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Background: Ensuring consistent adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is crucial for effective HIV treatment and achieving viral suppression. Within prisons, the prevalence of HIV is notably high, and incarcerated individuals face an increased risk of transmitting the virus both during and after incarceration. However, facilitators and barriers to ART adherence among these individuals in low- and middle-income countries remain inadequately explored. This study applied the Social Ecological Model (SEM) to investigate how various individual, interpersonal, organizational, community and policy-level factors impact ART adherence among incarcerated populations in Iran during and post-incarceration. Methods: This study employed a phenomenological qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews to gather insights. The research population consisted of people living with HIV (PLHIV) who had experienced incarceration and had been prescribed ART during their latest incarceration. Eleven PLHIV from two prisons located in Kerman and Tehran, Iran, formed the study group. Qualitative findings from the interviews were analyzed using a thematic approach. The findings were organized within the SEM framework to highlight key themes influencing ART adherence during and after incarceration. Results: Participants had an average age of 45.1 years (± 5.6). Various factors influence ART adherence during and post-incarceration. Participants highlighted the individual (e.g., HIV knowledge, previous treatment history, mental and physical health), interpersonal (e.g., family, friends, other incarcerated people, and prison health staff), organizational (e.g., ART treatment interventions, methadone maintenance therapy, and other health protocols), community (e.g., stigma, social isolation, discrimination and lack of access to community health services), and policy (e.g., financial interventions, and providing shelters) level factors influence ART adherence during and post-incarceration. Conclusions: This study provides insights into the multi-level approach to ART adherence among PLHIV during and post-incarceration. It recommends implementing public health activities at the proposed multi-levels to maximize the synergies of intervention for the greatest impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart failure is a significant health issue in developed countries, often stemming from conditions like hypertension, which imposes a pressure overload on the heart. Despite various treatment strategies for heart failure, many lack long-term effectiveness. A critical aspect of cardiac disease is the remodeling of the heart, where compensatory changes in the extracellular matrix exacerbate disease progression. This review explores the processes and changes occurring in the pressure-overloaded heart with respect to the extracellular matrix. It further summarizes current treatment strategies, and then focuses on novel treatment targets for maladaptive cardiac remodeling, derived from transverse aortic constriction-induced pressure overload animal models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is constructed on a whale's bubble-net scavenging pattern and emulates encompassing prey, bubble-net devouring prey, and stochastic capturing for prey to establish the global optimal values. Nevertheless, the WOA has multiple deficiencies, such as restricted precision, sluggish convergence acceleration, insufficient population variety, easy premature convergence, and restricted operational efficiency. The sine cosine algorithm (SCA) constructed on the oscillation attributes of the cosine and sine coefficients in mathematics is a stochastic optimization methodology. The SCA upgrades population variety, amplifies the search region, and accelerates international investigation and regional extraction. Therefore, a hybrid nonlinear WOA with SCA (SCWOA) is emphasized to estimate benchmark functions and engineering designs, and the ultimate intention is to investigate reasonable solutions. Compared with other algorithms, such as BA, CapSA, MFO, MVO, SAO, MDWA, and WOA, SCWOA exemplifies a superior convergence effectiveness and greater computation profitability. The experimental results emphasize that the SCWOA not only integrates investigation and extraction to avoid premature convergence and realize the most appropriate solution but also exhibits superiority and practicability to locate greater computation precision and faster convergence speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of the Fe2O3–CuO–CuFe2O4 nanocomposite was effectively achieved through the sol–gel technique, utilizing ethanol as a reactive fuel. Investigation of the nanocomposite's structure via X-ray Diffraction confirmed the coexistence of Fe2O3, CuO, and CuFe2O4 phases within the material. The Scherrer equation was applied to determine an average crystallite size ranging from 60 to 95 nm. UV–visible spectroscopy studies suggested the material possesses an approximate energy bandgap of 4 eV. Scanning Electron Microscopy provided insights into the nanocomposite's surface morphology, which exhibited a porous and heterogeneous aggregation of particles in various sizes and shapes. When tested for antibacterial efficacy, the nanocomposite exhibited activity against gram-positive S. aureus with a maximum zone of inhibition (ZOI) measuring 9 mm at the highest concentration, whereas no inhibitory effect was detected against gram-negative E.coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how signers make lists. One way is to use the fingers on the signer's nondominant hand to enumerate items on a list. The signer points to these list-fingers with the dominant hand. Previous analyses considered lists to be nondominant, one-handed signs, and thus were called list buoys because the nondominant hand often remains in place during the production of the list. The pointing hand was largely ignored as a nonlinguistic gesture. We take a constructional approach based on Cognitive Grammar. In our approach, we analyze lists as a type of pointing construction consisting of two meaningful components: a pointing device (the pointing hand) used to direct attention; and a Place, also consisting of form and a meaning. Using data from Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) and Finland–Swedish Sign Language (FinSSL), we examine the semantic role of each component, showing how the nondominant list-fingers identify and track discourse referents, and how the pointing hand is used to create higher-order entities by grouping list-fingers. We also examine the integration of list constructions and their components with other conventional constructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of acceptance and commitment-based treatment on empathy and interpersonal relationships in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Methods: This study employed a semi-experimental research design, utilizing a pre-test, post-test with a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder seeking treatment in psychiatric clinics in Tehran in 2022. A total of 30 participants (15 in the experimental group and 15 in the control group) were selected through the accessible sampling method. Data collection tools included the Basic Empathy Scale ((Heinke & Louis, 2009)) and Trust in Close Relationships (Rempel & Holmes, 1986). The intervention, which involved acceptance and commitment-based treatment, was administered over 8 sessions of 90 minutes each, once a week, to the experimental group, while the control group did not receive any training. Data analysis was performed using covariance analysis. Results: The results of multivariate covariance analysis indicated that in the experimental group, there was a significant increase in the mean of empathy scores after the intervention. Similarly, the mean of scores for interpersonal relationships increased after the intervention (P<0.01). Conclusions: The results generally endorse the efficacy of third wave psychotherapies, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), in relation to emotional and interpersonal consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article provides an in-depth analysis of the growing field of AI-assisted programming tasks, specifically focusing on the use of code embeddings and transformers. With the increasing complexity and scale of software development, traditional programming methods are becoming more time-consuming and error-prone. As a result, researchers have turned to the application of artificial intelligence to assist with various programming tasks, including code completion, bug detection, and code summarization. The utilization of artificial intelligence for programming tasks has garnered significant attention in recent times, with numerous approaches adopting code embeddings or transformer technologies as their foundation. While these technologies are popular in this field today, a rigorous discussion, analysis, and comparison of their abilities to cover AI-assisted programming tasks is still lacking. This article discusses the role of code embeddings and transformers in enhancing the performance of AI-assisted programming tasks, highlighting their capabilities, limitations, and future potential in an attempt to outline a future roadmap for these specific technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the textile industry contributes to pollution through accidental discharges or discharge of contaminated wastewater into waterways, significantly affecting water quality. These pollutants, including dye molecules, are environmental hazards for aquatic and terrestrial life. The field of visible light-mediated photocatalysis has experienced rapid growth, driven by the utilization of photocatalysts that can absorb low-energy visible light and effectively degrade dyes. In the present study, we report a simple method to controllably synthesize Fe2O3, ZnO, and ZnFe2O4 using the one-pot synthesis method. In the subsequent step, copper (Cu) was deposited on the surface of ZnFe2O4 (forming ZnFe2O4-Cu) using a facile, green, and cost-effective method. The synthesized samples were characterized using various techniques, including XRD, UV-Vis DRS, FT-IR, SEM-EDX, HR-TEM, XPS, PL, and BET analysis. These techniques were employed to investigate the composition, morphology, structure, and photophysical properties of as-prepared samples. The ZnFe2O4-Cu nanocomposite demonstrated efficient photocatalytic activity for degrading RhB dye pollutants under visible light. The photocatalyst was successfully reused for three consecutive cycles without significantly decreasing performance. Furthermore, during the study, the radical scavenging test emphasized the role of different radicals in the degradation of dye pollutants. This research has the potential to enable the efficient production of high-performance photocatalysts that can rapidly eliminate ecologically harmful dyes from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Humans go through sensitive phases in their lives, and one of the critical and decisive phases is the issue of marriage and the formation of a common life, and more importantly, the efforts of each couple to maintain this common life so that they can reach their desired goals. Today, it is very important to expand the horizon of psychological treatments, especially to find more effective treatments. Also, comparing different treatments can be a priority among researchers to choose the most effective treatment that can be more cost-effective. Therefore, the current research seeks to investigate whether mindfulness and schema therapy have an effect on marital conflict, anger management, and quality of life. And which one has more influence on the components of marital conflict, anger management and quality of life? The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness and schema therapy on anger management, marital conflict and quality of life. Method The method used in this study was quasi-experimental, in which the effect of two independent variables, namely schema therapy and mindfulness, on the dependent variables, namely marital conflict, anger management and quality of life, was examined. The pre-test-post-test design with the control group was used. The statistical population of this study consisted of all men and women who referred to counseling centers. To measure independent variables such as mindfulness in this study, the mindfulness package based on the package written by Bowen, Chaula and Marlat (2011) was used to measure anger management using the Spielberger anger control questionnaire, to measure quality of life from 36-item quality of life questionnaire (SF-36) and to measure conflict from Zakir and Barati questionnaire (2008) to analyze information from software. Results The results showed that both therapeutic schemas and mindfulness training increased anger management, reduced marital conflicts and increased the quality of life of the experimental group compared to the control group. In addition, the results indicated that there is no difference in the mean total score of marital conflict, anger management and quality of life between the two groups of schema therapy and mindfulness, but between the control group and the two groups of schema therapy and mindfulness in all three conflict variables. There is a significant difference between marital, anger management and quality of life (P<0.001). Therefore, both types of treatment had the same effect on marital conflict, anger management and quality of life in couples with conflict. Discussion In comparing the effectiveness of schema therapy and mindfulness on anger management, marital conflict and quality of life in this study, it was observed that the training of both schema therapy and mindfulness groups increased anger management, reduced marital conflicts and increased quality of life in the experimental group compared to the control group was. Therefore, the training of both therapy groups is effective in increasing anger management and reducing marital conflicts, as well as increasing the quality of martial life. In addition, both types of treatment showed the same effect on marital conflict, anger management and quality of life in couples with conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, tri-phase Fe2O3–MgO–CuO nanocomposites (NCs) and pure CuO, Fe2O3 and MgO nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using sol–gel technique. The physical properties of the prepared products were examined using SEM, XRD, and UV–visible. The XRD data indicated the formation of pure CuO, Fe2O3 and MgO NPs, as well as nanocomposite formation with Fe2O3 (cubic), MgO (cubic), and CuO (monoclinic). The crystallite size of all the prepared samples was calculated via Scherrer's formula. The energy bandgap of CuO, Fe2O3 and MgO and Fe2O3–MgO–CuO NCs were computed from UV–visible spectroscopy as following 2.13, 2.29, 5.43 and 2.96 eV, respectively. The results showed that Fe2O3–MgO–CuO NCs is an alternative material for a wide range of applications as optoelectronics devices due to their outstanding properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Today, infertility is a major concern for public health and one of the most important crises in life, which leads to many psychological problems. Since cognitive-behavioral therapy emphasizes empowering and educating the patient to solve problems, this study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on marital self-regulation and uncertainty intolerance in infertile women. Methods: This research was applied in terms of purpose and experimental research method with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up plan (45 days). The statistical population included all infertile women referring to the infertility center of Sari city with the number of 43 people. To select the sample, 30 of these people who had received the diagnosis of infertility and met the criteria for entering the study were selected by a non-random sampling method and were randomly divided into two groups of 15 people, experimental and control. Cognitivebehavioral therapy was performed in 12 sessions of 45 minutes, once a week for the experimental group, while the control group received the routine treatment. After the followup period, the control group also underwent psychotherapy. Both groups completed the questionnaires of marital self-regulation by Wilson et al. (2005) and uncertainty intolerance by Friston et al. (1994) in the pre-test, post-test and follow-up (45 days after the post-test).Data were analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis (P<0.05) by SPSS-24 software. Results: The results showed that in the two subscales of marital self-regulation in the experimental group, the average scores in the three stages of pre-test, post-test and follow-up respectively for the subscale of communication self-regulation (24.266 ± 6.273), (41.000 ± 3.207) and (35.266 ± 3.899) there was a significant increase in the post-test and follow-up compared to the pre-test stage(P<0.05). And the sub-scale of communication effort(19.333 ± 5.094), (8.666 ± 1.914) and (12.000 ± 2.449), and intolerance of uncertainty 92.600 ± 9.302), (67.400 ± 7.585) and (75.200 ± 10.975), had a significant decrease in the post-test and followup compared to the pre-test stage (P<0.05). Conclusions: The results of the study showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy can be an effective intervention in improving marital self-regulation and reducing intolerance of uncertainty in infertile women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, tri-phase Fe2O3–MgO–CuO nanocomposites (NCs) and pure CuO, Fe2O3 and MgO nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using sol–gel technique. The physical properties of the prepared products were examined using SEM, XRD, and UV–visible. The XRD data indicated the formation of pure CuO, Fe2O3 and MgO NPs, as well as nanocomposite formation with Fe2O3 (cubic), MgO (cubic), and CuO (monoclinic). The crystallite size of all the prepared samples was calculated via Scherrer's formula. The energy bandgap of CuO, Fe2O3 and MgO and Fe2O3–MgO–CuO NCs were computed from UV–visible spectroscopy as following 2.13, 2.29, 5.43 and 2.96 eV, respectively. The results showed that Fe2O3–MgO–CuO NCs is an alternative material for a wide range of applications as optoelectronics devices due to their outstanding properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Investigating the temporal variations and forecasting the trends in drug-related deaths can help prevent health problems and develop intervention programs. The recent policy in Iran is strongly focused on deterring drug use and replacing illicit drugs with legal ones. This study aimed to investigate drug-related deaths in Iran in 2014-2016 and forecast the death toll by 2019. Methods: In this longitudinal study, Box-Jenkins time series analysis was used to forecast drug-related deaths. To this end, monthly counts of drug-related deaths were obtained from March 2014 to March 2017. After data processing, to obtain stationary time series and examine the stability assumption with the Dickey-Fuller test, the parameters of the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Averages (ARIMA) model were determined using autocorrelation function (ACF) and partial autocorrelation function (PACF) graphs. Based on Akaike statistics, ARIMA (0, 1, 1) was selected as the best-fit model. Moreover, the Dickey-Fuller test was used to confirm the stationarity of the time series of transformed observations. The forecasts were made for the next 36 months using the ARIMA (0,1,2) model and the same confidence intervals were applied to all months. The final extracted data were analyzed using R software, Minitab, and SPSS-23. Findings: According to the Iranian Ministry of Health and the Legal Medicine Organization, there were 8883 drug-related deaths in Iran from March 2014 to March 2017. According to the time series findings, this count had an upward trend and did not show any seasonal pattern. It was forecasted that the mean drug-related mortality rate in Iran would be 245.8 cases per month until 2019. Conclusion: This study showed a rising trend in drug-related mortality rates during the study period, and the modeling process for forecasting suggested this trend would continue until 2019 if proper interventions were not instituted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People respond faster to smaller numbers in their left space and to larger numbers in their right space. Here we argue that movements in space contribute to the formation of spatial-numerical associations (SNAs). We studied the impact of continuous isometric forces along the horizontal or vertical cardinal axes on SNAs while participants performed random number production and arithmetic verification tasks. Our results suggest that such isometric directional force do not suffice to induce SNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finger-based representation of numbers is a high-level cognitive strategy to assist numerical and arithmetic processing in children and adults. It is unclear whether this paradigm builds on simple perceptual features or comprises several attributes through embodiment. Here we describe the development and initial testing of an experimental setup to study embodiment during a finger-based numerical task using Virtual Reality (VR) and a low-cost tactile stimulator that is easy to build. Using VR allows us to create new ways to study finger-based numerical representation using a virtual hand that can be manipulated in ways our hand cannot, such as decoupling tactile and visual stimuli. The goal is to present a new methodology that can allow researchers to study embodiment through this new approach, maybe shedding new light on the cognitive strategy behind the finger-based representation of numbers. In this case, a critical methodological requirement is delivering precisely targeted sensory stimuli to specific effectors while simultaneously recording their behavior and engaging the participant in a simulated experience. We tested the device's capability by stimulating users in different experimental configurations. Results indicate that our device delivers reliable tactile stimulation to all fingers of a participant's hand without losing motion tracking quality during an ongoing task. This is reflected by an accuracy of over 95% in participants detecting stimulation of a single finger or multiple fingers in sequential stimulation as indicated by experiments with sixteen participants. We discuss possible application scenarios, explain how to apply our methodology to study the embodiment of finger-based numerical representations and other high-level cognitive functions, and discuss potential further developments of the device based on the data obtained in our testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the cognitive process of transforming one representation of mathematical entities into another representation. This process, which has been called mathematical metaphor, allows us to understand and embody a difficult-to-understand mathematical entity in terms of an easy-to-understand entity. When one representation of a mathematical entity is transformed into another representation, more cognitive resources such as the visual and motor systems can come into play to understand the target entity. Because of their nature, some curves, which are one group of visual representations, may have a great motor strength. It is suggested that directedness, straightness, length, and thinness are some possible features that determine degree of motor strength of a curve. Another possible factor that can determine motor strength of a curve is the strength of association between shape of the curve and past experiences of the observer (and her/his prior knowledge). If an individual has had the repetitive experience of observing objects moving along a certain curve, the shape of the curve may have a great motor strength for her/him. In fact, it can be said that some kind of metonymic relationship may be formed between the shapes of some curves and movement experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we illustrate the influence of citric acid (CA) concentration on the structural, morphological, optical, and antibacterial properties of the quaternary CuO–Fe2O3–MgO–CuFe2O4 nanocomposites (NCs). The target NCs were synthesized via auto-combustion method and characterized using XRD, FTIR, EDX, SEM, and UV–visible techniques. XRD analysis proved that CuO, Fe2O3, MgO, and CuFe2O4 were crystalized as monoclinic, hexagonal, cubic, and tetragonal, respectively. The energy gap, as a result of the combined effect of all the constituent substances, was decreased from 3.32 to 2.88 eV as the concentration of CA increased. Elemental analysis was further supported the NCs composition as, beside oxygen, Cu, Mn, and Fe metallic atoms. The antibacterial activity for the NCs, as assessed against Gram–negative (E. coli) and Gram–positive bacteria (S. aureus) was adequate, higher against S. aureus, and increased as CA concentration increased. Thus, by controlling the synthesis conditions like CA concentration, these quaternary NCs can be tailored to satisfy certain applications, allowing further research to be carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Energy Valley Optimizer (EVO) is proposed as a novel metaheuristic algorithm inspired by advanced physics principles regarding stability and different modes of particle decay. Twenty unconstrained mathematical test functions are utilized in different dimensions to evaluate the proposed algorithm's performance. For statistical purposes, 100 independent optimization runs are conducted to determine the statistical measurements, including the mean, standard deviation, and the required number of objective function evaluations, by considering a predefined stopping criterion. Some well-known statistical analyses are also used for comparative purposes, including the Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Wilcoxon, and Kruskal–Wallis analysis. Besides, the latest Competitions on Evolutionary Computation (CEC), regarding real-world optimization, are also considered for comparing the results of the EVO to the most successful state-of-the-art algorithms. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can provide competitive and outstanding results in dealing with complex benchmarks and real-world problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of reality therapy based on choice theory and mutual relationship analysis on the mental and social well-being of couples with marital conflicts. Material and Method This research was conducted using a semi-experimental method with a pretest-post-test design with a control group and more than one experimental group. For this purpose, 60 people (30 couples) were included in the study from all volunteer couples with marital conflicts referring to counseling centers in district three of Tehran with at least one year of cohabitation experience using the available method, and then they were randomly assigned into three groups (reality therapy, correlation analysis, and evidence) were included. To collect data in the pre-test and post-test, Molvi mental well-being test (1389) and Keys' social welfare questionnaire (1998) were used. In experiment group one (reality therapy) and experiment group two (relationship analysis) each group received 8 sessions of training, but the control group did not receive any intervention. Results The findings revealed that reality therapy based on choice theory and mutual relationship analysis was effective in the mental and social well-being of couples with marital conflicts. Conclusion The findings of this research showed that reality therapy based on choice theory and mutual behavior analysis had a significant effect on the mental and social well-being of couples with marital conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The relationship between information disclosure and the cost of capital is one of the key concepts in financial reporting issues. In the past, theoretical research has shown that the level of information disclosure leads to a reduction in the cost of capital by improving the liquidity of stocks and reducing the risk of investors estimating the parameters of an asset's return. However, empirical studies have shown different results in this regard. Some of these studies show the existence of a positive and significant relationship between the level of information disclosure and the cost of capital, some of these studies show the existence of a negative and significant relationship between the cost of capital and the level of information disclosure, and another group also indicates the absence of a relationship between these two variables. Recently, Dutta and Nezlobin (2017, 2018) in their theoretical model presented the impact of macroeconomics factors such as the economic conditions of the capital market and the level of growth rate of companies in the ability to explain these mixed empricial results. According to their point of view, a change in economic conditions can lead to a change in the capital market and lead to the boom or bust of the capital market. Capital market boom causes attraction and its bust causes capital to escape from the market. As a result, Economic conditions as an external factor can have different effects on companies' information disclosures. Accordingly, the present study, with the aim of explaining and interpreting the different results of empricial research conducted in the field of the relationship between disclosure and the cost of capital, has tested the effect of the boom and bust of the capital market on the relationship. Method: For this purpose, the information of 130 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange, between 2010 and 2018, was selected. In order to measure the variable of voluntary disclosure of information, the proxies of timeliness, accuracy and bias of firm midterm and annual earnings forecast has been used. Also, stock risk premium, according to the model of Hess et al (2019) and Lee and Mohanram (2014), was estimated using measurement of combined implied risk premium. In order to determine the capital market cycle, the Hodrick-Prescott filter was used and the time period of the research has been classified into two periods of boom and bust, and the hypotheses of the research have been tested both at the level of the entire sample and for the periods of boom and bust of the capital market. Also to test the research hypotheses, a multiple regression model, using the combined data method, has been used. In the present study, data analysis has been performed using stata software version 16. Results: The results showed that voluntary disclosure of information, for the proxies of bias of midterm and annual earnings forecast at the total sample level and during the boom and bust period of the capital market, negatively and significantly, and for the proxies of forecast accuracy of midterm and annual earnings forecast at the total sample level and during the boom and bust period of the capital market, positively and significantly have a effect on the stock implied risk premium. Also, the results indicated that the proxies of timeliness of midterm and annual earnings forecast at the total sample level and the timeliness of annual earnings forecasts during the bust period of the capital market have a positive and significant effect on stock implied risk premium. Conclusion: According to the research results, the capital market cycle can affect the relationship between the timeliness proxy of annual earnings forecast and the stock implied risk premium. But the capital market cycle cannot affect the relationship between the other two variables of information voluntary disclosure, including the bias and accuracy of midterm and annual earnings forecasts, and the stock implied risk premium. Actually, the relationship expressed for different proxies of information voluntary disclosure is different. Also, the analysis of the results shows that companies voluntarily make more disclosure during the capital market boom. On the other hand, contrary to expectation, the return in excess of the risk-free rate of return (risk-free) demanded by investors is higher during the capital market boom. The value of dispersion for the measure of and the stock implied risk premium also shows that this value is higher for the period of capital market bust than the period of capital market boom. This issue can be due to the high fluctuations of the market during the period of bust. The results of the research can help managers to reduce the cost of capital by disclosing less bias profit forecasts, by gaining the trust of investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical robots are increasingly important in orthopedic surgeries to assist or replace surgeons in completing operations. During joint surgeries, the patient's joint needs to be adjusted several times by the surgeon. Therefore, the virtual model, built on the preoperative medical images, cannot match the actual variation of the patient's joint during the surgery. Conventional virtual reality techniques cannot fully satisfy the requirements of the joint surgeries. This paper proposes a real and virtual bidirectional driving method to synchronize the manipulations in both the real operation site and the virtual scene. The dynamic digital twin of the patient's joint is obtained by decoupling the joint and dynamically updating its pose via the intraoperative measurements. During surgery, the surgeon can intuitively monitor the real-time position of the patient and the surgical tool through the system and can also manipulate the surgical robot in the virtual scene. In addition, the system can provide visual guidance to the surgeon when the patient's joint is adjusted. A prototype system is developed for orthopedic surgeries. Proof-of-concept joint surgery demo is carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Experimental results show that the proposed system can synchronize the manipulations in both the real operation site and the virtual scene, thus realizing the bidirectional driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to explore how an embodied view can redirect our understanding of decision making. To achieve this goal, we contribute a developmental embodied choice perspective. Our perspective integrates embodiment and bounded rationality from a developmental view in which the body provides cues that are used in abstract choices. Hereby, the cues evolve with the body that is not static and changes through development. To demonstrate the body's involvement in abstract choices, we will consider choices in numerical settings in which the body is not necessarily needed for the solution. For this, we consider the magnitude-judgment task in which one has to choose the larger of two magnitudes. In a nutshell, our perspective will pinpoint how the concept of embodied choices can explain the development of numerical choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Postpartum depression has an effect on reducing maternal attachment and family relationships and can be a threat to the safety and well-being of mother, infant and other children. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of meta-emotion combined therapy on anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance in women with postpartum depression. Method: The present study was a quasi-experimental study with two-group pretest-posttest method. The statistical population of the study was all women referring to Golestan Health Center in Ardabil in the years 2018-19. Sampling method was available. Using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, 40 subjects (20 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group) were selected. Then, for the experimental group, meta-emotion combined therapy protocol was performed during 12 sessions and the results were analyzed based on experimental avoidance and anxiety sensitivity scales using covariance statistical method using SPSS software version 18. Results: The results showed that the mean scores of post-test anxiety sensitivity and experimental avoidance in the experimental group were lower than the control group. In other words, meta-emotion combined therapy on reducing anxiety sensitivity (F=129.89, P=0.001>0.05) and experimental avoidance (F=229.10, P=0.001>0.05) is effective. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the meta-emotion combined therapy, through emotion regulation and reduction of negative emotions, is an effective therapeutic approach in reducing anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance in women with postpartum depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study has two objectives: (1) to introduce grip force recording as a new technique for studying embodied numerical processing; and (2) to demonstrate how three competing accounts of numerical magnitude representation can be tested by using this new technique: the Mental Number Line (MNL), A Theory of Magnitude (ATOM) and Embodied Cognition (finger counting-based) account. While 26 healthy adults processed visually presented single digits in a go/no-go n-back paradigm, their passive holding forces for two small sensors were recorded in both hands. Spontaneous and unconscious grip force changes related to number magnitude occurred in the left hand already 100–140 ms after stimulus presentation and continued systematically. Our results support a two-step model of number processing where an initial stage is related to the automatic activation of all stimulus properties whereas a later stage consists of deeper conscious processing of the stimulus. This interpretation generalizes previous work with linguistic stimuli and elaborates the timeline of embodied cognition. We hope that the use of grip force recording will advance the field of numerical cognition research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust forms the basis of virtually all interpersonal relationships. Although significant individual differences characterize trust, the driving neuropsychological signatures behind its heterogeneity remain obscure. Here, we applied a prediction framework in two independent samples of healthy participants to examine the relationship between trust propensity and multimodal brain measures. Our multivariate prediction analyses revealed that trust propensity was predicted by gray matter volume and node strength across multiple regions. The gray matter volume of identified regions further enabled the classification of individuals from an independent sample with the propensity to trust or distrust. Our modular and functional decoding analyses showed that the contributing regions were part of three large‐scale networks implicated in calculus‐based trust strategy, cost–benefit calculation, and trustworthiness inference. These findings do not only deepen our neuropsychological understanding of individual differences in trust propensity, but also provide potential biomarkers in predicting trust impairment in neuropsychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study wase to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on marital self-regulation, marital burnout and self-criticism of infertile women. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design with control group. The statistical population of this study included all the infertile women of Mazandaran city in 2018-2019. In this study, 30 infertile women were considered as the sample size in experimental group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (of 15 infertile women) and control (15 infertile women). The experimental groups underwent mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (10 sessions 60 minutes), but the control group received no training. To collect data marital self-regulation scale of Wilson and et al, marital burnout scale of Pines and and self-criticism scale of Thompson and Zuroff. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-24 software in two sections: descriptive and inferential (multivariable analyze of covariance). Ethical Considerations: This study with research ethics code IR.IAU.TON.REC.1397.030 has been approved by research ethics committee at Islamic Azad University Tonekabon Branch. Results: The results showed that the scores of marital self-regulation of infertile women.after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in experimental group significantly increased in comparison with control group, and also marital burnout and self-criticism Scores were decreased (P<0.01). Conclusion: Therefore, it is suggested for counselors and therapists to use to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on improvement marital self-regulation, marital burnout and self-criticism of infertile women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Attentional Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes (Att-SNARC) effect has shown that number perception induces shifts in spatial attention (Fischer et al., 2003; Dodd et al., 2008). However, many replications were attempted and they often failed. In the present study, we investigated whether the Att-SNARC effect can be found for numbers in different notations: months in Arabic form, Simplified Chinese form, Traditional Chinese form (includes numerical ordinal information) and in Chinese non-numerical form (an ordinal sequence). By varying the cognitive task, we also examined whether the effect is a consequence of automatic perceptual processing. In Experiment 1, an Att-SNARC effect was observed for numbers regardless of notation. In Experiment 2 (order-irrelevant task) and Experiment 3 (order-relevant task), the effect was also found consistently for months in Arabic form, Simplified Chinese form, and Traditional Chinese form. This effect was not observed for months in Chinese non-numerical form in Experiment 3. These results show that number and numerical sequence perception automatically causes a spatial shift of attention. Our study provides positive evidence for the Att-SNARC effect and indicates that the effect can generalize to other numerical ordinal sequences that contain numeric information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spatial Numerical Association of Response Code (SNARC) is the preferential association between smaller/larger magnitudes and left/right side, respectively. Some evidence suggest a link between SNARC and a left-to-right finger counting habit. We asked 268 participants to show how they use the hands to count from 1 to 10. By means of this ecological task, 80% of the sample use first the right hand (to count from 1 to 5) and the majority of them use a palm-up posture. In Experiment 2 (N D46) right-starters were asked to categorize 1-to-5 magnitudes as even or odd, using the left and right hand. Stimuli were presented both as Arabic numbers and by means of left and right hand photographs in palm-up and palm-down posture. Results confirmed the expected SNARC effect in the Arabic condition. With hand images we found that right hand responses were better for larger than for smaller magnitudes (SNARC, mainly for left hand palm-up stimuli), showing that the SNARC can be generalized to different codes. Finally, the interactions between magnitudes and left/right hand images in palm-up and palm-down posture suggest that embodied cognition can influence numerical processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ido Movement for Culture. Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology is the property of Idokan Poland Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aim: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is one of the third-generation behavioral therapies in which it is attempted to increase the psychological relationship of an individual with his or her thoughts and feelings instead of changing cognition. The purpose of this study was the effectiveness of ACT on conflict resolution styles of incompatible marital women. Methods: This is a semi-experimental, pretest and posttest design and a 3-month follow-up. The statistical population of the study consisted of all incompatible women who referred to counseling centers in Arak in 2018. Therefore, 24 participants were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly assigned to one test groups and one control group of 12 participants for each. Data were collected in the pretest, posttest and follow-up stages with (the Conflict Resolution Styles Scale or Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory-II). The test group received a therapeutic intervention based on ACT for twelve 90-min sessions, but no therapy was provided for the control group. After the completion of treatment sessions, both groups were subjected to posttest. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance with repeated measures and Bonferroni post-hoc test. Results: The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the posttest scores of the test group compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05), and the difference was suitably sustainable during the time. Conclusion: ACT is considered as an effective intervention in improving conflict resolution styles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strong link between bodily activity and number processing has been established in recent years. Although numerous observations indicate that adults use finger counting (FC) in various contexts of everyday life for different purposes, existing knowledge of FC routines and their use is still limited. In particular, it remains unknown how stable the (default) FC habits are over time and how flexible they can be. To investigate these questions, 380 Polish participants completed a questionnaire on their FC routines, the stability of these routines, and the context of FC usage, preceded by the request to count on their fingers from 1 to 10. Next, the test-retest stability of FC habits was examined in 84 participants 2 months following the first session. To the best of our knowledge, such a study design has been adopted for the first time. The results indicate that default FC routines of the majority of participants (75%) are relatively stable over time. At the same time, FC routines can flexibly adapt according to the situation (e.g., when holding an object). As regards prevalence, almost all participants, in line with previous findings on Western individuals, declared starting from the closed palm and extending consecutive fingers. Furthermore, we observed relations between FC preferences and handedness (more left-handers start from the left hand) and that actual finger use is still widespread in healthy adults for a variety of activities (the most prevalent uses of FC are listing elements, presenting arguments and plans, and calendar calculations). In sum, the results show the practical relevance of FC in adulthood, the relative stability of preferences over time along with flexible adaptation to a current situation, as well as an association of FC routines with handedness. Taken together our results suggest that FC is the phenomenon, which is moderated or mediated by multiple embodied factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical knowledge, including number concepts and arithmetic procedures, seems to be a clear-cut case for abstract symbol manipulation. Yet, evidence from perceptual and motor behaviour reveals that natural number knowledge and simple arithmetic also remain closely associated with modal experiences. Following a review of behavioural, animal and neuroscience studies of number processing, we propose a revised understanding of psychological number concepts as grounded in physical constraints, embodied in experience and situated through task-specific intentions. The idea that number concepts occupy a range of positions on the continuum between abstract and modal conceptual knowledge also accounts for systematic heuristics and biases in mental arithmetic, thus inviting psycho-logical approaches to the study of the mathematical mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mental representation of both time and number shows lateral spatial biases, which can be affected by habitual reading and writing direction. However, this effect is in place before children begin to read. One potential early cause is the experiences of looking at picture books together with a carer, as those images also follow the directionality of the script. What is the underlying mechanism for this effect? In the present study, we test the possibility that such experiences induce spatial biases in mental model construction, a mechanism which is a good candidate to induce the biases observed with numbers and times. We presented a speechless comic in either standard (left-to-right) or mirror-reversed (right-to-left) form to adult Spanish participants. We then asked them to draw the scene depicted by sentences like 'the square is between the cross and the circle'. The position of the lateral objects in these drawings reveals the spatial biases at work when building mental models in working memory. Under conditions of highly consistent directionality, the mirror comic changed pre-existing lateral biases. Processes of mental model construction in working memory stand as a potential mechanism for the generation of spatial biases for time and number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

concepts play a central role in human behaviour and constitute a critical component of the human conceptual system. Here, we investigate the neural basis of four types of abstract concepts, examining their similarities and differences through neuroimaging meta-analyses. We examine numerical and emotional concepts, and two higher-order abstract processes, morality judgements and theory of mind. Three main findings emerge. First, representation of abstract concepts is more widespread than is often assumed. Second, representations of different types of abstract concepts differ in important respects. Each of the domains examined here was associated with some unique areas. Third, some areas were commonly activated across domains and included inferior parietal, posterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex. We interpret these regions in terms of their role in episodic recall, event representation and social-emotional processing. We suggest that different types of abstract concepts can be represented and grounded through differing contributions from event-based, interoceptive, introspective and sensory-motor representations. The results underscore the richness and diversity of abstract concepts, argue against single-mechanism accounts for representation of all types of abstract concepts and suggest mechanisms for their direct and indirect grounding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers in software engineering have attempted to improve software development by mining and analyzing software repositories. Since the majority of the software engineering data is unstructured, researchers have applied Information Retrieval (IR) techniques to help software development. The recent advances of IR, especially statistical topic models, have helped make sense of unstructured data in software repositories even more. However, even though there are hundreds of studies on applying topic models to software repositories, there is no study that shows how the models are used in the software engineering research community, and which software engineering tasks are being supported through topic models. Moreover, since the performance of these topic models is directly related to the model parameters and usage, knowing how researchers use the topic models may also help future studies make optimal use of such models. Thus, we surveyed 167 articles from the software engineering literature that make use of topic models. We find that i) most studies centre around a limited number of software engineering tasks; ii) most studies use only basic topic models; iii) and researchers usually treat topic models as black boxes without fully exploring their underlying assumptions and parameter values. Our paper provides a starting point for new researchers who are interested in using topic models, and may help new researchers and practitioners determine how to best apply topic models to a particular software engineering task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Number-space associations are a robust observation, but their underlying mechanisms remain debated. Two major accounts have been identified. First, spatial codes may constitute an intrinsic part of number representations stored in the brain - a perspective most commonly referred to as the Mental Number Line account. Second, spatial codes may be generated at the level of working memory when number (or other) representations are coordinated in function of a specific task. The aim of the current paper is twofold. First, whereas a pure Mental Number Line account cannot capture the complexity of observations reported in the literature, we here explore if and how a pure working memory account can suffice. Second, we make explicit (more than in our earlier work) the potential building blocks of such a working memory account, thereby providing clear and concrete foci for empirical efforts to test the feasibility of the account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nomadic pastoralist system in Baft district in Kerman province is well known in Iran for producing cashmere from Raeini goats. However, there is little information regarding the organic sheep and goat production systems. Interviews and field observations were carried out with 30 Siahjel nomad families of Raen origin in proximity of Baft city to characterize the organic production system in terms of feeding, animal health and veterinary treatments, husbandry management practices, transport, slaughtering and housing. Unimproved rangeland was found to be the main source of sheep and goat nutrition belonging to nomads in southern Iran. Nomad livestock were not fed in stables or in restricted areas but moved and grazed freely in extensive open grazing areas. As a nomadic traditional feeding management practice, there were no minerals, vitamins, pro-vitamins or GMOs for animal feed. Nomad sheep and goat breeds were considered to be robust, adapted to the environment and disease-tolerant livestock. In the nomadic system, no animal cruelty practices such as tail ducking, dehorning and tethering were allowed. To keep ruminants in groups to meet their social needs, nomad families stayed and kept animals together to support each other in different livestock activities, including shepherding, feeding, milking and health care. Due to natural breeding in nomadic herds, the male breeding stock was kept and grazed separately from does during the breeding season. Nomadic livestock products, i.e. meat, milk, wool, could be labelled organic after making local studies, surveillance, regulation and certification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran together with Afghanistan is the third largest producer and exporter of cashmere in the world, after China and Mongolia. Nomads have a big share in producing Iranian cashmere. This study reviews the status of cashmere production, harvesting, marketing and processing by nomads of Iran in order to evaluate sustainability and to identify some constraints limiting productivity. The quality of Iranian cashmere, being long and highly curved, ranks third after China and Mongolia. The principal centres for the gathering and rough sorting of raw cashmere produced by nomads are Baft, Sirjan, Mashad and Birjand, with Mashad continuing as the centre of the Iranian cashmere industry. Nearly all the cashmere produced is bought directly from the nomads by middlemen and is dehaired and exported to Europe and China without major value addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran together with Afghanistan is the third largest producer and exporter of cashmere in the world, after China and Mongolia. Nomads have a big share in producing Iranian cashmere. This study reviews the status of cashmere production, harvesting, marketing and processing by nomads of Iran in order to evaluate sustainability and to identify some constraints limiting productivity. The quality of Iranian cashmere, being long and highly curved, ranks third after China and Mongolia. The principal centres for the gathering and rough sorting of raw cashmere produced by nomads are Baft, Sirjan, Mashad and Birjand, with Mashad continuing as the centre of the Iranian cashmere industry. Nearly all the cashmere produced is bought directly from the nomads by middlemen and is dehaired and exported to Europe and China without major value addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran together with Afghanistan is the third largest producer and exporter of cashmere in the world, after China and Mongolia. Nomads have a big share in producing Iranian cashmere. This study reviews the status of cashmere production, harvesting, marketing and processing by nomads of Iran in order to evaluate sustainability and to identify some constraints limiting productivity. The quality of Iranian cashmere, being long and highly curved, ranks third after China and Mongolia. The principal centres for the gathering and rough sorting of raw cashmere produced by nomads are Baft, Sirjan, Mashad and Birjand, with Mashad continuing as the centre of the Iranian cashmere industry. Nearly all the cashmere produced is bought directly from the nomads by middlemen and is dehaired and exported to Europe and China without major value addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most adults and children in cultures where reading text progresses from left to right also count objects from the left to the right side of space. The reverse is found in cultures with a right-to-left reading direction. The current set of experiments investigated whether vertical counting in the horizontal plane is also influenced by reading direction. Participants were either from a left-to-right reading culture (UK) or from a mixed (left-to-right and top-to- bottom) reading culture (Hong Kong). In Experiment 1, native English-speaking children and adults and native Cantonese-speaking children and adults performed three object counting tasks. Objects were presented flat on a table in a horizontal, vertical, and square display. Independent of culture, the horizontal array was mostly counted from left to right. While the majority of English-speaking children counted the vertical display from bottom to top, the majority of the Cantonese-speaking children as well as both Cantonese- and English-speaking adults counted the vertical display from top to bottom. This pattern was replicated in the counting pattern for squares: all groups except the English-speaking children started counting with the top left coin. In Experiment 2, Cantonese-speaking adults counted a square array of objects after they read a text presented to them either in left-to-right or in top- to-bottom reading direction. Most Cantonese-speaking adults started counting the array by moving horizontally from left to right. However, significantly more Cantonese-speaking adults started counting with a top-to-bottom movement after reading the text presented in a top-to-bottom reading direction than in a left-to-right reading direction. Our results show clearly that vertical counting in the horizontal plane is influenced by longstanding as well as more recent experience of reading direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The directionality of space-number association (SNA) is shaped by cultural experiences. It usually follows the culturally dominant reading direction. Smaller numbers are generally associated with the starting side for reading (left side in Western cultures), while larger numbers are associated with the right endpoint side. However, SNAs consistent with cultural reading directions are present before children can actually read and write. Therefore, these SNAs cannot only be shaped by the direction of children's own reading/writing behavior. We propose six distinct processes - one biological and five cultural/educational - underlying directional SNAs before formal reading acquisition: (i) Brain lateralization, (ii) Monitoring adult reading behavior, (iii) Pretend reading and writing, and rudimentary reading and writing skills, (iv) Dominant attentional directional preferences in a society, not directly related to reading direction, (v) Direct spatial-numerical learning, (vi) Other spatial-directional processes independent of reading direction. In this mini-review, we will differentiate between these processes, elaborate when in development they might emerge, discuss how they may create the SNAs observed in preliterate children and propose how they can be studied in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in investigating embodied numerical cognition paradigms. It discusses the concept of embodied cognition, the link between number magnitude and embodied numerosity in finger counting, the benefits and shortcomings of other neuroimaging tools, and the spatial resolution of NIRS.

Copyright of Media Peternakan is the property of Bogor Agricultural University, Faculty of Animal Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The authors propose a processing principle for spatial-numerical associations (SNAs), along with two successive steps by which the mapping of numbers onto space may occur. The proposed processing principle considers spatial mapping as a critical part of semantic number processing, which is evident from the ubiquity of SNAs. The range of observations related to the ubiquity of SNAs captured by the proposed two successive steps is noted.