bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Military Knowledge and Practices in Relation to Preventing and Combating COVID-19
Authors: Chirindza Nivaldo Antonio Tomo , Mangona Lucilia Bernardino Marrinze 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 was first reported in the city of Wuhan in the Chinese province of Hubei in December 2019 and is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2. According to the Ministry of Health Mozambique registered the first case of coronavirus on March 22, 2020 and, up to the date of production of this research, had about 230 thousand cases. The modus vivendi of the military, poses a high risk for COVID-19 infection. Hence, there is a need to increase knowledge and improve practices regard to the prevention. However, no study that addresses this issue in the Armed Forces of Defense of Mozambique was found. This study aims to analyze the knowledge and practices of the military in relation of preventing and combating COVID-19. It was carried out at the Army Command, with a sample of 162 subjects selected for convenience. The subjects were submitted to a questionnaire about knowledge and good practices of prevention of COVID-19. Most participants had a high level of knowledge about COVID-19. A little over half of the participants tend to practices conducive to disease prevention. A considerable number demonstrated to have deviant practices in relation to prevention measures recommended by health entities, suggesting health education interventions aimed at this population segment, in particular, especially with regard to daily practices.
An Empirical study on the class imbalance handling techniques for different diseases
Authors: Rhmann Wasiur 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Machine learning and deep learning-based techniques are now widely used to identify and diagnose various diseases. However, getting a sufficient data for these machine learning models is difficult, and usually collected data is unbalanced i.e. less number of instances with disease class and a large number of classes without the disease. These imbalanced data cause poor performance of the classifier in the detection of minority or disease classes. To address this class imbalance problem for medical data we have applied 17 different class imbalance handling techniques on four publically available datasets with Random forest as a base classifier. Performances of different class imbalance handling techniques are statistically evaluated and impact of different disease datasets on the prediction performance is also statistically assessed. Two novel techniques Genetic Algorithm-Cost sensitive-Deep neural network(GA-CS-DNN) and Class imbalance handling technique-Genetic Algorithm-Deep neural Network(CIH-GA-DNN)are proposed for handling class imbalance problems. Performances of proposed techniques are compared with other state of art class imbalance handling techniques and obtained results showed that OnesidedSelection outperformed all other techniques. A statistical test further demonstrated that OnesidedSelection performs differently than SMOTENN. Significant statistical differences in illness prediction can be seen between the kidney and diabetes, prostate and kidney, and kidney and heart datasets when compared pair-wise.
Spatial, temporal, and inter-subject variation of the metabolome along the human upper intestinal tract
Authors: Folz Jacob , Culver Rebecca , Morales Juan , Grembi Jessica , Triadafilopoulos George , Relman David , Huang KC , Shalon Dari , Fiehn Oliver 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Most utilization of human diets occurs in the small intestine, which remains largely unstudied. Here, we used a novel non-invasive, ingestible sampling device to probe the spatiotemporal variation of upper intestinal luminal contents during routine daily digestion in 15 healthy subjects. We analyzed 274 intestinal samples and 60 corresponding stool homogenates by combining five metabolomics assays and 16S rRNA sequencing. We identified 1,909 metabolites, including sulfonolipids and novel bile acids. Stool and intestinal metabolomes differed dramatically. Food metabolites displayed known differences and trends in dietary biomarkers, unexpected increases in dicarboxylic acids along the intestinal tract, and a positive association between luminal keto acids and fruit intake. Diet-derived and microbially linked metabolites accounted for the largest inter-subject differences. Interestingly, subjects exhibited large variation in levels of bioactive fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs) and sulfonolipids. Two subjects who had taken antibiotics within 6 months prior to sampling showed markedly different patterns in these and other microbially related metabolites; from this variation, we identified Blautia species as most likely to be involved in FAHFA metabolism. Thus, in vivo sampling of the human small intestine under physiologic conditions can reveal links between diet, host and microbial metabolism.
The effect of permissive high SVV on postoperative delirium in elderly patients in laparoscopic hepatectomy
Authors: Guo Yunfei , Wang Yazhu , Niu Yanyan , Xue Jianming , Sun Shuo , Li Jianling 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Backgrounds
The effect of goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) on postoperative cognitive function in elderly patients is unknown. Therefore, we designed the present study to evaluate the effect of permissive high stroke volume variability (SVV)-mediated GDFT on postoperative delirium in elderly laparoscopic hepatectomy patients.
Methods
In this study, patients were randomly divided into two groups: a pilot group (group S) with SVV-guided rehydration and a control group (group C) with Central venous pressure (CVP)-guided rehydration. Group S: fluid therapy according to the target SVV value; Group C: fluid therapy according to the CVP value intraoperative parameters and postoperative outcomes were recorded for all patients. The primary outcome variables were cerebral metabolic and injury indicators, volume of access, stress and inflammatory indicators.
Results
Brain metabolic indexes: During operation, rSO2%max in group S was significantly lower than that in group C (7.5% vs 12.3%), and O2ER in group S was lower than that in group C at T2-4, P < 0.05. Brain injury index: S100β protein of group C at 1 day and 3 days after surgery and NSE was significantly higher than group S, P < 0.05. The incidence of POD in group S was significantly lower than that in group C (10% VS 20%), P < 0.05. The length of hospital stay was significantly less than group C (9.3 ± 1.8 VS 12.4 ± 1.9), P < 0.05.
Conclusions
In laparoscopic hepatectomy in the elderly, the use of permissive high SVV during hepatectomy can ensure blood perfusion of vital organs, but also ensure less tissue bleeding, reduce cerebral oxygen metabolism, reduce the inflammatory response, and reduce the occurrence of postoperative delirium, with certain safety and feasibility.
Improved natural melanin production by Aspergillus nidulans after optimization of factors involved in the pigment biosynthesis pathway
Authors: Medeiros William Bartolomeu , Medina Kelly Johana Dussán , Sponchiado Sandra Regina Pombeiro 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Background
Melanin is a natural pigment that can be applied in different fields such as medicine, environment, pharmaceutical, and nanotechnology. Studies carried out previously showed that the melanin produced by the MEL1 mutant from Aspergillus nidulans exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, without any cytotoxic or mutagenic effect. These results taken together suggest the potential application of melanin from A. nidulans in the pharmaceutical industry. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of factors L-tyrosine, glucose, glutamic acid, L-DOPA, and copper on melanin production by the MEL1 mutant and to establish the optimal concentration of these factors to maximize melanin production.
Results
The results showed that L-DOPA, glucose, and copper sulfate significantly affected melanin production, where L-DOPA was the only factor that exerted a positive effect on melanin yield. Besides, the tyrosinase activity was higher in the presence of L-DOPA, considered a substrate required for enzyme activation, this would explain the increased production of melanin in this condition. After establishing the optimal concentrations of the analyzed factors, the melanin synthesis was increased by 640% compared to the previous studies.
Conclusions
This study contributed to elucidating the mechanisms involved in melanin synthesis in A. nidulans as well as to determining the optimal composition of the culture medium for greater melanin production that will make it possible to scale the process for a future biotechnological application.
Navigating through adversity: An assessment of Mauritius Commercial Bank’s performance during the covid era
Authors: Gujadhur Parikshit 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Several financial shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have rendered the global banking industry unstable. Banks' profitability, resilience, and market value have been affected because of the ripple effects of these events (KPMG, 2020). The pandemic's negative economic impacts have also hit banks in Mauritius. MCB has established itself as the most stable, solid, and prominent financial institution in the country. This report is organised into three chapters in compliance with the university and project guidelines. The first chapter establishes the premise for the rest of the report. The second chapter examines the methodology for data collection and adopted analytical approaches. The third chapter interprets the different findings and makes some recommendations. From 2019 to 2021, MCB's overall performance and banking stability deteriorated due to the impacts of COVID-19, Moody's downgrading, adverse changes in DTAA with India, socio-economic consequences of the pandemic, highly-indebted economic sectors and the blacklisting of Mauritius by FATF and EU Commission. From the performance analysis, it was noted that the profitability of MCB has been decreasing significantly. The cost-to-income ratio shows that MCB's financial control efficiency has deteriorated from 2019 to 2021. Shareholder returns at MCB have also fallen, according to investor ratios. There has been a rise in MCB's cost of risk, impairment charges, and projected credit losses since 2019. From 2019 to 2021, MCB's liquidity have fluctuated while its solvency has decreased, even if they are over the minimum requirements. Despite this, a rise in CAR from 2019 to 2021 helped to keep MCB's financial footing solid. In addition, the NPL ratios of MCB improved somewhat from 2019 to 2021. A prudent strategy focused on keeping clear from high-risk speculative deals and supporting businesses engaged in productive activities, which will generate a continued rise in income may boost ROA and ROE. MCB to leverage on its prominence in the banking sector, to develop and market innovative and user-friendly products and services, in particular, e-banking solutions in order to attract new customers.
Non-linear optical response as a food authentication: Investigation of non- linear optical properties of edible oils by Spatial Self-Phase Modulation (SSPM) method
Authors: Hassan Amir Namiq , Haddad Mohammad Ali , Golestanifar Moein , Behjat Abbas 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
The non-linear optical responses of cherry seed oil, avocado seed oil, and sesame oil were studied by observing spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM) in oil samples using a \(405\,nm\) continuous wave laser beam. The non-linear refraction coefficients and third-order non-linear susceptibility\({\chi ^{\left( 3 \right)}}\)of edible oils were estimated to be \({10^{ - 6}}\,c{m^2}/W\)and\({10^{ - 5}}\,esu\), respectively, based on the intensity-dependent number of observed symmetric diffraction rings. Also, we examined the spatial self-phase modulation technique to investigate the authenticity of three adulterated oils based on their non-linear optical properties. For this purpose, five different adulterated samples were prepared by diluting samples with sunflower oil (cheaper commercial oil) in various dilution ratios. The measured non-linear optical parameters of adulterated samples revealed that the non-linear optical parameters of diluted oils correlate strongly with the samples' levels of adulteration. The results suggest that the SSPM technique might be considered for estimating the degree of adulteration of samples based on their non-linear optical responses.
PFKFB3 Knockdown Attenuates Amyloid β-Induced Microglial Activation and Retinal Pigment Epithelium Senescence
Authors: Wang Yusong , Han Siyang , Chen Jieqiong , Sun Junran , Sun Xiaodong 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Background: Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degeneration is a major cause of irreversible blindness in individuals with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). As the main component of drusen deposits between the retina and RPE cells, amyloid β (Aβ) plays a critical role in activating microglia and causing neuroinflammation in AMD pathogenesis. However, the role of activated microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in progressive RPE degeneration remains unclear.
Results: In this study, we mimicked the retinal inflammatory microenvironment of AMD by intravitreal injection of oligomeric Aβ1-40, which resulted in activation of microglia and AMD-like pathology in mice. 6-Phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), a crucial enzyme in microglial metabolic reprogramming and proinflammatory activation, was upregulated in Aβ1-40-treated retina. Proinflammatory activation of microglia driven by upregulating PFKFB3 contributed to RPE degeneration, which was verified in PFKFB3+/− mice, Aβ1-40-activated microglial cell line BV2 and co-culture of RPE cell line ARPE19. RNA sequencing revealed that PFKFB3 knockdown alleviated Aβ1-40-induced microglial neuroinflammatory phenotype in mice. PFKFB3 silencing in microglia inhibited RPE senescence and dysfunction, and rescued the retinal morphology and function.
Conclusions: Overall, our findings demonstrated that after Aβ1-40 stimulation, activated microglia-derived neuroinflammatory cytokines may contribute to RPE disorders via PFKFB3. Modulation of PFKFB3-mediated microglial activation might be a promising strategy for AMD treatment.
Xenogeneic transplantation of mitochondria induces muscle regeneration in an in vivo rat model of dexamethasone-induced atrophy
Authors: Kim Mi Jin , Lee Ji Min , Min Kyunghoon , Choi Yong-Soo 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Muscle atrophy significantly impairs health and quality of life; however, there is still no cure. Recently, the possibility of regeneration in muscle atrophic cells was suggested through mitochondrial transfer. Therefore, we attempted to prove the efficacy of mitochondrial transplantation in animal models. To this end, we prepared intact mitochondria from umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells maintaining their membrane potential. To examine the efficacy of mitochondrial transplantation on muscle regeneration, we measured muscle mass, cross-sectional area of muscle fiber, and changes in muscle-specific genes. In addition, changes in the signaling mechanisms related to muscle atrophy were evaluated. As a result, in mitochondrial transplantation, the muscle mass increased by 1.5-fold and the lactate concentration decreased by 2.5-fold at 1 week in dexamethasone-induced atrophic muscles. In addition, a 2.3-fold increase in the expression of desmin protein, a muscle regeneration marker, showed a significant recovery in MT 5 µg group. Importantly, the muscle-specific ubiquitin E3-ligases MAFbx and MuRF-1 were significantly recovered through AMPK activation by mitochondrial transplantation compared with the saline group, reaching a level similar to that in the control. Taken together, the therapeutic potential of muscle atrophy through mitochondrial transplantation was confirmed.
Quantum Sparse Coding
Authors: Romano Yaniv , Primack Harel , Vaknin Talya , Meirzada Idan , Karpas Ilan , Furman Dov , Tradonsky Chene , Shlomi Ruti Ben 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
The ultimate goal of any sparse coding method is to accurately recover from a few noisy linear measurements, an unknown sparse vector. Unfortunately, this estimation problem is NP-hard in general, and it is therefore always approached with an approximation method, such as lasso or orthogonal matching pursuit, thus trading off accuracy for less computational complexity. In this paper, we develop a quantum-inspired algorithm for sparse coding, with the premise that the emergence of quantum computers and Ising machines can potentially lead to more accurate estimations compared to classical approximation methods. To this end, we formulate the most general sparse coding problem as a quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) task, which can be efficiently minimized using quantum technology. To derive at a QUBO model that is also efficient in terms of the number of spins (space complexity), we separate our analysis into three different scenarios. These are defined by the number of bits required to express the underlying sparse vector: binary, 2-bit, and a general fixed-point representation. We finally conduct numerical experiments with simulated data on LightSolver's quantum-inspired digital platform to verify the correctness of our QUBO formulation and to demonstrate that we obtain more accurate solutions in regimes where the baseline methods fail.
Interventions to address unsafe child feces disposal practices in the Asia-Pacific region: a systematic review
Authors: Sprouse Lauren , Liles Anna , Cronk Ryan , Bauza Valerie , Tidwell James B. , Manga Musa 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Despite clear evidence of the adverse health impacts of unsafe child feces disposal (CFD), there is little evidence of the effectiveness of interventions targeting the improvement of unsafe CFD practices in the Asia-Pacific region. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify and evaluate the quality of both behavior change and hardware interventions targeting the improvement of CFD practices in this region. A total of 695 articles were screened, and 15 studies were included. The combined hardware and behavior change interventions reported the highest rates of safe CFD (SCFD) post-intervention; however, these interventions were of lower quality. Four interventions focused specifically on improving SCFD practices, while the remaining seven studies evaluated the impacts of large-scale interventions, such as India's MANTRA and Total Sanitation Campaign programs, on unsafe CFD practices. Large-scale programs and hardware interventions are important for providing communities with the infrastructure necessary to improve unsafe CFD practices, but such interventions may be improved by the addition of a behavioral change component. With little evidence available on the effectiveness of behavioral interventions on reducing unsafe CFD in the Asia-Pacific region, future work should focus on how behavior change models combined with hardware interventions impact unsafe CFD.
Impact of climate change on groundwater recharge and salinity distribution in the Vientiane basin, Lao PDR
Authors: Soundala Pankham , Saraphirom Phayom 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Groundwater is widely used for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes in the Vientiane basin. The trend of groundwater use is increasing but the usage of the mentioned groundwater is without proper study and monitoring. Six climatic scenarios from three General Circulation Models (GCMs) under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5 were used to project rainfall and temperature in the future (2021–2050) periods. The numerical models HELP3, MODFLOW, and MT3D were used for groundwater recharge estimation, groundwater potential, and salinity distribution, respectively. The study found that during the following 30 years (2050), rainfall is expected to rise by 16, 17.52, and 49.93% for the MPI-ESM-MR, MIROC5, and CNRM-CM5 (under RCPs 4.5 and 8.5), respectively. Groundwater recharge is estimated to rise from baseline throughout all future climate conditions. Climate change's impact on salinity distribution in depth aquifers, the area with the water with the TDS between 500 and 1,500 mg/l will tend to decrease, whereas the freshwater (TDS &lt;500 mg/l) area will tend to increase. Annual groundwater replenishment is expected to increase from current levels in all future climate scenarios in the range of 334–401 MCM/year or approximately 22.7–47.5%.
Assessment of the impact of climate change on urban flooding: A case study of Beijing, China
Authors: Ding XingChen , Liao WeiHong , Lei XiaoHui , Wang Hao , Yang JiaLi , Wang Hao 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Global climate change and rapid urbanization increase the risk of urban flooding, especially in China. Climate change and the ‘heat island effect’ have increased the frequency of extreme precipitation. Affected by the backwardness of drainage facilities and the lack of drainage capacity, many cities have experienced large-scale waterlogging in low-lying areas, and ocean-like phenomena appear in cities. The public infrastructure was damaged and caused a lot of economic losses. Therefore, it is important to investigate the adaptability of drainage systems to the future in a changing environment. The Sixth International Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) and Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) were used to quantify the impact of climate change on Beijing's waterlogging under different rainstorm scenarios for the future 40 years. The quantile delta mapping method of daily precipitation based on frequency (DFQDM) is proposed to correct the daily precipitation of the climate model and which is proved to be feasible. After the annual precipitation and extreme precipitation index are corrected, percent bias (PBIAS) is significantly reduced. The PBIAS of the extreme precipitation index of the corrected model is all controlled within 6%. The corrected accuracy of CanESM5 is the best. The total flood volume (TFV) of the node increases with the aggravation of climate change. The TFV of SSP5-8.5 and SSP2-4.5 increased by 45.43 and 20.8% in the 100-year return period, respectively, and more than 94% of the conduits reached the maximum drainage capacity in different return periods. After the low impact development (LID) was installed, the improvement effect on the outflow with a smaller return period was significant, decreasing by about 50%. The LID can effectively reduce the overflow of the drainage system. The results of this study can provide suggestions for the reconstruction of the drainage system and the management of flood risk for Beijing in the future.