bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Large Language Models to Understand Suicidality in a Social Media–Based Taxonomy of Mental Health Disorders: Linguistic Analysis of Reddit Posts
Authors: Bauer Brian , Norel Raquel , Leow Alex , Rached Zad Abi , Wen Bo , Cecchi Guillermo
Published: March 2024

Background

Rates of suicide have increased by over 35% since 1999. Despite concerted efforts, our ability to predict, explain, or treat suicide risk has not significantly improved over the past 50 years.

Objective

The aim of this study was to use large language models to understand natural language use during public web-based discussions (on Reddit) around topics related to suicidality.

Methods

We used large language model–based sentence embedding to extract the latent linguistic dimensions of user postings derived from several mental health–related subreddits, with a focus on suicidality. We then applied dimensionality reduction to these sentence embeddings, allowing them to be summarized and visualized in a lower-dimensional Euclidean space for further downstream analyses. We analyzed 2.9 million posts extracted from 30 subreddits, including r/SuicideWatch, between October 1 and December 31, 2022, and the same period in 2010.

Results

Our results showed that, in line with existing theories of suicide, posters in the suicidality community (r/SuicideWatch) predominantly wrote about feelings of disconnection, burdensomeness, hopeless, desperation, resignation, and trauma. Further, we identified distinct latent linguistic dimensions (well-being, seeking support, and severity of distress) among all mental health subreddits, and many of the resulting subreddit clusters were in line with a statistically driven diagnostic classification system—namely, the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP)—by mapping onto the proposed superspectra.

Conclusions

Overall, our findings provide data-driven support for several language-based theories of suicide, as well as dimensional classification systems for mental health disorders. Ultimately, this novel combination of natural language processing techniques can assist researchers in gaining deeper insights about emotions and experiences shared on the web and may aid in the validation and refutation of different mental health theories.
Telehealth Care Through Internet Hospitals in China: Qualitative Interview Study of Physicians’ Views on Access, Expectations, and Communication (Preprint)
Authors: Zhong Yuqiong , Hahne Jessica , Wang Xiaomin , Wang Xuxi , Wu Ying , Zhang Xin , Liu Xing
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

Internet hospitals in China are an emerging medical service model similar to other telehealth models used worldwide. Internet hospitals are currently in a stage of rapid development, giving rise to a series of new opportunities and challenges for patient care. Little research has examined the views of chronic disease physicians regarding internet hospitals in China.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to explore the experience and views of chronic disease physicians at 3 tertiary hospitals in Changsha, China, regarding opportunities and challenges in internet hospital care.

METHODS

We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with physicians (n=26) who had experience working in internet hospitals affiliated with chronic disease departments in 3 tertiary hospitals in Changsha, Hunan province, south central China. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by content analysis using NVivo software (version 11; Lumivero).

RESULTS

Physicians emphasized that internet hospitals expand opportunities to conduct follow-up care and health education for patients with chronic illnesses. However, physicians described disparities in access for particular groups of patients, such as patients who are older, patients with lower education levels, patients with limited internet or technology access, and rural patients. Physicians also perceived a gap between patients’ expectations and the reality of limitations regarding both physicians’ availability and the scope of services offered by internet hospitals, which raised challenges for doctor-patient boundaries and trust. Physicians noted challenges in doctor-patient communication related to comprehension and informed consent in internet hospital care.

CONCLUSIONS

This study explored the experience and views of physicians in 3 tertiary hospitals in Changsha, China, regarding access to care, patients’ expectations versus the reality of services, and doctor-patient communication in internet hospital care. Findings from this study highlight the need for physician training in telehealth communication skills, legislation regulating informed consent in telehealth care, public education clarifying the scope of internet hospital services, and design of internet hospitals that is informed by the needs of patient groups with barriers to access, such as older adults.
Patient Perspectives on Communication Pathways After Orthopedic Surgery and Discharge and Evaluation of Team-Based Digital Communication: Qualitative Exploratory Study (Preprint)
Authors: Jensen Lili Worre Høpfner , Rahbek Ole , Lauritsen Rikke Emilie Kildahl , Kold Søren , Dinesen Birthe
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

The transition from hospital to home after orthopedic surgery requires smooth communication and coordination between patients and their team of care to avoid fragmented care pathways. Digital communication is increasingly being used to facilitate easy and accessible asynchronous communication between patients and health care professionals across settings. A team-based approach to digital communication may provide optimized quality of care in the postoperative period following orthopedic surgery and hospital discharge.

OBJECTIVE

This study was divided into two phases that aimed to (1) explore the perspectives of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery on current communication pathways at a tertiary hospital in Denmark and (2) test and explore patients’ experiences and use of team-based digital communication following hospital discharge (eDialogue).

METHODS

A triangulation of qualitative data collection techniques was applied: document analysis, participant observations (n=16 hours), semistructured interviews with patients before (n=31) and after (n=24) their access to eDialogue, and exploration of use data.

RESULTS

Findings show that patients experience difficult communication pathways after hospital discharge and a lack of information due to inadequate coordination of care. eDialogue was used by 84% (26/31) of the patients, and they suggested that it provided a sense of security, coherence, and proximity in the aftercare rearranging communication pathways for the better. Specific drivers and barriers to use were identified, and these call for further exploration of eDialogue.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, patients evaluated eDialogue positively and suggested that it could support them after returning home following orthopedic surgery.
Impact of Virtual Reality–Based Group Activities on Activity Level and Well-Being Among Older Adults in Nursing Homes: Longitudinal Exploratory Study (Preprint)
Authors: Li Yijun , Wilke Carlotta , Shiyanov Irina , Muschalla Beate
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

In addition to illness, inactivity is a risk factor for high mortality in nursing homes. Using innovative technology, such as virtual reality (VR), for meaningful group activities could provide new opportunities for solving this problem. VR interventions have already been approved as a promising method for enhancing the health of older adults.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we examined whether VR-based group activities can have a positive impact on activity level and group interaction among older adults living in nursing homes.

METHODS

We conducted a longitudinal study and provided VR interventions as a group activity once a week for 4 consecutive weeks in nursing homes. Participants were recruited based on the experience of the nursing staff members and the natural decisions of the older adults. Within a virtual cottage, designed according to the needs of the target group, older adults were able to perform daily tasks that they were no longer able to do in real life, such as gardening and making pizza. Overall, 2 psychologists measured the psychosocial capacities, activities of daily life, and well-being before and after the interventions using standardized instruments.

RESULTS

The results focus on a total of 84 older adults from 14 nursing homes who completed at least 3 VR interventions. The results indicate that several psychosocial capacities among the older adults improved, including adherence to regulations (P<.001; η²=0.122), flexibility (P<.001; η²=0.109), and group integration (P<.001; η²=0.141). Problems related to competence also showed a slight decrease (P=.04; η²=0.039). In addition, the VR intervention promoted their proactivity (P<.001; η²=0.104) and mobility (P=.04; η²=0.039). During the VR group intervention, older adults’ well-being could be maintained at a high level. The results highlight the beneficial effects of VR intervention as a meaningful activity in nursing homes, showcasing the potential of VR applications in this setting.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a novel and naturalistic perspective, offering new insights into the use of VR in nursing homes. The VR intervention was well accepted and fulfilled the aim of enhancing capacity and well-being. It could be a meaningful group activity in nursing homes to improve social group interaction. To provide stronger evidence, randomized controlled trials are necessary.

CLINICALTRIAL
Preferences for mHealth Intervention to Address Mental Health Challenges Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Nepal: Qualitative Study (Preprint)
Authors: Gautam Kamal , Aguilar Camille , Paudel Kiran , Dhakal Manisha , Wickersham Jeffrey A , Acharya Bibhav , Sapkota Sabitri , Deuba Keshab , Shrestha Roman
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately burdened by poor mental health. Despite the increasing burden, evidence-based interventions for MSM are largely nonexistent in Nepal.

OBJECTIVE

This study explored mental health concerns, contributing factors, barriers to mental health care and support, and preferred interventions to improve access to and use of mental health support services among MSM in Nepal.

METHODS

We conducted focus groups with MSM in Kathmandu, Nepal, in January 2023. In total, 28 participants took part in 5 focus group sessions. Participants discussed several topics related to the mental health issues they experienced, factors contributing to these issues, and their suggestions for potential interventions to address existing barriers. The discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using Dedoose (version 9.0.54; SocioCultural Research Consultants, LLC) software for thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Participants reported substantial mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and behaviors. Contributing factors included family rejection, isolation, bullying, stigma, discrimination, and fear of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Barriers to accessing services included cost, lack of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and asexual (LGBTIQA+)–friendly providers, and the stigma associated with mental health and sexuality. Participants suggested a smartphone app with features such as a mental health screening tool, digital consultation, helpline number, directory of LGBTIQA+-friendly providers, mental health resources, and a discussion forum for peer support as potential solutions. Participants emphasized the importance of privacy and confidentiality to ensure mobile apps are safe and accessible.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study have potential transferability to other low-resource settings facing similar challenges. Intervention developers can use these findings to design tailored mobile apps to facilitate mental health care delivery and support for MSM and other marginalized groups.
AI-empowered Imagery Writing: Integrating AI-generated Imagery Into Digital Mental Health Service (Preprint)
Authors: Hu Chao , Zhang Ning , Lin Zhicheng , Ji Li-Jun
Published: March 2024

UNSTRUCTURED

The value of digital mental health services has been recently recognized. Nevertheless, the potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) still needs to be explored, particularly concerning AI-generated imagery. Thus, we propose a novel paradigm termed "AI-empowered imagery writing" (AIW). AIW leverages AI's generative capacity to create real-time customized art imagery that specifically responds to the content of the writer's input text. The synergistic combination of expressive writing with visual art generation can enhance therapeutic outcomes by facilitating vicarious empathy, vicarious emotional expression, metacognitive gains, and exploring alternative perspectives that promote psychological growth. As a low-cost, scalable intervention, AIW is well-suited for broad application in enhancing public mental health, especially during social crises. To fully realize these benefits, future research can investigate the impact of AIW on writers' mental visualization skills and identify optimal implementation strategies.
Exploring Korea s Horse Riding Education through the Case Analysis of Horse Riding Education in Germany
Authors:   Korean Association For Learner-Centered Curriculum And Instruction, Ju SungSoon
Published: March 2024

This study aims to present basic information and implications for the introduction of horse riding education as a school sport through the case analysis of school horse riding education in Germany. The main contents of the study were the state level horse riding education system in Germany, the system of horse riding education at the different level of schools, the contents of the school horse riding education, the competence of the school horse riding class teacher, and the operation of school horse riding education. This study conducted a mixed case analysis by choosing cases of horse riding education in Germany, which can contribute to Korean school riding education and is
considered to be worthy of analysis. It concluded that it is necessary to reflect the content of physical education department and strengthen autonomy of metropolitan government for the practice of school horse riding education, to organize close relation with school horse riding education and link with local horse riding entities, to develop
teaching materials and to train teachers for school horse riding training, and finally strengthen education support and safe riding education environment. It further suggested the active role of Korean Racing Authority and Korea Equestrian Federation, development of textbooks for elementary and secondary school, strengthening linkage
between school and equestrian facilities, and improving publicity and awareness about horse riding.
Theses to Agvan Dorzhiev’s Report at the First International Buddhist Exhibition Expected in 1927 in Leningrad
Authors: Baradin Bazar , Nesterkin Sergei P.
Published: March 2024

The publication presents for the first time the B. Baradin’s theses to A. Dorzhiev’s lecture that was supposed to be delivered at the international Buddhist exhibition in Leningrad in 1927. A. Dorzhiev was a famous Buryat lama who received the academic title of Geshe (the highest philosophical academic degree in the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism) upon completion of his philosophical education in the monasteries of Mongolia and Tibet. After 1918, he was involved in organizational issues of the Buddhist Sangha in Russia. B. Baradin was an academic scientist and public figure, a professor at St. Petersburg University, and the author of studies on the history and teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. After the revolution of 1917, he began working in Buryatia in various administrative positions, focusing on the organization of the scientific and cultural life of the Republic. Their main idea is that the modern world consists of the two equal parts - East and West, unification of which is possible and even necessary for the further development of humanity. The system-forming teaching of the East is Buddhism; and the lecture hold on those aspects of Buddhist philosophy that could be compared with the teachings of the West. Four points are highlighted: 1) Buddhism is comparable to Darwin’s theory in that both consider humans in the context of all living beings in an evolutionary manner; 2) Buddhism, like science, accepts the determinism principle; 3) the Buddhist concept of shunya is similar to the relativistic principles of physics; and 4) the system of Buddhist psychotechniques is similar to the theory of reflexology. B. Baradin concludes that Indo-Buddhist culture and European culture are complementary and their rapprochement will bring us closer to a truly universal culture. The theses mentioned here are, apparently, the first systematic exposition of the views of neo-Buddhists-renewalists on the points of convergence between Buddhist and Western cultures.
Are the Ideals of Rationality Rational? On the Experimenter’s Regress, the Theoretician’s Regress, and the Epistemologist’s Progress
Authors: Stoliarova Olga E.
Published: March 2024

The research is devoted to the problem of philosophically justifying rationality, which inevitably takes the form of a circular argument: to define what rationality is, we must refrain from referring to its criteria, which must be rationally defined beforehand. This epistemic circle is compared to the so-called “experimenter’s regress”. The experimenter’s regress involves reasoning in which judging the correctness of obtained scientific results can only be based on the correctness of the procedure of obtaining them and judging the correctness of the procedure of obtaining them can only be done by relying on the obtained results. From the perspective of social researchers of science, the experimenter’s (and the theoretician’s) regress casts a shadow on traditional theories of rationality that take science as a model of rational knowledge. The research analyzes the experimenter’s regress in the context of virtuous and vicious circles. It is shown that the experimenter’s regress is overcome by turning to external factors. These factors are proposed to be interpreted in terms of extended rationality. By analyzing the experimenter’s regress, social epistemologists consciously or unconsciously rationalize these “external” factors and enrich the concept of rationality. This allows qualifying the circle described by rationality in defining itself as virtuous and the work of the epistemologist as a progressive activity, during which both epistemology and its subject undergo qualitative changes.
The Image of C.S. Peirce in Russian Philosophy: From the History of the Creation of the “Canon” of American Philosophers
Authors: Vanchugov Vasily V.
Published: March 2024

The study presents the Russian historical-philosophical process in the context of the discovery of a new object, themes, personae, set of reactions and formation of a product for the intellectual community. The author's reliance on philosophical empirical material and appropriate hermeneutics in its processing allows the author to highlight those factors that influenced individual and collective reception. The author sees as a convenient case study the “discovery” by the Russian philosophical community of the early 20th century of both American philosophy in general and C.S. Peirce in particular. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Russian thinkers have turned their attention to American philosophy in all the diversity of its manifestations. Russian intellectuals paid special attention to American pragmatism and everything associated with it. In Russia, in addition to translations, numerous reviews of foreign publications on this topic are appearing. Of particular interest to us in the Russian “collective reflection” of American ideas is the system of preferences for ideas, texts, events, and names. The point is that what might have been a priority for a European thinker, for a Russian one turned out to be on the “periphery” of his consciousness, as well as vice versa. While James appeared among the priority figures for Russian thinkers, Peirce was in his “shadow”. Using rich empirical material, the author shows all the stages of Peirce’s image formation in the Russian intellectual community. The research shows that “image” of Peirce, which represents not so much the thinker himself, but characterizes the intellectual community that turned to him. The results of the study may be useful both for contemporary foreign and Russian interpreters of Peirce and for historians of philosophy who are rethinking the past and forming in the present new objects of reception and reflection.
Philosophy, Governance and Law in the System of Social Action: Moral and Instrumental Problems of Genetic Research
Authors: Przhilenskiy Vladimir I.
Published: March 2024

The research analyzes the process of formation of the ethics committee as a new institution in the system of regulation of genetic research. The external factors of this process are the increasing digitalization of medical and research practices, as well as the special situation that is developing in the field of genomic research and the use of genetic technologies, where issues of philosophy, jurisprudence and administration have generated many fundamentally new, and sometimes unexpected contexts. The author shows the similarity and difference of approaches to the inclusion of the ethics committee in the national regulatory systems of different countries and determines the prospects for further integration of the new institution into normative and administrative-regulatory and law enforcement practices. The research applies all the main methods of system analysis and structural and functional analysis, as well as the comparative legal method. At the stage of generalization of empirical material, the author turns to the means and methods of philosophical phenomenology and phenomenological sociology. The study revealed that the ethics committee may have different institutional and regulatory functions in a variety of management and legal systems. Being hybrid in nature, the ethics committee performs various functions, and in various state legal systems and traditions it can combine elements of legislative, executive and judicial power. At times, the ethics committee may go beyond the scope of both a purely administrative and exclusively legal regulator. All this indicates that the integration of this institution into the legal system and into a variety of social practices is far from being completed.
Mahayana Philosophy: Problems and Research
Authors: Lysenko Victoria G.
Published: March 2024

The introduction to the topic of this issue is an overview of the research articles authored by Russian, Lithuanian, and Indian scholars on various problems of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. While explaining the status of the terms “Mahāyāna” and “Hīnayāna,” the author emphasizes that since they are represent the apologetic conceptualizations of Mahayanists, the appellation “Hīnayāna” (“Lesser Vehicle”, etc.) is not recognized either by those Buddhists who are supposed to be characterized by it, or by scholars striving for a neutral appellation. This creates difficulties, including the need for a generally accepted designation for this Buddhist tradition. However, despite the apologetic nature of the Mahāyāna - Hīnayāna opposition, the difference between the two is captured very plausibly. The first one teaches about the individual way of achieving liberation from the cycle of endless rebirths (saṃsāra) through a personal, individual self-perfection (the path of the arhat) leading to enlightenment (bodhi) and nirvāṇa (extinction of passions). The second one develops a full-fledged religion with its own pantheon and rituals, in which nirvāṇa and individual liberation, while remaining, more or less theoretically, the ultimate goal, are pushed to a distant plane. At the same time, the idea of compassion and the ideal of bodhisattva who, having taken a vow to help all living beings to get rid of sufferings, continues to remain in saṃsāra, is put forward in the center. However, despite this major difference a Buddhist discipline known as Abhidharma which consists in analysis and classification of discrete states of consciousness (dharmas), identified in meditation, remains a reference point in both traditions. Three authors touch upon it (Helen Ostrovskaya, Pradeep Gokhale, and Vladimir Korobov). Two of them (Ostrovskaya and Gokhale) focus on the problems of murder and death, and the third one (Korobov) dwells on the methodology of Abhidharma. Vladimir Ivanov offers a new interpretation of the structure of Śāntarakṣita’s treatise “Tattva-saṃgraha” with Kamalaśīla’s “Pañjikā” commentary. Yangutov and Lepekhov explore the specificity of Buddhism reception in China, Tibet, Mongolia, and Russia. Nesterkin publishes for the first time B. Baradiin’s theses for Agvan Dordjiev’s lecture, which exemplifies the Buryat Buddhist Renovationists’ interpretation of Buddhism. Burmistrov analyzes the views of Indian historians of philosophy on the history of Buddhism, Volkova - the concepts of Buddhist ethics in contemporary analytical philosophy.
Historiography of Yogācāra Philosophy in 20th Century India
Authors: Burmistrov Sergei L.
Published: March 2024

Paradigms of historiography of philosophy in India have being changed since late 19th c. till present, depending on the social and cultural context of the history of Indian philosophy as a part of contemporary Indian culture. This change manifests itself in the conceptions of Indian historians concerning the teaching of Buddhist Mahāyāna school of Yogācāra (4th c. and later). Historians of colonial times, basing themselves on the philosophy of Neovedаntism (S. Radhakrishnan, S. Dasgupta), regarded Buddhism as a derivate of late Vedic culture and Yogācāra as a teaching that reflected - though in an essentially transmuted form - the ideology of Upaniṣads. The latter, according to Neovedantists, was based on the postulate of the existence of the single cosmic soul - Brahman, the true human Self (Ātman) being identical to it. Historians of the late colonial and early postcolonial times (P.T. Raju, D.P. Chattopadhyaya, A.K. Chatterjee, partly also S. Dasgupta) brought Yogācāra closer to the teachings of European idealism, mainly to conceptions of G. Berkeley, G.W.F. Hegel, F. Bradley, J.E. McTaggart, trying to demonstrate a principal identity of fundamental problems in Indian and Western philosophy. At the same time, they brought Yogācāra together with the teaching of Brāhmaṇic school, Advaita Vedānta, regarded as another form of Indian idealism. In later times, following the evolution of contemporary Indian culture and changings in its social and political context, historians like D.J. Kalupahana became to analyze Yogācāra as a kind of philosophy of mind. All these facts show the dependence of strategies of historico-philosophical studies in India on its social, political and cultural context: in the Yogācāra teaching mainly those aspects call attention that a historian sees as the closest to the problematic field of contemporary philosophy.
Revisiting Machine Learning Approaches for Short- and Longwave Radiation Inference in Weather and Climate Models, Part II: Online Performance
Authors: Bertoli Guillaume , Mohebi Salman , Ozdemir Firat , Jucker Jonas , Rüdisühli Stefan , Perez-Cruz Fernando , Schemm Sebastian
Published: March 2024

This paper continues the exploration of \gls{ml}
parameterization for radiative transfer for the
\gls{icon}. Three \gls{ml} models,
developed in Part I of this study, are coupled to
\gls{icon}. More specifically, a UNet model and a
bidirectional \gls{rnn} with
\gls{lstm} are compared against a random forest. The
\gls{ml} parameterizations are coupled to the
\gls{icon} code that includes OpenACC compiler
directives to enable \glspl{gpu} support. The coupling
is done through Infero, developed by ECMWF, and PyTorch-Fortran. The
most accurate model is the bidirectional \gls{rnn} with
physics-informed normalization strategy and heating rate penalty, but
the fluxes above 15\,km height are computed with a
simplified formula for numerical stability reasons. The presented setup
enables stable aquaplanet simulations with \gls{icon}
for several weeks at a resolution of about 80\,km and
compare well with the physics-based radiative transfer solver ecRad.
However, the achieved speed up when using the emulators and the minimum
required memory usage relative to the \gls{gpu}-enabled
ecRad depend strongly on the \gls{nn} architecture.
Future studies may explore physics-constraint emulators that predict
heating rates inside the atmospheric model and fluxes at the top.
An integral transform via the bounded linear operators on abstract wiener space
Authors: Chung Hyun
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we obtain some results of a more rigorous mathematical
structure that can guarantee the orthogonality of an orthogonal set even
when results and formula on abstract Wiener integrals or some transforms
using bounded linear operators. We then establish the existence of an
integral transform on abstract Wiener space. Finally, we obtain some
fundamental formulas with respect to the integral transform involving the
Cameron-Storvick type theorem.
Well-posedness of heat and wave equations generated by Rubin’s q-difference operator in Sobolev spaces
Authors: Shaimardan Serikbol , Persson Lars-Erik , Tokmagambetov Niyaz
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we investigate difference-differential operators of parabolic
and hyperbolic types. Namely, we consider non-homogenous heat and wave
equations for Rubin?s difference operator. Wellposedness results are
obtained in appropriate Sobolev type spaces. In particular, we prove that
the heat and wave equations generated by Rubin?s difference operator have
unique solutions. We even show that these solutions can be represented by
explicit formulas.
Strong laws for weighted sums of some dependent random variables and applications
Authors: Du Menghuan , Miao Yu
Published: March 2024

Let {Xn, n ? 1} be a sequence of random variables satisfying a generalized
Rosenthal type inequality and stochastically dominated by a random variable
X. Let {ani, 1 ? i ? n, n ? 1} be an array of constants. We study the
Marcinkiewicz-Zygmund type strong laws for weighted sums ?n i=1 aniXi under
the condition that the exponential moment of the random variable X exists.
These results are the interesting supplements for some known results. As
statistical applications, we provide the strong consistency of LS estimators
in simple linear EV regression models with widely orthant dependent random
errors.
Role of Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Mitochondrial Oxidative Capacity in Reduced Walk Speed of Older Adults With Diabetes
Authors: Ramos Sofhia V. , Distefano Giovanna , Lui Li-Yung , Cawthon Peggy M. , Kramer Philip , Sipula Ian J. , Bello Fiona M. , Mau Theresa , Jurczak Michael J. , Molina Anthony J. , Kershaw Erin E. , Marcinek David J. , Shankland Eric , Toledo Frederico G.S. , Newman Anne B. , Hepple Russell T. , Kritchevsky Stephen B. , Goodpaster Bret H. , Cummings Steven R. , Coen Paul M.
Published: March 2024

Cardiorespiratory fitness and mitochondrial oxidative capacity are associated with reduced walking speed in older adults, but their impact on walking speed in older adults with diabetes has not been clearly defined. We examined differences in cardiorespiratory fitness and skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity between older adults with and without diabetes, as well as determined their relative contribution to slower walking speed in older adults with diabetes. Participants with diabetes (n = 159) had lower cardiorespiratory fitness and mitochondrial respiration in permeabilized fiber bundles compared with those without diabetes (n = 717), following adjustments for covariates including BMI, chronic comorbid health conditions, and physical activity. Four-meter and 400-m walking speeds were slower in those with diabetes. Mitochondrial oxidative capacity alone or combined with cardiorespiratory fitness mediated ∼20–70% of the difference in walking speed between older adults with and without diabetes. Additional adjustments for BMI and comorbidities further explained the group differences in walking speed. Cardiorespiratory fitness and skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity contribute to slower walking speeds in older adults with diabetes.

Article Highlights
Regression From Early GDM to Normal Glucose Tolerance and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in the Treatment of Booking Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Study
Authors: Simmons David , Immanuel Jincy , Hague William M. , Teede Helena , Nolan Christopher J. , Peek Michael J. , Flack Jeff R. , McLean Mark , Wong Vincent W. , Hibbert Emily J. , Kautzky-Willer Alexandra , Harreiter Jürgen , Backman Helena , Gianatti Emily , Sweeting Arianne , Mohan Viswanathan , Cheung N. Wah ,   TOBOGM Research Group, Simmons David , Cheung N. Wah , Immanuel Jincy , Hague William M. , Teede Helena , Nolan Christopher J. , Peek Michael J. , Flack Jeff R. , McLean Mark , Wong Vincent , Hibbert Emily , Gianatti Emily , Sweeting Arianne , Coat Suzette , Dalal Raiyomand , Soldatos Georgia , Padmanabhan Suja , Rajagopal Rohit , Rudland Victoria , Harreiter Jürgen , Kautzky-Willer Alexandra , Kiss Herbert , Backman Helena , Schwarcz Erik , Ross Glynis , Mohan Viswanathan , Mohan Anjana Ranjit , Ram Uma
Published: March 2024

OBJECTIVE

To compare pregnancy outcomes among women with a normal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) before 20 weeks’ gestation (early) and at 24–28 weeks’ gestation (late) (no gestational diabetes mellitus, or No-GDM), those with early GDM randomized to observation with a subsequent normal OGTT (GDM-Regression), and those with GDM on both occasions (GDM-Maintained).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Women at <20 weeks’ gestation with GDM risk factors who were recruited for a randomized controlled early GDM treatment trial were included. Women with treated early GDM and late GDM (according to the World Health Organization’s 2013 criteria) were excluded from this analysis. Logistic regression compared pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS

GDM-Regression (n = 121) group risk factor profiles and OGTT results generally fell between the No-GDM (n = 2,218) and GDM-Maintained (n = 254) groups, with adjusted incidences of pregnancy complications similar between the GDM-Regression and No-GDM groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with early GDM but normal OGTT at 24–28 weeks’ gestation had pregnancy outcomes that were similar to those of individuals without GDM. Identifying early GDM likely to regress would allow treatment to be avoided.
Contact Allergy to Allergens in the Swedish Baseline Series Overrepresented in Diabetes Patients with Skin Reactions to Medical Devices – A Retrospective Study from Southern Sweden
Authors: Ulriksdotter Josefin , Sukakul Thanisorn , Bruze Magnus , Mowitz Martin , Ofenloch Robert , Svedman Cecilia
Published: March 2024

Allergic contact dermatitis is reported among individuals using continuous glucose monitoring systems and insulin pumps. The aim of this study was to describe contact allergy patterns for allergens in the Swedish baseline series and medical device-related allergens among users. Contact allergy to baseline series allergens and isobornyl acrylate was compared between diabetes patients and dermatitis patients patch-tested at the Department of Occupational and Environmental Dermatology during 2017 to 2020. Fifty- four diabetes patients and 2,567 dermatitis patients were included. The prevalence of contact allergy to fragrance mix II and sesquiterpene lactone mix was significantly higher in diabetes patients compared with dermatitis patients. Of the diabetes patients 13.0% and of the dermatitis patients 0.5% tested positive to sesquiterpene lactone mix (p < 0.001). Of the diabetes patients 7.4% and of the dermatitis patients 2.3% tested positive to fragrance mix II (p = 0.041). Of the diabetes patients 70.4% tested positive to medical device-related allergens. Of the diabetes patients 63.0% and of the dermatitis patients 0.2% were allergic to isobornyl acrylate (p < 0.001). In conclusion, not only medical device-related contact allergies, but also contact allergy to baseline series allergens (fragrance mix II and sesquiterpene lactone mix), is overrepresented in diabetes patients who use medical devices.
Survival rate and death risk for associated pulmonary arterial hypertension: A retrospective population-based study
Authors: Kim Sujin , Jang Shin Yi , Lee Soo Yeon , Seo Su Ra , Yi Seonju , Lee Chang-Kwan , Cho Eun Jeong , Kim Kyeongsug
Published: March 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the survival rate (SR) and death risk for associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (aPAH; 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases [ICD-10], I27.2) in Koreans.Methods: The data were collected from the Korean National Health Insurance Service from 2006 through 2017 (n= 15,448). We analyzed the SR using the Kaplan-Meier method and carried out Cox proportional hazards analyses.Results: Patients’ mean age upon aPAH diagnosis was 60.1±24.0 years, and 60.7% of the patients were female. The 10-year SR of aPAH was 46.3% (95% confidence interval, 45.0 to 47.6). The factors associated with an increase in the adjusted death risk included age of 0 to 9 years, advancing age, male sex, lower income level, and comorbidities including diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, heart failure, hemorrhagic stroke, chronic kidney disease, malignant neoplasm, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, and systemic lupus erythematosus.Conclusion: The 10-year SR of aPAH was over 46%. The risk of death from aPAH was significantly higher with advancing age, sex, lower income level, and comorbidities.
Induced Breeding of Endangered Labeo calbasu (Hamilton, 1822) Under a Hatchery System
Authors: Chakraborty B K
Published: March 2024

Experiment was conducted on the effectiveness of two inducing hormones (Ovaprim and PG) on induced breeding of Labeo calbasu, an endangered Kalibaus species. From April to July of 2022, Labeo calbasu were bred artificially. For the purpose of induced breeding, male and female brood fish weighing between 1.2 kg and 2.0 kg for the male and 1.4 kg and 2.5 kg for the female were chosen, and the sex ratio was maintained at 1:1. PG and LHRH-A were used in the experiment’s design for the period of April, May, June, and July. Under controlled conditions, the impact of two hormones sources on L. calbasu ovulation, fertility, and hatching rate was studied. A single dose of Ovuline® (LHRH-A) (0.44 -0.50 ml/kg body weight) plus two doses of PG (an initial dose of 2.0 mg/kg body weight and a final dose of 4.0-4.5 mg/kg body weight) showed better results in this group of females. In the period of May and June, the ovulation, fertility, and hatching rate of L. calbasu were all better in both PG and LHRH-A. Ovuline® (LHRH-A) 0.15 ml/kg body weight and PG 2 mg/kg body weight provided as a single dose to males resulted in superior spermiation outcomes. Fish weighing 1.55±0.86 kg had the highest GSI value (22.82%) and fecundity (501301±9.96), whereas fish weighing 1.51±0.96 kg had the lowest GSI value (18.24%) and fecundity (350561±8.76). The treatment of PG showed the highest rates of fertilization (98.40±1.17%) and hatching (88.03±2.76%), whereas the treatment of LHRH-A showed the highest rates of fertilization (98.64±0.84%) and hatching (89.55a ±0.88%). According to the results of this experiment, PG and ovaprim are equally effective at causing L. calbasu ovulation, fertilization, and hatching. Both PG and LHRH-A could be applied by hatchery operators to enhance L. calbasu breeding performance by inducing better spawning.
Prediction of Rheological Parameters of Polymers by Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Kondratieva T. N. , Chepurnenko A. S.
Published: March 2024

Introduction. All polymer materials and composites based on them are characterized by pronounced rheological properties, the prediction of which is one of the most critical tasks of polymer mechanics. Machine learning methods open up great opportunities in predicting the rheological parameters of polymers. Previously, studies were conducted on the construction of predictive models using artificial neural networks and the CatBoost algorithm. Along with these methods, due to the capability to process data with highly nonlinear dependences between features, machine learning methods such as the k-nearest neighbor method, and the support vector machine (SVM) method, are widely used in related areas. However, these methods have not been applied to the problem discussed in this article before. The objective of the research was to develop a predictive model for evaluating the rheological parameters of polymers using artificial intelligence methods by the example of polyvinyl chloride.

Materials and Methods. This paper used k-nearest neighbor method and the support vector machine to determine the rheological parameters of polymers based on stress relaxation curves. The models were trained on synthetic data generated from theoretical relaxation curves constructed using the nonlinear Maxwell-Gurevich equation. The input parameters of the models were the amount of deformation at which the experiment was performed, the initial stress, the stress at the end of the relaxation process, the relaxation time, and the conditional end time of the process. The output parameters included velocity modulus and initial relaxation viscosity coefficient. The models were developed in the Jupyter Notebook environment in Python.

Results. New predictive models were built to determine the rheological parameters of polymers based on artificial intelligence methods. The proposed models provided high quality prediction. The model quality metrics in the SVR algorithm were: MAE – 1.67 and 0.72; MSE – 5.75 and 1.21; RMSE – 1.67 and 1.1; MAPE – 8.92 and 7.3 for the parameters of the initial relaxation viscosity and velocity modulus, respectively, with the coefficient of determination R2 – 0.98. The developed models showed an average absolute percentage error in the range of 5.9 – 8.9%. In addition to synthetic data, the developed models were also tested on real experimental data for polyvinyl chloride in the temperature range from 20° to 60°C.

Discussion and Conclusion. The approbation of the developed models on real experimental curves showed a high quality of their approximation, comparable to other methods. Thus, the k-nearest neighbor algorithm and SVM can be used to predict the rheological parameters of polymers as an alternative to artificial neural networks and the CatBoost algorithm, requiring less effort to preset adjustment. At the same time, in this research, the SVM method turned out to be the most preferred method of machine learning, since it is more effective in processing a large number of features
Application of Special Calculation Techniques in the Design of All-Welded Gastight Structures of Boiler Units
Authors: Kurepin M. P. , Serbinovskiy M. Yu.
Published: March 2024

Introduction. Improving the calculation methods of mechanical engineering facilities is an urgent and in-demand task. This fully applies to the techniques of calculating the strength of all-welded gastight boiler structures. Normative calculation techniques are based on simplified models that give limited possibilities for optimizing these structures. The low calculation accuracy inherent in such techniques is unacceptable under real design conditions, when an engineer is faced with the task of developing competitive structures in a short time, i.e., reducing metal consumption while providing the strength of these structures with limited development time. The use of simplified models was justified in the past, under conditions of insufficient development of computer technology. Application of the most advanced techniques based on computer modeling makes it possible to increase the accuracy of calculations, provide the optimization of such structures, and improve the quality of design. The objective of this study was to develop a new special procedure for calculating the strength of all-welded gastight structures based on computer modeling, using the most advanced methods of modeling the membrane wall and factors affecting it. The accompanying task was to verify the developed procedure based on comparing the results of calculations using the developed technique and the normative method.

Materials and Methods. The developed technique is based on the replacement of the membrane wall with an orthotropic plate or shell. Computer modeling was used applying the finite element method of all-welded gastight structures, and the impacts to which they were subjected during operation, as well as an effective method for assessing the technical condition of these structures.

Results. A new two-stage technique for calculating the strength of increased accuracy of all-welded gastight boiler structures was developed and patented. The calculation results were compared according to the proposed procedure and the normative method. It was shown that the proposed technique made it possible to increase the accuracy of modeling and calculation. The error in calculating all-welded gastight structures of a high-power boiler was reduced by more than 30% for the recommended steps between stiffeners. For specially reinforced membrane walls with steps exceeding the permissible values, the error reduction reached 70% or higher.

Discussion and Conclusion. The developed technique is used in the modeling and calculation of all-welded gastight structures. Its application makes it possible to optimize the step between the stiffeners of the structure of the support and connecting nodes of gastight membrane walls. Based on the results of the application of the two-stage calculation procedure, new designs were developed and patented. The developed technique has been used in the real design of boilers since 2014.