Search Results (35)

Background/Objectives: Maternal exposures are known to influence the risk of isolated cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P)—a common and highly heritable birth defect with a multifactorial etiology. Methods: To identify new risk loci, we conducted a genome-wide gene–environment interaction (GEI) analysis of CL/P with maternal smoking and vitamin use in Filipinos (N_cases = 540, N_controls = 260). Since GEI analyses are typically low in power and the results can be difficult to interpret, we applied multiple testing frameworks to evaluate potential GEI effects: a one degree-of-freedom (1df) GxE test, the 3df joint test, and the two-step EDGE approach. Results: While no genome-wide significant interactions were detected, we identified 11 suggestive GEIs with smoking and 24 with vitamin use. Several implicated loci contain biologically plausible genes. Notable interactions with smoking include loci near FEZF1, TWIST2, and NET1. While FEZF1 is involved in early neuronal development, TWIST2 and NET1 regulate epithelial–mesenchymal transition, which is required for proper lip and palate fusion. Interactions with vitamins encompass CECR2—a chromatin remodeling protein required for neural tube closure—and FURIN, a critical protease during early embryogenesis that activates various growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins. The activity of both proteins is influenced by folic acid. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the critical role of maternal exposures in identifying genes associated with structural birth defects such as CL/P and provide new paths to explore for CL/P genetics. Full article

Background: A comprehensive understanding of chronic pain is crucial for assessing its impact on knee osteoarthritis (KOA). This study aimed to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate the ICOAP into Brazilian Portuguese for individuals with KOA. Methods: A total of 133 individuals with KOA participated. Phase 1 involved the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the ICOAP into Brazilian Portuguese. In Phase 2, the pre-final version was tested, and in Phase 3, the final version was validated with 103 participants. Convergent validity was assessed using Spearman’s correlation with the Numeric Rating Pain Scale (NRPS), the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Internal structure was evaluated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using fit indices: chi-square/degrees of freedom (χ²/df), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR), comparative fit index (CFI), and Tucker–Lewis index (TLI). Internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha (α), and floor and ceiling effects were examined. A subsample of 53 participants was used to assess test–retest reliability through the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimum detectable change (MDC). Results: The ICOAP showed adequate fit indices. Reliability analysis demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency and test–retest reliability. However, only the constant pain domain exhibited convergent validity. Conclusions: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the ICOAP consists of two independent domains with good internal consistency and reliability. However, only the constant pain domain showed appropriate convergent validity. Full article

The temperature and humidity profiles within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) are crucial for Earth’s climate research. The Atmospheric Sounder Spectrometer by Infrared Spectral Technology (ASSIST) measures downward thermal radiation in the atmosphere with high temporal and spectral resolution continuously during day and night. The physics-based retrieval method, utilizing iterative optimization, can obtain solutions that align with the true atmospheric state. However, the retrieval is typically an ill-posed problem and is affected by noise, necessitating the introduction of regularization. To achieve high-precision detection, a systematic evaluation was conducted on the retrieval performance of temperature and humidity profiles using ASSIST by regularization methods based on the Gauss–Newton framework, which include Fixed regularization factor (FR), L-Curve (LC), Generalized Cross-Validation (GCV), Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE), and Iterative Regularized Gauss–Newton (IRGN) methods, and the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) method based on a damping least squares strategy. A five-day validation experiment was conducted under clear-sky conditions at the Anqing radiosonde station in China. The results indicate that for temperature profile retrieval, the IRGN method demonstrates superior performance, particularly below 1.5 $\mathrm{k}\mathrm{m}$ altitude, where the mean BIAS, mean RMSE, mean Degrees of Freedom for Signal (DFS), and mean residual reach 0.42 $\mathrm{K}$, 0.80 $\mathrm{K}$, 3.37, and $3.01\times {10}^{-13}$ $\left(\mathrm{W}/{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^2 \mathrm{s}\mathrm{r} {\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^{-1}\right)$, respectively. In contrast, other regularization methods exhibit over-regularization, leading to degraded information content. For humidity profile retrieval, below 1.5 $\mathrm{k}\mathrm{m}$ altitude, the LM method outperforms all regularization-based methods, with the mean BIAS, mean RMSE, mean DFS, and mean residual of 3.65$\%$, 5.62$\%$, 2.05, and $4.36\times {10}^{-12}$ $\left(\mathrm{W}/{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^2 \mathrm{s}\mathrm{r} {\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^{-1}\right)$, respectively. Conversely, other regularization methods exhibit strong prior dependence, causing retrieval to converge results toward the initial guess. Full article

This study addresses the load frequency control (LFC) within a multiarea power system characterized by diverse generation sources across three distinct power system areas. area 1 comprises thermal, geothermal, and electric vehicle (EV) generation with superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) support; area 2 encompasses thermal and EV generation; and area 3 includes hydro, gas, and EV generation. The objective is to minimize the area control error (ACE) under various scenarios, including parameter variations and random load changes, using different control strategies: proportional-integral-derivative (PID), two-degree-of-freedom PID (PID-2DF), fractional-order PID (FOPID), fractional-order integral (FOPID-FOI), and fractional-order integral and derivative (FOPID-FOID) controllers. The result analysis under various conditions (normal, random, and parameter variations) evidences the superior performance of the FOPID-FOID control scheme over the others in terms of time-domain specifications like oscillations and settling time. The FOPID-FOID control scheme provides advantages like adaptability/flexibility to system parameter changes and better response time for the current power system. This research is novel because it shows that the FOPID-FOID is an excellent control scheme that can integrate these diverse/renewable sources with modern systems. Full article

Background: As the aging population grows, facing multifaceted health challenges and escalating care costs, equipping newly graduated nurses with the requisite skills for high-quality gerontogeriatric care becomes crucial. This study assesses the psychometric properties of a Gerontogeriatric Competency (GGC) scale to evaluate the competencies of newly graduated registered nurses (RNs). Methods: Using a convenience sampling approach, a nationwide, observational prospective cohort study was conducted among 272 newly graduated RNs. The evaluation framework included a sociodemographic questionnaire, three groups of questions targeting gerontogeriatric nursing education aspects, and the GGC scale, with 64 competencies. Construct validity (via confirmatory factor analysis), known-group validity and reliability (assessed by Cronbach’s α) were examined. Results: The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed an adequate index fit: the ratio of chi-square to degrees of freedom (χ²/df) = 2.785, the goodness-of-fit index (GFI) = 0.579, confirmatory fit index (CFI) = 0.864, the parsimony goodness-of-fit index (PGFI) = 0.526, the parsimony confirmatory-of-fit index (PCFI) = 0.809, the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.087, and the modified expected cross-validation index (MECVI) = 24.418. Differences were observed in gerontogeriatric competencies based on curriculum inclusion, self-confidence, knowledge in caring for older adults, and satisfaction with the nursing program content. The Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.992 for the overall scale and ranged from 0.935 to 0.983 for the GGC dimensions. Conclusions: The GGC scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the gerontogeriatric competencies of new graduate RNs, highlighting its potential to enhance education, training, and, ultimately, the quality of care provided to the older population. Full article

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a long-term adjunctive treatment option in patients with difficult-to-treat depression (DTD). A total of n = 20 patients (mean age 52.6 years) were included in the multicenter, prospective, observational, naturalistic RESTORE-LIFE study and were treated with adjunctive VNS as an add-on to treatment as usual. Exploratory and secondary outcome parameters from a single center were investigated for this present analysis. The overall mean drug load slightly decreased from 4.5 at baseline to 4.4 at 12 months (Z = −0.534, p = 0.594). The drug load was lower in previous electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) responders than in non-responders. There was a reduction in the mean number of hospitalizations per month after VNS implantation (Z = 1.975, p = 0.048) and a significant decrease in the mean Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score from 27.3 at baseline to 15.3 at 12 months (T = 4.230, degree of freedom (df) = 19, p = 0.001). A history of ECT response at baseline was associated with greater improvement in the MADRS score after 12 months of VNS (F = 8.171, p = 0.013). The number of neuromodulatory maintenance treatments decreased during the follow-up period. In summary, there was an alleviation in the burden of illness among DTD patients treated with VNS. Full article

Background: Falling on stairs is a major health hazard for older people. Risk factors for stair falls have been identified, but these are mostly examined in controlled biomechanics/gait laboratory environments, on experimental stairs with a given set of step dimensions. It remains unknown whether the conclusions drawn from these controlled environments would apply to the negotiation of other domestic staircases with different dimensions in real houses where people live. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to investigate whether selected biomechanical stepping behavior determined through stair gait parameters such as foot clearance, foot contact length and cadence are maintained when the staircase dimensions are different in real houses. Methods: Twenty-five older adults (>65 years) walked on a custom-made seven-step laboratory staircase. Older adults were classified into two groups (fallers and non-fallers) based on recent fall history. Among the 25 participants, 13 people had at least one fall, trip, or slip in the last six months and they were assigned to the fallers group; 12 people did not experience any fall in the last six months, so they were assigned to the non-fallers group. In addition, these participants walked on the stairs in three different real exemplar houses wearing a novel instrumented shoe sensor system that could measure the above stair gait parameters. MATLAB was used to extract fall risk parameters from the collected data. One-way ANOVA was used to compare fall risk parameters on the different staircases. In addition, the laboratory-based fall risk parameters were compared to those derived from the real house stairs. Results: There was a significant difference in selected stair-fall biomechanical risk factors among the house and laboratory staircases. The fall risk group comparisons suggest that high-risk fallers implemented a biomechanically riskier strategy that could increase overall falling risk. Conclusions: The significant differences due to the main effects of the fallers and non-fallers groups were obtained. For example, when ascending, the fallers group had less foot clearance on the entry (p = 0.016) and middle steps (p = 0.003); in addition, they had more foot clearance variability on the entry steps (p = 0.003). This suggests that the fallers group in this present study did not adopt more conservative stepping strategies during stair ascent compared to low-risk older adults. By showing less foot clearance and more variability in foot clearance, the risk for a trip would be increased. Full article

Background: Empowering patients with behavioral issues or chronic conditions to actively participate in their healthcare can help improve health outcomes. However, in the Saudi Arabian context, evaluation tools for achieving this goal are lacking, considering cultural and healthcare system factors. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Patient Activation Measure. Methods: This cross-sectional validation study was conducted on a sample of 225 patients receiving treatment from primary healthcare centers located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Item analyses and reliability and construct validity testing of the tool were conducted. Results: The item–total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.31 (item 2) to 0.57 (item 11). The item–total correlation coefficients for all 13 items were above 0.30. The reliability was 0.80. A two-factor model (“knowledge and beliefs” and “confidence and skills”) reflecting the instrument was constructed. The raw model did not sufficiently fit the data (χ² = 170.98, degree of freedom (df) = 64, p < 0.001; Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.79; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.83; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.86 [90% confidence interval {CI} = 0.07–0.10]). After all significant correlations between the items’ error terms were modeled, an adequate fit was achieved (χ² = 76.76, df = 51, p < 0.01; TLI = 0.94; CFI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.04 [90% CI = 0.02–0.07]). Conclusions: the Arabic version of the Patient Activation Measure can be utilized by healthcare providers to assess the activation levels and unique needs and preferences of Arabic-speaking individuals and tailor interventions accordingly to provide necessary support. Full article

Technological infrastructure plays a critical role in a country’s development and progress, enabling economic growth, innovation, and improving citizens’ quality of life. This study explores the potential of digital entrepreneurship and digital transformation in reducing unemployment in Oman. With the increasing reliance on digital technologies, governments need to invest in technological infrastructure that can meet the evolving needs of society. This study investigates the potential of digital entrepreneurship and digital transformation in reducing unemployment in Oman. This study highlights the importance of technological infrastructure in enabling economic growth and improving citizens’ quality of life. The findings indicate that digital entrepreneurship offers equal opportunities for both genders, potentially empowering women in entrepreneurship and addressing unemployment challenges. Additionally, the study shows a positive relationship between age and digital entrepreneurship aspirations. To foster entrepreneurship, the study suggests empowering young job seekers with digital knowledge and enabling graduates to create new opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs. The study found significant effects of “Unemployment in the Sultanate of Oman (reasons and solutions)” on occupation, as indicated by a between-group sum of squares of 8.773, two degrees of freedom, and a mean square of 4.387, with an F value of 11.274, and a significance level of 0.000. On the other hand, the “Digital Entrepreneurship Sector” significantly affected occupation, with a between-groups sum of squares of 4.394, two degrees of freedom, and a mean square of 2.197, and an F value of 10.267 with a significance level of 0.000. Similarly, for the “Entrepreneurship Digital Infrastructure” variable, there was no significant difference between male and female mean scores (t = −1.516, df = 206, p = 0.131). Overall, the results indicate that the digital entrepreneurship sector significantly impacts occupation, while the entrepreneurship digital infrastructure has no significant effect. Additionally, female respondents showed a higher mean score in perceptions of “Unemployment in the Sultanate of Oman (reasons and solutions)” compared to male respondents. Full article

Fengyun-3E (FY-3E)/Hyperspectral Infrared Atmospheric Sounder-II (HIRAS-II) is an extension Fengyun-3D (FY-3D)/HIRAS-I. It is crucial to fully explore and analyze the detection capabilities of these two instruments for atmospheric gas composition. Based on the observed spectral data from the infrared hyperspectral detection instruments FY-3D/HIRAS-I and FY-3E/HIRAS-II, simulated radiance data and Jacobian matrices are obtained using the Rapid Radiative Transfer Model RTTOV (Radiative Transfer for TOVS (TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder)). By perturbing temperature (T), surface temperature (T_surf), water vapor (H₂O), ozone (O₃), carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrous oxide (N₂O), the brightness temperature differences before and after the perturbations are calculated to analyze the sensitivity of temperature and various atmospheric gas components. The Improved Optimal Sensitivity Profile (OSP) algorithm is used to select the channels for atmospheric gas retrieval. The observation error covariance and background error covariance matrices are calculated, and then the information capacity is calculated, specifically the degrees of freedom for signal(DFS) and the entropy reduction (ER). Based on this, a comparative analysis is conducted on the information capacity of atmospheric water vapor and ozone components contained in the hyperspectral detection data from HIRAS-I and HIRAS-II instruments, respectively, to explore the retrieval capabilities of the two instruments for atmospheric gas components. We selected clear-sky data from the African oceanic region and the Chinese Yangtze River Delta terrestrial region for quantitative analysis of the information capacity of HIRAS-I and HIRAS-II. The results show that FY-3D/HIRAS-I and FY-3E/HIRAS-II exhibit different sensitivities to atmospheric gas components. In different experimental regions, temperature and water vapor show the most dramatic sensitivity changes, followed by ozone, methane, and nitrous oxide, while carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide exhibit the lowest variability. Regarding channel selection, HIRAS-II identifies more gas channels compared to HIRAS-I. The experiments concluded that HIRAS-II has a significantly higher information capacity than HIRAS-I, and the information capacity of atmospheric gas components varies across different experimental regions. Water vapor and ozone exhibit the highest information capacity, followed by nitrous oxide and methane, while carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide demonstrate the lowest capacity. The H₂O ER (DFS) contained in FY-3E/HIRAS-II is 1.51 (0.35) higher than that in FY-3D/HIRAS-I, the O₃ ER (DFS) in FY-3E/HIRAS-II is 1.51 (0.36) higher than that in FY-3D/HIRAS-I, while the N₂O ER (DFS) in FY-3E/HIRAS-II is 0.17 (0.19) higher and the CH₄ ER (DFS) is 0.07 (0.04) higher than that in FY-3D/HIRAS-I. Full article

This paper presents a conceptual framework with the application of the structural equation modeling (SEM) method for improving safety in the surface mining industry. The focus of the study is to address the essential components of occupational safety and assess them to develop significant linkages because they are often addressed individually. In this study, the risk (accident causation) factors were examined for continuous improvement based on the risk management process and the application of engineering, education, and enforcement. Data collected from mine employees were utilized to evaluate the framework using SEM. The final structure model showed good fit indices, including chi-square to a degree of freedom (x²/df) equal to 2.545, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) of 0.034 with a probability of 1.0, and a valid framework path. All the factors had a significant positive effect on workplace conditions and workers’ commitment, except machinery, which had a positive non-significant effect on workplace conditions. The effects of the mediated factors of worker commitment and workplace conditions on the number of accidents were β = −0.76 and β = −0.145, respectively, and the effects on job satisfaction were β = 0.31 and β = 0.433. The research concluded that any risk factor reduction can improve safety in the mining industry; however, the correlation of all factors’ effects magnifies the influence of a single factor. Furthermore, the conceptual framework is recommended for identifying the factors that need modification in order to manage hazards and improve safety in the workplace. Full article

Aerosol vertical distribution is decisive and hard to be constrained. It is of great significance for the study of atmospheric climate and environment. Oxygen absorption A-bands (755–775 nm) provide a unique opportunity to acquire vertical aerosol profiles from satellites over a large spatial coverage. To investigate the ability of O₂ A-bands in retrieving aerosol vertical distribution, the dependence of retrieval on satellite observation geometry, spectral resolution, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), size distribution, and a priori knowledge is quantified using information content theory. This work uses the radiative transfer model UNL to simulate four aerosol modes and the instrument noise model. The simulations show that a small scattering angle leads to an increase in the total amount of observed aerosol profile information, with the degrees freedom of signal (DFS) of a single band increasing from 0.4 to 0.85 at high spectral resolution (0.01 nm). The total DFS value of O₂ A-bands varies accordingly between 1.2–2.3 to 3.8–5.1 when the spectral resolution increases from 1 nm to 0.01 nm. The spectral resolution has a greater impact on DFS value than the impact from SNR (an improvement of roughly 41–53% resulted from the change in spectral resolution and the SNR led to 13–18%). The retrieval is more sensitive to aerosols with a coarse-dominated mode. The improvement in spectral resolution on information acquisition is demonstrated using the DFS and the posterior error at various previous errors and resolutions. Full article

Edible insects have been suggested as a more sustainable source of protein, but their consumption varies according to geographical and sociocultural influences. Focusing on the different aspects that can influence people’s attitudes towards edible insects (EI), this work aimed to carry out the statistical validation of an instrument aimed at assessing different dimensions of this field: the KPEI (knowledge and perceptions about EI) scale. The instrument consists of 64 questions distributed by the following dimensions: Culture and Tradition, Gastronomic Innovation and Gourmet Kitchen, Environment and Sustainability, Economic and Social Aspects, Commercialization and Marketing, Nutritional Characteristics, and Health Effects. The data were collected in 13 countries (Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey). The validation of the KPEI scale was made through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results revealed two acceptable models, both retaining 37 of the 64 initial items, distrusted by the seven dimensions as: Culture and Tradition (5 items), Gastronomic Innovation and Gourmet Kitchen (5 items), Environment and Sustainability (8 items), Economic and Social Aspects (5 items), Commercialisation and Marketing (4 items), Nutritional Aspects (6 items), Health Effects (4 items). Both multifactorial models resulting from the CFA/SEM analyses showed approximately equal goodness of statistical fit indices with values of Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), Root Mean Square Residual (RMR), and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) partially zero and values of Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) and Comparative Fit Index (CFI) approximately one, i.e., very close to a perfect fit. For the first-order model, the ratio between chi-square and degrees of freedom is χ²/df = 13.734, GFI = 0.932, CFI = 0.930, RMSEA = 0.043, RMR = 0.042, SRMR = 0.042; and for the second-order model χ²/df = 14.697, GFI = 0.926, CFI = 0.923, RMSEA = 0.045, RMR = 0.047, SRMR = 0.046). The values of composite reliability (CR = 0.967) and mean extracted variance (MEV = 0.448) are indicative of a good fit. Finally, the reliability analysis indicated a very good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.941). These results confirm the successful validation of the KPEI scale, making it a valuable instrument for future application at the international level. Full article

The increase in power demand, nonlinearity, complexity, varying structure, and other important causes has necessitated the implementation of artificial intelligent control methodologies for safe and acceptable operation of the electric power systems. Therefore, in this article, an improved two-degrees-of-freedom (2DOF-PID) control scheme is proposed for power/frequency control of a two-area interconnected electric power system. The parameters of the 2-DOF-PID control scheme are optimized using the Dragonfly Algorithm (DA) via a new integral-based weighted goal fitness function (IB-WGFF) (i.e., DF-2DOF-PID-IB-WGFF). The superiority of the suggested scheme is proved by comparing the results obtained using the proposed IB-WGFF with those obtained using the conventional controllers, and the 2DOF-PID controllers optimized using the DA and Genetic Algorithm (GA) via the frequently published performance criterion. To verify the stability, efficacy, and robustness of the proposed control scheme, a load disturbances and parameters perturbations with various percentages are implemented in the controlled system under the same controllers. Finally, verification results proved that the proposed 2DOF-PID optimized using DA via the IB-WGFF is more stable, efficient, and robust than the other controllers recently used in the literature. Full article

Based on the optimal estimation (OE) theory and information content analysis method, we discuss the ability to include the multi-angle satellite ultraviolet polarization channel to retrieve the aerosol layer height (ALH) for ten typical aerosol types in the China region. We also quantitatively evaluate the effects of polarization measurements and the number of viewing angles on ALH retrieval under different conditions (aerosol model, aerosol optical depth, etc.). By comparing the different degree of freedom for signal (DFS) results of ALH caused by the theoretical retrieval error changes in different microphysical parameters in the aerosol and surface model, we identify the key factors affecting ALH retrieval. The results show that the extended ultraviolet band provides important information for ALH retrieval and is closely related to the scattering and absorption characteristics of aerosol models. The polarization measurements in fine mode reduce the posterior error of ALH retrieval by 6–39%; however, this is relatively small for coarse mode. In particular, when it is applied to the transported dust and background dust aerosol types, the posterior error is only reduced by 1–8% after adding polarization measurements. For these two aerosol types with weak absorption at the ultraviolet band, increasing the number of angles observed in addition to increasing the polarization channel will more effectively improve ALH inversion. Compared with other aerosol and surface model parameters, the retrieval errors for the total volume column, effective variance, real part of the complex refractive index, and surface reflectance are the main factors affecting ALH retrieval. Therefore, reducing the theoretical retrieval error of these parameters will be helpful. Full article