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Abstract After precipitation, reference evapotranspiration (ETO) plays a crucial role in the hydrological cycle as it quantifies water loss. ETO significantly impacts the water balance and holds great importance at the basin level because of the spatial distribution of managing water resources. Large scale teleconnection indices (LSTIs) play a vital role by influencing climatic variables and can be pivotal in determining ETO and its predictive variables. This study aimed to model and forecast annual ETO in Iran’s basins by utilizing LSTIs and employing various machine learning models (MLMs) such as least squares support vector machine, generalized regression neural network, multi-linear regression (MLR), and multi-layer perceptron (MLP). Initially, climate data from 122 synoptic stations covering six and 30, main and sub basins were collected, and annual ETO values were computed using the Food and Agriculture Organization 56 (PMF 56) Penman–Monteith equation. The correlations between these values and 37 LSTIs were examined within lead times ranging from 7 to 12 months. Through a stepwise approach, the most influential predictor indices (LSTIs) were selected as input datasets for the MLMs. The findings revealed the significant influence of factors such as carbon dioxide (CO2), Atlantic multidecadal oscillation, Atlantic Meridional Mode, and East Atlantic on annual ETO. Overall, all MLMs performed well in terms of the Scatter Index during both training and testing phases across all sub-basins. Furthermore, the MLP and MLR models displayed superior performance compared to other models in the training and testing evaluations based on various assessment metrics.

In this study, V2O5, 5ZnO/10V2O5, and ZnO, 10ZnO/10V2O5 nanocomposites were synthesized by the sol–gel method. The sol–gel technique is an important process for the fabrication of advanced oxide materials with desirable catalytic, optical, and structural properties. The varieties and flexibilities of sol–gel techniques help in preparing materials with extremely specific properties. For the presented samples, three types of phases were assessed. The average crystalline size of V2O5, 5ZnO/10V2O5 and ZnO, 10ZnO/10V2O5 nanocomposites were found to be 25, 26, 14.5, and 15.5 nm, respectively. SEM images showed three different shapes of semi-tube, semi-spherical, and semi-flower. The pure samples of V2O5 and ZnO showed semi-tube shapes. 5ZnO/10V2O5 shows a spherical shape with average dimeter of 0.6 µm. Strong dependence of the direct optical band gap was observed on different compositions that varied within the range of (2.33–2.73 eV). Conversely, the indirect values varied within the range of 2.119–2.35 eV. On the other hand, 10ZnO/10V2O5 has semi flower shape with different layers. Optical parameters, such as optical band gap, extension coefficient, tails of localized states, and refractive index, were gauged for these nanocomposites. In addition, the mean refractive index of ZnO is lower than that of V2O5, with differences observed between 5ZnO/10V2O5 and 10ZnO/10V2O5 nanocomposites.

Abstract Given the existing uncertainty regarding the effectiveness and safety of switching from low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) to direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with cancer-associated venous thrombosis (CAT), we conducted a comprehensive population-based cohort study utilizing electronic health database in Hong Kong. A total of 4356 patients with CAT between 2010 and 2022 were included, with 1700 (39.0%) patients switching to DOAC treatment. Compared to continuous LMWH treatment, switching to DOACs was associated with a significantly lower risk of hospitalization due to venous thromboembolism (HR: 0.49 [95% CI = 0.35–0.68]) and all-cause mortality (HR: 0.67 [95% CI = 0.61–0.74]), with no significant difference in major bleeding (HR: 1.04 [95% CI = 0.83–1.31]) within six months. These findings provide reassurance regarding the effectiveness and safety of switching from LMWH to DOACs among patients with CAT, including vulnerable patient groups.

Since 2005, the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) mandatory adoption in the European Union has played a pivotal role to reduce financing costs which has influenced positively economic growth across member states. Thus, this study examines the effect of Cost of Capital on Economic Growth under IFRS mandatory adoption in 17 European countries between 1994 and 2021 using Pooled Mean Group Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG-ARDL) and System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM-system) methods. The findings reveal a positive correlation between the Cost of Capital and Economic Growth under IFRS adoption. Specifically, the model estimates indicate that the Cost of Capital contributes to a 0.58% increase in Economic Growth in the PMG-ARDL framework. Moreover, the GMM-system model underscores the significance of IFRS adoption in reducing the Cost of Capital, leading to a 0.52% increase in Economic Growth. These results provide insights into the benefits of adopting international accounting standards and highlight the importance of institutional and financial factors in shaping the economic impact of adopting accounting standards.

Clean water is a necessity for many organisms, especially human life. Due to many factors, there is a significant shortage of potable water. This has led to efforts involving recovering water from wastewater or the sea through different technologies. Recently, the desalination of seawater via the reverse osmosis system has shown to be a promising method for drinking water treatment and recovery. Such a technique relies on mathematical models based on many parameters, resulting in special PDEs to model the reverse osmosis system. This paper develops a numerical method to solve a reverse osmosis model. The governing PDE is converted into a Sylvester equation that is proved to be uniquely solvable, stable, consistent, and convergent. The numerical scheme developed is validated with experimental data from the literature, and some numerical simulations.

This study aimed to determine the efficiency and productivity of the production factors in the case of public transport in Sfax – the second most important agglomeration in Tunisia–. The analysis of factor productivity enabled identifying the shortcomings in the supply of this service and advocating certain strategies to boost supply. We use an estimation of the trans-logarithmic costs function with different restrictions while relying on the foundations of the microeconomic theory. We relied on annual statistical data from the Regional Transport Company in Sfax over the period preceding the COVID 19 crisis spanning from 1985 to 2018. The estimation results showed the presence of scale diseconomies, the gain in productivity over the years is too slow. The technical progress of public transport in Sfax is very low and the technical efficiency is also very limited. The results revealed that there is a decline in productivity growth due to a growing inefficiency throughout the study period.

Background Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have demonstrated clinical benefits and better patient adherence over low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in treating patients with cancer-associated venous thrombosis (CAT). We aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness of DOACs against LMWH in patients with CAT from the perspective of the Hong Kong healthcare system.Methods A Markov state-transition model was performed to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) for DOACs and LMWH in a hypothetical cohort of 10,000 patients with CAT over a 5-year lifetime horizon. The model was primarily based on the health states of no event, recurrent venous thromboembolism, bleeding, and death. Transition probabilities, relative risks, and utilities were derived from the literature. Resource cost data were obtained from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses tested the robustness of the results.Results Relative to LMWH, DOACs were associated with increased QALYs (1.52 versus 1.50) at a lower medical cost of USD 2,232 versus 8,224 in five years. The cost of LMWH was the main contributor to the outcome. Out of 10,000 simulated cases, DOACs were dominant in 15.8% and cost-effective in 42.1%, at the willingness-to-pay threshold of USD 148,392 per additional QALY.Conclusions DOACs were associated with greater QALY improvements and lower overall costs compared to LMWH. Accounting for uncertainty, DOACs were between cost-effective and dominant in 57.9% of cases. DOACs are a cost-effective alternative to LMWH in the management of CAT in Hong Kong.

Iraq, one of the main oil exporting nations, is extremely susceptible to changes in the price of oil. This article attempts to investigate how the price of oil affects the way the Iraqi economy performs, as indicated by a number of factors (economic growth and international financial markets). We will apply econometric techniques in both linear and non-linear frameworks to accomplish this goal. To represent NARDL non-linearities in the relationship between the aforementioned economic variables, we will first look for linear cointegrating correlations and/or estimate ARDL models. If necessary, we will next use threshold cointegration. Thus, we demonstrate that, independent of the regime we are in, the asymmetry associated with the shock's sign is confirmed over the span January 2006–December 2020. Regarding the asymmetry associated with the shock's magnitude, it is only confirmed under the "below oil price threshold regime." In the "above oil price threshold regime," yields respond in a way that is proportionate to the shock's magnitude. Additionally, we demonstrate that the asymmetry associated with the shock's sign is confirmed during times of negative industrial output growth, while the influence of shocks looks symmetrical during times of positive industrial production variation.

Abstract The relationship between imported technology and employment is a controversial issue. This study aims to test the hypothesis that the relationship between imported technology and employment is non-linear and evolves with the level of technology imports. The study covers two groups of developed and developing countries over the period 2000–2019. The Panel Smooth Transition Regression (PSTR) model is used to estimate the technology import threshold and its impact on industrial employment. The study finds a positive relationship between imported technology and industrial employment for technology import rates above the 13.667% threshold, above which imported technology begins to improve industrial employment in developed countries. In contrast, for developing countries, the results showed a negative relationship between imported technology and industrial employment for technology import rates above the 3.44% threshold above which imported technology begins to reduce industrial employment. These results suggest that the threshold level of technology imports can be considered as an indicator for promoting innovation policies in both developed and developing countries to minimize the negative effect of process innovation resulting from imported technology.

Background The overexpression of estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) and its correlation with prognosis of malignant mesothelioma remains controversial and unexplored. This study aimed at studying ERβ expression in tumour tissue in patients with pleural mesothelioma and its association with clinical and pathological factors and survival analysis. Material and methods A prospective cohort study was conducted on patients who were diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in Ain Shams university hospitals, the primary end point was to correlate ERβ overexpression that was analysed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on paraffin tissue blocks with 1-year overall survival (OS) among MPM patients, the secondary endpoint was to correlate ERβ overexpression with 1-year progression free survival (PFS) and response to platinum-based chemotherapy among MPM patients. Results A total 42 MPM patients were included, High ERβ expression (modified Allred score 7-9) was reported in 9.5% of the patients (4 cases), moderate expression (modified Allred score 4-6) was reported in 28.6% of the patients(12 cases), weak and negative expression ( modified Allred score 0-3) was reported in 61% of the patients(26 cases), percent of ERβ positive cases was 69% of the total patients, there was no statistical difference as regard age (p value:0.8), sex(p value:0.4), stage (p value: 0.71), ECOG (p value :0.84) , histological subtype(p value:0.17) and response to platinum based treatment (p value:0.5) across the 3 groups of patients (high, moderate , weak and negative ER beta on tumour tissues) there was no statistically significant difference in OS and PFS for ERβ overexpression. Conclusion The overexpression of ERβ was not associated with improved OS or PFS in mesothelioma patients, despite high rate of ERβ positive cases in our analysis, larger sample size would be recommended for more solid conclusions

This research attempts to better understand how students in Saudi Arabia benefit from narrative and story aspects in gamified learning environments. Data from a sample of 500 persons with varying levels of education are analyzed using quantitative methods such as descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The findings point to strong positive correlations between the use of gamification in education, the influence of storytelling, narrative variables, and the acquisition of new skills. There has been a significant shift toward the use of narrative variables as measures of mastery in gamified classrooms. This study's results show that using gamified learning with story elements may increase students' interest, motivation, and knowledge retention. Efforts are now being made by Saudi Arabia to update its educational system and provide its youth with the tools they'll need to succeed in the country's emerging knowledge-based economy. The use of game-based learning and narrative-rich experiences has promising results in this setting.

Using the educational setting of Jordan, this research aims to investigate the complex relationship between teacher-student rapport and student involvement in gamified learning experiences. As it relates to the effective use of gamified learning methodologies, this research digs into the far-reaching ramifications of cultivating strong interpersonal interactions between instructors and students. This research uses a strict quantitative technique to investigate the complex relationships between 400 children and 40 teachers. This study's results shed light on an interesting and statistically significant phenomenon: a significant positive connection (r = 0.742, p 0.001) between teacher-student rapport and the amount of engagement seen in gamified learning sessions. The finding, in line with Jordan's educational reforms, highlights the critical role of positive rapport in generating dynamic and significant participation within modern instructional techniques. The practical repercussions highlight the need for teachers to work to improve their interpersonal skills. It becomes clear that this is a crucial factor in enabling effective teaching and learning, especially within the context of contemporary pedagogical approaches. The current research helps us better understand the complex dynamics at play in teacher-student relationships, illuminating their far-reaching consequences for the pursuit of educational excellence in the Jordann setting.

Abstract Background Despite the growth in primary cancer (PC) survivors, the trends and disparities in this population have yet to be comprehensively examined using competing risk analysis. The objective is to examine trends in time to second primary cancer (SPC) and to characterize age, sex, and racial disparities in time‐to‐SPC. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER). Two datasets for this study are (1) the discovery dataset with patients from SEER‐8 (1990–2019) and (2) the validation dataset with patients from SEER‐17 (2000–2019), excluding those in the discovery dataset. Patients were survivors of lung, colorectal, breast (female only), and prostate PCs. Results The 5‐year SPC cumulative incidences of lung PC increased from 1990 to 2019, with the cumulative incidence ratio being 1.73 (95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.64–1.82; p

Effective spam filtering plays a crucial role in enhancing user experience by sparing them from unwanted messages. This imperative underscores the importance of safeguarding email systems, prompting scholars across diverse fields to delve deeper into this subject. The primary objective of this research is to mitigate the disruptive effects of spam on email usage by introducing improved security measures compared to existing methods. This goal can be accomplished through the development of a novel spam filtering technique designed to prevent spam from infiltrating users’ inboxes. Consequently, a hybrid filtering approach that combines an information gain philter and a Wrapper Grey Wolf Optimizer feature selection algorithm with a Naive Bayes Classifier, is proposed, denoted as GWO-NBC. This research is rigorously tested using the WEKA software and the SPAMBASE dataset. Thorough performance evaluations demonstrated that the proposed approach surpasses existing solutions in terms of both security and accuracy.

Background and purpose: Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies in men and its early detection contributes to the chance for a more sufficient treatment plan and a reduction in its complications. The usual methods for prostate cancer screening include serum PSA levels and digital rectal examination. In case the prostate cancer is suspected, transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy (TRUS) is performed as the gold standard for the diagnosis. The present study is designed to evaluate the potential efficacy of multiparametric-magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) in detection of prostate cancer location. Materials and methods: a total of 66 subjects were participated in this cross sectional case-controlled study. Based on the results of the TRUS-guided biopsy, 33 of the participants had prostate cancer. All participants underwent MP-MRI imaging prior to the prostate biopsy. findings achieved by the either methods have been investigated and the comparison has been made. Results: It was revealed that the sensitivity and specificity of the mp-MRI in the diagnosis of prostate cancer were 81.8% and 93.9%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive value were 93.1% and 83.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The current study indicates that the mp-MRI imaging method has a sufficient sensitivity and specificity for detecting the location of prostate cancer and can potentially be employed as a clue-providing method prior to the TRUS-guided biopsy.

Abstract Aim With the outbreak of COVID‐19 and associated challenges such as increased workload for health providers and shortage of equipment, it became more challenging to maintain patients' dignity and satisfaction. This study evaluated the patients' dignity and satisfaction with COVID‐19 in Kashan, Iran, in 2021. Design A cross‐sectional descriptive study. Methods In total, 385 patients recovered from COVID‐19 were selected through sequential sampling method. Data were collected using demographic, patient dignity inventory, and patient satisfaction questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis, independent t‐test, ANOVA, and Spearman‐Brown coefficient. Results The mean age of patients was 50.57. The mean scores of patients' dignity and satisfaction were 1.622 ± 0.653 and 3.851 ± 0.548 (out of 5), respectively. The dignity rating was associated with age, gender, education, underlying disease, and length of hospital stay (p

The development of appropriate and valid multicultural and multilingual instruments research is necessary due to a growing multicultural and multilingual society in the 21st century. We explored the use of a cognitive scale related to subjective complaints, focusing on the first step: a cross-cultural and semantic validation. This study presents the translation and cross-validation process of the “Subjective Scale to Investigate Cognition in Schizophrenia” (SSTICS) for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) region via different languages used in Dubaï/Abu Dhabi. This scale measures cognitive complaints and has been validated with psychosis and used in 20 clinical trials worldwide. It evaluates areas of the illness related to self-awareness focusing on memory dysfunction and deficits of attention, language, and praxis. We described the method of cross-cultural validation, with back-translation, semantic steps, and societal contexts. The use of the Subjective Scale to Investigate Cognition in Emirates (SSTIC-E) was explored with different samples of UAE Arabic-speaking subjects. First, a pilot sample mean SSTICS total score was 16.5 (SD:16.9); (p

Investigating Tunisian consumer attitudes about organic cereal products and the factors influencing their willingness to pay a premium price for them are the goals of this paper. Based on a face-to-face exploratory survey of Tunisian household heads, a descriptive analysis and a binomial logistic regression model were used to investigate the factors that would influence Tunisian consumers' willingness to pay more for sustainable organic cereal purchases. According to the study, 20% and 31% of the consumers surveyed indicated that they would be willing to pay an extra 10% or 5% on top of the initial purchase price to buy an organic product, respectively. The outcomes of the binary logistic regression model demonstrate that several factors are influencing. Factors such as consumer sustainability value, desire to pay more for quality, quality/price relationship, health value, and economic value determine customers' willingness to pay a premium price for organic cereal products. These elements must be taken into consideration by producers and processors of organic cereals while making managerial choices.