bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Numerical and experimental analysis of side polished single mode fiber for refractive index sensing
Authors: BILAL MUHAMMAD MUSAVIR , THOTTOLI AJMAL , LOPEZ-AGUAYO SERVANDO , GRANDE MARCO 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

In this paper, we introduced a comprehensive study, based on both numerical and experimental analyses, of side polished (SP) single mode fibers (SMF) to investigate their evanescent field interaction with air and liquid analytes (water, isopropanol). In particular, the finite element method (FEM) and the beam propagation method (BPM) are employed to predict the optical properties of the SP-SMF. The alteration of analytes at the sensing region enhances the change in refractive index of the materials. An ad-hoc experimental setup has been designed and built to characterize the side polished single mode fiber when air, water, and isopropanol are set in the side polished region. The sensitivity of the analytes is obtained as 1.207 V/RIU. The performance in terms of effective refractive index and transmittance are reported to show how these SP-SMF can be efficiently used for calculating the liquid refractive index. The simulation and experimental results display the significant performance of the SP-SMF as a sensing element.
Psychosocial Risks and Mental Health of Preschool Care Providers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Tham Sin Wan , Wong Min Fui Esther , Ismail Maslinor , Bukhary Noriklil Bukhary Ismail 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background: Child maltreatment in daycare is a public health issue. As childcare is stressful, high care provider negativity independently predicted more internalising behaviour problems, affecting children’s psycho-neurological development. This study aimed to determine psychosocial factors associated with the mental health of preschool care providers in Kuala Lumpur.
Methods: A random cluster sampling cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2019. The study involved registered care providers for preschoolers under 4 years old without acute psychiatric illness. Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (Malay-CES-D) and Karasek’s Job-Content-Questionnaires (Malay-JCQ) were used to assess depression symptoms and psychosocial job-related risks. Logistic regression (p < 0.05) guided by Hosmer-Lemeshow strategy was used for analysis, with the final model evaluated for assumptions and goodness-of-fit.
Results: A total of 247 providers were recruited from 36 preschools. All respondents were females (mean age of 32.1 years old), Malays (70.4%), married (38.1%), attained secondary school education (51.8%) and had low income (80.2%). The prevalence of depressive symptoms and job strain were 28.7%. Final logistic regression revealed individual factors (married, stressful life events: assault and marital issues), job strain (AOR = 2.32, CI = 1.22, 4.42), and job insecurity (AOR = 1.30, CI = 1.08, 1.57) determine depressive symptoms. Good supervisor support was inversely associated with depression.
Conclusion: Job strain and insecurity contribute significantly to depressive symptoms among preschool care providers in Kuala Lumpur. The Social and Welfare Department can promote supportive supervision through skill training for supervisors, fostering a positive mental health environment for improving workers' mental health.
Central nervous system complications during treatment in childhood acute leukemia
Authors: Ekici Arzu , Isık Bilgen , Kazancı Elif Guler , Kusku Zeynep Beyza , Orcan Cengiz Gokhan , Havalı Cengiz , Dorum Sevil , Metin Taha , Orhaner Betul Biner 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Objective
Central nervous system (CNS) complications can be seen in patients with leukemia, depending on the disease itself and the chemotherapeutic agents used. This study focused on CNS complications during treatment in children with acute leukemia in a single pediatric institution
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical reports of 115 children with acute leukemia.
Results
A total of 115 children’ clinical records with acute leukemia over a four-year period, were reviewed. Acute CNS complications developed in 23.1% of AML patients and in 13.5% of ALL patients. CNS complication developed most frequently during the induction phase of the treatment (66.7%). Seizures were the most common symptom (9 patients, 50%), followed by hemiparesis (4 patients, 22.2%) and headache (4 patients, 22.2%). Six patients (33.3%) had chemotherapy-induced toxic leukoencephalopathy, two (11.1%) had Wernicke's encephalopathy, and one patient (5.6%) each had sinus vein thrombosis, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, and CNS infection. Sequelae occurred in three patients (16.7%) and only one patient (5.6%) died due to a CNS complication.
Conclusion
CNS complications in children with leukemia may present with a wide variety of symptoms. Despite the long-term use of chemotherapeutic agents, their side effects are still not fully clarified. Systemic evaluation of the patients and a multidisciplinary approach are important.
A novel plaid fabric image retrieval method based on hand- crafted features
Authors: Zhang Xiaoting , Zhao Pengyu , Ruru Pan , Weidong Gao 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Fabric image retrieval can obtain technological parameters of existing similar fabric images to guide production, saving lots of labor and material resources in the proofing process. This paper presents a novel image retrieval method for plaid fabrics based on hand-crafted features. First, local texture descriptors are extracted by the local binary pattern on the separated images which are processed by Fourier transform. Global texture descriptors are extracted by Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and Vector of Locally Aggregated Descriptors (VLAD). Second, color moments with image partitioning are extracted to characterize spatial color information of plaid fabric images. Third, the similarities of the three features are calculated and fused by the weight assignment to realize the plaid fabric image retrieval. To verify the proposed method, over 30,000 plaid fabric samples are collected from the factory to build the image database as the benchmark. Experiments show that precision and recall at rank five reach 70.6% and 62.6%, respectively, and mAP reaches 0.690. Results prove that the proposed method is feasible and effective, which can provide references for the worker and help the fabric manufacturing factory save lots of labor and material resources.
Synthesis, spectral, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and molecular docking investigations of acridine derivatives
Authors: Rao Immani Ramachandra , Punitha P. , Premalatha B. , Prasad Thota Siva 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Every synthesised molecule was assessed for IR, 1H, 13C NMR, and mass spectral analysis approaches to validate the new acridine derivatives we synthesized for this work's conventional method. Biological studies like anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities with DPPH radical scavenging activity, anti-diabetic properties, and molecular docking were examined. The anti-diabetic properties of acridine derivatives indicate that compounds 2 and 7 exhibit greater activity compared to the typical acarbose one, with IC50 values of 26 and 25, respectively. According to in-vitro investigations on anti-inflammatory effect, compounds 4 and 6 have larger inhibition percentages than the other compounds. The oxidoreductase tuberculosis protein is tightly docked with the synthesised moieties. Compound 7 exhibits the highest inhibition constant of 608.73 µM.
Concurrent Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography and Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: a Safe Strategy in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Santangelo Agustina , Scarpin Antonella , Imaz Francisco , Marino Paula Luján , Vargas Raúl Eduardo , Bidart Leandro Alfredo Cardozo , Darrigran Santiago , Macias Maria Alexandra , de Loria Juan Carlos Sanchez , Volonte Pablo Ricardo , Salgueiro Fabian Omar 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Introduction:
Gallbladder disease incidence in the pediatric population and its complications have been consistently increasing. The standard treatment for choledocholithiasis involves performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). These therapeutic methods require pediatric patients to undergo two different procedures. This study aims to demonstrate the safety of performing ERCP and LC in a single session in patients diagnosed with choledocholithiasis.
Design and Methods:
A prospective cohort study was conducted on patients under 18 years diagnosed with choledocholithiasis. They were divided into two groups: the "intervention group" underwent simultaneous ERCP and LC, while the "control group" underwent ERCP and LC in two separate sessions.
Results:
The present study includes forty-two patients, with 27 assigned to the “intervention group” and 15 to the “control group”. The difference in the average anesthesia time between the two groups was significant (p=0.001). Two patients in the "control group" developed cholecystitis while awaiting LC.
Discussion:
Most patients endured both procedures without experiencing significant complications. The main goals were to reduce the total anesthesia duration and the morbidity associated with gallbladder stones. This prospective study, conducted at two centers, supports the safety of performing both procedures simultaneously in pediatric patients.
Efficacy of Self-Collected diagnostic tampon as a Novel Tool for Vaginal Sample Collection Towards the Detection of Genital Infections
Authors: Milanova Valentina , Mihaylova Kalina , Lazarova Iva , Gomes Michelle , Kiosseva Lora , Dobreva Dafina , Dechev Alexander 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

The composition of the vaginal microbiome plays a crucial role in women's health, and disruptions in microbial balance can lead to various health issues. This study aimed to assess the suitability of self-collected diagnostic tampons as a specimen collection device for analyzing the vaginal microbiome using qualitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR). Tampon samples were compared to self-collected lower vaginal swabs (LVSs) and clinician-collected 1 cervical swabs in a cohort of 83 female subjects. The tampons used for self-sampling are 100% organic cotton diagnostic tampons (Daye brand, Anne’s Day Ltd). The results showed that the tampon samples detected significantly higher levels of Total Bacterial Mass (TBM), compared to cervical and vaginal swabs (7.24, 6.87 and 7.25 log (GE/ml) respectively, p = 0.0002), Lactobacillus spp. (7.13, 6.76 and 7.16 log (GE/ml) p = 0.0019), and Ureaplasma spp. (4.12, 3.78 and 4.23 log (GE/ml), p = 0.0279), compared to cervical and vaginal swabs. There was no significant difference in the detection of Candida spp. (3.92, 3.83 and 4.27 log (GE/ml), p = 0.3346) or Gardnerella vaginalis (4.43, 4.29 and 4.46 log (GE/ml), p = 0.2293). Overall, the diagnostic tampons showed promise as a convenient and effective self-collection tool for analyzing the vaginal microbiome. This paper highlights the importance of understanding and maintaining a healthy vaginal microbiome for women's health and provides valuable insights into new methods for sample collection towards detecting genital infections.
UBTD1 is a Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Zhao Zihan , Yang Changjiang , Geng Xuhua , Yuan Congrui , Yang Ruoshen , Yang Guibin 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a complex malignancy with poorly understood molecular mechanisms, necessitating the identification of genetic markers. Although Ubiquitin domain-containing protein 1 (UBTD1) has received significant attention in the study of human cancers, its specific role in CRC is yet to be fully clarified. This study sought to examine how UBTD1 expression was associated with various clinical and pathological characteristics of CRC, and to determine its prognostic significance and biological function, utilizing data from clinical samples and large-scale databases. Notably, UBTD1 expression was found to be upregulated in CRC, resulting in decreased survival rates and unfavorable clinical characteristics such as advanced T, N, and pathological stages. The findings of the multivariate Cox regression analysis illustrated that UBTD1 expression upregulation is a significant independent marker of unfavorable outcomes in CRC patients. An examination of the functional enrichment of UBTD1 and the genes it co-expresses indicated that it could serve as an oncogene by modulating the expression of genes implicated in crucial tumorigenesis pathways and functions. Additionally, immune cell infiltration analysis suggested a link between UBTD1 levels and various immune cells, particularly macrophages. In conclusion, the use of UBTD1 as a biomarker for both the prognosis and diagnosis of CRC has promising prospects for further investigation and therapeutic approaches.
Beyond Competitiveness: Is Productivity Everything?
Authors: Antonakakis Nikolaos , Fisera Boris , Tiruneh Menbere Workie 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Our study examines whether productivity is a better predictor of economic growth than the Competitiveness Index (GCI). Our empirical findings suggest the following. First, we find that ranking countries by productivity matches the GCI results. Second, the correlation between all 12 sub-pillars of GCI, and the overall GCI and productivity yield similar results. Third, using a panel dataset for 104 countries over 2007–2019, our panel VAR (PVAR) results indicate that productivity has a stronger prediction power for both real GDP growth, as well as for the inequality-adjusted GDP growth compared to the GCI. Finally, using the residuals of a regression of productivity on GCI, we explore the drivers of the differences between productivity and GCI. We find that higher values of rule of law, property rights, economic freedom and political stability explain why advanced economies are positioned higher in their level of productivity than in the GCI ranking.
JEL codes: C33; E24; E61; O47
Contraceptive Risk Events among Family Planning Specialists: a Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Weckstein Taylor N. , Simmons Rebecca G. , Baayd Jami , Fay Kathryn E. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background
Proponents of abortion restriction cite advancements in contraceptive technology as a reason against the need for abortion care today, most recently through oral arguments in the Supreme Court of the United States case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. However, consistent and correct use of contraception requires reproductive health literacy. Our objectives were to quantify contraceptive risk events and assess contraceptive history and preferences among a population well-equipped to evade contraceptive risks, family planning specialists following initiation of their medical training. “Risk events” are defined as reported episodes of contraceptive failure, emergency contraception use and/or unprotected or underprotected intercourse.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional study among current members of a professional organization of family planning specialists. Inclusion criteria included: status as a current or retired clinician, consensual penile-vaginal intercourse since the start of medical training, and personal or partner capacity to become pregnant. Descriptive statistics were performed. This study was IRB exempt.
Results
Among 229 respondents, 157 (69%) reported experiencing a contraceptive risk event since training. Twenty-nine (13%) respondents reported an occurrence within the last year. By category, 47% (108/229; 3 reported unknown) reported under- or unprotected intercourse, 35% (81/229) reported emergency contraception use, and 52% of participants (117/227; 2 unknown) reported known or suspected contraceptive failure. The mean number of contraceptive methods used was 3.7 (SD 1.7) out of the 13 methods listed. Almost all (97%) participants reported at least one method was not an acceptable option, with a mean of 5.6 (SD 2.7) of the 13 listed methods.
Conclusions
The majority of family planning specialists have experienced contraceptive risk events during times of active pregnancy prevention since their medical training. Contraceptive method change is common and most respondents were limited in the number of methods that were personally acceptable to them. Dialogue idealizing the role of contraception in minimizing or eliminating abortion need is simplistic and inaccurately represents the lived realities of pregnancy-capable individuals and their partners, including among those with exceptional contraceptive literacy and access.
A Intelligent Speech Recognition Method Based on Stable Learning
Authors: Zhou ZhiChao , Hu Chaofan , Wang Yanxue 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Speech is the main way of human communication, which carries both the speaker's information and the speaker's emotion. A variety of applications can harness emotion in speech to serve human needs more effectively. The deep learning algorithm is a practical solution to the classification nature of speech recognition. Various algorithms have been widely utilized for voice data and achieved remarkable performance. However, in real life, the testing data to be under a different distribution from the training data, this will cause the out-of-distribution(OOD) problem. This article proposes a new domain generalization method for speech classification based on Stable Learning (StableNet) to address the OOD problem. The StableNet can remove the connection between features through learning weights for training samples, which makes deep models learn more useful features instead of the fake connection between the discriminative features and labels. We evaluate the performance of the proposed method by conducting speech classification experiments on voice datasets. We also investigate the importance of various features on speech classification in noisy environments. The effects of proposed method on speech recognition performance are evaluated.
Combustion modeling of bituminous coal using turbulence- chemistry interactions for sustainable fuel
Authors: Qureshi Muhmmad Zubair , Manzoor Tareq , Naseem Asad , Manzoor Habib Ullah 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Studies in the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) context have made it possible in short duration, to deliver the insights into complex combustion processes involved in solid fuel combustion such as, pyrolysis /evaporation, de-volatilization, char combustion as well energy exchange between gases, particles, and burner walls. In this work, computational investigation has been performed on a fluid dynamically stabilized pilot-scale oxy-coal burner at standard thermodynamic conditions. Turbulent combustion modeling was carried out with turbulence chemistry interaction model using Finite Rate / Eddy Dissipation model along with other sub-models. More specifically, the concept of CO2 recirculating oxy-fuel combustion technology is utilized to achieve the stable flame and air-coal combustion like flame parameter especially the flame temperature. The radial profiles of combustion parameters were observed at radial lines located at different axial distances downstream of combustor inlet. Effects of varying turbulent mixing time scale or mean residence time is studied owing to its importance in optimizing fuel-oxidizer mixing and sub-sequent combustion process. It is observed that stable flame in air like oxy-coal combustion is achieved, and flame temperature of 1850 K have been noticed. Lower turbulent mixing scale or residence time caused higher flame temperature of 1950 K. CO2 recirculating oxy-coal combustion process can be optimized by aerodynamic control strategies for efficient mixing while keeping the NOx emissions in control. Because of N2 replacement with CO2 in the oxy-fuel combustion environment, the dissociation of N2 species even at higher temperature can be avoided.
Effective Elimination of Pb (II) Cations from Waste Water and Polluted Water Using Siderite Magnetic Biochar
Authors: Sanaei Mahsa , Pour Saeid Giti , Lak Razyeh , Karbassi Abdolreza 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Many types of biochars are being used as an adsorbent to remove multiple contaminants, including heavy metals, nutrients and organic compounds from environments. Magnetic biochar composites have been widely used to maximize biochar recycling from aqueous solutions. Magnetic biochar composites were created by pyrolyzing siderite and sawdust in nitrogen gas (N2). adsorption was done in a variety of pH and temperature ranges on magnetic biochar. A magnet was used to extract the MB-liquid from each other following 24-hour shaking period. At Iran's Geological Survey, Pb(II) concentration was measured using an ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma). The adsorption-desorption process was carried out five times in order to evaluate the magnetic biochar's reusability. The characterizations showed a higher specific surface area and porous structures in the magnetic biochar. An external magnetic field (magnet) was used to easily separate the magnetic biochar suspension because XRD investigation revealed that the primary component of the siderite magnetic biochar absorbent is magnetite, a ferrimagnetic mineral with substantial magnetic characteristics. The magnetic biochar composites' strong adsorption capabilities toward Pb (II) ions were demonstrated by the batch adsorption tests. At pH 5.0 and T = 45°C, Pb had its highest adsorption capability on magnetic biochar. The mesoporous structure of magnetic biochar was indicated by the type IV isotherm. It has been demonstrated that adsorption most closely matches Langmuir's model. Therefore, it can be said that monolayer adsorption has occurred. Biochar's active sites were probably responsible for the fast adsorption process. Kinetics of lead adsorption with MB have been harmonized with pseudo-second order, indicating that the predominant mechanism for Pb adsorption onto magnetic biochar is chemisorption/surface complexation. For Pb(II) environmental remediation, MB adsorbent is suggested to be employed because of its straightforward synthesis process, inexpensive cost, ease of separation, good efficiency and environmental friendliness.