bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
NDR-UNet: Segmentation of Water Bodies in Remote Sensing using Nested Dense Residual U-Net
Authors: Surekha Jonnala , GUPTA NEHA 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The identification and accurate delineation of water bodies in remote sensing satellite images have significant implications for scientific research and various applications such as natural disaster forecasting, drought and flood detection, and monitoring disappearing water bodies. However, this task poses challenges due to complex spectral variations caused by factors like aquatic vegetation, different colors of lakes/rivers, mud along the sand, and shadows from surrounding plants.To address these challenges and improve water body extraction from high-resolution and moderate high-resolution remote sensing images, we propose a method called D3net (Nested Dense Residual Network). The Adam optimizer is employed to train the satellite images, minimizing the associated losses. The activation function and the number of nodes in each layer are optimized to achieve the best performance.To ensure data integrity and protect the identified water bodies during transmission, we utilize the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm as a security component. This algorithm creates a digital signature for the projected area of water bodies, providing data protection.For our study, we used a dataset consisting of 5682 Sentinel-2 satellite images, including 2841 images and their corresponding masks. The masks were generated using the Normalized Water Difference Index (NWDI) for a specific geographic location in Europe. The suggested model achieves a performance IOU (Intersection over Union) of 93.27% and a recall rate of 95.60%. Additionally, the model can be applied to tasks such as edge detection, blurry image recognition, and low-resolution image detection. It exhibits reliability and accuracy in its predictions, although it may require more memory due to the utilization of high-resolution and moderate high-resolution images for segmentation.
Cultivating a Continuous “I Don’t Know”: Four Supervisory Mentoring Practices that Support Online Doctoral Students’ Academic Writing
Authors: Becker Sandra , Jacobsen Michele , Friesen Sharon 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Academic writing in both face-to-face and online environments is often a challenging experience for many faculty and students and can be fraught with tension and emotion. Thus, the quality of doctoral students’ online academic writing experiences can be a difference maker in successful completion of programs. Building on our earlier work identifying five enabling factors of successful online doctoral supervision, this study explores practices that enable factor five: Cultivating a collaborative online community of support for academic writing. Using a comparative case study approach, we analyzed the data from interviews with five recently completed doctoral graduates to determine the mentoring practices that cultivated for them, effective online doctoral student academic writing relationships. Findings identified four supervisory practices: (a) engaging in regularly scheduled meetings with iterative cycles of mentoring and scaffolding; (b) engaging students in a trusting, supportive community of practice; (c) using coursework and program structures as a springboard for writing; and (d) providing diverse models of academic writing. Central to the effectiveness of these practices was the notion of trust. Most of the doctoral students trusted their supervisor to engage in the four practices to support them. Through the provision of timely and thoughtful feedback and feedforward strategies from their community, doctoral students were able to develop their academic writing as a tool for communication, as a tool for thinking and creating new knowledge, and for developing their academic identities.
A new species of Anthopleura (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria) from the Mexican Pacific
Authors: VASSALLO-AVALOS AURORA , GONZÁLEZ-MUÑOZ RICARDO , MORRONE JUAN JOSÉ , ACUÑA FABIAN HORACIO , DURÁN-FUENTES JEFERSON ALEXIS , STAMPAR SÉRGIO NASCIMENTO , SOLÍS-MARÍN FRANCISCO ALONSO , RIVAS GERARDO 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Anthopleura is one of the most numerous genera within the Actiniidae family. This genus is particularly characterized by its members having both verrucae on the column and acrorhagi on the margin. In the region of the Baja California Peninsula, in the Mexican Pacific, six species of Anthopleura have been documented, which are relatively well defined by their morphological characteristics and coloration patterns. During recent visits to the intertidal zone of Cerritos, in Baja California Sur, we found individuals of Anthopleura displaying a variety of colorations that do not agree with known species for the region. We collected and examined specimens of four morphotypes of Anthopleura, analyzing them by integrating information about their external and internal anatomy, as well as their cnidome. Additionally, we obtained and analyzed genetic sequences from mitochondrial and nuclear markers through phylogenetic analyses. Our results reveal that the four morphotypes belong to a single, and undescribed species of Anthopleura. We provide a detailed description of the species Anthopleura variata sp. nov., including images of the key taxonomic characteristics defining it. Anthopleura variata sp. nov. is the 49th species in the genus and the seventh species of Anthopleura documented for the Mexican Pacific.
This article is registered in ZooBank under http://zoobank.org:pub:25688E38-5374-42EB-84EA-4728930988B5
Adherence to self-care management for patients with permanent pacemaker and their efficacy in daily living activities
Authors: Elsaka Dina , Abdelkader Hayat , Bodaddy Elsaid , shahin Eman 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background: Self-care management is an important part of patient education and can improve long-term pacemaker function and improve follow-up treatment adherence. Self-care is also important for improving the effectiveness of everyday activities, improving outcomes, and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations.
Aims: to explore the correlation between adherence to self-care management for patients with permanent pacemaker and their efficacy in daily living activities.
Method: The methodological approach is a correlational design. A purposive sample of 94 patients with permanent pacemaker that were available within 6 months was used according to inclusion and exclusion criteria from a cardiac outpatient clinic in Al-Nasr Hospital in Port-Said city.
Result: The result of the present study shows that 89.4% of the studied patients had an unsatisfactory level of self-management behavior. While the mean score of daily living activities among patients with permanent pacemaker was 17.9±1.24.
Conclusion: The present study concluded that no statistically significant correlation existed between the total level of self-management behavior and daily living activities among the studied patients.
Pre-existing parasympathetic dominance seems to account for heart rate slowingafter six months of Fingolimod-treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Hilz Max J. , Canavese Francesca , Leal Carmen de Rojas , Lee De-Hyung , Linker Ralf , Wang Ruihao 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Purpose: Vagomimetic Fingolimod effects cause heart-rate (HR) slowing upon treatment-initiation but wear off with Sphingosine-1-phosphate-receptor downregulation. Yet, prolonged HR-slowing may persist after months of Fingolimod-treatment. We evaluated whether cardiovascular autonomic modulation differs before and six months after Fingolimod-initiation between RRMS-patients with and without initially prolonged HR-slowing upon Fingolimod-initiation.
Methods: In 34 RRMS-patients, we monitored RR-intervals (RRI) and blood-pressure (BP), at rest and upon standing-up before Fingolimod-initiation. Six hours and six months after Fingolimod-initiation, we repeated recordings at rest. At the three time-points, we calculated autonomic parameters, including RRI-standard-deviation (RRI-SD), RRI-total-powers, RMSSD, RRI-high-frequency-[HF]-powers, RRI- and BP-low-frequency-(LF)-powers, and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). Between and among patients with and without prolonged HR-slowing upon Fingolimod-initiation, we compared all parameters assessed at the three time-points (ANOVA with post-hoc testing; significance: p< 0.05).
Results: Six hours after Fingolimod-initiation, all patients had decreased HRs but increased RRIs, RRI-SDs, RMSSDs, RRI-HF-powers, RRI-total-powers, and BRS; 11 patients had prolonged HR-slowing. Before Fingolimod-initiation, these 11 patients did not decrease parasympathetic RMSSDs and RRI-HF-powers upon standing -up. After six months, all parameters had re-approached pretreatment-values but the 11 patients with prolonged HR-slowing had lower HRs while the other 23 patients had lower parasympathetic RMSSDs and RRI-HF-powers, and BRS than before Fingolimod-initiation.
Conclusion: Our patients with prolonged HR-slowing upon Fingolimod-initiation could not downregulate cardiovagal modulation upon standing-up already before Fingolimod-initiation, and six months after Fingolimod-initiation still had more parasympathetic effect on HR while cardiovagal modulation and BRS were attenuated in the other 23 patients. Pre-existing autonomic dysregulation may cause prolonged HR-slowing upon Fingolimod-initiation.
Multi-view graph learning for deciphering the dominant cell communication assembly of downstream functional events from single-cell RNA-seq data
Authors: Ji Boya , Wang Xiaoqi , Wang Xiang , Xu Liwen , Peng Shaoliang 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Cell-cell communications (CCCs) from multiple sender cells collaboratively affect downstream functional events in receiver cells, thus influencing cell phenotype and function. How to rank the importance of these CCCs and find the dominant ones in a specific downstream functional event has great significance for deciphering various physiological and pathogenic processes. To date, several computational methods have been developed to focus on the identification of cell types that communicate with enriched ligand-receptor interactions from single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data, but to the best of our knowledge, all of them lack the ability to identify the communicating cell type pairs that play a major role in a specific downstream functional event, which we call it "dominant cell communication assembly (DCA)". Here, we proposed scDCA, a multi-view graph learning method for deciphering DCA from scRNA-seq data. scDCA is based on a multi-view CCC network by constructing different cell type combinations at single-cell resolution. Multi-view graph convolution network was further employed to reconstruct the expression pattern of target genes or the functional states of receiver cells. The DCA was subsequently identified by interpreting the model with the attention mechanism. scDCA was verified in a real scRNA-seq cohort of advanced renal cell carcinoma, accurately deciphering the DCA that affect the expression patterns of the critical immune genes and functional states of malignant cells. Furthermore, scDCA also accurately explored the alteration in cell communication under clinical intervention by comparing the DCA for certain cytotoxic factors between patients with and without immunotherapy. scDCA is free available at: https://github.com/pengsl-lab/scDCA.git.
Podocyte specific protein expression in urine exosome acts as a marker for renal injury in Long-COVID
Authors: Nandula Seshagiri Rao , Brichacek Beda , Sen Sabyasachi 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Introduction: SARS-CoV2 has been associated with cardiometabolic diseases. At a cellular level, the infection may cause cellular inflammation and endothelial cell dysfunction (ECD). ECD is common in cardiometabolic diseases and is often associated with renal podocyte defect and proteinuria which has been recognized as an early manifestation of microvascular complication.
In this study we explored whether presence of hyperglycemia predisposes to increased SARS-CoV2 infection at a cellular level. We also wanted to determine whether SARS-CoV2 infection puts an individual at a higher risk of developing cardio-metabolic complications such as kidney disease (DKD), associated with podocytopathy, in months to come following acute COVID infection. To estimate kidney damage, we evaluated albuminuria and podocyte specific protein in urine derived exosomes in urine obtained from SARS-CoV2 patients at 10 days, 6 months and 12 months post-acute SARS-CoV2 infection.
Methods: Blood and Urine samples from SARS-CoV2 patients’ post-acute phase of infection were procured from George Washington University core facility. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) and urine exosomes were isolated and podocyte protein markers Podocalyxin (PODXL) and Nephrin (NEPH) were identified by western blot analysis.
Results: Podocalyxin levels were significantly high at 10wk (n=18; p=0.001), 6month (n=25; p=0.003) and 12month(n=14; 0.0001) time points and Nephrin levels were noted to be high at 10week (n=18; p=0.001) and 12Months (n=14; p=0.007) time points. Interestingly, there were no significant differences noted on urine albumin: creatinine ratios (UACR) between the two groups at any of the time-points.
Conclusion: A persistent high levels of podocyte specific proteins were noted in urinary exosomes even as far out as 12 months post Covid which may indicate long-standing podocyte inflammation leading to chronic kidney disease (CKD)The study also indicates that urine exosome based protein estimation specific for podocyte inflammation may be more sensitive biomarker for early CKD detection compared to UACR.
Visualization of strain distribution in rubber bulk during friction
Authors: Nishi Toshiaki , Ueno Kyohei , Nomoto Tomohiro , Sugisawa Shinya , Shin Daiki , Yamaguchi Ken , Kuwayama Isao , Yamaguchi Takeshi 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

This study employed a digital image correlation method (DICM) to experimentally quantify horizontal strain distribution in silicone rubber bulk during friction against a stainless-steel sphere with/without glycerol. The strain distribution at different depth levels was measured by capturing the position of white powders in transparent rubber bulk. The experimental results indicated that each point in the rubber bulk moved while describing a horizontal loop during friction depending on the position and lubrication conditions. This caused changes in the horizontal strain during friction. These results suggest that the hysteresis term could be caused by changes in the vertical and horizontal strains.
Health literacy of Brazilian undergraduate students: a cluster analysis
Authors: Lima Paula Rocco Gomes , Emidio Suellen Cristina Dias , Carrasco Viviane , Silva Juliany Lino Gomes , Kumakura Ana Railka Souza Oliveira 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background
To assess the Brazilian undergraduate health students' health literacy level and identify sociodemographic factors related to health literacy using cluster analysis.
Methods
A descriptive and cross-sectional study with 352 undergraduate nursing, physiotherapy, nutrition, psychology, and pharmacy students. Sociodemographic, health perception, and health condition data were collected. Cluster analysis was based on the nine Health Literacy Questionnaire scales to identify students with similar health literacy profiles.
Results
The scales 3 - Actively managing my health (2.81) and 9 - Understand health information well enough to know what to do (3.78) had the highest scores, and scales 1 - Feeling understood and supported by healthcare providers (2.74) and 6 - Ability to actively engage with healthcare providers (3.49) had the lowest. The analysis resulted in 8 clusters. Cluster A reported higher scores on all scales, representing 5.1% of the sample. This group consisted mainly of females (83.4%), whites (66.6%), older people (29.59 years), parents with complete or incomplete higher education (50.0%), and nursing students (38.8%). Cluster H consisted of fewer students (1.7%), females (100%), younger (21.1 years), parents with complete or incomplete higher education (66.6%), pharmacy students (50%), with lower mean scores on scales 3 (2.07), 6 (1.47), 7 (1.53), 8 (1.67) and 9 (1.37).
Conclusion
Brazilian undergraduate health students face multiple challenges in achieving an adequate level of health literacy. Women with the highest average age who were studying nursing declared themselves white, had parents with complete or incomplete higher education, and had better health literacy results and aspects that should be considered when designing educational interventions for this population.
Novel Fabrication of Self-healing Chitosan/Alginate porous Hydrogels with Adhesive Dopamine chemistry – based materials for improve Therapeutic Potential in Femoral Fractures
Authors: Ouyang Jianfeng , Li Binquan , Yang Kangsheng , Qin Yi , Ye Yongheng , Bo Bai , Lin Caiqin , Peng Jiewei 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
This study explores the significant impact of Polydopamine nanospheres (PDA NPs) on polymer properties, ascribed to the physical and chemical interactions between the PDA and natural polymers. It also demonstrated the PDA’s ability to modify porous structure and enhance the mechanical characteristics of Chitosan/alginate (Ch/Alg) hydrogel nanocomposites for tissue engineering scaffolds. The porous scaffold with nano surface morphology, hierarchical pore structure, appropriate porosity and superior bio-mechanical strength was successfully
synthesized. The hierarchical pore structure of the synthesized PDA modified Ch/Alg-DA hydrogel based scaffolds is favorable for cell ingrowth and cell adhesion. In loading and release experiments, Ch/Alg-DA/PDA hydrogels/scaffolds were confirmed to have better adsorption ability to Ciprofloxacin (CFLX) and more steady in vitro release behavior than the other hydrogels. Osteoblast cells were cultured on the surfaces of the scaffolds for up to 3 days, and proliferation and cell viability were examined using fluorescence microscopy, Moreover, the PDA loaded Ch/Ag-DA can improve the adhesion and promote the proliferation and spontaneous growth of osteoblast cells. Even though, further research is necessary to understand all the parameters affecting biocompatibility, the as prepared Ch/Ag-DA/ PDA NPs may signified an idealistic tool for the treatment of bone deficiency and regeneration of bone tissue, among other applications.
Development and psychometric properties of the “Patient Assessment of Transitions in Healthcare settings (PATH)” questionnaire
Authors: Walløe Sisse , Lauridsen Henrik Hein , Petersen Esben Nedenskov , Simonÿ Charlotte , Gudex Claire , Möller Sören , Morsø Lars 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background The quality of care pathways that include transitions between healthcare settings may be increased by improving patients’ experiences of their care journey. Patients’ experiences can be explored through in-depth interviews, but valid and reliable patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) can be a useful and more cost-effective way of assessing patient-experienced quality. The aim of this study was to develop a valid, generic measure for assessment of PAtient-experience of Transitions in Healthcare settings, PATH. We evaluated the structural validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the PATH questionnaire in a Danish patient population with a range of diagnoses, comorbidities and diversity in age.Methods The PATH questionnaire was developed and tested through an iterative 3-step pilot-test and a comprehensive field-test.Results We found an 18-item version of PATH to be content valid and to have internal consistency and structural validity for a 2-factor solution with a single item scored separately. We found satisfactory test-retest reliability.Conclusions PATH is a generic, content valid, and reliable patient-reported experience measure for the assessment of patient-experienced quality in healthcare transitions. The PATH questionnaire is available for use in quality monitoring and quality improvement research, but we recommend further testing of its measurement properties alongside its practical application.
Taxonomic status of Diplectanum robustitubum Wu &amp; Li, 2003 (Monogenoidea: Diplectanidae) from the purple-spotted bigeye Priacanthus tayenus (Priacanthidae) and the description of Platycephalotrema parile n. sp. (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) from the bartail flathead Platycephalus indicus (Platycephalidae), in the Arabian Gulf
Authors: Kritsky D. , Al-Darwesh Ali Adnan , Ali Atheer H. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Purple-spotted bigeyes Priacanthus tayenus Richardson (Priacanthidae) and bartail hardheads Platycephalus indicus (Linnaeus) were collected from the Arabian Gulf and examined for species of Monogenoidea (Polyonchoinea) from February to December 2020. Diplectanum robustitubum Wu & Li, 2003 and an undescribed species of Platycephalotrema Kritsky & Nitta, 2019 were recovered from the gill lamellae of these hosts, respectively. Diplectanum robustitubum from Iraq was redescribed and transferred to Oliveriplectanum Domingues & Boeger, 2008 (Diplectanidae) as Oliveriplectanum robustitubum (Wu & Li, 2003) n. comb. Platycephalotrema parile n. sp. (Dactylogyridae) from Iraq and Kuwait was described and differentiated from the similar species, Haliotrema indicum Tripathi, 1959, Platycephalotrema ogawai Kritsky & Nitta, 2019, and Platycephalotrema platycephali (Yin & Sproston, 1948) Kritsky & Nitta, 2019, based primarily on the comparative morphologies of the vaginal sclerites. Haliotrema indicum was transferred to Platycephalotrema as Platycephalotrema indicum (Tripathi, 1959) n. comb.; and Haliotrema swatowense Yao, Wang, Xia, & Chen, 1998 was considered a junior subjective synonym of P. indicum. The finding of O. robustitubum in the Arabian Gulf represents a new geographic record for the species. Background The present paper represents the third installment concerning the monogenoids collected during surveys to explore their diversity on the marine and freshwater fishes of Iraq. Previous installments on the monogenoids emanating from the surveys included the dactylogyid and gyrodactylid species parasitizing mugilid fishes. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to further document the diversity of monogenoids infecting the fishes of Iraq. Methods Marine fishes were necropsied for parasites, and standard procedures for collecting, mounting, drawing, and measuring of monogenoids were employed. Results Oliveriplectanum robustitubum n. comb. (Diplectanidae) and Platycephalotrema parile n. sp. (Dactylogyridae) were collected. The occurrence of O. robustitubum in the Arabian Gulf represented a new locality record for the species. Conclusion The recorded presence of O. robustitubum and P. parile n. sp. suggests that the diversity of monogenoids in Iraq is under estimated in the literature.