bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of fermented red ginseng product (FRGP) for improving blood sugar and blood cholesterol: 12 week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
Authors: Lim Jung-sun , Oh Bumjo , Lee Hobeom , Shin Eunyoung , Kim Ju Young , Park Myeongsoo , Ji Geun Eog , Cho Belong 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background: Recent experiments have suggested that fermented red ginseng (FRG) could benefit people with dyslipidemia and impaired fasting glucose (IFG). According to many studies, the intake of probiotic bacteria may improve glucose and lipid homeostasis. However, there are no studies on the benefits of fermented red ginseng products (FRGPs), which are a mixture of these products. This finding to be further validated.
Methods: A total of 83 people (20~75 years) with elevated blood lipids and fasting glucose levels were enrolled in a 12-week supplementation with FGRP extract-based formulations (n = 41) or a placebo (n = 42). However, 17 people were excluded, and statical analysis was performed on 65 people (FGRP extract-based formulation (n = 30) and placebo (n = 35)). All body mass index (BMI), vital sign and fasting blood test data were collected 3 times at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12weeks. The data obtained were analyzed using SAS software. The adverse effects of FRGP were also recorded.
Results: No group differences were found in baseline body weight, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or glucose levels. Compared with placebo, FRGP supplementation resulted in lower TG levels (-27.43± 63.18 mg/dl vs. 8.83± 46.40 mg/dl, P = 0.0099). The frequency of adverse events in the therapy group was not significantly greater than that in the placebo group.
Conclusions: Twelve weeks of FRGP supplementation could improve lipid metabolism in adults with dyslipidemia and IFG.
Trial registration: KCT0002583; September 26, 2017.
Modality Discrepancy Reduction for Visible-Infrared Person Re-Identification under Complete Modality Missing
Authors: Zhang Ning , Ge Wenhang , Tang Hong , Wu Juan 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Person re-identification (Re-ID) aims to match person images across non-overlapping camera views. Most of existing methods focus on short-time and small-scale surveillance systems in which each person is captured in multiple camera views of adjacent scenes in a short time span. However, in long-term and large-scale surveillance systems covering larger areas and spanning different time duration, existing methods tend to fail. Specifically, when light condition is extremely dark, the camera automatically switches to infrared mode. Matching across infrared images and RGB images is difficult due to the large appearance difference. Meanwhile, since most pedestrians appear in limited local areas and fixed time, it is difficult to collect training images of the same person under both infrared and RGB mode.
Hence, a model is required to match person images cross modality under a complete modality missing condition.
In this work, we study intra-modality supervised person re-identification under complete modality missing, which uses cross-modality unpaired data with intra-modality identity labels for training.
It is challenging as cross-modality paired data plays an important role for learning modality-invariant representation in most existing Re-ID methods.
To learn modality-invariant representation from cross-modality unpaired training data, we first introduce a strong baseline with a dual-head cross-entropy loss and a multi-modality negative loss, aiming to alleviate cross-modality contrast and enhance intra-modality contrast. Then, we propose a residual modality alleviation network and a shape-guided consistency learning loss to further alleviate cross-modality representation discrepancy. The experiments are conducted in the complete modality missing setting on SYSY-MM01 and RegDB datasets. The evaluation results demonstrate the superiority of our method.
Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Reshapes Gut Microbes and Modulates L- kynurenine Metabolism to Decrease Susceptibility to Heroin Addiction in Mice
Authors: He Qiuyue , Zhang Yuhang , Ma Yantuanjin , Deng Xingli , Zhang Hongqing , Zhang Yizhi , Qian Yuan 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Heroin addiction is a public health problem that currently poses a serious threat to human health and a global concern. Lactobacillus rhamnosus is one of the most widely researched probiotics and has been applied to the treatment of multiple psychiatric disorders. We aimed to explore the mechanisms by which Lactobacillus rhamnosus alleviated heroin addiction based on the gut microbiome and metabolism. Firstly, we assessed the effect of a Lactobacillus rhamnosus intervention on the heroin addiction process using a conditioned positional preference experiment (CPP) and results showed that Lactobacillus rhamnosus significantly reduced and delayed the heroin addiction susceptibility and extent. We further assessed the impact of gut microbiota on heroin-addicted mice treated with Lactobacillus rhamnosus. We found that the gut microbiota of heroin-addicted mice was disturbed, characterized by an increase in α-diversity and a decrease in β-diversity, a disproportionate level of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, with a higher abundance of Actinomycetes. Lactobacillus rhamnosus significantly restored gut microbiota diversity in mice, increasing the abundance of Firmicutes, and decreasing the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. At the genus level, Lactobacillus rhamnosus reduced the numbers of harmful bacteria such as Helicobacter and Enterorhabdus and expanded the relative abundance of helpful bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila and Bifidobacterium. Furthermore, we examined the metabolic alterations in the intestine, serum and the cortex of heroin-addicted mice separately and found out biomarkers. Notably, our study found that L-kynurenine, a key marker, showed similar trends in the gut, serum, and cerebral cortex. L-kynurenine was decreased in heroin-addicted mice, and intervention by Lactobacillus rhamnosus reversed this shift, leading to speculation that L-kynurenine may play as a key mediator of the brain-gut axis. In conclusion, our study indicated that Lactobacillus rhamnosus potentially alleviated heroin addiction by altering gut flora and metabolic disturbances.
The incidence of radiologically verified community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalisation in adults living in southern Sweden, 2016 - 2018: a population-based study
Authors: Rünow Elisabeth , Valeur Frida , Torisson Gustav , Hansen Karin , Theilacker Christian , Riesbeck Kristian , Ahl Jonas 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the most common causes of death in the European Union in 2017. Old age is associated with CAP severity and mortality, and an aging European population will require increased planning for prevention, control, and management of CAP. The purpose of this study was to provide an updated population-based incidence estimate of CAP requiring hospitalization in northern Europe and describe its clinical features.
Method
Adults residing in southern Sweden admitted between September 2016 and September 2018 with radiographically confirmed CAP and a primary discharge diagnosis consistent with pneumonia were identified by retrospective medical chart review. Incidence rates were stratified by age and sex.
Results
Of 3526 patients with an ICD-10 pneumonia and COPD primary discharge code, 1575 (45%) also had radiologic findings consistent with pneumonia. The crude incidence rate of CAP requiring hospitalization was 259 (95% CI: 246–272) and age-standardized rate was 294 (280–309) per 100,000 person-years. Among those aged 80 and older, hospitalization rate was 17 times higher vs those aged 18–64 years, yielding an IRR 17.4 15.4–19.7). Males aged ≥ 80 years had a 57% increased risk of CAP requiring hospitalization compared to women ≥ 80 years, resulting in an IRR of 1.57 (1.33–1.85). The lowest in-hospital case-fatality risk was among the 18–64 years group 3,4% (n = 16), and highest among those ≥80 years 8.1% (n = 46).
Conclusion
We found that the incidence and mortality of CAP requiring hospitalization in adults are considerable. Therefore, targeting preventive measures to older and comorbid patients are needed.
Frequency of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile among cancer patients with gastrointestinal complaints in an adult hematology-oncology unit: contributing factors and Follow up
Authors: Esmaeili Faranak , Arjomandzadegan Mohammad , Zaboli Fatemeh , Sarmadian Hossein , Shabani Shiva 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background: Cancer patients are particularly at risk of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection as a considerable healthcare burden and common cause of nosocomial diarrhea.
Objectives:This study aimed to investigate risk factors and microbiological follow up of Clostridioides difficile(C. difficile)among hospitalized hematology-oncology patients in central part of Iran.
Materials and Methods:
From 1100 patients who were diagnosed with cancer receiving radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy,70 patients with clinical signs of gastrointestinal complications were entered in the study for microbiological and risk factors evaluations. Clinical and microbiological follow up were performed for 8cancer patients with positive CDI. Rapid diagnostic test for in-vitro detection of C.difficile antigen was performed by commercial kit.The specimens were cultured in selective enrichment culture CCFA(Cefoxitin-cycloserine-fructose agar) in anaerobic conditions. The suspicious colonies were recultured on Brucella Blood agar and were characterized. PCR reaction was conducted for precision detection of C. difficile by evaluation of the presence of triose phosphate isomerase (tpi)gene. Toxin profiles among clinical isolates were determined by PCR.
Results
From all 70 studied patients, around all of them had diarrhea,50% abdominal pain,15% nausea and vomiting and 35% fever as clinical symptoms and C. difficile was isolated from 16(22.8%) cases. The most common cancer observed in the 16 cases was colon cancer(60.2%) followed by16.6% stomach cancer. Thirteen(81.2%) patients with diarrhea compared with 3(18.8%) patients without diarrhea were positive for C. difficile(P<0.001). Not differences were detected based on age and diarrhea in patients(P.0.03).
In follow up of 8 cancer patients, clinical symptoms evaluation revealed that the signs were changed from the first to tertiary sampling as fever, diarrhea and painful tummy cramps to normal situation, respectively. Microbiological follow up revealed that thickly slime form containing gram positive rods in first sample will destroyed in secondary stool tests and changed to gram negative without slime situation in tertiary samples.
All of the isolates were toxigenic and possessed genes encoding for toxins A and/or B.
Conclusions
Results showed that C.difficile can caused gastrointestinal complaints in cancer patients in our study. We underscore the necessity for early diagnosis of this pathogen in oncology patients. Further studies are recommended for the treatment and prevention of C.difficile infection in oncology wards.
Satellite image segmentation using Unet++ andMobileNetV2 deep learning model
Authors: Lokula Babitha , Tirumuri Ramakrishna , V Narasimha Prasad L 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Satellite image segmentation plays a pivotal role in extracting valuable information for applications like ,disaster management, environmental monitoring and land cover classification. In this work, a comprehensive approach for satellite image segmentation utilizing a fusion of UNet++ architecture and the lightweight MobileNetv2 encoder deep learning model is proposed. The UNet++ architecture, an extension of the widely adopted UNet, is employed for its ability to capture hierarchical features and enhance segmentation performance. Integrating MobileNet as the encoder provides computational efficiency, making the model well-suited for resource-constrained environments, such as satellite image analysis on edge devices. The proposed model leverages the strengths of both architectures, combining the expressive power of UNet++ with the efficiency of MobileNet. Extensive experiments are conducted on a diverse satellite image dataset, evaluating the model's segmentation accuracy, computational efficiency, and generalization capability. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in achieving accurate and efficient satellite image segmentation, making it a promising solution for real-world applications in remote sensing and geospatial analysis.
Tobacco Smoking Effect on Chronic Respiratory Disease Death Rates: A Study Done in Asian and European Regions
Authors: De Silva Roshinie , Piumika Lakindu , Silva Disuri , Abeysekera Isuri , Jayathilaka Ruwan , Rajamanthri Lochana , Wickramaarachchi Colinie 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Objectives: This study was conducted to analyse the effect that the Smoking Prevalence (SP) has on the Chronic Respiratory Disease Death Rates (CRDDR) during the period from 1990 to 2019 when the countries situated in the Asian and European region are considered.
Study design: Quantitative data analysis was conducted using polynomial regression equations.
Methods: A total of 91 countries were identified with 49 countries belonging to the Asian continent and 42 countries belonging to the European continent, and six countries were selected by examining the change observed between the average CRDDR rates of the first and last five years of the concerned period.
Results: The generated line graph for SP and CRDDR showed a decrease in the age-standardised average rates of all countries for both the continents. However, the second order polynomial regression conducted for the selected countries depicted a significant increase of CRDDR in European countries like Greece, Norway, and Sweden. And a significant increase of SP for Kazakhstan in the Asian region, and the countries Greece, and Montenegro in the European region.
Conclusion: Smoking which is the most common way of tobacco consumption is one of the major risk factors for global CRDDR. Therefore, policies implemented to reduce the prevalence of smoking are necessary at a country level.
Sustainable innovation in Pulp and Paper industry: Invasive alien species Phytolacca americana waste integration to commercial pulp. Physic-mechanical properties analysis
Authors: Iglesias Antía , Cancela Ángeles , Picos Juan , Soler Ana 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Paper industry contributes significantly to the transformation of native forests into monocultures of exotic species, such as Eucalyptus globulus. This monoculture expansion not only reduces biodiversity in cultivated areas but also in adjacent regions. Ecological concerns, the demand for cellulose-based products continues to rise, driving an increase in pulp and paper production over the years. Invasive species pose a significant threat to ecosystems, driven by anthropogenic behaviors, urbanization, cultivation, and globalization. The integration of these species leads to the displacement of native flora, soil impoverishment, and ecosystem degradation. Addressing both issues highlights the need not only to reuse waste derived from clearing invasive species but also to reintroduce it into the production system by utilizing their fibers reducing the use of alien wood fibers in paper production. The study encompasses the entire process of obtaining and processing Phytolacca americana pulp, including kraft lignin extraction, refining processes, and analysis of pulp and laboratory paper properties. Standardized tests based on ISO standards were conducted to assess various physical and mechanical properties of the paper samples such as drainability, thickness, grammage, specific volume and density, weight, and air permeance and resistance. Advanced imaging techniques as SEM visualization were employed to examine the internal structure and chemical composition of the paper samples, providing valuable insights into fiber integration and paper quality. Results confirm the suitability of Phytolacca americana utilization for industry, with certain properties showing improvement or maintenance, indicating its feasibility for market incorporation, promoting biodiversity care and monoculture reduction.
An Energy Efficient based Optical Network using Cloud Computing Techniques under an Improved Layer of Honeypots for Security
Authors: Mishra Anand Kumar , Tyagi Amit Kumar , Tiwari Shrikant 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Energy proficiency is significant for optical organizations regarding versatility, minimal expense activity, and maintainability.Understanding energy with regards to optical organizations starts with a comprehension of the constituent parts and gear that make up an optical organization and how their energy use is advancing after some time. The organization design, depicting how these parts are assembled and worked, will likewise extensively affect the energy proficiency of optical organizations. Likewise, the level of security in optical organizations isn't been much explored in the research field. Thereby this paper brings an effective method for optimizing energy and also increasing security in an optical network using hybrid cloud computing techniques like heuristics optimization and FA algorithm. The author also carries a novelty in analysing and improving the security in optical networks using the Honeyspot algorithm. The results carried are shown a greater impact of the proposed system (EEFAHA-HONEYSPOT) over various measures
Double core-shell semiconducting molecular-chain halogen- bridged metal complexes with ohmic contact heterojunctions
Authors: Wakizaka Masanori , Ishiguro Keisuke , Yoshida Takefumi , Iguchi Hiroaki , Ito Hiroshi , Yamashita Masahiro , Takaishi Shinya 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The fabrication of heterostructures from low-dimensional materials is very challenging, particularly the creation of low-dimensional heterojunctions that can be characterized at an atomic resolution. In a previous work, a heterostructure made from halogen-bridged metal complexes (MX-Chains), [Ni(chxn)2Br]Br2 (chxn = 1R,2R-diaminocyclohexane) and [Pd(chxn)2Br]Br2, has been synthesized and the nature of the one-dimensional (1D) heterojunction at an atomic resolution was revealed. In the work reported here we have successfully fabricated double core-shell crystals (Ni–Pd–Ni) from these MX-Chains, using a stepwise electrochemical epitaxial method. Upon cleavage of the heterostructure along the van der Waals layers, a double heterojunction surface is observed. The MX- Chains are aligned in the heterostructure and exhibit anisotropic optical properties based on their 1D electronic systems, as measured using UV-vis-NIR polarized reflectance microscopy. Current– voltage curves at different temperatures are recorded using three probes attached to different areas of the heterostructure and reveal the presence of ohmic conduction through the double 1D heterojunctions. The ohmic contact between the two types of MX-Chains arise from the atomic-scale connection of the MX-Chains at the heterojunction. This work represents the first example of a molecule-based heterostructure that has electronic conductivity and demonstrates electrical conduction through a 1D heterojunction.
Interplay of Phonon and Optical Cavity Effects in Layered Semiconductor Materials
Authors: Lin Miao-Ling , Liu Xue-Lu , Wu Jiang-Bin , Liu Tao , Mei Rui , Wu Heng , Guan Shan , Xie Jia-Liang , Luo Jun-Wei , Wang Lin-Wang , Ferrari Andrea C. , Tan Ping-Heng 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Optical cavities can be used to tailor photon-phonon coupling due to the spatial overlap of photon and phonon fields and selective enhancement of photon or phonon resonance excitation. However, there has been limited focus on understanding the influence of optical cavities on lattice phonon excitation, since they are typically considered as inherent element excitation in solids and challenging to manipulate. Here we demonstrate a strong interplay of phonon and optical cavity effects mediated by one-dimensional periodic electronic states in layered semiconductor materials (LSMs). LSM multilayers act as naturally occurring optical cavities. This results in tunable layer-breathing phonon excitation, dependent on the incident light wavelength, number of layers and mismatch of refractive index between LSM and underlying substrate. Our study reveals the impact of spatially coherent overlap between photon and phonon fields on phonon excitation, and paves the way for optical modulators and signal processing via photon-phonon cavity engineering.
Predicting aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils using artificial neural network
Authors: Hasan Md. Moynul , Faisal Mohammad Fahim , Zakaria N.M. Golam , Rahaman Md. Mashiur 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN)-based method is proposed to predict the aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils, such as NACA 0012, NACA 0015, NACA 0018, NACA 0021, and NACA 0025, approximating the flow around airfoils as a function of the Reynolds number (Re), angle of attack (α), airfoil coordinates (X, Y ), and predicting the lift coefficient (CL) and drag coefficient (CD) without using extensive software packages. Wind turbine data were obtained for CL and CD for different α (0◦ ≤ α ≤ 180◦ ) and different values of Re (104 ≤ Re ≤ 107 ). An ANN model was trained to achieve a root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 0.12 and 0.025 for CL and CD, respectively. For CL and CD, the RMSE of the trained model used to evaluate the new data was less than 0.09 and 0.12, respectively. Subsequently, the results were validated in a two dimensional numerical domain using RANS-CFD simulations and experimental data, showing that the proposed ANN approach is in good agreement for predicting the stall shape and aerodynamic characteristics at an angle of attack (α) ranging from (0◦ ≤ α ≤ 30◦ ).
Slowfeeding dispensers for horses: who, how and why?
Authors: Roig-Pons Marie , Bachmann Iris , Briefer Sabrina 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Slowfeeders (SFs) are feed dispensers designed to mechanically slow feed intake. As such, they are a promising tool for improving the welfare of horses by meeting their behavioural and physiological feeding needs while controlling the risk of obesity. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the current use of SFs by horse owners and the profile of horses using such feeders. The objective of this questionnaire-based study was to evaluate the slow-feeding practices among horse owners and yard operators in some French-speaking European countries (Belgium, France and Switzerland). We received 1,283 replies, revealing that the population of horses fed with SFs differs from the general population of ridden horses in several aspects, such as age, training, and housing. This information is valuable for ensuring representative sampling in future studies. Regarding the type of SF used, more than 85% of the respondents reported using hay nets, with hay nets covering the hay in the hayrack or surrounding a bale of hay being particularly popular. The main reasons for using SFs were waste management, weight reduction, and increased feeding time for horses. Most respondents did not encounter any issues when using SFs and less than 10% of respondents reported health problems and accidents resulting from the use of SF. Differences were also found between countries and between operators and owners, indicating that different user profiles have varying requirements for the feeder they use.