bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A secure VM Live migration technique in a cloud computing environment using blowfish and blockchain technology
Authors: Gupta Ambika , Namasudra Suyel , Kumar Prabhat 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Data centers have proven to be the infrastructure's backbone to deliver cloud services. With the emerging paradigm of cloud computing, VM live migration is the process of migrating a running virtual machine across specific hosts with no client-visible interruption. Security, vulnerability, resource optimization, and maintaining the quality of service are many issues in live VM migration. Maintaining security in VM live migration is one of the important concerns. For creating a secure environment, this paper proposes a secure live migration technique by applying one of the cryptographic algorithms that are blowfish for generating an encryption-decryption-based system, and blockchain technology which provides a solution to address many challenges like decentralization, data privacy, and VM security to prevent from side-channel attack, and a man in the middle attacks. The algorithms namely Key Management Blowfish Encryption (KMBE), Access Control Searchable Encryption (ACSE), Protected Searchable Destination Server (PSDS), and Key Expansion Blowfish Decryption (KEBD) improve security in VM live migration in terms of various parameters like data center request servicing time, response time and data transfer cost. The proposed technique KMBE improves migration cost ($) by 60–70%, ACSE reduces overall energy consumption by 70–80%, PSDS reduces make span by 40–50% and KEBD improves the security in live VM migration by 30–40%.
Adaptation and domestication of endangered wild betta fish (Betta channoides) originating from East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Authors: Permana Asep , Priyadi Agus , Nur Bastiar , Cindelaras Sawung , Murniasih Siti , Ginanjar Rendy , Rohmy Sulasy , Lukman Lukman , Said Djamhuriyah S , Yamin Muhamad , Sholichah Lili , Hayuningtyas Erma Primanita , Murdinah Murdinah , Fopp-Bayat Dorota Katarzyna , Suciyono Suciyono , Budi Darmawan Setia 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Betta channoides is an endemic freshwater fish species in Indonesia; however, it has been classified as endangered due to its declining wild populations. As part of the efforts in conserving wild B. channoides populations, this study was conducted to establish a methodology for adapting and domesticating B. channoides through breeding and restocking initiatives. B. channoides samples were successfully acclimated and bred in captivity in Depok City, West Java, Indonesia, which is significantly distant from its native habitat in Pampang Village, Samarinda City, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. A glass aquarium was the most suitable rearing container for inducing minimal stress, as indicated by the lowest blood glucose levels recorded (43.67 ± 8.34 mg/dL in males and 59.00 ± 9.00 mg/dL in females). Chironomus sp. larvae served as the optimal nutrition source for gonadal maturation, resulting in enhanced weight gain (0.32 ± 0.07 g in males and 0.38 ± 0.12 g in females) and the highest number of mature fish (seven males and six females). The size of males exhibited a more significant effect on egg production, as demonstrated by higher R2 values for length (0.3311) and weight (0.2749). After the yolk absorption period of 7 days, the larvae were fed for the first time. The detailed analysis of the reproductive traits and early developmental stages of B. channoides contributes to our understanding of its biology and serves as a foundation for further improvements in captive breeding and aquaculture methodologies.
Clinical and Epidemiological Features of Imported Loiasis found in Beijing
Authors: Li Xiaoli , Huang Minjun , Zou Yang , Wang Fei , Zheng Xiaoyan , Wang Lei 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background Loiasis, a filarial disease primarily affecting rural populations in forested and adjacent savannah regions of central and west Africa, is rarely identified in China. There is a lack of comprehensive research on the clinical features of imported loiasis cases reported. The study aimed to enhance awareness of this rare parasitic disease.
Methods Between July 2014 and July 2023, a retrospective survey was conducted in Beijing. All the patients’ epidemiological, clinical, and biological data, as well as their treatment and outcome, were gathered. Blood samples were analyzed for Loa loa detection using microscopy and molecular methods.
Results Loiasis disease was diagnosed in 21 case reports who traveled to Africa. Most patients (95.2%) were male and their ages ranged from 24 to 53 years with the mean age of 38.19 ± 9.58 years. The vast majority of migrants (n=20; 95.2%) stayed for more than six months in their destination and worked outdoors. Calabar swelling (n=19; 90.5%) and pruritus (n=11; 52.4%) were the most common clinical presentation followed by pain (n=7; 33.3%) and skin rash (n=2; 9.5%). Adult worms were seen in the eyelid or subconjunctiva (n=2; 9.5%) and subcutaneous tissues (n=2; 9.5%). All patients had high eosinophil counts (> 0.52×109/L), but only two cases had microfilariae in their blood and tested positive for filarial antigen. A section of adult worm was found in the skin lesional, surrounded by lymphocytes, plasma cells and eosinophils. All patients tested positive for L. loa-specific PCR. Phylogenetic tree of the ITS-1 region sequences clustered closely with that described L. Loa sequences endemic in Africa. All patients recovered after treatment with albendazole and diethylcarbamazine and had no recurrence of symptoms or eosinophilia.
Conclusions Imported loiasis individuals have a distinct clinical profile, which is characterized by Calabar swelling and various non-specific symptoms (recurrent pruritus, pain and skin rash) along with predominant eosinophilia. Since most of them lack microfilariae in their blood, nucleic acid detection could be used as a diagnostic tool for hidden infection.
Documentation of Medical Errors in Nigeria: A Review
Authors: Gabriel Akinwande Opeyemi , Faith Alenbesunu 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background:
Medical errors can lead to a consequential number of deaths, which can have great repercussions on public health and patient safety. Medical errors must be reported as soon as they occur, especially in developing countries such as Nigeria, which lack proper reporting systems. This review aimed to identify studies and summarize and make recommendations on improving the reporting of medical errors.
Methods
An extensive search of electronic databases (PubMed and Medline) was performed. Studies were included if they described the reporting of medical errors by healthcare practitioners in hospitals in Nigeria and excluded if there was no full-text English version available or if the research was not conducted in a Nigerian healthcare setting.
Results
The database search yielded a total of 95 studies, and only seven were included in this review. The research designs used in the included studies were cross-sectional surveys and descriptive surveys. A high prevalence of medical errors which ranged from 42.8 to 89.8% was reported across all studies and the reporting rate was as low as 30% in one study. Fear was reported as the most common barrier to reporting medical errors by healthcare practitioners.
Conclusion
This is the first review to assess the evidence on medical error reporting in hospitals in Nigeria. This review identified ways to improve medical error reporting in Nigerian hospitals. Due to the essential role that medical error reporting plays in learning and preventing reoccurrence, additional research needs to be done in this area.
The Impact of Tetrodotoxin (TTX) on the Gut Microbiome in Juvenile Tiger Pufferfish, Takifugu rubripes
Authors: Wassel Mai A. , Makabe-Kobayashi Yoko , Iqbal Md Mehedi , Takatani Tomohiro , Sakakura Yoshitaka , Hamasaki Koji 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that accumulates in Takifugu rubripes, commonly known as pufferfish, through the ingestion of TTX-bearing organisms as part of their food chain. Although it is believed that pufferfish use TTX to relieve stress, there are currently no data available on the impact of TTX on the gut microbiota of pufferfish. To address this gap, our study aimed to investigate whether administering TTX to fish could alter their gut microbiota and overall health under various salinity conditions, specifically, 30.0 ppt, 8.5 ppt, and 1.7 ppt salinity, which represent full-strength, isosmotic, and low-salinity stress, respectively. We analyzed the effects of TTX ingestion on the community structure, core microbiome, and metabolic capabilities of the gut microbiome using high-throughput sequencing technologies. The predominant bacterial taxa within the gut microbiome were Firmicutes (21-85%), Campilobacterota (2.8-67%), Spirochaetota (0.5-14%), and Proteobacteria (0.7-9.8%), with Mycoplasma, uncultured Arcobacteraceae, Brevinema, Vibrio, Rubritalea, and uncultured Pirellulaceae as core genera. Our findings indicated that the impact of TTX on high-abundance genera at 30.0 ppt and 8.5 ppt salinity levels was negligible, indicating their stability and resilience to TTX ingestion. However, at 1.7 ppt, TTX-fed fish showed a significant increase in uncultured Arcobacteraceae, which was reportedly beneficial for the host, implying that the ingestion of TTX can shape the gut microbiota and contribute to T. rubripes juveniles’ ability to cope with salinity stress conditions. Furthermore, our analysis of TTX-fed fish revealed taxonomic alterations in low-abundance taxa, which altered the predicted functions of the gut microbiota at all salinity levels. These results suggest that TTX administration could cause subtle effects on the metabolic functions of gut microbial communities, which in turn could affect host physiology. Overall, our study provides insights into the complex relationship between a TTX-accumulating animal, T. rubripes, and its gut microbiota.
Determine the impact of Training and Development Programs on Employee Performance: An Empirical study on Bangladesh Banking Employee
Authors: Shakib Shahriar 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The Executive Summary provides an overview of the comprehensive study conducted on the impact of Training and Development Programs on Employee Performance within the banking sector of Bangladesh. The research delved into understanding the relationship between training initiatives, development programs, and employee performance through a quantitative analysis encompassing a detailed survey of banking professionals. The study revealed encouraging insights into the engagement levels of banking employees in various training programs, showcasing an acknowledgment of the necessity of continuous skill enhancement within the industry. Overall, these programs were perceived as beneficial, contributing significantly to skill augmentation, job performance, and career progression among participants. However, obstacles such as time constraints, limited accessibility to resources, and communication challenges were identified, potentially impeding the effectiveness of these programs. A notable correlation emerged between participation in development initiatives and career advancement, emphasizing the importance of targeted developmental programs in fostering employee growth within the banking sector. Leadership development initiatives were particularly influential in improving leadership skills, consequently bolstering employee motivation and organizational performance. Despite positive perceptions regarding the impact of training programs on job performance, areas for refinement were identified, emphasizing the need for better customization and alignment with individual job roles. In summary, the research underscores the pivotal role of Training and Development Programs in shaping the performance and growth of banking employees in Bangladesh. While acknowledging their overall benefits, there's a need for ongoing improvement to optimize program quality, customization, and addressing challenges encountered by employees. The study advocates for continual enhancements, strategic alignment with organizational objectives, and the cultivation of a supportive learning culture within banking institutions to maximize the potential of these programs for employee development and organizational success. The insights gleaned from this study offer valuable guidance for future initiatives aimed at optimizing Training and Development Programs within the banking sector, facilitating the development of a skilled, motivated, and efficient workforce in Bangladesh.
Enhancing Building Change Detection with UVT-BCD: A UNet-Vision Transformer Fusion Approach
Authors: Geetha T S , Chellaswamy C , Raja T Kali 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Building change detection (BCD) is particularly important for comprehending ground changes and activities carried out by humans. Since its introduction, deep learning has emerged as the dominant method for BCD. Despite this, the detection accuracy continues to be inadequate because of the constraints imposed by feature extraction requirements. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to present a feature enhancement network that combines a UNet encoder and a vision transformer (UVT) structure in order to identify BCD (UVT-BCD). A deep convolutional network and a section of the vision transformer structure are combined in this model. The result is a strong feature extraction capability that can be used for a wide variety of building types. To improve the ability of small-scale structures to be detected, you should design an attention mechanism that takes into consideration both the spatial and channel dimensions. A cross-channel context semantic aggregation module is used to carry out information aggregation in the channel dimension. Experiments have been conducted in numerous cases using two different BCD datasets to evaluate the performance of the previously suggested model. The findings reveal that UVT-BCD outperforms existing approaches, achieving improvements of 5.95% in overall accuracy, 5.33% in per-class accuracy, and 8.28% in the Cohen's Kappa statistic for the LEVIR-CD dataset. Furthermore, it demonstrates enhancements of 6.05% and 6.4% in overall accuracy, 6.56% and 5.89% in per-class accuracy, and 6.71% and 6.23% in the Cohen's Kappa statistic for the WHU-CD dataset.
Modeling Highway-Rail Grade Crossing (HRGC) Crash Frequency
Authors: Soltaninejad Mostafa , Salum Jimoku , Kodi John , Alluri Priyanka , Lin Pei-Sung , Wang Zhenyu 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Substantial research in highway safety has focused on roadway crash frequency analysis; however, only a few studies have focused on the safety at highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs). This study aimed to determine factors affecting the frequency of crashes at HRGCs. The statistical modeling and analysis were based on five years of HRGC crashes (2017–2021) that occurred on state-maintained HRGCs in Florida. Police reports of 2,092 crashes flagged as "railroad crossing" were downloaded and reviewed. The manual review of the police reports indicated that only 1,690 reports were classified as HRGC crashes. The Bayesian negative binomial model was applied to identify various contributing factors associated with the frequency of HRGC crashes. The following variables significantly increase the number of HRGC crashes: high-speed facilities, number of tracks, facilities with 4 to 5 lanes, presence of railroad crossing gates, proximity to a traffic control signal, and high traffic volume. To mitigate these risks, engineering treatments such as improved signing and pavement markings and implementation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies are recommended.
ConFormer: A Novel Collection of Deep Learning Models to Assist Cardiologists in the Assessment of Cardiac Function
Authors: Thomas Ethan , Aslam Salman 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases, particularly heart failure, are a leading cause of death globally. The early detection of heart failure through routine echocardiogram screenings is often impeded by the high cost and labor-intensive nature of these procedures, a barrier that can mean the difference between life and death. This paper presents ConFormer, a novel, light-weight, convolutional neural network based deep learning model designed to automate the estimation of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) and Left Ventricular Dimensions (LVD) from echocardiograms. Results obtained are comparable to SOTA algorithms but with reduced computational complexity. The implementation of ConFormer has the potential to enhance preventative cardiology by enabling cost-effective, accessible, and comprehensive heart health monitoring. The source code is available at https://github.com/Aether111/ConFormer.
How post-fire succession shapes psammophilous ground-dwelling assemblages: effect of wildfire and alteration in food composition.
Authors: Stočes Dominik , Šipoš Jan , Špoula Jakub , Kula Emanuel 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Psammophilous beetles, a group endangered in temperate ecosystems, are mainly threatened by habitat loss. These beetles thrive in areas formed by the weathering of marine or fluvial sediments. Historically, practices such as slash-and-burn method or litter raking have exposed and destabilized sediments. In Europe, the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) has been used to stabilize sand dunes, improve soil composition and create shadier environments. This has led to the degradation of psammophilous communities and a decline in biodiversity. Our study examines whether fire can help restore and maintain psammophilous beetle populations. Our research focused on two aspects: (i) the long-term effects of wildfire in 2012 on beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the "Moravská Sahara–Bzenec district" of South Moravia (period 2013–2021), and (ii) the effects of environmental factors, influenced by the aforementioned wildfire on the distribution of these beetles in the period 2016 to 2021. The study compared species composition, life-history traits, and functional diversity between three forest stages: (i) newly disturbed areas with Coarse Wood Debris (CWD) left to naturally decay; (ii) semi-decayed mid-aged stands and (iii) reference mid-aged stands. Our findings indicate that fire was important factor influencing species assemblages. Interestingly, post-fire changes in food availability emerged as the second important factor, leading to the formation of two distinct species clusters: granivorous species thrived on site dominated by graminoids, and site with accumulated CWD was attracted predominantly by carnivorous species. We propose, that fire management could be an effective strategy for conserving and promoting the diversity of psammophilic beetles.
PPARγ Attenuates Cellular Senescence of Alveolar Macrophages in Asthma- COPD Overlap
Authors: Wan Rongjun , Srika Prakhyath , Xie Shaobing , Chen Qiong , Hu Chengping , Wan Mei , Li Yuanyaun , Gao Peisong 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) represents a complex condition characterized by shared clinical and pathophysiological features of asthma and COPD in older individuals. However, the pathophysiology of ACO remains unexplored. We aimed to identify the major inflammatory cells in ACO, examine senescence within these cells, and elucidate the genes responsible for regulating senescence. Bioinformatic analyses were performed to investigate major cell types and cellular senescence signatures in a public single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) dataset derived from the lung tissues of patients with ACO. Similar analyses were carried out in an independent cohort study Immune Mechanisms Severe Asthma (IMSA), which included bulk RNA-Seq and CyTOF data from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples. The analysis of the scRNA-Seq data revealed that monocytes/ macrophages were the predominant cell type in the lung tissues of ACO patients, constituting more than 50% of the cells analyzed. Lung monocytes/macrophages from patients with ACO exhibited a lower prevalence of senescence as defined by lower enrichment scores of SenMayo and expression levels of cellular senescence markers. Intriguingly, analysis of the IMSA dataset showed similar results in patients with severe asthma. They also exhibited a lower prevalence of senescence, particularly in airway CD206 + macrophages, along with increased cytokine expression (e.g., IL-4, IL-13, and IL-22). Further exploration identified alveolar macrophages as a major subtype of monocytes/macrophages driving cellular senescence in ACO. Differentially expressed genes related to oxidation-reduction, cytokines, and growth factors were implicated in regulating senescence in alveolar macrophages. PPARγ (Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma) emerged as one of the predominant regulators modulating the senescent signature of alveolar macrophages in ACO. Collectively, the findings suggest that senescence in macrophages, particularly alveolar macrophages, plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of ACO. Furthermore, PPARγ may represent a potential therapeutic target for interventions aimed at modulating senescence-associated processes in ACO.
The Renunciation of Healthcare Services in the Italian Regions in the ESG Context
Authors: Leogrande Angelo , Resta Emanuela , Costantiello Alberto 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
In the following article, we estimate the Renunciation of Healthcare Services-RHS in Italian regions in the context of the Environmental, Social and Governance-ESG model during the period 2004-2022. The data were acquired from the ISTAT-BES dataset. The data were analyzed using the following econometric techniques: Panel Data with Fixed Effects, Panel Data with Random Effects, Pooled Ordinary Least Squares-OLS, Weighted Least Square-WLS,. Results show that RHS tends to growth with the E-Component, is negatively associated to the S-Component, and positively associate with the G-Component within the ESG model. Furthermore, a clusterization with the unsupervised k-Means algorithm is presented and the results are discussed with a confrontation between optimal and suboptimal k values optimized with the Silhouette Coefficient. Finally, a confrontation among eight different machine-learning algorithms is performed to predict the future value of RHS. Outcomes show that the Simple Regression Tree is the best predictive algorithm and that the level of RHS is predicted to growth on average of 4.4% for the Italian regions. Results are critically discussed.
JEL CODE: I11, I12, I13, I14, I15, I18
Preparation of protein imprinted gelatin/N-Vinylformamide hydrogel membrane protein grafted on polyurethane
Authors: Mikautadze Otar , Chkheidze Dali , Kotishadze Temur , Surguladze Mikheil 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Using polyurethane (PU) as the carrier, membrane protein as the template, N-Vinylformamide (NVF) as the monomer, and 1,4-Butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) as the crosslinker, in the presence of gelatin, and initiated by ultraviolet radiation, the hydrogel PU-NVF-Gelatin was prepared. The effects of monomer concentration, crosslinker concentration, and gelatin concentration on the adsorption capacity for the membrane protein and the imprinting efficiency were studied. The results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity for the membrane protein on the PU-grafted imprinted hydrogel was achieved when the monomer mass fraction was 5%, the crosslinker mass fraction was 3%, and the gelatin mass fraction was 0.6%.