bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sosialisasi Sistem Pendidikan Rekognisi Pembelajaran Lampau (RPL) di Pemerintah Kota Sorong
Authors: Ali Muhammad , Halik Wahyudin , Ramli Umar , Banggu Masni , Salmawati  , Rais Lukman , Basri La , Wahid Bustamin , Hidaya Nur , Sangadji Ismail Munadi , Purnomo Arie
Published: March 2024

Sosialisasi ini bertujuan memberikan pemahaman di Pemerintah Kota Sorong mengenai manfaat, prosedur, serta peluang sistem Rekognisi Pembelajaran Lampau (RPL). RPL adalah pengakuan terhadap Capaian Pembelajaran seseorang yang berasal dari pendidikan formal, nonformal, informal, dan/atau pengalaman kerja yang menjadi dasar melanjutkan pendidikan formal dan melakukan penyetaraan dengan kualifikasi tertentu. Program RPL merupakan inisiatif pemerintah dalam meningkatkan kompetensi dan kapasitas masyarakat dengan menggunakan pendekatan pendidikan yang memberikan penghargaan terhadap pengetahuan, keterampilan, dan kompetensi yang diperoleh seseorang melalui pengalaman belajar di luar lingkungan formal. Sosialisasi ini dilakukan pada bulan Juli 2023 dengan sasaran utama kantor Distrik Kota Sorong. Penerapan RPL diharapkan dapat membuka pintu akses pendidikan yang lebih luas dan inklusif. Sosialisasi mengenai program RPL di Universitas Muhammadiyah Sorong mencakup penyampaian materi, diskusi, dan simulasi. Aspek yang dibahas melibatkan (a) Dasar Hukum dan konsep RPL yang berlaku di Universitas Muhammadiyah Sorong, (b) Rincian tahapan dari pendaftaran hingga pengakuan dokumen portofolio, serta proses perkuliahannya, dan (c) Keunggulan yang dimiliki oleh program RPL tersebut. Setelah sosialisasi, peserta diundang untuk mendaftar sebagai mahasiswa RPL di jurusan Ilmu Pemerintahan.
Patients’ Preferences for Models of Follow-Up Care During or After Initial Cancer Treatment in Greece: Development of the Qualitative Phase, and Protocol for a Discrete Choice Experiment
Authors: Stamuli Eugena , Papageorgiou Maria , Baroutsou Varvara
Published: March 2024

Cancer survivors face a range of physical symptoms, emotional and practical difficulties, and late and long-term effects of treatment. Follow-up care aims to monitor the effectiveness and safety of treatments, and detect recurrence or metastasis. However, survivorship care extends beyond clinical aspects, and should include all forms of necessary support, such as psychological, informational, and practical assistance. The European Cancer Patient’s Bill of Rights emphasises patient-centred care, and the right to access information, receive personalised care, participate in decision-making, and receive psychological and social support. There are national plans for cancer care in place in Greece, and it is essential to acknowledge patient preferences and the acceptability of emerging plans for the ever-expanding population of survivors of cancer.

A discrete choice experiment (DCE) will be conducted to identify and quantify the preferences of Greek patients with cancer towards a care model that reflects the current state of cancer care, while also providing valuable insights into what patients consider important. By understanding patients’ preferences, the study aims to identify areas for improvement, and contribute to the development of more patient-centred care models in Greece. This study will mark the first systematic measurement and quantification of preferences of patients with cancer in the Greek context.

This paper presents the development of the qualitative phase of the DCE, which focused on identifying the characteristics that are both important and relevant to patients with cancer. Further, it outlines the protocol for the subsequent stages of the study, which involve the DCE experimental design, the data collection, and analysis and dissemination of the findings.
Change Management Framework: Development Curriculum of Islamic Education at School
Authors: Atmojo Ahmad Muslih , Perawironegoro Djamaluddin , Umam Khoirul
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this study was to analyze how the concept of change management from PAI curriculum development at SMP Muhammadiyah 1 Gamping. The method used in this research is field research which was developed with a qualitative approach model. Called field research because the data that the authors collect comes from the field. Curriculum development itself is related to the preparation of all dimensions of the curriculum, starting from the foundation, the structure of the composition of subjects, the scope, the sequence of learning materials, the outline of the learning program, to the development of implementation guidelines. In addition, curriculum development is a planning process, resulting in better tools based on the results of the current curriculum assessment, to provide better teaching in learning conditions. This means that curriculum development is an activity to produce a new curriculum through the preparation of the curriculum itself or the basis of the results of the assessment carried out within a certain period. Therefore, it is important to evaluate and develop curriculum changes accurately to the existing educational process to achieve common and comprehensive goals, including what happened and was done by SMP Muhammadiyah 1 Gamping.
Innovative Integration: Exploring AI Art Platforms in Architectural Education for Mosque Facade Design
Authors: Zakariya Afif Fajar , Susanti Wiwik Dwi , Paryoko Vijar Galax Putra Jagat
Published: March 2024

This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of implementing the mentoring model in Mosque facade design presents a unique challenge in the field of architecture due to their importance as the mosque's front-facing feature and their role in representing Islamic identity. In this study, an AI art platform was introduced as a tool to improve the creativity and design process for architecture students and professionals. The study investigated the platform's novel application in the context of architectural learning for mosque façade design. The research methodology was divided into three parts: a description of the platforms used, identification of common use cases in mosque architectural design, and query analysis using NLP methods in Midjourney AI art platform. According to the findings of the study, the AI art platform is a valuable tool for architectural learning, allowing students and professionals to generate diverse and innovative designconcepts. The Midjourney AI art platform has flaws such as difficulty recognizing architectural styles from specific regions.
Pemetaan Lokasi Destinasi Wisata Kota Kediri Berbasis Sistem Informasi Geografis
Authors: Yudo Bismo Utomo  , Dian Efytra Yuliana  , Danang erwanto
Published: March 2024

Kota Kediri identik dengan kota tahu. Meskipun dijuluki kota tahu, Kota Kediri memiliki lokasi destinasi wisata yang menarik untuk dikunjungi bagi wisatawan domestik maupun wisatawan mancanegara. Akan tetapi, para wisatawan belum sepenuhnya mengetahui kalau di Kota Kediri memiliki destinasi wisata yang menarik untuk dikunjungi pada saat liburan. Hal ini dikarenakan, stakeholder atau salah satu pemangku kebijakan yang ada di Kota Kediri belum memanfaatkan teknologi informasi yang berfungsi untuk menampilkan informasi tentang pemetaan objek lokasi wisata Kota Kediri kepada para wisatawan. Untuk mengatasi masalah tersebut, dibuatlah sistem informasi pemetaan lokasi destinasi wisata Kota Kediri berbasis sistem informasi geografis. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk memetaan lokasi destinasi wisata yang ada di Kota Kediri sebagai upaya penguatan pembangunan pemasaran di sektor industri pariwisata. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif eksperimen, yang dimulai dari pengumpulan data terlebih dahulu dengan cara observasi lapangan dan membaca studi literatur guna mendapatkan data dan informasi yang dibutuhkan dalam rangka mencapai tujuan penelitian. Kemudian dilanjutkan dengan merancang desain sistem, setelah itu mengimplementasikan kedalam teknologi informasi berbasis sistem informasi geografis. Kontribusi yang diberikan dari penelitian ini, hasil dari pengujian menggunakan metode user acceptance testing, diperoleh nilai prosentase sebesar 98,12% aplikasi ini dapat menarik minat wisatawan untuk mengunjungi lokasi wisata saat berada di Kota Kediri dan membantu pihak pemangku kebijakan Kota Kediri dalam memperkuat sektor industri pariwisata dalam mengenalkan Kota Kediri.
Seleksi Fitur Hybrid Grey Wolf Optimization dan Particle Swarm Optimization pada Distance Biased Naive Bayes untuk Klasifikasi Kanker Payudara
Authors: Ratna Septia Devi  , Triando Hamonangan Saragih  , Mohammad Reza Faisal
Published: March 2024

Kanker payudara adalah penyebab utama kematian akibat kanker tertinggi kedua di dunia. Pasien Kanker payudara terus mengalami peningkatan dan menjadi masalah kesehatan yang cukup serius di seluruh dunia, termasuk juga di Indonesia. Diagnosis dini adalah salah satu pendekatan terbaik untuk mencegah penyakit ini semakin meningkat dan berkembang. Machine learning dapat melakukan penambangan data menggunakan serangkaian fitur pada sebuah data. Penelitian ini menggunakan dataset public dari UCI machine learning repository yaitu Breast Cancer Wisconsin (Diagnostic). Pada dataset ini memiliki atribut sebanyak 32 fitur, namun banyaknya fitur pada sebuah data juga akan memperlambat waktu komputasi dari metode klasifikasi yang digunakan. Pada penelian ini, akan dilakukan seleksi fitur menggunakan metode Hybrid Grey Wolf Optimization dan Particle Swarm Optimization (HGWOPSO) untuk memilih fitur yang paling informatif dan signifikan untuk digunakan pada klasifikasi. Metode klasifikasi yang digunakan adalah Distance Biased Naive Bayes (DBNB) yang terdiri dari dua modul yaitu Weighted Naïve Bayes Module (WNBM) dan Distance Reinforcement Module (DRM). Dari penelitian ini, didapatkan performa akurasi tertinggi pada model DBNB tanpa seleksi fitur sebesar 94,90%, DBNB dengan GWO sebesar 95,08%, DBNB dengan PSO sebesar 95,25%, dan DBNB dengan HGWOPSO sebesar 96,13%. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa model DBNB dengan seleksi fitur HGWOPSO mengalami peningkatan dibandingkan dengan DBNB tanpa seleksi fitur maupun dengan seleksi fitur individualnya.
Evaluasi Kinerja Enkripsi Algoritma LEA Mode CTR pada NodeMCU8266
Authors: Navalino Vian , Wadjdi Achmad Farid , Asnar Yudistira
Published: March 2024

Penelitian ini menyajikan pengujian mendalam terhadap Lightweight Encryption Algorithm (LEA) pada mikrokontroler NodeMCU ESP8266. Pertama, penelitian ini mengontekstualisasikan pentingnya IoT di berbagai sektor, menggarisbawahi kebutuhan kritis akan kerahasiaan data yang kuat di tengah meningkatnya tantangan keamanan. Penelitian ini mempelajari ranah lightweight cryptography, yang menekankan perlunya solusi kriptografi yang efisien serta aman pada perangkat dengan sumber daya komputasi yang terbatas. Berfokus pada cipher LEA, penelitian ini mengevaluasi kinerjanya di berbagai ukuran kunci (128, 196, dan 256 bit) dan membandingkan kecepatan enkripsi dan dekripsinya dengan literatur yang ada. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa LEA tidak hanya memberikan pendekatan yang seimbang terhadap keamanan dan efisiensi tetapi juga beradaptasi dengan baik terhadap batasan lingkungan IoT, terutama jika dibandingkan dengan algoritme lain seperti AES-128. Penelitian ini memberikan kontribusi pada bidang keamanan IoT, menawarkan gambaran yang penting dalam implementasi solusi kriptografi di lingkungan yang memiliki keterbatasan sumber daya.
Kombinasi Matriks Perbandingan Berpasangan dan Metode Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) untuk Pemilihan Mie Instan
Authors: Wantoro Agus , Verdian Arry
Published: March 2024

Mie instan merupakan makanan cepat saji yang banyak diminati masyarakat karena kemudahan dan kekepraktisan dalam pemenuhan kebutuhan pangan. Di Indonesia mie instan memiliki berbagai merk, kemasan dan varian rasa yang berbeda-beda. Salah satu varian rasa yang dimiliki semua merk yaitu rasa ayam bawang kemasan 75 gram. Meskipun mie instan banyak disukai berbagai kalangan karena rasanya yang nikmat, namun kandungan yang ada tidak direkomendasikan untuk dikonsumsi setiap hari karena dapat bedampak buruk bagi kesehatan. Kandungan yang ada pada mie instan seperti Energi (kkal), Lemak (g), Protein (g), Karbo (g), Serat (g), Gula (g), dan Natrium (mg). Berdasarkan informasi gizi pada kandungan mie instan dapat dijadikan sebagai acuan dalam memilih mie instan yang paling sehat untuk dikonsumsi. Tujuan penelitian ini melakukan perbandingan mie instan menggunakan kombinasi metode perbandingan skala prioritas berpasangan dengan metode Simple Additive Weighting (SAW). Perbandingan skala prioritas digunakan untuk memperoleh nilai pembobotan dari masing-masing kriteria. Hasil pembobotan didapatkan kriteria (C1) Energi (kkal) 34%, (C2) Lemak 2,96%, (C3) Protein 22,15%, (C4) Karbo 7,75%, (C5) Serat 9,86%, (C6) Gula 7,99%, dan (C7) Natrium 15,29%. Metode SAW digunakan untuk perhitungan perangkingan. Berdasarkan hasil perangkingan, didapatkan alternatif (A1) Supermi mendapatkan nilai sebesar 76.70, (A2) Gaga 100 sebesar 84.64, (A3) Sarimi sebesar 73,84 (A4) Mie sedap 77.67 (A5) Indomie 73,22 (A6) Lemonilo 73,94 (A7) Mie ABC 76,27, dan (A8) Nissin Ramen 75,68. Hasil perangkingan didapatkan dengan mie instan rangking tertinggi berdasarkan nilai gizi yaitu Mie Gaga 100 dan rangking terendah yaitu Indomie. Hasil penelitian ini memberikan informasi yang bermanfaat bagi masyarakat untuk mempertimbangkan dalam memilih mie instan untuk di konsumsi agar lebih aman bagi kesehatan
Implementasi Metode Fuzzy Logic untuk Penentuan Taruna Berprestasi
Authors: Wasum Wasum , Muhammad Zainul Arifin
Published: March 2024

Politeknik Kelautan dan Perikanan Bitung (PKPB) adalah salah satu kampus vokasi dibawah naungan Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan Republik Indonesia. Kampus ini sudah lama melaksanakan kegiatan perkuliahan. Beberapa aspek penilaian dalam perkuliahan diantaranya adalah aspek akademik dan aspek kepribadian taruna (penghargaan dan pelanggaran). Pada proses penilaian/penentuan taruna berprestasi di PKPB masih dilakukan secara manual. Dengan adanya sistem ini, diharapkan mampu mendapatkan informasi dan pengambilan keputusan penentuan taruna berprestasi bisa berjalan lebih akurat, efektif dan efisien. Salah satu metode yang akan digunakan untuk penilaian/penentuan taruna berprestasi adalah menggunakan metode fuzzy logic. Alasan penggunaan metode fuzzy logic diantaranya adalah sangat sederhana, menggunakan bahasa manusia, menggunakan pemodelan/pemetaan dalam mencari hubungan data input dan output pada sebuah sistem, memberikan toleransi terhadap ketidakpresisian data, fleksibel serta diharapkan mampu untuk menghasilkan nilai output yang akurat. Parameter yang digunakan untuk batasan fungsi keanggotaan fuzzy adalah Nilai Akademik (Indeks Prestasi Kumulatif) dan Nilai Kepribadian Taruna (Nilai Prestasi/Penghargaan dan Nilai Pelanggaran). Objek pada penelitian ini adalah taruna/i Tingkat III Program Studi Teknik Penangkapan Ikan (35 taruna), Mekanisasi Perikanan (36 taruna) dan Teknik Pengolahan Produk Perikanan (76 taruna/i). Dari hasil uji coba yang telah dilakukan sebanyak 147 kali, maka didapatkan tingkat akurasi sebanyak 137 kali (93,197%) dan 10 kali yang terdiri dari dua taruna/i mendapatkan Nilai Penghargaan lebih dari ambang batas sistem dan delapan taruna yang mendapatkan Nilai Akademik di luar ambang batas sistem.
Sistem Pendeteksi Kualitas Daging Segar dengan Metode Naive Bayes
Authors: Sabilla Wilda Imama , Perkasa Muhammad Adisa Putra , Wibowo Dimas Wahyu
Published: March 2024

Daging sapi merupakan salah satu sumber protein yang banyak dikonsumsi masyarakat Indonesia. Daging banyak dijual baik di pasar tradisional maupun pasar modern. Beberapa penjual yang tidak jujur mencampur daging segar dan tidak segar pada produknya untuk mendapatkan keuntungan lebih. Sebagian konsumen akhirnya mendapatkan daging yang kurang segar karena tidak semua konsumen memiliki pengetahuan mengenai kesegaran daging. Penelitian ini mengembangkan sistem pendeteksi kualitas daging untuk membantu pengguna yang tidak memahami tingkat kesegaran daging. Di samping itu keterbatasan mata manusia memungkinkan kesalahan dalam menentukan daging merupakan daging segar atau tidak segar. Aplikasi yang dibuat akan mendeteksi kesegaran daging melalui warna dan tekstur daging, Data yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah citra daging sapi segar dan tidak segar yang diperoleh dari berbagai sumber. Metode pengolahan data meliputi praproses citra dilanjutkan dengan ekstraksi fitur. Fitur yang digunakan adalah fitur warna melalui perhitungan HIS serta fitur tekstur menggunakan metode Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM). Fitur warna dan tekstur tersebut selanjutnya diklasifikasikan ke dalam daging segar atau tidak segar menggunakan metode Naïve Bayes. Berdasarkan hasil pengujian, diperoleh nilai akurasi sebesar 92%. Penelitian ini diharapkan dapat memberikan kontribusi dalam pengembangan sistem untuk mendeteksi kualitas daging segar dan dapat membantu menginformasikan tentang kualitas daging bagi pengguna yang tidak memiliki pengetahuan tentang kesegaran daging.
Sistem Informasi Audit Penjaminan Standar Mutu Internal
Authors: Herpendi  , Agustian Noor  , Khairul Anwar Hafizd  , Fathurrahmani
Published: March 2024

Sistem yang berjalan saat ini proses audit AMI Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut (Politala) dilakukan dengan mengisi borang dengan Microsoft Office Word lalu dicetak untuk diserahkan kepada tim Auditor. Borang tersebut harus dilengkapi dengan dokumen-dokumen secara fisik yang akan diperiksa oleh Auditor. Saat proses audit selesai maka wajib auditor menulis Berita Acara Audit untuk ditanda tangani bersama. Namun berita acara ini ditulis dengan Microsoft Office Word lalu dicetak. Hal ini tentu berisiko dalam hal penyimpanan data dan efektifitas hingga efisiensi dalam tata kelola administrasi P4MP (Pengembangan Pembelajaran dan Penjaminan Mutu Pendidikan). Hal tersebut yang menjadi latar belakang penelitian ini yakni mengembangkan Sistem Informasi Audit Mutu Internal (SI AMI). Metode pengembangan sistem menggunakan model Prototype dan pengujian menggunakan Blackbox Testing. Sistem yang dibangun dirancang dengan Flowchart, ERD dan DFD serta dibangun dengan Framework Codeigniter serta SQL Server sebagai basis datanya. SI AMI berhasil  dibangun dan dilakukan pengujian menunjukkan hasil setiap fungsinya berjalan dengan baik (berhasil). Dari hasil uji validitas pada calon pengguna, jumlah respon tertinggi terdapat pada opsi Setuju untuk pernyataan bahwa SI AMI mempermudah pengarsipan, sehingga pencarian untuk keperluan akreditasi dan keperluan lainnya menjadi lebih sederhana dan mudah. Dengan sistem yang dibangun (SI AMI) dapat disimpulkan proses audit menjadi efektif dan efisien sebab data diambil secara otomatis dan terintegrasi dengan antar pengguna sehingga menjadikan data sinkron dari pengisian borang sampai berita acara AMI
Proton-sensing ion channels, GPCRs and calcium signaling regulated by them: implications for cancer
Authors: Ji Renhui , Chang Li , An Caiyan , Zhang Junjing
Published: March 2024

Extracellular acidification of tumors is common. Through proton-sensing ion channels or proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), tumor cells sense extracellular acidification to stimulate a variety of intracellular signaling pathways including the calcium signaling, which consequently exerts global impacts on tumor cells. Proton-sensing ion channels, and proton-sensing GPCRs have natural advantages as drug targets of anticancer therapy. However, they and the calcium signaling regulated by them attracted limited attention as potential targets of anticancer drugs. In the present review, we discuss the progress in studies on proton-sensing ion channels, and proton-sensing GPCRs, especially emphasizing the effects of calcium signaling activated by them on the characteristics of tumors, including proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, drug resistance, angiogenesis. In addition, we review the drugs targeting proton-sensing channels or GPCRs that are currently in clinical trials, as well as the relevant potential drugs for cancer treatments, and discuss their future prospects. The present review aims to elucidate the important role of proton-sensing ion channels, GPCRs and calcium signaling regulated by them in cancer initiation and development. This review will promote the development of drugs targeting proton-sensing channels or GPCRs for cancer treatments, effectively taking their unique advantage as anti-cancer drug targets.
Genome and evolution of Tibet orbivirus, TIBOV (genus Orbivirus, family Reoviridae)
Authors: Gao Tingting , Li Minghua , Liu Hong , Fu Shihong , Wang Huanyu , Liang Guodong
Published: March 2024

Tibet orbivirus (TIBOV) was first isolated from Anopheles maculatus mosquitoes in Xizang, China, in 2009. In recent years, more TIBOV strains have been isolated in several provinces across China, Japan, East Asia, and Nepal, South Asia. Furthermore, TIBOVs have also been isolated from Culex mosquitoes, and several midge species. Additionally, TIBOV neutralizing antibodies have been detected in serum specimens from several mammals, including cattle, sheep, and pigs. All of the evidence suggests that the geographical distribution of TIBOVs has significantly expanded in recent years, with an increased number of vector species involved in its transmission. Moreover, the virus demonstrated infectivity towards a variety of animals. Although TIBOV is considered an emerging orbivirus, detailed reports on its genome and molecular evolution are currently lacking. Thus, this study performed the whole-genome nucleotide sequencing of three TIBOV isolates from mosquitoes and midges collected in China in 2009, 2011, and 2019. Furthermore, the genome and molecular genetic evolution of TIBOVs isolated from different countries, periods, and hosts (mosquitoes, midges, and cattle) was systematically analyzed. The results revealed no molecular specificity among TIBOVs isolated from different countries, periods, and vectors. Meanwhile, the time-scaled phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of TIBOV appeared approximately 797 years ago (95% HPD: 16-2347) and subsequently differentiated at least three times, resulting in three distinct genotypes. The evolutionary rate of TIBOVs was about 2.12 × 10-3 nucleotide substitutions per site per year (s/s/y) (95% HPD: 3.07 × 10-5, 9.63 × 10-3), which is similar to that of the bluetongue virus (BTV), also in the Orbivirus genus. Structural analyses of the viral proteins revealed that the three-dimensional structures of the outer capsid proteins of TIBOV and BTV were similar. These results suggest that TIBOV is a newly discovered and rapidly evolving virus transmitted by various blood-sucking insects. Given the potential public health burden of this virus and its high infectious rate in a wide range of animals, it is significant to strengthen research on the genetic variation of TIBOVs in blood-feeding insects and mammals in the natural environment and the infection status in animals.
Case Report: A case of Kounis syndrome induced by iodine contrast agent during coronary angiography
Authors: Sun Yangliu , Zhang Jian
Published: March 2024

Kounis Syndrome (KS), a seldom-seen adverse reaction to iodine contrast agents, has an incidence that remains unclear. At present, there are no unified guidelines for managing KS either nationally or internationally. Ioversol, a new triiodinated hypotonic nonionic contrast agent, is commonly used in cardiovascular Computed Tomography (CT) and vascular imaging for diagnostic purposes. Its principal adverse reactions encompass fever, dermatological responses, convulsions, respiratory distress, hypersensitivity reactions including KS, and acute renal injury. This paper documents a case of KS induced by an iodine contrast agent during coronary angiography and, at the same time, searches for related literature and carries out a summary analysis in an attempt to provide a dependable reference for clinicians to make accurate diagnoses and treatments.
Severe COVID-19 and its cardiopulmonary effects 6 and 18 months after hospital discharge
Authors: Niebauer J. H. , Iscel A. , Schedl S. , Capelle C. , Kahr M. , Schamilow S. , Faltas J. , Srdits M. , Badr-Eslam R. , Lichtenauer M. , Zoufaly A. , Valenta R. , Hoffmann S. , Charwat-Resl S. , Krestan C. , Hitzl W. , Wenisch C. , Bonderman D.
Published: March 2024

Introduction

SARS-CoV-2 infection affects the cardiopulmonary system in the acute as well as long-term phase. The aim of the present study was to comprehensively assess symptoms and possible long-term impairments 6 and 18 months after hospitalization for severe COVID-19 infection.

Methods

This prospective registry included patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection requiring hospitalization. Follow-up approximately 6 months post discharge comprised a detailed patient history, clinical examination, transthoracic echocardiography, electrocardiogram, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI), chest computed tomography (CT) scan, pulmonary function test (PFT), six-minute walk test (6MWT) and a laboratory panel. At the time of the second follow-up visit at 18 months, patients without pathologic findings during the first study visit were contacted by phone to inquire about the course of their symptoms. In all other patients all initial examinations were repeated.

Results

Two hundred Patients, who were hospitalized for COVID-19, were contacted by phone and were recruited for the study. Due to dropouts the second study visit was performed in 170 patients. A comparison between the two study visits at 6 and 18 months post discharge showed the following results: Six months after discharge, 73% and 18 months after discharge 52% fulfilled the criteria for Long COVID with fatigue being the most common symptom (49%). Echocardiography at 6 months post discharge showed an impaired left ventricular function in 8% of which 80% returned to normal. Six months post discharge, cMRI revealed pericardial effusion in 17% which resolved in 47% of the 15 patients who underwent a control cMRI. Signs of peri- or myocarditis were present in 5% of the patients and were resolved in all 4 patients who attended control studies. At 6 months, chest CT scans identified post-infectious residues in 24%. In the 25 repeated chest CT scans 20% showed full recovery. Length of in-hospital stay was identified as a significant predictor for persisting Long COVID (95% CI: 1.005–1.12, p = 0.03).

Conclusion

Comparing 6 to 18 months, the prevalence of Long COVID decreased over time, but a high symptom burden remained. Structural and functional abnormalities were less frequent than the portrayed symptoms, and it thus remains a challenge to substantiate the symptoms.
The relationship between the Bay of Bengal summer monsoon retreat and early summer rainfall in East Asia
Authors: Li Qiuchi , Liu Lin , Yang Yang , Yang Guang , Duan Yongliang , Zeng Ai
Published: March 2024

As the upstream region of the Asian summer monsoon, the Bay of Bengal summer monsoon (BOBSM) system has impacts on rainfall patterns in East Asia. In this study, we investigate the impact of the interannual variability of the BOBSM retreat on China precipitation in early summer (June) of the following year. When the BOBSM retreat occurs earlier in the previous year, we find enhanced rainfall in both the northeastern and eastern parts of China. Conversely, when the retreat of the BOBSM is delayed in the previous year, there is a tendency for decreased rainfall in most of northeastern and eastern China, while rainfall in the northern part of the Taiwan island region tends to increase. Statistical analysis demonstrates the co-variability between China’s June precipitation anomalies and preceding wind anomalies in the eastern Bay of Bengal. The results indicate a strong relationship between the preceding BOBSM retreat and China precipitation anomalies in the following June. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that the BOBSM retreat is more of an independent signal rather than modulated by an Indian Ocean Dipole event.
Exploring the perspectives of cross-cultural instructors on integrating 21st century skills into EFL university courses
Authors: Alharbi Noof Saleh
Published: March 2024

Integrating 21st century skills, including communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking, into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university courses is imperative. This study adopts a tripartite focus: (1) investigating cross-cultural EFL instructors’ perspectives on challenges linked to infusing 21st century skills into Saudi EFL university courses; (2) identifying contributory factors underpinning these challenges; and (3) elucidating proposed strategies for embedding 21st century skills in selected Saudi EFL university classrooms. Using narrative inquiry as a research method, empirical data was garnered through semi-structured interviews involving thirty EFL instructors representing mixed-gender and eight nationalities across multiple Saudi universities. The findings underscore instructors’ affirmative disposition towards incorporating 21st century skills in EFL classes, despite entrenched academic, institutional, collegial, and student-centered obstacles. Furthermore, the findings spotlight diverse factors exacerbating these challenges, encompassing technological underpinning, temporal constraints, and the absence of robust assessment frameworks, dwindling student engagement, conventional pedagogic paradigms, and administrative complexities. Addressing these challenges necessitates a comprehensive approach characterized by faculty development, curricular realignment, seamless technology integration, collaborative learning ecosystems, student-centric pedagogies, and judicious evaluation mechanisms. Through adopting this holistic approach, educational stakeholders can effectively surmount the intricacies linked with 21st century skill integration, fostering an enriched educational milieu aligned with evolving global imperatives.
Unplanned revisits of older patients to the emergency department
Authors: Müller Jenny , Keller Dagmar I. , Slankamenac Ksenija
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Older patients currently represent up to 12%−24% of all emergency department (ED) visits. While increasing in number, they are also at high risk of revisits once discharged. The rate of ED revisits within 72 h is a key indicator of the quality of care in emergency medicine and varies between 1% and 15%. The reasons for ED revisits are natural course of illness, misdiagnosis, lack of homecare, and self-discharge against medical advice. However, the risk factors for ED revisits have not been fully investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the incidence of ED revisits and identify the risk factors for ED revisits within 72 h after ED discharge.

Methods

In this retrospective study, older patients (≥70 years) were consecutively enrolled if they presented with an Emergency Severity Index of 2 or 3 in a tertiary care ED in 2019, with discharge after the ED visit. The primary endpoint was the frequency of unplanned ED revisits within 72 h after ED discharge. The secondary endpoints were the reasons and potential risk factors for ED revisits. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used.

Results

A total of 592 older patients were enrolled, of whom 30 (5.1%) revisited the ED within 72 h. Gastrointestinal diagnosis [odds ratio (OR), 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04–8.2; p = 0.043) and nausea in particular (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.3–9.4; p = 0.016) were significant risk factors for ED revisits. Furthermore, discharge against medical advice (OR, 5.6; 95% CI, 1.7–18.1; p = 0.004) and ED presentation during the night (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2–6.1; p = 0.014) were significant risk factors for ED revisits within 72 h after discharge, respectively.

Conclusion

Although the frequency of ED revisits among older patients at 72 h after discharge tends to be low and most revisits were illness-related, all older patients need to be assessed for risk factors for ED revisits. Discharge should be carefully evaluated to improve patient safety and provide the best healthcare to this frail population.
Worldwide productivity and research trend of publications concerning SIAD: a bibliometric study
Authors: Wei Xiaodan , Pan Weiyuan , Lun Shaocong , Wu Yuexuan , Chen Yushi , Feng Taoshan , Liu Meilian , Chen Xiaoming
Published: March 2024

Background

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic(SIAD) occurs secondary to various diseases, which is characterised by hypotonic hyponatremia and impaired urinary diluting capacity. Research on SIAD in both domestic and international contexts has a long history. This study objectively and comprehensively analyses the research trends, hotspots and development of SIAD research of the past 20 years using the method of bibliometric analysis.

Methods

The 2003–2022 data in the Web of Science Core Collection database were searched. The Bibliometrix software package, VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to mine, extract and visualise the retrieved literature, and the generated maps were used in analysing the main topics and trends in the field of SIAD research.

Results

A total of 1215 articles published in 623 journals were included in the analysis, with a total of 18,886 citations. Results showed that the research output on SIAD has continuously increased in the past 20 years, and the United States had the highest number of publications and citations. Keywords with the highest burst strength in recent years were the most mentioned keywords, in addition to the search terms ‘hyponatremia’, ‘covid-19’, and ‘mortality’. Thus, the relationship among SIAD, covid-19 and mortality may become research frontiers and trends. Fifteen milestone articles were identified through co-citation analysis, which mainly focused on the pathophysiology and treatment of SIAD.

Conclusion

Based on bibliometric analysis and knowledge mapping, this study summarises development trends in the field of SIAD research, providing references for current and future research into SIAD.
Revisiting the mechanisms linking blood glucose to cognitive impairment: new evidence for the potential important role of klotho
Authors: Liu Xiangliang , Li Yuguang , Chen Xinqiao , Yin Hongmei , Li Fangqi , Chen Naifei , Cui Jiuwei , Li Wei
Published: March 2024

Background

The association between blood glucose and cognition is controversial. Klotho is an anti-aging protein with neural protective effects. This study aimed to use a population-based study to disentangle the relationship between blood glucose levels and cognitive function in older adults, and to explore the role of klotho in it.

Methods

A total of 1445 eligible participants from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 were included in our study. Cognitive function was assessed by Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) and categorized into four quartiles (Q1-Q4). General characteristics and laboratory test results including serum klotho concentration and blood glucose levels were collected. Associations of cognitive function and klotho levels with blood glucose concentrations were explored through multivariate linear regression models. Mediation models were constructed to figure out the mediating role of klotho.

Results

All three multivariate linear regression models showed a negative correlation between blood glucose and cognitive function. (Model 1, β=-0.149, 95%CI: -0.202,-0.096, p=0.001; Model 2, β=-0.116, 95%CI: -0.167,-0.065, p=0.001; Model 3, β=-0.007, 95%CI: -0.118,-0.023, p=0.003). Mediation analysis showed that klotho mediated the statistical association between blood glucose level and cognitive function with proportions (%) of 12.5.

Conclusion

Higher blood glucose levels are associated with poorer cognitive performance in non-diabetic older adults, partially mediated through lower klotho levels.
Sentinel protist taxa of the McMurdo Dry Valley lakes, Antarctica: a review
Authors: Morgan-Kiss Rachael M. , Popson Devon , Pereira Rochelle , Dolhi-Binder Jenna , Teufel Amber , Li Wei , Kalra Isha , Sherwell Shasten , Reynebeau Emily , Takacs-Vesbach Cristina
Published: March 2024

High-latitude meromictic lakes such as those in the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) harbor aquatic ecosystems dominated by the microbial loop. Within this habitat, which is limited year-round by light and nutrients, protists, or single celled eukaryotes, play outsized roles in the food web as the dominant primary producers and the apex predators. Thus, the MDV lake ecosystem represents an ideal system to study the role of sentinel protist taxa in carbon and nutrient cycling. The perennially ice-covered lakes are part of the McMurdo Long Term Ecological Research (McM LTER; mcmlter.org) established in 1993. In this review we will highlight the diversity and trophic roles of the MDV lake protist community and compare environmental factors driving spatiotemporal patterns in key protist taxa in two lakes within the McM LTER, Lakes Bonney and Fryxell. We will then discuss lessons learned from manipulated experiments on the impact of current and future climate-driven environmental change on sensitive protist taxa. Last, we will integrate knowledge gained from 25 years of lab-controlled experiments on key photosynthetic protists to extend our understanding of the function of these extremophiles within the MDV aquatic food webs. Our research group has studied the distribution and function of the MDV microbial community for nearly two decades, training the next generation of scientists to tackle future problems of these globally significant microbes. This review article will also highlight early career scientists who have contributed to this body of work and represent the future of scientific understanding in the Anthropocene.
Experience of pediatric to adult transition in immunology services: patient experience questionnaire and micro-costing analysis
Authors: King Catherine , Ridge Katie , Smyth James , Flinn Aisling M. , Leahy Timothy Ronan , Conlon Niall
Published: March 2024

The effective transition from pediatric to adult care for individuals with chronic medical conditions should address the medical, psychosocial and educational needs of the cohort. The views and experiences of service users and their families are an integral component of service development. This study sought to evaluate the current provision of transition services from pediatric immunology services to adult immunology services for patients with a diagnosis of an inborn error of immunity at St. James’s Hospital, Dublin. We gathered patient perspectives on the experience of the transition process using a structured survey. In addition, we adopted a micro-costing technique to estimate the cost of implementing the current standard of care for these patients. Results of a micro-costing analysis suggest that the most significant component of cost in assessing these patients is on laboratory investigation, an area where there is likely significant duplication between pediatric and adult care. Perspectives from patients suggested that the transition period went well for the majority of the cohort and that they felt ready to move to adult services, but the transition was not without complications in areas such as self-advocacy and medication management. The transition process may benefit from enhanced communication and collaboration between pediatric and adult services.
Gut microbiota’s causative relationship with peripheral artery disease: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Tian Yu , Yao Guanqun , Skudder-Hill Loren , Xu Guangyang , Qian Yuxuan , Tang Feng , Wang Qian , Bao Qianhui , Li Lei
Published: March 2024

Introduction

The relationship between gut microbiota and peripheral artery disease (PAD) remains understudied. While traditional risk factors like smoking and hyperlipidemia are well-understood, our study aims to determine the potential causative association of gut microbiota with PAD using Mendelian Randomization.

Methods

Data from the International MiBioGen Consortium and the FinnGen research project were used to study 211 bacterial taxa. Instrumental variables, comprising 2079 SNPs, were selected based on significance levels and linkage disequilibrium. Analyses were conducted utilizing the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method and other statistical MR techniques to mitigate biases, processed in R (v4.3.1) with the TwosampleMR package.

Results

Three bacterial taxa, namely genus Coprococcus2, RuminococcaceaeUCG004, and RuminococcaceaeUCG010, emerged as protective factors against PAD. In contrast, family. FamilyXI and the genus Lachnoclostridium and LachnospiraceaeUCG001 were identified as risk factors.

Conclusion

Our findings hint at a causative association between certain gut microbiota and PAD, introducing new avenues for understanding PAD’s etiology and developing effective treatments. The observed associations now warrant further validation in varied populations and detailed exploration at finer taxonomic levels.
Assessment and analysis of accents in air traffic control speech: a fusion of deep learning and information theory
Authors: Pan Weijun , Zhang Jian , Zhang Yumei , Jiang Peiyuan , Han Shuai
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Enhancing the generalization and reliability of speech recognition models in the field of air traffic control (ATC) is a challenging task. This is due to the limited storage, difficulty in acquisition, and high labeling costs of ATC speech data, which may result in data sample bias and class imbalance, leading to uncertainty and inaccuracy in speech recognition results. This study investigates a method for assessing the quality of ATC speech based on accents. Different combinations of data quality categories are selected according to the requirements of different model application scenarios to address the aforementioned issues effectively.

Methods

The impact of accents on the performance of speech recognition models is analyzed, and a fusion feature phoneme recognition model based on prior text information is constructed to identify phonemes of speech uttered by speakers. This model includes an audio encoding module, a prior text encoding module, a feature fusion module, and fully connected layers. The model takes speech and its corresponding prior text as input and outputs a predicted phoneme sequence of the speech. The model recognizes accented speech as phonemes that do not match the transcribed phoneme sequence of the actual speech text and quantitatively evaluates the accents in ATC communication by calculating the differences between the recognized phoneme sequence and the transcribed phoneme sequence of the actual speech text. Additionally, different levels of accents are input into different types of speech recognition models to analyze and compare the recognition accuracy of the models.

Result

Experimental results show that, under the same experimental conditions, the highest impact of different levels of accents on speech recognition accuracy in ATC communication is 26.37%.

Discussion

This further demonstrates that accents affect the accuracy of speech recognition models in ATC communication and can be considered as one of the metrics for evaluating the quality of ATC speech.
EEG-based finger movement classification with intrinsic time-scale decomposition
Authors: Degirmenci Murside , Yuce Yilmaz Kemal , Perc Matjaž , Isler Yalcin
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are systems that acquire the brain's electrical activity and provide control of external devices. Since electroencephalography (EEG) is the simplest non-invasive method to capture the brain's electrical activity, EEG-based BCIs are very popular designs. Aside from classifying the extremity movements, recent BCI studies have focused on the accurate coding of the finger movements on the same hand through their classification by employing machine learning techniques. State-of-the-art studies were interested in coding five finger movements by neglecting the brain's idle case (i.e., the state that brain is not performing any mental tasks). This may easily cause more false positives and degrade the classification performances dramatically, thus, the performance of BCIs. This study aims to propose a more realistic system to decode the movements of five fingers and the no mental task (NoMT) case from EEG signals.

Methods

In this study, a novel praxis for feature extraction is utilized. Using Proper Rotational Components (PRCs) computed through Intrinsic Time Scale Decomposition (ITD), which has been successfully applied in different biomedical signals recently, features for classification are extracted. Subsequently, these features were applied to the inputs of well-known classifiers and their different implementations to discriminate between these six classes. The highest classifier performances obtained in both subject-independent and subject-dependent cases were reported. In addition, the ANOVA-based feature selection was examined to determine whether statistically significant features have an impact on the classifier performances or not.

Results

As a result, the Ensemble Learning classifier achieved the highest accuracy of 55.0% among the tested classifiers, and ANOVA-based feature selection increases the performance of classifiers on five-finger movement determination in EEG-based BCI systems.

Discussion

When compared with similar studies, proposed praxis achieved a modest yet significant improvement in classification performance although the number of classes was incremented by one (i.e., NoMT).
Evidence based on Mendelian randomization and colocalization analysis strengthens causal relationships between structural changes in specific brain regions and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Shi Jiaying , Wang Zhaokun , Yi Ming , Xie Shengyu , Zhang Xinyue , Tao Dachang , Liu Yunqiang , Yang Yuan
Published: March 2024

Background

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord with a poor prognosis. Previous studies have observed cognitive decline and changes in brain morphometry in ALS patients. However, it remains unclear whether the brain structural alterations contribute to the risk of ALS. In this study, we conducted a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) and colocalization analysis to investigate this causal relationship.

Methods

Summary data of genome-wide association study were obtained for ALS and the brain structures, including surface area (SA), thickness and volume of subcortical structures. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the main estimate approach. Sensitivity analysis was conducted detect heterogeneity and pleiotropy. Colocalization analysis was performed to calculate the posterior probability of causal variation and identify the common genes.

Results

In the forward MR analysis, we found positive associations between the SA in four cortical regions (lingual, parahippocampal, pericalcarine, and middle temporal) and the risk of ALS. Additionally, decreased thickness in nine cortical regions (caudal anterior cingulate, frontal pole, fusiform, inferior temporal, lateral occipital, lateral orbitofrontal, pars orbitalis, pars triangularis, and pericalcarine) was significantly associated with a higher risk of ALS. In the reverse MR analysis, genetically predicted ALS was associated with reduced thickness in the bankssts and increased thickness in the caudal middle frontal, inferior parietal, medial orbitofrontal, and superior temporal regions. Colocalization analysis revealed the presence of shared causal variants between the two traits.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that altered brain morphometry in individuals with high ALS risk may be genetically mediated. The causal associations of widespread multifocal extra-motor atrophy in frontal and temporal lobes with ALS risk support the notion of a continuum between ALS and frontotemporal dementia. These findings enhance our understanding of the cortical structural patterns in ALS and shed light on potentially viable therapeutic targets.