bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel nomogram predicting the overall survival of metastatic non–clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients: a large population-based investigation
Authors: Wu Jie , Shang Bingqing , Xie Ruiyang , Cao Chuanzhen , Shi Hongzhe , Shou Jianzhong , Guan Youyan
Published: February 2022

Objective: Metastatic non–clear cell renal cell carcinoma (non-ccmRCC) is the end stage of this disease with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to investigate prognostic clinicopathological factors and develop nomogram models for non-ccmRCC patients using a large population-based cancer database. Methods and materials: Data of all patients with non-ccmRCC from 2010 to 2015 were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and analyzed retrospectively. Cox regression models were used to analyze prognostic risk factors for overall survival (OS). Prognostic nomogram was carried out with R software to predict the OS probability. The validation of the nomogram was performed using calibration curves and receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: A total of 776 non-ccmRCC patients in the SEER database were included. We separated non-ccmRCC patients into three groups (group 1: one, group 2: two, group 3: three or more) according to the number of metastatic organs. Age, histology, T stage, N stage, number of metastatic organs, surgery, and chemotherapy were independent risk factors, and hence integrated into the models. The calibration curves for 6-, 12-, and 18-month OS suggested perfect agreement between the prediction by nomogram and the actual survival outcome. The 6-, 12-, and 18-month AUC of the nomogram based on the time-dependent ROC curve analysis were 0.784, 0.754, and 0.766, respectively. The result demonstrated the promising prognostic value of the nomogram. Conclusions: We performed the first accurate nomogram for OS prediction of non-ccmRCC patients, which might help clinicians in treatment decision making.
Study on the calculation and distribution of value-added benefits between regional industries water rights transaction
Authors: Zhang Wenge , Du Qiongying , Guan Xinjian , Wang Baoyong
Published: February 2022

As an important means of optimizing the allocation of water resources, the continuous development of water rights transaction has a stronger demand for fair distribution of benefits among participants. In this paper, the marginal benefit of agricultural and industrial water is calculated based on the Cobb-Douglas production function, and the benefit increment of water rights trade from agriculture to industry is calculated based on the tradable water volume. Meanwhile, the improved Shapley value method is used to distribute benefits between regional industries, which considers the impact of investment factors and risk factors on the distribution of benefits compared with the traditional Shapley value method. Taking Ordos City in Inner Mongolia as an example, the calculation results show that the marginal benefit of industrial water is 157.94 RMB/m³, which is far greater than the marginal benefit of agricultural water of 4.27 RMB/m³, and the water right trade improves the use value of water resources. The improved Shapley value method can allocate 39.058 hundred million RMB and 97.032 hundred million RMB to agriculture and industry respectively, which improves the allocation weight of industry compared with the original Shapley value method. The study on the increment and distribution of the benefits of water rights transaction between regional industries proposed in this paper, can provide a reference for the income distribution of all parties in the practice of water rights transactions and promote the sustainable development of water rights transactions.
Polarization and Wide Incident Angle Insensitive Metal Free Superwideband Absorber For Terahertz and Infrared Spectrum
Authors: Singhal Sarthak
Published: February 2022

A circular slot loaded octagonal metal free graphite based absorber for superwideband applications at terahertz and infrared spectrum is proposed. The absorber comprises a circular slot loaded octagonal graphite slab at the top layer, silicon dioxide as substrate and square graphite slab as the bottom layer. This absorber is operating over a frequency spectrum of 6 THz to more than 80 THz (ratio bandwidth of > 12:1 and fractional bandwidth of >172.093%) for absorption more than 90% with unity peak absorption. The absorber dimensions are 5 µm × 5 µm × 7.04 µm. The thickness of the substrate is only ∼ λo/26 and the periodicity of absorber is ∼ λo/10 at 6 THz. The performance of the absorber is found to be insensitive to changes in polarization angle (Φ). Furthermore, the performance of the absorber is observed to be unaffected by incident angle (θ) variations from 0o to 60o. The metal-free geometry along with insensitiveness to Φ and 0o ≤ θ ≤ 60o makes the proposed absorber suitable for compact terahertz/infrared micro/nanoscale systems.
Conflicts and Ethical Dilemmas in Times of the Covid 19 Pandemic
Authors: TOIA AGUEDA MUÑOZ DEL CARPIO , Valenti Emanuele , Torres Fernando , Dávila Luis Manuel López , Carpio Lucia Begazo Muñoz del , Carrera Enrique Mendoza
Published: February 2022

Background: Throughout the Pandemic caused by COVID-19, health professionals have faced the fight against this disease in the front line, even without effective treatment, this uncertainty led to the presentation of various ethical crises in health services to be analyzed. Methods: An exploratory, cross-sectional investigation was developed, for which a self-application instrument was designed, in the online interview modality, aimed at doctors and university professors involved with bioethics with the purpose of analyzing ethical aspects in care of COVID-19 patients.Results: 100 interviews were collected for the convenience of their work location, 67% worked in hospitals, 11% in clinics, and 22% in universities teaching the bioethics course. Problematic situations related to high exposure to risks of health professionals, infrastructure gap, ICU beds, and hospital beds were identified as problematic situations. The main conflicts and ethical dilemmas were related to decision-making for the allocation of resources, lack of culture of self-care for the health of the population, the risk of contagion from the doctor, therapies not supported by clinical trials, and patient-physician prioritization. Conclusions: It was evidenced that university doctors and teachers identified various problematic situations, conflicts and ethical dilemmas in the care of COVID-19 patients, which compromise ethical values of maximization of benefits, equity, in addition to ethical principles such as beneficence, justice, reciprocity, solidarity, integrity, respect, vulnerability, dignity, damaging their human and legal rights.
Primary Intracranial Ewing Sarcoma/peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor: A Case Report
Authors: 罗 世刚 , wang feifei , huang huan , Tang GuangCai
Published: February 2022

Background: Primary intracranial Ewing sarcoma/peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (EW S/pPNET) is exceedingly rare; and easy to misdiagnose.Case presentation: We report a case of a 23-year-old male who presented with headache and vomiting. The preoperative imaging examination of the brain revealed an irregular mass in the left parietal lobe, which was misdiagnosed as a meningioma, but the surgical specimen was diagnosed as primary intracranial EWS/pPNET. The patient underwent a total tumor resection, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. No recurrence or distant metastasis was found 18 months post-surgery. In addition, the clinical manifestations and treatment prognosis of primary intracranial EWS/pPNET were explored through a literature review.Conclusions: When the imaging features of young patients’ lesions are solid, aggressive, and unevenly enhanced masses, physicians should be aware of the possibility of primary intracranial EWS/pPNET, and if possible, gross total resection (GTR) and intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy are recommended.
Rare Occurrence of Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP) Syndrome Arising from a Malignant Transformed Ovarian Primary Mature Cystic Teratoma Treated by Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC: A Case Report
Authors: Ponzini Francesca M. , Kowal Luke L. , Ghafoor Mariam , Goldberg Allison , Chan Joanna , Lamm Ryan , Cannaday Shawnna M. , Richard Scott D. , Nevler Avinoam , Lavu Harish , Bowne Wilbur B. , Rosenblum Norman G.
Published: February 2022

Background: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) syndrome is a disease process that typically occurs from ruptured appendiceal mucocele neoplasms. PMP syndrome arising from malignant transformation of an ovarian primary mature cystic teratoma (MCT) is a pathogenesis rarely encountered. Case Presentation: Herein, we report a twenty-eight-year-old patient evaluated and treated for a right ovarian mass and large volume symptomatic abdominopelvic mucinous ascites. Molecular profiling and genetic analysis revealed mutations in ATM, GNAS, and KRAS proteins while IHC demonstrated gastrointestinal specific staining for CK20, CDX2, CK7 and SATB2. Peritoneal cytology showed paucicellular mucin. Diffuse peritoneal adenomucinosis (DPAM) variant of PMP arising from a ruptured ovarian primary MCT after malignant transformation to a low grade appendiceal-like mucinous neoplasm was ultimately confirmed. Treatment included staged therapeutic tumor debulking and right salpingo-oophorectomy followed by cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Conclusions: Our report builds upon the existing literature supporting this aggressive treatment option reserved for advanced abdominal malignancies utilized in this patient with a rare clinical entity.
COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections among Patients with Cancer Receiving Sinopharm BIBP Vaccine
Authors: Manteghinejad Amirreza , Arabzadeh Saeedeh , Rezaian Zahra , Sharifi Mehran , Javanmard Shaghayegh Haghjooy
Published: February 2022

Background:Patients with cancer are at an increased risk of mortality from COVID-19 infection. So, they are prioritized for vaccination. This study aims to report the clinical characteristics of patients who had a positive PCR test after being fully vaccinated by Sinopharm BIBP Vaccine.Methods:In this retrospective study, the data of patients with cancer were extracted from the electronic health records of a cancer center from Isfahan, Iran. All COVID-19 data of Isfahan province also was collected by Isfahan COVID-19 Registry. We describe the clinical characteristics of patients with cancer who have a positive test >14 days after the second dose.Results:Two hundred twenty-two cancer patients had at least one positive PCR test after the start of the COVID-19 vaccination. Of these, 9(4.1%) breakthrough infections have occurred. Six (67%) of them have hematological malignancies. Six(67%) were hospitalized. Three(33%) of patients died. Two of them had recent chemotherapy and have hematological malignancies.Conclusion:Vaccination is a good way to protect the populations from COVID-19 complications and mortality, but it should be considered that fully-vaccinated cancer patients are at risk of severe outcomes. Nevertheless, prioritizing cancer patients, especially those with hematological malignancies, or receiving chemotherapies for booster vaccines and studying the effectiveness of each COVID-19 vaccine for cancer patients should be considered.
Bimodal Distribution of Thyroid Dysfunction Triggered by Covid-19 Infection. An Experience From a Single Endocrine Centre. A Short Report & Literature Review
Authors: Elhadd Tarik A , Gul Wajiha , Dabbous Zeinab , Beer Stephen , Bashir Mohammed
Published: February 2022

Purpose: Covid-19 infection has been spreading across the globe since the end of 2019 and it continues to cause chronic multi-system sequalae, of which thyroid dysfunction appears to be a major one. We aim to present casesMethods: Case series report.Results: Over the period from October 2020 to July 2021, a series of 10 cases of thyroid dysfunction due to Covid-19 infection were seen and managed in a single outpatient endocrine centre in Doha, Qatar. These are 6 cases of Graves hyperthyroidism, two cases of chronic primary hypothyroidism including one with GD treated by RAI therapy, two cases of subacute thyroiditis and one case with ‘Thyroxin Thyrotoxicosis’, and finally one case of central hypothyroidism. Conclusion: This report is the largest to be reported from a single centre so far, and it points to a bimodal distribution of thyroid dysfunction in patients with covid-19 infection. A review of the literature and discussion of possible pathophysiological mechanisms is presented. We stress the importance of screening for thyroid dysfunction in post-Covid cases, as the prevalence may be underestimated.
Concerns among People who use Opioids during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Natural Language Processing Analysis of Social Media Posts
Authors: Sarker Abeed , Nataraj Nisha , Siu Wesley , Li Sabrina , Jones Christopher M. , Sumner Steven A.
Published: February 2022

Background:
Timely data from official sources regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people who use prescription and illicit opioids (PWUOs) is lacking. We conducted a large-scale, natural language processing (NLP) analysis of conversations on opioid-related drug forums to better understand concerns among PWUOs.
Methods:
In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed posts from 14 opioid-related forums on the social network Reddit. We applied NLP to identify frequently mentioned substances and phrases, and grouped the phrases manually based on their contents into three broad key themes: (i) prescription and/or illicit opioid use; (ii) substance use disorder treatment access and care; and (iii) withdrawal. Phrases that were unmappable to any particular theme were discarded. We computed the frequencies of substance and theme mentions, and quantified their volumes over time. We compared changes in post volumes by key themes and substances between pre-COVID-19 (1/1/2019—2/29/2020) and COVID-19 (3/1/2020—11/30/2020) periods.
Results:
77,652 and 119,168 posts were collected for the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods, respectively. By theme, posts about treatment and access to care increased by 300%, from 0.631 to 2.526 per 1000 posts between the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods. Conversations about withdrawal increased by 812% between the same periods (0.026 to 0.235 per 1,000 posts). Posts about drug use did not increase (0.219 to 0.218 per 1,000 posts). By substance, among medications for opioid use disorder, methadone had the largest increase in conversations (20.8 to 56.3 per 1,000 posts; 171.4% increase). Among other medications, posts about diphenhydramine exhibited the largest increase (0.3 to 0.9 per 1,000 posts; 171.8% increase).
Conclusions:
Conversations on opioid-related forums among PWUOs revealed increased concerns about treatment and access to care along with withdrawal following the emergence of COVID-19. Greater attention to social media data may help inform timely responses to the needs of PWUOs during COVID-19.
Identification of ferroptosis-related subtypes, characteristics of TME infiltration and development of prognostic models in gastric cancer
Authors: ling rui , TANG XIANG , LIU NA , YU YUNPENG , SU YUTING , ZHOU YUEPENG , CHEN DEYU
Published: February 2022

Purpose: Ferroptosis is a new type of cell death in morphology, biochemistry and genetics, and is closely related to the occurrence, development, prognosis and treatment of tumors. However, the potential role of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is indistinct. Methods: We described and evaluated the expression pattern of FRGs in gastric cancer (GC) samples from the fields of genetics and transcription. Subsequently, we identified two different molecular subtypes and found the changes in multilayer FRGs. Then, we constructed an FRG-score to predict overall survival (OS) and verified its predictive ability in GC patients. Therefore, we constructed a high-precision nomogram to improve the clinical applicability of the FRG-score. Results: The changes in multilayer FRGs are related to the clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis and TME cell infiltration characteristics of patients. Low FRG-score, due to its high microsatellite instability (MSI-H), high mutation burden and immune activation, indicates the possible advantage of OS. In addition, the FRG-score was closely correlated with the cancer stem cell (CSC) index and chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity. Conclusions: Our generalized analysis of FRGs in gastric cancer shows their potential role in the TME, clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis.
Phytochemical analysis, antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing properties of Persicaria strigosa Nakai
Authors: Swargiary Ananta , Roy Mritunjay Kumar , Boro Harmonjit , Verma Akalesh Kumar
Published: February 2022

Persicaria strigosa is an important medicinal plant having several ethnomedicinal values. The present study investigates the phytochemical contents, antiproliferative, and apoptosis-inducing properties of P. strigosa. The phytocompounds were identified by the GC-MS technique. Antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing properties were conducted in DL cells. In-silico molecular docking, drug-likeness, and ADMET was carried out to study the binding affinity and drug-likeness of the compounds. The study revealed a dose-dependent antiproliferative activity of P. strigosa. Ethyl acetate extract showed the strongest activity compared to other extracts. Plant extract-treated cells showed morphological features of apoptotic cells. GC-MS analysis identified 12 compounds from the ethyl acetate extract. Compound C2, C5, C6, C7, and C12 showed the best binding affinity with the anti-apoptotic proteins. The phytocompounds were predicted to possess drug-likeness property and a good ADMET profile. The findings, thus, suggest that the Persicaria strigosa extract could be a potential source of anticancer agents.
Efficacy and predictor of anti-TNFα agents in patients with intestinal Behçet's disease
Authors: Miyazaki Haruka , Watanabe Daisuke , Okamoto Norihiro , Tokunaga Eri , Ku Yuna , Takenaka Haruka , Hoshi Namiko , Ooi Makoto , Kodama Yuzo
Published: February 2022

Background Behçet's disease (BD) is a recurrent multisystem inflammatory disease. Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α agents have been used to treat patients with intestinal BD with severe disease activity or those who are resistant to conventional treatments; however, the long-term efficacy of anti-TNFα agents in intestinal BD remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the clinical outcomes and predictors of discontinuation of anti-TNFα agents in patients with intestinal BD.Methods We reviewed the medical records of patients with intestinal BD who received first-line anti-TNFα agents between January 2009 and June 2020. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients who continued anti-TNFα therapy for 48 weeks. Secondary outcomes included the percentage of patients who achieved marked improvement, complete remission, and mucosal healing, as well as predictors of discontinuation of anti-TNFα agents.Results A total of 29 patients were included in the study. Twenty-two (75.9%) patients continued anti-TNFα therapy for 48 weeks. The percentage of patients who achieved marked improvement, complete remission, and mucosal healing at week 48 was 48.3%, 37.9%, and 48.3%, respectively. At week 96, 11 (37.9%) patients achieved marked improvement, complete remission, and mucosal healing. A higher C-reactive protein level (CRP; ≥1 mg/dL) at baseline was a predictor of discontinuation of anti-TNFα agents.Conclusions The 48-week continuation rate of anti-TNFα agents was 75.9% in bio-naïve patients with intestinal BD. However, a higher baseline CRP level (≥1 mg/dL) was associated with discontinuation of anti-TNFα agents.
On the constants in the inverse theorems for the first derivative
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Vinogradov Oleg L.
Published: February 2022

The known proofs of the inverse theorems of the theory of approximation by trigonometric polynomials and by functions of exponential type are based on the idea of S. N. Bernstein to expand a function in a series containing its functions of best approximation. In this paper, a new method to establish the inverse theorems is introduced. We establish simple identities that immediately imply the inverse theorems mentioned and, moreover, with better constants. This method can be applied to derivatives of arbitrary order (not necessarily an integer one) and (with certain modifications) to estimates of some other functionals in terms of best approximations. In this paper, the case of the first derivative of a function itself and of its trigonometrically conjugate is considered.
An estimate of average case approximation complexity for tensor degrees of random processes
Authors:   National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics, Kravchenko Аleksandr А. , Khartov Alexey A. ,   National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics
Published: February 2022

We consider random fields that are tensor degrees of a random process of second order with continuous covariance function. The average case approximation complexity of a random field is defined as the minimal number of evaluations of linear functionals needed to approximate the field with relative 2-average error not exceeding a given threshold. In the present paper we estimate the growth of average case approximation complexity of random field for arbitrary high its parametric dimension and for arbitrary small error threshold. Under rather weak assumptions on the spectrum of covariance operator of the generating random process, we obtain necessary and sufficient condition that the average case approximation complexity has the upper estimate of a special form. We show that this condition covers a wide class of cases and the order of the estimate of the average case approximation complexity coincides with the order of its asymptotics, which were obtained earlier in the paper by Lifshits and Tulyakova.
Lecture about Fyodor Dostoevsky at the solemn ceremony of awarding the mantle and diploma of the SPbU Honorary Doctor
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Pamuk Orhan
Published: February 2022

The lecture of the most famous Turkish writer of our time, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2006, was delivered at St.Petersburg State University on February 20, 2017 and was dedicated to the literary works of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, whose has always been appreciated by the Turkish prose writer. In his speeches and interviews Orhan Pamuk often says that he was influenced primarily by Russian writers: Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Vladimir Nabokov. The lecture is devoted to the analysis of two works by Dostoevsky — The Brothers Karamazov and Demons. It is based on the author’s personal impressions and perception of the novels in the context of Turkish culture, social and political life, and everyday life. In this case, a look at the work of Dostoevsky “from the outside” is especially interesting since Pamuk represents a country that is largely oriented towards Western culture, but at the same time preserves Eastern traditions, including religious ones. Pamuk reflects on Dostoevsky’s novels and notes they are politically significant novels, even though in the Russian literary tradition they are interpreted differently. Parallels drawn between the events that unfold in The Brothers Karamazov and Demons and the events in the public life of Turkey allow Pamuk to draw a conclusion about the deep mental kinship of Russian and Turkish societies with their ambiguous attitude towards the West.
Integrating a GIS-based approach and a SWAT model to identify potential suitable sites for rainwater harvesting in Rwanda
Authors: Umugwaneza Adeline , Chen Xi , Liu Tie , Mind'je Richard , Uwineza Aline , Kayumba Patient Mindje , Uwamahoro Solange , Umuhoza Jeanine , Gasirabo Aboubakar , Maniraho Albert Poponi
Published: February 2022

The increasing demand for water results in the overexploitation of water resources. This situation calls for more effective water management alternatives including rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems. Due to the lack of biophysical data and infrastructure, the identification of suitable sites for various RWH systems is a challenging issue. However, integrating geospatial analysis and modeling approaches has become a promising tool to identify suitable sites for RWH. Thus, this study aimed at identifying suitable sites for RWH in the Nyabugogo catchment located in Rwanda by integrating a geo-information-based multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) and SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model. Moreover, the sediment yield was compared to the soil erosion evaluated using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) owing to the lack of sediment concentration measured data. The results revealed that about 4.8 and 16.35% of the study area are classified as highly suitable and suitable areas for RWH, respectively. Around 6% of the study area (98.5 km2) was found to be suitable for farm ponds, whereas 1.6% (26.1 km2) suitable for check dams, and 25.9% (423 km2) suitable for bench terraces. Among 50 proposed sites for the RWH structures, 29 are located in the most suitable area for RWH. The results implicated that the surface runoff, sediment yield, and topography are essential factors in identifying the suitability of RWH areas. It is concluded that the integrated geospatial and MCDM techniques provide a useful and efficient method for planning RWH at a basin scale in the study area.
Monitoring indigenous microalgae using derivative spectrophotometry and comparison with M. aeruginosa and C. vulgaris
Authors: Singh Jaitegh , Örmeci Banu
Published: February 2022

Derivative spectrophotometry was investigated as a monitoring tool for indigenous microalgae in surface waters. Absorbance spectra of indigenous microalgae were studied at low, medium and high range concentrations and were compared to the absorbance spectra of pure strains of M. aeruginosa and C. vulgaris to understand the differences in their absorbance fingerprints and the applicability of this method for real-time monitoring. Method Detection Limit (MDL) of the indigenous microalgae sample from its absorbance spectra was found to be 158,693 cells/mL. First derivative spectrophotometry was effective in detecting mixed indigenous microalgae at medium and high concentrations; however, it failed to differentiate between noise and signal at low concentrations. Subsequently, Savitzky-Golay algorithm was applied to improve the sensitivity and specificity of detection. The Savitzky-Golay first derivative of absorbance resulted in distinctive peaks and spectra fingerprints, indicating it can be used not only to monitor but also to identify various species of microalgae in water bodies. The Savitzky-Golay first derivative of absorbance also resulted in the lowest detection limits (60,170 cells/mL). Derivative spectrophotometry, along with mathematical and statistical tools, can be used for real-time detection and monitoring of mixed indigenous microalgae in surface waters.
Los sistemas de conceptualización y la semántica cognitiva. La polisemia y la metáfora conceptual
Authors: Escobar Zapata Emérita
Published: February 2022

El propósito central de la presente investigación es estudiar el fenómeno de la polisemia  y la metáfora conceptual, partiendo de la hipótesis planteada por Evans2 (2014) 2015, quien sostiene que los «significados» que están asociados con las palabras1 son de naturaleza proteica, es decir, flexibles, abiertos y altamente dependientes del contexto en el que están incrustados. Asimismo, se pretende demostrar que el significado de las unidades lingüísticas es altamente motivado, corporeizado, y que el lenguaje humano refleja estructuras conceptuales basadas en el carácter experiencial, sociocultural
A Combined Feature Screening Approach of Random Forest and Filterbased
Methods for Ultra-high Dimensional Data
Authors: Zhou Lifeng , Wang Hong
Published: February 2022

Background:

Various feature (variable) screening approaches have been proposed in the past
decade to mitigate the impact of ultra-high dimensionality in classification and regression problems, including
filter based methods such as sure independence screening, and wrapper based methods such as
random forest. However, the former type of methods rely heavily on strong modelling assumptions
while the latter ones requires an adequate sample size to make the data speak for themselves. These requirements
can seldom be met in biochemical studies in cases where we have only access to ultra-high
dimensional data with a complex structure and a small number of observations.

Objective:

In this research, we want to investigate the possibility of combining both filter based screening
methods and random forest based screening methods in the regression context.

Method:

We have combined four state-of-art filter approaches, namely, sure independence screening
(SIS), robust rank correlation based screening (RRCS), high dimensional ordinary least squares projection
(HOLP) and a model free sure independence screening procedure based on the distance correlation
(DCSIS) from the statistical community with a random forest based Boruta screening method from the
machine learning community for regression problems.

Result:

Among all the combined methods, RF-DCSIS performs better than the other methods in terms
of screening accuracy and prediction capability on the simulated scenarios and real benchmark datasets.

Conclusion:

By empirical study from both extensive simulation and real data, we have shown that both
filter based screening and random forest based screening have their pros and cons, while a combination
of both may lead to a better feature screening result and prediction capability.
Computational Approach on Acoustic and Flow Performances of a Combined
Resistive and Reactive Muffler
Authors: Sinaga Farlian Rizky , Ubaidillah U. , Yahya Iwan , Choi Seung-Bok , Aziz Siti Aishah Abdul , Yunus Nurul Azhani
Published: February 2022

Aim:

The internal combustion engine (ICE) based vehicles must follow strict regulations regarding
noise levels, especially in the racing competition. The noise level is typically gauged as per two
different scenarios: stationary engine revolution and maximum achievable revolution. One cannot reach
the required noise level by deploying just reactive or resistive muffler type separately. This research recommends
a novel mix of reactive and resistive mufflers in a single package solution. For assessing the
noise level, three different types of mufflers are devised and studied by means of a computational approach.
The new exhaust design in this study becomes a novelty of the proposed article. In analyzing the
acoustic capability of the muffler, up to now it has not been able to dampen in various frequency ranges.

Method:

In this paper, the author wants to perform a computational analysis of 3 muffler models that
combine several methods of attenuation that are effective at different specific frequency ranges with
different configurations in order to obtain a good combined attenuation capability in various frequency
ranges. Muffler 1 uses simple reactive and dissipative techniques like standard mufflers, while muffler 2
combines the dissipative technique with a Helmholtz resonator acting as the reactive part. Muffler 3 has a
multi-chamber system that uses a combination of several advanced techniques. The three mufflers are
evaluated on the basis of their capacity to decrease noise level. This noise level is assessed by considering
both transmission and insertion loss through mathematical calculations in the frequency range of 200
Hz to 6400 Hz with the help of pressure acoustic, frequency domain (ACPR) simulation. Apart from
noise evaluation, this study also examines flow parameters to estimate the pressure drop for the proposed
muffler.

Result:

Comsol simulation provided both insertion loss (IL) and transmission loss (TL) with different
trends. Muffler 3 had broadband response compared to its counterparts. Verifiying the finite element
simulation results, electroacoustic models of each muffler were simulated using Matlab Simulink to get
frequency response. Both finite element and electroacoustic modeling results have a good agreement.
Pressure distribution of each model was also evaluated in terms of isosurface total pressure.

Conclusion:

It is demonstrated that the proposed muffler having a multi-chamber setup provides the best
performances showing both superior and consistent noise reduction throughout the 200-6400 Hz frequency
range and good airflow that does not create backpressure due to noise suppression efforts.
Study case ratio gear of stepper motor on electronic throttle using PID control
Authors: Dewi Ayu Sandra , Arifin Zainal , Adiyasa I Wayan
Published: February 2022

The throttle is a component that determines the amount of airflow into the combustion chamber. The latest in-vehicle technology makes it possible to adjust the fly valve electronically. The electronic system adjusts the angle size by comparing the predetermined setpoints. In research, electronic system designs are based on existing models. The throttle model uses a stepper motor drive. Electronic control using a microcontroller with proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control. While the setpoint is based on a reference from the throttle position sensor (TPS) sensor. The greater the throttle reference value, the greater the angle opening of the butterfly valve. The results of this study obtained a simulation model of electronic throttle control from gear ratios of 1: 1, 5: 1, and 10: 1 for conventional vehicles.
K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN) algorithm with Euclidean and Manhattan in classification of student graduation
Authors: Hidayati Nur , Hermawan Arief
Published: February 2022

K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN) algorithm is a classification algorithm that has been proven to solve various classification problems. Two approaches that can be used in this algorithm are K-NN with Euclidean and K-NN with Manhattan. The research aims to apply the K-NN algorithm with Euclidean and K-NN with Manhattan to classify the accuracy of graduation. Student graduation is determined by the variables of gender, major, number of first-semester credits, number of second-semester credits, number of third-semester credits, grade point on the first semester, grade point on the second semester, grade point on the third semester, and age. These variables determine the accuracy of student graduation, timely or untimely. The implementation of the K-NN algorithm is carried out using Rapidminer software. The results were obtained after testing 380 training data and 163 testing data.  The best accuracy system was achieved at K=7 with a value of 85.28%. The two algorithmic approaches did not affect the accuracy of the results. Furthermore, the addition of the value of K did not completely affect the accuracy.
The relationship of students’ prior knowledge and emotional intelligence to mathematical connection ability
Authors: Siagian Muhammad Daut , Suwanto Suwanto , Siregar Rosliana
Published: February 2022

Students should have a good mathematical connection ability to support their learning success. Many factors affect the mathematical connection ability, in­cluding prior knowledge and emotional intelligence. This study aimed to des­cribe the simultaneous and partial effect of students’ prior knowledge and emo­tional intelligence on mathematical connection ability. This study involved 34 ninth graders of one of the public junior high schools in Lembang Regency, Indonesia, as the sample. The data was collected using a test consisting of a prior knowledge test and a mathematical connection ability test on the circle topic, and a questionnaire to measure students’ emotional intelligence. We ana­lyzed the collected data by descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and partial correlation. The results revealed that the prior knowledge and emotional intelli­gence together had a significant effect on mathematical connection ability, with a contribution of 23.6%. In addition, there was a significant positive effect bet­ween prior knowledge and mathematical connection ability with a contribution of 75.1% and a significant positive effect between emotional intelligence and mathematical connection ability with a contribution of 12.2%.
The effectiveness of treffinger’s learning model in increasing the creativity and mathematics achievement of gifted students
Authors: Hidayati Kana , Nandini Ni Kadek Swari , Adnan Mazlini
Published: February 2022

This study aims to describe the difference in creativity and mathematics achievement between gifted students who were taught by Treffinger's learning and those who thought by the expository learning in trigonometry material. This study is a quasi-experiment using a pretest-posttest group design with a population of all gifted students in class X of a State Senior High School in Bali, Indonesia. The sample was established randomly. Observation sheets, pre-test, post-test, and student creativity questionnaires were used, all of which have been validated. The data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially with the paired sample t-test to test the mean difference of the pre-test and post-test data. The results show that the average creativity of students in the experimental class is significantly higher by 9.46 points than that of the control class. In terms of mathematics learning achievement, the average gain score in the experimental class increased significantly by 58.365 points. It can be concluded that Treffinger’s learning is effective in increasing creativity and mathematics achievement of gifted students in trigonometry material.
Students' mathematical reasoning ability in solving post-Covid-19 PISA model math problems
Authors: Linda Linda , Asyura Ira
Published: February 2022

This study aims to describe the reasoning abilities of high school students in Pandeglang Regency, Indonesia in solving post-Covid-19 PISA model math problems. The subjects of this study were 80 students of two state senior high schools in Pandeglang Regency, Indonesia. The data collection used a written test consisting of four description questions in the form of PISA model math questions (levels 2, 3, 4, and 5), and were through interviews and documentation. The data analysis followed the steps of data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results show that the reasoning abilities of Pandeglang Regency high school students in post-Covid-19 are fair in following the rules of inference, checking the validity of arguments, proving, drawing logical conclusions, using patterns, analyzing mathematical situations, and generalizing. However, the reasoning abilities were very poor in providing explanations of models, facts, characteristics, and relationships; constructing valid arguments; and studying conjectures. Thus, it can be concluded that the mathematical reasoning ability of Pandeglang Regency senior high school students is poor when measured using the PISA Post-Covid-19 model of mathematics questions.
Design and First Impressions of a Small Private Online Course in Clinical Workplace Learning: Questionnaire and Interview Study
Authors: Hamoen Esther C , De Jong Peter G M , Van Blankenstein Floris M , Reinders Marlies E J
Published: February 2022

Background

Clinical workplace learning takes place in a dynamic and complex learning environment that is designated as a site for patient care and education. Challenges in clinical training can be overcome by implementing blended learning, as it offers flexible learning programs suitable for student-centered learning, web-based collaboration, and peer learning.

Objective

The aim of this study is to evaluate the Small Private Online Course (SPOC) by interns’ first impressions and satisfaction measures (N=20) on using the SPOC. This study describes the design process of a SPOC from a theoretical and practical perspective and how it has been integrated into a clinical internship in internal medicine.

Methods

The design of the SPOC was based on general theoretical principles that learning should be constructive, contextual, collaborative, and self-regulated, and the self-determination theory to stimulate intrinsic motivation. Interns’ impressions and level of satisfaction were evaluated with a web-based questionnaire and group interview.

Results

Interns thought the web-based learning environment to be a useful and accessible alternative to improve knowledge and skills. Peer learning and web-based collaboration through peer interaction was perceived as less effective, as student feedback was felt inferior to teacher feedback. The interns would prefer more flexibility within the course, which could improve self-regulated learning and autonomy.

Conclusions

The evaluation shows that the SPOC is a useful and accessible addition to the clinical learning environment, providing an alternative opportunity to improve knowledge and skills. Further research is needed to improve web-based collaboration and interaction in our course.
An E–Mental Health Solution to Prevent and Manage Posttraumatic Stress Injuries Among First Responders in Alberta: Protocol for the Implementation and Evaluation of Text Messaging Services (Text4PTSI and Text4Wellbeing)
Authors: Obuobi-Donkor Gloria , Eboreime Ejemai , Bond Jennifer , Phung Natalie , Eyben Scarlett , Hayward Jake , Zhang Yanbo , MacMaster Frank , Clelland Steven , Greiner Russell , Jones Chelsea , Cao Bo , Brémault-Phillips Suzette , Wells Kristopher , Li Xin-Min , Hilario Carla , Greenshaw Andrew J , Agyapong Vincent Israel Opoku
Published: February 2022

Background

First responders are confronted with traumatic events in their work that has a substantial toll on their psychological health and may contribute to or result in posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs) for many responders. Persons with a PTSI usually seek management therapies. Evidence indicates that digital delivery of these therapies is an innovative, efficient, and effective way to improve PTSI symptoms as an adjunct to in-person delivery.

Objective

This project aims to implement and provide accessible, convenient, and economical SMS text messaging services, known as Text4PTSI and Text4Wellbeing, to first responders in Alberta, Canada; to prevent and improve the symptoms of PTSI among first responders; and to improve their overall quality of life. We will evaluate posttraumatic symptoms and the impact of Text4PTSI and Text4Wellbeing on stress, anxiety, and depression in relation to the correspondents’ demographic backgrounds.

Methods

First responders who subscribe to Text4PTSI or Text4Wellbeing receive daily supportive and psychoeducational SMS text messages for 6 months. The SMS text messages are preprogrammed into an online software program that delivers messages to subscribers. Baseline and follow-up data are collected through online questionnaires using validated scales at enrollment, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks (end point). In-depth interviews will be conducted to assess satisfaction with the text-based intervention.

Results

We hypothesize that participants who enroll in this program will have improved PTSI symptoms; increased or improved quality of life; and significant reduction in associated stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms, among other psychological concerns. Improvement will be determined in comparison to established baseline parameters.

Conclusions

This research will be beneficial for practitioners and will inform policy-making and decision-making regarding psychological interventions for PTSI. Lessons from this study will inform the scale-up of the intervention, a cost-effective, zero contact therapeutic option to manage PTSI.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/30680
Tracking Public Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccination on Tweets in Canada: Using Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Jang Hyeju , Rempel Emily , Roe Ian , Adu Prince , Carenini Giuseppe , Janjua Naveed Zafar
Published: February 2022

Background

The development and approval of COVID-19 vaccines have generated optimism for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and a return to normalcy. However, vaccine hesitancy, often fueled by misinformation, poses a major barrier to achieving herd immunity.

Objective

We aim to investigate Twitter users’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination in Canada after vaccine rollout.

Methods

We applied a weakly supervised aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) technique, which involves the human-in-the-loop system, on COVID-19 vaccination–related tweets in Canada. Automatically generated aspect and opinion terms were manually corrected by public health experts to ensure the accuracy of the terms and make them more domain-specific. Then, based on these manually corrected terms, the system inferred sentiments toward the aspects. We observed sentiments toward key aspects related to COVID-19 vaccination, and investigated how sentiments toward “vaccination” changed over time. In addition, we analyzed the most retweeted or liked tweets by observing most frequent nouns and sentiments toward key aspects.

Results

After applying the ABSA system, we obtained 170 aspect terms (eg, “immunity” and “pfizer”) and 6775 opinion terms (eg, “trustworthy” for the positive sentiment and “jeopardize” for the negative sentiment). While manually verifying or editing these terms, our public health experts selected 20 key aspects related to COVID-19 vaccination for analysis. The sentiment analysis results for the 20 key aspects revealed negative sentiments related to “vaccine distribution,” “side effects,” “allergy,” “reactions,” and “anti-vaxxer,” and positive sentiments related to “vaccine campaign,” “vaccine candidates,” and “immune response.” These results indicate that the Twitter users express concerns about the safety of vaccines but still consider vaccines as the option to end the pandemic. In addition, compared to the sentiment of the remaining tweets, the most retweeted or liked tweets showed more positive sentiment overall toward key aspects (P<.001), especially vaccines (P<.001) and vaccination (P=.009). Further investigation of the most retweeted or liked tweets revealed two opposing trends in Twitter users who showed negative sentiments toward vaccines: the “anti-vaxxer” population that used negative sentiments as a means to discourage vaccination and the “Covid Zero” population that used negative sentiments to encourage vaccinations while critiquing the public health response.

Conclusions

Our study examined public sentiments toward COVID-19 vaccination on tweets over an extended period in Canada. Our findings could inform public health agencies to design and implement interventions to promote vaccination.