bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for the rapid detection of Clostridium botulinum serotypes E and F
Authors: Chu Hai Anh , Tang Nga , Nguyen Thuy Tram , Le Huy Hoang , Pham Yen 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background
Botulinum neurotoxin serotypes E and F (BoNT/E and BoNT/F) produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) cause poisoning in humans with high mortality rates found in a wide variety of foods. The gold standard detection method that utilizes live mouse bioassays (MBAs) has a low detection limit, requires experienced personnel, and takes a long time to obtain results. Therefore, it has been gradually replaced by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) with species–specific target genes.
Methods and results
In this study, two sets of six LAMP primers each were designed based on multiple sequence alignments of the conserved regions of bont/E and bont/F genes collected from 180 serotype E strains and 30 serotype F strains published in NCBI. In silico PCR with the outer primer pairs showed successful amplification of the target fragments. To validate the LAMP method, we constructed two synthetic plasmids containing the target sequences extended approximately 10–50 bp to both ends. The specificity of the primers was further evaluated using six other different Clostridium species and eight food poisoning isolated bacterial species. Employing the synthetic plamids, the optimal temperatures were determined for bont/E (63°C, LOD ≤ 101 copies/reaction) and bont/F (65°C, LOD ≤ 102 copies/reaction) within 30 minutes. In addition, the LAMP primer set for BoNT/F was redesigned with degenerate nucleotides that improved coverage from 15–45%.
Conclusions
For future directions, applications of the established method, especially with the degenerate primers, could be used as an alternative assay for the rapid and sensitive of C. botulinum.
Incidence of maxillofacial trauma related to kickboxing in the United Kingdom and the efficacy of protective equipment.
Authors: Patel Karan , Moore Richard 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Kickboxing is a heavily participated combat sport within the UK. With the sport involving striking opponents, it is widely perceived to be associated with an elevated risk of maxillofacial injury. However, the research is limited with gaps that require further investigation. This study aimed to assess the frequency and distribution of these injuries and whether protective modalities including headgear and mouthguards help reduce them.
Materials and Methods: Kickboxers (n=92) around the UK completed an electronic questionnaire from November 11th to October 11th, 2021.
Results: There was an incidence rate of 71.7% where participants had experienced at least 1 maxillofacial injury. The lip was the most affected (26.1%, p<0.05). Injury rates per participant for headgears, mouthguards and no protection were 2.1, 2.6 and 4.7, respectively.
Conclusions: Maxillofacial injuries in Kickboxing have a prevalence of 71%. Protective equipment successfully reduced the frequency of maxillofacial injuries (p<0.05). Experience levels are a major contributor in the incidence of these injuries. Updated regulations to mandate protective equipment may significantly reduce incidence of injury. More research is required in relation to variables such as ethnicity and bone density to identify high risk groups.
Unwanted loneliness in heart failure: risk factors and association with prognosis
Authors: Benito Teresa , Zaharia Georgiana , Pérez Adora , Jaramillo Cristina , Lorenzo Miguel , Mollar Anna , Martínez Carolina , Bejarano Evelin , Cebrián Francisco , Civera Jose , Núñez Julio 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives:Heart failure (HF) is associated with a high prevalence of unwanted loneliness. This study aimed to assess the risk factors associated with unwanted loneliness and its association with the risk of adverse clinical events in a cohort of patients with HF.
Methods: We included 298 patients diagnosed with stable HF. Clinical, biochemical, echocardiographic parameters and loneliness using ESTE II scale were assessed. We analyzed risk factors using multivariate logistic regression. We evaluated the association with the risk of recurrent all-cause admissions using negative binomial regression accounting for the risk of death.
Results: The mean age was 75.8±9.4 years, with 111 (37.2%) being women, 53 (17.8%) widowed, and 154 (51.7%) patients having preserved ejection fraction. The median (p25% - p75%) ESTE II score was 9.0 (6.0 – 12.0), and 36.9% experienced loneliness. Both women (OR=2.09; 95% CI: 1.11 to 3.98, p=0.023) and widowhood (OR=3.25; 95% CI: 1.51 to 7.01, p=0.003) were associated with a higher risk of loneliness. During follow-up, loneliness was significantly associated with increased all-cause hospitalizations (IRR=2.05; 95% CI: 1.24-3.40, p=0.005).
Conclusions: Women and widowhood emerge as risk factors for unwanted loneliness in HF patients. Unwanted loneliness is associated with higher morbidity during follow-up.
The phytotherapy properties of winter savory (Satureja montana L.) essential oil against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep
Authors: Štrbac Filip , Krnjajić Slobodan , Ratajac Radomir , Rinaldi Laura , Musella Vincenzo , Castagna Fabio , Stojanović Dragica , Simin Nataša , Orčić Dejan , Bosco Antonio 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background: The increasing difficulties in combating anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) of sheep worldwide and the residues of chemical drugs in animal products and the environment necessitate the search for alternatives. Previous studies have shown that plant essential oils (EOs) could be valuable anthelmintic agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using winter savory (Satureja montana L.) EO against sheep GINs through performing in vitro and in vivo efficacy tests and preliminary toxicity studies.
Methods: The chemical composition of the S. montana EO was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the evaluation of anthelmintic potential in vitro, the Egg Hatch Test (EHT) was performed at eight different concentrations (50, 12.5, 3.125, 0.781, 0.195, 0.049, 0.025 and 0.0125 mg/ml). Field efficacy was evaluated using the Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) on two farms where the oil was applied intraruminally to sheep at a mean dose of 150 mg/kg. The toxic effect of the oil was evaluated by physical observation of the tested animals and by collecting blood samples for further haematological and biochemical analyses. Coproculture examination of faecal samples from the tested sheep before and after treatment was also performed to identify the GIN genera present.
Results: Main compounds of the S. montana oil identified by GC-MS analysis were p-cymene (42.8%), carvacrol (28.1%) and y-terpinene (14.6%). The in vitro EHT showed a dose-dependent (R2=0.94) anthelmintic potential of the tested oil with ovicidal activity varying from 17.0-83.3% and determined IC50 value of 0.59 mg/ml. The field efficacy reached 33% (at group level) and 50% (at individual level) at D14 after treatment. In vivo efficacy was significantly higher in farm 2 (FEC above 65% at group level, p<0.05) where sheep were kept in pens during treatment. No toxic effects were observed either in the physical observation of the test animals or in their liver and kidney function.
Conclusion: The moderate efficacy on EHT and FECRT, without adverse effects on the sheep, suggests that S. montana EO is suitable for the control of sheep GINs as part of an integrated parasite management. Further studies should be conducted to further increase efficacy.
Generation of the 12-GO-Subsets to Interpretate Human Cellular Process
Authors: Liu Yirui , Liu Ruiqi , Hu Jiaming , Wang Yating , Zhang Jingfang 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

As the Gene Ontology (GO) knowledgebase becomes more and more complicated, it is difficult for researchers to follow and get a comprehensive overview of biological processes. Here, we generated a classification strategy through carefully investigating the genes any two terms shared. Using this strategy, we categorized the 66 direct child terms of the cellular process into 12 major subsets, and the interactions among them were further confirmed by studying the protein-protein interaction based networks. Subsequently, these 12 subsets were used to investigate the distribution of transcription factors, kinases and also several cancer genomes. Above all, the 12-GO-subsets provide researchers a more comprehensive overview of the cellular process, and the categorizing strategy developed herein can be utilized to characterize other large GO terms.
Reference Phone Number : A Secure and QoS- improved SIP-based phone system
Authors: Hsieh Wen-Bin 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

With the iµproveµent of the internet and the widespread adoption of digital coµµunication devices such as sµartphones, VoIP has largely replaced traditional telephone systeµs. Many coµpanies are deploying VoIP systeµs due to their scalability and low cost. In this paper, address the issue of reµote clients or traveling eµployees being unable to contact business partners due to specific phone nuµbers. We propose a reference phone nuµber µechanisµ that coµbines a set of related business partners' phone nuµbers to enhance call availability. To ensure the confidentiality of calls, we also designed an algorithµ to integrate key exchange protocols into the proposed µechanisµ. The µechanisµ can flexibly custoµize the required security protocols. A perforµance analysis is conducted by deploying the proposed µechanisµ in a µediuµ-sized coµpany. The results prove that the µechanisµ is feasible and the effect is satisfactory.
CSFNet: A novel counting network based on context features and multi-scale information
Authors: Xiong Liyan , Li Zhida , Huang Xiaohui , Wang Heng 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

The goal of crowd-counting techniques is to estimate the number of people in an image or video in real-time and accurately. In recent years, with the development of deep learning, the accuracy of the crowd-counting task has been improving. However, the accuracy of the crowd-counting task in crowded scenes with large-scale variations still needs to be improved. To cope with this situation, this paper proposes a new novel of crowd-counting network: Context-Scaled Fusion Network(CSFNet). The details include (1) the design of the Multi-Scale Receptive Field Fusion Module (MRFF Module), which employs multiple dilated convolutional layers with different dilatation rates and uses a fusion mechanism to obtain multi-scale hybrid information to generate higher quality feature maps; (2) The Contextual Space Attention Module ( CSA Module) is proposed, which can obtain pixel-level contextual information and combine it with the attention map to enable the model to autonomously learn and pay attention to the important regions to achieve the effect of reducing the counting error. In this paper, the model is trained and evaluated on five datasets: ShanghaiTech, UCF_CC_50, WorldExpo'10, BEIJING-BRT, and Mall. The experimental results show that CSFNet outperforms many SOTA methods on these datasets, demonstrating its superior counting ability and robustness.
Study of an outbreak of acute jaundice syndrome at the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh: socio- demographic and clinical manifestations
Authors: Mubassira Mahi , Muhib Md. Muntasir Alam , Abeed-Ul-Haque Syed , Khanam Sanzida , Hasan Md. Faruk 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background Acute jaundice syndrome (AJS) is an important concerns due to its rapid outbreak faced an enhanced epidemiological surveillance. The present study was designed to find out the reasons, outbreaks pattern, clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies of AJS among the students of Rajshahi University campus, Bangladesh.
Methods The study involved 1151 students showing signs of AJS. Primarily, jaundice syndromes were determined by physiological test having yellow skin and abdominal pain. Laboratory tests were performed to confirm the pathophysiology of jaundice. Blood and urine samples were collected and ALT SGPT, bilirubin levels and different biochemical tests were done by an automated clinical chemistry analyzer.
Results From the total number of tested patients, 27.28 % and 72.72% showed jaundice positive and negative. Jaundice positive patients showed the highest average value of ALT (SGPT) with 1312.67 ± 1.32 U/L and the total bilirubin level was found 2.08 ± 0.70 mg/dL for adults.
Conclusions The present study showed a vital information about the pattern of AJS outbreaks in the University of Rjshahi. The prompt diagnosis and the implementation of effective control measures of AJS outbreaks are needed for protecting the students' health and the whole community.
SOMA-BD: Brownian Dynamics Simulation for Soft Matter on GPU
Authors: Crespin Benoit , Porro Heinich , Cerbelaud Manuella , Videcoq Arnaud , Gerhards Julien 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

This paper introduces a high-performance Brownian Dynamics simulation code designed for Nvidia GPUs. The code prioritizes accuracy with double-precision calculations and utilizes a bucket sort neighbor list for efficient particle interaction management. Additionally, a CUDA occupancy-aware autotuning system optimizes thread block size for diverse hardware configurations. Benchmarks demonstrate significant performance gains compared to existing tools, particularly for large-scale simulations with various interaction potentials (Lennard-Jones, Yukawa, DLVO). The software offers user-friendly configuration via JSON files and supports restarting simulations from both binary and XYZ data formats. Future work includes expanding supported interaction potentials, refining autotuning and investigating scalability. This open-source software empowers researchers in material science and related fields to conduct efficient and accurate BD simulations.
An impressive clustering based on the fuzzy system for UAV-assisted IoT wireless networks
Authors: Bozorgi Seyed Mostafa , Golsorkhtabaramiri Mehdi , Biglari Khadijeh , Moghaddam Valeh 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) play an essential role in the Internet of Things (IoT) because of their easy usage and cost reduction. A UAV can used as an Air Base Station (ABS). One of the main challenges of an IoT/WSN is energy consumption, most of which relates to the transmutation part. Although many efforts have been made to propose several hybrid, dynamic, and static clustering protocols, most of these protocols apply to certain aspects of the network. So far, not many efforts have been made to present a hybrid protocol that can stay stable in various small and large-scale UAV-assisted IoT wireless networks. This paper presents a hybrid unequal hierarchy routing called an impressive clustering based on the fuzzy system (ICF). Clustering is performed at the beginning of each meta-round instead of each round to reduce overhead. This task scheduling is determined based on fuzzy systems. In ICF, a new clustering plan (CP) technique is presented that is determined based on the fuzzy system. CP is based on the scale of the network and distance of the network to the UAV whether routing should be single-hop or multi-hop. When the CP is single-hop inter-cluster routing, the cluster heads (CHs) closer to the ABS have a larger radius. In this case, CHs closer to ABS have more cluster members (CMs) to receive and data aggregation. When the CP is a multi-hop, the CHs closer to the ABS have a smaller radius. In this case, CHs closer to ABS have more energy to receive and relay data from far CHs to ABS. Choosing single-hop routing for small-scale networks helps reduce the control message's overhead. It also maintains the network's stability by selecting multi-hop routing in a large-scale network. Therefore, in different size networks, the protocol can work agreeably. Also, ICF uses the assistance to cluster heads (ACHs) technique which allows CHs to get help from some of its CMs to help share cluster load. The simulation results showed that the proposed method improves network stability, load-balancing, and network lifetime and performance.
HIDE-IT: An Enhance Secure Least Significant Bit Image Steganographic System Using Dual Encryption Techniques
Authors: Folashade Akande Adenike , Adekola Olubokola , Johnson Femi Temitope , Elugbadebo Oladayo Joseph 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Data breaches have consistently posed a challenge when it comes to sharing confidential data. Defending communication in data security systems is challenging, especially when it involves concealing information within images without noticeable changes to the visual content. Anyone who possesses the correct key or method can uncover the concealed information. While cryptography techniques have been advanced for ensuring message integrity, privacy, and data security on unsecured communication networks, there is still no foolproof way to ensure the accuracy of the information being transmitted. This paper identifies a crucial flaw in maintaining the trustworthiness of hidden data, as existing encryption techniques may raise doubts, and suggests a solution with an Enhance Secure image Steganographic System that incorporates Least Significant Bit and Dual Encryption Techniques. The recently created system was extensively tested using three common image steganography metrics: PSNR, SSIM, and bpp, resulting in average values of 74.18, 0.98, and 6.35 respectively. These values show outstanding performance by exhibiting no apparent distortion between the cover and stego-image, and they exceed the results of previous research efforts.
Enzyme-Accelerated Catalytic DNA Circuits Enable Rapid and One-pot Detection of Bacterial Pathogens
Authors: Li Baolin , Jiang Hui , Luo Sijian , Zeng Zhangrui , Xu Xuejing , Li Xinyu , Zhang Songzhi , Chen Yirong , Ding Shijia , Li Xinmin , Liu Jinbo , Chen Wei 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Catalytic DNA circuits, serving as signal amplification strategies, can enable simple and accurate detection of pathogenic bacteria in complex matrices but suffer from low reaction rates and depths. Herein, we design an enzyme-accelerated catalytic hairpin assembly (EACHA) in which duplex DNA products are converted into hairpin reactants to continue participating in the next circuit reaction with the assistance of RNase H. Profiting from the high recyclability of the reactants, EACHA exhibits an approximately 37.6-fold enhancement in the rate constant and a two-order-of-magnitude improvement in sensitivity compared to conventional catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA). By integrating an allosteric probe with EACHA, a one-pot method is developed for rapid and direct detection of S. enterica Enteritidis. This method is capable of detecting 15 CFU mL− 1 of S. Enteritidis within 20 min, which is superior to that of real-time PCR. By testing 60 milk samples, we demonstrate this method's high accuracy in discriminating contaminated samples, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.997. Moreover, this method can be employed to accurately diagnose early-stage infected mice, with an AUC of 1.00 for feces samples and 0.986 for serum samples. Therefore, this study offers a simple and feasible method for identifying pathogens in complex matrices.
Enhancing Medical Education with Technology: A Comparative Study of Virtual Reality and Traditional 3D-Printed Mannequins in Pericardiocentesis Training
Authors: Rubio-López Alberto , García-Carmona Rodrigo , Zarandieta-Román Laura , Rubio-Navas Alejandro , González-Pinto Ángel , Cardinal-Fernández Pablo 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background
With the evolution of medical education, innovative methods such as virtual reality (VR) and 3D-printed mannequins are being explored to enhance learning and accurately simulate high-stress, real-life medical scenarios. This study evaluated the efficacy of these simulation models in training for pericardiocentesis, focusing on their ability to replicate stress levels encountered in actual medical procedures.
Methods
This study involved 108 final-year medical students from the School of Medicine in Madrid who were randomized into two groups to train with both a 3D-printed mannequin and a VR model. Stress responses were assessed using heart rate variability (HRV) analysis of biosignal plux system data. A secondary analysis also explored correlations between stress responses and demographics, lifestyle, medication use, and academic perceived stress.
Results
The findings suggest that VR and traditional mannequin-based methods are equally effective in simulating the stress levels of real-life medical procedures. Significant interactions between stress markers and demographic factors underscore the complexity of stress responses in medical training, highlighting the need for personalized educational strategies.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated the effectiveness of VR as an alternative to traditional training methods for simulating both the technical and emotional demands of medical procedures such as pericardiocentesis. The integration of VR into medical education can potentially improve learning outcomes and accessibility, especially in resource-constrained settings.
Disturbance and Growth: Deciphering the Impact of Resin Tapping on Biomass Allocation and Allometric Growth Patterns in Pinus massoniana
Authors: Xue Guangyu , Ming Angang , Zhou Guangyi , Lu Lihua , Yu Haolong , Tao Yi , Jia Hongyan , Zeng Ji 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

China has long been the world's largest producer of pine resin. Pinus massoniana Lamb. It is a significant afforestation and timber species in southern China, accounting for more than half of the forest stock in southern China， It proliferates, with high resin yield, making it an essential component of forestry operations south of mountainous areas and a pillar industry in forestry. However, studies on the impact of resin tapping on biomass allocation and height-diameter allometric growth dynamics of Pinus massoniana are unclear. This study focused on Pinus massoniana plantations in the South Subtropical Region of Guangxi to explore the effects of resin tapping on biomass allocation patterns and allometric growth relationships. Whole-tree harvesting was used to collect samples, with diameter at breast height, tree height, and ground diameter as essential variables to construct allometric biomass models suitable for Pinus massoniana forests under resin tapping disturbance. We constructed allometric growth models for aboveground and belowground parts and between organs to reveal the best biomass models and predictive variables. The results showed that resin tapping disturbance significantly reduced the biomass of various organs in Pinus massoniana, with reductions in stem, bark, root, aboveground, and total biomass statistically significant (P<0.05). However, the changes in leaf and branch biomass were insignificant (P>0.05), indicating that the impact of resin tapping is selective among different organs. The goodness-of-fit of allometric growth models showed that models for resin-tapped Pinus massoniana had better fit than those for non-resin-tapped trees. In the developed and tested regression models, except for leaf biomass and root biomass models, the remaining models achieved acceptable performance statistics. Models for stem, bark, and aboveground biomass performed best (models 4, 4, and 7). These models have critical applications in forestry management, providing scientific evidence for biomass estimation and management of Pinus massonianaplantations under resin tapping disturbance.