bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Machine Learning Algorithms for Predictive Maintenance in Industrial Environments: A Comparative Study
Authors: Kumar Amaresh
Published: May 2024

In the realm of Industry 4.0, the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for anomaly detection faces challenges due to significant computational demands and associated environmental consequences. This study aims to tackle the need for high-performance machine learning models while promoting environmental sustainability, contributing to the emerging concept of 'Green AI.' We meticulously assessed a wide range of machine learning algorithms, combined with various Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) configurations. Our evaluation encompassed a comprehensive set of performance metrics, including Accuracy, Area Under the Curve (AUC), Recall, Precision, F1 Score, Kappa Statistic, Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC), and F1 Macro. Concurrently, we evaluated the environmental footprint of these models by considering factors such as time duration, CO2 emissions, and energy consumption during training, cross-validation, and inference phases.
 
While traditional machine learning algorithms like Decision Trees and Random Forests exhibited robust efficiency and performance, optimized MLP configurations yielded superior results, albeit with a proportional increase in resource consumption. To address the trade-offs between model performance and environmental impact, we employed a multi-objective optimization approach based on Pareto optimality principles. The insights gleaned emphasize the importance of striking a balance between model performance, complexity, and environmental considerations, offering valuable guidance for future endeavors in developing environmentally conscious machine learning models for industrial applications.
Revolutionizing Healthcare: The Role of Machine Learning in the Health Sector
Authors: Sarker Mithun
Published: May 2024

Traditional healthcare systems have grappled with meeting the diverse needs of millions of patients, resulting in inefficiencies and suboptimal outcomes. However, the emergence of machine learning (ML) has ushered in a transformative paradigm shift towards value-based treatment, empowering healthcare providers to deliver personalized and highly effective care. Modern healthcare equipment and devices now integrate internal applications that collect and store comprehensive patient data, providing a rich resource for ML-driven predictive models. In this research article, we explore the profound impact of ML on contemporary healthcare, emphasizing its potential to significantly enhance patient care and optimize resource allocation. Our study presents a robust predictive model capable of accurately forecasting patient diseases based on input information and various parameters, leveraging extensive datasets encompassing diverse patient populations. We compared several ML algorithms, including Logistic Regression (accuracy: 0.796875), K-Nearest Neighbors (accuracy: 0.7864583333333334), XG Boost (accuracy: 0.78125), and PyTorch (accuracy: 0.7337662337662337), to identify the best-performing model. The achieved accuracies underscore the effectiveness of these ML techniques in disease prediction and underscore the potential for improving patient outcomes. Beyond the technical aspects, we explore the broader implications of value-based treatment and the integration of ML for various healthcare stakeholders. By emphasizing the numerous benefits of personalized and proactive medical care, our findings illustrate the substantial potential of ML-driven predictive healthcare models to revolutionize traditional healthcare systems. The adoption of ML in healthcare lays the foundation for a more efficient, effective, and patient-centered medical ecosystem, supporting the sustainability and adaptability of healthcare systems in the face of expanding patient populations and complex medical needs. This article significantly contributes to the field by providing comprehensive insights into the experimental stages, showcasing the achieved results, and highlighting the key conclusions derived from our study. By addressing the limitations of the previous abstract, we ensure a more informative and substantial overview of our research, offering valuable knowledge for researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers striving to leverage the power of ML in healthcare innovation.
Desafíos y oportunidades del Estado de Derecho en el contexto de la descentralización en Ecuador.
Authors: Rodriguez -Camacho María Enriqueta
Published: May 2024

La descentralización en Ecuador ha emergido como un fenómeno transformador en la reconfiguración del panorama gubernamental. Sin embargo, este proceso no está exento de desafíos que plantean interrogantes, especialmente en relación con la consolidación del Estado de Derecho. Por ello, el objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar, de manera integral la intersección entre la descentralización y el Estado de Derecho en Ecuador, contribuyendo al diálogo académico y político que orienta el desarrollo de políticas efectivas y sostenibles en el país. El estudio se realizó bajo un enfoque cualitativo, bibliográfico y documental a través de la utilización del método exegético. Como resultado se comprobó que la descentralización en Ecuador presenta una compleja interacción de desafíos y oportunidades para el Estado de Derecho. Si bien la descentralización puede mejorar la participación ciudadana y adaptarse a contextos locales, también plantea riesgos como la corrupción y la fragmentación normativa.
Gamificación como estrategia didáctica en el proceso de enseñanza del idioma inglés en el bachillerato general unificado
Authors: Terán Ñacato María Fernanda , Naranjo Vaca Danny Fabricio , Maliza Muñoz Washington Fernando , Bonilla Tenesaca Josue
Published: May 2024

La gamificación ha emergido recientemente como una estrategia didáctica prometedora. Una inquietud existente radica en la insuficiencia de investigaciones que avalen firmemente la eficacia de su aplicación pedagógica en el aprendizaje el idioma inglés. Este estudio tiene como objetivo explorar la relación de la gamificación como estrategia didáctica y la enseñanza del idioma inglés en el bachillerato general unificado en la Unidad Educativa Louis Víctor de Broglie. Para evaluar la factibilidad de la aplicación de la gamificación en la enseñanza del idioma se aplica un cuestionario y se analizó la asociación entre las dos variables mediante la prueba chi-cuadrado de Pearson. Los hallazgos revelan que la integración continua y consistente de elementos lúdicos y desafiantes de la gamificación, aprovechando las TIC, genera un impacto positivo en la motivación, participación y aprendizaje de los estudiantes. Sin embargo, a pesar de que la mayoría de los docentes afirman utilizar la gamificación, solo un tercio de los estudiantes reporta beneficios significativos, sugiriendo desafíos en su aplicación efectiva. Dado los resultados se propone una estrategia de capacitación docente sobre la gamificación para la enseñanza. El estudio destaca la necesidad de fortalecer las competencias docentes en el diseño e integración adecuada de actividades gamificadas y el uso pedagógico de las TIC. Se concluye que la gamificación representa una alternativa prometedora, pero requiere una formación docente sólida para maximizar su potencial en el desarrollo de habilidades lingüísticas y el aprendizaje del idioma inglés.
Al-Biruni A Scientist Beyond His Time
Authors: Ghorbani Mansour
Published: May 2024

Abū Rayḥān Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Bīrūnī (September 15, 973 – December 13, 1048), a celebrated intellectual from the Islamic world, is recognized as a prodigious genius who thrived in Central Asia over a millennium ago. His innovative work and discoveries often surpassed the understanding of his contemporaries. Al-Biruni's expertise extended across various domains, including astronomy, mathematics, geology, mineralogy, physics, and natural sciences. His contributions to these fields were so monumental that scholars considered him the most scientifically accomplished individual of his time. Al-Biruni's works encompassed concepts such as evolution, equatorial leveling, and astronomy, which were later popularized by renowned figures like Darwin, Mercator, Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo. Furthermore, he proposed the idea of plate tectonics, which geologists would later confirm in the 1960s, by suggesting that parts of the Earth's crust move and geographic coordinates of cities change over time. With his profound comprehension, al-Biruni accurately explained the causes of orogeny and earthquakes through his insights on the shifts in the Earth's weight distribution, the formation of ridges, and the deepening of valleys. This exceptional scientist rightfully holds a distinguished position among Earth scientists of the previous millennium within the cultural sphere of Iran. Delving into his life and work instills awe in those who appreciate his lasting impact on the scientific community.
Peculiarities of pre-trial settlement of administrative disputes in Ukraine and foreign countries
Authors: Voron Diana
Published: May 2024

In the article, the author examines the pre-trial settlement of administrative disputes in Ukraine and foreign countries. Attention is focused on the fact that in connection with the introduction of the state of war in Ukraine, the burden on those courts that have the opportunity to hear cases is increasing because there is a sufficient number of judges, hostilities are not taking place, or the territory on which the court is located is de-occupied. In such conditions, there is a growing need to use alternative methods of dispute settlement, namely mediation and conciliation.
The author highlights the issue of applying these methods – the subject composition of a public- law dispute as a civil servant who does not have a sufficient number of powers to use alternative methods of dispute settlement stays as the mandatory participant in such a dispute, he is limited in decision-making. Therefore, the article provides a suggestion to expand the discretionary powers of the subject of authority.
The positive aspects of mediation are indicated. It contributes to the increase of trust and the establishment of partnership relations between the subject of authority and a private person. A necessary step is to introduce changes to the current legislation of Ukraine and grant the subject of authority the right to offer individuals or legal entities a mediation procedure in order to find a mutually beneficial solution. The author pays particular focus to the use of mediation in Israel. The use of mediation in the member states of the European Union, in particular Italy and Poland, is also being studied. The positive sides of conciliation in Ukraine and the United Kingdom are also studied, and the problems that arise in practice and ways to solve them are specified.
The author comes to the conclusion that in the conditions of the state of war, it is indispensable to use alternative methods of resolving disputes, as this will lead to the relief of the judicial branch of government, the search for a mutually beneficial solution for both parties, the absence of corruption, preserving time and money for both individuals and legal entities, as well as for the subject of authority.
Theoretical and legislative approaches to the use of certain terms and concepts in the field of environmental safety
Authors: Marko Sergii
Published: May 2024

The scientific article highlights the legislative and theoretical approaches to the use of certain terms and concepts in the field of environmental safety, on the basis of which proposals are made for their optimal use in the relevant normative legal acts and in scientific circulation. It is noted that the stability of information and legal support, including in the environmental sphere, is possible subject to the unification of legislative terms, a clear normative consolidation of their content in order to have the same understanding and application in practice. It is concluded that the identification of the concepts of “ecology” and “environment” is erroneous, because “ecology” is that part of it that concerns the natural component of the environment. In this regard, as well as in view of the need to bring national legislation to international standards in the sphere under study, it is more appropriate to use the synonymous term “environment” for the concept of “environment,” which would cover not only the natural component, but also the habitat of mankind as a whole. Arguments are given that the most acceptable title of the relevant section (Book) of the future criminal law, which would take into account the content and meaning of the terms used in it, characterizing first of all the generic object of criminal offenses in the studied sphere, is the title “Criminal offenses against nature and environmental safety.” Such a structural unit of the Special Part of the Criminal Code of Ukraine should contain both criminal offenses against environmental safety and torts against the environment, which are actually identified with criminal violations against the use of natural resources. After all, individual acts in this area can encroach both on relations against environmental safety and on the order of use of the state’s natural resources, while directly or indirectly affecting public health.
On the existence of flux as a function of the surface elevation for long wave solution of shallow water equations
Authors: Bose Sujit K , Gorain Ganesh C
Published: May 2024

The shallow water equations in mechanics of fluids, govern the motion of a shallow layer of water over a fixed impervious bed. In this paper, the bed form is assumed to be rough and horizontal, and the motion of water is assumed to be of the long wave type (Lamb [1], pp. 254-256) such that the free surface has a gradually varying propagating profile. Gravitation permits such motion but is resisted by the turbulence generated by the bed friction. A model of the governing equations based on the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations has recently been given by Bose [2], which is highly nonlinear. A heuristic approach of numerically solving the equations for the modified long waves is also presented in that article, by assuming that the horizontal flux across a section of flow is some function of the free surface elevation alone. This key assertion is analysed in this article and proved to hold provided some boundedness criteria are satisfied by the flux gradients. The theory is apparently applicable to find appropriate boundedness conditions on the flux of flow for numerically solving long wave equations in the case of other models for long wave propagation as well.
Inteligencia Emocional en el Modelo Educativo del Nivel Superior. Un Estudio de Caso
Authors: Valdivia Bautista Sandra Minerva , Ocampo Gárnica José Luis , Pérez Cisneros Marco Antonio
Published: May 2024

La inteligencia emocional es la habilidad que poseen los seres humanos para reconocer, externar y controlar los sentimientos que permite desarrollar la capacidad de superar los obstáculos presentes en la vida diaria. Es un factor importante que está relacionado con el bienestar social y mental de los estudiantes. Les permite comprender el ambiente que les rodea y en la toma de decisiones en las diversas situaciones que se le presentan a lo largo de su vida. Por lo que expertos en el tema, argumentan que debe  ser considerado y desarrollado de manera continua en el ámbito social, familiar y escolar. Este artículo tiene como propósito analizar el modelo educativo del nivel superior en el tema de inteligencia emocional y proponer otras que propicien el desarrollo de la inteligencia emocional para favorecer el aprendizaje de los estudiantes del  Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías en el nivel superior a través de la inclusión de actividades adicionales en la propia práctica docente. Con base en el análisis concluimos que los estudiantes tienen una sensación de abandono por parte de los profesores, tutores y administrativos y les gustaría que hubiera campañas de concientización que fortalezcan el control y manejo de las emociones.
SHARIA CREDIT RISKS
Authors: Lesmana Ceta Indra
Published: May 2024

Alleviation poverty, especially among women, is a serious challenge in Indonesia. Finance microsharia emerged as a potential solution. For empowerment, women should approach sharia credit. This article discusses necessary risks noticed, like credit traffic jams, fraud, and risk reputation, in development finance microsharia. Management good risk has become a key continuity business. Apart from that, the importance of education and literacy finance, supporting the government, and partnerships with various parties in increasing the contribution of women to overcome poverty through Sharia credit is highlighted. Utilisation of the potential for zakat, waqf, and Islamic values is also a crucial aspect. Inclusionary and sustainable microfinance models are expected to positively impact women's economic empowerment. With a holistic, inclusive, and sustainable approach, it is hoped that women can play a significant role in alleviating poverty and positively impacting various layers of society in Indonesia.
CHALLENGES IN CARE OF CHILDREN IN CORRUPTION CASES: ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS
Authors: Junida Dwi Surti , Mutmainnah Inayatul
Published: May 2024

Studies regarding the care of prisoners' children always involve the psychological problems that arise. So far, the existing findings do not examine the socio-economic perspective in the practice of caring for the children of prisoners. This research is important to do to find out how the family is able to organize itself. For support parenting children, what about stigma and discrimination to family prisoner influence methods they educate children their relationships with neighbors and community around impact on his upbringing and what his condition is like social economy influence parenting child prisoner? This research uses qualitative methods with in-depth interviews and participant observation, using case studies on families of corruption case inmates at Class 1 Correctional Institutions (Lapas) in Makassar City. Using an ethnographic approach with case studies through descriptive analysis of social structure, family structure, social support, and the impact of socio-economic conditions of prisoners on child care in terms of finances, education, employment, and economic support, which influence the ability of prisoner parents to provide adequate attention and care, worthy of their children. Researchers found that socioeconomic conditions play an important role in the upbringing of prisoners' children. Challenges in access to education and health services, economic limitations in providing care, and the impact of social stigma are important aspects that need to be considered in helping prisoners' families provide quality care for their children. By understanding the impact of these social and economic factors, it is hoped that this research can provide deeper insight and support in designing appropriate interventions to improve the quality of care for prisoners' children in families with limited socio-economic conditions.
PORTFOLIO DIVERSIFICATION STRATEGY AND ITS INFLUENCE ON INVESTMENT RISK AND RETURN IN THE CAPITAL MARKET
Authors: Munizu Musran , Mulyati Sri , Zikirullaeva Nilufar
Published: May 2024

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of diversification methods on the risk and return of investments in the capital market. The employed research methodology is qualitative research, which is a strategy utilized to gain a comprehensive understanding of social phenomena. This research methodology involves conducting a comprehensive examination and analysis of relevant written sources, such as books, journals, articles, and documents, to gather information pertaining to the specific topic or title under investigation. The research findings indicate that the diversity strategy portfolio plays a key role in risk management and has an impact on investment returns in the capital market. The diversity of the portfolio is successful in reducing risk, particularly through the distribution of funds across different assets and sectors. This subject is substantiated by empirical evidence and case studies, which demonstrate that a diversified portfolio has the capability to safeguard investments from substantial swings in the market. In the face of capital market unpredictability, diversifying a portfolio is a method that cannot be avoided. By gaining a profound comprehension of risk variables, market dangers, and the economic and political influences on the market, investors can create an ideal portfolio that aligns with their investing objectives. This approach ensures more consistency and measurability over the long term.
A Comprehensive Taxonomy of Argumentative Thesis Statements: A Preliminary Pilot Study
Authors: Tankó Gyula , Tamási Gergely J.
Published: May 2024

Although it is universally acknowledged that argumentative texts constitute the core of academic discourse and that their production is the most difficult task for students to master, there is hardly any research available on the pivotal component of argumentative texts: the thesis statement. This paper presents a preliminary pilot study whose aim was to propose a comprehensive taxonomy of argumentative thesis statements, to test the taxonomy on argumentative essays, to investigate student preferences for argumentative thesis statement types, and to attempt to explain the relationship between thesis type selection and the prompt given to students in the essay writing task. For the purposes of the investigation, a subsection (N = 225) of the Hungarian Corpus of Learner English was selected and their thesis statements coded independently by two coders with the help of a codebook following a coder training. The results showed that the proposed taxonomy is suitable for the identification and categorisation of argumentative thesis statements, but they also revealed weaknesses in the codebook that need to be addressed. The findings provided insights into student preferences concerning argumentative thesis statement types with two thesis types (Simple policy and Causal theses) emerging as the most frequent. It was also found that in the investigated sample there is no relationship between the prompt and the argumentative thesis types. The proposed taxonomy is recommended for use in the writing classroom in order to familiarise students with the diversity of argumentative thesis statement options.
Students’ Disposition towards the Use of Computers and the Internet in Language Learning: The Results of a Pilot Study
Authors: Asztalos Réka
Published: May 2024

Today’s students are described as ‘digital natives’ (Prensky, 2001) and different forms of technology are encouraged to be applied in teaching to suit their needs. However, there are very few studies about students’ disposition towards all these new technologies. To fill this niche the present research project aimed to explore college students’ disposition towards computers and the Internet generally and in language learning specifically. A further aim was to develop and pilot a questionnaire to find out about the frequency of students’ use of different computer and Internet applications and their disposition towards computers, the Internet and online learning. The participants of the study were 91 first-year students of a college in Budapest. Differences between regular and distance course students, as well as influencing factors, were investigated. The findings indicate that the students’ disposition towards technology is generally positive and they might be ‘digital natives’ in L1 communication. However, this does not mean that they use the Internet for language learning. While regular course students are not interested in an online language course, distance course students would participate in one. Previous findings that the frequency of use influences students’ perceptions of technology (Duggan et al., 1999; Vig, 2008) were not confirmed.
The Impact of Personal and Professional Experiences: Holistic Exploration of Teacher Identity
Authors: Bukor Emese
Published: May 2024

This paper investigates the impact of personal and professional experiences on the development of teacher identity. The holistic perspective in this article refers to the language teachers’ exploration of their personal and professional experiences with the use of both conscious/rational and intuitive/tacit thought processes. Three language teachers who participated in this study explored the beliefs, perceptions, and interpretations originating in their personal, educational, and professional experiences which also affected their teacher identity. Reflexive autobiographical journaling, a guided visualization activity, and three in-depth interviews were used in the research methodology. The results confirm that teacher identity is deeply embedded in one’s personal biography. The participants’ beliefs and interpretations rooted in their family environment influenced their early school experiences, career choice, instructional practice, teaching philosophy, and teacher identity. The results suggest that the analysis of teachers’ personal life experiences and their influence on professional practice can lead to a holistic understanding of the dominant influences on the development of teacher identity. The implications of this research are that a broader spectrum of the influences on teacher identity development needs more overt attention in professional development. This paper argues for the necessity of designing an integrated personal and professional development program for language teachers.
Female Labor Force Participation and Fertility: A Survey Based Study of Southern Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Irfan Chani Muhammad , Dilshad Ahmad  , Muhammad Faisal  , Muhammad Farhan  , Adeela Hussain
Published: May 2024

Rapidly increasing population is challenging for almost all the developing countries which triggers the issues like poverty, ill-health, illiteracy, lower living standard and environmental degradation. Female participation in labor force may increase the opportunity cost for bearing and rearing children. This increased opportunity cost for having children may put pressure on families to have less number of children and offer more women time in labor market. This induces the women to allocate more time to work and develops their preferences to have less number of children. However, taking the 400 respondents as sample size, this study was conducted in Multan division, known as area of southern Punjab, Pakistan. Keeping in view the non-negative nature of dependent variable, this study used Negative Binomial Model to find out the relationship between fertility and female labor force participation. The estimates of the model indicates that monthly income of wife, education and use of birth control devices are major factors lessening the fertility rate of females. However, this mechanism for lowering demand for children by family may be helpful in reducing fertility rate (number of children per women) and increasing economic activity and wellbeing by involving more and more women in paid work. In this way, a society can achieve the targets of birth control in an invisible way to impede the pace of undesirable population growth. Finding of proposed research may help population welfare department, Punjab and Pakistan Population council, provincial and federal government in formulating an indirect and invisible population/birth control policies to overcome the burden of over-population.
The Effect of Learning Orientation on Business Performance Through Mediation of Innovation Dimensions in UMKM in Mataram City Indonesia
Authors: I Made Suardana  , Ni Nyoman Yuliati  , Agus Khazin Fauzi  , I Nengah Arsana  , Baiq Desthania Prathama
Published: May 2024

This research is directed to build a model that can provide predictions of the influence of learning orientation (X1) on the dimensions of innovation (product innovation/Y1; process innovation/Y2; marketing innovation/Y3 and organizational innovation/Y4) as well as the influence of each dimension of innovation on business performance (Z1) of small businesses in Mataram City. Observation data in this study were 78 small business actors, with the criteria of having run their business for at least three years. The analysis tool uses PLS (partial least square) analysis. According to the PLS work procedure, there are two stages of model formation, because the initial model still has indicators with a correlation value of less than 0.70, namely indicators X1.1 and Z1.1. The second model has met the indicator validity and reliability requirements, so there is no indicator removal process. The final model produced meets the predictive relevance requirements (Q2>0). All dimensions of innovation are positively and significantly influenced by learning orientation, but only two dimensions of innovation (product innovation and process innovation) have a positive and significant effect on the business performance of small businesses in Mataram City. This gives an indication of learning orientation as an absolute by the company owner to be made a culture in the organization and should be focused on product aspects and the application of appropriate technology.
The Most Ideal L2 Teaching Method
Authors: Javid Babayev , Sayyara Sadikhova
Published: May 2024

Though it is possible to see numerous researches on the so-called language teaching methods, there is still a pressing need to study them comparatively and from different angles. The article studies some specific methods with regard to covering language skills, mother tongue usage, usage of cutting-edge technological devices, comprehensibility gain. Besides, there is a strong focus on the conduction of the lesson regarding whether the lesson is student-centered, teacher-centered or self-centered. The aim of the article is to reveal the best language learning method combining the positive features of all language learning criteria. In the study, 20 local and foreign non-English speaking students with B1 level were involved in the experiment. They were divided into four groups which learnt English through a specific method. Most of the participants were locals except 6 who were of Turkish and Iranian origins. Speaking skill of the Iranian students was relatively better in comparison with others.  At the end of the experiment, the comprehensibility gain of each group was graded accordingly. The Uniskills method proved to be the most effective and qualitative method compared to other methods in terms of coverage of language skills. The second effective method was CLT which also encompassed all four skills. It was revealed that the usage of mother tongue in English language learning is better than not using it. Since language input makes progress while using native language. Comparing the source and target languages makes a clear picture of language structure in the brain. Operation function is activated and cognitive skills develop significantly. It turned out that the usage of mother tongue in language learning is more effective and the students find the meanings of some unknown words obscure when they don’t use the native language. It became obvious that teacher-centered lesson is more efficient than the student-centered education.
Impact of Tobacco Consumption During COVID-19 Lockdown: Insights from Employees at a Government Medical College in Gujarat
Authors: Misra Swati , Kagathara Jimmy , Gupta Eshwar Kumar , Parmar Dipesh
Published: May 2024

Background: Tobacco consumption is consistently harmful to one's well-being, and for individuals with respiratory conditions, it can elevate the likelihood of contracting infections, raise the potential for complications, and enhance the probability of transmission. In this study awareness about the association and the impact of the lockdown on tobacco use among current tobacco users of Government Medical College, Gujarat was assessed. Objectives: To evaluate the level of insight regarding the connection between COVID-19 and tobacco use and to assess the influence of COVID-19 related lockdown measures on the rate of tobacco consumption among current tobacco users at Government Medical College, Gujarat. Methods: A study was conducted among Class 3 & Class 4 employees of Government Medical College using convenient sampling technique. Study population who was ready to participate in the study and had been actively engaged in the 10-month counselling program from January 2020 to November 2020. Data was gathered through a pre-tested closed-ended questionnaire. Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS software (version 22). Ethical approval was obtained from the Institute Ethical Committee, and written informed consent was acquired from all the participants. Results: A significant majority, comprising 68% of tobacco users, lacked awareness of the link between tobacco use and COVID-19. Among the 173 current tobacco users, 49 of them successfully abstained from tobacco use during the lockdown period. The primary reasons cited for this change were the unavailability and higher prices of tobacco products. Conclusions: The level of awareness regarding the connection between tobacco and COVID-19 played a crucial role in motivating tobacco users to discontinue their tobacco consumption.
Comparative Evaluation of Imaging Techniques for Paraspinal Muscle Fat Quantification
Authors: KV Umaiban , Shanmugam Jeevithan , Cannane Seetharaman , B Niva , Poyyamoli Santhosh
Published: May 2024

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent health issue associated with morphological changes in paravertebral muscles. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is effective in identifying muscle steatosis, with MR spectroscopy (MRS) considered the gold standard. However, MRS is limited by technical challenges, prompting interest in Dixon sequences for fat quantification. Materials and Methods: We conducted a study comparing Multi Echo VIBE Dixon with single-voxel MR spectroscopy in quantifying fat fractions in lumbar multifidus muscles of chronic LBP patients. Ninety-eight measurements from 49 patients were analysed. Qualitative and quantitative image analyses were performed, and statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 27. Results: Significant positive correlation (correlation coefficient: 0.992, p < 0.001) was found between Dixon and MRS fat fraction measurements. Intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.991 (p < 0.001), indicating strong agreement. No proportion bias was observed. Factors such as age, sex, and spinal degeneration correlated positively with multifidus fat atrophy. Conclusion: T2*-corrected Dixon imaging aligns well with spectroscopic measurements, offering an accurate alternative for estimating paraspinal muscle fat content in chronic LBP patients. Further studies are needed to establish threshold values for Dixon imaging. Chronic LBP is associated with multifidus muscle atrophy and fat infiltration, highlighting the need for effective management strategies.
Toilet Scrolling: A Predisposing Factor for Haemorrhoids?
Authors: Bhattacharya Kaushik , Bhattacharya Neela , Bhattacharya Aditya Shikar , Yagnik Vipul D , Garg Pankaj
Published: May 2024

Scrolling smartphones while sitting on the toilet is believed to be one of the reasons predisposing to haemorrhoidal disease. Not much is written about the problem of the use of smartphones and the development of haemorrhoidal disease in the literature, but the rising incidence of haemorrhoids globally does require guidelines to be set for toilet hygiene, especially in the young generation to prevent this issue from becoming an epidemic in future. It may be time to designate the washroom as a smartphone-free zone.
YAŞLI BİREYLERİN SAĞLIK SİSTEMİNE GÜVENLERİ VE SAĞLIK ARAMA DAVRANIŞLARI
Authors: Çankaya Aydemir , Filiz Emel
Published: May 2024

Amaç: Bu çalışma, 65 yaş ve üzeri bireylerin sağlık sistemine duydukları güven düzeyini ve sağlık arama davranışlarını belirleyerek bu iki değişken arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemek için yapılmıştır.
Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı ve kesitsel türdeki bu çalışma 1 Mayıs-15 Haziran 2023 tarihleri arasında çalışmayı kabul eden 65 yaş ve üzeri 307 yaşlı birey ile yapılmıştır. Veriler yüz yüze anket yapılarak toplanmıştır. Verilerin toplanmasında sosyo-demografik sorulara ek olarak “Sağlık Sistemlerine Güvensizlik Ölçeği” ve “Sağlık Arama Davranışı Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Sağlık sistemlerine güvensizlik puan ortalaması (2.52±0.74)’tür. Sağlık arama davranışı toplam puan ortalaması (2.87±0.52)’dir. Sağlık arama davranışı alt boyutlarına bakıldığında ise, online sağlık arama (1.78±0.82), profesyonel sağlık arama (4.58±0.61) ve geleneksel sağlık arama (3.33±1.22)’dir.
Sonuç: Yaşlı bireylerin sağlık sistemine güvensizlik seviyeleri orta düzeye yakındır. Yaşlı bireyler, en çok “profesyonel sağlık arama”, ikinci olarak “geleneksel sağlık arama” ve en az da “online sağlık arama” davranışı sergilemektedirler. Sağlık sistemine güvensizlik düzeyi yükseldikçe; profesyonel sağlık arama davranışı azalmakta, online ve geleneksel sağlık arama davranışları artmaktadır.
The Role of Psychological Flexibility, Acceptance, and Commitment in Marital Adjustment Among Couples
Authors: Safa Sepideh , Ameri Noorani Rozita , Jalali Behnam , Jafarzadeh Fekri Zahra , Gili Shahnaz
Published: May 2024

Objective: The present study aimed to determine the role of psychological flexibility, acceptance, and commitment in marital adjustment among couples. Method: This study was applied and descriptive-correlational in nature. The population included couples (both women and men) from Amol County, who were studied using a convenience sampling method involving 126 couples. Data were collected using the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory by Dennis and Vander Wal (2010), the second version of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire by Bond et al. (2007), and the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale (1976). For the analysis of data in the inferential statistics section, simultaneous multiple regression was conducted using SPSS version 21. Findings: The findings indicate that psychological flexibility, acceptance, and commitment can explain 16.9% of the variance in marital adjustment. The t-tests for significance in regression for the coefficient of psychological flexibility (β = 0.191) and acceptance and commitment (β = 0.285) were significant. Acceptance and commitment have a greater unique contribution in predicting marital adjustment among couples (α = 0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, the most significant influences on marital adjustment are acceptance and commitment, followed by psychological flexibility. It is recommended that the findings of this research be utilized to enhance marital adjustment among both women and men.
Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Experiential Avoidance, Self-Compassion, and Physiological Indices in Women with Breast Cancer
Authors: Mousapour Mitra , Mirzaei Hamidreza , Sadeghi Fatemeh
Published: May 2024

Objective: This study aimed to examine the impact of mindfulness training on experiential avoidance, self-compassion, and certain physiological indices in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Method: This applied research was conducted as a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test, and control group design. The population included all women with stage 1 and 2 breast cancer who were under medical care after completing chemotherapy or radiotherapy at Shahid Tajrish Hospital in 2020-2021. A convenience sampling method was used to select 40 female breast cancer patients, who were equally divided into an experimental group (20 participants) and a control group (20 participants). Data were collected using the Neff's Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003), the Bond et al.'s Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (2011), and physiological indices. Mindfulness training, based on the protocol by Lengacher et al. (2019), consisted of 8 sessions of 90 minutes each for the experimental group, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using covariance analysis. Findings: The results indicated that mindfulness training significantly increased self-compassion (F = 6.35, p < .05) and decreased experiential avoidance (F = 4.75, p < .05) in women with breast cancer. Additionally, the training significantly reduced cortisol levels (F = 7.38, p < .05), but did not have a significant effect on the concentrations of IL-6 (F = 0.83, p > .05) and CRP (F = 0.04, p > .05). Conclusion: Considering the current findings, it can be said that mindfulness training is effective in improving the psychological condition and reducing stress in women with breast cancer.
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Quality of Life and Resilience in Women with Chronic Pain
Authors: Pouryounes Abkenar Reza , Ebrahimi Looyeh Mozhgan , Shamsaldini Ahmad
Published: May 2024

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on the quality of life and resilience of women suffering from chronic pain. Method: This was a quasi-experimental study using a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. The sample consisted of 120 women with chronic pain who visited medical centers in Tonekabon, from which 30 were selected through simple random sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group (15 per group). Data were collected using the Quality of Life Questionnaire (Ware & Sherbourne, 1992) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (2003). The experimental group received eight weekly sessions based on the Kabat-Zinn protocol (2003). During this period, the control group did not receive any training. Data were analyzed using repeated measures and SPSS software version 22. Findings: The results indicated that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy significantly improved the quality of life (F=15.25, p<0.001) and resilience (F=38.86, p<0.001) of women with chronic pain. Conclusion: It can be concluded that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy enhances the quality of life and resilience of women with chronic pain and therefore, this therapy can be utilized to alleviate the problems faced by women with chronic pain.
Comparing the Effectiveness of Schema Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy on Attitudes Towards Infidelity Among Individuals Experiencing Marital Conflict
Authors: Ghale Khandabi Elham , Peymani Javid , Tizdast Taher , Khalatbari Javad
Published: May 2024

Objective: Marital conflict is one of the serious problems in couples' interactions, which is considered as the cause of marital infidelity or divorce in many cases. This research was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of schema therapy and emotion focused therapy on the attitude towards marital infidelity of people with marital conflict. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with two experimental groups and a control group along with a follow-up test period. From the statistical population of women referring to the clinics of the 1st district of Tehran, 45 people were selected using the available method and replaced in three groups using a random method. Whatley's marital infidelity questionnaire (2006) was used. First, the pre-test of the attitude towards extrapolation was implemented for all three groups, then schema therapy (Yang, 2003) and emotion focused therapy (Greenberg, 2004) were implemented for the experimental groups, but no intervention was applied for the control group; Finally, the post-test and the follow-up test were performed for all three groups. Findings: The results of the repeated measurement test showed that both schema therapy and emotion focused groups are effective in reducing attitudes towards marital infidelity (f=8.447 and p=0.001). Bonferroni's post hoc test showed that there is no significant difference in the effectiveness of the two schema therapy and emotion focused approaches. Conclusion: To improve the attitude towards marital infidelity of people with marital conflict, it is suggested to use both schema therapy and emotion focused interventions.
Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment-Based Couples Therapy on Attitudes Towards Marital Infidelity and Emotional Regulation in Married Women
Authors: Yousefpouri Mahsa , Zomorodi Saeedeh , Bazzazian Saeideh
Published: May 2024

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of acceptance and commitment-based couples therapy on attitudes toward marital infidelity and emotional regulation in married women. Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study conducted using pre-test, post-test, and follow-up methods. The study population consisted of 30 married women visiting psychological services and counseling centers in Tehran in the fall of 2022, who were selected using a convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control groups. The experimental group received acceptance and commitment-based couples therapy, while the control group received no training. The standard questionnaire on the tendency toward marital infidelity by Bashirpour et al. (2018) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale by Gratz and Roemer (2004) were distributed among all the study participants. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with SPSS software version 22. Findings: The results showed that couples therapy based on acceptance and commitment had a significant effect on attitudes toward infidelity (F = 57.26, p < .001) and emotional regulation (F = 26.64, p < .001) in married women. Conclusion: It can be concluded that acceptance and commitment-based couples therapy is effective in influencing attitudes towards marital infidelity and emotional regulation in married women and can be used to improve the quality of married life.
Predicting Sexual Function Based on Sexual Self-Awareness and Perfectionism in Employed Women
Authors: Sameti Mansoureh , Ghorchiyan Faraz , Dorodiyan Nadereh , Beiraqdar Shahnaz
Published: May 2024

Objective: In the professional lives of women, factors such as stress, long working hours, multiple roles, and work-family conflict can affect their sexual function. Therefore, this study aimed to predict sexual function based on sexual self-awareness and perfectionism in employed women. Methods: The present study was applied and descriptive-correlational. The study population consisted of employed women in Isfahan County, who were sampled using a convenience sampling method with 210 participants being examined. For data collection, Rosen, Myers, and Hatty's (2000) Female Sexual Function Questionnaire, Snell, Fisher, and Miller's (1991) Sexual Awareness Questionnaire, and Hill's (2004) Perfectionism Questionnaire were used. For data analysis in the inferential statistics part, simultaneous multiple regression was conducted using SPSS version 21. Findings: The findings indicate that sexual self-awareness and perfectionism can explain 15.2% of the variance in sexual function. The t-test for significance in the regression for the coefficient of sexual self-awareness (β = 0.292) and perfectionism (β = -0.271) is significant at the level below 0.01. Sexual self-awareness has a greater unique contribution in predicting the sexual function of employed women (α = 0.05). Conclusion: Ultimately, enhancing sexual self-awareness and controlling perfectionism can help maintain and improve the sexual function of employed women. According to the results obtained, sexual self-awareness, followed by perfectionism, predicts the sexual function of these women in their relationships.