bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of radiological parameters in the soil along the coastline of Arin Lake (Bitlis)
Authors: ÇELİK Şule KARATEPE , BAL Sultan ŞAHİN 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

This investigation involved the assessment of natural (238U, 232Th, and 40K) and artificial (137Cs) radioactivity concentrations in 27 soil samples taken from the Arin Lake (Bitlis) coastline, using the HPGe detector system. For this purpose, dose calculations were performed on the basis of the activity concentration values of soil samples. The mean radioactivity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs were 34.73, 32.43, 529.28, and 8.46 Bq/kg, respectively. The radiological parameters with Ra equivalent (Raeq) value, the annual effective dose and the absorbed dose values were lower than the recommended world mean. Furtermore, Radiological hazard indices, Hin, Hex, and ELCR, were obtained below specified limit values. In addition, the findings were compared to similar research in several other countries.
Psychometric Properties of an Arabic Translation of the Short Boredom Proneness Scale (SBPS) in Adults
Authors: Khadra Tia , Hallit Rabih , Malaeb Diana , Hallit Souheil , Fekih-Romdhane Feten , Obeid Sahar 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background: The Short Boredom Proneness Scale (SBPS) is a common tool for assessing individuals’ inclination toward Boredom. The Arabic version of the SBPS has not been validated despite the language being spoken by over 420 million people worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to translate the SBPS into Arabic and prove its psychometric properties on a sample of Arabic-speaking adults.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 410 participants were recruited to participate by completing the translated Arabic version of the SBPS through an online Google Forms survey. The validation of the scale was carried out using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis approach.
Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed a better fit after adding a correlation between residuals of items 2 and 6. The SBPS showed high internal reliability (ω = .81; α = .81). No significant differences were found in SBPS scores between males and females. Concurrent validity indicated that higher levels of anxiety, loneliness, and smartphone addiction were significantly associated with greater boredom proneness.
Conclusion: Our results confirm the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the SBPS, suggesting its suitability for use among Arabic-speaking adults in various settings. This concise and user-friendly tool potentially promotes cross-cultural research on boredom proneness.
A method for the identification and evaluation of Glycyrrhiza germplasm based on DNA barcodes and leaf micromorphology
Authors: Du Zhenzhu , Xu Wenbin , Wang Yuxia , Ma Zhancang , Yan Ping , Huang Gang , Li Hongbin 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Large-scale artificial cultivation of medicinal Glycyrrhiza plants is imperative due to the short supply and the dramatic decline in wild populations. Xinjiang is the main Glycyrrhiza production area of China, but the quality of cultivated Glycyrrhiza plants is low due to the mixed cultivation of multiple seeds of unknown origins. To explore the identification method and efficient cultivation of elite Glycyrrhiza germplasms in Xinjiang, China, in this study, the differences in leaf micromorphological characteristics and main active ingredients of 6 Glycyrrhiza species and 2 hybrids in Xinjiang were clarified, and then identification on the basis of DNA barcode was conducted. The results showed that: (1) The combination of nuclear gene ITS2, chloroplast nucleic acid sequences trnH-psbA and trnV-ndhC could accurately identify Glycyrrhiza species and hybrids, and the calculation of genetic distance could preliminarily determine the maternal species of hybrids. (2) The upper and lower epidermal cells of the Glycyrrhiza plant leaves were nearly polygonal, and the anticlinal walls were deep or shallowly corrugated. The upper and lower epidermis had stomata, and rectangular or oblong-oval stomata could be classified according to the length-to-width ratio. The quantitative traits such as glandular trichomes’ diameter and density were significantly different between species. The ornamentation of epidermal wax had three types: smooth, coarse-grained, and dense and fine-striped. (3) Cluster analysis of 11 micromorphological traits such as glandular trichomes diameter (GTDi) with absolute weight above 0.7 from the first four components showed that the 6 Glycyrrhiza species and 2 hybrids were clustered into one category, and the hybrids had a close genetic relationship with G. uralensis and G. inflata, which was consistent with the DNA barcode identification results. (4) The comprehensive evaluation of germplasms in Xinjiang found that Glycyrrhiza glabra was superior to other germplasms (Glycyrrhiza glabra > G. glabra var. Glandulosa > G. uralensis > G. inflata > G. aspera > hybrid I > G. prostrata > hybrid II), indicating that the hybridization reduced the medicinal value of Glycyrrhiza species. This study is of great significance for the identification of Glycyrrhiza species, the conservation of elite Glycyrrhiza germplasms, and the healthy development of the medicinal plant market.
KAMC: Knowledge-Aware Meta-Concept Recommendation
Authors: Wu Xianglin , Jiang Haonan , Zhang Jingwei , Wu Zezheng , Cheng Xinghe , Yang Qing , Zhou Ya 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are playing a key role in improving educational ways. Abundant learning resources make it difficult for online users to find suitable learning content. The current personalized service in the field of online education relies more on course recommendations. However, coarse-grained recommendations cannot help users discover the defects of their knowledge network effectively. In this paper, we propose a Knowledge-Aware Meta-Concept (KAMC) framework to provide fine-grained recommendation services. We innovatively incorporate Knowledge Graph (KG) into the field of educational recommendation to provide abundant auxiliary information. However, simply combining knowledge graphs with educational recommender systems cannot improve the performance of existing recommendation models, and may even weaken the performance of the models. Because the modeled KG ignores the enhancements on the user side and only considers the enhancements on the item side. We further propose to enrich the semantic representation of users with collaborative information in user-item interactions, and at the same time enrich the semantic representation of items with information in KG. Furthermore, to provide users with more accurate and fine-grained personalized recommendation services, we propose a user-based attention mechanism to capture users' fine-grained semantic information. Our method is experimentally validated on three real-world datasets. Experimental results show that the KAMC method outperforms the current state-of-the-art baseline methods.
Endocrine-exocrine miR-503-322 drives aging-associated pancreatitis via targeting MKNK1 in acinar cells
Authors: Zhu Yunxia , Liu Kerong , Lv Tingting , Tang Wei , Zhang Yan , Xiao Xiao , Li Yating , Chang Xiaoai , Wang Shusen , Pandol Stephen , Li Ling , Han Xiao 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Aging is the major risk factor for chronic pancreatitis and severity determinant for its acute attack, yet the underlying cause is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that senescent β-cells of endocrine pancreas decide the onset and severity of chronic and acute pancreatitis. During physiological aging, senescent β-cells increase the expression of miR-503-322 which is secreted as nano-vesicles to enter exocrine acinar cells, driving a causal and reversible role on aging-associated pancreatitis. Mechanistically, miR-503-322 represses MKNK1 to inhibit acinar-cell secretion and proliferation, thereby causing autodigestion and repairing damage of exocrine pancreas. In the elderly population, serum miR-503 concentration is negatively correlated with amylase, prone to chronic pancreatitis due to increased miR-503 and decreased MKNK1 in the elderly pancreas. Our findings highlight the miR-503-322–MKNK1 axis mediating the endocrine-exocrine regulatory pathway specifically in aged mice and humans. Modulating this axis may provide potential preventive and therapeutic strategies for aging-associated pancreatitis.
A Comprehensive Prognostic and Immunological Implications of PFKP in Pan-Cancer
Authors: Ling Xiaodong , Zhang Luquan , Fang Chengyuan , Liang Hao , Ma Jianqun 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background
As a pivotal rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis, Phosphofructokinase P (PFKP) plays a pivotal role in multiple pathophysiological processes. However, the critical role of PFKP in most tumors remains unexplored. The present research was primarily designed to provide the expression of PFKP in Pan-cancer and its clinical relevance, and study the correlations between PFKP expression and immune infiltration characteristics in tumor microenvironment.
Methods
Raw data in regard to PFKP expression were obtained from TCGA and GEO databases. We examined the expression patterns and prognostic values of PFKP in pan-cancer utilizing multiple databases, and investigated the relationship of PFKP expression with immune infiltration and tumor immune microenvironment. Besides, the biological function of PFKP was explored via in vitro verification.
Results
PFKP is highly expressed and is a prognostic risk factor in most tumors. Increased expression of PFKP was detrimental to the clinical prognoses, especially LUAD. Also, ROC curve analysis demonstrated that PFKP showed high accuracy in distinguishing cancerous tissues from normal ones. There were significant correlations between PFKP expression and TMB, MSI, immune scores, and immune cell infiltrations. In vitro studies demonstrated that the overexpression of PFKP accelerated the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells, whereas PFKP depletion showed the opposite effects on them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, PFKP participates in the carcinogenic progression, and may contribute to the immune infiltration in tumor microenvironment. Our study suggests that PFKP can serve as a potential biomarker for predicting different tumor prognoses and tumor immunogenicity, especially LUAD.
A Sandwich-Type Photoelectrochemical Sensor Based on Anthocyanin-Sensitized ZnO/P5FIn Heterojunction for the Sensitive Detection of CYFRA21-1
Authors: Gong Qinghua , Guo Yanting , Zhang Lu , Wang Jingjing , Liu Dandan , Nie Guangming 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

The accurate and highly sensitive detection of the tumor marker CYFRA21-1 is crucial for screening and diagnosing potential lung cancer patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A sandwich-type photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunosensor based on a ZnO/poly(5-formylindole) (P5FIn)/anthocyanin heterostructure was developed to achieve sensitive background-free detection of CYFRA21-1. ZnO with good photovoltaic properties is combined with narrow bandgap P5FIn to form a p-n type heterojunction. This structure reduces the recombination efficiency of electron-hole pairs, thereby enhancing the photocurrent response of the composite. Anthocyanidins are environmentally friendly natural compounds with excellent antioxidant, redox properties, and remarkable electrochemical activity. After sensitization by anthocyanins, the absorption and utilization of visible light in the composites are enhanced, further improving the PEC luminescence efficiency of the materials. Additionally, boron nitride quantum dots (BN QDs) are combined with Ab2 via polydopamine (PDA) as a secondary antibody marker, enhancing its sensitivity. The sensor exhibited a linear detection range (LDR) of 0.001-100 ng mL− 1 with limit of detection (LOD) of 0.00033 ng mL− 1. Furthermore, this sensor demonstrates excellent selectivity, reproducibility, and stability, as well as successful results in detecting actual human serum samples. This approach provides a feasible method for tumor marker detection.
Psychometric Properties of an Arabic Translation of the Child and Adolescents Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) in adolescents
Authors: Zouki Christian-Joseph El , Malaeb Diana , Sakr Fouad , Dabbous Mariam , Hallit Souheil , Fekih-Romdhane Feten , Obeid Sahar 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background
The objective of this study is to examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Arabic adaptation of the Child and Adolescents Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) within a sample of Lebanese adolescents.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, 793 adolescents were recruited to participate by completing the translated Arabic version of the CAMM through an online Google Forms survey. The validation of the scale was carried out using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis approach.
Results
The Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed a one-factor structure. Both the alpha coefficient (α = .89) and the omega coefficient (ω = .89) demonstrated excellent reliability. Sex invariance was shown at the configural, scalar and metric levels, with no statistically significant difference in CAMM scores was observed between males and females. Moreover, the CAMM total score exhibited a significant association with lower irritability, higher wellbeing, and depression-happiness (r = .43; p < .001).
Conclusion
Our results confirm the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the CAMM, suggesting its suitability for use among Arabic-speaking adolescents in various settings. This concise and user-friendly tool has the potential to promote cross-cultural research on mindfulness and wellbeing.
Where and why mothers discontinue healthcare services: a qualitative study exploring the maternity continuum of care gaps in Somalia
Authors: Mohamed Adam Abdulkadir , Akın Ayşe , Mihciokur Sare , Üner Sarp , Mohamoud Said Aden , Gele Abdi 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background
Despite significant progress in expanding and improving maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) globally, gaps remain in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in sub-Saharan African countries, including Somalia. Somalia is among the 15 countries that the WHO marked as very high alert countries for maternal, newborn, and under deaths. The maternity continuum of care (CoC) throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period is essential for the health and survival of mothers and their babies. This study aimed to explore the maternity continuum of care gaps in Somalia.
Methods
This qualitative study included 5 FGDs (44 childbearing mothers) purposively sampled from urban, rural, IDPs, agro, and nomadic pastoralists and 19 in-depth interviews (IDIs) from healthcare providers, policymakers, recently delivered and childbearing mothers, community leaders, and traditional birth attendants in 6 regions of Somalia in January 2024. We used thematic analysis to analyze the data.
Results
Five key themes and twelve subthemes emerged from the analysis: service availability, access to care, decision-making, quality of care, and traditional beliefs. The maternity continuum of care gaps varies across different community categories, such as urban areas, rural areas, IDPs, agro-pastoralists (beeraley-baadiye), and nomadic pastoralists (reer-guuraa), due to diverse reasons, including service availability, access to care (financial, distance, and transportation), socioeconomic disparities, infrastructure, climate-related, and security issues.
Conclusion
The maternity continuum of care gaps varies across different community categories, such as urban, rural, IDPs, agro-pastoralists (beeraley-baadiye), and nomadic pastoralists (reer-guuraa), due to a combination of diverse reasons, such as service availability; access to care, including financial, distance, and transportation; socioeconomic disparities; infrastructure; climate-related issues; and security issues.
Key terms:
Maternal health, continuum of care, cultural beliefs, home delivery, Somalia
Wastewater Management: Sensor Integration with Manual Filtration and Multi-Parameter Monitoring for Testing Water Quality
Authors: Bhat Parvathi D , Sural Neha Madi , Prasad Abhirami Gajendra , G Vijayakumar , B Trilok Chandran 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Water is vital for survival. Presently, it is getting contaminated due to industrial effluents, domestic wastes, and pollutants. Pollution has wiped out many exotic fish species, coral reefs, plants, zooplankton, and other organisms. Effective wastewater management is essential for safeguarding water resources and minimizing environmental impacts. The present study is an innovative approach that combines sensor integration with manual filtration techniques and multi-parameter monitoring to enhance water quality assessment in wastewater treatment processes. Important water quality parameters like pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen can be continuously recorded by these sensors in real time. It contributes to the advancement of wastewater management practices by integrating state-of-the-art sensor technology with traditional filtration methods. The manual filtering stage serves as a fail-safe mechanism, assuring the effective removal of course particles and potential contaminants. It makes it easy for the operators to identify violations from the specified water quality parameters, allowing for quick actions to be taken. This study is expected to have a significant impact on the field of wastewater management, promoting sustainability, efficiency, and environmental protection.
Prevalence and Risk Factors associated with Elevated Liver Transaminases in Adult Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Almansour Raghad , Alyahya Malak , Aloraini Abdulmajeed , Alanazi Naif 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Introduction:Diabetes mellitus is a global health challenge associated with numerous complications, including liver function. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with elevated liver transaminases in a cohort of 509 diabetic patients.
Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Diabetic patients meeting inclusion criteria were enrolled and relevant data including demographics, clinical characteristics and laboratory results were extracted from electronic medical records. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Pc+21.0 version, employing descriptive statistics and appropriate tests for univariate analysis.
Results: The majority of the 509 diabetic patients were females (58%) with a mean age of 61.5 ± 12.4. Obesity was prevalent (62.9%) and more than half had complications (55%). Comorbidities, hypertension and dyslipidemia were present in 91% of patients. Notably, 44% were diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Elevated liver transaminases were observed in 9.3% aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and 4.8% alanine transaminase (ALT) of patients. 86% of patients had suboptimal glycemic control. Unexpectedly, non-insulin hypoglycemic medications did not show a significant association with elevated liver transaminases. However, patients not on insulin therapy exhibited higher ALT levels. Statin use, prevalent in over 90% of patients did not show a significant relationship with transaminitis.
Conclusion:This study reveals a complex interplay between diabetes, liver function and associated factors. The prevalence of NAFLD and suboptimal glycemic control highlights the need for comprehensive management strategies to reduce the overall liver-related morbidity and mortality.
Detection of arc faults in transformer windings by transient signal analysis
Authors: alpsalaz feyyaz , Mamiş M. Salih 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

In power and distribution transformers, lightning strikes, switching operations, short-circuits and other reasons can cause deterioration of the winding insulation, resulting in arcing between the windings. The arcing event is very important in transformers and if it is detected late, it can cause a rigid short circuit and burn the transformer and even cause the transformer to explode due to heating and pressure. In this study, the effects of arcing between transformer windings on transformer end current and voltage waves are analysed and arcing is determined. In the study, a 15 MVA power transformer was modelled in three dimensions in the Ansys@Maxwell environment and the arc model created in Matlab@Simulink was adapted to the Ansys magnetic model and the arc in the transformer windings as a result of synchronous operation was analysed. The transient regime effects of arcing at 5 different points in the same high voltage winding of the transformer on the current and voltage waves at the input terminals of the transformer are analysed to obtain data that allow the fault to be detected in a short time without the use of sensors. The data obtained from the transformer input was transformed into the frequency domain using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), and the high-frequency transient regime signals occurring in the transformer under arcing fault conditions were detected from these signals. Using the method proposed in the study, it is possible to detect the occurrence of arcing in the transformer.
Comparison of static and dynamic random forests models for EHR data in the presence of competing risks: predicting central line-associated bloodstream infection
Authors: ALBU Elena , GAO Shan , STIJNEN Pieter , RADEMAKERS Frank , JANSSENS Christel , COSSEY Veerle , DEBAVEYE Yves , WYNANTS Laure , CALSTER Ben VAN 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Objective: Prognostic outcomes related to hospital admissions typically do not suffer from censoring, and can be modeled either categorically or as time-to-event. Competing events are common but often ignored. We compared the performance of random forest (RF) models to predict the risk of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) using different outcome operationalizations.
Methods: We included data from 27478 admissions to the University Hospitals Leuven, covering 30862 catheter episodes (970 CLABSI, 1466 deaths and 28426 discharges) to build static and dynamic RF models for binary (CLABSI vs no CLABSI), multinomial (CLABSI, discharge, death or no event), survival (time to CLABSI) and competing risks (time to CLABSI, discharge or death) outcomes to predict the 7-day CLABSI risk. We evaluated model performance across 100 train/test splits.
Results: Performance of binary, multinomial and competing risks models was similar: AUROC was 0.74 for baseline predictions, rose to 0.78 for predictions at day 5 in the catheter episode, and decreased thereafter. Survival models overestimated the risk of CLABSI (E:O ratios between 1.2 and 1.6), and had AUROCs about 0.01 lower than other models. Binary and multinomial models had lowest computation times. Models including multiple outcome events (multinomial and competing risks) display a different internal structure compared to binary and survival models.
Discussion and Conclusion: In the absence of censoring, complex modelling choices do not considerably improve the predictive performance compared to a binary model for CLABSI prediction in our studied settings. Survival models censoring the competing events at their time of occurrence should be avoided.