bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy versus Video-Assisted Lobectomy for Operable Stage I Non-small-cell Lung Cancer: Study Protocol for an Emulated Target Trial
Authors: Bedir Ahmed , Hassan Lamiaa , Wittenberg Ian , Müller Jörg Andreas , Oesterling Florian , Stang Andreas , Vordermark Dirk , Medenwald Daniel
Published: April 2024

Background:Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy is a commonly employed surgical technique for the management of operable early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This procedure however, is dependent upon the patient's ability to tolerate surgery. In light of this, stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) has emerged as a viable alternative treatment strategy for patients who are inoperable or who refuse surgery. Considering the lack of randomized controlled trials and the increased risk of bias in observational cohort studies, this study protocol proposes an emulated target trial design to investigate the causal effect of SABR, in comparison to VATS, on overall survival in operable early stage NSCLC patients.
Methods:Data on NSCLC patients will be collected from German cancer registry data linked with university hospital records. This study protocol was developed using the target trial methodology outlined by Hernan et al. The protocol establishes specific parameters for key trial components in order to mitigate bias in the analysis of observational data and to facilitate the calculation of causal estimands. The target trial design that would be emulated is a multicenter open-label two-parallel arm superiority randomized trial. Mediators and confounding variables were determined through the use of a directed acyclic graph. The statistical analysis aims to measure the per-protocol and intention to treat effect of SABR versus VATS within three months of diagnosis, on survival, through the difference in restricted mean survival times, using weighted nonparametric Kaplan-Meier curves.
Discussion:By using retrospective data and emulating RCT principles, our study aims to overcome limitations of previous research and provide more reliable insights into the effectiveness of SABR versus VATS.
Pseudopregnancy in Murciano-Granadina dairy goats in Iran: Prevalence, risk factors and treatment
Authors: Baghbadorani Maziar Kaveh , Hasanvand Abdolrahman Kazemi , Lotfollahzadeh Samad , Khabazan Hadi , Hajimohammadi Bahnam
Published: April 2024

This study was conducted in a large industrial Murciano-Granadina dairy goat farm, aiming to investigate prevalence, risk factors and cure rate of pseudopregnancy. Bred does (N = 1310) were examined by Ultrasonography, around 40 days after exposure to bucks. The relationships between age, parity, milk production, season, and prevalence of pseudopregnancy were analyzed. In the second part of the study, two groups of affected does (n = 12) were treated by two intramuscular injections of cloprostenol sodium (250 µg per animal) 11 days apart, or received the same treatment regimen together with procaine penicillin (20000IU/Kg) and dihydrostreptomycin (20 mg/Kg) for three consecutive days, from the time of diagnosis. The prevalence of pseudopregnancy was 9%. The average age of the diseased goats was higher (P = 0.05) compared to non-affected does. The prevalence of pseudopregnancy varied between different age groups (P = 0.0003) and parities (P < 0.0001). A different prevalence of pseudopregnancy was found between different milk production groups (P < 0.0001). Comparing milk production between normal and diseased does showed tended significance, (P = 0.07). The prevalence of pseudopregnancy was similar in and out of the breeding season. Moreover, the cure rate in the first and second treatment group was 66.8% (8/12), and 75% (9/12), respectively (P = 0.6). In conclusion, despite higher prevalence of pseudopregnancy in certain ages and milk production groups, no significant trend by increasing age and milk production group was found. Moreover, adding antibiotic to prostaglandin treatment regimen, failed to significantly improve cure rate and post treatment pregnancy rate.
A qualitative study of the spirituality of volunteers registered for human organ donation
Authors: Zhao Yueyan , Miao Qunfang , Qiu Lingjing , Hu Tingting
Published: April 2024

Background:Exploring the spiritual cognition of human organ donation registration volunteers, aiming to provide new ideas for promoting the development of organ donation through this perspective.
Methods:This qualitative research was conducted following the conventional content analysis method. 10 registered volunteers for human organ donation were selected from July to December 2023 for face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Snowball sampling was employed to select the participants. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted for data gathering. Theoretical saturation was achieved through 10 interviews. Colaizzi phenomenological 7-step analysis method was used to analyze the interview content.
Results:The spirituality of registered volunteers for human organ donation can be summarized into three themes and seven sub themes: ① Spiritual Understanding (Love & Life Extension, Dedication to society, Death elevates life); ② The Supporting Role of Spirituality (Become a spiritual motivation for a better life , self-transcendence ); ③ The Spiritual Emotional Value of Organ Donation (Sense of accomplishment and pride, Sense of complexity and ambivalence)
Conclution:The willingness to donate organs is closely related to spirituality. By understanding the spirituality of this group, it is possible to take an important step in promoting the development of organ donation.
Adiabatic modulation of driving protocols in periodically driven quantum systems
Authors: Murali Ashwin , Sarkar Tapomoy Guha , Bandyopadhyay Jayendra N.
Published: April 2024

We consider a periodically driven system where the high-frequency driving protocol consists of a sequence of potentials switched on and off at different instants within a period. The possibility of introducing an adiabatic modulation of the driving protocol is investigated by considering a slow evolution of the instants when the sequence of potentials is switched on/off. By assuming that the slow and fast timescales in the problem can be decoupled, we derive the stroboscopic (effective) Hamiltonian for a four-step driving sequence up to the first order in perturbation theory and apply this approach to a rigid rotor, where the adiabatic modulation of the driving protocol is chosen to produce an evolving emergent magnetic field that interacts with the rotor's spin. The emergence of diabolical points and diabolical loci in the parameter space of the effective Hamiltonian is examined. Further, we study the topological properties of the maps of the adiabatic paths in the parameter space to the eigenspace of the effective Hamoiltonian. In effect, we obtain a technique to tune the topological properties of the eigenstates by selecting various adiabatic evolutions of the driving protocol characterized by different paths in the parameter space.
The Intra-well and Inter-well Dynamics of the Unsymmetric Bistable Composite Laminated Shells
Authors: Dong Ting , Cao Dongxing , Ma Wensai , Li Ting , Jiang Xin
Published: April 2024

In this paper, the theoretical shell model of the bistable unsymmetric composite laminates is elucidated, elaborating the intra-well and inter-well dynamics. Deploying initial displacements delivered by the bistable plate model and utilizing the Reddy′s third-order shear deformation theory, the bistable shell model is introduced. Applying multiple sets of base excitation accelerations, sweeping frequency and sweeping amplitude, the intra-well and inter-well dynamics are detected. The intra-well dynamics are activated by the inadequate energy, while the inter-well dynamics are activated by the sufficient energy. The intra-well dynamics are characterized by the 1-cycle single-well vibration, the 2-cycle single-well vibration, the 3-cycle single-well vibration and the 4-cycle single-well vibration. The cycle-doubling bifurcation and the secondary Hopf bifurcation can be identified. The evolution process from the 1-cycle single-well vibration to dynamic snapthrough motions is judged to follow the cycle-doubling bifurcation which tends to generate all-around dynamic regimes. The frequency-amplitude response curve exhibits the softening nonlinear stiffness effect owing to the negative stiffness. The 1/2 subharmonic resonance actually represents superimposed responses which are constituted by the forced response activated by the high-level excitation frequency and the induced harmonic response equivalent to the primary resonance of the low-level mode frequency. The 1/2 subharmonic resonance is caused by quadratic nonlinear terms. The inter-well dynamics are characterized by limit-cycle oscillations, multiple-cycle snapthrough motions and chaotic snapthrough motions, which are attributed to loading conditions. The appearance of limit-cycle oscillations is decided by the level of initial displacements. The increasing level of initial displacements leads to the disappearance of limit-cycle oscillations. The first few mode frequencies tend to be the optimal excitation frequencies activating dynamic snapthrough motions. Limit-cycle oscillations are related to the first mode frequency while multiple-cycle and chaotic snapthrough motions are related to the third mode frequency. The discrepancies for different initial conditions are actually caused by the phase difference between the displacement response and the frequency sweeping, which denotes the hysteresis. With the increase of the number of layers, the actuation amplitude for dynamic snapthrough motions increases while the bandwidth of the actuation frequency range for dynamic snapthrough motions broadens correspondingly. The development of bistable energy harvesters and morphing aircrafts can be supported by the theoretical research.
The Effect of Assist Gas Type on Nitinol Microsecond Laser Cut Edges: A Study on the Use of Oxygen, Argon, Nitrogen, Helium, and Compressed Air
Authors: Otto Cory R. , Doroudi Alireza , Vaseghi Majid , Davami Keivan
Published: April 2024

Historically, the published literature for laser cutting atomically balanced nickel-titanium alloy tubular devices assumes an inert argon assist gas is required for the laser cutting process, resulting in slower cutting rates. Herein, a novel application of an exothermic reactive oxygen assist gas during Nitinol laser micromachining enabled a 38.1 mm/s cut rate, a 4.5-times improvement from other studies, with the realization of improved cut quality: 2-times less dross, 2-times lower surface roughness, and a minimal heat-affected zone. Of the tested assist gases (oxygen, argon, nitrogen, helium, and compressed air), oxygen was found to provide the best cut quality, achieving dross-free cuts. Additionally, oxygen was shown to produce a relatively low arithmetic mean average surface roughness of 0.48 μm, when compared to argon at 0.85 μm. A decrease in surface roughness was found to be associated with an increase in cut rate. These findings suggest that assist gas melt flow dynamics has a higher contributing factor than laser pulse energy parameters. In-situ thermographic monitoring of melt flow during processing demonstrated a clear difference in the melt flow pattern between a reactive oxygen assist gas and inert argon assist gas. Furthermore, with the culmination of nanoindentation analysis and microstructural characterization, it was concluded that long-pulse laser machining can produce cuts with negligible microstructural grain recrystallization of the bulk material. This study quantitatively demonstrates that there are potential benefits observed during laser cutting Nitinol with a reactive oxygen assist gas when compared to previous studies that employ an inert argon assist gas.
Simulation of climate changes in Northern Eurasia by two versions of the INM RAS Earth system model
Authors: Vorobyeva Vasilisa , Volodin Evgeny , Chernenkov Alexey , Tarasevich Maria
Published: April 2024

The study presents a simulation of climate change across Northern Eurasia during the 20th and 21st centuries using two different versions of the Earth system model developed by the Marchuk Institute of Numerical Mathematics at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Model version INMCM5 participates in CMIP6 and has the lowest equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) among the CMIP6 models. In the next model version, INMCM6, changes in the physical parameterisations lead to an increase in ECS by a factor of 2. Changes in near-surface temperature, precipitation, snow cover area and sea ice extent simulated by both model versions are compared with available observational and reanalysis data. Climate change predictions for the middle and end of the 21st century are provided by two model versions. Both model versions simulate similar climate changes for the upcoming two decades. After the middle of 21st century, the model version with high equilibrium climate sensitivity simulates stronger climate changes over Northern Eurasia than the model version with low sensitivity. But, in general, the ratio of predicted warming is much less than the ratio of ECS.
Nondisclosure of HIV-positive Status: A Cross-sectional Survey in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana
Authors: Quayson Ebenezer , Ametefe Woyram Afi , Afful-Mensah Elsie
Published: April 2024

The disclosure of HIV-positive status in Ghana's Greater Accra Region is dangerously low, which could be related to a variety of socioeconomic conditions. Because ignoring this occurrence for mitigation may be hazardous to public health, this study aimed to assess the factors that influence the nondisclosure of HIV-positive status among HIV patients in the La Nkwantanan Madina Metropolis of the Greater Accra Region.
The study was conducted using a quantitative cross-sectional design. A convenient sampling technique was used to select 376 clients who had tested positive for HIV and accessed healthcare services at facilities located within the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipality. Data were collected using a closed-ended questionnaire and were analyzed using frequency and percentage, correlation coefficient, and multinomial regression.
Marriage strongly predicted (OR=9.923 [95% CI: 1.289-76.411]; p=0.028) HIV-positive nondisclosure to partners; female gender (OR=8.178 [95% CI: 1.048-63.830]; p=0.045) and public sector of employment (OR=8.786 [1.631-47.338]; p=0.011) predicted HIV-positive nondisclosure to family; and marriage (OR=6.458 [95% CI: 0.564-20.716]; p=0.042), public sector of employment (OR=8.000 [95% CI: 1.140-50.132]; p=0.036) and private sector work (OR=7.943 [1.304-48.392]; p=0.025) strongly predicted HIV-positive nondisclosure to friends.
Marriage, female gender, and sector of work were strong predictors of HIV non-disclosure by people living with HIV in the La Nkwantanan Madina Metropolis.
Long-term cardiovascular events and risk factors in adults sepsis survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wu Zesheng , Chen Fanghui , Xiao Chen , Zhao Xue , Xu Yuansheng
Published: April 2024

BackgroundHospitalization for sepsis may be associated with an increased riskfor cardiovascular events. We aim to explore the relationship between sepsis hospitalization and long-term of cardiovascular events, and describe risk factors for cardiovascular events in adults sepsis survivors.MethodsMEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, and CNKI were searched, from inception to Aug 2023, and no language limitation. Cumulative incidence and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the strength of the association.Results25 observational studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled cumulative incidence of major cardiovascular was 9.0%, myocardial infarction was 2.4%, stroke was 4.9% and congestive heart failure was 8.6%. Sepsis hospitalization was associated with a higher long-term risk of major cardiovascular(HR, 1.54; 95% CI 1.32- 1.79), myocardial infarction (HR, 1.41; 95% CI 1.29- 1.54), stroke (HR, 1.45; 95% CI 1.32- 1.60) and congestive heart failure (HR, 1.51; 95% CI 1.46- 1.56) compared to non-sepsis controls. Pooled analysis indicate that age≤ 45 years, male gender, hyperlipidaemia, and some comorbidities were significantly associated with increased hazards of cardiovascular events.ConclusionsAdults sepsis survivors may be experience a higher hazard of cardiovascular events compared to non-sepsis controls. And both common cardiovascular risk factors and sepsis-related variables can significantly increase this correlation.
Dynamic Adaptation and Synergistic Integration of Genetic Algorithms and Deep Learning in Advanced Natural Language Processing
Authors: Challagundla Bhavith Chandra , Challagundla Shravani
Published: April 2024

Natural Language Processing (NLP) has been taking center stage in this field of computational linguistics, which is focused on the realization that machines can effectively understand human language. Two generations later, the problem with genetic algorithms has turned into a possible contribution to resolving the tough optimization issues in various NLP tasks. This paper reviews such a synergistic relationship between genetic algorithms and NLP with a high focus on the bulk of research for all those who find this important. Starting with an elaborate explanation of genetic algorithms and their relevance to NLP, we introduce biological evolution into human practice to address complex optimization issues inherent in language processing tasks. Through a comprehensive review of different applications in NLP, from text classification to sentiment analysis, machine translation, summarization, and question-answering systems, we excavate the complex relationship between genetic algorithms and linguistic data. Acritical analysis of genetic algorithm applications in NLP points out a nuanced landscape, emphasizing not only their strengths and limitations but also the factors influencing their efficacy such as computational efficiency, scalability, and adaptability across linguistic domains. We also look at recent improvements or adaptations to genetic algorithms made to face the challenges that NLPintroduces. However, since genetic algorithms are used in NLP, there remain several controversial points which include taking into consideration the encoded linguistic features and striking a balance between exploration and exploitation within the search space. Still, we look forward to several promising avenues, thereby giving some insight into how best genetic algorithms might be used in advancing NLP technologies. This paper not only gives some examples of diverse applications and implications for genetic algorithms in NLP but also underlines the necessity for continuous exploration and innovation in adopting evolutionary-inspired techniques to advance natural language understanding and generation.
The impact of Covid on the results of sports matches: Have empty stands worsened the home teams record?
Authors: Volf Petr
Published: April 2024

The home advantage is a phenomenon having evidently a strong impact on results of sports matches. Therefore the ,,home advantage” parameter or component is standardly a part of statistical models describing (and forecasting) sports results. I will concentrate here to the soccer and ice-hockey, in particular the premier leagues in the Czech Republic, however this phenomenon concerns other sports as well. One initiator of this advantage is the presence of home fans. That is why the time of Covid pandemic, when at least one season was played without (or with strong limitation of) spectators, gives a chance to compare the ,,Covid” season with the others and, possibly, to discover a significant decrease of home advantage impact. This paper uses just rather simple statistical tools, nevertheless, with the aid of basic statistical tests the significant changes of home teams results (regarding both the gained points and scored goals) have been detected. The results are also compared with findings of several other studies dealing with the same theme.
Demographic and behavioural determinants related to ART adherence among HIV-positive patients in Luanda, Angola
Authors: Almeida Pedro RS , Pimentel Victor , Abecasis Ana , Sebastião Cruz S. , Morais Joana
Published: April 2024

Introduction: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) allows for improvements in the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV/AIDS), with an emphasis on improving their immune status, reducing viral load, and reducing the mortality rate from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). AIDS).
Objective: To characterize the adherence situation to antiretroviral therapy and the factors associated with non-adherence in HIV adults patients in two referral health facilities for the care of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in Luanda, the capital city of Angola (Divine Providence Hospital and Esperança Hospital/Rangel Health Center).
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 378 PLHIV on ART, undergoing semi-structured interviews to obtain sociodemographic data and filling out a questionnaire to evaluate adherence to ART.
Results: In general, 95.5% of patients had moderate adherence, 4.20% had excellent adherence and 0.3% had low adherence. ART adherence was related to the amount of monthly income (p<0.05). Furthermore, a borderline significance was observed between adherence rate and education, with patients with basic or medium education having high rates of moderate (35% - 50%) or excellent adherence (38% - 56%). Patients over 30 years of age had a higher adherence rate, whether moderate (30% - 57%) or optimal (44% - 56%). Women had approximately twice the rates of moderate (75%) or optimal (63%) ART adherence compared to men. Low ART adherence was observed for married couples, and patients who use drugs or alcohol, whether moderate or optimal adherence.
Conclusions: In conclusion, this study addressed adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive individuals in Luanda, Angola. The findings highlight the fundamental role of socioeconomic factors, especially monthly income, in influencing adherence levels of HIV patients in Angola. Furthermore, age, gender, education and marital status emerged as additional determinants affecting adherence rates. These determinants emphasize the importance of personalized interventions aimed at addressing various barriers to adherence to ART, increasing the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS management to ensure a higher quality of life for people living with HIV in Angola.
The use of sampling frequency and wavelet analysis to denoise a signal with a high content of white noise
Authors: Thuraisingham R.A.
Published: April 2024

A procedure for removing most of the Gaussian white noise present in a signal is proposed and demonstrated. It uses a high sampling rate, removes more details from the wavelet decomposition and then down samples to a sample frequency which will not burden further analysis with a large number of samples. It is a useful preprocessing step for signals contaminated with Gaussian white noise, particularly those with a low signal to noise ratio (snr). The procedure is illustrated with signals having a low snr. The results are very encouraging. The values of the mean square error, snr and plots validate the proposed procedure. This approach provides a practical demonstration of a technique that will be useful in processing biomedical signals.
Inovação na gestão pública brasileira: Análise da produção científica
Authors: Dos Santos Thamara Marcos , Cabral Augusto Cézar de Aquino , Dos Santos Sandra Maria
Published: April 2024

A necessidade de inovação na gestão pública consiste em procurar novas ideias, tecnologias, técnicas e métodos, sistemas e procedimentos para estabelecer conexões relevantes entre o governo e a sociedade e para criar e melhorar o valor público, a fim de lidar com novos desafios sociais. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar como a inovação na gestão pública tem sido abordada na produção científica brasileira. Foi realizado um estudo exploratório e descritivo com base em 27 artigos científicos indexados nas bases de dados Web of Science, Scopus e SciELO, foram utilizadas técnicas de análise bibliométrica. Os resultados destacam o crescente interesse em pesquisas sobre a temática, os métodos adotados nas pesquisas são predominantemente qualitativos, performance e public service mostram-se como hot topics para futuras pesquisas, a existência de heterogeneidade das tendências de inovação em cada área da administração pública, a colaboração e parceria de diferentes agências e níveis de governo é muitas vezes necessária para lidar com desafios complexos e multifacetados. Também foram identificadas algumas barreiras: modelo de inovação estritamente de cunho gerencial e a inexistência de um indicador de inovação padrão. O estudo contribui para a compreensão das produções científicas e fornece direcionamentos para pesquisas futuras sobre inovação na gestão pública brasileira. As principais lacunas identificadas nesses textos referem-se às dificuldades em mensurar a inovação na gestão pública e, embora haja um crescimento de pesquisa no período analisado, ainda há um pequeno número de pesquisas neste setor.
O papel das capacidades dinâmicas para a cocriação de valor no contexto do empreendedorismo feminino
Authors: Okuyama Flavia Rodrigues Machado , Schmidt Serje , Bohnenberger Maria Cristina
Published: April 2024

O objetivo deste estudo é identificar como as capacidades dinâmicas contribuem para a cocriação de valor em empreendimentos femininos. Um modelo conceitual foi adaptado e aplicado no ambiente do empreendedorismo feminino, por meio de uma abordagem qualitativa de entrevistas semiestruturadas. A partir dos resultados, descobriu-se que embora as mulheres empreendedoras não visam de maneira intencional estabelecer uma estratégia para cocriar valor com clientes, parceiros e fornecedores, esse é um fato que ocorre naturalmente conforme as demandas do dia a dia, e que se dá pelo engajamento social das mulheres na sociedade. A espontaneidade favorece que as capacidades dinâmicas sejam propulsoras para a cocriação de valor, quando as empreendedoras se orientam para o aprendizado e para o alinhamento de objetivos. Isso pode contribuir para que os empreendimentos pesquisados se sustentem em meio ao dinamismo do mercado. Por outro lado, a fraca organização dos processos dinâmicos impede a obtenção de vantagem competitiva. As empreendedoras que souberem transformar tais recursos em uma estratégia relacional poderão levar seus empreendimentos a um outro patamar no ambiente de negócios.
Tutanak ve Hatıralar Işığında Sivas Kongresi’nde Manda Tartışmaları
Authors: Çelik Halil İbrahim
Published: April 2024

Yeni Türk devletine giden süreçte mühim bir yeri olan Sivas Kongresi, farklı yaklaşım ve yönleriyle incelenmesi icap eden gelişmelerin başında gelmektedir. Ülke işgallere maruz kaldığı ve malî sorunlarla boğuştuğu içindir ki dönemin aydınlarının bir kısmı, ülkenin, bu tür sorunlarla kendi başına mücadele edemeyeceği ve bir büyük devletin vesayet (güdüm) ve himayesine muhtaç olduğu düşüncesinde olmuşlardır. Bu sebepledir ki memleketin istiklaline halel getirmeden haricî yardım alabilmek, ekonomik durumu düzeltmek ve memleketin bütünlüğünü muhafaza edebilmek gibi hususlar Sivas Kongresi’nde tartışılan konular arasında yer almıştır. Nitekim dönemin aydınlarınca da yer yer gündeme getirilen manda mevzuu Sivas Kongresi’nde ele alınarak reddedilmiş ancak Türkiye’nin bağımsızlığına saygı duyan dış devletlerin yardım ve desteklerinin (müzâheret) kabul edilmesi kararlaştırılmıştır. Bu karar ile manda meselesi “manda yanlısı” kimseleri de küstürmeden ve millî davadan uzaklaştırmadan çözülmüştür. Bu çalışma kongrede müzakere edilen manda meselesini; mesele hakkındaki farklı görüşleri de ele almak suretiyle Kongre tutanakları, döneminin basını, hatıratlar ile telif eserler ışığında ve meselenin arka planı ve sonuçlarına odaklanarak değerlendirmektedir.
Anemurium A I 11 Nolu Beşik Tonozlu Mezar’da Bulunan Anadolu Selçuklu Sikkeleri
Authors: Tekocak Mehmet , Çetinaslan Mustafa
Published: April 2024

Antik Dönem’de Dağlık Kilikya Bölgesi’nin liman şehirlerinden birisi olan Anemurium, günümüzde ise Mersin İli, Anamur İlçesi’nde yer almaktadır. Kentte 2022 yılında gerçekleştirilen arkeolojik kazı çalışmalarında, nekropol alanı içerisinde bulunan ve Roma Dönemi’ne ait A I 11 Nolu Beşik Tonozlu Mezar yapısında 50 sikkeden oluşan bir buluntu grubu ele geçirilmiştir. Toplu bir şekilde bulunan ve büyük oranda korunmuş durumdaki sikkelerden 37’si Anadolu Selçuklularına ait olup bu makalenin de konusunu oluşturmaktadır. Bu çalışmada değerlendirilen Anadolu Selçukluları Dönemi sikkeleri 602/1205-1206 ile 622/1225-1226 yılları arasına tarihlenen gümüş dirhemlerdir. Bahse konu dirhemlerden bir tanesi I. Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev (601/608), beş tanesi I. İzzeddin Keykavus (607-616) ve 31’i de I. Alaeddin Keykubad (616-634) tarafından bastırılmıştır. Konya, Sivas ve Kayseri’de bastırılan bu dirhemler yazı karakteri, form ve süslemeleri ile dönemin genel karakteristik özelliklerini yansıtmaktadır. Günümüz Anamur’unda ve Anemurium antik kentindeki Türk hâkimiyetini belgeleyen maddi kültür varlığı ve bilgiler oldukça sınırlıdır. Bu yüzden bahse konu sikkeler taşınabilirliği dikkate alınmak koşuluyla, Anadolu Selçukluları tarafından 13. yüzyılın ilk yıllarında bölgede gerçekleştirilen fetih ve hâkimiyet sürecini kanıtlayan çok kıymetli bir belge niteliğindedir. Bu ve benzeri buluntular hem Anemurium antik kenti hem de bölge tarihiyle ilgili daha pek çok yeni bilgilere ulaşılabileceğini göstermesi bakımından büyük bir önem arz etmektedir.
Yenisey Yazıtlarında Yalancı Birleşik Sözcükler
Authors: Ahmedova Aysel
Published: April 2024

Türkçenin tarihini öyrenmek için en önemli kaynaklar içinde yer alan Yenisey yazıtları, Eski Türkçenin söz varlığının araştırılması için de zengin dil malzemesi sunar. Söz varlığının oluşmasında büyük önem arz eden sözcük yapımı yöntemlerinden biri de birleştirmedir. Bu yöntemle ortaya çıkan birleşik sözcükler günümüz Türkçesinde çok yaygındır. Halbuki Eski Türkçe döneminde, özellikle de Yenisey yazıtlarında böyle bir yaygınlığı görmeyiz. Burada gerçekten birleşik sözcük olarak tanımlanabilecek sözlüksel yapıların sayısı azdır. Buna rağmen araştırmacıların birleşik sözcük olarak tanımladığı, fakat birleşik sözcüklerin özelliklerini (bütün bir anlamı ifade etme, biçim açısından birleşme, ses yapısı olarak sözlüksel bir birim oluşturma) taşımayan yapılara yazıtlarda çokça rastlanır. Bu yapıları yalancı birleşik sözcükler olarak adlandırabiliriz.
Rusya’da Türk Harp Esirleri 1914-1921
Authors: Demirci Hasan
Published: April 2024

Bu kitap inceleme yazısında, Cemil Kutlu'nun 2023 yılının sonlarına doğru Türk Tarih Kurumu'nda yayımlanan "Rusya’da Türk Harp Esirleri 1914-1921" adlı çalışması çeşitli yönlerden ele alınmış ve değerlendirilmiştir. Eserin yazarı hakkında da bazı bilgiler verilmiş, eser içerik, kaynaklar ve fiziksel özellikleri bakımından incelenmiştir.
Exploring the drinking water supply in Rwanda with panel data analysis
Authors: Mwitirehe Janvier , Kipruto Cheruiyot W. , Ruranga Charles
Published: April 2024

This study in Rwanda offers a comprehensive analysis of water quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, departing from previous research by utilizing panel data analysis for a nuanced understanding of spatiotemporal dynamics. Unlike earlier studies focusing on specific aspects, this research adopts a holistic approach, examining factors crucial for water supply, quality, and cost, thus providing an integrated view of Rwanda's water sector. By analyzing data from various sources, including the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), the study evaluates the reliability, quality, and cost-effectiveness of drinking water. It identifies cost-effective water treatment plants and studies determinants such as production cost, raw water quality, and supply between 2017 and 2022, introducing novel metrics such as performance scores and a drinking water quality index. Despite an increase in lost water, WASAC notably improves water supply, resulting in a higher water access rate by 2022. The study highlights the influence of factors such as performance scores and raw water quality on water supply and quality. It emphasizes continuous monitoring, targeted interventions, and community engagement for sustainable water service delivery. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and practitioners, aiming to enhance water management strategies and improve water access in Rwanda.
Development of water recycling based mechanical drain cleaning system
Authors: Paul Amrit Raj , Babalola Simeon A. , Yadav Avinash Kumar , Mukherjee Manidipto , Singh Dilpreet
Published: April 2024

The persistent global issue of manual scavenging in drainage systems, fraught with life-threatening risks, has prompted the development of a tractor powered mechanized drain cleaning system. This innovative solution recycles on-site sewage water, optimizing efficiency through a tractor-trolley setup, recycled water usage, a centrifugal pump replacing vacuum pumps, and the integration of a post-inspection unit for crack and leak detection. The system employs a front water jet with an impact stress of ∼30.10 MPa for penetrating silt, sediments, and debris. Simultaneously, rear jets with ∼20 MPa impact stress each clean pipeline walls and propel the nozzle forward. Inclusion of a power unit (tractor), suction unit, filtration unit, and inspection unit enhances the system's agility, robustness, and affordability compared to alternatives. The system's one of the key advantage is its inspection unit, featuring GoogleNet-powered in-situ crack detection via a camera. Achieving 90% training accuracy in six epochs and 159 iterations, it identifies pipeline features effectively. With its sewage water recycling capability, this mechanized system offers a promising solution to the perilous problem of manual scavenging in drainage systems while promoting sustainability.
Application of multi-criteria decision-making on low-impact development practice selection for the Kinyerezi River sub-catchments in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Authors: Swilla Livingstone M. , Katambara Zacharia , Lingwanda Mwajuma
Published: April 2024

The impermeable areas in catchments are proportional to peak flows that result in floods in river reaches where the flow-carrying capacity is inadequate. The high rate of urbanization witnessed in the Kinyerezi River catchment in Dar es Salaam city has been noted to contribute to floods and siltation in the Msimbazi River. The Low-Impact Development (LID) practices that includes bio-retention (BR) ponds, rain barrels (RBs), green roofs (GRs), etc. can be utilized to mitigate portion of the surface runoff. This study aims to propose suitable LID practices and their sizes for mitigating runoff floods in the Kinyerezi River catchment using the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach. The results indicated that the BR and RBs were ranked high in capturing the surface runoff while the sediment control fences were observed to be the best in reducing sediments flowing into the BR. The proposed BR ponds were greater than 800 m2 with 1.2 m depth while RB sizes for Kinyerezi and Kisungu secondary schools and Kinyerezi and Kifuru primary schools were 2,730; 2,748; 1,385; and 1,020 m3, respectively. The BR ponds and RBs are capable of promoting water-demanding economic activities such as horticulture, gardening, car washing while reducing the school expenses and runoff generation.
The Middle to Late Holocene in the Agro Pontino and the Fondi basin (Lazio, Italy): A palaeogeographical overview
Authors: Van Gorp W. , Sevink J.
Published: April 2024

The Agro Pontino, a vast plain located south of Rome (southern Lazio, Italy), has served as a valuable resource for central Italian palaeogeographical, vegetational and archaeological studies for decades. This paper reviews the regional development of the Agro Pontino and adjacent Fondi basin from the Würmian (Marine Isotope Stages 2–5d) until the end of the protohistoric, with an emphasis on the period around the Early Bronze Age (EBA) date of the Avellino eruption. Following postglacial relative sea level rise, a dissected Pleistocene landscape drowned and was filled with lagoonal, fluvial, alluvial, lacustrine and marsh deposits. In the Agro Pontino, two lakes emerged divided by an alluvial fan. The unique regionally preserved stack of Middle to Late Holocene sediments, including multiple macroscopically visible tephra layers within a depositional environment, allowed for a detailed regional palaeogeographical, tephrochronological and vegetational reconstruction. This study presents the latest palaeogeographical findings from the Agro Pontino and the Fondi basin for the Middle Holocene and the EBA, for which tephra identification and dating forms the solid basis. It contributes to the reconstruction of the Pontine plain and the Fondi basin during this period and furthers our palaeoenvironmental knowledge of the conditions for human subsistence in this region during the later phase of the EBA, around the time of the Avellino eruption (c. 1900 calBC).
Multiscale Bowel Sound Event Spotting in Highly Imbalanced Wearable Monitoring Data: Algorithm Development and Validation Study
Authors: Baronetto Annalisa , Graf Luisa , Fischer Sarah , Neurath Markus F , Amft Oliver
Published: April 2024

Background

Abdominal auscultation (i.e., listening to bowel sounds (BSs)) can be used to analyze digestion. An automated retrieval of BS would be beneficial to assess gastrointestinal disorders noninvasively.

Objective

This study aims to develop a multiscale spotting model to detect BSs in continuous audio data from a wearable monitoring system.

Methods

We designed a spotting model based on the Efficient-U-Net (EffUNet) architecture to analyze 10-second audio segments at a time and spot BSs with a temporal resolution of 25 ms. Evaluation data were collected across different digestive phases from 18 healthy participants and 9 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Audio data were recorded in a daytime setting with a smart T-Shirt that embeds digital microphones. The data set was annotated by independent raters with substantial agreement (Cohen κ between 0.70 and 0.75), resulting in 136 hours of labeled data. In total, 11,482 BSs were analyzed, with a BS duration ranging between 18 ms and 6.3 seconds. The share of BSs in the data set (BS ratio) was 0.0089. We analyzed the performance depending on noise level, BS duration, and BS event rate. We also report spotting timing errors.

Results

Leave-one-participant-out cross-validation of BS event spotting yielded a median F1-score of 0.73 for both healthy volunteers and patients with IBD. EffUNet detected BSs under different noise conditions with 0.73 recall and 0.72 precision. In particular, for a signal-to-noise ratio over 4 dB, more than 83% of BSs were recognized, with precision of 0.77 or more. EffUNet recall dropped below 0.60 for BS duration of 1.5 seconds or less. At a BS ratio greater than 0.05, the precision of our model was over 0.83. For both healthy participants and patients with IBD, insertion and deletion timing errors were the largest, with a total of 15.54 minutes of insertion errors and 13.08 minutes of deletion errors over the total audio data set. On our data set, EffUNet outperformed existing BS spotting models that provide similar temporal resolution.

Conclusions

The EffUNet spotter is robust against background noise and can retrieve BSs with varying duration. EffUNet outperforms previous BS detection approaches in unmodified audio data, containing highly sparse BS events.
Cancer Care Supportive Text Messaging Program (Text4Hope) for People Living With Cancer and Their Caregivers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Observational Study
Authors: Shalaby Reham , Vuong Wesley , Agyapong Belinda , Gusnowski April , Surood Shireen , Agyapong Vincent
Published: April 2024

Background

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, and living with cancer generates psychological demands, including depression and anxiety among cancer survivors and caregivers. Text4Hope-Cancer Care SMS text messaging–based service was provided to people with cancer and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic to support their mental health.

Objective

The aim of this study is to examine the clinical effectiveness of and satisfaction with Text4Hope-Cancer Care in addressing mental health conditions among people living with cancer and caregivers.

Methods

The study was conducted in Alberta, Canada. People who were diagnosed or receiving cancer treatment and caregivers self-subscribed to receive 3-months daily supportive cognitive behavioral therapy–based SMS text messages and a web-based survey was sent at designated time points to collect clinical and nonclinical data. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) was used to examine changes in anxiety and depression symptoms after receiving the service. Satisfaction with the service was assessed using a survey with a Likert scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used, and test significance was considered with P≤.05.

Results

Overall, 107 individuals subscribed to the service, and 93 completed the program (completion rate 93/107, 86.9%). A significant improvement in the anxiety symptoms (HADS-Anxiety [HADS-A] subscale) was reported after 3 months of Text4Hope-Cancer Care (t11=2.62; P=.02), with medium effect size (Hedges g=0.7), but not depression symptoms (HADS-Depression [HADS-D] subscale). Subscribers expressed high satisfaction and agreed that the service has helped them to cope with mental health symptoms and improve their quality of life. Most subscribers read the SMS text messages more than once (30/30, 100%); took time to reflect or took a beneficial action after reading the messages (27/30, 90%); and highly agreed (27/30, >80%) with the value of the received supportive SMS text messages as being relevant, succinct, affirmative, and positive. All subscribers recommended SMS text messaging for stress, anxiety, and depression and for cancer care support (30/30, 100%).

Conclusions

Text4Hope-Cancer Care was well-perceived and effectively addressed anxiety symptoms among people living with cancer and caregivers during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provides evidence-based support and insight for policy and stakeholders to implement similar convenient, economic, and accessible mental health services that support vulnerable populations during crises.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

RR2-10.2196/20240
From Collective Identity to Counter-Hegemony
Authors: Belolon Handrianus Koli
Published: April 2024

In mass media, such as films, the Papuan region and people are still regarded as “the other", for example, portrayed as a people and region that needs to be civilized through various approaches. In addition, Papua is rich in natural wealth and culture, but instead of bringing prosperity, it become a source of new conflicts that threaten the existence and survival of the environment and the Papuan. This condition encourages young Papuan filmmakers and members of the Papuan Voices (PV) community to create an alternative narrative about Papua. Through documentaries produced collectively, they aim to present another side of Papua from the perspective of the Papuans. Using a poststructuralism approach elaborated with Gramsci's theory of hegemony, this study aims to explore the dynamics of collective identity formation and efforts to create counter-narratives as part of a counter-hegemony movement, namely by criticizing inequality and instilling solidarity for Papua. The analysis shows that the formation of PV’s collective identity is based on the history of Papuan suffering memories (memoria passionis) related to the experiences of injustice.
Awareness and understanding of concussion among Aboriginal Australians with high health literacy
Authors: Hill-Wall Trish , McCausland Kahlia , Thomas Elizabeth , Norman Richard , Bullen Jonathan , Cowen Gill
Published: April 2024

Aim: Indigenous Australians have higher rates of traumatic brain injury, with 74–90% of such injuries being concussion. This study explores concussion awareness and knowledge in Aboriginal Western Australians with high health literacy. Materials & methods: Participants, aged 18–65 years, engaged in research topic yarning, and thematic analysis of the qualitative data then undertaken. Results: There was awareness that direct head trauma can result in concussion, but a lack of differentiation between concussion and other head injuries. Knowledge was gained from sport, media or lived-experience. Symptom minimization and diversity of concussion symptoms prevented participants from seeking medical treatment. This was exacerbated by a mistrust of the medical system. Conclusion: Research findings highlight knowledge and service gaps where co-designed strategies can be targeted.
La importancia del tunk’ul en el ritual y canto ceremonial del carnaval de Pomuch, Campeche. Un estudio interdisciplinario
Authors: Zalaquett Rock Francisca , Carrillo González Juan , Balam Caamal Giovani , Le Guen Olivier
Published: April 2024

En este trabajo analizamos la presencia del tunk’ul en los festejos del Carnaval en Pomuch, Campeche. Además, efectuamos una descripción del ritual y un análisis del canto ceremonial en el cual el instrumento conforma un eslabón de primer orden. Nuestra aproximación, mediante fuentes etnológicas, históricas y lingüísticas, revela también la interrelación entre los diversos componentes espaciales, temporales y sociales imbricados en la ceremonia. Incluimos la transcripción y la traducción de esta plegaria, así como la grabación que permite comprender su ejecución.
Belice y Yucatán a través de las historias de viajes: dos siglos de escenarios traslapados. Diálogos a propósito del vacío
Authors: Cervera Molina Ana E.
Published: April 2024

Lapenínsula de Yucatán y el territorio que hoy conocemos como Belice son dos espacios que han sido descritos y narrados desde diferentes perspectivas, una de ellas es la de la ausencia y el vacío. En este sentido, la parte oriental de la península yucateca y el territorio norte de la joven nación beliceña se dibujaron en el discurso de los viajeros extranjeros y de los emisarios militares de la Corona española a partir de una retórica negativa en la que se apuntaba “lo que no hay”, en contraposición directa con otros escenarios en donde era visible el ejercicio del poder administrativo. En consecuencia, a pesar del gran valor geoestratégico que poseen estos territorios dentro del bloque perteneciente al Caribe continental y al Istmo centroamericano, su afirmación territorial y su particularidad como región se dieron a partir de aquello que no fue dicho o que paulatinamente fue desapareciendo del discurso de aquellos que los recorrieron con pretensiones artísticas, científicas o comerciales. El presente texto busca indagar cuáles han sido las estrategias que permitieron que este escenario, a nivel narrativo, fuera sucesivamente vaciado con la intención de ser nuevamente poseído.
Explorar y comer en la Península de Yucatán, siglo XIX
Authors: Campos García Melchor
Published: April 2024

Durante el siglo XIX, la península de Yucatán empezó a cobrar importancia por sus vestigios de la civilización maya. Viajeros y exploradores extranjeros visibilizaron para el mundo la riqueza arqueológicade la región. Explorar el territorio ineludiblemente implica comer. ¿Cuáles fueron las opiniones, impresiones y representaciones de los viajeros y exploradores sobre la comida y alimentos disponibles en sus mesas? ¿Qué valoraciones extrajeron sobre el desarrollo de la población y sus costumbres en función de la alimentación regional? El artículo aborda a través de sus relatos, la experiencia de comer en aquellos escenarios urbanos, rurales y sitios arqueológicos, así como sus impresiones en el consumo de alimentos y guisos elaborados de acuerdo con las costumbres y técnicas locales.