Browse Articles

Network analysis of the relationship between error orientation, self-efficacy, and innovative behavior in nurses

A data augmentation model integrating supervised and unsupervised learning for recommendation

A prediction model of soil organic carbon into river and its driving mechanism in red soil region

Simple Executive Function as an endophenotype of autism-ADHD, and differing associations between simple versus complex Executive Functions and autism/ADHD traits

Abstract Autism and ADHD are associated with difficulties with Executive Functions (EFs), but the prevalence and nature of these difficulties in early development is not well understood. In this longitudinal study, 107 children with a family history of autism and/or ADHD (FH-autism/ADHD), and 24 children with No-FH-autism/ADHD completed multiple EF tasks (5 at age 2 years, 7 at age 3 years). Parents reported on their child’s autism- (Q-CHAT at age 2, SRS-2 at age 3), and ADHD-related traits (CBCL DSM-ADHD scale, both ages). Compared to the No-FH-autism/ADHD group, the FH-autism/ADHD group showed lower scores on simple EFs (involving response inhibition, and holding in mind) at ages 2 and 3. Exploratory analysis linked FH-autism specifically with lower Executive Attention (top-down attentional control) at age 2, and the combination of FH-autism and FH-ADHD with lower Complex EF (involving selectively deploying responses, or updating information) at age 3. Three-year-olds’ Simple EF scores were negatively associated with ADHD-related traits. Complex EF scores were negatively associated with autism traits (before correcting for multiple comparisons). Toddlers with a family history of autism and/or ADHD may benefit from interventions to support simple EF development, whilst those already showing autistic traits may benefit from support with more-complex EF skills.

Sea level trends along the South African coast from 1993 to 2022 using XTRACK altimetry, tide gauges, and GNSS measurements

Ecological vulnerability and driving factors in the himalayan transboundary landscape under global climate change

Comparative performance of multiple ensemble learning models for preoperative prediction of tumor deposits in rectal cancer based on MR imaging

Prediction of COVID-19 cases by multifactor driven long short-term memory (LSTM) model

Sex differences in the association between serum α-Klotho levels and hyperlipidemia: a cross-sectional study from NHANES 2013–2016

Time perception in cerebellar and basal ganglia stroke patients

Effect of gold nanoparticles treatment on rats-induced obesity by evaluating body-composition directly and indirectly via bioelectric impedance analysis

Abstract Obesity is a metabolic disease characterized by an imbalance between caloric intake and expenditure, leading to excess fat and increasing the risk of various health conditions. This study compares the anti-obesity effects of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to orlistat in an experimental model of induced obesity in Wistar Albino rats. In addition to negative and positive control rats, obese rats were treated with variable daily and weekly doses of AuNPs and daily orlistat for nine weeks. Bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) and dissection techniques were used to indirectly and directly measure body-composition in all rat groups. Hepatic and renal function and ultrastructure were assessed by blood biochemical and histological examinations to detect treatment-related alterations. High doses of AuNPs reduced body fat, increased muscle mass, improved dyslipidemia, glycemia, and antioxidant effects in obese rats, and restored normal TG, FBG, and MDA levels by reducing obesity-related oxidative damage. Histological and ultrastructural examinations showed that these high doses repaired liver and kidney cells, and reduced fat accumulation and body weight compared to the standard treatment for obesity by orlistat.

An integrated petrophysical and rock physics characterization of the Mangahewa Formation in the Pohokura field, Taranaki Basin

Abstract The Mangahewa Formation in the Pohokura gas field, Taranaki Basin, is a key reservoir for gas production in New Zealand, yet its deep and heterogeneous nature presents challenges for accurate reservoir characterization. While prior studies have explored aspects of the Mangahewa Formation such as lithology, fluid composition, and petrophysical properties, the interrelationships between these factors and their impact on hydrocarbon production remain underexamined. This study integrates detailed petrophysical and rock physics analyses to overcome these challenges. Petrophysical evaluation, based on well log data from depths of 3200–4000 m, reveals net reservoir thicknesses ranging from 164 to 479 m, with total porosity between 17 and 21% and effective porosity between 8 and 19%. Shale volume and water saturation vary from 21–28 and 22–34%, respectively. Rock physics analysis was performed using Rock Physics Templates (RPTs) to model the elastic properties of the reservoir. The Mangahewa Sandstone exhibits elastic properties consistent with the stiff sand model, with compressional sonic velocities ranging from 4100 to 5000 m/s. High correlations were achieved between measured and modeled velocities, with 97% for VP and 94% for VS. These models enabled the estimation of porosity from seismic-derived acoustic impedance, providing valuable insights in areas with limited well control. Furthermore, the RPTs effectively differentiated between gas sand, water sand, and shale facies, minimizing uncertainties in fluid and lithology prediction. These results provide a comprehensive understanding of the Mangahewa Formation, enhancing hydrocarbon prospect evaluation and supporting further exploration and development in the Pohokura field.

Scheduling optimization based on particle swarm optimization algorithm in emergency management of long-distance natural gas pipelines

This paper aims to solve the scheduling optimization problem in the emergency management of long-distance natural gas pipelines, with the goal of minimizing the total scheduling time. To this end, the objective function of the minimum total scheduling time is established, and the relevant constraints are set. A scheduling optimization model based on the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed. In view of the high-dimensional complexity and local optimal problems, the neighborhood adaptive constrained fractional particle swarm optimization (NACFPSO) algorithm is used to solve it. The experimental results show that compared with the traditional particle swarm optimization algorithm, NACFPSO performs well in both convergence speed and scheduling time, with an average convergence speed of 81.17 iterations and an average scheduling time of 200.00 minutes; while the average convergence speed of the particle swarm optimization algorithm is 82.17 iterations and an average scheduling time of 207.49 minutes. In addition, with the increase of pipeline complexity, NACFPSO can still maintain its advantages in convergence speed and scheduling time, especially in scheduling time, which further verifies the optimization effect of the algorithm in emergency management.

A frequency attention-embedded network for polyp segmentation

In Silico identification and characterization of SOS gene family in soybean: Potential of calcium in salinity stress mitigation

Leguminous crops are usually sensitive to saline stress during germination and plant growth stages. The Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway is one of the key signaling pathways involved in salt translocation and tolerance in plants however, it is obscure in soybean. The current study describes the potential of calcium application on the mitigation of salinity stress and its impact on seed germination, morphological, physiological and biochemical attributes of soybean. The seeds from previously reported salt-tolerant and salt-susceptible soybean varieties were primed with water, calcium (10 and 20 mM), and stressed under 60, 80 and 100 mM NaCl and evaluated in various combinations. Results show that germination increased by 7% in calcium primed non-stressed seeds under non-stressing, whereas an improvement of 15%-25% was observed in germination under NaCl stress. Likewise, improvement in seedling length (3%-8%), plant height (9%-18%), number of nodes (3%-14%), SOD activity (20%) and Na+/K+ concentration (3%-5% reduction) in calcium primed plants, indicates alleviation of salinity-induced negative effects. In addition, this study also included in silico identification and confirmation of presence of Arabidopsis thaliana SOS genes orthologs in soybean. The research of amino acid sequences of SOS proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtSOSs) within Glycine max genome displayed protein identity (60–80%) thus these identified homologs were called as GmSOS. Further phylogeny and in silico analyses showed that GmSOS orthologs contain similar gene structures, close evolutionary relationship, and same conserved motifs, reinforcing that GmSOSs belong to SOS family and they share many common features with orthologs from other species thus may perform similar functions. This is the first study that reports role of SOSs in salt-stress mitigation in soybean.

The internet usage increases fear of infection with Covid-19

Factors influencing sepsis associated thrombocytopenia (SAT): A multicenter retrospective cohort study

Introduction Sepsis associated thrombocytopenia (SAT) is a common complication of sepsis. We designed this study to investigate factors influencing SAT. Methods Patients with sepsis (2984 in Peking union medical college hospital [PUMCH] database, 13165 in eICU Collaborative Research [eICU] database, 11101 in Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV [MIMIC-IV] database) were enrolled. Variables included basic information, comorbidities, and organ functions. Multi-variable logistic regression models and artificial neural network model were applied to determine the factors related to SAT. Main results Age and body mass index (BMI) were inversely correlated with the incidence of SAT (p-value 0.175 and 0.049 [PUMCH], p-value 0.000 and 0.000 [eICU], p-value 0.000 and 0.000 [MIMIC-IV]). Hematologic malignancies and other malignancies were positively correlated with the incidence of SAT (p-value 0.000 and 0.000 [PUMCH], p-value 0.000 and 0.000 [eICU], p-value 0.000 and 0.020 [MIMIC-IV]) except other malignancies was inversely correlated with the incidence of SAT in PUMCH database. Norepinephrine (NE) equivalents, total bilirubin (TBIL) and creatinine were positively correlated with the incidence of SAT (p-value 0.000, 0.000 and 0.011 [PUMCH], p-value 0.028, 0.000 and 0.013 [eICU], p-value 0.028, 0.000 and 0.027 [MIMIC-IV]). PaO2 / FiO2 was inversely correlated with the incidence of SAT in PUMCH database (p-value 0.021 [PUMCH]), while it was positively correlated with the incidence of SAT (p-value 0.000 [MIMIC-IV]). PaO2 / FiO2 and SAT was not related (p-value 0.111 [eICU]). TBIL, hematologic malignancies, PaO2 / FiO2 and NE equivalents ranked in the top five significant variables in all three datasets. Conclusions Hematologic malignancies and other malignancies were positively correlated with the incidence of SAT. NE equivalents, TBIL and creatinine were positively correlated with the incidence of SAT. TBIL, hematologic malignancies, PaO2 / FiO2 and NE equivalents ranked in the top significant variables in factors influencing SAT.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists improve metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease outcomes

Type 1 diabetes incidence during COVID-19 pandemic has not been influenced by COVID-19 vaccination in northern Italy region, Lombardy

Objective To describe the trends of type 1 diabetes(T1D) incidence in 0–17-year-olds over the years 2020–2023, and the COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Lombardy region. Methods Data about children and adolescents aged 0–17 years who received a diagnosis of T1D from 2020 to 2023 were extracted from the public computerized registry of the healthcare system of the Lombardy Region (Italy). After calculating the annual T1D incidence, the incidence in 2020, prior to the availability of vaccination, was compared to subsequent years. A separate analysis was conducted for the 12–17 age group, the first to receive vaccination. Results One thousand two hundred seventy-three T1D onsets were recorded. The distribution of T1D showed no significant annual variation by sex (p-trend = 0.338), mean age (9 years, p = 0.537) and age distribution (p-trend = 0.563). T1D incidence [95% CI/100.000] did not significantly change comparing 2020 [18.94/100.000 (CI 16.88–21.18)] with 2021 [21.82/100.000 (CI 18.90–23.44)], 2022 [20.77/100.000 (CI 18.59–23.13)] and 2023 [19.68/100.000 (CI 16.61–20.94)]. No differences in incidence were observed in the 12–17 age group during 2021–2023 when COVID-19 vaccination was available when compared to 2020 (p-wald > 0.05). The COVID-19 vaccination coverage was lower in children with diabetes onset compared to the same-age general population (38 vs 42%). Conclusions The incidence of T1D in children remained stable during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of the uptake of the vaccination.

Lifespan in rodents with MYT1L heterozygous mutation