bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perception and Acceptance of Telemedicine Use in Health Care Among the General Public in China: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Lin Yulan , Xu Xiaonan , Liu Yiyang , Alias Haridah , Hu Zhijian , Wong Li Ping
Published: July 2024

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing about substantial changes in health care systems, leading to a significant shift toward telemedicine for the delivery of health care services.

Objective

This study aims to examine the relationship between perceived usefulness and ease of use of telemedicine services and their association with the behavioral intention to use telemedicine.

Methods

An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted in China. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to determine significant predictors of intention to use telemedicine consultation. Types of illnesses that favored seeking telemedicine consultation, as well as the most preferred platform for conducting telemedicine consultations, were also investigated.

Results

In total, 1006 participants completed the survey. A total of 44.3% (n=446) reported being very likely and 49.3% (n=496) reported being likely to seek telemedicine consultation. Overall, the majority of participants expressed strong agreement or agreement regarding the perceived usefulness of telemedicine. Likewise, the majority indicated strong agreement or agreement when it came to their perception of the ease of using telemedicine. In the partial least squares structural equation modeling, perceived usefulness (β=0.322; P<.001) and perceived ease of use (β=0.118; P=.01) were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of seeking telemedicine consultation. A considerable number of participants expressed willingness to use telemedicine services for various medical conditions, particularly respiratory (n=340, 33.8%), skin (n=316, 31.4%), and musculoskeletal issues (n=316, 31.4%) while showing less interest in seeking telemedicine consultations for reproductive health (n=44, 4.4%) and cancer (n=64, 6.4%). The majority preferred video chat (n=443, 44%) and text chat (n=317, 31.5%) as their most preferred platforms for telemedicine consultation, while a smaller proportion preferred telephone (n=193, 19.2%) and email (n=53, 5.3%).

Conclusions

Telemedicine has the potential to play a larger role in China’s health care system. The preferences for certain platforms over others may influence service design and implementation.
Triage Accuracy and the Safety of User-Initiated Symptom Assessment With an Electronic Symptom Checker in a Real-Life Setting: Instrument Validation Study
Authors: Liu Ville , Kaila Minna , Koskela Tuomas
Published: July 2024

Background

Previous studies have evaluated the accuracy of the diagnostics of electronic symptom checkers (ESCs) and triage using clinical case vignettes. National Omaolo digital services (Omaolo) in Finland consist of an ESC for various symptoms. Omaolo is a medical device with a Conformité Européenne marking (risk class: IIa), based on Duodecim Clinical Decision Support, EBMEDS.

Objective

This study investigates how well triage performed by the ESC nurse triage within the chief symptom list available in Omaolo (anal region symptoms, cough, diarrhea, discharge from the eye or watery or reddish eye, headache, heartburn, knee symptom or injury, lower back pain or injury, oral health, painful or blocked ear, respiratory tract infection, sexually transmitted disease, shoulder pain or stiffness or injury, sore throat or throat symptom, and urinary tract infection). In addition, the accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, and safety of the Omaolo ESC were assessed.

Methods

This is a clinical validation study in a real-life setting performed at multiple primary health care (PHC) centers across Finland. The included units were of the walk-in model of primary care, where no previous phone call or contact was required. Upon arriving at the PHC center, users (patients) answered the ESC questions and received a triage recommendation; a nurse then assessed their triage. Findings on 877 patients were analyzed by matching the ESC recommendations with triage by the triage nurse.

Results

Safe assessments by the ESC accounted for 97.6% (856/877; 95% CI 95.6%-98.0%) of all assessments made. The mean of the exact match for all symptom assessments was 53.7% (471/877; 95% CI 49.2%-55.9%). The mean value of the exact match or overly conservative but suitable for all (ESC’s assessment was 1 triage level higher than the nurse’s triage) symptom assessments was 66.6% (584/877; 95% CI 63.4%-69.7%). When the nurse concluded that urgent treatment was needed, the ESC’s exactly matched accuracy was 70.9% (244/344; 95% CI 65.8%-75.7%). Sensitivity for the Omaolo ESC was 62.6% and specificity of 69.2%. A total of 21 critical assessments were identified for further analysis: there was no indication of compromised patient safety.

Conclusions

The primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the safety and to explore the accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of the Omaolo ESC. The results indicate that the ESC is safe in a real-life setting when appraised with assessments conducted by triage nurses. Furthermore, the Omaolo ESC exhibits the potential to guide patients to appropriate triage destinations effectively, helping them to receive timely and suitable care.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

RR2-10.2196/41423
Impact of Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring Device Connectivity on Engagement Among Pregnant Individuals Enrolled in the Delfina Care Platform: Observational Study
Authors: Charifson Mia , Wen Timothy , Zell Bonnie , Vaidya Priyanka , Rios Cynthia I , Fagbohun C Funsho , Fulcher Isabel
Published: July 2024

User engagement with remote blood pressure monitoring during pregnancy is critical to optimize the associated benefits of blood pressure control and early detection of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. In our study population of pregnant individuals, we found that connected blood pressure cuffs, which automatically sync measures to a monitoring platform or health record, increase engagement (2.13 [95% CI 1.36‐3.35] times more measures per day) with remote blood pressure monitoring compared to unconnected cuffs that require manual entry of measures.
Application of Edible Coating from Konjac Flour added with Chitosan on the Quality of Red Chili
Authors: Rusdianto Andrew Setiawan , Hidayah Ridatul Winda , Amilia Winda
Published: July 2024

Red chilies have a relatively short shelf life and are highly perishable. Red chili is one type of vegetable with a water content (60 - 90 %) at the time of harvest and an increase in respiration rate. Therefore, it is necessary to pack a coating that can reduce and suppress respiration and transpiration rates to prevent vegetable damage. One potential way to reduce the damage to red chilies is by applying edible coatings. Edible coating is one technique that can be developed and applied to maintain quality and extend the shelf life of red chili. This study aims to determine the quality characteristics of red chili (Capsicum annuum L) before and after coating edible coating. In addition, to analyze the effect of Konjac flour concentration on the quality characteristics of red chili (Capsicum annuum L) with the addition of chitosan and to find out the best treatment for the application of edible coating with the basic ingredients of Konjac flour with the addition of chitosan. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) and three replications. The treatment in this study was the storage time of coated red chilies edible coating for 1, 3, 6, and 9 days. The results showed that the storage time of coated red chilies edible coating affects the pH, water content, weight loss, respiration rate, and color. The analysis of the characteristics of red chilies showed that the coating done on red chilies can reduce and suppress the process of respiration rate.
The Effect of Drying Methods on The Quality of Dragon Fruit Skin Tea
Authors: Ilmannafian Adzani Ghani , Kiptiah Mariatul , Darmawan Muhammad Indra
Published: July 2024

As a co-product, dragon fruit peels still contain polyphenols that can be used as a tea product alternative, requiring an appropriate drying process. Therefore, it is necessary to find a suitable drying method to obtain high-quality dragon fruit peels as tea product ingredients. The aim of this research is to determine the quality of dragon fruit skin tea with different drying methods. This research used an experimental method by using sun drying against the oven as a drying method in the drying stages of the dragon fruit tea skin making process. The dried fruit peels were then characterized by their tannin, flavonoid, vitamin C, and water contents, as well as their hedonic test scores. The results showed that the qualitative results of tannins and flavonoids in dragon fruit peel tea were positive (+), and the vitamin C content of the peel tea was higher when produced in sun-dried (6.6 mg/100g). On the contrary, the water content of dragon fruit peel tea was higher (7%) by oven drying. Based on hedonic tests, the panelists preferred dragon fruit peel tea produced by the sun drying.
Systematic Biopsy-Based Transcriptomics and Diagnosis of Antibody-Mediated Kidney Transplant Rejection in Clinical Practice
Authors: Dandonneau Jeanne , François Arnaud , Bertrand Dominique , Candon Sophie , de Nattes Tristan
Published: July 2024

Key Points

Impact of biopsy-based transcriptomics in clinical practice is still unclear.

Biopsy-based transcriptomics is indicated in a significant proportion of kidney transplant biopsies for the diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection.

Biopsy-based transcriptomics is useful for antibody-mediated rejection diagnosis in clinical practice.

Background

To diagnose kidney transplant antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), biopsy-based transcriptomics can substitute for some histological criteria according to the Banff classification. However, clinical accessibility of these assays is still limited. Here, we aimed to evaluate the impact of integrating a routine-compatible molecular assay for the diagnosis of AMR in clinical practice.

Methods

All biopsies performed in our center between 2013 and 2017 were retrospectively included. These biopsies were classified into three groups: AMR biopsies which displayed the full Banff criteria of AMR independently of biopsy-based transcriptomics; undetermined for AMR biopsies which did not meet AMR histological criteria, but would have been considered as AMR if biopsy-based transcriptomics had been positive; and control biopsies which showed no features of rejection.

Results

Within the inclusion period, 342 biopsies had a complete Banff scoring. Thirty-six of the biopsies already met AMR criteria, and 43 of 306 (14%) were considered as undetermined for AMR. Among these biopsies, 24 of 43 (56%) had a molecular signature of AMR, reclassifying them into the AMR category. Five-year death-censored survival of these biopsies was unfavorable and statistically equivalent to that of the AMR category (P = 0.22), with 15 of 24 (63%) graft loss.

Conclusions

A significant proportion of biopsies could benefit from a biopsy-based transcriptomics for AMR diagnosis according to the Banff classification. Using a routine-compatible molecular tool, more than the half of these biopsies were reclassified as AMR and associated with poor allograft survival.
Comparing Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries with ESKD Who Switched to Medicare Advantage versus Remained in Traditional Medicare
Authors: Gao Allan Y. , Knapp Christopher D. , Liu Jiannong , Johansen Kirsten L.
Published: July 2024

Patients choosing Medicare Advantage versus Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) differ with respect to race, socioeconomic status, and burden of disease. However, it is unclear whether these differences also occur among patients with kidney failure, who were newly allowed to switch to Medicare Advantage after the 21st Century Cares Act. We used data from the United States Renal Data System to examine differences in characteristics of dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients who switched from FFS to Medicare Advantage compared with those who stayed with FFS in 2021, the first year such switching was allowed. We used unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression to compare odds of switching among demographic and geographic subgroups. Among 411,513 patients with FFS coverage in 2020, 10.1% switched to Medicare Advantage in 2021. Switchers constituted 12% of the dialysis population and 5% of the kidney transplant population. In the dialysis population, patients of Black race and Hispanic ethnicity were more likely to switch than patients of White race (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.64 to 1.73 and OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.40 to 1.47; respectively), as were patients with dual eligibility for Medicaid (adjusted OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.15). Patients living in the South were also more likely to switch to Medicare Advantage than those living in the West (adjusted OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.43 to 1.52). Similar differences were observed among kidney transplant recipients. Patients who switched from FFS to Medicare Advantage were disproportionately from historically marginalized groups, including Black, Hispanic, and low-income individuals. They were also more likely to live in the South. These differences may threaten the generalizability of United States Renal Data System data that relies on FFS insurance claims and suggest that comparisons of outcomes between FFS and medicare advantage beneficiaries with kidney failure should be adjusted for key patient characteristics.
Diurnal and Daily Symptom Variation in Patients with End Stage Kidney Disease
Authors: Kallem Cramer J. , Alghwiri Alaa A. , Yabes Jonathan , Erickson Sarah , Han Zhuoheng , Roumelioti Maria-Eleni , Steel Jennifer L. , Jhamb Manisha , Unruh Mark
Published: July 2024

Key Points

Patients treated with maintenance hemodialysis report a higher symptom burden on the days they receive hemodialysis treatment, compared with non-hemodialysis days.

The severity of physical, cognitive, and mood symptoms can vary diurnally, and the pattern of this variation may differ between hemodialysis and non-hemodialysis days.

Ecological momentary assessment can provide insights into the complex, dynamic symptom experiences of patients on hemodialysis.

Background

Patients with ESKD on hemodialysis experience a high symptom burden, which is compounded by unpredictable fluctuations in symptom severity. Few studies have used ecological momentary assessment to determine how symptoms vary over time. This study aimed to characterize the diurnal and day-to-day variability in symptoms among patients receiving hemodialysis.

Methods

Patients enrolled in the Technology-Assisted Collaborative Care trial rated the intensity of physical, cognitive, and mood symptoms using an automated telephone-administered version of the Daytime Insomnia Symptom Scale at four time points (morning, early afternoon, late afternoon, evening) for seven consecutive days at baseline. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify the original four-factor solution for the Daytime Insomnia Symptom Scale: sleepiness/fatigue (SF), alert cognition (AC), positive mood (PM), and negative mood (NM). Symptom domain scores were calculated for each time point, and mixed modeling with random patient effects was used to examine differences in daily symptoms at daily time points between hemodialysis and non-hemodialysis days after controlling for age, sex, race, and comorbidity burden.

Results

One hundred sixty patients were enrolled (mean±SD age 58±14 years, 45% women, 52% White). Diurnal symptom variation existed; trends were nonlinear and differed by hemodialysis versus non-hemodialysis days. Day-to-day symptom variation also existed; patients endorsed better physical, cognitive, and mood states (i.e., higher AC and PM) as well as lower symptom burden (i.e., lower SF and NM) on non-hemodialysis days compared with hemodialysis days at all time points. The greatest day-to-day mean differences (MDs) were observed in the early afternoon for all symptom domains: AC (MD=0.17 P < 0.001), PM (MD=0.28, P < 0.001), SF (MD=−0.66, P < 0.001), and NM (MD=−0.26, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Patients with ESKD demonstrate diurnal variation in symptoms and greater symptom burden on hemodialysis days compared with non-hemodialysis days, with the most extreme differences in symptom severity occurring in the early afternoon.

Clinical Trial registration number:

ClinicalTrials.gov
NCT03440853.
Review on the Comparative Analysis of Stance Markers in Academic Discourse
Authors: Mu Xiaoke
Published: July 2024

Stance is related to the author’s evaluative attitude towards the knowledge conveyed in academic discourse, which is an important criterion for judging the objectivity of knowledge expression. At present, previous reviews on stance markers in academic discourse have mainly focused on analyzing the current state of relevant research from multiple perspectives at a macro level, and there are few reviews of a particular research methodology. In view of this, this paper synthesizes the current research trends with a focus on the comparative study of stance markers in academic discourse so as to find out the research gap and then shed light on possible future research.
The Direction and Path of University Serving the High-Quality Development of the Country
Authors: Xi Mingzhuang
Published: July 2024

Achieving high-quality development is the primary task of building a modern country comprehensively. On the new journey of building a modern country comprehensively, university should shoulder the important mission of serving the high-quality development of the country more consciously, provide comprehensive theoretical support, talent support, scientific and technological support, and cultural support, and contribute the wisdom and strength of universities by improving the quality of talent training, promoting scientific and technological development, and serving social and economic development. This is the path that contemporary university must follow in order to run higher education that satisfies the people.
A Research Paper on the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI)
Authors: A Ughoc Dave Nicole , Bulado Cherry Ann T. , Balagtas Jon Paolo , Ramos Merry Joy M. , Pascual Marilou P.
Published: July 2024

This study examined the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of SM Foundation Incorporated in the City of Cabanatuan. It focused on the following: (1) Demographic profile of the respondents, (2) Level of customer awareness, (3) Impact of SMFI CSR Activities, (4) Factors considered in formulating the CSR programs of SMFI, (5) Hindrances affecting the implementation of CSR programs, (6) The best good governance and CSR practices. The descriptive research design involved 500 participants who are customers and employees of SM. Using descriptive research, participants were selected using non-probability sampling and surveyed using a questionnaire. The data-gathering procedures used were surveys. Furthermore, data analysis employed mean frequency percentage, Krustal-Wallis (ANOVA), and Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference (HSD) test. The findings indicated: (1) The general profile of the respondents was aged 15-25, with most having incomes P10,000 and below, and occasionally visiting SM Cabanatuan, (2) Customers were highly aware of SMFI's CSR initiative, (3) The CSR program has improved SMFI's company image since customers of SMFI preferred companies with a good reputation for CSR and Good Governance, (4) Factors considered in formulating the CSR programs were team engagement, company values, and community needs, (5) The hindrances affecting the implementation of CSR program were lack of participation in program implementation, (6) The best good governance practice of SMFI are the management of a company informs the purpose of its activities and the outcomes of its action, (7) The best CSR practice at SMFI was implementing employee and community relations CSR programs.
Network Intrusion Detection and Classification System: A Supervised Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Akintoye Kayode Akinlekan
Published: July 2024

Abstract: Intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are crucial for computer security, as they identify and counteract malicious activities within computer networks. Anomaly-based IDSs, specifically, use classification models trained on historical data to detect these harmful activities. This paper proposes an enhanced IDS based on 3-level training and testing of machine learning models, feature selection, resampling, and normalization using Decision Tree, Gaussian Naïve Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbours, Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine. In the first stage, the six models are trained and evaluated using the original datasets after pre-processing. In the second stage, the models are built and tested with a resampled version of the dataset using the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE). In the third stage, the models are trained and tested with a dataset that has been both resampled and normalized using the standard scaling method. We employ the feature importance technique using the random forest model to select the essential features from NSL-KDD and UNSW-NB15 datasets. The results of our study surpass previous related research, with the decision tree achieving an accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score of 99.99% on the UNSW-NB15 dataset. Additionally, the decision tree recorded an accuracy of 99.98%, precision of 99.97%, recall of 99.97%, and F1 score of 99.99% on the NSL-KDD dataset.
Exploring the Intersection of Subliminal Perception and Digital Marketing
Authors: George Samson
Published: July 2024

Abstract: Subliminal refers to stimuli that operate below the threshold of conscious perception. Subliminal advertisements target the subconscious, where consumers may not consciously assess the content. However, their impact becomes apparent through indirect observations, such as the influence on emotions, the effect on cognitive processes, the ability of consumers to consciously evaluate these ads, the level of excitement and engagement with characters portrayed in subliminal ads, and various other aspects. This research delves into the intersection of subliminal perception and digital marketing, seeking to unravel the subtle influences that impact consumer behaviour in the digital realm. By employing a comprehensive methodology that includes surveys, content analysis, and hypothesis testing, the study aims to explore how individuals perceive and respond to subliminal cues embedded in digital marketing content. Ethical considerations guide the research process to ensure transparency and consumer well-being. A sample size of 126 participants, encompassing both male and female youths aged 18-30, was selected from diverse professional and non-professional backgrounds. The findings contribute valuable insights into the complex interplay between subliminal perception and digital marketing strategies, offering implications for marketers aiming to enhance user engagement, brand perception, and overall effectiveness in the online landscape.
The Effect of Inclusive Leadership on Internalized Shame of Middle-aged Members: Moderated Moderation Effects of Leader Trust and Perceived Organizational Support
Authors: Choi Moonhee , Shin Jegoo ,   Korean Academy of Leadership
Published: July 2024

Middle-aged members experience high psychological anxiety or are alienated from the organization due to rapid changes in the business environment and job insecurity, reduced work and roles, age discrimination, and forced retirement. The anxiety of middle-aged members appears as internalized shame, showing a cynical attitude toward the organization, and has the potential to spread negative emotions to individuals and organizations. In addition, middle-aged members are an area of interest in research in that they have know-how and performance resources through their careers. This study focused on the internalized shame of middle-aged members, and to confirm the psychological mechanisms that alleviate it, the direct effect of inclusive leadership, the controlled role of leader trust and perceived organizational support were verified.
The survey was conducted twice by separating the measurement period of the survey from 455 office workers working in various industries. As a result of the study, first, inclusive leadership was found to reduce the internalized shame of middle-aged members. Second, it was found that inclusive leadership was regulated by leader trust and alleviated internalized shame. Third, inclusive leadership was found to alleviate internalized shame as a controlled moderating effect of leader trust and perceived organizational support. Focusing on the status, emotions, and characteristics of middle-aged members, this study deeply verified the relationship between variables, presented theoretical and practical implications, and presented future research tasks and limitations based on the research results.
METODOLOGI HUKUM ISLAM MENURUT ALIRAN DEOBANDI DI MALAYSIA Islamic Jurisprudence Methodology: An Analysis of Deobandi School in Malaysia
Authors: Che Age Ahmad Zulkernain , Man Saadan
Published: July 2024

The significant influence of Deobandi scholars, known for their expertise in Hadith and the Quran, raises the question of what legal methodology is adhered to by the scholars of this school. A comprehensive legal methodology typically consists of uṣūl al-fiqh, qawā’id al-fiqhiyyah and maqāṣid al-syāri’ah. Today, the community has witnessed the rejection by some of these scholars by some of these scholars towards local practices such as maulīd ar-rasūl, tahlil and so on. This study has several importance implications, serving as a reference for future researchers, JAKIM, the State Department of Islamic Religion, and graduates of the Deobandi school itself. This study took the form of a qualitative study and involved interviews with nine Deobandi respondents. The results indicate that the Deobandi school does not employ a complete legal methodology, and there is inconsistency among the respondents when applying the legal methodology in the absence of the Qur'an and Hadith. These suggests that, maqāṣid al-syāri’ah is largely overlooked by the majority of the respondents.
SEWAGE WATER TREATMENT AND ITS EFFECT ON THE CLEANLINESS OF WATER: A REVIEW FROM ISLAMIC AND SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Mohd Salleh Mohd Mahyeddin , Mohd Safian Yasmin Hanani , Azhari Syaza , Ahmad Thaidi Hussein Azemi
Published: July 2024

Due to the water combining with feces, sewage water found in the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) is classified as mutanajjis. However, the wastewater cleaned with current technology in STP has created concerns, particularly among Muslims, over whether it can be classified as muṭlaq water or not. The purpose of this study is to compare the cleaning mechanism from an Islamic perspective with the sewage water treatment technique in Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Malaysia. Next, to examine the treated sewage water and its impact on the law of ṭahārah in Islam. This study uses a qualitative approach using data collection techniques by document analysis, observations at the Regional Sewage Water Treatment Plant (RSTP) KL-Titiwangsa 2 owned by Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Malaysia, interviews with Shariah and water experts, and laboratory analysis. The results of the study revealed that the wastewater treatment technology at RSTP Serantau KL-Titiwangsa 2 can change the status of water from mutanajjis to muṭlaq because it meets all the criteria for muṭlaq water set by the fuqaha. Through the results of laboratory analysis, the treated sewage water is categorized in the same category as muṭlaq water. Therefore, the water can be used for ṭahārah purposes. It also sheds light on the aspects of environmental sustainability from an Islamic perspective.
A ascensão da China como potência econômica à luz de clássicos do desenvolvimento econômico
Authors: Rodrigo Mineiro Pereira Érico
Published: July 2024

O artigo ora apresentado inscreve-se no debate sobre desenvolvimento econômico a partir de textos clássicos referentes às décadas de 1950 e 1960 (Lewis, Nurkse e Rostow, 2010; Rosenstein-Rodan, 1957 e Hirschman, 1986) e objetiva verificar se existe rebatimento entre o que teorizavam esses autores e o desenvolvimento econômico chines da era Mao Zedong. Utilizando-se de pesquisa bibliográfica, chegou-se à conclusão de que, sob determinados aspectos, pode-se responder positivamente àquela inquietação, muito embora, da mesma forma, se possam fazer deduções sobre falhas no que pensavam, a exemplo da afirmação feita por Ragnar Nurkse de que pobreza gera pobreza e inviabiliza o desenvolvimento econômico. A experiência da China maoísta o nega.
Condomínios residenciais fechados na cidade de Limeira/SP: uma análise da localização e consequências na dinâmica socioterritorial do município
Authors: Sallati Noan
Published: July 2024

O presente artigo visa demonstrar a disposição e localização dos condomínios residenciais fechados da cidade de Limeira, município de médio porte do interior do estado de São Paulo, caracterizado pela abundância destes empreendimentos em seu espaço urbano. São demonstrados, por um estudo de caso, a conjuntura de surgimento e amadurecimento destes locais de habitação no município, as regiões com principais ocorrências destes espaços murados, e os tipos de empreendimentos existentes. Concomitantemente, discorre-se acerca das características destes espaços e de suas consequências para a dinâmica territorial, social, e para o município em sua totalidade, visto que os mesmos implicam grandes aglomerados privatizados no espaço urbano, exercem inconscientemente uma lógica mercadológica e privatista para os habitantes da cidade, e acarretam em segregações e regiões inseguras pelo território.
Control de Paletizador Usando Señales Electromiográficas no Invasivas: Estrategia de Control Digital en Tiempo Real
Authors: Muñoz Torres Diego Fernando , Gómez Nieto David Manuel , Fernández Arboleda Alejandro
Published: July 2024

La electromiografía es una prueba utilizada ampliamente en el estudio de la actividad eléctrica de los músculos y nervios usualmente con fines médicos para medir la salud de músculos y nervios en pacientes, sin embargo, la similitud de las señales generadas en este estudio con las usadas en robótica en los sistemas de control, ha abierto la posibilidad de usarlas a aplicaciones de bio-medica. Este artículo presenta un prototipo para el control de un paletizador con un grado de libertad a través de señales electromiograficas, el prototipo se diseñó mediante electrónica digital y permite el control del paletizador en tiempo real. El diseño es modular y consta de los siguientes módulos: adquisición y filtrado; procesamiento y sistema de decisión electrónico digital y, por último, la interfaz control-potencia que permite la interacción humano máquina de forma amigable. El filtrado y procesamiento de las señales EMG reduce el ruido experimental permitiendo establecer un patrón en las señales de potencia. Se logra un sistema de control robusto que opera en tiempo real mediante el valor efectivo de potencia y en adición, la interfaz humano maquina ayuda en la interpretación de las variables de control. Finalmente, la incorporación de sistemas de control fiables y eficientes basados en señales EMG y electrónica digital, permite explorar una alternativa viable para el desarrollo de prototipos de bio-medica y de robótica como es el control de brazos robóticos en tiempo real.
Nanoencapsulación y rutas sintéticas para preparar fármacos usados como tratamientos químicos contra cáncer colorrectal: una descripción general
Authors: Gutiérrez-Cifuentes Jorge Andrés , Aguirre-Giraldo Santiago , Ríos-Vásquez Luz Amalia
Published: July 2024

El cáncer colorrectal (CCR) es un cáncer de crecimiento celular descontrolado en el colon. En Colombia el CCR según "New global cancer data: GLOBOCAN 2018” ocupa el quinto lugar con una incidencia del 5,6% y una mortalidad del 7,4%, además en el departamento de Caldas - Colombia presenta una incidencia del 16%. Este trabajo presenta una revisión narrativa de la literatura acerca de las rutas sintéticas y la nanoencapsulación, en función de los tratamientos químicos más utilizados contra el CCR, a partir de documentos seleccionados usando las palabras clave: nanoencapsulación + cáncer colorrectal, rutas sintéticas + cáncer colorrectal, fármaco + quimioterapia + cáncer colorrectal y utilizando Scopus y Web of Science. Se seleccionaron tres fármacos cuyas rutas sintéticas presentan menos etapas, con mejores rendimientos y uso de reactivos disponibles comercialmente, de bajo costo y que no contaminen el medio ambiente. Es así como se describe la síntesis de 5-fluorouracilo y oxaliplatino, utilizando productos químicos y la síntesis de irinotecan a partir de productos semisintéticos derivados de un producto natural. Se encontraron reportes sobre la nanoencapsulación, la cual permite producir nanovehículos con mejores resultados clínicos, tales como, nanopartículas poliméricas conteniendo 5-fluorouracilo, nanopartículas lipídicas sólidas encapsulando el oxaliplatino y liposomas encapsulando el irinotecan. Finalmente, se ha reportado que la nanoencapsulación polimérica del 5-fluorouracilo (5-FU) induce a una reducción pronunciada en el volumen del tumor; adicionalmente, el uso de nanopartículas de lípidos sólidos cargadas con oxaliplatino disminuye su citotoxicidad; y, además, el irinotecan en su forma liposomal disminuye el crecimiento del tumor.
Protection Coordination of Microgrids Considering Non-Standard Features of Directional Over-Current Relays
Authors: Saldarriaga Zuluaga Sergio Danilo , López Lezama Jesús María , Muñoz Galeano Nicolás
Published: July 2024

This paper presents a methodology for protection coordination in microgrids that considers account non-standard features of directional over-current relays (OCRs). In the proposed approach three decision variables are considered for each relay; namely, the standard characteristic curve (SCC), Time Multiplier Setting (TMS) and maximum limit of the plug setting multiplier (PSM). The proposed mixed integer non-linear programing model is solved by means of a specialized genetic algorithm (GA) implemented in Matlab. Several tests were performed on a modified version of the IEEE-30 bus test system considering on-grid and off-grid operational modes. The results evidenced the robustness and applicability of the proposed approach in real-size microgrids that host distributed generation and exhibit several operational modes or topologies.
BiLSTM-SLA for enhancing biomedical entity linking in short texts: Bidirectional LSTM approach with Stacked Layers and Attention mechanism
Authors: DJELLAL Asma , BENABDELHAFID Maya SOUILAH , BOUFAIDA Zizette
Published: July 2024

Biomedical Entity Linking (BEL) aims to map biomedical mentions, such as
diseases and drugs, to standard entities in a given knowledge base. BEL
within short text is viewed as a ranking challenge. Current research on
this topic is mostly about long text relaying on the rich contextual
information, which might not suitably apply to shorter texts.
Furthermore, supervised approaches face hurdles in training data
suitability, particularly in domains like biomedicine characterized by
entities with diverse naming conventions, including abbreviations,
acronyms, synonyms with different morphological variations and word
orderings. To address these challenges, we propose a BiLSTM-Stacked
Layers and Attention mechanism (BiLSTM-SLA) which refers a novel
approach that integrates a BiLSTM with stacked layers and attention
mechanism to enhance BEL within short texts. BiLSTM-SLA aims to provide
a deeper understanding of the input text by considering bidirectional
context analysis and leveraging stacked layers for nuanced temporal
dependencies within the candidate sequence. Moreover, the attention
mechanism enables the model to dynamically focus on and assign weights
to different important part of the text. BiLSTM-SLA is assessed against
two types of gold standards: KORE50 and Webscope for general English
short texts, and the NCBI Disease Corpus, TAC2017ADR and ShARe/CLEF
datasets for the biomedical domain. The experimental findings
demonstrate that BiLSTM-SLA attains state-of-the-art results across all
datasets, showcasing significant superiority over baseline methods.
Notably, it achieves accuracies of 87.63%, 92.87%, 91.23%, 91.74%,
and 92.78% on these benchmark datasets, respectively.
The challenge of diagnosing intracranial pressure elevations as an Otolaryngologist
Authors: S Michelle Klausner , Gianoli Gerard J. , Johnson Patricia , Mamikoglu Bulent
Published: July 2024

Objective: This article addresses the complex clinical scenario
where patients present to otolaryngologists with symptoms typically
ascribed to chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) or migraines which may in fact
stem from elevations in intracranial pressure. We aim to clarify the
diagnostic challenges and emphasize the importance of considering
elevated intracranial pressure (eICP) as its symptoms overlap with both
CRS and migraines. Design: This narrative review synthesizes
clinical experiences and literature to discuss the differential
diagnoses involving facial pain/pressure, migraines, and eICP. Key
discussion points include symptomatology of eICP and its management in
otolaryngological practice. Results: Patients presenting with
symptoms of CRS or migraine may exhibit overlapping signs that makes
diagnosis challenging. Patients with symptoms of facial pain and
pressure, or other findings such as ear fullness, muffled hearing, and
tinnitus, that do not resolve with conventional topical intranasal
therapies or migraine management should be worked up for eICP.
Conclusion: The overlap in clinical presentations among
patients with concern for CRS, migraines, and ICP elevations poses a
diagnostic challenge. It is crucial for otolaryngologists and
neurologists to collaborate closely to ensure accurate diagnoses and
appropriate management. Enhanced awareness and understanding of the
broader spectrum of symptoms associated with eICP can prevent
misdiagnosis and promote better patient outcomes.
A Smart Supramolecular Strategy Fine-Tunes the Molecular Aggregation Behavior to Overcome the Aggregation-Caused Quenching (ACQ) Barrier in Precise Bioimaging of Active Analytes
Authors: Mao Yan , Yang Jinghan , Ruan Rui , Xu Taiyou , Xiao Xin , Hu Jun , Wang Pei-Yi
Published: July 2024

Fluorescent molecular probes are commonly used to detect active
substances. However, in variable living microenvironmental systems, most
of conventional aromatic fluorescent probes often suffer from
aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) due to π-π stacking, which severely
limit their selectivity and sensitivity. To tackle this challenge, a
predictable supramolecular strategy, which offers significant spatial
effects to prevent fluorophore’s intermolecular π-π stacking at the
molecular level, was proposed to design fluorescent probes. Herein,
supramolecular probe RAA@Q[8] was successfully integrated by loading
an adamantane-modified Rhodamine derivative (RAA) into
cucurbit[8]uril (Q[8]) via the host-guest recognition principle.
Intriguingly, the original highly clustered RAA-agminated spheroids
become discrete supramolecular organic framework octahedrons
(RAA@Q[8]), suggesting that the molecular aggregation behavior is
well-modulated. This encouraging result is important for precise
detection of plant signaling molecules such as salicylic acid (SA) in
various environments. Experimental investigations found that
RAA@Q[8] was 2.2-fold more sensitive than RAA for detecting SA, with
high selectivity and anti-interference, and a low detection limit of
3.0×10 -8 M. Importantly, in complicated living
microenvironments, RAA@Q[8] achieved a precise recognition and
imaging of SA on pea sprouts and HEK-293 cells. This study offers a
guidance for future development of host-guest supramolecular fluorescent
probes that are opposite to the intractable ACQ obstacle.
Selection of suitable organic amendments to balance agricultural economic benefit and carbon sequestration
Authors: Cao Hui , Liu Junming , Ma Shoutian , Xiaolei Wu , Fu Yuanyuan , Gao Yang
Published: July 2024

Long-term excessive use of fertilizers decreases soil productivity,
which is detrimental to sustainable agricultural development. The
purpose of this paper is to identify organic amendments suitable for
winter wheat growth in the North China Plain by studying the effects of
organic amendments on the economic benefit and carbon sequestration of
winter wheat fields, and to provide a theoretical basis for the wide
application of organic amendments. The nitrogen rates were N0 (0 kg/ha)
and N240 (240 kg/ha), and the organic amendments were straw, manure,
mushroom residue and biochar. The result showed that compared to N0,
N240 significantly increased the yield by 244.1%-318.4% and the
organic carbon sequestration by 16.7-30.5%, respectively, but increased
the carbon emission by 29.3-45.5%. In addition, soil carbon
sequestrations increased with three types of organic amendments compared
to straw, with the biochar treatment being the largest, increasing
carbon sequestration by 13.3-33.6%. In terms of yield and economic
benefits, compared to straw, manure and biochar increased yield by
0.0-1.5% and 4.0-13.3%, respectively, and mushroom residue slightly
decreased yield, but only the economic benefit of mushroom residue was
greater than that of straw, with an increase in economic benefit of
1.3% and 8.2% in the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, respectively.
Furthermore, Net ecosystem productivity showed that N0 and N240 was the
source and sink of CO 2, respectively. The TOPSIS
results showed that N240 with mushroom residue could be recommended for
increasing soil carbon sequestration and economic benefits for winter
wheat in the NCP. Low-cost mushroom residue can increase farmer
motivation and improve SOC, making a big step forward in the spread of
organic amendments.
Heterogeneity in Reported Side Effects Following Initiation of Elexacaftor-Tezacaftor-Ivacaftor: Trikafta Experiences at a Quaternary CF Care Center
Authors: Papadakis Lena , Stander Tayler , Mombourquette Jacqueline , Richards Christopher , Yonker Lael , Lawton Brenden , Hardcastle Margot , Zweifach Julia , Sicilian Leonard , Bringhurst Lindsay , Neuringer Isabel
Published: July 2024

Background The benefits of Elexecaftor-Tezacaftor-Ivacaftor
(ETI) therapy on the health and wellbeing of people with CF (pwCF) are
well documented. Since approval, however, a growing number of potential
side effects have emerged in reports from clinical practice. With
current understanding of ETI tolerability limited to data from clinical
trials, the prevalence of side effects and their impact on care decision
making remains poorly categorized. Methods A ten-question
survey was developed and distributed to patients 18 years or older who
were treated at the Massachusetts General Hospital CF centers. Reports
of side effects were measured across twelve distinct categories, and
dose adjustments and discontinuation due to side effects were collected.
If a patient reported no side effects, they did not have to complete the
entire survey. Results Among ninety-two respondents initiated
on ETI, 51 respondents (55.4%) reported potential side effects and 41
(44.5%) respondents reported no adverse events. The most commonly
reported side effects were mental health, changes in appearance, and
gastrointestinal complaints, which were reported by 22.8%, 30.4%, and
21.7% of patients, respectively. Eighteen (19.6%) respondents modified
their dosing in response to side effects, and six discontinued treatment
permanently (6.52%) due to persistent side effects.
Conclusions Responses demonstrated marked heterogeneity, with
most respondents reporting at least one side effect following
initiation. Dose modification was commonly utilized to mitigate adverse
effects, however few respondents had to discontinue treatment. These
findings demonstrate the importance of monitoring for potential
drug-related side effects of ETI in clinical settings.
Insect Cytochrome P450 Database: an integrated resource of genetic diversity, evolution and function
Authors: Wu Hongxin , Li Zhongsheng , Zhong Zichun , Guo Yujing , He Liuyan , Xu Xiaoxia , Mao Yijun , Tang Deyu , Zhang Wenqing , Jin Fengliang , Pang Rui
Published: July 2024

Insects, the most numerous and diverse group of animal species on Earth,
have important interactions with humans through providing resources,
transmitting diseases, and damaging agricultural cultivars. Cytochrome
P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are one of the most important protein
families in insects implicated in the endogenous metabolism and
detoxification of xenobiotics, including allelochemicals, insecticides,
and environmental pollutants. To better understand the evolution and
function of insect P450s and support the development and application of
insecticides for pest control, an integrated bioinformatics platform is
highly desirable. Here, we present the Insect Cytochrome P450 database
(ICPD, http://www.insectp450.net/), which contains 66,513 P450s
collected from public databases and predicted from the genomes of 680
insect species using a standardized bioinformatics protocol.
Phylogenetic relationships between P450 genes are constructed for each
species. The structures of all P450 proteins in the database are
predicted using AlphaFold v2 and/or ESMFold, then visualized using
WeView. Web services, such as BLAST, homogeneous modeling, and molecular
docking, are provided for determining the catalytic activities of P450
proteins. The ICPD will facilitate systematic investigations of the
evolution and functions of the complete insect P450 complement, and
represents a powerful tool for guiding insecticide design and
application.
Competitive dominance constrained by spatial structure: bi-stability in the case of an ant community in a tropical ecosystem
Authors: Perfecto Ivette , Sticpewich Haidee , Vandermeer John
Published: July 2024

We analyze a system of diffuse competition in an ant community in a
coffee agroecosystem. The community is constrained by space since the
dominant competitor (Azteca sericeasur) has a limited range of influence
within which it excludes other species, but outside that range, the
other species may persist. We use a simple dynamic model in which
variable A, the dominant competitor, competes strongly with variable S,
the collection of all other species in the system, the latter acting as
a strong competitor in the context of diffuse competition. Two
qualitatively distinct outcomes are expected depending on the strength
of competition: 1) a simple monotonic increase in species richness as
distance from the Azteca nest increases, or 2) a range of distance from
the nest in which there is bi-stability, bookended by critical
transitions. Studying five nests in wet and dry seasons over a two-year
period, we find evidence for bi-stability.
Implementation of Therapeutic and/or Abuse Drug Analysis in Blood Samples via Chemiluminescent Immunoassay Technique Using the Randox Evidence Investigator™ Equipment
Authors: Barrios Leguarca Mayra Judith
Published: July 2024

The Toxicology Laboratory of the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Forenses de Guatemala -INACIF- is responsible for analysing the biological signs in the search for chemical substances, among which drugs are found. Because Laboratories constantly need to update their technology, it was necessary to implement a new chemiluminescence immunoassay technique using the Randox Evidence InvestigatorTM kit. This technique is useful as it provides accurate and reproducible results. To implement this technique, 10 blood samples with a positive result for drugs habitually detected in the Toxicology Laboratory and 10 blood samples with a negative result for drugs were analysed, said analysis gave as a result the fulfillment of what was expected for positive and negative drugs. The time invested in analysis was also evaluated, which was approximately 4 to 4.5 hours.