Search

In people with bone and soft tissue injuries of the wrist, hand and/or fingers, do feedback-guided exercises performed on a tablet touchscreen hasten return to work, reduce healthcare usage and improve clinical recovery more than a home exercise program prescribed on paper? Randomised, parallel-group trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding and intention-to-treat analysis. Seventy-four workers with limited functional ability due to bone and soft tissue injuries of the wrist, hand and/or fingers. Participants in the experimental and control groups received the same in-patient physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Participants in the experimental group received a home exercise program using the ReHand tablet application, which guides exercises performed on a tablet touchscreen with feedback, monitoring and progression. Participants in the control group were prescribed an evidence-based home exercise program on paper. The primary outcome was the time taken to return to work. Secondary outcomes included: healthcare usage (number of clinical appointments); and functional ability, pain intensity, and grip and pinch strength 2 and 4 weeks after randomisation. Compared with the control group, the experimental group: returned to work sooner (MD –18 days, 95% CI –33 to –3); required fewer physiotherapy sessions (MD –7.4, 95% CI –13.1 to –1.6), rehabilitation consultations (MD –1.9, 95% CI –3.6 to 0.3) and plastic surgery consultations (MD –3.6, 95% CI –6.3 to –0.9); and had better short-term recovery of functional ability and pinch strength. In people with bone and soft-tissue injuries of the wrist, hand and/or fingers, prescribing a feedback-guided home exercise program using a tablet-based application instead of a conventional program on paper hastened return to work and improved the short-term recovery of functional ability and pinch strength, while reducing the number of required healthcare appointments. ACTRN12619000344190 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Question In people who have undergone surgical carpal tunnel release, do sensorimotor-based exercises performed on the touchscreen of a tablet device improve outcomes more than a conventional home exercise program prescribed on paper? Design Randomised, parallel-group trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis. Participants Fifty participants within 10 days of surgical carpal tunnel release. Intervention Each participant was prescribed a 4-week home exercise program. Participants in the experimental group received the ReHand tablet application, which administered and monitored exercises via the touchscreen. The control group was prescribed a home exercise program on paper, as is usual practice in the public hospital system. Outcome measures The primary outcome was functional ability of the hand, reported using the shortened form of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were grip strength, pain intensity measured on a 10-cm visual analogue scale, and dexterity measured with the Nine-Hole Peg Test. Outcomes were measured by a blinded assessor at baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention period. Results At Week 4, functional ability improved significantly more in the experimental group than the control group (MD –21, 95% CI –33 to –9) on the QuickDASH score (0 to 100). Although the mean estimates of effect on the secondary outcome also all favoured the experimental group, none reached statistical significance: grip strength (MD 5.6 kg, 95% CI –0.5 to 11.7), pain (MD –1.4 cm, 95% CI –2.9 to 0.1), and dexterity (MD –1.3 seconds, 95% CI –3.7 to 1.1). Conclusion Use of the ReHand tablet application for early rehabilitation after carpal tunnel release is more effective in the recovery of functional ability than a conventional home exercise program. It remains unclear whether there are any benefits in grip strength, pain or dexterity. Trial registration ACTRN12618001887268. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The use of the ProFibro app for six weeks was not more effective than the use of a traditional paper book with similar content for health-related quality of life, symptoms, or self-care agency in individuals with fibromyalgia. • Improvements on severity of symptoms in both groups suggest that the self-care program using a mobile app or a paper book may be beneficial in individuals with fibromyalgia. • The Sleep Strategies was the most used function of the ProFibro app, followed by the Exercise Program, and the diary for the practice of gratitude. The ProFibro application (app) was developed as a Mobile Health resource to promote self-care in fibromyalgia management. This study aimed to assess the effects of the use of the ProFibro app for six weeks compared to the use of a traditional paper book of similar content to improve health-related quality of life, symptoms, and self-care agency in individuals with fibromyalgia. Forty individuals with fibromyalgia were included in this randomized, single-blind, parallel trial. One group received intervention content using the ProFibro app on a smartphone while the other received similar information using a paper book. Participants were assessed at baseline and after six weeks. The primary outcome was the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were Widespread Pain Index, Pain Visual Analog Scale, Symptom Severity Scale, and Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale – Revised. No differences in changes were found between groups at the end of the treatment for any outcome. Both groups showed improvements in symptom severity. The use of the ProFibro app for six weeks was not more effective than the use of a traditional paper book with similar content for health-related quality of life, symptoms, or self-care agency in individuals with fibromyalgia. Both groups showed improvements from baseline on severity of symptoms, suggesting that the self-care program using a mobile app or a paper book may be beneficial for individuals with fibromyalgia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper deals with waste management systems in the context of sustainability in selected municipalities. The author's team aimed to find the key waste groups according to the classification groups that have a major impact on the volume of waste and the cost of the system, thus facilitating management decision-making. In order to optimise the management of the entire waste management system from the perspective of the statutory municipality, it was first necessary to reduce the original list of 53 waste items to a significantly smaller number. With the help of waste management experts, criteria for reducing the number of waste input items were defined, resulting in a reduced statistical sample of 27 items. Each item is quantified by the amount of waste per year and the cost of the system per year. The mathematical apparatus consisted primarily of calculating average values as well as marginal slopes of waste quantity and cost. The interrelationships between waste groups were graphically recorded in perceptual maps. The individual analyses were carried out primarily for a statutory city, with secondary comparisons of the results with smaller towns and small villages. The analytical procedures verified that the catalogue of basic components of mixed municipal waste can be significantly reduced for decision-making in secondary resource management. The amount of waste selected in each group significantly impacts the cost of the whole waste management system. Of the original 15 waste groups, only three groups appear to be the main ones. The municipal waste group even has a decisive influence on both the quantity of waste and the cost of the whole system. Thanks to these findings, from the point of view of both the manager and the management of the statutory city, it is possible to focus on this core group, which contains the 13 original catalogue items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present study aims at teaching the right citation models in scientific publications by top authors from Iranian universities of medical sciences in 2017, considering the relationship between moral development and self-control variables and model of "citation to multi-authored papers" in these articles. Background: Multi-authorship increases the amount of self-citation and also increases the likelihood of being cited by others. Methods: This study is of the applied scientometrics and correlation (model presentation) studies type. The research population in the first part of this study includes all the authors who had an H-index of 10 or more in the scientific databases of 2017. The sample size at this stage was 110, selected by systematic random sampling. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0. Results: The results of regression analysis based on the concurrent method indicated that the regression model is significant. The coefficient of determination is 0.096 and the F ratio is 5.650, which are significant at the level of p <0.001. In this regression model, the variables of the level of moral development (β = -5.801, p <0.001) and self-control (p < 0.001, β = -0.253) have significant predictive power and can be considered as predictors of behavioral modeling in citing "multi-authored papers". Conclusion: Based on the results, teaching how to avoid blindly citing the "multi-authored papers", which is regarded as a kind of "citation deviation", can, to some extent, lead to strengthening citation indexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While researchers with retracted papers – publications that are withdrawn because of significant errors or scientific misconduct – carry a permanent stain on their publishing records, understanding the causes and initiators of such retractions can shed a different light on the matter. This paper, based on a random sample of 2,046 retracted papers, which were published between 1975 and 2019, extracted from Retraction Watch and the websites of major publishers, shows that 53% of the retraction notices do not specify who initiated the retraction. Nearly 10% of the retraction notes either omit or do not contain information related to reasons for retractions. Furthermore, most of the retracted papers in our sample have no limitation section; those who do are commonly unhelpful or irrelevant. The results carry three implications for scientific transparency: retraction notices need to be more informative; limitation sections ought to be a required and even an open section of all published articles; and finally, promoting 'heroic acts' in science can positively change the current publishing culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) leaf is rich in alkaloids and flavonoids, which has high medicinal and feeding value. We aimed to analyze the effects of B. papyrifera leaf extract on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune functions, and fecal microflora of weaned piglets. Thirty healthy, 28-day-old piglets were randomly assigned to three groups and fed with a basal diet supplemented with 0, 150, and 300 g/t B. papyrifera leaf extract for 42 days (control group, group I, and group II) separately. The result revealed that the final weight of piglets in group II was higher than the other groups, and the diarrhea rate in this group was 62.9% lower than in the control group. The feed conversion ratio in group I was significantly lower than the other two groups. Higher blood urine nitrogen concentration was noted in group II, higher glutathione peroxidase and catalase in group II, higher superoxide dismutase in the control group, and higher immune globulins (Ig) IgG, IgA, and IgM in group II. There was no significant difference in community richness and community diversity among the three groups of fecal samples. The relative level of Roseburia was higher in groups I and II, while Lactobacillus was higher in the control group. In conclusion, supplementation with B. papyrifera leaf extract at a certain dosage can increase growth performance and antioxidant capacity of weaned piglets, reduce the occurrence of diarrhea, enhance immune functions and disease resistance, and affect the composition of fecal microflora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The attitude of teachers is effective in improving the quality of life and academic achievement of students with stuttering. The Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Stuttering (TATS) inventory is a tool for evaluating teachers’ opinions and attitudes toward stuttering. The purpose of this study is to validate the Persian version of the TATS (TATS-Persian) and a preliminary study of the attitude of elementary teachers towards stuttering. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, which is of validation and instrumentation type, 32 teachers from elementary schools in Tehran were recruited by the available sampling method. To examine the content validity of TATS-Persian, 12 teachers were surveyed, and for the test-retest reliability of it, 12 teachers re-completed the TATS-Persian after one week. The statistical methods included the Cronbach alpha coefficient calculation and the Spearman correlation test. Results: The content validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of TATS-Persian were 0.92, 0.93, 0.96, respectively. The Mean±SD scores of teacher’s attitudes were 78.09 ±11.9. Also, the teachers’ attitudes score had a significant positive correlation with the number of stuttering students experienced in their teaching history. Conclusion: The Persian version of the TATS inventory is a valid and simple tool for evaluating teachers’ attitudes toward stuttering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an automatically generated dataset of 15,755 records that were extracted from 47,357 papers. These records contain water-splitting activity in the presence of certain photocatalysts, along with additional information about the chemical reaction conditions under which this activity was recorded. These conditions include any co-catalysts and additives that were present during water splitting, the length of time for which the photocatalytic experiment was conducted, and the type of light source used, including its wavelength. Despite the text extraction of such a wide range of chemical reaction attributes, the dataset afforded good precision (71.2%) and recall (36.3%). These figures-of-merit were calculated based on a random sample of open-access papers from the corpus. Mining such a complex set of attributes required the development of novel techniques in knowledge extraction and interdependency resolution, leveraging inter- and intra-sentence relations, which are also described in this paper. We present a new version (version 2.2) of the chemistry-aware text-mining toolkit ChemDataExtractor, in which these new techniques are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban ecological studies have the potential to expand our understanding of socioecological systems beyond that of an individual city or region. Cross‐comparative empirical work and synthesis are imperative to develop a general urban ecological theory. This can be achieved only if studies are replicable and generalizable. Transparency in methods reporting facilitates generalizability and replicability by documenting the decisions scientists make during the various steps of research design; this is particularly true for sampling design and selection because of their impact on both internal and external validity and the potential to unintentionally introduce bias. Three interdependent aspects of sample design are study sample selection (e.g., specific organisms, soils, or water), sample specification (measurement of specific variable of interest), and site selection (locations sampled). Of these, documentation of site selection—the where component of sample design—is underrepresented in the urban ecology literature. Using a stratified random sample of 158 papers from 12 major urban ecology journals, we investigated how researchers selected study sites in urban ecosystems and evaluated whether their site selection methods were transparent. We extracted data from these papers using a 50‐question, theory‐based questionnaire and a multiple‐reviewer approach. Our sample represented almost 45 years of urban ecology research across 40 different countries. We found that more than 80% of the papers we read were not transparent in their site selection methodology. We do not believe site selection methods are replicable for 70% of the papers read. Key weaknesses include incomplete descriptions of populations and sampling frames, urban gradients, sample selection methods, and property access. Low transparency in reporting the where methodology limits urban ecologists' ability to assess the internal and external validity of studies' findings and to replicate published studies; it also limits the generalizability of existing studies. The challenges of low transparency are particularly relevant in urban ecology, a field where standard protocols for site selection and delineation are still being developed. These limitations interfere with the fields' ability to build theory and inform policy. We conclude by offering a set of recommendations to increase transparency, replicability, and generalizability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation, two sampling methods for V. destructor; hive debris and sticky paper method was compared year around in A. mellifera colonies to know the viable method. Between the two methods, sticky paper method was found significantly better (CD = 0.11; p = 0.05). More mitefall was recorded in sticky paper method (17.58 mites/hive) than in hive debris sampling (11.41 mites/hive). Fortnightly data analysis showed two peaks of Varroa; one in second fortnight of May and other in first fortnight of July in both sampling methods. Maximum number of mites (63.27 mites/hive) was recorded in second fortnight of May in both sampling methods which was significantly higher than the mites recorded at other observation periods (CD = 0.38; p = 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) is often guided by the rotational variant of the circumplex model of affect (RCMA). According to the RCMA, PA and NA are posited to be orthogonal, with PA ranging from the union of positive valence and high activation (e.g., excited) to the union of negative valence and low activation (e.g., sluggish), and NA ranging from the union of negative valence and high activation (e.g., distressed) to the union of positive valence and low activation (e.g., relaxed). However, many authors incorrectly interpret the RCMA as positing that positively valenced affect (i.e., pleasure) and negatively valenced affect (i.e., displeasure)--rather than PA and NA, as defined in the RCMA--are orthogonal. This "received view" of the RCMA has led to significant confusion in the literature. The present paper articulates the "received view" of the RCMA and characterizes its prevalence in psychological research. A random sample of 140 empirical research articles on affect published in 14 high-impact journals covering a range of psychological subdisciplines were reviewed. Over half of the articles subscribing to the RCMA showed evidence of the "received view," demonstrating that misuse of the terms PA and NA in the context of the RCMA is rampant in the psychological literature. To reduce continued confusion in the literature, we recommend abandoning use of the terms positive affect and negative affect. We further recommend referring to the two dimensions of the RCMA as positive activation and negative activation, and the two poles of the valence dimension as positive valence and negative valence (or pleasure and displeasure). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The traditional pattern of theory assessment may not address the principles of assessment due to faulty paper-setting practices. This interventional study aimed to sensitize the faculty in designing a test blueprint template to set question papers (QPs). The set QPs were reviewed by experts to evaluate the effectiveness of blueprinting in the quality of the QPs. Methods: Based on the validated weightage of the biochemistry syllabus, each of the 10 faculty prepared a test blueprint, and set theory QPs without and with those test blueprints. The QPs were blinded and randomly allocated to 9 experts for evaluation. The test paper review score and feedback from both faculty and subject experts were statistically analyzed. Results: Reliability check of faculty feedback and review checklist of test papers validated its internal consistency. In all, 95% of participants expressed their agreement with various attributes of blueprinting and its future application in assessment. Statistically significant improvement (P < 0.005) was observed in the overall quality of the QPs with blueprinting. Conclusion: It was determined that blueprinting aligns objectives, content areas, and curriculum with assessment, thus improving reliability and content validity. Validated weightage of the biochemistry syllabus and blueprints for written examination were systematized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The cost-effectiveness of using a mobile diary app as an adjunct in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in patients with borderline personality disorder is unknown.Objective: This study aims to perform an economic evaluation of a mobile diary app compared with paper-based diary cards in DBT treatment for patients with borderline personality disorder in a psychiatric outpatient facility.Methods: This study was conducted alongside a pragmatic, multicenter, randomized controlled trial. The participants were recruited at 5 Danish psychiatric outpatient facilities and were randomized to register the emotions, urges, and skills used in a mobile diary app or on paper-based diary cards. The participants in both groups received DBT delivered by the therapists. A cost-consequence analysis with a time horizon of 12 months was performed. Consequences included quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), depression severity, borderline severity, suicidal behavior, health care use, treatment compliance, and system usability. All relevant costs were included. Focus group interviews were conducted with patients, therapists, researchers, and industry representatives to discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of using a mobile diary app.Results: A total of 78 participants were included in the analysis. An insignificantly higher number of participants in the paper group dropped out before the start of treatment (P=.07). Of those starting treatment, participants in the app group had an average of 37.1 (SE 27.55) more days of treatment and recorded an average of 3.16 (SE 5.10) more skills per week than participants in the paper group. Participants in both groups had a QALY gain and a decrease in depression severity, borderline severity, and suicidal behavior. Significant differences were found in favor of the paper group for both QALY gain (adjusted difference -0.054; SE 0.03) and reduction in depression severity (adjusted difference -1.11; SE 1.57). The between-group difference in total costs ranged from US $107.37 to US $322.10 per participant during the 12 months. The use of services in the health care sector was similar across both time points and groups (difference: psychiatric hospitalization <5 and <5; general practice -1.32; SE 3.68 and 2.02; SE 3.19). Overall, the patients showed high acceptability and considered the app as being easy to use. Therapists worried about potential negative influences on the therapist-patient interaction from new work tasks accompanying the introduction of the new technology but pointed at innovation potential from digital database registrations.Conclusions: This study suggests both positive and negative consequences of mobile diary apps as adjuncts to DBT compared with paper diary cards. More research is needed to draw conclusions regarding its cost-effectiveness.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03191565; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03191565.International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): RR2-10.2196/17737. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on reduction of disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis from High intensity exercise for three months, as compared with standard care.

The article discusses the approaches for gluteal tendinopathy which includes education plus exercise and corticosteroid injection.

The article discusses the airway pressure for infants with meconium aspiration syndrome which includes mechanical ventilation and medical care .

Copyright of Arab Journal for Quality Assurance in Higher Education is the property of University of Science & Technology 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.)

Background: Breast cancer is a highly prevalent malignancy leading to death across the world. However, patient survival is greatly affected by making a diabetes diagnosis. The present assessed the association between diabetes mellitus and the five-year survival rate of breast cancer patients at the cancer treatment centers. Methods: This retrospective follow‐up study was conducted on 534 diabetic women with breast cancer who had been diagnosed during 1999-2013 referring to cancer treatment centers of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Demographic and clinical data of patients were collected through questionnaires in these centers searching the patient’s available medical files. Notably, the patients were selected via systematic random sampling, and also the five-year survival of the patients was assessed during the follow-up period up to 2018. Results: In breast cancer patients, the diabetes prevalence was 12.7%. Of note, the mean and median five-year survival were 9.95 and 13, respectively. No significant difference was observed in the survival rate of the diabetic and non-diabetic patients (95% CI: 0.431-1.334; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.758; P=0.34). The survival time increased in the patients receiving metformin as a treatment protocol (95% CI: 0.226-0.950; HR: 0.5; P=0.04). Conclusion: Based on the results, training diabetic patients regarding risk factors of breast cancer and effective therapies in controlling hyperglycemia that need to screen in the early diagnosis of breast cancer are essential to improve health and increase survival rate in diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their lack of periodontal ligaments (PLs) and the differences between dental implants and natural teeth, it is necessary to improve and generate a new occlusal scheme to prolong the life of implants and prostheses. The age and the sex of patients must be considered because of their effects on the stomatognathic system's physiology. Operators must manage all the changes to obtain good sensations during mastication and a better occlusal scheme for implanting fixed partial prostheses. Dentists should try to protect this type of prosthesis using adjacent teeth and the PL. This is why new digital systems were created. The combination of T-Scan® (digital software for occlusal analysis) and electromyography (EMG) could allow doctors to find areas where it is necessary to act and to find suitable solutions for the problems generated by using conventional methods of occlusal analysis (such as articulating paper). In this study, a new method for establishing occlusion on fixed partial implant prostheses has been created, combining digital systems with conventional articulating paper. This method consists of asking the patient to bite down with different forces and situations in an attempt to achieve Implant-Protected Occlusion (IPO). The use of digital systems has been shown to be more effective than using only conventional systems. This new method allows a safer mode of occlusion which protects implants and prostheses, saving all the differences between them and natural teeth, and increasing the satisfaction of patients. This method also helps to overcome the changes in the stomatognathic system as age increases, adjusting the occlusion to changes in PLs with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Difficulties in parent-child interaction are easily observed and are a potential target for early intervention. This review aimed to assess the utility of current observational methods used to assess parent-child interactions–within the first year of life–and their ability to screen and identify children from low-risk samples most at risk of developing childhood psychopathology. Methods: Six bibliographic databases were searched, and reference lists screened. All peer reviewed papers studying the association between an independent observation of parent-child interaction and later childhood psychopathology in community-based samples were included. Included studies were those recruiting from population or community-based birth cohort data, which we define as 'low-risk'. Studies based on populations known to have a diagnosis of psychiatric illness or developmental disorder, or at high genetic or environmental risk of being diagnosed with such disorder, were excluded. Results were synthesised qualitatively due to high heterogeneity. Results: 20,051 papers were identified, nine were included in this study. Childhood psychopathology was associated with fewer positive parent-infant interactions, lower parent vocalisation frequency and lower levels of adult speech and activity. Maternal sensitivity was inversely related to separation anxiety and oppositional defiant/conduct disorders were associated with lower shared look rates. Disruptive behaviour disorders were associated with higher frequency of child vocalisation. Conclusion: Assessment of parent-child interactions, particularly the level of maternal activity, may be an early indicator of later childhood psychopathology in low-risk samples. Further longitudinal, population-based studies are required. Trial registration: PROSPERO review registration: CRD42020162917https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=CRD42020162917. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovery environments are ubiquitous in academic libraries but studying their effectiveness and use in an academic environment has mostly centered around user satisfaction, experience, and task analysis. This study aims to create a quantitative, reproducible framework to test the relevancy of results and the overall success of Washington State University's discovery environment (Primo by Ex Libris). Within this framework, the authors use bibliographic citations from student research papers submitted as part of a required university class as the proxy for relevancy. In the context of this study, the researchers created a testing model that includes: (1) a process to produce machine-generated keywords from a corpus of research papers to compare against a set of human-created keywords, (2) a machine process to query a discovery environment to produce search result lists to compare against citation lists, and (3) four metrics to measure the comparative success of different search strategies and the relevancy of the results. This framework is used to move beyond a sentiment or task-based analysis to measure if materials cited in student papers appear in the results list of a production discovery environment. While this initial test of the framework produced fewer matches between researcher-generated search results and student bibliography sources than expected, the authors note that faceted searches represent a greater success rate when compared to open-ended searches. Future work will include comparative (A/B) testing of commonly deployed discovery layer configurations and limiters to measure the impact of local decisions on discovery layer efficacy as well as noting where in the results list a citation match occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem that the traditional rapidly exploring random tree (RRT) algorithm only considers the global path of unmanned vehicles in a static environment, which has the limitation of not being able to avoid unknown dynamic obstacles in real time, and that the traditional dynamic window approach (DWA) algorithm is prone to fall into a local optimum during local path planning, this paper proposes a path planning method for unmanned vehicles that integrates improved RRT and DWA algorithms. The RRT algorithm is improved by introducing strategies such as target-biased random sampling, adaptive step size, and adaptive radius node screening, which enhance the efficiency and safety of path planning. The global path key points generated by the improved RRT algorithm are used as the subtarget points of the DWA algorithm, and the DWA algorithm is optimized through the design of an adaptive evaluation function weighting method based on real-time obstacle distances to achieve more reasonable local path planning. Through simulation experiments, the fusion algorithm shows promising results in a variety of typical static and dynamic mixed driving scenarios, can effectively plan a path that meets the driving requirements of an unmanned vehicle, avoids unknown dynamic obstacles, and shows higher path optimization efficiency and driving stability in complex environments, which provides strong support for an unmanned vehicle's path planning in complex environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is affected by cognitive and emotional factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sensitivity to anxiety and executive functions and the Quality of Life (QoL) of MS patients using path analysis. Methods: This descriptive correlational research was done on all patients with MS in Gorgan MS Association in 2020. The sample size was considered to be 290 people according to the sample selection formula and based on the values obtained from the previous study selected by simple random sampling. To collect data, the Executive Functions Questionnaire of Nejati (2013), QoL questionnaire of McGuigan & Hutchinson (2004), and Sensitivity to Anxiety Questionnaires of Taylor and Cox (1998) were used. Path analysis with SPSS v. 18 and AMOS v. 23 software was used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that the executive functions had a positive relationship with QoL in MS patients and sensitivity to anxiety had a negative relationship with QoL in MS patients. Also, mediating role of the anxiety sensitivity variable in the relationship between executive functions with QoL in MS patients was confirmed (P≤0.01). Conclusion: The present study indicated the importance of cognitive factors, such as executive functions, and emotional factors, such as sensitivity to anxiety in explaining the QoL in MS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is the examination of scientific production on badminton. The data were obtained from studies published in the British Medical Journal, Eric, ULAKBIM National Databases, WOS, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and YÖK National Theses Center databases between 1939 and 2020. A total of 856 publications, including 624 articles, 134 proceedings papers, 71 M.Sc. theses, and 27 Ph.D. dissertations, were included in the research. The data obtained from these studies was analyzed using content analysis. Most publications were produced between 2016 and 2020. 751 publications in English and 105 in Turkish. It was observed that the distribution of the number of productions and the number of authors were close to each other. 134 proceedings papers (90 full-texts, 44 abstracts) were identified. Of the studies, 670 were quantitative, 105 were qualitative, 54 were mixed design, and 27 were reviews. Experimental design was used the most, and historical design was used the least. Stratified and simple random sampling methods were mainly used. Most studies were conducted with athletes, and the least with instructors (coaches and teachers). Most studies were conducted on exercise and sports physiology and the least on physical education, games, and recreation. The studies focused on physiological, anthropometric, and motoric measurements as the main themes. As a result; it has been determined that scientific productions on badminton are mostly studies on exercise and sports physiology in which physiological, anthropometric and motoric measurements are taken by conducting experimental studies on athletes selected by simple random sampling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends existing work on teacher weighting in student-centered surveys by looking into aspects of practical implementation of deriving and using weights for teacher-centered analysis in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). The formal conditions to compute teacher-centered weights are detailed, including mathematical equations. We provide a proposal on how to define the targeted populations as well as how to collect data that is needed to derive teacher-centered weights, yet currently unavailable. We also tackle the issue of teacher nonresponse by proposing a respective adjustment factor, as well as mentioning the challenge of multiple selection probabilities when teachers teach in multiple schools. The core part of the paper focuses on studying the level of accuracy that can be expected when estimating teacher population characteristics. We use TIMSS 2019 data and simulate likely scenarios regarding the variance in weights. The results show that (i) the different weighting scenarios lead to relatively similar estimates; however, the differences between the scenarios are sufficient to justify the recommendation to use correctly derived teacher weights; (ii) differences between estimated standard errors based on complex sampling and corresponding estimates based on simple random sampling are sufficiently consistent to support use of a procedure to estimate standard errors that accounts for both sample weights and the complex sampling design; (iii) sample sizes and variance in weights significantly limit estimate precision, so that total population estimates with sufficient precision are available in the majority of countries but subpopulation features are generally not sufficiently precise. To provide a critical evaluation of our results, we recommend implementation of the proposed method in one or more countries. This recommended study will permit examination of logistical considerations in implementation of required changes in data acquisition and will provide data to replicate the analysis with teacher-centered weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve an accurate measurement of tread size after fixed-length cutting, this paper proposes a point-cloud-based tread size measurement method. Firstly, a mathematical model of corner points and a reprojection error is established, and the optimal solution of the number of corner points is determined by the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II), which reduces the reprojection error of the RGB-D camera. Secondly, to address the problem of the low accuracy of the traditional pixel metric ratio measurement method, the random sampling consensus point cloud segmentation algorithm (RANSAC) and the oriented bounding box (OBB) collision detection algorithm are introduced to complete the accurate detection of the tread size. By comparing the absolute error and relative error data of several groups of experiments, the accuracy of the detection method in this paper reaches 1 mm, and the measurement deviation is between 0.14% and 2.67%, which is in line with the highest accuracy standard of the national standard. In summary, the RGB-D visual inspection method constructed in this paper has the characteristics of low cost and high inspection accuracy, which is a potential solution to enhance the pickup guidance of tread size measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to examine the questions of what criteria definitions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) use to define AI, what the disagreements that revolve around the term AI are based on, and what correlations can be drawn to other parameters. Framed as a problem of classification, a random sample of 45 definitions from various text sources was subjected to a qualitative content analysis. The criteria found are concluded in five dimensions, namely (1) learning ability, (2) human likeness, (3) state of "mind", (4) complexity of the problem, and (5) successfulness. Further, the results support the view that there is no consensus neither on which of these criteria are crucial to define AI nor on how these criteria must be fulfilled. By opposing the frequencies of the dimensions found with the metadata collected, it can be seen that most of these, e.g., country, scientific field, or gender of the author, are statistically independent of content variables, while the medium in which the definition was published shows a strong correlation. Since different mediums target different purposes and different readers, it must be taken into account that writing a definition of AI is to be seen in the context of its distribution area and its goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To identify the latent profiles and predictors of family management styles for children with asthma. Design: This is a secondary data analysis. The demographic data of 506 primary caregivers of children with asthma and their scores of the Family Management Scale in a cross‐sectional study were used. Latent profile analysis and multiple logistic regression analyses were employed. Results: Three family management styles were identified: Thriving (Profile 1), Accommodating (Profile 2), and Enduring (Profile 3) Family Management Style. The child's age, gender, mother's education level, family structure, influence of illness on parents' work and family life, whether they had follow‐up plans and whether their parents had read disease and health knowledge pamphlets were found to be the predictors of different styles. Conclusion: Three distinct family management styles exist for children with asthma. Future interventions designed to enhance family management for children with asthma should be based on their demographic characteristics and family management styles. Implications for the Profession and Patient Care: The precise classification of family management styles in this study can serve as a guide to form multi‐disciplinary teams of physicians and nurses to provide individualized care and conduct in‐depth research to explore the mechanisms of biomedicine and the social psychology of asthma in the future. Impact: This paper aims to identify the latent profiles and predictors of family management styles of children with asthma.Thriving, accommodating, and enduring family management styles were identified in this paper. Child's characteristics, family and organizational factors were the predictors of different family management styles.Findings of this paper provide guidance for physicians and nurses to offer individualized care and conduct in‐depth research to explore the mechanisms of biomedicine and the social psychology of asthma in the future. Reporting Method: The article was reported according to the STROBE Checklist. Patient or Public Contribution: No Patient or Public Contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The gold standard treatment for periprosthetic joint infections is the two-stage revision that includes the spacer placement before definitive reimplantation. The management of PJI affects patients' joint function and, subsequently, their mental health. Even though significant advances have been achieved, little to no attention has been paid to the psychological implications. So, based on standardized patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), this study aimed to clarify the effect of spacer treatment of infected hip and knee arthroplasties on patients' mental health. Methods: We performed research on the literature on PJIs in the English language using the MEDLINE database with the search strings "spacer" OR "spacers" AND "hip" OR "knee" AND "SF-12" OR "SF-36" OR "EQ-5" OR "mental" OR "depression" OR "anxiety." The reference lists of selected articles were also hand-searched for any additional articles. Results: A total of 973 published papers were extracted, and 9 papers were finally included. A total of 384 patients who underwent spacer placement for PJI were identified. Of these 384 patients, 54% were female. The mean age ranged from 62 to 78.2 years. Of the11 papers identified for this review, 4 analyzed only hip spacers, including 119 patients; 4 only knee spacers, evaluating 153 patients; while a single study included 112 patients for both joints. Conclusions: Patients with the spacer are living in a state of mental upset, albeit better than the preoperative state. Clinical improvement with the review is not assured. The alteration of mental state turns out not to be transient for all the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate enterprise financial risk management (EFRM) represents a leading competitive advantage of enterprises that determines market survival and business success in an uncertain global environment. Over time, EFRM has become a constituent part of integral business dealings of enterprises and one of the strategic functions of enterprise management. The main purpose of the paper is to explore the effects of the EFRM function/system on the financial performance of enterprises in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The basic source of data in the research was collected by means of a structured questionnaire. The target population in the research consists of large enterprises that have continuously operated in the territory of BiH (2013-2017). The selection of enterprises was made applying a random sampling method and contains 72 enterprises. Appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used in the data analysis and panel data analysis was used to assess effects of EFRM function on financial performance. The scientific contribution of the paper is reflected in the fact that the research is pioneering for Bosnia and Herzegovina with the analysis of effects of the EFRM function on enterprise financial performance (EFP). The results show that there are no systematic, statistically significant differences between large enterprises that engage in risk management ('hedgers') and enterprises that do not engage in risk management ('non-hedgers') in BiH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Determining patient outcomes is essential to quality health care. Administering electronic patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) offers potential advantages, including faster completion and efficient data access and storage. However, commonly used PROMs have not been studied across multiple administration modes, limiting clinicians to paper forms until the electronic versions are validated. Objective: To determine the validity of an electronic version of the Disablement in the Physically Active (DPA) scale compared with the paper version. Main Outcome Measure(s): Electronic and paper versions of the DPA scale were randomly administered to 117 participants (38 women, 79 men; age = 21.6 6 5.9 years) 24 to 48 hours apart. Responses were compared using Pearson product moment correlations, canonical correlations, and covariance modeling. Results: The electronic version of the DPA scale was strongly correlated with the paper version when compared using a bivariate correlation (r = 0.86, P, .001) or covariance modeling approach (r = 0.90, P, .001). Conclusions: The electronic version of the DPA scale was comparable with the paper version, making the former more efficient for use in athletic training. This study provides a template for other clinician-researchers to perform similar evaluations of electronic PROMs to determine their equivalency with the paper versions before implementing them in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the measurement equivalence of individual response scale types by using a patient reported outcome measure (PROM) collected on paper and migrated into electronic format for use on the subject's own mobile device (BYOD) and on a provisioned device (site device).Methods: Subjects suffering from chronic health conditions causing daily pain or discomfort were invited to participate in this single-site, single visit, three-way crossover study. Association between individual item and instrument subscale scores was assessed by using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and its CI. Participant attitudes toward the use of BYOD in a clinical trial were assessed through use of a questionnaire.Results: In this study, 155 subjects (females 83 [54%]; males 72 [46%]) ages 19 to 69 years (mean ± SD: 48.6 ± 13.1) were recruited. High association between the modes of administration (paper, BYOD, site device) was shown with analysis of ICCs (0.79-0.98) for each response scale type, including visual analogue scale, numeric rating scale, verbal response scale, and Likert scale. Of the subjects, 94% (146 of 155) stated that they would definitely or probably be willing to download an app onto their own mobile device for a forthcoming clinical trial. Forty-five percent of subjects felt BYOD would be more convenient compared with 15% preferring a provisioned device (40% had no preference).Conclusions: This study provides strong evidence supporting the use of BYOD for PROM collection in terms of the conservation of instrument measurement equivalence across the most widely used response scale types, and high patient acceptance of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the potential of the Gamified Metaverse as a platform for promoting library services. The study compares the effectiveness of a traditional library program with a Metaverse- based library program in terms of knowledge acquisition and library anxiety. The research also examines students' perceptions of implementing gamification within the context of the Gamified Metaverse platform. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, including pre- and post-test analysis, statistical analysis, and qualitative data collection. The results indicate that both the traditional and Metaverse-based library programs effectively increased the participants' knowledge, with no significant difference between the two approaches. However, the Metaverse-based program was found to be less effective in facilitating interaction with librarians and reducing library anxiety. Additionally, students expressed positive perceptions of implementing gamification in the Gamified Metaverse platform, finding it engaging and motivating. These findings contribute to the understanding of the effect of the Metaverse as a tool for promoting library services and enhancing knowledge acquisition. However, it is not as effective in reducing library anxiety, particularly in terms of interaction with librarians and staff. It should be noted that the platform may have limitations such as high costs and potential side effects of virtual reality, making it more suitable as an additional tool for promoting library services, taking into account its feasibility and potential benefits for specific student populations and larger libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations want to focus on product quality along with productivity to get their competitive advantage in global market. In order to achieve this aim, quality management system and its different aspects are becoming more valuable than before. This study has considered quality control and its activities with specific focus on offline inspection, by providing a literature review that identifies different models and methodologies, developed for offline inspection under different manufacturing and inspection conditions. This review is based on research work accepted by international journals and published in the years from 2000 to 2016.These studies are classified into six groups on the basis of their research objectives, developed model, adopted methodologies, and research outcomes. This review paper also gives a brief look at the offline inspection to propose future research opportunities and emerging trends. The proposed research directions can be helpful in developing new models or modifying the existing models to improve the performance of offline inspection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011, Nephrology Dialysis and Transplantation (NDT) established a more restrictive selection process for manuscripts submitted to the journal, reducing the acceptance rate from 25% (2008-2009) to currently about 12-15%. To achieve this goal, we decided to score the priority of manuscripts submitted to NDT and to reject more papers at triage than in the past. This new scoring system allows a rapid decision for the authors without external review. However, the risk of such a restrictive policy may be that the journal might fail to capture important studies that are eventually published in higher-ranked journals. To look into this problem, we analysed random samples of papers (~10%) rejected by NDT in 2012. Of the papers rejected at triage and those rejected after regular peer review, 59 and 61%, respectively, were accepted in other journals. A detailed analysis of these papers showed that only 4 out of 104 and 7 out of 93 of the triaged and rejected papers, respectively, were published in journals with an impact factor higher than that of NDT. Furthermore, for all these papers, independent assessors confirmed the evaluation made by the original reviewers. The number of citations of these papers was similar to that typically obtained by publications in the corresponding journals. Even though the analyses seem reassuring, previous observations made by leading journals warn that the risk of 'big misses', resulting from selective editorial policies, remains a real possibility. We will therefore continue to maintain a high degree of alertness and will periodically track the history of manuscripts rejected by NDT, particularly papers that are rejected at triage by our journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring the integrity of scientific literature is essential for advancing knowledge and research. However, the credibility and trustworthiness of scholarly publications are compromised by manipulated citations. Traditional methods, such as manual inspection and basic statistical analyses, have limitations in detecting intricate patterns and subtle manipulations of citations. In recent years, network-based approaches have emerged as promising techniques for identifying and understanding citation manipulation. This study introduces a novel method to identify potential citation manipulation in academic papers using perturbations of a deep embedding model. The key idea is to reconstruct meaningful connections represented by citations within a network by exploring, to some extent, longer alternative paths. These indirect pathways enable the recovery of reliable citations while estimating their trustworthiness. The investigation takes a comprehensive approach to link prediction, leveraging the consistent behavior of prominent connections when exposed to network perturbations. Through numerical experiments, the method demonstrates a high capability to identify reliable citations as the core of the analyzed data and to raise suspicions about unreliable references that may have been manipulated. This research presents a refined method for tackling the urgent problem of citation manipulation in academic papers. It harnesses statistical sampling and graph-embedding techniques to evaluate the credibility of scholarly publications with a substantial assessment of the whole citation graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate a smartphone-based online electronic logbook used to assess the clinical skills of nurse anesthesia students in Iran. Methods: This randomized controlled study was conducted after tool development at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz, Iran from January 2022 to December 2022. The online electronic logbook involved in this study was an Android-compatible application used to evaluate the clinical skills of nurse anesthesia students. In the implementation phase, the online electronic logbook was piloted for 3 months in anesthesia training in comparison with a paper logbook. For this purpose, 49 second- and third-year anesthesia nursing students selected using the census method were assigned to intervention (online electronic logbook) and control (paper logbook) groups. The online electronic logbook and paper logbook were compared in terms of student satisfaction and learning outcomes. Results: A total of 39 students participated in the study. The mean satisfaction score of the intervention group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P=0.027). The mean score of learning outcomes was also significantly higher for the intervention than the control group (P=0.028). Conclusion: Smartphone technology can provide a platform for improving the evaluation of the clinical skills of nursing anesthesia students, leading to increased satisfaction and improved learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: The differences in the legal structures, tax rates, and cultural-linguistic issues of various countries have always been a significant concern for SMEs in their exporting activities and internationalization processes. However, since firm-level characteristics might provide some advantages or disadvantages in their operations, their perceptions of export impediments might vary across size, age, and sector groups. Purpose of the article: This paper investigates the perceptions of export impediments by 408 larger-smaller, older-younger, and manufacturing-nonmanufacturing Czech, Slovakian and Hungarian SMEs in a country-based perspective. Methods: The researchers use the random sampling method to create research samples and employ an internet-mediated questionnaire to collect the research data. The researchers use both Independent Sample T-test and ANOVA analyses to find differences between size, age, and sector groups. Findings & value added: While the differences exist between the perceptions of Slovakian larger-smaller and manufacturing-nonmanufacturing SMEs regarding cultural differences, the perceptions of legal and tax-related export impediments by SMEs do not differ depending on their age, size, and sector. This paper contributes to the literature by confirming various perceptions of SMEs in different countries and different characteristics regarding export obstacles and providing an entity-specific and international scope that policymakers and SMEs can benefit from. Awareness of the policymakers regarding the results of this paper that includes differences and similarities in SMEs' perceptions of export barriers might make them have close interactions with SMEs to reduce SMEs' concerns regarding their export risks. On the other hand, SMEs that are aware of the results of this paper can be more interested in having a broader network that includes close relationships not only with intermediary firms, but also with governments to overcome the export impediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using deep learning models to deal with the classification tasks in network traffic offers a new approach to address the imbalanced Internet of Things malicious traffic classification problems. However, the employment difficulty of these models may be immense due to their high resource consumption and inadequate interpretability. Fortunately, the effectiveness of sampling methods based on the statistical principles in imbalance data distribution indicates the path. In this paper, we address these challenges by proposing a hybrid sampling method, termed HSS, which integrates undersampling and oversampling techniques. Our approach not only mitigates the imbalance in malicious traffic but also fine-tunes the sampling threshold to optimize performance, as substantiated through validation tests. Employed across three distinct classification tasks, this method furnishes simplified yet representative samples, enhancing the baseline models' classification capabilities by a minimum of 6.02% and a maximum of 182.66%. Moreover, it notably reduces resource consumption, with sample numbers diminishing to a ratio of at least 83.53%. This investigation serves as a foundation, demonstrating the efficacy of HSS in bolstering security measures in IoT networks, potentially guiding the development of more adept and resource-efficient solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most widely used robust regression methods for solving simple linear regression problems is the Theil-Sen (TS) estimator. This estimator has some notable advantages; however, it does not belong to the most robust estimation methods (called high-breakdown estimators) and is prone to outliers whose distribution is highly asymmetric with respect to the correct data points. This paper presents a modification of the TS estimator, the Robustified Theil-Sen (RTS) estimator. The new method uses a heuristic-based selection procedure to reduce the number of initial estimates of the regression function parameters computed with at least one outlier, thereby improving the regression results. The use of this heuristic procedure only slightly increases the computational time required for using the RTS estimator compared to the TS estimator. Preliminary results of two numerical experiments presented in the paper show that the RTS estimator outperforms other comparable estimators, i.e., the TS estimator and the repeated median estimator, in terms of robustness. The results presented also suggest that the breakpoint value (which is a measure of the robustness of estimators) of the RTS estimator is higher than the breakpoint value of the TS estimator and equal to the breakpoint value of the high-breakpoint estimators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactive computer simulations are commonly used as pedagogical tools to support students' statistical reasoning. This paper examines whether and how these simulations enable their intended effects. We begin by contrasting two theoretical frameworks—dual processes and grounded cognition—in the context of people's conceptions about statistical sampling, setting the stage for the potential benefits of simulations in learning such conceptions. Then, we continue with reviewing the educational literature on statistical sampling simulations. Our review tentatively suggests benefits of the simulations for building statistical habits of mind. However, challenges seem to persist when more specific concepts and skills are investigated. With and without simulations, students have difficulty forming an aggregate view of data, interpreting sampling distributions, showing a process-based understanding of the law of large numbers, making statistical inferences, and context-independent reasoning. We propose that grounded cognition offers a framework for understanding these findings, highlighting the bidirectional relationship between perception and conception, perceptual design features, and guided perceptual routines for supporting students' meaning making from simulations. Finally, we propose testable instructional strategies for using simulations in statistics education. Significance: Interactive computer simulations are popularly used to teach statistical sampling and inference. A substantial body of classroom-based design research has emerged over the last two decades on this topic, paralleling the interest of cognitive psychologists in statistical reasoning. This review bridges the gap by synthesizing diverse literature, from laboratory-based cognitive research to classroom-based design research, to investigate people's reasoning about statistical sampling with interactive computer simulations. We organize the commonly occurring findings from these studies under a grounded cognition framework. Using this framework, we also identify instructional design strategies that future empirical researchers can test and statistics and data science practitioners can adopt. First, we highlight the importance of repeated exposure to simulations in a way that fosters creating perception–action routines aligned with mathematical principles. Second, we argue that intuitive representations ground students' meaning making from simulations, and idealized representations help generalize learning. Third, we recommend that visual routines be guided during activities with simulations. Fourth, we note the separate affordances of simulations and verbal materials. Lastly, we propose that statistical processes depicted in the simulations should be reified as foundations for more advanced concepts and practices. Overall, the paper contributes to the learning theories and instructional design in the context of simulation-based learning in statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel camera–LiDAR calibration method that utilizes an iterative random sampling and intersection line-based quality evaluation using a foldable plane pair. Firstly, this paper suggests using a calibration object consisting of two small planes with ChArUco patterns, which is easy to make and convenient to carry. Secondly, the proposed method adopts an iterative random sampling to make the calibration procedure robust against sensor data noise and incorrect object recognition. Lastly, this paper proposes a novel quality evaluation method based on the dissimilarity between two intersection lines of the plane pairs from the two sensors. Thus, the proposed method repeats random sampling of sensor data, extrinsic parameter estimation, and quality evaluation of the estimation result in order to determine the most appropriate calibration result. Furthermore, this method can also be used for the LiDAR–LiDAR calibration with a slight modification. In experiments, the proposed method was quantitively evaluated using simulation data and qualitatively assessed using real-world data. The experimental results show that the proposed method can successfully perform both camera–LiDAR and LiDAR–LiDAR calibrations while outperforming the previous approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

the paper analyzed the challenges facing Lagos State Public Procurement Agency in the implementation of procurement law. The paper adopted both the primary and secondary sources of data; data were collected through administration of questionnaires on the identified respondents. The study population of workers in the selected ministries, agency, contractors, and civil society organization consisted of 1398. A proportionate random sampling technique was used in selecting a sample size of 210 respondents representing 15% of the study population. Secondary data were obtained from books, academic journal official documents of LSPPA, and internet. Data collected were analyzed with the use of percentage, frequency, and mean. The result of the study revealed that the challenges facing Lagos State Public Procurement Agency; namely: poor ethical standard (58.9%, x̅ =2.5), shortage of manpower (72.2%, x̅ =2.1), and delay in the adjudication of contract malpractices (65.8%, x̅=2.1) were largely insubstantial challenges facing LSPPA in the implementation of public procurement law of the state amongst the ten acknowledged challenges. On the other hand, the paper further shown the challenges that were largely substantial for the LSPPA in the implementation of public procurement law in the state; such as: interference from political office holders (67.4, x̅=2.9), poor ethical standard (63.9%, x̅=2.6), delay in the release of appropriated budget (57.4%, x̅=2.7), political will and commitment to prosecute offenders (54.5, x̅=2.7), sharp practices in the award of contract (65.8%, x̅=2.8), politicized civil society organization (78.2%, x̅ =3.0), and submission of procurement plan (60.9%, x̅=2.8) substantially hampers LSPPA in the quest to achieve efficiency, probity, openness, value for money, accountability, and fair pricing amongst others. The study therefore, concludes that the challenges facing LSPPA, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency in the implementation of public procurement law in the state is largely substantial, and decelerates the policy objective targets of procurement law of the State. It was further evident from seven claims confirmation as against three claims that negated it respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charles J. Hirsch was an accountant and controller for the Golden Nugget casino from 1950 to 1970. He contributed to a movement in the 1950s and 1960s to advance the use of statistical sampling and analysis in the accounting profession. This manuscript is based on analysis of Hirsch's professional papers, held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Libraries Special Collections and Archives. Hirsch used statistical sampling and analysis at Golden Nugget when statistical techniques had not yet been widely accepted or implemented by practicing accountants and auditors. Beginning in 1959, Hirsch made numerous conference presentations describing his work. In addition, Hirsch explicitly challenged the accounting profession to follow his lead and integrate statistical sampling and analysis into existing practice. In doing so, he joined an exclusive group of individuals, including Robert Trueblood, who were early advocates for using statistical techniques to improve the practice of accounting and auditing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated how the gender composition of top-cited authors within different subfields of research has evolved over time. We considered 9,071,122 authors with at least 5 full papers in Scopus as of September 1, 2022. Using a previously validated composite citation indicator, we identified the 2% top-cited authors for each of 174 science subfields (Science-Metrix classification) in 4 separate publication age cohorts (first publication pre-1992, 1992 to 2001, 2002 to 2011, and post-2011). Using NamSor, we assigned 3,784,507 authors as men and 2,011,616 as women (for 36.1% gender assignment uncertain). Men outnumbered women 1.88-fold among all authors, decreasing from 3.93-fold to 1.36-fold over time. Men outnumbered women 3.21-fold among top-cited authors, decreasing from 6.41-fold to 2.28-fold over time. In the youngest (post-2011) cohort, 32/174 (18%) subfields had > = 50% women, 97/174 (56%) subfields had > = 30% women, and 3 subfields had = <10% women among the top-cited authors. Gender imbalances in author numbers decreased sharply over time in both high-income countries (including the United States of America) and other countries, but the latter had little improvement in gender imbalances for top-cited authors. In random samples of 100 women and 100 men from the youngest (post-2011) cohort, in-depth assessment showed that most were currently (April 2023) working in academic environments. 32 women and 44 men had some faculty appointment, but only 2 women and 2 men were full professors. Our analysis shows large heterogeneity across scientific disciplines in the amelioration of gender imbalances with more prominent imbalances persisting among top-cited authors and slow promotion pathways even for the most-cited young scientists. An evaluation of the top-cited scientists across science shows a wide range in the amelioration of gender imbalances across scientific disciplines; many scientific disciplines still have fewer women among the top-cited scientists, even among the youngest age cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This scoping review reports on studies that collect survey data using quantitative research to measure self-reported oral health status outcome measures. The objective of this review is to categorize measures used to evaluate self-reported oral health status and oral health quality of life used in surveys of general populations. Methods: The review is guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) with the search on four online bibliographic databases. The criteria include (1) peer-reviewed articles, (2) papers published between 2011 and 2021, (3) only studies using quantitative methods, and (4) containing outcome measures of self-assessed oral health status, and/or oral health-related quality of life. All survey data collection methods are assessed and papers whose methods employ newer technological approaches are also identified. Results: Of the 2981 unduplicated papers, 239 meet the eligibility criteria. Half of the papers use impact scores such as the OHIP-14; 10% use functional measures, such as the GOHAI, and 26% use two or more measures while 8% use rating scales of oral health status. The review identifies four data collection methods: in-person, mail-in, Internet-based, and telephone surveys. Most (86%) employ in-person surveys, and 39% are conducted in Asia-Pacific and Middle East countries with 8% in North America. Sixty-six percent of the studies recruit participants directly from clinics and schools, where the surveys were carried out. The top three sampling methods are convenience sampling (52%), simple random sampling (12%), and stratified sampling (12%). Among the four data collection methods, in-person surveys have the highest response rate (91%), while the lowest response rate occurs in Internet-based surveys (37%). Telephone surveys are used to cover a wider population compared to other data collection methods. There are two noteworthy approaches: 1) sample selection where researchers employ different platforms to access subjects, and 2) mode of interaction with subjects, with the use of computers to collect self-reported data. Conclusion: The study provides an assessment of oral health outcome measures, including subject-reported oral health status and notes newly emerging computer technological approaches recently used in surveys conducted on general populations. These newer applications, though rarely used, hold promise for both researchers and the various populations that use or need oral health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the presented paper, authors propose a new estimator by combining two already exist ratio estimators and estimate the population mean in simple random sampling. Authors also determine the mean square error (MSE) of this estimator. In the last of this paper, they show that the presented estimator is more efficient than the existing ratio estimators theoretically and numerically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we proposed a class of ratio estimators using auxiliary information for the estimation of population mean under stratified sampling. The proposed estimator in this work is based on the Yadav and Baghel (2021) estimator. The expression of the mean square error for this class of estimators is derived and the performance of the proposed estimator is compared with competing estimators. Numerical illustration of efficiency comparison is also worked out in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major international guidelines recommend mental health screening during the perinatal period. However, substantial barriers to screening have been reported by pregnant and postpartum women and perinatal care providers. E-screening offers benefits that may address implementation challenges.Objective: The primary objective of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Web-based mental health e-screening compared with paper-based screening among pregnant women. A secondary objective was to identify factors associated with women's preferences for e-screening and disclosure of mental health concerns.Methods: Pregnant women recruited from community and hospital-based antenatal clinics and hospital-based prenatal classes were computer-randomized to a fully automated Web-based e-screening intervention group or a paper-based control group. Women were eligible if they spoke or read English, were willing to be randomized to e-screening, and were willing to participate in a follow-up diagnostic interview. The intervention group completed the Antenatal Psychosocial Health Assessment and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale on a tablet computer, while controls completed them on paper. All women completed self-report baseline questions and were telephoned 1 week after randomization by a blinded research assistant for a MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Renker and Tonkin's tool of feasibility and acceptability of computerized screening was used to assess the feasibility and acceptability of e-screening compared with paper-based screening. Intention-to-treat analysis was used. To identify factors associated with preference for e-screening and disclosure, variables associated with each outcome at P<.20 were simultaneously entered into final multivariable models to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% CIs.Results: Of the 675 eligible women approached, 636 agreed to participate (participation rate 94.2%) and were randomized to the intervention (n=305) or control (n=331) groups. There were no significant baseline differences between groups. More women in the e-screening group strongly or somewhat agreed that they would like to use a tablet for answering questions on emotional health (57.9%, 175/302 vs 37.2%, 121/325) and would prefer using a tablet to paper (46.0%, 139/302 vs 29.2%, 95/325), compared with women in the paper-based screening group. There were no differences between groups in women's disclosure of emotional health concerns (94.1%, 284/302 vs 90.2%, 293/325). Women in the e-screening group consistently reported the features of e-screening more favorably than controls (more private or confidential, less impersonal, less time-consuming). In the multivariable models, being in the e-screening group was significantly associated with preferring e-screening (AOR 2.29, 95% CI 1.66-3.17), while no factors were significantly associated with disclosure.Conclusions: The findings suggest that mental health e-screening is feasible and acceptable to pregnant women.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01899534; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01899534 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6ntWg1yWb). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]