bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Assist Gas Type on Nitinol Microsecond Laser Cut Edges: A Study on the Use of Oxygen, Argon, Nitrogen, Helium, and Compressed Air
Authors: Otto Cory R. , Doroudi Alireza , Vaseghi Majid , Davami Keivan 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Historically, the published literature for laser cutting atomically balanced nickel-titanium alloy tubular devices assumes an inert argon assist gas is required for the laser cutting process, resulting in slower cutting rates. Herein, a novel application of an exothermic reactive oxygen assist gas during Nitinol laser micromachining enabled a 38.1 mm/s cut rate, a 4.5-times improvement from other studies, with the realization of improved cut quality: 2-times less dross, 2-times lower surface roughness, and a minimal heat-affected zone. Of the tested assist gases (oxygen, argon, nitrogen, helium, and compressed air), oxygen was found to provide the best cut quality, achieving dross-free cuts. Additionally, oxygen was shown to produce a relatively low arithmetic mean average surface roughness of 0.48 μm, when compared to argon at 0.85 μm. A decrease in surface roughness was found to be associated with an increase in cut rate. These findings suggest that assist gas melt flow dynamics has a higher contributing factor than laser pulse energy parameters. In-situ thermographic monitoring of melt flow during processing demonstrated a clear difference in the melt flow pattern between a reactive oxygen assist gas and inert argon assist gas. Furthermore, with the culmination of nanoindentation analysis and microstructural characterization, it was concluded that long-pulse laser machining can produce cuts with negligible microstructural grain recrystallization of the bulk material. This study quantitatively demonstrates that there are potential benefits observed during laser cutting Nitinol with a reactive oxygen assist gas when compared to previous studies that employ an inert argon assist gas.
Simulation of climate changes in Northern Eurasia by two versions of the INM RAS Earth system model
Authors: Vorobyeva Vasilisa , Volodin Evgeny , Chernenkov Alexey , Tarasevich Maria 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

The study presents a simulation of climate change across Northern Eurasia during the 20th and 21st centuries using two different versions of the Earth system model developed by the Marchuk Institute of Numerical Mathematics at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Model version INMCM5 participates in CMIP6 and has the lowest equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) among the CMIP6 models. In the next model version, INMCM6, changes in the physical parameterisations lead to an increase in ECS by a factor of 2. Changes in near-surface temperature, precipitation, snow cover area and sea ice extent simulated by both model versions are compared with available observational and reanalysis data. Climate change predictions for the middle and end of the 21st century are provided by two model versions. Both model versions simulate similar climate changes for the upcoming two decades. After the middle of 21st century, the model version with high equilibrium climate sensitivity simulates stronger climate changes over Northern Eurasia than the model version with low sensitivity. But, in general, the ratio of predicted warming is much less than the ratio of ECS.
Nondisclosure of HIV-positive Status: A Cross-sectional Survey in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana
Authors: Quayson Ebenezer , Ametefe Woyram Afi , Afful-Mensah Elsie 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

The disclosure of HIV-positive status in Ghana's Greater Accra Region is dangerously low, which could be related to a variety of socioeconomic conditions. Because ignoring this occurrence for mitigation may be hazardous to public health, this study aimed to assess the factors that influence the nondisclosure of HIV-positive status among HIV patients in the La Nkwantanan Madina Metropolis of the Greater Accra Region.
The study was conducted using a quantitative cross-sectional design. A convenient sampling technique was used to select 376 clients who had tested positive for HIV and accessed healthcare services at facilities located within the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipality. Data were collected using a closed-ended questionnaire and were analyzed using frequency and percentage, correlation coefficient, and multinomial regression.
Marriage strongly predicted (OR=9.923 [95% CI: 1.289-76.411]; p=0.028) HIV-positive nondisclosure to partners; female gender (OR=8.178 [95% CI: 1.048-63.830]; p=0.045) and public sector of employment (OR=8.786 [1.631-47.338]; p=0.011) predicted HIV-positive nondisclosure to family; and marriage (OR=6.458 [95% CI: 0.564-20.716]; p=0.042), public sector of employment (OR=8.000 [95% CI: 1.140-50.132]; p=0.036) and private sector work (OR=7.943 [1.304-48.392]; p=0.025) strongly predicted HIV-positive nondisclosure to friends.
Marriage, female gender, and sector of work were strong predictors of HIV non-disclosure by people living with HIV in the La Nkwantanan Madina Metropolis.
Long-term cardiovascular events and risk factors in adults sepsis survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wu Zesheng , Chen Fanghui , Xiao Chen , Zhao Xue , Xu Yuansheng 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

BackgroundHospitalization for sepsis may be associated with an increased riskfor cardiovascular events. We aim to explore the relationship between sepsis hospitalization and long-term of cardiovascular events, and describe risk factors for cardiovascular events in adults sepsis survivors.MethodsMEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, and CNKI were searched, from inception to Aug 2023, and no language limitation. Cumulative incidence and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the strength of the association.Results25 observational studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled cumulative incidence of major cardiovascular was 9.0%, myocardial infarction was 2.4%, stroke was 4.9% and congestive heart failure was 8.6%. Sepsis hospitalization was associated with a higher long-term risk of major cardiovascular(HR, 1.54; 95% CI 1.32- 1.79), myocardial infarction (HR, 1.41; 95% CI 1.29- 1.54), stroke (HR, 1.45; 95% CI 1.32- 1.60) and congestive heart failure (HR, 1.51; 95% CI 1.46- 1.56) compared to non-sepsis controls. Pooled analysis indicate that age≤ 45 years, male gender, hyperlipidaemia, and some comorbidities were significantly associated with increased hazards of cardiovascular events.ConclusionsAdults sepsis survivors may be experience a higher hazard of cardiovascular events compared to non-sepsis controls. And both common cardiovascular risk factors and sepsis-related variables can significantly increase this correlation.
Dynamic Adaptation and Synergistic Integration of Genetic Algorithms and Deep Learning in Advanced Natural Language Processing
Authors: Challagundla Bhavith Chandra , Challagundla Shravani 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Natural Language Processing (NLP) has been taking center stage in this field of computational linguistics, which is focused on the realization that machines can effectively understand human language. Two generations later, the problem with genetic algorithms has turned into a possible contribution to resolving the tough optimization issues in various NLP tasks. This paper reviews such a synergistic relationship between genetic algorithms and NLP with a high focus on the bulk of research for all those who find this important. Starting with an elaborate explanation of genetic algorithms and their relevance to NLP, we introduce biological evolution into human practice to address complex optimization issues inherent in language processing tasks. Through a comprehensive review of different applications in NLP, from text classification to sentiment analysis, machine translation, summarization, and question-answering systems, we excavate the complex relationship between genetic algorithms and linguistic data. Acritical analysis of genetic algorithm applications in NLP points out a nuanced landscape, emphasizing not only their strengths and limitations but also the factors influencing their efficacy such as computational efficiency, scalability, and adaptability across linguistic domains. We also look at recent improvements or adaptations to genetic algorithms made to face the challenges that NLPintroduces. However, since genetic algorithms are used in NLP, there remain several controversial points which include taking into consideration the encoded linguistic features and striking a balance between exploration and exploitation within the search space. Still, we look forward to several promising avenues, thereby giving some insight into how best genetic algorithms might be used in advancing NLP technologies. This paper not only gives some examples of diverse applications and implications for genetic algorithms in NLP but also underlines the necessity for continuous exploration and innovation in adopting evolutionary-inspired techniques to advance natural language understanding and generation.
The impact of Covid on the results of sports matches: Have empty stands worsened the home teams record?
Authors: Volf Petr 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

The home advantage is a phenomenon having evidently a strong impact on results of sports matches. Therefore the ,,home advantage” parameter or component is standardly a part of statistical models describing (and forecasting) sports results. I will concentrate here to the soccer and ice-hockey, in particular the premier leagues in the Czech Republic, however this phenomenon concerns other sports as well. One initiator of this advantage is the presence of home fans. That is why the time of Covid pandemic, when at least one season was played without (or with strong limitation of) spectators, gives a chance to compare the ,,Covid” season with the others and, possibly, to discover a significant decrease of home advantage impact. This paper uses just rather simple statistical tools, nevertheless, with the aid of basic statistical tests the significant changes of home teams results (regarding both the gained points and scored goals) have been detected. The results are also compared with findings of several other studies dealing with the same theme.
Demographic and behavioural determinants related to ART adherence among HIV-positive patients in Luanda, Angola
Authors: Almeida Pedro RS , Pimentel Victor , Abecasis Ana , Sebastião Cruz S. , Morais Joana 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) allows for improvements in the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV/AIDS), with an emphasis on improving their immune status, reducing viral load, and reducing the mortality rate from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). AIDS).
Objective: To characterize the adherence situation to antiretroviral therapy and the factors associated with non-adherence in HIV adults patients in two referral health facilities for the care of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in Luanda, the capital city of Angola (Divine Providence Hospital and Esperança Hospital/Rangel Health Center).
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 378 PLHIV on ART, undergoing semi-structured interviews to obtain sociodemographic data and filling out a questionnaire to evaluate adherence to ART.
Results: In general, 95.5% of patients had moderate adherence, 4.20% had excellent adherence and 0.3% had low adherence. ART adherence was related to the amount of monthly income (p<0.05). Furthermore, a borderline significance was observed between adherence rate and education, with patients with basic or medium education having high rates of moderate (35% - 50%) or excellent adherence (38% - 56%). Patients over 30 years of age had a higher adherence rate, whether moderate (30% - 57%) or optimal (44% - 56%). Women had approximately twice the rates of moderate (75%) or optimal (63%) ART adherence compared to men. Low ART adherence was observed for married couples, and patients who use drugs or alcohol, whether moderate or optimal adherence.
Conclusions: In conclusion, this study addressed adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive individuals in Luanda, Angola. The findings highlight the fundamental role of socioeconomic factors, especially monthly income, in influencing adherence levels of HIV patients in Angola. Furthermore, age, gender, education and marital status emerged as additional determinants affecting adherence rates. These determinants emphasize the importance of personalized interventions aimed at addressing various barriers to adherence to ART, increasing the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS management to ensure a higher quality of life for people living with HIV in Angola.
The use of sampling frequency and wavelet analysis to denoise a signal with a high content of white noise
Authors: Thuraisingham R.A. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

A procedure for removing most of the Gaussian white noise present in a signal is proposed and demonstrated. It uses a high sampling rate, removes more details from the wavelet decomposition and then down samples to a sample frequency which will not burden further analysis with a large number of samples. It is a useful preprocessing step for signals contaminated with Gaussian white noise, particularly those with a low signal to noise ratio (snr). The procedure is illustrated with signals having a low snr. The results are very encouraging. The values of the mean square error, snr and plots validate the proposed procedure. This approach provides a practical demonstration of a technique that will be useful in processing biomedical signals.
Exploring the drinking water supply in Rwanda with panel data analysis
Authors: Mwitirehe Janvier , Kipruto Cheruiyot W. , Ruranga Charles 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

This study in Rwanda offers a comprehensive analysis of water quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, departing from previous research by utilizing panel data analysis for a nuanced understanding of spatiotemporal dynamics. Unlike earlier studies focusing on specific aspects, this research adopts a holistic approach, examining factors crucial for water supply, quality, and cost, thus providing an integrated view of Rwanda's water sector. By analyzing data from various sources, including the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), the study evaluates the reliability, quality, and cost-effectiveness of drinking water. It identifies cost-effective water treatment plants and studies determinants such as production cost, raw water quality, and supply between 2017 and 2022, introducing novel metrics such as performance scores and a drinking water quality index. Despite an increase in lost water, WASAC notably improves water supply, resulting in a higher water access rate by 2022. The study highlights the influence of factors such as performance scores and raw water quality on water supply and quality. It emphasizes continuous monitoring, targeted interventions, and community engagement for sustainable water service delivery. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and practitioners, aiming to enhance water management strategies and improve water access in Rwanda.
Development of water recycling based mechanical drain cleaning system
Authors: Paul Amrit Raj , Babalola Simeon A. , Yadav Avinash Kumar , Mukherjee Manidipto , Singh Dilpreet 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

The persistent global issue of manual scavenging in drainage systems, fraught with life-threatening risks, has prompted the development of a tractor powered mechanized drain cleaning system. This innovative solution recycles on-site sewage water, optimizing efficiency through a tractor-trolley setup, recycled water usage, a centrifugal pump replacing vacuum pumps, and the integration of a post-inspection unit for crack and leak detection. The system employs a front water jet with an impact stress of ∼30.10 MPa for penetrating silt, sediments, and debris. Simultaneously, rear jets with ∼20 MPa impact stress each clean pipeline walls and propel the nozzle forward. Inclusion of a power unit (tractor), suction unit, filtration unit, and inspection unit enhances the system's agility, robustness, and affordability compared to alternatives. The system's one of the key advantage is its inspection unit, featuring GoogleNet-powered in-situ crack detection via a camera. Achieving 90% training accuracy in six epochs and 159 iterations, it identifies pipeline features effectively. With its sewage water recycling capability, this mechanized system offers a promising solution to the perilous problem of manual scavenging in drainage systems while promoting sustainability.
Application of multi-criteria decision-making on low-impact development practice selection for the Kinyerezi River sub-catchments in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Authors: Swilla Livingstone M. , Katambara Zacharia , Lingwanda Mwajuma 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

The impermeable areas in catchments are proportional to peak flows that result in floods in river reaches where the flow-carrying capacity is inadequate. The high rate of urbanization witnessed in the Kinyerezi River catchment in Dar es Salaam city has been noted to contribute to floods and siltation in the Msimbazi River. The Low-Impact Development (LID) practices that includes bio-retention (BR) ponds, rain barrels (RBs), green roofs (GRs), etc. can be utilized to mitigate portion of the surface runoff. This study aims to propose suitable LID practices and their sizes for mitigating runoff floods in the Kinyerezi River catchment using the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach. The results indicated that the BR and RBs were ranked high in capturing the surface runoff while the sediment control fences were observed to be the best in reducing sediments flowing into the BR. The proposed BR ponds were greater than 800 m2 with 1.2 m depth while RB sizes for Kinyerezi and Kisungu secondary schools and Kinyerezi and Kifuru primary schools were 2,730; 2,748; 1,385; and 1,020 m3, respectively. The BR ponds and RBs are capable of promoting water-demanding economic activities such as horticulture, gardening, car washing while reducing the school expenses and runoff generation.
Multiscale Bowel Sound Event Spotting in Highly Imbalanced Wearable Monitoring Data: Algorithm Development and Validation Study
Authors: Baronetto Annalisa , Graf Luisa , Fischer Sarah , Neurath Markus F , Amft Oliver 
Published: April 2024

Background
Abdominal auscultation (i.e., listening to bowel sounds (BSs)) can be used to analyze digestion. An automated retrieval of BS would be beneficial to assess gastrointestinal disorders noninvasively.

Objective
This study aims to develop a multiscale spotting model to detect BSs in continuous audio data from a wearable monitoring system.

Methods
We designed a spotting model based on the Efficient-U-Net (EffUNet) architecture to analyze 10-second audio segments at a time and spot BSs with a temporal resolution of 25 ms. Evaluation data were collected across different digestive phases from 18 healthy participants and 9 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Audio data were recorded in a daytime setting with a smart T-Shirt that embeds digital microphones. The data set was annotated by independent raters with substantial agreement (Cohen κ between 0.70 and 0.75), resulting in 136 hours of labeled data. In total, 11,482 BSs were analyzed, with a BS duration ranging between 18 ms and 6.3 seconds. The share of BSs in the data set (BS ratio) was 0.0089. We analyzed the performance depending on noise level, BS duration, and BS event rate. We also report spotting timing errors.

Results
Leave-one-participant-out cross-validation of BS event spotting yielded a median F1-score of 0.73 for both healthy volunteers and patients with IBD. EffUNet detected BSs under different noise conditions with 0.73 recall and 0.72 precision. In particular, for a signal-to-noise ratio over 4 dB, more than 83% of BSs were recognized, with precision of 0.77 or more. EffUNet recall dropped below 0.60 for BS duration of 1.5 seconds or less. At a BS ratio greater than 0.05, the precision of our model was over 0.83. For both healthy participants and patients with IBD, insertion and deletion timing errors were the largest, with a total of 15.54 minutes of insertion errors and 13.08 minutes of deletion errors over the total audio data set. On our data set, EffUNet outperformed existing BS spotting models that provide similar temporal resolution.

Conclusions
The EffUNet spotter is robust against background noise and can retrieve BSs with varying duration. EffUNet outperforms previous BS detection approaches in unmodified audio data, containing highly sparse BS events.
Cancer Care Supportive Text Messaging Program (Text4Hope) for People Living With Cancer and Their Caregivers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Observational Study
Authors: Shalaby Reham , Vuong Wesley , Agyapong Belinda , Gusnowski April , Surood Shireen , Agyapong Vincent 
Published: April 2024

Background
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, and living with cancer generates psychological demands, including depression and anxiety among cancer survivors and caregivers. Text4Hope-Cancer Care SMS text messaging–based service was provided to people with cancer and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic to support their mental health.

Objective
The aim of this study is to examine the clinical effectiveness of and satisfaction with Text4Hope-Cancer Care in addressing mental health conditions among people living with cancer and caregivers.

Methods
The study was conducted in Alberta, Canada. People who were diagnosed or receiving cancer treatment and caregivers self-subscribed to receive 3-months daily supportive cognitive behavioral therapy–based SMS text messages and a web-based survey was sent at designated time points to collect clinical and nonclinical data. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) was used to examine changes in anxiety and depression symptoms after receiving the service. Satisfaction with the service was assessed using a survey with a Likert scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used, and test significance was considered with P≤.05.

Results
Overall, 107 individuals subscribed to the service, and 93 completed the program (completion rate 93/107, 86.9%). A significant improvement in the anxiety symptoms (HADS-Anxiety [HADS-A] subscale) was reported after 3 months of Text4Hope-Cancer Care (t11=2.62; P=.02), with medium effect size (Hedges g=0.7), but not depression symptoms (HADS-Depression [HADS-D] subscale). Subscribers expressed high satisfaction and agreed that the service has helped them to cope with mental health symptoms and improve their quality of life. Most subscribers read the SMS text messages more than once (30/30, 100%); took time to reflect or took a beneficial action after reading the messages (27/30, 90%); and highly agreed (27/30, >80%) with the value of the received supportive SMS text messages as being relevant, succinct, affirmative, and positive. All subscribers recommended SMS text messaging for stress, anxiety, and depression and for cancer care support (30/30, 100%).

Conclusions
Text4Hope-Cancer Care was well-perceived and effectively addressed anxiety symptoms among people living with cancer and caregivers during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provides evidence-based support and insight for policy and stakeholders to implement similar convenient, economic, and accessible mental health services that support vulnerable populations during crises.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)
RR2-10.2196/20240