bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Understanding of Germination Duration and Cereal Type on the Quality and Sensory Attributes of Bread during Primary Fermentation
Authors: Kassegn Hagos Hailu , Meresa Birhanu Kahsay , Tesfu Daniel Balema 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

This study evaluated the impact of germination time and cereal type on nutrient content and sensory attributes of bread using germinated flours as a natural starter culture. Wheat varieties (Ashehan and Global) and oats were soaked for 12 hours, and then germinated for 48, 72, and 96 hours. After drying (27–30°C) for 48 hours, grains were milled into whole flour. Breads made from these germinated flours were analyzed for proximate composition, minerals, and sensory qualities. Bread made with Ashehan germinated flour (48–96 hours) showed fat (2.91–3.08%), protein (13.79–14.38%), carbohydrate (61.08–62.13%), and energy (328.03–331.49 kcal/100g) content. Global wheat showed similar trends, while oats had higher values, with fat (4.36–4.59%), protein (16.18–19.26%), and energy (336.48–359.99 kcal/100g). Germination significantly increased protein, energy, and mineral contents, especially in oats germinated for 96 hours (calcium 24.51 mg/100g, zinc 1.85 mg/100g, iron 2.44 mg/100g). Sensory tests indicated that germination at 72 hours improved bread acceptability, particularly in taste, with Ashehan, Global, and oats achieving the highest scores. Non-germinated (yeast-fermented) samples were least preferred. This study suggests that germination, especially at 72 hours, enhances bread quality and could be effective in traditional starter development.
Effects of different exogenous additives on humification and microbial community during tomato straw composting process
Authors: Shu Luolin , Yang Yuanyuan , Zheng Xue , Chen Qi , Yang Zhenchao , Wu Yongjun 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of biochar, phosphogypsum, and calcium superphosphate on composting tomato straw to improve compost quality and reduce composting time. Four treatments were tested: T1 (tomato straw + 0.5% EM bacterial agent), T2 (tomato straw + 10% biochar + 0.5% EM), T3 (tomato straw + 10% superphosphate + 0.5% EM), and T4 (tomato straw + 10% phosphogypsum + 0.5% EM). Results showed that these additives extended the high-temperature phase and improved compost maturity, with T2 being the most effective. T2 exhibited the highest increase in humic acid (127.01%) and the greatest degradation of organic matter (63%) and cellulose (69.82%), outperforming the control (p < 0.05). Microbial analysis revealed that Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, and Proteobacteria dominated the phylum level, while Bacillus, Weissella, Staphylococcus, and Halocella were key genera. Corynebacterium was identified as the main microorganism responsible for spoilage and maturation. This study highlights biochar’s role in enhancing humification in tomato straw composting.
Measles Outbreak Investigation in Kakumiro District, Uganda, February–May 2024
Authors: Okello Emmanuel Okiror , Migisha Richard , Ampaire Immaculate , Nsubuga Fred , Nalwanga Joanita , Kwizera Patrick , Okello Paul Edward , Bulage Lilian , Kwesiga Benon , Ario Alex Riolexus 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Background: On April 7, 2024, the Uganda Ministry of Health was notified of a measles outbreak in Kakumiro District involving death of a suspected case. We investigated to determine the scope of the outbreak, assess risk factors for disease transmission, and recommend evidenced-based interventions.
Methods: We defined a suspected case as onset of fever and maculopapular generalized rash with ≥1 of cough, coryza, or conjunctivitis in any resident of Kakumiro District during February–May 2024. A confirmed case was a suspected case with laboratory confirmation for measles Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody. We line-listed cases, performed descriptive analysis, and conducted a 1:1 case-control study with 100 randomly selected cases and village-matched controls. We identified risk factors using logistic regression and estimated vaccine coverage using the percentage of eligible controls who had received ≥1 dose of measles vaccine. We calculated Vaccine Effectiveness (VE) as VE= 1−ORadj×100%, where ORadj is the adjusted odds ratio associated with having received ≥1 dose of measles vaccine.
Results: We identified 188 suspected cases, including 6 (3.2%) confirmed and 1 (0.5%) death. The overall attack rate (AR) was 67/100,000 persons. Children aged <9 months (AR=232/100,000) and those aged 9 months–≤5 years (AR=177/100,000) were the most affected. The most affected sub-counties were Kisengwe (AR=313/100,000), Kasambya (AR=126/100,000) and Kakumiro Town Council (AR=110/100,00). Non-vaccination (aOR=2.9, 95%CI: 1.1-7.6), exposure to a measles case in a health facility during exposure period (aOR=47, 95%CI: 6.09-369) and exposure to measles case in the same household during exposure period (aOR=9.3, 95%CI: 2.9-30) were associated with measles infections. Vaccine coverage was 88% (95%CI: 79%-94%) and vaccine effectiveness was 65% (95%CI: 13%-91%). We observed crowding and lack of triaging/isolation in health facilities.
Conclusions: This outbreak was facilitated by non-vaccination and propagated by exposure to infected persons in health facilities and households. We recommended to MoH to conduct a supplementary immunization activity that included children <9 months in the target group. Triaging and isolation of cases might help to reduce the spread of measles in future outbreaks. There is also need to develop strategies to improve vaccine effectiveness in the district.
Characterizing the Influence of Q-Stress on Mixed-Mode I/II Fracture in Elastic-Plastic Materials
Authors: Oskui Abuzar Es’haghi , Khabaz-Aghdam Ata , Cao Jinrui , Hasannezhad Hosein , Astaraki Sajjad 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

A two-parameter fracture framework is used to investigate the fracture behavior of AM60 magnesium alloy under different loading conditions. In order to perform fracture tests, a modified Arcan apparatus capable of applying pure tension, pure shear, and mixed tension-shear loading conditions was used. Various crack-tip constraints were obtained by altering the loading angle from mode-I to mode-II and crack length ratio between 0.3 and 0.7. The experimental results indicate that the material exhibits greater susceptibility to crack propagation under tension mode than shear mode. JC in pure shear demonstrates a decrease of 40.84% relative to JC in pure tension at 0.5 crack length ratio. Finite element analysis was employed to determine the crack-tip constraint parameter (Q) under various loading and geometric conditions, revealing a pronounced dependence of crack-tip constraint on them, with the latter's effect increasing at higher loading angles. These dependencies were approximated as linear relationships. To reduce the need for extensive experimental testing, J-Q curves were developed for different constraint levels, facilitating the estimation of critical JC values directly from the crack-tip constraint. The proposed methodology demonstrated deviations between predicted and experimental JC values ranging from 0.15–14.43%. Additionally, the J-R resistance curve was refined to incorporate Q-dependency, further minimizing experimental efforts. The findings underscore the robustness and practicality of this approach in accurately predicting fracture parameters while significantly reducing reliance on experimental fracture tests.
Interaction between MUC1 and β-catenin promotes transformation of adenomas to adenocarcinomas in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
Authors: Li Yinan , Shi Wenjun , Luo Pei , Cheng Xianshuo , Yang Jun , Li Yunfeng , Tian Linghan , Ren Nanlu , Dong Jian 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Purpose
This study aims to elucidate the mechanisms of interaction between MUC1 and β-catenin in the transformation from adenoma to adenocarcinoma in FAP, providing insights for potential interventions in this progression and establishing a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of FAP.
Methods
(1)Bioinformatics and Clinical Specimen Analysis to investigate the differential expression of MUC1 and β-catenin and their association with clinical characteristics, including tumor staging, grading, metastasis, and survival outcomes in CRC. (2)Confirmation of MUC1-β-catenin Complexes using Alphafold, PyMol, immunofluorescence, and co-immunoprecipitation techniques. (3)Regulation of β-catenin through inhibitors, siRNA, and lentivirus to modulate β-catenin levels and assess MUC1 expression. (4)Biological behavior observation to evaluate changes in the biological behavior of APC mutant cells following MUC1 knockdown or overexpression.
Results
(1)Both MUC1 and β-catenin are overexpressed in colorectal cancer, with high expression correlating with poor prognosis. (2)In APC mutant colorectal cell lines, MUC1 knockdown inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while MUC1 overexpression enhances these behaviors. (3)Both in vitro and in vivo models, β-catenin regulates MUC1 expression and interacts with it. Modulating MUC1 or β-catenin influences the binding or dissociation of MUC1-β-catenin complexes, impacting downstream signaling pathways.
Conclusion
In FAP patients, APC gene mutations impair β-catenin degradation within the WNT signaling pathway. Consequently, MUC1 is recruited around free β-catenin, forming a stable complex that promotes the progression from adenoma to adenocarcinoma by activating the WNT/β-catenin pathways. Inhibiting the interaction between MUC1 and β-catenin may offer significant potential for the prevention and treatment of FAP.
In Silico Evaluation of Quercetin and Gallic Acid from Saraca Asoca as Potential Therapeutic Compounds for Wound Healing and Inflammation
Authors: Jain Aishwarya , Bhise Kiran 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

This study discusses the possibility of quercetin and gallic acid, which are isolates of Saraca Asoca, being applied to the wound healing process. Three molecular docking simulations on the following key targets with these compounds were conducted: vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Quercetin exhibited exceptional binding affinity at the active site of VEGFR2, with a docking energy value of -9.3 kcal/mol and two hydrogen bonds with Cys919 and Glu917 besides more polar interactions at the catechol ring. Gallic acid was also strongly bound, the docking energy value being − 6.0 kcal/mol, with three hydrogen bonds with Cys919 and Glu917. For COX-2, quercetin filled the active pocket with − 7.4 kcal/mol of docking energy, establishing five hydrogen bonds with such important residues as Lys83 and Tyr115. A docking energy of -6.5 kcal/mol was produced by gallic acid through three significant hydrogen bonds with Thr206, His207, and Tyr385. These results explain the promising possibility of quercetin and gallic acid as pharmaceuticals in the acceleration of wound healing through the possibility of interaction with VEGFR2 and COX-2. This study is, therefore, crucial evidence of the bioactive substances of Saraca Asoca and raises more possibilities that would be continued with additional experiments for further review of its mechanism of action.
Association Between Weight-Adjusted Waist Index and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in Hypertensive Patients: NHANES 2001–2018
Authors: YAO Jiechun , Lin Chun , Xu Qingbo , Li Guode 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Background
With the global prevalence of hypertension increasing rapidly and its inadequate treatment, this study aimed to investigate the association between weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) and mortality risks among hypertensive patients.
Methods
Using data from NHANES 2001–2018, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 12,146 hypertensive patients with a median follow-up of 123 months. WWI was calculated as waist circumference (cm) divided by the square root of body weight (kg). Primary outcomes were all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Analyses were adjusted for demographic characteristics, metabolic parameters, and lifestyle factors.
Results
During follow-up, 3,470 all-cause deaths and 940 CVD deaths occurred. After full adjustment, each unit increase in WWI was associated with higher risks of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.09–1.26) and CVD mortality (HR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.08–1.38). Compared to the lowest WWI quartile, the highest quartile showed significantly increased risks for all-cause mortality (HR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.17–1.54) and CVD mortality (HR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.30–2.20).
Conclusion
Higher WWI was independently associated with increased risks of all-cause and CVD mortality among hypertensive patients, suggesting its potential value as a simple prognostic indicator.
Investigation of the Preparation of Iron Sulfate-loaded Niosomes by an Experimental Novel Method
Authors: Abadi Samira Khalil , Peyvandi Kiana , Shariat Sheida 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Iron is an essential nutrient in the human diet, its presence is necessary and its deficiency causes many problems in the body, including anemia. Oral iron supplements are often ineffectively absorbed and potentially cause adverse effects in the gastrointestinal tract primarily due to the oxidative toxicity of iron. Iron encapsulation in nanocarrier systems reduces organoleptic problems and protects iron against oxidation caused by external factors, and also improves its bioavailability and intestinal absorption. In this research, niosomes loaded with iron sulfate were prepared using surfactant span 60 and Tween 80 by thin film hydration method. Cholesterol and 1-Dodecanol were used as stabilizers in different ratios. Physical-chemical properties of Niosomes loaded with iron sulfate, such as particle size, dispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency (EE%), were investigated. The size of the vesicles ranged from 453.1 ± 0.1 to 3276 ± 1 nm, encapsulation efficiency from 75–93.73%, zeta potential from 6.3 ± 0.1 to -9.91 mV, and particle size distribution (PDI) from 0.004 to 0.59 with pH = 6.8 phosphate buffer solution. F1 Formula with a ratio of 1:10 for surfactant: cholesterol, a ratio of 0.75:0.25 for Tween 80: Span 60, 1 mM iron sulfate, 10 cc dichloromethane solvent and a sonication time of 5 minutes, with efficiency 90 ± 1, particle size of 546.8 ± 0.5 nm, zeta potential of 5.5 ± 0.1 and PDI = 0.57 ± 0.01 was introduced as the optimal formula.
Investigating DNA-Interaction and Anticancer Activity of new Cu +2 complex Coordinated with Dipicolinic Acid. Experimental and Computational Studies
Authors: Heidari Ameneh , Dehghanian Effat , Shahraki Somaye , Razmara Zohreh , Majd Mostafa Heidari , Ahmar Hamid , Rakhshanipour Mansoureh , Goswami Srikanta 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

A complex formulized as [Cu(dmpn)2(OH2)][Cu2(DPA)4µ-Cu(dmpn)2] (1), where dmpn is 2,2׳-dimethyl-1,3-diaminepropane and DPA is dipicolinic acid (H2dipic), was synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography, conductivity measurement, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and spectroscopic methods (IR, UV-Vis). The initial in vitro cytotoxic activity of complex (1) shows promising results compared to known anticancer drugs such as cisplatin against HCT116 colon cell lines. In a recent study, the mode of the interaction between DNA and complex (1) was explored using different techniques. The experiments reveal that the mechanism of fluorescence quenching is static and the characteristic of this interaction is exothermic. The apparent binding constant (Kapp = 1.9×103 M− 1) shows that the interaction between the cu(II) complex and DNA is probably non-intercalation. Based on other data, it can be suggested that hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals forces play a major role in this interaction. Molecular docking simulation supports the achieved experimental results. Likewise, complex (1) shows nuclease activity in the presence of H2O2 and can cleavage structure of DNA.
Alteration of archeological and natural analogues for radioactive waste glass under different environmental conditions
Authors: Marcial Jose , Chesnutt Julian , Neeway James J. , Gichon Eschar , Thorpe Clare L. , Zhu Zihua , Golovchak Roman , Cebulski Jozef , Niedzielski Przemyslaw , Szostek Malgorzata , Luksic Steven , Choi Seungrag , Kennedy Ashley , Anguish Rachel , Bohrmann Natalie C. , Denny Adam , Yagel Omri , McCloy John S. , Brown Lesa R. , Hand Russell J. , Hager Jacqueline R. , Plymale Andrew A. , Pearce C. I. , Ben-Yosef Erez , Hellmann Rolland , Sjöblom Rolf , Schweiger Michael J. , Kosson David S. , Kruger Albert A. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of legacy radioactive waste from plutonium production stored at U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford site will be immobilized in glass for disposal. The glass must limit radionuclide release into the environment for thousands of years, which is challenging to assess in laboratory experiments. Long-term alteration behavior of analogue glasses can demonstrate how radioactive waste glass will perform over extended periods. Glasses buried for hundreds of years at climatically variable sites were selected for analysis, based on their fulfillment of criteria to be analogues for waste glass. Glass surficial layers were characterized using tomography, SEM, and XRD. The thickness, chemistry and morphology of alteration layers are discussed in terms of sample chemistry and burial conditions. A key finding is that glass in arid environments, e.g., Timna (Israel), exhibits thinner surface layers (~ 2 µm) compared to glass altered in humid conditions, e.g., Dobkowice (Poland) (up to 59 µm), confirming the significant role of environmental factors in glass durability. However, the correlation between sample age and alteration layer thickness was less strong, challenging the assumption that older samples would have more extensive alteration. Newberry (USA) obsidian (1,350 years old) had alteration layers ~ 15 µm, while Broborg (Sweden) glass (1,500 years old) exhibited layers as thin as 8 µm. Quantification of archeological and natural analogue glass alteration upon exposure to variable environmental factors provides a unique insight into long-term glass alteration. These findings support use of glass for radioactive waste disposal at Hanford and are applicable globally to disposal in near surface facilities.
Insights from Quasi-in situ Cryogenic-Transfer Atom Probe Tomography for Analyzing Hydrogen Diffusion in Metallic Alloys
Authors: Vukkum Venkata Bhuvaneswari , Li Zehao , Shutthanandan Vaithiyalingam , Devaraj Arun 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Cryogenic-transfer atom probe tomography (APT) has emerged as a powerful technique for nanoscale compositional analysis of hydrogen segregation in materials, offering critical insights into hydrogen embrittlement mechanisms. However, accurate quantification of hydrogen concentration in materials requires careful handling of sample exposure during the cryogenic transfer-APT process. Therefore, we describe the quantitative changes in the surface composition of hydrogen and oxygen in an austenitic FeCrNi model alloy during the ultrahigh vacuum transfer using the state-of-the-art LEAP 6000 XR APT, employing both deep UV laser-assisted and voltage pulsed modes of analysis. These insights were applied to interpret deuterium desorption from the FeCrNi alloy at room temperature after electrochemical deuterium-charging. The findings underscore the importance of managing sample exposure throughout the cryogenic-transfer APT process and introduce a novel quasi-in situ approach to analyzing hydrogen out-diffusion kinetics, which could be extended to a broader range of metallic alloys.
Can Large Language Models Replace Coding Specialists? Evaluating GPT Performance in Medical Coding Tasks
Authors: Feng Yeli 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Purpose: Large language Models (LLM), GPT in particular, have demonstrated near human-level performance in medical domain, from summarizing clinical notes and passing medical licensing examinations, to predictive tasks such as disease diagnoses and treatment recommendations. However, currently there is little research on their efficacy for medical coding, a pivotal component in health informatics, clinical trials, and reimbursement management. This study proposes a prompt framework and investigates its effectiveness in medical coding tasks.
Methods: First, a medical coding prompt framework is proposed. This framework aims to improve the performance of complex coding tasks by leveraging state-of-the-art (SOTA) prompt techniques including meta prompt, multi-shot learning, and dynamic in-context learning to extract task specific knowledge. This framework is implemented with a combination of commercial GPT-4o and open-source LLM. Then its effectiveness is evaluated with three different coding tasks. Finally, ablation studies are presented to validate and analyze the contribution of each module in the proposed prompt framework.
Results: On the MIMIC-IV dataset, the prediction accuracy is 68.1% over the 30 most frequent MS-DRG codes. The result is comparable to SOTA 69.4% that fine-tunes the open-source LLaMA model, to the best of our knowledge. And the top-5 accuracy is 90.0%. The clinical trial criteria coding task results in a macro F1 score of 68.4 on the CHIP-CTC test dataset in Chinese, close to 70.9, the best supervised model training method in comparison. For the less complex semantic coding task, our method results in a macro F1 score of 79.7 on the CHIP-STS test dataset in Chinese, which is not competitive with most supervised model training methods in comparison.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that for complex medical coding tasks, carefully designed prompt-based learning can achieve similar performance as SOTA supervised model training approaches. Currently, it can be very helpful assistants, but it does not replace human coding specialists. With the rapid advancement of LLM, their potential to reliably automate complex medical coding in the near future cannot be underestimated.
Efficient Program Optimization through Knowledge-Enhanced LoRA Fine-Tuning of Large Language Models
Authors: Xu Caixu , Guo Hui , Cen Caicun , Chen Minglang , Tao Xiongjie , He Jie 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Source code optimization enables developers to enhance programs at the human-computer interaction level, thereby improving development efficiency and product quality. With the rise of large language models (LLMs), fine-tuning and prompting have become mainstream solutions for this task. However, both approaches present challenges: fine-tuning is resource-intensive due to the exponential growth in the scale of LLMs, whereas prompting, although resource-efficient, struggles to generate high-quality optimized programs. In this paper, we present CodeOPT, a LoRA-driven approach for fine-tuning LLMs to optimize C/C++ code. Instead of fine-tuning all LLM parameters, CodeOPT leverages LoRA to fine-tune only an optimization adapter, significantly reducing the number of trainable parameters. Additionally, we incorporate prior optimization knowledge during fine-tuning and introduce optimization-based instruction fine-tuning, enabling LLMs to effectively learn from external knowledge sources to improve program optimization. To evaluate the effectiveness of CodeOPT, we benchmarked it against several baselines on challenging programming tasks from different code completion platforms. Experimental results demonstrate that CodeOPT outperforms all baselines, including the state-of-the-art, while keeping modifications to the original program minimal.