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Over the past 50 years, consumer researchers have presented extensive evidence that consumer preference can be swayed by the decision context, particularly the configuration of the choice set. Importantly, behavioral research on context effects has inspired prominent quantitative research on multialternative decision-making published in leading psychology, management, economics, and general interest journals. While both streams of research seem to agree that context effects are an important research area, there has been relatively limited interaction, communication, and collaboration between the two research camps. In this article, we seek to initiate an active dialogue between the two sides. We begin by providing a critical overview of the two literatures on context effects, discussing both their strengths and weaknesses, as well as disparities and complementarities. Here, we place particular emphasis on deepening consumer researchers' understanding of context effects by drawing on prominent quantitative research published in non-marketing journals over the last decades. Importantly, we provide a roadmap for the future that can inspire further research and potential collaborations between the two camps, overcoming silos in knowledge creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-profit organisations are increasingly collaborating with celebrities to increase charitable donations. Consequently, choosing the right endorser to promote charitable giving is central to the communication strategy. The present research investigates how the attractiveness and credibility of celebrities, as well as cause-endorser matchup and meaning transfer, influence people's donations. This research provides evidence of serial and parallel mediation effects by measuring and manipulating the four constructs in four separate studies. We demonstrate that credibility mediates the effect of attractiveness on generosity. Additionally, we highlight two legitimation pathways to explain how attractive endorsers become perceived as more credible cause promoters. This study provides a comprehensive model that illustrates, through an affective-cognitive-conative sequence, how attractiveness, congruence and meaning, and then credibility leads to charitable donations. Accordingly, we provide non-profit organisations with concrete and actionable recommendations for selecting celebrity endorsers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients increasingly rely on online physician ratings to select their physicians and make health care decisions. However, it is unclear whether online physician ratings signal physician quality information and affect patients' physician choices. By combining physician rating data from Yelp with data from Medicare, which covers a large elderly patient group, the authors find that ratings are positively associated with important measures of physician quality, including physicians' credentials, adherence to clinical guidelines, and patients' health outcomes. They introduce novel instrumental variables, where reviewers' leniency in rating other businesses is employed as an instrument for physicians' ratings. They find that an increase in physicians' average rating increases physicians' patient flow. To understand the quality signals that patients respond to, the authors also use the latent Dirichlet allocation model and extract topics from review texts. Patients respond differentially to different information and respond most to information about physicians' interpersonal and clinical skills. In addition, rating credibility, accessibility, and strength of other existent signals moderate the positive effects of online ratings on patient flow. Overall, online physician rating platforms can promote efficiency by disseminating important quality information to patients and directing patients to higher-quality physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Making good health insurance decisions is important for health outcomes and longevity, but consumers' errors are well documented. The authors examine whether targeted choice architecture interventions can reduce these mistakes. The article examines the interaction of two choice architecture tools on improved consumer insurance decisions in online health care exchanges: (1) ordering the options from best to worst based on a high-quality user model and (2) partitioning the total set of options. Although ordering and partitioning do not always improve choices separately, the authors use one field study and three experiments to identify the conditions that allow the combination to greatly improve health insurance decisions. Findings indicate that when options are ordered such that the best options appear at the beginning of the presented list, partitioning nudges consumers to focus on the best options. However, if the best options are not at the top of the list, partitioning discourages search and can impair consumers' discovery of the best options. Process data show that these effects are achieved by focusing consumers' limited attention on higher-quality options. These results suggest that wise choice architecture interventions need to consider the joint effect of choice architecture tools as well as the quality of the firm's user model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many low-cost or semiempirical quantum mechanical-based electronic structure methods suffer from the use of unpolarized minimal atomic orbital (AO) basis sets. In this work, we overcome this limitation by a fully DFT variationally optimized, adaptive minimal basis set consistently available for the elements up to radon (Z = 86). The new key feature is to make the linear coefficients of the primitive Gaussians in a contracted AO dependent on the effective atomic charge of the atom in the molecule, i.e., each symmetry-unique atom obtains its "own" specifically adapted basis functions. In this way, the physically important "breathing" of the AOs in a molecule with (a) atomic charge (expansion/contraction for anionic/cationic states) and (b) the number of close-lying bonded neighbor atoms is accounted for. The required atomic charges are obtained from a specially developed extended Hückel type Hamiltonian and the coordination numbers from the molecule geometry. Proper analytical derivatives of the resulting adaptive basis functions can easily be derived. Moreover, the basis functions are electric field-dependent, thus improving the description of, e.g., dipole moments and polarizabilities. The new basis set termed q-vSZP (charge dependent valence single-ζ, polarized) is thoroughly benchmarked for atomic/molecular and thermochemical properties compared to standard minimal and double-ζ basis sets at the DFT level with the accurate ωB97X-D4 functional. It is shown that q-vSZP is clearly superior to existing minimal basis sets, often reaching double-ζ quality or even better results. We expect it to be the optimal choice in future semiempirical quantum mechanical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every day, we learn about others' decisions from various sources. We perceive some of these decisions as choices and others as rejections. Does the mere perception of another's decision as a choice versus as a rejection influence our own behavior? Are we more likely to conform to another's decision if we view it in one way or the other? The current research investigates the social influence of decision frames. Eight studies, including a field study conducted during a livestreaming event hosted by an influencer with over 1.5 million followers, find that people are more likely to conform to another's decision if it is perceived as a rejection than if it is perceived as a choice. This effect happens because consumers are more likely to attribute another's decision to product quality as opposed to personal preference, when consumers perceive another's decision as a rejection than as a choice. The inference about quality versus personal preference in turn increases conformity. This research bridges the existing literatures on decision framing, social influence, and perceptions of quality and personal preference, and it offers important implications for marketers and influencers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of sacred values and fanaticism in relation to historical events and contemporary philosophical perspectives. It explores how individuals sacralize certain values, leading to devotion that can be inviolable, incontestable, and dialectically invulnerable. The text also delves into the risks of fanaticism associated with holding sacred values and suggests cultivating openness and flexibility in devotional attitudes to avoid fanaticism. The author raises critical questions about the worth and implications of adopting sacred values, prompting readers to reflect on the complexities of human devotional activity and its existential implications. [Extracted from the article]

Parental choice remains a central theme in education policy in England. Parents have the right to choose how their children are educated. For some families this choice is surrendered, with volition and intention, to their local authority which allocates school places after parents, statutory guardians and families have made their decisions. Where applicable, after parents have selected mainstream education for children with SEND, their child might be evaluated, and a recommendation made for their child to undergo a managed move; typically to join a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) or Alternative Provision (AP). In this think piece, we advocate for PRUs and APs to sit alongside mainstream and special education schools to offer a more balanced first choice for parents. This means PRUs and APs are not ‘othered’ in this choice offer for parents. There are academic, psycho‐social, emotional, well‐being and self‐affirming complexities which could, and quite frankly, tend to result in the pupils and students accessing settings such as these which appear to be othered in this way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we presented a financial analysis of the values of financial losses for real data in light of a set of indicators for measuring financial risks. The value-at-risk (VAR), tail mean–variance (TMV), tail-VAR (TVAR), tail variance (TV), Peaks Over a Random Threshold Value-at-Risk (PORT-VAR) and the mean of order P (MOO P ) indicators are used in identifying and describing important events or outliers within US financial indemnity loss data. Some extreme financial value theory (EFVT) models are compared in view of financial indemnity loss data and according to some confidence levels. The paper provided a clear financial framework for financial institutions to help them avoid large, sudden losses. Therefore, financial data with a long tail to the right were chosen, and several financial risk measures were used that study and analyze the behavior of the long tail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion-like states in animals are commonly assessed using judgment bias tests that measure judgements of ambiguous cues. Some studies have used these tests to argue for emotion-like states in insects. However, most of these results could have other explanations, including changes in motivation and attention. To control for these explanations, we developed a novel judgment bias test, requiring bumblebees to make an active choice indicating their interpretation of ambiguous stimuli. Bumblebees were trained to associate high or low rewards, in two different reward chambers, with distinct colours. We subsequently presented bees with ambiguous colours between the two learnt colours. In response, physically stressed bees were less likely than control bees to enter the reward chamber associated with high reward. Signal detection and drift diffusion models showed that stressed bees were more likely to choose low reward locations in response to ambiguous cues. The signal detection model further showed that the behaviour of stressed bees was explained by a reduction in the estimated probability of high rewards. We thus provide strong evidence for judgement biases in bees and suggest that their stress-induced behaviour is explained by reduced expectation of higher rewards, as expected for a pessimistic judgement bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: and Aim of study: Endotracheal intubation in pediatric patients might be challenging due to anatomical variances. One problem is selecting the appropriate size of endotracheal tube for intubation (1). Choosing the right Endotracheal tube size is crucial, especially for young patients. Using an incorrectly sized ETT can have serious consequences, including death. Various methods are used to estimate correct ETT size based on patient demographics, such as age, weight, and height. Some anesthesiologists use the diameter of the little finger for crude estimation. However, these methods have poor agreement with the actual ETT size appropriate for the patient. This study evaluated the efficacy of ultrasonographic assessment of ETT size to the usual age-based calculation. Material and Method: This cross sectional randomised study was done on 72 patients undergoing elective procedures at the Department of Anaesthesiology, Integral Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, between September 2022 and March 2024, after institutional ethics committee permission. Patients were separated into two groups of 36 each. Group A's ETT size was approximated using Pennington's method. Group B where ETT size was assessed by ultrasonography. The results were evaluated using descriptive statistics and compared between groups. Categorical data were summarized as proportions and percentages (%), whereas discrete data were reported as mean ± SD. Results: Insertion of ETT estimated by ultrasound had greater rate of successful insertion in first attempt, easy insertion and less postoperative complications when compared to ETT size estimated by Penlington's formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document provides a historical overview of sexology, tracing its origins in Germany in the early 20th century and its subsequent development in the United States. It highlights key figures, institutions, and events that shaped the field, emphasizing the interdisciplinary approach and advocacy for sexual reform. The text also discusses the impact of societal shifts, the role of Jewish sexologists, and the resurgence of sexology in the United States post-World War II. Additionally, it explores the field's evolution towards sexual health, rights, and pleasure, culminating in the issuance of declarations and collaborations with organizations like the WHO. The document concludes by addressing current challenges and the importance of advocacy efforts to advance sexual health and rights globally. [Extracted from the article]

How maximal safe resection of glioblastoma (GBM) is implemented in the clinical setting remains understudied. Here, we utilized a survey-based approach to understand physician perspectives on this matter. Scenarios involving GBMs were presented to physicians who were asked to select from planned subtotal resection, gross total resection (GTR), medical therapy only, or palliative care. Demographic, experience, and Likert scales of value assessment were collected. In the scenario involving a corpus callosum GBM, 2.33% opted for GTR. For a right frontal GBM, 91.7% opted for GTR. In contrast, only 30.8% chose GTR of a right motor strip GBM (P < 0.001). When presented with a left motor strip GBM, fewer respondents (12.7%, P < 0.001) opted for GTR. Physicians who placed a high value on preserving physical independence were more likely to forgo GTR for right motor GBMs (hazard ratio = 0.068, 95% confidence interval: 0.47–0.97, P = 0.035), and physicians who placed a high value on their faith were more likely to opt for surgical treatments that differ from the general consensus, for instance opting for GTR of the corpus callosum GBM (hazard ratio = 4.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.63–10.74, P = 0.003). No other associations were found between the choice for GTR and other variables collected. Our results suggest that while maximal safe resection remains a guiding principle for GBM resection, physician preference in terms of the extent of resection varies significantly as a function of tumor location and personal values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of secondary tracheal tumours following lung cancer surgery is notably low. Patients with tracheal tumours typically present with symptoms such as coughing, sputum production, haemoptysis, wheezing, stridor, and dyspnoea. In cases of peripheral structure invasion, symptoms may further extend to hoarseness and dysphagia. Initial symptoms may be notably non-distinct. However, the development of pronounced airway symptoms often signifies a critical condition. Case presentation: A 70-year-old male with severe chest tightness and asthma was transferred to our hospital for emergency treatment. He had undergone left pneumonectomy for non-small cell carcinoma of the left upper lobe of the lung 3 years prior. The examination confirmed that a secondary tumour originated from the left main bronchus and extended to the carina, occupying 90% of the diameter of the tracheal lumen. To relieve the patient's emergency airway, we chose right thoracoscopic resection of the tracheal tumour assisted by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), which provides extracorporeal lung support and a good surgical field. Conclusion: In patients with secondary tracheal tumours after left pneumonectomy for lung cancer, perioperative airway management is challenging for anaesthesiologists, and patients' oxygenation should receive close attention. This article describes the airway management process of this patient for reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The Dorling map, a special type of thematic map, is a widely employed tool for visualizing geospatial statistical data. It transforms regions into circles with areas proportionate to statistical values while endeavoring to maintain regional spatial relationships. Notably, two types of Dorling maps emerge, distinguished by their consideration of regional continuity: continuous and discontinuous Dorling maps. However, as of yet, the discrepancies between these two types remain inconclusive. In this paper, we employ an eye‐tracking method to investigate the efficacy of Dorling maps in two common application scenarios, namely unpurposed browsing tasks and purposeful reading tasks. To this end, we administer tasks involving region search, attribute comparison/recognition/memory, conditional selection, relationship judgment, summary, and subjective evaluation. Subsequently, we perform a statistical analysis of the eye movement data of participants when they complete the above tasks in the continuous and discontinuous Dorling maps. The results indicate that the discontinuous Dorling maps are significantly better than the continuous ones in interpretation time for forward and reverse region search, selecting conditions, and judging adjacent relationships. Continuous Dorling maps significantly outperform discontinuous maps in terms of search efficiency during attribute comparison. Moreover, continuous maps significantly outperformed discontinuous maps in terms of cognitive supplementation or reprocessing of previous regions during conditional selection. This study can help users choose the right form of Dorling map visualization according to their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To quantify the frequency and patterns of clinicians' use of choice frames when discussing preference-sensitive care with surrogate decision-makers in the ICU. DESIGN: Secondary sequential content analysis. SETTING: One hundred one audio-recorded and transcribed conferences between surrogates and clinicians of incapacitated, critically ill adults from a prospective, multicenter cohort study. SUBJECTS: Surrogate decision-makers and clinicians. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Four coders identified preference-sensitive decision episodes addressed in the meetings, including topics such as mechanical ventilation, renal replacement, and overall goals of care. Prior critical care literature provided specific topics identified as preference-sensitive specific to the critical care context. Coders then examined each decision episode for the types of choice frames used by clinicians. The choice frames were selected a priori based on decision science literature. In total, there were 202 decision episodes across the 101 transcripts, with 20.3% of the decision episodes discussing mechanical ventilation, 19.3% overall goals of care, 14.4% renal replacement therapy, 14.4% post-discharge care (i.e. discharge location such as a skilled nursing facility), and the remaining 32.1% other topics. Clinicians used default framing, in which an option is presented that will be carried out if another option is not actively chosen, more frequently than any other choice frame (127 or 62.9% of decision episodes). Clinicians presented a polar interrogative, or a "yes or no question" to accept or reject a specific care choice, in 43 (21.3%) decision episodes. Clinicians more frequently presented options emphasizing both potential losses and gains rather than either in isolation. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians frequently use default framing and polar questions when discussing preference-sensitive choices with surrogate decision-makers, which are known to be powerful nudges. Future work should focus on designing interventions promoting the informed use of these and the other most common choice frames used by practicing clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The transition from paediatric to adult diabetes care (TPA) of children/adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) represents a unique challenge and remains a critical phase in the T1D care pathway. This study aims to describe and understand the experience of the transition process from a participant's perspective in young adults who are living in France with T1D and to measure their satisfaction. Methods: An online questionnaire was presented to people with T1D in France on a global online participant community platform. The questionnaire was developed by a scientific committee including paediatric and adult diabetologists and refined by a group of participants. Thematic qualitative analysis was performed on the responses. Results: A total of 104 respondents were included in the survey (mean age 24.4 years [95% CI 23.8–25.0]; 61.5% female). The mean age at the time of transition was 18.4 years (95% CI 17.8–18.9), and 56% of respondents had their first adult diabetology follow-up in the same institution. During TPA, of the 76 participants who experienced personal issues, 74% experienced at least one issue with their diabetes management in the months following the transition. In the following months, 61% experienced new or unexpected problems in monitoring their diabetes after transition and 44% reported unusual glycaemic imbalances, including hypoglycaemia (8%) and hyperglycaemia (9%) requiring hospitalisation. Presence of personal issues during TPA was significantly associated with occurrence of problems with diabetes management or glycaemic imbalance. Three factors identified for a successful transition were (i) early meeting with the 'adult' diabetes care team, (ii) letting the participants choose the right age to leave paediatric clinic and (iii) having good diabetes control at the beginning of the TPA process. Conclusion: Most young adults with T1D report experiencing issues around TPA with significant consequences on their disease management. Hence, it is necessary to identify these issues to better support them and improve diabetes management during this phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's multiple interests intersect with their participation in informal learning practices in dynamic ways. Using a theoretical framework illustrating interest as a multifaceted construct that has different forms and a range of scope and durability, this study investigates how children's situational interests and individual interests are developed and reinforced and how they support micro-practices (i.e., any small practices, actions, activities, interactions that occur moment-by-moment) and vice versa. From a larger data set collected from one-time family science learning sessions at a museum, three children (aged 6–10) were strategically sampled to foreground an enhanced understanding of how interest and participation in practice mutually constitute each other. Using video-based interaction analysis, our case study of three children illustrates different patterns where micro-practices intersect with different types of interests at the museum. Even in the same environment with the same exhibits, each child from this case study constructed a unique pathway of forming the collection of micro-practices that was constantly interacting with situational interests and individual interests in specific disciplines, topics, exhibits, or any other various targets. For example, when having a strongly existing individual interest in a specific science discipline, one child's micro-practices were mainly driven by making choices of exhibits that are related to his science interest, while another child did not actively choose exhibits but found her own creative ways to connect her science interest and other new interests. Our study contributes to a more robust conception of interest that highlights the intertwining of multiple, malleable, and moment-by-moment interests and micro-practices in the museum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HTST (high-temperature short-time) pasteurization and UHT (ultra-high-temperature) sterilization are techniques commonly used in the dairy industry. Although the use of these methods in fruit and vegetable processing is also well known, the multitude of diverse food matrices determines the need to test and adjust process parameters in order to obtain the best quality of the final product. HTST and UHT are methods that provide effective inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes. Despite the fact that UHT and HTST are thermal processes that cause degradation of bioactive ingredients or color change, in many cases, these two methods are superior to traditional pasteurization, which uses significantly longer exposures to high temperatures. Therefore, this article aims to review the effect of HTST and UHT processing on the quality of juices, nectars and beverages, taking into consideration the quality characteristics, like the presence of microorganisms, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, turbidity, color parameters, contents of bioactive components, antioxidant activity, enzymatic activity and volatile compounds. The impacts of HTST and UHT methods on various food products are discussed, including the food matrix, preservation parameters and the mechanism of interaction. The ability to modify the processing parameters can allow for the selection of adequate preservation parameters for individual products and better results than other unconventional methods, such as HPP (high-pressure processing) or PEF (pulsed electric field). Based on the cited literature, it can be concluded that pH, titratable acidity and TSS most often experience slight changes. As for the other parameters considered, it is extremely important to choose the right temperature and duration for a specific food matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of green roofs, a low-impact development practice, can be an effective means of reducing direct runoff in urban centers. Green roof modeling can enable efficient design by preliminarily grasping the behavior of the green roof system according to specific configurations. In this study, we aimed to find appropriate evapotranspiration and parameter optimization schemes for HYDRUS-1D, a commonly used modeling tool for green roofs. Comparative studies of this sort in the context of green roof runoff modeling have not been conducted previously and are important in guiding users to overcome the difficulties of choosing the right numerical schemes for an accurate prediction of runoff from a green roof. As a study site, the Portland Building Ecoroof in Portland, Oregon, USA, was chosen, as green roof configurations and observed data for climate and runoff were available. From the simulation results of the runoff volume, the Blaney–Criddle method, which was considered an alternative, was found to be appropriate for calculating evapotranspiration from a green roof (R2 = 0.82) relative to the Hargreaves method built in HYDRUS-1D (R2 = 0.46). In addition, this study showed that the optimization method using the harmony search algorithm, which was proposed as an alternative optimizer, was better (R2 = 0.95) than that of the HYDRUS-1D's own optimization module (R2 = 0.82) in calibrating HYDRUS-1D for green roof runoff. The findings are thought to be useful in guiding modelers who are considering using HYDRUS-1D for green roof runoff simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating machine learning and data mining is crucial for processing big data and extracting valuable insights to enhance decision-making. However, imbalanced target variables within big data present technical challenges that hinder the performance of supervised learning classifiers on key evaluation metrics, limiting their overall effectiveness. This study presents a comprehensive review of both common and recently developed Supervised Learning Classifiers (SLCs) and evaluates their performance in data-driven decision-making. The evaluation uses various metrics, with a particular focus on the Harmonic Mean Score (F-1 score) on an imbalanced real-world bank target marketing dataset. The findings indicate that grid-search random forest and random-search random forest excel in Precision and area under the curve, while Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) outperforms other traditional classifiers in terms of F-1 score. Employing oversampling methods to address the imbalanced data shows significant performance improvement in XGBoost, delivering superior results across all metrics, particularly when using the SMOTE variant known as the BorderlineSMOTE2 technique. The study concludes several key factors for effectively addressing the challenges of supervised learning with imbalanced datasets. These factors include the importance of selecting appropriate datasets for training and testing, choosing the right classifiers, employing effective techniques for processing and handling imbalanced datasets, and identifying suitable metrics for performance evaluation. Additionally, factors also entail the utilisation of effective exploratory data analysis in conjunction with visualisation techniques to yield insights conducive to data-driven decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of gender equality among citizens lies in its potential to foster social justice, reduce inequalities, and promote democracy. This, in turn, establishes a socio-political environment that is favorable for the country's development. This phenomenon is believed to be influenced by a variety of factors, according to researchers. Online media appears to be a significant factor in the context of gender equality. The purpose of this research is to investigate the direct and indirect impacts of online media on gender equality by examining the cultural values of "people's voice" and "choice." The data used in this study is derived from the seventh wave of the World Values Survey, which included a sample of 1,499 participants from Iran. The results, which were acquired through structural equation modeling and partial least squares (PLS) analysis using Smart PLS software, suggest that online media has a direct, positive, and substantial influence on the inclination of citizens toward gender equality. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the cultural values of "people's voice" and "choice" can indirectly increase citizens' propensity for gender equality through the use of online media. Thus, the results affirm that the empirical data supports and validates the theoretical model of this study. This study underscores the critical role of online media in the promotion of gender equality, illustrating its influence both directly and through cultural values that empower citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of distrust and its impact on individuals' rights and well-being. It specifically focuses on the historical context of the Tuskegee Study and how it has contributed to the distrust of the healthcare system among black Americans. The author argues that distrust can hinder individuals' view of their rightful opportunities and compromise their autonomy and dignity. The article proposes principles for an "ethics of distrust" to minimize the creation of distrust. It also discusses the value of well-placed trust in allowing individuals to exercise their rights and make choices based on the assumption that their rights will be respected. The text concludes by calling for further exploration of the ethics of distrust and the development of principles to address its impact. [Extracted from the article]

This paper explores the social structure of individual autonomy in Europe. Drawing on the capability approach and human empowerment theory, it investigates how individuals' sense of autonomy is structured by individual means and conversion factors as well as economic, cultural, and institutional context conditions. Using data from the European Social Survey and the European Quality of Life Survey, these relationships are analyzed for 107,070 individuals in 18 European countries and four points in time between 2006 and 2016. Multilevel analyses reveal financial security, health, and social connectedness as the most important drivers of individuals' sense of autonomy. On the macro level, national wealth, civil liberties, and an emancipative value climate are all found to be positively linked to individuals' sense of autonomy, albeit weakly. Considering the value individuals attach to leading an autonomous life and the beneficial effects autonomy has been shown to have on people's well-being, these findings shed first light on the unequal distribution of autonomy and autonomy resources on the individual and macro levels. Concluding, the paper highlights the potential for future research and policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trading picks is a common transaction observed in sporting leagues that employ player drafts. However, many current and revised draft formats employed by professional leagues allow for the trading of picks in the current year for those in the future. This in turn raises a question of an appropriate rate of discount which can be used to account for the delay in relinquishing current picks for those in the future. This study proposes a discount rate function in the Australian Football League based on the difference between a player's contribution to his team in his first season to that of his career. The findings reveal a varying discount rate that decreases with the progression of the draft ranging between 42% and 51%, given the increasing deviation of post draft outcomes in the same range. Furthermore, after discounting said picks for four years, the variance in pick reduced considerably as poor performers are delisted after their initial contract period. Upon adopting the model to evaluate previous trades, it is evident that almost all parties infer a higher value on current year selections than future selections (discounting future picks by up to 120%), seeking instant returns over deferred options. Hence, a decision maker trying to capitalise on pick value only would be better off deferring the right to choose in the current year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe gross mechanical efficiency of the manual wheelchair propulsion movement is particularly low compared to other movements. The energy losses in the manual wheelchair propulsion movement are partly due to energy losses associated with the wheelchair, and especially to the rolling resistance of the wheels. The distribution of mass between the front rear wheels and the caster wheels has a significant impact on the rolling resistance. The study of the caster wheels cannot therefore be neglected due to their involvement in rolling resistance. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the power dissipated due to rolling resistance by different caster wheels, at different speeds and under different loadings on various terrains. Four caster wheels of different shapes, diameters, and materials were tested on two surfaces representative of indoor sports surfaces at four different speeds and under four loadings. The results showed a minimal dissipated power of 0.4±0.2W for the skate caster, on the parquet, at 0.5 m/s and under a loading of 50 N. The maximal mean power dissipated was 43.3±27.6W still for the skate caster, but on the Taraflex, at 1.5 m/s and under loading of 200 N. The power dissipated on the parquet was lower than the one on the Taraflex. The Spherical and Omniwheel caster wheels dissipated less power than the two other casters. This study showed that caster wheels cannot be neglected in the assessment of gross mechanical efficiency, particularly in light of the power dissipated by athletes during propulsion.Highlights the importance of choosing the right front casters depending on the conditions of use of the manual wheelchair.First study to evaluate power dissipation due to rolling resistance in front casters during wheelchair propulsion.Shows that a Taraflex type floor is not suitable for wheelchair sports performance and injury prevention purposes and lower musculoskeletal constraints with equivalent performance.Highlights the importance of choosing the right front casters depending on the conditions of use of the manual wheelchair.First study to evaluate power dissipation due to rolling resistance in front casters during wheelchair propulsion.Shows that a Taraflex type floor is not suitable for wheelchair sports performance and injury prevention purposes and lower musculoskeletal constraints with equivalent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metals in medicine is a distinct and mature field of investigation. Its progress in recent times cannot be denied, as it provides opportunities to advance our knowledge of the properties, speciation, reactivity and biological effects of metals in a medicinal context. The development of novel Pt(II) compounds to combat cancer continues to make valuable contributions but it has not yet achieved a complete cure. The chemistry of this field is basic for drug design improvements and our analysis of the chemical procedures is a practical tool for achieving effective Pt(II) anticancer drugs. We present chemical approaches in a manner that can be used to strategically plot new synthetic routes choosing right pathways. Clarifying the chemical challenge will help the scientific community to be aware of the ease and/or difficulty of the procedure before and after further studies, such as speciation, reactivity and biological action which are also very arduous and costly. The work provides information to tackle many challenges in chemistry, combining the knowledge on the Pt(II) reagent preparation together with the reactivity of the biological units used in the Pt(II) drug design. We discuss and include the description of the chemical reactions, the importance of multiple steps and the right order of such reactions to achieve the final drugs, analyzing the coordination principles as well as the organic and organometallic basis. This thorough study of the routes helps to detect the simpler or more complicated reactivity and will serve to improve the synthesis performance with possible post-modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Refugees and conflict‐affected areas are often unreached by national strategies and programs. As a result, high unmet needs are more likely because of their social interruption with their traditional information sources, support, protection, and lack of income which limits refugees' ability to make a free choice that would allow them to plan and space the number of children they desire. Information on the unmet needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) women is scarce. This study is aimed at assessing the magnitude of the unmet need for modern contraceptive methods and associated factors among IDPs currently married reproductive‐age women. Methods: A community‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted among 393 internally displaced women currently married reproductive‐age women using a simple random sampling method using a structured, pretested, and interview‐administered questionnaire. A logistic regression model was used to identify associated factors. Statistically significant variables at p value < 0.25 in the bivariate analysis were entered into multivariable analysis, and statistical significance was declared at p value ≤ 0.05. Results: About 160 (40.7%) (95% CI: 35.94%–45.67%) of women had an unmet need for modern contraceptive methods, 139 (35.4%) for spacing, and 21 (5.3%) for limiting. Less than 18 years of age at first marriage, lack of access to modern contraception, lack of discussion with healthcare providers, and travel time of 30 min or more to obtain family planning were found to be risk factors for unmet contraceptive needs. The risk of unmet need for modern contraceptives was high among women who were married at age of less than 18 years of age in comparison with women who were married at 18 and above (AOR = 1.559; 95%CI = 1.019–2.385). Unmet needs were higher among participants who had no adequate availability of modern contraceptive methods than those who had adequate availability of modern contraceptive methods (AOR = 1.738; 95%CI = 1.125–2.684). Similarly, the odds of unmet needs were 1.673 times higher among participants who did not discuss FP with healthcare providers than those who discussed FP with healthcare providers (AOR = 1.673; 95%CI = 1.085–2.581). Moreover, the odds of unmet needs were 1.551 times higher among participants who traveled 30 min and above to access family planning services as compared to those respondents who traveled below 30 min (AOR = 1.551; 95%CI = 1.002–2.401). Conclusion and Recommendations: The magnitude of the unmet need for modern contraceptive methods was higher than both the Ethiopian national and Oromia regional state total unmet need for the general population. Governmental and nongovernmental organizations should increase their efforts to reduce this high magnitude of unmet needs by emphasizing those factors that have a great contribution to unmet needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Choosing the right dog that fits well with an owner's lifestyle is important for the happiness of both the dog and the owner. This study looked into why and how people in Austria choose their dogs by surveying over a thousand dog owners. Unlike past studies, we asked open-ended questions so that the owners could freely share their reasons. On average, the owners gave two to three reasons for their choice. The most common reasons included the dog's breed, picking a dog on a whim, the dog's abilities for work or sports, and rescuing a dog. Surprisingly, less than 1% of owners prioritized guarding abilities, and 1% considered basic traits like the dog's sex, age, or health as key factors. If an owner picked a dog for its looks or skills, they often chose their next dog for the same reasons. Factors like the owner's age, household composition, previous experience with dogs, and the intended role of the dog also played a part in the decision. For instance, owners with children preferred dogs that were friendly, calm, and easy to train, and they were less likely to adopt from shelters compared to those without children. Overall, our study shows the wide range of reasons that people have for choosing their dogs, which can help ensure better matches between dogs and their owners, improving the well-being of both. Selecting a dog that is incompatible with the owner's expectations can negatively impact both parties. Previous studies on dog acquisition have primarily focused on shelter environments, using closed-ended questions to assess hypothetical preferences. In contrast, our study employed open-ended questions with a convenience sample of Austrian dog owners (N = 1077) to retrospectively explore why the owners chose their dogs. We also examined consistency in owners' responses and the influence of owner characteristics (age, education, household composition, previous dog experience, purpose of acquisition) on their reasons. Content analysis revealed 24 codes; the frequency of codes was 2.4/response. The most frequent codes were breed-based choice (29%), choosing on a whim, without careful consideration (24%), work/sport skills (22%), and rescuing a dog (17%). The least frequent were the age (1%), health (1%), sex (1%), and guarding skills (0.6%) of the dog. Twelve codes were consistent over time, and ten were consistent across dogs, indicating that the owners showed a consistent preference for certain traits. Except for the owner's education level, all characteristics affected the likelihood of mentioning at least one code. Most associations were found with the presence of children in the household: owners with children preferred friendly, easily manageable, and easy-to-train dogs and were less likely to adopt or rescue compared to owners living without children. Our findings also highlight discrepancies between spontaneous (free-text) reports and responses to closed-ended questions, underscoring the importance of qualitative data in better understanding the motivations behind and the factors influencing dog acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New smartphones provide real-time access to GNSS pseudorange, Doppler, or carrier-phase measurement data at 1 Hz. Simultaneously, they can receive corrections broadcast by GNSS reference stations to perform real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning. This study aims at the real-time positioning capabilities of smartphones using raw GNSS measurements as a conventional method and proposes an improvement to the positioning through the integration of Inertial Navigation System (INS) measurements. A U-Blox GNSS receiver, model ZED-F9R, was used as a benchmark for comparison. We propose an enhanced ambiguity resolution algorithm that integrates the traditional LAMBDA method with an adaptive thresholding mechanism based on real-time quality metrics. The RTK/INS fusion method integrates RTK and INS measurements using an extended Kalman filter (EKF), where the state vector x includes the position, velocity, orientation, and their respective biases. The innovation here is the inclusion of a real-time weighting scheme that adjusts the contribution of the RTK and INS measurements based on their current estimated accuracy. Also, we use the tightly coupled (TC) RTK/INS fusion framework. By leveraging INS data, the system can maintain accurate positioning even when the GNSS data are unreliable, allowing for the detection and exclusion of abnormal GNSS measurements. However, in complex urban areas such as Qazvin City in Iran, the fusion method achieved positioning accuracies of approximately 0.380 m and 0.415 m for the Xiaomi Mi 8 and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphones, respectively. The subsequent detailed analysis across different urban streets emphasized the significance of choosing the right positioning method based on the environmental conditions. In most cases, RTK positioning outperformed Single-Point Positioning (SPP), offering decimeter-level precision, while the fusion method bridged the gap between the two, showcasing improved stability accuracy. The comparative performance between the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and Xiaomi Mi 8 revealed minor differences, likely attributed to variations in the hardware design and software algorithms. The fusion method emerged as a valuable alternative when the RTK signals were unavailable or impractical. This demonstrates the potential of integrating RTK and INS measurements for enhanced real-time smartphone positioning, particularly in challenging urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design. Meta-analysis. Objective. This meta-analysis investigates the outcomes of laminoplasty (LP) and laminectomy with fusion (LF) to guide effective patient selection for these 2 procedures. Background. Although LF traditionally offers the ability for excellent posterior decompression, it may alter cervical spine bio-mechanics and increase the risk of adjacent segment degeneration. LP aims to preserve the natural kinematics of the spine but has not been universally accepted, and may be associated with inadequate decompression, neck pain, and recurrent stenosis. Materials and Methods. PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar (pages 1-20) were searched up until March 2024. The outcomes studied were surgery-related outcomes [operative time (OR) time, estimated blood loss (EBL), and length of stay], adverse events (overall complications, C5 palsy, and reoperations), radiographic outcomes (cervical lordosis, cervical sagittal vertical axis, and T1 slope angle), and patient-reported outcome measures (Neck Disability Index, Visual Analog Scale for neck pain, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association). Results. Twenty-two studies were included in this meta-analysis, of which 19 were retrospective studies, 2 were prospective non-randomized studies, and 1 was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 2128 patients were included, with 1025 undergoing LP and 1103 undergoing LF. Patients undergoing LP experienced significantly shorter operative time (P = 0.009), less EBL (P = 0.02), a lower rate of overall complications (P < 0.00001) and C5 palsy (P = 0.003), a lower T1 slope angle (P = 0.02), and a lower Neck Disability Index (P = 0.0004). No significant difference was observed in the remaining outcomes. Conclusion. This meta-analysis demonstrates that for cervical myelopathy, LP has the benefits of shorter operative time time, less EBL, and reduced incidence of C5 palsy as well as overall complication rate. Given these findings, LP remains an important surgical option with a favorable complication profile in patients with cervical myelopathy, although careful patient selection is still paramount in choosing the right procedure for individual patients. Level of Evidence. 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arab Journal for Scientific Publishing 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.)

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive therapeutic method with high selectivity of action. It has gained great popularity in recent years as a new therapy for the treatment of cancer, but is also used in dermatology, ophthalmology, and antimicrobial treatment, among others. The therapeutic regimen involves the administration of a photosensitizer (PS) that selectively accumulates in tumor cells or is present in the blood vessels of the tumor prior to irradiation with light at a wavelength corresponding to the absorbance of the photosensitizer, leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Choosing the right PS is one of the most important steps in PDT and is crucial to the effectiveness of the therapy. Despite the many compounds discovered, the search for new molecules that could fulfill the functions of an optimal photosensitizer and improve the efficiency of PDT is still ongoing. Compounds of natural origin could contribute to achieving this goal. A number of photoactive substances as effective as synthetic photosensitizers have been described in various plant and fungal species. With the increasing identification of photoactive natural products, many new photosensitizers are expected to emerge. Some have already been clinically tested with promising results. In our work, we provide insights into this research and molecules, analyze their advantages and disadvantages, and point out gaps in current knowledge and future directions for their development. We also present natural photosensitizers not yet tested in clinical trials and point out future potential directions for their development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: This study proposes a Bayesian network model to aid mental health specialists making data-driven decisions on suitable treatments. The aim is to create a probabilistic machine learning model to assist psychologists in selecting the most suitable treatment for individuals for four potential mental disorders: Depression, Panic Disorder, Social Phobia, or Specific Phobia. Methods: This study utilized a dataset from 1,094 individuals in Denmark containing socio-demographic details and mental health information. A Bayesian network was initially employed in a purely data-driven approach and was later refined with expert knowledge, referred to as a hybrid model. The model outputted probabilities for each disorder, with the highest probability indicating the most suitable disorder for treatment. Results: By incorporating expert knowledge, the model demonstrated enhanced performance compared to a strictly data-driven approach. Specifically, it achieved an AUC score of 0.85 vs 0.80 on the test data. Furthermore, we evaluated some cases where the predictions of the model did not match the actual treatment. The symptom questionnaires indicated that these participants likely had comorbid disorders, with the actual treatment being proposed by the model with the second highest probability. Conclusions: In 90.1% of cases, the hybrid model ranked the actual disorder treated as either the highest (67.3%) or second-highest (22.8%) on the test data. This emphasizes that instead of suggesting a single disorder to be treated, the model can offer the probabilities for multiple disorders. This allows individuals seeking treatment or their therapists to incorporate this information as an additional data-driven factor when collectively deciding on which treatment to prioritize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nosocomial infections are a global problem in hospitals all around the world. It is considered a major health problem, especially in developing countries. The increase in the patient's stay in hospitals has increased the mortality rate, and consequently, the costs drastically increase. The main purpose of using disinfectants in the hospital environment is to reduce the risk of nosocomial infections. Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) causes lysis and increases susceptibility to antimicrobial agents in the planktonic form of bacteria. This substance affects the permeability of the outer membrane of bacteria. It also prevents the formation of biofilms by bacteria. Materials and methods: In the current study, 120 isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) were confirmed by phenotypic and genotypic methods. Antibiogram was performed and then the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of isolates against 5% sodium hypochlorite, ethanol %70, sayasept-HP 2%, chlorhexidine 2%, dettol 4/8% were evaluated. In addition, the disinfectant effect was re-evaluated with the mixture of EDTA solution. All isolates were examined for biofilm presence by crystal violet staining method in triplicates and repeated three times for each strain. Also for all isolates detection of efflux pump genes (Qac-E, qacE-Δ1, SUG-E) by PCR technique was done. Results: Antibiogram results of A. baumannii showed that 6.7% were Multi-drug-resistant (MDR), and 89.2% were Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) isolates. The highest effect of disinfectants was related to 5% sodium hypochlorite, and the least effect was 70% ethanol. EDTA increases the efficacy of selected disinfectants significantly. The highest prevalence of the efflux pump genes was related to SUG-E (95%) and Qac-E (91.7%), and, the qacE-Δ1 gene with 12.5%. The biofilm production rate was 91.3% among all isolates. Conclusion: The best and safest way to disinfect hospital floors and surfaces is to choose the right disinfectants, and learn how to use them properly. In this study, a mixture of disinfectants and EDTA had a significant effect on bactericidal activity. it was found that improper use of disinfectants, especially the use of sub-inhibitory dilutions, increases the resistance of bacteria to disinfectants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Islamic Republic of Iran, femininity encounters a distinct conflict with the prevailing political system discourse. The rise of political Islam after the Islamic revolution has resulted in extensive limitations on women’s rights and the institutionalized suppression of their freedoms. In light of the constraints imposed by the I.R, social media platforms, particularly Twitter, have become vital spaces for accessing valuable information pertaining to competing political discourses, specifically those concerning women-related issues. This study examines the frequency and nature of women-related indicators generated by the opposition movement on Twitter from early 2020 to early 2022. The findings indicate that, relative to other groups, subversive oppositions place a stronger emphasis on women’s demands. Drawing inspiration from feminist discourse and advocating for the elimination of political Islam, subversives argue that women’s demands cannot be met without overthrowing the Islamic Republic. They focus on topics such as women’s rights violations and the individual’s right to choose whether or not to wear the hijab, thereby posing significant challenges to the I.R. These challenges were further intensified by the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, who died while in the custody of morality police, leading to widespread public demonstrations in the summer and fall of 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article from Early American Literature explores the novel "Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself" by Robert Montgomery Bird, focusing on the protagonist's ability to inhabit multiple bodies and the confusion that arises from this metempsychosis. Bird uses Lee's transformations into various characters to examine the complexities of political representation and the challenges faced by elected officials embodying diverse constituencies. The text delves into the historical context of character writing, connecting it to the political discourse of the early American republic, and highlights the limitations and potentials of confusion in democratic representation. Through a nuanced analysis of confusion, Bird navigates the personal and public implications of identity, representation, and emancipation, offering a critical perspective on the multifaceted nature of democratic politics in the 19th century. [Extracted from the article]

Dental ethics mean the obligations and moral responsibilities towards the patients, professional peers, and society as large. In Orthodontic Clinical Practice all information should be given to the patients before orthodontic treatment like the risk and benefit of therapy and the treatment duration also all the patients have the right to choose and determine the type of orthodontic therapy by application of American dental association Principles of Ethics (ADA Code), all these elements involved under the term of orthodontic ethics .This review article elucidates the ethical dilemmas encountered by orthodontists in their regular clinical practice, with the aim of providing optimal treatment to their patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the impact of a sense of accomplishment on high-impact practices (HIPs) in education. The authors describe signature assignments, which are assignments that give students choice, require synthesis and application, and include reflection. The article presents five examples of signature assignments from different disciplines. The authors conducted a survey and found that students reported positive self-reports of impact, including the effectiveness of signature assignments in demonstrating learning and applying course concepts. Students also expressed joy in the ability to choose, pride in their growing expertise, and excitement in connecting with others through learning. The authors argue that a sense of accomplishment should be considered a key feature of HIPs. [Extracted from the article]

Let us consider a two-sided multi-species stochastic particle model with finitely many particles on Z , defined as follows. Suppose that each particle is labelled by a positive integer l, and waits a random time exponentially distributed with rate 1. It then chooses the right direction to jump with probability p, or the left direction with probability q = 1 − p . If the particle chooses the right direction, it jumps to the nearest site occupied by a particle l ′ < l (with the convention that an empty site is considered as a particle with labelled 0). If the particle chooses the left direction, it jumps to the next site on the left only if that site is either empty or occupied by a particle l ′ < l , and in the latter case, particles l and l ′ swap their positions. We show that this model is integrable, and provide the exact formula of the transition probability using the Bethe ansatz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Investigating the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) in vitro is crucial for elucidating the underlying mechanisms of skeletal muscle development in goats. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is a widely utilized technique for quantifying the expression levels of target genes. A significant challenge associated with this method is the identification of optimal reference genes for accurate normalization. In this study, we evaluated ten candidate reference genes for the standardization of gene expression. Our results indicated that RPL14 and RPS15A constituted the most stable reference gene combination during the proliferation and differentiation of goat MuSCs. The process of skeletal muscle development is intricate and involves the regulation of a diverse array of genes. Accurate gene expression profiles are crucial for studying muscle development, making it essential to choose the right reference genes for real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). In the present study, eight candidate reference genes were identified from our previous transcriptome sequencing analysis of caprine skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs), and two traditional reference genes (ACTB and GAPDH) were assessed. The quantitative levels of the candidate reference genes were determined through the RT-qPCR technique, while the stability of their expression was evaluated utilizing the GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder programs. Furthermore, the chosen reference genes were utilized for the normalization of the gene expression levels of PCNA and Myf5. It was determined that conventional reference genes, including ACTB and GAPDH, were not appropriate for normalizing target gene expression. Conversely, RPL14 and RPS15A, identified through RNA sequencing analysis, exhibited minimal variability and were identified as the optimal reference genes for normalizing gene expression during the proliferation and differentiation of goat MuSCs. Our research offers a validated panel of optimal reference genes for the detection of differentially expressed genes in goat muscle satellite cells using RT-qPCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Intrustion Detection System (IDS) refers to the gear or software that monitors a network or system for malicious activity or policy violations. Periodically, the system records any intrusion action or breach, which frequently modifies the administrator. Cyber Physical System (CPS) is particularly called as networked connected system, in which the system components are spatially distributed and integrated via the communication network. The control mechanism ensures computation significance; however, the system does affect attacks. Researchers are trying to handle this issue via the existing anomaly datasets. In this way, this paper follows an intrusion detection system under three major stages including extraction of features, selection of feature, and detection. The primary stage is the extraction of Statistical features like standard deviation, mean, mode, variance, and median, as well as higher‐order statistical features like moment, percentile, improved correlation, kurtosis, mutual information, skewness, flow‐based features, and information gain‐based features. The curse of dimensionality becomes a significant problem in this scenario, so it is crucial to choose the right features. Improved Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) is utilized to choose the right features. The selected features are subjected to a Hybrid classifier for final detection. Here, models like CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) and Bi‐GRU (Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit) are combined. A new Bernoulli Map Estimated Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (BMEAOA) is added to train the system by adjusting the ideal weights of the two classifiers, leading to improved detection outcomes. Ultimately, the effectiveness is assessed in comparison to the other traditional techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In engineering design, navigating complex decision-making landscapes demands a thorough exploration of the design, performance, and constraint spaces, often impeded by resource-intensive simulations. Data-driven methods can mitigate this challenge by harnessing historical data to delineate feasible domains, accelerate optimization, or evaluate designs. However, the implementation of these methods usually demands machine learning expertise and multiple trials to choose the right method and hyperparameters. This makes them less accessible for numerous engineering situations. Additionally, there is an inherent trade-off between training speed and accuracy, with faster methods sometimes compromising precision. In our paper, we demonstrate that a recently released general-purpose transformer-based classification model, TabPFN, is both fast and accurate. Notably, it requires no dataset-specific training to assess new tabular data. TabPFN is a prior-data fitted network, which undergoes a one-time offline training across a broad spectrum of synthetic datasets and performs in-context learning. We evaluated TabPFN's efficacy across eight engineering design classification problems, contrasting it with seven other algorithms, including a state-of-the-art automated machine learning (AutoML) method. For these classification challenges, TabPFN consistently outperforms in speed and accuracy. It is also the most data-efficient and provides the added advantage of being differentiable and giving uncertainty estimates. Our findings advocate for the potential of pre-trained models that learn from synthetic data and require no domain-specific tuning to make data-driven engineering design accessible to a broader community and open ways to efficient general-purpose models valid across applications. Furthermore, we share a benchmark problem set for evaluating new classification algorithms in engineering design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studii de Ştiintă şi Cultură is the property of Studii de Stiinta si Cultura 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.)

Objectives: Urinary incontinence is pelvic floor muscles dysfunction, most often caused by a weakening of their strength. There are no guidelines on how to evaluate pelvic floor muscle function. Palpation is the most popular method of assessing pelvic floor muscle function, but it is subjective. The aim of the study was to review the objective methods used in the assessment of pelvic floor muscle function in women with urinary incontinence. Material and methods: A systematic literature review of the PubMed database was performed using the following keywords: "Pelvic Floor"[mh] AND ("Pelvic Floor Disorders"[mh] OR "Urinary Incontinence"[mh]). The search was limited to English-language articles published from 2011 to 2021. Eligible were interventional studies in which the pelvic floor muscle function of women with urinary incontinence was assessed using quantitative tools. Methods that cannot be used in the clinic were excluded from the analysis. Results: Fifty-two articles were included in the analysis and five unique methods assessing the function of pelvic floor muscle were distinguished: manometry, electromyography (EMG), ultrasonography (USG), dynamometry, accelerometry. Conclusions: Manometry, EMG and USG are the most common objective methods of assessing pelvic floor muscle function. When taking measurements, it is important to choose the right position of the patient. The use of objective tools to assess the function of the pelvic floor muscle and obtaining quantitative and/or qualitative data allows us to precisely diagnose and monitor the treatment and rehabilitation progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Salinity is one of the most important environmental stresses after drought stress in Iran, which has affected about 50% of agricultural lands with different intensities. The growth and development of crop plants in these areas are constantly exposed to salinity and other stresses at the same time, which causes morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses. Alleviating the negative effects of salinity in the crops is mainly done by agronomic and breeding methods. The use of appropriate microorganisms is one of the agronomic methods that can directly and/or indirectly reduce some limitations of salinity stress. In recent years, the necessity of biological study in rhizosphere microorganisms to improve nutrition and plant growth and, to control stress factors has been considered. Some species of Trichoderma fungi are known as plant growth stimulants in normal and stressful conditions. Since the bio-treatment of Trichoderma fungi for alleviation of salt stress in the Pinto bean has not been evaluated, so, the inoculation effects of different species of this fungus were studied on the plant growth and development under salinity conditions. Methodology A field split-plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications was carried out at the Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute in Karaj on Pinto bean Saleh 2 plants. The main factor (salinity) was in two levels of non-saline (ECe=1.1 dS m-1) soil and saline (ECe=6 dS m-1) soil, and the second factor with 11 levels, including; T. harzianum (MW718882), T. lixii (MW719563), T. ghanens (MW719590), T. virens (MW719876) and (MW719255) and their mutant isolates, namely NAS108 M1, NAS114-M17, ON545796, NAS115 M17, and NAS112M2, respectively, and the control treatment was without inoculation. Findings The results showed that the effect of salinity and the biopriming on the characteristics of emergence percentage, plant height, harvest index, number of pods, number of seeds per pod, seed weight, seed yield, biological yield, branching, seed protein, and leaf area was significant (p≤0.01). Also, the results showed that the interaction effect of salinity and biopriming on emergence percentage, plant height, seed yield, biological yield, seed protein, and leaf area was significant at p≤0.01, however, harvest index, the number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod and the seed weight were not influenced by treatments interaction. All studied characteristics were significantly reduced under salt stress compared to the control. The decrease in yield component traits was more than vegetative traits. The biopriming of Trichoderma species except T. lixii improved all traits of growth, development, and seed protein of the plant in saline and non-saline conditions. T. harzianum, T. ghanens and T. atroviride and their mutants produced the highest salinity resistance induction. Among them, the effect of T. atroviride was more obvious in saline condition while its mutant was superior in non-saline condition. The symbiosis efficiency of Trichoderma with this plant shows that under non-saline condition the efficiency varies between 16 to 70%, and the lowest is in T. lixii (mutant) and the highest in T. atroviride (mutant). Also, except for T. atroviride, the index declined by salinity to the range of 3 to 58% for the rest of fungi. Conclusion In general, the results of the experiment showed that the growth and development of pinto beans are affected by salinity and inoculation by the Trichoderma species and their interactions. As a result, the effects of different Trichoderma species are not the same under saline and non-saline conditions. Although under salinity treatment, the potential of the fungi in supporting the vegetative traits, yield, and yield component decreased, however, the values of all traits in saline conditions were higher than that of control without inoculation. This article shows that choosing the right and sustainable fungal treatment can partially alleviate the effects of the moderate salinity in the pinto bean plants. Therefore, it is possible to optimize bean production by inducing salinity resistance by selecting suitable Trichoderma. Overall and according to the results, seed biopriming with Trichoderma species improves the vegetative and reproductive traits of pinto bean in saline and non-saline conditions, and the use of T. harzianum, T. ghanens, and T. atroviride along with their mutants is recommended to maximize of the plant yield in the field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The 2019 Senate hearings on the proposed anti-LGBT + discrimination legislation in the Philippines re-ignited the 20-year-long debate on LGBT + protection in a country both known as a "gay-friendly nation" (Kohut in Pew Research Center, 2013; Manalastas et al., 2017) and "the last bastion of conservative Catholicism in Asia" (Bloomer et al. in Policy Press, 2020). Prior studies have looked at various positions on the bill and how it was constructed to lobby for or oppose its passage. The present study contributes to the existing literature by looking at how LGBT + people are socially represented in these legislative debates—highlighting how public talk in political spaces has social and material consequences on LGBT + people. Method: The current study used archived livestream recordings of the 2019 Philippine Senate hearings and social representations theory (SRT) to explore how LGBT + people are socially represented by groups who are positioned as pro- and anti-SOGIE Equality Bill. Results: The results of this study show how the pro-Bill speakers focused on representing "LGBT + as human," particularly as "normal humans," "God's creation," "marginalized humans," "exemplary marginalized humans," and "productive members of society." Meanwhile, anti-Bill speakers represented "LGBT + as wrong," specifically as "just feelings, not fact," "disordered condition," "wrong lifestyle choice," "harmful foreign ideology," "social problem," and "respectable without their LGBT + identities." Conclusion: Public talk in a political setting can (de)humanize LGBT + people, legitimizing both inclusionary and exclusionary social practices. Policy Implications: Anchoring on social representations can direct how to shift future talks toward supporting the SOGIE Equality Bill and delegitimizing exclusionary practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Visceral Leishmaniasis is a serious public health problem caused by Leishmania species parasites. Approximately 500 thousand people get Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) every year. An effective and reliable vaccine against the disease has still not been formulated. Choosing the right adjuvant is important to increase immunogenicity in vaccines prepared with total antigens. In this study, we investigate the ideal adjuvant for use in vaccine formulations against VL. For this purpose, Leishmania antigens (FTLA) obtained from L. infantum parasites by the freeze-thaw method and three different adjuvants (alum-saponin and calcium phosphate) were used. The effectiveness of the formulations was investigated in vitro by cell viability analysis and determination of nitric oxide and cytokine production abilities in J774 macrophage cells. According to the study results, it was determined that formulations prepared with calcium phosphate produced 72% more NO and approximately 7.2 times more IL-12 cytokine. The results obtained showed that calcium phosphate salts can be used as ideal adjuvants in vaccine research against leishmaniasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]