bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temperature, mosquito feeding status and mosquito density influence the measured bio-efficacy of insecticide-treated nets in cone assays
Authors: Mseti Jilly Jackson , Maasayi Masudi Suleiman , Lugenge Aidi Galus , Mpelepele Ahmadi B , Kibondo Ummi Abdul , Tenywa Frank Chelestino , Odufuwa Olukayode G. , Tambwe Mgeni Mohamed , Moore Sarah Jane
Published: December 2023

Background
The World Health Organization (WHO) cone bioassay is routinely used for the evaluation of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) bioefficacy for product pre-qualification and confirmation of continued ITN performance during operational monitoring. Despite its standardized nature, variability is often observed between tests. This study investigated the influence of temperature in the testing environment, mosquito feeding status and mosquito density on cone bioassay results.
Methods
Cone bioassays were conducted on MAGNet (alphacypermethrin) and Veeralin (alphacypermethrin and PBO) ITNs, using laboratory-reared pyrethroid resistant Anopheles funestus sensu stricto (FUMOZ) mosquitoes. Three experiments were conducted using standard cone bioassays following WHO recommended test parameters with one variable changed in each, 1) environmental temperature during exposure: 22–23˚C, 26–27˚C, 29–30˚C, and 32–33˚C, 2) feeding: 6 hours sugar starved, blood-fed, or sugar-fed before exposure and 3) mosquito density per cone: 5, 10, 15, and 20. For each test, 15 net samples per treatment arm were tested with 4 cones per sample (N = 60). Mortality after 24, 48 and 72 hr post exposure to ITNs was recorded.
Results
There was a notable influence of temperature, feeding status and mosquito density on Anopheles funestus mortality for both types of ITNs. Mortality at 24 hours was significantly higher at 32–33˚C than 26–27˚C for MAGNet [19.33% vs 7%, OR = 3.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.99–7.87), p < 0.001] and Veeralin [91% vs 47.33%, OR = 22.20 (11.45–43.05), p < 0.001]. Mosquito feeding status influenced the observed mortality. Relative to sugar fed mosquitoes, MAGNet induced higher mortality among blood-fed [7% vs 3%, OR: 2.23 (95% CI :0.94–5.27), p = 0.068] and significantly higher mortality among starved mosquitoes [8% vs 3%, OR: 2.88 (95% CI:1.25–6.63), p = 0.013] while Veeralin showed significantly lower mortality among blood-fed mosquitoes [43% vs 57%, OR:0.56 (95% CI:0.38–0.81), p = 0.002] and no difference for starved mosquitoes [58% vs 57%, OR:1.05 (95% CI:0.72–1.51),p = 0.816]. Mortality significantly increased with increasing mosquito density for MAGNet e.g., 5 vs 10 mosquitoes [7% vs 12%, OR: 1.81 (95% CI: 1.03–3.20), p = 0.040] and Veeralin [58% vs 71%, OR 2.06 (1.24–3.42) p = 0.005].
Conclusions
The study highlights that the testing parameters, temperature, feeding status and mosquito density significantly influence the mortality measured in cone bioassays. Careful adherence to testing parameters outlined in WHO ITN testing guidelines will likely improve the repeatability of studies within and between product testing facilities.
Phagocytosis model of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals generated using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived macrophages
Authors: Okada Tomoki , Okada Atsushi , Aoki Hiromasa , Onozato Daichi , Kato Taiki , Takase Hiroshi , Ohshima Shigeru , Sugino Teruaki , Unno Rei , Taguchi Kazumi , Hamamoto Shuzo , Ando Ryosuke , Shimada Issei S , Hashita Tadahiro , Iwao Takahiro , Matsunaga Tamihide , Yasui Takahiro
Published: December 2023

Macrophages play a role in nephrolithiasis, offering the possibility of macrophage-mediated preventive therapies. To establish a system for screening drugs that could prevent the formation of kidney stones, we aimed to develop a model using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived macrophages to study phagocytosis of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals. Human iPSCs (201B7) were cultured. CD14 + monocytes were recovered using a stepwise process that involved the utilization of growth factors and cytokines. These cells were then allowed to differentiate into M1 and M2 macrophages. The macrophages were co-cultured with COM crystals and used in the phagocytosis experiments. Live cell imaging using a super-resolution microscope was used to visualize phagocytosis. Intracellular fluorescence intensity was measured using imaging cytometry to quantify phagocytosis. Human iPSCs successfully differentiated into M1 and M2 macrophages. M1 macrophages adhered to the culture plate and moved COM crystals from the periphery to the center of the cell over time, whereas M2 macrophages did not adhere to the culture plate and actively phagocytosed the surrounding COM crystals. Fluorescence assessment over a 24-h period showed that M2 macrophages exhibited higher intracellular fluorescence intensity (5.65 times that of M1 macrophages at 4.5 h) and maintained this advantage for 18 h. This study revealed that human iPSC-derived macrophages have the capacity to phagocytose COM crystals, presenting a new approach for studying urinary stone formation and highlighting the potential of iPSC-derived macrophages as a valuable tool to screen drugs related to nephrolithiasis.
Group Acceptance Sampling Plans for Truncated Life Tests based on Type-I Heavy-Tailed Exponential Distribution
Authors: Nwankwo Bright Chimezie , Obiora-Ilouno Happiness O. , Mutairi Aned Al , Mustafa Manahil SidAhmed , Obulezi Okechukwu Jeremiah
Published: December 2023

An investigation into one of the sub-models suggested in the type-I heavy-tailed family of distributions was carried out in this article. The model is named type-I heavy-tailed Exponential (TI-HTE) distribution. The characterizations of the model were derived and discussed. The distribution parameters were estimated utilizing the maximum likelihood approach. We further designed group acceptance sampling plans (GASP) for the rejection or otherwise of units of items in a manufacturing system based on the TI-HTE model. Simulation studies for the GASP and real-life applications were deployed highlighting the significance of the proposed model in capturing extreme behaviors beyond conventional exponential or heavy-tailed distributions.
Design, implementation, and evaluation of the first year of an anti-racism curriculum for a family medicine residency program in Atlanta, GA
Authors: Gertz Alida M , Smith Michele , Thomas Davon , Ti Angeline , Eaddy Charles , Vamos Cheryl , Bohn Joe
Published: December 2023

Background: Racism in medicine is a recognized problem that contributes to health care disparities.
Objectives: This curriculum was designed to educate primary care residents by providing the historical perspective to understand racism in medicine while also giving them the tools to work towards deconstructing and reconstructing the systems that propagate racism.
Methods: To evaluate the curriculum, from 2021-2023, a mixed-methods approach was used consisting of (1) pre- and post-curriculum surveys for learners, (2) focus groups discussions (FGDs), and (3) examination of change in change in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values among patients of color.
Results: Four FGDs (24 residents/faculty) indicated that although residents felt an anti-racism curriculum would be useful, some were doubtful about how effective it would be. Most requested that any teaching be evidence-based and action-oriented. Twenty-five of 27 (93%) of residents and students rotating with the program at that time responded to the pre-curriculum survey, and 18 of 25 (72%) participated in the late-curriculum survey. Aftercompleting the curriculum, residents had greater awareness of the problem. Most felt more prepared to deal with racism in their practice. With respect to patient-oriented outcomes, HbA1c did not change among black vs non-black patients but did decrease for Hispanic vs non-Hispanic patients.
Conclusions: Based on this preliminary evaluation, implementation of an anti-racism curriculum for primary care residents was perceived to be effective by the residents at teaching anti-racism concepts and may have led to small improvements in the health of patients in the residency clinic.
Discussion: Ongoing quality improvement and sustainability efforts are needed.
Morning Exercise Affects the Absorption of Oral Levothyroxine: A Pilot Study
Authors: GEZER Emre
Published: December 2023

Purpose
Levothyroxine (LT4) is the first-line hormone replacement therapy for hypothyroidism. Several factors which have an influence on oral LT4 absorption have been previously described; however, the influence of exercise on oral LT4 absorption has not been reported, yet. It was aimed to investigate the possible effect of morning exercise, right after LT4 ingestion, on the absorption of LT4 tablets in this study.
Patients and Methods
Patients with primary hypothyroidism who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were offered to participate in a 6-week morning exercise programme and those who agreed to participate were enrolled in our study. Patients were required to have a walk for 30 minutes with a regular speed right after taking their daily LT4 treatments and start having breakfast the first hour after LT4 intake. Pre- and post-exercise TSH levels were recorded and TSH percentage change was calculated.
Results
All patients had decreased TSH levels after the exercise programme. There was a significant decrease in TSH levels (p < 0.001). A significant positive correlation between TSH percentage change and daily dose of LT4 per kg of body weight was also shown.
Conclusions
This is the first study which demonstrates the significant positive effect of morning exercise on the absorption of LT4 tablets. In addition to that, it was also found that as the daily dose of LT4 increases, the percentage decrease of TSH level becomes greater.
Investigating YOLO Models Towards Outdoor Obstacle Detection For Visually Impaired People
Authors: He Chenhao , Saha Pramit
Published: December 2023

The utilization of deep learning-based object detection is an effective approach to assist visually impaired individuals in avoiding obstacles. In this paper, we implemented seven different YOLO object detection models viz., YOLO-NAS (small, medium, large), YOLOv8, YOLOv7, YOLOv6, and YOLOv5 and performed comprehensive evaluation with carefully tuned hyperparameters, to analyze how these models performed on images containing common daily-life objects presented on roads and sidewalks. After a systematic investigation, YOLOv8 was found to be the best model, which reached a precision of 80% and a recall of 68.2% on a well-known Obstacle Dataset which includes images from VOC dataset, COCO dataset, and TT100K dataset along with images collected by the researchers in the field. Despite being the latest model and demonstrating better performance in many other applications, YOLO-NAS was found to be suboptimal for the obstacle detection task.
Advancing Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Prediction: Development and Validation of a Machine Learning-Based Preclinical Screening Model
Authors: wang bingsheng , Chen Lingling , Shi Aili , shi yankai , Qi Wenhao , Yao Jiani , cao shihua , Lou xiajing , Dong Chaoqun , Zhu Xiaohong , Wang Bing , He Danni , Chen Yanfei
Published: December 2023

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) poses a significant challenge for individuals aged 65 and older, being the most prevalent form of dementia. Most existing Alzheimer’s disease risk predic- tion tools have high accuracy, but the complexity and limited accessibility of current AD risk prediction tools hinder their practical use.
Objective: Our goal was to leverage machine learning techniques to develop a prediction model that is not only highly efficient but also cost-effective.
METHODS: Utilizing data from 2,968 individuals sourced from the National Alzheimer’s Coor- dinating Center, and we constructed models, including gradient-enhanced machines and random forests, as well as commonly used logistic regression models. For modeling purposes, we employed two popular machine learning algorithms, Random Forest and XGBoost, along with traditional logistic regression methods. The models’ performance was evaluated based on five key criteria: the Brier score, accuracy (ACC), specificity (SPE), sensitivity (SEN), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).
RESULTS: The average age of the 2968 participants was 71.1 years, with a standard deviation of 6.8 years, and 60.3% were female. The prevalence of AD was 23.15% (n= 687). The machine learning-based Boruta algorithm identified 16 significant predictors from 33 potential risk factors, with a minimum Root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.27 when the top 5 variables were selected (education level, depression, rapid eye movement sleep disorder, age, anxiety).We used the SHAP feature in the Gradient Boosting Decision Tree Model importance to rank the top 20 significant predictors and selected the top 4 variables: edu- cation level, age, marital status, and depression to construct our model based on cross-validation results. Compared to the logistic regression model, the integrated algorithm XGBoost and the random forest model performed better. Notably, XGBoost outperformed other models, achievingan AUC score of 0.78, ACC score of 0.691, SPE score of 0.677, SEN score of 0.739, PRE score of 0.403, and Brier score of 0.140.
CONCLUSION: Individual characteristics and psychological status are more critical than past history. Machine-learning-based AD risk assessment tools for older adults can be easily accessed and show some accurate discrimination, which may be useful in guiding preclinical screening for AD in the elderly population.
Numerical simulation of potential impulse waves generated by Mogu toppling rock slope at varying water levels in Lianghekou Reservoir, China
Authors: Chen Shi-zhuang , Xu Weiya , Zhang Guike , Wang Rubin , Yan Long , Zhang Hailong , Wang Huanling
Published: December 2023

Reservoir impoundment and water level fluctuation often trigger slope instability and its secondary disasters, such as potential impulse waves, posing a serious threat to the safety of people along the reservoir and the dam area, causing economic losses and even catastrophic consequences. This study delves into a thorough field investigation and monitoring of engineering geological conditions and deformation mechanisms the Mogu toppling rock slope. Impoundment is the primary factor inducing slope deformation, and the cumulative displacement of sliding body has not converged, signifying potential instability. Coupling the elasto-visco-plasticity model and the RNG turbulence model in FLOW3D, an actual surge disaster near Lianghekou Reservoir dam area is reenacted to validate reliability of the numerical method. On this basis, a three-dimensional model is established to calculate potential impulse waves generated by Mogu toppling rock slope, and the risk of the dam is evaluated. Under varying water level conditions, the simulated heights of impulse waves do not surpass the dam elevation, demonstrating a satisfactory safety margin. Given the inherent danger of landslide-induced wave disasters, continuous attention is warranted, and preventive measures and suggestions are proposed to address these concerns. Additionally, the contributions of water level fluctuations to the head wave height, the run-up wave height on the opposite bank and the dam, and the attenuation rate of wave height along the river channel are explored. The results in this study present significant reference values for the early warning and prevention of comparable reservoir landslides and potential landslide-induced waves worldwide.
Overview and Quantitative Analysis of Glioma Palliative Care Assessment Scales: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Xiao Zhiyuan , Yang Tianrui , Cao Yaning , Chen Wenlin , Li Junlin , Liang Tingyu , Wang Yaning , Wang Yuekun , Guo Xiaopeng , Zhang Yi , Wang Yu , Ma Wenbin
Published: December 2023

Background: Patients diagnosed with glioma face substantial challenges with poor prognosis, high symptom burden and care needs. The scope of palliative care has also been defined by the WHO (World Health Organization). Palliative care for glioma has no clear and precise scope. Assessment scales in the setting of palliative care for patients with glioma that are used to assess the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs among others. However, the assessment scales used in palliative care (PC) for glioma were varied.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to gather a comprehensive range of palliative care requirements specific to glioma patients, along with the evaluation tools employed. To present an overview and quantitative analysis of assessment scales utilized to evaluate the palliative care issues and symptom burden suffered by patients with glioma throughout their illness.
Methods: The reporting of this systematic review is in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We conducted a generalized search for articles in the Pubmed, Web of Science, Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases. The quantitative study was defined as studies that utilized one or more scales to evaluate the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs in patients with glioma. All screened articles were assessed for eligibility and underwent two rounds of collaborative selection.
Results: A total of 3218 studies were screened, from which 74 scales were extracted from 70 articles and utilized 178 times. The scales cover mood, quality of life (QoL), supportive care needs, symptoms, caregiver assessment, ability of living, social support, cognitive, performance status, personality, and others. The largest number of scales was in the mood category (n=15), followed by supportive care needs (n=13), QoL (n=11), and the smallest number of scales in the personality (n=2) and performance status (n=2). The most frequently used scales were QoL (f=41, 23%), mood (f=40, 22%), and supportive care needs (f=24, 13%), and the least frequently used scales were personality (n=4, 2.2%) and others (n=3, 1.6%). Most of the studies focus on mood, QoL, supportive care needs, and symptom assessment.
Conclusions: We have provided the first systematic statistical analysis of assessment scales used in palliative care for glioma, which reflects of how established different areas of research are. The scales used were varied and inconsistent, future researchers can refer to the scales according to the research questions and population characteristics.
El impacto de la inteligencia artificial en los trabajadores despedidos por automatización de servicios
Authors: Granados Ferreira Jackeline
Published: December 2023

El presente artículo de reflexión elabora un análisis teórico, conceptual e histórico de la automatización y la inteligencia artificial, en contraste con las herramientas de orden jurídico y político que actualmente pueden servir para tratar las garantías laborales de los trabajadores despedidos por estas tecnologías. Primero, se realiza una disertación sobre el futuro del empleo en la era de la automatización; luego se estudiará la implementación de la inteligencia artificial desde la óptica de los trabajadores, y finalmente se documentan las herramientas de orden jurídico que a nivel nacional e internacional existen para brindar garantías jurídicas a los trabajadores y así responder la pregunta, ¿Qué garantías tienen los trabajadores despedidos por las empresas, al implementar la inteligencia artificial para automatizar servicios?
Farmers' resilience index: A tool to metricize the resilience of the farmers towards natural disasters affecting agriculture in India
Authors: Raahalya Sandipamu , Balasubramaniam P. , Devi M. Nirmala , Maragatham N. , Selvi R. Gangai
Published: December 2023

In the present paper farmers' resilience index (FRI) was constructed considering the natural disaster using five dimensions including physical, social, economic, human and natural. The scale is administered to the 240 paddy farmers in two coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Principal component analysis was performed in order to fix the weightage for each variable. About (39.58%) of farmers are resilient to natural disasters with the highest resilience score for financial capital (0.641) and natural capital with less resilience score (0.401). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to determine how well the generated model of the scale fits the data. The structural equation modelling (SEM) path diagram was developed based on the conceptual model, which uses resilience as a latent variable. The SEM analysis revealed that four dimensions of capital positively affect farmers' resilience except for the human capital which negatively affects resilience. To reduce the effects of natural catastrophes in the upcoming years, the adaptation strategies from the highly resilient places can be examined and put into practice in the less resilient areas. It is imperative that development programmes at all levels incorporate climate awareness and stakeholder capacity building.
Dissolved organic material changes during combined treatment of a mixture of landfill leachate and anaerobic digestate using deammonification and chemical coagulation
Authors: Zeirani Nav Tayyeb , Pümpel Thomas , Bockreis Anke
Published: December 2023

The current study investigates the combined treatment of wastewater of anaerobic digestate and landfill leachate, using deammonification and coagulation/flocculation processes. The deammonification section studies the performance of a full-scale deammonification plant in nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, monitored over 2 years. For further COD reduction from the deammonification effluent (DE) to meet the environmental regulatory standards, coagulation/flocculation using three different Al-based coagulants was used to treat the DE. Results revealed that the deammonification plant showed 80% average ammonium removal from the mixed feed over the study period. Additionally, 30% of the feed COD was removed in the deammonification plant. COD analysis after treatment using coagulants revealed that the polyaluminum chloride modified with Fe had the best performance in reducing COD to meet the environmental standards. Excitation-emission matrix-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) of the dissolved organic material (DOM) samples indicated that fluorescents were the compounds mostly affected by the coagulant types. DOM analysis using 2D correlation Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the applied coagulants showed minor differences in removing different functional groups, despite having different COD reduction performance. Wastewater elemental analysis indicated elevated metal concentrations in low pH conditions (<6) due to re-stabilization of the flocs using coagulants.
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE FORMATION OF COGNITIVE ACTIVITY IN MUSICAL ACTIVITY IN OLDER PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
Authors: Aleksandrova Iuliia Evgen'evna
Published: December 2023

Статья посвящена педагогам дошкольного воспитания, перед которыми стоит задача воспитать человека готового к освоению новых областей деятельности, поэтому проблема формирования познавательной активности занимает особое место.
Prospecciones de Sistemas Hidrográficos para la Introducción del "Salmón" en Chile
Authors: Vila Irma , Zeiss Eduardo , Gibson Harry
Published: December 2023

Con el objeto de seleccionar lugares adecuados para la introducción de O. tschauytscha y O. kisutch, se prospectaron estacionalmente los sistemas hidrográficos entre Valdivia (39®45’S. 73°15’W.) y Puerto Montt (41°45’S. 42*45’W ).Se controlaron parámetros abióticos: volumen de agua, temperatura, concentración de oxígeno, pH, alcalinidad, dureza total y anhídrido carbónico. Conjuntamente se identificó las familias y número de insectos acuáticos presentes.
An Update on the Emerging Role of Wnt/β-catenin, SYK, PI3K/AKT, and
GM-CSF Signaling Pathways in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Prajapati Pradyuman , Doshi Gaurav
Published: December 2023

Rheumatoid arthritis is an untreatable autoimmune disorder. The disease is accompanied
by joint impairment and anomalies, which negatively affect the patient’s quality of life and
contribute to a decline in manpower. To diagnose and treat rheumatoid arthritis, it is crucial to understand
the abnormal signaling pathways that contribute to the disease. This understanding will
help develop new rheumatoid arthritis-related intervention targets. Over the last few decades, researchers
have given more attention to rheumatoid arthritis. The current review seeks to provide a
detailed summary of rheumatoid arthritis, highlighting the basic description of the disease, past occurrences,
the study of epidemiology, risk elements, and the process of disease progression, as
well as the key scientific development of the disease condition and multiple signaling pathways
and enumerating the most current advancements in discovering new rheumatoid arthritis signaling
pathways and rheumatoid arthritis inhibitors. This review emphasizes the anti-rheumatoid effects
of these inhibitors [for the Wnt/β-catenin, Phosphoinositide 3-Kinases (PI3K/AKT), Spleen Tyrosine
Kinase (SYK), and Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) signaling
pathways], illustrating their mechanism of action through a literature search, current therapies,
and novel drugs under pre-clinical and clinical trials.
Association of Cardiac Valve Calcification and 1-year Mortality after Lower-extremity Amputation in Diabetic Patients: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Ye Weibin , Li Li , Zeng Jianfeng
Published: December 2023

Background:

Cardiac valve calcification predisposes patients to a higher risk of adverse
cardiovascular events. This study aimed to investigate the association between cardiac
valve calcification and 1-year mortality in diabetic patients after lower-extremity amputation.

Methods:

This was a retrospective study conducted on the clinical data of diabetic patients who
underwent lower-extremity amputation admitted to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou,
Guangdong, China for diabetic foot ulcers needed lower extremity amputation surgery
between July 2017 and March 2021. Detailed preoperative medical assessments were performed
and recorded. Cardiac valve calcification was assessed using echocardiography at baseline. Oneyear
follow-up assessments were conducted and included clinical visits, hospital record assessments,
and telephone reviews to obtain the survival status of patients.

Results:

Ninety-three diabetic patients participated in the study. The 1-year follow-up mortality
rate after amputation was 24.7%. Compared to the survival group, the prevalence of cardiac
valve calcification and the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) were higher in the mortality
group. In the Cox regression analysis, cardiac valvular calcification (HR=3.427, 95% CI=1.125-
10.443, p =0.030) was found to be an independent predictor of all-cause mortality after amputation.
In addition, the patients with both aortic valve calcification and mitral annular calcification
had a higher all-cause mortality rate (50%). Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis
showed a stronger predictive ability when using a combination of calcified valve number and
RCRI (AUC=0.786 95%, CI=0.676-0.896, p =0.000).

Conclusion:

In diabetic patients after lower-extremity amputation, cardiac valve calcification
was associated with all-cause mortality during 1-year follow-up. Combination of calcified valve
number and RCRI score showed a stronger predictive value for mortality.
Comparison of Polysomnography, Single-Channel Electroencephalogram, Fitbit, and Sleep Logs in Patients With Psychiatric Disorders: Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Kawai Keita , Iwamoto Kunihiro , Miyata Seiko , Okada Ippei , Fujishiro Hiroshige , Noda Akiko , Nakagome Kazuyuki , Ozaki Norio , Ikeda Masashi
Published: December 2023

Background

Sleep disturbances are core symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Although various sleep measures have been developed to assess sleep patterns and quality of sleep, the concordance of these measures in patients with psychiatric disorders remains relatively elusive.

Objective

This study aims to examine the degree of agreement among 3 sleep recording methods and the consistency between subjective and objective sleep measures, with a specific focus on recently developed devices in a population of individuals with psychiatric disorders.

Methods

We analyzed 62 participants for this cross-sectional study, all having data for polysomnography (PSG), Zmachine, Fitbit, and sleep logs. Participants completed questionnaires on their symptoms and estimated sleep duration the morning after the overnight sleep assessment. The interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to evaluate the consistency between sleep parameters obtained from each instrument. Additionally, Bland-Altman plots were used to visually show differences and limits of agreement for sleep parameters measured by PSG, Zmachine, Fitbit, and sleep logs.

Results

The findings indicated a moderate agreement between PSG and Zmachine data for total sleep time (ICC=0.46; P<.001), wake after sleep onset (ICC=0.39; P=.002), and sleep efficiency (ICC=0.40; P=.006). In contrast, Fitbit demonstrated notable disagreement with PSG (total sleep time: ICC=0.08; wake after sleep onset: ICC=0.18; sleep efficiency: ICC=0.10) and exhibited particularly large discrepancies from the sleep logs (total sleep time: ICC=–0.01; wake after sleep onset: ICC=0.05; sleep efficiency: ICC=–0.02). Furthermore, subjective and objective concordance among PSG, Zmachine, and sleep logs appeared to be influenced by the severity of the depressive symptoms and obstructive sleep apnea, while these associations were not observed between the Fitbit and other sleep instruments.

Conclusions

Our study results suggest that Fitbit accuracy is reduced in the presence of comorbid clinical symptoms. Although user-friendly, Fitbit has limitations that should be considered when assessing sleep in patients with psychiatric disorders.
Human-Written vs AI-Generated Texts in Orthopedic Academic Literature: Comparative Qualitative Analysis
Authors: Hakam Hassan Tarek , Prill Robert , Korte Lisa , Lovreković Bruno , Ostojić Marko , Ramadanov Nikolai , Muehlensiepen Felix
Published: December 2023

Background

As large language models (LLMs) are becoming increasingly integrated into different aspects of health care, questions about the implications for medical academic literature have begun to emerge. Key aspects such as authenticity in academic writing are at stake with artificial intelligence (AI) generating highly linguistically accurate and grammatically sound texts.

Objective

The objective of this study is to compare human-written with AI-generated scientific literature in orthopedics and sports medicine.

Methods

Five original abstracts were selected from the PubMed database. These abstracts were subsequently rewritten with the assistance of 2 LLMs with different degrees of proficiency. Subsequently, researchers with varying degrees of expertise and with different areas of specialization were asked to rank the abstracts according to linguistic and methodological parameters. Finally, researchers had to classify the articles as AI generated or human written.

Results

Neither the researchers nor the AI-detection software could successfully identify the AI-generated texts. Furthermore, the criteria previously suggested in the literature did not correlate with whether the researchers deemed a text to be AI generated or whether they judged the article correctly based on these parameters.

Conclusions

The primary finding of this study was that researchers were unable to distinguish between LLM-generated and human-written texts. However, due to the small sample size, it is not possible to generalize the results of this study. As is the case with any tool used in academic research, the potential to cause harm can be mitigated by relying on the transparency and integrity of the researchers. With scientific integrity at stake, further research with a similar study design should be conducted to determine the magnitude of this issue.
Clinical Utility and Usability of the digital Box and Block Test: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)
Authors: Prochaska Eveline , Ammenwerth Elske
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND

The Box and Block Test is a clinical tool used to measure hand dexterity. It serves as an assessment for tracking disease progression or the success of therapy, often benefiting elderly individuals and those with neurological conditions. We have developed and validated a prototype that digitizes this test – the digital Box and Block Test (dBBT).

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical utility and usability of the newly developed dBBT, and to discover suggestions for future improvements.

METHODS

Four occupational therapists and 27 healthy subjects participated in our study. We assessed dBBT usage through observations, followed by participants completing the System Usability Scale (SUS). Subsequently, we conducted a focus group to evaluate their user experiences. Qualitative content analysis was applied to all interview transcripts, and we integrated and analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data.

RESULTS

Overall, the clinical utility of the dBBT received a rating comparable to the original BBT. In the subcategories ‘acceptance’ and ‘time required for evaluation’, the dBBT was rated better than the original BBT. In the other 15 subcategories, the dBBT was rated as good as the original BBT. Usability analysis found that dBBT has “excellent” usability. dBBT achieved a mean (SD) SUS usability sore of 83.0 (10.3). A number of suggested changes to the system were made. Participants also indicated that incorporating the system into professional practice could enhance the profession's image and support the professionalism of occupational therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The study demonstrated an overall positive evaluation in clinical utility and usability of dBBT. Valuable insights were gathered for future system iterations. These pioneering results highlight the potential of digitizing hand dexterity assessments.

CLINICALTRIAL

N/A
Sign Language Recognition System for Deaf Patients: Protocol for a Systematic Review (Preprint)
Authors: Marcolino Milena Soriano , Oliveira Lucca Fagundes Ramos , Valle Lucas Rocha , Rosa Luiza Marinho Motta Santa , Reis Zilma Silveira Nogueira , Soares Thiago Barbabela de Castro , Bernardino Elidéa Lúcia Almeida , Cordeiro Raniere Alislan Almeida , Prates Raquel Oliveira , Campos Mario Fernando Montenegro
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND

Individuals with hearing impairments may face hindrances in health care assistance, which may significantly impact the prognosis and the incidence of complications and iatrogenic events. Therefore, the development of automatic communication systems to assist the interaction between this population and health care workers is paramount.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to systematically review the evidence on communication systems using human-computer interaction techniques developed for deaf people who communicate through sign language that are already in use or proposed for use in health care contexts and have been tested with human users or videos of human users.

METHODS

A systematic review will be performed based on a literature search in MEDLINE, Web of Science, ACM, and IEEE Xplore as well as top-tiered conferences in the area to identify relevant studies. The inclusion criteria are the description of the development of a sign language recognition system in a health care context and the testing with human users. Independent investigators (LFRO, LRV, and LMMSR) will screen eligible studies, and disagreements will be solved by a senior researcher (MSM). The included papers will undergo full-text screening. A PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) flow diagram will be presented to visually summarize the screening process, ensuring clarity and transparency in presenting the results. Additionally, a comprehensive chart table will be constructed to consolidate essential data related to the key variables extracted from the studies. These results will be meticulously analyzed and presented descriptively, offering insightful interpretations of the information encapsulated within the table.

RESULTS

A preliminary search was performed in April 2024. Researchers concluded the study selection by July 2024. Data extraction, synthesis, report, and recommendations are expected to be finished by February 2025.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review will identify human-machine systems that enable communication in health services involving deaf patients, presenting the framework that includes usability and application in human contexts. We will present a comprehensive panel of findings, highlighting systems used to tackle communication barriers and offer a narrative comparison of current implementation practices.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

PRR1-10.2196/55427
The Integration of Cultural Content in Chinese Junior High School English Teaching: Effects and Strategies
Authors: Yan Tingting , Jing Xuan
Published: December 2023

In the fast-paced era of globalization, it is essential for students to acquire cross-cultural communication skills to adapt to the diverse and dynamic international environment. Therefore, the integration of cultural content in English teaching plays a crucial role in enhancing students’ cross-cultural understanding and competence. This paper will discuss the positive effects of cultural content integration on students’ language proficiency, cultural awareness, and intercultural communication skills. Furthermore, the paper will introduce several effective strategies for integrating cultural content in English teaching, including the use of multimedia resources, interdisciplinary collaboration, and cross-cultural exchange activities. These strategies can help teachers to create a more engaging and meaningful learning environment for students, promoting their overall language development and cultural competence.
The U.S. Sanitary Pads Market: A Competitive Profile
Authors: Datta Y.
Published: December 2023

This is the seventeenth paper that follows the footsteps of sixteen studies that have tried to analyze the competitive profiles of U.S. consumer markets: Men’s Shaving Gel, Beer, Shampoo, Shredded/Grated Cheese, Refrigerated Orange Juice, Men’s Razor-Blades, Women’s Razor-Blades, Toothpaste, Canned Soup, Coffee, Potato Chips, Alkaline AA Battery, Facial Tissue, Toilet Paper, Paper Towel, and Disposable Diapers.Michael Porter associates high market share with cost leadership strategy, which is based on the idea of competing on a price that is lower than that of the competition.However, customer-perceived quality—not low cost—should be the underpinning of competitive strategy, because it is far more vital to long-term competitive position and profitability than any other factor. So, a superior alternative is to offer better quality vs. the competition.In most consumer markets, a business seeking market share leadership should try to serve the middle class by competing in the mid-price segment; and offering quality better than that of the competition: at a price somewhat higher to signify an image of quality, and to ensure that the strategy is both profitable and sustainable in the long run. Quality, however, is a complex concept, consumers generally find difficult to understand. So, they often use relative price, and a brand’s reputation, as a symbol of quality.The U.S. Sanitary Napkins market had sales of $881 million in 2008.This market consists of two segments: Pantiliners and Sanitary Pads, with 2008 sales, respectively, of $210 million and $671 million.However, we have focused our analysis on the Sanitary Pad segment with the pack size 22-36 that had a market share of 37.1%.Using Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, we tested two hypotheses: (I) That the market leader is likely to compete in the mid-price segment, and that (II) Its unit price is likely to be higher than that of the nearest competition.However, the data did not support Hypothesis I for both 2008 and 2007 because the market leader “Always Ultra-Thin Maxi Pad with Wings (32 count)” was a member of the premium segment.Technically, the data for 2008 did not support Hypothesis II, because the runner-up “Always Maxi Pad Ultra-Thin Overnight (28 count” had a unit price of $6.00, compared to the unit price of $5.98 for the market leader. Yet, the two prices are so close that we have concluded that the data did not really negate Hypothesis II.We found that relative price was a strategic variable, as hypothesized.A pattern is emerging in price-quality segmentation analysis. In ten of the seventeen studies—that exclude Men’s and Women’s Razor-Blades, Ground Coffee, Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Disposable Diapers, and Sanitary Pads—the market leader was found to be a member of the mid-price segment, as we have hypothesized.Also, results in seven markets supported Hypothesis II.We also discovered four strategic groups in the industry.
Netrūkst darāmā: Baltijas drošība Ukrainas notikumu gaismā
Authors: Ījabs Ivars
Published: December 2023

Lēmums palielināt Latvijas aizsardzības izdevumus līdz 3 % no IKP ir bijis ļoti pareizs. Svarīgi ir virzīties uz Baltijas valstu aizsardzības plānu integrāciju.
Diseño Universal para el aprendizaje en la formación de profesores de matemática
Authors: Araya Román Daniela , Alfaro Vargas Evelyn
Published: December 2023

El objetivo de este estudio fue incorporar los principios del Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje (DUA) en las asignaturas de Diseño y Evaluación Curricular y Producción de Materiales Didácticos de la carrera de enseñanza de la matemática de la Universidad Estatal a Distancia. La investigación se enmarcó en el paradigma cualitativo y se realizó durante el I y II semestre de 2022, con la participación de 14 personas estudiantes. Los resultados revelan que la implementación del Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje en las asignaturas, favorece la comprensión de los contenidos. Las personas participantes evidencian interés para la puesta en práctica del Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje en la elaboración de recursos materiales y la concientización sobre cómo este genera mayores oportunidades de aprendizaje. Se concluye que incluir el DUA en estas asignaturas brinda herramientas a las personas docentes para atender su práctica profesional, por lo que se recomienda considerarlo como parte del currículo
Synthesis, сharacterization, and сatalytic properties of GdCoO3 for dry reforming of methane
Authors: Allabergenova Regina , Вobkova Daria , Borodina Elizaveta , Kryuchkova Tatiana , Markova Ekaterina , Sheshko Tatiana , Lobanov Nikolai , Cherednichenko Alexander
Published: December 2023

Perovskite oxides (ABO3) due to their high thermal stability and the ability to control the physico-chemical properties are considered as an alternative to traditional catalysts containing noble and transition metals. Herein, the recent research breakthroughs of GdCoO3 catalysts in experimental studies are summarized in detail. First, the perovskite-type GdCoO3 complex oxides were obtained by co-precipitation method with the various precipitators and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), low temperature nitrogen adsorption and IR spectroscopy. Physical and chemical analysis showed that the choice of precipitant doesn?t significantly affect the phase composition of the perovskites. The catalytic performance of gadolinium cobaltites was discussed. It was found that the use of cobaltites obtained by co-precipitation leads to the inhibition of the side reaction of the reverse steam reforming of carbon monoxide. Finally, the investigation of the used catalysts demonstrated the formation of Gd2O2CO3 and metallic cobalt, which indicates the nature of active centres: gadolinium is the centre of CO adsorption, while hydrogen chemisorption occurs on cobalt-sites.
Causes of secondary forest loss in a lowland rainforest of Nigeria
Authors: Moshood Farhan Jimba , Olajuyigbe Samuel Olalekan
Published: December 2023

The increasing human population which promotes the conversion of secondary forests into other land use types has resulted in the decrease of forest areas in Nigeria. This study examined the causes of secondary forest loss in Osho Forest Reserve, Nigeria. Changes in Land Use Land Cover (LULC) were assessed using Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TC images for four timelines over a period of 38 years (1984, 2013, 2017 and 2022). Results showed an increase in area of plantations, bare land and farmland, leading to a decrease in secondary forest cover. Farmland increased from 731 ha to 859 ha at the rate of 3.7 ha yr-1, bare land increased from 314 ha to 523 ha at 5.5 ha yr-1, plantations increased from 1,105 ha to 1,495 ha at 10.3 ha yr-1,while secondary forest drastically reduced from 1,132 ha to 405 ha at 19.1 ha yr-1. At this rate, secondary forest is estimated to be lost in the study area by 2050.. Osho Forest Reserve requires immediate management interventions driven by updated laws and policies, silvicultural treatment, community engagement and ecosystem rehabilitation. In addition, implementation of sustainable forest management would enhance secondary forest recovery.
Protected and conserved coastal areas in Canada: insights with respect to Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Authors: Lemieux Christopher J. , King Trina D. , Parker Scott R. , Kraus Daniel T.
Published: December 2023

Despite coastal area being recognised as an important subcomponent in protected and conserved areas targets for over a decade, it has been orphaned in both national and international reporting. In this paper, we provide the first progress report on protected and conserved coastal area in Canada. While 13.6 per cent of Canada’s coastal area is protected and conserved, there is substantial variation across Canada’s three oceans and Great Lakes, jurisdictional authorities, and marine/terrestrial ecosystems. Importantly, Manitoba (37.3 per cent) and the Yukon (45.1 per cent) have already achieved the 30 per cent coastal protection target of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). However, Newfoundland and Labrador (7 per cent) and the Northwest Territories (8 per cent) currently fall significantly short. Very poor protection is evident in several marine bioregions and terrestrial ecozones, including across the Arctic, the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves (0.7 per cent) and the Hudson Bay Complex (5.1 per cent). The Great Lakes require urgent and focused conservation attention, with lakes Ontario (3.6 per cent) and Erie (3.7 per cent) exhibiting a dismal amount of coastal protected and conserved area. Our results highlight the importance of explicitly reporting on the status of coastal area protection and we outline several considerations that can be used by the global conservation community to support more effective coastal protection, accounting and reporting vis-à-vis Target 3 of the KM-GBF
Board Gender Diversity and Investment Efficiency: Global Evidence from 83 Country-Level Interventions
Authors: Baik Dave , Chen Clara Xiaoling , Godsell David
Published: December 2023

We investigate the effect of board gender diversity (BGD) on investment outcomes. We identify variation in BGD by compiling, for the first time, a global catalog of 83 BGD interventions implemented in 59 countries between 1999 and 2021. Using a staggered difference-in-differences research design, we document that BGD interventions improve investment outcomes. We find that treated firms reduce inefficient investment by 0.6 percent of total assets or 6.5 percent of total investment and are 4 percentage points more likely to have above-median investment efficiency. Cross-sectional tests reveal more pronounced results when BGD interventions are mandatory, are strongly enforced, and result in larger BGD increases. Event-time, stacked panel, and a wide variety of endogeneity-mitigating robustness tests corroborate. Our plausibly causal inferences have important implications for both research and practice.

JEL Classifications: F52; G34; G38; K22; M41; K38.