bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vertical stratification of Diptera abundance and species richness in an Amazonian tropical forest
Authors: Amorim Dalton Souza , Brown Brian V. , Boscolo Danilo , Ale-Rocha Rosaly , Alvarez-Garcia Deivys Moises , Balbi Maria Isabel P. A. , Barbosa Alan Marco , Capellari Renato Soares , Carvalho Claudio José Barros de , Couri Marcia Souto , Dios Rodrigo de Vilhena Perez , Fachin Diego Aguilar , Ferro Gustavo B. , Flores Heloísa Fernandes , Frare Livia Maria , Gudin Filipe Macedo , Hauser Martin , Lamas Carlos José Einicker , Lindsay Kate , Marinho Marco Antonio Tonus , Marques Dayse Willkenia Almeida , Marshall Stephan A. , Melo-Patiu Cátia , Menezes Marco Antônio , Morales Mírian Nunes , Nihei Silvio S. , Oliveira Sarah Siqueira , Pirani Gabriela , Ribeiro Guilherme Cunha , Riccardi Paula Raille , Santis Marcelo Domingos , Santos Daubian , Santos Josenilson Rodrigues , Silva Vera Cristina , Rafael José Albertino
Published: April 2021

Measuring species richness of tropical forests is a major challenge. Such measurement is a key information in many senses, from an evolutionary perspective to conservation of threatened, fragile habitats. Data has gradually shown that the canopy of tropical forest is a hugely complex component of the forest, but a precise assessment of the diversity of megadiverse groups in the canopy is still wanting. We collected large samples of insects were along a period of two weeks using 6-meter Gressitt-style Malaise traps set at five heights on a metal tower in a tropical forest north of Manaus—one trap at the ground level, one trap above the canopy (32 m) and three traps at intermediate levels (8, 16 and 24 m). The samples contained 37,778 specimens belonging to 18 order of insects. Fifty-seven families of flies (Diptera) were found, 39 of which were identified to 368 genera and 856 species. The species of these 39 families of flies fit into eight patterns of vertical distribution of abundance and species richness of the fauna, with patterns of one or two peaks of species at different levels. A total of 527 (61.6%) of the 856 fly species recognized in the samples were not collected at the ground level. The canopy-associated species of Diptera showed a high species richness and a relatively low abundance indicating that they represent vulnerable components of tropical diversity. The biology of the flies families and genera we collected in the canopy suggest that the evolution of flies went through a unique process: independent clades of Diptera explored in different ways the resources originated along the very evolution of the angiosperm forest canopy along the early Cenozoic. Unlike other primarily phytophagous groups of insects, flies radiated into a large array of biologies associated with the canopies: parasitoids, hematophagous, phytosaprophagous, kleptoparasites, sap feeders, gall-makers etc. The results only stress the need of additional strategies to protect this diversity.
Infrastructure for Time Critical Applications of Big Data Systems Using Light Weight YARN Architecture
Authors: A.M. Saravanan , Loheswaran K. , Devi G. Naga Rama , R Karuppathal , Balakrishnan C , Srini T.Aditya Sai
Published: April 2021

Increasing of humanity and development of Internet resources, storage size is growing with each day, whereby digital records are accessible in clouds of an exploratory format. The immediate future of Big Data is coming shortly for almost all other sectors. Big data can aid in the metamorphosis of significant company operations by offering a recommended and reliable overview of available data. Big data has also figured prominently in the detection of violence. Present framework for designing Big data implementations is capable of processing vast quantities of data through Big data analytics using collections of computing devices together to execute complex processing. Furthermore, existing technologies have not been built to fulfil the specifications of time-critical application areas and are far more oriented on real applications than on time-critical ones. This paper proposes the lightweight architecture called Yet Another Resource Negotiator (YARN), which focuses on the concept of a time-critical big-data system from the perspective of specifications and analyses the essential principles of several common big-data implementations. YARN as the normal computational framework to help MapReduce and another application instances within that Hadoop cluster. YARN requires multiple programs to execute concurrently on a constitutive common server and assent programs to delegate services depending on need. The final evaluation is accompanied by problems stemming from infrastructure and services that serve applications, recommend frameworkand provide preliminary efficiency behaviours that often contribute system impacts to implementation reliability.
α-Fe2O3/Graphene Oxide Powder and Thin Film Nanocomposites: Peculiar Photocatalysts for Dye Removal from Wastewater
Authors: Khoshnam Mahsa , Farahbakhsh Javad , Zargar Masoumeh , Mohammad Abdul Wahab , Benamor Abdelbaki , Ang Wei Lun , Mahmoudi Ebrahim
Published: April 2021

In this study, hematite graphene oxide (αFe2O3-GO) powder nanocomposites and thin-film hematite graphene oxide (αFe2O3-GO) were synthesized for application in the removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) from textile wastewater. αFe2O3-GO nanomaterials were placed onto the FTO substrate to form a thin layer of nanocomposites. Different analysis including XRD, FTIR, Raman spectra, XPS, and FESEM were done to analyze the morphology, structure, and properties of the synthesized composites as well as the chemical interactions of αFe2O3 with GO. The photocatalytic performance of two synthesized composites was compared with different concentrations of αFe2O3-GO. The results showed that powder nanocomposites are more effective than thin-film composites for the removal of RhB dye. αFe2O3-GO-5% powder nanocomposites removed over 64 % of dye while thin-film nanocomposites had less removal efficiencies with just under 47 % removal rate. The reusability test was done for both materials in which αFe2O3-GO-5 % powder nanocomposites removed a higher rate of dye (up to 63 %) in more cycles (6 cycles).
Characterization, Optical and Conductivity Study of Nickel Oxide based nanocomposites of Polystyrene
Authors: El-Khiyami Shimaa Saeed , Ismail A.M. , Hafez R.S.
Published: April 2021

Different concentrations of nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles were successfully inserted into polystyrene (PS) polymer matrix using the solution casting method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), high-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM), and UV-Vis techniques are used to characterize the nanocomposites. XRD, SEM, and FT-IR results indicate that PS and NiO nanoparticles have a good interaction and a high degree of complexity. Using UV–Vis technique, the absorbance of nanocomposites is improved by increasing the nanofiller content. Both the Urbach energy (EU) and the optical energy gap (Eg) were calculated using the Urbach relation and the Tauc model. Refractive indices values of nanocomposites display raising trend with NiO content which promote PS/NiO nanocomposites for use in photonic applications and designing optical devices. Nanocomposites' electrical conductivity was also investigated. The electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites has increased significantly due to the uniform dispersion of NiO nanoparticles and by increasing its content. Conduction is achieved by correlated barrier hopping (CBH).
Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5–Brief Form (PID-5-BF) in Iranian Student and Clinical Samples
Authors: Athar Mojtaba Elhami , Ebrahimi Ali
Published: April 2021

Background

The Personality Inventory for DSM–5, Brief Form (PID-5-BF) was developed to assess the DSM-5's alternative trait model for diagnosing personality disorders. Psychometric properties of PID-5-BF have been verified in some Western countries, but to our knowledge, no study has examined the psychometrics of PID-5-BF in Iranian settings. This is the first study designed to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent/discriminate validity of the Persian PID-5-BF with student and clinical samples in Iran.
Methods

378 university students (n = 378; M-age = 16.35; 55.6 % females) and 150 clinical patients (n = 150; M-age = 43.81; 58.7 % men) completed the Persian version of the PID-5-BF and NEO-FFI. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were performed to examine the five-factor model of PID-5-BF. Also, internal consistency and external validity of PID-5-BF were calculated.
Results

Confirmatory factor analysis supported the proposed five-factor model of PID-5-BF in both groups. The Chronbach's alpha coefficient ranged from .57 (Disinhibition) to .65 (Psychoticism) for the student sample and from .48 (Antagonism) to .67 (Detachment) for the clinical sample, while when relying on the MIC values, the PID-5-BF subscales indicated acceptable internal consistency in both groups. PID-BF-5 significantly differentiated the clinical sample from the student sample (p < .001), indicating the measure's adequate discriminate validity. Additionally, PID-5-BF subscales yielded hypothesized association with the external criterion variable in only the student sample.
Conclusion

Our results support the use of the PID-5-BF as a screening measure of dimensional maladaptive personality traits in Iranian samples. However, future studies are needed to examine the convergent validity of PID-5-BF in Iranian clinical samples with suitable external criterion measures.
Simulation and Estimation of Future Precipitation Changes in Arid Regions: A Case Study of Xinjiang, Northwest China
Authors: Du Haoyang , Li Manchun , Jiang Penghui , Tang Haoqing , Jin Xiaolong , Chen Dengshuai , Zhou Chen , Chen Dong
Published: April 2021

Precipitation is critical for maintaining ecosystem stability, especially in arid regions. This study was primarily focused on the changes during the present (i.e., from 1985 to 2005) and future (i.e., from 2040 to 2059) periods in Xinjiang, northwest China. To predict the future climate, the Weather Research and Forecasting model was run in Xinjiang using National Climate Research Center Community Climate System Model version 4 for the mid-21st century under representative concentration pathways 4.5 and 8.5 (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively). The results indicate that the amount of annual precipitation would increase in the future under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 in Xinjiang, especially in the mountainous areas. The increase in precipitation was predicted to be much smaller under RCP8.5 than under RCP4.5, except in Southern Xinjiang. Moreover, the increased precipitation predicted in Xinjiang implies that the current humid and warm conditions will continue. In addition, the largest increase in seasonal precipitation was predicted to occur in spring and summer in Tianshan and Northern Xinjiang, whereas this phenomenon will occur in spring and winter in Southern Xinjiang. In addition, it was predicted that daily heavy precipitation events will occur more frequently in various subregions of Xinjiang, although light rain events will remain dominant. Finally, the increase in the frequency of heavy precipitation events was found to be related to the vertically integrated column precipitation, whereas the relative humidity was observed to be closely related to the changes in annual and seasonal precipitation.
Study on the Relationship Between Suspended Solids Concentration and Tur-bidity in Coal Mine Water
Authors: Du Song , Jin Wenbiao , Qiao Guichuan , Fang Huiming
Published: April 2021

Coal mine water in China is mainly mine water containing suspended solids（SS）. The relationship between suspended solids and turbidity in mine water with different SS content gradients was studied and a model formula was established. Finally, the accuracy of the model formula is verified by the actual detection values of five kinds of mine water. Two conversion formulas for turbidity and suspended matter have been obtained in the study. When the suspended matter content is 0-200mg/L, the relationship curve between turbidity and SS is y=0.9336x-3.1393, R2=0.9986; When the suspended matter content is 200-600 mg/L, the relationship curve between turbidity and SS is y=0.5314x+94.421, R2=0.9905. Finally, the study has used the measured values of SS in other coal mines and the calculated values obtained from the formula to carry out error analysis. It is found that the error of the relationship between turbidity and SS with a suspended matter content of 0~200mg/L is controlled within 4%; the error of the relationship between turbidity and SS of mine water with a suspended matter content of 200~600mg/L is controlled within 5%. Considering the unavoidable error factors, it is considered that the model formula can be applied to the detection of suspended solids in actual mine water.
Discrepancy in perception of symptoms among patients and medical staff after lung cancer surgery
Authors: Wei Xing , Yu Hongfan , Dai Wei , Xu Wei , Yu Qingsong , Pu Yang , Wang Yaqin , Liao Jia , Li Qiang , Shi Qiuling
Published: April 2021

Context:

Patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer experience a variety of symptoms such as pain and coughing, which interfere patients’ daily function after surgery. However, there may be some differences between the perception of symptoms by medical staff and the actual situation of patients.
Objectives

This study aimed to investigate patient’s experiences after lung cancer surgery and analyze whether the perception of postoperative symptoms by the medical staff differed from that reported by patients.
Methods

Semi-structured qualitative interviews concerning in-hospital experiences were conducted from June 2018 to October 2019 in 39 patients undergoing lung cancer surgery at the Sichuan Cancer Hospital. Moreover, 22 thoracic medical staff were instructed to answer open questions about their perception of symptoms related to the lung cancer surgery. Types and frequencies of symptoms from patients and medical staff were compared.
Results

Thirty-nine patients were interviewed, and 22 medical staff from the Department of Thoracic Surgery were investigated. The most frequent patient-reported symptoms were pain (967 times, 39 patients, 100%), coughing (904 times, 37 patients, 94.87%), shortness of breath (491 times, 35 patients, 89.74%), disturbed sleep (412 times, 34 patients, 87.18%), and interference with walking (347 times, 36 patients, 92.31%). Of the above symptoms, four were perceived by medical staff, whereas interference with walking was replaced by fatigue.
Conclusion

Although the medical staff and patients had a certain consensus on main symptoms, differences in perception still exist. Medical staff need to pay more attention to postoperative interference with walking.
Prevalence and Characteristics of Ever Regular Use of Non-combustible Nicotine for One-year or More: A Population Survey in England
Authors: Cox Sharon , Brown Jamie , Kock Loren , Shahab Lion
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Up-to-date monitoring of non-combustible nicotine products (NNP) is important to assess their impact. To date, there is little evidence on the association between long-term regular use (defined here as one-year or more) of NNP and current smoking status. Aims/methods: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence, and sociodemographic, alcohol and smoking status correlates, of ever regular use of NNP in England in 2020.A cross sectional survey of adults in England between February and June 2020. Results: 8,486 adults were surveyed, 94.9% (8,055) were complete cases. The weighted prevalence of ever regular NNP use was 5.4% (n=436; 95%CI 5.0-6.0), of which 82% (n=360; 95%CI 78.7-85.8) was single, and 18% (n=79; 95%CI 14.8-22) multiple product use. Amongst ever regular NNP users, the prevalence of ever regular nicotine replacement therapies (NRT), e-cigarette and heated tobacco product use was 64.7% (95% CI 60.1-69), 43.4% (95%CI 38.8-48) and 2.5% (95% CI 1.4-4.5), respectively. In regression analysis, ever regular NNP use was independently associated with smoking status, being significantly higher among current (22.3%; Adjusted OR (aOR) 34.9, 95%CI 24.0-50.8) and ex-smokers (12.7%, aOR 19.8, 95%CI 11.1-14.4) than among never smokers (0.6%). More advantaged occupational grade (aOR, 1.27 95% CI 1.02-1.57) and at least hazardous alcohol use (aOR, 1.38 95%CI 1.06-1.78) were independently associated with greater prevalence of ever regular NNP use.Conclusions: Ever regularly using NNP was highest among smokers and ex-smokers and rare among never smokers. Among people who have ever regularly used NNP, NRT is the most popular.
Does selection occur at the intermediate zone of two insufficiently isolated populations? A whole-genome analysis along an altitudinal gradient
Authors: Yoshida Naofumi , Morinaga Shin-Ichi , Wakamiya Takeshi , Ishii Yuu , Kubota Shosei , Hikosaka Kouki
Published: April 2021

Adaptive divergence would occur even between the insufficiently isolated populations when there is a great difference in the environments of their habitats. The individuals present in the intermediate zone of the two divergent populations are expected to have an admixed genetic structure due to gene flow. A selective pressure that acts on the genetically admixed individuals may limit the gene flow and promote the adaptive divergence. Here, we addressed a question whether the selection occurs in the genetically admixed individuals between the divergent populations and assessed its effects on the population divergence. We obtained the whole-genome sequences of a perennial montane plant, Arabidopsis halleri, which has clear phenotypic dimorphisms between altitudes, along an altitudinal gradient of 359–1,317 m with a high spatial resolution (mean altitudinal interval of 20 m). We found the zone where the highland and lowland genes were mixing. Using the FST approach, we found that 35 and 13 genes in the admixed zone had a high frequency of alleles that are accumulated in highland and lowland subpopulations, respectively, suggesting that these genes have been selected in the admixed zone. This selection might limit the gene flow and contribute to the adaptive divergence along the altitudes. In the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based analysis, 3,000 out of 27,792 Altitude-Dependent SNPs had extremely high homozygosity in the admixed zone. In 84.7% of these SNPs, the frequency of homozygotes of highland alleles was comparable to that of lowland alleles, suggesting that these alleles are neutral but the heterozygotes were selectively eliminated. The distribution of highland and lowland alleles of these SNPs was not clearly separated between altitudes, implying that such selection did not impede the gene flow. We conclude that the selection occurring at the intermediate altitude affects the genetic structure in the admixed zone and adaptive divergence along the altitudes.
Using AI technology to customize manufacture product label for decision making
Authors: Zhang Kai , Dong Chongjie
Published: April 2021

When the manufacturing industry is dealing with information technology, it has to face a large number of parameters and frequent adjustments. How to correctly import and maintain it has always been a huge challenge. Once the setting is wrong, it will bring losses, ranging from poor products that require maintenance, heavy work or scrapping, and at worst, resulting in production line shutdown, reduced factory productivity, delayed shipments and other adverse consequences. In order to improve this problem, this study uses the data in the approval form of a customized label set by an electronic manufacturer and use artificial intelligence models to find out the hidden rules behind a large number of customized labels, through data processing and model building. Model and parameter experiments are used to improve the effectiveness of artificial intelligence models, and for the problem of time characteristics but uneven distribution of data, the method of cyclic testing is adopted to increase the diversity of the test set. The results of this paper, we integrate each stage and an auxiliary decision-making is established. When the user's setting is inconsistent with the predicted result, a warning will be displayed to speed up the operation process, reduce the scope of confirmation, and ultimately reduce the error rate, thereby improving the problem, reducing scrap and production line shutdown to improve factory productivity. In the statics, the accuracy rate of new recruits was only 80%. The accuracy rate of the artificial intelligence model can be increased to 95%. The number of stoppages is reduced from 4 times per month to 1 time per month. Under full capacity, this assistance the decision-making system can reduce loss cost.
Anticancer activity of chicken cathelicidin peptides against different types of cancer
Authors: Mahmoud Maged Mostafa , Al-Hejin Ahmed M. , Abujamel Turki S. , Alenezi Modhi , Aljoud Fadwa , Noorwali Abdulwahab , Awad Ibrahim A. , Alkhaled Mohammed. , Yacoub Haitham. A.
Published: April 2021

This study served as the pioneer in studying the anti-cancer role of chicken cathelicidin peptides. Chicken cathelicidins were used as anticancer agent against the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and human colon cancer cell line (HCT116). An in vivo investigation was also achieved to evaluate the role of chicken cathelicidin in Ehrlich ascites cell (EAC) suppression as a tumor model after subcutaneous implantation in mice. In addition, the mechanism of action of the interaction of cationic peptides with breast cancer cell line MCF-7 was also investigated. It was found during the study that exposure of cell lines to higher concentration of chicken cathelicidin for 72 h reduced cell lines growth rate by 90%-95%. These peptides demonstrated down-regulation of (cyclin A1 and cyclin D genes) which are essential for G1/S phase transient and S/G2 phase and consequently causes “prometaphase arrest” ultimately leading to death of MCF-7 cells. The study showed two- and three-times higher expression of the caspase-3, and − 7 genes respectively in MCF-7 cells treated with chicken peptides (especially cathelicidin-2 and − 3) relative to untreated cells which encouraged pro-apoptotic pathway, autophagy, and augmentation of the anti-proliferative activity. Our data showed that chicken ( CATH-1 ) enhance releasing of TNFα, INF-γ and upregulation of granzyme K in treated mice groups, in parallel, the tumor size and volume was reduced in the treated EAC-bearing groups after cathelicidin administration compared to untreated EAC-bearing group. Additionally, animals received high dose of cathelicidin-1 (40 µg/ml) displayed an apical survival rate compared to untreated carcinoma control and animals which received low dose of cathelicidin (10 and 20 µg/ml). Tumor of mice groups treated with chicken cathelicidin displayed high area of necrosis compared to untreated EAC-bearing mice. Based on histological analysis and immunohistochemical staining revealed that the tumor section in Ehrlich solid tumor exhibited a strong Bcl2 expression in untreated control compared to mice treated with 10 & 20 µg/ml of cathelicidin. Interestingly, low expression of Bcl2 were observed in mice taken 40 µg/ml of CATH-1. This study drive intention in treatment of cancer through the efficacy of anticancer efficacy of chicken cathelicidin peptides.
Social and Eco-Friendly Enterpreneurship: The Keys to Sustainability
Authors: Starchenko Liudmyla V. , Samusevych Yaryna V. , Demchuk Kateryna
Published: April 2021

The article summarizes the arguments and counterarguments in the scientific discussion on the development of sustainable entrepreneurship. The main purpose of the study is to identify the essential characteristics and key determinants of success of sustainable entrepreneurship initiatives. Systematization of literature sources showed that the current stage of entrepreneurship is characterized by the transition from the concept of maximizing profitability to the formation of long-term sustainability. Existing theoretical and empirical research shows that sustainable entrepreneurship is an activity aimed at balancing economic, social and environmental challenges. The theoretical analysis of the results of basic research on sustainable entrepreneurship has identified a list of key internal and external determinants that contribute to the development of sustainable entrepreneurship. It is determined that the key internal characteristics of the entrepreneur are the level of his motivation and qualification. At the same time, among external factors, the education system, the availability of state environmental and social policy measures, as well as public perception and support of social and environmental initiatives play a significant role in promoting sustainable entrepreneurship. It is established that the existing empirical research revealed the differentiation of results for companies of different sizes and at different stages of operation, as well as depending on the form of ownership and sector of activity. The results of the analysis provide a scientific basis for further research on the key determinants of the effectiveness of sustainable entrepreneurship initiatives, the identification of the most promising sectors for social and environmental initiatives, and the study of links with social, environmental and economic parameters.
How Error Prevention and Organizational Silence Influences Managers’ Self-Perception – A Repertory Grid Study
Authors: Kussin Laura , Bundtzen Henning
Published: April 2021

The topic of self-perception within management has become a subject catching more and more attention. The necessity for leaders’ self-awareness when aiming at high employee satisfaction and productivity still bears a lot of research potential. Developing self-awareness and efficacy are paths that do not have an end or a quota to reach. It is a rather mindset like a tank that can always be filled up more. Leaders’ self-awareness is crucial to improve their abilities and much more inaccurate self-perception can become harmful for an organisations’ performance. Surprisingly, the influence of managers’ self-perception on leadership behaviour and leadership effectiveness has only been studied little in contemporary literature. The main purpose of this article is to identify organizational factors that influence leader’s self-perception and how an organization can develop this characteristic of their managers. Therefore, this paper aims at identifying corporate cultural causes for managers’ distorted self-perception. This task leads evidently to the topic of organizational silence, which is understood as the absence of upward-directed feedback of employees’ input of ideas. Consequently, a corporate culture inherited by organizational silence impacts a manager’s self-perception. Additionally, the contextual literature research on self-perception guided to the subject of error management. It becomes evident that error management functions as a link between organizational silence and managers’ overestimation. Summarizing the article studies the interlinkages of these three research areas and combined them with a new research and hypothesis model tested on a repertory grid data set consisting of 782 personal constructs of a specific corporate culture. Individual construct psychology was chosen as an investigative methodology to ensure unbiased qualitative results. This psychologically grounded methodology is proven to make socially desirable results unlikely due to the intuitive interview structure. The results of this research give practitioners advice for developing corporate culture and self-perception and efficacy of people in leadership positions.
Метод СВЧ-радиотермометрии в комплексной диагностике рака молочной железы
Authors: Синельникова О. А. , Керимов Р. А. , Синюкова Г. Т.
Published: April 2021

Изучены диагностические возможности метода СВЧ-радиотермометрии при различных видах патологии молочной железы путем сопоставления данных гистологического исследования и показателей радиотермометрии. Продемонстрировано характерное для различных гистологических вариантов рака молочной железы повышение частоты выявления термоасимметрии и смещение показателей экспертной системы РТМ в сторону Th4-Th5. Установлена прогностическая значимость параметров радиотермометрии – показано значительное снижение отдаленной выживаемости пациенток с высокими уровнями Th.
Пролежни: профилактика и лечение
Authors: Дибиров М. Д.
Published: April 2021

Термин пролежень (decubitus), происходящий от латинского слова decumbere (лежать), в свете современных представлений не совсем корректен, поскольку дает основание считать, что пролежни образуются только при лежании пациента. Пролежни являются серьезным осложнением у больных с нарушенным питанием тканей не только под воздействием внешнего сдавления, но и в результате различных системных заболеваний.
TURKISH VERSION OF BODY AWARENESS QUESTIONNAIRE: VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY STUDY
Authors: KARACA Seda , BAYAR Banu
Published: April 2021

Purpose: The Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ) was described as a tool with psychometric properties that thoroughly assessed the concept of body awareness. There is no Turkish version of the scale with validity and reliability. The study aimed to demonstrate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the BAQ.Methods: The study sample consisted of 180 university students (age=21.87±2.36 years, 99 M, 81 F). The BAQ, Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS), and Body Cathexis Scale (BCS) were applied to the participants.Results: Result of the correlation analysis between the BAQ and the total scores obtained from the SCS and BCS, and the correlation coefficients were determined as 0.802 (p=0.007) and-0.753 (p=0.009), respectively. As a result of the explanatory factor analysis, a measurement tool consisting of 18 items and four sub-groups explaining 66% of the variance was obtained. The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.830 at 3-day intervals. Cronbach's alpha was calculated as 0.917 to determine internal consistency.Conclusion: Findings in the study show that the Turkish version of BAQ is valid and reliable.
PRİMER DİSMENORESİ OLAN VE OLMAYAN KADINLARDA OMURGA POSTÜR VE MOBİLİTESİNİN KARŞILAŞTIRILMASI
Authors: KARAKUŞ Ayşenur , ÖZER KAYA Derya , TOPRAK ÇELENAY Şeyda
Published: April 2021

Amaç: Son zamanlarda primer dismenore (PD) ile muskuloskeletal sistemin düzgünlüğü ve fonksiyonları arasında bir ilişki olduğu ifade edilmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, PD olan ve olmayan kadınlarda omurga postür ve mobilitesini karşılaştırmaktı.Yöntem: Çalışmaya, PD olan (PD Grubu, n=23, yaş=20,91±2,02 yıl, vücut kütle indeksi [VKİ]=21,63±2,98 kg/m2) ve olmayan (Kontrol Grubu, n=22, yaş=20,18±1,22 yıl, VKİ=20,79±2,43 kg/m2) kadınlar dâhil edildi. Kadınların menstrual semptomları kaydedildi. Menstrual ağrı şiddeti Görsel Analog Skalası (GAS) ile omurga postürü ve mobilitesi Valedo®Shape omurga postür ve mobilite ölçüm cihazı (Hocoma, Idiag GmbH, Fehraltorf, Switzerland) ile değerlendirildi.Sonuçlar: Grupların menstrual semptomları benzerdi (p>0,05). PD grubundaki kadınlarda menstrual ağrı şiddeti ortalaması 6,54±1,60 cm idi. Grupların sagital ve frontal düzlemdeki torakal, lumbal, sakral-kalça ve inklinasyon açıları arasında fark yoktu (p>0,05). PD grubunda kontrol grubuna göre sagital düzlemde sakral mobilitesinin (p=0,025), frontal düzlemde torakal (p=0,010) ve lumbal mobilitesinin (p=0,020) daha az olduğu bulundu. Diğer mobilite parametreleri gruplar arasında benzerdi (p>0,05).Tartışma: PD grubunda, kontrol grubuna göre omurga postürünün değişmediği ancak omurga mobilitesinin azaldığı görüldü. Bu sonuçlara göre klinikte PD’nin değerlendirilmesinde ve tedavi yaklaşımlarında azalmış omurga mobilitesinin göz önünde bulundurulması önemli olabilir.
ÜLKEMİZDE FİZYOTERAPİSTLERİN “İŞLEVSELLİK, YETİ YİTİMİ VE SAĞLIĞIN ULUSLARARASI SINIFLANDIRMASI (ICF)” KONUSUNDA BİLGİ VE FARKINDALIKLARI
Authors: KARABÖRKLÜ ARGUT Sezen , TARAKCI Ela
Published: April 2021

Amaç: İşlevsellik, yeti yitimi ve sağlığın uluslararası sınıflandırması (ICF) sistemi dünyada yaygın şekilde kullanılmaktadır ve sağlık profesyonelleri için önemli bir yer teşkil etmektedir. Bu çalışmanın temel amacı, fizyoterapistlerin ICF hakkındaki bilgi ve farkındalıkları ile mesleki uygulamalarının ICF perspektifine uyumunu araştırmaktı.Yöntem: Çalışmamıza Türkiye’de çalışan 20-50 yaş arasındaki gönüllü fizyoterapistler katıldı. Değerlendirmede sosyo-demografik bilgilere ek olarak gönüllülerin temel mesleki özelliklerini, klinik uygulamalarını ve ICF hakkındaki bilgi ve tutumlarını incelemek üzere, bu araştırmaya özel olarak hazırlanan bir sorgulama formu kullanıldı.Sonuçlar: Araştırmaya katılan 102 (74 kadın, 28 erkek) fizyoterapistin yaş ortalaması 25,77±4,17 yıl ve klinik deneyim süresi ortalaması 2,91±4,01 yıl idi. Fizyoterapistlerin değerlendirme (%83,33) ve tedavide (%85,29) en çok önem verdikleri faktör “fiziksel bulgular” idi. Fizyoterapistlerin %43,13’ü verilen beş seçenek içinden ICF’in doğru tanımı seçerken, %14,70’i hatırlamıyorum/fikrim yok seçeneğini işaretledi. ICF’in biyopsikososyal modelinde tanımlanan ana bileşenler sorgulandığında verilen cevapların % 39,21’inin doğru olduğu ve %30,39’unun ise “hatırlamıyorum/fikrim yok” olarak işaretlendiği tespit edildi. Fizyoterapistlerin temel mesleki özellikleri bakımından sadece eğitim düzeyi ile ICF hakkında bilgi sahibi olma durumlarıarasında anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu ve eğitim düzeyi arttıkça ICF hakkında bilgi sahibi olma oranının arttığı görüldü (p=0,027).Tartışma: ICF sağladığı bütüncül bakış açısıyla, hem değerlendirme hem de tedavi uygulamalarının etkin şekilde planlanması bakımından fizyoterapistler için önem arz etmektedir. Ülkemizde ICF ile ilgili bilgi düzeyi iyi olsa da, mesleki uygulamalara bu bakış açısının henüz tam yerleşmediği görülmektedir. Bu bağlamda, dünya çapında güncel bilgileri takip edebilme ve mesleki ilişkiler kurma becerisine sahip fizyoterapistler yetiştirebilmek için ICF ile ilgili derslerin lisans eğitimine eklenmesinin faydalı olacağını düşünüyoruz.
Comment on the ILC Draft Conclusions on Subsequent Agreements and Subsequent Practice in Relation to the Interpretation of Treaties
Authors: Kozłowski Artur
Published: April 2021

In 2018, the ILC completed its work on the Draft conclusions on subsequent agreements and subsequent practice in relation to the interpretation of treaties. There is still the dilemma of whether interpretation in its essence reflects more the assumptions of art or science. From this perspective, the ILC’s undertaking is the next step in the field of treaty interpretation that should provoke a moment of reflection and intellectual curiosity. Especially when the presented approach is the result of thorough research, is of a multilayered nature and consciously constitutes an element of a broader whole, and demonstrates the undeniable theoretical and practical value. The International Law Commission, in its final outcome on subsequent agreements and practice in relation to the interpretationof treaties, has obtained such a harmonized picture. This is the product of several factors. First, the proposals are of rich normative value. Their shape facilitates the potential defense of this normativity in the event of a dispute. Secondly, the draft skillfully combines the themes of lex generalis and lex specialis, situating deliberations in the correct systemic context, thus making the final result of the effort realistic. The notion of acquiescence, the unformalized nature of international law or the objectification of particular institutions of international law can be cited here as an example. As a consequence, thirdly, the ILC’s view of subsequent agreements and practice as essential elements of the treaty interpretation process is flexible and multidimensional.
Mass Observation (1937-2017) and Life Writing: an Introduction
Authors: Ashplant T.G.
Published: April 2021

Mass Observation (MO) was formed in Britain in 1937 as an innovative research project, to develop new methods for accurately gauging public opinion, thereby contributing to a more democratic form of politics and public policy formation. The archive of its first phase (1937-49) was transferred to the University of Sussex in 1970. In 1981 it was revived as the Mass Observation Project (MOP), which continues to the present. The documentation which MO and MOP together generated includes a significant body of life writings. The purpose of this cluster of articles is to introduce the ways in which the interaction between the aims and approaches of MO's founders and its later MOP refounders, and the responses of its contributors, produced specific forms of life writing; and to explore aspects of the 'afterlife' of these texts – their contextualisation, publication, and interpretation. This introduction situates the original, multifaceted and idiosyncratic, MO project within wider political and cultural trends of the 1930s, and then examines MO's methods, which aimed at 'the observation by everyone of everyone, including themselves'.
Social Media Terms and Conditions and Informed Consent From Children: Ethical Analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Schneble Christophe Olivier , Favaretto Maddalena , Elger Bernice Simonne , Shaw David Martin
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

Terms and conditions define the relationship between social media companies and users. However, these legal agreements are long and written in a complex language. It remains questionable whether users understand the terms and conditions and are aware of the consequences of joining such a network. With children from a young age interacting with social media, companies are acquiring large amounts of data, resulting in longitudinal data sets that most researchers can only dream of. The use of social media by children is highly relevant to their mental and physical health for 2 reasons: their health can be adversely affected by social media and their data can be used to conduct health research.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper is to offer an ethical analysis of how the most common social media apps and services inform users and obtain their consent regarding privacy and other issues and to discuss how lessons from research ethics can lead to trusted partnerships between users and social media companies. Our paper focuses on children, who represent a sensitive group among users of social media platforms.

METHODS

A thematic analysis of the terms and conditions of the 20 most popular social media platforms and the 2 predominant mobile phone ecosystems (Android and iOS) was conducted. The results of this analysis served as the basis for scoring these platforms.

RESULTS

The analysis showed that most platforms comply with the age requirements issued by legislators. However, the consent process during sign-up was not taken seriously. Terms and conditions are often too long and difficult to understand, especially for younger users. The same applies to age verification, which is not realized proactively but instead relies on other users who report underaged users.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals that social media networks are still lacking in many respects regarding the adequate protection of children. Consent procedures are flawed because they are too complex, and in some cases, children can create social media accounts without sufficient age verification or parental oversight. Adopting measures based on key ethical principles will safeguard the health and well-being of children. This could mean standardizing the registration process in accordance with modern research ethics procedures: give users the key facts that they need in a format that can be read easily and quickly, rather than forcing them to wade through chapters of legal language that they cannot understand. Improving these processes would help safeguard the mental health of children and other social media users.
User Perspectives of Diet-Tracking Apps: Reviews Content Analysis and Topic Modeling (Preprint)
Authors: Zečević Mila , Mijatović Dejan , Kos Koklič Mateja , Žabkar Vesna , Gidaković Petar
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

The availability and use of mobile apps in health and nutrition management are increasing. Ease of access and user friendliness make diet-tracking apps an important ally in their users’ efforts to lose and manage weight. To foster motivation for long-term use and to achieve goals, it is necessary to better understand users’ opinions and needs for dietary self-monitoring.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify the key topics and issues that users highlight in their reviews of diet-tracking apps on Google Play Store. Identifying the topics that users frequently mention in their reviews of these apps, along with the user ratings for each of these apps, allowed us to identify areas where further improvement of the apps could facilitate app use, and support users’ weight loss and intake management efforts.

METHODS

We collected 72,084 user reviews from Google Play Store for 15 diet-tracking apps that allow users to track and count calories. After a series of text processing operations, two text-mining techniques (topic modeling and topical n-grams) were applied to the corpus of user reviews of diet-tracking apps.

RESULTS

Using the topic modeling technique, 11 separate topics were extracted from the pool of user reviews. Most of the users providing feedback were generally satisfied with the apps they use (average rating of 4.4 out of 5 for the 15 apps). Most topics referred to the positive evaluation of the apps and their functions. Negatively rated topics mostly referred to app charges and technical difficulties encountered. We identified the positive and negative topic trigrams (3-word combinations) among the most frequently mentioned topics. Usability and functionality (tracking options) of apps were rated positively on average. Negative ratings were associated with trigrams related to adding new foods, technical issues, and app charges.

CONCLUSIONS

Motivating users to use an app over time could help them better achieve their nutrition goals. Although user reviews generally showed positive opinions and ratings of the apps, developers should pay more attention to users’ technical problems and inform users about expected payments, along with their refund and cancellation policies, to increase user loyalty.
mHealth Acceptance and Usage Among South Asian Adults in the US: A cross-sectional study (Preprint)
Authors: Ramaswamy Padmavathy , Santa Maria Diane M , Myneni Sahiti , Cron Stanley , Johnson Constance M
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

Modifiable factors such as physical inactivity and unhealthy diet contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) in South Asians (SAs). Interventions using mobile health (mHealth) could reduce the burden of CVD and DM in SAs living in the U.S.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the factors associated with the acceptance, and usage of mHealth applications (apps) among SA adults living in the U.S.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 134 SA adults were recruited from all across US. Self-reported measures included demographics, health status, motivations for using mHealth, technology acceptance and usage, and reasons for non-usage of mHealth apps. Descriptive statistics were used to compare group differences among current users, past users, and non-users of mHealth apps.

RESULTS

Most (62.4%) of the participants were current users of mHealth apps. The majority of users were 35-54 years old, female, healthy, employed, and university-educated, with an annual family income of over $80,000. There were no statistically significant differences in demographics, health status and chronic diseases among those surveyed. The mean scores for perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, confirmation of expectations, user satisfaction, and intent to continue using mHealth ranged from 3.5 to 4.2 (on a scale of 1-5).

CONCLUSIONS

More than half of the surveyed SA adults used and accepted mHealth.. The results from this study may help in selecting the most widely accepted mHealth apps for designing interventions for SA adults in the U.S. to lower the risk of CVD and DM.

CLINICALTRIAL
Falls Detection and Prevention Systems in Home Care for Older Adults: Myth or Reality? (Preprint)
Authors: Pech Marion , Sauzeon Helene , Yebda Thinhinane , Benois-Pineau Jenny , Amieva Helene
Published: April 2021

UNSTRUCTURED

There is an exponential increase in the range of digital products and devices promoting aging in place, in particular, devices aiming at preventing or detecting falls. However, their deployment is still limited and only few studies have been carried out in population-based settings owing to the technological challenges that remain to be overcome and the barriers that are specific to the users themselves, such as the generational digital divide and acceptability factors specific to the older adult population. To date, scarce studies consider these factors. To capitalize technological progress, the future step should be to better consider these factors and to deploy, in a broader and more ecological way, these technologies designed for older adults receiving home care to assess their effectiveness in real life.
Integration of Web Analytics Into Graduate Medical Education: Usability Study (Preprint)
Authors: Massanelli Jackson , Sexton Kevin W , Lesher Chris T , Jensen Hanna K , Kimbrough Mary K , Privratsky Anna , Taylor John R , Bhavaraju Avi
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of website and web application usage data. While common in the e-commerce arena, web analytics is underutilized in graduate medical education (GME).

OBJECTIVE

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Department of Surgery website was revamped with input from in-house surgeons in August 2017. This study investigated the use of web analytics to gauge the impact of our department’s website redesign project.

METHODS

Google Analytics software was used to measure website performance before and after implementation of the new website. Eight-month matched periods were compared. Factors tracked included total users, new users, total sessions, sessions per user, pages per session, average session duration, total page views, and bounce rate (the percentage of visitors who visit a site and then leave [ie, bounce] without continuing to another page on the same site).

RESULTS

Analysis using a nonpaired Student t test demonstrated a statistically significant increase for total page views (before vs after: 33,065 vs 81,852; P<.001) and decrease for bounce rate (before vs after: 50.70% vs 0.23%; P<.001). Total users, new users, total sessions, sessions per user, and pages per session showed improvement. The average session duration was unchanged. Subgroup analysis showed that after the main page, the next 3 most frequently visited pages were related to GME programs in our department.

CONCLUSIONS

Web analytics is a practical measure of a website’s efficacy. Our data suggest that a modern website significantly improves user engagement. An up-to-date website is essential for contemporary GME recruitment, will likely enhance engagement of residency applicants with GME programs, and warrants further investigation.