bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Genoa Conference of 1922 Through the Eyes of Russian Anarchists
Authors: Damier Vadim
Published: May 2023

In the article the author examines the attitude of Russian anarchists and anarcho-syndicalists to the 1922 Genoa Conference and the participation of representatives of Soviet Russia in it. This subject has not received much coverage in the works of anarchism scholars, who have so far focused primarily on the study of the general stance of Russian anarchism towards the Soviet regime and the issue of the New Economic Policy, on the problem of anti-anarchist repressions in Russia and on the ideological and organisational processes in the Russian anarchist emigration. The author made it his task to identify the place that the critique of the “Genoa policy” of the Soviet government enjoyed in the ideological concepts and political work of the anarchists, and to trace the main line of their reasoning. The main source for this article was the original, mainly émigré, press of the Russian anarchists between 1922 and 1923.
The author demonstrates that the Russian anarchists' view of the Genoa Conference was primarily determined by ideological motives and their general analysis of the course and fate of the Russian Revolution itself. Being anti-statists, the anarchists had no particular conception of foreign policy and were indifferent to so-called state interests. The “Genoa policy” was perceived by them as a manifestation and confirmation of the new Bolshevik course, in which they saw an orientation towards restoring the positions of private capital within Russia itself and towards subordination to world capital on an international scale. Planned or real concessions on the part of the Soviet delegation at the Conference and repression of Russian anarchists and socialists were, in their eyes, two sides of the “Bolshevik counter-revolution”. The criticism of Bolshevism mounted by the anarchist emigration in connection with and after the Genoa Conference contributed to the demarcation in the international trade union revolutionary-syndicalist movement and the founding of the anarcho-syndicalist International.
Towards Rapallo: The Prospect of German-Soviet Rapprochement in the Conservative Opinion Journalism of Moeller van den Bruck
Authors: Artamoshin Sergey
Published: May 2023

In the article the author considers the problem of defining the political perspective of German-Soviet rapprochement from the perspective of one of the leading representatives of the Conservative Revolution in Germany, Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, and his assessment of the “Rapallo turn” of German policy during the Genoa Conference. He also explores the evolution of the conservative forces' views on the role and place of the communist movement in Germany and its relationship with Bolshevism and the Comintern. He examines aspects of political contacts between the political clubs of German Communists and Bolshevik emissaries in Berlin and the conservative association the June Club. The author analyses Soviet Bolshevism as the most likely partner in overcoming the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and explores the prospects for political cooperation between it and conservative forces. The supporters of the Conservative Revolution saw cooperation with Soviet Russia as a prerequisite for joint action against Poland, which met with understanding from the leadership of the German Reichswehr, led by Hans von Seeckt, who also sought the possibility of concerted action, which was rendered meaningless after the failure of the Red Army at Warsaw, yet laid the foundation for political rapprochement in the future. At the same time, the ongoing debate on political strategy between Arthur Moeller van den Bruck and Karl Radek exemplifies the dominance of the nationalist vision of the Conservative Revolution over the internationalist one, which was the hallmark of New Conservatism compared to the imperial conservative monarchism.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt: Two Pillars of the Middle East
Authors: Naumenko Tamara
Published: May 2023

In this study, the authors examines the relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Republic of Egypt through means of retrospective analysis. They pursue several objectives. First, to examine the particularities of the interaction between the two countries and to identify the main factors contributing to their cooperation. Secondly, to analyse reasons that impede the development of inter-state relations. There is a methodological approach used in this study, which aims to assess a country as a potential pole or centre of power, thereby identifying its potential to emerge as a competitive regional or global leader. The authors analyse the underlying factors that define these two countries as the “engine”, the “pillar” of the Mashriq and their impact on the situation in the macro-region. In addition, they establish a correlation between domestic political/economic developments and the aspirations of the countries in question to dominance within their sub-region by examining the transformation processes taking place in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The authors focus on the regional problems of the Middle East, the emerging lines of confrontation, and the main hotbeds of instability that influence the regrouping of forces among the key players. They argue that cooperation is a more effective mechanism than confrontation, which gives grounds to speak not about a struggle for leadership in the region, but about the possibility of creating a powerful coalition of the two powers.Relying on each other, they could become a “joint leader of the Middle East”, which in turn would satisfy the economic interests and political ambitions of these countries and stabilise the entire geopolitical landscape of the region.
These issues are addressed in a way that takes into account the involvement of global political actors interested in preserving the status quo in the region, which gives the subject not only a local but also an international dimension.
Photomath Applications for Learning Mathematics Analysis
Authors: Pikri Aulia Zakial , Yulia Putri , Putri Rahmi
Published: May 2023

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation of learning in schools underwent a change from face-to-face learning in class to online learning. One form of online defense that is carried out at SMPN 3 Sungaipuh is learning mathematics using the Photomath application. The purpose of this study was to determine the planning, implementation, evaluation and constraints encountered in learning Mathematics using the photomath application. This type of research use a descriptive qualitative analysis approach. Data collection techniques are observation, interviews, and documentation. The results of this study are that in implementing Mathematics learning assisted by the photomath application in solving Mathematics problems can be done in 4 stages, namely: (1) The planning stage, which starts from the stage in recognizing the photomath application and downloading it on the teacher's and students' android. (2) The stage of implementing the photomath application, which is the stage that starts from writing questions, taking photos and scanning questions, answering questions and solving steps in the photomath application, copying questions, working on practice questions, and evaluation/assessment, (3) Evaluation results Mathematics learning with the help of the photomath application has been going well as seen from the 20 grade VIII students of SMPN 3 Sungai Full who managed to solve the problems well as many as 15 people. (4) Constraints/weaknesses in using the photomath application are difficult for students who do not have an Android which will make students only copy answers. Based on the results of the research above, researchers suggest using the photomath application to help teachers teach students to answer sample questions quickly and in complete steps -the steps.
Development of Android-Based Mathematics Learning Media on Three Dimensional Subject Materials
Authors: Hawu Alfa Teni , Nggaba Mayun Erawati , Randjawali Erwin
Published: May 2023

This study aims to develop learning media products in the form of an android application called Geometry Learning to help students understand the concept of three dimensions. This research is included in the Research and Development (R&D) type using the ADDIE research development model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation). The development of this research is based on several assessments of the developed Android-based learning media. The assessment results given by material experts have an average percentage of 87% (very feasible), and the assessment given by media experts has an average percentage of 91% (very feasible). In addition, the students were also assessed with an average percentage of 96.6% (very decent), and the average percentage of the teacher's assessment was 81% (very decent). Thus, the application of learning media in the form of an android application is feasible to be used in the learning process.
Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm for Traveling Salesman Problem in Distributing Fertilizer
Authors: Hazizah Salsabillah , Lubis Riri Syafitri , Cipta Hendra
Published: May 2023

Fertilization sometimes takes a long time due to the selection of mileage traveled in fertilizer distribution and coupled with the condition of  plantation roads that are partially damaged. The path taken is usually only a path that is memorized and is considered the shortest and optimal. The journey from one location to another by considering the shortest path is included in the problem of graph theory. To determine the shortest path to be traversed, you can use the Ant Colony algorithm, because it is optimal in determining short distances and can measure the minimum accumulated travel time close to optimal. This is a Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) problem, which is visiting all location points starting from the starting point and ending at the starting point again. This research was conducted on oil palm plantations of PT. Socfindo Bangun Bandar in fertilizer distribution. The sample used is 6 location points which are then solved using the Ant Colony algorithm where this algorithm adopts the workings of ants to get the shortest route. The use of the Ant Colony algorithm in this case is limited to one cycle or one iteration (NC=1) so that the best route is obtained while the first cycle is the fertilizer warehouse (V1) to block 55 (V4) then block 63 (V6) to block 61 (V5) then block 51 (V2) to block 52 (V3) and back again to the fertilizer warehouse (V1), and from this route can be modified again to the opposite route with a distance of 15.71 km. Because the resulting distance is shorter than the usual route, this can speed up the time used by trucks to distribute fertilizer so that trucks can be used by workers to transport harvested palm fruit.
KEJAHATAN ELEKTRONIK DENGAN PEMASANGAN SKIMER PADA SISTEM TRANSAKSI MESIN ATM
Authors: Kartini Murtiningsih
Published: May 2023

The pace of improvement in internet technology will not only have a positive impact, but negative things will also appear as side effects including skimming crimes which are included in the form of cybercrime. Skimmer crime with the mode of installing tools on ATMs as a form of cybercrime crime and legal steps in overcoming the Crime of using information systems and electronic transactions. Through primary and secondary data developed and analyzed and reviewing Law Number 11 of 2008 and Law Number 16 of 2019 concerning Electronic Information and Transaction where it is known that the mode of operation of ATM electronic crimes as a form of cybercrime and the application of electronic information and transaction laws as an effort to overcome the crime of using information systems and electronic transactions.
KONTEKSTUALISASI NORMA FIKTIF POSITIF MENURUT UNDANG-UNDANG ADMINISTRASI PEMERINTAHAN
Authors: Wurid
Published: May 2023

The silence of the Government Administration as a Positive Fictitious Decision means thatif an Official and/or Government Agency ignores a request from a citizen, it is deemed to have granted the request. In Indonesia, Positive Fictitious Decisions have a place inlegislation. Law Number 30 of 2014 concerning Government Administration regulatesPositive Fictitious Decisions. This paper tries to explain the implementation of PositiveFictitious Decisions after the enactment of Law Number 30 of 2014 concerning Government Administration in the State Administrative Court.
PENGEMBALIAN ASET DAN PENJATUHAN HUKUMAN MATI PADA TINDAK PIDANA KORUPSI
Authors: Kusyandi Adi
Published: May 2023

Although it has the potential to restore state losses, in its implementation there are still legal issues regarding the obstacles to the confiscation of assets in corruption cases. Assets are a series of processes or stages starting from collecting information or intelligence, evidence, tracing assets, freezing and confiscation of assets, trial processes, implementing court decisions or decisions, to handing over assets to the state. Returning assets is the responsibility of all law enforcement agencies authorized to investigate or prosecute criminal acts of corruption, in this case, the Indonesian National Police, the Indonesian Attorney General's Office, and the Corruption Eradication Commission. This effort, saidAgustinus, is constrained by the difficulty of proving the relationship between assets and criminal acts because confiscation and confiscation as regulated in the Criminal Procedure Code and the Criminal Code are still property-based. "In terms of legal substance, there are several weaknesses, for example, the rules for confiscation based on the Criminal Procedure Code are constructed to prove criminal acts, not to return assets,"
KEBIJAKAN FISKAL NEGARA INDONESIA DALAM PERSPEKTIF EKONOMI ISLAM
Authors: Setiady Tri
Published: May 2023

Fiscal policy is defined as the policy action taken by the government, which is related to the opinion and spending of money. What is meant here is the management of state revenues and expenditures carried out by the government of a country. Indonesia's fiscal policy is reflected in the State Expenditure Opinion Budget (APBN). In the APBN, there is a government stipulation regarding the allocation and distribution of state finances. In Islamic countries, the management of state finances is handled by Bayt al-mal. Bayt al-Mal is the same as the Ministry of Finance which deals with financial matters and matters related to the state treasury. Even though Bayt al-mal was institutionally formed by the caliph 'Umar ibn Khattab. In fact, the country's fiscal policy was implemented during the time of the Prophet SAW. Al-Quran and as-Sunnah often allude to the country's fiscal policy. Among other things: the management of zakat by the state, collection of al-jizyah from the people of the book, the enactment of al-fay 'and al-ghanimah laws, as well as the Prophet's policy of public ownership.
POLA KEMITRAAN ANTARA PERUSAHAAN MODAL VENTURA DENGAN USAHA MIKRO KECIL DAN MENENGAH UNTUK MENINGKATKAN DAYA SAING USAHA
Authors: Fadhilah Meita
Published: May 2023

The government's efforts to overcome the difficulties of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) regarding funding have collided with collateral problems (the banking sector), namely with financing institutions. Financing institutions are believed to be one way to overcome the problems of companies that do not have sufficient assets as collateral for the proposed bank loans. One of the financing institutions that are friends of small entrepreneurs is venture capital or Venture Capital. In general, venture capital financing does not look at collateral belonging to the Business Partner Company. Therefore, Venture Capital Companies are also called long-term investments with the main objective and as compensation for the high risk of the investment is the acquisition of profit, not interest or dividend income
KEWENANGAN PEMERINTAH DAERAH TERHADAP ANTISIPASI PENGENDALIAN PERUBAHAN IKLIM KERUSAKAN LINGKUNGAN LAUT DI KABUPATEN INDRAMAYU DALAM REZIM SENTRALISASI
Authors: Kholik Saeful
Published: May 2023

Abstrak

Dampak perubahan iklim Di Indonesia salah satunya adalah naiknya permukaan air laut. Seperti contoh, di Kabupaten Indramyu yang meningkatkanya suhu permukaan air laut yang berakibatkan kerusakan lingkungan laut dan pesisir. Perlu adanya pengendalian adaptasi perubahan iklim, pemerintah daerah yang memiliki kewenangan dalam menetapkan kebijakan yang otoritatif dianggap mampu menyelesaikan permasalahan. Namun, dengan perubahan paradigma sistem dari desentralisasi ke sentralisasi merupakan kendala dalam mengharmonisasikan program-program pengendalian perubahan iklim. Oleh karena itu, temuan dalam hasil penelitian ini dikembalikanya kewenangan yang secara otoritatif terhadap pemerintah daerah. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah Yuridis-Normatif, yaitu suatu tata cara penelitian ilmiah agar menemukan suatu kabsahan berlandasakan logika dan filosofi keilmuan dari sisi normatifnya. Hasil penelitian membuktikan bahwa untuk efektifitas pengendalian perubahan iklim perlu adanya peranan pemerintah agar menjamin keterpaduan kewenangan program pemeritnah dari pusat sampai tingkat daerah. Serta, harmonisasi program-program untuk pengendalian perubahan iklim dapat melalui cara yaitu, pengefektifitaskan kewenangan pemerintah daerah, berfokus pada UNFCC serta pengurangan gas emisi, karbondioksida.
URGENSI KAJI ULANG REGULASI ANTI SLAPP TERHADAP PEJUANG KEADILAN LINGKUNGAN HIDUP
Authors: Paka Arsafina , Najicha Fatma Ulfatun
Published: May 2023

The polemic of environmental problems create an Anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participations (Anti-SLAPP) concept, as a solution to overcome the problem of removing public participation in the fight for environmental justice that has been regulated in Article 66 of Law Number 32 Year 2009 concerning The Protection and Management of The Environment. But in fact, that regulation doesn't guarantee legal protection and justice for all of the people, especially for the environmental activists. The issuance of Law Number 11 Year 2020 which changes the main elements related to the environment, provides an in-depth analysis space for author. Based on that, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the relevance of the Anti-SLAPP regulation and its implementation in realizing environmental justice, and the mechanism for strengthening the Anti-SLAPP regulation related to the issuance of Law Number 11 Year 2020. The method used in this paper is a juridicalnormative method with secondary data that were collected through literature study and journals. The result of the research and study is the Anti-SLAPP regulation in Law Number 32 Year 2009 concerning The Protection and Management of The Environment, as changed in Law Number 11 Year 2020 is inconsistent with the fact. Therefore, this problem requires improvements in terms of legal substance, structure, and culture in order to realize a comprehensive environmental justice.

Keywords : “Anti-SLAPP”, “Environmental justice”, “Strengthening regulation”.
Zur Bewertung verbaler und physischer Gewalt im Amateurfußball. Eine computergestützte qualitative Inhaltsanalyse am Beispiel von Sportgerichtsurteilen des Bayerischen Fußballverbandes
Authors: Koch Florian , Bernd Clemens
Published: May 2023

Bisherige Studien über verbale und/oder physische Gewalt im Amateurfußball und deren Bewertung durch Sportrichter*innen legten Ihren Fokus auf rassistisch/fremdenfeindlich motivierte Konflikte. Nicht untersucht wurden Einflussfaktoren sowohl bei der Ausübung als auch bei der Bewertung verbaler und/oder physischer Gewalt aus – weiter gefassten – menschenfeindlichen Motiven. Ziel dieses Artikels ist es daher einen Beitrag zu leisten diese Forschungslücke zu schließen. Dafür werden mittels einer qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse 25 ausgewählte saisonübergreifende Urteile aus den Jahren 2016 bis 2020 des Sportgerichts des Bayerischen Fußball-Verbands (BFV) softwaregestützt explorativ untersucht. Die Auswertung zeigt, dass Täter*innen und Opfer überwiegend männlich sind und sich Vorfälle verbaler und/oder physischer Gewalt zumeist bei Spielen der aktiven Herrenmannschaften ereigneten. Täter*innen waren dabei zumeist Trainer*innen/Betreuer*innen, gefolgt von Spieler*innen und Fans. Zudem hierarchisierten Sportrichter*innen verbale und/oder physische Gewalt. Während behindertenfeindlich motivierte verbale und/oder physische Gewalt milde bestraft wurde und bei sexistisch motivierter Gewalt nahezu gleichverteilt leichte/mittelschwere bzw. schwere/schwerste Strafen verhängt wurden, sprachen Sportgerichte des BFVs bei rassistisch/fremdenfeindlich motivierter verbaler und/oder physischer Gewalt mehrheitlich schwere/schwerste Strafen aus. Zukünftig sollte der BFV daher darauf achten, dass neben den bereits durchgeführten Präventionskampagnen und Anti-Gewalt-Kursen, die hauptsächlich auf Spieler*innen und Trainer*innen/Betreuer*innen abzielen, auch Kurse/Seminare angeboten werden, die gezielt für Amateurschiedsrichter*innen und/oder Sportrichter*innen konzipiert werden, um eine unterschiedliche Bewertung verbaler und/oder physischer Gewalt, die auf menschenfeindliche Einstellungen schließen lassen, zu vermeiden.
Information-seeking dialogue for explainable artificial intelligence: Modelling and analytics
Authors: Stepin Ilia , Budzynska Katarzyna , Catala Alejandro , Pereira-Fariña Martín , Alonso-Moral Jose M.
Published: May 2023

Explainable artificial intelligence has become a vitally important research field aiming, among other tasks, to justify predictions made by intelligent classifiers automatically learned from data. Importantly, efficiency of automated explanations may be undermined if the end user does not have sufficient domain knowledge or lacks information about the data used for training. To address the issue of effective explanation communication, we propose a novel information-seeking explanatory dialogue game following the most recent requirements to automatically generated explanations. Further, we generalise our dialogue model in form of an explanatory dialogue grammar which makes it applicable to interpretable rule-based classifiers that are enhanced with the capability to provide textual explanations. Finally, we carry out an exploratory user study to validate the corresponding dialogue protocol and analyse the experimental results using insights from process mining and argument analytics. A high number of requests for alternative explanations testifies the need for ensuring diversity in the context of automated explanations.
Isokinetic strength assessment of trunk muscle and its relationship with spinal-pelvic parameters in patients with degenerative spinal deformity
Authors: Chen Can , Yang Sen , Tang Yong , Zhang Chengmin , Yu Xueke , Li Kai , Chen Chunhua , Dai Wei , Rong Zhigang , Luo Fei
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND: The incidence rate of degenerative spinal deformity (DSD) has gradually increased in the elderly. Currently, the relationship between the functional status of trunk muscle and the spinal-pelvic parameters of DSD patients remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to explore the relationship between the two factors and provide new clues for exploring the mechanism of the occurrence and development of DSD. METHODS: A total of 41 DSD patients treated in our hospital (DSD group) and 35 healthy volunteers (control group) were selected. Muscle strength was evaluated using an IsoMed-2000 isokinetic dynamometer, and the trunk flexor and extensor peak torque (PT) of subjects was measured at a low, medium, and high angular velocity of 30∘/s, 60∘/s, and 120∘/s, respectively. Hand grip strength (HGS) was assessed using an electronic grip dynamometer and Surgimap software was used to measure the spinal-pelvic parameters, including the sagittal vertical axis (SVA), thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL), sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT), pelvic incidence rate (PI), and PI-LL, and the relationship between trunk muscle function and various parameters was analyzed. RESULTS: Under the three angular velocities, the flexor and extensor PT values in the DSD group were lower than those in the control group, and only the extensor PT showed a statistically significant difference (P< 0.05). There was no significant difference in HGS between the two groups (P> 0.05). In the DSD group, the extensor PT at 30∘/s was significantly negatively correlated with SVA (P< 0.05). At 60∘/s and 120∘/s, the extensor PT was significantly negatively correlated with SVA and PT (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Trunk extensor strength is significantly lower in DSD patients than in normal controls. The decline in trunk extensor strength in DSD patients is a type of local muscle dysfunction more closely related to the deformity, which is likely involved in the compensatory mechanism of DSD and may reflect the overall imbalance of the trunk.
Prognostic impact of MICALL1 and associates with immune infiltration in liver hepatocellular carcinoma patients
Authors: Yang Yixing , Zhao Weizhen , Du Jun , Wang Yueyuan
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND: Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) is one of the most malignancy over the world. Previous studies have proven that Molecules Interacting with CasL-Like 1 (MICALL1) participated in cellular trafficking cascades, while there has no study to explore the function and carcinogenic mechanism MICALL1 in LIHC. METHODS: We aimed to investigate the relationship between MICALL1 mRNA expression and LIHC using TCGA database. The expression of MICALL1 protein in clinic samples were examined by UALCAN database. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Logistic regression and Cox regression were performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of MICALL1. The MICALL1-binding protein were built by the STRING tool. Enrichment analysis by GO, KEGG and GSEA was used to explore possible function of MICALL1. The ssGSEA method was used to investigate the association between MICALL1 expression and the immune infiltration level in LIHC. RESULTS: The expression and prognostic value of different MICAL family members in LIHC were evaluated. The expression of MICALL1 was significantly increased at both the transcript and protein levels in LIHC tissues. Further, the LIHC patients with high MICALL1 levels showed a worse OS, DSS and PFI. Some clinicopathologic features were identified to be related to MICALL1 expression in LIHC included clinical T stage, pathologic stage, histologic grade and AFP concentration. Univariate and multivariate survival analysis showed that MICALL1 was an independent prognostic marker for OS and DSS. Further enrichment analysis revealed that the K-RAS, TNFα/NF-κB and inflammatory response were significantly enriched in the high MICALL1 expression group. Immune infiltration analysis showed that high MICALL1 expression was correlated with infiltration level of macrophage cells, Th2 cells and some other immune cell types, including TFH. CONCLUSIONS: MICALL1 expression was significantly associated with immune cell infiltration and may regarded as a promising prognostic biomarker for LIHC patients.
Connected system for monitoring electrical power transformers using thermal imaging
Authors: Segovia F. , Ramírez J. , Salas-Gonzalez D. , Illán I.A. , Martinez-Murcia F.J. , Rodriguez-Rivero J. , Leiva F.J. , Gaitan C. , Górriz J.M.
Published: May 2023

The stable supply of electricity is essential for the industrial activity and economic development as well as for human welfare. For this reason, electrical system devices are equipped with monitoring systems that facilitate their management and ensure an uninterrupted operation. This is the case of electrical power transformers, which usually have monitoring systems that allow early detection of anomalies in order to prevent potential malfunctions. These monitoring systems typically make use of sensors that are in physical contact with the transformer devices and can therefore be affected by transformer problems. In this work we demonstrate a monitoring system for electrical power transformers based on temperature measurements obtained by means of thermal cameras. Properly positioned, the cameras provide thermal data of the transformer, the incoming and outgoing lines and their surroundings. Subsequently, by appropriate image processing, it is possible to obtain temperature series to monitor the transformer operation. In addition, the system stores and processes thermal data in external equipment (placed in locations other than the transformers) and is equipped with a communications module that allows secure data transmission independent of the power grid. This aspect, along with the fact that there is no need to have physical contact with the transformer, make this approach safer and more reliable than standard approaches based on sensors. The proposed system has been evaluated in 14 stations belonging to the Spanish power grid, obtaining accurate and reliable temperature time series.
Modified Euclidean-Canberra blend distance metric for kNN classifier
Authors: Sandhu Gaurav , Singh Amandeep , Lamba Puneet Singh , Virmani Deepali , Chaudhary Gopal
Published: May 2023

In today’s world different data sets are available on which regression or classification algorithms of machine learning are applied. One of the classification algorithms is k-nearest neighbor (kNN) which computes distance amongst various rows in a dataset. The performance of kNN is evaluated based on K-value and distance metric used, where K is the total count of neighboring elements. Many different distance metrics have been used by researchers in literature, one of them is Canberra distance metric. In this paper the performance of kNN based on Canberra distance metric is measured on different datasets, further the proposed Canberra distance metric, namely, Modified Euclidean-Canberra Blend Distance (MECBD) metric has been applied to the kNN algorithm which led to improvement of class prediction efficiency on the same datasets measured in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score for different values of k. Further, this study depicts that MECBD metric use led to improvement in accuracy value 80.4% to 90.3%, 80.6% to 85.4% and 70.0% to 77.0% for various data sets used. Also, implementation of ROC curves and auc for k= 5 is done to show the improvement is kNN model prediction which showed increase in auc values for different data sets, for instance increase in auc values from 0.873 to 0.958 for Spine (2 Classes) dataset, 0.857 to 0.940, 0.983 to 0.983 (no change), 0.910 to 0.957 for DH, SL and NO class for Spine (3 Classes) data set and 0.651 to 0.742 for Haberman’s data set.
Effect of force adjustment modalities on characteristics for force generation and relaxation
Authors: Ohtaka Chiaki , Fujiwara Motoko
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND:

The systematic characteristics of force generation and relaxation have been investigated using a graded isometric task for several target levels and magnitudes in the upper and lower limb. However, whether a relaxation modality affects the accuracy or speed of grading remains unclear. In addition, speed characteristics are still unclear in both force generation and relaxation modalities.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the effect of force adjustment modalities on force generation and relaxation characteristics.

METHODS:

Participants were instructed to match a target force level as quickly and as accurately as possible under peak and keep adjustment modalities. The force generation task was increased from 10% to 30%, 50%, and 70% of the maximum voluntary force (MVF). The force relaxation task was decreased from 70% to 50%, 30%, and 10% MVF. The recorded force was analyzed. Errors in reproduction were computed in both modalities and target levels of force.

RESULTS:

The errors of the peak adjustment modality were greater than those of the keep adjustment modality in both tasks. The reaction time was longer with the peak adjustment modality than with the keep adjustment modality in both tasks.

CONCLUSION:

Speed was affected by the choice of adjustment modality.
Boswellic Acids Improve Clinical Cognitive Scores and Reduce Systemic Inflammation in Patients with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Karima Saeed , Aghamollaii Vajiheh , Mahmoodi Baram Somayeh , Balenci Laurent , Lanctôt Krista L. , Kiss Alex , Tafakhori Abbas , Mahdavi Meisam , Rajaei Shima , Shateri Somayeh , Yarhoseini Amir , Mokhtari Farzad , Fotouhi Akbar , Riazi Ali
Published: May 2023

Background:

Recent therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have had limited success. Considering the association of neuroinflammation with AD symptoms as demonstrated in multiple studies, assessment of the clinical efficacy of molecules that reduce systemic or brain inflammation is warranted.

Objective:

This clinical trial assessed whether boswellic acids can improve cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms while reducing inflammation in AD patients.

Methods:

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, study was conducted on 85 AD patients randomized to boswellic acids (K-Vie™ as the main ingredient in Memowell™) or placebo for 6 months. Clinical Dementia Rating–Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were compared to baseline and between groups and constituted the co-primary clinical efficacy endpoints. Secondary outcomes included neuropsychiatric assessment (Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire, NPI-Q) and assessment of AD and inflammation biomarkers.

Results:

Patients on K-Vie™ showed a 3.1- and 1.6-unit improvement in MMSE and CDR-SOB scores, respectively, when compared to patients on placebo. NPI-Q analysis revealed significant improvement in the K-Vie™ but not in the placebo group. Only mild gastrointestinal side effects were reported in a few patients. Patients on K-Vie™ showed improvement in plasma AD biomarkers and reduction of key inflammatory cytokines including IL-6 and TNF.

Conclusion:

Our results support the positive cognitive effects of boswellic acids by reducing the systemic inflammation.
Associations of Leisure Activities and Sleep Duration with Cognitive Function: A Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study of Chinese Old Adults
Authors: Yang Haimei , Gao Xia , Lian Yan , Wu Tingting , Yang Zongming , Wu Qianrong
Published: May 2023

Background:

Leisure activities and sleep duration are correlated and have been linked to cognitive function, but most studies have examined only one of these factors.

Objective:

To investigate the independent and joint associations of leisure activities and sleep duration with cognitive function among older adults.

Methods:

We included 7,796 participants aged≥65 years from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey during 2008–2018 (waves 5–8). Self-reported leisure activities and sleep duration were assessed at baseline, and cognitive function was measured repeatedly using the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at baseline and during follow-up. We used linear mixed models to estimate regression coefficients (β) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results:

The median follow-up duration was 5.77 years. After adjusting for each other and potential confounders, both lower leisure activity score (each 1-point decrease β= –0.33, 95% CI: –0.36 to –0.30) and longer sleep duration (each 1-hour increase β= –0.17, 95% CI: –0.22 to –0.11) were independently associated with lower MMSE score. Furthermore, we observed an additive interaction between leisure activities and sleep duration ( pinteraction < 0.001). A combination of low leisure activity score and long sleep duration was strongly associated with decreased MMSE score (β= –2.51, 95% CI: –2.85 to –2.16) compared with the group with combined high leisure activity score and normal sleep duration.

Conclusion:

Both leisure activities and sleep duration were independently associated with cognitive function. Moreover, the combination of leisure inactivity and prolonged sleep duration predicted worse cognitive function (a preclinical hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease) in an additive manner.
Urinary Incontinence in a Community-Based Autopsy Cohort Is Associated with Limbic Predominant Age-Related TDP-43 Encephalopathy Neuropathologic Changes
Authors: Di Jing , Nelson Ruth S. , Jicha Gregory A. , Moga Daniela C. , Barber Justin M. , Cykowski Matthew D. , Fardo David W. , Abner Erin L. , Nelson Peter T.
Published: May 2023

Background:

Dementia and urinary incontinence (UI) are etiologically complex clinical syndromes. Dementia and UI often occur in the same individuals, but underlying factors connecting them are incompletely understood.

Objective:

Query data from a community-based autopsy series to assess pathologies that underlie UI.

Methods:

Included research subjects came to autopsy from the University of Kentucky Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center longitudinal cohort. A total of 368 research volunteers met inclusion criteria for this cross-sectional study. The average age at death was 85.3 years and the average number of annual clinic visits was 5.2 visits. Statistical models were run to evaluate which pathologies were associated with UI. Data included pathologies scored according to conventional stage-based systems, and these studies were complemented by quantitative digital neuropathology.

Results:

Dementia was diagnosed at the final clinical visit in 208 (56.7% of the sample) and UI was documented in 156 (42.7%). UI was associated with depression and dementia (both p < 0.001). More women than men had a history of UI ( p < 0.04), and women with UI had had more biological children than those without UI ( p < 0.005). Participants with limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic changes (LATE-NC) were more likely to have UI than those without LATE-NC ( p < 0.001). The presence of LATE-NC (Stage > 1) was associated with UI with or without severe Alzheimer’s disease neuropathologic changes and/or Lewy body pathology.

Conclusion:

In this community-based autopsy cohort, multiple factors were associated with UI, but the neuropathologic change most robustly associated with UI was LATE-NC.
A new hybrid method of recurrent reinforcement learning and BiLSTM for algorithmic trading
Authors: Huang Yuling , Song Yunlin
Published: May 2023

Recently, the algorithmic trading of financial assets is rapidly developing with the rise of deep learning. In particular, deep reinforcement learning, as a combination of deep learning and reinforcement learning, stands out among many approaches in the field of decision-making because of its high performance, strong generalization, and high fitting ability. In this paper, we attempt to propose a hybrid method of recurrent reinforcement learning (RRL) and deep learning to figure out the algorithmic trading problem of determining the optimal trading position in the daily trading activities of the stock market. We adopt deep neural network (DNN), long short-term memory neural network (LSTM), and bidirectional long short-term memory neural network (BiLSTM) to automatically extract higher-level abstract feature information from sequential trading data, respectively, and then generate optimal trading strategies by interacting with the environment in a reinforcement learning framework. In particular, the BiLSTM consisting of two LSTM models with opposite directions is able to make full use of the information from both directions in attempting to capture more effective information. In experiments, the daily data of Dow Jones, S&P500, and NASDAQ (from Jan-01, 2005 to Dec-31, 2020) are applied to verify the performance of the newly proposed DNN-RL, LSTM-RL, and BiLSTM-RL trading systems. Experimental results show that the proposed methods significantly outperform the benchmark methods, such as RRL and Buy and Hold, with higher scalability and better robustness. Especially, BiLSTM-RL performs better than other methods.
Application of deep learning in civil engineering: boosting algorithms for predicting strength of concrete
Authors: Xie Canrong , Wang Jianjun , Wu Zhiwen , Nie Shaojun , Hu Yichan , Huang Sheng
Published: May 2023

Machine learning (ML) has been applied in civil engineering to predict the compressive strength of concrete with high accuracy. In this paper, five boosting ensemble algorithms, i.e., XGBoost, AdaBoost, GBDT, LightGBM, and CatBoost, were used to predict the compressive strength of high-performance concrete (HPC). The models were evaluated using performance indicators such as R2, root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE). The results showed that the CatBoost model had the highest accuracy with a R2 (0.970) and a RMSE (2.916). The prediction accuracy of the model was increased through hyperparameter optimization, which got a higher with a R2 (0.975) and a RMSE (2.863). Meanwhile, the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was used to explain the output results of the optimal model (CatBoost), which generated explainable insights that further revealed the complex relationship between the prediction model parameters. The results showed that AGE, W/B, and W/C had the most impact on high-performance concrete compressive strength (HPCCS) prediction, which was similar to the results of sensitivity analysis. This study provided a theoretical basis and technical guidance for developing the mix design of a new high-performance concrete (HPC) system. In the future, the interpretable results of the model output should be iteratively checked and validated in the actual laboratory in order to provide guidance for engineering practice.
Assuring quality in the new data ecosystem: Mind the gap between data and statistics!
Authors: Reister Matthias
Published: May 2023

Drawing on recent work to develop the United Nations National Quality Assurance Frameworks Manual for Official Statistics to respond to the new data ecosystem, this paper addresses three important questions now facing the statistical community: (1) How can official statistics assure the quality of data from administrative and other sources? (2) Can the quality assurance framework for official statistics be applied to data as opposed to statistics? (3) What other implications does the difference between data and statistics have for the role of official statistics in the new data ecosystem? The paper argues that statistical offices should strongly support the establishment of national data stewards but should not take on such a role themselves. Mixing responsibilities for data and official statistics risks both undermining official statistics and not doing justice to the need to develop data as an asset in a responsible way.
Engineering user-centered explanations to query answers in ontology-driven socio-technical systems
Authors: Teze Juan Carlos L. , Paredes Jose Nicolas , Martinez Maria Vanina , Simari Gerardo Ignacio
Published: May 2023

The role of explanations in intelligent systems has in the last few years entered the spotlight as AI-based solutions appear in an ever-growing set of applications. Though data-driven (or machine learning) techniques are often used as examples of how opaque (also called black box) approaches can lead to problems such as bias and general lack of explainability and interpretability, in reality these features are difficult to tame in general, even for approaches that are based on tools typically considered to be more amenable, like knowledge-based formalisms. In this paper, we continue a line of research and development towards building tools that facilitate the implementation of explainable and interpretable hybrid intelligent socio-technical systems, focusing on features that users can leverage to build explanations to their queries. In particular, we present the implementation of a recently-proposed application framework (and make available its source code) for developing such systems, and explore user-centered mechanisms for building explanations based both on the kinds of explanations required (such as counterfactual, contextual, etc.) and the inputs used for building them (coming from various sources, such as the knowledge base and lower-level data-driven modules). In order to validate our approach, we develop two use cases, one as a running example for detecting hate speech in social platforms and the other as an extension that also contemplates cyberbullying scenarios.
The role of therapist-patient relationships in facilitating engagement and adherence in upper extremity rehabilitation
Authors: Loomis Katherine J. , Roll Shawn C. , Hardison Mark E.
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND: Active patient engagement and adherence are essential for successful rehabilitation outcomes, particularly in complex cases such as work-related musculoskeletal injuries. Although the therapist-patient relationship is a significant component of successful care coordination, there has been limited examination of this relationship within upper extremity musculoskeletal rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: To explore therapists’ perspectives on how the therapist-patient relationship intersects with engagement and adherence in the provision of holistic and collaborative rehabilitation services. METHODS: Data were collected from four therapists over three months. Descriptive statistics were generated from the Sport Injury Rehabilitation Adherence Scale (SIRAS) and the Rehabilitation Therapy Engagement Scale (RTES) completed by therapists following visits from a sub-sample of patients (n = 14). Weekly semi-structured group interviews (n = 13) were analyzed using an iterative grounded theory-informed process. Emerging themes were identified, refined, and situated within the context of quantitative results. RESULTS: SIRAS scores averaged 14.4 (SD: 1.0) and RTES scores averaged 42.5 (SD: 3.5), indicating high perceived patient engagement and adherence. Four themes emerged from therapist interviews: (1) dynamic power; (2) co-constructed engagement; (3) emotional states; (4) complementary therapy contexts. CONCLUSION: In this engaged and adherent setting, therapist-patient relationships were complex and intimate, and extended beyond education and physical interventions. Careful management of this relationship was central to active patient participation and engagement. Incorporating holistic techniques may provide more structure for managing and communicating these aspects of care. These findings provide a preliminary understanding of the impact of therapeutic relationships on engagement and collaborative care.
Ergonomics in online education of medical undergraduates: A challenge to post-COVID transformation in educational activities
Authors: Malshani Wishmila , Weerakoon Harshi , Weerakoon Kosala
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND: Practicing incorrect postures in online and virtual education during the COVID-19 pandemic can cause significant study-related musculoskeletal problems among students. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the knowledge, attitude, and practice of sitting posture and computer ergonomics and study-related musculoskeletal problems in undergraduates who followed online education during the pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey among a cohort of Sri Lankan medical undergraduates was conducted using a structured questionnaire with 56 multiple-choice or Yes/No type questions. RESULTS: Of the 410 participants, over 85% (n = 362) knew the correct posture to sit on the chair type that they frequently used for studies. However, the majority (n = 378,92.20%) practised incorrect sitting postures in which leaning forward (n = 319,77.80%) was the most common suboptimal posture. Knowledge (n = 161,40%) and practice (n = 167,40.73%) on taking frequent breaks were poor among the majority. Their knowledge on computer ergonomics was good (>80%, n = 304) except for the recommended eye-to-screen distance (n = 129,31.46%). Importantly, ∼50% (n = 206) did not practise the recommended eye-to-screen distance. Use of non-adjustable chairs with no armrests (n = 346,84.39%) and smartphones (n = 354,86.34%) were identified as the main factors which hindered correct practices. Study-related pain/discomfort reported by the majority (n = 241,58.78%) is potentially due to suboptimal ergonomics. Their attitude toward learning and practicing correct ergonomics in home workstations was good (n = 383,93.41%). CONCLUSION: Poor practice of posture and computer ergonomics, despite the good knowledge and attitude is possibly due to the suboptimal work environments. Introducing simple practical measures to facilitate ergonomically appropriate work environments is mandatory in virtual education to prevent study-related musculoskeletal problems.