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This study aims to examine the influence of the e-filling, e-billing, and tax sanctions systems on the compliance of individual taxpayers. The population in this study is individual taxpayers at KPP Pratam Cirebon Dua. Sampling was carried out using the purposive sampling method. So that the number of samples obtained was 100 respondents. The data analysis technique uses multiple linear analysis with the help of the SPSS 26 program. Before conducting the hypothesis test, a data quality test was carried out which included a validity test and a reliability test, a classical assumption which included a data normality test, a multicollinearity test and a hysteroskedasticity test, then a hypothesis test was carried out through the R2 test, F test and t test. The results of the study show that the implementation of the e-filling system has no effect on taxpayer compliance, while the implementation of the e-billing system and tax sanctions have a positive effect on taxpayer compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Frequent mental distress (FMD) is poor mental health for ≥14 days in the past month. Prevalence and risk for depression and suicide are higher among US veterans (USV) than US civilians (USC). Limited research has been done among USV regarding FMD. Anyone can experience mental distress without being clinically depressed—examining FMD more broadly captures health burden of poor mental state. This study's purpose was to examine the association between having a history of heart attack (HHHA) and FMD among USV vs USC. Methods: This cross-sectional study used the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n = 274 352) data. Weighted and adjusted logistic regression models were conducted overall and by USV/USC status. Results: HHHA increases weighted adjusted odds (WAO) of FMD. Among insured not obese USV with HHHA, the WAO of FMD were 1.4x significantly greater (P <.05) than among insured not obese USV without HHHA. Among uninsured obese USC with HHHA, the WAO of FMD were 3.2x significantly greater (P <.0001) than among uninsured obese USC without HHHA, and significantly lower among USV. Conclusions: Study findings suggest a distinction in FMD among USV/USC with HHHA. Understanding this association can inform policy for FMD screening post-heart attack as another potential intervention to prevent/reduce suicide among USV/USC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: The viruses are considered as one of the most prevalent factors that cause infertility because they represent a significant role in sexual transmission disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlations between viruses (HSV) viral load and semen parameters in groups of fertile and infertile Iraqi men. Materials & Methods: This study comprised fifty infertile males and fifty fertile healthy males. Seminal fluid analysis was conducted on all participants to detect the presence of HSV using the HSV1, 2 quantification kits. Results: There was a high significant correlation between sperm concentration and percentage of rapid linear progression motility (r= 0.478**) of infertile men. A strong meaningful connection was seen between the percentage of sperm concentration and both the percentage of sluggish linear or nonlinear motility (r = 0.681**) and the percentage of non-progressive motility (r = 0.604**). There was a strong negative connection (r = -0.725**) between the concentration of sperm and the number of immotile spermatozoa. On the others hand, there was a high significant correlation between rapid linear progression and slow linear or nonlinear (r =0 .413**) non-progressive motility (r = 0.704**) respectively, and high negative significant between rapid linear progression and immotile spermatozoa. The correlation between slow linear or nonlinear and non-progressive motility was highly significant (r= 0.555**) and negative significant between slow linear or nonlinear and immotile spermatozoa. Finally, A strong negative correlation (-0.813**) was observed between non-progressive motility and immotile spermatozoa. Conclusion: The study found that HSV infection had an effect on semen parameters and will cause male infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered unprecedented economic challenges worldwide, prompting governments to implement various expansionary economic policies to mitigate its adverse effects. Expansionary policies typically involve measures such as increased government spending, tax cuts, policy and interest rate cuts, and monetary stimulus packages to boost economic activity and support businesses and households during times of economic downturn. This research paper explores the relationship between current inflation rates and the effectiveness of expansionary economic policies adopted during the pandemic. The hypothesis posits that expansionary policies increase inflation rates across different countries. Through a comparative analysis of various countries' approaches, the study identifies the impact of these policies on inflation. Findings reveal varied effects, emphasizing the importance of contextual factors. This cross-country analysis will include developed and developing economies to understand the implications across different economic contexts. This study contributes to understanding the interplay between expansionary policies and inflation dynamics during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Postoperative rehabilitation protocols, such as immobilization and non-weight-bearing periods during the acute phase after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery vary depending on the surgeon or the institution and lack clear standardization. Weight bearing (WB) after ACL reconstruction (ACLR) is critical. This study compares the results of WB immediately after surgery and partial WB with a brace after ACLR. Materials & Methods In this randomized clinical trial, the block random sampling method was used to select 84 patients who were divided into two groups. Group 1 was allowed to have full WB after surgery and Group 2 was asked to use braces after surgery, and they were divided into partial WB for one month and then full WB. Meanwhile, demographic information was recorded. The Lachman test, anterior knee pain, and kneeling pain before and one month after the surgery were also recorded. Knee function was evaluated using the international knee documentation committee, knee injury and osteoarthritis out-come score, and Lysholm scales before surgery and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software, version 20, and the Fisher exact test, the chi-square test, the Friedman test, and repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Most of the patients were men under 30 years of age. There was no statistically significant difference in the demographic information of the patients in the two groups. Kneeling pain, anterior knee pain, and the Lachman test did not differ between the two groups one month after the surgery. There was no difference between the two groups in the scores using the international knee documentation committee, knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score, and Lysholm score in the 6-month follow-up. All the examined indicators in each group improved over time. Conclusion WB immediately after surgery compared to partial WB at 1, 3, and 6 months after ACLR do not differ; therefore, patients can bear full weight if they tolerate it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As enterprises face increasing competitive pressures, financial crises can significantly impact on their capital operations, potentially leading to operational difficulties and, ultimately, market exclusion. Consequently, many enterprises have begun to utilize financial early-warning systems to guide and control risks. Currently, there is neither a universal nor comprehensive enterprise financial risk management model in China, nor a unified classification standard for enterprise financial risk management levels. This article takes financial data on A-share listed companies in 2020 as the data sample, including those with special treatment (represented by ST) or non-ST status. We establish an independent indicator system within the framework of profitability, solvency, operational capability, development potential, shareholders' retained earnings, cash flow, and asset growth. The model is constructed employing the factor–logistic fusion algorithm. The factor part addresses the issue of collinearity among risk indicators, and the logistic part presents the results in probabilistic form, enhancing the interpretability of the model. The prediction accuracy of this model exceeds 89%. Finally, by applying the principles of interval estimation theory to statistical hypothesis testing, we categorize the risk levels into Grade A, representing significant risk; Grade B, representing moderate risk; Grade C, representing minor risk; and Grade D, representing no risk. This article aims to provide a comprehensive definition of a universal financial risk management early-warning model applicable to all enterprises in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process capability index (PCI), C pk , one of the widely used tools for assessing the capability of a manufacturing process, expresses the deviation of the process mean from the midpoint of the specification limits. The C pk is known to perform well under the general assumption that the experimental data are normally distributed without contamination. Under this assumption, the sample mean and sample standard deviation are used for the estimation of the PCI. However, the sample mean and sample standard deviation are quite sensitive to data contamination and this will result in underperformance of C pk . Therefore, in this article, we propose alternatives to the conventional method by replacing the sample mean and sample standard deviation with robust location and scale estimators. We also propose a method for constructing a robust PCI C pk confidence interval which lends itself to robust statistical hypothesis testing. The robust hypothesis testing methods based on this confidence interval are shown to be quite efficient when the data are normally distributed yet also outperform the conventional method when data contamination exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the safety and efficacy associated with drainage volumes greater than 1,500 mL in a single, unilateral thoracentesis without pleural manometry measurements. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, single-institution study included 872 patients (18 years and older) who underwent ultrasound-guided thoracentesis. Patient and procedures data were collected including demographics, number of and laterality of thoracenteses, volume and consistency of fluid removed, and whether clinical or radiologic evidence of re-expansion pulmonary edema (REPE) developed within 24 h of thoracentesis. Fisher's exact test was used to test the significance of the relationship between volume of fluid removed and evidence of REPE. Results: A total of 1376 thoracenteses were performed among the patients included in the study. The mean volume of fluid removed among all procedures was 901.1 mL (SD = 641.7 mL), with 194 (14.1%) procedures involving the removal of ≥ 1,500 mL of fluid. In total, six (0.7%) patients developed signs of REPE following thoracentesis, five of which were a first-time thoracentesis. No statistically significant difference in incidence of REPE was observed between those with ≥ 1,500 mL of fluid removed compared to those with < 1,500 mL of fluid removed (p-value = 0.599). Conclusions: Large-volume thoracentesis may safely improve patients' symptoms while preventing the need for repeat procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Study Aim Reactive agility and aerobic endurance are crucial physical components for athletes' success in both competitions and training. However, traditional training programs often fail to simultaneously address both components effectively. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a training type using the circuit method to improve reactive agility and aerobic endurance. Material and Methods This research is an experimental study employing a pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design. The participants were fourteen junior male athletes aged 15 to 17 years. The training program was conducted three times a week for six weeks and included eight different exercises. The instruments used were table tennis reactive agility measuring devices and the beep test for assessing aerobic endurance. Data were analyzed using the paired sample T-test. Results The results of the data normality test showed a significance value (Sig.) greater than 0.05, indicating that the data were normally distributed and suitable for further analysis. Subsequent testing for the effectiveness of the exercise regimen using the paired sample T-test revealed significant improvements: reactive agility and aerobic endurance both achieved a p-value of 0.000. Conclusions The findings indicate that circuit training, involving eight types of exercises, significantly improved the athletes' reactive agility and aerobic capacity. Specifically, there was a notable average increase in both reactive agility and aerobic capacity following the training regimen. These results underscore the potential benefits of employing the circuit training method with eight diverse exercises to enhance performance in table tennis athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article focuses on the internal aspect of corporate social responsibility. This article helps fill this gap by examining how participation in CSR affects the life satisfaction of employees of a city housing manager. Design/methodology/approach: In addition to a literature analysis, this study used the results of a survey of 126 employees - internal stakeholders of a municipal housing manager. The Yule coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between the variables included in the survey and their statistical significance was tested. Findings: The results of the study indicated that internal CSR activities carried out by a city housing manager have a significant impact on the life satisfaction of its employees. Originality/value: The considerations carried out in the study filled the assumed research gap, identifying the expectations of employees, indicating the relationships that arose between CSR activities and job position, setting measures of the implementation of CSR activities towards the employees of a city housing manager. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using compelling empirical strategies and sound reasoning, Simpson and Sims et al. ably contribute to our growing understanding of inferential errors that arise when filtering research findings using statistical significance. Drawing on the "Type M" (magnitude) and "Type S" (sign) errors described by Gelman and Carlin, both articles demonstrate that large Type M errors almost certainly exist when applying the statistical-significance filter in the field of education. In this comment, I discuss the pros and cons of four of the more actionable suggestions offered by the authors of both articles in their discussion sections. I also provide my own recommendations for drawing inferences about causal relationships that I believe will empower researchers and decision makers to more productively use evidence while avoiding the types of inferential mistakes examined by Sims et al. and Simpson. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have explored use of smart glasses in telemedicine, but no study has investigated its use in teleradiography. The purpose of this study was to implement a six-month pilot program for Western Australian X-ray operators (XROs) to use smart glasses to obtain assisted reality support in their radiography practice from their supervising radiographers, and evaluate its effectiveness in terms of XROs' competence improvement and equipment usability. Pretest–posttest design with evaluation of the XROs' competence (including their X-ray image quality) and smart glasses usability by XROs in two remote centers and their supervising radiographers from two sites before and after the program using four questionnaire sets and X-ray image quality review was employed in this experimental study. Paired t-test was used for comparing mean values of the pre- and post-intervention pairs of 11-point scale questionnaire and image quality review items to determine any XROs' radiography competence improvements. Content analysis was used to analyze open questions about the equipment usability. Our study's findings based on 13 participants (11 XROs and 2 supervising radiographers) and 2053 X-ray images show that the assisted reality support helped to improve the XROs' radiography competence (specifically X-ray image quality), with mean post-intervention competence values of 6.16–7.39 (out of 10) and statistical significances (p < 0.001–0.05), and the equipment was considered effective for this purpose but not easy to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is estimated that globally, millions of adolescents experience mental health problems, especially anxiety and depression. Adolescents with high perceptions of stress often encounter mental issues, have negative thoughts or are dissatisfied with daily life events. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with two groups and repeated measures to test an innovative nursing intervention, the Be Aware of Stress Smartphone Application. This application aims to increase positive thinking and reduce perceived stress among at-risk adolescents aged 13 to 16, and we sought to determine their satisfaction with its usability. The study was conducted with 44 junior high school students from an opportunity expansion high school in Eastern Thailand, who were randomly assigned to experimental and comparison groups (22 each). Data were collected between December 2023 and February 2024 using the General Information Questionnaire, Positive Thinking Test, Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and Satisfaction of Application Usability scale. The outcomes were measured at baseline, after completing the program at week 4, and at week 8 after using the application. The chi-square test and repeated measures analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. The results of this study have important implications for future research. They indicate a significant improvement in positive thinking and a reduction in perceived stress within the experimental group, compared to the comparison group, at weeks 4 and 8. Moreover, the experimental group reported high satisfaction with the application's usability. These findings suggest that the Be Aware of Stress application is beneficial for community nurses and others to prevent adolescent stress. The study also highlights the need for future research to enhance the application's functionality and compatibility with various phone operating systems to ensure widespread and effective use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propelled by rapid economic growth, the southwestern Shandong urban agglomeration (SSUA) in China has become a crucial industrial hub, but this process has somewhat hindered vegetation growth and environmental quality. Leveraging the functionalities of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, we derived the fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and assessed the eco-environmental quality using the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI). To examine the patterns and shifts in the SSUA, we employed the Theil–Sen median slope estimation, which provided robust estimates of linear trends, the Mann–Kendall trend test to determine the statistical significance of these trends, and the Hurst exponent analysis to evaluate the long-term persistence and predict future changes in the vegetation coverage and eco-environmental quality. Furthermore, to explore the interdependencies between vegetation coverage (VC) and environmental quality, we applied an improved coupling coordination degree model (ICCDM). This model allowed us to assess the co-evolution and synergy between these two factors over the study period, providing comprehensive insights for sustainable urban and ecological planning in the region. The VC and eco-environmental quality improved consistently across most of the SSUA from 2000 to 2020. The dominance of VC had transitioned from being predominantly characterized by relatively high VC to being mainly characterized by high VC. A substantial portion of the SSUA is predicted to experience improvements in its VC and environmental quality moving forward. Furthermore, the coupling coordination relationship between VC and environmental conditions in the southwest of Shandong Province generally exhibited a state of orderly coordinated development. With the passage of time, there was a clear tendency toward expansion in the coupled uncoordinated areas distributed in a network within each regional economic center. Our research unveils the dynamics and spatial-temporal patterns of VC and ecological quality in the southwestern Shandong urban agglomeration (SSUA) and elucidates the coupling and coordination mechanism between these two aspects, which provides theoretical support for understanding the healthy development of vegetation and ecology in urban agglomerations in an industrial context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, online learning has seen considerable growth, with this being supported by the rapid development of the Internet and other technologies. It is therefore vitally important for academics and practicians to evaluate the effectiveness of e-learning, so they can enhance the learners' acquisition of knowledge and the performance of educational organizations. This study was conducted within this context with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of e-learning and investigating its main predictors, as well as the moderating role of learners' self-efficacy. A conceptual model was developed and used to test the relationships that e-learning effectiveness has with the online interactions between learners and course content, learners and other learners, and learners and the instructor. In addition, self-efficacy with Internet and computer technologies and online communication was also examined as a potential moderator. To test our research hypotheses, we conducted a quantitative empirical study through a web-based survey, with structural equation modeling being used to analyze the data. Online interactions between learners and course content and between learners and the instructor were both found to be significant predictors of e-learning's effectiveness. In addition, self-efficacy was found to play a significant moderating role but only in the dimension of online communication. This paper makes a novel contribution to the existing literature by investigating e-learning's effectiveness as a bi-dimensional concept covering net benefit and e-learner satisfaction. In addition, this study adds to our understanding of online learning by investigating the moderating role that students' self-efficacy can play in terms of both the communicational and technological dimensions. For institutions of higher education, the findings of this study provide some constructive insights and useful recommendations for improving the effectiveness of e-learning systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate colour stability in artificial saliva by mechanically simulating brushing between in-house 3D-printed resin brackets (IH3DBs) and commercially available brackets. Methods: The samples consist of four sets of ten aesthetic brackets each supplied by four different manufacturers: clear Damon, Synovate C, Crystal and in-house 3D printed brackets (IH3DBs). The brackets were immersed in a plastic tank containing artificial saliva maintained at a constant temperature of 37 °C with a 65-minute brushing system. Staining changes at T0 (pre-brushing) and T1 (post-brushing) were measured with a spectrophotometer according to the VITA and Master scale and brightness values. Statistical analysis compared the colour changes with the Wilcoxon test and in case of significance, severity was investigated. The significance level considered was p < 0.05. Results: The IH3DBs shows statistically significant differences for both scales and brightness values. The Damon and the Crystal brackets report a statistically significant difference only for brightness. The Synovate C bracket shows no statistically significant differences. Conclusions: The IH3DB produced chromaticity differences for the VITA and Master scale possibly due to the surface roughness created during the printing process. However, the IH3DBs together with Damon Clear improved brightness, due to the mechanical action of brushing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body mass index (BMI) is routinely used to ascertain health status, including activities of daily living (ADLs); however, the associations of ADLs with height and weight in older adults have not been elucidated. Therefore, we cross-sectionally investigated the correlations between ADLs and height, weight, and BMI in 155 participants aged 82 to 103 years and characterized the naïve Bayesian prediction for ADLs. Activities of daily living showed a significant negative correlation with height and weight and a positive correlation with age. In males, a shorter height was associated with an increased risk of falling and disability in phone calling independently, and losing weight was associated with an increased risk of disability in going out. Combining age, weight, and height improved the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve in the prediction of disability in going out and phone calling independently in males. Therefore, height and weight, not BMI, are potential predictors of ADL decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing proficiency in English is crucial for students, yet errors often occur in their written narratives. This study investigated how the use of Grammarly Application can enhance students' narrative texts. Employing an experimental quantitative research design, the study conducted random sampling among students from a State Middle School in Batubara. The experimental group comprised 31 students who used Grammarly Application, while the control group had 31 students without access to the tool. Pre- and post-tests using writing samples were employed to collect data. The independent sample T-test was utilized to test the hypothesis that Grammarly impacts students' writing skills, yielding a significant result of 0.000 < 0.05. These findings reject the null hypothesis (Ho) and support the alternative hypothesis (Ha), indicating that Grammarly Application effectively improved students' narrative writing abilities. This study suggested that teachers can utilize Grammarly Application to enhance English writing instruction, enabling students to self-assess and revise their written work more effectively. Grammarly facilitates teachers' provision of constructive feedback and correction on students' writing, thereby enhancing overall writing proficiency in English classrooms. In addition to facilitating self-assessment and revision, Grammarly empowers students with instant feedback on grammar, style, and clarity, fostering a deeper understanding of English language conventions. This automated assistance allows teachers to focus more on higher-order writing skills, such as organization and argumentation, further enriching the learning experience and improving students' overall writing competence in English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to examine the growth rate and instability patterns of green gram cultivation for rabi season in all districts of Odisha over a specified time period. The analysis focuses on three key aspects such as the area under cultivation, the total production and the yield per hectare of green gram, which would be helpful in visualising the progress of the state with regard to cultivation. The study is based on secondary data, that are collected from the various volumes of Odisha Agricultural Statistics, employs the compound growth rate and Cuddy Della instability index to assess the growth and instability of green gram cultivation. After estimating the data of twenty-four years, the districts of Odisha are grouped on the basis of growth rate and instability respectively. Further, the test of significance of difference has done in mean area, production and yield of green gram among the grouping districts classified on basis of growth rate and instability under two categories as compared to Odisha. The growth trends show for the study period of 1994-95 to 2017-18, where Kandhamal district exhibited the highest growth rate in both area and yield, while Nuapada led in terms of production. The district Sundargarh exhibits the highest area instability index, followed by Kandhamal on production and Puri on yield. As in whole state, the positive and significant trends in area and production contrasted with an insignificant growth rate in yield, primarily influenced by the interaction effect of area and production. The study identifies the districts with high growth rate and low instability, suggesting potential factors such as technological adaptation and favorable agricultural conditions with adequate irrigation facilities. This suggests the need to explore and recommend the practices of high-performing districts for wider implementation, potentially leading to increased production which contribution to the overall development and economic well-being of Odisha's rural population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This cross-sectional, case-control study aimed to explore the psychodynamic characteristics that influenced adolescents' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Personality structure impairments, psychodynamic conflicts, defense styles, and mental health issues were examined using the OPD-Structure- and Conflict-Questionnaires, the Defense Style Questionnaire, and the Patient Health Questionnaire in adolescents before (n = 288) and after (n = 451) the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Results: Adolescents with mental health issues exhibited greater impairments in personality structure, more immature defense styles, and higher levels of psychodynamic conflicts both before and after the pandemic onset. Comparisons between pre-pandemic and pandemic samples indicated a lower level of the conflict of taking care of oneself versus being cared for in passive mode among adolescents during the pandemic. In-depth analysis of adolescents with mental health issues from the pandemic group revealed significant associations between personality structure impairments and a maladaptive defense style with somatoform, depressive, anxiety, eating, and alcohol use disorders. Conclusion: The findings provide clinically relevant insights into the psychodynamic factors that contributed to the psychological vulnerability of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. These insights can guide the development of targeted psychodynamic interventions to support adolescents' mental health in similar future crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examines the barriers faced by marine product exporters in Andhra Pradesh, India. These are categorised into infrastructural, operational, human resource, financial, raw material, general, and exporting process barriers. The present study is descriptive in nature, and surveys 115 marine exporters from Andhra Pradesh. Cronbach’s alpha and factor analysis are used to assess the reliability of the questionnaires and indicate a good reliability score between the variables. Following that, we used a single-factor Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test to determine the significance of the variables. Finally, the findings show that infrastructural, general, and exporting process barriers have a positive significant relationship with export performance, whereas human resource, financial, raw material and operational barriers have a negative significant relationship. This study can be beneficial to state and central governments by increasing foreign reserves and tax revenue, increasing employment opportunities, expanding the global market, properly utilising natural resources, and improving banks’ financial schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed a model to estimate sensor spacing and a new deployment geometry and evaluates the performance of an ultrasonic sensor array according to the deployment geometry. The proposed spacing estimation model is based on the probability of false detection alarms, the aperture angle, and the sensor range. A design technique has been proposed for elliptical deployment geometry, giving expressions for its parameters to help designers of experimental prototypes to reduce errors related to sensor disposition. A practical method for calibrating ultrasonic sensors has been designed to reduce measurement errors. An experiment was conducted, and the data were analysed using a statistical significance test. An evaluation of the performance of an ultrasonic sensor array with linear and circular deployment geometry with and without our method was done and then compared to our proposed deployment geometry which was combined with the proposed method. The result of the statistical significance test shows that elliptical deployment geometry combined with the suggested strategy works better than circular and linear geometry. This applies to performance such as linear correlation, RMSE, MAPE, and standard deviation. These results show the importance of the choice of deployment geometry for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of multiple bivariate correlations is often carried out by conducting simple tests to check whether each of them is significantly different from zero. In addition, pairwise differences are often judged by eye or by comparing the p‐values of the individual tests of significance despite the existence of statistical tests for differences between correlations. This paper uses simulation methods to assess the accuracy (empirical Type I error rate), power, and robustness of 10 tests designed to check the significance of the difference between two dependent correlations with overlapping variables (i.e., the correlation between X1 and Y and the correlation between X2 and Y). Five of the tests turned out to be inadvisable because their empirical Type I error rates under normality differ greatly from the nominal alpha level of .05 either across the board or within certain sub‐ranges of the parameter space. The remaining five tests were acceptable and their merits were similar in terms of all comparison criteria, although none of them was robust across all forms of non‐normality explored in the study. Practical recommendations are given for the choice of a statistical test to compare dependent correlations with overlapping variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pre-season preparatory period is considered key for optimizing the physical fitness levels needed to withstand congested match periods and preventing injuries during the regular soccer season. This study contrasted the effects s of neuromuscular training (NMT) versus an endurance-dominated training (ET) program conducted during the preseason on measures of physical fitness and injury occurrence in female soccer players. Methods: Twenty-four female soccer players aged 17.0 ± 1.3 years from a professional soccer club participated in this study. Players were randomly assigned to NMT (n = 12) or ET (n = 12) groups according to their playing position. The preseason intervention program lasted six weeks, with three weekly sessions with a duration of 45–60 min per session. Exercises in the NMT group included muscle strengthening exercises, plyometrics, agility and dynamic stability exercises, while the ET group practiced a traditional pre-season training program consisting of running and sprinting exercises, fartlek, and high-intensity interval training. The training volumes were similar in the two study groups. Anthropometric measurements, physical fitness tests (i.e., linear and change-of-direction speed, muscle strength and power tests) and the overall injury rate per 1000 h of exposure (training, match) were recorded throughout the season. Results: No between group differences were found at pre (T1). Significant group-by-time interactions were observed for the 5, 10, and 30-m linear sprint speed tests (p < 0.001, 2.16 < d < 2.58), the T-test (p = 0.024, d = 1.03), the squat (p < 0.001, d = 4.04), and the countermovement jump test (p < 0.001, d = 2.21), the Loughborough soccer passing test (LSPT) (p = 0.019, d = 1.08), and the 1-RM back squat test (p < 0.001, d = 2.53). Post-hoc tests indicated that NMT provided larger improvements for SJ, CMJ, 1-RM back squat, the 5-m sprint, 10-m sprint, 30-m sprint, T-test and LSPT compared to ET (1.07 > d > 2.77). The injury rate across the season was significantly lower in the NMT (5.1/1000 h exposure) compared to ET (11.8/1000 h exposure) (p = 0.014). Conclusions: The findings support that six-weeks of preseason NMT versus ET induced larger performance improvements, and significantly reduced injury occurrence in elite female soccer players. Key points: • Our results indicate that the integration of 45 to 60 min of preseason neuromuscular training, three times per week, for 6 weeks, can improve physical fitness and prevent injuries in young female soccer players. • The present study demonstrated that the neuromuscular training program can reduce the incidence injury rate by more than 50% and the burden by more than 65% compared to the endurance-dominated training. • Neuromuscular training is an effective approach during the preseason period to improve diverse measures of physical fitness and to reduce injury occurrence. • Preseason neuromuscular training appears to improve the fitness level of female soccer players and as such could allow them to compete at the high level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explains how the gap between theory and empirical research hinders scientific progress in the area of international political economy. To demonstrate this point, I use Chen's Extended Dependence Theory, which challenges liberal peace theory but fails to provide supporting empirical evidence. Chen contends that it is not trade dependence between two states that fosters peace but a challenger's trade relations with the defense-pact partners of the target. Although Chen criticizes liberal peace proponents whose primary concern is how to deter war, his empirical analysis is confined to how to decrease (fatal) militarized disputes short of war. I argue that for his theory to succeed, it must be validated against the most severe and intense form of conflict. Using statistical tests and substantive significance, I uncover no peace-building effect, with regards to war, attributable to Extended Dependence. It appears that the Extended Dependence variable exhibits a ceiling effect. Future research should explain why economic ties and security institutions fail to work together to lower the risk of the most destructive form of conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Advanced Trauma Life Support was originated mainly to train doctors who don't manage trauma on a regular basis, including junior doctors as it prepares them more efficiently and effectively for treating and managing trauma patients. This study was conducted to study knowledge, attitude and practice of advanced trauma life support protocol among house-officers in Khartoum state hospitals, Sudan 2023. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive health facility based study conducted in Bahri Teaching Hospital, Omdurman Teaching Hospital and Ibrahim Malik teaching hospital, Khartoum state, Sudan. Data of 151 House-officers of all nationality working in Khartoum state hospitals was collected using a simple random technique, filling questionnaire that was designed especially for this study. Comparison between different variables by Chi-square test and statistical significance difference at P value < 0.05 was done. Result: A total of 151 house officers were included in the study. 49% aged between 20 and 25 years, females were the majority 56.3%. About 41.1% have took ATLS course before. 55.21% of the study participants didn't take the course because it was not available, while 35.42% because it was expensive and 29.17% referred it to their busy lifestyle. 91% of the study population think that ATLS course should be compulsory and 85% think that the ATLS protocol should be recommended to both junior and senior doctors. 77% of the study participants stated that their seniors teaching skills affect how they apply ATLS. Conclusion: Overall junior doctors at Khartoum state hospitals demonstrated a positive attitude towards ATLS, but they showed poor knowledge regarding the topic. It's advised that an earlier training program is introduced by incorporating ATLS course to be part of all final year medical school's curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Accurate imaging biomarkers that indicate disease progression at an early stage are highly important to enable timely mitigation of symptoms in progressive lung disease. In this context, reproducible experimental models and readouts are key. Here, we aim to show reproducibility of a lung injury rat model by inducing disease and assessing disease progression by multi-modal non-invasive imaging techniques at two different research sites. Furthermore, we evaluated the potential of fibroblast activating protein (FAP) as an imaging biomarker in the early stage of lung fibrosis. Methods: An initial lung injury rat model was set up at one research site (Lund University, Lund, Sweden) and repeated at a second site (Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands). To induce lung injury, Sprague-Dawley rats received intratracheal instillation of bleomycin as one single dose (1,000 iU in 200 µL) or saline as control. Thereafter, longitudinal images were acquired to track inflammation in the lungs, at 1 and 2 weeks after the bleomycin challenge by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and [18F]FDG-PET. After the final [18F] FDG-PET scan, rats received an intravenous tracer [89Zr]Zr-DFO-28H1 (anti-FAP antibody) and were imaged at day 15 to track fibrogenesis. Upon termination, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed to assess cell and protein concentration. Subsequently, the biodistribution of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-28H1 was measured ex vivo and the spatial distribution in lung tissue was studied by autoradiography. Lung sections were stained and fibrosis assessed using the modified Ashcroft score. Results: Bleomycin-challenged rats showed body weight loss and increased numbers of immune cells and protein concentrations after BAL compared with control animals. The initiation and progression of the disease were reproduced at both research sites. Lung lesions in bleomycin-exposed rats were visualized by MRI and confirmed by histology. [18F]FDG uptake was higher in the lungs of bleomycin-challenged rats compared with the controls, similar to that observed in the Lund study. [89Zr]Zr-DFO-28H1 tracer uptake in the lung was increased in bleomycin-challenged rats compared with control rats (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Here, we demonstrate a reproducible lung injury model and monitored disease progression using conventional imaging biomarkers MRI and [18F]FDG-PET. Furthermore, we showed the first proof-of-concept of FAP imaging. This reproducible and robust animal model and imaging experimental set-up allows for future research on new therapeutics or biomarkers in lung disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the balance in patients with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and knee osteoarthrosis (KOA), measured by postural stability computerized evaluation (PSCE), and to evaluate the effect of post-TKA patients' characteristics in their performance on PSCE. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in two sets of patients: (A) patients with KOA and primary TKA surgery scheduled and (B) patients who underwent primary TKA >9 months. Sociodemographic, radiographic, clinical and PSCE parameters (using the Biodex Balance System) were assessed. Post-TKA patients placed more load on the replaced knee than the contralateral osteoarthritic knee (p = 0.027). They had less imbalance on the balance tests performed with the eyes open, on stable (p = 0.032), and unstable platforms (p = 0.022). These patients also showed better postural stability in monopodalic stance, both standing on the TKA (p = 0.010) and contralateral knee (p = 0.017). Age, weight, pain on the operated knee, extension deficit on the operated knee, and Berg Balance Scale scores on post-TKA patients were significantly associated with their performance on PSCE tests. PSCE can be useful to quantify the balance of post-TKA and KOA patients. Total knee arthroplasty is the definitive treatment for knee osteoarthrosis and it has several benefits, but its effect on balance is still unknown. Postural stability computerized evaluation is used to evaluate balance on vestibular diseases and it has been recently studied on musculoskeletal conditions. Postural stability computerized evaluation may be useful to evaluate patients' balance before and after total knee arthroplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cracks are one of the most common damages to thin plates. Therefore, rapid and accurate detection of cracks is of great significance in the nondestructive testing of thin plates. Most existing nondestructive testing technologies focus on crack localization rather than the quantification of the crack length and orientation. Therefore, this paper proposes a damage index, considering the wave attenuation during propagation, to quantify the crack length and orientation. Lamb waves are transmitted and received by a circular sensor array. Based on the abnormal reflection of the A0 mode of Lamb waves, the reflections at cracks are extracted by the Hilbert transform. The influence of the crack length and orientation are studied parametrically, and the relations between the proposed damage index and crack length and angle are given based on regression analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant morbidity and mortality from COVID-19-related illnesses have been observed among people of color within the United States. While theories involving healthcare inequity and political division have emerged to explain this observation, the role of chronic stress and inflammation is also being explored. Toxic stress is experienced disproportionately by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status and increases frailty and vulnerability to diseases such as COVID-19. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a biomarker associated with the inflammatory response that is typically elevated due to exposure to acute or chronic traumatic stress, as well as COVID-19. This study explored the relationship between CRP and Hispanic/non-Hispanic ethnicity among adults hospitalized with COVID-19 via a secondary analysis of retrospective electronic health record (EHR) data collected from a community healthcare system in Southern California. A total of 1,744 cases representing hospitalized adults with COVID-19 were reviewed. Data were extracted from the EHR to reflect demographics, medical diagnoses, medications, CRP, and comorbidity burden. Frequencies, percentages, and measures of central tendency were assessed to understand the distribution of data. Associations were conducted using Pearson's r and the chi-square test of independence. Differences between groups were examined via independent samples t -tests. The sample was 52% Hispanic, 56% male, and the mean age was 62 years (SD = 16.1). The mean age of Hispanic cases was younger than non-Hispanic cases (p <.001, η = 0.289). Serum CRP was significantly higher in the Hispanic cases, with a high degree of association (p <.001, η = 0.472). In addition, higher CRP levels were significantly associated with the need for mechanical ventilation (p <.001, φc = 0.216). No significant relationships were found between CRP and age, body mass index (BMI), or comorbidity burden. Findings challenge the assumption that the disproportionate morbidity and mortality suffered by the Hispanic population due to COVID-19 was due to age, BMI, or comorbidities such as metabolic syndrome or heart disease. CRP in the Hispanic population should be further investigated to understand its relationship to chronic stress, frailty, and risk for COVID-19 in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether the association between hearing difficulties and self-reported memory problems is mediated by physical health and psychosocial wellbeing. A cross-sectional study. Path analyses were used to test potential theoretical models (psychosocial-cascade, common cause) of the association between hearing difficulties and memory problems, adjusting for age. A sample of 479 adults (18–87 years) completed self-reported outcome measures. Half the participants reported clinically significant hearing difficulties and 30% self-reported memory problems. In the direct model, reporting hearing difficulties was associated with a greater likelihood of reporting memory problems (β = 0.17, p = 0.007, 95% Confidence Intervals [CI] = 0.00, 0.01). Hearing difficulties were also associated with poorer physical health, but this did not mediate the association with memory. Psychosocial factors, however, fully mediated the relationship between hearing difficulties and memory problems (β = 0.03, p = 0.019, 95% CI = 0.00, 0.01). Adults with hearing difficulties may be more likely to self-report memory problems, irrespective of age. This study supports the psychosocial-cascade model, as the association between self-reported hearing and memory problems was explained entirely by psychosocial factors. Future studies should investigate these associations using behavioural measures, as well as explore whether interventions can reduce the risk of developing memory problems in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The statistical significance of a clinical trial analysis result is determined by a mathematical calculation and probability based on null hypothesis significance testing. However, statistical significance does not always align with meaningful clinical effects; thus, assigning clinical relevance to statistical significance is unreasonable. A statistical result incorporating a clinically meaningful difference is a better approach to present statistical significance. Thus, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), which requires integrating minimum clinically relevant changes from the early stages of research design, has been introduced. As a follow-up to the previous statistical round article on P values, confidence intervals, and effect sizes, in this article, we present hands-on examples of MCID and various effect sizes and discuss the terms statistical significance and clinical relevance, including cautions regarding their use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study addresses the impact of multimodal complexity in the transmission of a dance exercise. This study examined what kind of temporal correspondence favors the clarity of a teaching instruction in the context of a dance class. From an autoethnographic perspective, we describe a real learning situation in which a teacher marks (bodily demonstration and verbal counting) a movement exercise for a dancer. We analyze (microanalysis) the components of this marking, considering the model of the visual spatial indicator and the zero velocity and the prosodic components of the voice. It was hypothesized that when the emphasis of the movement and the emphasis of the voice are synchronized in phase this favors the clarity of the instruction. Seventy-five participants – dancers; musicians; non-musicians-non-dancers – evaluated dance exercises (audiovisual clips) with different modes of synchronization between voice and movement following two testing strategies. We found that in-phase exercise markings are significantly easier to follow and understand than when they are not. The work aims to show that a neglect in the multimodal organization of the instruction can generate distortion (noise) between the conceptualization and the perception of the message, putting at risk the result of the communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional networks often guide our interpretation of spatial maps of brain–phenotype associations. However, methods for assessing enrichment of associations within networks of interest have varied in terms of both scientific rigor and underlying assumptions. While some approaches have relied on subjective interpretations, others have made unrealistic assumptions about spatial properties of imaging data, leading to inflated false positive rates. We seek to address this gap in existing methodology by borrowing insight from a method widely used in genetics research for testing enrichment of associations between a set of genes and a phenotype of interest. We propose network enrichment significance testing (NEST), a flexible framework for testing the specificity of brain–phenotype associations to functional networks or other sub‐regions of the brain. We apply NEST to study enrichment of associations with structural and functional brain imaging data from a large‐scale neurodevelopmental cohort study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this project is to assess, for practicing pediatric nurses in the U.S., what is the impact of the Stewards of Children Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) program on their attitudes about reporting suspected CSA. A sample size of 32 nurses completed an online 2-hour continuing education course by Stewards of Children, with a pre/post-test survey. A modified 14-item version of the Teachers Reporting Attitudes Scale for Child Sexual Abuse (TRAS-CSA) was used to measure the nurses' attitudes before and after educational training. The surveys were analyzed to assess changes in attitudes using two-tailed sign tests. Nurses' commitment to reporting CSA is high, even before training. Nurses' confidence in the system of reporting and in the response of authorities related to CSA increased after taking the Stewards of Children online course. While these results are limited in strength by low sample sizes and some null changes, they indicate that trainings like the Stewards of Children course can positively impact nurses' attitudes towards reporting CSA, particularly with regards to confidence in reporting, and therefore warrant further investigation into CSA training for nurses and its effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vertical toe position at minimum toe clearance (MTC) in the swing phase is critical for walking safety. Consequently, the joints involved should be strictly controlled and coordinated to stabilize the foot at MTC. The uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis framework has been used to determine the existence of synergies that stabilize relevant performance variables during walking. However, no study investigated the presence of a multi-joint synergy stabilizing the foot position at MTC and the effects of age and walking speed on this synergy. Is there a multi-joint synergy stabilizing MTC during treadmill walking? Does it depend on the persons' age and walking speed? Kinematic data from 23 young and 15 older adults were analyzed using the UCM approach. The participants walked on a treadmill at three speeds: slow, self-selected, and fast. The sagittal and frontal joint angles from the swing and stance legs and pelvis obliquity were used as motor elements and the vertical toe position at MTC was the performance variable. The variances in the joint space that affected (V ORT , 'bad' variance) and did not affect (V UCM , 'good' variance) the toe position at MTC and the synergy index (ΔV) were computed. The ΔV >0 was revealed for all subjects. Walking speed did not affect ΔV in older adults, whereas ΔV reduced with speed in young adults. ΔV was higher for older than for young adults at self-selected and fast speeds, owing to a lower V ORT in the older group. The vertical toe position at MTC was stabilized by a strong multi-joint synergy. In older adults, this synergy was stronger, as they were better at limiting V ORT than young adults. Reduced V ORT in older adults could be caused by more constrained walking, which may be associated with anxiety due to walking on a treadmill. • A multi-joint synergy (ΔV Z) stabilizes the minimum toe clearance (MTC) in walking. • ΔV Z is higher and variances (V UCM and V ORT) are lower at MTC than in the first half of swing phase. • The ΔV Z and V ORT reduced in young but not in older adults when walking in fast speed. • Older adults showed higher ΔV Z and lower V ORT than young adults. • A reduced V ORT in older adults may be a compensatory strategy adopted to constraint the MTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Montessori is a highly individualized pedagogy that prioritizes following each child's individual interests over standardized test scores. This quasi-experimental study compares groups of Montessori students (treatment groups, N = 535–710) with control groups of non-Montessori students, matched through the simple matching method, which controls for the effect of background variables on schooling outcomes. The tested hypothesis is that the treatment groups achieve mean scores that are not significantly lower and have a significantly higher standard deviation on standardized tests of mathematics and language. The study encompassed students in Grade 2, 5, 8, and 10 across two separate cohorts. Results indicate that Montessori students attain either comparable or significantly higher scores than non-Montessori students, depending on grade and cohort, with greater score variability observed, particularly at Grade 8 and in mathematics. This finding implies the necessity for future investigations into the effect of Montessori teachers' instructional practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the GI tract. SEER is an extensive cancer database which proves useful in analyzing population trends. This analysis investigated GIST outcomes between geriatric & non‐geriatric patients. Methods: SEER*STAT 8.4.0.1 was used to extract relevant GIST data from 2000 to 2019. Geriatric age was defined as ≥70 years. Variables included age, sex, surgery, cancer‐specific death, and overall survival. Statistical tests included univariate analysis using KM survival estimate (95% confidence interval) to calculate 5‐year survival (5YS). Log‐Rank tests determined statistical significance. Multivariable Cox's PH regression estimated the geriatric hazard death ratio adjusted for sex, stage, and surgery. Results: The number of patients included was 13,579, yielding overall 5YS of 68.6% (95% CI 67.7–69.5). Cancer‐specific death was 39.11% in 2000 & 3.33% in 2019. Non‐geriatric & geriatric patient data yielded 5YS of 77.4% (76.4%–78.3%) and 53.3% (51.7%–54.8%) respectively (p < 0.0001). For no surgery/surgery, younger patient data yielded 5YS of 48.7% (45.8%–51.4%) and 83.7% (82.7%–84.7%) respectively (p < 0.0001); geriatric data yielded 5YS of 29.3% (26.5%–32.1%) and 62.8% (60.8%–64.6%) respectively (p < 0.0001). Multivariable analysis yielded a geriatric hazard death of 2.56 (2.42–2.70) (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Cancer‐specific death decreased since 2000, indicating an improvement in survival & treatment methods. Observed lower survival rates overall in the geriatric group. Surgery appeared to enhance survival rates in both groups, suggesting that surgery is an important factor in GIST survival regardless of age. Large prospective studies will help define clinical management for geriatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instead of relying on null-hypothesis significance testing (NHST), researchers are consistently advised to use effect sizes (ESs) and confidence intervals (CIs) to convey research findings. However, typical ES measures for most linear models (e.g., multiple regression) assume data normality, a condition that is often violated in behavioral research. This may lead to inaccurate interpretation of ES. In multiple regression models, Cohen's f2, R2 and R adj 2 are employed by researchers, but no study has systematically evaluated their robustness in practice. Thus, this Monte Carlo simulation study evaluates the robustness of f2, R2 and R adj 2 and the associated CIs based on manipulated levels of sample sizes, magnitudes of ESs, numbers of predictors, and data violations (i.e., heavy-tailed, skewed, contaminated, lognormal, and heteroscedastic distributions of errors). This study offers guidelines regarding how robust these ESs are so that researchers can report the most appropriate ES in their research studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediation analysis intends to unveil the underlying relationship between an outcome variable and an exposure variable through one or more intermediate variables called mediators. In recent decades, research on mediation analysis has been focusing on multivariate mediation models, where the number of mediating variables is possibly of high dimension. This paper concerns high‐dimensional mediation analysis and proposes a three‐step algorithm that extracts and utilizes inter‐connectivity among candidate mediators. More specifically, the proposed methodology starts with a screening procedure to reduce the dimensionality of the initial set of candidate mediators, followed by a penalized regression model that incorporates both parameter‐ and group‐wise regularization, and ends with fitting a multivariate mediation model and identifying active mediating variables through a joint significance test. To showcase the performance of the proposed algorithm, we conducted two simulation studies in high‐dimensional and ultra‐high‐dimensional settings, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrate the practical applications of the proposal using a real data set that uncovers the possible impact of environmental toxicants on women's gestational age at delivery through 61 biomarkers that belong to 7 biological pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The prognosis of PCa at diagnosis is assessed by classification systems that aim to group homogenous sets of patients. However, great heterogeneity exists within these risk groups, in terms of prognostic factors and treatment options. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic impact and predictors of adverse tumor grade in very favorable low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at a high-volume tertiary referral center. Objectives: To assess the prognostic impact and predictors of adverse tumor grade in very favorable low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa) patients treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Methods: Data of low- and intermediate PCa risk-class patients were retrieved from a prospectively maintained institutional database. Adverse tumor grade was defined as pathology ISUP grade group > 2. Disease progression was defined as a biochemical recurrence event and/or local recurrence and/or distant metastases. Associations were assessed by Cox's proportional hazards and logistic regression model. Results: Between January 2013 and October 2020, the study evaluated a population of 289 patients, including 178 low-risk cases (61.1%) and 111 intermediate-risk subjects (38.4%); unfavorable tumor grade was detected in 82 cases (28.4%). PCa progression, which occurred in 29 patients (10%), was independently predicted by adverse tumor grade and biopsy ISUP grade group 2, with the former showing stronger associations (hazard ratio, HR = 4.478; 95% CI: 1.840–10.895; p = 0.001) than the latter (HR = 2.336; 95% CI: 1.057–5.164; p = 0.036). Older age and biopsy ISUP grade group 2 were independent clinical predictors of adverse tumor grade, associated with larger tumors that eventually presented non-organ-confined disease. Conclusions: In a very favorable PCa patient population, adverse tumor grade was an unfavorable prognostic factor for disease progression. Active surveillance in very favorable intermediate-risk patients is still a hazard, so molecular and genetic testing of biopsy specimens is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Literature suggests a dependency of the acoustic metrics, smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS) and harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR), on human voice loudness and fundamental frequency (F0). Even though this has been explained with different oscillatory patterns of the vocal folds, so far, it has not been specifically investigated. In the present work, the influence of three elicitation levels, calibrated sound pressure level (SPL), F0 and vowel on the electroglottographic (EGG) and time-differentiated EGG (dEGG) metrics hybrid open quotient (OQ), dEGG OQ and peak dEGG, as well as on the acoustic metrics CPPS and HNR, was examined, and their suitability for voice assessment was evaluated. Method: In a retrospective study, 29 women with a mean age of 25 years (± 8.9, range: 18–53) diagnosed with structural vocal fold pathologies were examined before and after voice therapy or phonosurgery. Both acoustic and EGG signals were recorded simultaneously during the phonation of the sustained vowels /ɑ/, /i/, and /u/ at three elicited levels of loudness (soft/comfortable/loud) and unconstrained F0 conditions. Results: A linear mixed-model analysis showed a significant effect of elicitation effort levels on peak dEGG, HNR, and CPPS (all p < .01). Calibrated SPL significantly influenced HNR and CPPS (both p < .01). Furthermore, F0 had a significant effect on peak dEGG and CPPS (p < .0001). All metrics showed significant changes with regard to vowel (all p < .05). However, the treatment had no effect on the examined metrics, regardless of the treatment type (surgery vs. voice therapy). Conclusions: The value of the investigated metrics for voice assessment purposes when sampled without sufficient control of SPL and F0 is limited, in that they are significantly influenced by the phonatory context, be it speech or elicited sustained vowels. Future studies should explore the diagnostic value of new data collation approaches such as voice mapping, which take SPL and F0 effects into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Dehydration is one of the common complications of dysphagia and poses significant risks including hospitalization and mortality, but the relationship between dysphagia and dehydration has received little attention. This study aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors for dehydration of patients with dysphagia in eastern China, and to provide reference for early identification and prevention of dehydration. Methods: A descriptive, cross‐sectional design was conducted. Three hundred and thirty‐seven (n = 337) patients with dysphagia participated in the study between August and December 2022. Information relating to participants' demographic variables, nutrition, cognition, functional, hydration status and fluid intake was collected. Univariate analysis was used to examine related impact factors, and then binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine reliable impact factors. Results: Among 337 patients with dysphagia, the average age was 63.47 ± 16.96, most participants were male (72.1%) and married (91.7%). The prevalence of dehydration was calculated to be 43.9%, the mean plasma osmolality score was 293.53 mmol/L. Diseases with the highest prevalence were stroke (78.3%), followed by hypertension (63.5%). The risk for dehydration increased with older age, usage of more medicines such as diuretics and beta‐blockers, worse functional status and lower fluid intake. Conclusion: This study found a high percentage of dehydration in patients with dysphagia. Findings can provide a basis for targeted nursing interventions for clinical prevention and treatment of dehydration. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Dehydration is one of the adverse consequences of dysphagia, and it causes physical stress to sufferers and enormous costs to the health care system.Previous studies have identified that personal factors (age, gender, health condition etc.), living environment, and social support may affect dehydration What this paper adds? Results showed high percentages of dehydration among patients with dysphagia; older age, greater use of medicines such as diuretics and beta‐blockers, worse functional status and lower fluid intake played a crucial role in hospital patients with dysphagia, leading to dehydration. The implications of this paper: This paper reveals prevalence and risk factors associated with dehydration of patients with dysphagia in hospital.Findings could provide reference data for development of nursing preventive interventions, to reduce the incidence of dehydration and improve the health level of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Distractions caused by fellow drivers (DFDs) have received little attention. • Associations between DFDs and other latent factors were evaluated using SEM. • DFDs are positively associated with stress among recipient drivers. • Stress is positively associated with anxiety-based performance deficits. • DFDs and stress are positively associated with crash propensity. Introduction: Aggressive behavior of drivers is a source of crashes and high injury severity. Aggressive drivers are part of the driving environment, however, excessive aggressive driving by fellow drivers may take the attention of the recipient drivers away from the road resulting in distracted driving. Such external distractions caused by the aggressive and discourteous behavior of other road users have received limited attention. These distractions caused by fellow drivers (DFDs) may agitate recipient drivers and ultimately increase crash propensity. Aggressive driving behaviors are quite common in South Asia and, thus, it is necessary to determine their contribution to distractions and crash propensity. Method: Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of DFDs using primary data collected through a survey conducted in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 801 complete responses were obtained. Various hypotheses were defined to explore the associations between the latent factors such as DFDs, anxiety/stress (AS), anxiety-based performance deficits (APD), hostile behavior (HB), acceptability of vehicle-related distractions (AVRD), and crash propensity (CP). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed as a multivariate statistical technique to test these hypotheses. Results: The results supported the hypothesis that DFDs lead to AS among recipient drivers. DFDs and AS were further found to have positive associations with APDs. Whereas, there was a significant negative association between DFD, AS, and AVRD. As hypothesized, DFD and AS had positive associations with CP, indicating that distractions caused by aggressive behaviors leads to stress and consequently enhances crash propensity. Practical applications: The results of this study provide a statistically sound foundation for further exploration of the distractions caused by the aggressive behaviors of fellow drivers. Further, the results of this study can be utilized by the relevant authorities to alter aggressive driving behaviors and reduce DFDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to highlight the importance of a systematic approach to process capability assessment and the importance of following a sequence of steps. Statistical process control provides several different ways of assessing process capability. This study evaluates the process capability of crown cap manufacturing through capability indices. In addition to calculating the indices, the evaluation involves extensive data analysis. Before calculating the capability indices, the assumptions for their correct selection and use were also verified. Several statistical tests were used to verify each assumption. The research value of the study lies in pointing out that not all tests led to the same conclusions. It highlights the importance of selecting the appropriate test type for the evaluated process quality characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Design: Hematological parameters have been used as laboratory markers to evaluate the systemic inflammation in several rheumatic disease. The aim of this study is to determine the difference of hematological parameters between the patients who have been just fulfilled the Behçet's disease (BD) criteria and patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). Materials and Methods: Twenty patients with newly diagnosed BD and 47 patients with RAS whose oral ulcerations appeared at least three times a year were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients, complete blood count, C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were recorded. Results: Patients' characteristics including gender, age, duration, and frequency of oral aphthous ulcerations in both study groups were comparable (p>0.05). CRP was significantly higher in newly diagnosed BD group when compared to the RAS group (p=0.001). CRP value higher than 2.7 g/dL, mean platelet volume (MPV) value higher than 7.58 fL and lymphocyte count higher than 2.85 103/μL were found to be the markers for distinguishing patients with BD from patients with RAS [odds ratio (OR): 12.76 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.86-56.88), OR: 5.61 (95% CI: 1.11-28.42), OR: 15.24 (95% CI: 1.77-131.31), respectively]. Conclusion: The elevated CRP, MPV and lymphocyte count were associated with patients with newly diagnosed BD rather than patients with RAS. Further large prospective studies with the healthy control group are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given students' lack of self‐directed learning skills and the growing concern about implementing massive online open courses (MOOCs) in K12 education, learning strategies are needed to facilitate MOOC learning. Many studies have provided different strategies for effective learning in MOOCs. However, there is still limited research to confirm whether these strategies effectively support MOOC learning when deployed by secondary schools, which are not MOOC developers. Objectives: This mixed‐method study examines the provision of different learning strategies, including a learning guide, an academic mentoring programme, a training workshop, and a reimbursement scheme, and investigates the impact of these strategies on student learning in MOOCs. Methods: The study uses two data sources: (1) surveys with 40 participants and (2) semi‐structured interviews with 12 participants. The quantitative data were analysed with descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test, and the qualitative data were analysed with thematic analysis. Results and Conclusion: The findings indicate that MOOC learners had positive attitudes towards the overall school support, with mentoring enjoying great popularity amongst the students. In terms of the effectiveness of the school support, the mentoring programme and reimbursement scheme were more effective than the university training and learning guide. The paper discusses the implications for researchers and educators. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: There are a large number of K12 MOOC implementations, which are (i) STEM‐related and computer science courses, and (ii) from Europe and the USA.Limited studies provided different learning strategies for MOOC learning from the perspective of K12 schools, which are not MOOC developers.There is a need to explore MOOC initiatives encompassing a wide variety of subjects, including computer science MOOCs and non‐computer science MOOCs, in regions beyond Europe and the USA.There is also a need for further scrutiny of the effectiveness of learning strategies provided by the K12 school. What this paper adds: Our study launched the first MOOC implementation in K12, encompassing several subject areas beyond computer science in the region of Asia.Our study provided different learning strategies adopted by the K12 school, and the analysis revealed that MOOC learners took positive attitudes towards overall school support with mentoring enjoying great popularity with these students.Our study examined the effectiveness of school support and identified that mentoring and reimbursement are more effective than university training and the learning guide. Implications for practitioners: The insights gained from the study enable other K12 schools and educators to implement MOOC into existing school infrastructures successfully.These strategies provided in the MOOC implementation program can be helpful in many different online learning contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our aim was to provide an up-to-date, large-scale overview of the trends and clinicodemographics for NASH LTs performed in the United States compared with all other LT indications between 2000 and 2022. We also examined the demographic factors that will predict future demand for NASH LT. Methods: Our analysis of NASH LT from the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network database spanning 2000-2022 consisted primarily of descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing with corrections for multiple testing when necessary. Trend lines and linear correlations were also explored. Results: NASH LTs have experienced a remarkable surge, escalating from 0.12% of all LTs in 2000 to a substantial 14.7% in 2022, marking a 100-fold increase. Examining demographic trends, a significant proportion of NASH LTs recipients fall within the 50- to 64-year-old age group.Moreover, 52% of these recipients concurrently exhibit type 2 diabetes mellitus, a notably higher percentage than the 19% observed in all LT recipients. Type 2 diabetes mellitus emerges as a prominent risk factor for NASH progressing to end-stage liver disease. The phenomenon of repeat transplantation is noteworthy; although 6% of all LTs necessitate repeat procedures, this figure dramatically drops to 0.6% for NASH LTs. Ethnic disparities are apparent, with African Americans representing amere 2%ofNASH LTrecipients, significantly lower than their representation in the overall population. Regionally, the East Coast has a higher proportion of NASH LT recipients compared with waitlist additions. This trend holds true across demographics. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the need for increased resources, particularly for minority, uninsured, or noncitizen individuals requiring LT for NASH. This analysis provides valuable insights into the dynamic landscape of LTs in the context of NASH, shaping the trajectory of medical interventions in the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gravity field of the Earth is time-dependent due to several types of mass variations which take place on different time scales. Usually, the time-variability of the gravitational potential of the Earth is expressed by the monthly determination of a static geopotential model based on data from gravity field missions. In this paper, the variability of the potential is parameterized by a functional approach which contains a polynomial trend and periodic contributions. The respective parameters are estimated based on the monthly solutions derived from the GRACE and GRACE-FO gravity field mission up to a maximum degree of expansion n max = 96 . As a preliminary data analysis, a Fourier analysis is performed on selected potential coefficients from the available monthly solutions of the GFZ. The indicated frequency components are then used to formulate a time-dependent analytical approach to describe each Stokes coefficient's temporal behaviour. Different approaches are presented that include both polynomial and periodic components. The respective parameters for modelling the temporal variability of the coefficients are estimated in a Gauss-Markov model and tested for significance by statistical methods. Extensive comparative numerical studies are carried out between the newly generated model variants and the existing monthly GRACE, GRACE-FO and the existing time dependent EIGEN-6S4 solutions. The numerical comparisons make it clear that estimated models based on all available monthly solutions describe the essential periods very well, but such monthly events that deviate strongly from the mean behaviour of the signal show less precision in the space domain. Models that are estimated based on fourteen consecutive monthly solutions, covering one selected year, represent the amplitudes much more precise. The statements made apply to four initial data used, which are filtered to varying degrees. In particular, DDK2, DDK5 and DDK8, as well as unfiltered coefficients were used. For all the model approaches used, it can be seen that the potential coefficients contain up to about n ≈ 40 in case of DDK5 periodically signals with annual, semi-annual or quarterly, as well as Luna nodal periods and do not vary significantly beyond that degree. Only an offset can be estimated significantly for all Stokes coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]