: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Xu Hao , Yu Shengnan , Wang Chunyan , Hu Yue , Ren Qinglan , Jiang Lihao 
Published: July 2024

Aim: Standard treatment includes post-surgical chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) for glioblastoma (GBM). There is no consensus on the optimal duration for adjuvant TMZ. This study assessed whether prolonging adjuvant TMZ improved survival outcomes.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data of GBM patients who met inclusion criteria at our institute from September 2013 to December 2022. Patients who received 6 cycles of maintenance TMZ constituted the standard group, whereas those who underwent > 6 cycles were classified into the extended group. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Independent predictors of OS and PFS were explored by Cox regression analyses.
Results: 100 patients were enrolled. Extended adjuvant TMZ significantly improved OS (28.0 vs. 10.0 months, P < 0.001) and PFS (22.0 vs. 8.0 months, P < 0.001) in newly diagnosed GBM patients. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with MGMT promoter methylation who received > 6 cycles of adjuvant TMZ experienced a significant increase in OS (34.0 vs. 9.0 months, P < 0.001) and PFS (26.0 vs. 9.0 months, P = 0.008). Additionally, in the extended group, patients with MGMT promoter methylation had better survival outcomes compared to MGMT promoter unmethylated patients (OS: 34.0 vs. 17.0 months, P = 0.013; PFS: 26.0 vs. 12.0 months, P = 0.025). In patients with solitary GBM, extended adjuvant TMZ resulted in better OS (11.0 vs. 32 months, P = 0.007) and PFS (9.0 vs. 24.0 months, P < 0.001). For patients with multiple GBM, undergoing six or more cycles of adjuvant TMZ did not significantly impact OS (P = 0.100) and PFS (P = 0.067). The Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) is employed to assess the health condition of surgical patients. Patients with KPS > 70 exhibited better survival outcomes in the extended group. Nausea and vomiting were the main adverse events reported in both cohorts. However, fatigue emerged as the most severe side effect, specifically within the extended group.
Conclusion: This study indicated that prolonged adjuvant TMZ significantly enhanced OS and PFS in GBM, and the adverse events were acceptable. The benefits were particularly notable in those with MGMT promoter methylation, solitary GBM, and high KPS. The optimal cycles of adjuvant TMZ require large prospective studies to further validate and identify which patient groups benefit the most based on molecular subtyping and clinical characteristics.
Glioma-associated oncogene (GLI)-specific decoy oligodeoxynucleotide induces apoptosis and attenuates proliferation, colony formation, and migration in liver cancer cells
Authors: Hajilou Zahra , Solhi Roya , Shokouhian Bahare , Torabi Shukoofeh , Heydari Zahra , Farzaneh Zahra , Bahadori Sadaf , Piryaei Abbas , Hassan Moustapha , Nussler Andreas K. , Vosough Massoud 
Published: July 2024

Aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-associated death. The Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway participates in the initiation, progression, migration, and recurrence of HCC cancer stem cells. Furthermore, SHH regulates various cellular behaviors such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, self-renewal, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and SHH autoregulation. Glioma-associated oncogene (GLI) family zinc finger are key transcription factors in the development of many organs and are deregulated in cancer. In this study, Huh-7 cells were treated with GLI-specific decoy oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) to evaluate its anticancer impact.
Methods: The transfection efficiency of GLI-specific decoy ODN was measured using fluorescent microscopy. Then, the effects of GLI-specific decoy ODN on apoptosis, viability, proliferation rate, colony formation, and migration capacities of Huh-7 cells were assessed. Furthermore, the expression of genes associated with the alteration of SHH was assessed.
Results: Treatment of Huh-7 cells with GLI-specific decoy ODN decreased cell viability (56.36% ± 3%). Expression of certain genes such as c-MYC , SNAI2 , ZEB1 , and PROM1 decreased dramatically, while the expression of CDH1 increased significantly. Furthermore, the treated cells’ proliferation, colony formation, and migration capacity decreased considerably. This treatment induced apoptosis in the Huh-7 cells.
Conclusion: Inhibition of the SHH signaling pathway using GLI-specific decoy ODN led to a decline in the growth rate of HCC cells, decreased migration, and attenuated EMT progression.
Lethal effect of thiophene and phenol rich leaf extract from Ferula asafoetida on Dacus ciliatus (Loew)
Authors: Zamani Seyed Hasan , Khani Abbas , Mohammadpour Kazem , Mirshekar Ali 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Studies were conducted to evaluate the toxicity of methanol (MeOH) extract from Ferula asafoetida Linn. (Umbelliferae) leaves on female adults and larvae of the lesser pumpkin fly, Dacus ciliatus (Diptera: Tephritidae). Direct-dip bioassays for larvae and topical bioassays for adults of fly were used to assess mortalities. Mortality increased significantly with rising concentrations. The intermediate lethal concentrations (LC50), calculated 7.3 mg/ml (7300 ppm) for larvae. The female adult LC50 was 409 µg/insect. The chemical composition of the isolated MeOH extract from Ferula asafoetida leaves was examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major compounds were 2, 3, 4, 5-Tetramethyl thiophene (22.1%), Phenol, 3-pentadecyl- (21.2%) and Mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (15.98%). The results suggested that the extract from the tested plant could be used as a potential control agent for this pest.
A Study of the Sorption of Heavy Metals from Aquatic Solutions by Sorbents Based on Cellulosic Waste
Authors: Izguttinova Aruzhan 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

This scientific research studies the sorption capacity of cellulose-containing sorbents based on fir sawdust in relation to zinc ions with a concentration of 0.01-0.05 mol/l. The content of cellulose in fir sawdust was determined. The sorption capacity of non-activated sawdust and modified with sodium hydroxide solutions of various concentrations is considered as sorbents. It was found that sorbents modified with 1.5M NaOH solution have the greatest sorption capacity. The maximum degree of extraction for these sorbents is observed for a concentration of 0.01 mol/l zinc ions and is 78.9%.
The toxicity of heavy metals has a negative impact on ecosystems as a whole, negatively affecting the life cycle of organisms ranging from microorganisms to animals. Increased toxic concentrations of heavy metals cause numerous negative effects in the human body. For example, long-term intake of high doses of zinc may increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Therefore, water purification is an urgent step has to be used to preserve environmental sustainability.
The aim of this project is to study the process of sorption of zinc ions by cellulose-containing sorbents.
Hypothesis: The use of activated cellulose-containing waste can reduce the concentration of heavy metals, in particular zinc, in aqueous solutions.
Research stages: The main stages include: sampling and preparation for the analysis of fir sawdust; determination of the cellulose content in fir sawdust, production of activated sorbents and study of sorption processes using zinc solutions of various concentrations as an example, calculation of the degree of zinc extraction and construction of adsorption isotherms; analysis of experimental results.
Methods used to implement the project: theoretical – methods of analysis of literary sources; empirical–methods of observation, comparison, chemical methods of analysis; methods of mathematical data processing.
Practical significance: the use of cellulose-containing waste as a sorbent.
Degree of independence: The sorption capacity of cellulose-containing sorbents based on fir sawdust in relation to zinc ions with a concentration of 0.01-0.05 mol/l has been studied. The content of cellulose in fir sawdust was determined. It was found that sorbents modified with 1.5M NaOH solution have the greatest sorption capacity. The maximum degree of extraction for these sorbents is observed for a concentration of 0.01 mol/l zinc ions and is 78.9%.
Adaptive Compression Framework for Giga-pixel Whole Slide Images
Authors: Ahn Sangjeong , Lee Jonghyun , Bappy Dewan , Jeong Won-Ki , Lee Sung Hak 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Digital pathology images require significant storage space, leading to high costs. To address this, compressing pathology images for storage and restoration has been proposed; however, this involves a trade-off between compression ratio and information loss. Traditional compression techniques often apply a uniform compression ratio, ignoring the variable informational content across different slide regions (information disequilibrium). We proposed an Adaptive compression framework for giga-pixel whole Slide images, namely AdaSlide, overcomes this limitation by integrating a compression decision agent (CDA) and a foundational image enhancer (FIE), enabling adaptive compression decisions aware of information disequilibrium. The CDA uses reinforcement learning to assess each patch's necessity and degree of compression, ensuring minimal information loss and maintaining diagnostic integrity. The FIE, trained on diverse cancer types and magnifications, guarantees high-quality post-compression image restoration.

The FIE's performance was evaluated using a visual Turing test, where pathology experts could barely distinguish between real images and compressed-restored images (55% accuracy, coincidence level: 50%). In six downstream tasks (including patch-level classification, segmentation, and slide-level classification), AdaSlide maintained the prediction performance of the original images in five out of six tasks. In contrast, traditional methods with a uniform compression ratio only maintained performance in two out of six tasks, raising concerns about information loss. Additionally, AdaSlide could store data using less than 10% of the original WSI size. This indicates that, unlike traditional methods, AdaSlide can efficiently compress data while preserving clinically significant information. Furthermore, AdaSlide provides flexibility with its study objective-oriented reward function, compression tendency, and FIE backbone architectures. This adaptive approach ensures efficient storage and retrieval, potentially transforming the management of digital pathology data storage systems by aligning compression strategies with clinical relevance, thereby facilitating both cost reduction and improved diagnostic processes.
Multi-objective optimization of the structural parameters of an allmetal progressive cavity pump based on Grey-Taguchi relational analysis
Authors: zhou jing , xie jie , lu lin , sun wenbin 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

The all-metal progressive cavity pump (AMPCP) lifting technology can effectively address the challenge of efficiently lifting heavy-oil wells with steam throughput hot recovery. However, design issues have been found to reduce the volumetric efficiency and stability of AMPCP during the process of heavy-oil hot recovery. To enhance the volumetric efficiency and head of the AMPCP, as well as to minimize the impact of turbulent kinetic energy, the Taguchi method was employed to conduct a total of 25 orthogonal experiments involving four factors at five levels. The input parameters included the rotor radius, eccentricity distance, meshing clearance, and the helical pitch of the stator. The output parameters consisted of volumetric efficiency, head, and turbulent kinetic energy. The single-factor effects were analyzed using signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), range analysis (R/S), and variance analysis (ANOVA). Employing the Taguchi method combined with grey relational analysis, the three response objectives were combined into a gray relational grade (GRG). The structural parameter combination that conforms to 95% volumetric efficiency is as follows: rotor radius of 20.5mm, eccentricity distance of 5.1mm, meshing clearance of 0.35mm, and the helical pitch of the stator of 135mm. The simulation results indicate that utilizing Taguchi's method and gray relational analysis for the structural design of AMPCP can enhance its volumetric efficiency and stability.
Diagnostic Performance Of Single-Lead Electrocardiograms For Arterial Hypertension Diagnosis: A Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Marketou Maria , Angelaki Eleni , Barmparis George , Fragkiadakis Konstantinos , Maragkoudakis Spyros , Zacharis Evangelos , Plevritaki Anthoula , Kampanieris Emmanouil , Kalomoirakis Petros , Kassotakis Spyros , Kochiadakis George , Tsironis George 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Awareness and early identification of hypertension is crucial in reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Artificial intelligence-based analysis of 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) can already detect arrhythmias and hypertension. We performed an observational two-center study in order to develop a machine learning algorithm to proactively detect arterial hypertension from single-lead ECGs. This could serve as proof of concept with an eye towards todays wearables that record single-lead ECGs. In a prospective observational study, we enrolled 1254 consecutive subjects (539 male, aged 60.22 ± 12.46 years), with and without essential hypertension, and no indications of CVD. A 12-lead ECG of 10 seconds duration in resting position was performed on each subject using a digital electrocardiograph and lead I was isolated for analysis using a calibrated Random Forest (RF). Our RF model classified hypertensive from normotensive subjects on a hold-out test set, with 75% accuracy, ROC/AUC 0.831 (95%CI: 0.781–0.871), sensitivity 72%, and specificity 82% (sensitivity and specificity calculated using a threshold of 0.675). Increasing age, larger values of body mass index, the area under the T wave divided by the QRS complex area, and the area under QRS segment adjusted for BMI, were the four most important features that drove the classification decisions of our model. This study demonstrates the potential to opportunistically detect an undiagnosed hypertension, using a single-lead ECG. While studies with data from wearables are required to translate our findings to actual smartwatch settings, our results could pave the way to innovative technologies for hypertension awareness.