bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality Improvement in the Digital Age: The Promise of Using Informatics to Improve Obstetric Anesthesia Care
Authors: Ende Holly B. , Bateman Brian T.
Published: September 2024

Informatics describes the study and use of processes for obtaining and utilizing data. In the clinical context, these data are then used to inform and educate providers to improve patient care. In the current digital age, informatic solutions can help clinicians to understand past or current quality issues (afferent tools), to benchmark personal performance against national averages (feedback tools), and to disseminate information to encourage best practice and quality care (efferent tools). There are countless examples of how these tools can be adapted for use in obstetric anesthesia, with evidence to support their implementation. This article thus aimed to summarize the many ways in which informatics can help clinicians to harness the power of data to improve quality and safety in obstetric anesthesia.
Sosyal Teoride Yapı-Fail Meselesi Karşısında Roy Bhaskar’ın Eleştirel Gerçekçiliği
Authors: Karagöz Latif
Published: September 2024

Bu makalede Roy Bhaskar’ın yapı-fail meselesine ilişkin eleştirel gerçekçi düşüncesinin imkan ve kısıtlılıkları incelenecektir. Bhaskar’ın yapı-fail meselesine dair gerçekçi perspektifi, bilim felsefesi tartışmalarından başlayıp sosyal teoriye uzanmaktadır. Bu yönüyle bilim felsefesinde benimsediği katmanlı gerçeklik düşüncesine dayanan Bhaskar, ontolojik tabakalaşma fikri ile başlayıp nedensel güçler teorisiyle devam eden ve belirimcilik tartışmalarıyla pekiştirilen natüralist bir sosyal teori inşa etmeye çalışmıştır. Bu kavramsal dizge sayesinde ilgili tartışma etrafındaki indirgemeci ve sentezci yaklaşımların dışında bir açıklama sunmuştur. Buna mukabil, bilhassa eleştirel gerçekçi geleneğin çağdaş temsilcilerinin bilişsel sinir bilim dolayımıyla getirdikleri eleştiriler, Bhaskar’ın natüralist perspektifinin sınırlılıklarını göstermiştir. Makalede bilişsel sinir bilim aracılığıyla getirilen eleştiriler ele alındıktan sonra hem Bhaskar’ın hem de ona yöneltilen eleştirilerin dayanakları tartışılmıştır. Nihayetinde, bu çalışma ile görünüşte çatışma halindeki yaklaşımlar arasındaki benzerliklere, bu benzerliklerin kaynaklarına ve bu yaklaşımların cevaplayamadıkları sorulara işaret edilmiştir. Söz konusu sorulardan hareketle yapı-fail meselesine ilişkin teorik çeşitliliğin eleştirel gerçekçiliğin kendi içinde bir genişlemeden ibaret kaldığı, mesele için paradigma düzeyinde bir çözüm üretilemediği iddia edilmiştir. Paradigmatik bir çözüm için insan doğası ve insani tekilliği/öznel tecrübeyi temel alan yeni teorik yönelimlerin zarureti vurgulanmıştır.
Türk Siyasal Hayatında Cumhurbaşkanının Bireysel Özel Af Yetkisi ve Uygulaması
Authors: Güler Fatih
Published: September 2024

Cumhurbaşkanı ve devlet başkanlarının sahip olduğu klasik yetkilerden birisi de af yetkisidir. Bu yetkinin sınırları ve kullanımı ülkeden ülkeye farklılık göstermektedir. Genel af, mahkumiyete ilişkin bütün sonuçları ortadan kaldırırken, özel af ise sadece infaz rejimine yönelik bir husustur. Türk anayasal sisteminde Cumhurbaşkanı; sürekli hastalık, kocama ve sakatlık sebepleriyle hükümlülerin cezalarını hafifletme ve kaldırma yetkisine sahiptir. Tanımları bağlamında değerlendirildiğinde 1924, 1961 ve 1982 anayasalarında yer alan Cumhurbaşkanının af yetkisinin bireysel özel af olduğu ifade edilebilir. Cumhurbaşkanının özel af yetkisi siyaset biliminin, kamu yönetiminin, anayasa hukukunun, idare hukukunun, ceza hukukunun ve adli tıbbın ilgi alanına giren multidisipliner bir nitelik ihtiva etmektedir. Cumhurbaşkanı Ahmet Necdet Sezer döneminde terör suçlarından hükümlü olanlara yönelik af sürecinin yoğun olarak işletilmesi, kamuo- yunun dikkatini bu alana çekmiştir. Süreç içerisinde kamuoyu tarafından yakından tanınan kimselere yönelik özel af süreci işletilmesi durumlarında da Cumhurbaşkanının özel af uygulamaları kamuoyunun ilgisini çekmesine rağmen muhtemelen yukarıda zikredilen multidisipliner nitelik nedeniyle konu akademik anlamda görece az ilgi çeken bir alanda kalmıştır. Çalışmada ilk önce Cumhurbaşkanına tanınan özel af yetkisinin teorik temelleri ve altyapısı ele alınmıştır. Devamında ise konunun anayasal temeli, Cumhurbaşkanının af yetkisinin şekli, niteliği ve sınırları, özel af kararnameleri ışığında incelenmiştir.
Swords in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East during the middle and late bronze age
Authors: Βέμου Ερατώ
Published: September 2024

H παρούσα διατριβή, που υποβλήθηκε στο τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας του Εθνικού και Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών, διαπραγματεύεται τη μελέτη των ξιφών κατά τη διάρκεια της Μέσης και Ύστερης Εποχής του Χαλκού στην περιοχή της Ανατολικής Μεσογείου και της Εγγύς Ανατολής. Η μελέτη στοχεύει στην ανάλυση της συμβολικής και πρακτικής χρήσης των αντικειμένων αυτών, συνδυάζοντας θεωρητικές και πρακτικές μελέτες. Η μελέτη της τυπολογίας, της συγκειμενικής ανάλυσης, της εικονογραφίας και των γραπτών πηγών χρησιμοποιείται για την κατανόηση της μορφολογικής εξέλιξης των ξιφών, καθώς και του πρακτικού ή συμβολικού τους ρόλου. Η διενέργεια αρχαιομετρικών αναλύσεων σε δείγματα ξιφών της Μέσης και Ύστερης Εποχής του Χαλκού, σε συνδυασμό με το σχεδιασμό μοντέλων ξιφών σε λογισμικό μηχανολογικής σχεδίασης, συντελεί στην αναγνώριση του υλικού και του τρόπου κατασκευής των αντικειμένων αυτών, καθώς και της αντοχής τους. Σκοπός της διατριβής αποτελεί η σύνθεση της βιογραφίας αυτού του αντικειμένου σε ένα ευρύ γεωγραφικό χώρο και η σύγκριση του ρόλου του από περιοχή σε περιοχή, λαμβάνοντας τπόψιν τις ιστορικές και κοινωνικές συνθήκες.
The Basic Range of Mediator’s Communication Techniques
Authors: Kinderkneht A.
Published: September 2024

Introduction. The relevance of the research is related to the need for scientific understanding of the communicative units of new socionomic professions. The article is devoted to mediation as a new communicative professional field. The effectiveness of mediation is directly related to the communicative competence of the mediator, who is specifically involved into resolving the conflict between the parties. The mediator applies his or her communication skills to regulate conflict negotiations. The aim of the study is a linguistic description of the main communicative techniques of a mediator — an independent mediator in conflict negotiations. Research objectives: definition of communicative techniques in mediation, selection and interpretation of units of the mediator’s communicative instruments. Research methods: critical analysis of scientific and methodological literature and data collected during communication with mediators and during courses for mediators. Results: the study defines the mediator’s communicative techniques, selects and summarizes the main communicative tools of the mediator’s professional activity. A list of the basic range of communication techniques in mediation has been compiled: echo technique, summary technique, idea development technique, reporting the perception of the other, reporting one’s own well-being, listening technique, asking questions technique. Examples from the practice of professional mediators are considered and a linguistic justification of the discursive competence of the mediator is given. The scientific novelty lies in the linguistic interpretation of communicative techniques of the communication sphere of mediation, which is closed for direct scientific observation. Practical significance: the described communication techniques can be useful for the formation of skills for conducting civilized communication.
Code and Data Repository for SOS-SDP: an Exact Solver for Minimum Sum-of-Squares Clustering
Authors: Piccialli Veronica , Sudoso Antonio M. , Wiegele Angelika
Published: September 2024

SOS-SDP is an exact algorithm based on the branch-and-bound technique for solving the Minimum Sum-of-Squares Clustering (MSSC) problem. This repository contains the source code used in the paper "SOS-SDP: an Exact Solver for Minimum Sum-of-Squares Clustering". The instances used in the experiments are available at UCI Machine Learning repository.
Trailblazing Motivation and Marginalized Group Members: Changing Expectations to Pave the Way for Others
Authors: Knowlton Karren
Published: September 2024

Employees from marginalized groups frequently face low performance expectations based on group membership. Although past research shows several different reactions to these types of expectations, such as stereotype threat and stereotype reactance, scholars still know little about when and why low expectations spur individuals to not only try to prove themselves, but to seek to change expectations and opportunities for others like them. Addressing this discrepancy, I introduce trailblazing motivation, which captures the desire to set new precedents that open doors for others. I integrate self-determination theory and regulatory focus theory to identify group-based low expectations, moderated by a sense of belonging with one’s broad marginalized group, and core self-evaluations as key antecedents of trailblazing motivation. I hypothesize that trailblazing motivation will lead to not only greater persistence in one’s work—as with stereotype reactance—but also potentially riskier behaviors aimed at changing expectations for one’s broad group on a larger scale, including advocacy for other marginalized group members and diversity, equity, and inclusion–related issue selling. I test and find support for these hypotheses across a time-lagged survey study and a preregistered experiment. I also establish discriminant validity for trailblazing motivation from other responses to group-based low performance expectations. This research advances our understanding of the behavior of marginalized individuals at work by helping to explain (1) when and why people facing group-based low expectations go beyond seeking to prove their own abilities and also strive to effect change for their marginalized group as a whole and (2) how a closer connection to one’s marginalized group can drive people to increase opportunities for that broad group.

Funding: This research was funded by a grant from The Leadership Center at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania [Grant 2000-0267] as well as through Post-doctoral Fellowship research funds allocated by The Tuck School, Dartmouth College.
An Examination of Blended Learning in Higher Education Over a Two-Decade Period (2003-2022): Insights Derived From Scopus Database
Authors: Vo Xuan Mai , Do-Hong Cuong , Ha Thi Minh Tam , Vu Cam Tu
Published: September 2024

With the current rate of technological advancements, higher education institutions around the world are increasingly adopting a wide variety of technology-related approaches to instruction. One of the teaching strategies used on digital platforms that has been successfully and widely adopted in higher education institutions is blended learning (BL). The objective of this investigation is to provide a comprehensive examination of the research efforts on BL in the context of higher education (HE) over the past 20 years, including the rise in publications, the most cited scientific journals and sources, and the upcoming research topics. This paper uses bibliometric analysis with a dataset of 651 documents from Scopus data, including 638 authors from 95 countries published in 271 journal sources. The results of the study show that the top three countries for BL research in higher education are the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia; the authors with the highest citation indexes are D. R. Garrison and B. Means, and the top two publishing sources are Education and Information Technologies and Internet and Higher Education. Based on the analysis, the main trends detected are (a) student participation and environment, (b) educational technology instructional innovation, (c) effective instructional strategies within the parameters of the COVID-19 pandemic, (d) effectiveness of evaluation in BL environments and (e) BL with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Learning Management System (LMS) in HE. These findings offer meaningful insights to early career researchers who consult the publications and research lists above, as well as to policy makers who develop suitable BL in HE policies.
Paediatric trigger thumbs: patient-reported outcome measures over a minimum of ten years’ follow-up
Authors: Farr Sebastian , Mataric Teofil , Kroyer Bettina , Barik Sitanshu
Published: September 2024

Aims

The paediatric trigger thumb is a distinct clinical entity with unique anatomical abnormalities. The aim of this study was to present the long-term outcomes of A1 pulley release in idiopathic paediatric trigger thumbs based on established patient-reported outcome measures.

Methods

This study was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted at a tertiary care orthopaedic centre. All cases of idiopathic paediatric trigger thumbs which underwent A1 pulley release between 2004 and 2011 and had a minimum follow-up period of ten years were included in the study. The abbreviated version of the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (QuickDASH) was administered as an online survey, and ipsi- and contralateral thumb motion was assessed.

Results

A total of 67 patients completed the survey, of whom 63 (94%) had full interphalangeal joint extension or hyperextension. Severe metacarpophalangeal joint hyperextension (> 40°) was documented in 15 cases (22%). The median QuickDASH score was 0 (0 to 61), indicating excellent function at a median follow-up of 15 years (10 to 19). Overall satisfaction was high, with 56 patients (84%) reporting the maximal satisfaction score of 5. Among 37 patients who underwent surgery at age ≤ two years, 34 (92%) reported the largest satisfaction, whereas this was the case for 22 of 30 patients (73%) with surgery at aged > two years (p = 0.053). Notta’s nodule resolved in 49 patients (73%) at final follow-up. No residual triggering or revision surgery was observed.

Conclusion

Surgical release of A1 pulley in paediatric trigger thumb is an acceptable procedure with excellent functional long-term outcomes. There was a trend towards higher satisfaction with earlier surgery among the patients.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(9):736–741.
Biologic Correlates and Consequences of the Social Determinants of Health and Disease
Authors: Leviton Alan , Dammann Olaf , Patel Anup D. , Loddenkemper Tobias
Published: September 2024

abstract: The consequences of experiences and exposures suffered by those living in poverty can last a lifetime and can even be passed on to the next generation. The challenges associated with poverty have been labeled the "social determinants of health" (SDoH), but this is something of a misnomer. A more appropriate label would be the "social determinants of disease." This essay is a broad overview of the processes, including allostatic load and epigenetic aging, that might contribute to prolonging the adverse effects of the social determinants of disease.
Setting Expectations for Ethics Theory from the Standpoint of the User
Authors: Racine Eric
Published: September 2024

abstract: Ethics theory is highly valued to the point that some commentators have claimed that it has taken on a life of its own, with too much focus on the justification of moral judgment and not enough on the needs of users of such theory. Building from various personal experiences of interdisciplinary ethics collaborative developments and empirical research projects, the wisdom gleaned by others, as well as insights from pragmatist theory, this article offers five (non-exhaustive) expectations for ethics theory from the standpoint of a user. The article is intended to prompt broad reflection on expectations toward ethics theory and why user perspectives should be considered early in the development of ethics scholarship.
GUNet++: guided-U-Net-based compact image representation with an improved reconstruction mechanism
Authors: Banerjee Nirwan , Malakar Samir , Horsch Alexander , Prasad Dilip K.
Published: September 2024

The invention of microscopy- and nanoscopy-based imaging technology opened up different research directions in life science. However, these technologies create the need for larger storage space, which has negative impacts on the environment. This scenario creates the need for storing such images in a memory-efficient way. Compact image representation (CIR) can solve the issue as it targets storing images in a memory-efficient way. Thus, in this work, we have designed a deep-learning-based CIR technique that selects key pixels using the guided U-Net (GU-Net) architecture [Asian Conference on Pattern Recognition, p. 317 (2023)], and then near-original images are constructed using a conditional generative adversarial network (GAN)-based architecture. The technique was evaluated on two microscopy- and two scanner-captured-image datasets and obtained good performance in terms of storage requirements and quality of the reconstructed images.
Variational approach to learning photonic unitary operators
Authors: Bezuidenhout Hadrian , Koni Mwezi , Leach Jonathan , Concha Obando Paola , Forbes Andrew , Nape Isaac
Published: September 2024

Structured light, light tailored in its internal degrees of freedom, has become topical in numerous quantum and classical information processing protocols. In this work, we harness the high dimensional nature of structured light modulated in the transverse spatial degree of freedom to realize an adaptable scheme for learning unitary operations. Our approach borrows from concepts in variational quantum computing, where a search or optimization problem is mapped onto the task of finding a minimum ground state energy for a given energy/goal function. We achieve this by a pseudo-random walk procedure over the parameter space of the unitary operation, implemented with optical matrix-vector multiplication enacted on arrays of Gaussian modes by exploiting the partial Fourier transforming capabilities of a cylindrical lens in the transverse degree of freedom for the measurement. We outline the concept theoretically, and experimentally demonstrate that we are able to learn optical unitary matrices for dimensions d = 2, 4, 8, and 16 with average fidelities of >90%. Our work advances high dimensional information processing and can be adapted to both process and quantum state tomography of unknown states and channels.
Enantioselective optical trapping of chiral nanoparticles by tightly focused fractional vector beams
Authors: Xiong Xiong , Zhou Yutong , Lu Sen , Shen Zhe
Published: September 2024

Enantiomers exhibit markedly different chemical properties although they have the same chemical structure. The identification and separation of enantiomers have been significant issues in biomedicine and chemistry. In this work, we proposed an optical method that selective trapping of enantiomers by using tightly focused fractional vector beams (FVBs). In our proposed model, such a focused beam forms multiple local optical chirality densities (OCDs) with opposite signs at the focal plane. We found that focused FVBs can stably trap the enantiomers at the local positions with the minimum or maximum OCD according to the handedness of enantiomers. The positions and numbers of the trapped enantiomers have a relationship with the fractional topological charge. These results indicate that tightly focused FVBs are an all-optical method capable of dynamic modulation and achieving precise and stable trapping of multiple pairs of enantiomers. Our findings have practical applications in the multi-throughput and multi-sample manipulation of chiral materials.
Efficient second-harmonic generation in a lithium niobate metasurface governed by high-Q magnetic toroidal dipole resonances
Authors: Duan Hong , He Haoxuan , Yi Yingfei , Wang Lulu , Zhang Ying , You Shaojun , Wang Yiyuan , Gao Chenggui , Huang Jing , Zhou Chaobiao
Published: September 2024

Lithium niobate (LN) is an excellent nonlinear optical material due to its large nonlinear coefficient, low loss, and broad optical transparency window. So, it is widely used in the generation of nonlinear harmonics. Magnetic toroidal dipole (MTD) resonance is a special optical resonance mode, which can effectively localize the light field inside the device, thus enhancing the nonlinear effects of the materials. In this work, we numerically study the second-harmonic generation (SHG) effect of the LN metasurface based on the MTD mode with a high quality factor (Q-factor). The designed LN nanorod dimer metasurface supports high Q-factor MTD guided mode resonances (GMRs), which are excited by varying the center spacing of the two nanorods, and the Q-factor can be controlled by the offset distance. The excited MTD can effectively confine the electric field within the device, which enables the LN metasurface SHG conversion efficiency to reach 1.15 × 10−2. In addition, by adjusting the structural parameters, it is possible to effectively modulate the wavelength and conversion efficiency of the SHG. Our results provide a new route for high-quality nonlinear light sources.
Submarine Optical Fibers: A Window into Climate Change
Authors: González-Herráez Miguel , R. Fernández-Ruiz María , Becerril Carlos , J. Vidal-Moreno Pedro , Martin-Lopez Sonia
Published: September 2024

Distributed acoustic sensing, increasingly recognized as a potential tool for seismic monitoring, can provide insights on ocean circulation, marine-mammal migration and other climate-relevant parameters.
Effects of pressure difference and temperature on the α-Ga2O3 growth by mist chemical vapor deposition
Authors: li yanbin , Zhang rui , Wu You , Xiao Di , Zheng Yuan , Jia Zhitai , Zhang Le
Published: September 2024

As a novel wide-bandgap semiconductor material, α-Ga2O3 has great potential in high-power devices and deep ultraviolet photodetectors. However, for α-Ga2O3 growth by mist chemical vapor deposition (mist-CVD), the clustering of mist flow often appears, resulting in a poor crystallinity and rough surface of the α-Ga2O3 films. In this study, we established a home-made mist-CVD system with a novel heating structure and a cuboid chamber. The effects of the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the reaction chamber as well as the growth temperature on α-Ga2O3 films growth were systematically investigated. High quality α-Ga2O3 thin films with smooth surface were prepared at 450 °C under 80 Pa pressure difference due to the weakened clustering effect of mist flow. The surface Root-Mean-Square (RMS) roughness of the α-Ga2O3 films was as low as 1.32 nm, and the growth rate could reach 26.9 nm/min. The transmittance was higher than 80% in the near-ultraviolet to visible light region, and the optical band gap was determined to be 5.23 eV.
Prevalence of poor glycemic control and the monitoring utility of glycated albumin among diabetic patients attending clinic in tertiary hospitals in Dodoma, Tanzania: A cross-sectional study protocol
Authors: Mkumbi George Gabriel , Boaz Matobogolo
Published: September 2024

The burden of diabetes is rising in developing countries, and this is significantly linked to the increasing prevalence of poor glycemic control. The cost of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) testing is a barrier to timely glycemic assessments, but newer tests such as glycated albumin may be cheaper and tempting alternatives. Additional research must ascertain if glycated albumin (GA) can act as a viable supplement or alternative to conventional HbA1c measurements for glycemic control in diabetic individuals. GA as a biomarker is an emerging area of interest, particularly for those who display unreliable HbA1c levels or cannot afford the test. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of poor glycemic control in outpatient diabetic patients and the utility of glycated albumin in this population’s monitoring of glycemic control. Method. A cross-sectional study of 203 diabetic patients will be conducted at the Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital and Benjamin Mkapa Hospital from August 1st, 2023, to August 31st, 2024. Patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus for over six months will be screened for eligibility. Informed consent, history, clinical examination, and voluntary blood sample collection will be obtained from all eligible patients. Glycated Albumin levels will be obtained from the same blood samples collected. The glycemic status of all patients will be defined as per HbA1c, and a level of greater than 7% will considered as a poor control. The analysis will be computed with SPSS version 28.0, and a predictor variable, P<0.05, will be regarded as statistically significant, with the utility of GA determined by plotting the area under the ROC curve and the confusion matrix.
Complementary techniques for the reliable characterisation of tissue samples: A case study on pancreatic tumours analysed by means of X-ray fluorescence analysis and IR spectroscopy
Authors: Frenzel Katja , Kayser Yves , Hornemann Andrea , Kästner Bernd , Hoehl Arne , Mouratidis Petros , Rivens Ian , ter Haar Gail , Beckhoff Burkhard
Published: September 2024

An improvement in the reliability and comparability of tissue characterization results is crucial for enabling further progress in cancer detection and the assessment of therapeutic effects. This can only be achieved by integrating quantitative methods into well-established qualitative characterization routines. This case study presents a hybrid metrological approach for tissue characterisation including vibrational Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy and traceable reference-free X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (XRF). Through the combination of spatially resolved qualitative molecular information with quantitative elemental concentrations an all-encompassing sample characterisation can be provided. The study was performed on tissue sections of syngeneic murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma KPC (KrasG12D/+; Trp53R172H/+; Pdx-1-Cre) tumours ex-vivo. Sections from healthy pancreatic tissues, sham-exposed tumours and tumours subjected to low dose radiotherapy treatment (2 Gray and 6 Gray) were analysed using both methods. Additional sample integrity studies using Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy at the carbon and nitrogen K-edges were performed to assess the effect of sample aging and XRF investigations on the samples. Results showed an increase in the concentrations of elemental biomarkers, including S, K and amide I structures in malignant pancreatic tissue compared to healthy pancreatic tissue. The exposure of tumours to 6 Gy radiation decreases the levels of these elements towards a phenotype seen in the healthy pancreas. A protocol for hybrid investigations is presented, with emphasis on the sample preparation, minimizing the impact of consecutive applied methods on their measurands, and ensuring the compatibility and reliability of achieved results. The study demonstrates the cancer recognition capabilities, and the sensitivity for low dosage radiotherapy treatment monitoring for each method individually and assesses the potential of combining molecular fingerprinting with non-destructive quantitative elemental information for tissue sample characterization.
Classification of soybean seeds based on RGB reconstruction of hyperspectral images
Authors: Yang Xu , Ma Kejia , Zhang Dejia , Song Shaozhong , An Xiaofeng
Published: September 2024

Soyabean is an incredibly significant component of Chinese agricultural product, and categorizing soyabean seeds allows for a better understanding of the features, attributes, and applications of many species of soyabean. This enables farmers to choose appropriate seeds for sowing in order to increase production and quality. As a result, this thesis provides a method for classifying soybean seeds that uses hyperspectral RGB picture reconstruction. Firstly, hyperspectral images of seven varieties of soybean, H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6 and H7, were collected by hyperspectral imager, and by using the principle of the three base colours, the R, G and B bands which have more characteristic information are selected to reconstruct the images with different texture and colour characteristics to generate a new dataset for seed segmentation, and finally, a comparison is made with the classification effect of the seven models. The experimental results in ResNet34 show that the classification accuracy of the dataset before and after RGB reconstruction increases from 88.87% to 91.75%, demonstrating that RGB image reconstruction can strengthen image features; ResNet18, ResNet34, ResNet50, ResNet101, CBAM-ResNet34, SENet-ResNet34, and SENet-ResNet34-DCN models have classification accuracies of 72.25%, 91.75%, 89%, 88.48%, 92.28%, 92.80%, and 94.24%, respectively.SENet-ResNet34-DCN achieves the greatest classification accuracy results, with a model loss of roughly 0.3. The proposed SENet-ResNet34-DCN model is the most effective at classifying soybean seeds. By classifying and optimally selecting seed varieties, agricultural production can become more scientific, efficient, and sustainable, resulting in higher returns for farmers and contributing to global food security and sustainable development.
Political uses of the ancient past on social media are predominantly negative and extreme
Authors: Bonacchi Chiara , Witte Jessica , Altaweel Mark
Published: September 2024

This study assesses whether references to the ancient past in debates about political issues on social media over-represent negative and extreme views. Using precision-recall, we test the performance of three sentiment analysis methods (VADER, TextBlob and Flair Sentiment) on a corpus of 1,478,483 posts, comments and replies published on Brexit-themed Facebook pages between 2015 and 2017. Drawing on the results of VADER and manual coding, we demonstrate that: 1) texts not containing keywords relating to the Iron Age, Roman and medieval (IARM) past are mostly neutral and 2) texts with IARM keywords express more negative and extreme sentiment than those without keywords. Our findings show that mentions of the ancient past in political discourse on multi-sided issues on social media are likely to indicate the presence of hostile and polarised opinions.
Evaluation of the impact of filter types and parameters upon the accuracy of phase-based optical flow method with a complex steerable pyramid
Authors: Peng Zhaoxin , Wang Xian , Wang Zhiliang , Liu Wei , Liu Menglian
Published: September 2024

Complex steerable pyramid (CSP) performs well when applied to magnify subtle motions of structures for observing the dynamic characteristics of facilities. However, the impact of the types and parameters of CSP filters upon the performance of phase-based optical flow (PBOF) in measuring motion parameters has not been systematically studied. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the impact of different CSP filter types (Octave, HalfOctave, SmoothHalfOctave, and QuarterOctave) and parameters on the performance of PBOF in measuring motion parameters. Firstly, by measuring simulated translational motion, the influence of the CSP’s down-sampling rates on the displacement measurement accuracy of PBOF is analyzed to determine appropriate settings. Subsequently, the effective displacement measurement interval and accuracy of PBOF using the CSP are studied through simulated and experimental translational motion measurements. Further, the vibration parameter’s accuracy is analyzed through simulated periodic vibration measurements. Finally, the characteristics of PBOF using the four kinds of CSP and practical considerations are discussed. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that when using middle-level filters within the effective level range of HalfOctave, PBOF achieves the best overall displacement measurement performance. Additionally, this method can easily integrate with signal processing techniques in analyzing structural dynamic characteristics under field conditions.
Making fetch happen: Prevalence and characteristics of fetching behavior in owned domestic cats (Felis catus) and dogs (Canis familiaris)
Authors: Delgado Mikel M. , Stella Judith L. , Croney Candace C. , Serpell James A.
Published: September 2024

Both cats and dogs fetch, but the likely function(s) of this behavior for each species have not been compared. In this study, we assessed data from online surveys of cat and dog behavior (Fe-BARQ; C-BARQ) completed by cat (N = 8224) and dog owners (N = 73724). We assessed responses to the items "Plays ‘fetch’; likes to retrieve thrown objects or toys" (Fe-BARQ) and “Will ʻfetchʼ or attempt to fetch sticks, balls, or objects” (C-BARQ). Cats and dogs described as "sometimes," "usually" or "always" fetching were categorized as fetchers. Regression models were used to examine which animal-related (e.g., sex, age) and environmental factors best predicted fetching, and chi-square tests were used to explore the effect of breed on fetching behavior. Fetching was reported in 40.9% of cats and 77.8% of dogs. In cats, fetching was correlated with play and activity. In dogs, fetching was correlated with overall trainability. In both cats and dogs, being female, older, living with (other) dogs, and having health problems decreased the likelihood of fetching. Breed effects were observed in both species, with fetching more prominent in cat breeds originating in the Far East (e.g., Burmese, Siamese, and Tonkinese) and in dog breeds from the Retriever, UK Rural, Poodle, Pointer and Spaniel clades. We discuss the results in the context of domestication history of both cats and dogs and posit several hypotheses about why fetching behavior is observed in both.
A machine learning-based prediction of hospital mortality in mechanically ventilated ICU patients
Authors: Li Hexin , Ashrafi Negin , Kang Chris , Zhao Guanlan , Chen Yubing , Pishgar Maryam
Published: September 2024

Background

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is vital for critically ill ICU patients but carries significant mortality risks. This study aims to develop a predictive model to estimate hospital mortality among MV patients, utilizing comprehensive health data to assist ICU physicians with early-stage alerts.

Methods

We developed a Machine Learning (ML) framework to predict hospital mortality in ICU patients receiving MV. Using the MIMIC-III database, we identified 25,202 eligible patients through ICD-9 codes. We employed backward elimination and the Lasso method, selecting 32 features based on clinical insights and literature. Data preprocessing included eliminating columns with over 90% missing data and using mean imputation for the remaining missing values. To address class imbalance, we used the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE). We evaluated several ML models, including CatBoost, XGBoost, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Logistic Regression, using a 70/30 train-test split. The CatBoost model was chosen for its superior performance in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, AUROC metrics, and calibration plots.

Results

The study involved a cohort of 25,202 patients on MV. The CatBoost model attained an AUROC of 0.862, an increase from an initial AUROC of 0.821, which was the best reported in the literature. It also demonstrated an accuracy of 0.789, an F1-score of 0.747, and better calibration, outperforming other models. These improvements are due to systematic feature selection and the robust gradient boosting architecture of CatBoost.

Conclusion

The preprocessing methodology significantly reduced the number of relevant features, simplifying computational processes, and identified critical features previously overlooked. Integrating these features and tuning the parameters, our model demonstrated strong generalization to unseen data. This highlights the potential of ML as a crucial tool in ICUs, enhancing resource allocation and providing more personalized interventions for MV patients.
In-shoe plantar shear stress sensor design, calibration and evaluation for the diabetic foot
Authors: Haron Athia H. , Li Lutong , Shuang Jiawei , Lin Chaofan , Dawes Helen , Mansoubi Maedeh , Crosby Damian , Massey Garry , Reeves Neil , Bowling Frank , Cooper Glen , Weightman Andrew
Published: September 2024

Plantar shear stress may have an important role in the formation of a Diabetic Foot Ulcer, but its measurement is regarded as challenging and has limited research. This paper highlights the importance of anatomical specific shear sensor calibration and presents a feasibility study of a novel shear sensing system which has measured in-shoe shear stress from gait activity on both healthy and diabetic subjects. The sensing insole was based on a strain gauge array embedded in a silicone insole backed with a commercial normal pressure sensor. Sensor calibration factors were investigated using a custom mechanical test rig with indenter to exert both normal and shear forces. Indenter size and location were varied to investigate the importance of both loading area and position on measurement accuracy. The sensing insole, coupled with the calibration procedure, was tested one participant with diabetes and one healthy participant during two sessions of 15 minutes of treadmill walking. Calibration with different indenter areas (from 78.5 mm2 to 707 mm2) and different positions (up to 40 mm from sensor centre) showed variation in measurements of up to 80% and 90% respectively. Shear sensing results demonstrated high repeatability (>97%) and good accuracy (mean absolute error < ±18 kPa) in bench top mechanical tests and less than 21% variability within walking of 15-minutes duration. The results indicate the importance of mechanical coupling between embedded shear sensors and insole materials. It also highlights the importance of using an appropriate calibration method to ensure accurate shear stress measurement. The novel shear stress measurement system presented in this paper, demonstrates a viable method to measure accurate and repeatable in-shoe shear stress using the calibration procedure described. The validation and calibration methods outlined in this paper could be utilised as a standardised approach for the research community to develop and validate similar measurement technologies.
Diagnosis and Management of Clostridioides difficile in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Vaughn Byron P. , Khoruts Alexander , Fischer Monika
Published: September 2024

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), which can lead to worse IBD outcomes. The diagnosis of CDI in patients with IBD is complicated by higher C. difficile colonization rates and shared clinical symptoms of intestinal inflammation. Traditional risk factors for CDI, such as antibiotic exposure, may be lacking in patients with IBD because of underlying intestinal microbiota dysbiosis. Although CDI disproportionately affects people with IBD, patients with IBD are typically excluded from CDI clinical trials creating a knowledge gap in the diagnosis and management of these 2 diseases. This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CDI in patients with IBD. Distinguishing CDI from C. difficile colonization in the setting of an IBD exacerbation is important to avoid treatment delays. When CDI is diagnosed, extended courses of anti–C. difficile antibiotics may lead to better CDI outcomes. Regardless of a diagnosis of CDI, the presence of C. difficile in a patient with IBD should prompt a disease assessment of the underlying IBD. Microbiota-based therapies and bezlotoxumab seem to be effective in preventing CDI recurrence in patients with IBD. Patients with IBD should be considered at high risk of CDI recurrence and evaluated for a preventative strategy when diagnosed with CDI. Ultimately, the comanagement of CDI in a patient with IBD requires a nuanced, patient-specific approach to distinguish CDI from C. difficile colonization, prevent CDI recurrence, and manage the underlying IBD.
Understanding Kompangan As Jambi-Malay Traditional Arts and Cultural Heritage: An Anthropological Research
Authors: Haidar Abdullah , Herindar Evania , Chairiyati Fauziah
Published: September 2024

Like other traditional art forms, Kompangan in Jambi Seberang faces challenges in the preservation and transmission of culture due to globalization and changes in social patterns. Despite its cultural significance, research on the strategies used by local groups to maintain and promote this community is limited. The research gap includes the lack of detailed studies of the role of certain community groups, such as the Ulu Gedong, in preserving Kompangan and the mechanisms of cultural transmission within these groups. This research aims to fill these gaps by delving deeper into the history of Kompangan as a musical instrument and the roles of the Ulu Gendong Group in preserving the Kompangan as a traditional Malay art in Jambi Seberang. By using anthropological research, the results of this study indicate that Kompangan art is part of Malay Islamic culture and traditional musicals of Jambi Province, especially from Jambi Seberang. Immigrants from the Middle East have brought Kompangan. Sambilan Group was founded in Kampung Tengah, Jambi, and that is where Kompangan got its start. Kompangan art has evolved in several districts, including Ulu Gedong. Ulu Gedong, Riyatul Jannah, Riyatul Abedin, and Al-Hidayah are the four main Kompangan. The young generation plays a crucial role in preserving Kompang in Jambi Seberang. The goal for the next generation is to value their culture more and keep their cultural legacy alive, particularly this Kompangan art.
The Influence of the Annales School and Colonial Historiography in Indonesian Islamic Historiography
Authors: Ali M. Nasihudin , Lestari Rani
Published: September 2024

This article aims to analyze the influence of modern historiography, namely the Annales school and colonial historiography, in the development of Indonesian Islamic historiography. In the traditional period, Indonesian Islamic historiographical themes were only oriented towards political history, the methodology used was not systematic, and the style of writing was descriptive-narrative. This article is a literature study using historical methods consisting of heuristic, verification, interpretation, and historiographical stages. The primary sources used consist of several works of historians influenced by modern historiography. In addition, secondary sources are used in the form of books and scientific articles obtained through direct and digital searches. Furthermore, verification and interpretation of the sources found are carried out and presented in the form of descriptive-analytical articles. This research found that the Annales school and colonial historiography influenced Indonesian Islamic historiography. Its influence lies in the methodological aspects and the spread of global themes. This can be analyzed in the works of Hoesein Djajadiningrat, Sartono Kartodirdjo, and Azyumardi Azra. The education of these historians and the spread of ideas at the beginning of the 20th century became important factors in the internalization of modern historiographical values in Indonesian Islamic historiography. It was concluded that the influence of modern historiography on Indonesian Islamic historiography is the realization of total history writing.
The Poison Culture: The Forbidden Tradition, Social Class and Belief of Poisoned People in Aceh
Authors: Pohan Zulfikar Riza Hariz
Published: September 2024

The poison in Aceh (especially in Aceh Singkil) is called Aji. Aji is a mystical tradition aiming to achieve a certain spiritual level (maqam). There are some people referred to as Pekhaji (poison makers), whom the local people are wary of. And there are certain villages forbidden for foreigners because there is fear that the poison is added to food and drink. Even if a person is accused of being a Pekhaji or a village, it is considered forbidden, and no legal action is taken because it is based only on speculation. Aji as a spiritual practice is considered taboo; the Pekhaji's and forbidden villages are socially and economically marginalized. The forbidden villages and the Pekhaji are usually aimed at the poor and disadvantaged traditional village heads; the people accused as Pekhaji are poor people who do not get proper civil rights. This research examined rituals in the Aji tradition as part of social construction and analyzed religious studies by viewing social stratification in traditional villages and local rituals. The data in this research were collected through interviews and phenomenological field observations to explain all aspects of the Aji tradition in Aceh Singkil.
LABPSA: Youth Expression and Tolerance Practices Digitalization to Prevent Religious Disputes in Aceh
Authors: Husna Fathayatul
Published: September 2024

This article begins with an academic discourse on tolerance campaign strategies as a new form of conflict resolution. This strategy focuses on how young people optimize social media to campaign for tolerance issues. The research used virtual ethnographic methods and online documentation to collect data. This step examined the landscape of religious conflicts in Indonesia, especially in Aceh province. What is the role of the Aceh government in resolving religious conflicts in Aceh? What is the form of young people’s active participation when voicing the issue of tolerance through LABPSA? The research results are that the presence of young people under the LABPSA institution is a new way to voice acts of tolerance and resolve religious conflicts in Aceh. They also criticize the Aceh government in response to the issue of intolerance. The presence of young people in LABPSA is also part of helping the Aceh government resolve conflicts in Aceh, especially religious conflicts, and eradicate intolerance issues.
Minority Labeling of "Desi" And "Muslim" As Seen in Samira Ahmed's Internment
Authors: Prasetya Asfarina , Ubaidillah Ubaidillah
Published: September 2024

This article aims to expose the labeling of “Desi” and “Muslims” as minority groups in a country where the majority of the population is from external groups. In the novel entitled Internment, it is found that the appearance of labels in the Internment affects the position of all characters. This study focuses on the causes that influence the emergence of the labels "Desi" and "Muslim" and how these labels are used for all characters in the novel Internment by Samira Ahmed. The data were collected through the documentation method or the observation method. The theory of language and Identity by Joanna Thornborrow is used as the main theory, while the theory of situation context by Bronislaw Malinowski is used as a supporting theory. These two theories are used to identify the types of labels and analyze the causes of labels appearing in the novel. This analysis indicates that negative labeling on utterances containing the labels "Desi" and "Muslim" becomes the most dominant label and often appears in every utterance. Also, utterances containing negative labels come from the internal group. It shows that sometimes the group is not confident in their identity when they are in a minority group in a country where the majority of the population comes from an external group.
HOF com ética e responsabilidade
Authors: Valieri Thiago
Published: September 2024

﻿A Sociedade Brasileira de Toxina Botulínica e Implantes Faciais na Odontologia (SBTI) reafirma, ao público em geral, sua posição no sentido de que toda e qualquer legislação (vigente) deve ser respeitada e observada por todos os cirurgiões-dentistas, os quais têm ainda obrigação precípua de auxiliar no sentido de se fazer garantir o cumprimento das referidas normas. Ressaltamos que a SBTI continua, como sempre, lutando em conjunto com o órgão competente (Conselho Federal de Odontologia), respeitando e apoiando as decisões, e buscando a consolidação das áreas de atuação...