bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The meaning of space in new media art based on examples of new media artworks
Authors: Yuhe Peng
Published: March 2024

New media art, bringing together technology and artistry, possesses certain characteristics uncommon for traditional forms of art. This paper takes a number of new Media artworks as examples to explore three dimensions of the use and the meaning of space in new media art.
Individual differences in online research: Comparing lab-based and online administration of a psycholinguistic battery of linguistic and domain-general skills
Authors: McConnell Kyla , Hintz Florian , meyer antje
Published: March 2024

Experimental psychologists and psycholinguists increasingly turn to online research for data collection, due to the ease of sampling a large number of diverse participants in parallel. Online research has shown promising validity and consistency, but is it suitable for all paradigms? Specifically, is it reliable enough for individual difference research? The current paper reports performance on fifteen tasks from a psycholinguistic individual difference battery, including timed and untimed assessments of linguistic abilities, as well as domain-general skills. From a demographically homogenous sample of Dutch young people, 149 participants took part in the study in the lab and 515 participated online. Our results indicate that there is no reason to assume that participants tested online will underperform compared to lab-based testing, though they highlight the importance of motivation as well as the potential for external help (e.g. through looking up answers) online. Overall, we conclude that there is reason for optimism in the future of online research into individual differences.
Women Empowerment through Entrepreneurship: A case study of Dalla Gaaun home stay
Authors: K.C. Govinda
Published: March 2024

In countries like Nepal women are confined with the four walls of their homes. In ethnic community of rural area women are deprived from social, economical, political and personal rights. Women entrepreneurship is one of the many tools to empower not only economically but also personally, socially and politically. This study was conducted in one of the least developed district of Nepal, Bardiya. Study was focused on Tharu community Dalla Gaaun Home stay. Study was conducted in November (5-7) 2020 for three days. These home stays are operated by Tharu community which is indigenous community of Nepal. Researchers used number of tools to collect the data of population. Unstructured questionnaire were also prepared for the evidence and were filled by closely observing the respondents. Entrepreneurship really empowered the women of Dalla Gaaun home stay economically, personally, socially and politically.
NextGenPower – Demonstration and Component Fabrication of Nickel Alloys and Protective Coatings for Steam Temperatures of 750°C
Authors: Stam Arthur F.
Published: March 2024

The EU NextGenPower-project aims at demonstrating Ni-alloys and coatings for application in high-efficiency power plants. Fireside corrosion lab and plants trials show that A263 and A617 perform similar while A740H outperforms them. Lab tests showed promising results for NiCr, Diamalloy3006 and SHS9172 coatings. Probe trials in six plants are ongoing. A617, A740H and A263 performed equally in steamside oxidation lab test ≤750°C while A617 and A740H outperformed A263 at 800°C; high pressure tests are planned. Slow strain rate testing confirmed relaxation cracking of A263. A creep-fatigue interaction test program for A263 includes LCF tests. Negative creep of A263 is researched with gleeble tests. A263 Ø80 - 500mm trial rotors are forged with optimized composition. Studies for designing and optimizing the forging process were done. Segregation free Ø300 and 1,000mm rotors have been forged. A263 – A263 and A293 – COST F rotor welding show promising results (A263 in precipitation hardened condition). Cast step blocks of A282, A263 and A740H showed volumetric cracking after heat treatment. New ‘as cast’ blocks of optimized composition are without cracks. A 750°C steam cycle has been designed with integrated CO2 capture at 45% efficiency (LHV). Superheater life at ≤750°C and co-firing is modeled.
Fabrication Trials of Ni-Based Alloys for Advanced USC Boiler Application
Authors: Saito Nobuhiko , Komai Nobuyoshi , Takei Yasuhiro
Published: March 2024

In order to reduce CO2 emissions and improve power generation efficiency, a development project involving an advanced USC (A-USC) plant has been carried out in Japan since 2008. Nibased alloys are candidate materials for boiler components with high temperature steam conditions, which are much stronger than conventional heat resistant steel. However, Ni-based alloys have never been applied with respect to the high pressure parts and thick walled components of USC coal-fired power plants. In this study, therefore, fabrication and characteristic properties, such as weldability, the weld joint and bent part properties, and weld cracking susceptibilities of Ni-based alloys such as HR6W, HR35 and two types of Alloy617 (High B and Low B) pipes were evaluated. Additionally, two types of HR6W header mock-ups and a HR6W tube element mock-up were fabricated. With the exception of Alloy617 (High B), the fabrication trials of Ni-based alloy pipes were conducted successfully, and the long-term creep strength of weldments and bends of Ni-based alloy pipes were found to be nearly equivalent to those of base metal. In the case of Alloy617 (High B), hot cracking was observed.
Investigation of Creep Damage and Cavitation Mechanisms in P92 Steels
Authors: Gu Y. , West G.D. , Thomson R.C. , Parker J.
Published: March 2024

Contrary to expectations, long-term performance of creep stress enhanced ferritic steels (CSEF) falls short of predictions based on short-term data. This discrepancy is attributed to the formation and growth of creep voids, leading to reduced ductility. This study investigates cavities in creep-tested P92 steel, revealing an association with large ceramic particles (1-2 μm) in standard samples. Three distinct particle compositions were identified: boron nitride (BN), manganese sulfide, and γ-Al2O3. Statistical analysis showed a strong correlation between BN particles and cavity formation. Using a 3D “slice and view” technique with a focused ion beam/field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FIB-FEGSEM), the study revealed irregular shapes for both cavities and associated particles. Furthermore, analysis of the head-gauge transition area (lower stress exposure) showed small cavities near BN particles, suggesting preferential nucleation on these hard, irregular features. These findings strongly support the hypothesis that BN particles play a key role in cavity nucleation, impacting the long-term performance of P92 steel.
Managing Oxide Scale Exfoliation in Boilers with TP347H Superheater Tubes
Authors: Sabau Adrian S. , Wright Ian G. , Shingledecker John P. , Tortorelli Peter F.
Published: March 2024

A model based on a concept of “fraction of exfoliated area” as a function of oxide scale strain energy was developed to predict the extent of exfoliation of steam-side scale from boiler tube superheater loops. As compared with the Armitt diagram, which can be used to predict when scale damage and exfoliation would be likely to occur, a “fraction of exfoliated area” approach provides an estimation of mass of scale released and the fraction of tube likely to be blocked by the exfoliation. This paper gives results for the extent of blockage expected in a single bend of a superheater loop was predicted as a function of operating time, bend geometry, and outlet steam temperature under realistic service conditions that include outages. The deposits of exfoliated scale were assumed to be distributed horizontally the tubes bends. Three types of bends were considered: regular bends, short bends, and hairpin bends. The progressive increase in steam and tube temperatures along a single loop of superheater tubing and the ensuing variation of oxide scale thickness are considered. Numerical simulation results for a superheater loop made of TP347H austenitic steel indicated that tube blockage fractions larger than 50% are likely to occur within the first two years of boiler operation (with regularly scheduled outages) for outlet tube temperatures of 540-570°C, which is consistent with practical experience. Higher blockage fractions were predicted for tubes with hairpin bends than for tubes with regular bends, of length that are larger than five internal tube diameters. Finally, the blockage model presented can be used with some confidence to devise operating schedules for managing the consequences of oxide scale exfoliation based on projections of time to some critical blockage fraction for specific boiler operating conditions.
XIX. Yüzyılda Nazma Çekilmiş Bir Destan: Muhlis’in Siyerü’l-Kerebü’l-Gâzî’si
Authors: ARSLAN Ömer
Published: March 2024

İslam öncesi ve sonrası olmak üzere iki dönemde incelenen Türk destanları arasında İslamiyetin kabulünden sonra kahramanın eylemlerini yönlendiren dinî motivasyonlar bakımından dinî-menkıbevî destanlar şeklinde sınıflandırılan destan türü ortaya çıkmıştır. Battâlnâmeler, Dânişmendnâmeler türünden dinî bir destan olan Kerbnâme de sözlü gelenekte olgunlaşıp mensur olarak yazıya dökülmüş, bu mensur metinlerden diliçi çeviri yoluyla manzum Kerbnameler yazılmıştır. Bu makalede, bilinen iki manzum Kerbnâme’den biri olup bugüne dek üzerinde çalışma yapılmamış olan Siyerü’l-Kerebü’l-Gazi’si tanıtılmıştır. Dinî-menkıbevî destan türü ve Kerbnâmelere değinildikten sonra, eseri XIX. yüzyılın başında nazma çeken Muhlis hakkında elde edilen bilgiler sunulmuş, mevcut nüsha tavsif edilmiş, metnin biçim, içerik, dil, üslup ve imla özellikleri incelenmiştir. Ekte eserin sebeb-i telif faslı, ilk meclisi ve ferağ kaydının transkripsiyonlu çevirisi ile birlikte yazma nüshasından örnek sayfalar verilmiştir.
Analysis of the structure and content of professional training future tourism specialists in the field of sports and health tourism in higher education institutions of Ukraine
Authors: Petrova Alona
Published: March 2024

The study is devoted to the state of training specialists in active tourism in the context of tourism specialists’ training. The goals of the article are to analyse the structure of educational programs in the specialty «242 Tourism» regarding the availability of sports and health (active) tourism disciplines; to provide quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the educational components of the studied direction. Methods. The study was carried out at the expense of quantitative and qualitative analysis of educational programs and components; comparison, systematization and generalization of the researched material in the specialty 242 Tourism (in the direction of sports and recreation and active tourism). Results. The author analysed forty-one educational programs in the specialty «242 Tourism (Bachelor)», studied educational programs, curricula, work programs of disciplines and educational and production practices in the direction of active tourism. Moreover, the analysis criteria were presented: the presence in the educational program of the profession of active tourism guide; the presence of specialized educational components that form the necessary competencies. As for the educational components of active tourism offered by the institutions, the results of the analysis can be summarized as follows: sixteen institutions offer mandatory educational components; in the context of subjects of free choice ‒ thirteen higher educational institutions; specialized practice (tourist trip) ‒ only five out of forty-one institutions offer on-site training in the form of a trip. Consequently, twenty-four institutions from the general list offer employment as sports and health tourism instructors. Eighteen of them ensure the acquisition of relevant knowledge, skills and abilities. Conclusions. The number of educational programs where sports and health tourism disciplines are mandatory is gradually decreasing. Such a picture indicates a contradiction between the requirements of the state to support and popularize a healthy lifestyle of the nation and the training of specialists in the tourism industry in this direction. As a result, we see the presence (absence) of practitioners in sports and health tourism at specialized departments; the available (absent) material and technical support of specialized departments regarding the organization of theoretical and practical training of sports and health specialists.
Structural Components of Professional Competence of Future Economists Studying at Professional Economic Colleges
Authors: Tkachenko Pavlo
Published: March 2024

The article deals with the problem of forming the professional competence of future specialists in economic specialties who receive education in professional economic colleges. The relevance of the current study lies in the fact that the dynamics of the traditional methodological approach in the educational process, given the global world trends, determines the priority of focusing on the competence approach and requires a detailed development of the content of the concept of competence of future specialists in economic specialties. The aim of the article is to determine the structure of future economists’ professional competence and the peculiarities of its formation in the educational space of professional economic colleges. The study used general research methods, such as generalization, comparison, systematization and abstraction, analysis, synthesis, and specification. Results. The structure of professional competence of future specialists in economic specialties, which combines professional and personal components, is substantiated. The vectors of improving the educational process aimed at forming information and digital, communication and intercultural competence in future specialists in economic specialties as an important component of their overall professionalism are allocated. The article establishes that the need to actualize the phenomenon of professional competence is due to the specific requirements for the professional qualities of an economist, characterized by the specific content and specific focus of professional activity. Conclusions. In the course of the study, it has been found that one of the promising areas of the educational process is the formation of future specialist’s personal qualities, including his/her digital literacy, logical thinking and international communication skills. It has been found that further research need determining and substantiating the psychological and pedagogical conditions for implementing the model of forming the economic specialties students’ professional competence in vocational education of higher education institutions. In addition, the basic principles of implementation and development of the educational process interdisciplinary integration are characterized. The development of an algorithm for the formation of foreign language professional communicative competence in future specialists of the field is seen as a promising direction of future research on the outlined topic.
Becoming Attuned to Reality
Authors: Smith Todd
Published: March 2024

What is entailed in accurately reading reality? The main thesis of this paper is that the learning mode of action, reflection, consultation, and study encourages investigators to attend to at least six “interplays” which, together, work to facilitate collaborative readings that are progressively attuned to reality. Owing to these interplays, this mode of learning in action helps to weed out disabling or harmful presuppositions and corresponding ideas, making it possible to discover and retain enabling or beneficial ones. By doing so, it resolves the longstanding problem of how to conceptualize objectivity and cultivate it in the search for truth.
Zmiany w krajowych rozwiązaniach przeciwdziałających unikaniu opodatkowania w latach 2022−2023 – na tle już obowiązujących regulacji
Authors: Wolański Robert
Published: March 2024

Przedmiotem opracowania jest przedstawienie zmian w przepisach podatkowych w Polsce wprowadzonych od 1 stycznia 2022 r. i 1 stycznia 2023 r., które miały na celu przeciwdziałanie unikaniu opodatkowania, na tle już obowiązujących tego typu reguł. W artykule potwierdzono, że wśród rozwiązań zawartych w regulacjach podatkowych ważne miejsce zajmują przepisy przeciwdziałające unikaniu opodatkowania, w konsekwencji których przedsiębiorcy ponoszą wyższe koszty obsługi podatków. Niestabilność przepisów oraz ich niejednoznaczność, szczególnie w pierwszych latach po ich wprowadzeniu, oraz przyznane uprawnienia do ich interpretacji organom podatkowym są jednym z większych zagrożeń dla działalności przedsiębiorców. Zmiany z 2022 i 2023 r. świadczą o wyczerpaniu możliwości ustawodawcy w zakresie dalszego uszczelniania poboru podatków z wykorzystaniem nowych instrumentów prawnych. Ustawodawca powinien skupić się na już funkcjonujących rozwiązaniach, na ich analizie i poprawie, aby uzyskać stabilność regulacji w tym obszarze.
Chińskie Tajpej w strategicznej grze mocarstw światowych. Rozwój i eskalacja napięć w relacjach chińsko‑tajwańskich
Authors: Kubicki Damian
Published: March 2024

Celem niniejszego opracowania jest przybliżenie złożonej sytuacji polityczno-gospodarczej Tajwanu oraz jej wpływu na życie mieszkańców wyspy. Szereg zawirowań histo­rycznych oraz autorytarna polityka Chińskiej Republiki Ludowej skutecznie wpłynęła na kształtowanie się tajwańskiej tożsamości narodowej. Dotychczasowe działania Komunistycznej Partii Chin oraz totalitarnych rządów Xi Jinpinga mające na celu unifikację Chin nie przyniosły znaczących rezultatów. Niemniej jednak Państwo Środka w dalszym ciągu intensyfikuje wysiłki w celu zjednoczenia kraju. Rywalizacja mocarstw na arenie międzynarodowej w obszarze najnowszych technologii podkreśla znaczącą rolę wyspy specjalizującej się w produkcji zaawansowanych półprzewodników oraz komponentów elektronicznych. W dobie cyfryzacji i sztucznej inteligencji Stany Zjednoczone Ameryki w najbliższym czasie podejmą działania, aby został zachowany status quo, a Tajwan pozostał w strefie ich wpływów.
MAHKUMLARIN KENDİNE ZARAR VERME DAVRANIŞLARININ İŞLEVİNİ YORDAMADA DUYGU DÜZENLEME GÜÇLÜKLERİNİN VE BAŞA ÇIKMA TUTUMLARININ ROLÜ
Authors: Cadircioglu Malik Kubilay , Aladağ Mine
Published: March 2024

Bu araştırmada, mahkumların duygu düzenleme güçlüklerinin ve stresle başa çıkma tutumlarının kendine zarar verme davranışının işlevlerini ne düzeyde yordadığını tespit etmek amaçlanmıştır. Manisa-Akhisar Açık ve T Tipi Kapalı Ceza İnfaz Kurumlarında bulunan 314 mahkum uygulamaya katılmış ve uygulama esnasında kendine zarar verme davranışı öyküsü olduğu tespit edilen 188 katılımcı örneklemi oluşturmuştur. Veriler Kendine Zarar Verme Davranışı Değerlendirme Envanteri, Duygu Düzenleme Güçlükleri Ölçeği ve Stresle Başa Çıkma Tutumlarını Değerlendirme Ölçeği kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde geriye doğru seçim yöntemi ile çoklu doğrusal regresyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Analiz sonuçları incelendiğinde, kendine zarar verme davranışının (KZVD) sosyal işlevleri ve kaçınmacı başa çıkma tutumları arasında anlamlı ve pozitif yönde bir korelasyon olduğu ancak KZVD sosyal işlevlerinin bağımsız değişkenler tarafından anlamlı bir şekilde yordanmadığı bulunmuştur. Öte yandan, bağımsız değişkenlerden oluşan modellerin, KZVD otonom işlev puanlarını anlamlı bir şekilde yordadığı, duygu düzenleme güçlüklerinin, otonom işlevler puanlarını tek başına yordayabildiği ve varyansın %8,8’ini açıklayabildiği görülmüştür. Duygu düzenleme güçlükleri ve kaçınmacı başa çıkma tutumlarından oluşan model ise otonom işlevlerdeki varyansın %9,8’ini açıklayabilmiştir. Son olarak, araştırmada kullanılan bağımsız değişkenlerin oluşturduğu modelin KZVD’nin toplam işlev puanlarını anlamlı bir şekilde yordadığı ve varyansın %8,3’ünü açıklayabildiği bulunmuştur. Araştırmadan elde edilen sonuçlar, alanyazın çerçevesinde tartışılmış, araştırmacılara ve uygulayıcılara gelecek çalışmalar ve uygulamalar için önerilerde bulunulmuştur.
Penerapan Artificial Intelligence dalam Mendeteksi Batu Ginjal secara Otomatis pada Citra CT Scan
Authors: Sulaksono Nanang , Kurniawati Ary
Published: March 2024

Background: Kidney stones are a clinical condition with the presence of stones along the urinary tract of varying sizes. The aim of this research is the need for a system to automatically detect kidney stones so that it can help radiologists in diagnosing kidney stones accurately, effectively and efficiently, and patients can immediately undergo further action to cure kidney stones.Methods: The difference in research carried out by researchers is the use of artificial intelligence which uses deep learning with a convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm. This research uses images obtained from CT scan results from public data (Kaggle) and primary hospital data. The number of images used in the Augmentation training data was 2338 normal images and 2390 kidney stone images. The augmentation testing data used 540 normal images and 446 kidney stone images. The research also involved experts, namely radiology specialists, in determining images with abnormal and normal stone tones.Results: research obtained from CT Scan images of kidney stones with augmentation and original using public data/Kaggle images, obtained using augmentation obtained a high accuracy value of 99.69%. Meanwhile, in testing data using primary/hospital data images, augmented data obtained accuracy values that were still low at 45.43% and 45.23%, respectively.Conclusions: The use of deep learning with the CNN model in training data augmentation obtained high accuracy values, however in testing data using hospital CT scan images the accuracy value was still low, but it was able to recognize images of kidney stones, so it could help in automatically diagnosing kidney stones. For future work could involve refining the model to handle variations in hospital data or exploring additional features to improve generalizability.
Rancang Bangun Alat Bantu Fiksasi Pemeriksaan Radiografi Lumbal Oblik
Authors: Prastanti Agustina Dwi , Sulistiyadi Haris , Fatmayanti Halinda
Published: March 2024

Background: The oblique lumbar examination has been carried out. The position of object isn't object angle at 45° to the image receptor, but only estimate it. It caused not optimal image of scottie dog sign and spondylolysis (pressure in pars interarticularis). Therefore, an examination aid is needed to make it easier to obtain the position of the oblique lumbar object.Methods: This research design is a RnD study with the ADDIE model which is carried out with five stages, namely analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The data is carried out by observing, designing, testing, and analyzing whether there are artifacts.Results: An oblique lumbar radiographic examination fixation aid was produced from acrylic material with a thickness of 5 mm. Acrylic is shaped like a right-angled triangular prism building which has a longer base measuring 50 cm, width 42 cm, and height 25 cm. A rectangular base with a length of 50 cm is pressed against the patient's body so that the supporting part of the angled triangle that supports the patient's lumbar region or the patient's body does not shift during an oblique lumbar radiography examination. This tool has a mass dimension of 2.5kg.Conclusion: The design of the oblique lumbar radiographic examination fixation tool resembles a right-angled triangular prism with one side tilted at a 45 degree angle to adjust the position of the object so that it can obtain a good view of the Scottie dog sign to show part of the pars interarticularis.
Concept systems and frames: Detecting and managing terminological gaps between languages
Authors: Resi Rossella
Published: March 2024

This paper examines the concept of “terminological gaps” and strives to identify suitable methods for dealing with them during translation. The analysis begins with an investigation of the contended notion of gaps in terminology based on empirical examples drawn from a German-Italian terminological database specifically designed for translation purposes. Two macro categories of gaps are identified, conceptual and linguistic level gaps, which only partially correspond to previous observations in the literature. The paper uses examples to explore the advantages of ontological representations for detecting conceptual terminological gaps and identifying appropriate translation strategies. However, limitations are also observed and an attempt is made to resolve these using a frame-based approach. A frame-based analysis reveals that while certain designations may appear to refer to convergent conceptual units with matching distinctive features, differences also emerge due to the way the two language systems build designations. Examples from the corpus make it evident that a frame-based approach is helpful for identifying both kinds of terminological gaps, and then resolving them during translation. An important presupposition for this approach is that larger units of analysis need to be addressed rather than just terms themselves. There is confirmation of the existing idea that methods embracing entire segments or paragraphs as units of investigation are preferable during translation, and this is also seen to apply in terminological studies.
Cancer associated fibroblasts modulate the cytotoxicity of anti-cancer drugs in breast cancer: An in vitro study
Authors: Kashyap Dharambir , Bhattacharya Shalmoli , Irinike Santosh , Khare Siddhant , Das Ashim , Singh Gurpreet , Bal Amanjit
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND: Tumour microenvironment (TME) contributes to resistance to anti-cancer drugs through multiple mechanisms including secretion of pro-survival factors by cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). In this study, we determined the chemotherapy resistance producing potential of CAFs in molecular subtypes of breast cancer. METHODS: The CAFs were isolated from fresh lumpectomy/mastectomy specimens of different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. The CAFs were cultured and secretome was collected from each breast cancer subtype. Breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, SK-BR3, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468 were treated with different doses of tamoxifen, trastuzumab, cisplatin, and doxorubicin alone respectively and in combination with secretome of CAFs from respective subtypes. MTT assay was done to check cell death after drug treatment. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LCMS) analysis of CAF secretome was also done. RESULTS: MTT assay showed that anti-cancer drugs alone had growth inhibitory effect on the cancer cells however, presence of CAF secretome reduced the anti-cancer effect of the drugs. Resistant to drugs in the presence of secretome, was determined by increased cell viability i.e., MCF-7, 51.02% to 63.02%; SK-BR-3, 34.22% to 44.88%; MDA-MB-231, 52.59% to 78.63%; and MDA-MB-468, 48.92% to 55.08%. LCMS analysis of the secretome showed the differential abundance of CAFs secreted proteins across breast cancer subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of breast cancer cell lines with anti-cancer drugs in combination with secretome isolated from molecular subtype specific CAFs, reduced the cytotoxic effect of the drugs. In addition, LCMS data also highlighted different composition of secreted proteins from different breast cancer associated fibroblasts. Thus, TME has heterogenous population of CAFs across the breast cancer subtypes and in vitro experiments highlight their contribution to chemotherapy resistance which needs further validation.
Treatment outcomes in post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome: The role of combined acupuncture, traditional Chinese herb hot compress and rehabilitation training
Authors: Li Lin , Li Ju , He Mu
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture, traditional Chinese herb hot compress and rehabilitation training is useful in post-stroke shoulder–hand syndrome (SHS), but it is less commonly used in combination. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the therapeutic efficacy of a combination of acupuncture, traditional Chinese herb hot compress and rehabilitation training in SHS patients. METHOD: Patients diagnosed with post-stroke SHS and treated from January 2022 to March 2023 at Beijing Friendship Hospital and Beijing Pinggu Hospital were selected and randomly divided into three groups (A, B and C). Group A received conventional rehabilitative treatment (35 cases), Group B underwent conventional rehabilitative treatment + acupuncture (35 cases), and Group C received conventional rehabilitative treatment + acupuncture + traditional Chinese herb hot compress treatment (35 cases). The post-treatment effectiveness rate, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, activities of daily living (ADL) score, Fugel–Meyer assessment (FMA) score, SHS assessment scale (SHSS) score and shoulder joint mobility were compared among the three groups. RESULTS: The post-treatment VAS score (FVAS score= 232.512, P< 0.001), FMA score (FFMA score= 239.412, P< 0.001), ADL score (FADL score= 412.634, P< 0.001), SHSS score (FSHSS score= 212.542, P< 0.001) and shoulder joint mobility (FShoulder Joint Mobility= 197.531, P< 0.001) all showed statistically significant differences. The VAS and SHSS scores decreased in the order of Group A > Group B > Group C, while the FMA, ADL and shoulder joint mobility scores increased in the order of Group C > Group B > Group A. The post-treatment effectiveness rates (χ2= 48.510, P< 0.001) also exhibited statistically significant differences, decreasing in the order of Group C (94.29%) > Group B (82.86%) > Group A (71.43%). CONCLUSION: The treatment efficacy of the combined acupuncture, traditional Chinese herb hot compress and rehabilitation training for SHS patients is significant, warranting its clinical promotion.
Identification of a prognostic signature based on five ferroptosis-related genes for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Li Wuping , Yao Ruizhe , Yu Nasha , Zhang Weiming
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND:

Therapies for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are limited due to the diverse gene expression profiles and complicated immune microenvironments, making it an aggressive lymphoma. Beyond this, researches have shown that ferroptosis contributes to tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis. We thus are interested to dissect the connection between ferroptosis and disease status of DLBCL. We aim at generating a valuable prognosis gene signature for predicting the status of patients of DLBCL, with focus on ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs).

OBJECTIVE:

To examine the connection between ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) and clinical outcomes in DLBCL patients based on public datasets.

METHODS:

An expression profile dataset for DLBCL was downloaded from GSE32918 ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/ query/acc.cgi?acc=gse32918 ), and a ferroptosis-related gene cluster was obtained from the FerrDb database ( http://www. zhounan.org/ferrdb/ ). A prognostic signature was developed from this gene cluster by applying a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis to GSE32918, followed by external validation. Its effectiveness as a biomarker and the prognostic value was determined by a receiver operator characteristic curve mono factor analysis. Finally, functional enrichment was evaluated by the package Cluster Profiler of R.

RESULTS:

Five ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) ( GOP1, GPX2, SLC7A5, ATF4, and CXCL2) associated with DLBCL were obtained by a multivariate analysis. The prognostic power of these five FRGs was verified by TCGA ( https://xenabrowser.net/datapages/?dataset=TCGA.DLBC.sampleMap%2FHiSeqV2_PANCAN&host=https%3A%2F%2Ftcga.xenahubs.net&removeHub=https%3A%2F%2Fxena.treehouse.gi.ucsc.edu%3A44 ) and GEO ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=gse 32918 ) datasets, with ROC analyses. KEGG and GO analyses revealed that upregulated genes in the high-risk group based on the gene signature were enriched in receptor interactions and other cancer-related pathways, including pathways related to abnormal metabolism and cell differentiation.

CONCLUSION:

The newly developed signature involving GOP1, GPX2, SLC7A5, ATF4, and CXCL2 has the potential to serve as a prognostic biomarker. Furthermore, our results provide additional support for the contribution of ferroptosis to DLBCL.
Adipokine vaspin maintains angiogenesis and neurological function during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion via suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Yan Wentao , He Xiuhua , Wang Guanjun , Hu Guochao , Cui Bin
Published: March 2024

INTRODUCTION:

Visceral adipose tissue-derived serine protease inhibitor (vaspin) is an adipokine. It has been reported that decreased serum vaspin levels are significantly associated with stroke severity and prognosis.

OBJECTIVE:

This article aims to explore the theoretical feasibility of vaspin supplementation for cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury.

METHODS:

The I/R mouse models were constructed by the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) method, and the effects of vaspin on cerebral infarction, neurological function, angiogenesis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress were explored. To verify the mediation of ER stress in the regulation of vaspin, human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) were subjected to ER stress agonist tunicamycin in vitro. The impacts of vaspin and tunicamycin on oxygen glucose deprivation/ recovery (OGD/R)-induced cell viability, apoptosis, and angiogenesis were examined.

RESULTS:

Vaspin inhibited blood-brain barrier breakdown and infarction occurred in the brain tissue of the I/R mice. Vaspin also enhanced cerebral neovascularization and reduced the apoptosis. Additional tunicamycin increased the apoptosis of HBMECs and inhibited angiogenesis, reversing the protective effect of vaspin on cells.

CONCLUSION:

Together, this study reveals that vaspin supplementation reduces cerebral infarction and works against neurological dysfunction. It maintains the survival and angiogenesis capacity of HBMECs by inhibiting ER stress.
Cryotherapy effects on knee proprioception and quadriceps performance in healthy college students
Authors: Aljohani Marwan M.A. , Abdel-azeim Amr Almaz , Alshehri Yasir S. , Aboonq Moutasem Salih , Aljohani Raghad Khalid , Khaled Osama Ahmed
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND:

Cryotherapy is widely utilized for therapeutic purposes, yet its specific effects on knee joint proprioception and quadriceps muscle performance in healthy individuals remain unclear. This study addresses this gap by examining the impact of a 20-minute cryotherapy session on knee joint proprioception and related muscle parameters in a cohort of healthy college students.

OBJECTIVES:

To investigate the effects of cryotherapy on knee joint proprioception and quadriceps muscle peak moment, work and power in healthy college male and female students.

METHODS:

Thirty-two healthy students, aged 19–23, underwent a 20-minute cryotherapy session using Cryogel packs applied to the anterior thigh and knee. An isokinetic dynamometer measured knee joint proprioception and quadriceps muscle parameters before, immediately after, 10-min, and 20-min post-cryotherapy.

RESULTS:

Proprioception values did not significantly differ between genders or post-tests ([Formula: see text] 0.05). However, the female group exhibited significantly lower moment, power, and work values compared to males ([Formula: see text] 0.05). No significant differences were observed within or between post-tests in moment, power, and work for both genders ([Formula: see text] 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:

A 20-minute cryotherapy application demonstrated no adverse effects on knee joint proprioception or quadriceps muscle metrics in healthy college students, supporting the safety of cryotherapy in this context.
Longitudinal Relationship Between Brain Atrophy Patterns, Cognitive Decline, and Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s Disease Explored by Orthonormal Projective Non-Negative Matrix Factorization
Authors: Shui Lan , Shibata Dean , Chan Kwun Chuen Gary , Zhang Wenbo , Sung Junhyoun , Haynor David R. ,   Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: March 2024

Background:

Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed for tracking the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) through the assessment of brain atrophy.

Objective:

Detection of brain atrophy patterns in patients with AD as the longitudinal disease tracker.

Methods:

We used a refined version of orthonormal projective non-negative matrix factorization (OPNMF) to identify six distinct spatial components of voxel-wise volume loss in the brains of 83 subjects with AD from the ADNI3 cohort relative to healthy young controls from the ABIDE study. We extracted non-negative coefficients representing subject-specific quantitative measures of regional atrophy. Coefficients of brain atrophy were compared to subjects with mild cognitive impairment and controls, to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between AD biomarkers and regional atrophy severity in different groups. We further validated our results in an independent dataset from ADNI2.

Results:

The six non-overlapping atrophy components represent symmetric gray matter volume loss primarily in frontal, temporal, parietal and cerebellar regions. Atrophy in these regions was highly correlated with cognition both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, with medial temporal atrophy showing the strongest correlations. Subjects with elevated CSF levels of TAU and PTAU and lower baseline CSF Aβ42 values, demonstrated a tendency toward a more rapid increase of atrophy.

Conclusions:

The present study has applied a transferable method to characterize the imaging changes associated with AD through six spatially distinct atrophy components and correlated these atrophy patterns with cognitive changes and CSF biomarkers cross-sectionally and longitudinally, which may help us better understand the underlying pathology of AD.
Advancing Flood Risk Assessment through Integrated Hazard Mapping: A Google Earth Engine-Based Approach for Comprehensive Scientific Analysis and Decision Support
Authors: Agrawal Rajat , Singh Suraj Kumar , Kanga Shruti , Sajan Bhartendu , Meraj Gowhar , Kumar Pankaj
Published: March 2024

This study utilises a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to assess flooding susceptibility in a specific area, integrating diverse environmental datasets such as JRC Global Surface Water, Landsat 8 images, and SRTM elevation data. Employing the GEE FMA, a powerful tool leveraging Google Earth Engine capabilities, the analysis covers water occurrence, permanent water, elevation, distance to water, topographic hazard score, and vegetation indices (NDVI and NDWI). The Water Occurrence layer establishes a foundational understanding of water-body distribution’s correlation with flood vulnerability, while Permanent Water refines this understanding. Distance to Water measures proximity for targeted risk evaluation, and Elevation identifies vulnerable regions based on topography. The GEE FMA synthesises these layers into a Flood Hazard Susceptibility map, categorising vulnerability into Very Low, Low, Medium, High, and Very High. This nuanced understanding is crucial for prioritising interventions. The GEE FMA’s rapid processing speed makes it an invaluable tool for short-term decision support in flood hazard disaster management, offering insights for informed decision-making and resilient infrastructure development. The Topographic Hazard Score provides information on how topography influences flood risk, while the Wetness Hazard Score categorises moisture conditions for identifying flood-prone locations. Decision-makers rely on these values for quick and precise flood susceptibility assessments. In an era of climate uncertainties and urbanisation, the GEE FMA emerges as a reliable tool for decision-making, mitigating flood impacts, and developing effective flood risk management strategies.
Data-driven control of a five-bar parallel robot with compliant joints
Authors: Ramírez-Martínez Angel , Chong-Quero J. Enrique , Cervantes-Culebro Héctor , Cruz-Villar Carlos A.
Published: March 2024

This paper presents a data-driven control approach for a five-bar robot with compliant joints. The robot consists of a parallel mechanism with compliant elements that introduce uncertainties in modeling and control. To address this fact, it is implemented a model-less data-driven controller based on a Feedforward Neural Network Module (FNNM) that identifies the inverse dynamics of the robot. The FNNM is incorporated into a coordination of Feedforward Control Method (CFCM) to achieve precise trajectory tracking. Experiments compare the compliant joints robot to a bearing-joint robot performing pick-and-place tasks from 0.15 to 3.15 Hz. Results show the compliant robot maintaining trajectory tracking up to 1.25 Hz with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 9.02 mm.
Optimized TOPSIS technique for trajectory selection of self-driving vehicles on highways
Authors: Arenas Muñiz Andrés Antonio , Mújica-Vargas Dante , Rendón Castro Arturo , Luna-Álvarez Antonio , Vela-Rincón Virna V.
Published: March 2024

The selection of an appropriate trajectory for self-driving vehicles involves the analysis of several criteria that describe the generated trajectories. This problem evolves into an optimization problem when it is desired to increase or decrease the values for a specific criterion. The contribution of this thesis is to explore the use and optimization of another technique for decision-making, such as TOPSIS, with a sufficiently robust method that allows the inclusion of multiple parameters and their proper optimization, incorporating human experience. The proposed approach showed significantly higher safety and comfort performance, with about 20% better efficiency and 80% fewer safety violations compared to other state-of-the-art methods, and in some cases outperforming in comfort by about 30.43%.
A self-disclosure ESG rating method based on the fuzzy set and reward mechanism of disclosure
Authors: Yin Songyi , Wang Yu , Fu Yelin
Published: March 2024

The environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rating method is a powerful tool that can help investors to judge the investment value of companies based on the information disclosure. However, mainstream ESG rating methods ignore the distinction between companies with incomplete information disclosure and companies without information disclosure, which decreases the initiative and enthusiasm of companies to disclose information. In this study, a self-disclosure ESG (SDESG) rating method is proposed to evaluate companies’ ESG performance capabilities. First, based on the fuzzy set, fuzzy data is defined and applied to the SDESG rating method. Second, analogous to the academic reward system of a university, a reward mechanism of disclosure is used in the SDESG rating method. Finally, the effectiveness and reliability of the SDESG rating method are demonstrated through Refinitiv’s case. The results show that the SDESG rating method can distinguish companies with incomplete information disclosure from companies without information disclosure and allow companies that proactively disclose information to obtain better ESG scores under each industry. The implications of the study would increase companies’ enthusiasm to disclose information and maintain transparency within a company.
A novel hybrid LSTM-Graph Attention Network for cross-subject analysis on thinking and speaking state using EEG signals
Authors: Ramkumar N. , Karthika Renuka D.
Published: March 2024

In recent times, the rapid advancement of deep learning has led to increased interest in utilizing Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals for automatic speech recognition. However, due to the significant variation observed in EEG signals from different individuals, the field of EEG-based speech recognition faces challenges related to individual differences across subjects, which ultimately impact recognition performance. In this investigation, a novel approach is proposed for EEG-based speech recognition that combines the capabilities of Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) and Graph Attention Network (GAT). The LSTM component of the model is designed to process sequential patterns within the data, enabling it to capture temporal dependencies and extract pertinent features. On the other hand, the GAT component exploits the interconnections among data points, which may represent channels, nodes, or features, in the form of a graph. This innovative model not only delves deeper into the connection between connectivity features and thinking as well as speaking states, but also addresses the challenge of individual disparities across subjects. The experimental results showcase the effectiveness of the proposed approach. When considering the thinking state, the average accuracy for single subjects and cross-subject are 65.7% and 67.3% respectively. Similarly, for the speaking state, the average accuracies were 65.4% for single subjects and 67.4% for cross-subject conditions, all based on the KaraOne dataset. These outcomes highlight the model’s positive impact on the task of cross-subject EEG speech recognition. The motivations for conducting cross subject are real world applicability, Generalization, Adaptation and personalization and performance evaluation.
WLEDD: Legal judgment prediction with legal feature word subgraph label-embedding and dual-knowledge distillation
Authors: Wei Xiao , Lin Yidian
Published: March 2024

Legal judgment prediction(LJP) has achieved remarkable results. However, existing methods still face problems such as difficulties in obtaining key feature words for charges, which impose limitations on the improvement of prediction results. To this end, we propose a legal judgment prediction model with legal feature Word subgraph Label-Embedding and Dual-knowledge Distillation(WLEDD). Compared with traditional methods, our method has two contributions: (1) To mitigate the impact of overly sparse tail class data and high similarity text representations, we capture the critical features related to the charges by fusing LDA and legal feature word subgraphs. Then we encode them as label information to obtain highly distinguished representations of legal documents. (2) To solve the problem of high difficulty in some subtasks in LJP, we perform subtask-oriented compression of models to construct a student model with lower complexity and higher accuracy through dual knowledge distillation. Moreover, we exploit the logical association between the subtasks to constrain the labels of articles by charge prediction results. It greatly reduces the difficulty of article prediction. Experimental results on four datasets show that our approach significantly outperforms the baseline models. Compared with the state-of-art method, the F1 value of WLEDD for charge prediction has increased by an average of 2.57% . For article prediction, the F1 value has increased by an average of 1.09% . In addition, we demonstrate its effectiveness through ablation experiments and analytical experiments.