bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of protein phosphatase 2A in inflammation and proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Guo Xiaofeng , Bao Guofeng , Zhang Dongmei , Rui Yongjun
Published: September 2023

To understand the effect of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in regulating inflammation and proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), synovial tissues (STs) of osteoarthritis (OA) and RA patients were harvested and FLSs were separated from STs. Several inflammatory factors were applied to stimulate and activate FLSs, which can imitate the process of the inflammatory response in RA FLSs. An inhibitor of PP2A(Okadaic acid) and short interference RNA against PP2A were added to observe that PP2A could influence the inflammation and proliferation of RA FLSs though the ERK and AKT pathways. An agonist of PP2A(FTY720) and lentivirus targeted PP2A were used to investigate that PP2A overexpression could relieve the inflammation and proliferation of RA FLSs. The expression of PP2A and other protein were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis. The genetic expression of inflammatory factors were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The proliferation of FLSs was detected through the expression of proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA)and cyclin B1. The expression of PP2A in RA STs and FLSs was decreased compared with OA. The level of PP2A was up-regulated in RA FLSs stimulated with TNF-α, IL-1 and lipopolysaccharide(LPS). Inhibition of PP2A by Okadaic acid and special siRNA promoted the inflammation and proliferation of RA FLSs. Furthermore, down-regulation of PP2A increased the phosphorylation level of the ERK and AKT signaling. In addition, FTY720 and lentivirus of PP2A reduced TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 production and proliferation of RA FLSs as well as the ERK and AKT pathways. PP2A regulated the inflammatory and proliferation behaviour through the ERK and AKT signaling pathways. Our study suggested that targeting PP2A might a promising therapy to prevent synovial inflammation and destruction.
Channel and Spatial Attention Aware UNet Architecture for Segmentation of Blood Vessels, Exudates and Microaneurysms in Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: M Anand , A Meenakshi Sundaram
Published: September 2023

Diabetic retinopathy stands out as one of the highly prevalent causes of vision loss in working people worldwide. In computer vision, deep learning based strategies are seen as a viable solution for efficient diabetic retinopathy detection. We present a UNet-based deep learning architecture for diabetic retinopathy segmentation of blood vessels, exudates, and microaneurysms. Traditional methods often consider the features only from the last convolution unit and discard the remaining features, resulting in low-quality feature maps. To overcome this, we introduce a skip connection mechanism to concatenate all attributes from each layer. Additionally, we utilize an upsampling layer to aggregate the features at the final sigmoid layer. Finally, we apply channel and spatial attention mechanisms to generate the semantic feature map. We tested proposed approach on several publicly available datasets such as IDRiD, DIARETDB1, STARE, ChaseDB1, DRIVE, and HRF datasets. The comparative analysis shows that the proposed approach achieves superior performance, with an average accuracy of 98.10%, average sensitivity of 97.60%, and average specificity of 98.2% for segmentation.
Post-fire Behavior of Modified Slurry Infiltrated Fiber Concrete (SIFCON) Plates with Waste Tire Rubber under Flexural Load
Authors: Hashim Ali Mudhafar , Al-Shathr Basil S.
Published: September 2023

In this research, an experimental investigation was conducted on eight modified slurry-infiltrated fiber concrete (SIFCON) one-way plates to examine the performance of SIFCON-containing waste powder rubber as a partial substitute for natural sand (0, 5, 10, and 15%) under two point loads applied at the third portions of the plate after being subjected to a high temperature. The incorporation of rubber particles is primarily motivated by environmental concerns and the desire to reduce the danger of spalling after exposure to elevated temperatures. All adopted specimens had identical dimensions (1000 mm length, 300 mm width, and 50 mm thickness). Four specimens were exposed to fire for two hours at a constant temperature of 600°C, after which they were rapidly cooled by spraying them with water. The flexure behavior of the simply supported plates was evaluated by applying two point loads to the middle third of the plate (a test of four point load). The results revealed that the residual ultimate load of the burned plates with powder rubber replacement percentages of 0, 5, 10, and 15% was 83.3%, 61.08%, 61.03%, and 58.73%, respectively.
Knowledge and Perceptions of the Billing’s Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning Among Married Women in Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Abdullateef Ibrahim Bidemi , Abdulganiyu Abdulazeez
Published: September 2023

Background
Based on existing literature, it was observed that modern contraceptives are the most widely used family planning methods in Nigeria, and that they have serious side effects for their users. Despite these effects, women of reproductive age have made little or no effort to embrace Billing's ovulation as an alternative family planning method. In order to better understand the dynamics surrounding the adoption of Billing's ovulation method, this study examined the knowledge, perceived effectiveness, and spousal attitude toward the use of Billing's ovulation as a method of natural family planning among married women in Lagos metropolis.
Method
To accomplish this, a pure qualitative methodological approach was used, with in-depth interviews (IDI) used to collect qualitative data from (20) married women. Manual content analysis was used to analyze the collected data.
Results
Findings showed that; high level of knowledge and awareness of BOM, positive perceptions of its efficacy, and a favorable spousal attitude toward BOM are indicators of the rate at which married women in Lagos metropolis use the Billing's ovulation method as their preferred family planning alternative.
Conclusion
The study then recommends that a rigorous sensitization program based on door-to-door intervention be launched to educate married women in Lagos metropolis on the need for Natural family planning as an alternative family planning method, particularly BOM, while teaching them the procedures and techniques in order to increase people's access to natural family planning.
Many versus one: The disorder operator and entanglement entropy in fermionic quantum matter
Authors: Jiang Weilun , Chen Bin-Bin , Liu Zi Hong , Rong Junchen , Assaad Fakher F. , Cheng Meng , Sun Kai , Meng Zi Yang
Published: September 2023

Motivated by recent development of the concept of the disorder operator and its relation with entanglement entropy in bosonic systems, here we show the disorder operator successfully probes many aspects of quantum entanglement in fermionic many-body systems. From both analytical and numerical computations in free and interacting fermion systems in 1D and 2D, we find the disorder operator and the entanglement entropy exhibit similar universal scaling behavior, as a function of the boundary length of the subsystem, but with subtle yet important differences. In 1D they both follow the \log{L}logL scaling behavior with the coefficient determined by the Luttinger parameter for disorder operator, and the conformal central charge for entanglement entropy. In 2D they both show the universal L\log LLlogL scaling behavior in free and interacting Fermi liquid states, with the coefficients depending on the geometry of the Fermi surfaces. However at a 2D quantum critical point with non-Fermi-liquid state, extra symmetry information is needed in the design of the disorder operator, so as to reveal the critical fluctuations as does the entanglement entropy. Our results demonstrate the fermion disorder operator can be used to probe quantum many-body entanglement related to global symmetry, and provide new tools to explore the still largely unknown territory of highly entangled fermion quantum matter in 2 or higher dimensions.
Spectral statistics of a minimal quantum glass model
Authors: Barney Richard , Winer Michael , Baldwin Christopher L. , Swingle Brian , Galitski Victor
Published: September 2023

Glasses have the interesting feature of being neither integrable nor fully chaotic. They thermalize quickly within a subspace but thermalize much more slowly across the full space due to high free energy barriers which partition the configuration space into sectors. Past works have examined the Rosenzweig-Porter (RP) model as a minimal quantum model which transitions from localized to chaotic behavior. In this work we generalize the RP model in such a way that it becomes a minimal model which transitions from glassy to chaotic behavior, which we term the “Block Rosenzweig-Porter” (BRP) model. We calculate the spectral form factors of both models at all timescales larger than the inverse spectral width. Whereas the RP model exhibits a crossover from localized to ergodic behavior at the Thouless timescale, the new BRP model instead crosses over from glassy to fully chaotic behavior, as seen by a change in the steepness of the ramp of the spectral form factor.
Errors in the diagnosis and therapy of bronchial asthma in children
Authors: Ermakova M. K. , Matveeva L. P. , Naidenkina S. N.
Published: September 2023

The analysis of outpatient records of children with bronchial asthma was carried out to identify the timeliness of the diagnosis of bronchial asthma, which showed that the diagnosis was made with a delay of 3.8 years. In children with prolonged persistent cough, repeated acute obstructive bronchitis, bronchophonography revealed latent bronchospasm, the subsequent appointment of preventive anti-inflammatory therapy to these patients made it possible to clarify the diagnosis of bronchial asthma in 58.9 % of cases. Analysis of the register of patients with bronchial asthma revealed the absence of basic therapy in 2/3 of children with a mild persistent course of the disease. The frequency of emergency medical calls and hospitalizations was higher in children with mild bronchial asthma who did not receive control therapy. An analysis of the expenditure of short-acting β2-agonists in 96 children with asthma indicates their excessive use in 50% of patients. Conducting training seminars increased the knowledge of district pediatricians on modern thera-peutic and diagnostic approaches to bronchial asthma.
Immunological aspects of additional revaccination of adolescents against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus
Authors: Prutskova E. V. , Cherdantsev A. P. , Kostinov M. P.
Published: September 2023

The epidemiological situation of whooping cough in many countries of the world shows an increase in the incidence, despite the high coverage of routine immunization of the child population, which indicates the need for additional booster doses in older age groups.

   Purpose. The study aims at a comparative analysis of the intensity of specific immunity against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus in adolescent children after revaccination with different types of vaccines.

   Material and methods. 121 adolescents received various preparations containing pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus as revaccination.

   Results. The use of the pertussis component in preparations for revaccination of adolescents, despite the fact that they initially have a certain level of seroprotection, is not accompanied by a significant increase in specific antibody titers. Some differences related to the types of drugs used: the AbDTP-M vaccine against AbDTP had the best seroprotection after 1 month, while at the same time, as after 12 months, this ratio reversed.

   Conclusion. The situation with the effectiveness of revaccination against tetanus and diphtheria with all the drugs used had a more predictable effect, which was reflected in a significant increase in the titer of specific antibodies after 1 month.
Features of the gut microbiota in children with chronic liver diseases
Authors: Volynets G. V. , Potapov A. S. , Nikitin A. V. , Danilov L. G. , Skvortsova T. A. , Dudurich V. V.
Published: September 2023

The value of the liver–gut axis is increasingly recognized as a major modulator of autoimmunity. There is no comparative analysis of data on the taxonomic diversity of the intestinal microbiota in chronic liver diseases in children.

   Purpose. To investigate the taxonomic diversity of the intestinal microbiota in children with chronic liver diseases compared with healthy patients, to identify differences in bacterial diversity in autoimmune and non-autoimmune liver diseases, as well as the impact of immunosuppressive therapy on the intestinal microbiota.

   Material and methods. A metagenomic analysis of the gut microbiota of 24 children with chronic liver diseases (mean age 10,3 ± 4,7 years) was carried out with the identification of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The group included 18 children with autoimmune liver diseases and 6 children with non-autoimmune liver diseases. The control group consisted of fecal samples of 34 apparently healthy children.

   Results. When comparing fecal samples of children with autoimmune liver diseases with samples of healthy children, the taxa of Bacteroides dorei, Collinsella aerofaciens, Ruminococcus caffidurs prevailed, and for children of the control group — Neisseria flavescens. When comparing samples of patients with non-autoimmune liver diseases and the control group, it was found that the taxa Bacteroides fragilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bifidobacterium longum prevailed in healthy children. When comparing fecal samples from children with autoimmune and non-autoimmune liver diseases, it was found that Veillonella dispar, Cloacibacillus porcorum, Veillonella parvula, Prevotella histicola and Bacteroides eggerthii taxa dominate in patients with non-autoimmune diseases. No dominant taxa of the gut microbiota were found in children with autoimmune liver diseases. It has been established that the taxa Veillonella dispar, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia inulinivorans, Bacteroides xylanisolvens and Alistipes obesi prevail in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, and the taxa Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens, Bacteroides ovatus, Solobacterium mooreis and Holdemanella massilien prevail in patients not receiving immunosuppressive therapy.

   Conclusion. A recent study of the gut microbiota in children with chronic liver disease shows differences in the imbalance of the gut microbiota compared to the results obtained in adults. The gut microbiota model is capable of distinguishing autoimmune liver diseases from non-autoimmune diseases. Immunosuppressive therapy is accompanied by the dominance of taxa that reduce the production of short-chain fatty acids.
Automatic vibration control method for grasping end of flexible joint robot
Authors: Sun Yufang
Published: September 2023

Because flexible robots have flexible components such as reducers, there are problems of accuracy deviation and end vibration in the process of external interference and trajectory tracking. This leads to the proposal of a Sliding Mode Control Approach Based on RBF Neural Network (SMC-RBF) parameter optimization. This method is mainly applied to reduce the end vibration and running position error of flexible robot. Firstly, the Newton-Euler method is used to establish the dynamic model of robot considering joint flexibility. At the same time, the experiment optimizes the Sliding Mode Control (SMC) method through RBF neural network. The experiments verify the control methods of the two-joint flexible robot and the six-joint flexible robot respectively. In the control of two-joint robot, the maximum tracking curve error of SMC is only about 0.25 rad under the interference of pulse signal; And the recovery time is only about 1 s. In the control of 6-joint robot, the maximum error of RBF-sliding mode control method on XYZ axis is 0.7 mm, 0.25 mm and 1.25 mm respectively; The error on three axes is smaller than that of traditional PD control method. The results demonstrate that the tracking error of the improved mode control is small, the chattering phenomenon of the robot system is weakened as well.
Взаимосвязь расстройств пищевого поведения и самооценки студентов в период обучения
Authors: Баль Анастасия О.
Published: September 2023

В статье автор рассматривает проблему психологической характеристики молодых людей с расстройствами пищевого поведения, которая на сегодняшний день набирает все большую актуальность, что обосновывается во введении. Одной из причин может являться транслируемое в СМИ стройное тело как эталон красоты. Вследствие популяризации идеи худобы уровень смертности у молодых людей с расстройствами пищевого поведения значительно выше, чем среди людей с другими психическими расстройствами. В статье рассматривается взаимосвязь самооценки, личностных характеристик и расстройств пищевого поведения. Также изучаются факторы, влияющие на формирование самооценки, как у девушек, так и у юношей. Автор представил новый взгляд на проблему расстройств пищевого поведения, который заключается в комплексном рассмотрении факторов, одним из которых является экзаменационная сессия. Целью работы является анализ расстройств пищевого поведения и самооценки у студентов в период экзаменационной сессии. В теоретическом обосновании представлен анализ современных исследований расстройств пищевого поведения как зарубежных, так и российских авторов. Анализ позволяет заключить, что на сегодняшний день нет комплексного психологического портрета молодых людей с расстройствами пищевого поведения. Но были выявлены факторы, которые оказывают значительное влияние на расстройства пищевого поведения студентов. В результате теоретического обзора были выявлены следующие компоненты, которые влияют на развитие расстройств пищевого поведения: низкая самооценка, личностные характеристики, в том числе перфекционизм, а также экзаменационная сессия. Результаты теоретического обзора могут быть использованы для расширения специфики исследований в вопросах личностных особенностей, влияющих на возникновение расстройств пищевого поведения.
Обзор исследований Эго-состояний в контексте структурного и транзакционного анализа Эрика Берна
Authors: Ребенок Валерия В.
Published: September 2023

Во «Введении» приводится актуальность изучения вопроса межличностного взаимодействия и общения с точки зрения структурного и транзакционного анализа Эрика Берна. При проведении данного обзора, в разделе «Теоретическое обоснование», автором выявлено, что изучением Эго-состояний в рамках транзакционного анализа Э. Берна занимались как зарубежные, так и отечественные исследователи. Как правило, это работы, посвященные изучению и описанию взаимодействия с точки зрения структурного и транзакционного анализа (Попов, 2011), (Саватеев и Саватеева, 2018); рассмотрению конфликтных ситуаций с точки зрения транзактного анализа Э. Берна (Литвиненко, 2019), (Левина, 2019); выявлению корреляций между Эго-состояниями и определёнными характеристиками личности (Ciucur, 2013); составлению классификации на основе данной теории (Малышев и Малышева, 2019); выявлению преобладающих Эго-состояний респондентов определённых социальных групп (Boholst, 2003), (Kececi & Tasocak, 2009), (Ионова, 2015), (Левина, 2019) и др. В «Обсуждении результатов» автор обращает внимание на отдельные работы рассмотренных исследователей, выделяет некоторые противоречия. Автором обнаружено мало эмпирических исследований, посвящённых непосредственному изучению поведения человека с точки зрения транзакционного анализа Э. Берна. Также не было обнаружено работ по изучению особенностей вербального и невербального общения и поведения людей, находящихся в различных Эго-состояниях. Новизна исследования состоит в том, что в данной статье впервые осуществлён обзор отечественных и зарубежных исследований, изучающих общение и взаимодействие, а также доминирующие Эго-состояния определённых социальных групп в контексте транзакционного и структурного анализа Э. Берна. Определены недостаточно изученные и никогда не изучающиеся ранее вопросы данной проблемы и пути дальнейшего развития исследований в рамках транзакционного и структурного анализа Э. Берна.
Evaluation of Germination and Seedling Growth of Plant Seeds Primed with Cultures of Providencia Sp. and Bacillus Cereus under Varying Conditions
Authors: Ajinde Ayotunde O. , Ogunnusi Tolulope O. , Iyanda Olumayowa J. , Akpor Oghenerobor B.
Published: September 2023

Background:

Seed quality, an important determinant of germination and vigor potential, can be improved through seed priming. This study was therefore aimed at assessing the effects of steeping duration and inoculum concentration on the germination and seedling growth of five seed crops through priming with growth-promoting rhizobacteria.

Methods:

Broth cultures of five bacterial strains, belonging to Providencia vermicola (2 strains), P. rettgeri (2 strains), and Bacillus cereus (1 strain), isolated from rhizosphere were used for priming in the study. Seeds of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), soybean (Glycine max), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), sesame (Sesamum indicum), and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) were used as experimental materials. To determine the effects of steeping duration, viable seeds of the respective crops were primed with broth cultures of the respective isolates and allowed to stand for a known duration (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 h). Then, another set of viable seeds was steeped in varying concentrations of the bacterial cultures for a period that was determined to be the optimal steeping duration in the first experiment.

Result:

At the expiration of both experiments, final germination, mean germination time, germination index, and vigor index of the respective seeds were estimated. Generally, higher final germination and seedling vigor index values were restricted to shorter steeping periods for cowpea and soybean. With respect to inoculum concentration, there was no consistent pattern with the parameters.

Conclusion:

The study revealed the primacy of steeping duration over inoculum concentration with respect to bacterial priming.
Palm Dates Protect Memory Formation in Diabetes Mellitus: Neutralization of Oxidative Stress
Authors: Ghaith Iyad F. , Alzoubi Karem H. , El-Elimat Tamam , Al-Sawalha Nour A. , Khabour Omar F. , Alomari Mahmoud A. , M. Al Momany Enaam , U’datt Doa’a G. F. Al
Published: September 2023

Background:

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is associated with spatial memory impairment that is attributed to the oxidative imbalance in the brain. Palm dates were reported to have neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. This investigation examined palm date consumption for its impact on the decline in cognitive function and oxidative imbalance associated with DM using the streptozotocin (STZ) rat model.

Methods:

The palm dates extract was administered to rats orally (3.2 g per kg of body weight) for eight weeks. Memory assessment was performed using the Radial Arm Water Maze (RAWM). Hippocampal biomarkers of oxidative stress were evaluated.

Results:

STZ-treated animals revealed significant spatial memory impairment (short-and long-term) (P<0.05). Date consumption for eight weeks prevented the decline in spatial memory induced by STZ (P<0.05). STZ administration induced oxidation imbalance in the hippocampus as marked by the significant reduction in the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, and GSH/GSSG ratio as well as raised levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) (P<0.05). Date consumption for eight weeks prevented oxidative imbalance induced by STZ in the hippocampus (P<0.05).

Conclusion:

This study has verified the beneficial effect of palm dates on cognitive impairment and oxidative imbalance associated with DM.
Coat Protein 1 Gene of Indonesian Isolates of Rice Tungro Spherical Virus showed High Divergence with those from other South and South East Asian Regions
Authors: Praptana Raden Heru , Santosa Adyatma Irawan , Rahmini Rahmini , Senoaji Wasis , Rosida Nur , Diptaningsari Danarsi , Affandi Affandi , Riska Riska , Trisyono Y. Andi , Hartono Sedyo
Published: September 2023

Background:

Tungro, an important viral disease in rice, is a co-infection of rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) and rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV). Severe symptoms were reported in rice fields on two major islands in Indonesia: Jawa (Magelang District) and Sulawesi (Sidrap District).

Objective:

Sequences of global isolates currently registered in NCBI GenBank were examined with two new Indonesian isolates to understand the phylogeny of RTSV based on different genome regions as well as to spot the gap in the molecular data of Indonesian isolates.

Methods:

Transmission test of RTSV using the vector green leaf hopper was performed, and then the complete sequences of coat protein 1 (CP1) gene of Magelang and Sindrap districts were molecularly studied using MEGA X software and Recombination Detection Program.

Results:

The obtained complete sequence of coat protein 1 (CP1) gene of Magelang-7 (OQ426495) and Sindrap-9 (OQ426496) isolates were aligned with 39 isolates in NCBI GenBank. Sequences of other isolates in GenBank were also retrieved and then aligned according to six individual Open Reading Frames (ORFs) and ‘Full ORF’. Recombination analysis detected significant signals in the genomes of one partially and four fully sequenced isolates. Phylogenetic study also confirmed the frequent recombination among RTSV isolates clustered in two geographically separated groups: South East Asia and South Asia.

Conclusion:

Although the available data is still rudimentary, this study demonstrated that the CP1 gene of 21 isolates from different regions of Indonesia was highly identical among themself but divergent with isolates from other countries. Therefore, deep molecular comprehension on Indonesian isolates is necessary to manage the recurrent Tungro spread in the country.
Comparison, by Country, of the Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccination by Health Care Workers in the EU/EEA, January – June 2021
Authors: McGlacken Therese , Codd Mary
Published: September 2023

Aims:

The aim of this study was to compare, by country, COVID-19 vaccination uptake by Health Care Workers (HCWs) from January to June 2021, to assist with policy making and prospective planning in these countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future.

Background:

Health Care Workers (HCWs) are at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 when providing care to patients. We investigated the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs in the EU/EEA and discussed the factors which influence this uptake.

Methods:

The study population included all the countries in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA). The secondary data file was downloaded from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) website. Descriptive and comparative data were analysed and presented using Excel and Chi-square test of hypothesis.

Results:

The proportion of HCWs in EU/EEA countries ranged from 1.2% to 5.1% per population. From January to June 2021, the proportion of first and second dose vaccinations of HCWs ranged from 20% to 100% and from 21% to 100%, respectively. The Comirnaty–Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (COM) was the most administered vaccine in all EU/EEA countries, followed by the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine (MOD) and the Astra-Zeneca–Vaxzevria vaccine (AZ). In January 2021, a median of 29% of HCWs received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination. Italy was the only country with a mandatory vaccination policy for HCWs. Vaccination uptake rates were statistically different among EU countries (p<0.05).

Conclusion:

Data such as these could be used in mathematical modelling potential future pandemics to predict vaccine up-take by selected, exposed, vulnerable sectors of the population, for whom it is relevant.
Chromosome X
Authors: Mandem Anusha , Panicker Saurav , Mitra Abhishek , Ramalingam Satish
Published: September 2023

X Chromosome is the sex chromosome that is found in many organisms.
Both males and females, including mammalians, have X Chromosomes. Females have
XX sets of chromosomes, and males have XY sets of chromosomes. X Chromosome
aids in identifying the sex of the organism. The Human X chromosome contains
approximately 1500 genes. These genes may undergo some genetic alterations and
eventually lead to complex diseases. Genetic mutations in some of the genes of the X
chromosome are associated with cancer. Some specific mutations are observed in
human cancer cells. This chapter specifically relayed on X chromosomal genes that are
associated with different types of cancer and gave information on the location of the
gene in the X chromosome. Moreover, the function of the specific gene and
information regarding how many types of cancers were associated with a particular
gene, has also been provided.
Evaluation of industrial work practice program in Vocational High School 1 Rejotangan
Authors: Rachmawati Andini Dwi , Kusumah Yaya Sukjaya
Published: September 2023

This study aims to evaluate implementing the Industrial Work Practice (Prakerin) program at the Vocational High School (VHS) of 1 Rejotangan. This type of research is evaluative with a descriptive qualitative method using the CIPP model. The population of this study was 15 students involved, five work of world instructors, 21 teacher councils, and the headmaster of VHS of 1 Rejotangan. Data collection techniques use interviews and observations. Interviews are conducted openly and behind closed doors. The interview was conducted with the headmaster of VHS of 1 Rejotangan. The observations made by the researchers aimed to capture data on pre-employment activities, sincerity, and cooperation of participants and instructors during the activity. The results of this study are (1) synchronization of the joint curriculum to the world of work at the evaluation stage of the context of the VKS of 1 Rejotangan industrial practice program. At this stage, (1) the signing of an MOU between the world of work schools, a student readiness plan (competency mapping), and a placement plan (world of work Placement Mapping); (2) input evaluation obtained information that a cooperative organization was formed. The cooperative organization between schools and the business world and industry in the industrial practice program has two aspects: departmentalization and division of labor. The division of labor comprises principals and teachers from the business/industrial world. Meanwhile, departmentalization consists of mapping students. Place students in existing competencies and an appropriate world of work; (3) process evaluation, a collaboration between schools and the world of work for student development, is flexible and consistent with each school's policies; (4) product evaluation. The internship program has many benefits for schools and the world of work.
The implementation of Geography learning with spatial representation using the discrepancy evaluation model
Authors: Nursa'ban Muhammad , Mukminan Mukminan
Published: September 2023

This study aims to evaluate the learning process of geography with spatial representation in high school using the Discrepancy Evaluation Model (DEM) from Provus. Evaluation goes through five stages: design, installation, process, and product, as well as implementation comparison. Respondents were five teachers and 208 students from SMA 1 Srandakan, MAN 2 Yogyakarta, and SMA 1 Pundong in Yogyakarta. The evaluation was carried out in February-July 2021. The focus of the evaluation includes (1) learning design, (2) learning tools, (3) learning implementation, (4) learning outcomes, geographic critical thinking, and (5) implementing learning comparisons. Data were collected through document studies, observations, tests, and questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was used to measure gaps in each stage and efforts to improve them, while experimental quantitative analysis was used to compare learning. The DEM results describe gap variations in stages 1-4. However, in collaborative improvement efforts at stages 1-3, there is an increase in spatial critical thinking skills. The test results at stage 5, learning geography with spatial representations, are more effective for improving students' spatial critical thinking skills than textbook-oriented learning and media images. Recommendations on the results of the evaluation at all stages for organizing geography learning with spatial representation: (1) strengthening understanding and mentoring of the concept of spatial representation and learning design, (2) monitoring and periodic testing of geography learning with spatial representation to improve critical thinking skills in geography.
Gaining a deeper understanding of the meaning of the carelessness parameter in the 4PL IRT model and strategies for estimating it
Authors: Pardede Timbul , Santoso Agus , Diki Diki , Retnawati Heri , Rafi Ibnu , Apino Ezi , Rosyada Munaya Nikma
Published: September 2023

Three popular models are used to describe the characteristics of the test items and estimate the ability of examinees under the dichotomous IRT model, namely the one-, two-, and three-parameter logistic models. The three-item parameters are discriminating power, difficulty, and pseudo-guessing. In the development of the dichotomous IRT model, carelessness or upper asymptote parameter was proposed, which forms a four-parameter logistic (4PL) model to accommodate a condition where a high-ability examinee gives an incorrect response to a test item when he/she should be able to respond to the test item correctly. However, the carelessness parameter and the 4PL model have not been widely accepted and used due to several factors, and people’s understanding of that parameter and strategies for estimating it is still inadequate. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on ideas underlying the 4PL model, the meaning of the carelessness parameter, and strategies used to estimate that parameter based on the extant literature. The focus of this study was then extended to demonstrating practical examples of estimating item and person parameters using the 4PL model using empirical data on responses of 1,000 students from the Indonesia Open University (Universitas Terbuka) on 21 of 30 multiple-choice items on the Business English test, a paper-and-pencil test. We mainly analyzed empirical data using the ‘mirt’ package in RStudio. We present the analysis results coherently so that IRT users would have a sufficient understanding of the 4PL model and the carelessness parameter, and they can estimate item and person parameters under the 4PL model.
Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities of Adopting and Using Telemedicine for Diabetes Care and Management: Qualitative Semistructured Interview Study Among Health Care Providers and Patients With Diabetes
Authors: Altabtabaei Rabab , Alhuwail Dari
Published: September 2023

Background

Around the world, over half of the global population experiences noncommunicable diseases, resulting in premature death. Health care providers (HCPs) can deliver medical treatment from a distance by using digital advancements such as telemedicine. However, there is a limited understanding of the difficulties and opportunities of implementing telemedicine solutions in different socioeconomic and cultural environments, including Kuwait.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to (1) examine the obstacles and benefits of telemedicine in the context of diabetes treatment and management, as perceived by both HCPs and patients with diabetes; (2) investigate the nonfunctional requirements for telemedicine applications used in diabetes care and management; and (3) provide suggestions to enhance the integration and adoption of telemedicine in Kuwait’s health care system for diabetes care and management.

Methods

The research used a qualitative and exploratory design, with semistructured interviews as the main data collection method. Participants were recruited on the internet through social media platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results were analyzed using thematic analysis and the Framework Method. The “diffusion of innovation” model was used as a perspective to interpret the findings.

Results

A total of 20 participants were included in this study—10 HCPs and 10 patients with diabetes—all of whom supported telemedicine. The HCPs reported that many diabetes cases could be managed through telemedicine, with only a few requiring in-person visits. Patients with diabetes noted the convenience and time-saving aspect of telemedicine. Both groups recommended the creation of a secure and user-friendly telemedicine system similar to popular social media platforms. Additionally, participants emphasized the importance of telemedicine during the pandemic as a way to prioritize patient safety.

Conclusions

The results of this study provide valuable insights into the needs and preferences of both HCPs and patients with diabetes in a resource-rich country like Kuwait to embrace telemedicine. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way medical care is provided and has pushed both groups to consider digital solutions for ongoing diabetes management and treatment.
Enhancing the Predictive Power of Google Trends Data Through Network Analysis: Infodemiology Study of COVID-19 (Preprint)
Authors: Chu Amanda MY , Chong Andy C Y , Lai Nick H T , Tiwari Agnes , So Mike K P
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 outbreak has revealed a high demand for timely surveillance of pandemic developments. Google Trends (GT), which provides freely available search volume data, has been proven to be a reliable forecast and nowcast measure for public health issues. Previous studies have tended to use relative search volumes from GT directly to analyze associations and predict the progression of pandemic. However, GT’s normalization of the search volumes data and data retrieval restrictions affect the data resolution in reflecting the actual search behaviors, thus limiting the potential for using GT data to predict disease outbreaks.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to introduce a merged algorithm that helps recover the resolution and accuracy of the search volume data extracted from GT over long observation periods. In addition, this study also aimed to demonstrate the extended application of merged search volumes (MSVs) in combination of network analysis, via tracking the COVID-19 pandemic risk.

METHODS

We collected relative search volumes from GT and transformed them into MSVs using our proposed merged algorithm. The MSVs of the selected coronavirus-related keywords were compiled using the rolling window method. The correlations between the MSVs were calculated to form a dynamic network. The network statistics, including network density and the global clustering coefficients between the MSVs, were also calculated.

RESULTS

Our research findings suggested that although GT restricts the search data retrieval into weekly data points over a long period, our proposed approach could recover the daily search volume over the same investigation period to facilitate subsequent research analyses. In addition, the dynamic time warping diagrams show that the dynamic networks were capable of predicting the COVID-19 pandemic trends, in terms of the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and severity risk scores.

CONCLUSIONS

The innovative method for handling GT search data and the application of MSVs and network analysis to broaden the potential for GT data are useful for predicting the pandemic risk. Further investigation of the GT dynamic network can focus on noncommunicable diseases, health-related behaviors, and misinformation on the internet.
Developing a Rolefulness Worksheet and its Effect on Increasing Rolefulness
Authors: Kato Daiki , Kemp Nicholas , Suzuki Mikie
Published: September 2023

This study investigated the effects of a worksheet on rolefulness, which refers to an individual’s continuous sense of role satisfaction in their daily life. To this end, 25 female university students from Japan were asked to accomplish the worksheet. Furthermore, their scores on the Rolefulness Scale were compared before and after the work. The results showed that the worksheet contributed to a substantial increase in the participants’ social rolefulness. The results indicate that the worksheet can improve an individual’s social rolefulness and can be applied in several areas such as education and career development.
Приготовление смесей гетерогенных компонентов и сред при детерминированном формировании их однородности для создания новых композитных материалов
Authors: Васин С.А. , Евсеев А.В. , Маликов А.А. , Юраскова И.А.
Published: September 2023

В рамках теории детерминированного формирования однородности гетерогенных смесей (нонмиксинга) разработан оригинальный комплекс технологий для приготовления волокнистых, дисперсноупрочненных и упрочненных частицами композитных материалов и нанокомпозитов.
Analytic odd mean labeling of union and identification of some graphs
Authors: Jeyanthi P. , Gomathi R. , Lau G. C. , Shiu W. C.
Published: September 2023

A graph G is analytic odd mean if there exist an injective function f  : V → {0, 1, 3, . . . , 2q − 1} with an induced edge labeling f∗ : E → Z such that for each edge uv with f(u) < f(v), is injective. Clearly the values of f∗ are odd. We say that f is an analytic odd mean labeling of G. In this paper, we show that the union and identification of some graphs admit analytic odd mean labeling by using the operation of joining of two graphs by an edge.
Ciudades: sedentarismo y obesidad
Authors: Mustieles Granell Francisco , Petzold-Rodríguez Astrid , Gilarranz Runge Carmela , Schumacher González Melissa
Published: September 2023

La obesidad plantea importantes desafíos a largo plazo: alto potencial de impactos negativos en la calidad de vida de un individuo; prevalencia de enfermedades crónicas que reduce la esperanza de vida; alto costo de la atención médica futura, todo ello afectando las generaciones futuras en términos de productividad (Trogdon, Finkelstein, Hylands, Dellea y Kamal-Bahl, 2008).El predominio de la obesidad en adultos y el sobrepeso se ha incrementado significativamente en las últimas décadas, y la comunidad científica ha aceptado que el ambiente construido por el hombre ha jugado un papel clave en ello.Este artículo, de carácter reflexivo crítico, es fruto de una investigación documental basado en la revisión crítica de publicaciones producidas mayormente en los últimos 15 años. En él se aborda la relación entre obesidad y ambiente construido y cómo puede variar sensiblemente, según el área geográfica de que se trate –latinoamericana o norteamericana-, principalmente por los modelos de urbanización asumidos, como por razones de políticas urbanas, factores culturales e idiosincráticos asociados a la urbanización.Mientras surgen otros estudios, se puede afirmar que hay mucho trabajo a hacer en materia de planificación, diseño urbano y arquitectura, en los vecindarios difusos y compactos de EE.UU., Europa y Latinoamérica.
De la iconología olmeca a la cosmovisión mesoamericana
Authors: Quesada García Octavio
Published: September 2023

Es generalmente aceptado que la cultura olmeca fue la primera civilización de Mesoamérica (1500-1 a. C.), y que la adquisición de sus conocimientos y creencias por las sociedades subsiguientes habría catalizado en estas su transformación social e impulsado su desarrollo, dando lugar a los periodos Preclásico Tardío, Clásico y Posclásico mesoamericanos (ca. 500 a. C.-1500 d. C.). Sin embargo, sus concepciones cosmológicas y cosmogónicas nos son prácticamente desconocidas. El propósito de esta investigación fue describir y analizar formalmente una muestra extensa de representaciones divinas olmecas, como vía de acceso al pensamiento subyacente. Para ello, se documentó una muestra de piezas arqueológicas olmecas, tenidas por representaciones de dioses o de entidades asociadas con el ámbito divino, invariantes al tamaño, técnica o soporte utilizados (n = 1,531). Allí se realizó una evaluación cuantitativa de las naturalezas principalmente representadas, separadas o fundidas en una sola figura, rasgo olmeca y mesoamericano, para expresar lo divino. Los resultados iconográficos muestran una amplia coherencia con la Hipótesis cosmogónica (Bonifaz 1986), la cual se enuncia como la explicación iconológica más probable del universo sagrado olmeca; sugieren, además, unidad ideológico-cultural entre olmecas y todos los pueblos mesoamericanos que compartieron el mismo sistema de representación del ámbito divino, incluida su representación suprema: Tláloc.
Comportamiento de la demanda del consumo de agua potable por zonas en Mazatlán, Sinaloa
Authors: Lara López Felipe , Manríquez García Naim , Quintero Rodríguez Jorge Omar
Published: September 2023

El agua es un bien indispensable para la sociedad, en las últimas décadas se ha hecho énfasis en la importancia de su consumo y de su uso responsable. Son varios los factores que han incrementado el uso del agua, tal como el crecimiento de la población, la expansión urbana y el aumento de ingresos de las personas. En ese sentido, el presente estudio analiza la demanda del consumo de agua, para lo cual se propone una metodología de econometría de series de tiempo con datos de la Junta Municipal de Agua Potable de Mazatlán, Sinaloa; asimismo, se hace énfasis en el objetivo once: “Ciudades y Comunidades Sostenibles”, para el Desarrollo Sostenible de las Naciones Unidas y América Latina CEPAL (2018). Los principales resultados arrojan que el consumo durante la pandemia fue mayor al consumo antes de la pandemia. También se observa que, al tomar la clasificación de zonas de las colonias del Instituto Municipal de Planeación, en las zonas cercanas o que incluyen la franja turística disminuyó       su consumo durante la pandemia y en las zonas de la periferia incrementa el consumo de agua potable. Una de las razones que explica tal comportamiento es el confinamiento mundial por la pandemia de SARS-Cov-2.
Habilidades digitales académicas de estudiantes jóvenes de Prepa en Línea SEP
Authors: Sanabria Medina Georgina , Regil-Vargas Laura
Published: September 2023

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo divulgar e invitar a reflexionar acerca de los resultados obtenidos en una investigación sobre habilidades digitales académicas con las que cuenta un grupo de estudiantes de la generación 35 de Prepa en Línea SEP. Para ello, se hizo análisis de la literatura sobre los temas cultura y habilidades digitales académicas. Posteriormente, se diseñó y aplicó un cuestionario a 20 estudiantes y se llevaron a cabo entrevistas a profundidad a ocho de ellos. Los resultados obtenidos evidencian que la mayoría de los estudiantes tiene un grado de habilidades digitales académicas suficiente para el nivel escolar y la modalidad de estudios que cursan.
Evaluating the Performance of Blockchain-Based Land Registration Management Using Hyperledger Caliper
Authors: Safiyanu Adam Musa , Idris Sule
Published: September 2023

Abstract: The land is a fixed property. Finding the details of property and involvement of third-party is a challenging task. Fraudsters may forge documents and mislead thepurchaser and if it's a disputed land it takes many years in the court battle, a waste of time and resources. Problems escalate in this current land registration process which is notclear. Such calls were made to integrate technologies and lead to the growth of blockchain technology. Blockchain isa decentralized and transparent ledger. The smart contract is an empirical and permanent document between two parties. This proposed model is used to develop a land registration application system in which the new buyer hasto register and continue with the further process. The proposed research work is implemented using the SHA256algorithm which provides unique hash values for the messages getting stored in blocks and Ethereum blockchaintechnology is used to store both smart contract and transaction details.