bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
TPLIF microscopic safe operating area – based on CT imaging studies
Authors: Wang Wei , Cui Yukai , Cui Xilong , Yin Wen , Jiao Wei 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
Endoscopic spine lumbar interbody fusion (Endo-LIF) is well-regarded within the academic community. However, it presents challenges such as intraoperative disorientation, high rates of nerve damage, a steep learning curve, and prolonged surgical times, often during the creation of the operative channel. Researchers have developed new techniques to enhance the efficiency of establishing the operative channel. However, these often lack robust anatomical data support. Furthermore, the undefined safe operational zones under endoscopy continue to pose risks to surgical safety.
Objective
This study analyzes the anatomical data of Kambin’s triangle via CT imaging to define the parameters of the safe operating area for Transforaminal Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TPLIF), providing crucial insights for clinical practice.
Methods
Identify the clearest coronal plane at the L4-L5 intervertebral space for examining the exiting and traversing nerve roots, and observe Kambin’s triangle along with the inscribed circle. Record the position of point “J” on the adjacent facet joint as the center “O” of the circle shifts by angle “β”. Measure the diameter of the inscribed circle “d” (mm), the abduction angle “β” (°), and the distances “L1” and “L2” (mm) from the trephine’s edge to the exiting and traversing nerve roots, respectively.
Results
In a dataset of 40 cases, the diameter of the inscribed circle 'd' measured 11.62 mm (11.35, 12.04), significantly exceeding the 8 mm diameter of the visible trephine (P < 0.001). The angle 'β' was 32.02° (± 0.90). The 'J' point, acting as the safe center, was consistently located in the outer upper quadrant of the demarcated facet joint (P < 0.001). Safe distances 'L1' and 'L2' measured 1.40 mm (1.34, 1.43) and 2.30 mm (2.14, 2.34), respectively, indicating that using an 8 mm diameter visible trephine would not damage the exiting or traversing nerve roots.
Conclusions
CT imaging studies conducted by the author's team have defined the safe operational area for TPLIF, offering effective clinical references. This is expected to reduce the learning curve, decrease surgery durations, and improve surgical safety.
Modeling and predicting meat yield and growth performance using morphological features of narrow-clawed crayfish with machine learning techniques
Authors: Gültepe Yasemin , Berber Selçuk , Gültepe Nejdet 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

In this study, predictions of length-weight relationships and meat productivity were generated by machine learning models using measurement data of male and female crayfish in the narrow-clawed crayfish population living in Apolyont Lake. The data set was created using the growth performance and morphometric characters obtained from 1416 crayfish in different years to determine the length-weight relationship and length-meat yield. Statistical methods, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are used due to the difficulty of constructing mathematical models in multi-parameter and multivariate problems. In recent studies, artificial intelligence and machine learning methods give higher accuracy than other prediction methods in large data sets with complex structures. No previous studies have been conducted on such population parameters. The analysis results show that most of the models designed as an alternative to traditional estimation methods in future planning studies in sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and natural sources management are valid for machine learning and artificial intelligence. Seven different machine learning algorithms were applied to the data set and the length-weight relationships and length-meat yields were evaluated for both male and female individuals. Support Vector Regression (SVR) has achieved the best prediction performance accuracy with 0.996 and 0.992 values for the length-weight of males and females, with 0.996 and 0.995 values for the length-meat yield of males and females. The results showed that the SVR outperforms the others for all scenarios regarding the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity metrics.
Identification of Semiochemical Candidates Involved in Glossina Palpalis Gambiensis Larviposition Site Selection and Behavioural Responses of Adult Gravid Females
Authors: Gimonneau Geoffrey , BUATOIS BRUNO , LAPEYRE BENOIT , SALOU ERNEST WENDEMANEGDE , SANON NADEGE , RANAIVOARISOA ANNICK , ROUX OLIVIER , DORMONT LAURENT 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) are the cyclical vectors of human and animal trypanosomes. This viviparous insect develops and produces a single larva at 10-day intervals deposited in specific sites. In some species aggregation of larvae has been shown and seems to be mediated by both physical factors and volatile semiochemicals of larval origin. In this context, this study aims to identify chemicals emitted during the pupariation process in Glossina palpalis gambiensis. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted by larvae were identified using static headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. Electrophysiology and behavioural assays were performed on gravid females to confirm VOCs behavioural activity and attractiveness. GC–MS results revealed ten chemicals emitted during the pupariation process of G. p. gambiensis larvae. Among these chemicals, gravid females were shown to detect nine of them during coupled gas chromatography - electroantennographic detection tests. Behavioural assays highlighted two compounds were as attractive as pupae and one compound and a blend of four compounds were more attractive than pupae. Although the larval origin of some of them needs to be confirmed as they may also likely produced by micro-organisms, these compounds induced significant behavioural responses in the laboratory. Further experiments have to explore the biological activity and competitiveness of these compounds in the field. This work opens interesting opportunities for behavioural manipulation and control of tsetse flies.
Developing the quality of life in pregnancy scale (PREG-QOL)
Authors: ÖZER Esra , GUVENC Gulten 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Aim
This study aims to develop the Quality of Life in Pregnancy Scale (PREG-QOL) as a new instrument to evaluate the quality of life during pregnancy and test its psychometric properties.
Design
This study is an instrument development study.
Methods
The study was conducted in three stages: 1) creating the an item pool, 2) preliminary evaluation of items, and 3) refining the scale and evaluating psychometric properties. Instrument development guidelines were used to evaluate content validity, construct validity, internal consistency and stability of the instrument over time. Data to evaluate psychometric properties of the PREG-QOL were collected between April and August 2021.
Results
Items were developed using in-depth interviews with pregnant women and extensive literature review. Scale-content validity index was 0.98. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 26-item instrument with 6 factors, which explained % 56.2 of variance. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that factors 3 and 5 should be combined into the factor of physical domain since they included items about the same theme. Fit indices obtained by CFA were at sufficient levels. Parallel test method was employed to evaluate the correlation of the PREG-QOL with the SF-36. The findings indicated that the PREG-QOL had high internal inconsistency and stability over time.
Conclusion
The PREG-QOL is a valid and reliable instrument in terms of its psychometric characteristics. The 26-item instrument was composed of the five factors of perception of general satisfaction, emotional domain, physical domain, health support systems and social domain.
Impact
Displaying good psychometric properties, the PREG-QOL may be used to evaluate multiple dimensions of the quality of life during pregnancy.
Modeling roughness effects using the DANS/DEM approach
Authors: Chedevergne François , Yang Jiasheng , Stroh Alexander , Forooghi Pourya 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

The DANS/DEM (Double Averaged Navier Stokes / Discrete Element Method) model, dedicated to the prediction of roughness effects [Chedevergne20,Chedevergne21,Chedevergne23], is tested against a DNS database [Yang22] of channel flows with rough walls that notably emphasizes the influence of the Skewness of the roughness elevation map. An in-depth analysis of the DNS database proved that the separation zones occurring in the vicinity of the wall play a non-negligible role as the Skewness becomes negative. To try to account for the influence of these zones, the pressure gradient imposed in the simulated channel is made variable with the wall distance in the roughness sublayer. However, for roughness distribution with negative Skewness, an increase of the turbulent mixing is also observed in the DNS, that may be accounted for in the DANS/DEM model by modifying the source term involved in the transport equations of the turbulent scalars.
Mapping Decidualization Resistance in Former Severe Preeclampsia Patients at Multi-Omic Levels
Authors: Garrido-Gómez Tamara , Muñoz-Blat Irene , Pérez-Moraga Raul , Marco Nerea Castillo , Cordero Teresa , Ochando Ana , Ortega Sheila , Parras Marcos , Monfort Rogelio , Satorres-Perez Elena , Novillo Blanca , Perales Alfredo , Gormley Matthew , Roson Beatriz , Fisher Susan , Simon Carlos 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Endometrial decidualization resistance (DR) is implicated in various gynaecological and obstetric conditions. Employing a multi-omic strategy, we unraveled the cellular and molecular characteristics of DR in patients that have suffered severe preeclampsia (sPE). Morphological analysis unveiled significant glandular anatomical abnormalities, confirmed histologically. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of endometrial samples from sPE cases (n=11) and controls (n=12) revealed sPE-associated shifts in cell composition, manifesting as a stromal mosaic state characterized by proliferative stromal cells (MMP11, SFRP1+) alongside IGFBP1+ decidualized cells, with concurrent epithelial mosaicism and a dearth of epithelial-stromal transition associated with decidualization. Cell-cell communication network mapping underscored aberrant crosstalk among specific cell types, implicating crucial pathways such as endoglin and WNT. Spatial transcriptomics in a replication cohort validated DR-associated features. Laser capture microdissection/mass spectrometry in a second replication cohort corroborated several scRNA-seq findings, notably the absence of stromal to epithelial transition at a pathway level, indicating disrupted response to steroid hormones, particularly estrogens. These insights shed light on potential molecular mechanisms underpinning DR pathogenesis in the context of sPE.
Investigation of two hypotheses on the maintenance mechanism of fruit color dimorphism of Viscum coloratum in northeastern China
Authors: Sun Qi , Wu Lei , Zhao Jimin , Zhang Yanwen 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Viscum coloratum, a semi-parasitic evergreen shrub exhibiting fruit color dimorphism, was investigated in this study to test the two hypotheses of forager preference and habitat heterogeneity selection. A study in northeastern China examined frugivorous bird preferences for color morphs and seed germination performance across three populations. Observations were conducted from November 2018 to March 2019, focusing on fruit removal rates and seed collection. Fruit counts and seed germination experiments were conducted to assess color morph preferences and germination rates at different observation stages and under various temperature conditions. Results indicated no preference for frugivorous birds between color morphs, contrary to the forager preference hypothesis. However, in the northern population (FY), the germination speed of red morph seeds was slightly faster under low-temperature conditions (15°C). In contrast, in the southern population (FC), seeds of the yellow morph germinated slightly faster under higher temperatures (20°C). These differences in germination speed were attributed to fitness differences among populations, supporting the habitat heterogeneity selection hypothesis. Frugivorous birds didn’t favor specific color morphs, but seed germination rates vary subtly with local conditions, indicating adaptation to habitat differences. This underscores how habitat variation influences V. coloratum’s ecological dynamics.
Advancing Frontline Early Pancreatic Cancer Detection using Within-Class Feature Extraction in FTIR Spectroscopy
Authors: Tang Zheng , Duckworth Edward , Mora Benjamin , Al-Sarireh Bilal , Roy Debdulal , Mortimer Matthew 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

This study introduces a novel approach for the early detection of pancreatic cancer through biofluid spectroscopy, leveraging a unique machine learning pipeline comprising class-specific principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and support vector machine (SVM) in both real patient and synthetic data. By conducting separate PCA on cancerous and non-cancerous samples and integrating the projections prior to LDA and SVM classification, we demonstrate significantly improved diagnostic accuracy compared to traditional methods. This methodology not only enhances predictive performance but also offers deeper insights into the influence of molecular spectra on model efficacy. Our findings, validated on real patient data, suggest a promising avenue for developing non-invasive, accurate diagnostic tools for early-stage pancreatic cancer detection.
Bearing fault diagnosis method based on multi-domain feature fusion and heterogeneous network under small sample conditions
Authors: Zhao Xiaoqiang , Li Sen 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

To solve the problems of insufficient feature extraction of the current methods under small sample conditions and loss of information in the process of signal transformation from different domains, a bearing fault diagnosis method based on multi-domain feature fusion and heterogeneous networks under small sample conditions is proposed. The method firstly designs the data preprocessing module to transform and combine the raw vibration signals into multi-domain signals by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Gram Angle Field (GAF), which provides rich feature conditions for the subsequent feature extraction. Then, heterogeneous branch networks are designed for different domain signals used in low-dimensional feature extraction in the high-dimensional nonlinear space of fault data. When the inputs or intermediate processes of one branching network is interfered by the outside world, another branching network will play the role of error correction, which enhances the fault-tolerance of the proposed method. Next, in order to enhance the critical feature extraction capability of the heterogeneous network, the Location-Aware Channel Enhancement Block (LACEB) is designed. The LACEB learns the unique weights for different channels and different locations in the feature map by adaptively adjusting the dynamic factors and feature location parameters. Further, the memory unit in the global feature extraction module is used to learn the context information of each time step, and the dependency between the global features and the local features is effectively established. Finally, in order to prevent the model from falling into local optimal, a learning rate adaptive optimization algorithm is designed to optimize the model training process. A variety of strictly comparative experiments were tested on the CWRU dataset and the MFS dataset, concluding that this method is capable of performing fault diagnosis tasks in different environments and devices.
Jacobi Set Simplification for Tracking Topological Features in Time-Varying Scalar Fields
Authors: Meduri Dhruv , Sharma Mohit , Natarajan Vijay 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

The Jacobi set of a bivariate scalar field is the set of points where the gradients of the two constituent scalar fields align with each other. It captures the regions of topological changes in the bivariate field. The Jacobi set is a bivariate analog of critical points, and may correspond to features of interest. In the specific case of time-varying fields and when one of the scalar fields is time, the Jacobi set corresponds to temporal tracks of critical points, and serves as a feature-tracking graph. The Jacobi set of a bivariate field or a time-varying scalar field is complex, resulting in cluttered visualizations that are difficult to analyze. This paper addresses the problem of Jacobi set simplification. Specifically, we use the time-varying scalar field scenario to introduce a method that computes a reduced Jacobi set. The method is based on a stability measure called robustness that was originally developed for vector fields and helps capture the structural stability of critical points. We also present a mathematical analysis for the method, and describe an implementation for 2D time-varying scalar fields. Applications to both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the method for tracking features.
Molecular Characterization of Taro (Colocasia Esculenta (L.) Schott) Using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers
Authors: Amoako Francis Anti , Koomson Isaac Appiah-Asare , Ashiagbor Enock , Adjei Angela , Akakpo Kwame , Nabadam Samuel Pwawari , Bismark Bernard Awaitey , Arthur Gilbert , Fuseini Mohammed , Nyadanu Daniel 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Taro, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott is one of the most valued crops for economic, medicinal, and nutritional roots and tubers globally. However, the crop has not received pronounced research attention to enhance its production and utilization potential, which has resulted in insufficient planting materials for utilization by breeders in Ghana. Genetic diversity characterization of taro at molecular level is important and crucial step for their utilization in breeding and conservation. Hence, this study was carried out to assess the genetic diversity and relationships of 26 accessions of Taro, C. esculenta (L.) Schott collected from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. A total of 38 putative alleles were amplified at 4 SSR loci with an average of 9.50 alleles per locus. PIC value ranged from 0.44 with primer XUQTEM 97 to 0.89 with primer XUQTEM 73 with an average value of 0.73. Expected Heterozygosity (He) ranged from 0.59 to 0.92. Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) clustering using Jaccard's similarity coefficient grouped 26 accessions into eight clusters. The information generated from this investigation will be useful for researchers and breeders for their conservation, Molecular Breeding-based Research & Development and their sustainable future utilization.
Lyapunov control strategy for low-frequency offshore wind power based on hexagonal converters
Authors: shen zhichao , cheng qiming 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

The low-frequency transmission system (LFTS) for offshore wind power is a promising integrated solution. Hexverter, as a topology derived from the Modular Multilevel Matrix Converter (M3C), exhibits certain advantages in low-frequency transmission. However, its application in offshore wind power faces challenges due to the stochastic nature and nonlinear characteristics of renewable energy, making linear PID control less effective. In contrast, the Lyapunov control strategy has shown better performance in controlling nonlinear systems than PID control. Therefore, this paper proposes a Lyapunov control strategy for Hexverter. Firstly, the global asymptotic stability of the Lyapunov control strategy for Hexverter is analyzed. Then, based on the topology of Hexverter, the control laws for bilateral Lyapunov control of Hexverter are derived, and the parameter selection problem for Lyapunov control is discussed. Subsequently, a Lyapunov control system for Hexverter is established using Simulink and RT-LAB platforms. The operating results under various conditions are simulated, and the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed Lyapunov control strategy are validated by comparing the simulation results with PID control.
Driver Attention Prediction based on Multi-ScaleFeature Fusion
Authors: Yu Chengbin , Feng Jianwen , Yan Liqi , Zhang Jianhui 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Driver attention prediction plays a crucial role in the developing intelligent driving and assisted driving systems. However, this task presents several challenges to researchers, including the difficulty of effectively utilizing driving scene information and the lack of driver attention prediction models that can accurately predict driver’s multiple regions of fixation. To address these challenges, this work proposes a novel multi-scale feature fusion network (MSFFDAP) for driver attention prediction. MSFFDAP uses a convolutional neural network to extract multi-scale features, takes into account the strong complementarity between multi-scale features and adopts a two-stage approach to multi-scale fusion to fully exploit the information in the driving scene and more accurately predict the driver’s multiple fixation locations. In the first stage, the network fuses the features of each two adjacent scales separately. In the second stage, a bidirectional densely connected network is employed to fuse the multi-scale features, enabling the extraction of comprehensive contextual information. Furthermore, effective integration of coordinate attention with Conv-LSTM is applied to accurately capture spatialtemporal relationships. Experimental results on two challenging datasets show that the proposed MSFFDAP adequately fuses information from driving scenarios and is able to predict multiple critical areas occurring at the same time more accurately than state-of-the-art methods.
The Effects of Apocynin on Selenite-induced Cataract Established in Rats
Authors: Oksar Hulya Adiguzel , Soydan Adem , Tek Semih , Ulaş Fatih , Oksar Metin 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Purpose
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of apocynin, a natural methoxy-substituted catechol, have been demonstrated in various cell and animal models of inflammation. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potential protective effects of apocynin on selenite-induced cataract formation, and to examine the effect of apocynin on the morphological grade of the cataract formation and on the biochemical parameters including malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione reductase (GR), and catalase (CAT) in the lens.
Methods
Twenty-five rats were divided into 5 groups of 5 (n = 5). The control group was administered saline only. Sodium selenite at a dose of 30nmol/gr was administered to Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, then Group 2 received dimethyl sulphoxide, Group 3 received 10 mg/kg apocynin and Group 4 received 20 mg/kg apocynin.
Results
Both the low and high doses of apocynin were found to decrease the cataract grade in the lenses (p < 0.001, p < 0.05 respectively). Low- dose apocynin was determined to increase CAT and GR levels in lens tissue (p = 0.003, p = 0.002, respectively) but did not change MDA levels (p = 0.99). High- dose apocynin was found to increase MDA levels (p = 0.04).
Conclusion
Low doses of apocynin may prevent cataract by increasing antioxidant capacity and high doses may be partially toxic by increasing MDA levels, a marker of oxidation. The results of this preliminary study are encouraging, but further investigations should be designed to show whether a similar anti-cataractogenic potential can be revealed in humans.