http://hdl.handle.net/10453/35431 2026-10-15T02:27:01Z http://hdl.handle.net/10453/197225 Title: Minimum Dietary Diversity and Associated Factors Among 6–23 Months Children in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Authors: Jimma, M; Assefa, DG; Zelka, M; Amaya, AA; Begawo, MB; Chanie, ES; Gebreeyesus, FA; Lim, D Abstract: The 6–23-month period is a critical stage in child development, during which the transition from exclusive breastfeeding to complementary feeding increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies and related health problems. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of minimum dietary diversity (MDD) and identify factors associated with MDD among children aged 6–23 months in Ethiopia. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI), Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for studies published from April 1, 2018, to April 25, 2026. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Thirteen studies were included and analyzed in RStudio version 4. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of MDD. Factors associated with MDD were synthesized narratively because of variable categorizations, directions of association, reference categories, and reporting of effect measures across studies. Subgroup analyses and an assessment of publication bias were also conducted. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023415050). Thirteen studies involving 7194 participants were included. The pooled prevalence of minimum dietary diversity among Ethiopian children aged 6–23 months was 27% (95% CI: 21–33). Substantial between-study heterogeneity was observed (I2 = 97.58%, p < 0.001; τ2 = 0.01; Q(12) = 414.67, p < 0.001), indicating considerable variability in prevalence estimates across studies and warranting cautious interpretation. Among 13 studies that adjusted for confounders, child age, maternal education, use of antenatal and postnatal care, family size, and household wealth index were the most frequently reported as being significantly associated with MDD in the primary studies. In conclusion, despite observed heterogeneity, the prevalence of MDD remains low and below the WHO 2030 target. Strengthening maternal education, antenatal and postnatal care, and socioeconomic conditions may improve child nutrition and support progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2.2 by 2030. 2026-10-13T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10453/197224 Title: A Comprehensive Survey of Knowledge-Based Visual Question Answering Systems: The Lifecycle of Knowledge in Visual Reasoning Task Authors: Deng, J; Wu, Z; Huo, H; Xu, G Abstract: Knowledge-based Visual Question Answering (KB-VQA) extends general Visual Question Answering by requiring external knowledge beyond the provided visual and textual inputs, facilitating more complex real-world applications. KB-VQA introduces unique challenges, including the alignment of heterogeneous information from diverse modalities and sources, the retrieval of relevant knowledge from large-scale and noisy repositories, and the execution of complex reasoning to infer answers from the combined context. With the advancement of large language models, KB-VQA systems have undergone a notable transformation, where LLMs serve as powerful knowledge repositories, retrieval-Augmented generators and strong reasoners. Despite substantial progress, there is a lack of a recent, systematic survey that organizes and reviews the evolving landscape of existing KB-VQA methods. This survey aims to fill this gap by establishing a structured taxonomy of KB-VQA approaches and decomposing mainstream systems into three fundamental stages: knowledge representation, knowledge retrieval, and knowledge reasoning. Through an examination of existing techniques employed at each stage, this survey identifies persistent challenges and outlines promising future research directions, providing a foundation for advancing KB-VQA models and their applications. 2026-09-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10453/197223 Title: A comprehensive review on the performance, mechanisms and design of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-enabled self-healing concrete Authors: Miao, Y; Dong, W; Qu, F; Fan, Y; Ye, H; Tian, Z; Yoo, DY; Tsang, DCW; Li, W Abstract: This review critically examines the roles, mechanisms, and future potential of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in self-healing concrete, with particular emphasis on the effects of polymer form, degree of polymerization (DP), and degree of alcoholysis (DA). Most of existing studies focus predominantly on PVA fibers for crack control. This review provides a comprehensive comparison between fiber-based and soluble PVA systems and evaluates their distinct influences on fresh properties, mechanical performance, durability, permeability, and self-healing efficiency. Recent experimental and simulation studies indicate that while PVA fibers mainly enhance autogenous self-healing by refining crack widths and providing nucleation sites, soluble PVA—especially low-DP variants—shows potential to actively promote autonomous healing through calcium-ion complexation and accelerated carbonate precipitation. Based on these comparisons and discussions, this review proposes a conceptual extension of the complexation–precipitation theory as a potential unifying framework to interpret PVA-enabled self-healing behavior. Key challenges related to workability, strength trade-offs, long-term durability, and cost are critically assessed. Finally, emerging perspectives are discussed, including synergistic use of multiscale PVA systems, integration with biomineralization agents, and broader extension of complexation-based healing strategies. This review aims to bridge material engineering performance with underlying chemical mechanisms, providing guidance for the rational design of next-generation self-healing concrete systems incorporating PVA. 2026-06-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10453/197216 Title: Evaluation of botanical biofiltration for the removal of VOCs emitted from PVC Solvent Cements Authors: Montaluisa-Mantilla, MS; Matheson, S; Irga, P; Torpy, F; García-Encina, PA; Muñoz, R Abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by polymeric materials and solvent-based adhesives are an understudied source of indoor air pollution, notably in construction environments. This study presents a novel approach to characterize and mitigate VOC emissions from commercial PVC solvent cement using active botanical biofiltration. Experiments were conducted in a controlled Perspex chamber (216 L) with biofilter modules containing Spathiphyllum wallisii (peace lily) grown on a coconut fibre substrate. VOC emissions were continuously monitored using a photoionization detector (ppbRAE 3000) and characterized by SPME-GCMS. The VOCs emitted from the solvent were mainly oxygenated species, which reached stable concentrations during the test period. The biofilter demonstrated consistent VOC removal, with the greatest reduction observed for methyl ethyl ketone and cyclohexanone. These findings provide the first experimental evidence of the effectiveness of botanical biofiltration for treating VOCs derived from PVC solvents, establishing a methodological basis for the sustainable mitigation of construction-related indoor air pollutants. 2026-10-01T00:00:00Z