bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Slope Failure of Weathered Granite Boulders by Using the Finite Element Method
Authors:   Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Mohd Robi Widyawati , Md Dan @ Azlan Mohd Firdaus ,   Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Khalid Muhammad Aminuddin ,   Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Keat Heng Melvern Goh ,   Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Basri Noor Hakim ,   Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
Published: January 2024

An assessment of weathered granite profile of a research area at Mukim Senai, Kulai, Johor was conducted using PLAXIS 2D method. The slope stability of weathered granite is closely related to the geometric strength of the slope, slope height, soil type (sand or clay), slope gradient and depth to determine factor of safety. The aim of this research is to model and determine the factor of safety of the weathered granite slope with homogeneous characteristics using Plaxis 2D. In addition, it also aims to analyses and correlate the effect of shapes, size and distribution of boulders to the safety factor of the slope. Finite Element Method (FEM)) had been used through the application of PLAXIS 2D software. By comparing between the 2 methods that have been analyzed, safety factors for the slopes analyzed together with groundwater data is less safe. The Safety Factor has found less than 1.5 indicates a slope prone to landslides.
Plaxis 2D Modelling of an Anchor Sheet Pile for Soil Slope Strengthening at Segamat, Johor
Authors:   Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Mohamed Azam Mohamed Izzad Najmi , Yusof Mohd Fairus ,   Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Abu Talib Mohd Khaidir ,   Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
Published: January 2024

In soil engineering, the soil slope is one of the important issues in geotechnical and environmental engineering that can fail due to settlement behaviour. Due to soil slope instability, roads near the Segamat River’s slopes have seen severe settlement. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine how the geometry of the soil slope and the properties of the soil affect soil stability and deformation. Because of the varying slope geometries along the river, this study used two alternative slope geometries in its modelling. A comparison was made between the existing slope and the slope stabilised with sheet piling by using Plaxis 2D. Other parameters that affect slope stability are also being investigated, such as anchor length and anchor installation angle. The anchor sheet pile's presence is intended to improve the slope's stability. As a result of this analysis using PLAXIS 2D software, the optimal anchor length depends on the passive pressure of the soil behind the sheet pile. According to the results, installing an anchor with a 60° angle is more stable because the safety factor obtained is 3.26 which is greater than that of a 45° angle which is 1.33. It shows the anchor is the best support of the sheet pile for the soil slope stability.
Factors Affecting Attitude Towards Online Shopping: A Case Study Among TVET University Students in The Southern Region of Malaysia
Authors:   Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia, Al-Shameri Ahmed Saleh Ahmed Saif , Omar Siti Sarah ,   Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia, Mohammed Abdullah Abkar Mahdi ,   Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia
Published: January 2024

The development of the online shopping in Malaysia is expanding each year as a type of e-commerce, turning to a main concern by the government. Students have been recognized as an important role in building and maintaining this type of shopping. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting university students’ attitude towards online shopping. The second objective was to determine the relationship between factors such as quality, prices, saving time, wider selection & trust and the attitude toward online shopping. One variable from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was adapted in this study. This study followed the quantitative method, utilizing questionnaires for data collection purposes. The respondents of this study were the university students. The data then was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The findings of this study showed that wider selection of products, saving time, cheaper prices and trust were the most influential factors that affect the students’ attitude towards online shopping. The findings also showed that all the independent variables are correlated with the dependent variable.
AI-Based Analytics for Hawkers Identification in Video Surveillance for Smart Community
Authors:   Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Azmi Noraini , Kamarudin Latifah Munirah ,   Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Zakaria Ammar ,   Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Syed Zakaria Syed Muhammad Mamduh ,   Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP)
Published: January 2024

Street hawking is a widespread phenomenon in urban areas globally, presenting challenges for local authorities such as traffic congestion, waste management, and negative impacts on the city's image. This research addresses key issues faced by authorities in managing hawkers, including the resistance to formalization, maintaining urban aesthetics, waste disposal, and understanding user preferences. The study investigates the performance of the You Only Look Once (YOLO) algorithm, utilizing Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) for real-time object detection. To achieve thisobjective, the YOLOv5 algorithm is trained with a custom image dataset collected from the same camera along the street in the city area to detect five classes of objects, namely umbrella, table, stool, car, and people. Real images that were captured via camera and video surveillance were compiled as datasets which are then used to train and test the algorithm. The study aims to provide insights into the data collection process of hawkers along the street around the areas and the development of real-time hawker detection for the smart city application.
Regional Securitization of the ISIS in the Southeast Asian Counter-Terrorism Strategies for the Post-ISIS Era
Authors: Harakan Ahmad , Tadjine Farida , Hartaman Nursaleh
Published: January 2024

In 2017, the United States of America declared the defeat of the ISIS's core territory. Since then, many analysts have argued that the group would threaten the security of several Southeast Asia regions. However, other analysts argued that the threat to the Southeast Asian (SEA) regions should not be exaggerated since it is not serious or critical. This raised the question of alternative regions for its thought and activists. This article critically analyzes the ISIS terrorist threats to SEA regional security in the post-ISIS era. It identifies the key challenges facing the SEA regional counter-terrorism strategies amid the new developments. A qualitative research approach has been adopted with thematic analysis methods in this article. Moreover, the Copenhagen schools' securitization and regional security complex theories have been used as a theoretical framework. Results show that to increase the states and community capacity to deal with this top non-traditional security threat, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its member states continually adopt various initiatives, programs, policies, and strategies.
Speaking Out to Outer Space – An Analysis of the Humanity's Messages to Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life, 1962–2018
Authors: Zapp Mike
Published: January 2024

Various messages have been sent out to potentially existing intelligent extraterrestrial life since the 1960s. Considering the significance of such messages as a medium of first contact and representation of humankind, it is surprising that they have received no attention from sociology. What is their purpose? Who speaks for earth? What is their content and has it changed over time? This work seeks to answer these questions by analyzing all relevant messages (N = 14) sent to outer space as well as related press coverage and official statements from the period 1962–2018. Analyses find a striking shift in purpose, authorship, and content, from political and scientific elites celebrating nation, science and (high) culture to, more recently, for-profits and science facilitating commercial exploitation but also individual agency and planetary awareness. However, such plurality makes global consensus and oversight on whether and what kind of messages should be sent even more difficult.
Assessment of neurofunctional activity in patients with vibration disease caused of local vibration
Authors: Shevchenko Oxana I. , Lakhman Oleg L. , Rusanova Dina V.
Published: January 2024

Introduction. The stressful effect of local vibration contributes to the development of cerebral dysfunction with the formation of a sensorineural deficit in patients with vibration disease associated with exposure to local vibration.
The study aims to identify the features of changes in somatosensory evoked potentials, neuroenergocarting and neuropsychological testing in patients with local vibration.
Materials and methods. Scientists examined 103 patients with local vibration (group one), 35 healthy men (comparison group). We used methods of registration of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), constant potential level (CPL), neuropsychological testing.
Results. The authors revealed in the first group, in comparison with the other group, a significant increase in cerebral energy metabolism in the form of an increase in the level of constant potential in the frontal right and left (Fd, Fs), central (Cd, Cz, Cs), parietal (Pd, Pz, Ps), occipital (Oz), right and central temporal (Td, Tz) brain regions, increased latency of peaks N10, N11, N13, N30, peak interval N13–N18 at p<0.04, cognitive dysfunction with mild damage to prefrontal frontal lobes, inferior temporal and inferior parietal regions, parietal-temporal-occipital zone of the left hemisphere, as well as subcortical structures. The data of the correlation analysis indicate that the slowing down of the ascending somatosensory flow from the level of the brachial plexus ganglia to the ventroposterolateral nucleus of the thalamus contributes to the emergence of a compensatory state in the form of an increase in energy processes in the frontal-central and parietal parts of the cerebral cortex, causing the development of cognitive disorders.
Limitations. The limitations of the study were the lack of studying the effects of local vibration on cerebral hemodynamics and the state of efferent pathways of the central nervous system in patients with local vibration.
Conclusion. Signs of impaired neurofunctional activity in local vibration are an increase in the duration of peak intervals N10–N13 and N11–N13, the latency of peak N10, the level of constant potential of the frontal right and central left leads, the level of constant potential of interhemispheric relations in the central department, a decrease in categorical and conceptual thinking, short-term (auditory) memory, visual gnosis, expressive speech.
Ethics. The study was conducted in compliance with Ethical standards developed in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association "Ethical principles of conducting scientific medical research with human participation" as amended in 2000 and "Rules of Clinical Practice in the Russian Federation" approved by Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 266 dated 06/19/2003. Informed consent was received from each person to participate in the survey, approved in accordance with the established procedure by the Local Ethics Committee.
Changes in the level of trace elements in the rat brain after exposure to low doses of cadmium
Authors: Fazlieva Anna S. , Karimov Denis O. , Daukaev Rustem A. , Smolyankin Denis A. , Zelenkovskaya Eugenia E. , Kurilov Mikhail V. , Musabirov Dmitry E.
Published: January 2024

Cadmium is one of the most common toxic elements. Due to its great chemical similarity to calcium, copper and zinc, it can replace them. Food is the main route of cadmium intake into the human body. There are very few studies on the effect of low doses of cadmium on the metabolism of trace elements, so it is of interest to study the effects of exposure to low levels of cadmium in brain tissues.
The study aims to evaluate the accumulation of cadmium in the brain of experimental animals and its effect on the level of trace elements.
We have divided the animals into four groups (n=10): the first group served as a control, groups two, three and four, received one, ten and 100 micrograms of cadmium per kg of body weight (Cd1, Cd10, Cd100), respectively, for 30, 60 and 90 days. The researchers injected cadmium chloride solution daily through a gastric tube. The content of cadmium, calcium, copper and zinc in the brain was assessed using atomic absorption analysis.
The results of this study showed that cadmium chloride intoxication did not lead to metal accumulation in the brain in the Cd1 and Cd10 groups, and the value of cadmium concentration in the Cd100 group did not depend on the time of exposure. The researchers have observed statistically significant changes in zinc and copper concentrations after three months of exposure to cadmium. The zinc content increased depending on the dose, and the copper content decreased.
Exposure to cadmium for three months in small doses does not lead to significant accumulation in the brain, but causes an imbalance of essential elements such as calcium, zinc and copper.
Ethics. The study was conducted in accordance with the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals Used for Experiments or Other Scientific Purposes (ETS No. 123), Directive 2010/63/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union dated 09/22/2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes and approved by the Bioethical Commission of the Ufa Research Institute of Occupational Medicine and Human Ecology.
On the formation and development of the State environmental monitoring system (State environmental monitoring)
Authors: Fedotova Lionella А. , Manaeva Elizaveta S. , Sutunkova Marina P.
Published: January 2024

The article talks about scientific and methodological issues of the development of state environmental monitoring. The authors have considered the structure of State environmental monitoring (State environmental monitoring) and the procedure for its implementation. The legal basis of state environmental monitoring systems.
We present the work within the Framework of the national program of the unified system of state environmental monitoring (State environmental monitoring, SEM). The goals, objectives and procedure for the implementation of the SEM, its main subsystems.
The scientists examined the role of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia) and the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) in ensuring the functioning of state environmental monitoring and its information resources. The activities of the State Environmental Monitoring Data Fund (State environmental monitoring) and the Unified State Data Fund (USDF) are presented. The researchers have the work of the monitoring system using the state system of observations and control by Roshydromet of indicators of the content of pollutants in atmospheric air, surface waters, marine waters, soil, radiation monitoring, etc.
The authors have considered the prospects for the development of state environmental monitoring in connection with the adoption by the Government of the Russian Federation of the State program "Environmental Protection" for 2012–2030.
Ethics. This study did not require the conclusion of the Ethics Committee.
Bronchial asthma and work in high-altitude mines
Authors: Brimkulov Nurlan N. , Vinnikov Denis V.
Published: January 2024

In occupational health, the management of patients with preliminary and periodic medical examinations for work in harmful conditions, for example, in high-altitude conditions, can be a difficult task. Bronchial asthma is one of the unequivocal contraindications to work in the highlands, however, in light of recent successes in achieving asthma control and the introduction of new types of therapy, this issue may require additional discussion. The article presents arguments both in favor of admitting patients with bronchial asthma to the highlands and against such a decision. The first group includes the elimination of allergens, long-term successes in the treatment of bronchial asthma in the highlands, as well as the fact that the decision not to allow it was popular in the era before the introduction of effective basic therapy for bronchial asthma with inhaled corticosteroids. The group of arguments "against" includes cold air, possible compensation only at relatively low altitudes, as well as remoteness, the inability to fully control compliance with patient requirements and the presence of typical industrial hazards in the form of allergens and irritants in production. It is particularly possible to emphasize the weakness of the evidence base, the extremely scarce number of published studies and the need for careful planning and conducting high-quality prospective observations of high-altitude mine workers, which can serve as a basis for the formation of an evidence base for adjusting admission conditions in the future.
Ethics. The study did not require permission.
Parallel window propagation on mesh surfaces
Authors: Hung Le Tien , Trinh Do Quoc , Tho Nguyen Huu
Published: January 2024

The task of calculating the shortest distance with minimal curvature between two points on a mesh surface is a well-known problem in computational geometry. This paper aims to develop a effective algorithm for computing geodesics on large, complex models with fast processing times to facilitate interactive applications. Our contribution is developing of the parallel window propagation (PWP) algorithm, which divides the sequential MMP algorithm into four phases: front node selection, window list propagation, window list merging, and vertex update. We use two separate buffers for incoming windows on each edge to avoid data dependency and conflicts in each phase, allowing for parallel processing on a CPU. As a result, our PWP algorithm can propagate a large number of windows simultaneously and independently, leading to significant improvements in performance for real-world models.
Disturbance estimation for the hydraulic drive system based on the state observer and neural network
Authors: Chinh Chu Duc , Thang Le Tran , Vu Nguyen Van
Published: January 2024

The hydraulic servo drive system has the ability to operate stably with high reliability in conditions of continuous operation and large capacity. Aside from these advantages, the system always has nonlinear and uncertain factors that affect and reduce the quality of the controller. These factors include the affected disturbances and the uncertainty of the system model. This paper proposes a method to identify the sum of nonlinear effects and disturbances for the hydraulic drive system, which uses the axial piston pump, based on the application of the Radial Basic Functions neural network (RBF) and state observer model. The simulation results show that the total disturbances and nonlinear effects can be accurately estimated in real time through the weight updating rule.
Semi-active control for the seat car suspension system using MR elastomer isolator
Authors: Du Nguyen Quang , Cung Le , Bao Nguyen Xuan
Published: January 2024

The suspension system for the car seat is an important part of the vehicle that helps to increase comfort and reduce fatigue. The study of suspension systems using magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) has attracted researchers in recent years. MRE is an elastomer material such as rubber. The modulus of the material can change when a magnetic field is applied. In this study, an MRE-based isolator is first developed for a seat car suspension system. The characteristics of the isolator are investigated under the strength of the magnetic field. Based on Lyapunov theory and constraint force, the semi-active controller is then designed. Numerical simulations for the car seat dynamics system show that the developed isolator can reduce vibrations more when compared with the passive approach in the case of bump and random excitations. The results show significant potential for its application in vehicle seat vibration control.
Propose an incentive methodology of renewable energy to participate in competitive electricity market
Authors: Lam Le Hong , Son Le Quang , Thanh Nguyen Tan
Published: January 2024

Today, the rapidly increasing share of renewable energy sources requires a suitable mechanism to promote the development of renewable energy is urgently needed. To solve this problem, the paper will conduct a study to find out the incentive mechanism to promote the development of renewable energy with participation in the electricity market. The article compares different models of Fixed feed-in premium with CAP and FLOOR (month, week, day, and cycle) to point out the advantages and disadvantages of each model, thereby providing comments and assessing the impact of the models on the revenue of renewable energy plants. The result shows that the monthly average revenue of FIXED FIP with CAP and FLOOR (0.19-0.23 million VND/MWh) is less variation than half-hourly (0.16-0.23 million VND/MWh) and daily revenue (0.18-0.23 million VND/MWh). Moreover, the monthly model can mitigate the variation of spot price and cop with the payment period (monthly).
Fabrication of fluorinated graphene based aramid nanofibers films with excellent thermal conductivity and mechanical properties
Authors: Vu Minh-Canh , Tran Minh-Sang , Tao Quang Bang , Hoang Van-Thanh
Published: January 2024

The rapid advancement of technology has spurred the development of a wide range of sophisticated electronic devices leading to an increasing demand for the utilization of thermoconductive materials to address thermal management. However, most of the available thermoconductive materials possess inadequate mechanical properties and low resistance to temperatures. To address this limitation, this study focuses on fabricating the thermoconductive films using aramid nanofiber (ANF) as strengthening components and fluorinated graphene (FG) as a thermoconductive filler. The films are prepared through the simple vacuum filtration method. The obtained FG/ANF film with 40 wt% of FG reached the in-plane thermal conductivity of 9 W/mK. Additionally, the FG40/ANF film exhibits excellent mechanical properties, including a tensile strength exceeding 110 MPa and toughness greater than 7.2 MJ/m³. Given these remarkable characteristics, the FG/ANF film holds significant promise as a material for dissipating heat in electronic devices, particularly in applications that demand high mechanical performance and temperature stability.
An investigation on effectiveness of tuned mass damper (TMD) device in mitigating structure vibration: a case study of small-scale steel beam
Authors: Minh Tran Dinh , Hung Vo Duy , Quan Nguyen Phu Quang , Hung Ho Manh
Published: January 2024

TMD devices are considered a reasonable solution to enhance the bearing capacity of the structures under unpredictable impacts from external forces because their operating principle is quite simple and does not vary the main structure. This paper investigated the influence of the TMD device, including its mass and stiffness, on the vibration reduction of the primary structure, a basic steel beam. In which, a small-scale steel beam model with boundary conditions through experiments was carried out. Then, simulated the experiment using MATLAB based on the experimental results to study the effect of TMD on the vibration of the structure. The results exhibit that the vibration-damping capacity of the main structure increases as the TMD mass increases. The stiffness of the main structure is less than 1,8k for both TMD 3% and 5%, resulting in the rapid increase of oscillation reduction efficiency.
A boosted positioning model for miso VLC system under a shadowing scenario
Authors: Vuong Dat , Son Tran The
Published: January 2024

There are various positioning algorithms proposed for Visible Light Communication (VLC) which require at least three “alive” transmitters to locate the object’s position. In terms of indoor scenarios, the shadowing of Line-of-sight (LOS) signal leads to insufficient information for positioning in a VLC system. This work proposes a robust positioning algorithm using the trilateration algorithm for VLC under shadowing situations. This algorithm uses the integration of two models, namely the prediction model and fingerprinting model based on the NLOS beams to determine the object's location. The prediction model applies trilateration algorithm based on LOS beams to achieve the potential positions. Then the fingerprinting model uses coordination of these potential positions as input data to match fingerprints built in advance to determine the position of an object. Simulation result show that the positioning error under shadowing effects is small which is the same positioning error yielded under normal working conditions.
On the international project of creating the internet map of Czech dialects beyond the Czech Republic
Authors:   Palacký University Olomouc, Skorvid Sergey
Published: January 2024

The paper introduces the project of researchers from the Charles University in Prague, the Palacký University in Olomouc and the East Carolina University in Greenville focusing on the creation of the internet depository of audio recordings of the Czech dialects and/or historical traces of their existence beyond the Czech Republic, i.e. in the territory of the former USSR (Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan) and former Yugoslavia, in Romania, Poland and some other states of Europe as well as North and South America (Paraguay), and the internet map of those dialects with the dialectologically commented specimens of them. As an example, the paper presents a pilot description of the most examined Czech immigrants’ dialect spoken in the village of Kirillovka belonging to the Novorossiysk municipality (Krasnodar Krai, Russian Federation) with the analysis of approximately 3 minutes long fragment of recording of its native speaker born in 1931 and attendant materials connected with history and the present-day situation of this Czech community in the Black Sea Coast of the Northern Caucasus. The author hopes that the experience gained through working on this project may stimulate similar initiatives in documenting not only Czech, but also other Slavic dialectal islands in Russia (here, first of all, Polish ones in Siberia) and in adjoining countries. The urgency of this task is becoming more and more evident, because such dialects are nowadays disappearing; moreover, some of them, spoken in the territories listed above, practically disappeared during the last decades.
YouTube as an additional source for studying peripheral and insular Polish dialects
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Ananyeva Nataliya
Published: January 2024

The article analyzes additional sources for the study of Polish peripheral and insular dialects. Particular attention is drawn to the YouTube materials (Studio Wschód channel) dedicated to Siberian Polish village of Vershina. Video clips with microtexts by speakers of the genetically Lesser Poland — Silesian dialect of Vershina not only reflect the dialectal features of the dialect, but also allow us to clarify the status of borrowings from the Russian language and expand information about the sociocultural situation and the country of origin of the inhabitants of Vershina.
Extension of Interaction Geometric Aggregation Operator for Material Selection Using Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Hypersoft Set
Authors:   Department of Mathematics, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Sialkot Campus, Pakistan, Ali Saalam , Naveed Hamza ,   Department of Computer Science & Information Technology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan, Siddique Imran ,   Department of Mathematics, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan, Zulqarnain Rana Muhammad ,   School of Mathematical Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004, China
Published: January 2024

A recently emerged area of research named intuitionistic fuzzy hypersoft set (IFHSS) attempts to describe the internal limitations of intuitionistic fuzzy soft sets on multiparameter functions. A computation of such a type connects a power set of the universe with a tuple of sub-parameters. The strategy shows the allocation of attributes to their respective sub-attribute values in distinct groupings. The above features make it a unique methodical tool for handling obstacles of hesitation. The aggregation operators have an important role in the assessment of both types of potential and in identifying problems from their assessment. This research extends the use of the interaction aggregation operator to the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy hypersoft set (IVIFHSS), which is an entirely new structure generated through the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy soft set (IVIFSS). The IVIFHSS significantly condenses information that is inaccurate and imprecise compared to the frequently utilized IFSS and IVIFSS. Fuzzy reasoning is recognized as the prevalent strategy for improving imperfect data in decision-making processes. The core objective of the research is to develop operational rules for interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy hypersoft numbers (IVIFHSNs), which promote interactions. This research is designed to broaden the utilization of the interaction geometric aggregation operator in the framework of IVIFHSS. In particular, we propose a novel operator known as the Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Hypersoft Interactive Weighted Geometric (IVIFHSIWG) operator. The aggregation operator indicates industry professional support for the implementation of a robust MCGDM material selection technique in order to address this need. The practical application of the intended MCGDM technique has been introduced in selecting materials (MS) for cryogenic storage containers. The influence advocates that the anticipated model is more operational and stable in demonstrating anxious facts based on IVIFHSS.
Financial inducements in gambling marketing: An information disclosure proposal to inform gamblers of their true economic value
Authors: Newall Philip Warren Stirling , Torrance Jamie
Published: January 2024

Financial inducements such as free bets are frequently-used gambling marketing offers which temporarily improve a gambler’s usual pattern of risk and potential return. Previous research has shown that there are up to 15 distinct types of financial inducements in common use, and that gamblers frequently misunderstand inducements’ play-through requirements and other complex terms and conditions. The Australian government has therefore recently banned play-through requirements for inducements shown to new customers, and the Great British regulator the Gambling Commission is considering similar consumer protection approaches. The present work describes an alternative and yet potentially complementary approach based on disclosing financial inducements’ true economic value to gamblers. This approach can be motivated by the fact that financial inducements are not intrinsically harmful, and an understanding of their value has been exploited for profit by some gamblers via techniques called “bonus hunting” and “matched betting”. Disclosure-based approaches can be designed to reflect the average losses implied by any play-through requirements, as well as any other terms and conditions which affect their economic value. Disclosure-based approaches for protecting consumers from the potential harms of financial inducements should be subject tofurther research and policy consideration.
Old Fracture of Acetabulum Combined with Osteoarthritis Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA)
Authors: Ullah Zabeeh , Cao Li
Published: January 2024

This review examined the use of total hip arthroplasty as therapeutic option for management of chronic fracture of acetabulum accompanied by osteoarthritis. The article discussed the epidemiology, risk factors, and potential complications associated with this complex condition, as well as its increasing prevalence among the elderly population. The rationale for combining total hip arthroplasty with fracture fixation was discussed, along with the potential benefits of pain relief, increased stability, enhanced long-term outcomes, and decreased healthcare costs. The article also examined the potential risks and complications associated with this approach, as well as the significance of a multidisciplinary treatment approach that takes each patient's unique requirements and goals into account. Overall, it provided a comprehensive overview of the challenges and considerations involved in managing an old fracture of the acetabulum in conjunction with osteoarthritis and emphasized the potential role of total hip arthroplasty as a treatment option for this complex condition.
‘It just feels unnatural being here’: Autistic secondary school students' experiences of sensory sensitivities in the school environment
Authors: Price Jennifer , Romualdez Anna Melissa
Published: January 2024

Autistic young people often struggle to cope with the daily demands of school and are likelier to experience poorer well-being and educational outcomes than their non-autistic peers. Among other difficulties, this may be because mainstream settings are unsuitable for individuals’ sensory needs. Evidence suggests the unpredictable multi-sensory nature of school can elicit sensory distress, adversely affecting behaviour and learning. However, existing literature has primarily taken a top-down deductive approach and largely neglected autistic voices. The present study, therefore, employed a participatory approach and photo-elicitation semi-structured interview method to explore autistic students’ sensory experiences in a mainstream secondary school in the U.K. The sample consisted of seven students aged 12-16 with a clinical diagnosis of autism attending a state comprehensive school in Suffolk, U.K. One participant was lost through attrition. Through reflexive thematic analysis, three main themes were identified: 1) Impact of the school environment; 2) Levels of support and understanding; and 3) Fear of stigma/negative responses. This study’s findings suggest autistic students are routinely overstimulated, overwhelmed, and lack adequate support to overcome sensory barriers in mainstream settings. This study has implications for further participatory research and inclusive practice to ensure better educational experiences and outcomes for autistic young people.
Alcohol, blood glucose, and type 2 diabetes: Mendelian Randomisation with a focus on sex differences
Authors: Visontay Rachel , Slade Tim , Sunderland Matthew , Bell Steven , Mason Amy M. , Treur Jorien , Mewton Louise
Published: January 2024

Importance: Observational evidence often suggests a J-shaped curve between alcohol consumption and risk for type 2 diabetes, with sex-discrepant relationships, but it is unclear whether these findings reflect genuine causal relationships. While genetic-based methods can enhance causal inference, existing studies employing these approaches are limited. Objectives: To evaluate the functional form and strength of the relationship between genetically-predicted alcohol consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes.Design: Non-linear Mendelian randomisation analyses of the UK Biobank cohort study, with a focus on sex-stratified results. Linear Mendelian randomisation and non-linear observational analyses were conducted for comparison. Setting: The UK Biobank is a very large, multicentre, population-based cohort study.Participants: Individuals of European ancestry with complete genetic, alcohol consumption, covariate, and outcome data were eligible for inclusion in Mendelian randomisation and observational analyses. Exposure: Genetically-predicted drinks consumed per week.Main Outcomes and Measure: Incident type 2 diabetes and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.Results: For the primary analyses, the sample size was 305,614 (52% female; mean age at baseline: 56.8). Non-linear Mendelian Randomisation suggested a J-shaped relationship between alcohol and risk for incident type 2 diabetes. However, the small protective effect was limited to women, not robust across sensitivity analyses, and held only for overweight and obese women. Observational results produced protective effects for both sexes, even for very large weekly drinking volumes, suggesting residual confounding. For non-linear Mendelian randomisation analyses of HbA1c, alcohol was associated with reduced baseline levels in both sexes – a finding robust to sensitivity analyses. Linear Mendelian randomisation analyses produced no clear results in either direction for T2D or HbA1c outcomes.Conclusions and Relevance: While there was some evidence that low-level alcohol consumption may have causal benefits for average glucose levels, there was no consistent evidence for a protective effect of alcohol use against risk for developing diabetes. Importantly, it was not possible to correct for potential bias from all SES-related confounding/pleiotropy, assortative mating, population stratification, and dynastic effects, necessitating that the current findings be interpreted with caution. Clearer is that observational evidence substantially overestimates the benefits, and underestimates the harms, of alcohol on risk of developing diabetes.
Sounding the Alarm: Calling on Service Providers to Reduce Disparities in Autism Services for Latinos.
Authors: Pagan Antonio F , Loveland Katherine A.
Published: January 2024

Latinos have seen a 30% increase in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) since 2018. However, Latino children are diagnosed later and remain underdiagnosed compared to Whites. Later diagnosis of ASD or failure to receive a diagnosis of ASD into adulthood is associated with negative outcomes. From 2012 to 2022, in specialty clinic diagnosing ASD in adulthood, Latino adults (n = 31) were older than White adults (n = 323) and, using 2020 Census data, severely underrepresented despite experiencing similar distress and symptoms of ASD to White adults. Latino adults with a first-time diagnosis of ASD were also nearly two and a half years older than White adults. Recommendations are provided to service providers to improve access to services for Latinos. Recommendations provided include making changes at an organizational level to improve access to high quality healthcare services for Latinos. Other recommendations include translating services for Spanish-speaking Latinos and advertising these services. Finally, service providers should culturally adapt services to ensure they are appropriate for Latinos.
Food and body perception in ethically vs. body image motivated vegetarian women
Authors: Shabir Madiha Emily , Gillmeister Helge
Published: January 2024

The adoption of plant-based diets for seemingly health-based reasons may be a risk factor for eating disorders. If so, stronger endorsement of weight-control vs. ethical goals should be associated with characteristic responses to stimuli related to these goals, such as images of meat dishes and attractive bodies. The present study is the first to comprehensively investigate food and body perception in women who follow vegetarian or vegan diets primarily for either ethical reasons or body-image-related concerns. We measured food choice motivations, eating disorder symptoms, self-consciousness, appetitiveness ratings for meat and vegetable stimuli, appeal ratings for male and female body images, and the electrophysiological correlates of perceptual, attentional and emotional-motivational processing of food and body stimuli. We found that reported food choice motivations differedbetween body-image-motivated vegetarians (weight control) and ethically-motivated vegetarians (ecological welfare and sensory appeal). Body-image-motivated vegetarians showed more eating-disorder symptoms (restraint) and rated female bodies as less appealing than ethically-motivated vegetarians. Both groups rated images of meat as less appetitive thanthose of vegetables and images of male bodies as less appealing than those of female bodies. Body-image-motivated vegetarians had overall shorter N1 peak latencies for all types of images than ethically-motivated vegetarians, as well as enhanced P2 amplitudes for female relative to male bodies,while the ethically-motivated vegetarians showed enhanced P2 amplitude for male relative to female bodies. Meat stimuli elicited larger P2 and LPP amplitudes than vegetable stimuli in body-image- but not ethically-motivated vegetarians. Our findings show novel support for altered perceptual, attentional and affective processing of female bodies and meat stimuli in vegetarian women with body image motives, suggestingthat they may be at risk of developing or maintaining eating disorders through their dietary choices.
Assessment of self-perceived risk and risk rating among chemical sprayers in selected tea plantations in South India
Authors: Kannan Radhika , Naveen Ramesh
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Chemical sprayers of the tea plantation industry perceive various degrees of risk involved in their daily work. The objective of the study was to assess self-perceived risk and to rate these risks among the pesticide sprayers working in selected tea plantations in South India.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 290 chemical sprayers in six selected tea plantations in South India from September to October 2018 after approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee and permission from the plantations. Data was collected by structured interview schedule with the chemical sprayers and key informant interviews were conducted with their supervisors. The risks perceived by the sprayers were rated and expressed using the Risk Rating Matrix.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 45.6±8.5 years and all of them were males. The most common risks encountered were leech bites (76%), other insect bites (58%) and bruises (46%). Chemical spills, splashes, slips, falls and backaches were considered as minor hazards in risk rating. Animal attacks and falls from trees were assigned the highest risk rating scores.
Conclusion: Insect bite was the most common risk perceived and animal attacks attained the highest risk score. Regular supervision and monitoring of work-related risk factors can help in the reduction of common injuries thereby ensuring safety at the workplace.
Exploring Risk of Posture and Musculoskeletal Disorders among Smartphone Addicted Youth: a Protocol Paper
Authors: Zain Izham , Nawawi Roslizawati , Ismail Isyan Farahin , Zain Norhayati Mohd
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Smartphones with rapid advancement in telecommunication technology causing high usage leads to addiction, especially among youth. Concerning health, smartphone addiction influences posture causing neck-shoulder pain. However, the mechanism of how smartphone addiction causes pain related to posture control is still doubtful. Anticipatory feed-forward motor control mechanism has proposed that smartphone usage is a static low-level activity influenced by muscle fatigue and discomfort. Therefore, this study aimed to explore neck-shoulder muscle fatigue, particularly at the upper trapezius about smartphone addiction behaviors and adopted posture while using smartphones among youth. This study aims to investigate the relationship between smartphone addiction, risk of posture and the relationship between trapezius muscle fatigue, and neck-shoulder pain among youth.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design will be conducted through convenient sampling among students at secondary schools in Malaysia. The Smartphone Addiction Scale, Rapid Assessment Upper Limb, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Electromyogram will be used as outcomes tools.
Discussion: This study investigates the risk of smartphones in terms of duration usage among adults. Fatigue over the upper trapezius muscle has not yet been investigated among youth which will provide fundamental findings on how faulty posture during smartphone usage might cause neck pain.
Feminists Reading of Foucault's Theory of Sexuality and Power
Authors: Uprety Mina Devi
Published: January 2024

Sexuality is a normal and healthy part of human lives, normally and naturally, human is a sexual being and sexuality is viewed as a person's capacity for sexual interests and feelings. Similarly, sexuality is shaped and regulated by various determining factors such as social, political, cultural, legal, biological, psychological, spiritual, historical and so on which varies across societies and cultures. Sexuality is a broader idea which has various theoretical explanations and unbending social arrangements and comprises much more than sexual intercourse. On top of it, there is no single narrative which is globally accepted, various debates and discourses are more vigorous in the context of power, sexuality and feminism. Many theoreticians, researchers and practitioners have looked upon instances of homosexual, intersexual or non-hetero births as problems for the binary model that they have identified of power and sexuality. We consider power and sexuality to be distinct hitherto closely attached categories and yet it is a dynamics of power and mechanism of social control. Foucault has emphasized the role of discourses of ideas in constructing and regulating human sexuality and prevailing patriarchal order. Basically, this paper explores some conceptual and theoretical dialogues concerning sexuality, power and feminist narrative. In this context, the aim of this paper is to discuss the relationship between feminist standpoints of gender and sexuality and Foucault's ideas of sexuality and power.
Social and Economic status of Casino women in Nepal
Authors: K.C. Raju
Published: January 2024

The research aims to explore the women status in casino job. The research has been performed by the survey, interview and participant observation in their everyday job. Upon examination of this situation, it becomes clear that casino job status is meaningful in Nepalese community which has brought tremendous changes in their life world and that has brought stratification on them. Gender based society like Nepal has more peculiar obstacles effect on women where they faced more difficulties on their daily life. They are suppressed from the social deformities like teasing, touching and other verbal amusement from male on the issue of job in Casino. Using of Teenagers women in casino only for the entertainment mechanism was developed. Aged women are neglected in the job as well. Participation of such a woman in the casino, directly or indirectly help on tourism sector of Nepal. The women labourers of the casino were found enjoyed with facilities provided such as economic, transportation, allowances, medical etc. Since the labourers both male and female work in close proximity, the relationship between the female co-workers and the customers was in good condition. The concerned authorities have not paid due attention to the plight of these simple hard working labourers who has made significant contribution towards increasing gross national product and also earning foreign currency.