bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adolescents’ self-perceived health, life satisfaction and subjective vitality during the COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis based on education level, sex and physical activity status.
Authors: Mata Carlos , Onofre Marcos , Papaioannou Athanasios G. , Martins João 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions to adolescents' routines manifested in increased sedentary behaviors, reduced physical activity (PA), diminished social contacts, and adverse effects on mental health. The study's objective was to analyze and compare adolescents' self-perceptions concerning health, vitality, and life satisfaction based on sex, PA, and education levels during the pandemic's restrictive timeframe before the January 2021 lockdown. A total of 1369 Portuguese students (621 boys and 748 girls; mean age: 14.4 years; SD: 1.74) participated. Group differences were analyzed via ANCOVA, considering age, standardized BMI, socioeconomic status, and daily moderate-to-vigorous PA both pre- and during the pandemic. Only 3.1% of adolescents adhered to international PA guidelines. Results indicated generally low levels of adolescents' health self-perceptions, particularly among girls. The study sheds light on adolescents' self-perceptions of health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the associations between restrictive measures and adolescents' mental health and PA levels. Future studies are necessary to assess students' self-perceptions upon returning to normalcy and understand lingering negative effects on adolescents' mental health and well-being.
Digital Twin-Assisted Vehicles Edge Network Computing Offloading Scheme
Authors: Zhu Lin , Tan Long , Li Bingxian 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Traditional vehicle edge computing research has not fully considered the differences between vehicle tasks and edge server computing resources while often ignoring the use of deep reinforcement learning (DRL), which requires a large amount of training data, and DRL is easy to fall into the problem of local optimality. Therefore, this paper proposed a digital twin (DT) -assisted vehicle edge network computation offloading method. For the problem of DRL requiring a large amount of training data, a real-time data acquisition method based on DT is proposed for vehicle tasks and edge nodes. The differentiability of computing resources proposed a computing model based on deep neural network (DNN) partitioning and early exit mechanism, making full use of the computing resources of edge servers and vehicles, reducing the computation delay and transmission delay of tasks, Aiming at the problem that the asynchronous dominant actor-critic (A3C) algorithm in DRL is easy to fall into the local optimal solution, the dynamic baseline and ε-greedy policy are introduced based on A3C and used to select the channel to reduce the transmission delay further. Experimental results show that this scheme outperforms other comparative methods and can effectively reduce the delay of task offloading in vehicular edge computing.
Sowing summer grain crops early in late winter or spring: Effects on root growth, water use, and yield
Authors: Zhao Dongxue , deVoil Peter , Rognoni Bethany G. , Wilkus Erin , Eyre Joseph X , Broad Ian , Rodriguez Daniel 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

CONTEXT. Drought and extreme heat at flowering are common stresses limiting the yield of summer crops. Adaptation to these stresses could be increased by sowing summer crops early in late winter or spring, to avoid the overlap with critical crop stages around flowering. Though little is known about the effects of cold weather on root growth, water use and final grain yield in sorghum.
OBJECTIVE. To research the effects of cold conditions in early sowing sorghum on crop and root growth and function (i.e., water use), and final grain yield.
METHODS. Two years of field experiments were conducted in the Darling and Eastern Downs region of Qld, Australia. Each trial consisted of three times of sowing (late winter, spring, and summer), two levels of irrigation (i.e., rainfed and supplementary irrigated), four plant population densities (3, 6, 9 and 12 pl m-2), and six commercial sorghum hybrids. Roots and shoots were sampled at the flag leaf stage on three times of sowing, two levels of irrigation, and three replications, for a single hybrid and a single plant population density (9pl m-2). Crop water use and functional root traits were derived from consecutive electromagnetic induction (EMI) surveys around flowering. At maturity crop biomass, yield and yield components were determined across all treatments.
RESULTS. The combinations of seasons, times of sowing and levels of irrigation created large variations in growth conditions that affected the growth and production of the crops. Early sowing increased yield by transferring water use from vegetative to reproductive stages increasing water use efficiency (kg mm-1 available water). The larger yields in the early and spring sown crops were associated to larger grain numbers, particularly in tillers. Cold temperatures in the early sowing times tended to produce smaller crops with smaller rooting systems, smaller root-to-shoot ratios, and larger average root diameters. Total root length and root length density increased with increasing pre-flowering mean air temperatures up to 20°C. Linear relationships were observed between an EMI derived index of root activity and the empirically determined values of root length density (cm cm-3) at flowering.
CONCLUSIONS. Sowing sorghum, a summer crop, early in late winter or spring transferred water use from vegetative stages to flowering and post-flowering stages increasing crop water use efficiency. The higher grain numbers in early sown crops were related to higher grain numbers in tillers. Root length and root length density were reduced by pre-flowering mean temperatures lower than 20°C, indicating a need to increase cold tolerance for early sowing. The EMI derived index of root activity has potential in the development of high throughput root phenotyping applications.
A New Data Augmentation Method for Bayesian Semiparametric Proportional Hazards Model Analyzing Arbitrarily Censored Data
Authors: Zhi Xin , Lin Xiaoyan , Wang Lianming 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Arbitrarily censored data have a more general data structure than conventional right-censored data or general interval-censored data and thus are more challenging to analyze. In this article, a novel Bayesian approach is developed for analyzing arbitrarily censored data under the semiparametric proportional hazards (PH) model. The proposed method adopts M-splines and I-splines to model the baseline hazard and cumulative baseline hazard functions in the PH model, respectively. A new two-stage data augmentation involving exponential and multinomial latent variables is proposed, leading to a nice form of augmented likelihood. Based on this likelihood, an easy-to-implement Gibbs sampler is developed. Simulation studies show that the proposed method works well in estimating both regression parameters and survival functions. A numerical comparison of our method with existing Bayesian methods is also provided. Two real data sets on colorectal cancer and childhood mortality are analyzed for illustration.
Assessment of Antibacterial Activity of Exopolysaccharide Produced from Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain S16 on Environmental and Clinical Bacteria
Authors: Okorie Ikechukwu , Ogunjobi Adeniyi 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Environmental and clinical bacteria have developed resistance to the commonly available antibiotics, erstwhile produced to treat diseases caused by them. Indeed, antibiotic resistance has morphed into an issue of worldwide proportions in urgent need of effective remedies. The aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial activity of exopolysaccharide produced from stock culture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain S16 (accession number OQ734845), which had previously been isolated from soil in the environment, on selected identified environmental and clinical bacteria, which were both antibiotic-resistant and antibiotic-susceptible. Bacterial isolates were initially isolated from both soil and pig faecal matter using serial dilution and pour plate methods, before they were identified through biochemical tests. Screening tests for exopolysaccharide production in these isolates, had shown up S16 and F22 as the best producers of exopolysaccharide; identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain S16 (accession number OQ734845) and Providencia vermicola strain F22 (accession number OQ734846), respectively. The latter was not a pseudomonad and was therefore excluded from the study. The antibacterial properties of the exopolysaccharide were then assessed using agar well diffusion assay and it was observed to be effective only against Staphylococcus aureus SO183 at 0.260 g/L and against identified Klebsiella pneumoniae only at 0.156 g/L.The positive controls used in the study were antibiotic discs containing the class of antibiotics susceptible to each selected identified bacterium. The exopolysaccharide from Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain S16, therefore, proved promising as an alternative antibiotic to the present failing antibiotics in common usage.
Replay Attacks in RPL-Based Internet of Things: Survey and Empirical Comparative Study
Authors: Albinali Hussah , Azzedin Farag 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

RPL was developed as a routing protocol in low-power and lossy network contexts to connect many applications using IP-based communication. However, RPL has been subjected to several attacks, including replay attacks. Replay attacks pose significant challenges as any node can initiate the attack by replaying control messages. These messages play a vital role in establishing and sustaining network topology. However, studies that discourse replay attacks are severely limited. To address this issue, we conducted a comprehensive study on replay attack forms and their impact on RPL networks. Our study includes the latest security countermeasures. According to the literature, most RPL replay attacks rely on replaying DIO messages leading to neighbor, DIO suppression, or copycat attacks. DAO messages are also utilized to launch a replay attack. Nevertheless, the literature lacks any study that analyzes DAO replay attacks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluates DAO replay attacks and includes the route table falsification attack.We conduct a comparative study of these attacks and empirically investigate their impact on networks through extensive evaluation experiments. Our findings verify the harm of replay attacks in terms of packet delivery and latency. The average local delivery ratio dropped to less than 60% under DIO suppression and copycat attacks, and the communication latency increased by 50% under neighbor attacks. These results confirm the threat of replay attacks on RPL networks and the need to design countermeasures to mitigate them.
Features of arrhythmic syndrome in children with nonspecific connective tissue disorder
Authors: Nechaeva G. I. , Dakuko A. N. , Loginova E. N. , Bogatyrev I. V. , Sharun I. V. 
Published: December 2023

Introduction. In case of nonspecific connective tissue disorder (NCTD), the most significant in terms of prognosis for life is arrhythmic syndrome. Therefore, it remains important to introduce modern diagnostic methods into practice to prevent fatal events in childhood and young people.Aim. To study the features of arrhythmic syndrome in children with NCTD in relation to the level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and structural changes in the heart.Materials and methods. A total of 45 children aged 10–17 years with arrhythmic syndrome due to NCTD and 20 children with normal heart rhythm and isolated presentations of NCTD (control group) were enrolled in the study. NSDT phenotypic markers, NT-proBNP levels, electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring findings and speckle-tracking echocardiography data were studied.Results and discussion. Children with arrhythmic syndrome and NCTD had more frequently dolichostenomelia, arachnodactyly, keeled chest deformity of II–III-degree, spinal scoliosis of II–III-degree, joint hypermobility, blue sclera. The structure of the arrhythmic syndrome in children with NCTD is – ventricular and supraventricular extrasystoles, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Speckle-tracking echocardiography showed a left ventricular strain in anterior basal segment and global longitudinal strain. There was association between a local longitudinal strain in the anterior basal segment and keeled chest deformity of II–III-degree, mitral valve prolapse, longitudinal flatfoot, asthenic shape of the chest, pectus excavatum deformity of II–III degree. There was association between the NT-proBNP level and the diagnostic threshold for NCTD. Patients with arrhythmic syndrome and NCTD had a direct, medium-degree significant correlation between the NT-proBNP level and heart rate, mitral valve prolapse and cardiac arrhythmia such as ventricular extrasystoles.Conclusion. The results of the study will be implemented in the future in the individual programs for the management of patients with NCTD.
Trend in rainfall associated with tropical cyclones in Mexico attributed to climate change and variability
Authors: Sánchez Martínez Sinuhé Alejandro , González Villarreal Fernando J. , Mora Ramón Domínguez , Arganis Juárez Maritza Liliana 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the existence and the magnitude of trend in different areas and durations of rainfall associated with tropical cyclones (TCR). To achieve this objective, a mixed-method approach was employed using depth–area–duration (DAD) and areal reduction factor (ARFs) curves that can be described as a logarithm equation to generate time series that allows the application of statistical methods such as the Mann–Kendall (MK) and Spearman Rho (SR) to detect trends. Time series are generated by substituting different areas in the logarithmic equations. The evidence presented shows that in Mexico, the TCR lasting 24 h shows an increasing trend for maximum areas between 300 and 1,700 km2 according to the MK and SR tests, respectively; according to these same tests for durations of 48 h, upward trends were observed up to maximum areas between 5,700 and 6,900 km2. The Sen's slope reports annual increases between 0.76 and 1.32 mm and between 1.15 and 2.06 for a duration of 24 and 48 h, respectively. In contrast, no trends were observed in the time series obtained from the ARFs. Finally, the Pettitt test reports an abrupt jump from the year 1997 in all cases.
Evaluating groundwater quality using health risk assessment and irrigation indexes: Saveh Aquifer, Iran
Authors: Shahmirnoori Alireza , Hasani Zonoozi Maryam , Samadi Mehrshad 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess water quality in the Saveh aquifer for drinking, public health, and agricultural uses. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI), hazard index (HI) using non-carcinogenic health risk assessment, sodium percentage, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), irrigation water quality index (IWQI), and a Piper diagram were used. The HPI exceeded 3,300, much higher than the WHO critical value, which is 100. The aquifer is severely contaminated with heavy metals and unsuitable for drinking. The heavy metal concentrations also caused the water to have cumulative HI &gt; 1 in 54 and 77% of sampling wells, respectively, for adults and children. For agriculture, both %NA and IWQI were stricter than SAR. Most of the aquifer was deemed suitable for irrigation using SAR, while %Na showed most parts unreliable, and IWQI represented almost all areas unsuitable for irrigation. The Piper diagram showed that the dominant water type was N–Cl, followed by Na–HCO3 and Ca–HCO3, indicating high aquifer salinity. Generally, the Saveh aquifer is saline and heavily polluted with heavy metals, so its use for drinking and/or irrigation carries many risks.
Factors Influencing Telehealth Service Use and Health Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis: Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Praha Nattaya , Sriyuktasuth Aurawamon , Puwarawuttipanit Wimolrat , Chuengsaman Piyatida , Kusakunniran Worapan 
Published: December 2023

BackgroundSeveral studies have demonstrated the efficacy and user acceptance of telehealth in managing patients with chronic conditions, including continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). However, the rates of telehealth service use in various patient groups have been low and have declined over time, which may affect important health outcomes. Telehealth service use in patients undergoing CAPD has been recognized as a key challenge that needs to be examined further.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the rates of telehealth service use over 4 months, identify factors influencing its use, and examine the relationship between telehealth service use and health outcomes in Thai people undergoing CAPD.MethodsThis cross-sectional study, which was a part of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial study, was conducted at a dialysis center in Bangkok, Thailand. The study included patients who were undergoing CAPD. These patients were randomly enrolled in the intervention group to receive telehealth service and additional standard care for 4 months. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires, including a demographic form, Functional, Communicative, and Critical Health Literacy Scale, Perceived Usefulness Questionnaire, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire, and Kidney Disease Quality of Life 36 Questionnaire. Additionally, Google Analytics was used to obtain data on the actual use of the telehealth service. These data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, repeated-measures ANOVA, and regression analyses.ResultsA total of 159 patients were included in this study. The mean rate of telehealth service use throughout the period of 4 months was 62.06 (SD 49.71) times. The rate of telehealth service use was the highest in the first month (mean 23.48, SD 16.28 times) and the lowest in the third month (mean 11.09, SD 11.48 times). Independent variables explained 27.6% of the sample variances in telehealth service use. Older age (β=.221; P=.002), higher perceived usefulness (β=.414; P<.001), unemployment (β=−.155; P=.03), and positive illness perception (β=−.205; P=.004) were associated with a significantly higher rate of telehealth service use. Regarding the relationship between telehealth service use and health outcomes, higher rates of telehealth service use were linked to better quality of life (β=.241; P=.002) and lower peritonitis (odds ratio 0.980, 95% CI 0.962-0.997; P=.03).ConclusionsThis study provides valuable insights into factors impacting telehealth service use, which in turn affect health outcomes in patients undergoing CAPD.
Effectiveness and User Experience of Virtual Reality for Social Anxiety Disorder: Systematic Review
Authors: Shahid Simon , Kelson Joshua , Saliba Anthony 
Published: December 2023

Background
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects occupational and social functioning. Virtual reality (VR) therapies can provide effective treatment for people with SAD. However, with rapid innovations in immersive VR technology, more contemporary research is required to examine the effectiveness and concomitant user experience outcomes (ie, safety, usability, acceptability, and attrition) of emerging VR interventions for SAD.

Objective
The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness and user experience of contemporary VR interventions among people with SAD.

Methods
The Cochrane Library, Emcare, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched between January 1, 2012, and April 26, 2022. Deduplicated search results were screened based on title and abstract information. Full-text examination was conducted on 71 articles. Studies of all designs and comparator groups were included if they appraised the effectiveness and user experience outcomes of any immersive VR intervention among people with SAD. A standardized coding sheet was used to extract data on key participant, intervention, comparator, outcome, and study design items.

Results
The findings were tabulated and discussed using a narrative synthesis. A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria.

Conclusions
The findings showed that VR exposure therapy–based interventions can generally provide effective, safe, usable, and acceptable treatments for adults with SAD. The average attrition rate from VR treatment was low (11.36%) despite some reported user experience difficulties, including potential simulator sickness, exposure-based emotional distress, and problems with managing treatment delivered in a synchronous group setting. This review also revealed several research gaps, including a lack of VR treatment studies on children and adolescents with SAD as well as a paucity of standardized assessments of VR user experience interactions. More studies are required to address these issues.

Trial Registration
PROSPERO CRD42022353891; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=353891
The Judges’ Legal Consideration on Divorce of Nushūz Cases at the Kupang High Religious Court: Gender Perspective
Authors: Fitriyani Fitriyani , Saepuddin Jahar Asep , Subhan Zaitunah , Rosdiana Rosdiana 
Published: December 2023

The gender sensitivity of judges towards women in court is crucial to ensure that judgments provide a sense of justice and accommodate the rights of wives after divorce. This article aims to analyze judges' considerations from philosophical, juridical, and sociological aspects in divorce judgments due to nushūz (disobedience) from a gender perspective, addressing two main questions: 1) how judges use a gender perspective in deciding divorce cases due to nushūz, and 2) what factors influence judges' decisions in divorce cases due to nushūz from a gender perspective. This research employs qualitative research methods, which is a case study design, with juridical and gender approaches. The primary data source is derived from the rulings of the Religious High Court of Kupang No. 009/Pdt.G/2015/PTA.Kp obtained from the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia's website, and judge interviews as supporting data, which were analyzed using content analysis. The research findings indicate that from a gender perspective, judges exhibit gender bias in categorizing nushūz as if nushūz can only be committed by wives, whereas nushūz can be committed by both husbands and wives. Judges' interpretations of nushūz are still influenced by the content of the law, the culture of the law, and its structure of the law. This study implies that judges should undergo gender-based training or workshops organized by judicial institutions or universities to enhance their gender sensitivity in deciding legal cases, especially nushūz cases.