bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Petrographic Thin Section Image Classification Based on Deep Convolutional Network with Hybrid Attention Mechanism
Authors: Pan Shaowei , Han Jinyun , Guo Zhi , Zhang Jiaqing , Ju Zebin 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The classification of petrographic thin section image holds significant importance in the fields of geology and petroleum exploration. In light of the issue that the feature information of current petrographic thin section image recognition algorithms is prone to loss, this paper utilizes deep learning technologies and proposes the adoption of the Inception-ResNet-V2 network as the backbone network. When compared to various classical classification algorithms, the model proposed in this paper demonstrates a considerable advantage in classification accuracy on the petrographic thin section image dataset, achieving an impressive accuracy rate of 95.89%. The classification of each image category was analyzed by confusion matrix, and the model was visualized using Grad-CAM to observe the distribution of classification weights and the changes of classification weights. The results indicate that the model can extract crucial feature information from the petrographic thin section image, effectively enhancing the accuracy of petrographic thin section image recognition.
The Prevalence of Anemia and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Clinic at ALERT Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2022
Authors: Mohammed Fuad Ahmed , Woldegiorgs Juhliad Lebenu , Taye Tehetena Assefa 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background: Anaemia is a condition when there are not enough red blood cells to meet the body's physiologic needs, which affects their ability to carry oxygen. Women who are expecting are among the most vulnerable demographics. Anemia is present in roughly 36.5% of pregnant women. Pregnant women are encouraged to take iron-folate supplements, eat foods high in iron, and avoid intestinal worms in order to prevent anaemia. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of anemia and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at ALERT hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: A Hospital based descriptive cross sectional study on the sample of pregnant women was conducted using constructed questionnaire to explore prevalence of anemia and associated risk factors from July 4, 2022 - August 4, 2022 GC. A simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 174 pregnant women. The data was collected by trained two Nursing professionals being under supervision by the principal investigator. Then, it was cleaned, entered and analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 statistical software and MS excel.
Results: One hundred and thirty one (75.3%) of the pregnant women were less than 30 years of age with the mean age being 27.06 + 5.049 years. 156 (89.7%) were third trimester pregnant women, 121 (69.5%) were multigravid. 164 (94.3%) had taken Iron-folic acid supplement tablets, 1o9 (66.5%) had good adherence and 145 (83.3%) had good knowledge on iron-folic acid tablets supplements. The prevalence of anemia was 6.9% while 75% (9 out of 12) were mildly anemic and 25% (3 out of 12) were moderately anemic. Less frequent consumption habit of meat and animal products was associated with anemia in pregnancy
Conclusion and Recommendations: The majority of them were at third trimester of their pregnancy and multigravid. The majority had taken IFAS and most had good adherence and knowledge to IFAS. Frequent feeding habits of meat and animal products during pregnancy is recommended.
Whether the log-likelihood ratio-based IVF-PGTA assay is a more efficient method？
Authors: Li Shaoying , Luo Yang , He Jianchun , He Wenzhi , Lin Shuangru , Zhang Mincong , Kong Lingyin , Liang Bo , Li Qing , Li Lei 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
At present, two different bioinformatic analysis for both chromosomal ploidy and parental contamination detection were reported to be applied in conventional in-vitro fertilization (cIVF) embryo for PGT. One is based on the informative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) loci combined with parental genetic information. IVF-PGTA assay is performed for chromosomal ploidy with a regular PGT-A analysis algorithm and for contamination testing with a log-likelihood ratio (LLR) based prediction model. However, which method is more efficient for IVF-PGT is unknown. Comparative research with the effectiveness of two different methods for IVF-PGT is conducted with 17 clinical cIVF embryos. Results shows that with two different bioinformatic analysis, no parental contamination is detected among 51 cIVF embryonic specimens. Moreover, the rate of chromosomal ploidy concordance is 100%, the rate of diagnostic concordance between TE1/TE2 and ICM is 76.5% (13/17). However, in view of the cost and practicability, LLR-based IVF-PGTA maintains high accuracy at coverage of just 0.03×, and parental genetic information is not required for contamination testing. LLR-based IVF-PGTA assay shows more economical and efficient than SNP-based analysis. This comparative study provides a more efficient treatment for IVF-PGT, especially for couples with non-male factor infertility.
The efficacy and safety of hybrid arch debranching and open total arch replacement for aortic arch reconstruction: a meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Meng , Wang Chen-xi , Chen Tong-yun , Chen Qing-liang , Jiang Nan 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
The present meta-analysis was to explore the long-term prognostic differences between traditional open total arch replacement (OTAR) and hybrid arch repair (HAR) for aortic arch-related pathological disease.
Methods
We searched the PubMed, Medline, and Embase databases for studies published during the period from January 2009 to January 2019. Survival information was extracted from the Kaplan-Meier curve included in the study with Engauge Digitizer software. A meta-analysis was performed to compare early postoperative mortality, overall survival, and postoperative complications between groups.
Results
A total of 13 studies with 2080 patients in OTAR and 725 patients in HAR were included in the meta-analysis. The survival rates after HAR were similar to that after OTAR. There was no significant difference between the OTAR and HAR groups in the occurrence of early complications. The results of the sensitivity analysis revealed more acute renal dysfunction but less risk for post-operative stroke in the OTAR cohort compared to the HAR cohort.
Conclusion
There were no significant differences between OTAR and HAR in terms of overall survival, early mortality, or postoperative spinal cord injury. Both procedures are safe and effective treatments for the treatment of disease affecting the aortic arch.
Toward Out-of-Domain Binding Affinity Prediction
Authors: Zhao Zehan , Fang Shujun , Wang Haohan 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Binding affinity prediction is pivotal in drug design, offering insights into the interactions between ligands and protein targets and thereby significantly influencing the drug development pipeline. Its potential to expedite the identification of drug candidates has led to extensive research focused on developing machine learning algorithms for predicting binding affinity. However, most developments have concentrated on independently and identically distributed (i.i.d) data. In real-world scenarios, prediction models may encounter novel chemical substructures, protein families absent from the training set, variations in experimental conditions, and evolving drug resistance mechanisms. These factors can lead to a significant degradation in performance, causing models to suggest suboptimal compounds or overlook promising candidates—challenges commonly referred to as Out-of-Domain (OOD) in the machine learning community. To address the OOD challenges in binding affinity algorithm development, several benchmarks have been introduced. However, we observe that many lack a convenient codebase framework for swift algorithm evaluation.In this paper, building upon the DrugOOD dataset, we introduce a comprehensive benchmarking framework to assess the resilience and adaptability of OOD algorithms in binding affinity prediction. Our framework offers a streamlined approach for evaluating algorithmic performance in OOD scenarios. Furthermore, we propose a method that surpasses existing state-of-the-art approaches in our benchmark tests. We anticipate that our contributions will spur further research addressing OOD challenges and enhance the reliability and robustness of binding affinity predictions in drug design. Code available at: https://github.com/zehanzz/BioFrontierOOD.git
Examining inequalities in spatial access to National Health Insurance Fund contracted facilities in Kenya
Authors: Kazungu Jacob , Moturi Angela K. , Kuhora Samson , Ouko Julia , Quaife Matthew , Nonvignon Justice , Barasa Edwine 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background Kenya aims to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030 and has selected the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) as the ‘vehicle’ to drive the UHC agenda. While there is some progress in moving the country towards UHC, the availability and accessibility to NHIF-contracted facilities may be a barrier to equitable access to care. We estimated the spatial access to NHIF-contracted facilities in Kenya to provide information to advance the UHC agenda in Kenya.Methods We merged NHIF-contracted facility data to the geocoded inventory of health facilities in Kenya to assign facility geospatial locations. We combined this database with covariates data including road network, elevation, land use, and travel barriers. We estimated the proportion of the population living within 60- and 120-minute travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility at a 1-x1-kilometer spatial resolution nationally and at county levels using the WHO AccessMod tool.Results We included a total of 3,858 NHIF-contracted facilities. Nationally, 81.4% and 89.6% of the population lived within 60- and 120-minute travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility respectively. At the county level, the proportion of the population living within 1-hour of travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility ranged from as low as 28.1% in Wajir county to 100% in Nyamira and Kisii counties. Overall, only four counties (Kiambu, Kisii, Nairobi and Nyamira) had met the target of having 100% of their population living within 1-hour (60 minutes) travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility. On average, it takes 209, 210 and 216 minutes to travel to an NHIF-contracted facility, outpatient and inpatient facilities respectively. At the county level, travel time to an NHIF-contracted facility ranged from 10 minutes in Vihiga County to 333 minutes in GarissaConclusion Our study offers evidence of the spatial access estimates to NHIF-contracted facilities in Kenya that can inform contracting decisions by the social health insurer, especially focussing on marginalised counties where more facilities need to be contracted. Besides, this evidence will be crucial as the country gears towards accelerating progress towards achieving UHC using social health insurance as the strategy to drive the UHC agenda in Kenya.
Woody carbon stock estimation and factors affecting their storage in Munessa Forest, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Gelasso Mengistu , Junqing Li , Hordofa Temesgen 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

The potential carbon stock of the forest can be influenced by various factors, which need to be studied in order to understand the determinants that affect woody carbon storage in the forest. Thus, this study aims to assess the woody species carbon stock in the Munessa dry Afromontane forest and its variations within plant community types, as well as altitudinal, slope, and aspect gradients. A systematic sampling technique was used to acquire vegetation data. At a100 m altitudinal drop, five transect lines were established. Ten quadrats were laid on each transect line (total 50 quadrants) at 200 m distance intervals. The woody carbon was estimated using an appropriate allometric equation formulated for tropical forests. The data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA in R software. The results show that the total woody carbon stock of the Munessa forest is 210.43 tons/ha. The analysis of variance revealed that woody carbon stock varied significantly along altitude, slope, and aspect gradients, whereas community types had no significant effect. Middle elevations (2367₋2533 m.a.s.l.), lower slopes (0₋13%), and west-facing aspects had the highest mean carbon stock. ThePodocarpus falcatus-Croton macrostachyuscommunity type also contributed a higher woody carbon stock since larger tree size classes and older trees are dominant. Overall, the carbon sequestration potential of woody species in the studied forest is strongly associated with environmental variables. Furthermore, the uneven distribution of species with larger DBH in the studied forest might be linked to anthropogenic factors, as the current forest growth indicates characteristics of a secondary forest. Therefore, our study suggests developing and implementing a sustainable forest management strategy particularly prioritizing middle elevation, lower slope, and west aspects of the forest to maximize the forest's carbon sequestration capacity and mitigate climate change
Homing-based gene drives can introgress rapidly into local genetic backgrounds with minimal chromosomal conversion in Anopheles gambiae
Authors: Nolan Tony , Pescod Poppy , Bevivino Giulia , Anthousi Amalia , Shepherd Josephine , Shelton Ruth , Lombardo Fabrizio 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive control strategies use a homing selfish genetic element which induces a double-stranded break at the target site and is copied into the opposing chromosome, breaking an essential gene and ensuring super-Mendelian inheritance. During the copying process SNPs could potentially be transferred from one chromosome to another, converting tracts of the target to match the recipient. This would reduce the ability of gene drives to escape their genetic background of origin, with potential impacts on carrier fitness and the success of the strategy. In this study we use Anopheles gambiae strains with variation around the target site to determine the extent of chromosomal conversion during gene drive activity and the mechanism of inheritance bias. We confirm a homing-based mechanism and show that two thirds of homing events are resolved within 50 bp, showing that gene drive introgression into a wild strain can occur within one generation.
Modal Parameter Identification of Beam Structures Based on Improved Empirical Fourier Decomposition
Authors: Sun Hu , Du Zhuyao , Rong Chen , Jia He , Yan Wang 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

In order to enhance the accuracy of modal parameter identification for beam structures, this paper proposes an improved empirical Fourier decomposition (EFD) method to decompose signals and identify modal parameters under environmental excitations. The identification method includes two aspects. First, the segmentation boundaries of signal frequencies are determined through multiple signal classification (MUSIC), replacing the Fourier spectrum that is susceptible to noise interference. Second, an improved EFD (EFDM) is employed to decompose the collected vibration responses into multiple modal components. The free vibration responses of these modal components are obtained through the Hilbert transform (HT) and random decrement technique (RDT), and applied to identify the modal parameters of the target structure. Numerical and experimental studies confirm the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method to identify the modal parameters of the structures, demonstrating its noise resistance and robustness.
Awareness, working intention and willingness for home care among Macau nurses
Authors: Wong Ion-Hong , Lee Kumsun 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background Home care is one of the essential parts in elderly long-term care. Lack of nursing manpower in home care are obvious in Macau like other countries. This study aims to investigate the awareness and willingness of Macau nurses to work in home care, along with related influencing factors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire among 266 clinical nurses in various healthcare facilities. The questionnaire covered demographic data, attitudes towards filial responsibility, awareness of elderly home care, and overall attitudes towards home care. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were used for analysis. Results Most of the nurses recognized the demand for elderly home care and demonstrated a general understanding of home care characteristics. However, 43.2% (N = 102) of nurses had difficulty distinguishing the differences between hospital care and home care. Furthermore, a majority (N = 152, 64.4%) of nurses reported insufficient knowledge about the social resources available for elderly home care. In the binary regression analysis, factors significantly associated with higher working intention of home care included an interest in elderly home care (P < 0.01) and awareness of home-based nursing (P < 0.01), Conversely, nurses with a stronger sense of filial responsibility exhibited a significantly lower intention to work in home care (P < 0.05). Conclusion This study recommends expanding home care services with hospitals as affiliated institutions to provide diversified work model for nurses. Moreover, it emphasizes the importance of incorporating home care education in nursing curriculum, providing more clinical opportunities to home care, and offering home care training courses to enhance nurses' awareness and interest in this field. Additionally, efforts should be made to improve the compensation and benefits structures for nurses, aiming to reduce the disparities between those working in private and public healthcare institutions.
Eurasian spruce bark beetle detects anti-attractant lanierone using a highly expressed specialist odorant receptor, present in several functional sensillum types
Authors: Yuvaraj Jothi Kumar , Kandasamy Dineshkumar , Roberts Rebecca E. , Hansson Bill S. , Gershenzon Jonathan , Andersson Martin N. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background. Insects detect odours using odorant receptors (ORs) expressed in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the antennae. Odours important to fitness are believed to be detected by selective and abundant OSNs; hence, ORs with high antennal expression. However, little is known about the function of highly expressed ORs in beetles, since few ORs have been functionally characterized. Here, we aimed to functionally characterize the most highly expressed OR (ItypOR36) in the Eurasian spruce bark beetle Ips typographus L. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae), a major pest of spruce trees. We hypothesized that this OR would detect a compound important to beetle fitness, such as a pheromone component. We next investigated the antennal distribution of this OR using single sensillum recordings (SSR) and in situ hybridization, followed by field- and laboratory experiments to evaluate the behavioural effect of the discovered ligand.
Results. We expressed ItypOR36 in HEK293 cells and challenged it with a large panel of ecologically important odours. The OR responded exclusively to the monoterpene-derived ketone lanierone with high sensitivity. Lanierone is used in chemical communication in North American Ips species but had never been studied in relation to the ecology and sensory physiology of I. typographus. Single sensillum recordings revealed a novel and abundant lanierone-responsive OSN class with the same response profile as ItypOR36. These OSNs were co-localized in sensilla together with seven different previously described OSN classes, suggesting a promiscuous OSN co-localization principle in bark beetles. We further revealed lanierone to be a potent anti-attractant, strongly reducing attraction of I. typographus to its aggregation pheromone in the field at low release rates.
Conclusions. Our study highlights the importance of the so-called ‘reverse chemical ecology’ approach to identify novel semiochemicals for ecologically important insect species. Our finding that OSN co-localization is not stereotypic as in Drosophila suggests fundamental organisational differences in the peripheral olfactory sense between insect orders. The lack of evidence that I. typographus produces lanierone and its anti-attractant effect imply that lanierone is used in interspecific pheromone inhibition and that the compound is a good candidate for incorporation in semiochemical-based protection of susceptible spruce stands.
Unprecedented Canadian forest fire carbon emissions during 2023
Authors: Byrne Brendan , Liu Junjie , Bowman Kevin , Pascolini-Campbell Madeleine , Chatterjee Abhishek , Pandey Sudhanshu , Miyazaki Kazuyuki , Werf Guido van der , Wunch Debra , Wennberg Paul , Roehl Coleen , Sinha Saptarshi 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

The 2023 Canadian forest fires have been unprecedented in scale and intensity. Here, we quantify the carbon emissions from these fires to be 639 TgC (range: 572–705 TgC) over a five-month period (May-Sep) based upon inverse modeling of satellite carbon monoxide observations. This magnitude is comparable to the annual fossil fuel emissions of large nations, with only India, China and the U.S.A. releasing more carbon. Widespread fire weather was a major driver of fire spread, as 2023 was the warmest and driest year since at least 1980. Although extreme relative to the historical record, climate projections indicate that these temperatures will be typical during the 2050s, even under a moderate climate mitigation scenario (SSP2-4.5). Such conditions are very likely to drive increased fire activity and suppress carbon uptake by Canadian forests, calling into question the long-term durability of these forests as a carbon sink.
Oxford Nanopore Technology and its Application in Liquid Biopsies
Authors: Levkova Mariya , Chervenkov Trifon , Angelova Lyudmila , Dzenkov Deyan 
Published: December 2023

Abstract:
Advanced medical technologies are transforming the future of healthcare, in particular,
the screening and detection of molecular-genetic changes in patients suspected of having a neoplasm.
They are based on the assumption that neoplasms release small amounts of various neoplasm-
specific molecules, such as tumor DNA, called circulating DNA (cirDNA), into the extracellular
space and subsequently into the blood. The detection of tumor-specific molecules and specific
molecular changes in body fluids in a noninvasive or minimally invasive approach is known
as “liquid biopsy.” The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of the application
of ONT for analyzing circulating DNA in the field of liquid biopsies among cancer patients.
Databases were searched using the keywords “nanopore” and “liquid biopsy” and by applying
strict inclusion criteria. This technique can be used for the detection of neoplastic disease, including
metastases, guiding precision therapy, and monitoring its effects. There are many challenges,
however, for the successful implementation of this technology into the clinical practice. The first
one is the low amount of tumor-specific molecules in the body fluids. Secondly, a tumor molecular
signature should be discriminated from benign conditions like clonal hematopoiesis of unknown
significance. Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) is a third-generation sequencing technology
that seems particularly promising to complete these tasks. It offers rapid sequencing
thanks to its ability to detect changes in the density of the electric current passing through nanopores.
Even though ONT still needs validation technology, it is a promising approach for early diagnosis,
therapy guidance, and monitoring of different neoplasms based on analyzing the cirDNA.