bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and Co-morbidities of Autism Spectrum Disorder as Risk Factors for Severity: A National Survey in the United States
Authors: Salehi Mona , Ahmad Arham , Lotfi Aida , Gunturu Sasidhar 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) consists of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders with impairments in social communication, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. This condition is associated with several co-morbidities which significantly affect the quality of life. Therefore, individuals with ASD should undergo screening for common co-morbidities to enable early diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and common socio-demographic characteristics of ASD as well as both medical and psychiatric co-morbidities and their effects on the severity of ASD.
Methods
Data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) in the US from 2020 to 2021 were used in this study. We included 79,182 children and adolescents aged between 3 to 17 years for the analysis. The mean age of these individuals was 10.1 (standard deviation: 4.6), and 2,568 (3.2%) had ASD diagnosis.
Results
Our analysis showed that ASD is more common in males (78.7%) than females (21.3%). Additionally, ASD was associated with lower family income and a higher level of education in the family. We found that 96.4% of patients developed at least one co-morbid condition. The most common neuropsychiatric co-morbidities included developmental delay (64%), behavioral and conduct problems (57.8%), and anxiety (45.7%). While the most common medical co-morbidities were allergies (32.4%), genetic disorders (26.2%), and asthma (12.6%). The odds of intellectual disability (odds ratio, OR: 5.8), developmental delay (OR: 5.0), Down syndrome (OR: 4.5), epilepsy (OR: 3.4), cerebral palsy (OR: 3.0), vision problems (OR: 2.5), and genetic disorders (OR: 2.3) were significantly higher among severe cases.
Conclusions
The presence of numerous co-morbidities in individuals with ASD, often linked to increased ASD severity, underscores the critical importance of comprehensive screening, early diagnosis, and targeted treatment strategies to enhance the overall health and well-being of these individuals.
Core shell ZnO-MnO 2 nanocomposites for dye degradation and DFT simulation
Authors: Joudi F. , Selmi W. , Naceur J. Ben , Chtourou R. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
To promote the photogeneration of charge–carriers separation, the ZnO/MnO2 nanocomposites have been efficiently synthesized via simple hydrothermal process and tested as photocatalyst for dye degradation. The samples of ZnO, MnO2, and ZnO/MnO2 nanocomposites have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectra (PL). The photocatalytic activity of the ZnO/MnO2 prepared using 10 mg is much higher than that of ZnO or MnO2 as demonstrated by optical and photoluminescence measurement. The improvement of Methyl Orange (MO) photodegradation compared with pure ZnO and MnO2 is originated from the high surface area, the efficient sun light absorption and the excellent charge carrier’s separation of the ZnO/MnO2 photocatalyst. The DFT simulations of ZnO and MnO2 have determined the electronic origin of structures properties and demonstrate that photocatalytic activity is attributed to the electrons transition between valence and conduction bands of materials.
Quantifying the Contributors to Extreme Sea Level Events in the Western Mediterranean at High Spatio-temporal Resolution
Authors: Ramos-Alcántara Jorge , Agulles Miguel , Gomis Damià , Jordà Gabriel 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
A comprehensive characterisation of extreme sea levels at different spatio-temporal scales is presented for the Western Mediterranean. The classical view of extreme sea levels as a consequence of the concurrence of storm events and high tides may lead to an incomplete picture for the Mediterranean coasts, where the tidal regime is small and processes operating at high frequencies can contribute significantly to extreme levels. Our approach bases on the analysis of tide gauge records with a high sampling frequency (1 minute), in order to consider other contributors beyond storm surges and tides. To have a basin-scale view, we first analyse the tide gauges operated by Puertos del Estado, which are distributed over all the Spanish Mediterranean coasts and cover at least from 2010 to 2022. Next, we focus on a more reduced domain to take advantage of the unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution of the VENOM tide gauge network, operating since 2020 in the Balearic archipelago. Last, we analyse the role of waves in local extreme sea level events by propagating waves towards the coast in the Bay of Palma. The wave run-up estimates are calculated considering the type of coastal protection and are used to simulate the potential flooding that could occur in the future under an unfavourable climate change scenario. Our results highlight the importance of high-frequency sea level records to study extreme events, and the key role of processes such as meteotsunamis and waves in the occurrence of extreme sea levels.
Mechanism study of BMSC-exosomes combined with hyaluronic acid gel in regulating oxidative stress in the treatment of posttraumatic osteoarthritis
Authors: Liu Xianqiang , Chen Yongshuai , Zhang Tao 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Objective
To explore the efficacy and mechanism of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC-EXOs) combined with hyaluronic acid (HA) gel in treating post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) by regulating injury caused by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress.
Methods
This study utilized a combination of in vitro and in vivo experiments to investigate the potential benefits of BMSC-EXOs in the treatment of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). The in vitro experiment involved the isolation and characterization of BMSC-EXOs from rats, which were then labeled with Dil. Then the primary chondrocytes of rats were isolated, and a cell model of PTOA was established. The cells were assigned into control group, model group, BMSC-EXOs group, HA group, BMSC-EXOs + HA group, BMSC-EXOs + 740Y-P group, and BMSC-EXOs + HA + 740Y-P group. Oxidative stress levels and cartilage matrix function were measured in each group. In the in vivo experiment, the rat model of PTOA was constructed via anterior cruciate ligament resection alone. The rats were divided into the same aforementioned groups and evaluated for oxidative stress levels, cartilage matrix function, and joint recovery.
Results
According to in vivo and in vitro experimental results, BMSC-EXOs + HA gel could effectively lower the level of oxidative stress of chondrocytes and rat PTOA models, and improve the mechanical function of the cartilage, exhibiting superior effects to those of BMSC-EXOs alone.
Conclusion
BMSC-EXOs + HA gel can be adopted to treat PTOA by regulating injury caused by mitochondrial ROS-induced oxidative stress.
Risk analysis of air pollutants and types of anemia: a UK Biobank prospective cohort study
Authors: Li Laifu , Ran Yan , Zhuang Yan , Wang Lianli , Chen Jiamiao , Sun Yating , Lu Shiwei , Ye Fangchen , Mei Lin , Ning Yu , Dai Fei 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background:
Previous studies have suggested that exposure to air pollutants may be associated with specific blood indicators or anemia in certain populations. However, there is insufficient epidemiological data and prospective evidence to evaluate the relationship between environmental air pollution and specific types of anemia.
Methods:
We conducted a large-scale prospective cohort study based on the UK Biobank. Annual average concentrations of NO2, PM2.5, PM2.5−10, and PM10 were obtained from the ESCAPE study using the Land Use Regression (LUR) model. The association between atmospheric pollutants and different types of anemia was investigated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Furthermore, restricted cubic splines were used to explore exposure-response relationships for positive associations, followed by stratification and effect modification analyses by gender and age.
Results:
After adjusting for demographic characteristics, 3–4 of the four types of air pollution were significantly associated with an increased risk of iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency and folate deficiency anemia, while there was no significant association with other defined types of anemia. After full adjustment, we estimated that the hazard ratios (HRs) of iron deficiency anemia associated with each 10µg/m3 increase in NO2, PM2.5, and PM10 were 1.04 (95%CI: 1.02, 1.07), 2.00 (95%CI: 1.71, 2.33), and 1.10 (95%CI: 1.02, 1.20) respectively. The HRs of folate deficiency anemia with each 10µg/m3 increase in NO2, PM2.5, PM2.5−10, and PM10 were 1.25 (95%CI: 1.12, 1.40), 4.61 (95%CI: 2.03, 10.47), 2.81 (95%CI: 1.11, 7.08), and 1.99 (95%CI: 1.25, 3.15) respectively. For vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, no significant association with atmospheric pollution was found. Additionally, we estimated almost linear exposure-response curves between air pollution and anemia, and interaction analyses suggested that gender and age did not modify the association between air pollution and anemia.
Conclusion
Our research provided reliable evidence for the association between long-term exposure to PM10, PM2.5, PM2.5−10, NO2, and several types of anemia. NO2, PM2.5, and PM10 significantly increased the risk of iron deficiency anemia and folate deficiency anemia. Additionally, we found that the smaller the PM diameter, the higher the risk, and folate deficiency anemia was more susceptible to air pollution than iron deficiency anemia. No association was observed between the four types of air pollution and hemolytic anemia, aplastic anemia, and other types of anemia. Although the mechanisms are not well understood, we emphasize the need to limit the levels of PM and NO2 in the environment to reduce the potential impact of air pollution on folate and iron deficiency anemia.
Validation of the Thai version of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire-8 (CPAQ-8T) in chronic pain patients
Authors: Pasutharnchat Koravee , Seangrung Rattaphol , Lertmongkonaksorn Prateep , Kamdeang Sirima 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background:
Chronic pain significantly affects patients’ quality of life, often leading to the avoidance of activities that exacerbate their pain. Embracing pain acceptance and willingness is crucial for patients to maintain their functionality. This study aimed to translate and validate the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire-8 (CPAQ-8) into the Thai language and to facilitate the assessment of pain acceptance in Thai patients.
Methods:
The study involved the translation of the English CPAQ-8 into a Thai version, subsequently, referred to as the CPAQ-8T. The psychometric properties of the CPAQ-8T were rigorously examined. Study participants were administered a set of questionnaires, including the 100-mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), CPAQ-8T, and the Barthel Index for Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Test-retest reliability was assessed by readministering the CPAQ-8T two weeks after the initial test. The validity and overall reliability of the CPAQ-8T were thoroughly assessed.
Results:
A total of 160 patients with chronic pain (duration > 3 months) at Ramathibodi Hospital completed all the questionnaires. The mean CPAQ-8T score was 24.2 (SD = 7.26). The CPAQ-8T score exhibited the expected correlation with the Barthel Index for ADL but showed no significant correlation with the VAS score, indicating moderate convergent validity. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability findings support the validity and reliability of the CPAQ-8T.
Conclusions:
The translation and validation of the CPAQ-8 into the Thai language offers a reliable and valid instrument for assessing pain acceptance in Thai patients with chronic pain. The results suggested that the CPAQ-8T is a valuable tool for healthcare professionals and researchers working in the field of chronic pain management.
Trial registration
The study was registered on the Thai Clinical Trial Registry under the identifier TCTR20230824004 (retrospectively registered).
Load-bearing behaviors of sandwich plates with non-uniformly distributed grid cores: Dynamic impact and blast
Authors: Wang Youlong , Ruan Sihan , Hao Ning , Chen Jie , Ma Quanjin , SONG Yiheng 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Sandwich plates with grid-core structures possess extensive applications, and non-uniform grid plates (NUGPs) show enhanced potential under varied loading modes. The current study embarks on an investigation into non-uniform grid-core plates (NUGP) by adjusting the dimensions of transverse and longitudinal grid walls. This comprehensive analysis explores the dynamic responses of these plates when subjected to impact and blast loads, focusing on deformation patterns, damage, and the underlying processes. The findings are illustrated as follows. 1) NUGPs, specifically those with an optimized configuration of grid walls termed the d2 structure, display improved resistance to blast and impact loads compared to their uniformly distributed grid plate counterparts. Notably, designs featuring a less dense grid in the central area yield a more evenly distributed damage pattern under impact loads and a lesser severity of damage from blast loads. 2) The study also reveals that under impact loads, the sandwich structure showcases distinct behaviors through three stages evident in the load-displacement curves: initial localized indentation, followed by overall deformation, and ending with deformation recovery. 3) Moreover, when facing blast loads, the initial response involves rapid plastic deformation of the upper skin, succeeded by compression and buckling of the core. This sequence effectively dissipates energy, acting as a protective shield for the lower skin. 4) The optimized NUGP design achieves a perfect balance between stiffness and ductility, reducing displacement through adequate stiffness while ensuring the effective absorption of dynamic forces through significant ductility, thus preventing catastrophic failure. This research significantly advances topology optimization for sandwich plates, providing essential insights for designing lightweight structures resilient under various modes.
Sustainable Education Practices: Voices from Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Park Yuyeong 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
This qualitative research delves into the intricate landscape of sustainable education practices within higher education institutions, exploring the motivations, challenges, and transformative strategies voiced by educators, administrators, and students. Grounded in diverse values and motivations, the commitment to sustainability emerges as a shared imperative among participants, underscoring the role of higher education in nurturing responsible global citizens. Implementation, however, encounters challenges ranging from limited resources and institutional resistance to a perceived lack of awareness among students, necessitating strategic planning and a cultural shift within institutions. The integration of sustainability into the curriculum and the promotion of interdisciplinary collaboration signify a departure from traditional educational paradigms. Advocating for a holistic approach, participants emphasize the importance of embedding sustainability principles across disciplines and fostering collaborative projects to cultivate critical thinking skills. Institutional support and policies emerge as pivotal, with clear guidelines and top-level leadership support providing a foundation for sustainability initiatives. Student engagement and empowerment, facilitated through active involvement in decision-making processes and experiential learning opportunities, are recognized as transformative outcomes. Innovative teaching methods and technologies are embraced as tools to make sustainability tangible and accessible, despite challenges associated with integration. Emotional intelligence is identified as integral to navigating the complex social and emotional dimensions of sustainability challenges, fostering personal growth and self-awareness. Sustainability extends beyond the academic realm, becoming ingrained in institutional practices, with green campus programs and operational sustainability initiatives serving as tangible expressions of commitment.
Adult-onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis misdiagnosed as autoimmune encephalitis and normal-pressure hydrocephalus: a 10-year case report and literature review
Authors: Huang Huasheng , Liao Yuqi , Qin HuiHui , Wei YiZhi , Jiang Hongliang , Cao Liming 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background: Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are rare, fatal, inherited neurodegenerative disorders characterized by myoclonic epilepsy, cognitive decline, brain atrophy, and retinopathy. The pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of NCL are not well understood and frequently result in misdiagnosis and overtreatment.
Case presentation: We present a case of adult-onset NCL (ANCL) that initially presented with refractory epilepsy mimicking autoimmune encephalitis and normal-pressure hydrocephalus. A correct diagnosis was established through biopsy and genetic testing after ten years of observation.
Conclusion: Combined with a literature review, we summarize our experience in improving the clinical management of this disease. Improved clinical and imaging insights into ANCL, along with its early consideration in the differential diagnosis, can lead to timely treatment, better management, and the prevention of overtreatment.
Nonlinear optimal control for cooperation of car-like front-wheel-steered autonomous robots
Authors: Rigatos Gerasimos , Abbaszadeh Masoud 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Car-like front-wheel-steered mobile robots exhibit underactuation and the solution of the related nonlinear control and autonomous navigation problem is a non-trivial task. In this article, a nonlinear optimal control approach is proposed for the dynamic model of such robotic vehicles. It is proven that the vehicle's kinematic model is differentially flat. In a first approach, an extended state-space model of the kinematic model of the autonomous vehicle is developed after applying the dynamic extension concept and by considering some of its control inputs as additional state variables. It is shown that by inverting the dynamically extended state-space model of the vehicle a stabilizing feedback controller can be designed. Next, in the nonlinear optimal control approach, the kinematic model of the car-like front-wheel-steered autonomous robot undergoes approximate linearization around a temporary operating point that is recomputed at each time-step of the control method. The linearization relies on Taylor series expansion and on the associated Jacobian matrices. For the linearized state-space model of the autonomous robot a stabilizing optimal (H-infinity) feedback controller is designed. This controller stands for the solution to the nonlinear optimal control problem under model uncertainty and external perturbations. To compute the controller's feedback gains an algebraic Riccati equation is repetitively solved at each iteration of the control algorithm. The stability properties of the control method are proven through Lyapunov analysis. Finally, to implement state estimation-based control without the need to measure the entire state vector of the front-wheel-steered autonomous robot, the H-infinity Kalman Filter is used as a robust state estimator.
The effects of Organoclay on the Mechanical, Thermal and Rheological Properties of Polyvinylchloride (PVC)
Authors: bendjaouhdou Chaouki 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The aim of this work was to study the effects of an organomontmorillonite or organoclay (OMMT) on the properties of a polyvinylchloride (PVC) polymer used in the fabrication of electrical cable sheath in order to replace the chalk by organoclay in the cable PVC sheath manufacturing. The resulted nanocomposite blend, based on organoclay and PVC polymer, was prepared by melt blending. The results obtained showed a slight improvement of the blend mechanical properties (tensile strength, and elongation at break) when the amount of the organoclay was 1 wt. %. The thermal stability (deshydrochloration test) is maximal when the concentration of the organoclay was equal to 1 wt. %. The water uptake study reveals that the amount of the absorbed water does not exceed 0.1 wt % when the concentration of the organoclay is 1.5 wt. %. A rheological test revealed that the addition of organoclay doesn’t increase the melt viscosity of the PVC/OMMT nanocomposite blend.
HP-FLDet: A High Performance Joint Face and Landmark Detector
Authors: Liu Xueli , Zhang Ziqun , Liu Yao , Fu Kexue , Chen Xiao , Chen Xinrong 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Face detection and landmark localization are usually the fundamental and important steps of facial analysis. The accuracy degradation of any task has impacts on the accuracy and robustness of the downstream analysis. In most facial analysis systems, face detection and landmark detection, as two independent tasks, are predicted sequentially with single-task detectors respectively, which suffer from the higher complexity and poorer consistency. In contrast, multi-task joint face and landmark detectors are more efficient and have more shared features. However, when two tasks are predicted in one model, it is difficult to improve the accuracy of all tasks simultaneously, due to the different requirements of the different targets to be detected. In our opinion, the multi-task detection model, integrating the perception ability of both scale variation and detailed texture information for face and landmark detection, is arduous but important in unconstrained settings. In this paper, a High-Performance joint Face and Landmark detector(HP-FLDet) is proposed, which can predict facial bounding boxes and landmarks in single stage and improve the accuracy of both face detection and landmark localization simultaneously. In this detector, the context inception block and scale-aware multi-task strategies are designed to resolve extreme scale variance and improve the perception ability of detailed texture information. It demonstrates superior performance on both face and landmark detection datasets including AFW, PASCAL Face, FDDB, Wider Face and AFLW. Especially, it achieves SOTA results on the most challenging WIDER FACE dataset with 0.970(Easy), 0.963(Medium), 0.921(Hard) mAP on the test subset, which outperforms all state-of-the-art rivals.
A Unet-like Low-cost Image Inpainting Method Built upon Efficient ViT
Authors: Huang Zhen , Feng Yapei , Chen Xiao-Diao 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Image inpainting is the process of replacing broken or defective regions in an image. Recent models use an ensemble of Transformer and CNN to expand the diversity and accuracy of image inpainting. However, when processing high-resolution images with Transformers, the computational cost can be high due to the need to establish global dependencies. This paper proposes a new inpainting method based on the ViT U-net structure. The network utilises a single memory-bound MHSA and cascade group attention ViT which incorporates an improved adaptive gated convolution in the encoder to extract features and employs a PixelShuffle upsampling in the decoder to generate the restored image. Additionally, it recovers local spatial features at multiple levels to refine details. We evaluate our model on CelebA-HQ, Places2, and Paris StreetView datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the model achieves faster training speed and less memory consumption with fewer parameters, while matching the current state-of-the-art in terms of quantitatively and qualitatively.