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This paper highlights the importance of the collection of data that is of suitable quality and of appropriate frequency and/or spatial intensity for the monitoring of aquatic systems. The advantages of automated techniques, such as flow analysis, in monitoring are emphasized, as is the selection of parameters that address the objectives of monitoring. The potential of nascent microfluidic and paper-based analytical techniques as tools for water quality monitoring is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Methodological problems have impeded successful epidemiological research into disorders of gut‐brain interactions (DGBI), as previous studies were limited in terms of study population, diagnostic criteria, number of disorders assessed, data collection methods, and geographic area. Most prevalence estimates were based on pooling data from heterogeneous studies using inappropriate pooling methods, seriously limiting the relevance of the results. The Rome Foundatiion Global Epidemiology Study (RFGES) aimed to rectify these limitations using rigorous methodology to survey the prevalence of 22 DGBI in large population samples in 33 countries. Its aims were to conduct a comprehensive, multinational epidemiological study using rigorous research methodology, gain a better understanding of the burden of the DGBI, gain reliable regional estimates of DGBI prevalence, and advance our understanding of the pathophysiology of IBS. The study questionnaire consisted of the 89‐item Rome IV Adult Diagnostic Questionnaire enabling the diagnosis of 22 DGBI, and an 80‐item supplemental questionnaire that enabled analyses of the association of multiple factors with DGBI diagnoses. Purpose for review article: This review paper introduces a special issue on the Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology study (RFGES) with a narrative description of its conception, development, and implementation, its outcomes to date, and its potential contribution to neurogastroenterology. It includes 15 papers that reflect the range of RFGES studies from single country papers to intra‐regional studies, to inter‐regional studies, and one global study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a literature review that aimed at analyzing the use of Problem Structuring Methods in Social-Ecological Systems. These systems are formed at the interface between social and ecological systems, whose complexity is a feature and, therefore, complex problems are quite common. In the Operational Research realm, there is a class of methods that have been developed to deal with this type of problem, the Problem Structuring Methods. They seek to generate a shared understanding of complex problems from the perception of the involved actors, aiming at structuring them before solving them. Thus, it is reasonable to understand that these methods are suitable for handling complex problems in Social-Ecological Systems. This paper verified this statement through a literature review of 28 peer-reviewed papers. It contributes to both extant literature on Problem Structuring Methods and Social-Ecological Systems presenting where the interventions took place; the complex problems addressed; the Problem Structuring Methods applied, and the purpose of these methods in the interventions; the approaches used for collecting input data; the types of participants that participated of the interventions; as well as the main benefits and limitations of these methods in the interventions. It is concluded that Problem Structuring Methods are approaches that can be useful in dealing with complex problems in Social-Ecological Systems, their use should be encouraged, and some advances presented here can improve their application in these types of intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a classroom activity for teaching data collection and data analysis in middle school mathematics using paper airplanes. It discusses the concept behind the four forces affecting flight which include drag, lift, and weight. It outlines the procedure necessary to gather and evaluate information collected in flying paper airplanes in the school hallway. INSET: Flying Paper Airplanes and Collecting Data.

Industry 4 (I4) was a revolutionary new stage for technological progress in manufacturing which promised a new level of interconnectedness between a diverse range of technologies. Sensors, as a point technology, play an important role in these developments, facilitating human–machine interaction and enabling data collection for system-level technologies. Concerns for human labour working in I4 environments (e.g., health and safety, data generation and extraction) are acknowledged by Industry 5 (I5), an update of I4 which promises greater attention to human–machine relations through a values-driven approach to collaboration and co-design. This article explores how engineering experts integrate values promoted by policy-makers into both their thinking about the human in their work and in their writing. This paper demonstrates a novel interdisciplinary approach in which an awareness of different disciplinary epistemic values associated with humans and work guides a systematic literature review and interpretive coding of practice-focussed engineering papers. Findings demonstrate evidence of an I5 human-centric approach: a high value for employees as "end-users" of innovative systems in manufacturing; and an increase in output addressing human activity in modelling and the technologies available to address this concern. However, epistemic publishing practices show that efforts to increase the effectiveness of manufacturing systems often neglect worker voice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was motivated by earlier observations. It is a systematic examination of the adequacy of reporting of information (metadata) necessary to understand x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data collection and data analysis in the scientific literature. The information for this study was obtained from papers published in three high-quality journals over a six-month period in 2019 and throughout 2021. Each paper was evaluated to determine whether the authors had reported (percentages of the papers properly providing the information are given in parentheses) the spectrometer (66%), fitting software (15%), x-ray source (40%), pass energy (10%), spot size (5%), synthetic peak shapes in fits (10%), backgrounds in fits (10%), whether the XPS data are shown in the main body of the paper or in the supporting information (or both), and whether fitted or unfitted spectra were shown (80% of published spectra are fit). The Shirley background is the most widely used background in XPS peak fitting. The Al Kα source is the most widely used x-ray source for XPS data collection. casaxps is the most widely used fitting program for XPS data analysis. There is good agreement between the results gathered during the two years of our survey. There are some hints the situation may be improving. This study also provides a list of the information/parameters that should be reported when XPS is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to enhance understanding of the use of sourcing teams (STs) by organisations in their procurement and supply chain management. The paper achieves this by exploring, within the context of the supply chain directorate of a global aerospace manufacturing company (GAMC), both the relationship between sourcing teamwork effectiveness (TE) and sourcing task-work effectiveness (TA) and the relationship between individual team member knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) and TE. Design/methodology/approach: The authors develop a theoretical model positing positive links between both KSAs and TE and TE and TA. The model is empirically validated using partial least squares structural equation modelling in a survey of 108 ST members from a GAMC. Findings: The authors identify that, within GAMC, four of five KSAs drive TE and further discover the direct effects of TE on improved TA. Additionally, the authors observe within GAMC the indirect effects of KSAs on TA cascading through TE. Research limitations/implications: Limitations include the use of a single firm and self-report measures for data collection. In spite of this, the paper has numerous research implications. Previous research on STs has combined factors related to TE and TA. In this paper, TE and TA were disaggregated, and the relationships between them were explored. The relationships were found to be positive within GAMC, a finding that strengthens the evidence base supporting the use of STs by organisations in their procurement and supply chain management. In addition, the paper also strengthened the evidence base regarding the importance of KSAs to TE, which complements existing research highlighting the importance of team-level factors and individual technical attributes. Practical implications: The findings from GAMC suggest that executives/managers should take an individual as well as a team-level perspective when developing STs and should consider KSAs as well as technical knowledge when judging individuals' suitability for inclusion within an ST. There are established KSA tests in the literature that could be used by managers for this task. The findings also inform executives/managers that TE matters for TA and needs attention and investment, especially where sourcing tasks concern high-value areas and/or critical incidents within supply chains. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to explore the relationship between TE and TA. Establishing that this relationship is a positive one provides critically important evidence regarding the efficacy of STs, which are widely used within procurement and supply chain management. It is also a rare study looking at TE from the perspective of individual team member KSAs, with further positive relationships revealed. Both findings enhance what is a very limited literature on a widely used practice within procurement and supply chain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collision accidents involving construction vehicles and workers frequently occur at construction sites. Computer vision (CV) technology presents an efficient solution for collision-risk pre-warning. However, CV-based methods are still relatively rare and need an enhancement of their performance. Therefore, a novel three-stage collision-risk pre-warning model for construction vehicles and workers is proposed in this paper. This model consists of an object-sensing module (OSM), a trajectory prediction module (TPM), and a collision-risk assessment module (CRAM). In the OSM, the YOLOv5 algorithm is applied to identify and locate construction vehicles and workers; meanwhile, the DeepSORT algorithm is applied to the real-time tracking of the construction vehicles and workers. As a result, the historical trajectories of vehicles and workers are sensed. The original coordinates of the data are transformed to common real-world coordinate systems for convenient subsequent data acquisition, comparison, and analysis. Subsequently, the data are provided to a second stage (TPM). In the TPM, the optimized transformer algorithm is used for a real-time trajectory prediction of the construction vehicles and workers. In this paper, we enhance the reliability of the general object detection and trajectory prediction methods in the construction environments. With the assistance afforded by the optimization of the model's hyperparameters, the prediction horizon is extended, and this gives the workers more time to take preventive measures. Finally, the prediction module indicates the possible trajectories of the vehicles and workers in the future and provides these trajectories to the CRAM. In the CRAM, the worker's collision-risk level is assessed by a multi-factor-based collision-risk assessment rule, which is innovatively proposed in the present work. The multi-factor-based assessment rule is quantitatively involved in three critical risk factors, i.e., velocity, hazardous zones, and proximity. Experiments are performed within two different construction site scenarios to evaluate the effectiveness of the collision-risk pre-warning model. The research results show that the proposed collision pre-warning model can accurately predict the collision-risk level of workers at construction sites, with good tracking and predicting effect and an efficient collision-risk pre-warning strategy. Compared to the classical models, such as social-GAN and social-LSTM, the transformer-based trajectory prediction model demonstrates a superior accuracy, with an average displacement error of 0.53 m on the construction sites. Additionally, the optimized transformer model is capable of predicting six additional time steps, which equates to approximately 1.8 s. The collision pre-warning model proposed in this paper can help improve the safety of construction vehicles and workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the received signal strength index (RSSI) in wireless positioning system, an improved weighted KNN fingerprint positioning algorithm is proposed in this paper. The algorithm pre-processes fingerprint data in offline stage that including eliminating outliers and Kalman filtering first, in order to improve the accuracy of data acquisition. Secondly, the fingerprint data is partitioned by using RSSI to attenuate obstacles such as walls. Then, points with significant RSSI differences in each region are selected as regional feature points, and the distance between RSSI of test points and feature points in each region is calculated respectively to determine the region in which the test points are located. Geometric method is used to analyse and define the correlation degree, and KNN is re-weighted to achieve accurate positioning in the region. Finally, experiments were carried out in the indoor environment to complete the establishment of the fingerprint database. Compared with the existing NN, KNN and WKNN, the experimental analysis results show that the accumulated error and average error are better than the traditional algorithm with the increase of measurement points, which has reference value for the complex environment positioning technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, deep learning (DL) based dynamic security assessment (DSA) methods have been very successful. However, although a DSA model can be trained well for a specific topology, it often does not perform well for other topologies. Since the topology in real‐world power systems is frequently changing, the performance reduction of DL‐based DSA methods is very serious, which is a challenging and urgent problem. This paper proposes a novel DSA method based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) to solve this problem. In the proposed method, a strong yet simple domain adaptation approach named adaptive batch normalization (AdaBN) is used, which significantly enhances the extensibility and generalizability of the DSA model when the topology changes and eliminates the need to train a large number of models. This approach achieves a deep adaptation effect by modulating the statistics from the source domain to the target domain in all batch normalization layers across the model. Unlike other domain adaptation methods, this method is parameter‐free, requires no additional components, and has advanced performance despite its simplicity. In addition, this paper introduces TGAN‐based data augmentation to deal with the difficulty of costly data collection and labelling. This data augmentation makes the proposed model applicable to small databases. The test results of the proposed method on IEEE 39‐bus and IEEE 118‐bus systems show that this method can evaluate system dynamic security during topology changes and in the face of data noise with high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study is to perform a scoping review of the literature to evaluate evidence showing the role of reinforcement strategies on student learning in medical education. Methods: coping review design represents a methodology that allows assessment of emerging evidence, as well as a first S step in research development. This scoping review includes research papers describing any teaching learning strategy or educational intervention that used Reinforcement of learning at any time during the learning process. Online databases were used to identify articles in the years 2009-2019, from which 10 publications from Canada and the United States and 6 from other nations were selected. Data collected from the sources were charted with the help of a self-developed form, inclusive of names of authors and year of publication, type of article, country of origin, sample size, objectives, and key findings of study. Results: This review shows that reinforcement strategies still have a high impact on student learning. Reinforcing the taught material in medical education enhances student learning and retention and a strengthening of knowledge, skills and attitudes contributes to enhanced learning throughout the continuum of medical education and plays a vital role in developing internally motivated lifelong learners. Conclusion: Evidence from literature suggests that there is extensive application of reinforcement strategies for enhancing learning in the field of medical education. Reinforcement of taught material has a positive impact on student learning and is an effective approach to medical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using procedural scaffoldings in fostering students’ group discourse levels and learning outcomes in a paper-plus-smartphone collaborative learning context. All participants used built-in camera smartphones to learn new knowledge by scanning Quick Response (QR) codes, a type of two-dimensional barcode, embedded in paper-based learning materials in this study. Sixty undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at a four-year university in southern Taiwan participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned into two different groups, using procedural scaffoldings learning and non-procedural scaffoldings learning. The learning unit about the Long Tail, an important concept used in products sales, was the learning task that participants were expected to complete. During the experiment, pretest–posttest and the completed group worksheets were used to collect data. The researchers applied content analyses, chi-square test, t-test, and ANCOVA to answer research questions. The findings indicated that participants in the experimental group using procedural scaffoldings achieved better learning outcomes than their counterparts in the control group in terms of group discourse levels, group learning, and individual learning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present field study compared pretest and posttest face validity perceptions, predictive validity perceptions, and fairness perceptions regarding a paper-and-pencil version and a computerized version of an in-basket exercise. Furthermore, the nature of these reactions and their relationship with test performance were examined. Data were collected among 205 applicants. Contrary to our expectations, minimal differences were found between applicant reactions to the computerized version and the paper-and-pencil version of the in-basket exercise. Results from structural equation modeling showed that applicants' general beliefs in tests affected pretest reactions. Applicants' test performance influenced posttest reactions via self-assessed test performance. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a report on experiences with paper- and personal digital assistant (PDA)-based data collection, during a study of community-acquired bloodstream infections in Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania. It is concluded that electronic data collection has several merits and has the potential to replace paper-based data collection. As stated, direct data entry using an electronic device is gaining popularity and has been able to replace the paper-based data entry system in several studies. The background, methods, results, and conclusions of the report, are discussed in detail.

abstract Researchers who are fortunate enough to collect large datasets sometimes wish to publish multiple papers using the same dataset. Unfortunately, there are few guidelines that authors can follow in managing these multiple papers. In this article, we address three main questions including: (i) how do authors know if they have a dataset truly worthy of multiple papers; (ii) what procedures do authors follow when they are ready to submit multiple papers from a single dataset to top tier journals; and (iii) what are the main issues when attempting to publish multiple papers from a single dataset? We provide a set of concrete recommendations for authors who wish to maximize their data collection efforts with multiple papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: The goal of this study was to provide recommended steps to assess measurement comparability using a crossover study design and to demonstrate these steps using a short patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument as an example. Methods: The example PRO instrument was administered via paper, Web, interactive voice response system, and interview; a randomized crossover design was used to gather data across the multiple administration types. Participants completed the PRO instrument, demographic and health questions, and a short preference questionnaire. Evaluation included comparisons of the item-level responses and agreement, comparison of mean scale scores, score classifications, and questions designed to collect usability and administration preference. Here the authors provide a four-step evaluation guide to evaluate measurement comparability and illustrate these steps using a case-finding tool. Results: In the example, item-level kappa statistics between the paper and the alternate versions ranged from good to excellent, intraclass correlation coefficient for mean scores were above 0.70, and the rate of disagreement ranged from 2% to 14%. In addition, although participants had an administration preference, they reported few difficulties with the versions they were assigned. Conclusions: The steps described in this article provide a guide for evaluating whether to combine scores across administration versions to simplify analyses and interpretation under a crossover design. The guide recommends the investigation of item-level responses, summary scores, and participant usability/preference when comparing versions, with each step providing unique information to support comprehensive evaluation and informed decisions regarding whether to combine data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study aims to determine the composition and the weight of individual single-use items (SUIs) generated in the selected fast-food restaurants (FFRs) in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data of SUIs consumed per day from 126 FFRs covering six popular fast food companies (FFCs). At the same time, waste from 30 FFRs was collected, and its composition and weight were determined. Consequently, the amount and composition of the waste varied among the studied FFCs and is dependent on the food menu, the number of franchises for each FFC, customer number, size, and the type of SUIs used at these restaurants. Total waste collected across the six FFCs was 6 t.d-1 and was equivalent to 1560 t.yr-1 in HCMC. Of which, singleuse plastic items (SUPIs) waste and single-use paper items (SUPaIs) waste accounted for 39% and 28%, respectively. The total weight of unnecessary SUPIs (condiment containers, straws, and forks) generated was about 44 t.yr-1. The results suggest that the necessity of standardizing the type and size of the SUIs used at the FFRs, phasing out the use of unnecessary SUPIs, improving the local waste management practices through material recovery and recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims at examining the global trends in digital library research based on data extracted from the Scopus database at the global, national, institutional and individual levels. Using performance indicators like total citations, the number of publications, h-index, total link strength the study aims to evaluate the prolific authors, organizations, countries, chronological growth of literature, document forms, most prolific journals, application of Lotkas's law to evaluate the author productivity and analysis of keywords to know the trending topics of research in Digital Libraries. The study uses VOSviewer to prepare the network map of organizational and country co-authorship analysis with clustering technique and MS-Excel for graphical and statistical analysis. The core findings are like the most productive year is 2019 and the number of publications increased rapidly from the starting year of data collection 2016. The results reveal that the USA is the most productive country in terms of the number of publications and impact with the University of Illinois the first rank in the list of prolific institutions. B Gipp from the University of Wuppertal is the most productive author. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses workflows involved with contributing print journal back runs to scanning and storage efforts. The purpose of these efforts was to alleviate space problems in a library by consolidating stacks that were formerly used to house runs of bound journals. This article contributes to the literature on serials withdrawal projects by demonstrating database designs for tracking contributions made to cooperative storage facilities as well as highlighting an innovative solution for tracking the required linear feet for housing bound print collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) using carbon isotopes has previously been shown to be a robust and discriminating technique for the comparison of document papers. This study aims to examine the inter and intra sample variability for oxygen isotopes measured in standard 80gsm white document papers, to inform the comparison of document papers in forensic casework. 123 paper samples collected from Australia and New Zealand over a 24-month period were measured for their bulk oxygen isotopic abundance and were found to sit within a range of 15‰. A homogeneity study was undertaken which included examining the variability of samples at the sheet, ream and brand source levels. The results of this study were used to construct guidelines for sample comparison and as such, 95% confidence intervals were observed to be inappropriate for use given the high intra sample variability. Instead, a 1.4‰ discrimination range (0.7‰ either side of the measured value) was defined for use as a benchmark for discrimination when samples were measured in the same sequence. Utilising this value, 82% of the samples could be discriminated using a paired comparison, demonstrating a strong potential for use within forensic casework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to carry out a content analysis on the papers published in high-impact educational journals between 2009 and 2014 and to identify the trends over the selected years. The criteria for the analysis were; number of authors, time between the submission and publication of the papers, keywords, the field and rationale of the study, sample size, descriptions of participants, data collection tools and analysis, and software. The current study was designed as a descriptive content analysis study and utilized a purposive sampling technique. A total of 789 papers were selected from the "Journal of Educational Psychology", "Educational Psychologist", "Educational Researcher" and "American Education Research Journal". Content analysis was employed to analyze the collected data. The results of the analyses showed that the most commonly studied fields were educational psychology, linguistic properties and mathematics in the four journals. In terms of the content, the rationales for writing the papers were generally related to gaps in the literature and theoretical discussion. It was found that generally, studies involving research were conducted with elementary/high school students and data was collected from large samples (larger than 10000) using achievement tests and questionnaires. It was revealed that concerning the trends in data analysis methods, there was a similar pattern from 1970s to date, and generally, multilevel modelling was used when appropriate to the data sets. This situation indicates standard data analyses are essential for researchers. From the findings of the current study, it is recommended for researchers to work with heterogenous sample and various types of participants together (family, teacher, peer, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The expansion of available data for research has transformed empirical labor economics over the past generation. This paper briefly highlights some of the changes and describes a few examples of papers that illustrate the advances. It also documents the changing ways data have been used in the Journal of Labor Economics over the past 30 years, including a trend toward a higher fraction of papers using any data and, among those papers using any data, a higher fraction using nonpublic data, a higher fraction using international data, and more frequent use of multiple data sources. Finally, this paper describes work that came out of the recent Princeton Data Improvement Initiative—a program that considers and furthers improved data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Swiss National Forest Inventory (NFI), information about the current condition and the changes of the Swiss forest is regularly collected (Brändli et al. (2020)). Data collection consists of on-the-ground surveys, remote-sensing analyses and an interview survey with the district foresters. The interview survey takes place every nine years and includes an update of the current situation of the forest road network, consisting of roads that can be used for wood extraction and transport. Information on the location of roads and their characteristics, such as the suitability for different vehicle classes, is important to assess the accessibility of the forest and to estimate costs for wood harvesting and transport. In all forest road surveys conducted up to now the forest road network was updated by drawing lines and writing predefined codes on paper maps by hand. In the third and fourth survey, information on road properties was later combined with existing digital road geometries, producing a spatial digital road dataset which could be analysed in a GIS (Fraefel and Fischer (2019)). However, the process to transfer the mapped properties from the paper maps to the digital road geometries (scanning, georeferencing, attribute entry) was very time-consuming. In addition, the growing number of road properties in the survey made it difficult to clearly display all the existing information on a fixed-scale paper map. For the current (fifth) NFI forest road survey, we have therefore developed a procedure that allows the interviewer to collect information about road network changes directly in a GIS, together with the forester, at the forester's office. This requires a user interface that plays together with a touch interface to make data entry similar to pen-and-paper mapping, easy to use even for non-GIS-specialists. At the same time, the system should be sufficiently mobile to be transported by car and offer a large screen for the clear representation of the previously collected information and easy map navigation within the survey area. Various tests and comparisons included different ways of manipulating existing features and drawing new ones; different touch interfaces; the display of information in the map; and the set-up of the user interface with, for example, custom buttons. The resulting tool has a number of benefits, compared to a survey on paper maps: no scanning and georeferencing is required (cost reduction); faster attribute assignment (from digital lines to existing road geometries); value domains and consistency constraints for data entry; the possibility to alert the interviewer to specific locations by turning layers on and off; and faster data availability through online transmission, if required. A drawback of the method is the need for additional hardware (screens and pen tablets) and some training with regard to the hardware and GIS software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference departments track patron interactions to illustrate the type and number of services provided as well as to tailor librarians’ time and expertise to the interest and needs of their patrons. Until 2010 the Reference, Education, and Community Engagement Department at the Calder Memorial Library tracked statistics using a complicated system of paper tic sheets and two Excel™ spreadsheets. After considering different electronic systems, the department decided to employ an electronic form created with SurveyMonkey™ to track patron interactions. After the system had been in place for three months, the authors administered a satisfaction and use survey to collect faculty and staff feedback on the new system. Seven months later the authors undertook usability testing to collect further evaluative data on the electronic form. The patron interaction form continues to be used to collect statistics, provide data for annual reviews, and recognize the contributions of all faculty and staff at the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groups of sensor nodes are called as sensor networks. They transmit sensed data to base station in cooperation with one another. An efficient use of power is important for increased network lifespan. Wireless sensor networks are tiny, light in weight, battery powered sensor nodes. Various parameters like clustering overhead, lifetime of network, energy hole, FND (first node dies) LND (last end dies) are optimized in WSN with the help of various proposed hybrid unequal clustering protocol. Another issue for data gathering in WSN is the hot spot or energy hole that are formed near sink node are also addressed. Various new emerging strategies laid stress on the best optimal usage of constrain resources like energy, memory and various other processing abilities. This paper addresses a review of different research works done in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to disclose ontology of DSI as a novel concept in servitization community, explore the research context and themes (i.e. technological and industrial sectors) where DSI emerges, unveil methodological complexities of the research on digital servitization and DSI and provide guidelines for future research avenues regarding DSI. Design/methodology/approach: Bearing in mind the relative novelty of DSI as a concept in servitization literature, the authors adopted a systematic literature review approach to identify 111 peer-reviewed articles published in English language and available in business and management disciplines via scholar databases (Scopus). The analysis of literature discloses descriptive and thematic insights regarding digital servitization and DSI. Findings: The study provides valuable insights from the descriptive and thematic analyses where classification of articles per publication year, citations, methodology/type of the paper, geographical location of data collection, as well as industrial sector and technological contexts are discussed. Moreover, the unique value of this study is observed through its specific focus on the characteristics of DSI-related literature. Originality/value: The study is among the first of its kind to provide extensive descriptive and thematic insights on the available literature dealing with digital servitization and DSI, mapping out prior research across a wide spectrum of publication outlets and illustrating the chronological evolution of research on digital servitization and DSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper unpacks our efforts as external evaluators to work toward decolonizing our evaluation practice. Undertaking this writing exercise as a form of reflective practice demonstrated that decolonization is much more complex than simply translating materials, organizing locals to collect data, and building participants' capacity around Western modalities. While this complexity is clear in the decolonization literature, practice-based examples that depict barriers and thought processes are rarely presented. Through this paper, we deconstruct our deeply held beliefs around what constitutes good evaluation to assess the effectiveness of our decolonizing approach. Through sharing our critical consciousness-raising dialoguing, this paper reports our progress thus far and provides information and provocations to support others attempting to decolonize their practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crashes involving large trucks have a significant association with increasing fatalities or serious injuries. Identifying the factors affecting large trucks crashes can be helpful in reducing the number of crashes and corresponded consequences. The purpose of this review was to appraise the published papers on factors affecting large truckinvolved crashes. Data were compiled through searching Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science using keywords included "large truck and accident severity", "large truck and accident", "large truck and crash severity", "large truck and crash", "large truck and fatal accident", "large truck and fatal crash", "large truck and injury", and "large truck and collide". The accomplishment process had two steps: excluding unrelated studies and reviewing related ones to select papers meeting the inclusion criteria. According to data collected, 31 papers achieved the inclusion criteria. The results indicated that speed, driver age, location type, collision type, seat belt wearing, light condition, vehicle technical condition, time, road surface condition, and accident type were common factors in the included papers. From the perspective of our study, speed, location type, and light condition seem to be the most frequent factors in crashes involving large trucks. The present study helps to access the studies on factors affecting the large truck-involved crashes. Thereby, the experts can perform measures to decrease the probability and severity of traffic accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study (RFGES) assessed the prevalence, burden, and associated factors of Disorders of Gut–Brain Interaction (DGBI) in 33 countries around the world. Achieving worldwide sampling necessitated use of two different surveying methods: In‐person household interviews (9 countries) and Internet surveys (26 countries). Two countries, China and Turkey, were surveyed with both methods. This paper examines the differences in the survey results with the two methods, as well as likely reasons for those differences. Methods: The two RFGES survey methods are described in detail, and differences in DGBI findings summarized for household versus Internet surveys globally, and in more detail for China and Turkey. Logistic regression analysis was used to elucidate factors contributing to these differences. Results: Overall, DGBI were only half as prevalent when assessed with household vs Internet surveys. Similar patterns of methodology‐related DGBI differences were seen within both China and Turkey, but prevalence differences between the survey methods were dramatically larger in Turkey. No clear reasons for outcome differences by survey method were identified, although greater relative reduction in bowel and anorectal versus upper gastrointestinal disorders when household versus Internet surveying was used suggests an inhibiting influence of social sensitivity. Conclusions: The findings strongly indicate that besides affecting data quality, manpower needs and data collection time and costs, the choice of survey method is a substantial determinant of symptom reporting and DGBI prevalence outcomes. This has important implications for future DGBI research and epidemiological research more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on legality of metadata collection in the U.S. under the U.S PATRIOT Act. Topics include the legal justification for the investigation of Americans' private telephone records, the data collection program implemented by the U.S. National Security Administration under U.S. President Barack Obama, and if such practices are a violation of privacy.

There are great interests of designing research metrics and indices to measure the research impacts in research institutes. Unfortunately, most of those indices ignore critical design issues, e.g. the disparity between domains, the impact of journals or conferences in which papers are published, normalising the range of the index values to certain intervals, and the scalability of using the index to rank different research entities. In this paper, a new normalised fuzzy index, (NFindex), is proposed as a fuzzy-based research impact metric. The proposed index is a scalable index whose values are normalised to the percentage levels. NFindex achieves both inter-discipline normalisation and intra-discipline consistency. The capability of NFindex to achieve the inter-discipline normalisation enables fair comparison between different research domains regardless their nature in terms of influence and contribution to other research areas, e.g. natural science. Therefore, NFindex gives a universal normalised single-number metric that can be used by research institutes to solve the problem of inter-discipline scholar ranking. Moreover, it can help universal ranking of universities and research institutes according to their research capabilities and impacts. The obtained results, on diverse research areas, prove the potential of NFindex in terms of both intra-discipline consistency and inter-discipline normalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of REMAH Journal is the property of Research & Development of Human Recourses Center (REMAH) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: During the scaling-up of a national Norwegian take-home naloxone (THN) program, data collection methods shifted from paper-based to electronic. The aim of this study was to explore staff preferences towards the shift in data collection.Methods: In January-February 2020, a survey was sent out via email to personnel involved with the THN program (n = 200). The survey included 17 questions, and covered staff demographics, experiences distributing THN, preferences towards data collection (both paper and electronically), and an open response section. Descriptive statistics were performed for the survey results. The open response section was recorded from each questionnaire and was coded into major themes by the authors.Results: In total, 122 staff completed the survey. Of these, 62% had experience with both electronic and paper-based forms, and there was a near unanimous preference towards electronic data collection over paper-based forms. From the free-text responses, staff found the electronic form to be a useful tool for conversation and overdose prevention education, and that the electronic form was easier to manage than the paper forms.Conclusion: The shift towards electronic data collection was necessary for the feasibility of the Norwegian national THN program. This study found that staff not only tolerated the shift, but in most cases preferred this organizational change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces the concept of load aggregation, which involves a comprehensive analysis of loads to acquire their external characteristics for the purpose of modeling and analyzing power systems. The online identification method is a computer-involved approach for data collection, processing, and system identification, commonly used for adaptive control and prediction. This paper proposes a method for dynamically aggregating large-scale adjustable loads to support high proportions of new energy integration, aiming to study the aggregation characteristics of regional large-scale adjustable loads using online identification techniques and feature extraction methods. The experiment selected 300 central air conditioners as the research subject and analyzed their regulation characteristics, economic efficiency, and comfort. The experimental results show that as the adjustment time of the air conditioner increases from 5 minutes to 35 minutes, the stable adjustment quantity during the adjustment period decreases from 28.46 to 3.57, indicating that air conditioning loads can be controlled over a long period and have better adjustment effects in the short term. Overall, the experimental results of this paper demonstrate that analyzing the aggregation characteristics of regional large-scale adjustable loads using online identification techniques and feature extraction algorithms is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver disease is an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality in the United Kingdom and can be challenging to live with in the advanced stages. There has been little research exploring the healthcare experiences of UK individuals with decompensated disease when the liver cannot carry out its functions properly. A PhD research project was developed with people who have liver disease to explore care experiences in decompensated advanced liver disease. Public involvement (PI) is an essential aspect of meaningful health research, and this paper reports on the progression of our PI approach in this ongoing study. Objective: To embed PI throughout the research project to ensure that the study is meaningful to individuals with liver disease and the people who support them. Methods: The research adopts a Constructivist Grounded Theory methodology to develop a theory of care experience. Various PI approaches were considered in developing the PI strategy for this qualitative study. Initially, Embedded consultation was the preferred model, which has evolved to include aspects of collaboration and coproduction. A PI group was set up to oversee the project through the national public engagement website VOICE, and reflections on PI from three members of the group are included in this paper to illuminate the PI process. Results: Six individuals with liver disease and three carers from across the United Kingdom are part of an ongoing PI group. Their role includes commenting on the findings of the systematic literature review for this project and contributing to decisions about recruitment, data collection and data analysis. Additionally, they had a direct impact on changing the focus of the research. The PI group will continue involvement until the completion of the project. Conclusion: Successfully embedding PI into doctoral research, as demonstrated in this project, requires commitment, planning and dedication to reciprocal working for the benefit of PI contributors as well as the research. This approach could be adopted by other postgraduate researchers. Patient or Public Contribution: This project is overseen by the PI group, whose contribution is described throughout, including reflections from three PI group members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the issues of the existing properties and the non-configurable supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) architecture, this paper proposes an IoT-centered open-source SCADA system for monitoring photovoltaic (PV) systems. The system consists of three voltage sensors and three current sensors for data accumulation from the PV panel, the battery, and the load. As a part of the system design, a relay is used that controls the load remotely. An ESP32-E microcontroller transmits the collected data to a Banana Pi M4 Berry (BPI-M4 Berry) through the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol over a privately established communication channel using Wi-Fi. The ESP32-E is configured as the MQTT publisher and the BPI-M4 Berry serves as the MQTT broker. Locally installed on the BPI-M4 Berry, the Node-RED platform creates highly customizable dashboards as human–machine interfaces (HMIs) to achieve real-time monitoring of the PV system. The proposed system was successfully tested to collect the PV system voltage/current/power data and to control the load in a supervisory way under a laboratory setup. The complete SCADA architecture details and test results for the PV system data during the total eclipse on 8 April 2024 and another day are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Unwarranted clinical variations in radical prostatectomy (RP) procedures are frequently reported, yet less attention is given to the variations in associated costs. This issue can further widen disparities in access to care and provoke questions about the overall value of the procedure. The present paper aimed to delve into the disparities in hospital, medical provider and out-of-pocket costs for RP procedures in Australia, discussing plausible causes and potential policy opportunities. Methods: A retrospective cohort study using Medibank Private claims data for RP procedures conducted in Australian hospitals between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2020 was undertaken. Results: Considerable variations in both medical provider and out-of-pocket costs were observed across the country, with variations evident between different states or territories. Particularly striking were the discrepancies in the costs charged by medical providers, with a notable contrast between the 10th and 90th percentiles revealing a substantial difference of A$9925. Hospitals in Australia exhibited relatively comparable charges for RP procedures. Conclusions: Initiatives such as enhancing transparency regarding individual medical provider costs and implementing fee regulations with healthcare providers may be useful in curbing the variations in RP procedure costs. What is known about the topic? Unwarranted clinical variations in radical prostatectomy procedures are well documented in the literature; however, variations in cost are less widely reported. What does this paper add? This paper aims to highlight the cost variations in radical prostatectomy procedures in Australia, discussing their plausible causes, implications and proposing potential policy opportunities. What are the implications for practitioners? Excessive fees imposed by medical providers may contribute to inequalities in healthcare access. Enhancing transparency of individual medical provider costs and implementing fee regulations may be useful in controlling unwarranted variations in procedure costs. This article belongs to the Special Issue: Value-based Healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods in Intercultural Pragmatics are inherently multifaceted and varied, given discipline's breaching of numerous cross-disciplinary boundaries. In fact, research in Intercultural Pragmatics represents merely new ways of thinking about language and, thus, of researching interactants' (non-)verbal behaviors: With core common ground and shared knowledge about conventionalized frames of the target language being limited, intercultural communication features a number of unique characteristics in comparison to L1 communication. This being said, the range of methods employed in data collection and analysis in Intercultural Pragmatics is not only wide, but highly heterogeneous at the same time. The present paper takes a scientometric approach to data collection methods and data types in Intercultural Pragmatics research. In order to provide an extensive diachronic survey of methods and approaches featuring in empirical studies published specifically by the journal Intercultural Pragmatics (edited by Istvan Kecskés), this study includes a self-compiled corpus of 358 papers in 17 volumes published since its launch in 2004 thru 2020. The aim is to carve out diachronic method preferences and emerging as well as declining trends in data collection methods and data types adhered to within this discipline. These are further discussed within the context of relevant state-of-the-art accounts that have specifically offered surveys of methods and methodologies pertaining to issues in data collection and data analysis in (Intercultural) Pragmatics in recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over a period of the past 15–20 years, the Russian Government implemented the Arctic Mega Project for geological and comprehensive study of the Arctic Ocean. In this paper we discuss the methods that were used in the implementation of this project. In the course of several expeditions, multiple types of data were acquired, which included: (1) seismic data of different types, (2) subbottom profiler data, (3) geological sampling on slopes of the Mendeleev Rise with the use of special equipment, (4) borehole drilling, (5) gravity and magnetic anomalies, (6) offshore geodetic data, (7) multi-beam bathymetry surveys, and (8) field surveys on multiple Arctic islands. Several nuclear icebreakers and a scientific research submarine were deployed in these operations. Specifically, more than 23,000 km of 2D multi-channel seismic lines and more than 4000 km of wide-angle refraction/reflection seismic lines were acquired, in addition to subbottom profiles for the Eurasia Basin and new bathymetric data of the Arctic Ocean. The new database is intended to facilitate the development of new insights into Arctic geology and geodynamics and contribute to a better understanding of the structure and tectonic evolution of the Arctic Ocean as a whole. • Arctic Ocean mega project in geosciences. • Geological sampling on slopes of the Mendeleev Rise. • New and improved geophysical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital Pathology Systems (DPS) are dynamic, image-based computer systems that enable the acquisition, management, and interpretation of pathology information generated from digitized glass slides. This article provides a roadmap for (1) qualification of a whole slide scanner (WSS) during a validation project, (2) validation of software required to generate the whole slide image (WSI), and (3) an introduction to visual digital image evaluation and image analysis. It describes a validation approach that can be utilized when validating a DPS. It is not the intent of this article to provide guidance on when validation of DPS is required. Rather, the article focuses on technical aspects of validation of the WSS system (WSS, IT infrastructure, and associated software) portion of a DPS and covers the processes of setting up the WSS for scanning a glass slide through saving a WSI on a server. Validation of a computerized system, such as a DPS, for use in a regulated nonclinical environment is governed by Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 21 part 11: Electronic Records; Electronic Signature and predicate rules associated with Good Laboratory Practices documents including 21 CFR part 58. Similar regulation and predicate rules apply in the European Union and Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically review and synthesize the scale development practices in hospitality and tourism and propose updated guidelines applicable for both reflective and composite scales. Design/methodology/approach: Using a critical review of a sample of scale development papers published in six top-tier tourism and hospitality journals, the current guidelines' weaknesses and strengths and their applications are identified. Updated procedures are proposed to overcome these weaknesses. Findings: This review showed several issues in applying existing guidelines, including incomplete and unclear data collection processes, inconsistent data analysis processes including validity/reliability assessment and lack of criteria to identify and assess composite scales. As such, this paper proposes updated guidelines by incorporating the confirmatory composite analysis to assess composite scales. Originality/value: This paper offers unique theoretical and methodological contributions to scale development literature, by identifying the shortcomings of current practices of scale development and propose guidelines for both reflective and composite scales. The current scale development procedures cannot be applied for composite scales, and so the results of composite scale development using the current procedures are questionable. The updated guidelines by the current study improve new scales' accuracy, reliability and validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]