bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) supplementation: Impact on growth, metabolism, and antioxidant status in zebrafish
Authors: Coli Aline Pereira , Carneiro William Franco , da Silva Kiara Cândido Duarte , Castro Tássia Flávia Dias , de Oliveira João Paulo Lima , de Martins Moisés Silvestre Azevedo , Murgas Luis David Solis 
Published: April 2024

AbstractZebrafish (Danio rerio) is a valuable model for biomedical research because of its mammalian genetic similarities, rapid reproduction, and low maintenance costs. However, further investigation is required regarding their nutritional requirements and standardized laboratory diets. This study evaluated the metabolic and growth responses of zebrafish juveniles fed on diets supplemented with spirulina, Arthrospira platensis (SP) at different levels for 77 days. Six diets with SP inclusion levels of 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% (SP0‐SP10) were formulated. A total of 300 zebrafish juveniles with an average initial weight of 0.113 ± 0.10 g (mean ± SD) were randomly distributed across six groups, with five replicates per group, each containing 10 animals. After 77 days, the SP6 group demonstrated significantly enhanced growth performance compared with the other supplementation levels. The condition factor was markedly higher in the SP6 and SP8 groups than in the SP0 group. No significant effects on total cholesterol levels were observed, but the SP4, SP6, and SP10 diets decreased triglyceride levels. Lipase activity was higher in the SP6 and SP8 groups than in the control group, whereas amylase activity showed no significant differences between treatments. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were significantly higher in the SP8 and SP10 groups than in the SP0 and SP2 groups. Glutathione S‐transferase activity was higher in the SP6, SP8, and SP10 groups than in the SP0 group. In addition, SP inclusion in zebrafish diets improved female gonadal development. In conclusion, this study indicates that SP supplementation has substantial potential as a growth promoter, positively influencing lipid metabolism and antioxidant enzyme activity without affecting zebrafish survival.
Quasi‐Likelihood Estimation in Volatility Models for Semi‐Continuous Time Series
Authors: Hudecová Šárka , Pešta Michal 
Published: April 2024

Time series containing non‐negligible portion of possibly dependent zeros, whereas the remaining observations are positive, are considered. They are regarded as GARCH processes consisting of non‐negative values. Our first aim lies in estimation of the omnibus model parameters taking into account the semi‐continuous distribution. The hurdle distribution together with dependent zeros cause that the classical GARCH estimation techniques fail. Two different quasi‐likelihood approaches are employed. Both estimators are proved to be strongly consistent and asymptotically normal. The second goal consists in the proposed predictions with bootstrap add‐ons. The considered class of models can be reformulated as multiplicative error models. The empirical properties are illustrated in a simulation study, which demonstrates computational efficiency of the employed methods. The developed techniques are presented through an actuarial problem concerning insurance claims.
Effectiveness of a nonweight‐based daily dosage of ready‐to‐use therapeutic food in children suffering from uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition: A nonrandomized, noninferiority analysis of programme data in Afghanistan
Authors: Bahwere Paluku , Funnell Grace , Qarizada Ahmad Nawid , Woodhead Sophie , Bengnwi Wilfred , Le Minh Tram 
Published: April 2024

AbstractSevere acute malnutrition (SAM) remains a major global public health problem. SAM cases are treated using ready‐to‐use therapeutic food (RUTF) at a dosage of ∼200 kcal/kg/day per the standard treatment protocol (STD). Emerging evidence on simplifications to the standard protocol, which among other adaptations, includes reducing the daily RUTF dosage, indicates that it is effective and safe for treating children with SAM. In response to a foreseen stock shortage of RUTF, the government of Afghanistan endorsed the temporary use of a modified treatment protocol in which the daily RUTF dosage was prescribed at 1000 kcal/day (irrespective of body weight) until the child achieved moderate acute malnutrition status (weight‐for‐height z‐score ≥ −3 or mid‐upper arm circumference [MUAC] ≥ 115 mm), at which point 500 kcal/day was prescribed until cured (modified treatment protocol [MTP]). In this paper, we report the results of this nonweight‐based daily RUTF dosage experience. Data of 2042 children with SAM, treated using either the STD protocol (n = 269) or the MTP protocol (n = 1773) from August 2019 to March 2021 in five provinces, were analyzed. The per‐protocol analyses confirmed noninferiority of MTP protocol when compared to STD protocol for recovery rate [93.3% vs. 90.2%; ∆ (95% confidence interval, CI) = 3.1 (−0.9; 7.2) %] and length‐of‐stay [82.6 vs. 75.6 days; ∆ (95% CI) = 6.9 (3.3; 10.5) days], considering the margin of noninferiority of −10% and +14 days, respectively. Weight gain velocity was smaller in the MTP protocol group than in the STD protocol group [3.7 (1.7) vs. 5.2 (2.9) g/kg/day; ∆ (95% CI) = −1.5 (−1.8, −1.2); p < 0.001]. The STD group had a significantly higher mean than the MTP group for absolute MUAC gain [∆ (95% CI) = 1.7 (1.0; 2.3) mm; p < 0.001] and the MUAC velocity [∆ (95% CI) = 0.29 (0.20; 0.37) mm/week; p < 0.001]. Our results confirm the noninferiority of a nonweight‐based daily dosage and support the endorsement of this modification as an alternative to the standard protocol in resource‐constrained contexts.
Exploring nurses' difficulties and strategies when caring for patients with dementia in a neurological ward
Authors: Chen Ko‐Xin , Pai Ming‐Chyi , Hong Wei‐Pin , Wang Chi‐Jane , Wang Jing‐Jy 
Published: April 2024

AbstractNurses in neurological wards face numerous challenges when caring for patients with dementia, particularly those who also present other acute illnesses. However, studies focusing on this area are limited. This study aimed to explore the difficulties and strategies in caring for patients with dementia among nurses working in a neurological ward. A qualitative descriptive design was adopted. Twelve nurses from a neurology ward participated in individual semi‐structured interviews. The data collected through these interviews were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Two main themes emerged from the analysis: (i) various shortcomings and concerns, which include subthemes: insufficient support, worry about patient safety, inadequate care ability of the caregiver, and insufficient self‐competence, and (ii) unique clinical strategies, which include subthemes: cooperate with the caregiver, improve self‐competence in dementia care, and employ meticulous resorts. The findings highlighted the nurses' dedication to minimizing patient risks and utilizing available resources as well as stakeholders to provide optimal care. To enhance patient care quality, it is essential to support nurses by addressing care‐related barriers, offering continuous education, and establishing care pathways.
Efficacy of a Novel Intraoperative Surgical Irrigant in Preventing Periprosthetic Joint Infections in Primary Knee, Hip, and Shoulder Arthroplasties: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Williams Marshall , Harris Robert M. 
Published: April 2024

ObjectivePrimary joint arthroplasty (JA) is one of the most common operating room (OR) procedures, with knee and hip arthroplasties being listed in the top five most frequent OR procedures and while not as common, shoulder arthroplasties are increasing at greater rates than knee and hip arthroplasties. Periprosthetic joint/shoulder infections (PJI/PSI) are a devastating complication of primary JAs with infection prevention deemed as the single most important strategy in combating them. The objective of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of XPERIENCE® Advanced Surgical Irrigation (XP) in preventing PJI following primary joint arthroplasty.MethodsThis is a retrospective study of primary knee, hip and shoulder arthroplasties that were performed by multiple orthopedic surgeons at a single hospital setting. XPERIENCE was used as an intraoperative surgical irrigant either solely, or with other intraoperative practices for prevention of infection. Incidence of acute PJI occurring within 90 days of index surgery were retrospectively collated.ResultsFour hundred and twenty‐three (423) primary joint replacement surgeries treated intraoperatively with XP, were evaluated for acute PJI incidence. Retrospective evaluations determined that 95% of the subjects had at least one risk factor predisposing them to PJI. There were zero PJIs diagnosed in the knee and hip arthroplasty cohorts and zero PSIs diagnosed in the shoulder arthroplasty cohorts.ConclusionThe absence of PJI/PSI diagnoses in the JA cohorts treated intraoperatively with XP indicates that it could be an efficacious antimicrobial irrigant in preventing PJI, and warrants being evaluated in prospective, randomized controlled clinical trials as the sole intraoperative irrigant, as well as in combination with the other intraoperative infection prevention regimens evaluated in this retrospective study.
Two‐branch global spatial–spectral fusion transformer network for hyperspectral image classification
Authors: Xie Erxin , Chen Na , Zhang Genwei , Peng Jiangtao , Sun Weiwei 
Published: April 2024

AbstractTransformer has achieved outstanding performance in hyperspectral image classification (HSIC) thanks to its effectiveness in modelling the long‐term dependence relation. However, most of the existing algorithms combine convolution with transformer and use convolution for spatial–spectral information fusion, which cannot adequately learn the spatial–spectral fusion features of hyperspectral images (HSIs). To mine the rich spatial and spectral features, a two‐branch global spatial–spectral fusion transformer (GSSFT) model is designed in this paper, in which a spatial–spectral information fusion (SSIF) module is designed to fuse features of spectral and spatial branches. For the spatial branch, the local multiscale swin transformer (LMST) module is devised to obtain local–global spatial information of the samples and the background filtering (BF) module is constructed to weaken the weights of irrelevant pixels. The information learned from the spatial branch and the spectral branch is effectively fused to get final classification results. Extensive experiments are conducted on three HSI datasets, and the results of experiments show that the designed GSSFT method performs well compared with the traditional convolutional neural network and transformer‐based methods.
Extraction and characterization of fiber from the flower stalk of Sansevieria cylindrica
Authors: Palanisamy Sivasubramanian , Rajan Visakh Kunnathuparambil , Mani Ajith Kuriakose , Palaniappan Murugesan , Santulli Carlo , Alavudeen Azeez , Ayrilmis Nadir 
Published: April 2024

AbstractA number of natural fibers are being proposed for use in composite materials, especially those extracted from local plants, especially those able to grow spontaneously as they are cost‐efficient and have unexplored potential. Sansevieria cylindrica, within the Asparagaceae (previously Agavacae) family, has recently been considered for application in polymer and rubber matrix composites. However, its characterization and even the sorting out of technical fiber from the stem remains scarce, with little available data, as is often the case when the fabrication of textiles is not involved. In this study, Sansevieria cylindrica fibers were separated down to the dimensions of a filament at an 8–15 micron diameter from the stem of the plant, then characterized physically and chemically, using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), morphologically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as their thermal degradation, by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Their crystallinity surface roughness was measured by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The results indicate over 70% cellulose fibers content with a very high crystallinity (92%) and small crystallite size (1.45 nm), which suggests a low water absorption, with thermal degradation peaking at 294°C. Despite this, due to the significant porosity of the cellular structure, the density of 1.06 g cm−3 is quite low for a mainly cellulose fiber. Roughness measurements indicate that the porosities and foamy structure result in a highly negative skewness (−3.953), in the presence of deep valleys, which may contribute to an effective relation with a covering resin.
Enhanced muscle activity during interrupted sitting improves glycemic control in overweight and obese men
Authors: Gao Ying , Li Qing‐Yang , Finni Taija , Pesola Arto J. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe efficacy of interrupting prolonged sitting may be influenced by muscle activity patterns. This study examined the effects of interrupting prolonged sitting time with different muscle activity patterns on continuously monitored postprandial glycemic response. Eighteen overweight and obese men (21.0 ± 1.2 years; 28.8 ± 2.2 kg/m2) participated in this randomized four‐arm crossover study, including uninterrupted sitting for 8.5 h (SIT) and interruptions in sitting with matched energy expenditure and duration but varying muscle activity: 30‐min walking at 4 km/h (ONE), sitting with 3‐min walking at 4 km/h (WALK) or squatting (SQUAT) every 45 min for 10 times. Net incremental area under the curve (netiAUC) for glucose was compared between conditions. Quadriceps, hamstring, and gluteal muscles electromyogram (EMG) patterns including averaged muscle EMG amplitude (aEMG) and EMG activity duration were used to predict the effects on glucose netiAUC. Compared with SIT (10.2 mmol/L/h [95%CI 6.3 to 11.7]), glucose netiAUC was lower during sitting interrupted with any countermeasure (ONE 9.2 mmol/L/h [8.0 to 10.4], WALK 7.9 mmol/L/h [6.4 to 9.3], and SQUAT 7.9 mmol/L/h [6.4 to 9.3], all p < 0.05). Furthermore, WALK and SQUAT resulted in a lower glucose netiAUC compared with ONE (both p < 0.05). Only increased aEMG in quadriceps (−0.383 mmol/L/h [−0.581 to −0.184], p < 0.001) and gluteal muscles (−0.322 mmol/L/h [−0.593 to −0.051], p = 0.022) was associated with a reduction in postprandial glycemic response. Collectively, short, frequent walking or squatting breaks effectively enhance glycemic control in overweight and obese men compared to a single bout of walking within prolonged sitting. These superior benefits seem to be associated with increased muscle activity intensity in the targeted muscle groups during frequent transitions from sitting to activity.
Global-Position Tracking Control for Multi-Domain Bipedal Walking With Underactuation
Authors: Gao Yuan , Barhydt Kentaro , Niezrecki Christopher , Gu Yan 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Accurate control of a humanoid robot's global position (i.e., its three-dimensional (3D) position in the world) is critical to the reliable execution of high-risk tasks such as avoiding collision with pedestrians in a crowded environment. This paper introduces a time-based nonlinear control approach that achieves accurate global-position tracking (GPT) for multi-domain bipedal walking. Deriving a tracking controller for bipedal robots is challenging due to the highly complex robot dynamics that are time-varying and hybrid, especially for multi-domain walking that involves multiple phases/domains of full actuation, over actuation, and underactuation. To tackle this challenge, we introduce a continuous-phase GPT control law for multi-domain walking, which provably ensures the exponential convergence of the entire error state within the full and over actuation domains and that of the directly regulated error state within the underactuation domain. We then construct sufficient multiple-Lyapunov stability conditions for the hybrid multi-domain tracking error system under the proposed GPT control law. We illustrate the proposed controller design through both three-domain walking with all motors activated and two-domain gait with inactive ankle motors. Simulations of a ROBOTIS OP3 bipedal humanoid robot demonstrate the satisfactory accuracy and convergence rate of the proposed control approach under two different cases of multi-domain walking as well as various walking speed and desired paths.
Identification and Fault Diagnosis of Rolling Element Bearings Using Dimension Theory and Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Jadhav Prashant S. , Salunkhe Vishal G. , Desavale R. G. , Khot S. M. , Shinde P. V. , Jadhav P. M. , Gadyanavar Pramila R. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
The study presents the classification of bearing fault types occurring in rotating machines using machine learning techniques. Recent condition monitoring demands all-inclusive but precise fault diagnosis for industrial machines. The utilization of mathematical modeling with machine learning may be combined for fine fault diagnosis under different working conditions. The current study presents a blend of dimensional analysis (DA) and a K-nearest neighbor (KNN) to diagnose faults in industrial roller bearings. Vibrational responses are collected for several industrial machines under diverse operational conditions. Bearing faults are identified using the DA model with 3.62% error (avg) and classified using KNN with 98.67% accuracy. Comparing the performance of models with experimental and artificial neural networks (ANN) validated the potential of the current approach. The results showed that the KNN demonstrates superior performance in terms of feature prediction and extraction of industrial bearing.
Bacterial community profiles of select tributaries of Laguna Lake in the Philippines
Authors: Castro Arizaldo E. , Montecillo Andrew D. , Villanueva Ren Mark D. , Obusan Marie Christine M. 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

Laguna Lake is known for its ecological, economic, and cultural importance. Effects of urbanization and accumulation of emerging pollutants have been associated with its water quality; however, the microbial ecology of its tributaries remains to be explored. We report bacterial community profiles from shotgun metagenomes of its select tributary waters.
Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and associated factors affecting emergency medical services professionals in Jordan: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Nazzal Mohammad S , Oteir Alaa O , Alrawashdeh Ahmad , Alwidyan Mahmoud T , Obiedat Qussai , Almhdawi Khader A , Ismael Noor T , Williams Brett 
Published: April 2024

ObjectivesEmergency medical services (EMSs) personnel are at high risk for developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). However, no studies have yet investigated the prevalence and effect of these disorders on the Jordanian EMS personnel. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of WMSDs among Jordanian EMS personnel and its associated factors.DesignThis study used a cross-sectional design. Participants were asked to complete a self-administrated and validated questionnaire to measure the WMSDs, including a demographic survey and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Descriptive and multivariable regression analyses were used.SettingThe Jordanian Civil Defence stations in the main cities of Jordan.ParticipantsThe sample consisted of 435 EMS workers which were obtained across the country of Jordan. A total of 79.0% of the participants were male, with a mean age of 27.9 (±4.3 SD) years.ResultsThe pain in the lower back (308, 70.8%) and neck (252, 57.9%) were the most reported in the last 12 months. Furthermore, about half of the participants reported having pain in their upper back (234, 53.8%), knee (227, 52.2%) and shoulder (226, 52.0%) pain in the last 12 months. Overall, WMSDs in at least one body part were significantly associated with age, experience, being a male, increased body mass index and lower educational level.ConclusionsThere is a high prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among EMS personnel. Multiple variables may be incorporated into a national prevention campaign and professional development programme to educate EMS personnel on avoiding WMSDs.
Effects of different exercise interventions on chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment in patients with breast cancer: a study protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Dong Yu , Huang Hao , Wang Aiping 
Published: April 2024

IntroductionBreast cancer stands as the most prevalent type of cancer affecting women globally, and chemotherapy plays a pivotal role in its treatment by diminishing tumour recurrence and enhancing the survival rates of patients. However, chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) often occurs in patients undergoing treatment. Although multiple clinical trials have indicated that exercise therapy can improve CRCI in patients with breast cancer, there are variations in the types of exercise interventions and their effectiveness. We aim to perform a pioneering network meta-analysis (NMA) to assess and prioritise the effectiveness of various exercise interventions in enhancing cognitive function in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.Methods and analysisWe will search multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, Wanfang and Sinomed databases, from their inception to May 2023. The main outcome is the cognitive function changes in patients with breast cancer, including subjective and objective results. We will specifically include randomised controlled trials reported in English and Chinese languages, whose primary outcome consists of an assessment of the cognitive function of patients with breast cancer using standardised and validated assessment tools, encompassing both subjective and objective outcomes. The quality of all the trials included will be evaluated based on ‘Version 2 of the Cochrane tool for assessing the risk of bias in randomized controlled trials (RoB2)’. We will conduct a Bayesian NMA to thoroughly evaluate and compare the effectiveness of different exercise interventions. We will use cumulative ranking probability plots to estimate the ranking of the best interventions for various exercises. Network plots and funnel plots will be employed to display the study sizes and participants of each exercise intervention, as well as potential publication biases.Ethics and disseminationThe study findings will be shared via peer-reviewed journals to ensure the highest quality and credibility of the research. As the reporting will not include any private patient data, there are no ethical considerations associated with this protocol.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42023406597.