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Associations of the triglyceride-glucose index with mortality mediated by blood urea nitrogen among critically ill patients: a cohort study
Altermagnetic ground state in distorted Kagome metal CsCr3Sb5
A comprehensive study on characterization of biosynthesized copper-oxide nanoparticles, their capabilities as anticancer and antibacterial agents, and predicting optimal docking poses into the cavity of S. aureus DHFR
The eco-friendly method of producing copperـoxide nanoparticles through the use of okra fruit extract is a simple, economical, rapid, and sustainable technique. The resultant copperـoxide nanoparticles (CuO NP) were analyzed with several analytical methods, such as UV-vis spectroscopy, FourierـTransform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Zeta potential, TransmissionـElectron Microscopy (TEM) and EnergyـDispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The CuO NP exhibited a maximum absorbance at 381 nm. The formation of CuO NP was further confirmed by characteristic bands observed at 534 and 588 cm-1. The monoclinic structure of the CuO NP was identified with prominent peaks detected at 2θ values of 32.47°, 35.43°, 38.64°, 48.68°, 53.38°, 58.14°, 61.39°, 66.11°, 67.82°, 72.27°, and 74.96°. The overall findings indicate that the nanoparticles had an average diameter in the approximate range of 10 to 30 nm based on the TEM analysis. The cytotoxicity study, conducted on Human Fibroblast normal HFB4 cell lines, indicated that the halfـmaximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) dose was 236.34 μg/mL. An IC50 dose of 109.46 μg/mL was found in antitumor effect studies using breast adenocarcinoma Mcf- 7 cell lines, revealing a good level of safety for CuO NP. According to the antibacterial study, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus had inhibition zone diameters (IZDs) of 29.5 ± 0.7 mm and 24.6 ± 1.2 mm, respectively, making them the most vulnerable bacteria to CuO NP. In contrast, P. aeruginosa was the least sensitive strain, with a minimum IZD of 15 ± 1.6 mm. Compared to gram-negative infections, the CuO NPs were found to have a significantly higher antibacterial effectiveness versus Gram -positive pathogens. Molecular docking against dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) of Staphylococcus aureus (PDB ID: 6P9Z) illustrated that the CuO NP was partially interlocked with the active site of 6P9Z by the fitting energy value of -44.93 kcal/mol through five classical hydrogen bonds with Ala7, Gln9, Thr46, Ser49, and Phe92. The last one is also generated by the marketing antifolate agent methotrexate (MTX), adding some MTX-like character to the CuO NP inhibitor.
Creep behavior of frozen soil and creep analytical model of frozen wall
Origin, fate and function of extraembryonic tissues during mammalian development
Metavalent alloying and vacancy engineering enable state-of-the-art cubic GeSe thermoelectrics
Development of the Japanese version of the perceived time poverty scale
Background Employed households experience time poverty, which refers to feeling overwhelmed because of the struggle to balance work and life. Time poverty is subjectively perceived as a lack of personal free time. In Japan, long working hours and societal expectations regarding the division of work and family roles may influence the perception of time poverty. This issue is of significant concern, as it can impact individuals’ rest time and work productivity. However, there is currently no standardized measurement method to assess time poverty appropriately in the Japanese context. The lack of such a method challenges establishing a foundation for developing effective support strategies. Given this background, this study aimed to quantify time poverty among employed households by developing a Japanese version of the Perceived Time Poverty Scale and examining its reliability and validity. Methods In developing the Japanese version of the Perceived Time Poverty Scale, cultural adaptations were made in addition to the standard translation and back-translation procedures. Through discussions with researchers and translation experts, terms with differing scopes of interpretation in the Japanese context were revised, and expressions were adjusted to reflect the intended concepts better. The data for this study were collected through Wave 2 of the longitudinal survey, the Hama Study, conducted over a five-year period from 2022 to 2027. This survey randomly selected 10,000 employed households residing in Yokohama, Japan. Participants completed the Japanese version of the Perceived Time Poverty Scale developed in this study, along with the well-being scale, the Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress, and the Japanese Short-Form UCLA Loneliness Scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to evaluate the scale structure. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients. Furthermore, correlations between the Japanese version of the Perceived Time Poverty Scale and the other scales were examined to evaluate the structural validity of the scale. Results Data from 1,979 respondents who participated in the Wave 2 online survey were analyzed. The scale demonstrated high reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient 0.90 (95% CI: 0.89–0.91). Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a single-factor structure and confirmatory factor analysis supported this structure with fit indexes (CFI = 0.957, TLI = 0.929, RMSEA = 0.136, SRMR = 0.035). Perceived time poverty was negatively correlated with sleep time and leisure time, and positively correlated with childcare time. Furthermore, perceived time poverty showed significant correlations with well-being, psychological distress, social isolation, and job satisfaction, confirming the validity of the developed scale. Conclusion The Japanese version of the Perceived Time Poverty Scale is a reliable tool with a certain degree of validity for assessing time poverty in Japan. This scale enables individuals and households to recognize time poverty as a modern form of poverty. Furthermore, businesses and local governments can utilize it as an indicator in practical settings, such as improving work environments, implementing childcare support programs, and promoting community health. Future longitudinal studies are needed to further validate the scale, including addressing issues related to model fit.
Graph convolution network for fraud detection in bitcoin transactions
Abstract Anti-money laundering has been an issue in our society from the beginning of time. It simply refers to certain regulations and laws set by the government to uncover illegal money, which is passed as legal income. Now, with the emergence of cryptocurrency, it ensures pseudonymity for users. Cryptocurrency is a type of currency that is not authorized by the government and does not exist physically but only on paper. This provides a better platform for criminals for their illicit transactions. New algorithms have been proposed to detect illicit transactions. Machine learning and deep learning algorithms give us hope in identifying these anomalies in transactions. We have selected the Elliptic Bitcoin Dataset. This data set is a graph data set generated from an anonymous blockchain. Each transaction is mapped to real entities with two categories: licit and illicit. Some of them are not labeled. We have run different algorithms for predicting illicit transactions like Logistic Regression, Long Short Term Memory, Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, and a variation of Graph Neural Networks, which is called Graph Convolution Network (GCN). GCN is of special interest in our case. Different evaluation parameters such as accuracy, ROC and F1 score are analyzed for different models. Our experimental results show that the proposed GCN model gives the accuracy $$98.5\%$$ , the AUC 0.9444 and the RMSE 0.1123, which concludes that our GCN is better than the existing models, in particular with the model proposed in Weber et al. (Anti-money laundering in bitcoin: experimenting with graph convolutional networks for financial forensics, 2019. http://arxiv.org/abs/1908.02591).
Accurate eye tracking from dense 3D surface reconstructions using single-shot deflectometry
The impact of cut-soiler technology on rice-wheat production in salt-affected areas of western Indo-Gangetic Plains of India
Soil salinization poses a significant challenge to agricultural productivity worldwide, particularly in the rice-wheat belt of the western Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), where excess sodium salts (sodicity) degrade soil health and threaten crop production. The cut-soiler, a farm machine developed in Japan, is an innovative and cost-effective solution. The cut-soiler constructs residue-filled, shallow subsurface drains, enhancing lateral and vertical water movement through the soil and improving soil conditions and crop productivity. Unlike previous studies confined to semi-controlled experimental settings, this research uniquely evaluates the effectiveness of cut-soiler technology on local farms severely affected by salinization, specifically addressing subsurface sodicity and recurrent waterlogging conditions that hinder agricultural profitability. From 2019 to 2023, feasibility trials were conducted in farmers’ fields across Punjab and Haryana, India, where gypsum was applied alongside crop residue to enhance subsurface soil reclamation. The analysis reveals significant improvements in the rice and wheat yields. The findings suggest that the application of a cut-soiler over an area of 20 hectares produces a positive net present value (NPV > 0), a benefit-cost ratio (BCR > 1), and an internal rate of return (IRR > 10%), thus supporting the financial viability of the investment for the reclamation of sodicity-affected regions. In addition, the cut-soiler reduces crop residue burning, contributing to environmental sustainability. The substantial yield increases observed in both experimental and conventional farming settings highlight the potential of cut-soiler technology to transform agricultural practices in salt-affected regions, improve crop productivity, and boost economic returns for local farmers.
Coactivation patterns reveal the abnormality of dynamic state transitions between different psychiatric disorders
Telomere function and regulation from mouse models to human ageing and disease
Intranasal influenza virus-vectored vaccine offers protection against clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 infection in small animal models
Comparative efficacy and safety of high-dose versus low-dose tranexamic acid in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Objective The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the comparative effectiveness and safety of high-dose versus low-dose tranexamic acid (TXA) in adolescents undergoing treatment for idiopathic scoliosis. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases up to March 2024. We sought to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective controlled studies (RCSs) assessing the impact of high-dose compared to low-dose TXA on perioperative blood loss and transfusion requirements in spinal fusion procedures for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The study was registered in INPLASY (Registration number: INPLASY202480018). Results Our meta-analysis included data from six studies: two high-quality RCTs and four lower-quality RCSs, comprising a total of 611 participants. Subgroup analysis revealed that high-dose TXA significantly reduced intraoperative blood loss and transfusion rates in RCSs, whereas no significant differences were observed in RCTs. The combined findings showed that high-dose TXA was associated with a significant reduction in intraoperative blood loss [weighted mean difference (WMD) = -215.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) (-367.58, -63.37), P < 0.001], as well as a decreased likelihood of transfusion [risk ratio (RR) = 0.40, 95% CI (0.30, 0.53), P < 0.001]. Operative time did not differ significantly, and no thromboembolic events were reported in either treatment group. The differences between high and low doses varied widely across studies. Conclusion This meta-analysis indicates that high-dose TXA does not significantly reduce intraoperative blood loss, transfusion rates, or operative time compared to low-dose TXA in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. While RCSs showed some benefit, our analysis places more emphasis on the results from RCTs, which did not show significant differences. Further high-quality RCTs are needed to confirm its effectiveness and safety.
Detection of kidney bean leaf spot disease based on a hybrid deep learning model
Photoredox cobalt-catalyzed asymmetric desymmetric reductive coupling of cyclobutenes with alkynes
The effect of nurses’ individual and occupational characteristics and perceptions of hierarchical career plateau on their turnover intention: A cross-sectional study
Career plateau is associated with undesirable work outcomes such as low job performance, motivation, work and organizational commitment, increased counterproductive work behaviors, and turnover intentions. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of nurses’ personal and professional characteristics and their perceptions of hierarchical career plateau on their turnover intentions. Hierarchical plateaus refer to points within an organization’s pyramidal structure where opportunities for career advancement become limited or cease entirely. Experiencing a career plateau can result in negative work outcomes, including decreased job satisfaction and reduced motivation. This cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2024 with 464 nurses working in hospitals across Türkiye. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a Nurse Information Form, the Career Plateau Survey and Turnover Intention Scale. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to determine the effect of independent variables (individual and occupational characteristics and perceptions of hierarchical career plateau) on the dependent variable (turnover intention). This study was conducted in accordance with the STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies. The findings indicated that nurses’ turnover intention increased as the level of hierarchical career plateau increased. Additionally, nurses working in private/non-profit healthcare organizations who had voluntarily chosen their profession exhibited statistically significantly lower turnover intentions. Interventions aimed at reducing career plateaus, tailored to the type of healthcare institution, and supporting nurses’ autonomy in career choice can reduce turnover intentions. It is recommended to regularly review promotion policies in healthcare institutions to align with the needs and expectations of current nurses, and to implements programs specific to their career development.