bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Variation in faunal assemblages under the sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii
Authors: Davis Jennifer , Blount Craig , Worthington Duncan , Byrne Maria , Schreider Maria , Gladstone William 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
The long-spined sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii in New South Wales, Australia, has space between the spines and the substratum which creates a micro-habitat for macroinvertebrates and some fish. We sampled assemblages under sea urchins in self excavated dwellings (boreholes) in the rock. A rich fauna of 80 taxa were recorded (from below 180 urchins) with up to 24 taxa and 963 individuals recorded under individual urchins. The fauna was dominated by gastropods (38 taxa), malacostracans (12 taxa), and chitons (six taxa). Significant differences between two contrasting subtidal habitats, fringe (dominated by macroalgae) and urchin-grazed barrens (devoid of macroalgae), were detected at two of the four sampling locations and at one-third of all sites sampled. While the abundance of some groups differed between the two habitats, taxonomic richness and total abundance of animals did not. Sampling repeated over 9 months in the fringe habitat at two sites (separated by kms) in one location found the faunal assemblages in each site changed differently through time, and the abundance of several taxa varied differently through time. Several models that may explain spatial and temporal variation are discussed, as well as the implications of these findings to the overall biodiversity of nearshore reefs of NSW now and the potential effects of an expanding fishery for C. rodgersii.
Exploring the Impact of Propylparaben on Trophoblast Function: A Comprehensive In Vitro Study of Toxicity and Gene Expression
Authors: Guo Yifen , Yang Yingao , Zhou Zixuan , Zhao Changyuan , Li Yanchun , Zhou Huanying , Ren Shuyue , Gu Yan , Gao Zhixian 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Parabens are prominent preservatives in pharmaceuticals, food, and personal care products. Their widespread production and use potentially contributed to global environmental pollution, entering the human body primarily through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption. Some studies detected propylparaben in human placenta and amniotic fluid. However, there was limited research regarding its potential toxic effects on the trophoblast at the maternal-fetal interface. In this study, we utilized HTR-8/SVneo cells derived from the extravillous trophoblast to investigate the impacts of different concentrations of propylparaben on the function of the trophoblast. The results revealed that propylparaben significantly reduced cellular viability and increased intracellular reactive oxygen species, leading to oxidative stress. Further analysis showed that due to the decreased expression of cyclin D1, cell cycle progression was arrested at the G0/G1 phase, and cell apoptosis was induced by heightened caspase-3 activity. Through transcriptome analysis (RNA-seq) combined with the CTDbase.org database, we identified seven core genes, which were key targets of propylparaben in pregnancy-related complications. In conclusion, our findings suggested that propylparaben had potential toxic effects on HTR-8/SVneo cells derived from the extravillous trophoblast.
Parental Perspectives on a Trial Using Waived Informed Consent at Birth
Authors: Katheria Anup , Schmolzer Georg , Law Brenda , Yoder Bradley , Clark Erin , El-Naggar Walid , Morales Ana , Dorner Rebecca , Mooso Benjamin , Rich Wade , Vora Farha , Finer Neiil 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Objectives
To determine parental perspectives in a trial with waived consent.
Study Design:
Biological parents of non-vigorous term infants randomized using a waiver of consent for a delivery room intervention completed an anonymous survey after discharge.
Results
121 survey responses were collected. Most responding parents reported that this form of consent was acceptable (92%) and that they would feel comfortable having another child participate in a similar study (96%). The majority (> 90%) also reported that the information provided after randomization was clear to understand future data collection procedures. Four percent had a negative opinion on the study's effect on their child’s health.
Conclusions
The majority of responding parents reported both acceptability of this study design in the neonatal period and that the study had a positive effect on their child’s health. Future work should investigate additional ways to involve parents and elicit feedback on varied methods of pediatric consent.
The Infimum Hausdorff Dimension of Totally Disconnected Sets of Which Every Projection is an Interval.
Authors: Hung Nguyen Viet 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
In this paper, we study the orthogonal projections of the Cantor dust sets E⊂R2. The essence of our study centers on the question of how densely a dust-like can be structured while still allowing the sunlight’s shadow to cast an interval. We prove that 1 is the infimum Hausdorff dimension of a totally disconnected set in two-dimensional space with the property that the projection to any line is an interval.
The association between telomere length and malignant lymphoma: A Mendelian randomization Study
Authors: Tang Wei , Li Chunlian , Fu Deyuan 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
There is a growing body of evidence suggesting a close association between telomere length (TL) and the development and progression of cancer. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to explore the potential causal relationship between telomere length and malignant lymphoma (ML). Summary-level data for telomere length and malignant lymphoma data have been retrieved through genome-wide association study (GWAS). Subsequently, A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted to assess the causal relationship between TL and ML. The causal effect estimation is achieved primarily by utilizing inverse variance weighting (IVW), with other Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis methods being employed as supplements. A total of 140 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with genome-wide significance were identified and employed as instrumental variables (IV) for TL. Based on MR analyses, TL was positively associates with ML,with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.407, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.126-1.758 and p value of 0.003 as indicated by the IVW method. This result were validated by other complementary MR methods as well. No significant horizontal pleiotropy was observed according to the MR-Egger regression (intercept = -0.006, p = 0.153). The sensitivity analysis confirmed the reliability of the results. This study provides the first evidence of a causal relationship between TL and ML, demonstrating that longer telomere length is associated with a higher risk of malignant lymphoma.
The Profile of Neurocognitive Impairment Amongst HIV Patients in a Southeastern Nigerian Tertiary Hospital
Authors: Ebeogu Olisaeloka G. , Nwani Paul O. , Morah Nnamdi J. , Anaje Obiora D. , Asomugha Lasbery A. , Ndukwe Chinwe C. , Kalu Stephen O. , Eze Ifunanya L. , Harriet Nwadimkpa , Nwosu Cosmas M. , Ogunniyi Adesola O. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a neurotropic virus and one of its known effects on the nervous system is HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND).
Method
This was a cross-sectional prospective study carried out in a tertiary hospital in Southeastern Nigeria using a neuropsychological test battery drawn from the World Health Organization/University of California, Los Angeles test battery (WHO/UCLA). The performance of ninety-two HIV positive patients, divided into thirty-eight combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) experienced and fifty-four cART naïve patients, was compared with those of ninety-two HIV negative subjects. Sociodemographic data was collected from both arms and neuropsychological testing administered. The HIV positive patients also had blood samples collected for parked cell volume (PCV), CD4 count and HIV RNA viral load. The raw scores of the HIV positive patients were converted to standardized Z scores using the mean and standard deviation for each domain of the test battery derived from sex, age and education matched the HIV negative subjects. Neurocognitive impairment was defined by Z-scores greater than 1 SD and 2 SD for mild and moderate to severe cognitive impairment respectively in at least two neurocognitive domains of the neuropsychological test battery.
Results
The prevalence of neurocognitive impairment was 76.1% (mild cognitive impairment was 44.1% and moderate/severe cognitive impairment was 31.5%); and HIV patients had poorer performance on the auditory verbal learning test (p = 0.01); the finger tapping for both the dominant and non-dominant hands (p < 0.001); the WAIS block design (p < 0.001); the WAIS digit symbol (p < 0.001); grooved pegboard, dominant hand (p = 0.03); the verbal fluency, names and animals (p = 0.02 and p = 0.001 respectively); the trail making test A (p < 0.001); and the timed gait (p < 0.001). The differences in the performance of the HIV positive patients on cART and those yet to commence cART was not statistically significant. Univariate analysis did not reveal any association between cognitive impairment and sex (p = 0.75), age (p = 0.26), and the level of education (p = 0.057) of the HIV positive subjects; and there was also no relationship with the parked cell volume (p = 0.42), viral load (p = 0.48), CD4 count (p = 0.69), and duration of diagnosis for patients who were already on cART (p = 0.84).
Conclusion
HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment is still common in HIV patients and its presence can be ascertained better with neuropsychological testing.
SimpleMask: Parameter-free and Efficient Instance Segmentation
Authors: Liu Qunpo , Lu Zhiwei , Gao Ruxin , Bu Xuhui , Hanajima Naohiko 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
To resolve the problem that the segmentation result of the full convolutional neural network in the Mask R-CNN model is not fine enough, and that the number of loss function hyperparameters is too large, leadings to the time and resource consumption of parameter adjustment, we propose a parameter-free and efficient instance segmentation model in this paper. Aiming at the problem that the Mask R-CNN model does not pay attention to sample features, the method of fusing the visual attention network in the ResNet50 backbone network is adopted to achieve self-adaptation and long-range correlation in self-attention, so that the model can precisely recognize the target location and effectively detect and segment the target. The U-Net network is introduced into the segmentation, and the image is processed by stepwise upsampling and downsampling, so that the network segmentation accuracy for the pixel mask is more accurate. Considering the parameter tuning problem of the instance segmentation task, a parameter-connected loss is recommended to simplify the complexity of model training parameter tuning and further enhance the detection and segmentation performance of the model. We conduct extensive experiments on three extensive baselines, i.e., MiniCOCO, Cityscapes and PASCAL VOC2012, to assess the validity of our model. The experimental findings demonstrate that (1) in the MiniCOCO dataset, a box AP of 35.1 and a mask AP of 32.0 are obtained. Compared with the most advanced mask2former algorithm, the box AP and mask AP are 1.7 and 2.2 higher, respectively. (2) The AP value on Cityscapes is 38.1. In comparison to alternative instance segmentation models, the mAP of each category has been greatly improved. (3) The generalization experiment of our model on the PASCAL VOC2012 dataset shows that the box mAP and mask mAP are 75.5 and 63.6, respectively, which are improved by 3.9 and 1.9, respectively, when contrasting with the Mask R-CNN model. Our model has significant advantages in both detection and segmentation. The code will be available at https://gitee.com/zhiweilu111/simple-mask/tree/master.
C− Almost P − Spaces and Other Spaces on Fuzzy Neutrosophic Topological Spaces
Authors: Poongothai E. , Padmavathi E. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
In this paper, we define fuzzy neutrosophic C− almost P − spaces and analyze some new properties of these spaces. Also, we discuss the other spaces of fuzzy neutrosophic topological spaces.
AMS subject classification: 54A40, 03E72
Smali opcode based Android Malware detection and Obfuscation Identification
Authors: Anand Abhishek , Singh Jyoti Prakash 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
The Android platform's open-source nature makes it a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit vulnerabilities. The practice of reverse engineering in Android applications further increases this vulnerability, creating a lucrative ground for exploitation and attack. Malware developers use various obfuscation techniques to protect applications from reverse engineering attempts. These same obfuscation techniques are utilized by malware creators to hide malicious code within the application's structure. Obfuscation introduces useless code and concealed features during feature extraction, making it difficult for conventional malware analysis methods to recognise the application and resulting in a high rate of false negatives. To address this, this paper introduces an innovative Smali opcode-based model, specifically designed to address the complexity of obfuscation techniques during both binary and familial classification. The core objective is to design a lightweight model capable of classifying malware and benign applications, alongside robust familial classification. Moreover, the model is also equipped to identify the specific obfuscation technique employed in a given malware application. We have meticulously implemented and rigorously evaluated the proposed model using two distinct datasets encompassing obfuscated and non-obfuscated samples. The experimental findings affirm the model's performance, surpassing existing state-of-the-art Android malware classifiers. Notably, the model achieves an impressive binary classification accuracy of 99.4\%.
The Posterior Tibial Slope Affects the Measurement Reliability Regarding the Radiographic Parameter of the Knee
Authors: Lee Seung-Hun , Yoo Je-Hyun , Kwak Dae-Kyung , Kim Sung-Hwan , Chae Sung-Kuk , Moon Hyun-Soo 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Background
Posterior tibial slope (PTS) exhibits considerable variability among individuals and is anticipated to influence the accuracy of radiographic measurements related to the knee. Despite this potential impact, there is a lack of prior research investigating how PTS affects the accuracy of these measurements. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of PTS on the measurement reliability regarding the radiographic parameter of the knee.
Methods
The medical records of patients who took full-length anteroposterior radiographs of the lower limb between January 2020 and June 2022 were evaluated retrospectively. Radiographic parameters related to the knee joint characteristics such as osteoarthritis grade, hip-knee-ankle angle, weight-bearing line ratio, medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), lateral distal femoral angle, joint-line convergence angle (JLCA), and PTS were measured. Subjects were classified into 3 groups according to PTS (group A, PTS < 4°; group B, PTS ≥ 4° and < 8°; group C, PTS ≥ 8°), and the measurement reliability for the radiographic variables mentioned above was compared between groups. The intra- and inter-observer agreements were assessed using the kappa coefficients, intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), and Bland-Altman plots.
Results
A total of 175 limbs (86 patients) were included in this study. As the intra- and inter-observer reliability for PTS ranged over 0.9, grouping was performed based on the average of the measured PTSs. In the 3-group comparison of measurement reliability for radiographic parameters, the inter-observer reliability of the MPTA and JLCA decreased as the PTS increased (ICCs for MPTA in Groups A, B, and C: 0.889, 0.796, and 0.790, respectively; ICCs for JLCA in Groups A, B and C: 0.916, 0.859, and 0.843, respectively), whereas there were no remarkable differences in other variables. Similar trends were observed in the comparisons of intra-observer reliability. Additional Bland-Altman plots also showed consistent results.
Conclusion
The larger the PTS, the lower the measurement reliability regarding the radiographic parameters of the knee that includes the joint line, such as MPTA and JLCA. Since accurate identification of the joint line of the knee is occasionally challenging in patients with a relatively large PTS, care should be exercised when measuring these radiographic parameters.
Temporal recalibration in response to delayed visual feedback of active versus passive actions: An fMRI study
Authors: Kufer Konstantin , Schmitter Christina V. , Kircher Tilo , Straube Benjamin 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
The brain can adapt its expectations about the relative timing of actions and their sensory outcomes in a process known as temporal recalibration. This might occur as the recalibration of timing between the outcome and (1) the motor act (sensorimotor) or (2) tactile/proprioceptive information (inter-sensory). This fMRI recalibration study investigated sensorimotor contributions to temporal recalibration by comparing active and passive conditions. Subjects were repeatedly exposed to delayed (150ms) or undelayed visual stimuli, triggered by active or passive button presses. Recalibration effects were tested in delay detection tasks, including visual and auditory outcomes. We showed that both modalities were affected by visual recalibration. However, an active advantage was observed only in visual conditions. Recalibration was generally associated with the left cerebellum (lobules IV, V and vermis) while action related activation (active > passive) occurred in the right middle/superior frontal gyrus during adaptation and test phases. Recalibration transferred from vision to audition was related to action specific activations in the cingulate cortex, the angular gyrus and left inferior frontal gyrus. Our data provide new insights in sensorimotor contributions to temporal recalibration via the superior frontal gyrus and inter-sensory contributions mediated by the cerebellum.
Study of combustion characteristics of macadamia shells and coffee husks briquettes in a fixed bed reactor
Authors: Maingi Apollo Muoki , Kiraithe Royston M. , Musau Stephen K. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
In this paper the study was conducted to investigate the combustion characteristics of macadamia shells and coffee husks in a fixed bed reactor. The parameters tested included ignition time, flame propagation speed, mass loss history and temperature flame. Macadamia shell and coffee husk briquettes were produced by mixing with molasses in the ratio of 8:2 and compressed in a mold and piston press at a constant force of 100 K. The briquettes were tested in a fixed bed reactor operated at a constant air mass flowrate of 0.1 kg/s.. The study established that briquettes made from macadamia shells had a higher ignition time of 5.5 minutes compared to the coffee husk which had an ignition time of 2.5 minutes. In addition, briquettes made from macadamia have a lower flame propagation speed of 3.841×10-5 m/s compared to the flame propagation speed of coffee husks briquettes which was found to be 1.332×10-5 m/s. Macadamia briquettes resulted to higher flame temperatures of 600 oC compared to coffee husks briquettes 424 oC when burned in the fixed bed reactor. Therefore, Macadamia briquettes are suitable in small scale application as compared to coffee husk briquettes
The application value of "retrocolic approach, artery priority, uncinate process first" in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy
Authors: Guan Qingchun , Hou Nini , Wang Miao , Liu Yahui , Zhang Hui 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to explore the application value of " retrocolic approach, artery priority, uncinate process first " in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy, and to elaborate other common approaches.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 100 patients who underwent laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy using this approach in our hospital from January 2018 to October 2018. We used SPSS22.0 for statistical analysis. Measurement data were expressed as OR M (Q25-Q75), and count data were expressed as frequency and rate.
Results
The average operation time was 267.82 ± 49.18 minutes, the average intraoperative blood loss was 165.30 ± 100.49ml, and 17 patients received blood transfusion. The average time of gastric tube removal was 5.67 ± 2.95 days, and the average time of eating was 5.32 ± 2.79 days. Postoperative complications occurred in 22 patients, including pancreatic fistula (n = 12), biliary fistula (n = 5), delayed gastric emptying (n = 2), intestinal obstruction (n = 1), gastrointestinal fistula (n = 1), postoperative bleeding (n = 8), abdominal infection (n = 9), pulmonary infection (n = 6), and reoperation (gastroscopy) (n = 8). The average length of hospital stay was 16.79 ± 8.98 days, and one patient died (1.00%). The mean tumor size was 3.03 ± 2.41cm. The mean number of lymph nodes dissected was 11.77 ± 5.66, and the mean number of positive lymph nodes was 1.10 ± 1.81.
Conclusions
The " retrocolic approach, artery priority, uncinate process first " approach shorted the operation time, reduced intraoperative blood loss and surgical complications. It is a safe, rapid and effective approach, which is worthy of further clinical promotion and application.
Current status and future prospects of Wanghu wetland on the southestern of Hubei Province, China
Authors: Tingbo Shen , Min Tan , Liu Jing , Xiangdong Xu , Lifeng Zhi , Runfeng Zhang 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Wanghu wetland, located in the middle reaches of Yangtze River and the southeast of Hubei province, is a Wetland Nature Reserve of Hubei province and has been inscribed on the list of Wetlands of International Importance by the Ramsar Secretariat. As an important flood buffer system for the Yangtze and Fu rivers, Wanghu Wetland supports a variety of rare and threatened species and provides important stopover and wintering grounds on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway for birds. However, due to human activities, it had suffered serious ecosystem damage from 1950s to 2010s. To protect biodiversity and the functioning of the ecosystem of Wanghu Wetland, great measures has been enforced during the past 10 years and the wetland ecology is gradually restoring. This study is important for biodiversity conservation and the management of Wanghu Wetland in Hubei province, central China.