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This study presents an applied study with a pure experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of the application, with the objective of reducing the levels of loneliness and depression through the use of a mobile application based on neural networks in older adults in the city of Trujillo. In addition, software development technologies such as Flutter, Flask, and ExpressJs were used. The results indicate a significant decrease in the levels of emotional and social loneliness and depression in the experimental group (EG) compared to the control group (CG). Reductions of 15.03% in the level of emotional loneliness (LEL), 24.74% in the level of social loneliness, and a remarkable 44.12% in the level of depression were observed in the EG. In addition, a significant increase of 6% in the mood index was evidenced in the EG. This led to the conclusion that after mobile implementation based on neural networks, the alternative hypothesis is supported, statistically demonstrating the effectiveness of the application in reducing loneliness and depression in older adults. These findings suggest a positive impact on the emotional well-being of this population, underscoring the utility of technology in addressing mental health issues in this demographic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion 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.)

This study presents a seismic design methodology for precast concrete column-to-pile shaft member socket connections. In designing such connections, the intent was to ensure that the plastic hinge occurs in columns while minimizing the damage to the pile shaft. To achieve this, a strut-and-tie model was developed to represent the force transfer mechanism within the connection region; this model served as the basis for efficient seismic design details, including shaft transverse reinforcement, column embedment length, and shaft size. The predictive accuracy of the strut-and-tie model was validated against both the experimental and finite-element analysis results for a wide variety of connection features. Upon validation, the strut-and-tie model was integrated into a step-by-step seismic design procedure and a case study was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of these procedures for determining suitable connection design details. Finally, a computer application with a graphical user interface was developed for the ease of implementation of the strut-and-tie model and reliable interpretation of its analysis results, making it possible to be used routinely in seismic design practice for precast column-to-pile shaft assemblies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ciencia y Sociedad is the property of Ciencia y Sociedad 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.)

Copyright of Revista Docencia Universitaria is the property of Universidad Industrial de Santander 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.)

Belt conveyors, owing to their simple construction, high reliability and relatively low energy consumption, are the basic means of transporting loose and granular materials. Currently, thanks to continuous development, belt conveyors can reach a length of up to several kilometres, and their belt width can be more than two meters. Such possibilities are achieved thanks to increasingly better belts and drives. However, the most common are short belt conveyors with a length of up to 40 m and belt widths of up to 1 m, frequently referred to as belt feeders. Apart from the mining industry, they are widely used in power engineering, metallurgy and other industries (chemical plants, trans-shipment ports, storage yards, etc.). The design of machines, including belt feeders, is based on calculations. Modern design in technology is based on advanced computational methods and the possibilities of computer technology. Multi-variant simulation calculations are necessary, especially in the case of belt feeders, where none of the devices—despite the use of typical elements and subassemblies—are a repeatable solution. Only this procedure guarantees the selection of rational solutions already at the early stages of design. Therefore, in this article, an analytical model of a typical belt feeder was developed and its stability and forces in the supports were determined. This allowed the development of an application for testing the stability of the belt feeder at the design stage or when introducing structural changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining formative and summative evaluations could improve assessment. Cognitive diagnosis modeling (CDM) has been proposed as a tool for diagnosing students’ strengths and weaknesses in formative assessment. However, there is no user-friendly software to implement it. For this reason, a Shiny app, FoCo, has been developed (https://foco.shinyapps.io/FoCo/), to conduct CDM and classical test theory analyses. The responses from 86 undergraduate students to a research methods course examination were analyzed. Students’ strengths and needs were diagnosed concerning their dominance of the syllabus contents and the first three competencies in Bloom’s taxonomy. The validity of the results was analyzed. The exam showed acceptable about evaluating students’ knowledge, as students with similar scores showed different strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, these attributes were found to predict different relevant criteria. It is expected that FoCo’s easiness to use promotes the employment of CDM in real educational settings.

Copyright of Journal of Jilin University (Science Edition) / Jilin Daxue Xuebao (Lixue Ban) is the property of Zhongguo Xue shu qi Kan (Guang Pan Ban) Dian zi Za zhi She and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article describes the theory behind the design of a computer application for speech therapy of patients in aphasia. The project novelty consists in its data: to build up the training tasks, the authors used speech patterns that were semiotically relevant for the patients and visual supports obtained in experimental work. The research featured target-groups of healthy people whose gender, age, and social profile corresponded with those of patients undergoing neurorehabilitation at the Federal Siberian Research and Clinical Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia. The material included statistical data on the sociological characteristics of patients of the neurorehabilitation center in 2014-2018, as well as 18 questionnaires filled in by relatives of patients who were in rehabilitation from February to March 2019. It also involved scripts of interviews with 40 neurologically healthy native speakers of the Russian language of two gender-socio-professional groups that coincided in the language biography and collective speech profile with the most frequent groups of patients with complex motor aphasia. The data were processed using Sketch Engine corpus manager tools. The main methods of analysis included linguistic experiment, questioning, description, modeling, and design. The article introduces a methodological linguistic basis and a design project for a novel computer application that organizes speech therapy for patients with aphasia at home. The research was based on the ecolinguistic principle of relevance, which demonstrated good practical application prospects.

Combining formative and summative evaluations could improve assessment. Cognitive diagnosis modeling (CDM) has been proposed as a tool for diagnosing students' strengths and weaknesses in formative assessment. However, there is no user-friendly software to implement it. For this reason, a Shiny app, FoCo, has been developed (https://foco.shinyapps.io/FoCo/), to conduct CDM and classical test theory analyses. The responses from 86 undergraduate students to a research methods course examination were analyzed. Students' strengths and needs were diagnosed concerning their dominance of the syllabus contents and the first three competencies in Bloom's taxonomy. The validity of the results was analyzed. The exam showed acceptable about evaluating students' knowledge, as students with similar scores showed different strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, these attributes were found to predict different relevant criteria. It is expected that FoCo's easiness to use promotes the employment of CDM in real educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The present study was conducted to investigate success of AI in relation to progesterone concentrations with respect to the timing of inseminations or heat detection in the field. Milk samples were collected for progesterone assay from 149 crossbred cows subjected to AI. The milk progesterone concentrations were estimated by RIA to access the reproductive status of the cows. On the day of AI, progesterone concentrations were less than 1.0 nmol/L (Low) in 51% samples and more than 3.00 nmol/L (High) in 18%. Rest 31 % samples showed intermediate progesterone (1.01 to 2.99 nmol/L) suggesting that these cows were not in proper heat at the time of AI. On the basis of two samples (day 0 and day 12 post AI), 50% cows had low progesterone concentrations on the day of AI and high in the second sample, indicating that these cows were inseminated during estrus and ovulated subsequently. Whereas, 12% cows had high progesterone in both the samples suggesting that at the time of AI these cows were either in the luteal phase or had luteal cyst. Remaining 37% cow had intermediate progesterone concentrations on both the occasions suggesting that they were having either developing or regressing or malfunctioning corpora lutea or partial luteal cyst. Perusal of observations on progesterone concentrations showed that 18% of inseminations were done during luteal phase and another 30% were done at some inappropriate time of heat, thus suggesting that high proportion (48%) of cows under field conditions were inseminated while not in proper heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Góndola, Enseñanza y Aprendizaje de las Ciencias is the property of Gondola, Ensenanza y Aprendizaje de las Ciencias 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.)

Belt conveyors, owing to their simple construction, high reliability and relatively low energy consumption, are the basic means of transporting loose and granular materials. Currently, thanks to continuous development, belt conveyors can reach a length of up to several kilometres, and their belt width can be more than two meters. Such possibilities are achieved thanks to increasingly better belts and drives. However, the most common are short belt conveyors with a length of up to 40 m and belt widths of up to 1 m, frequently referred to as belt feeders. Apart from the mining industry, they are widely used in power engineering, metallurgy and other industries (chemical plants, trans-shipment ports, storage yards, etc.). The design of machines, including belt feeders, is based on calculations. Modern design in technology is based on advanced computational methods and the possibilities of computer technology. Multi-variant simulation calculations are necessary, especially in the case of belt feeders, where none of the devices—despite the use of typical elements and subassemblies—are a repeatable solution. Only this procedure guarantees the selection of rational solutions already at the early stages of design. Therefore, in this article, an analytical model of a typical belt feeder was developed and its stability and forces in the supports were determined. This allowed the development of an application for testing the stability of the belt feeder at the design stage or when introducing structural changes.

BACKGROUND: Since 2020, staging accuracy improvements in cervical cancer (CC) revealed that major errors occur due to missed metastases to regional lymph nodes. The presence or absence of metastases seriously affects the staging of cancer and, consequently, its treatment methods, since metastases make cancer inoperable. AIM: To develop an application to help the doctor in predicting metastases to regional lymph nodes in CC, with the ability of installing on any personal computer regardless of the operating system (Windows, Linux, or Mac OS) and saving data about the patients. METHODS: The development was performed on the .NET platform (framework v4.7.2), by means of C# language, based on a proprietary prognostic model using seven blood parameters such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate, erythrocytes, hemoglobin, fibrinogen, D-dimer, and platelet aggregation with adenosine diphosphate and soluble fibrin monomer complexes. RESULTS: A window application was developed that automatically calculates the probability of metastases to regional lymph nodes in СС and provides the ability to save the data from the input form and the predicted value into TXT and/or CSV files. TXT and CSV formats are supported in various operating systems. The .txt file allows each individual patients prognosis results to be saved in a separate file for easy printing and attachment to the patients electronic or paper medical record. The CSV file format enables the aggregation of data of all patients by adding line-by-line data from the input form to the end of the file. CONCLUSIONS: The developed application facilitates the process of using the patented formula to diagnose metastases to regional lymph nodes in СС at the early stages of examination, which allows choosing the optimal tactics and, consequently, improving the prognosis of the disease.