bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kinerja Pengawas dalam Pelaksanan Supervisi Pendidikan Sekolah Lanjutan Tingkat Pertama dan Sekolah Lanjutan Tingkat Atas di Kota Fakfak
Authors: Woretma Abdul Chalik
Published: July 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengungkapkan perencanaan, pelaksanaan, dan hasil program supervisi pendidikan yang dilakukan oleh pengawas pendidikan sebagai pembimbing, pengembang, peningkat mutu, pelindung, dan pelayan pada sekolah lanjutan tingkat pertama dan sekolah lanjutan tingkat atas di Kota Fakfak. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif kualitatif dengan subjek penelitian 11 kepala sekolah, 28 guru, dan 2 pejabat Dinas Pendidikan di Kabupaten Fakfak, dengan melibatkan 11 sekolah di Kecamatan Kota. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa para pengawas telah melak-sanakan supervisi, tetapi belum merata, berkesinambungan, berkelanjutan, dan belum sesuai dengan jadwal yang direncanakan. Hasil supervisi pada pembimbingan tercapai 56,73%; hasil supervisi pada pengembang-an 61,86%; hasil supervisi pada peningkatan mutu 56,09%; hasil super-visi pada perlindungan 69,87%; hasil supervisi pada pelayanan 51,92%. Pencapaian hasil supervisi tersebut menunjukkan bahwa hasil pembim-bingan, pengembangan, peningkatan mutu, perlindungan, dan pelayanan terhadap sekolah binaannya belum sesuai dengan harapan karena belum diadakannya tindak lanjut yang semestinya atas temuan-temuan dalam supervisi; saran dan pembinaan dari pengawas tidak dilakukan langsung, tetapi lewat kepala sekolah. Berdasarkan wawancara diperoleh rangkum-an hasil: 1) semua responden mengatakan kinerja pengawas cukup; 2) para pengawas tidak pernah berkoordinasi dengan atasan, tidak pernah melaporkan hasil supervisinya kepada atasannya, dan tidak pernah menindaklanjuti hasil supervisinya; 3) ada sekolah yang belum pernah dikunjungi oleh pengawas pembinanya meskipun jaraknya hanya ±1 km. Fasilitas untuk para pengawas pendidikan adalah sepeda motor dan dana operasional dari APBD dan subsidi pemerintah daerah. Kata kunci: kinerja pengawas, supervisi pendidikan
Sistem Honorifik Bahasa Lapung Dialek Pesisi di Kabupaten Tanggamus (suatu kajian sosiolinguistik)
Authors: Saputry Dessy
Published: July 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan dan menemukan bentuk, jenis, faktor sosial, dan kaidah pemakaian honorifik bahasa Lampung dialek Pesisir di Kabupaten Tanggamus. Penelitian ini berupa penelitian deskriptif-naturalistik. Sumber data adalah para informan yang dijaring dengan teknik simak libat cakap (SLQ. Para informan berasal dari daerah-daerah di Kabupaten Tanggamus, Provinsi Lampung. Subjek penelitian ini adalah penutur asli (informan) bahasa Lampung dialek Pesisir yang bertempat tinggal di Kabupaten Tanggamus, Provinsi Lampung. Subjek penelitian ini berjumlah 14 penutur yang diambil secara acak 2 orang dari tiap lokasi penelitian. Sumber data lisan diambil melalui wawancara. Keabsahan data dilakukan dengan cara: (1) perpanjangan kesertaan; (2) ketekunan pengamatan; (3) triangulasi; (4) pemeriksaan sejawat melalui diskusi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ternyata bentuk hononfik bahasa Lampung dialek Pesisir di Kabupaten Tanggamus meliputi: (1) kata; (2) kelompok kata; (3) singkatan kata; (4) kelompok singkatan kata; dan (5) gabungan singkatan dan kata. Jenis honorifik meliputi hononfik: (1) kekerabatan; (2) kata ganti per­sona; (3) pangkat, jabatan, dan profesi; (4) gelar; (5) religius; (6) tokoh gaib; dan (7) umum. Faktor-faktor sosial penentu pemilihan honorifik meliputi faktor: (1) hubungan kekerabatan; (2) usia; (3) jenis kelamin; (4) status sosial; {5) latar belakang etnik; (6) situasi dan forum; (7) hubungan antarinterlokutor, (8) lokasi. tempat tinggal; dan (9) status perkawinan. Adapun kaidah pemakaian honorifik bahasa Lampung dialek Pesisir di Kabupaten Tanggamus meliputi kaidah: (1) alternasi; (2) kookurensi; dan (3) sekuensi. Honorifik dapat menambah kekayaan bahasa Lampung. Pemilihan honorifik yang tepat merupakan salah satu cara atau strategi untuk menunjukkan sopan santun dan sikap hormat terhadap or­ang lain. Katakunci: sistem honorifik, bentukjenisfaktor sosial, kaidabpemakaian honorifik, kajian sosiolinguistik
Pola Manajemen Keuangan Berbasis Sekolah dan Hubungan dengan Kinerja Sekolah (studi kasus di SMP negeri 1, 5, dan 8 yogyakarta)
Authors: Jaeni Muhamad
Published: July 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan mengungkapkan perencanaan, prosedur pengesahan, pelaksanaan, mekanisme dan bentuk laporan, serta evaluasi anggaran berbasis sekolah, pengaruh pola manajemen keuangan terhadap kinerja sekolahj dan upaya sekolah menumbuhkan kesadaran masyarakat dalam membantu dan mengawasi penyelenggaraan pendidikan di sekolah. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan deskriptif kualitatif. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara, observasi, dan analisis dokumen sekolah. Informan adalah kepala sekolah, wakil kepala sekolah, bendahara, guru, staf administrasi, anggota OSIS, komite sekolah, dewan pendidikan, dinas pendidikan, Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan Daerah (BPKD), dan Lembaga Pengawasan Internal (LPI). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: Pertama, RAPBS selalu mengalami kenaikan sekitar 20% tiap tahun. Dalam konteks MBS, pendekatan perencanaan keuangan yang dipakai tidak lagi menggunakan line item budget, tetapi didasarkan kepada kebutuhan program dan kinerja sekolah. Dalam rapat RAPBS, seringkali kepala sekolah dan bendahara hanya membahas dana dari pemerintah dan orang tua. Kedua, laporan, pengesahan, dan evaluasi keuangan sekolah disampaikan dan dilakukan oleh Dinas Pendidikan dan Tim Monitoring Block Grant, yang terdiri dari dinas P&P, Dewan Pendidikan, Bappeda, BPKD, dan LPI. Ketiga, Sekitar 85% anggaran sekolah dipergunakan untuk gaji dan kesejahteraan, sementara sisanya untuk KBM menggunakan dana block grant dari pemerintah. Kinerja evaluator belum maksimal. Keempat, upaya kepala sekolah serta stakeholders untuk menumbuhkan kesadaran masyarakat dalam membantu penyelenggaraan pendidikan di sekolah. Kata kunci: manajemen keuangan berbasis sekolab, kinerja sekolab
Penignkatan Minat Belajar IPS dengan Memanfaatkan Lingkungan Sekitar sebagai Sumber Belajar di SMPN 2 Kedungbanteng Kabupaten Banyumas
Authors: Prihantoro Prihantoro
Published: July 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan minat belajar IPS dengan memanfaatkan lingkungan sekitar sebagai sumber belajar. Penelitian tindakan kelas ini dengan subjek penelitian siswa kelas VIII F SMP N 2 Kedungbanteng. Data diperoleh melalui pengamatan, angket, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Pembelajaran IPS dengan pengamatan lingkungan sekitar secara langsung dilanjutkan dengan diskusi kelompok, dapat meningkatkan minat siswa belajar IPS; siswa yang memiliki minat belajar sangat tinggi dan tinggi pada siklus I hanya 22.4% meningkat menjadi 78% pada siklus IV. Kepala Sekolah, guru pelaksana, kolaborator dan siswa menanggapi positif terhadap pelaksanaan pembelajaran IPS dengan memanfaatkan lingkungan sekitar sebagai sumber belajar. Kata kunci: minat belajar ips, lingkungan sumberpembelajar ips.
Расчёт сверхтонкой магнитной аномалии в многоэлектронных атомах
Authors: Коновалова Е.А. , Демидов Ю.А. , Козлов М.Г.
Published: July 2020

The precision measurements of the ratio of hyperfine structure constants for $s_{1/2} $ and $ p_{1/2} $ states allow us to estimate the difference between hyperfine magnetic anomalies for these levels.
We calculate the atomic factor in order to recover the absolute values of the hyperfine magnetic anomalies from their difference. Taking into account the hyperfine anomaly correction allows one to increase the accuracy of determining the $g$ factors of short-lived isotopes by more than an order of magnitude.
Effect of Confinement Strength on the Conversion Efficiency of Strained Core-Shell Quantum Dot Solar Cell-=SUP=-*-=/SUP=-
Authors: Sahu Anupam , Kumar Dharmendra
Published: July 2020

In this paper, the conversion efficiency (CE) of core-shell quantum dot (CSQD) solar cell is investigated within weak and strong confinements strength, using detailed balance model. The weak and strong confinement strength in solar cell structure is modeled using ZnTe/ZnSe and PbS/CdS CSQD, respectively. Considering size-dependent strain results of CE of CSQD solar cell for varying core radius is plotted with and without considering multiple exciton generation (MEG), and the results show the improvement in CE with MEG, thus indicating its importance in the low-dimensional system. The numerical results demonstrate that for the same CSQD size, the solar cell with a stronger confinement strength achieves the higher CE in comparison to the weaker confinement. Also, the MEG significantly increases the CE of stronger confined CSQD solar cell. The results plotted are in good agreement with the literature. Keywords: conversion efficiency, quantum dot, core-shell, solar cell, multiple exciton generation.
Stochastic Channel-Based Federated Learning With Neural Network Pruning for Medical Data Privacy Preservation: Model Development and Experimental Validation
Authors: Shao Rulin , He Hongyu , Chen Ziwei , Liu Hui , Liu Dianbo
Published: July 2020

Background

Artificial neural networks have achieved unprecedented success in the medical domain. This success depends on the availability of massive and representative datasets. However, data collection is often prevented by privacy concerns, and people want to take control over their sensitive information during both the training and using processes.

Objective

To address security and privacy issues, we propose a privacy-preserving method for the analysis of distributed medical data. The proposed method, termed stochastic channel-based federated learning (SCBFL), enables participants to train a high-performance model cooperatively and in a distributed manner without sharing their inputs.

Methods

We designed, implemented, and evaluated a channel-based update algorithm for a central server in a distributed system. The update algorithm will select the channels with regard to the most active features in a training loop, and then upload them as learned information from local datasets. A pruning process, which serves as a model accelerator, was further applied to the algorithm based on the validation set.

Results

We constructed a distributed system consisting of 5 clients and 1 server. Our trials showed that the SCBFL method can achieve an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) of 0.9776 and an area under the precision-recall curve (AUC-PR) of 0.9695 with only 10% of channels shared with the server. Compared with the federated averaging algorithm, the proposed SCBFL method achieved a 0.05388 higher AUC-ROC and 0.09695 higher AUC-PR. In addition, our experiment showed that 57% of the time is saved by the pruning process with only a reduction of 0.0047 in AUC-ROC performance and a reduction of 0.0068 in AUC-PR performance.

Conclusions

In this experiment, our model demonstrated better performance and a higher saturating speed than the federated averaging method, which reveals all of the parameters of local models to the server. The saturation rate of performance could be promoted by introducing a pruning process and further improvement could be achieved by tuning the pruning rate.
Communication Technology Preferences of Hospitalized and Institutionalized Frail Older Adults During COVID-19 Confinement: Cross-Sectional Survey Study
Authors: Sacco Guillaume , Lléonart Sébastien , Simon Romain , Noublanche Frédéric , Annweiler Cédric ,   TOVID Study Group
Published: July 2020

Background

Technological communication methods such as telephone calls and video calls can help prevent social isolation and loneliness in frail older adults during confinement.

Objective

Our objectives were to determine which virtual communication method (ie, telephone call or video call) was preferred by confined older hospital patients and nursing home residents and the variables influencing this preference.

Methods

The TOVID (Telephony Or Videophony for Isolated elDerly) study was a cross-sectional study that was designed to examine the preference between telephone calls and video calls among frail older adults who were either hospitalized in a geriatric acute care unit or institutionalized in a long-term care and nursing home during the COVID-19 confinement period.

Results

A total of 132 older people were surveyed between March 25 and May 11, 2020 (mean age 88.2 years, SD 6.2); 79 (59.8%) were women. Patients hospitalized in the geriatric acute care unit were more able to establish communication independently than residents institutionalized in the long-term care and nursing home (P=.03) and were more satisfied with their communication experiences (P=.02). Overall, older people tended to favor telephone calls (73/132, 55.3%) over video calls (59/132, 44.7%); however, their satisfaction degree was similar regardless of the chosen method (P=.1), with no effect of age (P=.97) or gender (P=.2). In the geriatric acute care unit, the satisfaction degrees were similar for telephone calls (40/41, 98%) and video calls (33/38, 87%) in older patients (P=.10). Conversely, in the long-term care and nursing home, residents were more satisfied with the use of video calls to communicate with their relatives (14/15, 93%) versus the use of telephone calls (6/12, 50%; P=.02).

Conclusions

Older people confined to health care settings were able to complete telephone calls more independently than video calls, and they tended to use telephone calls more often than video calls. The satisfaction degrees were similar with both modalities and even greater with video calls among long-term care and nursing home residents when they were given assistance to establish communication.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04333849: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04333849.
Internet-Based Self-Management Support After High-Altitude Climate Treatment for Severe Asthma: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)
Authors: Beerthuizen Thijs , Rijssenbeek-Nouwens Lucia H , van Koppen Sophia M , Khusial Rishi J , Snoeck-Stroband Jiska B , Sont Jacob K
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

In patients with severe asthma, high-altitude climate treatment has been shown to improve asthma control. However, asthma symptoms and limitations may increase after finishing inpatient rehabilitation programs and returning to sea level.

OBJECTIVE

We assessed the effectiveness of a patient-tailored, internet-based, self-management strategy in addition to usual care after finishing high-altitude climate treatment.

METHODS

We performed a randomized controlled trial with a 1-year follow-up in patients from a high-altitude asthma center in Davos, Switzerland. At the end of a 12-week multidisciplinary rehabilitation program, 62 adults with asthma were randomized to receive either internet-based self-management support in addition to usual care (n=33) or usual care only after discharge (n=29). The endpoints were changes in asthma-related quality of life according to the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) (a higher score is better) and asthma control according to the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) (a lower score is better), with a minimally important difference of 0.5 points for both.

RESULTS

Asthma-related quality of life and asthma control declined over time in the usual care strategy group, whereas there was a slower decline in the internet-based strategy group. For both endpoints, mixed-model analysis showed a significant positive effect in favor of internet-based self-management during follow-up (mean AQLQ score difference 0.39, 95% CI 0.092-0.69; P=.01 and ACQ score difference −0.50, 95% CI −0.86 to −0.15; P=.006), which was prominent among patients with uncontrolled asthma at discharge (AQLQ score difference 0.59, 95% CI 0.19-0.99; P=.003 and ACQ score difference −0.73, 95% CI −1.18 to −0.28; P=.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Internet-based self-management support was associated with a smaller decline in quality of life and asthma control as compared with usual care, especially in patients with lower asthma control, after completion of high-altitude climate treatment. Internet-based self-management support in adults with severe asthma seems feasible and effective to maintain quality of life and asthma control.

CLINICALTRIAL

The trial is registered in the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR1995).
Comparison of Geographic Information System and Subjective Assessments of Momentary Food Environments as Predictors of Food Intake: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study (Preprint)
Authors: Elliston Katherine G , Schüz Benjamin , Albion Tim , Ferguson Stuart G
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

It has been observed that eating is influenced by the presence and availability of food. Being aware of the presence of food in the environment may enable mobile health (mHealth) apps to use geofencing techniques to determine the most appropriate time to proactively deliver interventions. To date, however, studies on eating typically rely on self-reports of environmental contexts, which may not be accurate or feasible for issuing mHealth interventions.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare the subjective and geographic information system (GIS) assessments of the momentary food environment to explore the feasibility of using GIS data to predict eating behavior and inform geofenced interventions.

METHODS

In total, 72 participants recorded their food intake in real-time for 14 days using an ecological momentary assessment approach. Participants logged their food intake and responded to approximately 5 randomly timed assessments each day. During each assessment, the participants reported the number and type of food outlets nearby. Their electronic diaries simultaneously recorded their GPS coordinates. The GPS data were later overlaid with a GIS map of food outlets to produce an objective count of the number of food outlets within 50 m of the participant.

RESULTS

Correlations between self-reported and GIS counts of food outlets within 50 m were only of a small size (r=0.17; P<.001). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the GIS count significantly predicted eating similar to the self-reported counts (area under the curve for the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC-ROC] self-report=0.53, SE 0.00 versus AUC-ROC 50 m GIS=0.53, SE 0.00; P=.41). However, there was a significant difference between the GIS-derived and self-reported counts of food outlets and the self-reported type of food outlets (AUC-ROC self-reported outlet type=0.56, SE 0.01; P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The subjective food environment appears to predict eating better than objectively measured food environments via GIS. mHealth apps may need to consider the type of food outlets rather than the raw number of outlets in an individual’s environment.
Assessing the Efficacy of Customized Maxillary Oral Appliance With Mandibular Advancement Device in Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)
Authors: Belkhode Vikram Murlidhar , Godbole Surekha , Nimonkar Sharayu Vinod , Nimonkar Pranali
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is due to the obstruction of the upper airway during sleep. This condition is often associated with multiple symptoms and co-morbidities. There are many treatment options mentioned in the literature to manage OSA, among which interventional option of continuous positive airflow (CPAP) and non-interventional option i.e, Mandibular advancement device (MAD), which is an oral appliance (OA) are most preferred ones.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of customized maxillary Oral appliance compared with mandibular advancement devices in moderate OSA patients.

METHODS

A Prospective Interventional study with a randomized controlled trial will be carried out involving 40 participants (sample size), with an apnea hypopnea index (AHI) >15–30, recorded on Polysomnography (PSG). Study participants will be randomly divided into following treatment groups: control group or group subjected to mandibular advancement device (MAD, n=20) and second group subjected to customized maxillary oral appliance (n=20). Baseline assessment of Apnea/hypopnea index (AHI), oxygen saturation in blood, percentage of rapid eye movement, electroencephalogram, electrocardiogram, oro-nasal airflow via a pressure transducer, and Epworth sleepiness scale will be done. Then both study group participants will receive their respective appliances. And after one month and three months of delivery of appliance, all the parameters i.e AHI, oxygen saturation in blood, percentage of rapid eye movement, electroencephalogram, electrocardiogram, oro-nasal airflow via a pressure transducer, and Epworth sleepiness scale will be re-evaluated and compared with the baseline measurements.

RESULTS

The study has been approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee and is registration in the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI) for randomized control trial (RCT). Descriptive and analytical statistics will be done. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Version 20.1 will be used as statistical software. The statistical significance between the two groups after one month and three months will be evaluated at P< .05.
We expect, customized maxillary oral appliance to be more efficient in managing moderate OSA, in comparison with MAD.

CONCLUSIONS

If the hypothesis of the present study is confirmed, then this customized maxillary appliance will be quoted as a “gold standard” for managing moderate OSA.

CLINICALTRIAL

CTRI/2020/07/026936 Registered 31 July 2020, http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/regtrial.php?modid=1&compid=19&EncHid=90265.33636

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

PRR1-10.2196/22383
Comparison of different Artificial Intelligence techniques to predict Diabetic Kidney Disease (Preprint)
Authors: Kumar Satish , Rafiullah Mohamed , Siddiqui Khalid
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a progressive disease that leads to loss of kidney function. As early intervention improves patient outcomes, it is essential to identify the patients who are at high risk of developing DKD. Artificial Intelligence methods apply different machine learning classification techniques to identify high-risk patients by building a predictive model from a given dataset.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to find an accurate classification technique for predicting DKD by comparing different classification techniques applied to a DKD dataset using WEKA machine learning software.

METHODS

We analyzed the performance of nine different classification techniques on a DKD dataset with 410 instances and 18 attributes. 66% of the dataset was used to build a model, and 33% of the data was used for evaluating the model. The performance of classification techniques were assessed based on their execution time, accuracy, correctly and incorrectly classified instances, kappa statistics (K), mean absolute error, root mean squared error and true values of the confusion matrix.

RESULTS

Random Forest classifier was found to be the best performing technique with an accuracy of 76.5854% and a higher K value (0.5306) in comparison to other classifiers. Besides, it also showed the lowest root mean squared error rate (0.4007). From the confusion matrix, it was found that there were 46 false-positive instances and 50 false-negative instances from the Random Forest technique.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified the Random Forest classification technique as the best performing classifier and accurate prediction method for DKD.

CLINICALTRIAL

NA
Use of Automated Thematic Annotations for Small Data Sets in a Psychotherapeutic Context: Systematic Review of Machine Learning Algorithms (Preprint)
Authors: Hudon Alexandre , Beaudoin Mélissa , Phraxayavong Kingsada , Dellazizzo Laura , Potvin Stéphane , Dumais Alexandre
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

A growing body of literature has detailed the use of qualitative analyses to measure the therapeutic processes and intrinsic effectiveness of psychotherapies, which yield small databases. Nonetheless, these approaches have several limitations and machine learning algorithms are needed.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the use of machine learning for automated text classification for small data sets in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and social sciences. This review will identify available algorithms and assess if automated classification of textual entities is comparable to the classification done by human evaluators.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed in the electronic databases of Medline, Web of Science, PsycNet (PsycINFO), and Google Scholar from their inception dates to 2021. The fields of psychiatry, psychology, and social sciences were selected as they include a vast array of textual entities in the domain of mental health that can be reviewed. Additional records identified through cross-referencing were used to find other studies.

RESULTS

This literature search identified 5442 articles that were eligible for our study after the removal of duplicates. Following abstract screening, 114 full articles were assessed in their entirety, of which 107 were excluded. The remaining 7 studies were analyzed. Classification algorithms such as naive Bayes, decision tree, and support vector machine classifiers were identified. Support vector machine is the most used algorithm and best performing as per the identified articles. Prediction classification scores for the identified algorithms ranged from 53%-91% for the classification of textual entities in 4-7 categories. In addition, 3 of the 7 studies reported an interjudge agreement statistic; these were consistent with agreement statistics for text classification done by human evaluators.

CONCLUSIONS

A systematic review of available machine learning algorithms for automated text classification for small data sets in several fields (psychiatry, psychology, and social sciences) was conducted. We compared automated classification with classification done by human evaluators. Our results show that it is possible to automatically classify textual entities of a transcript based solely on small databases. Future studies are nevertheless needed to assess whether such algorithms can be implemented in the context of psychotherapies.
Video Consultations for Older Adults With Multimorbidity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for an Exploratory Qualitative Study (Preprint)
Authors: Lee Eng Sing , Lee Poay Sian Sabrina , Chew Evelyn Ai Ling , Muthulingam Gayathri , Koh Hui Li , Tan Shu Yun , Ding Yew Yoong
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

Multimorbidity, the coexistence of multiple chronic conditions in an individual, is a growing public health challenge. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing remains an indispensable measure to limit the spread of the virus. This pertains especially to those belonging to high-risk groups, namely older adults with multimorbidity. In-person visits are discouraged for this cohort; hence, there is a need for an alternative form of consultation such as video consultations to continue the provision of care.

OBJECTIVE

The potential of video consultations has been explored in several studies. However, the emergence of COVID-19 presents us with an unprecedented opportunity to explore the use of this technological innovation in a time when physical distancing is imperative. This study will evaluate the sustainability of video consultations on a micro-, meso-, and macro-level by assessing the views of patients, physicians, and organizational and national policymakers, respectively.

METHODS

The NASSS (nonadoption, abandonment, scale-up, spread, and sustainability) framework was designed as a guide for the development of health care technologies. In this study, the implementation of and experiences related to video consultations will be studied using the NASSS framework. Individual in-depth interviews or focus group discussions will be conducted with participants using the Zoom platform. Data will be analyzed by at least two investigators trained in qualitative methodology, organized thematically, and coded in two phases—an initial phase and a focused selective phase. All disagreements will be resolved by consulting the larger research team until consensus is reached.

RESULTS

This study was approved for funding from the Geriatric Education and Research Institute. Ethics approval was obtained from the National Healthcare Group Domain Specific Review Board (reference #2020/00760). Study recruitment commenced in July 2020. The results of the data analysis are expected to be available by the end of the year.

CONCLUSIONS

This study aims to evaluate the adoption and sustainability of video consultations for older adults with multimorbidity during the pandemic as well as post COVID-19. The study will yield knowledge that will challenge the current paradigm on how care is being delivered for community-dwelling older adults with multimorbidity. Findings will be shared with administrators in the health care sector in order to enhance the safety and quality of these video consultations to improve patient care for this group of population.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

DERR1-10.2196/22679
Event-Level Association Between Daily Alcohol Use and Same-Day Nonadherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Among Young Men Who Have Sex With Men and Trans Women Living With HIV: Intensive Longitudinal Study (Preprint)
Authors: Turner Caitlin Marie , Trujillo Dillon , Le Victory , Wilson Erin C , Arayasirikul Sean
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

Young trans women (TW) and men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately impacted by HIV. Optimizing adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is one mechanism by which public health experts aim to achieve favorable HIV health outcomes while reducing disease transmission. However, alcohol use is prevalent among young TW and MSM and threatens optimal adherence. In addition, the daily variations in alcohol use and ART adherence and their association with each other are poorly understood, warranting more appropriate methodological approaches, such as analysis of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this analysis is to characterize the association between daily alcohol use and same-day ART nonadherence captured by an EMA study of young MSM and TW living with HIV in San Francisco.

METHODS

Young MSM and TW enrolled in the Health eNav digital HIV care navigation intervention were included in the analytic sample (N=113). Data on alcohol and ART use were collected by daily EMA surveys administered via text messaging and were analyzed over 30 days of follow-up. A multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression model adjusting for baseline sociodemographic characteristics was specified to investigate whether daily alcohol use was associated with same-day ART nonuse.

RESULTS

Daily alcohol use was associated with higher same-day ART nonuse. On average, participants drank alcohol on 15.20 (SD 8.93) days and used ART on 15.19 (SD 10.16) days out of 30 days. Daily alcohol use was associated with 1.89 (95% CI 1.14-3.15) times the adjusted odds of same-day ART nonuse for each participant.

CONCLUSIONS

Results are consistent with other analyses of daily alcohol and ART use and underscore the importance of individually targeted interventions that are sensitive to each participant’s dynamic risk environment.

CLINICALTRIAL

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

RR2-10.2196/16406
A REVIEW ON THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF HETEROCYCLIC PYRIMIDINE DERIVATIVES AS POTENT ANTIVIRAL AGENTS
Authors: EG SAGMA , LAKSHMANAN BASKAR
Published: July 2020

Pyrimidine nucleus exhibited remarkable pharmacological activities. The review of an article indicates that the compounds having pyrimidine nucleus have a wide range of therapeutic uses that include antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, antiviral, anti-HIV, antihypertensive, sedatives and hypnotics, anticonvulsant, and antihistaminic. This review article is intended to describe the antiviral activity of a compound containing the pyrimidine nucleus. The chemistry of pyrimidine is a thriving field for the study of their pharmacological uses. Numerous methods for the synthesis of pyrimidine as also their diverse reactions offer enormous scope in the field of medicinal chemistry. The review article aims to reveal the work reported on the antiviral synthetic pyrimidine compound and the chemistry and biological activities of pyrimidine during the past few decades. During this review article, we are mainly focusing the viral activities in different derivatives of pyrimidine nucleus. Therefore, we are going to discuss some important issues such as the good ideas to resist our increasing viral disease and the importance of a pyrimidine nucleus in the viral drugs. Hence, these are the main things we are going to discuss in this article.
THE ANTIBIOTICS RESISTANCE AND THE PRESCRIPTIONS’ PATTERN FOR URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS AT KING FAHAD SPECIALIST HOSPITAL
Authors: RA LNQER NORAH , AL JASSER AREEJ , A. MOBARK MUGAHID
Published: July 2020

Objectives: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the diseases with a highest prevalence in the world. This study evaluated the antibiotics resistant and the prescription pattern for UTI with the aim to participate as an effective monitoring study that enhances rational antibiotics’ prescription.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study at King Fahad Specialist Hospital from May 2018 to January 2019. We included a total of 306 patients with UTI. 204 patients diagnosed clinically and empirically treated (Group A), 102 patients underwent urine for culture and sensitivity tests (Group B).

Results: UTI showed higher occurrence in female in both Groups A (61%) and B (65%). The mean age was higher in Group B (55.8 years) than Group A (39.44 years). The most commonly prescribed antibiotics for UTI were Trimethoprim + Sulfamethoxazole (TMP+SMX) (56%) and ciprofloxacin (15%). Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated organism (36.3%) followed by Klebsiella pneumonia (30%). Although 41.17% of organisms were sensitive to TMP+SMX, 38.2% were resistant to it. The organisms were sensitive to amikacin in 80.4% and to gentamicin in 61.8% whereas, 61.8% were resistant to ampicillin. Luckily, no resistance was reported neither for nitrofurantoin nor for vancomycin.

Conclusion: The study showed significant resistance to the commonly prescribed TMP+SMX and ciprofloxacin compared to absolute sensitivity to the less prescribed nitrofurantoin. This necessitates special consideration for local susceptibility in empirical therapy.
BIOSYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES FROM MANGROVE BARK – RHIZOPHORA MUCRONATA EXTRACT
Authors: AT AJI JOVITHA , B DEIVASIGAMANI
Published: July 2020

Objective: The present study attempted to synthesize AgNPs from mangrove bark Rhizophora mucronata and analyze characteristics. The synthesized AgNPs analyzed with UV–vis spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) for confirming the nanoparticles.

Methods: The dried R. mucronata bark was powdered and kept in at 55°C for 15 min in a water bath and cooled at room temperature to get the extract. The R. mucronata bark extract was treated with silver nitrate and kept overnight in the dark environment which will turn the solution to dark brown color. The silver nanoparticles were characterized using UV–visible absorption at room temperature. Further characterization was also done with X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscope measurements, and DLS analysis.

Results: The synthesized AgNPs were analyzed with various analytical methods that revealed the abundant presence of silver nanoparticles. The UV–vis spectroscopy analysis exposed the surface plasmon resonance peak of 422 nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis indicated the size ranging from 10 nm to 200 nm in diameter and a spherical shaped poly dispersal of the particles. The energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and DLS also confirmed the presence of silver atoms.

Conclusion: Silver nanoparticles of Rhizophora mucronata bark revealed a well-defined structure and may be used in antimicrobial function in further researches.
TOTAL FLAVONOIDS CONTENT OF SOME SEASONAL FRUITS AND THEIR BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Authors: NAQVI SARA , IMAM SHAHLLA , ALI FATIMA RAMZAN , AZHAR IQBAL , ALAM MAHMOOD ZAFAR
Published: July 2020

Objective: The present study was intended to assess the qualitative and quantitative analysis of some fruits available in Karachi, Pakistan. The association between the intakes of flavonoids enriches fruit and cardiovascular (CV) health was evaluated through a clinical survey.

Methods: The acid-alkaline test was executed in all fruit samples. The total flavonoids content was carried out using aluminum chloride calorimetric method. A cross-sectional survey was executed from July to December 2018 among 100 cardiac patients in Karachi, Pakistan. The patient’s blood pressure was determined and categorized into normal, prehypertension, and hypertension. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Chi-squared test were executed to demonstrate the participants’ sociodemographic information.

Results: The result revealed that the purple grapes contained an abundant amount of total flavonoid contents 192.59±1.28 as compared to green grapes and other fruits, whereas Citrus paradisi (grapefruit), Citrus reticulata (kinnow), and Punica granatum (pomegranate) contained 162.96±0.640, 151.85± 0.640, and 107.03±1.28, respectively. Moreover, Malus species, grapes (green), raspberry, and strawberry are also a good source of flavonoids. The clinical survey revealed that the majority of the respondents were male 74% while only 26% were female. The response rate was 73%.

Conclusion: The finding of the present study indicated that dietary intake of fruits containing flavonoids may decrease the risk of CV disease and could contribute to promoting cardiac health.
DEVELOPMENT OF BILAYER TABLETS OF LOSARTAN POTASSIUM AND METFORMIN HYDROCHLORIDE LAYER USING NATURAL GUMS AS POLYMERS
Authors: KADIYAM RAJYALAKSHMI , R KAVYA
Published: July 2020

Objective: The aim of this research work was to develop and evaluate a bilayer formulation of losartan potassium and metformin hydrochloride for the treatment of diabetic patients with hypertension. In the present study, losartan potassium as immediate-release (IR) layer and metformin hydrochloride as a sustained-release (SR) layer were selected.

Methods: The polymers selected were fenugreek gum, sweet potato starch, and ispaghula gum as natural disintegrants for IR layer and guar gum, xanthan gum, and pectin for SR layer. Bilayer tablets were developed by employing the two layers.

Results: For IR layer, L4 formulation with 5% ispaghula gum as natural disintegrant showed 98.94% drug release was selected as an optimized layer. For sustained layer, F2 formulation with 18.75% guar gum as drug retardant showed 97.17% drug release was selected as optimized layer. Optimized formulation followed zero-order kinetics. When the release data was plotted into Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas equations, then it was confirmed that the optimized formulation exhibited a Fickian diffusion type drug release.

Conclusion: Tablets prepared with 5% ispaghula gum and 18.75% guar gums as drug retardants were found to be useful for bilayer tablet formulation with desired drug release characteristics.
ROLE OF ANTIDEPRESSANT ON THE GLYCAEMIC CONTROL OF UNCONTROLLED TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS PATIENTS
Authors: HARSHAVARDHINI ALLU , MUTHAIAH BHANUKUMAR , BABU TIRIN , PANACHIYIL GEORGE MATHEW , SANTHOSH SISIRA , SANTHOSH SARAYU
Published: July 2020

Background: Depression incidence is higher in diabetic patients when compared to the non-diabetic individuals and there exist a two-directional relationship between depression and the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the frequency of depression and the effect of antidepressant on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Methods: This prospective interventional study was conducted in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with a sample size of 100. These patients were diagnosed with depression using WHO-ICD10 criteria. All study patients had uncontrolled blood glucose levels and were on an optimized maximal dose of combination oral hypoglycemic agents with stable glycoregulation (HbA1c 8.4 ±0.5) were taken up for the intervention with antidepressant. These patients were started on with antidepressant after enrollment and followed up for fasting blood sugar (FBS), post-prandial blood sugar (PPBS), and HbA1c at the end of 3 months and 6 months. And also Hamilton depression rating scale scores were estimated at the beginning of the study and at the end of 6 months.

Results: The frequency of depression among the type 2 diabetes mellitus patients was found to be 42%. There were reduction of mean FBS levels from baseline value of 177 mg/dl to follow-up value of 160 mg/dl (p<0.001), mean PPBS levels from 251.16 mg/dl to 217.84 mg/dl (p<0.001), and mean HbA1c dropped from 8.41 to 7.57 (p<0.001) after the treatment with antidepressant.

Conclusion: Our study concluded that patient started on antidepressant showed a reduction in the blood sugar levels and HbA1c levels from their baseline values, which was clinically and statistically significant.
CORRELATION OF RENAL DIMENSIONS AND GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE WITH HEIGHT, WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX, AND BODY SURFACE AREA IN CHILDREN
Authors: CHOPRA SHREYA , CHAHAR SONAL , YADAV SAKET , MK KAKKAR
Published: July 2020

Objective: The objective of the study was to estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and renal dimension and establish a correlation with age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and body surface area (BSA) of children and to measure renal dimensions (craniocaudal length, anteroposterior length, and transverse length) of both kidneys of 1–10 years children.

Methods: A total of 500 children from 1 to 10 years old were screened by ultrasonography to measure renal craniocaudal length, anteroposterior length, and transverse width of the kidney. Length, width, thickness, and cortical size of the kidneys were also measured.

Results: There was a positive correlation of renal dimension with age, weight, height, BMI, and BSA. There also was a positive correlation of eGFR with other renal parameters.

Conclusion: Renal dimension and eGFR were correlate with age, weight, height, BMI, and BSA in children.
Cover
Authors: FTHS Cover
Published: July 2020

FTHS
Study of Physical Characteristic, Water Vapor Transmission Rate and Inhibition Zones of Edible Films from Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) Incorporated with Yellow Sweet Potato Starch and Glycerol
Authors: Rahmiatiningrum Nur , Sukardi Sukardi , Warkoyo Warkoyo
Published: July 2020

Glucomannan was the main polysaccharide of Aloe vera gel. It was dissolved in water, formed a gel, and transparent as a film. Aloe vera gel was reported antimicrobial and antioxidant activity such as saponin and anthraquinone that was potential for the increased value of an edible film. However, Aloe vera gel form weak film caused glucomannan to have high water absorption. In this research, Aloe vera gel was used as a basis for the polymer film. Yellow sweet potato starch added for the strength matrix component used amylose. This starch expected to give colors from carotenoids. Glycerol also added for the flexibility of an edible film. Randomized Complete Block Design Factorial (RCBD) was applied. The first factor was concentration of yellow sweet potato starch (1%, 2%, 3%) and the second one was glycerol (0,1%, 0,25%, and 0,5%). The parameters tested were color, thickness, transparency, tensile strength, elongation, solubility, water vapor transmission rate, and inhibition zones against E. coli, and S. aureus, fungi A. niger and C. Albicans. The results showed that the addition of yellow sweet potato starch and glycerol with different concentration had a significant effect on color, thickness, transparency, tensile strength, elongation, and solubility. However, an edible film on this research has not to show bacteria and fungi inhibition zone of edible film. P2G1 is the best treatment (yellow sweet potato starch 2% and glycerol 0,1%) produced an edible film with a thickness of 0.12mm, elongation 50.85%, tensile strength 0.55 MPa, solubility 41.03%, transparency 2.13%, vapor transmission rate 3,40 g/m2/24hours, L, a+, b+ score in sequence 41.87, 0.2, and 4.1.
Required sample size for comparing two independent means
Authors: Grjibovski A. M. , Gorbatova M. A. , Narkevich A. N. , Vinogradov K. A.
Published: July 2020

Sample size calculation in a planning phase is still uncommon in Russian research practice. This situation threatens validity of the conclusions and may introduce Type I error when the false null hypothesis is accepted due to lack of statistical power to detect the existing difference between the means. Comparing two means using unpaired Students’ ttests is the most common statistical procedure in the Russian biomedical literature. However, calculations of the minimal required sample size or retrospective calculation of the statistical power were observed only in very few publications. In this paper we demonstrate how to calculate required sample size for comparing means in unpaired samples using WinPepi and Stata software. In addition, we produced tables for minimal required sample size for studies when two means have to be compared and body mass index and blood pressure are the variables of interest. The tables were constructed for unpaired samples for different levels of statistical power and standard deviations obtained from the literature.
О состоянии и развитии системы мониторинга инженерных конструкций башни «Эволюция». Часть 2. Рекомендации по развитию
Authors: Belostotsky Alexander , Akimov Pavel , Kaytukov Taymuraz , Petryashev Nikolay , Petryashev Sergey
Published: July 2020

Во второй части статьи[1] представлены обоснованные рекомендации по дополнению системы мониторинга в части пространственно-координатного мониторинга с помощью ГЛОНАСС/GPS-датчиков, а также контроля за фасадными кон­струкциями (контрольные параметры для светопрозрачных фасадных систем; оборудование для мониторинга фасадных систем). В завершении сформулированы рекомендации по разработке и интеграции адаптивных конечноэлементных моделей несущих и фасадных конструкций. Даны указания на разработки авторов, посвящённые оригинальной расчётно­экспериментальной методике динамического мониторинга несущих конструкций высотных зданий в части её общих положений и структурной схемы, параметризируемых конеч­ноэлементных моделей, адаптации (калибровки) конечноэле­ментных моделей по данным инструментальных наблюдений, оценки несущей способности для фактического состояния и планирования измерений по результатам мониторинга.

 

[1]     Первая часть статьи «О состоянии и развитии системы мониторинга инженерных конструкций башни "Эволюция"» опубликована в № 1 журнала «Academia. Архитектура и строительство» за 2020 год.
AN FLC-PSO ALGORITHM-CONTROLLED MOBILE ROBOT
Authors: Suwoyo Heru , Tian Yingzhong , Ibnu Hajar Muhammad Hafizd
Published: July 2020

The ineffectiveness of the wall-following robot (WFR) performance indicated by its surging movement has been a concerning issue. The use of a Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) has been considered to be an option to mitigate this problem. However, the determination of the membership function of the input value precisely adds to this problem. For this reason, a particular manner is recommended to improve the performance of FLC. This paper describes an optimization method, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), used to automatically determinate and arrange the FLC’s input membership function. The proposed method is simulated and validated by using MATLAB. The results are compared in terms of accumulative error. According to all the comparative results, the stability and effectiveness of the proposed method have been significantly satisfied.