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Research on social bot identification through behavioral feature analysis

Accurately identifying social bot accounts is the key to preventing the use of artificial intelligence technology to forge social accounts, which can interfere with public opinion and thus cause public opinion crises. However, at present, relying only on manual identification of bot accounts has the challenges of low efficiency, high cost, and low accuracy, while existing research on batch identification of social bots lacks research on the system of behavioural characteristics of social bots, and thus lacks the construction of a model for the analysis of the behavioural characteristics of social bots. In this paper, we propose a diverse set of behavioural features for social robots based on the differences between the behavioural features of social robot accounts and normal users. The feature selection method based on OOB estimation is chosen for excluding redundant features in the constructed feature set; meanwhile, Random Forest, as a combined classification method, overcomes the problem of limitations of decision boundaries when classifying with a single decision tree, and has the characteristics of high accuracy, fast speed and stable performance. Through experiments, this paper applies it to the construction of social robot recognition model for detecting robot accounts in social platforms. The experiments prove that the effective indicators screened by the feature selection method based on OOB estimation can help improve the stability of the model. Specifically, the filtered features contribute about 20% more to the model accuracy and F1 score than other features. The social robot recognition model constructed based on random forest has higher accuracy and stability compared to the decision tree model and neural network model. Specifically, the accuracy rate is about 5% higher than other models, and other indicators are also better than other models. The experimental results show that the feature selection method based on OOB estimation and the random forest model show excellent performance in the experiments of social robot recognition, which can meet the requirements of the actual social robot recognition research and can be applied to the practical scenarios of robot account detection on social platforms.

Duloxetine deteriorates prefrontal noradrenergic pain facilitation, but reduces locus coeruleus activity to restore endogenous analgesia in chronic neuropathic pain state

The role of S100A9 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in septic shock

Background Sepsis is a severe and potentially fatal systemic condition marked by excessive immune defense against infection. Within this research, we explored the serum concentration of S100A9 during hospital admission, aiming to assess its role and reliability as a viable biomarker for identifying septic shock and predicting mortality risk in sepsis. Furthermore, we explored whether combining S100A9 with conventional assessment tools could enhance diagnostic precision and prognostic accuracy, offering valuable insights to support early intervention and personalized treatment strategies for sepsis. Methods This study comprised 575 participants overall, with sepsis patients classified into non-shock and shock groups based on the severity of their condition. Additionally, age- and gender-matched ICU control cohort and healthy control group were recruited to ensure wide applicability and strong comparability of the findings. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay utilized for detecting serum S100A9 levels in subjects within 24 hours of admission, ROC curves were used to evaluate the disease identification and prognostic analysis. Differences in survival outcomes among patients with varying levels of S100A9 expression were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Serum S100A9 concentrations were elevated in septic patients upon admission. In the diagnosis of patients with septic shock, S100A9 performed similarly to APACHE II, and a considerable enhancement was noted in the sensitivity of detecting septic shock when S100A9 was combined with lactate and APACHE II. At the initiation of ICU stay, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the association between serum S100A9 levels and 28-day mortality was 0.78. This value surpassed the AUCs for IL-6 (0.66), procalcitonin (0.60), lactate (0.58) and C-reactive protein (0.47). Furthermore, septic patients with elevated serum S100A9 levels (≥ 630.77 pg/ml) exhibited lower survival rates compared to those with lower concentrations (< 630.77 pg/ml). Conclusion S100A9 is a promising biomarker for diagnosing septic shock and forecasting clinical outcomes in patients with sepsis. In addition, S100A9 has good predictive efficacy for the risk of death in sepsis patients.

PTPN2 inhibits TG-induced ERS-initiated TNBC apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway

Prevalence and trends of major congenital anomalies in Brazil: A study from 2011 to 2020

Background Congenital anomalies contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality among newborns and infants. In Brazil, the estimated prevalence of malformations in newborns is < 1%, which is comparatively lower than that recorded in other regions worldwide. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of congenital anomalies in Brazil over a 10-year period and to identify potential associations of this prevalence with socioeconomic, gestational, and regional factors by performing an analysis using data sourced from the Live Birth Information System (Sistema de Informações sobre os Nascidos Vivos – SINASC) covering the period from 2011 to 2020. Methods From a total population of 29,025,461 live births, we included a cohort of 240,405 newborns with congenital anomalies. For the purpose of this study, we categorized newborns with congenital anomalies into two groups: one group with newborns with a single major malformation and another group with newborns with multiple major malformations (minor malformations not considered). Results The prevalence of congenital anomalies was 8.0 per 1,000 live births, with variations across different years and regions within the country. The Southeast region of Brazil, with the highest human development index, displayed the highest prevalence of congenital anomalies. The most frequent congenital anomalies were limb deformities (29.7%), neural tube defects (14.7%), and heart defects (11.6%). Conclusion The prevalence of major congenital anomalies in Brazil during the study period varied with the geographic region and was lower than that in developed nations, likely due to lower prenatal detection rates and underreporting.

Retrospective analysis of curative rectal cancer surgery outcomes in elderly patients

Integrated decision-control for social robot autonomous navigation considering nonlinear dynamics model

Reinforcement learning (RL) has demonstrated significant potential in social robot autonomous navigation, yet existing research lacks in-depth discussion on the feasibility of navigation strategies. Therefore, this paper proposes an Integrated Decision-Control Framework for Social Robot Autonomous Navigation (IDC-SRAN), which accounts for the nonlinearity of social robot model and ensures the feasibility of decision-control strategy. Initially, inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) is employed to tackle the challenge of designing pedestrian walking reward. Subsequently, the Four-Mecanum-Wheel Robot dynamic model is constructed to develop IDC-SRAN, resolving the issue of dynamics mismatch of RL system. The actions of IDC-SRAN are defined as additional torque, with actual torque and lateral/longitudinal velocities integrated into the state space. The feasibility of the decision-control strategy is ensured by constraining the range of actions. Furthermore, a critical challenge arises from the state delay caused by model transient characteristics, which complicates the articulation of nonlinear relationships between states and actions through IRL-based rewards. To mitigate this, a driving-force-guided reward is proposed. This reward guides the robot to explore more appropriate decision-control strategies by expected direction of driving force, thereby reducing non-optimal behaviors during transient phases. Experimental results demonstrate that IDC-SRAN achieves peak accelerations approximately 8.3% of baseline methods, significantly enhancing the feasibility of decision-control strategies. Simultaneously, the framework enables goal-oriented autonomous navigation through active torque modulation, attaining a task completion rate exceeding 90%. These outcomes further validate the intelligence and robustness of the proposed IDC-SRAN.

Dysregulation of the low-level replication stress response in transformed cell lines

An efficient low-shot class-agnostic counting framework with hybrid encoder and iterative exemplar feature learning

Few-shot learning techniques have enabled the rapid adaptation of a general AI model to various tasks using limited data. In this study, we focus on class-agnostic low-shot object counting, a challenging problem that aims to achieve accurate object counting with only a few annotated samples (few-shot) or even in the absence of any annotated data (zero-shot). In existing methods, the primary focus is often on enhancing performance, while relatively little attention is given to inference time—an equally critical factor in many practical applications. We propose a model that achieves real-time inference without compromising performance. Specifically, we design a multi-scale hybrid encoder to enhance feature representation and optimize computational efficiency. This encoder applies self-attention exclusively to high-level features and cross-scale fusion modules to integrate adjacent features, reducing training costs. Additionally, we introduce a learnable shape embedding and an iterative exemplar feature learning module, that progressively enriches exemplar features with class-level characteristics by learning from similar objects within the image, which are essential for improving subsequent matching performance. Extensive experiments on the FSC147, Val-COCO, Test-COCO, CARPK, and ShanghaiTech datasets demonstrate our model’s effectiveness and generalizability compared to state-of-the-art methods.

The repetition principle of traumatic dreams

SARS-COV-2 mutations in North Rift, Kenya

The rise of new SARS-CoV-2 mutations brought challenges and progress in the global fight against COVID-19. Mutations in spike and accessory genes affect transmission, vaccine efficacy, treatments, testing, and public health strategies. Monitoring emerging variants is crucial to halt re-emergency of the virus and spread. 44 nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs from Kenyan patients were sequenced with the Illumina platform. Galaxy’s bioinformatic tools were used for genomic analysis. SARS-CoV-2 genome classification was done using PANGOLIN and mutation annotation with the COVID-19 Annotator tool. From this study, 5 clades of SARS-CoV-2 were identified of whom 38 (86%) were BA.1.1; 2 (5%) were BA.1.1.1; 1 (2%) was BA.1; 1 (2%) was BA.1.14 and 2 (5%) were AY.46. Symptomatic patients were 16 out of 18 males and 22 out of 26 females. Out of these, symptomatic patients, BA.1.1 was found in 14 males and 18 females. In these clades we found 53 significant mutations of which 42 were non-synonymous, 10 synonymous, 7 deletions, 4 insertions and 2 extragenic. Out of the 42 non-synonymous mutations, 7 were exclusively found in symptomatic patients. Two new mutations, S:R214R, and NSP2:A555A, were also found and were dominant in symptomatic patients. These findings add to the understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus future evolution in the region.

Multimodal data generative fusion method for complex system health condition estimation

The relationship between maternal uterine artery doppler ultrasound during the second and third trimesters and infant cognitive development at one year of age: Findings from a South African prospective cohort study

Introduction Increased resistance to uterine artery blood flow is an index for poor pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to examine the association between maternal uterine artery pulsatility index and cognitive development in infants aged one year, and whether placental dysfunction moderates this relationship. Methods This was a prospective cohort study in an economically deprived community in South Africa. 1297 pregnant women with singleton gestations and their term infants were assessed. uterine artery pulsatility index, assessed by Doppler ultrasound in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy were examined. Placental dysfunction is indicated by maternal vascular malperfusion and accelerated villous maturation of the placenta. The primary outcome was infant cognitive development, assessed by the composite score of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, at one year of age. Results Higher uterine artery pulsatility index was associated with lower cognitive scores, when adjusting for alcohol consumption and antenatal depression in the second trimester (β = −0.086, p = 0.007), explaining 5% of the variance in the model. There was no evidence of moderation by maternal vascular malperfusion or accelerated villous maturation of the placenta. Conclusions Abnormal uterine artery pulsatility indices during the second trimester is associated with cognitive development in infants.

Inconsistency of AI in intracranial aneurysm detection with varying dose and image reconstruction

Abstract Scanner-related changes in data quality are common in medical imaging, yet monitoring their impact on diagnostic AI performance remains challenging. In this study, we performed standardized consistency testing of an FDA-cleared and CE-marked AI for triage and notification of intracranial aneurysms across changes in image data quality caused by dose and image reconstruction. Our assessment was based on repeated examinations of a head CT phantom designed for AI evaluation, replicating a patient with three intracranial aneurysms in the anterior, middle and posterior circulation. We show that the AI maintains stable performance within the medium dose range but produces inconsistent results at reduced dose and, unexpectedly, at higher dose when filtered back projection is used. Data quality standards required for AI are stricter than those for neuroradiologists, who report higher aneurysm visibility rates and experience performance degradation only at substantially lower doses, with no decline at higher doses.

Sufficiency and consistency of antenatal care services in Ethiopia: Evidence from Mini Ethiopian demographic and health survey

Background Antenatal care plays a critical role in promoting the health of mothers and infants. In Sub-Saharan Africa, about 76% of women accessing at least one visit. However, rural areas in Ethiopia face more significant challenges, including traditional beliefs, geographical distance, and the need for more awareness. Despite advancements, ensuring quality ANC for all women necessitates targeted interventions. There are needs of evidence regarding adequacy and consistency ANC services in different regions of Ethiopia. Therefore, study aimed to evaluate and compare the adequacy and consistency of ANC services across various regions in Ethiopia. Methods Data for the 2019 Mini Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (Mini EDHS) were collected using a cross-sectional study design. The survey included 2,918 women aged 15–49 from various regions of Ethiopia. Data analysis was carried out using STATA version 14. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages, were used to present the background characteristics of the participants. To assess the significance of variations and associated factors, a logistic regression model was applied. Variables with a p-value of 0.25 or less in the bivariate analysis were included in the multivariable analysis. A significance level of p < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval were used to determine the significance of the variables. Results The study surveyed 2,918 women aged 15–49, with 70.7% receiving antenatal care (ANC) from a skilled provider. Among them, 56.8% had four or more visits, and 43% started care in the first trimester. Overall, 35.8% received all routine ANC components, and 14.7% received adequate ANC services. ANC adequacy varied by region, with the highest in Addis Ababa (39.1%) and lowest in SNNPR (6.2%). About 72% of women received consistent ANC, with Addis Ababa showing the highest consistency (54.2%). Logistic regression analysis found that education status, region, wealth status, and literacy were significant factors influencing ANC adequacy. Regional disparities showed lower ANC adequacy in Oromia, Benishangul, SNNPR, and Gambela compared to Tigray. Wealthier women and those with secondary or higher education were more likely to receive consistent ANC. Conclusion The study underscored the significant impact of regional disparities, financial constraints, education levels, and geographic location on the unequal access to and quality of antenatal care (ANC) services in Ethiopia. Promoting ANC utilization, especially among women with lower education and economic disadvantages, was identified as a key priority. The study recommends targeted interventions to address service gaps for less-educated women and highlights the need for focused efforts to reduce regional disparities in both the adequacy and consistency of ANC services.

The implicit association between masculinity and criminal organizations

Abstract Criminal groups, such as Italian criminal organizations, exert governance over communities. According to Intra-Cultural Appropriation Theory (ICAT), these groups can gain a degree of legitimacy by strategically appropriating masculinity values. Specifically, by portraying themselves as embodying masculinity, criminal organizations are evaluated more positively by individuals who endorse masculine honor ideologies. An untested assumption of this process is that individuals ascribe masculine qualities to criminal groups. In two studies (N tot = 310), we employed the Single Category Implicit Association Test to investigate whether individuals implicitly associated the categories of ‘male’ (Study 1) and ‘masculinity’ (Study 2) with criminal organizations as opposed to the state. Additionally, in Study 2, we tested whether this implicit association moderated the relationship between individuals’ endorsement of masculine honor ideology and their attitudes toward criminal organizations. The findings supported the hypothesis that individuals implicitly attributed masculinity-related concepts to criminal organizations. Study 2 further showed that the positive link between endorsement of masculine honor ideology and legitimizing attitudes towards criminal organizations was stronger when individuals also held a stronger implicit association between masculinity and criminal organizations.

Correction: The interface between SARS-CoV-2 and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in a high HIV/TB burden district level hospital setting, Cape Town, South Africa

Modelling the effects of virus-resistant planting material on the transmission dynamics of banana bunchy top disease

Fixed-axis spacelike ruled surfaces and their evolute offsets

This study investigates fixed-axis spacelike ruled surfaces and their evolute offset counterparts within E13 (Minkowski 3-space). The analysis utilizes the Blaschke frame associated with the striction curves of these surfaces. Spacelike ruled surfaces play a crucial role in various fields of both classical and modern physics. The research begins by introducing the fundamental concepts of fixed-axis spacelike ruled surfaces and defining a height function that establishes the necessary criteria for a ruled surface to be classified as a fixed-axis spacelike ruled surface. Subsequently, the study derives parameterization for both the fixed-axis spacelike ruled surfaces and their evolute offsets. Finally, several surface models are extended and visually represented through graphical illustrations.

Mindful eating is associated with a healthier plant-based diet in the NutriNet-Santé study

Abstract Scientific evidence suggests that mindful eating (ME) may be effective for promoting healthy plant-based diets. However, data are scarce. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between ME and plant-based diets. In 2023, 13,768 participants from the NutriNet-Santé cohort completed the Mind-Eat Scale, at least three 24-hour dietary records, and a food choices questionnaire. The contribution of plant-based foods was evaluated using the Plant-based Diet Index (PDI), the healthy PDI (hPDI), and the unhealthy PDI (uPDI). Multivariable linear and logistic regressions were performed to analyze the association between ME, the PDI, hPDI, and uPDI scores, the proportions of meat, fish, and dairy products in the diet, and diet groups, adjusting for socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. ME was positively associated with PDI (β = 1.19; 95%CI: 0.98, 1.41) and hPDI (1.00; 0.76, 1.24), and negatively with uPDI (-0.48; -0.70, -0.27), meat (-0.63; -0.76, -0.50), and dairy (-0.86; -1.14, -0.58) consumption. Individuals with higher ME levels were more likely to be lower meat eaters (OR = 1.13; 95%CI: 1.04, 1.23), pesco-vegetarians (1.56; 1.33, 1.83), vegetarians (2.19; 1.57, 3.05), or vegans (1.35; 1.24, 1.48). Participants with higher ME levels were more likely to follow healthy plant-based diets, suggesting ME could help to promote a reduction in animal product consumption. Longitudinal studies are needed to continue exploring this relationship. Clinical Trial Registry: The NutriNet-Santé study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and all procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board of the French Institute for Health and Medical Research (IRB Inserm n◦ 0000388FWA00005831) and the Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL n◦ 908450 and n◦ 909216). Electronic informed consent was obtained from all participants. Written informed consent by electronic means for adults, and for legal representant for children < 18 years old. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03335644 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03335644?locStr=Bobigny,%20France&country=France&state=%C3%8Ele-de-France&city=Bobigny&term=Cohort%20Study&rank=6).