bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Health services Equity in less developed areas of China: Evidence from Gansu Province
Authors: Zhou Jiaxian , Li Jianmiao , Mao Ningwen , Li Shuyi , Chen Xi , Wang Dan , Zhang Yanxia , Shi Xiaoru , Gao Xin , Tao Shengxin , Pu Xuhong , Lu Jie , Hu Xiaobin 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background Equity is a key issue in the utilization of health services. All countries in the world are constantly exploring the reform of health system to promote the equality of residents' utilization of health services.
Methods Using the data of the 7th National Health Service Survey of Gansu Province in 2023 as an example, based on the Anderson model, the equity of health services utilization and its influencing factors were evaluated by using the concentration index(CI) and its decomposition method. On this basis, we screened patients who had used outpatient or inpatient services from the survey subjects and extracted their out-of-pocket(oop) expenditures incurred by using the above services. RIF regression and its decomposition method based on counterfactual analysis were used to analyze the differences in the equity of health service utilization level between urban and rural residents, and the contributing factors were discussed.
Results The concentration index of outpatient service utilization (two-week visit rate) of urban and rural residents were 0.0422 and -0.0268, and the concentration index of inpatient service utilization (hospitalization rate) were 0.1462 and -0.1294, respectively. Both outpatient and inpatient services tend to be utilized by high-income residents in cities, while in rural areas, the lower the economic level of residents, the higher the utilization rate. Further analysis of the level of health service utilization showed that the Gini coefficients of out-of-pocket expenditures for urban and rural patients were 0.703 and 0.748, respectively, indicating high inequality. RIF regression and its decomposition results show that rural patients have greater inequality than urban patients in outpatient and inpatient out-of-pocket expenditures, and there is discrimination effect.
Conclusion At present, there are still inequities in the utilization of health services in less developed areas of China, especially in the utilization of hospitalization services, but the degree of inequity is lower than that in previous studies. In terms of the fairness of health service utilization level, the inequality of degree of rural residents is greater than that of urban residents, and there is a greater discrimination effect.
A train trajectory optimization method based on the safety reinforcement learning with a relaxed dynamic reward
Authors: Cheng Ligang , Cao Jie , Yang Xiaofeng , Wang Wenxian , Zhou Zijian 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Train trajectory optimization (TTO) is an effective way to address energy consumption in rail transit. Reinforcement learning (RL), an excellent optimization method, has been used to solve TTO problems. Although traditional RL algorithms use penalty functions to restrict the random exploration behavior of agents, they cannot fully guarantee the safety of the process and results. This paper proposes a proximal policy optimization based safety reinforcement learning framework (S-PPO) for the train trajectory optimization, including a safe action rechoosing mechanism (SARM) and a relaxed dynamic reward mechanism (RDRM) combining a relaxed sparse reward and a dynamic dense reward. SARM guarantees that the new states generated by the agent consistently adhere to the environmental security constraints, thereby enhancing sampling efficiency and facilitating algorithm convergence. RDRM is composed of a relaxed sparse reward and a dynamic dense reward, offering a better balance between exploration and exploitation. The experimental results show that S-PPO can significantly improve the exploration ability of the algorithm, obtain better train operation trajectories than soft constraint algorithms, and the convergence process is smoother. Finally, it was demonstrated that S-PPO exhibits good adaptability across various speed limit tracks.
Ideal Body Image and Socioeconomic Status: Exploring the Perceptions of Kenyan Women
Authors: Waltsgott Linette , Adedeji Adekunle , Buchcik Johanna 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background
Non-communicable diseases are an increasing threat in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and overweight and obesity are affecting people across all socioeconomic groups. Some studies suggest that big body sizes may be perceived as desirable among women in SSA and that high prevalences of obesity and overweight are especially present in low soccioecnomic societies. This study explores the role of socio-economic factors in the perception of the ideal body among Kenyan women and whether perceptions and beliefs about the ideal body should be considered relevant when targeting the prevention of obesity and overweight.
Method
In-depth interviews were conducted with 8 Kenyan women with varying educational backgrounds, aged between 21 and 48, using a qualitative study design. The interviews were conducted in December 2022 and January 2023 in Nairobi, audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed through qualitative content analysis and a coding system using deductive and inductive codes.
Results
The participants reported that conclusions about a person’s health and wealth status are drawn based on different body sizes. Furthermore, traditional views about the ideal body size, societal pressure, as well as the women’s own experience with their body size play a role in the perception of an ideal body.
Conclusion
Small-sized women desire to gain weight as society may view them as weak and sick. Big-sized women aim to reduce weight primarily due to health complications. Nevertheless, traditionally, a big-sized woman is considered strong and wealthy, creating external pressure on women to fulfil this body image—these findings emphasise traditional aspects in designing culturally sensitive prevention and intervention methods to address overweight and obesity.
The Neural Bases of Language Processing During Social and Non-Social Contexts: A fNIRS Study of Autistic and Neurotypical Preschool-Aged Children
Authors: Pecukonis Meredith , Gerson Javier , Gustafson-Alm Hailey , Wood Maegan , Yücel Meryem , Boas David , Tager-Flusberg Helen 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background: Little is known about how the brains of autistic children process language during real-world “social contexts,” despite the fact that challenges with language, communication, and social interaction are core features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Methods: We investigated the neural bases of language processing during social and non-social contexts in a sample of N=20 autistic and N=20 neurotypical (NT) preschool-aged children, 3 to 6 years old. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure children’s brain response to “live language” spoken by a live experimenter during an in-person social context (i.e., book reading), and “recorded language” played via an audio recording during a non-social context (i.e., screen time). We examined within-group and between-group differences in the strength and localization of brain response to live language and recorded language, as well as correlations between children’s brain response and language skills measured by the Preschool Language Scales.
Results: In the NT group, brain response to live language was greater than brain response to recorded language in the right temporal parietal junction (TPJ). In the ASD group, the strength of brain response did not differ between conditions. The ASD group showed greater brain response to recorded language than the NT group in the right inferior and middle frontal gyrus (IMFG). Across groups, children’s language skills were negatively associated with brain response to recorded language in the right IMFG, suggesting that processing recorded language required more cognitive effort for children with lower language skills. Children’s language skills were also positively associated with the difference in brain response between conditions in the right TPJ, demonstrating that children who showed a greater difference in brain response to live language versus recorded language had higher language skills.
Limitations: Findings should be considered preliminary until they are replicated in a larger sample.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that the brains of NT children, but not autistic children, process language differently during social and non-social contexts. Individual differences in how the brain processes language during social and non-social contexts may help to explain why language skills are so variable across children with and without autism.
Biological effective dose as a predictor of local tumor control in stereotactic radiosurgery treated parasellar meningioma patients
Authors: Shaaban Ahmed , Pham Duy , Tos Salem M , Mantziaris Georgios , Schlesinger David , Sheehan Jason P. 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Purpose: The radio-surgical literature increasingly uses biological effective dose (BED) to replace absorbed dose to analyze outcome of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). There are as yet no studies which specifically investigate the association of BED to local tumor control in para-sellar meningioma.
Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for para-sellar meningioma during the period of 1995-2022. Demographic, clinical, SRS parameters, and outcome data were collected. The target margin BED with and without a model for sub-lethal repair was calculated, as well as a ratio of BED at the target margin to the absorbed dose at the target margin. Factors of local control were further analyzed
Results: The study was comprised of 91 patients. The median age was 55. 34 (37%) patients had a resection of their meningioma prior to SRS. The median clinical follow up was 89 months. 13 (14.3%) patients were found to have progression. 3-, 5- and 10-years local tumor control were 98%, 92% and 77%, respectively. In cox univariate analysis, the following factors were significant: Number of prior surgical resections (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.08-3.05, p = 0.024), BED (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.92-1.00, p=0.03), and BED/margin (HR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.21-0.92, p=0.028). A BED threshold above 68 Gy was associated significantly with tumor control (P=0.04).
Conclusion: BED and BED /margin absorbed dose ratio can be predictors of local control after SRS in parasellar meningioma. Optimizing the BED above 68Gy2.47 may afford better long-term tumor control.
Realization of normal temperature detection through visible light images by Retinex-CNN
Authors: Zhu Jiayi , He Zhimin , Huang Cheng , Zeng Jun , Lin Huichuan , Chen Fuchang , Yu Chaoqun , Li Yan , Zhang Yongtao , Chen Huanting , Pu Jixiong 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Contactless detection of a target’s temperature of normal range (30°C ~ 150°C), which is based on its visible light images rather than infrared images, is a promising technology. Visible light imaging is primarily based on the visible light reflected from a target, rather than the thermal radiation of its own. The main challenge of contactless normal temperature detection through visible light images exists in the interference introduced by the variation of incident illumination. To solve this, a Retinex convolutional neural network (Retinex-CNN) was proposed in this paper, which was based on the convolutional neural network and Retinex algorithm. This network reduces the interference introduced by illumination variations and effectively improves the accuracy of the temperature detection based on visible light images. The temperature detection results of the Retinex-CNN shows that this network exhibits favorable generalization capability in terms of illumination variations, that is, it is still able to accurately detect temperature as a target is imaged in an illumination condition which is significantly different from that of the images in the training set. In this case, the Retinex-CNN obtains an average absolute error of 2.6°C, a value that is 6.89°C lower than that obtained by the CNN.
Quantification of tuberculosis exposure in a high-burdened setting: a modelling study
Authors: Patterson Benjamin , Hermans Sabine , Wood Robin , Cobelens Frank 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Recent studies using sensitive aerosol sampling and detection methodologies, have enumerated aerosolized Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) across a spectrum of tuberculosis states in a high-burdened setting. To estimate the Mtb exposure rate we used a Bayesian inference approach to fit a reversible catalytic model to age-specific, respiratory bioaerosol Mtb prevalence data. Longitudinal monitoring of symptomatic sputum-negative, untreated clinic attendees informed a prior for the Mtb bioaerosol clearance rate. Based on an observed bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence of 62.6% and a clearance half-life of 83 days, the estimated exposure rate was 5.1/year. This result was extremely sensitive to bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence but including a simulated rate of exposure of zero until the age of 10-years did not influence the overall estimate for rate of exposure. A catalytic model without reversion was a poorer fit to the prevalence data than the primary reverse catalytic model. Mtb bioaerosol sampling findings imply an extremely high rate of Mtb exposure within TB endemic communities with rapid cycling between bioaerosol carriage and clearance. Even assuming a much lower bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence, the estimated exposure rate is an order of magnitude greater than published annual rates of Mtb infection.
“Gut first” is a safe and feasible surgical approach for Crohn’s disease patients with internal fistulas
Authors: Qi Weilin , Liu Wei , Ge Xiaolong , Zhou Wei 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of the "gut first" approach in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients with internal fistulas based on our institutional experience.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary referral teaching hospital in China from January 2018 to December 2022. Consecutive CD patients undergoing surgery for internal fistulas were categorized by surgical approach: conventional versus gut-first. Demographic data, fistula characteristics, and perioperative details were recorded and analyzed.
Results: The study included 122 patients, 91 of whom were treated conventionally and 31 via the gut-first approach. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics. The gut-first approach was associated with a higher prevalence of severe mesenteric thickening (58.1% vs. 24.2%, p < 0.001). The conversion to open surgery (p=0.81), the operation time (p=0.39), the blood loss (p=0.52), the length of the intestinal resection (p=0.09), the stoma formation (p= 0.93), the postoperative stay (p=0.10) and the rate of severe morbidity (p=0.72) were comparable between the two approaches.
Conclusion: The gut-first approach is a safe and feasible alternative in the surgical management of fistulizing CD, particularly in patients with severe mesenteric involvement.
PDA-assisted immobilization of nZVI on cotton fabric for the removal of Rhodamine B and Chromium (VI) ion
Authors: Liu Lei , Hu Yufan , Yang Yuhui , Cheng Hongbin , Xiao Shili 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Printing and dyeing wastewater can cause serious environmental pollutant and must be treated to meet the emission standards before discharge. In this study, we report a method to prepare nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) particle-immobilized cotton (nZVI@cotton) fabrics assisted by polydopamine (PDA) deposition using cotton fabrics as the substrate. The nZVI@cotton fabric was systematically characterized using SEM, EDS, FTIR and TEM. The mechanical property tests of cotton fabric revealed a significant improvement in the breaking strength after deposition of PDA. The pollutant removal capability of nZVI@cotton fabric was evaluated using rhodamine B and Cr(VI) as models. The decolorization efficiency of rhodamine B could be up to 79.45% and Cr(VI) removal efficiency was 70.74% within 60 min, respectively. In addition, the iron content, different nZVI@cotton fabric system, the effect of pollutant composition and reusability of nZVI@cotton fabric were systematically investigated. Results showed that nZVI@cotton fabric prepared with the assistance of PDA was a kind of comparable wastewater purification material with the advantages of high removal efficiency to rhodamine B and Cr(VI) ions and easy to be recycled.
Antagonistic potential of Pasteuria penetrans based oil dispersion formulation against Meloidogyne incognita in medicinal coleus, Coleus forskohlii
Authors: N Swarnakumari , Geethalakshmi I. , Srisha S. , Jothi G. 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Medicinal coleus (Coleus forskohlii) is an important herbal plant of Indian Medicine. Root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita. is the predominant pest of medicinal coleus that causes yield reduction upto 72 per cent. Nematode affects the medicinal property of the tubers by producing root-knot galls on them. Chemical nematicides are not suitable as the molecule, forscholin is extracted from the tubers. Biological control is the only suitable solution to prevent pesticide residual issues. Pasteuria penetrans is a potential antagonistic bacterium of M. incognita. The current investigation, an oil dispersion formulation (ODF) of P. penetrans was developed and tested for its effectiveness against M. incognita. The formulation was water soluble and the spores were viable at 60 days of incubation that was confirmed through juvenile parasitization. Various concentrations of this formulation were prepared and screened against M. incognita infection in C. forsksholii under glasshouse conditions. Soil drenching of the formulation at the rate of 400 µL in 1000 mL of water recorded 86 per cent reduction in egg mass production. P. penetrans endospores were recovered from treated plants that confirms the efficiency of the formulation. Based on this result, field trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of ODF for two seasons. The results showed that the application of ODF @ 4 L/ha in 200L of water significantly reduced nematode infection to a tune of 74.9–84.8% and 61-66.5% reduction in egg mass production and gall index. The same formulation promoted tuber yield, that was 16.7–21.5 per cent increase over control.
The short-chain fatty acid propionate exacerbates anxiety and cognitive deficits in high-fat diet-induced obese mice by impairing hippocampal neurogenesis and neuroinflammation
Authors: Zuo Xiang , Bai Huijuan , Zhao Qili , Zhao Xin , Feng Xizeng 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Short-chain fatty acid propionate is a frequently used food preservative. However, excessive use of preservatives can pose environmental and public health risks. In addition, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a significant global public health concern. This study investigates whether propionate exposure affects the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of insulin resistance and neurobehavioral effects in high-fat diet mice. In this study, six-week-old male Balb/c mice were divided into four groups: standard diet (SD), propionate (15 mg/kg) (Pro), high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD supplemented with propionate (15 mg/kg) (HFD + Pro). After six weeks, the results indicated that exposure to HFD + Pro led to exacerbated weight gain, and fatty liver pathological changes, and affected glucose metabolism and insulin resistance compared to HFD mice. Furthermore, the HFD + Pro mice displayed heightened anxiety and depression behaviors in the elevated plus maze and forced swim tests, as well as cognitive and social impairments in the novel object recognition and social interaction tests. Additionally, HFD + Pro affects neuronal morphology and results in hippocampal loss, activates microglia, and leads to upregulation of neuroinflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-1β, and downregulation of IL-4 and IL-10. In conclusion, propionate exacerbates insulin resistance, impairs hippocampal neurogenesis and produces neuroinflammation, leading to behavioral deficits in HFD mice, this study provides evidence supporting the involvement of propionate in the pathogenesis of T2DM and brain neurobehavioral abnormalities. Further assessment of propionate safety is warranted.
Innovations in the Acquisition and Simulation of EEG Signals An Integrated Study of Literature Review and Application of Biomedical Technology
Authors: Sanclemente María Fernanda Rivera , Vega Carlos Ferney Alarcon , Olarte Jorge Andrés Cristancho 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

In this research the search for information is carried out in which the multiple applications that biomedical uses in brain signals can be made known. The main objective is to provide the information obtained in the web database that collects the creation of multiple projects based on the arrest and management of a wide variety of electroencephalographic signals, developed in devices comprising BCI systems that control the processing of signals generated by the human brain, in which it is possible to carry out an analysis of multiple information through which one can even get to know disorders and brain diseases that cause a destabilization that prevents the correct functioning of different organs and even in its entirety the peripheral nervous system. Through the feedback of the information is sought to give the creation of a device that meets the fusion of neural signal capture through multiple channels containing filtering stages that allow the reading of the signal obtained from different brain hemispheres
Assessing Earth System Responses to Climate Mitigation and Intervention with Scenario-Based Simulations and Data-Driven Insight
Authors: Gay Bradley , Miller Charles , Miner Kimberley , Mandrake Lukas 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Given a world increasingly dominated by climate extremes, large-scale geoengineering interventions to modify the Earth’s climate appears inevitable. However, geoengineering faces a conundrum: accurately forecasting the consequences of climate intervention in a system for which we have incomplete observations and an imperfect understanding. We evaluate the potential implications of mitigation and intervention strategies with a set of experiments utilizing historical reanalysis data and scenario-based model simulations to examine the global response to deploying these strategies. Key findings included a global mean surface temperature and total precipitation increases of 1.374\(\pm\)0.481\(^\circ\)C and 0.045\(\pm\)0.567 mm day−1 respectively over the observed period (i.e., 1950–2022). Mitigation and intervention simulations reveal pronounced regional anomalies in surface temperature and erratic interannual variability in total precipitation, with surface temperatures up to 7.626\(^\circ\)C in Greenland, Northern Siberia, and the Horn of Africa down to -2.378ºC in Central Africa and Eastern Brazil, and total precipitation increases of 1.170 mm day−1 in Southern Alaska down to -1.195 mm day− 1 in Colombia and East Africa. Furthermore, [CH4] dynamics indicated the potential to alter global and regional climate metrics but presented significant regional and global variability based on scenario deployment. Collectively, intervention and mitigation simulations tended to overestimate the variability and magnitude of surface temperature and total precipitation, with substantial regional deviations and scenario-dependent estimation heterogeneity for [CH4]. Furthermore, forward projections indicate that both mitigation and intervention scenarios can lead to varied climate responses, emphasizing the complexity and uncertainty in predicting exact outcomes of different geoengineering strategies. By constraining our investigation scope to include monthly surface temperature, total precipitation, and atmospheric methane concentration [CH4], we find these simulations were capable of accurately capturing departures but unable to perfectly represent patterns of warming and precipitation teleconnections clearly identified in the observational record.