bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing communication competencies of public servants in Kazakhstan: Current status and approaches for enhancement
Authors: Bokayev Baurzhan , Davletbayeva Zhuldyz , Sadykova Kuralay , Balmanova Assel , Baktiyarova Guldana
Published: June 2024

Political crises, socio-economic issues, and industrial shocks in Kazakhstan highlight the need for prompt and proficient government responses to mitigate their consequences. Public managers must possess the capability to assume responsibility and communicate effectively. This study aims to analyze the level of communication competencies among civil servants in Kazakhstan to assess their status and propose approaches for enhancement. The study utilized a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative survey and qualitative interviews. The quantitative phase involved the distribution of structured questionnaires to civil servants across diverse departments (n = 4,790), aiming to evaluate existing communication competencies, identify strengths and weaknesses, and comprehend prevailing communication issues. The qualitative component included in-depth interviews with selected participants to better understand their experiences and views on communication in the public service sector (n = 27 experts). Research findings define the existing problems and barriers that hinder the development of the communicative competencies of civil servants. Most respondents (25%) believe that problems stem from a lack of understanding of information and citizens’ reluctance or inability to interact with government agencies, while 16% attribute issues to civil servants’ behavioral barriers. Smaller percentages point to language barriers (11%), emotional barriers (9%), cultural barriers (6%), and gender barriers (3%) as contributing factors. Additionally, the study revealed a lack of systematic training and support for developing effective communication skills among government employees. The study suggests several approaches to improve communication competencies, such as targeted training programs, cross-departmental collaboration, and organizational culture promotion.
Acknowledgment The study was carried out within the framework of grant funding from the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (IRN AP14872210).
Relationship between Extroversion Personality and Learning Strategy-based on MBTI Test
Authors:   Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia., Yifan Pang , Hashim Harwati , Said Nur Ehsan Mohd
Published: June 2024

This study explores the relationship between extroversion personality traits, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test, and learning strategy preferences among English language learners. Employing a quantitative methodology, data were collected from a sample of 1621 participants to investigate the predominant extroversion personality traits and differences in learning strategy selection. The research background emphasizes the significance of understanding individual differences in personality traits and their impact on learning behaviors. The study aims to discern whether extroverted individuals exhibit distinct preferences for specific learning strategies, particularly in metacognition, cognition, compensation, affect, and social interaction. By elucidating these relationships, educators can tailor instructional approaches better to accommodate learners’ diverse needs and strengths, ultimately enhancing educational outcomes.
“The Humble Mahar Women Fall at Your Feet, Master.” Portrayal of the Psyche and Suffering of Mahar Women in Baby Kamble’s The Prisons We Broke
Authors:   Amity Institute of English Studies and Research, Amity University, Noida., Verma Priya , Saraswat Surbhi , Datta Antara
Published: June 2024

This article delves into the nature of suffering as experienced by Mahar women struggling with the implemented difficulties by the prevailing patriarchal ideology rooted in Brahminism. Baby Kamble dislikes the humanitarian aversion to agony and disparity. She is sensitive to the predicament of Dalit women and conscious of their sufferings. She has managed to dredge into the psyche of Mahar women, prioritizing sisterhood and Dalit femininity over individual suffering. As a woman writer, Kamble concedes that her primary task is to promote women’s emancipation and eradicate untouchability. She propitiously manages to portray Mahar women and their wounded selves. Utilizing Paik’s theory of Incremental Intersecting Technologies about caste, class, gender, sexuality, and agency as the framework, the paper seeks to answer the questions: How much consideration is given to the caste system, and what intersectional aspects have been integrated into discussions about Dalit women in the last twenty years.
Deterioration processes and modelling in urban drainage systems
Authors: Barraud S. , Bosco E. , Clemens-Meyer F.H.L.R. , Fernandes G. , Le Gat Y. , de Haan C. , Luimes R.A. , Makris K. , Rooyackers F.A.M. , Scheperboer I.C. , Skjelde J. , Suiker A.S.J.
Published: June 2024

This chapter discusses and assesses processes underlying the loss of functionality of (elements) of urban drainage systems. The chapter does not pretend to cover all literature nor do the authors claim to cover all processes involved. As the body of literature experiences a rapid growth, the authors want to provide the reader a comprehensive overview of the literature to-date to be used as an entry for further exploration. Several processes are described and the possibility to model them in a deterministic manner is discussed. The last sections provide a brief introduction to the use of statistical models based on condition classes (as is applied in practice) along with a brief overview of advancements made in machine learning applications.
Evapotranspiration and crop coefficients of some vegetable crops grown under greenhouse conditions
Authors: Baştuğ Ruhi , Büyüktaş Dursun , Büyüktaş Kenan , Aydinsakir Koksal , Onus Ahmet Naci , Karaca Cihan
Published: June 2024

In this study, it was aimed to determine the Kc of tomato, eggplant, pepper and cucumber grown in two consecutive seasons in a year in a common type of plastic greenhouse, using the reference (grass) (ETo) and crop evapotranspiration (ETc) values measured directly in lysimeters. The study was carried out at drainage-type lysimeters placed in the greenhouse, with three replications for each crop and grass at Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey, from 2019 to 2020. Seasonal ETo values varied between 206.0 and 329.1 mm, while seasonal ETc values of crops varied between 243.6 and 529.3 mm for growing seasons ranging from 105 to 137 days. The crop coefficient (Kc) of the tomato, eggplant, pepper and cucumber crops under greenhouse conditions were between 0.4 and 0.6 for the initial stage (Kc ini); for maximum Kc values (mid-season stage) (Kc mid) between 1.4 and 1.8 in spring and 1.6–1.9 in fall; for the end-of-season stage (Kc end) it varied between 1.1 and 1.8 in spring and 0.7–1.4 in fall. It was concluded that the Kc values were higher due to the fact that the ground cover development and crop architecture changed significantly in the greenhouse compared to the field conditions.
Using an integrated hydro-economic model to determine the drought and energy relationship in the Upper Euphrates Basin
Authors: Tuna M. Cihat , Aytac Ayca , Dogan Mustafa Sahin
Published: June 2024

Decreasing precipitation in the Upper Euphrates Basin and the negative impact of climate change directly affect water resources and hydroelectricity generation in the basin. This basin, which contains the largest dams in terms of hydroelectricity generation potential, requires research studies to assess and characterize drought for risk prevention and mitigation applicable to water resources management. To better assess drought in the upper Euphrates Basin due to recent warming, FEHEM is developed, a hydro-economic optimization model of the integrated reservoir system of the Upper Euphrates Basin. Using a historical hydrological dataset, water management and hydroelectric operations are evaluated with a linear programming model at monthly time steps. This paper uses two different drought indices: (1) the standardized precipitation index, which is based on precipitation alone; and (2) the reconnaissance drought index, which takes into account both evaporation and precipitation. These indices were used to evaluate the impact of temporal drought characteristics in the Upper Euphrates Basin on the hydropower generation of 10 dams with a total installed capacity of over 3255 MW in the basin, based on 45 years of precipitation data from more than a hundred measuring stations in the basin.
Drinking water intake of adults in typical cities in the major river basins of China
Authors: Zhang Lan , Gao Shenghua , Zhao Can , Han Jiayi , Ye Bixiong
Published: June 2024

Water is indispensable to human life. Data on water consumption are essential for many health-related analyses. However, water consumption patterns vary significantly due to many factors, such as region, culture, and season. A survey was conducted on the drinking water intake of adults in typical cities in the major river basins of China. The intake rates of direct plain water, indirect plain water, commercial beverages, total plain water, and total water were assessed. The total plain water intake and total water intake were 1,777 and 1,942 ml/day for males, and 1,564 and 1,678 ml/day for females, respectively. Water intake varies depending on gender, age, body mass index, and seasonal and regional fluctuations. Region is the most important factor influencing the intake of total plain water, direct plain water, and total water, followed by season and gender. The intake of indirect plain water is mainly related to the region. Age is the most important factor affecting commercial beverage intake. A value of 1,666 ml/day is proposed as the recommended daily total plain water intake rate for use in exposure assessments in the Chinese context.
Knowledge, attitude and practice towards water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) among holy water users in Amhara regional state Orthodox churches, Ethiopia, 2024: institutional based cross-sectional study
Authors: Tesema Kassa Abebaw , Haimanot Aysheshim Belaineh
Published: June 2024

Sanitation is the quality of living that is expressed in a clean home, a clean firm, a clean business, and a clean community to prevent disease and promote health. Poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) negatively impacts health, development, economic and social growth, and significantly hinders poverty alleviation. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding water, sanitation, and hygiene among holy water users in Amhara regional state Orthodox churches, Ethiopia, in 2024. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2023 in five randomly selected Orthodox Tewahido churches in the Amhara region. The study employed an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire to gather data from 423 study participants. The response rate was 91% and 219 (57% of the respondents) were female. Good knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practice on WASH was found in 39.2, 42.5, and 47.2%, respectively. In conclusion, Ethiopian Amhara Orthodox Tewahido churches, holy water users frequently lacked information, had an unfavorable attitude, and practiced poor WASH. This demands for immediate effort to raise knowledge about health education and hygiene in order to impact holy water user's attitudes toward personal and communal cleanliness and sanitation.
Different persistence among strains of E. faecalis and E. faecium in sterile treated wastewater microcosms: Effects of temperature and ciprofloxacin
Authors: Ehn Börjesson Stina-Mina , Rehnstam-Holm Ann-Sofi
Published: June 2024

Intestinal enterococci are zoonotic bacteria found in various environments and they hold medical significance due to their inherent and acquired resistance. Significant quantities of enterococci are consistently discharged into aquatic environments through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, the culturability of several strains of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis in sterilized treated wastewater at two temperatures or with the addition of low and high concentrations of ciprofloxacin (CIP) was evaluated. All strains remained culturable throughout the whole studied period (108 days), but E. faecalis showed a slightly lower culturability. The culturability of E. faecalis and the majority of E. faecium strains remained unaffected by the presence of CIP, although certain E. faecium strains exhibited a negative impact. We conclude that E. faecalis and E. faecium have the potential to form persister cells that will survive in treated wastewater, and that the response to different temperatures as well as CIP concentrations was species- and strain-specific. This is important to take into consideration when designing experiments that aim at evaluating the risk of WWTPs as a source of human pathogens, resistant bacteria, and resistance genes.
Water quality indices for the evaluation of the groundwater quality in southwestern Libya
Authors: Elssaidi Mohamed Ali , Aishah Ramadan Mohamed , Panhwar Qurban Ali
Published: June 2024

An investigation was undertaken to consider the quality of the groundwater. The samples were collected from the Southwestern Libya. Forty-one water samples (41) were analyzed for hydrochemical characteristics and suitability for drinking purposes. The parameters for water quality, including calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate, sulfate, nitrate, pH and total dissolved solids (TDS), were examined. The most common worldwide used standard (ST-WQI) and the weighted arithmetic (WA-WQI) water quality indices were selected. The majority of the samples (87.5% wells) described the quality of groundwater in the Alshatti area as excellent to moderate and in the Ghat region (three wells) water quality ranges from excellent to good and is appropriate for direct consumption. In the Wadi al-Ajal areas, 62.5% (10 wells) of samples described the groundwater quality as excellent to good and the rest of the others were poor or unsuitable water. In contrast, most of the obtained results from the Sabha and Ghadduwah areas showed poor to unsuitable water quality for drinking use. Furthermore, samples are higher with pH and alkalinity values. The alkalinity does not pose a health risk but can cause esthetic problems. Generally, most of the areas’ water quality indices for physicochemical parameters indicated suitability for drinking purposes.
An artificial neural network and SCS–CN-based model for runoff estimation: a case study of the Peddavagu watershed
Authors: Raj Raushan , Kumar Rohit , Aishwarya M. , Aswini Manda , Cheraku Srivalli
Published: June 2024

The accurate prediction of runoff from rainfall events is crucial for effective water resource management, especially in regions with diverse climatic patterns like India. This study proposes a novel approach by integrating the soil conservation service (SCS)–curve number (CN) method with artificial neural networks (ANNs) to model rainfall–runoff relationships. In this research, an SCS–CN method is utilized to estimate initial runoff volumes, accounting for local soil and land-cover characteristics. Subsequently, an ANN-based model is developed to capture the complex nonlinear relationships between rainfall inputs and runoff outputs. Taking the rainfall of the watershed as the inputs, an ANN model was developed in MATLAB for runoff simulation at the main outlet of the Peddavagu watershed. A feed-forward back-propagation method is employed in the ANN model. The architecture with a 1-10-1 configuration based on tan–sig transfer function performed well in terms of MSE 0.019. The model efficiency was satisfactory with the coefficient of correlation (R), 0.96 for training, 0.98 for validation, and 0.98 for testing period. The overall value of R (0.96) indicates the utility of this ANN–SCS-based coupled model for rainfall–runoff simulation.
Concept of noogenic immaturity according to the rotal jurisprudence
Authors: Koterba Margaret
Published: June 2024

The paper delves into the concept of “noogenic immaturity” introduced by Msgr. Erlebach in a post-Sentence reflection. Stemming from Viktor Frankl’s work, this notion expands the understanding of psycho-affective immaturity within the context of matrimonial consent. Msgr. Erlebach outlines the criteria for this psycho-affective immaturity, emphasising its dual assessment involving both the noetic and psychic dimensions. The paper explores the challenges in judicial evaluation, urging a nuanced approach considering divergent value systems among Tribunal Experts. The text also prompts further inquiries into the sources, factors, and ethical considerations surrounding noogenic immaturity. Additionally, it suggests a reevaluation of legal and ethical systems in the digital age and raises questions about its potential extension to other grounds for matrimonial nullity. Overall, the discussion invites a deeper exploration of the intricate interplay between values, spirituality, and psychological dimensions in the assessment of marital consent.
Biegły w sprawach o nieważność małżeństwa spowodowanych zaburzeniami nastroju – jeszcze dwa objaśnienia
Authors: Nowakowski Bartosz
Published: June 2024

Niniejszy artykuł porusza dwa aspekty funkcji biegłego w sprawach o nieważność małżeństwa spowodowanych zaburzeniami nastroju. W pierwszej części autor zajmuje się problematyką technicznych aspektów ekspertyzy biegłego w diagnozowaniu zaburzeń nastroju z podziałem na osobiste badanie stron procesu oraz ocenę akt. Druga część artykułu ukazuje najczęstsze problemy w konstrukcji materialnej i formalnej wniosków  biegłego i podaje rozwiązania tych trudności. Artykuł stanowi kontynuację wcześniej opublikowanych na łamach Ius Matrimoniale artykułów: Zaburzenia nastroju jako przyczyna niezdolności osoby do podjęcia istotnych obowiązków małżeńskich oraz Biegły w sprawach o nieważność małżeństwa spowodowanych zaburzeniami nastroju – trzy objaśnienia.
Ks. Andrzej Kumor, Zasada zaufania do stron procesowych w kanonicznych sprawach o nieważność małżeństwa, Wydawnictwo KUL, Lublin 2023, ss. 314
Authors: Lewandowski Paweł
Published: June 2024

Recenzja publikacji
Filosofía, misticismo y democracia: las superaciones de la condición humana en Henri Bergson
Authors: Contreras Guala Carlos
Published: June 2024

La filosofía bergsoniana implica, para algunos, un intento de superación de la condición humana. En lo que sigue, plantearemos una serie de cuestiones en torno a las diversas escenas de superación de dicha condición que podemos encontrar en algunos textos de Bergson. La superación no sería una, sino que operaría en diversos niveles. Esos diversos niveles estarán ligados a las nociones de obra, simpatía, misticismo y fraternidad. En primer lugar, revisaremos la cuestión de la constitución del corpus Bergson como superación de la escritura del supuesto autor. En segundo lugar, la filosofía como superación de la condición humana a través de la intuición y la simpatía. En tercer lugar, la filosofía puede ser considerada como superación de la condición humana a través del misticismo o de la figura del místico. Por último, en cuarto lugar, Bergson plantea que la fraternidad es la emoción que impulsa el rebasamiento de los lineamientos naturales de la vida en sociedad.
The epistemic role of language on the belief about Trinity and Incarnation
Authors: Miranda Rafael , Albornoz Olivares Mauricio
Published: June 2024

This paper analyzes some relevant aspects of the Incarnation of Jesus, the God-Son.  It considers the tension between interpretations in favor of a metaphorical reading, and the problem that entails that this discards the historical character, the event of God made flesh. This is an ontological problem. At the same time, reflects on the role of the notion of mystery and the scope it has to believing in the Incarnation, that is, admitting an inherent epistemic limit as finite beings but at the same time making viable that the believer gradually understands what he believes, even if not fully. This constitutes an epistemic edge. In the same way, the role of language as a way of access and transmission of knowledge about the divine and sacred is evaluated, emphasizing the role of the names used to refer to the God-Father, the God-Son and the Holy Spirit, considering their logical implications.
¿Humanismo cristiano o paganismo posthumano?
Authors: Capelari Luis Gabriel , Petroni Pablo
Published: June 2024

Partiendo de una experiencia supuestamente ‘liberadora’ del ser del hombre en la modernidad, correlato de la secularización, en este trabajo presentamos algunos trazos esenciales de la profunda crítica antihumanista -avanzado el siglo XX- a este hombre ideal ya en aguda crisis. En este sentido, la experiencia cultural actual considera en gran medida que este ‘hombre’ se ‘construye’ a sí mismo desde su voluntad y libertad desancladas de Dios y de la verdad, con el objetivo de una vida posthumana.
     Sostenemos que se trata de un neopaganismo, caracterizado por un pensamiento inmanentista, postmetafísico y materialista que no reconoce la realidad del hombre y su trascendencia -licuada en gran medida en el poder y lo político o bien en el poder de la tecnociencia del ideal transhumanista-, verdad en la que únicamente puede vivir digna y felizmente. Se defenderá la importancia de restaurar la matriz cristiana -y más precisamente católica- para una formación integral de la persona como auténtico humanismo.
Biotechnological Breakthroughs in Resveratrol Synthesis and Health Advancements
Authors: Mittal Ravi K , Krishna Gaurav , Mishra Raghav , Sharma Vikram
Published: June 2024

This academic review examines the latest biotechnology methods for resveratrol synthesis.
We aim to study the health advantages of resveratrol consumption beyond synthesis and
demonstrate its potential as a therapeutic agent. An extensive examination of the current state of
literature was performed, employing a diverse range of scholarly databases with the purpose of
collating pertinent information and conducting in-depth research on the subject matter. The main
goal was to find and assess research on resveratrol's health effects and the latest biotechnology
methods for synthesizing it. This review paper discusses resveratrol synthesis methods, including
their efficacy and current advances. The findings highlight the significant potential of biotechnological
methods in improving both the synthesis of resveratrol and its beneficial effects on
health. Our comprehensive analysis substantiates the importance of biotechnological methodologies
in synthesizing resveratrol. The literature review highlights resveratrol's therapeutic properties,
which have been scientifically approved for the prevention and treatment of various ailments,
such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic illnesses, cancer, aging, and immunomodulation.
An Overview of Theoretical Analysis Method for Composite Repaired Pipelines
Authors: Deng Meilin L. , Yang Jing , Bao Chao , Md Noor Norhazilan , Lim Kar Sing
Published: June 2024

Pipelines are an important way of transportation for gas, oil and other petroleum products, and they are typically exposed to a harsh environment, leading to corrosion defects, cracks, leakage, dents and so on. A composite repair system is a favourable repair system for defective pipelines owing to its high strength, lightweight, cost-effectiveness, elimination of explosion and so on. Considerable research has been carried out on the composite repaired pipelines. However, there are still many issues and challenges to overcome in order to improve the existing repair designs. Therefore, this paper aims to review the theoretical analysis method for pressurized composite repaired pipelines. A better understanding of the mechanisms of stress distribution will benefit the development of composite repaired pipelines. They are mainly summarized into three models, namely the one-layer model, two-layer model, and three-layer model, which are all based on the thin-walled theory and the Lame approach. Both the advantages and disadvantages of these theoretical models are highlighted. Finally, in the conclusion section, the current research gap and future scopes of study in the theoretical analysis are also presented to provide insight into a more effective design philosophy for composite repaired pipelines.
A Prognostic Model to Improve Asthma Prediction Outcomes Using Machine Learning
Authors: M R Pooja , Ravi Vinayakumar , Lokesh Gururaj Harinahalli , Al Mazroa Alanoud , Ravi Pradeep
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The utility of predictive models for the prognosis of asthma disease that rely on clinical history and findings has been on the constant rise owing to the attempts to achieve better disease outcomes through improved clinical processes. With the prognostic model, the primary focus is on the search for a combination of features that are as robust as possible in predicting the disease outcome. Clinical decisions concerning obstructive lung diseases such as Chronic obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) have a high chance of leading to results that can be misinterpreted with wrong inferences drawn that may have long-term implications, including the targeted therapy that can be mistakenly beset. Hence, we suggest data-centric approaches that harness learning techniques to facilitate the disease prediction process and augment the inferences through clinical findings.

Methods

A dataset containing information on both symptomatic representations and medical history in the form of categorical data along with lung function parameters, which were estimated using a spirometer (with the data basically being quantitative (numerical) in nature) was used. The Naïve Bayes classifier performed comparatively well with the optimized feature set. The adoption of One-Class Support Vector Machines (OCSVM) as an alternative method to sampling data has resulted in the selection of an ideal representation of the data rather than the regular sampling approach that is used for undersampling.

Results

The model was able to predict the disease outcome with a precision of 86.1% and recall of 84.7%, accounting for an F1 measure of 84.5%.The Area under Curve(AUC) and Classification Accuracy (CA) were evaluated to be 92.2% and 84.7% respectively.

Conclusion

Incorporating domain knowledge into the prediction models involves identifying clinical features that are most relevant to the process of disease classification using prior knowledge about the disease and its contributing factors, which can significantly enhance the productivity of the models. Feature engineering is centric on the use of domain knowledge within clinical prediction models and commonly results in an optimized feature set. It is evident from the experimental results that using a combination of medical history data and significant clinical findings result in a better prognostic model
Agile 3+ and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease:
Detecting Advanced Fibrosis based on Reported Liver Stiffness
Measurement in FibroScan and Laboratory Findings
Authors: Sotoudeheian Mohammadjavad
Published: June 2024

:

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD), formerly known as Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is characterized by fat accumulation in the liver and is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Early detection and inter-vention are crucial to prevent disease progression to advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver failure. Non-invasive tests like transient elastography (TE), the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) score, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are safer and more convenient than invasive procedures like liver biopsy for detecting advanced fibrosis in MAFLD patients. Agile 3+ is a non-invasive test that combines liver stiffness measurement (LSM) with clinical and laboratory findings to detect advanced fibrosis in MAFLD patients. It has shown high accuracy in detecting advanced fibrosis in MAFLD patients. The combination of LSM and laboratory find-ings provides a more accurate assessment of disease severity, making Agile 3+ a reliable, non-invasive test for assessing liver fibrosis in MAFLD patients. In summary, MAFLD is a common condition that can progress to advanced fibrosis and liver failure if left untreated. Non-invasive tests such as Agile 3+ have emerged as valuable tools for detecting advanced fibrosis in MAFLD patients, providing a more accurate assessment of disease severity and making it a reliable non-invasive test for assessing liver fibrosis in MAFLD patients
Artificial Intelligence in Modernization of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare
Industry: A Review
Authors: Kirtania Moumita Das , Sinha Dibya , Biswas Shreya , Sultana Sania , Kirtania Ranjan
Published: June 2024

:

Artificial intelligence (AI) falls under the purview of computer technology, which analyzes
complex data and helps solve problems in different segments. Big Data, Machine Learning, and
AI are currently being used by the major pharmaceutical industries to minimize time and costs and
increase possibilities. Artificial intelligence is used in the pharmaceutical industry in diverse ways,
such as drug discovery and development, clinical trials, disease diagnosis, and different stages in
pharmaceutical manufacturing, data analysis, and supply management. Most of the cost and time are
involved in drug discovery and clinical trials. Artificial intelligence can minimize human error in
data processing, documentation, data integrity issues, and data selection throughout the journey. It
works in descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive mode. Major pharmaceutical conglomerates
like Pfizer, Roche, Novartis, and Johnson & Johnson have already applied Artificial Intelligence
in different segments of pharmaceutical and medicinal science. Tech companies like IBM
Watson, Catalia Health, Intel, Microsoft, and Google, in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies,
are working in the different areas of drug discovery, early diagnosis, and personalized medicine.
Further, AI finds application in the health sector for data management, scanning and evaluation
of medical history reports, and finding optimum treatment strategies for chronic care patients.
Though lots of research and development are being done on the utilization of artificial intelligence in
the pharmaceutical industry, it is still in the nascent stage. This article is our endeavor to study, in
detail, the present and future opportunities of machine learning and AI in the pharmaceutical industry
as a whole.
Neuro-regeneration or Repair: Cell Therapy of Neurological Disorders as A Way Forward
Authors: Song Xiao-Yan , Fan Cun-xiu , Atta-ur-Rahman  , Choudhary Muhammad Iqbal , Wang Xiao-Ping
Published: June 2024

:

The human central nervous system (CNS) has a limited capacity for regeneration and repair,
as many other organs do. Partly as a result, neurological diseases are the leading cause of medical burden globally. Most neurological disorders cannot be cured, and primary treatments focus on managing
their symptoms and slowing down their progression. Cell therapy for neurological disorders offers
several therapeutic potentials and provides hope for many patients. Here we provide a general overview of cell therapy in neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease
(AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Wilson’s disease (WD), stroke and traumatic brain injury
(TBI), involving many forms of stem cells, including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent
stem cells. We also address the current concerns and perspectives for the future. Most studies for cell
therapy in neurological diseases are in the pre-clinical stage, and there is still a great need for further
research to translate neural replacement and regenerative therapies into clinical settings.
Interplay between Diabetes and Breast Cancer: A Brief Report
Authors: Patra Susmita , Chakraborty Ratul , Matsabisa Motlalepula G. , Bala Asis
Published: June 2024

Cancer and diabetes are two of the most prevalent and complicated diseases.
Several epidemiological studies have found a link between type 2 diabetes and an
increased risk of breast cancer. This chapter aims to highlight the advances in
understanding the mechanisms that connect diabetes and breast cancer. Alterations in
glucose metabolism, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, changes in the hormonal
environment, and substrate availability create a metabolic environment that is
particularly favourable for the growth of tumours. Therefore, it is vital to understand
the correlation between diabetes mellitus and breast cancer. A precise analysis of these
relationships could help in finding biomarkers that can predict disease risk and
prognosis, and aid in selecting appropriate, evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic
approaches
FAT Cadherine and Wnt Signaling in the Progression of Breast Cancer with Hyperglycemia
Authors: Dassarma Barsha , Tripathy Satyajit , Alsaweed Mohammed , Trivedi NS , Matsabisa Motlalepula Gilbert
Published: June 2024

Breast cancer has continued to be one of the most common causes of cancer
death among females without sparing either those in modern societies or rural
communities. Breast cancer is, in general, the uncontrolled cell growth in the mammary
glands. This encompasses stromal and epithelial cells as the major cause of breast
cancer. The disruption of communication between stromal and epithelial cells is one of
the inducers of breast cancer. The mechanism surrounding this uncontrolled cell
growth is postulated to be due to the role played by cadherin molecules and WNT
signaling in mammary gland tumorogenesis and the hyperglycemia-driven modulation
of the progression of breast cancer. Among different FAT cadherin molecules,
repression of FAT4 mediates the Wnt signaling cascades, which regulate tissue
homeostasis, vascularization, tumorigeneses, cell invasion, and metastasis. The
epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is promoted by transforming
growth factor beta (TGF-beta) through the Wnt Signaling pathway, leads to the
progression of breast cancer. This fundamental discussion may contribute to designing
new signaling-targeted therapeutic approaches to mitigate breast cancer and associated
factors for hyperglycemia.
Assessing the Creative Thinking Level of In-Service Chemistry Teachers Using a Case Study Test
Authors: Salirawati Das , Primastuti Metridewi , Priyambodo Erfan
Published: June 2024

In the 21st century is an urge that teachers are not only required to change teaching methods but also have a role and responsibility to be able to motivate students' reasoning and logic to think critically, creatively, and innovatively. This study was conducted to assess the level of creative thinking skills of high school chemistry teachers in one of the districts/cities in Yogyakarta Province. As a survey with a quantitative approach, this study involved 24 in-service chemistry teachers as respondents. All of the population became the respondents in this study so that saturated sampling technique was applied. Creative thinking skills were measured using the creative thinking skill test (CTST). The results of the Aiken content analysis validity show that the instrument was suitable to apply with a score of 0.92. Six out of 10 test items are empirically valid with a reliability value of 0.697. CTST was filled in by respondents at the chemistry teachers' meeting forum. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics to answer the categories of in-service chemistry teachers’ creative thinking. Based on the results of CTST, it was 3.20 related to a sufficient creative thinking level category. The current research result suggests professional training for teachers to optimize their creativity in chemistry teaching strategy.
Assessment of environmental risk and integrated index of the atmospheric surface layer pollution in the monitoring area of the Mayak Production Association
Authors:   Research and Production Association “Typhoon”, Pavlova N.N. , Kryshev I.I. ,   Research and Production Association “Typhoon”, Sazykina T.G. ,   Research and Production Association “Typhoon”, Katkova M.N. ,   Research and Production Association “Typhoon”, Kryshev A.I. ,   Research and Production Association “Typhoon”, Kosykh I.V. ,   Research and Production Association “Typhoon”
Published: June 2024

The purpose of the work is to estimate the level of contamination of the atmospheric surface layer by technogenic radionuclides in the monitoring area of the Production Association "Mayak" (“Mayak”). For these purposes the integrated pollution index and the summarized radiation risk index to the impact on biota based on radiation monitoring data were used. The environmental risk was estimated with the account of radiation exposure intensity, the monitoring area size and temporary pollution dynamics. The correlation of plutonium isotopes emissions and the radionuclide volumetric activity in the atmospheric surface layer was studied. Before burying radioactive waste and elimination of the lake area the “Karachai” emissions of plutonium isotopes were not the core factor determining the content of radionuclides in the atmospheric surface layer in the "Mayak" monitoring area. After the lake bury with the Karachaevsky rocky soil in 2015, the relationship between plutonium emissions and its volumetric activity in the atmospheric air over Ozersk and the village of Metlino has been monitored in the following years. From results of radioactivity monitoring in the “Mayak” monitoring area it follows that the integrated index of atmospheric pollution is much lower than 1, it indicates that the atmospheric pollution by plutonium radionuclides in the “Mayak” area is environmentally safe. The data, presented in ICRP publications and the Roshydromet recommendations are not exceeded. The main contributors to the integrated index of the atmospheric air pollution are plutonium isotopes. The estimate of the summarized risk index of atmospheric air pollution in the monitoring area, calculated in accordance with the recommendations of Roshydromet, is more than 10, but less than 20, it corresponds to the weak radiation impact on the "Mayak" Production Association. In this case, regular estimation of the impact of technogenic factors on radiation situation in the territory. Taking into account the potential radiation hazard of the enterprise, it is recommended to continue monitoring atmospheric air pollution with plutonium and other technogenic radionuclides.
Efectos de dos herbicidas orgánicos sobre la fisiología de la germinación en Coffea arabica
Authors: Vega-Contreras Nelson Alfonso , Arias Hurtado María Camila , Sánchez Márquez Carmen Yulitza
Published: June 2024

Los herbicidas son productos químicos ampliamente utilizados en la agricultura, sin embargo, a largo plazo podrían tener incidencia en el crecimiento de algunos cultivos. Es por ello que el objetivo de esta investigación consistió en evaluar el efecto de extractos orgánicos a base de aloína y de bulbos de Allium sativum en el proceso de germinación de Coffea arábica L. Se realizaron cuatro experimentos por triplicado de aloína, ajo y un herbicida en dosis de 0,1, 0,5 y 1,0 mg/litro, además de agua como control positivo. Como resultado, se observó una variación en la germinación con los tratamientos aplicados de aloína y Allium sativum, a diferencia del Paraquat, el cual ocasionó necrosis radicular en la semilla debido a la contaminación. En el tratamiento realizado con aloína de 0,1 mg/l se presentó una germinación del 85,7 % con respecto al control positivo; con el tratamiento de 0,5 mg/l, el rendimiento fue del 100 % comparado con el control positivo; diferente al proceso de germinación realizado con 1,0 mg/l de aloína, el cual obtuvo una germinación del 53,3 %; en cuanto Allium sativum, se logró un rendimiento del 9,6 % de germinación del 100 % en el tratamiento aplicado del 0,5 y del 86,4 % con el tratamiento de 1 mg/l. En relación con el herbicida Paraquat, este presentó una germinación de tan solo el 20 %. Finalmente, se determinó que los extractos orgánicos de aloína y Allium sativum no ejercen una influencia negativa en la geminación de Coffea arabica, comparados con el Paraquat.
Efficacy and Safety of Shi Cervical Rotational Manipulation in Patients With Atlantoaxial Joint Subluxation: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Zhen Deng , Haibin Shang , Youli Ai , Weian Yuan , Huihao Wang , Hongsheng Zhan , Guozhong Li , Ren Ding , Zhibi Shen
Published: June 2024

Background

The clinical diagnosis of atlantoaxial joint subluxation (AJS) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is characterized by an unequal distance between the lateral mass of the atlas and the odontoid process on imaging, resulting in neck pain accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, headache, and limited cervical mobility. In Shanghai, Shi cervical rotational manipulation (SCRM) is a commonly employed TCM manual therapy for treating this condition. Nevertheless, there is a lack of evidence-based medical information regarding the clinical efficacy and safety of this technique.

Objective

The principal aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SCRM in patients diagnosed with AJS.

Methods

This study is a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial that will be conducted at a single center and that has a follow-up period of 24 weeks. A total of 96 patients diagnosed with AJS will be recruited from outpatient and inpatient clinics at Shanghai Baoshan Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. These patients will be randomly assigned to either the experimental group (SCRM) or the comparison group (basic cervical manipulation [BCM]). Treatment sessions consisting of SCRM or BCM will be administered twice a week for a duration of 4 weeks. Clinical monitoring indicators include the presence or absence of clinical symptoms as recorded on a symptom recording form, cervical imaging examination findings using cervical computed tomography, degree of neck pain measured by a visual analog scale (VAS), cervical range of motion assessed through cervical mobility measurement, degree of vertigo evaluated using the Vertigo Symptoms Scale-Chinese Version (VSS-C), and adverse events that may occur during the follow-up period. The time points for data collection and follow-up are baseline and postintervention (weeks 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24).

Results

This paper presents an overview of the reasoning and structure of a prospective randomized controlled trial with the objective of investigating the clinical efficacy and safety of SCRM in patients with AJS by assessing improvements in clinical symptoms, neck pain severity, and vertigo severity and evaluating changes in cervical imaging findings. Recruitment was started in March 2023. By the end of May 2024, 76 patients were included in this project. The last follow-up data are predicted to be collected by the end of February 2025.

Conclusions

This investigation will yield dependable evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of SCRM in patients with AJS.

Trial Registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2300068510; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojEN.html?proj=186883

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/57865
A mobile phone app to promote lifestyle change in people at risk of type 2 diabetes: A feasibility three-armed randomized controlled trial (Preprint)
Authors: Skoglund Gyri , Hilde Gunvor , Lunde Pernille , Cruz Naceno Venessa Vera , Fromholt Olsen Cecilie , Blakstad Nilsson Birgitta
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND

The use of mobile health (mHealth) interventions, such as applications (apps) are proposed to meet the challenges faced by preventive health care services due to the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Thus, we developed and conducted initial feasibility testing of a mobile phone app for promoting and monitoring individual goals related to lifestyle change for people at risk of T2D.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of an app for promoting lifestyle change in people at risk of T2D.

METHODS

A three-armed randomized-controlled feasibility study with participants referred from nine general practitioners (GPs) in Norway. Eligible participants were randomized to eighter: (1) app follow-up; (2) app follow-up and care as usual in Healthy Life Centers (HLCs); (3) care as usual in HLC. Feasibility was evaluated with log data on system use, the System Usability Scale (SUS) and a questionnaire designed for this study. Criteria for success were preset and were based on these feasibility outcomes. In addition, recruitment rate and resource requirements were assessed. Potential primary outcomes in a full scale RCT were evaluated to get experience with the measurements and to examine a potential change. This included waist circumference, bodyweight and self-evaluated functional health status.

RESULTS

From May 2023 to Dec 2023, 45 participants were included. Mean age was 61(±13) years and 52.3 % were female. The completion rate was 91%. The mean SUS score was 86.9 (±12.1), and the mean app motivation score was 74.6 (±32.7). Within eight months, nine GPs recruited a total of 54 participants, of which 45 were eligible to participate in the study. Health care professionals spent on average 3.0 (±1.0) minutes per participant per week providing follow-up. A statistically significant improvement was observed for all participants from baseline to follow-up in waist circumference, bodyweight and self-evaluated functional health status.

CONCLUSIONS

It is feasible to use the app to provide lifestyle change in people at risk of T2D. The app had excellent user satisfaction. The amount of time spent on monitoring and promoting lifestyle change through the app, was low, however, recruitment was slow. Results from this study will guide the development of further research within this field.

CLINICALTRIAL

The feasibility study is registered in Clinical Trials, ID: NCT06117098