bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Indigenous Idea of Gender Equality: Husband-Wife Relationship in the Manuscript of Adābul Mu’āsyarah
Authors: Fakhria Sheila , Afyuddin Moh. Sholeh , Alias Muhammad Nazir
Published: December 2023

Literacy in pesantren still places women as the second class, especially in the study of women's fiqh or husband-wife relations. This phenomenon has attracted researchers to conduct research on one of the books by Nusantara scholars used by Islamic boarding schools, whether it contains gender equality or not. This research focused on one of the books, Adābul Mu’āsyarah, which describes the ethics of husband and wife relations in fostering a harmonious family. By using a literature study with analytical techniques in the form of content analysis and a gender studies approach, this research found that the contents of this book by KH Yasin Asmuni have provided equal space in household relations between husband and wife. Although it cannot be denied that there are still many patriarchal terms, such as defining women as humans who lack reason and emotion, which makes men superior to women in several ways. This phenomenon of patriarchal understanding has been impacted by several factors, such as the author's background, patriarchal culture and the wave of studies that narrowed a unique case into a general provision. This research is expected to provide references and a new paradigm in describing equal husband-wife relations.
Simulation analysis of low back forces in Snatch and Clean & Jerk movements via digital human modelling
Authors: Soares Denise , Abbady Karim , Kasap Suat , Shabanliyski Dimitar
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND: Weightlifting is an Olympic sport for dynamic strength and power, and requires the execution of different lifting techniques It is important to analyze the forces subjected to the lower back during weightlifting movements to prevent injuries. Digital Human Modeling (DHM) is a powerful tool that can be used to analyze and optimize the performance of humans while doing their work or activities. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to present a simulation analysis of the lower back forces during the execution of two weightlifting techniques: Snatch (SN) and Clean & Jerk (CJ), with different loads and for both genders. METHODS: Digital Human modelling through JACK simulation package was used analyze the forces exerted on the lumbosacral area (L5-S1) of the lower back in order to determine the risk for low back injuries. The level of compression and shear forces recommended by the literature have been set as thresholds. The simulaitons were performed in male and female models, with loads from 20–100 kg. RESULTS: The results show that any weight higher than 60 kg in both movements poses risk for the weightlifters in terms of compression and shear forces. It has been observed that weightlifters can lift greater loads in the CJ technique compared to the SN technique. Furthermore, females are able to lift higher loads with lower risk of injuries. CONCLUSION: Weightlifting is a high-risk activity due to the high levels of shear and compression forces that the body is exposed to during the lifting techniques. Digital Human Modeling holds significant value due to their ability to facilitate the exploration of diverse conditions within a safe environment, devoid of any potential harm to human subjects.
Effects of an eight-week physical exercise program on low back pain and function in fruit workers: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Passos Muana Hiandra Pereira dos , Pícon Sol Patrícia Beltrán , Batista Gabriel de Amorim , Nascimento Vinícius Yan Santos , Oliveira Felipe Augusto da Silva , Locks Francisco , Pitangui Ana Carolina Rodarti , de Araújo Rodrigo Cappato
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is prevalent in workers’ health and functional performance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a physical exercise program on low back pain and disability in fruit workers. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial assigned 44 workers (37 ± 9 years) to two groups. The experimental group consisted of 10 men and 12 women with an average age of 38 (± 9) years, and the control group consisted of 8 men and 14 women with an average age of 36 (± 10) years. The experimental group (EG) performed a program of strength and flexibility exercises for eight weeks, twice a week. The control group (CG) received minimal care, with a booklet with guidelines for performing exercises. The primary outcomes included changes in perceived disability and the intensity of pain evaluated by the Rolland-Morris questionnaire and the Numerical Pain Scale, respectively. All outcomes were measured at baseline and after eight weeks of intervention. RESULTS: A significant difference was observed in the within-group analysis, with a mean reduction in pain intensity in the EG and CG of -4.55 (95%CI -7.01 to -2.09) and -3.81 (95%CI 1.72–5.90), respectively. For disability, a reduction of -4.45 (95% CI -8.89 to -0.02) was observed in the EG and of -4.43 (-7.38 to -1.48) in the CG. There were no significant differences in the between-groups analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The exercise program was not superior to using the educational booklet. However, both interventions showed substantial decreases in pain and disability levels.
Efficient and choreographed quality-of- service management in dense 6G verticals with high-speed mobility requirements
Authors: Bordel Borja , Alcarria Ramón , Chung Joaquin , Kettimuthu Rajkumar
Published: December 2023

Future 6G networks are envisioned to support very heterogeneous and extreme applications (known as verticals). Some examples are further-enhanced mobile broadband communications, where bitrates could go above one terabit per second, or extremely reliable and low-latency communications, whose end-to-end delay must be below one hundred microseconds. To achieve that ultra-high Quality-of-Service, 6G networks are commonly provided with redundant resources and intelligent management mechanisms to ensure that all devices get the expected performance. But this approach is not feasible or scalable for all verticals. Specifically, in 6G scenarios, mobile devices are expected to have speeds greater than 500 kilometers per hour, and device density will exceed ten million devices per square kilometer. In those verticals, resources cannot be redundant as, because of such a huge number of devices, Quality-of-Service requirements are pushing the effective performance of technologies at physical level. And, on the other hand, high-speed mobility prevents intelligent mechanisms to be useful, as devices move around and evolve faster than the usual convergence time of those intelligent solutions. New technologies are needed to fill this unexplored gap. Therefore, in this paper we propose a choreographed Quality-of-Service management solution, where 6G base stations predict the evolution of verticals at real-time, and run a lightweight distributed optimization algorithm in advance, so they can manage the resource consumption and ensure all devices get the required Quality-of-Service. Prediction mechanism includes mobility models (Markov, Bayesian, etc.) and models for time-variant communication channels. Besides, a traffic prediction solution is also considered to explore the achieved Quality-of-Service in advance. The optimization algorithm calculates an efficient resource distribution according to the predicted future vertical situation, so devices achieve the expected Quality-of-Service according to the proposed traffic models. An experimental validation based on simulation tools is also provided. Results show that the proposed approach reduces up to 12% of the network resource consumption for a given Quality-of-Service.
Classifying promoters by interpreting the hidden information of DNA sequences for disease prediction in clinical laboratories using Gaussian decision boundary estimation
Authors: S Pradeepa , Gaspar Niveda , Shanmuganathan Vimal , P Subbulakshmi , Alkhayyat Ahmed , M Kaliappan
Published: December 2023

A promoter is a brief stretch of DNA (100–1,000 bp) where RNA polymerase starts to transcribe a gene. A DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) base pair is a fundamental unit of DNA structure and represents the pairing of two complementary nucleotide bases within the DNA double helix. The four DNA nucleotide bases are adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). DNA base pairs are the building blocks of the DNA molecule, and their complementary pairing is central to the storage and transmission of genetic information in all living organisms. Normally, a promoter is found at the 5′ end of the transcription initiation site or immediately upstream. Numerous human disorders, particularly diabetes, cancer, and Huntington’s disease, have been shown to have DNA promoter as their root cause. The scientific community has long been interested in learning crucial information about protein-coding genes. Finding the promoters is therefore the first step in finding genes in DNA sequences. The scientific world has always been attracted by the effort to glean crucial knowledge about protein-coding genes. Consequently, identifying promoters has emerged as an intriguing challenge that has caught the interest of numerous researchers in the field of bioinformatics. We proposed Gaussian Decision Boundary Estimation in machine learning models to detect transcription start sites (promoters) in the DNA sequences of a common bacteria, Escherichia coli. The best features are identified through a score-based function to select relevant nucleotides that are directly responsible for promoter recognition, in order maximise the models’ performance. The Gaussian Decision Boundary Estimation based support-vector-machine model is trained with these features and finds the best hyperplane that separates the data into different classes. Throughout this study, promoter regions could be identified with high accuracy 99.9% which is better compared to other state of art algorithms. The comparison of machine learning classification models is another major emphasis of this paper in order to identify the model that most accurately predicts DNA sequence promoters. It provides analysis for further biological research as well as precision medicine.
Dysfunctional Bladder Morphology and Functional Impairments Are Identified in the Alzheimer’s Disease APPNL-G-F/NL-G-F Murine Model
Authors: Ge Yingying , AlObaidi Alya S. , Kuchel George A. , Bartley Jenna M. , Smith Phillip P. , He Wanxia , Hu Xiangyou
Published: December 2023

Background: While symptoms related to lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) are common in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), pathophysiological links between AD and LUTD remain unclear. Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether AD neuropathology would cause autonomic dysfunction along the spinal cord-bladder axis, which could result in alterations in bladder muscle kinetics. Methods: We utilized APPNL-G-F/NL-G-F knock-in (APP KI) and APPwt/wt (wild-type) mice at two different ages, 4- and 10-month-old, to investigate how AD impacts bladder tissue function by immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and pharmacomyography. Results: We showed that the mucosal layer partially separated from the detrusor in 10-month-old APP KI mouse bladders. Although there was no detectable amyloid deposition in the APP KI bladder, we found amyloid plaques in APP KI lumbar spinal cord. Further immunoblot analysis revealed that tyrosine hydroxylase protein levels were significantly reduced in both 4- and 10-month-old bladder tissues, suggesting reduction of norepinephrine synthesis in APP KI mouse bladders. In contrast, the level of β2 adrenergic receptor was increased in 4-month-old but not 10-month-old APP KI bladders. In bladder strips, the adrenergic agonist isoproterenol induced increased relaxation in 4- but not 10-month-old APP KI bladders. With 10 Hz electrical field stimulation, 10-month-old APP KI bladder strips were more responsive than wild-type controls, with no differences observed in 4-month-old APP KI bladders. Conclusions: APP KI mice exhibit LUTD, which is likely arising from amyloid pathology in the spinal cord, and results in maturational declines in presynaptic activity combined with compensatory postsynaptic upregulation.
Odor Identification Across Time in Mutation Carriers and Non-Carriers in Autosomal-Dominant Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Almkvist Ove , Larsson Maria , Graff Caroline
Published: December 2023

Background: Impaired odor identification is a characteristic of sporadic Alzheimer’sdisease(AD), but its presence in autosomal-dominantAD (adAD) remains uncertain. Objective: To investigate odor identification ability in mutation carriers (MC) and non-carriers (NC) of adAD in relation to years to estimated clinical onset clinical onset (YECO) of disease. Methods: Participants from six families with autosomal-dominant mutations (APP Swedish, APP Arctic, and PSEN1 mutations) included 20 MC and 20 NC. The groups were comparable in age, gender, education, number of APOE ɛ4 alleles, and YECO, but differed in global cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination). The MC group included individuals in asymptomatic, symptomatic cognitively unimpaired, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia stages of disease, spanning approximately 40 years of the AD continuum. All NC were asymptomatic. Olfactory function was assessed by means of free and cued identification of common odors summarized as total identification. Results: MC performed poorer than NC in free and total identification. Four MC and none of the NC were anosmic. Olfactory functions in MC and NC were significantly and inversely related to time course (YECO) for both free and total identification. The decline in free identification began approximately 10 years prior to the estimated clinical onset of AD in MC. Odor identification proficiency was associated with episodic memory and executive function in MC and NC. Conclusions: Impaired odor identification is present well before the clinical diagnosis of AD in MC and is associated with disease progression. Odor identification ability may be a useful early biomarker for adAD.
Type 2 Diabetes Moderates the Association Between Amyloid and 1-Year Change in Everyday Functioning in Older Veterans
Authors: Alshaheri Durazo Alin ,   for the Department of Defense Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Weigand Alexandra J. , Bangen Katherine J. , Membreno Rachel , Mudaliar Sunder , Thomas Kelsey R.
Published: December 2023

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects ∼25% of Veterans, a prevalence rate double that of the general population. T2DM is associated with greater dementia risk and has been shown to exacerbate the impact of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk factors on declines in daily functioning; however, there are few studies that investigate these patterns in older Veterans. Objective: This study sought to determine whether T2DM moderates the association between amyloid-β (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) and 1-year change in everyday functioning in older Veterans. Methods: One-hundred-ninety-eight predominately male Vietnam-Era Veterans without dementia from the Department of Defense-Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (DoD-ADNI) with (n = 74) and without (n = 124) T2DM completed Aβ PET imaging and everyday functioning measures, including the Clinical Dementia Rating–Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) and Everyday Cognition (ECog). Linear mixed effects models tested the moderating role of T2DM on the association between Aβ PET and 1-year change in everyday functioning. Results: The 3-way T2DM×Aβ PET×time interaction was significant for CDR-SB (p < 0.001) as well as the Memory (p = 0.007) and Language (p = 0.011) subscales from the ECog. Greater amyloid burden was associated with greater increases in functional difficulties, but only in Veterans with T2DM. Conclusions: Higher Aβ was only associated with declines in everyday functioning over 1 year in Veterans with T2DM. Given that people with T2DM are more likely to have co-occurring cerebrovascular disease, the combination of multiple neuropathologies may result in faster declines. Future studies should examine how diabetes duration, severity, and medications impact these associations.
Special irregular neutrosophic graphs
Authors: Banitalebi S. , Ahn S.S. , Borzooei R.A.
Published: December 2023

Recently, the neutrosophic graph has been introduced as an extension of fuzzy graphs and intuitionistic fuzzy graphs, which offers more compatibility and flexibility than these two types in modeling and structuring many actual issues. In this article, using neutrosophic highly strong arc, the new notions of (totally) special irregular, highly special irregular, strongly special irregular, neighborly special irregular and special arc-irregular of neutrosophic graphs are stated. Finally, one of their utilizations relevant to offering a fixed optimization model in decision making in diverse conditions is presented. In fact,we present a decision-making problem in real-world applied example which discusses the factors influencing a companys efficiency. The presented model is, in fact, a factor-based model wherein the impact score of each factor is divided into two types of direct and indirect influences, in which the concept of neutrosophic special dominating set plays a significant role.
Process information optimization method based on process constituent elements model and polychromatic set theory
Authors: Wu Zhongyi , Liu Weidong , Zheng Weijie
Published: December 2023

This research presents a novel model for optimizing process information in manufacturing steps through the utilization of Process Constituent Elements (PCE), with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of product process information design. To achieve this objective, a systematic analysis is conducted on six dimensions: input, output, resources, value-adding activities, environment, and process control and inspection content. In addition, specific attributes of PCE are investigated, and an improved FP-growth algorithm is employed to extract the optimized structural expressions of typical PCE, thus determining specific expression requirements. The PCE and their attribute relationships are organized into modular mapping rules, resulting in an optimized representation structure based on a polychromatic set approach. The effectiveness of this approach is quantitatively assessed by developing a comprehensive quality indicator evaluation system for process information and using a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model for analysis.
RETRACTED: A novel hyperparameter tuned deep learning model for power quality disturbance prediction in microgrids with attention based feature learning mechanism
Authors: Dineshkumar R. , Alphy Anna , Kalaivanan C. , Bashkaran K. , Pattanaik Balachandra , Logeswaran T. , Saranya K. , Deivasikamani Ganeshkumar , Johny Renoald A.
Published: December 2023

This article has been retracted. A retraction notice can be found at https://doi.org/10.3233/JIFS-219433.
RETRACTED: Hidden Markov Model based Predicting of Alzheimer’s Disease with graph cut segmentation using MR Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)
Authors: Sikkandar Mohamed Yacin , Sabarunisha Begum S. , Algamdi Musaed Saadullah , Alanazi Ahmed Bakhit , Alotaibi Mashhor Shlwan N. , Alenazi Nadr Saleh F. , AlMutairy Habib Fallaj , Almutairi Abdulaziz Fallaj , Almutairi Mohammed Sulaiman
Published: December 2023

This article has been retracted. A retraction notice can be found at https://doi.org/10.3233/JIFS-219433.
Digital mammogram based robust feature extraction and selection for effective breast cancer classification in earlier stage
Authors: Shankari R. , Leena Jasmine J.S. , Mary Joans S.
Published: December 2023

Breast cancer poses a significant health risk for women, demanding early detection to mitigate its mortality impact. Leveraging the power of Deep Learning (DL) in medical imaging, this paper introduces a hybrid model that integrates YOLOv7 and Half UNet for feature extraction. YOLOv7 identifies and localizes potential cancerous regions, while Half UNet focuses on extracting pertinent features with its encoder-decoder structure. The fusion of these discriminative features, coupled with feature selection via Coati Optimization, ensures a comprehensive and optimized dataset. The selected features then feed into the CatBoost classification algorithm, refining parameters iteratively for precise predictions and minimizing the loss function. Evaluation metrics, including precision, recall, specificity, and accuracy, demonstrate the model’s superior performance. Notably, the proposed model surpasses existing methods in early-stage breast cancer detection. Beyond numerical metrics, its significance lies in the potential to positively impact patient outcomes and increase survival rates. By amalgamating cutting-edge DL techniques, the model excels in identifying intricate patterns crucial for early cancer detection. The efficient fusion of YOLOv7 and Half UNet, coupled with feature optimization through Coati Optimization, sets this model apart. This research contributes to the evolving landscape of medical imaging and DL applications, emphasizing the potential for enhanced breast cancer diagnosis and improved patient prognoses.
An advanced approach to operational quality evaluation for industry-finance integration enterprises based on integrated interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy multi-attribute decision making
Authors: Mao Cui
Published: December 2023

With the acceleration of economic globalization, enterprises are facing fierce competition and huge challenges, requiring deep financial management transformation. In this context, the integration of industry and finance has gradually demonstrated extremely important value. The integration of industry and finance can not only effectively improve the efficiency of financial management, prevent business risks, and improve operational efficiency, but also enhance the comprehensive ability of enterprise financial management, providing a more flexible, transparent, and efficient financial management system for enterprises. The operational quality evaluation of industry-finance integration enterprises under lean management accounting is a multiple-attribute decision-making (MADM). In this paper, some calculating laws on IVIFSs, Hamacher sum, Hamacher product are introduced, and the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy Hamacher interactive power averaging (IVIFHIPA) technique is proposed based on the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy (IVIF) Hamacher interactive weighted averaging (IVIFHIWA) technique and power average (PA) technique. Meanwhile, some ideal properties of IVIFHIPA technique are studied. Then, the IVIFHIPA technique is employed to cope with the MADM under IVIFSs. Finally, an example for operational quality evaluation of industry-finance integration enterprises under lean management accounting is employed to test the IVIFHIPA technique. Thus, the main research aim of this paper is concluded as follows: (1) the IVIFHIPA technique is constructed based on IVIFHIWA technique and classical power average (PA) technique; (2) the IVIFHIPA technique is put forward to cope with the MADM under IVIFSs; (3) an empirical example for operational quality evaluation of industry-finance integration enterprises under lean management accounting has been put forward to show the IVIFHIPA technique.
A group decision framework for core competitiveness evaluation of small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises under probabilistic linguistic term sets
Authors: Zhang Xueyu , Li Wenyong
Published: December 2023

Since the reform and opening up, China’s foreign trade has developed rapidly. The import and export trade volume has doubled, and the team of foreign trade enterprises is constantly expanding. After China’s accession to the WTO and the liberalization of foreign trade management rights, a group of small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises have grown up in recent years and are becoming a new force in the development of China’s foreign trade industry. So, how to make these enterprises grow and grow in the international market competition, and focus on cultivating the core competitiveness of small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises, has become a strategic issue related to the overall development of foreign trade. Recently, COmbinative Distance-based ASsessment (CODAS) method computes the Euclidean distances as the primary measure and Hamming distances as the secondary measure to assess alternatives based on predetermined attribute. Moreover, the probabilistic linguistic term sets (PLTSs) are effective tool for depicting uncertainty of the multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problems. The core competitiveness evaluation of small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises is a classical MAGDM. In this paper, the CODAS method is extended to the MAGDM with PLTSs. Firstly, the definition of PLSs is introduced. Then, on the basis of the classical CODAS method, the PL-CODAS method is proposed to cope with MAGDM under PLTSs and its significant characteristic is that it can fully consider PLED and PLHD. Finally, a practical example for core competitiveness evaluation of small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises is given to verify the developed approach and some comparative analysis was also given to verify the PL-CODAS approach.
Adaptive multi-strategy particle swarm optimization for solving NP-hard optimization problems
Authors: Abadlia Houda , Belhassen Imhamed R. , Smairi Nadia
Published: December 2023

Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO) has been widely utilized for addressing optimization problems due to its straightforward implementation and efficiency in tackling various test functions and engineering optimization problems. Nevertheless, PSO encounters issues like premature convergence and a lack of diversity, particularly when confronted with complex high-dimensional optimization tasks. In this study, we propose an enhanced version of the Island Model Particle Swarm Optimization (IMPSO), where island models are integrated into the PSO algorithm based on several migration strategies. The first contribution consists in applying a new selection and replacement strategies based on tabu search technique, while the second contribution consists in proposing a dynamic migration rate relying on the Biogeography-Based Optimization technique. To assess and validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, several unconstrained benchmark functions are applied. The obtained results confirm that the approach yield better performance than the old version of IMPSO for solving NP-hard optimization problems. Compared to the performance of other well-known evolutionary algorithms, the proposed approach is more efficient and effective.
Addressing social determinants of health through customization: Quality improvement, telemedicine, and care coordination to serve immigrant families
Authors: Castillo Heidi , Locastro Mary M. , Fremion Ellen , Malhotra Anjali , Morales Rosanna , Timmons Kelly , Jarosz Susan , Dosa Nienke P. , Castillo Jonathan
Published: December 2023

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to establish a pathway for electronic medical record (EMR) customization, utilizing quality improvement methodology, to both identify and address adverse social determinants of health (SDOH) among a diverse spina bifida (SB) population. METHODS: Starting in September 2020, the four fundamental steps were to (1) facilitate an advisory committee to safeguard the standard clinical protocols, (2) characterize barriers to implementation, (3) evaluate workflow to sustain data entry capture, and (4) manage the technology platform for seamless integration. The SB clinic was the first clinic within the enterprise to rollout the use of an adverse SDOH mitigation activity. A Spanish-speaking interpreter was scheduled for all clinics, as many families were limited in English proficiency. RESULTS: The customization of the EMR to support an efficient workflow to address SDOH was feasible in a large and diverse urban medical center. Of the 758 patients served in the clinic, a myelomeningocele diagnosis was present in 86% of individuals. While 52% of participants were female, ethnically 52% of individuals served were Latino. Many of these individuals disclosed being recent immigrants to the United States. Often immigration and asylum related issues were at the forefront of the SDOH issues addressed. CONCLUSION: Given the occurrence of adverse SDOH among individuals with SB, many of whom are new Latin-American immigrants, meaningful clinical efforts are needed to both identify and address the causes of the observed disparities. EMR customization is feasible and can identify and, through social prescriptions, address SDOH to support the provision of safe, high quality, and equitable care for vulnerable and medically complex populations at home and potentially abroad.
Multisensory computer-based system for teaching sentence reading in Hindi and Bangla to children with dyslexia
Authors: Podder Dipshikha , Sinha Manjira , Basu Anupam , Dasgupta Tirthankar
Published: December 2023

Though speaking skills in the mother tongue develop naturally, developing reading skills requires training. Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that can affect the reading ability in any language. Although many literature is available to address these challenges, the need to teach sentence reading was neglected. This paper addresses problems faced while reading sentences. As computer-based multi-sensory teaching is considered as an effective way to teach children with dyslexia (CwD), the proposed system uses multisensory teaching methods to teach sentence reading in Hindi and Bangla languages. It shows sentences as word packages to teach word sequence and help with comprehension. The platform records the response time of the user to generate a performance report to monitor her performance. For evaluating the system, an expert survey was conducted with 26 special educators in two phases, pre-test and post-test. The questionnaires were prepared following previous literature under the expert’s supervision. The pre-test data helped in understanding the educators’ experience and opinions about assistive technology and the post-test data were used to evaluate the system. In the evaluation, all educators agreed that the system will be very useful for their students and it will give a generalised solution for all the challenges their students face.
Inaccessibility maps to support sighted people using visually impaired people’s white cane data
Authors: Hasegawa Rinta , Ichino Junko
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND: Visually impaired people have been considered only as “receivers” of support; however, few studies have considered them as “givers” of support to sighted people. OBJECTIVE: To support the walking of sighted people using information available specifically to the visually impaired. METHODS: Utilizing white cane usage data of visually impaired people to create inaccessibility maps for sighted people. RESULTS: A user study conducted with elderly people and their stakeholders, who had high accessibility needs found that the maps were generally useful as long as they were within the user’s area of interest. CONCLUSIONS: Although the proposed method should be practically beneficial to users, the information detected by the system should be expanded from white cane use data, its accuracy, and more data collected from visually impaired people.
Predictors of pulmonary dysfunction vis-à-vis the hypertension status of mine workers in Gujarat, western India: A cross-sectional study on the need to further investigate the role of anti-hypertensive drugs
Authors: Tank Nitishkumar D. , Rupani Mihir P. , Shah Rakshit B. , Shah Immad A. , Dhatrak Sarang V.
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND: Mine workers face various health risks from occupational hazards, notably dust-related pulmonary dysfunction. This dysfunction is also attributed to diverse risk factors and health conditions. Despite the variety of underlying mechanisms, conflicting evidence persists regarding hypertension as a potential risk factor for such dysfunction. OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictors of pulmonary dysfunction vis-à-vis the hypertension status of mine workers. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 444 mine workers from ten open-cast mines in Gujarat state (western part of India) from November 2020 to February 2022. We collected data on demographics, occupation, addiction, and comorbidities, including measurements like anthropometry, blood pressure, blood sugar, haemoglobin, and lipid levels. Hypertension was confirmed based on self-reported history and/or onsite blood pressure measurement, while pulmonary functions were assessed using a spirometer (expressed as forced expiratory volume in the first second FEV1 and forced vital capacity FVC). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the significant predictor of FEV1 or FVC vis-à-vis the hypertension status after adjusting for confounding variables. In addition, we assessed the effect of anti-hypertensive medications on pulmonary dysfunction. RESULTS: A total of 41% (95% CI: 36-45%) of mine workers were suffering from hypertension. On multiple linear regression, only being a male and work experience duration were the significant predictors of FEV1 [0.900 (0.475-1.092), p=<0.001; -0.029 (-0.034 - -0.021, p=<0.001] and FVC [1.088 (0.771-1.404), p=<0.001; -0.031 (-0.038 - -0.024, p = 0.001] respectively. While unadjusted analysis indicated hypertension led to FEV1 and FVC reduction, this effect lost significance after adjusting for confounders. Nevertheless, subgroup analysis revealed those on antihypertensive medications had reductions in FEV1 and FVC by -0.263 (95% CI: -0.449 - -0.078, p = 0.006) L and -0.271 (95% CI: -0.476 - -0.067, p = 0.009) L respectively. CONCLUSION: In our study among mine workers, alterations in lung function (FEV1 and FVC) on spirometry were predicted by gender and duration of work experience, while hypertension did not serve as a predictor. It is noteworthy that antihypertensive drugs were found to reduce lung functions on spirometry, highlighting the need for further research.
Predictors of musculoskeletal disorders and job satisfaction among office workers of an oil company: A cross-sectional study in Iran
Authors: Ghahremani Leila , Khademi Khadijeh , Nazari Mahin , Kaveh Mohammad Hossein , Abbasi Fariba
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders are among the significant causes of disabilities and occupational injuries all over the world and can reduce the quality of life and job satisfaction. These disorders prevail among the office workers of the Iranian Oil Company, though research on the involved factors is limited. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the incidence and risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders and their association with job satisfaction among the office workers of the Iranian Oil Company. METHODS: The present research was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study on 210 male office workers of the Iranian Oil Company. The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and the rate of job satisfaction were measured by Nordic Musculoskeletal and Minnesota job Satisfaction Questionnaires, respectively. The relationship between the variables was analyzed by the SPSS 28 software. RESULTS: The most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders among office workers in the past 12 months were associated with the neck, waist, and knee organs, with 45.70, 41, and 38.10 percentages. Smoking, second jobs, and physical injury histories were identified as three risk factors connected to musculoskeletal disorders (p < 0.05). Forty-one percent of the participants were moderately satisfied with their jobs, and this number was significantly related to musculoskeletal disorders in the shoulders, elbows, back, waist, and knees (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that second jobs, smoking, and physical injury histories are three risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders among office workers of the Iranian Oil Company. Thus, it is imperative to identify at-risk office workers and train and encourage them to take preventive actions and employ ergonomic job equipment.
Associations of endurance, muscle strength, and balanced exercise with subjective sleep quality in sedentary workers: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Hidaka Tomoo , Kakamu Takeyasu , Endo Shota , Masuishi Yusuke , Kasuga Hideaki , Hata Akiko , Miura Rieko , Funayama Youko , Tajimi Kimitaka , Fukushima Tetsuhito
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND: The optimal exercise combination for improving sleep quality among sedentary workers is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To reveal what combination of exercises contributes to good sleep quality. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 5,201 sedentary workers who underwent health examinations in 2019. Data on sleep quality, basic attributes, energy expenditure, and lifestyle aspects such as exercise and physical activity, supper time close to bedtime, and alcohol intake were obtained. The subjects reported their exercise habits by selecting up to three forms of exercise from a list of 182 options, which were classified into three types: endurance (e.g., jogging), muscle strength (e.g., bench pressing), and balanced types which combined both endurance and muscle strength characteristics. (e.g., walking). These forms were then categorized into eight combination patterns: endurance only; muscle strength only; balanced only; endurance and muscle strength; endurance and balanced; muscle strength and balanced; all types; and absence of any exercise habits. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations between the exercise combination patterns and sleep quality. RESULTS: Good sleep quality was significantly associated with “endurance” (OR = 1.419; 95% CI 1.110–1.814), “balanced only” (OR = 1.474; 95% CI 1.248–1.741), and “endurance and balance” (OR = 1.782; 95% CI 1.085–2.926) exercise patterns. No significant associations were found between the combinations that included muscle strength exercises and sleep quality. CONCLUSION: The endurance or balanced-type exercises, or a combination of both, may help to improve the sleep quality of sedentary workers as part of occupational health management.
Is there any job for me? Qualitative exploration of support needs among young Swedish adults with psychosis envisioning productive activities
Authors: Gunnarsson A. Birgitta , Jansson Jan-Åke , Eklund Mona
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND: Unemployment is high not only among people with mental illness, but also among young adults in general. The combination of having a severe mental illness and being young entails a particularly problematic situation for young people with psychosis. This study aimed to understand how this group envision their future possibilities for entering the labour market or engaging in other productive activities. OBJECTIVE: To explore how young adults with psychosis perceive their possibilities, wishes and support needs for gaining employment or engaging in other productive activities. METHODS: A descriptive design with qualitative individual in-depth interviews was used. Eighteen young adults with psychosis, aged 18–30 years, were interviewed. Data was analysed with qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Four categories based on the experiences of the participants as being vital for having work or other productive activities were generated: “Wishing for a role in the community”, “Being my own coach”, “Needing personal support” and “Having a supportive workplace”. Each of them included sub-categories. CONCLUSION: The young adults with psychosis were a long way from having paid work, but they desired to have a worker role in the community. They are a heterogeneous group, which entails that it is important that professionals and employers have a person-centered and holistic approach, listening to the individuals themselves.
Secondary metallurgy at machine-building plants
Authors: Protasov A. V.
Published: December 2023

Metallurgical production in foundries of machine-building plants is characterized by a number of specific features due to a wide variety of products, particularly stringent requirements for the quality of the metal produced, as a rule, for a responsible purpose. Accordingly, the foundry of machine-building plants is equipped with the most advanced technological equipment of various types with wide technological capabilities. It is no coincidence that it was at machine-building enterprises that the main types of secondary processing units were first used. Therefore, the history and current state of secondary metal processing at machine-building plants needs to be studied in detail. The metal is refined both in preparation for casting and directly in the casting process. It should be noted that the foundry does not take full advantage of the available wide technological possibilities of modern refining methods, some of which are discussed in the article.
The effect of an explosive shock wave on the plate of a protective structure of a critical infrastructure
Authors: Sakharov Volodymyr , Lytvyn Oleksandr
Published: December 2023

The article presents the outcomes of an analysis on the stress-strain conditions of reinforced concrete structures subjected to an explosive shock wave resulting from the detonation of a combat unit from a kamikaze drone against a protective screen. When designing protective structures for critical infrastructure, employing computer simulation enables an assessment of the genuine impact of explosive loading on the structural elements' strength. The active phase of explosive loading is exceptionally brief, lasting only a fraction of a second. Under such circumstances, modeling is best performed using explicit methods of direct integration in time.

The structure considered in this work is a reinforced concrete slab supported by a metal beam cage with I-beam cross-sections, topped with a sand backfill. The study was executed within the SIMULIA Abaqus software suite, incorporating models depicting nonlinear material behavior in a three-dimensional context. Discretely positioned reinforcement was considered for reinforced concrete structures, and the "Concrete Damage Plasticity" model was applied for concrete, accounting for damage accumulation. The devised computational scheme for the shelter represents a section of the protective structure's roof under conditions of cyclic symmetry.

The article elucidates the core principles of incorporating explosive loading according to algorithm CONWEP.The results demonstrate that during the detonation of a kamikaze drone, an explosive wave created a crater in the sand backfill, exposing the slab. The study illustrates the development of damage in the reinforced concrete slab at various time intervals. Despite the identified damage to the slab, the protective structure overall withstood the explosive load. The intensity of the explosive shock wave diminishes significantly as it propagates away from the explosion site.
Investigation of the stress-strain state of foundation structures in determining the vertical stiffness of piles using different software systems
Authors: Pidlutskyi Vasyl , Piatkov Oleksandr , Behan Vasyl
Published: December 2023

The results of numerical modeling of the interaction between a multi-storey building on a pile foundation and the soil base in the "Lira-SAPR" software are presented. A comparison of the stress-strain state of foundation structures was performed using different methods for determining vertical stiffness (Rz) in single-node FE 57 (this element is designed to model the behavior of a pile together with the surrounding soil, similar to FE 56, and can implement the interaction with the "SOIL" system). Piles were modeled by a chain of single-node FE 57 connected by vertical bars.

In the first variant, the calculation of the building was performed in the "Lira-SAPR" software. To determine the vertical stiffness in FE 57, a soil model with physical-mechanical characteristics was created, and layering was defined according to the engineering-geological cross-section in the "SOIL" system. The calculation of vertical stiffness took into account mutual influence and the model of the conditional foundation.

In the second variant, the determination of vertical stiffness (Rz) in FE 57 was carried out using the "Plaxis 3D" software. The overall model of above-ground structures, foundations, and all necessary loads were created in the "Lira-SAPR" software. Subsequently, an export to "Plaxis 3D" was performed, where the soil was previously modeled as a three-dimensional soil mass (with characteristics and strengths of layers similar to those created in the "SOIL" system) using the "Hardening soil" behavior model. After the import into "Plaxis 3D," the analysis of the "Soil-Foundation-Structure" system was conducted, and the obtained values of vertical stiffness (Rz) in FE 57 were exported back to "Lira-SAPR". After the export of "refined" values of vertical stiffness to "Lira-SAPR", a general static analysis and comparison of the stress-strain state of foundation structures with the first calculation variant was performed.

It was established that the vertical stiffness in FE 57 in the first variant is higher than in the second, accordingly, the total displacements for the first variant are smaller. The importance of using the connection between "Lira-SAPR" and "Plaxis 3D" or other specialized geotechnical software complexes was demonstrated to obtain more accurate results of the interaction of the "Soil-Foundation-Structure" system due to the possibility of using nonlinear soil models to better describe the behavior of the foundation.
PROBLEMS OF PRESERVATION AND REVITALIZATION OF THE TERRITORY OF THE NATURAL MONUMENT – HISTORICAL "KADETSKYI HAI"
Authors: Chernyshev Denys , Ivashko Yulia , Mamedov Alirza , Dmytrenko Andrii , Ivashko Oleksandr , Kravchuk Oksana
Published: December 2023

The article is devoted to the study, preservation and revival of the territory of the historical natural monument – Kadetskyi Hai. This is a unique ecosystem with the river Vershynka, lakes and a large oak grove, which has repeatedly undergone changes. This territory is known from chronicle sources of princely times and is depicted on historical maps, it is described as an important green zone in the suburbs of ancient Kyiv, which played several functions: recreational, economic, residential, military. After 1917, the mass destruction of the green massif of Kadetskyi Hai began, which was intensified by blocks of massive construction in the 1960s. The purpose of the research: to systematize historical information about the Kadetskyi Hai, to identify its features, to identify the problems associated with the process of organizing the remaining green areas today, and to provide proposals for their solution.

According to the developed proposals, it is necessary to clean up and arrange the bed of the Vershynka River, setting up a sanitary protection zone around it. As an option, it is proposed to move the channel further from the railway track and turn it into a place of rest. Since the part of the “Sputnyk” park in the part of the White Gazebo (Bila Altanka) and the Vershynka River is unorganized and cluttered, it is proposed to organize it.

The disorder of green zones remains a problem, both in Sputnyk Park and landscaping within residential neighborhoods. In fact, the areas of mass construction of the 1960s have turned into “sleeping neighborhoods” over time, where there is a lack of public service facilities, parking lots, organized recreation areas, sports and children's playgrounds.

A separate problem is related to the disorganization of green spaces. The authors investigated the greening of the Pershotravnevyi residential area on the territory of the former Kadetskyi Hai. This neighborhood is characterized by a terraced terrain, where medium-story brick houses are located on the upper and lower levels of the natural slope. In the thickness of the slope there is an extensive network of communications, so it remains undeveloped. In recent years, because of the war, slope clearing and removal of self-seeding trees and bushes have not been carried out, so this area has taken on the appearance of a forest park made of deciduous trees.