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The article addresses the crisis of irreproducible preclinical in vivo research, emphasizing the role of statistical inference issues, over-simplification of models, flawed interpretation, and the persistence of dichotomous null-hypothesis significance testing. Topics include the need to move beyond reliance on "statistical significance," embracing estimation statistics, Bayesian approaches, and highlighting the complexities of translational behavioral neuroscience for improved reproducibility.

The article "Multiple Tests" deals with hypothesis testing in statistics. It explains that in practice, there are often more than one hypothesis of interest, such as comparing means of multiple groups. It is pointed out that a test for the global null hypothesis, that all means are equal, can be conducted. If this null hypothesis is rejected, it can be concluded that there is a statistically significant difference between the means, but no precise conclusions can be drawn about which means differ. The article also addresses the issue of simultaneously testing multiple hypotheses and introduces the Bonferroni correction as a well-known method for solving this problem. However, it is noted that better methods can be developed if the dependency structure of the tests can be described in more detail. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST) has been well criticised over the years yet remains a pillar of statistical inference. Although NHST is well described in terms of statistical models, most textbooks for non-statisticians present the null and alternative hypotheses (H0 and HA, respectively) in terms of differences between groups such as (μ1 = μ2) and (μ1 ≠ μ2) and HA is often stated to be the research hypothesis. Here we use propositional calculus to analyse the internal logic of NHST when couched in this popular terminology. The testable H0 is determined by analysing the scope and limits of the P-value and the test statistic's probability distribution curve.Results: We propose a minimum axiom set NHST in which it is taken as axiomatic that H0 is rejected if P-value< α. Using the common scenario of the comparison of the means of two sample groups as an example, the testable H0 is {(μ1 = μ2) and [([Formula: see text] 1 ≠ [Formula: see text] 2) due to chance alone]}. The H0 and HA pair should be exhaustive to avoid false dichotomies. This entails that HA is ¬{(μ1 = μ2) and [([Formula: see text] 1 ≠ [Formula: see text] 2) due to chance alone]}, rather than the research hypothesis (HT). To see the relationship between HA and HT, HA can be rewritten as the disjunction HA: ({(μ1 = μ2) ∧ [([Formula: see text] 1 ≠ [Formula: see text] 2) not due to chance alone]} ∨ {(μ1 ≠ μ2) ∧ [[Formula: see text] 1 ≠ [Formula: see text] 2) not due to (μ1 ≠ μ2) alone]} ∨ {(μ1 ≠ μ2) ∧ [([Formula: see text] 1 ≠ [Formula: see text] 2) due to (μ1 ≠ μ2) alone]}). This reveals that HT (the last disjunct in bold) is just one possibility within HA. It is only by adding premises to NHST that HT or other conclusions can be reached.Conclusions: Using this popular terminology for NHST, analysis shows that the definitions of H0 and HA differ from those found in textbooks. In this framework, achieving a statistically significant result only justifies the broad conclusion that the results are not due to chance alone, not that the research hypothesis is true. More transparency is needed concerning the premises added to NHST to rig particular conclusions such as HT. There are also ramifications for the interpretation of Type I and II errors, as well as power, which do not specifically refer to HT as claimed by texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We computed the luminosity of simulated galaxies of the c-eagle project, a suite of 30 high-resolution zoom-in simulations of galaxy clusters based on the eagle simulation. The AB magnitudes are derived for different spectral bands, from ultraviolet to infrared, using the simple stellar population modelling based on the E-MILES stellar spectra library. We take into account obscuration due to dust in star forming regions and diffuse interstellar medium. The g − r colour–stellar mass diagram, at z  = 0.1, presents a defined red sequence, reaching g − r ≃ 0.8, 0.05 dex redder than eagle at high masses, and a well populated blue cloud, when field galaxies are included. The clusters' inner regions are dominated by red-sequence galaxies at all masses, although a non-negligible amount of blue galaxies are still present. We adopt Bayesian inference to compute the clusters LFs, testing for statistical significance of both single and double Schechter functions. The multicolour LFs at z  = 0 show a knee luminosity that peaks in the infrared and increases with the cluster's mass. The faint-end is weakly dependent on colour and mass and shows an upturn in the optical, bounded between −1.25 and −1.39, just moderately steeper than the field. The simulations reproduce, within the observational errors, the spectroscopic LFs of the Hercules and Abell 85 clusters, including their faint end upturn. c-eagle LFs are in broad agreement with observed LFs taken from SDSS and XXL surveys, up to z  = 0.67, showing a rather flat faint end when the observational constrains are taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global Position System (GPS) receivers are capable of surveying measurement with geodetic positioning accuracy. They are designed to be mounted on a tripod usually with a tribrach and set up for observations with assigned mask angle and height of antenna above the survey marks. Assignation of inaccurate mask angle and height of antenna, during observations, is undoubtedly the most prevalent and frequent biases in GPS set up during control surveying which usually leads to less accurate geodetic positioning. Other errors in GPS observations which have been adequately addressed by many researchers are due to ionospheric, stratospheric, tropospheric, and multipath delays among others. Goal and Objectives Therefore, in this research, an attempt has been made to reduce the arbitrary assignation of GPS mask angle and antenna angle to the barest minimum in order to optimise the accuracy of GPS geodetic positioning. That is, optimal antenna height and mask angle of GPS antenna were determined for geodetic point positioning to be adopted for all GPS observations. The objectives were the determination of the positional coordinates of survey mark at different GPS antenna heights by varying the height upward at 1cm interval with constant mask angle until the optimum height was achieved and determination of the coordinates of survey mark at different mask angle by varying the mask angle upward at 10 interval with the constant optimum height until the optimum mask angle was achieved. Methodology The survey mark used was a known point (control point with existing coordinates) within the Federal University of Technology, Akure using Tersus GPS equipment receiver in static mode of observation. Seventy-six (76) coordinate observations were carried out for the determination of optimum antennal height while twenty-three (23) coordinates were observed for the determination of optimum mask angle. The observed field data was post processed using Tersus Geo office processor software and the results obtained were analysed statistically. Results The values of antenna heights and mask angles were plotted against their respective level of errors. It was observed that 1.76m is the antenna height with the least error level while 200 is the mask angle with the least level of error. Statistical analysis using hypothesis test carried out on the results showed that there is a significant difference in the level of accuracy between the use of 15° mask angle as recommended by the manufacturer of the GPS and the of 20° mask angle obtained from this research at 95% confidence level. Therefore, it can be concluded that, in a fairly level terrain, 20° and 1.76m have proved to be the optimal mask angle and antenna height respectively for all GPS observations during point positioning. Hence, it is recommended that the results obtained in this research should be adopted for GPS observations for better geodetic point positioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the influence of certain experimental or material-related conditions on results of the rapid chloride migration test (RCM test), statistical tests within and between samples are necessary. Thus, it needs to be clear which scatter a sample or a population of results is already subjected to without external influences due to the test method itself. So far, however, literature values for the appropriate statistical variable (coefficient of variation, CoV) explicitly valid for mortar or fine-grained concrete, e.g., for concrete repair, are missing. Therefore, we suggest a specific mortar CoV based on our own results of RCM tests performed on a cement-rich, sprayable mortar based on ordinary Portland cement. For the evaluation of external influences on a sample in comparison to a reference sample, we developed a significance criterion based on a statistical hypothesis test. The sensitivity and the reliability of this criterion is demonstrated on various results from RCM tests on mortar specimens, according to the test specifications and with deliberately chosen deviations from it. In addition, we point out the parameters included in the calculation of the rapid chloride migration coefficient that are the most sensitive to unintentional errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) is innately immune to all detection-side attacks. Due to the limitations of technology, most MDI-QKD protocols use weak coherent photon sources (WCPs), which may suffer from a photon-number splitting (PNS) attack from eavesdroppers. Therefore, the existing MDI-QKD protocols also need the decoy-state method, which can resist PNS attacks very well. However, the existing decoy-state methods do not attend to the existence of PNS attacks, and the secure keys are only generated by single-photon components. In fact, multiphoton pulses can also form secure keys if we can confirm that there is no PNS attack. For simplicity, we only analyze the weaker version of a PNS attack in which a legitimate user's pulse count rate changes significantly after the attack. In this paper, under the null hypothesis of no PNS attack, we first determine whether there is an attack or not by retrieving the missing information of the existing decoy-state MDI-QKD protocols via statistical hypothesis testing, extract a normal distribution statistic, and provide a detection method and the corresponding Type I error probability. If the result is judged to be an attack, we use the existing decoy-state method to estimate the secure key rate. Otherwise, all pulses with the same basis leading to successful Bell state measurement (BSM) events including both single-photon pulses and multiphoton pulses can be used to generate secure keys, and we give the formula of the secure key rate in this case. Finally, based on actual experimental data from other literature, the associated experimental results (e.g., the significance level is 5%) show the correctness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Penalties in judo (shido) have been previously associated with match outcomes and increased the likelihood of being defeated, particularly in heavier weight categories. Each 1-min increase in match duration and further athlete proceeds in competition increases the possibility of receiving a penalty. Penalties have also been associated with the occurrence of injuries, especially with grip fighting and other illegal moves and therefore, have a substantial effect on athletes' health. The main findings highlighted that the leading penalties in all weight categories for both genders on Judo World Championships (WC) were Non-combativity, Avoid Grip and False Attack. Additionally, a new trend in heavyweight athletes with a lower number of penalties is noted. Background: This research aimed to compare individual penalties by gender and weight categories in judo from the Judo World Championships (WC): Budapest—2017, Baku—2018, Tokyo—2019 and Budapest—2021 in all individual weight categories for females and males. Methods: Data were collected by notational analysis of 2041 penalty videos for females and 3473 penalty videos for males (total n = 5514). All individual penalties—Shido 1, 2, 3 and Hansoku Make (direct disqualification) were analysed by the Pearson chi-square test at the level of statistical significance of 5%. Results: Significant differences were noted in the assigned individual penalties between individual categories (p < 0.001) in both genders. The significant difference was contributed mainly by the weight category +78 kg with penalties Non-combativity (5.3) and Avoid Grip (−3.4) in females, while in males it impacted by the +100 kg weight category and the Non-combativity (4.2) and Avoid Grip (−4.0) penalties. For females, the most dominant individual penalties were Non-combativity (41.6%), Avoid Grip (16.2%) and False Attack (15.0%), and were Non-combativity (40.3%), Avoid Grip (19.5%) and False Attack (16.4%) for males. The largest number of penalties in females were in −52 kg (16.7%), −57 kg (15.9%) and +78 kg (15.2%) categories, while in males, they were −66 kg (17.2%), −73 kg (16.1%) and −90 kg (15.6%). Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the leading penalties in all weight categories for both genders on WC to be Non-combativity, Avoid Grip and False Attack. Additionally, a new trend in heavyweight athletes with a lower number of penalties is noted. The obtained results indicate the need to pay more attention to working with competitors of all ages and genders on education to implement tactical variants, forms and means to use penalties to athletes' advantage, especially after a possible rule change and to lower the occurrence of injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of Big Data, cluster analysis of high-dimensional data sets often suffers from the Curse of dimensionality. To overcome this problem, the dimensionality reduction through feature selection becomes inevitable. Co-clustering or two-way clustering is considered to be a more sophisticated tool than conventional one-way clustering. Moreover, the advent of multi-view learning shows that the subjects of a data set can be interpreted in many ways. Interestingly, a minimal number of existing feature selection algorithms take advantage of the co-clustering method and are designed to consider multi-view data. Motivated by this, in the current article, we propose a feature (gene) selection method for high dimensional gene expression (GE) data through a multi-objective optimization based multi-view Co-Clustering algorithm (named MMCo-Clus). A popular evolutionary technique – Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II) has been utilized as the proposed method's underlying optimization strategy. First, we construct two views of a chosen data set, utilizing knowledge from two different biological data sources. Next, we develop the MMCo-Clus algorithm considering the constructed views to identify a set of “good” co-clustering solutions. Finally, based on a concept of consensus operation on the co-clustering outcome, a small number of most relevant and non-redundant features are extracted from the original feature-space. The reduced dimension formed by new feature-space causes to decrease the computational burden and noise level of original data. For experimental analysis, we have chosen three benchmark GE data sets. Our feature selection method's effectiveness is evaluated through sample-classification accuracy, accompanied by the cluster profile plot/Eisen plot/t-SNE plot, and biological/statistical significance test. A thorough comparative analysis with existing feature selection algorithms using external and internal evaluation metrics supports our proposed method's potency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective  This study investigated the impact of residual tumor volume (RTV) on tumor progression after subtotal resection and observation of WHO grade I skull base meningiomas. Study Design  This study is a retrospective volumetric analysis. Setting  This study was conducted at a single institution. Participants  Patients who underwent subtotal resection of a WHO grade I skull base meningioma and postsurgical observation (July 1, 2007–July 1, 2017). Main Outcome Measure  The main outcome was radiographic tumor progression. Results  Sixty patients with residual skull base meningiomas were analyzed. The median (interquartile range) RTV was 1.3 (5.3) cm 3. Tumor progression occurred in 23 patients (38.3%) at a mean duration of 28.6 months postsurgery. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year actuarial progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 98.3, 58.6, and 48.7%, respectively. The Cox multivariate analysis identified increasing RTV (p  = 0.01) and history of more than 1 previous surgery (p  = 0.03) as independent predictors of tumor progression. In a Kaplan–Meier analysis for PFS, the RTV threshold of 3 cm 3 maximized log-rank testing significance between groups of patients dichotomized at 0.5 cm 3 thresholds (p  < 0.01). The 3-year actuarial PFS rates for meningiomas with RTV ≤3 cm 3 and >3 cm 3 were 76.2 and 32.1%, respectively. When RTV >3 cm 3 was entered as a covariate in the Cox model, it was the only factor independently associated with tumor progression (p  < 0.01). Conclusion  RTV was associated with tumor progression after subtotal resection of WHO grade I skull base meningioma in this cohort. An RTV threshold of 3 cm 3 was identified that minimized progression of the residual tumor when gross total resection was not safe or feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hyperprolactin is one of the endocrine disorders that causes male infertility (11%). The mechanism is not widely known; it is thought to occur through disruption of LH receptor activity on germ cells. Objective: The aim of study to compare the level of prolactin secretion with receptor expression in non-azoospermic infertile men (NOA). Methods: During the period from July 2019 to July 2021, 40 samples of testicular tissue and serum were obtained from infertile NOA men, aged 25-50 years who were recruited from Ciptomangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) Jakarta, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia and Bunda Hospital Jakarta. Subjects were divided into 4 groups based on prolactin levels (20 ng/ml, 20-50 ng/ml, 50-100 ng/ml and 100ng/ml). This group was tested for significance between groups and continued with a correlation test with the level of LH receptor expression. Results: ANOVA test showed a significant decrease in LH receptor expression between prolactin levels < 20 ng/mL with levels of 50-100 ng/ml and prolactin levels > 100 ng/ml (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the results of the correlation test showed a significant decrease between prolactin levels and LH receptor expression (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The higher the level of prolactin secretion in this sample, there is a decrease in LH receptor expression, so that testosterone production decreases and the spermatogenesis process will be disrupted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

False confessions are a leading cause of wrongful convictions in the American legal system. Jury instructions have been identified as an effective judicial safeguard in an effort to prevent wrongful convictions and allow jurors to better comprehend confession evidence in the courtroom. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the modification of standard jury instructions would influence juror verdicts, confession identifications, and overall juror decision-making. It was hypothesized that participants given modified jury instructions would have the highest correct verdict determinations and confession recognitions with both the coerced and voluntary trial transcripts. Participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk, and they were randomly assigned into an experimental group. Participants read a trial transcript and completed a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and logistic regression tests determined statistical significance. The use of modified instructions displayed a statistically significant effect on both verdict determinations and confession identifications, Wald Χ² (4, N=180) =6.786, p<0.05 and Wald Χ² (4, N=180) =6.749, p<0.05, respectively. The interaction effects between modified instructions and the coerced confession transcript were also shown to be statistically significant. The results demonstrated that participants who were given modified jury instructions had the highest percentages of correct verdict determinations and confession recognitions compared to participants who were given standard instructions or no instructions. Participants given modified instructions were also more aware of factors such as interrogation coercion. Further research should be conducted to maximize the potential of jury instructions and other safeguards in a criminal trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate thickness and elasticity of heel fat pad in patients with unilateral plantar fasciitis and to investigate the effects of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and functional scores on plantar fasciitis. Material and Method: 70 patients who had been suffering from unilateral plantar fasciitis longer than 6 months were enrolled in the study. The thickness and elasticity of fat pad were compared between the painful and healthy feet of the patients with ultrasound. For measurement of elasticity, shear wave elastography (SWE) was used. Comparative analysis was performed for thickness and elasticity variables between the painful and healthy feet with Mann-Whitney U and independent samples t-test. Results: Average of age of the patients was 44±11.66. The average thickness of the heel fat pad was 17.9±3.1 mm on the affected side and 18.3±3.3 mm on the healthy side. The mean SWE value of the painful side was 23.9 m/s (range 9.3-32) and was 24.7 m/s (range 10.8-34) on the healthy side. Heel fat pad thickness was greater in the healthy feet than in the painful feet, but there was no statistical significance (p=0.448). The painful feet were stiffer, but the difference was statistically similar (p=0.347). BMI had a statistically significant impact on thickness of heel fat pad. Conclusion: The results showed that a decrease in the heel fat pad thickness was a supporting finding of plantar fasciitis in patients with normal BMI but not in patients with BMI>25. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to statistics, the number of rhinoplasty applicants is increasing. Rhinoplasty is performed to improve the nose shape fit into the face. Objective: The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of rhinoplasty on changing body images in rhinoplasty candidates. Methods: The statistical population of the present prospective study, including those referring to the Otorhinolaryngology Clinic of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences (Iran) with complaints of dissatisfaction with the appearance of the nose and demand for rhinoplasty, completed Body Image Concern (BIC) Inventory and Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) before and 6 months after surgery at the clinic. Data were analysed using SPSS software version 16 using Mann–Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests at a significance level of 0.05. Results: In total, 95 subjects were examined, of which 85 (89.5%) were women and 57 (60%) were single. There was no difference in the mean scores of BIC and Y-BOCS between women and men as well as between single and married subjects (p < 0.05). The Wilcoxon test results showed that the mean score of post-operative Y-BOCS was significantly increased in the rhinoplasty subjects (p < 0.001). Moreover, the mean score of post-operative BIC was significantly decreased in the rhinoplasty subjects (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that the rhinoplasty could improve the body image status and increase the obsessive thoughts and actions in an individual. Therefore, psychological primary care for avoiding pointless surgical plan and pre-operative psychological counselling, is suggested to examine the individual's psychological status and to assess the individual's expectations of surgery along with the necessary explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by the presence of systemic clinical manifestations. Among them, pneumonia accounts for a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, highlighting an urgent need to explore possible susceptibility and potential mechanisms of pneumonia in MM. Recently, the gut–lung axis has emphasized the relevance of gut microbiota and pneumonia, indicating that the compromised function of gut microbiota may be susceptible to pneumonia. It has been previously shown that intestinal Klebsiella pneumonia enriches in MM patients and promotes MM progression in our previous work. In addition, host metabolism has been identified as a key regulator of MM. However, what role the altered gut microbiota plays in MM with pneumonia remains unknown. In this study, we explored the association between gut microbiota and MM with pneumonia. This is the first study to identify and elucidate the function of gut microbiota involved in MM with pneumonia. Pneumonia accounts for a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. It has been previously shown that intestinal Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia) enriches in MM and promotes MM progression. However, what role the altered gut microbiota plays in MM with pneumonia remains unknown. Here, we show that intestinal K. pneumonia is significantly enriched in MM with pneumonia. This enriched intestinal K. pneumonia links to the incidence of pneumonia in MM, and intestinal colonization of K. pneumonia contributes to pneumonia in a 5TGM1 MM mice model. Further targeted metabolomic assays reveal the elevated level of glutamine, which is consistently increased with the enrichment of K. pneumonia in MM mice and patients, is synthesized by K. pneumonia, and leads to the elevated secretion of TNF-α in the lung normal fibroblast cells for the higher incidence of pneumonia. Inhibiting glutamine synthesis by establishing glnA-mutated K. pneumonia alleviates the incidence of pneumonia in the 5TGM1 MM mice model. Overall, our work proposes that intestinal K. pneumonia indirectly contributes to pneumonia in MM by synthesizing glutamine. Altogether, we unveil a gut–lung axis in MM with pneumonia and establish a novel mechanism and a possible intervention strategy for MM with pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This work focuses on the peculiar contribution made by molecular dynamics simulation and in silico tools, in the choice of an effective second line therapy for a BRAF-mutated melanoma patient who developed resistance to the undergoing targeted therapy with BRAF/MEK inhibitors. Among the MEK inhibitors, we identified a drug alternative to trametinib, able to block the target even in the presence of a damaging mutation, and supported these findings, gathered by an in silico approach, with a liquid biopsy tracking of the response to treatment. The evolution of the disease, before and after the therapy change, was followed by analysis of the circulating tumor DNA and circulating melanoma cells. The systemic treatment of metastatic melanoma has radically changed, due to an improvement in the understanding of its genetic landscape and the advent of targeted therapy. However, the response to BRAF/MEK inhibitors is transitory, and big efforts were made to identify the mechanisms underlying the resistance. We exploited a combined approach, encompassing liquid biopsy analysis and molecular dynamics simulation, for tracking tumor evolution, and in parallel defining the best treatment option. The samples at different time points were collected from a BRAF-mutant melanoma patient who developed an early resistance to dabrafenib/trametinib. The analysis of the circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) identified the MEK1 p.P124L mutation that confers resistance to trametinib. With an in silico modeling, we identified cobimetinib as an alternative MEK inhibitor, and consequently suggested a therapy switch to vemurafenib/cobimetinib. The patient response was followed by ctDNA tracking and circulating melanoma cell (CMC) count. The cobimetinib administration led to an important reduction in the BRAF p.V600E and MEK1 p.P124L allele fractions and in the CMC number, features suggestive of a putative response. In summary, this study emphasizes the usefulness of a liquid biopsy-based approach combined with in silico simulation, to track real-time tumor evolution while assessing the best treatment option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to objectively measure and highlight laterality differences in striking techniques between elite martial artists and to compare the results achieved by each athlete. The research hypothesis is that the kinematic analysis of both fighting stances (dominant and non-dominant sides) can reveal laterality differences for each athlete. We used an inertial measurement unit system based on 17 motion trackers consisting of 3D gyroscopes, 3D accelerometers and 3D magnetometers, namely the Xsens MVN Awinda system. We collected data on the striking techniques of 8 elite martial artists. The kinematic parameters were calculated and analysed for some of the most commonly used techniques in martial arts, more specifically, straight and roundhouse punches. In order to obtain information about the laterality levels of the monitored athletes, we compared the values of these parameters for technical execution on the dominant and non-dominant sides and highlighted significant differences through the non-parametric Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test of significance. To facilitate comparisons between athletes in terms of laterality, we designed an original rating scale and created diagrams based on their scores. The assessments carried out will contribute to both the management and individualisation of training and the choice of combat tactics in a much more informed way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-short-term HRV features assess minor autonomous nervous system variations such as variations resulting from cognitive stress peaks during demanding tasks. Several studies compare ultra-short-term and short-term HRV measurements to investigate their reliability. However, existing experiments are conducted in low cognitively demanding environments. In this paper, we propose to evaluate these measurements' reliability under cognitively demanding tasks using a near real-life setting. For this purpose, we selected 31 HRV features, extracted from data collected from 21 programmers performing code comprehension, and compared them across 18 different time frames, ranging from 3 min to 10 s. Statistical significance and correlation tests were performed between the features extracted using the larger window (3 min) and the same features extracted with the other 17 time frames. We paired these analyses with Bland–Altman plots to inspect how the extraction window size affects the HRV features. The main results show 13 features that presented at least 50% correlation when using 60-second windows. The HF and mNN features achieved around 50% correlation using a 30-second window. The 30-second window was the smallest time frame considered to have reliable measurements. Furthermore, the mNN feature proved to be quite robust to the shortening of the time resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance measures are crucial in selecting the best machine learning model for a given problem. Estimating classical model performance measures by subsampling methods like bagging or cross-validation has several weaknesses. The most important ones are the inability to test the significance of the difference, and the lack of interpretability. Recently proposed Elo-based Predictive Power (EPP)—a meta-measure of machine learning model performance, is an attempt to address these weaknesses. However, the EPP is based on wrong assumptions, so its estimates may not be correct. This paper introduces the Probability-based Ranking Model Approach (PMRA), which is a modified EPP approach with a correction that makes its estimates more reliable. PMRA is based on the calculation of the probability that one model achieves a better result than another one, using the Mixed Effects Logistic Regression model. The empirical analysis was carried out on a real mortgage credits dataset. The analysis included a comparison of how the PMRA and state-of-the-art k-fold cross-validation ranked the 49 machine learning models, an example application of a novel method in hyperparameters tuning problem, and a comparison of PMRA and EPP indications. PMRA gives the opportunity to compare a newly developed algorithm to state-of-the-art algorithms based on statistical criteria. It is the solution to select the best hyperparameters configuration and to formulate criteria for the continuation of the hyperparameters space search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity has a crucial function in contemporary civilization. The power grid must be stable to ensure the efficiency and dependability of electrical equipment. This implies that the high-voltage equipment at the substation must be reliably operated. As a result, the appropriate and dependable use of systems to monitor the operating status of high-voltage electrical equipment has recently gained attention. Partial discharge (PD) analysis is one of the most promising solutions for monitoring and diagnosing potential problems in insulation systems. Noise is a major challenge in diagnosing and detecting defects when using this measurement. This study aims to denoise PD signals using a data decomposition method, improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise algorithm, combined with statistical significance test to increase noise reduction efficiency and to derive and visualize the Hilbert spectrum of the input signal in time-frequency domain after filtering the noise. In the PD signal analysis, both artificial and experimental signals were used as input signals in the decomposition method. For these signals, this study has yielded significant improvement in the denoising and the PD detecting process indicated by statistical measures. Thus, the signal decomposition by using the proposed method is proven to be a useful tool for diagnosing the PD on high voltage equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove the Landau-Ginzburg mirror symmetry conjecture between invertible quasi-homogeneous polynomial singularities at all genera. That is, we show that the FJRW theory (LG A-model) of such a polynomial is equivalent to the Saito-Givental theory (LG B-model) of the mirror polynomial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study maps from a smooth scheme to a motivic sphere in the Morel-Voevodsky Ax-homotopy category, i.e., motivic cohomotopy sets. Following Borsuk, we show that, in the presence of suitable hypotheses on the dimension of the source, motivic cohomotopy sets can be equipped with functorial abelian group structures. We then explore links between motivic cohomotopy groups, Euler class groups k la Nori-Bhatwadekar-Sridharan and Chow-Witt groups. We show that, again under suitable hypotheses on the base field k, if X is a smooth affine k-variety of dimension d, then the Euler class group of codimension d cycles coincides with the codimension d Chow-Witt group; the identification proceeds by comparing both groups with a suitable motivic cohomotopy group. As a byproduct, we describe the Chow group of zero cycles on a smooth affine k-scheme as the quotient of the free abelian group on zero cycles by the subgroup generated by reduced complete intersection ideals; this answers a question of S. Bhatwadekar and R. Sridharan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since their first operational application in the 1950s, atmospheric numerical models have become essential tools in weather prediction and climate research. As such, they are subject to continuous changes, thanks to advances in computer systems, numerical methods, more and better observations, and the ever-increasing knowledge about the atmosphere of earth. Many of the changes in today's models relate to seemingly innocuous modifications associated with minor code rearrangements, changes in hardware infrastructure, or software updates. Such changes are meant to preserve the model formulation, yet the verification of such changes is challenged by the chaotic nature of our atmosphere – any small change, even rounding errors, can have a significant impact on individual simulations. Overall, this represents a serious challenge to a consistent model development and maintenance framework. Here we propose a new methodology for quantifying and verifying the impacts of minor changes in the atmospheric model or its underlying hardware/software system by using ensemble simulations in combination with a statistical hypothesis test for instantaneous or hourly values of output variables at the grid-cell level. The methodology can assess the effects of model changes on almost any output variable over time and can be used with different underlying statistical hypothesis tests. We present the first applications of the methodology with the regional weather and climate model COSMO. While providing very robust results, the methodology shows a great sensitivity even to very small changes. Specific changes considered include applying a tiny amount of explicit diffusion, the switch from double to single precision, and a major system update of the underlying supercomputer. Results show that changes are often only detectable during the first hours, suggesting that short-term ensemble simulations (days to months) are best suited for the methodology, even when addressing long-term climate simulations. Furthermore, we show that spatial averaging – as opposed to testing at all grid points – reduces the test's sensitivity for small-scale features such as diffusion. We also show that the choice of the underlying statistical hypothesis test is not essential and that the methodology already works well for coarse resolutions, making it computationally inexpensive and therefore an ideal candidate for automated testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the parents influence on career choice of undergraduates. Study Design: Crosssectional study. Setting: Private Medical Colleges. Period: October 2021 to December 2021. Material & Methods: A sample size of 440 was taken. The inclusion criteria included medical undergraduate students and who gave consent. Non-probability convenient sampling technique was used. A questionnaire titled "PSESUCCQ (Parents Socio-Economic Status and Undergraduates Career Choice Questionnaire" was used. The data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25. Frequencies and percentages were calculated. Chi-square test of significance was applied. P-value less than .05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Most of the participants age group was above 21 years, were females, their parents' education was graduation and above and their parents monthly earning was above 1 lac Rs per month. The most common parents' influencers on career choice of students were parents' agree with students' career choice because it will give them greater reputation and recognition in the society; parents resources motivate their career choice and their consultation before choosing career path for them. Conclusion: Parents' education and socio-economic status has influence on the career choice of medical graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between the nuchal translucency (NT) values measured in the first trimester and the well-being of the newborn. Methods: The study was planned as a retrospective cross-sectional study and was conducted between January 2018 and January 2020. A total of 2394 patients who had a combined test and delivered at our university hospital were included in the study. The demographic data of the pregnant women were recorded. NT MoM values, PAPP-A and ß-hCG MoM values, birth weight, gender, need for neonatal intensive care (NICU), and Apgar scores were evaluated. Results: It was found that NT (MoM) values were similar among the SGA, AGA, and LGA groups (p=0.159). PAPP-A (MoM) values were similar in the SGA group compared to AGA and LGA infant groups (p=0.947). It was also found that ß-hCG (MoM) values were similar in the AGA group compared to SGA and the LGA infant groups (p=0.694). When compared with those with NICU and non-NICU, the NT, PAPP-A, ßhCG, and birth weight values were again not found to be statistically significant (p>0.05). The NT, PAPP-A, ß-hCG, and male gender factors were evaluated in the Binary Logistic Regression Analysis, in which being an SGA baby was considered as a risk. It was found that a 1 mm increase in NT values increased the risk of having an SGA baby 2.63 times at a statistically significant level (OR=2.636, p=0.009, 95% CI: 1.277-5.440). PAPP-A, ß-hCG levels, and having a male gender were not related to the risk of having an SGA baby. Furthermore, NT, PAPPA, ß-hCG levels, and having a male gender were not associated with the risk of NICU hospitalization. Conclusion: In conclusion, we could not predict the birth weight with increased NT MoM values that were detected in the first trimester combined test in this study; however, we found that the risk of having an SGA fetus increases with a weak rise in NT value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Our aim was to compare the maternal and neonatal outcomes of twin pregnancies, which result in vaginal delivery (VD) and Cesarean section (CS), and the factors affecting the decision of CS. Methods: Twin pregnancies between 30 and 39 weeks who gave birth in a tertiary center were included in the present study. The demographic data and maternal and neonatal outcomes of the patient groups who gave birth <32 weeks, 32-37 weeks, and >37 weeks were recorded and compared according to the type of birth. Results: A total of 1209 patients were included in the study. The 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores of the 1st and 2nd fetuses in twin pregnancies <32 weeks of gestation were higher in the CS group at a statistically significant level (p=0.007, p=0.010, p=0.001, and p=0.003, respectively). The 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores of the 2nd fetuses of the pregnant women >37 weeks of age were higher in the VD group at a statistically significant level (p=0.039 and p=0.032, respectively). The newborn intensive care unit (NICU) admission rates of 1st fetus and 2nd fetus in the groups of <32 weeks, 32-37 weeks, and >37 weeks were higher in those born by CS at a statistically significant level when compared to those born by VD (1st fetus p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.016, respectively; 2nd fetus p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.012, respectively). Conclusion: It must be kept in mind that twin pregnancies have high risks. However, vaginal delivery can be considered as a safe and reasonable option in appropriately selected cases and in the presence of experienced obstetricians by being careful about maternal and neonatal complications which might occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Epigenetic modification plays an important regulatory role in breast cancer progression. However, the relationship between epigenetic modification with tumor metabolism has not yet been fully elucidated. PDK1, as a key enzyme in glucose metabolism, mediates multiple tumors development. But, the mechanism of epigenetic modification in regulating PDK1 remains unclear in breast cancer. Here, we demonstrated that HDAC2 and EZH2 upregulated PDK1 expression through inhibiting miR-148a. Importantly, miR-148a targeting PDK1 regulated breast cancer cells glycolysis, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Adriamycin resistance. Our results suggested that the HDAC2/EZH2/miR-148a/PDK1 axis may be a promising potential therapeutic strategy. Background: Breast cancer has one of highest morbidity and mortality rates for women. Abnormalities regarding epigenetics modification and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1)-induced unusual metabolism contribute to breast cancer progression and chemotherapy resistance. However, the role and mechanism of epigenetic change in regulating PDK1 in breast cancer remains to be elucidated. Methods: Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and Pearson's correlation analysis were performed to analyze the relationship between histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2), enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2), and PDK1 in database and human breast cancer tissues. Dual luciferase reporters were used to test the regulation between PDK1 and miR-148a. HDAC2 and EZH2 were found to regulate miR-148a expression through Western blotting assays, qRT-PCR and co-immunoprecipitation assays. The effects of PDK1 and miR-148a in breast cancer were investigated by immunofluorescence (IF) assay, Transwell assay and flow cytometry assay. The roles of miR-148a/PDK1 in tumor growth were investigated in vivo. Results: We found that PDK1 expression was upregulated by epigenetic alterations mediated by HDAC2 and EZH2. At the post-transcriptional level, PDK1 was a new direct target of miR-148a and was upregulated in breast cancer cells due to miR-148a suppression. PDK1 overexpression partly reversed the biological function of miR-148a—including miR-148a's ability to increase cell sensitivity to Adriamycin (ADR) treatment—inhibiting cell glycolysis, invasion and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), and inducing apoptosis and repressing tumor growth. Furthermore, we identified a novel mechanism: DNMT1 directly bound to EZH2 and recruited EZH2 and HDAC2 complexes to the promoter region of miR-148a, leading to miR-148a downregulation. In breast cancer tissues, HDAC2 and EZH2 protein expression levels also were inversely correlated with levels of miR-148a expression. Conclusion: Our study found a new regulatory mechanism in which EZH2 and HDAC2 mediate PDK1 upregulation by silencing miR-148a expression to regulate cancer development and Adriamycin resistance. These new findings suggest that the HDAC2/EZH2/miR-148a/PDK1 axis is a novel mechanism for regulating cancer development and is a potentially promising target for therapeutic options in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on semiconductor manufacturing being a complex and expensive process. Topics include inline wafer electrical test (WET) offering an early read point in assessing the overall health of the process through measurements taken on special structures placed throughout the wafer; and anticipating the volume of expected disposition activities being critical for financial and operations management.

A fuzzy set extension known as the hesitant fuzzy set (HFS) has increased in popularity for decision making in recent years, especially when experts have had trouble evaluating several alternatives by employing a single value for assessment when working in a fuzzy environment. However, it has a significant problem in its uses, i.e., considerable data loss. The probabilistic hesitant fuzzy set (PHFS) has been proposed to improve the HFS. It provides probability values to the HFS and has the ability to retain more information than the HFS. Previously, fuzzy regression models such as the fuzzy linear regression model (FLRM) and hesitant fuzzy linear regression model were used for decision making; however, these models do not provide information about the distribution. To address this issue, we proposed a probabilistic hesitant fuzzy linear regression model (PHFLRM) that incorporates distribution information to account for multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems. The PHFLRM observes the input–output (IPOP) variables as probabilistic hesitant fuzzy elements (PHFEs) and uses a linear programming model (LPM) to estimate the parameters. A case study is used to illustrate the proposed methodology. Additionally, an MCDM technique called the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is employed to compare the PHFLRM findings with those obtained using TOPSIS. Lastly, Spearman's rank correlation test assesses the statistical significance of two rankings sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-docking is the main operation of unloading products from incoming trucks, regrouping products in relation to their destination, and loading directly onto shipping trucks, reducing warehousing, picking, transportation costs, and delivery times. This is the intended logistics technology. In this paper, we present a new bi-objective mixed-integer mathematical model for truck scheduling problems in cross-docking systems. The goal of the proposed mixed-integer mathematical model is to minimize the total operation time (makespan) and cost of moving cargo within the terminal. The performance of the proposed model is compared with that of the available model to solve small instances. The results showed that in solving small size of problem, the proposed model in this study is more efficient and we found better solutions. An evolutionary algorithm called the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) has been proposed to solve larger instances due to computational complexity. To evaluate the proposed algorithm, a comparative analysis of benchmark instances was performed and the efficiency of the above algorithm was compared to the nondominated ranked algorithm (NRGA) based on the index designed in the literature. The statistical hypothesis testing (t-test) is used for determining the best algorithm based on the average runtime and average number of Pareto solutions. Using the Taguchi method, the proposed algorithms are tuned. Considering a temporary storage space and the multiple receiving and shipping docks is the main contribution of the paper. Finally, for evaluating algorithms, multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) technique and statistical method are used. The results show the suitable performance of presented model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, a lot of effort has been put in the enhancement of medical imaging using artificial intelligence. However, limited patient data in combination with the unavailability of a ground truth often pose a challenge to a systematic validation of such methodologies. The goal of this work was to investigate a recently proposed method for an artificial intelligence-based generation of synthetic SPECT projections, for acceleration of the image acquisition process based on a large dataset of realistic SPECT simulations. Methods: A database of 10,000 SPECT projection datasets of heterogeneous activity distributions of randomly placed random shapes was simulated for a clinical SPECT/CT system using the SIMIND Monte Carlo program. Synthetic projections at fixed angular increments from a set of input projections at evenly distributed angles were generated by different u-shaped convolutional neural networks (u-nets). These u-nets differed in noise realization used for the training data, number of input projections, projection angle increment, and number of training/validation datasets. Synthetic projections were generated for 500 test projection datasets for each u-net, and a quantitative analysis was performed using statistical hypothesis tests based on structural similarity index measure and normalized root-mean-squared error. Additional simulations with varying detector orbits were performed on a subset of the dataset to study the effect of the detector orbit on the performance of the methodology. For verification of the results, the u-nets were applied to Jaszczak and NEMA physical phantom data obtained on a clinical SPECT/CT system. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between u-nets trained with different noise realizations. In contrast, a statistically significant deterioration was found for training with a small subset (400 datasets) of the 10,000 simulated projection datasets in comparison with using a large subset (9500 datasets) for training. A good agreement between synthetic (i.e., u-net generated) and simulated projections before adding noise demonstrates a denoising effect. Finally, the physical phantom measurements show that our findings also apply for projections measured on a clinical SPECT/CT system. Conclusion: Our study shows the large potential of u-nets for accelerating SPECT/CT imaging. In addition, our analysis numerically reveals a denoising effect when generating synthetic projections with a u-net. Clinically interesting, the methodology has proven robust against camera orbit deviations in a clinically realistic range. Lastly, we found that a small number of training samples (e.g., ~ 400 datasets) may not be sufficient for reliable generalization of the u-net. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at identifying the causal relationship between the reform of the cultural system and the upgrading of industrial structure, revealing the causal relationship between the reform of the cultural system and the upgrading of industrial structure, which is of great significance for promoting the reform of the cultural system and the upgrading of industrial structure. The impact of cultural administrative reform on industrial structure upgrading is empirically tested using panel data from 261 prefecture-level cities in China from 2001 to 2017. The double difference model and PSM-DID method are used. This includes conducting placebo tests and examining the robustness of empirical findings using other methods. The findings indicated that (1) the influence coefficient of the cultural administrative system reform on industrial structure upgrading is positive and passed the significance level test, indicating that the cultural administrative system reform significantly promoted industrial structure upgrading, and on average, it can improve the level of the urban industrial structure by 11.81 percent. (2) Theoretical analysis of the mechanism demonstrates that the innovation level acts as a link between cultural administrative system reform and industrial structure upgrading, implying that cultural administrative system reform promotes industrial structure upgrading by stimulating the innovation level of cultural enterprises. (3) The results of the heterogeneity analysis indicate that the influence of cultural administrative reform on industrial structure upgrading is highly regionally and economically differentiated. The higher the economic level of the local community, the more effective the promotion effect on industrial structure upgrading. The reform of the cultural administrative system has a greater impact on industrial structure upgrading in the eastern region than in the central and western regions. On the basis of the foregoing research findings, this paper makes some policy recommendations for releasing the overall system reform dividend based on the cultural system and promoting regional industrial structure upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the bladder is the most common malignancy in dialysis patients in Taiwan compared with renal cell carcinoma in Western countries. Radical cystectomy is the standard of care for localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), as well as for selected patients with high-risk non-MIBC. Despite improvements in anesthetic competency, surgical techniques, and postoperative care, dialysis patients undergoing radical cystectomy are at a higher risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality than non-dialysis patients. Due to the relative rarity of the condition, published data on predictors of outcome in ESRD patients undergoing radical cystectomy are scant. Our study revealed that accurate reporting of complications is necessary for preoperative counseling, identifying modifiable risk factors, and planning risk mitigation strategies. High comorbidity and low-volume surgeons were interrelated as notable risk factors for major complications. In addition to tumor-related factors, male sex, older age, and major complications significantly influence survival. Background: We investigated the use of a standardized reporting system to study perioperative complications and oncologic outcomes after radical cystectomy in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with bladder cancer. Methods: We reviewed retrospective outcomes in 141 ESRD patients with bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy between 2004 and 2015. Complications were graded using the Clavien–Dindo classification system with 0–2 classified as "No Major Complications" and Clavien 3–5 as "Major Complications". Low-volume surgeons were classified as those performing fewer than nine cases during the study. Fisher's exact test along with the chi-squared test, two-tailed t tests, logistic regression, and the Cox proportional hazard model were used to evaluate all clinically meaningful covariates. Results: Ninety-nine (99, 70.2%) patients had no major complications, and forty-two (29.8%) patients had major complications. Patients in the major complications group were older, had a higher Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and had a longer hospitalization duration than those in the no major complications group (all, p < 0.05). Major complications were also more common when the procedure was performed by low-volume surgeons (p = 0.003). In multivariate logistic regression models, CCI ≥ 5 (p = 0.006) and low-volume surgeon (p = 0.004) were independent predictors of major complications. According to multivariate analysis with the Cox hazards regression, male sex, age > 70 years, CCI ≥ 5, bladder cancer stage ≥ 3, lymphovascular invasion, and experiencing major complications were significant poor prognostic factors for overall survival (all, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Accurate reporting of complications is necessary for preoperative counseling, identifying modifiable risk factors, and planning risk mitigation strategies. High comorbidity and low-volume surgeons were interrelated as notable risk factors for major complications. In addition to tumor-related factors, male sex, older age, and major complications significantly influence overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigates brain network modifications related to tumor grade and location using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and graph theory. We demonstrated that low-grade gliomas (LGG) lead to increased efficiency of the surrounding functional network, while high-grade gliomas (HGG) seem to disrupt brain connectivity in remote areas. Tumor location appears to influence the pattern of reorganization, including the recruitment of the contralateral hemisphere. Overall, LGG may show more favorable connectivity changes than HGG. If confirmed by future studies, the ability to discriminate between 'maladaptive' (detrimental) and 'adaptive' (beneficial) functional reorganization based on graph theory metrics may provide biomarkers to select patients for surgery and monitor recovery. Brain tumors lead to modifications of brain networks. Graph theory plays an important role in clarifying the principles of brain connectivity. Our objective was to investigate network modifications related to tumor grade and location using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and graph theory. We retrospectively studied 30 low-grade (LGG), 30 high-grade (HGG) left-hemispheric glioma patients and 20 healthy controls (HC) with rs-fMRI. Tumor location was labeled as: frontal, temporal, parietal, insular or occipital. We collected patients' clinical data from records. We analyzed whole-brain and hemispheric networks in all patients and HC. Subsequently, we studied lobar networks in subgroups of patients divided by tumor location. Seven graph-theoretical metrics were calculated (FDR p < 0.05). Connectograms were computed for significant nodes. The two-tailed Student t-test or Mann–Whitney U-test (p < 0.05) were used to compare graph metrics and clinical data. The hemispheric network analysis showed increased ipsilateral connectivity for LGG (global efficiency p = 0.03) and decreased contralateral connectivity for HGG (degree/cost p = 0.028). Frontal and temporal tumors showed bilateral modifications; parietal and insular tumors showed only local effects. Temporal tumors led to a bilateral decrease in all graph metrics. Tumor grade and location influence the pattern of network reorganization. LGG may show more favorable network changes than HGG, reflecting fewer clinical deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the case of comparing means of various groups, data exploration and comparison for affecting factors or relative indices would be involved. This process is not only complex requiring extensive statistical knowledge and methods, but also challenging for the complex installation of existing tools for users who lack of statistical knowledge and coding experience. Like, the normal distribution and equal variance are crucial premises of parametric statistical analysis. But some studies reported that associated data from various industries violated the normal distribution and equal variance, parametric analysis still involved leading to invalid results. This is owing to that the normal distribution tests and homogeneity of variance test for different variables are time-cost and error-prone, posing an urgent need for an automatic and user-friendly analysis application, not only integrating normal distribution tests and homogeneity of variance test, but also associated the following statistical analysis. To address this, we developed a Shiny/R application, moreThanANOVA, which is an interactive, user-friendly, open-source and cloud-based visualization application to achieve automatic distribution tests, and correlative significance tests, then customize post-hoc analysis based on the considerations to the trade-off of Type I and Type II errors (deployed at https://hanchen.shinyapps.io/moreThanANOVA/). moreThanANOVA enables novice users to perform their complex statistical analyses quickly and credibly with interactive visualization and download publication-ready graphs for further analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper derives a test for deciding whether two time series come from the same stochastic model, where the time series contains periodic and serially correlated components. This test is useful for comparing dynamical model simulations to observations. The framework for deriving this test is the same as in the previous three parts: the time series are first fit to separate autoregressive models, and then the hypothesis that their parameters are equal is tested. This paper generalizes the previous tests to a limited class of nonstationary processes, namely, those represented by an autoregressive model with deterministic forcing terms. The statistic for testing differences in parameters can be decomposed into independent terms that quantify differences in noise variance, differences in autoregression parameters, and differences in forcing parameters (e.g., differences in annual cycle forcing). A hierarchical procedure for testing individual terms and quantifying the overall significance level is derived from standard methods. The test is applied to compare observations of the meridional overturning circulation from the RAPID array to Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models. Most CMIP5 models are inconsistent with observations, with the strongest differences arising from having too little noise variance, though differences in annual cycle forcing also contribute significantly to discrepancies from observations. This appears to be the first use of a rigorous criterion to decide "equality of annual cycles" in regards to all their attributes (e.g., phases, amplitudes, frequencies) while accounting for serial correlations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As organizations search for low-cost and complementary resources and capabilities from external partners, the development of strategic outsourcing becomes an increasingly complex task. Without having well-developed outsourcing processes and task complexity management capabilities in place, opportunities for improvement of outsourcing practices are largely unrealized. This study aims to investigate the influence of task complexity on outsourcing practices and explore the appropriate supplier management approaches for managing outsourcing task complexity. This study suggests a research model that addresses the moderating roles of supplier governance and supplier development in the relationship between task complexity and outsourcing performance. We collected data from Chinese manufacturing firms to test the proposed hypotheses. The results of this study reveal that: (1) task complexity negatively relates to outsourcing performance; (2) both contractual and relational governance play an important role in weakening the negative effect of task complexity on outsourcing performance; (3) supplier development also weakens the negative effect of task complexity on outsourcing performance. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the ways that firms operating in China manage task complexity effectively and achieve desired outsourcing performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan is facing massive issues such as political instability, weak law enforcement, and corruption, leading to poor implementation of environmental policies. This research investigates the nexus among CO2 emissions, energy consumption, financial development, governance index, and economic growth under the framework of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. Moreover, the investigation also explores the impact of government effectiveness, voice and accountability, and regulatory quality from 1996Q4 to 2018Q4. The empirical statistics indicate that financial development and energy consumption incline environmental degradation, while the governance index negatively affects CO2 emission. The results validate the presence of the EKC hypothesis in Pakistan. Besides, political stability, control of corruption, and Government effectiveness assist in curbing environmental degradation. Our findings suggest that there is a need to strengthen the institutions, and the Government of Pakistan should control the corrupt practices related to environmental policy implementation and strictly monitor the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PAK-EPA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has long been argued that linguistic synesthesia has a universal linear-hierarchical directionality tendency, which is mostly grounded in Indo-European language data. This study explores linguistic synesthesia in Korean to verify the cross-linguistic generalizability of the universality hypothesis of linguistic synesthesia. Based on synesthetic data from the Sejong Corpus and gustatory adjectives, this study found that Korean synesthesia shows language-bound variations with three different types of mappings (i.e., unidirectional, reciprocal, and biased), which are frequency- and rule-based. This finding challenges the cross-linguistic universality of the mapping directionality of linguistic synesthesia. As for the mapping mechanism of linguistic synesthesia, this study supports the embodiment theory in terms of language-specific variation. Additionally, it has been proposed that linguistic synesthesia is a special type of metaphor based on both rules and frequency. Finally, this study suggests that linguistic synesthesia displays universal directionality at a general level and language-bound variation at a specific level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to describe factors influencing the feeling of safety which significantly influences also the subjective well-being and life satisfaction among Czech seniors. The sample consisted of seniors in the age 55 and above, the total number of respondents was 3,071. In the beginning of presented study two crucial questions were asked. Do the Czech seniors feel safe? What are they mostly afraid of? The reported feeling of safety was higher in seniors who perceived their health as good or very good, almost 90% of these seniors reported they felt safe. The survey results showed that the seniors' sense of safety was also influenced by the fact whether they lived with someone or alone where the living alone decreased the feeling of safety significantly. Hypothesis testing revealed that also gender affects the reasons why seniors do not feel safe, as well as household's members and by the place of residence. The survey results have brought an intriguing finding that more than one fourth of Czech seniors reported that one of the reasons why they feel insecure is their fear of migrants. A detailed analysis of the primary data set is focused on factors determining Czech seniors' feeling of safety and identification of possible specific features of the senior group with concerns about migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sleep is integral to the process of maintenance and restoration of physical as well as mental health encompassing intelligence, memory as well as emotions. Face recognition memory is a special form of memory that gives the ability to remember people meaningfully and is instrumental in any individual's meaningful coexistence in the society. Aim: To determine if different habitual sleep durations may be associated with difference in unfamiliar face recognition memory and if there are any gender differences in the same, among young healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: This was an observational analytic cross-sectional study conducted over a month in B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, including 98 healthy young volunteers (39 females and 59 males) among 1st year students of different professional courses. The participants were subjected to a questionnaire-based interview followed by a face recognition test based on Parkin's recognition memory test (1995). Mean values and Standard Deviations (SD) were calculated for age, sleep duration, correct and wrong responses in the test and statistical significance was tested by applying t-test with a significance level of p<0.05. Results: The participants were grouped as average-duration (6.6±0.5 hours/day) and long-duration (8.4±1.0 hours/day) sleepers, 53 and 45 in number, respectively, and there was a significant difference in the sleep duration of the two groups (p=8.6×10-17). No significant difference was seen in the number of correct (p=0.08795) and incorrect (p=0.42205) responses of average-duration sleepers and the long-duration sleepers. Gender differences in correct and incorrect responses of average-duration and long-duration sleepers were also not significant. But there was a significant difference in the number of correct responses by females and males, in general. Conclusion: Habitual duration of sleep may not affect face recognition memory in the young ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Minimally invasive sphincter preserving procedures like ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) and video-assisted anal fistula treatment (VAAFT) are being increasingly used in the treatment of fistula-in-ano. The addition of adjuncts like fibrin glue has improved the results for VAAFT. Our unit has used platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) as an innovative adjunct for VAAFT. Aims: To compare the effectiveness of two different adjuncts, fibrin glue and autologous PRF, used to fill the treated fistula tracts following VAAFT. Settings and Design: Retrospective observational study on a cohort of patients undergoing VAAFT at a tertiary centre between 2015 and 2020 comparing two adjuncts used with VAAFT procedure. Subjects and Methods: Data of patients who underwent VAAFT for fistula-in-ano were obtained from the hospital database. Group A included patients treated with fibrin as adjunct and PRF as adjunct in Group B. Patients were followed up at 1, 3 and 6 months post-operatively and by a telephonic interview in 2020 to ascertain recent status. All data were entered into an excel sheet. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analysed using SPSS V20 to test the statistical significance of the difference in the mean healing time between two groups, Mann--Whitney U-test was used and for age, Student's t-test was used. Results: There were 41 patients in Group A and 24 in Group B. There was a significant reduction in recurrence rate in Group B (p = 0.032) and in those patients who had a single internal opening (p = 0.045), single external opening (p = 0.03) and complex tracts (p = 0.033). PRF was cheaper than Fibrin glue. Conclusions: PRF is more effective and economical with lower recurrence rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Global health care is moving toward function, quality of life, and occupation. Occupational therapy (OT) has been the only profession using "occupation" as core intervention since inception. With advancements in intervention techniques, occupational therapists (OTs) need to ensure the continued use of "occupation" as core intervention type. Previous surveys were conducted to analyze the use of specific intervention types: occupation-based interventions (OBIs), creative activities, acute-hospital-based rehabilitation, and different interventions used in pediatric OT practice. However, information on OT practices and types of interventions used by Indian OTs versus global OTs is unavailable. Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze differences, if any, in the OT practices and types of interventions frequently used in daily practice by Indian versus global OTs. Study Design: This was an online, survey-based, cross-sectional study. Methods: The Google Forms questionnaire link was sent to OTs on E-mail with electronic written informed consent from May 2020 to March 2021 using convenient sampling. The questionnaire included participant's demographics, 17 clinical practice areas, and 9 intervention types and factors influencing OT practice. Total 201 (84 Indian OTs and 117 global OTs) fulfilled the selection criteria: OTs with at least bachelor's degree and minimum 3 years of work experience. Results: Indian OT workforce showed significantly more male OTs than global OTs (31 [36.9%] vs. 11 [9.4%]; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.0236-0.2964]; P = 0.0001) and OTs with master's degree (56 [66.7%] vs. 41 [35.04%]; 95% CI: [0.1852-0.4480]; P = 0.0001). Global OTs have more OTs with additional qualifications in non-OT fields (58 [49.57%] vs. 27 [32.10%]; 95% CI: [-0.3088--0.0406]; P = 0.013) and more OTDs (13 [11.11%] vs. 1 [1.23%]; 95% CI: [-0.1641--0.0335]; P = 0.006) than Indian OTs. Indian OTs practiced significantly more in the private sector: clinic and hospital (52 [61.90%] vs. 40 [35.80%]; 95% CI: [0.1273-0.3947]; P = 0.0001), whereas global OTs practiced significantly more in the government sector (46 [39.31%] vs. 19 [22.61%]; 95% CI: [-0.2930--0.0410); P = 0.0124). Among the organizational roles, Indian OTs work significantly more as consultants (50 [50.95%] vs. 35 [29.91%]; 95% CI: [0.0751-0.3457]; P = 0.0001) while global OTs work significantly more as managers (36 [30.76%] vs. 12 [14.28%]; 95% CI: [-0.2770--0.0526]; P = 0.0069). Among patient population treated, Indian OTs majorly (54.76%) treat children (up to 15 years) but significantly more in "all age groups" (35 [41.67%] vs. 18 [15.38%]; 95% CI: [0.1388-0.3870]; P = 0.0001) while global OTs treat significantly more adults (21-65 years) (61 [52.13%] vs. 25 [29.76%]; 95% CI: [-0.3569--0.0905]; P = 0.0015) and geriatric (>65 years) (50 [42.73%] vs. 17 [20.23%]; 95% CI: [-0.3492-0.1008]; P = 0.0008). Indian OTs practice significantly more in developmental disability rehabilitation (78 [92.85%] vs. 68 [58.11%]; 95% CI: [0.2424-0.4524]; P = 0.0001), ante- and postnatal women's care (15 [17.85%] vs. 3 [2.56%]; 95% CI: [0.0662-0.2396]; P = 0.00018), and hemophiliac rehabilitation (14 [16.67%] vs. 2 [1.70%]; 95% CI: [0.0666-0.2328]; P = 0.00012) areas of practice than global OTs. Indian OTs practice significantly more in clinic outpatient department (OPD) (62 [73.80%] vs. 55 [47%]; 95% CI: [0.1375-03985]; P = 0.0001), hospital OPD (40 [47.61%] vs. 27 [23.07%]; 95% CI: [0.1141-0.3767]; P = 0.0002), and inpatient (37 [44.04%] vs. 30 [25.64%]; 95% CI: [0.0516-0.3164]; P = 0.0006) while global OTs practice significantly more in natural environment settings (53 [45.29%] vs. 24 [28.57%]; 95% CI: [-0.2994--0.0350]; P = 0.016). Most preferred types of interventions among both groups are relatively the same: client education, counseling, and consultation and interview; therapeutic relationships; and therapeutic use of self. Besides these, Indian OTs prefer performance skills training and adaptive interventions, while global OTs prefer activities as therapeutic media and OBIs over other types. Preventive interventions and advocacy were the least preferred types of intervention among each group. Despite these relative preferences, significant differences were found between groups with regard to number of OTs practicing these 5 types of interventions: client education, counseling, and consultation (46 [54.76%] vs. 47 [40.17%]; 95% CI: [0.0073-0.2845]; P = 0.04]; performance skills training (41 [48.80%] vs. 34 [29.05%]; 95% CI: [0.0626-0.3324]; P = 0.004); preventive intervention and health promotion (29 [34.5%] vs. 24 [20.51%]; 95% CI: [0.0148-0.308]; P = 0.026]; adaptive interventions (39 [46.42%] vs. 23 [19.65%]; 95% CI: [0.1390-0.3964]; P = 0.001]; and preparatory interventions: (35 [41.67%] vs. 28 [23.93%]; 95% CI: [0.0467-0.3081]; P = 0.0075). Conclusion: The study provides the current stand for preferences and practices of therapeutic interventions by OTs in India versus globally, thus aiding in repositioning of OT practice, focusing on core OT domains as well as providing a baseline for monitoring practice trends over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine the growth response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants after the application of PGPR combined with compost and NPK fertilizer on vegetation. The tested parameters include the plant height, number of leaves, wet and dry weight, and root volume of plants. The method used was a non-factorial trial with five treatments and replications, whereby P0 was a control, P1 was given PGPR, P2 composted fertilizer and PGPR, P3 NPK and PGPR, and P4 was given only NPK. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed on the data and continued with the Least Significance Different Test (LSD). The results showed no significant difference in the plant height, number of leaves, wet and dry weight of PGPR treatment plants with a combination of compost fertilizer and NPK; hence PGPR was used to compensate for NPK. Although the root volume parameters showed significant differences, which was evident in the application of NPK in combination treatment of PGPR, compost fertilizer, or NPK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous findings show that rats in a maze tend to choose the shortest path to reach food. But it is not clear whether this choice is based on path length solely, or some other factors. The aim of this experiment was to investigate which factor dominates the behavior in a maze: path (longer and shorter), time (longer and shorter), or effort (more or less strenuous). The experiment involved 40 mice (4 groups), learning a maze with two paths. Each group went through only one of the situations within which we kept one factor constant on two paths while the remaining two factors were varied. Only in the fourth situation all factors were equalized. The results show that there is a statistically significant difference in the maze path preference between four situations. Preference between the paths is such that mice always choose paths requiring less effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to examine children’s ability to verbally report experiencing allocentric mixed emotions in 60 children aged 5 to 10 years from three age groups – preschool, second and fourth grade. Five short video-clips from the animated movie “Dumbo”, in which the protagonist experiences mixed emotions, were used as a stimulus in the study, followed by an interview with the children, while their parents completed the Empathy Quotient questionnaire to assess the child’s empathy. The results showed a developmental progression in children’s ability to experience mixed emotions – the fourth-grade students were shown to be more successful compared to the two younger groups. Age was a statistically significant predictor of experiencing mixed emotions, whereas empathy was not. Gender differences in experiencing mixed emotions were not found, but there was a difference in the dynamics of the development of this ability between the genders. Findings were interpreted from a developmental-cognitive perspective, according to which the ability to integrate opposite valence emotions, as two conceptually different representation sets, develops with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to clarify the role of the perceptual richness of words (PR) in the recall tasks. PR was operationalized as the number of sensory modalities through which an object can be perceived. Previously, we found that concepts experienced with many modalities (dog) were recalled more accurately in cued recall than those perceived with few modalities (rainbow) and abstract words. This finding fitted the Perceptual symbol system theory (PSST) and the Dual coding theory (DCT) predictions. We tested the PR effect in both cued (experiment 1-E1) and free recall tasks (experiment 2 - E2) in the present study. With careful stimuli manipulation of context availability and emotional valence and statistical control of arousal and relatedness, made to exclude their influence on recall, we tested alternative explanations of the concreteness effect offered by the relational-distinctiveness hypothesis. The additional perceptual codes improved recall accuracy in the cued recall task (E1), which was in line with the PSST and the DCT. This conclusion is straightforward: two critical groups of concrete words were matched for concreteness and visual perceptual strength. Thus, more accurate recall of concepts experienced with many modalities can be attributed to richer perceptual experience. However, the relational information was essential for recall accuracy in the free recall task (E2), as hypothesized by the relational-distinctiveness hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Despite adequate treatment, about 50% of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) usually develop a serious complication during their lifetime. The level of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reflects glycemic control, the screening of which is particularly helpful in community-based care settings where tests requiring fasting are not that practical. Objective To describe the difference in HbA1c level among a sample of children with T1DM and to identify the most common type of compilations and its association with HbA1c and different sociodemographic factors. Methods A cross sectional study, included 96 children with T1DM, their age ranged between 8-18 years, that attended Medical City Complex in Baghdad in the Pediatrics outpatients Clinic and Endocrine Outpatient Clinic during period from 1st of July 2021 to 30th of October 2021. Results Males formed 47.9%, 45.8% of them were in school age group, the mean HbA1c level was (10.74±2.974) mg/dl. Employed fathers formed 52.1%. Family history of T1DM was among 13.5% and that of T2DM was among 34.4%. Complication appeared among 71.9% of children, mainly neuropathy found among 50% of them. Children with retinopathy, positive family history have significantly poor controlled DM (last reading HbA1c =7 mg/dl). Conclusion HbA1c level in children with T1DM is found to be associated with family history, parents' education and employment, in addition a significant association with development of retinopathy in those children was also found in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]