Common Source Research Articles

Gate-Oxide Degradation Monitoring of SiC MOSFETs Based on Transfer Characteristic With Temperature Compensation

Gate-oxide degradation is a concern in SiC MOSFETs especially in safety critical applications such as aerospace and electric vehicles (EV). To address this concern, this paper presents an accurate gate-oxide degradation monitoring solution based on the SiC devices’ transfer characteristics. Specifically, a plug-in circuit for gate driver is proposed to extract the transconductance ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">g_m</i> ) and threshold voltage ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">V_th</i> ) values from transfer characteristic. By using the threshold voltage as gate-oxide aging reference and transconductance as the junction temperature reference, the two precursors are combined to obtain a temperature and package degradation independent estimate of the gate-oxide health. High-temperature gate bias (HTGB) and DC power cycling tests are used to confirm <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">g_m</i> ’s sensitivity to gate-oxide degradation and insensitivity to package degradation in kelvin-sourced discrete SiC MOSFETs. A simple circuit is proposed for on-board <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">g_m</i> measurement using the voltage drop on the common source inductance of the MOSFET. The measured <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">g_m</i> is converted into digital pulse width, which can be easily measured using a microcontroller. A comprehensive comparison is presented to demonstrate the merits of the proposed method. Lastly, the accuracy and sensitivity of temperature and aging measurements using the proposed method is validated experimentally.

High-density electric source imaging patterns and outcomes following temporal lobectomy in patients with hippocampal sclerosis.

The objective of this study was to ascertain specific patterns of electrical source imaging (ESI) that are associated with a good surgical outcome (no seizure recurrence) using 256-channel high-density (HD) electroencephalography (EEG) in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS) who underwent temporal lobectomy. Adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) were prospectively recruited from September 2016 to May 2020 at the authors' center. All patients underwent phase I presurgical evaluation and were subsequently advised to proceed with surgery based on consensus from a multidisciplinary epilepsy conference, without knowing HD-ESI results. All recruited patients were followed for at least 12 months after surgery. The outcome of interest was a status of no seizure recurrence, which was assessed at the end of the study. The association between ESI patterns and outcome was assessed using the chi-square or Fisher exact test. Associated p values as well as odds ratios and 95% CIs were reported. The diagnostic performance of the significant pattern associated with the outcome was also evaluated. Fifty-eight patients with known predictors for either good or worse surgical outcomes were recruited. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 33.34 (SD 13.88) months. Forty-seven patients had sufficient interictal epileptiform discharges for HD-ESI analysis. Thirteen of these 47 patients experienced seizure recurrence. The most common source localizations were at Brodmann area (BA) 20 (inferior temporal area) and BA 21 (middle temporal area). A specific ESI pattern of BA 21 without extratemporal sources was significantly associated with no seizure recurrence (p = 0.047). This pattern had a high positive predictive value of 100% and false-positive rate of 0% associated with no seizure recurrence following the surgery. A specific ESI pattern that was highly associated with no seizure recurrence following surgery was demonstrated by a 256-channel HD-EEG. If this pattern can be reproducibly proven in further studies, some TLE-HS patients may be able to proceed with surgery without further investigations.

What Does a Community Think About Aromatherapy?

The awareness and usage of aromatherapy applications are increasing day by day in society. The current study aims to evaluate the thoughts and attitudes of individuals toward aromatherapy in Türkiye and to determine factors affecting the use of aromatherapy. This community-based descriptive study is conducted throughout Türkiye. Nine hundred eighty-five questionnaires were suitable for data quality. SPSS 23.0 statistical package program was used, and the statistical significance level was accepted as P value of less than .05. Approximately 72.4% of the participants have heard of aromatherapy. The rate of hearing about the concept of aromatherapy was found to be statistically significantly higher among women (P = .000), those residing in a province/district (P = .011), and those working in an income-generating positions (P = .003). It was determined that 58.9% of the participants used any essential oil. The 5 most commonly used essential oils are lavender, tea tree, peppermint, rose, and thyme, respectively. The rate of essential oil use in women is higher than in men (P = .000). The conditions in which essential oils are most frequently used are to provide beauty to the skin (51.7%), skin diseases (51.0%), and respiratory tract diseases (46.0%), respectively. The most common sources of information about the essential oils used by the participants are the Internet/social media (57.6%) and pharmacists (53.4%). The results of this research revealed that the awareness and use of aromatherapy practice in the community are high according to the literature. Considering the high tendency to use these products among the public, physicians, pharmacists, and nurses must provide consultancy services on the use of these products.

Use of contraceptives and associated factors among male adolescents in rural secondary schools, Coast Region, Tanzania: a school-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundTeenage pregnancy is still one of the reproductive health concerns facing adolescents in Tanzania. The problem has been associated with physiological, psychological, and social changes and increases the risk of unsafe abortion and adverse maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes among adolescents. Low utilization of contraceptive methods among adolescents is one of the key causes. The strategy of involving male adolescents in sexual and reproductive health programs can increase the rate of contraceptive use among adolescents, thereby preventing teenage pregnancy.ObjectiveTo examine factors associated with the uptake of contraceptives among male secondary school adolescent students.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted in rural secondary schools in Kisarawe District, Coast Region, Tanzania. Multi-stage sampling methods were used to recruit participants. Descriptive and multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the prevalence and factors associated with contraceptive use. 95% confidence interval and p-value < 0.05 were considered statistical significance. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were tested for the Crude Odds Ratio (COR) and Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) respectively.ResultsThe study involved 422 male students with the majority of them 58.1% aged 17–19 years, 50.2% were Muslim, 76.3% were studying in government schools, 62.3% were from households size of 4–6 members, 87.4% were not in a relationship, and 64.2% were living with both parents. Less than half (38.9%) of male students reported ever having sex in their lifetime, and among them, very few (29.8%) used any method of contraceptive. The reported lowest age for the first sex was 10 years. The male condom was the most method used (69.4%) and Pharmacy/Chemist Shops were the common source of contraceptive services (55.1%). Students who had adequate knowledge of contraceptives were more likely to report the use of contraceptive methods compared to those who had inadequate knowledge (AOR = 2.704, 95% CI: 1.220–5.995, p = 0.014). Participants in Private schools were 4.3 times more likely to report the use of contraceptives than those in government schools (AOR = 4.347, 95% CI: 1.758–10.762, p = 0.01). Students in a relationship were 3.5 times more likely than those not in a relationship to report the use of a contraceptive method (AOR = 3.51, 95% CI: 1.421–8.670, p = 0.006).ConclusionThe study found the low use of contraceptives among male adolescents who ever had sex in their lifetime. Thus, it’s suggested that age-tailored comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education should start to be taught from a very young age as adolescents initiate sex at an early age. Also, Teenage pregnancy prevention programs should involve males as the key players during the development and implementation of the program as most of the decisions among partners are from men.

12-Lead ECG Reconstruction Based on Data From the First Limb Lead.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) data obtained from 12 leads are the most common and informative source for analyzing the cardiovascular system's (CVS) condition in medical practice. However, the large number of electrodes, specific placements on the body, and the need for specialized equipment make the ECG acquisition procedure complex and cumbersome. This raises the challenge of reducing the number of ECG leads by reconstructing missing leads based on available data. Most existing methods for reconstructing missing ECG leads rely on utilizing signals simultaneously from multiple known leads. This study proposes a method for reconstructing ECG data in 12 leads using signal data from the first lead, lead I. Such an approach can significantly simplify the ECG registration procedure. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of using unique models with a developed architecture of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to generate the reconstructed ECG signals. Fragments of ECG from lead I, with a duration of 128 samples and a sampling frequency of 100 Hz, are input to the models. ECG fragments can be extracted from the original signal at arbitrary time points. Each model generates an ECG signal of the same length at its output for the corresponding lead. Despite existing limitations, the proposed method surpasses known solutions regarding ECG generation quality when using a single lead. The study shows that introducing an additional feature of the direction of the electrical axis of the heart (EAH) as input to the ANN models enhances the generation quality. The quality of ECG generation by the proposed ANN models is found to be dependent on the presence of CVS diseases. The developed ECG reconstruction method holds significant potential for use in portable registration devices, screening procedures, and providing support for medical decision-making by healthcare specialists.

Purified Konjac Glucomannan as Thickener for Substituting Gelatin in Making Panna Cotta

A thickener such as gelatin is essential in increasing viscosity and forming a gel system. Nowadays, gelatin is one of the most popular thickeners in food, pharmacy, and cosmetic products. Animal skins which lead to halal issues are still common sources of gelatin. Crude konjac flour (CKF) which is sourced from porang tubers and has a high degree of purity of glucomannan (GM) is a potential substitute for animal skins. Moreover, the use of KGM also supports national programs of processing agricultural products into finished products ready to export. This study applies five different CKF variants as panna cotta (PC) thickener: CKF from the fresh bulb of porang (Amorphophallus oncophyllus sp.) (CH-UP), CKF from chips of Porang (CH-CP), a native CKF, as well as laboratory-purified products of CKF (&gt;90%-w of GM content) (DM-CKF-M3X-50, and DM-CKF-M3X-96), and commercially products of porang flour (K-TPO and K-TPM) were applied to make PC; substituting gelatin. Only CKF, DM-CKF-MX-50, and DM-CKF-M3X-96 successfully thickened PC in terms of appearances. Further, organoleptic analysis was applied to CKF, DM-CKF-MX-50, and DM-CKF-M3X-96. According to the organoleptic analysis, PC with CKF, DM-CKF-MX-50, and DM-CKF-M3X-96 was more preferred by the respondents than commercial PC. In overall, CKF application on PC exhibited improved sensory properties and tastes of PC.

EVALUATION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IN A COHORT OF NEWLY DIAGNOSED CANCER PATIENTS: A STUDY OF 67 INDIVIDUAS

Purpose: To evaluate distress in newly diagnosed cancer patients. Subjects and Methods: Cross-sectional prospective study of 67 newly diagnosed patients at the Department of Pain management and Palliative Care, 108 Military Central Hospital, from August to October 2023. The patient's level of distress was assessed by the Distress Thermometer - DT and the Problem List (PL) of NCCN February 2022, Vietnamese version. Results: The average distress score among newly diagnosed cancer patients was 4.42 ± 2.237, with 3% reporting no distress, 44.8% experiencing mild distress, and 52.2% reporting moderate to severe distress (≥ 4 points). Common sources of distress among the participants included physical discomfort (94.0%), with 73.1% reporting sleep problems and 71.6% experiencing fatigue. Emotional challenges were prevalent as well (91.0%), with 49.3% reporting feelings of sadness and 47.8% experiencing anxiety. Additionally, concerns regarding self-care (53.7%) and financial worries (43.3%) were notable contributors to distress, accounting for 76.1% of the participants' concerns overall. The rate of moderate and severe distress in newly diagnosed cancer patients were statistically significantly related to age (more prevalent in patients  under 60), gender (higher in females) education level (more in those with secondary school education or less), income (higher in those with below-average incomes), health insurance benefits (higher in patients with less comprehensive coverage).

FARESHARE: An open-source apparatus for assessing drinking microstructure in socially housed rats

Social factors have been shown to play a significant and lasting role in alcohol consumption. Studying the role of social context on alcohol drinking is important to understand the factors that contribute to the initiation or maintenance of casual and problematic alcohol use, as well as those that may be protective. A substantial body of preclinical research has shown that social environment such as housing conditions and social rank plays an important role in alcohol consumption and preference, though the extent of these effects have been obfuscated by methodological differences and technical challenges. Robust individual differences in alcohol intake in socially housed animals are difficult to track when animals share a common fluid source. Commercial solutions are prohibitively expensive and are limited by proprietary software and hardware (including caging systems). Here we describe FARESHARE, an affordable, open-source solution for tracking fluid consumption in socially housed rats. The device uses RFID and custom hardware to individually measure and record each rat’s fluid consumption and licking microstructure. Each bout is also timestamped such that the circadian effects of drinking behaviour may be analysed. We provide a validation showing the operation of the device in a two-bottle-choice alcohol-drinking paradigm over a nine-day period in four group-housed female rats. We show that FARESHARE is able to capture traditional measures such as daily intake and preference, as well as circadian effects, microstructure, and individual variations in drinking.

Spatio‐temporal integrated Bayesian species distribution models reveal lack of broad relationships between traits and range shifts

AbstractAimClimate change and habitat loss or degradation are some of the greatest threats that species face today, often resulting in range shifts. Species traits have been discussed as important predictors of range shifts, with the identification of general trends being of great interest to conservation efforts. However, studies reviewing relationships between traits and range shifts have questioned the existence of such generalized trends, due to mixed results and weak correlations, as well as analytical shortcomings. The aim of this study was to test this relationship empirically, using analytical approaches that account for common sources of bias when assessing range trends.LocationTanzania, East Africa.Time period1980–1999 and 2000–2020.Major taxa studied57 savannah specialist birds found in Tanzania, belonging to 26 families and 11 orders.MethodsWe applied recently developed integrated spatio‐temporal species distribution models in R‐INLA, combining citizen science and bird Atlas data to estimate ranges of species, quantify range shifts, and test the predictive power of traditional trait groups, as well as exposure‐related and sensitivity traits. We based our study on 40 years of bird observations in East African savannahs, a biome that has experienced increasing climatic and non‐climatic pressures over recent decades. We correlated patterns of change with species traits using linear regression models.ResultsWe find indications of relationships identified by previous research, but low average explanatory power of traits from an ecological perspective, confirming the lack of meaningful general associations. However, our analysis finds compelling species‐specific results.Main conclusionsWe highlight the importance of individual assessments while demonstrating the usefulness of our analytical approach for analyses of range shifts.

Assessment of Knowledge Regarding Airplane Ear Preventive Measures among Air Travelers of Najran University’s Staff

Passengers before air travel should be frequently advised on the possible preventive measures to reduce any sort of ear discomfort. A cross-sectional survey-based approach was adopted to assess the prevalence of OBT, source of information on preventive measures for OBT, and respondents’ level of knowledge of preventive measures for aeroplane ear discomfort. 206 respondents i.e., air travellers of Najran University’s staff were sampled using a purposive sampling technique. Results highlighted that the prevalent symptoms of ear discomfort during air travel, which are most commonly observed such as ear pain, popping noises, reduced hearing, dizziness, and ringing noises in the ear. Also, findings explored that OBT is the severe health issue caused during air travel however mild concerns include pain or loss of hearing, vertigo and ear discharge. Most respondents were aware of ‘Chewing gum or sweets’ and ‘Yawning or swallowing’ as prevention measures, and ‘Blowing against a pinched nose (Valsalva maneuver)’ as preventive measures for ear discomfirt during air travel. ‘Internet’ (11.2%), ‘Posters/Leaflets in aeroplanes’ (7.8%), ‘Posters/Leaflets in airports’ (6.8%), and ‘Social Media’ are the most common sources of information for preventive measures to reduce prevalence of OBT. Adopting passive methods like yawning, moving the jaw, swallowing, etc. are quick techniques to deal with ear discomfort.

Associations of prenatal one-carbon metabolism nutrients and metals with epigenetic aging biomarkers at birth and in childhood in a US cohort.

Epigenetic gestational age acceleration (EGAA) at birth and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) in childhood may be biomarkers of the intrauterine environment. We investigated the extent to which first-trimester folate, B12, 5 essential, and 7 non-essential metals in maternal circulation are associated with EGAA and EAA in early life. Bohlin EGAA and Horvath pan-tissue and skin and blood EAA were calculated using DNA methylation measured in cord blood (N=351) and mid-childhood blood (N=326; median age = 7.7 years) in the Project Viva pre-birth cohort. A one standard deviation increase in individual essential metals (copper, manganese, and zinc) was associated with 0.94-1.2 weeks lower Horvath EAA at birth, and patterns of exposures identified by exploratory factor analysis suggested that a common source of essential metals was associated with Horvath EAA. We also observed evidence nonlinear associations of zinc with Bohlin EGAA, magnesium and lead with Horvath EAA, and cesium with skin and blood EAA at birth. Overall, associations at birth did not persist in mid-childhood; however, arsenic was associated with greater EAA at birth and in childhood. Prenatal metals, including essential metals and arsenic, are associated with epigenetic aging in early life, which might be associated with future health.

Water binding ability changes of different proteins during high-moisture extrusion

High-moisture extrusion technology (40% ∼ 80% moisture content) has shown the advantages for producing plant-based meat products with rich meat-like fibrous structures; however, it faces the issue of insufficient juiciness. Juiciness is associated with water characteristics such as water holding capacity and water distribution, and the variations in water binding ability of proteins during high-moisture extrusion may offer valuable insights into this perspective. Thus, the water binding ability changes of plant proteins from five common sources during high-moisture extrusion were investigated in this study. Results showed the extrudates of soy protein isolate (SPI), soy protein concentrate (SPC) and wheat gluten (WG) exhibited fibrous structures at a centimeter level, respectively, and the microscopic morphology of SPI extrudates was more uniform. SPI showed the strongest water holding capacity and highest gel strength, leading to a faster binding rate with water compared to other proteins during the heating process. Moreover, the lowest water activity, freezable water content, T21 and T22 were found after extrusion of SPI, indicating that it was the most tightly bound to water. While, rice protein isolate (RPI) failed to extrude into a regular shape, and its extrudates showed the lowest density with a poor water binding ability. It was also found that the water activity of the extrudates was related to the solubility of the protein raw materials, and proteins with high solubility (PPP) showed lower water activity after extrusion. The results confirmed that the water binding ability of proteins could affect the water content, water state and distribution in the extrudates. These findings provided evidence for exploring the juiciness of plant-based meat products from the perspective of protein-water interaction.

Comprehensive genomic and clinical analyses identify APOBEC mutational signatures as a brain metastasis risk factor in lung adenocarcinoma patients

BackgroundLung adenocarcinoma is the most common source of brain metastasis (BM), resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. We aimed to identify patients with high BM risk who possibly benefit from brain-penetrant drugs, prophylactic cranial irradiation, or close brain magnetic resonance imaging surveillance. MethodsMetastatic lung adenocarcinoma patients with extracranial tumor samples profiled by a next-generation sequencing panel targeting 425 tumor-related genes were retrospectively enrolled between February 2008 and July 2021. We compared BM and non-BM patients’ genomic and clinical features and studied their associations with BM risk. Two external cohorts were used for result validation and molecular mechanisms investigation, respectively. ResultsWe included 174 eligible patients, including 90 having developed BM by the end of follow-up. Age≤60, EGFR activating mutations, and high-level apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC) mutational signatures were associated with elevated BM risk. Similar findings in BM-free survival were obtained by fitting Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard models addressing competing risks. Increased BM risk related to APOBEC mutational signatures was validated in an external cohort (N = 440). RNA sequencing data analyses performed in another external cohort (N = 230) revealed that expressions of metastasis-related pathways such as transforming growth factor (TGF)β and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were upregulated in the patients with high-level APOBEC mutational signatures. ConclusionAPOBEC mutational signatures related to upregulated TGFβ and EMT, could serve as an independent risk factor for BM and BM-free survival in metastatic lung adenocarcinoma patients. Further investigations are warranted to tailor personalized treatments to improve the susceptible patient's outcomes.

One Health surveillance of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales in Belgium and the Netherlands between 2017 and 2019.

Colistin serves as the last line of defense against multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections in both human and veterinary medicine. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and spread of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales (ColR-E) using a One Health approach in Belgium and in the Netherlands. In a transnational research project, a total of 998 hospitalized patients, 1430 long-term care facility (LTCF) residents, 947 children attending day care centres, 1597 pigs and 1691 broilers were sampled for the presence of ColR-E in 2017 and 2018, followed by a second round twelve months later for hospitalized patients and animals. Colistin treatment incidence in livestock farms was used to determine the association between colistin use and resistance. Selective cultures and colistin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were employed to identify ColR-E. A combination of short-read and long-read sequencing was utilized to investigate the molecular characteristics of 562 colistin-resistant isolates. Core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) was applied to examine potential transmission events. The presence of ColR-E was observed in all One Health sectors. In Dutch hospitalized patients, ColR-E proportions (11.3 and 11.8% in both measurements) were higher than in Belgian patients (4.4 and 7.9% in both measurements), while the occurrence of ColR-E in Belgian LTCF residents (10.2%) and children in day care centres (17.6%) was higher than in their Dutch counterparts (5.6% and 12.8%, respectively). Colistin use in pig farms was associated with the occurrence of colistin resistance. The percentage of pigs carrying ColR-E was 21.8 and 23.3% in Belgium and 14.6% and 8.9% in the Netherlands during both measurements. The proportion of broilers carrying ColR-E in the Netherlands (5.3 and 1.5%) was higher compared to Belgium (1.5 and 0.7%) in both measurements. mcr-harboring E. coli were detected in 17.4% (31/178) of the screened pigs from 7 Belgian pig farms. Concurrently, four human-related Enterobacter spp. isolates harbored mcr-9.1 and mcr-10 genes. The majority of colistin-resistant isolates (419/473, 88.6% E. coli; 126/166, 75.9% Klebsiella spp.; 50/75, 66.7% Enterobacter spp.) were susceptible to the critically important antibiotics (extended-spectrum cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, carbapenems and aminoglycosides). Chromosomal colistin resistance mutations have been identified in globally prevalent high-risk clonal lineages, including E. coli ST131 (n = 17) and ST1193 (n = 4). Clonally related isolates were detected in different patients, healthy individuals and livestock animals of the same site suggesting local transmission. Clonal clustering of E. coli ST10 and K. pneumoniae ST45 was identified in different sites from both countries suggesting that these clones have the potential to spread colistin resistance through the human population or were acquired by exposure to a common (food) source. In pig farms, the continuous circulation of related isolates was observed over time. Inter-host transmission between humans and livestock animals was not detected. The findings of this study contribute to a broader understanding of ColR-E prevalence and the possible pathways of transmission, offering insights valuable to both academic research and public health policy development.

Research laser scanning damage detection method in f-k domain for laminate composite material

The use of composite plate structures has become increasingly prevalent in industries such as civil engineering, aerospace, high-speed rail, automotive, and wind power. However, the propagation of ultrasonic Lamb waves in these structures is subject to multi-modal and frequency dispersion effects, which, coupled with the complicated anisotropic propagation mechanism of composite materials, makes it challenging to extract damage scatter signals without a health signal as a reference. In this study, we apply the frequency-wavenumber ( f- k) domain filter wavefront modal method to carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials and use a three-dimensional (3D) window function to achieve different modalities and their corresponding damage reflection signals in the absence of a reference dispersion curve. Single modal damage imaging is achieved using a common source method (CSM) by laser vibration scanning experiment. To effectively extract single modalities in laminate material damage detection, a 3D filter window function was constructed. Considering the skew angle correction, it can effectively remove the direct wave signal, so as to realize the imaging of the damage.

Temporal dynamics, meteorological effects, secondary organic aerosol estimation, and source identification of size‐segregated carbonaceous aerosols

AbstractDuring the period 2019–2020, size‐segregated aerosol samples containing elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC) were investigated. These samples were collected weekly using an eight‐stage cascade impactor from an urban site located at Aksaray University, Aksaray. The quantification of EC and OC was carried out through a thermal‐optical transmission device. The results revealed consistent size distribution attributes of EC and OC between winter and summer. Although EC accounted for an insignificant percentage (4.4%) of particulate matter (PM) in the PM9.0–10.0 fraction during winter, a more substantial portion of OC in the same fraction (13.4%) comprised EC. Seasonal variations were distinct for EC but not significant for OC. Strong correlations between OC and EC were observed in coarse particle fractions, indicating a common source, with weaker correlations in fine particles. The highest OC/EC ratio was in the PM0.43–0.65 fraction, followed by PM2.1–3.3. The ratio of OC to EC in fine PM exceeded the threshold of 15 consistently. The observation indicates that as particle size increases, there is a noticeable decline in the OC to EC ratios. Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) accounted for 60.8% (winter) and 89.8% (summer) of OC values, emphasizing the substantial impact of SOA on Aksaray's atmosphere. Both seasons exhibited a multimodal distribution of ambient OC. In winter, the EC distribution was dominated by fine particles, with a bimodal pattern (PM1.1–2.1 and PM0.43–0.65 peaks). Common pollutant sources, including traffic emissions, road dust, biogenic emissions, and coal combustion, were identified for both seasons in coarse and fine particle fractions. These findings underscore the importance of emission control strategies targeting fine PM in Aksaray.

A scoping review on the methodological and reporting quality of scoping reviews in China

BackgroundScoping reviews have emerged as a valuable method for synthesizing emerging evidence, providing a comprehensive contextual overview, and influencing policy and practice developments. The objective of this study is to provide an overview of scoping reviews conducted in Chinese academic institutions over the last decades.MethodWe conducted a comprehensive search of nine databases and six grey literature databases for scoping reviews conducted in Chinese academic institutions. The reporting quality of the included reviews was assessed using the Preferred Reporting Items for PRISMA-ScR checklist. We performed both quantitative and qualitative analyses, examining the conduct of the scoping reviews and exploring the breadth of research topics covered. We used Chi-squared and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests to compare methodological issues and reporting quality in English and Chinese-language reviews.ResultsA total of 392 reviews published between 2013 and 2022 were included, 238 English-reported reviews and 154 Chinese-reported reviews, respectively. The primary purposes of these reviews were to map and summarize the evidence, with a particular focus on health and nursing topics. 98.7% of reviews explicitly used the term “scoping review”, and the Arksey and O’Malley framework was the most frequently cited framework. Thirty-five English-reported scoping reviews provided a protocol for scoping review. PubMed was the most common source in English-reported reviews and CNKI in Chinese-reported reviews. Reviews published in English were more likely to search the grey literature (P = 0.005), consult information specialists (P < 0.001) and conduct an updated search (P = 0.012) than those in Chinese. Reviews published in English had a significantly high score compared to those published in Chinese (16 vs. 14; P < 0.001). The reporting rates in English-reported reviews were higher than those in Chinese reviews for seven items, but lower for structured summary (P < 0.001), eligibility criteria (P < 0.001), data charting process (P = 0.009) and data items (P = 0.015).ConclusionThere has been a significant increase in the number of scoping reviews conducted in Chinese academic institutions each year since 2020. While the research topics covered are diverse, the overall reporting quality of these reviews is need to be improved. And there is a need for greater standardization in the conduct of scoping reviews in Chinese academic institutions.

Evaluation of heavy metals in different brands of chocolates marketed in Kathmandu, Nepal, and their associated health risks

Chocolates are among the sweet food items consumed by all age groups particularly children in Nepal. However, this foodstuff may be contaminated with heavy metals from the raw ingredients, production, and packaging methods, which could bring serious health issues. Therefore, this study aimed to determine cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (FAAS) in a total of thirty-seven different brands of milk-based, cocoa-based, and sugar-based chocolates available in local grocery shops of Kathmandu city, Nepal and to evaluate associated health risks in children and adults using USEPA deterministic approaches. The results revealed concentrations of Cd, Ni, and Pb in the range of 0.021 – 0.585, 1.90 – 7.24, and 0.57 – 4.29 mg/kg respectively in studied chocolates and an overall mean concentration of 0.199, 4.22, and 1.94 mg/kg respectively. The observed concentrations exceeded the maximum permissible limits set by FAO/WHO (2001). A higher concentration of all studied metals was found in cocoa-based chocolate compared to milk-based and sugar-based chocolates. The positive and significant correlations (p &lt; 0.05) among Cd, Ni, and Pb in studied chocolates indicate the possibility of contamination from common sources. Similarly, the estimated ADDing values were higher for all metals in cocoa-based chocolate for both children and adults. However, children were more prone to metals exposure than adults since their dietary intake was higher than adults. Cocoa-based chocolate in this study posed a non-carcinogenic risk to both children and adults since their hazard index (HI) values exceeded the acceptable limit (&gt;1.0). In addition, Cd and Ni posed carcinogenic risks to both receptor groups through the consumption of all three categories of chocolate. Therefore, this study suggested the use of less contaminated raw materials in chocolates as well as regular monitoring of the production chain as an attempt to ensure the quality and safety of the food products.

Street view imagery: AI-based analysis method and application

Street view imagery is an emerging form of geographic big data. It presents urban visual environments from the perspective of urban residents and also contains non-visual environment of cities, such as urban human activities and socio-economic development. However, traditional digital image processing has its limitations, and the continuous development of artificial intelligence, especially computer vision and deep learning, provides strong technical support for exploring the rich semantic information in street view imagery. This paper reviews the related research on street view imagery and its artificial intelligence analysis methods and applications. It outlines the acquisition, storage, and common data sources of street view imagery. Then it introduces computer vision, deep learning, and commonly used open-source datasets in street view imagery analysis. It also detailed three aspects of AI-based street view imagery applications, namely quantification of the physical space, urban perception, and spatial semantic speculation. Finally, issues like data acquisition, domain adaption and deep learning black box are discussed. The hotspots and prospects for the development of this research topic are also prospected.

Investigating the Sources of the French Grammar (1724) by Ivan Gorlitsky

The article is dedicated to the grammar of the French language, which is kept in the manuscript department of the Library of the Academy of Sciences (RO BAN, P I B, №106). The authorship of the manual is attributed to Ivan Gorlitsky (1690–1777). It was apparently intended for Princess Elizaveta Petrovna. The article supplements the information on this source in the works by S. V. Vlasov, L. V. Moskovkin (2013, 2017), N. V. Kareva and M. G. Sharikhina (2022). The allegation passed down from work to work about the originality of Gorlitsky’s work is disputed. Evidence shows that a significant part of the grammar text corresponds to the textbook “The true principles of the French Language” (1757) by V. J. Peyton; it is assumed that both texts go back to a common source. Other fragments of Gorlitsky’s grammar go back to F. de Fenne’s «Institutio linguae gallicae» (1680). The examples are generously taken from J.-R. Peplier’s textbook (1689). Special attention is paid to the peculiarities of the material adaptation to the Russian reader. It is pointed out that Gorlitsky often altered the examples and supplemented his text with information about the Russian language.