bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determine the clustering of cities in Indonesia for disaster management using K-Means by excel and RapidMiner
Authors: Oktarina Rienna , Junita
Published: August 2021

The impact of disasters can disrupt people’s lives, both natural and non-natural, resulting in human casualties, environmental damage, property loss, and psychological impact. Besides that, disasters that occur can also cause damage to health facilities, worship, education, and damage to homes, both severely, moderately, and lightly. The impact of disasters is so large, so a logistics warehouse is needed to handle the disaster. One of the countries prone to disasters, Indonesia which has the fourth largest population in the world with 34 provinces and 502 regions or cities. The purpose of this research is to determine the clustering of areas in Indonesia with a very high-risk, high-risk, moderate risk, low risk, and very low risk of disaster based on disaster data in Indonesian National Agency for Disaster Managementin 2010-2019 using K-Means calculations by Excel and the RapidMiner application. The results of both clustering methods are 6 cities that have a very high-risk index, 79 cities that have a high-risk index, 29 cities that have a medium risk index, 19 cities that have a low-risk index, and 369 cities have a very low-risk index. Thisresult can be considered for the construction of logistics warehouses for disaster management and K-Means method also can be used to know the clustering risk.
Evaluation of service quality and user experience on credit card application using e-SERVQUAL model and usability testing
Authors: Theresia Swasti , Tan Hauw-Sen
Published: August 2021

One of the emerging fields of a startup business is financial technology, also known as fintech. Fintech is divided into several sectors, namely payment, aggregator, lending, crowdfunding, and other online financial transactions. The study was conducted at an Indonesia fintech aggregatorthat became the first e-commerce marketplace for financial products such as credit cards, insurance, and loans. The data showed that 53.6% of the number of application submissions came from the credit card category but there was a decrease of 22.8% in 2019. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the service quality and user experiences from credit card submissions in a mobile application to improve the platform to fit the customer’s needs. Service quality evaluation is done using the e-SERVQUAL modelwith efficiency, system availability, fulfillment, privacy, responsiveness, compensation, contact as its dimensions. The results found that 13 variables need to be improved by the company. Evaluation of user experience done by usability testing method by considering the dimensions of learnability, effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. Based on the Pareto diagram, there 21 failuresthat need to be prioritized. User satisfaction obtained using the System Usability Scale (SUS) is 44.5 which is categorized in the OK category. Design of improvement is done using the House of Quality method and 10 technical requirements need to be developed. After giving a proposal using a prototype, the re-test was done, and user satisfaction increase to 70.4.
Door Access System Using Face Recognition
Authors: Mae J , Rabbaanii F , Nasza R B
Published: August 2021

This is a security system to restrict access to rooms using Raspberry Pi as main controller and implementation of Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) feature extraction method. Upon face detection, the system is able to do face recognition for person identification by matching face embedding of the person face with one that already stored in database. This system also presents a random head-pose challenge to identify a real person from an image and then activate a solenoid to unlock the door. In this experiment, if the person is not wearing any face attributes, this system is tested to have 100% successful detection and recognition rate at 60 cm distance. If the person is wearing mask attribute, this system is tested to have 70% successful rate for detection and 45% successful rate for recognition at 60 cm distance.
A review on the bioactivities of Justicia gendarussa
Authors: Chandra Shierly , Lo Diana
Published: August 2021

Willow-leaved justicia (Justicia gendarussa) can be found wild or cultivated in Indonesia, India, China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Bangladesh. In Indonesia, willow-leaved justicia leaveis widely used in traditional medicines by Indonesian local inhabitants. The present work provides a review addressing bioactivities of willow-leaved justicia. The observed bioactivities of willow-leaved justicia include antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammation, anti-microbial (anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral), anthelmintic, anti-cancer, anti-sickling, larvicidal and adulticidal activities.
Effect of Dairy and Non-Dairy Ingredients on the Physical Characteristic of Ice Cream: Review
Authors: Romulo Andreas , Meindrawan Bayu , Marpietylie
Published: August 2021

Ice cream is a type of sweetened frozen food, which use cow’s milk and sugar as main ingredients. Due to its high sugar and fat content, the excessive consumption of ice cream could contribute to the significant health impact, especially for those who suffer diabetes. Moreover, some people could not consume the ice cream because of its inability to digest the lactose content in cow’s milk in their body. In recent years, there is some great innovation to replace cow’s milk as the main ingredients of ice cream with other milk substitutes. In order to obtain the ice cream-like characteristic, several food additives are added to ice cream. The formulation of the ice cream and choosing the proper materials are the key factor to produce desirable ice cream. This manuscript summarized the development of ice cream products from different ingredients of milk substitutes that influence the overrun, viscosity, and melting resistance of the products.
The application of symbiotic architecture in the public library in Jakarta, Indonesia
Authors: Firmansyah F , Nurdiani N , Katarina W
Published: August 2021

Changes in people’s habits in seeking information and knowledge have a special impact on people’s behavior when visiting and using the library, this is the problem why recently library visitors have decreased this is because it is easier to access information via electronic devices easier so that it has a direct impact on the library itself. From these problems, this study will discuss how people’s habits and behavior affect the needs of library space in the digital era. The method used by the author is distributing questionnaires to library visitors containing questions about new habits in the digital age, the questionnaire researchers provide options related to new library concepts, namely the application of symbiotic architectural concepts, where libraries have additional functions that are not only a place to find information and knowledge. however, it has additional functions according to the habits of society in the digital age. The results of this study answered that library visitors prefer to do assignments rather than read or look for books and hope that a special room is provided to do the assignment. On the other hand, the symbiotic architectural concept is accepted by visitors with the choice of green open space as another function in the library.
The Use of Augmented Reality in Café’s Interior to Enhance Customer Experience
Authors: Widita Anindya , Rachmahani Hera , Agustina Ira Audia , Husna Nisrin
Published: August 2021

Immersive media, as a part of digital technology draw interest both in industries and society as well, and Augmented Reality as a part of it gettinga wider attention with Pokemon Go phenomenon. The implication of its phenomenon touch marketing business, as industries try to utilize AR technology in their marketing strategy. With the help of smartphone technology, AR can be accessed by common people everywhere, and for a café ownerit means change in prioritize, from place’s physical aesthetic to visitor experience in visual uniqueness bydigital media. AR is used in the café by offering a new alternative to visitor’s experience, who take a selfie by combining interior reality and virtual reality into a single camera shot. The easeto change the design and concept become an advantage of AR usability to utilize by the café’s owner to applicate their ideas and create a new concept to appeal visitor and increase visitation number. This study aims toexamine perceived hedonic values and customer’s perceived uniqueness towards café’s visit intention, a stimulated self-administered questionnaireis used in selected café as a study-case object and interviews is used to deepen the data gathered. This research resulting asignificance of AR technology in improving visitor’s experience and supporting business marketing by support new selfies experience to visitor. This study provides an overview of immersive media utilization in marketing strategy and customer experience in hospitality business.
Healing Environment’s Variable to Reduce Anxiety in Cardiovascular Patients
Authors: Permatasari N , Djimantoro M I , Suryawinata B A
Published: August 2021

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally also in Indonesia. Patients with the cardiovascular disease usually experience anxiety with varying degrees of anxiety when taking medication in the hospital. An uncomfortable physical environment can increase the level of patient anxiety which results in physical and psychological stress with an impact on organs especially the heart. This study aims to determine Healing Environment variables that influence to reduce the anxiety level of cardiovascular patients during treatment at the hospital. This study using a quantitative descriptive study with an online questionnaire survey method with a total of sixty respondents who are cardiovascular patients or people who have had cardiovascular disease treatment at the hospital. The results showed that the comfort variable which is influenced by some variables is very effective in reducing the anxiety level of cardiovascular patients. The result can use as guidelines for the architect or designer in design the cardiovascular hospital.
Study of daylight optimization for autism school in Cempaka Putih, Jakarta
Authors: Wizaka W , Santoso T , Prawata AG
Published: August 2021

The Autism school have a specific design’s requirements. Daylight is one of many important factors that help create comfort atmosphere for autistic children in school. Moreover, Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) children tend to be easily distracted by their visual sensory. Most of them have very sensory sensitive against the use of direct fluorescent lighting. The study is aimed to investigate the required illuminance, skylight orientation, skylight opening for comfort lighting that suitable with Autism Children. The results showed certain skylight opening and orientation affect the glare free room, lighting and thermal comfort inside the classroom. The steps of research is as follows: (1) Study the optimum light and illuminance for classroom, (2) Study the size of the opening or skylight surfaces, and (3) Study the optimal skylight orientation and type. The result expected to meet the skylight requirement that help student with Autistic to get education to improve the quality of life and prepare to live independently.
Environment - Behaviour Factors Model to Promote Pupils’ Creativity in Early Childhood Education Center
Authors: Hedywarman E , Sakina B , Saragih JFB
Published: August 2021

Learning environment is one way to form the future sustainable communities and cities by enhancing the quality of life. In early childhood education, attention to the environment – behavior aspects has an importance, because pupils do not have the same personality. This paper presents the study of connection between environment and behavior in early childhood education center. The study was aimed to identify which aspect from the environment-behavior factors model, that will affect in fostering pupils’ creativity. The results showed not all aspects in the environment – behavior factors model chosen as the main aspects, although all of them were necessary. This research was generally a qualitative study. The data was collected through the field observation and literature study. The result of the study showed that light, temperature, connection, flexibility and color will be the most important to be noted for design guidelines for early childhood education center to gain pupils’ creativity for enabling a productive learning environment.
Study of natural ventilation on communal space in co-living at Setiabudi
Authors: Audilla K , Wizaka W , Prawata A G
Published: August 2021

Natural ventilation is the process of replacing air in the room with fresh air from outside the room without the help of mechanical equipment. The use of natural ventilation in a building in addition to producing healthier and more comfortable spaces can also increase energy efficiency. The shape of the building and the position of the openings determine the natural ventilation operation method. The principle of ventilation shows how the exterior and interior air flow is connected. Kleiven in his thesis entitled Natural Ventilation in Buildings (2003) revealed that there are 3 principles of natural ventilation. Those are single sided ventilation, cross ventilation, and stack ventilation. [10].

Setiabudi is a subdistrict in South Jakarta and located within Golden Triangle of Jakarta (SegitigaEmas Jakarta), a triangular area of business and commercial establishments in Jakarta. Setiabudi Subdistrict is bounded by Cideng River - MentengPulo Road - a water channel to the east, a flood channel to the north, JenderalSudirman main road to the west, and JenderalGatotSubroto main road to the south.

The latitude of Setiabudi, South Jakarta City, Jakarta, Indonesia is -6.213519, and the longitude is 106.822266. Setiabudi, South Jakarta City, Jakarta, Indonesia is located at Indonesia country in the Districts place category with the GPS coordinates of 6° 12′ 48.6684″ S and 106° 49′ 20.1576″ E.
Low-cost apartment (Rusunawa) and market with Liveable Settlements approach in South Jakarta
Authors: Wiyoso B P , Nurdiani N , Indartoyo
Published: August 2021

The research aimed to design market and low-cost apartment (Rusunawa) by applying a livable settlements approach. Several indicators must be fulfilled so that a building can be said as a livable settlement. The researc used a descriptive method for the Pasar Minggu market’s physical condition as an object and Pasar Minggu merchants as the research objects. Data analysis was done by calculating the number of units needed for Rusunawa through calculation of the requirement of market space and market facility. The design of low-cost apartment and market was analyzed according to several aspect such as sunlight, wind, and noise. The result was a comfortable building to live in and used liveable settlement concept. The market and the low-cost apartment will complement the indicators of liveable settlement. Thus, a comfortable residence equipped with supporting facilities and a good environment will help improve life quality.
The development of the acculturation of the Chinese muslim and Java culture in Semarang with the case of comparison between Sam Poo Kong and Hivara Buddhagaya Watugong
Authors: Pradhana R I , Gunawan A P , Dianti A , Hartono H
Published: August 2021

Indonesia is a country located in a strategic geographical area as a meeting point of cultures between nations. This is why cultural acculturation has been widespread since people started traveling in commerce from various parts of the world. This cultural acculturation is evident in a variety of cultural heritages that have continued to the present day. One of them will be observed: the high understanding of diversity (pluralism) in the daily life of the inhabitants of the city of Semarang, Central Java, which we can see from the high level of tolerance of the residents of Semarang, most of whom are mostly Javanese and Chinese Muslims who are non-ethnic. - Muslim. The research proposed in this proposal is to examine how the relations of the Semarang community in terms of aspects of the visits of the Muslim community to places that are becoming the center of Chinese culture, the Sam Poo Kong temple as something that is considered normal in the culture and behavior of daily life. With a long-term objective is to preserve the culture in each region and to improve tolerance relations between Indonesians in a pluralistic framework. The research method is carried out by direct observation and documentation of the cultural center of the city of Semarang as well as the examination of literature files on the lifestyle of the inhabitants of Semarang in the spirit of diversity among them.
Investigating the motions’ characteristics of a towed barge in extreme heading wave
Authors: Baso Suandar , Fitriadhy Ahmad , Anggriani Andi Dian Eka , Ardianti Andi , Rosmani  , Nugraha Andi Mursid
Published: August 2021

A towed barge is one of the typical sea transportation systems that is basically composed of towing and towed ships connected to each other by a tow rope. During a towing operation exposed to rough sea condition, the risk of collision and breakage of a tow rope may be high and the consequences serious. This paper describes an experimental investigation of a towed barge’s motions in heading waves. The effects of various lengths and the configuration of tow ropes incorporated with various loading conditions of the towed barge have been taken into account. Here, three tow-rope lengths were used, namely 1L, 1.5L, and 2L; meanwhile, the two tow-rope configurations i.e., Straight-Tow (ST) and V-Tow (VT) models were applied and incorporated with 50% and 100% of the loading conditions of the towed barge. Regardless of the tow-rope models of ST and VT, the results revealed that the towed barge’s motion responses were generally proportional to the increase of the towline lengths and the towed barge’s loading conditions. It should be noted here that the VT model with 1L tow rope length in the full loaded condition has less RAO of her heave and pitch motions as compared to the other towing arrangements. Merely, this research investigation provides very useful guidance on a ship towing navigation in waves.
Research advances of microbial denitrification and application in black and odorous water
Authors: Siyu Wang , Long Yang , Xiangchun Wang , Yuan Zhou
Published: August 2021

High nitrogen content is considered to be one of the main reasons for the black and odor phenomenon in rivers. Microbial denitrification has been widely concerned because of its simple operation, high economic efficiency, short repair time and little impact on the surrounding environment. However, its denitrification process is also affected by environmental factors, pollutants and changes in microbial communities. In this paper, the main bacterium participating in sewage treatment of nitrification, denitrification and anaerobic ammonia oxidation were introduced, and then the adaptation situation and distribution of microbial community in each denitrification process were summarized. Finally, applications and prospects were objectively provided by microbial agents, constructed wetlands and ecological floating islands. According to the existing research results, it is believed that microbial remediation has a broad prospect in the treatment of urban black and odorous water bodies. However, it is difficult to maintain a stable bacterial community structure, denitrification activity and environmental adaptability of microbial remediation technology in river channels, which is the bottleneck of its application in the treatment of black and odorous water.
Study on Preparation and Photocatalytic Performance of Two-Dimensional Carbon Nitride Nanosheet Materials
Authors: Gao Qiang , Sun Kun , Cui Yuchen , Liu Bin , Liu Chenguang
Published: August 2021

The thin g-C3N4 nanosheets were prepared by simple second-time etching approach with melamine as raw material. The microstructure, composition, thickness, specific surface area, and optical properties of the obtained materials were investigated by XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, AFM, and BET. The results show that the specific surface area of the two-dimension ultrathin g-C3N4 nanosheets was as high as 139.42 m2/g, and the thickness was around 5nm, which improved the response range to visible light and promoted the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The photocatalytic degradation performance of g-C3N4 nanosheets for organic pollutants was studied with dye wastewater as model pollutant, the removal efficiency of RhB solution (20 mg/L) reached 91.8% with 20mg catalyst after 30min reaction. The content of total organic carbon in the solution decreased by 58.7%, and the first-order kinetic rate constant was 10 times than that of bulk-C3N4, indicating the high catalytic activity. The stability was excellent since the activity of catalyst was not significantly reduced after used for four times.
Research on the Post Occupancy Evaluation of Urban Park based on internet reviews—Take Saihan Tara City Park in Inner Mongolia as an example
Authors: Zhang Honghong , Wei Guangpu , Fan Haowen , Li Jinfeng , Yu Kang
Published: August 2021

From the perspective of users, the post-occupancy evaluation of Saihan Tara City Park in Inner Mongolia is carried out. This article analyzes the landscape quality and social benefits of various scenic spots in the park, provides a theoretical basis for the construction and development of urban parks in the later period, and plays an exemplary role in the evaluation of other city parks in Baotou and the later operation strategies. We use online comments for data collection and dig deeper into user comment text information. This article using semantic network analysis, analyzes Saihan Tara attraction’s popularity, landscape quality, basic facilities, and other aspects of multi-dimensions and shows its deficiencies. The results show that the internal scenic spots of Saihan Tara City Park have Mongolian characteristics, which are the main factors that attract tourists to come to play; abundant scenic spots and various recreation methods are the main reasons for the high satisfaction of tourists; and at the same time, many problems have also arisen, such as poor interconnection between scenic spots, low accessibility of park entrances and internal scenic spots, relatively monotonous amusement modes, and unreasonable consumption levels in the park…Therefore, this research not only evaluates the post-use condition of urban parks, but also can be widely used in the evaluation of urban public green space using conditions, and provides the evaluation results to the government as a guide for the construction of urban public green spaces in the future.
Study on the architectural design of a new type of waste incineration power plant based on NIMBY effect
Authors: Yuanyuan Li
Published: August 2021

With the development of economy and urbanization, facing the dilemma of “garbage besieged city”, China’s “fourteenth five year plan” continues to focus on development and ecological protection. Waste incineration power generation is the most environmentally-friendly and efficient means of waste treatment. However, facilities such as waste incineration power plant are often faced with the problem of “NIMBY effect”. Through the analysis of typical cases at home and abroad, combined with the project practice of Foshan Gaoming District waste incineration power plant, this paper explores how to alleviate the NIMBY effect through architectural design from three aspects of appearance design, ancillary functions and external environment.
Numerical analysis of the impact of foundation excavation on the immediately adjacent subway station
Authors: Liu Yan , Huangfu Shuaishuai , Li Shizhong
Published: August 2021

The excavation adjacent to an existing subway station is a high-risk project during the underground engineering, which has an inevitable impact on the subway structure to affect the safety of train operation. This Paper studies the excavations adjacent to a subway station on its both sides. A 3D numerical simulation with finite element code MIDAS GTS/NX is conducted to analyze the proposed excavations’ impact on the subway station as well as the accessory structure. The deformation law and the corresponding technical measures to contain the deformation of station structure are proposed afterwards, which could be a guideline for the design and construction of similar projects.
Real machine Test inversion research of J Pumped Storage Power Station
Authors: Mengjie Zhang , Gaohui Li , Ruicun Zhao , wangjia DanZhen , Lin Zhang , Weijie Cui , Tianchi Zhou
Published: August 2021

Accurate prediction of transition process is an important issue in the design and operation of pumped storage power station. In this paper, combined with load rejection test of J Pumped-storage Power Station, the basic equation of water flow motion and the element matrix equation of the turbine were established first, and the calculation model was established through HYSIM software. Then for the 100% load rejection control condition, the inversion calculation and analysis of actual load rejection test under the same boundary condition were carried out. According to the comparison process line between numerical simulation and measured data of the surge-chamber water level, a comprehensive combination calculation was used to calibrate the impedance coefficient of surge-chamber. Finally, based on the calibrated impedance coefficient, a new calculation model was established, and the inversion calculation was carried out again. By comparing the numerical simulation and measured data of volute and tail pipe pressure, the pressure pulsation characteristics of the characteristic parameters of the unit were obtained, and the correction value of pressure pulsation was obtained. The calibration method and pressure pulsation correction method adopted in this paper can provide a reference for the inversion analysis of load rejection test in similar power stations.
Improvement study on the rapid hardening epoxy mortar
Authors: Hu Jiayu , Ge Jinyu , Yao Huaizhu , Wei Hua , Li Jiaming , Xu Zhiqiang
Published: August 2021

Mechanical properties of epoxy resin mortar with different proportions were tested based on orthogonal method. The influences of each factor on the compressive strength, flexural strength and bond strength of epoxy resin mortar after 1 day were analyzed by extremum difference analysis. The results indicated that the diluents occurred the highest influence on the mechanical properties of the epoxy mortar; the mass ratio of cement to sand (C/S) mainly affected the bond strength of the epoxy mortar; the increasing curing agent content would reduce the toughness of mortar. Based on the orthogonal analysis, the optimum proportion of the epoxy mortar was determined, which included a ratio of filler to liquids (F/L) of 2: 1, a curing agent dose of 100% (referenced by the mass of epoxy resin), a C/S of 2: 1 and a diluent dose of 10%.
Automatic voice quality evaluation method of IVR service in call center based on Stacked Auto Encoder
Authors: Wang Li , Wang Zongwei , Zhao Guoyi , Su Yuan , Zhao Jinli , Wang Leilei
Published: August 2021

The basic features extracted by traditional methods for speech quality evaluation are not clear, which leads to the small correlation coefficient of subjective and objective evaluation value. Therefore, an automatic voice quality evaluation method for IVR service in call center based on stackable automatic encoder is proposed. All kinds of devices are used to simulate the real use of IVR service voice of call center and collect IVR service voice of call center. According to the process of sampling quantization frame pre emphasis window processing, the IVR service voice data of call center is pre processed. Based on the structure of stackable automatic encoder, the reconstruction process of coding and decoding is designed to extract the basic features of business speech. BP neural network is introduced to establish an automatic speech evaluation model to evaluate speech quality automatically. Experimental results: compared with the traditional method, the average correlation coefficients of subjective evaluation value and objective evaluation value are 0.023517 and 0.02258 respectively, and the average deviation of correlation coefficient is 0.048775 and 0.03485 respectively.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning methods in predicting anti-cancer drug combination effects
Authors: Fan Kunjie , Cheng Lijun , Li Lang
Published: August 2021

Drug combinations have exhibited promising therapeutic effects in treating cancer patients with less toxicity and adverse side effects. However, it is infeasible to experimentally screen the enormous search space of all possible drug combinations. Therefore, developing computational models to efficiently and accurately identify potential anti-cancer synergistic drug combinations has attracted a lot of attention from the scientific community. Hypothesis-driven explicit mathematical methods or network pharmacology models have been popular in the last decade and have been comprehensively reviewed in previous surveys. With the surge of artificial intelligence and greater availability of large-scale datasets, machine learning especially deep learning methods are gaining popularity in the field of computational models for anti-cancer drug synergy prediction. Machine learning-based methods can be derived without strong assumptions about underlying mechanisms and have achieved state-of-the-art prediction performances, promoting much greater growth of the field. Here, we present a structured overview of available large-scale databases and machine learning especially deep learning methods in computational predictive models for anti-cancer drug synergy prediction. We provide a unified framework for machine learning models and detail existing model architectures as well as their contributions and limitations, shedding light into the future design of computational models. Besides, unbiased experiments are conducted to provide in-depth comparisons between reviewed papers in terms of their prediction performance.
Why exercise has a crucial role in cancer prevention, risk reduction and improved outcomes
Authors: Thomas Robert , Kenfield Stacey A , Yanagisawa Yuuki , Newton Robert U
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Exercise is one of several factors known to lower the risk of developing cancer, as well as improve outcomes in patients already diagnosed. People who exercise after cancer have lower rates of cancer complications, treatment toxicities, relapse and improved survival. This review highlights the supportive data and biochemical processes, which explain these potential benefits.

Sources of data

PubMed, Embase, Medline and Cochrane libraries were searched for papers which addressed the effects of exercise and physical activity on cancer for this review. The search terms used were physical activity, exercise and cancer up to February 2021. We also referred to the background research required for international exercise intervention study involving men with prostate cancer (INTERVAL-GAP4) and scrutinized references within the robust papers published on this subject to ensure we did not miss any clinically studies. One hundred and eighty eight papers were included.

Areas of agreement

Exercise programmes mitigate many of the complications and risks associated with cancer, particularly thromboembolism, fatigue, weight gain, arthralgia, cognitive impairment and depression.

Areas of controversy

Molecular and biomarker changes, resulting from exercise, suggest that exercise elicits beneficial changes in insulin-related pathways, down-regulates inflammation and serum oestrogen levels, and enhances oxidative, immune and cellular repair pathways. Nonetheless, the evidence remains preliminary.

Growing points

The timing, intensity and challenges of prehabilitation, adjunct and rehabilitation exercise programmes are being increasingly understood but their implementation remains sporadic.

Areas for developing research

More robust clinical trial data are needed to substantiate a causal effect of exercise on overall and cancer-specific survival. These studies are ongoing. Research evaluating the most cost-efficient ways of incorporating prehabilitation, adjunct and rehabilitation programmes into routine practice would be helpful to funding bodies and health care strategists.
Improving Pandemic Response: Employing Mathematical Modeling to Confront Coronavirus Disease 2019
Authors: Biggerstaff Matthew , Slayton Rachel B , Johansson Michael A , Butler Jay C
Published: August 2021

Modeling complements surveillance data to inform coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health decision making and policy development. This includes the use of modeling to improve situational awareness, assess epidemiological characteristics, and inform the evidence base for prevention strategies. To enhance modeling utility in future public health emergencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the Infectious Disease Modeling and Analytics Initiative. The initiative objectives are to: (1) strengthen leadership in infectious disease modeling, epidemic forecasting, and advanced analytic work; (2) build and cultivate a community of skilled modeling and analytics practitioners and consumers across CDC; (3) strengthen and support internal and external applied modeling and analytic work; and (4) working with partners, coordinate government-wide advanced data modeling and analytics for infectious diseases. These efforts are critical to help prepare the CDC, the country, and the world to respond effectively to present and future infectious disease threats.
A nomenclature for echinoderm genes
Authors: Beatman Thomas R , Buckley Katherine M , Cary Gregory A , Hinman Veronica F , Ettensohn Charles A
Published: August 2021

Echinoderm embryos and larvae are prominent experimental model systems for studying developmental mechanisms. High-quality, assembled, annotated genome sequences are now available for several echinoderm species, including representatives from most classes. The increased availability of these data necessitates the development of a nomenclature that assigns universally interpretable gene symbols to echinoderm genes to facilitate cross-species comparisons of gene functions, both within echinoderms and across other phyla. This paper describes the implementation of an improved set of echinoderm gene nomenclature guidelines that both communicates meaningful orthology information in protein-coding gene symbols and names and establishes continuity with nomenclatures developed for major vertebrate model organisms, including humans. Differences between the echinoderm gene nomenclature guidelines and vertebrate guidelines are examined and explained. This nomenclature incorporates novel solutions to allow for several types of orthologous relationships, including the single echinoderm genes with multiple vertebrate co-orthologs that result from whole-genome-duplication events. The current version of the Echinoderm Gene Nomenclature Guidelines can be found at https://www.echinobase.org/gene/static/geneNomenclature.jsp

Database URL https://www.echinobase.org/
A longitudinal study on the effects of previous stillbirth or abortion on subsequent pregnancies and infants
Authors: Feleke Berhanu Elfu , Feleke Teferi Elfu
Published: August 2021

Background

This study was conducted to assess the effects of stillbirth and abortion on the health of the subsequent newborns.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was implemented. The data were collected from January 2015 to August 2019. The study participants were selected using the simple random sampling technique. The data were collected using interviewing the pregnant mothers, reviewing medical charts, analyzing the blood samples from the newborn and scheduled medical checkups. The general linear model was used to assess the effects of stillbirth and abortion on the health of the newborn, Poisson regression was used to identify predictors of childhood infectious disease episodes and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to estimate time to childhood pneumonia and diarrhea.

Results

Two thousand, eight hundred and seventy-two infants were included giving a response rate of 88.97%. Neonates born from mothers with a previous history of stillbirth or abortion had low birth-weight, low serum iron and zinc levels. High infection episodes of diarrhea and pneumonia were observed among infants born from a previous history of stillbirth and abortion mothers. The infection episodes during the childhood period were determined by serum zinc level [incident rate ratio (IRR): 0.71; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.61–0.83], birth-weight (IRR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.81–0.91) and breastfeeding frequency (IRR: 0.9; 95% CI: 0.87–0.93).

Conclusion

The birth-weight, serum iron and zinc levels of neonates born from the previous history of stillbirth and abortion were lower. The infection episodes of newborns born from mothers with a previous history of stillbirth or abortion were higher.
Using auxiliary data to rationalize smartphone-based pre-harvest forest mensuration
Authors: Pitkänen Timo P , Räty Minna , Hyvönen Pekka , Korhonen Kari T , Vauhkonen Jari
Published: August 2021

Accurate mensuration of forest stands for pre-harvest planning will pose high costs if carried out by a professional forester as an on-site evaluation. The costs could be reduced if a person with limited mensuration expertise could collect the required data using a smartphone-based system such as TRESTIMA® Forest Inventory System. Without prior information, the field sample with sufficient number of measurement points over the whole stand should be selected, so that the entire variation will be covered. We present and test a rational framework based on selecting the sampling locations according to auxiliary data. As auxiliary variables, we use various spatial data sources indicating forests’ structural or spectral variation, as well as previously predicted inventory variables. We construct two variants of sampling schemes based on the local pivotal method, weighted by the auxiliary data, and compare the results to simple random sampling (SRS) with corresponding sample sizes. According to our findings, the benefits of auxiliary data depend on the considered stand, species and timber assortment. The use of auxiliary data leads generally to improved results and up to three times higher efficiency (i.e. lower variance) as compared with SRS. We conclude that the framework of applying auxiliary data has high capabilities in rationalizing the sampling efforts with little drawbacks, consequently providing potential to improve the results with similar sample size and possibility to use of non-specialists for the pre-harvest inventory.
Narrative Group Intervention to Rediscover Life Wisdom Among Hong Kong Chinese Older Adults: A Single-Blind Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial
Authors: Chow Esther Oi Wah , Fung Sai-Fu
Published: August 2021

Background and Objectives

We developed a new group practice using strength- and meaning-based narrative therapy (NT) for older Chinese living in Hong Kong (HK), to enhance their life wisdom. This paper reports on the intervention and its short- and longer-term effectiveness.

Research Design and Methods

A randomized waitlist-controlled trial was conducted. A total of 157 older adults were randomly recruited, of whom 75 were randomly assigned to the intervention group which received four 2-hr biweekly NT sessions using the “Tree of Life” metaphor. The others were placed on a waitlist. Perceived wisdom was assessed using the Brief Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale. Assessment occurred at baseline (T0), end of treatment (T1), and 4 (T2) and 8 months later (T3). Overtime effects of NT on wisdom scores were assessed using latent growth curve models with time-invariant covariates for impact.

Results

The intervention (NT) group showed significant, sustainable overtime within-group improvement in perceived wisdom. Furthermore, when compared to the control group, the NT group showed significant immediate improvements in perceived wisdom [F(2.726, p = .041)], which were maintained at all follow-up points. This effect remained after controlling for age, gender, and educational level (TML(11) = 17.306, p = .098, root mean square error of approximation = 0.079, comparative fit index = 0.960). No adverse reaction was recorded.

Discussion and Implications

NT underpinned by a ToL methodology offers a new theory to understand, promote, and appreciate perceived wisdom in older Chinese living in HK. It contributes to psychotherapy and professional social work practice for older Chinese.
Stanniocalcin-1 in the female reproductive system and pregnancy
Authors: Bishop Alexa , Cartwright Judith E , Whitley Guy S
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Stanniocalcin-1 (STC-1) is a widely expressed glycoprotein hormone involved in a diverse spectrum of physiological and pathophysiological processes including angiogenesis, mineral homeostasis, cell proliferation, inflammation and apoptosis. Over the last 20 years, numerous studies have reported STC-1 expression within female reproductive tissues including the uterus, ovaries and placenta and implicated STC-1 in processes such as ovarian follicular development, blastocyst implantation, vascular remodelling in early pregnancy and placental development. Notably, dysregulation of STC-1 within reproductive tissues has been linked to the onset of severe reproductive disorders including endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, poor trophoblast invasion and placental perfusion in early pregnancy. Furthermore, significant changes in tissue expression and in maternal systemic concentration take place throughout pregnancy and further substantiate the vital role of this protein in reproductive health and disease.

OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE

Our aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing literature, to summarise the expression profile and roles of STC-1 within the female reproductive system and its associated pathologies. We highlight the gaps in the current knowledge and suggest potential avenues for future research.

SEARCH METHODS

Relevant studies were identified through searching the PubMed database using the following search terms: ‘stanniocalcin-1’, ‘placenta’, ‘ovary’, ‘endometrium’, ‘pregnancy’, ‘reproduction’, ‘early gestation’. Only English language papers published between 1995 and 2020 were included.

OUTCOMES

This review provides compelling evidence of the vital function that STC-1 plays within the female reproductive system. The literature presented summarise the wide expression profile of STC-1 within female reproductive organs, as well as highlighting the putative roles of STC-1 in various functions in the reproductive system. Moreover, the observed link between altered STC-1 expression and the onset of various reproductive pathologies is presented, including those in pregnancy whose aetiology occurs in the first trimester. This summary emphasises the requirement for further studies on the mechanisms underlying the regulation of STC-1 expression and function.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS

STC-1 is a pleiotropic hormone involved in the regulation of a number of important biological functions needed to maintain female reproductive health. There is also growing evidence that dysregulation of STC-1 is implicated in common reproductive and obstetric disorders. Greater understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of STC-1 within the field may therefore identify possible targets for therapeutic intervention and/or diagnosis.
Machine learning for modeling the progression of Alzheimer disease dementia using clinical data: a systematic literature review
Authors: Kumar Sayantan , Oh Inez , Schindler Suzanne , Lai Albert M , Payne Philip R O , Gupta Aditi
Published: August 2021

Objective

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, a syndrome characterized by cognitive impairment severe enough to interfere with activities of daily life. We aimed to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) of studies that applied machine learning (ML) methods to clinical data derived from electronic health records in order to model risk for progression of AD dementia.

Materials and Methods

We searched for articles published between January 1, 2010, and May 31, 2020, in PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, IEEE Explore Digital Library, Association for Computing Machinery Digital Library, and arXiv. We used predefined criteria to select relevant articles and summarized them according to key components of ML analysis such as data characteristics, computational algorithms, and research focus.

Results

There has been a considerable rise over the past 5 years in the number of research papers using ML-based analysis for AD dementia modeling. We reviewed 64 relevant articles in our SLR. The results suggest that majority of existing research has focused on predicting progression of AD dementia using publicly available datasets containing both neuroimaging and clinical data (neurobehavioral status exam scores, patient demographics, neuroimaging data, and laboratory test values).

Discussion

Identifying individuals at risk for progression of AD dementia could potentially help to personalize disease management to plan future care. Clinical data consisting of both structured data tables and clinical notes can be effectively used in ML-based approaches to model risk for AD dementia progression. Data sharing and reproducibility of results can enhance the impact, adaptation, and generalizability of this research.
Disparities in telephone and video telehealth engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Sachs Jonathan W , Graven Peter , Gold Jeffrey A , Kassakian Steven Z
Published: August 2021

Objective

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent expansion of telehealth may be exacerbating inequities in ambulatory care access due to institutional and structural barriers. We conduct a repeat cross-sectional analysis of ambulatory patients to evaluate for demographic disparities in the utilization of telehealth modalities.

Materials and Methods

The ambulatory patient population at Oregon Health & Science University (Portland, OR, USA) is examined from June 1 through September 30, in 2019 (reference period) and in 2020 (study period). We first assess for changes in demographic representation and then evaluate for disparities in the utilization of telephone and video care modalities using logistic regression.

Results

Between the 2019 and 2020 periods, patient video utilization increased from 0.2% to 31%, and telephone use increased from 2.5% to 25%. There was also a small but significant decline in the representation males, Asians, Medicaid, Medicare, and non-English speaking patients. Amongst telehealth users, adjusted odds of video participation were significantly lower for those who were Black, American Indian, male, prefer a non-English language, have Medicaid or Medicare, or older.

Discussion

A large portion of ambulatory patients shifted to telehealth modalities during the pandemic. Seniors, non-English speakers, and Black patients were more reliant on telephone than video for care. The differences in telehealth adoption by vulnerable populations demonstrate the tendency toward disparities that can occur in the expansion of telehealth and suggest structural biases.

Conclusion

Organizations should actively monitor the utilization of telehealth modalities and develop best-practice guidelines in order to mitigate the exacerbation of inequities.