Browse Articles

Correction: Enhanced silk production and pupal weight in Bombyx mori through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated circadian Clock gene disruption

Comprehensive vulnerability assessment of power system nodes with wind power based on Dagum-Gini coefficient approach

Factors associated with attrition in a longitudinal study of health risk behaviours and conditions among adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background Use of longitudinal design in research improves understanding of adolescent health. In this paper, we present factors associated with attrition in a pilot longitudinal study among adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods Adolescents were recruited from private and government-owned junior secondary schools using multi-stage sampling and interviewed over three data collection waves (2017, 2018 and 2019). Results A total of 1067 (99.4%) of the 1073 adolescents recruited were willing to participate and were interviewed in wave one. Mean age at baseline was 11.9 ± 1.2 years and 34.9% owned a personal mobile phone. Of the 1067 adolescents, 192 (18.0%) were not willing to be followed up while 875 (82.0%) were willing to be followed up by home visit (70.2%), phone call (21.3%), text message (14.3%) or online chat-based message (4.8%). Overall attrition rate (proportion of adolescents lost to follow-up during waves two and/or three compared with the baseline sample) was 66.5% with 396 (37.1%) and 315 (46.9%) respondents lost to follow-up during waves two and three respectively. Common reasons for attrition were use of pseudonyms instead of real names, which many adolescents could not remember during subsequent data collection waves, relocation to a different school or neighborhood, school drop-out and closure of two schools. Adolescents in private versus government-owned schools (AOR = 3.35; CI =  2.39 – 4.69), those who did not have personal mobile phones (AOR = 1.43, CI =  1.03 – 1.98) and those engaging in remunerated work (AOR =  2.04, CI =  1.19 – 3.49) were more likely to be lost to follow-up. Conclusions Attrition was high despite high willingness to participate in the study. Whereas technology has made follow-up of study participants in high-income countries easier, multiple, and cost intensive methods to minimize attrition may be required in low-resource settings.

Potential functional changes in native lysozyme induced by carbon nanotubes studied by molecular dynamics simulations

The effect of deferring feedback on rule-based and information-integration category learning

Previous work has shown that deferring feedback significantly impairs two-dimensional information-integration category learning, often thought to recruit an implicit learning system, but leaves intact unidimensional rule-based learning, commonly assumed to engage an explicit system. These results were taken to support the influential COmpetition between Verbal and Implicit Systems (COVIS) dual-process theory. This conclusion has subsequently been challenged by the finding that this dissociation disappears when the number of relevant dimensions is matched between tasks. However, as well as replacing a unidimensional rule-based task with a two-dimensional conjunction task, a different set of stimuli were used making it unclear which of these alterations was driving the difference in results. The current paper directly examined how both category structure and stimulus type influence the deferred feedback effect. We replicated both the original sets of results but found that deferred feedback also impaired information-integration learning to a greater extent than a conjunction task when the original stimuli were used. These results suggest that the impact of deferred feedback on category learning is more complicated than previously documented, as our findings cannot be easily explained by either COVIS or single-system accounts. Furthermore, our results highlight the critical role that the choice of stimuli has on categorization behavior and emphasize the importance of testing findings across different stimuli to ensure their robustness.

Analysis of risk factors of intracranial infection after microvascular decompression

Development of an experimental model using cold stress to assess the pathogenicity of two Moroccan AI H9N2 isolates from 2016 and 2022 in commercial broiler chickens

Since 2016, low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV) H9N2 became a major issue for poultry production in Morocco. Even though the agent was classified as low pathogenic, AI H9N2 cause significant economic losses, particularly during co-infections. Experimentally, it has been difficult to reproduce the clinical picture without appealing other viral or bacterial pathogens. Our study was carried out to evaluate a new challenge model using cold stress in commercial broilers infected with two Moroccan H9N2 viruses isolated in 2016 and 2022. One hundred twenty day-old chicks were divided into four groups: A, B, and C exposed to cold stress, and D was kept as negative control. At 21 days of age, Groups A and B were challenged by oculo-nasal route with 107 EID50 of H9N2 strains, isolated respectively during 2016 and 2022. Meanwhile, chicks of group C were exposed to only cold stress. The assessment of body weight gain, clinical signs, lesions, mortality, and oropharyngeal viral shedding was monitored for 15 days post-challenge. Results showed that cold stress exacerbated H9N2 clinical signs, allowing us to establish a scoring system and to validate the challenge model without co-infections. Gross and microscopic lesions, induced by the virus primarily in the respiratory tract, peaked at 5 dpi and significantly decreased at 15 dpi. Group B harbored the highest viral loads with viral shedding persisting beyond 11 dpi in both groups. This study demonstrates a clear clinical difference among the two isolates; A/chicken/Morocco/178-2/2022(H9N2) showed a significant increase in virulence compared to the firstly isolate A/chicken/Morocco/SF1/2016(H9N2). The novel H9N2 challenge model using cold stress will contribute to a better understanding of LPAI pathogenesis and epidemiology and allow for research closer to the field.

Cold aortic flush after ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest reduces inflammatory reaction but not neuronal loss in the pig cerebral cortex

Abstract This study aims to retrospectively compare two resuscitation methods (extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) vs. emergency preservation and resuscitation (EPR)) by pathohistologically assessing pig brains in a ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest (VFCA) model. In prospective studies from 2004 to 2006, swine underwent VFCA for 13 (n = 6), 15 (n = 14) or 17 (n = 6) minutes with ECPR (ECPR13, ECPR15 and ECPR17). Another 15 min VFCA group (n = 8) was resuscitated with EPR and chest compressions (EPR15 + CC). Brains of animals surviving for nine days (ECPR13 n = 4, ECPR15 n = 2, ECPR17 n = 1, EPR15 + CC n = 7) were harvested. Eight different brain regions were analyzed with the image analysis software QuPath using HE-staining, GFAP- and Iba1-immunohistochemistry. Only ECPR13 and EPR15 + CC animals were included in statistical analysis, due to low survival rates in the other groups. All VFCA samples showed significantly fewer viable neurons compared to shams, but no significant differences between ECPR13 and EPR15 + CC animals were observed. ECPR13 animals showed significantly more glial activation in all cerebral cortex regions compared to shams and in occipital, temporal and parietal cortex compared to EPR15 + CC. In conclusion, EPR + CC resulted in a significantly reduced inflammatory reaction in cerebral cortex compared to ECPR but did not influence the extent of neuronal death after VFCA.

Autumn protogyny and spring protandry: Mechanisms and adaptive significance in a Japanese headwater frog, Rana sakuraii

In temperate-zone vertebrates, almost all studies on protandry and protogyny are based on spring breeding migrations or breeding sites and are discussed in terms of the advantages for pairing. However, both autumn migrations and wintering conditions are also important for studies on these behaviors because, in some vertebrates, pairings occur at wintering sites before the emergence at the main breeding sites. Nevertheless, the significance of both autumn migrations and wintering conditions for pairing is scarcely recognized or studied. This study is the first to report on the mechanism and adaptive significance of “autumn protogyny and spring protandry” in a temperate-zone amphibian species. I investigated the annual migrations of Rana sakuraii, a Japanese early spring breeding (ESB) frog species, for over 21 years. This species migrates toward its breeding sites during autumn, hibernates either at the same breeding sites or close by, and breeds immediately upon emergence from hibernation. Protogynous autumn migrations and protandrous ESB migrations were clearly observed every year, depending on the same factor: the difference in threshold temperature for hibernation (which was higher for females than males). Frogs hibernated in groups under boulders in streams. Pairings began during autumn migrations and mostly ended during the aquatic hibernation period. Based on the results of this study and other related reports, I propose the hypothesis that temperate-zone ESB amphibians exhibit “autumn protogyny and spring protandry,” which are not independent and always occur together successively. Moreover, to explain the adaptive significance of these contrasting behaviors, I propose “the surefire pairing hypothesis”: these pairings occur more securely in two stages, before and after emergence at main breeding sites (i.e., “Early pairings” and “Normal pairings”). Such pairing advantages are provided by autumn protogyny and group hibernation for “Early pairings,” and by spring protandry for “Normal pairings.”.

Rapid global antenna design by simplex regressors and multi-resolution simulations

Abstract Optimization methods have been rapidly entering the realm of antenna design over the last several years. Despite many available algorithms, practical optimization is demanding due to the high electromagnetic (EM) analysis cost necessary for dependable antenna assessment. This is particularly troublesome in global parameter tuning, routinely conducted using nature-inspired procedures. Unfortunately, these methods are known for their poor computational efficiency. Surrogate modeling may mitigate this issue to a certain extent, yet dimensionality and parameter range issues severely impede the construction of accurate metamodels. This research suggests an innovative algorithm for global parameter adjustment of antenna systems. It conducts a simplex-based search in the space of the structure’s performance figures (e.g., center frequencies, bandwidth, etc.). Operating at this level regularizes the objective function. Low cost is achieved by the simplex updating strategy requiring only one EM analysis per iteration, and multi-resolution simulations. The global search state involves coarse-discretization full-wave analysis, whereas final (gradient-based) parameter tuning involves medium-fidelity simulations for sensitivity estimation and high-fidelity models for design verification. The developed algorithmic framework is validated using four microstrip antennas. The results generated in multiple runs demonstrate global search capability and remarkably low expenses, corresponding to around a hundred high-fidelity analyses on average. The performance level is competitive over local and global optimizers.

Generative AI and criminology: A threat or a promise? Exploring the potential and pitfalls in the identification of Techniques of Neutralization (ToN)

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) such as GPT-4 refers to systems able to understand and generate new coherent and relevant text by learning from existing data sets. The great opportunities that GPT-4 offers are accompanied by great risks. Indeed, the ease of access and use of such a tool also makes it the platform of choice for malicious users. The purpose of this work is to test the machine’s capabilities in identifying and reframing so-called Techniques of Neutralization (ToN), rationalizations employed by offenders to justify their deviant behavior. The identification of such theoretical cornerstone of criminology in interviews with offenders is crucial for criminologists, as it provides relevant information on criminodynamics, risk assessment and possible intervention strategies. Our outcomes show a high level of the machine’s accuracy in general ToN recognition of Published and Crafted ToN sentences in both Test 1 (precision of 0.82 and recall of 0.75 for “Denial of Injury” in Crafted ToN, precision of 0.93 and recall of 1 for “Absence of ToN” in Published ToN) and Test 2 (precision of 1.00 and recall of 0.83 for “Denial of Injury” in Crafted ToN, precision of 1.00 and recall of 1.00 for “Absence of ToN” in both ToN categories). Regarding the reformulation of sentences to remove ToN (Test 3), the model demonstrates high success rates for most ToN categories and high credibility of the reformulated sentences, indicating its ability to maintain the integrity of the sentences while removing the ToN. Our work analyses the application of the machine with respect to a previously untested construct, with the aim of observing the potential and, above all, the possible pitfalls behind the use of AI models in a hitherto little-explored context such as criminology.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: An effective PO-RSNN and FZCIS based diabetes prediction and stroke analysis in the metaverse environment

Abstract Chronic disease (CD) like diabetes and stroke impacts global healthcare extensively, and continuous monitoring and early detection are necessary for effective management. The Metaverse Environment (ME) has gained attention in the digital healthcare environment; yet, it lacks adequate support for disabled individuals, including deaf and dumb people, and also faces challenges in security, generalizability, and feature selection. To overcome these limitations, a novel probabilistic-centric optimized recurrent sechelliott neural network (PO-RSNN)-based diabetes prediction (DP) and Fuzzy Z-log-clipping inference system (FZCIS)-based severity level estimation in ME is carried out. The proposed system integrates Montwisted-Jaco curve cryptography (MJCC) for secured data transmission, Aransign-principal component analysis (A-PCA) for feature dimensionality reduction, and synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) to address data imbalance. The diagnosed results are securely stored in the BlockChain (BC) for enhanced privacy and traceability. The experimental validation demonstrated the superior performance of the proposed system by achieving 98.97% accuracy in DP and 98.89% accuracy in stroke analysis, outperforming existing classifiers. Also, the proposed MJCC technique attained 98.92% efficiency, surpassing the traditional encryption models. Thus, the proposed system produces a secure, scalable, and highly accurate DP and stroke analysis in ME. Further, the research will extend the approach to other CD like cancer and heart disease to improve the predictive performance.

Correction: Exploring knowledge, perceptions, and practices of antimicrobials, and their resistance among medicine dispensers and community members in Kavrepalanchok District of Nepal

Neck dissection improves the prognosis of patients with early-stage oral squamous cell carcinoma

Electromechanical behaviors of a PVDF beam-film coupled energy harvester under droplet impact

Droplet-based harvesters can effectively transfer the kinetic energy of impacting water droplet into electrical energy. Based on conventional cantilever structure of harvesters, a beam-film coupled structure is developed by extending the piezoelectric film along the beam length to enhance the power generation. First, the droplet impact force is modeled based on impulsive theorem, which is applied in constructing the simulation model of the proposed harvester using COMSOL. Second, the developed model is validated by comparing with experimental results. Then the dynamic response and electromechanical coupling effect of the proposed structure under droplet impact are comprehensively analyzed. Results show that the energy density of beam-film coupled structure with film ratios 0.6 and 0.8 is much higher than that of cantilever structure, showing an increase of 522.67% and 645.18% respectively. Moreover, the harvester with film ratio 0.6 always generates greater total electrical energy collected than the film ratio 0.8, and the difference between them becomes more significant for higher impact velocities> 1.25m/s and larger droplet diameters > 3.2mm. Results also show that there exist optimal structural parameters of the harvester which lays a foundation for further structural optimization to continuously improve the energy conversion efficiency.

BnDREB1 confers cadmium tolerance in ramie

Restorative effects of Momordica charantia extract on cerebellar GFAP and NGF expression in pregnant diabetic rats and their offspring

Maternal diabetes mellitus is linked to neurobiological and cognitive impairments, increasing the risk of brain and cerebellar defects in diabetic pregnant rats and their offspring. Momordica charantia (bitter melon) possesses antidiabetic properties due to its bioactive compounds, including phenolics, alkaloids, proteins, steroids, inorganic compounds, and lipids. Forty pregnant rats were randomly assigned to four groups: control; M charantia (BM); diabetic (DM); and diabetic treated with M charantia (BM+DM). Diabetic maternal rats showed significantly elevated serum glucose, insulin, leptin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels, with a concomitant decrease in insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetylcholine (ACh), and dopamine. Oxidative stress markers in cerebellar tissue indicated increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased glutathione (GSH) levels. Cerebellar tissue analysis revealed significantly reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and nerve growth factor (NGF), while Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were elevated. Histological and ultrastructural analysis of the diabetic maternal cerebellum showed moderate vacuolation of the neuropil in all cerebellar cortical layers, along with Purkinje cell degeneration and necrosis, including Nissl substance loss. Offspring of diabetic mothers exhibited multifocal Purkinje cell loss, empty baskets, and cerebellar cortical dysplasia with abnormal tissue development and organization. In conclusion, M. charantia supports central nervous system health in diabetic pregnant rats and their offspring by enhancing antioxidant markers, regulating GFAP and NGF, and mitigating apoptosis, ultimately improving cerebellar pathology and neural development.

Spatial distribution and health risk assessment of fluoride in groundwater in the oasis of the Hotan river basin in Xinjiang, China

Predictors of youth unemployment duration and impact evaluation of job creation program in East Gojjam Zone

Youth unemployment in the East Gojjam Zone is a critical issue. This study focuses on identifying the factors that influence unemployment duration and evaluating the impact of job creation programs on the well-being of youth in this region. We employed Cox regression to analyze the determinants of unemployment duration and used propensity score matching to assess the welfare effects of job creation initiatives. Our multistage cluster sampling revealed a youth unemployment rate of 33.3% (95% CI: 27.3–39.3). Over half of the unemployed youth transitioned to employment within four years, with 25% securing jobs within two years. Participation in job creation programs led to an average earnings increase of 1,069.716 birr, though retention in these programs was low at 49%. The findings reveal a connection between prolonged unemployment, skill mismatches, financial constraints, limited work experience, weak social networks, low income, and a preference for public-sector employment. To effectively address these challenges, interventions must focus on improving job accessibility, aligning vocational training with labor market needs, promoting financial inclusion, and enhancing social support systems.

Analysis of the role of self-efficacy and interpersonal relationships in the relationship between subjective family socio-economic status and college students’ trust character: a case study of a university in Shaanxi Province, China

Abstract Trust can assist college students in navigating the challenges of loss during their growth and development, ultimately facilitating their personal growth and well-being. From the perspective of virtue, this study proposes a new concept of “trust character”, which reveals the relationship between subjective family socioeconomic status and college students’ trust character through self-efficacy and interpersonal communication. In this study, 1211 college students from a university in Shaanxi Province were surveyed by stratified sampling using the Subjective Family Socioeconomic Status Scale, the Self-Efficacy Scale, the Interpersonal Interaction Scale, and the Trust Character Scale. The results showed that subjective family socioeconomic status was significantly positively correlated with self-efficacy (r = 0.161), interpersonal communication (r = 0.193), and trust character (r = 0.160). Self-efficacy was positively correlated with interpersonal communication (r = 0.461) and trust character (r = 0.616). Interpersonal communication was positively correlated with trust character (r = 0.492). The direct and indirect effects of subjective family socioeconomic status on college students’ trust character were significant, including the mediating value of self-efficacy was 0.080 (61.07%), the mediating value of interpersonal communication was 0.032 (24.43%), and the chain mediating value of self-efficacy and interpersonal communication was 0.019 (effect size) was 14.50%.The research shows that the trust character of college students is composed of three dimensions: trust yourself, trust others, trust people. Self-efficacy and interpersonal communication not only play an independent mediating role but also play a chain mediating role between subjective family socioeconomic status and college students’ trust character.