bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE ROLE OF VOWEL SOUND IN ENGLISH PRONOUNCIATION
Authors: Milda wahyu  , Suhaida Zain Panjaitan  , Yani Lubis
Published: February 2024

Jurnal ini mengeksplorasi peran bunyi vokal dalam struktur linguistik dan komunikasi, dengan fokus pada pengucapan bahasa Inggris. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan fonetik dan fonologis untuk memahami bagaimana kualitas bunyi vokal memengaruhi komunikasi. Penelitian ini memberikan wawasan tentang bagaimana perbedaan bunyi vokal mempengaruhi persepsi dan interpretasi. Penelitian ini juga menyoroti implikasi untuk pembelajaran bahasa, khususnya meningkatkan pelafalan pelajar bahasa Inggris. Jurnal ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan strategi pengajaran untuk membantu pelajar mengatasi kesulitan dalam memproduksi bunyi vokal yang tepat, sehingga memperkaya pengalaman belajar.
Jurnal ini meneliti peran bunyi vokal dalam linguistik dan fonetik, dengan fokus pada frekuensi, durasi, dan kualitasnya. Jurnal ini juga meneliti dampaknya terhadap pembelajaran bahasa, yang menunjukkan bahwa memahami fonetik bunyi vokal dapat meningkatkan kemampuan pengucapan dan pemahaman. Temuan ini dapat memandu pengembangan metode dan sumber daya pengajaran yang efektif untuk penutur asli dan pelajar, sehingga mendukung pengembangan kurikulum linguistik dan metode pengajaran yang memenuhi kebutuhan komunikatif yang beragam
INTEGRASI NILAI-NILAI MULTIKULTURALISME DALAM PENDIDIKAN (SUATU ALTERNATIF MENUMBUHKAN RASA PERSAUDARAAN & SALING MENGHORMATI)
Authors: Meyniar Albina  , Wildan Sitorus  , Azra Munazah Pulungan  , A. Zeni Azima
Published: February 2024

Dalam riset ini, konsep multikulturalisme diintegrasikan ke dalam sistem pendidikan. Fokus penelitian meliputi aspek-aspek berikut: pemahaman tentang pendidikan multikultural, penerapan prinsip-prinsip multikultural dalam konteks pendidikan, metode-metode pendidikan yang mendukung multikulturalisme, dan cara nilai-nilai multikultural disatukan dalam pendidikan. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah analisis kualitatif dari literatur yang relevan. Data dan informasi dikumpulkan melalui studi literatur dari berbagai sumber seperti buku, jurnal, dan penelitian sebelumnya. Temuan penelitian menunjukkan bahwa mengintegrasikan nilai-nilai multikultural dalam pendidikan dapat memperkuat solidaritas dan penghargaan satu sama lain. Mulai dari nilai toleransi, yang menghargai perbedaan tanpa diskriminasi berdasarkan ras, etnis, suku, agama, bahasa, atau budaya, hingga nilai demokrasi yang menegaskan hak setiap siswa untuk berpendapat secara bebas. Selanjutnya, nilai keadilan diwujudkan dengan memastikan kesempatan pendidikan yang sama bagi setiap individu. Terakhir, prinsip kesetaraan memastikan bahwa setiap siswa diperlakukan dengan adil, tanpa memandang asal agama, bahasa, suku, atau budaya mereka
ANALISIS STRATEGI PENDIDIK TERHADAP PENGEMBANGAN KARAKTER SISWA DI ERA DIGITAL
Authors: Nasution Hafiz Yusuf , Abdul Fattah Nasution  , Ryan Fazli Zulna  , Rahmad Riadi Batubara
Published: February 2024

Character education is an effort to instill religious, ethical and moral values ​​in students through science, with the help of parents, teachers and the community. This is very important for the formation and development of students' personalities. All children are born with extraordinary potential. However, to exploit this potential, they need proper learning and socialization. Each child's personality will be formed and develop optimally. In this digital era, children have easy access to digital media. This digital era, which has positive and negative influences, is the responsibility of teachers, parents and instructors. Therefore, it is the duty of teachers, parents and the adult community to monitor and control children's use of digital media
PEMBELAJARAN TAHFIDZ ALQUR’AN DALAM PENANAMAN KARAKTER ISLAMI
Authors: Amelia  , Siti Maryam Ulfa
Published: February 2024

Through the tahfidz Al-Qur'an program initiative, this research aims to collect data on strategies and models of Islamic character education used in the school environment to improve students' Islamic character. The research method used is the literature method. The data sources are obtained from relevant literature such as books, scientific articles or journals related to the selected technique. The data collection technique used is based on things or variables in the form of articles, journals, notes, books and so on
APLIKASI PENGENALAN HURUF, ANGKA, WARNA, HEWAN, DAN BUAH BERBASIS ANDROID
Authors: Sekar Maulina BR Tarigan  , Muhammad Fathoni
Published: February 2024

Kemajuan teknologi membuat proses belajar mengajar menjadi mudah, visualisasi dari suatu benda dapat langsung ditunjukan secara digital dengan berbantuan komputer. Tingginya tuntutan terhadap kemudahan cara mengenalkan dunia Pendidikan kepada kalangan kanak-kanak menjadi tantangan tersendiri bagi setiap sekolah tingkat Taman Kanak-kanak. Taman Kanak-kanak merupakan tahap awal pengenalan dunia Pendidikan diluar rumah, dimana anak-anak diperkenalkan dunia sekolah untuk mendapatkan ilmu pengetahuan. Banyak pihak sekolah yang sampai saat ini berlomba-lomba untuk membuat pola pengajaran yang menarik sehingga tidak membuat anak-anak menjadi bosan saat di dalam kelas. Salah satu cara yang digunakan untuk membuat anak-anak tertarik mempelajari suatu hal adalah dengan memvisualisasikan benda tersebut berupa digambarkan dalam kertas, namun kekuranganya adalah gambar tersebut bersifat monoton. Oleh karena itu penulis menawarkan suatu aplikasi yang memvisualisasikan objek yang dijalankan pada system android dan mudah digunakan untuk pengenalan objek dikalangan sekolah Taman Kanak-kanak yang nantinya dapat digunakan langsung oleh peserta didik dalam mengenal suatu benda seperti huruf, angka, warna, hewan, dan buah, sehingga peserta didik tidak merasa bosan dalam menerima ilmu pengetahuan
APLIKASI PEMBAYARAN SPP PADA MADRASAH ALIYAH NEGERI SIMALUNGUN BERBASIS WEB MENGGUNAKAN FRAMEWORK PHP
Authors: Rismawati Damanik  , Sujarwo
Published: February 2024

Uang sekolah atau yang biasa disebut dengan SPP merupakan kewajiban yang harus dipenuhi oleh setiap siswa. Madrasah Aliyah Negeri Simalungun pada proses pembayaran SPP siswa, masih menggunakan cara yang konvensional yaitu pembayaran SPP masih menggunakan buku catatan sebagai dokumentasi terhadap siswa yang telah membayar SPP. Banyaknya siswa pada Madrasah Aliyah Negeri Simalungun sering kali membuat petugas pelaksana penerimaan SPP mengalami kewalahan terutama disaat siswa menanyakan perihal SPP yang belum terbayarkan pada bulan sebelumnya. Tujuan pada Tugas akhir ini merancang aplikasi pembayran spp berbasis web menggunakan framework php dengan menfaatkan MySQL sebagai database penyimpanan data yang nantinya dapat mengoptimalkan kinerja petugas menjadi lebih baik dan lebih akurat, sehingga pelayanan terhadap pembayaran SPP siswa dapat terlaksana dengan mudah
Sprachliche Konstituierung eines Wirklichkeitsausschnitts aus der amerikanischen politischen Welt
Authors:   Universitatea din București, Dănilă Adriana
Published: February 2024

The journalists of the Allgemeine Deutsche Zeitung published in Romania (ADZ für Rumänien) comment on the political situation in America during Donald Trump's term in office and after his defeat in the election campaign, and they judge the actions of the American president and his supporters in a negative way, using pejorative means of expression. The result is a media discourse based on multi-word combinations and creative choice of words, which trigger negatively assessed nuances of meaning and that is why the discursive language product sometimes appears coarse and rude. The theoretical basis of the paper is the language action theoretical approach, the analysis of the linguistic data is carried out at the morpho-syntactic, lexical and pragmalinguistic levels.
O A DOUA CRITICĂ A RAȚIUNII TEORETICE? CONCEPTUL CUNOAȘTERII ÎN TRACTATUS
Authors:   Academia Română, FLONTA MIRCEA ,   Universitatea din București
Published: February 2024

Is there a relationship between the goals pursued and presented in the Critique of Pure Reason and in Tractatus logico-philosophicus? This text argues that such a relationship will be ascertained if we will compare Kant’s answer to the question “How are synthetic a priori judgments possible?” with the Tractarian answer to the question “How are propositions of natural science possible?”. Based on this comparison, the Tractatus may be deemed to be a “new critique of theoretical reason”. As in the case of the critique of theoretical reason undertaken by Kant, the object of Tractarian investigation is constituted by ascertaining internal requirements for possessing knowledge of the world.
Predictive factors of mortality in patients admitted to the emergency department for SARS-Cov2 pneumonia
Authors: Souissi Sami , Ben Turkia Héla , Saad Soumaya , Keskes Syrine , Jeddi Camilia , Ghazali Hanene
Published: February 2024

Introduction: The overcrowding of intensive care units during the corona virus pandemic increased the number of patients managed in the emergency department (ED).
The detection timely of the predictive factors of mortality and bad outcomes improve the triage of those patients.
Aim: To define the predictive factors of mortality at 30 days among patients admitted on ED for covid-19 pneumonia.
Methods:  This was a prospective, monocentric, observational study for 6 months. Patients over the age of 16 years admitted on the ED for hypoxemic pneumonia due to confirmed SARS-COV 2 infection by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) were included. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to investigate the predictive factors of mortality at 30 days.
Results: 463 patients were included. Mean age was 65±14 years, Sex-ratio=1.1. Main comorbidities were hypertension (49%) and diabetes (38%). Mortality rate was 33%. Patients who died were older (70±13 vs. 61±14;p<0.001), and had more comorbidities: hypertension (57% vs. 43%, p=0.018), chronic heart failure (8% vs. 3%, p=0.017), and coronary artery disease (12% vs. 6%, p=0.030).
By multivariable analysis, factors independently associated with 30-day mortality were age ≥65 years aOR: 6.9, 95%CI 1.09-44.01;p=0.04) SpO2<80% (aOR: 26.6, 95%CI 3.5-197.53;p=0.001) and percentage of lung changes on CT scan>70% (aOR: 5.6% 95%CI .01-31.29;p=0.04).
Conclusion: Mortality rate was high among patients admitted in the ED for covid-19 pneumonia. The identification of predictive factors of mortality would allow better patient management.
Les fractures de l’extrémité supérieure du fémur : Estimation du coût médical direct de la prise en charge hospitalière
Authors: Dorgham Sana , Selmene Mohamed Amine , Zaraa Mourad , Lahmar Ahmed Amine , Annabi Hedi , Mahjoub Sabri
Published: February 2024

Introduction : Les fractures de l’extrémité supérieure du fémur (ESF) constituent un problème de santé publique du fait de leur prévalence élevée, leur morbi-mortalité et leurs lourdes conséquences socio-économiques.
Objectif : Estimer le coût médical direct de la prise en charge hospitalière des fractures de l’ESF.
Méthodes: Il s’agissait d’une étude descriptive prospective étalée sur six mois à propos de patients hospitalisés et opérés pour une fracture de l’ESF. Afin d’estimer le coût nous nous sommes référés à la nomenclature des actes professionnels et les tarifs fixés par le ministère de la santé publique et le ministère des Finances.
Résultats : Nous avons recensé 100 patients. Cinquante-cinq des patients étaient des femmes. L’âge moyen était de 76 ans. La durée moyenne du séjour hospitalier était de cinq jours. Le délai moyen préopératoire était de trois jours. Le coût total moyen de la prise en charge de ces fractures était estimé à 2877 Dinars Tunisiens. Les dépenses se répartissaient en : frais d’hôtelleries et coût des ressources humaines 40%, coût de l’implant 25,9%, coût des consommables 12%, coût opératoire 10%, coût des examens complémentaires 9% et coût des médicaments 2%.  
Conclusion : Les fractures de l'ESF ont des conséquences financières majeures sur les budgets. Pour diminuer le coût de sa prise en charge hospitalièrelimiter au maximum la durée du séjour hospitalier, s’investir dans les prothèses totale et intermédiaire de hanche et adopter  un comportement économique en tenant compte du coût des consommables.
Las teorías psicológicas del aprendizaje. Sus implicaciones pedagógicas
Authors: Gil Álvarez José Luis , Morales Cruz Mabel
Published: February 2024

The psychological theories of learning have been closely linked to pedagogical methods and are explained from a specific social context, derived from experiences of the historical moment. All educational practice must be based on a certain psychological theory. It is important that in the organization of their processes the teachers reflect on them, from the socio-cultural contexts of the students and in this way offer them a training according to what they need. In the present study, a systematization is offered on the psychological theories that have marked a pattern in school learning.
L’instrumentalisation des principes de « démocratie de participation » chez les élus québécois du début de la Révolution tranquille
Authors: Savard Stéphane
Published: February 2024

Les années 1960 sont connues comme une période de contestations politiques, sociales et culturelles. Les penseurs et les mouvements sociaux associés à la Nouvelle Gauche formulent de nombreuses idées, dont celle de la décolonisation, et revendiquent de nouveaux droits. Plusieurs en viennent à concevoir une nouvelle forme de démocratie, la « démocratie de participation » ou « démocratie participative », dont les principes et les valeurs occupent alors une place importante dans les discours et les stratégies militantes des mouvements sociaux. Cet article ne s’intéresse pas aux discours de ces derniers ; il cherche plutôt à déterminer comment la notion de démocratie participative, qui circule dans l’espace public, est récupérée par les responsables politiques d’une société, en l’occurrence les élus de l’Assemblée législative du Québec. En analysant les discours des élus québécois entre 1960 et 1968 (gouvernements Lesage et Johnson), il étudie les premières allusions directes ou indirectes à la question de la « démocratie de participation » et cherche à comprendre les raisons qui sous-tendent l’utilisation de cette expression ou les revendications de ses principes. L’article montre que les élus québécois instrumentalisent les principes à la base de la « démocratie de participation », afin de justifier leurs points de vue et leurs orientations en matière d’éducation et de planification économique et régionale. Ils font de même pour promouvoir, de manière rhétorique ou concrète, une réforme de la gouvernance et de la démocratie parlementaire.
Les stratégies du pseudonyme dans Le Progrès du Saguenay, 1918-1943
Authors: Guérard François
Published: February 2024

À partir des cas de deux journalistes ayant travaillé au journal Le Progrès du Saguenay à titre de rédacteurs et de directeurs entre 1918 et 1943, l’article scrute les stratégies qui guident l’usage et le non-usage de signatures fictives dans le monde de la presse. Ces stratégies peuvent relever de visées individuelles, d’enjeux éditoriaux pour un journal de région périphérique cherchant à rehausser son image et ses ventes, ou de la propagande de l’Église, puisque Le Progrès se définit comme un journal catholique. Les journalistes choisis, un prêtre et un laïc, ont des objectifs de carrière journalistique distincts et ne sont pas soumis aux mêmes contraintes professionnelles, ce qui se reflète dans leur utilisation de signatures inventées.
Homère entre allégorie et fiction
Authors: Rabau Sophie
Published: February 2024

À partir de la question de la réception d’Homère au moment de la Querelle d’Homère en France, et en particulier d’une dispute entre Anne Dacier et Houdar de La Motte, on construit une interrogation plus générale sur les rapports entre allégorie et fiction, autrement dit entre sens et représentation fictive de la présence. Plus spécifiquement, on montre comment la tentation de la lecture allégorique peut dissimuler un autre paradigme de réception fondé sur la présentification de l’absence, en particulier de l’absence du corps auctorial. On propose alors une nouvelle vision, inversée, de l’allégorie, où ce n’est plus le thème qui découle du phore, mais bien le phore qui permet d’accéder au thème.
Le saint sans Dieu : la sainteté athée dans La Peste d’Albert Camus
Authors: Chrouh Mohamed
Published: February 2024

Dans cet article, j’ai essayé de tirer un sens de la déclaration apparemment contradictoire de Jean Tarrou, personnage de La Peste. Ce dernier aspire à la sainteté, mais ne croit pas en Dieu. Je montre que le roman de Camus peut être considéré comme une hagiographie qui mettrait de l’avant non pas une dévotion à Dieu, mais un humanisme acharné.
Les politiques et les dispositifs qui façonnent l’expérience des élèves immigrants et de leurs familles en contexte minoritaire francophone ontarien
Authors: Fleuret Carole , Dulude Éliane
Published: February 2024

L’école, comme lieu de socialisation, n’est pas culturellement neutre, car elle reproduit les valeurs et les modes de pensée privilégiés des classes dominantes. D’une part, ces valeurs et ces modes de pensée sont incités par des politiques éducatives quant à la participation parentale. D’autre part, les dispositifs promus auprès des écoles, pour favoriser l’implantation de ces politiques et de ces pratiques collaboratives visant à réduire les décalages entre celles de l’école et celles des familles immigrantes, semblent essentiels. Nous proposerons, dans un premier temps, d’effectuer une analyse documentaire qualitative des politiques éducatives en Ontario afin de dégager les valeurs et les normes véhiculées, susceptibles d’influencer la mise en oeuvre de ces collaborations (ex. : stratégie d’équité et d’éducation inclusive, cadre d’efficacité). Dans un deuxième temps, nous discuterons de la manière dont ces valeurs et ces normes sont susceptibles de façonner la mise en oeuvre de dispositifs qui reconnaissent l’hétérogénéité et qui visent à réduire les écarts entre les élèves au regard de leur habitus familial et culturel.
Catatan Editor: Melayangkan pertanyaan yang tajam pada perilaku seksual dan hubungan romantis
Authors: Umam Ahmad Naufal
Published: February 2024

Sejak dulu saya merasa nasihat tentang cinta yang beredar di kalangan teman sebaya atau wejangan dari generasi sebelumnya selalu mengganjal dan tidak menjawab persoalan yang ada. Ketika teman saya mengatakan, “Kamu ini tipe idaman mertua,” saya skeptis apakah anaknya juga mengidamkan sebagaimana mertuanya mengidamkan. Ketika generasi tua memberi nasihat, “Jangan memikirkan cinta-cintaan, belajar yang rajin, kerja keras, kalau kamu sukses nanti banyak yang terpincut dengan sendirinya,” saya langsung dilanda pandangan distopia bahwa saya nanti hanya mampu memikat pasangan yang materialistis saja karena nilai jual saya hanya pada sukses dan harta.
Ketika kekerasan dianggap seksi: persepsi laki-laki bahwa perempuan suka kekerasan memicu pola pikir ekstremis militan
Authors: Arifin Haykal Hafizul , Lamuri Aly , Rizkiyatsa Arga , Kurniawan Aryodi Wahyu , Nurmala Sukma
Published: February 2024

Inspired by the paradigm of mate selection motives in evolutionary psychology, this research seeks to determine the extent to which violent extremist thought patterns are a product of perceptions of attractiveness that persist in men as a response to intrasexual selection. The survey was conducted on 192 samples of the general population in Indonesia, on a male sample (n = 80), after controlling for demographic variables, including dark personality (dark triad), men's subjective perception that Indonesian women find violence attractive (PAOSV) predicts militant-extremist mindset. PAOSV was the only variable that predicted violent extremism mindset in men. Furthermore, we discovered a mechanism that we call “sexualization of violence” – namely the extent to which individuals perceive violence as sexy, manly, and cool (AV) as a process that arises from the perception of high levels of positive feedback from the opposite sex towards violence. Where in the sample of men in this study, the only variable that shaped the mindset of violent extremism was sexual motives. The discussion elaborate differences in perceptions of attraction to violence between men and women, differentiation and gaps in perceptions between men and women in assessing violence. This study has practical implications, namely discussing the importance of the role of women as active agents in the formation of a culture of nonviolence.
Fundamental Theorems for Timelike Surfaces in the Minkowski 4-Space
Authors: Bencheva Victoria , Milousheva Velichka
Published: February 2024

In the present paper, we study timelike surfaces free of minimal points in the four-dimensional Minkowski space. For each such surface we introduce a geometrically determined pseudo-orthonormal frame field and writing the derivative formulas with respect to this moving frame field and using the integrability conditions, we obtain a system of six functions satisfying some natural conditions. In the general case, we prove a Fundamental Bonnet-type theorem (existence and uniqueness theorem) stating that these six functions, satisfying the natural conditions, determine the surface up to a motion. In some particular cases, we reduce the number of functions and give the fundamental theorems.
Endotaxis: A neuromorphic algorithm for mapping, goal-learning, navigation, and patrolling
Authors: Zhang Tony , Rosenberg Matthew , Jing Zeyu , Perona Pietro , Meister Markus
Published: February 2024

An animal entering a new environment typically faces three challenges: explore the space for resources, memorize their locations, and navigate towards those targets as needed. Here we propose a neural algorithm that can solve all these problems and operates reliably in diverse and complex environments. At its core, the mechanism makes use of a behavioral module common to all motile animals, namely the ability to follow an odor to its source. We show how the brain can learn to generate internal “virtual odors” that guide the animal to any location of interest. This endotaxis algorithm can be implemented with a simple 3-layer neural circuit using only biologically realistic structures and learning rules. Several neural components of this scheme are found in brains from insects to humans. Nature may have evolved a general mechanism for search and navigation on the ancient backbone of chemotaxis.
Population clustering of structural brain aging and its association with brain development
Authors: Duan Haojing , Shi Runye , Kang Jujiao , Banaschewski Tobias , Bokde Arun LW , Büchel Christian , Desrivières Sylvane , Flor Herta , Grigis Antoine , Garavan Hugh , Gowland Penny A , Heinz Andreas , Brühl Rüdiger , Martinot Jean-Luc , Martinot Marie-Laure Paillère , Artiges Eric , Nees Frauke , Papadopoulos Orfanos Dimitri , Poustka Luise , Hohmann Sarah , Nathalie Holz Nathalie , Fröhner Juliane , Smolka Michael N , Vaidya Nilakshi , Walter Henrik , Whelan Robert , Schumann Gunter , Lin Xiaolei , Feng Jianfeng
Published: February 2024

Structural brain aging has demonstrated strong inter-individual heterogeneity and mirroring patterns with brain development. However, due to the lack of large-scale longitudinal neuroimaging studies, most of the existing research focused on the cross-sectional changes of brain aging. In this investigation, we present a data-driven approach that incorporate both cross-sectional changes and longitudinal trajectories of structural brain aging and identified two brain aging patterns among 37,013 healthy participants from UK Biobank. Participants with accelerated brain aging also demonstrated accelerated biological aging, cognitive decline and increased genetic susceptibilities to major neuropsychiatric disorders. Further, by integrating longitudinal neuroimaging studies from a multi-center adolescent cohort, we validated the ‘last in, first out’ mirroring hypothesis and identified brain regions with manifested mirroring patterns between brain aging and brain development. Genomic analyses revealed risk loci and genes contributing to accelerated brain aging and delayed brain development, providing molecular basis for elucidating the biological mechanisms underlying brain aging and related disorders.
Sudden Death Due to Concurrent Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy and Myocarditis: An Autopsy Case
Authors: Huh Gi Yeong
Published: February 2024

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a rare genetically determined myocardial disease characterized by fibrofatty substitution of the myocardium which predisposes the patient to sudden cardiac death (SCD). In addition to the classic pathology seen in ACM, inflammatory infiltrates have been occasionally reported, suggesting a close pathophysiological relationship between ACM and inflammation. Evidence indicates that this inflammation is related to electrical instability resulting in ventricular tachycardia and SCD. This is an autopsy case of a 52-year-old female who died suddenly of concomitant ACM and myocarditis, fulfilling both histological and immunohistochemical diagnostic criteria. With the features of fatty variant ACM, the inflammatory infiltrate was prominent in the subendocardial layer of the left ventricle and was composed of mostly CD3-positive lymphocytes as well as some neutrophils and macrophages. In forensic practice, this case highlights the necessity of collecting multiple representative portions of cardiac tissue to search for inflammation, which can easily explain the cause of death and the dying process in ACM.
Methyl Salicylate Poisoning Due to Suicidal Ingestion: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Yu Tae Young , Kwon Jeong-hwa , Ham Suk Hoon , Im Sang-Beom , Park Young-Il , Ko Young San , Heo Jin-Haeng , Kim Sin Eun , Jang Seon Jung
Published: February 2024

Methyl salicylate is widely used in various topical products, including sports creams, ointments, patches, and oral hygiene products. These products are mainly used for localized treatment of musculoskeletal pain. Given their intended topical application, their ingestion can result in salicylic acid poisoning due to their high concentrations of methyl salicylate. Symptoms of salicylic acid poisoning may include dizziness, vomiting, hallucinations, seizures, and, in severe cases, unconsciousness, respiratory failure, and circulatory disorders. We report a case of a 71-year-old male who ingested Mensolatum Lotion to commit suicide and died.
U-Net-Based Automatic Segmentation of Sphenoid Sinus Fluid in Drowning Cases Using Postmortem CT Images:
A Feasibility Study
Authors: Heo Jin-Haeng , Jang Seon Jung , Kwon Jeong-hwa , Ko Young San , Im Sang-Beom , Lee Sookyoung , Seo In-Soo , Na Joo-Young , Kim Yeji , Yoon Yongsu
Published: February 2024

Detecting sphenoid sinus fluid (SSF) is an additional finding in autopsies for diagnosing drowning. SSF can provide additional forensic evidence through laboratory tests such as diatom and electrolyte analyses. If drowning is suspected, accurately assessing the presence and volume of SSF during an autopsy is crucial. Utilizing postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) images could aid in accurately sampling SSF. Accurately segmenting the region of interest is essential for volume analysis using computed tomography images. However, manual segmentation techniques are labor-intensive and time-consuming, and their success depends on the experience of the observer. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a U-Net–based deep learning model for the automatic segmentation of SSF in drowning cases using PMCT images and to evaluate the performance of the model. We retrospectively reviewed 34 drowning cases in which both PMCT scans and forensic autopsies were performed at our institution. The U-Net architecture of deep learning was used for automatic segmentation. The proposed model achieved the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and Intersection over Union (IoU) of a maximum of 95.85% and 92.03%, a minimum of 0% and 0%, and an average of 77.15% and 67.18%, respectively. Although the average DSC and IoU did not show high similarity, this study showed that PMCT images can be used for automatic segmentation of SSF in drowning cases, which could improve the performance with sufficient dataset acquisition and further model training.
An integrative decision-making framework to guide policies on regulating ChatGPT usage
Authors: Bukar Umar Ali , Sayeed Md Shohel , Abdul Razak Siti Fatimah , Yogarayan Sumendra , Ahmed Amodu Oluwatosin
Published: February 2024

Generative artificial intelligence has created a moment in history where human beings have begin to closely interact with artificial intelligence (AI) tools, putting policymakers in a position to restrict or legislate such tools. One particular example of such a tool is ChatGPT which is the first and world's most popular multipurpose generative AI tool. This study aims to put forward a policy-making framework of generative artificial intelligence based on the risk, reward, and resilience framework. A systematic search was conducted, by using carefully chosen keywords, excluding non-English content, conference articles, book chapters, and editorials. Published research were filtered based on their relevance to ChatGPT ethics, yielding a total of 41 articles. Key elements surrounding ChatGPT concerns and motivations were systematically deduced and classified under the risk, reward, and resilience categories to serve as ingredients for the proposed decision-making framework. The decision-making process and rules were developed as a primer to help policymakers navigate decision-making conundrums. Then, the framework was practically tailored towards some of the concerns surrounding ChatGPT in the context of higher education. In the case of the interconnection between risk and reward, the findings show that providing students with access to ChatGPT presents an opportunity for increased efficiency in tasks such as text summarization and workload reduction. However, this exposes them to risks such as plagiarism and cheating. Similarly, pursuing certain opportunities such as accessing vast amounts of information, can lead to rewards, but it also introduces risks like misinformation and copyright issues. Likewise, focusing on specific capabilities of ChatGPT, such as developing tools to detect plagiarism and misinformation, may enhance resilience in some areas (e.g., academic integrity). However, it may also create vulnerabilities in other domains, such as the digital divide, educational equity, and job losses. Furthermore, the finding indicates second-order effects of legislation regarding ChatGPT which have implications both positively and negatively. One potential effect is a decrease in rewards due to the limitations imposed by the legislation, which may hinder individuals from fully capitalizing on the opportunities provided by ChatGPT. Hence, the risk, reward, and resilience framework provides a comprehensive and flexible decision-making model that allows policymakers and in this use case, higher education institutions to navigate the complexities and trade-offs associated with ChatGPT, which have theoretical and practical implications for the future.
Eliminating bias: enhancing children’s book recommendation using a hybrid model of graph convolutional networks and neural matrix factorization
Authors: Shen Lijuan , Jiang Liping
Published: February 2024

Managing user bias in large-scale user review data is a significant challenge in optimizing children’s book recommendation systems. To tackle this issue, this study introduces a novel hybrid model that combines graph convolutional networks (GCN) based on bipartite graphs and neural matrix factorization (NMF). This model aims to enhance the precision and efficiency of children’s book recommendations by accurately capturing user biases. In this model, the complex interactions between users and books are modeled as a bipartite graph, with the users’ book ratings serving as the weights of the edges. Through GCN and NMF, we can delve into the structure of the graph and the behavioral patterns of users, more accurately identify and address user biases, and predict their future behaviors. Compared to traditional recommendation systems, our hybrid model excels in handling large-scale user review data. Experimental results confirm that our model has significantly improved in terms of recommendation accuracy and scalability, positively contributing to the advancement of children’s book recommendation systems.
A proposed reconstruction method of a 3D animation scene based on a fuzzy long and short-term memory algorithm
Authors: Zhou Ming
Published: February 2024

With the development of computer technology leading to a broad range of virtual technology implementations, the construction of virtual tasks has become highly demanded and has increased rapidly, especially in animation scenes. Constructing three-dimensional (3D) animation characters utilizing properties of actual characters could provide users with immersive experiences. However, a 3D face reconstruction (3DFR) utilizing a single image is a very demanding operation in computer graphics and vision. In addition, limited 3D face data sets reduce the performance improvement of the proposed approaches, causing a lack of robustness. When datasets are large, face recognition, transformation, and animation implementations are relatively practical. However, some reconstruction methods only consider the one-to-one processes without considering the correlations or differences in the input images, resulting in models lacking information related to face identity or being overly sensitive to face pose. A face model composed of a convolutional neural network (CNN) regresses 3D deformable model coefficients for 3DFR and alignment tasks. The manuscript proposes a reconstruction method for 3D animation scenes employing fuzzy LSMT-CNN (FLSMT-CNN). Multiple collected images are employed to reconstruct 3D animation characters. First, the serialized images are processed by the proposed method to extract the features of face parameters and then improve the conventional deformable face modeling (3DFDM). Afterward, the 3DFDM is utilized to reconstruct animation characters, and finally, high-precision reconstructions of 3D faces are achieved. The FLSMT-CNN has enhanced both the precision and strength of the reconstructed 3D animation characters, which provides more opportunities to be applied to other animation scenes.
CuentosIE: can a chatbot about “tales with a message” help to teach emotional intelligence?
Authors: Ferrández Antonio , Lavigne-Cerván Rocío , Peral Jesús , Navarro-Soria Ignasi , Lloret Ángel , Gil David , Rocamora Carmen
Published: February 2024

In this article, we present CuentosIE (TalesEI: chatbot of tales with a message to develop Emotional Intelligence), an educational chatbot on emotions that also provides teachers and psychologists with a tool to monitor their students/patients through indicators and data compiled by CuentosIE. The use of “tales with a message” is justified by their simplicity and easy understanding, thanks to their moral or associated metaphors. The main contributions of CuentosIE are the selection, collection, and classification of a set of highly specialized tales, as well as the provision of tools (searching, reading comprehension, chatting, recommending, and classifying) that are useful for both educating users about emotions and monitoring their emotional development. The preliminary evaluation of the tool has obtained encouraging results, which provides an affirmative answer to the question posed in the title of the article.
A bilingual benchmark for evaluating large language models
Authors: Alkaoud Mohamed
Published: February 2024

This work introduces a new benchmark for the bilingual evaluation of large language models (LLMs) in English and Arabic. While LLMs have transformed various fields, their evaluation in Arabic remains limited. This work addresses this gap by proposing a novel evaluation method for LLMs in both Arabic and English, allowing for a direct comparison between the performance of the two languages. We build a new evaluation dataset based on the General Aptitude Test (GAT), a standardized test widely used for university admissions in the Arab world, that we utilize to measure the linguistic capabilities of LLMs. We conduct several experiments to examine the linguistic capabilities of ChatGPT and quantify how much better it is at English than Arabic. We also examine the effect of changing task descriptions from Arabic to English and vice-versa. In addition to that, we find that fastText can surpass ChatGPT in finding Arabic word analogies. We conclude by showing that GPT-4 Arabic linguistic capabilities are much better than ChatGPT’s Arabic capabilities and are close to ChatGPT’s English capabilities.
Privacy preserved and decentralized thermal comfort prediction model for smart buildings using federated learning
Authors: Abbas Sidra , Alsubai Shtwai , Sampedro Gabriel Avelino , Abisado Mideth , Almadhor Ahmad , Kim Tai-hoon
Published: February 2024

Thermal comfort is a crucial element of smart buildings that assists in improving, analyzing, and realizing intelligent structures. Energy consumption forecasts for such smart buildings are crucial owing to the intricate decision-making processes surrounding resource efficiency. Machine learning (ML) techniques are employed to estimate energy consumption. ML algorithms, however, require a large amount of data to be adequate. There may be privacy violations due to collecting this data. To tackle this problem, this study proposes a federated deep learning (FDL) architecture developed around a deep neural network (DNN) paradigm. The study employs the ASHRAE RP-884 standard dataset for experimentation and analysis, which is available to the general public. The data is normalized using the min-max normalization approach, and the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE) is used to enhance the minority class’s interpretation. The DNN model is trained separately on the dataset after obtaining modifications from two clients. Each client assesses the data greatly to reduce the over-fitting impact. The test result demonstrates the efficiency of the proposed FDL by reaching 82.40% accuracy while securing the data.
Dynamic multiple-graph spatial-temporal synchronous aggregation framework for traffic prediction in intelligent transportation systems
Authors: Yu Xian , Bao Yinxin , Shi Quan
Published: February 2024

Accurate traffic prediction contributes significantly to the success of intelligent transportation systems (ITS), which enables ITS to rationally deploy road resources and enhance the utilization efficiency of road networks. Improvements in prediction performance are evident by utilizing synchronized rather than stepwise components to model spatial-temporal correlations. Some existing studies have designed graph structures containing spatial and temporal attributes to achieve spatial-temporal synchronous learning. However, two challenges remain due to the intricate dynamics: (a) Accounting for the impact of external factors in spatial-temporal synchronous modeling. (b) Multiple perspectives in constructing spatial-temporal synchronous graphs. To address the mentioned limitations, a novel model named dynamic multiple-graph spatial-temporal synchronous aggregation framework (DMSTSAF) for traffic prediction is proposed. Specifically, DMSTSAF utilizes a feature augmentation module (FAM) to adaptively incorporate traffic data with external factors and generate fused features as inputs to subsequent modules. Moreover, DMSTSAF introduces diverse spatial and temporal graphs according to different spatial-temporal relationships. Based on this, two types of spatial-temporal synchronous graphs and the corresponding synchronous aggregation modules are designed to simultaneously extract hidden features from various aspects. Extensive experiments constructed on four real-world datasets indicate that our model improves by 3.68–8.54% compared to the state-of-the-art baseline.
The destructive subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) can colonize arid territories
Authors: Hernández-Teixidor David , Pérez-Morín Aura , Pestano Juan , Mora David , Fajardo Silvia
Published: February 2024

Reticulitermes flavipes, one of the most destructive subterranean termite species, has been detected for the first time in an arid territory: Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain). This invasive species was introduced into several countries but never such a dry region. Although there are places with presence of this termite at similar or even higher temperatures, none has annual rainfall (10.1 mm) as low as Lanzarote. On this island it is present in semi-desert, near an affected urban area. Distribution, genetic, climate and host-plant data are evaluated to track and understand its invasion process in the archipelago.
Modeling target-density-based cull strategies to contain foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks
Authors: Seibel Rachel L. , Meadows Amanda J. , Mundt Christopher , Tildesley Michael
Published: February 2024

Total ring depopulation is sometimes used as a management strategy for emerging infectious diseases in livestock, which raises ethical concerns regarding the potential slaughter of large numbers of healthy animals. We evaluated a farm-density-based ring culling strategy to control foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the United Kingdom (UK), which may allow for some farms within rings around infected premises (IPs) to escape depopulation. We simulated this reduced farm density, or “target density”, strategy using a spatially-explicit, stochastic, state-transition algorithm. We modeled FMD spread in four counties in the UK that have different farm demographics, using 740,000 simulations in a full-factorial analysis of epidemic impact measures (i.e., culled animals, culled farms, and epidemic length) and cull strategy parameters (i.e., target farm density, daily farm cull capacity, and cull radius). All of the cull strategy parameters listed above were drivers of epidemic impact. Our simulated target density strategy was usually more effective at combatting FMD compared with traditional total ring depopulation when considering mean culled animals and culled farms and was especially effective when daily farm cull capacity was low. The differences in epidemic impact measures among the counties are likely driven by farm demography, especially differences in cattle and farm density. To prevent over-culling and the associated economic, organizational, ethical, and psychological impacts, the target density strategy may be worth considering in decision-making processes for future control of FMD and other diseases.
Estimation of the percentile of Birnbaum-Saunders distribution and its application to PM2.5 in Northern Thailand
Authors: Thangjai Warisa , Niwitpong Sa-Aat , Niwitpong Suparat
Published: February 2024

The Birnbaum-Saunders distribution plays a crucial role in statistical analysis, serving as a model for failure time distribution in engineering and the distribution of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) in environmental sciences. When assessing the health risks linked to PM2.5, it is crucial to give significant weight to percentile values, particularly focusing on lower percentiles, as they offer a more precise depiction of exposure levels and potential health hazards for the population. Mean and variance metrics may not fully encapsulate the comprehensive spectrum of risks connected to PM2.5 exposure. Various approaches, including the generalized confidence interval (GCI) approach, the bootstrap approach, the Bayesian approach, and the highest posterior density (HPD) approach, were employed to establish confidence intervals for the percentile of the Birnbaum-Saunders distribution. To assess the performance of these intervals, Monte Carlo simulations were conducted, evaluating them based on coverage probability and average length. The results demonstrate that the GCI approach is a favorable choice for estimating percentile confidence intervals. In conclusion, this article presents the results of the simulation study and showcases the practical application of these findings in the field of environmental sciences.
Co-differential genes between DKD and aging: implications for a diagnostic model of DKD
Authors: Du Hongxuan , He Kaiying , Zhao Jing , You Qicai , Zhou Xiaochun , Wang Jianqin
Published: February 2024

Objective

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that is closely related to aging. In this study, we found co-differential genes between DKD and aging and established a diagnostic model of DKD based on these genes.

Methods

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in DKD were screened using GEO datasets. The intersection of the DEGs of DKD and aging-related genes revealed DKD and aging co-differential genes. Based on this, a genetic diagnostic model for DKD was constructed using LASSO regression. The characteristics of these genes were investigated using consensus clustering, WGCNA, functional enrichment, and immune cell infiltration. Finally, the expression of diagnostic model genes was analyzed using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in DKD mice (model constructed by streptozotocin (STZ) injection and confirmed by tissue section staining).

Results

First, there were 159 common differential genes between DKD and aging, 15 of which were significant. These co-differential genes were involved in stress, glucolipid metabolism, and immunological functions. Second, a genetic diagnostic model (including IGF1, CETP, PCK1, FOS, and HSPA1A) was developed based on these genes. Validation of these model genes in scRNA-seq data revealed statistically significant variations in FOS, HSPA1A, and PCK1 gene expression between the early DKD and control groups. Validation of these model genes in the kidneys of DKD mice revealed that Igf1, Fos, Pck1, and Hspa1a had lower expression in DKD mice, with Igf1 expression being statistically significant.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that DKD and aging co-differential genes are significant in DKD diagnosis, providing a theoretical basis for novel research directions on DKD.
Development of a Patient Safety Simulation Program for New Nurses in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Jung Su Jin , Park Jin-Hee
Published: February 2024

Purpose: Intensive care units (ICUs) are departments that use high-risk drugs and medical devices. Therefore, patient safety is especially important in ICUs. However, new nurses in ICUs often lack patient safety competencies. Thus, it is necessary to improve patient safety competencies for new nurses working in ICUs.Methods: This methodological study was designed to develop a simulation program to improve patient-safety competencies among new nurses working in ICUs. To develop a patient-safety simulation program, we conducted a survey on educational needs and reviewed the core competencies of patient safety applicable to healthcare providers. Additionally, we conducted an expert validation process and a pilot test.Results: A simulation-based patient safety program was developed that spanned 4 weeks (240 minutes).Conclusion: The patient safety simulation program, which considered the characteristics and competence levels of new nurses working in ICUs, was found to be appropriate. This program is expected to improve the patient safety competencies of new intensive care nurses, thereby contributing to the creation of a safer ICU environment.