bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gig Work at What Cost? Exploring Privacy Risks of Gig Work Platform Participation in the U.S.
Authors: Pradeep Amogh , Gunawan Johanna , Feal Álvaro , Hartzog Woodrow , Choffnes David
Published: November 2024

In recent years, "gig work" platforms have gained popularity as a way for individuals to earn money; as of 2021, 16% of Americans have at some point earned money from such platforms. Despite their popularity and their history of unfair data collection practices and worker safety, little is known about the data collected from workers (and users) by gig platforms and about the privacy dark pattern designs present in their apps.
This paper presents an empirical measurement of 16 gig work platforms' data practices in the U.S. We analyze what data is collected by these platforms, and how it is shared and used. Finally, we consider how these practices constitute privacy dark patterns. To that end, we develop a novel combination of methods to address gig-worker-specific challenges in experimentation and data collection, enabling the largest in-depth study of such platforms to date. We find extensive data collection and sharing with 60 third parties—including sharing reversible hashes of worker Social Security Numbers (SSNs)—along with dark patterns that subject workers to greater privacy risk and opportunistically use collected data to nag workers in off-platform messages. We conclude this paper with proposed interdisciplinary mitigations for improving gig worker privacy protections. After we disclosed our SSN-related findings to affected platforms, the platforms confirmed that the issue had been mitigated. This is consistent with our independent audit of the affected platforms. Analysis code and redacted datasets will be made available to those who wish to reproduce our findings.
Janus: Fast Privacy-Preserving Data Provenance For TLS
Authors: Lauinger Jan , Ernstberger Jens , Finkenzeller Andreas , Steinhorst Sebastian
Published: November 2024

Web users can gather data from secure endpoints and demonstrate the provenance of sensitive data to any third party by using privacy-preserving TLS oracles. In practice, privacy-preserving TLS oracles remain limited and cannot verify larger, sensitive data sets. In this work, we introduce new optimizations for TLS oracles, which enhance the efficiency of selectively verifying the provenance of confidential web data. The novelty of our work is a construction which secures an honest verifier zero-knowledge proof system in the asymmetric privacy setting while retaining security against malicious adversaries. Concerning TLS 1.3 in the one round-trip time (1-RTT) mode, we propose a new, optimized garble-then-prove paradigm in a security setting with malicious adversaries. Our improvements reach new performance benchmarks and facilitate a practical deployment of privacy-preserving TLS oracles in web browsers.
Improving the Performance and Security of Tor's Onion Services
Authors: Arora Arushi , Garman Christina
Published: November 2024

Tor is one of the most widely used anonymous communication networks today. A popular feature of Tor is its onion services, anonymous network services that can only be accessed via the Tor network. This enables users to both host and access such services anonymously, protecting onion services from censorship and take-down. According to Tor Metrics, over 150,000 onion services collectively serve traffic at a rate of nearly 4 Gbps, with applications ranging from news services to chat to whistleblowing. Unfortunately, onion services also suffer from a variety of performance and security concerns. Latency can be extremely high, and many services face denial of service and deanonymization attacks due to the content and types of services that they host. In this work we seek to help address these concerns without making any changes to Tor, thus making our improvements immediately useful and deployable. To do this, we leverage a recent advance in programmable anonymity networks, which allows one to deploy user-written functions on willing Tor relays. We use this architecture to design the first Content Delivery Network (CDN) for onion services, which we call CenTor. CenTor allows onion services to take advantage of many traditional CDN benefits, such as replication and load balancing and bringing content (geographically) closer to the client. These techniques and applications raise an interesting trade-off between performance and anonymity for users, which we rigorously explore and quantify. We implement, deploy, and evaluate our architecture on the Tor network, demonstrating how these techniques are immediately able to extend and improve the capabilities, performance, and defenses of onion services, without any changes to the Tor protocol.
Topology-Based Reconstruction Prevention for Decentralised Learning
Authors: Dekker Florine W. , Erkin Zekeriya , Conti Mauro
Published: November 2024

Decentralised learning has recently gained traction as an alternative to federated learning in which both data and coordination are distributed over its users. To preserve the confidentiality of users' data, decentralised learning relies on differential privacy, multi-party computation, or a combination thereof. However, running multiple privacy-preserving summations in sequence may allow adversaries to perform reconstruction attacks. Unfortunately, current reconstruction countermeasures either cannot trivially be adapted to the distributed setting, or add excessive amounts of noise.

In this work, we first show that passive honest-but-curious adversaries can infer other users' private data after several privacy-preserving summations. For example, in subgraphs with 18 users, we show that only three passive honest-but-curious adversaries succeed at reconstructing private data 11.0% of the time, requiring an average of 8.8 summations per adversary. The success rate depends only on the adversaries' direct neighbourhood, and is independent of the size of the full network. We consider weak adversaries that do not control the graph topology, cannot exploit the inner workings of the summation protocol, and do not have auxiliary knowledge; and show that these adversaries can still infer private data.

We develop a mathematical understanding of how reconstruction relates to topology and propose the first topology-based decentralised defence against reconstruction attacks. Specifically, we show that reconstruction requires a number of adversaries linear in the length of the network's shortest cycle. Consequently, exact reconstruction attacks over privacy-preserving summations are impossible in acyclic networks.

Our work is a stepping stone for a formal theory of topology-based decentralised reconstruction defences. Such a theory would generalise our countermeasure beyond summation, define confidentiality in terms of entropy, and describe the interactions with (topology-aware) differential privacy.
Private Computation on Common Fuzzy Records
Authors: Han Kyoohyung , Kim Seongkwang , Son Yongha
Published: November 2024

Private computation on common records refers to analyze data from two databases containing shared records without revealing personal information. As a basic requirement for private computation, the databases involved essentially need to be aligned by a common identification system. However, it is hard to expect such common identifiers in real world scenario. For this reason, multiple quasi-identifiers can be used to identify common records. As some quasi-identifiers might be missing or have typos, it is important to support fuzzy records setting. Identifying common records using quasi-identifiers requires manipulation of highly sensitive information, which could be privacy concerns. This work studies the problem of enabling such data analysis on the fuzzy records of quasi-identifiers. To this end, we propose "ordered threshold-one (OTO)" matching which can be efficiently realized by circuit-based private set intersection~(CPSI) protocols and some multiparty computation (MPC) techniques. Furthermore, we introduce some generic encoding techniques from traditional matching rules to the OTO matching. Finally, we achieve a secure efficient private computation protocol which supports various matching rules which have already been widely used. We also demonstrate the superiority of our proposal with experimental validation. First, we empirically check that our encoding to OTO matching does not affect accuracy a lot for the benchmark datasets found in the fuzzy record matching literature. Second, we implement our protocol and achieve significantly faster performance at the cost of communication overhead compared to previous privacy-preserving record linkage (PPRL) protocols. In the case of 100K records for each dataset, our work shows 147.58MB communication cost, 10.71s setup time, and 1.97s online time, which is 7.78 times faster compared to the previous work (50.12 times faster when considering online time only).
PrePaMS: Privacy-Preserving Participant Management System for Studies with Rewards and Prerequisites
Authors: Meißner Echo , Kargl Frank , Erb Benjamin , Engelmann Felix
Published: November 2024

Taking part in surveys, experiments, and studies is often compensated by rewards to increase the number of participants and encourage attendance. While privacy requirements are usually considered for participation, privacy aspects of the reward procedure are mostly ignored. To this end, we introduce PrePaMS, an efficient participation management system that supports prerequisite checks and participation rewards in a privacy-preserving way. Our system organizes participations with potential (dis-)qualifying dependencies and enables secure reward payoffs. By leveraging a set of proven cryptographic primitives and mechanisms such as anonymous credentials and zero-knowledge proofs, participations are protected so that service providers and organizers cannot derive the identity of participants even within the reward process. In this paper, we have designed and implemented a prototype of PrePaMS to show its effectiveness and evaluated its performance under realistic workloads. PrePaMS covers the information whether subjects have participated in surveys, experiments, or studies. When combined with other secure solutions for the actual data collection within these events, PrePaMS can represent a cornerstone for more privacy-preserving empirical research.
“It’s Not My Data Anymore”: Exploring Non-Users’ Privacy Perceptions of Medical Data Donation Apps
Authors: Gaballah Sarah Abdelwahab , Abdullah Lamya , Zimmer Ephraim , Fahl Sascha , Mühlhäuser Max , Marky Karola
Published: November 2024

This paper contributes an in-depth investigation (N=24) of privacy perceptions in the context of medical data donation apps. Medical data donation refers to the act of voluntarily sharing medical data with research institutions, which plays a crucial role in advancing healthcare research and personalized medicine. To design effective medical data donation apps, we need to understand how privacy expectations affect people's willingness to use such apps. We focus on non-users—those who have no experience with medical data donation apps—because gaining a deeper understanding of their perceptions is essential for fostering the adoption of these apps. Our findings highlight the importance of trust, transparency, and anonymity as driving factors. Participants expressed a willingness to share highly sensitive medical data with the apps if they were assured of complete anonymity, yet criticism regarding the risks of de-anonymization was also raised. Based on our results, we identify privacy awareness issues, especially concerning data sensitivity. Additionally, we explain the differences between participants' privacy expectations and preferences and what existing medical data donation apps offer. Finally, we provide guidance for the development of future user-centric medical data donation apps.
The Battery Insertion Attack: Is Periodic Pseudo-randomization Sufficient for Beacon Privacy?
Authors: David Liron , Hassidim Avinatan , David Yossi , Yung Moti
Published: November 2024

In this paper, we investigate whether the privacy mechanism of periodically changing the pseudorandom identities of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons is sufficient to ensure privacy. We consider a new natural privacy notion for BLE broadcasting beacons which we call ``Timed-sequence- indistinguishability'' of beacons. This new privacy definition is stronger than the well-known indistinguishability, since it considers not just the advertisements' content, but also the advertisements' broadcasting times which are observable in the physical world. We then prove that beacons with periodically changing pseudorandom identities do not achieve timed-sequence- indistinguishability. We do this by presenting a novel privacy attack against BLE beacons, which we call the ``Battery Insertion Attack.'' This new time-based privacy attack can be executed by merely inserting or reinserting the beacon's battery at the adversary's chosen time. We performed this attack against an actually deployed beacon. To mitigate the ``Battery Insertion Attack'' and other attacks associated with periodic signaling, we propose a new countermeasure involving quasi-periodic randomized scheduling of identity changes. We prove that our countermeasure ensures timed-sequence indistinguishability for beacons, thereby enhancing the beacon's privacy. Additionally, we show how to integrate this countermeasure in the attacked system while essentially preserving its feasibility and utility, which is crucial for practical industrial adoption.
Hardware-Accelerated Encrypted Execution of General-Purpose Applications
Authors: Gouert Charles , Joseph Vinu , Dalton Steven , Augonnet Cedric , Garland Michael , Tsoutsos Nektarios Georgios
Published: November 2024

Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) is a cryptographic method that guarantees the privacy and security of user data during computation. FHE algorithms can perform unlimited arithmetic computations directly on encrypted data without decrypting it. Thus, even when processed by untrusted systems, confidential data is never exposed. In this work, we develop new techniques for accelerated encrypted execution and demonstrate the significant performance advantages of our approach. Our current focus is the Fully Homomorphic Encryption over the Torus (CGGI) scheme, which is a current state-of-the-art method for evaluating arbitrary functions in the encrypted domain. CGGI represents a computation as a graph of homomorphic logic gates and each individual bit of the plaintext is transformed into a polynomial in the encrypted domain. Arithmetic on such data becomes very expensive: operations on bits become operations on entire polynomials. Therefore, evaluating even relatively simple nonlinear functions with the CGGI cryptosystem, such as a sigmoid, can take thousands of seconds on a single CPU thread. Using our novel framework for end-to-end accelerated encrypted execution called ArctyrEX, developers with no knowledge of complex FHE libraries can simply describe their computation as a C program that is evaluated 18x faster on average relative to the GPU-accelerated Concrete library for multiplication-intensive benchmarks.
PrivacyGuard: Exploring Hidden Cross-App Privacy Leakage Threats In IoT Apps
Authors: Wang Zhaohui , Luo Bo , Li Fengjun
Published: November 2024

The increasing use of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology has made our lives convenient, however, it also poses new security and privacy threats. In this work, we study a new type of privacy threat enabled by cross-app chains built among multiple seemingly benign IoT apps. We find that interactions among apps could leak privacy-sensitive information, e.g., users' identification, location and tracking, activity patterns, etc. To tackle this challenge, we introduce PrivacyGuard, which extracts cross-app chains in the form of trigger-condition-action rules and identifies the corresponding privacy leakage risk with an inference probability. PrivacyGuard supports a fine-grained categorization of privacy threats to generate detailed alerts about privacy leakages. We evaluated PrivacyGuard on a dataset with 2,101 SmartApps, 2,788 IFTTT rules, and 2,086 OpenHAB rules, respectively. The results show that PrivacyGuard could uncover hidden privacy leaks that existing studies fail to detect. For example, 7.67% chains constructed by two seemingly benign IoT apps could leak at least one type of privacy information, while over 80% of the leaks involved privacy information regarding Localization & Tracking and Activity Profiling.
Re-visiting Authorized Private Set Intersection: A New Privacy-Preserving Variant and Two Protocols
Authors: Falzon Francesca , Markatou Evangelia Anna
Published: November 2024

We revisit the problem of Authorized Private Set Intersection (APSI), which allows mutually untrusting parties to authorize their items using a trusted third-party judge before privately computing the intersection. We also initiate the study of Partial-APSI, a novel privacy-preserving generalization of APSI in which the client only reveals a subset of their items to a third-party semi-honest judge for authorization. Partial-APSI allows for partial verification of the set, preserving the privacy of the party whose items are being verified. Both APSI and Partial-APSI have a number of applications, including genome matching, ad conversion, and compliance with privacy policies such as the GDPR. We present two protocols based on bilinear pairings with linear communication. The first realizes the APSI functionality, is secure against a malicious client, and requires only one round of communication during the online phase. Our second protocol realizes the Partial-APSI functionality and is secure against a client that may maliciously inject elements into its input set, but who follows the protocol semi-honestly otherwise. We formally prove correctness and security of these protocols and provide an experimental evaluation to demonstrate their practicality. Our protocols can be efficiently run on commodity hardware. We also show that our protocols are massively parallelizable by running our experiments on a compute grid across 50 cores.
The Impact of Default Mobile SDK Usage on Privacy and Data Protection
Authors: Koch Simon , Karl Manuel , Kirchner Robin , Wessels Malte , Paschke Anne , Johns Martin
Published: November 2024

Are mobile app developers actively enabling data collection by advertisement and analytics companies, or are they unaware of the implications of using the provided software development kits (SDKs)? Given that the current mobile app ecosystem inadvertently involves collecting user data, which often infringes upon data protection and privacy standards, the question of the underlying reason for the permissibility of data processing arises. We contribute to this research for both Android and iOS by performing a two-step qualitative analysis. First, we conduct a structured documentation review of five advertisement and five analytics SDKs, focusing on privacy-related information. Subsequently, we implement a set of example apps utilizing the basic functionality of each SDK. This custom utilization of the SDK allows us to perform a fine-grained traffic analysis of each required step from initialization until utilization. Our results show that only little guidance on data protection compliance is provided. The observed network traffic shows that overall data collection by SDKs is similar between operating systems and only requires basic usage by the developer to trigger. We discover that with current SDKs, developers have minimal influence over the collected data, as merely using the basic functionality already results in data collection, with advertisement SDKs collecting more data than analytics SDKs. Overall, we explain the observed data protection infringement in ongoing mobile privacy research by documenting how developers must bear with opaque SDKs that lead to data collection simply due to usage.
Noiseless Privacy-Preserving Decentralized Learning
Authors: Biswas Sayan , Even Mathieu , Kermarrec Anne-Marie , Massoulié Laurent , Pires Rafael , Sharma Rishi , de Vos Martijn
Published: November 2024

Decentralized learning (DL) enables collaborative learning without a server and without training data leaving the users' devices. However, the models shared in DL can still be used to infer training data. Conventional defenses such as differential privacy and secure aggregation fall short in effectively safeguarding user privacy in DL, either sacrificing model utility or efficiency. We introduce Shatter, a novel DL approach in which nodes create virtual nodes (VNs) to disseminate chunks of their full model on their behalf. This enhances privacy by (i) preventing attackers from collecting full models from other nodes, and (ii) hiding the identity of the original node that produced a given model chunk. We theoretically prove the convergence of Shatter and provide a formal analysis demonstrating how Shatter reduces the efficacy of attacks compared to when exchanging full models between nodes. We evaluate the convergence and attack resilience of Shatter with existing DL algorithms, with heterogeneous datasets, and against three standard privacy attacks. Our evaluation shows that Shatter not only renders these privacy attacks infeasible when each node operates 16 VNs but also exhibits a positive impact on model utility compared to standard DL. In summary, Shatter enhances the privacy of DL while maintaining the utility and efficiency of the model.
Strategies for Mangrove Resource Management: Development of Natural Science Booklet Based on Mangrove Diversity in Gili Sulat, East Lombok
Authors: Diniyatushoaliha Ainun , Mahmudah Huraiza
Published: November 2024

The educational approach is one of the strategies in managing mangrove resources, especially mangroves in Gili Sulat. This study aims to develop a science booklet based on mangrove diversity in Gili Sulat, East Lombok. The method of collecting mangrove diversity data is a line transect. The type of research used is Research and Development with a 4-D model, namely defining, designing, developing, and disseminating. The results of the study are in the form of a science booklet design on mangrove diversity in Gili Sulat which has distinctive characteristics, describes the potential and benefits of mangrove forests, displays factual information on mangrove diversity in Gili Sulat, East Lombok, uses short, clear language, is easy to understand and comprehend, and uses an attractive visual display of images.
Development of Virtual Science Learning Media Assisted by Musschenbroek Tools on Length Expansion Material
Authors: Lugi Fitriana
Published: November 2024

This research was conducted in response to the lack of science learning media, particularly in physics materials, that can engage students' interest during the learning process. The purpose of this research is to develop virtual science learning media on the topic of linear expansion. The research method applied is research and development using the 4D model. In this study, a linear expansion tool was created. The research was conducted by developing a science e-module as learning media using the Flip Pdf application.
Development of Mini Virtual Aquatic Ecosystem Learning Media Assisted by Professional 3D Pageflip Software
Authors: Arifin Ahmad Aris
Published: November 2024

This development aims to produce a mini virtual learning media product for aquatic ecosystems assisted by professional 3D pageflip software. The development research model used is the Four-D (4D) model, which consists of 4 stages including: (1) define stage, (2) design stage, (3) develop stage, practicality testing is carried out. , and the dissemination stage was not carried out due to time constraints. The trial subjects in this research involved 36 students of SMAN 9 Mataram class X1, and involved teachers as user practitioners and observers to assess the implementation of learning. The data collection techniques used consisted of learning implementation questionnaire sheets, teacher response questionnaire sheets and student responses. The data analysis used is quantitative and qualitative. Based on the results of the practicality test, it can be concluded that the virtual aquatic ecosystem mini media is very practical to use. The teacher's response showed a percentage of 89.32 in the very practical category, and the student response showed a percentage of 86.04 in the very practical category. Meanwhile, learning implementation is 90%, and non-implementation is 10%.
Analysis of Depth and Liquid Density Factor at Hydrostatic Pressure Assisted by PhET Simulation
Authors: Syuzita Amalia
Published: November 2024

The study has been conducted to analyze the depth factor of liquids and the density factor of liquids assisted by PhET simulation. This research is quantitative descriptive research with data presented descriptively, tables, and graphs. The data is obtained through a simulation of hydrostatic pressure in a PhET simulation. The results show that the relationship between the density of the liquid and the depth of the liquid to the pressure of the liquid is directly proportional. If the density of the liquid and the depth of the liquid are greater, the pressure will also be greater. The application of hydrostatic pressure is seen in the design of submarines which need to take into account the amount of hydrostatic pressure in the sea.
4C Skills (Critical Thinking, Creative, Collaboration, and Communication) in Physics Learning: Have They Been Formated in Students?
Authors: Rizaldi Dedi Riyan , Fatimah Ziadatul
Published: November 2024

One of the skills that are needed by students in current developments is 21st century skills, also known as 4C skills. This study aims to measure and describe the level of 4C skills possessed by students majoring in science at MA Plus Nurul Islam Sekarbela. The type of research used is descriptive-qualitative. The research subjects were all students majoring in science in grades 10–12, totaling 84 students. The research data was gathered using two methods: test questions for critical thinking and creative thinking, and observation sheets for collaboration and communication skills. All data obtained were analyzed descriptively and categorized based on the criteria of each 4C skill. Based on the research, it was found that communication skills were the skills with the highest score for students majoring in science at MA Plus Nurul Islam Sekarbela, with a score of 82.00, while creative thinking was the skill with the lowest score, with a score of 69.00.
Socio-Cultural Meanings of Special Children Names in The Luba Culture of Kasaï
Authors: Betu Donat Nkuna , Benjamin Kalonga Kanumbedia
Published: November 2024

This article approaches the correlations between the names of special children and their birth circumstances. We have used the lexical-pragmatic theory to show how context and circumstance of births contribute to the names ’meanings. This chapter considers recent work on lexical meaning developed within relevance theory which has been described using the term lexical pragmatics. This work focuses on how words are understood in context. It examines the socio-cultural significances of special children names in Tshiluba of Kasaï (L31), the cultural language of Luba people of Kasaï and one of the four national languages in Democratic Republic of Congo. Traditionally in the Luba culture of Kasaï, the naming custom of special children depends on the contexts and circumstances surrounding their births.
Rendimiento de tres variedades de lechuga (Lactuca sativa L.) en dos tipos de sustrato en almacigo más hidroponía NFT en INIA Andahuaylas Perú-2024
Authors: Vargas-Peña Reyna , Flores-Pacheco Niki Franklin
Published: November 2024

El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar el efecto de dos tipos de sustrato en almacigo más hidroponía NFT en el rendimiento de tres variedades de lechuga (Lactuca sativa L.) en el INIA Andahuaylas. Se utilizo el diseño de bloques completamente al azar, con seis tratamientos; las variables evaluadas fueron: peso (g) y Rendimiento (Kg/1000 m2)) de la lechuga. Los resultados evidenciaron diferencias significativas (sig. <0.05) Reportando el peso de la lechuga (g). T3= (var. americana + arena+ H-NFT) con 138.10 g, T1= (var. seda +arena + H-NFT) con 111.10 g; T4= (var. americana +sustrato tradicional + H-NFT) con 103.28 g; T5= (var. crespa + arena+ H-NFT) con 98.08 g; T6= (var. crespa +sustrato tradicional + H-NFT) con 95.15 g y T2= (var seda + sustrato tradicional + H- NFT) con 85.15 g. Rendimiento (kg/1000m2.) T3= (var. americana + arena+ H-NFT) con 3452.50 kg/1000 m2, T1= (var. seda +arena + H-NFT) con 2777.50 kg/1000 m2; T4= (var. americana +sustrato tradicional + H-NFT) con 2581.88 kg/1000 m2; T5= (var. crespa + arena+ H-NFT) con 2451.88 kg/1000 m2; T6= (var. crespa +sustrato tradicional + H-NFT) con 2378.75 kg/1000 m2 y T2= var seda + sustrato tradicional + H- NFT). Concluimos que la variedad americana con sustrato de arena, tiene mejores rendimientos bajo el sistema hidroponía NFT
Achenbach Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Chen Michelle , Yanes Debby , Manvar-Singh Pallavi , Iamonaco Christopher , Jerome Christopher John , Supariwala Azhar
Published: November 2024

Introduction: Achenbach syndrome is a rare, benign condition characterized by painful discoloration ofa finger. Recognition of this syndrome prevents unnecessary costly workup and risky interventions. Case Report: A healthy, 54-year-old female was transferred to our emergency department (ED) from acommunity ED for vascular evaluation of discoloration and numbness to her finger. After extensiveworkup, medical intervention, and consultation with multiple specialists, she was diagnosed withAchenbach syndrome. Conclusion: Emergency physicians may practice good healthcare stewardship and limit invasive,potentially harmful, and expensive workup by reassuring patients of the benign nature of this condition.
Predictive Value of D-dimer in Children with Acute Pyelonephritis
Authors: Sadr Moharerpour Sahar , Mohajerzadeh Leily , Nickavar Azar , Haghbin Toutounchi Alireza
Published: November 2024

Background: The diagnosis of acute febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) relies on various clinical and laboratory findings, which have shown conflicting results. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the utility of serum D-dimer in distinguishing acute pyelonephritis (APN) from other acute bacterial febrile infections. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 47 children with a confirmed UTI (verified by positive urine culture) and 47 children with other bacterial febrile infections. Serum D-dimer levels were measured in all patients before starting antibacterial treatment. Results: A total of 94 febrile children were evaluated, with females outnumbering males. Significant differences between the two groups were observed for microscopic hematuria (P = 0.044), bacteriuria (P < 0.001), white blood cell (WBC) count (P = 0.047), and hemoglobin (Hgb) (P = 0.035), but not for serum D-dimer (P = 0.327). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that Hgb (P = 0.019) had a significant predictive value in APN, whereas serum D-dimer did not. Serum D-dimer was found to be an inaccurate biomarker for distinguishing febrile UTI from other bacterial febrile infections. Conclusions: Based on our findings, while D-dimer level increase in various acute bacterial febrile infections, they are not appropriate in differentiating febrile UTI from other bacterial infections.
The Study of Lung Ultrasound, Chest CT and Chest X-ray in Children with COVID-19 Hospitalized in Mofid Children's Hospital During a Six-Month Period
Authors: Khalili Mitra , Rafiei Tabatabaei Sedigheh , Hoseini Alfatemi Seyedeh Mahsan , Yaghoubi Saeedeh , Saadat Sadeghi Ata , Shirvani Armin , Raeisi Ahmad
Published: November 2024

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The primary diagnostic tool for pediatric COVID-19 patients is polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Chest imaging findings in pediatric COVID-19 cases are often normal or mild. The correlation of lung ultrasound (LUS) with chest computed tomography (CT) and chest X-ray (CXR) in pediatric COVID-19 patients has not been extensively studied. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the correlation of LUS with chest CT and CXR in detecting COVID-19 pneumonia in children. Methods: This single-center cross-sectional study included patients under 18 years of age diagnosed with COVID-19 by PCR or by abnormal chest CT findings suggestive of COVID-19, admitted to Mofid Pediatric Hospital between December 2021 and August 2022. All patients underwent LUS. Approximately half of the patients also had a chest CT, and CXR was performed on 35 patients. Lung ultrasound and CT scores were calculated, and the correlation between these scores was evaluated. The correlation between LUS and CXR was also analyzed. Results: Sixty patients were included, of whom 21 were female, with a mean age of 4.9 ± 4.0 years. A significant correlation was observed between LUS and CT scores (correlation coefficient = 0.467, P = 0.011). Lesion distribution was similar between LUS and CT. However, no significant correlation was found between LUS scores and CXR findings (P = 0.392). Sixteen out of 19 patients with normal CXRs had LUS scores ≤ 4. Notably, three patients with normal CXRs had LUS scores of 8, 14, and 14. Conclusions: Lung ultrasound was more sensitive than CXR and demonstrated a significant correlation with CT. Lung ultrasound may serve as a safe alternative to CT for detecting COVID-19 pneumonia in pediatric patients.
CRISPR System and Its Applications in Medicine and Stem Cell Engineering
Authors: Abdolmaleki Arash , Nahumi Aida , Basharzad Seddigh Hediye , Yazdannasab Narges , Panahi Alireza , Ashique Sumel , Asadi Asadollah
Published: November 2024

Context: The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas system is a groundbreaking gene-editing tool that shows great promise for modifying genomes. Derived from prokaryotic adaptive immune defense mechanisms, this technique has been used in research on human diseases, demonstrating remarkable therapeutic potential. Through CRISPR, specific genetic mutations in patients can be corrected during gene therapy, offering a solution for treating diseases that were previously untreatable using conventional methods. This review explores the recent progress and future prospects of the CRISPR system, focusing on its applications in medicine and stem cell engineering. Special emphasis is placed on medical applications, the latest target design or analysis tools for genome editing, advancements in stem cell engineering, and associated innovations and challenges. Evidence Acquisition: This study reviewed articles indexed in ISI, SID, PubMed, and PubMed Central from 2007 to 2024. Results: Cas9, a key protein in CRISPR gene editing, is an endonuclease capable of targeting and cutting specific DNA sequences, guided by short RNA sequences. The gene editing process involves homology-directed repair (HDR), non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), and base editing pathways. Base editing, which modifies the epigenome without inducing DNA breaks, is gaining increasing attention. However, CRISPR still faces technical challenges, and the development of more efficient "super" CRISPR technology will likely require time. This article reviews the effectiveness, limitations, and applications of the CRISPR system. Conclusions: CRISPR/Cas9 tools allow for the creation of precise models, leading to more effective treatment options for patients.
Family-Centered Care from the Point of View of Undergraduate Nursing Students Studying in Selected Public Universities: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Al-Oran Haytham , Al-Sagarat Ahmad , Obeidat Hala
Published: November 2024

Background: The concept of family-centered care (FCC) is central to the care model and is an essential core principle of pediatric nursing. Objectives: This study aimed to assess undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of FCC in selected government universities and examine differences in nursing students' perceptions of FCC based on gender and academic level. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used, involving 124 eligible students. Data were collected using a validated Family-Centered Care Questionnaire (FCCQ), which had a Cronbach’s alpha score of 0.90. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 25 was employed for data analysis, specifically for calculating means, standard deviations (SDs), frequencies, percentages, and conducting independent t-tests. Results: The overall mean score of perceptions was 3.35 ± 0.76. The "Family is the constant" dimension had the highest score (3.45 ± 0.91), while the "Developmental needs" dimension had the lowest score (3.26 ± 0.95). There was a significant difference in perceptions of FCC between male and female students (t = -5.291, P < 0.001) and between third- and fourth-year students (t = 7.345, P < 0.001). Conclusions: It can be concluded that undergraduate nursing students had modest perceptions of FCC, and there was a significant difference in these perceptions based on gender and academic level. This study provides valuable insight into FCC, which can inform policy design and interventions in nursing education in Jordan. An educational program is recommended to improve undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of FCC.
Investigation of the Prevalence of Child Abuse and Its Influencing Factors by Parents
Authors: Seneysel Bachari Shima , Afra Arghavan , Karimian Zahra
Published: November 2024

Background: The prevalence of child abuse is increasing globally, and this form of abuse can lead to severe and long-term problems in adulthood. In Iran, child abuse ranks as the most common form of domestic violence. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of abuse and its influencing factors among elementary school children. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2023 in the city of Abadan. A total of 378 students from grades two to six in seven schools were selected using cluster and random sampling methods. The research instruments included a demographic questionnaire and a standard child abuse questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS21 software, with both descriptive and analytical statistics applied. Results: The average age of the children was 10.43 years. The most common form of child abuse reported was parental neglect, with a prevalence of 75.53%. A significant relationship was found between physical abuse and factors such as the father's education (P = 0.001), parental illness (P = 0.001), parental addiction (P = 0.006), and parents' divorce (P = 0.03). Additionally, psychological abuse was significantly associated with the mother's education (P = 0.001), parental addiction (P = 0.02), loneliness at home (P = 0.002), and the child's grade (P = 0.001). Parental neglect showed a significant relationship with the child's grade (P = 0.014), birth order (P = 0.004), and place of living (P = 0.053). Conclusions: The most common form of abuse among students was parental neglect. A lack of parental awareness regarding appropriate child-rearing behaviors can contribute to child abuse. Therefore, it is recommended that schools and other relevant institutions increase efforts to educate parents on preventing various forms of abuse.
A Review of the Pathogenesis of IgA Vasculitis Nephritis in Children
Authors: Li Qianqian , Chen Rong , An Hongjin , Tang Yuying , Yang Baowang
Published: November 2024

: In children, IgA Vasculitis (IgAV), formerly known as Henoch-Schönlein purpura, is a common kidney illness primarily caused by anaphylactoid purpura. It is highly prevalent among youngsters, often presenting with symptoms such as skin purpura, abdominal pain, and hematuria. In some cases, IgA vasculitis nephritis (IgAVN) may progress to chronic kidney disease (CKD), exacerbating renal function impairment and negatively impacting patient prognosis. To effectively develop preventive and therapeutic strategies for pediatric IgAVN, a comprehensive understanding of its pathogenesis is crucial. This review discusses the involvement of key biological markers, including galactose-deficient IgA1, C-reactive protein, and inflammatory cytokines, in the disease's pathophysiology. Additionally, it provides an overview of the specific diagnostic markers and clinical management strategies pertinent to this condition.
Preparation and Characterization of Ozonated Liposomes Loaded with Curcumin: A Potential Approach for Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment
Authors: Heidari Kaydan Hossein , Sharif makhmlzadeh Behzad , Feghhi Mostafa , Rezaei Anahita , Bagheri Farid , Salimi Anayatollah
Published: November 2024

Background: Limitations in drug penetration are overcome by nanotechnology, particularly liposomes, which enhance targeted administration of ocular medications. Liposomes can augment the therapeutic effects of curcumin, a natural compound with positive impacts on the retina. Treatments for eye diseases can also benefit from the antibacterial properties of ozonated oil liposomes. Objectives: This study aims to develop and evaluate ozonated liposomes loaded with curcumin for ocular drug delivery applications, specifically targeting diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods: Liposomal nanoparticles were prepared using thin-film hydration, incorporating phospholipids, lecithin, cholesterol, ozonated oil, and curcumin. We assessed physicochemical properties including particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency (EE), and morphology. Drug release profiles and stability studies were also conducted. Results: The optimized liposomes showed a particle size of 84.77 nm, a zeta potential of -16.8 mV, and an EE of 94.73%. The formulation exhibited sustained curcumin release over 24 hours, reaching 82.09% cumulative release. Stability studies indicated minimal changes in key parameters over three months at room temperature. Conclusions: The developed ozonated liposomal formulation demonstrates promising characteristics for curcumin delivery, potentially enhancing its therapeutic efficacy in ocular applications, particularly for DR.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of General Dentists Towards Tele-dentistry
Authors: Behrad Samira , Hafezi Ehsan , Ghorbani Raheb , Hosseinzadeh Pegah
Published: November 2024

Background: Considering the growing importance of tele-dentistry and its potential to enhance the delivery of dental services, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of private dental offices towards this technology. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study included 50 general dentists practicing in Semnan city, selected based on entry criteria through the enumeration method. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire (including gender and years since graduation) and a 15-item researcher-made questionnaire designed to assess their KAP towards tele-dentistry. Results: Among the participants, 54% (27 participants) were female, and 46% (23 participants) were male, with an average age of 30.2 ± 6.48 years. The mean number of years since graduation was 7.74 ± 5.13 years. The mean and standard deviation of KAP scores were 5.96 ± 1.07 (knowledge), 34.32 ± 3.41 (attitude), and 1.44 ± 0.50 (practice), respectively. Men scored significantly higher in knowledge compared to women (7.26 ± 0.91 vs. 6.70 ± 1.14; P = 0.037). There was a significant inverse correlation between knowledge scores and years since graduation (r = -0.292; P = 0.032). Additionally, 52% (26 participants) reported having used tele-dentistry, while 96% (48 participants) expressed an intention to use it in the future. Conclusions: The findings suggest that knowledge regarding tele-dentistry was notably higher among men and those with fewer years since graduation. Health policies should prioritize training programs to enhance general dentists' knowledge and practice of tele-dentistry, supporting its effective implementation in dental care.
The Role of Spirituality, Marital Satisfaction and Socio-Economic Status on Attitudes Toward Childbearing Among Married Women Without the Intention and History of Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Sarsharbeidokhti Parisa , Bagherzadeh Ledari Rahim , Bagheri Maedeh
Published: November 2024

Background: Iran has experienced a sharp decline in childbearing rates over the past three decades, and the extent to which attitudes toward childbearing are influenced by marital satisfaction, socio-economic status, and spiritual health remains unclear. Additionally, past research has largely focused on women who already have children. This study, however, examines all women who, after five years of marriage, have not yet decided to have children. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the role of spirituality, marital satisfaction, and socio-economic status in shaping attitudes toward childbearing among married women in Semnan City in 2023, specifically those without a history of pregnancy or intention to conceive. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 235 married women who had neither the intention nor history of pregnancy, with a minimum marriage duration of five years. Participants were purposefully selected during visits to the family health center in Semnan City in 2023. Data were collected using the Childbearing Attitudes Questionnaire, the Spiritual Health Questionnaire, the Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Socio-Economic Status Questionnaire. Statistical analysis was conducted using multiple linear regression tests in SPSS software version 24. Results: The largest proportion of participants belonged to the age group of 26-32 years (31.35%). A majority (137 individuals, 58.3%) had either an associate or bachelor’s degree, and most participants (58.3%) were employed. The results demonstrated that spirituality (41%), socio-economic status (56%), and marital satisfaction (65%) were significant predictors of attitudes toward childbearing (P < 0.01). Conclusions: As marital satisfaction emerged as the strongest predictor of attitudes toward childbearing, it is recommended that health centers offer courses to improve and enhance marital satisfaction among women.
Chronic Dyspnea in Iranian COVID-19 Recovered Patients: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Shirazi Raheleh , Darvishpoor Kakhki Ali , Salarian Sara
Published: November 2024

Background: Chronic dyspnea is one of the most prevalent symptoms of post-COVID syndrome. For healthcare professionals and those involved in rehabilitating COVID-19 survivors, organized, evidence-based information resources can be highly effective in improving the quality of care programs. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic dyspnea and its associated factors among Iranian patients who have recovered from COVID-19, with at least three months having passed since their hospital discharge. Methods: This retrospective analytical study, conducted in 2023, included 400 participants selected through simple random sampling at Imam Hossein Hospital, affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Data collection involved a demographic and clinical information checklist and a modified self-administered questionnaire based on the Medical Research Council (MRC) Chronic Dyspnea Scale. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software with a 95% confidence interval (CI = 0.95, p = 0.05), employing chi-square tests and logistic regression to assess potential relationships among study variables associated with chronic dyspnea. Results: The average age of patients was 52.96 years (SD = 14.77, range = 14 to 87). Regarding dyspnea, most patients (247, 61.8%) reported experiencing dyspnea when walking fast or climbing hills. The likelihood of chronic dyspnea increased by 3.1 times with a rise in BMI (P < 0.001), 1.36 times with age (P < 0.001), and decreased with exercise (OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.94, 0.99, P = 0.01). Also, exercise helps reduce shortness of breath, while a history of surgery can increase it due to the weakening of the respiratory muscles. Conclusion: The high prevalence of chronic dyspnea in this population highlights the need for ongoing monitoring and tailored interventions for individuals recovering from COVID-19.