bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conversion to general anesthesia and intravenous supplementation during intrapartum cesarean delivery with an indwelling epidural catheter: a retrospective study
Authors: Stav Michael Yohay , Fein Shai , Matatov Yuri , Hoffman Dana , Heesen Philip , Binyamin Yair , Iluz-Freundlich Daniel , Eidelman Leonid , Orbach-Zinger Sharon
Published: July 2024

Background

Intraoperative pain during cesarean delivery with or without conversion to general anesthesia has been shown to negatively impact maternal and perinatal morbidity. Efforts to reduce these adverse events are a recent focus of obstetric anesthesia care. We aimed to assess rates of and risk factors for conversion to general anesthesia and intraoperative pain during intrapartum cesarean delivery with an indwelling epidural catheter in our academic center.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, all women undergoing cesarean delivery with an indwelling epidural catheter between January 2017 and June 2022 were included. Labor epidural analgesia was provided according to a standardized protocol, and conversion to epidural anesthesia was achieved in the operating room before surgery. We determined the conversion rate to general anesthesia and associated risk factors. Second, we examined the rate of administration of analgesics/sedatives and related risk factors in cesarean cases that were not converted to general anesthesia.

Results

Among the 1192 women undergoing intrapartum cesarean delivery with epidural anesthesia, there were 97 cases with conversion to general anesthesia (8.1%), of which 87 (89.7%) were due to a failed epidural. Higher age, higher weight, and higher gestational age were associated with decreased odds of conversion to general anesthesia. Higher gravidity and longer surgical time were associated with increased odds. An emergent indication was not associated with conversion to general anesthesia. Intravenous analgesic/sedative supplementation occurred in 141 cases (12.9%). Higher age was associated with decreased odds of supplementation, and longer surgical time was associated with increased odds.

Conclusion

In our tertiary academic center, the rate of intraoperative conversion to general anesthesia and administration of analgesic/sedative medication among women undergoing intrapartum cesarean delivery with epidural anesthesia was relatively high. Emergency cesarean delivery was not associated with either of the above endpoints.
What role do socioeconomic and clinical factors play in disease activity states in rheumatoid arthritis? Data from a large UK early inflammatory arthritis audit
Authors: Adas Maryam , Dey Mrinalini , Norton Sam , Lempp Heidi , Buch Maya H , Cope Andrew , Galloway James , Nikiphorou Elena
Published: July 2024

Background

Persistently active rheumatoid arthritis (pactiveRA) may be due to the interplay between biological and non-biological factors. The role of socioeconomic factors remains unclear.

Objectives

To explore which biological and non-biological factors associate with pactiveRA.

Methods

Adults with early RA in the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit, recruited from May 2018 to October 2022, were included if having pactiveRA or persistently low RA (plowRA). The pactiveRA was defined as three consecutive Disease Activity Score-28 joints (DAS28) of >3.2 at baseline, 3 and 12 months. The plowRA was defined as DAS28 ≤3.2 at 3 and 12 months. Stepwise forward logistic regression was used to explore associations with pactiveRA (outcome). Age and gender were included a priori, with socioeconomic factors and comorbidities as exposure variables.

Results

682 patients with pactiveRA and 1026 plowRA were included. Compared with plowRA, patients with pactiveRA were younger (58, IQR: 49–67) versus (62, IQR: 52–72), and included more women (69% vs 59%). The pactiveRA was associated with worse scores in patient-reported outcomes at baseline, and anxiety and depression screens. Overall, there was clear social patterning in pactiveRA, with age-by-gender interaction. Logistic regression indicated age, gender, social deprivation and previous or current smoking, were independently associated with pactiveRA, after controlling for disease severity markers (seropositivity). Depression, lung disease, gastric ulcers and baseline corticosteroid use, were also associated with pactiveRA (p<0.05 for all).

Conclusion

Socioeconomic factors and deprivation were associated with pactiveRA, independent of clinical and disease characteristics. Identifying ‘adverse’ socioeconomic drivers of pactiveRA can help tailor interventions according to individual need.
Variability in self-reported and biomarker-derived tobacco smoke exposure patterns among individuals who do not smoke by poverty income ratio in the USA
Authors: Titus Andrea R , Shelley Donna , Thorpe Lorna E
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) among individuals who do not smoke has declined in the USA, however, gaps remain in understanding how TSE patterns across indoor venues—including in homes, cars, workplaces, hospitality venues, and other areas—contribute to TSE disparities by income level.

Methods

We obtained data on adults (ages 18+, N=9909) and adolescents (ages 12–17, N=2065) who do not smoke from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013–2018. We examined the prevalence of self-reported, venue-specific TSE in each sample, stratified by poverty income ratio (PIR) quartile. We used linear regression models with a log-transformed outcome variable to explore associations between self-reported TSE and serum cotinine. We further explored the probability of detectable cotinine among individuals who reported no recent TSE, stratified by PIR.

Results

Self-reported TSE was highest in cars (prevalence=6.2% among adults, 14.2% among adolescents). TSE in own homes was the most strongly associated with differences in log cotinine levels (β for adults=1.92, 95% CI=1.52 to 2.31; β for adolescents=2.37 95% CI=2.07 to 2.66), and the association between home exposure and cotinine among adults was most pronounced in the lowest PIR quartile. There was an income gradient with regard to the probability of detectable cotinine among both adults and adolescents who did not report recent TSE.

Conclusions

Homes and vehicles remain priority venues for addressing persistent TSE among individuals who do not smoke in the USA. TSE survey measures may have differential validity across population subgroups.
Rectal organoid morphology analysis (ROMA) as a novel physiological assay for diagnostic classification in cystic fibrosis
Authors: Cuyx Senne , Ramalho Anabela Santo , Fieuws Steffen , Corthout Nikky , Proesmans Marijke , Boon Mieke , Arnauts Kaline , Carlon Marianne S , Munck Sebastian , Dupont Lieven , De Boeck Kris , Vermeulen François
Published: July 2024

Background

Diagnosing cystic fibrosis (CF) is not always straightforward, in particular when sweat chloride concentration (SCC) is intermediate and <2 CF-causingCFTRvariants are identified. The physiological CFTR assays proposed in the guidelines, nasal potential difference and intestinal current measurement, are not readily available nor feasible at all ages. Rectal organoid morphology analysis (ROMA) was previously shown to discriminate between organoids from subjects with and without CF based on a distinct phenotypical difference: compared with non-CF organoids, CF organoids have an irregular shape and lack a visible lumen. The current study serves to further explore the role of ROMA when a CF diagnosis is inconclusive.

Methods

Organoid morphology was analysed using the previously established ROMA protocol. Two indices were calculated: the circularity index to quantify the roundness of organoids and the intensity ratio as a measure of the presence of a central lumen.

Results

Rectal organoids from 116 subjects were cultured and analysed together with the 189 subjects from the previous study. ROMA almost completely discriminated between CF and non-CF. ROMA indices correlated with SCC, pancreatic status and genetics, demonstrating convergent validity. For cases with an inconclusive diagnosis according to current guidelines, ROMA provided additional diagnostic information, with a diagnostic ROMA classification for 18 of 24 (75%).

Discussion

ROMA provides additional information to support a CF diagnosis when SCC and genetics are insufficient for diagnostic classification. ROMA is standardised and can be centralised, allowing future inclusion in the diagnostic work-up as first-choice physiological assay in case of an unclear diagnosis.
Opioid and non-opioid analgesic regimens after fracture and risk of serious opioid-related events
Authors: Hart Kyle , Medvecz Andrew J , Vaidya Avi , Dusetzina Stacie , Leech Ashley A , Wiese Andrew D
Published: July 2024

Background

Non-opioid analgesics are prescribed in combination with opioids among patients with long bone fracture to reduce opioid prescribing needs, yet evidence is limited on whether they reduce the risk of serious opioid-related events (SOREs). We compared the risk of SOREs among hospitalized patients with long bone fracture discharged with filled opioid prescriptions, with and without non-opioid analgesics.

Design

We identified a retrospective cohort of analgesic-naïve adult patients with a long bone fracture hospitalization using the Merative MarketScan Commercial Database (2013–2020). The exposure was opioid and non-opioid analgesic (gabapentinoids, muscle relaxants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen) prescriptions filled in the 3 days before through 42 days after discharge. The outcome was the development of new persistent opioid use or opioid use disorder during follow-up (day 43 through day 408 after discharge). We used Cox proportional hazards regression with inverse probability of treatment weighting with overlap trimming to compare outcomes among those that filled an opioid and a non-opioid analgesic to those that filled only an opioid analgesic. In secondary analyses, we used separate models to compare those that filled a prescription for each specific non-opioid analgesic type with opioids to those that filled only opioids.

Results

Of 29 489 patients, most filled an opioid prescription alone (58.4%) or an opioid and non-opioid (22.0%). In the weighted proportional hazards regression model accounting for relevant covariates and total MME, filling both a non-opioid analgesic and an opioid analgesic was associated with 1.63 times increased risk of SOREs compared with filling an opioid analgesic only (95% CI 1.41 to 1.89). Filling a gabapentin prescription in combination with an opioid was associated with an increased risk of SOREs compared with those that filled an opioid only (adjusted HR: 1.84 (95% CI1.48 to 2.27)).

Conclusions

Filling a non-opioid analgesic in combination with an opioid was associated with an increased risk of SOREs after long bone fracture.

Level of evidence

Level III, prognostic/epidemiological.

Study type

Retrospective cohort study.
How Can Recommender Systems Benefit from Large Language Models: A Survey
Authors: Lin Jianghao , Dai Xinyi , Xi Yunjia , Liu Weiwen , Chen Bo , Zhang Hao , Liu Yong , Wu Chuhan , Li Xiangyang , Zhu Chenxu , Guo Huifeng , Yu Yong , Tang Ruiming , Zhang Weinan
Published: July 2024

With the rapid development of online services and web applications, recommender systems (RS) have become increasingly indispensable for mitigating information overload and matching users’ information needs by providing personalized suggestions over items. Although the RS research community has made remarkable progress over the past decades, conventional recommendation models (CRM) still have some limitations, e.g., lacking open-domain world knowledge, and difficulties in comprehending users’ underlying preferences and motivations. Meanwhile, large language models (LLM) have shown impressive general intelligence and human-like capabilities for various natural language processing (NLP) tasks, which mainly stem from their extensive open-world knowledge, logical and commonsense reasoning abilities, as well as their comprehension of human culture and society. Consequently, the emergence of LLM is inspiring the design of RS and pointing out a promising research direction, i.e., whether we can incorporate LLM and benefit from their common knowledge and capabilities to compensate for the limitations of CRM. In this article, we conduct a comprehensive survey on this research direction, and draw a bird’s-eye view from the perspective of the whole pipeline in real-world RS. Specifically, we summarize existing research works from two orthogonal aspects: where and how to adapt LLM to RS. For the “
WHERE
” question, we discuss the roles that LLM could play in different stages of the recommendation pipeline, i.e., feature engineering, feature encoder, scoring/ranking function, user interaction, and pipeline controller. For the “
HOW
” question, we investigate the training and inference strategies, resulting in two fine-grained taxonomy criteria, i.e., whether to tune LLM or not during training, and whether to involve CRM for inference. Detailed analysis and general development paths are provided for both “WHERE” and “HOW” questions, respectively. Then, we highlight the key challenges in adapting LLM to RS from three aspects, i.e., efficiency, effectiveness, and ethics. Finally, we summarize the survey and discuss the future prospects.
Estimating Allowable Operator Action Time for Mitigating Multiple‐Failure Accidents in Korean Advanced Power Reactor
Authors: Yu Jia , Park Han Sol , Lee Yeon-Gun
Published: July 2024

In the case of multiple‐failure accidents in light water reactors, it is imperative to demonstrate that a significant fuel damage can be prevented via prearranged mitigation measures performed by operators. However, the time elapsed from the initiation of the event to the implementation of mitigation actions significantly influences the progress and consequences of the accident. Therefore, assuming a specific time for operator mitigation actions does not provide sufficient insights for safety assessments, thereby calling for further investigations into the effect of the time delay from the prescribed value. In this study, the allowable operator action time for multiple‐failure accidents of the Advanced Power Reactor 1400 was estimated by means of the sensitivity analysis using multi‐dimensional analysis for reactor safety‐KINS standard (MARS‐KS), a best‐estimate thermal–hydraulic analysis code used by the Korean nuclear regulatory authority. Three multiple‐failure accidents were investigated, including small‐break loss‐of‐coolant accident with the loss of safety injection (SI), intermediate‐break loss‐of‐coolant accident with the loss of SI, and total loss of feedwater accident. The upper limit of the mitigation action time, which prevents core damage, was estimated based on the requirement for peak cladding temperature. This was in turn used to derive the tolerable delay from the assumed action time in the Korean accident management program for each multiple‐failure accident.
Automatic Construction of 3D Building Property Rights Model Based on Visual Programing Language in China
Authors: Qin Guocheng , Hu Yuqing , Wang Ling , Liu Ke , Hou Yimei
Published: July 2024

The accelerated development of society and the rapid advancement of urbanization are among the reasons for the current shortage of land resources. In China, the pressure of land resource shortage, the increasing height and complexity of buildings in cities, and the inadequate spatial expression ability of two‐dimensional (2D) real estate data pose challenges to government departments that use 2D real estate data as basic management elements. Currently, an effective solution is to establish a three‐dimensional (3D) building property rights model. However, this approach has low modeling efficiency, and the model cannot be divided into floor and house, cannot be linked to property rights information, and has a large size and high input cost. To address these problems, this paper presents an automatic method of constructing a 3D building property model based on visual programming language (VPL). The compatibility of this method with several different building types is tested, and the differences in cost, efficiency, and model size between this method and other modeling methods are compared and analyzed. Results show that the average modeling time has been reduced to less than 2 min, representing an efficiency improvement of over 80%. Furthermore, the model size has been reduced by more than 90%. This method cannot only stereoscopize 2D real estate data but also obtain the building property rights model with floor and house and property rights information while ensuring the small model size and low cost. Moreover, this method provides technical support for the 3D management of real estate in China.
Data‐Driven Method for Probabilistic Response Prediction of Cable‐Stayed Bridges
Authors: Kim Minsun , Lee Jaebeom , Lee Kyoung-Chan , Jang Jeong Hwan , Lee Young-Joo
Published: July 2024

This study proposes a data‐driven method for predicting the probabilistic response of cable‐stayed bridges. The proposed method is used to construct an optimal prediction model based on a data‐driven machine‐learning method. In addition, the accuracy and efficiency of the prediction model are improved by considering the correlation coefficients between the input sensor data and the output of the target response. The proposed method is comprised of two steps: the selection of meaningful features and the construction of a probabilistic prediction model employing Gaussian process regression. The proposed method is applied to an in‐service cable‐stayed bridge in the Republic of Korea using actual measurement data from various sensors. For comparison purposes, two parametric studies are performed, and the effects of the proposed feature‐selection procedure are investigated based on the normalized correlation coefficients. Consequently, the proposed feature‐selection method is proven to increase the accuracy and efficiency of the prediction.
Antiviral Activity of Curcuminoids Derived from Deverra tortuosa Plant
Authors: Elsharkawy Eman , Alqurashi May , Alshathly Mona , Huq A. K. M. Moyeenul
Published: July 2024

Curcuminoids are natural products with widespread biological activity mostly extracted from Curcuma longa and its family. In the current study, we report the first time to isolate curcuminoids from another phyto source. Three compounds (curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin (DMC), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC)) were isolated from the plant Deverra tortuosa using methanolic extract, which was then fractionated and separated by puriFlash. The purity of compounds was monitored by thin‐layer chromatography and confirmed by high‐performance liquid chromatography. The mass spectrometry identified the isolated compound by their electrospray ionisation. Molecular docking then demonstrated that curcumin and BDMC bind at the same cavity (187 Å) on SARS‐CoV‐2 Mpro protein indicating similarities while DMC binds to a cavity with a larger size (372 Å). Among the three curcuminoids, BDMC was shown to give the highest binding energy (−7.5 kcal/mol) followed by curcumin (−7.4 kcal/mol) and DMC (−7.3 kcal/mol). Calculating the half‐maximal cytotoxic concentration and inhibitory median concentration of both DMC and BDMC showed low‐to‐moderate antiviral activity against SARS‐CoV‐2.
Differential Geometric Aspects of Pedal Curves on Surfaces
Authors: Ertem Kaya Filiz
Published: July 2024

The purpose of this paper is to construct relations and characterizations between the pedal curves and surfaces and to find components of the vector of α(t) by the means of the pedal on the surface M. Also, the formula of pedal curves of a curve α is generalized in n‐dimensional Euclidean space En. Some special results are obtained within the scope of pedal curves and given with obtained characterization of the pedal curve in n‐dimensional space En.
Long‐Term Outcomes in Patients with ST‐Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Comparative Study of Direct Admissions versus Interhospital Transfers—Insights from a Single‐Center Experience in the United Kingdom
Authors: Abdeldayem Tarek , Gunarathne Ashan
Published: July 2024

Background. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the treatment of choice for patients with ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Delayed reperfusion leads to increased morbidity and mortality. Secular trends in the impact of interhospital transfers (IT) on long‐term mortality in the United Kingdom (UK) have not been previously investigated. We analyzed the impact of IT on 5‐year mortality in STEMI patients admitted to a tertiary care center in the UK (East Midlands North). Methods. Data of STEMI patients admitted to Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust from 2011 to 2016 were acquired from the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research dataset (NICOR) and then combined with local patient‐level data and mortality data from National Statistics. The baseline characteristics and mortality data of the interhospital transfer (IT) group were compared to those of a gender and age‐matched direct admission (DA) group. Results. Of the total cohort (N = 2386), 29.9% of patients were admitted to the PPCI center via the interhospital transfer (IT) route. Cardiovascular risk profiles in both DA and IT groups were comparable. Five‐year Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival analysis revealed better survival in the direct admission group (83% vs. 77.3%; p ≤ 0.001). In multivariate analysis, increased mortality was associated with severe left ventricular impairment (HR 4.7, 95% CI 2.9–7.6), the presence of cardiogenic shock (HR 3.6 (2.7–4.8)), chronic kidney disease (HR 2.56 (1.4–4.5)), smoking (HR 1.45 (1.1–1.8)), male gender (HR 1.7 (1.4–2.01)), and diabetes (HR 1.4 (1.07–1.8)). The radial access and call‐to‐balloon time less than 120 minutes were also associated with lower mortality (HR 0.52 (0.43–0.63): HR 0.75 (0.61–0.92)). Conclusion. Despite advancements in communication, technology, patient education, transportation systems, and guidelines within the UK’s NHS over the last decade, the delays incurred by IT for STEMI patients remain substantial and are associated with a poor prognosis.
Toxicity of Dietary Exposure to 3‐Monochloropropanediol, Glycidol, and Their Fatty Acid Esters
Authors: Yabani Daniel Sitsofe , Ofosu Isaac Williams , Ankar-Brewoo Gloria Mathanda , Lutterodt Herman Erick
Published: July 2024

3‐Monochloropropane‐1,2‐diol (3‐MCPD), 2,3‐epoxy‐1‐propanol (glycidol), and their fatty acid esters are heat‐induced food toxicants that have widely been investigated. This review study presents an overview of current knowledge about the dietary toxicity of 3‐MCPD, glycidol, and their fatty acid esters. A literature search in two databases from January 2012 to December 2023 yielded 75 eligible articles for this review. The majority (73%) of the articles focused on 3‐MCPD‐ and 3‐MCPD fatty acid ester‐induced toxicities. Nephrotoxicity (32%) was the most studied toxicity, whereas the least studied were carcinogenicity (4%) and hematotoxicity (4%). The metabolism of glycidol and its esters to 3‐MCPD in the gastrointestinal tract remained a subject of contention as studies reported opposing findings. There was also new evidence of 3‐MCPD‐induced reproductive toxicity, hematotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity and 3‐MCPD‐ and glycidol‐induced neurotoxicity and genotoxicity. Findings suggest animal species‐dependency in 3‐MCPD’s carcinogenicity expression. Meanwhile, the 3‐MCPD toxicity mechanism in obese rats is poorly understood. The review recommends further studies into the 3‐MCPD toxicity mechanism in obese rats and the possible conversion of glycidol to 3‐MCPD in gastrointestinal tracts.
Optimal Information Hiding: Advanced Bitstream‐Based Watermarking for Secure and Efficient Integration of Image Data in Digital Videos
Authors: Ramyashree  , P. S. Venugopala , S. Raghavendra , Sarojadevi
Published: July 2024

Video watermarking is a technique used to embed a visible or invisible mark onto a video file in order to claim ownership, protect intellectual property rights, and detect unauthorized users. The issue of video piracy arises due to the advancement of Internet services and the utilization of various storage technologies. This problem becomes particularly significant with the widespread propagation of media through online channels. The constant progress in sharing of data, videos, images, and applications necessitates the implementation of measures focused on security and the protection of intellectual ownership rights. To address this issue, we proposed a novel Bitstream video watermarking technique that integrates cutting‐edge methodologies to seamlessly embed image data within digital videos. This technique stands apart from less sophisticated watermarking methods by capitalizing on spatial and temporal domain concepts in video processing. An experiment is conducted to analyze the time required for the insertion and extraction processes to gain insights into the performance of bitstream watermarking in the video. While enhancing the existing approach, we systematically explored diverse strategies aimed at augmenting watermark capacity, bolstering robustness, and heightening visual imperceptibility. These strategies encompassed the intricate infusion of watermark fragments into the frame area through chaotic mechanisms, the integration of error‐correcting codes to ensure data fidelity, and the selective omission of dynamic video segments during information extraction processes. Rigorous experimentations are undertaken by the constraints of lossy compression scenarios, maintaining equivalent or reduced bitrate parameters. The findings substantiate the favorable outcomes stemming from the implemented enhancement, affirming the tangible suitability of the phase watermarking technique for the protection of video copyrights. In order to assess the quality of the bitstream video watermarking technique, the peak signal‐to‐noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index (SSIM), and normalized correlation coefficient (NCC) are computed and examined by the testing data. The suggested model achieved a PSNR value up to 32.52 dB, SSIM value up to 0.97, and NCC value is 1. The dynamic range (DR) and spatial resolution (SR) are measured in the evaluation process. Security is enhanced significantly after implementing the multifaceted approach. The watermarking scheme is more robust and can effectively resist the potential attacks. In summary, this study advances the field of video watermarking by proposing a sophisticated bitstream technique and rigorously evaluating its performance. The outcomes underscore its practical viability for copyright protection, contributing to a more secure digital media landscape.
Wulingsan Alleviates MAFLD by Activating Autophagy via Regulating the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Biao Yaning , Li Dantong , Zhang Yixin , Gao Jingmiao , Xiao Yi , Yu Zehe , Li Li
Published: July 2024

Here, we presented the study of the molecular mechanisms underlying the action of Wulingsan (WLS) in rats with metabolic‐associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) induced by a high‐fat diet (HFD). High‐performance liquid chromatography was employed to identify the chemical components of WLS. After 2 weeks of HFD induction, MAFLD rats were treated with WLS in three different doses for 6 weeks, a positive control treatment or with a vehicle. Lipid metabolism, liver function, oxidative stress, and inflammatory factors as well as pathomorphological changes in liver parenchyma were assessed in all groups. Finally, the expressions of autophagy‐related markers, adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)/unc‐51‐like kinase‐1 (ULK1) signaling pathway‐related genes, and proteins in liver were detected. The results revealed that WLS significantly ameliorated liver injury, the dysfunction of the lipid metabolism, the oxidative stress, and overall inflammatory status. Furthermore, WLS increased the expressions of LC3B‐II, Beclin1, p‐AMPK, and ULK1, along with decreased p62, p‐mTOR, and sterol regulatory element‐binding protein‐1c levels. In conclusion, we showed that WLS is capable of alleviating HFD‐induced MAFLD by improving lipid accumulation, suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation, and promoting autophagy.
Woody Species Composition, Structure, and Soil Seed Bank of the Degraded Parts of the Gera Moist Afromontane Forest, Southwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Egeta Dereje , Yadesa Giche , Eshete Abeje , Belay Hailu , Charu Urge , Teshome Tensay
Published: July 2024

Ethiopia’s forest coverage is decreasing from time to time due to agricultural expansion, settlements, misuse of existing forest resources, and a lack of awareness and sense of ownership among the local population. Not only forest coverage but also species composition and diversity are decreasing in the country. The current study aims to investigate the woody species composition, structure, regeneration, diversity, and distribution of the soil seed bank in a degraded part of the Gera moist Afromontane forest. A systematic random sampling technique was used to collect tree data. Twenty representative sample square plots, each measuring 400 m2 for trees and shrubs, were established. Inside the main plots, five subplots measuring 9 m2 were assigned for regeneration data collection. Another five subplots were also marked for soil seed bank data collection that are 9 cm deep and 15 cm wide. The forest had twenty‐one woody species that belonged to seventeen families. The Shannon–Wiener, Simpson’s indices, and evenness of the whole forest were recorded to be 2.17, 0.82, and 0.42, respectively. Syzygium guineense had the highest species‐specific value indices (68.49), accounting for 22.83 percent of the total. The first DBH and height class patterns encompass over 61.16 and 59.92 percent of the total individuals, respectively. There were two growth phases (seedling and saplings) missing in three tree species (Allophylus abyssinicus, Olea welwitschii, and Schefflera abyssinica). The soil seed bank in the forest contained 77 plant species belonging to 41 families. Compared to other moist Afromontane forests, the Gera forest has a smaller composition of woody species and medium diversity. The soil seed bank did not significantly contribute to the restoration of the forest.
Students' readiness on practical learning in clothing engineering education: case on haute couture learning
Authors: Mahanani Chytra , Supriyadi Edy , Sukardi Thomas , Listiani Sri , Wahyuningsih Urip
Published: July 2024

Haute couture-making techniques are critical competencies to be mastered by fashion engineering education (CEE) graduates. However, until now, many graduates have been unable to master these techniques optimally. Various studies and field phenomena confirm that they are unprepared for supporting knowledge (SK), socio-cultural, and psychological aspects. This phenomenon prompted us to measure practical learning readiness (PLR) in these three dimensions. In addition, we also examine the differences between dimensions and indicators and test the determination in constructing the PLR to determine the order of solving the problem. The survey was conducted on 386 CEE students with criteria who were currently studying haute couture (HC). The results of the descriptive analysis confirmed that psychological conditions (PC) and SK had a low level, while socio-cultural support had a high level. The results of the comparison test show that the three are generally similar, although there are notes in several indicators. Although all dimensions contribute significantly to constructing PLR, PC contribute the highest. This indicates that low PC are the first step to be addressed by CEE. Furthermore, several notes related to the decrease in knowledge-supporting practice are also the second effort that CEE must make to boost PLR in its students.
Islamic coping stress and quarter-life crisis among generation Z college students
Authors: Soraya Siti Zazak , Puspitasari Ratna Nila
Published: July 2024

The transition into adulthood often triggers anxiety and unease, colloquially known as the quarter-life crisis. During these challenging times, individuals frequently turn to Islamic stress-coping methods as a guiding light to navigate through this transformative phase of life. This research aimed to explore the relationship between Islamic stress coping and the quarter-life crisis among college students from generation Z. This study, conducted in a descriptive quantitative manner, involved the participation of 398 college students. Data was collected through a comprehensive questionnaire, and data analysis employed the product-moment correlation method. The study's findings revealed that, firstly, generation Z college students tend to exhibit a significantly high prevalence of Islamic stress coping; secondly, the level of quarter-life crisis experienced by these demographic leans towards a moderate, and most significantly, there is a positive correlation between Islamic coping stress and the quarter-life crisis experienced by generation Z college students. This correlation presents a moderately strong positive connection, underscoring the notion that the effective utilization of Islamic stress coping mechanisms positively influences the management and alleviation of the quarter-life crisis.
Students’ perception and expectation toward learning German receptive skills
Authors: Karuna Kalvin , Serpara Henderika , Nikijuluw Maria Martha
Published: July 2024

The purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions and expectations of German language students, especially in terms of receptive skills. This study asks two main questions: i) what are the expectations of students towards learning German and ii) how are students' perceptions of German learning, especially reading and listening, the data sources for this research are students of the German Language Education Study Program. The research instruments were questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed descriptively, which showed that i) In general (98%) students have high expectations to study and work in Germany, for example, following the "Ausbildung," ii) 98% of students realize that reading and listening are ways to broaden horizons, enrich vocabulary, and avoid misunderstandings in both one-way and two-way communication; and iii) Students' cognitive perceptions of reading and listening skills contribute to their positive attitudes towards improving these receptive skills; this finding shows that positive perceptions and high expectations of students are inversely proportional to their receptive abilities.
The effectiveness of the logarithm module equipped with a Jigsaw-type cooperative model in improving learning outcomes
Authors: Lumbantoruan Jitu Halomoan , Herman Tatang
Published: July 2024

The teacher's job is to prepare learning plans, create modules, implement, assess, and evaluate. The fact that teachers don't have modules yet. As a result, the mean logarithmic learning outcome of 74.80 is below the standard of 75. It is urgent to research because there is a gap between theory, expectations, and reality. The aim is to produce a logarithmic module equipped with an effective jigsaw cooperative model. The method is the research and development (RD), analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) model. There were 32 high school subjects. Data collection techniques using needs analysis instruments, and assessment instruments for material experts, teachers, and students. Collect student pre-test and post-test data. Analysis technique by calculating the mean of all module components, the mean of pre-test and post-test, and interpretation of each module component. As a result, the mean scores of material experts, teachers, and students were obtained at 92.35%, 91.45%, and 95.81% in the very good category. It was found that the mean learning outcomes of students who used the module were 90.28 and the mean of students who did not use the module was 68.40, with a difference of 25.48. In conclusion, the logarithm module is practical, and effective, and can improve student learning outcomes significantly.
Validity and reliability: instruments of teacher competency in the context of small schools in Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Mohd Razali Mohd Norlizam , A. Hamid Aida Hanim , Alias Bity Salwana , Mansor Azlin Norhaini
Published: July 2024

A teacher competency instrument was developed to determine the level of teacher competency in small schools in Peninsular Malaysia. This study was conducted in Perak and Negeri Sembilan to determine the instrument's reliability and validity. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and item reliability analysis were used to determine the questionnaire's reliability and validity. Next, the average congruence percentage (ACP) is used to determine the reliability test between expert assessors. Experts approved the validity and reliability of the instrument before the EFA test was conducted. All four constructs have high-reliability index values between 0.82–0.92. Next, the EFA analysis shows four dimensions in the teacher competency instrument with factor loadings (FL) ranging from 0.60–0.88. The findings also show that the variance explained in the data is 58.46% with an Eigenvalue greater than 1. This result indicates that all items were received with high approval. In addition, a very high-reliability coefficient value, α=0.82. The results prove that this teacher competency instrument has high validity and reliability and can measure the level of teacher competency implementation practices in small schools in Peninsular Malaysia.
Educational data mining model using support vector machine for student academic performance evaluation
Authors: Bisri Achmad , Supardi Supardi , Heryatun Yayu , Hunainah Hunainah , Navira Annisa
Published: July 2024

In the educational landscape, educational data mining has emerged as an indispensable tool for institutions seeking to deliver exceptional and high-quality education. However, education data revealed suboptimal academic performance among a significant portion of the student population, which consequently resulted in delayed graduation. This experimental research generally aims to evaluate student graduation outcomes. Meanwhile, the specific aim is to predict student academic performance by applying the support vector machine (SVM) model based on sampling techniques. The proposed model is evaluated using datasets originating from one of the State Islamic Universities. The dataset has both on-time and delayed graduation status. The results show that the support vector machine model based on the shuffle sampling on the Arabic language and literature (BSA) dataset produces excellent performance on both tests with accuracy values above 90% and area under the curve (AUC) above 0.9. Meanwhile, the Islamic education management (MPI) dataset produces excellent performance when applying a support vector machine based on stratified sampling with accuracy values above 90% and AUC above 0.9. Therefore, it could be concluded that the proposed model has excellent and reliable performance.
Students’ performance in English: effects of teachers’ leadership behavior and students’ motivation
Authors: Igwe Marie Charmaine P. , Ligaya Massuline Antonio D.
Published: July 2024

The research was conducted to determine how the leadership behavior of English teachers affects students' performance in the language and to examine how the motivation of students toward English language learning influences the relationship between the leadership behavior of teachers and the performance of their students in the language. The statistical tools used in this descriptive research study were frequency analysis, mean computation, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and mediation analysis. As the students perceive, their English teacher’s manifest leadership behavior consideration more than initiating structure. Results have shown that the students scored higher in integrative than in instrumental motivation. Both dimensions of leadership behavior positively relate to the students' integrative and instrumental motivation and English performance. This indicates that they will be motivated to learn and perform better in English no matter what dimension of leadership behavior teachers will manifest. However, regression analyses have shown different results. While integrative motivation is positively and significantly correlated to students' performance in English, instrumental motivation is not. Instrumental and integrative motivation do not mediate the effects of initiating structure on students' English performance. However, both forms of motivation significantly mediate the effect of consideration on students' English performance.
The effect of reading-concept mapping-reciprocal teaching on students’ communication skills
Authors: Sholihah Mar'atus , Zubaidah Siti , Mahanal Susriyati , Listyorini Dwi
Published: July 2024

Communication skills are one of the abilities required for 21st-century learning. Students must consider communication skills in learning because they can guide students in conveying ideas effectively and interacting and collaborating with others. This study aimed to investigate the online reading-concept mapping-reciprocal teaching (REMAP-RT) learning model on students' oral and writing communication skills. The pretest-posttest control group design was employed in this study with three Biology Education study program classes at the State Islamic University in Tulungagung, Indonesia. This study included 89 students separated into three classrooms, each learning using one of three methods: i) REMAP-RT, ii) reciprocal teaching (RT), and iii) discussion-presentation. A questionnaire was used to assess students' oral and written communication skills. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare differences in communication skills among the three treatment groups based on the questionnaire responses. The research findings revealed that students' oral and writing communication abilities improved across the board, with students in the REMAP-RT class showing the most substantial increase. This result of the research suggests that REMAP-RT improves students' oral and written communication skills in online learning.
The role of discovery learning in efforts to develop students' critical thinking abilities
Authors: Manurung Alberth Supriyanto , Pappachan Princy
Published: July 2024

This research aims to determine the role of developing and implementing discovery learning models to develop students' critical thinking skills in mathematical story problems. The search was carried out in the even semester of 2022/2023 with research subjects totaling 30 fourth semester elementary school education students. The research was conducted using qualitative analysis methods with data collection through observation, interviews, and documentation. The discovery learning model is implemented through learning stages, namely training students to use various concepts, principles, and skills they have learned to solve the mathematical story problems they face. The research results show that the discovery learning model has an impact on the development of critical thinking skills because the research's observations of critical thinking abilities result in the capacity to recognize, evaluate, and resolve narrative difficulties as well as to reason rationally and ethically to conclude. The discovery learning model provides students with the opportunity to apply learning based on solving mathematical story problems, allowing students to develop critical thinking skills.
Effectiveness of differentiated learning in mathematics: insights from elementary school students
Authors: Rijal Akmal , Aswarliansyah Aswarliansyah , Waluyo Budi
Published: July 2024

This study looked at the effectiveness of differentiated learning in enhancing students' mathematical outcomes by incorporating varied content, processes, and products. Employing a mixed-methods experimental design, the research hypothesized that differentiated instruction significantly influences students' performance in mathematics exams. The differentiation strategy involved altering the level of support in group discussions (process), adjusting the material's difficulty (content), and modifying the nature of student tasks (products). The participants comprised sixty-five fifth-grade students from public elementary schools. Data collection utilized interviews, document analysis, observations, and test questions, with the t-test and paired sample t-tests comparing pretest and post-test scores to assess the impact. The findings revealed that differentiation in content, process, and product significantly enhances student mathematical achievements, thereby supporting the initial hypothesis. This suggests that teachers should tailor instruction by varying the structure, support, and autonomy of task completion and product creation. Future research should expand the application of content, process, and product differentiation to a broader sample, including different mathematical materials and extending to high schools, to further validate these results and explore additional educational contexts.
Wish and care method: empowering women for breast cancer screening
Authors: Nursanti Wigi Anis , Setiyawati Nanik , Wahyuningsih Heni Puji
Published: July 2024

Breast cancer ranks as the most prevalent type of cancer and the fifth leading cause of death globally. Conducting early detection through breast self-examination (BSE) is a crucial preventive measure. The rate of early detection of breast cancer remains low due to insufficient knowledge and information, so health education is needed to increase BSE knowledge and information. There is a need for health education initiatives to enhance awareness, attitudes, and behavior related to BSE. One effective method of health education is the “wish and care” approach. This study aims to assess the impact of the wish and care method on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test two-group design. Data collection took place in 2023. The sample consisted of 60 women aged 30-50 years, who were divided into an experimental group receiving the wish and care method and a control group receiving conventional lectures. The results indicate an increase in knowledge, attitudes, and behavior both before and after the intervention in both the experimental and control groups. The wish and care method has more influence on BSE behavior. This study concludes that the wish and care method influence BSE knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.
Enhancing creative teaching behaviour of vocational school teachers: structural equation modelling analysis
Authors: Tamrin Agusti G. , Triyono Mochamad Bruri , Saputro Ida Nugroho , Sucipto Taufiq Lilo Adi , Asnur Lise
Published: July 2024

Creative teaching behavior (CTB) is an innovative and creative teaching approach that is relevant in facing the dynamics of vocational education, which continues to develop, especially to produce creative students. Many studies examine the important role of CTB. However, limited information still discusses how to improve CTB by involving important factors such as creative climate, school support, and creative teaching self-efficacy. This study involved 400 teachers from 25 vocational high schools in civil engineering in Central Java Province, and data analysis using the structural equation modelling (SEM) (Smart-PLS) method. The study results revealed that CTB was proven to be influenced positively and significantly by school support and creative teaching self-efficacy. Also, creative teaching self-efficacy partially mediates the effect of creative climate and school support on CTB. The results of this study provide important implications for vocational school teachers to develop creative teaching skills in schools. Building a creative culture in schools, proactive school support and increasing teacher self-confidence are essential steps in creating a dynamic and innovative learning environment in vocational schools.