Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (Switzerland)
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing InstituteNot a member yet
548911 research outputs found
Sort by
Using LLMs to Infer Non-Binary COVID-19 Sentiments of Chinese Microbloggers
No full textStudying public sentiment during crises is crucial for understanding how opinions and sentiments shift, resulting in polarized societies. We study Weibo, the most popular microblogging site in China, using posts made during the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis. The study period includes the pre-COVID-19 stage, the outbreak stage, and the early stage of epidemic prevention. We use Llama 3 8B, a large language model, to analyze users’ sentiments on the platform by classifying them into positive, negative, sarcastic, and neutral categories. Analyzing sentiment shifts on Weibo provides insights into how social events and government actions influence public opinion. This study contributes to understanding the dynamics of social sentiments during health crises, fulfilling a gap in sentiment analysis for Chinese platforms. By examining these dynamics, we aim to offer valuable perspectives on digital communication’s role in shaping society’s responses during unprecedented global challenges
A New Ensemble Strategy Based on Surprisingly Popular Algorithm and Classifier Prediction Confidence
No full textTraditional ensemble methods rely on majority voting, which may fail to recognize correct answers held by a minority in scenarios requiring specialized knowledge. Therefore, this paper proposes two novel ensemble methods for supervised classification, named Confidence Truth Serum (CTS) and Confidence Truth Serum with Single Regression (CTS-SR). The former is based on the principles of Bayesian Truth Serum (BTS) and introduces classification confidence to calculate the prior and posterior probabilities of events, enabling the recovery of correct judgments provided by a confident minority beyond majority voting. CTS-SR further simplifies the algorithm by constructing a single regression model to reduce computational overhead, making it suitable for large-scale applications. Experiments are conducted on multiple binary classification datasets to evaluate CTS and CTS-SR. Experimental results demonstrate that, compared with existing ensemble methods, both of the proposed methods significantly outperform baseline algorithms in terms of accuracy and F1 scores. Specifically, there is an average improvement of 2–6% in accuracy and an average increase of 2–4% in F1 score. Notably, on the Musk and Hilly datasets, our method achieves a 5% improvement compared to the traditional majority voting approach. Particularly on the Hilly dataset, which generally exhibits the poorest classification performance and poses the greatest prediction challenges, our method demonstrates the best discriminative performance. validating the importance of confidence as a feature in ensemble learning
An Evaluation of Soybean Protein Concentrate as a Replacement for Fish Meal with Methionine Supplementation in Diets for Hybrid Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii ♀ × A. schrenckii ♂)
No full textSoy protein concentrate (SPC) is a cost-effective alternative to fish meal (FM) in aquaculture, but its deficiency in essential amino acids, particularly methionine, limits its application. This study evaluated the effects of methionine supplementation on growth, liver and intestinal health, and muscle quality in hybrid sturgeon (Acipenser baerii ♀ × A. schrenckii ♂) fed SPC-based diets. Four diets were formulated: an FM control diet, and SPC diets supplemented with 0% (M0), 0.25% (M2.5), and 0.50% (M5) methionine. Replacing FM with SPC without methionine (M0) significantly reduced weight gain and the protein efficiency ratio (PER) while increasing the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and hepatic lipid accumulation. Methionine supplementation (M5) restored growth performance, the PER, and muscle texture to levels comparable to the FM group. Intestinal enzyme activities (lipase and trypsin), villus height, and goblet cell counts significantly improved in the M5 group. Gene expression analysis showed that M5 upregulated tight junction genes (claudin1, occludin) and anti-inflammatory genes (tgfβ, lysozyme) while reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines (il1β, il8). In the liver, M5 reduced oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and improved antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT) while optimizing lipid metabolism, as evidenced by lower triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels. Muscle quality analysis showed that M5 significantly increased muscle hardness, chewiness, and fiber density compared to M0. In conclusion, methionine supplementation at 0.50% effectively mitigates the negative effects of SPC, improving growth, liver and intestinal health, and muscle quality in hybrid sturgeon
Current Status of Prurigo Nodularis in Japan: A Retrospective Study Using a Health Insurance Claims Database
No full textBackground/Objectives: Prurigo nodularis (PN) is associated with considerable disease burden. Limited information exists about the epidemiology, treatment patterns, and impact of PN. This retrospective study used Japanese health insurance claims data to investigate the prevalence and incidence of PN from 2006 to 2021. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to estimate prevalence and incidence longitudinally; a cohort design was used to assess comorbidities, treatment patterns, and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU). Results: Over the study period, data from 297,545 to 10,081,414 individuals were available annually; in 2020, 1946 individuals were diagnosed with PN. The prevalence and incidence of PN showed little variation over the study period; in 2021, the prevalence was 41 per 100,000 persons. Although there was a tendency for a higher prevalence of PN in childhood, the prevalence and incidence were similar in other age groups and were slightly higher in females. Inflammatory skin diseases and atopic diathesis were common comorbidities. The most prescribed treatments for adults with PN were topical steroids (78%), oral antihistamines (68%), and moisturizers (54%). Oral steroids, macrolides, and psychotropics were prescribed to >10% of patients. Individuals with PN who also had atopic dermatitis (AD) received higher cumulative doses of stronger potency topical steroids, local steroid injections, and oral steroids than those without concomitant AD. Additionally, HCRU was higher in individuals with AD. Conclusions: Although patients are usually treated according to the guidelines, there is an unmet need for more effective treatments for PN due to the frequent use of intensive and late-line treatments
Alveolar Bile and Light Chain Immunoglobulin Depositions as an Unusual Complication of Transjugular Liver Biopsy Resulting in Bilhemia in a Patient with Multiple Myeloma
No full textBackground: A 69-year-old man with multiple myeloma and left-sided heart failure presented to the hospital with a two-month fever. Method: A transjugular liver biopsy was performed due to the rapid progression of liver failure. The procedure was complicated by an intraperitoneal hemorrhage. The bleeding was managed expectantly. Result: Significantly elevated serum bilirubin levels occurred on the 13th day after liver biopsy. Increasing serum bilirubin levels were observed until the patient’s death due to a biliovenous fistula at the liver biopsy site. Simultaneously, his slightly elevated liver enzymes returned to normal. The patient died 23 days after liver biopsy due to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Fistulous communication between the biliary tree and the hepatic venous system with subsequent bile leakage into the venous system (bilhemia) can lead to bile deposition in the lungs. Bile deposition in the lungs may potentiate and accelerate the development of diffuse alveolar damage with hyaline membranes. Conclusions: Lambda and kappa light chain deposition in the pulmonary alveoli in patients with multiple myeloma can mimic typical hyaline membranes
Epicardial Adipose Tissue Volume Assessment in the General Population and CAD-RADS 2.0 Score Correlation Using Dual Source Cardiac CT
No full textObjectives: Our study aims to investigate the correlation between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume assessed with non-contrast cardiac CT (NCCCT) and sex, age, coronary artery disease reporting and data system (CAD-RADS 2.0) categories, and coronary artery calcification (CAC) extent. The secondary aim is to establish the average values of EAT in a population considered healthy for coronary artery disease (CAD). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) at our institution from January 2023 to August 2024. The CAD-RADS 2.0 scoring system was applied to assess the extent of CAD; CAC extent was quantified according to the Agatston score. EAT was segmented semi-automatically in NCCCT images, and its volume was subsequently measured. Correlation analyses between EAT volume, sex, patient age, CAC, and CAD-RADS categories were conducted. Results: A total of 489 consecutive patients met the inclusion criteria (63.96 ± 12.18 years; 214 females). The mean EAT volume ± SD in those categorized as CAD-RADS 0 (57.25 ± 15.45 years, 120 patients) was 117.43 ± 50.30 cm3: values were higher in men (121.07 ± 53.31 cm3) than in women (114.54 ± 47.98 cm3). EAT volumes positively correlated with age, male sex, CAD severity, and CAC scores. Conclusions: According to our results, males in all CAD-RADS categories have a greater amount of EAT than females. A positive correlation between the volume of EAT and factors such as age (p = 0.003), CAD-RADS categories (p: 0.004), and coronary calcium score (p = 0.0001) with a strong influence exerted by sex was demonstrated. Our results reinforce the observation that higher EAT volumes are associated with a more severe coronary artery disease
Correction: Tham et al. Correction: Tham et al. Recovery of Protein from Dairy Milk Waste Product Using Alcohol-Salt Liquid Biphasic Flotation. Processes 2019, 7, 875. Processes 2020, 8, 381
No full textFollowing publication, concerns were raised to the editorial office relating to a potential conflict of interest between an author and the Academic Editor who supervised the peer-review of this article [...
Biotechnological Revolution in Agrifood Systems: Multidisciplinary Approaches for the Diagnosis, Management, and Epidemiology of Plant Diseases
No full textAgrifood systems have been disrupted for centuries across the globe by a plethora of plant pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi [...
Physical and Microscopic Characterization of Thermal Treatment Products of Plant Waste for Recycling in Sustainable Construction
No full textOrganic plant waste is a significant source of environmental pollution, necessitating proper disposal methods. One sustainable approach is recycling this waste for beneficial applications. Recent studies have explored the potential of incorporating organic waste into construction materials. In this study, selected municipal organic wastes—orange peel, corn cob and husk, pineapple leaf, and garden grass—were characterized and evaluated for their suitability in mortar and concrete production. A preliminary assessment involved substituting various percentages of sand with these organic residues in mortar mixtures. Among the tested materials, garden grass yielded the most promising results, exhibiting compressive strengths comparable to the control sample after seven days of curing. Based on these findings, mortar and concrete samples were prepared with 5% and 10% volumetric replacement of sand by grass. After seven days of curing, mortar samples with 5% and 10% grass replacement achieved 88% and 74.6% of the control sample’s compressive strength, respectively. Similarly, concrete samples reached 87% and 85% of the control strength after 28 days of curing. These results suggest that recycling garden grass as a partial sand substitute in mortar and concrete is a viable option. However, further research is necessary to determine the optimal substitution percentage and to evaluate long-term durability, ensuring safe and effective implementation in construction applications
Coordinated Control of the Volt-Var Optimization Problem Under PV-Based Microgrid Integration into the Power Distribution System: Using the Harmony Search Algorithm
No full textA coordinated control for the volt-var optimization (VVO) problem is presented using load tap changer transformers, voltage regulators, and capacitor banks with the integration of a PV-based microgrid. The harmony search (HS) algorithm, which is a metaheuristic-based optimization algorithm, was used to determine global optimum settings of related devices to operate efficiently under changing conditions. The major objectives of volt-var optimization were to reduce power losses, peak power demands, and voltage variations in the distribution circuit while maintaining voltages within the permitted range at all nodes and under all loading conditions. The problem was a mixed integer nonlinear problem with discrete integer variables; binary variables for the capacitor status on/off, voltage regulator taps as integers, and continuous variables; the current output of the microgrid; and nonlinear electric circuit equations. The simulations were verified using the IEEE 13-node test circuit. Daily load profiles of the main power system grid and the microgrid’s PV were used with a 15 min resolution. Power flow solutions were produced using the OpenDSS (version 9.5.1.1, year 2022) power distribution system solver. It can be applied to operational and planning purposes. The results showed that active power loss, peak power demand, and voltage fluctuation were significantly reduced by the coordinated control of the volt-var problem