bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ANALYSIS OF WORK ENVIRONMENT AT BLOW MOULDING STATION USING 5S METHOD AND FISHBONE DIAGRAM
Authors:   Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Panjaitan Nismah , Alhadi Yuman Syafiq
Published: March 2024

A good work environment will increase job satisfaction, morale, and employee performance. The company has 5 production stations, namely Printing and Can Making, Blow Moulding, Shortening and Margarine, Filling, and the last is Finished Product Store. Based on observations at the Printing and Can Making, Blow Moulding, Shortening and Margarine, Filling, and Finished Product Store stations, there are unclean and untidy conditions at the Blow Moulding station. Fishbone diagrams are also used to determine the root causes of work environment problems. The cause of the Blow Moulding station being unclean and untidy is the human factor and the method applied. Based on the problems obtained the 5S method is used to arrangement and maintenance of the workplace which was developed through intensive efforts in the work environment of the blow moulding station. When everything has its place and there is the right position, then the 5S program will serve to provide a clear picture of a good workplace.
Promoting Students' Anticipatory Competency through the Rainwater Harvesting System Learning Project
Authors: Lestari N. A. , Widodo A. , Eliyawati E.
Published: March 2024

In response to the pressing global challenges of climate change and water scarcity, the education sector seeks innovative approaches to nurture students' anticipatory competency. This study aims to investigate the improvement of students' anticipatory competency through rainwater harvesting system learning project. The method used in this research was Quasi-Experimental with Non-Equivalent Control Group Design research design. The sample used was class VII students consisting of a control class and an experimental class of 20 students each. Data were collected both before and after learning to assess students' anticipatory competence. The results showed that there was the significant different on Anticipatory competency in the experimental class. This means that rainwater harvesting system learning project effect on students' anticipatory competency The study implies positive impacts of utilizing the rainwater harvesting system learning project on students' anticipatory abilities to shape a future generation ready to tackle clean water and proper sanitation issues.
Functional Impairment in Individuals Exposed to Violence Based on Electronical Forensic Medical Record Mining and Their Profile Identification: Controlled Observational Study
Authors: Lerner Ivan , Chariot Patrick , Lefèvre Thomas
Published: March 2024

Background

Little is known about the functional consequences of violence when directly assessed as a primary outcome, and even less about how consistently these consequences are evaluated in a judicial context. The World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted the importance of a functional approach to health in 2001 with the release of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). In most European countries, forensic physicians assess individuals exposed to violence to evaluate the outcomes of violence, providing certified medical evidence for magistrates’ sentencing decisions. This evaluation involves a mix of objective, subjective, and contextual elements, such as reported symptoms of fear, pain, and details of the assault. Quantifying these subjective elements with scales could enhance their interpretation and application in a judicial context.

Objective

This study aims to (1) characterize and (2) assess 6 scales measuring subjective elements of functional impairment among individuals exposed to violence.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study that included individuals exposed to violence examined in a French department of forensic medicine over 12 months. A typology of violence encountered in medical settings was built based on the mining of electronic health records and the use of pattern recognition algorithms. The optimal number of violence types was determined using a robust and stable clustering approach, involving sample resampling and a multimetric scheme. Patients were then paired according to their homogeneous profiles, and the intra- and interrater reproducibility of the scales was evaluated.

Results

All pain, fear, and life threat scales were significantly associated with higher functional impairment, suggesting that these measures contribute to the overall assessment of functional impairment. The intra- and interrater reproducibility of scales among similar situations of violence was measured, ranging from mild to good, with coefficients of concordance between 0.46-0.66 and 0.43-0.66, respectively. Individuals reporting intimate partner violence showed higher scores in both fear and perception of a life threat during the assault and medical interview, while individuals reporting battery by multiple unknown assailants presented higher scores only in perception of a life threat during the assault. We identified 5 remarkably stable profiles of situations of violence, consistent with clinical practice.

Conclusions

Pain, fear, and life threat scales were related to functional impairment according to expert knowledge and demonstrated fair reproducibility under real-life conditions for similar situations of violence. Subjective elements related to functional impairment in individuals exposed to violence can be quantified using Likert scales during medical interviews.
Leveraging mHealth Technologies for Public Health
Authors: Velmovitsky Pedro Elkind , Kirolos Merna , Alencar Paulo , Leatherdale Scott , Cowan Donald , Morita Plinio Pelegrini
Published: March 2024

Traditional public health surveillance efforts are generally based on self-reported data. Although well validated, these methods may nevertheless be subjected to limitations such as biases, delays, and costs or logistical challenges. An alternative is the use of smart technologies (eg, smartphones and smartwatches) to complement self-report indicators. Having embedded sensors that provide zero-effort, passive, and continuous monitoring of health variables, these devices generate data that could be leveraged for cases in which the data are related to the same self-report metric of interest. However, some challenges must be considered when discussing the use of mobile health technologies for public health to ensure digital health equity, privacy, and best practices. This paper provides, through a review of major Canadian surveys and mobile health studies, an overview of research involving mobile data for public health, including a mapping of variables currently collected by public health surveys that could be complemented with self-report, challenges to technology adoption, and considerations on digital health equity, with a specific focus on the Canadian context. Population characteristics from major smart technology brands—Apple, Fitbit, and Samsung—and demographic barriers to the use of technology are provided. We conclude with public health implications and present our view that public health agencies and researchers should leverage mobile health data while being mindful of the current barriers and limitations to device use and access. In this manner, data ecosystems that leverage personal smart devices for public health can be put in place as appropriate, as we move toward a future in which barriers to technology adoption are decreasing.
An Ecological Mobile Momentary Intervention to Support Dynamic Goal Pursuit: Feasibility and Acceptability Study
Authors: O'Driscoll Ciarán , Singh Aneesha , Chichua Iya , Clodic Joachim , Desai Anjali , Nikolova Dara , Yap Alex Jie , Zhou Irene , Pilling Stephen
Published: March 2024

Background

Individuals can experience difficulties pursuing their goals amid multiple competing priorities in their environment. Effective goal dynamics require flexible and generalizable pursuit skills. Supporting successful goal pursuit requires a perpetually adapting intervention responsive to internal states.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to (1) develop a flexible intervention that can adapt to an individual’s changing short to medium-term goals and be applied to their daily life and (2) examine the feasibility and acceptability of the just-in-time adaptive intervention for goal pursuit.

Methods

This study involved 3 iterations to test and systematically enhance all aspects of the intervention. During the pilot phase, 73 participants engaged in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) over 1 month. After week 1, they attended an intervention training session and received just-in-time intervention prompts during the following 3 weeks. The training employed the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior (COM-B) framework for goal setting, along with mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII). Subsequent prompts, triggered by variability in goal pursuit, guided the participants to engage in MCII in relation to their current goal. We evaluated feasibility and acceptability, efficacy, and individual change processes by combining intensive (single-case experimental design) and extensive methods.

Results

The results suggest that the digital intervention was feasible and acceptable to participants. Compliance with the intervention was high (n=63, 86%). The participants endorsed high acceptability ratings relating to both the study procedures and the intervention. All participants (N=73, 100%) demonstrated significant improvements in goal pursuit with an average difference of 0.495 units in the outcome (P<.001). The results of the dynamic network modeling suggest that self-monitoring behavior (EMA) and implementing the MCII strategy may aid in goal reprioritization, where goal pursuit itself is a driver of further goal pursuit.

Conclusions

This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of a just-in-time adaptive intervention among a nonclinical adult sample. This intervention used self-monitoring of behavior, the COM-B framework, and MCII strategies to improve dynamic goal pursuit. It was delivered via an Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) procedure. Future research should consider the utility of this approach as an additional intervention element within psychological interventions to improve goal pursuit. Sustaining goal pursuit throughout interventions is central to their effectiveness and warrants further evaluation.
Updated Surveillance Metrics and History of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-2023) in Europe: Longitudinal Trend Analysis
Authors: Lundberg Alexander L , Wu Scott A , Soetikno Alan G , Hawkins Claudia , Murphy Robert L , Havey Robert J , Ozer Egon A , Moss Charles B , Welch Sarah B , Mason Maryann , Liu Yingxuan , Post Lori A
Published: March 2024

Background

In this study, we built upon our initial research published in 2020 by incorporating an additional 2 years of data for Europe. We assessed whether COVID-19 had shifted from the pandemic to endemic phase in the region when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the public health emergency of international concern on May 5, 2023.

Objective

We first aimed to measure whether there was an expansion or contraction in the pandemic in Europe at the time of the WHO declaration. Second, we used dynamic and genomic surveillance methods to describe the history of the pandemic in the region and situate the window of the WHO declaration within the broader history. Third, we provided the historical context for the course of the pandemic in Europe in terms of policy and disease burden at the country and region levels.

Methods

In addition to the updates of traditional surveillance data and dynamic panel estimates from the original study, this study used data on sequenced SARS-CoV-2 variants from the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data to identify the appearance and duration of variants of concern. We used Nextclade nomenclature to collect clade designations from sequences and Pangolin nomenclature for lineage designations of SARS-CoV-2. Finally, we conducted a 1-tailed t test for whether regional weekly speed was greater than an outbreak threshold of 10. We ran the test iteratively with 6 months of data across the sample period.

Results

Speed for the region had remained below the outbreak threshold for 4 months by the time of the WHO declaration. Acceleration and jerk were also low and stable. While the 1-day and 7-day persistence coefficients remained statistically significant, the coefficients were moderate in magnitude (0.404 and 0.547, respectively; P<.001 for both). The shift parameters for the 2 weeks around the WHO declaration were small and insignificant, suggesting little change in the clustering effect of cases on future cases at the time. From December 2021 onward, Omicron was the predominant variant of concern in sequenced viral samples. The rolling t test of speed equal to 10 became insignificant for the first time in April 2023.

Conclusions

While COVID-19 continues to circulate in Europe, the rate of transmission remained below the threshold of an outbreak for 4 months ahead of the WHO declaration. The region had previously been in a nearly continuous state of outbreak. The more recent trend suggested that COVID-19 was endemic in the region and no longer reached the threshold of the pandemic definition. However, several countries remained in a state of outbreak, and the conclusion that COVID-19 was no longer a pandemic in Europe at the time is unclear.
Public Perception of the Tobacco 21 Amendment on Twitter in the United States: Observational Study
Authors: Schneller-Najm Liane M , Xie Zidian , Chen Jiarui , Lee Sarah , Xu Emily , Li Dongmei
Published: March 2024

Background

Following the signing of the Tobacco 21 Amendment (T21) in December 2019 to raise the minimum legal age for the sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years in the United States, there is a need to monitor public responses and potential unintended consequences. Social media platforms, such as Twitter (subsequently rebranded as X), can provide rich data on public perceptions.

Objective

This study contributes to the literature using Twitter data to assess the knowledge and beliefs of T21.

Methods

Twitter data were collected from November 2019 to February 2021 using the Twitter streaming application programming interface with keywords related to vaping or e-cigarettes, such as “vape,” “ecig,” etc. The temporal trend of the T21 discussion on Twitter was examined using the mean number of daily T21-related tweets. Inductive methods were used to manually code the tweets into different sentiment groups (positive, neutral, and negative) based on the attitude expressed toward the policy by 3 coders with high interrater reliability. Topics discussed were examined within each sentiment group through theme analyses.

Results

Among the collected 3197 tweets, 2169 tweets were related to T21, of which 444 tweets (20.5%) showed a positive attitude, 736 (33.9%) showed a negative attitude, and 989 (45.6%) showed a neutral attitude. The temporal trend showed a clear peak in the number of tweets around January 2020, following the enactment of this legislation. For positive tweets, the most frequent topics were “avoidance of further regulation” (120/444, 27%), “Enforce T21” (110/444, 24.8%), and “health benefits” (81/444, 18.2%). For negative tweets, the most frequent topics were “general disagreement or frustration” (207/736, 28.1%) and “will still use tobacco” (188/736, 25.5%). Neutral tweets were primarily “public service announcements (PSA) or news posts” (782/989, 79.1%).

Conclusions

Overall, we find that one-third of tweets displayed a negative attitude toward T21 during the study period. Many were frustrated with T21 and reported that underage consumers could still obtain products. Social media data provide a timely opportunity to monitor public perceptions and responses to regulatory actions. Continued monitoring can inform enforcement efforts and potential unintended consequences of T21.
Revealing the Mysteries of Population Mobility Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada: Comparative Analysis With Internet of Things–Based Thermostat Data and Google Mobility Insights (Preprint)
Authors: Sahu Kirti Sundar , Dubin Joel A , Majowicz Shannon E , Liu Sam , Morita Plinio P
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated public health policies to limit human mobility and curb infection spread. Human mobility, which is often underestimated, plays a pivotal role in health outcomes, impacting both infectious and chronic diseases. Collecting precise mobility data is vital for understanding human behavior and informing public health strategies. Google’s GPS-based location tracking, which is compiled in Google Mobility Reports, became the gold standard for monitoring outdoor mobility during the pandemic. However, indoor mobility remains underexplored.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigates in-home mobility data from ecobee’s smart thermostats in Canada (February 2020 to February 2021) and compares it directly with Google’s residential mobility data. By assessing the suitability of smart thermostat data, we aim to shed light on indoor mobility patterns, contributing valuable insights to public health research and strategies.

METHODS

Motion sensor data were acquired from the ecobee “Donate Your Data” initiative via Google’s BigQuery cloud platform. Concurrently, residential mobility data were sourced from the Google Mobility Report. This study centered on 4 Canadian provinces—Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia—during the period from February 15, 2020, to February 14, 2021. Data processing, analysis, and visualization were conducted on the Microsoft Azure platform using Python (Python Software Foundation) and R programming languages (R Foundation for Statistical Computing). Our investigation involved assessing changes in mobility relative to the baseline in both data sets, with the strength of this relationship assessed using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. We scrutinized daily, weekly, and monthly variations in mobility patterns across the data sets and performed anomaly detection for further insights.

RESULTS

The results revealed noteworthy week-to-week and month-to-month shifts in population mobility within the chosen provinces, aligning with pandemic-driven policy adjustments. Notably, the ecobee data exhibited a robust correlation with Google’s data set. Examination of Google’s daily patterns detected more pronounced mobility fluctuations during weekdays, a trend not mirrored in the ecobee data. Anomaly detection successfully identified substantial mobility deviations coinciding with policy modifications and cultural events.

CONCLUSIONS

This study’s findings illustrate the substantial influence of the Canadian stay-at-home and work-from-home policies on population mobility. This impact was discernible through both Google’s out-of-house residential mobility data and ecobee’s in-house smart thermostat data. As such, we deduce that smart thermostats represent a valid tool for facilitating intelligent monitoring of population mobility in response to policy-driven shifts.
Family communication-focused family resilience-strengthening program for young and middle-aged breast cancer survivors: Protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial (Preprint)
Authors: Liu Yuzhou , Li Yuli , Pan Yaoyi , Song Dongyu
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer, the most common form of cancer among women, is a family affair, impacting the psychosocial outcomes, quality of life, and family stability of young and middle-aged survivors and their spouses primarily. Family resilience-oriented intervention has been proposed as an effective strategy to improve the health of breast cancer survivors and their spouses. However, family resilience-oriented clinical intervention programs and implementation interventions are in the initial stages of exploration. Furthermore, communication-related problems, which are prevalent in families with cancer, are barriers to the creation and strengthening of family resilience.

OBJECTIVE

To report a pilot study protocol to validate the effectiveness of a family resilience-strengthening program for young and middle-aged breast cancer survivors, a web-based intervention that focuses specifically on communication issues for survivors and their families, called the Family Communication-focused Family Resilience-strengthening Program.

METHODS

A pilot double-blind, randomized controlled trial using a two-group, pre-test and repeated post-test design. The trial will enroll 78 families of breast cancer survivors who will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention group and a waiting control group. The intervention group will receive the 5-week Family Communication-focused Family Resilience Strengthen Program immediately, while the control group will receive treatment at the end of the trial. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post-intervention, one month post-intervention, and three months post-intervention for both study groups.

RESULTS

The primary outcome indicator is family resilience for survivors and spouses, and the secondary outcome indicators are psychological distress, quality of life, post-traumatic growth, spousal intimacy for survivors and spouses, and spousal-reported child emotional-behavioral outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

If the program proves effective, it will be the first full-component, multimember-based family resilience-strengthening program focusing on family communication for breast cancer survivors. Web-based family resilience strengthening programs that focus on family communication can be a convenient and quick way to strengthen family resilience and guide families to better cope with illness.

CLINICALTRIAL

China Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100044835.
Bridging Real-World Data Gaps: Connecting Dots Across 10 Asian Countries (Preprint)
Authors: Julian Guilherme Silva , Shau Wen-Yi , Chou Hsu-Wen , Setia Sajita
Published: March 2024

UNSTRUCTURED

The economic trend and the health care landscape are rapidly evolving across Asia. Effective real-world data (RWD) for regulatory and clinical decision-making is a crucial milestone associated with this evolution. This necessitates a critical evaluation of RWD generation within distinct nations for the use of various RWD warehouses in the generation of real-world evidence (RWE). In this article, we outline the RWD generation trends for 2 contrasting nation archetypes: “Solo Scholars”—nations with relatively self-sufficient RWD research systems—and “Global Collaborators”—countries largely reliant on international infrastructures for RWD generation. The key trends and patterns in RWD generation, country-specific insights into the predominant databases used in each country to produce RWE, and insights into the broader landscape of RWD database use across these countries are discussed.
Conclusively, the data point out the heterogeneous nature of RWD generation practices across 10 different Asian nations and advocate for strategic enhancements in data harmonization. The evidence highlights the imperative for improved database integration and the establishment of standardized protocols and infrastructure for leveraging electronic medical records (EMR) in streamlining RWD acquisition. The clinical data analysis and reporting system of Hong Kong is an excellent example of a successful EMR system that showcases the capacity of integrated robust EMR platforms to consolidate and produce diverse RWE. This, in turn, can potentially reduce the necessity for reliance on numerous condition-specific local and global registries or limited and largely unavailable medical insurance or claims databases in most Asian nations. Linking health technology assessment processes with open data initiatives such as the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model and the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics could enable the leveraging of global data resources to inform local decision-making. Advancing such initiatives is crucial for reinforcing health care frameworks in resource-limited settings and advancing toward cohesive, evidence-driven health care policy and improved patient outcomes in the region.
Lesbian Lives in Soviet Latvia: The Narratives
Authors:   Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia, Vizgunova-Vikmane Elizabete Elīna
Published: March 2024

This article employs narrative analysis to examine three testimonies provided by individuals who were contemporaries of lesbians in Soviet Latvia. The author’s research is based on two oral history interviews and the diary entries of a homosexual man, dating between the 1950s and 1980s. The research was carried out in four stages: (1) story analysis; (2) identification of main topics and characters; (3) identification of main terms and tone; and (4) extraction of three key narratives. The findings demonstrate, firstly, the lack of terminology to describe homosexual/non-heterosexual relationships between women when referencing the Soviet time. This indicates that contemporary terms used by the LGBTQI+ community may not be valid for analysing the experiences of non-heterosexual people in Soviet Latvia. Secondly, the testimonies described in this article view same-sex women’s relationships through heteronormative lens as deviating from the norm. Thirdly, the article highlights how rigid expectations of “manly” and “womanly” behaviour and traits are used to judge compliance with or deviation from societal norms. The understanding of non-heterosexual relationships between women, as evidenced by the sources, cannot be standardised. While the testimonies reference non-heterosexual relationships between women, they also mention same-sex relationships, which may have formed due to socioeconomic conditions and different intimate bonds.
Comparison of β-Cell Function and Insulin Sensitivity Between Normal-Weight and Obese Chinese With Young-Onset Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Fan Yingnan , Chow Elaine , Lim Cadmon K.P. , Hou Yong , Tsoi Sandra T.F. , Fan Baoqi , Lau Eric S.H. , Kong Alice P.S. , Ma Ronald C.W. , Wu Hongjiang , Chan Juliana C.N. , Luk Andrea O.Y.
Published: March 2024

Normal-weight individuals with usual-onset type 2 diabetes have reduced β-cell function and greater insulin sensitivity compared with their obese counterparts. The relative contribution of β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance to young-onset type 2 diabetes (YOD) among normal-weight individuals is not well established. In 44 individuals with YOD (24 with normal weight and 20 with obesity) and 24 healthy control individuals with normoglycemia (12 with normal weight and 12 with obesity), we conducted 2-h 12 mmol/L hyperglycemic clamps to measure acute (0–10 min) and steady-state (100–120 min) insulin and C-peptide responses, as well as insulin sensitivity index. Normal-weight individuals with YOD had lower acute insulin response, steady-state insulin and C-peptide responses, and a higher insulin sensitivity index compared with their obese counterparts with YOD. Compared with BMI-matched healthy control individuals, normal-weight individuals with YOD had lower acute and steady-state insulin and C-peptide responses but a similar insulin sensitivity index. The impairment of steady-state β-cell response relative to healthy control individuals was more pronounced in normal-weight versus obese individuals with YOD. In conclusion, normal-weight Chinese with YOD exhibited worse β-cell function but preserved insulin sensitivity relative to obese individuals with YOD and BMI-matched healthy individuals with normoglycemia. The selection of glucose-lowering therapy should account for pathophysiological differences underlying YOD between normal-weight and obese individuals.

Article Highlights
Peningkatan Literasi, Pengembangan Calistung, dan Pengenalan Budaya Indonesia pada Siswa-Siswi SB Sentul Malaysia
Authors: Ramdani Selfiana Putri , Prayitno Harun Joko , Wibowo Eko Ari , Suciana Fitri , Haryanti Rusiana Sri , Shohenuddin Shohenuddin
Published: March 2024

Literasi adalah kegiatan yang sangat membantu siswa untuk melatih mental dan pola pikir siswa terhadap sesuatu yang akan dilakukan literasi juga berperan penting dalam pendidikan akan tetapi anak-anak yang berada di SB sentul dan kami mengamati bahwa banyak anak disini yang masih kurang atau minim literasi yang mereka dapat kita hadir untuk merubah siswa-siswi yang ada di SB Sentul khususnya siswa-siswi disini masih banyak yang belum bisa membaca SD kelas 6 saja mereka belum bisa membaca secara baik dan jelas ada pula yang belum bisa membaca tulisannya sendiri.Program Calistung ini dijalankan oleh 3 orang mahasiswa dari Universitas Muhammadiyah Mataram di sekolah sanggar bimbingan belajar SB Sentul selama kurang lebih 4 minggu, dengan program ini, mahasiswa berhasil memperkenalkan huruf kepada siswa-siswi SB sentul, ketika diberikan tugas hampir semuanya mendapatkan nilai 100, oleh karena itu setiap hari mereka meminta PR untuk dikerjakan agar mereka fokus pada materi pembelajaran. Pengenalan budaya Indonesia juga kita terapkan kepada siswa SB sentul agar mereka paham mengenai budaya yang ada di Indonesia terutama pakaian daerah, alat musik daerah, makanan khas daerah, dan rumah khas daerah di Indonesia. Tidak lupa pula kami selalu berusaha memberikan yang terbaik untuk anak Indonesia agar kelak mereka menjadi orang yang luar bisa berguna bagi Nusa dan bangsa.
Decentralized Scheduling and Dispatch Control for the Traditional Labor-Intensive Assembly System
Authors: RAHARNO Sri , YOSEPHINE Vina Sari , HARTONO Rachmad , SETIAWAN Ari
Published: March 2024

The fourth industrial revolution has broadly transformed the manufacturing system. However, this transformation is somewhat lacking in traditional or manual production systems due to the absence of IT infrastructure. Such traditional industries need to have the advantage of real-time control and monitoring. This study has developed economic assembly planning, scheduling, and control for a traditional assembly system. We used the concept of the configurable virtual workstation as the digitalization framework. Then, we employed the decentralized scheduling concept to reduce the computational effort in scheduling the complex product. The implementation result showed that scheduling and planning have transformed the traditional assembly process into intelligent scheduling and control with low digitalization effort
Ohmic heating application with different electric fields on inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes in protein-enriched cow milk
Authors: Ayyıldız R.Y. , Kahraman H.A.
Published: March 2024

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of an ohmic heating (OH) process with different electric field intensities on Listeria monocytogenes inactivation in protein-enriched cow milk. Protein powder was added at rates of 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% in 1.5% fat content milk, and L. monocytogenes (ATCC 13932) strain was then inoculated into the samples. The OH process was carried out in a laboratory-type pilot unit created using stainless steel electrodes, a K-type thermocouple, a datalogger and power supply providing AC current at 0-250 V, 10 A. The inoculated milk samples were heated to 63°C by applying an electric field intensity of 10V/cm and 20V/cm. L. monocytogenes counts, pH, color measurement and hydroxymethylfurfurol levels were then determined. OH applied with an electric field intensity of 10 V/cm caused an average decrease of 5 logs in L. monocytogenes level in the samples containing 2.5% protein and decreased below the detection limit (<1 log) at the 9th minute (p<0.05). Similarly, application of an electric field intensity of 20 V/cm in milk containing 2.5% and 5% protein caused the L.monocytogenes level to decrease below the detection limit (<1 log) at 2 minutes 30 seconds (p<0.05). No change was observed in the L* (brightness) values of the samples but it was determined that there was a slight increase in pH, a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values compared to the control group. It was observed that the inactivation of L. monocytogenes by OH depends on the duration of the OH process, protein concentration in the milk and the applied voltage gradient.
Establishment and application of a reverse dot blot assay for 13 mutations of hearing-loss genes in primary hospitals in China
Authors: Jiang Qing-Qing , Zhu Juan-Juan , Fan Shu-Ling , Hou Ya-Ping , Hu Xie-Ying , Shi Jie , Wu Lei , Luo Ying
Published: March 2024

Background

Hearing loss is a common sensorineural dysfunction with a high incidence in China. Although genetic factors are important causes of hearing loss, hearing-related gene detection has not been widely adopted in China.

Objective

Establishing a rapid and efficient method to simultaneously detect hotspot hearing loss gene mutations.

Methods

A reverse dot blot assay combined with a flow-through hybridization technique was developed for the simultaneous detection of 13 hotspot mutations of 4 hearing loss–related genes including GJB2, GJB3, SLC26A4, and the mitochondrial gene MT-RNR1. This method involved PCR amplification systems and a hybridization platform.

Results

The technique can detect 13 hotspot mutations of 4 hearing loss–related genes. And a total of 213 blood samples were used to evaluate the availability of this method.

Discussion

Our reverse dot blot assay was a simple, rapid, accurate, and cost-effective method to identify hotspot mutations of 4 hearing loss–related genes in a Chinese population.
Speed of Light or Composition of Velocities
Authors: Sablik Maciej
Published: March 2024

We analyze in our paper questions of the theory of relativity. We approach this theory from the point of view of velocities and their composition. This is where the functional equations appear. Solving them leads to a world where velocities are bounded from above, the upper bound being exactly the “speed of light”.
On Functions with Monotonic Differences
Authors: Rajba Teresa
Published: March 2024

Motivated by the Szostok problem on functions with monotonic differences (2005, 2007), we consider a-Wright convex functions as a generalization of Wright convex functions. An application of these results to obtain new proofs of known results as well as new results is presented.
The attitudes of Polish nurses towards patients with alcohol-related problems and the subsequent impact on care delivery
Authors: Babiarczyk Beata , Jonkisz Dorota , Jaksz-Recmanik Ewelina
Published: March 2024

Aim. To analyse the attitudes of nursing staff towards patients with co-occurring alcohol problems.

Material and methods. The study was conducted among 120 nurses working in a tertiary hospital in the Podbeskidzie region (Poland). A diagnostic survey was used with self-administered questionnaire as the research tool.

Results. The number of 93.3% of the respondents confirmed that they had addicts among their patients. The respondents believe that the education and social status of addicted patients (41.8%) and their gender (54%) are important in the way they are treated by medical staff and affect the quality of service provided. The attitudes and feelings of the respondents, when caring for patients with co-occurring alcohol problems, are most often negative or indifferent.

Conclusions. In clinical reality, there is stigmatization and a rather unfavourable or indifferent attitude towards patients with an accompanying alcohol problem. Nursing staff find working with an alcoholic challenging and do not treat patients with co-existing alcohol use disorder on an equal footing with patients suffering from other disease entities.
Knowledge of Healthcare Workers Regarding Road Traffic Child Safety in South Bačka District, Serbia
Authors: Rajčević Smiljana , Vuković Vladimir , Štrbac Mirjana , Pustahija Tatjana , Šušnjević Sonja , Radić Ivana , Petrović Radmila , Jovanović Marijana , Ristić Mioljub
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Healthcare workers (HCW) can have an important role in educating parents about child road safety, but research on the topic shows that they usually do not have adequate knowledge. Thus, the aim of our study was to analyze their knowledge in the field of child road safety.

Methods

The cross-sectional study was conducted among HCW from South Bačka district, Serbia, using a specially created questionnaire for assessing knowledge on road traffic injuries in children.

Results

The research involved the participation of 317 healthcare workers (86 physicians and 231 nurses). Healthcare workers from primary healthcare made up almost 70% of all respondents, followed by those from tertiary (21.8%) and secondary (11.3%) level institutions. The average percentage of correct answers on the knowledge test was 74.3% (mean=22.3, SD=4.0). Out of all respondents, HCWs employed in the paediatrics department had a significantly higher percentage of correct answers at 77.7% (mean=23.3, SD=3.4) compared to other health workers at 73% (mean=21.9, SD=4.1) (p=0.002). Association analysis demonstrated that HCW employed at paediatric departments on average scored 1.37 (95% CI: 0.40–2.33, p=0.006) points higher in comparison with other HCW.

Conclusion

This research demonstrated an unsatisfactory level of knowledge on child road safety by HCW, and the variability across different question domains, which underlines the need for continuous educations in order to improve their knowledge. Our results may serve in planning additional public health measures and can provide a reference for future studies.
Measuring Women’s Satisfaction with Childbirth: A Literature Review of Measurement Properties
Authors: Ratislavová Kateřina , Horová Jana , Marek Patrice
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of the quality of care provided. Evaluating women’s satisfaction with childbirth is essential to improving obstetric care and ensuring a positive experience for mothers and newborns. The tools used to measure women’s satisfaction with childbirth are very heterogeneous and multidimensional. Assessment tools used in practice should be tested and meet characteristics that are consistently validated.

The aim is to identify currently available instruments measuring women’s satisfaction with childbirth and to evaluate their structure, content and psychometric properties.

Methods

A systematic search for sources was carried out according to the criteria set. For the included studies, psychometric properties were assessed in accordance with the principles of the guideline for completing systematic reviews of patient-reported outcome measures, COSMIN.

Results

The review included 31 studies that reported the psychometric properties of six measurement instruments (questionnaires, scales). Content validity, structural validity, internal consistency, reliability and cross-cultural validity were assessed for the included studies. The Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ/CEQ2) and Birth Satisfaction Scale - Revised (BSS-R) were the most commonly used questionnaires in the studies.

Conclusions

Thorough testing of tools measuring women’s satisfaction with childbirth, and adapting them to cultural and social contexts, is still essential. It is crucial that valid and reliable questionnaires are available for midwives in practice, for use in research, to inform clinical practice and for the results to help develop the services offered.
Environmental Auditing and its Importance for Socio-Environmental Management in Organizations
Authors: Luciano Bernardo Hamuyela , Silva Viviane Lima , Hansel Tiago Fernando , Carvalho Ana Luisa Gordiano de , Silva Natália Eduarda da , Mezzomo Agnaldo Luiz , Freitas Claudio Luiz de , Deitos Tandara , Bittencourt Wanderley José Mantovani , Pinto Sérgio Roberto
Published: March 2024

Objective: To analyze the importance of environmental audit for the effectiveness of the socio-environmental management of companies.
 
Methodology: The research consisted of a systematic review of scientific articles on the SciELO and Google Academic platforms, using specific keywords related to environmental audit and socio-environmental management. The inclusion criteria selected only scientific articles in Portuguese, available entirely on the internet and published between 2018 and 2023, excluding other types of studies and those that did not directly address the relationship between the themes.
 
Results and data analysis: The analysis of the texts highlights the importance of environmental audits for organizations, highlighting their essential role in socio-environmental management. These audits not only identify areas of risk and ensure compliance with regulations, but also promote continuous improvements and an organizational culture focused on sustainability. In addition to boosting operational efficiency and reducing costs, they strengthen reputation and confer competitive advantages in the marketplace. While the disadvantages, such as associated costs, are recognized, the benefits of audits are considered crucial for the sustainable success of companies.
 
Conclusion: Thus, it is concluded that environmental audits emerge as indispensable tools to mitigate environmental risks, promote sustainability and ensure competitiveness, meeting the growing social and legal demands. It highlights the need for future research to deepen the understanding of environmental audits and their practical applicability in different organizational contexts, emphasizing the importance of incorporating environmental responsibility into the strategic vision of companies.
Physical-Chemical Properties of First-Generation Biofuel Aiming Application in Diesel Locomotive
Authors: Hilário Caio Vieira , Campos Julio Cesar Costa , Siqueira Antonio Marcos de Oliveira , Leite Maurício de Oliveira , Martins Márcio Aredes , Brito Rogério Fernandes , Fetuga Ibrahim Ademola , Abderrahmane Khechekhouche
Published: March 2024

Theoretical framework: A biodiesel fuel is made from long-chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oil or animal fat. Similarities between physical-chemical characteristics of diesel and biodiesel make their mixture feasible. Environmental benefits achieved by using biofuels to drive machines has increased their contribution in energetic matrixes.
 
Objective: The aim of this research is to produce soybean and sunflower biodiesel in the laboratory using a transesterification reaction and to examine the biodiesel specifications for utilization in compression ignition engines.
 
Method: The physical-chemical properties of the biodiesel measured in the present work are density, viscosity, cetane index, flash point, pour point, and cloud point.
 
Results and conclusion: For soybean and sunflower biodiesel, density (867 kg/m³, 860 kg/m³), viscosity (5.29 mm²/s, 5.30 mm²/s), Centane index (53.88, 55.66), flash point (187°C and 135.6°C) are reported respectively. Regarding the pour point, cloud point, were only determined for sunflower biodiesel, respectively, -2°C and 13°C. The results indicate that these properties, density, kinematic viscosity, flash point, as determined from the soybean and sunflower biodiesel are within the limits established by The Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels, Resolution No. 45 of the ANP of 08/25/2014 – DOU 08/26/2014. These values are, respectively, 850-900 kg/m³, 3-6 mm²/s, at least 100°C.The produced biodiesel presented behavior similar to diesel S10 proving its viability of use.
 
Research implications: As a result of such thorough research, we are able to compare many characteristics of soybean and sunflower biodiesel with commercial diesel S10. This research is critical to the performance evaluation of a compression ignition engine and the potential reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional diesel.
Food Waste Management on Restaurants in Jakarta
Authors: Nathalia Theodosia C. , Hapsara Vriandi , Pramono Rudy
Published: March 2024

Objective: The purposes of this study were to explain restaurant’s policy on its procedure of food waste, to identify whether restaurant has policy of donating leftover food, to explore how restaurant train and communicate to their employees about restaurant waste disposal standard, and to understand what chefs consider to be the toughest challenges in reducing food waste.   Theoretical  Framework: The theoretical framework used by the restaurant operational control cycle and Waste Reduction Method   Method: In this research the approach used is a qualitative approach. Data collection in this study are using  interviews to Demi Chef to Executive Chef have managerial responsibilities in kitchen operations. The transcripts that have been made are analyzed using thematic coding so that data that was previously unsystematic or can be further simplified and grouped so that it is easier to understand better. The quotes from interviews will be used to propose the final description then eventually the differences made between the samples taken can be seen.   Result: The result of the study that food waste disposal procedures, not all have separated and weighed food waste from their restaurants. Two main problems, which were their guests and their staffs. They won’t be able to control their guests and on the other hand, it was rather a tougher challenge to raise staff awareness of the importance of reducing food waste.   Implications: It was important to educate business actors and all those involved in it, as well as all community about reducing food waste as what we are facing now is lack of knowledge about appropriate ways to measure food waste.   Originality/Value: The results of this study contribute to the theory of waste management in hotel restaurants from a restaurant management perspective.
Die Selbstbehauptung der politischen Freiheit - Karl Jaspers’ politische Philosophie und ihre Aktualität
Authors: Imdahl Hermann
Published: March 2024

Erstarkende autokratische Regime, zunehmende politisch extreme Bewegungen und sich ausweitende internationale Konflikte – die Bestandsaufnahme der politischen Gegenwart ist alarmierend. Grund genug, sich mit einem Klassiker der politischen Philosophie – Karl Jaspers – die Grundlagen des demokratischen Rechtsstaates und der Idee der Freiheit zu vergegenwärtigen und für sie zu streiten.
Hermann Imdahl zeigt, wie Jaspers den Begriff der existentiellen Freiheit in der «Existenzerhellung» herausarbeitet, um nach der Katastrophe des Nationalsozialismus den Begriff der politischen Freiheit als Weiterführung der existentiellen Freiheit zu entfalten. In «Wohin treibt die Bundesrepublik?» analysiert Jaspers den Verwirklichungsgrad der existentiellen und politischen Freiheit. Der Frage nach dem Verwirklichungsgrad beider Freiheitsformen geht Imdahl nach bis hin zu den befreienden Kommunikationsschüben und den die Gesellschaft gefährdenden extremen Polarisierungen.
MEDIA POP-UP BOOK TIPE SHARED UNTUK SISWA KELAS IV SEKOLAH DASAR
Authors: Anshori Moh. Toriqatul , Meita Nisfil Maghfiroh , Sari Tita Tanjung , Nisa Khairun
Published: March 2024

Kurikulum 2013 mengemas pembelajaran dalam bentuk tematik, namun masih banyak media pembelajaran non-tematik di sekolah dasar. Tujuan penelitian adalah mengembangkan med ia pop- up book tipe shared untuk kelas IV sekolah dasar. Penelitian ini menggunakan 7 dari 10 tahapan model pengembangan Borg and Gall. Ukuran Pop-Up Book A5, 2 Dimensi dengan kertas foto paper 260 gsm, terdiri dari 6 pembelajaran pada Tema 8 subtema 1 “Lingkungan Tempat Tinggalku”, tematik Tipe Shared (dua mata pelajaran) pada setiap pembelajaran. Media Pop-Up Book Tema 8 Subtema. Instrumen yang digunakan yaitu: 1) Validasi media dan materi; serta 2) Angket respon siswa. Data yang diperoleh dianalisis sesuai dengan persentase kriteria kelayakan media, materi, dan respon siswa. Hasil persentase validasi media sebesar 100% dan validasi materi sebesar 95% dengan kategori sesuai dan tidak revisi. Tahap uji coba terbatas dengan 6 siswa kelas IV sekolah dasar dengan persentase respon siswa sebesar 97,5% (sangat baik).