bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Scouting the supercapacitor performance of bimetallic transition metal co-doped carbon quantum dots (CQDs) Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composites as green electrode materials.
Authors: Daniel Sobhi , M.G Praveena , E.M Mohammed 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have emerged as an excellent and fantastic material among nanomaterials especially in the fabrication of green electrode materials in supercapacitors. The energy storage performance and cyclic stability together with the integration of transition metals enhances its applications in the arena of energy conversion and storage. The present work highlights the fabrication of bimetallic transition metal co-doped CQDs and its composites with Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), its analytical characterization and the investigation on the electrochemical performances of these composites by Cyclic Voltametric (CV) studies. Co doping of first row transition elements with CQDs were found to enhance the supercapacitor performance by several folds and among the first row transition metals, Mn2+ was found to be superior over others and in the present work, we have synthesized a series of bimetallic transition metal co-doped CQDS by fixing Mn2+ as one of the transition metal ion and the combinations of Mn2+ - Fe2+, Mn2+-Co2+,Mn2+- Ni2+,Mn2+-Cu2+ and Mn2+Zn2+ ions. The formation of bimetallic CQDs were confirmed from the UV- Visible spectral analysis, EDS analysis, fluorescence measurements and the SEM analysis. The high-resolution TEM images reveal that the bimetallic co-doped CQDs were homogeneously distributed and are almost found to be hexagonal in shape possessing a size range of less than 20 nm. The surface area, pore volume and the pore diameter of the composite materials were found to be in the range of (81x10− 2-92 x10− 2) m2/g to (198x10− 3 -202x10− 3) cm3/g and (7.83–8.89) nm respectively. The capacitance value of the bimetallic transition metal co-doped CQDs were found to be in the range of (171–480) µF/cm2, which is found to be enhanced by 200-fold in comparison to single transition metal CQDs and these materials will find wide application towards the fabrication of green electrode materials in near future.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of a shifted completely connected network for massively parallel computer systems
Authors: Ali Mohammed N. M. , Rahman M. M. Hafizur 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

The Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) is one of the most important measures to compare the effect of the newly invented technologies to their costs. CEA is used to evaluate the cost of two or more new products based on the benefits that have been obtained from them. Thus, it is crucial to analyze the cost-effectiveness (CE) of any new element before starting the production process. Taking a broad view of costs and benefits is important to make a perfect CEA that provide an evaluation for the long-term effects of the new creations. CEA is applicable to be used in evaluating all new products and technologies in all sectors including computer science. In this paper, the CE of a proposed parallel computer system built by using a shifted completely connected network (SCCN) will be analyzed. This system is composed of multiple levels, the cost of creating each level will be compared to the obtained benefits of this level. Besides, each level will be compared also to other networks with almost the same number of processing elements (PEs). To evaluate this network, three parameters will be calculated including the cost-effectiveness factor (CEF), time cost-effectiveness factor (TCEF), and static-cost-effectiveness analysis. Each level of SCCN showed the lowest cost-effectiveness analysis over the two-dimensional networks, however, it has a little bit higher value of CEA compared to the three-dimensional networks.
Strategies for scaling up pre-ART advanced HIV disease screening at a secondary referral hospital - Malawi: a qualitative study
Authors: Mithi Brany , Sambala Evanson Z , Bula Agatha , Jere Ziliro , Kumilonde Emily , Gondwe Grant , Chikuse Marion M , Manda Simion , Muula Adamson 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background
Implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended Advanced HIV Disease screening package, remains poor in most settings with limited resources compared with centers of excellence in Malawi. More than 50% of newly diagnosed-HIV clients are missed on screening as a result of implementation barriers. It is important to mitigate the existing barriers and leverage enablers’ inorder to maximize uptake of the advanced HIV disease screening in resource limited settings. This study aimed to co-design strategies for scaling up implementation of advanced HIV disease screening among newly HIV-diagnosed clients in pre-ART phase using a Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research-Expert Recommendation for Implementing Change (CFIR-ERIC) guiding tool.
Methods
A qualitative study was conducted at Rumphi district hospital in Malawi (August – September, 2023). In-depth interviews and stakeholders’ meetings were facilitated to identify and co-design specific strategies for mitigating implementation barriers to advanced HIV disease screening. Participants comprised healthcare providers, purposively selected from key hospital departments. Transcripts and other information were analyzed using Nvivo software followed by mapping of barriers and specific strategies using CFIR-ERIC Matching tool version 1.0.
Findings:
Ten In-depth interviews and 2 stakeholders meetings comprising 25 participants were conducted. Overall, 6 Level 1 strategies (≥ 50% expert endorsement score) and 11 Level 2 strategies (≥ 20%, ≤ 49% expert endorsement score) were identified, targeting barriers associated with availability of resources, intervention complexity, access to knowledge and information, communication and networks; and implementation leads. Most of the reported strategies were cross-cutting and aimed at enhancing clinical knowledge of the intervention (train & educate stakeholders, develop training materials, educational meetings), developing stakeholders interrelations (network weaving, visits to site of Excellency) as well as improving clinical workflow (physical and work structure). Use of evaluative and iterative strategies (identification of barriers, audit & feedback) were also recommended as part of continuous improvement.
Conclusion
Through the involvement of key stakeholders and the use of CFIR-ERIC matching tool, this study has identified cross-cutting strategies that if well implemented, can help to mitigate contextual barriers and leverage enablers for an improved delivery of AHD screening package.
Clinical features and outcomes in kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19 pneumonia: a single center retrospective cohort study
Authors: Xu liang , Chen Xiu xiu , Yang Xuying , Chen Song , Yang Meng , Yuan Zehua , Chen Rentian , Wang Jianli , Jiang Hongtao , Xu Jian , Wang Yi 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Objective
This retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, and short-term prognosis of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) with concurrent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.
Methods
KTRs with COVID-19 pneumonia who were admitted to our hospital from December 28, 2022, to March 28, 2023 were included in the study, and their clinical symptoms, response to antiviral medications, and short-term prognosis were analyzed.
Results
A total of 64 KTRs with initial diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia were included in this study. The primary symptoms were fever, cough, and myalgia, with an incidence of 79.7%, 89.1%, and 46.9%, respectively. The administration of antiviral drugs (paxlovid or molnupiravir) within 1–5 days and for over 5 days demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in viral shedding time compared to the group without antiviral medication (P = 0.002). Both the paxlovid and molnupiravir treatment groups exhibited a significantly shorter duration of viral shedding time in comparison to the group without antiviral drugs (P = 0.002). After 6 months of recovery, there was no significantly negative impact on transplant kidney function (P = 0.294).
Conclusion
Fever, cough, and myalgia remain common initial symptoms of concurrent COVID-19 pneumonia in KTRs. The earlier use of antiviral drugs (the paxlovid or molnupiravir) is associated with better therapeutic outcomes. severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had limited impact on short-term renal function of the KTRs with concurrent moderate or severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
DFTGL: Domain Filtered and Target Guided Learning for Few-Shot Anomaly Detection
Authors: Zhang Jiajun , Song Yanzhi , Yang Zhouwang 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

This paper addresses cross-domain challenges in few-shot anomaly detection, where utilizing various source domains leads to diminished representations and compromised detection in the target domain. To tackle this, we propose Domain Filtering and Target-Guided Learning (DFTGL). Initially, we measure domain gaps and retain source domains with smaller disparities. We introduce a limited number of target domain samples to create an intermediate domain for better feature transfer during training. Additionally, we employ category-prior-based augmentation to refine feature distribution estimation while ensuring image registration. Experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in image-level AUROC compared to the baseline: 5.1%, 5.9%, and 4.1% (2-shot, 4-shot, and 8-shot settings) on MVTec and 6.9%, 2.1%, and 2.5% on ViSA datasets. This pioneering research effectively narrows domain gaps, enabling proficient feature transfer, and holds promise for early anomaly detection in industries like product inspection and medical diagnostics.
Comparative analysis of coping methods used by patients with diabetes mellitus: a qualitative inquiry in a Ghanaian district hospital
Authors: Korsah Kwadwo Ameyaw , Achempim-Ansong Gloria , Ampomah Menford Owusu , Ansu-Frimpong Samuel , Danso Emmanuel 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background
Many studies have been conducted on coping approaches used by patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes in both developed and low- and middle-income economies, focusing on the distressful nature of the condition. Nevertheless, the classic distinction of unique coping methods used by males and females with diabetes mellitus has not been investigated or reported in Ghana. This study aimed to analyse coping strategies employed by patients with diabetes mellitus based on their differential groupings.
Method
The study focused on an exploratory descriptive design. The researchers set off to explore the unique coping methods of men and women living with diabetes mellitus using a one-on-one interview approach for data collection. Participants were purposively sampled. The data analysis was performed using a content analysis approach tied to the participants’ age, sex, and education levels.
Results
Eight (8) remarkable findings were identified and aligned with the eight (8) main distinctive groupings of males and females with diabetes mellitus. The participants reported diverse coping methods, which included confrontation coping approaches, the use of surrogates in coping, the use of humor, medical coping, the use of prayers, spiritual fasting, the use of alcohol, and suicidal ideations as ways of coping.
Conclusions
Health professionals need to be aware of patients’ beliefs without changing patients’ world outlook while also being supportive of patients’ use of suitable interventions, including coping styles for the overall management of diabetes mellitus.
A geodecisional method based in Analytical Hierarchy Process and Geographic Information System to the flood susceptibility mapping of the Sidi Bel Abbes Territory (NW of Algeria)
Authors: Chehibi Oussama , Hamidi Mansour , Roukh Zine El Abidine 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Floods are one of the most common natural hazards in the world, causing a lot of damage and loss of life every year. In Algeria, many events have caused serious damage over several decades, recorded at the national level; among them, the flood of Mohammedia 1881, Mostaganem 1927, Oued R’hiou 1993 and Bab el Oued (Algiers) 2001. In northwestern of Algeria, the Wilaya of Sidi Bel Abbes, several floods are frequently recorded, with high to catastrophic levels, causing serious damage associated with significant loss of human life. In this work, we propose an approach to evaluate the rate of susceptibility to flooding of the territory of Sidi Bel Abbes by a geodecisional analysis under the GIS environment. A total of nine factors influencing flooding phenomena such as, distance to rivers, slope, streams density, altitude, flow accumulation, rainfall, soil type, geology and land use are integrated in the flood susceptibility calculation. Based on semi-quantitative statistical approach namely, Analytical Hierarchic Process (AHP), the weighting of each parameter is calculated. The Flood Susceptibility Global Index (FSGI) is evaluated using the weighted linear combination of the whole parameters used in this analysis. As a result, the flood susceptibility map is established by the classification of the envisaged index into five classes. The outcome of this analysis indicates that 41% of the study area characterized by very low susceptibility, 28% of the total area characterized by low susceptibility, 19% for the moderate flood susceptibility zones, 09% and 3% for the high and very high flood susceptibility areas, respectively. The establishment of the flood susceptibility map enabled us to understand the distribution of flood-prone areas and to better explain the preventive aspect of potential floods to local and/or regional communities in order to minimize the fatal effects of the hydrological risk.
Developing a fully applicable machine learning (ML) based sex classification model using linear cranial dimensions
Authors: Bašić Željana , Jerković Ivan , Anđelinović Šimun , Krešić Elvira , Jerković Nika , Dolić Krešimir , Čavka Mislav , Bedalov Ana , Kružić Ivana 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Recent advances in AI and ML applications have elevated accomplishments in various scientific fields, primarily those that benefit the economy and society. Contemporary threats, such as armed conflicts, natural and man-made disasters, and illegal migrations, often require fast and innovative but reliable identification aids, in which forensic anthropology has a significant role. However, forensic anthropology has not exploited new scientific advances yet but instead relies on traditionally used methods. The rare studies that employ AI and ML in developing standards for sex and age estimation did not go beyond the conceptual solutions and did not apply to real cases. In this study, on the example of Croatian populations’ cranial dimensions, we demonstrated the methodology of developing sex classification models using ML in conjunction with field knowledge, resulting in sex estimation accuracy of more than 95%. To illustrate the necessity of applying scientific results, we developed a web app, CroCrania, that can be used for sex estimation and method validation.
Diagnosis and Management of Lean Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): A Systematic Review
Authors: Njei Basile , Ameyaw Prince , Al-Ajlouni Yazan A. , Njei Lea-Pearl , Boateng Sarpong 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background Lean Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) challenges traditional perceptions of fatty liver diseases, occurring in non-obese individuals. The shift in nomenclature from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease reflects a broader understanding of its pathophysiology, emphasizing the intricate interplay of metabolic components beyond obesity. Despite its clinical relevance, the diagnosis and management of Lean MASLD pose unique challenges due to historical associations with obesity and limited awareness of its distinctive features. Methods A comprehensive systematic literature search was conducted on December 4th, 2023, in six databases using specific criteria. Only peer-reviewed studies in the English language, focusing on either diagnosis or management of lean MASLD. were included. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023489308) Results Following PRISMA guidelines, a total of 95 studies were included, with 43 studies focusing on diagnosis and surveillance of MASLD, while 52 studies focused on management of MASLD. The findings provide insights into the challenges associated with diagnosing Lean MASLD. Emphasis is placed on the evolving diagnostic criteria, acknowledging the limitations of traditional markers and exploring advanced imaging modalities. Management strategies are explored, including lifestyle interventions and potential pharmacological treatments, considering the unique metabolic characteristics of this patient population. Conclusion The findings underscore the need for heightened clinical awareness, regular monitoring, and tailored therapeutic approaches in lean MASLD. Further research is essential to refine diagnostic criteria and develop targeted treatments, paving the way for improved care for individuals with Lean MASLD.
The Genetic Interface of Immunity and COVID-19: Insights from a Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Approach
Authors: Huang Lei , Huang Ying 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Introduction
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has emerged as a global public health emergency since late 2019. Immune cells are crucial for host defense against viral infection and disease progression. However, the specific immune cell characteristics that influence susceptibility to COVID-19 remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between immune cell signatures and COVID-19 using MR analysis.
Materials and Methods
This study utilized publicly available genetic datasets from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative and the Blueprint Consortium and applied a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach to examine the association between 731 immune cell signatures and the risk of COVID-19. We included four types of immune signatures: median fluorescence intensity (MFI), relative cell count (RC), absolute cell count (AC), and morphological parameter (MP) data. We used the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method as the primary analysis and performed several sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of the results.
Results
Our analysis revealed 30 distinct immune cell characteristics that were directly associated with the risk of COVID-19, including CD4 + regulatory T cells (CD4 + Treg cells), CCR2 + CD14- CD16 + monocytes, CD86 + plasmacytoid DC AC, CCR2 + plasmacytoid DC (CCR2 + pDC), CCR2 + CD62L + plasmacytoid DC (CCR2 + CD62L + pDC), and CD80 + CD62L + plasmacytoid DC (CD80 + pDC). However, among these findings, only the expression of CCR2 on CD14-CD16 + monocytes had a significant impact (P = 0.0249, OR = 1.0427, 95% CI=[1.0053, 1.0814]) on immune cell attributes in the context of COVID-19. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the validity of the IVW results and ruled out the possibility of horizontal pleiotropy.
Conclusion
Through two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis, we demonstrated a significant causal relationship between specific immune cell characteristics and the risk of COVID-19. These findings provide important genetic evidence for the development of future vaccines and treatment strategies.
Geometric Design of Electric Motors Using Adjoint-based Shape Optimization
Authors: Scotzniovsky Luca , Xiang Ru , Cheng Zeyu , Rodriguez Gabriel , Kamensky David , Mi Chris , Hwang John 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Interest in electric aircraft has increased due to developments in electric propulsion technology and concerns regarding aircraft carbon emissions. The emerging urban air mobility (UAM) industry aims to provide convenient short-range air travel using electric aircraft. An important factor in the design of electric aircraft is the modeling and design of electric motors. The many degrees of freedom in electric motor design makes it a complex design problem. To mitigate this complexity, we have developed a novel adjoint-based electric motor design methodology using finite-element electromagnetic analysis and PDE-based mesh warping with exact derivatives. This paper highlights the approach and details of the proposed method and presents results from its application to a representative motor design problem. The optimization results in a 35\% decrease in motor mass and a 3\% increase in efficiency in comparison to the baseline design. These results demonstrate the efficacy of an adjoint-based optimization approach with exact analytical derivatives for electric motor design.
Aged mice show a reduction in 5-HT neurons and less cellular activation in the dentate gyrus when exposed to acute running
Authors: Silva Josiane do Nascimento , Rodrigues Bianca Andrade , Kawamoto Elisa Mitiko 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Serotonin (5-HT) is an important neurotransmitter for cognition and neurogenesis. However, possible changes in brain 5-HT function due to aging process remain to be investigated. We evaluated whether elderly animals would present changes in the number of 5-HT neurons in regions such as the dorsal (DRN) and median (MRN) nucleus of the raphe, and possible changes in the rate of cell activation in the dentate gyrus (DG) in response to acute running. This research was carried out on adult (3 months) and elderly (19 months), male and female mice. Immunohistochemistry, microscopic analysis and treadmill running were performed. The data showed that in elderly mice there was a reduction in the number of 5-HT neurons in the DRN and MRN of males and females. In the DRN region, the reduction was even greater for females. Furthermore, elderly animals showed a lower rate of c-Fos labeling in the DG when stimulated by acute running. The data indicate that aging can culminate in the reduction of 5-HT neurons in raphe nuclei. Furthermore, the region responsible for hippocampal neurogenesis would be affected in aging, since the stimulus promoted by acute running evokes a lower rate of neuronal activation in these individuals.