bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detection of autochthonous virus strain responsible for the recent outbreak of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in North Macedonia, July to August 2023
Authors: Jakimovski Dejan , Banović Pavle , Spasovska Katerina , Rangelov Goran , Cvetanovska Marija , Cana Fadil , Simin Verica , Bogdan Ivana , Mijatović Dragana , Cvetkovikj Aleksandar , Djadjovski Igor , Christova Iva , Meletis Eleftherios , Kostoulas Polychronis , Zana Brigitta , Lanszki Zsófia , Görföl Tamás , Tauber Zsófia , Kemenesi Gabor 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a severe illness transmitted by ticks and infectious body fluids, characterized by fever, hemorrhagic syndrome, and high fatality rates. This study investigates the recent outbreak of CCHF in North Macedonia, where cases had not been reported for over 50 years, aiming to elucidate factors contributing to its re-emergence and inform public health strategies. Through a multidisciplinary approach encompassing epidemiological, clinical, and molecular analyses, we garnered pivotal insights into the outbreak dynamics. Centralized in Kuchica village, our serosurveys conducted among local livestock populations disclosed a significant rate of CCHFV exposure, which underlines the urgent necessity for persistent monitoring of the virus's circulation. The phylogenetic analysis distinctly pointed to the autochthonous nature of the CCHFV Hoti strain implicated in the outbreak. This local strain circulation may be influenced by ecological changes, probably climate change, which is likely altering tick distribution, activity patterns and the extrinsic incubation of the virus in North Macedonia. This report underscores the importance of clinical vigilance, proactive surveillance, early detection, and collaborative efforts in combating emerging infectious diseases like CCHF. By prioritizing monitoring, risk assessment, and preparedness measures, we can effectively mitigate the impact of CCHF and protect public health in affected regions.
Molecular detection of microcystin synthetase genes (mcy genes) and semi- quantitative immunological detection of the production of microcystin toxin in vitro-grown pure cultures of cyanobacteria
Authors: Chaturvedi Prashant , Singh Divya , Pathak Renu , Beohar Purnima 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Laboratory mass cultures were established for cyanobacterial strains M. aeruginosa, O. laetevirens var. minimus, A. fertilissima, P. uncinatum, and S. elongates. The growth of these cultures was assessed by monitoring turbidity, chlorophyll concentration, and protein content. After an 18-day inoculation period, the maximum growth of pure cultures was observed. Well-developed cultures were concentrated using centrifugation and subsequently lyophilized to preserve them in powdered form. DNA extraction was performed on the lyophilized cultures, resulting in clear DNA bands just below the wells. The quality of the extracted DNA, as determined by the A260/280 ratio, ranged from 1.6 to 1.8. The genes mcyABDE were successfully amplified in M. aeruginosa and O. laetevirens var. minimus, while A. fertilissima and P. uncinatum showed amplification of mcyABD and mcyABE genes, respectively. No amplification was observed in S. elongatus. Using a semi-quantitative ELISA technique, a significant concentration of Microcystin was detected only in Microcystis aeruginosa, at a level of 0.5 ppb, whereas the other cultures produced trace amounts below 0.5 ppb.
Potential of ceramic waste aggregate to improve the engineering performance of hollowed masonry units
Authors: Villarosa Jurielle A. , Benito Emel Ken D. , Aragoncillo Ariel Miguel M. , Madlangbayan Marish S. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Due to their inherent brittleness, ceramic materials are prone to breakage, generating significant waste stream. This has driven research into repurposing the waste materials for various applications. Processed ceramic waste has been extensively studied in the past as a substitute for cement or sand to produce cementitious composites. However, its applications have primarily been limited to solid mortars and concrete. Here, the influence of ground ceramic tiles as a fine aggregate of hollowed masonry units (HMU) has been investigated. Ceramic waste aggregate (CWA) was introduced in HMUs at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the fine aggregate volume, and their compressive strength, densities at various moisture states, and moisture characteristics were evaluated. Results showed that adding CWA significantly improved the strength (by as much as three times), reduced the density (by 13.9%), minimally affected the absorption capacity, and lowered the material cost (by up to 21.3%) of HMU, with the 100% replacement achieving the most favorable results. X-ray fluorescence analysis showed that CWA contained a higher amount of amorphous silica than river sand, which may explain the improvement in the HMU’s engineering performance. The HMUs were found to satisfy the required strength for nonloadbearing blocks. Moreover, the block with 100% CWA was classified as medium weight while all other blocks were classified as normal weight. In summary, this study demonstrated the potential of ceramic tile waste as an aggregate alternative for nonloadbearing masonry construction.
Benchmarking of Commercial Large Language Models: ChatGPT, Mistral, and Llama
Authors: Hou Guangyu , Lian Qin 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Recent developments in artificial intelligence have ushered in a new era of language models, with capabilities that are rapidly advancing the frontiers of technology and communication. The present research conducts a detailed comparative analysis of three prominent large language models—ChatGPT, Mistral, and Llama—utilizing the Hugging Face platform to benchmark their performance across multiple dimensions, including computational efficiency, linguistic accuracy, and ethical alignment. Results indicate that while each model exhibits unique strengths, they also possess distinct limitations which can guide future enhancements. Specifically, ChatGPT excels in linguistic accuracy, Llama in adaptability across languages, and Mistral offers novel approaches in complex language processing. This benchmarking exercise provides critical insights into the current capabilities of large language models, highlighting areas for potential improvement and suggesting avenues for future research to enhance their effectiveness and ethical alignment. The findings showed the necessity for ongoing evaluations to support the development of AI technologies that are both powerful and aligned with ethical standards. The exploration of hybrid models that combine the strengths of these existing systems could pave the way for the next generation of language models that are not only more efficient and accurate but also more aligned with human values and ethical standards.
The Ulnar Left Second Digital Ridge Count Poorly Predicts the Risk for Schizophrenia
Authors: Ibrahim Badamasi Mohammed , Umar Sirajo Mujittapha , Andujeh Abdulazeem Muhammad , Dauda Ibrahim Muhammad , Naziru Ibrahim , Tajudeen Abiola , Shakirat Owolabi Desola , Margaret Ojeahere Isioma , Mustapha Gudaji Ibrahim 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
Anthropometric measurements, reflecting the interplay of nutritional, environmental, and genetic factors, are commonly used to study human physical traits. Despite previous research suggesting their potential as indicators of neurodevelopmental processes and genetic influences, their role in predicting schizophrenia risk remains uncertain. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the predictive value of the ulnar left second digital ridge count in assessing the risk for schizophrenia, contributing to our understanding of the association between anthropometric variables and schizophrenia risk.
Method
Digit lengths were measured from the basal crease of the digit to the fingertip using a digital sliding caliper (MicroMak, USA). A digital scanner (Digital Persona, China) was utilized to capture the fingerprint pattern. Ridge count was determined by counting the ridges diagonally within a 5 mm × 5 mm area on the fingertip surface, located on the radial and ulnar sides of the distal regions of each finger.
Results
The proportion of the loop fingerprint pattern (ulnar and radial) on the left fourth finger of schizophrenia patients was significantly higher than that observed among the healthy volunteers. Generally, a smaller 2D:4D ratio was observed among male schizophrenia patients compared to female schizophrenia patients. The ridge counts in the second and fourth digits were significantly different among the patients compared to the healthy volunteers, except for the radial ridge counts on the left second digit.
Conclusion
Despite the varying degrees of association observed between the assessed anthropometric variables and schizophrenia risk, the diagnostic performance of each variable, as evaluated through ROC curve analysis, was consistently poor. Overall, these findings suggest that the sensitivity and specificity of these measurements in effectively distinguishing the disease remain inadequate. Further research is warranted to explore additional predictive factors and improve diagnostic accuracy in schizophrenia risk assessment.
Recurrent cystitis: how to achieve perfection in treatment?
Authors: Kulchavenya E. V. , Kholtobin D. P. , Brizhatyuk E. V. , Shevchenko S. Yu. , Treyvish L. S. , Telina E. V. 
Published: May 2024

Introduction. Urinary tract infections are the second most common type of bacterial infections worldwide. Treatment of patients with chronic (recurrent) cystitis remains challenging and requires an individual approach.Aim. To assess the efficacy of combined therapy for exacerbation of chronic cystitis.Materials and methods. A total of 65 women aged 18–48 years were enrolled in an open comparative bidirectional study. All participants received antibacterial therapy for exacerbation of chronic cystitis in accordance with the clinical guidelines for the treatment of cystitis in women. After the therapy was completed, the comparison group (35 patients) did not receive any drugs, whereas 30 patients from the treatment group were prescribed Cystenium II biologically active dietary supplement at a dose of 1 orally disintegrating tablet twice daily for 2 weeks. The examination included a measurement of the severity of complaints using the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS), a clinical urinalysis and urine culture + sensitivity test. The efficacy of treatment was assessed following completion of antibiotic therapy and two weeks after the therapy.Results. After finishing antibiotic treatment, no patient has achieved full recovery (improvement of urinalyses, no growth of pathogenic microbial flora, no complaints). Both groups showed statistically significant decreases in ACSS scores on Visit 2. Over the following two weeks, the symptoms in the comparison group did not change (p > 0.05), and in the treatment group the sum of scores continued to decrease, reaching an average of 3.62 ± 0.42, which is 5.5 times less than the baseline level and almost 3 times less than the sum of scores following completion of antibacterial therapy (p < 0.05). The positive changes in leukocyturia and bacteriuria were also more pronounced in the treatment group.Conclusion. After completion of antibiotic therapy for relapse of chronic (recurrent) cystitis, the patients usually have residual effects that cannot be regarded as presentations of an active disease, but they disturb patients. A two-week course of pathogenetic therapy with a combination drug containing A-type Vaccinium macrocarpon proanthocyanidins, vitamin C and D-mannose to be received as the second step can increase the efficacy of treatment.
Experience of using drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol combination in women of reproductive age
Authors: Iurova M. V. , Mezhevitinova E. A. , Abakarova P. R. 
Published: May 2024

Introduction. A woman’s unwillingness to enter pregnancy due to social and somatic factors is associated with a high risk of its termination and concomitant complications. A personalized selection of a method of contraception is necessary, which best meets the needs of a woman, including in achieving non-contraceptive effects.Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness, safety and compliance indicators when using a combined drug (3 mg of drospirenone + 20 mcg of ethinyl estradiol) in women in the early and mature reproductive period.Materials and methods. A study involving 68 women (polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), n = 31, adenomyosis, n = 20, uterine fibroids, n = 7, a combination of 2 or more diagnoses) was conducted on the basis of the Scientific polyclinic Department of the V.I. Kulakov National Research Medical Center of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation) of reproductive age (18–34 years) who took a combined contraceptive drug for 6 months or more. The control of the results was carried out on the basis of monitoring in the form of a survey.Results. The average time of use of the drug was 9 (Q₁–Q₃: 8–11) months. After 3 and 6 months, 77.8% (21/27) and 100% of the observed patients, respectively, noted a decrease in the severity of PMS symptoms. 91.7% (n = 11/12) of patients noted a subjective decrease in the severity of acne and/or hirsutism after 6 months. 91.3% (n = 21/23) of women with copious painful menstruation noted normalization of the bleeding profile (volume of menstrual blood loss). 95.6% (65 patients out of 68) noted 100% compliance in the use of the drug.Conclusions. The drug Dimia has a favorable profile of clinical and pharmacological safety and efficacy, along with the complete reversibility of contraceptive action when actualizing the issue of the realization of reproductive function. The advantages of the drug are to achieve well-studied non-contraceptive effects, in which patients with PCOS, internal endometriosis and uterine fibroids are interested, in the form of relieving manifestations of PMS and reducing the severity of dysmenorrhea, as well as cosmetic skin imperfections (acne-type rashes, hirsutism). Thus, the drug can be recommended to women of reproductive age as a reliable contraceptive, as well as to achieve non-contraceptive effects.
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Restore the Odontogenic Differentiation
Potential of Dental Pulp Stem Cells under Hyperglycemic Conditions
Authors: Hodjat Mahshid , Farshad Fatemeh , Gholami Mahdi , Abdollahi Mohammad , Saadat Khandakar ASM 
Published: May 2024

Objective:
Complications arising from diabetes can result in stem cell dysfunction, impairing
their ability to undergo differentiation into various cellular lineages. The present study
evaluated the effect of histone deacetylase inhibitors, Valproic acid and Trichostatin A, on the
odontogenic differentiation potential of dental pulp stem cells under hyperglycemic conditions.

Methods:
Streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetes mellitus in 12 male Wistar rats. Dental parameters
were examined using micro-computed tomography. The odontogenic potential of human pulp
stem cells exposed to 30 mM glucose was assessed through alkaline phosphatase assays, examination
of gene expression for dentin matrix protein 1 and dentin sialoprotein using real-time PCR,
and alizarin red staining for calcium deposition.

Results:
Along with reduced dentin thickness and root length in diabetic rats, the results revealed
a significant increase in histone deacetylase 3 and 2 gene expressions in isolated diabetic pulp tissues
compared to the control groups. The gene expression of odontogenic-related markers and alkaline
phosphatase activity in human cultured pulp stem cells under hyperglycemic conditions significantly
decreased. Adding Valproic acid and Trichostatin A restored the odontogenic differentiation
markers, including calcium deposition, gene expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein,
dentin matrix protein 1, and alkaline phosphatase activity.

Conclusion:
The data suggests that hyperglycemic conditions negatively impact the odontogenic
potential of pulp mesenchymal stem cells. However, histone deacetylase inhibitors improve the
impaired odontogenic differentiation capacity. This study implies that histone deacetylases may
represent a potential therapeutic target for enhancing the regenerative mineralization of pulp cells
in diabetic patients.
Cytotoxic Secondary Metabolites from the Ascomycetous Fungus Pseudogymnoascus roseus
Authors: Lin Jie , He Yingchao , Weng Ruofei , Jiao Jingru , Zheng Peixin , Dai Qun , Liu Ling 
Published: May 2024

Background:
Fungi found in unique and competitive environments are abundant in bioactive compounds.

Objective:
The objective of this study is to isolate and identify secondary metabolites from fungi of
unique ecological niches and evaluate their cytotoxicity.

Methods:
The compounds were isolated and purified using silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 gel chromatography, and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC). The structures of the isolated compounds were determined using NMR and MS. The cytotoxic activities of these compounds were tested by the MTS assay.

Results:
Three diphenyl ethers, dechlorodihydromaldoxin (1), violaceol-I (2) and violaceol-II (3),
one quinolinone compound, 2-(2-heptenyl)-3-methyl-4(1H)-quinolinone (4), and one α-pyrone
nafuredin (5) were isolated from the fermented extracts of Pseudogymnoascus roseus S161. Compound 1 showed modest cytotoxicity against two human tumor cell lines A549 and MCF-7, with IC50
values of 87.12 and 51.07 µM, respectively.

Conclusion:
Five compounds were isolated from the fungus P. roseus S161. Compound 1 showed
moderate cytotoxicity. This study provided a basis for the development of antitumor drugs.
Enhancing Blockchain Security and Efficiency through FPGA-Based
Consensus Mechanisms and Post-Quantum Cryptography
Authors: Ktari Jalel , frikha Tarek , hamdi Monia , Affes Nesrine , Hamam Habib 
Published: May 2024

Introduction:
Blockchain technology has revolutionized data management and transaction recording, extending its application beyond cryptocurrencies to various sectors, including
Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)

Method:
This distributed ledger technology offers a transparent, immutable, and secure transaction platform, reducing the risk of data tampering and increasing resistance to attacks. However,
challenges such as performance, scalability, and security continue to exist; these challenges are
particularly concerning consensus mechanisms like Proof of Work (PoW). Field-Programmable
Gate Arrays (FPGAs) present a promising solution to enhance the efficiency and security of
blockchain consensus mechanisms.

Result:
This study explores the implementation of blockchain in embedded systems using FPGAs
and discusses the post-quantum cryptographic algorithms to ensure long-term protection.

Conclusion:
The research highlights the potential of FPGA-based implementations to revolutionize blockchain applications, emphasizing the need for continuous adaptation and vigilance to address evolving security threats, particularly those posed by quantum computing.
Fire Smoke Target Detection Incorporating PBCA
Authors: Wang Yunyan , Kou Zhangyi 
Published: May 2024

Background:
Fire incidents occur in complex scenarios, where the dynamic positions
and varying scales of flames and smoke pose challenges for fire detection. To improve the stability, localization accuracy, and detection precision of small targets in fire detection, a fused PBCA
method for fire and smoke object detection has been proposed in this paper, called FS-YOLOv8.

Background:
Fire incidents occur in complex scenarios, where the dynamic positions
and varying scales of flames and smoke pose challenges for fire detection. To improve the stability, localization accuracy, and detection precision of small targets in fire detection, a fused PBCA
method for fire and smoke object detection has been proposed in this paper, called FS-YOLOv8.

Objective:
The objective of this approach was to improve the detection accuracy of flames and
smoke, enhance the robustness of the system, and strengthen the feature representation capability.
It aimed to optimize the contribution of feature maps at different scales, allowing the network to
capture inter-channel correlations while preserving precise localization information of the targets.
Furthermore, it aimed to enhance the learning ability of small-scale flame and smoke objects.

Method:
Firstly, DCN (Deformable Convolutional Network) was integrated into the CSPDarknet
backbone network to extract features from flame and smoke images. Subsequently, a module
called PBCA was designed by combining BiFPN (Bidirectional Feature Pyramid Network) and
coordinate attention. Finally, a small object detection layer, YOLO HEAD-4, was constructed.

Results:
The experimental results of our proposed FS-YOLOv8 method on a self-made dataset
demonstrated improved detection accuracy compared to other conventional methods. Therefore,
the FS-YOLOv8 method effectively enhanced the performance of object detection in fire and
smoke scenarios.

Conclusion:
The FS-YOLOv8 method has been found to effectively improve the performance of
object detection in fire and smoke scenarios, enhance the robustness of the system, strengthen the
feature representation capability, and amplify the learning ability of small-scale flame and smoke
objects.

other:
NO
Performances of Ludai (Sapium Baccatum) and Kelempayan (Neolamarckia Cadamba) after Acetylation
Authors: Abdul Karim Siti Rafedah , Abdul Kadir Yanti , Abdul Karim Azrena 
Published: May 2024

The study changed the chemicals that make up Ludai (Sapium Baccatum) and Kelempayan (Neolamarckia Cadamba) molecules that have been modified with acetic anhydride. The wood species was treated at 80°C, 100°C, and 120°C. The changes were assessed by replacing the WPG and OH groups. The WPG range is 3%–16%, and therefore, at 16%, Ludai had the highest WPG, while Kelempayan had 14%. At 120°C, a 15% weight per gallon (WPG) solution changed Kelempayan volume by 9%. The Ludai volume changed 5.5% under the same conditions. The Ludai and Kelempayan had the highest OH-substitution rate at 120°C, 3.5–4 mmoles/g.