bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Landscape disturbance and change lead to impoverishment and homogenization of butterfly assemblages in Southern Mexico
Authors: Hernández-Hernández Ulises , Molina-Martínez Arcángel , León-Cortés Jorge L. , Sandoval-Ruiz César A. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Mosaics on different land use types characterize current landscapes. This structural complexity is generally made up of areas of native vegetation, vegetation patches in different successional stages, agricultural areas and cattle ranching. In this paper we evaluated the influence of the structure and heterogeneity of fragmented landscapes on butterfly assemblages in a heavily fragmented area in Veracruz State, Mexico. From June to November 2021, ten landscapes were studied and characterized to estimate compositional and configurational heterogeneity, and the type and extent of the landscape elements present. 160 fixed transects were performed to gather measures of butterfly richness, abundance, diversity, dominance and habitat specificity. We recorded 91 species of three families, of which generalist species comprised more than 85% of the total number of species. Compositional heterogeneity and agro-pastoral systems negatively influenced species richness. Likewise, pastures and crops cover had a significant effect on species abundance. Our results showed that butterfly community in present tropical landscapes might be undergoing a process of biotic homogenization, since a vast majority of common and widespread species were dominant and despite an important amount of native vegetation still persisted in some of the study landscapes. Management of the agro-pastoral landscape should include the provision of environments (wooded pastures, remnant treefall areas) that promote the presence of functional habitat for a variety of butterflies, including those with specific habitat requirements.
Technology in Agriculture and Religious Conflict
Authors: Bhattacharya Shreya 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
I examine the effect of the Green Revolution on religious riots in India between 1957 and 1985. Using an instrumental variable framework on a district level panel dataset, I find that riots are longer after the Green Revolution is introduced, with a 1% increase in the duration of a riot. Employing alternative measures of riot intensity and incidence, I find suggestive evidence of an overall increase in religious conflict after the introduction of mechanization via the Green Revolution. I show that the Green Revolution reduces the opportunity cost of engaging in conflict by reducing the demand for labor in agriculture due to mechanization. There is suggestive evidence to show that religious violence is exacerbated in an election year. Additional results indicate the mitigation of the effects of the Green Revolution on conflict in a good rainfall year and an increase in the intensity of conflict in districts in north India. My findings shed light on the unintended consequences of technology in agriculture as well as the mechanisms through which this technology influences ethnic conflict.
JEL classification: JEL D74, F35, D72, Z12
Dysregulation of Triptophan Hydroxylation and Oxidation Path in Schizophrenia and Effects on Cognitive Functions and Clinical Symptoms
Authors: ÖZMEN EZGİ SELÇUK , ARSLAN FİLİZ CİVİL , Menteşe Ahmet , Demir Selim , Köksal Ayşe Çakır , Özmen Tuna 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Objective In our study, we aimed to examine the relationship between tryptophan kynurenine pathway and schizophrenia symptom clusters and cognitive functions.Method 46 patients in remission and 42 controls of the same gender, age and education level were included in the study. MCCB was applied to all participants to evaluate cognitive functions. Serotonin level to evaluate the tryptophan synthesis pathway; blood KYNA level to assess impairment; The tryptophan degradation enzyme IDO and some inflammation biomarkers predicted to increase its activity were measured. The levels of hsCRP and neopterin, which are biomarkers of inflammation, were examined.Results We found KYNA and serotonin serum levels were significantly lower in the patient group than in the control group. IDO was expressed at a lower level in the patient group compared to the control group, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. Neopterin level in the patient group was found lower than the control group, this difference was not statistically significant. The cognitive performance of patients in the total MCCB scores and the scores of all subscales were significantly lower than those in healthy controls.Conclusion A Tryptophan oxidation pathway could be a valuable candidate for future therapeutic research for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as schizophrenia. With our study, we aimed to contribute to the literature in this area where the findings are limited.
A scoping review of the roles, challenges, and strategies for enhancing the performance of community health workers in the response against COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Zulu Joseph Mumba , Silumbwe Adam , Munakampe Margarate , Chavula Malizgani Paul , Mulubwa Chama , Sirili Nathanael , Zulu Wanga , Michelo Charles , Tetui Moses 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background: With the spread of COVID-19 to most low-and middle- income countries (LMICs), global concerns arose on how to respond to the pandemic. While studies have documented the experience of community actors and in particular community health workers (CHWs) in responding to COVID-19 in LMICs, critical appraisal and synthesis of research data on the same is still lacking. We aimed to highlight, the roles and challenges of CHWs in the fight against COVID-19, and strategies to address these challenges.
Methodology: Using a scoping review design, we systematically searched the following electronic databases: PubMed, HINARI, Cochrane Library (Reviews and Trials), Science Direct and Google Scholar. Three authors searched literature on CHWs and COVID-19 as well as CHWs and the COVID-19 vaccine. After critical appraisal of studies, informed by Arksey and O’Malley, twenty-five articles were included in the final analysis.
Results: Community health workers assisted with and contributed to health promotion and education tasks, surveillance, contact tracing and quarantine, maintaining essential primary health services, linking people to services through referrals, advocating for clients and communities, supporting planning and coordination of vaccination, as well as participated in vaccine rollout tracking and follow-up. Challenges experienced by CHWs in the COVID-19 response included stigma and discrimination by community members, inadequate infection prevention and control preparedness, lack of supplies and commodities, limited supportive policies and inadequate remuneration and incentives.
The performance of CHWs during COVID-19 pandemic response could be enhanced by harnessing digital technology (mHealth) to support CHWs, establishing collaborative groups via mobile-messaging platforms, prioritizing CHWs in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, and periodically training CHWs in preventive measures of the COVID-19 response. It was also noted that implementing wellness programs for CHWs including the provision of adequate and quality protective equipment was vital.
Conclusion: CHWs were found to be critical community actors and integral members of the health system during the COVID-19 pandemic. This calls for increased investments that will ensure greater support for the integration of CHWs into health systems as this could also ultimately contribute to maintaining the credibility and sustainment of CHW programs, as well as promoting more inclusive health systems.
Two-step BEC coming from a temperature dependent energy gap
Authors: Acevedo Juan José Valencia , Atala Miguel Angel Solís 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

We report the effects on the thermodynamic properties of a 3D Bose gas caused by a temperature dependent energy gap ∆ (T) at the lower edge of the energy spectrum of the particles constituting the Bose gas which behaves like an ideal Bose gas when the gap is removed. Explicit formulae are given for the critical temperature, the condensate fraction, the internal energy and the isochoric specific heat, which are calculated for three different gaps that abruptly go to zero at temperature TB, as well as for the damped counterparts whose drop to zero we have smoothed. In particular, for the undamped BCS (Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer) gap it is observed that the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) critical temperature Tc is equal to that of the ideal Bose gas T0, for all TB ≤ T0; surprisingly, the condensate fraction presents two different filling rates of the ground state at Tc = T0 and at TB < T0 while the specific heat shows a finite jump at Tc as well as a divergence at TB. Three-dimensional infinite Bose gas results are recovered when the temperature independent gap is either a constant or equal to zero.
PACS numbers: 03.75.Fi; 05.30.Jp; 67.40.Kh
Quality of Service Based Differentiation Quotient for Data Delivery in WSN: A performance improvement technique
Authors: Baskar K. , Muthumanickam K. , Mahesh P. C. Senthil , Saravanan S 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Energy is a crucial factor for Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) reliant applications that are dependent on the Internet of Things (IoT) since a node's low residual energy frequently causes packet loss, a shorter network lifetime, and end-to-end delays. IoT nodes frequently have a limited amount of resources, including processing and storage power, energy-saving potential, and communication. It is necessary to increase the energy consumption and network lifetime of WSN reliant IoT applications to provide a better Quality of Service (QoS) guarantee. In time-critical IoT applications, QoS is a key factor. Thus, a service provisioning method to transmit data with a superior QoS differentiation quotient has been presented in this paper.An improved zone header selection algorithm separates the sensor network based on node authentication and measures zone header-sink node combinations.The suggested QoS differentiation quotient algorithm is completely distributed and does not need any network knowledge beforehand. To show that the proposed solution improves the QoS of the WSN reliant IoT networks compared to various state-of-the-art techniques, simulation experiments were carried out utilizing various metrics such as data loss, transmission latency, energy consumption, and throughput. The suggested model performs better than existing methods in terms of all metrics, according to simulation findings.
Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility of Remote Spirometric Monitoring for Rural Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease: A Multimethod Approach
Authors: Boente Ryan David , Schacht Sydney , Borton Rebecca , Joseph Vincent , Rattray Nicholas , Golzarri-Arroyo Lilian 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Introduction
Interstitial lung disease encompasses a group of rare lung conditions causing inflammation and scarring of lung tissue. The typical method of monitoring disease activity is through pulmonary function tests performed in a hospital setting. However, accessing care can be difficult for rural patients due to numerous barriers. This study assesses the feasibility and acceptability of home spirometry telemonitoring using MIR-Spirometers and the patientMpower home-monitoring platform for rural patients with interstitial lung disease.
Methods
Unblinded, uncontrolled, prospective, multiple-methods study of the feasibility and utility of remote monitoring of 20 rural subjects with interstitial lung disease. Study assessments include adherence to twice weekly spirometry for 3 months in addition to mMRC dyspnea and EQ-5D-5L health-related quality of life questionnaires with each spirometry maneuver. Upon completion, subjects were encouraged to complete an 11-question satisfaction survey and participate in semi-structured qualitative interviews to further explore expectations and perceptions of rural patients to telehealth and remote patient monitoring.
Results
19 subjects completed the 3-month study period. Adherence to twice weekly spirometry was mean 53% ± 38%, with participants on average performing 2.26 ± 1.69 maneuvers per week. The median (Range) number of maneuvers per week was 2.0 (0.0, 7.0). The majority of participants responded favorably to the patient satisfaction survey questions. Themes regarding barriers to access included: lack of local specialty care, distance to center with expertise, and time, distance, and high cost associated with travel. Remote monitoring was well perceived amongst subjects as a way to improve access and overcome barriers.
Conclusions
Telehelath utilizing a web-based remote spirometry monitoring platform is acceptable and feasible in rural participants. Adherence can likely be improved with more robust methods to monitor and remind participants. However, subjects found the patientMpower application and spirometers easy to use. The greatest perceived benefits to use included overcoming barriers to access, such as time, distance, and cost of travel associated with usual care. Before widespread use, cost, reimbursement, and patient access to broadband internet must be addressed. Future studies are needed to ensure long-term feasibility in rural patients, with further research comparing outcomes of remote patient monitoring to usual care.
Affective Polarization and Dynamics of Information Spread in Online Networks
Authors: Lerman Kristina , Feldman Dan , He Zihao , Rao Ashwin 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Different ideological groups within a heterogeneous online social networks not only disagree but also dislike and distrust each other. This phenomenon, called affective polarization, widens political divisions and also impacts how information spreads online. We directly measure affective polarization on social media by quantifying emotions and toxicity of reply interactions. We demonstrate that interactions between users with same ideology (in-group replies) tend to be positive, while interactions between opposite-ideology users (out-group replies) are characterized by negativity and toxicity. Second, we show that affective polarization generalizes beyond the in-group/out-group dichotomy and can be considered a structural property of social networks: emotions vary with network distance between users, with closer interactions eliciting positive emotions and more distant interactions leading to higher anger, disgust, and toxicity. Finally, we show that similar information can exhibit different dynamics when spreading in polarized groups. These findings are consistent across diverse discussions on topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic and abortion. Our research provides new insights into the complex social dynamics of affective polarization in the digital age and its implications for online discourse.
Role of Tenofovir dipivoxil in gut microbiota recovery from HBV- infection induced dysbiosis
Authors: Long Jianfei , Saw Maximilian , Zhang Pan , Wang Li , Li Ling , Ren Hongyan , Liu Chao , Ma Zhenxuan , Zhang Jiming , Wang Bin 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
Studies have found dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in individuals infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Tenofovir dipivoxil (TDF) is one of the preferred oral antiviral drugs used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), but the extent to which TDF is able to affect the gut microbiota and inflammatory factors of a patient remains largely unexplored. In this study, we collected stool samples from HBV patients prior to medication and from CHB patients treated with TDF.
Results
The gut microbiota and inflammatory factors were assessed in 42 healthy subjects (HC group), 109 HBV-infected subjects, including 48 CHB patients who were not medicated with nucleoside analogue drugs (No-NAs group), and 61 CHB patients who were medicated with TDF (TDF group). 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that TDF treatment caused significant changes in the gut microbiota of HBV-infected individuals; however, the gut microbiota of HBV-infected individuals did not fully recover to a pre-dysbiosis state. The relative abundance of Bacteroidota gradually decreased from the HC group to the No-NAs and TDF groups. The relative abundance of Fusobacteriota was significantly higher in the No-NAs group than in the HC group. At the genus level, Dialister, Eubacterium_hallii_group, Halomonas, Collinsella, Sphingomonas, Xanthomonadaceae_unclassified, and Rhizobiaceae_unclassified were overrepresented; while the abundance of Bacteroides and Fusobacterium decreased significantly in the No-NAs and TDF groups.
Conclusions
This study showed that TDF treatment significantly improved the regulation of the gut microbiota and aided in dysbiosis recovery. We did not observe significant improvement in serum inflammatory factor concentrations, which may be related to the relatively short duration of TDF administration in this study.
Reliability-Based Design Optimization for a Vertical-Type Breakwater with Multiple Limit State Equations under Korean Marine Environments varying from Sea to Sea
Authors: Cho Yong Jun 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

In this study, as part of basic research aimed at enhancing the accuracy of load- and resistance coefficients to ensure their suitability for practical design and promoting the application of underutilized reliability-based design in Korea, the author conducts optimal design based on the reliability analysis of a vertical-type breakwater in the seas off Haeundae, Yeosu, Mokpo, Gunsan, and Incheon – representative ports in Korea. In doing so, the author utilized the double-loop approach that solves simultaneously a reliability problem nested in an optimization process. To alleviate the extremely large numerical efforts demanded in the double-loop approach, the Subset Simulation method was employed. In this process, the author deliberately refrained from using design waves of a specific return period and linear probabilistic models such as Gaussian distribution, especially concerning wave- and lift forces, often viewed as barriers to the widespread application of reliability-based design in Korea. Instead, the author focused on characterizing the uncertainties associated with wave force, lift force, and overturning moment —variables that significantly impact the integrity of vertical-type breakwaters- by developing probabilistic models for these random variables directly from long-term in-situ wave data, which captures the varied characteristics of the Korean marine environment from sea to sea. The limit state of the vertical-type breakwater was defined to encompass sliding, overturning, and collapse failures, and the strong interrelation between wave force, lift force, and overturning moment was described using the Nataf joint probability distribution. As anticipated, simulation results show that solely considering sliding failure, as in the current reliability-based design platform in Korea, leads to an underestimated failure probability. Furthermore, it becomes evident that ensuring a consistent failure probability for vertical-type breakwaters using design waves with a specific return period, as in past studies, is not feasible. In contrast, this study demonstrates that breakwaters optimally designed to meet the reliability index requirement of β-3.5 to 4 consistently maintain a target failure probability in all sea areas.
A novel inorganic phosphate-based adhesive for bonding archaeological pottery: A preliminary exploration
Authors: Xie Lina , Li Yuhu , Hu Wenjing , Fang Shiqiang , Chen Xue-Qiang 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

The breakage and fracture of archaeological potteries not only make them in a dangerous state for a long time but also are not conducive to exhibition and utilization. To repair these fragmentized potteries, it is imperative to synthesize an adhesive that can provide cohesion by bonding the broken surface. In the past decades, organic polymer materials, such as epoxy resin and acrylic resin, have often been used to repair pottery. However, it has been reported that using organic bonding materials for pottery conservation comes with various adverse effects, such as short lifetime, poor compatibility and preservation damage in recent years. With the introduction of material compatibility, the idea of using inorganic materials to protect inorganic cultural relics has been gradually accepted. This study introduces a novel inorganic adhesive, which can achieve excellent bonding performance by using the Al(OH)3–H3PO4 system as base adhesive, CuO as curing agent and nano-TiO2 as filler. To select the optimal base adhesive, the paper investigates the influence of varying weight ratios of H2O–H3PO4 system and Al(OH)3–H3PO4 system on properties such as tensile lap-shear strength, microstructure, high-temperature resistance and phase composition. Moreover, several formulations have been prepared and tested in laboratory to investigate the impact of filler addition on color, bonding performance and surface microstructure. Studies have defined the optimal formulation, and the inorganic phosphate-based adhesive (IPA) has been preliminarily applied to the fractured archaeological pottery. The obtained results demonstrate that the IPA is a promising bonding material and shows great potential in fractured pottery restoration.
Research on Cyst of Jaw Detection Algorithm Based on Alex Net Deep Learning Model
Authors: Guangyan Wang , Yanan Jia , Aihemaiti Gulibstan , Kexin Wang , Feng Qiao , Duyan Geng 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
In clinical medicine, jawbone cysts are a common dental disease, and their symptoms are similar to other dental diseases, making diagnosis difficult. To address this issue, this paper proposes a cyst detection system based on Alex Net to achieve the detection of cysts on dental radiographs using a CBCT dataset. The system can detect potential cyst lesions and locations in a timely manner to assist doctors in diagnosis. The improved model achieves an average accuracy of 83.5% and a maximum accuracy of 99.9%, achieving a high cyst recognition rate on existing datasets. In addition, the extensive image enhancement techniques introduced in the Alex Net model also improve the performance of the model. The experimental results show that compared to Res Net and VGG Net, both networks are not ideal for the classification of jawbone cysts, and may not be able to effectively extract key features from medical images, resulting in low classification accuracy. Therefore, it is important to choose a suitable deep learning model for the diagnosis of specific dental diseases. In future research, it is possible to further explore how to combine multiple deep learning models to improve the accuracy of diagnosis of dental diseases such as jaw cysts. In addition, improving data preprocessing and enhancing techniques can further improve the generalization ability of the model. In summary, by combining deep learning and clinical medicine concepts and methods, more effective auxiliary diagnostic systems can be developed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of dental disease diagnosis.