bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integer multi-wavelength gradient phase metagrating for perfect refraction: Phase choice freedom in supercell
Authors: Xu Lin , Quan Jia-Qi , Fu Yangyang , Gao Lei , Chen Huanyang , Xu Yadong
Published: March 2024

Phase gradient metagratings (PGMs) reshape the impinging wavefront though the interplay between the linear adjacent phase increment inside supercells and the grating diffraction of supercells. However, the adjacent phase increment is elaborately designed by tuning the resonance of each subcell at a certain target frequency, which inevitably confines PGMs to operate only at the single frequency in turn. We notice that there exists a freedom of phase choice with a multi- increment in a supercell of PGMs, whereas conventional designs focus on the increment. This freedom can induce a collaborative mechanism of surface impedance matching and multi-wavelength subcells, enabling the design of PGMs at multi-wavelengths. We further design and fabricate a supercell consisting of eight curved pipes to construct the two-wavelengths PGMs for acoustic waves in quasi-two-dimensional space. The linear adjacent phase gradient of at the fundamental frequency 3430Hz is achieved, while the almost perfect transmission effect is observed due to the impedance match at the ends of curved pipes. In addition, the transmission field at the double frequency 6860Hz is measured, whose refraction direction is consistent with that at 3430Hz. This design strategy originated from phase choice freedom in the supercell and the experimental fabrication in quasi-two-dimensional space might stimulate applications on other multi-wavelength metasurfaces/metagratings.
The intra-articular combined intravenous administration of antibiotics versus intravenous administration of antibiotics in patients with prosthetic joint infection: a prospective, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Zhang Tao , Kang Runxing , Yang Yaji , Zhou Haotian , Shen Yidong , Li Yujian , Qin Leilei , Huang Wei
Published: March 2024

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to compare the safety and effectiveness of combined intra-articular and intravenous administration of antibiotics with intravenous administration of antibiotics in patients with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) undergoing one-stage revision.
Methods
A prospective study of 52 patients was performed between October 2021 and February 2023.Patients undergoing one-stage revision as the treatment for PJI were randomized into group A (intravenous administration) or group B (combined intra-articular and intravenous administration). All patients receive intravenous antibiotic therapy.Patients with gram-positive bacteria and culture-negative infections in group B received additionally intra-articular administration of 0.5g of vancomycin every morning.For the infections caused by negative bacteria and fungal organisms,a pathogen-sensitive antibiotic was selected for intra-articular administration.The primary outcome was the treatment success rates of both groups at the last final follow-up.The serum inflammatory markers and indicators of kidney and liver function were compared between the two groups on post-admission day 1 and on postoperative days 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 21.The Harris Hip Score (HHS), Knee Society Scores (KSS), and activities of daily living (ADL) were compared between the 2 groups.
Results
With a mean follow-up of 22.19 ± 4.69 months,the success rates of group A (n = 26) and group B (n = 26) were 88.5% and 96.2%, respectively (P = 0.610).At the 21-day time point after surgery, the levels of CRP and ESR were significantly lower in group B than in group A (P < 0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in indicators of kidney and liver function between two groups. The ADL and KSS of group B were higher than those of group A (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Combined intra-articular and intravenous administration of antibiotics is an effective treatment for PJI. Compared with intravenous administration of antibiotics therapy, a combination of intra-articular and intravenous administration of antibiotics therapy is a superior means of addressing systemic inflammation and promoting functional recovery.
Self-directed learning readiness among medical, dental and nursing students: a cross-sectional study at a tertiary care medical university
Authors: Kaur Apjit , Awasthi Shally , Pandey Amita
Published: March 2024

Purpose
– The present study analysed self-directed learning readiness among undergraduate medical, dental and nursing students across the academic years.
Methods
- The cohort consisted of the undergraduate medical, dental and nursing students of King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India. After institutional ethical clearance, the study started in October 2022 and data collection was completed in March 2023. Following voluntary consent, 746 /775 students (335 medical, 220 dental, and 220 nursing students) recorded their socio-demographic details on a semi-structured questionnaire. They filled the Modified Kumar self-directed learning readiness scale to assess the three domains of self-management, desire for learning and self-control. Data was analysed using SPSS version 26.0 (IBM Corp.).
Results
− 59.6% of the participants were females, 74% were students aged between 20–24 years, 90% were hostellers, 74% belonged to the middle socioeconomic status and 54% of students had a rural background. Statistical analysis revealed that self-management, desire for learning and self-control were not statistically different at the time of entry into the three courses. However, medical students demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in all parameters as they progressed in years of education. Nursing students maintained their parameters. Scores of female students were higher, but the effect of other demographic parameters was insignificant.
Conclusion -
The maximum decrease in scores of medical students may be attributed to academic and infrastructure issues. This sets a need for further large-scale longitudinal studies using mixed methods that address various facets of curriculum and institutional infrastructure.
Statistical modeling of deep features reduces false alarms in video change detection
Authors: Bou Xavier , Artola Aitor , Ehret Thibaud , Facciolo Gabriele , Morel Jean-Michel , Grompone Rafael
Published: March 2024

Detecting relevant changes is a fundamental problem of video surveillance. Because of the high variability of data and the difficulty of properly annotating changes, unsupervised methods dominate the field. Arguably one of the most critical issues to make them practical is to reduce their false alarm rate. In this work, we develop a method-agnostic weakly supervised a-contrario validation process, based on high dimensional statistical modeling of deep features, to reduce the number of false alarms of any change detection algorithm. We also raise the insufficiency of the conventionally used pixel-wise evaluation, as it fails to precisely capture the performance needs of most real applications. For this reason, we complement pixel-wise metrics with object-wise metrics and evaluate the impact of our approach at both pixel and object levels, on six methods and several sequences from different datasets. Experimental results reveal that the proposed a-contrario validation is able to largely reduce the number of false alarms at both pixel and object levels.
Efficacy of irrigation in inland river basins: A comprehensive assessment
Authors: Gao Hongbei , Cai Qinyang , Shi Xiujiao , Shan Shengdao
Published: March 2024

Understanding the availability of irrigation water at various growth stages is crucial for guiding agricultural scheduling in arid areas with limited water sources. However, challenges persist in swiftly and synchronously tracking water utilization post-irrigation. Depending on the high-frequency water vapor and CO2 fluxes recorded by the eddy-covariance system, a modified evapotranspiration partitioning method was employed to continuously monitor the availability of irrigated water in a wheat field. Concurrently, in-situ reference measurements were taken using micro-lysimeters to evaluate the effectiveness of this partitioning approach. The findings demonstrated that the refined partitioning method effectively segregated evapotranspiration into transpiration and evaporation. Transpiration, accounting for 54.8%, provided the primary contribution to evapotranspiration (454 mm) during the growth period. Evaporation (205 mm) played a significant role during the seeding and maturation stages. The evapotranspiration consumed 75.5% of the irrigated water (605 mm), and the remaining 24.5% was recharged to the groundwater during the wheat growth period. These results suggest that 58.4% (353 mm) of irrigation water was not absorbed by the crops. Changes in the plant canopy had the most substantial impact on water-use efficiency. Environmental factors like air temperature, relative humidity, vapor pressure deficit, and net radiation subtly and consistently regulated the ratio of evaporation and transpiration. However, the effects of irrigation events on water vapor fluxes were significant, albeit temporary.
Effects of oral nutritional supplement on postoperative orthognathic surgery patients’ nutritional status: a randomised clinical trial
Authors: Prachasartta Naratorn , Siriwatana Kiti , Trachoo Vorapat , Sapwarobol Suwimol , Chantrasilapin Praew
Published: March 2024

Background
Orthognathic surgery limits oral intake and increases metabolic demand, leading to decreased muscle mass. To mitigate these effects, incorporating oral nutritional supplements (ONS) into a nutritional therapy plan is recommended. However, nutrition therapy has not received much attention in orthognathic surgery. This study aimed to assess the effect of ONS on postoperative orthognathic surgery patients’ nutritional status.
Methods
A 12-week randomised controlled trial was conducted between June and December 2022 at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. Patients were included if they were 18 years of age or older, underwent orthognathic surgery involving at least one jaw, and had no metabolic-related diseases, milk or soy allergies, or galactosemia. Patients who underwent segmental procedures or genioplasty alone were excluded. The predictor variable was ONS. Subjects were randomly assigned by the block randomisation method into two groups: 1) subjects who received ONS, and 2) subjects who did not receive ONS. The primary outcome variable was nutritional status, which was measured using anthropometric, biomarker, and muscle strength assessments at 5 time points: a day before surgery (T0), the day of discharge (T1), 2 weeks (T2), 4 weeks (T3), and 12 weeks postoperatively (T4). Covariates were subjects’ demographics, oral health-related quality of life, and dietary record assessment. The T-test, or Mann-Whitney U test, was used to compare the mean difference of continuous data, where appropriate. The differences were considered statistically significant when the p-value was less than 0.05.
Results
A total of 36 subjects were included in the study. Subjects receiving either nutritional counselling alone or both nutritional counselling and ONS experienced postoperative weight and muscle mass loss, with no significant differences observed across all nutritional status parameters after the 12-week postoperative mark.
Conclusion
These results suggest the need for more personalised and intensive nutrition therapy plans to reduce the negative impact of muscle mass loss and the associated risk of postoperative infection in orthognathic surgery patients.
Trial registration:
This study has been registered with the Thai Clinical Trial Registration (https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/), with the registration number TCTR20220624006, registered on June 24, 2022.
An increased ratio of plasma IL-10 to TNF-α levels is a risk factor for the occurrence of septic shock in children with infectious diseases
Authors: Cao Lulu , Ren Yiqian , Zhao Li , Li Jiru , Zhu Yueniu , Zhu xiaodong
Published: March 2024

Background: Cytokine storm contributes to the pathogenesis of septic shock and is a risk factor for unfavorable prognosis in patients with infectious diseases. This retrospective case-control study aimed to investigate whether a ratio of plasma interleukin-10 (IL-10) to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels (IL-10/TNF-α) could serve as a biomarker for assessing the occurrence of septic shock in children with infectious diseases.
Methods: The demographic and clinical data were collected from 122 hospitalized children with suspected sepsis and they were classified into the infectious, sepsis and septic shock groups, based on the diagnostic criteria. Their plasma IL-10 and TNF-α levels were measured on days 1 and 5. The relationship between plasma IL-10, TNF-α, and IL-10/TNF-α and the disease severities was analyzed.
Results: The SOFA and PRISM scores on days 1 and 5 in the septic shock group (n=35) were significantly higher than that in the infectious group (n=65) and the sepsis group (n=22) (p<0.05). Furthermore, plasma IL-10 and TNF-α levels and the IL-10/TNF-α in the septic shock group on day 1 were also significantly higher than that in the infectious and sepsis groups (p<0.05). The plasma IL-10/TNF-α was positively correlated with severities of diseases and an independent risk factor for the onset of septic shock in this population (p<0.05).
Conclusions: These findings suggest that the plasma IL-10/TNF-α may be a valuable measure to predict the development of septic shock in children with infectious diseases.
Characterization Barley Genotypes Adaptability to Semi-Arid Environment
Authors: Ghazy Abdelhalim I. , Motawei Mohamed I. , Ali Mohamed A. , Ibrahim Eid I. , Sallam Mohammed , Al-Ateeq Talal K. , Al-Ashkar Ibrahim , Attia Kotb , Abdel-Haleem Hussein , Al-Doss Abdullah A.
Published: March 2024

Barley is the fourth largest grain crop globally and used for food and feed.It is necessary to evaluate those germplasm responses and stabilities under agricultural practices of respected geographical regions before. A set of 32 new barley genotypes were evaluated under desert environments to identify superior genotypes based on their agro-morphological characters and molecular markers diversity. In general, the developed Saudi barley lines were superior to the landraces and checks cultivars for several traits. The KSU-BR-G121/L-4 line had the highest grain yield and harvest index in the second season, while the inbred line KSU-BR-C/G-2 had the highest grain yield and harvest index in the first season. The line KSU-BR-40-18-4 had the highest grain protein content 15.24 and 15.12 (six row). The two-row ICARDA line (Carina/Moroc9-75) had the highest grain and flour protein, 17.63 and 13.74 respectively. The barley inbred lines revealed a considerable diversity level based on agro-phenotypic and molecular characterization indicating the possibility to improve for semi-arid conditions. The introduction of novel Saudi barley lines and more comprehensive use of genetic resources could be important tool to increase the genetic variability within Saudi barley breeding programs.
Immunotherapy induced by plant microRNA via ionizable Lipid Nanoparticles delivery enhances chemotherapy effects of Triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: ye Hanyi , Feng Yifan , Wu Ze , Zheng Tingting , Sun Shuhui , Xiong Yingxia , Cui Mengyao , Lv Shun , Han Miaomiao , Jin Bing , Liu Chang , Li Ying , Miao Lei , Dong Zhengqi
Published: March 2024

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a highly malignant subtype of breast cancer (BC) that commonly affects females, is occurring at an increasingly younger age, yet there is a lack of clinically effective and safe drugs. The cross-kingdom regulation of plant microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer immunotherapy has brought new therapeutic hope for TNBC. Here, we searched for plant miRNAs, twa-miRNA152-5p (miR152), from the anticancer plant Taxus wallichiana var. chinensis (Pilger) Florin, which can safely target to regulate human CTLA-4 immune checkpoint across kingdoms. The plant miRNA as a therapeutic requires safe and effective in vivo delivery technologies to prevent its degradation and mediate intracellular delivery. Therefore, we constructed a tumor-targeted folic acid-modified ionizable lipid nanoparticles vector to efficiently encapsulate miR152 and assist in targeted delivery of miR152 to tumor sites. The efficacy, immune antitumor mechanisms and biosafety of miR152 alone or in combination with clinical chemotherapeutic agents to treat TNBC were clarified in vitro and in vivo. The study demonstrated the potential for plant miRNAs cross-kingdom regulation as checkpoint inhibitors to exert immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs for potentiating antitumor efficacy.
The effect of family centered care on unplanned emergency room visit, hospital readmissions and intensive care admissions after abdominal surgery: a root cause analysis
Authors: Kreca Sani Marijke , Albers Iris Sophie , Musters Selma , Dijkum Els Nieveen van , Tuinman Pieter Roel , Eskes Anne
Published: March 2024

Background
Optimising transitional care by practicing family-centred care might reduce unplanned events for patients who undergo major abdominal cancer surgery. However, it remains unknown whether involving family caregivers in patients’ healthcare also has negative consequences for patient safety. This study assesses the safety of family involvement in patients’ healthcare by examining the cause of unplanned events in patients who participated in a family involvement programme (FIP) after major abdominal cancer surgery. Unplanned events per patient were compared between patients who received care from their family caregiver and patients who received professional at-home care after discharge.
Methods
This is a secondary analysis of the intervention group of a prospective cohort study. Participants in the intervention group were patients who engaged in a FIP. Unplanned events were analysed, and root causes were identified using the medical version of a prevention- and recovery-information system that analyses unintended events in healthcare. Statistical differences in the number of unplanned events were compared between patients who participated in the FIP and were cared for by their family caregiver after discharge and patients who participated in the FIP but received professional at-home care after discharge. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyse data.
Results
Of the 152 FIP participants, 68 experienced an unplanned event and were included. In total, 112 unplanned events occurred with 145 root causes since some unplanned events had several root causes. Most root causes of unplanned events were patient-related factors (n = 109, 75%), such as patient characteristics, patient conditions and disease-related factors. No root causes due to inadequate healthcare from the family caregiver were identified. Unplanned events did not differ statistically (interquartile range 1-2) (p = 0.35) between patients who received care from trained family caregivers and those who received professional at-home care after discharge.
Conclusion
Active family engagement in healthcare after major abdominal cancer surgery does not lead to unexpected events such as unplanned ER visits or unplanned hospital readmissions and ICU admissions. Additionally, the risk of experiencing an unplanned event does not increase when the family caregiver provides care after hospital discharge.
Unraveling the Structure-Dependent Activity of Ru/CeO2 Catalysts for Oxidative Degradation of Plastic Chemical Bisphenol A by Catalytic Wet Oxidation
Authors: Roy Shyamal , Barman Puspendu
Published: March 2024

One of the important defects is the oxygen vacancy on metal oxide surfaces, and the defects function as the active sites in different catalytic reactions. Herein, Ru/CeO2-rod and Ru/CeO2-cube catalysts were prepared via the ESI method, and CeO2-rod and CeO2-cube supports were synthesized by hydrothermal processes. The activity of these catalysts was tested in a high-pressure fixed-bed reactor, and the oxidative degradation of industrial organic raffinate containing the plastic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) was compared with their oxygen vacancy concentration estimated after calcination. The Ru/CeO2-rod catalyst showed higher catalytic activity with 90% BPA conversion at 453 K, 30 bar, 0.5% Ru metal content, 15 O2 to BPA molar ratio, and 2 g-1.h-1 BPA feed WHSV. In contrast, 80% BPA degradation was achieved using the Ru/CeO2-cube catalyst under similar reaction conditions. The higher oxygen vacancy concentration and the higher interfacial surface area between metal and the support of the CeO2-rod supported Ru catalyst triggered the higher BPA degradation at low oxidation conditions. Besides, the atomic ratio, Ce3+/Ce4+, is lower in the Ru/CeO2-rod catalyst than that of the Ru/CeO2-cube catalyst, indicating the higher Ce4+ available in the catalyst, leading to the higher degradation of BPA. Moreover, the Ru/CeO2-rod catalyst possesses {111} planes that boost the generation of energetic Ru to improve the pursuit of the catalyst. The Weisz-Prater modulus and Thiele modulus values indicated that the surface reaction is the rate limitation step and there is no diffusion limitation. TEM, HRTEM, XPS, Raman, H2-TPR, XRD, CO chemisorption and BET surface area analyzers were used to characterize the catalysts.
Spectral, Amplified Spontaneous Emission, and Density Functional Theory Calculations of a New Chalcone (MSPPP)
Authors: Attia Mohana
Published: March 2024

The paper reveals the spectrum and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) features of a new Chalcone laser dye material of 1-(4-methylsulfonyl phenyl)-3-(4-N, N dimethyl amino phenyl)-2-propen-1-one (MSPPP) with the molecular formula C18H19NO3S. The absorption, fluorescence, Stokes’ shift, and quantum yield were obtained using different organic solvents. The energy band gap was calculated and compared with that of 3-[4-(dimethylamino) phenyl]-1-phenyl-(2E)-propen- 1-one (DAPPP). Under suitable concentrations and pump power excitation (Nd: YAG laser 355 nm), MSPPP produced an intense ASE at 522.5 nm. Previously, we had reported that DAPPP showed optical activities that were significantly better than that of coumarin 503. The absorption spectra of MSPPP showed a wavelength band in the range 403–427 nm, whereas the fluorescence spectra exhibited a band at 472–533 nm. ASE was observed under pump pulse laser excitation, and the wavelengths were attuned from 511 to 548 nm. The molecular geometry was optimized, and their HOMO-LUMO energy values were determined by SCM Software for Chemistry & Materials using the DFTB (GGA BLYP) [Density-Functional-Based Tight-Binding] method.
An Inhaled Neutrophil Elastase Inhibitor Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Mediated Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation in Acute Lung Injury via the MAPK/AKT/NLRP3 Pathway
Authors: Aji Nuerbiya , Feng Nana , Li Miao , Pan Ting , Song Juan , Zhang Cuiping , Chao Yen-Cheng , Song Yuanlin , Tang Xinjun
Published: March 2024

Objective Neutrophil elastase (NE) plays a crucial role in the progression of acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). AK0705 is a highly specific small molecule inhaled NE inhibitor. We investigated the protective effect of AK0705 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and the mechanism.
Materials and methods The effect of AK0705 on ALI was evaluated by intratracheally administering LPS to a mouse model. The animals received saline, AK0705, and NET inhibitors. The mice were sacrificed 72 h after modeling. Lung pathological changes, inflammatory cell types, proinflammatory mediator protein levels, and the change of NETs were examined by H&E staining, immunochemistry, flow cytometry, ELISA, PicoGreen, immunofluorescence analysis, western blotting.
Results AK0705 alleviated LPS-induced ALI in mice, as evidenced by reduced proinflammatory cytokine expression in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue samples, reduced NET production and reduced NE activity in the BALF, and reduced NET formation in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, AK0705 effectively inhibited LPS-induced pyroptosis by downregulating the MAPK/AKT/NLRP3 signaling pathway.
Conclusion In summary, AK0705 significantly inhibited NET formation and pyroptosis in LPS-induced ALI. Our study indicated that targeting NETs or NE and early administration of AK0705 combined with NET inhibitors are novel strategies for treating ALI/ARDS.
Comparative Analysis of ChatGPT-4 and Google Gemini for Spam Detection on the SpamAssassin Public Mail Corpus
Authors: Mardiansyah Ketut , Surya Wayan
Published: March 2024

This study addresses the critical challenge of spam detection in the realm of cybersecurity, motivated by the escalating sophistication of spamming techniques and their significant implications for communication security. With the advent of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models, this research compares the efficacy of two leading models, ChatGPT-4 by OpenAI and Google Gemini, in identifying spam within the widely recognized SpamAssassin public mail corpus. Through a meticulous methodology that includes preprocessing of the dataset, application of standardized evaluation metrics (accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score), and a detailed performance analysis, this study unveils the distinct capabilities of each model in spam detection. ChatGPT-4 demonstrates a balanced performance with high precision and recall, making it suitable for general spam detection tasks. In contrast, Google Gemini excels in recall, highlighting its potential in scenarios where capturing the maximum number of spam emails is paramount, despite a slightly higher tendency to misclassify legitimate emails as spam. These findings contribute valuable insights into the comparative strengths and application contexts of ChatGPT-4 and Google Gemini, offering a nuanced understanding of their roles in enhancing spam detection mechanisms. The study underscores the significance of selecting AI models based on specific spam detection needs and sets a foundation for future research aimed at advancing AI-driven spam detection solutions.
Associated Factors in Patient Satisfaction among Older Persons Attending Primary Health Facilities in Sepang, Malaysia
Authors:   Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia, Mat Din Hazwan , Raja Adnan Raja Nurzatul Efah ,   Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia, Kadir Shahar Hayati ,   Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia,   Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia, Mawardi Maliza ,   Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia, Awang Dzulkarnain Dayangku Hayati ,   Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia, Hassan Noor Hasliza ,   Klinik Kesihatan Sungai Pelek, Selangor, Malaysia, Nor Akahbar Siti Aisyah ,   Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia, Shariff Ghazali Sazlina ,   Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Published: March 2024

Background: With Malaysia’s ageing population, the utilisation of primary healthcare services by older individuals with comorbidities is expected to increase. Patient satisfaction serves as a key indicator for assessing the quality of healthcare services. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate patient satisfaction among older persons attending public primary healthcare facilities and to identify associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 2017 to January 2018, involving face-to-face interviews with older outpatients in primary health clinics. Minimum 300 participants were required and systematic random sampling were used. The measurement included sociodemographic variables, patient comorbidity and patient satisfaction using the Short-Form Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-18). Results: A total of 317 participants enrolled in this study, resulting in a response rate of 95.6%. The findings indicated that 35.7% of participants reported high satisfaction, while 64.3% reported moderate satisfaction. Participants with at least secondary education (OR = 3.12) were more likely to experience satisfaction compared to those without formal education. Participants with monthly incomes above RM2,000 (OR = 0.40) and RM1,000–RM1,999 (OR = 0.53) were less likely to be satisfied compared to those earning less than RM999. Moreover, participants with two or more comorbidities were less likely to be satisfied compared to those with one comorbidity. Gender, marital status, employment status and living arrangements were not significant factors. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for healthcare authorities to examine factors such as patients’ education level, income level and comorbidity status that are associated with healthcare satisfaction to enhance overall patient satisfaction.
Variance reduction via simultaneous importance sampling and control variates techniques using vegas
Authors: Shyamsundar Prasanth , Scott Jacob L. , Mrenna Stephen , Matchev Konstantin T. , Kong Kyoungchul
Published: March 2024

Monte Carlo (MC) integration is an important calculational technique in the physical sciences. Practical considerations require that the calculations are performed as accurately as possible for a given set of computational resources. To improve the accuracy of MC integration, a number of useful variance reduction algorithms have been developed, including importance sampling and control variates. In this work, we demonstrate how these two methods can be applied simultaneously, thus combining their benefits. We provide a python wrapper, named CoVVVR, which implements our approach in the VEGAS program. The improvements are quantified with several benchmark examples from the literature.
Do labor unions enhance corporate social performance? Evidence from Korean financial markets
Authors: Shin Ilhang , Park Sorah
Published: March 2024

This study examines the impact of labor unionization on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in South Korean listed companies, particularly in the context of chaebol-affiliated firms. Using a dataset of 2,622 firm-year observations between 2005 and 2009, the study employs regression analyses to explore the relationship between unionization and CSR performance. Key findings indicate a significant negative correlation between labor unionization and CSR engagement, suggesting that unionized firms exhibit less involvement in CSR activities. This association, however, is not significant in chaebol-affiliated firms, where the unique corporate structure and shared resources appear to mitigate the influence of labor unions on CSR. Furthermore, the study reveals a positive link between CSR initiatives and labor productivity in unionized firms, indicating that CSR may enhance employee efficiency. The study highlights the intricate relationships between labor unionization, corporate governance, and CSR, particularly in the context of Korean business conglomerates. It emphasizes the importance of aligning labor interests with CSR commitments and underscores the role of effective corporate governance in promoting CSR activities. The positive impact of CSR on labor productivity underscores its potential in boosting employee performance.
AcknowledgmentThis work was supported by the Gachon University research fund of 2023. (GCU-202303770001).
Pedagógusnézetek a fogyatékossággal élő emberekről és társadalmi helyzetükről, szerepükről
Authors: Gulya Nikoletta , Vajnai Viktória , Szabó Lilla
Published: March 2024

A fogyatékossággal élő emberek társadalmi befogadásának egyik fő akadálya a fogyatékossággal kapcsolatos releváns információk hiánya a többségi társadalomban. Mivel a fogyatékossággal élő emberek társadalmi befogadásának elősegítése nevelési célként jelenik meg a magyar közoktatásban, a Nemzeti alaptantervben, illetve a sikeres pedagógusmunkát meghatározó pedagógusi kompetenciák között, a mindennapok oktatási-nevelési rendszerében megjelennek a fogyatékossággal élő személyekkel kapcsolatos tartalmak. A tanári tevékenység professzionalizálódási folyamatának vizsgálatában kiemelt figyelmet kapnak a nézetek. A tanárok fogyatékossággal élő emberekről alkotott nézetei meghatározhatják az iskolai inklúzióhoz való viszonyulásukat, viselkedésüket, illetve a fogyatékossággal kapcsolatos ismereteik átadásának hatékonyságát, ami pedig befolyással lehet a tanulók fogyatékossággal élő személyekkel kapcsolatos viselkedésére. Kutatásunk ezért a pedagógusok fogyatékossággal élő személyekkel és társadalmi helyzetével kapcsolatos nézeteinek feltárására vállalkozott, melyhez a metaforaelemzés módszerét választottuk. Az eredmények azt mutatják, hogy a kutatásban részt vevő pedagógusok többsége a fogyatékossággal élő személyekre gondoskodást igénylő emberekként tekint, akik iránt felelősséget érez. A fogyatékossággal élő emberek társadalmi helyzetéről alkotott pedagógusnézetek pedig inkább a kirekesztettséget, a kiszolgáltatottságot, a marginalitást tükrözik. Tehát a pedagógusok fogyatékossággal élő emberekről alkotott nézetei az egyén szintjén inkluzívak, azonban úgy látják, hogy társadalmi szinten nem valósul meg a fogyatékossággal élő emberek befogadása.
A budai tanítóképző tanárait és altisztjét érintő igazolási, B-listázási és népbírósági eljárások 1945–1948. (II. rész)
Authors: Donáth Péter
Published: March 2024

Ahogy tanulmányunk első felében jeleztük: a budai állami tanítóképzőt igazgató és TITOE (Tanítóképző Intézeti Tanárok Országos Egyesülete) elnök Padányi–Frank Antal mellett a tantestület 6 további aktív tagját, és egy ott 1919-től 1942-ig szolgálatban álló, de a képzővel továbbra is eleven kapcsolatot tartó, és az igazgatói székre 1945-ben pályázó pedagógust, valamint egy altisztet érintettek az 1945–1947. évi igazolási, B-listázási, népbírósági eljárások. Dolgozatunk második részében – amennyire forrásaink és a lehetséges terjedelem engedik – az ő történetüket prezentáljuk személyenként, különböző terjedelemben, majd zárásként néhány megfigyelést, észrevételt szeretnénk a Neveléstudomány olvasóinak figyelmébe ajánlani ezen eljárások szereplőivel, mechanizmusaival, megfogalmazott céljuknak való megfelelésükkel, valamint tényleges funkciójukkal kapcsolatban.
Több, mint oktatás : Inkluzív oktatói gyakorlat a felsőoktatásban
Authors: Kardos Dorottya , Kálmán Orsolya
Published: March 2024

Az inkluzív felsőoktatás és az inkluzív pedagógiai módszerek használata, hallgatói lehetőségek a felsőoktatásban egyre jobban kutatott témák, azonban kevés kutatás irányul az oktatók feladataira, tanulási lehetőségeire, az oktatói oldal bemutatására. Jelen cikk nemzetközi szakirodalomra épülő elemző áttekintés, elméleti munka, amely a felsőoktatásban dolgozó oktatók gyakorlatát az inklúzió oldaláról közelíti meg. Érvényesül benne az oktatók szerepe és gyakorlata, illetve az oktatók felkészítése az erre irányuló munkára. Elemzési szempont volt az inkluzív felsőoktatás szemlélete, a fogyatékossággal élő hallgatók támogatása, az intézményi és oktatói megoldások számbavétele nemzetközi szakirodalom alapján. A forrásgyűjtés során az EBSCO és az ERIC adatbázisokra támaszkodtunk. Kiválasztási szempont volt, hogy a cikkek 2010 után kerüljenek publikálásra, és empirikus kutatást közöljenek. A nemzetközi szakirodalom elemző áttekintése alapján az inkluzív felsőoktatás megteremtése érdekében az oktatók számára elsősorban intézményi továbbképzéseket szerveznek, melyek támogatják az oktatók munkáját, amikor fogyatékossággal élő hallgatót oktatnak, és emellett szakmai közösséget is létrehoznak. Azokban az esetekben, amikor nem érhető el ilyen képzés, az oktatók nagy mértékben támaszkodnak saját kreativitásukra, szakmai segítségért kollégáikhoz, fogyatékosügyi szakértőkhöz fordulnak, illetve bevonják tanulási folyamatuk alakításába az érintett fogyatékossággal élő hallgatókat is.
Digitalization and disinformation: Current governance practices of the European Union
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Kolotaev Yury Yu.
Published: March 2024

The article focuses on the contemporary problems of the digital space. It considers the threat of disinformation as a systemic phenomenon and a characteristic of “information disorder” and the post-truth era. The study reflects on the main theoretical ideas about the relations between agents of informational influence, involving various stakeholders. It also assesses potential and existing measures to counter disinformation. The experience of the European Union reflects in this context a new, supranational approach to regulation of the digital sphere. This article aims to comprehensively reflect the evolution and the current state of the European Union’s activities in the field of countering disinformation and assess the strengths and weaknesses of its policy. The article considers such important changes in the activities of the European Union as the adoption of the new Digital Services Act, the application of media blocking practices, the revision of previous documents, as well as the transition from a self-regulatory practice to the practice of co-regulation. Strategies, action plans, and resolutions, as well as voluntary codes of practice, provide the basis for the analysis. They reflect the strategic vision, measures, and results of the work of various EU institutions. The study showed that currently the EU has reached a high level of interaction with digital platforms in the fight against disinformation, while the nature of those interactions has gradually changed. Despite the central role of platforms in the EU’s policy, it combines new practices of co-regulation with the development of a particular strategic narrative and cooperation with civil society. At the same time, the current policy reveals a number of negative trends, including the politicization of the problem in the context of geopolitical contradictions, the stigmatization of certain information influence sources, as well as a lack of attention to “non-political” disinformation. Additionally, there are problems in EU policy related to the inconsistency of particular acts, the lack of transparency of numerous measures, and the difficulty of monitoring and evaluating certain actions.
Index Method for Assessing Structural Changes in the Economy: Issues of Theory and Practice
Authors: Belova T. N.
Published: March 2024

Purpose of the study. The article is devoted to the consideration of the most important tools of economic and statistical analysis - indexes of structural changes by Ryabtsev, Gatev and Salai.

   The relevance of such work is due to the significant value of using indexes of structural changes that allow making an interconnected analysis of the composition and structure of a phenomenon, taking into account its dynamics.

  The purpose of the study is to develop a scale for assessing the significance of structural changes for economic phenomena.

   Materials and methods. Foreign trade statistics were used as the database for the empirical study: exports and imports for the Russian Federation as a whole, exports and imports of food by participating countries, imports of certain types of food by countries. The development of a scale for assessing the indexes of structural changes included: firstly, a comparison of the assessment results using the Ryabtsev, Gatev and Salai indexes based on observation data; secondly, the construction of aligned values (trends) for ranked series according to the Ryabtsev, Gatev, Salai indexes; thirdly, comparison of the alignment results and construction of the required scale for assessing measures of the significance of structural changes. An exponential function was used for alignment.

   Research results. Based on the results of the study, evaluation scales for the Gatev and Salai indexes were proposed, preserving the verbal characteristics of the Ryabtsev index. The implementation of a methodology based on the alignment of ranked series of values of structural changes indexes made it possible not only to compare different indexes for the same structures of economic phenomena, but also to identify some patterns and features of the use of each of the studied indexes for assessing economic phenomena. With the same range of variation from 0 to 1, the Gatev index is slightly higher than the Ryabtsev index, and the Salai index occupies an intermediate position between the Ryabtsev and Gatev indexes. The author warns against erroneous values of the Salai index, found in some structures. To assess economic structures, which are usually very inertial, the author recommends using the Gatev index, in contrast to the very common Ryabtsev index. With the same components, the Gatev index takes on larger values, the scale “stretches”, and it is more convenient to mark the results of calculations on it.

   Conclusion. The use of indexes of structural changes by Ryabtsev, Gatev and Salai, supplemented by a developed scale for assessing the significance of these changes, not only complements the traditionally established procedures of economic analysis, but also deepens it, allows us to find changes in the composition and structure of the phenomenon, determine the direction and significance of these changes.
Assessment of the Effectiveness of Regional Investment Policy in Terms of Ensuring the Technological Sovereignty of the Economy
Authors: Nevyantseva L. S.
Published: March 2024

The purpose of the study. The purpose of the article is to develop and test a methodological approach to assessing the effectiveness of regional investment policy in the context of intensification of scientific and technological development of the country and regions and the achievement of technological sovereignty of the national economy.

   Materials and methods. The study uses analytical and statistical information data for the period of time 2017-2021, concerning investments and costs for scientific, technological and innovative development of the economy, as well as the data on some economic indexes, which also act as indicators of the effectiveness of regional investment policy. The paper has been prepared using the following methods of scientific research: analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, contrast, comparison, generalization.

   Results. A theoretical analysis of scientific sources on the research problem was carried out, on the basis of which the author’s methodological approach to assessing the effectiveness of regional investment policy in terms of ensuring the technological sovereignty of the economy was developed and tested. A structural and dynamic analysis of the results of the implementation of regional investment policy was carried out, on the basis of which conclusions were drawn about the trends of investment activity in regional systems. Based on the obtained values, summary indexes of the effectiveness of regional investment policy are calculated, as a result of which the level of its effectiveness is identified according to the analyzedmethodological blocks.

   Conclusion. The results obtained indicate dynamic changes and the level of effectiveness of regional investment policy aimed at achieving technological sovereignty of the economy and its innovative development. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the proven methodological approach to assessing the effectiveness of regional investment policy. Executive authorities and local governments in the formation and implementation of regional investment policy can apply the results of the study in order to achieve technological independence of the region’s economy.
Distribución de juveniles recientemente asentados de Mesodesma donacium (LAMARCK, 1818) (MOLLUSCA: BIVALVIA: MESODESMATIDAE) en tres bahías de la Cuarta Región: variables físicas y químicas que la caracterizan.
Authors: Ortiz Marco A. , Stotz Wolfgang B.
Published: March 2024

El presente estudio tiene como objetivo determinar los lugares de asentamiento del bivalvo Mesodesma donacium, el cual constituye un recurso pesquero de importancia económica en Chile. Para ello en dos períodos sucesivos de reproducción, correspondientes a los años 1993 y 1994, se tomaron muestras en 138 transectos en Bahía de Coquimbo, 86 en Bahía Guanaqueros y 112 en Bahía Tongoy. En cada transecto se tomaron muestras a 0,1, 2 y 3 m de profundidad del submareal con un core de 2,4 dm3, tamizando en una malla de 0,5 mm de abertura. Para el submareal profundo (5 y 10 m de profundidad) se tomaron 16,12 y 14 muestras en las Bahías de Coquimbo, Guanaqueros y Tongoy respectivamente, arrastrando en cada uno de ellos una red de fondo (0,5 m de largo y 0,5 m de diámetro de boca) 10 m paralelo a la costa. Cada bahía se caracterizó en cuanto a: presencia y caudal de los cursos de agua dulce, estado morfodinámico de playa (tipo de playa), características del sedimento (granulometría y materia orgánica) y la salinidad del agua. Se encontraron juveniles de Mesodesma donacium a lo largo de todas las playas en las tres bahías estudiadas, en densidades que fluctuaron entre 19 y 200 individuos/m2.
Field studies in Chondracanthus chamissoi (C. AGARDH) KÜTZING: seasonal and spatial variations in life-cycle phases
Authors: González Jorge , Meneses Isabel , Vásquez Julio
Published: March 2024

Chondracanthus chamissoi (C. Ag.) Kützing is a commercial resource in certain areas oí the Chilean coast and is becoming increasingly important due to its food valué in Asían countries. This species grows only in natural beds that require to be rationally exploited in order to avoid their depletion. Since the first step necessary to develop this exploitation is a knowledge of the dynamics of the populations, the study oí seasonal and spatial variations in abundance and reproduction oí a natural bed in the locality of Puerto Aldea has been carried out. Samples taken bimonthly at four different depths during an entire year resulted in the detection of a sharp seasonality of biomass of sterile as well as reproductive plants with its máximum in summer months due mainly to the increase in growth of plants rather than in density. Reproductive plants only contributed 30% of the total biomass. Reproductive sporophytes were more abundant throughout the year. Reproductive gametophytes and sporophytes behaved differently over depth, with cystocarpic plants being more abundant at shallower depths and tetrasporophytes showing no differences along the bathymetric profile. Nevertheless, phase ratios calculated considering sterile and reproductive plants resulted in a higher proportion of haploid (gametophytes) plants. Differences appear to be due to phase-spedfic behavior at early stages of development or to difieren tial rates of attachment to the sustrate by drifting frond pieces.
Retrocálculo del peso promedio a la edad: ¿es necesario?
Authors: Cubillos S. Luis , Araya C. Miguel
Published: March 2024

Se analiza el retrocálculo del peso promedio a la edad con el objeto de determinar si este procedimiento se debe considerar como un aspecto separado del retrocálculo de la longitud en estudios de edad y crecimiento. Se simuló la historia de vida de 350 ejemplares, los cuales fueron capturados a partir de la edad 3 hasta la 9. Con estos datos se evalúo la eficiencia de cuatro procedimientos para retrocalcular el peso a la edad, tanto de los individuos no contenidos en la muestra (de edad 1 y 2) como de los capturados, utilizando el error porcentual relativo como medida de sesgo entre los valores estimados y los verdaderos (simulados). Los métodos de retrocálculo evaluados fueron: a) la relación longitud-peso (RLP) usando la longitud retrocalculada;b) la ecuación propuesta por Beyer (1991); c) retrocálculo del peso a partir de las longitudes retrocalculadas, donde el peso es corregido por la razón entre el peso observado y el estimado al momento de la captura; y, d) retrocálculo del peso utilizando una relación entre el peso del pez y el radio de su otolito, sin tomar en cuenta las longitudes retrocalculadas. El cálculo del peso utilizando la RLP produce subestimación en las edades que cuentan con muestras (edad 3 en adelante) y sobreestimación en la edad 1 y2(ca.40% y 10%, respectivamente).